Don’t get Unbalanced

There will be times when you pray desperately for a miracle. That might be for your health, job or for someone else. When you pray desperately to God, definitely you will forget about the world and will be totally in the presence of God as only through the power of the Holy Spirit you can pray desperate prayers. And finally when God answers your prayers, what will be your reaction? Of course, you will thank him, but how will be your life after that? We can check a person; a King called Hezekiah fro

m the Bible and compares his life with our life.

In 2 Kings 20: 1-11 and Isaiah 38:1-8, we see Hezekiah becoming ill to the point of death. Prophet Isaiah came and told him that he is going to die. Hezekiah prayed a desperate prayer and God heard the prayer and gave him 15 more years to live. Wonderful miracle. But then instead of being careful and live a life of holiness, he was overexcited in calling other Kings and showed his ware houses and received their gifts. Instead of doing more for the glory of God, he was involved in getting gifts for the healing from others and forgot God who healed him. Because of this Isaiah came and prophesied that the same people are going to come and conquer all he showed to them. (Isaiah 39)

Same way there are people, after receiving favour from God, will forget about that and go back to what they were or live a life meaningless. “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly” – Proverbs 26:11. Once you get blessing from God, you need to study his word and live in it. Once you do so, you cannot hold back in testifying the miracles and blessings he did in your life. Otherwise, yes you will lose his grace from your life. “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” – James 5: 19, 20.

Friends, don’t go back once you are saved. Leave your old life and attain and inherit the new life given by Christ Jesus who died for your sins to make you a righteous person before the Almighty God. Live for Christ and prepare for his second coming. Bring others to Christ.

Don’t quit Prayer

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” – 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18.

When you feel that your prayer is not getting answered, you feel like quitting. Like all the work, when you do it and if you are not getting the desired result, you might get tempted in quitting this also. But the Almighty wants you to pray continually. If you don’t pray continually, but only for some specific needs, once the need is met, you might forget God who gave you that. So he wants you to pray continually.

As this month is a month of prayer and sow, if you are nBut as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded” – 2 Chronicles 15:7.

ot able to find any improvement in your situation, whether it may be with your health, promotion, job, relationship, just cling on to it and pray sincerely. God will make a way. “

If you take the case of Job in Bible, he lost everything and was not able to walk also since he was affected with scabies.  He pleaded to God to take notice of him, but was in vain. Even his friends came and pointed out that he is in the situation because of his sins. But the last level before he was healed and was restored, you find him praying for his friends. He prayed for the ones who came and scolded him as he got this because of his sins, which was not. The time when Job prayed, God looked down and restored him in a double measure. “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before” – Job 42: 10.

Don’t give up in your prayer. Have faith in Almighty that he has given it, and it’s a matter of time to inherit it for you. You might be in the edge of a miracle. Don’t quit. Go to God in faith and ask him until you get it. Anyway if it is fair according to his riches and glory, he is going to provide you.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” – Hebrews 11:6.

The Chosen is the Problem

There is a war happening in the Arab region, between Israel and the Palestine (Hamas). Every day we see reports and photos of injured people from Palestine. So I searched to find out how and why this is happening. It gave me new ideas and it strengthened my faith in God.

Since I have studied the martial art called Kalaripayattu, which is a defensive art of fighting, not like Khunfu or Karate which deals with attack, I can explain the problem. If 6 or 7 people surround me to attack and kill me, I will try to plead not to kill me and ask for peace. But if they believe the peace will come only after they see my blood, obviously the third step in defence will be to attack for survival.

When I saw the footages and gathered the historical facts, this is the same which is happening in the Middle East. Israel wants to live in peace and they don’t have any problem for a Palestine’s state and have Palestinians also live in peace. But surrounded by the Islamic group, certain group which does not want Israel to exist, Israel’s only option to survive is to fight for it. When certain group declares they want to finish off Israel, they want to see blood; the only way for Israelites is to fight for their survival. Same is the case of the borders of India and Pakistan. Some groups of Pakistan want to see some parts of India under their territory, and to save this India should always fight for it.

It all started in 1917 itself when the Britishers and world powers planned to regroup the Israelites and give them a state to live. Most of the Arab nation’s representatives warned them if that happens, blood will flow through Israel. It started with the “Nabi Musa” riot by the Arab in 1920, which their slogan was they want to drink the blood of Jews. When the Britishers gave a plan to divide the state to 20% for Jews and 80% to Palestine’s, Arabs rejected it in 1937. Unfortunately after UN was formed they gave a plan to divide it into half-half portion to Jews and Palestinians, which was also rejected by Arabs. This led to the Arab nations (Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon etc.) invading Israel on 1948. But ultimate result was for the Jewish state which won over all these countries miraculsely. After that war Jewish itself expanded and the losers, the Palestinians. The principle is simple – Third step of defence is attack and conquer. Arab countries occupied Gaza and Jordan where Palestinians were refugees, which they could have given to them for a state, but the Palestinians became losers, without questioning the Arab countries, but blindly questioned the Jews that they took the Palestine state. Whenever an Israeli prime minister calls for peace and provision of a Palestine state, Egypt and Jordan, rejected it. In 2008 which was the last time they met for a peace treaty, Israel and other nations offered a state for Palestine near the Gaza and around it, which once again they rejected and continued strike with suicide bombers and other means, which still is going on.

Now the fighting between Hamas and Israel had taken lives of hundreds of Palestinians. The motto of Hamas is “We Love Death As Much As the Jews Love Life”. So in simple terms if tomorrow Israel tells – We will fight no more, then, there will be an immediate destruction of the state Israel and mass murder of Jews, where as if the Arab nations tells, they will fight no more – then peace will exists. It is one side wants the other dead. Arabs wants Jews dead.

Pressure

Pressure, the meaning says it all. Oppression, stress, constraining or compelling force or influence. This term comes when you are working in a private firm and you have to work against the time. When a dead line is given to complete your work, pressure will start to form. Some scrum because of this pressure, while others keep their cool and do it. I have seen managers and leads getting so pressurized that they have end up losing their position. While some have kept the cool and made their subordinates feel that cool and give certain small deadlines and completes the work.

Same thing happens in all sorts of life. It happens more in the field of sports. When you are playing for your country, it comes to you in your daily life. Sachin Tendulkar carried this throughout his cricketing career, but he overcame it and became the legend. Same is the case of all the legends you have seen. But when age shoots up, obviously you will feel it more. Tennis legend, Roger Federer, in the past years have come to the finals and semis of grand slams, but could not make it with the cup, simply because of the pressure.

We saw it happen in the World Cup football in Brazil, the semi-finals. When Brazil faced the Germans, pressure was on Brazil as they were the host nation and couple of their players were not playing. They scrum to it as soon as the play started. When I was watching, I felt in my school days, my school house team used to play far better than how the host team played. So the result, in 30 minutes, 5 goals, and in the end it was 7 to 1. Usually I have seen, if a foul happens the opposition teams will give hands and then take the foul kick. But this changed for Brazilian players because of pressure and the number of goals they conceded; they started arguing with the opposition players and referee. But on the other end, the Germans were cooler from the beginning and they played in an organized way, so wonderful to see how they passed and attacked, and demolished the opposition.

I am not a regular viewer of football, but I like to watch the South American teams play. The first time I saw a final was in 1990 when Argentina met West Germany. The pressure was on Maradona’s team as they were the champions, and finally, same way West Germany took the cup through a penalty kick. Same happened in the next World cup also as Brazil took on Italy in the finals. There were big names in the teams – Romario, Bebeto, Baggio etc. When no result came after the extra time and when the penalty shoot out started, the Italians scrum to pressure and the big name Roberto Baggio himself kicked the ball long over the post, giving Brazil the win.

In the Bible we see how Moses was scrum to pressure and got the punishment from God. When the Israelites reached the Desert of Zin, they did not have water to drink and they came against Moses. He prayed to God and God told him to speak to the rock, whereas Moses, under pressure from the people hit the rock two times with his staff which God was not pleased and punished Moses by not giving him the chance to enter into the Promised Land. (Number 20: 8-11).

Every one scrum to pressure, but the ones who keep their cool and concentration have overcome it. Have a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. I urge and pray we should keep the cool and vision in front of us and overcome it, by prayer and an organized life style.

Prayer and Success

Oral Roberts once wrote about success as, if someone bends you and immerse your head into water till your neck for 3 seconds, you won’t bother, but if he holds your head for near to 1 minute, the struggle you take to come up should be given in our prayer life for gaining success.

 As a believer, it’s not perfect as you do your business fairly and wait for success. You sow with prayer and wait on the feet of the Lord to attain wisdom and reap the benefits and more.

“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundred fold; and the Lord blessed in. the man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous” – Genesis 26: 12, 13.

When your work is blessed by Lord, you will be shocked to see how he blesses you. You will reap double or more than what you imagine. As Lord blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Israel, his chosen one, same love and mercy is shown towards you who are chosen by the blood of Christ Jesus. Until he blesses, you cannot go one step ahead in your spiritual and material prosperity. Until he blesses you, you may not able to control the new endeavours as he gives wisdom for you to take right decisions. Until God blesses you, demonic forces will not leave you as they will always try to put confusions into your thought.

Friends, be unto the throne on God, Confess and Accept Christ and ask him to bless you. When you totally submit yourself to him, he will take control of your brain, heart and the Holy Spirit will start guiding you to take decisions and do things. Be committed to God in Prayer and fasting and reap success, a double fold.

Knowing Prayer

I can share you a story with you. Imagine I have a bundle of chart sheet which can be used to do activities in my child’s school and my friend knows I have extra papers always. One day he came late from work and came to know the next day his child has to submit some work with the Chart sheet. Since all the shops were closed, he will first think about me as he knows that I am having it. Now if he calls me in the midnight and I pick up and tells him I am sleeping, if it is urgent, he won’t bother about my sleep as he knows it is not about the sleep, it’s about the one which he wants and which I am having. He won’t bother about anything until he gets it. For me, since I need a peaceful sleep, I will get up and give what he wants; otherwise he will disturb me until he gets the chart.

When you read the Bible Luke 11: 5-13, we see Jesus Christ teaching the disciples how to pray and in what way they should pray. He further teaches them, if you go to a neighbor friend at midnight for 3 loaves of bread as your dear friend came and you don’t have anything to give him, you will knock the door until you get the bread. The friend’s excuse won’t work, and eventually will give you the bread.

The principle is simple. You knew what you want and knew what your friend have. So you go and ask exactly the same thing which he has. Jesus further tells us “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” – Luke 11: 9, 10.

In Mathew 15 we see the faith of a Canaanite woman. Even though Jesus tried to question her since she was not Jew, still she went behind him for her daughter’s healing. And the request was granted.

In a nutshell, prayer is to believe in faith that you are going to get what you are going to ask, when you know what you need, and you understand in faith that the God whom you ask is able to provide it for you more than what you ask. Friends keep faith and knock and knock until you get it, if you know you need it for good and for the glory of God.

Prayer for Sowing

As half of this year have already gone, and still nothing have changed in your life, it’s better to organize the next six months, sow nicely and reap throughout next year. When you see the creation in the Bible, you can find God creating things one by one each day. He did not do everything in a single day and made a mess. He organized everything and did it day by day. Genesis 1. He created the most valuable one, mankind on the last day. Each and everything he created he saw it well.

When we meditate the word of God, we find each thing he does is an organized way. So let us spend the next 6 months in an organized way for sowing.

Prayer is important in any man’s life. Without having a connection with God, you cannot move forward without falling. If you check the prayer life of great men of God, we can find they starts day with prayer of more than 3 hours. George Muller began each day with several hours of prayer, Bishop Lancelot Andrews allotted 5 hours per day to prayer, and Charles Simeon rose at 4.00 am to begin his four hour prayer. The Korean Christian minister Dr. David Yongii Cho who has the record number of members (8Lac) in his church, starts the day with prayer of more than 3 hours. All these ministers’ prayers for the guidance for the ministry they do.

Before sowing anything, it is a must to pray for the blessing and guidance from God. When the work you are about the do is sealed by God, no powers of darkness can touch it and take it away. In the 6 months, this month give more importance to prayer. It does not mean other month any prayer. But prayer should be your premier priority this month, along with your work which you are going to sow.

Prayer should not only for you. Once you start pray genuinely, you will see devil bringing disturbances, depression and all kinds of discouragement in your life. That time, stand up and pray for others. There will be people around you who don’t know about Christ. Just go around their places and pray genuinely for their salvation in your mind. See the change and accept the goodness of God.

As the beginning of sowing, this month – The Month of Prayer