The Power House

A few days ago I received a (snail) mail from my Mom in Toronto containing a small booklet, a letter, and copies of two of the articles I wrote more than two years ago. She said she was sorting out old files and came across some of my “Dear Reader” articles and found some of the pages were boldly speaking to her. So she sends back to me a copy so I could hear what it is saying to her loudly.

Upon reading the two articles I wrote, it felt like I was struck by lightning twice. Sometimes, we give advises or encouragements and yet, here we are not taking our own. I felt that I have been much occupied that I have set aside one of the most important tasks I have been practicing for a long time. It’s her way of reminding me something I have been neglecting.

What she does really is encourage others in many ways and sending out my articles to someone in need is one of them. Now it's time I receive my own dose of encouragement. This is something I really admired about my mother, aside from her being most understanding. She keeps us in her thoughts most of the time. She knows if there is something bothering us even if we do not give her a single hint at all. She can read our movements, responses, and probably even our minds! She even used to tell us she’s got sixth sense - yeah, right Mom! But that’s what makes her a super Mom! So there goes the truth in the saying, "Mothers know best!" I know not all moms are like her and each moms are gifted in many different ways. I am really blessed to have her.

My mother was never wrong and this message does speak to me loudly. Here is the first article I wrote in May 2005:

A time came when I was assigned to visit a factory in China with my colleague to see how they can set up our new product development for the coming Back-to-School season. Since it was my first visit to that factory, I was given the privilege to tour its large premises, along with my colleague.

We were shown the various departments and sections of the factory where large machines were making a great deal of noise. These machines feeds and cuts assorted sizes of polypropylene sheets where workers collect them to bring to the next stage of development. Other parts of the tour include the sample room, the dyeing section-where raw materials are mixed with dye stuffs; the die area, embossing, printing, lamination, trimming, folding, packing and the workers’ quarters.

After crossing 3 blocks of the compound, we were led to the back lot area housing nothing but huge generators and control panels. My colleague said, “Hmmm, there is nothing interesting here, nothing much happening. This place is not so important.” Then the guide smiled, “Yes, it seem nothing much happening here and nothing interesting to see. But this is the most important place of all. This is where the power is distributed to the entire factory. And when there is a power failure, the generator here runs and provides power supply to the entire factory.”

Now here is a lesson for all of us to that comment: In our Christian life, the place where we pray is our ‘power house’, a quiet place where we can be alone with God. There we do our quiet time where we can speak to God and reverently allow Him to speak to us as we meditate on His Word, the Bible.

Like the many areas of the factory, our lives also have sections that do various tasks. But all areas of our lives should begin from the ‘power house’. When we rise up in the morning, we switch on our ‘power’ through prayer. It is like a key that unlocks your day. At the end of the day before we retire, we do our quiet time and meditate on God’s Word, works like a lock before retiring at night. What if we fail? When we fail to pray and suddenly experience a storm in our life, we panic when our generator does not provide us power during blackouts. It is only then that we remember to say our prayers.

Remember this: If you want to know how to pray in the bad times, learn to pray in the good times!

In Matthew 6:6, Jesus taught the value of intimate fellowship with heaven, which can be attained only in the sacred solitude of our prayer closet. “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” So why pray in secret? Praying alone in secret allows us to pour ourselves to God. We become intimate with Him. We have our personal encounter with Him. It is our quality time with Him. All these because we have a ‘Father and son’ relationship with God since we are His children. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:14-16. Jesus did not discouraged public prayer, but He did warn us against the evil of seeking attention by parading our piety before others. When we pray, it seems nothing much is happening. It seems unimportant that we pray without ceasing. But prayer does move mountains to those who have faith! It is one of the most important tasks a Christian must do. This is our communication with the heavenly Father.

When was the last time you shut the door on the distractions of life and poured out your heart before the heavenly Father?

Bible passage to read: Psalm 5:1-8

“KNEELING KEEPS YOU IN GOOD STANDING WITH GOD”