right so as i said, this week's prayer pointers are for those taking exams, namely
Adrian
Eugenia
Eunice
Christine
Joel
*whoever i may have left out*
if i have left you out I APOLOGIZE.
but let's pray for God to give them calmness, a clear mind, freedom from panic attacks, and the joy of knowing they are within His will, as well as the peace and serenity to accept whatever He has prepared for them.
ok for those of us who don't mind thinking bout something deep.
when we pray for acceptance, is it an excuse for mediocrity, a lack of faith in God?
from personal experience, my train of thought is usually something like, 'i'll pray, and i'll study'. and i really don't know if it needs any sort of revision. if there is actually something deeper than that. it'll be great if things are that simple, honestly.
well to the boys and girls taking exams, i don't mean to throw any wet blankets of whatever at you guys. but if you do feel discouraged by any and whatever reason, just remember that GOD LOVES YOU.
i know this sounds cheesy and cliche. but it's a truth that we probably have taken for granted.
and this love is a complex love. it's a love that goes through His anger, his righteousness, not nullifying them, but ensuring that all are spent, and then trying to spend itself, but being impossible to completely spend.
>>and i live just for you my lord.
hi guys! sorry for the rather late post
anyway, this week's belated prayer pointer is what eugenia encouraged us to pray about last cg. to better illustrate it, here's an excerpt from my most favourite book of this year. it's titled The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brenan Manning.
it's a prayer from a dying rabbi who called his friend over, and told him that he had never regretted a single moment of his life. and it started from a prayer he asked God. Solomon asked for wisdom. other men have asked for more annointing, more power, more wealth, more wisdom, all these to help others probably. yes, even wealth and power!
but this rabbi asked God for wonder. and so this is his prayer
Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of Your universe. Delight me to see how Your Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not His, to the Father through the features of men’s faces. Each day enrapture me with Your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all.
to be really honest, i think i've become rather cynical. and as a matter of fact, i don't think it's a bad thing at all. i've lost a big bunch of naivety; and for that reason i think my faith is a lot more real, my choices are no longer so one-tracked, and i really hope that God treasures this somewhat more sophisticated and if i may say so, intelligent side of me. because i don't think there's any going back to last time.
but i realised 1 thing i am flawed in. and it's that i don't let myself get awed anymore. i don't let myself sit back and take in the sights. for some reason i just don't. and so this week's prayer pointer is that
we'd allow God to blow our minds away.
cheesy as that sounds, i don't think it's an inapt description. just now, and i really mean just now, God really did blow my mind, when i started simply reminiscing about the amazing lack of logic in the Gospel. how things can ever end up in such a way that dirty rats like us get away scot free, and in fact, with the biggest and best piece of cheese, is not of this world. it really isn't.
have you ever wondered why you remain a Christian?
i have.
and the answer is usually the same. there's nothing better. and there never will be.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matt 13:45-46
God bless you guys!
>>and i live just for you my lord.
Hi so as promised, this are the details of the fast i had last week, from monday to friday. i fasted from lunch, and during that time i (tried) to seek the Lord. i did manage to learn a lot of stuff, or at least quality stuff, despite it being things we commonly hear of, it really makes an immense difference when we go through it personally, and experience the lesson.
ok i know this is written in the previous post but,
i went on a fast because of this book i was reading, it's titled Fasting as unto the Lord. apparently, fasting has a lot of benefits, of which included training spiritual discipline, knowing God's will, achieving more effective prayer(or something like that), and all these arrive because we crucify the flesh, and as such our spirit man is able to take over and surrender to the Lord.
and the (sadly) most tempting benefit i saw was that fasting had a benefit to health. yes you heard me right. what happens is that our body stops oxidising carbs and fats once they're finished, and we start to use our own cells for energy. yup, we start to eat ourselves. so which cells go first? naturally, the sick, dying, old, ugly, mean, and cancerous cells.
generally what I attained through this fast was a greater sense of self awareness, meaning how aware i was of myself(God revealing more of myself to me), and what i felt toward God.
so, day 1
Psalm 128
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.
You will eat the fruit of your labour, blessing and prosperity will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine around your house, your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.
Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord
may the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,
and may you live to see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel.
I felt led to this message, and somehow i felt God telling me that this fast was what he had in mind, not a random spontaneous idea blooming from my own mind. and so, with that, i went on for 4 more days.
Day 2
a journal entry:
I've been daunted by the apparent task of having 1 hour with God. there is a wariness of running out of things to say, things to do, things to pray for, even within the span of 1 hour. maybe i should start contemplating how people can actually spend 1 hour in pure prayer, and maybe it's not so much about talking for 1 hour, but spending a large part of that time in silence. & I know i've really terrible tendency to be distracted whilst in prayer. Even as of now, I keep imagining myself telling others about a successful fast. the strange thing is, i don't even know what this fast is about, what it's for. I do know i was drawn by the health benefits of a fast and from a guilty conscience after reading that fasting is a spiritual discipline.
I hope there is something more to this fast.
Verse for the day: Ezekiel 9:4-5
and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who weep and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." As i listened, He said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion.
I felt that the message from this verse was that God does not want us to be indifferent to the sin around us.
Day 3 had nothing that i learned, although i did try to faithfully continue reading the book of Ezekiel.
Day 4
a journal entry:
I'm before You
hungry, tired, but nowhere near
as naked as I hope to be
These rags still cling loosely to me
Each time i pull them off
They drag alongside my feet
in a while, to be picked up, worn over
Your dazzling robes, whiter than fresh sleet
Even now, if i rup them off
only just to wear them back
rip off these soiled, stained, dirty clothes
It brings me joy, to bring you joy
even for a moment
I know the work has been done. that i've got a seat reserved for me at the largest banquet since... since ever. and so when you asked me why i'm running helter skelter after You, i had to pause for a moment.
at first i wanted to answer that i didn't need a reason to love You. but i'm not You, i'm me, flawed and cracked. and so i realised i had a bit more than a million reasons(i think), of which only a few i could remember and effectively put into english.
i can't not run after You, I cannot. in the light of who You are, what You've done, I cannot sit back with a satisfied smile, knowing that things will turn out bright and sunny at the end of time. I do not earn your approving nod by the things I do, but futile as it sounds, I'd earn at least my own nod of approval.
something in me starves for you, it seems to be thirsting to death, and it's reminiscent of how men crawl through a hot desert in search of life giving water. and thankfully I crawl to no mirage. You said the water You give will never let anyone thirst again. But I want to thirst for You! I want to drink and drink, until i can drink no more. and then i want to drink again!
I want to love You more. But things keep getting in the way. Now that i've rediscovered this hunger in the midst of another hunger, i'm not sure what's next. But I know what's here is what should be here.
verse for the day: Psalm 53 : 3
Everyone has turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
There is no one who does good,
not even one.
message: throw away your self-righteousness and your memories of your good works.
Day 5
a journal entry:
I want to know You're here, to feel You holding me each and every step of the way. I'm not asking for power to exorcise demons(although that would be cool), but i'm asking that i'll walk closely with You. I don't need the ability to predict the future with a holy divine premonition, but i want the assurance of Your voice when things go wrong.
I'd be satisfied with a slow quiet and powerful life with You. I don't ask to travel around the world giving world class energy-filled exuberent sermons.
All in all, I want to do what You want me to do.
well i just have 1 last thing to say. i was very weak throughout this week. it was really a weakday(weekday, geddit?) for me. it's not like how i imagined it to be, with divine strength, visions of splendour, angels in the loft and stuff. it was, in fact, very unglam. i was extremely sleepy, i fell asleep each time. and i think i only managed to spend half an hour each day for this devotion.
nevertheless, i do not regret it. although it was rather hard for me(i can be quite hungry at times). i just feel that we in amkmc don't seem to fast, or at least we don't know about others fasting. but if you want to ask me any questions( i can't answer like Joe P and give you a bible verse on each reply, but if you want, i can give a lame joke on each reply) or borrow that book about fasting, just lemme know.
OK I KNOW THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE PRAYER POINTERS. BUT I REALLY THINK THAT THIS WILL BENEFIT US!
>>and i live just for you my lord.
