20/04/2023
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๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐.โ โ ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฑ:๐ณ
The pandemic has shaken us to our cores, to say the least. Although the darkest moments have passed, the fight against the coronavirus is not yet over. If we allowed ourselves to just focus on all the devastation happening around us, we would lose hope and faith. While itโs scientific for man to react to stimuli, it is spiritual for man to respond in faith. This pandemic has taught us that ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ค๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐จ, ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ ๐๐จ. ๐๐๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐.
It is much easier to be grounded in God when things are good and easy. The true test of faith comes when you lose your job and struggle to put food on the table. Or when a loved one suddenly passes away, or when the baby inside your womb wasnโt even given the chance to live. Youโve followed in Jesusโ footsteps and have been a good Christian, and yet you still find yourself in a dark corner, terrified and desperate. This low point is a chance for you to ๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง. . 1 Corinthians 2:5 says, โThat your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.โ Matthew 21:22 says, โAnd whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.โ While the world is only happy when everything is good, believers can find joy where there is none to be found.
๐ผ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ค ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ช๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐. ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ค๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐พ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ ๐. James 1:2-4 says, โCount it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.โ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฆ๐ช๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ก๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ! ๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐-๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ค๐โ๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฎ.
๐ค๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ป:
1. What was your last test of faith and how did you respond?
2. When times are hard, what is your prayer like?
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ:
Excerpt from โThe Prayer of Loveโ from The Valley of Vision
โLord, fan this divine spark into glowing flame.
When faith sleeps, my heart becomes an unclean thing [...]
Lord, awake faith to put forth its strength
until all heaven fills my soul
and all impurity is cast out.โ
