A Christmas Message

Galatians 4:4-6
God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba Father!'

Have you fully accepted the power and work of grace in your life? Or do you still try to win God's favor by your good deeds and self-effort? The pull to perform is an ever-present enemy, robbing Christ's redeemed of their peace and their true source of power. I feel the pressure as I go about my day. When I surrender to those voices that demand perfection and my own strength to be wise, holy and just plain wonderful, I end up discouraged and defeated at the end of the day.

However, if I surrender to the truth of my position as a redeemed child that has been made holy through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, I find that I can gain a sense of peace and purpose. My daily tasks, my interpersonal relationships, and my words are subject to His guiding and leading.

I openly confess my inability to accomplish anything in my own strength and wisdom. It is only accomplished as we allow Him to lead. And not just a token nod at giving him control -- I mean a genuine release of our will. He can spot a fake from a mile away. Don't just go through the motions but present to Him an honest heart that is longing to live the life that He wants to give you.

The grace-filled life is possible in real time, every day, every minute of the day.

Because God sent forth His Son---we have life everlasting.

Because God sent forth His Son--we have been made righteous.

Because God sent forth His Son--we are called the children of God.

Because we are his sons and daughters--we have the Spirit of His Son in our hearts!!

Galatians 4:4-6
God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba Father!'

Murray Meditations: The Day the Fire Raged

Colorado Springs, Colorado June 2012

Man's destiny appears clearly in God's language at creation. It was to fill, to subdue, and to have dominion over the earth and everything in it. 

A. Murray

There is nothing so terrifying as a raging fire blasting through homes as if they were made of paper, destroying everything in its path. The heat and smoke create a surreal landscape of terror. People running for safety, running for dear life, running from horror. Unfortunately, the residents of Colorado Springs know this feeling all too well. Chaos erupted this past week in my neighborhood, as the fire that was lurking behind a ridge took a sudden and swift turn towards our beautiful city. It was as if the hounds of hell had been loosed and were bent on total destruction. I think maybe they were. The battle certainly raged. In those moments, having "dominion over the earth" seemed an absurdity! And yet, that is the plan.

The destinies of the world were given into the power of the wishes, the will, and the prayers of man. 

A. Murray

During these trying times, some people denounced prayer as a useless activity. One newspaper columnist even editorialized about the time and energy that was being wasted in prayer. I respectfully beg to differ. Millions of prayers have been lifted to our Heavenly Father from faithful followers of Christ, seeking His aid in controlling the out-of-control fires that raged and His mercy for those that were part of this devastation. Did they pray in vain? I think not. The hounds are on the run, the fire is 70% contained, many homes and lives have been saved, and our beloved Glen Eyrie has been spared.  Only time will reveal the many thousand acts of heroism. I know that countless people have given their money, their homes, their food and their love to the displaced members of our community. The thousands of firefighters, police officers, soldiers, and first responders have served us well with their selfless, tireless acts of courage and fortitude. Many risked their lives to save others. Satan did not gain a victory over our city, but rather Jesus' love has been spread abroad in many great and small deeds. Is prayer a waste of time? I repeat again, "I think not!"




As image bearer and representative of God on earth, redeemed man will by his prayers determine the history of this earth. 
A. Murray



Oh, dear one, don't give up on prayer. Prayer reaches out to our only source of power. It is our right as God's emissaries here on earth and our privilege as His beloved children to petition him and in so doing, change the pages of history.

Unveiled Faces

"The outstanding characteristic of a Christian is this unveiled frankness before God so that the life becomes a mirror for other lives" Oswald Chambers

How has God created you--unique in your own special way? You are one of a kind. There is no one else like you. You are specially crafted to further His work here on earth, to mirror His glory, to reflect His image. For this, you are created.

You look into a mirror and  see your reflection. Others look into your mirror---your beautiful face---and what do they see? They should see God's face reflected back at them: His love shining through your eyes, His truth coming from your lips, His glory emanating from your countenance.

I am no different from you-- I am designed to be used by God. He has gifted me in ways that are unique to me. Not only has He gifted me, but He gives me the grace every day to walk in confidence, boldly using my gifts -- not for my own gain or pleasure, but solely for His glory and goodness.

And how do we become that reflector? By spending time with Him. When we spend time with Him, we become like Him. We absorb His glory, and then we take that glory out to the world.


"You always know when a man has been beholding the glory of the Lord, you feel in your inner spirit that he is the mirror of the Lord's own character." Oswald Chambers

Don't let the busyness of the day crowd out time with your heavenly Father. Fall at His feet every day and confess that, in your own strength, you are nothing. Your efforts are limited and often futile. Your good deeds always fall short when they spring out of your own strength. Surrender your life, your time and your talents to Him. Let Him fill you from the ground up until you are full and overflowing and your eyes gaze out upon the world with His love and compassion, until your lips speak His truth, until your hands bring His healing and life in His name, for His glory.

Rise up from your secret chamber, renewed in your devotion to Him and your understanding of how He has  gifted YOU to be His ambassador to a hurting world.

II Corinthians 3: 18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Murray Meditations: What Do You Want?

Once upon a time, a blind man sat begging. Not an unusual scene. One often sees people of all varieties begging on the street.  However, in this particular story there is a powerful twist. Bartimaeus, was a very fortunate beggar. "What?" you say. "Whoever heard of a fortunate beggar? They are all destitute and far from fortunate."  Not so! This man's pleas fell upon the ears of Jesus, the Son of God. What luck! Finally, someone with some real power. He seemed to realize his good fortune, because he called out loudly and repeatedly, even though the crowd around him tried to shut him up. His cry? "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:46-48)  What was Jesus' response? "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." (Mark :51-52)

I am confused by Jesus' question. Did He not know what this beggar needed of Him? Yes, I am sure that He did. And yet, Jesus insists that Bartimaeus tell him exactly what he wants. Not because He needed to be told, but because Bartimaeus needed to hear himself say it.

I am blind Bartimaeus in the street, calling out to the God of the universe for mercy. And His reply to me --"what do you want?" Do I know the answer to this question? If I don't know, then I must search my heart until I find the answer. 

When we speak out loud the things that we long for, we begin to know our hearts in a way that vague pleas for mercy or blessing do not reveal. And in the knowing, we find our true focus in life. 

What are the longings that drive you? Jesus asks  us to give voice to those longings in specific, focused detail. Do you know what you want from Jesus? Andrew Murray teaches us that in the journey towards effective praying, we must know what we want and pray in faith, believing there will be an answer. In our school of prayer, we learn to verbalize "distinct expressions of definite need" (Murray). It is possible that staying vague seems safer. I can pray for blessings and mercy, and often see the answers all around. Yes, there are many joys in each day that I can claim as the answer. How much riskier does it seem to give God a specific need, and wait for Him to fill that need. Or...wait for Him to say "no". Step out in faith and take the risk! God is waiting to pour out His supernatural abundance if we are willing to ask.

Oh, Spirit of the Living God, show me the way to pray, with truth and wisdom. In my own sphere of living, may I lift up my family, friend, co-workers and neighbors in prayer, not for selfish wants and ease of living, but for heaven's sake and Your glory.



But if, as in silence of the soul we bow before the Lord, we were ready to answer questions such as these:

• What is now really my desire? 
• Do I desire it in faith, expecting to receive? 
• Am I now ready to place and leave it there in the Father's bosom? 
• Is it settled between God and me that I am to have the answer?

--we should learn to pray in such a way that God will see and we would know what we really expect. A. Murray

Mark 11: 24

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

Murray Meditations: Cause and Effect

Sometimes, I've wondered why we pray. Isn't God all knowing and everywhere at once? He understands what we need even before we speak it. He  knows our hearts, our thoughts, and our longings better than we know ourselves. I know He is able to do all things.

And yet, we repeatedly see in His Word this command to pray.



Luke 10:2
And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

As it turns out, I am in good company with my pondering. Andrew Murray, in chapter Nine of his book The School of Prayer asks similar questions! Murray puzzles over the fact that  the Lord commands his disciples to pray for laborers in the harvest.

 Murray musings:

• Couldn't He have prayed Himself? 
• And wouldn't one prayer of His accomplish more than a thousand of theirs? 
• And God, the Lord of the harvest, did He not see the need? 

Hmmm...it is a mystery! Why does the God of the universe ask me to pray for laborers in the harvest? I am beginning to approach a baby sized understanding of the power that prayer wields here on earth. A small seed of truth is being planted in my heart as I read the Word, and ask the Spirit to guide me. The small seed is starting the slow process of germination. The baby plant that is hidden in the seed pod is growing and cracking open that pod, sprouting little roots into the soil and searching out food, water and sun.

The answers to such questions will convince us that prayer is a power on which the gathering of the harvest and the coming of the kingdom do in very truth depend. A. Murray

In my limited, finite mind, I start to grasp the fact that our prayers are a cause and effect phenomenon. Prayer is an action that demands a reaction. God knows what I need, but He wants me to turn to Him and ask Him to be my Provider. I get to choose. Do I want His help or do I want to figure it out on my own? Or maybe I would prefer the help of my best friend. She has great advice. How many times do I turn to pop psychology for answers, when I should have prayed to my Abba Father?


This Father, that is also a friend, partners with me as a co-creator in the story of our journey here on earth. Our prayers initiate a supernatural partnering with humanity that brings about God's answers. The all-knowing God waits for us to turn to Him, confess the need and believe in faith that He has the perfect solution. The one and only God of the universe has ALL of the answers, if I will just seek Him in prayer.

The veil that hides the invisible world from us was wonderfully transparent to the holy human soul of Jesus. He had looked long and deep and far into the hidden connection of cause and effect in the spiritual world. A. Murray

So wonderful is the surrender of His work to His Church, so dependent has the Lord made Himself on them as His Body through whom His work can be done, so real is the power the Lord gives His people to exercise in heaven and earth, that the number of laborers and the measure of the harvest actually depends on their prayers. A. Murray

Oh, precious child of God, may you know without a shadow of a doubt that you, too, have this authority to call the powers of heaven to your aid. You have the awesome responsibility of bringing forth laborers in the harvest. Upon you and your faithfulness depends the work of heaven here on earth.

Murray Meditations: The Source of Power

Let us take time not only to meditate, but to pray, to wait at the foot of the throne and be trained to the work of intercession. A. Murray

Do you ever feel inadequate when it comes to prayer? As I dig deeper into the topic, I feel a growing sense of my shortcomings. God is calling me to more than I've ever known or experienced.

Prayer in my own strength has been weak and often ineffectual. In my own strength, I easily lose my focus and wander off to make another cup of tea. My goals are often selfishly motivated. And worst of all, many times I simply forget to pray. My justification for an undisciplined prayer life was Paul's words "pray without ceasing" (I Thess. 5:17).With this exhortation in mind, I could offer up quick popcorn petitions as my mainstay style of prayer. I was satisfied with my obedience.

But the prayer life that He longs for me to know is a life that is only given through the power of the Spirit. As I spend time with Him, He gives me a taste of what it means to drink of His living water.  I'm not talking about little sips from a dainty cup. I'm talking large gulps from a fountain, drinking long and deep until full and overflowing.

It isn't always easy, but the more I engage in the discipline of prolonged, focused prayer, the more I experience the Spirit filling and empowering my prayer life. Murray assures me that God is continuing His work in my life, even when I feel that my efforts are "stammerings and fears".  Press on, even when you don't feel like it and even when you feel inadequate.


He teaches by giving not only thoughts of what to ask or how to ask, but by breathing within us the very spirit of prayer, by living within us as the great Intercessor. A. Murray

Father, breathe in me the spirit of prayer. Give me Your thoughts, Your word and Your holy life filling me and flowing out of me to those that are in need. It is only as I surrender to Your power in my life that I am able to pray for others with persistence. Lord, keep me faithful to pray for those around me and for Your work here on earth.

Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Murray Meditations: The All Encompassing Gift

Luke 11:13
If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

There is a stretch of the Oregon coast that I have come to know and love very well. On this particular drive, one can catch a glimpse of beauty at every turn. My daughter, Michaela, and I wandered this twenty-five mile route almost every day that we stayed in Florence. 


Part of the allure is the ever present possibility that one may see a whale. Every scenic pull out could be the stage of a grand drama, mama and baby on their migration route to Alaska! It has been said that, during a typical whale watch week, as many as 1,000 plus sightings could occur.  We were there at precisely the prime viewing week and anticipation of catching a glimpse was high.
 
Even deeper than my longing to catch a glimpse of a grey whale was my longing to catch a glimpse of the Holy Spirit. While my intellect knows that I have the fullness of the Spirit living within me and have had since I was a small child, my heart longs for a fuller understanding of just exactly what this filling means for everyday practical living. How does God speak to me? What gift does He plan to bestow and use for His glory? Do I live in the fullness of His power?

Somehow, I think not. I know there is more. In Andrew Murray's book, The School of Prayer, he teaches us that the first, highest, and all encompassing gift that Jesus gives is His Spirit. 

Galatians 4:6
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba, Father!"



Surely if there is one prayer that should draw us to the Father's throne and keep us there, it is this: for the Holy Spirit, whom we as children have received, to stream into us and out from us in greater fullness. A. Murray

I am on a quest for a greater fullness of the Holy Spirit. Murray believed that one thing is needed to be complete and whole: to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Yes, please! I want some more. More of His grace, more of His fruit, more of His gifts, more of His power, more of His peace. You get the idea.  


Even though I am looking for a feeling or a tangible experience of God's filling, I know that this prayer, this longing is a spiritual act of faith. In faith, believing that He will do everything that He has promised abundantly and beyond all that I can imagine, I say with thanksgiving "You do fill me and You will fill me as I surrender to Your leading and cling to Your promises".


Let us continue steadfast in this faith. On the strength of God's word we know that we have what we ask. Let us, with thanksgiving that we have been heard, with thanksgiving for what we have received and taken and now hold as ours, continue steadfast in believing prayer that the blessing, which has already been given us, and which we hold in faith, may break through and fill our whole being. A. Murray

Oh, Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.

 St. Augustine

Murray Meditations: Oregon Memories

The world is a book, and those who do not travel see only a page. 

St. Augustine

Today, I sit looking out at the crashing waves of the Oregon coast. I have traveled to this place to say goodbye to my father and possibly find some small key to unlock the mystery of this man. During his retirement years, he lived on this rugged coast and roamed up and down the beaches in a mad search for agates. It was here that he was his truest self, or maybe just the self that I loved the most. From this ocean view, all else was stripped away, and I fell in love with this complex man I called "dad". His joy in living was most evident here and my joy was born in knowing him. Maybe for the first time I was truly able to see him. Or maybe for the first time, I was able to see him from  grown up eyes. On this one year anniversary of his death, here in the misty, windswept coast that he loved so much, I say a loving "goodbye"  and feel at peace with the man he was and is today.

Photography by S. Wightman

It is interesting that this exploration and journey to know my earthly father parallels my journey and exploration to know my heavenly Father. A coincidence? I think not! How precise of God to direct me, at this moment in time, to Andrew Murray's thoughts on our childlike relationship to God, which is the true essence of our spiritual relationship with Him.  As I meditate on what it means to fall in love with our Father God, I can't help but turn to my father relationship and wonder how my experiences here on earth inform my understanding of our heavenly Father.

Murray's writings are filled with statements that paint a picture of the believer's childlike love and dependence upon our heavenly father. I can almost hear his voice as I read. His words a soulful pleading, longing for his readers to understand at a heart level the joy of living in a place centered and grounded in a childlike love and dependence on the Father. But the power and beauty of this exhortation is that Murray knows it is not accomplished from our own strength. Only as we live in childlike dependence on the Spirit can we live in childlike dependence on the Father.

Romans 8:14 

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  

Spirit of the living God, I surrender my heart and life to you today. Guide me into the holy place of knowing You, and thus knowing the heart of my Heavenly Father. I plead with You to fill me with Your fruit, so that other's may see and know You through me.

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father. You are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

He who gives himself to be led by the Spirit in his life will be led by Him in his prayers, too. And he will find that Fatherlike giving is the divine response to childlike living. A Murray

Murray Meditations: Joyful Assurance

Prayer and its answer--the child asking and the father giving--belong to each other. A. Murray

Have you ever lain on the ground underneath a tree and gazed up at the sky?  The sun streaming down on your face is dappled, sometimes strong and warm and at other times blue and hazy.  I love lazy afternoons spent in a contemplative state of mind.  Wandering around in the outdoors, with time on my hands, puts me in an attitude of bliss. 

Sometimes prayer feels like that shadowy movement on your face: yellow and warm at times and at other times blue and hazy. In those blue haze moments, you may ask "Does God really hear?" or you may even wonder, "Does He care?  Is He remotely interested in the things that are near and dear to my heart?" Please don't let feelings guide your prayer life. It doesn't matter how you feel. Rejoice in the truth from Matthew 7:8 "...Everyone who asks receives..." Everyone! Believe it or not, this is a spiritual promise that cannot be denied. We have the assurance from God that we can pray in confidence, knowing that He will answer.

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Wow! My mind struggles to grasp the unbelievable truth that God not only hears all of our prayers, but is jealous for us to come to Him. He calls us to lean on Him, to rely on Him, and to know Him in such a way that when we turn to Him, His thoughts become our thoughts.

And yet, what of those times when we don't feel God has answered? What was amiss? Did we not pray in faith, did we not pray in God's will?

Photography by Trisha Fry

If you ask and do not receive, it must be because there is something missing or needed in the prayer. Hold on. Let the word and Spirit teach you to pray rightly, but do not let go of the confidence He seeks to waken in you: Everyone who asks receives. A. Murray

As we spend time with our Father God in our secret closet, we will grow to understand His heart. In this kind of intimacy, He transforms and conforms our desires to His nature and will.  In due time, if we persevere in waiting on the Lord for guidance, we shall begin to discern whether our requests are Spirit driven or selfishly motivated.

Let us not make the feeble experiences of our unbelief the measure of what our faith may expect. Let us seek, not only just in our seasons of prayer but at all times, to hold firmly the joyful assurance: man's prayer on earth and God's answer in heaven are meant for each other. A. Murray

Sweet Jesus, guide us into an intimate relationship with our Father God. Spirit of God, infuse our minds with the Father's love, so that we cannot help but return this love with every fiber of our being. In this communing of two hearts, may we become one of mind and spirit. And out of this oneness flowing the thoughts of our prayers; Your thoughts...our thoughts...Your will...our will...in joyful assurance of receiving an answer.

Murray Meditations: Daddy's Love

 Luke 11:2
And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Memories of my father are complicated and sometimes fuzzy. I can recall some fun times and many instances of working side by side on our family farm. However, I have few memories of being comforted and fewer recollections of words of encouragement or wisdom. I learned not go to my father for those things. He was a busy man who seemed to not have time for my petty cares or interests.

In contrast, my Father God is always there for me. He cares about the most intimate details of my life. His love for me is never-ending. He calms my fears. He strengthens me when I am weak. When I don't know what to say, in the silence He listens to my heart. So too, He longs to know you in an intimate relationship that is vibrant and experiential.

When we sink into this truth and let it grow deep roots in our hearts, we will run into His arms, and be swept up in His loving acceptance.

“The knowledge of God’s father-love is the first and simplest, but also the last and highest lesson in the school of prayer.” 

A. Murray

Do you know His father-love? Or does God seem distant and aloof, His presence illusive? Let the words Father and God become experientially synonymous. Pray that the truth of His love will pulse through your veins and become your breath of life.

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

Murray Meditations: Sacred Secrets

The first thing the Lord teaches His disciples is that they must have a secret place for prayer. Everyone must have some solitary spot where he can be alone with his God. A. Murray

Do you have a solitary spot where you can be alone with God? I recently converted a corner of my bedroom into a prayer chamber. I moved a special chair into my room and placed a table next to it. It has my bible, my books and an extra soft sofa throw scattered around. This new spot is now my hallowed ground. I try to go there every morning for at least thirty minutes. Sometimes I study, and sometimes I talk to God, but always I listen. I listen for His still quiet voice to penetrate the noise of the world and my busy, scattered thoughts.

Do you long to be alone with your Abba Father, or do you avoid the intimacy that solitary communing brings? When we pray in community, it is sometimes easy to wear a mask. No matter how hard I try to surrender to the Spirit's leading, the performer in me likes to come out and rear its ugly head. I wonder if my words sound eloquent. I wonder if I've covered everyone's requests. Basically, I'm focused on myself!

It is harder to keep the mask on when we are alone with God. In this inner chamber, the child becomes intimate and vulnerable. The very breath of the heavenly Father mingles with the breath of His child.  In this solitary place we lose sight of the world and its concerns. We draw near to God and He draws near to us. Here the Spirit leads us in a dance of surrender, guiding us into the truth of His love, the truth of His Word, the truth of our "childlike trust of the Father" (Murray).

As long as in our worship of God we are chiefly occupied with our own thoughts and exercises, we shall not meet Him who is a Spirit, the unseen One. But to the man who withdraws himself from all that is of the world and man, and prepares to wait upon God alone, the Father will reveal Himself. As he forsakes and gives up and shuts out the world, and the life of the world, and surrenders himself to be led by Christ into the secret of God's presence, the light of the Father's love will rise upon him. A. Murray

Photography by Trisha Fry

Lord, I long to meet you in this quiet, secret place. There is an intimacy and a joy in your presence that grows deeper and sweeter the more I practice the discipline of private prayer. I will meet with you early in the morning, and you will show me great things!

Matthew 6:6
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reword you openly.

Murray Meditations: Compartments

The man who wants to truly worship God, who wants to find and know and possess and enjoy God, must be in harmony with Him, must have the capacity for receiving Him. Because God is Spirit, we must worship in spirit. A. Murray

Michaela Wightman, Uganda

If God is not bound by space or time, why do we limit our worship of Him to certain places and times? It is too easy to develop a faith routine that becomes rote and compartmentalized. And yet, it seems that we love compartments. I could walk for hours around The Container Store drooling over the many shapes and sizes of boxes, bins, tubs, filing cabinets and crates. It's an obsession that grows the more it is fed. Even if you are not particularly organized, you cannot deny a certain lure from colorful, print covered boxes, boxes in which you can toss photos from a much cherished vacation or expense receipts until it is time to pull them out for the tax man to sort through.

Not only do we like to compartmentalize our stuff, we also like to compartmentalize our lives. We have our professional lives and our personal lives. This boundary can be good. Knowing how to focus our attention where and when it is needed gives us an edge in our work and helps us to live intentionally in our family and friend relationships. However, it is possible that we have become too skilled at dividing and conquering. It is possible that we find it too easy to fit God into a neat little faith box.


A man who seeks to pray earnestly in the church or in the closet spends the greater part of the week or the day in a spirit entirely at odds with that in which he prayed. His worship was the work of a fixed place or hour, not of his whole being. A Murray

Andrew Murray highlights the fact that when we only worship God in our places of worship, we spend the rest of our time missing out on the the joy of continual guidance, peace and heavenly conversation. Sometimes, more than just missing out on fellowship, we are actually at odds with the spirit in which we prayed.

Do you worship God, who is spirit, in spirit? Is your worship  a confined worship, or a spontaneous worship in the day-to-day moments of your life?   If  it is confined to certain times and places, then what happens during the other moments of your life?  Are those moments at odds with your worship moments? If so, then which of these two realities are your true worship?

Teach us Lord what it means to worship you in spirit and in truth! We long to know your presence every minute of the day and to hear your voice guiding us as we navigate the meaningful and the mundane.

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. 

John 4:23-24

Murray Meditations: the Stammer

Let just the deep undertone of all our prayer be the teachableness that comes from a sense of ignorance and from faith in Him as a perfect teacher, and then we may be sure we shall be taught, we shall learn to pray in power. A. Murray  

Learning a new skill can be challenging and sometimes frustrating. It takes patience and perseverance to push through the awkward phase and the clumsy stage in order to finally arrive as master of a craft. Sad to say, but I sometimes feel that I am not willing to go through this learning process in order to gain the skill of effectual prayer. Many times I have purposed to be faithful in prayer; to lift up my family and friends daily; to meet my Abba Father in my secret prayer closet for blessed times of fellowship and refreshing. But soon life crowds in and my commitment wanes. My time is spent elsewhere and I am left with the hollow feeling that I am missing something great.

If this is true of you, don’t despair and don’t be ashamed. The Master Teacher is patient and full of grace. In faith, surrender to His skillful hands. Tell Him you are willing to be willing. He alone can teach us how to enter into a consistent, persevering prayer life that finds joy in His presence. Rest in the peace of knowing it is not accomplished through your own strength and efforts. He has given us His Holy Spirit. He lives within us and knows our needs before we ask. He starts the work in us and He finishes the work. He gives the longing, He gives the means, He gives the perseverance and He receives the glory for answered prayers.

As He begins to mold you and shape you on the potter’s wheel, then you will be able to say with Andrew Murray

“Let us take time not only to meditate, but to pray, to wait at the foot of the throne and be trained to the work of intercession. Let us do so in assurance that amid our stammering and fears, He is carrying on His work most beautifully. He will breathe His own life, which is all prayer, into us.”



  Photography by Trisha Fry

Murray Meditations

“As we grow in the Christian life, the thought and the faith of the beloved Master in His never-failing intercession becomes more and more precious, and the hope of being like Christ in His intercession gains an attractiveness before unknown. And as we see Him pray, as we remember that there is no one who can pray like Him, no one who can teach like Him, we feel the request of the disciples, ‘Lord, teach us to pray’ is just what we need. “A. Murray

The first and foundational prayer is the prayer of "Lord, teach us to pray". What a simple concept, and yet, I must confess that I have never prayed this prayer. Have you? As Murray so aptly instructs us, there is no one that can teach like Jesus. Not only is He the master teacher, but He delights in teaching us to pray. When we pray, we join Christ in His eternal work of intercession and in this way we become more Christlike. What a glorious thought.

We know that we are praying in God's will when we ask the Lord to teach us to pray.  He longs to commune with us in close fellowship. Is there anything more intimate or more sacred than prayer? Is there anything more accessible or more powerful than communing with our heavenly father?

“Though in its beginnings prayer is so simple that the most helpless child can pray, yet it is at the same time the highest and holiest work to which man can rise.” A. Murray

 All too often I fail to understand that prayer is the channel through which we take hold of Christ and His power. What a humbling and exciting thought. We have been given the privilege and the responsibility of joining Christ in His work. I am certain that the devil has gained a victory when we fail to access this power. How he plots and plans to keep Christians from engaging in the spiritual battle that wages by convincing us that there is little point to praying.

True prayer that takes hold of God's strength, that benefits much, to which the gates of heaven are really opened wide--who would not cry, "Oh for someone to teach me to pray this way?" A. Murray

Luke 10:37
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciple said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples". (ESV)

Oh Lord, give me the longing to sit at your feet and learn to pray rightly, in truth and in faith. You are the author and the finisher...you give me the prayer and then you give the answer. Amen!

Murray Meditations

Do you often wonder if your prayers make a difference? Andrew Murray states, "Though in its beginnings prayer is so simple that the most helpless child can pray, yet it is at the same time the highest and holiest work to which man can rise."

We often speak of prayer as the centerpiece of our Christian walk, while at the same time failing to practice the art of prayer.  Perhaps prayer is an intellectual exercise which plays no real part in our daily lives. If prayer is truly the source of power for our personal Christian walk and the source of power for all of our ministering work, then it must became an integral part of our daily lives. It is my hope that through reading and reflecting on the writings of Andrew Murray, we can learn the joy and blessings of effectual prayer. What a blessing it will be when prayer regains its rightful place as the fragrant bouquet that graces the center of our spirituality.

Do you cry out for a deeper fellowship with your beloved Father? It is not only possible, but a promise. In faith, lay hold of this promise!

John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (ESV)