Appointment with God: New Year 2016 fasting and praying

Update on 2015-12-30:  Another goal for fasting and prayer is to find purpose in life. A good way to set New Year Resolutions for another year! How many new years does one have over a life time? Not many. God sets chronological demarcations for human beings to rest, recall, review, realign, refresh, rebound, and become real. The goal is to become real. Be real to God and let God be real to us.
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An average person would not be satisfied with living from day to day knowing that one day all men must die and leave this earth without knowing why he had come to this life in the first place. One can find out about others’ life purpose by reading, studying and watching others. We can watch others growing up, being gainfully occupied with career, family, friends and may be hobbies, social work and religions etc. We tend to follow too and do about the same thing. However, is that all? What is our real purpose for living? This is a tough question for Jack.

One way to find out is to fast and pray. By giving up our physical comfort and deliberately focus on a higher level of existence one becomes aware of higher goal and the real reason of one’s existence. Not everyone has the same goals even though there are seemingly limited numbers of the usual goals. To sum up, most people want health, happiness and comfort in life. Security and relationship rank high in the happiness category. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pyramid, once a human being get hold of the lower basic needs (physiological, security, love and belonging), he/she aims for meeting the higher level needs like esteem needs, experience purpose and meaning, and self-actualization.
Whilst the concept is the same, individuals vary in the contents that make up the ideals. Of course, people tend to follow each other (keeping up with the neighbours). But they will soon find the void in their hearts unfilled. For example, we tend to think of others’ kids being so lovely and fun to be with. When we have our own we know life is not all lovely and fun. At times we think the opposite had happened and prevailed. We also tend to admire others’ garden and wish we too have one. When we have our own garden we lament at the compulsory hours of regular hard labours required.  The same imperfect reality happens to owning cars, houses, high earning jobs, prestigious positions and interesting hobbies.
One pertinent question remains, “For what higher purposes are we created?” Fasting and prayer helps a Christian to find out.
The focus of Christian fasting and prayer is God. The more one focuses on the presence of God, the more one is able to receive clear messages about God and His purpose for our life. The content and focus of our prayers change. The mind changes its priority. The spirit (which has been slumbering previously) wakes up and switches to the God channel with clearer reception. This opens a door into a wider sphere of existence, way beyond our tiny little world.
But does God not care about our usual life in our little world? Oh, He does care. The difference is that He will open our eyes to see further sights and dream greater dreams.
There is a greater purpose for your existence and a higher goal for your life. No one can afford to linger on below that purpose. Start and find out now!
Yes, fasting and praying helps you to find the map.
2009-09-30

Living by the Spirit: reality check list

Today we do a check list. Do we fit into the following God’s words? Do your own checking. All these words were spoken by Jesus, who Himself was the Word who became flesh and came and fulfill God’s words.

1. born of water and the Spirit. John 3:5
2. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24
3. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
4. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7:38 (by this He spoke concerning the Spirit. 7:39)
5. I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him (the Father in heaven); I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things; and He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. John 8:26-29 The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. John 14:10
6. If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32
7. be My disciples: deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Me. Luke 9:23-25
8. Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him. Luke 8:18 My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Luke 8:21
9. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
10. …how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Luke 11:13b
11. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19
12. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-the Spirit of truth. He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things I said to you. He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 14:12-26; 16:12-15

Here are some of the testimonies of the Apostles themselves:
John’s witness:

1. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:17
2. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 1 John 2:20 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you…and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 2:27 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 4:13 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 3:8b

Paul’s witness:

1. No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. We have received the Spirit who is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. We have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:9-16
2. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 8:14 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. 8:16 Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know all things work together for good to those who love God , to those who are the called according to His purpose. 8:27-28

James’ witness:

1. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth…therefore..receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:17-18, 21-22
2. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray…Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders…and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. James 5:13-15

Peter’s witness:

1. You have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit…having been born again, not of corruptible seed bu incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. 1 Peter 1:22-23
2. To those who have received like precious faith with us…grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:1-4

Jude’s witness:

1.  Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude 3
2. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Jude 20
   

Jesus’ witness: Revelation 22:7

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”