Weekly devotion no 7

Weekly Devotion no 7
15 May 2020

Bible reading – John 14:13

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Reflection - Why Pray?

Last week we considered that to pray was to be in the presence of Jesus and that prayer is deeper than words: it is the attitude of our heart and mind, an attitude that directs our hearts towards God.

So, why pray? In the verse above, Jesus tells us that we pray so that God may be glorified. This is the core of our purpose and existence. The Westminster Shorter Catechism says that “man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” So praying enables the purpose of our life to be fulfilled.

But what does it mean to glorify God?  To give something/someone glory is to give it/them their worth or their weight. So to glorify God is to acknowledge and give him his worth. And why would we want to glorify him? Well, he is holy, he created us, he is merciful, gracious, faithful and true, and he has performed wondrous works: he is God. We pray in response to who God is and because he has invited us, through Jesus, to have a relationship with him.

When we pray, we give Jesus the opportunity to exercise his supernatural power to glorify his Father, and he enables us to participate with him in this.

O Hallesby encourages us that, whether we pray for big things or for little things, we say to God “if it will glorify your name, then grant my prayer and help me. But if it will not glorify your name, then let me remain in my predicament, and give me power to glorify your name in the situation in which I find myself.”

If our aim in our prayers is to glorify God, then we can pray bold and big prayers according to his will! We have a mighty and powerful God. And he delights to be glorified through the ordinary and the extraordinary, through the big and through the small. May we glorify God through all we do, for that is our purpose.

Hymn

Verse 1

Be Thou my vision O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me save that Thou art

Thou my best thought by day or by night

Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light

Verse 2

Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true Word

I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son

Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

Verse 3

Be Thou my battleshield, sword for the fight

Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight

Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power

Verse 4

Riches I heed not nor man's empty praise

Thou mine inheritance, now and always

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart

High King of heaven my treasure Thou art

Verse 5

High King of heaven, after victory won

May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, O Ruler of all

Ancient Irish tr. Mary Byrne v. Eleanor Hull © 1931 Public Domain CCLI:69198    

Prayer

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,

we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God,

You take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;

You are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,

You alone are the Most High

Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father. Amen

A Prayer Book for Australia 1995