Tag: Favour

The Morning…

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“But I will sing of your strength,
    in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
    my refuge in times of trouble.

 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
    you, God, are my fortress,
    my God on whom I can rely.”
[Psalm 59:16-17]

 

The beautiful thing about the  M O R N I N G  is that it signifies a new beginning.
It symbolises another chance, and most importantly, it indicates victory.

That victory lies in the fact that yesterday’s struggles did not consume you.
You didn’t give up, you made it to a new day, and God, in His mercy, has kept you for a greater good to come.

Let’s pray with that this Wednesday morning…
Some of us have had a great week so far, and we’re so happy for the positives to continue.
Others may have had what we would deem as a terrible start to the week, and we can’t wait until it’s over.
But let’s remember that our making it to today, is by the grace of God and so we ought to express that gratitude, as well as ask Him to reveal His plan and purpose for this week, to us.

P R A Y E R:

Father,
We thank You for the grace You placed upon us to win yesterday’s battles, and triumph into today!
We ask that from today onwards, we will always realise and be grateful for the huge blessing that lies in seeing another morning.

You know what each of our weeks have looked like thus far, and we ask that You will allow Your perfect will to manifest in each of our lives in Jesus’ name.
We ask that You reveal Your purpose for this week to us. Show us how we can cause Your name to be glorified, and show us how we can walk in Your light and love, being a blessing and inspiration onto others.

For those of us who feel defeated by what Monday and Tuesday threw at us, give us peace and a strong assurance that greater is coming, and help us to be reminded that things always do work out well (Romans 8:28).

Once again we thank You for the privilege to see this new day, we thank You for always being a Reliable and Dependable God, and we ask that You will equip us to go forth and fulfil Your will in the rest of this week, month, year and beyond,
In Jesus’ Name.
A M E N.

 

Friend, take joy in the new hope that lies in every new morning, and be positive enough to mold your day into what you want it to be!

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

I’m Not Finished Yet!

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“I’m not finished yet!”

This ought to be our bold affirmation when we find that situations have worked ‘against us’ or ‘haven’t happened in our favour’…

“I’m. Not. Finished. Yet!”

So the other day my pastor called me over randomly and asked how I was doing, and by my facial expressions and body language you could tell I wasn’t ‘me’.
So I explained that I was feeling a little under the weather etc, a little tired etc, and somewhere in that conversation, we got to a point where, as pastors do, he began encouraging me.

Here’s a bit of the dialogue;

“When things don’t go as planned, don’t beat yourself up.”

How many of us need that reminder today?

How many of us sit and think over and over again about what went wrong, and dwell in the regret of not doing things differently?

Instead of reflecting on what has transpired and figuring out ways to move forward, we sit moping around with an attitude of ‘if only’.
We sit down in the dumps with a downhearted and let-down spirit, and rather than channel the thoughts we have regarding all the things we didn’t do, into constructive criticism for ourselves, we simply use all those faults and mistakes that we’ve acknowledged, to knock ourselves further and further into the ground.
We don’t realise it, but the only thing we’re doing at this point is paralysing and distracting ourselves from making our next move!

The bible says this;

“Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.”  
[Proverbs 17:22]

Another translation reads;

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Now understand this, not only does this verse refer to our physical health, but it is speaking to the health of all the different aspects of our lives too!
Our finances, our relationships, our careers, our education – whatever it is that didn’t go according to your plan that is causing you to think negatively – please look at this scripture and understand that your positivity, your joy and your confidence in the strength you have in the Lord, is what can revive and turn that situation around!
Your attitude has the potential to bring  L I F E  back into something that you deemed as being ‘all over’.

So anyway, this chat with pastor continues; he goes on to say,

“In fact, we have to be very careful that we don’t fall into a habit/cycle of self-pity; feeling sorry for ourselves.” 

And at this point, in my head I’m like ‘Yooooo pastor, I’m not actually going through anything sour right now, like I’m good!’ (Thank You Jesus), but at the same time I reflected back to my attitude and reaction to certain circumstances I had experienced in the past, and in that moment I decided never to do the whole self-pity schpiel again!

Why are you feeling sorry for yourself?

No, please, tell me why?!

We do it to make ourselves feel better about it all.
We figure that when we really really channel and fully assume that role of ‘the victim’, that it will allow us to feel better about the fact that the misfortune has had its way.

Do you know what, in some cases, maybe you actually were a ‘victim’, and maybe you actually did suffer from an extremely traumatising experience – I’m not taking that away from you, or daring to undermine your emotions.
I don’t think anyone has a right to say you’re ‘assuming a role’, because, in the technicalities of the situation, you were the ‘victim’ – by definition, you were the individual who was harmed by the other party, and made to feel helpless and passive – be it an actual person or an issue.

But that’s just technically speaking yeah, so let’s get to scripturally speaking…

Yes, you faced misfortune or ill-treatment, however no, ‘victim’ is not your name! Because the word of God says,

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
[Romans 8:37]

You – are more than a Conqueror!
Yep, I personally think Conqueror suits you better.

Another translation reads,

“No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!”

You – have  C O M P L E T E  victory! Because Christ loves you, is for you, and will ALWAYS be for you! (Please read Romans 8:31-39).

Therefore I plead with you to stop the self-pity, stop thinking ‘why me?’, stop asking what you did, or who you offended for such a bad thing to happen to you, and understand that what has happened to you has not been designed to break you!
It’s simply part of your story, to make the victory sweeter and to bring greater glory and honour and exaltation to the name of God.

So then pastor left me with this, and that’s why it’s the title of this post, he said,

“You see when things happen to us in life, you have to tell that thing,
‘Oh no, I’m not finished yet!‘ 
Whatever has confronted me and tried to bring me down has not seen the last of me. 
I will rise above it and conquer it!” ~ Pastor Stephen Akinmosa. 

I’m demanding that you snatch these words as your own and apply it when you need it!
Tell those nasty situations that yes, they tried hard, but they didn’t succeed!
Laugh in the face of that circumstance, flick your hair (if you have any) and with an ample amount of sass, tell it that “I [insert name here], am Not. Finished. Yet!”

Mate, I’m just getting started!

 

Keep the Faith Don’t Stop Believing
Keep Being Selfless #SelflessWeek #SelflessAlways
Keep Praying for our youth #MoreThan100PeoplePraying
And as always,
May God Richly Bless you and yours.

 

P.s. Yep, this is definitely a PFP 🙂

A Prayer for Women

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International Women’s Day 2017…

Many women in the bible are true inspirations for how women of God ought to behave and walk with God.

The word of God in Proverbs 31:10-31 enlightens us on what it is to be a virtuous woman, and this is a fantastic guide to live by and pray with at any time.
If we read a few more stories across the bible, we’ll find that actually there are more messages we can get about many different women of Grace, Honour and Glory.
So let’s make a deal, I’ll summarise for now, but promise me that you’ll make the time to go back and read the stories to get the full picture.

Both Men and Women, please thank God for Women today (and always), and let us pray for them, using these stories…

 

Mary, Mother of Jesus

(Context of story found in Luke 1)

Mary was a lady of purity and uprightness, who was going to get married to a man named Joseph.
When it was time for Jesus the Messiah to come into the world, God decided to use Mary; a virgin; to bear and birth this Holy child.
Mary was obedient to God’s word, she trusted in God’s word, and surrendered herself to God’s work.

In all that you do, may God always be pleased with you.
May you be a woman of great value and worth, whom God honours and deems worthy to be entrusted with great responsibilities. (Luke 1:28-30)
May your heart be one of devout obedience and trust to the will of God, and may you never waver in your faith to serve and fulfil the will of God. (Luke 1:38)

 

Ruth

(Context of story found in The Book of Ruth, Chapters 1-4)

Ruth‘s husband died.
Not only did her husband die, but her husband’s brother and father died also, leaving her husband’s mother (Ruth’s mother-in-law) lonely; widowed and at a loss of both sons.
When Naomi (Ruth’s mother-in-law) urged her two daughters-in-law to return to their mothers’ homes, Orpah (who had been married to Naomi’s other son) kissed her mother-in-law, obeyed her instruction and left, but Ruth remained.
Naomi made this request for Ruth to leave her in her sorrow, bitterness, and loneliness more than once, but Ruth refused.
Ruth made it clear that she would stick with Naomi, come what may.
Eventually Ruth remarries and restores joy in Naomi’s life after she has her own son, whom Naomi embraces as her own family.

May you be a woman of loyalty and love, diligence and kindness. (Ruth 1:16-17)
May God give you the courage to stand with those who need you, regardless of what the custom or tradition may be!
May the Lord use you to bring joy and hope to those who feel helpless, and feel as though they have lost it all, and may you be a source of the restoration of all lost glory in their life. (Ruth 1:20 & 4:13-17)

 

Esther

(Context found in the Book of Esther, Chapters 1-10)

Esther was an orphan, but was well cared for by her uncle Mordecai.
She was seen and favoured by a King who took her as his wife and crowned her as Queen.
At a time, people of the same nationality as Esther were being oppressed and sought out for destruction and death.
Queen Esther did not forget her humble beginnings. She addressed her husband (the King) with wisdom, asked for mercy on her people, and this resulted in the deliverance of her people and even favour for her uncle along the way.

May the Lord bring you to a place where you will be looked upon with great favour above all others. (Esther 2:17-18)
May the Lord enrich you with humility, and endow you with wisdom to deal with difficult situations in a way that will bring success and victory at the end. (Esther 5:7-8)
May the Lord use you to deliver many from oppression.
In whatever form the oppression may be, may the Lord make you a woman of strength, courage, and dedication, to bring an end to people’s suffering and pain. (Esther 7:3-4, Esther 8 [particularly 8:5-6, 8:7-12])

 

Elizabeth

(Context of story found in Luke 1, Matthew 3:13-17, Matthew 11:11)

Elizabeth was a righteous woman.
Despite her longing before God for a particular thing, and seeing no answer, she still served Him and worshipped Him and honoured Him without question.
When the Lord said it was time, He blessed Elizabeth’s womb, and though her and her husband were advanced in age, she bore a child.
God used Elizabeth to birth a great man, who would not only be a relative of Jesus the Saviour, but would also have the honour of baptising Him.

May you be a woman of righteousness. (Luke 1:6).
May you be able to endure the journey God has put you on, and wait patiently for Him to come through for you.
May you be able to trust in His timing, and in waiting on God, and trusting Him to give you His best, may you be surprised with unexpected, glorious blessings; blessings far greater than you could have ever imagined. (Luke 1:25).

 

To Women all over the world,
Happy International Women’s Day.

You are celebrated, and prayed for.
May God honour you all, lift you up, and use you for His glory,
All we have prayed, in Jesus’ name,
Amen!

 

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