Tag Archives: Endurance

Tripartite purpose of prayers

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Simply put every meaningful prayer serves a tripartite purpose that encompasses yesterday, today and tomorrow (future). In other words, all wholesome prayers are expected to start taking stock of past deeds and occurrences, what today is and casting a look at what is being projected for the future. God had endowed us with a sense that can identify the good and the bad behavior. When we do good, it gladdens our heart and when we act negatively our conscience will not fail to alert us . However, some have seared their conscience to an extent that they can even swear on their conscience that is “playing the good” for them to stick to.

For taking stock of yesterday, is our recognition of the need to thank the Lord for his protection and other blessings received personally, by one’s family, the Church family and the community at large. There are so many avenues open to all human beings towards acting against the holy will of God. These include gossips, ungodly jokes about individuals, both direct stealing and stealing by stealth, lasciviousness, adultery, fornication, forgery, even, ungodly anger and many more. As for the present (nowadays), it behoves us as Christians to ask for God’s direction to be able to do things aright. This includes the act of consulting or meeting with God everyday so that daily plan would be able to align with the holy will of God. We have seen that what was experienced in the past and what is being encountered presently can make or mar the future if we fail to anchor our faith in Christ. Job presented us with a classical example of how to faithfully not allow the past to destroy the future because what is to be belongs to our creator. Job did what was practically possible to satisfy or please God but see what befell him. It was a double trouble of tragedy which went to a dimension that man can never think of. To ordinary people, they would agree to curse God when Job was asked to curse his creator and die because the pain and anguish had become totally unbearable in man’s thinking. He accepted both the positive and the negative to buoy up his faith in God and his endurance paid off. He was blessed so much that the “new” Job was richer and possessed more than ever before.

In physical management strategy, people or companies have to plan in terms of short, medium and long range development. Planning recognizes doing first thing first if success is to be accomplished and maximally too. In this case, there should be definite individual and corporate dos and don’ts that will ensure not working without policy guidelines. Permit me to liken prayers to planning and forecasting for personal strategy, aiming at working for specific goals. In a prayer life, there are what to place at the front burner or are immediate like ones daily bread and how to stock the pantry for things needed at various times in future. This consists of “what to do list” for today and thereafter. By prayer and supplications for future needs, the divine workbook or constitution for living well is – The Bible.

Lawyers or Attorneys have to consult a whole library of books in the discharge of their professional duties while Christians have their own code or conduct or their own constitution divinely inspired, written and never goes obsolete or revised from time to time, like mundane code of conducts.

Deviation from what the bible prescribes can constitute sins for all times, just like murder or homicide in the case of Cain and Abel remains homicide even in today’s reckoning. Jesus granted the adulterous woman remission of sin, after all things were considered, Today, judges would always consider many factors before giving the verdict of guilty or not guilty, and occasional discharge for want of enough evidence. Prayers to God through his son our Savior Jesus Christ enable us build up our morals and fortify ourselves against the wiles of the enemies of Christian faith. As for our life and times , prayer is our rod, shield and strength that will continue to comfort us in Jesus most holy name.

The Living Hope

A result oriented entrepreneur, business executive, a believer, student studying for academic laurel, parenting couple, and many more need to have a living hope until the set goals and objectives are achieved. We are still on the subject of HOPE as an anchor of our soul if kept undying or alive. All boils down to achieving our goals if we can steadfastly stick to the relevant road map with God being the beacon; concerning    whatever be the ups and downs along the route. Living hope is a recurring impetus to forge ahead, knowing that God is faithful to see us through. Any one with weak or false hope is most likely going to end up being a quitter.

As in Hebrew 6: 19-20, it says,  “But beloved, we are confident for better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in his manner. For God is not unjust to forget your labor of love which you have shown  toward His name, in that you have ministered to his saints, and do minister. And that we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (NKJV). The relevant application of this passage is that we know as Christian believers that Jesus is interceding for us before God. Jesus told his followers that they should feel free to ask for any need of theirs through him and  will be granted to them their heart’s desire.

Christians have a living hope that makes their ultimate possible by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Believers are looking forward to their salvation or as it is pleasantly expressed “Where will you spend your eternity-Heaven or Hell?” They tend to determinedly work towards it in the hope that the death and resurrection of Jesus had cleared the road to salvation. Christians are training and developing themselves and others to ensure their eternal salvation. It is this living HOPE that kept Apostle Paul going in spite of the suffering he went through throughout  his missionary journeys. Let us consider the  beating and imprisonment he endured. He and Silas were beaten severely and kept in prison under maximum security. Following the expression of the living hope in them, they both held vigil where they sang praises and prayed God loudly.The Almighty God showed forth His acceptance of the worship and responded with an earthquake that broke the stocks on them and yet they refused to escape from custody, Act 16: 18-28.

Hope is always the force behind endurance  and perseverance  as recorded in Thessalonians 1:3 “As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ, (NLT).