Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ’Father, I thank You that You have heard Me’ —John 11:41

When the Son of God prays, He is mindful and consciously aware of only His Father. God always hears the prayers of His Son, and if the Son of God has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19) the Father will always hear my prayers. But I must see to it that the Son of God is exhibited in my human flesh. “. . . your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . ” (1 Corinthians 6:19), that is, your body is the Bethlehem of God’s Son. Is the Son of God being given His opportunity to work in me? Is the direct simplicity of His life being worked out in me exactly as it was worked out in His life while here on earth? When I come into contact with the everyday occurrences of life as an ordinary human being, is the prayer of God’s eternal Son to His Father being prayed in me? Jesus says, “In that day you will ask in My name . . .” (John 16:26). What day does He mean? He is referring to the day when the Holy Spirit has come to me and made me one with my Lord.

Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied by your life, or are you exhibiting a walk of spiritual pride before Him? Never let your common sense become so prominent and forceful that it pushes the Son of God to one side. Common sense is a gift that God gave to our human nature— but common sense is not the gift of His Son. Supernatural sense is the gift of His Son, and we should never put our common sense on the throne. The Son always recognizes and identifies with the Father, but common sense has never yet done so and never will. Our ordinary abilities will never worship God unless they are transformed by the indwelling Son of God. We must make sure that our human flesh is kept in perfect submission to Him, allowing Him to work through it moment by moment. Are we living at such a level of human dependence upon Jesus Christ that His life is being exhibited moment by moment in us?

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August 9, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, I was just praying about my prayers reaching You as they seem to once again hitting the sky and falling down on me. I pray, and pray and seek Your guidance and direction and….nothing. I have been looking for your specific direction and help, but You seem so far away right now. Certainly I have made enough wrong choices to have made You angry and tired of my tendencies. I have sought my own vision and goals instead of simply seeking You. But then I remember your love and grace know no boundaries or end. Your love and mercy are an ocean. So then if your grace, mercy and love are all consuming and overcome even my most desperate choices, then where are you, where have you been?

And God says…” I am right here with you. I am holding you, caring for your life, heart and soul. You cannot sense my closeness because you are still looking for Me in the answers to your prayers. I am not the answers to your prayers; I am the answer for your life. I am the way, the truth, the life and light. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Often your prayer life seems dry as the desert because you are not seeking Me, first. You are or have been seeking answers to your prayers, to your uncertainty and circumstances. When you seek Me first, in all things…when you seek and see Me in everything, you then realize that I am all around and surrounding you, every day, in every way, all the time. Find Me in Your own life as I am living in  you.”

. . . that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God —Luke 1:35

Am I simple enough to identify myself with my Lord in this way? Is He having His wonderful way with me? Is God’s will being fulfilled in that His Son has been formed in me (see Galatians 4:19), or have I carefully pushed Him to one side? Oh, the noisy outcry of today! Why does everyone seem to be crying out so loudly? People today are crying out for the Son of God to be put to death. There is no room here for God’s Son right now— no room for quiet, holy fellowship and oneness with the Father.

Is the Son of God praying in me, bringing honor to the Father, or am I dictating my demands to Him? Is He ministering in me as He did in the time of His manhood here on earth? Is God’s Son in me going through His passion, suffering so that His own purposes might be fulfilled? The more a person knows of the inner life of God’s most mature saints, the more he sees what God’s purpose really is: to “. . . fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . .” (Colossians 1:24). And when we think of what it takes to “fill up,” there is always something yet to be done.

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August 8, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

It seems to me that all my hopes, dreams, shame and regret are rolled up into the one phrase of the song; I am redeemed. I have the hope, peace and faith to know that I am set free by Jesus. I am not who used to be. I do not have to be fearful or even anxious about what is going to happen when I trust Jesus. Lord, help me to live in this trusting way, all the while telling myself and the enemy; I am redeemed.

And God says…”It is a very simple and peaceful way to live…”in Jesus”. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and He will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Focus on Jesus, and trust in  His redeeming blood. Seek Him first and everything else you need… will be provided…..”you are redeemed”.

. . . they found Him in the temple . . . . And He said to them, ’. . . Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’ —Luke 2:46, 49

Our Lord’s childhood was not immaturity waiting to grow into manhood— His childhood is an eternal fact. Am I a holy, innocent child of God as a result of my identification with my Lord and Savior? Do I look at my life as being in my Father’s house? Is the Son of God living in His Father’s house within me?

The only abiding reality is God Himself, and His order comes to me moment by moment. Am I continually in touch with the reality of God, or do I pray only when things have gone wrong— when there is some disturbance in my life? I must learn to identify myself closely with my Lord in ways of holy fellowship and oneness that some of us have not yet even begun to learn. “. . . I must be about My Father’s business”— and I must learn to live every moment of my life in my Father’s house.

Think about your own circumstances. Are you so closely identified with the Lord’s life that you are simply a child of God, continually talking to Him and realizing that everything comes from His hands? Is the eternal Child in you living in His Father’s house? Is the grace of His ministering life being worked out through you in your home, your business, and in your circle of friends? Have you been wondering why you are going through certain circumstances? In fact, it is not that you have to go through them. It is because of your relationship with the Son of God who comes, through the providential will of His Father, into your life. You must allow Him to have His way with you, staying in perfect oneness with Him.

The life of your Lord is to become your vital, simple life, and the way He worked and lived among people while here on earth must be the way He works and lives in you.

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August 7, 2012

Lord, it was just yesterday afternoon, or perhaps late last evening, when I last asked You “why these circumstances?” It seems to me that I am beginning to understand. These circumstances point me to You. And not just the difficult circumstances anymore, but the moment by moment circumstances of now point and remind me that You are where my focus needs to be for all things. When in need; look to You for answers to prayer. When my needs are met and prayers are answered; look to You and give thanks.  When I am “in between” look to You for direction, and my next steps. Perhaps I am learning to look to You in all circumstances of life.

And God says…”Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and all you need will be provided. Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways and do not rely on your own understanding and He will make your paths straight. Do not worry about anything but pray about everything, and the peace that is beyond all understanding will surround you. When you pursue Jesus at every opportunity, your world and all its circumstances remain in perspective as His faith, hope and love transform you, and you begin to understand that all things really do work for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”

The Cross in Prayer

Aug062012
In that day you will ask in My name . . . —John 16:26

We too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have to get through, yet we get through for the purpose of getting into it. The Cross represents only one thing for us— complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ— and there is nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in prayer.

“Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace.

“. . . I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you . . .” (John 16:26-27). Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ? Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life? If so, then “in that day” you will be so closely identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.

When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place the blame on someone else. That is always a trap of Satan. When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason— God uses these times to give you deep personal instruction, and it is not for anyone else but you.

In that day you will ask in My name . . . —John 16:26

“Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace.

“. . . I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you . . .” (John 16:26-27). Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ? Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life? If so, then “in that day” you will be so closely identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.

When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place the blame on someone else. That is always a trap of Satan. When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason— God uses these times to give you deep personal instruction, and it is not for anyone else but you.

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August 3, 2011-12

Father God, where does the spiritual fire go, one day to the next? Yesterday I was so certain, so focused and then this morning I seemed to have mislaid that surety of purpose. Yesterday I knew the direction you laid out for me, and yet I am not quite so certain this morning. What happened?

And God says…”I give you manna for each day. Do not try to carry over yesterday’s certainty for today. Meet me at the cross daily, then arise knowing that I will give you the manna you need each morning, afternoon and evening. Do not worry about tomorrow or this morning, or even the next hour. Live in the moment knowing I am with you. The purpose I gave you yesterday is still there, you simply need to meet Me at the cross each morning knowing I will reinforce your sense of purpose and certainty. I will remind you of your “promised land’ and give you the strength, purpose and provision to energize your new day. I am your way , your truth and your life. Find me at the cross every morning”

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world —John 16:33

The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is something very different. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling . . .” (Psalm 91:1,10)— the place where you are at one with God.

If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He is saying, “There is nothing for you to fear.” The same people who refused to talk about their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life of a saint.

God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment— “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life . . .” (Revelation 2:7). If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense. But a saint can “be of good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.

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August 2, 2011

Journal Entry for Today-JDV (from last year)

Lord, I believe this is a testimony that comes to us later in our spiritual journey; that your children will have difficulties and tough times. Early in our Christian lives we believe, think and hope that you will rescue us from the tough stuff. But later we learn that we get to go through difficult times. This is not the message we want to hear; that You save us in the storms, not from the storms. Given a choice, I would rather not experience the storms Lord; however, I can look back and see their value. I can feel roots that reach down deep and strong; attached to your very solid foundation. They did not get there overnight, and I now know they will only grow strong and deep when watered by your blood and my tears.

And God says…”I love you very much, and am doing more than you could ever imagine to facilitate your transformation. I love you enough to allow the sandpaper and whetstones of life to touch you liberally. Do not try and get out of your trials too early; let them have their perfect result. Praise Me in the storms and look for rainbows that will surely arrive at precisely the right times.”

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
Thanks for the insight today that the dwelling place mentioned in Ps 91 is not my house … but the place where I live with you. I’ve begun to call it the balcony. … where I can learn to see as you see and hear as you hear. In that dwelling place, no trouble can come near me. Thanks for that. Now I need help in living in that dwelling place more and more.

Realizing it is the first requirement. I will help you … because it’s what I want too.

When Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples . . . He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities —Matthew 11:1

He comes where He commands us to leave. If you stayed home when God told you to go because you were so concerned about your own people there, then you actually robbed them of the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself. When you obeyed and left all the consequences to God, the Lord went into your city to teach, but as long as you were disobedient, you blocked His way. Watch where you begin to debate with Him and put what you call your duty into competition with His commands. If you say, “I know that He told me to go, but my duty is here,” it simply means that you do not believe that Jesus means what He says.

He teaches where He instructs us not to teach. “Master . . . let us make three tabernacles . . .” (Luke 9:33).

Are we playing the part of an amateur providence, trying to play God’s role in the lives of others? Are we so noisy in our instruction of other people that God cannot get near them? We must learn to keep our mouths shut and our spirits alert. God wants to instruct us regarding His Son, and He wants to turn our times of prayer into mounts of transfiguration. When we become certain that God is going to work in a particular way, He will never work in that way again.

He works where He sends us to wait. “. . . tarry . . . until . . .” (Luke 24:49). “Wait on the Lord” and He will work (Psalm 37:34). But don’t wait sulking spiritually and feeling sorry for yourself, just because you can’t see one inch in front of you! Are we detached enough from our own spiritual fits of emotion to “wait patiently for Him”? (Psalm 37:7). Waiting is not sitting with folded hands doing nothing, but it is learning to do what we are told.

These are some of the facets of His ways that we rarely recognize.

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Reprise Journal Entry from 2011

August 1, 2011

Lord, I believe in your faithfulness, truth and your word, even when I do not see. And while I understand that patience builds endurance and faith grows while I wait, I ask You to reassure me one more morning of your love and plan for this day and every day.

And God says…”Remember, that all things work for the good of those that love the Lord, and are called according to My purpose. If I care for every sparrow, how much more I care for you and yours. I know the number of hairs on your head and construct your dreams and visions. Seek Me first this morning, and watch  everything else fall into place. When you seek Me first, you find your daily
bread……..and your work, hope,  faith, dreams and vision for this day.”

Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing —James 1:4

Many of us appear to be all right in general, but there are still some areas in which we are careless and lazy; it is not a matter of sin, but the remnants of our carnal life that tend to make us careless. Carelessness is an insult to the Holy Spirit. We should have no carelessness about us either in the way we worship God, or even in the way we eat and drink.

Not only must our relationship to God be right, but the outward expression of that relationship must also be right. Ultimately, God will allow nothing to escape; every detail of our lives is under His scrutiny. God will bring us back in countless ways to the same point over and over again. And He never tires of bringing us back to that one point until we learn the lesson, because His purpose is to produce the finished product. It may be a problem arising from our impulsive nature, but again and again, with the most persistent patience, God has brought us back to that one particular point. Or the problem may be our idle and wandering thinking, or our independent nature and self-interest. Through this process, God is trying to impress upon us the one thing that is not entirely right in our lives.

We have been having a wonderful time in our studies over the revealed truth of God’s redemption, and our hearts are perfect toward Him. And His wonderful work in us makes us know that overall we are right with Him. “Let patience have its perfect work . . . .” The Holy Spirit speaking through James said, “Now let your patience become a finished product.” Beware of becoming careless over the small details of life and saying, “Oh, that will have to do for now.” Whatever it may be, God will point it out with persistence until we become entirely His.

Jesus did not commit Himself to them . . . , for He knew what was in man —John 2:24-25

Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering of human life. And this is how that suffering happens— if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone.

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July 30, 2012

Journal Entry-JDV

When I become aware of my capacity for following my selfish motives and desires, and my self-deception, I come face to face with my own failings….and most of the time, become more acceptable of others. Once I see my own failings, it becomes abundantly clear that I cannot point out the speck in that other person’s eye.  Perhaps the “saving grace” of being aware of my shortcomings is that I am less and less likely to point out the failings of others.

And God says…”Almost right. When you begin to understand that you can only be made right by the sacrifice of Jesus, you begin to view others through this same lens. When you quit “trying” to be a “good Christian” and begin to understand that you can only become “good” through the saving work of Christ Jesus, you begin to view others in this same light. And you begin to understand that the saving work of Jesus, is not an event, it is the daily activity of identifying with the Son of God in all you say and do. You will not be nor act “perfect”. You will become transformed over time….and occasionally when you can only identify with your own selfish thoughts  and actions, you will grow to the point where you can and will extend the love and grace of Jesus for both yourself and others.”

Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
Never trusting anyone but always trusting You and hoping the best for all situations is kind of hard to keep balanced.

Yes, and you will have the tendency to fall on one side or the other. Acceptance of people and situations without complaint. Just accepting things as they are … it is what it is … that is the place from which you can see as I see, Hear as I hear and respond as I would respond … rather than react from your preconceived judgements … which are all doomed to be inaccurate and will therefore lead to bad reactions. Try Acceptance without complaint. It’s what I did. It will take practice.

OK, I’ll give it a go. But I need your help.

That’s what I’m here for.

Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart . . . . For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man . . . —Matthew 15:18-20

Initially we trust in our ignorance, calling it innocence, and next we trust our innocence, calling it purity. Then when we hear these strong statements from our Lord, we shrink back, saying, “But I never felt any of those awful things in my heart.” We resent what He reveals. Either Jesus Christ is the supreme authority on the human heart, or He is not worth paying any attention to. Am I prepared to trust the penetration of His Word into my heart, or would I prefer to trust my own “innocent ignorance”? If I will take an honest look at myself, becoming fully aware of my so-called innocence and putting it to the test, I am very likely to have a rude awakening that what Jesus Christ said is true, and I will be appalled at the possibilities of the evil and the wrong within me. But as long as I remain under the false security of my own “innocence,” I am living in a fool’s paradise. If I have never been an openly rude and abusive person, the only reason is my own cowardice coupled with the sense of protection I receive from living a civilized life. But when I am open and completely exposed before God, I find that Jesus Christ is right in His diagnosis of me.

The only thing that truly provides protection is the redemption of Jesus Christ. If I will simply hand myself over to Him, I will never have to experience the terrible possibilities that lie within my heart. Purity is something far too deep for me to arrive at naturally. But when the Holy Spirit comes into me, He brings into the center of my personal life the very Spirit that was exhibited in the life of Jesus Christ, namely, the Holy Spirit, which is absolute unblemished purity.

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July 23, 2012

Journal for Today-JDV

Lord, I am certainly glad to discover that you are in charge of purity and innocence for my life. Sometimes I feel so far from pure, I wonder if I can even be considered “OK’. I have a tendency to seek my own way in everything I do; seeking the most personal gain (or the least amount of pain) in relationships and projects…everything I do. I wonder if I can ever be a person that seeks the best for the other people in my personal and business relationships and projects.

And God says…”Your nature is not to look out for the other person first; except when you see them as an extension of yourself. Most of all your waking moments are spent trying to figure out how to find peace and joy in a life naturally focused on avoiding pain and maximizing your pleasure. It is a stress filled existence living in this way, even when you find the discipline and self-control to set “healthy” patterns for living. You will always have the heart felt void you try to fill with less pain and more pleasure; until you surrender your life and efforts to me.

Acknowledge Me in all your ways and do not rely on your own ways of doing things and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and all you need will be provided. Delight yourself in Me….and I will give you the desires of your heart.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning, Lord,
These are some pretty hard words. But they ring true. Life seems to be set up as a game that is impossible to win … using all the best of what we bring. It’s a great thing that you have brought your redemption and we can win the game … but only by surrendering and letting you empower us. Easier to understand the concept than actually get it done…

Yes, especially for those of you who pride yourselves on being self starters, self motivated and self empowered. You have to run a little while, or a long while before you find that you are powerless … and then my Spirit can come and empower you.