my tongue is the pen

I've always loved to write. Sometimes when I don't know how to speak to God, I start by writing to Him. Tonight, as I sit on my desk attempting to write Him a song or a poem, I prayed, "God, let me worship You with my pen." I proceeded to write and then God said, my tongue is the pen of a skilful writer. Ps 45:1

Speak, keep on speaking, the Lord says.
If you think your prayers are weak, keep on praying.
The Lord does not despise every prayer you make.

I couldn't ask for a better friend, Lord
You're my Saviour and my God
With You I find eternity
In You I trust completely

Every page of my life is a new beginning,
so wonderfully written by You.
Every chapter is a revelation,
Every journey is a discovery.
Thank You Holy Spirit,
for You are with me.

Doing

Why I do the things that I do.

Not so that I may earn or keep my salvation but rather cos I love Him and I wanna please Him, no more than a child wanting to please her parents just by being a good girl. EVEN with the knowing that they love me all the same.

I remember this song my 5 yr-old friend taught me when I was 10...

"Jesus loves me this I know
For the bible tells me so
Jesus loves me when I'm bad
Tho' that makes Him very sad
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
For the bible tells me so"

On my bible reference, it says, "How hard should we obey the bible?"
Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. (2 Chronicles 34:31)

I thank the Lord God for His encouragement and assurance that all things we do, no matter how little and whether it is done in the secret or in the open, He knows. And I wanna encourage all of us to continue to be faithful in the little things, for they do not go unnoticed. Tho' we do not do it for a reward, but we do it out of our love for our Lord Jesus Christ, who is always faithful and ever loving.

Forgiveness

To a dear friend,
I write to you with love... on what I know to be biblical; to be God's word and truth... I preach not, and will not impose this upon you, for God gives us free will, and will never force Himself upon us. Hence, I write in here to share with you on the topic of forgiveness...

"Teach us how to pray," the disciples said to Jesus. (Luke 11:1) He answered by teaching them the prayer we call the Our Father or The Lord's Prayer:

"...Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. "

This petition of the Lord's Prayer is a demanding one. Not only do we ask God's forgiveness for our daily offenses, but we link God's forgiveness of us with our forgiveness of others. Forgiving others is not always easy to do. We need God's help to do it. But it must be done or we ourselves cannot receive God's mercy.

The parable of the unforgiving servant:
“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ (Matt 18:28)
Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (Matt 18:32-35)


When I speak of the unforgiving man, I speak of the man who is stubborn, whose heart is hardened and who finds no room in him to offer forgiveness to others even as he is forgiven. I trust that my friend has been offered grace by our Lord God, and has rendered forgiveness to others even when it is difficult. Surely our Lord is bigger than any of our sins, but He asks that we forgive others as He forgave us.
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. (Mark 11:25)

And with so many verses from the bible where God asks us to forgive, surely it is His will that we forgive so that we may too be forgiven.

Dear friend, I write to you with grace and peace in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I trust that you have forgiveness as the Lord has been gracious in forgiving us. The unforgiving man I speak about is not you, but the one whose heart is hardened, who finds no room in his heart to forgive. For if God's spirit is in us, surely we will always have room to love and to forgive, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

Amen.

So you think it is not fair..

When I was younger, I used to hold anti-Christ sentiments, thinking that it was not fair that one man could save all. I mean, but of course, he's God, isn't he? Surely it's a breeze for him, doing all that he did.
"That's so unfair!"

But here's what made me see the light, so thought I really oughtta share it:

"I have heard some people complain that if Jesus was God as well as man, then His sufferings and death lose all value in their eyes, 'because it must have been so easy for Him'. The perfect submission, the perfect suffering, the perfect death were not only easier to Jesus because He was God, but were possible only because He was God. But surely that is a very odd reason for not accepting them? The teacher is able to form the letters for the child because the teacher is grown-up and knows how to write. That, of course, makes it easier for the teacher; and only because it is easier for him can he help the child. If it rejected him because 'it's easy for grown-ups' and waited to learn writing from another child who could not write itself (and so had no 'unfair' advantage), it would not get on very quickly. If I am drowning in a rapid river, a man who still has one foot on the bank may give me a hand which saves my life. Ought I to shout back (between my gasps) 'No, it's not fair! You have an advantage! You're keeping one foot on the bank'? That advantage - call it 'unfair' if you like - is the only reason why he can be of any use to me. To what will you look for help is you will nt look to that which is stronger than yourself?"
(Mere Christianity, CS Lewis)


The perfect penitent.

level of faith

I have a thing about waiting for buses and praying for them. So, just wanna share one of them:

That day, I was leaving from work and since I was late, I prayed for my bus to come. As soon as I did that, I started to hurry to the bus stop, for I knew in my heart that God was gonna send the bus to me. And the moment I set foot on the bus stop, my bus arrived! At that point, there was only one thing on my mind,

"If you have the faith to believe, God will be faithful to deliver."
..just a revelation to a very simple example.

when you believe, believe with all your heart, mind and body.

Waiting, in the Hope

I have been praying in THE hope, for the bible says, "Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (Rom 8:24-25) And I am waiting patiently in THE hope :)

But the hope is not passive.

For the waiting is not moving from nothing to something, but from something to something more, as I learn in "Finding My Way Home" by Henri Nouwen.

"..there is none of that passivity in Scripture. Those who are waiting are waiting very actively. They know that what they are waiting for is growing from the ground on which they are standing. If we wait in the conviction that a seed has been planted and that something has already begun, it changes the way we wait. Active waiting implies being fully present to the moment with the conviction...

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

A waiting person is a patient person. The word 'patience' implies the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden will mainifest itself to us. Impatient people expect the real thing to happen somewhere else, and therefore they want to get away from the present situation and go elsewhere. But patient people dare to stay where they are. Waiting, then, is not passive. It involves nurturing the growth of something within.

Waiting is also open-ended. Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Simeon and Anna were filled with hope. Their hope was trusting that fulfillment would come, not according to their wishes, but according to the promises of God. Their hope was open-ended."

I pray that even as I wait, I do not lose sight of the call of God and get too obsessed over what I am waiting for, but rather to remain open to the call of God; to be sensitive to His voice, that I may be so versatile to move in His ways, according to His will for me. Thank You Jesus for the hope that I have in You.

Guard against thieves

Praying for deliverance, I received another tip on how to guard/ consecrate our minds:

"One of the early fathers said: "When thieves approach a house in order to creep up to it and steal, and hear someone inside talking, they do not dare to climb in; in the same way, when our enemies try to steal into the soul and take possession of it they creep all round but fear to enter when they hear that...prayer welling out."

That is why the bible tells us to pray unceasingly.

Amen.

sin in your dreams?

Knowing how I could ask God if I had any questions, I wondered out of curiousity and asked if we could sin in our dreams. Then when I was reading Reaching Out...

"What is the source of those unbecoming nocturnal phantasies? he said: "They arise out of the disordered movements of the soul that occur during the day. But if a man should occupy himself with the judgements of God and so purify his soul and concern himself constantly with good matters and things pleasing to God, then these things will fill his dreams (instead)."

I love how God answers me all the time :)

Solitude

With regards to a certain dispositional problem, I kept questioning myself as to why I had reacted that way, so I sought God for help..and I asked Him to help me understand the problem. I also asked God about solitude and loneliness...

I prayed that God speak to me.
And He is faithful (ALWAYS) to guide me as I walk with Him.


I always try to be like Jesus as best as I can; to be compassionate; to be more tolerant; to be patient, but more often than not, I fail, and I snap at my family or friends. Although my latest achievement is that I am getting slightly better at being more patient with strangers. Nonetheless, I still feel inadequate.
And as I asked the earlier question, God showed me the importance of sorting out my personal issues (for the first and most important aspect of healing is 'diagnosis'), and in my case, an intra-personal diagnosis.

He pointed,
"As long as we are lonely, we cannot be hospitable because as lonely people we cannot create free space. Our own need to still our inner cravings of loneliness makes us cling to others instead of creating space for them."

And as a response to my personal problem I was facing, He had this to say,
"When we feel lonely we have such a need to be liked and loved that we are hypersensitive to the many signals in our environment and easily become hostile toward anyone whom we perceive as rejecting us."

Solution: To empty your heart and mind. To become completely poor. For when you have given of yourself totally, even the thief has nothing to rob you of, hence there is nothing to defend.
[Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out]


Drowning in the sea of sentimentality,
I struggled to swim.
As I battled in blindness,
I started to see..
Till I learn to love,
I cannot cope.
Till I learn to loose,
I could not contend.
But as long as I am faithful to seek,
God is faithful to speak.

if you want Him, show Him you want Him

I pray often for God to change me.
I want to be more like Jesus.

..and then I realised: If I wanted to be more like Jesus, where is that 'wanted'?
I mean if I 'wanted' to be more like Jesus, surely there should be greater discipline in working at it. It definitely wouldn't be sincere if I just sat in front of my computer at work, wishing I could glorify Him, and then after that, doze back off to sleep. Where is the 'want' in this case? Where is the effort? It is ironical to say I love Him, and then expect Him to change my heart so I can love Him more.

I must demonstrate more of the 'want' in my day-to-day life.

I thank that God is full of grace and mercy, and He loves me nonetheless.
I thank that I can lean on Him for strength. God IS my strength.

I do my best, God will do the rest.

Thank You Jesus.

Don't seek after a sign

About a day later, after I thought about what I did back home.. staring at the sky, hoping to see what my future would bring, I was reminded of a bible verse in

Matthew 16:
' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times!
An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it..

I shouldn't attempt this again; staring at the sky, hoping for a sign.
Ya, getting up and getting back to work was correct.
mental note: Don't do this again :p

work

For a long time, I have lost the passion for my work.
I drag my feet to the office and I am always late.
I hate to admit it, but the way I work brings no glory to God.

God said, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Col 3:23-24)

Martin Luther said, "A dairymaid can milk cows to the glory of God."

"Do everything as it you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying a continual conversation while you do it", that is the secret to a lifestyle of worship. (2004, Rick Warren)

I learn..

focus your eyes on eternity

This morning, I woke up feeling rather sombre and God comforted me,

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Col 3:1-2)

An eternal perspective means that you look at today's events in light of eternity. Does today's 'crisis' have any bearing on eternity? Will it matter when you get to heaven? Will it even matter in 100 years? Is it worth all the anxiety, worry and pain? Since you have been raised to life with Christ, then think about things with a heavenly mindset."

Yes. I must.

definition of judging

On Sat morning, after I finished my prayer, as I was keeping my notebook, something came to mind.

"Not judging is not forming a conclusion or an opinion about something."

As soon as I had that thought, I wondered where that came from.. I mean, I wasn't even praying about anything close to that that morning..

But I wrote it down anyways.

And then I smiled at the thought knowing that God has just drawn the line for me :)

cos to tell the truth, I am a rather judgemental person, so I pray often about it, and I ask God to forgive me of my sin of judging. And that morning, God has made it easier for me. How better to avoid making the mistake than to know exactly what is wrong so you do not do it.

"You, then, why do you judge your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgement seat. Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another."
(Rom 14:10, 13)

Amen.

Put your trust in the Lord

Some people say, "You can't trust men but you can trust God."
Some say, "You can trust God but you can't trust men."
Seemingly similar but each appears to send a different message.
I should think the 2nd statement sounds more pessimistic..
and then I think.. so what is it?
Which should come first?

..and then I realised of course the Bigger one has the final say.

What I mean is, no matter what happens,
ultimately we can always trust God to set everything right,
for "In everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28)

amen.
We have a good God.

Talkin to Jesus

Y'know, keep talkin to Jesus. Cos He is listening. God says seek and you will find, ask and you shall receive. You have not because you ask not!
"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (John 16:24)

So anyways, this noon, I was getting exasperated with myself, so I asked God. "God, what can I do with these thoughts of mine? Why do they keep coming? Am I thinking these thoughts knowingly or unknowingly and what can I do about it? God I pray that You will teach me. Holy Spirit, You are my guide, my shepherd and my teacher."

And... this evening, strange but not so strange, God taught me what to do.

"Suppose I ask you to take care of my house while I am out of town. You pledge to keep everything in great shape. But when I return, I find the place in shambles. The carpet is torn, walls are smeared, furniture is broken. Your explanation is not impressive: some bikers came by and needed a place to stay. Then the rugby team called, looking for a place for their party. And of course there was the fraternity-they wanted a place to hold their initiation ceremony. As the owner I have one question: "Don't you know how to say no? This is not your house. You don't have the right to let in everyone who wants to enter.
Ever think God wants to say the same to us?

GUARDING OUR HEARTS

You've got to admit some of our hearts are thrashed out. Let any riffraff knock on the door, and we throw it open. Anger shows up, and we let him in, Revenge needs a place to stay, so we have him pull up a chair. Pity wants to have a party, so we show him the kitchen. Lust rings the bell, and we change the sheets on the bed. Don't we know how to say no? Many don't. We think much about time management, weight management, personnel management, even scalp management, but what about thought management?

The answer is surprisingly simple.
We can be transformed if we make one decision: I will submit my thoughts to the authority of Jesus.

To have a pure heart, we must submit all thoughts to the authority of Christ. What I mean about authority? Here's how it works.

A GUARD AT THE DOORWAY
The Holy Spirit is ready to help you manage and filter the thoughts that try to enter. He can help you guard your heart. He stands with you on the threshold. A thought approaches, a questionable thought. Do you throw open the door and let it enter? Of course not. You 'fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ' (2 Cor 10:5) You don't leave the door unguarded. You stand equipped with handcuffs and leg irons, ready to capture any thought not fit to enter. For the sake of discussion, let's say a thought regarding your personal value approaches. With all the cockiness of a neighbourhood bully, the thought swaggers up to the door and says, "You're a loser. All your life you've blown relationships and jobs. LOSER." So rather than let the thought in, you take it captive and march it down before the judgement of Christ. "Jesus, this thought says I'm a loser and will never amount to anything. What do You think?"
See what you are doing? You are submitting the thought to the authority of Jesus. If Jesus agrees with the thought, then let it in. If not, kick it out."

See? If we ask God, God will be faithful to answer. How? Some may ask. How would I know that it is Jesus who is talkin to me?

1) Walk close with Him
To understand someone really well, you communicate with the person a lot. Dwell with the person. So, same with God. Talk to Him, sing to Him, dwell and bask in His presence. Feel His love and let Him surround you everyday; Spend time.

2) Read the word
The Word is God.
How can we know God without reading the word? 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' (John 1:1)

3) Be sensitive to Him
If a voice within your heart is tellin you something and you think it is God and you want to be sure, confirm it with Him. Ask Him and He will be faithful to answer. Or talk to someone about it; Ask an elder, for 'in the multitude of counselors there is safety' (Prov 24:6)

Amen.

"Y'know, God I love Your voice, I love when You speak to me cos You teach me so much and most of all, You teach me to be more like Jesus. I love You. You bring joy to my heart. You bring water when it is dry, You bring peace where there is noise. You are love. I can love You because You first loved me. You teach me how to love You. Oops, I'm blabbering as I speak to You. I love You so. Words are not enough. Thank You Lord. I love You. I want to walk in righteousness."

'If you love me, you will obey what I command.' (John 14:15)

Amen.

Convicted

I prayed to God to fill me with greater compassion, patience and tolerance. I had felt that I was such a lack-love that I told God I must be the most unsympathetic Christian around. Yet God was faithful to answer my questions and prayers promptly each time…

Prior to this, I have had to nurse a sick friend albeit unwillingly. Then God told me “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)

And then, another time, I had gotten upset with a friend. I went home thinking I’ll probably not want to go out with him anymore but I asked God to speak to me nonetheless, and He said, “We are to resolve the differences that divide us.” I was taken aback, for that surely called for obedience. So I quickly picked up the phone and smsed my friend to clear things up.

During this whole period of time, I was feeling physically lethargic and was reluctant to avail myself for many church-related activities, even my ministry, giving myself the ‘reason’ that I should lead a balanced lifestyle by not stretching myself. Then God spoke to me amidst my tiredness, “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.”
2 Cor 8:8 (NIV)

By now, I was pretty blown away. I mean, for every doubt I had, God had an answer and more amazingly, He spoke to me in verses that couldn’t have been more specific.

One fateful day, I had woken up a little tired and while sitting on the bus reading my bible, I felt that Holy Spirit tell me, “Do not take His grace in vain.” Later that day, God was to speak to me about a statement I made.. It was this day that I told God I must be the most unsympathetic Christian around. And God showed me the narrative of a leper:

“For five years no one touched me. No one. Not one person. Not my wife. Not my child. Not my friends…
What is common to you, I coveted. Handshakes. Warm embraces. A tap on the shoulder to get my attention. What I would have given to be bumped into, to be caught in a crowd.. But for five years, it has not happened. I was not allowed on the streets. I was not permitted in my synagogue. Not even welcome in my own house. I was untouchable. I was a leper. And no one touched me. Until today..

The banishing of a leper seems harsh, unnecessary. The Ancient East hasn’t been the only culture to isolate their wounded, however. We may not build colonies or cover our mouths in their presence, but we certainly build walls and duck our eyes. And a person needn’t have leprosy to feel quarantined..

At the sight of me, fathers grabbed their children. Mothers covered their faces. Children pointed and stared. I grew so tired of the damnable bell I was required to wear around my neck to warn people of my presence. One glance and the announcements began, “Unclean! Unclean! Unclean! The rags on my body couldn’t hide my sores. Nor could the wrap on my face hide the rage in my eyes. I didn’t even try to hide it. What did I do to deserve this?

Moved by desperate anger, I stepped out. “Master!”

“Lord You can heal me if you will.”

“I will.”

But He wasn’t satisfied with speaking to me. He drew near me. He touched me. Energy flooded my body like water through a furrowed field. In an instant, in a moment, I felt warmth where there had been numbness. And I will never forget the one who dared to touch me. He could have healed me with a word but he wanted to do more than heal me. He wanted to honor me, to validate me, to christen me. Imagine that..unworthy of the touch of a man, yet worthy of the touch of God.”

The book then went on to ask,
“Jesus touched the untouchables of the world. Will you do the same?

Let he who has ears to hear, use them. How long has it been since you had your hearing checked? When God throws seed your way, what is the result?

May I raise a question or two to test how well you hear God’s voice?

How long has it been since you let God have you?
I mean really have you? How long since you gave Him a portion of undiluted, uninterrupted time listening for His voice…”

At this time, I was deeply convicted in my heart. My tears flowed down my cheeks as I walked out of the MRT train. “God.. Your touch… I can never live without Your touch, I can never leave You.. I never want to drift away from You..”

What I experienced that evening was immense. And it wasn’t just the book or the very anointed service I subsequently attended. It was God. I was completely overwhelmed. I think when God wants to speak, there is no hiding from it. God is faithful. God is real. We can never walk away from Him. I wouldn’t want to. I couldn’t.

Pastor Phil was right. Prayers open heaven.
For something to happen in the natural, it must first happen in the spirit. For the past weeks, I had prayed for God to convict my heart towards Him. Amen.

A purpose for everyday

Day in, day out; we wake up, go to work, do the things that we do, sometimes blindly, sometimes not even knowing what we are doing or why we do the things that we do..
So, before I left for work today, I prayed to God, to help me see the purpose in the everyday of our lives; that I may live out each day with a purpose; that the Holy Spirit help me lead a purposeful life.

Then in the cab, I took out Running With Giants and began to read about Rebekah, the woman who generously offered not only the chief servant of Abraham a drink, but also all his camels. Indeed it was no small offer, for that simple gesture, she would have to take at least 2 hours to finish giving all the camels a drink!
The book talks about going the extra mile and in contrast to the world today, people are thinking about doing the least, expecting the most. Few desires to do more than they must. And this reminded me of my appraisal (form), where one is judged on how much he or she meets what is required. And of course, the highest (score) is awarded for frequently fulfilling beyond what is required, and taking the initiatives to do more to improve in the job. Sure sounds like they are looking for the 'Rebekah' amongst us.

As an ending to the chapter, Rebekah made this prayer for us:

Sovereign Lord,

I ask that you would give my friends the eyes to see opportunities in the everyday events of life, the hands to reach out and give more than is required or expected, and the heart to do so with that motives that are pure and not self-seeking.

Amen


"Yes Lord, I pray that You empower me to fulfil the purpose for which You have called me."

strengthen your leader

I haven’t quite agreed with the ways of my leader and recently the disagreement has become increasingly high but I tell myself that all authority has been given by God and I should walk in obedience.

Tonight God spoke to me through the book RUNNING WITH GIANTS
Jonathan (David’s good friend):
“I did not serve David because I lacked potential. I served him because he had greater potential. Remember, it takes a lot of king-makers to make a king! Every time you encounter people with a potential, you must make a choice. You can either hurt them or help them. As I helped my friend David, I knew that I was serving God, and whatever benefits the nation of Israel received came about in part thru my efforts. The same is true for you. You don’t have to be on the front lines to share in the rewards or to make a great impact. Strengthen your leader and you can help save your nation.”

Jesus has an answer for everything. If we seek Him with all our hearts, we can find Him while He may be found. I pray to God to continually change my heart. I must never be complacent. God, take away my elitist mindset. Jesus You are my shepherd and I love Your guidance. Amen.

Put on the armor of God

I had been feeling a little under the weather due to the many things that are happening around me. Then God gave me a word for my current season, and He wants me to meditate upon it day and night:

Eph 6:10-20 The Whole Armor of God

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints
and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.


"Thank You Lord for Your encouragement."


Indeed, when we seek God, He is faithful to show up and speak to us in our situations.

jogging with God

I learnt this while jogging...that running on a flat (non-slope) track can actually be the most tedious. As we all know, jogging on a descending slope is the easiest as gravity naturally pulls us down. Going up slope on the other hand, tho' arduous, it gives one the satisfaction and thrill of ascent.
So, I see the entire journey very much like a believer's spiritual/ prayer life. When we are going downhill in our life, it is very easy to backslide and go with the tide, hence we must always be very careful, or at the very least be conscious whenever we are travelling downslope.
When we are going uphill, every step has to be taken with greater effort in order to keep us going forward and that surge of strength from within will propel us further, like how every trial only makes us stronger at the end of it. And we can always look to Him for strength.
When there is nothing going on in our life, when things appear to be smooth sailing, we must never grow restless or complacent. In fact, it is during this part of the journey that we must remember to continue to keep focused so we do not lose our momentum and sidetrack.

"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go." Joshua 1:7

"Lord, keep my feet on the track, on the path You have designed for me and lead me and guide me that I may obedient at every juncture and be dilligent to seek You always. God is my pacer, and Holy Spirit, help me keep my focus always. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

How can we remain pure

The very next night, God shows me..
How can we remain pure?

He says, in Psalm 119:1-20:
' Aleph
1 [a] Blessed are they whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the LORD.

2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart.

3 They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.

4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.

5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!

6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.

8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.
b Beth
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.

10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

12 Praise be to you, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.

13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.

14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.

15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.

16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
g Gimel
17 Do good to your servant, and I will live;
I will obey your word.

18 Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.

19 I am a stranger on earth;
do not hide your commands from me.

20 My soul is consumed with longing
for your laws at all times.

I thank God for following up on me. For His constant guidance.
God, I thank You for always speaking to me, thank You for Your faithfulness Lord, I love You.

Pursue Him with a pure heart

I had been wondering for a while if it was alright to try to please God. Like if it was ok to do something out of your will just so God can see and be pleased with you. Not to win the approval of men really, but to win His favor. But in modern day lingo; to curry favor (my Father in heaven).

I had an answer for myself then.. I thought, of course dear, it is alright to want to please God.

So during my prayer time, I asked God. I said, "God is it alright to try to please You? In the things that I do.. like when I intentionally do things that You like, so that You would be pleased with me?" And His reply was,

"Pursue Him with a pure heart."

"The kingdom Jesus had come to establish was not a political regime, but a kingdom of the heart and of the Spirit."

Amen.
Thank You Jesus for speaking to me.

God is alive and He is still speaking very much to you and me today.

reciprocate

One of the biggest hurdle during my quiet time is fatigue, so last night while worshipping God, the Holy Spirit reminded me:

"If you know to reciprocate when someone shows you love,
how much more should you bless the Lord
who has filled you with His grace and mercy."

With that, I was humbled by His presence and continued to worship the Lord my Heavenly Father who has been so gracious and merciful to me..

(The below is a song that speaks my heart)

O come let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Lord God we worship you;
You are glorious in holiness,
full of love and compassion; abundant in grace and truth.

We confess that we have failed to recognise your greatness
We have tried to define you, to limit you, to cut you down to our size..
We are not always moved by the wonder of your love in Jesus Christ
We miss the breadth and the miracle of your grace.
There are times when the best can manage is a sort of formalised
and half hearted praise for all that you have done..
Lord we confess these and our other sins and failures.
We ask you to forgive us because of your grace and mercy offered in Jesus Christ.


Yes Lord, I worship You and give You all the glory, for all things were created through Him and for Him. And God You deserve all my praise. Amen.

guide

I pray often for God to guide me in my ways, for He is my shepherd and I am His sheep and His sheep, they will hear His voice.

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:14,16)

Indeed June was right, our praying life helps balance us. Whenever our prayer life dips, our life loses balance. Therefore we must never grow tired of coming before Him, seeking Him, worshipping Him, fellowshipping with Him.

This morning as I prayed, as I sought God and worshipped Him..
He impressed upon my heart:

The fear of the Lord is my guide
The joy of the Lord is my strength

(that) as I pray everyday for the Holy Spirit to guide me, walking in the fear of the Lord; obeying His word, doing His will, is my GUIDE.
And my strength comes from His delight, for God will honor those who honor Him, who revere Him. And That joy is my strength, and the strength gives me great joy.

I thank that He takes delight in me, in my righteousness. I thank Him for His grace that abounds so deep in me, I thank Him for His faithfulness and His mercies. Amen.

Of desires and temptations

I've been writing to God very much ('cept I haven't posted 'em online), and He is faithful to answer me everytime.

Recently, I've been pretty haunted in that I've been struggling with my inclinations, temptations.

Last night, I learnt a few things.
As I was walking out of my office, I remembered a prayer I had made to God. I had told Him how much I love Him, and I don't wanna just talk the talk, I wanted to walk the walk.
And so, it hit me that my present circumstance was the best time to show Him how much I love Him, how I could use this opportunity to show Him that I choose Him and reject evil.
It was truly an opportune time and one of the best ways to show my love. for I can be rest assured that He will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear, so I can stand up under it. (1 Cor 10:13).
And as far as this case is concerned, all I need to do is stay away from temptation and control my behavioural and environmental conditions.

"James (James 1:13-18) tells us that it is our own evil desire that begins this process that can only be described as a downward death-spiral of sin. The desire to sin is already within us. If it were not, sin would not be attractive to us. On first glance, you might think that sin is some sort of a magnet. But that is not true. The magnet is within you. It is your desire."

I just need to hold on toght on God's promises. And I will do just that.

While worshipping, I had a revelation about Him. Y'know, why did God make promises? He didn't make promises for fun or for no reason y'know. God made promises so they can be fulfilled. God is faithful. He couldn't deny Himself.
So. How can His promises come true? >> It is when we live it.
All the more we must have the courage, and be bold and obedient to follow the Word, for we can be sure that Christ is with us. Amen!

Leading a balanced life(time)

My revelation for tonight..

Leading a balanced life..




*Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17 (KJV)


How our cup can be filled..
By pouring it out so God can refill it..
We are not to only be takers, but rather be givers as well, but as we give of our lives, as we pour out our lives, there will be a transition period where our cup will be dry, and that's where friends can encourage one another.