There has been a lot of work going on in this house since we moved here a year ago, and I have recently moved my workroom from a larger back room to a smaller, newly adapted one. This morning I was sorting a cupboard out that is full of my writings and pics.
I came across three poems that were written some time ago that really speak to me about prayer needed for these times. I don't know if I have shared these before, but I feel to put them in this post.
The first one is a prayer for we who are the children of God in Jesus:-
I say a prayer to Jesus, to the One Who always hears
to the Holy One of Israel Who wipes away all tears
'Great reader of hearts and Spirit of truth
guide us dear Lord in our days of youth
My prayer is for wisdom to know what is right
Oh send us the fire to lighten our night
Make our pathways straight Lord
teach us to lean on You
Lead us with Your Spirit
Your Word so pure and true
We love You Lord as children
who love a Father dear
we cry to You to comfort us
and know that You will hear
We know the world is treacherous in this the 'evil day'
so guide our feet dear Father along the narrow way
One thing we know for certain from the day of our re-birth
is......He Who lives within us is greater than he that is on this Earth'
'You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.' 1 John ch. 4 v. 4
The second prayer is for the world, and the state that it is in:-
In spite of the hate let Your perfect love shine
Lord it has to be Yours when it's hard to show mine
In spite of the wars let your perfect peace rule
when a terrorist's bomb is placed in a school
In spite of 'religion' may God's truth prevail
when an army - not Yours - leaves it's bloody trail
and may all who take part hang their heads in shame
and say 'This is not done in God's precious Name'
'Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.' Matthew ch. 5 v. 16
The third prayer is for those in this world who are held imprisoned in the grip of the spiritual enemy. It is a prayer asking God to send us, His children, into this darkened world to spread the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ His son:-
Lord have mercy on them all
for they know not what they do
the perils of this world surrounding them now
are forbidding their vision of You
Turn their shadowy darkness to reflections of light
let them look on Your wonderful face
for there's no other Saviour can rescue them now
Only Jesus - God's manifest grace
So have mercy great Master, reach down from Your throne
cause Your hand to unlock prison doors
for the captives are weary from fighting alone
they don't know that the battle is Yours
They don't know there's a warrior
a great mighty Lord
the One of Whom boldly we sing
they don't know this Redeemer
with two edged sword
has the power to change everything
For they're locked in their prison
of darkness and woe
powerless - unable to see
that the jailer is Satan
the most cunning foe
who once had a power over me
So now send us dear Father with mercy and grace
out to rescue the injured and dying
close our eyes to what's written on worldly face
let our ears hear imprisoned souls crying
He said to them, 'Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to every creature. '
Mark ch. 16 v. 15
'You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.' 1 John ch. 4 v. 4
The second prayer is for the world, and the state that it is in:-
In spite of the hate let Your perfect love shine
Lord it has to be Yours when it's hard to show mine
In spite of the wars let your perfect peace rule
when a terrorist's bomb is placed in a school
In spite of 'religion' may God's truth prevail
when an army - not Yours - leaves it's bloody trail
and may all who take part hang their heads in shame
and say 'This is not done in God's precious Name'
'Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.' Matthew ch. 5 v. 16
The third prayer is for those in this world who are held imprisoned in the grip of the spiritual enemy. It is a prayer asking God to send us, His children, into this darkened world to spread the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ His son:-
Lord have mercy on them all
for they know not what they do
the perils of this world surrounding them now
are forbidding their vision of You
Turn their shadowy darkness to reflections of light
let them look on Your wonderful face
for there's no other Saviour can rescue them now
Only Jesus - God's manifest grace
So have mercy great Master, reach down from Your throne
cause Your hand to unlock prison doors
for the captives are weary from fighting alone
they don't know that the battle is Yours
They don't know there's a warrior
a great mighty Lord
the One of Whom boldly we sing
they don't know this Redeemer
with two edged sword
has the power to change everything
For they're locked in their prison
of darkness and woe
powerless - unable to see
that the jailer is Satan
the most cunning foe
who once had a power over me
So now send us dear Father with mercy and grace
out to rescue the injured and dying
close our eyes to what's written on worldly face
let our ears hear imprisoned souls crying
He said to them, 'Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to every creature. '
Mark ch. 16 v. 15
