Tag Archives: God

GENERAL, Prayer

Prayer; The Heart Matters

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What is Prayer?

We have numerous definitions for prayer. Whatever the case may be, God requires us to be more devoted than at any other time in recent memory. We pray to know the Will of God. We pray to know how to carry out the will of God.

We also pray to surrender ourselves to the desires of the kingdom for us. There are several definitions of prayer. Some see it as petitioning, while others see it as communing with God, and so on.. Prayer is what the Church really needs at this point.

When God’s move begins, it begins with His children’s prayers. This intercession ensures that God’s work is carried out precisely and without interference from the forces of darkness. Why do we have to pray? This is because we can only gain insight and understanding into what God is going to do through prayer.

According to Colossians 2:3, “all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ,” and it is through prayer that these treasures are revealed to us.

THE HEART MATTERS

This is a photograph of possessive

James 4:3 (New International Version)

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Any prayer prayed for the wrong reasons will be rendered ineffective. Prayer is a sacred duty that must be carried out with the purest of intentions. In the Church, selfishness is the slayer of prayer. It causes God to stifle the much-needed answer.

Prayer for the sake of one’s own selfish interests is a waste of time. According to Proverbs 21, God weighs a man’s heart. He weighs His saints’ hearts; He measures the quality of prayer by the quality of the heart rather than the quantity of words.

If a saint’s motives are not pure, he may say thousands of words before God and leave empty-handed; however, another saint may speak only a few words and leave with the Grace he seeks as a result of pure motives.

Proverbs 15:11: “Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord, How much more the hearts of men!”

We deceive ourselves when we believe God is unaware of the true reason for some of our petitions. God sees our hearts; He hears our thoughts as well as our words. Therefore, before we pray, we must examine our hearts and ensure that our motives are pure. In our prayer, there must be no trace of self or carnality.

FOR HIS GLORY

When we pray, whether in public or privately, the only thing that matters is that God receives the glory. In the place of prayer, His glory and will must be at the center of our desires. In the Kingdom, we are only rewarded for actions that bring glory to God.

HIS BATTLE-AXE

The pure saint must see himself as a battle-axe in the master’s hands, or as a pencil in the creator’s hands. When he prays or fasts, he must remember that it is God who is doing the work through him.

Conclusively, ministers, intercessors, and all members of the Body must keep this in mind. We must not allow the spirit of competition to infiltrate our organization. We must be wary of praying for the sake of showing off.

GENERAL

The Power of Gratitude

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A long time ago, two children ran to meet me to ask for candies. I happily gave each a dollar to purchase chocolates from the grocery store.

They both went to purchase it, but only one of them returned to thank me for it. I was so moved by the gratitude of the grateful little child that I gave her an extra dollar.


This incidence taught me that if humans could be moved by gratitude from whoever they help, what about God.



I found my answer in Luke 17:14-15;


“And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God” Luke 17:14-15.


In the aforementioned text, Jesus was speaking to ten lepers who were in need of healing. He sent them to the priests, miraculously, the ten lepers got healed of leprosy even before they got to the priest.



But of the ten, only one returned to give thanks to Jesus.


From this passage, we learn that,



– Gratitude is recognition and acknowledgement of what God has done.

Only one leper realized he was healed and he recognized the Christ was the source of the healing. A grateful Saint will always attribute his blessings to the hand of God and not the work of luck.

Only ungrateful believers see the mercies of God upon their lives as sheer luck or fortune; the grateful ones always attribute it to God and they give Him the thanks deserving of it.


Thus, we learn that as believers we must be mindful to attribute both the little and big blessings we see in our lives to the Grace of God.

The Saint who has developed the habit of thanking God for even the common miracles such as breathing, seeing, comprehending etc, is a grateful Saint.



An ungrateful heart does not recognize and acknowledge what God has done. Jesus loves those who are always grateful.


Furthermore, in the account of the ten lepers, I observed that they were all healed, yet none had total wholeness other than the one who came to give thanks to Jesus. Don’t be like those who are waiting until God something gigantic before they acknowledge His grace and mercy.


Besides, gratitude perfects the working of God in our lives. It is a proof of faith. The proof of your faith in God is ability to give him thanks even though you feel he is not working.



GRATITUDE GIVES US INCOMPREHENSIBLE PEACE


Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”


Philippians 4:7 “If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”


The Bible tells us that praise and giving of thanks must go hand-in-hand. Prayer is asking for something to be done, while gratitude is appreciating God for that which He has done.


Paul tells us in Philippians that when we do this, the peace of God that passes all understanding shall be released into our hearts.

This peace is the assurance of God’s help even in times of difficulty. A Saint who knows how to show gratitude never lack this peace. Therefore, in a world of turmoil and confusion, let us endeavor to constantly glorify the name of our God; this will solidify in our souls the inner assurance that we shall be saved from all evil.

GRATITUDE STRENGTHENS FAITH




Giving thanks in the midst of turmoil is one of the most difficult duties of a Saint – yet, it is the highest expression of faith. In Psalm 34:3, we see that praise magnifies God. This doesn’t mean it makes God bigger or stronger; rather, praise and giving of thanks makes God more real in our troubles.

Every time we give thanks to God, we make more visible in our lives. When God is seen, faith is strengthened; therefore, let us endeavor to live a life of gratitude and thanksgiving so that our faith will stand strong in the midst of turmoils.

GRATITUDE IMPROVES OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING

One who pays more attention to the negative occurrences than to the miracles of God in his life will certainly wallow in sadness and depression; whereas a saint who knows how to appreciate God for the daily miracles will always be happy. The habit of giving thanks to God in all situations inspires one’s soul.

Thus, give thanks when you wake up in the morning; give thanks for the food you eat; give thanks for your breath; give thanks for your family. Dear saint, live a life of gratitude and surely, you will experience an overflow of divine peace.

Even in turmoil?

Yes. We are to live a life of gratitude to God even in turmoil because we believe that someday it will be over. When we are persecuted, we give thanks for the privilege to be identified and scorned at as children of God. When we are in lack, we express gratitude that though there may be no food to eat, yet our soul is nourished with the graces of God daily.

This is the life of the children of God, folks, and we are to live it to its fullness!

This article was written by GreenHills Emmanuel

GENERAL

Starting your day in the Presence of God

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      What is the best way to start the morning?

     

This is a hard-hitting question that many seem to ignore. In a busy world like this, the first thing that comes to the mind of many the moment they’re awake is preparing for business, taking care of the kids or checking for updates on their social media page. This explains the reason why many believers complain of having a terrible day, and live life in emotional stress.

Fortunately, as soon as you’re doing reading this, the stress and depression syndrome will end.

START YOUR DAY IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

     

There’s no greater way to begin the day than to begin it in God’s presence. Spending time worshiping and praying in the morning has a lot of impact on our inner stability throughout the day. This is the reason why even the Saints of the Bible days were known for early morning devotion.

Jesus prayed in the morning {Mark 1:35}. David prayed in the morning as well. Here are some incredible benefits gained in habitual morning devotional life.

1. It is a sign of gratitude: Psalm 3:5: “I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the LORD sustains me.” (HCSB) Having fellowship with God as your first activity in the morning, expresses your thankfulness for His preserving power. It shows you acknowledge Him as the one who sustained you and your family throughout the night.

Psalm 91:5 talks of the ‘arrow that flies at night’; these are spiritual attacks sent from the enemy’s gathering while we sleep to harm us or our families. The fact that in spite of arrows sent by the enemy we wake up hale and hearty shows that it is God who preserves us. Thus, as grateful saints, we must express our gratitude to the creator and life-preserver of the universe.

2. We seek and receive the guidance of God for the day: Though natural wisdom demands one makes logical, sequential and organized plans for one’s day, the truth remains that life is very unpredictable. Anything can come up during the day – a tough decision to make, a temptation very hard to resist, an accident or unexpected incident etc; spending time praying in God’s presence equips us for these things. The Holy Spirit can forewarn us of certain dangers in the day if we’d spend time in His presence. Through praying in the spirit, we can even be inspired to pray against certain traps which the enemy has set for us as we go on our daily endeavors.

3. It helps build a strong spirit: The reason people wish the day would never break is that they lack the fortitude and enthusiastic strength to face the day and its challenges. Praying and meditating on God’s word in the morning has the same effect on our spirit as charging your phone has on its battery. When you pray in the morning, your spirit is charged up and strengthened to be able to bear all that the day will bring.

A Christian with a strong spirit will always experience inner stability. Such Christian can fight even the toughest of battles and stay joyful; because he derives his joy from his fortified spirit. If you want to have a mature spirit, have devotional time with God every morning. A  Christian, who keeps spending time only on his secular engagements without spending time with God, will wear out terribly.

Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength.” (MSG) We receive strength when we dwell in God’s presence.

4. We experience the peace of God:

Meditating on God’s word eases our stress levels and calms our soul. The Bible says that when we pray, ‘the peace of God that passes all understanding will flood our soul; this divine peace is the supreme antidepressant.

It is the antidote for high blood pressure, the cure for migraine and the klopin for stress. It is a conviction of God’s faithfulness that settles all the doubts in our minds.

Meditating on God’s word puts our soul at rest. The Psalms are full of inspiring verses for meditation; feed on them every morning – you will find peace and incomprehensible tranquility in them.

5. Inspiration:

Job 32:8: “But [there is] a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” (KJV)

Inspiration is an inner stimulation to do something creative. It is a feeling of enthusiasm which prompts creative ideas and innovation. Inspiration is what gives us reason to keep succeeding. In spite of the lockdown, pandemic and economic crisis, if believers can stay inspired, there’s no limit to what they can achieve.

But we won’t be able to receive inspiration for creative living if we are too busy to have a devotional time with God. Inspiration is best received in solitude – when we spend time in God’s divine presence. Spending the morning in God’s presence inspires our hope and creativity for the whole day.

We hope you have been blessed by this post. We want to hear from you; do drop a like and comment for us. God bless you. Stay safe!

GENERAL

BE DILIGENT!

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Diligence to the service of the kingdom is necessary for anyone who wants to win the heart of God. A diligent person is someone who patient, persevering, and steady. He is one who is absolutely devoted to the work of the Kingdom.

The diligent saint need not be a preacher to be an effective kingdom worker. He might not be into the pastoral ministry 24/7 like the pastor, but he incorporates the preaching of the Gospel into his engagements.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:20.

It is unfortunate that in modern day Christianity, we find believers who want to enjoy the benefits of the kingdom without seeking the kingdom with their heart. The Kingdom we belong to operates with a reward-based system. In His teaching on the principles of the Kingdom, Jesus repeatedly explained that only those who are faithful to the tasks God has assigned to me them that will enjoy the bountiful benefits of the kingdom.

DILIGENT DAVID

One of the secrets to David’s success was his diligence to the cause of God. He was diligent both in his service to his father, his service to Saul and to the Israelites.

David was so diligent in His service to God, that even when he became king, he didn’t stop thinking about what to do for God. Amidst the tranquility and glory of the palace, David’s heart was restless because God did not have a Temple.

Folks, desiring to be great in the kingdom is not enough – the path to greatness is beyond mere desire. There must be an inner drive that pushes you to unquestionable diligence in God’s work.

Only lazy people desire blessings they didn’t work for. Only the slothful does nothing and expect rewards.

God’s blessing is tied to diligence. We will never fulfill the fullness of God’s plan for us if we are always lazy towards the interests of God.  It is only a diligent man that will do business with kings. In the business of the kingdom, God wants us to reach the level where we can speak to kings and deliver God’s counsel to rulers of nations.

Daniel was diligent in the things of God and because of diligence, he became excellent and industrious that even kings couldn’t resist his wisdom.

BENEFITS OF DILIGENCE

  1. God prospers the diligent:

Proverbs 13:4: “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” Lazy saints desire the promises of the gospel, but they get only the crumbs of providence because they are unwilling to work for it. But the devoted saints will always find miracles of divine provision in their lives; because a saint who works for the kingdom, is a saint who has his name enlisted in heaven’s payroll.

2. God promotes the diligent

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Proverbs 22:29. God has always promoted saints who were unique and exemplary in their service to the Kingdom. The likes of Joseph, Daniel, Mordecai etc all went extra-mile in their efforts to uphold the cause of God.

HIS FAVOUR IS FOR THE DILIGENT

The average human believes that greatness comes by hardwork, thus he remains average.

Ecclesiastics reveals to us that, ‘the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill‘.

In life, there must be a God-factor. Christians who do not understand this will always claim to be too busy to serve God.

Lastly, incorporate Kingdom Service into whatever engagement you’re doing. If you’re a student, preach to your colleagues. If you’re a trader, share Gospel trats and magazines along with goods to your customers.

GENERAL

A place where the weak are strengthened

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1 Thess.5.14 – Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, SUPPORT THE WEAK, be patient toward all men.



Studies show that church attendance is gradually declining in America. Our youths are leaving the Church to join the streets – unfortunately, it seems like the Covid/lockdown magnified the situation.


With the Internet taking over as the global means of communication, it is important that as believers, we preserve the sacred custom of having fellowship with one another physically.



One of the most important benefits of having fellowship with the believers is that it strengthens us.


Paul reveals to us in 1 Corinthians 9:24, that Christianity is a race. In this race, there are those who have gone ahead of us; those who are with us and those behind us.



As we run, just as 2 Timothy reminds us, there are times one get weary. It’s not that such saint has fallen from faith, it’s just that he needs some words of encouragement to reinvigorate him to continue the race.


The Saint is in a battlefield constantly. It is either he is fighting against the antichrist system of the world, or he is fighting against the attempts of the flesh to lord over him.


This war requires strength and fortitude. This strength a lot of times cannot be generated by ourselves; it is gotten in fellowship with other folks of our faith.


This reminds me of the Vision Rick Joyner had. He said he saw believers striking themselves and the enemy was able to penetrate. He said he saw an army, so large and great and all the devil had to do was to poison the warriors against themselves. Immediately they started to hit themselves, the demons gained control.

A PLACE WHERE WE CAN BE STRENGTHENED

The communal Church is the strength of the saint.




A place where we can be strengthened is only in the midst of those who understand what we pass through.


A place where we can be strengthened is a place where we have people with the same goal, mission and hope as we do.


A place where we can be strengthened is a place where we see those who have gone far ahead of us and those we look up to – where they place their right hands on our shoulders and whisper to our ears, “You are stronger than you think”.


Statistics has shown that majority of those who end their lives abruptly, died out of hopelessness.


The Lord knew we would encounter these things, thus the need for fellowship.


A strong man remains strong because He is surrounded by Several other Strong men.


If we were sufficient alone, God wouldn’t have told Adam He needed Eve.


The Bible says, “Two are better than one, for one will sharpen the Countenance of His friend”.


IRON SHARPENS IRON


Having fellowship with other believers strengthens our faith. It makes us know we aren’t alone in this journey. It makes us strong when we feel weak.



The Church is where we find hope. The Church is where our decisions and determination is reinforced. The Church is where we are assured of His Glory and Presence.


If we ever think we can stand alone and do not need the House of Faith, then we have believed a lie.



If you want a coal to lose its flames, separate it from other coals. It may be producing and anchoring fire, but when separated, within minutes, the fire dies out.


So it is for the Saint. If we are separated from other coals, we will experience spiritual collapse.
Stay with the Brethren.

A united Body cannot be easily intimidated.


Has your hand ever told you it doesn’t need your ear? Just imagine how it would look like if your body parts were dissembled.

You would be so weak that even a puppy would be able to intimidate you. But you are strong, complete and bold because your body parts are together. So is it when we’re in union with other saints. It makes it nearly impossible for the enemy to attack us.




Written by Ehimwenma Fortune Osarunwense.

Spirituality

Spirituality: How can I pray for long hours? 😔😔

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The issue of praying for long hours has always been a trending topic among Christians. Prayer is often likened unto exercise.


There are times all one needs is light warmups, pushups and a few jogs; but there are times a standard athlete must spend quality time training himself and exercising his muscles in the gym.


This is also applicable for prayer.

There are times when all one needs is a light thirty minutes prayer; whereas there are situations that a quality Christian must spend time praying and declaring the Word of The Lord.


Thus, the importance that believers are taught not only how to pray, but also how to persevere in the place of prayer.

The athlete is trained on how to jog round a standard football pitch for more than thirty minutes nonstop; the Saint must also be trained on how to exercise his spirit for hours nonstop!


THE POWER IS IN QUALITY NOT QUANTITY


The essence of this lesson is not to spur you to begin to long duration the purpose and target of your prayer.

That’s the greatest mistake many-a-praying saint makes;it’s also the first step towards losing prayer stamina.



For effective prayer, you must have faith, knowledge of God’s Word as well as a heart aligned with the will of God.



Yet, this post is to train you on how you can engage God with both quality of heart and quantity of time.



1. THE WORSHIPPER


Prayer is a form of worship, thus, in order to pray well and pray long, one must be in the posture of worship before God’s presence.

The essence of spending time singing songs of worship to God cannot be argued.


Many a times, when a Saint desires to pray and goes on his knees, the burdens, pressures and concerns of the day will seem to be laid on his head.

Sometimes, it is like the consequence of the vigorous body exertions surface in the body all of a sudden; other times it could be sleepiness. When this happens, do not try to coerce yourself to pray.


Instead, lift your hands to God and sing songs of worship from your heart.

The Psalmist referred to worship as ‘Magnifying the Lord’, when the Lord is magnified and revealed in the room where your worship is being released, prayer becomes easy.


The more you worship God, the more you become aware of his presence. I once heard someone say, ‘I don’t worship much before praying, because I came to pray not to worship’.


This is the mindset of some saints, and its very wrong. Sometimes, all we actually need to do in God’s presence is not even to pray in loud tongues, but to worship and adore His majesty.


Worship awakens even our spirit and enable it to be able to receive from God. Before you present your requests to God, make sure you attend to His own request – that you worship Him in spirit and in truth.


2. YOU AIN’T GOING ANYWHERE


You must be aware that you’re praying for long. Cast away all thoughts that will make you be in a haste, and be conscious of the fact that you’re going to spend time in God’s presence.



3. PRAY WITH DIRECTION



Do not pray randomly for the sake of covering time. Let your mind be focused on a particular goal.



1 Corinthians 9:26 “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:”


The Saint must be careful not to be like a boxer that only punches the air – exerting energy but making no impact.


His mind and spirit must be on the wall which he intends to crush, the barrier to break and the mountain to move.


4. GO BEYOND YOUR STRENGTH!

When the sprinters in a marathon become tired, they do not stop running entirely – because they know they have a destination that they must reach. Instead, they reduce their speed.


Having set a time target for yourself, you should keep praying until you’re able to reach it. If you do not have a time target, you should keep praying until you’re internally satisfied that you’ve done enough.



When you do this, you’re stretching yourself like the elastic runner, to go beyond your normal size. When you seem to be physically tired, you can rest, and if it’s not convenient for your health, stop the prayers and continue next time; otherwise, keep going.


Reduce the loudness of your voice; reduce your physical exertion, but ensure you’re praying.


5. PRAY-READ THE SCRIPTURES


There’s no greater source of strength than God’s Word.


Daniel 9:2 “During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, was studying the writings of the prophets. I learned from the word of the Lord, as recorded by Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.”


Daniel 9:3 “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting.”


Daniel’s discovery of God’s prophecy about the nation of Israel spurred him to pray. A Saint who gains ground in long term prayer is a Saint who prays with his Bible open.

He constantly checks here and there, to see what God’s Word says about his business, family, kids etc, and the more he discovers it, the more he prays with it.

If you do not know what to pray, pray with God’s Word. Turn Bible verses into prayer points.

Finally;

CONSISTENCY IS KEY! An understanding of this will prevent you from setting unrealistic goals for yourself in prayer. Don’t expect to pray for five straight hours on your first attempt. Begin from an hour and keep advancing at weekly intervals.

Faith

Covenant Lessons from Father Abraham

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God desires a relationship with every man. It is only through a relationship with God that we gain full understand of who God is.


If our fellowship with God is weak, our hearts will be unable to dwell on the things of God.


It takes consistent fellowship with God to be able to understand the thoughts of His heart.



God relates with man on different levels; but there was a man in the old testament who became the friend of God – Abraham.


It is only those who have become friends with God that can be entrusted with His secrets.


True Friends keep secrets. God never wanted to hide anything from Abraham because he was a friend of God.


And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Genesis 18:17.

Here are some vital lessons believers must learn from Abraham’s walk with God:





Faithfulness to the Covenant:


Abraham was faithful to the Covenant between him and God, and he ensured his children and household followed his lead.



“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” Genesis 18:19.

Abraham’s faithfulness and loyalty is worth emulating. As believers we must live a life of faithfulness and loyalty to the covenant of Grace.


We must abide by the terms of the covenant ranging from faith to holiness and even consecration. We must also ensure we teach our children the tenets of this covenant and guide them into it.



The greatest inheritance we can give our children is to teach them the ways of God and show them the covenant.




A Life Of Sacrifice:


Abraham was sacrificial. He entertained strangers with the best of his flocks. He trained his nephew, Lot in the stead of his father without demanding a return. He was willing to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God.


Abraham was willing to go extra mile to ensure the completion of his obedience. May we not be satisfied in partial obedience as believers – because partial obedience is absolute disobedience.



The life of the believer is a life of sacrifice, we don’t own anything in God we are only made stewards.


“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1.


Absolute Obedience:

The life of Abraham is absolute obedience to God’s instructions. Obedience is our proof of our loyalty and submission to God.

One can’t claim to be a devoted citizen of a country and live in disobedience; one can’t claim to be a devoted Christian and live in constant disobedience to God’s word.

His WORD IS HIS COMMAND

Someone once asked, ‘How can you say I’m living in disobedience; God hasn’t spoken to me about His dos and donts before.

I deem this a fallacious statement. God does not need to appear to us in dreams and visions like He did with Abraham; His Word is His command to us. The Bible is the Book of God’s commands and instructions to believers.

When you do not pray as commanded in scriptures, you’re living in disobedience. When you commit the sins which the scriptures speak against, you position yourself in the path of disobedience.


“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Hebrews 11:8.

Abraham obeyed by faith – he obeyed God promptly.

There must be a consistent and accurate walk with God that secures our establishment in the kingdom.

Obedience and diligence are non-negotiable in the kingdom. If we must secure the working of God’s covenant in our life, they must be our watchword.



God testified that Abraham was His friend. He also testified about David. The covenant principles highlighted above when put into practice, will earn you the friendship testimony of God.


What will God testify about you?


Green-Hills Emmanuel Amarayahweh

Faith

Believe in The Immutability of God

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Isaiah 51: “Look unto Abraham”


If there’s anything I’m sure of, it’s the words of scriptures. God never minced words. If He says we should look unto Abraham, He means it.

Abraham is the symbol of the Christian faith. He is widely celebrated for his unrelenting belief in the promise of God.


Hebrews 11:17 “It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac,”


Hebrews 11:18 though God had promised him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”


Hebrews 11:19 “Abraham assumed that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.”


The intensity and strength of Abraham’s faith was revealed when he attempted to sacrifice his only son.

This was the son that God had promised him; Isaac was the son through whom Abraham would become the father of many nations.

He was the precious and promised seed, yet, Abraham never showed any reluctance in sacrificing him just to please God.


The radical faith of this Saint of Old is what believers need today. We need to build our faith to become even stronger than that of Abraham if we are going to inherit the promise.

Having studied the life and pilgrimage of Abraham, I discovered only one source of Abraham’s strong faith;

– The Immutability of God


Hebrews 6:13 For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:


Hebrews 6:14 “I will certainly bless you richly, and I will multiply your descendants into countless millions.”


Hebrews 6:15 Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.



When God made the promise to Abraham, He swore by His name to fulfil the promise He made to Abraham.

The moment God made that oath, Abraham held onto it. He gripped it firmly and even gave thanks knowing that God would fulfil His oath.


Like Abraham, all we have to sustain our faith in this world is the immutability of God’s Word. God no longer needs to appear in dreams to give us His Promise like He did with Abraham.

In the days of old, there was no scripture or precedent to look up to and be strengthened in faith. There was no record of God’s promise to any man.


But God has blessed us with His Word – The Bible. We can look onto it in our moments of despair and be rest assured that so long as the Promise has been made, it will be fulfilled.

This, folks, is the definition of strong faith. This is the faith of Abraham and every person who ever walked with God.


It is a solid conviction on the immutability of God’s Word – if He said it, He will do it.


Psalms 37:28 “For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will perish.”



God has given His Promise, that He will never abandon you. Even in your darkest moments, He will always be there.

Though, it may seem as if God is silently watching the world destroy itself, His eyes are specially fixed on His Saints.

Folk, stay glued to the promise of God that He will keep His beloved safe and lead us unto prosperity.

If God never fails, then let us hold unto His word. Let us believe His word that all things work for our good. Let us believe His word that even in famine, the Lord shall bless us with abundance.

Let us believe in the immutability of God.

Amen.


Faith

Enduring Faith!

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There is always an interval between the Promise and the fulfilment of the promise in the relationship between God and His children. That interval sometimes is long and full of several trials and challenges.


Could it be that the crisis believers are experiencing is only the interval between the Promise and the fulfilment of The Promise?


When David was anointed by Samuel in 1 Samuel 16, one would have thought David would become king the very next day, just like Saul.

Paradoxically, David ended up a wanderer in the wilderness, leading a pack of wild men for almost fourteen years before he finally ascended the Throne.



But even in those hard times running from Saul and living in the toughest of weather and geographical conditions, David stayed glued to God’s Promise that he would one day, ascend the throne of Israel, and surely, that day came.



There are certain challenges that God might not remove from our paths, but He has given us His Promise in His Word to sustain us even in these moments of trials and hardships.


Abraham is another example of a man who had to wait for years before seeing the fulfilment of The Promise.

At 75, Abraham had no son to call his own, yet, God promised Him a seed as well as fatherhood over nations. God usually gives us mind-blowing promises even in our distress in order to test us and stir up our faith.


Abraham was old, so was his wife. Neither of them could get pleasure from one another; neither had the capacity to create a seed; this was the difficult condition Abraham found himself in.



Does this sound similar to what you’re going through presently?


Probably you have a deadened business – a business already dried up by the harsh circumstances of life, with no income from it. God’s word is saying,


Psalms 92:12 “The righteous thrive like a palm tree, And grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon.”


God is giving you His Promise of fruitfulness the same way He promised Abraham a seed. Though all may seem hopeless, your job is to cling unto the word of God, and keep hoping on Him until the time of fulfilment.


Hebrews 6:15: “After waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise.”


Abraham definitely obtained the promise, but God’s Word told us that he had to wait patiently. Faith alone doesn’t obtain the Promise; a faith that cannot endure pain and suffering will never be able to obtain the Promise. Patience is needed.

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Patience is needed because The Promise is like a destination, faith makes us expectant of it, but only Patience will keep us expectant. Only patience will keep driving us towards our destination.


Patience is needed because on the journey to the promise, a lot of challenges will arise – persecutions, pandemics, plagues etc; God will permit these things to come your way to prove your Faith not just to Himself, but to the enemy and generations to come who will read your story.


The faith of the saint is not proven when the Saint has finally received The Promise, the faith is proven and seen in the road to attaining the promise.

Faith is in the Saint’s ability to withstand the pressures of life and keep serving God in expectation of an unseen promise.

Nwodo Divine



Romans 4:17 “As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations. He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.”


Here, we see a revelation of the intensity of Abraham’s faith. Paul, under the inspiration of The Holy Spirit, explains to us that though his organs were as good as dead,

Abraham believed God had the ability to enliven whatever is dead, and though there was probably no possibility of getting a baby from Sarah’s womb, God had the ability to call it forth into existence.


Such a powerful faith!


Isaiah 51:1 “Look unto Abraham…”

Source: Vectorstocks


Let us look unto Abraham and imitate his faith. Let the troubled Saint believe that God can revive his business; let the sick Saint believe that God can restore life to his body; let the depressed Saint believe that God can call forth great and mighty things into his life.


Romans 4:18 ”He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.”



The Bible was careful to state that Abraham’s situation was not just of a man hoping in God it was a hope Against Hope – meaning, even when every reason to hope was gone,

Abraham never stopped hoping. Even when there was no reason to have faith, Abraham held unto The Promise.



Romans 4:20 “He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God


Romans 4:21 because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.


Even in the uncertainty of the future, Abraham kept giving glory to God – He kept praising the most High. This means this man was never depressed about His childless state; he continued giving glory to God.


In this we learn that one of the evidence that have faith in God is that we believe God even when things seem not to be okay.

Thanksgiving is an evidence of faith in the ability of God to transform our situation.

Conclusively, beloved Saint, in your journey towards the Promise, make faith your fuel, patience your driver and Thanksgiving your music.

We hope you were blessed by this, we’d love to hear from and interact with you 😊. Do drop a like and comment. God Bless you, fam 😘💞💖

Faith

The Use of Faith

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A tool is something useful;

it is a thing available to serve a specific purpose. Its level of importance is determined by how much value it has.


We can consider faith a tool; an instrument that is useful in diverse ways.



One may wonder what the uses are, not to worry, they are explained below:




1. Faith is A CURRENCY


Just like one accesses physical commodities with money, faith is used to accessing whatever is supernatural. Faith determines our response to things about God and His kingdom.



It is attached to everything we do in God’s Kingdom; our works and responsibility towards the purposes of God must be mingled with faith, else they will amount to naught.


2. It is an instrument used for GAINING ALIGNMENT


We tread the path of alignment on the strength of our faith in Christ. By faith, we believe in the finished work of Christ. Also, it always prone believers to action. When there’s faith, there are works, so faith validates our work and makes it pleasing unto God.



3. Faith serves as A PARAMETER


God has standards in his kingdom, and for them to be met, there are kingdom parameters that are used to measure our duties. One of these criteria is faith.

He checks not only our heart posture (the intents and purity-state of our heart) but also whether we are faithless.



A pure heart is not enough, God demands faith when we carry out actions. Apostle Paul understood this and so he exhorted the brethren in Rome, thus:



‘‘He that doubteth is damned if he eats because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin’’ Romans 14:23.


His teaching labels the‘ absence of faith’ as a sin. A faithless Christian is vulnerable to sin and attacks from the devil.

His deeds are questionable, not because he is not holy, but because his actions did not take a stance from faith.

Satan easily conquers such a Christian during trials because he does not believe in the word of God.


4. Faith is the FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY


Salvation and holiness are gained only by faith. Salvation begins with complete faith towards the finished work of Christ (they include His crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension).



Christ sustains our salvation through our constant unwavering FAITH in Him.

Although sinful activities in the world make piety tough for the children of God, we can remain exceptional from the patterns of the world when our faith in Christ is consistent.

This is where we give due diligence in responding to the salvation we once received.


2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.



Walking by faith is a deliberate action, it is a conscious response to our new nature by carrying out the responsibility that is befitting of a born again.

It is on this basis that we grow in grace and the Knowledge of God’s word.

Our faith sets us on the advantage of becoming approved of God, both in words and deeds.


2 Peter 1:5-7: “And beside this, giving all diligence, ADD TO YOUR FAITH virtue; and virtue knowledge. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity’’


Brethren, it all begins with our faith, we gain all these virtues as a bonus for exploring faith.



That’s amazing! The usefulness of faith has proved to be all-encompassing–just like have been stated earlier in the first series of this subject.


Stay with me as we unveil more sequels that faith holds for us.


God bless you, abundantly.




David Chikwado Caleb

Spirituality

The Power of Association

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One of the greatest factors that determine one’s progress in life is Association. This factor goes a long way in making or marring the destiny of an individual.


The root of every destroyed or fulfilled destiny can in one way or another be traced or linked with the kind of people one associated with. The company we keep is not limited to our friends alone, it goes a long way beyond that.

It could be anyone, any organization or club. Let’s take a look at the life of King Solomon from the Bible.

1st Kings 11:1-8;

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;

2. Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

3. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

4. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

7. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

We can see from the verses above that even the very wives of Solomon ended up destroying his long built relationship with God.

He had all the wisdom but the wrong association became a stumbling block for him and because of this, Israel was torn apart and taken from the house of David.

It doesn’t matter how great or anointed one can be, once you get involved with the wrong association, destruction is imminent and inevitable.

1 Corinthians 15:33: Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”


The wrong company destroys but the right company preserves and builds one up. Observe that in the aforementioned verse, we are warned by the Apostle to avoid being misled. The question is misled by what?

We are to avoid being misled by the thought that the only way to convert unbelievers is by being close friends with them. This is false and not biblical!

Jesus never taught communion with unbelievers; even though he ate with sinners, they were never among His close clique. Do not be deceived that you’re too strong or wise to be badly influenced by unbelievers.

Solomon was not just strong, he was wise; he was the wisest man of his time. Yet, his fall was the most disastrous of kings.



DAVID AND JONATHAN (1 Samuel 18)

Jonathan loved, protected and cherished David like a brother.


Jonathan was selfless – he gave David several gifts including his sword and his garment. These two youths stayed loyal and faithful to one another inspite of the enmity between Saul and David.

True friendship saves and protects. Jonathan saved David from Saul’s wrath.

– Have friends who are passionate about the things of God.

– Have vision-driven friends.

– Have friends who are compatible with your future. There are folks that if we allow into our personal space will become obstruction to our future goals.


Finally, do not be hesitant to separate from a friend who seems to be a stumbling block to your success. Abraham separated from Lot and Paul wasn’t reluctant in separating from Barnabas.