Day 23
Numbers 4-7
Scripture: 5 6 Say to the Israelites: 'When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the LORD, that person is guilty
7 and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged.
Observation:. If you wrong someone you are guilty and have to confess. .
Application: If you do something wrong towards another person you should confess your sin, to God and the person you did it to. If you did wrong knowingly (and most of the times you DO know) and don’t repent, the guilt remains and can’t be done away by praying and crying, etc. you have to admit to the wrong doing and repent for it.
Prayer: Father please help me to be sensitive to people around me so that I don’t hurt them and also that if I do wrong them I will repent! Sometimes we can say and do very stupid things especially when we are angry or upset, please help us to think before we speak or act…thank you for your patience with us! Amen
Day 24’s reading: Numbers 8-14
Read the blog here: 180 days
I also remember that I was rash to say something inappropriate to others especially when I was in a mood and forgot about it right after. So I think it is very important to repent by talking to God through prayer everyday and keeping His word with us. Honestly, praying itself is tough for me. I'm not used to it yet, so during the weekdays I rarely take time to pray. I know it's a shame when other Chritians see me but you know it's just still hard for me. I feel like I'm learning a new language everytime I say prayer. It remindes me of when I started learning English or Chinese for the first time. When I pray either silently or aloud, I stutter and mumble a lot of times, which is sometimes frustrating. I think I need to practice praying just as I did with foreign languages. I wish I could talk to God fluently someday. Did you also practice praying when you first became a Christian? Hope you survive the hump day!
ReplyDeleteHey Minho, yes I barely survived it hahaha
DeleteBeing born into a Christian family I can remember always praying so I can't answer saying yes I had to practice...but I do remember my parents telling me what I should say thank you for or ask for when I was very very little so yes I was taught how to pray...but then again I have to say that my prayers changed a lot since then! Mine are very personal and relaxed, in the sense of I would sometimes walk down the street and just start talking to Him and just have a conversation which I then see as a prayer...and I also found that the closer you move to Him the more open your prayers become and you can see how they change! But I have to admit that I struggle to pray infront of other people (which is very silly of ME) but I think it is because of the fact that I pray more naturally if it is done in my mother tongue (which isn't english for those of you who don't know :)) But I still get tongue tied sometimes!
Since this is such a BIG and important topic, I will discuss it more with you on Sunday. And we shall see, maybe someone else comments with their ideas and feelings too :)
Have a good friday!
Great question Minho! I didn't grow up as a Christian, but early on in my spiritual life someone told me that praying is just like talking to a good friend. They said you can imagine God is sitting next to you and listening. It doesn't have to be special words- just talk to Him like you would someone you are close to and respect a lot. I'm encouraged by passages that tell us that God already knows out thoughts and the Holy Spirit helps us communicate with God. He doesn't mind silence or times when you dont really know what to say. He wants us to bring our requests, thanks, praise, and worries.
DeleteMinho, I have talked to a lot of people who feel the same way. In fact, I just used your comments to encourage another new Christian who was feeling weird about prayer today! I think it is just part of growing in our relationship with God. It is normal to feel strange at first.
DeleteHere is a verse Jamie referred to: Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
I totally understand how you feel. I too sometimes feel awkward when I pray. Like Jamie's comment said, I try to feel like I'm just talking to a friend, but sometimes that feels strange too. One thing I do that helps me is to write it down. Even if I then say it out loud, writing helps me focus my thoughts. But I don't think there is a right or wrong way to pray. Good luck finding what suits you!
ReplyDeleteWhen I am not sure what or how to pray I go to the Psalms. Sometimes just seeing how emotions, concerns, and victories are phrased helps me formulate what I want to say. I think it helps me see God's faithfulness and provision in different ways and gives me words to articulate it. I also like to re-read some Paul's prayers. Ephesians 1:15-23, Phil. 1:3-11, Col. 1:9-14 help me with prayer. I also pray Phil. 4:6-7 a lot. I hope this helps.
ReplyDelete