When I think of the Sabbath, I think of it as a holy convocation – where I am called to holy exercises if you will, prayer and praise being key as well as hearing the word and re-committing myself or re-offering myself as a sacrifice to God.

You have six days in which to do your work, but remember that the seventh day, the Sabbath, is a day of rest. On that day do not work, but gather for worship. The Sabbath belongs to the Lord, no matter where you live. – Leviticus 23:3 GNT

In these moments my prayer becomes real  and proves to be the unfailing resource that I have.

I called to you, Lord;
    I begged for your help. – Psalm 30:8 GNT

There is always a day that I can go to the mercy seat of God, the throne of grace. Here I never forget to pray and I never doubt the success of prayer. Prayer is a place of solace that is offered by nothing else. My cry for help will succeed where all else fails.

“Bernard, under a fiction, proposes a fable well worthy of our beholding: therein the kings of Babylon and Jerusalem, signifying the state of the world and the church, always warring together; in which encounter, at length it fell out, that one of the soldiers of Jerusalem was fled to the castle of Justice. Siege laid to the castle, and a multitude of enemies entrenched round about it, Fear gave over all hope, but Prudence ministered her comfort. “Does thou not know,” saith she, “that our king is the King of glory; the Lord strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle? Let us therefore despatch a messenger that may inform him of our necessities.” Fear replies, “But who is able to break through? Darkness is upon the face of the earth, and our walls are begirt with a watchful troop of armed men, and we, utterly inexpert in the way into so far a country.” Whereupon Justice is consulted. “Be of good cheer,” saith Justice, “I have a messenger of especial trust, well known to the king and his court, Prayer by name, who knoweth to address herself by ways unknown in the stillest silence of the night, till she cometh to the secrets and chamber of the King himself.” Forthwith she goeth, and findeth the gates shut, knocketh again, “Open, ye gates of righteousness, and be ye opened, ye everlasting doors, that I may come in and tell the King of Jerusalem how our case standeth.” – John King

Prayer is my ambassador.

When I think of trials and difficulties it naturally comes around to money.

God will give us wealth, honor, and property, yes, everything we want, but then will not let us enjoy it. Some stranger will enjoy it instead. It is useless, and it just isn’t right. How are the wise better off than fools? What good does it do the poor to know how to face life? It is useless; it is like chasing the wind. It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else. – Ecclesiastes 6:2, 8-9  GNT

I am challenged to ask myself these questions. Have I wisely handled the material possessions that God has given me? Has the faithful practice of giving generously and increasingly to His work been difficult? Am I willing to pray that God would teach me how to manage my possessions and lead me to be generous in giving even if it means that those same possessions may decrease? Am I willing to pray my money away?

It may very well happen on a Sabbath day.

The prayer is not, that we should not be tempted, but that we should not be brought into temptation: as if, were it necessary that any one should be examined by fire, he should pray, not that he should not be touched by the fire, but that he should not be consumed. For “the furnace proveth the potter’s vessels, and the trial of tribulation righteous men.” – Augustine