hopes
asked mummy today how to listen to God in prayer, and gained a couple of new thoughts...
1) go for a silent retreat, where the atmosphere is conducive for you to listen to the quiet promptings and nuances of God in your mind
2) use the Bible to help you focus on God's word even as you clear your mind of other distractions
the 2nd point is especially useful, what with the hectic schedules that are practically required of any individual in touch with the helter-skelter of industrial life these days, that rob us of our ability to be still and wait in silence for God =X
the 3rd point i came up with while thinking about it, which was:
3) keep a prayer journal where you can crystalise your conversations with God
and that seems to work marvelously for me, perhaps i am simply the type of person that thinks better while writing :)
some nuggets reached out and grabbed me yesterday and today, i append them here as usual:
Teach me Thy way, O Lord
Teach me Thy way
Thy guiding grace afford
Teach me Thy way
Help me to walk aright
More by faith, less by sight
Lead me with heav'nly light
Teach me Thy way
(i have no idea why, this song just made me cry the moment i heard it in service yesterday... even before i paid attention to the words it made me cry. 0_o)
when put to the question yesterday at Young Adults Group, i found to my surprise that my favourite verse was "Come, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." at least, it was the first verse that came to mind... but thinking about it, i realised that i did rather live by that verse quite alot. interesting.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)
yesterday's QT:
Isaiah 35
v3-4: Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you."
v8: A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.
today's QT:
Hebrews 10
v-11-14: And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
(this caught my eye because the issue of sacrifices came up during YAF on Saturday...)
v22-25: ...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
(heh i only intended to bold the parts which were significantly meaningful, but there turned out to be nothing in this passage that i could leave out...)
Thought for the day:
Encouraging words have the power to lift up those who are weighed down.
Search me, O God
And know my heart today
Try me, O Saviour
Know my thoughts, I pray
See if there be
Some wicked way in me
Cleanse me from every sin
And set me free
there's more thoughts from yesterday but as usual i've run out of time :P hope springs eternal for job search... more updates later hopefully! :)
1) go for a silent retreat, where the atmosphere is conducive for you to listen to the quiet promptings and nuances of God in your mind
2) use the Bible to help you focus on God's word even as you clear your mind of other distractions
the 2nd point is especially useful, what with the hectic schedules that are practically required of any individual in touch with the helter-skelter of industrial life these days, that rob us of our ability to be still and wait in silence for God =X
the 3rd point i came up with while thinking about it, which was:
3) keep a prayer journal where you can crystalise your conversations with God
and that seems to work marvelously for me, perhaps i am simply the type of person that thinks better while writing :)
some nuggets reached out and grabbed me yesterday and today, i append them here as usual:
Teach me Thy way, O Lord
Teach me Thy way
Thy guiding grace afford
Teach me Thy way
Help me to walk aright
More by faith, less by sight
Lead me with heav'nly light
Teach me Thy way
(i have no idea why, this song just made me cry the moment i heard it in service yesterday... even before i paid attention to the words it made me cry. 0_o)
when put to the question yesterday at Young Adults Group, i found to my surprise that my favourite verse was "Come, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." at least, it was the first verse that came to mind... but thinking about it, i realised that i did rather live by that verse quite alot. interesting.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)
yesterday's QT:
Isaiah 35
v3-4: Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you."
v8: A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.
today's QT:
Hebrews 10
v-11-14: And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
(this caught my eye because the issue of sacrifices came up during YAF on Saturday...)
v22-25: ...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
(heh i only intended to bold the parts which were significantly meaningful, but there turned out to be nothing in this passage that i could leave out...)
Thought for the day:
Encouraging words have the power to lift up those who are weighed down.
Search me, O God
And know my heart today
Try me, O Saviour
Know my thoughts, I pray
See if there be
Some wicked way in me
Cleanse me from every sin
And set me free
there's more thoughts from yesterday but as usual i've run out of time :P hope springs eternal for job search... more updates later hopefully! :)