Dear Friends,
Pray without Ceasing, I Thessalonians 5: 17, What did Paul mean by this?
A literal translation of this verse is , “Pray without interruption”. Did Paul really mean that we should give up all other activity and only give ourselves to prayer? To pray without ceasing is to pray whether we feel like it or NOT. The Apostle paul didn’t feel like praying when he was shipwrecked 3 times or when he was beaten with a rod or stoned. (II Cor 11:25). Too often we cease to pray when we fail to see the answers we want.
I personally feel that there are 2 things hidden in this verse, “pray without ceasing”. First, it is a privilege for every child of God to communicate with our creator. We worship and pray to a living Lord Jesus Christ who has resurrected from dead. Our Omnipresence God, King of kings, Eternal God, the Amen is prayer hearing and prayer answering God.
The dead of night is not too late for our God.
The breaking of the morning is not too early for the Most High
At midday, He is not too busy and
When evening gathers He is not too weary with His children’s prayer.
So pray without ceasing. Why should we pray? It is of divine authority, because our God always deserves to be worshipped, prayer is a method of worship. Let us send out at the dove of prayer, surely she will return to us with an Olive branch of peace in her mouth. So it is a privilege of every child of God to pray continually.
Secondly, it means, our prayer must be persistent. As we breathe without ceasing, so must we pray without ceasing? Never abandon prayer or never cease to pray. It is not that we must pray until we are saved and then may leave off. NO, continue in prayer until the last moment of our prayer. Being a watchful Christian, lets have our times of daily devotion fixed not by superstition but for our convenience and remembrance.
David prayed 3 times a day, so pray without ceasing. In luke 18, we see a story of the persistent widow. Persistent prayer brings victory; it is not to convince God to act but to keep active the lines of communication so that we know when He is prompting us into action. We have heard Elijah telling his servant to look 6 times, he says, go again seven times. When Peter was in prison, the church had prayed God to liberate him. Let us pray on, so that Peter will knock at our gate to bring the answers for our prayers in the coming days.
Before I conclude, I would like share my personal opinion about this verse. I go to the throne of grace to worship God and seek His blessings. I don’t go away till I have done this. So please don’t rise from your knees, till you find the blessings. Lets pray, weep, entreat, wrestle, agonize till you get that which you are praying for. Lets us avoid lethargy and indifference in prayer.
In Psalm 65:2, we see that, “You who hear prayer, To you all men will come” May the God of Amen help us go to HIS throne with prayer continually. Amen and Amen
Monday, June 25, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
My Lord and My God
Dear Friends,
Have you ever doubted about your faith or Are there times you want to sit down with our Lord Jesus and get His advice? Thomas, the one of the disciples wanted Jesus’ physical presence because he doubted the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He said in John 20: 25, “unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe”
Who is this Thomas? He was the one of the twelve (Mathew 10:3). Not knowing much about Thomas’ family background, his profession, educational levels, but we see Thomas was also present at the raising of Lazarus (John 11:16). He was a companion of Jesus Christ, he was loyal to Jesus, he also asked Jesus the way to the father’s house, John 14: 4-5. I think Thomas was very thoughtful. My imagination carried Thomas alone in the quiet place to meditate about Jesus death and filled with doubts to believe about His resurrection. May be Thomas was full of questions to accept Jesus death itself. We don’t know why Thomas was absent the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples after resurrection but he was reluctant to believe their witness to Christ resurrection. Not even 10 friends could change his mind. Some time we do doubt our God in our life, when our plans don’t succeed, or our hopes are shattered or in the time of difficult situation. It is better to doubt rather believing in silence, because doubt leads to questions, questions lead to answers and the answers are accepted.
In the bible we see many doubting people, for example, in Genesis 17: 17, Abraham and Sarah doubted when God told him he would be a father in old age. In Exodus, 3: 10-15, Moses doubted when God told him to return to Egypt to lead the people. In Luke 1:18, Zachariah doubted when told he would be a father in his old age. I think, it is a human nature to doubt about what we do not see, touch and whatever that is beyond our imagination and our ability to understand. When you and I experience doubt, take encouragement from Thomas. He didn’t stay in his doubt, but allowed Jesus brings him to belief. Our compassionate God was not hard on Thomas for his doubts instead showed himself to him. Jesus said, “Shalom”. Are you dwelling in doubts or confusions or distress or failures after failures, the unchanging Lord Jesus is telling you and me, the same promise Shalom, peace be with you. Amen. What is Thomas reply?, John 20: 28, Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God”
Let’s come out of our doubting circle and believe that God is in our midst and ready to place us on the firm ground. When I read the following verse, I am very much satisfied that I come in this scripture. John 20: 29, “ …..blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believe.” Yes, blessed are you and me who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. God’s plan is wiser; he wants to be present with you and me at all time. Even now, he is with us in the form of the Holy Spirit.
Now the question is, are you still confused to know that this a call is from our God? Let’s get up from our doubts and believe that he will never leave us alone in our doubts. His hands are stretched out towards us. Like doubting Thomas, lets confess once again, my lord and My God, I believe in you.
May the Lord Jesus Christ who has risen from the dead empower everyone with His everlasting peace in our life? Amen.
Have you ever doubted about your faith or Are there times you want to sit down with our Lord Jesus and get His advice? Thomas, the one of the disciples wanted Jesus’ physical presence because he doubted the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He said in John 20: 25, “unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe”
Who is this Thomas? He was the one of the twelve (Mathew 10:3). Not knowing much about Thomas’ family background, his profession, educational levels, but we see Thomas was also present at the raising of Lazarus (John 11:16). He was a companion of Jesus Christ, he was loyal to Jesus, he also asked Jesus the way to the father’s house, John 14: 4-5. I think Thomas was very thoughtful. My imagination carried Thomas alone in the quiet place to meditate about Jesus death and filled with doubts to believe about His resurrection. May be Thomas was full of questions to accept Jesus death itself. We don’t know why Thomas was absent the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples after resurrection but he was reluctant to believe their witness to Christ resurrection. Not even 10 friends could change his mind. Some time we do doubt our God in our life, when our plans don’t succeed, or our hopes are shattered or in the time of difficult situation. It is better to doubt rather believing in silence, because doubt leads to questions, questions lead to answers and the answers are accepted.
In the bible we see many doubting people, for example, in Genesis 17: 17, Abraham and Sarah doubted when God told him he would be a father in old age. In Exodus, 3: 10-15, Moses doubted when God told him to return to Egypt to lead the people. In Luke 1:18, Zachariah doubted when told he would be a father in his old age. I think, it is a human nature to doubt about what we do not see, touch and whatever that is beyond our imagination and our ability to understand. When you and I experience doubt, take encouragement from Thomas. He didn’t stay in his doubt, but allowed Jesus brings him to belief. Our compassionate God was not hard on Thomas for his doubts instead showed himself to him. Jesus said, “Shalom”. Are you dwelling in doubts or confusions or distress or failures after failures, the unchanging Lord Jesus is telling you and me, the same promise Shalom, peace be with you. Amen. What is Thomas reply?, John 20: 28, Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God”
Let’s come out of our doubting circle and believe that God is in our midst and ready to place us on the firm ground. When I read the following verse, I am very much satisfied that I come in this scripture. John 20: 29, “ …..blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believe.” Yes, blessed are you and me who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. God’s plan is wiser; he wants to be present with you and me at all time. Even now, he is with us in the form of the Holy Spirit.
Now the question is, are you still confused to know that this a call is from our God? Let’s get up from our doubts and believe that he will never leave us alone in our doubts. His hands are stretched out towards us. Like doubting Thomas, lets confess once again, my lord and My God, I believe in you.
May the Lord Jesus Christ who has risen from the dead empower everyone with His everlasting peace in our life? Amen.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Nearness to God produces Worship
Dear Friends,
As we all know, Jacob cheated his own brother for a birthright and he disguised like his brother to get his father’s blessings. Overall, Jacob succeeded in his plans and now he was going to Padan Haram to get wife for himself. For our study, lets see Genesis 28. Even now Jacob was not going with empty handed, his father Isaac blessed him again to inherit the land where he travel. Gen 28: 3, 4
Now, lets focus on his travel to Paddam Haram, verse 10 & 11 of same chapter 28, Jacob went out from Beer Sheba and went toward Haran. He came to certain place and stayed there all night. I would like to bring our attention from verse 11, Jacob stayed there all night, till that time, Jacob was not afraid or in other words, he was not scared of his journey, because he was a successful man and above all he had received his father’s blessings. According to my knowledge, he was traveling all alone to Haram. Now there is a turning point in Jacob’s life. This is a time that Jacob needed God’s guidance and this is a situation where Jacob searched God in his life. If we see verses 11 to 15, Jacob dreamed a stairway from earth to Heaven and saw angels of ascending and descending on it. What do you think about this verse? What do we learn from angels?
When angels saw the birth of Christ and knew that God had miraculously become a member of the human family to bring salvation to mankind, they shouted, “Glory to God in the highest” Luke 2:14. When angels saw the glorified Son of God and realized that He had gone through death to bring salvation to sinners, they said, “ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessings” Rev 5:12. These angels are closer to God, so they worshipped Him. I understood that the closer we live to God, the more spontaneously and enthusiastically we will worship Him. Back to Gen 28: 17-22, Jacob was in God’s presence, so he worshipped God. How is our closer walk with our Christ? Could we able to sense God’s presence in our lives?
If we see verse 13, 14 & 15 of same chapter, God blessed Jacob with wonderful promises, “ I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you." If we notice closely, God has spoken to Jacob in the wilderness, where you and me think there is no hope. The same God promised Abraham by multiplying his generation like stars in the sky when Abraham was in older age, without having a hope of getting child. When I was meditating about these, I could able to feel mighty power in myself, assuring that, nothing is impossible with our God. When the worldly people think there is no hope, we the believers of Christ should assure that there is a hopeful future, why? because, our God is faithful and a living God. Are you worried about your studies, or exams, or family salvation or financial crisis,or job placement or future, etc? Our God is great, His power is mighty and we worship a living God, who is in our midst to take care of us.
May the Lord Jesus help us to live obediently and pray sincerely, so that we could sense God's presence in our lives which could lead us to worship Him in private and look forward to worshipping Him with others. Amen and Amen
Love and Prayers,
As we all know, Jacob cheated his own brother for a birthright and he disguised like his brother to get his father’s blessings. Overall, Jacob succeeded in his plans and now he was going to Padan Haram to get wife for himself. For our study, lets see Genesis 28. Even now Jacob was not going with empty handed, his father Isaac blessed him again to inherit the land where he travel. Gen 28: 3, 4
Now, lets focus on his travel to Paddam Haram, verse 10 & 11 of same chapter 28, Jacob went out from Beer Sheba and went toward Haran. He came to certain place and stayed there all night. I would like to bring our attention from verse 11, Jacob stayed there all night, till that time, Jacob was not afraid or in other words, he was not scared of his journey, because he was a successful man and above all he had received his father’s blessings. According to my knowledge, he was traveling all alone to Haram. Now there is a turning point in Jacob’s life. This is a time that Jacob needed God’s guidance and this is a situation where Jacob searched God in his life. If we see verses 11 to 15, Jacob dreamed a stairway from earth to Heaven and saw angels of ascending and descending on it. What do you think about this verse? What do we learn from angels?
When angels saw the birth of Christ and knew that God had miraculously become a member of the human family to bring salvation to mankind, they shouted, “Glory to God in the highest” Luke 2:14. When angels saw the glorified Son of God and realized that He had gone through death to bring salvation to sinners, they said, “ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessings” Rev 5:12. These angels are closer to God, so they worshipped Him. I understood that the closer we live to God, the more spontaneously and enthusiastically we will worship Him. Back to Gen 28: 17-22, Jacob was in God’s presence, so he worshipped God. How is our closer walk with our Christ? Could we able to sense God’s presence in our lives?
If we see verse 13, 14 & 15 of same chapter, God blessed Jacob with wonderful promises, “ I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken of to you." If we notice closely, God has spoken to Jacob in the wilderness, where you and me think there is no hope. The same God promised Abraham by multiplying his generation like stars in the sky when Abraham was in older age, without having a hope of getting child. When I was meditating about these, I could able to feel mighty power in myself, assuring that, nothing is impossible with our God. When the worldly people think there is no hope, we the believers of Christ should assure that there is a hopeful future, why? because, our God is faithful and a living God. Are you worried about your studies, or exams, or family salvation or financial crisis,or job placement or future, etc? Our God is great, His power is mighty and we worship a living God, who is in our midst to take care of us.
May the Lord Jesus help us to live obediently and pray sincerely, so that we could sense God's presence in our lives which could lead us to worship Him in private and look forward to worshipping Him with others. Amen and Amen
Love and Prayers,
Friday, June 1, 2007
The Amen
Dear Friends,
I have seen a poster recently where all the titles of Jesus Christ were given, when I was reading one by one, the title “The Amen” caught my attention. Let’s meditate on “The Amen”
Amen means truly or verily. It is an exclamation expressing agreement with a statement. At the end of a prayer it expresses the genuineness of the petition. If we see Mathew 6:13, Lord Jesus himself concludes the prayer like this, “yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever, Amen.” If we see Nehemiah 5:13, 8:16 all the people answered Amen, Amen with lifting their hands.
Why do we say Amen? The word ‘Amen’ is almost always last word of a solemn statement. Paul states that people of God should say ‘Amen’ at the end of a prayer in Church. (ICor 14:16) when we say Amen, we are saying, “Yes, before our God, I agree with that, I believe that to be true, I want that to be so.”
For our meditation, lets concentrate Rev 3:14, John write like this,” ….. these are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation” when I started meditating on this, God has spoken to me with the following verses. Rev 3: 19, 20., “Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline, so be earnest and repent, here I am I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.”
So the God of Amen, our lovely Lord Jesus Christ who is faithful and true God, is reminding once again about our present status in our Christian life. If we see this verse closely, we could able to see that, our God of Amen loves you and me, or in other words, our God of truth loves you and me, since He loved us, He has complete authority over us to discipline us. So lets be earnest and repent once again at His throne. When we see verse 20 of Rev 3, it says that, “Here I am, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me”. It confirms that our faithful God is standing and knocking at our inner person. Are we able to hear His voice? May be we are busy and hearing many voices in our busy schedule. Lets stop and discern to our Lord’s voice today.
According Isaiah 65:16, May the God of Truth help us to be truthful in our Christian calling? Are we not so grateful to have faithful and true God in our midst whose ears are open at all times to HIS children. Amen.
May the God of Amen help us to be more faithful to succeed in our Christian life?. Amen and Amen.
Love and Prayers,
I have seen a poster recently where all the titles of Jesus Christ were given, when I was reading one by one, the title “The Amen” caught my attention. Let’s meditate on “The Amen”
Amen means truly or verily. It is an exclamation expressing agreement with a statement. At the end of a prayer it expresses the genuineness of the petition. If we see Mathew 6:13, Lord Jesus himself concludes the prayer like this, “yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever, Amen.” If we see Nehemiah 5:13, 8:16 all the people answered Amen, Amen with lifting their hands.
Why do we say Amen? The word ‘Amen’ is almost always last word of a solemn statement. Paul states that people of God should say ‘Amen’ at the end of a prayer in Church. (ICor 14:16) when we say Amen, we are saying, “Yes, before our God, I agree with that, I believe that to be true, I want that to be so.”
For our meditation, lets concentrate Rev 3:14, John write like this,” ….. these are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation” when I started meditating on this, God has spoken to me with the following verses. Rev 3: 19, 20., “Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline, so be earnest and repent, here I am I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.”
So the God of Amen, our lovely Lord Jesus Christ who is faithful and true God, is reminding once again about our present status in our Christian life. If we see this verse closely, we could able to see that, our God of Amen loves you and me, or in other words, our God of truth loves you and me, since He loved us, He has complete authority over us to discipline us. So lets be earnest and repent once again at His throne. When we see verse 20 of Rev 3, it says that, “Here I am, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me”. It confirms that our faithful God is standing and knocking at our inner person. Are we able to hear His voice? May be we are busy and hearing many voices in our busy schedule. Lets stop and discern to our Lord’s voice today.
According Isaiah 65:16, May the God of Truth help us to be truthful in our Christian calling? Are we not so grateful to have faithful and true God in our midst whose ears are open at all times to HIS children. Amen.
May the God of Amen help us to be more faithful to succeed in our Christian life?. Amen and Amen.
Love and Prayers,
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