The past few weeks I was doing some heart searching... I was ruminating about my walk with the Lord. I was asking myself and God- why I often seem to have moments of weakness. My faith gets weak and doubts sometimes try to settle in permanently in my heart, is there something wrong with me? I asked. I was feeling a bit down because everytime I look at myself, all I see are my mistakes. I have come to detest these weaknesses because they hinder me from being a strong warrior for Christ. After all, isn't that what we're supposed to be? to be strong, to always be able to resist the carnal? I have so many questions in my head. I really have a burning desire to change and to grow in the Lord andnot stay stagnant. I get frustrated when I stumble and falter. The patience that the Lord slowly built in me all these years are beginning to crumble...or so it seemed to me.
...but the Lord who is good and truly rich in mercy and understanding, gently reminded me. He made me realize that He does not really look at our weaknesses, He looks at us with eternal eyes. He looks at us and all He see is a finished product, blood stained and redeemed, spotless even. A perfect reflection of who He is- despite what we think, what I think...despite my current imperfections. Sometimes we find that hard to accept because we are constantly reminded of our errors. Nevertheless, that grain of truth remains, it doesn't matter what we think, it's what God thinks that is important.
I begin to grasp the truth that true christians are not supposed to be strong all the time, that we needed breaking sometimes, after all if we remain constantly strong we won't be needing God anymore. He won't be able to chip off our roughened edges, we'll get too hard and too stubborn. I also realize that the road to eternity is not a direct route, but is full of detours. It isn't one stretch of road but it has valleys, mountains, rivers and deserts... and they are not there either to set us up to fail or to make things difficult for us. The Lord chose our individual paths and they are designed to bring out our true nature. For christians, it brings out godly character.
I now know that I need to embrace and appreciate my weak moments (not weaknesses) because I know that my potter is working His way in my life and that in weakness He is my strength. ...for only when the clay has been brocken, is it soft and yielding; only then can He mould us, and shape us, amen. Word upon word and line upon line. These truths I really need to tuck away in my heart, I thought.
It reminded me of Gideon, and how the angel of the Lord called him a 'man of mighty valour' despite the fact that he was hiding from his enemies. I have to embrace the truth that how we see ourselves is not how God sees us.
The true and whole meaning of the power of 'will' and laying it all down for Christ started to dawn on me as well. That the only true reason behind surrendering our 'self will' is true love for Him. Anything less than a genuine love for the Lord can only produce works and perhaps unintentional self-righteousness- even if one is sincere.
I know that seems a bit mind boggling and others might find that hard to swallow, but sincerity is different than surrender. It's a good place to begin with, it perhaps is the first step towards a walk with Christ, don't get me wrong but the mark of a genuine believer I guess apart from sincerity and believing is surrendering. A surrendered life will obey, see, perhaps not everything overnight but in time it will.
At this point I realized that there are still some things that needed surrendering...and I'm glad the Lord has opened my eyes to these things otherwise it will just go over my head, I wouldn't even notice or know that what I am doing is wrong. I truly need His grace and mercy in my life, without Him I am lost. That is why I am grateful and I do get emotional when I testify at church or when I talk about Jesus with other people- I know the value of His presence in my life. I know that not everybody gets the privelege and honour of knowing Christ, I am humbled to know that before the foundations of the world were even laid, I was in His mind.
I remember what Bro. Branham said- that when all things have come to an end here on earth and the Bride and the righteous are already in heaven, each and every single soul will say that it is not by our strength nor by our own deed that we made it here- but only because of His grace, love and mercy. That alone should erase all my self-doubt, after all it is the truth- I am saved by grace and grace alone.
Praise the Lord.
Amazing grace shall always be my song of praise, for it was grace that brought my liberty; I do not know just why He came to love me so, He looked beyond my fault and saw my need. I shall forever turn mine eyes to Calvary, to view the cross where Jesus died for me, how marvelous the grace that caught my falling soul; He looked beyond my fault and saw my need. If not for grace, my soul would be a drifting shade, with no safe harbour from the angry waves but Calvary's cross shines brightly through the darkest storms... and just in time His mercy rescues me. |
I am a bit frustrated because Pure Faith has been hacked and unfortunately I have to change my template. I think a virus has attached itself in one of my links or graphics and everytime I open my URL, it reverses back to an Ad- which is a shame because I personally designed and tweaked that template to perfection. But alas, here I am trying to find another appropriate layout to tweak, which will again take some time...in the meantime I have to make do with this template (temporarily?or if this turned out great after my tweaks then I suppose I'll keep it...).
Anyway, I'm just letting you know & I would appreciate your feedback :)
T
his post is a thanksgiving post because PF is four years old this year :)
and I want to thank Jesus for giving me the desire and inspiration to write about how He moves in my life and to testify about His goodness through blogging.
I often mention that I only write here whenever I feel led to write something. I know when too, because my heart just aches to pour it all out...so that explains why my posts are sometimes weeks apart.
I often reflect on my reasons for why I am doing this because I want to make sure it's not about me...I want to be certain that my intellect is not the one speaking but my God, see. I came to one point where I thought I would stop blogging with PF but after awhile I felt led to write again.
I'm not trying to make myself something either I'm the most ordinary girl you'll ever meet, but I thought that one of the things God gifted me with is writing- so I want to use it for His glory.
I thank Him because I remain truthful and honest with what I write. My heart's one and only desire is for other's to get blessed as well as a heavy burden for lost souls.
So, really from my heart HUGS and a big THANK YOU to those who take the time to read this blog. May you see God in every good thing, amen.
"...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning..." Psalm 30:5
Sometimes when I pray, I could hardly finish...sitting in the presence of the Lord is awesome, it's indescribable. There are times when I don't say a lot, I just hum a song, praise and worship my King. I can't get enough of worship, I guess that's the same with fellow christians. He is always in our hearts and even the busyness of life can't drown Him out. It's hard to find the words to explain how I feel, I am just grateful that in this lifetime, I have met my Creator.
In the past, I have tried to run away from Him, and tried to forsake the Bible and my faith and to try to belong, to be acceptable to the world...I guess I did for years and years, but I have always felt empty inside. I felt alone and fearful, my marriage was rocky at the time, I was caring for my son by myself, raising three other children with barely no money, I was so hopeless and I was always depressed. I drunk my problems away, backslid, I tried to please men- I thought I don't deserve God. He is too good for me- that was my reasoning but I was quite miserable. I felt that life let me down, although never did I blame God for my misery. Deep down in my heart, I knew that there is a purpose for everything. In fact, in retrospect I've always known that somehow it won't always be like this.
So, despite my complacent attitude and backsliding- the Lord was always there. I can always feel Him- in my dreams, through a friend, a stranger's kindness...He was just there waiting. Still, I was adamant to do what I want, to follow my own will, to be the captain of my own ship, so to speak but even after all my foolishness, at the end of the day I wasn't happy. I was brocken, I was always lonely, and I realized that I was just tired of trying to be who I am not. This isn't the real me!
My full speeding train finally came to a halt-I came to a realization, that I don't need man's approval, that my ways will ony lead to self-destruction, and that there is only One hope in this life. The thing is, God was always there all along, even through the roughest patches of my life He was there. He did not forsake me.
Now, I have become someone who can trust the Lord with everything and I say that with confidence. Sorrow and suffering, indeed, has taught me to cling to Jesus. He became everything to me and He turned my sorrow into gladness. God answered all my prayers and even if the answer is 'no' I have learnt to accept them with grace.
Now, I know that the scripture which says that "I am a new creature in Christ" has become real to me. I am far from perfect, neither do claim to be error- free, far from it BUT there is one thing I know and am confident of- that when my time on earth is over and my last journey is well spent- I know that I will see my Maker. I know that He will meet me on the other side and when that time comes, I will give Him a big embrace and say 'Thank you, Jesus...thank you for saving me, for dying at Calvary to redeem my soul. Thank you for not giving up on me...'
All the world can offer are temporary distractions and that is the truth. At the end of the day when you are just by yourself, you'll still feel that something is lacking...there is one, big hollow space in your heart, despite money, friends and loved ones. I know that feeling, friend.
There is no genuine love, peace, rest and happiness outside of Christ Jesus but you have to know it yourself, you have to find out for yourself otherwise it's all meaningless. I can harp on about this from day to day, but it won't mean anything to you, they remain as another man's experience. All I am hoping to do is to share my life with you, to testify that God is real and not just a theory, myth or a doctrine...simply because it is truth.
I hope, if not today...one day soon you'll give Jesus a chance, to open your heart to Him. To set aside man made lenses such as logic, science, and religion but to just look at God by faith. For it is only through childlike faith, one can truly see Him.
I'm not saying this to benefit me. I could care less if I want to, I'm afraid, but I cannot sit here, enjoying God' fulfillment of His promises in my life and not say anything about it to anyone. We have to shine the path so others can see and follow.
This is my personal testimony-God is the center of my life, I have found my peace, my dwelling place and my soul's refuge. And nothing or no one can ever persuade me to think otherwise, because I have experienced Christ myself. I know that God is real and everything that is in the Bible is real.
Take your chance on Christ, He won't fail you, ever.
"Faithful God"
by Kaye
The Lord knows everything about you,
every worry, every care,
He knows of all your heartaches
every tear that ever fell.
And when you get discouraged
when the world rages on like a storm,
and you start to feel tired, weary, hopeless
and worn...
He wraps His arms about you
keeping you close to His
heart, and though at times
you thought He's left you-
He never will from you depart.
He will wipe away all the tears
that has rolled down on your cheeks,
and lift away the grief and pain;
Give you the rest that you've
forever seeked.
His love will keep and satisfy you,
His mercy will see you through;
and like the eagle, the Lord will restore
thy strength, your hope He will renew.
Just hold on, friend, even tighter
and don't let go of
Jesus' hands;
He will see you through til the end
until you reach the promised land.
So do not be discouraged and lift
your head up high
the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
will fight the battle by your side;
No harm shall ever befall you
because He always takes care of His own-
You are God's dearly beloved
flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone.
Amen.
People never run out of things to do, we always keep busy. In fact a 24 hour day is not enough to finish our work. I must admit, I too am frequently caught up in the hustle and bustle of life...for me right now it is studying. But when these things seem to take over, I start to feel a bit grieved inside, my soul aches to be with my Creator- to be able to set the flesh aside and keep still until I hear from my God. Friend, I have never felt such peace outside of Jesus. I guess once you've let Him in, in your heart and life- you won't be the same ever again and I speak from personal experience. I have no regrets in choosing a life of obedience...despite the world.
I know for a fact how a lot of people raise their eyebrows and are quite critical when christian principles are discussed but it honestly does not bother me. Laying down my life, my will, my all to Jesus has been the greatest and best decision I've ever made. My life is a living testimony of His existence, His goodness and the power of redemption and transformation. I cannot ask for more...and you can have the same experience too.
God is the ONLY one who can fill every gaping need in your life and that is the truth. Alcohol, friends, money, reputation and everything else in the world could only get you so far, it's all temporal. At the end of the road, we all get to meet with our Creator and there is no exemption. I can imagine how a lot of people will be surprised to know that there is a God after all and that they chose to believe the finite theories and knowledge of man rather than the truth. I pray, whilst there is still a little bit of time left- do think about it. Seek your Maker because He is just a prayer away. Find out the truth for yourself, read the bible and spare some of your time to do some heart searching. There is much to gain and nothing to loose.
It is sad that a lot of people don't know Christ and in their ignorance they reject Him. Christianity has been perverted so much that the truth is like a needle in a haystack, so to speak...but there is hope dear friend. The author and finisher of our faith- Jesus Christ is alive, He exists despite how the world depict Him as just any other god. The truth is He is the only God. He is our Maker, He was the One who formed us in our mothers womb, He knows our likes and dislikes, He knows us inside and out. AND Jesus knows that deep inside your heart, there is a thirsting and a hungering for life...eternal life and He is there to meet that need.
Friend, He is the answer, the only answer. There is nothing like Jesus, not one thing ever comes close to the unconditional love He offers- the peace and rest that He is so willing to give you, let me tell you is so real and lasting, you'll never forget it. It stays with you, for eternity...amen
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.
Whenever I am by myself or in the car driving along, I always find myself humming a tune...not from any particular song, but simply a tune from my heart. A worship tune, I call it because I always end up worshipping God when that melody starts to flow from my lips. I just cannot help it, I am not much of a singer but there you go, my heart just runneth over with praise & adoration for the One love of my heart, that even in the midst of the daily buzz of living I find myself singing or humming a tune or two.
I find it comforting though, to be free to worship my God is precious and liberating especially in a world full of restraints, critics and false idolatry. To be able to worship the Creator of all in spirit and in truth indeed is a privelege. A privelege that most of us take for granted.
On another note:
Can't help but notice how demonic icons such as skulls and bones, demons, cartoon demons (and some are cute ones too), devil horns and the like keep popping everywhere, it seems to be a reigning theme in this generation. That gives me goosebumps, the Hell dimension is truly settling in and except for genuine believers, everyone appears oblivious to it. It's just a fashion statement they say, but even I could argue that...so what kind of statement then?
This generation is reflecting the spirit that is in the world now. I find it hard to shop for my son because most clothing items have skulls, or demon icons printed on them and I don't want my child to wear 'death marked' clothes. That is exactly what the devil is doing- he is marking mankind with death and not just physical death but worse- eternal separation from God, the spiritual type of death.
We are living in dangerous times, friend. Man's faith is waning and in place of God are many idols. The biggest one is 'Self', think about it. Man's intellect has risen sky high that the thought of God has become mockery to them, they lost their faith and sometimes the only way for the Lord to reach to them is through rude awakenings. When death comes near, it reminds us of our mortality...and then we seek God.
No matter how much science and carnal knowledge discredit and refute the truth of God and His word, that does not change a thing. Our own mortality attests that there is One who is immortal, there is One who gave us life, that we have a Creator. Man's intellect can never replace that which is eternal because we are finite, our knowledge is finite. We get overly confident in ourselves, in our achievements, in man's greatness and knowledge, but friend, we all know deep inside that the end of all journeys truly leads to one road and one road only- we have to meet with our Creator, our God. When that time comes, what will we say then?
I had feasted once again in my Father's table this sunday morning and it was satisfying. Again, the Lord spoke to me in many ways and on many levels and I feel really priveleged. He was working on me the night before church, softening me up so I could benefit the next day (that was Saturday... ) all my thoughts were about the scripture and God's love for us, for me. I thought to myself 'this is where I always want to stay- in His sweet, comforting Spirit' in the bosom of my Father, hidden in Him.
Sometimes, friend, I find it difficult to put into words the love relationship going on between my God and I. It is something so intimate only He and I understand... and like a natural marriage I also go through tough times when my faith is tested, often to the limit, but whenever I fall- the good thing is Jesus is there to catch me.
He comes at the right time, see. The Lord knows when we need Him the most, His love is truly amazing. Beyond words, beyond reason, unconditional. I am at awe with my Creator. Bless the Lord oh my soul!
I did not use to be like this, friend, far from this - I did not really trust Him with everything. Fear can still take ahold of me before but I remember one time, the revelation of the scripture - I AM THE POTTER, THOU ART THE CLAY - suddenly became real to me, just like that. I know it was His grace that did it...from then on I knew, I was certain that everything that happened and WILL happen in my life is according to His plan and whatever may come my way, no matter how difficult it would be for me I would just yield to the Lord.
Nay but, oh man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed him, Why hast thou made me thus? Romans 9: 20
Somehow, somewhere along the way the Lord gently came to me, spoke to my heart, wooed my soul. Amen. He made me love Him, more and more too as time rolls by. This is where I found my dwelling place, my soul finally found its refuge and it's not in the world but it's in Jesus Christ my Lord.
How people reject this kind of peace, rest and comfort I would never understand...the only thing I know is that He found me. I am not worthy but in His eyes I am perfect. I am His Bride.
Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Shalom Bride! here is another testimony from Louise Maloney, a dear sister in Christ. I again, extended an invitation for anyone who feels led by the Spirit to share what God had done for them lately and I am glad Louise obliged to my request. I believe that giving a testimony is one of the ways we encourage one another and to have another person other than me, testify of the goodness of Jesus Christ in this blog is just very encouraging to me. I am sure it would be to you too.
Read on:
Michael Jr. (5) crawled into our bed this morning just as I was off for my morning walk. I noticed he was a bit shakey when he had a drink of water and didn't want his breakfast (a bit unusual I thought). When I got back from my walk, his siblings reported he vomited. I went to see him and I claimed the healing Jesus gave us in His name, because by His stripes "we are healed".
Michael had a small glass of milk (which he'd ask for) and not long later he vomited again. Oh dear- my faith was not at its highest point. The funny thing was, as soon as he had, he perked up and I knew he was healed. Well, I sort of knew. He seemed perfectly fine. A box of birds. He asked me to get him some toast. "Oh-do you think you should?" Doubt. Well, okay. I cautiously gave him half a piece. Oh no. Not enough. The little guy's hungry. "More please". "Just wait half an hour or so". Eventually I gave him a whole piece of toast.
All good. Totally healed. Praise the Lord. Child-like faith is what Jesus is looking for in all of us. We can't heal. Only Jesus can. Thank you Lord.
Another one:
I'd just thrown a hissy-fit, ranted, raved then cried. Then I had a pity party and wandered over to the computer to do some mindless clicking round. But there in my emails was your comment thanking me for teaching you to post You Tube stuff in FB...As I listened to that guy singing about Elijah under the juniper tree, the Lord's Holy Spirit took the place of my ugly one. It was so sweet and gentle just like the Lord is...so, I went out and asked my children individually, to forgive me for having a wrong spirit, and for getting so angry and frustrated and...life goes on, only better than it would've without Jesus in my life. His reality really, really, really is for real.
Hallelujah. He's only a prayer away and mostly, He's even closer than that.
Louise Moloney, New Zealand
This testimony truly blessed me because I realized that in every situation that we encounter in life- God is there. He is there to answer our prayers, He is there to teach us something, He is there to give us His peace.
But even in the midst of fiery trials we have the assurance that He is there- ever present in our lives. He never forsakes those who are His, even in the eye of the storm He is there with you. Jesus was with Peter when he walked over the sea and he nearly drowned because he was starting to doubt, but He pulled him up. When Shadrach, Meshac and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, Jesus Christ was there too. When His two followers were on the road to Emmaus and they were discussing Calvary between themselves, Jesus walked with them and gave them hope. When Paul started to weep because there was no one worthy to open the sealed book, He came forth and offered Himself. For our sins, He surrendered His precious life. He suffered the wrath of God, and bore our shame, Hallelujah.
He is the Faithful One, worthy of all our praise.
Amen.
It's so easy to get lost in the world. It is full of shiny & attractive things, it beckons one to look, to stay even...and if you give in, it's hard to come out of it. Life in the world is 'fun', it's easy, one can do anything you want literally- you want pleasure? you go get it, that is the attitude, no one's going to stop you.
Therein lies the battle. The enemy has got one agenda- that is to make us forget Jesus, to make us forget who we really are and so he set up the world in such a way to achieve this mission. And a small seed of doubt is all it takes. And sometimes, it isn't obvious...you know how when after we fall, slip or backslide, we feel unworthy of Christ? we have the desire to pray and yet we resist it? we think that we are so filthy, so sinful and undeserving we reject God's gift of forgiveness and chance. It might surprise some when I say that it is false humility, albeit unintentionally or out of ignorance. God stirs our hearts unto repentance, He himself placed that desire in you and if we resist His mercy then that won't do us any good.
Life in the world, although it may appear fun & easy, no spiritual battle to fight, is but temporary. It isn't the real life that God had intended for His children. There is a higher call. We need only to be reminded of this fact. We are the sons and daughters of God, made to live a life reflective of Him. I know I also needed reminding because I forget too. I forget who I am every so often, that I feel I am llike a lost child, sobbing whimpering in a corner. Without Christ I am broken, I am incomplete. I am nothing because Jesus is my everything. He is my heart & soul.
But the Lord is gracious and full of mercy, He is faithful to His promises and I believe He would finish what He started in all of us. Nothing will stand in His way, neither doubt nor all the evil in the world put together for He is the creator of everything, both the light and the darkness. We are all clay in His hands.We just need to trust Him completely, unconditionally.
The great eagle is soaring above us, circling those who are His...calling us to come up higher.
Lord Jesus, help us. Open our ears to hear, soften our hearts of stone and break all the shackles that holds us back from coming to You...for You are the only one, the most worthy One. You are the great Creator, the Potter of our lives. Shape us, mould us, and if we resist Lord, break us, shatter us and build us up once again until we become like you. Just intreat us not to leave thee...
Have mercy Lord Jesus and we thank thee for your abundant love. Amen.
I felt that the Lord answered the questions simmering in my head for the last few weeks this Sunday morning. Our pastor's message hit the nail on the spot, so to speak and I feel quite relieved. I have been wondering a lot lately about the 'gray areas' of life and such and such...about how God can be just to each and everyone of us and yet He stays just to His own word. Sounds a bit contradictory huh? and yet He is that way.
God looks at the intent and desires of our hearts.
He does not look at us the way common men do because even the most righteous man on earth (if there is one...) will make wrong assumptions every now and again, but Jesus looks beyond the veil of flesh.
He looks straight to the heart and He knows if that soul beareth His seed or not and He will deliver that soul from death.
And so, based on predestination there is no worry at all because whatever happens, whatever will happen you are already sealed into His kingdom. You were born to carry that seed and to manifest it in God's appointed time. And sometimes that truth takes time to settle in, because we think we can 'contribute' to our salvation but let me tell you friend,it is all, purely by God's grace and mercy that we will make it to eternity. It is only by the tender hand of Jehovah that we will pass from death to life.
There begins the dilemma- what about my faith? what about my virtues of being a kind and honest person? what about my sacrifices of going to church every Sunday? giving my tithes? helping those in need? etcetera...?
I will have to ask you back- what about them?
These things are all good and well, I hope I don't get misinterpreted here but these acts of righteousness can be done without God. They can simply be reduced to religion.
Because it is God who stirs our hearts unto repentance, He stirs us unto goodness, He stirs us into obedience to His word. We cannot own it because He has done it for us in the first place. The flesh is cursed from the day Eve disobeyed and so it resists and will continue to resist things that are holy because of it's sinful nature. But the blood of Christ redeemed us...His blood washed all our sins away. He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us grow more and more into His likeness, word upon word- and which may not happen straight away, which for some, may take some time...but remember His ways are not your ways, He knows when the right time is for you and me. And He keeps His promises...
So do not doubt yourself, fellow warrior in Christ because the Lord is true to His word, He is faithful. He will see you through- to the end.
I have read, discussed, and learned plenty regarding people's ideas about God and in retrospect-and I'm not being arrogant but for want of a proper term to use- it all seemed like childish blabber to me. People will always attempt to intellectualize, discredit or partially accept the concept of God and christianity. But to someone who has experienced the Lord himself ? God goes beyond being a concept but He becomes the living word. The be-all and end- all of your life, the greatest, sweetest presence one will ever get to know. Jesus Christ.
We often hear people testify about their answered prayer, about the things the Lord has done for them and how great it truly is, but not until we have experienced it ourselves do we realize the power it unleashes in our lives. Sometimes we even feel silly because we appear to be talking to the wind or talking to ourselves ( or so it may seem to us ) and more often than not it's the desperation the drives us to utter even a phrase or two of prayer...some dont even bother at all.
But praying is a very powerful thing- and I'm not talking about vain repetitions or chants or memorized prayers. I am talking about the real thing, the 'straight from the heart' talk And it's not just all about asking either- asking for blessings, asking for help, asking for relief from our lifes' worries and cares, it may be part of it but certainly is not all of it.
I know some people have the vaguest idea about praying because when they pray they ask God for such and such- like winning the lotto or something so they could help others or give a church a big donation BUT our requests and prayers should align with His Word and will, others get disappointed because their prayers were not answered ( according to their imagined outcomes ) God indeed answers ALL our prayers but not always with a YES, see, it can be a WAIT or perhaps NO.
Prayer is above and beyond that. Praying can be a simple singing of a hymn or even a melody, it can be a sentence or two of thanks in the morning, or you can shut your bedroom door and pray til the wee hours of the morning...whatever form it may take, it has to be a sincere, heartfelt attempt to connect with God. It makes a lot of difference. It is intimate, it is sweet. It is an experience with our God Almighty.
True prayer is when we go to our altar- not the man made altar but the Altar of our heart, it's when our heart and soul desperately seek for Gods will and voice, it's pouring out who we are and all we are to God, it's where we breathe out our cares and worries, it's where we grieve for the sins we have committed and ask for forgiveness, it's where we sing the sweetest hymns only our soul can utter, it is where we keep still and silent and wait on Him, it's where we die daily to our will, it's where He anoints us and gives us strenght for the next battle. But above all- it is the trysting place of the bride and the Bridegroom.
Praying is where the Bridegroom whisphers His love to the Bride. He wooes our spirit and draws us near. It's not complicated, friend. You talk to Him as you would a friend. Simple. All you have to do is be sincere and true about it. He wont judge you, He wont place demands on you. Our Lord Jesus loves you, it's His pleasure to hear from you, it's His pleasure to help you- to ease your fears and worries, calm the storms in your life...After all He is our Creator, we are fearfully made in His image. He made you and me didnt He? I guess that says it all. Amen.
"And having a high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil concsience, and our bodies washed with pure water. " Heb. 10: 21-22
" Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in time of need. " Heb. 4:16
I have been really busy and pre occupied these past few weeks now that I'm back at Tech and I find myself settling in again in student mode, so to speak. As expected I am swamped with homework and we have upcoming exams too and I am to do tons of studying. But somewhere at the back of mind is Jesus...my Lord who deserve to be my first priority, took a backseat. I must admit, I am ashamed of myself.
Distractions are everywhere but am I glad there are bells ringing in my head when things begin to take over. That still, small voice gets louder, though ever so gentle- reminding me to not forget about Him. I feel really bad too, when I feel like these things start to take ahold of my mind completely.
I believe that God should be the pre eminence in my life and although I know that I have not forsaken Him, still to forget to pray at nights and to spend less time reading His word- it's not ok, whatever the reason may be. I realized how easy it is to get distracted with earthly things and obligations without noticing it because it just happens, see. For me it is studies, for someone else it might be another thing- perhaps work, relationships or hobbies.
I'm sure you could relate to what I'm trying to say- you know how work tend to override everything else? when all you think about is work even at home? or better yet, relationships?
Although things should be taken in their context, personally, to me- it doesn't seem right to put anything else above the Lord and so I decided to make a few changes in my life...my God deserve the best from me after all. I know I make mistakes, often - but it shouldn't stop me from trying to put in conscious effort to be pleasing unto my Lord.
I have to press on even harder, to fight the enemies attempt to dull my shine, to be able to truly reflect Christ in the midst of a dark world. That is my duty, the purpose of my life.
And I know despite me, He will see me through.
Distractions are everywhere but am I glad there are bells ringing in my head when things begin to take over. That still, small voice gets louder, though ever so gentle- reminding me to not forget about Him. I feel really bad too, when I feel like these things start to take ahold of my mind completely.
I believe that God should be the pre eminence in my life and although I know that I have not forsaken Him, still to forget to pray at nights and to spend less time reading His word- it's not ok, whatever the reason may be. I realized how easy it is to get distracted with earthly things and obligations without noticing it because it just happens, see. For me it is studies, for someone else it might be another thing- perhaps work, relationships or hobbies.
I'm sure you could relate to what I'm trying to say- you know how work tend to override everything else? when all you think about is work even at home? or better yet, relationships?
Although things should be taken in their context, personally, to me- it doesn't seem right to put anything else above the Lord and so I decided to make a few changes in my life...my God deserve the best from me after all. I know I make mistakes, often - but it shouldn't stop me from trying to put in conscious effort to be pleasing unto my Lord.
I have to press on even harder, to fight the enemies attempt to dull my shine, to be able to truly reflect Christ in the midst of a dark world. That is my duty, the purpose of my life.
And I know despite me, He will see me through.
I remember one time when I bumped into my Mom's friend and after exchanging pleasantries, she asked me if my mother is still a 'born again' christian and I replied 'yes', then she added 'Oh well, you know because she suffered much in her life, she needs to eh?" I just smiled. She was a Methodist herself.
I was actually biting my tongue with that comment, not because it was about my mother but because being a christian is not what people assume it to be.
Serving Christ is not a phase, it's not a crutch that we use to get through life, it is well more and beyond that. The life of Jesus Christ is not a philosophy that we study, it is not understood with carnal minds and knowledge. We cannot, try as we may, use logic and science to make sense of it all BUT it takes a heart of faith, a heart void of any doubt for God to be able to break through and reveal Himself to us.
To know God is to take Him in, inside your heart, believing and obeying His word...to be true and faithful witnesses to our Bridegroom, amen. The scripture says in 2 Cor.3:6, that the letter killeth but the spirit giveth LIFE...
Our God is real, He is not a product of some made-up ideology. He is not a myth or a super hero character who healed people 2000 years ago. Friend, He is your Maker, the creator of all life...even if man's knowledge try to discredit who He really is does not change that truth.
To some, joining church or jumping into christianity as a phase or trend, or to even use Jesus as a crutch in life- only wanting Him in times of need- is not right.
If we decide to follow and serve God, let us do it with all of our heart, all of our soul and all of our mind. Knowing fully well that it is a serious matter and knowing what it requires- to lay down our lives, our will daily. Bringing the flesh into subjection, to be able to set ourselves aside and be God's Bride body in this age. Manifesting only Jesus. Amen.
God bless you all.
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. " Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14
Just Me:
- Kaye
- I am sensible, level- headed, and genuine especially to people who are likeminded. And apart from everything else, I love the privelege of having to follow Jesus. I dont care what people say, I just love Him. He is the wind beneath my wings, the Anchor of my soul, He is my rest. And to my Lord Jesus I give all my thanks,and praise and credit for who I am now, though far from perfect. I believe He will finish what He started in me. Amen!
