Dear Father,

Whenever I come across the passage where Jesus says, “But the hour cometh, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him,” I wonder: why do You seek worshippers if most of what we do on Sundays, everywhere around the world, is worship?

Today, I pondered three significant words in that sentence: “true worshippers,” “spirit,” and “truth,” and how they shape the entire passage. They reveal that worship is only true when it is not devoid of the elements of spirit and truth. But how, then, can we tell when we are worshipping in spirit and in truth?

My first mistake was assuming that worship begins when we sing in church. However, I have learned about the possibility of worshipping even in silence. And the sobering truth that while singing is a form of worship, it is possible to sing without truly worshipping. It all depends on the posture of our hearts and, invariably, our lifestyle. How often do we speak words--powerful words--yet without our hearts in alignment with them?

The troubles of life may weigh so heavily on our minds that our spirits struggle to find expression, in aligning our hearts with our words. And with so many responsibilities, we subconsciously begin to schedule even during moments of worship, as though time spent on our knees is too great a sacrifice to offer.

I could go on, Father, listing the many limitations that hinder the attainment of true worship. Isn't this why You seek true worshippers? To practice true worship is to know You, and in knowing You, we learn self-mastery.

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#LettertoGod
#worship
#worshippers
#trueworship

Dear Father,

When I was younger, we were told the story of Joash repeatedly, and his story was also a popular question in Bible competitions. The Scripture says, “Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem.” This was all I knew: Joash was seven, and he was king. How? I had so many questions and made so many comparisons. I was older than Joash, and the best I had done was win Bible competitions.

However, we weren’t told the entire story. I learned about his achievements, not his failures--about how he was king, not how he failed as one. I have nothing against Joash, Father, but see how strangely a man’s story is told, not in its entirety? Then we are immersed in the knowledge of a man’s successes, confused as to why we are not without failures.

The fall of Joash was, in large way, related to his applause--a child who leads. One of the most invaluable parts of a man’s success is the struggles and risks attached to it. There are struggles that pertain to a field of success, and there are peculiar struggles that apply to individuals. Joash was a victim of the former.

This is a case of responsibility without maturity, particularly in situations where people are made to lead while ignorant of which way to go. I see how this pattern repeats itself across different spheres and levels of life. And more troubling still is how great achievements can blind a man to his own faults, until the very thing that lifted him becomes the ground of his fall.

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#LettertoGod
#maturity
#responsibility

Dear Father,

There was a period in my life when I would afford myself little or no rest until my desires became a reality. Today, I reflected on how the answers to my previous prayer requests have now become prayer requests themselves, often in the form of deliverance from where I once prayed to be. I believe it is okay when change is motivated by the need for growth, but how do we give meaning to the restlessness and quiet dissatisfaction, of staying in places we once prayed so hard to be? Is this how growth presents itself, or were my ambitions faulty?

Prophet Isaiah testifies to this when he said, “The twilight I longed for has become a horror to me.” This realization has humbled me in my pursuit of new goals. Now, I find myself seeking answers to every ambition as intensely as I would pursue them.

I have come to realize that every new prayer request flows from a place of purpose alignment. I sought to align my ambitions with eternal values, and I found fulfillment in every answered prayer that reflected that purpose. For instance, my desire to build schools was driven by the need for influence. I desired wealth when I perceived the need for warfare globally and its impact on kingdom values. I sought knowledge so that, through freely giving, ignorance might be eradicated.

Wealth took on a meaning beyond status. Certifications became more than symbols. Assets became more than luxury. I began to pray differently when I discovered purpose.

#purpose
#discovery
#ambition
#meaning
#wealth

Dear Father,

The very reason You sent Adam and Eve away from the garden was to prevent further consequences should they fall again. The Scripture records, “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever...”

Sometimes, we are too frail and limited in our understanding to grasp the weight and application of spiritual laws and principles. One striking insight from this passage is: Your nature as God does not override the consequence of their eating the fruit and living forever, even if You desired it otherwise.

We see throughout Scripture that it was impossible to alter the decree of a king, even when it was no longer in his favor. Yet, we often fail to take the weight of these things into consideration: that the correction for eating the fruit was the death of Your very own Son. A correction whose process was so severe, yet still dependent on the thread of human will.

It was never just about the fruit they ate; it was about all that would be required to correct one broken law. These are the very laws upon which the earth is founded. And oftentimes, we ask for Your intervention in consequences we are living through, not realizing that divine intervention is consistent with divine principles. So we question Your ways when we do not see results. Yet, it is not a power problem--it is a gap in understanding. More often than not, the correction lies in the principle.

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#LettertoGod
#laws
#principles
#divineprinciples
#divineintervention

Dear Father,

I grew up learning that the scripture on provision was directed only to men. It says, “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.” Yet, in quoting this scripture, we often put man in place of anyone.

For me, this highlights much more than gender inclusivity. I see a broader perspective of responsibility that we often neglect; one not limited to the provision of basic needs, but one with the potential to significantly reduce inequality. What would be the case if, for instance, every family had a well-to-do person, and every well-to-do person embraced the culture of providing for their household? If every wealthy person extended that provision to both their immediate and extended family, and every extremely wealthy person went further to support even those unrelated?

We have seen, in times past, cases where wealthy individuals are envied, even harmed by members of their own families, despite having met their needs. Without justifying such behavior, and while it is part of human nature, I believe envy over wealth often intensifies when sharing is not a culture. Wealth then becomes something foreign, and the wealthy are seen as gods, while others strive to occupy that position--even unlawfully.

Though no school of thought is without its pros and cons, I still insist that provision is a shared responsibility, and it begins in our homes.

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#LettertoGod
#provision
#wealth
#gender
#family

Dear Father,

There is a perfect love story in Scripture that we often reference: The story of Ruth and Boaz. As easy as it may seem to discuss the divine purpose inherent in their union, we often overlook a key idea worth noting: though Boaz was wealthy, he was humble and kind; although Ruth was bereaved, she remained open hearted.

Extreme wealth and painful loss are two realities that often change people, especially in their dealings with others. A man may naturally uphold higher standards because of his wealth, and a woman may likely shut the door to her heart after experiencing what Ruth endured. Yet, we see Boaz’s wealth and Ruth’s pain as the perfect blend for a love story, when in reality, in many cases, these would have been obstacles to such a story.

This illustration reveals how even divine purpose may sometimes hang on the thread of a person’s disposition. I see how this applies in more areas than just love stories. It can be summarized this way: Ruth and Boaz possessed the fruit of the Spirit. I have learned that pain can either usher us into purpose or keep us from fulfilling it, and how justifiable it can seem when deep pain encourages rash behavior. Also, it may appear reasonable to think that wealth insulates a man from humility.

We may not always see the struggle because we love how the story ends. But when I look at Ruth and Boaz, I see people who, against all odds, maintained the fruit of the Spirit.

#LettertoGod
#Fruitofthespirit
#Wealth
#humility
#pain

Dear Father,

Long before humans existed, the world was perfect, until one being demonstrated his ignorance by not knowing his place. The Scripture says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground. For thou saidst, ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.’”

I think Lucifer admired You. Though there is an aspect of admiration we often do not discuss--excessive admiration--which manifests in two dangerous extremes: idolatry and envy. In manifesting the latter, he desired to be like You, unaware of how faulty his ambition was; or perhaps he knew, but simply did not care.

In his deceit, he told Eve, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods…” What exactly was his problem with being god’s? See how successfully he led humanity into an identity crisis--one we are yet to fully uncover in all its expressions: a man at thirty does not yet know his purpose; chased by demons, uncertain of what to do; another remains ignorant even at seventy, yet chases titles instead of truth--its a quiet dangerous spiral of confusion. The world has yet to recover. Father, we do not know who we are!

Yet You have not left us without answers--not to blindly chase ambitions, but to seek You. For in seeking You, we find ourselves.

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#LettertoGod
#identity
#identitycrisis
#purpose

Dear Father,

There is a warning to every believer. It was not an ordinary statement or an assumption; it was prophecy. The Scripture says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

The challenge often lies in our understanding of how this Scripture applies. The very mention of seducing spirits and doctrines of devils may seem far-fetched to someone in the faith. For instance, how does a person go from burning for Christ to embracing doctrines of devils? Yet, this prophecy is not addressed to unbelievers, but to every believer.

We do not always consider the subtlety of deviation. Often, leaving the faith is perceived as a one-time decision that instantly transforms a committed believer into someone lukewarm. Yet, just as attaining spiritual height requires a process, so does falling. In reality, both rising and falling are gradual, though they differ in nature. While rising demands consistent application of the right principles, falling involves not only neglect or inconsistency, but also the application of wrong principles. Even wrong doctrines applied in ignorance, can cause a believer to fall.

This is why the Scripture speaks of “seducing spirits”--an intentional device designed to cause deviation. Father, there is so much within this subject that believers must remain mindful of. Therefore, I pray for discernment to recognize truth and for the strength to stand firm in the latter times.

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#LettertoGod
#Deviation
#Everybeliever
#Seducingspirit
#Faith

Dear Father,

I believe today we should all ponder the significance of Jesus’ resurrection. First, that even after He undeniably arose, the chief priests devised stories to persuade people otherwise; and second, that this envious creation of lies remains one of the reasons there exists a place in the minds of men where Your existence is continually questioned.

A while ago, I studied a material in which a philosopher, St. Thomas, in justifying Your existence, presented five notable reasons. Quite outstanding, I must admit, I smiled through every argument he made. Still, I believe we would have little or no uncertainty about You if we all truly honored the significance of His resurrection. After He resurrected, He set a clear pathway for us to follow: to know the Word, to receive the Holy Spirit, and to teach others the same. He did not fail to rebuke unbelief. In essence, every one of these directives points to something we may not always consider--He wants to be known.

In the midst of our doubts and unanswered questions, in between our scientific analyses and philosophical ideas, we may have missed something vital--the experience. Jesus laid out a path where divinity meets humanity, and an experience is birthed; one that nullifies all doubt and brings us to a place of complete surrender. The problem is not in Your mysterious nature; it is in our reluctance. We would rather ask questions than seek answers through the already established pathway after His resurrection--the truth that “God can be found.”

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#LettertoGod
#KnowGod
#Resurrection
#SignificanceofHisressurection
#doubt

Dear Father,

There is an implicit idea regarding the concept of darkness. In a season when darkness prevails out of time, a man would naturally become agitated to turn on the light. Light reveals bloom, better days, mornings--light reveals hope. However, the revelation of light does not necessarily render darkness its polar opposite. What if there is more to darkness than we consider?

The scripture records: “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit:’ and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”

In this instance, darkness was a sign to all who sought to look beyond the superficial. This darkness manifested to erode the already existing darkness in humanity; it revealed the beginning of a new dawn.

This darkness was misunderstood; it caused chaos! While some wept for a good man they believed had died, others celebrated, for the enemy thought he had triumphed. And in this darkness, Jesus moved--not to heaven, but to hell--to reclaim what was stolen and restore light to the world.

Similar to what happened in the beginning, You moved in the dark, upon the face of the waters, and then called forth light. In every situation of darkness, Father, I call forth Light!

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#LettertoGod
#darkness
#light
#dawn

Dear Father,

I've held on to my writing materials longer than I usually do when I write You letters, unsure of the most effective way to communicate the death of Jesus. A day like this, some years ago, Jesus hung on the cross--and for me.

I came across a passage which says, “The chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.” The measure of the sacrifice is not found merely in the death of a man, people die every day. The measure of the sacrifice is found in the death of God by men, to save those very men who killed Him. History has never recorded a love so pure; history has never recorded a sacrifice so great.

For this reason, today has been made a public holiday in several places around the world. Yet, in celebrating this day, many of us are unsure whether we are truly surrendered to the reason He came to die. So we mark it in time, but not in essence. We set aside the reason even while we celebrate the season. We do not even strive to live up to the reason Jesus Christ died to save man.

A cross is a burden; long after we have borne it, we abhor its memory. Yet again and again, we remind Jesus of the cross; of how little His death has meant to our surrender. Day by day, we nail Him to the cross again.

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#LettertoGod
#Goodfriday
#Calvary