Tag: Faith

Praising in the Pit…

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“Focus on remaining so gracious that when the time comes for your testimony, people’s recollection of how you maintained your faith and good character despite going through such a difficult season, will encourage them even more about what it is to truly trust in God.”

Smiling when things are falling apart around you, is possibly one of the most difficult things to do.
It’s hard to laugh, have fun, or even see the good in anything, because your circumstance is saying otherwise.

Today I want to encourage you to  P R A I S E  in the Pit.
And if you cannot think of any reason why it may be worth it, simply consider the fact that you have life, God still loves you perfectly, and His word says He will always be with you – that is more than enough to give Him praise for. (Romans 8:38-39, Deuteronomy 31:6)

In addition to that praise, here are three other key things to do:

1. Continue to do and be G O O D

Don’t allow your situation to make you bitter.
Natural emotions that we may experience when things are tough include;

  • Sadness
  • Frustration
  • Anger
  • Feeling fed up
  • Being irritable
  • Self-pity
  • Loneliness

and many others.

When we feel like this, it’s often difficult to be our usual selves, and in fact it is quite easy to fall into the trap of allowing our emotions to dictate and change who we are, negatively.
One of the most important things I want to tell us is that we must not allow our emotions to rule us. Yes, things aren’t great, but that is no excuse to compromise your character and forget who God has called you to be – which is someone who exudes L O V E at all times. (1 Corinthians 13).
Focus on remaining so gracious that when the time comes for your testimony, people’s recollection of how you maintained your faith and good character despite going through such a difficult season, will encourage them even more about what it is to truly trust in God.

When you find yourself getting into ‘a way’, remember that God’s word tells us a lot about His plans for us. (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28).
Therefore, knowing God has a greater purpose, plan and will for you, means you cannot allow your energy to match your present situation. Instead, you have to ensure your energy is in line with the greater place God is taking you to! For that reason you need to draw out the praise that is on the inside of you and show God that you are dedicated to praising Him in spite of what is going on in your life. Show Him that your love for Him goes beyond your circumstance and that you truly love Him for who He is, not what He does.

 

2. Don’t obsess over ‘why’

Common perspectives many of us may have adopted throughout life, is that there is a reason for everything and that there is always a lesson to learn from every season you find yourself in. While I agree with both these concepts, we must be careful not to distract ourselves with trying too hard to make them fit into our lives in the most practical or perfect way.

Here’s what I mean by this…
Sometimes God does share ‘why’ He’s taking us through things, other times, He doesn’t.
The point is, if we get so utterly consumed with finding out ‘W H Y’ something is happening to us, or we get fixated on gaining an idealistic lesson out of it, we run the risk of losing focus on how God has truly called us to serve in that season, as well as engaging with God’s actual purpose or lesson for us.
For some of us, our focus on finding out ‘why’ could actually wrongly dissuade us from praising. This is because we subconsciously tell ourselves that we need a reason and purpose for the pain before we can praise in that pit, when actually the word of God encourages us to praise and give thanks in ALL things – good or bad. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Focusing on getting a so-called reason or lesson that we deem tangible enough to us, also falsely implies that depending on the answer we get, God could possibly be unworthy of our praise – and this is so far from the truth.
The bible tells us that He is worthy of all praise, honour and glory forever. (1 Timothy 1:17).

 

3. Surrender it all to God

This is the most important bit.
Stop trying to create the ideal outcomes in your mind, and stop trying to help God sort things out your way – just give it to Him and rest in Him.

The bible not only teaches us that we are made for God’s pleasure and to bring glory to His Name (Isaiah 43:7, Isaiah 43:21), but it also very clearly enlightens us that God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Therefore some things may not make sense to us. Some things won’t add up according to how our human minds may try to work them out, and so chasing a reason, or trying to create an artificial lesson that we assume God is trying to teach us, will only leave us exhausted and disappointed.
What we should do instead in these situations, is truly and wholeheartedly seek God and ask Him to enable us to live out His very purpose for us in that situation.
We must learn the art of absolutely surrendering our will and way to God, realising that He is Sovereign and thus actively deciding to allow Him to have His way. This may not be easy – but it’s always worth it.

Worth it;
– because the earlier we surrender, the sooner we have peace.
– because walking with God is so much better than working against Him.
– and because ultimately, we should always desire for God’s perfect will to manifest, as opposed to anything else, as He really does know best!

 

Now get to know God’s Promises

It’s all well and good me encouraging you to trust God and rest in His promises etc., but you need to know His word for yourself, because that is what you have to hold on to.

So here’s a start for verses to use to remind yourself of how well God will carry you through it all, and that there surely is a greater glory awaiting you at the end:

Something crucial to remember in the midst of your pain and unrest, is that regardless of how sour things may seem, God has not, and will not EVER remove His covering over you. This means no scheme of the enemy could ever prevail over you, nor lead you to destruction, rather, just like He did with Joseph, God will turn it all around and use it for His glory and your victory. (Genesis 37:18-28, Genesis 39:21).

The story of Joseph (found in Genesis 37 onward) provides a good example of someone who praised and served his purpose diligently whilst in his pit. In fact his very service to others whilst in jail, is what then delivered him in time to come – but that’s a word for another day.

Admirable examples of other Praisers in their Pits and people who remained faithful to God in the face of adversity are;

Daniel – with friends in the fiery furnace – Daniel 3, in the lion’s den Daniel 6

Paul and Silas – Acts 16:16-40

Job – Job 1, Job 1:20-22, Job 2:10, Job 42:10-17

In each story, as each character served their season of pain/trials with diligence and grace, we see the final outcome was completely worth the strife, especially when it caused others to give their lives to God.
So today I encourage you to keep Praising and keep your heart Faithful to God.
Praise your way into the sweeter season, because you serve a God that would never leave your current situation as your final destination.

Set it in your heart that NOTHING will steal the praise from your lips and the worship of your heart,
Because at the end of the day
God will still be God –
The Sovereign God, who knows best,
So why not Praise Him anyway?!

 

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing

Song suggestion: Praise Him in advance by Marvin Sapp

*Practical tip: (suggested by a friend and I think is a great idea) Create a playlist of Ten upbeat praise songs! Get into your praise zone with these daily and be reminded of God’s goodness.

By Their Fruit…

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…You will recognise them.

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Before I say a word to you, let’s read these verses;
“By their fruit you will recognize them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

My question to you is, what will you birth this year?

And I’m not necessarily talking about new creations or ideas or businesses, but actually when the 31st December 2019 comes around, what will the summary of your character be for this year?
In the last post, we discussed how special this year will be.
We embraced the great news of 2019 being a year in which many things will unravel in our lives and bring forth purpose and meaning to our very existence.
We’re now in the second month of the year, (by God’s mercy and grace), and hopefully many of us are still working on the various plans and goals that we set for ourselves for this year.
I want you to think of those plans/ideas/resolutions, and ask yourself – how much of what I have planned involves God?
Reflect on your desires for this year and just check – is God at the forefront of all this, or have I left Him on the back burner?
Did I focus my plans around me, my pleasures and my will, or have I put God centre stage, for all eyes to be on Him, and for His glory to shine through?

 

When God planted Matthew 7:16 into my heart, He gave me a message for you and I, saying that in this year (and always) we ought to ensure that God shows through in absolutely everything that concerns us!

The King wants us to be intentional about showing Him forth.

So here are a few specific things this means:

(But this list isn’t exhaustive)

1. Our decisions must minister Christ.
That is, the things we actively choose to do by ourselves.
E.g. Abstain from sexual immorality, pay the correct public transport fare, obey laws of the land that others may commonly seek a loophole for, attend church more often, engage in more kingdom-directed activities (fellowships/bible studies/evangelism) (Galatians 5:13-26, Romans 13 particularly verse 6). The list goes on.
We need to take our spiritual walk seriously, align our will with the instructions we find in the word of God, and really cultivate habits and behaviours that will affirm our love for Christ, rather than do the opposite.
Going back to our plans for this year – I’m asking that we go to God and find out what He wants, find out how we can be used by Him for His name to be praised, find out what His agenda is for us in this year, and then ask how we fit into all that, rather than the other way round.
In being intentional about showing God forth in our lives, we need to actively set out to do, or equally, refrain from doing, certain things. These intentional and purposeful decisions will set us apart within our environments, and thus minister to the world that there is something different about us, and indeed it is Jesus!
Let us be mindful of our decisions; making sure that we’re choosing the options that will more and more display that we truly do have a heart for God, ultimately causing people to draw onto us to get to know this God!
2. Take up a voluntary task/charitable deed to benefit the less fortunate.
Matthew 25:31-40 – read it.
We’re 41 whole days into 2019 – how many of those days have been spent selflessly?
Often times, particularly at the beginning of the year, and especially if it wasn’t one of our ‘resolutions’, many of us get so stuck and fixed and focused on achieving these sparkly new goals, that we neglect the needs of the community around us.
We’re head strong, we’ve got the eye of the tiger and we really want to achieve all the ME goals that we’ve set, that we forget that we have a world of people around us that God has both directly and indirectly put under our care. This includes those we know personally and those we don’t.
Where do the homeless, poor, needy, and underpriviledged come in our plans for this year?
I’m asking that we go back to those plans and ask God where they fit in. Tell God that we WANT them in our plans, and that He should give us a mission to HELP those who are in need. Let it become a regular activity in our lives, by God’s grace.
This also includes those friends or family members that require our emotional, financial or just any kind of support too! Let us factor them in, take some time out to really be there for them and see how we can be a blessing in their lives, in accordance with God’s will.
3. Manage ill situations graciously.
Yep! I’m talking about our  R E A C T I O N S  here.

I’m talking about us never REacting, but rather always maintaining our Christ-like character irrespective of what is being thrown at us.

What fruit are we producing when we respond to unpleasant situations?

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When we find ourselves in that complex, conflicting issue at work, home or school – who are we in that moment when our emotions are flying REALLY really high?

It could also be in terms of personal trials, hardships, let downs.
We all face disappointing and displeasing scenarios in life – but my question here is in these moments – what and who do we look like?

As a representation of Christ, who is God, who is Love, and so therefore we are Love, I believe one of the key elements in our walk is maintaining our cool when things get shaken and stirred up. We have to remember to LOVE first.
God is calling for a consistency in us, which means that we keep our peace at all times!
It doesn’t make you foolish, weak or a loser to walk away from a situation if it means maintaining your attitude and not acting out.
In situations that test our emotions, be it heat of the moment type scenarios, or even longer-term difficult ones, we must remember that we are STILL children of the Most High God. We are still children of grace, who ought to speak with words seasoned with salt always (Colossians 4:5-6), build others up with our words always (Ephesians 4:29), and bring light into situations rather than darkness.

 

Now let’s round this up and makes sense of it all.
You may notice that in the verses we read at the beginning of this word, I put Matthew 7:21 on its own, even though it’s the immediate continuation of the preceding verses.
Well that’s because this verse is special.
It helps to put everything into context.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Often times, we speak of Jesus, but we aren’t really living out Jesus.
And essentially that’s what this word is all about – at the end of the day, will God be able to search your heart and find that you were intentional and proactive about really promoting the gospel and the things of God with your life? (Jeremiah 17:10 NLT)
When Jesus said ‘by their fruit, you will recognise them’, He was talking about distinguising the false prophets from the true believers of the gospel.
In the same light when God gave me this word and pointed me to this verse, He was asking; Are we really for Him wholeheartedly, ready to align our hearts with His will, and press in deeper, into His Spirit to get to know Him better? 
Or are we dipping our toes in and out of the water every now and then, and in fact masking mediocrity with colourful words and empty actions that sort of look Christ-like, but actually we lack a firm foundation and are easily moved by winds of the world?

Matthew 7:21 says ‘only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’ will enter the kingdom of heaven – therefore we need to go to God, and:

  • Seek out what His will for us is, in EVERY area of our lives?
  • Ask that He enables us to live a life that truly and genuinely shows forth all of His glory and goodness, where the focus is on Him and not us!
  • And ask that He works on our hearts and perfects our hearts, so that all in all, everything concerning us will birth fruit that show we are children of God, and the light of the world.

 

I pray that your fruit will show forth great things about you, and will display your true desire to walk and work in the perfect will of God, in Jesus’ name. Amen

 

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God bless you.

 

#ByTheirFruit
#HisTruthWithLove

Breathe… Pray… Act!

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How often do you feel so overwhelmed with all your tasks and responsibilities that it paralyses you?

Whilst I hope the answer is ‘not too often’, I know that when this feeling does come over us, it can be extremely demoralising and detrimental to our productivity.

Let’s get rid of that horrible feeling!

Step 1: Take a deep breath, and release the stress… 

Step 2: Join me in this prayer I have for you…

Father,
We thank You for a brand new day and the ability to love and breathe and do everything we are doing.
We thank You for all our roles of influence and all our positions of privilege that we could have only assumed by Your grace and love and mercy over us.
On this very day, we remember that every single thing You have done in our lives has been intentional, and therefore regarding the situation that we’re worried about at this present moment, we release it unto You in Jesus’ Mighty Name.

We no longer worry about it, because Your word tells us that our worrying does nothing! (Matthew 6:25-34)
Rather we give it unto You and thank You for the fact that You will equip us to master it in Jesus’ Mighty Name.
We take away every feeling of incompetence, being substandard, being unable, useless, unqualified, running out of time, panic, and anything else causing us to make our responsibilities into a mountain before us!
We lay all these negatives at the feet of Jesus and ask that You will remind us that Your grace is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) and that we are enabled to conquer and succeed through Jesus Christ.
Father now that we have empowered our minds, and are mentally back on track, we pray for the proactive attitude that will allow us to execute the success You have preordained for us!
Help us to get up from our beds/seats/places of warmth and comfort, where we’re lounging about, and let us get busy and put our hands to great work!
Help us to work efficiently and effectively in Jesus’ Mighty Name.
All in all God, we thank You for the privilege and power of prayer, which means we can come before You and seek peace and comfort in the midst of what was terrorising us a few moments ago.
We pray for a permanent peace of mind, which will enable us to think, work, and act with clarity, and we also ask for a permanent peace and level-headedness to always trust that someway, somehow, You’ve got it all in control, and so through You, we can and we will do it!
All this we pray,
in Jesus’ Mighty Name.
Amen!
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”
Step 3: Get Active and make necessary moves! 
You can Do It!
Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

Prayer: Confidence

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C O N F I D E N C E

This week,

I pray You’ll remember the child of whom you are (Romans 8:14, Galatians 4:7), and therefore remember the royalty that you are in the kingdom.
I pray that every doubt of self – every fear of inability and fear of incompetence, be removed permanently from your life and replaced with the faith and boldness that you truly ought to have.
I pray for a new spirit of healthy confidence in who you are and what you can acheive.
I pray that you will not hold back from stepping forward and boldly embracing your strengths, and therefore taking on challenging tasks (at work, school, home, anywhere), which allow the excellence and uniqueness of God in you to shine through.
I pray that no hurdle will cause you to stumble, no barrier will cause you to turn back, and no obstacle will trip you up, as you journey through this week.
When you come across any curveball from the devil, you will rise in faith, and take the opportunity to activate the glory and power of God in you, and bring that devil to shame.

I pray for the glory of God surrounding you, to be intensified all the more.
I pray for a confident spirit when making decisions, a confident spirit when executing projects, and a confident spirit to walk away from things when their season has passed.
I pray for confidence and positive self-esteem when you communicate and interact with others, and I pray for a confidence overall that doesn’t seek validation from men and women on this earth – you know and trust in your anointing, and therefore I pray that you will be led to speak when you ought to, but also be humble and hold back when you ought to.

I pray you’ll remember the strength you truly have (do I even need to quote this one haha Philippians 4:13), and therefore won’t limit your options to only what your human mind can comprehend, but will think beyond the things of this earth, and will aim to achieve the unthinkable – through Christ Jesus.

Finally, I pray that you will have confidence to spread the gospel, and obey the instructions God gives you in order to minister, inspire and capture the hearts of those who are lost, and bring them home.

This week, I pray that in all things, you will be Confidently Confident!

in Jesus’ Name,
AMEN.

 

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you

#ConfidenceInChrist
#ConfidenceInMe
#MoreThan100PeoplePraying

 

Timely…

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We often underestimate the power of doing things ‘right on-time’.

What do I mean?

I’m talking about when the Holy Spirit inspires us to send a message to someone, or reach out to someone in one way or another, and we delay to do it.

Today I want us to realise the perfection of the Almighty God, and appreciate the importance of moving right when He tells us to.

Question: How many of us have ever sent a random text, or encouraged someone out of the blue, and in return heard that person say that it was exactly what they needed to hear?
How many of us have ever gifted someone with something, and found out that it was exactly what they needed/had been longing for?

You get my point right?

I know a lot of the time many of us shy away from calling things ‘perfect’, but the truth is, God is Perfect, and His perfection can be felt by the world around us, through our obedience to His intricate instructions.

When He whispers these things to us, and we act upon them straight away, we allow a restoration of faith, hope, joy and so much more, in the lives of those on the receiving end.
We allow them to enjoy perfect moments of grace and favour from Father God, and even as I type this I’m filled with awe and joy to know that He’s a God that pays such close attention to the tiny details of His children’s lives.
Through us, God shows Himself right on-time, reminding His children that they are never alone – now friend, how much of a privilege is it, to be part of such a beautiful Master Plan? 

Today I encourage you to allow yourself to be used by God.

There will be times when He moves you to do something, to carry out a certain gesture, to give a compliment, to call to check up on someone, and I want us to promise today that we will do it immediately.

Don’t shy away or allow any human emotions to dissuade you – e.g. thoughts of ‘I don’t want to intrude’, ‘I don’t want to seem too forward’, but rather have faith in the spirit of God in you, and go ahead and do/say what He tells you to.

I often say, ‘You never know what anyone is going through’, and for this very reason, I want us to understand that we have such an important role to play as Jesus’ hands and feet on this earth, sharing His love and peace to those around us.

The lesson today is this: When God urges you to do/say something, it’s because He knows that His child (the recipient) is in great need of those words/actions, at that very moment.
So with this being said, I want us to realise that it’s a privilege to be used by God, and therefore take pride in fulfilling His will.

Let’s pray:

Father we thank You for being a God who pays close attention to our every need.
Today we focus not on ourselves, but rather on those who You will send us to bless, through our timely obedience to Your instructions.
Help us Lord to appreciate the importance of doing things right when You send the word, in order for it to be perfect for Your beloved children in need of the words and actions to come from us.
We thank You for using us for Your glory, and pray that we’ll always embrace Your perfection and excellence, and therefore allow it to be felt by all those around us,
In Jesus’ Mighty name,
Amen.

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

#PerfectTiming
#MoreThan100PeoplePraying

Can They See You?

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What’s different about you? 

When you go for a job interview, the employers are looking for something in you that makes you stand out in comparison to others.
They’re looking for that ‘thing’ that suggests to them that you’d be better than everyone else, for that role.

As we all know this, we go to interviews with our best. We make sure that our CVs/Resumes are in tip-top shape, and we make sure that every unique thing about us is right in front for them to pick up on as soon as they see us…

Here’s my question for today:

When you walk into a room, can people see you?

No, I’m not talking about the outfit, the shoes, the hair, the watch – but I’m asking, when you walk into someone’s life, do they see something in you that is ‘just different’?

Initially, that’s exactly how they may describe it because they can’t quite put their finger on what it is, but they know that there is something different about that guy/lady.

As time goes on and they get to know you more, or just somehow find out about you more, they’ll begin to specify the attributes that contribute to this difference – ‘That lady is always positive’, ‘That guy always brings good vibes’, ‘That woman is generous’, That man is always encouraging people’….

How do people describe you when you’re not in their presence?
I’ll give you a moment to think about it.

…

Alright, so let’s hit the scriptures;

I’ve linked the whole of Daniel 4 here for you to read in your own time.
For this post, we’ll jump and skip between verses, so it isn’t too many words on a page, but let’s start here – the king of Babylon has a dream, and he seeks someone who can correctly interpret the dream for him;

“But one night I had a dream that frightened me;
I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed.
So I issued an order calling in all the wise men of Babylon,
so they could tell me what my dream meant.”
[Daniel 4:5-6]

But despite calling for all magicians and sorcerers etc, he still has no one who can tell him what the dream really means;

“When all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers came in,
I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant.”
[Daniel 4:7]

But then one man came in, and he was different;

“At last Daniel came in before me, and I told him the dream.
(He was named Belteshazzar after my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)
“I said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve.
Now tell me what my dream means.”
[Daniel 4:8-9]

Let’s pause here for a bit…

As the king reports this story, he begins verse 8 with ‘At last’.
Indicating that he had anticipated this man who was set apart from others.

Friend, does the world, and do the people around you, ANTICIPATE you?
When there is turmoil or disarray, do they wait in hope for You, knowing that your presence will bring something different?

You see, prior to this chapter 4, Daniel had shown himself to be different.
He had made bold decisions (Daniel 1:8), and in all he did to honour God, he had the Lord’s backing (Daniel 1:17).
He spent time with God, was endowed with wisdom, and so showed forth his gift in a way that caused people around him to want to worship his God! (Daniel 2:46-47)

Friend, do you show forth your gifts from God?
If you do, is it in a way that glory returns to God, and not yourself?
Do you stand strong in your beliefs despite what everyone else is doing, and like Daniel did, allow your True God to come through for you because you choose NOT to disregard Him, and NOT to defile yourself?
Ponder on these questions for a moment, and when you’re ready, keep reading…

So what we’ve seen is that prior to this chapter, Daniel had shown the king his ability before (in chapter 2) – hence the ‘at last’, and hence the anticipation.
Meaning the king had formed an opinion of who Daniel was – mystery solver, wise man, a man in whom the Spirit of the Real God lives in….

I ask, what do people acknowledge about you?
Does your daily life represent God enough, for them to desire you and associate your name with positive things?
Just as the king saw greatness in Daniel, do people around you see greatness in you?
Do they see a problem-solver, a peace-bringer, a logical-thinker?
Do they see generosity, selflessness, self-control, discipline, a joyful heart, good vibes?

What I found amazing about this story, is that the king is so sure of his opinion of Daniel!
After describing his dream in verses 10-17, the king says;

““‘Belteshazzar, that was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had.
Now tell me what it means, for none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so.
But you can tell me because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’”
[Daniel 4:18]

He reiterates once again, the fact that the Spirit of God lives in this Daniel guy.

So I ask, how firmly do people stand by their perception of who you are?
Yes, I know you don’t live to please others, but this question pertains to your consistency.
We all know that we should live in a way that is Christ-like, and God-fearing, but some of us seem to have a rota for when we put the armour of God on and off.

Are you someone who is hot and cold?
Are you consistent enough with what you portray, how you live, how you behave – that people see the same you at all times?

Skipping to the end of Daniel 4, a lot has happened in between; Daniel interprets the dream, the dream is fulfilled, and the king then says this;

““Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven.
All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.””
[Daniel 4:37]

He is moved by the excellence and truth of Daniel’s spirit, that after the dream is fulfilled, the king himself worships God! The True God of Heaven and Earth.

I want to close and bring it all together by asking you this;

How much do you blend in?

Some of us are indistinguishable from unbelievers.
Some of us have days on and days off – we have a certain crowd we play Christ-like with, and another set of people we dabble in sin and pleasure with.
Some of us have that tendency of a great spirit, but every now and then you want to hide it.
Some of us have an excellent spirit – we are bold and unafraid of living for God – no we aren’t perfect, but we’re striving to be the Daniel of our environment.

Let me tell you this, as a follower of Christ, you have no business looking the same as everyone else.

When you walk into a room you ought to bring Light and Life to it.

When people see you, even if they can’t initially identify exactly what it is, they must still know that there is something Positively  D I F F E R E N T  about you!

So I ask you again – How much do you blend in? – With the crowd, with the world, with those who don’t know God…

I hope your answer to this question (if it’s anything other than ‘Not at all’) makes you so uncomfortable, that you begin working on your change from today onwards.
I pray now and forevermore, that the Light of Christ in you will shine brightly for all to see, and be transformed by!

Let us pray:

Father,
Just as Daniel didn’t compromise You, give me a heart that will always stand firm in serving and honouring You.
Let me stand out with my gift from You, that people will anticipate it and will acknowledge Your excellence as it is presented forth.
Let Your Holy Spirit be rich in me! Let Him shine through so strongly, that there is no doubt that I am a man/woman of God.
Give me a heart that is consistent in absolutely everything I do.
Just as the king was firm in what he perceived Daniel as, help me to always be hot for Your work, diligent in my service, and consistent in my living for Christ.
Let my life cause people to run to You and just as the king did, let them turn to know You, worship You and praise You.
When I walk into a room, Father let Jesus be seen in me!
All this we pray, in Jesus’ name.
AMEN.

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

#TheDanielOfMyGeneration
#MoreThan100PeoplePraying (Let’s keep our daily prayers up for the youth of today – our leaders of tomorrow)

 

 

 

 

When He Shows you…

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I’ve once written a Facebook post on the Untainted Word page regarding this topic, here’s an expansion, in a FoodForThought type post…

The original post says this:

As God’s Beloved, 
There will be times when He will show you certain things (about situations and people) in order to protect you, but it won’t be everything that He’ll want you to act upon.

“Father, teach me my next move” is such a crucial prayer to say, because it ushers down Divine Wisdom to know how best to deal with that situation.

Sometimes God will say, ‘Do nothing’.
Other times, He’ll say, ‘Address it, by doing x, y, and z’.

The key is to make sure you 
W A I T for God to speak, 
L I S T E N to what He tells you, 
and O B E Y that instruction.

Him showing you, wasn’t for you to take matters into your own hands and REact.
Therefore be led by the Holy Spirit to 
Act Graciously, 
and bring forth the best result from what could actually be a total mess, if dealt with in a way of the flesh.

 

In the Facebook post, we briefly and succinctly address the fact that we must seek out the instruction of God, to know how to act next.
It focuses on the fact that we should deal with the information with wisdom and not jump, based on what our human feelings tell us to do.

Earlier this week, after seeing an image which read ‘Never reject what God reveals!’,
I knew that it was important to include this aspect into the message too – Not Ignoring God.

The reality is this, some of us like ‘the comfortable’, ‘the norm’, and ‘the how things already are’.
And so when we come across anything – anything whatsoever that could possibly compromise the contentment we have in that present stage of life – we block it out.
Our desire for things to remain the way they are, causes us to shy away from accepting anything that could cause a potential stir or change, as the truth.

This means yes, we will hear God speak, but we will convince ourselves that the Big Man didn’t say a word.
He’ll show us crucial things in our dreams, yet we’ll attribute it to the fact that it was just our imagination whilst sleeping.
He’ll show us clear signs, but we’ll reassure ourselves that it’s just a coincidence…

Is this you?

Do you realise that your lack of boldness to ever accept or induce change in your life, leaves you stuck in seasons which you should have graduated from a long time ago?
It keeps you stuck with people whose purpose in your life has expired, and rather than adding any goodness to you, their expiration, and past-use-by-date presence in your life is causing you to become sick (spiritually, mentally) – even though you may not notice it or admit it.

‘NEVER REJECT WHAT GOD REVEALS’

Don’t Ignore What God Says/Shows/Tells

This takes C O U R A G E.

I don’t dispute that.

And I say this because sometimes what God will show you will make you uncomfortable.
You won’t have a clue what to do about it, or how to make sense of it sometimes, but this is where I need you to remember to not lean on your own understanding.
When He shows you this thing, go back to Him and ask Him what needs to be done (as it says above).
Yes, it may be uncomfortable, but that lack of comfort is what you need for things to be propelled to the next level, or for you to be saved from a toxic relationship, or for you to avoid making a terrible decision (the list goes on).

You may ask, ‘But if I’m content as you said, isn’t that all that matters?’

Well, I’m going to say NO!

In fact, I’m screaming it!!!

The false and lazy type of contentment that some of us possess, is what causes us to settle for a substandard level of living.
Substandard fulfilment in relationships.
Substandard job.
Substandard intimacy with God…

Friend, today and always, you must realise that God has greater plans for you, and the longer you stay in a place that is no good for you, the more you become unsettled, unrested, and eventually you become robbed of your peace.
That environment can no longer contain you, it is no longer conducive for you to achieve your goals and excel in life – therefore you need to trust God, Acknowledge the Revelation, and act upon it appropriately.

All in all, when God reveals things to us, we need to realise how much of a privilege it is to be Loved so deeply by Him.
Loved so dearly, that He wants to share with us, ways in which we can have a better and more fulfilling journey of life.
Loved so fully, that He entrusts us with information that He reveals to no one else.

What I’m encouraging you to do, is regardless of how uncomfortable the potential change may seem, please please Do Not ignore God when He speaks.
As mentioned above, many times these things shown to us are for our own protection, enrichment and growth in life, therefore rather than hinder ourselves, let us Thank God for the revelation, Accept it as something that needs to be dealt with, and then Obey His way of dealing with it.

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

A Prayer for our Youth

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I woke up yesterday, and I could overhear my younger sister’s conversation.
I could tell someone else was gone again…

Immediate emotions were heartbreak, fear, sadness for the young boy’s family, but then it struck me that we can’t sit in silence, when God has given us a weapon – P R A Y E R – which has the power to destroy every evil plan, at the mention of the name of Jesus!

You see, the youth of today are often referred to as the future of tomorrow, because they ARE! But if their lives are all cut short now, there simply will be no tomorrow!

So this is what I ask of you today;
That you’ll stand with me and say ‘Enough is Enough!’
And I hope that you will believe with me, that as we connect our hearts and our spirits as one body to pray this prayer, that heaven will hear our cry and attend onto our prayers.

In Jesus’ Name,
Let us pray: 

For Guidance

Father Lord guide each and every one of Your children as they go in, as they go out.
Direct their footsteps and do not allow them to go where Your glory doesn’t lie!
Help them to be led by You, and to not be led astray by the tempter in Jesus’ name.

For Friendships

Every friendship that will lead them to destruction, Father bring it to an end in Jesus’ Name.
Help them to move with the right crowd and be influenced by people who will lift them up, rather than bring them down.
Help our youth in fact, to be a light onto others, rather than the darkness people are running from!

For Families

Every youth coming from a home that is troubled or broken, Father give them peace in Jesus’ Name.
Be the Peace that completes them and fills their void in Jesus’ Mighty Name.
Father though it may be difficult, please allow them to see their struggle, misfortune, or difficult beginning, as motivation to do, and be better for themselves, and for their own future generation to come after them.

For Education

Every Spirit of dropping out and giving up, Father we rebuke and come against it in Jesus’ Name.
School is not impossible for them, therefore we pray for every single youth we know, both closely and distantly, that You will enable them to always remain passionate about furthering their learning and broadening their horizons in Jesus’ Name.
Every limitation that teachers/professors/advisors may have placed upon them is broken today in Jesus’ Name.
And those who lack belief in them shall be put to shame in Jesus’ Mighty Name.

For Relationships

Father, we pray for romantic relationships, platonic relationships, relationships with siblings, friends, parents – that You will give Your young people an ability to love and treat others with respect.
Help them to honour one other and look out for those around them, whilst being led by You.

For Lives Lost Already

Father, we pray for those who have been snatched from us so early – whether it happened 10 years ago, or 2 days ago – we pray for comfort, strength, and peace for their families and friends in Jesus’ name.
We pray that every bitter heart towards what has happened, will be taught how to love again.
We pray that You will soften the heart of every person wishing to seek revenge, and give them peace and wisdom to know that judgement and vengeance is Yours alone.
Help them to hold firmly unto You, and never ever let go in Jesus’ name, for their true help, comes from You alone, Lord.

For a True Love of You

Above all things we have prayed for Father, we pray that each soul will run after You, long for You, and desire You more than ever before.
As they seek You, Lord, let them find You, and never let You go!
We pray that they will love You and be people after Your own heart.
Let them develop a relationship with You, and let them fear You and honour You with their whole lives.

Father Lord,
We trust that as our hearts connect with one another, You have heard our cry and have heard our prayer, in Jesus’ name.
We ask that the  T R A N S F O R M A T I O N  of the youth of today, across the world, begins now, and becomes a permanent triumph over the enemy in Jesus’ Mighty Name.

We pray that the helpers of our Youth, the people whom You have put in a position to lead the change and encourage Your young people, will never be discouraged or fearful or fed up in Jesus’ name.
We pray that those who are praying for our young people, and fighting for them to come to church, come to Jesus, find Salvation and so on, shall never get tired of fighting for their souls! We pray that You will keep a fire burning in them, that will never give up until Your work is fully accomplished, in Jesus’ name.

We pray that parents will no longer mourn their children.
We pray in Jesus’ Name, that we will celebrate our youth more, rather than grieve and cry over them.

We seal our prayers with the blood of Jesus.
We thank You for the privilege to even remember that we can pray and speak to You.
And we know that all this is done, as we have asked and prayed,
in Jesus’ Mighty Name.
A M E N.

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you.

Not Some… ALL

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The thing about the bible is, the words in it do not lie.
Therefore when we see a sentence in there, or when we see a phrase in there, we have to take it for what it says.

How many of us are familiar with the Philippians 4:13 verse?
The one that tells us we can do all things through the strength we have in Christ Jesus.
How many of us believe it? (Many of us will say ‘me’.)

Okay, now how many of us truly believe and live by it?

You see, it’s one thing to believe that something is true, but it’s another thing to actually take on that truth and embed it into your own life.

All things, means All things.

It doesn’t mean a quarter, or a third, or two thirds or even 99%, but All things, means ALL…Things…

That means when you’re thinking of quitting because man, or even your own flesh has qualified you as unable to fulfil that task – you need to step up and realise that Christ is with you in ALL things, and you can and will do it – just apply yourself.

When your teachers/professors tell you that ‘Most students fail at this hurdle, hardly any students make that jump successfully…’ – you need to wear the garment of ALL things being possible through Jesus, and let them know there’s a Greater Being in you, that drives and enables you.

When your bosses say you can’t do it because of your background, or your experience, or your qualifications – you need to tap into that favour and grace from Christ that breaks protocol on your behalf and places ALL things within your reach.

Even when your family, who most people would argue are the ones who know you best – yes friend, even when they, in the deepest love for you, and through the desire of wanting to protect you from disappointment – even when they tell you that the venture is no good, or it’s too hard for you –  you need to strap up your ALL things footwear and get trekking, because Christ is going to take you there; to that desired goal and even further!

My reminder for you today is this,
When we extract verses from the word of God, let’s take them in their wholeness.

Just in the same way that we know we shouldn’t follow laws half-heartedly, or ‘pick and choose’ which commandments we want to follow, we also shouldn’t weaken verses of encouragement and empowerment, but rather, take them as FULLY as they come.

If Christ was only capable of enabling us 50% of the time, in 50% of the tasks, then the bible would tell us that!

100% UW

But as it says ALL things, it assures us of Him being 100 percent!
Therefore I encourage you to,
1. Put ALL your faith in His strength that lies in you.
And 2. Be bold to step forward and know that you truly are a conqueror, a victor and a success in EVERY single thing you lay your hands upon.

Now how’s that for a word to start your Wednesday morning?!

Keep the Faith, Don’t Stop Believing
God Bless you

A Letter to You; Don’t Be Afraid

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“​For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
[2 Timothy 1:7]

Dear friend,

I’m gonna need you to take this verse, and run with it.
Put it in the pocket of your heart, and whip it out anytime fear tries to creep up on you!
We need words like these; the right assurance from God.
Especially at a time like this when it seems as though, not just your home city, but the whole world is under attack.

Silence us,
Paralyse us, and
Imprison our minds, is what the enemy wants to do…
All in all, they want us to stop living with the freedom and liberty that God Himself permitted us, and instead surrender to their wicked ways…
But we cannot and will not let them win.

I write this letter to encourage you to do a few things…

The first is, Hold on to God!
Know His word for you, be confident in His protection over you (Psalm 91), and trust that He is still on the throne regardless of what is happening.
“I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.”
[1 John 2:14]

Sometimes people get a bit funny about how God can be sovereign, yet this evil stuff still happens, but the truth is, the presence of evil stems from a disobedience of man from time past.
What is sure however is this; God will surely raise a standard against the evil one, and their judgement shall come upon them – (Isaiah 59:18-19, Malachi 4:1).

Whatever you do, do not lose hope in God – trust in the fact that He is All-Knowing, He is Intentional, and He is the only Wise God – (1 Timothy 1:17).

Next is, Do Not Fear!
What kind of life would it be, to be looking over our shoulder every second, worried about someone striking us?
Friend, as crazy as it may sound, I ask that you still Be Bold, and Walk Tall.
This is actually an instruction from God’s word;
“So be strong and courageous!
Do not be afraid and do not panic before them.
For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you.
He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” 
[Deuteronomy 31:6]

We ought therefore, to live out this word.
Let us be bold, and strong, but also vigilant and wise, alert and aware of our surroundings, and be rest assured that God is with us – always – (Joshua 1:9).

Next is, Keep Loving…
At a time like this, the last thing we need is hatred and more division.
I need us to remember that actually the word of God says that ‘perfect love drives out all fear’ – (1 John 4:18).
We need not point the finger at other cultures or other religions, but rather we need to embrace one another, help one another and stand in intercession for one another at this crucial time.
If we can physically help, by volunteering time or resources to health services and other rescue organisations, then please let us do so. If not, then let us remember that we can always love with a prayer – and that has no limitations or boundaries.

Leading me finally to this;

Pray without Ceasing – (1 Thessalonians 5:17)!
The world needs us now, more than ever, to send up a word to our Ever-Listening Father, on their behalf!

Yes, we need to fight in the spirit, and pray against every root and seed of evil that has taken over the hearts of those perpetrating these wicked acts.
Pray that they become weak, and that their plans be destroyed, dismantled and disorganised in Jesus’ name.

Very importantly let us pray for those affected…
Victims, their families, city cultures and so much more…
We need to stand for them!
The reality is that many of them will be too weak to pray, too down to believe, and too hurt to trust again.
Let us ensure that our consistent prayers will allow their faith and hope to be restored!
Let us pray that they will not walk away from God, but will know that there is every reason to hold on to Him regardless.
Let us pray that God will heal their hearts from the trauma and shock, and will provide comfort and peace for them to push through, and carry on.

I want you to remember that the bible says, ‘The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results’ – (James 5:16)
Therefore, let us believe in the power of our prayer, and never give up.

Friend we must know and believe, that with our prayer,
There will be a CHANGE!

Let us affect it, through the powerful name of JESUS.

I’ll leave you now, to continue with your day; make it as normal as normal gets, and do not allow anything to stop you from living fully!

Signed With Love,