perseverance

grace for the day

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
Father, thank you for the grace that has preserved my life to this moment. 
 
Now give me enough love for this day—
    a sense of love from you (so I’m not scared or driven), 
    a welling up of love for you (so I’m not proud or selfish), 
    and a resulting love for others (so I am not cold or distracted). 
Let your Spirit illumine my mind and enlarge my heart for that. 
 
And because it means nothing to begin well if one does not persevere, 
    I ask that you would continue and increase your grace in me
    until you have led me into full communion with your Son 
        Jesus Christ our Lord,
    that I may see his beautiful and great glory. 
 
And as I laid down in sleep and rose this morning only by your grace,
    keep me in a joyful, lively remembrance that whatever happens, 
    I will someday know my final rising—the resurrection—
    because Jesus Christ laid down in death for me, 
    and rose for my justification. 
 
In Jesus’s name.
 
Tim Keller, 1950-2023, NYC Presbyterian Pastor and author
 
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But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 
he saved us, 
    not because of works done by us in righteousness, 
but according to his own mercy, 
    by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 
    whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 
so that being justified by his grace 
    we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

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Give me a steadfast heart

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment

 
 
Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, 
    which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; 
give me an unconquered heart, 
    which no tribulation can wear out; 
give me an upright heart, 
    which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.

Bestow on me also, O Lord my God, 
    understanding to know Thee, 
    diligence to seek Thee,
    wisdom to find Thee, 
    and a faithfulness that may finally embrace Thee. 
Amen.
 
Thomas Aquinas, 1225 – 1274, Roman Catholic philosopher and theologian
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Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, 
    for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, 
    which God has promised to those who love him.
 

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God of glory, Hear me, Spare me, Give me

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
 
God of glory,
you alone are true,
you alone are just.
In you are all things.
By you all things were made.
Hear my prayer,  O Lord,
just as you heard the three young men
    in the fury furnace.
Hear my prayer,
just as you heard Susanna and freed her
    from the hands of two enemy witnesses.
Hear me,
just as you heard Peter on the sea,
    and Paul in his chains.
Spare my soul.
Spare me from my deeds and from my sins.
Give me, O Lord, a holy mind to know you,
a perception that understands you,
a soul which knows you,
which seeks after the wisdom
    you have brought to me,
a soul that knows you,
a heart that loves you,
a mind that thinks about your works,
eyes that see you,
a tongue that proclaims you,
associations that are pleasing to you,
endurance that holds on to you,
perseverance that waits for your final completeness,
    at your resurrection 
    and the good reward you will give us, O Lord;
who lives and reigns forever. Amen.
 
Book of Cerne, 9th century
 
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For thus says the Lord God: 
Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 
As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep 
that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, 
and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered 
on a day of clouds and thick darkness.

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Let me sustain true faith

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
 
 
Almighty and eternal God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
from my heart I ask that you through your Holy Spirit   
    would create and maintain in me a longing and love
    for your holy Word – 
        to pray and cry out to you always.
For I am certain of this:
    aside from your Word there is no comfort, faith, life or salvation,
    instead everything is only the way of sinners, the seat of scoffers,
    and it must, like chaff, be blown away by the wind!
 
Sanctify me in your truth; your Word is the truth.
Let me have and sustain true faith and a good, peaceful conscience,
    so that I would remain eternally green and fruitful 
        like a palm tree by water
  and that my leaves – either in this life or in eternal life –
    would not wither.
Lord God, hear me and let me be and remain yours.
Amen.
 
Nikolaus Selnecker, 1530 – 1592, German Protestant Reformer
 
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Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked!
    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
 

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Prayer to close out a minister’s conference

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
W. L. Ransome
 
Almighty God, we thank thee for the hours we have spent on this campus.
Every now and then when the way seems dark,
    you give us a little sample of what is better further along.
We have been encouraged this week by the fact that 
    what we have received is a sample of that which is waiting for those 
    who hold out and prove faithful to the end.
We are like the ox who is pulling the load up the hill,   
    and about to give out;
    when the driver gets out of the ox cart and carries a little food up the hill –
    and the oxen know the food is up there,
    by faith they pull harder.
We are gonna pull harder now.
We are gonna cut more deeply.
We are gonna believe more firmly.
We are gonna hold more assuredly,
    because one thing you told Peter,
    “that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.”
Help us to go back now.
When Samson wanted to burn down the wheat fields of the Philistines,
    he got a hundred or so foxes and tied their tails together.
He struck one match and lighted all those fiery tails and
    turned them loose among the wheat fields of the Philistines.
When the foxes got through,
    the enemies of God didn’t have nothing to feed on.
We’ve been tied together here this week.
The Servant of God has lighted our hearts with the candle of Thy Word.
He’s turning us loose now! 
We’re going out into the world, 
    and we’re gonna burn down hell and the kingdom of Satan in this age!
May the grace of God 
  and the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit
  and the peace that passeth all understanding,
    abide with us until that same Jesus,
        who went into the first airship, manned by two pilots,
        ascended out of sight,
    and the angel said,” In like manner, He’s coming again.”
And when He comes, when He comes,
    all those looking for Him by faith will be with Him
    and shall never separate from that Holy Church.
Where the shadows never fall, calendars never bedeck the walls,
    funerals are never had, and parting is no more.
On the sea of glass, we will retire.
Palms of victory in our hands,
    we will waive to Him who shall reign forevermore.
 
prayer given by W. L. Ransome at the Hampton Ministers’ Conference 1973
 
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Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, 
    for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, 
    but encourage one another, 
    especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

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Let me be like the Calm Sea

/ Eric Mathews / 1 Comment
photo from Pxhere
 
Lord, I saw the sea attacking the rocks, sombre and raging.
From afar the waves gained momentum.
High and proud, they leapt, jostling one another 
    to be the first to strike.
When the white foam drew back, leaving the rock clear,
    they gathered themselves together to rush forward again.
 
The other day I saw the sea, calm and serene.
The waves came from afar, creeping, not to draw attention.
Quietly holding hands, they slipped noiselessly
    and stretched at full length on the sand,
    to touch the shore with the tips of their beautiful soft fingers.
The sea gently caressed them,
    and they generously returned streams of light.
 
Lord, grant that I may avoid useless quarrels 
    that tire and wound without achieving results.
Keep me from these angry outbursts that draw attention
    but leave one uselessly weakened.
Keep me from wanting always to outstrip others in my conceit,
    crushing those in my way.
Wipe from my face the look of dark, dominating anger.
 
Rather, Lord, grant that I may live my days calmly and fully,
    as the sea slowly covers the whole shore.
Make me humble like the sea, as silently and gently, 
    it spreads out unnoticed.
May I wait for my brothers and match my pace to theirs,
    that I may move upward with them.
Grant me the triumphant perseverance of the waters.
May each of my retreats turn into an advance.
Give my face the light of clear waters.
Give my soul the whiteness of foam.
Illumine my life that it may sing like sunbeams
    on the surface of the sea.
But above all, Lord, may I not keep this light for myself,
    and may all those who come near me return home 
    eager to bathe in your eternal grace.
 
Michel Quoist,1918 – 1997, French Catholic priest and writer
 
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A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
    but a wise man quietly holds it back.

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Thank You for the trials

/ Eric Mathews / Leave a comment
Photo by Dorothy Lin on Unsplash
 
Lord, I do not see many people who are happy.
I see more people who are vexed by troubles 
    and overcome with anguish at their difficulties. . . .
Sometimes, I too am derailed by trials. . . .
I am tempted to see trials as only negative 
    because I like to think that I’m in control. . . .
I am tempted to see trials as negative 
    because I tend to think that this life matters most. . . .
Remind me that there is a limit to my perspective and wisdom. . . .
I do not see all there is to see.
Remind me that Jesus suffered and He was completely innocent. . . .
If He suffered, I too may experience suffering.
Remind me that this world is temporary. . . .
I will not be satisfied in this life.
So I thank You today for the trials You have allowed in my life. . . .
I thank You for being my fortress and strength. . . .
    and for giving me perseverance. . . .
Thank You for what these trials are doing in me –
    developing maturity and completeness.
Amen.
 
Kurt Bjorklund, 1968- , American Minister and author of
Prayers for Today A Yearlong Journey of Devotional Prayer

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Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds,
   because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance

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