Alex Tang
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Books Recommendation
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Medical Students /Paediatric notes
The Prayer of a Minor Prophet
The covenant and prayer of a preacher
THIS IS THE PRAYER of a man called to be a witness to the nations. This is what
he said to his Lord on the day of his ordination. After the elders and ministers
had prayed and laid their hands on him he withdrew to meet his Saviour in the
secret place and in the silence, farther in than his well-meaning brethren could
take him.
And he said: O Lord, I have heard Thy voice and was afraid. Thou hast called me
to an awesome task in a grave and perilous hour. Thou art about to shake all
nations and the earth and also the heaven, that the things that cannot be shaken
may remain. O Lord, my Lord, Thou hast stooped to honor me to be Thy servant. No
man taketh this honor upon himself save he that is called of God as was Aaron.
Thou hast ordained me Thy messenger to them that are stubborn of heart and hard
of hearing. They have rejected Thee, the Master, and it is not to be expected
that they will receive me, the servant.
My God, I shall not waste time deploring my weakness nor my unfittedness for the
work. The responsibility is not mine, but Thine. Thou hast said, “ I knew thee –
I ordained thee – I sanctified thee,” and Thou hast also said “Thou shalt go to
all that I send thee, and whosoever I command thee thou shalt speak.” Who am I
to argue with Thee or to call into question Thy sovereign choice? The decision
is not mine but Thine. So be it, Lord. Thy will, not mine be done.
Well do I know, Thou God of the prophets and the apostles, that as long as I
honor Thee Thou wilt honor me. Help me therefore to take this solemn vow to
honor Thee in all my future life and labors, whether by gain or by loss, by life
or by death, and then to keep that vow unbroken while I live.
It is time, O God, for Thee to work, for the enemy has entered into Thy pastures
and the sheep are torn and scattered. And false shepherds abound who deny the
danger and laugh at the perils which surround Thy flock. The sheep are deceived
by these hirelings and follow them with touching loyalty while the wolf closes
in to kill and destroy. I beseech Thee, give me sharp eyes to detect the
presence of the enemy; give me understanding to see and courage to report what I
see faithfully. Make my voice so like Thine own that even the sick sheep will
recognize it and follow Thee.
Lord Jesus, I come to Thee for spiritual preparation. Lay Thy hand upon me.
Anoint me with the oil of the New Testament prophet. Forbid that I should be a
religious scribe and thus lose my prophetic calling. Save me from the curse that
lies dark across the face of modern clergy, the curse of compromise, of
imitation, of professionalism. Save me from the error of judging a church by its
size, its popularity or the amount of its yearly offering. Help me to remember
that I am a prophet – not a promoter, not a religious manager, but a prophet.
Let me never be a slave to crowds. Heal my soul of carnal ambitions and deliver
me from the itch for publicity. Save me from the bondage to things. Let me not
waste my days puttering around the house. Lay Thy terror upon me, O God, and
drive me to the place of prayer where I may wrestle with principalities and
powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world. Deliver me from overeating
and late sleeping. Teach me self-discipline that I may be a good soldier of
Jesus Christ.
I accept hard work and small rewards in this life. I ask for no easy place. I
shall try to be blind to the little ways that could make life easier. If others
seek the smoother path I shall try to take the hard way without judging them too
harshly. I shall expect opposition and try to take it quietly when it comes. Or
if, as sometimes it falleth out to Thy servants, I should have grateful gifts
pressed upon me by Thy kindly people, stand by me then and save me from the
blight that often follows. Teach me to use whatever I receive in such manner
that will not injure my soul nor diminish my spiritual power. And if in Thy
permissive providence honor should come to me from Thy church, let me not forget
in that hour that I am unworthy of the least of Thy mercies, and that if men
knew me as intimately as I know myself they would withhold their honors or
bestow them upon others more worthy to receive them.
And now, O Lord of heaven and earth, I consecrate my remaining days to Thee; let
them be many or few, as Thou wilt. Let me stand before the great or minister to
the poor and lowly; that choice is not mine, and I would not influence it if I
could. I am Thy servant to do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than
position or riches or fame and I choose it above all things on earth or in
heaven.
Though I am chosen of Thee and honored by a high and holy calling, let me never
forget that I am but a man of dust and ashes, a man with all the natural faults
and passions that plague the race of men. I pray Thee, therefore, my Lord and
Redeemer, save me from myself and all the injuries I may do myself while trying
to be a blessing to others. Fill me with Thy power by the Holy Spirit, and I
will go in Thy strength and tell of Thy righteousness, even Thine only. I will
spread abroad the message of redeeming love while my normal powers endure.
Then, dear Lord, when I am old and weary and too tired to go on, have a place
ready for me above, and make me to be numbered with Thy saints in glory
everlasting. Amen. AMEN
Tozer, God Tells the Man Who Cares ( Harrisburg,PN: Christian Publications,
1970) p. 86-89
