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Have you been surprised by God? God heals us in a different way. When a person spurred on spreading rumours, I went and asked God for an answer. I was reading Romans 1 and 2. In Romans 1, it is written that God let some do things that they can never do. So what is such a thing? The verse goes like this: “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarrelling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.” The last word GOSSIP was a total surprise to me. I took the same issue to God, and God really showed me that He has already written about it in His words. I understood that God is very serious about us not indulging in gossip. So I was waiting for God to say that He will stop it, or that He will do something to the person who spread gossip against me like wildfire. But God, in His way, surprised me. He asked me to continue reading the second chapter and asked me to remember how much grace He has shown unto me—and I have to do the same to the person who is speaking tirelessly against me. It is in the verse: “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?” The verse continues, saying He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. When I read God’s Word, He turned the focus on me, asking me to press forward in doing good—be patient, kind, and tolerant, as God is to me. And He showed me how pearls are made. Whenever an oyster produces a pearl, it is not because it is completely protected. It is because it is getting attacked, gets wounds, and receives healing. When God wants us to be like a precious oyster that produces more precious pearls, there is no other way but to endure the hurts, the wounds, and allow God to heal—and let a pearl form in us. Dear God, we submit everything we go through into Your hands that heal us. Heal us, Lord, and may we produce pearls of great worth for You, our Master. Help us to forgive others as You have forgiven us. We submit our complete will into Your hands. Keep us as the apple of Your eye, Lord. Hold our hands, dear Shepherd, and lead us to the gentle stream, to the still waters. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today, when my husband read Psalm 119:72, which says, "The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold," he laughed and shared an interesting story that came to his mind after reading it. Unlike me, who loves to read and meditate on Bible verses for a long time, he is a person who memorizes and recites them while driving his bike—which I adore a lot. After reading these beautiful words today, he said he remembered a time when he found himself searching for the gold bracelet on his hand while sleeping. But the psalmist here says that for him, God's law is more precious than much gold or silver. How much David must have loved, cherished, and protected the Word of God in his heart! Do we have this habit of meditating on God's Word day and night? I received salvation at the age of twelve. I remember attaching myself so much to the Word of God then. I call it my first love. I remember using all the beautiful shiny stickers and flower stickers to paste at the beginning of every book in the Bible. I remember kissing the Bible often. How great it would be if the love we have for God's Word is kindled again! Dear God, we pray unto You, seeking to be blessed with the love that King David had for Your laws. May Your words be our meditation day and night. When we wake up at night, may our minds go to it. Fill us with Your precious words, Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Devotion from the last chapters of the book of Acts Have you been with people who are not for you—who want you to be in chains? Paul was with such people. After multiple trials before kings because of the false accusations of the Jews against him, he appealed to Caesar. He wanted to be on trial before Caesar so that he could escape the cunning accusations of the Jews who hated him. To meet Caesar, he was sailing with the guards. More than two hundred people were travelling with him. He warned them not to take the voyage, as destruction lay ahead. The officials failed to listen to him but trusted the words of the captain and began the sailing. As Paul prophesied, a storm came. But Paul reacted in a godly way when these people lost hope. He encouraged them and told them that God had revealed to him that they all would survive. I was thoroughly impressed by this beautiful, godly character of Paul. Firstly, they didn't listen to him. They acted as if his words didn’t matter to them. But Paul prayed for them to God, and the angel told him that God spared everybody’s life for his sake. It can be seen in the following verse from chapter 27: “Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’” Do we have this attitude of Paul when we are with people who ignore us—people who act as if our opinions don't matter? When such people are in a difficult situation, can we encourage them? Are we willing to revive their spirit? More than all, are we willing to pray for their well-being and their safety? How humble Paul must have been to show such compassion to his fellow travelers of the voyage. Selflessness of Paul. In a very similar way, when the ship landed safely, he met the Malta islanders. They thought he was cursed when a snake bit his hand, but later they thought he was a god when he remained unharmed. The following verse says they brought sick people to him so that he could pray. 9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.He prayed for their healing, and God healed them. Paul was completely selfless and was not focused on his own needs. He was interested in bringing Christ to others, no matter what they thought of him. We can see him loving, forgiving, praying for his enemies, and doing good for his enemies in the chapters of Acts. Simply, he lived his life by applying what Jesus said. May God give us such grace to testify to everyone—even before people who are not fond of us. Dear Father, We come into your presence. Bless us with hearts that can extend help to our enemies when they are in need. Bless us with wisdom like Paul—to humble ourselves in places and before people, to present your Gospel. Use us, dear Lord, to bring healing and transformation to many, and draw them closer to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

May I be a place in which you love to dwell Lord God is someone who created everything in the world. And isn't it amazing to call a city His own? And a nation His own? Psalm 48 beautifully talks about the city of God and how God protects her. Verses 12 and 13 go like this: People of God, walk around Zion and count the towers. Take notice of the walls and examine the fortresses, so that you may tell the next generation: "This God is our God forever and ever; He will lead us for all time to come." God is someone who protects the city He calls His own. Jerusalem is God's city. What is so special about it? It is the center of worship—where He built His temple. And now, we are the temple in the New Testament days. When God protected by raising a city which had His center of worship, with mighty walls and towers and citadels, how much more would He protect us when we dedicate ourselves as His temple? And now can you see why the spiritual attacks happen—against us dedicating our lives, our choices, our body unto His will—as His own? When we need to be protected like the city of God, we should go back to the Lord and rededicate our body as His own temple. Can anyone tamper with God's temple? No. He is its protector. Dear God, thank you for the mighty truth you have in store for us in the Bible. May we open our eyes and claim the protection that comes from You. Dear God, we rededicate our body unto You. May You raise towers, mighty walls around us and protect us. You are what we need, dear Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

One of the apostles I admire most is Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul lived a life with which he challenges others to imitate. One verse from Acts struck me deeply, which reveals his love towards Christ and his dedication towards doing the ministry for Jesus Christ. It can be found in Acts 20 verse 24: "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." How grateful is Paul for Jesus Christ—for saving him and transforming him into a new person. What if we live with such passion for Christ? He knew the seriousness of the sacrifice of Christ and was sure to make it known everywhere. When I went to invigilate a group of students in an exam hall, I couldn't stay quiet and watch a kid trying to cross the norms of the seriousness of the hall. I was thoroughly disturbed. I thought the kid was not taking the seriousness of the norms of the exam hall—or the consequences of not abiding by the rules. But later, when I thought about it, I was wondering how much discomfort I must have caused Christ when I was not abiding unto the laws He has given to live. It made me say a prayer that came from a broken heart. I understood salvation ought to be an everyday experience. And here Paul understood the seriousness of God's love a lived a life that showed his devotion unto God. Another great thing about Paul can be seen in verse 34, which goes like the following: "You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard." He worked hard for the Lord. And he set an example in working for his needs and the people in need. What a flawless living. A life devoted only unto God. A life that is defined by hard work. Dear God, fill us with understanding of the sacrifice you have made on the cross for us. Whenever you look at us from above, may we bring a smile to your face and not discomfort. May we be filled with the deep understanding of the devotion that we ought to have for the unconditional love that you have shown unto us. May we work hard and earn the fruit of our hard work. May we see you blessing it and increasing it enough to be shared with people in need. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Lydia is the first convert of Paul from Turkey in the New Testament times. Research says she belonged to the Philippi church. Her name signifies "beautiful one," "noble one," or "woman of purple." She is one of the few women mentioned in the New Testament. While the Old Testament introduced women with the word beautiful, the New Testament focuses on things that are altogether different. Acts 16:14–15 says: One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” The Bible here introduces us to a woman who is independent, strong, and bold. Now we are talking about women having financial independence and becoming entrepreneurs. But Lydia was selling purple cloth then. It was similar to selling silk clothes. And she was able to accommodate ministers of God at her home. Isn't it wonderful to see what a woman can do for God's work when she has financial independence and stability? She listened to God's word with an open heart. She worshiped God with all her heart. How do we feel when we read our Bible or when we listen to the sermon on the Bible? Are our hearts open to receive the word, or are we reading with distractions? Lydia proves to be good soil, who received the living word of God well into her heart. She is one of the women leaders from the church of her times. We men and women want to do something for the Lord. We can learn a lot from Lydia. Be independent. Let God open your heart and work on you when you listen to His words. Dear God, strengthen our hands to have independence like Lydia to do great things for Your kingdom. May our hearts be opened when we hear Your word. May we find success in whatever our hands find to do. We pray all these in Jesus' name. Amen.

Acts 10 Seeing angels, having visions… we must have read about it. Have we experienced it? Cornelius experienced it. His life story is written in Acts 10. What does the Bible say about him? Verse 2 says, He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He generously gave to the poor and regularly prayed to God. It means he was a man who sought God through prayer regularly. He was doing good to the poor as much as he found to do. Not only him, but his whole household feared God. And the most beautiful thing about this chapter is—God saw them and their devotion. He came forward to reveal Himself to them. This makes Peter say the following verse about God. Verse 34 says, I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation, He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right. And He poured the gift of the Holy Spirit over them (verse 44). How good and great is our God. He sees, He follows us to answer whenever we seek Him with the fear of God. Peter, on the other hand, understood the heart of the Lord and ministered unto people as God wanted him to minister to them. He refused when they bowed down at his feet. He stopped Cornelius and asked him to give such worship to God alone. Hey friend, how blessed are we to know, worship, and love the Lord our God—the God who searches, blesses, and reveals Himself to those who seek Him truly. Jeremiah 29:13: "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart." Dear God, thank You for Your love. Thank You for revealing Your name to us. Bless us and our family with the fear of the Lord. When You look at us, may You see a godly generation who continually prays unto You. May we not be far away from knowing You through visions. May hearing Your voice be our daily experience, Lord. Bless our families with a generous heart when it comes to giving to the poor. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Biblical lessons from the humble heroes We have seen dashing heroes in the Old Testament. For example, mighty judges like Samson, Jehu, Jephthah. Mighty men of God like Abraham, Job, and Moses. The list goes on and on. But the New Testament presents people with humble backgrounds being used by God in many simple ways. We have Ananias here, a small character—for him, not many verses are allocated. He obeyed God and went to meet Saul, who was changed into Paul by God. Though he was afraid to meet him because he was a persecutor, he listened to the voice of Jesus and obeyed. (ESV: Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord.") Acts 9:17 Hey friend, how great it would be—how simple life would be—if we are able to listen to the instructions from Jesus like Ananias. And the result of that simple obedience gave birth to one of the greatest apostles who ever lived: Paul. The man who defeated arguments, faced trials, stood before kings, challenged storms, challenged witchcrafts, and whatnot. Then comes another humble heroine—Tabitha, a believer in Joppa. She took her own space in chapter 10 in Acts. The Bible says she was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. How beautiful the Bible exemplifies the character of this New Testament woman. Acts 9:36 Then we have another humble fellow—a hard worker, a man who had a tough job for his livelihood. He worked as a tanner of hides. He helped Peter to stay in the town for a long time with him. Historically, tanners played an important role in societies by supplying leather for clothing, shoes, belts, armor, and tools. However, the work was considered unpleasant due to the strong odors and manual labor involved. Hey friend, no matter how unpleasant his job was, or how lowly his place seemed, he had a heart to help Peter to stay with him. No matter how small or big you are in the church, we can be like this tanner—Simon—to build the kingdom of God with what we have got. Acts 9:43 These people are there in the Bible so that we can learn from them. God honoured Tabitha, Ananias, and Simon—and every simple act of faith and obedience they did. May He help us to do the same. Dear God, thank you for this life. Help us to be useful to you. May we glorify you with our acts of kindness and helping tendency like Tabitha. May we make room for ministers like Simon. May we hear and obey your voice like Ananias. Use us, Lord, like these humble people of yours. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Let us grow in the Lord We know the growth of the early church. It was rapid. The beautiful thing about this growth is not the growth in numbers but in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. How can we see these two happen to a church and lead to multiplication? It is because the church was "edified." "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." ACTS 9:31. "Edified" means to be instructed or improved morally or intellectually. It's often used when someone gains deeper understanding, wisdom, or spiritual growth. We, as the church of God, need this edification. The Lord should fill us and purify us with His words. Hey friend, we are tied up with many responsibilities. Does our schedule have time alone with our God, with His words?Amidst our busy schedule for the day, may we let the Word edify us. May we as a church grow in the fear of the Lord, and may we feel the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Dear God, help us to grow in You every day. Teach us, Lord. May we grow in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. May we be filled with Him. May we carry the comfort that comes through Him. May Your words and Your teachings fill our hearts, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

As God's children, we are more cautious about guarding our testimonies. In general, we like to guard our reputation. As even the world says, when character is lost, everything is lost. What can harm our reputation? One of the main things, as said by Jesus, is what comes out of our mouth. Matthew 15:11 (NIV): "What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them." I have seen people give more care into preparing the food in a very clean manner. Some others give importance to cleaning all the vegetables. They boil and boil till even the good bacteria dies. The Bible is not saying that harm to character comes through what goes inside your mouth, through the tongue, but through what comes out as words. Ugly thoughts bring ugly words out of one's mouth, leading to ugly actions. Isaiah 6:5 (NIV) says: "‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’" As in the above verse, we are living in a world with unclean lips. When Isaiah saw the Holy One, the Lord God on a throne being worshipped by seraphim, he felt too humbled. And the unworthiness that comes through sinning rose up in him. He praised God and confessed about his unclean lips. Hey friend, can you deny whether we are living in a world of unclean lips? When this realisation came to him, a seraphim touched him with the coals from the altar. Then verse 7 says, the angel said that his sin was purged. Hey friend, do not fall for the standard of this world. We, the children of God who serve God and whose angels are watching over us, cannot have unclean lips. Let us go to the altar and be willing to be touched by the hot coal. Let us not get comfortable with the unclean lips. We are born to carry His pure words. May we seek God's holiness to purify us and use us to lift His praises. May we boast about talking about holy things, not about mean things. Do not participate in the worldly laughter or the double-meaning jokes. They are not our purpose. We are His. We need His words on our tongue. We need His touch to be holy and get away from the with unclean lips. Dear God, Thank you for the truth you have in the Bible for us. May we be touched by You—touch us with the coal from the altar, Lord. May we be cleansed. May we come closer to You to see Your glory, to feel Your holiness. May we be like the prophet Isaiah and long to have a clean tongue. Touch us, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Acts 6:15 The Bible talks about Stephen in the book of Acts. Chapter 6, verse 8 says, Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. What would we do if such a believer or leader lived among us? Wouldn't we be celebrating him for what God does through him? But the reactions from the people around him were different. This shows that there will always be two sets of people who react in their own way when they see a rising leader. Here, some reacted as in verse 11: So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of the religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council. Stephen and his reaction to the accusations can be seen in verse 15. It says, Amidst all these accusations, they couldn't stop staring at the face of Stephen because his face became as bright as an angel's. Hey friend, will our face be like angels’ when we are accused wrongly? May God help us to carry His presence in such a way that even our accusers will stop to stare at the glory God reveals through us. Dear God, may we not live an empty life, but a life that carries Your glory, Your story. May You shine through us. As in Psalm 34:5 (NIV): “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” May our faces never be covered in shame, but with Your radiance. May we look nowhere else for any help but at You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 35 reminds me that we, God's people, struggle with the world every day. The moment we enter the world from our home, we should know that we are entering a world that is not the Kingdom of God. His Kingdom—His ruling—is inside us, but we enter and face many, as in Psalm 35. Verse 7 — Those who want us to end in a pit. Verse 4 — Those who plot our hurt. Verse 11 — Those who witness falsely against us. Verse 15 — Those who rejoice in our adversity. Verse 20 — Those who devise deceitful matters. Verses 15 and 16 — Mockers and attackers. Verse 26 — Those who rejoice at our hurt. Verse 13 — These are the very people—the ones who did all this against David—for whom David fasted and prayed. He prayed for them as if they were his own brother or his mother. Hey friend, are you facing such struggles, plots, and people against you, around you? The same happened to David and to the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He was surrounded by conspiracies and plots against Him—to kill Him, to destroy Him, to steal from Him. These were done in secret. But the funny thing is, they didn’t know that Jesus knew everything about their hearts and their deceitful plans. Amidst all these, Jesus lived a victorious life, fulfilling the will of God for Him on earth. He is able to help us. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12 (KJV): "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Pray over God's protection for yourself and your family. May God, the Avenger of His people, take up your case and fight for you. As we notice, everything—the plot, the people, the false witnesses—is twisted and placed in such a way to attack the peace in our minds. May the Lord God completely cover us with His peace, which the world cannot take away. No matter what the evil one of this world do against us, we have the Prince of Peace in us, who gives us victory over everything by guarding our peace. Dear God, Thank You for Your divine plan over our lives. You have determined for us to have complete protection from the evil one in this world. We commit our case at Your feet. Be our peace, Lord. Protect our minds, and guard our hearts, dear Lord. May everything—every plot, every deceitful plan, hidden ones, the ones meant to hurt us, every ungodly word and action, and every evil that rises against us—be nullified in the name of Jesus, the name above all names. Guide us, Father. May our actions and reactions represent You when we are in this world. Hold our hands, dear Father. Plead our cause and be our salvation. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

One of the tiresome things one can do is shifting houses. All of us dream of a stable life. When I look at my parents, they were moving to places, but at one point they settled in a town and stayed there for almost twenty-five years. When we were doing this shifting, I often used to wonder, "Is this common?" Here is a set of people from the Bible who amazed me with the shifting they did for years together. It is the people of Israel. When we read chapter 33 of Numbers, from there alone we can see them moving to 42 different places before they reached Canaan. The wilderness experience took them from place to place. It must have been a tiresome journey, but it was also a journey of numberless miracles. They got water, food, and meat in a miraculous way. And Etham is the third point where they halted. It is the edge of the wilderness—the beginning point of their journey in the wilderness. When God let them begin their journey on that tough path, He made sure His presence traveled with them. God was leading them as the pillar of cloud and fire. Hey friend, are you finding yourself in periods of transition again and again in every area of your life? I know the thirst to reach Canaan is great. But enjoy the little moments with our God now, where He makes sure you don't walk alone, where every emotional, physical, and mental need is met only through Him. Eventually, we will reach the destination. But make sure you enjoy the path, which is hard yet beautiful, when we hold His hand and walk together with Him. Dear God, thank you for Your loving presence and Your divine provisions. We believe in the process, in Your path. Help us to be joyful and walk by holding Your hand. May every step we take today, throughout this week, and every day be guided by You. We love You, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

May our eyes be touched by Him who is the light In Isaiah 61:1, the prophet says the following about Jesus, which was fulfilled by Jesus through many miracles that He has done through His ministry: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." In John 9, we have a man who was in a prison that bound him. He never had the freedom of seeing. Jesus came to him and healed him, as described in verse 6: "He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay . And He said to him, 'Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.'" When he did what was told by Jesus, he received his healing. Surprisingly, in this miracle, it was not the man who was asking Jesus to heal him, but Jesus Himself went and did the miracle to fulfill God's work at God's timing for that man. When Jesus healed him, He told everyone around Him that He is the Light of the world. The receiver of the miracle didn’t only receive eyesight but also the Light of the world. Yes, he received Jesus into his life. He got the revelation about Christ, about who He is, and followed Him when he got the revelation. His revelation was so great that even the Pharisees could not understand it in their lifetime. The wisdom he received was revealed in his answer to them in verse 31, which was his response to the Pharisees when they accused Jesus of being a sinner. He said: "God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him." It is like the prophet says—the words of one whose eyes were opened. Before he met Jesus, he was just a blind man, not even seeking healing (maybe out of tiredness from waiting for his miracle). But after Jesus touched him and anointed him, he received revelations and preached about the glory of God. It was not just healing that came to him but also the anointing, as seen in verse 11, where he previously answered the Pharisees about his healing: "A man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.'" Hey friend, to get revelations about Jesus, all we need to do is just sit where His feet cross our path. That is where He touches us, frees us from the prison, and does miracles—even the ones we have stopped seeking answers for. His ways are amazing. Let us go into His presence, and may He see us and anoint us with revelations about Him, His Word, and His kingdom. Dear Jesus, may our eyes receive Your light. May Your anointing be over our eyes. May You be glorified in our waiting. May You be glorified in the revelation You give us about You and Your kingdom. Like You did the work of God's kingdom when You were walking among us, may we do Your work. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Our God restores Can something that has been destroyed be rebuilt? The Bible is the book of new beginnings. The Christian life is a life of new beginnings. God brings us new beginnings when we expect them the least. It was another leisurely day that I ought to have started with a joyful song. But the news updates I saw on my mobile upset my mind. I felt burdened for one of the families as they were going through severe trials. It was one of my brother’s families. With so much worry, when I reached for the cooker on the stove, it left a burn mark on the outer layer of my hand’s skin. I spent some time praying during the day. And by the evening, when I went to make tea, I left it on the stove for too long. I came running when I smelled something burning. But inside, what I saw was a thick, creamy layer of milk. I realized I couldn’t make tea, but the process had given me rich condensed milk. I took the thick milk, added sugar, and spread it between slices of bread, making a fantastic sandwich—perfect for an evening snack. At that moment, God spoke to me. The problems my brother’s family was going through were like a burnt situation, but in the end, it was going to become sweeter. From then on, I never worried about the issue. I held on to God’s revelation in my heart. And today, when I saw my brother’s wife sharing her testimony for the first time, saying that storms in life come for a reason, I understood. God allowed the trials so that this woman could shine and stand before everyone to honor Him. When the children of God go through storms, they won’t be broken—they will be built up. Hebrews 3:4 says, “For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of all.” Hey friend, are you seeing a broken situation in your life or in the life of a loved one? Even if it is in a burnt state, God can bring sweetness into it again. He will rebuild. Dear God, Thank You for Your plans in our lives. You are the God who brings beauty out of ashes. Thank You for situations that seem hopeless, like ashes with no future. We confess that You will bring beauty from them. Even if things seem burnt and beyond repair, we submit them into Your hands—rebuild them, dear Lord. Restore them sevenfold, Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

God is interested in every single detail of our lives. He sees everything that happens to us. He protects us and fights every single battle for us. An example of one such incident in the Bible is the following episode of Jacob. Jacob had a transition, and Laban never let it go smoothly. Jacob left him because he changed his wages again and again. Laban knew that it was the God of Jacob who blessed him because of Jacob. Yet Laban's eyes were not on the God of Jacob but on abusing Jacob under the disguise of doing good to him. Jacob understood Laban’s intention and wanted to flee. Even then Laban and Jacob tried an agreement, which failed very soon. Now Jacob had no other choice but to flee from Laban. When God saw what Laban was doing to Jacob, He came to him in a dream and said, "I am the God of Bethel," (Genesis 31:13). And when Jacob was in the middle of moving, Laban came and searched for his possessions, thinking Jacob had stolen some of his things . How humiliating that must have been for Jacob! Though Laban pretended he was pursuing Jacob just to see his daughters one last time, he could not conceal his true intentions to harm him.Laban’s disguise was revealed in his words when he said, "It is in my power to do you harm," (Genesis 31:29). Yet the God of Bethel was with Jacob, protected him, and led him toward the land He had marked for him. I always think it is worth not only reading what we find in the Bible but also experiencing it. Who is the God of Bethel? He is the One who intervenes, helps, and protects us from our enemies in our everyday lives. He is the God who helps us reach the destination He has prepared for us. El Bethel, the door of heaven Dear God, Thank You for the portion You have set aside for us. You are our God of Bethel, who intervenes and protects us from harm. Thank You, Lord, for being our shield. In Jesus’ name, we thank You. Amen.

All of us have WhatsApp, where we update our "about" details. Sometimes, people set it as "busy"; other times, they keep it as "at work" or "available." When we look at our contact list, these details are visible. What would Jesus' "about" be if He had a WhatsApp account? Imagining my answer based on the Bible, it would be "In His Work." John 5:17 goes as follows: "But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.’" When Jesus speaks of work, He is not referring to carpentry or His earthly father, Joseph. He is speaking about God the Father and working for the kingdom of God. While living on earth, Jesus was doing heavenly work. Like Jesus, may we long to do our Father's work while we are here. When our Father in heaven sees us, may He find our "about" as "In His Work." He also says: "I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his Father doing." Are we trying to accomplish anything on our own? May we learn from Jesus to work with our Father, not doing anything out of our own will and strength. May our thoughts not be consumed by work and its worries. If we truly believe in His willingness to work with us, we will not worry about anything—we will be at rest. Dear Father, Give us wisdom to be like Jesus and work alongside You, wherever You have placed us in this life. May we never forget to be at work for You and with You. May every movement of our day be directed by You. Keep us away from anything that distracts us from doing Your work or Your will. We place our earthly responsibilities in Your hands. May our thoughts not be filled with fear or worries about it but with the desire to work it out alongside You. May You hold our hands and lead us every minute. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

I often hear people asking someone, "Are you a true Christian?" It is a big statement that carries weight, but it is a much-abused question with easy usage. Before we ask that question, may God give us the courage to ask it of ourselves. The book of John beautifully captures a word in verse 23: "For they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." It doesn't only mean that those who seek God should worship Him in spirit and in truth. But it says that God seeks you when you worship in spirit and in truth. What a God we worship! There was a story about a man called Jim who did not know how to pray eloquent prayers. But he chose to go to the church gate every day and simply say, "Jesus, I am Jim." One day, when he was absent and admitted to a hospital, Jesus went seeking him, appeared to him, and said, "Jim, I am Jesus." Hey friend, as long as your prayer reaches God as a true prayer, know that He will seek you and find you to be there for you. Do not be quick to question others about their truth and faithfulness to God. Instead, may we know that it is for us to reflect upon. Dear God, thank You for Your love. May we always be true and faithful to You. May we be found when You seek Your true and faithful worshipers. May no deceit be found in us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

We react differently to different situations. Surprisingly, our enemies have different reactions to everything that happens to us. We can learn this from David and the Philistines. We know how David waited patiently and dealt with Saul before he was anointed as the king over Israel. At last, when he became king, we expect him to have rest. But when the enemies of David saw his anointing, they wanted to come against him. This means the enemy doesn’t want us to have rest. But we don’t need to be restless about it—we should go to our stronghold, our God. Verse 17 says, "All the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold," a place of refuge. When the enemy tries to overpower us, we need not fight in our own strength but should hide in the strength of the Lord. And when David was at war, he inquired of the Lord for his enemies to be delivered into his hands. The Lord never withheld David’s enemies. He said in verse 19, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand." Now, the Lord sends His word to send David up against his enemies. When we strengthen ourselves in God's presence and wait for Him to deliver our enemies into our hands, the Lord will rise against them, empowering us with His powerful words and doubtlessly delivering them into our hands. The times when we hide in caves and wilderness will come to an end. The times of anointing will come. The times of getting empowered by the Lord’s strength will come. And then, the Lord God Jehovah Perazim enters the scene to give us a breakthrough over our enemy. Verse 20 says, "So David went to Baal Perazim and defeated them there; and he said, 'The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.'" Water is one of the mightiest forces in nature—the calm and still water is one side, whereas the power and current in waterfalls and tsunamis come from the same water. When the Lord comes against our enemies, it is not going to be a gentle rain but a breakthrough of water. Hey friend, the Philistines were in David's life from the beginning. Do not get tired of seeing the work of the enemy and how they keep coming against you in life. The Lord our God is the God of breakthroughs—when your breakthrough comes, there is no other way for the enemy but to flee from you. But the Philistines didn’t stop there. Just like the spirit of Pharaoh after defeat, they followed David again. Now, once again, David inquired of the Lord. But this time, the Lord did not set him up against the enemy; instead, He Himself moved before them. God revealed His move to David. Verse 24 says, "And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For the Lord will go before you to strike the camp of the Philistines." The result? David drove back the Philistines from Geba to Gezer—a distance of 28 kilometers. Are you in a place where you need to take a step against the enemy who is coming against you, crushing you? Inquire of the Lord. Let Him be your stronghold. Let Him go before you, give your enemies into your hands, and drive them miles away from you. Praise be to our God, Jehovah Perazim—the Lord of breakthroughs! The Lord who doubtlessly delivers the enemy into our hands, who helps us chase them away from our land. Hey friend, do not worry about the enemy who tries to overpower you in any area of your life. The Lord’s plan is to doubtlessly deliver the enemy into your hands—not you into his. Learn from David to trust in Jehovah Perazim. Dear God, we praise You, our Jehovah Perazim! We praise You, our God of breakthroughs! We praise Your mighty name. Thank You for going before us and making our enemies flee from us. Thank You for empowering us. Thank You for Your anointing. Thank You for deliverance. In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen.

Whom do we consider a blessed in the world around us? We might think of people with better jobs, higher positions, more wealth, top-tier cars, or those who live in the main part of the city. Possessing any of those are not sin. But do we feel secure by having it. Our minds are so tuned and deceived to believe in the vanity and deception of the world as our strength and blessing. In Luke 12, I stopped at a passage that we usually overlook. A man made a request to Jesus as follows in verse 13: "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus didn’t even want to deal with the issue. Instead, He wanted to set the man’s heart and soul right before God. His answer was so beautiful as He said, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." We live in a world where we want to possess more land, more houses, more powerful positions wherever we go. But Jesus does not appreciate us pursuing the riches of the world. He calls such people "fools."A life well lived is not about how much we have acquired in our lifetime. Verse 21 shows us the other way around: "Do not lay up treasure for yourself, but be rich toward God." Are you giving to God,are you seeking His presence more than all? Then God is interested in your motives. Are you concerned about your share? Then be ready to be called a fool by Jesus. Jesus even gave an example of a rich man who had good land that yielded a large amount of crops. He was so happy and thought he had a secure future with plenty to eat. But God said, "All such is of no use, for he will die and leave it all behind on the same day." Jesus is much more concerned about our souls than about us living in a land of plenty with no room for Him. True riches come from a life dedicated to God—obeying His Word, growing in faith, and producing spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). Dear God, may our minds not be carried away with thoughts of land and riches. May we be found rich toward God. May we be truly blessed in our lives on this earth. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

There is this wonderful passage in Luke chapter 8, where verses 1 to 3 talk about women who provided for Jesus from their substance: Luke 8:1-3 "Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance." This passage means that these women helped Jesus and His ministry by using their own resources and wealth, such as food, shelter, or financial support. This reminds me of the wonderful woman and her husband who shared her testimony yesterday at our church, whom I would love to call a modern-day Lydia. Previously, in his messages at church, our pastor used to mention a family who had given him the keys to their house in Chennai to use anytime he wanted to pray alone. And yesterday, when we saw this family on stage—whom we had rarely seen before—I understood that families and women can do so much for local churches and the families of ministers in their own way, by staying behind the scenes. When the Global Prayer Center was opened yesterday in Chennai, we saw dignitaries gathered in a red carpet area. On the other side, we saw a few men working to make things ready for the service that was about to happen. They were arranging the flowers; some were working on the sound system, while others were setting up the seats. What a blessing it is when everybody uses what they have for the glory of God—whether on the red carpet or at the ground level. Are we ready to do God's work, to support His ministers with what we have? In the Old Testament, we see a woman who prepared a rooftop room for Prophet Elisha to use whenever he needed. 2 Kings 4:8-11 "One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. And she said to her husband, 'Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.' One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there." Whereas in the New Testament, we see Lydia serving God's men in their ministry. Acts 16:15 "When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.'" Lydia and her household became the base of operations for Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke. May God give us the wisdom to allow ourselves and what He has given us to be used for His glory. Dear God, Thank You for Your love. You are doing marvelous things on earth. Use us to establish Your kingdom on earth. May we be Your Lydia. May we use our substance to serve You in every way we can. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

A few weeks back, we were crossing Marina Beach and saw the vast sea with waves crashing against the shore with loud sounds. As we were driving along the coast, we came to a place where boats were coming ashore and being kept. At that moment, a picture of Jesus sitting on one of those boats came to my mind. Luke 5 talks about a similar scenario. He got into one of the boats that belonged to Simon. As the passage suggests, Simon must have been washing his nets with his friends, reflecting on the outcome of his efforts. Initially, his net was empty. How do we feel when we work hard all night and return with nothing? It must be disappointing. Yet, the beautiful thing about Simon is that he didn’t hesitate to give Jesus a platform when He asked. He let Jesus use what he had—his boat, which had just returned from a failed adventure. This brings us to Simon’s powerful response to Jesus. Verse 5 says: "Master," Simon answered, "we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if You say so, I will let down the nets." What an attitude for a man who had just faced failure! He wasn’t discouraged by his empty nets but instead trusted Jesus with his boat (his life) and his net. Are we allowing our past failures to stop us from moving forward and trying again? May Jesus step into our boat and lead us into deeper waters. May our faith grow stronger in the midst of failure. May God bless our efforts with an overflowing catch—a blessing so abundant that we cannot contain it. May He amaze us. May this season of failure come to an end. May Jesus be in our boats, guiding us to a great harvest. And may He prepare our hearts to look beyond just catching fish, to seeing the greater purpose in faith. Dear God, We thank You. Strengthen our faith and help us look beyond the fish. Help us dive deeper in our relationship with You. May we have the grace to immerse ourselves in Your Word. Whether it be pearls or fish, help us to receive our rewards in due time. Bless the work of our hands, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Increase, blessings, and favor are some of the words we love to see, read, and experience. God desires us to have all these. Many people in the Bible experienced increase in their lives. For example, Isaac. Genesis 26:12-13 says, "Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great." In 1 Chronicles 4:10, we see another person, Jabez: "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." Genesis 30:43 (KJV) talks about Jacob: "And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses." Each person here received their blessings in different areas of their lives—Jacob in assets, Jabez in territory, and Isaac in the results of the work of his hands. However, Jesus had a totally different kind of increase. Luke 2:52 says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Every blessing is in the hands of God and God alone. Proverbs 4:7 says, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." We need to desire the wisdom that is in Jesus, as it is the principal thing. In His wisdom, He led a life that was blameless—a life submitted to the will of God. Increase in wisdom is the principal thing, first in rank and priority. In His wisdom, He knew how to preach, how to reach out to people, and how to bring them closer to the kingdom of God. In His wisdom, He knew what to speak, when to speak, and when not to speak. His words saved many, protected many, encouraged many, healed many, transformed many, and amazed many. Dear God, we seek an increase in wisdom, stature, and favor with You and with men, just as we saw in Jesus. Bless us with wise words and wise actions. May we have balanced growth, both physically and spiritually. May we be given the wisdom to keep wisdom as our priority. Please remove foolish ways, foolish talk, and foolish choices from our lives. May we walk in Your wisdom, just as Jesus did. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

We have many people in the Bible who waited for their miracle. We all know Abraham waited for a long time to receive Isaac, the promised one. There is another person in the New Testament who waited a long time for God to see His redemption. It is Anna, who waited, and God kept her alive until she was 84 years old to see the birth of Jesus, the Redeemer. Experts estimate that she was between 84 and 110 years old and had spent at least sixty years at the temple "worshipping with fasting and prayer, night and day" (Luke 2:38). Are we expecting a miracle? What can we do during the waiting? From this amazing woman, we learn that we can fast and pray while awaiting the fulfillment of the promise. We have two other women who received answers to their waiting: Mary and Elizabeth. Like Anna, many young women expecting to witness the birth of the Messiah also waited to be chosen by God to bring forth the Messiah. When Mary was chosen, she was filled with praise and said, "From now on, all generations will call me blessed" (Luke 1:48). The prayers, fasting, and receiving the answer to the miracle are what God has for us who wait. Do we want to be His highly favored ones? It is a word reserved for people who wait. When God sees us, we are none but the highly favored ones, who, like Mary and Elizabeth, will sing praises unto God and be a blessing for generations to come. Dear God, we commit ourselves to prayer and fasting while we wait for You. In Your love, You will fulfill Your promises to us and bless us as a blessing for generations to come. We believe that You will call us Your highly favored ones. In Jesus' name, we thank You. Amen.

Two amazing women mentioned at the beginning of the book of Luke are Mary and Elizabeth. Elizabeth and her husband were certified as blameless by God. This blameless couple was visited by an angel to receive a divine message from heaven, proving that all things are possible with God. God promised them a son who would bring joy to many, someone set apart from the popular culture—a child dedicated unto the Lord. The Lord brought them joy and happiness. Similarly, in another scenario, Mary received the word from the angel of God regarding the birth of the long-awaited Messiah. Both women received rewards for their waiting from the Lord. Elizabeth received the reward for her lifetime of waiting, whereas Mary was blessed with the answer to the waiting of the entire nation. With God, it is possible to transcend practicalities and the usual realities of life. With God, a prophet can be born to an elderly woman, and God Himself can be born through a virgin. The waiting makes these events extraordinary. Jesus testified about John, saying he was the Elijah of his time. And Jesus, as we know, is the name above all names. Extraordinary waiting cannot result in something ordinary. The reward is not just another child but the fulfillment of long-awaited promises. Dear God, We trust You with the long waiting we experience in our lives regarding many things. Help us to receive Your promises with believing hearts. May we trust in Your timing. Thank You for being a God who fills the hungry with good things. We praise You, for You are the God who shows mercy to those who fear You from generation to generation. You are the God who blesses not just a single man or woman but their entire generation. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

David in II Samuel can be seen as someone enduring a very terrible situation, which he faced with great wisdom. (He was publicly insulted by a man) Being a soldier, the immediate reaction one might expect from him would be to fight his opponent—in this scenario, Shimei, who is coming against him by hurling insults at him. Yet, in chapter 16, verse 12, David gives a beautiful response with a broken heart: " And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today. ” Are we able to react like this when we are wronged? In Matthew, Jesus says, and Luke 6:28 echoes, "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." When people curse us, fight with us using their words, and we have no means to defend ourselves, may we remember David. Let us think of how God watches our reaction and trust that He "will bless us." May God help us to be wise like David. An unknown author once said: "In the light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth, a life full of the most atrocious tortures, will be seen to be no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel." Yes, my friend, as she said, when we consider the eternity we will spend with God in heaven, even the worst earthly sufferings become as fleeting as a single night. And this earth is nothing but just an inconvenient hotel for us, the citizens of heaven . Be of good cheer, mate—we have an eternity with Jesus. Even the best of this world pales in comparison to the eternity we are going to spend with God. The worst trials of this life are trivial, less than nothing when seen through the lens of eternity. Dear God, thank You for Your guiding verses that bring light to our path. Help us to follow Your words with actions rooted in faith, believing that our comfort and reward are with You. Be our salvation, Be our sheild Lord, surround us with a circle of fire. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Many people offered different things to Jesus. A woman, whom we can see in Matthew 16:7, offered Him an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. Jesus appreciated her and said, "It is a beautiful thing." Next, we see another gesture that looks beautiful but is actually a very vicious thing. Yes, Judas kissed Jesus to betray Him (Matthew 26:48). Jesus's reply to him was, "Friend, do what you came for." He knew Judas’s intentions too. Then we have the soldiers giving Him wine mixed with gall to drink. But Jesus refused to drink it (Matthew 27:34). Later, we have a nameless person who offered Jesus wine vinegar in Matthew 27:48, when He was in great pain and agony. What do these represent? The alabaster jar was mostly made of marble, sealed with a long neck that had to be broken off to anoint the guest at a feast. It was equal to a year’s wages. Jesus saw her devotion and her willingness to give Him something of great value. She did it when Jesus was not honored with anointing oil by the host. On the other hand, we have Judas, who betrayed Jesus by turning an act of love into a symbol of betrayal. How is our love for Jesus? Do we love Him with our words and lips like Judas, or do we love Him with the best we’ve got? Can Jesus see a beautiful thing in us, or would He see betrayal when we come to Him with a kiss? When Jesus was given gall—a crude relief offered to ease the pain of crucifixion—He refused it, choosing instead to endure the full suffering. When we go through suffering, do we seek ways to escape it, or do we endure it as God’s will? Do we even see suffering as part of God’s will in our Christian life? May we learn from Jesus to walk through the painful path—a path of suffering—when He allows it. We also see another group who gave vinegar to mock Jesus’s pain. How do we react when our fellow brothers and sisters are in agony? May God help us to comfort them and never to mock their suffering. Let's decide what will be our offering to our savior. When we see our alabaster jar, let Him see love, joy, holiness, peace, long-suffering, and patience. This whole thing makes me remember a testimony from my Dad's life. In 1991, the year of my birth, my dad went to a church where the beloved pastor Clarence Marudhaiya asked for an offering to buy a vehicle for the church ministry. When my dad saw the church being quiet, he stood up and immediately said he would give a generous sum of money. In a very similar way, when he was very young, a missionary came and asked who was willing to dedicate their lives as missionaries for Christ's sake. He saw that the whole church went quiet. He thought, "This cannot be happening. God deserves to be honored," and he stood up and dedicated his life. When he passed away, his designation in the church ministry was "Missionary." God honored him, the cheerful giver, by helping him finish the race as His faithful servant. Dear Father, Thank You for Your love. May we learn from You to endure suffering and pain. May we be a shelter of comfort to those who go through pain and agony. May we love You with true love. May what we offer to You be gifts that honor You. May we never manipulate or live a life of hypocrisy, thinking we can deceive You with our acts like Judas. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

There is fullness of joy in the presence of God. That is why whenever we go to church, we feel so special, so joyful. The Bible asks us to be fervent in seeking His presence, so we need to be more active when it comes to doing work for the kingdom of the Lord. Verse 12 in chapter 11 says, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." My mom shared an inspiring incident she saw from her childhood days. She talked about our pastor visiting my grandma's house for two days, fasting and praying for a long time before he preached in the evening. It wasn’t just a one-time effort. My pastor used to give messages in two churches, which were in different parts of the city. One day, we challenged ourselves and tried following him. By the end, we thought about how much zeal for the Lord this man had, doing so much travel and ministry for years together. This brings us to an important reminder: the kingdom deserves all your efforts, every ounce of your energy. Yes, be violent. Hey friend, take efforts for God, and you will see God honoring them. Spend time with God; seek His kingdom. It is like a mustard seed that grows into a tree, or like leaven that works through three measures of meal. It is a hidden treasure that a man finds and sells everything to acquire. It is like a beautiful pearl. When we seek more, God will give more to us.( This is not just something about the fleeting earthly blessings ) We all know and cherish the incidents where Jesus feeds the multitudes. For example, in chapter 15, verse 33, Jesus shows compassion for the people who were with Him for three days. He made sure to provide the food they needed. hey friend, be of good cheer. Jesus was compassionate to everyone who came to Him in need. He appreciated the multitude spending three days listening to Him. Won't He look at us, too, as we spend time listening to His words every day? In chapter 16, we can see Jesus being bothered by the Pharisees. This teaches us yet another powerful lesson. When they nagged Him for a sign, He said, "No sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah," and then He left them and departed. From this, we learn the importance of knowing when to stop unnecessary explanations or conversations. We also see an incident where the disciples were not able to bring deliverance to a boy possessed by a mute spirit. Jesus explained, "This kind can come out only by fasting and prayer." As disciples of Jesus, are we aware of what steps we need to take to overcome the world, to defeat the enemy and establish the kingdom of God in our families and everyday lives? Let’s learn from Jesus. Let’s take due effort to sit in His presence. Dear God, thank You for Your powerful teaching on the kingdom of Heaven. Use us, Lord, to build Your kingdom. May we be violent. May Your kingdom grow and increase in us, and through us bearing much fruit. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

After Jesus started his ministry, we see Him always on the move, doing everything to build the kingdom of God. He brought knowledge about God the Father to the people. Father God: There are two things about Father God that Matthew chapter 6, verses 4 and 6, highlights: He is in the secret place, He sees in secret, and He rewards our actions in our secret life. Prayer and fasting prayer: He doesn't hear repetitive words but responds to a sincere prayer—one that gives glory to Him and seeks to do His will on earth. It is a prayer where we rely on Him for our daily bread, seek His forgiveness after forgiving those who hurt us, and ask Him to help us overcome the temptations of the world. It is a prayer seeking shelter in Him from the evil one. When we fast and pray, God specifically hears our fasting when we present ourselves with joy, washing our face and wearing a smile rather than showing sadness. A life of faith: While on earth, we often seek to earn and accumulate wealth, but Jesus challenges us to store our wealth in heaven, where it cannot be destroyed. He specifically asks us to keep our eyes clean, as they are the light of the body. Jesus also emphasizes not worrying about today or tomorrow, food, clothing, or our body. So, what does He want us to do? Only one thing: seek His kingdom first. We can be assured that our Father in heaven will give us good gifts and answer our prayers, just as we would never give a stone to our child who asks for bread. Jesus doesn’t promise an easy path in life but encourages us to take the narrow, difficult path—a life of faith. Ministry of Jesus: It is amazing to see the style of Jesus’ teaching. He taught with authority and appreciated the faith in people. Whenever people chose to trust Him in the midst of pain or sickness, He marveled at their faith, appreciated them, and showed compassion to them. None who sought Jesus left without receiving something. He assured that those who trust Him—whoever they may be and whatever background they come from—will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in heaven. Jesus, His disciples and multitude: Jesus did everything for His disciples. He went to their houses and healed the sick. For example, He healed Peter’s mother-in-law. He protected them from the raging sea and storm, rebuking nature when it came against them. Whenever Jesus spoke with people, He spoke knowing their thoughts. When He saw the multitude, He was moved with compassion and prayed to God to send more workers. Soon after that, He equipped His disciples with instructions, gave them power, and sent them to minister to the people. He challenged them to face opposition for choosing to follow Him and asked them to take up their cross and follow Him. Hey friend, how privileged we are to read about the life of our Lord God—how our God loved, taught, and empowered those who sought Him. Dear Jesus, thank You for teaching us how to pray, how to fast, how not to worry, and how good the Father is in providing for us and protecting us. Help us to walk the narrow path. Fill us with Your compassion and with a zeal to work like You to build Your kingdom on earth. Help us not to drown in our thoughts about our earthly life, but may we be focused and work towards adding treasures in heaven. Thank You, Lord, for being our healer, our counselor, and our fierce protector when we face the raging sea. Fill us with Your power, just as You filled Your disciples, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Hey friend, I believe you had a great New Year celebration. I trust that God blessed the New Year services at your church. By God's grace, mine was delightful too. Shall we now dive deep and gather the pearls? When I was reading Matthew 1 to 5, the emphasis laid on my heart was that our God is the one who fulfills His promises to us. Everyone's story from the beginning—from Abraham, as seen in the genealogy—was traveling toward the fulfillment of God's promise about the Messiah, the birth of Jesus. The genealogy conveys this message. It speaks of generations going through changes: from family dynamics to kingships, then into captivity, and finally arriving at the fulfillment of the promise. No matter what changes occurred in history, God's Son was born as promised. Matthew 1:21 even mentions the name God gave His Son before His birth. Matthew is full of beautiful symbols. For instance, God wants us to be like a star that leads people to Jesus, like a light set on a high place that shines with good works. Jesus speaks of us being the salt that adds true taste to life. We are also a city on a hill. When I was young, I visited Bombay, and one night, at a friend's house, I saw a mountain full of houses shining like golden lights. Are we giving such a beautiful sight unto God when He looks at us? Are we bringing delight to Him? Certainly, Jesus delighted the heart of the Father. God said in verse 17, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." When the devil quoted Scripture, Jesus responded with the words, "It is written, it is written." Are we capable of quoting God's Word to fight and overcome the enemy and the temptations he brings? In chapter 4, verse 19, Jesus calls the disciples to follow Him. They followed Him, leaving everything else behind. Do we have that trust? Wherever Jesus went, He was surrounded by multitudes. He gave them freedom from sickness and demon possession. Are we following Him closely, like the multitude? Dear God, may You work in us and keep us as a star, a light, salt, and a city on the top of the mountain. May we receive the same words You spoke to Jesus. May we hear You saying that we please Your heart. Dear Jesus, fill us with Your words. May we overcome every temptation with Your Word. May we follow You closely and learn from You every day through Your holy Word. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

2024 will soon become an old chapter, and a new blank page titled 2025 will be gifted unto us. How was your 2024? What are your expectations or thoughts on the upcoming year? I have seen some people who plan their five years and move accordingly. To my surprise, some have achieved their five-year plans! Looking back, I am not someone with such five-year plans, and I trust God with the next step He shows. But in Bible God revealed his plan for more than 400 years to Abraham. With our own experience in 2024, do we have any plans in our minds for 2025? It is totally healthy to look forward. It is totally healthy to look for new beginnings, new blessings in the new year. It is totally fine to trust God to receive better things, the promised blessings from God in the New Year. Sometimes, some of us will be kept on the waiting benches while we have to cheer up our friends who move to the next steps. This happened to Joseph in the Bible. He saw the prisoners who were working for the king; he heard their dreams and interpreted them. He saw his interpretations come true. He saw one of the servants going back to the palace to serve the king. But Joseph was still in a hopeless situation, waiting for his dreams from God to be fulfilled. He was kept on a bench while he needed to smile when he saw others moving out of the prison gates. It must have felt long to bear the dream. He was not given the map to his life but was trusting God. He trusted God's directions. He waited and hopefully stayed to receive what was shown unto him. Hey friend, like Joseph, if you are still waiting, still on the bench, may God's words purify you. That is what will happen in the waiting. Believe and keep the dream alive, as God's word says: "For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay." Looking back, I thank God for this great year, a year of learning in my spiritual life. Be encouraged, my friend; God is molding us and preparing us to behold the new promises. God is preparing us to receive the miracles He has in store for us. When I was listening to the speech of a godly man, he said God told him that His whole purpose for him is one soul. As much as we are preparing ourselves to receive, may God help us to prepare ourselves to finish our purpose for Him. May one soul experience Jesus through you. He knows our longings, wishes, and dreams. Do we care about His? May God reveal His longings to us. May we be active Christians who long to do something for the Lord. This brings me to the story of William Carey, who translated the Bible into Indian languages. He had his own print shop, which contained twelve years of his translation works and dictionaries. When he lost his twelve years of work to a fire accident,He comforted himself with the following verse: "The loss is heavy, but as traveling a road the second time is usually done with greater ease and certainty than the first time, I trust the work will lose nothing of real value." As a translator, I know translation is very difficult compared to writing. How great must the loss have been for William Carey? How cruel it is for someone to lose twelve years of hard work. Yet he renewed his strength in the Lord and moved forward. An article says that on his deathbed, he spoke of how unprofitable he had been. How great men of God have lived their lives! They were not about gaining anything for themselves. May God give us such thirst for His work. May we ask God to use us more for His kingdom in the upcoming year. May we be of more use to Him. Dear God, thank you for bringing us to the end of this year. Thank you for all the lessons you have taught us. May we look forward in hope to the upcoming year. May we trust the next steps you are showing us. May we be of good use for your work in the coming year. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

There is an interesting passage in the Bible about temple tax found in Matthew chapter 17. Here, Jesus is staying at Peter's house in Capernaum. The collector of the temple tax asks Peter as the head of the house, "Does your teacher pay the temple tax ?" The origin of the temple tax is found in Exodus 30. Whenever a census is taken, God commanded that the men should pay a particular amount of money as a ransom for his life. God told to use this money for the upkeep of the temple. Only the Levites were exempted from paying this tax, because the Levites were dedicated to the service of God in the temple. Over time, this temple tax became a matter of Patriotic pride for the Jews and it was collected even when no census was taken. Jesus knew this when He says to Peter, "But we don't want to offend these people." And he miraculously provides for the temple tax through a coin from the mouth of a fish. I simply love Jesus' reply here. Jesus didn’t fight every battle that came to Him. The Levites do not need to pay the temple tax. He made sure that Simon understood they were not obliged to pay, just as the Levites (people who are set apart to do God’s work) are exempt from paying the tax to the temple collector. Jesus was not a Levite, but He is the High Priest in the order of Melchizedek, appointed by divine authority. This is affirmed in Psalm 110:4: "The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'" When He says the children are exempt, Jesus also refers to His relationship as Son with the Father God. We don't need to fight every battle we encounter. It is wise to avoid offensive conversations and let go of situations where God has put a full stop in our lives. Guarding our peace and moving on is often the best course of action, as God will take care of everything. Hey friend, whenever we struggle to avoid unnecessary confrontation or dialogues, take a deep breath, control your emotions, and give yourself some time. The same rush of emotion that urges you to prove someone wrong will fade away. And God's peace will guard your heart. May God give us the wisdom to avoid impulsive confrontation. Dear God, thank You for guiding us in dealing with unnecessary offensive situations. May Your wisdom and Your Word lead us and keep us in perfect peace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

In Haggai 2, we see people rebuilding the temple, a great work for the glory of God. In the New Testament, we see that we are His temple, and the ministry of building churches refers to building people to grow in the Lord. In Haggai chapter 2, a question is asked in verses 12 to 14, like this: "Suppose someone takes a piece of consecrated meat from a sacrifice and carries it in a fold of his robe. If he then lets his robe touch any bread, cooked food, wine, olive oil, or any kind of food at all, will it make that food consecrated also?” When the question was asked, the priests answered, “No.” Then Haggai asked, “Suppose someone is defiled because he has touched a dead body. If he then touches any of these foods, will that make them defiled too?” The priests answered, “Yes.” The simple lesson we can learn from here is that it is easy to get defiled, while it takes intentional effort and a decision to stay holy. The Holy Spirit will help us remain holy. And why should we strive to be holy and not defiled when we try to build God's church or His people? It is because unholiness is an enemy to the anointing a person carries. The New Testament says, "But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them." (Matthew 15:18). We, as God's children, should be careful not to let things defile us by engaging in unnecessary conversations. We also defile our hearts by listening to such conversations. In today's environment, whenever someone presents a show, they often add inappropriate words to make it funnier and attract more audiences. Are we their audience? Or are we discerning the harm they bring and choosing to move away from it? I have witnessed godly women guarding themselves from speaking unnecessary words to protect their anointing and peace but still listening to people gossiping and speaking ill of others. We know there are dedicated channels that exist only to spread negativity about others. May God give us the wisdom to guard our anointing, to keep us holy unto the Lord, and to distance ourselves from such conversations. Hey friend, our God is faithful, and He says, "A faithful man shall abound with blessings." When He looks at us, may He see that we are making efforts to turn away from unclean talk. May we be of use to our Master. May we be His faithful servants. Dear God, help us to be aware and careful of how we speak and what we listen to. Help us, Lord, to grow in You continuously. May You give us Your grace and strength to guard our holiness. May nothing in us hinder You from using us to fulfill Your purpose for us. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

We see people around us doing various jobs. Most jobs these days require all of our time. I've seen people working round the clock. They are doing things to get the best out of their work. As Job says in Job Chapter 28, men dig the ground to find iron; they go to dark places to dig for rocks to get sapphire and gold. They work in loneliness and in the dark, clinging to the rope. Man digs deep and works hard to discover precious stones. But Job says wisdom has more value than that, and people who know the value of gold and stones don't realize that there is something greater than the things they pursue. Job says wisdom can't be found through hard work like this, nor can it be purchased with gold. Rubies, topaz, and the finest glass cannot compare to its worth. So, where is the source of wisdom and understanding? Finally, we see the answer in Job 28:28: "To be wise, you must have reverence for the Lord; to understand, you must turn from evil." Are we willing to pursue this treasure called wisdom and understanding, considering it more worthy than all our hard efforts? When we have wisdom, we will have the fear of the Lord, and we will build our houses on the rock (Christ). Malachi 1:6 says, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts to you priests who despise My name." We rightly call the people who came searching for Jesus to worship Him the wise men. May we seek ways to give our worship unto Him with all we have got. Come, let us adore Him. "It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." — 1 Corinthians 1:30 Dear God, Fill me with Your wisdom. May I always have reverence for the Lord. May I have the wisdom to keep You above everything in my life. May I be wise enough to value the time I have with You more than any pursuit in my life. May I honor You as my Father and as my Master. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

The house we are staying in is near the airport, and once every five minutes, we hear the sound of an airplane crossing above us. The noise is so loud that my husband keeps describing it as the noise God sent to the Syrian army to make them flee instead of warring against His people. This incident is found in 2 Kings 6 and 7, where "the king" is mentioned without his name. However, researchers attribute the king's identity to Jehoram, from Ahab's lineage. This king was aware of God and knew that unless the Lord provided, he could not give anything to his people. This is evident in his reply to a woman who cried out to him. In verse 27, he said, "If the Lord won’t help you, what help can I provide?" When he learned that women among his people were eating their own babies to survive the famine in the country, he tore his clothes, and the people saw that he was wearing sackcloth—a garment of mourning. However, true to the nature of Ahab’s family, he stood against the Lord's prophet, Elisha. Despite this, the Lord showed mercy to this king and his people. He sent a sound of an army, which terrified the Syrians, making them flee. Before this miraculous deliverance, there was an important conversation between the king, his servant, and Elisha. The king asked, "Why should I wait any longer for Him to do something?" Yet the Lord, in His mercy, gave an answer through Elisha. Elisha said, "Listen to what the Lord says: By this time tomorrow, you will be able to buy in Samaria three kilograms of the best wheat or six kilograms of barley for one piece of silver." However, the king’s personal assistant doubted and said, "That can’t happen—not even if the Lord Himself were to send grain at once." To this, Elisha replied, "You will see it happen, but you will never eat any of the food." When faced with impossible situations, may we be careful not to utter words of disbelief like the king's servant. God directly gave manna to the Israelites in the past, and if we have experienced His provision before, we cannot now doubt Him or ask, "Why should I wait for the Lord?" The truth is, it’s either Him or no other way. And if it’s Him, there is always a way. He is always faithful. The king knew there was a God. He knew about the Lord God of Israel. But Elisha knew the Lord personally. May God help us to be like Elisha and speak as people who truly know the Lord. Hey friend, even in the midst of famine, choose not to wear the clothes of mourning, for we serve a God who can change things in a single day. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, let us wear clothes of praise, for our salvation is near. The Lord is faithful. Dear God, Give us a heart that trusts You in the midst of famine—a heart that rejoices instead of mourning and one that is ready to receive Your miraculous provisions. We know and trust that You will make the enemy who besieges us flee by Your might. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

How happy we are when someone shares a Bible verse with us, saying, "Your sorrow will turn into joy." This verse can be found in John 16:20-24. When I saw this verse thrice a few days back, I thought God was telling me something. And today, when I saw it again, I couldn't resist the urge to write about it. As we know, our God speaks to us through His unfailing words from the Holy Bible. The immediate verse after it talks about grief. I have gone through the process of grieving for a dear one, and I know how terrible sorrow can be—so overwhelming that it almost makes us think we cannot be joyful again. But here is our God, who knows everything we go through, everything we feel. He tells us that our sorrow will be turned to joy. Certain things in our lives are only possible through God. This is one such thing. Turning someone's sorrow into joy is His work. He turns seasons into refreshing ones. He is the one who brings an end to the journey in the wilderness. Whatever is causing grief in our hearts, we can bring it to God. As the following verse says: "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete" (John 16:24). We can boldly come into His presence and ask Him—the Prince of Peace—to fill our hearts with joy. Dear God, thank You for Your great name, which is above all names. We love You, Lord. Thank You for changing our sorrow into joy. Thank You for the refreshing season You are about to bring into our lives. Thank You for making possible the things we thought would never change. What a privilege it is to serve You, to love You, to hear from You, and to walk with You, dear Lord. Be with us, Father. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

Whenever we are facing a challenge where we need victory, we will immediately call upon the name of the Lord as Jehovah Nissi and pray for it. Almost every child of God who reads the Bible and prays knows this name of God. It was Moses who built an altar and named it Jehovah-Nissi (Exodus 17) after the Israelites won the battle against Amalek. The Bible says whenever Moses lifted his hands, the Israelites won the battle. Lifting hands usually refers to praying to God. There also came a point where Moses grew tired. Hur and Aaron came to offer help by supporting Moses' hands. This made a significant change in the scenario, and in the end, a great victory was won. Hur is not a popular man in Israel, yet he offered support to the great leader of Israel. This shows that we are all human—be it a leader or a believer in a church—we can become weak, and we need the support of a fellow believer. Also, the incident gave glory to the name of the Lord in a way that His name was glorified and lifted up, whereas Hur remained behind the scenes, humble. He gave God the glory that was due to Him. May God use us in His plans like He used Hur to achieve great victories for the glory of His great name. May He give us His wisdom to remain quiet whenever He works through us. May we always know that nothing in this world is about us. It’s all about Him. He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30). Dear God, Thank You for Your wonderful name, Jehovah-Nissi. Be glorified in us, Lord. Use us as You used Hur. May we support our Moses in times of need. Use us to bring mighty victories in building Your Kingdom. Give us humility and a mind that doesn’t seek the spotlight, for You deserve all the glory. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

We define living beings as pure or impure by what they feed on. In the same way, the Bible categorizes the pig as an unclean animal. A verse in the Bible goes like this: "Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion." This pretty woman is referred to as a pig because she doesn’t have discretion—a sense of right and wrong, the wisdom to choose right over wrong. When we feed on everything available on the internet, we become like this woman. Even if she wears a costly ring on her nose, it is of no use as she feeds on unclean things. Similarly, even if we think we have something of worth in us, it becomes meaningless because we feed on unclean things. Hey friends, did you know that the term "Brain Rot" has been declared the word of the year by Oxford? Brain rot happens when we mindlessly scroll through content, turning our brains into dim-witted ones. Take a moment to consider what we choose to feed on. May we carefully feed our minds, as stated in the following verse: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8) Dear God, fill us with the wisdom to choose right over wrong. May we feed only on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable—anything excellent or praiseworthy. May we not be like a pretty woman with no wit but instead be women of wisdom. Give us the strength and grace to be such a women, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Our God is faithful, isn't He? The word faithfulness can be used for Him and none other. How great He is, how much He cares for us! Today, when I was taking communion at church, I was thinking, What would I be, Lord, if not for You? I can't imagine a life without Jesus. He is the reason we live with hope and joy. Great is Your faithfulness, O Lord. Once my pastor told the congregation, God can never answer any prayers with an ill motive, because He has nothing like that in Him. He cannot do ill to anyone. I felt very small and tiny before that beauty in the Lord. How lovely You are, dear Lord! As David says, What can we do for everything You have done for us, Lord, other than offering a heart of thankfulness? Psalm 116:17 says, "I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord." Thank You, Lord, for keeping us alive till this day of the last month of the year. Thank You for understanding us through all the hardships we have been through. Thank You for being mindful of us, providing for one need after another. Thank You, Lord, for cheering us, walking with us, carrying us, and holding our hands through every path we have walked. Thank You, Lord, for never forsaking us. Thank You for all the prayers You have answered in miraculous ways, Lord. Thank You for encouraging us with Your words. Thank You for keeping our loved ones safe this year, Lord. https://open.spotify.com/track/6TfLbJWBJWFeKeCdFS2d9Z?si=35DpoaVuRaqVHZGrS8V8CA Dear Lord, as we enter this last month, we say nothing but thank You for Your faithfulness through every minute of this year. We love You for who You are, Lord. In Jesus' name, we thank You. Amen.

The United Kingdom is one of the places where the kingship system still exists to some extent. They preserve their history, beautiful places, royal etiquettes, and ceremonies. When we see them from a distance, it looks like they have an almost perfect life. But there is a king in the Bible who shows his vulnerability in his prayers to God, as seen in Psalm 116. He says, "I kept on believing, even when I said, 'I am completely crushed .'" Some of us might have gone through a similar situation like King David. Some of us might even be walking through the same kind of situation right now. Through his faith walk, we see King David encouraging us to keep on believing in the midst of hopelessness. Keep on believing in the midst of crushing situations. Keep on believing in the midst of defeats. Keep on believing. The only thing that is truly worth holding on to in this life is our trust in the Lord, for He never fails those who trust in Him. He never leaves us, nor does He forsake us. (Expand the video for clear view) Prayer: Dear God, we thank You for Your Name, in which we trust with all we have. Thank You for being there for us through every crushing situation. Thank You, Lord, for never forsaking us and for Your never-ending love toward us. Give us the grace we need for this day. Fill us with strength to meet the challenges ahead. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.