Silas
Beloved of All
Your desire to worship the Father in spirit and truth and to live in constant dependence on His mercy and grace is a beautiful and biblical longing, and I thank God for the hunger you have expressed.
Scripture teaches that through Jesus Christ we have boldness and confident access to God. Because He is our great high priest who was tempted in every way as we are yet without sin, we do not need to approach timidly or through another mediator. We may come freely and openly to the throne of grace at any time to receive mercy and find grace for help in our time of need. That grace comes to us as a gift. It is the beauty of God giving to those who have not earned it, and it is given to us through Jesus Christ. You will never know the peace of God until you first know the grace of God toward you in Christ, and that grace is the foundation for everything else you have prayed for.
Your picture of receiving like a child in the womb or a branch receiving sap from the vine is exactly what the Lord invites us to. Jesus said He is the vine and we are the branches. As we remain in Him, His life flows into us naturally, and fruit comes forth not by striving but as the result of that living connection. In the same way, wisdom is not something we manufacture. The Word tells us that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and to listen to true wisdom is to listen to the Lord Himself. If any of us lacks wisdom, we are invited to ask of God who gives freely and generously to all without reproach. That wisdom is more to be desired than anything else we could want. Length of days is in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left, and she gives an ornament of grace and a crown of glory to those who receive her.
That wisdom also keeps us. It teaches us not to be wise in our own eyes, but to fear the Lord and turn away from evil, which brings health and strength to our lives. It delivers us from those who leave the straight paths to walk in darkness and delight in what is perverse and crooked. It calls us to keep His commandments in our hearts and to walk in righteousness, truth and equity, growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with the humble mind that was in Christ, who emptied Himself and submitted to the Father.
I join you in praying that the goal of all your learning would be what Paul described, love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith without contradiction. May the Lord give you diligence to handle the word of truth accurately so that you represent Him faithfully and do not teach error, and may the Holy Spirit strengthen you in your inner being to grasp more and more the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled to overflowing. I pray He will fill you with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and understanding so you may walk in a manner worthy of Him, bearing fruit in every good work, making wise plans and having power to carry them out, and showing the fruit of the Spirit in your life. There is no greater joy than to see those we love walking in the truth, and as you abide in Him and His words abide in you, your life will prove the reality of discipleship and bring glory to the Father.
I also pray with you for nearness to God as you draw near to Him, for renewal of first love, for grace to tend faithfully the garden and vineyard He has entrusted to you, and for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to open your understanding of the Scriptures. May He grant you clarity and order, for He is not a God of confusion, and may that bring grace for daily duties and wisdom for every pressing need. May you know deep fellowship with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and with your family, fellow believers, and those who do not yet know Him. May you be kept in simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ, and may you know His protection, for He gives His angels charge over His people and is able to keep you from stumbling, from sin, and from every evil influence, deception and scheme of the evil one. May He guard you from being a stumbling block to others and from all that would lead you astray, and may He use you to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in Jesus name so that others may come to faith and have assurance of eternal life, with joy restored through fresh repentance.
May the Lord who alone is the one mediator between God and man, our priest forever, keep you, cause you to walk in truth, and make your life fruitful for His glory. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.
Scripture teaches that through Jesus Christ we have boldness and confident access to God. Because He is our great high priest who was tempted in every way as we are yet without sin, we do not need to approach timidly or through another mediator. We may come freely and openly to the throne of grace at any time to receive mercy and find grace for help in our time of need. That grace comes to us as a gift. It is the beauty of God giving to those who have not earned it, and it is given to us through Jesus Christ. You will never know the peace of God until you first know the grace of God toward you in Christ, and that grace is the foundation for everything else you have prayed for.
Your picture of receiving like a child in the womb or a branch receiving sap from the vine is exactly what the Lord invites us to. Jesus said He is the vine and we are the branches. As we remain in Him, His life flows into us naturally, and fruit comes forth not by striving but as the result of that living connection. In the same way, wisdom is not something we manufacture. The Word tells us that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and to listen to true wisdom is to listen to the Lord Himself. If any of us lacks wisdom, we are invited to ask of God who gives freely and generously to all without reproach. That wisdom is more to be desired than anything else we could want. Length of days is in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left, and she gives an ornament of grace and a crown of glory to those who receive her.
That wisdom also keeps us. It teaches us not to be wise in our own eyes, but to fear the Lord and turn away from evil, which brings health and strength to our lives. It delivers us from those who leave the straight paths to walk in darkness and delight in what is perverse and crooked. It calls us to keep His commandments in our hearts and to walk in righteousness, truth and equity, growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with the humble mind that was in Christ, who emptied Himself and submitted to the Father.
I join you in praying that the goal of all your learning would be what Paul described, love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith without contradiction. May the Lord give you diligence to handle the word of truth accurately so that you represent Him faithfully and do not teach error, and may the Holy Spirit strengthen you in your inner being to grasp more and more the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled to overflowing. I pray He will fill you with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and understanding so you may walk in a manner worthy of Him, bearing fruit in every good work, making wise plans and having power to carry them out, and showing the fruit of the Spirit in your life. There is no greater joy than to see those we love walking in the truth, and as you abide in Him and His words abide in you, your life will prove the reality of discipleship and bring glory to the Father.
I also pray with you for nearness to God as you draw near to Him, for renewal of first love, for grace to tend faithfully the garden and vineyard He has entrusted to you, and for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to open your understanding of the Scriptures. May He grant you clarity and order, for He is not a God of confusion, and may that bring grace for daily duties and wisdom for every pressing need. May you know deep fellowship with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and with your family, fellow believers, and those who do not yet know Him. May you be kept in simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ, and may you know His protection, for He gives His angels charge over His people and is able to keep you from stumbling, from sin, and from every evil influence, deception and scheme of the evil one. May He guard you from being a stumbling block to others and from all that would lead you astray, and may He use you to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in Jesus name so that others may come to faith and have assurance of eternal life, with joy restored through fresh repentance.
May the Lord who alone is the one mediator between God and man, our priest forever, keep you, cause you to walk in truth, and make your life fruitful for His glory. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.
