Walk in the Spirit - My story

John 14:16 (NKJV) And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever

About a month ago, I asked my nanny to make a dress for my daughter. I gave her some instructions on how to make it, and asked her to wait until I give her a sample, before she can go ahead with the cutting and sewing.

Last week, I got the sample ready to give her, but was shocked to discover that she had gone ahead to cut the cloth and was about to start sewing it, the style was completely different from the instructions I had given her and looked like there was no remedy.

I was bewildered and angry, I wanted to scream. I asked her why she had had gone ahead without my consent and she could not give me any concrete reason. I quickly went to my room to ask the Holy Spirit for help. I couldn't get myself to be calm and I really wanted to "walk in the spirit". I prayed out, "Holy Spirit please help me handle this issue". I felt the peace of God, in my soul and the anger dissipated. 

photo credit: http://i.imgur.com/p7HUM7r.png

I went back to see my nanny and I began to correct her calmly and told her that next time when a customer gives her some work to do, she has to get clearance before commencing the work, it turned out to be a counselling session for her on customer service!

The Holy Spirit helped me handle the situation better and at the end of the day, we both found a way of still sewing the style that was originally planned, I couldn't believe it. What the enemy intended for evil, God worked it out for good.

I've learnt that I can only walk in the spirit, by the immeasurable help of the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer

Lord help me remember that you are always there to help me.

 

Walk in the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV)
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (sinful nature).

When a child begins to walk, he/she doesn’t start out perfectly; sometimes he falls but rises up again and keeps taking those little steps until the walk becomes perfect.
As we learn to walk in the spirit, there would be times when we miss it, but we pick up ourselves and by the help of the Holy Spirit, we keep at it until we become perfected.

photo credit: http://cainclusion.org/camap/images/resources/eissblog.png

Walking in the spirit means living our lives daily, the way God expects of us, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, it also means responding to issues of life the way Jesus would respond.

Galatians 5:19-23 (NJKV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

It is either we are walking in the spirit or in the flesh, as there is no middle ground 
One way we can continually walk in the spirit is by being continually filled with the Holy Spirit - Praying in tongues, giving thanks to the Lord, singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to the Lord. 

Acts 2:4 (NKJV)
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 4:31 (NKJV)
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Acts 13:52 (NKJV)
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18-20 (NKJV)
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

The apostles were continually filled with the Holy Spirit as seen in the book of Acts.
The Holy Spirit is the one who empowers us in our walk. 

John 6:63 (NKJV)
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, grant me grace today through the help of your Holy Spirit, to walk in the spirit today, not to fulfill the lust of the flesh. I also ask for a fresh in-filling of your Spirit. Thank you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Growth - Increase

increase
verb
/ɪnˈkriːs/
1. become or make greater in size, amount, or degree.
Synonym: grow

Happy New Year to everyone, we all have great expectations for the year as usual. And I trust God that our godly expectations would be fulfilled as we walk with Him this year.

Today I want to talk about God’s expectation for us as His children. Just as every parent’s desire is to see their children grow and become mature over time, so does our heavenly Father expect us to grow in Him in all things, the Lord wants us to grow in our knowledge of Him and all that He has done for us through Christ.

Photo credit: http://careabonsaitree.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/shutterstock_94482736.jpg

Luke 2:52 (NKJV)

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

He expects us to grow in faith, wisdom and become more mature in our character. 

1 Peter 1:5-9 (NKJV)

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

It is His desire for us to prosper

3 John 2 (NKJV)

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

How do we grow?

We grow in our knowledge of God as we diligently study and obey the Word of God. The blessing is in obeying and applying what we have studied.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

James 1:25

25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

We grow in character as we abide in Him and walk in love always.

John 15:10 and 12 (NKJV)

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NKJV)

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

We grow as we spend time praying in the Spirit.

Jude 20 (NKJV)

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost

We grow as we continuously walk in the Spirit and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV)

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

This year, let us commit to growing in Christ. 

God Provides

A fortnight ago, I discovered that the water pump had been running for a while without the overhead tank filling up, usually when it fills up, it overflows and then we put off the water pump. But on this Sunday, the water pump kept running for close to 40 minutes. 

My husband decided to check the overhead tank to see if there was any debris blocking the pipes. He couldn’t find anything, but noticed that the little water flowing into the tank was not clear. It was like a colloidal solution.

We called the plumber and he decided to check the underground tank, where the water was being pumped out from, only to discover it was nearly dry. Apparently, the State water supply system had some challenges and water supply to the whole area was cut off for about three weeks.

https://springsinthedesert.files.wordpress.com

The plumber advised that we buy water which costs about NGN12000 for a full tank. Quickly my husband ordered for it, because our reserves were already running out. In three days, the water we bought was used up, hubby and I were already thinking on how to sustain this unbudgeted expenses, since we were not sure when the problem with the State water supply would be rectified.
Before this event, I was reading a book God’s Generals by Roberts Liardon, I read about FF Bosworth, who when confronted with scarcity of food in his household, began to shout “glory” even to the empty bread box.

Excerpt: When there was no food left, Fred Bosworth would stick his head into the empty bread box and shout, “Glory!” at the top of his lungs. Then, Estelle and little Vivien would do the same. God always provided!

I told my husband about his experience and we also decided to put our faith to work, and not to worry about the issue. I committed the matter to the Lord, and thanked Him for an answer, I also asked the children to pray and trust God for a miracle. Meanwhile, my husband was already making plans to order for another full tank of water.

The next day, on my way back from work, strolling down the street, I noticed water was flowing in the drainage a few blocks away from the house. When I got home, I noticed water was flowing into the underground tank also. The water supply had been restored! 

Glory to God in the highest! He will always come through, trust Him at all times.

He is part of the Family

Luke 12:6-7(NKJV)

6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?[a] And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Last week Saturday, during my devotional time in the morning, my daughter came into my room, I asked her to go and read her Bible, specifically the book of Proverbs. She came back to tell me she couldn’t find her Bible, since I was having my quiet time, I said to the Holy Spirit “Please excuse me for a minute, let me attend quickly to the issue.” 

I went to her room and searched everywhere for her Bible, but couldn’t find it, we checked her Sunday school bag and it wasn’t there, I was tempted to get upset, because apparently she had forgotten her Bible in Sunday School class and wasn’t even aware, I decided to go back to my room and continue my quiet time with the Lord.

When I got back to my room, I asked the Holy Spirit to pardon me for keeping Him waiting, He said to me – I am part of the family- actively involved in everything that is going on in your home, so I asked Him to help us find the Bible, after that, He blessed me with His peace.

Philippians 4:6-7(NKJV)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The next day Sunday, we all went to church, before the service started, I went to the ‘lost but found” Unit of the church to look for the Bible, it wasn’t there, I went to the Children Sunday School office, it wasn’t there either.  I went to my daughter’s Sunday School Class, and there I found the Bible on a chair with her Sunday School notebook.

I was grateful to the Lord for His care and for granting me peace, in the past I would have been very upset and anxious. He said even the hair on our head is numbered, that’s how much He cares for us. The Lord wants us to know that He wants to be involved in everything that concerns us, we need to acknowledge His presence and ask for His help. He is the present help in time of trouble. He is not just a guest in our homes, but an active member and Lord in our families.

My husband was amazed that I didn’t react as I would have done in the past on the day we discovered the Bible was missing. Well the secret is the Holy Spirit who gave me His peace that passes all understanding. 

I love the Lord!

What are you Focusing on? Are you Sin Conscious or God Conscious?

Romans 5:8 (NKJV)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I usually take a short walk down the street to my house after closing from work, during these times, I like to pray in tongues or engage the Holy Spirit in conversations, so last week, as I was walking home I began to ask myself questions, my thoughts went thus… “I hope I didn’t commit any sin today”, “I hope I got everything right today”, my mind was focused on searching for any sin I had committed from morning until evening, the Holy Spirit suddenly interrupted my thoughts, He asked “Are you sin conscious or God conscious?” whilst it is not wrong to ask the Lord for forgiveness whenever we do wrong or fall short, it is wrong to keep our minds busy searching for sin continuously, what we behold is what we become.

If we keep focusing on our imperfections, we would never see or grasp what God has done for us. We are the righteousness of God in Christ in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The word of God says …as we behold Him we become changed, not as we behold ourselves or imperfections.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)

18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This transformation occurs as we spend time in His presence, studying and meditating on His word, fellowshipping with Him and keeping our minds focused on the truth of His word.

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Prayer

Dear Lord, please grant me grace to always keep my mind focused on you and your Word. In Jesus Name. Amen.

What are you Focusing on? – Heaven or Earth?

Mark 11:24 (NKJV)
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Last week I wrote about being focused. Today, I want to share an experience I had some years ago, when I was still in the University.

In my fourth year in the University sometime in the second semester, I started thinking about accommodation in my final year (fifth year). Though as final year students, we were entitled to accommodation provided by the school. However, I didn’t plan to stay in school accommodation; I wanted to stay in a rented apartment on campus, because it was more convenient and would help me concentrate more on my studies and project work, since there would be fewer people in the apartment.

My desire was to live in a rented Lecturers’ Boys’ Quarters (BQ) which was a prime area for students. I didn’t know of any lecturer to approach and make my request, but I have my heavenly Father. I prayed about it and asked the Lord to also give me 2 young ladies whose lives He wanted to touch as roommates.

Psalm 37:4-5 (NKJV)

4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

School resumed and I still hadn’t gotten a place to stay, I was going to school from my cousin’s house about 5 kilometers away. I trusted God and believed I would get a place. However, after a while, my faith started wavering, I was worried because there was no one to talk to about getting an accommodation. 

One morning before going to school, I began to talk to the Lord about the challenges I was facing. Guess what? The Lord said to me “In heaven, no one is worried or in panic about your accommodation challenges, there is a place for you.” I wondered - so heaven is not worried about my accommodation problem? I changed my prayers to “Lord direct me to the place you have provided already.” 

Photo credit: http://ginnyyttrup.com/

Shortly after, I met an old friend who had just resumed also, she told me she was looking for a roommate, because she had rented a BQ from a lecturer and was looking for someone to share the apartment with. I couldn’t believe my ears. She also said she had contacted another person, but the lady hadn’t accepted the offer yet.

I told her I was ready to move in, and that was how I got a place to stay in my final year. The other lady she approached eventually accepted the offer.

The Lord answered my prayer as I had requested and it was a beautiful year for us. The Lord touched our lives and it was one of my best years in the University. 

God is interested in everything that happens in our lives, He has made provision for our needs and desires that are according to His will for us. Choose to trust Him and see Him manifest in our lives, in ways we can never imagine. Even when we falter in our faith walk, don't give up, go back to Him and receive clarity, direction and even grace to sustain you until the manifestation of His promise in your life.

Note: In heaven, no one is worried about our challenges, the Lord has made provision, even before the need ever arose. Stay focused on Him. It is finished!