SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER!

Philippians 4:4-6 – Devotional

Philippians 4:4-6

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

William Walford did not allow the fact that he was blind limit his service for his Lord. He was frequently called upon to preach in a small country church. He composed the sermons in his head and also was able to quote large portions of Scripture from memory. Some people thought he had memorized the entire Bible. He also composed verses as the Lord laid the words upon his heart. Above all—he was a man of prayer.

In the mid 1800(s), Thomas Salmon was visiting in England and became acquainted with Pastor Walford. As they were visiting one day the blind pastor quoted a few pieces he had composed. Since he had no one to write them down he had kept them treasured in the storehouse of his mind.

One of the verses he related to Mr. Salmon was, Sweet Hour of Prayer. Mr. Salmon eagerly scribbled the words down on a scrap of paper. When he returned to New York he sent the verses to the Observer and asked if they thought them worth preserving. The Observer did think them worthy and published them on September 13, 1845. The music was added by William Bradbury in 1861.

Sweet Hour of Prayer

1. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne, make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief;
and oft escaped the tempter’s snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
of those whose anxious spirits burn, with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place, where God my Savior shows His face,
and gladly take my station there, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

3. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear
to Him whose truth and faithfulness, engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face, believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

4. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! May I thy consolation share,
till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise, to seize the everlasting prize;
and shout, while passing through the air, Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!

Enjoy this free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. To access Sweet Hour of Prayer, please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/sweethourofprayer/

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Philippians 3:12 – Devotional

Philippians 3:12

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

I cannot believe how much quicker time passes when you get older. As a kid it seemed as if everything ran in slow motion and the days seemed to drag by. But once I arrived at my seventies, the years began to fly past like watching a picket fence at highway speed. Fast or slow, life is constantly slipping past and another year is suddenly before us.

Some people spend the majority of their time remembering the days gone by. We say that they are living in the past. Others spend much of their time worrying and wondering about the future. As I see it, neither of these choices are worthy of our time. We cannot relive the past (what is done is done). We cannot pre-live the future (we have not been there yet).

That leaves the here and now. There is a familiar quotation that sounds like a Bible verse, but if so I cannot locate it: Only one life and it soon will be past. Only what is done for Christ will last!

My sincere desire is to live each day for Jesus Christ as if it is the last day I have to live for Him. It may very well be the last day and I want most of all to please Him rather than to enjoy any other thing — ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

LOOKING FORWARD!

Philippians 3:13b – Devotional

Philippians 3:13b

” – – forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”

After being freed from the bondage of slavery, Moses sent out twelve spies. Only two returned with a positive report and urged them to go in immediately to possess the land God had given them. One of those two spies was Joshua, the other was Caleb. Upon the death of Moses, Joshua sends out only two spies to Jericho.

Let’s consider a sinner that is introduced in the book of Joshua. Her name was Rahab. She was a foreigner and a prostitute. But she was ready to accept the God who loved her just as she was!

Rahab and her family were spared when Israel defeated Jericho. She did not look back on her sordid past. She took a risk to save the Israelites and God blessed her for it. In Hebrews 11:31, she is mentioned along with the faithful of the ages. In James 2:25-26 she is considered righteous in the eyes of God.

When God’s Word says our sins are forgiven, does that mean we are free or do we carry the terrible burden of sin with us? I fear that there are many who actually receive God’s forgiveness but fail to recognize that He also cleanses (I John 1:9).

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

ASK WITH THANKS!

Philippians 4:6-7 – Devotional

Philippians 4:6-7

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I was taught to always say please and thank you. Have I always done that? No! To my shame I have at times fallen short of that aim. Even so, my desire is to strive toward the goal of living a life of thanks and praise.

LISTEN! Rejoicing is not an option, but rather an imperative. We are to be a people who rejoice! That means to get a smile on our face. You might have the joy of Jesus down in your heart, but you had better let your face know about it. That is what others will see.

You know what comes to my mind right now? I see the saints of God across the ages who had the joy and rejoicing in their hearts, even during times of deep distress. They rejoiced even as the flames consumed them, or the lions devoured them, or the soldiers of the enemy slew them with the sword.

Were their prayers heard? I believe they were. I believe they are with all of the departed saints of God right now, experiencing utter joy. “It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, and the half has never yet been told!”

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE!

Philippians 1:21 – Devotional

Philippians 1:21

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

You may have heard the following thought-provoking illustration. Supposedly a teacher stood before her and class and extended her arm holding a glass of water. She asked the students to guess how much it weighed. The guesses ranged from 12 ounces to 24 ounces.

The teacher smiled and said the “weight” depends on how long you hold it. If you hold it for two moments it is very light. If you hold it for two hours it becomes heavier. If you hold it for 10 hours it becomes an unbearable burden.

The Apostle Paul carried many burdens in his ministry. The burdens he bore were for the sake of Christ. He had purpose in his life! He did not bear burdens just for the sake of suffering, but for presenting the message of salvation. His real purpose was to live for Christ in everything he did.

Many people carry burdens that God never intended them to carry. In doing so, they lack the purpose that God intends for his children. Many times it seems that heaven is so close that we can almost reach out and touch it. No matter how anxious we are to be with the Lord, our real purpose must be to serve Him with all of our might. My prayer is that you will have a Christ oriented purpose in your life.

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.

ABOUND IN LOVE!

Philippians 1:9​ –  Devotional

Philippians 1:9

“I pray that your love may abound increasingly in all knowledge and discernment.”

Listen to today’s Message of the Week by Pastor Cecil by clicking above on the play button.

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s Daily E-Votional by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.