Principles For Daily Experience of Faith

Is our perception of Gods presence ever present as we get involved in our day to day activities? Or do we feel disconnected? Where is God?- is what we ask. There is a legitimate desire in us that God be involved in WHATEVER we do (Ps 42:1) For a daily exercise of Faith certain principles need to be understood and followed :Nature of God The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.(Ps 145:8, NIV).Do we believe this? or does lifes challenges overwhelms us so much that Gods goodness seems to be a fairy tale. For quite some time, the OT seemed to portray a different picture of God to me. If we have such opinions may we correct them. Have we overlooked the explicit references of the Goodness of God in the whole of the bible (including the OT)? Jonah of Old had the most noble complaint about Gods nature - Jonah 4:2. May we search the scriptures (Prov. 25:2) Without this assurance of God being a Loving father we as sons would never long to spend time with Him or for that matter invite Him in our daily lives. Faith Vs Works: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 cor 5:17). And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6).How does this principle work? As a Christian positionally we are a new creature and as a matter of practicality we have to put our Old man off. We have to walk daily in the manner for which we have been reborn. How can we work daily? Ans: We dont have to! For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Phil 2:13, NLV) First, to will; He gives the insight into what is to be done, the desire that makes the work pleasure, the firm purpose of the will that masters the whole being, and makes it ready and eager for action. And then to work. He does not work to will, and then leave its unaided to work it out ourselves (Andrew Murray).Let us not undertake to do the work that God has taken upon himself to do (2 Thess. 1:11). Prayer: Jn 15:7 talks about a fruitful prayer that yields results. This is the prayer that we all look for in our daily life. The secret to this prayer is Gods word in our Heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Mat 12:34). How much prayer ready are we every day? So often we have times when its a big struggle to pray. Then having prayed we wonder whether our prayers have been heard by God. These are indications of an unprepared heart. Have we left the good old practise of Quiet time every morning? (Ps 63:1) May we fill our hearts with his word that the prayer we make may be a natural outpouring of our hearts to God.

Talk: How prompt are we in giving replies only to realize later that I shouldnt have said that? Have we mastered the art of bridling our tongue? (Jam 3:2). The consequence of such discipline is mentioned Perfection with our total being under control. Prov. 25:11- our communication should be of words filled with Hope, Truth and Love. Such words are very powerful and can even persuade the heart of kings (Prov. 25:15, 15:1). Wise sayings may fall on barren ground; but a kind word is never thrown away. Experience: A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again (Prov 24:16). This verse highlights the possibility of a defeat that we may have to face. The most comforting part of this truth is that our defeats are short lived because the Lord upholds us with His hands. God gives us the strength to rise when we fall (Ps 138:3, ESV) Do we have the heart to accept and confess of our defeats to God daily? Or does our pride prevents this confession before God. May we examine our hearts.