Konki

The last words of Jesus spoken from the cross tells us that He has accomplished the work on earth for which Father has sent Him to do. He is now entrusting His spirit to God the father. Jesus had total and complete trust in the Heavenly Father. We too must totally and completely put our faith,trust,rely upon God at all times through all experiences and in all circumstances. As Christ is confident in His father's providence in the hour of His death,we who believe in Christ and have the assurance of salvation,have faith in God's word can be confident of our heavenly father's providence in the final moments of our life. We have eternal life with Jesus and our father in heaven. That is our hope of Glory.

Jesus finished the purpose for which he was sent by God the father. To redeem the mankind from sin unto salvation for which he offered himself as an atoning,perfect sacrifice. When Jesus spoke these words, he was declaring that the debt owed to his father was paid in full and forever. The debt of sin owed by mankind was paid by Jesus on the cross. Jesus had glorified father while on earth "finished the work you have given me to do" Jesus work was to seek and save that which was lost. To provide atonement for the sins of all who believe in Him. To reconcile man with God. Jesus fulfilled all the OT prophesies at the cross. Jesus obeyed God the father and accomplished God's perfect will. The finished work on the cross to give new life,salvation to all. God has put us on this earth for a purpose and to accomplish His perfect will. We should be ever willing and faithful for the works of God through all situations,sufferings and persecutions and bring glory to God.

The fifth word spoken by Jesus from the cross"I Thirst" shows his human side. He is suffering a physical death, and experiencing all the pains that go with it. Jesus was both human-Mortal and God-Immortal. Jesus spoke these words to fulfill the scriptures. Ps.69:21. Jesus in those two words spoken from the cross ,directs us to think about our own need for a saviour,to thirst for living water. We need to recognise our own thirst and help those around us who are hungry and thirsty. The message of the cross is clear for there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

The cry of Christ on the cross is fulfillment of Ps.22:1. God placed the sins of the whole world on Jesus.He was carrying the weight/burden of sins of humanity past,present and future. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us. He became sin for us.. In these painful moments Jesus experienced abandonment of God for a short period. Jesus continued in faith in God,somewhere in the depths of His soul there remained the assurance that God was holding Him. He triumphed over sin and death. We too many times when going through trials,suffering experience that God has abandoned us. We need to have great faith like Jesus had to face the situation courageously and the result would lead us to victory. The love of Christ was so great despite being forsaken by God,betrayed by disciples,suffering on the cross, He endured the suffering till the end to save the sinners. My prayer, that I should exhibit the love of Christ towards God and one another.

In the Middle East and Asian cultures & custom,the eldest son of the family is responsible to take care of the aged parents. Jesus inspite of His suffering on the cross,seeing His widowed mother watching the spectacle of crucifixion and nowhere for her to go after He was gone,entrusts her into the care of His disciple John whom He loved. Jesus knew that John would take care of His mother than any of His brothers or other disciples who were afraid to be identified with Jesus. This tells us that Jesus loved His mother and was concerned for her welfare and well being after He was gone. Jesus is teaching us here that we are to love and take responsibility towards our parents,our immediate family members in need. This is one of God's command to honour our parents and it is moral responsibility.

The dying thief on the cross had great faith in Christ. The thief might have heard about Christ,His Sermons, His Miracles,feeding the multitudes,raising the dead,healing the sick,cleansing the lepers. The thief about to die realised his past sinful life no hope of entering heaven witnessed Christ praying for those who were crucifying Him. The thief recognised Jesus as Messaiah and was convinced that Christ is the only way to God, the only one who can give him place in paradise. The thief received forgiveness of sins,salvation and eternal life. The purpose of Jesus coming into this world and dying on the cross is being accomplished and that purpose of saving the sinners is continuing till today. Praise God.

Jesus looked down from the cross and saw the roman soldiers casting lots for His clothing. The criminals on either side of the cross,the religious leaders were mocking Him. The crowd was making fun of Him. Jesus looked down and prayed Father forgive them. Jesus in His suffering and agony was asking for forgiveness. He asked the father to forgive the theives on the cross who made fun of Him,one of whom accepted His love and mercy. He asked Father to forgive the Roman soldiers who crucified Him. Jesus. Asked forgiveness for the angry crowd that mocked Him and shouted for His crucifixion. Jesus asked forgiveness for Sadducees and Pharisees who demanded His death. Above all, Jesus was praying for forgiveness of all those who would ever believe in Him, past,present and future. Jesus paid the penalty for the sins we committed,offered himself as an eternal sacrifice.

God receives glory when we really live a life of obedience,honouring His word. Self-centerdness,selfish-ness among the congregation including the leaders to be shunned. We must grow and show love to one another. Now a days the world is making entry into the church instead of church going into the world and spread God's love. Above all I believe PRAYER is the strongest weapon against the attacks of the enemy on the church trying to bring confusion,disunity and division and steal love,joy and peace from God's people. God receives glory when the church is praying and worshipping in spirit and truth. I could help in this by praying for the leaders & Pastors, that they may truthfully, honestly serve the Lord by Ministering to all sections of the congregation. Pray that believers in the church may grow spiritually and remain faithful to the Lord. I myself will ask God to examine me and help me to live an exemplary life pleasing to God. Work and pray for oneness,unity in the Church so that together we can glorify His name.

God is not just able to do beyond what we ask, He is able to do far more abundantly what we ask. We need to pray big prayers in faith in a mighty God asking to do far more beyond all that we can ask or think. We believe in a living God,whose powers can be seen in creation,delivering the children of Israel from bondage, changing the lives of the most hard hearted people. Knowing all the wonderous works of God,we should be encouraged and energized in our prayers. When we limit God by our own ability to comprehend His ability,either we doubt in our prayers or in the ability/unlimited power of God. We can get through this failing by increasing in faith and believing "with God nothing is impossible".

I realise that I have not prayed specifically for a believer to be filled with the fullness of God. However, I pray regularly that unsaved people may find salvation in Christ,pray that believers in general may be spiritually strengthened and for those who minister God's word may be anointed with the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord sincerely and with honesty. This prayer encourages to present ourselves spotless,with spiritual beauty,holiness and unblemished with complete(perfection) to Christ. This is the kind of prayer I would be praying from now for myself and for believers.

The love of God is so amazing,we are incapable of fully understanding it. What soil is to a tree.love is to the Christian life. If a tree is not deeply rooted in good soil,it may die. Likewise,if the Christian life is not rooted and grounded in love,it will be a failure. Here Paul is praying that believers get rooted in the love of Christ,get closer to spiritual maturity by grasping the love of Christ. We have to experience operation of Christ's love in our lives so that we can be all that He wants us to be. When a person truly understands Christ's love for mankind,it transforms the person spiritually. One will be able to love other as Christ taught us to love. Christ love is limitless. The Bible tells that God loved us with an everlasting love. The Bible also says because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.

The inner man(heart) is the spirit. The inner man needs constant and regular spiritual strength to face the trials,temptations and stand strong in the faith. Our thought life,emotions and desires should be brought under the control & Lordship of Jesus Christ otherwise flesh will take full advantage of inner mans weakness and makes a believer to become weak in spiritual life. As Paul prays for the strengthening of the inner man,we too need to pray that the power of the Holy Spirit be strong in our lives so that we may lead a victorious life over sin and temptations. Paul is praying that God will give spiritual power so that we may be able to experience the full benefit of our relationship with the Lord. This may be an established fact. However, as humans we are spiritually weak and falter in our walk with God. Hence, this needs to be reminded again and again.

A true believer in Christ is equipped with power. It came with the spirit of grace who came into our heart, when we received Lord Jeus Christ as our personal saviour. He gives us the spirit of love,grace and power that works in us. The same power raised Christ from the dead and seated him on the right hand of God. As a child of God that power is part of our inheritance. Apart from the power of almighty God,we are weak and helpless. The scripture tells us that the spirit of God,the power of God lives within us and constantly,consistently working to help us who trust in him and helps us to grow spiritually. The power of the Holy Spirit when working in us and through us, our lives are transformed and we grow in faith. We increase in faith by drawing closer to God. Spending time in prayer and meditating God's word, keeping in communion with God, having fellowship with God's people. Acts 2:42 I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit may work in others and the eyes blinded by the desires of the world and **** of the flesh be opened towards the saviour Lord Jesus Christ , who alone can fill them with joy and peace.

A helpless person does not approach to seek/find help in other helpless person. If a believer thinks that God is poverty stricken he will stop praying, as he knows that he is not going to be helped as God has nothing to offer. The believer may stop worshipping and believing God. Praise God! We believe in a God who promised that He will supply every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Phil.4:19. The knowledge of glorious inheritance makes one pray fervently that our faith and hope will not become cold. Our future inheritance is immensely valuable. We are going to be richly rewarded in Christ. We are going to reign with Him over all things. Above all we will be made to conform to the image of Christ. We can pray for others too may come to the knowledge of Christ,open their hearts to Christ and find salvation,assurance of sins forgiven. They may be spiritually strengthened and become partakers in the inheritance God has prepared.

My hope is in the Lord. God's word filled me and encouraged me with that hope. The heroes of faith mentioned in Heb 11 continued and stood firm in faith because of the things they hoped for which they had not seen. I believe that God has kept for me the rewards promised in his word. I may not physically see the fruits of the promises here and now, but God has given me the hope that as a child of God I will be spending eternity in heaven. All the promises may not be fulfilled in this life, yet I will focus on the hope God has promised. The blessed hope fills me with joy,peace gives me the strength to face discouragements, disappointments,failures and fears. Christians with meagre hope are the most defeated people. They live for the present without hope of living with God for eternity. Prayer for such people,that they might be spiritually enlightened,their faith may be strengthened and the Holy Spirit may speak to their hearts and lead them to that blessed hope.

Paul prayed continuosly for the Ephesian believers that they might come to genuine understanding of truth. They might understand God's purposes in their lives. They would understand the riches of God's purposes in their lives and the riches of God's glorious inheritance. Paul prayed that believers might experience God's great power. Preaching gospel needs to be supported by prayers. As we read in NT Jesus ministered to the people during the day time through preaching and performing miracles, but spent the nights praying perhaps for the ministry accoplished. I believe preaching and praying go together. Praying that the word given may work deeply in their hearts and the Holy Spirit convicts and convinces the hearts of the people to change their lives. Many lives have been transformed by prayers. Spending time in prayer helps strengthen our spiritual lives and lead other people to the path of salvation, Spiritual growth.

Angels were sent by God from heaven,just as angels came and strengthened Jesus during the temptations in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. Here the angel comes during the conflict to strengthen him,carry him through what was before him. Jesus did not recieve any special treatment. We read in scriptures God sent angels to God's people, prophets and apostles who were in need. Likewise I believe that when God's children are in need, desperate,helpless and suffering God provides by sending His angels in the form strangers,neighbours, church family and through many other ways.

Jesus prayed to Father " to take the cup from me,yet not my will but thine will be done". Jesus yielded to the father's will. Father was pleased. We make own plans,own decisions and then ask God to put the approval stamp on them. But when God reveals His will which is not in line with the plan and decisions we made,we still go ahead and reap the consequences. Our prayers should not be passive but pray with all sincerity present our requests and petitions and tell God what is in our mind, ask him to accomplish His purposes and will. We should be prepared and willing to accept God's will and decision whatever the outcome may be, because God's answer and will towards our situations is the best.

The human side of Jesus,as a man He had a natural aversion to pain and suffering. The cup of Jesus will involve suffering. By going to the cross,he will drink the cup of God's wrath. He will bear divine judgement, which rightfully falls on humanity,past,present and future. He will suffer horribly,both in the physical and spiritual realm as he enters the Period of separation from his father. Jesus will endure the judgement of God because of the sins of others. Jesus also prays not my will,but your will be done. Jesus appeals to the will of God. Jesus is not against the will of God. He yields to the will of father. Perhaps Jesus asked the father if the cross was the only means of saving the souls. Could not God in his unlimited power find another way of salvation. Jesus did not resist the cross. He yielded to father's will and offered himself as sacrifice on the cross for the salvation of humanity.

Jesus and the deciples are under tremendous stress. Jesus tells them to pray that they won't fall into temptation. Pray that they won't be tested. Through all this they would stand strong. Jesus has told them that he's going to be betrayed by one of them and Peter is going to deny him. They would be facing the temptation and tested to deny Jesus. Jesus tell them to pray so that they can overcome the temptation and pass through the testing successfully and stand strong for Jesus. The deciples did not pray diligently. They were found sleeping while they should have been praying lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Jesus knelt down in submission to the Heavenly Father. Jesus was about to face the worst moments of His life,pain,suffering,denial,unfair trial and death. He submits to the father through prayer for which he wanted to be alone,praying for strength as He is going to offer Himself as sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Nehemiah was sad in the presence of the king. This word is used three other times to describe how he looked when he was in the presence of the king. He is expected to be content just to be in the presence of the king. Servants who were sad around the king were usually executed or banished from the king's court. Nehemiah was afraid as he was about to ask the king to reverse an order made several years earlier about Jerusalem's reconstruction (Ezra 4:21). This has to be a short prayer because it happened between the time the king asked his question and nehemiah's answer.it's like sending up an arrow prayer to God, Nehemiah didn't have the time to kneel down or even bow down his head. His arrow/emergency prayer was backed up by four months of fasting and intercession.

Daniel,Esther and Nehemiah though captives were placed in important positions in the king's palace,where they were in a position to influence the king and the officials in the government. At the same time their lives were at stake. God places His people in places of power and influence to accomplish His will and purposes for the betterment,welfare and safety of His chosen people. However, God's people in power should realise their position and not become selfish,self centered and work for their own enrichment or welfare. The plans of God are beyond human thinking,incomprehensible. God places us in strategic places,where we can influence unbelievers not only with sharing God's love and His word, but also by our talk,attitude,honest conduct and living a holy life bring glory to God. Wherever we may be placed or in whatever position it may be, we should be able to influence like Nehemiah the people placed above us or under us exhibiting God's love and living a holy life.

Here Nehemiah is not appealing God on the basis of Israel's righteousness. He is reminding God of His promises and covenant to His chosen people,nation of Israel. Nehemiah asked God for forgiveness for His people,regather them to their lands and restore them to His favour and blessing. Nehemiah is placing himself among the sinners and confessing sins. When Jerusalem and God's people are in disgrace,it reflects on God's name. Nehemiah appeals and reminds God what He said would do if they repented and returned to Him. We too can remind God( not that he forgets) and appeal to God on the basis of His promises to His children. Our prayers should be that God's will and His purposes will be fulfiiied and accomplished.

Nehemiah had a caring heart. He learnt that only a reman ant of people lived there and they were in gray affliction,struggling to survive. The city of Jerusalem was in shambles,where there was once great glory there was nothing but great reproach. The city of his father's was in ruins,the Babylonians had destroyed the city walls,gates and temple. Nehemiah was in great anguish over the condition prevailing in Jerusalem. He fervently prays day and night until he gets an answer and asks God to intervene for the restoration of his people and Jerusalem. For some weeping is a sign of weakness,but with Nehemiah it was a sign of strength. He willingly shared the burden that was crushing others. Nehemiah spent several days fasting,weeping and praying. He knew that somebody had to do something to rescue Jerusalem,he was willing to go and do.He was deeply affected by the prevailing conditions of his people,city and the temple which was in ruins. He grieved for them. Hence, he fasted,wept and prayed. That is not excessive. It is burden for God' s house and His people.

Daniel reminded God of His past mercies. He is asking for mercies and grace they don't deserve. Daniel asked the Lord to turn away His anger from Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. Daniel prayed for God's righteousness towards His people and restore the nation that God might be glorified. Various grounds of Daniel appeal were 1. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous. 2. The Jews were God's chosen people. 3. Jerusalem was the place of His Holy Temple."your city and your people bear your name". God heard and answered Daniel's prayer. Daniel while he was still praying, the angel Gabriel came,touched him and spoke to him. The angel explained to Daniel what God had planned for Jerusalem,the Temple and the Jewish people.