Testing and Tempting

Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him. If people are tempted by such trials, they must not say, “This temptation comes from God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But people are tempted when they are drawn away and trapped by their own evil desires. Then their evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters! Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning. By his own will he brought us into being through the word of truth, so that we should have first place among all his creatures. (James 1:12-18 GNB)

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It's like, I don't think I can do anything right in my life. Like nothing ever goes right. Nothing really happens the way I want it to be. Today's another of those kind of days where I just feel totally defeated. Even if I wanna cry about it, I can't even do so. I just wanna slumber till the day ends and wake up feeling refreshed for a new day of challenges awaits. I just wanna be alone and emo by myself. I just don't know why I can't get this done right. I really want a time whereby I can sit back and look at what I've done and say, 'Yes Fiona, well done, you gave your 100%'. But the time is not now, so I've just got to continue to try and keep my head high and plaster a smile in my face. But today, just let me sink my head as low as possible. It's like I'm never strong enough. Never pretty enough. Never smart enough. Never frugal enough. Never tall enough. Never fast enough. I would like to say, 'Look at how far you have come', but that is not the case. Seriously, where do I stand in life? Yes, I do know that there's God's life path for me and the whole 'thy word is a lamp onto my feet and a light to my path', but sometimes I just get so sick of it. I wanna see the futureeee! I just can't understand why am I feeling so defeated today. Well shit happens

shorts shorts short shorts

Christmas presents to myself (:

say a little prayer

Because of what Jesus has done for you at the cross, all your sins — past, present and future — are forgiven. God will by no means ever remember your sins or count them against you! (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17)

My friend, because Jesus has been punished for your sins, today, God is not counting your sins against you. This means that your sins won’t stop Him from hearing and responding to your prayers. So you can always run into His presence knowing that you can boldly stand in and enjoy His presence and His love.

When you know this truth, it is going to set you free in your relationship with God. You can talk to Him without fear or any sense of condemnation. You can practice His presence and trust that He always hears you. Should something happen at home or at work, you don’t always have to call for your church leaders — you pray and God hears you!

the right way to pray

Got this from Pastor Prince's Daily Devotional e-mail, i wish I could pray the right way all the time :D

Philippians 4:6
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

You would probably have read this verse before, but would you like to know how to apply it in your everyday life? Let me give you an illustration to help you.

Let’s say that you are one of those in your company eligible for a promotion and you will know tomorrow whether you get it. You want the promotion badly because it means more income for your family. So you lie in bed at night tossing and turning. You pray, “Father, please take away all my worries about this promotion. Give me faith.” One hour later, you are more anxious than ever. It seems like God is not answering your prayer!

How come? Because you are not doing it God’s way.

Pray like this instead: “Father, I cast all my worries about the promotion into Your loving hands because You care for me and love me.” The Bible tells us to cast all our cares upon the Lord for He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) Then, say, “Father, I would like to have the promotion.” It is okay to ask Him for that. Now, here comes the most powerful part — thanksgiving. Finish off with thanksgiving. Thank God for His faithfulness.

Say something like, “Father, whether I get the promotion or not, I thank You that You will always provide for my family with more than enough. You who feed the birds of the air and clothe the lilies of the field will take care of us. So I am not going to worry about this promotion. You are the source of all my blessings.” (Matthew 6:30, Philippians 4:19)

When you pray like this, all of a sudden, you are no longer held hostage by the promotion. I call this the “thank You” therapy. The more you know God’s Word, the more you can thank Him. The more you thank Him, the more His peace reigns in your heart. And many a time, before you know it, it is morning! You don’t even remember falling asleep. The peace of God reigns like that.

My friend, whatever your concern is, bring it to your Father in prayer and thank your way to peace!