It is Monday once again - if you have missed out on any of these Monday prayer devotionals, you definitely need to go back and read the previous weeks. What a beautiful prayer of love and sacrifice and meaning....
"Grant me, gracious Lord, a pure intention of heart, and a steadfast regard to your glory in all my actions. Possess my mind continually with your presence, and fill it with your love, that my whole delight may be to repose in the arms of your protection. Be light to my eyes, music to my ears, sweetness to my taste, and full contentment to my heart. Be my sunshine in the day, my food at the table, my repose in the night, my clothing in company, my succor in all necessities.
Lord Jesus, I give you my body, my soul, my substance, my fame, my friends, my liberty, and my life. Dispose of me, and all that is mine, as seems best to you, and to the glory of your blessed name. I am not my own, but yours; therefore claim me as your right, keep me as your charge, and love me as your child. Fight for me when I am assailed, heal me when I am wounded, and revive me when I am destroyed.
My Lord and my God, I ask you to give me patience in troubles, humility in comforts, constancy in temptations, and victory over all my ghostly enemies. Grant me sorrow for my sins, thankfulness for my benefits, fear of your judgments, love of your mercies, and mindfulness of your presence for evermore. Make me humble to my superiors and friendly to my equals, ready to please all and loathe to offend any; loving to my friends and charitable to my enemies. Give me modesty in my countenance, gravity in my behavior, deliberation in my speech, holiness in my thoughts, and righteousness in all my actions. Let your mercy cleanse me from my sins, and your grace bring forth in me the fruits of everlasting life.
Lord, let me be obedient without arguing, humble without feigning, patient without grudging, pure without corruption, mercy without lightness, sad without mistrust, sober without dullness, true without duplicity, fearing you without desperation, and trusting you without presumption. Let me joyful for nothing but that which pleases you, and sorrowful for nothing but what displeases you: that labor be my delight which is for you, and let all weary me that is not in you. Give me a waking spirit, and a diligent soul, that I may seek to know your will, and when I know it may I perform it faithfully to the honor and glory of your ever blessed name. Amen."
Chilcote took this prayer that is divided into four roughly equal parts and provided a theme for each section:
Part 1: Who is God to me? (first paragraph of prayer)
Part 2: What can I give to and ask of God? (second)
Part 3: How does God shape my life? (third)
Part 4: How do I live as a disciple of Christ? (fourth)
Today, we continue with part one from Chilcote.
Scripture
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” - Colossians 3:14-17
Meditation
Charles Wesley loved music. With two sons who were music prodigies, Charles and Sally Wesley’s home was always filled with sounds of instruments and voices raised in song. Little wonder that Charles turned to the metaphors of music and song to describe the life of the community of faith – the people of God bound together by the love of Christ. For the believer, life is a concert of praise; indeed, ones whole life is a song to be sung, a melodious act of gratitude to the One who has given us life and redeemed us by grace. But while solos have their place, it is a chorus – the whole company of God’s faithful people – that sings “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory.” Wesley, in his hymn, describes a “rapturous song” of a “glorified throng” whose sacrifice of praise is the perfect harmony of lives tuned to the keynote of Christ’s love. The Hebrew word hallelujah – let us praise God – captures the spirit of the choir and the nature of the song. According to Paul, more than anything else, thanksgiving and gratitude characterize life in Christ. If we surround ourselves with the love of Jesus – if the love of God envelops us in the same way that our clothes cover our bodies – then God gifts the community and the world with harmony. Peace rules. Unity prevails. All creation becomes a song of praise. What part do you play in this great harmony of ages?
Prayer
Gracious Lord, you sang all that exists into being: give me a voice to sing your praise in all that I do, a heart to seek harmony with all your creation, and a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving to tune my heart to the keynote of my life, my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Part Eight coming next Monday...
pcraig
No comments:
Post a Comment