Social Media Buttons - Click to Share this Page




Showing posts with label depressed and lonely. Show all posts
Showing posts with label depressed and lonely. Show all posts

29 January, 2014

Treasury of David - Charles Spurgeon - Psalm 43


New Year's Resolution
Lord Jesus, take from us now everything that would hinder the closest communion with God.  Any wish or desire that might hamper us in prayer remove, we pray You.  Any memory of either sorrow or care that might hinder the fixing of our affection wholly on our God, take it away now.  What have we to do with idols any more?  You have seen and observed us.  You know where the difficulty lies.  Help us against it, and may we now come boldly, not in the Holy place alone, but in the Holiest of all, where we should not dare to come if our great Lord had not torn the veil, sprinkled the mercy seat with His own blood, and asked us to enter. By Charles Spurgeon

Verse 1. Judge me, O God. Others are unable to understand my motives, and unwilling to give me a just verdict. My heart is clear as to intent and therefore I bring my case before thee, content that thou wilt impartially weigh my character, and right my wrongs. If thou wilt judge, thy acceptance of my conduct will be enough for me; I can laugh at human misrepresentation if my conscience knows that thou art on my side; thou art the only one I care for; and besides, thy verdict will not sleep, but thou wilt see practical justice done to thy slandered servant. And plead my cause against an ungodly nation. One such advocate as the Lord will more than suffice to answer a nation of brawling accusers. When people are ungodly, no wonder that they are unjust; those who are not true to God himself cannot be expected to deal rightly with his people. 

Hating the King they will not love his subjects. Popular opinion weighs with many, but divine opinion is far more weighty with the gracious few. One good word from God outweighs ten thousand railing speeches of men. He bears a brazen shield before him whose reliance in all things is upon his God; the arrows of calumny fall harmlessly from such a buckler. O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. Deceit and injustice are boon companions: he who fawns will not fear to slander. From two such devils none can deliver us but God. His wisdom can outwit the craft of the vilest serpent, and his power can over match the most raging lion. Whether this was Doeg or Ahithophel is small matter, such double distilled villains are plentiful, and the only way of dealing with them is to refer the matter to the righteous Judge of all; if we try to fight them with their own weapons, we shall suffer more serious injury from ourselves than from them. O child of God, leave these thine enemies in better hands, remembering that vengeance belongeth not to thee, but to thy Lord. Turn to him in prayer, crying, "O deliver me, "and ere long you shall publish abroad the remembrance of his salvation.

Verse 2. For. Here is argument, which is the very sinew of prayer. If we reasoned more with the Lord we should have more victories in supplication. Thou art the God of my strength. All my strength belongs to thee—I will not, therefore, use it on my own behalf against my personal foes. All my strength comes from thee, I therefore seek help from thee, who art able to bestow it. All my strength is in thee, I leave therefore this task of combating my foes entirely in thy hands. Faith which leaves such things alone is wise faith. Note the assurance of David, thou art, not I hope and trust so, but I know it is so; we shall find confidence to be our consolation. Why dost thou cast me off? Why am I treated as if thou didst loathe me? Am I become an offence unto thee? There are many reasons why the Lord might cast us off, but no reason shall prevail to make him do so. He hath not cast off his people, though he for awhile treats them as cast offs. Learn from this question that it is well to enquire into dark providences, but we must enquire of God, not of our own fears. He who is the author of a mysterious trial can best expound it to us.

"Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain."

Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Why do I wander hither and thither like a restless spirit? Why wear I the weeds of sorrow on my body, and the lines of grief on my face? Oppression makes a wise man mad; why, Lord, am I called to endure so much of it for so long a time? Here again is a useful question, addressed to the right quarter. The answer will often be because we are saints, and must be made like our Head, and because such sorrow is chastening to the spirit, and yieldeth comfortable fruit. We are not to cross question the Lord in peevishness, but we may ask of him in humility; God help us to observe the distinction so as not to sin through stress of sorrow.

Verse 3. O send out thy light and thy truth. The joy of thy presence and the faithfulness of thy heart; let both of these be manifest to me. Reveal my true character by thy light, and reward me according to thy truthful promise. As the sun darts forth his beams, so does the Lord send forth his favour and his faithfulness towards all his people; and as all nature rejoices in the sunshine, even so the saints triumph in the manifestation of the love and fidelity of their God, which, like the golden sunbeam, lights up even the darkest surroundings with delightful splendour. Let them lead me. Be these my star to guide me to my rest. Be these my Alpine guides to conduct me over mountains and precipices to the abodes of grace. Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. 

First in thy mercy bring me to thine earthly courts, and end my weary exile, and then in due time admit me to thy celestial palace above. We seek not light to sin by, nor truth to be exalted by it, but that they may become our practical guides to the nearest communion with God: only such light and truth as are sent us from God will do this, common light is not strong enough to show the road to heaven, nor will mere moral or physical truths assist to the holy hill; but the light of the Holy Spirit, and the truth as it is in Jesus, these are elevating, sanctifying, perfecting; and hence their virtue in leading us to the glorious presence of God. It is beautiful to observe how David's longing to be away from the oppression of man always leads him to sigh more intensely for communion with God.

Verse 4. Then will I go unto the altar of God. If David might but be favoured with such a deliverance as would permit his return, it would not be his own house or heritage which would be his first resort, but to the altar of God his willing feet should conduct him. His whole heart would go as sacrifice to the altar, he himself counting it his greatest happiness to be permitted to lie as a burnt offering wholly dedicated to the Lord. With what exultation should believers draw near unto Christ, who is the antitype of the altar! clearer light should give greater intensity of desire. Unto God my exceeding joy. It was not the altar as such that the psalmist cared for, he was no believer in the heathenism of ritualism: his soul desired spiritual fellowship, fellowship with God himself in very deed. What are all the rites of worship unless the Lord be in them; what, indeed, but empty shells and dry husks? Note the holy rapture with which David regards his Lord! 

He is not his joy alone, but his exceeding joy; not the fountain of joy, the giver of joy, or the maintainer of joy, but that joy itself. The margin hath it, "The gladness of my joy, "i.e., the soul, the essence, the very bowels of my joy. To draw near to God, who is such a joy to us, may well be the object of our hungering and thirsting. Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee. His best music for his best love. When God fills us with joy we ought ever to pour it out at his feet in praise, and all the skill and talent we have should be laid under contribution to increase the divine revenue of glory. O God, my God. How he dwells upon the name which he loves so well! He already harps on it as though his harp music had begun. What sweeter sounds can music know than these four words? To have God in possession, and to know it by faith, is the heart's heaven—a fulness of bliss lies therein.

Verse 5. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? If God be thine, why this dejection? If he uplifts thee, why art thou so near the ground? The dew of love is falling, O withering heart, revive. And why art thou disquieted within me? What cause is there to break the repose of thy heart? Wherefore indulge unreasonable sorrows, which benefit no one, fret thyself, and dishonour thy God? Why overburden thyself with forebodings? Hope in God, or wait for God. There is need of patience, but there is ground for hope. The Lord cannot but avenge his own elect. The heavenly Father will not stand by and see his children trampled on for ever; as surely as the sun is in the heavens, light must arise for the people of God, though for awhile they may walk in darkness. 

Why, then, should we not be encouraged, and lift up our head with comfortable hope? For I shall yet praise him. Times of complaint will soon end, and seasons of praise will begin. Come, my heart, look out of the window, borrow the telescopic glass, forecast a little, and sweeten thy chamber with sprigs of the sweet herb of hope. Who is the health of my countenance, and my God. My God will clear the furrows from my brow, and the tear marks from my cheek; therefore will I lift up my head and smile in the face of the storm. The Psalm has a blessed ending, such as we would fain imitate when death puts an end to our mortal existence.

28 July, 2013

Prayer - When Coping with Mental Illness or Addictions - Free Kindle Days


An excerpt from my new book: How To Pray Through Depression & Loneliness


Free Kindle on  August 2, 3, & 4, 2013
Get it for you or a friend on Free Kindle Days
Get it for you or a friend on Free Kindle Days

A Prayer for Drinking Addiction 

Father God, I know enough about you to know that my uncontrollable drinking is a sin. I keep convincing myself I do not have a drinking problem, but deep within me, I know I have a problem. I need your help savior to give up this lifestyle because that is not your will for me. You do not want me to be filled with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. I need to clean up, face up and get right with you. But I do not have the strength or the willingness to get there. All things are possible with you. I need you to rescue me from my addiction that is putting a wedge between my family, and my life with you. There is so much at stake savior and I do not know how to stop, but I am going to trust that you know my weaknesses and can protect me from falling. Help me, and strengthen me as I surrender my life to you for your glory and your purpose. Keep me at the altar of surrender that I might live in your presence daily. As I seek for help in the community, lead me to find the proper support group.
Help me put down all those vain thoughts and opinions of myself and allow me to return to you in humility and trust as I learn to walk steadfastly with you. Give me strength to humble myself and surround myself with other loving Christians who would walk with me and encourage me in my quest to serve you sober. Teach my heart to remain patient and take it one day at the time with you my Lord and Savior.

THIS PRAYER IS FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT TRULY BELIEVE & REACHED A LOW POINT IN THEIR ADDICTION
Where are You God? Where is Your Love? 

Lord, I keep being told you love me, but I do not understand. If indeed you love me how can you let me be in a vegetative state? How can you let my family suffer so much because of my illness? Where are you? How do I get hold of you? Why aren’t’ you helping me? Why is it I keep feeling like life is not worth living? Why so much darkness in the world and in me? I do not feel your love; I am isolated, and lonely. Why should I believe in you? I feel unworthy and unrighteous, I feel I deserve hell, I am no good and this life is not worth living. If you truly exist, please make yourself real to me. Give me the opportunity to know for myself if indeed you are real.
See me through the pain, love me and let me feel your presence. Show me how to shut down all other people and all the negative advise I have been getting about you and show yourself to me. Take my torments away and save me. I want to break free. I am tired of life itself and I feel like a prisoner in my own mind. If indeed you exist, forgive me for doubting you, but I need your help to know for sure you are there. Save me please, rescue me I am drowning in a sea of uncertainties. In a world where I feel unwanted and a world that ask way too much of me, I am tired of not knowing what is true and untrue. Tired of knowing what to approve and reject. Open up my own heart to me and help me see and understand. Rescue me and help me get to you. Lord, help me in my unbelief.

A Prayer for Couples
Gracious father, you have given us the sacrament of marriage which represents the union of Christ with His Church. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us through the pain of dealing with our child afflictions. I pray you would protect our marriage. We would not turn on each other because we are worn down by this situation, but instead we would find strength in you to continue together as we grow stronger in our marriage and in you.

Use our child illness to fortify our marriage and sanctify us through it. I pray you would go ahead of us in our interactions with doctors and the brethren of the community and we would find service, willingness to help, understanding and support. I pray when dealing with the doctors, they would not see us, but you my ascended Christ. I pray they would be more compassionate and find the right MEDs combination for our child’s needs. I pray for your protection around us and that the evil one would not take advantage of us while we are weak. I know in you we have ample strength. Give us peace and patience in our sufferings and subside our pain through the process my Lord. Teach us how to talk to our son/daughter, put words in our mouth to comfort him/her with words of healing, love and hope. May you be by his/her side and never let go as he/she goes through this illness. May you be his/her God, and may you light up his/her heart to feel your presence and see you. Above all else I pray that we would be a family, that in spite of the circumstances we learn to live in the embrace of the Holy Spirit and in the bosoms of my Lord Jesus. May you be glorified through us my Lord.