Voice of Hope

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Where do I belong? Not finding a place to fit
In search of everywhere the affirmation that I need
I can’t find it here, I can’t find it there
I can’t find it anywhere

I look to the left, I look to the right

Everywhere I look, I find myself in a fight
Day in day out, I battle with my doubts
So many questions, which answers I keep trying to figure out

I’m confused, I’m lost and I don’t understand

The how, the why, the when and the what in your sovereign plan
Fear has blinded me and has caused me to fall
Yet in the midst of these, I hear a still small voice that call

Be still and know that I am the Lord your God

I will be here with you for always, so fear not
I am your very present help in times of need
I will be there to strengthen you when you are weak

Therefore look up, lift up and cast all your cares on me
Have faith and don’t worry about what the future will be
For I know the plans I have for you
And whatever that I do, will only be for your good


Serving with you in His Kingdom with love;
Princess Michelle -
Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Voice of Discernment

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Voice of Discernment Part of me says yes, another part says no One voice says stop, another one says go How shall I discern the many voices that I hear To follow and choose the wrong one is my greatest fear Speak to me Lord that I may hear Your words to me so very clear Clear my mind of all my doubts Silent my enemy and shut him up This is my prayer today that I will hear and follow You Your way and Your will and what I will choose Guard and protect me, lead me all the way And draw me closer to you each passing day Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Coping with life's problem

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Coping with life's problem

Have you ever found yourself in situations, you find it all hopeless? Do you find life miserable, everything seems to going wrong and nothing is going right? You want to give up, you want to run away, you just want to escape and have nothing to do with it?

Well, life does attempts to tear us apart in different directions especially, in the face of an adverse situation. There are often different kinds of reaction we can have towards these situations in life. We can either choose to run away and forever not learn how to cope with them, or we can trust in God's grace and His supernatural strength to enable us to walk through it.

Whenever we come face to face with such situation that is too difficult, too fearful or maybe even too troublesome to cope with, our natural reaction is usually to run away from them. More often than not, running away from the problem doesn't solve anything at all; in fact it often carries heavy implications in the future. The unsolved or unresolved problems in the past will snowball into the future posting an even larger one than before. And most people often will have to deal with the present issues, plus and on top of those that have been steadily accumulated over the past years, while at the same time, learn to tackle the problems that will come inevitably in the future.

As far as life is concerned, problems are inevitable part of us. It doesn't matter how old, how young, how strong, or how weak you are. It doesn't matter how rich, how poor, how smart or how lowly educated you are, problems will come to you someday, someway and somehow. No matter how hard we try to avoid them, we just can't, it's simply impossible. Coming back to the topic, how then shall we learn to cope with our problems? If we are consistently running away from them, then there will be no end in hiding, because it will eventually come back to us. However, if we should choose to face our problems with faith, confidence and determination, we can be a better person. When we learn to put our perspective right, our views change, our attitudes change even though the problem may still persist.

One of the things we can do as Christians is to pray. Prayer does have a major impact on our problem, though it doesn't make our problem disappear, it does however, gives us the peace that God is with us and He will give us the wisdom, His grace and His strength to help us through. Many times, when we are facing problems whether at home, at work or at church, we have the tendency to pray, "God, please help me get out of this situation." While God is more than able to do that, He often has other plans for us. All of us would love to have God coming to our rescue to save us out of our situation, but God prefers to help us through them. We often do not see how it works, but learning to cope with our problems, and walking and working through them, actually helps our character to grow. We learn through perseverance and patience. Romans 5: 3 – 5, tells us this, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Learning to lean upon God's help and strength, and waiting upon Him to fulfil His promises towards us in His time, requires both perseverance and patience. There are also two other very important aliments, which we often tend to neglect and they are the aliments of faith and obedient.

Both our faith and our obedience to God play a very essential role in terms of our spiritual walk with our Heavenly Father. While in the process of waiting on God and upon His answers to come, we often have problems worrying about what the future may bring us, or whether or not God will do what He says He will do. We have far too many concerns in our lives that we are unable to trust God or wait patiently and obediently for Him. Yet, that is what is mostly required of us, and the bible says it very clearly, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards them who earnestly seek Him (Hebrew 11:6). And faith as explained to us in God's word is, - "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

The aliment of faith is made up of two parts - being sure of what we hope for and part 2 – being certain of what we do not see. The first part of faith deals with hope, having great expectation that whatever we are being hopeful to receive, we are sure to get it. The second part of faith, deals with being certain, or being confident. Being confident and believing positively about what we cannot see of the future. Put the two parts together, and faith is made up of – being hopeful and being confident. Our confidence is place in Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith (Hebrew 12:2). We can totally trust in Jesus in any circumstance, because Jesus is known to be faithful in all His ways and He is known to be steadfast and unchanging because "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever." (Hebrew 13:8)

We tend not to have the faith when things go wrong, and then we tend to be disobedient to God when we don't feel like doing what God's wants from us. Especially, when we do know that it requires a lot of changes in our lifestyles. It's natural that people don't like changes, but change is inevitable and is permanent. We can only be obedient towards God and have faith in Him, if we understand God and we truly trust Him. That trust and that faith comes from spending time in His word and worshipping Him and it starts with a relationship and as with every relationships, effort is required to maintain it. It requires discipline, which most people (including myself) lack greatly. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17).

The very fact we lack faith is the fact we lack discipline to read and to pray and spend quality time with Him. Having suffered from depression before, I felt that that is one of the most valuable lessons that God is teaching me. The fact that I do not pray and spend time reading His word as I should, I have given space and allowance to the devil to play with my mind, together with it, comes the lies and all sorts of negative and destructive thoughts. What the Lord has been teaching me is that worship is important. The more we don't feel like praying and worshipping, the more we SHOULD pray and worship. It takes a very deliberate effort and we must die to our flesh, and to our unwillingness to do the uncomfortable. The word of God teaches us, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Another important weapon is – Praise & Worship. Worship changes our focus from ourselves and our problems to God. The worse we can do is to run away from the very place we ought to be in - in the place of worship of the saints and in God's presence. Our prayer has power; it is our communication towards God. Our worship has power; it is an expression and confession of our love, our faith and the acknowledgment of our Lord and Savior. Satan is allergic to our praise and our worship to God, and in the place where praise is offered to God, the devil has to flee. You still think you can't pray and you don't want to sing because you think it's hard and no one understands you? Well think again…"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, than we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in times of needs" (Hebrews 4:15-16). And we are also taught that, "No temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man; and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you able, but with every temptation, will provide a way of escape also that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Let's just face the fact. The problems will not go away, and the only thing we can do about it is to be positive. Know, for a fact that God is in control and He is guiding us through it and helping us to overcome them and in the process, we grow to be more Christ-like. It is tough, but if we ever want to get better and grow, stay on and trust God! Our only source hope is truly found in Christ. Psalms 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, our ever present help in times of need".  So, run to Jesus and not away from him.

Winners never quit and quitters never win. You want to be a winner? Stay in the race, do not give up or lose hope! And finally, "For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purposes." (Romans 8:28) Still thinking of quitting? Think again! If I decided to quit, this book might not have able to be completed and published.  One lesson that failure has taught me is this - I am not a failure just because I have failed once, but I keep trying and trying and I never give up on myself. The only time when I become a failure is when I decide not to try again and just remain at my fallen state.  As long as you have not stopped trying and believing and trusting God, you still can and have hope that things will eventually turn around and become better. Remember that life is not a bed of roses, if life was that easy, we wouldn’t be in need of God and we will take everything for granted. At the point of my writing, I’m still dealing with health issues and other personal matters. God is still teaching me how to learn to have faith and be strong in Him. Proverbs 3: 5-6 teaches us this truth, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path”. At the end of the day, it is still about trusting God and He will lead you to the path of victory and success. It will happen, in His time, not ours. No matter how hard life is, life still has to go on.


Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His Kingdom with love;
Princess Michelle -
Beloved Daughter the Most High King

Father's Day Reflection

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This Sunday, 15 June, is a very special Sunday because it is Father’s Day. And as the world celebrates fatherhood tomorrow, let’s spend a few moments reflecting on what a father is like.

Whenever we think of our Fathers, what is one common thing that we usually think of? Maybe the word – discipline & authority comes to mind. But how often do we think of a father as someone who is a figure of love and gentleness? Most of us would naturally feel that the loving and gentleness part is played by the role of the mothers; rarely would we associate dads with tenderness and understanding. The father is usually identified as the breadwinner and the one who plays the role of a discipline master. The mother is usually identified as the gentle parent who takes care of the family with love and patience.

I am not sure what kind of dad you may have in your lives. Some may have very protective and caring fathers, one who is gentle with them in words and in actions. Some may have abusive fathers, who are harsh and merciless in their speech and violent in their ways. Some may not even have a father.

Whatever kind of family background we may have come from, whether a not we have a good or bad father, one thing is quite certain. We all do need a father and a mother figure in the household in order for the children to grow up in a complete family environment. We need the fathers to provide the bread and to protect and teach the children how to live a life of integrity and honesty. We also need the gentleness and the patients of mothers to take care of us when we are ill. Though we admit that we all have imperfect parents, it is essential that we learn to recognize and honour the roles of both the fathers and the mothers and give thanks to God for them.

God gave us our parents, both the mothers and fathers. They are God’s authority over us and we as children must learn to recognize that. Even though many times we complain about their imperfection, we fail to realize that we ourselves are imperfect too. Speaking as a child of my own mother, I admit that there are many times in our growing up lives when we often do not see eye to eye with them for many reasons. Some children have constant squabble with their parents. We often hear of children grumbling about their parents for not being loving or caring enough. We blame them for not spending enough family time with us and we complain that they do not give us freedom to go out…. We grumble and complain about them for so many reasons, but we know that in general, most of us come from very normal and healthy families where our parents take good care of us. They make sure that we are well fed, well clothe and they ensure that all our daily necessity is well taken care of. For that, we all should learn to thank God for our parents, no matter how unhappy or unsatisfied we may be with them.

The truth is that our parents love us; they just do not know how to express them vocally. I used to complain and grumble about my parents and accuse them of treating me unfairly from my younger brother. My younger brother (10 years my junior) seemed to get everything he wants and has all the love and attention from my parents while I on the other hand, have to work for the things I want and I never seem to be able to please my parents no matter how hard I tried. I have lived with this emotional imbalance for many years but the fact is that my parents do love me. I just failed to see it because I was focussing on the things I didn’t get from them. I only see what they didn’t give me or what they didn’t do for me, but not realising and appreciating the things they do for me every day.

Actions do show that they are concern for us, – When we are sick they show concern by taking us to the doctor, reminding us to take our medication. When we were still schooling, they will remind us to study for our exams and do our homework. My dad drives me to school every morning while I was still in high school. Even till now as an adult, my dad still drives me to my examination hall when I’m taking private exams, to endure that I will be early for my papers. My dad will also endure I have a proper meal before I go for my papers, so when possible he will either take me out to have breakfast with him or buy lunch for me on his way back from work than pick me up from home to send me to my examination venue. I can no longer still complain that my dad doesn’t love me… He does love me and a lot… I was just too bitter and jealous over the love and attention my brother got more than me to see that.

Even as we look to celebrating Father’s Day in a weeks’ time, I want us to take this time to remember and honour the Heavenly Father. Many of God’s children today, have a hard time accepting and receiving the Father’s love, because many of us have a false or distorted image of a father in our own lives. God modelled for us what and how a father should be like. Throughout scriptures we read of the many attributes of God the father being gentle, forgiving, loving, merciful, and patient.
One of the best loved story and perhaps one of the most popular of all the Parables told by Jesus are the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin and The Prodigal Son.


The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15)

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Jesus through His Parables, shows us the Father’s heart and love for His children. He is always seeking out for the lost.

The greatest demonstration of the Father’s love is the death and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ – God’s only beloved Son. This is the ultimate love – unconditional and self-sacrificial, all for the sake of His precious children. “But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). God loved us and died for us while we were still sinning, He did not wait for us to get better before He does anything good for us. He has been loving us since the day we were born. “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel, you were have been borne by My from birth, and have been carried from the womb; even to you old age, I shall be the same, and even to your greying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; and I shall bear you and I shall deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:3-4)

This is the kind of God we serve, and this is the kind of Father that we as God’s children have and so we can rejoice. Imperfect as our earthly fathers may be, they all desire that their children grow up in a safe and loving environment. No parent will allow their children to suffer in life; they all have good intention for us just that, most parents don’t really know how to express it. The Bible says in Matt 7:7-11, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him.”

What gifts did God gave us –

He gave us life through the death of His Son Jesus, “The wages of sins is death, but the free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ” (Romans 6:23).

He gave us the Holy Spirit -  “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)

He gave us healing in exchange of his wounds. “But He was wounded for our transgression, he was bruised of our iniquities, the chastening of our peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5).

So we may not have a perfect earthly father that we can all look up too, but Christians can rejoice in the fact that we have a perfect Heavenly Father that loves us beyond our own biological parents. Hallelujah to that!!!

To close, I just want to wish all fathers a very “HAPPY & BLESSED FATHER’S DAY”.

And to all of God’s Children, let us celebrate and rejoice in the love of our Heavenly Father!
May the love of the Heavenly Father, flow through you, so that you will learn and experience the truth and the warmth of the Father’s love.


Serving with you in His Kingdom with love;
Princess Michelle -
Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

The Perfect Father

http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com  A little child, lost and no where to go Wondering around helpless, hungry and cold A stranger met him one fine day And to the little boy, this is what he said Come along my dear child, come along with me Let me take you to a place, where there is something to eat So to his home, the man led the little boy And to his surprise, the man gave him a toy A bowl of hot soup in a tray was being served And that left the boy crying, for he has never felt so loved The boy looked at the man, with tears in his eyes The man look back at him, smiled and asked why The boy told a sad story that broke the man’s heart He shared; my parents abandoned me when their marriage fell apart Now I have no one to love me, no place to call my home I feel like I’m left behind here to die and suffer all alone The man replied with great compassion in his heart You can stay here with me and then gave him a great big hug I have no child of my own, and would be happy if you can stay Then by the hands he took the child and led him to the fire place On his lap he placed the boy, then turn to him and say My child, I have chosen to love and care for you today My home and my heart is always opened for you to stay Just like the father and the boy whom in this poem you just read Our Father in heaven loves us just like that With great compassion and no string attached He loved and died for us, without any regrets It’s difficult to imagine a love like this, but it is true God’s love is readily available for me and for you While we do not deserve from Him all we have received It is by His loving grace that He has chosen to give This is the Perfect Father, of whom all God’s creation belong And in His presence and love, all our fears and sorrows are gone This is the Perfect Father, of whom we are privileged to have Praise God for this Fatherly figure, for in Him we are truly blessed Written By Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

True Identity

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee I looked into the mirror one day But didn't like what I saw So I looked up to heaven and told God " I don't like myself anymore" God looked at me puzzled then He seemed to say "Why Child, I can't find anything in you that's wrong. You were exactly how I created you to be, Even before you were born." Then I stared at God and slowly began to cry "But Father, I said How could this possibly be, How could you love an awful looking sinner like me?" God smiled and took my hands, then wiped my tears and said "Child I made you and I love you And you mean the world to Me And in my eyes, you're the most beautiful person as far as I can see, So it doesn't really matter what you do or where in life you'll eventually go You are My precious Child and nothing else matters most You will always be my beloved no matter what others may say Don't be afraid of who you are, take My hands, My precious child, and I will lead the way." So I looked back into the mirror once more Pondering upon the words He said Then I started to tell myself "I'm not too bad after all." I therefore started looking into my heart Suddenly I realized and saw That a well that was once dried up within me Has now become a waterfall The love of God has came down And touched my broken heart And because of Christ love for me I've finally learned to accept my true identity Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

The Fight

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee The fight is on as the battle begins To tear down the works of Satan until victory is seen Children of God, prepare your weapon and take your place To defend the power of darkness with the power of prayer and praise When the praises of God’s saints arises, the power of darkness fall For great is the power of God, when upon the name of Jesus we call In God’s victory and strength, we fight the fight Not by our own wisdom, power or might Christ is glorified in each and every battle won And it is in fighting these battles that we learn to be strong In every battle is a lesson from which we can learn And God’s grace is there to meet us at every single turn This battle I have fought, I will do so till the end For even though I’m weak, in God’s strength I will stand Never will I give up, until the enemy is struck down And God will lead me until I claim the victor’s crown Written By Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Love Letter from God

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee Precious, precious Child of mine, created in my own sight How painful it is for Me to see, you my dear child in this plight Early in the morning at 6 you arise and off to work at 7 you go You rushed through the morning hour and left without saying hello I called you but you ignored and even refused to answer when I knocked on your door For you, patiently I waited and silently I cared But you acted and behaved as if I wasn’t there I was ready to catch you anytime you might fall I was waiting patiently, hoping that my Name you’ll eventually call Sadly, you wouldn’t look up, you wouldn’t even pray You were far too busy to spend time with me today I know that you’re hurting and that you’re in pain But it hurts My heart even more to see this is how you choose to remain Still I will love you and still I will care Still I will be waiting and still I will be there Patiently I will wait until, My precious you come back And until that day comes, know that I’m still your loving Dad I’m your Father from up above, always looking down and ready to love No matter how far you may try to run Child, you can never escape My loving arms Please come back My precious, here I will wait for you Come back to your Abba Father, I will make all things brand new The things of old shall no longer be, A new beginning in Me you shall see Trust and see if My promise to you I shall not keep So be bold, be strong, take My hands and get back up again on your feet! Unmistakably, I feel God is speaking to me…. I was so awakened by the words, I thought I had to share it… It might not just be for me, but it is God’s heart and it could be anyone out there, who needs to hear God gently and lovingly calling them from wherever they are!

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Unity

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee UNTIY United we stand Divided we fall Discord is the reason and The root cause of it all The Devil knows our every weaknesses So an attack on our minds, he'll scheme To develop a strife among us And a deep tension from within We'll end up losing our focus On the Lord's goodness and grace Coz all we'll ever think about, Is how to avoid each other's face So now we know how division may be caused We should guard ourselves, our minds and all Always be on the alert, and never go to sleep Lest we're caught off guard, and fall into the Devil's Scheme Our safety gear, is the armor of God Which we should always at all times put on Just as a soldier prepares for war We as God's warriors be ready for the battle call With Jesus as our commander We are bound to win As long as we obey His instructions And stay close to Him This is the final word The most important thing to note Something I must mention before This poem comes to close We are all God's children Mighty warriors are we Capable of accomplishing mighty deeds And destroying the Devil's scheme. So united, we have to stand Through thick and through thin Together we shall persevere Together as one we shall win Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

The Idol

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee I erected an idol before my Lord, a thing which should not be No wonder my prayers were not answered, my sin had kept Him from hearing me I know I am supposed to let it go, and I know I'm in the wrong But I confess that it is really hard, for I had held on to it for so long I've given the creation too much attention and neglected the Creator Himself My idol was in the limelight but my Lord was left on the shelf Soon I knew I was in trouble, my heart was not where it should be I cried, Oh Lord, have mercy and please forgive me of my sins I know now, I had to decide and I had to make up my mind I had to come back to God, I had to repent and make things right Slowly but surely, with my idol I had to part For I know that all this while, it has been breaking my Father's heart Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Seasons

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee Seasons come and seasons go The sun goes down; the chill winds starts to blow Things may change but Your love will still remain In Your perfect time, You will heal the pain, reviving all my broken dreams again Every tear I have ever cried You will cleanse and wipe them dry Seasons come and seasons go The snow cease to fall and the trees start to grow Bit by bit, things fall into place Every day, you are leading me by grace What was lost, has now been found Hiding in Your presence, I am safe and sound Everything I have, I will continue to hold on to I’m holding on to faith, I’m holding on to You I’m holding on to Your grace to see me through I won’t give in, I won’t give up, I won’t let go until You tell me to Though the season change and everything else falls You remain steadfast, Your love for me does not change at all Written By Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

God is our refuge

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee The Lord just gave me the words and I wrote it as it came to me... This is for everyone who is looking for strength, faith and healing in the Lord. May God bless you! Trickling down my cheeks, my teardrops fall Just like the rain pouring outside my door All these pains, torments and fears, all these regrets throughout the years Who could understand them and who could hear Who has answered my cries and saw my tears Questions aplenty yet answers I have not Who else could I turn to except You my Lord When faith runs dry and hopes seems gone When my heart has failed me and I’ve lost my song I look to You my hiding place, for You keep me strong I turn to my Father in heaven, for that is where my help comes from When trouble comes upon me, to You I will run to hide You will keep me safe from my enemies and give me strength to fight Every battle that I face, Lord You are there with me Giving me the strength to endure and leading me to victory Trickling down my cheeks, my teardrops fall Just like the rain pouring outside my door All these pains, torments and fears, all these regrets throughout the years Only You Lord understands them and only You can hear Only You Lord have answered my cries and saw all my tears Questions aplenty yet answers I have not But there is no one I can turn to except You my Lord When faith runs dry and hopes seems gone When my heart has failed me and I’ve lost my song I look to You my hiding place, for You have kept me strong I turn to my Father in heaven, for that is where my help comes from When trouble comes upon me, to You I will run to hide You have kept me safe from my enemies and gave me strength to fight Every battle that I have faced, Lord You were there with me Giving me the strength to endure and leading me to victory Written By Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

My Past

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This poem is about child abuse as I have myself experience it..

Memories of the past I wish I could erase
The past and hurts still haunts me till today
The harsh words spoken and the beatings that I've got
These are the memories that my childhood has brought

Go do your work, don't you dare play
So I haven't got a choice but to study all day
I work so hard to try and get good grades
Still I failed and made my mother lose her face
With the rattan she hits me, one stroke at a time
She punished me as if, I had committed some serious crime
I may have a family but I've never felt at home
I'm insecured and timid and have no freedom of my own
Everything I do, seems to be wrong in their eyes
As far as they're concern, I can never do things right
Encouragements and praises are foreign words to me
The things they say and do, just hurts and sting me like a bee
You're stupid and good for nothing, you're such a useless bum
This is common sense, I can't believe you're so dumb
These are the things I grew up with ever since I was child
To be able to heal from all these hurt will definitely take a while

Memories of the past I wish I could erase
The past and hurts still haunts me even till today
The harsh words spoken and the beatings that I've got
Those were the memories that my childhood has brought

Written By Michelle Yee

Where were You God?

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee A reflective poem that is linked to my previous work - "My PAST" I looked to God in heaven one day with tears in my eyes I have so many questions to asked Him, I wanted to know why Where were you God, I asked Him when I suffered abuse as a child Where were you hiding from me Lord, all these while? Do you understand the pain I went through and know how much I’ve cried Do you how much I struggled all these years with those pains I feel inside Then God put His arms around me while gently wiping off my tears He whispered so tenderly and reassuringly the following words to my ears I was there beside you when you were beaten and you cried out in pain I was there beside you even before you knew My name I was there beside you when you thought that no one cared I was there beside you when no one else was there I saw all that you went through and I heard all your cries And yes I do understand all the pain that you feel inside God showed me the scars that were on His arms and feet I hung there on the cross, refusing to come down not because I was weak He told me about the cross and explained why He was there He said because I love you and want to show you that I care I understand what you went through because I have been through them before But now that I’m here with you, my Child, all these can hurt you no more I will never leave or forsake you - I will be with you till the end of time You are my precious Child and you will forever be mine All the years of pain, in My time I will take away Just trust me Child, everything is going to be OK Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Without You

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee I can go without sleep or perhaps a meal or two But I can never imagine living a life without You I’ll be incomplete and lost without a clue Without You beside me, I won’t know what to do I won’t be able to tell my left from my right I’ll be stumbling in the darkness, if not for Your light It was You who saved me, when I was in distress I needed my Lord, for my life is in a mess From the past to the present and the future, You’ll be with me till the end You’re the only One I can rely on, Jesus, my Lord and friend Your love and grace sustains me, and catches me when I fall Your strong arms, they carry me and see me through it all I will not seek another, You’re everything I need You are my strength and my hope whenever I am weak Don’t deny me from Your presence, or turn Your face from me For by Your side, is where I always want to be All my days, I will seek You until I can find The purpose You have intended for my life, before the start of time Forever Lord, my heart will embrace and recognise this truth I am absolutely nothing at all, I can’t make it through life without You Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

My Life is a story

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee There has to be a reason for all the things I’ve been through I wrote them out hoping that I can inspire or encourage you My life is story, Orchestrated by God for His own glory Some are wonderful, others may sound bad Sometimes a joyful song, other times sad I’ll give my life to Him that He may work His way through me Allowing Him to mould me, the way I was created to be He is the potter and I am the clay I give Him all the freedom to let Him do it His way My life looks like a messed up puzzle with some missing parts But I believe God can transform it into a beautiful piece of art I’m still work in progress, God is not yet done with me There’s still a long way to go before the Masterpiece is complete Written By Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

The Race

http://www.reflectiobsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee Everyone is running in a race called life There are many people competing with you all the time Everyone’s trying to climb the ladder of success Everyone keeps on running, there is just no rest Sometimes it’s hard when someone stabs you on the back But somehow we’ll all find a way to continue to stay on track There are many obstacles that we face along the way But God’s strength is always for us to see us through each day Mistakes and failures are things we are bound to face There is just no avoidance; it is all part of the game Sometimes we get tired of running all the time And we feel like someone has just moved the finishing line We may be tempted to stop when we fall and start to cry But we must tell ourselves to stay strong and give another try Perseverance and faith is the key to keep us going on God’s power and strength is what keeps us strong God’s approval is what we all should seek All our success and failures we lay them at His feet Taking none of the glory for our selfish pride Recognising success as gifts of grace and not our rights One day we will all finish the race Then we will all get to see Him face to face To claim the victor’s crown that was prepared before time But not until we finish running this race called life Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Reflections on God's Faithfulness

http://www.poemsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com We often find ourselves singing during worship or maybe during our prayers, “God, please do not let me go…” But if we think hard enough, do we realize that God doesn’t have the intention of letting go of us? If fact the Bible says “The Lord will never leave us nor forsake us.” Heb 13:6. Having said this, the reality is that, instead of God letting go of us, we are the ones who are letting go of Him. We often have heard of people saying, "Let go and let God”, this phrase simply means we are to let go of ourselves and all of our problems, releasing them to God, letting Him do what He has to do, and we are to trust Him. But the fact is that most of us are letting go of God rather then ourselves. Perhaps next you might wonder, how do we let go of God? Simple, when we go astray, when we disobey God and when we do not trust Him. By letting go of God, you’re basically saying, “God, I’m going to ignore You to do my own things. I’m not holding Your hands and following You.” That is what letting go means – to be willing to open your hands and release what you are holding on to and literally giving it away freely. Maybe it’s true that we do not let go of God intentionally, but let’s face the fact. We all, at one point in time of our lives have done that before. Let’s be honest with ourselves. Have there been times we have become impatient with God that we have decided for ourselves to do what we please instead of faithfully waiting upon Him? It’s easy to praise and trust God in the good times, but what about the bad times? Will we be found equally faithfully too? Especially during times, when God seems silent and apparently so far away from us, when we felt that God is ignoring our cries. It is in these desperate times, that we should cling on to God even more. It is hard to go through these times, but we all have to experience them, it’s perhaps the best way if not the only way, our faith is being tested, our true character shows. These may be tough times, but definitely moments we have to learn to treasure as there are valuable lessons we can learn from. Sometimes when God is silent, it does not always mean He is ignoring us. It could be test of our faith, it could a time when God is teaching you patience, it could be time of self-reflection or simply just waiting upon Him. While God promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us, He never said that we will always feel His presence. Now, this is something we must learn to know the difference and accept it. God is always looking down upon us, taking care of us and loving us, whether a not we know or feel it. The bible encourages us with these three verses - Lamentation 3:22-23 - “The Lord’s lovingkindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.” And 2 Tim 2:23 - “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself,” Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever." While, most of us do not like to go through this kind of tough moments, sometimes it can only be through these trying times, that we truly learn to recognize that without God, we are nothing. Sometimes, God must bring us to a place and break us so much that we must have to come to a point of our recognition for God’s grace and mercy. Sometimes, that is God’s way of drawing us back to Him. If we truly understand God’s faithfulness and love towards us, we are then now willing to learn to trust Him and wait upon Him even through tough times? May we be found faithful, not only in the good times, but even more when in the bad. Psalms 23 The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not be in want He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me besides the quiet waters He restores my soul, He leads me in the path of righteousness for His namesake Even though I wake through the valley of shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemy, You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. God bless you all! Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

The Battle with Emotions

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee I felt like the enemy is coming back And my emotions again are being attacked Depression, fears and worries and more Such feelings I want them out my door I am taught that my feelings control me not But it is by will that I fight with all that I’ve got But sometimes it is not easy, I failed and failed again It’s really hard to stand up when there is so much pain Let it go, trust Me, be strong and walk on These are the words I heard from God Mistakes, regrets sure I have a few But God promises that in Him all is made new We should never listen to the lies we’ve been told God has given us His power so we can be bold To choose, to listen and follow the truth Aligning our thoughts to Him, letting them be renewed With the sword in one hand, and His shield by my side I fight my enemy with all my might Not by my own strength, but with God’s love and grace To help me overcome the emotions that I face Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Reflection on Praise and Worship

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com Worship is essential to the Christian faith as important as we need to pray, as important as we need to have faith to please God. Worship is the overall calling and a privilege of every Child of God, Psalm 33:1, “Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones praise is becoming to the upright.” Worship is man’s expression of love and reverence towards our Creator and it is also our acknowledgment of His sovereignty and His lordship over our lives. Worship is bringing delight and pleasure to God and it shifts our focus from ourselves to God. It is also a powerful weapon against the devil, it silences the accuser and denies him of his power, because worship brings down God’s presence and power. Our worship not only brings delight to God, it also brings encouragement to the hurting members of Christ. When our worship rises to God, His power is manifested and healing takes place. Worship should be a way of life for Christians, if we do not enjoy worshipping God on earth, how are we going to worship in heaven which will be for eternity? It has been said that our hearts are designed to be a God-filled vacuum. If our hearts are not filled by our worship or our desire for God, it will be cluttered and filled by other things in life. Once our hearts are filled things other that God, we lose our focus on Him then we start to go astray. At this point of the message, I should also make some clarification of the most common misunderstanding of worship. Worship is often and mostly misunderstood and often referred to as a particular style of music. We usually classify fast songs as praise and slow songs as worship. Worship has nothing to do with the style or volume or speed of a song. Praise is worship and worship is praise, they one and the same and there shouldn’t be any segregation the two, because to God any song that glorifies and pleases Him is praise that is as good as worship. But worship is far more that music, every part of the church service is worship - Praying, scripture reading, singing, listening to a sermon, taking notes, baptism, giving of tithes, part-taking of the Lord’s Supper and even greeting of other worshippers. If worship is only music than, those who do know not music, cannot worship. If worship is more than music and if worship is bringing pleasure to God, then our lives must be worship unto God. We ought to live our lives to glorify Him. How then do we glory God? We can glory God in various ways – When we speak the truth in gentleness and love, when we honor our parents/bosses/pastors or when we help a brother or sister in need. When we seek to honor and glorify God, we are God conscience and we will do the things that please Him. We will pray and seek God for counselling before we make any decision and when the Lord gives us the direction to follow, we simply obey in faith. It is probably a good idea to do a spiritual check-list in our lives every now and then by doing self-reflection… A good start will be to ask, “If I do this, will God be happy?” So let us all start to get into the habit of worshipping God. Make worship a priority, make it a way of life… When you know that God is pleased with you and your live, you will probably be a more confident person. You will be bold to do the things of God and will do it with such joy because you know that God is smiling at you from heaven above. Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the Lord is your strength”. God bless you all and may His joy go with you to give you strength!

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Relfections on Prayer (Part 2)

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com In my previous blog, we have already discussed and understood the following things about prayer. We have defined prayer as a form of communication towards God, we have also studied the Lord’s Prayer and have a better understanding on how we can pray. We have also talked about the importance and reasons why we should pray and have answered the question if God answers all prayers. In today’s blog, we will look and study the different forms that prayer takes and look into its application. Prayers in its different forms There are different forms of prayer and for each type of prayer, the application is more or less the same… Let us first begin with the list of the forms that prayer can take, a lot of which are inter-linked and connected with each other. 1) Praying in the language of understanding 2) Praying in the Spirit (praying/speaking in tongues) 3) Spirit led prayers/for the purpose of ministry a) For spiritual warfare b) Intercessory prayer We will begin first to look at the first point – praying in the language of understanding. What this basically means, is the prayer in the known languages such as English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, German etc… This is the most common form of prayer all across the globe. Every child of God engages in such form of prayers, it is also the easiest form since any Child of God, regardless of age is able to do it. The prayer can be as simple as “God, please help me!” Prayer and its application 1) Praying in the language of understanding The use of praying in the language of understanding is applicable for all situations such as praying for a solution to your problems to the use for the purpose of ministry. Most of the time when we engage in ministry, especially when you are praying for someone on the spot, we pray using the language of understanding more than the use of tongues (which I will discuss about later on). The use of the language of understanding effective communicates a language/message that is most commonly practiced and understood by its community. 2) Praying in the spirit (praying/speaking in tongues) The Bible talks a lot about praying / speaking in tongues. The first incident recorded for us, is in the second chapter of the book of Acts from verses 1 to 8. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?” The speaking of tongue is a heavenly language, one that is God-given and Holy Spirit empowered and it is not one that can obtained by learning. It is a gift that is received by faith and given by the grace of God. Most of the people receive this gift through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Of course, there are also some who are not able to receive it, for some reasons we don’t know. But we choose to believe in the grace and the sovereignty of our Lord that He does give spiritual gift to all His children, but everyone receives different amount and different types for different purposes. The use of the speaking/praying in tongue is usually for self-edification. 1 Corinthians 2:2-4 says, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.” Speaking/praying in tongue is most effective especially when you seem to have difficulty expressing your situation to God and find the appropriate words to use in prayer. Romans 8:26 -27 tell us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Ephesians 6:18 also has this to say, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” 3) Spirit led prayers/for the purpose of ministry Spirit led prayers are slightly different from speaking/praying in tongues. It is usually done in the known language but the words are inspired and given by the Holy Spirit. This is especially powerful and effective for the purpose of ministry. The one praying usually do not have a full picture or understanding of the situation of what the people that he/she is praying is in or going through. As she/he begins to open his/her mouth to pray, the words are given by the Holy Spirit to help minister to the person being prayed for. I will give you an example to explain this more clearly. A person who has just been rejected came to you for prayer. You only know that the person has been rejected but you do not that the person has been abused verbally in the process, because she/he did not say it. But as you begin to pray, the Holy Spirit prompts you to pray that God will heal her/him of the verbal abuse that she/he has experienced and perhaps ask the person to confess forgiveness. As I mentioned earlier, spirit led prayers are especially effective for the purpose of ministry and I gave two other examples of ministry that this is effective for: a) Spiritual warfare b) Intercessory prayer 3a) Spirit led prayer for the purpose of spiritual warfare Spiritual warfare is something that all Christians are actively engaged it whether a not we are aware of it. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. Since we are fighting against spirit, doesn’t it make sense to counter it with the Holy Spirit through His leading in prayer? The Spirit of God will lead and prompt us to pray according to his will, in my earlier points I quoted Rom 8:27, “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Of course the proceeding verses of Ephesian 6 from 13 to 17 tells us to put on the armour of God, “Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The tool is eventually the Word of God, but when combined with the leading of the Spirit through prayer, it is double the effectiveness! Finally, we have come to our last point. 3b) Spirit led prayers for the purpose of intercessory prayer All of us are called to pray for one another, but there are some who have been given the special calling and burden or task by God to pray for a special or specific person or group of person. These are whom we call them as intercessors. The main task of intercessors is to pray on behalf of the person or group which the Lord has given them. Most intercessors do not personally know the person whom they are praying for, especially if one’s call is to pray for a particular government body or personnel, you wouldn’t exactly know what the specific things are that will require your prayer attention. This is when we need to depend on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us in our prayers and that is why it is called spirit led prayers, we pray based on what we feel the Holy Spirit has prompted us to pray. It is God inspired. In conclusion, prayer is the basic and most vital tool of our communication towards our Heavenly Father. It draws us towards Him enabling the following to be fulfilled – 1) God answering/meeting our needs 2) For the purpose of understanding the will of our Father 3) For the establishment of God’s will and purpose and 4) For the purpose of ministry and the work of God. God bless you!

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Reflections on Prayer (Part One)

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com Prayer is the main foundation of the Christian faith. All Christians pray. First before we start the discussion on prayer, let us look at the definition of prayer. After we have defined prayer, we will also talk about the importance/reason of praying and about God answering our prayers. Prayer Defined What exactly is prayer? Prayer is a form of communication that brings the creation to the creator. Prayer is like talking to God and telling Him what you need or how you feel. Someone once said this about prayer and I quote. “Prayer is the key to heaven, but faith unlocks the door.” Understanding the Importance/Reasons of Praying Now that we have defined prayer, let us now look at the importance and the reasons why we should pray. Why do we pray? Why is it important that we pray? Simply because Jesus Himself modelled it for us and he instructed us to do so. Let us look first look at the most famous prayer of the bible – The Lord’s Prayer and also a few other examples. “Our father who art in heaven hallowed by Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Matt 6:9-13) Example 1 – “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place and was praying there.” Mark 1:35 (Jesus often took time out to be alone with the Father in prayer. If Jesus the Son of God does that, how much more do we, as mere mortal ought to do the same?) Example 2 – “Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you” (Matt 7:7) Example 3 – “Until now you have not ask anything in my name. Ask and your joy will be made full” (John 16:24) Example 4 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to God” (Philippians 4:6) Understanding Prayer – The Hows and the Whats. Now we have seen the various examples from the bible about why we should pray. Let us look deeper into the Lord’s Prayer as our model to understand how we should prayer and what we should ask for. First step in prayer is the acknowledgment of God our Father – “Our father who art in heaven hallowed by Thy name”. recognise our identity as God’s Children and address Him as our Abba Father. Prayer is an act of humility and faith. We pray because we know that God is able to provide for our needs and is able to help us when things are beyond our control. It is the acknowledgment our dependence for God and we need faith to believe that whatever we ask for in prayer we will receive it. Prayer is not for the proud, for they believe they are able to handle it on their own and refuse to seek help from the only sovereign and Holy One. God is the one who created the world that we live in, don’t you think He has all the wisdom, capability and the solution to all our problems? Second step in prayer is seeking the Lord’s will and its fulfilment – “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Third step in prayer is seeking the Lord for our daily provision – “Give us this day our daily bread”. Noticed the Lord uses the word “Daily”. It means that we are to seek him every day for new provision of grace and strength. We are not to depend on yesterday’s grace. The bible says, “The Lord’s loving kindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 2:22-23) Forth step in prayer is seeking for forgiveness for ourselves and those who have hurt us – “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”. It is important that we seek forgiveness for our sins as well as seek to forgive those have hurt us, as un-forgiveness will hinder our prayers from being answered. The Bible says in James 5: 16 – “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. “ Fifth step in prayer is seeking the Lord to guide us away from temptation and for the deliverance from the enemy – “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”. This is very crucial because the bible gives us this warning of Satan, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) The sixth and final step in prayer is to praise the Lord, “For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever”. One of the examples I’ve quoted earlier from the bible is this “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving presenting your request to God.” (Philippians 4:6) The above is only an example and not a format to prayer. There is no hard and fast rule how we should pray, but the Lord’s Prayer is a model for all of us to follow. Now we have looked at The Lord’s Prayer and have understood better how we should go about praying. We will now discuss one of the most talked about topic – Does God answers all prayers? Does He or doesn’t He? So does God answer all prayers? Does He or doesn’t He? I personally believe that He does. God answer prayers in 3 ways, “Yes,” “No” and Wait” When God says “Yes”, that is a pretty straightforward answer and a sign of approval that God is giving you the go ahead light to do as you wish or is giving you something that you were seeking for. When God is “No”, that is a denial. Most of us cannot accept “NO” as an answer but the fact that God says “NO” is already an answer and the answer is simply “NO”. Earlier in the blog we mentioned that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. But if God does not answer you, does that mean you are not righteous. Of course not. God is not a mean or stingy Father who will withhold things from His children. The Bible says in Matt 7:7-11 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him”. Sometimes it may not be a bad thing when God tells you “No” it could be that God has prepared something better than what you were asking for. Imagine if God said “Yes” to all our selfish requests, the world would be in much havoc. And finally God sometimes says “Wait” and that refers to “Delay”. Most of us don’t like to wait because we have no idea how long the waiting is going to be. But that waiting part is the testing of our faith. In the beginning of my blog I quoted this, “Prayer is the key to heaven, but faith unlocks the door. One thing to be thankful of is that at least God didn’t say “NO”, He is only telling you to wait, that means it will eventually take place, but in His time and not ours. That’s why the in the Lord’s Prayer we are to seek the Lord’s will “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Seeking God’s will, includes trusting in His perfect timing to do as He says. In conclusion, pray because – 1) Jesus modelled for us to do so 2) Jesus instructed us to do so 3) It is God’s desire to bless us when we pray 4) It is our privilege as God’s children to seek Him and request for things 5) God hears and answers them God bless you!

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King