<![CDATA[THE PRAYERFUL WORD

<![CDATA[THE PRAYERFUL WORD - Featured]]>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:08:30 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Faded Flowers]]>Sun, 20 Jan 2019 22:47:24 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/faded-flowers“The glory of man is as the flower of grass.”
“Which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven;” never does it last.
Its fragrance may waft aromatic, as its blossom peaks;
But soon wanes as petals fall, leaving a stem most barren and bleak

Such is the measure of man’s days;
Briefly bursting and flourishing, only to swiftly decay.
Living life only to see rain and sun,
Is naught but a foolish endeavor, vain and wanton.

God imparts to every flower its peculiar hue;
Some may be golden, others a royal blue.
Some may adorn palatial mansions, all arranged in a row;
Still others may be scattered in field and forest, for only God’s creatures to behold.

All are appointed a place at God’s discretion;
To decorate His world, and to teach us a lesson.
But because our days are turbulent and few,
Our lives can only realize true meaning, if we are reborn anew.

If we offer our lives as a bouquet in the Hand of our Lord,
And render Him all our essence, with one mind and one accord,
Then are we assured of an eternal life spent,
In God’s Garden, our petals dripping with dew, forever dispersing a Heavenly scent.

Composed by James Newnam

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

The six-pointed Star of David is the symbol of the hyssop blossom. I have adopted the Star of David as an emblem of God’s goodness and salvation.

]]><![CDATA[Autumn's Cathedral]]>Tue, 04 Dec 2018 01:10:06 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/autumns-cathedralThe ides of October bring God’s panoramic display from His Celestial Palette;
Brilliant and subtle hues blend to perfection, in the cool crisp air of Autumn’s majestic summit.
All of God’s woodland creatures rejoice at His bountiful provision;
As oak trees “cast their crowns,” in obedient procession.

White oaks and red oaks, and even the humble “black Jack,” render their righteous offering;
Ministering to the needs of God’s parishioners, attending His blessing..
Squirrel and deer gratefully take communion, as they usher in their store;
God lavishly feeds and nourishes them, till they want no more.

Autumn’s night-time canopy features the Big Dipper, pouring out God’s living water upon the earth;
Filling His world with abundance, beauty, and resonant mirth.
Harvest time with its “horn of plenty,” is now bursting to over-flowing;
Shouting God’s goodness and generosity, past the knowing.

All of nature sings with gratitude, and lauds their Creator before Winter’s nap;
As the world dons its white winter gown, and its seasonal night cap.
Spring will obediently bring the sweet melody of song birds as its wake-up call;
For all of God’s subjects to once again attend His emerald cathedral rejoicing, both large and small.

Composed by Jim Newnam

]]><![CDATA[Processed Food]]>Thu, 25 Oct 2018 01:30:19 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/processed-food

Lust of any flavor is as processed food for the soul;
It is sweet to the taste, but only emptiness does it bring, and sadness unfolds.
Its expectation self-rises to a peak, then suddenly bursts;
Leaving a dearth of disappointment, and a desert of thirst.

God fashioned our heart to crave the nourishment of unselfish affection;
Whether saint or sinner, our heart is only warmed and filled by its savory confection.
When another unselfish soul renders its warmth, asking nothing in return,
A radiance is kindled that is lasting; this is that for which we yearn.

It becomes a beacon that directs our coming and going;
It ever fulfills and satisfies with all its bestowing.
Ever radiating but never eroding away,
As kindled coals, and not as stubble or hay.

Our faithful friends, and brethren ever fill our days;
With purpose and gladness, with no thought of betray.
Solid and dependable, and always there,
They are as amber waves of grain, without the tare.

All of this is true in the secular realm, but finds its perfect expression in the spiritual;
Jesus is that perfect unselfish friend, if we seek Him in truth, and not by ritual.
Desiring our sincere unselfish best as an earnest token,
He faithfully sends the Holy Spirit to mend our heart that is broken.

There is no shadow of turning when God’s Holy Sonlight beams;
It ever warms and fills our cockles, and ignites our dreams.
As long as we purpose to put our trust in Him,
A sumptuous and satisfying banquet will be ours, instead of Satan’s lustful processed food of sin.

Composed by Jim Newnam

Psalm 51:7
"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."

The six-pointed Star of David is the symbol of the hyssop blossom. I have adopted the Star of David
as an emblem of God’s goodness and salvation.

]]><![CDATA[The Unregenerate Christian]]>Sat, 29 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/the-unregenerate-christian

“No man cometh to the Father but by Me,” is a verse written in red;
These are the words of Jesus, and not of fallen man. “Your ways are not My ways,” The Lord hast said.
“Ye must be born again,” separates His sheep from the goats that bother.
“He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold,...is a thief and a robber.”

Goats can bleat like sheep, and can even dine on the same table fare;
But are indiscriminate, eating what God’s sheep cannot tolerate; even to taste, they would not dare.
Such are the ways of unregenerate “Christians;” They sound the same, and leave a similar track,
But the Holy Spirit has never tugged at their heart, His Holy conviction has never taken them aback.

Unless the Holy Spirit’s invitation has been accepted and obeyed,
A man cannot be regenerated; his feet are stayed.
His foot shall never enter at the strait gate; he will never become one of the chosen few.
Only the Lord’s redeemed can enter through this narrow gate; it is only for the “ram” and the “ewe.”

The unregenerate “Christian” seldom prays, and has only one use for his Bible;
He carries it to church on Sunday, but to his television, it is not a rival.
God is seldom in His thoughts; if he speaks of God, usually it is alloyed with an epithet;
Church is only an occasional Sunday, Wednesday and Sunday nights are never a threat.

The Streets of Gold will never be pavement for his feet;
The Savior and the Glorified Saints will never be his to greet.
Unless the Holy Spirit has made him His abode,
The unregenerate foot will only tread through the wide gate, that leads down Satan’s road.

Composed by Jim Newnam

Psalm 51:7
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

The six-pointed Star of David is the symbol of the hyssop blossom. I have adopted the Star of David as an emblem of God’s Goodness and Salvation.

]]><![CDATA[The Grateful Heart]]>Fri, 28 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/the-grateful-heart

One of God’s richest blessings is a grateful heart;
Always scanning the horizon for God’s handfuls of purpose He sets apart.
Like the Heavenly Manna God strewed for Israel every morning,
The grateful heart eagerly searches for Celestial Dew, while others are scorning.

The dark cloud’s silver lining is its treasure search;
      Mount Pisgah’s lofty heights is its vigilant perch.
Jehovah’s nod of approval is its daily bread;
      Heavenly kosher is its diet, nothing instead.

Discouragement and disillusionment are scarce to be found;
      “All things must work together for the good,” is the creed it expounds.
Never whining or complaining, its tongue renders with gratitude
      Thanks and praises to its Heavenly Father, its bountiful attitude.

A merry and grateful heart has a continual feast,
      While the cynical heart is growling in hunger, never thankful in the least.
Lord grant that I always look to the good and not to the bad,
      For that ultimately determines whether I be happy or sad.

“The Lord loveth a cheerful giver;”
      The one who metes lavishly, not just a sliver.
Let my heart be light and generous, not just a little;
      One that looks to overflow others, not to strain every jot and tittle.

Lord let me crave your unleavened bread;
      Drink the wine of your goodness, and smack to every Word You have said.
Cause me to diligently seek and set apart
      Every decree of Holy Scripture with a grateful heart.

Composed by Jim Newnam

]]><![CDATA[Rage]]>Thu, 27 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/rage

A wild horse that rears its hooves against us all is rage;
It thunders into our lives uninvited, whether we be sinner or sage.
No man can tame, nor even ride, this stalwart stallion very long;
Its snort is too invasive, its hooves too sharp, its stride far too strong.

It can throw and shatter our lives on the ground;
      It can cause us to wound friends and family all around.
No whip nor chair can bring this behemoth to bay;
      Submitting to God and resisting its “owner” is the only way.

When the raging horse rears its hooves to an angry red sky of morning,
      When ominous storm clouds billow overhead without warning,
When sharp tongues lash in our face, and threaten our day,
      Don’t draw from the well of wrath; there is a better way.

God never expects us to fight our battles alone;
      That is why He sent His Son to save us, and claim us for His own.
We must never allow pride and self-sufficiency to strip us blind and bare;
      Let us submit ourselves to God, and seek the covert of His wing’s tender care.

Composed by Jim Newnam

]]><![CDATA[God’s Sweet Jealousy]]>Wed, 26 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/gods-sweet-jealousy

“I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,” scriptures relate;
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” withstands my pate.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love,” comforts my heart;
Knowing I am the apple of His eye sets me, for Himself, apart.

God’s sweet jealousy is my comfort, and my stay;
      His passionate possessiveness keeps me in sway.
Woe unto them that offend any of His little ones that believe in Him;
      Being drowned in the sea with a millstone would be better for them..

God’s sweet jealousy assures me, and gives me reason;
      His Tender Hand protects me in any season.
Even when I disappoint Him, and cause Him grief;
      He faithfully corrects and chastens, then soothes in relief.

“He...scourgeth every son whom He receiveth,” with loving correction;
      His stripes are faithful, and only for our protection.
Because we are His children and not orphans, His alone,
      He asserts His seal of ownership; we are His, and His alone.

Composed by Jim Newnam

]]><![CDATA[Before the Foundation]]>Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/before-the-foundation

At the age of five my Godly grandmother took me into her home;
At the age of six one revival night, Jesus claimed me for his own.
I am sixty-four now, as my mind’s eye blinks to all the years;
I witness many of God’s Finger Prints, through all the laughter and the tears.

Many bad choices have I made, God chose to forget them all;
      When I asked for His forgiveness, He forgave large and small.
When I needed love and encouragement, He was always there for me;
      Even the times I knew I didn’t deserve it, He simply did not agree.

Because He purchased me for His own, I am the “Apple of His Eye;”
      Without any earthly rhyme or reason, I can only wonder why.
Never well liked, nor socially accepted was I, I never seemed to fit;
      The mainstream norms of social conduct, their terrestrial targets I could never hit.

My school yard years were spent ensconced in books;
      My friends were few, I never drew any of the popular “looks.”
Never deemed hip, nor cool, no matter how hard I would try;
      Jesus was my Savior; my peculiar “color” never matched their “dye.”

From high school to work place, found me still looking to God;
      The work-a-day world also noticed I was somewhat odd.
I never felt comfortable talking their talk, nor walking their walk;
      The line God drew for me never matched their “chalk.”

Counting my grandchildren, my lineage now tallies ten;
      The years have passed by so quickly, it bids me wonder when
Did God choose me to decorate His Kingdom; I am but fallible man;
      The answer, according to the Bible, before the foundation of the world began.

Composed by Jim Newnam

]]><![CDATA[The Doldrums]]>Sun, 23 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/the-doldrums

In days of yore, sailors encountered areas of no currents and no breeze, seemingly never to end;
They had to row day after day, under the blazing sun, with not a breath of wind.
Their only respite was hope that conditions would change, a promise from their Captain of a better day;
The only fuel for their labor was faith in their Commander to lead the way.

Doldrums was the word sailors ascribed to these areas; it also describes the void into which we can descend.
      Every saint encounters times of stagnation, when we have no current of purpose nor feel Holy Ghost Wind.
God places these voids in our path so we do not become chained to our feelings and emotions;
      We must use His Word as our compass, blindly trusting our “Captain” to guide us in our daily devotions.

We are pleasing to God when we walk by faith--He receives the honor and the glory;
      We are freed from fickle feelings that hinder us from receiving His best plot for our story.
The refreshing Holy Ghost Winds will always return, at God’s behest, to bathe our faces and fill our sails;
      The underlying currents of God’s Divine Purpose once again steady our keel, whatever storm entails.

Composed by Jim Newnam

]]><![CDATA[The Internet and the Cloud]]>Sun, 23 Jul 2017 11:00:00 GMThttps://www.theprayerfulword.org/featured/the-internet-and-the-cloud

Only two paths can we travel in this life;
Pursuing the path of sensual fulfillment has the most strife.
The fleshly, carnal world is “wirelessly” connected by their sensual “internet;”
“If it feels good, just do it, there is no need to feel regret.”

Those that access this sensual “internet” have Satan as their “server;”
      “Earthly, sensual, and devilish” are his ways; when they “click,” he responds with fervor.
Satan’s “internet” fees are the wages of sin, damnation, and death;
      Many who have been duped by his “virus” of sin have turned to crystal meth.

Those who access the “Cloud” are the strangest of all;
      They are God’s “peculiar” people who have answered His call.
Jesus is their “Pearl of Great Price;” they have sold everything to purchase Him;
      They do not heed their fleshly senses; faith is their beacon when light grows dim.

Just as the Cloud covered the children of Israel in their day,
      Traveling through the wilderness of Sinai, keeping them from going astray,
God shields His Blood-Bought children, paid for by His Son;
      He shades them, and hides them from danger, and from the wrath of the wicked one.

The “Cloud” covers God’s children with a Heavenly Mist;
      The world cannot fathom why they do not “bite their apple,” as they insist.
The children of the “Cloud” look only to the “Windows” of Heaven;
      They feast only on “Manna,” not on carnal leaven.

Those of the “Cloud” are refreshed with blessings, “downloaded” every day;
      God the Father “upgrades” His children to keep them in His Way.
Keeping them safe, and free from Satan’s virus of sin and corruption,
      His “Cloud” covers and shades them from Satan’s “fiery” wrath and corruption.

Composed by Jim Newnam

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