DRAWING NEAR
March 19
Forsaking Self-Centered Prayer
"Thy kingdom come" (Matt. 6:10).
Relinquish your will to Christ's sovereign rule.
Attempting to explain all that is involved in the phrase "Thy kingdom
come" is like a child standing on a beach attempting to scoop the
entire ocean into a little pail. Only in eternity will we grasp all
that it encompasses, but the poem "His Coming to Glory" by the
eighteenth-century hymnwriter Frances Havergal captures its essence:
Oh the joy to see Thee reigning,
Thee, my own beloved Lord!
Every tongue Thy name confessing,
Worship, honor, glory, blessing
Brought to Thee with glad accord;
Thee, my Master and my Friend,
Vindicated and enthroned;
Unto earth's remotest end
Glorified, adored, and owned.
Psalm 2:6-8 reflects the Father's joy on that great day: "I have
installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will surely tell of
the decree of the Lord; He said to Me, 'Thou art My Son, today I have
begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine
inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession." God
will give the kingdoms of the world to His Son, who will reign as
King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).
With that promise in mind, beware seeing prayer primarily as an
opportunity to inform God of your own plans and to seek His help in
fulfilling them. Instead, pray "Thy kingdom come," which is a request
for Christ to reign. In its fullest sense it is an affirmation that
you are willing to relinquish the rule of your own life so the Holy
Spirit can use you to promote the kingdom in whatever way He chooses.
That kind of prayer can be difficult because we tend to be
preoccupied with ourselves. But concentrate on conforming your
prayers to God's purposes. Then you will be assured that you are
praying according to His will.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Praise God for the hope of Christ's future reign on earth. Ask Him to
use you today as a representative of His kingdom.
For Further Study:
According to Ephesians 4:17-5:5, how should citizens of Christ's
kingdom behave?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Revelation 19:16 (NKJV)
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS
AND LORD OF LORDS.
Ephesians 4:17-5:5
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should
no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of
their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the
life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the
blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness,
to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the
truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man
which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to
God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth
with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your
wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor,
working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to
give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good
for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed
for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be
put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
just as God in Christ forgave you.
5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself
for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling
aroma.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not
even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which
are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor
covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom
of Christ and God.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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