Succeeding in Academia through Spiritual discipline

This is one of my shortest reflection, and is based on my meditation of how my faith has played a role in my academic endeavours. I want it to be used to encourage other students and prospective students of the importance of not neglecting the spiritual disciplines of your faith. I also want to challenge you students to pursue your dream of a university education by applying your spiritual discipline to assist in your secular studies. The same habits formed from these spiritual exercises are those that will help you succeed in academia.

Studying - the mental habits of memorizing Bible verses/committing scriptures and text to memory and reflecting on the meaning of particular passages, messages or concepts - is a very useful habit for academia.

Reading - the at least weekly act of reading the scriptures brings familiarity with words and going through text. This habit is also useful for the times in getting someone used to weekly or daily reading practices, that are useful in academic studies, since most information conveyed in education is done through information transfer from text.

Prayer habits - Those who practice the daily or less regular routine of getting up in the middle of the night or early morning to pray to or petition G-d or to have devotion/quiet time with G-d, develop a habit that will help one to complete assignments or prepare for examinations. Countless time, one will have to forsake sleep to study or complete an assignment. Even those who practice prayer vigils, will be use to conducting an all night exercise that might be quite a useful habit when a paper is due the next day.

Fasting - Sometimes going without food for a period of time in order to get some work done to meet a deadline is important. Those used to fasting will not find it a strange habit to do so when necessary.

Listening to Sermons/Messages - Weekly sermons and messages from the pulpit are like lectures and the way that a lot of academic professors deliver information in class. The Christian/Jewish student will always be accustomed to sitting still for a length of time to listen keenly to the delivery of information, which will help them grasp what they ought to learn. They will have the habit of focusing their attention on a speaker for important information for a length of time.

He answers me before I call

"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah 65:24 KJV)


I am so loving G-d now. He answers my prayers right on time. Sometimes, I just identify the unmet need and have not yet translated it into a petition, and that unmet need is satisfied. 


Today is such a case in point. When I considered the cost of the Canadian study permit processing fee and the state of my finances for the month, I was beginning to really wonder about the situation. Since the end of March, I was concerned about the family's expenditure knowing fully well that as of this year, we have never finished the month without spending more than our income. Money during this year has always been finished before pay-day, to the point where I have to be using credit card to fill the gap and purchase the necessities. 


Well, today, as I saw that I had remaining in the bank versus what I needed for the Canadian visa processing fee, I really began to contemplate that I could not pay for the visa processing fee until pay-day. I even posted a comment on this regard on Facebook.


Then, later that day, got an email to sign for some money owed to me. Money  owed would certainly be enough to cover the visa amount. Though I have not yet received the cheque, my faith, confidence and hope is now strengthened. I know G-d is watching over me and working things out in my favour, especially as it relates to meeting those unmet needs that I verbally (or in writing) express.



"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31 King James Bible).

Praying for my Students

As I was leaving my office to attend an examination that I set for my students, in my instant message I told my wife about what I would be doing to let her know that I would be offline. Her reply was that I should pray for my students.

I carried that thought with me to the examination centre, committed to doing it. However, when I got there, I mentally pushed it aside to execute my other secular duties.

First, I checked to see if all my students were present, except those I expected to be absent. I also checked to see if the question paper had any errors. After doing this I checked the questions to determine how many possible interpretations could be had of my examination questions.

Finally, I remembered the prayer. I stood and closed my eyes and petitioned G-d in whispers, I heard snickering or laughing from 2 of the invigilators in front of me.

In the petition, I asked G-d to be gracious and merciful to the students and to cause them recall what they studied, learnt and read. I also petitioned that they would interpret the questions properly and read them carefully, that their answers would be relevant and match my expectations.

I also asked that God have pity on the students. I referred him to his heart of compassion that he had, wherein he was not willing that any perish but that all would have eternal life. I mentioned to G-d that this is similar to my situation as a lecturer, as I too had no desire that my students fail but that all should pass.

After petitioning G-d on the behalf of the students, I left the examination centre and returned 2 hrs after, when the students were leaving. One female student who was just leaving her seat walked over to me and said:

"Sir, I thank you for the prayer. I could not think until I saw you do what you did."

I knew then that G-d had used me and answered the prayer.

The things that make G-d hear prayer Part 1

This morning, I awoke and went to study from the book of Amos.
After reading through the punishments being issued to Israel, I went across Exodus 22. Eventually I turned on the computer and read from Shabbat Shalom weekly.

From all these readings, G-d spoke to my heaart and soul, emotions that I want to share, especially with my Jewish friends, who I love very much.

I was made to understand that "July 29th, Wednesday evening through Thursday night, is Tisha B'Av, the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av" (Packouz par. 4). This is a fast day and a day for Jews to mourn all that have befell them as people throughout history.

While moruning on this day, Packouz indicate that this is the time for the people of Jewish identity not only to lament the things that has befallen their people, but also to repent of wrong. Pacouz states:

Like all fast days, the object is introspection, making a spiritual accounting and correcting our ways - what in Hebrew is called, Teshuva, returning, to the path of good and righteousness - to the ways of the Torah.

I therefore propose that for this mourning season that my Jewish friends consider the accusations against them. Specifically, the accusation of the unlawful and unjust death of Jesus at the hands of some of their leaders.


The specific sect of Jews that delivered Jesus unto to the Romans for death violated several commandments of G-d. For this, I believe that the Jews have suffered as a people, and will continue to suffer until they recognise and acknowledge that Jesus is whom he said he is as well as acknowledge the wrongs that their fathers (or some of their fathers) have done unto him. Until these sins are confessed, how then can G-d hear their prayers. As Isaiah 1:15 states:

And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Denial of the unjust death of Jesus is almost like the denial of the Holocaust. Jesus' unlawful death has been prophesied in the scriptures long before Jesus died. The scriptures say in Psalm 22:16:

For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

The dogs here referred to could be seen to symbolised the uncircumcised or persons outside of the Jewish or Israelite identity - the Romans. I infer this from Jesus statement to a woman of Canaan in Matthew 15:26

But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

This statement came after an exchange between the woman and Jesus, when Jesus told her that he was sent to help the lost people of Israel.

In Zechariah 12:10, it states:

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Thus the Jews, or more specifically the inhabitants of Jerusalem, will one day morun for someone whom they recognise to have been pierced. One of their own.


References

Packouz, Kalman (2009, July 21 / 29 Tammuz 5769)"Devarim 5769." Shabbat Shalom Weekly Retrieved July 21, 2009 from http://www.aish.com/tp/ss/ssw/51207842.html.