Psa 141:2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
.........
Rev 8:2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne,
Rev 8:4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/c/gacadark.htm
The gathering clouds, with aspect dark,
A rising storm presage;
O! to be hid within the ark,
And sheltered from its rage!
See the commissioned angel frown!
That vial in his hand,
Filled with fierce wrath, is pouring down
Upon our guilty land!
Ye saints, unite in wrestling prayer;
If yet there may be hope;
Who knows but Mercy yet may spare,
And bid the angel stop!
Already is the plague begun,
And fired with hostile rage;
Brethren, by blood and interest one,
With brethren now engage.
Peace spreads her wings, prepared for flight,
And war, with flaming sword,
And hasty strides draws nigh, to fight
The battles of the Lord.
The first alarm, alas, how few,
While distant, seem to hear!
But they will hear, and tremble too,
When God shall send it near.
So thunder, o’er the distant hills,
Gives but a murm’ring sound,
But as the tempest spreads, it fills,
And makes the welkin sound.
May we, at least, with one consent,
Fall low before the throne
With tears the nation’s sins lament,
The churches, and our own.
The humble souls who mourn and pray,
The Lord approves and knows;
His mark secures them in the day
When vengeance strikes his foes.
—John Newton, 1779
Not a poem, but words from the New Testament on God’s love:
Love
John 13:34
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 13:35
“ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 15:12
“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
John 15:17
“This I command you, that you love one another.
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
Romans 13:8
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
Ephesians 4:2
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
1 Thessalonians 3:12
and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;
1 Thessalonians 4:9
Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;
Hebrews 10:24
and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
1 Peter 1:22
Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
1 John 3:1
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
1 John 3:11
For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
1 John 3:23
This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:12
No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
2 John 1:5
Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.
And this Friday, we remember the anniversary of the greatest act of love of all...We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee! For by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world!
Groans and Tears
AugustineBut when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
~Matthew 6:7It isn't wrong or unprofitable to spend much time in prayer as long as it doesn't hinder us from doing other good and necessary works duty calls us to....For to spend a long time in prayer isn't, as some think, the same thing as praying "with much speaking." Multiplied words are one thing, but the sustained warmth of desire is another. It is written that the Lord continued all night in prayers and that His prayer was prolonged when He was in agony. Isn't this an example for us from our Intercessor who, along with the Father, eternally hears our prayers?...If we are paying attention to our souls, far be it from us to use "much speaking" in prayer, or to refrain from prolonged prayer. To talk a lot in prayer is to cheapen and overuse our words while asking for something necessary. But to prolong prayer is to have our hearts throb with continual pious emotions toward the One we pray to. In most cases, prayer consists more of groaning than of speaking, of tears rather than words. He sees our tears. Our groaning isn't hidden from Him. For He made everything by a word and doesn't need human words.
from Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers, Selected Readings for Daily Reflection,
compiled and edited by Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker (1999, Hendrickson Publishers).
BTTT