Month: June 2019

Prayer is a way of communicating with God. When Adam and Eve was in the garden, God spend time with them. Had a personal relationship with them and after the fall of man, the ‘walking together in the garden’ time fell away. Now, one of the ways God communicates with us and spend time with us, is through prayer.

He still wants that personal relationship and your daily time with God helps build that relationship. When you spend time with someone, get to know them, there is a trust and friendship that starts to build. You need to get to that point where you feel that God is your best friend and the one you can trust with anything. Even your deepest darkest secret. Your fears and your hopes and your dreams.

Matt6:6 says: ‘But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.’ The time we spend with God in prayer, is a special, personal time you spend with Him. He doesn’t want interruptions. He wants you all for Himself. Some quality time you spend together.

As married couples we sometimes joke about ‘date night’. Time we put aside to spend quality alone time with our spouse. You usually make plans to either be alone, or go somewhere special. There is thought and planning that goes into it. Your prayer time with God is the same. There is thought and planning going into it to ensure you have some private time with God.

We can only pray with confidence by having a personal relationship with God. Spend time with Him so that you can get to know Him, trust Him, love Him.

Jesus chose His 12 disciples personally. friends, people part of His inner circle. People He took special care with. People He trusted. He shared His hopes and dreams and fears with.

Between the 12, there was Judas Iscariot. Jesus new from the beginning, when He chose him, what role he would play in His live. And He still chose him.

When Jesus informed the disciples there was one among them that will betray Him, everyone was shocked and wanted to know who it was. They didn’t turn like one man and looked and Judas Iscariot and said: ‘It’s you!’ This shows me that in the 3 years, Jesus relationship with His disciples were the same for everyone. Judas Iscariot was totally integrated and part of the group. The way Jesus treated him was the same as everyone else. So no-one suspected Judas Iscariot.

There is an incident mentioned where Maria anointed Jesus feet with oil and Judas said it was a waste of money. The money could’ve been better spend to help the people. From a human perspective, his argument made sense. He didn’t want the money for himself, but he had a better plan on how to spend the money on the people. No one responded with shock when he spoke up. I’m sure this was not the only incident where Judas spoke up, if only we have done it differently, we could’ve done so much more for the people.

You get those people in your life that always knows better. People you feel you need to explain your actions and thoughts to. People who’s always got a better idea of what should have happened or what should have been done. I think in this group demographic Judas was that guy. I think in the 3 years, this was a typical conversation where Judas Iscariot will offer his opinion to Jesus and the disciples.

We all have a Judas Iscariot in our inner circle. Somebody that we see as a busy body. Somebody that always knows better. Does everybody in your circle know he / she is your Judas Iscariot? Or would they be surprised to learn that he / she betrayed you? Is your relationship with this person of such a nature that everyone will suspect him / her immediately if something happens? Or will they wonder who is the guilty party.

I’m sure Jesus prayed for Judas Iscariot with the hope that all the teachings he received in the 3 years would have made a difference and that he will come back and ask for forgiveness. And if Jesus could forgive the people that crucified Him (Luke23:34) then I know Jesus would have forgiven Judas Iscariot. I’m sure that Jesus had such a relationship with Judas that he would have felt welcome to go back to Jesus and would’ve known that Jesus would’ve accepted him with open arms. I’m sure Jesus hoped till the end that Judas Iscariot will come back to ask forgiveness so that he can be forgiven and saved.

We need to treat our Judas Iscariot with the same love we treat others around us. We shouldn’t label him as a Judas Iscariot. So that when he comes back to ask for forgiveness, that he isn’t marked or condemn by us. We must treat our Judas Iscariot with so much love, that he will not be scared to come back and ask for forgiveness. That he will not feel like an outcast even before he betrayed us. But that our relationship should be of such a nature that he will know that, if he ask for forgiveness, he will be forgiven and he will be welcomed back with love.