God Answers Our Prayers

When we ask in faith, like the blind man in Luke 18, we will be saved.

 What do you want me to do for you? He replied, "Lord, please let me see."
Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." (Luke 18: 41-42).

We praise God for the many answered prayers he has granted in our lives. Like the blind man who asked in faith, we too have experienced big and small miracles in our lives. But there are times too that it seems that our prayers go unanswered. Times when we desperately needed a miracle, but it just didn't come. We also pray for something or "someone" important to happen in our lives and that miracle hasn't come yet and its been years. I'd like to reflect and share on 3 things pertaining to our faith that might help us when it seems that our prayers are not being heard.

1. God's plan is always better than our own. 

There is a divine reason why our prayers don't go our way: His way is better. And if our prayers are answered exactly as we ask it, it is because it matches with His will for us. God is always faithful and He is perfect. In faith, all our prayers have already been answered, as to when and how, we leave it to God because He knows best.

2. We have to endure in prayer.

Jesus heals to save us, totally. The miracle is in the saving of our souls. Often we ask for physical healing or financial miracles, but it is in the spiritual healing that we are ultimately saved. That is why we pray-over someone in order for the person to ask in faith and that faith will purify and heal the soul. The essence of total Christian liberation is in freeing the person from the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bondages brought by sin. God heals totally by means of the faith we put in Him. Total healing and liberation is a process and not a one-shot deal. The constant prayers we offer to Jesus, should mold us to become more and more like Him. The mother of St. Augustine, St. Monica , became a saint because of her persistence in praying for her son's conversion. As she endured in prayer, she herself became holy. And yes, her prayers were answered. Augustine did not only convert and reform his ways but also became one of the greatest saints that ever lived.

3. Faith without action is dead.

 So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  (James 2:17)

Like the blind man, he did not only have full faith that Jesus would heal him, he also exerted his best effort. He put his faith into action.

He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"
The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!"  Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; (Luke 18: 38-40)

Despite that the people were hindering the blind man to approach Jesus, he persisted and acted upon the situation. If we want financial miracles, we have to get off the couch and act upon it! If we want to get better physically, we have to sweat it out in exercise or find means to buy medicine. There will be many hindrances and distractions along the way in asking Jesus to heal and save us, but we have to focus and work doubly hard. Pray hard and work hard! At the end, it is by His grace that we are saved, not by the merit of our works. But if through these works we are led to a stronger faith in Him, then grace abounds.

Let us continue to pray knowing that God is faithful and perfect. When the right time comes in His wonderful and mysterious ways, that our prayers are manifested, let us give glory to Him Who saves!

"When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God." Luke 18:43

Suggestion Versus Commandment

I went to a coffee shop to study, but i didn't want to get coffee since I had too much already for the day.  So I asked the barista what he recommends.  He then suggested to me a shake that he says I will surely like.  I couldn't really make out what kind of concoction he was trying to serve me. He just mentioned something about a fruit and that it tasted like yogurt. It turned out that his suggestion was okay, and I enjoyed the shake.

With a suggestion, you can either say yes or no.  People who suggest are those who do not have authority over us and hangs by our decision.  But people who have full authority over us can command us, and  our actions will either be to follow or disobey.  The negative implications of not following a suggestion are not usually as grave as not following a command.

When the Lord said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34)," He was not suggesting, the Lord was commanding us.  He didn't say, "I suggest that you love one another as I have loved you...".  Why does the Lord command us?

1. He has authority to do so.  He is God and He is above us, and our obedience is demanded although we are given free will. He loves us so, that we were not born puppets, but creatures with a capacity to decide and choose good or evil.  We need to come to realize that His authority is like more of a father rather than a tyrant.  His authority is born out of love for us.

2. He knows that His commands are good for us.  Our wisdom is limited, while His is all encompassing.  Since God created us, he knows how we are supposed to be as His creation. When God commands, we have to obey because our disobedience will lead us away from Him.  When we are in a state of sin, we are ashamed and our dignity is stripped from us, just like how Adam and Eve realized that they were naked when they disobeyed God.  The 10 Commandments are good for us.  They were not called the "10 suggestions" because the consequences of disobeying are severe. If we "covet our neighbor's wife" we know the kind of tragedy that will fall on our family.

3. To give us direction in life.  His command is a way of revealing His perfect will for us. We often ask, Oh Lord what is in store for my future? What are your plans for me?  I believe that through His commandments, He directs us to the kind of life He wants us to live.  The fruits of our obedience will be the revelation of His plans.  What about the rich young man?


Now someone approached him and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" 
He answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.  If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." He asked him, "Which ones?" And Jesus replied, " 'You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother'; and 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The young man said to him, "All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19: 16-22)


The true result of total obedience and observance to God's commandments will be a life of surrender to the Lord, putting Him first in our lives; even above our wealth and following Him to eternity.


The Lord does not command us to do something to our own demise.  He gives us commandments  rather than just suggestions because if He says so, it is sure to be good. God is good...all the time. 

The Mosaic of Life

Madaba, Jordan is famous for its Mosaics. The process of making mosaics, specially the smaller art pieces, is painstaking. The artist has to carve each piece of stone with its natural colors and fit them to the plan for the mosaic. One has to see the big picture first before working on the details.
God sees the Big picture for our lives, while we only know bits of it. He is the Mosaic Artist and our daily lives are the small pieces of stone that contribute to the Mosaic of Life. God places us on His Mosaic board to fulfill a role and make His design and vision a reality.


Let's take these lessons from the Mosaic:



1. We are a significant piece of His grand design. Some people think that they are not important or special. In God's eyes, we are so important that He sent Jesus to save each of us from our sins.  The only hindrance is that if we choose not to realize our own greatness and significance as His sons and daughters, then we become discarded stones by our own doing.  Let us choose to be a "piece" of His plan that completes His great Mosaic. 



2. Let us be willing to be used for His purpose. This is not easy. It requires full surrender. We will go through "carving off" of our attachments to vices, materialism, bad attitudes and habits.  This process is painful but necessary. With our surrender, great things will happen through us, for we serve a great God.


3. Life is painstakingly beautiful with God. Like putting together the pieces of the mosaic, putting the pieces of our lives together is not easy to comprehend.  We painstakingly go through each phase of our life, trying to understand how that phase complements the next.  But through the harshness and joys of life, we just have to put our faith in the "Mosaic Artist of Life" that He has a plan, a design, and that it is beautiful.  A plan of which its fullness might be realized in our own lifetime or in the generations to come. Abraham really never understood why God was so harsh that He had commanded to sacrifice Isaac. But then Abraham passed the test of obedience and God stopped the sacrifice.  He then became the father of a great nation. Let us go through life with obedience to God, no matter how painstaking it can get, we will later realize His purpose.


Let today be a colorful piece of God's Mosaic for our lives!


1. Recall your significant past experiences and relate it to who you are today.
2. How has God used that piece of you life to make you a better person at present?
3. Are you willing to be used for His purpose and take part in His design? Why?

In Search of Clarity

Clarity is an elusive quality.  We want to be clear so that there will be no confusion. Yet, we yearn for freshness, something exciting, and surprising.  They say, "You cannot box-in the Holy Spirit."

"The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (John 3:8)."


What if everything was laid out before us?  Just to be clear.  We would know what will make us successful, when we would die, and we would know exactly what heaven looks like.  No mystery, no surprises.  No more searching, no more praying. I'm sure life will be boring and we'd be acting like robots.

The future is not known to us for a purpose. It is hard to see the reason behind the tragic things that happen to us or to a friend.  Our faith is often challenged by the desire to know everything right away.  We ask, "Why me Lord?" or  "Where were you  Lord?" We get angry at God because we assume that He did not answer our prayers.

Yet for the Lord, a thousand years is like a blink of an eye. 

"But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years* and a thousand years like one day (2 Peter 3: 8)."


Our prayers have been heard and answered. The answers might not be what we excpect, some answers are beyond our lifetime, some answers we see immediately.

The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,” but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).


So, why did some good person get an accident or become a victim of a heinous crime? Only God knows the true reason (Jer. 29:11). Our requirement is to have faith that God is good...all the time.

Living a life in the Holy Spirit is fresh, exciting, and full of surprises. It is meant to be unclear, to be a mystery, so we do not stop seeking and yearning for God.  Those who deny God's existence are uncomfortable of what they cannot see or control. They try to box-in life, yet after thousands of years and all these so-called geniuses, no one has found the cure for the common cold.

Let us not stop asking the Lord for clarity of His will for our lives but at same time we have to keep our faith firm when we are confused and the circumstances are unreasonable. If there is one thing that is clear, it is that God loves us and He has a plan for us.

A Reminder From Job

One week to go before flying to Singapore for the 13th International Kids Village, and I'm down with flu, severe headache, diarrhea, some major family concerns, and our baby Kaitlyn just got sick.  It's as if all our problems were being reserved for the whole year just to be poured out on this particular crucial week of preparations.  The Lord has blessed us in almost every aspect of the event; great CFC Singapore counterparts, exceeded target participants, dedicated service team, all-out coordinators, and excellent venues, to name a few. But truly the devil will not give up easily. The enemy will explore our weak points and target it.

Sharing to you some realizations while being sick. There are things that we face that are not in our control. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens (Ephesians 6:12). I did not choose to be sick nor did I choose for my daughter to get sick, nor did we cause some family concerns, it just came, clearly to discourage us, to dishearten us, and to divert our focus.

Second realization, God allows these things to happen so we will become stronger in faith and dependence on Him. And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like him, faultless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil? He still holds fast to his innocence although you incited me against him to ruin him without cause." And Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! All that a man has will he give for his life. But now put forth your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and surely he will blaspheme you to your face."  And the LORD said to Satan, "He is in your power; only spare his life. (Job 2:3-6)"  How convenient for us to blame God when bad things happen, yet unknown to most of us, we are actually letting the devil win over our lives.  The easiest thing is to give up on God. The people around Job were already cursing God, yet Job still submitted to the Lord.

Which bring me to my third point: God is ever faithful, ever just, and ever lavish to us . After all that has been lost in Job's life, God has blessed his faithfulness in the end. Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones. For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.  And he had seven sons and three daughters...(Job 42:12-13).


I pray for all of us who are going through life's struggles at present, that we bring back our focus on the Lord and magnify His power in our lives. May Job's story, all 42 chapters of it remind us that even the most faithful of men go through oppressions, but may it also remind us that God cannot be outdone in His generosity and His will is always the best for our lives.

Asking Questions

This picture was taken in front of the Academy of Athens in my recent mission trip. Above me are the statues of Socrates (right) and Plato (left), two of mankind's great philosophers. The Socratic method, described by Plato (Socrate's student) in the Socratic dialogues, influenced much of Western thinking. It is a method of problem solving wherein a problem is broken down to a series of questions. And the answers to these gradually reveal the solution a person would seek.

In life, we ask ourselves many questions. Questions like, "Why me?" or "Why now?" We even pose questions to God, like many of the verses written by David in the book of Psalms:

Psalm 13: 1-6

How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look upon me, answer me, LORD, my God! Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death, lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed," lest my foes rejoice at my downfall. I trust in your faithfulness. Grant my heart joy in your help, That I may sing of the LORD, "How good our God has been to me!"

We pose questions to be able to understand clearly our life's situations. For us to find the right answers, then we have first to ask the right questions. In the Psalm above, David asked God questions, to be able to convict his own trust in God and affirm God's faithfulness to him. Not to doubt Him.

In my own life, 10 years ago, our family went through a great trial. We were swindled a great amount of money that significantly affected our way of life. It was at the same year when I was about to start in my missionary work. In my prayers I asked God, "Why Lord? Have I not been faithful?" I asked that question to be able to seek deep in my heart and be convicted that the Lord has a plan. Jeremiah 29:11 always affirmed me, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." True enough, I saw God's plan unfold as He allowed my family to live a simple life, away from the temptations of drugs, infidelity, corruption, mysticism and other things that would lure us into great sin. Then I realized later that God has answered, "Yes, my son, exactly because you have been faithful."

As we probe our hearts and go deeper in seeking God, we humble ourselves and ask difficult questions. When being in a state of unforgiveness we ask, "Is my pride higher that my love for God?" Questions like this can help us come face to face with ourselves and be brought to the point of surrendering before God. For He alone holds all the answers to all of our questions.

Socrates posture is this, and I quote, "I know that I know nothing." This is one of his Socratic paradoxes. Coming before the God of the Universe, we also say, Lord, I know that I know nothing. Therefore to ask God questions is an act of humility and the gateway to great wisdom.

Building and Honoring God's Gifts

I was watching History channel today. The episode was about the History of America, particularly about how the Statue of Liberty was mounted in New York. It was a gift from France to the United States as a thank you for helping them obtain their independence, and as a way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of America's independence. The different parts of the statue came in gigantic crates. Now, the problem of the city was that it was too expensive to actually to put up the statue. They didn't have the money to build it. The gift meant a lot and it was important to honor it. The people were determined to build it. The one who lead the construction, Joseph Pulitzer, was also the owner of the most popular newspaper of that time. Through print media, they asked the people of New York to help build the statue. After the sound off for support, money came in through letter envelopes. There were 120,000 people who gave money and most of them gave less than a dollar. Amazingly, through the help of the people they were able to raise more than enough money to be able to put up the statue.

The Statue of Liberty is like God's gifts to us. We have been given great gifts from the Lord, but we have to build it up. We have our talents, our family, our friends, our jobs and many more. But for us to realize the full potential of these gifts, we have to ask others for help. We need them to be able to put together the different pieces of God's gifts to us. If God gifted us with the talent for leadership, we need to be mentored by different people and gain insights so the gift may be harnessed. God has given to us the gift of family and we need each member to contribute so that the family will stand strong. The gift of our jobs or businesses can only grow if we have co-workers and customers. The gift of our creative talents like playing an instrument, painting, singing, dancing, and writing will be maximized if we actually study and asked to be taught by others. To achieve something great through our gifts, we need other people.

If we have to build something great out of our lives by allowing God to fully use us, our vision for ourselves must also be clear. What do we envision ourselves to be? What do we see ourselves doing for the Lord? It helps if we start to draft a personal vision and mission statement. "Each one, as a good manager of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God (1 Peter 4:10)."

Another insight I got is that the people of New York were excited to help because they were awed by the possibility of this grand vision. For us to be able to get people to support our cause, the vision must be as clear as building the Statue of Liberty. It should be something that excites and captivates the imagination. The vision should make our hearts long for its completion.

God has a great plan for our lives. "I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for (Jer 29:11)." With this great plan comes great gifts. May we be able to build up and honor God's gifts so His glory may be seen throughout the world.