In the previous module, (Part 1), we've learnt about the unbelievable good news of a daily miracle, where God takes full responsibility for bringing good fruit, (or goods deeds), into our lives. All we have to do is take full responsibility to keep our roots, (our eyes and ears), in the good soil of His Word. When this happens, we ally ourselves with the Super Power of Good and of Light, and God’s power works in and through us. So we are free from the burden of trying to be better people, and trying to overcome our weaknesses and bad habits. We now build our whole life around God and spending time alone with Him before the day begins. This gives us happiness from within and we don’t need relationships, socializing, hobbies, sport, money or work, to find lasting happiness. All these things now boost our inner happiness, making our happiness so much more complete.

There is a miracle which precedes this miracle of fruit bearing, which maximizes the miracle of fruit bearing to be more powerful and more effective. Yes, the miracle of a changed life comes in two separate parts to form one complete whole miracle. Like a whole egg has two separate parts within the shell, it is still one egg. (See the picture above). Similarly, this amazing life changing miracle has two distinct parts, making up one awesome miracle. The second miracle, which we are about to discuss, must come before the fruit bearing miracle, which we discussed in the previous module. Why the reversed order? The reason for bringing in the fruit bearing miracle first, is because it is the basic outline of a new life of freedom, which contrasts so drastically the old life of struggling to be a better person. Once a person understands how this life of freedom comes about, it would be easier to process how this second miracle needs to come before the fruit bearing miracle. This study aims to describe this precursor to the fruit bearing miracle, and tie the two together. This completes the full miraculous package for you to experience daily.

The “Fruit Bearing Study” which we covered in the previous module, is so convincing. All the pieces fit together so logically that we stand motivated to build everything in our lives around that quiet time, alone with God, in His Word. So we sit down, open the Bible and prayerfully read the various portions. Somehow it just doesn’t make sense. Our minds tend to  wander and we are restless. The Bible seems very difficult to understand and we jump around, not knowing how to get meaning out of what we are reading. What is wrong? Our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and make their way straight back to us. We can’t concentrate when we pray. So many things go through our minds all at once, and we can’t focus on God’s amazing offer to free us from our weaknesses when we meet with Him daily. It is as if there is a dark cloud that separates us from God. A cloud that blinds us, and keeps us from the light and clarity of God’s Word and His will for our lives. (See the picture).

We tend to think that God is always on “standby” for when and if we need Him. We think that we can walk in and out of His presence and effectively communicate with Him at any given point. God becomes an emergency service that we call up when we are in a crisis, and have no other way out. Well, that is true to a point. In my experience, God is that loving, ever forgiving God who is always there for us. He answers prayers that we haven’t even prayed yet. Nevertheless, although God is always there for us, WE move away from Him, and WE separate ourselves from God by neglecting to ally ourselves with Him on a daily basis. When we neglect God, WE automatically fall under the force of evil, and are enveloped in sin and wrong doing. God is still there for us when we are in this state, but WE can’t speak easily with God as our minds are cut off from Him. Our minds cannot communicate with the Almighty Holy Leader of Light and Good when we are sunken in the pit of darkness, surrounded by evil and wrong doing. (See picture - The new millennium was approached by a planet of hearts, broken and hurt by conflict, loneliness and separation.)

“In his sinless state, man held joyful communion with Him, (God)...But after his sin, he could no longer find joy in holiness, and he sought to hide from the presence of God. Such is still the condition of the unrenewed heart. It is not in harmony with God...” (E.G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 16-18).  Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Micah 3:4 says, “Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.”

So many people are carrying hurt, bitterness and anger with them from incidents in their pasts, which they aren’t even conscious of...hurtful incidents from childhood, hurtful incidents from school days, hurtful incidents from the workplace and hurtful incidents from relationships and marriage. The new millennium hosts a planet of hurting hearts. Hearts which have been torn apart by death, and hearts which have been wounded by broken relationships and marriages. Hearts starving for love that lasts, crying out for companionship, for care and for commitment. Modern relationships have become so mechanical, where people move from relationship to relationship as if they were trading in a vehicle or office equipment. Children have grown up in torn homes with no security or affection. These young, vulnerable, tender hearts have searched for love, only to be abused by insensitive, selfish, sensual gluttons. These children have matured and gone into their own marriages, had children, and passed on the hurt and insecurities to their children. People build their lives around each other and around material things in order to gain happiness, and end up being hurt over and over again. What is the answer?

All this hurt slowly accumulates and clouds up a person’s mind. Hurt after hurt, whether great or small, slowly becomes part of a growing burden. The weight gets heavier and heavier as time goes by. Something needs to be done, but no one has the answer. People are attempting to  cope with their conscious and unconscious hurt, by trying to find happiness through  many different methods. Some use alcohol and drugs, some use relationships, some use sport and some use their careers. All desperate attempts to be freed of this pressing weight of hurt, anger and bitterness. (See picture. People are streaming to therapists, to try and let out the pressure. This seems to be the only place where someone listens, where they can speak out the hurt and heartache that life has inflicted over the years). No one else seems to want to listen to the deeper, more negative, problematic side of people's lives. Where do they find rest and relief for their troubled minds?

In how many forms does hurt come to us? It comes in two forms. The first form is hurt that has been done to us by others, and the second form is hurt that we have caused others. Both forms of hurt have a numbing effect on our spiritual, emotional, and mental perception, and they prevent us from understanding and absorbing God’s Word. There must be a way to wash away the hurt and clear our minds to be able to link up with God in daily communication.

God offers a miraculous daily cleansing that is far superior to any of the answers that man has brought forward. (See picture). God’s miraculous daily cleansing can be condensed into one simple word -“forgiveness.” Jesus sums it up in one phrase in the Lord's Prayer found in Matthew 6:12, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify (wash) us from all unrighteousness (or wrong doing).” What an amazing deal.

I have a three fold responsibility which God even helps me achieve. I have sin and sinful tendencies fused into every cell of my body, and I can’t even make a move toward God or toward being cleansed. God’s Spirit moves over this life, infested with the killer sin virus, and brings it toward the healing hand of God. My responsibility is to be open and to respond to the quiet voice of the Spirit in my life. The three responsibilities are as follows:

1. Sorrow for Hurt Caused to Others and to God

As God’s Spirit works, through the prayers of others, through different events in my life, and through the influence of other people in my life, I become aware of the hurt I have caused in the lives of others and to my relationship with God. (See picture - I often feel justified in my anger, but this anger hurt me more than anyone else).

The different events in my life which God works through, could be traumatic events or difficult circumstances I have to face up to. Sometimes they are events where I have nowhere to turn, but to God. As God allows me into this helpless position where there are no answers, I realize that I am hopelessly weak and that I cannot get out of this by myself. God shows me, through pain, through tears, or through a rebuke from a friend or His Word, that I hurt others by my independence and by my rebellion against Him. My hurt and heartache become a looking glass for me to see how much hurt and heartache I have caused others. My independence and self sufficiency turn into sorrow, and my rebellion turns into submissive humility.

Paul summarizes this experience perfectly in 2 Corinthians 7:10-12, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret...See what this godly sorrow has produced in you; what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, (or be cleansed), what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” Sometimes, the only way we can see our sin and rebellion against God, is to be in a position where we just cannot find peace or happiness. The only way, is to turn to God.

2. Confessing Our Sin Daily to God

Psalm 32:5 says, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” 1 John 1:9 says that, “If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (wrong doing).” Let me ask you a question. For whose benefit is the confession of my wrong doing and sin? Is it for God’s benefit or is it for my benefit? Of course it is for my benefit. As I bring out each individual thing before God, there is a healing that takes place in my mind and my emotions. God is offering to be our therapist, to listen, to forgive and then to cleanse. As the weight of guilt and sin lifts off our minds, we become sharper and more in tune with God and His Word. The apostle James says, “Confess your faults one to another, that you may be healed.” James 5:16.  (See picture - Forgiveness is a doctor that brings healing).

3. Daily Forgiveness to Others

Matthew 5:23,24 tells us that, “if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave the gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother; then come and offer your gift.” This text can be cross applied to our times. If we want to spend time alone with God in prayer and study of His Word, we also need to be reconciled with those whom we have hurt, and with those who have hurt us. James goes on to say in James 1:19, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” When I have unresolved anger, hatred and bitterness in my heart toward others, I will not be able to pray and have communion with God. I need to forgive EVERYONE that has hurt me and is at odds with me. This is the final part of my responsibility. (See picture -Forgiving each other clears the mind so God can speak to us more directly.)

When God gives me a detailed picture of my condition, of what harm I have done to others, what harm I have done to myself, and to my relationship with God, I surrender all to God. I realize that my weakness is too powerful for me. I accept that the only way I can cope with all the hurt I’ve caused, is to fall at the feet of Jesus every day, and let His power dominate my weakness into His strength. There are things in my life that I cannot change no matter what I do. After many years of battling away to change these weaknesses, I now come before God and say, “I can’t anymore, you have to take over and perform a miracle.” The apostle Paul got to that position and recounts it in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “To keep me from becoming conceited, there was given to me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace (kindness) is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

1. Miraculous Forgiveness of All Our Sin

1 John 1:9 again brings the transaction together, “If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” When we see that we are wrong, and we bring those wrongs before God, telling Him specifically what they are, He provides pardon and forgiveness to us. Psalm 103:8-12, gives us the most awesome assurance of how ready God is to forgive and cleanse us. “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities...as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” We need to take God’s promise seriously and visualize each sin being removed from our lives, as we confess them to God.

2. Miraculous Cleansing From All Our Sin

Once we have been through the process of recognizing that we are filled with sin and weaknesses which are impossible to get rid of in our own strength, and we confess them all to God, He not only forgives us of all these, but He cleanses us from them. After the burden of guilt is lifted from our minds, God’s Living Word can begin working in our clear, open minds. If we do our part in confessing and admitting our sins and weaknesses, God will do His part. His part is always a miracle. David requests this cleansing in Psalm 51:9, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” God answers, in Ezekiel 36:25,26, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” You see, God asks only a little from us, and then gives to us without measure. He does everything. All He wants is our loyalty and love, and to spend time alone with us, in a romantic like encounter. (See picture below - God’s love for us is stronger than any parental or romantic love among humans.)

God loves us more than we could fathom or understand. His Word is full of promises and evidences supporting His unconditional, Fatherly love for us. In Psalm 103:11 David says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him...as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust . . . From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him...” Isaiah 49:15,16 says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Finally, Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”

When we come alone before God daily, in a quiet time of meditation and study, the very first thing that has to be done is forgiveness and cleansing. 1 John 1:9 is a daily bath or cleansing routine that we go through in order to benefit from our time alone with God. As we need soap, water, and vigorous scrubbing to get the dirt from a day’s work off our bodies, so we need forgiveness and cleansing from God, to free us from the dirt of being out in a world of sinful filth and dirt.

For our daily quiet time alone with God, we thus begin our session with prayer. Our first prayer is thus confession and receiving God’s forgiveness for the past 16-20 hours which we lived the previous day. It is not difficult to remember the events of one day at a time. We can easily revise the previous day’s happenings and so bring them all before God. See how our prayer books will be divided up later on. When we receive God’s forgiveness for the wrongs done to Him and to others, the burden of guilt and remorse rolls off our hearts and minds. We become free to receive impressions from God and to even hear His still small voice.

When we realize how unworthy we are to receive such unmerited favor from God, we have no hesitation to also forgive others whom have hurt us. Many people cut themselves off from people whom have hurt them, refusing to offer forgiveness. By doing this, they think they are punishing the person that hurt them. But, the person that hurt them is carrying on with their lives, and doesn’t even think of the rage inside the person that has been hurt. The hurt person who doesn’t forgive, suffers the most. It is not worth it. People are angry inside, without knowing it, for many reasons they aren’t even aware of. People are angry at their parents for getting divorced.  Others are angry at a spouse or a parent for dying and leaving them all alone. People are angry at God for allowing all this hurt and pain to come into their lives. All this unresolved anger is keeping people from getting in touch with God. Forgiveness must soothe away the anger and bitterness in order for rest and rejuvenation to start their work. (See picture - When we give and receive forgiveness from all hurt and sin, there is a rejuvenation of our mental and emotional state of well being).

We have been speaking about a daily cleansing above; say for the past 16-20 hours. What about cleansing the hurt incurred over the past 16-20 years? In some cases it could be the past 20-30 years or even up to 30-40 years. It could be worthwhile going way back, for just a single trip, in order to weed out hurt and anger from childhood until today. This can be a painful exercise, but as great as the pain is, so great is the relief. The lifeline drawn as a sample, (being an example from a person's life), shows how a person can go back and remember all the events which have caused anger, hurt and bitterness in a person's life.  Not all the very personal events are there, but the broader, more general ones are.

This cleansing exercise entails going back from early childhood, event by event, and asking God to forgive you for any anger you might have had  in a situation. You then need to ask God to help you forgive any person who caused you to hurt in any way which has caused your bitterness and anger. A heavy weight will slowly roll off you. The restful state of mind you will experience will be miraculous. You might even find that regular headaches might disappear, or you will be able to sleep more soundly at night. The mind affects the body in an unbelievable way. See the example of Jerry listed below.

The once-off cleansing exercise may take a while, but once it is done, it never has to be done again. From there it is just the daily cleansing of the past 16-20 hours from the previous day. A special time needs to be set aside, when there will be no interruptions and when each event can be dealt with in however much time it takes. It is good to draw a lifeline and jot in the events that will bring back the past. Then once the lifeline is completed, draw a line through each hurtful event when forgiveness has been given and received for each specific event.

Psalm 32:3 says, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” There is healing for our bodies when the mental and emotional anguish has been removed and resolved. The example of Jerry below, taken from the book “Optimum Wellness,” by Dr. Ralph Golan, is a prime example of how health is affected by emotional turmoil.

Jerry, a twenty-five-year-old man, came to my office one Friday with severe flu symptoms. He had a fever, chills, achy bones, a headache, congested sinuses, a cough, and was feeling generally lethargic. He had caught this flu a few days before, and it only seemed to be getting worse. I recommended a number of remedies and told him to spend the weekend in bed. The next Monday he told me the following story:

“I was suffering in bed on Sunday afternoon with even worse symptoms, when the phone rang. I struggled out of bed and down the stairs to the kitchen where the phone was located. It was my mother.

My parents had recently separated after twenty-eight years of marriage. My father had left my mother for another woman, which had devastated her. For months she’d been calling me and sharing the “truths” about their separation, showing me a dark side of my father I had never known.

My own past resentments of my father were rekindled by these stories. I began to think that my father was truly without strength of character or integrity. My mother seemed like a helpless victim, and I wanted to do anything I could to make her feel better. This became an obsession with me. I grew alternatively confused, tormented, and depressed. My girlfriend could hardly stand living with me anymore. (See picture - Jerry’s flu symptoms cleared up when he stopped the hatred toward his father and admitted his love for him.

So there I was in my kitchen feeling miserable from the flu and on the phone with my mother. She had launched into another one of her stories and discrediting my father when, suddenly, I exploded with anger, which is very out of character for me. I was yelling wildly into the phone at my mother, demanding that she not tell me another story about my father. That I know my father had his faults and that she was hurt and embittered, but that she had no right to do what she was doing. That I couldn’t stand it anymore. That I loved my father in spite of his flaws, and that she couldn’t change that!

When I had finished, I hung up the phone and went back up to my bedroom to continue being sick. But when I sat down on the bed, I realized that I was no longer weak, chilled, achy, congested, or lethargic. My throat was no longer sore, and I had stopped coughing. My severe flu symptoms had disappeared entirely–in ten minutes. What had happened? I wondered what had occurred during my telephone conversation with my mother that caused such a rapid recovery? That’s when I noticed that the heavy, confused, depressed, and tormented feeling that I’d been living with for months had lifted!”

For months, Jerry had been obsessed with hating his father. He would use every justification he could find to kindle his hatred. Every thought, word, and action concerning his dad reflected this ill will. Yet below the surface there was great love for his father. Jerry had been so anguished by his mother’s suffering and had felt so righteous in his newfound hatred for his dad that he’d lost touch with the deep-rooted love he felt for him. Jerry could only see part of the truth–the anger, and disappointment. He fell into the trap of thinking that in order to be loyal to his mother he had to close his heart to his father. But in truth, Jerry loved his father dearly despite his anger and disappointment.

In that telephone conversation, Jerry was truthful with himself and his mother for the first time. Although he didn’t know how to reconcile his anger and his love, he knew it was important to let them coexist. In reclaiming his love for his father, he rediscovered an essential part of himself. He felt more whole. These realizations seemed to occur spontaneously and instantaneously, much in the same way his flu symptoms disappeared moments after.

The therapy that Jesus Christ offers man is the most effective therapy available. He says, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”Matthew 11:28-30. “The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every person who is turning his face toward Him as the Savior. He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are our wants, and where lies the strength of our temptations; for He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. He is watching over you, trembling child of God. Are you tempted? He will deliver. Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are you ignorant? He will enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal...’Come unto me,’ is His invitation. Whatever you anxieties and trials, spread your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be opened for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier you burdens, the more blessed the rest in cast them upon the Burden Bearer.” (E.G. White, Desire of Ages, p.329).

Christ taught that, “If  someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may become sons of your Father in heaven.”Matthew 5:39-45.  God knows that there is healing in forgiveness, kindness, generosity and humility. He knows that the body suffers when there are unresolved conflicts between people in families, the workplace or in the church.

Coming before God hungering and thirsting for cleansing and forgiveness, is the first step. But how do we go about praying effective, organized prayers that don’t wander about aimlessly? We all tend to pray short, confusing little prayers that don’t seem to cover the full parameters of our lives. Please consider using the following method of praying. You need to invest in a little lined notebook. This notebook is then divided up into four separate sections. Each section has specific items entered there to prevent our minds from wandering. As soon as our minds wander, we look down at the point or person we were praying for or about.

The first crucial section is the section on cleansing and forgiveness. After the one-off lifeline has been dealt with, we now adopt the daily cleansing routine. This forms the first section of our prayer time - confessing our sins from the previous day, and accepting the provision of God’s forgiveness. After we have received forgiveness from God, we then forgive anyone and everyone who have hurt us or who we are at enmity with. It is helpful to jot down specific things in our personal notebook that helps us concentrate on that particular point.

In this section, we jot down all the things that we are thankful for. Examples can be our health, our families, this new miraculous discovery in changing our lives, friends, people to help, our abilities, our jobs, our hobbies, our interests and so many answered prayers. List them each individually.

Most people are worse off than we are. We just don’t know it. As we become aware of the needs of people around us, our focus will move away from our seemingly large problems. As we write down the names of people around us - our close family members, people at work, our friends and their friends - we suddenly wake up to the fact that people need us to pray for them. As we experience our prayers being answered in the lives of these people, we are encouraged and our faith in God strengthened. Praying for others has a miraculous therapy for each of us. We cannot pray for others without reaching into their lives in one way or another. We will automatically feel impressed to call them on the phone or speak to them when we meet them. So a miraculous synergy develops between us and all the people in and around our lives. If we were lonely, we suddenly aren’t lonely anymore. If we were depressed by our problems, we suddenly find our problems not quite as drastic.

Praying for ourselves is now a lot simplified. With our focus on forgiveness and cleansing, on thankfulness and on others, our lives seem a lot less complicated.  Nevertheless, we still write down a list of items that need God’s attention. There are always small practical things in our lives that need attention. Things like coming out with our money, buying a new car, finding a job, the right marriage partner, solving a problematic relationship, meeting new people, moving houses or even moving countries. Once again, this list is a real list that we can tick off item by item as God answers our prayers.