On Rounds with Jesus

Tag: Faith

  • When we pray

    When we pray

    Scripture reading: Matthew 6:5-15, NKJV

    Strong relationships are built on robust communication. Many relationships falter because of communication breakdowns. Christianity, unlike organized religion, is a relationship— one that must be actively maintained through constant, heartfelt communication with God. Prayer is not optional for the Christian; it is essential. It is on this premise that Jesus taught His disciples to pray.

    Jesus emphasized that prayer must be sincere. It must not be draped in flowery language to impress onlookers or ‘manipulate’ God. Prayer is not for show; it is not an exhibit of piety. Eloquence and verbosity do not sway God—it is the heart that moves Him. Prayer must be intimate and precise, and grounded firmly in faith.

    When we pray, we must know who we are addressing: Our Father in Heaven. A Father who cares and loves us deeply. A Father who has our best interests at heart. A willing Father. A dependable Father. Our Father. The word “our” reminds us that we are not alone. We are not alone in our struggles. We are not alone in our journey. We have community, and we have a God who hears us. This understanding must shape our posture in prayer.

    “Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Prayer begins with God—not us. When we pray, our primary focus should be God’s glory—His Name, His Kingdom, His Will. We pray for God’s name to be honoured in our lives, our circles, and our world. We pray for the earth to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. We pray for His Kingdom to be established on earth and for His will to prevail. We pray for the spread of the gospel, for the salvation of many searching for hope, for healing for the sick, and for liberation of the oppressed. Our prayers must first be directed toward God—and then they can reflect on our needs. Seek first His Kingdom…

    “Give us this day…” One of the cures for worry is daily dependence on God’s provision. In prayer, we entrust our needs to Him. We have a Father who knows us and knows our needs even before we voice them. A Father who gives good gifts to His children. A Father who forgives—and, as He forgives us, our default response to those around us must be one of ready forgiveness.

    When we pray, we must ask for the discipline to resist temptation, and the grace to be delivered from evil. We must pray for wisdom to navigate the inevitable “thirst traps” that plague today’s world, and for the laser-sharp focus to pursue righteousness. We must ask for the strength and endurance to run without growing weary, and the resilience to ultimately overcome.

    When we pray, we lose ourselves and become more and more like our Father in heaven.
    When we pray, we make room for God to reveal His glory more clearly in our lives.
    When we pray, we build the resilience to withstand the storms that life brings our way.
    So pray—because the fervent, constant prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

    Let us pray.

    Our Father in heaven,
    Hallowed be Your name.
    Your kingdom come.
    Your will be done
    On earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us this day our daily bread.
    And forgive us our debts,
    As we forgive our debtors.
    And do not lead us into temptation,
    But deliver us from the evil one.
    For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

    Amen.

    Reflection

    What is your prayer life like, and how can you improve it by incorporating the lessons from today’s message?

  • Cures for worry

    Cures for worry

    Scripture reading: Matthew 6:25-34, NKJV

    Worrying is dwelling on a problem, or a potential problem, usually one over which we have no control, and getting worked up about it. Humans, by default, worry. And when we do not curb this habit, worry can give rise to unnecessary anxieties that fuel unfounded fears. Fear, as we learnt last week, can lead to death. Today’s message teaches us to guard against this deadly pandemic we know as worry.

    First cure – Prioritize

    “. . . Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (verse 25)

    We live in a world today where the temporal seems to matter more than the eternal. It’s a materialistic world, where everyone seems to be chasing the fleeting and ignoring the lasting. If we peg our feelings on fickle things, our feelings will be fickle. Life matters more than food, and the body more than clothes. Prioritize the quality of your life—your health—over trendy, fleeting delicacies. Prioritize your well-being over fashion. Prioritize eternity over the temporal. Prioritize, strategize, plan—that’s your first cure. Don’t be moved by the general flow.

    Second cure – Trust in God’s grace.

    “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” (verse 26)

    Sometimes we forget that the things which appear ‘natural’ are actually the Lord’s active doing. We are not owed breath or life ‘by default’; it is God’s grace that makes these possible. Everything depends on God. And that’s how we need to naturally trust Him to provide.

    This by no means suggests we should be lazy. Just as God has provided for the bird, the bird still needs to fly, hunt, and feed. As we trust in God’s provision, we must show responsibility by working hard.

    Third cure – Know your worth.

    “Look at the birds of the air… Are you not of more value than they?” (verse 26)

    Do you know your worth?

    “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?”

    If God gave up His only begotten Son for your sake, will He not also provide everything else you need?

    Knowing your worth— who you are — is also a cure for unnecessary comparisons that can fuel anxiety.

    Fourth cure – Realize that worry is not productive.

    “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (verse 27)

    Fifth cure – Seek first the Kingdom.

    “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (verse 33)

    Seeking the kingdom means making evangelism and discipleship our primary endeavour. We must constantly pray for people to know Christ and take advantage of opportunities to witness to others. Seeking God’s righteousness means conquering sin and replacing it with righteous acts and attitudes. Jesus has promised that once we seek these, all other things will be added to us. Cash in.

    Sixth cure – Take it one day at a time.

    Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (verse 34)

    Everyday has its troubles—it’s a given. But amidst these troubles, God promises grace for the day. Just as the Israelites in the wilderness only received enough bread for each day, God often does the same with us. He gives grace for the step we are on, not the next step—only grace for the day. He does this so we can learn to lean on Him daily.

    Worry is a void created by a lack of faith. Lord, help our unbelief!

    Prayer

    Lord, help our unbelief.
    Where, in word or deed, we have denied Your wisdom by failing to see what You are doing…
    Where we have denied Your love by acting as though You do not care for us…
    Where we have denied Your power by thinking You are unable to deliver us…

    Unburden our worries
    Engulf us with Your love
    Let us know You are with us.

    Reflection

    What worries distract you from reaping the full benefits of God’s promises?

  • The storm is over!

    The storm is over!

    Scripture reading: Mark 4:35–41

    My first real experience of ‘turbulence’ was probably when I encountered an eclamptic patient for the first time. She was a young woman, about seven months into her first pregnancy, who had been wheeled into the emergency room a few minutes after having a fit and losing consciousness. She went on to have a series of violent seizures — several bouts of vehement, untamable tremors involving her entire body — that had to be aborted with waves and waves of intravenous anticonvulsants. It was like a storm.

    In Mark 4:35-41, we witness yet another storm. On the evening of a day when Jesus had been teaching His disciples powerful truths about the Kingdom, He decided to put them through a practical session on faith. He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side,” and the disciples obliged, unaware of what lay ahead. Among them were seasoned fishermen who were no strangers to the Sea of Galilee and its occasional turbulence.

    On their way across, “a huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it” (Mark 4:37, MSG). Storms come to prepare us for ‘the other side’. God allows certain storms to shape and strengthen us for what’s next. In life, we will encounter many challenges. These challenges are meant to stretch us — to test and strengthen our capacity to overcome — and in the process, make us better. Without fire, there’s no refining. Faith must be tested, and our resolve must not waver when boisterous waves pour into our boat, threatening to sink it, because Jesus is in the stern.

    “Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, ‘Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?” (Mark 4:38, MSG). They were afraid. But three things should have put them at ease:

    1. Jesus had assured them they were going to the other side (verse 35).
    2. He was with them (verse 36).
    3. He was peacefully asleep as though there was no imminent danger (verse 38) — because, as we’ll soon see, there wasn’t.

    Instead, they fixed their eyes on the waves. Faith perishes where fear thrives. And fear thrives when we focus on our turbulent circumstances instead of fastening our faith to the Rock that cannot move — Jesus. They failed the test (verse 40).

    Jesus steps in. “…He told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Settle down!’ The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass.” – Mark 4:39, MSG

    One of the tenets of managing obstetric emergencies like eclampsia is to call for help. At times, experience alone is not enough. Occasionally, our faith may falter. But when we call on Jesus, He will intervene. When He speaks, the billowing waves settle like glass, and not a whisper is heard from the wind. When He speaks, the storm is over!

    Let’s Pray

    Lord, quieten these storms —
    Waves of doubt threatening to flood my heart.
    Let me know You are with me.

    Lord, calm the turbulence —
    Winds of fear threatening to shake my soul.
    Let me know You are with me.

    As the boisterous sea rages around me,
    May Your unfailing Word anchor me.
    In the midst of the storm — “Peace, be still!”

    Reflections

    1. What are some examples of storms that tend to test your faith in God? What are you most afraid of?
    2. To deal with fear, you need faith. Faith comes by imbibing God’s Word.
    3. How can you keep yourself grounded in God’s Word?
    4. The essence of tests is growth. Beyond having a personal relationship with Him, God is invested in your journey — in you crossing to the other side.
    5. You are not alone, even when it feels like it. God is near.
    6. Call on Him in times of trouble — and He will answer (Psalm 50:15).
  • Who touched me?

    Who touched me?

    Scripture reading: Luke 8:40-48, NKJV

    Amid a crowd pressing against Him, Jesus feels a singular tug on the hem of His garment…

    “Who touched me?”

    Here’s Madam X—we don’t know her age—who had been suffering from an issue of blood for twelve long years. She had spent her life’s savings visiting various clinics in search of a solution, but had nothing to show for it. Her condition, one can imagine, was incredibly distressing. She desperately needed the bleeding to stop.

    Most women experience their menses once a month, and it’s unusual for it to last more than a week or exceed about 80ml a day. When it does, it’s considered abnormal and could be due to several conditions—from hormonal or clotting disorders to structural causes like fibroids or cancer. Abnormal uterine or vaginal bleeding can be deeply distressing.

    But Madam X had heard about Jesus—and she knew He could heal her. So, she made her move.

    Though considered unclean by the laws of her time and unfit to mingle with the crowd—let alone touch a holy man—she pressed on. Nothing would hold her back. Just a touch of the hem of His garment… After all, what was the worst that could happen? Who would know? Who would see? Who would feel?

    Jesus knows. Jesus sees. Jesus feels.

    Many followed Jesus that day. Many pressed against Him. But He felt only one touch. It was a touch of faith—intentional, calculated, and born from a deep, unwavering belief that He could heal her. He didn’t have to notice the touch, yet He did. He didn’t have to see her, yet He did. It was risky… but Jesus was ready.

    He knows all about your struggles—even the ones you can’t say out loud. The ones you sneak around with. The ones you’ve spent years seeking help for in all the wrong places. The ones that make you feel unclean.

    What if, today, you let go of the shame, the fear, the unworthiness—and just reached for the hem of His garment? He might just turn your life around.

    Let’s Pray

    Pray… that unlike the crowd that nonchalantly pressed in, we would truly touch Him. That our daily encounters with Him would not be routine, but intentional. That our worship would not be casual or mechanical, but full of faith, hearts brimming with desire to grasp the hem of His garment—amidst all the distractions of the world.

    That even though the world won’t notice—He will feel it.

    That as we touch the hem of His garment, as we genuinely pursue Him, as we yearn daily to draw near to Him—our struggles, our worries, our pain—will begin to fade away.

    Amen.

    Reflections

    1.  Jesus knows about you, but more than that, He wants to know you on a personal level.
    2. The “who” is not as important as the “how.”
    3. The “how” is always by faith.
    4.  Faith is not “business as usual.” Faith is intentional.
    5.  Jesus is always ready and willing.