On Life of Prayer

I have this vision in my head of the kind of person I hope you’ll become when you grow up. But among the many traits I have in mind, the most important one that I hope you will have is that you’ll live life with strong and unwavering faith in God. Your dad and I are not what you call devout Catholics. We’re not regular churchgoers or Bible readers but we make sure that we show our faith through our actions. Other Christians will definitely say that carrying on Christian actions in day-to-day life is not enough for we need to attend Mass, read the word of God to remind us of our spiritual being and strengthen our faith. I do agree with that, no doubt since I myself always feel bad that I don’t hear Mass every Sunday, especially now since by doing so I know I am definitely not setting a good Christian example to you.

Two of the people I know who have extremely strong faith in the Lord are your Loli Onggay and Tita Veron. They live prayerful lives, wherein they are the type who leaves everything up to God’s hands; hence they remain strong even amidst trial, disappointments in life. Your Loli never failed to remind us the importance of hearing mass. She always tells us to never forget to pray for God alone has the answer. She so wanted you to grow up prayerful that she even succumb to this superstitious act of offering your first cut hand nails to the patron in Quiapo Church. I did this of course because I also wanted you to grow into a life of prayer.

I want you to be guided always by the Lord in every decision that you make as you grow older. I want to instill in you the importance of showing your faith through actions, of being a man for others, for doing so you are also letting others see Christ in you which I believe every Christian’s purpose should be in this world. It is not enough that you hear Mass regularly or read the Bible. It is equally important, if not more, that you carry over the things you learned in Church to your day-to-day life and dealings with others. This is what I hope you will eventually become – a man for others, with extremely good heart and compassion for others. Hopefully, with our influence you’ll grow up to be as such. I definitely must set a good example for you and with this thought I constantly strive to better myself each day and become the kind of Christian that I hope you will be.

In line with this entry, I want to share this piece forwarded to my by a friend. This is just to remind you of the power of prayer:


GOD…
ALWAYS ANSWERS PRAYER
When the idea is not right, God says, “No”.
No – when the idea is not the best.
No – when the idea is absolutely wrong.
No – when though it may help you, it could create problems for someone else.
When the time is not right, God says, “Slow”.
What a catastrophe it would be if God answered every prayer at the snap of your fingers. Do you know what would happen? God would become your servant, not your master. Suddenly, God would be working for you instead of you working for God.

Remember: God’s delays are not God’s denials. God’s timing is not perfect. Patience is what we need in prayer.

When you are not right, God says, “Grow”.
The selfish person has to grow in unselfishness.
The cautious person must grow courage.
The timid person must grow in confidence.
The dominating person must grow in sensitivity.
The critical person must grow in tolerance.
The negative person must grow in positive attitudes.
The pleasure-seeking person must grow in compassion for suffering people.
When everything is all right, God says, “Go”.
Then miracles happen:
The door to your dream suddenly swings open and there stands God saying, “Go!”
If the Lord has you on hold... hold on!
If the Lord has said "NO" to you... thank Him!
If the Lords is molding your heart and mind... go with His change!
If the Lord opens doors that you have been asking Him to open... Praise Him!
Be blessed wherever you are in your life today! God has His hands on the situation!


You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)
You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you
(John 3:16 & John 3:34 )
You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)
You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28 )
You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)
You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)
You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)
You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)