Sunset
Photo from Kassey’s blog called “Ponder Anew”
“I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” {#Jer 33:3}
There are different translations of these words. One version renders it, “I will shew thee great and fortified things.” Another, “Great and reserved things.” Now, there are reserved and special things in Christian experience: all the developments of spiritual life are not alike easy of attainment. There are the common frames and feelings of repentance, and faith, and joy, and hope, which are enjoyed by the entire family; but there is an upper realm of rapture, of communion, and conscious union with Christ, which is far from being the common dwelling place of believers. We have not all the high privilege of John, to lean upon Jesus’ bosom; nor of Paul, to be caught up into the third heaven. There are heights in experimental knowledge of the things of God which the eagle’s eye of acumen and philosophic thought hath never seen: God alone can bear us there; but the chariot in which he takes us up, and the fiery steeds with which that chariot is dragged, are prevailing prayers. Prevailing prayer is victorious over the God of mercy, “By his strength he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us.” Prevailing prayer takes the Christian to Carmel, and enables him to cover heaven with clouds of blessing, and earth with floods of mercy. Prevailing prayer bears the Christian aloft to Pisgah, and shows him the inheritance reserved; it elevates us to Tabor and transfigures us, till in the likeness of his Lord, as he is, so are we also in this world. If you would reach to something higher than ordinary grovelling experience, look to the Rock that is higher than you, and gaze with the eye of faith through the window of importunate prayer. When you open the window on your side, it will not be bolted on the other.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92)
Wings of the Wind 
🙂 “a prayer of a righteous man avails much”.. A timely post for this solemn day of remembrance. blessings! Kassey
Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
Twelve years ago today a tragedy took place that we pray never gets repeated.
May God bless you, Kassey, and may God bless the U.S.A.
Yes Chris, and these days they do not even mention it in schools, no moment of silence….
It was in 1962 when the Supreme Court examined this prayer:
“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country.”
Now, over 50 years later, there are very few public schools where a prayer is allowed to be spoken. I know of one school that allowed two prayers that ended “in Jesus name” at last year’s high school commencement.
There is a case moving towards the Supreme Court that would take the name of Jesus out of any public prayer. My local city council along with others throughout the country would be affected if the case made it to the Court and passed.
Things appear to be heading downhill quickly these days…
You may want to check out this link showing the results of the Supreme Court decision to remove prayer from the schools in the early 60’s:
http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/when-prayer-was-taken-out-of-school/
And here is an interesting story about a new law in Arkansas about a minute of silence:
http://www.ozarksfirst.com/story/minute-of-silence-a-state-law-for-arkansas-classrooms/d/story/Gy0Ci2E6-0WFb-hlxfKPkw
very encouraging words to live by. I also like this quote, “When you open the window on your side, it will not be bolted on the other side.”
I’ve put up posts recently on love and joy. I thought that something relating to peace on 9/11 would be fitting.
I’m glad that you were encouraged, Manny. What a great sentence to end his (C.H.S.) devotion with.