What if the Lord should give you power to raise the dead

If the Lord should give you power to raise the dead, He would give much less than He does when he bestows suffering. By miracles you would make yourself debtor to Him, while by suffering He may become debtor to you. And even if sufferings had no other reward than being able to bear something for that God who loves you, is not this a great reward and a sufficient remuneration? Whoever loves, understands what I say. (St John Chrysostom)

Do you fast?

Do you fast? Then feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick, do not forget the imprisoned, have pity on the tortured, comfort those who grieve and who weep, be merciful, humble, kind, calm, patient, sympathetic, forgiving, reverent, truthful and pious, so that God might accept your fasting and might plentifully grant you the fruits of repentance (St John Chrysostom)

The true Christian hates sin!

Use your time for God’s glory

Each moment of your own life story,
Use your time for God’s glory.
For God created times and seasons,
Never for futile but wise reasons.

Invest your time in the Scriptures and prayer,
And unto Christ case each worry and care.
For the world and its lusts are passing away,
But God’s will doers have eternal life to stay.

Be alert in these days of deception,
As faithfulness to God’s law has no exception.
Do good, think pure and worship God wholly,
Refrain from sin, unkindness and things unholy.

Prayers leading to Christmas – 2

O Lord God, you who control the ways of the universe, without it controlling you, grant me self control. Send forth your Holy Spirit, to help me bear much fruit, by having self control. Forgive me for the times when I’ve misused my thoughts, logic and impulses, for selfish and worthless pursuits. I ask for wisdom, wherever I lack it, and humility wherever I need it in life. O good Jesus, lead me on the right path, and let me not fall prey to foolish desires and immaturity. Send forth your ministering angels, to go out before me, and destroy all the plans of the Enemy, that have been laid out for me. Like how Joseph was warned in a dream, to avoid danger to his family, so grant me all the knowledge, to refrain from walking in the murky waters hidden about. I know you who are the way, the truth and the life, will guide me away from all self deception, as I trust you above all things. I thank you in advance, for the growth that you will bring in me, prospering in self control. I make this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, the eternal king of Israel. Amen.

Prayers leading to Christmas – 1

O Lord God creator of time and seasons, I praise you for sending your Son Jesus Christ, to enter into our earthly timeline to save sinner’s. I pray that you please forgive me of all my sins, as I forgive those who have sinned against me. I ask for your forgiveness, especially when I didn’t value the gift of time, that you have given to me. Help me to understand, the times and seasons that you want me to rest, and those when you want me to act on. Open my vision, to reckon my time on earth as belonging to you alone, so that I may value my days in your presence. By your Holy Spirit cause me to meditate each day upon your wisdom and knowledge so that I always be obedient to you. Make me more diligent than the shepherds and the Magi who didn’t stop in their efforts till they found the Lord Jesus. Cause me spend my time, not on useless and worldly things but rather focus on things that bring you glory each and every time. I ask this in your Holy Name. Amen

Sin No More

Sin no more, whether its small or tall,
Lest something worse for you does befall.
Sin no more, even if sinners entice,
Lest you share their punishment for vice.

Sin no more, as sin is finally vain,
Why do people desire eternal pain?
Sin no more, as it strikes in the end,
Why do people towards it bend?

Sin no more, as its a fatal delusion,
Don’t chase after any lustful illusion.
Sin no more, as its faithless unsteady,
Don’t think it’ll keep you heaven ready.

When in depression wait upon the Lord

When in depression or anxiety don’t get impulsive and make a wrong decision. This can further aggravate your situation. Instead wait upon the Lord God. First pray to God and be calm in his presence. Then be patient to receive his wisdom from above. For the Lord can answer from the Holy Scriptures if you read it prayerfully. Or the Holy Spirit can cause people inspired by him with the answer. Sometimes you might just get a thought from above. All you need to do next is to check if it’s consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accordingly act on it.

Do not wait for a special call to prayer when you know there are people in trouble

When you hear, see or read of people in trouble please do not get into legalism at any point. For many good works have been prevented from ever happening only because people preferred to live legalistically. The Holy Scriptures tell us clearly; do not quench the Spirit. So never let legalism prevent you from doing what is holy and acceptable to the Lord God. One such good work is to pray for people who are in trouble or danger.

“If you feel that you can follow a few little rules or some clever gimmicks to make you a mature Christian, then you have fallen into a subtle trap of legalism.” ( J. Vernon McGee)

If you know of an impending hurricane or blizzard coming to destroy people in any place, then pray for their safety right away. You are not sinning by praying for their welfare. Never get into a mindset in which you will pray only if you get a special call to prayer at church by the preacher.

I’m not talking about bypassing your leaders in Christ. I’m talking about what you are to do in faith whether your leaders tell you or not. You don’t need a special nudge by your pastor to brush your teeth regularly, you’d know its right to do it anyway. You don’t need a call out to feed your children daily, you know its your duty anyway. You don’t need to be begged by your boss to come to office everyday, you know that going by the rules is expected anyway. Hope you understand that the same logic applies to interceding for others in need.

On another note, there are some people who need a special announcement to pray because they are clueless on what to pray at all. Such people too don’t need to be stuck that loop forever. For the Lord God is not impressed by lofty words and shouts without faith, but rather by prayers said with a humble and contrite heart. You can pray like this; “O Lord Jesus save these people from all harm and danger for the sake of your Holy Name.  Amen”. Or you are free to pray in a simple way but do remember to pray in faith and purity at all times.

Christ be with you as you pray for those in need of healing and deliverance in the land of the living!

 

Quick tip to spiritually warm up

Here’s a quick to tip to spiritually warm up whenever you feel the need to do so or when faced with an unexpected challenge or situation.

To get warmed up spiritually try to remember that one time in the past that God has helped you or blessed you greatly. After this just thank the Lord Jesus for that time. One doing so you will realize that your faith in Christ and love for God has become afresh and you can face anything that is tough, much better. I’ve tried this on many occasions and it worked for me every time.

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits

When I think of something one those lines, I think of how Christ gave me hope when I had none. If you find it difficult to think of something, just remember the time Jesus accepted the cross to die and shed his blood for you so that you be saved.

Please do try the quick tip and see the benefits for yourself. On an end note, I will be posting a more detailed article on how to spiritually warm up, very soon.

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