by Pastor Cecil | Sep 23, 2016 | 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 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 theObserver and asked if they thought them worth preserving. TheObserver 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
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 22, 2016 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 5:8
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
An apparently strong Christian begins to read, listen, or watch images that once were totally off limits. If we were to listen in to Satan’s dominion we might hear a soft chuckle. This same Christian begins to slip closer and closer to sin and finally crosses the line and violates God’s word. Satan smiles and then he laughs. He knows that he has succeeded in his efforts to discredit and destroy one more Christian’s witness.
It is all too common to learn of the moral failure in the life of someone who had once been an example of good Christian behavior. The worldly media is quick to jump on these stories of moral failure, painting all believers with the same broad brush.
As a Christian counselor I have often been faced with the daunting task of trying to restore a fallen individual. The scenario always seems to follow the same pattern. It usually starts with the person feeling that they deserve a “little fun” in their life and that “no one will be hurt by it.” AND THEN SATAN LAUGHED!
The way to prevent Satan’s laugh is to remain sober (watchful) and vigilant (stand guard). There is never a time-out in serving the Lord. We must at all times keep on keeping on with Jesus!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 21, 2016 | Isaiah
Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
I have just returned from the doctor and was given a prescription for a new medication. The medication is designed to deal with a particular condition. I could take it for some other symptom and it would prove useless. This prescription has been created for a particular purpose.
Isaiah 26:3 reveals that God has given us a prescription for peace. In this war-torn world we certainly do need God’s peace, don’t we? Every attempt of man to bring about peace has failed and will continue to fail.
Are you looking for peace in your life? I urge you to take time several times each day to focus on the Lord and His precious Word. Memorize Scripture and use it to pray back to God His promises. We will find peace in the midst of life’s storms!
Not only do we discover that only God can promise peace, but it comes when we keep our mind stayed on God. As we keep our minds focused on Him, and place our trust in Him, He will keep us in His perfect peace.. There is only one prescription that promises not just peace, but perfect peace.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 20, 2016 | Isaiah
Isaiah 40:31
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
It just happened again. Every so often I see reckless drivers who take their lives, as well as others, in their own hands and drive like maniacs. It seems that these impatient drivers believe they will save time by their wild driving . . . but usually save no time at all.
I was driving about two blocks behind a vehicle that made a left turn after stopping at a stop sign. When that car was about a block away, another car entered from the right behind the first car. When I stopped I heard a loud roar, which turned out to be the second car. He swerved to pass the first car and almost hit an on-coming car head on.
After following these two vehicles for about three miles, I watched the obvious impatience of the wild driver. When I finally turned off the road, the wild driver was the same distance behind as when he first started.
Sometimes we are like these wild drivers. We get so impatient that we feel we cannot wait for God’s answer to a problem. It is during these times that we tend to take the matter into our own hands, believing that we have a better idea of timing than God. That is never the case. We must always and in every situation . . . wait on the Lord!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 19, 2016 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 33:6
“Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.”
It was way back in 1955 when an incident occurred that taught me a lesson about divine healing. I was serving in the Air Force as a jet mechanic in Rapid City, South Dakota. The young son of the pastor and wife of the church we attended had Down’s syndrome. We all loved Chucky and continuously prayed for his healing.
We were at a service during the summer when a healing service was conducted. The visiting minister placed his hands on Chucky’s head and prayed for God’s healing touch. It was like electricity and those of us in attendance felt that God had heard. Though we did not see immediate results, we watched carefully over the next few weeks in anticipation of a complete healing.
It was no more than a month later that Chucky died unexpectedly. We all were stunned, but none more than his grieving parents. The minister who had placed his hands on Chucky sent this message: “When we felt that God had healed little Chucky, we had no idea that He would heal him so perfectly!”
Wow! When we lost our own daughter years later, we recalled the reality of this truth. It is important to remember that physical healing in this world is always and forever just temporary. This world is not our home―we are just passing through!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
