Christian Living

Kindness Beneath Wings of Prayer

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
10/23/20
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“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.” (Psalm 36:7)

As I look at this Psalm of David, I find focus on the word precious. Precious is a word to hold something at the greatest of value. Certainly, an object that is not to be wasted and treated with the highest respect. No one treats a precious item carelessly. The lovingkindness of God in the words of David is precious. The kindness of God is the beauty of His favor on our lives. God’s lovingkindness is His expression of love, grace, mercy, and sympathy towards undeserving people. What have we done to merit the lovingkindness of the Lord God Almighty? Our next breath is sufficient to warrant our praise for His kindness.

The Prophet Isaiah experienced a glimpse of the Angels, the Seraphim, who stood above Him, calling out to each other praising their Creator. This continuous repetition shows praise and rejoicing as an example of how we should also praise our Creator. The Seraphim were rejoicing His glory. Not just at the throne of God, not only throughout Heaven and the heavens but also throughout the world. All creation rejoices in the glory of God, yet the creature that God created to glorify Him falls way short of His glory. “And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3) The Seraphim was not the appointed angles of praise, as the whole heavenly host constantly praises their God. “Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!” (Psalm 148:2)

David was a saint just like you and me. David was imperfect also, and though he sought the heart of God, he too fell short of God’s glory. David was a warrior and fought many battles for the Lord. His battle began when he slew the giant Goliath at the approximate age of 13. His battles never really ended after that, and they were not on the battlefield of war. Some battles were with his people, with his soldiers, with family, in the bedroom, and many with himself. God loved David and directed his paths throughout his life when he submitted. David acquired a lot of blood on his hands, and God denied him the privilege of building the first Temple. David loved his God and had faith in His every word. “Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:2) In the language of the day, the word incline meant that His God, the Lord God Almighty, always came down to the level that David was. If we love a God that sits upon His throne in Heaven, who has indwelled His Spirit in us, showers His lovingkindness upon us, then God is the first one we should praise and pray to each moment. “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

There is no path through life that isn’t filled with challenges, disappointment, trials, and weaknesses. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us and is inclined to us in His kindness to provide us our needs. From Himself as Jesus, our Christ, His creation, knowledge, and wisdom, He gives us only the best. We do not have a second hand God, as He is the Creator of all, and it is good and perfect. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17)

None of us are without need, from the fortunate in some penthouse high above, or one who sits in a crowd alone in want. To him, God will give a new spiritual birth that will grant him a city of golden streets. To the least of these who are staved and find only a crumb beneath the table. To them, God will give the mana from Heaven and feed their spirit with the truth to bring forth everlasting life. One can try and find it through man-made gods of deception and be left in poverty at the throne of judgment. They can discover worn leftovers by the wayside and be happy that a little is better than none, and still be in poverty at the judgment. Or they can humble themselves and pray to the lord above who is inclined to listen and gives the good and perfect gifts. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)

No matter the state one is in, no matter the sins that weigh them down, they have never thanked God for their life, as He will incline to a penitent heart because they are worthy. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) If life has left you empty, then the right change of direction can fill your peace. “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) The Holy Spirit is a good and perfect gift.

In loving kindness, God answers prayer according to His perfect will for the receiver and the glory of His name. We go long worrying about tomorrow when today is the mission we have. Seek this His promise. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) Do not walk in fear of worry and want, do not walk in fear of the next step, but walk in the reverent fear of the Lord and trust His promises and live in faith of His truth. Pray and praise His name, and He will answer your prayer according to His will and the true intention of your heart. “You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:2-3)

We pray to our Heavenly Father in Heaven because we believe He is real, we believe He is full of love, and He delights in His kindness towards His children. We know by the mighty works He has done in our lives that the Lord is faithful and true. We have clung to the promises of His Word, and they have never failed to be true. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) If all of this has come down to us from a Heavenly Father full of grace towards us, then why, when we offer our prayers, do we allow doubt to creep into our hearts. Doubt is the opposite of our faith. We cannot petition the Lord with doubt in our hearts but only have faith in His promises. “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:6)

Jesus has told us the faith the size of a mustard seed can move the mountains in our life. “And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” (Matthew 17:20) If we do not have the faith of that size, we should pray that the Lord will increase our faith. The lesson for me has been not to go after the big mountains but start on the little hills. Those small bumps are all around us, small obstacles in the way of the good work He has commissioned us to do. Pray for the little things and trust Him in faith to overcome the trials. These trials will build our confidence as we see the Lord’s work through us bear fruit. When we ask according to His will for our lives, seek His answer in every opportunity, and knock with endless persistence, and He will open or close the door between the goal. It is His will, and we give Him praise. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

I have an acronym that I believe is essential for prayer to the Almighty. PPG stands for praise, pray, and glory. When we enter into the court of prayer, the instruction is found in Psalm. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.” (Psalm 100:4) It is proper instruction in the way we petition anyone. We are to come with humble hearts full of thankfulness for all that the Lord has done for us. Ask in prayer for the needs of your ministry for Him. Then give Him the glory as of the provider of all that we receive. It is where all saints gather to exalt our God, our King of kings, and Lord of lords. Imagine the gathering of all created beings to bow before the God of all, give Him the honor, the glory, and give Him the blessing of our love. “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” (Revelation 5:11)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, November 14, 2019