Friday, August 21, 2020

Orange Moon "His Delight" Part 5 - To Please His Heart

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

 

   "His Delight"

 

Part 5 - To Please His Heart

 

   

   "The prayer of the upright is His delight" (Proverbs 15:8).

 

    Perhaps the greatest power of Solomon's blessed affirmation of God's delight in our prayers involves its potential to deliver us from self-centeredness regarding our praying.

 

   "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us" (I John 5:15).

    "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31).

 

   Our needs and desires matter regarding prayer (Mark 11:24). However, they cannot be first and foremost in our understanding and practice of fellowship with God.  Our Heavenly Father calls us to unselfishly exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and bless other people in all things.  "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us" (Ephesians 5:2). This applies to nothing more directly and importantly than our praying.  Indeed, it is possible to pray in a manner that leaves us in the black hole of focus on ourselves.  "Ye ask and have not because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3).  Conversely, to pray as led and empowered by the Holy Spirit delivers us unto the bright and shining light of devotion to God and others.  How do we therefore ensure we pray in love, as opposed to narcissistic self emphasis?

 

    One powerful answer involves the truth of bringing delight to the heart of our Heavenly Father.  Knowing His emotional involvement in our loving fellowship greatly enhances our desire to pray.  Consider, for example, our first waking moments as the day begins.  Certainly it is a good thing to soon express our hearts to the Lord in praise, thanksgiving, and request for the day.  However, if how we feel about prayer constitutes our main emphasis, many of us will find ourselves inconsistent in looking early to our Heavenly Father.  On the other hand, what if we realize that even the most simple expressions, offered in trusting, humble (and perhaps groggy!) devotion, genuinely delight the heart of God?  What if we can bless the heart of the One who has so blessed us?  What if our Lord will know a pleasure He would never have known had we not lifted our hearts to Him?  Solomon's wondrous revelation that "the prayer of the upright is His delight" shines with a glory of love - God's love for us and our love for Him - that motivates and liberates our hearts to the fellowship for which He made and redeemed us.

 

No thought that we can ever think

more leads us to the Throne

than the realization that

our Father loves us so.

 

Our voices, yours and mine,

are to Him sweet and dear.

Our prayers are His delight, 

He calls us to come near.

 

How can it be, how can we see

the wonder of such grace, 

that God's own heart we bless and please

as we look into His face?

 

So in this moment of forever,

we turn our hearts toward Home 

to bring our Father pleasure,

the One who loves us so.

 

"The Lord taketh pleasure in His people."

(Psalm 149:4)

 

Weekly Memory Verse

    The prayer of the upright is His delight.

(Proverbs 15:8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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