Prayer: Where the Fruit is Not Yet

Ah, Lord God, How I rejoice in the Springtime of the year. So much new growth coming up out of the cold, hard ground -- such persistence! The promise of bud and blossom is so welcome after the long dark winter. Thank You also for the possibility of Springtime in my heart. In those areas where the fruit is not yet, I thank You for the promise of blossom.

When I see the rainbow in the sky out over the ocean, I am once again filled with hope that one day I will see the glory of Your splendor, O Lord. Until then, may Your wisdom guide me on straight paths and fill me with knowledge of You and Your Kingdom. May she prosper me in my labors and increase the fruit of my toil. May I truly learn that godliness is more powerful than anything.

I draw near to You, O God. I cleanse my hands of my own selfish motives and works. I purify my heart to accept Your gracious will. Forgive me for moments of double mindedness. May I be willing to lament and mourn and weep over those things that are displeasing to You. I humble myself before You, O Lord, for my life is just a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes. I choose to live for You and Your Kingdom purposes and the fruit of the life to come. Amen (Ezekiel 1.28; Wisdom of Solomon 10.10-12; James 4.8-10)

Prayer: Gracious Uncertainty

Lord God, may I choose to live in gracious uncertainty, ever ready to do Your bidding. Even though I may not know what a day will bring forth, keep my heart open for Your surprise visits. Restore me to You, O Lord. Grant me the wisdom that sits by Your throne, and do not reject me from among Your servants...send her forth from the holy heavens, and from the throne of Your glory. Send her, that she may labor at my side and that I may learn what is pleasing to You...for a perishable body weighs down the soul and this earthly tent burdens the thoughtful mind.

May all that I do be done with gentleness born of wisdom. Fill me with the wisdom from above that is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. May I sow in peace so I may reap a harvest of righteousness. Amen (1 John 3.2; Lamentations 5.20-21; Wisdom of Solomon 9.1,4,10,15; James 3.13,16)

Prayer: The Life that is Hid with Christ in God

Ah, Lord God, as a child I was naturally gifted, a good soul fell to my lot...but I perceived that I would not possess wisdom unless God gave her to me...so I appealed to the Lord and implored Him with my whole heart...You, O Lord, chose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the Kingdom. May my life be hid with Christ in You. Grant courage to follow wherever You lead -- through stormy seas, on rocky shoals, through briars, through waste places, through glades, up mountain heights, down into valleys -- knowing with assurance that Your helping hand is wherever You lead. Glorious it is to follow where my Master leads! Amen (Wisdom of Solomon 8.19-21; James 2.5)

Prayer: The Guide of the Wise

Ah, Lord God, You call me to a closer relationship with You. No longer content receiving just Your gifts; satisfied only with knowing You more intimately. Open my eyes to see You are are beside me always. Grant a Spirit-consciousness at all times.

Your mercies are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness, O God! I wait on You, O Lord. My soul seeks You. I wait quietly for You to pour out Your wisdom on me. Grant me the ability to speak with judgment and to have thoughts worthy of what I have received, for You, O God, are the guide of wisdom and the corrector of the wise. I place myself and my words in Your hands. May I be a reflection of Your Eternal Light, a spotless mirror of Your working in my life, an image of Your goodness. May I be known as a friend of God, one who lives in wisdom. You promise that if I am lacking in wisdom, all I have to do is ask and You will give generously and ungrudgingly. I ask, O God, for Your wisdom. Amen (Exodus 33.14; Lamentations 3.21-26; Wisdom of Solomon 7; James 1.5)

Prayer: Vast as the Sea is the Ruin of Many

Lord Jesus Christ, may I ever be aware that I can of my own self do nothing. May I learn to stop all work, everything, and rest before You until I am joyful and strong again, ready to do Your good work at Your command.

Vast as the sea is the ruin of many who have followed false and deceptive visions. May I be one who is taught and lead by You and Your Word, breaking with those traditions that misrepresent You. I set my desire to know You and to hear Your Word, for You say that the desire for wisdom leads to a Kingdom. May I step into Your Kingdom and be content with what I have, not neglecting to do good, and willingly share all I have. Fill me with the grace of hospitality that comes from You. Make me complete in everything good so I may do Your will and allow You to work out that which is pleasing in Your sight through Jesus Christ my Lord. May all glory and praise be Yours, my God and King. Amen (John 15.30; Nehemiah 13.14; Lamentations 2.13-14; Wisdom of Solomon 6.10; 11; Wisdom of Solomon 6.20; Hebrews 13. 2, 16, 20-21)

Prayer: The Thinness of Our Lives

Ah, Lord Jesus, grant a willing heart and a focus on that which is important so we may do the duty that lies nearest. May we in the church look to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, so we do not grow weary or become faint hearted in the work to which You call us. Send, O Lord, Your prophets, priests and poets to rescue us from the thinness of our lives and to lead us to Your green pasture and the still water which only You provide. Fill us, O Lord with Your great joy so others may see and hear and be drawn into relationship with You. Amen (Nehemiah 12.43,45; Hebrews 12.1-3)

Musings: On the Road...Celebration...Coincidence?

I received a few e-mails from regular readers of the prayer blog wondering where I was this past week. I apologize for the absence of prayer posts. I was "on the road" traveling to and from Washington state to help host my dad's 80th birthday celebration. During that time, I did my daily readings and wrote out my prayers in my journal, but I didn't have time or access to a computer to post them. All the prayers have now been "retroactively" posted.

The most amazing day to me was April 21st, the day of my dad's 80th birthday celebration. The night before, those family members who had arrived gathered for dinner. After dinner, we all sat around and dad told some of the stories from his childhood. This is always a treat, as dad is a wonderful story teller and most of his stories are quite humorous. One story, however, was extremely sad. As we looked at old family pictures of him, his mother, and his siblings, he shared that he did not know his father. His father had abandoned the family when dad was just a baby. The first time my dad saw him was at the age of 27 when he attended his father's funeral. His family name is Elam.

That particular story was on my mind the next morning when I started my quiet time. Imagine my delight when I read the verse in Jeremiah 49.39: . . . in the later days I will restore the fortunes of Elam, says the Lord. I didn't think this was mere coincidence. I immediately called my father and read him the verse.

His first response was, Are you kidding me?!

I explained that the verses leading up to this verse stated the judgment on the tribe of Elam was that it would be scattered to the four corners of the earth. Looking at his father's life, it was certain that this particular tribe of Elam had been "scattered" in Oklahoma. But God, through His amazing grace, reached out and touched my father's life and redeemed him from absolute poverty, made him a child of the Heavenly Father and restored his fortune. Looking back on his 80 years, he is a man richly blessed. He then stated, I like that! That's really something, isn't it?. . . I really like that!

Prayer: Value in Kingdom Terms

O Lord God, may I realize that my work is simply to disciple others until they are wholly yielded to You. One life wholly devoted to You is of more value to Your Kingdom than hundreds of lives simply awakened by Your Spirit. May You truly be my life's breath and may I know this world is not my home; I am a stranger, a foreigner, here in this place. Grant, I pray, a living faith. May my life reflect the values, love, compassion and graciousness of You, O my King. Amen (Nehemiah 11.2; Jeremiah 52.33; Hebrews 11.1,6,8)

Prayer: A Stayed Concentration on God

Ah, Lord God, blessed be Your glorious Name, which is exalted above all glory and praise. Form in me a stayed concentration on You, so that I bring all the margins of my life under Your dominance alone and I live in the freedom only You can give. Union with You is my great overwhelming necessity. May I study to be quiet, for it is in a profusion of words that Your Spirit is driven out.

May I not act presumptuously, and stiffen my neck and refuse to obey Your commandments. May I be ever mindful of the wonders You perform for me and for my family. Thank You for being a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love when I lose my way. Thank You for choosing not to forsake me, but to give me your good Spirit to instruct me and provide for all my needs.

You, O Lord, made the earth by Your power and established the earth by Your wisdom, by Your understanding You stretched out the heavens. I place my trust in You and choose to abide in your love, mercy and grace. You, O Lord, are faithful. Show me how to encourage others to abide in Your love. I confess that I do a very poor job at times. May Your Spirit alert me quickly to those times when I let a profusion of words draw me away from You and quench Your Spirit's work in others. Amen (1 Thessalonians 4.11; Nehemiah 9.16-20; Jeremiah 51.15; Wisdom of Solomon 3.9; Hebrews 10.23-25)

Prayer: Unlike Any Other

O Lord, I turn my heart and my face toward You. Grant me ears that are attentive, ears that hear. May I learn to serve You with joy and gladness, in tune with You all the time. Thank You for the new covenant You established through Your Son, Jesus Christ, an everlasting covenant. O Lord, when we look at Christ's life it is strange to us; it is unlike that of any other. We look forward with joy and eagerness to His coming again and moving us into Your glory. Amen (2 Corinthians 3.18; Psalm 100.2,4; Nehemiah 8.2,3,10; Wisdom of Solomon 2.14,15; Hebrews 9.26-28)

Prayer: Restoring the Fortunes of Elam

O Lord God, may I learn to take everything as it comes from You. May I come to know You intimately as friend-to-friend, ever realizing that You are beside me, dwelling with me, bringing me rest and peace. May I come to the place where I reflect You in all I do and say.

Thank You for this day to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday. Thank you for the readings that I had today -- he indeed is a faithful man who fears You more than most. In these later days, restore the fortunes of Elam, even as You promised in Your Word. Put Your laws in our minds and write them on our hearts; be our God and we will be Your people. Amen (John 14.9; Nehemiah 7.2; Jeremiah 49.39; Wisdom of Solomon 1.6, 10-11; Hebrews 8.10)

Prayer: Hearing the Secret Things of the Heart

You, O Lord, hear everything, even the secret things of the heart. Thank You for being my great High Priest. Thank You for ever interceding for me. I praise You, O God, for the power of Your indestructible life. Thank You for the power of Your Holy Spirit. Strengthen my hands, O God, for Your work. Amen (Nehemiah 6.9; Psalm 151.3 from the Greek Orthodox Bible; Hebrews 7.15-25)

Prayer: Alert to the "Least Things"

Lord God, may I be alert to the "least things", undercurrents of emotions, unguarded strengths taken too far so as to become a weakness. Keep me alert through the sensitivity to Your Spirit and Word. I confess that all health, peace, joy, patience, endurance comes to me through You. May I stay connected to You, My Glorious Source. May I show Your love to others, for Your sake. May I be willing to serve Your saints. Forgive me for having mixed motives at times. May my service be based on love for You and others, not for receiving praise or accolades from others. Amen (Nehemiah 5.19; 4 Maccabees 18.16; Hebrews 6.10)

Prayer: Surprise Visits of God

Ah, Lord God Almighty, may I be ready to do the tiniest little thing or the great big thing, realizing there is no difference as long as I am obedient to Your leading / guidance -- ever ready for Your surprise visits. May I be a repairer of the breach, a restorer of the things of God. Bring together those who are of a mind to work. I take courage, O God, and maintain firm an enduring hope in You. Keep me from the sin of presumption; taking on only what You call me to do. Amen (Nehemiah 4.6; 4 Maccabees 17.4; Hebrews 5.4)

Prayer: Living Word

Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Living Word. May I maintain my relationship with You very purposefully, very diligently by remaining in Your Word and allowing Your Word free reign in my heart and life. May I constantly reference my experiences to You, developing an increasing awareness of Your work in my daily happenings, tracing all back to Your loving forethought. Fill me with wonder, certitude, gratitude, and joy at how Your Word connects me and my life to You. May I become ever aware that all my words, aspirations and deeds bear witness to others of "something" -- may that "something" be You. May Christ so take shape within me that You take shape for others through me -- a living, bright Reality. May my ear be ever ready to hear Your voice and may my heart remain soft to receive Your living, dynamic truth. Amen (John 8.31-32; 4 Maccabees 16.16; Hebrews 4.7,12)

Prayer: Living Out Love

Ah, Lord God, it is only through You that I can achieve success in forgiving and loving others. O, gracious and forgiving God, turn my heart ever toward You so I may live out Your love toward all whom You bring across my path. May I learn to look to You even in the midst of gray, dull, hard days. Fill me, O Lord, with Your love. Amen (Nehemiah 2.20; 4 Maccabees 15.32; Hebrews 3.12-13)

Prayer: Eternal Concentration

Lord God, help me to realize that nothing is a mere detail to You. May I be moved to prayer about all things, but then narrow my focus to concentrate on a few things until they are done. Thank You for providing strength for my daily, hourly tasks.

O Lord, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant. May I be of the same mind as Abraham, and the mother of the seven faithful sons in 4 Maccabees. May I refuse to be swayed by that which is momentary; grant me eternal eyes and a mind that seeks to draw the attention of others to the eternal. I give the futures of my children and grandchildren to You. May I pay greater attention to what I have heard so that I do not drift away from that which has eternal significance. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation. Amen (Nehemiah 1; Jeremiah 43.2; 4 Maccabees 14.20; Hebrews 2.1)

Prayer: Sustained by His Powerful Word

Ah, Lord God, You guide me always. Attune my heart and ear to You so I may hear Your voice and follow You in the Way You would have me go. May I learn balance and poise, self-control and divine reason. I consecrate my heart to You, O Lord, for You are my Creator and Sustainer. When I have not might, O Lord, You increase my strength; sustain me with Your powerful Word. Amen (Isaiah 30.21; Isaiah 40.29; Ezra 10.4; 4 Maccabees 13.13-16; Hebrews 1.3)

Prayer: The Spirit of Prayer

Ah, Father God, sometimes I get prayer requests and I simply do not know how to pray. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit knows how to read what is on my heart and then perfectly interprets that to You. I pray for this young family who is in seminary in Durham, UK, who just learned that their son, Carl, who is seven years old, has leukemia. Thank You that they were immediately referred to a specialist. Thank You that Carl is receiving the chemotherapy that he needs. Be Dean's and Darlene's comfort and strength as they manage hospital trips, their two other children's needs, the home, and schooling. May the seminary community surround them and demonstrate very visibly Your great love to them. Thank You for reminding me that we can cast our burden's upon You. May Your hand be gracious upon them and upon all in the seminary community. We pray for Dean's and Darlene's family in Sasketchewan, Canada, who are so far away and who feel so helpless. May they hear the seminary "family" is being their hands and heart to their beloved children and grandchildren and be comforted.

Ah, Lord God, may I so live in the Spirit of prayer that I instantly hold in prayer all whom I meet (or simply hear about). May I see Your image in each person and honor them, welcome them and reflect Your love to them. May I learn to not only be gracious, but to also refresh the hearts of others. Most of all, may I depend upon Your Spirit to lead me in prayer. Grant me "Spirit ears" so I may hear Your call and instantly respond in loving prayer language. Amen. (Psalm 55.22; Ezra 8.22; Philemon 7)

Prayer: Eternal Life Has Nothing To Do with Time

Lord God, may I come to fully realize that eternal life has nothing to do with time -- it has to do with how I choose to live my life each moment. May the great, full life of God invade every part of me. O, Holy Spirit, make me attentive so I recognize the Presence of God in the ordinary experiences of life. May I choose to practice daily those things that are within my power to do (prayer, study of the Word, good works) so I may experience the grace of God flowing in and through me, allowing this regular attention to You and this training in the life of the Spirit to empower me to do what is far beyond my power. I revere You, O Creator God, and choose to live according to Your Word. Pour out Your Spirit upon me richly through Christ Jesus, making me an heir of eternal life in the here and now. When others look at me may they know that I have been with Jesus. Amen (Romans 6.11; Ezra 7.9; 4 Maccabees 11.5; Titus 3.6)

Prayer: Actuated by Different Motives

I confess, O Holy Spirit, that I am guilty of wanting You to simply be a guest in my life. I confess, too, O God, that when Your Word says I must forsake all I have to be Your disciple, I am inclined to think only of material things. The reality is. . . I must forsake all of my rights. . . to myself.

It takes Your omnipotence to live the life of Christ in the flesh today. You, O Holy Spirit, must be allowed to invade, to permeate everything. You call us to be a peculiar people; people actuated by different motives; people living out Your love; people filled with Your joy. Our beliefs are meant to be embodied in our lives. If the way of Christ is true and lifegiving, then the world should be able to look at us and see that Way personified in all we do and say. You, Lord Jesus, gave Yourself for us to redeem us and purify us as a people who are zealous for good deeds. May we be all You imagined us to be. Amen (Luke 14.33; Ezra 6.22; Jeremiah 39.18; 4 Maccabees 10.15; Titus 2.11-14)

Prayer: O, Wounded Healer

...that the body of sin might be destroyed...I must confess that I am much more comfortable with trying to curb sin, or suppress it, or maybe even counteract it. But, consider myself dead to sin? Now that is a foreign concept to me. I choose to not only listen to this Word, but to hear it, O Lord. Pride has stood as a sentinel at my heart's door far too long, claiming I can deal with it myself. When I allow this to happen, I shut You out, O lowly, humble Christ. I humble myself before You, O Wounded Healer, and ask You to enter in...I am crucified with Christ.

You taught us that it is not wise to gain the whole world and yet lose our own soul. May I train myself to look first to the health of my own soul. May I not only profess to know You, but may my life demonstrate that I truly am my Beloved's. Amen (Romans 6.6; 4 Maccabees 9; Titus 1.16)

Prayer: His Sufferings

Lord Jesus Christ, I say that I want to know You and the power of Your resurrection. I say that I want to know more and more about the risen life. However, there is another aspect presented here. Your Word says very plainly that there is more than receiving the power of Your resurrection. It includes the phrase and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. I confess that there has been much lately in my readings of Your Word regarding suffering and bearing it with great dignity. I confess that this is an aspect that I tend to want to overlook. Open my mind, heart and eyes even to hard truths in Your Word. May I be willing to ask, What would it mean in today's world to have knowledge of the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death? May I not close my eyes to something that I don't understand or, more truthfully, don't even want to begin to understand. Amen (Philippians 3.10; 2 Timothy 4.2-5)

Prayer: New Life

Lord God, thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, who works in us the very nature of the risen Christ. May we be known by the marks that distinguish those of Your Kingdom, a people separated from this age. May we make a new beginning this Easter, setting our hope for the life of the world to come by choosing the path that honors You, yielding to Your Spirit's power rather than gratifying ourselves in ways that do not promote Christ-likeness. Equip us for Your work by a growing understanding and acceptance of Your Word. Amen (2 Corinthians 6.17; Ezra 3.8; 4 Maccabees 3; 2 Timothy 3.16)

Prayer: Resurrection Life

As the shedding of husks in seed-life, I throw off all that keeps me from following You, O Christ, allowing Your resurrection life to spring up within me. May my life always tally with the life of my risen Lord; emotions held in check by devout reason. May I not become so entangled in everyday affairs that I fail to please You, my Lord. May I be an unashamed worker guided by Your truth. Amen (4 Maccabees 6.31; 2 Timothy 2.15)

Prayer: Stirrings of God

Ah, Lord God, may I let loose of my hold on earth, its cares, its worries, even its joys. I unclasp my hands and relax so the tide of Easter joy may come. I put aside all thought of the future and of the past to lay hold of the Easter blessing of spiritual life. May the cross be the center of time and eternity for me so that I may abide in the Life to which Christ's cross is the gateway.

Stir my Spirit, O Lord, and that of Your church. May the church universal be continually attentive to Your stirrings so we don't nod off into spiritual slumber, sedated by the "culture of Babylon". Fill us with Your Word. May your Spirit bring to remembrance all things. Your Word teaches us self-control, so we master all pleasures and desires. It trains us in courage so we may endure any suffering willingly. It instructs us in justice so in all our dealings we act impartially. It teaches piety so that with proper reverence we worship the only living God. May we remember our heritage in the faith, our spiritual roots, and how You have been present with us all throughout our pilgrimage. May these remembrances be a constant resource for keeping our direction clear and our forward movement steady during difficult times. You, O God, have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of self-discipline...relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace. Amen (Matthew 6.34; Ezra 1.5; 4 Maccabees 5.24-25; 2 Timothy 1.7,9)

Prayer: Life That Is Really Life

Oh Lord, You alone are my Rest and Peace. You, O Lord, have dealt bountifully with me. I rest in You, for You are with me at all times. May I feel conscious of Your Presence with me. I call on You and ask You to show me great and hidden things which I have not known.

May I learn contentment and be satisfied with simplicity. May I choose to be rich in good works and generosity, sharing with others all that I have so that I may store up the treasures of a good foundation for the future and take hold of the life that is really life. Amen (Psalm 116.7; Jeremiah 33.2; 1 Timothy 6.6-7, 17-19)

Prayer: Faith Worked Out in Actualities

Ah, Lord God! It is You who made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for You...O Great and mighty God, whose name is Lord of Hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, teach us to work out our faith in actualities. You are all-powerful and all-knowing, and have all our affairs in Your hands. Grant Divine efficiency as well as Divine power, and bring them to bear on all our affairs. May we through concrete, public gestures demonstrate our conviction that the promises of God are trustworthy and, although we do not always know what the future holds, we know Who holds our future.

You, O Lord, have granted us reason to provide a way for us not to be enslaved by our desires. Grant us by the nobility of our God-given, God-guided reason to spurn all domination by our emotions. May we consider what we spend on our desires; help us search out and become sensitive to those excesses in which we indulge that could be the equivalent of life for somebody else. Grant us the gift of the spiritual discipline of simplicity. We set our hope and affection on You. Amen. (Jeremiah 32.17-19; 4 Maccabees 3.2,18; 1 Timothy 5.5)

Prayer: Lesser gods

Ah, Lord God, we confess that all we have done, You have done for us. You, O Lord, are our Peace. Forgive us when we turn to lesser gods for help and allow them to lord over us. Open our eyes so we may see where we have allowed a disposition to rule over us instead of submitting to Your Spirit.

May we learn to bring You into everything we do; every thought, every emotion, every relationship we bring under Your Lordship, O God. We bow to You, ever meek, ever humble, lowly in heart. May we not turn aside to the right or to the left, but seek to follow only You in all we do. Write Your law on our hearts, O Lord. Be our God and we will be Your people. Forgive our iniquity and remember our sin no more. May Your Spirit rule in our hearts and minds so that we may train ourselves in godliness, which is valuable not only in this life, but in the life to come. We set our hope on the living God. Fill us with Your Spirit so we may be an example to others in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Amen. (Isaiah 26.12-13; Luke 19.42; 2 Chronicles 34.2, 25; Jeremiah 31.34-35; 4 Maccabees 2.21-23; 1 Timothy 4.7-12)

Prayer: One Concentrated Passion

Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Living Word, and I come to You to gain the wisdom that comes from God. May my one concentrated passion be to know You and to be able to reveal to others my passion for You. May I be sent out like Ananias to grant others spiritual sight.

May I be changed by Your Spirit as I sit before Your Word, shedding one garment for a better one, and in time throwing that aside for yet a finer one, and so on until I am transformed into Your likeness. I entreat Your favor, my Lord. I humble myself before You, the God of my ancestors. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation. Restore unto me both physical and spiritual health. Grant a mind that with sound logic prefers the wisdom of God. Grant knowledge of divine and human matters. May I day-by-day sit before Your Law, Your Truth, allowing Your Word to train my heart and mind to instantly turn to You and to hold fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. May I be temperate and faithful in all things. Purify my heart...cleanse me from within and make me holy...Refiner's fire, my heart's one desire is to be holy, ready to do Your will. Amen (Acts 9:17; 2 Chronicles 33.12-13; Jeremiah 30.2-3,17; 4 Maccabees1.15-17; 1 Timothy 3.9,11)

Prayer: Spirit-Taught

Ah, Lord God, may I live in such a vital relationship with others that I do the work of intercession as a Spirit-taught child of God. May I be strong and of good courage; never afraid, never dismayed. May I seek the welfare of others knowing that You have a plan and it is not for harm, but to provide us a future with hope. Pour out Your Spirit of prayer on me, O God. Thank You for hearing and honoring my prayer. Amen (2 Chronicles 32.7; Jeremiah 29.7,11; 1 Timothy 2.1)