Intsha Iyabuza . . .
Ingabe UNkulunkulu Uyayiphendula Imithandazo Yami?
“NGIDINGA ukwazi ukuthi uJehova uyayiphendula yini imithandazo yami,” kusho uSandra oneminyaka engu-11 ubudala, “ngoba angiqiniseki ngokuthi uyayiphendula. Ngazi enye intsha eningi enenkinga efanayo.” UAlyssa oneminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu ubudala wake waba nenkinga efanayo ngomthandazo. “Ngangivame ukuba nomuzwa wokuthi ngikhuluma ngedwa,” evuma.
Ngokokuhlola kukaGallup kwango-1988, amaphesenti angu-87 entsha eUnited States aye athandaza ngesinye isikhathi, kodwa angaphansi kwengxenye athandaza njalo. Ngokusobala enye inomuzwa wokuthi imithandazo yayo imane ayiphendulwa. Ngezinye izikhathi, ngokufanayo ungase ube nomuzwa wokuthi akekho olalele imithandazo yakho. Nokho, iBhayibheli lisiqinisekisa ngokuthi lapho umuntu enza umthandazo oqotho wokholo, “ozwayo imikhuleko” uyalalela! (IHubo 65:2) Kodwa wazi kanjani ukuthi akasona nje isilaleli esingenandaba—elalela ngesizotha kodwa esabela ngokwenza okuncane noma ngokungenzi lutho?
Ngemva kokubiza uNkulunkulu ngokuthi uMuzwi wemikhuleko, umhubi wathi: “Uyakusiphendula ngezenzo ezesabekayo ekulungeni, Nkulunkulu wensindiso yethu.” (IHubo 65:5; qhathanisa neHubo 66:19, 20.) Khona-ke, kungani abanye benomuzwa wokuthi imithandazo yabo ayiphendulwa?
Izithiyo Zemithandazo
Isizathu singase sibe ukuntuleka kobuhlobo bangempela noNkulunkulu. Enye intsha iyakungabaza khona kanye ukuba khona kwakhe. Enye iyakholwa kodwa imbheka njengomuntu okude, ongaqondakali. Imithandazo iba njengokucindezela inkinobho yokumisa ikheshi—umzamo wokugcina ezikhathini eziphuthuma kakhulu. “Ngiyakholelwa kuNkulunkulu,” kusho omunye osemusha ongumKatolika. “Lapho ngisenkingeni, lapho ngidinga usizo, ngicela usizo lwaKhe njalo.” Omunye osemusha ukubeka ngokuqondile: “Ngezinye izikhathi ngithandaza kuphela lapho ngidinga okuthile ngempela.”
Nokho, umthandazo kufanele ube ukuzwakaliswa kokholo, inhlonipho, ukuzinikela, nokwethemba—hhayi nje kokuphelelwa yithemba noma isifiso sobugovu. Futhi akwanele ukuthandaza ngoba ucabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu kungenzeka ukhona. “Ozayo kuNkulunkulu,” kusho iBhayibheli, “umelwe ukukholwa ukuthi ukhona nokuthi ungumvuzi walabo abamfunayo.” (Heberu 11:6) Ayiphendulwa imithandazo yabangabazayo. (Jakobe 1:6-8) UJehova uyabalalela labo asebeye bafinyelela ekumazini nabamthandayo; umthandazo abawugcineli izikhathi eziphuthumayo. Njengoba eyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:17 inxusa, ‘bakhuleka bangaphezi,’ noma njengoba iAmerican Translation ikubeka, “abakuyeki ukuthandaza.”
Ngokudabukisayo, enye intsha engamaKristu iye yafinyelela ekumazini uJehova kodwa ayibuhlakulelanga ngempela ubungane naye. (IHubo 25:14) Imithandazo yayo ithambekele ekubeni embalwa neyenziwa ngemva kwesikhathi eside, engeyona eyomuntu siqu, futhi ekugcineni engaphendulwa. Ingabe lokhu kuyiqiniso ngemithandazo yakho? Uma kunjalo, “sondela kuNkulunkulu” ngokuba umazi. (Jakobe 4:8) UAlyssa osemusha, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni, wayenokungabaza ngoJehova. Kodwa isifundo somuntu siqu seBhayibheli kancane kancane sasusa ukungabaza kwakhe futhi samsiza ukuba ahlakulele ubuhlobo noNkulunkulu.
Isimo sengqondo somuntu nokuziphatha kungaba futhi izithiyo ezinkulu emthandazweni. Umhubi wathi: “Uma bengiqondé ububi enhliziyweni yami, ibingayikungizwa iNkosi.” (IHubo 66:18; IzAga 15:29) Ingabe bekuyoba ngokunengqondo ukulindela uNkulunkulu ukuba aphendule imithandazo yakho uma bewenza izinto ezimcasulayo—uma ubusebenzisa izidakamizwa, ubhema, ulalela umculo owonakalisayo, noma uhlanganyela ekuziphatheni okubi ngokobulili? Lutho neze. Ngakho-ke uJehova uyayilahla imithandazo yalabo abaphila ukuphila okumbaxa-mbili, ngobuzenzisi ‘beyizimbulu’ (IHubo 26:4) Ulalela kuphela lowo “ohamba ngobuqotho nowenza ukulunga, okhuluma iqiniso enhliziyweni yakhe.” (IHubo 15:1, 2) Ngakho uma uba nomuzwa wokuthi ukhuluma wedwa lapho uthandaza, zihlole ngokucophelela. Cishe udinga ukwenza izinguquko ezithile.
Ukusebenzisa Kabi Umthandazo
Luhlobo luni lwezinto ongazicela kuNkulunkulu? UJesu wasiqinisekisa: “Uma nicela kuBaba noma yini egameni lami uyoninika yona.” (Johane 16:23, qhathanisa neNW.) Leyonkulumo egabisayo—noma yini! Ingabe ngempela uNkulunkulu ulungele ukulalela noma yini njengomoya othile? Ingabe uyogcwalisa zonke izicelo zakho, ngisho nezingabalulekile? UJesu wakhuluma amazwi akhe kusele amahora ambalwa nje ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe okubuhlungu. Ngokuqinisekile wayengacabangi ngeminako yobugovu! Ngakho-ke uJakobe 4:3 uxwayisa ngokusebenzisa kabi umthandazo. Uthi: “Niyacela, nokho anamukeliswa, ngokuba nicela kabi, ukuze nikuchithele ezinkanukweni zenu.”
Abaningi namuhla balisebenzisa kabi ilungelo lomthandazo. Elinye iqembu lebhola lomnqakiswano laliguqa futhi lenze umthandazo ngemva komdlalo ngamunye. Kodwa ingabe ngempela ucabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu ungumlandeli webhola lomnqakiswano noma angazehlisa ukuze agxambukele emdlalweni wokuncintisana? (Qhathanisa neyabaseGalathiya 5:26, NW.) Noma kuthiwani ngowesifazane okubikwa ukuthi uthandazela ukuthola izicathulo? “Ngezinye izikhathi kungenzeka isitolo sezicathulo sibe nepheya nje elilodwa noma amabili elisele elingilinganayo,” esho, “futhi uma ngingenayo imali ngaso lesosikhathi, ngizocela uNkulunkulu ukuthi aqiniseke ukuthi zikhona lapho ngibuya.” Manje, kungenye into ukuthandaza ngenxa yesidingo—futhi kungenye ukulindela uNkulunkulu ukuba akuthengele.
Ngokufanayo, bekuyoba ngokungafanele—nokuyize—ukuthandaza kuNkulunkulu ukuba akuvikele esijezisweni nasekuyalweni okufanele. (Heberu 12:7, 8, 11) Futhi ngeke uphumelele ekuceleni uNkulunkulu ukuba akunikeze amamaki amahle esivivinyweni osilungiselele kancane noma ongazange usilungiselele.—Qhathanisa neyabaseGalathiya 6:7.
Imithandazo ‘Engokwentando Yakhe’
Umphostoli uJohane uchaza iphuzu elibalulekile ngomthandazo: “Yilesisibindi esinaso kuye sokuthi, uma sicela utho ngokwentando yakhe, uyasizwa.” (1 Johane 5:14) Umthandazo kaJesu oyisibonelo (Umthandazo WeNkosi) ubonisa ezinye zezinto umthandazo onjalo ongase uzihlanganise. Wathandazela ukuba (1) igama likaNkulunkulu lingcweliswe, (2) uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ufike, (3) kufezwe intando kaNkulunkulu, (4) ukunikezwa kwezidingo ezingokwenyama nezingokomoya, (5) nosizo ekugwemeni izingibe zikaSathane.—Mathewu 6:9-13.
Ngokwalesisekelo kunezinto eziningi ezifanelekile zokuthandazelwa. Ngempela, eyoku-1 Petru 5:7 inxusa amaKristu ukuba ‘aphonse zonke izinkathazo zawo phezu kukaNkulunkulu ngokuba uyawakhathalela.’ Lokho kusho ukuthi kufanelekile ukuthandazela cishe zonke izici zokuphila kwethu. Ingabe kufanele wenze isinqumo, njengokukhetha izifundo zakho zesikole? Thandazela ukuhlakanipha kwaphezulu. (Jakobe 1:5) Ingabe wenze iphutha elithile eliwubuwula? Khona-ke cela intethelelo kuNkulunkulu.—Isaya 55:7; 1 Johane 1:9.
Kodwa kumelwe wenze ngokuvumelana nomthandazo wakho. Cabangela uClint osemusha. Waba umshumayeli wesikhathi esigcwele ngemva kokuqeda esikoleni esiphakeme. Kwase kuyizinyanga ezithile engatholi muntu onesithakazelo ekutadisheni iBhayibheli. Ngakho-ke wathandaza ngalendaba. Nokho, akazange alindele ukuba isifundo seBhayibheli siqathake esibhakabhakeni. Waqhubeka ngenkuthalo ehlanganyela enkonzweni yendlu ngendlu, futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wathola abantu abaningana ababezimisele ukutadisha iBhayibheli.
Indlela UNkulunkulu Aphendula Ngayo
Ngezinye izikhathi isenzo sokuthandaza ngokwaso siyasiza. USandy osemusha wayelwisana nenkinga yokushaya indlwabu. Uthi: “Ukuthandaza nokubiza uJehova kuyangisiza ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi ngemva kokumcela ukuba angisize ngingayishayi indlwabu, ngangikuthola kungcono ukuba ngingakwenzi.”
Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi, kubonakala sengathi uNkulunkulu usebenzisa izenzakalo ukuze aphendule imithandazo. UKen osemusha wake wadinga ukuya eHholo LoMbuso loFakazi BakaJehova ukuze anikeze inkulumo emfushane yeBhayibheli ayeyabelwe. Ngeshwa, akekho owayesesimweni sokumhambisa. Wathandaza ngobuqotho ngalendaba. Emizuzwini embalwa kamuva kwafika udadewabo, owayengajwayele ukuvakasha. Nakuba engenaso isithakazelo enkolweni yakhe, wamhambisa. Ingabe kwakuyimpendulo eqondile yomthandazo wakhe? Mhlawumbe. Noma kunjalo, kungokufanelekile ngaso sonke isikhathi ukubonga uNkulunkulu lapho izinto zenzeka ngokwenzuzo yethu. UPawulu uyanxusa: “Kukho konke bongani.”—1 Thesalonika 5:18.
Nokho, ungalindeli ukuba uNkulunkulu aphendule imithandazo yakho ngendlela eyisimangaliso. Futhi akufanele uchaze yonke into encane eyenzeka kuwena njengokubonakaliswa kwentando yaphezulu. Imithandazo yethu ngokuvamile iphendulwa ngezindlela okungelula ukuzibona: Ufunda okuthile eBhayibhelini noma encwadini yeBhayibheli; umzali noma umKristu okanye naye ukunikeza iseluleko esinengqondo. Kuyavunywa, kungase kudingeke ukuqonda ukuze uthole ukuthi intando kaNkulunkulu iyini ngawe. Izinto ngokuvamile zikhanya ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.
Yebo, isikhathi! Ungalindeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu akunikeze impendulo ngesikhathi wena onomuzwa wokuthi kufanele akunike ngaso. “Kuhle ukumethemba nokulindela ngokuthula ukusindisa kukaJehova,” kubhala uJeremiya. (IsiLilo 3:26) Ngaphezu kwalokho, awunikezwa isiqinisekiso sokuthi uyothola impendulo oyithandayo. Umphostoli uPawulu wacela uNkulunkulu izikhathi ezintathu ukuba asuse inkinga ayibiza ngokuthi “iva enyameni.” UNkulunkulu wenqaba. (2 Korinte 12:7-9) Nokho, uPawulu akazange alahlekelwe ukwazisa kwakhe ngesipho somthandazo kodwa waqhubeka enkonzweni kaJehova. Kwakunguye owabhala: “Qiniselani ekukhulekeni.” (Kolose 4:2) Ngakho qhubeka ‘ucela, qhubeka ufuna, qhubeka ungqongqoza.’ (Mathewu 7:7, qhathanisa neNW.) Uyosondela ngokwengeziwe kuNkulunkulu ngokwenza kanjalo, futhi ngokuqinisekile ungathola izimpendulo zemithandazo yakho.
[Isithombe ekhasini 15]
Umthandazo akufanele uhlanganise izicelo ezingabalulekile zezinto ezibonakalayo ezifunwayo