Top three spiritual principles

Since a Japanese scholar in the 17th century published his opinion of the three most scenic views in Japan (日本三景 Nihon Sankei) in the 17th century, the Japanese have had a fascination with “top three” lists of various sites and attractions across Japan.¹ The most famous is the original list:

1. Matsushima in Miyagi
2. Amanohashidate in Kyoto
3. Miyajima in Hiroshima

Another well-known list is of Japan’s famous castles (三名城 Sanmeijō). In March 2019, Sora News 24 published a list of the top ten castles for the year. The top three in this list were Himeji Castle, Osaka Castle, and Matsumoto Castle.²

While prayer walking around Osaka Castle and reflecting on these lists, I was led to create a “top three” list of spiritual principles that have helped me to thrive in Japan. They are:

1. Fervent faith
2. Fervent prayer
3. Faith-filled finances

Fervent faith

There are countless biblical examples of people with fervent faith, such as the sick woman in Matthew 9, the two blind men in Matthew 20, the paralysed man and his friends in Mark 2, and the beggar in Acts 3. They all had fervent faith—faith that heats up, bubbles up, and boils over; it never wavers nor doubts. As a result of their faith, they were supernaturally healed by Jesus.

At church, I serve on the after-service prayer team. In January 2018, Ms L. from Uganda asked me and another team member to pray for an emergency situation. It was 16 days before her visa expiry date, and she was still jobless. With Matthew 17:20 in mind, we prayed that God would move a mountain and provide Ms L. with the right job so that she could continue to minister in Japan. Two weeks later, she came to us overjoyed and in awe of God’s power. He had provided her with a job at the eleventh hour just a few days before her visa was about to expire!

Fervent prayer

Fervent faith leads to fervent prayer, so these two spiritual principles go together. One book about faith and prayer that has had a great impact on my spiritual life is Living Faith: Willing to be Stirred as a Pot of Paint by Dr. Helen Roseveare, a missionary doctor who ministered in Africa from 1963 to 1973. My favourite story in it is about a hot-water bottle. Dr. Roseveare recounts how she needed a hot-water bottle in the summer for a newborn baby of one of her patients. So she prayed along with the local orphanage children. One child prayed with deep, unshakable faith. Soon after this, a box arrived from the United Kingdom with a hot-water bottle in it! Dr. Roseveare was amazed. This box had been packed long before this need.³ The Christians who packed it were probably not really sure why a hot-water bottle was needed in the hot African summer, but God knew, so they simply packed it in faith!

Faith-filled finances

Our finances belong to God. We are just stewards of his money, and he has entrusted it to us to use wisely. Using it wisely, giving generously and regularly to God’s kingdom work, and practising fervent faith and prayer will result in supernatural blessings from God.

In July 2017 at Osaka International Church, freewill offerings totaling 31,000 yen were given at the last minute for some of the expenses of a visiting ministry team from Hong Kong. This need was not widely advertised, but a few church members trusted God to provide for this team, and he did in his own timing! Several weeks before this, Ms K., a missionary at another church, contacted my friends and me with a prayer request for funds to cook meals for the Hong Kong ministry team. Ms K. bought the food in faith and didn’t know how much God would provide. Our freewill offering and Ms. K’s receipts crossed in the post at around the same time. I was amazed when I received the receipts. The cost of the food was just slightly under 25,000 yen. We had sent 25,000 yen in response to the Holy Spirit’s leading! Rev. R. W. Schambach’s book Miracles: Eyewitnesses to Some of the Greatest Miracles of Our Time has further stories of faith and finances that will increase readers’ faith.

Conclusion

When these three spiritual principles are earnestly practised simultaneously on a regular basis, supernatural results occur. I encourage you to practise these three spiritual principles regularly and see what God does in your life.

1. “Three Views of Japan,” Wikipedia, accessed August 1, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Three_Views_of_Japan&oldid=871223956.
2. Casey Baseel, “The 10 best castles in Japan, as chosen by experts and fans,” Sora News 24, 26 March 2019, accessed August 1, 2019, https://soranews24.com/2019/03/26/the-10-best-castles-in-japan-as-chosen-by-experts-and-fans/.
3. Helen Roseveare, Living Faith: Willing to be Stirred as a Pot of Paint (Fearn, Scotland, UK: Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 2007).