Prayer is an expression of our communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We pray because we are connected - we do not pray to be connected.
Every morning some people pray like this way:
" Father , thank you for this day, please be with me in all my activities , work and where ever I may be. Bless my plans and please come and be with me. In Jesus name , Amen"
Hmm ... of course God answers prayer not scrutinizing every word that we used but he answers it by grace. However the words we say in our prayers reflects our understanding about who God is and who we are in Him.
Consider the following truths:
1. You are in the presence of God all the time. it is not on and off presence. This is a reality because of our union with Christ.
2. When you slept last night. after saying your prayer. God did not go home in heaven and left you alone soundly asleep,planning to go back before you wake up or when you call Him back.
3. When you wake up in the morning. you just need to acknowledge that God is there and did not leave. He is the first Person who greets you good morning and you do not need to call him back from heaven to be with you again for that new day.
You may say something like this :
" Father thank you for watching me as I rest through your gift of sleep. I was safe all along because you embrace me while asleep. I have a very good morning because my day starts with you and as always, you will be with me because I am united to you in your beloved Son, Jesus Christ in the communion of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Prayer is very important... because in prayer we commune... Let us live a life of prayer...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
How close are you to God ?
We have known and believed that our God is a relational God. This is why the Bible says "God is love".
Because our Creator is relational, each of us is also born with a desire to relate and be close to someone. We will be hurt if we are rejected by someone that we want to relate with.
Deep in our hearts, each individual , even those whom we see and label as bad or worst sinners have that longing to relate with God, they just do not know how or they judged themselves as too bad to be able to relate. But for sure they want to be close.
Christians of course understand the essence of relationship. That is why we are taught by some preachers that when we read the Bible God is talking to us, and when we pray we talk to God. Understood in the right perspective, our relationship with God is what really matters in our Christian life. Even what we call "Christian Living" or "Christian Ethics" will be taken cared of if we are conscious of our relationship with God.
The most important question then is: How close is God to us and how close are we to Him?
Do not be too sure you know.... the answer may surprise you....
"In that day... you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." John 14:20
In our humanity, we know what it means to be closer to someone. yet we understand it to be in terms of " togetherness" . We know we are close to each other when we are together. and the degree of closeness is tantamount to the frequency of togetherness.
To simplify it, we say , we want to be WITH each other: it is a "with-ness" relationship.
Our Lord Jesus, however, did not say that He is simply with us.... it is much closer than that... He is in us...
And how many of us run towards God and want to be with Him.?
Do you know that you are closer than being with Him , You are IN Him.
That is the GOOD NEWS: In Christ you we are adopted into the communion of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. YES you are closer than you could ever think.
REJOICE ALWAYS: You are closer than close because you are included by grace....
Because our Creator is relational, each of us is also born with a desire to relate and be close to someone. We will be hurt if we are rejected by someone that we want to relate with.
Deep in our hearts, each individual , even those whom we see and label as bad or worst sinners have that longing to relate with God, they just do not know how or they judged themselves as too bad to be able to relate. But for sure they want to be close.
Christians of course understand the essence of relationship. That is why we are taught by some preachers that when we read the Bible God is talking to us, and when we pray we talk to God. Understood in the right perspective, our relationship with God is what really matters in our Christian life. Even what we call "Christian Living" or "Christian Ethics" will be taken cared of if we are conscious of our relationship with God.
The most important question then is: How close is God to us and how close are we to Him?
Do not be too sure you know.... the answer may surprise you....
"In that day... you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." John 14:20
In our humanity, we know what it means to be closer to someone. yet we understand it to be in terms of " togetherness" . We know we are close to each other when we are together. and the degree of closeness is tantamount to the frequency of togetherness.
To simplify it, we say , we want to be WITH each other: it is a "with-ness" relationship.
Our Lord Jesus, however, did not say that He is simply with us.... it is much closer than that... He is in us...
And how many of us run towards God and want to be with Him.?
Do you know that you are closer than being with Him , You are IN Him.
That is the GOOD NEWS: In Christ you we are adopted into the communion of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. YES you are closer than you could ever think.
REJOICE ALWAYS: You are closer than close because you are included by grace....
Monday, May 2, 2011
Talk to Strangers....
There was a saying "Do Not Talk To Strangers". This is said with the intention that now a days we do not really know the purpose of anyone who might be talking to us. So, for our protection, we were advised that way.
However, if we are Christians we need to talk to strangers for several reasons but there is one important reason
We need to talk to people because we are Trinitarians. Ohhhh .... I do not mean that every time you talk to anyone you have to explain that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No No No. BUT as Trinitarians we know and believe that our God is a RELATIONAL God. Since eternity each Person relate to the other, they communicate and love each other. That's the purpose WHY we are ADOPTED so that we are now included into that Triune relationship.
So... If we are to tell people people WHO the Trinity is. We do not always need to talk about that truth in a very religious way. but most importantly in a very RELATIONAL way. in other words BE RELATIONAL.
That stranger beside you in a bus, or anywhere may not yet know yet that he/she is now included into the relationship of the Son to His Father. You do not need to explain at once theologically this truth. You do not need to open your Bible at once and show several verses. BUT here is what you can do.
TALK ... COMMUNICATE... RELATE...
Your topic may be anything about family, work, friends, nature, foods, music , hobbies and others... that is all right because everything in this life is included by Grace...
However, if we are Christians we need to talk to strangers for several reasons but there is one important reason
We need to talk to people because we are Trinitarians. Ohhhh .... I do not mean that every time you talk to anyone you have to explain that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No No No. BUT as Trinitarians we know and believe that our God is a RELATIONAL God. Since eternity each Person relate to the other, they communicate and love each other. That's the purpose WHY we are ADOPTED so that we are now included into that Triune relationship.
So... If we are to tell people people WHO the Trinity is. We do not always need to talk about that truth in a very religious way. but most importantly in a very RELATIONAL way. in other words BE RELATIONAL.
That stranger beside you in a bus, or anywhere may not yet know yet that he/she is now included into the relationship of the Son to His Father. You do not need to explain at once theologically this truth. You do not need to open your Bible at once and show several verses. BUT here is what you can do.
TALK ... COMMUNICATE... RELATE...
Your topic may be anything about family, work, friends, nature, foods, music , hobbies and others... that is all right because everything in this life is included by Grace...
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