things to learn

'beware' of what you ask for...

you know, praying for things and then realizing the depth of what you say... really... is something worth considering. words are so easily written, or spoken to God... but when God starts to answer those prayers, its seriously sometimes not easy. so tell God, "I'm a proud person, please make me humble", or "Let your will be done" or "I really want to grow in godliness"... or "I want to start loving people more".... these are things so easily said, don't you think?

can you imagine how God would answer these prayers? to break a person's pride (opportunities that put your works to shame/to take away), to give up your will to follow God's (opportunities to deny your will/to take away), to love people more (opportunities of self-sacrifice, to give more of yourself/ to take away), to grow in godliness/character (opportunities of suffering, trials, tough experiences/ to take away), to be more generous (opportunities that takes away) ... ... the answer to these things sure ain't comfortable... nor anything easy to swallow... especially when many of these involves the taking away of some parts of our lives that are so precious to us. and so really most of these are what Christians (or very much, MYSELF) ask for all the time *just really sometimes not expecting the things in the brackets*

so this year, i've ever always asked God for things like those above, and this year I really got what I asked for (at least for some)... but it sure wasn't easy... perhaps, thinking back, this year's really was the hardest year i've ever had to gone through in the 21+ years of my life (21+ years ain't very long tho')... but a year where God has been so gracious, a year I've grown through a year of many lessons learnt and a year of many new experiences and things done... for that, i'm grateful, some of these things I'm comfortable sharing (but most of these things, I won't share cos its personal)


be-aware of what you ask for...

i guess journalling and writing the things you ask God for down, helps so much... it helped me remember the things I've asked God for (things so weird, and things needed), and God gave generously/graciously... it helped me remain thankful for those times... it helped me remember God and realise how He was really REAL and in-control of so many areas of my life... it helped me to look back at myself, and see how i've changed (not because i chose to change, really)... IT HELPS ME REMEMBER :D *so blame the STM (short-term memory for an aged 21+/22 year old)* and so i think prayer journalling is awesome... *i mean how many times, have we uttered prayers, and forgot what we pray for? i do that all the time... i don't remember what we prayed for in Church 3 weeks ago, 2 weeks ago, sometimes even, 2 days ago, sometimes 5 minutes ago.. (i'm not saying that's good at all)....

aside from remembering, it helps me to think through the things I pray for... i always remember the times where I just say "dear God, bless and help blah blah blah..." in less than 30 seconds, i decide to snooze off to sleep"... writing things down, makes you think about what you say... :D

so a strong advocate here, for prayer journalling :) :] :D



and of course in prayer, it is not always simply about asking and receiving...

Christianity isn't all about ourselves, but the giving of ourselves to God, and to others... sometimes, we ask God for many thing... many many many many many things... but sometimes, it is useful to start questioning why we ask God for the things we ask God for.

of course, its good to ask God for grace in times of suffering... for help in time of need... i'm sure it ain't wrong... (cos it's never wrong to depend on God in times of difficulty)... but it is also not always about asking for ourselves, for ourselves...

more often, it's really about the giving of ourselves to others...

God loved us, so we can love others...
God blesses, so we can bless others...
God gives, so that we can give to others...
God forgives, so that we can forgive others...


asking and receiving... and giving...