Intentions or prayer

423 precepts or prayerAgain, a new year has begun. Many people have made good intentions for the new year. Often it is about personal health - especially after the many food and drink during the holidays. People all over the world are committed to doing more sports, eating less sweets and generally want to do a lot better. Although there is nothing wrong with taking such decisions, we Christians lack something in this approach.

These resolutions all have something to do with our human willpower, so they often peter out. In fact, experts have followed the success of New Year's resolutions. The results are not encouraging: 80% of them fail before the second week of February! As believers, we are particularly aware of how fallible we humans are. We know the feeling that the apostle Paul had in Romans 7,15 describes as follows: I don't know what I'm doing. Because I don't do what I want; but what I hate, I do. One can hear Paul's frustration at his own lack of willpower as he apparently knows what God wants from him.

Fortunately, as Christians we don't need our own resolve. We can turn to one thing that is far more effective than willingness to change ourselves: we can turn to prayer. Through Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can confidently come before God our Father in prayer. We are able to bring our fears and fears, our joys and our deep worries before him. It is human to look to the future and hope for the coming year. Instead of making good intentions that will soon fade, I encourage you to join me and make a commitment 2018 to make it the year of prayer.

Nothing is too insignificant to bring it to our loving Father. But unlike the intentions at the beginning of the year, prayer is not only important to us. We can also use prayer as an opportunity to bring other people's concerns before the Lord.

The privilege of prayer for the New Year is very encouraging. See, I can set my own goals and expectations for 2018 to have. However, I know I'm pretty powerless to make it happen. But I know that we worship a loving and almighty God. In chapter eight of the Epistle to the Romans, just one chapter after his cry of his own weak will, Paul encourages us: But we know that all things serve for the best of those who love God, those who are called according to his ordinance (Romans 8,28). God is active in the world, and his almighty, loving will is directed towards the well-being of his children, regardless of the circumstances in which they live.

Some of you may have had a very good 2017 and are quite optimistic about the future. It was a difficult year for others, full of struggles and setbacks. You fear im 2018 there could be more burdens on them. No matter what this New Year brings us, God is present, ready to listen to our prayers and requests. We have a God of infinite love, and no worry that we may bring before him is too insignificant. God is happy about our requests, our gratitude and our worries in close conversation with him.

In prayer and in gratitude,

Joseph Tkach

President
GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL


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