Praying By Who God Is

img source: http://www.prayerforprisoners.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/A-Prayer-For-You.jpg

We are sometimes tempted to pray in the spirit of reminding God how good we have been for the past few days, past few months or even all our lives. We are tempted to think that perhaps God will be more favorable to us, more likely to say “Yes” to our prayers because of the many ways we think we have been obedient to Him. Yet this could be another form of pride, another way of buying God’s approval of our petitions. The truth is, yes God will bless our obedience and will certainly reward our faithfulness yet He will still bless us according to what He deems is good for us and for the accomplishment of His sovereign purpose. Our prayer in the first place is not a ticket to the fulfillment of OUR agenda, but of GOD’S. Prayer is first of all a realignment of our hearts and souls to His divine will so that we are made more united with Him. Prayer is not just for petition, it is for our relationship with Him. Therefore, our prayers should not tap on OUR goodness and OUR faithfulness but on GOD’s alone. (May 23, 2013)

Pleased by No Less than God Himself

img source: http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1428096/thumbs/o-CONTENT-WOMAN-ALONE-facebook.jpg

Many of us would rather please God all the time but feel uncomfortable spending time “being pleased” by Him. This is understandable; we live in a world where we are often judged by what we can do instead of who we are on the inside leading us to live secret or double lives. Many look fine on the outside; performing well but they’re rotting on the inside – wondering if there’s more to life than making money or being powerful or performing good deeds for God by giving and helping. Many of us tend to apply this performance-oriented mindset to our relationship with God. I do believe we have to serve God but if we can’t spend a day or even a few hours simply receiving what He is dying to offer us then we might want to check our hearts. Christ came that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). He came to break the tension between God and man and establish friendship with him (John 15:15*) and He clearly demonstrated this desire for intimacy through the washing of the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17). People at church will probably applaud us for our performance but God is dying to get closer to us by active fellowship with him once in a while – thinking about His goodness, reading His word or a book about Him, praising Him for who He is and basking in His presence by ourselves or with loved ones, soaking in peace and contentment feeling safe, revived and free - pleased by no less than the God of the universe Himself. 

* “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (August 28, 2014)

Simply Because

img source: http://www.coolchaser.com/graphics/tag/father%20love

Life is not always exciting. It is at times difficult, confusing, boring, plain, depressing, sad and disappointing. This is so if we are looking at events or the people that make them happen or even worse, the frailties of our very being, that weak part of ourselves we have been trying to deal with all our lives – wounds that run deep and date back to childhood. We are in constant watch of our tendencies, careful not to make any more mistake. Then sometimes, all we could do is sigh – simply because life has not turned out the way we want it.

But the truth is that there is a huge percent of life and destiny that we cannot control and we have the option to be grateful, to be hopeful, to feel blessed, to try harder and not grow tired of doing what is right, simply because it is the right thing to do, simply because God is pleased. We can choose this path simply because God is with us, simply because we have a personal relationship with Him and simply because He is much greater than Life itself.