Strength and Courage

Summary: Prayer is a desirable mechanism of communication without which we lose our entitlements. It is not only the most appropriate but the recommended means through which we must produce change in our various endeavours. When people lose things, it produces despondency, discouragement, discontent and loss of enthusiasm. Only those who can raise themselves up and look beyond the prevailing issues that can qualify for restoration. Prayer therefore, is a demonstration of faith in the ability to deal with the circumstances at stake. It is not asking God to do what He wouldn’t do (especially when motivated by passions and envy). It is that communication with the Lord that gets our minds into a state without which we fail to receive things from God. Prayer is not only performed when eyes are closed. It should be embarked upon without ceasing. Sessions of hearing from the Lord and responding to Him should form a significant part of prayer. Revision: 1Sam 30:1-20 Texts: Mark 1:13; Matt 1...

Memory verse :   “ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matt 12: 37 Do not the words above sound familiar? Of course, we have either passed or failed examinations before, due to a good or bad written or spoken test. Communication is so important, not only in this world, but in the world to come (eternity) that it can determine whether one ends in an eternal bliss or condemnation. Indeed our world is and has been in existence due to communication. We all know that before we ask anything from the Lord, He already knows our wants/needs-yet He insists that we ask, knock and seek (communicate). Salvation is available to all humanity; but only those who confess Jesus as the Christ shall not perish. This applies to all areas of life, so much so that Prov 18:21 records, “Death and life are in the hand of the tongue , and those who love it shall eat its fruit.”   There is no place for passivity. In a bit to stay away from trouble, some pe...

Summary : To live an aimless life is to prepare for frustration and depression and its attendant sequels. Goals are necessary for us to find fulfilment; not only in this life, but so that we are able to walk the narrow way to eternal life as well. Either ways, we have no escape from the responsibility to take control of our future and let the goals we have defined determine our passions and not the other way round. Esau tried the converse and history is there to prove the fact that those who let their desires determine their destinies leave only regrets to trail their future. May we trust the Lord to gain wisdom needful for us to fulfil different goals. Text: Eccl 1:9 1.     Defining goals Luke 4:18 2.     Steps towards your goals Luke 14:28 3.     Tackling fear Isaiah 41:10-12; Lam 3:37; Ps. 91:1,2; 27:1-3 4.     Learning from failure 1Cor 10:1-11; 1Sam 3:16-18 5.     Dealing with guilt ...

Summary : According to philosopher Damon Young, distraction is chiefly an inability to identify, attend to or attain what is valuable, even when one is hard-working or content. Very competent people have failed to achieve their best feats due to poor definition of what matters to them or what should be ignored. The things that beg for our attention are not always bad. If they were, we would easily make decisions against them (provided we have the will-power). Many times, they appear as alternative means to achieving our purpose, or at least as issues we can sort and return to our tasks. Many people have left records of unaccomplished dreams to learn from. We must not make similar mistakes. For you to be able to hit your target, you must ignore competing interests, move past the “permissible” route and go, using the proven method of discipline, dedication and diligence. Texts: 1Kings 20:39-43; Exod. 12:38; Numbers 11:4-6 Discussions 1)     Define distraction in the contex...