This Week With Jesus

  Hemant Mehta, author of "The Young Atheist's Survival Guide , wrote in  New York Times, "prayer is useless (without action... It lulls believers into a false sense of accomplishment". ) All of us at some time in our life have faced situations when, in spite of intense prayer, the answer does not seem to be forthcoming. When that happens fear, uncertainty and doubt creep in. We may feel that it is futile to pray as God does not seem to be listening. It may be  a prayer for a job, or the life of a loved one, or sickness or financial disaster. It could be so many things life throws at us. Or  it could be something we crave for- like a new home or a car or a life partner. When we feel it is all futile, we need to remember that delay in answer is not dismissal.  Furthermore, what is the purpose of prayer?  Dr. Michelle Bengtson says this - "  Our prayers are not just an avenue of petition. While God does encourage us to ask Him to meet our needs...

Read James 2:17-26 17 "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead....." A gift needs to be accepted. I can buy the best gift I can think of and afford for someone, but if he/she/they do not accept it, it is a wasted effort. Non acceptance can be through silent rejection, recycling or any other way of getting rid of it. We all do it sometimes. God's gift to us is Jesus. How do we show acceptance of that Gift? In the quoted verse James makes that pretty clear- that the way we show acceptance and appreciation of God's gift is through our actions. As Rev. Francis Taylor says - " Our works will never earn us salvation, but it will let God know that we have accepted the gift". Is God's gift reflecting in our day-to-day life? Do we show prejudice? Do we show integrity in even small things, at work or at home? An example of integrity, very common at work, is simply doing what one has promised to do. Not making a commitment and ...