Romans 5:1-2 (King James Version) "1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand..."
Galatians 5:4 (King James Version) "4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."
Grace in this context is something that is God-given, made possible only by Jesus Christ and none other. It is God's gift of salvation granted to sinners for their salvation.
The Christian teaching is that grace is unmerited mercy that God gave to us by sending his son to die on a cross to give us eternal salvation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_grace
Psalm 100 (English Standard Version)
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
A Psalm for giving thanks.
1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
3Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
In my prayers this morning I was struck by the fact that I was probably one of billions attempting to get God’s attention just at that very moment. I had my psalm of thanksgiving, I had my psalm of praise but, of course, I had a psalm of supplication.
Psalm 150:1-6 (King James Version)
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
Lord, God, I need peace in my life. I need the power of good judgment in the decisions I make today. I need to use my resources, my time, my energy, my finances, wisely. I need opportunities for fulfillment emotionally and spiritually.
Psalm 86 (New International Version, ©2010)
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me, LORD, and answer me,for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God;
3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.
We seldom cry out “why me” when things are going well. We generally accept blessings with quiet contentment. Today, I paid attention to “why me” in just the simple act of prayer.
Why me? Why pray at all?
Matthew 7:7 (New King James Version)
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Why me? I am not deserving of Your attention.-
John 1:12 (New International Version, ©2010)
12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
I woke this morning to pray to an all knowing, all present, all powerful God. I woke this morning to pray to a God who has the time, the inclination and the wish to be bothered with the prayers of this one of the billions.
I know this because He invited me into His presence. I know this because He not only gave me an example of effective prayer; He gave me a Helper, a Comforter in times of need and in times of prayer.
This is truly God’s grace because there is nothing in my life that has earned His attention, His love and His concern. His love is truly an unearned gift.
I thank You, God, for all you are in my life. I thank You for the beautiful experience of prayer. I thank you for life, health, strength and presence of mind.
I welcome the Holy Spirit as my Guide and Comforter.
Thank You for grace and mercy. I pray Your grace and mercy for all in my circle of love and affection. Amen
May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!
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