Encounter Christian Campus Ministry Daily Devotions 2020

March 21 by Ptr. Jair Paul Abarca

HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR HOME QUARANTINE
CORONAVIRUS COVID-19?

By:
1. Stop Panicking and Start Praying - Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)
- Hindi na lingid sa ating kaalaman na meron talagang 'panic'na dala itong COVID-19 na pandemic. Buong mundo ay aware sa nangyayaring 'panic-buying'na sinasabi nila. Karamihan dinadala nalang sa joke na, 'kami panic lang, walang buying'. Kidding aside, let us observe our passage in Philippians 4:6-7 that says, 'do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'

- Anxiety here literally means 'be careful for nothing'. And I'd like to quote Mr. Barne's notes on the Bible on this when he said: Do not be anxious or panic does not mean that we are to exercise no care about worldly matters (and in our case - pandemic), no care to preserve our property or to provide for our families (sometimes extreme ang iba, panic buying); but that there is to be such confidence in God as to free the mind from anxiety, and such sense of dependence on Him as to keep it calm"

- And to add to that point 'keep it calm', we should start to PRAY! instead of being anxious or panic, pray with thanksgiving and make our request known to God.
- And this is where the Promise from God comes in -> our hearts and minds will be guarded in Christ Jesus!
When You Pray - God got you Covered!

2. Stop Worrying and Start Worshipping - Matthew 6:27 (ESV) & Psalms 42:11
- Jesus is straightforward when He says: 'And which of you by being anxious (worried) can add a single hour to his span of life? ' And here is the truth - JESUS is absolutely right! We can't, but HE CAN!

- The writer and author of Psalms, despite the fact that his soul is downcast, did not fail to put his hope in God and praise Him. That's worship! How about us? Will this COVID-19 stop us from putting our hope, our trust, our adoration, our worship and our life to God?

-This may sound simple, that 'WE SHOULD PUT OUR TRUST IN GOD', but in our current situation right now, all we need are simple things. Like the 'simple' washing of hands, right?

- Praising and Worshipping God in the hard times doesn't minimize or deny the heaviness of heart. Instead, it redirects our focus on who God is. He never changes. He promised never to leave or abandon His children, so we can count on His presence, even when our emotions can't confirm it. (EBONY MURDOCH)

Stop Panicking and Start Praying, Stop Worrying and Start Worshipping. By the end of the day, you can't do anything but just trust God about everything!

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Life Group Discussion Questions:
1. What are the things you need start to do to stop panicking and to start praying?
2. How can you magnify worship in your life, instead of worrying?
3. Think and ponder on some ways on how to strengthen your Prayer and Worship life!