I have a book called PRAYER - A HOLY OCCUPATION. It is composed of selected writtings by Oswald Chambers on the topic of prayer and is divided into 18 sections, each one being in Chambers' opinion a requirement for prayer, namely: Boldness, Childlikeness, Communion, Concentration, Desire, Discipline, Faith, Honesty, Intimacy, Obedience, Patience, Power, Purpose, Silence, Simplicity, Wonder, Work and lastly Worship.

Quite recently I had to make a moral decision in my place of work that I knew nobody else was going to do - so I prayed about it, hoping that God would acknowledge my moral prayer and deal with the thing so I didn't have to. Of course, it didn't work out like that, I had to deal with it myself. So I did. Quite soon after the event I read in PRAYER - A HOLY OCCUPATION, in the section called Discipline, this: "Prayer is often a temptation to bank on a miracle of God instead of on a moral issue; that is, it is much easier to ask God to do my work than it is to do it myself. Until we are disciplined properly, we will always be inclined to bank on God's miracles and refuse to do the moral thing ourselves. It is our job and it will never be done unless we do it."


FAITH, HOPE and LOVE:

All these chosen to be doorkeepers at the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. These were registered by genealogy according to their villages: David and Samuel the seer had instituted them in their trust. 1 CHRONICLES 9:22 Darby.

see to it, brethren, that there is never in any one of you--as perhaps there may be--a sinful and unbelieving heart, manifesting itself in revolt from the ever-living God. HEBREWS 3:12 KJV.

Thou hast said, (but they are mere words,) I have counsel and strength for war. Now then in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast revolted from me? 2 KINGS 18:20 Brenton LXX.

and further Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse shall come, he who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope." ROMANS 15:12 RSV.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. GENESIS 37:3 ASV.

But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, LUKE 6:27 ASV.


CREATION:

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation. GENESIS 2:1-3 RSV.


THANKSGIVING:

Lord, thankyou for today! It wasn't up to me to still be alive today but I am. Thanks for being with me in this day that You have made, teach me how to share my days with You in all the seasons I go through. Amen.