Tag: #alignment

Do Prayers Change God’s Plan?

I have often wondered – when we pray for others, do our prayers change God’s plan? If not, what is the purpose of praying for others, even for ourselves?

This is what I learnt: our prayers do not change God’s ultimate plan, as He is sovereign, unchanging and His purpose stands firm. But our prayers do change things within God’s plan. God chooses to weave our prayers into how He accomplishes His will.

Prayer Aligns Our Hearts to God’s Will

Prayer isn’t about convincing God of our plans – it’s about conforming ourselves to Him. When we pray, we are stepping into His presence, and our desires begin to shift toward His purpose and plan. Through prayer, we stop fighting for our agenda and start discerning His. This is where peace begins – in surrender, not in striving.

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven – Matthew 6:10

Prayer is God’s Chosen Way of Releasing His Power

God doesn’t need our prayers, but He chooses to work through them. In Scripture, breakthrough almost always follows someone’s fervent prayer. Our prayers don’t change God’s character or intentions – but they activate what He has already willed to do. It is through prayer that God invites us into His work on earth.

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective – James 5:16

Prayer Transforms Us – Even When it Doesn’t Change the Outcome

Sometimes prayer doesn’t change the circumstance, but it always changes us. It softens our hearts, make us more compassionate, and strengthens our faith. It keeps bitterness from taking root and redirects our focus toward eternity. Often the greatest miracle of prayer is the person we become through it. We grow patient like Moses, bold like Esther, and surrendered like Jesus. Prayer forms Christ in us. It helps us release fear, receive peace, and walk with a heart more aligned to God’s character.

And we all, who with unveiled faces, contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit – 2 Corinthians 3:18

My Invitation

This is my invitation to you today: pray fervently to align with God’s will, and let God’s power transform you to become more Christ-like.

Are you connecting to your core values?

Connect to Core Values
Connect to Core Values

In the book Bittersweet by Susan Cain, she talked about accepting the bitter and losses in our lives, and how it can lead us to connect to our values and subsequently acting on those values.

I reflected upon it and listed the core values I believe is important to me at this season of my life:

  1. Courage – courage to do what God has called me to do, to trust in God’s plan for my life, and to be led by the power of the Holy Spirit
  2. Compassion – to reach out to others and inspire them to dream boldly, and more importantly, to have compassion on myself – to be kind and gentle to the little girl in me
  3. Creativity – to use my talents in bold unique ways to give glory to God – dare to dream big, be bold, go wild, run free, dance like no one is watching, and have lots of fun!
  4. Gratitude – to give thanks for the countless blessings in my life, including the trials that strengthen my character and driven me to be who I am today

I realise that I need to align my values with what I am doing in my life. That whatever project or work I embark on, it needs to align with my core values. And these values must be outward seeking, that is, it is to serve others and to give glory to God.

As we start the new year of 2024, I invite you to connect to your values and seek to live in alignment with your core values.

May this year 2024 be a wonderful year for you!