Salvation

How Strong Is your Faith in Jesus?

Jesus Christ in Capernaum

Jesus Christ in Capernaum (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Does God always answer your prayers? What do you think is the reason your prayers have not been answered? Many followers of Jesus Christ, including me had to endure periods during their lives when they doubted God. You have found yourself in almost dire straits, and you have prayed for deliverance, but it never happened. It seemed God is so far away and out of your reach.

However, the devil is a liar. God is never more than a prayer away. But, prayer without faith is futile. Subsequent to healing the boy with epilepsy the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked; “Why could we not cast out the demon?” And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief. For verily, I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20).

The Faith of the Centurion

“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For, I am a man under the authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment” (Matthew 8:5-13).

So it seems lack of faith is the reason most of our prayers go unanswered. Petitioning God is a serious act. It should not be used frivolously. Instead, we should be sincere when we pray and believe that we will receive what we asked God for. However, avoid getting carried away every time you get a headache.

A prayer to serve according to God’s will and purpose

"Saint John on Patmos" by Hans Baldu...

“Saint John on Patmos” by Hans Baldung Grien, 1511 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Lord, this day is Yours, and my life is yours. Let each step I take leave an impression of your glory. May each word I speak produce an echo of your love. I pray that each deed I do leave the fragrance of Your presence.

May my hands be an extension of Your mercies. Break me and mold me Lord, that my heart will be a mirror of Your heart. Let my life be a reflection of Your image, and may my attitudes be expressions of Your character.

Father in heaven, remove fear, doubt, and self indulgence from me. Let me not forget that I am nothing without you. Lord, remind me daily, not to praise; for all praise is unto you.

Thank you, Lord, for the privilege I have to be Your child and to be set apart for Your plans; and to be called according to Your purposes, and to be used as an instrument of Your will. Amen!

How do you deal with your sordid past?

Atheology ; Jacob fighting the angel, by Delac...

Atheology ; Jacob fighting the angel, by Delacroix inspired the bookcover of traité d’athéologie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creäture: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

You have heard the clichés, “What goes around comes around.” And, “Do good and good will follow you.” Like many of us, Jacob wrestled with his sordid past. All the white lies, scheming, and scandalizing came back to haunt him. He tried to run away, yet he could not do so. He was like a spider trapped in its own web of deceit and craftiness. Still, more than anything, Jacob wrestled with God. The Bible tells us that Jacob wrestled with God a whole night along the banks of the Jabbok river. He rolled in the mud of his mistakes, but he was determined to change.

Sick of his past and in desperate need of a fresh start, he met his Redeemer in person. And because Jacob wanted to change so badly, God honored his determination. He gave him a new name (Israel) and a fresh promise. However, Jacob did not leave God’s presence unscathed. God gave him a wrenched hip as a reminder of that mysterious night on the banks of the Jabbok river.

 “And Jacob arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons and crossed over the ford of Jabbok.  He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had.  Then Jacob was left alone, probably to have a quiet talk with God, and an Angel wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.  Now when the angel saw that He did not prevail against Jacob, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of the joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

However, Jacob said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”  So the angel said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.”  And the Angel said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

 So Jacob called the name of the place Penuel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” The sun rose upon him as he crossed the Penuel, limping because of his hip.  Therefore, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank” (Genesis 32:28-32).

Like Jacob, we should unmask our stained hearts and grimy souls and be honest with the One who knows our most secret sins. The result could be refreshing. We know it was for Jacob. After his encounter with God, Jacob was a new man.

Related articles

Be thankful for what you have got

English: Scroll of the Psalms

English: Scroll of the Psalms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

O, give thanks to the Lord, for He is gracious!

For His mercy endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

3 And gathered out of the lands,

From the east and from the west,

From the north and from the south.

4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;

They found no city to dwell in.

5 Hungry and thirsty,

Their soul fainted in them.

6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He delivered them out of their distresses.

7 And He led them forth by the right way,

That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.

8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

And for His marvellous works to the children of men!

9 For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:1-9).

The key to living in a loving state is to be thankful for what you have. Most of us take life for granted and fail to appreciate the gifts we have been given by our heavenly father. The next time you feel a little down take a few minutes to think about how miraculous and how blessed your life is. There is so much to be thankful for.

In her book, “the 10 second Kiss” Ellen Kreidman, Ph.D. asks a the following thought-provoking questions which I find particularly compelling.

Are you breathing on your own? There are people at this moment who need a respirator to help them breathe.

When you got up this morning, were you able to hear the alarm go off? Could you hear the birds singing, the wind blowing, the heat or air-conditioning going on? There are people who are deaf and can’t do that.

Are you able to talk? Can you scream, whisper or sing a song? There are people who will never be able to use their vocal cords.

Look around you. Can you see the clouds, the blue sky, the grass, and flowers and trees? There are people who see only darkness. They are blind and cannot see nature’s beauty.

How about your legs? Can you walk, skip, jump, hop and crawl? There are people who are confined to a wheelchair for the rest of their lives.

Did you have enough money to buy food today? One-third of the world’s population will go to bed hungry tonight.

Do you have a home to live in? All over the world, there are men, women and children who are homeless.

Do you have bills to pay? That means someone was willing to trust you enough to give you a product or service in advance of getting paid. There are many people who have no credit and cannot get anything without cash their hands.

Do you have a savings account? That means you were able to put some extra money away for a rainy day. There are so many people who do not have enough money to get through today.

How to reap the benefits of God’s leadership in your life?

Icon of Jesus Christ

Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A college professor laid out his teaching philosophy on the first day of class: “If you allow me, I will teach you as much as I can in these few short weeks, but if you defy me, I guarantee that you will learn nothing. You will not like everything I tell you, but if you follow my instructions, you will leave these class much better thinkers than when you came in.”

The professor was a task master who demanded perfection from his students. Many students who were too lazy to put forth the actual effort, lost interest and complained about the strict grading and disparaging comments. The few extremely dedicated ones, found their professor to be one of the finest they ever had, and they valued his opinion above all others. This man helped them become better than they thought possible.

God offers us the same deal. If we are open to His leadership, He will help us achieve our full potential. However, if we resist His help, we can never hope to achieve that goal. Wise men and women get to be smart by listening and trying to improve themselves. They are never satisfied with whom they are today, but they always look forward to what they can become tomorrow. Proverbs 9:9 say it best: “Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;  teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.”

So Let no one deceive himself brethren. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” Therefore, let no one boast in men. For all things are God’s: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are God’s. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:18-23).