“We may be sure that, as we delight in what God delights in, such prayer is inspired by God and will have its answer. And our prayer becomes unceasingly, “Thy desires, O my Father, are mine. Thy Holy will of love is my will too.” Andrew Murray

“The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, gives wisdom to our ignorance, turns ignorance into wisdom, and changes our weakness into strength. The Spirit himself does this. He helps us and takes hold with us as we tug and toil. . . He pleads for and in us. He quickens, illuminates, and inspires our prayers. He proclaims and elevates the matter of our prayers, and inspires the words and feelings of our prayers. He works mightily in us so that we can pray mightily. He enables us to pray always and ever according to the will of God.” E.M Bounds

“Your sorrow itself shall be turned into joy. Not the sorrow to be taken away, and joy to be put in it’s place, but the very sorrow which now grieves you shall be turned into joy. God not only takes away the bitterness and gives sweetness in it’s place, but turns the bitterness into sweetness itself.” Charles Spurgeon (on John 16:33)

Joy comes from seeing the complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born again, not from successfully doing something of my own choosing. The joy our Lord experienced cam from doing what his Father sent Him to do. And He says to us, “As the Father has sent me, so I also send you.”(Jn 20:21). Have you received a ministry from the Lord? If so, you must be faithful to it – - to consider your life valuable only for the purpose of fulfilling that ministry. Knowing that you have done what Jesus has sent you to do, think how satisfying it will be to hear him say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Mt 25:21). We each have to find a niche in life, and spiritually we find it when we receive a ministry from the Lord. To do this we must have close fellowship with Jesus and must know Him as more than our personal savior. And we must be willing to experience the full impact of Acts 9:16 – “I will show you how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” Oswald Chambers

The discontented person thinks that everything that he does for God is too much and everything God does for him is too little.” Kimber Kauffman

“Christians rejoice even while they truly sorrow – - because their rejoicing is in the hope of heaven….While joy overcomes sorrow, it does not put an end to it.” John Calvin

“Joy and patience are far above our strength…. We must persevere in prayer that he may not permit our hearts to faint…. Prayer and perseverance are necessary in our daily conflicts. The best remedy to the weariness is diligence in prayer. ” John Calvin

“A prayerless soul is a Christless soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honor of a Christian. If you are a child of God, you will seek your Father’s face and live in your Father’s love.”

CH Spurgeon
Morning and Evening Jan 2- Morning

“The one who would glorify his God must be prepared to meet with many trials. No one can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts are many. If, then, yours is a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will never be able to display the all-sufficient grace of God. As for His failing you, never dream of it-hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now should be trusted to the end.”

CH Spurgeon

“It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all in all.” Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument-it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking unto Jesus.” Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! Let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.”[1]