ASK February 2017 Promise

Just do it!

Happy New Year Everyone!

The promise for this New Year is Zachariah 4:6

Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

As I was reading this verse, Holy spirit revealed me an interesting truth. Though it appears as if the LORD Christ is talking about Worry, it is also actually about Procrastination.  This revelation was quite intriguing and I immediately know it is from holy spirit. Seriously, What this flesh of white and grey matter can think of! So I pondered more and here it is.

Every day is unique and dawns with a purpose. There are to do’s and tasks for each day. Monday has its own tasks and so does each day of the week.

I have my schedule, I do my laundry and grocery on Sunday and get myself all set for the upcoming week with the necessary provisions and clean clothes for that week. My girlfriend likes to do her shopping right after her work on Friday. I had tried Friday grocery shopping and it hasn’t worked well for me. I ended up cook away all of those veggies a grand dinner or lunch and there I am grocery shopping again on Sunday afternoon.

A colleague of mine does her laundry on her movie night i.e. Friday. She mentioned that she will have her clothes washed, dried and will fold the clothes as she watches the movie with her family. That is something I would like to try. My biggest night mare is the piles of washed, unfolded clothes. Except, I don’t always watch movie every week. In fact, I had stopped watching movies few years back. I had to be a huge movie buff and then I had lost interest. Probably, my standard rose :P

Actually, the profanity in language, nudity and the substance of the story is the reason. Recently, I had started to watch again. Just to give company to my hubby. Anything for the husband. Right! :D

Not to digress, that’s exactly what the lord is talking about. Get your work done today.

• Did you make that call to your mom?
• Did you pay your bill?
• Did you take your car for service?
• Did you go to gym?
• Did you prep for your dinner?
• Did you check your kid’s homework?
• Did you book your annual health check up appointment?

Worries starts with these simple unfinished tasks. Then it snow-balls and becomes the biggest nag in our mind.

procrastination.com is the source of above image

Wow! How deep are the teachings of Jesus! 

I can’t take bible reading for pleasure any more. Neither I do a speed reading these days. I used to have this goal of finishing the New testament 3 times in a year. Every  December I do this rush reading thru Revelation which is the toughest to comprehend and understand (every time I read). But I had stopped doing that. Holy spirit started to reveal things in different light now. Pretty interesting facts such as these.

Come, Let’s have a leisure talk with a LORD. Hop on that hammock with HIM, with the word of GOD in hand and read along. HE will reveal just like he said in James 1:5

James 1:5New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

 Again don’t forget what the LORD said “Just do it!” :)

*Confession: I was planning to get this post out for quite sometime now. What an irony! A post on procrastination got delayed. Hopefully I will do better with HIS grace and strength this year. Phil 4:13 Amen!

Questioning Christian

1 Kings 17

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

² Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ³ “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. ⁴ And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

⁵ So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. ⁷ And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ⁹ “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” ¹⁰ So he arose and went to Zarephath

1.     Cherith - If you do some research about brook Cherith, it is actually dry in summer. Then imagine when days of no rain how that brook would be. River Jordan always floods, God could have sent him to Jordan. But Elijah never questioned God. He never suggested to God, why you don’t send me to Jordan. Elijah’s safety from Ahab was important for God.

2.     Ravens - If you see the ravens, they are not ordinary crows. Their nature is to grab food from your hands. But God is telling Elijah that the ravens will feed you. Still he never questioned God.

3.     Widow - Then he is asking him to go to a widow and saying that she will provide for you. Widows are poor in those days as the man is the main provider. It is famine and she is poor and here God is telling Elijah that she will provide for him. She was a gentile woman too. Still Elijah never questioned God. It was God’s plan that Elijah would be a blessing to that widow.

In our lives too, we should never be a questioning Christian. Logic and faith cannot mingle – when God asks us to step out in faith or do something, we use our finite, tiny brain and try to figure it out – we figure out the logic. Whether God provides for us through the ravens or through a widow, He is our ultimate source.

If Moses was trying to figure out how he is going to provide for all the Israelites, he would not have left Egypt. Many of us are still in our ‘Egypt’ (under bondage) because we do not want to step out in faith. We are still trying to figure it out. We question His plans; we question His instructions for us. We ask how it can be – it makes no sense. We are expecting God to give us the entire blue print of our life, when He is willing to guide us one step at a time and one day at a time. Moses just trusted that His presence would go before him and that was enough. That must be our faith too – that if God be for us who can be against us.

Give all you have the 5 loaves and 2 fishes to God – he will multiply – that meal was just enough for that boy. He never thought if I give to others, it will not be enough for anyone. He didn’t use his brain. He just gave what he had to Jesus and he multiplied. Give what you have to Jesus.

Today, decide in your heart never to question God. As far as the heavens are above the earth so high are His ways above yours, His plans are always to prosper you and not to harm you.

ASK September 2016 Promise

Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;


For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.

                                                         Isaiah 60:18,20

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In Christ Alone

ASK Prayer Team

email     ask@praisesnprayers.com

Blog       www.praisesnprayers.com

Web       www.askprayer.org

 

 

"Ask, and it will be given to you; Seek, and you will find; Knock, and it will be opened to you"
Mathew 7:7

Seek HIM!

We have heard and seen these astronomical phenomenons

• Blue Moon
• Red Moon
• Eclipses

There is a whole astronomical study done on Moon, Its movement, Composite, Impact on the earth magnetic field etc. Meticulously Lunar eclipse dates are recorded, future dates are predicted. When we all know for a fact that Moon is a celestial body that cannot emit light on its own. It merely reflects the light of the sun like a mirror. Yet, it is the most admired celestial object by poets and by the artists. In fact one of the first and greatest mile stone in science and technology advancement is the Man stepping on the Moon. Yes, on the same moon that has neither water resources nor can support living things.

We believers are like the moon. Our Sun is the Son of Righteousness – Jesus Christ. When we seek HIM, HIS light shine upon us that we reflect HIM (Numbers 6:24-26), So we become the source of light to this world in its darkness.(Matthew 5:14) When we follow the world, when earth comes between us and the Sun, we render useless to us and to others. (1 John 2:15)

LORD teaches 3 things:

1.      When we Seek HIM! We let HIS glory shines upon us in its entirety. The world rejoices it as a full moon day.

2.      When we slowly give into the world. Our potential and talent fade and rendered useless.

3.      When we let the world (earth) gets between us and the Son. There is complete darkness. Moon is no longer in sight and has no light.

Let us seek HIM!

1 Chronicles 16:11

 Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.

Psalm 14:2

 The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God

Hebrews 11:6

 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Zephaniah 2:3

 Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the LORD'S anger.

Proverbs 8:17

 "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

Jeremiah 29:13

 'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Luke 12:31

 "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Psalm 27:4

 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.

Numbers 6:24-26 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁴ “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

     Malachi 4:2
     But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you  shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves

GOD Is Love!

The Angels

We cannot hear or read a Christmas story without the mention of angels. They are all over the place!

Angel Gabriel appearing to Zechariah to inform the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:11, 19); Angel appearing to Mary about Jesus birth (Luke 1:28); Angel appearing to Joseph and asking him to take Mary as his wife (Matt 1:20); Angels appearing to the shepherds and proclaiming the good news of Savior’s birth (Luke 2:9); Angel appearing to Joseph and asking to leave for Egypt (Matt 2:13); Angel appearing to Joseph and asking to go to Israel (Matt 2:19);

Fear: In almost every angelic visitation the first message was fear not (or do not be afraid). We live in a world where people are gripped with fear- fear about the future, job, health, finances and the list goes on. But the holy bible says that God did not give us a spirit of fear ( 2 Tim 1:7). Why not this Christmas season, you be some body’s angel and ask them not be afraid. Encourage them that God holds their future in His hands. Rebuke the spirit of fear in Jesus’ name!

Impossible: When Mary wondered how can it be, since she was not married, the angel said something so profound, “ For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37. Elizabeth who was barren was now in the sixth month! Every barren situation in your life will be made fruitful as you serve the Almighty God, for with him all things are possible. The word impossible does not exist in heaven’s dictionary! Why not encourage others, like the angel encouraged Mary and let them know that with God all things are possible.

Gift: The angels proclaimed the good news to the lowly shepherds. When we are invited to any birthday party, we do not go empty handed. We go with at least one gift. As you celebrate Jesus birthday, the best gift you can give him is sharing the good news with others. Let there be big rejoicing in heaven (Luke 15:7) as folks are drawn into the kingdom. Consider sharing the good news this season.

We all love angels to visit us and encourage us and tell us that our prayers have been heard (Luke 1:13). But it’s time we become one! Its time, we become encouragers, we become proclaimers of the good news.

Have a Christ-centered CHRISTmas. It’s all about Him!