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Loneliness, a feeling of distress and discomfort, is experienced by almost every living being at some point in their life.  Overcoming loneliness through Jesus can be a source of strength and healing as Jesus, a true friend, can comfort in this moment.  Jesus, now in His presence, is embracing the loner with His fellowship and companionship.  Overcoming Loneliness Through Jesus Understanding Loneliness In Our Times Being lonely can be the heaviest burden of the human heart.  Loneliness does not discriminate by age, gender, or any period of one’s life. A teenager may feel lonely in a crowded classroom. A working adult may feel empty within the busyness of life. An elderly person may feel forgotten as days grow quieter and the need for people in his life grows, to fend for himself, mentally if not physically.  This profound sense of isolation, of being absent and disconnected from people around, is one of the deepest aches of the human condition.  Loneliness in our times is characterized as a “silent epidemic” or a major public health crisis.  It is not just being alone but a subjective, distressing feeling of disconnection that arises when a person’s social needs are not met by the quality or quantity of their relationships. Social platforms have also become a reason to measure and gauge one’s life against that of others.  In a world more connected than ever, loneliness has paradoxically become more common. Loneliness can be bitter, making the person question the value or need of one’s life.  While prevalent across all ages, young people (18-24) experience the highest rates, with up to 79% report feeling lonely.  Jesus has walked these darkest paths of loneliness and rejection. He meets your moments of pain, remembering them with the scars in His hands and the memory in His heart, all symbols of His own loneliness and rejection.  Yet the Christian faith offers a profound and living hope: overcoming loneliness through Jesus is not only possible—it is an encounter with healing for this state of aloneness and rejection.  Why, Jesus? When Feeling Lonely The Holy Bible can be a refuge in difficult moments of loneliness.  The words in the Bible can be encouraging and a rescuer.  Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me (Psalm 27:9-10). Overcoming loneliness through Jesus is not merely a comfort through words; it is a promise.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:18) Why Jesus?  Because Jesus is not distant from human pain of loneliness, instead He enters that state.  Jesus understands loneliness because He has shared and lived this human experience.  He has experienced it firsthand and also intimately.  This should be comforting and authoritative for them in overcoming loneliness through Jesus. The Holy Bible speaks of how Jesus had known the pain of loneliness… This is the astonishing truth: Jesus, the Son of God, knows what it is to be rejected by friends, ignored by the masses, and to feel the terrifying absence of the Father’s presence.   Jesus was never understood by His own family… When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mark 3:21). Jesus was rejected in His own hometown    28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away. (Luke 4:28-30)    He was abandoned by His closest friends Peter denied Him, Judas betrayed Him, and the disciples fled away when Jesus was arrested.  (Matthew 26:56) In His final moments, Jesus endured the deepest loneliness imaginable.  The highest point of feeling lonely and deserted came for Jesus in His passion, when Jesus was falsely accused, beaten, and made to carry the cross (enduring the cross of sins, not His own, but our sins)  Later on the cross, Jesus cried out,  “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).  Though the Father had not abandoned Him, Jesus fully entered the human experience of feeling forsaken. Jesus, though divine, was also 100% human, so to understand and endure the human pain of loneliness.    Now in the present moment, the person feeling lonely, ignored, or left behind, when seeking Jesus, is speaking to the one who has lived it all. Overcoming loneliness through Jesus becomes relatable, as Jesus’ presence lives in it.  Talking to Jesus brings comfort,  Loneliness often whispers, “You are alone”. Jesus responds, “I am here.” The pain of loneliness might not disappear immediately like a miracle, but there is always comfort, stability, hope, and endurance.   Why Jesus? …  As Jesus answers with a promise that He is not only a Savior and our Lord, but also a ‘true friend.’  “I have called you friends.” (John 15:15) This is not human words but a promise from the divine.  So Jesus will not judge you.  He will stay behind with you when others leave and forsake you.  His love knows no conditions. (No Earthly… Conditions Apply) No matter what others think of you, Jesus only thinks of you as ‘beloved’ and ‘precious.’  Your belief in overcoming loneliness through Jesus is real and guaranteed.  Ways of Finding Jesus When Lonely  Prayers Prayer is talking to God; when lonely, it is talking to a friend.  Conversing with Jesus is important because He listens. He listens when you know nobody else listens to you.  You don’t need words to speak to Jesus; just being in His presence is praying to Him, and feeling the presence of someone who cares.  Even wordless prayers are heard

We live in times that move relentlessly fast, where daily distractions compete for our attention, and worries weigh heavily on our hearts and minds. Praying every day is a divine moment for believers, as now, when in prayers, we breathe comfort and peace, as we are in the presence of the almighty Christ. Praying is not to be done as a religious routine or task; it is a relationship with God that we are to live and nurture as precious each day.   Praying Every Day Why Praying Every Day Matters Praying is the moment when man meets the Divine. It is a sacred moment that will also make the place where prayer is made a holy place, as now God resides there at the moment, at that very place. It is now a sacred space and moment where faith is strengthened, burdens are released, and hope is renewed.  Prayer is a breathing dialogue between the mortal being and God, who is eternal. Prayer is a relationship for the believer with God. Praying every day is like breathing every day, not reciting some faith formulas or asking for things or a “spare tyre” to be pulled out only in emergencies. Prayer is a conversation, a dialogue, or communication between the believer and God. Prayer is a one-to-one moment; no one else or nothing else in the world should matter when in prayer. The merging of the being and God, even for a microsecond in that divine moment of prayer, is a blessing, and then that seeker is gifted, even if he or she is unaware. The state of presence of the heavenly angels before God in heaven is what is achieved by the seeker on earth when in prayer. Why not then? Praying every day is essential. You become an angel. From each day’s experience, we learn that spending time and speaking with somebody builds a relationship with that person. Now, how can it be different with God? Praying every day to God will do the same. We build a personal, intimate relationship where you share your heart, joys, worries, and thoughts with God, who’s now your best friend or a family member. Praying Every Day: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus  There can be no further inspiration than Jesus Christ when it comes to praying every day. The Holy Bible speaks of Jesus going into the wilderness and also on the mountain to pray alone, and not occasionally, but every day. Jesus had His moments when He would spend speaking to His Father. He knew He was on a mission of His Father and also knew He couldn’t do it alone; He needed His Father all along. It was in these moments that He was strengthened and guided when in communion with His Father in prayer. Jesus, by example, shows us that praying every day isn’t about a rigid ritual but about maintaining a vital connection with God, and it happens only in this moment of prayer. Following Jesus’ ways of praying daily, there is a realization and a submission, and we now move on from relying on our own limited energy to tapping into a source of aid that is divine. Praying every day is entering and walking into a “desolate place,” as Jesus did, and in our own busy schedules and troubles, allowing God’s presence and peace to anchor and guide our lives. Prayer is our umbrella against the rain and thunder of a life in living. Praying Every Day and Being Like God Can we be like God, with all our sins?  No must be your answer.  Yes, that’s right, but even a dust particle of the Lord’s feet is enough for us to be called worthy if we become that. Praying every day will have its consequences… It will surely make us like Him. We as humans by nature become and behave according to the company we keep, so having God in the midst of our daily living in prayers will make us like him. We will build God’s nature of endurance, patience, understanding, mercy, and love. The grace of holiness and the spirit of God’s own self are breathed on us when we are praying every day. The very presence and time spent in prayer will touch and heal our intellects and minds, making us wise, and aligning our hearts to God’s will and purpose for our lives.  When in prayer, God is working on you; you stare towards God, and His response of staring back at you carries all the blessings spoken before. Our stare can be empty; God’s staring has His protection, mercy, love, and goodness given to us as a gift. No single prayer is a time wasted or spent and exercised in God’s book of life for you. It will be named as a ‘good deed’ if you were to be accountable at the end of your life for all the time spent by you on earth. A ‘good deed,’ as you, when in prayer, had acknowledged and thanked your creator, sustainer, and the one who sacrificed Himself in Christ, just so you could live with God in eternity after this earthly life.   The Holy Bible says … Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself    (1 Corinthians 6:19)  What happens in the temple or church…? Prayers. So praying every day should happen inside this temple (our bodies) Making Prayer a Daily Habit Give us this day our daily bread, (Matthew 6:11)  The Lord’s Prayer is not just seeking our daily food of the word of God and earthly food for sustenance but, as a true disciple, should expand to asking Jesus to grant the grace to thank Him in prayer every day. Praying every day is a moment that we ignore as ordinary. But it is a grace, a gift that we should ask God

“Do you ever feel like you’re walking through a tunnel with no exit?”, and the tunnel is dark with no light.And all you seek is a ‘Saving Grace’ Finding hope in dark times is your quest and the answer is in Jesus, truly the light of the world.  Jesus is the dawn. The light of the dawn is not temporary, fading, or fragile. It is eternal, advancing, and unconquerable. Finding Hope in Dark Times When Darkness Feels Overwhelming: A Biblical Promise of Light The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” [Matthew 4:16] Matthew 4:16 is quoted from Isaiah 9:2, pointing to the fulfillment of God’s promise through the Messiah.  While the world sat in “darkness”, a state of spiritual blindness and separation from God, the Light arrived as a free gift, unbidden and unearned. From the above verse, “The light of God”, Jesus was not called on by the Gentiles, but Jesus Himself chose to be with them in their dark times.  It refers to Galilee of the Gentiles, a region historically dismissed, spiritually neglected, politically oppressed, and socially stigmatized.  Galilee was considered insignificant, a land overshadowed by war, poverty, and spiritual ignorance. Yet God chose that place (lowliest),You are still precious to him, for the first sunrise of Christ’s ministry. There is a promise… God doesn’t wait for darkness to leave before He sends Light. He sends Light precisely because darkness exists. Jesus did not begin His ministry in Jerusalem, the religious center, but in Galilee, the forgotten frontier.  He started not among the elite theologians but among fishermen, common families, Gentiles, and the overlooked. This is the heart of Christ, He steps first into the places others step away from. So when you feel overlooked, under pressure, or spiritually dim—remember: You are exactly the kind of place Jesus chooses to shine first. Every move and deed of God in Christ that we find in the Holy Bible is speaking to us of all things that He is still doing for us each. Finding hope in dark times for us is for the moments that are like “shadow of death” from the Bible verse in biblical literature, and we too seek solace, comfort, remedy to all our tragic moments.  Like the Gentiles living in darkness, for us the darkness would mean Mental Fatigueness Identity Pressure Financial Stress Spiritual Distraction Loneliness Fear of the Future Physical and Mental Burnout  All these are no lesser or dense in darkness living for us each like the people living in Galilee, before the light in Jesus shone upon them.  Jesus, The Hope Why Jesus is the Hope In Dark Times Jesus, the light is not a small flicker of hope in our dark times. He is not a passing spark, a temporary relief. He is also not a borrowed glow for our earthly dark moments. Jesus is a Great Light. A light that doesn’t negotiate with night, it ends it. Life has a way of dimming the lights when we least expect it.  Whether you are dealing with a sudden loss, a heavy heart, or just a season where everything feels “off,” finding hope in dark times can feel difficult and also weary. We’ve all been there, sitting in the “shadow of death” that the Bible mentions, wondering if the sun will ever rise again. But there is a powerful promise found in Matthew 4:16 for anyone currently walking in dark times.  It tells us that those sitting in deep shadows haven’t just been forgotten; they are the very ones about to see a “great light.”  Jesus’ love for us each has let the light already turned on for us. We need to surrender our lives to Christ and let Him take control of everything.  In Matthew 4:16, the lives of the people in Galilee were transformed from spiritual darkness and oppression under Roman rule to experiencing a great light in ‘Jesus’, bringing hope, healing, and a promise of God’s kingdom. Their existence, once characterized by sin and the “shadow of death,” shifted as Jesus offered salvation and a new way of living, extending to all nations, not just Jews, in this mixed region.  Inspired by the above for us, when  embraced and illuminated with Jesus’ presence (light) in our lives, the effects now to our dark moments of life is what will bring peace, stability, and endurance to our lives.  When finding hope in dark times and discovering the light of Jesus will speak blessings, strength, and resilience in our lives because, Jesus… He is a Revealing Light  In our world full of opportunists and deceivers, Jesus exposes lies, confusion, deception, and false identities.        2. He is a Guiding Light  The road ahead may feel like lost and broken but Jesus will lead when the path feels unclear  Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105) For the world accustomed to directions from Google Maps, they need to now find their way with God-Maps.       3.He is a Warming Heart The troubled cold hearts bruised by rejection, anxiety, and exhaustion will find their comfort in the light of Christ.  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.    Matthew 11:28       4.He is a Victorious Light The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. [John 1:5] Tell your dark moments in all faith that you have a victorious light.  Peace When Jesus’ Light is Our Hope, Everything Changes Fear Changes For Alban everything seems to be all over.  He was young and successful in business, but was cheated by his partners and also payments had failed, life seemed to be in a pit and a chance encounter over a youtube podcast that spoke of letting Jesus’ light fall into your dark moments had

This happens to everyone. There’s no escaping, and the number of times you have to undergo this situation, well, it’s innumerable. Struggling with how to forgive someone is not just about releasing another person from guilt; it is also about allowing God’s peace to reign within. How to Forgive Someone Understanding Forgiveness Through God’s Eyes: The Christian Way The words echo in our hearts and minds, like the constant ticking of the clock, “You need to forgive”. You know it’s the right thing, the Christian thing to do. But when the wound is fresh, and the pain deep, the command can feel difficult, rather impossible to live. Your protest is, “You don’t know what they did,” or “They don’t deserve it.” “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) Like the verse above on forgiveness from the Holy Bible, for us as Christians, it is not about pretending or accepting that we aren’t hurt, nor is it about excusing the wrong or instantly restoring trust. It is, in fact, a profound spiritual process that leads to our very own freedom. Psychologically, when we struggle with how to forgive someone, we are often carrying a heavy burden of bitterness, reliving the hurt, and feeling stuck in grief and annoyance. Forgiveness can be challenging and indeed a weighty command to live and practice as a Christian. Strangely, just as much as it is a deep human struggle, it is also a profound divine calling. The natural human response to the wounding of the heart would be to protect, withdraw, or even retaliate. Yet Scriptures call believers to a higher way, the way of the Lord, and the way of grace. Now this isn’t about mustering up the strength and will to forgive on your own; it’s about tapping into His, thus Jesus’ way. Thus, find your soul going free from the chains of bitterness and allowing Jesus’ peace to reign within. To be a good Christian is to be like Christ. Being like Christ is the first step to resolving how to forgive someone. Forgiveness begins with understanding how God forgives. The core message of the Gospel rests on Divine forgiveness. Humanity, broken and sinful, was reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus on the Cross was the ultimate act of mercy, offering pardon and forgiveness to those (thus us) who did not deserve it. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) The heart of Jesus on the cross, with the above words of forgiveness, radiates compassion in the face of cruelty. To forgive someone is to reflect or imitate the character of Jesus. It is not about excusing the wrongdoing or pretending you aren’t hurt; rather, it is about choosing to place the offender into God’s hands, trusting that all judgment and healing is of God’s. Forgiveness is not your weakness; it is your spiritual strength. Your “how to forgive someone” becomes easy as you are now courageous to let go of resentment and allow love to triumph over hate. In the story from the Bible (Genesis Chapter 37 — Chapter 50) Joseph’s brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery, yet years later, when they came to Egypt in need, Joseph forgave them. He said, “Do not be distressed…for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5). His choice to forgive shows how God can turn hurt into healing and calls us to extend grace to others. Also… We need to forgive, as forgiveness is a virtue that originated from God, as mentioned in the Old Testament and later in the New Testament, and ultimately from our Lord Jesus at the cross. In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35), a king forgives a servant an unimaginable debt, in millions. That same servant then refuses to forgive a fellow servant a tiny debt of a few coins. Jesus ends the parable with a stark warning: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” God’s Healing Grace How to Forgive Someone Through God’s Healing Grace How to forgive someone becomes easy when you bring your raw hurts and honest emotions before God. Jesus has lived it all. He was falsely accused, insulted, and even ignored. All the hurtful resentments, He had faced them all first-hand. So Jesus can hear it all, as He has experienced it all. He will easily relate to your pain and suffering. Your wounds need to be treated, lest they become an infection for your soul. Un-forgiveness is a silent burden that corrodes the peace of your soul. It will manifest as anger, anxiety, or even a physical illness. Your anger is a poison that you drink and expect the other person to suffer. The longer the bitterness lives inside you, the more it replaces your own joy, peace, and spiritual vitality. Place them all before God, in your moments of prayer. Find your place of blissful presence with God. Tell Him exactly how you feel, your hurts, insults, and how to forgive someone. Present your offence before Him; your healing requires that you acknowledge your wounds of unforgiveness and resentment. Now you are bringing the darkness into the light of God’s presence; you take the first step towards your own healing. Talk to Jesus honestly. Scriptures remind us that true forgiveness flows not from our own strength, but from God’s healing grace working in our hearts. When we bring all our hurts and pain before Jesus, He softens what bitterness has tried to harden and thus destroy. A prayer of how to forgive someone begins with surrendering before God your desire for revenge or justification of the one who has hurt you. Ask the Holy Spirit to replace resentment with compassion, even if your emotions have not yet reached there. You pray, even if your mind speaks

Our daily living is packed with moments that make us feel happy and sad, and these sad moments can outgrow in our minds, bringing fear and uncertainty of the future. Times can feel hard. How not to be afraid when times are hard becomes an essential to us and our anxiety filled moments. The love of God has always provided us the relief. The balm to this pain by God is in the Holy Bible and the powerful message of Tobit that speaks of how fearing God and embracing spiritual wealth is the key to lasting peace in our anxious world.    How Not to be Afraid A Biblical Guide on How Not to Be Afraid, Inspired by Tobit “Life is tough” is a common phrase that we hear almost every day. We have each lived moments to utter the above phrase. We all know the feeling. That coldness of heart when the doctor calls with the test results. The hesitation when you look at your bank account as your mind stays filled with thoughts of the expenses ahead for the month. The restless anxiety of your child’s future or your own marriage that seem to be on shaky grounds suddenly.  Fear is a universal human experience, it’s like a constant companion. How not to be afraid in a world of uncertainty and on the face of very real problems is highly desired and wished to be known by one and all. As Christians, we’re often told and read the phrase “Do not be afraid” countless times in the Scriptures. But does it affect, console or strengthen us anyways. Does these words feel to us just mere moral statements than a practical help, how not to be afraid when in these moments of uncertainty and fear is a quest for each life that lives. Our Creator in Christ knows it all, just what affects us and answers our anxiety, strengthens us in our weak moments and He does by signs and His own words that we find in the Holy Bible, words written by humans but surely inspired by God. One such inspired works for our deliverance we find God acting on and is a hidden gem from the Old Testament of the Holy Bible: The Book of Tobit… The Book of Tobit is a story of faith, family, and God’s guiding providence. It follows Tobit, a righteous man who becomes blind, and his son Tobias, who is sent on a journey. Guided by the angel Raphael, Tobias finds a wife, Sarah, who is freed from a tormenting spirit. Tobias returns home, heals his father’s blindness, and restores the family’s joy. The book highlights prayer, charity, obedience, and God’s protection over those who trust Him. The story introduces us to two righteous people paralyzed by their circumstances. Their simultaneous cries represent our deepest fears: the fear of suffering without purpose, of a future without hope, and that our prayers are hitting a silent ceiling. Now do the above words relate for our times. The fear surely can still be a lack of meaning or purpose in life, which can be experienced by anyone regardless of their material wealth and financial state. It can be a social exclusion. Our fears are so many. How not to be afraid for a Christian following the teachings of the Holy Bible, offers a key, an understanding of living a life of peace in a world of chaos, the command to release fear, the redefinition of true wealth, and a search for truth that gives us eternal joy and peace and that is found in a God-centered life. The words of Tobit from the Bible can be a profound truth and highly relatable for any generations and time as fear as an emotion is real and associated with every life. It is a natural response to a perceived threat. When Tobit, who has lost his property, his status, and his physical sight, tells his son how not to be afraid, he is speaking from a place of trust, hope and faith. There is a deep sense of wisdom that lives for us also today that the “circumstances that we see is not the ultimate reality, the ultimate reality is the God that we cannot see, but God surely is holding on to us. There is a lesson for us each on how not to be afraid that we can learn from the book of Tobit. Place Your Fear in Prayers How not to be Afraid: Voice Your Fear to God The world we live in philosophies to always remain positive and not to voice out your fear and negatives. But the world of Christian faith teaches “how not to be afraid” thus do not suppress your fears and negatives rather voice them out, lament them out. The first lesson from Tobit teaches us just how to voice it out in prayers. Speak them out to God. We find that both Tobit and Sarah were not hiding their grief and pains, rather they each poured out their despair and anguish. Tobit prays, “Command that I now be released from my distress… For it is better for me to die than to live” (Tobit 3:6) And Sarah weeps and begs, “Look upon me with favor and show me mercy… I have heard the reproach attached to me” (Tobit 3:15) And as they each prayed, what was the result, the consequence of their lamenting in hope before God, (Tobit 3:16) reveals … At that very moment, the prayers of both of them were heard in the glorious presence of God.  (Tobit 3:16) Their fear, when prayed before God, became a dialogue, their hope, and self-reliance on God. God loves you, He will not just listen to your sufferings, He will work on them. It is for us to bring these fears and sufferings from the shadows of our heart and into the light of God’s presence. How not to be afraid in your moments of suffering, ask

We are living in times where we are constantly encouraged or being influenced in organizing our lives. We crop and edit our images and keep working on social platforms projecting ourselves as successful, smart, and purposeful. Is living a life just of the exterior or is this kind of life all in vain, there’s a cry within that further says, the shine has to be within. What it really means to live a righteous life, is the defining quest within, is my life being lived worth my God and His will for me. What it Really Means To Live A Righteous Life Every Life Is Meant for Righteous Living Living our days in a fast paced world, all that is exterior matters us the most. Our day begins with we be awakened by an alarm clock, to pace and time each moments governed by the same clock guiding us how much time you need to spend on each activity. We glance at the wardrobe, choosing our shirt and shoes to match the day like the meetings, and persons that we will encounter during the day. We want to please them each with how we would look outwardly. So here we live a life that tends to focus on the external, the visible, what brands we are using, in clothes, our work bag, and our shoes. Further what trending social apps are we using, how our feeds and uploads look, what image of ourselves do we post. Beneath all this is an invisible garment of our heart and soul that is often overlooked and ignored that the seer speaks to us that we need to contemplate and ask ourselves each day, maybe just once a day… What it really means to live a righteous life. We are obsessed just how those around us and even the unknown to us but interacted and conversing with us on social platforms think of us, for us their judgment matters or affects us so much. The likes, the claps, the comments and the messages conversed, all these are the modern age sketch of us. This sketch is of what we are as a person, at least that’s what we and other’s think otherwise. Representing ourselves for others to judge, thus value us.  But there is something deeper and profound for a Christian living and that is asking ourselves what are we wearing spiritually and emotionally? And as a practicing Christian, what it really means to live a righteous life, as this is at the core of every Christian teachings from the Holy Bible and significantly by Jesus Himself. So now let your heart and consciousness not prick you otherwise, questioning you your righteous living, thus what has righteousness to do with my life. Righteousness… The word in our times and the generation can sound outdated and even un-important. Today in the Ai age, tech, social media and digital convenience define rather re-write our days and much of the human life. Biblically, righteousness simply means being ‘right with God.’ It would not mean we live a flawless life or go self-perfecting, we will fault and fall, and that’s fine. But we need to do is get up after that failure and do what we are to do, to do just what Christ our Savior wants us to do. We need to align our hearts, motives, and actions with God’s truth and will. Righteousness is not a performance or some brownie earned, it is a position, a state of being right, and living the teachings of Jesus Christ. Living our lives as true Christians that has the will of Christ being lived is making perfect the very sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…” — Isaiah 61:10 The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God Himself has “clothed” us with garments of salvation, and “covered us with a robe of righteousness. Righteousness is described as a garment, a “robe” provided by God Himself. So now you don’t have to weave a robe that you’re already wearing. You don’t earn a gift, that is already been given to you. The righteousness is not our moral achievement, but our humble reception. When we speak of what it really means to live a righteous life, we need to find the unrighteousness that hinders or obstructs us from living a life as willed by God for us each. The unrighteousness would be the sinful human nature and the state of sin that stains everything, even one’s “righteous deeds”. Praying for a Righteous Life Hindrances to a Righteous Life   ‘What it really means to live a righteous life’ is not about living a religious life alone, just how often we attend Church or how holy we are or at least how holy we appear to others.   Jesus constantly challenged that mindset. The Pharisees followed every rule but missed the heart and will of God. True righteousness flows from relationship, not regulation and religious rituals. It’s walking with Jesus daily. Living a righteous life would be to surrender our will to God and allow His spirit and will to shape our hearts, thus life. And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction.  (Romans 3:22) A personal relationship with God  will deepen righteousness, making it a natural outflow. You become of what company you keep, Jesus the friend is now obeyed not because of His approval and correctness, but you obey Jesus because you love Him.  That shift from obey to love is the essence of living a righteous life. This love for Christ is now your divine connection. What it really means to live a righteous life won’t be easy and will come with many a challenges. Our times and modern thinking celebrates self over surrender, comfort over conviction, and pleasure over purity. The digital age

In our modern times and world that runs on Wi-Fi, we’ve never been more ‘connected’. Yet so many are walking through life feeling profoundly alone and depressed. A friend in Jesus is not just for title and quotes, it’s what the ‘Son of God’ promises us will bring peace, endurance and joy in our lives. A Friend in Jesus Why a Friend in Jesus is Essential When we think of Jesus, we often think of a teacher, a Savior, the Son of God, and He is all of those glorious things for sure. But sometimes, we miss the most relatable title and a relationship of which He speaks of to His disciples (thus us) in John 15:15… “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”   ‘A friend’ is what He promises us that He is. Also this friendship holds a promise stronger than iron and steel in spirit and will that Jesus invites us as a reward of this fellowship and trust when in Matthew 11:28 Jesus tells us… “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  This ‘rest’ that Jesus promises is not only a comfort, it’s an endurance, it’s a protection, it’s a fellowship with the King of kings, lords of lords, Jesus Christ. A friend in Jesus is our need for we live in a world where relations are measured, they are subjective, give and take kind. A few of our friends on earth that are trusted, do not always assure the faith and companionship forever. In our lives there is hurt, dismay, stress, all features of our modern times.   Struggles and pressures seem like a second living of this one life. There is rejection, failure, and loneliness. Jesus knows it all, He knew it then when He said the words of (Matthew 11:28) as He lived on earth, and He had meant it for us 2000 years before from today and knew then that this would be a part of the modern living. Thus the promise of concern and comfort from Matthew 11:28. Having a friend in Jesus would not mean that we shun worldly friends and human community, we absolutely need them all. They were designed to be a part of our lives as a will of God and His plans for our life. Along with our earthly friends, when we have accepted Christ as a friend, we have accepted His fellowship and companionship along with our earthly relations.  With this relation of friendship with Jesus, the friend in Jesus now is holding us tight, lest we get lost in the chaos of hurts and wrongdoings. This friend shields you in His protection, not just of the evil one but a protection that also guides to take a path of success and righteousness. If our earthly friend has our goodness and welfare at heart in all our walks of life, how much more will He Jesus have a concern for our day to day living, if we have chosen a friend in Jesus.  Jesus concern as a friend would be to anchor us in our moments of struggles, failures and rejection. His constant presence as a friend means we are never alone, and as a true friend He is without our knowledge and know how, taking the hit for all our wrongdoings, just as He had chosen to take our sins on Himself when He died on the Cross for us. Now sacrificing one’s own life for the other need no further testing whether it was a good act of a friend. Love, the language and trait of any friendship is now flowing and overflowing, surely if measured and compared, would weigh much heavier and profound over the divine Jesus then with the human in us in response.  Jesus loves us more. Inspired and Transformed by Christ The Friendship That Transforms Us There are gains always in the presence of Christ and having a friend in Jesus will make our lives rich in values, graces, and bringing our life to taste the spiritual nectar of the “Son of God” all mind, body, and soul. Yes you are privileged and highly blessed to be in friendship with Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, one of the persons in the “Holy Trinity”, just the thought itself brings immeasurable blessings to this inconsequential life of ours. The phrase “you are of what company you keep” means that the people you associate with are a reflection of your character, and they can influence your behavior and attitudes. Choosing a friend in Jesus is going to make me like Him. He as a friend will transform my thoughts, deeds and actions, that’s what happens to us when we are influenced by our earthly friends, so why wouldn’t the same happen to us now, when our friend is Jesus. The strength, the endurance, the wisdom, and all the other virtues is now transferred to me from my friend in Jesus. When you are friends with someone, you are drawn towards people and love those whom your friend loves first. Jesus heart beats for the world, for the broken, the lonely, the outcast, the rejected and the broken. Now our friend in Jesus influences our thoughts too, as we get touched and concerned also for all those mentioned above for whom Jesus has cared. As we grow closer to Him, our circle of compassion inevitably widens. We are less judgmental and are now filled more with empathy and concern. We now see all those less privileged, downtrodden and suffering persons as co- beings and an extension of the entire human race, as valuable to creation as are you and I. This surely has had our heart renewed to be a good human being first then a Christian by faith, or

As Christians, prayer is our hope and weapon against trials and troubles of life as we breathe our days. Why is God not answering my prayers? seem to be a quite whisper, a silent question inside us, when we find things not happening our way. So now our faith and hope in God is dwindled, making us spend lesser moments in prayers. Answering My Prayers Understanding the Thought, God Not Answering My Prayers? Have you ever cried out to God and felt like your prayers disappeared into the silence? In a world where everything moves faster, messages reply instantly, results come in seconds, waiting on God can feel unbearable and not customary to us. You start wondering, why is God not answering my prayers? You’re not alone. Many believers today struggle with this very question.   To begin, what is prayers? We often approach prayers like a divine vending machine, insert a certain or right words of faith and our required needs, press the button, and expect the desired outcome, our wish and desires, all fulfilled. When nothing comes out, we assume the machine is broken or unreal, thus God is not answering my prayers. But O’ human being, God is not a machine. He is a Person, a loving Father, the first word if combined together as “Our Father” just as Jesus taught us to address Him in the “Lord’s Prayer”. And this God in the perspective of a believer and a devout Christian spans eternity. The first truth we must hold onto is that God’s silence is never equal to His absence. The Bible assures us: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)   Even when God seems distant. His promises remain near. He is watching you, stirring your life, and loving you.   Sometimes silence can have the highest sound, when the stage is a prayer and the dialogue is spiritual, that moment of silence will deepen our faith. So the eternal God when in Prayer to whom we address our needs doesn’t think or work like us humans in ‘yes’ or ‘no’ ‘Yes’: This is the answer we long for, as it matches exactly as per our needs. We see it happening, we rejoice, and now our faith feels cheered and uplifted. ‘Not Yet’: Why? We would protest. Our ignorant self don’t know where waiting comes in. God has a timing, and even the saints in heaven pledge that “God’s timing is perfect.” The story of Joseph in prison (Genesis 40-41) is a powerful story to a “not yet” moment from prisoner to prime minister. ‘I have a plan’ “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)  I’m only human, is your response. I’m asking for relief from a hardship, and God gives us a plan that is, the grace to endure it. Building us to be resilient, we never knew we needed. We feel God is closing the door of our needs. There is frustration and unbelief and we protest, God is not answering my prayers.   But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)   Waiting on God is not a punishment but a preparation. During the delay, God may be shaping our character, aligning circumstances, or protecting us from what we cannot yet see. Think of Joseph, from the Holy Bible, sold into slavery and imprisoned for years before rising to power in Egypt. Had God answered his prayers for freedom immediately, the greater purpose, saving a nation, would not have been fulfilled. God’s “not yet” is often His way of saying, “Trust Me, I’m doing something great. Speaking to the Soul God’s Silence: A Mirror to My Soul Sometimes, the barrier to God not answering my prayers is not God’s unwillingness, but the condition of our own hearts. The Bible, the Word of God, gives us clear insight into things that can hinder our prayers.     Unconfessed Sin: Sin creates a barrier in our relationship with God. This does not mean we have to be absolutely perfect for God to hear our prayers, but a heart that is unrepentant and clinging to wrongdoing can stifle our prayers. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”  (Psalm 66:18)   Selfish Motives: Are we praying for God’s will in our lives or for our own agenda and will to be approved? God is not answering my prayers as my prayers are about my own comfort and wishes, not God’s glory and His Kingdom. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”  (James 4:3)   Strained Relationships: Our vertical relationship with God is intimately connected to our horizontal relationships with others, our fellow beings. Hatred and un-forgiveness can surely be a significant hindrance in your prayers going dry in fulfilment.   “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25) Now this isn’t a performance based relationship with God but is a relationship in alignment to God’s will for each of us. It is coming before God with humbleness, repentance for all our wrongdoings, and an open heart, asking God to accept our whole surrendering to Him, so to align His will and desires for our life.   Waiting In Faith God Is Listening: Waiting in Faith, Not in Doubt Nurse your faith, and don’t doubt that God is not answering my prayers. God listens to your every word. Never let the evil one fill your ears with doubts regarding your prayers. I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go

Living a life we find it filled with happiness and sufferings, the two sides in the coin of any life. So Jesus, the word that became flesh and dwelt amongst us, lived His life like us all, in happiness and pain.   Jesus suffering is to reveal His love for humanity as Jesus, lived a human life, minus the majesties of originally being the Kings of Kings and God of Gods.   Jesus Suffering What is Jesus Suffering The son of God, Jesus, the word in the beginning (John 1:1) had loved humanity from its very inception, that God had created in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). The love of Jesus for humanity was unconditional and highly intense. Jesus had seen the human race drifting away from His Father’s spiritual presence, human beings inclined towards sinfulness and immoral waywardness. The hand of God that held His beloved from being lost, the man had instead pulled away to live in freewill and self-living, choosing self and earthly fellow beings over God. Thus chose to walk by himself, his own life. Now the below is just a contemplation or hypothetical, but only emphasizes Jesus’ love for us.   The wound of Jesus suffering had begun there in Heaven. The bruise of parting from the one who was made in His own image and likeness and made to head over all of God’s creation. (Genesis 1:26). Sinfulness of Man had widened the gap, a crater was now existing between the Creator and the Creation. The crater that the humans had created in this divine relation between God and Man was much wider and deeper and would be filled only after the restart of the whole process of creation again, for the tech generation it would mean rebooting the process of creation again. God had to re-do (Ctrl + Z) the whole Creation. Thus repeating on Earth, Sodom and Gomorrah or Noah’s Ark minus any Noah, just pairs of other creation of God to reproduce and thrive, post the new Earth.     But there was a protest, a formal oppose to a maybe above plans, and the differing view came from God’s only begotten son, Jesus. Jesus must have revolted, “I love them each and will not let them perish, I will bring them all back, all the lost, just give me a chance, a one chance”.   The cause of Jesus suffering was set rather chosen by Jesus Himself. The suffering plan to save humanity was not temporal but Jesus wished it for eternity. God had warned the task would involve replacing to be the very human race and take upon itself all its sinfulness. The consequence further would extend to being separated from the divine presence of God Himself. The act of human sinfulness in its entirety of the human race in reference of time and generations of the past and of the future till the very end of humanity and all their sinfulness be borne on thyself. Death that was never a trait to Jesus as He now lived with His Father would come to Him as the final sign of completion of the spiritual sacrifice to save humanity. Bringing humanity in unison with God in eternity. (John 19:30) A moment of even a single second to think over it was not chosen by Jesus, as the love for humanity was enormous then for Jesus suffering that would be the result.   The Bible reveals that Jesus suffering was with a cause, it carried a divine purpose. Through His pain, God accomplished the salvation of humankind. Unconditional love for the humanity and to save and bring them all to be in His Father’s Kingdom in eternity is all that is the sum or cause of Jesus suffering. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”   (1 Peter 3:18) Jesus Passion Jesus Suffering: Fulfillment of the Prophecies The suffering of Jesus Christ stands at the center of the Christian faith. It is the greatest act of love the world has ever known, where heaven touched the earth, and the sinless Son of God took upon Himself the pain, rejection, judgement, and punishment meant for humanity. Jesus suffering was not an historic event alone, rather every lash, thorn, and nail was foretold by God through the prophets as written in the Old Testament. Jesus suffering was a fulfillment of a divine promise, the reason for Jesus’ birth that happened for our very salvation.   The Suffering Servant Foretold in the Old Testament Centuries before Jesus came, the prophets spoke of a Messiah who would suffer for the sins of the world. One of the most striking prophecies comes from Isaiah 53, often called “The Song of the Suffering Servant.”   Isaiah wrote… “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain… He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” — Isaiah 53:3, 5 This prophecy gives a vivid picture of Jesus suffering that He endured, from the rejection by men, the physical pain, and the spiritual weight of bearing humanity’s sin. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy in His crucifixion. Around a thousand years before Jesus’ birth, David also spoke of the Messiah’s pain “They pierce my hands and my feet… they divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” — Psalm 22:16, 18 When Jesus hung on the cross, the Roman soldiers unknowingly fulfilled this verse (John 19:23-24) Prophecies Fulfilled in His Passion  “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.” — Psalm 41:9 Betrayed by a friend: (The Betrayal by Judas)    “So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.” — Zechariah 11:12 Judas is paid 30 silver coins for betraying Jesus   “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His

Humankind was created as a very special being by God in His own image and likeness, to represent God, care for the world, and engage in his Creators worship. We should have a personal relationship with God, helping us find our identity, purpose, and letting us grow spiritually to a deeper union with our Creator. A Personal Relationship With God Why a Personal Relationship with God First are relations, we are encountered with many a relations in our life from the time we are born. There are family relations, friendly relations, work relations and many more. Then there are relations that are very special to us, relations we cherish and we love. This relation is muscled with love, trust, hope, and faith that we have towards the other person. All our good and bad secrets and moments we can share with this person and trust its safe keeping. The person can be a friend, our spouse or a family member. This person is special and thus we have a personal relationship with this person.   Personal relationship is very important. It gives us a companionship of love, trust and support from the other person. If earthly relations matter and can get personal, a personal relationship with God, let it not be just a devotion but a relation that is intimate and beyond. Prayers and devotion are essential for a Christian, but a relation with Jesus cannot be just to give thanks and to praise Him. Jesus seeks more, His love and sacrifice deserves far more. Jesus, son of God is not commanding you, He is seeking love as response to His love, that He has for you.   An unconditional love, no earthly give and take kind. No matter what you think or treat Him, for Him you are special, you are very personal and important. Jesus the kings of kings, God of Gods seeks a personal relationship with you.   You may be an atheist, or the modern mind thinking that you don’t have anything to do with God. Now God’s response would be (according to us humans and our behavioral pattern) “Fine. I’ll blow you off, too. I will never help you.” God is not like that. He’s as close to you as the breath you breathe. All you have to do is call Him out, to draw close to Jesus, and He’s right there. He’s not holding the past against you. No earthly grudges that we as humans specialize in… He’s not upset because you ignored Him. He’s not turned off because you didn’t believe in Him. God waited when you were off course and discarded Him of your life, as somebody that is fiction, yes for many God is a fiction or to a few, a superstition. God waits when you had a bad attitude towards Him. He even smiles over your limited understanding. He waited when you failed, when you were addicted, when you were compromising. He showed you mercy. He picked you up when you fell. He protected you when you chose the wrong friends. He prevented the accident that could have taken you out of your living days. He waited when you were upset because God didn’t answer your prayer. He’s waiting for you even now. His arms are always wide open, seeking a spiritual hug. Why don’t you draw close to Him? He’s promised to draw close to you. “You are forgiven” are the Lord’s words every day. After all that, this is what you should will to do, is to have a personal relationship with God.     Matthew 11-28 What happens in a Personal Relationship with God   This walk of life has its share of runs and falls, we are tired and weary and the promise first came from Jesus… This hand of aid and concern first came from Jesus. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!                                                                                           (Matthew 6 :8)   Jesus has lived it all, our Lord is no stranger to our anguishes and pains. When Jesus walked on earth, if He was 100% divine, He was also 100% human, that’s our faith. As human even He wept, was tempted, faced and lived extreme agony. Jesus thus by living on the small blue planet, knows our agony and pain too. As Christian, in faith we believe in Jesus as the son of God, and God Himself. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   (John 1:1) John is now putting Jesus on the same level. He is giving him a place of equality with God. So a personal relationship with God involves even when we have it with Jesus, as Jesus is God. Having a personal relationship with any person as we live on earth, gives us trust, faith, comfort, and a feel of companionship. Yet all that can fail and end even at a slightest stir of misunderstanding. There’s no strength and longevity guaranteed to earthly relations, even if you tag it as highly personal. Jesus relationship with His creation that includes nature is pure and overflowing in love, and with humankind it is held dear and spiritually bonded. Jesus love for humanity was already tested by the sacrifice of His body and blood that He offered so that we humankind would be saved and be in His kingdom, its love of Jesus for us each alone, that will bring us salvation, and none of our own earthly deeds and actions, that are filled in sins and a life of unwillingness of God that we live. A personal relationship with God will prepare us to know the will of our Creator, it will imbibe in us the very nature of God. Do not us, as we live our earthly days get influenced and imitate to live the kind of life in actions and deeds of persons that really impact us and our understanding. For the foolishness of