Why is prayer so important?

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Psalm 91:11"
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. 1 Timothy 2:8"
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16"

Lying there in the dark, you begin to pray, like you do every night just before you drift off to sleep. You begin to lay out your requests. One by one, you work through you list. Paul's college scholarship. Lacey's dog. As each request leaves your lips, you slowly begin to drift into dreamland. Slowly your body relaxes, your mind lets go, and you fall to sleep. Actively praying. Actively resting before God.

On the other side,no one is sleeping. There are beings like you've never seen with humans eyes. They're listening to you, and they're listening to God. As you pray, the move. As God commands, things begins to change. Situations get worked out. Limbs are healed. Futures are restored. Lives are mended.

Prayer is unusual thing. Ever thought about it? It's our connection to God. It's our mode of confession. Prayer is our way of telling God our hopes and dreams. If it's true that the cornerstone of every good relationship is communication, then prayer is an essential element in our relationship with God.

What happens when you pray? Are your prayers a connection to an unseen world where God is working all the time for your happiness and health? Are there angels working to straighten your life out? Maybe there's a communication chain- an angel who listens to you when you pray, then passes your requests on to senior angel, who passes it up the chain to God. And then God. in his infinite wisdom and kindness, works to meet the request you've laid out.

Or maybe we're not supposed to know anything about prayer. Maybe the act of praying and the hows and whys of prayer are supposed to be secret.

This week we're going to discover what makes prayer so important. No deep theology here. Nothing over your head. This week we're tackling the simple act of prayer. Make sure you take time to actually pray this week. Keep track of what you're praying about and the answers that God brings.

God's Word

"And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, through briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, through they are rebellious house. Ezekiel 2:6"

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13"

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved-and that by God. Philippians 1:27-28"

You stand on the battlefield sword in hand, shield on your forearm.

Sweat beads on your forehead as you survey the battlefield. To your left are friends who are trying to lead you away from God. On your right are bad habits.Directly behind you is an army of demons who are pushing you into failure and defeat. And directly in front of you are sins that have been chasing you for months.

You're trapped. You look out and wonder if this a fight you can win. Losing to these enemies could reshape the rest of your life. Defeating them won't be easy. You'll have to stand firm and fight. But this is your life. Not someone else's problem. Not another person's sins. This is your fight.

What do you need right now? Courage.

Being willing to fight won't be enough. Having the ability to fight won't be enough either. You have got to actually do it. You've got to actually face them.

What is courage? Is it training? Is courage the ability to beat your opponent? Is courage the willingness to face the opponent no matter how powerful it is or how scary it appears? How do you define courage?

Courage is the willingness to stand your ground. Courage doesn't mean you're the best trained. It doesn't necessarily mean that you're better than your opponents. It simply means that you'll stand up to them-whatever they are.

You see, some people never stand. Even though they have the ability, the weapons, and even a little desire, they never stand. They never stand. They never use their courage.

This week is about you and your courage. Like many people, you have the tools to defend yourself. But do you have the desire? Are you willing to stand against the things that hinder your walk with God? Are you willing to defend your relationship with Him? This is your week to flex your courage. Get to it.

Mengapa sulit untuk mengucap syukur?

Aku bermimpi suatu hari aku pergi ke surga dan seorang malaikat menemaniku dan menunjukkan keadaan di surga. Kami berjalan memasuki suatu ruang kerja penuh dengan para malaikat. Malaikat yang mengantarku berhenti di depanruang kerja pertama dan berkata, " Ini adalah Seksi Penerimaan. Di sini, semua permintaan yang ditujukan pada Allah diterima".
Aku melihat-lihat sekeliling tempat ini dan aku dapati tempat ini begitu sibuk dengan begitu banyak malaikat yang memilah-milah seluruh permohonan yang tertulis pada kertas dari manusia di seluruh dunia.
Kemudian aku dan malaikat-ku berjalan lagi melalui koridor yang panjang lalu sampailah kami pada ruang kerja kedua. Malaikat-ku berkata, "Ini adalah Seksi Pengepakan dan Pengiriman. Di sini kemuliaan dan berkat yangdiminta manusia diproses dan dikirim ke manusia-manusia yang masih hidup yang memintanya". Aku perhatikan lagi betapa sibuknya ruang kerja itu. Adabanyak malaikat yang bekerja begitu keras karena ada begitu banyaknya permohonan yang dimintakan dan sedang dipaketkan untuk dikirim ke bumi.
Kami melanjutkan perjalanan lagi hingga sampai pada ujung terjauh koridor panjang tersebut dan berhenti pada sebuah pintu ruang kerja yang sangatkecil. Yang sangat mengejutkan aku, hanya ada satu malaikat yang duduk di sana, hampir tidak melakukan apapun. "Ini adalah Seksi Pernyataan Terima Kasih", kata Malaikat-ku pelan. Dia tampak malu. "Bagaimana ini? Mengapa hampir tidak ada pekerjaan disini?", tanyaku. "Menyedihkan", Malaikat-ku menghela napas. " Setelah manusia menerima berkat yang mereka minta, sangat sedikit manusia yang mengirimkan pernyataan terima kasih". "Bagaimana manusia menyatakan terima kasih atas berkat Tuhan?", tanyaku. "Sederhana sekali", jawab Malaikat. "Cukup berkata, "Terima kasih, Tuhan".
"Lalu, berkat apa saja yang perlu kita syukuri", tanyaku. Malaikat-ku menjawab, "Jika engkau mempunyai makanan di lemari es, pakaian yang menutup tubuhmu, atap di atas kepalamu dan tempat untuk tidur, maka engkau lebih kaya dari 75% penduduk dunia ini."
"Jika engkau memiliki uang di bank, di dompetmu, dan uang-uang receh, maka engkau berada diantara 8% kesejahteraan dunia."
"Dan jika engkau mendapatkan pesan ini di komputer mu, engkau adalah bagian dari 1% di dunia yang memiliki kesempatan itu."
Juga.... "Jika engkau bangun pagi ini dengan lebih banyak kesehatan daripada kesakitan ... engkau lebih diberkati daripada begitu banyak orang di dunia ini yang tidak dapat bertahan hidup hingga hari ini."
"Jika engkau tidak pernah mengalami ketakutan dalam perang, kesepian dalam penjara, kesengsaraan penyiksaan, atau kelaparan yang amat sangat, maka engkau lebih beruntung dari 700 juta orang di dunia".
"Jika orangtuamu masih hidup dan masih berada dalam ikatan pernikahan ... maka engkau termasuk orang yang sangat jarang."
"Jika engkau masih bisa mencintai ... maka engkau termasuk orang yang besar, karena cinta adalah berkat Tuhan yang tidak didapat dari manapun."
"Jika engkau dapat menegakkan kepala dan tersenyum, maka engkau bukanlah seperti orang kebanyakan, engkau unik dibandingkan semua mereka yang berada dalam keraguan dan keputusasaan."
"Jika engkau dapat membaca pesan ini, maka engkau menerima berkat ganda, yaitu bahwa seseorang yang mengirimkan ini padamu berpikir bahwa engkau orang yang sangat istimewa baginya, dan bahwa engkau lebih diberkati dari pada lebih dari 2 juta orang di dunia yang bahkan tidak dapat membaca sama sekali".
Nikmatilah hari-harimu, hitunglah berkat yang telah Tuhan anugerahkan kepadamu. Dan jika engkau berkenan, kirimkan pesan ini ke semua teman-temanmu untuk mengingatkan mereka betapa. diberkatinya kita semua.
"Dan ingatlah tatkala Tuhanmu menyatakan bahwa, 'Sesungguhnya jika kamu bersyukur, pasti Aku akan menambahkan lebih banyak nikmat kepadamu ."
Ditujukan pada : Departemen Pernyataan Terima Kasih.
"Terima kasih, Tuhan! Terima kasih, Tuhan, atas anug'rah-Mu berupa kemampuan untuk menerjemahkan dan membagi pesan ini dan memberikan aku begitu banyak teman-teman yang istimewa untuk saling berbagi."

God's Word

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35"

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for you brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22"

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18"

There's an old story about a soldier, after World War II, walking toward a bakery. As he was walking he noticed a young boy standing outside the bakery, looking hungrily through the window. The boy looked pitiful, and the soldier imagined that this young man was probably one of the thousands of children left without a family after the war. It was no wonder that this young man was staring into the bakery. If he really was an orphan , he probably hadn't eaten in days.
The soldier walked into the bakery and bought two loaves of bread. He walked outside, gave the young boy one of the loaves, patted him on the head, and kept walking.
The boy responded as the soldier walked away,"Mister, are you Jesus?"
This short story illustrates a deep spiritual truth. The more we love people, the more we resemble Jesus. The more we feed others, give of our selves, and help the needy, the more people recognize that God is working in and through us. In essence, you are the only Jesus some people will meet. You might possibly be the only representation, the only living example of Jesus, that some unsaved person will come into contact with.

He Loves Us So Much...

I pray for you that you would come to know Jesus Christ as your saviour and friend. His life, death and resurrection represent the greatest gift of love the world ever see...It's a free gift for you, all you need to do is accept it...A brand new start to a life lived in relationship with God. Asking Jesus into your life is as simple and powerful as praying this prayer...

" Dear Lord Jesus, i believe in You...Thank you for giving Your life for me. Thank you for taking my sin and shame upon the cross. I need You...I need Your grace to forgive me, and i need Your love to change me. Thank you for Your amazing love. I accept You as my Lord and saviour. Now i am a christian, which means You live in me. I belong to You. I will live my life for You, loving others, as Your love changes me...Amen"


Yohanes 3:16 berkata begini:

"Karena begitu besar kasih Allah akan dunia ini, sehingga Ia telah mengaruniakan Anak-Nya yang tunggal, supaya setiap orang yang percaya kepada-Nya tidak binasa, melainkan beroleh hidup yang kekal".