What to Pray for when we Pray for others

How wonderful it is to see people in earnest prayer! We love to read what Mary, Queen of Scots said about the prayer of John Knox. Prayers are powerful because we have a sovereign God who answers prayers. We often say, “Pray for me,” and “Will pray for you,” and often neglect to pray earnestly. When there are specific prayer points to pray for we pray more spontaneously, but we do not want to pray only after hearing or learning bad news or tragedies, do we? How do we pray for one another and regularly even if we do not get bad news or possibly good news?

Is Your Life Worth Living?

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.” – Psalm 63:3 (ESV)

Summarize in a Word: Lovingkindness

Key Principle: God’s Love is Gracious.

Key Application: We must Praise God with all our breath.

Main point of the Passage: Neither Life’s distress nor Life’s pleasure should stop us to live and praise God.

Illustration: David and Paul

Exhortation: Recognize the loving kindness of God.

David made this wonderfully stunning statement when he was in the wilderness of Judah, running away because of Absalom’s treachery. Yet he always recognized the faithfulness of God towards him. For David the lovingkindness of God he realized surpassed all troubles and enmities surrounding him.

This lovingkindness was not the material blessing. In fact, he lost all. He was a combat hero, a decorated military warrior, and a King. He was loved, honored, and revered by his people. For David, even such a glorious life that only a few human can ever achieve looked pale compared to the lovingkindness of God.

David would not slip into depression for his lost or for such a treason against him. He was not like the reluctant Jonah who wanted to die. For him, whatever life brings, if God’s faithfulness he sees, he will rejoice. He was like Apostle Paul who says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21). Neither Life’s distress nor Life’s pleasure would stop him to live and praise God.

Is your life worth living? Yes, because of God’s love. He gives your life and sustains you. And if you would confess Christ, He would give you eternal life, and immeasurable spiritual riches of Him. Are you bogged down by failure? Are you discouraged? Or, are you distracted by the status of the world? Recognize the loving kindness of God. He has demonstrated His Love unprecedentedly when Christ died for us 2000 years ago. Would you live for Him who died for you? Would you Praise God with all your breath?

Image Scripture: Isaiah 40:29-31 (ESV and NKJV)

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

Isaiah 40:29-31 ESV Version

Just About Prayer

Someone asked me to compile about prayer with Scripture references, and this is what I gathered from Reference Bibles. I took help from ThomsonChain-Reference Bible and Torrey’s New Topical Textbook. They are good books for scripture references.

Genuine Christian

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." – John 1:12-13 (ESV)

Summarize in a Word: Genuine Christian

Key Principle: Salvation is of God

Key Application: You must be born again

Main point of the Passage: God grants Salvation to whoever believes Christ

Illustration: The learned and religious Nicodemus

Exhortation: Put your trust in the Person and Work of Christ, for behold! Now is the Time!

Years ago, on my seminary break, I had the opportunity to travel from Goa to Manipur. I asked many people on my way home why they think they were going to Heaven when they die. I also asked them why they think they were Christians. And I got lots of clever answers, but unfortunately not biblical.

Some people think they are Christian because they grow up in a Christian family. And some people do not care because they think they are going to heaven because God should be good enough to let them in. There are other groups of people who think they can become Christian sometime later. And unfortunately, there are also people who think God is responsible for all our sins and destiny to hell.

This magnificent passage refutes all such thoughts and arguments. Apostle John describes three ways you can never become Christian – not by Christian upbringing, not by your will, not by your parent’s or pastor’s or priest’s will. Also, no man can convert you. Even you too cannot decide to become Christian. To be Christian You must be born of God. As Christ said to Nicodemus in John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Have you received Christ? Or in other words, Have you wholly put your trust in Him and His work that He has accomplished on the cross? If you are, God has justified you and declared you as His Child. Apostle Paul says, “Behold now is the favorable time; Behold now is the day of Salvation!” Would you believe in Jesus, the Christ?