Posts Tagged With: Prayer

Thank You

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Pieter Stok

First of all, thank you for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers. That has been a real strength and support. We are all still a little numb this morning. My wife is in the kitchen scrubbing retrieved treasures with sugar soap, so that acrid smell is still in the air – even in our home

It was a weird sensation sitting in the car yesterday and being helpless as emergency services and police swarmed the site. That was when I wrote the post – my form of therapy. What takes an hour in a TV police show took 12 hours. And my wife and I were still at the site at 10:30pm waiting for the shutter people to secure the house before we could begin the 1 and half hour journey home. We had sent the girls back to our home earlier in the day after they had been escorted through the remnants of the house by the fire department.

Today we are going to have a big family prayer time. This had been planned but now has a greater sense of urgency and purpose. It will also be a time of thanksgiving.

One final comment. Whereas I wanted to get the perpetrators and smack their heads together, one of my daughters wanted to pray for them. That was quite humbling for me. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. God is more than good. God is sovereign!

Categories: Family, Prayer, Reflections | Tags: , | 9 Comments

A Prayer – by John Calvin

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Pieter Stok

We tend to think of Calvin as the theologian but he was also a pray-er with a deep relationship with his God. After all, he was known by some as the ‘theologian of the Holy Spirit.’

I discovered a number of his prayers at Monergism.com. Below is one example taken from his commentary on Hosea:

Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast not only of late adopted us as thy children, but before we were born, and as thou hast been pleased to sign us, as soon as we came forth from our mother’s womb, with the symbol of that holy redemption, which has been obtained for us by the blood of thy only begotten Son, though we have by our ingratitude renounced so great a benefit, – O grant, that being mindful of our defection and unfaithfulness, of which eve are all guilty, and for which thou hast justly rejected us, we may now with true humility and obedience of faith embrace the grace of thy gospel now again offered to us, by which thou reconciles thyself to us; and grant that we may steadfastly persevere in pure faith, so as never to turn aside from the true obedience of faith, but to advance more and more in the knowledge of thy mercy, that having strong and deep roots, and being firmly grounded in the confidence of sure faith, we may never fall away from the true worship of thee, until thou at length receives us in to that eternal kingdom, which has been procured for us by the blood of thy only Son. Amen.

Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Prayer, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

The Craftsman

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Pieter Stok

St. Cuthbert, Lindisfarne

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10

Lovingly planned,

Gently formed.

Carved and shaped by sublime hands.

Sanded and smoothed,

Rubbed and polished.

Crafted with pride and purpose.

Breathed into miraculous life.

Accompanied by the maker’s instructions;

To serve,

Be,

Do,

To the glory of the

The Master Craftsman.

Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Poem, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Prayer for Generosity St. Ignatius of Loyola

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Pieter Stok
Eternal Word, only begotten Son of God,
Teach me true generosity.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve.
To give without counting the cost,
To fight heedless of wounds,
To labour without seeking rest,
To sacrifice myself without thought of any reward
Save the knowledge that I have done your will.
Amen.

In John 13 we read the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. I find that confronting. Not the act itself. I have had careers in toilet cleaning and garbage collecting, so a bit of tinea doesn’t bother me. No, it is the subservience, the humility that sticks in my throat. I don’t have a “natural” gift of service. It galls me.

Yet, this is what Jesus calls for and it is what St. Ignatius echoes.

The striking aspect of St. Ignatius’ poem is that it reminds us that our selfless, sacrificial service is a sign that we are growing in our reflection of Jesus. Once again, this challenges me, as it is not the way I want to live.

What should I do? This gracelessness in my life is a reminder that I still have so far to go in understanding Christ’s sacrifice for me, no matter how well I think I know my Bible. The more I understand and apprehend the cost of my salvation, eternal life and membership of His Kingdom, the more I will bow the knee in humble thankfulness.

To give without counting the cost,
To fight heedless of wounds,
To labour without seeking rest,

All these acts require a decision of the will, not simply a response of the emotions. Each act is one that I need to practise and practise again. If you, like I, do not find these actions come naturally our challenge is to actively seek to serve and labour. However, we must always remember that this is a response to, not a cause for, our salvation. In the words of St Ignatius it is what Jesus “deserves”.

Categories: christian, Christianity, Devotional, Faith, Jesus, St. Ignatius | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

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