"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him" (Philippians 1:29)

Suffering for Christ is expected when you believe in Him.

When people believes in something, in order for them to stay in that belief, they will do sacrifices, deprivation and take whatever circumstances they may dwell in. For example, when we believe that if we love someone, we can do everything for them despite of the situations we are in or we might take. OFWs believed that if they work abroad they can provide for their family. Despite the fact that they know that they will miss their family and they will be missed, they will experience a lot of changes and adjustments, they will have uncomfortable situations with new people and places and a whole lot more sufferings, yet they strive to go out of the country to do what they believe in. The same goes with believing in Jesus as what Paul has described in the verse.

As a believer, at first I was afraid. Afraid that my lifestyle will be different and I had to sacrifice time for myself and my family. As I go on, I came to think of how can I give tithes if I have a lot of expenses. And when I did give my tithes for the first time, I felt weary everyday if I can survive until the next pay day. Just recently, a friend was angry because I commented on his post which were offending believers. He had insulted me and his friend and I felt disrespected. I carried it in my heart the whole weak. And everytime I remember it, I feel heaviness in my heart.

But because I believe in the Lord, every single time, He helps me and takes away my fears, doubts and struggles. Through prayer I feel His healing. I believe in Him that He will do what He can to take away my sufferings.

Lord, I praise You and exalt your holy name. I thank You for this new year and new start that You have given me. Thank You for the greatest chance You always give to me when I wake up from my everyday sleep and You managed to take my hand to get me up and running again. Forgive me Lord for all the sins I have caused to hurt you and your children. All my shortcomings last year were brought by the sufferings I had which I intentionally dwell into causing a lot of sins. I will continue to believe in You despite the sufferings it will offer and stop dwelling in them. For I know, that in You, I will be saved from it all at the end of days and will feel Your joy and love all throughout our journey. Lord, I am excited to face this new year of sufferings which I consider as great challenges. Excited because I know that in every fight You will be there to defend me and help me get up to stand and face the enemies we bound to defeat! I declare and claim that 2017 is our year Lord God! We will conquer and be victorious! I pray Lord that You always remind me of what I need to do and what is right to do. Give me signs and whispers only from You and please make a way to supress those coming from the enemy. Show me Lord the right way towards Your light and truth. Lord, always hold my hand and give me a hug in every suffering I will encounter this year. Bless your children always and heal them in every aspect of their lives as they also bless others. Don't let them be lost again because of the sufferings that they may have, instead, use me or other people to make them stay with You. And Lord God, I pray for a humble and forgiving heart especially to those people who will cause suffering to my heart. Always remind me that the enemy will lure me to feel bad about them and that they are just blinded. In Your holy name. Jesus, I pray. Amen.