O God, Attend Me In Every Part of My Arduous and Trying Pilgrimage

Thou Incomprehensible But Prayer-Hearing God,

Known, but beyond knowledge,

revealed, but unrevealed,

my wants and welfare draw me to thee,

for thou hast never said, 'Seek ye me in vain'.

To thee I come in my difficulties, necessities,

distresses;

possess me with thyself,

with a spirit of grace and supplication,

with a prayerful attitude of mind,

with access into warmth of fellowship,

so that in the ordinary concerns of life

my thoughts and desires may rise to thee,

and in habitual devotion I may find a resource

that will soothe my sorrows,

sanctify my successes,

and qualify me in all ways for dealings

with my fellow men.

I bless thee that thou hast made me capable

of knowing thee, the author of all being,

of resembling thee, the perfection of all excellency,

of enjoying thee, the source of all happiness.

O God, attend me in every part of my arduous

and trying pilgrimage;

I need the same counsel, defense, comfort

I found at my beginning,

Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,

more perceptible to those around.

While Jesus is representing me in heaven,

may I reflect him on earth,

While he pleads my cause, may I show forth

his praise.

Continue the gentleness of thy goodness

towards me,

And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence 

go with me,

thy blessing attend me.

Thou has led me on and I have found thy 

promises true,

I have been sorrowful, but thou hast been my help,

fearful, but thou has delivered me,

despairing, but thou has lifted me up.

Thy vows are ever upon me,

And I praise thee, O God. 

GOD ENJOYED  The Valley of Vision; Puritan Prayers and Devotions

In Paul's final instructions to the Thessalonian church we find him addressing the importance of encouraging one another as we see the day of the Lord approaching.

Be at peace among yourselves.  

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, 

encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, 

be patient with them all.  

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, 

but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.  

Although at times this may seem easy in our own lives, as a whole mankind wrestles daily with what appears to be very simple instructions from Paul.

It is hard to be at peace with someone that you have had a dispute with.  Admonishing others can put added tension in our relationships especially if not done in love.  Helping the weak at times seems like we are enabling them to be stagnant and not challenging them to grow.  Our first instinct often is to get even with someone who has done some evil against us.

Paul knows that we are unable to walk out these instructions without the help of the Lord. Positioning our hearts in a posture of praise becomes the fertile soil from which these virtues will spring, if nurtured and tended to, in order that we might fulfill the high call to love others as we love ourselves.

Paul gives us the key to these final instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, 

give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  

Our attitudes are affected by what we focus on.  If we are always looking for and meditating and complaining about our circumstances we are unable to rejoice.

Prayer is an essential component to walking out our lives in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.  We were never meant to go it alone and we need all the help we can get so it is vital that we ask.

As believers we must redirect our minds to the truth of God's word where we find ample reasons for rejoicing!

1- We have a great reward in heaven
2- Christ's condescension/ God is with us
3- That our names are written in heaven 
4- In the glorious things Christ has done
5- We are friends of the bridegroom
6- That we were left the Spirit 
7- That we will see Jesus again
8- That we have been counted worthy to suffer shame for his name
9- When you see the grace of God

When we trust in who God is and look to Him through every circumstance of our lives, whether despair or joy, knowing we are in God's will as we rejoice through the difficulties we find there, we are able to be thankful in all circumstances.

Isaiah 26:3-4

You keep him in perfect peace 

whose mind is stayed on you, 

because he trusts in you.  

Trust in the LORD forever, 

for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.