Be as Little Children

Be as Little Children
Os Hillman

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1a

I have an important business meeting in the morning. Would you please set the alarm for 5:30 a.m.?" I said to my wife. "Oh, that won't be necessary. Just tell the Lord what time you want to wake up. He does it for me all the time," my wife said. I rolled my eyes in disbelief.

"Well, I'd feel more comfortable if we set the alarm." "Okay, ye of little faith. But just to prove my point I am going to ask the Lord to wake us up just before 5:30." The next morning I awoke before the alarm went off. I looked at the clock. It read 5:15. I looked at my wife, who had just awakened at the same time with an I-told-you-so smile.

Sometimes we wrongfully view God as someone we go to for only the "big things." The idea of "bothering God" for such a trivial matter seems foolish and presumptuous. However, when you were a child and had to get up in the morning for school, didn't your mom or dad come wake you up? They were your parents, and you could come to them with the most trivial concerns or requests. Why would our heavenly Father be any less approachable?

Perhaps our problem is that we simply have not developed a level of intimacy with God so that we feel the freedom to approach Him at these daily, routine levels. We often operate with an unwritten code that says our needs must have a certain degree of importance or crisis before we come to God with them. This is not God's character towards us.

Does the Lord desire this level of intimacy with you and me? The apostle Paul exhorted us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV). There is never a caution to pray only about matters of greater importance. Today, go to God with matters that you might view as trivial and would normally avoid bringing to God. Ask God to increase your level of intimacy with Him. You may even be able to get rid of your alarm clock.

Revival Requires Obedience

REVIVAL: It REQUIRES OBEDIENCE
A W Tozer.

"But why do you call Me "Lord, Lord," and not do the things which I say?" - Luke 6:46.

It is my conviction that much, very much, prayer for and talk about revival these days is wasted energy. Ignoring the confusion of figures, I might say that it is hunger that appears to have no object; it is dreamy wishing that is too weak to produce moral action. It is fanaticism on a high level for, according to John Wesley, "a fanatic is one who seeks desired ends while ignoring the constituted means to reach those ends."...

The correction of this error is extemely difficult for it entails more than a mere adjustment of our doctrinal beliefs; it strikes at the whole Adam-life and requires self-abnegation, humility and cross carrying. In short it requires obedience. And that we will do anything to escape.

It is almost unbelievable how far we will go to avoid obeying God. We call Jesus "Lord" and beg Him to rejuvenate our souls, but we are careful to do not the things He says. When faced with a sin, a confession or a moral alteration in our life, we find it much easier to pray half a night than to obey God.

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When the Cross is scorned and obedience becomes a chore, revival is found in nowhere else. Please help us Lord to redirect our focus on You alone. In Jesus name. Amen.

From A Pure Heart

From A Pure Heart
Steve Troxel

As Jesus watched people place their offering into the temple treasury, He noticed a poor widow who put in two coins valued at less than a penny. "Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on.'" -Mark 12:43-44

This passage gives us a wonderful example of faith and how God must be the Lord of our finances - but the real message actually goes much deeper.

We have all been blessed in so many ways; and we are called to be good stewards, or managers, of all our blessings. As a good steward, we must present all we possess back to our Heavenly Father as an offering of love. Yes, this relates to our financial resources, but it also means we are to offer our gifts, abilities, talents, and time back to God through service and ministry to others. God created us (the complete package of who we are) for a purpose. And though we may need to spend good quality time with God to fully understand our purpose, we can be absolutely sure that God has NOT blessed us so we can advance our own selfish agenda!

Every one of our blessings, no matter how small, are given so we can bless God in return. We often hold back from ministry opportunities because we feel our "offering" is insignificant. We feel inadequate to serve or unworthy to make a true contribution to the work of God's Kingdom; but God is never concerned with the magnitude of a gift. He is, and always has been, concerned and blessed by the condition of our heart: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22). How we give is much more important than what we give.

God does not need our money, time, ability, or anything we accomplish or produce. But He loves us dearly and desires to receive the complete love and devotion which is given with our offering. Jesus was blessed by a widow who gave from her heart, even though the actual gift carried very little earthly value. If we want our service or ministry to have significance in the eyes of God, we must focus on the One to whom we are giving rather than on the value of the gift in the eyes of man.

With our eyes focused, we must then give with all the love in our heart. If our heart is pure in the giving, God will receive our offering as a true blessing. There are no worthless or insignificant gifts when the gift is given from a pure heart.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

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Yes Lord, truly Your Word are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times, more precious than gold, than much pure gold. Sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be pleasing in your sight, my LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. In Jesus Most Glorious Name. Amen!

The Vast of Your Thoughts

The Vast of Your Thoughts
Charles R. Swindoll

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." -Philippians 4:8

Thoughts are the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish in life. If I feed my mind upon doubt, disbelief, and discouragement, that is precisely the kind of day my body will experience. If I adjust my thermostat forward to thoughts filled with vision, vitality, and victory, I can count on that kind of day. Thus, you and I become what we think about. Neither Dale Carnegie nor Norman Vincent Peale originated such a message. God did. "For as [a man] thinks within himself, so he is" (Proverbs 23:7). "Therefore, prepare your minds for action" (1 Peter 1:13).

The mind is a "thought factory" producing thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of thoughts each day. Production in your thought factory is under the charge of two foremen. One we shall call Mr. Triumph, the other Mr. Defeat. Mr. Triumph specializes in producing reasons why you can face life victoriously, why you can handle what comes your way, why you're more than able to conquer. Mr. Defeat is an expert in the opposite. He develops reasons why you cannot succeed, why you're inadequate, why you should give up and give in to worry, failure, discouragement, and inferiority. Give a positive signal, and Mr. Triumph will see to it that one encouraging, edifying thought after another floods your mind. But Mr. Defeat is always standing by, awaiting a negative signal (which he would rather you call "reality" or "common sense!"), and when he gets it, he cranks out discouraging, destructive, demoralizing thoughts that will soon have you convinced you can't or won't or shouldn't.

Thoughts, positive or negative, grow stronger when fertilized with constant repetition. That may explain why so many who are gloomy and gray stay in that mood . . . and why those who are cheery and enthusiastic continue to be so. What kind of performance would your car deliver if every morning before you left for work you scooped up a handful of dirt and put it in your crankcase? The engine would soon be coughing and sputtering. Ultimately it would refuse to start.

The same is true of your life. Thoughts that are narrow, self-destructive, and abrasive produce needless wear and tear on your mental motor. They send you off the road while others drive past. You need only one foreman in your mental factory: Mr. Triumph is his name. He is eager to assist you and available to all the members of God's family. His real name is the Holy Spirit, the Helper.

If Mr. Defeat is busily engaged as the foreman of your factory, fire yours and hire ours! You will be amazed at how smoothly the plant will run under His leadership.

Verse For Meditation: Psalm 139:1-6

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How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. And surely you amazed us still, O LORD! Amen and Amen. In Jesus most wondrous name! Amen.

The King As Friend

The King As Friend
Timrufus

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. -Proverbs 11:25
Have you ever read in the newspaper of a poor man giving out a dollar ten bucks to a neighbor taking his night out on a cold brick? Nay, what we normally read and hear is some tycoon A donating some USD100, 000 to The Nightingale’s Home For The Ages or Noah Ark for His Junior and someone get to quote Proverbs 11:25. It is however in the natural law of harvesting, except when divine providences at work and the harvest of a man is blessed to a double or some in multiples of three, four or even five, each man should toil for what he should own. (Proverbs 13:4)

A man may have all the wealth in the world and yet do not know how to bless other. Likewise, we can have very little and may not be necessary of good cheer every moment of our life but still be very generous (gracious) in our speech to other. He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed and one who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.

It is never an evil to own too much but certainly not when our power this day within have causes us to forget God and the placement he has put us in today. (Proverbs 3:27) For such man will he himself be cursed if not by man (verse 26,27) but by the same God who causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45) To be stingy alone may not be a grievous sin, but not when one become overwhelmed by what he has and people curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell. A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1) For to see the needs of other is one thing but being not able to pray for them is a grievous sin for one to begin with (1 Samuel 12:23) but whoever refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

What are the areas that God has put you to be able to bless other today? It may not be necessary in the form of money or a bank’s check but a simple word that encourages. A word that could uphold a man’s life at a point of time or even a piece of sweet to an immigrant who had just stepped onto a foreign land, is a blessing to one we see in needs. For by doing so some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2) and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. But what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? He who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend.

Verse For Meditation: Mark 8:34-36

Father we thank you for your word that says, He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. And even if Aaron today would not bless your inheritance and we may not be necessary of good cheer every moment of our life, but with all that you have given to us, may it multiple to a hundred, sixty or even thirty times. Thank you Lord. In Jesus most mighty Name. Amen.

The Error of Positive Thinking

The Error of Positive Thinking
Os Hillman

..."Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6

God's people should be the most positive, joyful people on earth. This joy should be a by-product of a healthy, intimate relationship with Jesus. In today's business climate, we are barraged with every possible means of becoming more productive workplace believers. Positive thinking and self-help philosophy are promoted as tools for workplace believers to fulfill their potential and overcome the mountains in their lives. God calls each of us to be visionary leaders, but we must be careful that vision is born out of His Spirit, not the latest self-help program. These ideas lead us away from dependence on God to a self-based psychology designed to give us more power, prosperity, and significance.

The result is heresy. Our faith in God becomes faith in faith. It is born out of hard work and diligence rather than obedience to God's Spirit. The problem lies in that these philosophies sound good, and can even be supported by Bible verses. Beware of anything that puts the burden of performance on you rather than God. There are times in our lives when God doesn't want us to climb every mountain. Sometimes He wants us to go around. Knowing the difference is the key to being a man or woman led by the Spirit.

God has called us to affect the workplace through His Spirit, not by our might. Have you tapped into the real power source of the soul? Ask the Lord to reveal and empower you through His Spirit today. Then you will know what real positive thinking is.

Why God Blesses

Why God Blesses
Os Hillman

"And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel." 1 Chronicles 14:2

King David learned an important lesson every leader must learn if he is to ensure God's continual blessing. He knew why God blessed him. It wasn't because he deserved it, though he was a man who sought God with his whole heart. It wasn't because of his great skill, though he was a great military strategist. It wasn't because he was perfect, for he committed some horrible sins during his reign as king. No, it was for none of these reasons. God blessed David for the "sake of His people Israel." God never blesses an individual just for that person's exclusive benefit. God calls each of us to be a blessing to others. So often we forget this last part.

R.G. LeTourneau, a businessman who built heavy construction equipment, came to realize this only after God took him through many trials. Once the Lord had all of LeTourneau, he came to realize that the question wasn't whether he gave 10 percent of what the Lord gave him. Rather, the question was, "What amount does He want me to keep?" LeTourneau was known for giving 90 percent of his income toward the end of his career and was a great supporter of world missions. But the Lord doesn't bless workplace believers just for the ability to give financially. God has given workplace believers many more gifts beyond the financial.

What is happening with the spiritual fruit of God's blessing on your life? Is it clogged, or is it freely flowing to others? Ask the Lord to free you to be a blessing to those in your circle of influence.

The Lord As Bread

The Lord As Bread
Chip Brogden

"You seek Me, not because you saw the signs,but because you ate of the loaves and were filled." John 6:26

The ones who seek bread from the Lord will be temporarily filled, but all who seek the Lord as Bread will be constantly satisfied. What is more, they will have resources from which to feed others. It is a shame that many Christians only seek to be filled, and still they are never satisfied. They are content with a meager pittance, for a few crumbs from the table (Mark 7:28). They are constantly obsessed with being filled. To such ones we can only say that it is time to seek the Lord, not for what He can give you, but for Himself.

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To know you to know you, is the cry of my heart, Spirit please reveal him to me. To hear what You're saying Lord, brings joy to my soul, just to know You and to know you alone. In Jesus most wonderful Name. Amen.

Thou Art God

Lesson of Faith - Be Still
Timrufus

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” -Psalm 46:10

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. With sight, one can probably buy his or her next step and what else do we need to prepare in advance for life but while Abraham left the land of civilization and made himself home among the hot canvas, Moses gave up a princely life with the Egyptians to stay identified with the Israelites. Although a bible commentary can seemingly help us to understand more of His word, but not until have we experience more and more of his grace and glory along the way, we cannot go any further down in a deeper walk with Him. The years of study in a child’s life is to prepare him for greater work in the society but instead of knowing God face to face, we may instead end up to understanding Him word by word. Hence knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

Likewise, there are many thing in life that cannot be simply learnt through extensive long hours of study in a college’s library or simply by reading someone else's biography. For some faith is a gift, others as they grow gradually in the spirit, and a measure of faith is apportioned. (Romans 12:3) But what if someone say I have faith but no deeds? True faith are faith that has been thoroughly tested and endures, good works and good deeds can never justify the faith we have in God neither can it saves us on the last day.

In short, faith in action should enhance the work of our hands, the deed of our mouths, it is simply faith brought forth itself alive or faith itself metamorphoses - from faith to faith, from glory to glory. Compare to faith in its most raw form (Romans 4:22), it is the process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form and it requires more than one distinct stages. Self-assurance and self-delusion is no faith though one may claim to have faith for if faith can comes by understanding, it requires no work or action on our part. On the contrary, it does not means that we should take on the honor on behalf of God and struck the rock. The Psalmist had undergone it and he knew this and that was why he said, “Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.” (Psalm 119:140)

God does not give vision to those who are not willing to take the first step out into the wavering seas. Faith without action is dead - I’ll show you a most typical example of what does it meant by to “walk by faith.” Firstly to walk by faith, one will need to take a cloth and have himself blindfolded. You may think it is very easy, but that was what Abraham did when he took to the mountain his son and the wood. It is the same for us, faith in God will subject us to surrender our fears, our worries, our concerns, our wants and our needs down at His feet. Then the real man begins to walk and as he walk, the Lord will stretch out His hand to hold the man’s hand. (Matthew 14:28-31) That is what Paul meant by “For we live by faith, not by sight” but faith without action is dead.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and faith is the evidence of things not seen. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” and of David who knew grace apart from works. (Romans 4:3-8)

Verses for meditation: Genesis 22:1-7

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

The Way of God

The Way of God
Os Hillman

"If My people would but listen to Me.... Psalm 81:13

God has a specific training ground for leaders. There are three patterns of preparation that have been common among most of God's leaders. First, there is a time when the leader is separated from his old life. Consider Moses, Joseph, Abraham, and Paul. In order for God to mold and shape them into His nature, it appears that He had to remove them from the life of comfort.

A teacher once said, "You cannot go with God and remain where you are." Next, there is usually a time of solitude. God often brings leaders into a time of solitude in order to speak to them without other distractions. Hosea 2:14b says, "I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." Paul was sent to Arabia for two years for a time of solitude. Joseph spent years in the solitude of prison. Moses spent 40 years in the desert herding sheep.

The third characteristic of God's preparation for leaders is discomfort. The setting in which the preparation takes place usually is not a place of comfort. Abraham traveled through the difficult deserts. David lived in caves fleeing Saul. Paul was frequently persecuted. Are you ready for the classroom of leadership preparation?

If God chooses to bring you into this class, you may have one of three reactions to the events. First, you may say, "I don't need it." Perhaps you know intellectually that you do need this, but God wants you to know it in your heart. Pride prevents us from entering this classroom. The second reaction may be, "I'm tired of it." You decide you've had enough. If so, this will disqualify you from leadership.

Finally, God's desired response from us in this preparation is, "I accept it." To accept it with joy is the place of maturity in Christ. God often keeps us in these places until we come to accept and agree that Jesus is enough. Is He all you need?

Like the people of Israel, I think we have something to do with the timetable of our education. "If My people would but listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!" (Psalm 81:13-14) Are you ready for the process required for being a godly leader? Ask for His grace to willingly embrace these times of preparation.

Unless the Lord Goes With Us

Unless the Lord Goes With Us
Os Hillman

"Then Moses said to him, 'If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.'" Exodus 33:15

Moses was in the middle of his journey through the wilderness, leading the people of Israel out of Egypt. The people had just sinned by worshiping the golden calf. Moses interceded for them and God spared them their lives. Moses then talked one on one with the Lord. He knew he could not lead this stubborn people without God's presence. He had come to realize that without God's presence, he could not do anything. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? (Exodus 33:16)

Moses did not want to move farther without the assurance that God was moving with him. He knew it was a life-and-death situation. He sought the Lord with his whole heart on this one matter. The question is a good one. If we are to be effective in anything we do for the Lord, the Lord must be in the midst of it. Unless the Lord's power is seen among us, we will be just another person who has religion. Unless we manifest His life to others, they will see only good behavior that is easily counterfeited by moral people.

Moving out in presumption will end in failure and frustration. Ask the Lord today to assure you of His presence and power in your activities. Then you will be assured that you will be distinguished among all the other people on the face of the earth.

Have You Seen The Rabbit

Have You Seen The Rabbit
Author Unknown

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

One day, a young disciple of Christ desirous of wanting to become all that God had for him visited the home of an elderly Christian. He had heard that this old man had never lost his first love for Christ in all the years he had known Him. The old Christian was sitting on the porch with his dog stretched out before him taking in a beautiful sunset.

The young man posed this question: "Why is it, brother, that most Christians zealously chase after God during the first year or two after their conversion, but then fall into a complacent ritual of church twice a week and end up not looking any different than their neighbors who aren't even Christians? I have heard you are not like that. I've been told that you have fervently sought after God throughout your years as a Christian. People see something in you that they don't see in most people who became Christians. What makes you different?

The old man smiled and replied, "Let me tell you a story: One day I was sitting here quietly in the sun with my dog. Suddenly a large white rabbit ran across in front of us. Well, my dog jumped up, and took off after that big rabbit. He chased the rabbit over the hills with passion. Soon, other dogs joined him, attracted by his barking. What a sight it was, as the pack of dogs ran barking across the creeks, up stony embankments and through thickets and thorns! Gradually, however, one by one, the other dogs dropped out of the pursuit, discouraged by the course and frustrated by the chase. Only my dog continued to hotly pursue the white rabbit." "In that story, young man, is the answer to your question."

The young man sat in confused silence. Finally, he said, "Brother, I don't understand. What is the connection between the rabbit chase and the quest for God?"

"You fail to understand," answered the well-seasoned old man, "because you failed to ask the obvious question. Why didn't the other dogs continue on the chase? And the answer to that question is that they had not SEEN the rabbit.

Unless you see the prey, the chase is just too difficult. You will lack the passion and determination necessary to keep up the chase."

The Goal of Spiritual Knowledge

The Goal of Spiritual Knowledge
Chip Brogden

"Always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:7

If in our quest for spiritual growth our idea is only to learn a few facts about the Bible, glean tidbits of information from this preacher and that teacher, fill our brains with facts and fill our libraries with more books and magazines, we run the risk of fooling ourselves into thinking that we know and understand God - when it could be that we are ever learning "truths" without knowing the Truth.

Have you met someone like this? They seem to have all the right answers, but they have the wrong spirit. They tenaciously cling to their minute opinions and cannot be persuaded otherwise. Their knowledge has not changed them, except to make them worse: for now they are puffed up in the vanity of their own mind (1 Corinthians 8:1,2). True spiritual growth is characterized by grace (not works) and an increased knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

And, we maintain that this knowledge of Jesus Christ cannot be obtained by study, but is only granted by way of revelation.

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Lord, I thank You that You delight in showing grace and compassion and that You have redeemed Your people through the work of Your Son.
I pray for a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of You.
In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen and Amen.

Dying for Lack of Knowledge

Dying for Lack of Knowledge
Os Hillman

"The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God." 1 Chronicles 13:10

A business friend of mine confessed that he did not like to read. He found it a difficult discipline. I replied, "If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God's Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God. God's Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life." The prophet Hosea tells us, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children" (Hosea 4:6).

God has given us His Word that has specific laws and principles that must be followed if we expect His blessing. King David forgot to follow one of those laws related to the ark. "...But they must not touch the holy things or they will die..." (Numbers. 4:15). When they were transporting the ark, Uzzah innocently reached to steady the ark but was immediately stricken dead when his hands touched the ark of God. Did David know this law or did he simply forget? Did Uzzah know this law? If so, did he really believe it? David thought it was okay to carry the ark the way Uzzah did. A man lost his life for his presumption. Many workplace believers I know take God's Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them.

Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. "David was afraid of God that day and asked, 'How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?' " (1 Chronicles. 13:12) We must all have a fearful respect of God's Word. For truly, it is life or death. Do you take God's Word seriously? Is it life or death for you? Do you feed upon His Word daily so that you might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.

Older is Not Always Elder

Our Spiritual Maturity
Chip Brogden

"Let no one despise your youth,but be an example to the believers in word,in
conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

An older person is not necessarily a spiritual elder. We do not look to the age of a person's physical body when determining their spiritual maturity. Of course, we owe a certain amount of respect to the aged by virtue of their seniority; but they may not necessarily be our elder in the things of the Lord. One can be older chronologically and be quite immature in spiritual matters. Likewise, a relatively young man or woman can have a deep relationship with the Lord and be light years ahead of those two or three times their age. A young man or woman who knows God is more elder than a senior citizen who does not know God. We cannot judge by the flesh, or we will be misled.

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Lord God, have mercy upon our frail and tender egos, so that we might be open and ready to embrace the discipline of constructive criticism in our lives. Grant us ears to hear and understand Your truth and love amidst it. Bless us with humility of spirit to embrace it and grace to be trained by it that we might continue to mature in the image of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in Whose name we pray. Amen and Amen.