This document is the preamble to a book on prayer titled "Draw Near to God with Confidence through Lord Jesus". It discusses how the gospel came to India 200 years ago through missionaries but that many Indian Christians have not grown spiritually and are still dependent on milk (basic teachings) rather than solid food. It states that mere growth in knowledge and activity is insufficient and that Christians need to enter the narrow gate of obtaining the life of Christ through prayer. The preamble expresses the need to strengthen Christians' witness to Jesus in India in order to avoid further blasphemy of God's name.
5. CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 11
Foreword 13
Preamble 17
Prayer for God's Blessing 21
PART 1: SCOPE OF THE BOOK
1. Introduction 25
1.1 The Purpose of the Written Prayers 27
1.2 The Goal of this Book 28
1.3 How to use this Book 29
1.3.1 A Daily Routine 29
1.3.2 AWeekily Routine 29
1.3.3 Yearly Schedule 29
1.4 The Preaching 30
1.5 A Caution 30
1.6 The Conviction about the Prayer 31
1.7 Our Lord's Message 32
1.8 The Author's Desire 33
1.9 Praying in the Spirit 33
1.9.1 A Prayer for the help of the Holy Spirit 34
6. PART II: THE CONFESSIONS AND THANKSGIVING
2. TheDevelopmentoftheInwardLife 39
2.1 Introduction 39
2.2 The Bible on the Believer's Repentance 40
2.3 The Remission for the Sins 41
2.3.1 The Blood of Jesus and the Forgiveness 43
2.3.2 A Prayer for the Forgiveness of Daily Sins 44
2.3.3 A Prayer of Repentance 45
2.4 The death of Sin by the Holy Spirit 48
2.4.1 A Prayer for the Mortification of the Flesh 50
2.5 The Leading of the Holy Spirit 55
2.5.1 A Prayer for the Leading of the Holy Spirit 56
2.6 Thanksgiving 60
2.7 Daily Work 61
2.8 The Healing 63
7. PART III: PERSONAL PRAYERS
3. The First Love for Christ 67
3.1. Introduction 67
3.2 The Christ's Voice 67
3.3 A Prayer for the First Love for Christ 68
4. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit 71
4.1 Introduction 71
4.2 The Holy Spirit's Desire 71
4.3 A Prayer for the Mind and the Heart 72
5. TheAnointing 86
5.1 Introduction 86
5.2 The Bible on the Anointing 87
5.3 A Prayer for the Anointing 88
6. AnApproachtotheBible 92
6.1 Introduction 92
6.2 God's Way of the Revelation 92
6.3 A Prayer for the Study of the Bible 93
7. TheLord'sSupper 97
7.1 Introduction 97
7.2 The Observance of the Lord's Supper 98
7.3 A Prayer for the Participation 98
8. AnEveningPrayer 105
8.1 Introduction 105
8.2 A Prayer for the Night 105
8. PART IV: THE PROGRESS IN CHRISTIAN LIFE
9. AFriendlyConversation 111
9.1 Introduction 111
9.2 The Bible on the Communion with God 113
9.3 A Prayer for the Dialogue 113
10. The Discouragements 115
10.1 Introduction 115
10.2 The Bible on the Discouragements 115
10.3 A Prayer for the Courage 117
11. TheTemptations 119
11.1 Introduction 119
11.2 The Scripture's Wisdom 120
11.3 A Prayer for the Protection 121
12. TheHabitutalDelightinGod 124
12.1 Introduction 124
12.2 The Bible on Delighting in the Lord 125
12.3 A Prayer for Delighting in the Lord 125
13. TheGoodWorks 128
13.1 Introduction 128
13.2 The Bible on the Purposes of Usefulness 128
13.3 A Prayer for the Empowerment 129
13.4 The Whole Armour of God 130
13.5 The Authorities 131
14. TheCommitmenttotheGospel 133
14.1 Introduction 133
14.2 Contending for the Gospel 133
14.3 Prayer 134
14.3.1 Living out the Gospel 134
14.3.2 A Peaceful Approach to Christ 135
9. PART V: THE PROBLEMS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE
15. The Backsliding 143
15.1 Introduction 143
15.2 God's Voice on the Spiritual Decay 144
15.3 Prayer 145
15.3.1 Rise 145
15.3.2 Shine 146
15.3.3 Never Look Back 146
15.3.4 Don't Give up 148
15.4 Lord Jesus has a Word for you 149
15.5 Bless Yourself 149
15.6 A Prayer of Surrender 150
16. The Deliberate Sin 151
16.1 Introduction 151
16.2 The Holy Men on the Deliberate Sin 152
16.3 Prayer 153
16.3.1 Confession 154
16.3.2 God has seen it all 155
16.3.3 Restore me 156
16.3.4 The Favour of God 157
17. TheHidingofGod'sFace 160
17.1 Introduction 160
17.2 God's Voice on the Hiding of God's Face 161
17.3 Prayer 164
17.3.1 Expressing inner self 164
17.3.2 Seeking God's Mercy 165
17.3.3 Urging for God's Face 166
18. TheHeavyAffliction 168
18.1 Introduction 168
18.2 The Holy Scripture's Voice 169
18.3 Prayer 171
18.3.1 Inward Groaning 171
18.3.2 Make me understand 172
18.3.3 What is my lesson ? 173
10. PART VI: THE JUDGMENT AND THE DEATH
19. TheJudgmentandtheDeath 177
19.1 Introduction 177
19.2 The Holy Men's Voice 178
19.3 A Prayer for Honouring God 179
PART VII: THE WORLD EVENGELISATION
20. Jesus’Method 185
20.1 Introduction 185
20.2 The Holy Word on Jesus’ Method 186
20.3 Prayer 187
20.3.1 Make me a Labourer 187
20.3.2 Make me fish men 189
20.3.3 Manifest Apostle's Time 191
21. The Rebellion against the Gospel 194
21.1 Introduction 194
21.2 The Voice of God on the Rebellion 194
21.3 Prayer 196
21.3.1 Destroy the Rebellion 196
21.3.2 Rise Mighty Force 198
21.3.3 Lord, Show us Mercy 200
22. TheEncouragementfromtheLORD 203
PART VIII: CONCLUSION 207
Notes 211
11. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For about three years by the grace of God we resorted to
pray as a family. Meanwhile Pasupuleti Ravi and Neetha
from Vishakhapatnam (INDIA) opened their efforts to
conduct small meetings with a few people, during which
time God led us to discuss the power of the blood of Christ
and the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. Many believers
were edified. We have discussed the matters of our struggle
in our meetings. I thank God for these dear ones for providing
a forum and spending lot of time and money. These efforts
culminated in releasing my first booklet titled "Lord teach
us to pray". Then God burdened me to write more elaborately
on prayer, having realized that prayer is the breath of inner
man.
The first draft was sent to Dr. K.Subha Kumar, who is
fondly called "Kumpaty" in US holding a very high profile
at the University, Milwaukee School Of Engineering located
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (north of Chicago). He reviewed
and offered his valuable comments.
I thank God for providing Dr.Kumpaty for the expansion
of His Kingdom. He has contributed quite a lot to bring this
book to a lovable shape. His effort in inserting appropriate
"hymns" and correcting theological aberrations is praise-
worthy. The whole book is adorned by his literary expertise.
I shall not forget the prayerful encouragement of my
wife, Satya, who obtained a good audience with God. Her
12. 12 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
prayer life transformed me to love prayer above all. She
speaks more confidently about Lord Jesus. My sons,
Jonathan and Jabez, though they had some setbacks, are
rising in the arms of faith by prayer.
I would like to thank Jessy, Ramesh, Dr. Anand Raj and
Satish, who reviewed the manuscript before it could be
published. Bro.Ramesh took initiative and designed the
cover. May the living Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ consider
this humble publication as a small supporting help to the
work of the Holy Spirit all over the world, and bless it
hundredfold.
13. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 13
In the 1959 publication by Bethany House Publishers, "Why
Revival Tarries?" the author, Leonard Ravenhill wrote, "No
man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not
praying is playing; the people who are not praying are
straying… We have many organizers, but few agonizers;
many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few
clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears;
much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few
intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here,
we fail everywhere." Thankfully, the Bible provides us good
examples of the agonizers, wrestlers, passionate intercessors
and fighters that Mr. Ravenhill called for. Samuel stated,
"far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by
ceasing to pray" and Paul gave a testimony that Epaphras
was always laboring earnestly in his prayers. Samuel prayed
for Israel1
and Epaphras, for the church at Colosse.2
There
are many such wrestlers in the Scripture we can learn from.
I read through the Bible afresh with my local church in
2012. What I learnt to my reluctant surprise was that prayer
is most essential in a believer's life. Moses by insisting on
seeing the face and glory of God learned the character of
God firsthand that He is gracious, compassionate and
forgiving. And many such as David, Joel, Jonah and Micah
referred to this character of God in their writings. Hannah's
prayer life rubbed on Samuel. Solomon asked for wisdom
and got that and more. Daniel put God's Word and Prayer
FOREWORD
14. 14 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
together in Daniel 9. Nehemiah faxed his prayer while being in
the king's court and received the utterance.And Jesus prayed
alone under unusual circumstances when he could have used a
good rest3
. He prayed a prayer of surrender at Gethsemane and
He prayed a High Priestly Prayer that included us before He
wenttotheCross.Iamhumbledandencouragedtobereminded
that we need not only bread but also breath to live. Both the
Word and Prayer go hand in hand in a healthy spiritual walk.
Only then God becomes real and we sense His government of
ourdailyaffairs.
Theoretically, we agree on the importance of prayer. For
Corrie ten Boom's question, "Is prayer your steering wheel
or your spare tire?" many of us will sadly answer that prayer
has been relegated to the spare tire spot in our spiritual
journey. I am happy to say there is hope. My good friend
and classmate since junior college has penned from his heart,
enabled by the Lord, a classic that this generation is in utter
need of, something of a sort seen among the puritans or
reformers of old. This is a fresh breeze taking us back to the
sincere roots of christian faith and its practice. It is not meant
for a casual reader but it is for those who mean serious
business with God. It is to our own peril if we miss out on
the golden opportunity to be revived in our Christian walk
by inculcating these prayers in our personal life. Dr.
Ashirvadam has painstakingly provided the appropriate
prayers for our use with the Scriptural backing to go before
the Throne of Grace and find comfort and help in God's
presence.
Whether you need a jumpstart in dealing with being
fruitful to the Lord or in overcoming certain recurring
pathways that lead you to being unfaithful to the Lord, you
will have substantial help in these pages to address such
15. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 15
issues.OrifyouhaveneversurrenderedyourlifetoChrist,you
willnotonlyhaveanopportunitytodosobutwillhavefoundthe
rightreasonsforit.Socomeonandgetsetforareadingthatwill
impact the rest of your life providing you steps for faithfulness
andfruitfulness.ThetimelessScriptureiswovenintotheserelevant
prayerssoastoprovideusthespiritualvitalityinourdailyliving.
When I read the author's words in this book, for example,
"I know that with You there is plenteous redemption. O God,
make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the
chaos of my life.", I am able to see the richness of God's
Word4
as well as the refreshing desire to receive that
redemption through a new genesis with the appropriate
imagery to ponder and absorb that transformation. In another
instance, there is a prayer citing the wretchedness of Laodicea
and aptly seeking pardon from the Lord. That is precisely
why I recommend this classic for your good use. It is my
prayer that it will enrich your walk with God and in turn,
influence your friends to the saving knowledge of Christ
through your outreach.
Let me end with the Scripture on safety of abiding in
God'spresence.5
"HewhodwellsinthesecretplaceoftheMost
High shall abide under the shadow of theAlmighty (Verse 1). I
willsayoftheLORD,(Verse2)"Heismyrefugeandmyfortress;
My God, in Him I will trust." May this book help us to do verse
1 so we can confidently state verse 2 in our experience. May
our lives be saturated with both the offense of God'sWord and
thedefenseofPrayer,whichsendsourenemySatanintoafrenzy
and allows us to be in the center of God's will and purpose for
our lives.We are at the greatest and the highest upon our knees.
May this book help us to experience what Fanny Crosby
expressed in her hymn and draw us closer to Christ.
16. 16 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend
When I kneel in prayer and with Thee my God,
Icommuneasfriendwithfriend.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou hast died
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To Thy precious bleeding side.
SubhaKumpaty,
Elkhorn, Wisconsin, US
May 2013
17. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 17
PREAMBLE
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has come into India
about 200 years ago through the faithful ministry of several
missionaries, such as William Carey, Panditha Ramabai and
many more. Many of us have believed in Jesus as the LORD
and Saviour as a result of their ministry.
ButAlas! The admonition given by the writer to the book
of Hebrews is true of us also. The Apostle cried out, "You
have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be
teaching others, but instead you have dropped back to the
place where you need someone to teach you all over again
the very first principles in God's Word. You are like babies
who can drink only milk, not old enough for solid food." 6
Thus, our witness to Lord Jesus has been very weak, and
probably we may have to confess as declared by the LORD,
"all day long My Name is constantly blasphemed." 7
Surely
no Christian would like this situation to continue.
We need to grow like Our Lord Jesus, who died for us.
Mere growth in "knowledge" and "activity" is a delusion.
Lord Jesus saved us freely by the death of His cross and has
put us in the position of obtaining the very life of Christ. He
desires that we should enter into this narrow gate.
The biggest trap of the Devil was to keep precious saved
souls in the delusion of activity and giving more emphasis
on studying than living the life in the power of prayer and of
the Holy Spirit.
The first priority of our Lord Jesus is prayer, as can be
seen from the Gospels. He took time to pray by Himself in
inspite of His hectic ministry schedule. He prayed in the
18. 18 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
earlyhoursoftheday.SometimesHeprayedallnight.Heprayed
intheGardenofGesthemane.Heprayedonthecross.Thewriter
of the book of Hebrews summarized the life of Lord Jesus as,
"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers
and petitions with loud cries and tears."8
So, in this Book, an attempt is made to put the whole
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in perspective. It is
understood from the Word of God that the full potential of
the gospel is unpacked to those who pray, and pray correctly,
with right emphasis and support in the expansion of the
Kingdom of God.
Many read and study the Holy Scriptures. But the fact
of the matter is that "the Word" must be incarnated into
"flesh". This is possible with the application of the blood of
Christ by the Holy Spirit, which alone helps us to get rid of
the body of sin. As we receive the life of Christ in this way,
it is marked with joy unspeakable and full of glory and the
same life shows up in witness to the work of Christ.
The key lies with the prayer life. The Bible itself is a
record of prayers. Ordering prayer life to its full enjoyment
unfolds the Holy Book in terms of the life of the Person of
Christ.
All pray. But all do not get blessed. Only humble prayers
with the conviction of sin are honoured by God, when offered
through the blood of His beloved Son, Lord Jesus Christ in
the Spirit. Due to the power of the indwelt sin, we loose
confidence in approaching our beloved Lord Jesus with
dearness. By avoiding discussion of our indwelt sin, even if
we pray, we resort to formal attitude hiding actual problem,
which cannot obtain the ear of God. In fact, to our great
surprise, Lord Jesus likes to hear more about our sin from
us than anything else, because Christ is named as Jesus by
the Heavenly host. Matthew, the apostle, moved by the Holy
19. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 19
Spirit, revealed the significance of the name of Jesus. He said
thatLordJesushaspleasureinsavingHispeoplefromtheirsins.9
Manyweredisappointedinprayerlifebecauseofaskingall
otherthings,avoidingdeliverancefromallsin.John,thebeloved
Apostle declared that the blood of Jesus, His Son cleanses us
from all sin. Therefore, let us reconcile our mind on this one
singular aspect and occupy ourselves more about getting rid of
power of sin in degrees. Then, blessings will follow without
fretting.
The purpose of this book is to pray more about sin, with
the aim that the soul may be delivered from the power of sin
and enriched with the life of Christ. Let 90% of our prayer
time be spent in dealing with our sinful nature by our Lord
Jesus.
It is the purpose of our Lord Jesus to bring fullness of
God into His body by saving elect souls of all the Nations
through the blood-bought Children. Those who grow in the
life of Christ will seek naturally to bring reality of the
Kingdom of Christ into inner self and subsequently to this
earth.
The model of our Lord Jesus was to pray first and then
move in to the mission field. Day by day the world is growing
in opposition to the Gospel. But that should not or will not
deter a child of God who is obtaining the life of Christ
continuously. All depends on prayer life. Lord Jesus while
carrying the cross, turned to the women and said, "Daughters
of Jerusalem, don't cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for
your children".10
Apostle James, the Lord's brother pointed
out, "The prayer of a person living right with God is
something powerful to be reckoned with" 11
Two points are note-worthy: One is praying for
ourselves, and the other is, for the right living. The Word of
Godteachesusthatthesinisthemosttroublesomeevilthanany
20. 20 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
of our sufferings or trials. So, we need to pray more for our
sinful nature to bring it under control to live right with God.We
need not pester God for domestic blessings, as if He is is not
aware of our wants. Humble prayers, uncrowded worship and
simplefaithinChristwillbringtheinfluenceoftheKingdomof
God to our soul.
"Let us stop going over the same old ground again and
again, always teaching those first lessons about Christ. Let
us go on instead to other things and become mature in our
understanding, as strong Christians ought to be. Surely we
don't need to speak further about the foolishness of trying to
be saved by being good, or about the necessity of faith in God."12
Development of inner life by the life of Christ and
displaying it for the purpose of bringing the influence and
dominion of the Kingdom of God among the people of all
the Nations by being a witness to Christ through the Prayer
Life is the goal of this Book. So let us come boldly to the
very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and
to find grace to help us in our times of need.13
Dr. K.Ashirvadam
Bangalore, INDIA
21. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 21
PRAYER FOR GOD'S BLESSING
Almighty God, You have commanded me to carry Your
Gospel to "all the nations", to proclaim that Jesus is the only
God; that He alone can save a sinner. O Lord, since You
have revealed that the expansion of Your kingdom must be
done through apprehending Christ by an enjoyable prayer
life, I have humbly compiled prayers in this book for the
benefit of the Church, Your body.
Blessed Holy Spirit, the revealer of Christ, I beseech
You to let the Church be rejuvenated by these prayers. Create
in each member of the Church much hunger for the person
of Christ to delight in Him, so that You may deal with our
indwelt sin. Thus, the purified Church may be a witness to
the crucified Christ. By these prayers may the full potential
of the body of Christ, be awakened with the abundant life
that we may serve God acceptably. Thus, may we be admired
at the judgment seat of Christ, "Well done My servant, enter
into the joy of Your Master".
O Lord, pour out the spirit of prayer according to
Zechariah 12:10 upon Your Church. Lord, empower us to
pray ceaselessly to see the salvation of millions of souls.
Lord Jesus, since You are the same at all times stretch forth
Your mighty arm as in the days of the Apostles, on behalf of
our generation. Arise, O Lord God, put on Your strength
and subdue the enemy.
Be pleased, O Blessed Spirit of the Lord, to appoint every
child of God to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the
22. 22 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
broken-hearted and to announce that You are ready to give
blessings to all who call on You through Jesus Christ. Lord
Jesus, have mercy on me to fulfill Your mandate.
May the Lord God bless and protect us; May the Lord's
face radiate with joy because of us; May He be gracious to
us, show us His favour and give us His peace. In Jesus Mighty
Name, Amen.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold O'er my being Absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit Till all shall see,
Christonly,alwaysLivinginme!
(Adelaid Pollard, 1907)
23. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 23
SCOPE OF THE BOOK
PART I
24.
25. PART I: SCOPE OF THE BOOK
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I'll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
(William Walford, a blind preacher 1845)
1. Introduction
Lord Jesus commanded the apostles to wait in prayer for the
filling of the Holy Spirit before attempting an expansion of
the kingdom of God. They waited in prayer and in the fullness
of time the Pentecost had come and their tongues were
energized by the power of the Holy Spirit. Apostle Peter
became a fiery preacher, whose message of the crucified
Christ pricked the heart of onlookers. On seeing their faith,
Lord Jesus granted repentance and forgiveness. This became
the order of the day in the life time of the Apostles.
Lord Jesus said that we should ask for the Holy Spirit.
Many soul winners followed this instruction. They
emphasized the fact that we must obtain fresh anointing of
the Holy Spirit repeatedly to have a perceptible growth in
the life of Christ and subsequent witnessing to win souls.
Our Lord Jesus prayed for every born-again child in the
High Priestly Prayer saying, "I pray for those who are going to
26. 26 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
believeinMethroughthem."ThuseverychildofGodisexpected
to witness effectively so that some would definitely be born-
again through each one's personal witness. Herein lies the true
satisfaction of all the children of God. When souls are saved,
Godisglorified.
The Apostles resorted to prayer and preaching of the
Gospel.As they were steadfast in this way signs and wonders
accompanied them. They did first things first in proper order.
They spent enough time at the foot of the Cross to obtain
the life of God in Christ to grow in the new life. Then, they
naturally became witnesses to Lord Jesus. Let us observe
that obtaining the very life of Christ is in proportion to
making space for it by the removal of power of sin.
In this book prayers that deal with sin of our heart are
compiled. The main content of the book is devoted to pray
for our selfish sinful nature with a view to possess the life of
Christ. The corruption of the flesh is dealt by humble prayers
followed by the development of Christian temper. While
praying in this way we are mysteriously filled by the Holy
Spirit of God as we allow Him to nullify the power of sin. It
is our faith that Our loving Lord Jesus will provide enough
opportunities to reach out the perishing souls and to preach
the Gospel successfully with definite results, to those who
conduct their life in the way of prayer.
All prayers in this book preserve the spirit of humility
since the author of Christianity described Himself as the
meek and the lowly. Humility flourishes when the first
preference in prayer is an honest confession of personal sin.
Pride makes it difficult to pray.
The Bible says, God gave up the world to sinful passions.
Will they come to God automatically? Jesus said, "How few
workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" 14.
So
27. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 27
straightaway we see the need for prayer to turn the sinful
world to Christ.
You may find the prayers of this Book heavy. The fact
of the matter is that there has to be a travail before souls are
saved. God's Word says, "No sooner is Zion in labour, than
she gives birth to her Children".15
So, prayer transforms us
like magnets and the unsaved sinners as iron pieces.
Our forefathers amidst severe adverse circumstances
prevailed by faith and prayer. God's Son and the Holy Spirit
are engaged in groaning and intercessory prayers. Anointing
is proportional to the travailing prayer. Faith in Lord Jesus
and the prayer inspired by faith and love will bring in the
anointing to accomplish the expansion of the Kingdom of
God.Hallelujah!
“Thepotencyofprayerhassubduedthestrengthoffire;
it has bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest,
extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled
demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates
of heaven, assuaged diseases, repelled frauds, rescued
citiesfromdestruction,stayedthesuninitscourse...Itis
theroot,thefountain,themotherofathousandblessings.”
- St. Chrysostom.
1.1 The Purpose of the Written Prayers
ThewisestKingSolomonsaid,"Don'tshootoffyourmouth,
or speak before you think". Further we are told in the Word of
God: "Prepare your confession and come back to God. Pray
to Him, Take away our sin, accept our confession. Receive
as restitution our repentant prayers" 16
Therefore, we see the need for well-prepared prayers.
Words are seeds having a tree in them. Extempore prayers
28. 28 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
withoutthespiritandtheapplicationofthemindareequivalent
tobabbling.Writtenprayerswillbringforththeexpectedharvest.
With affectionate heart involvement, the prayers are efficient.
OrganizingourthoughtswithaproperprotocoltoapproachGod
is acceptable to God.
In fact, God has given every blessing to each believer in
Christ on the day we are born-again. But, as we can see in
our experience, all of God's blessings are not within our
reach. But only by earnest prayers manifestations of those
blessings will be made visible in the physical world for our
enjoyment. We should note that by prayer, we are not
attempting to alter the good plan of God. But if we are more
prayerful, we can fit ourselves into His current thoughts and
ways easily.
1.2 The Goal of this Book
The power of the Pentecost is available on this earth
right now to give us the Apostles blessing, if we follow the
way of prayer and revelation of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
God ordained that the promise of the book of Joel of out-
pouring of the Holy Spirit shall be realized through those
who enjoy Christ Jesus by being in constant touch17
. Let us
note that Lord Jesus while living on this earth delighted in
God through prayer. Ministry and preaching were like a drop
in the ocean of prayer for Our Lord Jesus.
The goal of this book is to imitate Christ in all spheres
with the life energized by the Spirit of Christ. It is strongly
believed that if Prayer Life is ordered well then all will be
in correct proportions. The Break-through in life is when a
Christian obtains the spirit of prayer, like that of Christ.
29. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 29
1.3 How to use this Book ?
Itisnotenoughtoreadthisbook.Jesusdemandedthatmen
oughttoprayatalltimesandnotfaint.Prayerisbreathingtothe
innerman.Tillyoubecomeproficientinprayer,youmayusethis
book.Theaimistoachievethegoalofdialoguetypeofprayers.
1.3.1 A Daily Routine
1. Singthreesongsinyourlanguage.
2. Pray daily using Part II through Part IV.
3. Read the Bible at least one chapter a day systematically.
The Holy Spirit is highly pleased and happy when songs
are sung. Do everything in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Avoid being overwhelmed either by prayers or the large
amount of information. Remember that we are engaging with
the person of Christ, who is in the invisible world. All the
saints of old, by faith prayed meaningfully believing in the
living presence of Christ. We should not insist on the physical
manifestation of Christ. In order not to become mechanical,
pausing for few minutes (selah) is suggested after every
prayer.
1.3.2 A Weekly Routine
Make a book study of the Bible weekly once. Martin
Luther suggested that we underline the word "faith" in the
book of Romans and look at all those verses once every day.
1.3.3 Yearly Schedule
Resort to peaceful places to wait upon the Lord, as often
as possible. Allocate long duration to wait on the Lord once
in every year.
30. 30 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
1.4 The Preaching
It is better to preach systematically from what is soaked in
prayer. In a week a preacher must read one devotional book
besideshearingmessagesfromclassicandpuritanwriters.You
canvisitthewebsitewww.sermonaudio.comforaudiomessages
andwww.ccel.orgforclassicalwritings.Fixyourselfwithstandard
preachers such as C. H. Spurgeon, John Owen etc.
1.5 A Caution
Everyone must be found more in prayer than reading. Let
not mind be crowded by the material available on the Internet.
Set small goals which you can accomplish. Let the speed be
slow but steady and consistent. Take caution against making
resolutions to live in a particular way. Give ample place for the
leading of the Holy Spirit. He loves to lead and guide us in all
matters. Keep watch on whether you are acquiring the
"knowledge"orthe"lifeofChrist".Notethatthe"knowledge"is
predominantlythetooloftheDevil.
Never attempt anything new without praying for a week.
Faithfully attend to daily routines. Don't imitate somebody's
style of preaching. Be original. Forgive yourself. Do not be
too strict with others. Forgive others freely. Discover the
particular gift of the Holy Spirit and make all the
arrangements to develop it. Be careful with words that you
utter because they are like seeds having a potential of
growing into a large tree. The Devil waters all bad words,
and on the other hand the Holy Spirit flourishes good words.
So make it a point to speak good words through out the day.
Don't waste time and be lazy. Don't over work like a
workaholic.18
Make a list of people whom you know. Segregate the list
31. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 31
intotwoparts:(1)thepeoplewhoneedthesalvationand(2)the
people who are already saved. Don't miss out on your enemies
and those who hurt you, because your best is hidden in them.
Mentionthesenamesappropriatelyasindicatedinthebookand
pray.
1.6 The Conviction about the Prayer
Read more on prayer. Prayer is a hard work. Read one
chapter on prayer every day from the collection of E. M.
Bounds. The Bible recorded, "After Job had interceded for
his friends, God restored his fortune and then doubled it!"
Jesus said, "Here's what I want you to do: find a quiet,
secluded place. Shift your focus from you to God and begin
to sense His grace. Pray simply and He will reward you
openly." 19
Let us recognize the utmost importance of prayer. Lord
Jesus revealed to Peter that to escape from the trap of Satan,
he needs to depend upon Jesus' intercession and pray by
himself. Such prayer will alone strengthen faith. Prayer need
to be made night and day earnestly and continually to get
the supply of God for what is lacking in our faith.
The Apostles prayed to God that they will not do
anything wrong. They prayed for the eyes of heart to be
enlightened that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen
with power through His Spirit the inner being so that Christ
may dwell in heart through faith. They prayed for being
rooted and established in love.
So, we need to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers and requests. We need to be alert and
always keep on praying. Prayer alone makes the messenger
oftheGospeltoopenhismouthandwordswillbegivensothat
32. 32 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
hewillfearlesslymakeknownthemysteryoftheGospel.
Prayer makes us live a life worthy of the Lord and please
Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing
in the knowledge of God. When we pray, God will open a
door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery
of Christ, and our God will count us worthy of His calling
and by His power He will fulfill every good purpose for us.
Prayer makes the name of our Lord Jesus to be glorified
in us, and He in us, according to the grace of our God and
our Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer makes the message of our Lord
to spread rapidly and be honoured.
By prayer we will be delivered from wicked and evil
men. So we must continually ask God for help. Prayer makes
us to be active in sharing our faith so that we will have a full
understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.
By prayer we are delivered from trouble. Prayer heals
our sickness. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and
effective. Prayer makes us to enjoy good health and that all
willgowellwithusandoursoulprospers.Sofinaladviceofthe
BibleistobuildupinthemostholyfaithandprayingintheHoly
Spirit.
Bibleverses20
1.7 Our Lord's Message
"I will turn things around... I will give them a
language undistorted, unpolluted, words to
address God in worship. They will come praying.
You'll no longer have to be ashamed of all those
acts of rebellion. Be happy! Celebrate! God has
reversed His judgments against you and sent
33. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 33
your enemies off chasing. God is happy to have
you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight
you. The accustomed sorrows will dissipate. I
will get rid of them for you. I'll get rid of all
those who've made your life miserable. You'll
be famous and honoured all over the world.
God's promise". Zeph. 3:8ff.
1.8 The Author's Desire
God willing, I cherish to be in touch with you as you
endeavour to become like Christ in prayer life. If you are
blessed through this humble book and can share your
testimony through e-mail, I will have the opportunity to pray
meaningfully for you. I would like to pray for you because I
hope to have you as a star in my crown in heaven.
1.9 Praying in the Spirit
The mandate of the Bible is to pray in the Spirit on all
the occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. 21
Man
is capable of uttering anything before the Almighty God,
having fabricated his desires in the normal thinking process.
If we pray like this, then, we are taking all the trouble of
flying into heaven and placing our requests before God,
which we know, is an impossible task. Apostle Paul in the
Book of Ephesians, explained that the mid air is occupied
by principalities, powers and spiritual hosts of wickedness
in the heavenly places.22
They can easily prevent human
voice unless empowered by a greater power than them.
Lord Jesus having offered His own blood by the Eternal
Spirit poured out the Sevenfold Spirit on all flesh, so that,
man will have easy and free access to Heaven. So with simple
34. 34 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
faithonLordJesus,ifweaskforthehelptheHolySpirit,itisnot
refused. Praying in the spirit is like sitting in a space shuttle and
flying into Heaven to post our requests. It is called Holy ease.
So let us seek the help of the Holy Spirit to pray in the spirit.
1.9.1 APrayer for the help of the Holy Spirit
HolySpiritofGod,comeintonguesoflivingflametoenergise
my tongue to pray in the spirit uniting my mind withYou.All-
powerfulasthemightywind,Come.OBlessedHolySpirit,impart
Your sweet influence. O Lord God, give me good temper to
makethestayoftheHolySpiritinmyheartcomfortable.MayI
take care of Him as my beloved guest.
OBlessedSpiritofGod,helpmetohearYourgentlevoice,
soft as the breath of even that checks each thought, that calms
each fear. May You be pleased to reveal Lord Jesus and His
power in the Heaven and on the earth. I acknowledge thatYou
alonepossessallvirtuesandbyYoualoneeveryvictoryiswon,
andYoualonehavethoughtsofholiness.
OSpiritofpurityandgrace,seemyweaknessesandpitiable
condition. I know thatYou have come inside of my heart to rid
me of my fears, troubles and tears. You have come to tell me
abouttheexaltedstatusofmyLordJesus.Youalonecanimpart
comfort to my soul. You are given to me to adorn the body of
Christwithglory.YouarewithinmetoimpartallofChristtome.
Be pleased O Lord, to set up the Kingdom of Love in my heart.
Please carry outYour work in me in realizable form.
Breatheonme,OBreathofGod.Fillmewithlifeanewthat
I may love what You love and do what You would like to do.
BreatheonmeOLord,untilmyheartispureandmywillisone
withYoutoworkandtoendure.MakemewhollyYoursuntilmy
earthlypartglowswithYourfiredivine.Helpme,OLord,tolive
35. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 35
theperfectlifeofEternity.
Lord Jesus, like the beloved John the Apostle, may I be
in the spirit to see You by faith. Protect me from all
distractions. May my faith be active to see You, because
seeing is my happiness.
O Spirit of God, make me grasp secret things of God.
Open, O Lord, rivers in high places and fountains in the
midst of valleys. Make my wilderness a pool of water and
my dry land a spring of water. Plant Cedars, Shittah tree, the
Myrtle and the Olive tree in my wilderness. Set in my desert
the fir tree, the pine and the box tree together.
O Lord, I am without the living energy and devoid of
strength. I have dried up without abundance. Let Pishon and
Gihon flow. Let the fruit of Love flourish in me. By Your
grace, O Lord, the fire of the Holy Spirit melt my heart.
Burn the sinful chaff in me. O Lord God, fill me with Your
Holy Spirit and remove all the curses from my life. Help
me, O Lord, to taste the love of Lord Jesus by growing in
faith. For Jesus sake, Amen.
Sweet secret prayer, comfort divine,
There, O my Lord, I know Thou art mine;
Great Master, there in secret with Thee,
Heaven comes nearer and nearer to me.
Blessings attend and follow us there;
Heaven comes nearer and nearer in prayer.
Sweet secret prayer, comfort divine,
There do Thine arms, Lord, round me entwine;
36. 36 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
Riversofloveandmercythereflow,
Balm for all sorrow that mortal can know.
Sweet secret prayer, comfort divine,
There do I feel I truly am Thine;
Heav'n's windows open, Jesus is near,
Near to my soul, and the Father will hear.
(Charles H. Gabriel, 1922)
selah
37. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 37
THE CONFESSIONS AND
THANKSGIVING
PART II
38.
39. PART II: THE CONFESSIONS
ANDTHANKSGIVING
2. The Development of
the Inward Life
Marvelous,infinite,matchlessgrace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
WillyouthismomentHisgracereceive?
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
(Julia Johnston, 1910)
2.1 Introduction
The development of inner life is obtaining the forgiveness
and the removal of power of sin. The first step in the
improvement of life is through confessions. We must plead
for the blood of Christ to be applied by the Holy Spirit.
Christ will come and comfort us, if we pray for our sinful
nature to be subdued. He likes to assist us by the Holy Spirit
in ordering inner life if we believe His promise and come to
Him. All His glory and beauty are revealed from within. He
40. 40 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
delights to be within us for the singular purpose of dealing with
sin. His visits are frequent and He brings sweet conversations,
pleasant comfort, great peace and exceedingly wonderful
friendship.
Let us open our heart to Christ. He will meet all our
needs. He doesn't change His loving attitude towards us even
when we have failed miserably. He wants our honest
confession.
2.2 The Bible on the Believer's repentance
Note 23
1. Jesus said, "Are you tired? worn out? Burned out
on religion? Come to me. Get away with Me and
you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a
real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch
how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I
won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep
company with Me and you'll learn to live freely
and lightly."
2. "Now listen, daughter, don't miss a word: forget
your country, put your home behind you. Be here -
the king is wild for you. Since he's your Lord, adore
Him."
3. Glorified Jesus said, "Up on your feet! Take a deep
breath! May be there's life in you yet. But I wouldn't
know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of
God's work has been completed. Your condition is
desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your
hands, the Message you heard with your ears -
grasp it again and turn back to God."
41. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 41
4. "Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of
wicked men and women?" asks the Lord. "Of
course not! I only want them turn around, no longer
live wrong but living right - really living."
5. "There's more joy in heaven over one sinner's
rescued life. God's angels throw a party in heaven
when every time one lost soul turns to God."
6. "God was in Christ, restoring the world to Himself,
no longer counting men's sins against them but
blotting them out. This is the wonderful message."
7. Jesus answered them, "It is the sick who need a
doctor, not those in good health. My purpose is to
invite sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend
my time with those who think themselves already
good enough."
Bible verses 24
2.3 The Remission for the Sins
Let us believe what the Bible says. Let us take time to read
thesixteenthchapterofLeviticusslowly.Notethatevenasingle
sin can't be dealt by human effort or resolution. God alone can
solve this biggest puzzle. The Bible boldly declared, God sent
Jesus to take away sins of penitent and grant holiness which
perfectly satisfies the whole economy of God, the heaven and
theangels." 25
a) God is there and present:
There is a penalty for the intrusion into "the Holy Place"
behind the veil thoughtlessly.TheArk with commandments of
42. 42 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
GodandthemercyseatarelocatedintheHolyPlace. TheHoly
God is present in the cloud above the place of mercy seat.
b) The Blood for the Holy Place:
Here are the conditions for entering the Holy Place: The
High Priest must bring a young bull for a sin offering and a
ram for a burnt offering. He shall make atonement for himself
and his family. He shall bring some of the blood of the young
bull and sprinkle it with his finger upon the east side of the
mercy place and then seven times in front of it. He must
smear the blood of the young bull and the goat on the horns
of the altar and sprinkle the blood upon the altar seven times
with his finger thus cleansing it from the sinfulness of Israel
and making it holy.
c) The Confession of all sins :
The priest shall bring the live goat and laying both hands
upon its head, confess over it all the sins. He shall lay all
their sins upon the head of the goat and send it into the desert.
d) The Inference:
The procedures given in the Old Testament with regard
to animal sacrifices have a clear message. Now the animal
blood is replaced with the blood of Christ. One should not
think that the blood shed on the Cross by our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ had dried up on the mountains of
Golgotha in the country of Israel. The Bible says, it is offered
to God by the eternal Spirit and does exist in His presence.
By faith we must acknowledge this. Only the Holy Spirit
can apply the blood of Christ on all those who plead for it.
43. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 43
2.3.1 The Blood of Jesus and the Forgiveness
1. "When the Messiah arrived, high priest of superior
things of this new covenant, He bypassed the old
tent and its trappings in this created world and went
straight into heaven's "tent" - the true Holy Place
- once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices
consisting of goat and calf blood, instead used His
own blood as the price to set us free once and for
all. If that animal blood and the other rituals of
purification were effective in cleaning up certain
matters of our religion and behaviour, think how
much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole
lives, inside and out. Through the Spirit, Christ
offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing
us from all those dead-end efforts to make
ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out
for God."
2. "If we claim we are free from sin, we're only fooling
ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On
the other hand, if we admit our sins, he won't let
us down; He'll be true to Himself. He'll forgive our
sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim
that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict
God - make a liar out of Him. A claim like that
only shows off our ignorance of God."
3. "The sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges
all our sin."
4. "A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can
never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes
them, he gets another chance." "A tender hearted
44. 44 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
person lives a blessed life; a hard hearted person
lives a hard life."
Bible verses 26
.
2.3.2 A Prayer for the Forgiveness of Daily Sins
"Rock ofAges, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure -
Savefromitsguiltandpower"
(Augustus Toplady, 1763).
O Blessed Spirit of God, You have revealed that the
blood of Jesus Christ is a sweet aroma to the Lord God. You
have said that the life is in the blood and it is given to make
atonement for my soul. But if I do not wash my sins in the
blood I shall bear my guilt. O Lord God, may I not be foolish
to ignore Your free offer.
O Lord, You want me to be Holy as You are Holy. You
have said that I am the Lord that sanctify You and You have
also said that I must sanctify myself. So, O Lord, I plead for
the blood of Christ to sactify me that I may not die under the
burden of sin.
Lord Jesus, I thank You for allowing Yourself willingly
to be torn to give Your blood for me. I acknowledge that
Your blood alone removes the stains of my sins. Your blood
is my medicine, a living fountain. Your blood alone provides
atonementformysinsanditismypeace,destroyerofmycurses
and provides victory. Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the
45. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 45
cross as my substitute.Your blood keeps me on the bossom of
theHeavenlyFather.MyredemptionisinYourblood.Yourblood
pacifies the wrath of God.
Thank You Lord Jesus, for Your blood provides great
relief for my huge count of sins. You have destroyed the
strength of sin by Your death on the Cross. Thank You Lord
Jesus, for wearing the crown of thorns onYour head allowing
Your hands and feet to be pierced by hard nails, and stabbing
Your side by a spear for me. Thank You Lord Jesus, by
believeing in You, I am relieved.
Lord Jesus, now I come to You for the forgiveness of
my fresh sins through confession. Be very very gracious to
me, because of Your cruel death on the Cross. Amen.
2.3.3 A Prayer of Repentance
[God wants only acknowledgment of sin to deal with
the blood of Christ with the conviction of the Holy Spirit].
Almighty God, I do not know how to pray. Kindly grant
the help of the Holy Spirit in my weakness. Blessed Spirit
of God, aid me to pray in the spirit according to the Will of
God and sprinkle the blood of Christ on me seven times.
God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, most
mighty and glorious God! Full of incomprehensible power
and majesty, whose glory the very heaven of heavens is not
able to contain. Look down from heaven upon me, Your
unworthy servant, who here prostrates at the footstool of
Your throne of grace. Look upon me, O Heavenly Father,
through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Your
belovedSon,inwhomYouarewellpleased.Forofmyself,Iam
notworthytostandinYourpresenceortospeakwithmyunclean
lips to so holy a God asYou are.
46. 46 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
OGod,investigatemylife.Youknowallthefactsfirsthand.
I am an open book to You. Even from a distance, You know
whatIamthinking.YouknoweverythingIamgoingtosayeven
beforeIstartthefirstsentence.Youarebehindme,aheadofme.
O Lord God, I cannot avoidYour Spirit. I cannot go out ofYour
sight.Youareeverywhere,inthesky,intheunderground,inthe
western horizon. Before I reach a place,You are already there
waiting.Youhaveseenmeinthedarkplaces.Evenatthickdark
nightIamimmersedinYourlight.
O God, I acknowledge that every sin dishonoursYou.You
willshowYourangeronallsinfromheaven.WhenIdoanyact,
Icaneasilyknowwhetheritissinfulorholy,because,Youhave
givenmethedicernment.
My confusion is the result of my sinful acts. I
acknowledge that enough of confusion is there in me, which
is an indication that I have done lot of sins. I know that I am
let out of Your hand by every sin in degrees. I don't want to
continue in the same path, O Lord. I also know that I cannot
help myself and the remedy is in Christ only.
So, I humbly confess my sins, O Lord. Blessed Spirit of
God reveal to my heart and mind, where and how I have
dishonoured the Heavenly Father, and my Lord Jesus Christ.
Kindly reveal also how and where I have broken Your holy
commandments by sinful motions, unclean thoughts, evil
words and wicked works, and how I have omitted those
duties which You required for Your service and committed
those vices whichYou, under the penalty ofYour displeasure,
forbidden.
[Here you may confess to God your secret sins]
O Lord God, to know thatYou are fully aware of my sinful
47. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 47
natureisagreatreliefforme.Youshapedme.Youformedmein
my mother's womb. My body and soul are Your handiwork. I
am marvelously made.You know every bone in my body.You
know exactly how I was made. You watched me grow from
conception to birth, all the stages of my life. All my days are
prepared byYou, even before I lived one day.ThankYou, Lord
Jesus, for carrying me inYour arms, like a father carries a child
onhisshoulders.IacknowledgethatYouhavetakenallmysinful
burdensonYourselflovinglyandwillingly.
Oh triune God, I am fully responsible for all my faults. O
Lord, my fresh sins have burdened my conscience. So, Lord, I
do here with grief of heart confess toYou. I recognize that for
these of my sins, I have provoked the anger of the Lord God
andamguiltyofcurses.Iacknowledgethatduetomydailysins
I am in the position of attracting all the miseries of this life. My
sinsmademylifewretched,miserable,blind,nakedandpoor.If
You deal with me according to my sins, then I cannot stand.
Lord, therefore I confess.
OGod,IappealtoYourgenerouslove.InYourhugemercy
wipeoutmybadrecord.Scrubawaymyguilt.Soakoutmysins
inYourlaundry.IknowhowbadIhavebeen.Mysinsarestaring
at me.
I acknowledge that I have violated You and offended
You grievously by every time I had sinned. You have seen it
all, the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before
You. Whatever You decide about me is fair. I acknowledge
that each of my sin made me out of step with You.
O Lord, since You are after the truth, I beg You to
penetrate in the place where sin is residing, my very heart
andconceiveanewlife.MakemewhiteassnowasYoupromised
through the prophet Isaiah27
.Tune me withYour songs. Set my
bones which are broken due to sin. Don't look too close for my
48. 48 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
blemishes.OLord,givemehealthwhichIlostduetoeatingthe
forbidden tree.
Kindly, don't throw me with the trash. Do not fail to
breathe holiness on me. I know, O Lord God, Your mercy
endures for ever and Your compassion never fails. That is
why I have not been long ago consumed. I know that with
You there is plenteous redemption. O God, make a fresh
start in me and shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my
life. O Lord, take me again into Your hands. Thank You, O
Lord God, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen
Believe God's Word:
"If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white.
If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool." Isa 1:18
Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you.
Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Mark 5:34
2.4 The Death of Sin by the Holy Spirit
All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,
Discord filled my heart with pain,
Jesus swept across the broken strings,
Stirred the slumbering chords again.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know
Fills my every longing, Keeps me singing as I go.
(Luther Bridgers, 1910)
"DidsinkillmyLordandSaviour!ThenIwillkillsin."
(C. H. Spurgeon).
"Bekillingsin,otherwisesinwillkillyou."(JohnOwen).
49. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 49
1. "Our old self was crucified with him so that the
body of sin might be done away with, that we should
no longer be slaves to sin" 28
"If we get included in
Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included
in his life-saving resurrection. Our old way of life
was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end
to that sin-miserable life - no longer at sin's every
beck and call!."
2. "The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead
...will also give life to your mortal bodies through
his Spirit, who lives in you." "Anyone completely
absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking
more about self than God. That person ignores who
God is and what He is doing. And God isn't pleased
at being ignored. Those who think they can do it
on their own end up obsessed with measuring their
own moral muscle but never get around to
exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's
action in them find that God's Spirit is in them -
living and breathing God! Obsession with self in
these matters is dead end; attention to God leads
us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.
Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on
God."
3. "Through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush
evil deeds, you shall live." "But if God himself has
taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be
thinking more of yourself than of Him. Anyone, of
course, who has not welcomed this invisible but
clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't
know what we're talking about. But for you who
50. 50 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
welcome Him, in whom He dwells - even though
you still experience all the limitations of sin - you
yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands
to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present
God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into
your life, He'll do the same thing in you that He
did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When
God lives and breathes in you, you are delivered
from that dead life. With the Spirit living in you,
your body will be as alive as Christ's."
Bibleverses29
2.4.1 APrayer for the Mortification of the Flesh
i) A Solemn Reality of the Corruption of the Flesh
O God, Lord of all things, You in Christ Jesus, have
manifested Yourself out of Your love. When I believed in
the finished work of the cross, You were gracious enough to
save me. Thank You, Lord Jesus for making me leave that
old country of sin and joining me with the new country of
holiness with all the saints of the Old Testament and the
New Testament.
O Lord God, though my old self is dead by union with
the death of Jesus, yet I perceive that I have the body of sin.
I understood by Paul's experience that sin lives in every
member of my body and sin is the greatest burden than all
troubles and trials.
Lord Jesus as perYourWord, I acknowledge that my heart
isafreefountainofpollution.Myheartandmyfleshareindwelt
andinfectedbyobscenities,lust,thefts,murders,adulteries,greed,
depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander,
51. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 51
arrogance,foolishnessandsuchlike.Somearevisiblebutsome
are hidden. They are like vomit from my heart. Knowingly and
unknowinglytheyarefumingoutthroughmylife.Satanistaking
everyopportunitythroughthelaw,andthus,mysinispreventing
me to do the good work of the Holy Spirit. I acknowledge O
Lord,thatIhaveindulgedinlustfuldeedswithlustfuleyes.The
moreIdigmyheart,themoredirtofsiniscomingout.BythisI
amgettingspoiled.NegligenceistakingmeoverandIamdoing
theworkswhichIamnotsupposedtodo.Iamputtingmyhands
inthehandsofthekingoftheDevils.
So, blessed Spirit of God, kindly purge out my heart by
the power of the blood of Christ. I come before You with
thanksgiving and request You, O Lord, to drive out all my
bad habits which I have acquired by the old self. Thus help
me make room for the life-saving resurrection power of
Christ. O Lord, grant me utmost self-control on my personal
enemies which John the beloved cited in his first epistle: the
lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. O
Lord, help me not to let sin, Satan and the world to tell me
what to do in life. Let me not give time of the day to sin. Let
me not run even little errands in the old way of life. O Lord
God, may I be full-time available to You.
Thus, O Lord, teach me doing things in the Holy Spirit's
way whole heartedly in the freedom of Christ. O Lord, help
me to drive out the bond woman which is born according to
the flesh that it may not persecute the new man, who is born
according to the promise. Lord according to Your Word, let
the elder serve the younger.
OLord,delivermefrommyinclinationstosin.Bythedeath
ofChristsubduethepowerofsininme.OLord,mayIfeelYour
Spirit more and more killing my sin, in the power and practice
thereof, so that this day I may with more freedom of mind and
52. 52 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
liberty of will serveYou. O Lord, bring me back from my gray
exile,putafreshwindinmysails.OLord,givemegrace,thatby
thedirectionandtheassistanceoftheHolySpirit,Imaypersevere
tobeYourfaithfulservanttomylife'sendforJesussake,Amen.
Within my heart, O Lord, fulfill;
The purpose of Thy death and pain,
That all may know Thou livest still;
In blood-washed hearts to rule and reign.
O Savior, by Thy bleeding form;
The world is crucified to me;
Thy loving heart, so rent and torn,
ThysufferingbidsmesharewithThee.
(Herbert Booth, 1886)
ii) The Denial of Self
O Lord God, I have proved in my life, offering to sin is
my last free act. Now having realized my mistake I offer to
the ways of God which is my true freedom. O Lord God,
may I be given grace to listen to my new master, the Christ
and submit to the Holy Spirit whole heartedly and not to
again come under the law of sin and death.
Lord Jesus, You have said that I must deny myself to
follow You. Lord, the power of sin in my flesh keep
sabotaging my best intentions. So, obviously I need Your
help, O Lord. I acknowledge that I have no power to deal
withevenonesinglesin.Theprocessoffailingandrepentinghas
becomeacycle.Itishappeningregularly.ThemomentIdecide
todogood,sinistheretotrapme.ThoughIdelightinthepraise,
theprayer,andtheBiblestudy,allofmeisnotjoiningmeinthat
53. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 53
delight.Partsofmecovertlyrebel,andwhenIleastexpect,they
take charge. So I needYou, O Blessed Spirit of God, to break
and dissolve the vicious circle of sin by the Cross.
Ihavetried,OLord,everythingandnothingreallyhelped.I
am at the end of my rope. So I look toYou, O Christ my Lord.
Give me the help of the Holy Spirit. I acknowledge that You
alonehavethewaytosetthingsrightinthislifeofcontradictions.
OLord,IwanttoserveYouwithallmyheartandmind,butIam
pulledbytheinfluenceofsintodosomethingtotallydifferent.
Lord God, thankYou, forYour determination to solve this
sinproblembysendingChrist.Lord,IneedtheverylifeofChrist
formyinnermantodowhatYoucommanded.Letthenewpower
beinoperation,OLord.LetthebuoyantSpiritofLifeinChrist,
like a strong wind free me from time to time from the brutal
tyranny of the law of sin and death. O Lord, let not the Law
fracturemynewselfanymore.OLord,givemegracetoembrace
whattheHolySpiritisdoinginsideofmeinmynewspirit.Help
me not to redouble my human effort with moral muscle. Help
me, O Lord, to trust the Holy Spirit's action in me. May I pay
attentiontoYourdealingssothatYoumayleadmeintoanopen,
spacious free life. O Lord, help me to ignore the self and pay
attention to whatYou are doing inside of me.
O Lord, though at present, I am experiencing all the
limitations due to sin in my flesh, may I devote myself to
obtain the life of Christ, through the worship, the prayer and
the meditation of Your blessed Word. May I trust and focus
that the way the Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead, I
will also be raised steadily by the mortification of sin in my
flesh.
Breathe on me, O Blessed Spirit of God, to be delivered
frommydeadlifethatthebodyofsinmaybedoneawayasalive
54. 54 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
toChrist.Helpme,OLord,togiveadecentburialtotheoldlife
and get along with the new life in my Christ. Make me
adventurouslyexpectagreatlife.LetYourSpirittouchmyspirit,
O Lord, and keep confirming to me who I am in Christ. Let me
gothroughlifeasChristJesusconductedinthisearthlylife.Though
noweverythingseemhardyetImayhumblygothroughwithmy
Christ.
What shall I, who am not worthy of Your grace, say
before You? O merciful God, it is owing to Your love I yield
myself, with my whole will, senses and the mind unto Your
grace, and fly to Your mercy. I call upon You through Your
death, from the new spark of life in me. I take hold of Your
promise that You will not quench the smoking flax. I have
no other way but by Your own bitter death and passion I
sink the desire of my soul down into Your death into the
gate of Your death, which You broke open.
In the meantime, O Lord, while it is Your blessed Will
and pleasure that I may continue to spend the small number
of my days which You have appointed for me to live for
Christ, teach me to number them that I may apply my heart
unto wisdom. As You add days unto my life, so, good Lord,
I beg You, add the repentance and the amendment to my
days, that as I grow in years, I may increase in grace and
favour with You and all the people. Unbutton my lips dear
God to break forth into praise. Give me the job of teaching
rebelsYourwayssothatthelostcanfindtheirwaytoYourhome.
And to this end, O Lord, give unto me a supply of all those
graces which are wanting in me, and necessary for me, with an
increase of all those good gifts wherewith You have already
endowed me so that I may be enabled to lead a godly life in
honest conversation, thatYour name may be glorified, others
55. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 55
maytakegoodexamplebyme,andmysoulmaymorecheerfully
be fed on the peace of a good conscience, and be more
replenishedwiththejoyoftheHolyGhost.Iaskallthesefavours
inthehighlyexaltednameofmyLordandSaviourJesusChrist
with thanksgiving, fully believing that I have received all that I
have prayed. I thank You, O Lord God, through Lord Jesus,
Amen.
Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.
Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.
(Charles Wesley,1740)
2.5 The Leading of the Holy Spirit
Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since 'tis my God that leadeth me.
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.
56. 56 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
SometimeswhereEden'sflowersbloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still'tisHishandthatleadethme.
(Joseph Gilmore, 1862)
2.5.1 APrayer for the Leading of the Holy Spirit
i) A Desire to be led by the Holy Spirit
O Breath of the great love of God, quicken, I beseechYou,
myweakbreath,thatitmaybegintohungerandthirstafterYou
andobtainthelifeofChristtobeledbyYou.MayYourlifeinme
manifesttopursuetheslainLambofGodwithHolyease.MayI
adventurouslyfollowChristeveninhardtimes,OLord.Instruct
me, Lord Jesus, by Your Holy Spirit to take each step in Your
way. May I valueYour thoughts as infinitely precious than my
best thoughts and plans. O Lord, guide me withYour counsel.
Above all I requestYou, O Spirit of God, to grant me a willing
mindtoacceptYourleadingjoyfullyandlovingly.
Help me O Lord, to perceive thatYou are holding my right
hand.MayInotentertainanyfearasperYourcommandsothat
ImayseeYourhelpinghand.MayIenjoythehappinessofhaving
GodofJacobasmyhelper.Standbyme,OLordandstrengthen
metowalkwithYou.
O Lord, I became poor and needy by walking in my
own way. Make haste to me. Lord do not delay. May I take
refuge in the shadow ofYour wings with deep trust inYou, as
You make preparations to sendYour help . O God, help me, for
I rest on You. May I go into the world along with the Lord of
Hosts.You are my God, help me not to leaveYour hand.
O Lord, may I be conscious of Your divine presence and
57. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 57
recognize the angel ofYour presence going before me. May I
enjoythesurerestthatfollows.IacknowledgethatonlybyYou
I can run against a troop and leap over a wall. InYour presence
is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore. Honour, majesty,
strength and gladness are the marks of Your presence. So, O
Lord, may I not forsakeYour presence.
Lord Jesus, I acknowledge thatYou are more than inclined
to lead me in my life journey. I acceptYour leading. FromYour
Word, I understood that You do not want to loose me. Thank
You, Lord Jesus. "In Your unfailing love You will lead the
people You have redeemed. In Your strength You will guide
them to Your holy dwelling" 30
Blessed Spirit of God, make me good to please the Lord
Jesus, so that You may lead me into my abundance. Send
Your comfort and encouragement not to stray away from
the path of my Lord Jesus. O Blessed Spirit of God, make
me strong and courageous to be led by You. Give me
discernment and wisdom to be able to perceive Your leading
and stay with it.
Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my
enemies and make straight Your way before me. Teach me
Your way, O Lord. Since You are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of Your name lead and guide me. Above all, O
Spirit of God, lead me to Christ. Teach me to do Your Will,
forYouaremyGod.MayYourgoodSpirit,OLord,leadmeon
the level ground for Jesus sake,Amen.
ii) An Intense Desire
O Lord God,You have said through the prophet Isaiah, "I
will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along
unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness
into light before them and make the rough places smooth.
58. 58 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." 31
So,
O Blessed Spirit of God, be pleased to fulfill this promise in
Christ for me. O enlighten my spirit, that I may see the divine
path,andwalkinitcontinually.
O Lord, take that away from me, which always turns
me away from You and give me that which always turns me
to You. Take me wholly from myself and let me give myself
wholly to Yourself. O let me begin nothing, let me will, think
and do nothing without You. O Lord, indeed I am not worthy
of that which I desire of You. I pray, let the desire of my soul
dwell but in the gates of Your courts. Make me but a servant
of Your servants, O Lord. O preserve me from the horrible
pit from departing from You wherein there is no comfort or
refreshment.
O Lord, lead me not into temptation. Blessed Spirit of
God, may I evaluate every spirit that comes through false
people which leads me away from the crucified Christ and
live with watchfulness. Blessed Spirit of God, lead me more
and more to the repentance and the confession of every sin.
Stir up in me a true sorrow for the sins I have committed. O
keep me in Your bonds and let me not escape from You lest
the Devil sift me in my wicked flesh.
O Lord God, may the Lamb of God at the center of the
throne be my shepherd and lead me to the springs of the
living water. May God wipe away every tear from my eyes. O
quicken me in Your strength, O Lord, that my desire and will
maybegintospringupandflourishanew.Ovanquisherofdeath
and the wrath of God, overcome my "self". Break it's will and
bruisemysoul,thatitmayfearbeforeYouandbeashamedofits
ownwillbeforeYourjudgmentandthatitmayeverbeobedient
to You. O Lord, take away its power, that it may will nothing
withoutYou.OGod,theHolyGhostinChristmySaviour,teach
59. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 59
me,Ipray,whatIshoulddo.O,drawmeinChristtotheHeavenly
Father and help me that now and from henceforward I may go
forth from sin and vanity, and never any more enter into them
again.
O God in Christ Jesus, though I cannot see You with my
naked eye, I acknowledge that You are near unto me. Let
my Soul obtain a ray of Your sweet grace.
I lie before You as a dying man, as a small spark, kindle
it. O Lord, raise up the breath of my soul before You. Lord,
I wait for Your promise which You have made, saying, as I
live, I will not the death of a sinner, but that he shall turn
and live. May I take time to behold the cross intently for
long duration like Moses, the man of God. Lord, dissolve
my grief so that I may listen to Your voice amidst trying
circumstances. Blessed Spirit of God, help me to have full
faith like Stephen and believe in the Lord Jesus to honour
the holiness of Jehovah. My Redeemer, Lord Jesus, I wait
for You, whose Word is Truth and Life. Amen.
Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
(Frances Havergal, 1874)
60. 60 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
2.6 Thanksgiving
O Lord, I giveYou most humble and hearty thanks for all
those blessings which ofYour goodness have bestowed upon
me. I thankYou forYour free love, O Lord.
According to Your eternal purpose, You have elected me
beforethefoundationoftheworlduntosalvationinJesusChrist.
You have created me afterYour own image, and have begun to
restore in me which was lost in our first parents.
Thank You Lord Jesus, for You have effectually called
me, by the working of Your Spirit, in the preaching of the
gospel, to the knowledge ofYour saving grace, and obedience
to Your blessed will.
O Lord God, thank You, for You have bought and
redeemed me with the blood of Your only begotten Son,
from the torments of hell, and from the thrall of Satan. You
have by faith in Christ freely justified me, who am by nature
the child of wrath. You have in good measure sanctified me
by the Holy Spirit, and given me so large a time to repent,
together with the means of repentance.
I thank You likewise good Lord, for my life, health,
wealth, food, raiment, peace, prosperity, and plenty.You have
preserved me from all perils and dangers of my body and
soul, and have brought me safe to the beginning of this day.
Thank You O Lord God, through Jesus Christ my Lord,
Amen.
I stand amazed in the presence,
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.
61. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 61
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!
(Charles Gabriel, 1905)
2.7 Daily work
Lord God,You have now awakened my body from sleep,
so, I beseech You, awaken my soul from sin, and carnal
security. You have caused the light of the day to shine in my
bodily eyes. So good Lord, cause the light of Your Word
and the Holy Spirit to illumine my heart. O Lord, give me
grace to walk in all holy obedience before Your face this
day and that I may endeavour to keep faith and a clear
conscience towards You, and towards all men, in all my
thoughts, words, and dealings.
Good Lord, bless all my studies and actions which I
shall take in hand this day, that they may tend to Your glory,
the good of others, and the comfort of my own soul and
conscience. O my God, keep Your servant, that I do no evil
to myself and to any other, this day and let it be Your Blessed
Will not to suffer the Devil nor his wicked angels, nor any
of his evil members, or my malicious enemies, to have any
power to do me hurt or violence.
O Lord God, when I am alone, may I remember that my
Heavenly Father is with me and may I enjoy the pleasure of
it, and feed on the sense of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thus let my days be spent without murmuring against Christ
at all circumstances, under a sense of thankfulness.
Lord Jesus, when I fail, may I not take too much time to
recover. Meet me, O Lord, in my failures. May I diligently
62. 62 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
attendtoreadingandprayerwithoutanyhesitation.Letmyprayer
comebeforeYouasincense,andlettheliftingupofmyhandsbe
asthemorningandtheeveningsacrifice.
O Lord, let the eye ofYour holy providence watch over me
for good and command Your Holy angels to pitch their tents
round about me, for my defense and safety in my going out and
coming in, asYou have promised. IntoYour hands, O Father, I
do here commend my soul and body, my actions, and all that I
have, to be guided, defended, and protected by You, being
assured, that whatsoever is committed toYour custody cannot
perish,norsufferanyhurtorharm.IfI,atanytimethisdayshall
through frailty forgetYou, yet, Lord God, I begYou, in mercy
remember me for Jesus sake,Amen.
The Lord is King! I own His pow'r,
His right to rule each day and hour;
I own His claim on heart and will,
AndHisdemandsIwouldfulfill.
He claims my heart, to keep it clean,
From all defiling taint of sin;
He claims my will, that I may prove,
How swift obedience answers love.
Heclaimsmyhandsforactivelife,
In noble deeds and worthy strife;
He claims my feet, that in His ways,
Imaywalkboldlyallmydays.
He claims my lips, that purest word,
In all my converse may be heard;
My motives, passions, thoughts, that these,
Myinnerlife,myKingmayplease.
(Darly Terry, 1911)
63. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 63
2.8 The Healing
O Lord God, I acknowledge that I have acquired many
diseases by not paying attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
But Your Word through the prophet Isaiah said " He (Jesus)
was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and
by His wounds we are healed." 32
So, O Lord, I plead forYour
mercytohealmybody,mindandemotions.
Circumcise my heart, O Lord and heal me. Internal
infections, BP, Diabetics and many more unknown diseases
have taken their place within me. Whom can I go, O Lord?
Which doctor can diagnose me? I am helpless, O Lord. Even
many domestic food items are aggravating my disease
including the common water. Lord Jesus, I beg you to heal
my water and food and make them healthy. Hear my prayer
and heal me, O Lord.
Our forefathers called upon You, O Lord God, and You
have healed them. I acknowledge, Lord Jesus, You are the
same yesterday, today and forever. Send forth Your Word
and heal me. May I be converted byYour Word and be healed.
Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be
saved, for You are the one I praise. May I realize that You
have healed me and I pray for its physical manifestation.
Lord Jesus, Your Word said, "All over Syria, people brought
to You all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering
severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and
the paralyzed, and You healed them." 33
Will You not do the
same for me, O Lord?
O Lord, Your Word says that Abraham prayed and God
healedAbimelech. The Lord God heard Hezekiah and healed
the people. O Lord, I do not deserve to have You come under
64. 64 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
my roof. But just say aWord, and I will be healed.Allow me to
touchYourcloak,sothatImaybehealed.OLord,givemefaith
to be healed. Lord Jesus, in the same wayYou had compassion
onthelargecrowdandhealedtheirsick,kindlyhavecompassion
onme.
LordJesus,rebukethedemon,thatistormentingme.Drive
out the demons, and do not let the demons speak to me. Please
Lord, come and putYour hands on me so that I will be healed
andlive.HeavenlyFather,Ihumblyclaimhealingwiththanksgiving
in the mighty Name of Lord Jesus, who died for me,Amen.
Jesus, spotless lamb of God,
You have bought me with Your blood.
I would value nothing beside Jesus -
Jesus the crucified!
I am Yours and Yours alone.
This I gladly, fully own.
And in all my works and ways,
Help me only seekYour praise.
(James Deck, 2007)
selah
65. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 65
PERSONAL PRAYERS
PART III
66.
67. PART III: PERSONAL PRAYERS
3 The First Love for Christ
I am resolved to follow the Saviour,
Faithful and true each day
Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth,
He is the living way.
I will hasten to Him,
Hasten so glad and free,
Jesus, greatest, highest,
I will come to Thee.
(Palmer Hartsough, 1896)
3.1 Introduction
If "Love for God" is deficient, then all will remain
disorderly. If we cannot love our fellow-humans properly as
we ought to, it is because we have problem in loving our
God whole heartedly. So we need to recover immediately
and begin to love the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
3.2 The Christ's voice
1. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your
passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the
most important, the first on any list. But there is a
second to set alongside it: Love others as well as
68. 68 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
you love yourself. These two commands are pegs;
everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs
from them."
2. After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon,
son of John, do you love Me more than these? "Yes,
Master, you know I love You." He then asked a
second time, "Simon, son of John, do you really
love Me?". "Yes, Master, you know I love You".
Then he said it a third time, "Simon, son of John,
do you love Me?" Peter was upset that he asked
for the third time.
3. You have walked away from your first love - why?
What's going on with you? Do you have any idea
how far you've fallen? "Turn back! Recover your
dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on
my way to removing your light from the golden
circle."
Bible verses 34
3.3 A Prayer for the First Love for Christ
O God of Love, I beseechYou to grant me full recovery of
Love to loveYou. Impress it into my soul and make me realize
that my soul is inYour arms. O Sweet Love of God, I confess I
am unclean beforeYou without love for Lord Jesus.Take away
myuncleannessthroughthedeathofJesusandcarrythehunger
andthirstofmySoulthroughYourdeathinYourresurrection,in
Yourtriumph.OBlessedSpiritofGodcastmywholeself-hood
down to the ground in the cross to love Jesus, the Christ totally.
Let me be captivated by my Beloved's love.
O God, may I experienceYour love as better than anything
69. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 69
else.MayIbefoundwhereYoutendYourflock.MayIsitunder
Your shade to taste and savourYour delicious love. Lord Jesus,
may my eyes be feasted by the visions and revelations ofYour
Cross. May I see Your movement and catch up with it. May I
listen toYour loving voice. O Lord, protect me from foxes and
wolves. May I long forYou more and more. May I desireYou
desperately. May I seek You till I find You. When I find You,
may I embraceYou and talk toYou affectionately. May I listen
toYour appreciation about me, O Lord.
Breatheonme,OBlessedSpirit,Yourspicefragrance.May
I not be found naked when Lord Jesus makes His appearance
to me. May I be quick to recognize His foot steps. O Lord God,
teachmetoadoreJesuswithelaboratedescriptions.MayIgrow
inthesenseofbelongingwithLordJesus,angelsandheaven.
OHighestLove,letmefeeltheout-pouredloveoftheHoly
Spirit.OLordGod,maynotthepowerofsinquenchtheloveof
the Holy Spirit. Inclose me in You. Keep me in You, so that I
maynotdepartfromYou.FillmyhungerwiththeloveforLord
Jesus. May I exercise boldness and confidence in approaching
You. O Great Love, awaken your disappeared image in me,
which, as to the Kingdom of Heaven disappeared in my father
Adam, so as to loveYou better and better day by day.
O Life and Power of the Deity, You have promised, "We
will come to you, and make Our abode in you". So O Lord,
let me feel Your residence in me. You have promised also,
that Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask. Therefore, I now bring the desire of my soul into that
promise. Blessed Spirit of God, increase in me my longing
afterLordJesusbyfillingmewithYourLove.
Strengthen me, O sweet Love, inYour strength. O quicken
me in You, that my spirit may taste Your sweetness. O Sweet
Love,IbeseechYouthroughthatlovewherewithYouovercame
70. 70 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
the anger of God and changed it into love and divine joy, I pray
You,tochangetheangerinmysoulbythatsamegreatlove,that
I may be comfortable to converse with Lord Jesus that my soul
mayexercisedivineloveforeverincreasingly.Ochangemywill
intoYourWill.BringYourobedienceintomydisobedience,that
ImaybecomeobedientuntoYoutoprogressinloverelationship.
O great love of Lord Jesus, I humbly fly toYou and bring
thehungerofmysoulintoYourwoundsfromwhenceYoushed
Your Holy Blood and quenched the anger with the love of the
HolySpirit.QuickenmeinYourLifeandletmenotdepartfrom
You.
O my Noble Vine, I beseech You to give sap into me
Your branch that I may bud and grow in Your strength and
in Your essence of love. Beget in me true strength by Your
strength. O Sweet love, enlighten my poor soul. Bring it
into the right way. Destroy the will of the Devil and bring
my body through the whole course of this world through the
chamber of death into Your death and rest. I beseech You,
be my willing and knowing, so that I may agree with You in
all matters to walk with You in love. I yield myself wholly
up to You. O Lord God, I bind my emotions to the love of
the Holy Spirit, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.
Master, no offering costly and sweet,
May we, like Magdalene, lay at Thy feet;
Yet may love's incense rise, sweeter than sacrifice,
Dear Lord to Thee, dear Lord to Thee.
(Edwin Parker, 1888)
selah
71. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 71
4 The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord,IgivemyselftoThee
FillmewithThyloveandpower,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
I surrender all, I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Saviour,
Isurrenderall.
(Judson Van de Venter, 1896)
4.1 Introduction
Though we are born again, we must keep examining what
manner of temperament we are of. The Christian spirit is
developed by the agency of the Holy Spirit, resembling that of
Christ.
We must become spiritually minded and walk by faith.
The proof of our spirituality is in the fear of God, affection
to triune God, and following the Slain Lamb of God
practically and courageously. With regard to ourselves we
must possess humility and purity, temperance, contentment
and patience. With regard to our fellow creatures, our
Christian temper must display love, meekness,
peaceableness, mercy, truth and candor in judging. There
must be in our person the general qualifications such as
sincerity, constancy, tenderness, zeal and prudence.
4.2 The Holy Spirit's Desire
1. "Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be
constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must
72. 72 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
be a new and different person, holy and good.
Clothe yourself with this new nature." You learned
Christ! And then take on an entirely new way of
life - a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the
inside and working itself into your conduct as God
accurately reproduces his character in You.
2. "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through
the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our
Lord."
3. "Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and
sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy,
an energy deep within you, God himself willing
and working at what will give him the most
pleasure."
4. "Following after the Holy Spirit leads to life and
peace. Simply embrace what Spirit is doing in us."
Bible verses35
4.3 Prayer for the Mind and the Heart
1. "God judges persons differently than humans do.
Men and women look at the face; God looks into
the heart." 36
2. "Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where
life starts." 37
3. "The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a
puzzle that no one can figure out." 38
4. "Jesus said, what comes out of a man is what makes
him unclean. From within, out of men's hearts come
evil." 39
73. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 73
i) The Mind of Christ
BlessedGod,IhumblyadoreYouforeverygoodandperfect
gift.FromYou,therefore,Iseekeveryblessing,especiallythose
which leads me to Yourself, and prepares me for the eternal
enjoymentofYou.MayIknowwhatmannerofspiritandmind
Iamof.IacknowledgethatIhaveaferociousangryspiritanda
carnalmind.
Blessed Spirit of God, may my attitudes and thoughts be
constantly changed to confirm to the mind of Christ. O Lord
God, may I work continuously on the renewal of the mind by
Your Word and be clothed with the new nature. O Lord, let
Your Spirit aid me in the meditation of Your Word. May I not
think contrary to the Word of God, O Lord. O Lord, may I not
ever think thatYou are not there.
O Lord God, I want to know You better and better. Lord
give me deep interest in the Word of God. Help me to receive
Your Words and treasure Your commands within me. Help
me, O Lord, to incline my ear to wisdom and apply my mind
to understanding. Help me O Lord, to seek You and search
for You as for hidden treasures from Your Word, so that I
may understand the fear and the knowledge of God.
Lord, through Your great riches, give me timely
literature, time, money and energy to put in hard work to
prayerfully study. By these efforts, may my character and
mind be transformed with proper convictions to escape from
the lust and the rottenness within me.
May I have the mind to obey You like a child. May I not
slip back into my old ways doing evil. May I be holy now in
everything I do just as You are holy. May I be holy in all
manner of conversation. May my attitude be like that of Lord
74. 74 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
Jesuswithmeeknessandhumility.
Lord,savemefromperformingactivitiesbytheimpulseof
my mind and human reasoning. Help me, O Lord, to evaluate
eachthoughtproperly.Helpmeusespirituallypowerfultoolsfor
smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected
againstthetruthofGod,fittingeveryloosethought,motionand
impulseintothestructureoflifeshapedbyChrist.Thushelpme
keepYour tools ready at hand for clearing the ground of every
obstruction, like my Lord Jesus, who dealt with Satan with the
written Word. Blessed Spirit of God, may I be united withYou
tobuildmylifeofobediencetomaturity.
As a Christian, may I live as Christ Jesus lived. O Lord,
deliver me from being carnally-minded. Make me spiritually-
minded. So, Blessed Lord God, make it my aim to please
You always in everything by doing the works of faith. May
I, while passing through this world of sense, walk by faith
and not by sight, never doubting Lord Jesus. May I believe
You O Lord, growing stronger in faith and trust and that
Your name be praised. I bind my mind to the mind of Christ
to think like Jesus my Lord, Amen.
ii) The Heart is a well-spring of the Life
Lord Jesus, having understood from Your Word, the
deceitfulness of my heart, I humbly come beforeYou to plead
for Your grace to guard my heart and its desires. Thank You
Lord Jesus, for making me close to Your heart by saving
me. I pray to You, O Lord God, for strength to guard my
heart, which is the wellspring of life. I trust You, O Lord
God, with all my heart and choose not to lean on my own
understanding.
Lord, I don't want to be beaten anymore and persist with
rebellious heart. I acknowledge, O Lord that my whole head is
75. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 75
injured, and my whole heart is afflicted. My heart is calloused;
my ears are dull; my eyes are closed. O Lord, I want to
understandmyconditionwithmyheart,andturnandbehealed.
O Lord, kindly be gracious to me and soften my heart. O Lord,
mayIunderstandthedeceitfulnessofsin,andescapefromitlike
Joseph. O Lord, like Moses, may I refuse to enjoy the fleeting
pleasuresofsin.
O God Almighty, I acknowledge that You are the Lord
God who searches my heart and examines my mind, to
reward me according to my conduct, and according to what
my deeds deserve. So I pray, O Lord, may I not continue
with my own plans and follow the stubbornness of my evil
heart. May not the pride of my heart deceive me. May I not
trust in man, and depend on flesh for my strength. Let not
my heart turn away from You.
O Lord, I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded
within me. May I respond to Your rebuke, O Lord, so that
You may pour out Your heart to me and make Your thoughts
known to me. May I turn my ear to wisdom and apply my
heart to understanding, so that wisdom will enter my heart,
and knowledge shall be pleasant to my soul.
O Lord, fill my heart with greater joy than when grain
and new wine abound. May I praise You, O Lord God, with
all my heart to tell of all Your wonders. O Lord, deal with
the war in my thoughts and every day sorrow of my heart.
O Lord God, may I trust in Your unfailing love and may
my heart rejoice in Your salvation. May I perceive Your
instructions to my heart even at night. May my heart be glad
and my tongue rejoice and my body rest secure. May I resolve
not to sin with my mouth. May I speak the truth from my
heart.
May the precepts of the Lord give joy to my heart, give
76. 76 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
lighttomyeyes.Maythewordsofmymouthandthemeditation
of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord God, my Rock
and my Redeemer. O Blessed Spirit of God, help me to have an
obedientandlisteningheartthroughouttheday,togetmydesires
fulfilled.OLordGod,mayYoubepleasedtogivemethedesires
of my heart and make all my plans succeed. O Lord God, like
the way You have granted Christ the desire of His heart and
havenotwithheldtherequestofHislips,transformmetoChrist's
likenesstoprayhumblyandobtainmydesires.
Whenmyheartturnsintowaxduetotrials,kindly,strengthen
me, O Lord. Grant me cleanness of hands and a purity of heart,
thatImaynotliftupmysoultoanidolorswearbywhatisfalse.
When the troubles of my heart multiply, free me, O Lord, from
myanguish.
Test me, O Lord God, and try me, examine my heart
and my mind. Give me robustness of heart not to fear when
an army besieges me. Though a war breaks out against me,
may I, even then be confident. May my heart seek Your face,
O Lord. May I have strong heart to wait for You, O Lord. O
Lord, since You are my strength and my shield, may my
heart trust in You and get helped.
May my heart, O Lord, thus leap for joy and give thanks
to You in song and my heart sing spiritual songs, O Lord.
Let my heart rejoice in You. Help me, O Blessed Spirit of
God, to delight myself in Lord Jesus. May the law of God
be in my heart so that my feet do not slip. Lord, I am feeble.
I get easily crushed and groan in anguish of heart. My heart
pounds, my strength fails me, even the light goes from my
eyes. Have mercy on me Jesus, O Son of David, Amen.
iii) The Heart is deceitful above All things
77. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 77
BlessedSpiritofGod,putYourlawwithinmyheart,where
deceitfulness lies, so that I may desire to do the Will of God.
May my heart grow hot within me, as I meditateYourWord, O
Lord. Let the fire burn and let my tongue speak like Peter, the
Apostle.MayInotonlyhideYourrighteousnessinmyheartbut
speak of Your faithfulness and salvation by the power of the
HolySpirit.MayInotconcealYourloveandYourtruthfromthe
great assembly. O Lord, grant me whole hearted submission to
YourWill.
O Lord Jesus, may not my sins overtake me and close
my eyes and fail my heart. May my heart be stirred by a
noble theme of the person of Christ. May my mouth speak
words of wisdom and utter from my heart with
understanding. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew
a steadfast spirit within me. O Lord, deliver me from the
stubbornness of my heart.
O Lord God, may I offer the sacrifices of a broken and a
contrite heart. O Lord, may not the terrors of death assail
me to sink my heart in anguish within me; O Lord make my
heart steadfast, to sing praises to You all the time. May I call
upon You when my heart grows faint even from the ends of
the earth, so that You may lead me to the rock that is higher
than I.
O Lord, may I not set my heart on stolen goods, or on
sudden increase of riches. O Lord, may I not cherish sin in
my heart. When my heart is grieved and my spirit embittered,
may I quickly return to You, O Lord. May I remember my
songs in the night, and may my heart muse and my spirit
inquire. May my soul yearn for the courts of the Lord God
and may my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
O Lord God, give me an undivided heart, that I may fear
Yourname.Teachmetonumbermydaysaright,thatImaygain
78. 78 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
a heart of wisdom. May I walk in my house with a blameless
heart. May the men of perverse heart be far from me that I may
havenothingtodowithevil.
O Lord, deliver me from haughty eyes and a proud heart.
May not my heart be blighted and withered like grass; May
I extol my Lord Jesus with all my heart in the council of the
upright and in the assembly. Make my heart steadfast, and
help me trust in the Lord so that I will have no fear of bad
news. May my heart be secure with no fear so that in the
end I will look in triumph on my foes.
O Lord, may I hide Your Word in my heart that I might
not sin against You. May I set my heart on Your laws. Set
my heart free, O Lord. Give me understanding, and I will
keep Your law and obey it with all my heart. Turn my heart
toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain. May I seek
Your face with all my heart so that You will be gracious to
me according to Your promise.
May my heart be blameless towardYour decrees, O Lord
that I may not be put to shame. May Your statutes be my
heritage forever that they may be the joy of my heart. May
my heart be set on keeping Your decrees to the very end, O
Lord. May my heart tremble at Your Word. Search me, O
God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take
part in the wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; Let
me not eat of their delicacies. Lord Jesus, have mercy on
me, Amen.
iv) The Heart is a fountain of Pollution
Blessed Spirit of God, take full liberty to write love and
faithfulness on the tablet of my heart. May I lay hold Your
Words with all my heart and keep Your commands and live.
May I not be careless to let them out of my sight, but keep them
79. Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus 79
within my heart; May I not hate discipline; May not my heart
spurn correction; May I not lust in my heart after the beauty of
womennorlethercaptivatemewithhereyes,normyheartturn
to her ways or stray into her paths.
O Lord God, remove perverseness and foolishness of
my heart. Let not anxiety weigh my heart down. May not
my hopes be deferred to make my heart sick. O Lord, keep
my heart from bitterness. May my heart be at peace to obtain
the life of Christ into my body. May I maintain a happy and
a cheerful heart. Give me, O Lord, a discerning heart that
seeks knowledge. May my heart be in Your hand, O Lord, to
be turned as You please.
Let not my heart envy sinners, but always be zealous
for the fear of the Lord God. Let not my heart be heavy.
May not my heart harbor deceit. Abominations may not fill
my heart, O Lord. May I bring joy to Your heart; May I
always fear the Lord God. May I not harden my heart and
fall into trouble. May I deny myself the desire of my eyes
and refuse sinful pleasure for my heart. May my heart take
delight in all my work, which is the reward for all my labor.
May not my heart despair over all my toilsome labor
under the sun. Help me not to lose heart or be afraid, O
Lord, when rumors of violence are heard in the land and of
ruler against ruler. May I keep in my heart, that God will
bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked. May I
not be quick with my mouth, and be hasty in my heart to
utter anything beforeYou, O God. Let there be perfect control
over my tongue. O God, keep me occupied with gladness of
heart. O Lord God, give me wealth, possessions and honor,
so that I lack nothing my heart desires, but Lord God, give
me those things which You will enable me to enjoy. May I
not take bribe to corrupt my heart.
80. 80 Draw near to God with confidence through Lord Jesus
Lord God, help me banish anxiety from my heart to cast
off the troubles of my body. May my heart love Lord Jesus.
Maymyheartbegintopoundforhim.MayIopenformylover,
MayIfeelHisdeparture.MayInotsayIwillascendtoheaven,
I will raise my throne above the stars of God apart fromYou, O
Lord.
May I believe Your promises with all my heart: (1) "He
tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His
arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads
those that have young." (2) "For this is what the high and
lofty One says--He who lives forever, whose name is holy: I
live in a high and holy place,but also with him who is contrite
and lowly in spirit,to revive the spirit of the lowly and to
revive the heart of the contrite". (3)"Then you will look and
be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the
wealth on the seas will be brought to you,to you the riches
of the nations will come." 40
O Lord, You have announced the battle cry. But the
Church is deaf. But I pray O Lord God, that my heart may
pound within me, and let me not keep silent. May Your Word
be in my heart like a fire. O Lord, give us shepherds after
Your own heart, who will lead us with knowledge and
understanding.
May not my eyes and my heart be set on dishonest gain,
shedding innocent blood, oppression and extortion. O Lord,
wash the evil from my heart. May I not harbor wicked
thoughts.
Give me a heart to know You, that You are the Lord of
lords and King of kings. May I return to You with all my
heart. As per Your promise may I seek You and find You by
seekingYou with all my heart. May I understand, asYou fully
accomplish the purposes ofYour heart, in days to come. May I