Ons geloofgesprek: Die Krag van Gebed
Daar word op die oomblik in die kerk meer gepraat oor self-ontplooiing as oor self-opoffering.-Anon.......As ‘n kerk haar woorde begin devalueer, dan word die kerk ‘n ramp vir die volk. - K Schilder 9/30/2008
En daar gebeur dit toe weer! Na maande se worstel met 'n probleem in my lewe, wend ek my gister na 'n pastoor by Lewende Woord kerk. Alhoewel ek 'n lidmaat van die NG Kerk Lynnwood is, kry ek gister die gevoel om na 'n pastoor te gaan.Hy het my ontmoet, lank en aandagtig na my storie geluister en gesê hy gaan bid. Dit was 'n onvergeetlike ervaring om hom te hoor bid en ek kon hoor die man het outoriteit.Twee ure later is my massiewe probleem heeltemal opgelos! God doen nie halwe werk nie...GroeteMart
Mart, dankie vir dié getuienis! Dit is beslis bemoedigend om te verneem dat gebede steeds verhoor word.Liza
Weet jy, Liza, dis nogal moeilik om sulke goed oor te vertel. Mense is dikwels so skepties en krities en mens moet mooi konsentreer om nie jou pêrels voor die swyne te gooi nie! Gelukkig voel ek veilig genoeg op ons blog...GroeteMart
Mart, dit is inspirerend, ek probeer dit binnekort sommer self!
Dankie Bertus. Weereens, dis genuine vrek moeilik om dit oor te vertel. Eerstens stel mens jouself nogal bloot. Tweedens kan dit maklik soos 'n soort "quick fix" klink wat ek propageer, maar ek het besluit om dit hier met julle te deel, want dit was eenvoudig te groot om net stil te bly daaroor. Dankie dat julle positief hierop reageer. My pêrels is nie hier voor die swyne gegooi nie!GroeteMart
met outoriteit....dis daai ding. dit kom kort by my. dit moet die rede wees hoekom ek oor en oor moet bid en vra. daai ou bid een keer. Soli Deo Gloria.Mart, mag hierdie getuienis wyd loop.
MartMiskien is daar tog antwoorde daar buite...ek soek net nie altyd op die regte plekke nie.Dankie dat jy so oop daaroor praat, ek weet dit moes moeilike gewees het om so oop te maak... jy het my werklik diep geraak
Elna,Ek hoor wat jy sê. Om met outoriteit te bid, is 'n 'kuns'. En daardie pastoor het regtig met outoriteit gebid. Dalk kan ons bietjie daaroor gesels?GroeteMart
Help my asseblief reg as ek verkeerd verstaan. As 'n pastoor of predikant met 'outoriteit' bid beteken dit dat dié persoon se gebed meer waarde voor God se aangesig sou hê as bv myne of die volgende persoon s'n?Beteken Lukas 11: 1-13 nie ook dat 'n 'opregte en eenvoudige' gebed - "Wie homself in volle geloof aan My toevertrou, sy gebed verhoor Ek" - net soveel krag het soos die van 'n 'Godsgeleerde' nie?Ek wonder maar net...?
Ja, Liza, ek dink jy is reg. Dalk is die pastoor (in hierdie geval) se gesindheid en houding en hart heeltemal reg. Dalk het hy nie selfsugtige hindernisse en 'n mate van liggelowigheid in hom, wat verhoed dat sy gebede verhoor word nie... Dalk is hy totaal en al oortuig dat God hom hoor en sy gebed sal verhoor.... Dis wat ek bedoel met "outoriteit".GroeteMart
Mart Jy praat nou van outoriteit en volle oortuiging, maar ek het dit verloor.Ek kan net nie daai gevoel meer kry nie...ek voel regtig so afgesny...Hoe kry mens dit terug? Hoe gebeur dit, want net nou die dag was ek nog Sharp!!!!
~~Daddy's Empty Chair~~A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit."I guess you were expecting me, he said.'No, who are you?" said the father.The minister told him his name and then remarked, "I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up,""Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man."Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the minister shut the door."I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man, "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head."”I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued,"until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me,“Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest.""Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair.It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'. "Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.""So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.I'm careful though if my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm."The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church.Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.Did he die in peace?" he asked."Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me how much he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?"The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."
Media kapperjolle... maal twee