Gift, u wanna to receive?

DATE: 06/02/2005 08:36:42 PM

God wants to give you a gift – Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8: Parables of Importunity

A simple title for an article, but yet it may take great faith to receive it. How much truth is this statement depends to the measure of faith we have, towards this statement and ultimately towards God. God, here is the giver. I personally believe that God know what is the best to give us, but he more willing to wait for us to pray and believe that he will give. Nonetheless he very much wants to give us a gift. However, our perception of God will determine what to ask for, how to ask for and the most important step, whether it should be asked. This may be why we always struggle to pray. There are a few things that I learn, the whys and how. We may have tried to find time to pray, but a more in-depth rooted, that is our conception of God. Praying is not trying to overcome God’s reluctance or as a guilt-ridden accountability time for an inventory of our sins. Neither of these motivates us to a communication with God, of prayer or of announcing his asking. In fact, he already knows how needs, and is more ready to give more than what we pray for. He is that unreservedly willing and receptive listener. He is a friend there who longs to loves us and to have us love Him. A prayer to such a friend is already one that is like banging on an opened door, or convincing a judge that is already in our favour. Secondly, God is not a reluctant neighbour, whose presence is just there but not approachable or non-negotiable. Importunity is a virtue of prayer. His silence was His blessing. From Romans 5:1-5, we can exult in our tribulation; knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint; because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. The hope we have is in God and not the solution to the problem. HE knows what we want, and anticipates our prayers before we are beforehand, after passing the consideration / willingness barrier, to ask Him for the purpose of the prayers. A great guide I read and fully appreciate is how we pray from “I want” to “Lord, what do you want” to “I will!” I know personally I am still at the stage of “Lord, what do you want”. How I know and why do I know will relate to an article I read weeks after this, that I read at the same week as I write this long-due article. Be patient and let these words sink into your heart. Finally, the answer to our prayer is not just merely fulfilling the details of request of the prayer, the needs and the things. But He has more than that to give. He wants to give us Himself. As in Luke 11:13, I personally feel, we know about the trinity and give the Holy Spirit isn’t just like God giving himself to those who ask of him? Know beforehand, our prayer is not just getting God’s attention, but to appropriate God’s His attentiveness. The seeking period is the perfecting period as like Jacob, who prays not to want God for what he could do form him or the people, but want God for God himself. As what Mother Teresa have managed about prayer: Prayer enlarge the heart until it’s capable of containing God’s gift of Himself. All of life is prayer without ceasing. With knowing that prayer’s purpose to for God to give himself to us, lets us not distance away from prayer, but take prayer from a different perceptive, one that will change our heart for prayer and our willingness to pray…the joy of prayer, yup I praise God for that. How, thru his parable of humour, he speaks so deep of teachings he has for us, for his ultimate purpose for us, that is himself for us. How wonderful and gracious he is. : )

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D&D after D&D

DATE: 06/02/2005 09:53:21 AM

Beyond Duty to Delight Luke 17:1-10

A parable of the unworthy servant, unprofitable ones that are owned by God. He own everything of us, he owe us of nothing. Familiar systems of give and take may still be in our lives. Love to be loved, give to receive, work to be praised and paid handsomely can be part of our ethic. I’ll love you if-syndrome, encouraging people in keeping what we want from them, and the list goes on. Perhaps these are the things are very uncomfortable to mention, but one surprising thing I learnt from this book. They actually commented that thankfulness is actually a human response. Woah what a hard-hitting comment! I personally always think that thankfulness is appreciation what God have done in my life, or the things that God have allowed me, or called me to do. The duty of servanthood is actually not with divine expression of thankfulness, but it is a duty. A duty that comes with no special motivation for good but one that is common as breathing, eating and sleeping. It is also not serving a duty that helps us accumulate IOU from God. We are instead always in debt with HIM. How can we appreciate a work that is always in debt? A duty that is always of obedience? The answer is already given. Beyond duty to delight, an approach we can choose to adopt. Beyond the duty that we do to God who owns us, there is joy, with faith as is reward. As we do more of our duty to God, the more faith we cultivate and harvest. A faith knowing that God is in control of all, a God that owns us and know us well, a reward that accompany joy and delight that I, at this moment could say, only being it thru that one could fully understand what it fully truly means by beyond duty to delight. As much as we could serve and fulfil our duties with joy and delight, the unfinished tasks are usually faced in the gratitude for the finished gift of

Calvary

. A final question which I just like to bring forward is regarding the life of Job, someone that I always admire and imitated. In Job 1:9, KJV, Does Job fear God for nought? Which the real question is “Does Job fear God for God?” Using the same structure, I will try to ask, do we serve our duty for duty sake only? I am glad that now, I know what does duty means to me, duty just means a in very simple words that may not able to catch the whole spirit of it – doing for a friend called Jesus Christ who have already own us.

Finally, catching up my spiritual blog…with tons more to come…help help….help me lord….Learned some more stuff at Ps Ronald 144 regarding relationship, which will be shared when time allows and opportunity arise..

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