Friday, December 19, 2014

pause 'n ponder

grace and prayer:

The grace you had yesterday will not be sufficient for today. Grace is the overflowing favor of God, and you can always count on it being available to draw upon as needed. “. . . in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses”— that is where our patience is tested *(2 Corinthians 6:4). Are you failing to rely on the grace of God there? Are you saying to yourself, “Oh well, I won’t count this time”? It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you— it is taking the grace of God now.

We tend to make prayer the preparation for our service, yet it is never that in the Bible. Prayer is the practice of drawing on the grace of God. Don’t say, “I will endure this until I can get away and pray.” Pray now — draw on the grace of God in your moment of need. Prayer is the most normal and useful thing; it is not simply a reflex action of your devotion to God. We are very slow to learn to draw on God’s grace through prayer. **(2 Corinthians 9:14)

*(Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;  2 Corinthians 6:4 NIV)

**(And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.   2 Corinthians 9:14 NIV)

(excerpt: Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest)

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