God's Smuggler

I recently finished 'God's Smuggler', a book that vividly depicts the life of Andrew van der Bijl, better known as Brother Andrew. I highly recommend reading this book, as it no doubt leaves you challenged, inspired and totally in awe of our awesome God!

Brother Andrew is the founder of Open Doors, an organisation that supports persecuted Christians around the globe. Last week marked 60 years since the first time he smuggled Christian literature into a no bounds country - communist Poland. Brother Andrew refers to his ministry as "combative, confrontational, controversial...[and] compassionate" He is driven solely by love - love for God, His Word and for His people. He is a man of controversy, faith, courage, prayer and discipline; I believe there is a lot we can learn from him and his heart for God. In this post, I'd like to share three 'Brother Andrew qualities' I'd like to see every Christian replicate (myself included!)

DISCIPLINE

One of the first things that struck me about this Dutch man was his unwavering discipline when it came to spending time with God.
I struggle finding the 'right time' to have a quiet time - even when I allocate a time, I end up compromising. I used to have it at 10pm but during the holidays, it is hard to keep my nights free. I tried having it at 5am but my sudden love for sleep has made it rather impossible to wake up...but here is a man who is 87 and never once missed his 2 hour long quiet time at 5am! Folks, this is dedication at its finest!
Brother Andrew doesn't just understand the importance of prayer in personal spiritual edification, but in global spiritual edification. It wasn't his fearlessness that has helped us cater to the needs of our persecuted family, neither was it his prowess, it was God working through Him because he put God first, come rain or shine. Here is a man living out the words of Oswald Chambers when he said, "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work"

Behind every breakthrough, there is prayer.
Behind every miracle, there is prayer.
Behind every revival, there is prayer.
Prayer brings us closer to our Father; it tunes our hearts to beat with His and better acquaints us with the voice of His Spirit in us.
We want to see our nation saved. What is stopping us from pursuing a healthy, consistent prayer life? If it truly mattered to us, we will make time for it.

DEPENDENCE

There have been moments in my life where I've been helpless, situations only God could help me out of. We are taught to secure our lives, be it our futures or finances; none of us choose to be helpless. However a sense of security can often lead to pride or self-reliance; it can also make us vulnerable to fear. To trade that for helplessness eases the fear as we solely depend on God. His strength is made complete in our weakness.
Brother Andrew is a man who intentionally made himself helpless, to ensure all glory belonged to God alone. In his book, he speaks of times he had to queue, waiting his turn at some thorough security checks, in a car literally bursting at its hinges with Bibles:

"Lord," I went on, "I know that no amount of cleverness on my part can get me through this border search.  Dare I ask for a miracle?  Let me take some of the Bibles out and leave them in the open where they will be seen.  Then, Lord I cannot possibly be depending on my own stratagems, can I?  I will be depending utterly upon You."

While the last car was going through its chilling inspection, I managed to take several Bibles from their hiding places and pile them on the seat beside me.

It was my turn. I put the little VW in low gear, inched up to the officer standing at the left side of the road, handed him my papers, and started to get out.  But his knee was against the door, holding it closed.  He looked at my photograph in the passport, scribbled something down, shoved the papers back under my nose, and abruptly waved me on. 

Surely thirty seconds had not passed.  I started the engine and inched forward.  Was I supposed to pull over, out of the way where the car could be taken apart?  Was I ... surely I wasn’t...I coasted forward, my foot poised above the brake.  Nothing happened.  I looked out the rear mirror.  The guard was waving the next car to a stop, indicating to the driver that he had to get out.  On I drove a few more yards.  The guard was having the driver behind me open the hood of his car.  And then I was too far away to doubt that indeed I had made it through that incredible checkpoint in the space of thirty seconds.

My heart was racing.  Not with the excitement of the crossing, but with the excitement of having caught such a spectacular glimpse of God at work!

This is complete surrender, and one of my favourite parts of the book!

 

FAITH

“In the years of living this life of faith, I have never known God's care to fail.”

Jesus said that a mustard seed of faith can move mountains. I often struggle to even have an iota of it as I am blinded by doubts, logic and reality. Faith is a spiritual gift that goes hand in hand with dependence; I seek more of it in my life, hence I admire how full of faith Brother Andrew was (and still is!).

 

In missionary school, he was taught to uncomplainingly depend on God for his every need. He speaks of how he prayed, knowing God will but not knowing how He will. From providing daily necessities and meeting his fees, to answering his prayer for seeing eyes to be made blind to the Bibles he carried, he clung to God with child-like faith.  

“That's the excitement in obedience, finding out later what God had in mind.”  

Such faith helps us stand firm in the face of adversity, as we are assured of God's sovereignty. It leads to unquestioning obedience, as we can be certain that whatever God asks of us, wherever He calls us, He will be with us and work it for our good.

 

 

There is a lot more I want to share, but I don't want to spoil the book for you. I urge you to read (or even re-read) 'God's Smuggler' for yourselves - you can ask for a copy here, or if you prefer a comic, here.

May we, like Brother Andrew, be driven by love, to walk the paths God has etched out for us.

If you'd like to know more about the work of Open Doors, here is a little film they've just released:

Images credit: Open Doors Youth UK

#21DC - The 21 Day Challenge

Almost 2015! I hope you are as excited as I am! I can't wait to see what God has in store, for me personally, for loved ones, for our nation and the world as a whole.
Am I a little worried? Of course I am! The spiritual and moral health of our society is diminishing by the minute, but as Christians, you and I have a responsibility and that is why I refuse to relax or let my anxiety nullify me.

Ultimately, mankind needs God - without Him, our morality is subjective, our eternity is insecure and selfishness abounds where love should reign. I want to see a revival in Britain, spiritually, morally and socially; and in Tim Timmons' words, that 'revival's got to start with me' - hence I have decided to take Landon Schott's '21 Day Challenge' (#21DC)

http://vimeo.com/114728680

http://www.therev.com/

#21DC is a 21 day Daniel fast, from the 5th to the 25th of January. It is a 'personal challenge' designed to equip us to start the new year right - eyes fixed on Jesus, heart set on worship, determined to pursue His purpose and plan.
Why is this important? I'll let Oswald Chambers answer that...

We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defence. We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. 

 Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work

A 21DC app has been designed for both iPhones and Androids (it's free, so no excuses!). It has a daily reading plan that'll allow us to complete the New Testament in 21 days, easy to follow Daniel Fast recipes and food guidelines, and a chat-room allowing us to connect with others taking the challenge, around the world.

Read. Fast. Pray.
That's what #21DC is all about!

I want to draw closer to God, taking our relationship to the next level. I want my flickering flame to flare up and consume me, so that I love God to the extent that others see it and want Him too. I want to be a woman after God's own heart, unashamed and unafraid, so that His Spirit works in and through me.

My dear brother and sister in Christ, do you share my passion for a spiritual revival, in ourselves and across our nation?
Let's take this challenge together and see God move in and through us in 2015. Remember, a revival has got to start with us!

Big Ben's Desperate Chimes

The Big Ben is the Great Clock Tower of Westminster in London; it is the largest four-faced chimming clock in the world and the third-tallest free standing clock tower. Not only is this structure one of magnificent beauty, but its familiar chimes resonate through flesh and bone evoking awe. Little did I know that its chimes were in fact a clamarous call to Londoners to turn back to their Maker!

The melody is traditionally thought to have been taken from one of my favourite classical oratorios, Handel's Messiah. The lyrics that correspond with the melody are also inscribed on a plaque in the Big Ben clock room and are as follows:

All through this hour,

Lord, be my guide;

And by Thy power,

No foot shall slide.
 

I am enthralled by tradition; I love digging deeper into the significance of ceremonies, hence to me these lyrics are no coincidence but are purposeful. The Big Ben was part of a new design to reconstruct the ruins of the old Palace of Westminster after a fire. These words to me seem rather apt, pleading God for His power and guidance through the fire, to remain unharmed.

What a prayer! A good reminder that we need God's guidance in every area of our life, every hour. Not only to help us in times of trouble but also to equip us to steer clear of temptations. Today, the Big Ben chimes every day, every hour to the melody of those same words, but only to be ignored by the ears of the millions that hear it each day. I can imagine its frustrations as it desparately tries to get the message across to a generation and society that is in need of it. Sadly, they are also ignored by the Members of Parliament who have chosen to reject God's guidance in the laws, values and principles they enforce or advocate!

The next time we hear the desperate chimes of the old Big Ben, may we remember to seek God's guidance, the only One who can keep our feet from stumbling. May the Big Ben not chime in vain!

Trust and Give Thanks

My Youth Pastor, Geoff Low, clearly pointed out: When things go wrong, the world blames God, but when things turn out great, no one even speaks about God.

This statement doesn't apply to the world alone but unfortunately, also to Christians. Ever so often we present lengthy lists asking God to fulfill the desires of our hearts, but do we thank Him when He does fulfill? In fact it might even be easier to thank Him when His answer complies to our will, but why is it so hard when He answers differently; with a 'No' or a 'May be' or a 'Wait for it'?

God is in control of all our lives; prayer is important because it acknowledges the fact that we ought to rely on Him for everything, and the fact that only He can strengthen our weaknesses. When we know our lives are in His hand, shouldn't we trust Him? Like my ODB today highlights, 'He who sees has foreseen and will not lead us astray.'
Yes, we may not always have our way, that is because God knows where our way can take us, He works all things for the good of those who love Him, we've got to overflow with trust and thankfulness, in good times and bad, when He says 'Yes' and when He says 'No'.

'Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.' - Philippians 4:6
I am in no way implying that we should not ask God to fulfill our desires, He is our Father, we have to bring our requests to Him, however as Paul reminds us, we ought to present them with thankfulness, knowing that His answer may not necessarily comply with ours.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, 'In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you' - Paul doesn't say 'In good times...' or 'When prayers are answered the way you want them...', he says 'In everything...'

Life is certainly not easy, it has its ups and downs but instead of blaming God for life's valleys (where we get a 'No' or need to wait patiently) and losing hope, walk in trust and thank Him for them, only if you walk through the valleys can you see and truly appreciate the wonder of life's mountains! When you do reach the pinnacle, because you will, make sure you glorify His name above all else.

Don't Get Rusty

Have you ever neglected your bike for a long time and then tried to ride it?
If you said yes, you will know that riding it requires quite a lot of effort, more than what is normally required!
Why?
The links of the chain in the cycle that connect the pedals to the wheels develop rust. Old door hinges and machinery suffer the same fate!
How do we fix it?
We add a lubricant to smooth it out so that the links can move freely, the way they should.

This 'lubricant rule' doesn't only apply to machinery, it also applies to us, as Christians. Ever so often, absorbed in the hassle of life, we neglect praying, reading and meditating on the word of God. By doing so, we become rusty Christians - it is impossible for us to function smoothly. We make the wrong choices, end up in a mess and wonder why! We forget to seek His guidance, listen to what He has to say or even pay attention to His warnings, no wonder we get tangled in a mesh!

No matter, how busy your day is, set apart at least ten minutes to read the Bible and pray, asking God to speak to you and guide you. You may wonder if it would really make a difference, but trust me, it really does enhance your relationship with the Savior - He is a personal God who is eagerly waiting to be involved in your life, to smooth out the creases and carry you through the calamities. Just let Him. Spend time with Him and you will see and feel the difference. His word is the lubricant, unless you use it effectively, you will never be able to function smoothly.
Remember, things that remain rusty for long, eventually stop working forever, lose all potential and have to be discarded. Hence, whatever you do, don't get rusty!

Should the Church influence politics and the government?

My views have changed since I posted this. Of course I believe God and His Word are important in government and the laws that we make. However I do not believe that a 'Christian state' is possible - 'Christian' is a word that is largely misused, and strikes the church in that state with apathy. The early church thrived under a secular government, they never sought to create a Christian country, however they sought to create a society with such values not by force, but the transforming power of the cross. That is what we should be aiming for.



During a very interesting conversation on the bus with my friend, the issue about the state and the Church working together was raised. As its a very interesting topic and one I feel strongly about, I have decided to share what I believe here...

Should the state be secular? No!
Should the Church influence politics and the government? Definitely! I am not trying to advocate a denominational superiority or bias in the values and laws enforced by the government, however I believe in the greater Church body's absolute influence - values derived from the word of God directly and not mere doctrines preached only by a particular denomination that is contrary to the word and will of God. Values that Christianity is built upon and not what a particular type of Church is built upon or advocates, and certainly not the compromises made by some denominations sadly on some of the key, basic, clear principles God wants us to exercise.
Why?

1. 'In God we trust.' You might wonder what difference this would make! It makes A LOT of difference! 
Lets look at Israel - their battles with Palestine ended victoriously, when their trust was placed fully on God. David, a young lad, beat Goliath, a giant more than double his size, purely by relying on God as his strength and trusting that he will be delivered.
The Six Day War:
When Israel faced opposition from all its neighboring countries and aloofness from the world, it beat the well armed, thousands or millions with its humble insufficient troops and man power in six days - can you believe it? Just six days! As our jaw drops in wonder, and before we give all the credit to Israel, let us remember that this is a miracle. Any rational mind will understand that Israel would've been extinct if it weren't for some divine, supernatural intervention. How did they succeed? Well, while the neighboring countries trusted their heavily armed troops, while the world waited to hear about Israel's swift downfall, Israel hoped and placed its trust in one person, God! They took courage in and exercised Moses' words in Deuteronomy 31:6
'Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; He won't leave you.'
How awesome are these words! Every single one of them true! God won Israel's battle miraculously, He was with them. There have been records of Arab troops, thousands, advancing up a hill, towards six (just six) Israelites with minimal supplies of bullets that were running out; the Arab troops fled back, withdrawing and yelling "Ibrahim" out of fear. They report seeing a giant, magnificent, holy figure standing behind these men. My guess is, it was not Abraham, but the almighty God. The One who promised to be with His people when they trust in Him. This is a real incident, actually reported! Thus, a country that trusts in the One True God, will never be put to shame, will be a victor, as long as they pursue the Lord's will and  abide in His ways.

2. A country built on Biblical values and principles pleases and wins the favor of God.
If we take time to analyze the evolution of the law, we can see that the once Bible-based, God centered law has been compromised to please various groups of people and also to give ourselves more freedom to quench the thirst of our sinful, evil desires.
For example:
a) Abortion - Once when life was valued was totally wrong and considered murder. Now, although life begins at conception, we call the baby inside the womb, 'a ball of cells' or a 'developing piece of tissue' - Just to be permissive towards the idea of abortion. Yes, it does make it easier to say 'I'm removing a ball of cells or a piece of tissue' than to say, 'I am murdering a God-given child' or 'I'm killing a baby'. Sometimes, abortion becomes essential, for example to save the life of the mother .etc - however, the fact is, once permitted, without strict conditions, it has become a part of life, not a serious decision that requires a lot of prayer and must be avoided at all costs - Do you see the difference? Do you see the evolution?
b) Homosexuality - The Bible is CLEAR about homosexuality being a sin. A homosexual is on the same level as a liar, thief, blasphemer or a murderer .etc. i.e. a sinner. There are two popular views different denominations take on this issue - 'Its natural, you can't help it, God loves homosexuals, thus you can be one.' or 'Its a sin, really bad, we hate all homosexuals.' Both views are ridiculously polarized, partly Biblical but primarily a twist of words to please a certain group of people and to appeal to the 21st century.
Yes, homosexuality is a sin. A homosexual is as bad as us, not worse, he/she is a sinner and so are we, all of us indulge in different sins but are ultimately, in God's eyes, branded as one - 'A sinner' (that's why liars and homosexuals are spoken about together, both have the same fate!). Once again, we can see the evolution of the law on this topic too, the law was once really strict but now, it is highly liberal, enabling people to indulge in this sin deeper freely, instead of warning them about the eternal consequences of it; it does not understand and dismisses the Bible's core message.
Returning from the digression, why is it important to build a country that is centered on godly values and principles? From the Old Testament, we see that Israel's kings who rejected God and led the country into sin were not only harshly punished by God but also, were responsible for the downfall of the country. However, kings who made God and obedience to Him, the priority of the country, found favor in the eyes of God and were delivered from distress. Remember, all of God's promises to the Israelites and to us, had and have a condition, that we follow His commandments and obey Him. Thus the law needs to support a person's relationship with God and make it easier for them to focus and please God, by doing so they win the favor of God - that is worth it!

3. A praying country succeeds
I was saddened to recently read that a much loved tradition, of saying a Christian prayer before a council meeting, was stopped in a council in Britain due to opposition on equality grounds. Ridiculous! Isn't this depriving Christians of equality? Yes, in deed! What is so unequal about seeking God's guidance and saying a prayer before a meeting, even as a tradition, in a supposedly Christian country?
This would certainly sadden William Wilberforce (1759-1833), a member of the then British Parliament who said that Britain's hope rested "not so much on her navies and armies, nor on the wisdom of her rulers, as on the persuasion that she still contains many who love and obey the gospel of Christ, that their prayers may prevail." My favorite part is "...that their prayers may prevail." I love it as it is so true, once, when Britain honored God and trusted and called on Him through prayer, she was victorious and full of splendor, but as she rejects God, fails to seek His guidance through prayer and watches her communication with her Maker and Keeper deteriorate, she herself slips lower and lower, from the position God intended and wants for her. That is truly something to be sad about!

There we go, this is not all there is, I could go on reasoning my point, which is very valid, however it would result in a lengthier post; I have picked my top three points as to why the Church needs to influence politics. (Let me re-phrase it to avoid confusion: '...as to why God should be the center of politics.')Yes, the present situation does seem bleak but there is hope. We see in the Bible that Israel also turned away from God, we all do! But they had people in authority who feared God and spoke His word to them. They had people like Wilberforce who made Israel understand the root of her success and helped diminish the pride that blinded their eyes from seeing God. Pride and self-righteousness result in godless laws, values and societies. People depend on their intellect and selfish desires and practice hatred towards godly things - once we see a revival, we will be able to see a change and God at work in our countries more, lifting us up and supporting us. He needs to be the foundation our country rests upon.

What can we do now?
We can stand up for Biblical values and principles! We can also pray! Pray for people like Wilberforce to rise up and speak out. Let us pray that God touches and softens the hearts of those around us, so that our country seeks and trusts Him, and thus be able to serve and glorify His holy name. Remember, when God did miracles and delivered Israel, the countries around feared the Lord, the God of Israel, the one true God.

Does Prayer Really Work?

By God's grace my exam results were in and He did not let me down. Although I was expecting more and was even upset with Him slightly to begin with, He taught to trust Him and His ways - He knows what is best for me. As I reflected on the 2 years of my GCSEs, I could see God's miracle working, grace filled hand continuously working - even the grades that He gave me now, were ones I totally did not deserve!
Before every exam and during an examination, I have a conversation with God - I pray! Many have asked if it really helps or if its all just to soothe myself, but, let me tell you, it really does work - prayer on its own has no power, it works because we are talking or crying out to the one, true, living God. He not only hears but listens, He not only listens but He answers. We've got to have faith in Him, trust Him, submit our situations into His hands, expect Him to work without having preconceptions on how He'll work and above all, never doubt Him! Isn't this what Jesus said:

'You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it' 

'Ask and it shall be given to you' 

'If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you'

Let me take this opportunity to encourage you to never give up on praying. Here are two major events that blew my mind and that I pray God uses to strengthen your prayer life and relationship with Him...

In January 2010, I took my first Chemistry GCSE exam which was 45minutes long. I was seated at the end of the, then cold, exam hall. As I peered to the board at the front to see how long I had, I by mistake, read the time for a different set - I checked the clock and assumed I had 20minutes left instead of 5! I rushed onto the last question of the exam - this question was worth a lot of marks - I took a couple of minutes to read and understand the question, and when my pen touched the paper, the invigilator screamed, "TIME'S UP! PENS DOWN!' I was shocked and terrified, I checked the board and the clock again and realized my blunder - I had NO TIME to even write a sentence answering the last question. I closed the paper and said a prayer which I believed with all my heart, asking God to miraculously write an answer in for that question. Days passed, but I trusted Him, when I got my results, to many's surprise I scored full marks - although they award full marks even if you had made a few mistakes - it was a miracle, I knew I had made many blunders throughout the exam paper and there was no way I would've got that result by completely missing the final question too. I praise God and may all glory be to Him!

The second instance that blew my mind, was during a Maths entrance-exam for a school. For an Indices Question, I had to find the value of the unknown indices which would work for two different situations(I don't think what I have just writtem makes sense but its very hard to describe a Maths question). I had NO IDEA about how to find these 'unknown values'. While I was on the verge of letting my anxiety get to me, I took a minute and prayed, asking God to show me two numbers on my calculator after I type in, a weird, made-up calculation, I trusted Him! I typed in this calculation and got the numbers 2 and 3. Without doubting, I wrote those answers down as the value for each of the two indices. About 5minutes later, I was tempted to check the given equation with these values to check if I got the answers they had shown - to my surprise and God's glory, they were correct and the equation worked perfectly! My friends couldn't believe it, neither could I, but isn't God famous for working in ways that we cannot imagine? Although some said that it was a 'coincidence', what are the chances of typing a crazy calculation, which had nothing to do with the equation given, and coincidentally getting two numbers that answered the question perfectly, all after praying? I am sure that everyone would agree that the probability of that scenario happening is very very low!

Thus, never underestimate what God can do. He wants to be a part of our lives daily, that is the message I constantly learn from Paul Miller's book, 'A Praying Life'! In all we do, let us seek His guidance, rely on Him, trust Him and above all expect something great from Him - but never have preconceptions on what that 'great thing' is going to be, because God will certainly work in His way and therefore break our preconceptions - if that happens, we miss the sight and awe of His glorious hand working in our lives. What ever you do, always remember to pray - wherever, whenever, whatever, however - Prayer Works!

Why pray...

Due to the hassle with revision, late night sleepovers with my books and my dolls have been a constant occurrence; sleep, something I haven't had enough of! I usually end the day with a prayer, but lack of sleep and 'ending' the day at 2am isn't helpful when you're trying to connect with your Father in Heaven; I usually end up sleeping in the middle of my prayers, therefore, skipped praying a few times. Recently, through radio talks on 'Prayer' and books on 'Prayer', God made it very clear to me that, a lack of prayer, is a stumbling block for me on my spiritual journey...

Any good relationship fails with the lack of communication. When close friends stop talking, they soon lose touch with each other's lives, and soon their friendship becomes thin; when communication stops, so does the connection. Likewise, a book I'm currently reading, 'A Praying Life' by Paul Miller, shows how indifferent prayer is from talking to a friend. God can't wait to get involved into our lives, but He does give us a choice in life, we've got to ask Him to get involved. How will we ever know what the Lord has for us if we don't even take the time to talk? The primary and most important purpose of prayer is to help us renew our connection with God...so it is VITAL!

In our busy world, we never seem to have time for prayer, but it is so important. Jesus tells us, "...your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."(Matthew 6) therefore, even if it is not very long, a truly heartfelt prayer is perfect for God to help you renew your relationship with Him. I sometimes feel that prayer has to be well thought out and complicated, it can be but its not the only way to pray. With the 'Lord's prayer' as an example, we can see that 'Prayer', is like a simple on-the-spot conversation with God. When we can spend hours talking to our friends each day, we certainly ought to spend some personnel time with the Best Friend we could ever have...

In Elizabeth George's study 'A Young Woman's Call To Prayer' (that I'm still working on), she encourages us to set apart a time, make a schedule and get ourselves organised...set a special place, a special time, where we and our Savior can spend some quality time together. She also reminds us that getting organised would evoke a longing in our heart, that in turn drives us to do it!

Moreover, I find that many times, my prayers are very selfish, I feel guilty and ashamed at the end - I just end up making a list! That is certainly not how we should approach prayer, although we can 'ask' we also ought to 'thank', 'apologize' and 'praise & glorify' God - He deserves all of it! Praying can help us prepare for important times in our life or give us comfort at the 'deepest valley' situations in life, but like Charles Spurgeon wrote: 'Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greatest work.' - That is so true! Thus, we are to value prayer and make sure it is not just a list of wishes and things for God to do for us but a proper 'give and take' connection and conversation; it is not something we do when we need something but, 'Prayer' is what we need! Furthermore, it is God we need in our lives so, beyond all other requests, our prayers must be centered of asking Him to enter into our hearts and renew us.

Prayer does work miracles! Many forget the power that prayer has as it starts coming out of practice and not passion; when we pray for others and ourselves the Holy Spirit can do wonders through us; prayer has immense power. It can touch hearts, blow minds, show love and heal wounds....it can do a lot more! However, when we pray we ought to have faith and believe that the Lord will certainly answer but in His own time, in His own way and in accordance to His will. When prayers take long to be answered or don't get answered, it is very easy to stop believing and trusting, however, we should remember and trust that God knows what is best for us and He will certainly do it His way, but the best way!

There is still A LOT for me to learn about prayer and its vitality, my entire life time would not be enough. It is so important for us to renew our relationship with our Father and pray, so I urge you to try to do it regularly, it does make a noticeable difference in our lives - giving us peace and motivation as He is in control. We ought to remember to pray, not out of practice but, out of passion! Finally, let us also remember what Elizabeth George likes to say: 'There is no right or wrong way to pray...except not to pray'.