Sunday Worship: A Hymn of Praise
We Praise Thee, Lord, with Earliest Morning Ray
Author: Johann Franck
Translator: Catherine Winkworth
Psalm 59:16-17
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.
We praise Thee, Lord, with earliest morning ray;
We praise Thee with the glowing light of day:
All things that live and move, by sea and land,
Forever ready at Thy service stand.
The nations all are singing night and day,
Glory to Thee, the mighty God, for aye!
By Thee, through Thee, in Thee all beings are!
The listening earth repeats the song afar.
Thy name is great, Thy kingdom in us dwell;
Thy will constrain, and feed and guide us well:
Guard us, redeem us in the evil hour;
For Thine the glory, Lord, and Thine the power!
(lyrics are public domain)
Saturday Review
It’s good to review, isn’t it? It reminds us to go back and focus, once again, on the important things we’ve learned and remind ourselves to remain faithful and continue trusting the Lord.
Today, let’s review our prayer points from the week and pray, once again, for our sons and daughters spiritual health and growth. Pray about their boundaries. Boundaries are important; they can be life-saving. God is calling us to respect them and choose to value and abide by them, for our good and for His glory.
Pray:
That our sons and daughters seek God with all their heart and make a commitment to know and live His word so that they can be protected and be productive in their spiritual walk.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Pray that our sons and daughters choose the way of the cross and depend on the Lord for their direction and guidance
Pray that our sons and daughters put boundaries in place to guard their hearts and minds in Jesus.
Pray that they set their thoughts and affections on things above so that Jesus has priority and their spiritual growth reflects His presence in their lives.
Pray that they would have integrity to respect the boundaries God put in place.
Pray they would flee the evil desires that they encounter and, instead, pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace
Pray that they would be intentional to surround themselves with friends and mentors who are believers and who would ‘sharpen’ them as iron sharpens iron.
Pray that they would run this spiritual race with eyes wide open, avoiding those who would cut in on them and potentially pull them away from the Lord
Pray for the battle of the mind, that our sons and daughters would take EVERY thought captive and bring it into obedience to the Lord.
Pray that they would understand their value and purpose and would guard it well, abiding by firm boundaries of the mind, allowing the Lord to be the Master of their thoughts and the One on whom they meditate.
Pray that the Enemy would be powerless to affect them and that their thoughts would be centered on all that is just, good and lovely according to the Lord.
There is so much to pray for, friends, but don’t lose heart; God is working!!
Pray without ceasing.
Boundaries of the Thoughts & Mind
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”
The battlefield of the mind is a dangerous place. There we struggle with thoughts and desires. We ponder sin...or make a firm determination to avoid it. We wrestle with doubt, anger, dark thoughts and depression. We relive memories that often contain vivid reminders of our faults and failures. The mind is certainly a battleground where the Enemy can disable and defeat us.
So what can we do? First, we need to demolish those arguments that fight against what we know is true according to God’s word. We DEMOLISH them. We don’t just set them aside or push them down, we need to destroy them. Then, we have to take every thought captive. If it’s not pleasing to the Lord or edifying to our hearts and minds, it’s gotta go. What are we meditating on? Do we want to feast on the fresh, spiritual food of scripture, or do we find delight in chewing on years-old, spoiled ‘leftovers’ from our faults and failures?
Next, we must remind ourselves of what is true. We are made in the image of God. Think about that. We bear the image of the Almighty God! He created us in His likeness (Gen 1:26). So we are God’s ultimate creation! Then, He set eternity in our hearts- giving us a sense of purpose and a longing for more than what we see and experience here on earth (Ecc. 3:11). So our value is rooted in the image we bear and the purpose we hold; they are spiritual, eternal, and gospel-directed.
The Enemy hates that. He will do all he can to destroy us. He HATES image-bearers. His arguments set themselves up against everything God says is right and true! So, when our thoughts and hearts veer from our God-given value and purpose, when they argue and war against what we know is right and true, we need to stop and redirect them back to God’s truth once again. Take every thought captive!! Don’t entertain them, don’t linger with them, don’t abide with them. Too often we get ‘comfortable’ with our negative thoughts. We live with them and maybe even feel consigned to carry them- it’s our ‘lot in life’. It’s just the way it is and although we don’t like it, we are so familiar with that mindset that to try and break out means abandoning our ‘comfort zone’, despite the dark discomfort it brings. Stop!! Do not give the Enemy space in your thoughts! Hang a ‘no vacancy’ sign and fill your mind with the Truth of scripture!!
But we don’t just take those thoughts captive and then sit there. No, we bring them into obedience to Christ. We have to shift our thinking. When Christ redeemed us, He pulled us out of the swamp of our sin. We were not meant to continue living there, up to our necks in the muck and mire of our iniquities. He changed our hearts, our minds and our spiritual destination. So, when we struggle with thoughts and feelings that are negative, dark and defeating, we’re heading back to the swamp. God placed boundaries for us to protect us from that space...let’s not jump the wall and head back to our sinful, hopelessness.
So, then, what do we think on? Whatever is true- we are made in God’s image, we are His children, we are holy and dearly loved. That is truth! Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life- think on Him!! Then, whatever is noble- that’s the stuff that’s honorable and honest, not the lies from the pit, but the Truth from the Word! Whatever is pure and unpolluted is what should be at home in our hearts and minds. Leave no room for filth and lies. If it’s of ‘this world’ it’s likely tainted...so fill your minds with scripture! Then, whatever is lovely. Friends, we can spot ‘lovely’ a mile away!! Run after that- seek to fill your minds with beautiful things of the Lord. If it’s admirable, embrace it. If it’s sketchy, kick it to the curb! Whatever is praiseworthy- think on it. If it’s not praiseworthy, it’s likely an intruder...a ‘plant’ by the Enemy to derail our walk.
Let’s pray for our sons and daughters today that they will take EVERY thought captive and bring it into obedience. Pray that they would understand their value and purpose and would guard it well, abiding by firm boundaries of the mind, allowing the Lord to be the Master of their thoughts and the One on whom they meditate. Pray that the Enemy would be powerless to affect them and that their thoughts would be centered on all that is just, good and lovely according to the Lord.
Pray for boundaries and protection, today and every day.
Pray without ceasing.
Boundaries: Hold the Line
2 Timothy 2:22 “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
Galatians 5:7 “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?”
“Flee the evil desires of youth”. It takes maturity to both identify something that is an evil desire and then to make the decision to run the other way. Boundaries are important, yes, but it’s someone’s values, standards and deep integrity that ensure boundaries are respected and maintained. Without integrity and a strong commitment to Christ, boundaries are, at best, ‘suggestions’ for living a good life, but to those who don’t follow Christ, they’re an annoyance or limitation that stands in the way of what they believe will make them happy. Our sons and daughters need to know how to identify sin and need to have the uncompromising character to stand against it and refuse to flirt with it. They need to hold the line. Following Jesus brings joy. Satisfying your own desires brings emptiness.
When we pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace and we’re surrounded by others who are doing the same, there is great encouragement and accountability. It is a ‘brotherhood’ of believers who are all pushing and pulling one another in the direction of the cross. Each one helping to carry the burden of the other, and with a like-minded goal of living for the Lord. God intended us to follow Him, but He calls us to fellowship with one another in the process, to pray together, worship together and lift one another up. When we’re doing that, we are more likely to respect the boundaries God put in place because we have the encouragement and accountability of others. Together, we help one another hold the line God put in place. When one feels weak or tired, the others are there to help, lift them up and refresh them so they can stand firm.
The fellowship of believers is important and boundaries in friendships and relationships ensure that we’re ‘sharpening’ one another. A knife is best sharpened by another metal… It doesn't work to sharpen it against wood or cloth. And no matter how much time you spend trying, it just won’t work. This is why God calls us to interact, befriend and fellowship with other believers, without that, we become dull. Our friends and closest companions should be ones who sharpen us, challenge us and keep us accountable to follow Jesus.
Our sons and daughters need friends and mentors who are committed to the Word of God and to an uncompromising life that follows after Him. When we have friends like that, they also protect us. It’s true, there is strength in numbers! Godly friends can help keep the Enemy from cutting in and derailing our walk with the Lord. Encouragement, prayer, caution, accountability- they are all marks of a good and Godly friendship and can help us identify and hold to the truth of the Gospel, without wavering.
God has so many protections in place for us, we need to be mindful and be willing to accept those boundaries as the ‘guardrails’ for our path, ensuring that we’ll arrive in His presence safe and well, having run the race Jesus set out for us.
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters:
Hold fast to integrity to respect and abide by the boundaries God put in place.
Run from temptation
Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace
Surround themselves with friends and mentors who believe the same
Find friends who sharpen them
Be wary of those people who would potentially pull them away from the Lord.
Pray without ceasing.
Boundaries of the Mind
Colossians 3:1-3 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
Ah, remember the days of getting the kids cleaned up to go out somewhere? We would get everyone changed, washed up and ready to go when we’d suddenly realize someone went back outside to play...in the dirt. Why?! Well, although WE wanted to go out for dinner, it’s likely their heart was not in it. They had values that drew them back to getting dirty again. It’s much like our spiritual lives, isn’t it?
When we make the decision to follow Christ, we make a shift in our affections, our values and our pursuits. We leave those things that stained our hearts and minds and we begin pursuing God and His heart. It’s no longer about ‘us’ but about Him. We forfeit ‘self’ because the pursuit of what pleased us before Christ no longer captivates us...in fact, we likely find it empty.
But the draw, the temptation to go back to the old life is always there. We are sinful, fallen people and as much as we love the Lord, the fleshly part within us battles for our affections and will always try and lead us into temptation and back into sin. Romans 7 states it well:
Romans 7:15, 18-25 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
And where does the struggle take place? Satan is subtle and cunning. He attacks the heart and mind and they become the battlefield of spiritual warfare. Because of that, we especially need to set boundaries that protect and guard us in those areas. We need to seek Christ and His glory through our thoughts, words and actions.
Colossians 1:1-3 provide great directives and boundaries for our lives. Because we’ve been raised with Christ, we need to set our hearts on things above. That’s an intentional action on our part to love the Lord and choose to pursue what honors Him. Everything around us will battle for our affections- we must choose and pursue Christ.
We also need to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. We’ve been changed!! Why would we go back and wallow in the things that soiled our hearts and minds? And it’s not a ‘one and done’ effort. It requires daily attention, commitment and intention. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16) Let’s embrace that daily renewal, let’s put boundaries in place and commit to follow Jesus well.
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters put healthy boundaries in place to guard their hearts and minds in Jesus. Let’s pray that they set their thoughts and affections on things above so that Jesus has priority in their lives and their spiritual growth reflects His presence and preeminence in their lives.
Pray without ceasing
Good Directions
Psalm 119:32 “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.”
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Psalm 119:32 shows us the freedom that comes with following Christ “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” There is great encouragement in knowing where you need to go and Who is providing the directions. You can move ahead without fear or uncertainty, or, if there is uncertainty, you know He will provide direction at the right time, you just need to wait and trust. You can be confident that you’re on the right road. But the key is, being aware of those commands and following God’s directions. You have to be attentive to God’s word.
When we don’t know the directions or Who to ask, it gets difficult. Asking directions can be a humbling experience, right? Not only are you admitting you’re lost, but you’re surrendering yourself to the mercy and kindness of others to point you in the right direction. And who knows if they even know… and maybe they’re embarrassed or stressed and they don’t want to look like they don’t know...so they tell you ‘something’ but perhaps it’s not even correct. No wonder few people are eager to admit their need for directions.
At some point, the GPS was invented. People jumped at the chance to buy one and forever (hopefully) banish the humbling process of asking for directions altogether. This way they could look like they knew what they were doing...as long as the GPS was working...and as long as it could connect to the satellite. But, if you traveled to another country, that same GPS wouldn’t work well, if at all. It didn’t have the software needed for that country and if you asked for directions, there was likely a language barrier as well.
Direction can be difficult, but God provides us with a perfect GPS for life through His word. When we become Christ-followers, we need to depend on Him for clear direction, because this is, indeed, a foreign land. We are aliens and strangers here. And we must exhibit great caution, because few speak our ‘language’ of the cross. If we depend on guidance from others who are not Christ-followers we can end up confused, on the wrong road, or worse, following a map to nowhere. But here’s the thing, God is always correct. He’s always ‘switched on’, He doesn’t need an update or a software fix. He’s not dependent on a satellite and He is fluent in every language.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Can we pray today that our sons and daughters choose the way of the cross and depend on the Lord for their direction and guidance? They can’t afford not to.
“Lord, I pray that (name) would reach out to you, even this morning, asking You to guide and direct their day. I pray that they would be humble to recognize they don’t know everything and wise enough to reach out to You. Keep them from following others who don’t acknowledge You as Lord and Savior. Protect their path and guide their steps. Encourage them to continually look to You and trust You, even when the way seems dark and unclear. You are always trustworthy and always in control. Help them to lean in and let You lead. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.
Boundaries
Psalm 119:9-11
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Boundaries are vital for life. They ensure that we remain safe, they also keep us on the course that God has set for us (Hebrews 12:1) God doesn’t ask us to ‘find our own way’, no, He has a course set out for us and we are called as believers to follow in obedience. We need to pray that our sons and daughters would see the importance and value of God’s boundaries and would respect and abide by them.
Too often we balk against boundaries. Rather than seeing them as the frontiers of where we can reach and how far we can grow, we see them as restrictive and, sometimes, a punishment. Instead of ‘look at where you can go!” we see “look at where you can’t go, that’s off limits”. We push back against boundaries, seeing them as an infringement of our independence, but oblivious to the dangers of the influences and experience beyond them. And the result of that point of view is dissatisfaction, selfish pouting or anger and, ultimately, it can lead to disobedience and falling into sin….and potentially away from the faith.
We need to trust that our Shepherd means us good and not harm. So we should trust His boundaries as a blessing that ensures our thriving. He makes us lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23:2). He gives us rest and nourishment that is safe and healthy. He leads us on paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3). Again, ensuring that the boundary of the path we are walking is good and leads to eternal life. Boundaries keep us from sin. Sin leads to death.
How can our sons and daughters keep their way pure? By living according to God’s Word. His word is the guidebook for life and the map for our path. It shows direction and gives warning. It reveals the heart of our Father who desires good for us. Let’s pray today that our sons and daughters seek God with all their heart and make a commitment to know and live His word so that they can be protected and be productive in their spiritual walk. Boundaries are God’s way of ensuring His children are walking with Him. Isn’t that what we desire for them?
“Father, You are a good God. You love us so well and part of You loving care is that You created boundaries for us to ensure we can thrive in the best ways. I pray that You would help (name) to recognize that Your boundaries are good and a blessing, not a punishment. Open their eyes to see the dangers of straying outside the bounds of Your will and Your path. Let them know the fruitful life that comes from obeying Your word. I pray that (name) would begin to memorize scripture so they can live according to Your word and so that You can bring those words to mind to help them avoid sin and temptation. Lord, Your word is living and active and I pray it would be so in (name)’s heart and mind. Please let (name) seek You with all their heart today. Stir in them a love for You and a thirst for Your word. Ensure they walk within the boundaries You set so they live a life that reflects Jesus to others. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.