Tag Archives: Jesus

GENERAL

10 Lessons from the Life of Esther

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The Esther Generation is a community of women who have offered themselves on the altar of sacrifice to God to bring God’s reason and advice to a generation and those save those who are under the slavery of the devil into complete freedom by subscribing to the path of the kingdom Esther lived a life of selflessness, loyalty, submission, divine intervention, and favor.

Despite her unfavorable circumstances, she remained a virtuous lady. Because Esther followed Hegi the Keeper’s instructions, she was given the best place to stay and everything she needed to be crowned queen.

Esther is a role model for Christian women to follow. Here are ten major life lessons we can take from her life:

1. A woman’s beauty lies not in her possessions, but in the virtues and values, she has cultivated. There were more beautiful women in the pageantry to choose the king’s wife, but Esther’s obedience to Hegi, coupled with God’s favor, made her the chosen one.

2. Every successful person has a destiny-helper. A destiny-helper is someone sent by God to guide and assist you in reaching your destiny and fulfilling your purpose. Mordecai was Esther’s destiny-helper. He remained her counselor even when she became queen. Have you identified your destiny-helper? Are you giving honouring him/her?

3. The level of honor you give determines the extent of God’s favor in your life.

4. Even in times of crisis, it is critical to seek God’s face rather than rely on our political/financial positions.

5. To lead God’s people, a sacrifice-minded heart is required. Esther was a very selfless woman. She fasted for three days in order to secure God’s favor for her people. She put her life in danger to ensure the safety of her people. Let us be like Esther and be willing to give up our possessions for the sake of our fellow believers.

6. Esther was a woman of great faith; only women of faith can make a difference in a generation.

7. Esther was a woman of wisdom; she was not in a hurry to kill her enemies, and she waited until the right time before speaking against Haman. Proverbs 13:3 says, “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life“; Esther preserved both her life and the lives of the Jews by her temperance.

8. Esther was highly favoured by God and man because she was submissive to her mentor Mordecai.

9. Esther was a problem solver and solution provider for the Jews, and she was adept at guiding them in the right direction. Only people who solve problems are celebrated. The world is in need of people who will solve their problems and not create new ones for them.

10. Esthers are God’s help system in ridding the church of the evil that was proposed in men’s hearts.

These are some of the things we should learn from the life of Esther.

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

What can Christians do to stay safe in these perilous times?

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Insecurity has become the order of the day in Nigeria, this is undeniable. Years ago, it was mainly a North-eastern problem, but it has recently become a nationwide problem. Students have been abducted during school hours, police stations have been demolished, and so on. The situation has highlighted the fact that no one in Nigeria is currently secure.

Can’t we pray for it to end?

According to Jeremiah 29:7, the fervency of our prayers determines our nation’s peace and prosperity. However, prayer is not a game-changer in national affairs. Prayer flows in accordance with the will of the people. Nigerians, including many believers, elected the current leader as president about seven years ago.

THERE’S AN APPOINTED TIME

This is not to say that we should stop praying. We must continue to pray for Nigeria’s peace and prosperity at all hours of the day and night. Though the answers to our prayers may appear to be delayed, the light for which we are praying will surely come.

In Matthew 14, Jesus’ disciples were sailing in their boat by themselves. Jesus did not reveal Himself until a massive storm threatened the safety of His disciples. That story teaches us that God usually waits until the storm is raging before intervening. The fact that Nigeria is on the verge of collapse indicates that God is about to do something amazing in that country.

WE ARE THE GOSHEN CITY

In Exodus 7-11, God struck Egypt with a series of plagues. Amazingly, it did not affect His people, the Israelites. The same way God preserved the Israelites in Exodus 11, God has promised to secure His Saints even in the midst of the nation’s insecurity. God has promised in His word that not a single strand of your hair will be consumed by fire. Here are some scriptural things to do to stay safe in times like these;

1. Listen to the voice of your spirit:

I have a friend who was saved from a bandit attack by listening to the voice of his spirit. I recently interviewed him, and this is what he told me:

“I couldn’t make sense of it, but I knew God was showing my spirit something that my physical eyes couldn’t see. Although rebooking a bus seat would have cost me money, I did not board the bus. I went to the airport and rescheduled my trip. We found out two hours later that the bus I refused to board had been hijacked by bandits, and several passengers had been killed. The news traumatized me – the thought that if I had boarded that bus, I would have been among those killed. That experience has taught me to always listen to the voice of my spirit”.

Depending on what God shows or speaks to our spirit, it can be grieved, excited, or both. As Christians, we must learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. Do not go to a place where your spirit will not be accepted.

Psalm 143:10: “… May Your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground.” (HCSB)

If we submit to the leading of the precious Spirit of God, we will be preserved. 

2. Prayer

Prayer is entrusting our souls to God’s care. It expresses our faith in God and acknowledges Him in everything we do. Before you begin your daily activities in the morning, place your entire day in God’s hands. Before making a critical decision, make sure you consult with God. Furthermore, as Christians, we must not only pray for ourselves, but also others. Pray for your children, friends, and family.

3. Live in assurance of God’s security

Doubt and fear are two ways Satan can expose us to harm. The only way to avoid living in doubt is to remain convinced of God’s ever-present presence in your life. 

Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.”

Be assured that God will be with you as you go out and come in. Let it be your declaration, like David’s in Psalm 23 that “the Lord is with me.” “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God,” says Psalm 20:7. In a society where even the police cannot secure themselves, let alone others, the people’s only hope is God. 

Every day, police stations are destroyed, and soldiers are killed. You cannot afford to put your safety in the hands of the government or security agencies as a believer. Do not be like those who put their trust in chariots and horses; instead, put your trust in God’s promise to protect you from the wicked’s plot.

4. Avoid carelessness!

The fact that God will save us does not imply that we should live recklessly, as God’s promises are not intended to promote irrational living and rash decision-making. Follow security protocols as much as possible. Don’t go out at night by yourself. Avoid going to areas where bandits are a common occurrence.

Finally, we believe that God will intervene in the Nigerian crisis before it escalates; however, while we wait for God to act, let us trust in God and follow security protocols to ensure our safety and the safety of our loved ones.

GENERAL

Living in Victory

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Man was created to win over every condition of life! He was created with the mandate of dominion. This is seen in the account of man’s creation recorded in Genesis 1.

If man was created with the innate ability to explore and have dominion over the circumstances of life, how come we see believers living in misery?

The main reason for this is that we haven’t come into full understanding of the incredible tools God has given us to live this life of victory.

Today, we will be exploring these tools. I call them ‘The Provisions for Victorious Living’.

1. The Mind: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7.

Have you ever wondered what makes man superior to other animals?

We do not have the speed of the Cheetah, so it certainly has nothing to do with athleticism. We do not have the strength of an Elephant or the ferocity of a lion; yet, we are described as superior to these animals. The superior factor is the mind. We have a mind full of unlimited creativity.

Furthermore, If you think on God you will get more of God. As far your mind can think you can get there, as far as your eyes can see you can possess it.

In Romans 12:2, Paul admonishes us to renew our mind as in it lies our transformation. If a Saint will be shifted from a life of mediocrity and misery to a life of victory, such a saint must be continually improve on the quality of his mind daily. This can be achieved by studying your Bible, listening to inspirational tapes etc.

In order for us to live victoriously, let us be resolute in getting rid of mediocre thinking. Excellent prospects and perspectives must be embraced. Positivity must become the order of our minds.

2. The Scriptures:

Every inventor has a manual for instructing the users of his product on how to make best use of his product. The Bible is God’s manual to us on how to apply the finished works of Christ into our lives. Also, through the Bible, we get what is known in the military as ‘Intelligence briefings’.- the warfare strategies of the Kingdom are revealed to us.

Any believer who wants to live in victory must be a diligent student of God’s word as it is the word that teaches us how to win.

Besides if consistent study of academic work will make a child brilliant, how about constant learning from God’s word. The word of God is the source of spiritual intelligence.

Through its ageless instructions, it moulds, remoulds and enhances our character. It reshapes our perspectives and imparts us with the wisdom needed for victorious living.

3. Prayer:

Prayer is a path that cannot be ignored if one desires to live in victory. This is because prayer strengthens our spirit and puts us in a disposition to boldly face the challenges of life.

Any believer who doesn’t know how to pray will always be destabilized when he faces turmoil. But a believer who has mastered the art of prayer will always experience the peace of God no matter how bad things may seem to be.

Do you want to live in victory?

The secret is in having a habitual prayer life. Folks, this is where our victory is – in prayer. A wise man once said, ‘The more you spend time on your knees in prayer, the more God takes you higher’.

DON’T JUST HEAR, DO!

James 1:22 admonishes not to be mere hearers of God’s word, but to also practice it. Thus, use these provisions for victory daily. Constantly improve on the quality of your thinking; be a student of God’s word and be consistent in the place of prayer. God bless you!

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

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.

Source: depositphotos


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