The Beautiful Garden of Prayer ~ hymn

I wanted to share with you this lovely hymn. It has been running through my head quite a lot this week. I find it interesting when I know a hymn that my husband doesn’t or vice versa. This is one I grew up with. At least, I think I did since I can remember it from way back when. Prayer has been something I have been engaged in a lot lately. I always pray but I have been spending more time in the garden of prayer recently. This past week in particular there has been a good bit on my mind so I am spending time sharing it with God, who already knows what I am coming to Him with. As this hymn says, there is a light of His presence when you are with Him in prayer. He has hope and peace to give when you are praying. His blessings abound and He is able to sharing them with His children in the beautiful garden of prayer. Don’t neglect it. He’s waiting.

The Beautiful Garden of Prayer

words: Eleanor Allen Schroll
music: James H Fillmore
copyright 1920

1 There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting,
There’s a place that is wondrously fair,
For it glows with the light of His presence
’Tis that beautiful garden of prayer.

Refrain:
O the beautiful garden, the garden of prayer,
O the beautiful garden of prayer!
There my Savior awaits, and He opens the gates
To the beautiful garden of prayer.

2 There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting,
And I go, with my burden and care,
Just to learn from His lips words of comfort
In the beautiful garden of prayer. [Refrain]

3 There’s a garden where Jesus is waiting,
And He bids you to come meet Him there,
Just to bow and receive a new blessing
In the beautiful garden of prayer. [Refrain]

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Our God Is Able To Deliver Thee ~ hymn

Something we all need to hear and remember – “Our God is able to deliver thee.” It doesn’t matter where or what you are deep in with, God is able. Focus on Him and the fact that He is by your side. And sing away this great reminder that God is able.

1. ’Tis the grandest theme through the ages rung;
   ’Tis the grandest theme for a mortal tongue;
   ’Tis the grandest theme that the world e’er sung,
   “Our God is able to deliver thee.”
   • Refrain:
     He is able to deliver thee,
     He is able to deliver thee;
     Though by sin oppressed, go to Him for rest;
     “Our God is able to deliver thee.”
2. ’Tis the grandest theme in the earth or main;
   ’Tis the grandest theme for a mortal strain;
   ’Tis the grandest theme, tell the world again,
   “Our God is able to deliver thee.”
3. ’Tis the grandest theme, let the tidings roll,
   To the guilty heart, to the sinful soul;
   Look to God in faith, He will make thee whole,
   “Our God is able to deliver thee.”
   (music and lyrics: William A Ogden 1841-1897)

Need another reminder that God will take you through whatever is going on in your life? Take a look at what Paul wrote in II Corinthians 1:3-11.

[2Co 1:3-11 NKJV] 3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, [it is] for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, [it is] for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you [is] steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also [you will partake] of the consolation. 8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver [us], 11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift [granted] to us through many.

Bobby Wheat preached on these scriptures this morning and I found it greatly encouraging. You can find that sermon on our church’s Facebook page to listen to or on our website, along with others.

As you face each day, remember, our God is able to deliver.

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Praise in Singing

Last Sunday, May 30, was our 5th Sunday singing at evening worship. I love those singing days a lot. Singing is a joyful way to worship and praise. This is a recording of that worship service. Sing along and enjoy!

List of songs (I think I got them all listed here)

• I Come to the Garden Alone
• To God Be The Glory
• Flee As A Bird
• Hide Me, Rock of Ages
• Step By Step
• I Stand Amazed
• Just As I Am/I Come Broken
• Thomas’ Song
• Be Thou My Vision
• Holy, Holy, Holy
• Will Your Anchor Hold?
• Night With Ebon Pinion
• I’ll Fly Away
• When I Go Home
• O Lord, Our Lord
• It Is Well With My Soul (When Peace Like A River)
• Restore My Soul
• Ten Thousand Angels
• I Am A Poor Wayfaring Stranger

We live stream our services on Facebook every time we meet. You can join us Sunday mornings at 9 am CST for Bible class, 10 am CST for worship, and 5 pm CST for worship. We also meet at 7pm CST for Wednesday devotional and Bible study time. If you are in town, please visit in person. We’d love to meet you.

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Hymns and Singing

The congregation we attend enjoys singing and finds great encouragement in it. We praise God together in song with full hearts and, I hope, smiles plastered on our faces. Due to the current situation, i.e. Covid, we are broadcasting our services through Facebook Live each Sunday and Wednesday. The most recent Sunday night was a 5th Sunday night and for us, that means a singing service. I am sharing that hour of joy with you by linking you to the broadcast of it. I hope you enjoy it and sing along. There were many hymns sung that I would claim as “favorites.” Many of them were messages I get strength from hearing, even hearing over and over. Many were would not be ones I choose but I get pleasure and joy from hearing and joining in praising God. So, for your pleasure:

5th Sunday Singing.

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Thankfulness

When I start thinking about how to write about thankfulness, I find myself thinking how typical all my responses are. And I consider myself pathetic for that. Surely, I think, I can find something “bigger” or “better” or “more important” to be thankful about. I don’t want to be thankful for the same stuff as everyone else. And so I convince myself that these exercises in thankfulness are not all that effective.

Then, I hear my daughter singing.

Jesus paid it all;
All to him I owe;
Sin has left a crimson stain;
He washed it white as snow.

Y’all, that put it all in perspective real fast. Better than a glass of cold water in the face. That is all I need and in being thankful for that, I am giving thanks for all the other “stuff.” Stuff here on earth is nice but it is just stuff. If I have salvation, I have it all. And therein lies the thankfulness.

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Linking up with the Homeschool Review Crew for the November challenge for week 2 – Giving Thanks.

Near To The Heart of God ~ hymn

Rest is something that is elusive for a lot of people. I was talking with another mom this morning at worship about her husband and the fact that he got no rest last night due to insomnia. Without rest, we are going to struggle. Without rest, we have no peace. Without rest, we are vulnerable to all sorts of things we don’t want to have in out lives as Christians – laziness, outbursts of temper, unkindness, stress, worry, and so much more.

Take some time today to visit with God, to find that “place of quiet rest” that will bring you “near to the heart of God.”

Perhaps these passages will help you –

[Psa 73:28 ESV] 28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

[Isa 26:3 ESV] 3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

[Jas 4:8 ESV] 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

[Heb 7:25 ESV] 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

[Heb 11:6 ESV] 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

May you find yourself near to the heart of God, seeking Him and finding peace and joy only He can provide.

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Near To The Heart of God

words and music: C. B. McAfee (1931)

1 There is a place of quiet rest,
near to the heart of God,
a place where sin cannot molest,
near to the heart of God.

Refrain:
O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
sent from the heart of God,
hold us, who wait before thee,
near to the heart of God.

2 There is a place of comfort sweet,
near to the heart of God,
a place where we our Savior meet,
near to the heart of God. [Refrain]

3 There is a place of full release,
near to the heart of God,
a place where all is joy and peace,
near to the heart of God. [Refrain]

In The Morning of Joy ~ hymn

[1Th 4:16-17 NIV] 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Are you looking forward to that? I am. Yes, I love being on this earth and living here with my family. I enjoy being able to serve God in my life. But I am looking forward to the trumpet sounding and Christ’s return to take those faithful servants to heaven.

This hymn brings that to life in my imagination. It also issues a bit of a challenge. Read the second verse – “Shall the cause of the Lord, Have been all your employ, that your soul may be spotless. . .”

That question plaques my heart – have I been so focused on the cause of the Lord that I haven’t had time to put spots on my soul? Have I been employed in the cause of the Lord deeply? That is my searching this afternoon, seeking another way I can serve in His kingdom. It may be something I can do today; it may be an option in a few years. But I am praying that His will work beautifully in my life and that of my family so that we may serve him and stand spotless before him “In The Morning of Joy”

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

In The Morning of Joy

lyrics: Mrs. R. A. Evilsizer (1895)
music: Anthony J Showalter (1895)

When the trumpet shall sound,
And the dead shall arise,
And the splendors immortal
Shall envelope the skies,
When the angel of death
Shall no longer destroy,
And the dead shall awaken
In the morning of joy. Refrain.

Refrain:
In the morning of joy,
In the morning of joy,
We’ll be gathered to glory
In the morning of joy.
In the morning of joy,
In the morning of joy,
We’ll be gathered to glory
In the morning of joy.

When the King shall appear
In His beauty on high
And shall summon His children
To the courts of the sky,
Shall the cause of the Lord
Have been all your employ
That your soul may be spotless
In the morning of joy. Refrain.

Oh, the bliss of that morn
When our loved ones we meet,
With the songs of the ransomed
We each other shall greet.
Singing praise to the Lamb,
Thru eternity’s years
With the past all forgotten
With its sorrows and tears. Refrain.

The Lord Reigns

There is a song that is popular with our youth:

The Lord reigns; He is a mighty God.
The Lord God reigns.
The Lord reigns; He is a mighty God.
The Lord God reigns.
Great is the Lord Almighty,
He is Lord, He is God, indeed.
Great is the Lord Almighty,
He is God supreme.
Great is the Lord Almighty,
He is Lord, He is God, indeed.
Great is the Lord. Great is the Lord.

I have no real idea who composed the music or wrote the lyrics because this is one I learned the old fashioned way – by singing, by listening to those who love the Lord and just want to sing about Him.

God’s Reign should impact what we do, how we live, how we act and react to those around us. I love songs and verses that pull on that theme and remind me to worship the only one who truly reigns – God.

Exodus 15:18 “The Lord reigns for ever and ever.”

1 Chronicles 16:31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

Psalm 9:7 The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.

Psalm 93:1 The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.

Isaiah 57:2 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Revelation 19:6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.”

The challenge this week was for rain & God’s reign. I chose to focus on just the one because it is where my mind stayed. There are plenty of verses that bring those two together –

I Kings 18:41 where God’s prophet spoke about the coming rain. He could not have know without God reigning over all the world.

Genesis 6-7 and the account of the global flood that God sent shows that He is reigning.

God used rain, along with hail and thunder, in showing his power among the Egyptians in Genesis 9.

These are just a few of the verses and references that come up on the first page of results by searching at BibleGateway for the word rain. What a mighty God we have. The Lord Reigns!

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Visit the Homeschool Review Crew to read other posts on Rain & God’s Reign.

Love One Another (Angry Words) ~ hymn

Ephesians 4: 29-32
²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Philippians 2:14-15
¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life.

I tire of reminding my children to use kind words only to find that I myself have lost the kindness. How often does that happen? Too often. Many times, this is the hymn that comes to mind when I am striving to be kind yet am tired. Kindness is wrapped up in love and I often forget that they are intertwined and cannot be separated.

This is another hymn that I have known forever, it seems, that speaks directly to my heart. It has been in every songbook that I have known. It reminds me of what I should be doing because of how Christ lived and died. His example… His words… they should be my lifeline when I struggle. This hymn can help with that focus.

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Love One Another

lyrics: Sunday School Teacher (1867)
music: H. R. Palmer (1867)

1 Angry words! O let them never
From my tongue unbridled slip;
May the heart’s best impulse ever
Check them ere they soil the lip. Refrain.

Refrain:
“Love one another,” thus saith the Savior;
Children, obey the Father’s blest command.
“Love one another,” thus saith the Savior;
Children, obey the blest command.

2 Love is much too pure and holy,
Friendship is too sacred far,
For a moment’s reckless folly
Thus to desolate and mar. Refrain.

3 Let our words be sweetly spoken,
Let kind tho’ts be greatly stirred;
Show our love to one another
With abundance of kind words. Refrain.

Thank You, Lord ~ hymn

Simply put, it is always time for giving thanks. Fall seems to be a time when many people intentionally turn to thankfulness but I challenge you to be thankful in all things, at all times. James calls it “joy” (James 1:2) when he is talking about facing trials and temptations. But keep reading and he tells us in verse 17 that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Focus there.

Philippians 4 reminds us how to focus on thanksgiving and it begins with our thinking: v 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, 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. 

If you are finding the joy and excellent things to consider and focus on, then giving thanks for those things naturally follows. So, find a verse or song to sing daily that will help your focus. This one is mine. It is a favorite of Miss J and it sits in my head, bringing joy and clarity and thanksgiving.

Do you have a favorite song of thanks? A Net In Time shared this one yesterday and it is another that can sit in my head for days at a time and bring thanksgiving to my heart. I’d love to hear others. Please do share.

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for loving me.
And thank you, Lord, for blessing me.
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole
And saving my soul. Refrain.

Refrain:
Thank you, Lord, for loving me.
Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.

Let us all with one accord
Sing praises to Christ our Lord.
Let us all unite in song
To praise Him all day long. Refrain.

Please reveal your will for me
So I can serve you for eternity.
Use my life in every way.
Take hold of it today. Refrain.