Why pray you asked? Prayer is a weapon, why don't you want to invite a victorious Saviour into your situations? Think of the acrostic P-R-A-Y:
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P – Praise the Lord! Not sure how? Think you’ll run out of words? Not if you use the Scriptures.

R – Repent of your sins. Just as heat forces impurities to the surface so that the metal refiner can remove them, your prayer time will reveal attitudes that must be changed, habits that must be broken, and barriers to blessing that must be removed. It’s not enough to tell God about your sins. He already knows them. You must ask Him to help you turn away from them. This is true repentance.
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A – Ask for yourself and others. Your prayers invite God into the situations, and your faith actives His power to change it. There’s no distance in prayer, no culture or language barrier it can’t overcome. It’s like throwing on a power switch – things begin to move when we pray. Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven… whatever doors you open on earth shall be open in Heaven (Matt 16: 19 TLB)
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Y – Yield yourself to God’s will. Declaring the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life is like signing your name to your autobiography and inviting Him to write you life’s story.
 
1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

- Writing of Bob Gass (Word for Today)

There is a vast difference between happiness and blessedness. Paul had imprisonments, sacrifice and painful sufferings up to the very limit; but in the midst of it all, he was blessed. All the beatitudes came into his heart and life in the midst of those very conditions.

On one of his concerts, Paganini, the great violinist discovered that his precious famous violin has been stolen. On that discovery, he felt paralyzed for a moment and he stepped back behind the stage's curtain looking at the old cheap violin that has been left as the replacement of his stolen violin.

He remained at the back of the stage's curtain for a moment, then came out before his audience and said: “Ladies and Gentlemen: I will show you that the music is not in the instrument, but in the soul.” And he played as he would have with his precious violin. Out of the old cheap instrument, the music poured forth until the audience was enchanted with enthusiasm and the applause almost lifted the ceiling of the building;  Paganini had revealed to them that music was not in the instrument, be it an old or a a precious expensive one but in his own soul.

It is your mission, tested and tried one, to walk out on the stage of this world and reveal to all earth and Heaven that blessedness is not in the conditions, not in things, not in externals but it is through the peace and faith within your soul that trusted the Lord, your Saviour.

If peace be in the heart, the wildest winter storm will be full of solemn beauty. If peace be in the heart.

John 16: 33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

- Charles F Richardson

When we are faced with an unfavourable situation, the thought that is often the loudest in our mind tends to be why.

Life is like being in a boat and when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, we can and should be assured that we have Him in the boat with us.
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At times we think that having Jesus, the sail would be easy. Then the waves hit, the storm rages, we think this should not be happening. Jesus is in us, with us and for us but why is this happening? Everything is against me, I am overwhelmed, why Lord, why?
 
Remember what Jesus says in John 16: 33
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.
 
Yes, we have trials and sorrows but His promise is that He has overcome the world for us. This is where our faith in Him and His promises matters. Our faith in Him navigates through the waves and storm of our life. We are never alone and we have Him in the boat with us. It means that even though the storm hit, it will not sink our boat.
 
Practice to say His promises rather than the usual whine and why. A good skipper will defend his/her boat when the storm hits. We must also have the same stance and deny the influence of problems in our lives.

- Anonymous

During one of my plane flights, a violent turbulence occurred from bad weather. It caused the plane to lose its altitude in one sharp drop whilst on air. Drinks and foods were spilled on the plane floor and some passengers were visibly nervous. The silence that followed was uncomfortable until two kids giggled loudly and yelled, “yeah, again! Do it again!”

The Bible reminds us to receive the Kingdom of Heaven like a little child (Mark 10:15). Children are fearless, they are bold in asking and highly expectant, they are receptive to any changes and have an unrivalled sense of wonder; they believe in magic and miracles, they laugh and have full joy in daily life.

As adult, life throws us challenges and issues that could defeat us and most of us could relate to Jeremiah in his anguish yet he has hope.

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.

Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (Lamentation 3: 19 – 23)

Jeremiah finds comfort in the Lord’s unfailing love every morning; nothing will be able to consume us. This is where we could embrace a childlike expectation that the Lord’s mercies and love are new every morning, fresh for our weary soul to receive. We could ask boldly without fear knowing God’s goodness and faithfulness is ever-flowing and with that renewed faith, we wait in expectation daily for our miracles; for the good He will do next in our lives.

- Irene Soon 

Bearing our sins, Jesus carried the heavy wooden cross 2000 years ago, today. The cross was believed to weigh about 70 – 80kg for its solid pine-wood plank whilst the crossbar was estimated to be around 30-40kg, totalling at least 100kg.

​A man weakened by brutal torture, forced upon a crown of thorns on his head, persevered silently and carried the cross under the hot sun until his physical strength failed him.
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Jesus carried two heaviness that day; the weight of the sin of all mankind and the weight of the cross that His weakened body had to endure. Jesus knew His torture and crucifixion will come if He leaves His Heavenly throne to save us, He did it anyway. The Lord who could silent the waves and part the sea, raised the dead to life, cast out Demons, chose to surrender Himself to a human death as the symbol of an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He cancelled the record of sin charges against us… and took it away by nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2: 14). This way, the darkness will no longer have a hold on us and we have His power to overcome all things.

Dear friends, accept the Lord as your Redeeming Saviour for a life a victory and if you have, proclaim His sovereign victory over all of your trials, praise Him and await your supernatural resurrection from “death.”  

Jesus loves you and on this Good Friday, we celebrate His sacrifice as the beginning of victorious miracles to come. 

- Hopeful Heart Team

Recently I watched a movie that touched my heart and it made me ponder on the message of the movie. The message relayed - “If you are sincere enough, even flower will bloom in the rock.”
 
The saying reminds me of Jesus’ saying: “If you have a faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move a mountain”. I believe every God’s word is true and He will always fulfil His promise. But when I think of those people who are suffering, their hardships and tears shed, I wonder why their suffering persist? Also, if they do not know Christ but believe in ‘God’, did God just turn His back to them? What hope do they have?
 
Then I came to a resolution that God has entrusted us with the mystery of the Good News that is fit for all races, gender, tribe and social class; that each one of them would be able to feel His love and experience the supernatural life-changing touch from the Lord. As for us, the believers, we are to share the Good News of the Lord to our world and pray for the seed of the Good News will continue to grow in the hearts who hear it.
 
Maybe we can see flower blooms in the rock or maybe not, but it won’t be because that we did not put enough effort or sincerity in our journey; it is a gift from God.   Our focus should not be on the effort, nor the anticipated result that may discourage us if we do not see any progress but we need to focus on the One who promises and trust in His Omnipotence.
 
Let us trust.
 
Numbers 23: 19
God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

- Jenni Wang

As a kid, I hated electricity blackouts. When the lights and power were cut abruptly, it was so inconvenient but as it is a normal occurrence where I grew up, I got used to blackouts; its darkness and silence.

Those who live without Christ is like those who experiences constant electricity blackouts. They don’t know how important the light is as they are used to its darkness. The touch of God’s presence and grace could illuminate any darkness. There is no space in this world where the grace of our Father cannot go through and there is no force in this world who is in equal to the power of the Father’s love for us.

I am thankful for the constant reminder that the Father is everlasting God who is worthy to be worshipped forever even when the situation is very challenging and it seems that I cannot see the glimpse of light in the darkness. God, He is our light. There is no more darkness if you choose to abide in Him.

1 John 1: 5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

- Jenni Wang

Thank you for Lord for Your sacrifice on the Cross.

Whilst I was a sinner, You died for me ; knowing that I would deny and reject you with ignorance. Thank you for loving me faithfully and granting me the free gift of salvation that You have purchased with such a high price. 

Hosanna to the Lord. Hosanna to the Lord who saves me. I bless Your holy name and declare You are my Living Saviour. I receive Your love and Your forgiveness and I lay down all cares of the world at the foot of the Cross. Thank you for my life and may You use it to bless others who needs your love in this Easter weekend.

Amen.
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John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 

- Hopeful Heart Team

How did God perform the miracle of the Red Sea? By shutting His people in on every opportune side so that there was no way out but by the supernatural  way. The Egyptians were behind them, the sea was in front of them, the mountains were on both sides of them.

There was no escape but from above.The devil can wall us in, but he cannot roof us over as we can always get out at the top. Our difficulties are but God's challenges, and many times He makes them so hard that we must get above them or go under.

During such trial, it presents us with highest possibilities to build the muscles of our faith. We are pushed by the very emergency into God's best inteference. Friends, this is God's hour. If you will rise to meet it you will get such a hold upon Him that you will not be in extremities again; or if you are, you will learn to call them not extremities, but opportunities.

Like Jacob, you will go forth from that night at Peniel, no longer called Jacob, but as victorious Israel. 

2 Corinthians 4:9
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

- Writing of A Simpson

The goodness of God endures continually.”- Psalm 52:1

Good things show up in our lives in many ways: friends and family, health, a roof overhead and food on the table, the enjoyment we receive from music, nature, books and so on. The Bible teaches us that God is the giver of these blessings. “God’s gift to us is the happiness we get from our food and drink and from the work we do. “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created the heavens.”

These gifts however, as wonderful as they are, are just a small illustration of God’s love. God didn’t have to send His Son; and Jesus didn’t have to lay down His life for our sakes, but He did, and as a result, we are eligible to receive forgiveness of sins and the assurance of an eternity in God’s loving presence.

Without Jesus’ sacrifice, without His sufferings on the cross, without His death, without His resurrection and triumph over the grave, we would not have the promise of everlasting life. Let us take some time to thank God for His gift of salvation. Thank Him for these eternal gifts of forgiveness and redemption.

“Thank You, Lord for sending Your Son, Jesus, to bear the punishment for all my mistakes and shortcomings. Please keep my heart, mind, and life open to You, so that I always remember Your daily goodness in my life.” Amen.

James 1:17 ESV
​Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

- Anonymous