It’s OK to Ask for Grace

I was reading a Facebook message from Jo Hancock, founder of His Vessel Ministries, which really spoke to my heart. Here is a little of it: “THEN PRAY FOR GRACE. It is the GRACE of God poured out in your heart …” She said more but really the Holy Spirit stopped me at “PRAY FOR GRACE.”

I’m really good at praying for mercy (the compassion and forgiveness toward me from God not to give me the judgment for sin I deserve.) As I said, I’m really good at praying for mercy because I need a lot of daily mercy. I am confident that God forgives through Christ Jesus. This is The Great Compassion shown by God to cover my daily sinful boo boos.

But it seems I either didn’t know I could pray for grace, or forgot I could pray for grace, or didn’t feel worthy to ask for grace. Grace is the free unmerited favor bestowed extravagantly on me in the form of blessings made possible with my salvation through Jesus Christ. I guess I just waited to see if God would bless me. He did but I never asked for more.  Maybe I was missing the outpouring of Gods good things for me. Maybe I was missing the awareness of the little gifts poured on me from God each day and only noticed the big knock me in the head obvious blessings.

My Bible quest in, “Do I pray for grace?” was quite a revelation:

Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.

Palm 142:1 I cry with my voice to Yahweh. With my voice, I ask Yahweh for mercy. ... My voice is unto Jehovah, I cry, my voice is unto Jehovah, I entreat grace. ... 

1 John 1:16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

It seems not only will my Father God lavish gracious blessings on me but I can entreat, beg, and implore My God for grace.

I like this little quote from Suzanne Eller's book Mended Heart: “He invites us to step into His presence where mercy and grace await to help us in our time of need. (This is a great book I read at the beach. God used this book to overhaul and begin to mend my broken heart.)

I’m so happy to finally find out after all these years of being a Christian that, yes, “little ole me” can confidently ask for grace from my Heavenly Father.

And do you know what? He’ll give it.

“I am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous Presence.” Christopher Columbus  

Only Christians Understand

Pastor Wade's message on Sunday really caused me to pause and think. I know. I'm just as surprised at myself as you are.

He posed two questions- What if someone asked you, “What does it mean to be a Christian?” or “What does it mean to be ‘saved’?” I started thinking that there are things that we, Christians, say and live by that someone who is not a Christ follower would have a hard time understanding. Such as…

1. I have surrendered my life to Christ.

We don’t like to surrender to live under anyone’s authority. Winston Churchill’s famous WW2 speech is sometimes our battle cry, “We shall never surrender." Yet Christ asks us to surrender this “never” to Him to do with us as He wishes. Only Christians understand that when we surrender our lives to Christ, we win

Ephesians 1:21-23 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

2. Not my will but Your will, God (we say as we pray.)

We live in a “me, me, mine, mine” culture. We feel we are given certain rights that provide what we want without question. Only Christians understand that everything belongs to God our Creator. He has a brilliant plan for the world set up since the beginning of time that will not be changed or be compromised. We are given the privilege to ask our Father for anything and know that God will give us and our world what is better than we can ask or even think to ask.  

Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, Holy is Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’”

3. Salvation is not a religion, it’s a life covenant.

We like to put people in groups: ethnicity, sexual orientation, grade levels, ages, geo/political areas, and, yes, religions. Only Christians understand that following Christ is a covenant or promise we make with Christ to surrender our corrupt nature and follow Him and His teachings in the Holy Bible for our lifetime.

Colossians 2:6  So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him.

It’s not a special closed club that is hard to get into.

Just believe that only Jesus atoned for your sinful self.

Trust and surrender to His Lordship of your life.

Be faithful in your pursuit of a constant fellowship relationship with God.

When you are a Christ follower, you understand.

Just Like Your Daddy

As I was walking on the beach I heard little snippets of conversations. Kids are just funny. One boy (probably about 7 year old) ran up to his mom and said he was tired of the beach and wanted to leave. His mom said, “Well, just go up to the room. Dad’s there. You are just like your Daddy!” I took that to mean that dad wasn’t a real beach lover either.

But it made me think of me with my Heavenly Father. I hope someone says that I’m just like my Heavenly Daddy.

1 John 4:13-17 This is how we know we abide in Him and He in us: He has given us His Spirit. We have seen for ourselves and can testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. God abides in the one who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, and He abides in God. We have come to know and rely on the love that God has for us. God is love, and the person who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him. This is how love has been perfected among us: we have confidence on the Day of Judgment because; during our time in this world we are just like Him.

It’s all about abiding in God.

And this abiding means:

1. To stay with Him,

2. Continue to stay with Him,

3. To linger in His presence spiritually,

4. To remain always with Him,

5. And to have a constant relationship with Him.

We have to believe in Him and  “go up to the room. Dad’s there.”

And then we have to stay with our God.

Then we will be just like Him.