Praying Right!

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth (without guile). He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience]; He also will hear their cry and will save them. PSALM 145:18‭-‬19 AMP

Truth Facts:
1. I must call upon God, not spend time complaining to men or grumbling about my lot in life. We can talk to others about our heartaches and disappointments or we can hand them over to God to sort for us. The choice is ours.

2. Closely tied to the advice to call on God is his promise to be near all who call. This is an incontrovertible fact: God is always there. The reason why he appears slow or absent is because we have not learnt how to surrender all to him and allow him work at his own time and in his own way. Do I trust God enough to work out that which is perfect or do I place God side by side with my many other options?

3. Calling on God has a right way. I must call on him in truth. There must be no guile, no deceit, no falsehood.

4. Check out the promise that ends this command to call on God: he will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship him; He also will hear their cry and will save them. There is an urgent need to check your heart again: am I pursuing God only because of material gain or have I settled all controversy by deciding that I will call on God alone, even if it kills me?

God saves, but he does it in his own way, in his own time and as he pleases. Mine is to trust his wisdom, his timing, his working and his promise. His time of favour is here.

Light!

Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” John 8:12 MSG

Truth Facts:
1. There is no other person, no other authority, no other truth apart from Jesus. The world always looks for options, or the easy way out. Unfortunately, there is no easy way out of this: you are either guided by the Light or you are walking in darkness. There is no middle ground.

2. Jesus speaks from the place of authority, because he knows who he is, who is backing him up and what he can do. He is the undisputed Light of the world, who gives clarity to the thick uncertainties that surround us. Do you know where you are?

3. Have you located your position in Christ or you are still chasing shadows, unsure and uncertain about your eternal destination? Do not forget: on the dreadful day of judgment, there will be no joint effort, no group judgement, no collaboration or cooperation in sentencing. Each of us will render an account to God for our lives, and we will receive the just consequences of our actions.

4. Following Christ means walking with him and being guided by him. It means Christ determines all that you do, say and experience. He is the Light that shines on your path, guiding your feet where you should go, guiding your hands into what you should do, guiding your thoughts into what is proper and good and guiding your life into eternity. He provides plenty of light, enough to guide us for the rest of our lives.

Where are you headed? Do you even know where you are at the moment? Is Christ the one and only factor that you consider when taking decisions? Is he your only life coach, consultant and caretaker? Do you have other viable options? Consider critically; eternity depends on the answers to those questions. His time of favour is here.

God's CV

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me; My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower--my stronghold. PSALM 18:2 AMP

Truth Facts:
1. The Psalmist here had a personal experiential knowledge about God. He wasn't speaking generally, quoting from a book or recounting someone else's testimony; this was his own experience, his own personal testimony. What's yours?
2. Check out the words used to describe God here- can you relate to any or all of them? He is a rock and a fortress, portraying a place of protection, defence, residence and safety. He is also the one who rescues. You know why the word ' rescue' is important here: because there are times when God will not keep you from hard times, but he will manifest his power and glory in the midst of those hard times. His glory and power are better appreciated in those times.

3. He is also a shield, and a high tower and stronghold. These words mean that trouble, danger, offence and wars will come your way. It is a guarantee. However, ahead of the experiences, God is already telling you that he is your protection. Note also that this is not about what God can give you, but what he is. He is protection, he is safety, he is my provision, therefore he also can give me all that I need.

Who is this God to you: is he just one of your many options or the only one that matters? Is he your only hope, trust and defence or is he one of the many options for protection? Remember, the day of decision will come, when the fruits of your faith will be made manifest. Will you stand in that day? His time of favour is here.

Help is Key!

God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to your fellow-Christians. Hebrews 6:10 GNB

Truth Facts
1. God is not unfair. That is an eternal statement whose truth has been proven over and over again from biblical times till the present time. What I call time wasting is what God calls his season of preparation. What I call God sitting on his hands and doing nothing is actually God moving things around for my good. What I call delay is actually a preparation for awesome testimonies. Whichever you play it, God is wiser, stronger, smarter, older and more in tune with time than any other person that you think can help.

2. God does not forget. That is a truth that is also steeped in history. I do not recall anyone who came to the end of his life and concluded that he had served God in vain. In the course of life, there will be hard times, trials and tribulations but God still says: I will not forget you.

3. In holding on to God's promise not to forget me, I must also not ignore the things that God has promised not to forget: my labour of love and the help I render to others, particularly fellow believers. It is not just labour that God blesses, but labour of love. My motive must be right, must be that which puts God and others first, not the one that seeks to focus attention on me. It is not help that seeks to draw attention to my wealth of possessions, but to the depth of God's love. Which is my focus?

4. Do not forget: everything you do is to and for God. When that is the focus, you are free from man's ever changing expectations or impressions. You will find freedom to really live as God pleases, since you are not bothered with man's reactions. Keep loving, keep working, keep being faithful; the God who never forgets will remember you in due course and cause your end to be a glorious one and one that testifies to the greatness of God. His time of favour is here.

Real Life!

If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin. 1 John 1:6‭-‬7 MSG

Truth Facts
1. Your daily life profession is a testament to your daily submission. Whoever you have submitted to will determine what your life produces. No man truly lives in God and produces works of darkness; it is not possible under any circumstances. I need to do an audit of my life and truly determine who is in charge.

2. Walking in the light will speak by itself. I do not need to introduce myself sometimes; the words of my mouth and the produce of my life will speak.

3. Interestingly, people know the right standards but will not live up to it. When I profess to live in the light, I do great injustice to myself if my life procession does not agree with my mouth confession.

4. Deep will always call out to deep. Men of like minds, whose lives have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, share a common bond, irrespective of skin colour, blood group, ethnic leanings or denominational differences. The connecting chord must be Christ only, the Light of the world.

Have you accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour? Have you been washed by the blood? Do you share sweet fellowship with others, washed and saved like you? Are you a member of the body of Christ, being prepared for the marriage supper of the Lamb, pure, free from stain, blemish, spot or wrinkle? Eternity is dependent on the answers to those questions. His time of favour is here.

Peace! Peace!

.... Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:32b‭-‬33 KJV

Truth Facts:
1. Nowhere else in the Bible is the truth about our walk with and call in God better explained than here. Jesus himself was left alone by men, let down by his disciples and abandoned at the critical moment of destiny, when he faced the cross. The truth is the same even today- men will not follow you to death, no matter how hard they promise. It is a personal walk, and the only person whose company makes the journey worthwhile is God.

2. It really does not matter what promises have been made to you by man. Marriages fail, agreements are broken without remorse and the world generally makes provision for disappointments. It then means that it is the way of the world to disappoint while it is the way of God to stand by you all the way. The choice of the company you want is yours to make.

3. Of course, your decision is even made more important by the assurance that life will not be smooth. Man likes comfort and convenience, but God has consistently shown that he will not bring us to the place of destiny through the easiest way. He wants us to learn lessons, to build character, to learn dependence and absolute trust in Him, not in our man-made contraptions.

4. Why should we be confident about facing the world? - because God has overcome. His death and life sealed our redemption, and opened the door for us to experience the amazing life God has for us. It may not always be rosy, but God's presence will surely smoothen the path for our feet. His eternal purpose is impact here and life hereafter, and not just the amassing of possessions. His time of favour is here.

Sustained for Life!

Jesus replied to them, “ I am the Bread of Life. The one who comes to Me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in Me [as Savior] will never be thirsty [for that one will be sustained spiritually]. JOHN 6:35 AMP

Truth Facts

1. There will always be questions on our life's journey. So many things will require clarity, clarification and assistance from powers higher, stronger and wiser than us. We will need assistance on this journey, but how far you go or how well you travel is dependent on the One who is holding you up or sustaining you. Will that be God or your parents, your trust fund, bank account, talents or connections?

2. Bread symbolizes nourishment, help and support. Nobody alive can go far without bread. Different people/systems/alignments will offer you palliatives or alternatives, but none can do what God alone can do.

3. Coming to God is a sure bet against hunger. It does not make me immune to persecution or hardship or lack, but it assures my heart that in all things, and at all times, God is everything that I need and has everything that I need. I must take that step of approach, surrendering all to Him and allowing him take total control. I believe that he is able to save me, therefore I surrender my life to him; after all, I do not even own the life in the first place, I am only offering it willingly to the One who owns it.

What or Who is sustaining you? Do you even realize the need for a Saviour or have you taken control of your life, asking God to step back. Remember, God can only sustain whatever he ordains, so you had better be sure you are who God can support and where his hand and eye can reach. His time of favour is here.