Speaking To God (and others)

Speaking To God (and others)

Prayer is speaking to God from the heart. Whenever we confess our sins to God and ask Him to forgive us; whenever we tell Him our fears, our troubles, our anxieties; whenever we lay our needs before Him and beg Him to help us - then we pray. We may speak to God in our own words, or in the words of others. We may speak to Him aloud, or only in our thoughts. We may kneel down and pray in a room, or we may lift up our hearts as we walk along the street. We may speak to God anywhere and at any time - for He is everywhere. He can hear every word we say. He can read even our secret thoughts, and He is always ready to receive out prayers.

Is not this wonderful? We cannot speak thus to everybody. I dare say, if you wished to ask a favor of some great lord, you would find it difficult to get to him; and if you wanted to speak to the queen, you would find it harder still.

Yet you may always speak to God. Whenever your heart feels disposed, you may pray. You need not wait for a better time; you may do it at once. You must often wait if you want to speak to men, but you may always speak to God.

How many things we have to say to God! How many sins to confess - how many neglected duties to own! How much we have to praise Him for! How many things we have to ask His help with! How many troubles we meet with, in which God alone can comfort us! What would we do if we might not speak to God?

Yet many never do speak to Him. Have they never heard of Him? Do not they know that they may speak to Him?

Are you one who lives without speaking to God? Ah! You know not what you lose. Do your sins never make you uneasy? God would forgive them all, if you would speak to Him from your heart and beg for pardon through Jesus Christ. Do you not need help against temptation - something to incline your heart to God and make you wish to serve Him? God would give you His Holy Spirit if you asked Him.

Why don't you pray? Why don't you speak to God? Are you afraid? God will not be angry with you. He is pleased when any poor sinner draws near to speak to Him through Jesus Christ. Come, lift up your heart to God. Speak to Him. Tell Him you are a poor sinner who needs His mercy - and beg Him to hear you, forgive you, and help you.

But perhaps you still do not know what to say to God; perhaps you do not feel sorry for sin and have not even a wish to pray. What shall I say to you? I will still say the same - pray. Speak to God about it. Ask Him to make you sorry for your sins, to teach you how to pray, to give you the wish to pray.

There must be a beginning. A man once said to Jesus Christ, "Lord, teach us to pray," and Jesus Christ did teach him to pray. He will teach you too, if you ask Him. Let this be your beginning: "Lord, teach me to pray."

~Francis Bourdillon~

(The End)
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What More Can Any Christian Desire?

There is enough in a suffering Christ to fill us and satisfy us to the full. He has the greatest worth and wealth in Him. Look, as the worth and value of many pieces of silver is to be found in once piece of gold, just so, all the petty excellencies which are scattered abroad in the creatures - are to be found in a bleeding, dying Christ! Yes, all the whole volume of perfections which is spread through heaven and earth - is epitomized in speaking of the glories of Christ. Certainly it hyperbolize in speaking of the glories of Christ. Certainly it is as easy to contain the sea in a sea shell - as to fully relate the excellencies of a suffering Christ!

O sirs! there is a crucified Jesus, something proportionable to all the straits, needs, necessities, and desires of His poor people. He is bread to nourish them, a garment to cover and adorn them, a physician to heal them, a captain to defend them, a prince to rule them, a prophet to teach them, a priest to make atonement for them; a husband to protect them, a father to provide for them, a foundation to support them, a head to guide them, a treasure to enrich them, a sun to enlighten them, and a fountain to cleanse them.

What More can any Christian desire - to satisfy him and save him; and to make him holy and happy, in time and eternity?

~Thomas Brooks~
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He Leaps Into A Sea of Wrath!

Christ went through heaven and hell, life and death, sorrow and suffering, misery and cruelty - and all to bring us to glory! And shall we not prize Him?

When in a storm, the nobles of Xerxes had to lighten the ship to preserve their kings' life - they leaped into the sea! But our Lord Jesus Christ, to preserve our lives, our souls - He leaps into a sea of wrath! Oh, let us prize a suffering Christ!

~Thomas Brooks~