Page 5 - Good News April 2020 paper

APRIL 2020 GOEIE NUUS/GOOD NEWS TEL. (018) 293 1996 BLADSY 5

hristians around the world humanity, He made prayer His highest priority. This
agree that prayer is essen- gave God the Father complete freedom to work
Ctial to see God move on our unhindered through Him.
behalf, win the lost world to
Christ, and build God’s Kingdom. The Gospel of Luke points out that Jesus was in
prayer when the Holy Spirit descended on Him. He
Yet, studies show that pastors prayed and fasted 40 days before starting His
spend about 12 minutes in prayer ministry. He prayed all night before He chose His
a day, and the average believer disciples. He prayed before He faced each busy day
spends only 8 minutes. At the of ministry. He prayed before He fed the 5 000. He
same time, they don’t mind prayed before He raised Lazarus from the dead. He
engaging at length in other was in prayer when He was transfigured, and He still
Christian activities, such as Bible prayed when He was hanging on the cross.
studies, concerts, retreats, evan-
gelism, and charity work. Jesus’ prayer life was so powerful that His disciples
asked Him to teach them to pray like Him - and He
Why does prayer come last on our did. If Jesus, Who is our Example, and the apostles
list of priorities? Could it be that after Him, found it necessary to spend hours in
the enemy succeeded to prayer, what about us? Why do we pray so little even
convince us that all those other after studying the New Testament, reading books on only returning when someone says “Amen.”
activities are easier and produce prayer and attending conferences on prayer? + We pray and get discouraged if there is a lack of
better results than prayer? The excitement and absence of “spiritual” feelings.
truth is the devil knows the I believe it is because we don’t realize that we are + We pray and neglect to exercise faith, which is the
Almighty God restricted Himself engaged in a real war where the enemy is shooting very thing that enables God to do the impossible.
to act on the prayers of His deadly bullets with the intent to kill us and destroy
people. the work of God. Therefore, we react with physical So what should we do to overcome the tactics of the
activities and human wisdom to the unseen spiritual devil and succeed in becoming Christians whose
Just consider Scriptures like battle instead of using the weapons of warfare God prayers will change this world? This is how we need
these ones: gave us and the power of prayer to defeat the enemy. to respond:
+ “If My people who are called by + When we have difficulties seeing beyond the
My Name will humble themselves, The devil is happy with our ignorance and tries his physical world, we must believe God’s Word that we
and pray and seek My Face, and best to make prayer look unattractive and futile. All are in warfare.
turn from their wicked ways, then the while God tells us, “Be strong in the Lord and in + When we don’t feel like praying, we must exercise
I will hear from heaven, and will the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of discipline and pray anyway.
forgive their sin and heal their God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles + Whenever our minds wander off, we must take our
land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and thoughts captive and continue praying.
+ “And whatever you ask in My blood, but against principalities, against powers, + If everything in us wants to substitute activity for
Name, that I will do, that the against the rulers of the darkness of this age, prayer, we must decide to follow Jesus’ example
Father may be glorified in the against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heaven- and keep praying.
Son. If you ask anything in My ly places” (Ephesians 6:10-12). + When we pray and don’t see the answer right away,
Name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). we must exercise faith and patience until we receive
Once we, as Christians, start engaging in serious what God promised in His Word.
Since our prayers will activate prayer, the enemy’s strategy is to hinder us from
heaven, the devil does all he can praying effectively. My dear friend, for you to learn how to pray, you
to prevent us from praying and Here are some of his favourite tactics: most probably don’t need more books and expert
seeing God’s promises fulfilled. + When praying with others, we pray for two minutes teachings on prayer. What you need is practise.
When Jesus, the Son of God, took and suddenly our minds wander off to other things, JUST DO IT!

Kanselleer P
Kanselleer Paasfees???aasfees???

en na die ander bly hulle in Olimpiese Spele waarvoor hulle 'n van die toekoms in die hande van Niemand kan Paasfees kanselleer
die slag. Die reuse van die leeftyd lank geoefen het. Dat nie- 'n komitee of 'n paar mense lê nie. nie! En hierin lê ons troos.
Esportwêreld, die baker- mand op 'n podium gaan staan Ongeag wat die nuus berig, wat
matte van ons kulturele landskap. terwyl 'n goue medalje om sy nek Ons mag dalk nie vir die volgende statistieke voorspel, onseker-
Die KKNK. Die Two Oceans. gehang en sy land se volkslied paar maande juig oor iemand wat heid oor wanneer ons weer werk
Formule 1-wedrenne. Wimbledon gespeel word nie. oor 'n wenstreep bars of 'n toe en skool toe sal kan gaan, die
en die Olimpiese Spele het gunsteling rugbyspan wat 'n drie vrees vir siek word, staan die
probeer vasbyt. Gebid vir 'n En oral rondom ons word meer en druk nie, maar ons het beslis rede volgende waarheid vas: Paasfees
wonderwerk. Maar selfs daardie meer geleenthede gekanselleer. om te juig! Die gebeure rondom kom! Tyd om ons te herinner dat
wêreldgeleenthede is nou uitge- Kerkdienste, Konserte, Fonds- Jesus se kruisiging is nie afhank- Jesus se offer aan die kruis vir
stel of selfs afgestel. Jare se insamelings, Troues. Begrafnisse lik van 'n klein virusmolekule of ons verlossing bewerkstellig het!
beplanning, maande se werk en word skielik beperk tot 'n handjie- besluite van wêreldleiers nie. Die En dat geen aardse siekte dit van
kluise vol geld. Maar meer nog, vol mense. Mense het allergies vir Grootste Leier het hierdie ons kan wegneem nie.
duisende mense se drome is mekaar geword. 'n Gesonde gebeure van Jesus se offergawe
verpletter. fisiese afstand moet gehandhaaf al lank voor die mensdom se In hierdie lig verander die manier
word. koms beplan. waarop ons dink oor wenners wat
Vir die eerste keer sedert die trots op 'n podium staan. Die
Tweede Wêreldoorlog sal daar nie Maar in die lig van al hierdie Vir meer as tweeduisend jaar kon grootste wenners is dan skielik
aarbeie en room op Wimbledon ongekende veranderinge en selfs geen wêreldgebeurtenis nog nie meer die topatlete by die
bedien word nie. Dit is hoogs verwarring in ons lewens, is daar Paastyd ontwrig nie. En ons Olimpiese Spele nie, maar ek en
waarskynlik dat nie een van die een sekerheid wat vasstaan: geestelike ervaring daarvan is nie jy! Want ons ontvang méér as 'n
Williams-susters of Roger NIEMAND KAN PAASFEES verbind aan 'n kerkdiens op Goeie goue medalje. Ons ontvang die
Federer dan ooit weer daar sal KANSELLEER NIE! Niemand kan Vrydag nie. Ons intens persoon- prys wat die kruis bring. Ons
speel nie. Dat baie atlete volgende die gebeure op Golgota verklein like ervaring van Paastyd word ontvang die EWIGE LEWE!
jaar te oud gaan wees vir die tot 'n wêreldse gebeurtenis waar- nou op die voorgrond geplaas. - Carolina Botha