Words are creative tools. They have the ability to shape the life we want for ourselves. They make man’s realities. Depending on how they are used, they can destroy or repair, crush or build.
Success and failure are determined by the power of words. A wise man once said, ‘Whether you say you can or you say you can’t, you’re right.’ These words aren’t limited to the usual things we say to one another.
What we say to ourselves and within ourselves is also important. The little voice within us that either encourages or discourages us from doing things is a powerful force that we must learn to control for our own good.
Sometimes we can say something positive on the outside, but our inner voice contradicts what we say on the outside.
As a result, it is critical that we, as believers, learn to control this voice and speak only positive things in order to generate the energy and faith required to succeed.
Revelation 12:11: “And they triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives unto death.”
According to the above scripture, the secret of believers’ triumph is in the word of their testimony.
The word of testimony proclaims Christ’s victory over Satan’s works and that we are the recipients of His finished works.
This word of testimony is our weapon for triumphing over Satan’s works, such as poverty, sickness, and death.
OUR WORLDS ARE FRAME-WORKED BY WORDS.
Hebrews 11:3: “… the worlds were framed by the word of God”
Just unseen and visible realms were framed by God’s words, we too can frame our world with our words. We might not be able to change the world at large, but we can create positivity and yield productivity in our environment.
APPLICATION
Here are two things to do in order to experience this;
Make a list of what God’s word says about you.
Meditate daily on that list.
Declare it over your life daily.
This will necessitate regular Bible study in order for you to understand what God’s word says about you.
Conclusively, let this a daily habit for you. Speak from God’s word, not from negative experiences.
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” – Matthew 12:24
Have you ever wondered why monks and sages are so wise? I have too. What makes them so wise? Don’t they have the same brain and eyes that we have? They do.
What makes monks, sages and wealthy men wise is a heart matter. Wisdom is not a mental condition, it is a heart condition. It is a state of the heart.
Wisdom can be received and enhanced in the heart. Thus we can describe the heart as the storage tank of wisdom. It stores up wisdom and insight for excellent living.
This is why Jesus spoke of ‘the abundance of the heart’. Even as the heart can store up wisdom, it can also store folly, or it can be empty and void of wisdom. It all depends on how much development you give to it.
Here are two ways to enhance inner wisdom;
1. Get connected with God.
God in us – The Holy Spirit is our source of wisdom. Any believer who is rooted in God will never run out of practical wisdom for daily living. Building a strong connection with God requires prayer, meditation, fasting etc. Find out more here.
Acknowledge God
Proverbs 3:6: “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (KJV)
Here’s what Matthew Henry says about this verse:
“…. We must not only in our judgment believe that there is an over-ruling hand of God ordering and disposing of us and all our affairs, but we must solemnly own it, and address ourselves to him accordingly. We must ask his leave, and not design anything but what we are sure is lawful. We must ask his advice and beg direction from him, not only when the case is difficult… but in every case, be it ever so plain, we must ask success of him, as those who know the race is not to the swift.
We must refer ourselves to him as one from whom our judgment proceeds, and patiently, and with a holy indifference, wait his award. In all our ways that prove direct, and fair, and pleasant, in which we gain our point to our satisfaction, we must acknowledge God with thankfulness. In all our ways that prove cross and uncomfortable, and that are hedged up with thorns, we must acknowledge God with submission.”
Although there are men with natural wisdom, a look at world history reveals that it takes more than natural wisdom to survive in this world. Furthermore, no matter how smart you are, you will never know what the person next to you is thinking. You can never see into the future, no matter how clever you are; you can never predict the next war, bomb blast, tension, etc.
C. Bridges explains this better,
‘Take one step at a time, every step under divine warrant and direction. Ever plan for yourself in simple dependence on God. It is nothing less than self-idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the ordinary matters of the day without His counsel. He loves to be consulted. Therefore, take all thy difficulties to be resolved by Him. Be in the habit of going to Him in the first piece- before self-will… self-wisdom, human friends, convenience (and) expediency. Before any of these have been consulted, go to God at once!’
Here’s an exercise for this;
Consider a decision you must make soon. It could be a job, an admission, a course selection, a spouse, or something else. Remove your emotions and preferences from the decision and speak to God – who dwells in your heart. Ask Him to guide you in making the right decision. You can even ask Him for a sign, as Gideon did, and if your heart is sincere, God may work a sign to lead you. But the most important thing is that you acknowledge God before taking any action.
Read your Bible
The Bible is God’s letter to man; it is God’s eternal counsel written down. God is very interested in the Bible because it is His very own work, and how much attention we as His children pay to it. I remember writing my first story and giving it to a close friend to read. I sat there watching him read it with bated breath until he was finished. I did this because it was my book, and it made me very happy to see someone else reading what I had written. Similarly, God loves it when we pay attention to His word.
His word contains life-changing wisdom. We see deep mysteries hidden for us in the life stories of David, Abraham, and others, as well as the proverbs of Solomon, the psalms of David, the teachings of Jesus, and the doctrines of the Apostles.
Therefore, let us give attention to the reading of God’s word for our own profiting.
Read it.
Meditate on it.
Study it.
Pray with it
Practice it
Keep reading it
What if I can’t understand what is written in it?
1 Corinthians 2:9-11: “…Things never discovered or heard of before, things beyond our ability to imagine– these are the many things God has in store forthem that love Him.
10 But God now unveils these profound realities to us by the Spirit.[c] Yes, he has revealed to us his inmost heart and deepest mysteries through the Holy Spirit, who constantly explores all things.
11 After all, who can really see into a person’s heart and know his hidden impulses except for that person’s spirit? So it is with God. His thoughts and secrets are only fully understood by his Spirit, the Spirit of God.”
The Bible can never be fully comprehended by the human intellect; it requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit to fully comprehend the wisdom hidden in God’s word. As a result, before reading the Bible, we must pray to the Lord for understanding and insight into His word.
Read the Bible with an open heart in order to receive instruction from the Holy Spirit; as if God is speaking to you through it, read it. Don’t just skim through it. The butterfly can only get nectar from its flower by sucking it; similarly, we can only gain insight from God’s word by studying it meditatively.
2. INQUISITIVENESS
Wisdom is acquired through a combination of inquisitiveness for information and a desire to learn. This quality is common among the world’s renowned scientists and researchers. It is a heart matter and goes beyond being a mere over-thinker or curious person.
Inquisitiveness is the desire to learn, to know more about people, things. It is founded from the habit of observation. If you want to fill your heart with wisdom, observe and ask questions. Ask vital questions to yourself, God, elders around you and even to nature.
A wise man once said, “He who knows how to ask, will never get lost”. If you develop this inquisitive quality and you live by it, by the time you’re old your mind will be an accumulation of years of wisdom and answers to life’s toughest questions.
Here’s a practical for you;
Get a book and tag it ‘Wisdom Book’.
Write down the pivotal questions in your life that you need answers to.
Go to the Bible or get lessons from trusted counselors on those questions and write them down in your wisdom book.
Have a ‘learning goal’ each day. This goal should be the things you want to learn for that day. At the end of the day, write down the things you’ve learnt in your ‘Wisdom Book’.
Be observant and write down occurrences with significant meaning in your life.
BE CONSISTENT
Again, this must be done continuously in order to see the desired results.
Were you blessed by this post? We’ll love to hear from you in the comment section.
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 wasproposed in men’s hearts.
These are some of the things we should learn from the life of Esther.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
KOINONIA ART 