Sometimes we are beset with many plans and we bring them before God in our daily prayers. We ask Him to invoke blessings on our wish lists but often times we miss the point of prayer, which is asking God that He may speak to us and guide us on the present and on our future endeavours. There are many who ask for cars, houses and even spouses, but the point of praying is not only asking these things or becoming pre-occupied by them. Instead, our goal in prayer should be to become more intimate with our Father, our Friend and Savior. It is not easy to do these especially when you are in need daily of food or clothing or even when you are already well fed and well clothed. But the greatest purpose of prayer remains this, that we may know Him and that He may make known Himself to us.

There is no greater fulfilment in this life, than to be known in Heaven and to know that God knows us. As Jesus told us, the eternal life that we seek is not as much as being in heaven after death but it is NOW, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3 NIV). We are to enjoy this eternal life NOW and this is based on knowing God through Jesus whom He sent. I do not judge others whose minds have been screwed by religious preaching that emphasize eternal life as a reward for righteous deeds while on earth. Although this is also true when we believe in the Lord who promised eternal life to everyone who believes and trusts in Him, His emphasis was not in the afterlife so that He continually spoke of the present, NOW. To speak a few of these verses,

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"  Matt 4:4

 "Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' "For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt 6:31-34

He is not the God of the dead but of the living. Matt 22:32

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:14-19

Jesus always emphasized the present because faith is not a property of some future commodity, hope is but faith is NOW. Those who have faith will always act on the present considering the Word of God as their refuge, strong tower and basis for their actions. This is the reason why our faith in the past do not carry on to the present automatically. Maybe you have done much good in the past, even healed the sick, preached Jesus to the crowds, distributed tracks or gave food and clothes to the poor or even went to a mission field, but if you do not continue your good works and fail to exercise your faith daily, then beware because the light that is in you can be darkness.

The Word of God proceeds, it is ever fresh and flowing from the throne of God. No one can snuff this life flow from God as long as we believe and continue to believe in Him daily. Nothing can separate us from the Lord but if we allow sins and offenses in the present to swallow our faith, then our faith is weak and can be turned to darkness. Paul therefore writes that trials or afflictions are part of our destiny so that no one should be unsettled by these (1 Thes 3:3). Paul even boasted of his trials and afflictions to encourage the churches that he planted (Acts 20:19; 2 Cor 6:4; 2 Thes 1:4), but to use these as a means to gain Christ, that is, to draw nearer to Christ. There is a big difference between religiously inflicted pains to that of a pain suffered from trials; we do not gain Christ by our own merit or works, but we do pray and seek Him because the cross was enough to pay for our due punishments. I don’t repay Christ by hitting my own body with thorns-- that is a great delusion and an affront to the cross of Christ which is enough to pay for all sins. Thus faith acts on the present state and faith proceeds from God, or is “revealed by God from faith to faith (Rom 1:17).” True faith therefore translates to action so that it is a faith based on the working of God or a work faith (Col 1:12; 1 Thes 1:3). Thus, those who profess faith but whose fruits are not evident lack credible support for their profession.

One is justified by faith when one believes in God just as the thief did on the cross but it is also implied that this faith should be continual and growing. The means to it by the Lord is through the trials that we suffer. Growth comes with pain. Even infants cry for the growth of their teeth, and teens have to face their puberty growth with displeasure or acceptance. Trees grow by extending their roots deep into the soil and bedrock while extending their branches up. There is no painless growth. For us to grow, pain is necessary so that we remember our lessons, these are whips with silver cords which God uses to chastise and rebuke us. Those who try to circumvent these will only experience greater pain in the end. These are the fools who have ruined their chances and opportunities by taking light the discipline of the Lord.

“And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb 12:5-11 NIV).

Here we are encouraged to seriously consider what the Lord instructs us, the word discipline here is translated from the word paideuo which also means to instruct, admonish, train, to chastise with blows or scourge. Thus, Christians should not long to live comfortable lives, but rather, for every comfort they receive, they be able to comfort others too. Beloved, you may have felt frustrated when your plans did not work or the promises of God seem too long from fulfillment, but even though the appointed time tarries,  wait and do not lose heart for we shall reap if we faint not.