God gives more grace...

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."
James 4:6

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater. He sendeth more grace when the labours increase. To added inflictions, he addeth His mercy. Multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. When we have exhausted our store of endurance. When our strength has failed, ‘ere the day has half done; when we reach the end of our horded resources, our Father’s forgiving is only begun. His love has no limits. His Grace has no measure. His power has no boundary known unto men. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.
Annie Flint

do you want to...

To grasp how wide and long and high and deep
This love of Christ, experience it when
Mere knowledge bursts its categories, then
Escape the fragile flame of language, reap
The richest crop salvation brings, and heap
Up memories of a sea of love, again
Yet again cascading o'er us---men
Can know no other bliss so rich and deep.

Lord God, in love you have established us,
And rooted us in soil no less fine:
Not single plants exposed to every gust
Of wind, but all the saints drink love sublime.

Make me to know---a creature hewn from sod---
The measure of all fullness found in God.
Don Carson, Holy Sonnets of the Twentieth Century

prayer: what difference does it make?

One of the constitutional enforcements of the gospel is prayer. Without prayer, the gospel can neither be preached effectively, promulgated faithfully, experienced in the heart, nor be practiced in life. And for the very simple reason that by leaving prayer out of the catalogue of the religious duties, we leave God out, and His work cannot progress without Him.
E.M. Bounds

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
Words: Anonymous

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
He moved my heart to seek him, seeking me;
It was not I that found, O Savior true;
No, I was found by Thee.

Thou didst reach forth Thy hand and mine enfold;
I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea;
'Twas not so much that I on thee took hold,
As Yhou, dear Lord, on me.

I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole
Of love is but my answer, Lord, to Thee;
For Thou wert long beforehand with my soul,
Always Thou lovedst me.

divine humility...

It is hardly complimentary to God that we should choose him as an alternative to hell. Yet even this he accepts...

... it is a poor thing to strike our colours to God when the ship is going down under us; a poor thing to come to Him as a last resort, to offer up "our own" when it is no longer worth keeping. If God were proud He would hardly have us on such terms: but He is not proud, He stoops to conquer, He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him, and come to Him because there is "nothing better" now to be had
C. S. Lewis

prayer

What is prayer and what does it take to pray?

Matthew 6:5-8
The Lord's Prayer

⁵ "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
⁷ "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (ESV)

Don't do it to look good. Be genuine in your prayer.

Matthew 5:44
⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (ESV)

Pray for your enemies.

Ephesians 6:18
¹⁸praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, . (ESV)

Pray about anything.

Philippians 4:6
⁶do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (ESV)

Pray when you are anxious about something.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
¹⁷pray without ceasing, (ESV)

Do it regularly.


How does someone pray?
Jesus has given us a model of how we should pray. This model is called the 'Lord's Prayer'.

Matthew 6:9-13
⁹ Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come,
your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,
¹² and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. (ESV)

Some things Jesus tells us to pray:

verse 9: Address God as 'Father' and praise his name.
verse 10: That God's will be done.
verse 11: Provision of what we need
verse 12: Forgiveness for us and help to forgive others
verse 13: Protection from temptation and the evil one.


This is a summary of the Lord's Prayer:
Give thanks to God for who he is and what he has done.
Pray for the needs of others.
Pray for your needs.


Putting it into practise
Think about meeting with one or two other people to pray together.
Think about writing down your prayer requests in a book so you can remember what to pray for and also see how God answers each prayer over time.