Prayers that work Miracles

“Please pray for my examination”.

“Please pray for my husband’s healing”.

“Please pray for my job interview”.

How many times have you prayed for other people? Even the ones whom you hated most?

Prayed for healing, success, safety and security, strength to overcome issues in life and others?

Well, as sons and daughters of God we are urged to pray and lend our hands for one another regardless of who they are because that comes under the umbrella of our God’s greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:37)

How about having experienced and known that a total stranger was also desperately praying for your heart’s desire which was answered in the end?

 I’m talking about two strangers praying for the same thing to happen.

 Sounds awesomely amazing!

I tell you, I just had such a great experience recently that has reinforced my faith about prayers that work miracles.

There was this particular time that God had put me into a demanding situation wherein I had to make one of the biggest choices in my adult life. Honestly, it was overwhelming and I came to the point where I almost slip away.

Until now, I am still in the shock state and I keep on pondering on how that thing just happened. Not only God has answered my prayer, but I met a stranger who was also praying for that thing to happen.

It’s unbelievable because I just had a miracle!

I am a living testimony on how God knows the deepest desires of our hearts and our weaknesses even though we don’t know how to utter our prayers. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (Romans 8:26-27)

Same goes with you brothers and sisters.

If we are desperately in need, we can ask and knock and the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

Sometimes God put us into a challenging situation so that we can talk to him and build a strong relationship with Him. That’s what prayers are meant for – to grow closer and more intimately connected to God.

On the other hand, we must understand and not forget that whenever we close the Lord’s prayer,  His will shall always be done. We must be ready to accept any result for Only Him who knows what’s best for us. We might not know why God didn’t favor our prayer, and yet He will reveal us the answer in His time.

Therefore, we should live by FAITH and not by SIGHT. (2 Corinthians 5:7) 



photo credit: the bbp via photo pin cc photo credit: Hamed Saber via photo pin cc

How i Hated Mondays!!!

Are you one of those people who doesn't long for Monday to come?

I have been scourged by that feeling for two years but not until the word of God spoke to me a couple of days ago.

I used to spend my weekends staying at home sleeping and fattening myself with food in order to relieve myself from all the stress that have accumulated during the working days.

I had relief and comfort but when Sunday afternoon strikes, the feeling of idleness and worry comes for my weekend relaxation period is over and that I have to prepare myself again for the following days of work to come.I know a friend who rushes home immediately after the mass because he longs for a deep sleep and prepare himself for the following days. Hehehe!

I wished that weekends could have been more than two days!

I wished that there were 8 days in a week!

Yes I acted like a poor child.

But God showed His mercy to me.

The Easter celebration has enlightened me to celebrate each day for Christ is risen and He is always with me through my ups and downs. Every morning when I see the sun rises in the sky, it gives me hope and chance to correct the mistakes of yesterdays and live to follow his footsteps and not on my own understanding nor on the things I see. I leave all my fears, worries and anxieties to Him because I know that he comforts me and renews my strength 24/7. 

Praise God that he unselfishly gives us the sun everyday. How dark and gloomy it could be if the sun never rises again.

So now, let us welcome each Monday mornings with gladness and gratitude in our hearts for new opportunities are given to live by His example and not by our own.

The Physical Suffering of Christ

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever receives Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Who can compare Jesus for all of the things He has done to save us from the death that we deserve?

In the recent Lenten season, we are reminded of how Jesus carried our sins through the cross though He doesn’t deserve the price.

Imagine the pain and suffering He went through on the hours He fulfills the favor of His father.

He sweat blood while praying to His father in Gethsemane. In medical science, the sweating of blood is named hematidrosis which happens to a person experiencing extreme fear.

He was captured and dragged to the high priest Caiaphas in the middle of the night to be judged and mocked. Then, he was transferred to the Pontius Pilate. After lacking evidence to judge Jesus, he ordered to send Jesus to Herod. Herod on the other hand didn’t approve the charge against Jesus for He said that He is only crazy. Then, Jesus again was sent back to Pontius Pilate for him to give the final judgment.

If you can picture this situation, you can see that Jesus never had a sleep since Thursday night he was seized on their way to the temple, then sent back and forth to Pontius Pilate and Herod the following daybreak by foot at a such great distance between the two destinations while the soldiers scourge and mock him along the road. How woeful Christ was in those times?

The suffering doesn’t end there for His innocent and holy body was scourged ruthlessly with brutal tackles that were used to torment criminals.

They punished him severely that no man can identify He is Jesus. His blood covered the entire place, his face disfigured, bones dislocated, and the flesh stripped off his body, barely a human at all.

Then what’s next?

He was mocked in front of the crowd by releasing a criminal and having him put to the cross. He was led to carry the cross beam weighing 125-130 pounds. How could a barely walking man with stripes all over his body carry the cross for two miles in the middle of heat with people cursing and casting stones towards him on both sides?

Upon finally arriving at the mountain of Skull, the soldiers pour wine vinegar into his mouth but he never took a single gulp. In crucifying Him, they used nails one to two centimeters in diameter then broke one of his arms.

Endless mocking and humiliation pursued among the soldiers and people.

For who can do the sacrifice he has made for us to deliver from our sins? We deserve to die on the cross but He took the cup, carried us and nailed our sins on the cross. How great Jesus is for paying our ransom and showing his Love for us and the promise for eternal life.

Now, let us ask ourselves.

Am I worthy of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?

photo credit: abcdz2000 via photo pin cc

The Cost of Following Jesus

Why is it hard to follow Jesus?

What is our reward from following Him?

Truly following Jesus is not an easy task to do.  It needs courage, dedication and consistency of faith inspite of all the temptations of the world.

No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62)

Words are easily spoken than done.

Let’s take Peter as an example. He couldn’t stop professing his love and loyalty to Jesus and yet He disowned his master in the end.

In the same way, faith by itself if it is not accompanied by action is dead. (James 2:17)

It’s hard to follow Jesus because it shows man’s imperfection from his Lord. But this doesn’t mean that we must lose hope in imitating Him for it is the right thing to do so as to enter His kingdom.

Thus…

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38)

When you genuinely fulfill this commandment, the rest will fall into its own place.

The cost of following Jesus may be a difficult task to do and yet the reward is more than plentiful.

Eternal life is waiting in heaven where endless joy resides and where there are no more tears to shed.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

                                                                             (Matthew 5:11-12)



photo credit: iko via photo pin cc

Now is the time!

Have you ever felt that you wanted to serve God but you don’t know to do?

We got inspiration from the stories of great people who have done great things for His sake and yet here we are trying to figure out how to start serving Him.

Sometimes we look down and tell ourselves that it’s impossible and we are just ordinary people with no extra ordinary talent or gift to administer for the ministry like the apostles.

That’s not true at all!

Impossible is just a reason for someone not to try. (Kutless)

We were deceived by things what we see from the world.  We lack motivation to do great things because we prefer positioning ourselves in the majority. 

God uses ordinary people who were called upon His name and it is evident from the beginning until now. We just need to talk to Him and listen upon what He says and what He wants us to do.

We were made on His image which means that each of us is called to greatness. 

We can do great things just like the apostles and yet we must have bountiful supply of faith and courage in our heart for it’s not an easy task to take (and we all know that in the New Testament). 

There's no neutral in the after life so we have to decide which side we are.

Now is the time to reflect on what we have to do especially for those who are desperately in need.

Now is the time to start and prepare before He comes back and judge us according to what we did for Him.

 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

photo credit: Pensiero via photo pin cc