My Prayers

OLATUNJI OWOLABI's PRAYERS

Glory be to thee, O my Triune God. Permit me to repeat and renew my covenant with Thee. I resolve and desire to be wholly and forever Thine. Blessed God, I most solemnly surrender myself unto Thee. Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth. I avouch this day, the Lord to be my God, Father, Saviour and portion for ever. I am one of His covenant children for ever. Record, O eternal Lord, in Thy Book of remembrance, that henceforth I am Thine forever. I solemnly renounce all former lords, world, flesh and devil, in Thy name. No more, directly or indirectly will I obey them. I renounced them many years ago, and I renounce them forever. This day I give myself up to Thee, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Thee.


In Thy service I desire and purpose to spend all my time, desiring Thee to teach me to spend every moment of it to Thy glory, and setting forth of Thy praise in every station and relation of life I am now or may hereafter be in; and earnestly pray that whatever influence Thou mayest in any wise give me over others, thou wouldest give me strength and courage to exert it to the utmost to Thy glory, resolving not only myslef to do it, but that all others, as far as I can rationally and properly influence them, shall serve the Lord.


Use me, O Lord, I beseech Thee, as the instrument of Thy glory; and honour me so far as, either by doing or suffering Thy appointments, I may bring praise to Thy name and benefit to the world in which I live.


Destroy, I beseech Thee, more the power of sin in my heart; transform me more into Thine image, and fashion me into the resemblance of Jesus, whom I would henceforth ever acknowledge as my Teacher and Sacrifice; my Intercessor and my Lord. Communicate unto me, I beseech Thee, all needful influences of Thy purifying, cheering and comforting Spirit; and lift up that light of Thy countenance upon me, which will put the sublimest joy and gladness into my heart.


And Lord, when the fullness of my time here on earth is come, and Thou biddest me to lay down my tools and come up hither, let me have innumerable causes to be grateful and thankful that Thou saved me, sanctified me and kept me faithful and true unto the very end; and that Thou hast helped me greatly to show unto my generations Thy greatness, faithfulness, power and might . O Lord, make me ascend unto Thee with joy and all gladness; all elements of shame and guilt NEVER be in me, with me or ascribe to me, but glory and glory though Christ Jesus my blessed Redeemer.

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Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness

"The Lord our righteousness." - Jer. 13:6


Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.


When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.


Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.


This spotless robe the same appears,
When ruined nature sinks in years;
No age can change its glorious hue,
The robe of Christ is ever new.


O let the dead now hear Thy voice;
Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.


 Nikolaus L. von Zin zen dorf (1700-60)

Love to Christ Everlasting

Love to Christ Everlasting

Love is the everlasting grace that will continue in use and increase, even when other graces will have ceased. Some graces are particularly suited to our present state of imperfection in this world. At the present time, we live by faith, repent and mourn for sin, live in hope of the glory which will be revealed, and wait until we possess the mansions above. We patiently wait for all the good that is promised to us, but not yet conferred upon us. However, in the future faith will be turned into sight, hope into enjoyment, desires into gratification, and waiting into possession. When this happens, we will believe no more, hope no more, desire no more, and wait no more. But even then we will continue in love-- indeed, we will love more than ever, more abundantly, perfectly, and continually, without pause or alteration. We will love eternally. One reason why love is considered the greatest of the three Christian virtues, is that it will last the longest. "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor 13:13.

So it is that those who love Christ sincerely here, will love him perfectly hereafter, and be forever blessed in that love. But those who do not love him in this world, cannot love him in the next. For the lack of such love, they shall be accursed forever.

Thomas Doolittle (1630 - 1707)

The weeping Mary at the Sepulchre

Thank God for any good thing that thou hast, and that thou art kept in a good estate. They never knew Christ's help well who put man in such a tutor's hand as free-will, to be kept by it; who say that Christ has acquired salvation to all, and when He has acquired it, He puts it in the hand of free-will to be disposed of as it pleases, to keep or not to keep it. This is to make Christ a fool merchant, and not to take account whether it be misspent or not; but Christ is not so. He knows what shall become of all whom He has bought. You know it is evermore the happiness of the weaker to depend upon the stronger. So it is the happiness of the poor soul to depend upon Christ and upon free grace. The happiness of the ship stands in that to have a good pilot; the happiness of the lost weak sheep depends on a good shepherd to seek it in again, and to keep it from the enemies thereof; the happiness of the weak, witless orphans depends in a good, wise tutor. Even so the happiness of lost and perishing souls depend on this, to lippen [trust] to Christ and His strength for their salvation, and not to such a changing tutor as their free-will is.


Samuel Rutherford (1600? - 1661)

One-sided Scholarship Awards

The Guardian- Nigeria

November 11, 2009

One-sided scholarship awards

SIR: Over the years, oil companies have used part of their annual proceeds to provide scholarships to indigent and deserving students in Nigerian universities who hail from all parts of this great country, thereby contributing substantially to the development of human resources. We say it is their social responsibility. Not a few Nigerians have benefited from this great gesture including this writer. Apart from easing our financial burdens and making college life more interesting, it creates this sense of indebtedness to the Federal Government that supports the programme, the oil firms that provide the award and the people of those swampy regions where the oil is being drilled.
But the latest development concerning the foregoing leaves little to talk about. If you look up the list of those that all the major oil firms awarded scholarship to this year, you would hardly see any "outsider" on the list, they are all Niger Deltans! First, we need to assert that this new way of pacifying the people of the Niger Delta - so to say - is wrong-headed. Sure, they must be given top priority with regard to the proceeds from "their" oil, but not all priority! To deprive the people of the Niger Delta so as to enrich other parts of the country is great injustice, so also is the reverse.
In a recent editorial of the Financial Times of London (I can't remember the issue) there was a piece of advice to the Federal Government to play safe in her approach to the Niger Delta issue so that Nigerians outside the oil producing region will still feel a strong sense of being involved. It is difficult for a discerning student not to feel marginalised when he/she is intentionally deprived of the few available scholarship. Providing educational assistance in any form is the best way to distribute the dividends of oil to all region. Besides, all natural resources are regarded as belonging to the central government!
Lastly, with the proposed bill to re-define the criteria for claiming one's state of origin, we wonder if the Federal Government will continue to allow such tribalistic and discriminatory policy. And if it does, it will mean someone like me is first a Yoruba man before he is a Nigerian.
Owolabi Olatunji,
Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ile-Ife, Osun State

Federal Govt't Dereliction of Duty

The Guardian- Nigeria

October 2nd, 2009

Federal Govt's dereliction of duty

SIR: Below is an extract of the graduating speech given by Carl Page, the father of Larry Page, co-founder of Google. His father was the best graduand at Flint Mandeville High School in 1956. Page's dad later became a professor in the University of Michigan. He died in 1996 - a year after page conceived of the idea of a universal search engine.
"...we are entering a changing world, one of automation and employment change where education is an economic necessity. We will have increased periods of time to do as we wish, as our work-week and retirement age continue to decline... We shall take part in, or witness, developments in science, medicine, and industry that we cannot dream of today... It is said that the future of any nation can be determined by the care and preparation given to its youth. If all the youths of America were as fortunate in securing an education as we have been, then the future of the United States would be even more bright than it is today."
Through Google Inc., Carl and his son, gave the world the No.1 software company in the world that has contributed immensely to both national and private life of countries and individuals even beyond the Americas. But the government of the United States was far more responsible for the success of Google by providing a conducive environment for Carl, Larry and Google in general. The government is always the pilot of national life.
We are dreaming of Vision 2020 here in Nigeria, and ASUU has been on strike for three months to protest the Federal Government's flagrant neglect of the most important sector to our national prosperity, yet the Federal Government has remained adamant to the protest. Are we cursed never to succeed? Are we bound never to excel as a nation? Must we always be the end-user of other nation's inventions? Oh, when shall we see a return of the good old days our fathers talked about; when will the Nigeria of our dreams emerge? I pity this generation; I cry for the future leaders. May the Lord please save us.
Olatunji Owolabi,
Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Lord, Teach me to number my days!

"Teach us to number our days aright--that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

We so number our days aright, when we give to each one as it passes, its own measure of faithfulness. Our days come to us 'one by one'. God breaks up His great years, into 'little sections' for us--that we may be able to get along with our work, our burdens, and our struggles. Take the 'single days' as they come to you. He who has learned this secret--has gained a heart of wisdom.

Take the 'one little day', and . . .
do all its duties faithfully;
seize its opportunities;
endure its trials;
meet its temptations victoriously;
bear its burdens;
receive its blessings;
miss not its privileges;
do all the kindness you can;
make it a beautiful day.

Anyone can live 'one single day' sweetly and victoriously. Make today beautiful. Then do the same with tomorrow, and with the next day--and so on, to the end of your life! Thus you will 'number your days' in a way that will make each one profitable. Thus you will write on each day's page--a record of which you will not be ashamed, when it is spread before you on the judgment day.

Our morning prayer each day should be, " Lord, teach me to number my days!"

(J. R. Miller, "Life's Byways and Waysides")

Original sent to me by GraceGems.org

Strange Piety

Amidst much that is cheering, there is, on the other hand, much that is discouraging and distressing to the more pious observer. We behold a strange combination of zeal and world-mindedness; great activity for the extension of religion in the earth, united with lamentable indifference to the state of religion in the soul; in short, apparent vigour in the extremities, with a growing torpor at the heart. Multitudes are substituting zeal for piety, liberality for mortification, and a social for a personal religion. No careful reader of the New Testament, and observer of the present state of the church, can fail to be convinced, one should think, that what is now lacking is a high spirituality.

The Christian profession is sinking in its tone of piety; the line of separation between the church and the world becomes less and less perceptible; and the character of genuine Christianity, as expounded from pulpits and delineated in books, has too rare a counterpart in the lives and spirit of its professors.

John Angel James (1785 -1859)

The Result of Election

If God hath irresistibly and effectually called thee, amongst those few, very few called ones, whom He hath chosen for Himself, let this engage thee to be holy yet more and more.

Did not the Spirit of grace knock at thy door with infinite holy motions, before thou condescended to open? Thou refused to obey, until He called, not a third time, as to Samuel, but many an hundred times. As Lot was loath to depart out of Sodom, till the angels laid hold upon his hand, and brought him forth; so thou was loath to leave thy sins, and sinful companions, till the hand of the Lord laid hold upon thine heart. God's arbitrary and free grace called thee and left others. Oh, how should this make thee to admire God's love, and to strive for God's holiness!

When God took thee, He left others; he passed by thousands and ten thousands in the world, and left them in their impenitency and carnal security under the bondage and vassalage of Satan. Consider, how few there are that shall be saved, in comparison of the multitude that shall be eternally destroyed. Consider that God should call thee with an holy calling, and bring thee in to be one of that little flock, that is under the care of the good Shepherd Jesus Christ. If thou should be chosen and singled out from the rest, when they are left in a state of sin to perish eternally, what astonishing distinguishing mercy is this! How should this engage thee to be eminently holy.

Was thou called in thy younger years? Oh, be holy in all manner of conversation for a requital of God's love that suffered thee not to stab thy soul to old age. It is a greater mercy to be called at the first, or third, than at the eleventh hour; to be called in thine infancy and early days, than in the afternoon, and evening, and twilight of thine age. Being early called, thou never made such sad shipwrecks, never involved thyself in such gross wickedness as others have done. Thou hast had long trial of the sweetness of holiness, therefore follow after it still. Was thou called of later times? Labor to make requital for the many hours, days, and years, thou lost before thou was acquainted with God. Surely holiness becomes thee forever. Oh, be holy, ye old disciples, for your time to gather grace in will not be long. Oh, be holy, ye young converts, for ye want liveliness, strength, and vigour in the way and work of the Lord.

Your experiences are but short; some tastings you have had, oh, but desire more, for the more holiness you have, the more sweetness you shall find. The richest wine lies in the lowest cellar. Hath Christ come and laid Him down under thy roof? Oh, be pure and holy that thou vex not His righteous soul. Oh, how should thou please Him, who hath so highly honoured and advanced thee! If a peasant's daughter were married to a prince, would she put on her old rags, or eat her old country diet again? Christ the Prince of Peace hath married thee to Himself, and appointed thee a rich jointure. Wilt not thou forever lay aside the filthy garments of sin, and slight those husks on which thou fed before? It may be that thou art so poor, that of thine own thou hast nowhere to lay thine head, and it is certain thou possessest not one foot of land that is thine own for ever. Yet art thou an heir, a child, dearly beloved, both by God and angels. This honour have all the saints.

Once thou wert a great, a filthy sinner; oh, be holy, for Christ hath washed thee in His blood, justified thee by His righteousness, and sanctified thee by His Spirit, even when thou wert filthy to look upon. Moses once married a Blackamoor, David had vile men for his soldiers, and Christ had publicans, harlots, and sinners for His companions. So God chose thee when thou had little morality, little ingenuity, or natural goodness. Thou art of the number of those few that shall be saved, and so strongly bound to be eminently holy.

Andrew Gray (1634 -1656)
The Youngest Puritan)