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Pray with consistent persistent prayer says the preacher and some say
"But
I can't concentrate on anything," you may claim, "let alone God." I
would reply, "Don't try to coimb a mountain till you have learned how to
conquer a hill.
Think
of God for a moment; let it grow until it becomes a minute. Enlarge
your capacity for things of the spirit by decreasing your capacity for
things less worthy of your time.
You doubtless have some unfortunate thought habits that could be replaced with something better.
Soren Kierkegaard, mystic and philosopher, in his classic devotional entitled Purity in Heart makes a startling suggestion. He says that every worship service is a drama witnessed by an audience of one, and that One is God.
The minister,
though it is commonly believed otherwise, is the prompter; the
congregation is on stage, both during the service and afterward.
The sermon and Scripture are instruction on how to act, and God watches to see how well His people take their cue.
Perhaps a prayer worth praying might read:
"Dear
Lord, in the drama of life may I learn my script well; may it be from
Thy hand to my heart; may its title be destiny and its climax years well
spent and nobly dedicated to Thee, my God. Amen."
In Cleveland, Ohio, on the comer of Euclid and Huntington, stands the Euclid A venue Baptist Church.
At
one time it was called the Second Baptist Church. Early in its history
it was almost called nothing, for it almost died. Starting small, it
stayed small.
The minister became discouraged and resigned. He left the church deeply in debt.
Completely demoralized, the membership scattered; attendance dropped off to almost nothing.
Finally a business meeting was called.
Letters of transfer were given to all who wished to move to another church, and the doors were closed and locked. All that could be done had been done, and a church had died.
Except--one
man wouldn't believe it. Patiently, persistently, each Wednesday night
he held a prayer meeting on the church steps.
His friends thought him foolish and worse than that, but he persevered.
One night another man showed up. A few weeks later the number had grown to four.
Soon the group grew large enough to request the trustees for a key to meet inside.'
Inside,
the number continued to grow; a pastor was called; and today the church
still lives and ministers to the community of which it is such a vital
part.
What is the promise? "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
Does
God sometimes say No as well as Yes? One little boy prayed over and
over again for God to make Jacksonville the capital of Florida.
When
someone heard him and asked why he was so earnest about such a prayer,
he explained, "It's the answer I put on my test paper this morning."
There are times when God's intervention would be impractical and unwise.
Sometimes
we can see that, and sometimes we cannot. The attitude and persistence
of the lone man on the church steps was commendable.
It brought results.
His consecration meshed gears with God.
It does
not mean that it is now a law that every church-step prayer meeting
will produce the same results. We make the request, but it is God's
prerogative to make the bequest.
The prayer of Jesus in the Garden is a fit example. "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." If we
had all knowledge, all presence, and all power, we could answer our own
prayers. There would be no need to lift them up to the arbitration of
God.
But
we are God's children, no more, no less; and when we are wise children,
we lay our lives before the Creator and say, "Not as I will, but as
Thou wilt, Father."
(Quote below from Wyrick'sWritings)
ARROGANCE AND HUMILITY
Think
on this, 100 years after Voltaire died, he who had vowed to exterminate
all traces of Christianity in France , the house in which he had lived
was purchased and became a Bible publishing house.
Click below to go to site
Yes, God loves you the way you are but he loves you too much to let you stay that way.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Click
on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN
DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES WESLEY AND
MARTIN LUTHER
To Order and Read Neil's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GO TO amazon.com
QUOTES ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL INSPIRING INFORMATIVE book
STILL RECEIVING RAVE REVIEWS 8 YEARS AFTER IT'S PUBLICATION.
"Positive,
powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understanding and
appreciation of Lincoln while revealing the Divine source of his
strength."
Lt. Colonel C.A. Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)
"The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln is an
extremely well written book that investigates what might be termed the
spiritual side of President Lincoln. It's both scholarly and very
readable. I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of the
President and with an altered and enlarged vision of the man:'
William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer; author of Blood and Guile, and Wild Thorn
"Wyrick
has authored a wonderful examination of the spirituality of one of
American history's most devoutly religious leaders...a pleasant and
readable book that has a rich depth of information."
Maynard Pittendreigh Presbyterian minister
"When
it comes to invoking religion in support of any of their decisions,
politicians need to sit at the feet of Abraham Lincoln. Reinhold Niebuhr
once called him 'America's greatest theologian.' Why so great? Because
he invariably distinguished between human works and the works of the
Almighty. As Wyrick
says, 'He wore the mantle of humility easily: because he was more
impressed with what God was doing in the world than with what he,
president of the United States in the midst of an awful crisis, was
doing. That is why in his last major speech he distinguished between
both human causes in the Civil War and the Almighty's 'own purposes.'
Lincoln would have agreed that it is better to leave God-talk out of
politics than to decorate human proposals with divinity. This is a book
for our American time. Through his careful study of Lincoln's career,
Wyrick compels us to remember that piety belongs in politics only when piety transcends politics."
Dr. Donald W. Shriver
Emeritus professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Author of An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness in Politics
"v. Neil
Wyrick's fine work allows the reader to appreciate Abraham Lincoln's
Christian commitment and his prophetic role in American history. Should
have a wide readership."
James H. Smylie Professor of Church History (Ret.) Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia
"Neil Wyrick's The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln should be read
by anyone attempting to understand the man who was probably the most
complex person to ever hold the office of president of the United
States. Dr. Wyrick is intent on demonstrating that the spirituality so
often expressed in Lincoln's writings and speeches was not merely lip
service to a Deity, but rather expressions of a profound faith in a real
God. It was this faith that provided the wisdom, compassion, insight
and sometimes steel that Lincoln would need in full measure
as he led the United States through the Civil War. Dr. Wyrick's clear
and unpretentious style of presentation is very much in keeping with the
character ofhis subject, and in so doing, Wyrick makes his point very
well that Lincoln, his beliefs, and the faith that formed them, are as
relevant to a troubled America in 2004 as they were in 1863."
Daniel Allen Butler, author of "Unsinkable"; The Full Story of the RMS Titanic, The Lusitania and The Age o f Cunard
(Quote below from Sundays Wyrick'sWritings)
ARROGANCE AND HUMILITY
Think
on this, 100 years after Voltaire died, he who had vowed to exterminate
all traces of Christianity in France , the house in which he had lived
was purchased and became a Bible publishing house.
Click below to go to site
Yes, God loves you the way you are but he loves you too much to let you stay that way.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Click
on the URL below to WATCH NEIL IN HIS WORLD FAMOUS ONE MAN
DRAMATIZATIONS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BEN FRANKLIN, CHARLES WESLEY AND
MARTIN LUTHER
To Order and Read Neil's 9th book THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN
GO TO amazon.com
QUOTES ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL INSPIRING INFORMATIVE book
STILL RECEIVING RAVE REVIEWS 8 YEARS AFTER IT'S PUBLICATION.
"Positive,
powerful utterances...skillfully enhancing our understanding and
appreciation of Lincoln while revealing the Divine source of his
strength."
Lt. Colonel C.A. Olsen (Ret.) Asbury College (Professor Ret.)
"The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln is an
extremely well written book that investigates what might be termed the
spiritual side of President Lincoln. It's both scholarly and very
readable. I came away impressed at Mr. Wyrick's portrayal of the
President and with an altered and enlarged vision of the man:'
William Hoffman, Award winning fiction writer; author of Blood and Guile, and Wild Thorn
"Wyrick
has authored a wonderful examination of the spirituality of one of
American history's most devoutly religious leaders...a pleasant and
readable book that has a rich depth of information."
Maynard Pittendreigh Presbyterian minister
"When
it comes to invoking religion in support of any of their decisions,
politicians need to sit at the feet of Abraham Lincoln. Reinhold Niebuhr
once called him 'America's greatest theologian.' Why so great? Because
he invariably distinguished between human works and the works of the
Almighty. As Wyrick
says, 'He wore the mantle of humility easily: because he was more
impressed with what God was doing in the world than with what he,
president of the United States in the midst of an awful crisis, was
doing. That is why in his last major speech he distinguished between
both human causes in the Civil War and the Almighty's 'own purposes.'
Lincoln would have agreed that it is better to leave God-talk out of
politics than to decorate human proposals with divinity. This is a book
for our American time. Through his careful study of Lincoln's career,
Wyrick compels us to remember that piety belongs in politics only when piety transcends politics."
Dr. Donald W. Shriver
Emeritus professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Author of An Ethic for Enemies: Forgiveness in Politics
"v. Neil
Wyrick's fine work allows the reader to appreciate Abraham Lincoln's
Christian commitment and his prophetic role in American history. Should
have a wide readership."
James H. Smylie Professor of Church History (Ret.) Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia
"Neil Wyrick's The Spiritual Abraham Lincoln should be read
by anyone attempting to understand the man who was probably the most
complex person to ever hold the office of president of the United
States. Dr. Wyrick is intent on demonstrating that the spirituality so
often expressed in Lincoln's writings and speeches was not merely lip
service to a Deity, but rather expressions of a profound faith in a real
God. It was this faith that provided the wisdom, compassion, insight
and sometimes steel that Lincoln would need in full measure
as he led the United States through the Civil War. Dr. Wyrick's clear
and unpretentious style of presentation is very much in keeping with the
character ofhis subject, and in so doing, Wyrick makes his point very
well that Lincoln, his beliefs, and the faith that formed them, are as
relevant to a troubled America in 2004 as they were in 1863."
Daniel Allen Butler, author of "Unsinkable"; The Full Story of the RMS Titanic, The Lusitania and The Age o f Cunard
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