Streams in the Desert March 24 Daily Devotional

And Jacob said, 0 God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: Deliver me, I pray
thee (Gen. 32:9, 11).
There are many healthy symptoms in that prayer. In some respects it
may serve as a mould into which our own spirits may pour themselves, when melted in the fiery furnace of sorrow.
He began by quoting God's promise: "Thou saidst." He did so twice
(9 and 12). Ah, he has got God in his power then! God puts Himself
within our reach in His promises; and when we can say to Him, "Thou saidst." He cannot say nay. He must do as He has said. If Herod was so particular for his oath's sake, what will not our God be? Be
sure in prayer, to get your feet well on a promise; It will give
you purchase enough to force open the gates of heaven, and to take it by force. --Practical Portions for the Prayer-life.
Jesus desires that we shall be definite in our requests, and that
we shall ask for some special thing. "What will ye that I shall do
unto you?" is the question that He asks of every one who in
affliction and trial comes to Him. Make your requests with definite earnestness if you would have definite answers. Aimlessness in prayer accounts for so many seemingly unanswered prayers. Be definite in your petition. Fill out your check for something
definite, and it will be cashed at the bank of Heaven when
presented in Jesus' Name. Dare to be definite with God. --Selected.
Miss Havergal has said: "Every year, I might almost say every day,
that I live, I seem to see more clearly how all the rest and
gladness and power of our Christian fife hinges on one thing, and that is, taking God at His word, believing that He really means
exactly what He says, and accepting the very words in which He reveals His goodness and grace, without substituting others or altering the precise modes and tenses which He has seen fit to use."
Bring Christ Word-Christ's promise, and Christ's sacrifice His
blood, with thee, and not one of Heaven's blessing can be denied thee.
--Adam Clarke.