Dear Father, Before planting, a farmer usually clears the land, removes weeds; unwanted plants and thorns, pulls them out by their roots, and ensures that the soil is in good condition. He even continues weeding after planting to prevent the emergence of new weeds left unattended. This very tedious process, and much more, are what precede a bountiful harvest. In Scripture, You warned the people of Jerusalem, saying, “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns.” This highlights the idea that the condition of the ground in which seeds are sown largely determines whether there will be a harvest. Whenever I consider the diligence with which a farmer prepares his field for seed, I am reminded of the care a Christian must give to his heart. Sunday after sunday, Your Word is sown in abundance. Yet the harvest often seems disproportionate to the quantity of seed that has been planted. Is the problem with the seed, or with the condition of our hearts? We seldom prioritize the condition of our hearts as much as we do our frequency of attending services. In a way, this means we expect much from seed sown among thorns. Thorns are to a farmer's field what the cares and worries of this world are to a Christian's heart. No wonder You ask that we cast our cares on You--beyond Your love that does not desire to see us burdened, You also desire that Your Word bears fruit in us and that we are not without harvest. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #harvest #fertileground #goodsoil #bearingfruit

Dear Father, There was a time in Scripture when the children of Israel cried out for water in the wilderness. You instructed Moses to take his staff and speak to the rock, and it would pour out its water. Yet, instead of speaking, Moses, in anger, struck the rock. In his disobedience, he disrupted a story You were trying to tell. Why strike when the instruction was to speak? I am, however, interested in the disobedience that resulted from his anger, for it highlights the effect our emotions can have on our spiritual disposition. We may not always discern the spiritual implications of our emotional outbursts as clearly as they appear in Scripture. As a result, it can often feel unfair to deny the flesh a place, seeing that we are but flesh. Yet the problem lies in the unseen effect that a single act of the flesh can produce in the spirit. Why is the enemy interested in stealing our joy if there is no consequence to our sadness? Why is he hell bent on disrupting our peace, even if only for a short time? Why does he manipulate our emotions to get at us if there is nothing to gain from it? These questions alone reveal that there is more to our negative emotional outbursts than meets the eye. So, it really is not about fairness or justice as much as it is about consequences. In spiritual matters, I have learned that emotions may explain our actions, but they do not exempt us from their consequences. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #flesh #emotionaloutburst #consequences #justice

Dear Father, I came across two words in Scripture that are not commonly found together. It says, "And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised." The key words are waiting and patiently. Having realized how difficult it is to wait, the scripture still found it necessary to describe not just the action of waiting, but also the attitude Abraham portrayed while waiting. Isn't it counterintuitive to combine the words waiting and patiently? Sincerely, it seems enough that I have to wait. Why should it matter how I wait? Yet Scripture suggests that the attitude portrayed during the wait is also important. How difficult it is to wait patiently! Waiting is often made easier when all the details are available. For instance, how long is the wait? What is the reason for the wait? What do I do while I wait? Yet, even when we are aware of the answer to the last question, it is often difficult to convince ourselves of the logic behind the second. And we are usually almost completely ignorant of the answer to the first. I guess this is where trust is built--not in the fluency of words we speak to reveal our faith in You, not in perfect conditions where there is no reason to doubt, but in the attitude we portray while we wait. Difficult as it may be, it is true that our attitude is the mirror of our hearts. It is the most efficient revealer of the depth of our trust. Father, help me to cultivate the virtue of patience. Translations: Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #waiting #patience #trust #faith

Dear Father, There is an account of Moses in Scripture that I have often pondered. First, he was from the tribe of Levi, a tribe often associated with strong and intense expressions of emotion. Then Moses killed a man while defending his people. Over time, I have heard it said that he did it “out of anger,” and so a label of anger is often placed on him. Although there were moments when his actions revealed traces of strong emotion, I still consider the circumstances surrounding him before drawing a conclusion. For instance, in science, I learned of a process called “hypothesis testing,” where a claim is not accepted simply because it appears to hold after one test; it must be tested repeatedly under different conditions and by different researchers. To borrow this analogy, Scripture records that Moses led six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. In assessing this situation, another man would need to lead the same number of people under similar circumstances and observe how calmly he would respond. On several occasions, I have experienced the confusion and frustration that arise when overwhelming situations occur all at once. Rather than judge from a detached perspective, it becomes different when one is weighed down by burdens and struggles that make emotional control far more difficult. Father, it can be discouraging sometimes. But when I see these struggles, I think of Moses, who remained faithful to his assignment despite them. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #emotionaloutburst #emotions #struggles #commitment

Dear Father, I've studied the attitude of humans toward becoming or successfully acquiring things, having realized the thin line that exists between appreciating something and finding our sense of worth in it. For instance, an intelligent person can appreciate his intelligence and put it to use, but there becomes an issue when he derives his identity from being known as the smartest person in the room, such that his worth rises and falls with retaining that position. This applies also to matters such as wealth, fame, beauty, ministry, jobs, or relationships. A way to distinguish appreciation from worth based acquisitions is to respond to the question: If this were taken away from me, would I lose a blessing, or would I lose myself? Today, I came across a scripture which says: "Thus saith the LORD, Let neither the wise, mighty, nor rich man glory in his wisdom, might, or riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me..." In this scripture, You tried to reveal the danger of losing ourselves to things when our confidence is tied to something other than our relationship with You. Yet how many of us can confidently respond in the affirmative to the first question? And how many glory in our knowledge of You? The idea is that the pursuit becomes intense when acquisitions are tied to self-worth. And how self-fulfilling it would be if that acquisition itself were our knowledge of You? Yet, subconsciously, we glory not in what we know about You, but in all we've acquired about things. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LetterstoGod #worth #glory #relationship #value

Dear Father, I have questions regarding a person in Scripture whom we seldom discuss: Job's wife. After the ordeal she and Job experienced, She said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" You rarely boast about a man as much as You did about Job, and this is who he married? Was she a believer responding from a place of pain, or did she never believe? I refrained from writing to You about godly associations after reflecting on the magnitude of her loss--what it would mean to lose seven children in one day. Maybe it wasn't because she never believed, although the contrast between a woman who once believed and one now urging a curse is difficult to ignore. Often, I stumble upon instances on social media where the very mention of Your name in times of pain incites degrading comments that are difficult to behold. And it is not so difficult to discern the pain, struggle, and unbelief behind the words they speak. What was the reason for the difference in perspective between Job and his wife? Pain and struggles may derail a person who once believed, but they are less likely to uproot the faith of one anchored in encounters with Your goodness. So we pursue knowledge in its depths not only for perfect times, but also for when tragedy strikes. Perhaps Job's wife knew there was a God while Job had experienced the faithfulness of his God. Now I can't refrain from asking myself, If everything that gives life meaning is stripped away, what would remain of my knowledge of You? Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #pain #difficulttimes #encounter #struggles

Dear Father, There is a pattern of growth within our school system that entails preparation and examinations. The knowledge of an examination that is in view, coupled with the absence of contention regarding its purpose and timing, makes preparation easier. From a very tender age, we become accustomed to building and growing toward something that is not contested and that will soon be revealed according to an established timeline. But what happens when the case is different? Today, I pondered the circumstances that surrounded Noah and his building of the ark. You commanded him to build an ark with exact specifications, and it seemed as though all the odds were against him. Why build a shield against rain for the purpose of a rain the world had never seen? Yet the Scripture recounts, "Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him." In studying the life of Noah, I have realized that our destinies may not always follow an established pattern or timeline for growth. But what happens when we are required to build so intensely and with precision for an unprecedented future? How demotivating it can be to study for an exam we do not see coming. How do we overcome the reluctance to build when the very thing we are building for will not be revealed until the building is complete? Is this not one of the reasons we face opposition? In this case, building contrasts with the natural pattern of known timelines. In this case, building leaves us without a point of reference with human experience. So we would rather not build the ark if we do not see rain, or write the book if no readers have pledged their loyalty. We would rather stay safe than risk discouragement. We would rather follow the natural pattern than fulfill destiny. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #unprecedentedoccurrnces #obedience #structure #timeline

Dear Father, I learned something new about the miracle where Jesus fed over five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. The Scripture says, "And he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude... And they did all eat, and were filled... Despite the detailed and explicit narration of this event, and its repetition in the other Gospels, we still do not know where the multiplication took place. When or how did five become five thousand? Is this not the same principle that applies to growth in trees? We plant and water, yet we rarely witness the moment they sprout. The praying was evident, and so was the breaking, but whence came the multiplication? Sometimes we experience discouragement not because we do not pray or believe, but because we look for a multiplication that may not be visible in proportion to our input. Our obvious inability to track growth often discourages us from remaining faithful to the very process that produces growth. I see how this applies to our careers, ministries, businesses, and even our personal growth pursuits. In seeking a visible demonstration to reassure ourselves, we forget that the process of multiplication begins in invisibility before it manifests as evidence. Help us, Father, to remain faithful to the process even when the evidence is not yet visible. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #growth #multiplication #evidence #visibility

Dear Father, Today it occurred to me that the parable of the ten virgins had nothing to do with people who sinned. The Scripture says: "Ten virgins took their lamps to meet the bridegroom. The foolish ones took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept..." So it was the bridegroom who delayed? Although, the delay did not contradict the promise; it only contradicted their expectations. Yet expectations, when held too tightly, can become as dangerous as unbelief. In discussing the effects evil can have in derailing a man committed to his assignment, we rarely discuss the subtle yet derailing power of delay. While initial obedience to the assignment is commendable, this race also requires completion, and the journey is not without the possibility of delay. Delay can be defined subjectively, not by how long it takes to obtain a promise, but by how long we perceive it to be. While some delays may arise as spiritual warfare that we must engage, others present themselves as occurrences we did not plan for. How do we respond when delays exceed the timing of our expectations: when, after a long while, the business still shows no sign of profit, the spouse has not arrived, or the role does not seem forthcoming? How do we respond when the delay stretches on and it seems as though our oil has run out? Perhaps, in anticipating the promise, we must fall in love with the process and acquire more oil than may seem necessary, for the wise were distinguished by their preparation for uncertainty. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #parable #thetenvirgins #delays #uncertainties

Dear Father, The discussion on seasons has occupied my mind for some time now, considering its relevance in determining the timing and eventual realization of destiny success. I was once told that a missed season can cost a man unplanned years in recovery, and we may all be aware that life is broken into units of seasons, where transition into a new season does not necessarily announce itself. But how discerning are we regarding the dawn of a new season? During the days of Elijah, when there was famine in the land, You said to him, "Thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and in the evening, and he drank of the brook. "...And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land..." As easy as it may be to raise questions as to why the brook could dry up despite it being Your command that he drink from it, a closer look reveals that this signified the dawn of a new season. If experiencing lack in a place where he once enjoyed supernatural provision was an indication that You were leading him into a new season, what depth of discernment is required to accurately perceive and interpret the changing of seasons? New seasons do not only present a new direction; they often also come with a different instruction. What if the struggle we currently experience is evidence of a transition we have neither discerned nor perceived the instruction tied to it? Father, I pray for mercy in this regard. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #seasons #changingseasons #instruction #transition #Elijah