Truth Memoirs

I grew up with the understanding that the purpose of prayer is to inform God about my expectations so he could fulfill them, but  I did not know what to make of it when  my expectations were not fulfilled as I expected. This  led me to ask questions about whether I prayed hard enough or long enough? Or even question the existence of GOD. I never asked these questions out loud but they were there at the back of my mind. So when I saw the headline “ Ace Magashule humbled by prayers ahead of corruption trial” , I paid attention because in South Africa it is common to see a politician or a prominent individual running to church for prayers when they find themselves in trouble. This always bothered me but previously it did not bother me enough to do anything about it.  The fact that churches even complied with these politicians and in some cases they even invited them made me wonder about the purpose of prayer. It seems to me I am not the only person who thought the purpose of prayer is to

WHAT RELIGION TAUGHT ME Doing what makes you happy is a popular motto where I come from this means pursuing happiness should be the ultimate life goal WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS Joy is deep-rooted, inspired happiness This deep rooted inspired happiness endures hardship and trials and connects with meaning and purpose.  God is the source of joy and we experience it when we focus on Him by obeying and trusting Him. It is the secret to contentment and it is  God’s good and perfect gift that is eternal Benefits of pursuing deep rooted inspired happiness : It not only impacts our souls, it also has a positive impact on our health.  It brings us peace that protects our souls It positions us to be always be in God’s presence so not to lose our confidence It reminds us to give our burdens to God through prayer so we do not allow ourselves to be pulled in various directions in times of crisis It helps us focus on the present instead of worrying about the future It allows us to experience divine pleasu