How can I turn all my worries and problems over to God?"

Answer: It is sometimes a disconcerting truth for many Christians that even though we belong to God through faith in Christ; we still seem to experience the same problems that plagued us before we were saved. We often become discouraged and bogged down in life’s cares.

The fact that both the Old and New Testaments address this problem the same way indicates that God knows problems and worries are inevitable in this life. Thankfully, He has given us the same solution

He gave in both Psalms and Peter’s letter. Psalm 55:22 - “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall”, and 1 Peter 5:7 - “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”.

Contained within these two verses are several amazing truths: God will sustain us, He will never let us fall, and He cares for us. Taken one at a time, we see first that God declares both His ability and His willingness to be our strength and support—mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He is able (and best of all, willing!) to take everything that threatens to overwhelm us and use it for our benefit. He has promised to “work all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Even at times when we doubt Him, He is still working for our good and His glory. And He has also promised that He will allow no trial to be so great we cannot bear it and that He will provide a means of escape

(1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.). By this, He means that He will not let us fall, as He promised in Psalm 55:22.

In 1 Peter 5:7 —“he cares for you”—gives us the motivation behind His other promises. Our God is not cold, unfeeling or capricious. Rather, He is our loving heavenly Father whose heart is tender toward His children. Jesus reminds us that just as an earthly father would not deny his children bread, so God has promised to give us “good gifts” when we ask Him (Matthew 7:11 - If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!).

In the spirit of asking for good gifts, first we must pray and tell the Lord that we hear what He's saying in John 16:33, where Jesus says, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Then we should ask the Lord to show us how He has "overcome" our problems, our worries, our anger, our fears and our guilt.

The Lord reveals to us through His Word, the Bible, that we can be of good "cheer," that we can

1) rejoice in our problems because God will use them to our benefit (Romans 5:3-4- "Knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope")

2) see our "worries" as an opportunity to practice (Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.)

3) counteract our anger by obeying Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you"; and

4) deal with any sinful feelings by believing and acting upon the truth of 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." All of our problems can be dealt with through simple faith in God's Word.

God is bigger than all our worries and problems put together, and we must realize that if we are to have any victory in our lives. Everyone suffers with these difficulties, because the Bible teaches that temptation is "common" to mankind (1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.).

We must not let Satan deceive us into thinking that all our problems are our fault, all our worries will come true, all our anger condemns us, or that all our guilt is from God. If we do sin and confess, God forgives and cleanses. We need not feel ashamed, but rather take God at His Word that He does forgive and cleanse. None of our sins are so heavy that God cannot lift them from us and throw them into the deepest sea (Psalm 103:11-12 - For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.).

In reality, feelings come from thoughts, so, even though we can't change how we feel, we can change how we think. And this is what God wants us to do. For example, in Philippians 2:5, Christians are told, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." In Philippians 4:8, Christians are told to think on things that are "true," "noble," "just," "pure," "lovely," "of good report," and "praiseworthy." In Colossians 3:2, we are told to "set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." Therefore, as we do this, our feelings of guilt diminish.

So, each day, taking one step at a time, we should pray for God's Word to guide us, read or listen to God's Word, and meditate on God's Word when the problems, worries, and anxieties of life come along. The secret to giving things over to Christ is really no secret at all—it's simply asking Jesus to take our burden of "original sin" and be our Savior (John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.), as well as submitting to Jesus as our Lord in day-to-day living.

What are the Ten Commandments ?

The Ten Commandments are ten laws in the Bible that God gave to the nation of Israel shortly after the exodus from Egypt. The Ten Commandments are essentially a summary of the 613 commandments contained in the Old Testament Law. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The last six commandments deal with our relationships with one another. The Ten Commandments are recorded in the Bible in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21 and are as follows:-

1) “You shall have no other gods before me.” This command is against worshipping any god other than the one true God. All other gods are false gods.

2) “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” This command is against making an idol, a visible representation of God. There is no image we can create that can accurately portray God. To make an idol to represent God is to worship a false god.

3) “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” This is a command against taking the name of the Lord in vain. We are not to treat God’s name lightly. We are to show reverence to God by only mentioning Him in respectful and honoring ways.

4) “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” This is a command to set aside the Sabbath (Saturday, the last day of the week) as a day of rest dedicated to the Lord.

5) “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” This is a command to always treat one’s parents with honor and respect.

6) “You shall not murder.” This is a command against the premeditated murder of another human being.

7) “You shall not commit adultery.” This is a command against have sexual relations with anyone other than one’s spouse.

8) “You shall not steal.” This is a command against taking anything that is not one’s own, without the permission of the person to whom it belongs.

9) “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” This is a command prohibiting testifying against another person falsely. It is essentially a command against lying.

10) “You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” This is a command against desiring anything that is not one’s own. Coveting can lead to breaking one of the commandments listed above: murder, adultery, and theft. If it is wrong to do something, it is wrong to desire to do that same something.

Many people mistakenly look at the Ten Commandments as a set of rules that, if followed, will guarantee entrance into heaven after death. In contrast, the purpose of the Ten Commandments is to force people to realize that they cannot perfectly obey the Law (Romans 7:7-11 - What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”a  8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.  9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.  10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.  11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.), and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace. Despite the claims of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16 - Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”, no one can perfectly obey the Ten Commandments (Ecclesiastes 7:20 - There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.). The Ten Commandments demonstrate that we have all sinned (Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,) and are therefore in need of God’s mercy and grace, available only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Abide in Him

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me while I abide in him produces much fruit…”

(John 15:5)

Did you know that God wants you to live in Him? He wants to be your source of life. He wants you to abide in Him and rely on Him for everything. He wants to be your source for strength, provision, hope and joy. Like the air you breathe, He wants you to rely on Him for your very existence.

Abiding in God begins by meditating on Him, His Word and His goodness. You stop and think about Him when you go to sleep at night. You think about Him when you first wake up. You think about His promises all throughout the day and continually fellowship with Him in prayer. You make Him your number one priority and stay connected with other believers at church. Notice what this verse says will happen when you abide in Him - you will produce much fruit! When you are connected to God, everything you set your hand to will be fruitful and blessed. Just like a branch thrives when it is connected to the vine, you’re going to thrive and be prosperous when you are connected to Almighty God.

Depend on Him today and make Him your number one priority. Abide in Him and let Him pour out His abundant favor and blessing on you all the days of your life.

Prayer for Today:

Father in heaven, today I choose to abide in You. Like the air I breathe, I know I am totally dependent on You. Thank You for Your promise of blessing on me and help me to always be a blessing to other people. 

In Jesus’ Name. 

Amen.

Continue In Prayer

He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up. - Luke 18:1

Many people get discouraged in praying because they don't get an answer straight away. First, know this, that God always hears our prayers when they are sincere, and that He will always send an answer although it may not always be the answer we are hoping for. He never despises nor disregards the cry of one of His children; but sometimes for wise reasons He delays His answer. Perhaps it's not the right time. God's plans are far-reaching and He works slowly -- not because God is slow, but because everything has its own time. Look at Joseph in Egypt - a slave, then a prisoner. No doubt he was praying every day for release; and he may have thought at times that the answer was a long time coming. But when it came, he could see that one reason for delay was that all things might be first set in place. It took years to prepare the answer that came at last with such blessing.

Sometimes the reason for God's delay may be to draw out our faith and to increase our need of Him. The story of the Syrophenician woman illustrates this (Matthew 15:21-28). At first Jesus “answered her not a word;” but it was for her sake that He kept her waiting. She received a far better answer at last than she could have received at first. Suppose she had “fainted” after her first apparent rejection, think what she would have lost.

No doubt thousands of prayers are never answered because men give-up when God delays. Perhaps you too have lost hope before the answer came. A little longer patient perseverance would have brought you a great reward. After spending thousands of dollars in drilling for oil, the operator became discouraged and sold the land for a bargain. The new owner started the drill, and in six hours found a flowing well. We see what “fainting” cost the first owner. Many Christians lose heart just when the answer is about to be given.

Apply This To Your Life Today... The lesson today is "Don't give up!". Keep praying faithfully, believing that God will come through for you at the right time.

God Will Bring You Through

“...I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” Acts 27:25

On his way to Rome, Paul  - and 276 others  - were shipwrecked.

I can think of three important lessons from their story.

First,  that we must listen to God. If we don’t, we’ll experience heartache and loss: ‘...Paul had warned them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss”…

But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and… the majority decided that we should sail on...’ (Acts 27:9-12 NIV).

Notice, being in the majority doesn’t make somebody right. Who are we listening to?

Do they know God? Are they walking by faith or by human reasoning? Jesus said, ‘...he who receives whomever I send receives Me’ (John 13:20 NKJV).

Second, that the purposes of God will always overcome the plans of men and women.

 God can actually make mistakes work for our good. Through this shipwreck Paul landed on Malta and introduced the Gospel to its people. Instead of beating ourselves up over mistakes, or arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong, try to see the hand of God in it.
Especially when we are placed in situations beyond our doing, then be certain that the Lord is at work in it.

Finally, whatever we’ve lost, God can restore it. ‘[The people of Malta] honoured us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed’ (Acts 28:10 NIV).

Don’t limit God. He will use people to bless us  - people we haven’t even met yet.

Let’s be encouraged;  

God will bring you through! 

God Says, ‘Wait’

“[Your] steps… are ordered by the Lord...” Psalm 37:23

What should you do when doors you thought God had opened suddenly slam shut?

You’re thinking, ‘Lord, I did all the right things. Why is this happening?’

Be at peace, God is still directing your steps.

When your hopes seem crushed and your plans have altered,

rely on His superior wisdom and unfailing love.

God has already planned your life from beginning to end,

so trust Him to work things out for your good (Isaiah 46:10-11).

If you give it a little more time, your pain will turn to praise

as you realise that He just closed a lesser door to open a greater one.

Timing is so important!

As you begin to understand God’s timing you’ll be better able to cooperate with Him.

When you don’t know,

learn to wait with confidence on the One who does.

The problem most of us have is that we attempt to take the lead role in our relationship with God

and it doesn’t work.

God has that role, and He won’t give it to us!

He gives instructions and we’re supposed to follow,

even when we don’t like or understand the way He takes us.

‘Why does it take God so long to do things?’ you ask.

Because unanswered questions create trust.

When you don’t know, you have to trust the One who does,

and that keeps you growing in faith.

God has a definite plan and time,

and while He’s getting you ready He keeps you in His waiting room.

If that’s where you are today, remember,

it’s only as you reach new levels of maturity

that God releases new levels of blessing into your life

Prayer Answering God

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.    (James 5:16)

God hears the prayer of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29). That is why Psalmist David says “…let everyone who is godly pray to you (God)…” (Psalm 32:6). Biblical devout men like Noah, Job and Daniel walked with God who heeded their supplications.

During the life-time of Noah, the wickedness of the people was enormous and the thoughts of their hearts were utterly evil. Finding such malevolence on earth, God was grieved in His heart and therefore, intended to destroy mankind altogether along with other creatures. But one man found favour in His eyes. His name was Noah and he was a just man, perfect in his generations. He walked with God and prayed to Him with deep devotion. Observing his devout faithfulness, He saved him and his family from total extermination (Genesis 6:6-8; 7:1-7).

Another devotee of God, Job, was blameless and upright; he feared Him and shunned evil. (Job 1:1,8). Despite his terrible losses, diseases and tribulations, he held onto Him firmly. In accordance with His desire, he prayed for his friends. Indeed, God gave Job twice as much as he had lost (Job 42:10).

The young man Daniel, a true worshipper of God, resolved not to defile himself with anything (Daniel 1:8). Hence He heard his supplications. When he was thrown into the den of lions, He sent his angel and shut their mouths and protected him (Daniel 6:20-23).

One time, a father sent us his testimony-letter about his son to this effect: “My son was not at all good at his studies. His teachers told me: ‘Your son doesn’t study well and he will not pass this year. We don’t have any hope regarding him.’ Nevertheless, I wrote to you requesting you to pray for him. You prayed and wrote back to me saying, ‘The Lord will help your son; He will give him good marks in the exam.’ God heard your prayers and enabled him to score creditable marks and pass the exam to the surprise of everyone. Thank you for praying for him.” What a great joy!

The Bible asserts: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). According to this Bible verse, the fervent prayer of Godly people avails much. Pray not just for yourself, but for your family members and others as well. Then, God will hear your prayers and grant you blessings in abundance.

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

I praise your holy name. I worship You with all my heart. Search me and know my heart. Create in me a clean heart. Make me righteous with your holy blood. Enable me to find favour in your eyes. Hear all my prayers and answer them. Help me to shun evil and lead a blameless life. Preserve me and my family from evil. Grant me your blessings in abundance.

In Your matchless name I pray.

Amen.

How can I recognize a false teacher / false prophet?

Answer: Jesus warned us that “false Christ and false prophets” will come and will attempt to deceive even God’s elect (Matthew 24:23-27; see also 2 Peter 3:3 and Jude 17-18). The best way to guard yourself against falsehood and false teachers is to know the truth. To spot a counterfeit, study the real thing. Any believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and who makes a careful study of the Bible can identify false doctrine. For example, a believer who has read the activities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:16-17 will immediately question any doctrine that denies the Trinity. Therefore, step one is to study the Bible and judge all teaching by what the Scripture says.

Jesus said “a tree is recognized by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). When looking for “fruit,” here are three specific tests to apply to any teacher to determine the accuracy of his or her teaching:

1) What does this teacher say about Jesus? In Matthew 16:15-16, Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and for this answer Peter is called “blessed.” In 2 John 9, we read, “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” In other words, Jesus Christ and His work of redemption is of utmost importance; beware of anyone who denies that Jesus is equal with God, who downplays Jesus’ sacrificial death, or who rejects Jesus’ humanity. First John 2:22 says, “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.”

2) Does this teacher preach the gospel? The gospel is defined as the good news concerning Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). As nice as they sound, the statements “God loves you,” “God wants us to feed the hungry,” and “God wants you to be wealthy” are not the complete message of the gospel. As Paul warns in Galatians 1:7, “Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” No one, not even a great preacher, has the right to change the message that God gave us. “If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:9).

3) Does this teacher exhibit character qualities that glorify the Lord? Speaking of false teachers, Jude 11 says, “They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.” In other words, a false teacher can be known by his pride (Cain’s rejection of God’s plan), greed (Balaam’s prophesying for money), and rebellion (Korah’s promotion of himself over Moses). Jesus said to beware of such people and that we would know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:15-20).

For further study, review those books of the Bible that were written specifically to combat false teaching within the church: Galatians, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, and Jude. It is often difficult to spot a false teacher/false prophet. Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and his ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:15). Only by being thoroughly familiar with the truth will we be able to recognize a counterfeit.

Wait For The Lord

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.    (Psalm 27:14)

Dearly beloved, this month the Lord is going to bless you in a very special way. It is God’s desire not only to anoint you but also to bless you. He promises, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2).

Are you in a state of lowliness? Have you become weak on account of your sins? Have you become empty due to losses and agony? Are you lamenting, “Everyone is cursing me. No one likes me in my office; I only receive memos. I am not getting any orders in my business. No professor in my college is awarding good marks to me. No one likes me at home. I have become a curse myself?”

In the Bible, Psalmist David says confidently, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:5,6). As mentioned in the above Scripture verses, the Lord will bless you in such a way that your cup shall overflow. Goodness and mercy shall follow you and you shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

He is a generous God (Matthew 20:15). So He shall certainly grant you His anointing and grace in an abundant measure. The Lord shall bless you just as He blessed Abraham and exalt you in the same place where you were humiliated. You shall be a blessing.

Probably you are wondering as to what you should do to be blessed by God. The Bible advises, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14). As stated in the above verse, you have to wait for the Lord. Mary sat at the feet of Lord Jesus and thus chose what is better and which will not be taken away from her (Luke 10:39,42).

When Lord Jesus sojourned on this earth, more than five thousand people gathered in a deserted place to listen to His Word as well as to get healed. We read in the Bible that He fed every one of them (Matthew 14:13-21 and Luke 9:10-17). He did not send them away without feeding them. Instead, He gave food to every one of them. He multiplied the five loaves and the two fish and fed all of them. There was plenty of food!

When you also wait at the feet of the Lord, He shall command a multiplication in your life also. There shall be increase upon increase and blessing upon blessing. He did not give just enough food for those people. But He kept on multiplying the loaves and the fish till all of them ate and were fully satisfied. In the same way, He shall bless you and satisfy you even as you wait at His feet.

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

You delight in blessing your children. I am in a state of lowliness. I am waiting patiently for your blessings. None of those who wait for You will be ashamed. My hope is in You alone. Grant me your anointing and grace in an abundant measure. Bestow me with your blessings. Enable me to experience your promised blessings. Exalt me in the same place where I was humiliated. May goodness and mercy follow me all the days of life.

In Your matchless name I pray.

 

Amen.

God's Total Forgiveness

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.     (Proverbs 28:13)

Lord Jesus Christ is eager to grant you the perfect life. How to receive this perfect life? The answer is found in the following Bible verse, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). An individual who conceals his/ her sins, will not prosper. In that case, he/ she will continue to dwell only in darkness.

On the contrary, when you confess all your sins one by one and forsake them, you shall certainly find mercy. The Scripture says, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). According to this Scripture verse, you shall receive the favour of God.

A mother often used to admonish her son saying, “You should not go in the wrong way. You should not do evil things.” Since she was very strict with him and always criticizing him, he gradually became an impatient boy. One day his mother told him, “Son, how nice it would be if you give all your dirty clothes for wash. But you have kept all of them in your room. So you better put them into the washing machine and wash them yourself.” At this, he really got annoyed. He bundled up all His dirty clothes in a bag angrily and dumped it into the washing machine.

A man who was standing nearby, was observing his behaviour. After the washing machine finished washing the clothes, the boy took out the bag. To his surprise, he discovered that the clothes were still dirty. Assuming that there was something wrong with the washing machine, he began to curse it. But the man who was standing close to him told him, “I knew this will happen. Why did you put the entire bag of clothes into the machine? If only you had put all the dresses one by one, the machine would have cleanly washed all of them.”

Dearly beloved, likewise, confess all your sins one by one to God without concealing anything, and forsake them. Consequently, He shall forgive all your sins- whether they are minor sins or major sins- and grant you the light of life. The Lord loves you very much! That is why He sent His only beloved Son to this world to redeem you. The following Bible verse echoes this truth, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

One of the criminals who was also crucified along with Lord Jesus cried out to Him, “Lord, I am a sinner. Please do forgive me. Remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). The Lord did not reject his prayer. He assured him, “Today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). What a great blessing! Today, cry out to the Lord saying, “Lord, You gave Your only beloved Son for me. Please forgive all my sins and grant me eternal life. Please do remember me.” As a result, He will not only forgive all your sins but also grant you perfect life.

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

You came to this world to redeem me. You offered yourself as a sacrifice on the Cross to save my soul. I accept You as my Saviour and give my life to You. I approach your throne of grace with humility. I confess all my sins and forsake them. I need your grace and mercy in my life. Please do not reject my prayer. Please forgive all my sins. Wash me with your holy blood. Remove all the darkness around me. Enable me to walk in the path of light. Grant me eternal life.

In Your matchless name I pray.

Amen.

The Blind Man's Obedience

[He] said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means "Sent"). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing. - John 9:7

We must pay attention to the promptness of this blind man's obedience. See him rising from his place, and led by some helper, walking along the street with the patches of mud upon his eyes. People probably laughed at him as he went along, but he did not mind it. Christ had told him to go to the pool of Siloam and wash, and he was going to do it. Was not the great blessing of sight far more than enough to compensate for any trouble in going after it? He would not be laughed out of the cure that was so easily within his grasp.

Perhaps some people told him it was all nonsense - that mud never cured any one's blindness, and that the Siloam water had no such special powers. Still he pressed on through the long streets, amid the mocking and laughing people, until he came to the pool. There he washed, and incredibly, just as he washed his eyes which never had seen before, now saw clearly. For the first time in all his life he saw the beautiful things about him - the skies, the hills, the buildings, the colors, the faces of the people. So his faith was rewarded.

In all this there is an analogy which is so obvious that it scarcely need be written out. This man's faith in taking that walk through the streets to the pool illustrates the kind of faith every sinner must exercise in obeying Christ, if he would have his spiritual eyes opened and be saved. People sneer at the Christian, and ask, “What good is it going to do you to trust in Christ and join a church?” Then the result - the opening of his eyes to see the world of natural beauty never seen before, even though it was close by all the years. This illustrates the revelation which faith in Christ brings to the believing soul. God's face and heaven's invisible things burst upon the spiritual vision of him whose soul's eyes are opened. So faith has its reward.

Apply This To Your Life Today... Sometimes obeying God will attract riducule from others. Press on regardless and do what He has called you to!

Question: "What is the proper way to pray?"

Answer: Is it best to pray standing up, sitting down, kneeling, or bowing down? Should our hands be open, closed, or lifted up to God? Do our eyes need to be closed when we pray? Is it better to pray in a church building or out in nature? Should we pray in the morning when we get up or at night before we go to bed? Are there certain words we need to say in our prayers? How do we begin our prayers? What is the proper way to close a prayer? These questions, and others, are common questions asked about prayer. What is the proper way to pray? Do any of the above things even matter?

Far too often, prayer is viewed as a “magic formula.” Some believe that if we do not say exactly the right things, or pray in the right position, God will not hear and answer our prayer. This is completely unbiblical. God does not answer our prayers based on when we pray, where we are, what position our body is in, or in what order we word our prayers. We are told in 1 John 5:14-15 to have confidence when we come to God in prayer, knowing He hears us and will grant whatever we ask as long as it is in His will.

Similarly, John 14:13-14 declares, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” According to these and many other Scriptures, God answers prayer requests based on whether they are asked according to His will and in the name of Jesus (to bring glory to Jesus).

So, what is the proper way to pray? Philippians 4:6-7 tells us to pray without being anxious, to pray about everything, and to pray with thankful hearts. God will answer all such prayers with the gift of His peace in our hearts. The proper way to pray is to pour out our hearts to God, being honest and open with God, as He already knows us better than we know ourselves. We are to present our requests to God, keeping in mind that God knows what is best and will not grant a request that is not His will for us. We are to express our love, gratitude, and worship to God in prayer without worrying about having just the right words to say. God is more interested in the content of our hearts than the eloquence of our words.

The closest the Bible comes to giving a “pattern” for prayer is the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 – Out Father…...

Please understand that the Lord’s Prayer is not a prayer we are to memorize and recite to God. It is an example of the things that should go into a prayer—worship, trust in God, requests, confession, and submission. We are to pray for the things the Lord’s Prayer talks about, using our own words and “customizing” it to our own journey with God. The proper way to pray is to express our hearts to God. Sitting, standing, or kneeling; hands open or closed; eyes opened or closed; in a church, at home, or outside; in the morning or at night—these are all side issues, subject to personal preference, conviction, and appropriateness. God’s desire is for prayer to be a real and personal connection between Him and us.

Silence Not Denial

But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us." - Matthew 15:23

There is something very remarkable in Christ's silence. Usually He was quick to hear every request made to Him by someone in need. It was unusual for anyone to have to ask twice for a favor. His heart was sensitive like a mother's heart to the cries of her child, and instantly responded to every cry for help. Yet now He stood and listened to this woman's pleading and chose not to answer her at all. Like a miser with great wealth at his disposal who refuses to acknowledge the cries of the poor and needy who come to him for help, so Jesus stood unmoved by this woman's cries, though He had all power in His hands.

Why was He silent? It was not because He couldn't help her, for His arm was never weak. The best of us have our weak hours, our days of emptiness, when we have nothing within us to help; but Christ's fullness was never exhausted. It was not because He was so engrossed in His own approaching sorrows that He couldn't think anyone else's sorrow, for even while being crucified He forgot Himself to show kindness to others. Evidently the reason for silence was to try this mother's faith, and to draw it out into still greater strength. He was preparing her to ultimately receive a better blessing than she could have received at the beginning.

Our Lord sometimes seems to be silent to His people when they cry to Him. To all their heartfelt cries He doesn't answer a word. Is His silence a refusal? Not at all! Often it is meant only to make us more determined and to prepare our hearts to receive richer and greater blessings. So when Christ is silent to our prayers, it is so that we might be brought down in deeper humility at His feet, and that our hearts may be made more fit to receive heaven's gifts and blessings.

Apply This To Your Life Today... Are you feeling like your prayers go unanswered? Keep praying and seeking Jesus. He will come through for you.

Seeing the Big Picture

“He performeth the thing that is appointed for me...” Job 23:14

Sometimes God permits things, other times He actually plans them.

Either way, He’s got a definite plan in mind.

In the midst of unspeakable heartache, Job said, ‘He performeth the thing that is appointed for me.’

When you realise that God has ‘appointed’ something for you, it changes how you see it.

It’s like flying. On the ground your view is limited, but 10,000 feet up everything looks different. Now you’re seeing what God sees: ‘the big picture’!

The Bible says that after Job came through his trials he was blessed with twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). Does that mean if you lose a £30,000-a-year job you’ll get back a £60,000-a-year one? Or that your chequebook will always balance, or your car never break down, or your health never fail?

No, sometimes God rewards our faith with things we can’t measure in monetary value  - such as relationships, joy, character, peace you didn’t have before,

a fresh sense of purpose, protection from danger, favour with others, a clearer understanding, more compassion, and intimacy with Him.

What value would you place on those?

Here are three things you need to keep in mind at all times. 

First, God wants you to trust Him in whatever you’re going through (Psalm 138:8).

Second, when it’s your responsibility, God expects you to fulfil it (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

Third, in order to bless you, He will sometimes move in ways that are hard to understand or explain (Psalm 25:4).

Hold firm, He sees the “big picture”. 

Loving God First

Gist:  When you give God first place in your life and seek Him in prayer, He shall guide you and defend you.

Give God first place in your life. “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:24). “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Both of them lived with their families and had responsibilities, yet they walked with God. They were absolutely faithful to Him and pleased Him by leading righteous lives (Hebrews 11:5,7). When you live a life pleasing to Him, His sweet presence will delight you.

In the Bible, there are instances of Lord Jesus praying to the Father. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). “He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone” (Mathew 14:23). “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12). On the onset of adversity, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death (Hebrews 5:7).

Our hope and faith are in Lord Jesus and He is our role model. When we continually walk with Him, nothing pertaining to the lusts of the world will come near us. His pleasant presence will save us from the evil ways of life and make us holy.

The Bible says, “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?” (Deuteronomy 4:7). When we seek the Lord, He will come into us, filling us with His radiant presence.

Dearly beloved, the Psalmist David sang: “I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8). Draw near to God in prayer. Instead of focusing on your problems, seek Him in prayer. The Lord who is standing beside you, will guide you and defend you.

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

You are the image of the invisible God. You are the radiance of His glory. I seek You and place my hope and faith in You. You are my role model. I want to pray just like you. Fill me with your radiant presence. Help me to walk in your ways. Help me to lead a life pleasing to You. Preserve me from the lusts of the world. Save me the evil ways of life and make me holy. I give You all glory.

In Your matchless name I pray.

Amen.

God Who Sustains

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.    (Psalm 48:14)

Dearly beloved, you must be grateful to God for His love and protection. He has protected you even when you were in your mother’s womb. He has preserved your life till this day. In Isaiah 46:3, God reminds us "Listen to me, …you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth.”

He further assures us, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 46:3,4). He will continue to protect you forever. What a privilege to have such a God as our Lord!

We are really blessed to be the children of God. The following Bible verses emphasise this truth, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.” “Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD. (Psalm 33:11; 144:15). We have become the children of God through our faith in Lord Jesus Christ. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). As children of God, we can boldly approach His throne of grace for divine help.

God loves you; you are precious to Him. A mother carries her child and nurses it for the child to grow in strength. She sings a lullaby in order to make the child sleep. She embraces the child and comforts it. This is what is mentioned in the following Scripture verses: “For this is what the LORD says: "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem." (Isaiah 66:12, 13).

Yes, the Lord loves us so much (Deuteronomy 33:3). When we are confronted by problems and difficulties, He rushes to our help and comforts us like a mother. He cares for you like a father. “…the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place." (Deuteronomy 1:31).

Are you dejected because of your boundless problems? Do you feel burdened by life? Do not be anxious about anything. Bring your concerns and fears to God. Cast your burdens on Him. He will never permit His children to stumble. He is a mighty and powerful God. Believe in Him as nothing is impossible for Him. He will deliver you from all your problems. He will sustain you and guide you. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end (Psalm 48:14). According to this Scripture verse, He shall lead you through the journey of life; He shall be with you forever.

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

I come to your presence seeking your divine help. I am worn out in my problems. I plead for your mercy. I rely on your promises for help. Your grace alone can assist me. Listen to my prayers. Answer my supplications. Please help me and never forsake me. Bless me and prosper me. Strengthen me to overcome the challenges of my life. Enable me to live a successful life. Surround me with your protection. Grant me a peaceful life.

In Your matchless name I pray.

Amen.

Love And Obey God

Gist:  When we love the Lord and obey His commandments, we will experience His presence in our lives.

When Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem, Daniel and his three friends were among the hostages captured by him.

"In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom" (Daniel 1:20). As they feared God and remained holy, God honoured them with His wisdom which made them ten times wiser than all the wise men in that kingdom.

Let us resolve to live a holy life like Daniel and his friends. Then God will be pleased to bless us. He shall give us wisdom and prosperity. He shall exalt us and honour us. He shall protect us and grant us peace and joy.

Speaking for myself, I have to emphasise this: After I turned away from my negative life and accepted Lord Jesus- and vowed to live a holy life- I had to go back to the same college where temptations recurred. He was constantly telling me: “I am your intimate friend; I’ll exalt you.” I too would respond affirming, “I am your child; I will not get away from You.”

Anger would spring up every time I was tempted and I would curse it in the name of Lord Jesus. Immediately, an immense peace would come upon me. This is the process by which I have been living as the child of God for all these years.

Dearly beloved, Lord Jesus categorically says, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). If we claim to love Lord Jesus, we must obey His commandments. Therefore, let us make a resolution to live a sanctified life. As a result, we will experience the presence of God in our lives followed by His blessings.

Prayer:

Loving Lord Jesus,

Your obedience at the Cross has made me righteous. As I am made righteous through your blood, I belong to You. I surrender myself to You. I resolve to obey You and follow your commandments. I resolve to lead a holy life. Be pleased to bless your servant. Come and dwell in my heart. Grant me all your blessings. Give me wisdom and prosperity. Exalt me and bestow me with honour. Fill my life with peace and joy.

In Your matchless name I pray.

Amen.