Contributed by Abbey Thangiah • Jul 9, 2024
‘After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendour of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.”’ (2 Chronicles 20:21)
This will be my favourite worship verse. A king sent His worship team to walk before the army in the midst of a war. I cannot imagine a scenario like this in modern warfare. Worship must be so important that God deserves to be first in our lives.
Another worship song that I like is The Lord’s Prayer sung during Communion. Jesus taught us how to pray. I use it as a template (when I remember) when I pray to Him.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Before we begin with our needs, we begin by worshipping God. 3 weeks ago, I changed 3 tyres in 3 days. Last week, as I was driving, another sharp piece of metal pierced my tyre and it went flat. This round, I almost lost control driving at high speed and it messed up my alignment. The mechanic spent 4 hours servicing the brakes and another 2 hours replacing the handbrake cable. When I shared my tragedy on facebook, some called me a jinx but I refuse to believe it.
The statement above is my spiritual compass where I always give glory to God in spite of whatever happens.
Give us this day our daily bread.
God has never failed to provide when I needed it the most. Sometimes, His economics surpass our needs. Sometimes my budget will be tight where I would be in some kind of survival mode so that I can pay the bills. During this time, I would be invited to provide a food review in a 5-star hotel buffet costing RM 200. I would never dream of dining in a hotel when I am in the midst of paying my bills.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
When I entered the corporate training and real estate industry, I was hoping for a smooth sailing industry where I could make a difference in people’s lives and provide solutions to people’s problems. Little did I know that I was too naive and was introduced to an extremely corrupt industry full of giving and receiving “commissions” to those who would give us the job. Not only that, some people would seek my detailed expertise then choose another person to do the job.
In the midst of all that is happening, God is still God. I am blessed to be under a training provider on a part time basis. The pay might not be great but I see myself growing in the industry. As for real estate, as much as I haven’t sold a property yet, I believe that God’s principles are higher than any commission I would ever receive.
This does not mean I am perfect. I also have to seek forgiveness from God for the times that I have wronged him and hurt others in the process.
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from the evil one.
I think in the age where a person has almost everything, distraction is the greatest temptation. Watching Christian Tik Tok for hours doesn’t make the distraction any better or make us holier than the person watching other TikTok videos. I must confess that sometimes I have spent hours bingeing or scrolling emptily in my phone when I could have been more productive.
Sometimes, I do standup comedy. I seek to make my content clean and accessible for anyone aged 9 to 90. Sometimes, it is tempting for me to take the easy way out as making fun of ‘race’, or ‘religion’ or ‘adult content’ generates more laughter. I have a few friends who initially seemed to be a clean comic and content provider but after noticing that being dirty and raunchy generates more laughter, they have chosen the easy way out.
I pray that as I surrender my content to God, he will deliver me from the evil one.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
I start by giving praise to God. I end by praising God and acknowledging that His Kingdom, Power and Glory are the only truths that remain despite all that I have gone through. Many say when I was born, I almost died due to a sickness. God has kept me alive for 45 years and counting. I give Him all praise as long as I live.