I just thought that I should pen a message that goes down to the very roots of our Christian faith. If you are a believer of God then that belief is based on the foundation of 3 basic principles.

1. God is real

You have a faith that God exists. Your God is someone whom you know through your personal experience. You have undergone a situation in your life where you cried out to God for help. That cry for help took you to a definite result that gave you a tangible evidence of God’s existence.

Many years ago – I got the proof of the reality of God when I made a simple prayer and said “Jesus – If you are the son of God, Change my life”. My life has changed permanently and continues to change till today. “Yes” – God is real.

1. He’s personal

It is so easy to read stories of God’s move in others lives. However, when that move happens in your life, it becomes a testimony. A testimony, that God is not only real but also a personal reality. He is the God that you talk to even for things like changing your job. He is your God & there is no medium required to connect you to God.

Sometimes when I pray, I ask God for many impossible things, and he does many impossible things for me. I asked God that my current company should get ISO 9001-2001 and though we were far behind in the documentation required, we still got recommended for ISO. “Yes”- He (Jesus) is my God. He takes care of me like father would take care of his child.

1. He wants to relate to us

God wants to relate to us & specifically to you. The way to relate to him is “prayer”. As against prayer being a petition session, it is supposed to be a communication session with God.

Sometimes miraculous things happen when I pray while preaching. I suddenly feel the prompting within me to specify a particular medical condition and say that God is healing that condition. Moreover, the healing actually happens. “Yes”- God wants to relate to us and uses every possible way to relate to us.

In all that you do in your personal, corporate “or” ministry, first PRAY. God wants to talk to you, lead you, and guide you into fulfilling his plan for your life. His plans for you are great. As the Bible says in Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

Some of us believers have become like a cricket player who has lost form. Do what a cricket player would do to get back into form. Get connected to the basics again.

God Bless You

V Chacko Jacob

Summary of message delivered byBro.Moses Ojo(Prayer Ministry), in 1^st CCF Fasting Prayer on 19^th August 2006 at ISCA Book Center, Egmore, Chennai, India

Walk Just as Jesus Walked I John 2: 6

Why?

• Many could not bear fruit after knowing God because they don’t abide in Him.
• If we ought to abide in Him, we have to walk just as Jesus Walked (I John 2:6)

Points to practice by knowing that how Jesus walked: 

1. Be Holy

• Jesus knew No sin  (II Cor 2:21)
• Jesus committed no sin & nor deceit was found in His mouth (I Pet 2: 22)
• Sanctify Yourself, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you (Josh 3:5)

2. Be Obedient

• Jesus became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Phil 2:8)
• Abraham obeyed the God’s command and was ready to sacrifice Isaac, the promised son; He had the faith that both of them would be returning back, though he has decided to sacrifice Isaac (Gen 22:1-5)

3. Be Humble

• Being in the form of God,…. Taking the form of bondservant and coming in the likeness of men…Jesus humbled himself (Phil 2: 6 – 8)
• Jesus began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel (John13: 5)
• God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (I Pet 5: 5)

4. Love till the end

• When Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end (John 13: 1)
• Even at the time of betrayal, Jesus called Judas as Friend, out of love (Matt 27:50)

5. Pray to the Father

• Jesus went to a lonely place and prayed (Mark 1: 35)

Summary of message delivered byBro.Moses Ojo(Prayer Ministry), in 1^st CCF Fasting Prayer on 19^th August 2006 at ISCA Book Center, Egmore, Chennai, India

Walk Just as Jesus Walked I John 2: 6

Why?

• Many could not bear fruit after knowing God because they don’t abide in Him.
• If we ought to abide in Him, we have to walk just as Jesus Walked (I John 2:6)

Points to practice by knowing that how Jesus walked: 

1. Be Holy

• Jesus knew No sin  (II Cor 2:21)
• Jesus committed no sin & nor deceit was found in His mouth (I Pet 2: 22)
• Sanctify Yourself, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you (Josh 3:5)

2. Be Obedient

• Jesus became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Phil 2:8)
• Abraham obeyed the God’s command and was ready to sacrifice Isaac, the promised son; He had the faith that both of them would be returning back, though he has decided to sacrifice Isaac (Gen 22:1-5)

3. Be Humble

• Being in the form of God,…. Taking the form of bondservant and coming in the likeness of men…Jesus humbled himself (Phil 2: 6 – 8)
• Jesus began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel (John13: 5)
• God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (I Pet 5: 5)

4. Love till the end

• When Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end (John 13: 1)
• Even at the time of betrayal, Jesus called Judas as Friend, out of love (Matt 27:50)

5. Pray to the Father

• Jesus went to a lonely place and prayed (Mark 1: 35)

The book of Daniel starts with an unfortunate episode where it says, ‘the Lord delivered the king of Judah to Babylon’. If you look at the history behind, God always wanted the Israelites to be faithful to Him. But they very often failed and disappointed God by their transgressions. It was during the time of Jehoiakim that the Lord finally gave up and delivered them to a heathen king. It is obvious that during the conquest of Babylon, the Israelites were in the pinnacle of sins. II Kings 24:8 says that “He (Jehoiakim) did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his fathers had done”.

A kingdom under an evil king who had followed the evil of his fore-fathers- this was the prevailing scenario. People forgot God and His commandments and were deep down in sin. The later part of this chapter talks about a young handsome man named Daniel. I was so surprised when I read about Daniel because it was during such a state of ungodliness that Daniel still kept his faith in God. Though the Bible doesn’t tell about Daniel’s ancestry, it is surprising to know that He held on to God even when the people around him and the king sinned against God.

I’ve got a message for you! “It doesn’t mean where you are but it is what you are that costs” I could imagine how the youth during Jehoiakim’s rule would have transgressed. They would’ve invited Daniel to be a part of their fun. But Daniel watched his ways and trusted in God. That is why even when he was taken as an exile and was asked to serve a heathen king, he kept his stand to serve the King of Kings.

Today’s world is so alluring. Swanky gadgets, plush malls, fancy lifestyle, exuberant salaries and luxuries. There is nothing that could remind us of God. People who were faithful to God in their little have started fading away from God as their luxuries increased. My question to you today is “What are you today?” An entangled slave of what the world is or a person who makes a difference however the world is?

Look at Daniel! He kept his cool, walked in His ways ignoring how the others were. In further chapters down there comes a situation when the King decreed that no one should worship any other god (6:7). I like the verse which says “When Daniel learnt about this he prayed three times a day as usual”. Remember, Daniel had grown in his status and was in a high position in the kingdom. I am still amazed that his progress in status, money or fame, nothing shook his foundation in his God.

Shouldn’t we be making a difference in today’s world? We can’t blame the world for our callousness. It high time we get back on the highway with God!

Lord, forgive me for my carelessness. Please help me to have the first love and make a difference to everyone around me. Amen