Friendship with God: A key to a wonderful prayer life




In my journey of knowing the Lord, I have struggled so much about praying; publicly and privately.
I don’t know if you feel the same but since I became a Christian, I have this feeling of anxiousness and fear whenever I was asked to lead the opening or closing prayer during our mentoring or other church activities, even in the simplest grace before meals prayer.
I am afraid that my prayer will not be “good-enough” for God.  I thought that in prayer, you should sound convincing, appealing and holy. Even during my quiet times, I’ve had hard times trying to arrange all my thoughts making my best to complete the pattern of prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication (ACTS).
I have read different books about praying and none of them worked for me. It just made my prayer time exhausting. I then realized that I was pretending in front of God. Why would I try so hard trying to compose a poem-like prayer when all He wants from me is to lay down ALL my burdens, thanks and praises in front of Him.
What made me think this way?
 “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
Jesus called me FRIEND.
I have many friends, inside and outside of the church. But what is a friend for you?
For me, a friend is someone whom you can trust everything about your life. She won’t judge me if I made mistakes. She can keep my secrets and willalways want the best for me. A good friend will always find time to see you or to talk to no matter how busy their life can be.
So, how can I even trust someone whom I cannot see? Of course it takes time. Give yourself enough time to know the Lord by reading, studying and meditating His Word—The Bible. God knows the desires of our hearts, and if He can clearly see that your purpose is right I am sure He will do miracles over miracles just to make you believe that He is real. It took me almost two years before I finally give my complete trust to Him, and I never had any regrets with that decision.
If God is my friend, why would I pretend? Why would I not tell him all the things that I feel; yes, everything—good or bad feelings God wants to hear it all. I learned to be closer to God in prayer when I was facing a family problem. I have nobody to talk to because the problem might get bigger if I’ll tell it to someone else.
 I held my journal and wrote every single thing that was inside my heart during that moment. After I wrote everything, I felt better. You know that feeling, when your heart just want to explode because of the burden you’ve been carrying for the longest time, then suddenly you found your friend and you are able to share to her everything. And that friend was just there, simply listening to all your sentiments and even you are able to say your negative feelings she won’t judge you either? That was the feeling I felt after I wrote my prayer to God.
I realized that it is not the manner how you say your prayer but it is the manner of how you come before Him in prayer. God wants us to be honest in prayer, he wants a heart that trusts and believes in Him. All God asks from us is to believe Him and He is very willing to take over in our lives.
Jesus said that as a Christian, we are no longer his servants —because God himself doesn’t exist to boss around. God sent Jesus here on earth because He wants more than sacrifices; He wants a relationship WITH us. That is why, Jesus called us friends.
After that day, my prayer time was never the same again. Every time I come to the Lord in prayer, I come to Him as a friend as well as His child. Waiting and wanting more of His love. There was no boring moment whenever I sit down anywhere, holding a pen and my journal writing my prayers to Jesus. Another thing I love about praying to God as a friend is that whenever He rebukes me through the Word/Bible, I don’t get offended, a real friend will put your relationship at stake just to let you know what is right from wrong isn't?
I don’t know how you pray, but one thing is for sure, whatever it is in your heart right now, it might be a bondage, family problem, school problem, whatever it may be; God is always willing to listen.  
 John 5:14-15
14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Stop pretending to be the all-holy-looking church lady, God loves you for who you are. ;)
After you read this, get the nearest pen in your table and grab a notebook or paper in your table and start writing your love letters for the bestest friend you could ever have in your lifetime—God.  


Security in God


Just this morning, we visited a good beach here in Capiz and when Ichi saw the vast water around her, she was so excited that she ran towards the sea right after we jumped off the car.

While I was taking photos of her enjoying the beach, I realized that she had really grown up. A few months ago when we visited Boracay and Samal, she was so afraid of the sea. But early this morning I saw her conquer her fear. She was observing a group of kids that were having fun on a big salbabida, maybe Ichi wants to check why the kids are having fun. She walked towards the kids even though the water was up to her waist. I didn't stopped her, I just let her go. I interrupted the moment when a high wave was about to come towards her.

As a parent, it was an achievement for me to see my kid facing her fears and conquers it. I was in awe when she was running through the waters and feasting herself under the heat of the sun, while I was following her and again "letting her go."

It came to my mind that time will come that I will eventually let her go. Please don't think that I am thinking about marriage. NO. I was thinking about the things that she will have to face by herself in the future. Good friends, Bullies. Peer pressure. Insecurities. Many issues that kids now a days face without parents knowing about it.

I felt a small pinch of fear in my heart. Ichi is just a cute, sweet, bubbly, little girl in my eyes and will always be; but the world that she's in is huge - like an ocean. I cannot be by her side all the times of her life, I will surely grow old and my hands might be too shaky that I will not be able to take photos of her special moments.

I think the hardest part of being a parent are those moments of giving their child the freedom that they need, inch by inch until that moment that finally you need to let go of that last grip that you've been holding on since the day the child was born.

I uttered a short prayer after I was able to ingest my thought. Here it goes.

Dear Lord, this world is like an ocean. It is huge, and Ichi is so small. May she not follow the waves nor the tides of this world just trying to fit in. But I pray Lord, that may she use Your Word as her sail so that she may have a direction and I pray that may this direction will always be towards You.

-I have ended my worrying into prayer. I will not be with Ichi all her life but it gives me comfort and security knowing that I can entrust her to our Living God.
 

The Love I was looking for. (My Valentine Post)


The love I was looking for.
Disclaimer: This is not a love story.

I have a home, but I feel homeless.
I have a family, but I feel like I’m an orphan.
I have a boyfriend, but I feel loveless.
My life has no direction. My life seems like no purpose at all.
I am LOST.

Two years ago, in the month of January, I found out that I was three months pregnant, jobless, sick of taking care of my ill mother, and my six years relationship with my boyfriend was about to end.
Nothing’s going right according to what I have planned.

It was late in the evening of February 11, 2011, I found myself kneeling on the floor meditating about hoe Jesus Christ suffered until he died on the cross at Calvary.He was crowned with thorns that caused his head to bleed so much; his flesh was stripped for so many times due to the scourging at the pillar; walked for a very long distance while carrying a very huge and heavy cross while the people around Him who He calls “His children” were mocking Him and spat on him; then was crucified on the cross…

Those pain and suffering I cannot bear, the situation I can’t even think would happen. But it did, all because of me, because of you, because of us. So that our sins might be forgiven.

Then I saw a vision. I was in a small room, looks like a jail room with ony a very small window as the source of light. A man was sitting on a solid throne right below the small window. The man was wearing a very white robe, I cannot see his face because of the bright light coming from the window. At the feet of the man I saw a little girl, about 6 years old. The man touched the top of the head of the girl and told her “Anak, hindi ko kailangan yung talino mo, yung talent mo, yung galing mo…Ang kailangan ko lang yung puso mo, yung buong puso mo. I want you to come to me like a child, innocent and humble“. (Child, I don’t need your intellect, your talents ansd skills, all I want is your heart, your whole heart.)

I cannot stop my mouth from confessing and my tears from falling. I was struck in awe of God. Oh that love, the love I was looking for all my life. That kind of love that expects nothing in return. The unchanging love, the love that pursues me.

When I saw that vision, my heart was filled with joy that no amount of flowers and chocolates can fill.
I found God’s love for me…and everything in my life was never the same again.

I have found my home in the arms of God.

I found the love at the cross where Christ had died.

I was lost all my life, but God found me and He’ll never let me go.

This is not a love story; this is the story of my conversion

This is a story of how God showed me His love for me.

Thank You Tatay, for using Valentines Day to remind me of Your love for me. I don’t need any flowers, chocolates, or even a special date, because your love is sufficient to fill my heart with genuine joy that no people or gift can give.

Happy Valentines Day everyone! God bless you!

Some says that today is Single Awareness Day (S.A.D) but for me it is God’s Love Awareness Day (G.L.A.D). – Ate Jean Galang


Pagbubulay-bulay nang naglilinis ng laptop.



Ang puso ay parang memory ng hard drive ng laptop o desktop computer.

Kailangan piliin mo lang yung mga ise-save mo. Dapat lahat useful, dapat lahat importante.

Kailangan mo din itong linisin palagi. You have to let go off old documents. Mga documents o software na nagamit mo noon at hindi mo na kailangan ngayon.

Minsan naman kailangan mo din mag-upgrade ng memory kung kinakailangan. So that you can still store old documents na importante and you can give enough space to new ones na kailangan mo.

kapag hindi mo pinili ang mga ise-save mo, kapag hindi mo lilinisin ito palagi, at kapag hindi ka nag-upgrade kung kinakailangan,

gaya ng computer memory...

babagal ito, maaapektuhan ang buong computer system, hanggang sa tuluyan na lang itong ma-corrupt at masira.

Ang kaibahan lang ng computer memory sa puso ay:

Ang memory pwede mong palitan; ang puso mo nag-iisa lang yan.

Don't let your past failures and negative experiences corrupt your future. Learn to let go and look forward for a brighter tomorrow.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." - Proverbs 4:23

MRT at ang byahe ng buhay


Ang buhay ng tao parang pagbyahe gamit ang MRT.
Ang mga taong hindi nananampalataya, palaging nagmamadali. Gusto laging mauna, nakikipag-gitgitan para makasakay. Minsan nga nananakit pa para lang mauna.

Ganyan ang buhay ng taong walang Hesus sa kanyang buhay. Aapakan ang lahat ng taong nakahambalang sa kanyang daan tungo sa kanyang ninanais na pangarap.

Ang isang Kristiyano, hindi nagmamadali. Marunong magpa-ubaya, marunong magparaya. Kahit na mali-late siya sa pupuntahan niya, hindi yan naiinis at pasensya'y patuloy na pinahahaba.

Dahil alam niya na kahit ano pang gawin niya, ang Diyos lamang ang maaaring magdesisyon ng tagumpay niya. Kaya hindi siya sa sarili niyang lakas umaasa, kundi sa tinig ng Panginoon na kanyang naririnig sa pamamagitan ng Biblia. :)