May 31, 2009
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"descend and crown us now with Fire" - a prayer for Pentecost (John Wesley)
Here at tent of meeting we have been praying through the Lord's Prayer together and have most recently been focusing on "Give us this day our daily bread." Today we've come to Pentecost Sunday. What a wonderful time for us to remember that our daily Bread to nourish and strengthen us for the Christian life comes only through the true Bread who has come down from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ.
As children of God we must continue to tarry in prayer and ask God to endue us with His Spirit from on high. God reminds us in Zechariah 4:6: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord of hosts. If we are His children, we have already been given His Spirit, but as His children, we are told to keep asking for His Spirit and that his Spirit is a good gift our heavenly Father wishes to give His children (Luke 11:1-13). Yes, we should ask for daily bread for our physical bodies, but let us never neglect to ask for the Father's blessed provision of daily bread for our souls, the Holy Spirit!
As individuals, each of us continues to be impotent so long as we rely on our own resources.
The Church continues to be impotent so long as we rely on our own resources.We must constantly ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit so we might have power to be His witnesses and to live a holy life. Only as we eat of our heavenly Father's provision for us, only as we live by His Spirit, can we expect to walk in the good works He has ordained for us. Apart from the Spirit's life, we have no life. We can expect neither personal nor corporate revival apart from the Fire from above.
As I was reading "George Whitefield's Journals" I came across the hymn "On the Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost" and thought it was a wonderful prayer not only for this day, Pentecost Sunday, but for every day!
Would you please pray this hymn for yourself and Christ's Church? Will you come to the Father and ask Him for our daily bread? Will you continue to ask, seek and knock along with me for His Holy Spirit to descend on us?
ON THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY GHOST AT PENTECOST.From: Hymns and Sacred Poems 1739 - John and Charles Wesley
Altered from Dr. H. More, most likely translated by John Wesley.I
When Christ had left His flock below,
The loss His faithful flock deplored:
Him in the flesh no more they know,
And languish for their absent Lord.II
Not long—for He, gone up on high
Gifts to receive, and claim His crown,
Beheld them sorrowing from His sky,
And poured the mighty blessing down.III
He, for the presence of His flesh,
The Spirit's seven-fold gifts imparts;
And living streams their souls refresh,
And joy Divine o'erflows their hearts.
IV
While all, in sweet devotion joined,
Humbly to wait for God, retire,
The promised grace in rushing wind
Descends, and cloven tongues of fire.V
God's mighty Spirit fills the dome,
The feeble dome beneath Him shook,
Trembled the crowd to feel Him come,
Soon as the Sons of Thunder spoke.VI
Father! if justly still we claim
To us, and ours, the promise made,
To us be graciously the same,
And crown with living fire our head.VII
Our claim admit, and from above
Of holiness the Spirit shower,
Of wise discernment, humble love,
And zeal, and unity, and power.VIII
The Spirit of convincing speech,
Of power demonstrative impart,
Such as may every conscience reach,
And sound the unbelieving heart:IX
The Spirit of refining fire,
Searching the inmost of the mind,
To purge all fierce and foul desire,
And kindle life more pure and kind:X
The Sp’rit of faith, in this Thy day,
To break the power of cancelled sin,
Tread down its strength, o'erturn its sway,
And still the conquest more than win.XI
The Spirit breathe of inward life,
Which in our hearts Thy laws may write:
Then grief expires, and pain and strife;
'Tis nature all, and all delight.XII
On all the earth Thy Spirit shower,
The earth in righteousness renew;
Thy kingdom come, and hell's o'erpower,
And to Thy sceptre all subdue.XIII
Like mighty wind, or torrent fierce,
Let it opposers all o’er-run,
And every law of sin reverse,
That faith and love may make all one.XIV
Yea, let Thy Spirit in every place
Its richer energy declare,
While lovely tempers, fruits of grace,
The kingdom of Thy Christ prepare.XV
Grant this, O holy God, and true!
The ancient seers Thou didst inspire:
To us perform the promise due ;
Descend, and crown us now with fire.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread...Our Father,As part of our prayer to hallow Your Name, let us remember that when we attempt to work out of our own power, we do not hallow Your Name.
As part of our prayer for Your Kingdom to come, let us remember that we can never expect to do Your Kingdom work apart from Your Kingdom power.
As part of our prayer for Your will to be done, let us remember that we can never expect to do Your will here on earth apart from Your Kingdom power.
Holy God,
Give us this day our daily bread, Your Holy Spirit.
Descend, and crown us now with fire.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your Name hallowed.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your Kingdom come.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your will done.
As members of Your Body, each of us continues to be impotent so long as we rely on our own resources.
As a Body, the Church continues to be impotent so long as we rely on our own resources.Holy God,
Give us this day our daily bread, Your Holy Spirit.
Descend, and crown us now with fire.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your Name hallowed.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your Kingdom come.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your will done.Our Father, give us an increasing hunger for Your Spirit so we might never cease to ask for what You so want to give us and what we so need, the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Give us such a hunger that we cannot help but ask, seek and knock until You descend and crown us with Fire. And then after You do so, may we continue to ask, seek and knock so You will continue to crown us with Fire.
Holy God,
Give us this day our daily bread, Your Holy Spirit.
Descend, and crown us now with fire.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your Name hallowed.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your Kingdom come.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your will done.We can expect neither personal nor corporate revival apart from the Fire from above. Let us never cease to ask You, our Father for what You have promised to us, the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Let us never cease to ask You, our Savior for what You have promised to send us, the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, may we not grieve You by neglecting to ask for You!
Holy God,
Give us this day our daily bread, Your Holy Spirit.
Descend, and crown us now with fire.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your Name hallowed.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your Kingdom come.
Only as we live by Your heavenly provision is Your will done.Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread...As the Spirit leads you, please come before His throne and pray for Him to descend and crown us now with Fire.
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Comments (2)
This poster echoes all of the above, and adds "Father, forgive us for the times we've grieved the Holy Spirit by our thoughts, words, and actions."
@WLCALUM - Yes, Father, I agree. Forgive us for grieving Your Holy Spirit. May we not grieve or quench Your Spirit. May our desires become Your desires by His work in us.