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Lord, Teach Us to Pray
There is a treatment update at the end of this message. CHIP STAM STEM CELL DRIVE: BE THE MATCH www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive ===================================== FREE LEAD SHEET and demo recording for "Merciful to Me" by David Ward: www.reformedpraise.org/songs/updatedhymns/merciful_to_me ===================================== Today's WORSHIP QUOTE is another from the pen of Andrew Murray (1828-1917), a prolific Christian author and beloved pastor who served largely in the villages of South Africa. For Murray, the Christian life was to be one based in prayerful communion with God. Each of the chapters in his book WITH CHRIST IN THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER ends with a model prayer that "fleshes out" the truths of his teaching. Here is a powerful Trinitarian prayer that teaches me so much about biblical patterns of coming before the throne of grace—all for our good and God's glory. LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY O my Father! With my whole heart I praise You for this wondrous life of continuous prayer, continuous fellowship, continuous answers, and continuous oneness with Him Who lives to pray forever! O my God! Keep me abiding and walking in the presence of Your glory, so that prayer may be the spontaneous expression of my life with You. Blessed Savior! With my whole heart I praise You for coming from heaven to share my needs and my pleas, so that I could share Your all- powerful intercession. Thank You for taking me into Your school of prayer, teaching me the blessedness and the power of a life that is totally comprised of prayer. And most of all, thank You for taking me up into the fellowship of Your life of intercession. Now through me, too, Your blessings can be dispensed to those around me. Holy Spirit! With deep reverence I thank You for Your work in me. Through You I am lifted up into communication with the Son and the Father, entering the fellowship of the life and love of the Holy Trinity. Spirit of God! Perfect Your work in me! Bring me into perfect union with Christ, My Intercessor! Let Your unceasing indwelling make my life one of unceasing intercession. And let my life unceasingly glorify the Father and bless those around me. Amen. — Andrew Murray (1828-1917), WITH CHRIST IN THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER, Chapter 31, "A Life of Prayer," New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1981, p. 459. ISBN 0-88368-106-4. [From the anthology, ANDREW MURRAY ON PRAYER. New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1998, ISBN 88368-528-0.] The whole chapter can be found at http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/murray/5bm.10353/5bm.10353.31.htm Blessings to all! Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Ministries The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.wqotw.org www.sbts.edu/icw ========================= TOPICAL INDEX FOR FORTY-THREE GETTY/TOWNEND HYMNS http://www.gettymusic.com/topicalindex.pdf ========================= ==================== THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 1 (Ed Willmington): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-05 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 2 (Carl Stam): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-12 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 3 (Donald Hustad): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-19 THE PLACE OF THE CHOIR IN WORSHIP: PART 4 (Ron Man): http://www.wqotw.org/quote.php?date=2010-01-26 ==================== ===================================== HEALTH UPDATE & PRAYER REQUEST FOR CHIP STAM, CANCER PATIENT www.carlstam.org/stemcelldrive www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam ===================================== October 19 Treatment Update Dear friends and family, Once again, thanks for loving us and praying for us during this long cancer journey. More complete journal entries and some new pictures are found at www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam. GRAFT VS. HOST DISEASE More of the same, actually! Praise our gracious God that there is still no sign of active Lymphoma in my body. The daily concern about Graft vs. Host Disease continues. My pillbox is adjusted nearly every day. This week the caregivers have been dealing with my blood pressure issues, GvH rash (which is extremely itchy), and the dreaded CMV virus. There were some good numbers today—my blood pressure was in the normal range for the first time in several weeks, and the CMV number was (drum roll, please!) ZERO. How fantastic! Once again, they are treating my GvH rash by increasing my daily dose of steroids. That is why I am awake for two hours in the middle of the night with a racing mind, a moon face, and swollen feet. These things, too, will pass. On Friday morning, I had my monthly treatment of CYTARABINE (chemotherapy) into my Ommaya Reservoire which is the port under my scalp that allows the medicine to go directly into my "brain juice." That treatment has to do with one of the marvels of our bodies, the blood-brain barrier. Google it. Let me remind you: We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). Soli Deo Gloria! CANCER CARE Please keep praying fervently for Doris, our family, my caregivers, and me; and don't forget to care for the cancer patients in your families, churches, neighborhoods, and places of employment. Pray that our stem cell drive will provide many, many cancer patients with life-saving options for treatment. If you would like to swab your cheek and participate, it is not too late. Resting in the Bounty of the LORD, Chip Stam www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam |