My Journal |

This answers some of the questions in my mind. Why do I experience or feel rejection at some point in my life? That is because God wants us to realize that life here on earth is just temporary. That we should not be very attached with our earthly riches. That there is far more important things in the life ahead of us. There are things that we long for in life and why is it that there are times when we are not able to accomplish them?There are things that we want to happen and we get disappointed. Our joy is never felt if we do things that will just satisfy  our physical beings. Material things or earthly things satisfy our needs at a limited time. We tend to forget that if we focus our attention to the will of God we will be able to reach our true home, to our Father’s home which is Heaven. So why spend so much time agonizing on things that make us sad. We should realize that our time on earth is very short and that we should make use of this time and opportunity to start focusing our attention on how we will be able to go to our True Home where life is eternal and where we will be able to experience never ending joy with God our Father. Let us live our lives glorifying God in everyway we can and serve Him with all our hearts.

In all of the contests we join, there will always be one winner, but if we will be  able to reach our Father’s Home (Heaven), we will experience extreme and eternal joy and we will be winners for we will have eternal life with God.

2Corinthians  4:18 “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

2Corinto 4:18  “Samantalang kami ay nagsisitingin hindi sa mga bagay na nangakikita, kundi sa mga bagay na hindi nangakikita: sapagka’t ang mga bagay na nangakikita ay may katapusan; datapuwa’t ang mga bagay na hindi nangakikita ay walang hanggan.”

“Lord God, help us to realize that the things here on earth are just temporary. That there are far more beautiful  things in heaven. And that we should not waste our time on things that are not important. I want to spend eternal life with you Father. Lead me the way to your home which is heaven. Thank You Lord.Amen.”

Life is a Test because in every circumstances in our lives we experience things that test our endurance and patience. Do we respond in a positive or negative way. The way we talk, the way we respond to things, even the small ones show how well we respond to them. Are we responding to them in a positive way or we easily get mad. Surely I can say that we always need to be reminded of these things to be in line with God. The words of God always reminds us what attitude we should have in facing some trials in our lives or some circumstances in our lives. When some people ask favor from us do we do it with joy? When somebody ask for something from us are we willing to give with a happy heart? When our kids ask for something or for our attention do we get mad or are we happy to attend their needs. This simply means that our lives are not worthless. Each one of us is very important in the eyes of God. That we should always be careful with the way we deal with our lives that will surely affect others.

Life is a Trust because as we encounter test we should always put our trust to God. There are times when people around us disappoint us. When people around make us sad or disappoint us in some ways or say things that will make our spirit weak, pray to God and look at the bright side of things. Read the promises of God in the Bible. Talk to Christian friends whom you feel you can share your problems and burdens with. God uses some of our friends as in instrument for peace. 

Life is truly a TEST that can be overcome if we TRUST in God.

"And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained
steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness
(right standing with God). "Genesis 15:6 AMP
Thoughts for Today
Godly heroes portrayed in the Bible were people of faith–their
foundation was faith in God. Abraham was a hero of faith–in fact,
in Romans 4:16 he is called the father of all who believe.
Abraham trusted in, relied on and remained steadfast to the Lord.
Because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. Abraham’s
faith was at the core of the way he lived his life. Because of his
faith he obeyed God … he taught and directed his family to walk in
God’s ways … he looked forward, not back … and he lived life with
an eternal perspective. This week we will look in more depth at
these characteristics and what we can learn from them.
We were saved by faith when we trusted Jesus. And God has called us
to a life of faith. Indeed, in Hebrews 11:6 we learn that without
faith it is impossible to please God. The lives of Abraham and
other heroes of faith were built on a foundation of faith in God.
We are in a better position to believe than those heroes–their
salvation was based on what Christ would do. Our salvation is based
on what he has already done.
Consider this…
Is faith the foundation of your life? Are you trusting in, relying
on and remaining steadfast to the Lord in every area of your life?
Is there an area of your life that is being ruled by worry and fear
instead of faith? Is there some part of your life in which you are
doing your own thing instead of trusting God for his plan? Let us
ask God to help us follow the example of Abraham and other heroes
of faith. Let faith be at the core of our lives, inundating our
thoughts, our attitudes and our actions.

Luk 4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God."

As human beings we nurture ourselves with nutritious food to make our body strong, healthy and beautiful. We sometimes forget that our spirit also needs nourishment. How? By reading the words of God thru the Bible and reflect on it. Hearing Christian songs also reminds us of the promise of God to us.

Being a housewife is not an easy job. I have so many chores to do at home and at the same time take care of the kids’ and my husband’s needs. Because of these, i sometimes forget to have time to dsread the Bible. This made my spirit malnourished the past few days. I got busy with other things which are not very important. It made me feel alone and not contented with the things I have. I forgot that i should be grateful for so many things. Ignoring the words of God makes us turn away from him little by little without our knowledge.

If we are very busy at home or in the office, there are ways in which we can hear and literally mean HEAR the word of God thru the AUDIO BIBLE. This way we have no excuse that we can’t read the word of the God because it is easier to HEAR them.

"Lord, I humbly come to you and ask for forgiveness in ignoring your words. Give me the joy to crave for your words everyday. Make me thirst for it. Give me physical strength to do my task, and guide me to read and hear your words. Give me the joy to share them with other people. Reveal to me Lord your words everyday. In Jesus Name I  pray. Amen."

"Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father." – John 14:12

"Katotohanan, katotohanang sinasabi ko sa inyo, Ang sa akin ay sumasampalataya, ay gagawin din naman niya ang mga gawang aking ginagawa; at lalong dakilang mga gawa kay sa rito ang gagawin niya; sapagka’t ako’y paroroon sa Ama." – Juan 14:12 

"And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear for God has come to test you, and that His fear maybe before you, so that you may not sin."- Exodus 20:20

"Sinabi sa kanila ni Moses, "Huwag kayong matakot, sapagkat sinusubok lang kayo ng Diyos. Ibig lang niyang magkaroon kayo ng takot sa Kanya pagkat ayaw Niya kayong magkasala." Exodo 20:20

People have experienced different struggles in life. Each one of us have our own fear. We will not be able to entertain fear if we are in the presence of God. If we follow His path we will always be reminded that He is always there to help us in times of need. If we have problems that we cannot bear, let us give them all to God. Let Him lead the way. We cannot do everything on our own.

Do you believe that God can do anything? With God nothing is impossible.We have so many in fears in our life. Fear that something might happen to us. Let us not let the negative thoughts pollute our minds. Let us not hear the words of the enemy. Let us focus our attention to the love of God for us. That because He loves us, He has His own purpose why we encounter problems. That is to come near to Him and acknowledge that He is high above all things and can do great things if we just set our fears aside.

Let us fear the Lord our God. Not in the sense that we should stay away from Him but by obeying His will and His words. Reading and Listening to His words improves our relationship with Him. One basic instruction to us is by reading the BIBLE. BIBLE is the Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. Let us obey Him with respect and honor Him.

With God all things are possible!

"Lord, may you take away all our fears and remind us always of your goodness and love for us. Guide us to do your will. Give us courage and strength in the trials we encounter. May it be with regards to our family, friends, health, the things that are happening around us. May we always do Your will. All these we ask in Jesus Mighty Name and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. AMEN."

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29)

"Huwag kayong gumamit ng masamang pananalita,  sikaping lagi na ang pangungusap ninyo’y yaong mabubuti at angkop sa pagkakataon upang pakinabang ng makaririnig." – Efeso 4:29 (Magandang Balita Biblia)

We often say excuses for saying things that we thought are just expressions. We forget that it is not nice to say bad things about other people. I myself is guilty of that. Some people just tend to say expressions which are not pleasing to God and just laugh about it. But the truth is, God does not want to hear bad things to come out of our mouth just like what is written in the above mentioned verse. We tend to discourage and let other people down when we say bad things to them or about them. Saying bad things to them is useless. It will not improve yourself, you will just ruin the person’s dignity and self worth.

Let us not get used to saying unpleasant words and we must correct people who continually say these words because it is our obligation to remind them. Let us try to stay away from it, even if it takes time and patience. Don’t give up, you can do it!

“Call to me, and I will answer  you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”   – Jeremiah 33:3

"We have courage in God’s presence because we are sure that He hears us if we ask Him for anything that is according to His will." – 1 John 5:14 (NIV)

Confidence in God not in men. We should always remember this. Some people gives us encouragement some people gives us discouragement. Whenever we feel bad and discouraged, we must always set our eyes to JESUS. Turn to Him.

Christians normally turns to God, especially in times of help. Sometimes when we want something we also turn to Him. When we want our family to be saved. When we want our children to have high grades. When we want to pass in examinations. When we want to be healed from spiritual bondage or any physical ailments.

Why do we turn to Him? That is because we have confidence in Him that He will not let us down. We expect that He will hear our prayer. But some of us get disappointed when we don’t get what we want. God gave us a free will to do what we want to do. But God knows what is best for us. So when we ask something from God, don’t expect to receive it at once, because God has His own will. He has His perfect timing. He knows when to give or He knows if we deserve something.

We are free to ask and pray to God for anything because we believe that with Him nothing is impossible. But first we must analyze our prayer request and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God makes us stronger thru our problems or circumstances in life. God knows what is best for us in every situation. God’s wisdom is perfect and He knows our future so we must always ask God for His guidance in everything we do. In the decisions that we make, we must always ask for His approval. To God be all the Glory!

"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." – 2 Chronicles 7:14

Fasting is a sign of humility and acceptance of our sin. Recognizing that we as sinners, need to repent and need spiritual revival. What really is our purpose in fasting. There are a few reasons why people fast and pray. Probably, some would answer, to handle some problems, guidance , spiritual renewal. Some people do it just because they got used to it, some just go with the flow. Being a Christian, i have learned that fasting is not just an ordinary thing that an ordinary man does. It makes a big difference to a person’s spiritual experience when he or she fasts.

Through fasting and prayer we humble ourselves before God so the Holy Spirit will stir our souls, awaken our churches, and heal our land according to 2 Chronicles 7:14. Make this a priority in your fasting

Steps to Successful fasting and prayer

1. Set your objective.What is your purpose in fasting.

2. Make your commitment. What kind of fasting you will undertake.

3. Prepare yourselves spiritually. Confess your sin to the Lord. 1 John 1:9

4. Prepare yourself physically.

• Do not rush into your fast.
• Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast. Avoid high-fat and sugary foods.
• Eat raw fruit and vegetables for two days before starting a fast.

5. Put yourself on a schedule. You have to spend more time with God starting the day with Praise and Worship and reflecting on the word of God.

6. End your fast gradually. Do not immediately eat a lot after fasting. You should eat in small parts, little by little.

7. Lastly, again seek the words of God for spiritual revival.

It is very helpful if each one of us will experience fasting and prayer and get closer to God. We will gain spiritual healing and be a blessing to everyone. This will also edify not only ourselves but we can also be of help to our church and those brothers and sisters around us, because by fasting and praying we can also intercede for them.

At first, I thought having quiet time with God is as simple as praying to Him, spending a little time each day. I never thought that there are things and attitudes to follow to make our prayer time for GOD more effective.

Here are the steps.

1. We should start with a PROPER ATTITUDE

First, let us ask ourselves these questions. What is our intention in having quiet time with God? Is it just because we want to ask something from Him? Definitely, it will not please God if that is our reason for coming near to Him. God knows the desire of our heart. He just wants us to come near to Him and express our love for Him.

We should be eager to talk to Him and voluntarily, willingly. Don’t rush, feel His presence.Before you start your time with Him, make sure that you are wide awake.It is suggested that it is better to have this quiet time with Him in the morning because it quiet and our minds are still fresh from the cares of the world.

2. Let each one of us select a PROPER TIME

The best time to talk to God is when you are at your Best. It is the privilege to everyone to look for the proper time for him/her to pray to God. But it is morning when Jesus prays to the Father, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” (Mark 1:35).

It doesn’t matter if you have 1 quiet time, some may want their time twice or thrice a day. Because some people wants to start the day hearing the voice of God and still His voice is what they want to hear at the end of the day.

One question often comes to our mind when we hear quiet time with God is “How long should I spend time with God?” You may start to spend 7 minutes talking to God and eventually it will naturally grow. But let us remember that we should count the minutes and don’t look at your watch for will be a hindrance to your focus which is to talk solely to God. Don’t start with a 2-hr quiet time. Having 7 minutes or more with him is best when you spend quality time. Aim for a quality relationship with God.

3. We should choose a PROPER PLACE

It is important to choose the proper location for us to meet God just like Abraham did, (Genesis 19:27). It should be a place where you can be alone, quiet and that no one will disturb you. A place where you can pray aloud without disturbing someone, where there is good lighting for you to read clearly, where you are comfortable except for your bed. It should be a special place because remember that you are meeting The King of kings.

4. Lastly, you should follow a SIMPLE PLAN

You will need to have three things with you during your quiet time. A Bible where you can read clearly the words of God. A Notebook where you can write God’s revelation and wisdom that He has given you and also if you want to write your prayers. Lastly, a Hymnbook when you want to sing for the Lord (Colossians 3:16). This welcomes the Holy Spirit for you to be ready to talk to God.

Start your quiet time by praying and asking for forgiveness, so you will be worthy to speak to God. Confess your sins to the Lord and He will forgive you. When you are ready, Read a scripture from the Bible. You should read SLOWLY (not in a hurry), REPEATEDLY (until you get the picture), WITHOUT STOPPING (allowing God to speak to you), ALOUD but quietly (this will improve your concentration and will understand better because you are hearing and seeing it as well, SYSTEMATICALLY (one book at a time, don’t jump from one book to another,sometimes you may want to SWEEP TO A BOOK or scan on it, but find time to read it again slowly or repeatedly.Meditate or reflect and memorize in order for the Scripture to speak to you. Write down God’s revelations to you. After that, you may want to speak to Him in prayer.

Don’t get frustrated when you miss a day. Just continue with your quiet time with Him. And always remember that a quiet time with God is a date with Him. We must not stand up with Him. For a quiet time to become a habit, we should have at least ONE QUIET TIME for 6 months. Make a strong vow and rely on the POWER OF GOD. With HIM all things are possible.

A PRAYER OF COMMITMENT

“Lord I commit myself to spending a definite time with You every day, no matter what the cost. I am depending on Your strength to help me to be consistent.”

Source: Purpose Driven Life