Praise. Pray until you praise. That is the note upon which you have been told to end all prayer. Such marvels, truly such marvels are here.
Have no fear. Live in My Love. Draw nearer and nearer to Me. I will teach you. You shall see.
Before you could pass on to the Vision of Delights, you had to be taught the foundation Truths of honesty, trustworthiness, order, and perseverance. All is very well. Have no fear.
Poor indeed is the life that does not know the riches of the Kingdom. A life that has to depend on the excitement of the senses, that does not know, and could not realize, that delight, Joy, expectation, wonder, and satisfaction can be truly obtained only in the Spirit.
Live to bring men to the realization of all they can find in Me. I, Who change not, can supply the soul of man with Joys and delights so varied as to bring ever changing scenes of beauty before him.
I am truly the same, yesterday, today, and forever; but man, changing as he is led nearer and nearer to the realization of all I can mean to him, sees in Me new wonders daily. There can be no lack of glad adventure in a life lived with Me.
Your life is full of Joy. You realize now that though I was the Man of Sorrows in My deep Experience of life, yet companionship with Me means an excess of Joy such as nothing else can give.
Age may have its physical limitations, but, with the soul content to dwell with Me, age has no power to limit the thrill of Love, the ecstasy of Joy-giving Life.
Reflect this Joy that it may be seen by souls weary of life, chafing at its limitations, lonely and sad, as the door closes on so many activities. They will learn by this reflection something of the Joys that Eternal Life here and hereafter brings to those who know and love Me.
So Joy.
You must pray about all you plan to meet. Pray that you may leave them the braver, better, and happier for having seen and talked with you.
Life is so serious, let nothing turn you from your desire to serve and help. Realize all you are able to accomplish in your moments of highest prayer and service, and then think that, were your desire as intense always what could you not accomplish?
Rejoice in Me. The Joy of the Lord must indeed be your strength. You must step aside, and wait until the Joy floods all your being if you wish to serve.
Let Joy keep your hearts and minds lifted above frets and cares. If you want the walls of the city to fall down, you must go round it with songs of rejoicing.
You must obey My Will unhesitatingly if you would realize My Blessings. It is a straight and narrow way that leads into the Kingdom.
If man turns aside to follow his own will he may be in bypaths where My fruits of the Spirit do not grow, where My blessings are not outpoured.
You must remember that you have longed to help a world, the sorrows of which have eaten into your very souls. Do you not understand that I am answering your prayers?
The world is not always helped by the one who walks in sunlight on a flower-strewn path. Patient suffering, trials bravely borne, these show men a courage which could only be maintained by Help Divine.
You have to prove Me. To come to Me walking upon the water. No sure, accustomed earth beneath you. But remember He to Whom you come is Son of God and Son of Man.
He knows your needs. He knows how difficult it must be for mortals to learn to live more and more a life that is not of the senses. To know that when I say “Come,” I asked no impossibility.
Seeing the waves Peter was afraid.
Refuse to look at the waves. Know that with your eyes on Me you can override all storms. It is not what happens that matters, but where your gaze is fixed.
You have been told to end all prayer upon a note of praise. That note of praise is not only faith rising up through difficulties to greet me. It is more.
It is the echo in the heart of the sound borne on Spirit waves — of that Help upon the way. It is given to those who love and trust Me to sense this approach. So rejoice for truly your redemption draweth nigh.
You grieve that you have failed Me. Remember it was for the failures that I hung on Calvary’s Cross. It was a failure I greeted first in the Easter Garden.
It was to one of the failures I entrusted My Church, My Lambs, My Sheep.
It was to one who had thwarted and despised Me, who had tortured and murdered My followers that I gave My great world Mission to the Gentiles.
But each had first to learn to know Me as Savior and Lord by a bitter consciousness of having failed Me.
If you would work for Me, then you must be ready for the valley of humiliation through which all My followers have to pass.
Not so much on what you say as on your willingness to let My Influence flow through you, will your power to help others depend.
The Power of My Father is summoned by you to the aid of those whom you desire to help.
Live in the consciousness of My Presence, and your thoughts of Love, anxiety, and even interest will let loose a flood of Power to save.
You are Mine. Mine to control, to lead, to cherish. Trust Me for all.
In thinking of and dealing with others realize that whatever their sin, you would be as they are but for My protection, but for My tender forgiveness.
Remember, too, that My Command of “Judge not” was as explicit as that of “Thou shalt do no murder,” “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Obey Me in all.
