Sunday, November 16, 2008

Think Green

Green is “in” nowadays. We should add “greens” to our diets. It means we should eat more vegetables and fruits, rather than “red” meat. We should adopt a “green” lifestyle. In our homes, we should use less chemicals so that we do not contribute to water pollution; plant more “greens;” turn off lights and appliances we do not use; use less plastic. There are many other ways to turn “green.” It simply means to do all these little things in order to protect and preserve whatever our planet Earth has left of its resources.

Many people ask, what is the use? What is the effect of deliberately thinking and doing “green?” They cannot see the immediate benefits of going “green” so they do not want to invest time and effort to do it. These people do not realize that by helping protect the Earth, they are helping themselves and their children to have healthier lives as well. Is it not true that using less chemicals would save our lungs from toxic fumes? Is it not true that having some plants around the house would immediately give us more oxygen? And the simple act of turning off lights and appliances would not only lower our electric bills, but also save some carbon for the Earth as well.

People view prayer in the same way. Many people do not consistently pray; they do not invest time and effort to pray because they do not see the benefits of regular prayer. They do not realize that prayer would benefit their own spiritual lives. Instead of prayer being as natural as something we do everyday like breathing or eating, it seems that we only pray when there are problems or crisis in our lives – which should not be the case.

We should continually devote ourselves to prayer (Col 4:2). Pray unceasingly. Pray with passion and persistence (Luke 11:9). Pray with thanksgiving (1 Thess.5:18). We are commanded by our Lord to do so.

Prayer deepens our faith. It deepens our fellowship with God, increases our dependence on Him. It gives us confidence that God will open the door and give us a way (Col 4:3) Prayer will give us direction (Luke 6:12-13). Sometimes, prayer forces us to wait. Instead of feeling frustrated, we will learn to accept God’s time and God’s will. Prayer opens up our spiritual eyes. It enables us to see what God is doing and how He is doing things; helping us realize that God’s ways are indeed higher than ours. Prayer aligns our heart with God’s heart. It changes our characters, our thoughts, our priorities, our actions. Prayer enables us to move forward, to be the person that God wants us to be. Without prayer, we cannot accomplish anything! Prayer will enable us to truly experience the glory of our Father in Heaven.

With all of these benefits of prayer, we cannot afford not to pray!

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