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. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #laws #principles #divineprinciples #divineintervention

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, 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. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #maturity #responsibility

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. Translation; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #worship #trueworship #worshippers #truth #spirit

Dear Father, Yesterday, I wrote You a letter about the constraining effect of our schedules and the troubles of life that greatly hinder our attainment of true worship. Today, I pondered the effect of opposing forces: how rarely, or almost never, we find the sun at its brightest and the rain at its heaviest occurring simultaneously. Even in the rainy season, the sun sometimes prevails. The outcome is not always decided by season, but rather in what refuses to give way. This analysis may not fully capture the thoughts in my heart; however, what I intend to say is this: the winner in a fight is not necessarily the one who has the right to win, but the one who presents more reasons to win and refuses to yield. I believe that to worship is to fight--to quiet the thoughts that keep demanding my attention, to return to You every time my mind slips away, and to remain in Your presence. To attain true worship, our reverence must be sustained by love--the force that compels commitment in and out of season. To worship is to sacrifice with no compensation in view. To worship is to fix our attention on You so fully that we become unaware of our surroundings. To worship is to fight for time with You. I stayed up at night thinking through the question: in Your search for true worshippers, would You find me? Amid the countless constraints that exist, there is one whose presence nullifies the potency of all others--that my love for You is greater than my troubles. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #worship #worshippers #forces #love

Dear Father, The sin of David with Uriah’s wife began with his neglect of responsibility in its time. The Scripture says, “And it came to pass at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, but tarried still at Jerusalem. And at eveningtide, David arose from his bed, and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself…” I am pondering the subtle and long-lasting effects of substituting time and giving priority to less demanding needs. A seemingly harmless act like choosing urgency over devotion can make a man lose more than he envisioned. How much more can other seemingly harmless substitutions cost? A man’s life consists not only of blood and water but also of schedules--of time and activity--each person with a unique rhythm. If this is true, why does it seem as though the world operates on a system that places us all on a similar pedestal of achievement through generalization? This often results in substitutions that are shaped by the pressures around us.”For instance, “An unmarried lady at 35 is considered late.” time is no longer measured by purpose but pressure. So substitution becomes a necessity, even when our destiny requires otherwise. We substitute purpose for premature relationships out of fear of being alone, or diligence for shortcuts to meet societal expectations. Time substitution has, unfortunately, replaced responsibility in its proper time. I am beginning to see that what we call small substitutions may be the quiet undoing of purpose. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #purpose #time #season #substitution

Dear Father, During the reign of King Darius, there was a decree made that “whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except the king, shall be cast into the den of lions.” And Daniel prayed as he would usually do. As a result, the king commanded that they bring Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. I find myself wondering why such a rule would be enacted: one whose purpose is to keep a man away from his God, with death as the penalty for disobedience. How did we get here? In the beginning, man knew one God. Yet, as the years go by, ignorance is not the only thing we contend with--rebellion is: people who do not seek You attempt to destroy those who do. Sometimes, this can seem farfetched, until blood and consequence make it real. When I think of Daniel, I think also about how it would take more than decrees to restrain a man who knows his God: a man whose devotion transcends mere culture and religion; whose commitment is anchored in his own experience of divinity. How can we fear man when we know God? They are rulers, yet with knowledge so limited, they think earth is all there is. They instill fear in us with threats to take our lives, but our knowledge of You outweighs our fears. So even if we are thrown into the lions’ den, whether or not deliverance comes, our faith is not built on assumptions: "we know our God". Translation: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #faith #firmresolve #rebellion #faith

Dear Father, In studying the nature of man, I realized something common to every person: troubles. The rich and the poor are not exempt from the unpleasant, persistent presence of unrest hanging over one or many areas of our lives. It is almost as though calming one storm leads us into another. We overcome financial struggles, only to face health issues; and while resolving those, a family problem arises. Is there an end to long-lasting pain, uncontrolled fears, or troubled minds? While pondering this, I came across a passage which says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.” The message in this passage, strangely, is rarely considered: first, that “perfect peace” is a possibility in this kingdom; and second, that a steadfast mind is not evidence of a lack of troubles, but of trust in You. So how, then, do we trust You in the midst of troubles? Perhaps it is a misconception to attribute trust to perfect conditions. Trust is tied to perfect peace, revealing that even in imperfect conditions, we can still experience perfect peace. We speak so often about trust, yet struggle with troubled minds. Is the problem the troubles--or the depth of our trust? Father, I am learning that there will always be troubles, but perfect peace is reserved for those who choose to trust You. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #trust #peace #perfectpeace #troubles

Dear Father, I think the most limiting factor in a man's quest to fulfil his purpose lies in his experience of disapproval from those around him. I read the Scripture where Elizabeth had just delivered her baby: “And her neighbours and cousins rejoiced with her and came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they responded, saying, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name...” To name the child “John” was a divine instruction, yet it was met with humanity’s disapproval, and understandably so, because it was new. I think of how often we are made to respond to questions we ourselves lack answers to when we answer destiny’s call. What is different is often misunderstood, questioned or even rejected. How do we explain what we are still figuring out? How do I explain why I study philosophy, or why I write You letters daily? How do we make sense of purpose to someone burdened by survival? How do we justify unfamiliar paths to a society devoted to tradition, or divine instruction to those who dismiss it? It seems to me, Father, that purpose may require more than intuition and obedience: it demands a quiet persistence even when I am not understood. It is tempting to become who people can easily understand, but I fear what I might lose of myself in the process. Help me not to trade what You have said for what is accepted. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #purpose #persistence #process

Dear Father, In studying Scripture, we come across blessings and promises. In church, we say Amen to prayers that declare blessings, and we are taught that it is Your will that we prosper and be in good health. However, I have realized that obtaining a divine promise may depend not solely on Amens and affirmations, but also on an in-depth knowledge of what it entails. I came across a Scripture which says, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” This reveals a period that exists between knowing the promise and receiving the promise--one in which we are expected to do Your will. Is Your will the promise itself, or all that we do before obtaining the promise? There may be a misconception in our understanding. We often call the promise Your will, yet Scripture reveals that the process is Your will. This may explain why we await the promise while despising the process that leads to it. I believe every promise has its process, and every process creatively combines transformative attributes, so that we do not just receive--we become. We see a gift when we see a promise, while You create a transformation strategy, and You tie it to a promise. Perhaps joy is not necessarily the attitude to display after receiving a promise from You; rather, an inquisitive mind is. Not just to await a promise, but to seek to perform what it entails: and in time, we come to realize that we are being shaped into the very promise we seek. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #promise #process #misconceptions