And God granted his request

supplication:
most common form of prayer, wherein a person asks God to provide something

although i want to present more thanksgiving to God...
90% of my prayer is supplication.


God, i want this.
God, i want that.

God, would you do this for me.
God, would you do that for me.
God, would you...
the list goes on.

but i'd like to think that my supplication is legitimate
because ultimately, what i ask for (most of the time) is
for God's glory.


in Chronicles,
there's a guy named Jabez, whose name means pain,
who cried out to God

and God granted his request.




to be honest...
i never truly grasped this short section in the entire Bible.

a guy named PAIN
asks God for blessing
and God blesses him.

but as i was meditating upon this scripture in 1 Chronicles,
i came to a realization that Jabez knew what was up.

he knew how to present his supplication to God
so that God will grant it without any hesitation.

he acknowledged the sovereignty of God.
he knew that there is nothing that will stop God of His sphere of influence.
he testified that the root of blessing and all territory belonged to God.

he requested
God's blessing.
this meant he invited God to be the sole controller of his life.

he requested
enlargement of his territory.
literal translation would be land...
i maybe wrong...
but i think he meant increase his responsibility as a man of God

he requested
that God be on his side
on each life journey he takes
and
that God protect him
because the only being that can prevent any harm on us is God.


if i want my supplication granted...
i need to:
1. acknowledge God
2. invite God to be in control
3. ask God to walk with me

ah!
what a refreshing thought!
:D

1 Chronicles 4:10

¹⁰ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel,

“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!

Let your hand be with me,

and keep me from harm

so that I will be free from pain.”

And God granted his request.

Dear God

Dear God,

make me whole

help me to seek You and thirst for You

make me pure and allow me to desire holiness

align my heart with yours

align my will with yours

help me to be more like you

protect me with the pillars of cloud and fire

give me the courage to obey you in all circumstances

guide me in each step i take

lead me to the cross

give me joy that cannot be suppressed

allow me to grow in maturity in Christ

provide me with Your wisdom and discernment

let me be bold in knowing Your great plans for me

please bind my broken family

heal our wounded hearts

helps us to let go and place our trust in you

give us a child-like faith

give us the strength to obey you

remind us that it's not by might, nor by power, but it's by Your Spirit

open our ears, hearts, and eyes

grant us the peace we seek in You

give us assurance of your sovereignty

Father...

dwell in my prayers

dwell in my life

let your presence be shown in all things i do

let your will be done

i love You

&

i praise You

You are worthy of all the praise, honor and glory

Love,

Your daughter

Life Adventure Awaits You

i am a creature of habit.
i love being comfortable.
i love knowing what's going to happen next.

in my high school years, i realized how boring i was.
i came across this epiphany as i was driving to and from school.
if point A is my house
and point B my school,
there are many many ways for me to get to point B from point A, and vice versa.

i noticed... that i only took one route. one and only route.
that was the first route i ever took and that was the only route i took.

when i realized that i can take OTHER routes,

and when i did take the other route,
i somehow felt uncomfortable... but at the same time, it felt exhilarating.

this is just one small example of how i live my everyday life.

i also realized i am very solid, loyal, and constant.
that's my cover for being timid, afraid, and boring.


as time passed, i hoped to break out of that comfort zone.

but it was only good for hoping; i never experienced full freedom from fear of trying new things.

fear of failure,
fear of loss,
fear of change,
fear of unfamiliarity,
fear of everything and anything

i still have this great fear. i never got over it
and i think i will have this until i die.

i also have this secret longing to liberate myself from that...
and
try new things
experience the unexplored
visit random places
live life instead of living in fear

however, something's been holding me down;
shackled my ankle to my comfort zone.

-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`

but now i have something in my heart that i didn't have before.

i have a strong desire today to put my foot down.

i believe that God is with me so whom shall i fear?
what would stop me when my God is with me?

when moses led the israelites out of Egypt,
God was with him through good and bad.
He always provided.
food, water, shade, warmth, protection

but when he died, joshua had to take on all the baggage.

i imagine that must have been a burden.
he probably wasn't 100% comfortable to take on this new life.

but in Joshua 1, God himself encourages Joshua, telling him...
"I got your back, son. I got your back."

Joshua 1:7-9

⁷ “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Maybe... just maybe,
i should embrace the life adventure that awaits me.

i need to women up.
get out of my comfort zone
knowing that my future is in God's hands.


Here i come:
getting a new apt
studying for OATs
applying to graduate school
standing up for myself
making big decisions using the discernment that comes from God...