Sunday, September 23,
2012, 6:12 a.m. – the Lord woke me this morning with the song “Pray, Pray, Pray,” followed by the song
“For Our Nation.”
Pray, Pray, Pray
/ An Original Work / September 6, 2012
Based off Various Scriptures
Pray that eyes may
enlightened be,
So they may know
Christ.
Pray that they may Him
better know,
Strengthened by His
pow’r.
Pray that they may
grasp
How wide and long
And high and deep
Is Christ’s love.
Pray that they may be
filled
To the fullness of
God’s love.
Pray with
thanksgiving.
Pray for an open door
for me,
So I may share Christ.
Pray when the gospel
is proclaimed –
Shared with clarity.
Pray words are given
me so
I declare the gospel
fearlessly.
I pray for you to be
active
Sharing your faith,
too.
Pray continually.
We oft not know for
what to pray,
So we ask for help.
The Spirit intercedes
for us –
Words cannot express.
Just keep on praying
for the saints
With all kinds of
requests to God.
Pray they may have
faith to
Please their God in
ev’ry way.
Pray with joyfulness.
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Philippians 4:4-19 (NIV 1984):
Rejoice in the Lord
always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the
peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or
heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be
with you.
I rejoice greatly in
the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have
been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this
because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the
circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have
plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives
me strength.
… And my God will meet
all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Clear Direction
As many of you know by now, a little over a week ago a music
producer in Nashville, TN, approached me about professionally recording some of
my songs. At first I declined, and then he wrote back and encouraged me to pray
about, so I did. The Lord immediately put the hymn “The Regions Beyond,” by A.B. Simpson, in my mind. So, I knew the
Lord was saying to go to the regions beyond with the gospel. Next the Lord put
the song “God Will Make a Way” (where
there seems to be no way) in my mind, so I knew the Lord was saying “Go to the
regions beyond” and that he would make a way for me to go. He followed this
with the scripture, “With man this is
impossible, but with God all things are possible,” and the scripture that
says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by
my Spirit, says the Lord.” So, I knew the Lord was saying “Go,” “I will
make a way,” “With God all things are possible (that are not possible with man)”,
and “Not in your own strength or power or wisdom, but in the power and strength
of the Holy Spirit within you will this be accomplished.
I have been praying for clear direction in this matter for
over a week now. This morning I prayed: “Lord, I pray you would give me clear
direction concerning going to Nashville and recording the song ‘For Our Nation’”
(for at this point we had determined that we will begin with just one song). I
continued, “It keeps appearing to me to be an open door. I pray if this is your will that you will work out all
the details and provide all we need (finances; voice; etc.) for this venture ‘to
go to the regions beyond.’ In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”
Then, I read the lyrics to the song “Pray, Pray, Pray.” The Lord had led me to research various
scriptures in the New Testament on the topic of prayer, so the lyrics came
straight from scripture (with minor variations). The second verse, thus, was
based off a request of Paul’s for the church to pray for him for an “open door”
to share the gospel clearly and fearlessly. Now, the Lord has given me 110
songs to write, so I don’t know all the lyrics to all the songs, though I know
enough to identify what songs he puts in my mind when I awake in the morning.
So, when I came to the second verse and it read, “Pray for an open door for me,
so I may share Christ,” I cried, for I knew the Lord had answered my prayer for
clear direction. The Lord had given me this song, then the song “For Our Nation,” and then this producer
contacted me within a few days following that, so I sense very much God’s hand
in all of this and that he has provided this open door for me.
I don’t write for profit, or for fame, but for the glory of
God and the encouragement of the church. I have not copyrighted any of the songs
on purpose, but have marked them all as “public domain.” So, the question arose
as to the potential necessity of copyrighting the song once it is
professionally recorded, so I prayed for direction for that, as well, and the
Lord replied: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.”
Well, the songs originated with God (The Original), and they are his works,
which is why each one of them is subtitled “An Original Work,” and why the
recording artist is “Original Works,” so the songs are clearly God’s, from
beginning to end, and are not Caesar’s, nor will they ever belong to Caesar if
I have any say over it, so they need to remain in the public domain.
“Lord, I keep seeing green lights all the way with this
project, so I will move forward, trusting you to make a way where there seems
to be no way. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
Not Anxious
When Gerry first approached me about recording some of my
songs professionally, using my voice, I admit that I was anxious about that
possibility. I know my own voice. I know it is a 62 year old voice and it does
not have the strength that it had in my younger years, and that often it gives
out on me without notice, so I told him that the songs are in the public domain
and that anyone is free to record them. Then, he encouraged me to use my own
voice for the recordings, so I wrote back and explained to him that I have an
old voice that is not what it was in my younger years and that I have not kept
up with vocal exercises, etc., to keep it in shape and strong. Yet, he
encouraged me that he could work with that, and the Lord encouraged me that it
is “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord,” and “God will
make a way where there seems to be no way,” and “With man this is impossible,
but with God all things are possible.” So, the Lord turned my anxiety into
trust and faith for God to work the impossible (financially and with voice).
Worry is the opposite of faith. If God leads us in a
direction, we need to trust him to work out all the details. Instead of
worrying and fretting, we need to pray with thanksgiving, thanking God in
advance for what he is going to do, expecting him to work miracles! That is
where I am right now. I know my God is able to do exceedingly above all that I
could ask or imagine. He is God! And, I definitely did not ask for this one nor
did I imagine it in my wildest dreams. I already had an open door to share the
gospel, I thought, and that I was not in need for an open door, and yet the
Lord gave me that song that asked people to pray for an open door for me, and
it appears to me that God has answered that prayer. With prayer and faith
(trust) in place of worry comes inner peace and assurance that God will work
everything out according to his plans and purposes. Trust, as opposed to worry,
involves believing in God’s sovereignty over all things and his power to act on
our behalf.
When we worry, our minds often race forward with all kinds
of fearful thoughts and imaginations. I know my mind began to go there, contemplating
what we would do if my voice did not cooperate. I had to shake off those
fearful thoughts and trust the Lord that if he was leading in this, which I
believe he is, that he will give me what I need. Paul said, “And my God will
meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” We must
believe that, and “take it to the bank,” essentially. We have to believe what
God says and we have to stop worrying, because he is God and he is quite
capable of handling the circumstances of our lives. And, we have to let go and
let God lead!
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
This does not mean I can jump off a tall building and not die, but it means
that I can do everything for which God has called me and has equipped me and is
of his perfect will for my life, because it will be God doing it through me,
and not me doing it myself. So, I commit this project of professionally
recording the song “For Our Nation”
to God and to his purposes, and I will follow him wherever he leads me,
trusting him to work it all out for good and for his glory and honor and praise.
For Our Nation /
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
( ) Indicates descant (Soprano)
Bombs are bursting.
Night is falling.
(My Lord Jesus,)
Jesus Christ is gently
calling
(Gently calling)
You to follow Him in
all ways.
(You to follow)
Trust Him with your
life today.
(Him in all ways.)
Make Him your Lord and
your Savior.
(Make Him your Lord)
Turn from your sin.
Follow Jesus.
(And your Savior.)
He will forgive you of
your sin;
(Turn from your sin.)
Cleanse your heart,
made new within.
(Follow Jesus.)
Men betraying: Our
trust fraying.
(On our knees to)
On our knees to God
we’re praying,
(God we’re praying,)
Seeking God to give us
answers
(Seeking God to)
That are only found in
Him.
(Give us answers.)
God is sovereign over all
things.
(God is sovereign)
Nothing from His mind
escaping.
(Over all things.)
He has all things
under His command,
(He will work all
things)
And will work all for
good.
(Out for good.)
Men deceiving: we’re
believing
(We’re believing)
In our Lord, and interceding
(In our Lord , and)
For our nation and its
people
(Interceding)
To obey their God
today.
(For our nation.)
He is our hope for our
future.
(God is our hope)
For our wounds He
offers suture.
(For our future.)
He is all we need for
this life.
(He is all we)
Trust Him with your
life today.
(Need for this life.)
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