by Pastor Cecil | Jul 5, 2013 | Daily-E-Votionals
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 | Jul 4, 2013 | Philippians
Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
If your kids are anything like our kids, they went through a stage of independence. They wanted to do things themselves, even when they were not able to accomplish the task they were attempting. Kids are not alone in acting independently.
I once went golfing with my father-in-law and two of his regular golfing mates. I had never been on the links before, but since I was far younger than the others, I felt that I could hold my own. I stood at the first tee and gave a mighty swing! I missed the ball completely! On the next mighty swing I struck the ball, only to have it dribble a few feet from the tee. It was a very long and humiliating day. The others enjoyed the day as I was providing them with great entertainment.
On this day, July 4th, we celebrate Independence Day. While we may rejoice in the freedoms that our forefathers fought to assure us, it is vital that we remember that we never are to live independently. WE NEED EACH OTHER!
Not only do we need each other, we must have the Lord in control of our lives. In Acts 17:28 we are reminded, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Our independent attitude ends with our total dependence on Him. HAPPY DEPENDENCE DAY!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 3, 2013 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 14:2
For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
The date that appears on this issue of the Daily-E-Votional is different than when I am actually writing it. Many subscribers live on the other side of the International Date Line, thus I send them out one day earlier than it is here at my home. That means I often write the material two days in advance.
I hope you are not as confused as I am! That being said, I am composing this issue on July 1, which as many of you may know is Canada Day. When I was stationed with the U.S. Air Force in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, we were surrounded by many wonderful Canadian friends. I can recall attending one of their gatherings on July 1, 1967. When they stood and sang their National Anthem, I sang along with them. A few days later on July 4, some of them attended one of our celebrations and sang along with us in our attempt at the U.S. National Anthem.
I suppose every nation has a day of celebrating. It is a time to reflect on the good things that make the nation unique. Men and women of past generations have hacked out a special place in the wilderness to pass down to those who would someday call it their nation. So hats off to Canada, and tomorrow to the United States, and for the other nations around the world. Congratulations!
That being said, we have a nation of believers that transcends all national borders. This spiritual nation is made up of those who have been born again. We have a citizenship that qualifies us for eternity with Jesus. CONGRATULATIONS!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 2, 2013 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 5:15-18
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually,give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
It is far too easy to be preoccupied with our own life and forget about those around us. Stop for a moment and think about a time in which you were treated unfairly or given an insult of some kind. The natural reaction to this is retaliation.
The person who caused you pain may or may not be aware that they have done so. In fact they may have been given a promotion that you felt you deserved. While they celebrated their promotion, you felt rejected and betrayed. In such a situation you may have felt justified in showing a bitter attitude toward them. The other person may be bewildered by your belligerent attitude toward them.
This type of behavior is certainly not the way a Christian should behave. There will be times in our life when we will be treated in a cruel fashion. The way we react will say more about our spiritual maturity than hundreds of sermons.
My prayer is that you and I will start living the way the Lord desires. That means giving up our tender feelings to the Lord and refusing to show a contrary attitude, even when we are hurt to the core. SHOW A CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 1, 2013 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.
One of the very first verses I ever memorized was Isaiah 41:10. You will notice that I have included both the New International Version and the King James Version. As a young boy I had the words in my mind, but I had to live many more years before I truly understood the beautiful truth of the words.
Many of us live with fear and/or depression in our lives. While those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ have reason to be fearful and dismayed, the believer has a source of peace and joy that overcomes the circumstances of life.
At this very moment you may feel that you are at the lowest point of your life. The pressures have been building to such an extent that you feel like there is no hope for you. I want to assure you on the authority of the Word of God that there is more than hope . . . there is certainty!
What assurance does Isaiah 41:10 give us? First of all He tells us not to be fearful because He is with us. His presence should remove the fear from our heart. Not only that, He promises to remove our despair by giving us His strength, His help and holding us up with His mighty right arm. Adjust your attitude dear believer. Our victory comes from the One who has already won the victory for us on the cross.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
