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InTheLight
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Joined: 2003/7/31
Posts: 2850
Phoenix, Arizona USA

 A Touchstone of Reality - take this test

I read this the other day and have been deeply affected by it and I have taken up the writers challenge to test all matters as to their reality. Already producing much brokenness concerning humilty (or lack thereof). Read this and take up the test also for the next month. I believe there will be much fruit for His glory...

A TOUCHSTONE OF REALITY

I will here give you an infallible touchstone that will test all matters as to their reality. It is this: Step back from the world and all social contacts; stop all the former activities of your heart and mind; and with all the strength of your heart stand all this month as continually as you can in this one form of prayer to God. Offer it frequently on your knees: but whether sit-ting, standing or walking, be always inwardly longing and earnestly praying this one prayer to God. Ask that, in His great goodness, He might reveal to you, and take from your heart, every kind and form and degree of pride, whether it be from evil spirits or your own corrupt nature; and that He might awaken in you the deepest and most genuine depths of that humility which can make you capable of enjoying His light and His Holy Spirit.

Reject every thought but that of wishing and praying in this matter from the bottom of your heart, with such sincerity and earnestness as people in torment wish and pray to be delivered from it.

The painful sense and feeling of what you are, kindled into a working state of awareness by the light of God within you, is the fire and light from which your spirit of prayer proceeds. In its first kindling nothing is found or felt but pain, wrath and darkness, as is to be seen in the kindling of every heat or fire. And therefore its first prayer is nothing else but a sense of penitence, self-condemnation, confession and humility. It feels nothing but its own misery, and so is all humility.

This prayer of humility is met by the Divine Love, the mercifulness of God embraces it; and then its prayer is changed into songs and thanksgiving. When this state of fervor has done its work, has melted away all earthly passions and affections and left no inclination in the soul but to delight in God alone, then its prayer changes again.

It has now come so near to God, has found such union with that it does not so much pray as live in God. Its prayer is not any particular action, not limited to set times, words or places, but is the work of the whole being which continually stands in fullness of faith, in purity of love, in absolute resignation to do, and be, what and how the Beloved pleases. This is the last state of the spirit of prayer and is its highest union with God in this life.


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Ron Halverson

 2010/8/29 23:18Profile
enid
Member



Joined: 2006/5/22
Posts: 2680
Nottingham, England

 Re: A Touchstone of Reality - take this test

It looks good to print out and focus on for 30 days.

Absolute resignation is a phrase that is used in this article.

How is it I know I don't have it?

May I ask if you know who the writer of the article is?

Not that it matters. It's a good and worthwhile challenge.

God bless.

 2010/8/31 9:22Profile
InTheLight
Member



Joined: 2003/7/31
Posts: 2850
Phoenix, Arizona USA

 Re:

I'm glad that you are taking up the challenge, I know it will bear fruit because it already is in my life.

Your question concerning how we can know if we don't have absolute resignation has caused me to ponder for a while. I believe that resignation - glad-hearted submission to the will of God - is a major part of humility and goes along with lowliness of mind and penitence for sin. My thoughts turned to something that Zac Poonen wrote concerning living as Jesus lived in regards to humility...

"It is in our thoughts that the seed of true Christ-like humility is sown. The Holy Spirit transforms us through the renewal of our mind (Rom. 12:2). Therefore, it is not so much by our actions or by our behaviour before others but rather by our thoughts (when we are by ourselves) that we can know whether we are being transformed into Christlikeness in this area or not - our thoughts concerning ourselves and about how we compare with others.

It is only when we are truly small in our own thoughts, that we can genuinely "regard others as more important than us" (Phil. 2:3), and consider ourselves as "the very least of all the saints" (Eph. 3:8). Jesus always considered Himself as a man to be nothing before His Father. Therefore the glory of the Father was manifested through Him in all its fullness. Because Jesus took this position of nothingness before the Father, He could joyfully submit to anything that the Father ordered for His life, and obey all the Father's commandments wholeheartedly.

"He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death" (Phil. 2:8). Total obedience to God is the unmistakable mark of genuine humility. There is no clearer test than this."


Also, in regards to your question about the author of my original post, it came from a booklet written by Andrew Murray titled The Secret of Inspiration. This booklet primarily contains extracts from three of William Law's books and then Mr. Murray briefly comments on the extracts. The portion that I quoted is from William Law's book titled The Spirit of Prayer published in 1750.

In Christ,

Ron


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Ron Halverson

 2010/8/31 20:09Profile





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