Do not be anxious, find peace in God
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Similar to Matthew 6:25, Peter echos Jesus’ instructions to not be anxious about anything. Turn to God for everything; from the clothes we wear, the food we eat. In prayer, bring Him all our thanksgiving and requests.
Today, EAST held our first eOpen House and moments before going live, we encountered some technical difficulties. While we figured out the problem, the anxiety and panic began to build. At this moment, we prayed for God to be with us and if he willed it, to help us execute this eOpen House to the best of our ability. The problem was resolved, and the eOpen House was carried out and completed smoothly.
Sometimes, it will be difficult to stop ourselves from feeling anxious. It is very human to panic in the face of uncertainty. This verse from Paul and Jesus’ words in Matthew reminds us to stop constantly looking forward and around us during these times and instead look up, and find peace in our God who will guard our hearts and minds.
A personal relationship with God
In Hebrews, “draw near” is frequently used to mean approaching God. Such an act requires one’s sins are forgiven through the sacrificial and an intermediary, such as a high priest.
Fortunately, as Christians, we have the privilege of a personal relationship with God. We are free to approach and be personal with Him through the death of his Son Christ Jesus. We should not doubt our relationship with Him. With confidence and without shame, we will receive mercy and grace in our times of need.
Have there been things you haven’t spoken to God about recently? Be it due to shame or guilt? Or even because you feel it is too insignificant to pray about? This verse tells us to bring all these to God in our prayers, to treat is as a most personal relationship in our lives,
Why EAST?
This is a resource page where you can find out more about EAST!
At EAST, our degree programs allow for varied specialisations or disciplines in the following areas: Biblical Studies, Christian Ministry, Inter Cultural Studies, Leadership, Teaching and Exposition, and Theological Studies. For more information on each of the programs with the above academic disciplines, click here.
For information on courses offered, commencement magazine, and stewardship report, view them as flipbooks here.
To visit EAST official video channels on YouTube and Vimeo, do check out the links at the bottom of this page.
Enjoy the video and other resources offered on this page!
“We Welcome YOU to EAST eOpen House 2021!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTwWlMQmzvM?w=450
“Our Vision, Mission, Values – Go EAST!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU_2j9oyyl4?w=450
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5fWsa1p6xg?w=450
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve1xDkt88lM?w=450
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTEwRBrDOfk?w=450
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz6BcdBR-J0?w=450
Here are the links to EAST official video channels on YouTube and Vimeo. Do check them out!
Humble prayer
Similar to today Christian communities today, prayer was commonplace in Jewish society. At the time of prayer, Jews would stop what they were doing and pray, some discreetly, but others with pretentious display. Jesus was not condemning all public prayer, as indicated by his own prayers in public. He was warning against having impure or hypocritical objectives when conducting public prayer. Private prayer is simply between an individual and God, and will not be susceptible to temptation which exist when praying publicly.
In the following verses, Jesus gives some tips on humble prayer; Matthew 5:7-8 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.”
The Lord is my portion
The word “portion” appears several other times other than this, such as in Psalm 73:26, Psalm 142:5 and most notably Psalm 16:5, which reads: “LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.” but what does the word “portion” mean in this context?
In other versions of the bible, “portion” is translated as “inheritance.” When these writers say the Lord is their portion, they mean that he is their allotment, their inheritance, their source of security, and in this case, hope.
If you’ve paid attention to the last few verses, you may have realised that there has been a focus on gratitude and thanksgiving. While this verse may not explicitly call for that, it is relevant, especially when we are reminded constantly about the fallen nature of man, and how the world we live in is a broken one, waiting to be restored when Jesus returns. It can be difficult to read the news every day and feel discouraged by all the sin and suffering everywhere, but this verse reminds us to look to the Lord as our source of security and hope.
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