Daily Thought – Reconciling and forgiving before praying!!
Word: And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25
Thought: We memorized the Lord’s prayer when we were young and continue to say it often, but many a times we do not mean it when we say – this is part of it which is very important when we pray. Before we start to pray every time or at least at the end of the day, let us forgive the people who have done wrong to us knowingly or unknowingly. Remember, the forgiveness is not from the mouth but from the heart. How many times when we pray that we are not able to pray for some people or hypocritically pray – the Lord sees our heart and we rather not pray than to pray with a grudge in the heart. All of us sin and we need forgiveness from the Lord, but if we are not able to forgive the small mistakes done by people around us, how much ever good deeds we do, the Lord will not forgive us. We, who receive mercy from the Lord which is countless, need to merciful and forgiving others, else the Lord will not forgive us – this has been clear on Jesus’ teachings and explain through the parable of the Unforgiving servant. Let us forgive before asking forgiveness to the Lord and reconcile with others before praying to the Lord.
Quote: “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” ― C.S. Lewis
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me forgive others, the way you forgive us. Let all the pride in my heart be thrown away that I am able to look at people the way you look at them that I will be able to forgive them the way you forgive them and receive your mercy. Amen.
Daily Thought – Is God overlooking me?
Word: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. Isaiah 40:28
Thought: Just as the people of Israel who had tasted the Lord, seen and heard of Him from heir forefathers and experienced in their lives, but questioning “My way is hidden from the Lord, And my just claim is passed over by my God”?, we also tend to ask God the same having experienced him and think God is overlooking me. As I looked into the meaning for overlooking, there are 2 contrasting meanings – ‘fail to notice’ and ‘have a view of from above’. Let us understand that the Lord is looking from above and He has the wholesome picture of what is coming to us from every side. When we wait on the Lord, He will renew our strength and help us fly like eagles and help us to run – if your prayer is not answered today, wait for His appointed time and for His will to happen. Never is His hand too short and He is never weary. We cannot fathom and search for His understanding – we should allow Him to use us the way He wants to than operate in the way we want and ask Him to guide in our own ways. He is always watching over us and will deliver us in the right time!!
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to wait on you, that you will renew my strength in the required time, that I shall mount up with wings like eagles and run. Amen.
Daily Thought – Moving from comfort zone to courage zone
Word: Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:13, 14.
Thought: Though the people of Israel slogged in Egypt, it happened to be their comfort zone and they did not what to come out of it and venture to something better. What is the Egyptians in your life today that we are a bondage too and don’t want to leave and come out of. Sometimes when we come out and even when we have the thought of coming out of it, our question is what is in store outside of this – It might the place, job, institution etc., but remember always to do in accordance to His will, since only He can save and take us through to the other side and sustain us. If we are aligned to the will of God, we just need to stand still and see the work of the Lord and do only what He wants us to do. The situations may not be favorable and you might feel that you should not have left your comfort zone, but then the Lord who hardened the heart of the Egyptians also controls all the worldly forces we are afraid of and he can change anything/anybody to make a way for us. We just need to hold our peace and allow the Lord to fight for us – The moving from the comfort zone to the courage zone with so much of uncertainties is always difficult, but we should place our trust in the Lord who has called us and stand still and see His hand deliver us.
Prayer: Dear Lord, even today I am struggling to come out of my comfort zone though you want me to move out. Help me to place the trust in you that I might stand still in peace and see your hand of deliverance. Amen.
Daily Thought – Living a life acceptable to God
Word: Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. Ephesians 5:10.
Thought: In the business of our everyday lives, do we examine every moment to ensure what we are doing is acceptable in the sight of the Lord? Paul, here talks about the children of light which we call ourselves today as we have been lifted by Him from our darkness and put on to the light. As we walk in the light, the path is clear and the spirit helps us discern between the right and the wrong and we know the moment we did something wrong or prompted to do wrong, but are we giving heed and finding out if what we do is acceptable in the sight of the Lord. We want to attain many GOOD things in our lives, but do we find out what is GOOD in our sight is ACCEPTABLE and PLEASING to God. It might be a change of job, it might be our marriage, it might be a new beginning and it might be even in ministry – are we doing what is acceptable and pleasing to God or what we found as good in our eyes. Many a times we want God to match our expectations and make Him acceptable what we feel is good, but let us always place it at His feet and move our feet only when we find it is acceptable in His sight. As children of light, when we place the whole plan of the new initiative in front of the light in the spirit God could show us clearly where it will go wrong or correct and why we should or should not do it. Let us find out in whatever we do every moment – big or small – is what I am doing acceptable to the Lord and then proceed in doing it and if the spirit says it is not, let us learn to obey and stay away from it, though we feel good about it.
Prayer: Dear Lord, as a child of light, help me obey your word and do always what is acceptable in thy sight. Help me to understand what is pleasing in your sight and let me feel good about doing things which is only pleasing and acceptable to you. Amen.
Daily Thought – Godliness with contentment!!
Word: Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1 Timothy 6: 6,7
Thought: We are living in these times where we are not satisfied with what we have. Paul warns us again here on the day we leave this world we are not going to carry out anything with us, so while we are living let us live a life of content. The moment we are not content, we loose our happiness and we keep chasing our own pleasures and desires, but not obtain it and keep striving for it. In the process of striving for the worldly passions, we develop more strife, more estranged relationships and at times tend to loose our own souls – what has profited us? We tend to think ourselves to be something when we are actually nothing – we built a lot of possessions around us thinking we have achieved great gain. Godliness can be the only means to great gain for each of us and learning to be content in God is the most amazing virtue that God can give to each one us. He supplies to all our needs according to His riches and we are called to remain content in Him. He who clothes the lilies and feeds the sparrows will surely take care of our needs – let us never strife hard to satisfy our harmful lusts which leads us to the path of destruction, but remain content in the Lord to lead us to a Godly life which is full of happiness.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to remain content in you, that I might see you hand at work in my life and lead a life which is pleasing in thy sight and live with the joy and happiness which you have bestowed in my life. Amen.