Morning “Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.” /

Lamentations 3:41  

The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very salutary lesson

for such proud beings as we are. If God gave us favours without constraining

us to pray for them we should never know how poor we are, but a true prayer is

an inventory of wants, a catalogue of necessities, a revelation of hidden

poverty. While it is an application to divine wealth, it is a confession of

human emptiness. The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty

in self and constantly depending upon the Lord for supplies; to be always poor

in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water personally, but mighty through God to

do great exploits; and hence the use of prayer, because, while it adores God,

it lays the creature where it should be, in the very dust. Prayer is in

itself, apart from the answer which it brings, a great benefit to the

Christian. As the runner gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for

the great race of life we acquire energy by the hallowed labour of prayer.

Prayer plumes the wings of God’s young eaglets, that they may learn to mount

above the clouds. Prayer girds the loins of God’s warriors, and sends them

forth to combat with their sinews braced and their muscles firm. An earnest

pleader cometh out of his closet, even as the sun ariseth from the chambers of

the east, rejoicing like a strong man to run his race. Prayer is that uplifted

hand of Moses which routs the Amalekites more than the sword of Joshua; it is

the arrow shot from the chamber of the prophet foreboding defeat to the

Syrians. Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly

into heavenly wisdom, and gives to troubled mortals the peace of God. We know

not what prayer cannot do! We thank thee, great God, for the mercy-seat, a

choice proof of thy marvellous lovingkindness. Help us to use it aright

throughout this day!

 

Evening “Whom he did predestinate, them he also called.” / Romans 8:30

 In the second epistle to Timothy, first chapter, and ninth verse, are these

words–“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling.” Now, here is a

touchstone by which we may try our calling. It is “an holy calling, not

according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.” This

calling forbids all trust in our own doings, and conducts us to Christ alone

for salvation, but it afterwards purges us from dead works to serve the living

and true God. As he that hath called you is holy, so must you be holy. If you

are living in sin, you are not called, but if you are truly Christ’s, you can

say, “Nothing pains me so much as sin; I desire to be rid of it; Lord, help me

to be holy.” Is this the panting of thy heart? Is this the tenor of thy life

towards God, and his divine will? Again, in Philippians, 3:13, 14, we are told

of “The high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Is then your calling a high

calling? Has it ennobled your heart, and set it upon heavenly things? Has it

elevated your hopes, your tastes, your desires? Has it upraised the constant

tenor of your life, so that you spend it with God and for God? Another test we

find in Hebrews 3:1–“Partakers of the heavenly calling.” Heavenly calling

means a call from heaven. If man alone call thee, thou art uncalled. Is thy

calling of God? Is it a call to heaven as well as from heaven? Unless thou art

a stranger here, and heaven thy home, thou hast not been called with a

heavenly calling; for those who have been so called, declare that they look

for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they

themselves are strangers and pilgrims upon the earth. Is thy calling thus

holy, high, heavenly? Then, beloved, thou hast been called of God, for such is

the calling wherewith God doth call his people.