by Pastor Cecil | Mar 9, 2012 | Philippians
Philippians 4:4-7
“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. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“
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 quoted large portions of Scripture from memory. Some people thought he had memorized the entire Bible. He also composed verses in addition—he prayed.
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
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!
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!
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!
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!’
To access Sweet Hour of Prayer please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweethourofprayer in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 8, 2012 | James
James 1:14-15
But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Years ago I was traveling to a speaking engagement. The roads were thick with a wet snow. Ruts were a constant threat to throw me into a skid. As I came around one corner I realized that it was almost impossible to steer the car. I pulled off the road and discovered that the snow had caked inside the wheel wells and was restricting the front wheels from turning more than a few inches.
Those of you living in warm and sunny climates may not have had this experience, and even in colder climates it occurs very rarely. There are just two times that I have had it happen.
To deal with the problem it is necessary to use some sort of sharp tool to break the build-up of packed snow. On that particular day I used a sharp iron bar to break it away. After awhile, as the snow again built up, I had to repeat the process of breaking it away.
Sometimes in our spiritual walk we start picking up things (even good things) that prevent us from being able to steer in the right direction. Most of the time, this build-up is caused by questionable decisions or conduct. It is possible for us to pack our life so full of activities that we lose control of our steering. Even spiritual activities done in our own strength and without the Lord’s calling will so clog our wheel wells that we lose the ability to steer.
The way we can clear the blockages in our steering system is to humbly bow before the Lord and ask Him to direct our paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 says it best: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 7, 2012 | Exodus
Exodus 20:7
You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
“Are you praying?” That was the question I asked a man who had repeatedly used the phrase, “Oh my God!”
He looked shocked and replied, “What do you mean?” I said “Well, you keep saying ‘My God’ and I wanted to know if you are calling on His name in prayer or taking His name in vain?”
As we continued the conversation, the man admitted that he was not even aware that he had used that statement. We had an extended conversation about how easy it is to establish a habit without even being aware of it.
Calling upon the name of the Lord is a sacred thing. It must never be taken lightly or as an expletive or flippant expression. Before we feel too spiritual, I want to drop another bomb. There are many Christians who would never use the expression, “My God!” but easily use a similar expression, “My Lord!”
Do you see the difference between the two? I don’t and I am sure that the Lord does not either. Using the Lord’s name in any manner that is not consistent with speaking to Him or calling out to Him is wrong. Stop it!
If we have a habit of using the Lord’s name in vain, we need to humbly bow before the Lord, confess it as a sin and ask Him for forgiveness. I pray that the Lord will convict us any time we misuse His name.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
P.S. – Be sure to check out PastorCecil.com
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 6, 2012 | Romans
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When Joyce and I were newlyweds, a new pastor was called as the senior pastor of our church. On his first Sunday he spoke of his joy at becoming the new pastor and wanted to introduce his family to the congregation. As the family came to the platform, he started to introduce them beginning with his youngest son. As he reached out to place his hand on the boy’s head, the boy ducked and raised his hand as if he was about to be struck. It was quite some time before the laughter subsided enough for the rest of the family to be introduced.
Sadly we all too often react to God in that same manner, expecting to be struck at any moment. The love of God is so far beyond our human concept of love that we lack words to describe that love poured out in our behalf. I really feel pity for those believers who seem to go through life in a spiritual crouch, waiting for God to strike. They dread the time when they will appear before the Lord.
When our sins are covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we need not fear. We can do countless good works, but that will not save us or make us fit for heaven. It is only by confessing our sins and receiving Him into our hearts that His blood covers us and protects us. Without the blood of Jesus applied to the doorposts of our hearts, there is no salvation.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
P.S. – If you get a chance, please check out PastorCecil.com.
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 5, 2012 | Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 7:14
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
I think there was a movie with the title of today’s E-Votional. I did not see it and so I have no way to tie the two together except by title. The one thing I do know is that there are good times, bad times and downright ugly times that we encounter in this life.
I have mentioned from time to time about some Christians who look and act like they had been baptized in vinegar. They speak of joy in their heart, but it never quite reaches their face. Sad to say this is the impression many unbelievers have of the Christian life.
I once heard a Seminary professor react to these sour believers. He said it was almost like the Lord was looking over the parapets of heaven observing a Christian with a smile of joy. The Lord asks; “Are you having fun?” The Christian responds that he was. The booming voice of the Lord resounded; “STOP IT!” That is not what the Christian life is all about.
God’s people should be the happiest and most radiant people in the world. With heaven to gain and hell to lose, we pass over the bad times and the ugly situations of this life by visualizing the joys that await us in our heavenly home. Across the ages, even in some areas of our modern world, God’s people have placed their lives on the line and been tortured and killed. In the face of death they have radiated the joy of the Lord. That’s the kind of joy I desire in my life!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
P.S. – Please take a look at PastorCecil.com.
