Dear Father, A friend once spoke to me about the disappointment she experienced after encountering a prophet, and I felt sad about it. Today, I came across a Scripture where You said, "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied." The most striking part of this passage is that You acknowledged those who went without being sent were, indeed, prophets. If there is a possibility for a prophet to prophesy without being sent, how safe are we to place our trust in the ministry of prophets? I recall a man of God once saying, "The role of a prophet in your life shouldn't necessarily be to reveal new things, but to confirm something you already know." This makes it necessary to reflect on the depth of our spirituality--one in which the matters concerning our lives are first revealed to us before, if ever, they are revealed to anyone else. Yet, how many of us can relate to knowledge before manifestation through the prophetic? And how many of us assume that the seeing eye is reserved exclusively for the prophetic office? If confirmation is not our experience, isn't believing a risk? I believe in the ministry of prophets, but I also encourage the pursuit of spiritual growth. How can we embrace the good when we are without direction? And reject the false when we do not even know that we are at liberty to do so? Perhaps the problem is not just about the existence of false prophecy, but our dependence on others for what we ought to seek from You ourselves. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LetterstoGod #prophecy #theprophetic #spiritualgrowth #knowledge

Dear Father, There is often an invisible, recurring shift in a Christian's faith that occurs at the intersection of Your ability and Your willingness. We become so persuaded of Your ability that we pay little attention to Your willingness, unaware of the influence one has on the other. Faith, in its completeness, encompasses trust in what You can do and trust even when You choose not to do it. I pondered the words of the three Hebrew children when they were about to be thrown into the fire. They said, "Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods..." They acknowledged Your ability, distinguished it from Your willingness, and chose to trust in who You are. The issue we encounter with unwavering faith often begins with where it is anchored. It is faulty when anchored in Your ability alone because, although You can do all things, You will not do all things. It is also faulty when anchored in our assumptions of Your willingness because, when You do not do what we expect, we often begin to question Your ability to do it. Faith remains unwavering when it is anchored in who You are. Who You are acknowledges the multidimensional nature of Your being. First, You have no limitations. Next, You have a will that we must seek to know. No wonder You said that without faith it is impossible to please You. This is not faith that trusts in a particular outcome, but faith that trusts in who You are regardless of the outcome. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #faith #will #ability #willingness

Dear Father, I've seen movies where, in polygamous homes, there is hardly any peace. One wife speaks to the other in a condescending manner, especially in areas of her lack. Usually, this is done either in retaliation for a similar wrong or to soothe the emotions of envy. Hannah experienced this too, for she was barren. The Scripture says, "Her rival would torment and humiliate her because the LORD had kept her childless." This experience is not limited to polygamous homes. I pondered how lack can become a source of provocation. In some cases, rivalry may arise because of privileges accorded to others of similar standing, even unintentionally, fostering recurring thoughts of insufficiency and resentment. First, we deal with the discomfort inspired by lack; then we must endure witnessing the blessings enjoyed by a peer. How difficult can it get? Not knowing how best to channel our lack, we become exposed to the risk of compromising values. But Hannah did something different-- she prayed. Sometimes, we mismanage seasons of lack because we overlook the privilege of bringing them before You. Not in ways that encourage laziness, but in ways that acknowledge that every good and perfect gift comes from You. You do not only give babies; You also give the wisdom and strategies to make wealth. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #lack #compromise #envy #wealth

Dear Father, For the case of Lot's wife, I once read that scientists and geologists have proposed natural explanations for her becoming a pillar of salt. The Dead Sea region contains enormous salt deposits, bitumen, sulfur, and evidence of ancient seismic and thermal activity. One hypothesis suggests that such an explosion could have thrown superheated ash, salt, sulfur, or mineral deposits into the air, such that someone caught in such an event might have been encrusted with salt. Although this is not yet an established fact, we also cannot dismiss the possibility that the consequences of disobeying divine instructions may occur through natural means. That is, although Your instructions are divine, they are often warnings intended to preserve us from natural harm. The irony is that, while we often think You suspend the laws of nature to punish our iniquities, More often, You instruct us beforehand because of Your knowledge of these laws and Your desire to keep us away from harm before they take their course. In difficult situations, it is often easier to say: "God is punishing me," than to admit, "These are the natural consequences of the laws I have trampled." Many of Your instructions are primarily for our own benefit. Living a life free from sin, praying rightly, or following Your tireless instructions and direction; You are leading us toward life and away from harm. More often than not, the consequences we face are the fruits of the seeds we have sown. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #Lotswife #instructions #direction #consequences

Dear Father, Whenever I come across the story of Esau, I judge him as both irresponsible and irreverent. Perhaps this comes across as harsh, but I often wonder how someone who understood the privilege of being the firstborn could so casually despise his birthright. The Scripture says, "Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." Yet, in reality, it is easy to judge a situation without first considering its many applications. Because Esau's appetite was not the problem; it was the value he placed on satisfying it. So this illustration encompasses much more than meat and birthrights; it cautions us against sacrificing tomorrow's blessings for today's pleasures. We see this when excessive rest affects productivity, impulsive spending disrupts financial plans, impatience impairs decision making, or indiscipline weakens our spiritual lives. Perhaps we are all guilty of seeking present comfort at the expense of our future. An objective way to examine ourselves is to carefully analyze our short and long-term goals and compare them with our level of discipline toward achieving them. We desire to be leaders, yet study nothing about leadership. We desire spiritual authority, yet resist the process of spiritual growth. We desire to sit among the great, yet easily despise responsibility. Esau foolishly despised his birthright, and we progressively shape our own destinies, not with declarations such as, "I am the firstborn," but with every act of commitment or indiscipline, we carve our place in destiny. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #discipline #commitment #goal #destiny

Dear Father, It appears that Your instruction to worship You in spirit and in truth means more than just approaching You with an open and sincere heart. For a long time, I understood "truth" to mean coming before You honestly, withholding nothing. While that is important, Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman reveals a deeper meaning. When she asked where You should be worshipped: on Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem, Jesus shifted the focus from a physical location to Your very nature. He made it clear that true worship is not determined by a place, but by worshipping You according to who You have revealed Yourself to be. This understanding of "truth" implies something really important: true worship is strengthened by the right knowledge of You-- not knowledge based on assumptions, who we think You are, or what we feel You expect from us, but knowledge grounded in what You have revealed about Yourself. It reveals that sincerity and truth are not always the same. How humbling it is to think that a person may be completely sincere, yet still be mistaken. If true worship is rooted in knowing You as You have revealed Yourself, how much more must I seek to know You? It is much like writing a heartfelt poem to a spouse while describing them inaccurately. They may appreciate the effort, but how deeply can they be moved when the words fail to reflect who they truly are? Worship in truth calls for conformity to who You have revealed Yourself to be, but how often do we worship sincerely, yet inaccurately? Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindi Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #worship #truth #knowledge #sincereheart

Dear Father, In times of old, You often communicated Your prophecies through visible symbols. When You gave the nation of Judah into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar as captives because of their persistent rebellion, You placed a yoke upon them as a symbol of Your judgment. As a prophetic sign, You instructed Jeremiah to wear a wooden yoke around his neck. In response, the people of Judah resisted their punishment, and one of Your other prophets, Hananiah, proceeded to break the yoke from Jeremiah's neck. The Scripture says, "Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron." This illustration reinforces the lesson of what may arise when we choose resistance over submission to Your instructions. Although we may not experience such dramatic or symbolic demonstrations today, resistance instead of submission is still not encouraged. It may seem far-fetched to discuss wooden and iron yokes, but not exactly so when we apply it to our lives. Like those gentle promptings to do or refrain from doing certain things-- audible enough that we recognize we are being directed, yet not so insistent that they cannot be ignored. How often do we choose resistance over submission? I once heard a pastor say that every path comes with challenges. While submission may demand sacrifice, resistance only multiplies the challenges. What good, then, is comfort if it comes at the cost of disobedience? Father, give me the heart to obey. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #submission #resistance #instruction #consequences

Dear Father, In the account of David and Uriah's wife, we often speak about David's lust and abuse of power, but rarely do we discuss Uriah's undiscerning faithfulness. The Scripture says, "David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah saying, 'Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.'" Without intending to question Uriah's loyalty to his king, I am still troubled by the fact that the instruction that ended his life was carried by his very own hands. Perhaps he had every reason to trust the king, and this was what he received in return?! His story, however, leaves me with a broader question: How faithful is too faithful? How often have we witnessed people being betrayed, or even killed, by those they trusted most? Should we blame the wickedness of one or the innocence of the other? Experiences like this reminds me that faithfulness should be unwavering, but not unguarded, because wicked devices do not announce themselves with bells loud enough for us to recognize betrayal before it arrives. Where, then, should we draw the line between faithfulness and vigilance? I suppose this is where discernment comes in. Where we train our spirits to perceive the hearts of men so that we do not become so fearful that we cannot trust or so trusting that we become victims of evil. Learning to recognize the gentle nudge, timely instruction, and quiet warning of Your Spirit-- the perfect guard over our innocence. How often do we invest in developing spiritual discernment? Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #discernment #faithfulness #innocence #Uriahsstory

Dear Father, I have questions regarding the miracles You performed when You brought the Israelites out of Egypt. The Scripture says, "You brought Your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm..." Yet, even after all of this, they struggled to sustain a relationship with You. Why? How could a people who witnessed such great signs still find commitment difficult? Even today, we come across thousands, perhaps millions of miracles You have performed in the lives of people who now believe, yet still struggle to commit themselves fully to You. While believing makes a relationship with You possible, intimacy with You requires more than belief. Much like our closest relationships, where love is not sustained by confession alone but longs for expression. Yet, in subtler ways than we realize, we have allowed our belief to occupy the seat of our commitment. We are tongue-speaking believers, fully aware that You are able to lead us through the sea on dry ground, yet subconsciously we navigate life as though we do not need You. The enemy does not only fight our belief, he also fights our commitment. We often become content with being counted among believers while overlooking the lifestyle that belief was meant to produce, as though the name alone fulfills the calling. Father, help us examine whether our commitment is a worthy reflection of the beliefs we profess. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #intimacy #beliefs #miracles #commitment

Dear Father, There is something peculiar about how a person's burden has a way of isolating them from the rest of the world. What surprises me is that even Jesus, in the very season when He needed His closest friends most, found Himself without the support of any man. The Scripture says, "Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me... Afterward he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?" They pledged to die with Him, and all He requested was that they pray with Him at the defining and most agonizing moment of His life. Instead, He found them asleep. I wonder what measure of loneliness and disappointment lay behind the words, "Could you not watch with Me one hour?" Sadly, this experience is not unique to Jesus. Although He was vocal in expressing His emotions, we have yet to pay attention to those moments of loneliness and betrayal that often go unnoticed. What do we do when, in a defining moment, the presence of people around us bears no more weight than numbers that can be counted? Surrounded, yet isolated! How do we navigate difficult seasons when no one seems to understand our language, and help seems no more than a friend in deep sleep? Jesus communicated His pain, asked for help, and then He did something noteworthy: He prayed. Perhaps this can be translated to mean: when no one understands the language of my burden, You do. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LetterstoGod #seasons #Loneliness #tryingtimes #help