I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.[1]
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.[2] _____________________________
O Jesus, O Jesus, what a friend we have in Jesus! Our greatest need, most gracious Lord I need Thee, O I need Thee. Beloved, be encouraged this day in knowing that our God, In Christ, loves you. As I surrender all by faith I experience greater depths of this unending love. As Thou has been, Thou forever shall be, great is Thy faithfulness! Yes! Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me! Morning by morning new mercies I see! I sincerely pray our Lord Jesus is an overwhelming reality to you in every circumstance, difficulty, and triumph. Indeed! Because he lives I can face tomorrow, because he lives all fear is gone. Let’s sing with joy, my chains are gone, I’ve been set free! My God my Savior has ransomed me, and like a flood his mercy rains unending love, amazing grace!
Today, National Day of Prayer.
“The United States has observed many unofficial national days of prayer throughout its history until 1952, when President Harry S. Truman signed a bill proclaiming a National Day of Prayer (“on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals”). This bill did not establish a specific calendar date for the event, but left it up to each president to designate a date of his choosing. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan fixed the date of the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday of May.” [3]
Indeed how necessary we turn to God in prayer, today and every hour of every day. The reality of our ever present God, indwelling, empowering, drawing folks to himself, attentive to our prayers, thank you Lord. I attempted to sit and reflect last night after a long day at work. I wasn’t feeling it, over tired and dosing quickly. Therefore I shut it down until this morning. I was rejuvenated after a good sleep and an hour of prayer with faithful brothers early this morning. “I wasn’t feeling it…” There is certainly a role to our feelings in relating to our Lord and sensing his presence. God given senses are a blessing when used to God’s glory and our good. I ask myself, even as I ask the Lord, “do I feel my desperate need for God?” When I am feeling my desperation, loneliness, inadequacy, helplessness, the sufferings of this life, then I really pray with a sense of urgency. Therefore, may desperation increase that I may rely on God more and more!
Sister/Brother In Christ, as God reveals your need for him, even through your sufferings, cry out and sense the God of all comfort. Echo the Scripture, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”[4]
Do I long to know God intimately? Yes! You too! Our God is not an abstract knowledge that I reference or consult in my time of need. No! Jesus is our God, Savior, friend, brother, comforter who calls us to himself. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”[5]
Jon Bloom wrote,
“Need drives us to prayer, and our need is great. We need God every hour and we need him to show us this level of need. If we’re not really praying, we must plead with God to teach us. And his answer likely will not be a new method but a heightened awareness of our desperate need. And when he does this for us it is a priceless gift to us. It is key to not wasting our lives. An unceasing awareness of our need leads to unceasing prayer. And the constant practice of praying will teach us the methods of prayer most helpful to us. And constant prayer leads to new breakthroughs.”[6]
Let’s pray.
__________________________
Sisters are meeting to pray together at First Baptist. 1912 Arnold Way. Alpine. 0900.
You are invited! Join gals from different fellowships to cry out to our God. No pressure, no requirements, just freedom to be, fellowship, and love the Lord your God with all you got! :).
Brothers are meeting too! We joyfully go to pray together! First Baptist. 0730.
You are invited. It is a joy, joy, joy to have brothers gather to intentionally pray. We are desperate for our God! Join us and experience the blessings of our God! “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”[7]
_________________________
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.
I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.
[2] John 15:5
[3] http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/prayerday.asp
[4] 2 Cor 1:3-4
[5] Matthew 11:28-29
[6] http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/i-need-thee-every-hour
[7] Psalm 50:14-15