you reach for me, i tried to avoid you
fear grips my heart, it's a deep paranoia that i'll be alone if i reach back to you
too busy protecting, can't see i'm rejecting you
for self preservation steals the joys of sweet adoration
self preservation steals the joys of sweet adoration

for i was made for love's embrace, to hear words that are spoken with grace, with a hand in mine, together to face the trials of life
you say you'd never leave me, so i'll be found believing you

you say my name, and i can't ignore you
you presence comes in and my heart just adores you
if i could let go that i'm not good enough
can't see what i'm missing when shame blurs my vision of you

Jesus i know, self preservation steals the joys of sweet adoration
for self preservation steals the joys of sweet adoration

i was made for love's embrace, to hear words that are spoken with grace, with a hand in mine, together to face the trials of life
you say you'd never leave me, so i'll be found believing you

for self preservation steals the joys of sweet adoration
there is an answer for loneliness
self preservation steals the joys of sweet adoration
there is an answer for loneliness
there is an answer

he said when we love him, when we obey his commands, that he would make his home with us...

To Hell with the Devil and His Destructive Lies
John Piper:

But the hard truth is that most Christians don’t pray very much. They pray at meals—unless they’re still stuck in the adolescent stage of calling good habits legalism. They whisper prayers before tough meetings. They say something brief as they crawl into bed. But very few set aside set times to pray alone—and fewer still think it is worth it to meet with others to pray. And we wonder why our faith is weak. And our hope is feeble. And our passion for Christ is small.

The Duty of Prayer
And meanwhile the devil is whispering all over this room: “The pastor is getting legalistic now. He’s starting to use guilt now. He’s getting out the law now.” To which I say, “To hell with the devil and all of his destructive lies. Be free!” Is it true that intentional, regular, disciplined, earnest, Christ-dependent, God-glorifying, joyful prayer is a duty? Do I go to pray with many of you on Tuesday at 6:30 a.m., and Wednesday at 5:45 p.m., and Friday at 6:30 a.m., and Saturday at 4:45 p.m., and Sunday at 8:15 a.m. out of duty? Is it a discipline?

You can call it that. It’s a duty the way it’s the duty of a scuba diver to put on his air tank before he goes underwater. It’s a duty the way pilots listen to air traffic controllers. It’s a duty the way soldiers in combat clean their rifles and load their guns. It’s a duty the way hungry people eat food. It’s a duty the way thirsty people drink water. It’s a duty the way a deaf man puts in his hearing aid. It’s a duty the way a diabetic takes his insulin. It’s a duty the way Pooh Bear looks for honey. It’s a duty the way pirates look for gold.

Means of Grace: Gift of God
I hate the devil, and the way he is killing some of you by persuading you it is legalistic to be as regular in your prayers as you are in your eating and sleeping and Internet use. Do you not see what a sucker he his making out of you? He is laughing up his sleeve at how easy it is to deceive Christians about the importance of prayer.

God has given us means of grace. If we do not use them to their fullest advantage, our complaints against him will not stick. If we don’t eat, we starve. If we don’t drink, we get dehydrated. If we don’t exercise a muscle, it atrophies. If we don’t breathe, we suffocate. And just as there are physical means of life, there are spiritual means of grace.

"Faith is seeing, savoring, the supreme treasure of Christ."

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth.’”  Jeremiah 1:7

Every one of us has a counter-argument to the call of God.  “No, Lord.  I am only a _________.”  But what God said to Jeremiah he says to you: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jeremiah 1:5).  You don’t define yourself.  God does.  And he never has a trivial thought.  He’s not capable of it.

God also said, “To all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:7-8).  You have been sent into this world by God.  You have a mission.  He handmade you for it.  He is with you every day to deliver you.  Do not be afraid.

To fulfill your destiny, you don’t need to mimic someone else’s identity, someone who seems to matter more than you do.  The you that you are by creation and redemption in Christ – that basic you is not fundamentally a problem; that you is fundamentally a strategy.

Being who you are is a privilege from God.  Trust him.  Rise up and serve him, as only you can.

You

is a post from: Ray Ortlund

"As Jack Miller taught me, live as close to Jesus as you can. Constantly preach the gospel to yourself. Walk closely with a “gospel posse”. Risk or rust for the rest of your life. Love one spouse well the rest of your life. Never be surprised to discover how broken the bride of Jesus is; how immature and selfish you can be; or how much God loves you in Jesus. Ache for heaven and serve in this moment."

From a Pastor Friend

"God is in the silence, but He is not silent"