7
A Mid Year Prayer
T
hou hast so far preserved us through
its various happenings and we stand
on the threshold of the remainder of
the year peering into its darkness. We
thank thee for the things that remain
constant: thy presence, thy love, thy
continuing communion through prayer
and the reading of thy word. Especially
we thank thee for the Lord Jesus, and
all that he has come to mean to us,
past, present and future. These
?constant things? embolden us to look
forward to the things that remain.
~ Time ~
Time slips through our fingers
Like golden grains of sand,
As God works out his purpose
In all that he has planned.
And He has made His purpose known,
It?s written in His word:
So all who love and fear His name
Will never be deterred.
And though the future may look bleak
To those whose faith is frail,
All those who understand the word
See the working of His will.
Time marches on and soon there?ll be
God?s will on earth sublime;
May we be there its joys to share,
Until the end of time.
* * *
| Bro Kevin Simiya (Nyange, Kenya)
Being Fervent in Prayer
this we may come when we use certain
phrases, particularly in public prayer, as if
they were mere points of punctuation in a
cold, emotionless speech. Fervour is not
?much speaking?; it is the spirit which turns
our prayers into pleading and which, as Jesus
points out, will result in persistence in
praying for the things which are really neces-
sary for our well-being (Luke 18:7).
Jesus offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears unto Him that
was able to save him from death, and was
heard in that he feared (Hebrews 5:7). This
verse provides the perfect illustration of
what is meant by fervent prayer, as it seemed
to apply not just to the final prayer of Jesus
but to the whole bent of his life. Jesus often
offered up prayer; although the son of God,
he had no illusion about himself or his needs.
He prayed unto God who was able to save him
from death, not just the death of the cross,
but the penalty which must be borne by all
who carry Adam?s nature. Jesus knew of
man?s need of help beyond himself; he knew
that God alone could be the source of life and
to Him he prayed for deliverance. By God he
was heard because he feared. Jesus prayed
with strong crying and tears.
This, then, is fervour: to know our needs, to
be conscious of God?s power to help, and to
be so sincere in our desire that our being is
moved to tears. Are we really capable of
reaching such depths of human sorrow at the
sinfulness of self? Probably not, but we can
rejoice to find that even here God has
provided for our needs. Likewise the spirit
helps our infirmities for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought. But the spirit
itself makes intercession for us with groaning
which cannot be uttered. And He that
searches the hearts knows what is the mind
of the spirit for he makes intercession for the
saints according to the will of God (Romans
8:26-27). By this most wonderful verse we are
taken right into the innermost part of the
subject of prayer, to see prayer as a vital part
of our salvation and to see it changed in
meaning in the person of our Lord Jesus. As
the priest arranged upon the altar the sacri-
fices of men, so our Lord re-arranges our
feeble utterances so that they are in accor-
dance with the will of God if in faith we pray
through him. Better our lips remain still if our
heart is moved. And if our heart is moved, our
lips also need to be - for our pleading will be
taken up by Jesus, and God will not mistake
his meaning, for He knows the mind of the
spirit.