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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.

And everyone here will see that the Lord does not need swords or spears to save His people. He is victorious in battle, and He will put all of you in our power. This verse is found in 1 Samuel 17:47. These are the words of David before he battles the giant Goliath. The whole story ended the same way—with no weapon, Goliath was brought down . (So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. ) No matter what giant we face today, may we have the attitude of David, because it is not our battle; it belongs to the Lord. Our God is the one who is always victorious. From ages past, God has always rescued and saved His people. 1 Samuel 18:16 says, "But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David because he was such a successful leader." Not only is our God always victorious, but He also makes us successful leaders. Recently, with the result of the presidential elections in the USA, we can see how people celebrate their new leader—a successful one (though he has his own faults). The Lord made him victorious and loved by the people. Victory in battles and success in leadership come from God. Now, when everything tries to overpower us or battles against us, we should have the attitude of David and conquer it. Dear God, may we be Your successful leaders. You are the Lord who is always victorious. Help us to win our battles just as You helped David when he had no weapon in hand. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

It was the day of the science exam. The teacher told the students that they had two exams. The students came prepared for the one exam scheduled in the timetable. They wondered what this was all about. The teacher looked at them and said, "Do not panic. The test for today is science, but it is also a test of integrity." He continued, "I have seen many students fail science tests with honesty but pass in life. But I have never seen any of my students succeed in life after failing the test of integrity." The Bible gives us an example of integrity in Moses, the leader who led Israel out of captivity into freedom and the Promised Land. In Numbers 12:7, God said concerning Moses, "My servant Moses is faithful in all My household" (Num. 12:7). How incredible it is to receive such a testimony from God Himself! May we aspire to hear such words about ourselves too. But how do we lose integrity? When we make something meaningless, like fame or wealth, our priority. For example, when students achieve full marks by copying, they are pursuing success that is not permanent. Moses, on the other hand, stood the test because of his faith. "By faith, Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house" (Hebrews 11:24-25). He learned to say no to the attractive privileges that came with compromising with the world. May God help us to do the same. God is pleased when we walk in His ways. He is like a loving parent who says these words in delight: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John 1:4). May we bring joy to His heart. Prayer Dear God, we desire hearts and lives of faithfulness, hearts of integrity. May Your faithfulness and holiness be present everywhere You have placed us. May we, like Moses, be faithful in all Your household. All that we have is Yours. May the mark of faithfulness be written on everything we do. "Holy unto the Lord" is what we want inscribed in every area of our lives. Strengthen us, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

The Bible talks about a man who was in dire need of bread and asked his friend for it. However, the friend didn’t treat him well for making the request late at night. The situation was awkward. The Bible says that sometimes, just to push you away, people may give you what you ask for. In Luke 11:8, it is written: "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet because of your shameless audacity, he will surely get up and give you as much as you need." But with God, we can approach His throne boldly and ask Him to provide for our needs. As Hebrews 4:16 (KJV) says: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." God is the only one who never puts us to shame when we ask for something. He gives without expecting anything in return. He is a good, good Father. We see an example of Solomon asking for wisdom, and God not only granted him wisdom but also gave him wealth, fame, and a long life. A pastor named Sathish from Andhra Pradesh prayed to God, asking Him to bless him. God told him to change his prayers.God said, "Ask Me to make you a blessing." Later, Pastor Sathish built India’s biggest church. God kept him as a blessing, enabling him to provide free education by building a school, free medical services by constructing a hospital, a free wedding hall, and monthly aid for the destitute. May we boldly draw near to God and ask Him to make us a blessing. We are not here on earth as God’s children to beg for our needs from mere men, but we have a God who is able to make us a blessing. May we expand our horizons of faith and pray the same prayer. Dear God, Thank You for this life. Thank You for our family. Thank You for the fellowship we have with our fellow believers and everyone around us. Keep us as a blessing, Lord. May our borders be expanded. May we provide for countless people. May we experience Your abundant grace, goodness, and mercy throughout our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

The Bible talks about a place called Bethel, where Jacob saw a vision of a ladder reaching from heaven to earth. This ladder represents Jesus Christ, the Word. The angels ascend and descend on it, signifying that they are appointed by God to minister to us, going up to God’s presence and returning to us. The Bethel experience is about receiving the word from God, claiming it, and sending it back to Him in prayer. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28. When God sends us His words to encourage us, are we receiving and claiming them, then sending our claims back to God in prayer? Whenever God gives us promises, are we accepting, claiming, and declaring by lifting them up to Him? It is the best way to get strengthened and empowered in the spirit. In recent months, I have seen Pastor Sammy Thangiah illustrating this practice in short videos on YouTube. We can watch these too to learn how to claim the Word. In Genesis 35:1-26, God tells Jacob, “Return to Bethel, where I appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau. Make your home there and build an altar for me.” God is calling Jacob to return and prepare an altar, to offer sacrifices unto Him in Bethel. He is inviting Jacob to renew his relationship with Him. We, too, may have received visions and promises from God. Let us return to Bethel, giving back our worship and prayers to our God. It is never too late to trust God again with His promises. He is ever faithful; are we still trusting? Are we ready to declare his promises in faith and walk with power? And finally let us declare it to people we encounter in our everyday walk. I have added here a screenshot of a beautiful prayer which is similar to this, Dear God, thank you for the promises you have given us. We claim the power, love, and strength you have promised. We come back to you with a heart of worship. May we not only be receivers but also senders of Your words. May we prepare our altar to offer true worship by keeping our bodies as a living sacrifice unto You, as in Romans 12: 1 offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. May we reach out to You in Bethel, dear Father. May we become all You intend for us to be, according to Your faithful promises. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Whenever we dress well and are ready to step outside our house, our eyes search for our footwear. I am surprised that the Bible speaks about this too. Once, when we met with our pastor as a church, an elder in the group said, "This particular work in the church is supposed to be done by the ministers of God." Immediately, our pastor asked, "Then who are you all?" I was stunned. God expects each of us to be His missionary. Wherever we work, He expects us to be carriers of hope and love. Some say we are the only Bible others read. So, when we go out to preach or to do our daily work, the Bible expects us to wear sandals/shoes and be ready for the journey ahead. Why do we wear sandals, generally? To protect us from unseen bacteria and viruses that can enter our bodies through our feet as we explore the outside world. We might step into stagnant water, unclean things scattered on the street, or even prickly thorns. To guard ourselves, we wear footwear. Similarly, when we go outside to face everyday life, it’s important to be prepared. Before every Sunday, the pastors at our church have two hours of prayer together. Before we preach the Gospel, we should be prepared; we should pray at least an hour. The Bible lists this “sandal” as a weapon we wear as God's soldiers. Ephesians 6:15 says, "and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." Another version goes like this, Ephesians 6:15 says, "and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace". Hey, friend, let’s read our Bible and stand in God's presence before we step outside. May we enter each day with the Good News, with peace in our hearts that fills us when we stay in His presence. How does God see us? He sees us as carriers of the Good News. Romans 10:15 says: “As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’” May God see our feet as beautiful unto Him. May we bring joy to His unconditionally loving heart. Dear God, protect us today as we carry Your hope-filled words to the world we live in. May we reach out in peace, in readiness, in love. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Have you made God’s heart glad? Recently, I was talking with one of my dear sisters, who is like a mentor to me. She has always been someone I admired. Her family went through tough times in the past months; an immediate family member fell sick with a terminal illness. She worked tirelessly to take care of this family member. The frequent hospital visits and the care she provided at home took a toll on her. After a few months, she called me and said she was exhausted physically, mentally, and spiritually, and she began questioning whether she was still pleasing God, as her prayer life had struggled. I told her to take plenty of rest. She was so worried about her relationship with God in the midst of all the troubles she faced. But God spoke to her through a man of God with the following verse: "I was glorified in you, and I will be glorified in you." The joy she felt after this was so great that she forgot her worries and regained her strength. This made me realize that God sees us so differently than we see ourselves. And most importantly, God knows all our struggles and watches us closely in every step of our journey. He is honored by the way we handle the challenges before us. It makes Him happy. The way we go through suffering and yearn for His presence and love honors Him. Psalm 46 says: "A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it." Hey Friend, God speaks of the river that flows continuously, bringing joy to Him. He promises to send help early to it and to protect it at all costs. No matter what pain, suffering, or challenging path we go through, may God help us to be like this flowing river that brings joy to His heart. When we bring Him joy, He is in our midst, even if we don’t feel or understand it. Focus on glorifying God with everything you do. May He be joyful and be in your midst. Dear God, thank You for Your love. May You be glorified in everything we do and say. May we bring joy to Your heart. May we receive Your help early. May You be in our midst. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Jesus chose His disciples. When a certain scribe came to Him, saying he would follow Jesus wherever He went, Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" (Matthew 8:20). Who is a scribe? A scribe was a member of a learned class in ancient Israel, through New Testament times, who studied the Scriptures and served as copyists, editors, teachers, and jurists. That scribe who talked with Jesus didn’t follow Jesus afterward. In contrast, Matthew 9:9-12 talks about Jesus calling Matthew, the tax collector, to follow Him. Verse 9 says, “So he arose and followed Him.” God chose His own scribe; He saw a biographer, a writer of the Gospel, in Matthew. "You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away,’ says Isaiah 41." Hey, friend, how great it is to be chosen by Jesus Himself to follow Him. It is beyond our understanding that we are His choice. We don’t know what lies ahead, but the One who calls us fulfills His calling in us. Romans 11:29 says, “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]” When Jesus calls us to serve Him, it’s not because of what we have in us. It is always to transform us to achieve the unimaginable through us. Yes, He is able to do above all we can ask or think. Can you hear His voice? Can you hear the gentle calling of the loving Shepherd? Can we follow Him like Matthew? Dear God, how blessed are we to be chosen by You. How great it is to carry Your words as Your vessel. Thank You for Your calling, God, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for this privilege. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Our God is called the God of armies. Whenever the Lord steps in, no war ends in defeat. We see Elisha and his servant standing against the king's army with the army of God on their side. This story can be found in 2 Kings 6. The king of Aram sent an army to kill the prophet. The servant was afraid of the coming attack, but when Elisha prayed for his servant to see what he saw, the servant saw that the army of God with them was greater than the army of the enemy coming against them. Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 2 kings verse 15,16 The Lord of armies has given each of us a sword. We use God's sword when we quote His word in prayer. Instead of focusing on our list of wants, needs, and dreams in prayer, we need to learn to use appropriate verses as powerful swords, unlike the ordinary words we use. We can meditate on, memorize, and use those verses in prayer. When we are in trouble, the Spirit of the Lord will bring them to our mind to wage war. Immediately, the verses will bring peace to the storms in our minds. When we repeat the same verse again and again throughout the day, loudly, we can see ourselves becoming stronger in spirit. The way to be prepared at all times is to keep filling our minds with God's words. I clearly remember a time when I was walking on the main road of my colony during a morning walk. The enemy was telling me that Iies and was trying to bring me down. But God empowered me with a verse that strengthened my heart. God asked me to repeat Job’s words, " My Redeemer lives ." As I said it again and again, I felt a powerful presence filling me, and the thoughts fighting against me faded to nothing. We must know that we can stand against an army with our God of armies by our side. Nothing can stand against us as long as we are rooted in God's words. Like Joshua, we will defeat all 32 kings. Like Elisha we will stand courageously knowing that the army against us have no chance against us. Dear God, thank You for Your mighty name. Thank You for being on our side as the God of armies. May we live lives of power. Help us not to fight against each other, but against the enemy with the strength of the God of armies. May we not have defeated wars, but always be victorious in the battles we face. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Deborah is called a mother of Israel in the Bible. She can be described as a gifted and anointed woman of God. First of all, Deborah is a prophetess. Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.Judges 4:4 A prophet is someone who receives the word of the Lord and shares it with the people, whether written or spoken. Prophets are those who tell the truth amid deceiving, sugar-coated, twisted theories. Secondly, Deborah is a judge. A judge should know and declare what is right, who is right, and who is wrong. The Bible says that God is the righteous Judge, and wisdom for judgment comes from the Lord. This is also evident in Solomon’s life. A ruler must tell people what is right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable. There can be no beating around the bush; people need righteous judgment, and Deborah provided this with God’s wisdom. Thirdly, Deborah is a military strategist. She devised military plans for Israel’s army and even went to battle. And she said, "I will surely go with you.(To the battlefield ). Judges 4:9. Fourthly, she is a worship leader; we see her singing in Judges, chapter 5. She says, "I will sing and make melody to the Lord." What a powerful life she lived. I, will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel". Judges 5:3 Judges 5 is a song sung by Deborah and Barak after they defeated the Canaanites and King Jabin. The song praises God for saving His people with great power. Deborah also sings about God raising her up as a mother to Israel when they won their enemies. A group of students from a Bible college visited John Wesley’s house, which is now open to visitors. They saw his room, his table, his Bible, and his place of prayer. The students looked at the spot where John Wesley knelt in prayer. Then they returned to board their bus, but one student was missing. When the professor and other students went back to search, they found that student kneeling and praying in the very place where John Wesley had prayed. They saw the student repeatedly saying, "Do it again, Lord. Do it again, Lord." That student was none other than Billy Graham, the greatest evangelist the world has ever seen. Hey friend, people like Deborah, John Wesley, and Billy Graham lived before us and showed us what God can do through a man or woman in a lifetime. May we pray like Billy Graham: "Do it again, Lord." Dear God, thank you for your love and for the Good News you desire to share with those around us. Use us, dear Lord. Like Billy Graham, we ask you to do it again, dear Lord. Use everything we have to build your kingdom. Use our lives; fill us with the anointing of Deborah. May we be like her, a mother of Israel. Lord, give us your anointing to share your words with people, to judge and declare what is right and what is wrong before you, to strategize and wage wars in the army of God, to sing songs, and to lead worship. Use us, dear Lord; may we be your Deborah. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble." Mathew 11:28 to 30. Once, my psychology professor, who was also my college counselor, said, "We, counselors, need someone with whom we can share our burdens. We solve people's issues, and we need help too." Yes, our human tendency to help, listen, and counsel has its own limits. When we spend time with emotionally drained people who need us to supply strength, by offering help, we become weak. Do we have a tireless counselor who can welcome us at all times? Who will walk with us through seasons of both ups and lows? Who is able to lighten our heart's burden and give us a life of ease? Yes, it can only be done by Jesus. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22) These days, people advise each other to have "me time." One of the greatest things one can give oneself is prayer time, which surely is the true "me time." When we share our burdens in prayer to God, we are strengthened. Our heart is healed, and our burdens are lightened through the conversation we have with God. When He speaks, we feel right. In God's presence lies the permanent solution. you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11. May we train ourselves to go to Him and find rest in His presence. Like Hannah, like the woman who washed the feet of Jesus, our answer and peace are in Him. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. When we respect someone highly, we make an appointment with them and check their availability before meeting them in person. When God said He has all the time for us, do we take Him lightly? Do we have an appointed time and a place set aside to meet Him? My dad, who has seen visions, used to describe Heaven and God with words that are vast. He said, "You cannot comprehend how majestic God is and how incomparable Heaven is." Meeting great people of the world can never give us the same satisfaction, but our time with God transforms us, strengthens us, rejuvenates, and refreshes us. It is the time where we breathe fresh air. Choose a room, a small corner. May we keep a clean place, a beautiful one, to honor and welcome God's presence in our everyday life. Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus says, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is in secret”. Jesus withdrew to pray (Mt 14:13; Lk 5:12-16; Jn 6:14-16) . Dear God, help us and open our eyes to see the wonders in prayer time. May we learn to keep our appointment with You and honor You. May our weary hearts find rest in Your presence. Thank You, Lord, for offering support and rest in the midst of a trouble-filled life. Be our rest, Lord. We thank You, Jesus, for Your gentle presence. May we too reflect Your humility. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Is it enough to be a good Christian? No, God expects us to be brave too. Joshua, a young leader, was instructed by God to be brave. God instructed him to meditate on His word to make him bold and victorious. Joshua proved to be a faithful leader who followed God, and as a result, he defeated 32 kings. When we look at why 32 kings and not more not less it has definite truth behind it. Hebrew numbers have deep spiritual meaning. God is referred as Elohim in Hebrew. The word Elohim appears 32 times in the first chapter of Genesis where God created everything through the word. 32 in Hebrew is spelled as Lamed Bet. Here Lamed is considered as a letter with superior significance because it is the 12th letter of Hebrew Alphabet and is considered as the heart of the alphabet because it is the central of the 24 and the tallest of all the alphabets. Because it towers over the other letters it is said to represent Malekh hemelakhim which means King of Kings. Joshua, the man who meditated the words had victory over 32 kings and showed with power that God is reigning over all kings as the KING of KINGS. We, as God's children, are called to be brave. Joshua 1:9 in the Bible says, "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." In verse 8, God says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." The same can be seen in Psalm 1: "Whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers." Do we have the patience to spend time meditating on God's word? Do we love our time with our Bible? Recently, in a prayer meeting, my pastor encouraged us to write down whatever we hear from the sermon. He asked if we have the habit of writing whatever God says to us every day in a diary. To encourage the people, he took out his own diary where he had meticulously written the revelations God gave him. He showed us how he uses highlighters to differentiate one message from another. These simple yet profoundly meaningful spiritual disciplines will make us God's brave soldiers. They fill our hearts with God's powerful words. It is these habits that will give us victories and triumphs over kings. Dear God, help us to understand the greatness of your word that is in our hands. May we never live a life without these spiritual habits. Help us to be victorious. Bless us to be successful. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Heat waves in Chennai are something that cannot be easily forgotten by people who have experienced them. I used to tell my friend that I feel like I am walking between hot pots when I walk on the road. The city has become a kitchen full of heat waves. One can literally feel the hot waves rubbing against the face while walking the streets. When we think about the Israelites walking in the desert, we know it must have been horrible. Was it horrible? But here is a God who allowed them the wilderness and walked with them as a cloud during the daytime and as a fire during the nighttime. We know that the only shelter we seek during summer is the air conditioner. But here, God is giving them a natural solution to walk on the path that was laid before them. Exodus 13:21: "By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night." Those of us who are walking in the desert season will know that God has given us the special grace to face it, to walk through it. We see fire around us, but we are protected under the clouds; nothing can touch us because we have the fourth person who walks in the midst of fire with us. Another beautiful thing about the wilderness is that as much as there is no way to buy new flashy things, God made it so there was no need for them. Which clothes shop, butcher shop, biryani shop, or sandal shop could the Israelites find in the desert? . God literally led them in such a way that there was no need for them to search for one. He was their supplier in the desert. He met their needs supernaturally. It was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, Exodus 16:8 As much as buying new refrigerators, washing machines, clothes, and sandals sounds like a blessing to us, it is also a blessing when God miraculously prolongs the life of the old fridge and the little washing machine. It is indeed a miracle. God ensures you literally don't end up on Amazon looking for things but turn to Him as He trains you to receive provisions supernaturally in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 29:5: "I have led you in the wilderness forty years; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet." When God wants us to occupy extraordinary blessings, He makes us walk through the desert and trains us to trust in Him alone to receive everything—from chicken biryani to the big stuff. The important thing we learn is to depend on Him, not on our own hands, for anything and everything. The same God who makes us walk through the desert is also able to lead us out of the desert with a giant faith that overcomes the giants in the land. Attending exams is to understand our level of understanding of the subject so that we can move into a higher grade, a promotion. Our desert season, walking through fires and waters, will end when we pass the faith test that is laid before us. We will finally say, "Even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff reassure me," as in Psalm 23:4. Dear God, thank you for being with us as a cloud when we needed to be protected from the fire around us. Thank you for making us cross the Red Sea, and thank you for training us to look to your presence, your hand, for everything we needed. Thank you for walking with us and helping us to strengthen our faith in you. You have tested us in the furnace, and you are going to make us shine like gold. Thank you for holding our hands throughout this path; in every step, we were never left alone. We love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, we thank you. Amen.

I recently read a post from Derek Prince where he said, "I grew up in a day when learning was supposed to be hard work. Then a philosophy emerged in education which said, if it's difficult, don't try it. Believe me, both in the natural and physical, there are many things you will never achieve without hard work." If we ask a question like, what spiritual effort have we made recently to achieve something spiritually? What would be our answer? Here is someone in the Bible who was a sinner but made an effort to get a closer view of Jesus. This is seen in Luke 19:1-9: Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short, he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him since Jesus was coming that way. He was short, but he did not allow it to be a barrier to see Jesus. He climbed, he fought against his human condition to see someone much greater than himself. He was a sinner, but he made an effort to be noticed by Jesus. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. Last month, when we went to our church in Chennai, we were thoroughly surprised to see the pastor who raised me from my young age (from my native)was in the room behind the stage. With no plan of ours, God placed us in a row where he could see us directly. At the end of the service, before we could run to meet him, he came running towards us. Similarly, Jesus, all the while, knew his heart that made the effort to seek him, looked up at him, and rewarded him by going to his house. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. Verse 5. How joyful Zacchaeus must have felt when God entered his household. The identity of Zacchaeus changed from someone who forcefully took money to someone who gave back more than he received. None who came to Jesus seeking to meet him left without transformation, without a change of identity. He changed Saul, the man who caused suffering, to the missionary Paul, a man who endured suffering for Christ. He changed Mary Magdalene, a possessed woman tormented by evil spirits, to the first woman to whom the resurrected Christ revealed himself. The list goes on and on to this day. May God see our efforts, spot us, and reward us. May we stop wandering on the ground and climb the stairs. May we stop drinking the milk and grow to a stage where we can eat solid food. May we let Jesus know that we want to see him. When we love or care about someone, we make an effort to do things for them. When I drove 55 km on my bike to see a relative of mine, people there were taken aback at the effort I made. In a way, it changed the dynamics of our relationship. The people of the world are ready to appreciate us for our efforts to meet them. Won't God, the giver of good gifts, do even more? Dear God, Help us to train ourselves in godly habits to grow in You. Help us to cut off habits that keep us far away from You. May we be seen by You, and may our efforts be rewarded by You. May we have a new, much more beautiful, and meaningful relationship with You. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Sundays are the best. I hope you all will agree if I say this. From my young age, it was the church that has been my support. My mom was very young when she started to work. We were in Surandai, a small town then. In those days, there were no specific daycare centers. But our pastor had a helper who was childless for years, and he took care of me throughout the day at church. Literally, I was blessed to be raised by that godly man for a few years until I started joining classes. I still remember the place where I used to sit with my mom. I remember the Christmas tree celebration where I eagerly waited to receive gifts wrapped in colorful papers. My childhood was simply awesome, with my parents who gave me a love for God's house at that very young age. I am ever grateful to my God for my mom and dad. One day, I was playing with my cousin, who is like a brother to me, named Vinoth. He was pinching and biting me. My pastor came running toward us and gave him a nice scolding, which made him play gently with me afterward. For me, my pastor was a family member, like a grandpa. Then we shifted to Tenkasi, where we started going to the church of Pastor Steve Jayaraj. I remember him driving a car, and when he saw us, he asked us to get in. My small feet entered the beautiful sedan for the first time. I was in awe, and I started to explore by trying to check how the window worked. When my hands went near the windows, my mom knew I was up to something and gave me a stern look that made me sit quietly inside. I understood that I was traveling with someone who was highly respected. Only later did I realize that my pastor was the correspondent of the school where I was studying. As a teacher's child, my parents paid half of the fees. God knows how much that helped my early education. From then on, I was in awe of my pastor. I have known him since my third standard, and we started to see him every week at our church. Our church was a small shed behind our assistant pastor's house, with so many flowers along the pathway. I learned the discipline of being quiet and listening to the sermon whenever it was given. At a very young age, I developed the habit of collecting beautiful palm-sized diaries and writing down whatever I understood from my pastor's sermon. My pastor laid the spiritual foundation for my growth there. I received the pure word of God and perfect principles from him. I used to be amazed whenever he brought in amazing worship leaders and preachers from around the world. I loved the way my pastor spoke English, and I enjoyed hearing stories and life experiences of missionaries from around the world. I remember Pastor David Steward coming to our church and talking about how, when he was very young, his parents would ask him to share his room with the men of God whenever they visited their house. My mind always wanted to listen to the various experiences of pastors and people who came to our church. I truly enjoyed the rich heavenly food—the spiritual manna—that I received from my church. It built my inner self and filled me with a love for God and His word. When I was about to reach my teenage years, I went to an SFC (Students for Christ) meeting at Shencottai. We stayed at the house of Glad Bible Center, and we had fun at that meeting. I received my salvation there. Later, I had the experience of anointing at another meeting at Tenkasi SFC, where I even dedicated my life to God. My pastor always wanted the best for us. I have fond memories of our church celebrating Mother's Day. My mom received many beautiful gifts, of which the cute golden candle stand still stays in my mind. My pastor made us thank God for our mothers before giving them the gifts. The same went for Father's Day. I loved giving something to my pastor on Father's Day. I remember making and giving small handmade cards with Bible verses on them. It was my dad who always encouraged me to honor my pastor, telling me that he was my spiritual father. I can never forget the sing-song services we had at our church before we celebrated Christmas. That was when I started singing with my mom. It was the song "Aadhi Pidha Kumaran." On that day, every family would come forward to sing a song. The air was filled with joy for the season and the reason. We celebrated Jesus Christ for coming to earth to save us with immense joy. My pastor sang all the Christmas carols with his family. The picture of him singing with Nirmala Athai, Steffy, Stacy Akka, and Joshua is still fresh in my mind. Christmas and New Year services were very special at my church. When my pastor learned about my love for singing, he became a great encourager. He motivated me to continue in my journey of singing and worshipping God by lifting my voice. His genuine appreciation and love helped me thrive in singing. He was nothing short of a perfect, loving spiritual father who cherished seeing me grow in the Lord. Incidents often occurred where he encouraged us to answer questions from the previous sermon and joyfully gave gifts when we answered correctly. He was so proud to see us, as a church, growing in the Lord. Later, we moved to a newly built church, which is my favorite place in the whole world to this day. I have felt the love of God deeply surrounding me whenever I raised my hands in worship there. One of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed in my life is my pastor leading, loving, and helping us grow and thrive in our church. The pure love he showed us by searching for us in the crowd, calling our names, smiling at us, and running toward us whenever he saw us—there are no words to describe it. My husband recently told me, "You are so lucky to be loved by your pastor like this." Yes, I am greatly blessed by God for this man of God who touched my life, and many others, with his love and ministry. Happy Birthday, my dear spiritual father. Thank you for loving us with the love of God.

Years back, on this same day, I said, "I still can't believe that I lost my father." It was what I told one of my school friends who called to comfort me. If you ask me, those words still feel fresh today. I still can't believe it, even now. In the Bible, we have another person who believed a lie that someone was dead for a very long time. It was none other than Jacob. He mourned, put on sackcloth, and refused to be comforted. Jacob tore his clothes and wore sackcloth, a rough, dark-colored cloth made from goat or camel hair. He refused to be comforted. Jacob said, "I will go to my grave, mourning for my son." He continued to mourn long past the customary week or month and insisted he would keep grieving until he died. Everything he went through is what a grieving person experiences. I have personally experienced this for at least four years. We, as families, go through very tough times. But in Jacob's case, the truth was that he was crying, mourning, losing his joy, and neglecting his appearance. His way of worshiping God often wasn’t in its usual form because he believed a lie. Yet, Joseph was still alive on the other side, and God was with him. Genesis 39:21 says, "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor." I can deeply relate to this; I couldn’t sing when I was grieving the loss of my dad for years. I am sure heaven heard my singing very rarely during those years. I still can’t say it is completely restored. I almost felt like I lost the anointing and a heart that sings to God all the time, and it definitely did no good for me. It is foolish to tell someone, "Don't cry, don't think of your loss; it's in the past." But one thing we can say is that we don’t need to be hopeless. We have hope that our loved ones are still living on the other side with God, whom we will meet one day. I don't know if any of you are going through a personal loss, but I encourage you not to let go of God's hand during this difficult time. We allow ourselves to enter into hopelessness by letting go of His hand. And do not give up on worshipping God. May God hear from you. The Bible says that Jacob's spirit was revived when he heard about Joseph: "But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived" (Genesis 45:27). Hey friend, God will revive our spirit and restore the joy we lost. He will give us a revived heart, full of zest to worship Him all the time. No matter what happens, we have hope. Just as Jacob heard about Joseph and his spirit was revived, may God send us His words of hope to revive us and help us live our lives fully. May we relentlessly believe that we will see the people we think we lost on the other hand. As much as Jesus is alive, God is there this truth about Resurrection and our hope is there. Dear God, thank you for your power of resurrection. May mourning never take anything away from us. May we be filled with hope and a revived spirit, joyful and eager to worship You, the ever-faithful God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Fill us with words of hope, Lord. Revive our spirits. May we truly know and feel heaven and You while we are living on earth. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

We all love the story of the five loaves and two fishes. When we were living near Vandalur, we have seen a hotel named "Five Loaves and Two Fishes." We want God to bless and increase what we have, don't we? The incident about the five loaves and two fishes goes like this: "And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children." Matthew 14:18 to 21. Sometimes when we have less, we end up believing we have nothing. But what seems like nothing to our eyes, according to Jesus, can be used to feed thousands. How did Jesus bless the bread? He took the little that was available in his hands and blessed it. This means that when we have less, without hesitation, we should bring it to Jesus to bless it. Without murmuring or comparing the less we have with the plenty someone else have,You might not be a great artist, or a cook, or a great prayer warrior or a musician but use what you have for God. Bless what you have, and start thanking God for what is in your hands instead of worrying about what is not there. Next, Jesus broke the bread. The experience of going through the breaking is needed for each of us before we can multiply. Whenever we are being broken into pieces, the world may say it is the end of the story. But for God, it is the time for multiplication. May we thank God for what we have, use it gratefully, and soon witness God using it to feed multitudes. Dear God, thank you for revealing the truth from the Bible to us. May we never consider ourselves as having nothing when we have less. But may we gratefully give ourselves unto you, to be blessed and to be broken in order to be a blessing to many. To numbers that we can't count. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Why do we need to give thanks to God all the time? Is it even possible when we don't feel good to do so? Can we give thanks to Him when we lose our job? Can we thank Him when we are forced to leave a place? We have heard that all things work for good for those who love God. Is it true? We walk by faith. We know it's true. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28 Yes, God has not revealed answers to all our whys, but we can never ignore the answers He has revealed so far. They have absolutely been done for the best of us. The closed doors and missed opportunities are included in His divine plan. His ways are marvelous. A few months ago, I was watching a clip from a Christian movie. In it, a man was talking to a person who was complaining and crying about God to him. He told the person, "I can tell you one thing: when we meet Jesus, and He answers all our questions about every prayer that has been answered otherwise, the answer He would give will simply be perfect. Because our God always wants good for us. He has no other thoughts but only good for us." What a blessing it is to know this God, what a blessing it is to serve Him, what a blessing it is to be led by Him. How great it is to have a God who always thinks to do good for you. Yes, this makes me say, I am a blessed daughter who is greatly loved and divinely favored. I know this is true for each and every one of us who walk with the Lord. May all glory, honor, and praise be unto our good, good Father in Heaven. We love You, dear Lord. Hey friend, I really wish and pray that God reveals His goodness in everything He has allowed us to go through, so that when we thank Him, we will not be saying memorized words but words that come out of us with pure love and pure joy, which He truly deserves from us. Because there is absolutely no one who can love us like Jesus. Dear Father, We thank You for leading us and guiding us in our lives. You are a God who does only good to us. We love You, Lord; we love You, Lord, with all our hearts. Thank You for protecting our city. We continue to uphold our city in prayers. Bless our cities and every growing city in our state with better infrastructure that can easily get rid of water clogs. Thank You for Your unstoppable, unconditional love for us. In Jesus' name, we thank You. Amen.

For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless Is like a rainstorm against a wall. — Isaiah 25:4 Dear God, we have faced floods in the past; many have lost houses, lakes overflowed, and rivers crossed their boundaries. Some lost their businesses, and their vehicles. We seek Your protection for this rainy season, Lord. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on the delta regions. Have mercy on Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, and Tiruvarur districts, Puducherry, coimbatore Madurai, Tutucorin and Karaikal area. May You protect us and be our defense. Be a refuge for everyone in these places, Lord. May the children, the working men and women, and those with businesses be safe. Those who travel for emergencies, be safe. May the government officials, police, and volunteers be safe. May the poor on the road and the animals on the road be safe. Be merciful towards our city, dear Lord. May no damage to any lives occur. Keep us all under Your wings, Lord. May nothing harm us. We completely surrender ourselves to be covered with Your precious blood. "The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." — Proverbs 18:10 Be our safety tower, dear Lord, we are running to You, seeking protection for our state and for our cities. 1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” — Psalm 91:1-2 We trust You, our fortress, our shelter. "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers." — Proverbs 11:14 May every official who plans to guard our cities be filled with wisdom. Guide them and let our state stand tall and not fall. "The prudent see danger and take refuge." — Proverbs 27:12 May none foolishly play with the water bodies, may we take refuge to protect ourselves. May no harm come against our cities. We pray over our cities and every person in them to be under the protection of the Almighty. May His wings cover us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

I have seen people memorizing Psalm 119 . I have found it difficult because of the words: statutes, commandments, precepts, law, word, way, judgment, and testimonies. I felt like some of these words have similar meanings, making it very difficult to memorize, as my mind memorizes best when it clearly understands the meaning of something and has clarity about the concepts. Yet, I have admired my husband and my friend Angella for memorizing Psalm 119. Both of them had great visions and pursued excellence by preparing themselves for one of the most difficult exams in the country—the civil services exams. Both of them tasted success in different levels and still stands apart in the knowledge and memory power they hold about things. God honours those who honour Him. David talked about his love for God's word, and I have personally seen no one write, think, or talk as much about the love for God's word as David did. In Psalm 119:176, David says, "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments." When Jesus spoke about parables, He mentioned the shepherd who searched for one lost sheep, leaving the 99. David, the former shepherd, knew the heart of God. David didn’t forget His commandments; he knew the laws. He went astray, but he yearned for God, the Shepherd, and asked God to seek him. David and God had a unique relationship. I was thoroughly taken aback by the verse where God said the sword would never depart from David when He saw him sinning against Him by killing poor Uriah, the faithful servant. From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own. 2 samuel12:10. This is the same God who blessed David by saying his generation would have a king forever. For this is what the LORD says: David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever. Jeremiah 33:17 Doesn’t that make it clear that we should be aware of the consequences of our actions? God is a righteous judge. We receive good or bad from God as a consequence of our actions even if we say we love him so much. A woman psychologist who worked at a renowned college once said, "We shouldn't fear God but love God." But each of us likes to be loved in a different way. God loves it when we have the fear of Him to depart from evil for the glory of His name. We can be a woman or man after God's heart, but may we also know that our God gives us righteous judgment. May He strengthen us to live His word: "Let the one who does right continue to do right, and let the holy person continue to be holy. Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:11-13). Dear God, Give us a heart that loves You and a heart that trembles to do anything that keeps us away from You. Father, thank You for being our Good Shepherd, for doing everything to find us and keep us close to Your heart. May we know the depth of Your love and grace, and may You strengthen us to live up to the love You have shown towards us. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.

What a beautiful thing is the institution of marriage. We recently attended our brother's wedding, and it was so heavenly to witness. The large church hall, filled with the presence of God, and the loving parents who had carefully arranged everything to keep things in order, was a wonderful sight to behold. Most importantly, the faithful waiting of the bride and groom before God to find each other according to His plan. It was a profound moment of their life. God rewarded them by uniting them in His presence. They brought honor to their upbringing, to their family, and to the church they grew up in. I wondered how much effort my Chithi must have put in to attend to every detail. It was simply perfect. The Bible verse "A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands" from Proverbs 14:1 is often happily used to advise a newly married woman. Along with that verse, we also have another passage from Matthew 7:24-27: "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand." Here, God refers to a man who builds a house. He, too, faces a choice like the woman: to be wise or to be a fool. A marriage is at its best when the man and woman of the house join together and build it upon Christ, the foundation. If we build our families upon His word, we are the family that will withstand the floods, the wind, and will not fall. Finally, Hebrews 3:4 says, "For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." As families, may we allow Jesus to build everything in our lives. May the builder, God, help us to build better families, united as couples who are holding the hands of God. Dear God, May you fill us as husbands and wives united in Christ and build a strong family that can stand tall and strong on its foundation in Christ. You are the builder of all. Fill us with every bit of knowledge and wisdom we need to build our families. We love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, we thank you. Amen.

Travelling across Madurai gives me pure joy. The familiar roads, the familiar routes usually put a gentle smile on my face. We visited our brother in Christ and spent time in conversation about our faith walk. When none of us were expecting it, the little one in the family got hurt by a bee sting. We got him help, and they told us that snakes are in that area too. My husband then shared a fact about snakes: they have very poor eyesight or hearing ability. I suddenly exclaimed, "What! Why are we so afraid of it when it doesn't even have proper eyes or ears and only knows our presence when we get near it?" The family laughed, and God placed something very clear in my mind at that moment. Yes, we often don't realize that our enemy is weak when we are far away wrapped up in God's presence. The enemy can only hurt us when we go near him and give importance by committing sins, which take us away from God's presence and make us vulnerable. The learning is simple, Be wrapped in God's presence. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7. Later, when we attended a meeting with our pastor, he said that God expects us to be stronger like Him. Knowing who is our God, adds strength to us. The knowledge of God comes from seeking Him in the Bible. If we know Him and His word, we will know who we are, who our God is, and who our enemy is. When we are covered by His presence, we are more powerful and mightier in the army of God. As my dad would say, "The enemy will run away when we just make a small move." Reinhard Bonnke, a powerful man of God from Germany who went as a minister to Africa, was doing crusade after crusade and needed a lorry for his sound systems. He went to an old yard and prayed to God for a lorry. God asked him a question, "Do you know who I am? I am able to give you a new vehicle." Bonnke sought God's forgiveness and left that yard. Now, do we know who our God is? Do we have a relationship with Him? Do we know Him personally? Simply getting to know Him will make our spiritual muscles stronger. When we search for Him, we will find Him. Proverbs 8:17 says,I love them that love me; And those that seek me early shall find me. Seek Him early in the morning. Feeling tired from the burdens of life? Go to His presence to receive the powerful life backed by the Holy Spirit of God. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Says, James 4:8 Dear God, Help us to know You closely. Open our eyes, Lord. May we know Your might, Your power, Your love for us, the freedom You can give us, and the courage You can give us. May we break every barrier with Your strength. Be our might, Lord. Be with us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

I recently read an article from The Times of India with the title, "Beach drives clear the shore, but how do we clean up our act?" It meant that while organized efforts by environmentalists or volunteers can remove litter from the beach, what are we doing to clean up our basic habits of throwing plastics or other waste into the sea, which is harmful to the living beings inside it? Without addressing the root cause, there can be no solution to the problem. Similarly, the Bible says, The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. I John 1:9. but when sin becomes a habit, the solution lies in eradicating the root cause. Simply praying and getting cleansed, and going back to sin again cannot fully purify us before our Father. The Son gave His life to cleanse us from sin. What are we doing to stay away from it? Are we still with the same friends? Are we still in the same places? Are we neglecting our Bible reading and prayer life? God expects—and even we desire—a stable Christian life. Rising with determination to be clean and running towards the Father will help us live a holy life. Cutting the root cause is what Jesus meant when He said, "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire". Matthew 18:9 We ought to be like our Father—the Holy One, the conqueror, the strong tower. May we learn to behave like His sons and daughters. Dear God, Thank you for the power you have given us to live a clean life by being cleansed with the blood of the Lamb. May we give our full effort to cut our roots. Thank you for the strength that will help us climb the mountains we thought we couldn’t climb, for the strength that will help us leap over walls, and for your mighty strength that will help us crush an army. In Jesus' name, we thank you. Amen.