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Prayer: The Breath of Faith
In Volume 2 Part 1 of The Christian in Complete Armor, which is about the shield of faith, William Gurnall lists the properties of true faith as being 1) obediential 2) prayerful and 3) uniform.
In the section about the property of faith being prayerful, Gurnall writes that “Prayer, it is the child of faith; and as the child bears his father’s name upon him, so doth prayer the name of faith. What is it known by but by ‘the prayer of faith?’ James 5:15.” He says that prayer is the very natural breath of faith. The 2 parts of prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, both require faith.
First, supplication — praying to God and making your requests known to Him — requires faith because, “he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) So when you pray, you are showing that you believe God exists and that He will hear you and answer you.
The 2nd part of prayer, praise, also requires faith. David’s heart had to be fixed on God before he could sing and give thanks. Gurnall says that thanksgiving is an act of self-denial. So when you are praising God, you are showing that you believe God has answered your prayer and that your blessings are from Him. You are giving God the glory. Gurnall says that “as the creature cannot pray—I mean acceptably—without faith, so with faith he cannot but pray.”
Since supplication and praise both require faith, you can see how prayer is the natural outflow, or breath, of faith. You believe that God is there and that He loves you, so you pray to Him and make your requests known to Him, and then you praise Him for His blessings to you.
Gurnall says that in the same way that by a double motion we breathe air into our lungs and then exhale it out, as Christians we draw in mercy from God and then breathe back that mercy to Him in praise. So you can try using that imagery during a meditation time. Breathe in mercy, breathe out praise to God. When you breathe in, think about the promise of eternal life – that your sins have been forgiven, that you have the hope of heaven. And when you breathe out, breathe out your grateful praises to God for all of His mercies to you.
Here is a link to The Christian in Complete Armor: The Christian
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“I Am the Vine” by Knowles Shaw
Hymnal Page Scan: Praise for the Lord (Expanded Edition) page 200 | Hymnary.org
Audio Recording:
1 I am the vine, and ye are the branches,
Bear precious fruit for Jesus today;
The branch that in me no fruit ever beareth,
Jesus hath said, “He taketh away.”Chorus:
I am the vine, and ye are the branches;
I am the vine, be faithful and true;
Ask what ye will, your pray’r shall be granted,
“The Father loved me, so I have loved you.”2 Now ye are clean, thro’ words I have spoken,
Abiding in me much fruit ye shall bear;
“Dwelling in thee, my promise unbroken,
Glory in heav’n with me you shall share.” [Chorus]3 Yes, by your fruits the world is to know you,
Walking in love as children of day;
Follow your Guide, he passed on before you,
Leading to realms of glorious day. [Chorus] -
“Altogether Lovely” by George F. Root
Hymnal Page Scan: Altogether Lovely
Audio Recording:
1 Beautiful the fields beyond the river,
Glorious the thousands gathered there,
But who in Heav’n so full of grace and glory,
Who with Him, our Savior, can compare?Refrain:
Oh, He is the chief among ten thousand;
Roll His praise in joyful waves along;
For altogether, altogether lovely,
Shall forever be our happy song.2 Altogether, altogether lovely,
He is calling tenderly to thee;
My soul, why not accept His great salvation,
Offered now so rich, so full, so free? [Refrain]3 Altogether, altogether lovely,
Hear His voice, how tender still the call;
“Come, come, ye weary ones and heavy laden,
Come to Me and let your burdens fall.” [Refrain] -
“Beloved” by Joseph Swain
Hymnal Page Scan: Psalms and Hymns to the Living God page 471 | Hymnary.org
Audio Recording:
1 O Thou in whose presence my soul takes delight,
On whom in afflictions I call,
My comfort by day, and my song in the night,
My hope, my salvation, my all.
2 Where dost Thou at noontide resort with Thy sheep,
To feed on the pastures of love?
Say, why in the valley of death should I weep,
Or alone in the wilderness rove?
3 O, why should I wander an alien from Thee,
And cry in the desert for bread?
Thy foes will rejoice when my sorrows they see,
And smile at the tears I have shed.
4 Ye daughters of Zion, declare, have ye seen
The star that on Israel shone?
Say, if in your tents my Beloved has been,
And where, with his flocks, he is gone.
5 This is my Beloved; his form is divine;
His vestments shed odors around:
The locks on his head are as grapes on the vine,
When autumn with plenty is crowned.
6 The roses of Sharon, the lilies that grow
In vales on the banks of the streams:
On his cheeks all the beauties of excellence glow,
And his eyes are as quivers of beams.
7 His voice as the sound of the dulcimer sweet,
Is heard through the shadows of death;
The cedars of Lebanon bow at his feet,
The air is perfumed with his breath.
8 His lips as a fountain of righteousness flow,
That waters the garden of grace,
From which their salvation, the Gentiles shall know,
And bask in the smiles of his face.
9 Love sits in his eyelids, and scatters delight
Through all the bright mansions on high;
Their faces the cherubim veil in his sight,
And tremble with fulness of joy.
10 He looks, and ten thousands of angels rejoice,
and myriads wait for His word;
He speaks and eternity, filled with His voice,
re-echoes the praise of the Lord.
11 Dear Shepherd! I hear, and will follow Thy call;
I know the sweet sound of Thy voice;
restore and defend me, for Thou art my All,
And in Thee I will ever rejoice. -
“Fresh Springs” by Frances Havergal
Audio Recording:
1 Springs of life in desert places,
Shall thy God unseal for thee;
Quickening and reviving graces,
Dew-like, healing, sweet and free.
Chorus:
Hear thy Father’s blessed promise!
Listen, thirsty, weary one!
“I will pour My Holy Spirit
On Thy chosen seed, O Son.”
2 Springs of sweet refreshment flowing,
When thy work is hard or long;
Courage, hope, and pow’r bestowing, Lightening labour with a song.
3 Springs of peace, when conflict heightens, Thine uplifted eye shall see;
Peace that strengthens, calms, and brightens, Peace, itself a victory.
4 Springs of comfort, strangely springing, Through the bitter wells of woe;
Founts of hidden gladness bringing, Joy that earth can ne’er bestow. -
“O Land of the Blessed” by Emily H. Miller
Hymnal Page Scan: The Bright Array 49. O land of the blessed | Hymnary.org
Audio Recording:
1 O Land of the blessed! thy shadowless skies
Sometimes in my dreaming I see;
I hear the glad songs that the glorified sing,
Steal over Eternity’s sea;
Tho’ dark are the shadows that gather between,
I know that thy morning is fair;
I catch but a glimpse of thy glory and light,
And whisper: “Would God I were there!”
2 O Land of the blessed! Thy hills of delight
Sometimes to my vision unfold;
Thy mansions celestial, thy palaces bright,
Thy bulwarks of jasper and gold;
Dear voices are chanting thy chorus of praise,
Their forms in thy sunlight are fair;
I look from the valley of shadows below,
And whisper: “Would God I were there!”
3 Dear home of my Father, thou City of peace,
No shadow of changing can mar;
How glad are the souls that have tasted thy joy!
How blest thine inhabitants are!
When weary of toiling, I think of the day—
Who knows if its dawning be near?—
When He who doth love me shall call me away
From all that hath burdened me here. -
“There is a Land” by George Stebbins
Hymnal Page Scan: Favorite Sacred Songs: containing Solos, Duetts, Quartettes and Choruses for the Church and Home page 35 | Hymnary.org
Audio Recording:
1 There is a land that lies afar,
Where grief is all unknown;
A land where-in the angels sing
Around the heav’nly throne.Refrain:
O ‘twill be sweet when we shall meet
Upon that distant shore,
Where-on the glorious sun ne’er sets,
But shines for evermore,
But shines for evermore.2 We are but pilgrims on the earth
And brief our sojourn here:
But well we know, beyond this vale
There is a brighter sphere. [Refrain]3 There is a realm of boundless love,
A goal for hearts distrest,
Where all may find endless years
A home among the blest. [Refrain] -
“Times of Refreshing” by Rev. W. B. Williams
Hymnal Page Scan: Hymns for His Praise: No. 2 93. The times of great refreshing | Hymnary.org
Audio Recording:
1 The times of great refreshing, O grant us, Lord, again;
The vineyard needs the blessing of gracious, growing rain;
O give us now the shower that shall our hearts renew,
And make us, by Thy power, to start our growth anew.
Chorus:
Refreshing times, reviving rain;
The Holy Ghost outpouring, the showers warm, inspiring;
Refreshing times, reviving rain,
O give us once again, give us, Lord, again.
2 For times of great refreshing, our souls now pant and cry;
Our spirits are depressing, our hearts are hard and dry;
O make us now to blossom like flowers in the spring;
The fruit that’s sweet and wholesome in holy living bring. [Chorus]
3 A time of great refreshing, Thy presence, Lord, would be;
Thy Zion, then rejoicing, would sing her praise to Thee;
The tree of consecration would precious fruitage bear; A wondrous transformation would come if Thou wert here. [Chorus] -
“Behold Me Standing at the Door” by Fanny Crosby
Hymnal Page Scan: Behold Me Standing at the Door
Audio Recording:
1 Behold me standing at the door,
And hear me pleading evermore,
With gentle voice, O heart of sin,
May I come in? May I come in?Refrain:
Behold me standing at the door,
And hear me pleading evermore;
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in? May I come in?2 I bore the cruel thorns for thee;
I waited long and patiently;
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in? May I come in? [Refrain]3 I would not plead with thee in vain;
Remember all my grief and pain!
I died to ransom thee from sin,
May I come in? May I come in? [Refrain]4 I bring thee joy from heaven above;
I bring thee pardon, peace and love;
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in? May I come in? -
“Ascend, Beloved, to the Joy” by Horatius Bonar
Hymnal Page Scan: Songs of Pilgrimage: a hymnal for the churches of Christ (2nd ed.) page 192 | Hymnary.org
Audio Recording:
1 Ascend, beloved, to the joy,
The festal day has come;
Tonight the Lamb doth feast his own,
Tonight he with his bride sits down,
Tonight puts on the spousal crown,
In the great upper room.
2 Ascend, beloved, to the love,
This is the day of days;
Tonight the bridal song is sung,
Tonight ten thousand harps are strung,
In sympathy with heart and tongue,
Unto the Lamb’s high praise.
3 The festal lamps are lighting now,
In the great marriage hall;
By angel hands the board is spread,
By angel hands the sacred bread
Is on the golden table laid;
The King his own doth call.
4 The gems are gleaming from the roof,
Like stars in night’s round dome;
The festal wreaths are hanging there,
The festal fragrance fills the air,
And flowers of heaven, divinely fair,
Unfold their happy bloom.
5 Long, long deferred, now come at last,
The Lamb’s glad wedding day;
The guests are gathering at the feasts,
The seats in heavenly order placed,
The royal throne above the rest –
How bright the new array.
6 Sorrow and sighing are no more;
The weeping hours are past,
Tonight the waiting will be done,
Tonight the wedding robe is on;
The glory and the joy begin,
The crown has come at last.
7 Without, within, is light, is light;
Around, above, is love, is love;
We enter to go out no more;
We raise the song unsung before,
We doff the sackcloth that we wore,
For all is joy and love.
8 Ascend, beloved, to the life,
Our days of death are o’er;
Mortality has done its worst,
The fetters of the tomb are burst,
The last has now become the first,
Forever, evermore.
9 Ascend, beloved, to the feast,
Make haste, the day has come;
Thrice blest are they the Lamb doth call
To share the heavenly festival
In the new Salem’s palace hall,
Our everlasting home.
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Learning to Live by Faith 