Prayer

"I cannot help the thought which grows steadily
upon me, that the better part of prayer is not
the asking, but the kneeling where we can ask,
the resting there, the staying there, drawing out
the willing moments in heavenly communion with
God, within the closet, with the night changed
into the brightness of the day by the light of
Him who all the night was in prayer to God. Just
to be there, at leisure from ourselves, at
leisure from the world, with our souls at
liberty, with our spirit feeling its kinship to
the Divine Spirit, with our life finding itself
in the life of God,--this is prayer. Would it be
possible that one could be thus with God,
listening to Him, speaking to Him, reposing upon
His love, and not come out with a shining face, a
gladdened heart, an intent more constant and more
strong to give to the waiting world which so
sadly needs it what has been taken from the heart
of God?"

--ALEXANDER MCKENZIE

From Mary Tileston Joy And Strength Devotional

LET us give ourselves to God without any reserve, and let us fear nothing. He will love us, and we shall love Him. His love, increasing every day, will take the place of everything else to us. He will fill our whole hearts; He will deprive us only of those things that make us unhappy. He will cause us to do in general, what we have been doing already, but which we have done in an unsatisfactory manner; whereas, hereafter, we shall do them well, because they will be done for His sake. Even the smallest actions of a simple and common life will be turned to consolation and recompense. We shall meet the approach of death in peace; it will be changed for us into the beginning of the immortal life. 
--FRANCOIS DE LA MOTHE F�NELON

Hope then though woes be doubled

Hope, and be undismayed

Let not thy heart be troubled

Nor let it be afraid

This prison where thou art

Thy God will break it soon

And flood with light thy heart

In His own blessed noon

PAUL GERHARDT

Taking Up Your Cross and Following Him - How Do You Do it?

Luke 14:

26 If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Comment:

So, it is not enough to hate your brother, sister, wife, and children…and yourself – you must also bear your cross and follow Christ.

You know when you fall in love with someone – especially your spouse – you somehow find a way to love him or her more than your family. Not that you love your family less but it seems to happen that way. You are able to leave them behind and marry this person you know less than your family. It is an enigma. You live with that person, have kids with them, and forget your family altogether. And what’s worse – it feels natural. It feels normal. And the world even accepts it.

So it is possible to fall in love with God – and feel natural about leaving everyone behind – even leaving yourself behind. When your heart is turned towards God and the Holy Spirit comes to work in your heart, stuff you used to love and think great in the past can now become a sorrow, an albatross, even something you scorn. And it feels natural. It’s not something you make an effort with. I mean naturally it doesn’t happen overnight – this falling in love with Christ – sometimes it does seem like it’s overnight. But the giving of yourself up completely, for myself anyway, is definitely gradual.

So then you find yourself hating yourself – your life, stuff you used to love – used to feed yourself with – now you feel disdained over. You lose interest in so many things you used to love. But that’s not even enough – Christ said you must bear your cross on top of this. Your cross? What could it be? I guess it depends on the person. For me personally, I feel like my cross would be my prayer life – the denying of myself in doing so many other stuff my mind can come up with – and obeying the call of the Holy Ghost to pray and to commune with Him. It’s also being holy. Thinking of God all day and denying my thoughts from the pleasure of sin – anything that might separate me from Christ – hateful thoughts, unclean thoughts, negative thoughts, lustful thoughts and or covetousness for material things…things you feel in the Holy Ghost that is not right – you deny yourself with. You take up this cross of denial – of being holy and upright at all times with Christ…and you follow Him every step of the way. You accept the Holy Ghost’s corrections. As soon as you sin, you confess and asks for forgiveness. There is also the cross of praising, lifting you heart and soul of thanksgiving and love to Him. When you find yourself remembering, you immediately love Him. All these “good works” of course can only be possible through the Holy Spirit.