I love reading quotes and poetry, and I thought I would share this one with you guys. I thought it had some good points in it with the kind of attitude we should have when we pray to the Lord. I do not know anything about this man who wrote this poem, but I think he might have realized whatever he did was wrong after being put into prison or at least I can tell that he must have been reading his Bible some. I might have to look him up and see if I can find out more about him, and why he was put in prison. Anyway I thought some of you might enjoy reading it. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. In parenthesis are the notes I made after each line. I would love to hear any comments that anybody would like to share on this subject.
O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
(we are told as christians to "Pray without ceasing", Daniel is one of the good examples we can turn to of someone who fervently prayed to the Lord even when it was forbidden)
Help me to pray and gather my thoughts to you, I cannot do it alone.
(we should always remember that "Our body is a temple of the Lord, and he has given us all that we have, we have nothing without him)
In me it is dark, but with you there is light;
(As Christians we become in the light after becoming baptized while we were in darkness before our sins were washed away)
I am lonely, but you do not desert me;
(Remember the faith of Job after losing everything he had plus having the health conditions that were inflicted upon him. After all that had happened he still praised the Lord and continued to pray. He is another great example for us)
My courage fails me, but with you there is help;
(Remember how the apostles were in prison yet continued to pray and sing songs praising the Lord)
I am restless, but with you there is peace;
(Psalms 23 is a great chapter to remember, We as Christians have peace as we strive daily to be faithful to the Lord so that we can see him in Heaven some sweet day)
in me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
(Job is a great example of one having patience)
I do not understand your ways, but you know the way for me.
(there are somethings that only God knows, such as the number of hairs in our head. We are not meant to understand everything, but in the book of Proverbs we are told that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" In Chapter 3 it says "to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths."
Father in Heaven praise and thanks be to you for the night’s rest,
(once again a reminder for us to pray daily)
Praise and thanks be to you for the new day.
(we need to be thankful for each day, but we also should not wait till tomorrow to do things for we do not know when our last day will be: Mt. 24:44)
Praise and thanks be to you for all your loving-kindness and faithfulness in my past life.
(Remember how Paul changed his former life and humbled himself after persecuting Christians. He totally devoted himself in serving the Lord as he said "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain")
You have shown me so much goodness; let me also accept what is hard to bear from your hand.
(God is merciful and a patient God in that he sent his only son to die so that we might be saved, "He is not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance. 2 Pet. 3:9)
You will not lay a heavier burden on me than I can carry.
(He must have remembered the passage from I Cor. 10:13 which states "God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, with with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.")
You make all things serve for the best for your children.
("The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" James 5:16 There are many other passages that could go along with this statement "He is a shield to those who trust him" Keep in mind many are deceived in what one must do in order to be saved, but if we Trust and Obey all that the Lord has commanded for us to do we shall be saved)
Lord, whatever this day brings, your name be praised.
(It seems encouraging this man writing from a prison that he still prayed to the Lord. However, if he wasn't a Christian then even if he prayed to God then his prayers wouldn't be heard in the way that God hears the prayers of a faithful Christian. However, the example as far as remembering God while in prison is a Good example such as: Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego when they were thrown into the fiery furnace for not bowing down to worship the king. Also Daniel being thrown into the Lions den for praying to God. There are many other good examples that could probably have been used.)
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, [A prayer written in Tegel prison, Berlin]
