my forgetful heart must remember this.

Today, after badminton, as I was walking back home, I made a realisation, and it made me excited. There was a spring in my step, and I felt like I could put everything down and just pray. Yet, there was a little disappointment and sadness. Didn't I know this before? Haven't I witnessed God answering my prayers so often? What's with this feeling of a new discovery? Then I told myself I must write it down and form a conviction to remind myself so that I would not forget this. I must also make a conscious effort to mean what I say in my prayer, and be careful to observe God answering them because He surely will. Learnt from the book of James that prayer must be made in faith and with the right intentions. I must remember that prayer is not mouthing some nice words and ideas and then forgetting them the next moment. I must mean what I say and with the same weight and force with which I carry my words, I must be responsible towards that which I prayed. Otherwise, it'll be hypocritical and we just want the issue to be resolved without us doing our part. That's not the way to go.

I witnessed how I was not labouring enough for the gospel. How the gospel had grown cold in my heart. My disobedience towards the great commission. I prayed for God to stir up my heart, cause me to love the gospel and labour more for the gospel. I thought I'd start off by attending tracting regularly. But God placed this person in my life. That we would know each other by weekly group badminton sessions and eventually, opening up the opportunity for me to minister to him and try to lead him to Christ. I recognise my inadequacies, my floundering with words to say.. but I realised God had increased my love for him. To pray for him, seeing his helpless state, unable to seek God and facing the prospect of judgement. And through explaining scriptures to him, telling him of the gospel, my heart was stirred up constantly. Weekly. Daily, whenever I prayed for him. What a remarkable answer to my prayer.

There are many more. But seeing how God answers my prayers is a great impetus to start praying for the dear youths more. Not for greater career prospects, better grades, better health but more importantly, for all good spiritual things. That God may increasingly be at the centre of their lives. Ah..there's so much more to pray for... I should start now.