When the overall head of an organisation appoints you into an office, irrespective of your qualification or experience, you assume office and discharge your duties accordingly. You have his backing, he has your commitment and loyalty. God Almighty placed us in an office, in the position of authority, at His right hand, let’s assume our office. Sit and be seated at the Father’s Right Hand, enjoy victories and also take charge of your responsibilities.

So a sign is usually indicative of something and is often looked out for. For example, a rainbow may indicate changes in season, a thunder may signal a coming storm.
If believers are to lay hands on the sick to recover, then there is healing power in a believers hand (in the name of Jesus). But how best to prove this except by acting on it.

I will give you the keys to God’s kingdom. When you speak judgment here on earth, that judgment will be God’s judgment. When you promise forgiveness here on earth, that forgiveness will be God’s forgiveness.”
Matthew 16:19 ERV

This conviction that God will come through for us is solidly hinged and anchored by hope; the joyful and confident expectation that we will indeed see and experience these things.  Hope sustains our confidence that our faithful God will bring His promises to pass in our lives

in this Kingdom worry has no place because we know to ask and receive, seek and find, to knock and have access to open doors (Matthew 7:7). We know to say, believe and have, to speak to the mountain believing, and to see it move (Mark 11:23).

God doesn’t want us sick and physically weak. He wants us to prosper, be in good health, even as our soul prospers. A weak state is only beautiful as long as we become more focused on God, committed to fellowship and prayer, humble, teachable, calm, attentive, trusting and dependent on God

I do not believe that Jesus’s fury was exactly because some form of trading was going on at the temple area. I believe Jesus’s extreme display of anger was because of the misplaced priorities displayed regularly by the temple-attendees.

Experience can increase one’s empathy level, help balance emotions and cognition, help manage expectations, provide a wider view on things, can help with planning, … and more.

First Timothy chapter 6 is an admonition from Apostle Paul to shun ungodliness which is often expressed as strife, disputes, contentions, evil desires and pride. To rather pursue and embrace righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

Godliness with Contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).

Servants are to honor and respect their masters; whether believing or unbelieving. Teachers are to teach wholesome doctrines that are in accordance with godliness.

Verse 12 of 1 Timothy 12 is not just an admonition; it is a command. A command to fight the good fight of faith, laying hold on eternal life.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
I Timothy 6:12 NKJV

My interest is on ‘lay hold on eternal life’.

To ‘lay hold of’ means to clench, cling to, clutch, catch, grasp, seize, to take and hold something, to understand something.

Eternal life means everlasting life, never ending life, never perishing, life more abundantly, continuous life, endless life.

If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you have eternal life (John 3:15-16). And the purpose of this life is to keep you in the covenant, in constant uninterrupted fellowship with God (1 John 1:1-3, John 6:54-58), to keep you safe from the Destroyer (John 10:28); safe to live and enjoy all that pertains to life and godliness available to you through Christ Jesus (2 Peter 1:3).

Ungodliness and evil desires are evil, and they emanate from the evil One whose sole agenda is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

It is unlikely to be clinging, clenching, holding fast, grasping or holding firmly to eternal life (in fellowship and total surrender to God) and to still be drowned in strife, disputes, contentions, perdition, quarrels and all forms of ungodliness.

And because this life is endless and continuous, those who have it and remain fully plugged into it, can live perpetually in godliness and contentment, away from all expressions of evil.

It also is very unlikely that you’ll die before you are ready if you keep confessing and muttering “I have life and life more abundantly, God’s life, Zoe life, ….. the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave is in me and continually pumps life to every part of my body”.

“We have to fight to keep our faith. Try as hard as you can to win that fight. Take hold of eternal life. It is the life you were chosen to have when you confessed your faith in Jesus—that wonderful truth that you spoke so openly and that so many people heard.“
1 Timothy 6:12 ERV

Happy Monday…

Have a most blessed week

Love Always ❤

What Is Prayer?

Prayer is conversation, communication and fellowship with God borne out of love and with a consciousness of what God has already done in the sacrifice of His son Jesus.

It is important we understand that the effectiveness or efficacy of prayer doesn’t have much to do with it’s length, how often we pray, or the intensity of our shout but rather it is our faith in God and His word that matters (Hebrews 11:6). Importantly effective prayers must be in line with God’s will, plan and purpose for us.

Talking about length of Prayer, Jesus was a bit disappointed that Peter, and the other 2 disciples couldn’t pray with Him for at least an hour(Matthew 26:40). While this doesn’t in anyway mean that God doesn’t have ears for shorter prayers, it might guide minimum time spent in prayer.

And ofcourse we remember Jesus’ story of the widow who wearied a king with repeated request for same thing (Luke 18:5). So praying about one thing over and over may not guarantee it will receive the expected response, but praying without ceasing is an admonition from scripture we don’t want to forget in a hurry (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Below are five guides for effective prayer.

Prayer Guide #1

• Pray and ask in faith.
  Praying in faith means our expectations are based on God’s Word and trust that we will have them. It involves making request to God and speaking to circumstances in order to make them conform to our desires, without doubts in our heart (Mark11: 22-23). A prayer of faith is backed up by actions (works) and also followed with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving here is an affirmation that we believe we’ve received answers to our prayers.

Prayer Guide #2

• Ask according to the will of God.
  I John 5:14-15 gives us the exclusive privilege that God hears us always when we pray according to His will (His written word). It also means He answers us if we pray according to His stipulated pattern. For example James 5:16b talks about an effectual fervent (heartfelt, specific in purpose, filled with zeal (energy) and fervency, continuous) prayer. Isaiah 43:26 says bring forth your strong reasons. Some prayers require a petition, an agreement, a command or an intercession etc.

Prayer Guide #3

• Pray in the name of Jesus. In John 16:23-24 Jesus said ‘whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you’. We can alter circumstances, cast out demons and demand for something due us by the authority we have in the name of Jesus.

Prayer Guide #4

• Pray prophetic prayers.
  This refers to the prayer in which you speak the will (mind) and purpose of God into being by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. An example is Jonah’s prayer to God when he was in the belly of the fish. (Jonah 2:1-4). As the Bible says; you shall decree a thing and it shall be established.

Prayer Guide #5

• Offer praise and thanksgiving.
  We activate the power of God at work in us when we praise God and offer thanksgiving to Him. For example, King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:14-19, Paul and Silas in Acts 16:22-26.

“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”
Ephesians 6:18 NKJV

Summarily, we have a Father who is willing and able to meet all our requests. This is our confidence.

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
I John 5:14 NKJV

…….

Thank you so much Ada for your article. Indeed, prayer is a life saving skill every Christian should learn. As you rightly pointed out effective prayers are those prayed in the Spirit and according to the Word offered with thanksgiving and in the name of Jesus.

God bless you Ada.

Friends, a few years ago, someone wrote us on Talk With Grace Obomanu, my online Christian Counseling platform on Facebook asking why God hasn’t answered his prayers. Our response to him is shared here …….Why Hasn’t God Answered Me? Be blessed.

Remember you can now publish on Grace Obomanu Blog (under the Christian Life Saving Skills Category). Simply email your articles to graceobomanu@gmail.com. Together we are making known the Beauty and Benefits of our Belief, thereby giving others the opportunity to believe too. That is what the Father’s Business is all about.

Love Always

Grace Obomanu.