Who Will I Give My Heart To?
Morally, it may be a question of life and death, where it can be an organ transplant with implications of improving the quality of someone’s physical life. Personally, it may be who will I spend my life with in marriage or in friendship with implications of living a life filled with joy and happiness. Vocationally, it may be how to choose between a career and a calling from God. Spiritually, it may be focusing on our inner life about the purpose of our existence of this earth and who we are.
Has it occurred to you that God has been doing heart transplants over these years? Do you know that the heart God has given us is filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit which is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL. If someone were to ask you who will you give your heart to today, try starting the day with one of the fruits as the goals, you will be surprised that your actions will be aligned to the fruit of the day.
For instance, if at the start of today, we choose to give our heart to LOVE, then we begin the day with loving thoughts/actions towards our family members, colleagues and loved ones. Even to the strangers we meet, a simple greeting or smile will be aligned to the fruit of LOVE. In life, there are instances where on a day all things could be going wrong for you, pause for a moment and ask yourself who will I give my heart to – to the good side or to the bad side? Try remembering the fruits of Holy Spirit, maybe in this case, the choice made will be I give my heart to SELF CONTROL, then maybe we are able to deal with the situation in a peaceful manner.
It is critical to examine the condition of our heart. Are we driven by anger? Are we driven by feelings of revenge? Is there a tinge of hatred clinging to our emotions? Are there unresolved problems that continue to undermine our best efforts in trying to do the right thing? In fact, if we know God and worship God, our worship of God can be rendered unacceptable by God if the condition of our heart is not right. Many times life’s defining moments take place in the midst of a broken heart or as we confront a terrible temptation. We will either decide to do what is right or do what is wrong. Remember the condition of our heart will establish our defining moment. Will our response be God-centered or other centered?
If you believe in the Living God, you will be compelled to act decisively in those defining moments. Our destiny on this earth is realized as we work together for the good of our fellow man. Our destiny is realized as we monitor the condition of our heart. Our destiny is fleshed-out as we are called upon to make important personal decisions that will impact the lives of others. We can accomplish God’s good purpose with the proper attitude of heart with a grace-filled spirit.
If you haven’t already invited God to your life, why don’t start today, ask him to for that new heart filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For he has said: “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.”(Ezekiel 11:19)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Not Now ...then When?
Not Now….Then When?
When was the last time you had a calling to serve the Lord? When was the last time you did something where you had a passion for? When was the last time you took a well deserved holiday? When was the last time you express your feelings to your love ones? When was the last time, you ask for a career change?
There are many things in life which happen as a result of our subconscious mind and part of the Lord’s plans. To submit our plans to the Lord and to have faith in the Lord is ever easy. Sometimes, our plans are answered through the people we meet, the experiences that we go through but sometimes we are so caught up in our own world that we missed seeing them. A friend once told me if a matter appears continuously at you, it is meant for you to address the matter and to face it. Opportunities happen only but once, if you choose to ignore it, that particular door will be shut in your life.
I love to travel but sadly I never had the time or the right company to go with. This year, I was just talking out aloud that I needed a break and I wanted to travel to the US and it would be good to find a friend to go with. Surprisingly enough, not only did I find 2 of my colleagues to go with, we went to the eastern side of the US. It was an enjoyable trip and I told myself I will find the time to travel yearly from now onwards.
It is never easy expressing your feelings to your love ones. I love my family, but I am not one person who really say those feelings out in words. I shower them my love by spending time with them and buying things for them. I remember a few years ago, when my grandfather was at his deathbed, I was the last of his grandchildren to visit him. When he saw me, he cried so did I. I manage to tell him how much I love him as a grandfather and I will take care of grandmother. The next day, he died peacefully. From that day onwards, to the people I care a lot for, I make a point to tell them how I feel towards them for I don’t know when I will next get a chance to do so.
A friend used to tell me we can always serve the Lord when we are older. Now at our age, we should concentrate on our career. I may have a different view on this. In our lives, if things are going smooth sailing for you, we may not seek the lord. It is only when we encounter a personal yet major matter that affects us personally that we begin to seek the Lord. I turned to the Lord only when something personal happens to me, and in there, my faith in them was renewed. I became more conscious of the things the Lord has done for me. Serving the Lord has always been spiritually fulfilling and I hope more people will be able to experience this joy of being of service to the Lord.
Not now, then when? Start showing your love and care to the people around you. We live this world only once, whatever we can do, let’s do it to the best of our abilities. Submit your plans to the Lord and may you be empower with the Holy Spirit. Remember the Lord wants the best for you. He can shower you with gifts, but if you don’t acknowledge or accept them, there is nothing much He can do. Be conscious and alert to the things around you. Don’t procrastinate. Live each day to the fullest.
When was the last time you had a calling to serve the Lord? When was the last time you did something where you had a passion for? When was the last time you took a well deserved holiday? When was the last time you express your feelings to your love ones? When was the last time, you ask for a career change?
There are many things in life which happen as a result of our subconscious mind and part of the Lord’s plans. To submit our plans to the Lord and to have faith in the Lord is ever easy. Sometimes, our plans are answered through the people we meet, the experiences that we go through but sometimes we are so caught up in our own world that we missed seeing them. A friend once told me if a matter appears continuously at you, it is meant for you to address the matter and to face it. Opportunities happen only but once, if you choose to ignore it, that particular door will be shut in your life.
I love to travel but sadly I never had the time or the right company to go with. This year, I was just talking out aloud that I needed a break and I wanted to travel to the US and it would be good to find a friend to go with. Surprisingly enough, not only did I find 2 of my colleagues to go with, we went to the eastern side of the US. It was an enjoyable trip and I told myself I will find the time to travel yearly from now onwards.
It is never easy expressing your feelings to your love ones. I love my family, but I am not one person who really say those feelings out in words. I shower them my love by spending time with them and buying things for them. I remember a few years ago, when my grandfather was at his deathbed, I was the last of his grandchildren to visit him. When he saw me, he cried so did I. I manage to tell him how much I love him as a grandfather and I will take care of grandmother. The next day, he died peacefully. From that day onwards, to the people I care a lot for, I make a point to tell them how I feel towards them for I don’t know when I will next get a chance to do so.
A friend used to tell me we can always serve the Lord when we are older. Now at our age, we should concentrate on our career. I may have a different view on this. In our lives, if things are going smooth sailing for you, we may not seek the lord. It is only when we encounter a personal yet major matter that affects us personally that we begin to seek the Lord. I turned to the Lord only when something personal happens to me, and in there, my faith in them was renewed. I became more conscious of the things the Lord has done for me. Serving the Lord has always been spiritually fulfilling and I hope more people will be able to experience this joy of being of service to the Lord.
Not now, then when? Start showing your love and care to the people around you. We live this world only once, whatever we can do, let’s do it to the best of our abilities. Submit your plans to the Lord and may you be empower with the Holy Spirit. Remember the Lord wants the best for you. He can shower you with gifts, but if you don’t acknowledge or accept them, there is nothing much He can do. Be conscious and alert to the things around you. Don’t procrastinate. Live each day to the fullest.
Letting Go
Letting Go
Don’t we all drag baggage in our lives that we don’t need? Evil thoughts that hinder us, bad habits that drags us down, grudges that we won’t let go and so on? Remember the resentments, the jealously, the insecurity, the sharp words, the impure thoughts or selfish attitudes that we have encountered in our live? All these have taken their toll on our spiritual vitality. Unless they are confronted right way, these actions will begin to form a layer of “dust” that prevents us from expressing the heart of God’s grace in our heart.
Children are filled with innocence. They are open to everything in actions and in words. As we grow older, we tend to stay focus on the trivial matters. Some of us are afraid to let go of the past, some of us let doubt and fear settle in our hearts, some of us have such high expectations that when these expectations are not met, we become very disheartened.
As parents, we always want the best for our children. We have high expectations and dreams for them. Parents may entrust unfulfilled dreams onto their children to fulfill, or have past grievances which they refuse to let go and remind their children about it. Let go of the past and all these expectations on your children. Each child is unique in his/her own way; let the child grow in up a happy environment without being irritated and resentful of the negativity and pressure that is added upon them. Never let a child grow up and live a life with the results of other people’s thinking. Give the children the freedom to lead their own lives.
At work, there may be times where there may be malicious gossip being spoken about you, or you may be bitter that you have been bypassed for a promotion or you are not earning enough to support the family. You may feel hurt, or incompetent as a person. Take the initiative to forgive and seek reconciliation when you feel that you have been wrong or misunderstood. Be honest to your feelings and address them. In life we choose to make things happen if we have a goal in mind and we work towards to go. Let go of material possessions. Centre our lives on God’s kingdom, then clothing, food and drink will be ours as well. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33)
In relationships, it is never easy finding people whom we trust and love. Sometimes even the best of friends may not be there for when you need them, when that happens the friendship is broken and it will never be the same. Some of us have been so hurt by our past relationships that we are fearful of starting a new relationship and moving on in our lives. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so that when he/she comes into our lives, we can truly love and appreciate the one. When the door of happiness closes, another opens. Sometimes certain things are not meant to be, sometimes it is just a matter of timing. When you have forgiven the people who have hurt you, you will find peace with yourself. Hence if you want something badly, let it go. If it’s come back to you, then it’s going to be yours forever. If it doesn’t then it’s never going to be yours.
Letting go is never easy, but it is a choice you make in your life. Have faith and trust in the Lord. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed. In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his step.”
Don’t we all drag baggage in our lives that we don’t need? Evil thoughts that hinder us, bad habits that drags us down, grudges that we won’t let go and so on? Remember the resentments, the jealously, the insecurity, the sharp words, the impure thoughts or selfish attitudes that we have encountered in our live? All these have taken their toll on our spiritual vitality. Unless they are confronted right way, these actions will begin to form a layer of “dust” that prevents us from expressing the heart of God’s grace in our heart.
Children are filled with innocence. They are open to everything in actions and in words. As we grow older, we tend to stay focus on the trivial matters. Some of us are afraid to let go of the past, some of us let doubt and fear settle in our hearts, some of us have such high expectations that when these expectations are not met, we become very disheartened.
As parents, we always want the best for our children. We have high expectations and dreams for them. Parents may entrust unfulfilled dreams onto their children to fulfill, or have past grievances which they refuse to let go and remind their children about it. Let go of the past and all these expectations on your children. Each child is unique in his/her own way; let the child grow in up a happy environment without being irritated and resentful of the negativity and pressure that is added upon them. Never let a child grow up and live a life with the results of other people’s thinking. Give the children the freedom to lead their own lives.
At work, there may be times where there may be malicious gossip being spoken about you, or you may be bitter that you have been bypassed for a promotion or you are not earning enough to support the family. You may feel hurt, or incompetent as a person. Take the initiative to forgive and seek reconciliation when you feel that you have been wrong or misunderstood. Be honest to your feelings and address them. In life we choose to make things happen if we have a goal in mind and we work towards to go. Let go of material possessions. Centre our lives on God’s kingdom, then clothing, food and drink will be ours as well. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33)
In relationships, it is never easy finding people whom we trust and love. Sometimes even the best of friends may not be there for when you need them, when that happens the friendship is broken and it will never be the same. Some of us have been so hurt by our past relationships that we are fearful of starting a new relationship and moving on in our lives. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so that when he/she comes into our lives, we can truly love and appreciate the one. When the door of happiness closes, another opens. Sometimes certain things are not meant to be, sometimes it is just a matter of timing. When you have forgiven the people who have hurt you, you will find peace with yourself. Hence if you want something badly, let it go. If it’s come back to you, then it’s going to be yours forever. If it doesn’t then it’s never going to be yours.
Letting go is never easy, but it is a choice you make in your life. Have faith and trust in the Lord. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed. In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his step.”
How much are you worth?
How Much Are You Worth?
Is our worth on earth measured in terms on how much we earn, how many MBAs we have, how successful we are in our careers and how many properties we own? Sometimes we end up chasing after all the material things in our lives that we forget to acknowledge the most important thing – God’s unconditional love for each and every one of us.
In the Lord’s eyes, he considers each of us worthy and valuable. He loves us unconditionally and he delights in having created us. If the Lord sent his only son to die on the cross for our sins, surely we are worthy. If Christ died so that we might live in a heavenly home with God forever, surely we have value. If God created us, redeemed us, and desires to call us his children forever, surely we are of great importance to him.
How much are we worth? We are worth so much that God sent Jesus to die in your place on the cross. God’s perfect gift of salvation comes not by merit but by mercy, not by trying but by trusting. Jesus didn’t go to the cross because of millions of sinners – born and yet unborn – were in need of salvation. He went to the cross because of the sinful heart of man. Even if only one person is sinful, Jesus would have died on his behalf. Yes, that is the affirming fact of the Cross.
Jesus died for you and me. He died so that you and I might live forever in the presence of God whom the Father has forgiven and made whole spiritually by God’s great love and redemptive power. Jesus suffered willingly and went to the cross for our sake, to redeem us from sin and to restore our relationship with God our Father.
Are we worth something on the basis of our talents, gifts or accomplishments? No we are worth something because our worth was purchased with the ultimate price: the blood of Jesus. God believed in your worth to the point of sacrificing his only begotten Son (John 3:16). He sent his son to die for you because he considered you worthy of saving and worthty of living with him for all eternity. You are competent because God makes you competent. He sends his Holy Spirit to help you do anything he calls you to do.
Jesus paid the price for our redemption with his blood. Slavery to sin is to want the wrong things and to be in bondage to destructive desires. The ransom Jesus paid set us free from the worst tyranny possible – the tyranny of sin and the fear of death. Through his resurrection, he defeated the powers of death. Do we want the greatest freedom possible, the freedom to live as God truly meant us to live as his sons and daughters?
When we say the Our Father prayer, this prayer does call God our Father and boldly asks for the things we need to live as his sons and daughters. We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Christ opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection. We are called to submit our lives to God with the same obedience and love which Jesus demonstrated for his father.
Let’s us seek the Lord daily in prayers, read the bible and give thanks for the miracles we have seen in our lives. Thank you Lord for your unconditional love. Continue to fill us with your peace and love. Let us love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind.
Is our worth on earth measured in terms on how much we earn, how many MBAs we have, how successful we are in our careers and how many properties we own? Sometimes we end up chasing after all the material things in our lives that we forget to acknowledge the most important thing – God’s unconditional love for each and every one of us.
In the Lord’s eyes, he considers each of us worthy and valuable. He loves us unconditionally and he delights in having created us. If the Lord sent his only son to die on the cross for our sins, surely we are worthy. If Christ died so that we might live in a heavenly home with God forever, surely we have value. If God created us, redeemed us, and desires to call us his children forever, surely we are of great importance to him.
How much are we worth? We are worth so much that God sent Jesus to die in your place on the cross. God’s perfect gift of salvation comes not by merit but by mercy, not by trying but by trusting. Jesus didn’t go to the cross because of millions of sinners – born and yet unborn – were in need of salvation. He went to the cross because of the sinful heart of man. Even if only one person is sinful, Jesus would have died on his behalf. Yes, that is the affirming fact of the Cross.
Jesus died for you and me. He died so that you and I might live forever in the presence of God whom the Father has forgiven and made whole spiritually by God’s great love and redemptive power. Jesus suffered willingly and went to the cross for our sake, to redeem us from sin and to restore our relationship with God our Father.
Are we worth something on the basis of our talents, gifts or accomplishments? No we are worth something because our worth was purchased with the ultimate price: the blood of Jesus. God believed in your worth to the point of sacrificing his only begotten Son (John 3:16). He sent his son to die for you because he considered you worthy of saving and worthty of living with him for all eternity. You are competent because God makes you competent. He sends his Holy Spirit to help you do anything he calls you to do.
Jesus paid the price for our redemption with his blood. Slavery to sin is to want the wrong things and to be in bondage to destructive desires. The ransom Jesus paid set us free from the worst tyranny possible – the tyranny of sin and the fear of death. Through his resurrection, he defeated the powers of death. Do we want the greatest freedom possible, the freedom to live as God truly meant us to live as his sons and daughters?
When we say the Our Father prayer, this prayer does call God our Father and boldly asks for the things we need to live as his sons and daughters. We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Christ opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection. We are called to submit our lives to God with the same obedience and love which Jesus demonstrated for his father.
Let’s us seek the Lord daily in prayers, read the bible and give thanks for the miracles we have seen in our lives. Thank you Lord for your unconditional love. Continue to fill us with your peace and love. Let us love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind.
Elements of Effective Praying with Appropriate Postures
Elements of Effective Praying with Appropriate Postures
Praying is our means of communication with the Lord. When our prayers are answered, do we give thanks to the Lord? When our prayers are not answered, do we walk away from him? Saying our prayers silently, voicing them out aloud, or writing them on paper, these go directly to the Lord. God loves each and every one of us. He has great plans for us. Sometimes when he closes the door on what we are asking for in prayers, always have faith to believe he has something better in store for us.
What elements constitute effective praying? To pray effectively, we must genuinely praise and adore God. We must also remember to give thanksgiving to God. Sincere confessions of known sins is essential to the prayer offered in faith. God also instructs us to ask according to our needs, as James writes, we do not receive things we want because we do not ask, or we ask with wrong motives. (James 4: 2-3). We must also pray fervently for others. This can be in the form of intercessory prayers.
How ought we pray? Jesus emphasizes the sincerity of our hearts, for we are not heard simply for all our empty words. (Matthew 6:7). We can pray silently or we can pray aloud. We can pray in our own words or using the words of the Scriptures. We can pray with the mind or we can pray with the Spirit (i.e. in tongues, 1 Corinthians 14:14-18). We can even pray by groaning, i.e., not using any human words, knowing that the Spirit will bring those inaudible requests to the Lord. Another prayer is singing to the Lord. (Psalm 92:1-2). The hymns that we sing in church can also be used in our daily lives. Earnest prayer to the Lord will at times be accompanied with fasting.
What postures is appropriate for prayer? We pray while standing, sitting, kneeling. This can be seen by our actions in church Lying on a bed is another posture. (Psalm 63:6 - “On my bed, I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night”) Bowling down to the ground when one is with the blessed sacrament in the adoration room, lying on the ground as a form of respect and prayer and lifting up hands to heaven as a form of thanksgiving are other forms of postures.
Let us pray with “one heart, one mind, one accord, one voice”. We must seek God for the ‘bigger picture’ Humility is a key. The cross is the key. He died for us so that we can seek eternal salvation in his kingdom. With uncompromised faith and unconditional love and commitment to Jesus to each other, let us grow to be like him.
In order to see the whole counsel of God on a situation that we might be praying about, we will need to regard before the Lord each thought that is submitted and weigh everything up carefully. As we commit ourselves to growing through humility and trust, the voice of Jesus will increase in the world through the Church.
Lord, your love knows no bounds and your mercies are new every day. Give me the confidence and boldness to pray that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Fill us with the holy desire and faith to pray effectively according to the principles outlined in the Bible. Bless us with wisdom, peace, good health and love.
Praying is our means of communication with the Lord. When our prayers are answered, do we give thanks to the Lord? When our prayers are not answered, do we walk away from him? Saying our prayers silently, voicing them out aloud, or writing them on paper, these go directly to the Lord. God loves each and every one of us. He has great plans for us. Sometimes when he closes the door on what we are asking for in prayers, always have faith to believe he has something better in store for us.
What elements constitute effective praying? To pray effectively, we must genuinely praise and adore God. We must also remember to give thanksgiving to God. Sincere confessions of known sins is essential to the prayer offered in faith. God also instructs us to ask according to our needs, as James writes, we do not receive things we want because we do not ask, or we ask with wrong motives. (James 4: 2-3). We must also pray fervently for others. This can be in the form of intercessory prayers.
How ought we pray? Jesus emphasizes the sincerity of our hearts, for we are not heard simply for all our empty words. (Matthew 6:7). We can pray silently or we can pray aloud. We can pray in our own words or using the words of the Scriptures. We can pray with the mind or we can pray with the Spirit (i.e. in tongues, 1 Corinthians 14:14-18). We can even pray by groaning, i.e., not using any human words, knowing that the Spirit will bring those inaudible requests to the Lord. Another prayer is singing to the Lord. (Psalm 92:1-2). The hymns that we sing in church can also be used in our daily lives. Earnest prayer to the Lord will at times be accompanied with fasting.
What postures is appropriate for prayer? We pray while standing, sitting, kneeling. This can be seen by our actions in church Lying on a bed is another posture. (Psalm 63:6 - “On my bed, I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night”) Bowling down to the ground when one is with the blessed sacrament in the adoration room, lying on the ground as a form of respect and prayer and lifting up hands to heaven as a form of thanksgiving are other forms of postures.
Let us pray with “one heart, one mind, one accord, one voice”. We must seek God for the ‘bigger picture’ Humility is a key. The cross is the key. He died for us so that we can seek eternal salvation in his kingdom. With uncompromised faith and unconditional love and commitment to Jesus to each other, let us grow to be like him.
In order to see the whole counsel of God on a situation that we might be praying about, we will need to regard before the Lord each thought that is submitted and weigh everything up carefully. As we commit ourselves to growing through humility and trust, the voice of Jesus will increase in the world through the Church.
Lord, your love knows no bounds and your mercies are new every day. Give me the confidence and boldness to pray that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Fill us with the holy desire and faith to pray effectively according to the principles outlined in the Bible. Bless us with wisdom, peace, good health and love.
Reason for Effective Prayer
Reasons/Requirement For Effective Prayer
“Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). How would you define an effective prayer? When we pray, we place ourselves in the presence of God to receive from Him what we really need. But prayer is much more than telling God what we want him to do for us. When Jesus taught his disciplines how to pray, he began by reminding them, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8).
As one reflects on our Lord’s Prayer, we realize it is more about living in a growing, trusting relationship with our heavenly Father than about getting what we want from Him. Our prayers will become less of a wish list and more of an intimate conversation with the Lord as we grow in faith. It is about committing ourselves to God and trusting Him, surrendering every aspect of our lives to His wise control. The promised result of such whole hearted commitment and trust is that God will do what is best for us. Prayer refers to communication with the Lord. It is calling on the name of the Lord, lifting one’s soul to the Lord, seeking the Lord and drawing near to God. Here are the reasons for prayer.
Firstly, God commands believers to pray. Through Prayer we maintain our relationship with God, it is a form of our fellowship with Him. Secondly Prayer is the necessary link to receiving God’s blessings and power, and the fulfillment of his promises. Jesus for example promised his followers that they would receive the Holy Spirit if they persisted in asking, seeking and knocking at the door of their Heavenly Father. Thirdly in his plan of salvation for humankind, God has ordained us believers to fulfill his will on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, God’s power to accomplish many of his purposes is released only through his people’s earnest prayers on behalf of the progress of his kingdom. If we fail to pray, we may actually be hindering the accomplishment of God’s redemptive purpose, both for ourselves as individuals and for the church as a body.
What then are the requirements of effective praying? Our prayers will not be answered unless we have a sincere true faith. Jesus states explicitly, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” Prayer must be made in Jesus’ name. Our prayers should be made in harmony with the person, character and will of our Lord. Prayers can only be effective if it is made according to God’s perfect will and we must be in the right state of mind to pray else there will be barrier between us and God. If we have sinned, we ask the Lord for forgiveness before we pray. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will. This is shown in Lord’s Prayer, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
Not only must we pray according to God’s will, but we must be in God’s will if we expect him to hear and answer us. God will give us the things we ask for only if we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Obeying God’s commands, loving him and pleasing him are indispensable conditions for receiving answers to prayer. Finally, for prayer to be effective we must be persistent. Jesus’s instruction to “ask..seek..knock” (Mt 7:7-8) teaches perseverance in prayer. Brother and Sisters, let’s devote ourselves to prayers. Prayer has power. We are to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant” (Colossians 4:2)
“Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). How would you define an effective prayer? When we pray, we place ourselves in the presence of God to receive from Him what we really need. But prayer is much more than telling God what we want him to do for us. When Jesus taught his disciplines how to pray, he began by reminding them, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8).
As one reflects on our Lord’s Prayer, we realize it is more about living in a growing, trusting relationship with our heavenly Father than about getting what we want from Him. Our prayers will become less of a wish list and more of an intimate conversation with the Lord as we grow in faith. It is about committing ourselves to God and trusting Him, surrendering every aspect of our lives to His wise control. The promised result of such whole hearted commitment and trust is that God will do what is best for us. Prayer refers to communication with the Lord. It is calling on the name of the Lord, lifting one’s soul to the Lord, seeking the Lord and drawing near to God. Here are the reasons for prayer.
Firstly, God commands believers to pray. Through Prayer we maintain our relationship with God, it is a form of our fellowship with Him. Secondly Prayer is the necessary link to receiving God’s blessings and power, and the fulfillment of his promises. Jesus for example promised his followers that they would receive the Holy Spirit if they persisted in asking, seeking and knocking at the door of their Heavenly Father. Thirdly in his plan of salvation for humankind, God has ordained us believers to fulfill his will on earth as it is in heaven. In other words, God’s power to accomplish many of his purposes is released only through his people’s earnest prayers on behalf of the progress of his kingdom. If we fail to pray, we may actually be hindering the accomplishment of God’s redemptive purpose, both for ourselves as individuals and for the church as a body.
What then are the requirements of effective praying? Our prayers will not be answered unless we have a sincere true faith. Jesus states explicitly, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” Prayer must be made in Jesus’ name. Our prayers should be made in harmony with the person, character and will of our Lord. Prayers can only be effective if it is made according to God’s perfect will and we must be in the right state of mind to pray else there will be barrier between us and God. If we have sinned, we ask the Lord for forgiveness before we pray. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will. This is shown in Lord’s Prayer, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
Not only must we pray according to God’s will, but we must be in God’s will if we expect him to hear and answer us. God will give us the things we ask for only if we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Obeying God’s commands, loving him and pleasing him are indispensable conditions for receiving answers to prayer. Finally, for prayer to be effective we must be persistent. Jesus’s instruction to “ask..seek..knock” (Mt 7:7-8) teaches perseverance in prayer. Brother and Sisters, let’s devote ourselves to prayers. Prayer has power. We are to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant” (Colossians 4:2)
A New Way of Living
A New Way Of Living
The Tsunami Disaster saw many people coming forward with donations in cash and kind. It is also a way of reflection of our lives. What is our sense of purpose and meaning in life? We need to feel that we matter and that our lives make a difference. Having a purpose is the fundamental answer to what makes living worthwhile.
In Psalm 37, David talked about both commitment and surrender : “ Commit your way to the Lord,” he said, “ trust also in him” Committed believers who sincerely follow and serve the Lord and it is appropriate to urge people to have greater commitment. But committing ourselves to God and trusting him imply surrendering our lives to his wise control especially when fear and panic overtake us. The promised result of such whole-hearted committed and trust is that God will do what is best for us. Commitment is a heartfelt promise to yourself from which you will not back down.
Having a vision helps us to focus our lives and helps us to create our future. People with vision can bulldoze through the walls of conformity and resistance by having dreams and setting ideals for their lives. They follow through their dreams not because they are without doubts or fears but because their vision inspires them to move forward in the face of fear.
Faith is the strongest force ever known to us – faith in God, faith in oneself, faith in others, etc. Faith is the prime motivator of people. Faith does not make things happen automatically, we have to work for the rewards that faith has in store for us.
“ Faith is being sure of way of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb11 :1). Faith is powerful because it is the source of the spirit of God within us.
Faith is having full trust and having confidence in the things we do. Faith in God gives strength of purpose; faith in people imparts strength of character; faith in oneself spells hope and concern for the world. Faith eliminates fear. Some of the expressions of faith include loyalty, honesty, sincerity, trust, confidence. Faith tell us that we must have a purpose in life, that life can be meaningful, and that our efforts need not all be in vain.
Faith is the greatest weapon against worry, greed, jealously, envy, hatred, revenge, doubt and fear. The way to prepare your mind for faith, is to think positively, have self-respect, forget failure and trust in God.
The acceptance of God in one’s life and in one’s human affairs, influences the structure and development of one’s personality. The thought that God loves, cares, and protects us, give us peace, serenity and self confidence.
The most powerful force in human nature is the spiritual power technique : faith, belief, positive thinking, faith in god, faith in other people, faith in yourself, this give new power to get what you, with God’s help decide to get from life.
Things become better when you expect the best instead of the worst, for the reason that being forced from self doubt, you can put your whole self into your endeavour and nothing can stand in the way of the man who focuses his entire self on a problem.
Expecting the best means that you put your whole heart into what you want to accomplish. Whatever you are doing, try to give it all that you have. Give every bit of yourself. Hold nothing back. Life cannot deny itself to the person who gives it his all. Fire the heart with zeal for where you want to go and what you want to be, work towards your goal.
Avoid entertaining the worst scenario cases, for whatever you take into your mind can grow from there. Take instead, the best of your mind, and only the best. Nurture it, concentrate on it, emphasize it, visualize it, pray over it and surround it with faith.
To develop faith, one could read the bible, spend time reading the bible, committing great phases to memory, thus allowing them to recondition your personality, the change in you and your experience will be miraculous. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)
In our lives, by providing a service to others, by contributing to society. Pay it forward to lead more meaningful lives.
Faith is taking God at his word. Dare we do that today. Jesus said : “ Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open.” (Matthew 7 :7)
The Tsunami Disaster saw many people coming forward with donations in cash and kind. It is also a way of reflection of our lives. What is our sense of purpose and meaning in life? We need to feel that we matter and that our lives make a difference. Having a purpose is the fundamental answer to what makes living worthwhile.
In Psalm 37, David talked about both commitment and surrender : “ Commit your way to the Lord,” he said, “ trust also in him” Committed believers who sincerely follow and serve the Lord and it is appropriate to urge people to have greater commitment. But committing ourselves to God and trusting him imply surrendering our lives to his wise control especially when fear and panic overtake us. The promised result of such whole-hearted committed and trust is that God will do what is best for us. Commitment is a heartfelt promise to yourself from which you will not back down.
Having a vision helps us to focus our lives and helps us to create our future. People with vision can bulldoze through the walls of conformity and resistance by having dreams and setting ideals for their lives. They follow through their dreams not because they are without doubts or fears but because their vision inspires them to move forward in the face of fear.
Faith is the strongest force ever known to us – faith in God, faith in oneself, faith in others, etc. Faith is the prime motivator of people. Faith does not make things happen automatically, we have to work for the rewards that faith has in store for us.
“ Faith is being sure of way of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb11 :1). Faith is powerful because it is the source of the spirit of God within us.
Faith is having full trust and having confidence in the things we do. Faith in God gives strength of purpose; faith in people imparts strength of character; faith in oneself spells hope and concern for the world. Faith eliminates fear. Some of the expressions of faith include loyalty, honesty, sincerity, trust, confidence. Faith tell us that we must have a purpose in life, that life can be meaningful, and that our efforts need not all be in vain.
Faith is the greatest weapon against worry, greed, jealously, envy, hatred, revenge, doubt and fear. The way to prepare your mind for faith, is to think positively, have self-respect, forget failure and trust in God.
The acceptance of God in one’s life and in one’s human affairs, influences the structure and development of one’s personality. The thought that God loves, cares, and protects us, give us peace, serenity and self confidence.
The most powerful force in human nature is the spiritual power technique : faith, belief, positive thinking, faith in god, faith in other people, faith in yourself, this give new power to get what you, with God’s help decide to get from life.
Things become better when you expect the best instead of the worst, for the reason that being forced from self doubt, you can put your whole self into your endeavour and nothing can stand in the way of the man who focuses his entire self on a problem.
Expecting the best means that you put your whole heart into what you want to accomplish. Whatever you are doing, try to give it all that you have. Give every bit of yourself. Hold nothing back. Life cannot deny itself to the person who gives it his all. Fire the heart with zeal for where you want to go and what you want to be, work towards your goal.
Avoid entertaining the worst scenario cases, for whatever you take into your mind can grow from there. Take instead, the best of your mind, and only the best. Nurture it, concentrate on it, emphasize it, visualize it, pray over it and surround it with faith.
To develop faith, one could read the bible, spend time reading the bible, committing great phases to memory, thus allowing them to recondition your personality, the change in you and your experience will be miraculous. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)
In our lives, by providing a service to others, by contributing to society. Pay it forward to lead more meaningful lives.
Faith is taking God at his word. Dare we do that today. Jesus said : “ Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open.” (Matthew 7 :7)
Trust in God's Timing
Trust in God’s Timing
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:22)
God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made when we do not take Him into account. At times God will appear to be an unkind friend, but he is not. He will appear to be a harsh father, but he is not. He will appear to be unjust judge, but he is not. Trust in God’s timing and have confidence in Him.
When we pray, we want our prayers to be fulfilled immediately. Yet we have to understand that God has an appointed time to answer our prayers and it is in His time. When you understand God’s timing, you won’t be frustrated. You can be relaxed to know that God is in control and at the perfect timing He is going to make things happen. You don’t have to struggle. You don’t have panic always wondering why God is, or is not doing something. When you are trusting God, you can be at peace knowing at the right time, God will keep His promise.
There could be some areas in your own life in which you need to improve, areas in which you need to change and you have been extremely hard on yourself because you are not growing as fast as you would like. Surrender and allow God to change you in His timing. Don’t we all want to change overnight? Yet the Bible tells us that God changes us little by little. Quit struggling, stop worrying and simply do you best to love God and live for others and let God change you in His own way and in His own timing.
We don’t always understand God’s methods, but we have to realize that God sees the big picture. Consider this possibility: You may be ready for what God has for you, but someone else who is going to be involved is not ready yet, hence God has to do a work in another person or another situation before your prayer can be answered according to God’s will for your life. All the pieces have to come together for it to be God’s perfect time.
You may be experiencing some difficult moments such as financial difficulties, ageing parents marriage or children issues and perhaps your circumstances have remained stagnant. You may not be able to imagine how your situation can ever change for the better. But you need to know that God had the answer to your prayer even before you had the need. God has been arranging things in your favour long before you ever encountered the problem. Learn to trust His timing. Don’t be in a hurry; don’t grow impatient; don’t try to force doors to open. Don’t try to make things happen in your own strength. Let God do it His way.
If you are stubborn that you must have things your way, God will sometimes allow you to undertake a project without His blessing or at the wrong time. The problem is that when you start something in your own strength and in your own timing, you are going to have to finish it and maintain it in your own strength. When you let God start something, He’ll finish it for you. He will finish it for you. He will provide everything you need.
I remember a year ago I was doing my job search. At that time, I was still pursuing my studies, hence there was lots of doubts and worry whether my next employer can accept someone who was pursuing her studies and working. The doors for jobs at that time kept closing on me, hence I prayed and left the job search aside to pursue my studies and my job. At the beginning of this year, I started my job search again, this time I had more interviews and I surrendered my job search to our Lord and to my surprise He gave me a job which tapped on my relevant work experience and I will be embarking on my new job.
When we try to force open doors and make things happen with our own strength, the final result is a constant strain on us and a drain on our resources. Life becomes a constant struggle. You will not experience contentment and satisfaction. Almost all joy, peace, and victory dwindle from your existence
Many of us have dreams, however they are some of us who try to fulfill God’s plan on their own. We must be aware that if we get out of God’s timing, it is the same as getting out of God’s will. We need to be patient and let God bring His plan together at the appointed time. Yet we should not sit back passively and expect God to do everything. We have to aggressively pursue our dreams. But if a door is not opening, don’t try to make things happen in your own strength.
Learn to trust in God’s timing. He has promised that at the right time, He will fulfill your dreams and answer your prayers. The answer will come and it will be right on time.
It is better to ask God to meet our needs with his hands in his time, in his way to yield our will to his control and pray as Jesus did: “Not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
“If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:22)
God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made when we do not take Him into account. At times God will appear to be an unkind friend, but he is not. He will appear to be a harsh father, but he is not. He will appear to be unjust judge, but he is not. Trust in God’s timing and have confidence in Him.
When we pray, we want our prayers to be fulfilled immediately. Yet we have to understand that God has an appointed time to answer our prayers and it is in His time. When you understand God’s timing, you won’t be frustrated. You can be relaxed to know that God is in control and at the perfect timing He is going to make things happen. You don’t have to struggle. You don’t have panic always wondering why God is, or is not doing something. When you are trusting God, you can be at peace knowing at the right time, God will keep His promise.
There could be some areas in your own life in which you need to improve, areas in which you need to change and you have been extremely hard on yourself because you are not growing as fast as you would like. Surrender and allow God to change you in His timing. Don’t we all want to change overnight? Yet the Bible tells us that God changes us little by little. Quit struggling, stop worrying and simply do you best to love God and live for others and let God change you in His own way and in His own timing.
We don’t always understand God’s methods, but we have to realize that God sees the big picture. Consider this possibility: You may be ready for what God has for you, but someone else who is going to be involved is not ready yet, hence God has to do a work in another person or another situation before your prayer can be answered according to God’s will for your life. All the pieces have to come together for it to be God’s perfect time.
You may be experiencing some difficult moments such as financial difficulties, ageing parents marriage or children issues and perhaps your circumstances have remained stagnant. You may not be able to imagine how your situation can ever change for the better. But you need to know that God had the answer to your prayer even before you had the need. God has been arranging things in your favour long before you ever encountered the problem. Learn to trust His timing. Don’t be in a hurry; don’t grow impatient; don’t try to force doors to open. Don’t try to make things happen in your own strength. Let God do it His way.
If you are stubborn that you must have things your way, God will sometimes allow you to undertake a project without His blessing or at the wrong time. The problem is that when you start something in your own strength and in your own timing, you are going to have to finish it and maintain it in your own strength. When you let God start something, He’ll finish it for you. He will finish it for you. He will provide everything you need.
I remember a year ago I was doing my job search. At that time, I was still pursuing my studies, hence there was lots of doubts and worry whether my next employer can accept someone who was pursuing her studies and working. The doors for jobs at that time kept closing on me, hence I prayed and left the job search aside to pursue my studies and my job. At the beginning of this year, I started my job search again, this time I had more interviews and I surrendered my job search to our Lord and to my surprise He gave me a job which tapped on my relevant work experience and I will be embarking on my new job.
When we try to force open doors and make things happen with our own strength, the final result is a constant strain on us and a drain on our resources. Life becomes a constant struggle. You will not experience contentment and satisfaction. Almost all joy, peace, and victory dwindle from your existence
Many of us have dreams, however they are some of us who try to fulfill God’s plan on their own. We must be aware that if we get out of God’s timing, it is the same as getting out of God’s will. We need to be patient and let God bring His plan together at the appointed time. Yet we should not sit back passively and expect God to do everything. We have to aggressively pursue our dreams. But if a door is not opening, don’t try to make things happen in your own strength.
Learn to trust in God’s timing. He has promised that at the right time, He will fulfill your dreams and answer your prayers. The answer will come and it will be right on time.
It is better to ask God to meet our needs with his hands in his time, in his way to yield our will to his control and pray as Jesus did: “Not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
Spiritual insurance
Spiritual Insurance
Why do we invest our savings in insurance and investment related products? Is it to save for rainy days for our future? Is it to insure ourselves against high cost of living and medical costs? Yes we do all these things in one way or another to secure ourselves a better future, in education and in career. These are our financial insurance. What about our gifts/ talents? Have we seek God’s guidance on how to best use them to serve him for his glory?
At one point in time, someone in church may have approached you to help out in a certain organization or ministry. What do you say? There is the temptation to be indifferent, to become passive and lethargic or to fall asleep spiritually. It is very easy to get caught up in the things of the present moment or to be weighed down by troubles. Most of us always think that the work belongs to the priests and the executive committee of the church. The rest of us are just sheep following the shepherd, yet don’t forget that we are also the body of Christ. The Lord knows our shortcomings and our struggles and he gives us the grace to bear our burdens and walk in his way of holiness.
“God saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace.” God sent his only son to die for our sins. He redeemed us so that we can serve him. In God’s kingdom, each of us has a place, a role, a purpose and a function to fulfill. We serve God out of deep gratitude and thanksgiving, not out of fear or even duty.
God has a ministry for you in the church and a mission for you in the work. “There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called (Ephesians 4:4). We are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the son of God, until we have the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself (Ephesians 4:13).
There are a variety of gifts, but always the same spirit. There are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord: working in all sorts of different ways through different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. (1 Corinthians 4-6) There are no insignificant ministries in the church, some are visible, some are behind the scenes, but all are valuable. Every ministry matters because we are all dependent on each other to function.
Whenever you serve others in any way, you are tapping on your gifts/talents, and are actually serving God for his glory. As we mature in our spiritual life, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service.
At the end of your life on earth, you will stand before God and he is going to evaluate how well you served others with your life. Do you know in Romans (14:12), each of us will have to give a personal account to God. One day God will ask you how much time and energy we spend on ourselves and how much we have invested in serving others. Can you imagine the answer which we will reply in the form of “I was too busy”, “I was busy in my climb upwards of the corporate ladder”, “I need time to rest and relax” etc.
God’s response will be: “What have you done to your gifts/talents that I have given you. I created, served and called you to live a life of service? We are only fully alive whenever we help others. If you aren’t serving, you are just existing, because life is for ministry. God wants you to learn to love and to serve others unselfishly. Be part of God’s plan. Seek his guidance and invest in spiritual insurance. What is holding you back from accepting God’s call to serve him?
Prayer :
“I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I do know that when we die and it comes to time for God to judge us, he will not ask How many good things have you done in your life?, rather he will ask, How much LOVE did you put into what you did? Lord teach us to be humble and to grow in faith and to serve and love others.”
Why do we invest our savings in insurance and investment related products? Is it to save for rainy days for our future? Is it to insure ourselves against high cost of living and medical costs? Yes we do all these things in one way or another to secure ourselves a better future, in education and in career. These are our financial insurance. What about our gifts/ talents? Have we seek God’s guidance on how to best use them to serve him for his glory?
At one point in time, someone in church may have approached you to help out in a certain organization or ministry. What do you say? There is the temptation to be indifferent, to become passive and lethargic or to fall asleep spiritually. It is very easy to get caught up in the things of the present moment or to be weighed down by troubles. Most of us always think that the work belongs to the priests and the executive committee of the church. The rest of us are just sheep following the shepherd, yet don’t forget that we are also the body of Christ. The Lord knows our shortcomings and our struggles and he gives us the grace to bear our burdens and walk in his way of holiness.
“God saved us and called us to be holy – not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace.” God sent his only son to die for our sins. He redeemed us so that we can serve him. In God’s kingdom, each of us has a place, a role, a purpose and a function to fulfill. We serve God out of deep gratitude and thanksgiving, not out of fear or even duty.
God has a ministry for you in the church and a mission for you in the work. “There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called (Ephesians 4:4). We are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the son of God, until we have the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself (Ephesians 4:13).
There are a variety of gifts, but always the same spirit. There are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord: working in all sorts of different ways through different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. (1 Corinthians 4-6) There are no insignificant ministries in the church, some are visible, some are behind the scenes, but all are valuable. Every ministry matters because we are all dependent on each other to function.
Whenever you serve others in any way, you are tapping on your gifts/talents, and are actually serving God for his glory. As we mature in our spiritual life, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service.
At the end of your life on earth, you will stand before God and he is going to evaluate how well you served others with your life. Do you know in Romans (14:12), each of us will have to give a personal account to God. One day God will ask you how much time and energy we spend on ourselves and how much we have invested in serving others. Can you imagine the answer which we will reply in the form of “I was too busy”, “I was busy in my climb upwards of the corporate ladder”, “I need time to rest and relax” etc.
God’s response will be: “What have you done to your gifts/talents that I have given you. I created, served and called you to live a life of service? We are only fully alive whenever we help others. If you aren’t serving, you are just existing, because life is for ministry. God wants you to learn to love and to serve others unselfishly. Be part of God’s plan. Seek his guidance and invest in spiritual insurance. What is holding you back from accepting God’s call to serve him?
Prayer :
“I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I do know that when we die and it comes to time for God to judge us, he will not ask How many good things have you done in your life?, rather he will ask, How much LOVE did you put into what you did? Lord teach us to be humble and to grow in faith and to serve and love others.”
Heal Me Lord
Heal Me Lord
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, so far from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1)
Have you fallen sick recently or been hurt physically or emotionally by your family, colleagues or loved ones? When was the last time you ask our Lord to heal you?
A month ago, I was stricken with the cough virus, just that this time it was sore throat and dry cough. My throat was hurting badly and I kept coughing throughout the day. After completing two bottles of cough medicine and two rounds of antibiotics, I was not getting any better and on the contrary, was easily tired and was neither eating nor sleeping well. To make matters worse I was in the midst of studying for my exams and I had to go for a medical checkup. I asked my friends to keep me in prayers for my health. There were several times I spoke to HIM with the words “Heal me Lord” and somehow whenever I said those words, I felt better. It was not an instantaneous recovery but I was eventually healed of the cough. I prayed so hard to be healed and I am glad everything went on well.
When I left my previous job, a colleague asked me was it the money that led me to change my job. I told him that if it were the money, I would have left the job a long time ago. To me a career is one where we can grow professionally at our job, to add value to the company which we are in and to be recognized for our capability. Yet sometimes people who are capable in what they do get piled to do more work and they are being taken for granted but no credit is ever given to them. They are the silent pillars of the company. It is very sad to know that only when one is no longer with the company only then does the employer knows how valuable you are to them. However there are also times when colleagues talk behind your back and gossip matters which are supposed to be private and confidential. In moments like this, I can only ask our Lord to heal me for any hurt and grievances that have been levied upon me and to forgive those who have hurt me at work. I also pray to our Lord to give me the strength to hang in there at work and the wisdom to discern what is right from wrong.
Many times, the people that you trust most, your good friends, your love ones and your family members are the ones who say such phases – “ You are no good”, “You will never be worth anything”, “You will always fail”, “No one will ever love”. Our Lord’s love to each and every one of use is unconditional. But as human beings, at times we can be hurt by love, betrayed by close friends and looked down by family members. It takes time to get over broken relationships, it takes time to forgive the people who hurt you and we can just only keep praying for our Lord to heal us. Some of us take a shorter time to heal while for others, they are not willing to let go of the past and move on, hence healing would be a longer time for them.
Trust in God. He will heal you. He will make you a stronger person. It is during trial and tribulations will we know what a friend we have in Jesus. In Psalm 147:3 it says “Thank Him that He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”. The enemy will always try to remind us of our faults and shortcomings. Spend some time in praise and worship with our Lord so that we may be given the peace within us to straighten our thoughts and be able to hear God speak to us to our heart.
“Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him.” (Psalm 37:3). Trust God to take over your career, home, work, all the circumstances, aims and ambitions of life and He will so mould events that your deepest and purest desires should find unmeasured fulfillment and life will be filled with utter satisfaction.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, so far from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1)
Have you fallen sick recently or been hurt physically or emotionally by your family, colleagues or loved ones? When was the last time you ask our Lord to heal you?
A month ago, I was stricken with the cough virus, just that this time it was sore throat and dry cough. My throat was hurting badly and I kept coughing throughout the day. After completing two bottles of cough medicine and two rounds of antibiotics, I was not getting any better and on the contrary, was easily tired and was neither eating nor sleeping well. To make matters worse I was in the midst of studying for my exams and I had to go for a medical checkup. I asked my friends to keep me in prayers for my health. There were several times I spoke to HIM with the words “Heal me Lord” and somehow whenever I said those words, I felt better. It was not an instantaneous recovery but I was eventually healed of the cough. I prayed so hard to be healed and I am glad everything went on well.
When I left my previous job, a colleague asked me was it the money that led me to change my job. I told him that if it were the money, I would have left the job a long time ago. To me a career is one where we can grow professionally at our job, to add value to the company which we are in and to be recognized for our capability. Yet sometimes people who are capable in what they do get piled to do more work and they are being taken for granted but no credit is ever given to them. They are the silent pillars of the company. It is very sad to know that only when one is no longer with the company only then does the employer knows how valuable you are to them. However there are also times when colleagues talk behind your back and gossip matters which are supposed to be private and confidential. In moments like this, I can only ask our Lord to heal me for any hurt and grievances that have been levied upon me and to forgive those who have hurt me at work. I also pray to our Lord to give me the strength to hang in there at work and the wisdom to discern what is right from wrong.
Many times, the people that you trust most, your good friends, your love ones and your family members are the ones who say such phases – “ You are no good”, “You will never be worth anything”, “You will always fail”, “No one will ever love”. Our Lord’s love to each and every one of use is unconditional. But as human beings, at times we can be hurt by love, betrayed by close friends and looked down by family members. It takes time to get over broken relationships, it takes time to forgive the people who hurt you and we can just only keep praying for our Lord to heal us. Some of us take a shorter time to heal while for others, they are not willing to let go of the past and move on, hence healing would be a longer time for them.
Trust in God. He will heal you. He will make you a stronger person. It is during trial and tribulations will we know what a friend we have in Jesus. In Psalm 147:3 it says “Thank Him that He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”. The enemy will always try to remind us of our faults and shortcomings. Spend some time in praise and worship with our Lord so that we may be given the peace within us to straighten our thoughts and be able to hear God speak to us to our heart.
“Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him.” (Psalm 37:3). Trust God to take over your career, home, work, all the circumstances, aims and ambitions of life and He will so mould events that your deepest and purest desires should find unmeasured fulfillment and life will be filled with utter satisfaction.
Experiencing Intimacy with God
Experiencing Intimacy With God
Patricia Ang
Intimacy with God is a process. Many of us have become discouraged in our journey with God when we have high expectations and we expect to experience God within a short period of time. Do you know that God is consistently faithful about fulfilling us in His time and in His way. Each of us will experience Him differently. And He will respond to us differently at different seasons and intervals of our life.
God doesn’t meet all of us in the same way – intellectually, emotionally or spiritually. I used to hear of my friend’s experience with God and I was awed by it. Yet as much as I tried to adopt his methods, I could not experience what my friend went through. Instead God spoke to me in the books and scriptures that I read. There would always be certain lines in the books that would make me read twice and reflect. Hence when we read biographies of Christians or hear of people tell of close encounters they have had of God, we shouldn’t try to force our own experience to match theirs. God meet us where we are and not where someone else is.
It is stated in scripture “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,” The pursuit of intimacy is an intentional commitment to take steps toward to be more conscious, connected and confident in Him alone.
Here are 5 truths about intimacy with God:
1) Our purpose in life is to embrace God by faith and to worship Him in purity and service. Intimacy is not about God doing things for me. It is not about Him making one feel good. It is about loving our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength. Intimacy begins by giving self away. It is about giving praise and worship to our God.
2) God intervenes in dramatic ways and occasionally and selectivity for major purposes in His Kingdom and the blessing of His people. When things don’t happen the way we want them to in our lives, we become upset and complain. We should learn to rejoice that God does marvelous things in our lives and that if our need ever get dramatic, He will intervene. Be grateful for God’s daily presence. He is quietly working behind the scenes and He knows what is best for us.
3) God has already done more for us that we deserve. By dying on the cross, He has washed away our sins with His blood. This mere fact should make us want to make be with Him for the rest of our lives.
4) God is probably doing a lot of things for us that we don’t even know about. Romans 8:28 states “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Start the day praying to God to bless and guide us throughout the day and give thanks at the end of each day. God loves and cares for us. His grace is in our lives 24 hours a day.
5) When God thinks of intimacy, He thinks of a heart relationship. Intimacy with God is about a relationship, not a gift exchange. When we live expectantly, serve Him purely, slow down and spend time with His Word in prayer and meditation, He fills our souls with Himself.
We don’t always feel emotionally or spiritually sharp all the time. Stay focus and faithful to our God and your connectedness to God will deepen and intimacy with Him will be your reward.
Patricia Ang
Intimacy with God is a process. Many of us have become discouraged in our journey with God when we have high expectations and we expect to experience God within a short period of time. Do you know that God is consistently faithful about fulfilling us in His time and in His way. Each of us will experience Him differently. And He will respond to us differently at different seasons and intervals of our life.
God doesn’t meet all of us in the same way – intellectually, emotionally or spiritually. I used to hear of my friend’s experience with God and I was awed by it. Yet as much as I tried to adopt his methods, I could not experience what my friend went through. Instead God spoke to me in the books and scriptures that I read. There would always be certain lines in the books that would make me read twice and reflect. Hence when we read biographies of Christians or hear of people tell of close encounters they have had of God, we shouldn’t try to force our own experience to match theirs. God meet us where we are and not where someone else is.
It is stated in scripture “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you,” The pursuit of intimacy is an intentional commitment to take steps toward to be more conscious, connected and confident in Him alone.
Here are 5 truths about intimacy with God:
1) Our purpose in life is to embrace God by faith and to worship Him in purity and service. Intimacy is not about God doing things for me. It is not about Him making one feel good. It is about loving our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength. Intimacy begins by giving self away. It is about giving praise and worship to our God.
2) God intervenes in dramatic ways and occasionally and selectivity for major purposes in His Kingdom and the blessing of His people. When things don’t happen the way we want them to in our lives, we become upset and complain. We should learn to rejoice that God does marvelous things in our lives and that if our need ever get dramatic, He will intervene. Be grateful for God’s daily presence. He is quietly working behind the scenes and He knows what is best for us.
3) God has already done more for us that we deserve. By dying on the cross, He has washed away our sins with His blood. This mere fact should make us want to make be with Him for the rest of our lives.
4) God is probably doing a lot of things for us that we don’t even know about. Romans 8:28 states “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Start the day praying to God to bless and guide us throughout the day and give thanks at the end of each day. God loves and cares for us. His grace is in our lives 24 hours a day.
5) When God thinks of intimacy, He thinks of a heart relationship. Intimacy with God is about a relationship, not a gift exchange. When we live expectantly, serve Him purely, slow down and spend time with His Word in prayer and meditation, He fills our souls with Himself.
We don’t always feel emotionally or spiritually sharp all the time. Stay focus and faithful to our God and your connectedness to God will deepen and intimacy with Him will be your reward.
Being Humble
Being Humble
“The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly and then you will find favour with the Lord.”(Ecclesiasticus 3:18-19). The above verse helps us to understand that one should concentrate on what we have been assigned to. We should try not to understand things that are too difficult for us or discover what is beyond our power. It is a much more humbling experience for one to knock at God’s door (Luke 11:10) – the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him.
Sometimes, we forget that to be humble, we have to surrender all our knowledge, demands and ceases from every self-effort and strength. We must leave ourselves completely into God's Hand. Beware of self-desires which could hinder the work we want to put in love before God. We need to totally surrender and abandon ourselves to the Lord. He is our Lord, our God. Let us love our God with all our heart, all our soul and with all our might. Submitting our desires, our plans to God is giving Him the awe, the reverence and honor, as He alone has all our plans since the beginning of time.
True humility is to be concerned for others and out of love we share our faith with them to know Christ. Paul said, “Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” (Philippians 2:4). We become more aware of the needs of others when we stop focusing on our own. Most of the time a lot of our service is self-serving. We serve to get others to like us, to achieve our own goals or to be admired. Isn’t that manipulation? The whole time we are thinking about ourselves and how noble and wonderful we are. How do we react when we are taken for granted, bossed around and treated as an inferior? As quoted in the bible “If one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles." (Matthew 5:41). For when we take the 'extra miles', we experience our Lord's humility. Thus the humbling experience of us may say to one another - "We may not necessary be right all the time but let us learn through such experience to grow together".
Humility contributes to success in work and relationships. Humility is not having a need to be more than who you are. Being humble is to avoid pride, arrogance, others might have exhibited. If you have the “I know it all attitude”, would you listen, understand and value others? Humility is to ability to identify with others. It is saying “I am sorry” or “Thank you” when the need arises. Every successful people go through loss, failure and crisis. Even if one were successful, we accept our failures and mistakes and see them as part of the process of “we’ve all been there”
Remember the times we started to work, we are ever so humble, willing to learn from our colleagues, though there were times we had our fair share of being scolded and bullied. Yet as some of us climb the corporate ladder, we can become egoistic and hurt others with our words and actions. By being humble, one is able to learn, and share with others. The more we give of ourselves without expectation of return, the more they come back to us from the most unexpected source. Luke Gospel 6:38 teaches us that when we give to others, God will give us gifts where we will receive in the full measure, a generous helping that will be poured out into our hands -all that we can hold. Let us make it a habit to look for the good in every person and situation and keep focus on helping other people and always put our Lord as the centre of our lives.
People who are humble tend to be givers of themselves. It is not self-centred. It is extending oneself to reach out to others, to understand, highly appreciated and loved. It is to create true network of care in their lives. To empower high quality relationships, there could be high quality of giving and understanding. When the giving is pure, one does not give to get love or appreciation. They give freely and they are truly able to identify with others. Self-confidence and belief in yourself comes from accepting flaws and mistakes and realizing that you can go forward and grow past them and that you can learn from them. We see our own flaws as a key to growing in wisdom and learning how to make things work. It is also to get valuable feedback.
There is no place for petty jealously when you want to be humble. When you are busy serving, you don’t have time to be critical. Genuine servanthood don’t complain of unfairness, don’t have pity parties, and don’t resent those not serving. They just trust God and keep serving. Paul said: “You may brag about yourself but the only approval that counts is the Lord’s approval” (2 Corinthians 10:18). The closer you get to Jesus, the less you need to promote yourself.
“Lord, you are the potter and I am the clay (Isaiah 64:8) and I give you the full power over my life to mould me as you see fit. I surrender my life to you and release it into your hands. Teach me to be humble and allow me to serve you in your glory in whatever I do.”
“The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly and then you will find favour with the Lord.”(Ecclesiasticus 3:18-19). The above verse helps us to understand that one should concentrate on what we have been assigned to. We should try not to understand things that are too difficult for us or discover what is beyond our power. It is a much more humbling experience for one to knock at God’s door (Luke 11:10) – the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him.
Sometimes, we forget that to be humble, we have to surrender all our knowledge, demands and ceases from every self-effort and strength. We must leave ourselves completely into God's Hand. Beware of self-desires which could hinder the work we want to put in love before God. We need to totally surrender and abandon ourselves to the Lord. He is our Lord, our God. Let us love our God with all our heart, all our soul and with all our might. Submitting our desires, our plans to God is giving Him the awe, the reverence and honor, as He alone has all our plans since the beginning of time.
True humility is to be concerned for others and out of love we share our faith with them to know Christ. Paul said, “Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” (Philippians 2:4). We become more aware of the needs of others when we stop focusing on our own. Most of the time a lot of our service is self-serving. We serve to get others to like us, to achieve our own goals or to be admired. Isn’t that manipulation? The whole time we are thinking about ourselves and how noble and wonderful we are. How do we react when we are taken for granted, bossed around and treated as an inferior? As quoted in the bible “If one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles." (Matthew 5:41). For when we take the 'extra miles', we experience our Lord's humility. Thus the humbling experience of us may say to one another - "We may not necessary be right all the time but let us learn through such experience to grow together".
Humility contributes to success in work and relationships. Humility is not having a need to be more than who you are. Being humble is to avoid pride, arrogance, others might have exhibited. If you have the “I know it all attitude”, would you listen, understand and value others? Humility is to ability to identify with others. It is saying “I am sorry” or “Thank you” when the need arises. Every successful people go through loss, failure and crisis. Even if one were successful, we accept our failures and mistakes and see them as part of the process of “we’ve all been there”
Remember the times we started to work, we are ever so humble, willing to learn from our colleagues, though there were times we had our fair share of being scolded and bullied. Yet as some of us climb the corporate ladder, we can become egoistic and hurt others with our words and actions. By being humble, one is able to learn, and share with others. The more we give of ourselves without expectation of return, the more they come back to us from the most unexpected source. Luke Gospel 6:38 teaches us that when we give to others, God will give us gifts where we will receive in the full measure, a generous helping that will be poured out into our hands -all that we can hold. Let us make it a habit to look for the good in every person and situation and keep focus on helping other people and always put our Lord as the centre of our lives.
People who are humble tend to be givers of themselves. It is not self-centred. It is extending oneself to reach out to others, to understand, highly appreciated and loved. It is to create true network of care in their lives. To empower high quality relationships, there could be high quality of giving and understanding. When the giving is pure, one does not give to get love or appreciation. They give freely and they are truly able to identify with others. Self-confidence and belief in yourself comes from accepting flaws and mistakes and realizing that you can go forward and grow past them and that you can learn from them. We see our own flaws as a key to growing in wisdom and learning how to make things work. It is also to get valuable feedback.
There is no place for petty jealously when you want to be humble. When you are busy serving, you don’t have time to be critical. Genuine servanthood don’t complain of unfairness, don’t have pity parties, and don’t resent those not serving. They just trust God and keep serving. Paul said: “You may brag about yourself but the only approval that counts is the Lord’s approval” (2 Corinthians 10:18). The closer you get to Jesus, the less you need to promote yourself.
“Lord, you are the potter and I am the clay (Isaiah 64:8) and I give you the full power over my life to mould me as you see fit. I surrender my life to you and release it into your hands. Teach me to be humble and allow me to serve you in your glory in whatever I do.”
His Loving Presence
His Loving Presence
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod. He was born in a manger. The child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. God chose to come in his lowliness to show his loving kindness and power to those who are humble of heart and ready to receive him. Does The Lord find an eager welcome in your heart and home?
Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We receive the good news that Jesus was born for us and for salvation. The joy of Christmas is a great joy, one that cannot be take away from us because it is God becoming man to be among us and who have come to redeem us, in Jesus himself.
God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9). For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Scripture says “He became poor so that we might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9) – rich not in material things which will pass away but rich in the things that last – eternal life and happiness with the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our God has come to bring us joy and to see the restoration of our lives to comfort and to redeem us. This is the power of God, the power of a newborn who is the son of God made flesh, through whom he created the universe.
How do we experience our Lord’s loving presence in present times? Do we only remember Him only during the Christmas period?
“Be still and know I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 48: 10)
When we spend time with our Lord, we learn to hear His voice. When we acknowledge Him, HE directs our paths. God created the body of Christ with different abilities, strength and desires to reach people in many different ways. Jesus came so that we might “have and enjoy life and have it in abundance” (John 10:10).
God is incarnated in one of us – we meet God in every human being in our daily lives. The way we love one another is the way we love God. God is born in us today. HE picks us up when we fall. HE forgives us when we sin. Life is a mirror reflection – how we treat others is how others will treat you back.
When we pray for others, we become less self-centered and we are thankful for the many blessings that He has showered on us. When we take the time to be the physically present for the people that we love and care for, do we realize how much we appreciate their presence and how often we forget to thank, affirm and acknowledge their presence. By being patient with the people around us, we too realized of God’s patience with us as in His time whatever plans He has for us will surface. We just have to cast all our care upon Him, for HE cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Regardless of the situation in which you and I may be facing at this moment, God is there for us. The Lord is with us because He has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). He is under us because in the bible it states that He upholds us with His promise (Psalm 119:116). He is over us as it is written in Psalm 91:4 - “He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge.”
Proverbs 3:6 states: “In all your ways know, recognize and acknowledge HIM and HE will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” We may not understand the reasons the Lord asks us to do particular things or see any changes or results immediately but have faith and trust in our Lord who is always there in His Loving Presence.
“Lord our God, with the birth of your Son, your glory breaks on the world. As we celebrate his first coming, give us a foretaste of the joy that you will grants us when the fullness of his glory has filed the earth. This Christmas I wish all of you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod. He was born in a manger. The child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. God chose to come in his lowliness to show his loving kindness and power to those who are humble of heart and ready to receive him. Does The Lord find an eager welcome in your heart and home?
Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We receive the good news that Jesus was born for us and for salvation. The joy of Christmas is a great joy, one that cannot be take away from us because it is God becoming man to be among us and who have come to redeem us, in Jesus himself.
God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9). For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Scripture says “He became poor so that we might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9) – rich not in material things which will pass away but rich in the things that last – eternal life and happiness with the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our God has come to bring us joy and to see the restoration of our lives to comfort and to redeem us. This is the power of God, the power of a newborn who is the son of God made flesh, through whom he created the universe.
How do we experience our Lord’s loving presence in present times? Do we only remember Him only during the Christmas period?
“Be still and know I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 48: 10)
When we spend time with our Lord, we learn to hear His voice. When we acknowledge Him, HE directs our paths. God created the body of Christ with different abilities, strength and desires to reach people in many different ways. Jesus came so that we might “have and enjoy life and have it in abundance” (John 10:10).
God is incarnated in one of us – we meet God in every human being in our daily lives. The way we love one another is the way we love God. God is born in us today. HE picks us up when we fall. HE forgives us when we sin. Life is a mirror reflection – how we treat others is how others will treat you back.
When we pray for others, we become less self-centered and we are thankful for the many blessings that He has showered on us. When we take the time to be the physically present for the people that we love and care for, do we realize how much we appreciate their presence and how often we forget to thank, affirm and acknowledge their presence. By being patient with the people around us, we too realized of God’s patience with us as in His time whatever plans He has for us will surface. We just have to cast all our care upon Him, for HE cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Regardless of the situation in which you and I may be facing at this moment, God is there for us. The Lord is with us because He has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). He is under us because in the bible it states that He upholds us with His promise (Psalm 119:116). He is over us as it is written in Psalm 91:4 - “He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge.”
Proverbs 3:6 states: “In all your ways know, recognize and acknowledge HIM and HE will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” We may not understand the reasons the Lord asks us to do particular things or see any changes or results immediately but have faith and trust in our Lord who is always there in His Loving Presence.
“Lord our God, with the birth of your Son, your glory breaks on the world. As we celebrate his first coming, give us a foretaste of the joy that you will grants us when the fullness of his glory has filed the earth. This Christmas I wish all of you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Forgiveness
Forgiveness
What is forgiveness? It is choosing to acquit the other person who has done wrong or hurt us. We can choose to brood and carry the matter as a result of something someone has done or we can choose to forgive the person.
“If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,” Matthew 6:14-15.
Unforgiveness imprisons us. When we don’t forgive others, it ties us to them. As a result of our inability to forgive tortures us by making us miserable, sick in our minds, bodies and in emotions. When we have hatred, anger, or bitterness towards someone, we have a hard time facing God. There is nothing that hinders intimate relationship with God more than not being able to forgive.
We have to learn to forgive on a daily basis. Not only do we have to forgive others for offenses against us, we have to forgive ourselves for not being perfect. We also have to forgive God when we blame Him for things that happen or don’t happen.
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4: 32.
Forgiveness is healing. Failing to forgive clearly damages us emotionally and it hampers our own growth, progress and happiness. The process of forgiveness usually means changing a relationship establishing new expectations and boundaries. Forgiveness is discovering what hurt us – exactly how and why we were hurt – healing those hurts the best we can and growing to be a better person. Forgiveness is something we do because we want to and need to, not because we are told we must.
Sometimes it is easy to forgive but difficult to forget. Time heals all hurts and grievances. At times it is our pride and our ego that prevents us from forgiving others or to say ‘I am sorry, please forgive me’. When you forgive, there is this inner peace within you. To forgive and forget someone’s faults is to wipe the slate clean, graciously cancelling a debt.
A few years ago during the Alpha4 weekend, we were in church. As I sat down in reflection, I was angry at some friends who hurt me. I asked God to forgive me and also to forgive those who hurt me. Amazingly the moment I said that, I felt much lighter, everything was lifted from me. I felt peaceful. Just recently, my good friend and I, forgave each other for the past hurts and insensitive remarks made and we told each other that the past is forgiven and we live for the present.
Forgiveness is ultimately an act of the will. It is a choice to obey God and let it go. This is an inward choice that is a declaration given, a promise spoken: “I forgive you.” When I speak these words, I am saying that the issue between us is over and buried. I am saying that I will not rehearse it, review it or renew it. When it comes to my mind, I will take it to the Lord and to the foot of the cross, not to you.
God’s forgiveness always comes with another chance. Confess your sin and experience His forgiveness, healing and restoration (1 John 1:9)
Next time if someone hurts you, say this prayer: “Lord flood my heart with compassion and purge away my unforgiving spirit. Help me to live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18)
What is forgiveness? It is choosing to acquit the other person who has done wrong or hurt us. We can choose to brood and carry the matter as a result of something someone has done or we can choose to forgive the person.
“If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,” Matthew 6:14-15.
Unforgiveness imprisons us. When we don’t forgive others, it ties us to them. As a result of our inability to forgive tortures us by making us miserable, sick in our minds, bodies and in emotions. When we have hatred, anger, or bitterness towards someone, we have a hard time facing God. There is nothing that hinders intimate relationship with God more than not being able to forgive.
We have to learn to forgive on a daily basis. Not only do we have to forgive others for offenses against us, we have to forgive ourselves for not being perfect. We also have to forgive God when we blame Him for things that happen or don’t happen.
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4: 32.
Forgiveness is healing. Failing to forgive clearly damages us emotionally and it hampers our own growth, progress and happiness. The process of forgiveness usually means changing a relationship establishing new expectations and boundaries. Forgiveness is discovering what hurt us – exactly how and why we were hurt – healing those hurts the best we can and growing to be a better person. Forgiveness is something we do because we want to and need to, not because we are told we must.
Sometimes it is easy to forgive but difficult to forget. Time heals all hurts and grievances. At times it is our pride and our ego that prevents us from forgiving others or to say ‘I am sorry, please forgive me’. When you forgive, there is this inner peace within you. To forgive and forget someone’s faults is to wipe the slate clean, graciously cancelling a debt.
A few years ago during the Alpha4 weekend, we were in church. As I sat down in reflection, I was angry at some friends who hurt me. I asked God to forgive me and also to forgive those who hurt me. Amazingly the moment I said that, I felt much lighter, everything was lifted from me. I felt peaceful. Just recently, my good friend and I, forgave each other for the past hurts and insensitive remarks made and we told each other that the past is forgiven and we live for the present.
Forgiveness is ultimately an act of the will. It is a choice to obey God and let it go. This is an inward choice that is a declaration given, a promise spoken: “I forgive you.” When I speak these words, I am saying that the issue between us is over and buried. I am saying that I will not rehearse it, review it or renew it. When it comes to my mind, I will take it to the Lord and to the foot of the cross, not to you.
God’s forgiveness always comes with another chance. Confess your sin and experience His forgiveness, healing and restoration (1 John 1:9)
Next time if someone hurts you, say this prayer: “Lord flood my heart with compassion and purge away my unforgiving spirit. Help me to live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18)
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