prayer

sometimes when i encourage friends to start spending time with God regularly or pray more, they shake their heads and start gently explaining to me how much they have to do, how unbelievably busy they are.. i'm sure the story isn't an unfamiliar one, for sometimes we face that same battle within ourselves. it is a human tendency, because what we are thinking of at that moment is that prayer is going to cost us something - some time which we could have otherwise spent perfecting our world lit draft, or catching up with someone we haven't seen in ages, or getting some sleep. the very word spend indicates the nature of the activity; some sort of sacrifice on our part. and we begrudge it! as a result either spend that time with God unwillingly or decide not to spend it at all.

allow me to share something from a wonderful book:

"Oswald Chambers' godly reflection on prayer points us in the right direction:

Beware of placing the emphasis on prayer costs us; it cost God everything to make it possible for us to pray.

This truth exposes our fundamental problem. We are too man-centered (and therefore self-centered) in our basic orientation to life. We have not learnt to be God-centered. Thus, we sometimes begrudge what prayer costs us - and forget what it cost God!"

- Growing Deep in God, Edmund Chan

as the song lyric goes, we need to pray like never before!
so let's pray, people.

What Would He Say?

What Would He Say?

If He should come today

And find my hands so full

Of future plans, however fair,

In which my Saviour had no share,

What would He say?

If He should come today

And find I had not told

One soul about my heavenly Friend

Whose blessings all my way attend,

What would He say?

If He should come today,

Would I be glad, quite glad?
Remembering He had died for all,

And none through me had heard His call,
What would He say?

Got it from my daily words of inspiration :D

we serve God by serving others

Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Mark 10:43 (MSG)


The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you've arrived. In our self-serving culture with its me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept.

Jesus, however, measured greatness in terms of service, not status. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you.

This is so contrary to the world's idea of greatness that we have a hard time understanding it, much less practicing it. The disciples argued about who deserved the most prominent position, and 2,000 years later, Christian leaders still jockey for position and prominence in churches, denominations, and parachurch ministries.

Thousands of books have been written on leadership, but few on servanthood. Everyone wants to lead; no one wants to be a servant. We would rather be generals than privates. Even Christians want to be "servant-leaders," not just plain servants. But to be like Jesus is to be a servant. That's what he called himself.

While knowing your shape is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is even more important. Remember, God shaped you for service, not for self-centeredness. Without a servant's heart, you will be tempted to misuse your shape for personal gain. You will also be tempted to use it as an excuse to exempt yourself from meeting some needs.

God often tests our hearts by asking us to serve in ways we're not shaped. If you see a man fall into a ditch, God expects you to help him out, not say, "I don't have the gift of mercy or service."

While you may not be gifted a particular task, you may be called to do it if no one who is gifted at it is around. Your primary ministry should be in the area of your shape, but your secondary service is wherever you're needed at the moment.

Your shape reveals your ministry, but your servant's heart will reveal your maturity. No special talent or gift is required to stay after a meeting to pick up trash or stack chairs. Anyone can be a servant. All it requires is character.

It is possible to serve in church for a lifetime without ever being a servant. You must have a servant's heart.

How can you know if you have the heart of a servant?

Jesus said, "You can tell what they are by what they do" (Matthew 7:16 CEV).

- Rick Warren

Hmm, this is what i feel. So often we say we don't feel a certain calling, no conviction, no direction from God to do a certain something. Do you think many of these are just excuses? We have to draw a very distinct line between the two.

Seeing the unseen

Hi guys,

Just reposting this from my daily online devotionals:

Listen to this majestic picture of God in Job 26:14. “These are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?” And 1 Peter 1:8. “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”

I bless your softness in the hands of your Father when you don’t understand what he’s doing. I bless your surrendered heart to look for him when he’s not doing what you wanted or expected. Every season has its beauty and is preparation for the next season. In this time of the hiding of his power, take faithful steps of faith and obedience, faith and obedience. Beyond obedience, even when you don’t see him, be blessed to love him with joy. Although you don’t see him now, be blessed to believe in him and be filled with glorious inexpressible joy… his joy.

Be blessed with eyes to see the fingerprints of his ways in your ordinary days, knowing that he says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

When you know you don’t understand and when you think you do, the earth keeps shouting to you that he is completely faithful. He is as faithful as the rain and snow that water the earth and make it bud and flourish and yield seed for the sower and bread for the eater. That’s the law of the harvest. He promises that his word to you is like that. “It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

As you see seed time and harvest in the natural realm yield its return every year, come into his courts with praise that you will reap a spiritual harvest as you sow in faith and joy. Worship leads you to rest and trust in his faithfulness, his sovereignty, and his love. Be blessed to see that God is there, increasing your knowledge and experience of himself. Know this: with each place he takes you in those sometimes not-your-first-choice circumstances, he draws you deeper into himself.

Even when you see only the edges of his ways, hear only his small whispers, and cannot understand him, he is the best. Even when he seems to have withdrawn from you, he promises that “you will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12). Remember that in the spring time when the trees are in blossom and in the autumn time when the leaves are turning brilliant colors. You can celebrate him in the growth points of your journey, even in his faintest whispers. Remember Elijah. God was not in the violent wind, or the fire, or the earthquake, but in the gentle blowing of the still small voice. Be blessed to line up with his still small voice practically and in prayer. Be blessed with an “upgrade” of your image of God, because what you think about him, who he is to you, is the single most important element in trusting him and bearing fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:9-13).

God bless for the IB examinations/A levels (if any stumble upon this blog :P) and in everything to come in the next month

x Jayce!