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Why am I? What is my purpose?

Why am I here? What is life all about? What is the meaning of life? How we answer these big-picture questions is important so we can live with hope and a sense of purpose in times of uncertainty, pain, and frustration.

What is the meaning of life according to the Bible? According to the Bible, knowing God is the meaning of life because He is the “author of life” (John 17:3). The meaning of life is not based on things we see in the world “for life is more than food, and the body more than clothing” (Luke 12:23).

What does it mean to know God? Why can’t we base the meaning of life on relationships, career, or personal happiness? Understanding the answer to these questions in the Bible gives a sense of purpose and fulfillment in our lives.

https://www.openbible.info/topics/why_do_i_exist

What is the meaning to life? Why am I? What is my reason/purpose? A routine question that strikes us at moments of reflection/trial. What is “Life”?

God, as The Author of life, brings meaning to life. Everything God created was meant to show what God is like. God created a world with a purpose, by His design. The world we live in and the life of every person has a purpose and is not just the product of chance, random events, and biological selection.

What Is the Meaning of Life According to the Bible?

1

Prayer helps you develop a relationship with God

Just like your parents here on earth, your Heavenly Father wants to hear from you and talk to you. When you pray, He listens. Then He answers your prayers in the form of thoughts, spiritual feelings, scripture, or even the actions of other people.

2

Prayer helps you gain an understanding of God’s loving nature

The scriptures teach, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). You can feel that love as you speak daily with Him through prayer, seeking His guidance in your life.

3

Prayer provides answers

Praying and listening to the answers God gives you can help you better understand your purpose in life. God will help you understand why you are here and what you can do to return to live with Him after this life.

4

Prayer helps you find direction in your life

When you privately pray to God, you can work through serious decisions in your life. God always listens and often provides the specific answers and guidance we seek. Even when He chooses not to answer immediately or in the way we might have hoped, prayer itself is a way to find peace.

5

Prayer gives you strength to avoid temptation

Jesus counseled His disciples, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). Through prayer, we can overcome temptations to sin. Pray for God’s help to keep you from making wrong choices. This will give you the strength to do what is right.

6

Prayer aligns your will with God’s will

The purpose of prayer is not necessarily to tell God how you want Him to do things. Rather, it’s to better understand Him and His ways, bringing yourself into alignment with His will. As C.S. Lewis is often attributed as saying, prayer “doesn’t change God. It changes me.”

7

Prayer and regular fasting can help you accept God’s will

Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before He began His ministry on the earth. As He did this, He communed with His Father in Heaven in prayer. Likewise, if you pray and fast, you can feel closer to God and better understand the things He wants you to do.

 

8

Prayer can work miracles

Throughout the scriptures, we see many examples of the Lord working miracles as an answer to prayer. In Old Testament times, the prophet Daniel was thrown into a lions’ den because he refused to stop praying. When he prayed to God in the lions’ den, angels appeared and closed the mouths of the lions. Through daily prayer, you can also experience personal miracles such as healing, peace, and forgiveness for sins.

9

Prayer invites the Holy Spirit into your life

As you pray daily, you invite the Holy Spirit to be with you and to comfort and direct you. The Holy Spirit can give you answers, help you feel God’s love, and bring feelings of peace and joy into your heart.

10

Prayer helps you become more like Jesus

Jesus set the perfect example of prayer. If you try to follow His example through prayer, you will become more like Him and develop a better relationship with Him and Heavenly Father.

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Be blessed. Because we ARE! Amen

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
Philippians 4:13-15

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.
Philippians 4:13-15

Amen

Pray First, Often, and Always!

Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
— Psalm 55:17

While many believers sincerely desire to spend time with God in prayer, few actually do. Spiritual discipline is necessary to make prayer a priority in our lives. God, however, has made prayer a priority—directing his children to pray first, often and always. Therefore, prayer should become a priority for us!

Scripture speaks repeatedly of the importance of prayer. Paul says to pray about everything (Philippians 4:6). Believers should make all requests known to God. In addition, believers are admonished to pray regularly and frequently. David promised the Lord, “Evening, morning and noon I cry out” (Psalm 55:17). Jesus prayed for extended periods of time, especially when making important decisions (Luke 6:12). Certainly when facing challenges or trials, a believer should pray (James 5:13). Paul exhorted the Christians in Thessalonica to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer becomes not only an attitude of the heart but also a continual dialogue with the Lord.

When praying, take time to be still and hear a word from God (Psalm 46:10). The Bible dictates no specific time or place for prayer. However, a believer may find it easier to maintain the priority of prayer when she establishes a definite time and place to pray as part of her daily schedule (Luke 18:1).

Prayer should occupy a place in the heart; it also needs a place in the home. While every believer does not need a prayer closet (Matthew 6:6), all believers should have a place of solitude free from distraction in order to pray in private.

To help make prayer a priority, you may want to use a prayer journal or devotional book or write out a prayer list and revise it often. Share your commitment to prayer with others, both to encourage them and to hold yourself accountable for praying regularly.

Amen. In The Name of Jesus.

In The Mighty Name of Jesus I Pray ❤️‍🩹🙏🏾❤️‍🩹🙏🏾

Powerful Reminders For You Today:

Shared by ♥️ May Williams

“My Testimony is at stake.”
“I will pray about it before I act on it.”
“I will allow God to fight my battles for me!”

Ask God for wisdom and direction when you feel like you want to retaliate against those who are doing or who have done you wrong.

Take your pain and your problems to God! Praise Him!

Romans‬ ‭12:19‬
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
‭‭

What is YOUR definition of an ‘ANIMAL’?

Do you ever see wild animals?

What is an ‘animal’?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animal

A wild animal? A wild animal is an animal that is, well, wild. This means that it isn’t tame and it lives on its own without any help from people. A wild animal finds its own food, shelter, water and all its other needs in a specific natural habitat.

The story of the Nephilim is further elaborated in the Book of Enoch. The Greek, Aramaic, and main Ge’ez manuscripts of 1 Enoch and Jubilees obtained in the 19th century and held in the British Museum and Vatican Library, connect the origin of the Nephilim with the fallen angels, and in particular with the egrḗgoroi (watchers). Samyaza, an angel of high rank, is described as leading a rebel sect of angels in a descent to earth to have sexual intercourse with human females:

And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: “Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.” And Semjaza, who was their leader, said unto them: “I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.” And they all answered him and said: “Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.” Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it …[46]

In this tradition, the children of the Nephilim are called the Elioud, who are considered a separate race from the Nephilim, but they share the fate of the Nephilim.

Some believe the fallen angels who begat the Nephilim were cast into Tartarus (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6) (Greek Enoch 20:2),[47] a place of “total darkness”. An interpretation is that God granted ten percent of the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim to remain after the flood, as demons, to try to lead the human race astray until the final Judgment. Another similar view was proposed by Dr. Michael Heiser, an Old Testament scholar from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his book The Unseen Realm he states that the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim became what has been known as demons or unclean spirits.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephilim#:~:text=Samyaza%2C%20an%20angel%20of%20high,them%20beautiful%20and%20comely%20daughters.

Now, the question broken down…is Man an ‘animal’? HuMans can move on their own and are placed in the animal kingdom. Further, huMans belong to the animal phylum known as chordates because we have a backbone. The huMan animal has hair and milk glands, so we are placed in the class of mammals.

In this description, do we ever see wild huMans?

There are uncontacted tribes living on two islands in the Andaman Island chain off India.

Sentinelese people of N. Sentinel Island.

Andamanese live on the main islands.

Toromona live near the Madidi River and Heath River.

Three tribes: Awa, Kawahiva, Korubu all in Brazil.

Nakak, Carabayo, Yuri and Passe in Columbia.

Tagaeri and Taromenane in Ecuador.

Ayoreo in Paraguay.

Mashco-Piro in Pero.

Hoti, Yanomami, Piaroa in Venezuela.

So again, I pose the question what is the definition of “wild animals”? This conversation could be simplified vastly by seperating huMankind from non huMankind.

I think it is sad, unhealthy and even dangerous to live among wild animals and without other people. I am not sure I would call it sinful, but it is definitely outside of God’s design and plan for our lives. It seems more like a curse than a sin. Anyone who would choose this definitely has something wrong in their lives that needs to be addressed and not encouraged.

Nebuchadnezzar comes to mind when I try to think biblically about such a scenario.

Daniel 4:28–34 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified Him Who lives forever.

Another viewpoint: HuMans aren’t domesticated and are wild animals because we do not serve or rely on another species. We live on our own as an individual species and even though we follow rules it’s just like that of a wolf following orders from the alpha of the pack.

We are wild animals because we live individually on our own terms in our own habitats just we are more advanced and more intelligent than other animals. This points us right back to “Created in The Image of God” to tend and maintain the Earth.

Most Christians believe that huManity’s purpose is to look after the world that God has created like caretakers (or stewards – Someone who guides another or takes responsibility for, and care, of others – in this case God’s creation.) Because Creation belongs to God, not Man.

The nature and role of huMan beings in Creation

The Bible teaches Christians that God created huMans in His Image: So God Created Mankind in His own Image, in the Image of God He Created them; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27). This does not mean that huMans physically have the same appearance as God. Instead, they have certain characteristics that they share with God, such as being Loving.

For Christians, this shows how important all huMans are to God and explains their special relationship with Him. It is also a reminder to them that huMans should try to show Love and forgiveness just as God does.

Christian beliefs about the soul

Then the Lord God formed Man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

Because God breathed life into Adam, many Christians believe that every person has a non-physical, spiritual dimension that connects them with God. This is known as the soul. Many Christians believe that the soul lives on after a person’s earthly life has ended. For Christians, this sets humans apart from the rest of creation, which God simply commanded into being.

Stewardship and dominion

Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ (Genesis 1:26)

Many Christians see this part of Genesis as evidence that humans have dominion, or power, over God’s creation. However, this does not mean that humanity should exploit the Earth’s resources. Most Christians believe that humanity’s purpose is to look after the world that God has created like caretakers (or stewards), because creation belongs to God, not people. This is known as stewardship

Think 🤔 on this…

A “Day”…

Yes, the words were spoken by The Son of God on the cross at Cavalry. In science, physics, history…think of the words Jesus spoke…

“To day shalt thou be with me in paradise…”

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

— Luke 23:43

This saying is traditionally called “The Word of Salvation”. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was crucified between two thieves (traditionally named Dismas and Gestas), one of whom supports Jesus’ innocence and asks Him to remember him when He comes into His Kingdom. Jesus replies, “Verily I say unto thee…” (ἀμήν λέγω σοί, amēn legō soi), followed with the only appearance of the word “Paradise” in the gospels (παραδείσω, paradeisō, originally from Persian pairidaeza, “paradise garden“).

A seemingly simple change in punctuation in this saying has been the subject of doctrinal differences among Christian groups, given the lack of punctuation in the original Greek texts. Catholics and most Protestant Christians usually use a version which reads “today you will be with me in Paradise”. This reading assumes a direct voyage to Heaven and has no implications of purgatory. On the other hand, some Protestants who believe in soul sleep have used a reading which emphasizes “I say to you today”, leaving open the possibility that the statement was made today, but arrival in Heaven may be later.

Here on Earth, a “day” is 23 hours and 56 minutes. I have deeply considered my experience in my coma after my accident. The ‘day’ was months long and never ended!

We are affected by exhaustion, hard work, the demands of everyday living. When/Where does it end?

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/days/en/#:~:text=This%20is%20called%20a%20sidereal,23%20hours%20and%2056%20minutes.

Right quick, the prophet Samuel was invoked by a sorceress:

The account of the witch of Endor summoning Samuel from the dead is recorded in 1 Samuel 28:7–20. It is the only biblical account of a séance. There are differences of opinion regarding the story: did Samuel himself truly appear, was this an illusion perpetrated by the witch, or was it a demonic deception?

King Saul’s encounter with the witch of Endor took place at the very end of his reign as king. The Philistines had arrayed themselves for battle against Israel, and Saul “was afraid; terror filled his heart” (1 Samuel 28:5). Samuel was dead, so Saul sought direction from the Lord through other means, “but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.” God’s silence was a consequence of Saul’s disobedience against God (verse 6).

Having no word from God, Saul sent his servants to find a medium, and they told him of one in the town of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7). Saul had previously expelled all the spiritists and mediums from the land (verse 3), but obviously some remained. By divine law, mediums and spiritists were banned from Israel (Deuteronomy 18:11). That the king, in desperation, would seek wisdom from an occult source that he himself had outlawed shows his hypocrisy and indicates how far he had fallen from God’s grace.

King Saul fasted all day, disguised himself, and visited the witch of Endor with two of his servants. Saul told her, “Consult a spirit for me, . . . and bring up for me the one I name” (1 Samuel 28:8). The woman, wary of a trap, balked at the request. Saul swore an oath that she would not be punished (verse 10), and he indicated that he wished to speak to Samuel. During the séance the prophet appeared: “When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, ‘Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!’” (verse 12).

Saul, who did not see what the woman saw, told her not to be afraid and to describe what she saw (1 Samuel 28:13). The witch said, “I see a ghostly figure a coming up out of the earth,” further describing him as “an old man wearing a robe” (verses 13–14). “Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground” (verse 14).

In the ensuing conversation, “Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?’” (1 Samuel 28:15). The king explained about the Philistines and how God was no longer answering him (verse 16). Samuel then gave Saul a chilling message:

Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what He predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out His fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.
(1 Samuel 28:16–19)

Upon hearing of his fate, Saul was very afraid. The witch prepared a meal for Saul, who had not eaten all day, and she and Saul’s two servants prevailed upon to partake of what was probably his last meal (1 Samuel 28:20–25). The next day, in battle, Saul and his sons died (chapter 31).

The passage does not give any indication that the apparition the witch of Endor saw was anything other than Samuel himself. We know that the medium was not producing an illusion because she screams in surprise when she sees Samuel (1 Samuel 28:12). Also, the spirit rising from the earth is called “Samuel.” The text does not say that the spirit “appeared to be Samuel” or that the medium “thought it was Samuel”; the text directly refers to the spirit as “Samuel.” Further, the spirit spoke the truth; the message Saul received was accurate.

The witch of Endor was likely expecting to hear from her “familiar spirit” (a demon) during the séance, and that explains her startled reaction to seeing Samuel. It seems that, in this case, God allowed Samuel to return in order to give king Saul the news of his coming defeat and death.

The story of the witch of Endor summoning Samuel does not imply that séances are effective in conjuring the dead or that witches or mediums genuinely speak with the spirits of dead individuals. When a person dies, his or her soul is taken to either heaven or hell. There is no wandering the earth, conveying messages to the living, or making return visits (see Luke 16:19–31). Any claim of contact with departed loved ones is a demonic deception (see 2 Corinthians 11:14–15).

God condemned necromancy, channeling, and the work of mediums, and those who practiced such things in ancient Israel were to be put to death (Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10–12). In Saul’s case, God allowed Samuel to return to pronounce a final judgment on the disobedient king. Saul, who had refused to listen to Samuel when the prophet was alive, sinfully sought a word from Samuel after he was dead. And that was part of why Saul was judged (1 Chronicles 10:13–14).

And we pray 🙏🏾 in The Name above ALL names- Jesus.

Dearest Father, we think we can handle our problems alone and spend many restless nights in agony. We praise You for Your Presence and choose to always lean on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Go forth in victory and peace, Amen.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

Good morning beloved of The Lord. God bless you richly and meet your every need through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

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