ONE NATION IN PRAYER #My500Words (DAY 2)

I’m on my Day 2 of the 31 Day Challenge.  This time, let me feature some event in my country.

2013 has been a challenging year for the Philippines.

    (Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) flattened the Visayas area, destroying houses, uprooting trees, toppling down electrical posts, and leaving more than 6,000 people dead.)

(An accident that occurred when a bus fell off the Metro Manila Skyway that left 18 people dead.)

        

(An armed conflict in Zamboanga City between the forces of the Republic of the Philippines and a faction of the Moro National Liberation From (MNLF) that brings terror to the people.)

Its surface fear, as a normal response to any tremendous event but it also brings out the unity and shows the natural character of Filipino’s which is being cheerful despite of all the test to our nation. 

            (Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan Suvivors)          

        (DSWD relief goods packaging area)

There are about 98M people living in the Philippines and 2M of it (as of 2007) are living in Bulacan (one of its province) where you can found courageous men who fight ‘til death for the liberty of their countrymen.

Last, December 2013 a DAM BREAK DRILL was held to address the Angat Dam Break Issue.

    

An event that causes panic and produces chaos to Bulakenyos because of the misinterpretation that the dam really collapse but it was just a drill (practice, exercise, training) to teach them what are they going to do in case the Angat Dam breaks anytime if a 7.2 magnitude hits the province.

During one of the Provincial Capitol regular Monday flag ceremony (Jan. 20), where our office was supposed to be the host of the program; an immediate Day of Prayer represented by the Four Pillars (Catholic, Born-Again, Baptist and Muslim) was called by the Governor to support the One Nation in Prayer that was held in the Malacañang and led by the President Benigno Aquino III himself.

     

(One Nation in Prayer held at the Malacañang Palace)       

(A Day of Prayer held at the Provincial Capitol  of Bulacan)

The A Day of Prayer highlighted the verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that says:

“If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turned from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

If you are going to read it again, there you will find four things that God asked the people to do. Have you noticed?  It’s the H, P, S, and T using the word IF (given) to get the THEN (result).

1.  IF we HUMBLE ourselves.  (“IF my people who are called by My name will humble themselves…)

            It’s just like a father to his son. When the son offended his father and sees him coming; of course you are not going to approach him with arrogance then ask for forgiveness. What you will do probably is great him or bow your head before him as a sign of respect and saying sorry for what you have done. Same with God, when we come to Him, we must first humble ourselves acknowledging and respecting his power and rulership in our life.

2.  IF we PRAY. (“IF my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray…)

            When your father is pleased with you, it’s easy to ask, request or appeal to him your concern.  He will not give you a hard time; he will attentively listen to you. 

3.  IF we SEEK His face. (“IF my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face…)

           We do not come to a person who we think is incapable of things we’re also unable to do. We’ll both end up seeking another one who is able (God) to do things we think are impossible to happen.

4.  IF we TURNED from our wicked ways. (“IF my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turned from their wicked ways…)

            This is not a Super Mario that when we fail completing level 1, we are going to restart and restart and restart over again and there are no free mushroom lives or star invisibility or coins we collect to gain points.

There was a question that once asked by a Pastor: What is the difference between a believer and an unbeliever?

What do you think it is?

Jesus in our heart? Holy Spirit in us? Forgiveness? Salvation? Eternal life? …

Yes. Those are some that differentiate us from unbelievers. Unseen things that should be reflected in our everyday living. How? By pursuing to have a CHANGE LIFE. A LIVING TESTIMONY that even we don’t show it to the world it will be seen. A changed life. It will not be easy but with the help of the Holy Spirit and with Jesus that is living in us, we can.  Only IF we TURNED from our wicked ways THEN, God will hear us from heaven and will forgive our sins and heal our broken heart. (THEN I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”)

"Shoulder to shoulder, we will overcome any challenge. Together, let us steer our ship of state towards peace and prosperity."  ~ President Benigno S. Aquino III, in a speech during the 115th anniversary of the Navy

<Above photos were taken from Google Images>