Got A Prayer Request?

"Meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains."

– Colossians 4:3

Exposition:

        Apostle Paul is a man of prayer, by this I mean he believes in prayer. In private, he prays unceasingly for himself, other Christians, Jews, and Gentiles. In public, he prays along with the other saints in a formal and informal context. Furthermore, he would not only pray solely by himself, but he would ask other saints to pray for him. He exhorts everyone to live a life of prayerfulness. Here, in this verse, we see Apostle Paul requesting prayers from the church at Colossae for his preaching ministry.

        Now, if Apostle Paul seeks prayer for himself and his team members, would we not seek the prayers of others for us? Paul is arguably the godliest person, yet he seeks prayer from ordinary church members. It does not matter how immature we may be, if we are Christians, our prayer is before the throne of God. We mustn't hesitate to pray even for such godly people, they need our prayers like the rest of us, and our prayers are effective as well, if not Paul wouldn't have asked for their prayers.

Sure, prayers must be according to God's will. We can't expect God to help us do the wrong things or for our sinful selfish interest. Even here, Paul is seeking a release from his imprisonment, not for the comfort of free life, but to continue the preaching ministry, and he wouldn't mind another imprisonment for preaching the gospel. Colossians could at least pray for the release of Apostle Paul, even if they aren't able to proclaim the gospel effectively like Paul does, or not bold enough to endure suffering as Paul does on account of the gospel.

Personal Reflection:

• Do I (as a minister of the gospel) have a list of prayer supporters who know my prayer points from time to time?
• Do I (as an ordinary Christian) have the habit of saying, "May I pray for you" or "Is there anything I can pray for you" or "Shall we pray together”?

Personal Commitment:

• To seek others’ prayers and also the prayer points from others from time to time.

Prayer:

Lord, humble my heart to fall before your throne of grace, Amen!

Christian Decision Making

        Every day we make a decision. Making Decisions come naturally. Sometimes, we made a wrong decision, and regret bitterly for its consequence. There are times when we get stuck in our decision-making process because we want to discern the will of God. God is alive and active and is overseeing everything in our universe. Nothing, not even a speck of tiny dust in the sunrays moves without the knowledge and will of God. As Luther says, “Even the devil is God’s devil!”

Here in this video clip, Justin Peters is helping us how to go ahead with our Decision Making as Christians.

Below is the transcript of what he said:

“We cannot interpret the Bible by what we experience, we must interpret our experiences by the Bible, by the prophetic word made more sure.

Well, the Bible doesn’t tell me where to go to college. The Bible doesn’t tell me who to marry. It tells you to marry a believer, but it doesn’t really tell me who to marry. The Bible doesn’t tell me what job to take or what house to buy or which car I should by. The Bible doesn’t tell me, “Should I be an engineer or a dentist?”

How do I know God’s will for my life? How do I know God’s will for my life? Here’s how you know God’s will for your life. Read, study, and obey God’s Word. Read, study, and obey God’s Word. If you’re not doing that, then nothing else matters anyway. Read, study, and obey God’s Word.

And then if you’ve got some situation in your life, you’ve got some decision to make and you’re not real sure what it is to do, some crisis and you’re not sure the right thing to do, or you want to know God’s will for a particular thing that’s going on in your life or in your church or whatever, read, studying God’s Word, obey God’s Word. Pray for wisdom. James tell us that: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.”

Now if you’re not reading and studying and obeying God’s Word, then don’t bother praying for wisdom, He’s not going to give it to you. But if you are, pray for wisdom. And then, seek godly counsel. The Bible says there is wisdom, there’s safety in a multitude of counselors. And if I’ve got something going on in my life or my ministry and I’m not sure what to do, you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to seek godly counsel. The first person I’m going to go to is my wife Kathy and talk about it with her first. And if both of us together decide, you know, we need some other voices on this, I’ve got some men in my life that I go to from time to time; and I’ll say, “Brothers, this is what’s going on in my life, this is what’s going on in the ministry. Give me your counsel. What do you think?” There’s wisdom in doing that.

So read, study, and obey God’s Word; pray for wisdom, seek godly counsel; and then Proverbs 3:5 and 6 it: “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not unto your own understanding. But in all of your ways acknowledge Him, and” – He might direct your paths; He’ll direct your paths if He’s got nothing better to do – “He will direct your paths.” How does God do that? I don’t have the slightest idea, I just know He does.

Friends, He spoke the universe into existence; I think He can direct our paths. You don’t have to worry, “Oh, well if I choose this when I really should have chosen this, everything’s just going to fall apart and unravel like a row of dominoes.” Relax. Relax. He spoke the universe into existence; He can certainly direct your paths.”

RAVKALUM LINGH NI KIH KALUM THUYLAK E THEI... (If You Struggle To Pray)

Ravkalummei hei peyna gay e twmei meiguayna rui thay e. Ntay-tazuanghmei, ravmaengc kalummei (idol worshippers) guay rui na sinic, aniu Ravsuay ta kahao chuy pui tuang the. Tikih aniu Ravkalummei hei aliauh pui ganv nai e. Kalum ni kih kalum thuy lak, twmei ganv ni nai e. Kum tina Baibal ruina aniw ta ‘Ravkalum lingh o’ tuna sa katup hak na sa bam e. Heizaeng rui, nang ai Ravkalum linghmaih, heihmaih, gaymaih, thuihmaih khang, mihei hy lou pui tuang e. Ravkalum lingh ni ki kalum thuy lak e thei:

1. Ravkai (Church) ku tat tio. Namphu kalum tou puni the, meicguayna kalum bam timei tho. Rakai khou, nangrana khang ni, meiramc meikhang ni, phwamgling khang ni, kalum raph rap the. Ravguangc tanih thuanh pui ravsuai suaic the.

2. Tingzin key e thei, meic geihtho kai khou bam pui ganv the. “Family Worship nai dikho” tuna karianh tio. Nang aliauh maih bam si, mei guay na kalum nchamc e thei, kalum chuy dat kan tuang e. Family swna lungh mak ge thei, bam ncham mei guay lev na kalum khang kabai tho. Kaigei kaining mei ta sinic karianh ti doc.

3. Nang tuang phone contact list zaocna, Whatsapp khou ny, Message khou ny, Call su tuang ni tuna, "Kumh Kumh mei khang Ravkalum tou lou o to nang khang?" twna than geic tio. Text message rui gay hian the, kazaeng tho, text tha meipu nic, type subam khou rui, kalum nimei ravsuay dam (prayer items) ta kakhanh minc na type sw e. Nang nic meicdyng khou ta pac na kalum lou nuh the. 

4. Church khou, ramh lam peyna khang kalum tow geic the, aniu ning tow zat mak mei khang sinic. Church Intercessory Prayer ganv khou guang namv khang Ravkai guang zaic o, kaengc nei (2nd bell) key mak mei hu khou rui. 

5. Ravkalum lou o twna sasmei nai e thei, WhatsApp khou ny, Message khou ny, nang tuang Ravsuay short summary, text swna tha lou tio. Kumna type swbam khou, nang Ravkalum nu the!

6. Meicram meidaeng tho taray tat na (visiting), kadow cha mei zaocna "Ravkalum khotoh/ni?" tuna sa tio.

7. Nangkhang suangc rianra/nsuan maihmei/ nnaumei/ guay ta pary rac ncham tio. Nzian mei lung ning pat na Ravkalum ni kan tuang e. Kaniu pary nking pu khou, kaniu ni neihlaa (glad), nang ni nang zaeng gay, Ravguangc ruini kwnlou  (pleasing to God) punic.

8. Ravchap tatmei guay thei ni lay tat tio. Kaniu thiak zaocna lungning thao hak pu ni. ‘Nsuan mei guay rih-ngam kho thei (victory), tanhmei (strong) nunc thei liangh khang e’ tu e.

9. Lwm nuhmei (trustworthy) hamhethei nchaan dianghmei (close friends) khat-kanei phuna, prayer partner swna, haptac pum (weekly) (tingmik pum sw ngam mak se), kalum nchamc o. Kabamv baic na bam e thei, khuangh ganv daek pat na (fix the timing), kalum pui dam saa karina, kalum tio.

10. Kalumnimei dam (Prayer routine/schedule) kasiamhna table khou hamhethei, dam-ngaengh (wall) khou nap lou tio. Photo kaap na phone khou ni lou tio.

11. Paapc, thay tangkhaanvna, taanc taanc bam sinih (even after a deliberate sin), ‘Ravguangc khiu nthan lou ngam e’ tw mei thayna Ravguangc mav khou, kuaklou khang khatnic, huaynei khang, nang liw keyna (in humility/penitence) kalum o. Kalingna sa pwkhou, aniw paapc khou bow key lou puy ganv khou the, Ravguangc ta kage nai liang mei.

Kumh-Kumh mei sahaap lou dat nuh bo, meic tangh khou ruina? Kazaeng tho, Ravkalummei (prayer) twmei hei aniw kathiak kathiak swna meicrana meicta nthiam (discipline) ni na e. Comment section khou, sahaap lou niimei nai e thei, salou nuh e. Khat khat thaymei saana katiu kary kho. 🙏

Evening Prayer

Random WSU1

27 July 2019 a WSU

27 July 2019 b WSU

31 July 2019 WSU

Random WSU5

10 May 19 WSU

10 May 19 b WSU

Pondering Over A Sermon

Last night I listened to Costi Hinn,

The strange nephew of Benny Hinn.

Benny Hinn, a filthy rich heretic,

Costi Hinn moved away, not a lunatic.

Surely, the riches of Christ unfurled

Surpass the pleasures of the world!

 Oh, what a great sermon!

Oh, what a conviction!

Preaching with authority

From the word of God accurately;

Faithfulness of an under-shepherd,

Not worldly-success must be our effort!

50 years of Macarthur shield

Resonating never to yield

To the call of worldly pleasure,

For indeed we have a greater treasure

Of God to dispense relentlessly,

That’s the real pleasure endlessly.

Attitude of a shepherd in the morn

Could be a horn or a thorn,

Rewards or Judgment from the Lord.

Distraction and laziness we can’t afford!

Shouldn’t the first hour of the day

We delight to devote our time to pray?

Indeed, Twitter, WhatsApp, news,

On the phone, we are to refuse.

The true condition of the flock

Only known when to God we talk.

May the Lord in the morn be our priority!

Would that be your unwavering integrity?

-         S. R. Senxer (March 29, 2019)

Prayer

Lord, give me hope

That I may be Prayerful!

Also, Lord, make me prayerful

That I may have hope!

What do I desire to see

My God, than this from Thee!

God of the Moon

I look at the bright moon,

As if that’s all I need to see,

The heaven looks so far,

I bow my head and close my eyes,

Tears roll down as I pray,

The God who made this moon,

Surely, my poor soul, He sees,

Even if I may have gone so far,

I trust He will someday open my eyes.

Trusting God amidst doubt

Dedicated to all my friends, of

Shillong South Evangelical Union (2010-2013).

It was a joy growing together with you there!

I cannot compare my anguish to others,

For I believe theirs are greater than mine,

But even mine, I cannot handle it,

Yet I long to help carry others’ burden.

With all my being, I want to please Him,

With all I am, I strive to please Him,

Everything that He has given me,

I surrender all to Him for Him.

For my desires are You, oh Lord!

Yet Lord, I don’t know how true,

How far have I practiceed what I’ve said!

Whatever the circumstance may be–

I never want to go astray from You,

I want my life to be pleasing unto You,

Do not lead me into temptation.

Deliver me from the Evil one.

God really cares and understands us.

He always loves us and is just and good.

He is faithful, He is wonderful!

Let every creation of Him praise the Lord!

Prayerful evangelism

“Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.” – Ephesians 6:19 (HCSB)

Summarize in a Word: Prayerful evangelism.

Key Principle: The schemes of the devil are eerily daunting.

Key Application: Arm yourself with prayer supporters.

Main point of the Passage: Always soak in prayer for effective ministry.

Illustration: Apostle Paul in spiritual warfare.

Exhortation: Learn to share your prayer request with fellow Christians.

Gospel has been around the globe yet only a few are saved. Millions of people can articulate the gospel intellectually, yet with no effect to their souls. Indeed Gospel has the power to Salvation, but without the work of the Spirit, evangelism, ministry, everything is in vain.

Thank you, Lord!

“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers” – Ephesians 1:15-16 (NKJV)

Summarize in a Word: Thank you, Lord!

Principle: Every Christian grows.

Application: Thank God for one another.

Main point of the Passage: One of the privileges of Christian is to rejoice in the growth of one another in Christ.

Illustration: Interactions in VBS makes us love one another more than before.

Exhortation: Find out through a conversation about how you can rejoice for others in the Lord.

On the last day of our VBS 2018, my friend made a remarkable statement to a group of students, “Today, I love you all more than I do on the first day!” What a privilege to rejoice in seeing God deepened our faith in the Lord and love for one another, as we know each other in Christ!

True Worship

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24 (NKJV)

Summarize in a Word: True Worship

Key Principle: God determines how to worship Him.

Key Application: We cannot worship God however we like.

Main point of the Passage: Worship is based on the nature of God and His revelation.

Illustration: The Jews in Jerusalem, and the Samaritans in Gerizim.

Exhortation: Ask the Lord to forgive you. Be conscious of God’s presence in the worship.

Every Rongmei believes in the existence of God until recently. The existence of God compels us to worship God. How we worship God varies because worship depends on the nature and character of the one who we worship. Though claim to be Christian, many have their own ideas of God. To them, worship is however they like. Some traditional churches set extra-biblical patterns of worship (which are not necessarily bad), that makes the worship boring to some sections of the congregation.

Satan v/s God

Satan works all the time. (He works outside)

When I was praying, he was not intimidated

When I was resting, he did not give up

When I was sleeping, he was not complacent

When I was sinning, he was not contented

I tell you he is the busiest and most diligent being;

Because he knows, his time is near.

He is roaming to and fro to devour anyone!

      God works greater all the time. (He works in me)

When I was not, He made me

When I was dead in sin, He made me alive

When I was rebellious, He reconciled me

When I was sinning, He convicted me

When I walk with Him, He directs me

God’s grace is greater than my sins.

His grace is greater than the schemes of Satan.

His grace is greater than life itself.

He made life, gives life and renews life.

Though you fail, He remains faithful!

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?

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.