2026-06-01
Acts 6:4 NKJV
In her book 30 Days to a Stronger, More Confident You, author Deborah Smith Pegues uses the word “pray” as an acronym: “Pause. I stop all activity and focus completely on God. Worship is total preoccupation… The greatest honour and respect we can give to anyone is our undivided attention…
Reverence. I express my admiration for all His attributes… At this point, distractions start to pop up like dandelions… I will suddenly remember a task I need to put on my to-do list. I have learned to jot down the task in my journal and ignore the other issues for what they are – mere distractions that can be dealt with later. I have also learned that praying audibly helps to minimize wandering thoughts…
Ask. I ask for forgiveness for my sins, making every effort to be specific. I pray for the power to live a Christian life and ask God to give me a passion for His Word and for prayer. I ask for His will to be done in every aspect of my life: spiritually, physically, financially, relationally, vocationally, and emotionally…
Yield. I must subordinate my requests to God’s sovereign will, trusting that He knows what is best. I strive to maintain a ‘nevertheless’ attitude. Therefore, I am careful to conclude my prayer by saying, ‘Nevertheless, not my will, Lord, but Yours be done’ [see Luke 22-42]… The old adage that it is not what you know but whom you know that gives you the advantage in a situation is true – especially from a spiritual perspective. When we have a relationship with God, we understand that He is sufficient to handle any demand placed upon us.”
Soul food: Amos 1:1-5:17; Matt 14:13-21; Ps 117; Prov 14:9-12
Handelinge 6:4 NLV
In haar boek, 30 Days to a Stronger, More Confident You, gebruik die skrywer Deborah Smith Pegues die woord ‘PRAY’ as ‘n akroniem: “‘Pause’. Ek stop alle aktiwiteite en fokus heeltemal op God. Aanbidding verg totale fokus. Die grootste eer en respek wat ons aan enigiemand kan gee, is ons onverdeelde aandag.
‘Reverence’. Ek spreek my bewondering vir al God eienskappe uit. Op hierdie punt begin afleidings soos kakiebosse opduik. Ek sal skielik ‘n taak wat ek op my doenlysie moet sit, onthou. Ek het geleer om gou die taak in my Bybelstudiejoernaal neer te skryf en die ander kwessies te ignoreer vir dit wat hulle is – blote afleidings wat later hanteer kan word. Ek het ook geleer dat om hoorbaar te bid, my help om dwalende gedagtes hok te slaan.
‘Ask.’ Ek vra om vergifnis vir my sondes en probeer om spesifiek daaroor te wees. Ek bid vir die krag om ‘n Christelike lewe te lei en vra God om vir my ‘n passie vir sy Woord en vir gebed te gee. Ek vra dat sy wil in elke aspek van my lewe geskied: geestelik, fisies, finansieel, verhoudingsgewys, beroepsgewys en emosioneel.
‘Yield.’ Ek moet my versoeke aan God se soewereine wil onderwerp, met die vertroue dat Hy weet wat die beste vir my is. Daarom is ek versigtig om my gebed af te sluit deur te sê: ‘Laat nogtans nie my wil nie, Here, maar u wil geld’ (sien Lukas 22:42). Die ou gesegde dat dit nie is wat jy ken nie, maar wie jy ken wat jou die voordeel in ‘n situasie gee, is waar – veral vanuit ‘n geestelike perspektief. Wanneer ons ‘n verhouding met God het, verstaan ons dat Hy voldoende is om enige eise wat aan ons gestel word, te hanteer.”
Sielskos: Amos 1:1-5:17; Matt 14:13-21; Ps 117; Spr 14:9-12
2026-05-31
Matthew 28:20 NKJV
To have a personal relationship with someone, there must be two-way communication. Even the most uncommunicative husband has to grunt every once in a while, or it isn’t a marriage – it’s a monologue. So, the Lord being with you, and you being with the Lord, takes place primarily in your mind.
Two people may occupy the same room, but if one of them is sleeping or engrossed in television, they’re not really with each other. There must be interactive awareness. Now, as human beings, we don’t have “direct access” to each other’s thoughts. We can use words, human touch, or hand gestures to guide another person’s thoughts.
But God is infinite rather than finite, so He is able to guide our thoughts directly. He can speak to us through Scripture or through the words of another person. But He can also plant His thoughts directly in our minds. “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16 NKJV). And this can happen anytime, anywhere. So, your mind is your meeting place with God!
There’s much about God speaking to you that’s a mystery. There are no formulas. You cannot control God’s communication with you. You cannot force Him to speak by being more pious or more sincere or by working hard.
Jesus told Nicodemus: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8 NKJV). This much you can be certain of today: God is with you, and He will speak to you if you take the time to listen.
Soul food: Matt 5:3; 2 Sam 7:18-29; Ps 40:17
Matteus 28:20 NLV
Om ‘n persoonlike verhouding met iemand te hê, moet daar tweerigtingkommunikasie wees. Selfs die mees in homself gekeerde man moet elke nou en dan instemmend grom, anders is dit nie ‘n huwelik nie – dis ‘n monoloog. Kommunikasie tussen die Here wat by jou is, en jy wat by die Here is, vind hoofsaaklik in jou gedagtes plaas.
Twee mense mag dalk dieselfde kamer deel, maar as een van hulle slaap of in die televisie verdiep is, is hulle nie regtig bymekaar nie. Daar moet interaktiewe bewustheid wees. Ons het as mense nie direkte toegang tot mekaar se gedagtes nie. Ons kan woorde, menslike aanraking of handgebare gebruik om ‘n ander persoon se gedagtes te rig.
God is egter almagtig, dus is Hy in staat om ons gedagtes direk te rig. Hy kan met ons deur die Skrif of deur die woorde van ‘n ander persoon praat. Hy kan egter ook sy gedagtes direk in ons gedagtes plant. ‘…ons is ingestel om soos Christus te dink’ (1 Korintiërs 2:16 NLV). Dit kan enige tyd en enige plek gebeur. Jou gedagtes is dus jou ontmoetingsplek met God!
Daar is baie omtrent God wat met jou kommunikeer wat ‘n raaisel is. Daar is geen formule nie. Jy kan nie God se kommunikasie met jou beheer nie. Jy kan Hom nie dwing om te praat deur meer vroom of opreg te wees of deur hard te werk nie.
Jesus het vir Nikodemus gesê: ‘Die wind waai waar hy wil. Jy hoor sy suising, maar jy weet nie waarvandaan hy kom en waarheen hy op pad is nie. Só is dit met elkeen wat uit die Gees gebore is’ (Johannes 3:8 NLV). Hiervan kan jy vandag seker wees: God is met jou en Hy sal met jou praat as jy die tyd neem om te luister.
Sielskos: Matt 5:3; 2 Sam 7:18-29; Ps 40:17
2026-05-30
Job 33:14-15 KJV
Job the patriarch said: “For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night… while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men” (Job 33:14-16 NKJV). A dream can be an important message from God or an answer to your prayer. God gave Paul a dream in which a man from Macedonia appeared to him saying, “Come over and help us” (see Acta 16:9). And Paul went there and preached the gospel. Solomon’s reign as king of Israel begins with these words: “In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee” (1 Kings 3:5 KJV). Solomon asked God for great wisdom, and God gave him wisdom, honour, and riches.
Would God still speak to us today in dreams? Yes. He says: “I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6 KJV). The Hebrew word for dream is “chalom.” It has five meanings:
(1) “To bind firmly.” This pictures you being wrapped securely in God’s love.
(2) “To be or make plump.” In the Bible, fatness or plumpness is a picture of health, well-being, and prosperity.
(3) “A sense of dumbness.” When God gives you a dream, He is sharing with you information about things of which you are ignorant.
(4) “To be in good liking.” When God gives you a dream, He is showing favour toward you.
(5) “To recover.” When God gives you a dream, He is working on restoring what you have lost. So, ask God for a dream.
Soul food: Lam 3:40-5:22; Matt 14:1-12; Ps 82; Prov 14:5-8
