Luke 18 (excerpts)
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
note: please read complete text on this link--
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
note: please read complete text on this link--
Praise GOD!
Some friends were telling me I am becoming too "religious;" I don't know what they mean but what I know is that if sharing God means I am religious, then I am embracing it wholeheartedly. I never thought I will be able to share God everyday; it is through the Holy Spirit's prompting that I am able to do so. I know He is changing me for the better, and if sharing God and His words is my ministry, I am humbled and deeply grateful to Him because now I know, I am making use of my life for our Loving Lord.
"always pray and not give up"
My sister gave me an update of their situation in the Philippines; "Typhoon Pedring" wrecked havoc as it crossed the Philippine islands. Another uncontrollable "force of nature" and naturally, we are all downhearted :(
I am thankful to God that they were all safe, but when she related to me "how hard life is" again, I can't help but be teary-eyed and feel helpless. But then again, thank you to the Holy Spirit for letting me share to my sister comforting words from our Loving Lord.
"I am strong, when I am weak;" thanks be to God that He is letting me see through all these things- help comes from Him; our all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present God loves us and will never forsake us; and through it all, as we begged Him on our knees, strength overflows :)
Please help me pray for my family and all the affected people in the Philippines, especially in their situation today and let the power of God manifest as they continue to face life......Thank you from the bottom of my heart :)
The importance of daily prayer:
> For the followers of Jesus Christ, prayer is the best way to communicate with God. Prayer is the vehicle for daily dialog with the One who created us.
Remember, whether one is a new believer or an established one, prayer should always be considered as the best way to speak to God. It is truly amazing that God would want to have fellowship with us at all. In fact, the psalmist asks, “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:4). Daily prayer is a good way to understand this incredible truth and the marvelous privilege God has given us.
Bible in a Year:
Read the Bible in One Year- Here's a reading plan where you and I can focus on God's Words everyday....to make it a habit, make it a practice, Amen :)
Read with me :)
October 4, 2011- Job 1-5
Today is the day :)
If you have not received Jesus Christ yet in your heart, today is the day. May you embrace His love and His gift :)
"Lord Jesus, I believe You are truly the Son of God. I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. Please forgive all my wrongdoing, and let me live in relationship with You from now on. I receive You as my personal Savior, accepting the work You accomplished once and for all on the cross. Thank You for saving me. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You. Amen." (ref prayer by: Mr. Charles Stanley)
Why am I doing this? Simple...."I am driven by the eternal destiny of others."
> For the followers of Jesus Christ, prayer is the best way to communicate with God. Prayer is the vehicle for daily dialog with the One who created us.
> The importance of daily communication through prayer cannot be overestimated. It is so important that it is mentioned over 250 times in Scripture.
> So why is daily prayer so important? First, daily prayer gives us an opportunity to share all aspects of our lives with God.
Life’s circumstances change on a daily basis. In fact, things can go from good to bad to worse in a very short time. God calls us to bring our concerns to Him for disposition and potential blessing. He also calls us to share our joys and triumphs with Him. In fact, Jeremiah 33:3 states, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” God wants us to call on Him so that He can answer our prayers. He also wants to share with us incredible blessings that we might otherwise have missed had we not reached out to Him through prayer. And finally, James 4:8 tells us to “draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” God wants us to be close to Him at all times.
> Second, daily prayer gives us the chance to express our gratitude for the things He provides.
It is no secret that we must give thanks to the Lord for all the things that He provides and all of the things He does on our behalf. His goodness and lovingkindness to us should be recognized on a daily basis. In 1 Chronicles 16:34, we are commanded to “give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” The psalmist tells us in Psalm 9:1, “I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.” We pray on a daily basis to acknowledge His faithfulness and His abundant provision in our daily lives.
> Third, daily prayer provides the platform for confessing our sin and asking for help in overcoming that sin.
Let’s face it, we all sin daily whether we know it or not. So as followers of Jesus Christ, what must we do? Scripture makes it very clear: “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’— and you forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). Tell God what He already knows and do it on a daily basis. Daily prayer time is a great place to unburden one’s self from the debilitating effects of sin. So often Christians walk around with unconfessed sin that hinders our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, when we should humbly submit ourselves and ask for forgiveness in prayer. Another important element of daily prayer is asking God for the strength to repent of our sins. Only God can help us turn from our sins, and, for this to be so, He needs to hear our plea to repent.
> Fourth, daily prayer is an act of worship and obedience.
Perhaps no other verse better summarizes why we should pray on a daily basis than 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” It’s God’s will for His children to rejoice in Him, to pray to Him and give thanks to Him. To pray without ceasing simply means that we should make prayer a regular habit and never stop doing so. Prayer also is an act of worship because by praying to Him we are showing Him how much we adore Him. Daily prayer is also an act of obedience that brings joy to the Lord to see His children following His commands.
> And finally, daily prayer is a way to acknowledge who is really in control of our lives.
As believers of Jesus Christ, we know who is really in control.
God is sovereign. Nothing happens without God knowing about it (Isaiah 46:9-10; Daniel 4:17). Because He is sovereign over all, He deserves our worship and praise. “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all” (1 Chronicles 29:11). God is our great King and as such He controls every aspect of our lives. Each day we should acknowledge His proper place in our lives humbly and with a reverence reserved for such a great and awesome King.
Remember, whether one is a new believer or an established one, prayer should always be considered as the best way to speak to God. It is truly amazing that God would want to have fellowship with us at all. In fact, the psalmist asks, “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:4). Daily prayer is a good way to understand this incredible truth and the marvelous privilege God has given us.
Glory to GOD!
Bible in a Year:
Read the Bible in One Year- Here's a reading plan where you and I can focus on God's Words everyday....to make it a habit, make it a practice, Amen :)
Read with me :)
October 4, 2011- Job 1-5
Today is the day :)
If you have not received Jesus Christ yet in your heart, today is the day. May you embrace His love and His gift :)
"Lord Jesus, I believe You are truly the Son of God. I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. Please forgive all my wrongdoing, and let me live in relationship with You from now on. I receive You as my personal Savior, accepting the work You accomplished once and for all on the cross. Thank You for saving me. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You. Amen." (ref prayer by: Mr. Charles Stanley)
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