21 Days: Week 2 and 3
07 Feb 2011 2 Comments
in Witnessing
Well, it’s kinda late to post how my fast had been going, because I have ended my fast last week! And the result TA-RA…, I ate lots of meat yesterday. No-no, just joking.
I learned a lot through fasting. I believe when you fast, you seek God more than your regular bible reading or your prayer life. The Bible says in Hebrew 11:6 that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. As you draw closer to God, He reveals things that your physical eyes cannot see, gives you understanding for your problem and strengthens your weakened soul.
During my fast, I asked God which areas I need to pursue, which ones I need to prepare even before I could see the possibility, which ones I need to surrender to God. If you know what it mean, I will try everything I could but I will surrender to God’s way above anything else. So I need wisdom to differentiate those two.
God did answer me about that. But I can’t agree more that I was strongly intimidated during the fast. As I drew near in prayers, on the contrary I felt so defeated. I didn’t know where hope had left me with. The very negative thoughts had hit me almost every time. So many times during my fast I was on the verge of giving up. I felt like giving up on hope and ministry. The attack was so real that I had planned to talk to the leaders that I wanted to quit the ministry. Thanks God, I chose to stay calm and follow a whisper in my heart. Stay faithful! Your God is a faithful One.
I didn’t realize that it was the enemy’s attack until the end of my fast. Fasting is like running a race. The race is long, tiring and tough, but the prize of the race is much more rewarding than the race itself. Sometimes the enemy knows better and believes more strongly than we do. The enemy knows the potency in each everyone of us. He knows if we get into our destiny, we will be people of influence because we are abundantly blessed. And the enemy doesn’t want us to reach our destined place.
To conclude my 21- days fast, I have recommitted myself that I will finish the race no matter what happens. I wouldn’t easily give up because God himself never thinks of giving up on me.
21 Days Fasting: Week 1
15 Jan 2011 1 Comment
in Witnessing
Starting 2011, I have committed myself to begin with seeking God first above all. Before writing down my vision and goals for this, I’ll make sure that these goals are not merely for me but more like what God wants me to achieve this year.
So I decided to join in 21 Days Fasting Movement that is being held by Free Chapel, churches that are pastored by Pastor Jentezen Franklin. I was reading his book about fasting last year and my heart is moved to offer God more than my normal prayers. I decided that I wanted to fast.
So here I am! I began my fasting last Monday and today is my 6th day of 21 days fast. I printed out a copy of commitment sheet, writing down the reasons for fasting, such as: (1) In need of financial miracle, (2) Salvation for the loved ones, (3) Dreams and goals for 2011 that only with God I can achieve, (4) Walking deeper in Spirit, (5) Ministry (H2O leaders and the congregation, vision and plans)
*Don’t worry about the numbers, they don’t mean the priority of the fasting.
During the fast, God has clearly spoken to me through the reading of scripture and prayers. Amazingly, He has spoken of all the aspects of my life that I have been praying for. Ministry, family, financial, romance and dreams. I can’t wait for His next revelation in the next few days.
God is reaffirming His promises. I feel like Abraham looking at the starry sky and imagining his children becomes God’s chosen nation. I am a little me looking at the sky of promises, believing God is bringing to pass a great purpose that my mind can’t even know how to reach it. There will be a set time when God fulfill every single prayer, every wish and dream, and things that I have never asked for nor heard of.
Lastly, I wrote down those visions that only my eyes of faith could catch. They might look silly for the time being, but trust me, when the fulfillment comes, it will just come natural. I encourage you to do the same. Write down your goals for this year, please! Humans often forget that good things come from the Lord. Some people, including me, tend to think that our great effort contributes mostly to our success. We forget that we had asked for them in prayers. Then when we receive the blessings, we tend to take them for granted.
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know -
Jeremiah 33:3
What makes you feel alive?
15 Jan 2011 1 Comment
in Excerpt
When my heart is troubled, I always find myself easy to write poems. Taraaa! They just popped up in my mind without thinking hard about what to write about.
Oh well, call me pathetic! But I found that writing makes me feel alive.
What makes you feel alive? Things that make you alive might be God’s given seed to find out your dream. They could easily speak to your heart as your heart desires.
So, what makes you feel alive?
I wonder about… Comfort Zone
09 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in Excerpt
Have you ever realized about your comfort zone? Is that your career, your relationship, or even your fascinating dreams that might have drifted you away?
I believe that your comfort zone can be one of your biggest enemy to live in God’s perfect plan. When hardships come on your way, you may think hard what God wants in your life. Oh well, I did. And the hardship, I think, will make you understand a step deeper about God’s will.
At one time, I’ve noticed some Christians that hold tightly their business as though it was their main treasure. I’ve seen others that cling to a relationship. I just wonder what if all these comfort zones were suddenly taken away from you. What will remain in your life? Shouldn’t we pursue something that is eternal? Shouldn’t we pursue holiness and righteousness? Because God who has called us is Holy and Righteous. I believe that’s what matters most when we talk about our eternal relationship with God.
I wonder about… God’s heart
07 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in Excerpt
I’ve been wondering about God’s heart, and what He is thinking about me. Me? A small moving dot whose name is Annice – this is the view from the heaven. Obviously, we as human wouldn’t fully understand His mind. But…
I found an interesting fact in the bible. I’ve been reading the books of prophet in the old testament, (Isaiah, Jeremiah) and I do think that God’s mercy is still deeper even in His anger. I read some verses that showed God mourning for Israel’s unfaithfulness.
Not so interesting? Well, to me… it is. In His anger, He still loves His chosen ones. He just can’t hate His own children. And so… I wonder what if we, as His adopted as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, take the best place in His heart. If we please Him, how much more will His mercy and love be shown to our life?
Ps: I am not making any I-wonder series, btw. It just happens I am lazy to write a long post 
I wonder about… the Hope in Jesus
04 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in Excerpt
There are days when the voice of the world is unbearably loud, while the voice of my faith only whisper in my ear.
I always find myself writing pages and pages of God’s promises in my life and saying it out loud the bible verse I am holding on to. So that my spirit can hear it. So that the words get into my unconscious mind.
At the end of the day, I sum up there are impossible things that God cannot do:
1. God cannot not love me (Romans 8:35-39,)
2. God cannot leave me (Matthew 28:20, Psalm 48:14)
3. God cannot not bless me (Philippians 4:19, Psalm 1:2-3)
4. God cannot not listen to my prayers (James 5:17-18, Psalm 5:4)
5. God cannot not care about me (Hebrews 4:15, Psalm 34:18)
What else?
Dear enemy, you can bring up all the accusations and try to steal the hope I have in Jesus, but at the end you will only find my hope grows even stronger than before. You are prowling around like a roaring lion and trying your very best angle to beat me down. But you will only see me soaring like an eagle. I’ll be so secure in my Father’s hand.
Hold fast to the hope you confess, for I am faithful to keep my promises – Hebrews 10:23
I wonder about… Answered Prayers
03 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in Excerpt
Did you ever feel that God might not have answered you certain questions of your life but after long period of time you finally understood the reason why?
Through a simple conversation with a friend, I finally understood the reason why God has closed the door for a certain chance in my life. At that time I kept asking why God didn’t grant my heart desire. But it indeed took courage, trust and patience to believe that God knew what He was up to.
I think God is so confident in what He is doing even though sometimes we tries to interpret His mind.
Oh well, that is our God.
2010 Reflections
31 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
in Thoughts
This may not be the post you would love to read because it’s not something that will warm your heart. But still I encourage you to read it.
I’m not going to talk about achieving your goals in 2011, releasing your maximum potential, you name it. Trust me, I don’t even like the topic I am about to write. But I just simply challenge you to pray about your calling, to pray that God will use you in any aspects of your life.
Praying to use us is indeed a dangerous prayer. I am not scaring you, but I believe those prayers will eventually bring you to the place God wants you to be. At the end of the day, you wouldn’t regret anything because all’s worth it.
As for me, I know that God is preparing me for a bigger task, and serving His purpose. He is training a willing and faithful heart. Sometimes I wonder how I could say that when everything doesn’t seem right. 2010 goals are not even half achieved. I don’t even have anything to be boast of. I remember on one occasion, I was asked to name the blessings I have received this year. People came with something that you would have wished for. Thinking hard to name the blessing that will wow people, I found none. Eventually I named a few (after all what is good is God’s blessings, isn’t it) and found some courage to say, “It’s blessing in disguise.”
For those who have read my blog post from the beginning of the year, you will get bored if I have to say it again that I am currently waiting on the Lord. Some of you might ask, what are you talking about, Annice? Let me briefly explain that it requires you surrendering all things to God and trusting Him that His plan is the best and it will be revealed at His perfect time.
But I have learned the waiting concept, which I believe it’s not easy. Moses was waiting for 40 years in the desert before he was finally appointed to lead Israelites out of Egypt. Caleb was at 85 years old when he finally conquered Canaan. And he was 40 when he represented the tribe of Judah to spy the promise land! Then, David! He was not even considered as one of the King Saul’s armies even though he was already anointed at that time! (No, no, I am not saying that there will be 40 years waiting period to finally reach your God’s given dream! In olden days, humans lived longer, but we don’t)
So many men and women of faith in the bible that have to wait. What makes me so special that I reject the waiting period? What if God is preparing me for a bigger task in this short life?
I honestly want my problems or my waiting period quickly over. Doubts, disappointment, pain are not the things you want to face every day. But realising that through them, God can be so close to my heart and He shapes your heart beautifully. I think that’s all worth it.
Now about 2011, I haven’t made any goals nor resolutions yet. I will make ones, but honestly, they don’t matter much to me. Next year might not be easy, but who cares. What matters is that I walk deeper with God and stand stronger than before. What matters is that I’m still faithful like Caleb did in the 45 years waiting for God’s deliverance. I pray that I don’t lose hope when every dream seems to fade away. I want to have a stronger faith not merely a positive thinking for a better future. I want to see God and His plans as I have kept my heart clean before Him.
After all Romans 8:18 and Ephesians 3:20 are the promises that I have received to end 2010 and to enter 2011.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… Ephesians 3:20
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
A Desire to be Pursued
31 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
Women love to be pursued
Oh yes, that statement is so true.
I was engaged in a chat with some friends and we were sharing heart-to-heart a relationship story. It’s disappointing, but I heard this statement from her regarding her boyfriend, “He doesn’t fight back for me.”
Many women may not realize that they love to be pursued. Their heart does want to be pursued. Please, don’t say that I’m sad if I can’t be with you. Instead, women want to know that their men will fight back for their heart.
Am I right? Or am I expecting too much?
As a single woman myself, I know that it can be embarrassing to say it out loud that you want to be pursued. I am a type of person who doesn’t want to expect much from the people around me. I don’t like the feeling of being let down, and I refrain myself from hoping too much.
But that is the truth. Amazingly, that is how God creates women to be. And I find that women inherited God’s DNA, which is a desire to be pursued.
In Psalm 27 David said,
One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
[...]
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
Wait. Didn’t God love us first even before we knew HIM? Then why is God playing hide and seek now?
I found the similarity of God’s and women heart. God, the Almighty One, let Himself be found by His loved ones. After we receive His unconditional love through salvation, He only reveals Himself to those who seek Him. He wouldn’t give Himself to those who don’t even bother knowing Him more. It all makes sense why in our daily walk with God, we need to crucify our selfish nature in order to pursue God.
Similarly, women desire that their men will sacrifice something in order to get their heart. Am I right?
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Faith {always} Matters
01 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
in Excerpt
One thing that I asked God about:
How could I lay my heart’s desires and still expect that You will deliver those to me?
It takes FAITH, Annice!
The very simple fact is that I need to put my faith in Him. I need to believe in His love, sovereignty and goodness. Therefore Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
If every desire is visible to see, it is not a hope anymore. Yet, faith is exercised in the realm of uncertainty. Invisibility.
No, I can’t see them coming into my life. So this must be the opportunity to stretch my faith. I am opening my eyes of faith wider than these physical ones.
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