“I Am Thirsty”

Jesus longs for each of us.
We all know what it is like to be thirsty. Working outside on a hot summer day or taking a long run can cause a huge thirst. Our mouth feels parched, we are hot and sweaty, and our whole body seems to be crying out for a drink—for anything that will cool us down and satisfy us.
We also know what it is like to feel hungry. We know the feeling of hunger pangs. We know what it’s like to feel empty. And we know the satisfaction that comes when we are finally able to eat.
This month, we want to look at spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst. We want to explore Jesus’ promise: “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). We want to ask what it means to be hungry and thirsty for the Lord and for his righteousness—and how this hunger and thirst in themselves can help us to find Jesus in deeper ways.
Jesus Is Thirsty. Before we begin looking at our hunger and thirst for the Lord, however, it would be helpful to see how Jesus himself hungers and thirsts for us. Scripture tells us that we love because God first loved us 
(1 John 4:19). It tells us that God sent his only Son into the world because he loved us (John 3:16). Jesus came because he wanted us. He died on the cross because he wanted to draw us back to him. Even now, reigning in the perfection of heaven and needing absolutely nothing, Jesus still wants to have us by his side. What magnificent love! What a magnificent God!
When Jesus hung on the cross, he called out: “I thirst” (John 19:28). These words obviously have a literal meaning. Jesus was thirsty. He was losing all of the fluid in his body, and he was going into shock. As a man like us in all things but sin, he was desperately craving something to drink. Psalm 22 gives us a graphic depiction of what this must have felt like: “Like water my life drains away; all my bones grow soft. My heart has become like wax, it melts away within me. As dry as a potsherd is my throat; my tongue sticks to my palate; you lay me in the dust of death” (Psalm 22:15-16).
Undoubtedly, John told us about Jesus’ thirst in part because he wanted to show all his readers that Jesus was fully human. John wrote his Gospel at a time when some people began to teach that Jesus was just a spirit who appeared as a man but who didn’t experience the full range of our humanity—including suffering. So John emphasized that in Jesus “the Word became flesh” and as flesh, he was capable of being hungry, tired, and thirsty.
Thirsty for His Father. But as is true of all the Scriptures, John’s Gospel functions on more than one level. And these words on thirsting are no exception. We just saw how Jesus was thirsty on a physical level, but there is a spiritual element here as well. Just as Jesus was thirsting for the refreshment of physical drink, he was also thirsting for refreshment—for support, love, and encouragement—from his heavenly Father.
Where John recounts Jesus saying, “I thirst,” St. Mark tells us that Jesus cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). In a sense, both Gospels are painting a picture of how deep Jesus’ interior suffering was, even as his physical suffering increased. These words don’t imply that Jesus was actually separated from his Father. They were always one with each other (John 17:22). But because he was in such physical pain, because he was carrying the weight of all our sins, and because he was enduring an all-out assault from the devil, Jesus felt forsaken and cried out for his Father.
Just a few hours earlier, Jesus was praying and asking his Father to “take this cup away” from him (Luke 22:42). Now as he is fulfilling his mission—with intense suffering and relentless temptation—he feels the full force of that cup, and it makes him thirst for his Father, whom he knows as his source of comfort, encouragement, and love.
Perhaps we can compare Jesus’ feeling of being forsaken to times when we ourselves are suffering intense pain, even to the point of wondering if anyone loves us or cares about us. When Jesus asked his Father, “Why have you forsaken me?” his words were both an acknowledgment of the battle he was fighting and an affirmation that even if it felt as if his Father had left him, he would not abandon his Father. He would still reach out for him in trust.
Thirsty for Us. On yet another layer, Jesus’ words, “I thirst,” point to us. They tell us how much Jesus thirsts for an intimate relationship with each one of us. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta made these words the cornerstone for her Missionaries of Charity. Urging her sisters to pray regularly about Jesus’ thirst, she once said: “Thirst is the only way to describe Jesus’ love for us.” Talking in the first person, as Jesus, Mother Teresa went on:
I thirst for you. Yes, that is the only way to even begin to describe my love for you: I thirst for you. I thirst to love you and to be loved by you—that is how precious you are to me. I thirst for you. Come to me, and I will fill your heart and heal your wounds. I will make you a new creation, and give you peace, even in all your trials. I thirst for you. You must never doubt my mercy, my acceptance of you, my desire to forgive, my longing to bless you and live my life in you… . For me, there is no one any more important in the entire world than you. I thirst for you. Open your heart to me, come to me, thirst for me, give me your life—and I will prove to you how important you are to my heart.
Another example of Jesus’ thirst for us comes from the story of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest who lived in Poland during World War II. He was captured by the Nazis and taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp in May of 1941. In July, one of Kolbe’s fellow captives escaped, and in retaliation, ten men were chosen to be executed. One of the men begged his captors not to kill him, as he had small children and could not bear to leave them without a father. The soldiers remained firm until Kolbe volunteered to take the father’s place. The ten were led to an underground bunker, where they were left to starve to death. After two weeks, only four men were left alive, and Kolbe was the only one conscious. The four were killed by lethal injections on August 14, 1941. Fr. Kolbe took the place of another man, freely accepting his fate so that the other man could go free.
This is what Jesus did for us—but with far greater ramifications. By dying on the cross for our sins, he didn’t take the place of just one man. He died for all of us. This shows how deeply he thirsted for us and for our salvation. And because he freely took our place, he gave us the chance to be a whole new creation in Christ. When he died, he fulfilled his mission to satisfy the thirsty and fill the hungry with good things (Psalm 107:9).
With Bread and Water. The gospels are filled with stories about Jesus’ thirst for us—about his desire to fill us with his life and to unite us with him. There is the story of Jesus feeding the four thousand, which tells us how Jesus wanted to feed his followers. He worried that without food, they might collapse on the way home (Mark 8:1-8). Likewise, he worries now that we might collapse without his bread of life in the Eucharist, as we wait for him to come again.
Again, when he met a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well, Jesus reached out and told her about his desire to give her living water, which was capable of quenching her spiritual thirst forever (John 4:1-42). This story tells us that Jesus reaches out to us even when, like the woman, we can’t recognize who he is. He reaches out to us even when, like the woman, we can’t understand why he longs to wash away our sins. And he reaches out to us even when, like the woman, we can’t understand how his living water can be so satisfying. Why does he do all this? Because he thirsts for us!
These stories, and so many others, show us how deeply Jesus wants to bless those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They show us, in fact, that his hunger and thirst for our love is greater than our hunger and thirst for him. Now, isn’t that a comforting and encouraging thought?

Source:http://wau.org/

Bible Verse for Friday, November 21, 2008

Then Peter began to speak, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.”
Acts 10:34,35

Matthew 6:25-34

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Our Way Of Life....

Lingkod SG "Way Of Life" retreat @ The Choice Retreat House last November 08-09, 2008


the early birds headed by Bro. Jelson (ang pinakamaagang gumising sa sa aming lahat....

.... "o mga sis Wer U Na? Dito na Us s Choice...

(hmmnn di naman obvious kung sino parating nasa picture hehehe... Peace Sis Mercy!...

pagandahan ng smile....

AG ni Sis Mercy

sila ulit hehehehe...

D' housemates...

hinahanap nila si Tony Boy hehehe..

ano naman kayang hinahanap ni Sis Tere....

Bro Mon our National Director

sis andito ang camera....

...the StarStruck Brothers..... i belong to this AG hehe...

D Sisters of ALNP Singapore...

Ang mga Bros ko sa Lingkod...

"The birthday celebrant... Sis Agnes"

ang mga sis na di nagsasawang magpa pic hehehe...

"Our relationship with GOD is the most important element of our life in Lingkod......"

God bless us all..........

Prayer

Frequently–quoted inspirational Bible verses about "prayers"

Luke 11:1-13

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.
"He said to them, "When you pray, say: " 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.And lead us not into temptation."
Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness[e] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

John 14:12-14

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Simbang Gabi Sa Singapore 2008

join this wonderful experience of celebrating Christmas season - away from our homeland but with the same tradition.



God bless us!

Psalm 100:5

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Is Praying Supposed To Be Fun?

By: Bo Sanchez

Do you struggle praying daily?
I did. For years.
But no matter what I felt, I prayed anyway. That was the “teaching” and “rule” for good Christians like me.
So each day, I went into my room and talked to God.
30 minutes, I was taught. So 30 minutes I did.
Some days, it was Ok.
Some days, it was like being root-canalled.
Or lipo-suctioned. (Just in case you’re wondering, I’ve never experienced it, but my friends tell me it’s torture.)
During those difficult days of prayer, every part of me wanted to get out of that room. I felt so dry. So empty. So distant from God.
And I didn’t know why. Why did I feel so depressed?
I simply concluded it was the spiritual dryness that saints experienced regularly (Ahem.) I read that St. Therese of Avila had spiritual dryness that lasted for 20 years. Who was I to complain?
Until I stumbled upon what I now call “Prayer Language”.
Today, I realize that perhaps many people’s spiritual dryness come from simply not loving themselves. How? By not respecting their own personality, not listening to their needs, and not using their own prayer language.
My Spiritual Arrogance
Once upon a time, I thought there was only one way of praying: My way!
My way of praying meant going to a room, sitting down or standing up, and singing, listening, and talking to God. For years, I’d teach people to do this exact same thing. I called it “Prayer Time” and it had only one definition—Mine.
I remember a woman who said, “Bo, I do my gardening every morning. And when I do, I imagine Him gardening beside me. Surrounded by the fresh air and the beauty of the flowers around me, I spend time with Him. As I dirty my hands with the soil of the earth, I’m blessed. And I feel so refreshed each morning…”
I frowned at her. I said, “That’s nice. But you still need a formal prayer time where you go into a room—and then sit down and stand up. And then use A.C.T.S.—Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication…”
Forgive me Lord for my spiritual arrogance!
Perhaps a part of me looked down on anyone who was having too much fun in their prayer life. How could she when I was suffering through my prayers?
I never saw that she was probably closer to God than I was.
Because God made her a gardener. And He was meeting her in the garden. God was talking to her with the prayer language He gave her.
What Is Your Prayer Language?
I still meet people who insist that others pray the way they pray.
“You should go to the Blessed Sacrament and kneel for an hour…”
“You should pray in tongues…”
“You should pray the Liturgy of the Hours…”
“You should pray, worship, jump, and dance like in a prayer meeting…”
“You should pray the rosary…”
“You should pray in quiet, emptying your mind…”
All of the above are prayer languages.
But never the language.
There is no such thing.
Today, I tell people to discover their own prayer language.
I did.
And boy, did I feel relieved that my prayer language wasn’t going into a room and doing the A.C.T.S. No wonder I had great difficulty! I felt disconnected.
My Prayer Language?
Here’s what I do for my daily time with God….
In the morning, I walk out of the house and pray in tongues. That’s just a few minutes of walking slowly, absorbing the sunlight, and inhaling God’s Presence and the beauty of the new day. I claim the blessings of the day. I pray the Novena to God’s Love prayer. (Note: I mail this Novena to all those who partner with my ministry and sign up in http://www.kerygmafamily.com/ FREE.)
Why do I pray outside? Because I love nature. I feel God’s Presence much more outdoors than indoors. That’s just how God made me.
I then go into the house, fire up my laptop, and “pray” my Dreambook. This is a 15-page document that lists my ultimate mission in life. (My mission in life is composed of 4 words: “To Communicate God’s Love”.) It also lists my long-term dreams as well as my goals for the year. Why do I pray this way? Because God designed my psychology as a “futurist”.
And then, I start writing. I write my prayers, my reflections, and my insights. When I do this, I feel God’s Presence in a very palpable way. Why? Because God made me a writer, and writing is my prayer language.
I no longer struggle much when I pray.
I love praying. I have fun.
Because now, prayer can be all these activities and more.
Because I’m not stuck with one way of praying.
Because I’m using my prayer language—the language God gave me.
Because prayer is a relationship, not a fixed set of things to do imposed upon me by other people.
Hey, I’ve now come to respect the prayer languages of my friends too…
Examples of Prayer Languages
· One of my friends is a music lover. So each morning, he plays his worship CD. And he sings along for the next 8 to 10 songs, worshipping the Lord. He tells me that this prayer time really connects him to the Lord.
· My athletic uncle jogged daily. (He’s 80 now, so he’s slowed down.) But for years, he ran for miles. And he told me that each morning, he’d talk to God like the Almighty was jogging right beside him.
· A friend loves quiet. She walks to a nearby chapel and spends quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament. She loves it.
Praying Creatively In Difficult Circumstances
Some friends pray in creative ways by the force of their circumstances. In my immature days, I used to judge them, insisting that they “find” proper time for God. Today, I’ve come to admire them very much…
· A friend lives in Sta. Rosa Laguna and travels two hours to work and another two hours going home. She can sleep only 4 hours a day. But thanks to the heavy roadwork now in South Luzon Express Way, her relationship with God has been repaired too. Half of her travel time, she sleeps. And the other half, she turns the bus into her private chapel.
· A new mother can only grab snippets of prayer when she makes her baby sleep. Her “lullabies” are worship songs.

Friend, are you having difficulty praying daily?
What is your prayer language?
Tell me about it by posting your comments below....And share it to the world too. Someone might get encouraged by your way of praying.
And yes, forward this article to anyone who needs encouragement to pray!
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez

Brothers Among Strangers

Scripture Reading: Romans 1:1-17, Acts 28:11-16

Today's Treasure: "There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome" (Acts 28:14).
In the early spring of A.D. 61, God fulfilled a promise to Paul. The apostle arrived in Rome. Our text in Acts does not include Paul's reaction when he reached Rome. Surely, he was overwhelmed by the imposing sight, yet more so by his faithful God.
Paul had never seen anything like Rome. At the time of his arrival, Rome was inhabited by one million citizens and approximately the same amount of slaves. As Paul approached the gargantuan city, I believe God knew he would be overwhelmed by a great sea of strangers and the certainty of enemies.
A number of Christians from Rome traveled to meet Paul as far as from the Forum of Appius (43 miles away) and the Three Taverns (33 miles away). They were not old acquaintances of Paul's. They had never met him, but they were brothers in Christ.



Brotherhood in Christ was an important and profound concept to Paul. Scripture refers to a natural sibling of Paul's only once, yet I counted ninety-nine times in his epistles when he referred to other Christians as brothers. The Greek word for "brothers" is adelphos. In reference to fellow believers in Christ, the term "came to designate a fellowship of love equivalent to or bringing with it a community of life." As Paul approached Rome, God knew he needed a "fellowship of love" or a "community of life."



Paul's need was not unique. People are desperate for a sense of community today. We all want to feel like we belong somewhere. God recognizes our need for community and desires to meet the need through His church—the body of believers God organized to offer a community of life.



Paul's example teaches us that a sense of brotherhood and community is not derived from the actions and attitudes of others toward us, but our actions and attitudes toward them. As we imitate his approach to other believers, we will form cords of love not quickly broken.



Paul believed in the power of prayer and in our spiritual poverty without it. His intercession on behalf of the Romans was certainly no exception. He wrote, "Constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times" (Romans 1:9-10). Over and over in his letters, Paul assured churches of his prayers. He didn't just ask God to bless them. Paul jealously sought God's best for them.



Be bold in your prayers! Ask for the riches Christ intends for you and ask for them in behalf of others too! As a result of Paul's prayers for other believers, he had a strong bond of brotherhood with them. His unceasing intercession fueled a sense of camaraderie and unity in his heart. Likewise, our sincere intercession for others will also result in a sense of closeness, strengthening our family ties in Christ.



Lord, thank You for Paul's sense of brotherhood with other believers. I pray to follow his example through bold and persistent intercession. Compel me to pray for those I have fallen out of fellowship with. Thank You for the many spiritual gifts You've planted within my church family. They have blessed me in so many ways. Please make me eager to serve them with the gifts You've given me. Forgive me for being selective about the people I want to associate with in the body of Christ. Make me like Christ, who looks upon the heart and loves us equally. In His wonderful name I pray, Amen.


Adapted from To Live Is Christ, by Beth Moore
(Photos: AG Meeting @ Chinese Garden,Sept 29- Shaffy, Bob, Alvin, Jelson and Vince..)

Jesus Prayed

by Victor Hoagland, C.P.
based on the New Catholic Catechism

We Christians learn to pray through Jesus Christ, who not only teaches us to pray, but prayed himself. The Gospels are filled with examples of his prayer.

Did Jesus himself have to learn to pray?

Yes, he did. True, he was the Son of God who knew all things. But as one like us, he had to learn to pray while growing up. In the village of Nazareth Mary and Joseph guided his first steps in prayer. At home, in the synagogue at Nazareth, in the temple of Jerusalem he learned the rhythms and words of Jewish prayer.
Yet even in his earliest years, Jesus prayed to God with a distinct intimacy. God was his Father and he was God's son. There was a childlike, filial quality to his prayer.

Jesus prayed regularly, his first disciples recalled. He prayed before decisive moments, beginning with his baptism and as he faced his passion and death. He prayed in times of human weakness and death, as he did at the grave of Lazarus. He frequently prayed to give thanks. His prayer was steady, thankful, and confident that God's will was for his good.
His prayer was heartfelt. Nowhere is that more evident than when he prayed on the cross.

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.""I thirst." "Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.""My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" "It is finished" "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."

They were prayers that came from the heart. They reveal him tender towards those he loved and forgiving to those who wronged him; he is human in weakness and strong in faith. Never did a human heart reach out to God more eloquently than when Jesus prayed on the cross.
He ended his life with a loud cry. Even that last rending cry was a heartfelt prayer to God, issuing from the depths of his being and summing up what could not said.

And his prayer was heard. God raised him up. We Christians believe the prayer of Jesus teaches that prayer is always heard. In his prayer is our hope.
What can we learn from the prayer of Jesus?

First, that true prayer should come from the heart. He prayed from within, not with just words or gestures. His prayer was not based only on feelings or passing emotions. Prayer comes from within, beyond level of feelings, from ourselves. " Go into the inner room, " Jesus says, " and there pray to your Father, who hears you." Sometimes prayer from the heart, from the "inner room" takes the form of words, at other times it may be like his own wordless cry.
Secondly, prayer is fed by faith. Jesus prayed with an unwavering faith in his heavenly Father, a faith that lasted till his death. He taught us to pray also with childlike faith in God, believing that our prayers are heard by One who loves us.
Thirdly, prayer should be steady and persevering as his prayer was, even when no answer comes or when no relief is in sight. "Watch and Pray," he says, "Seek and knock," till the door that reveals God's holy will be opened.

His disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. He did, and he teaches us too. Yet Jesus is more than a teacher. As Christians we believe that Jesus prays for us; he is our intercessor before God. As Savior he gathers our prayers, our needs, the cries of our hearts to make them his own and offers them to God who hears our prayers in the prayer of his Son.
That is why we complete our prayers so often with the beautiful phrase: "Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen." Jesus is our teacher and he is our Savior, who takes our prayers and makes them his own.

Prayer – Talking to God

Prayer is a privilege. Imagine meeting your best friend for coffee at your favorite cafe. Your friend knows everything about you. You can count on your friend being exactly where he says he will be. Anytime you need him, you can call and he won’t be upset with you. He is willing to listen and responds with love and concern. That is just like prayer. The only difference is that your best friend is God. God is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He knows everything you ever did and He still loves you! He knows your future too. He has the best plans for your life. He cares for you so much that He gave His Son so that you could be with Him forever. “For God so loved the world, the He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). You can talk to Him about anything that concerns you. Tell Him your desires and passions. Share your concerns for your loved ones. Talk out your fears with Him. Communicate to God what is inside you without fear.
Prayer – What do I say?Prayer may be accomplished in many ways. The best way is to be natural, just as if you were in the room with Him. He is very anxious to hear every word you say. You can say whatever is on your heart. He’ll even listen to your anger and sadness. In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus taught the disciples a pattern for prayer. “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Prayer – Why Pray?Why is prayer important? If God already knows all about you and knows all that He has written, why should you pray? It’s because God created us to have free will. He wants us to come to Him willingly and not as robotic creations. He has given us a mind to make decisions and the most important decision is about eternity. Even though He knows the future, we don’t know the future choices we will make. It’s important to live by His guidance to make the right choices. In the Bible, you will find kings, prophets, and ordinary people like you and me, averted destruction by praying to God. One prayer stopped the sun, one prayed fire down from heaven, one gained fifteen years to his own life, and one prayer even saved a whole city. These people prayed intensely to the God who answers prayer. When you pray, God listens to your cries. When you don’t pray, God feels left out of your life. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9b). As you pray consistently, you are affirming the existence of God in your life. You are building your faith as you see God’s hand do His mighty work on your behalf just because you asked. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

God answers prayer - But why not the way I want Him to?

God answers prayer! The beauty of God answering prayer is just that; He answers us! God, in His ultimate and unfailing love desires nothing less than our absolute best. Sometimes, what we think is best is definitely not beneficial for us. Often, we aren't able to see that until time passes and we can look back and see how the situation played out. God knew what was best for us all along! If a father takes his daughter into a candy store and tells her she can have anything she wants, the little girl would walk wide-eyed into the store eyeing all the sweet treats. The father, knowing his daughter is allergic to chocolate, wouldn't offer her a chocolate bar even if she asked for it. Does the father not care about his daughter's desire? No, the father is bearing the responsibility of parenting and doing what is best for the child. In this same way, God always answers our prayers with our best interest at heart. God stands to gain nothing from us, but we stand to gain everything from Him! So, next time you fail to get the answer you want or the next time you feel like God is simply being quiet, set your concerns aside and trust Him. With time, you'll see His protection and divine hand in your situation.


1 John 5:14-15 says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him."

Prayer of Intercession for Pentecost

O living God, come and make our souls temples of thy Spirit. Sanctify us, O Lord! Baptize thy whole Church with fire, that the divisions soon may cease, and that it may stand before the world as a pillar and buttress of thy truth. Sanctify us, O Lord! Grant us all the fruits of thy Holy Spirit: brotherly love, joy, peace, patience, goodwill and faithfulness. Sanctify us, O Lord! May the Holy Spirit speak by the voice of thy servants, here and everywhere, as they preach thy word. Sanctify us, O Lord! Send thy Holy Spirit, the comforter, to all who face adversity, or who are the victims of men's wickedness. Sanctify us, O Lord! Preserve all nations and their leaders from hatred and war, and build up a true community among nations, through the power of thy Spirit. Sanctify us, O Lord! Holy Spirit, Lord and source of life, giver of the seven gifts, Sanctify us, O Comforter. Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Spirit of counsel and strength, Sanctify us, O Comforter. Spirit of knowledge and devotion, Spirit of obedience to the Lord. Sanctify us, O Comforter.

The Fruits of the Holy Spirit

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep.
The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive.
It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun.
The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day.
The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race.
The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands.
It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose.
And so I choose.
I choose love... No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness,
I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy... I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker.
I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.
I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace... I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience... I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so.
Rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray.
Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness... I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness... I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one.
I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness... Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word.
My loved ones will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their parent will not come home.
I choose gentleness... Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control... I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace.
And then when this day is done, I will place my head in my pillow and rest.

Christian Prayer: An Interpretation For All Of Us

The model for Christian prayer in Matthew 6 is known as the Lord's Prayer. Many of us have recited this prayer for years, but have never truly meditated on its meaning. The following are spiritual snippets based on the Lord's Prayer that can help deepen your prayer life with God:

"Our Father" - God wants us to approach Him as "Daddy" (Aramaic: Abba). He wants to take care of us and protect us. God desires intimacy. Remember, He has infinite love and grace. God wants us to be secure in His family as adopted children and heirs. "Which Art in Heaven" -- Look up to God. Fear Him and revere Him. He is all-powerful and can deal with all our problems, even the big ones. But He loves us so much that He doesn't stay up there. "Hallowed be Thy Name" -- Holy, holy, holy. Approach God with awe and wonder. Save the word "awesome" for God. Live a life that honors Him. "Thy Kingdom Come" - "Take this job and love it!" Working on behalf of God's kingdom is the ultimate joy. Bloom where you're planted. Do everything as unto the Lord. Find your gifts and use them. Be open to God's leading each day. "Thy Will Be Done" - God is the potter; we are the clay. God keeps us spinning on His potter's wheel, shaping and reshaping us as He bathes our lives in tears to make us more Christ-like so He can use us for His will. Surrender daily. Keep your clay moist through daily prayer. "On Earth as it is in Heaven" -- Thy will be done - not my will be done! "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread" - Trust! God will provide for our needs. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He cares for me. "Forgive Us Our Debts as We Forgive Our Debtors" -- Forgiveness = Surrender. Don't carry your own backpack - surrender it to Him. Revealing the feeling is the beginning of healing. Act as if you have forgiven and the feeling will follow. In our weakness, God sends His strength and peace. "Lead Us Not Into Temptation" - Watch for unrecognized temptation. Pray, so you won't fall. We are tempted every day. It deepens our walk and strengthens our faith - but be careful of spiritual blindness. Open my eyes, Lord, to my blind spots - use honest friends and family. "Deliver Us From Evil" -- The Evil One, Satan. We are saved from death to life. Jesus is more powerful than Satan - God is greater! "For Thine Is the Kingdom (obedience), and the Power (confidence) and the Glory (joy), Forever" -- This is our Father's world. Everything we have is His. He is the ruler!

Prayer of Rupert Mayer

Lord, what You will let it be so
Where You will, there we will go
What is Your will? Help us to know
Lord, when You will, the time is right
In You there's joy in strife
For Your will I'll give my life

To ease Your burden brings no pain
To forego all for You is gain,
as long as I in You remain

Because You will it, it is best
Because You will it, we are blest
Till in Your hands, our hearts find rest
Our hearts find rest, till in Your hands our hearts find rest......

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The best gift anyone can give to another is to pray for him or her. Praying for another person not only helps that person find God in the midst of trouble, but also helps us recognize the blessings that God gives us daily!
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Intercessory Prayer - What is it?
Intercessory prayer is prayer for others. An intercessor is one who takes the place of another or pleads another's case. One study Bible defines intercession as "holy, believing, persevering prayer whereby someone pleads with God on behalf of another or others who desperately need God's intervention."

1 Timothy 2:1-5 says, "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." We are exhorted to pray for others - including our country's leaders, our authorities at work and elsewhere, our church leaders, our co-workers, friends, and family.

When reading those biblical prayers, you may think, "I can't pray that fluently." When praying, do not worry about how your prayer is phrased. Our communication to God should be just as you would talk to your friends or family. Pray for others whenever you think of them (at work, home, doing chores, in the car). Soon, praying for others will become a part of your daily life!

Note: If you have special prayers and intentions for those people you know or close to you..please state yourspecific prayer. (or you can sms Mercy( 97336453) or shaffy(92358270) for specific prayers and intentions)

You may also post your prayers and intentions at the message box in this blog.

God bless us all...