KINGDOM LEADERSHIP - A more excellent approach, Part 3.

KINGDOM LEADERSHIP - A more excellent approach, Part 3.

2 Tim 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

We saw in the last article, the importance of service. Having known that Kingdom leadership is about service we will proceed to learn  various platforms of service.

Platforms of Kingdom Leadership :

1. Positions of Authority - whichever position we might find ourselves, we must endeavour to demonstrate the attitude of a leader, by displaying virtues of Christ like Humility. Using every opportunity to let the Grace of God be seen and known.

Matt 5 speaks about a believer being Light and salt - value adding substances.

2. Use of physical resources - wealth, finance Can be used to advance the Kingdom of God. A true leader in this Kingdom, must be a promoter of Kingdom related enterprise. A man has value in the Kingdom when he is seen by God to be earnestly participating in Kingdom related and advancing projects. This means that one does not have to be in a position of authority to be able to effect a change. Every individual can effect a change in his environment, workspace, place of learning etc. This is Leadership. 

3. Volunteer to be a worker in any spiritual organization - this is a crucial part of Kingdom service. This is the incorporation of Humility and Service. Working to ensure that God's Temple is constantly kept in good condition - for his glory.

4. Giving and benevolence - Men rise in rank through obedience to Divine instructions. And giving Is one of such avenues to change of levels in the Kingdom. Giving to the needy, Giving to Nation, Giving to the church and Giving to parents.

A true leader sees the needs of people and he or she tries to see the need is met.

5. Spiritual intercessions - Prayer. Praying for the perfection of things and that the needs of others are met to the Glory of his name.

Leadership is not by position, it is an attitude to things.

God's grace Is made abound, in Jesus.

Read Matt 5:5

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KINGDOM LEADERSHIP - A more excellent approach Part 2

 Kingdom Leadership - A more excellent approach Part 2

Matthew 6:     33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you

In our last article we talked about one of the most important aspect of leadership which is humility ; today we will be dealing with another important aspect which is stewardship.

What is stewardship?

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care. We are on Earth as steward of God used to populate the kingdom of God. The agenda of kingdom of God on Earth is God's greatest priority and he has given man the mandate to bring his Kingdom in heaven down to the Earth though the first man failed in the process but Jesus Christ restored the process. Jesus Christ is a steward of God that is why most of his messages rely on the kingdom of God.

Leadership is the form of leadership Christ came to establish here on Earth and it's a kingdom oriented form of leadership that is thorough service. (Mark 10:42-45 paraphrased) The King, Jesus, called them together and said, "you know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many" (NLT). To become a kingdom leader service is very essential. A kingdom leader is a Kingdom steward.

We have two types of stewardship

1.Physical stewardship

2.Spiritual stewardship

✓Physical stewardship is a type of stewardship that involves your physical ability, strength, skills and material wealth for advancement of the kingdom. There are several unit in the church where you can serve examples are choir unit, ushering unit, sanctuary keeper etc. 

✓ Spiritual stewardship is a type of stewardship that involves your spirit man in advancing the kingdom. Examples are Praying Kingdom advancement Prayers and Winning souls by preaching the kingdom to the people and telling them things that concerns Jesus Christ as in Acts 28 vs 31. It is the responsibility of every kingdom leader to tell people about the Kingdom and telling them how to enter the kingdom John 3 verse 3. John 3:  (Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God).We must understand that God's highest priority is restoring the kingdom of heaven on Earth and every kingdom leader is the vessels to establish His Government and he has sent the Holy Spirit to assist us in fulfilling the work.

I pray more Grace is release unto you to serve Him In Jesus mighty Name and to be a vessel worthy of being used.. AMEN

To be Continued.

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Kingdom Leadership - A more excellent approach Matt 5:5. Part 1

 Kingdom Leadership - A more excellent approach Part 1

We have come to understand Kingdom Leadership as a form of Leadership that defines the Sovereignty and rulership of God on Earth. The same way God from  Heaven rules on Earth through a Kingdom methodology of letting the Holy Spirit control the affairs of Men, is the same way Men are mandated to control the affairs of the world around them through various platforms.

However, we today will look at how to engage Leadership in the Kingdom - effectively. What exactly Leadership is, and what Leadership is not!

Leadership is one of the most abused systems on Earth. This is because Men were created and on this, they can be Led. However, Men rule each other in this present days. Rulership is associated with Power, and In this Kingdom There is no Rulership, but there is Leadership - and Leadership is service! 

Look through Scriptures ; Herod, Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar and so on.. were blatantly called Rulers. Holy Men were rarely called Rulers, and whenever they were called Rulers, it is only to demonstrate that they held strategic positions.

_Gen 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase  in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."_ From the Scriptures, we can see that Man was not among those that were mentioned to be "ruled over". This means that sometimes we can find ourselves in rulership positions, but we should have a Leadership mentality - the mentality of Service!

This brings us to one of the most important aspects of Leadership - Humility

_Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth._  Here shows that Humility in Leadership is important to gain the Earthly Kingdom which God has promised us.

_Luk 18:14 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."_ Here again shows that humbling ourselves in any place we might find ourselves is a godly attribute that will lead to THE EXALTING OF THE SAINTS TO HIGHER LEVELS OF LIFE.

Kingdom leadership is not about being a figure head, it entails being humble.

I pray God gives us Grace to go in the order of Jesus.

[Read - Philippians 2 : 3-8]

To Be Continued

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DILIGENCE: Pathway to successful studentship Part 2

DILIGENCE : Pathway to successful studentship Part 2

How to be diligent as a student?

Earlier this week, we were made to understand the essence of Diligence and the role it plays into our success as students.  Diligence as a virtue must be cultivated in any student who wants to stand out; according to the Bible in Proverbs 15:22. Diligence is a pillar on which other academic tools rest. Without diligence, every other member of this family is brought down - intelligence, skill, passion, determination. We can liken diligence as wanting to stay on top of your game. In the game of football, every team that wins a cup a preceding year will at all cost want to win the subsequent ones. This is the stuff about Diligence. It fuels that "on the top" mentality. But regardless of how one needs to be diligent, there must also be in place other virtues as we had rightly said in the previous  desire,discipline, dedication.

Today, we will consider steps that engender for effective diligence in our academics. All these things matter, whether it be our business, career, even relationships.

1. Planning: Planning refers to the formulation of a detailed program of action. It is very important determining factor for success in our ventures. Planning requires a well documented idea and having the conviction of fulfilling it. Until your idea is being penned down, actions may not be taken. Without action, diligence can never take place. Diligence is pesevering effort on an action or goal. The first step to be a diligent student is to learn how to plan, then taking steps and lastly building a consistent spirit. There is a saying that goes thus "A student that fails to plan has already planned to fail".

2. Kill procrastination: One strong enemy of success in whatever it is we do is Procrastination. This is just simply an act of postponing a documented plan. You have planned right, but it never gets fulfilled. This is because the pathway from planning to fulfilment is more than just a straight road; And if the first step is not taken, the next turn can never be. A lover of procrastination never gets things done. One thing I have come to realise about this concept of Procrastination. There is always something to hang unto, there is always a reason why these things are never done, even though we say we just don't feel like. For a person who desires success, flee from Procrastination. To be diligent, we must cultivate the habit of getting things documented or planned done. One of the biggest hindrances to Diligence as have been said is Procrastination. If you want to be a diligent student you must kill Procrastination.

3. Overcome distraction:  I will like to add "-by all means". The world we live today is full of distractions. Things that want to deter you from that choice destination. Distractions so rampant; is it those in our immediate environment, friends, social media, fun activities and all. Yes, these are all necessary to have but not at the level where we are easily distracted by them and in turn affects our performance of things. If this is the case, we should steer clear of them as they are enemies to success also. Now as  students, we have to be very  careful; many student have become addicted to certain things which were just intended to make life better and enjoyable for us - telecommunication gadgets, accessories and all; this devouring ample time to study and on the long run bring our academic pursuit to a slow gear if not a stand still.  As students, we must learn how to regulate the use of social media and the likes. It is to be an advantage not to make us run at a disadvantage.

4. Good Health: Yes, we are still on the topic of Diligence. But, we must understand that it cuts across all spheres. Itsy a healthy student that can be diligent in his academic pursuit. Good health just has to do with how well we manage our health, It is widely known that to live healthy, you must stay healthy, hence, the place of eating good flood, water, doing exercise, adequate rest, good sleep and breathing exercises must NEVER be taken for granted.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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DILIGENCE: Pathway to successful studentship - PART 1

DILIGENCE: Pathway to successful studentship - PART 1

Proverbs 22:29 "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men".

Diligence is the quality of working carefully and with a lot of timed effort. Desire fuels Determination. Determination will amount to nothing without Discipline. Discipline as well will be nothing when it's not being practiced diligently. Diligence happens to be the vehicle that conveys desire, determination and discipline to the appropriate and desired destination or goal. 

Diligence also simply means being consistent in a given assignment. Another word for Diligence is Consistency. Consistency is what brings about true success in any endeavor.

Therefore, being diligent is continually doing what is required to get to the desired destination or goals. It is a reoccurring decimal that needs to be done regardless of circumstances that may warrant otherwise. If a man is not diligent in what he does, he cannot achieve that which he has set aside to do.

In 2008, Malcolm Gladwell published his New York Times bestseller, Outliers, Gladwell frequently talks about the 10,000-Hour Rule, citing it as "the magic number of greatness. According to his book, it was proven that if you consistently or diligently spend 10,000 hours practicing a subject,you will become master of it. This 10,000 rule is applicable to any facet of life that require greatness. Show me a man that is consistent in his assignments, I will show you a man of greatness.

Studentship simply means the act of being a student. A student is simply someone that love acquiring knowledge, hence, Studentship does not have a lifespan or let me put this way you can't graduate out of the school of learning; You can only graduate from one stage to another - it is a venture for life. Henry Ford said and I quote, "the day man stops learning, man starts dying no matter what level he has attained. This doesn't have to be the natural death. A life void of knowledge is dead. The fastest killer of any thing whatsoever, be it dreams, goals, achievements, efforts, etc. - IGNORANCE

TO BE CONTINUED...

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WHY AM I HERE? - PART 3

 WHY AM I HERE? - PART 3

Genesis 1:31 "And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely"

Genesis 6:6 "And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart."

In our journey so far, we have come to realize a life without Purpose is a worthless life, thus making Purpose relevant to fulfilling our destiny. From the scriptures above, we see Man lost his purpose and this caused God a lot of grief. As we have said earlier, when a creation doesn't live up to its maker's expectation, such a creation first can never be approved of the maker and also the maker cannot glory in the work of His hand. This was the way it was between man and GOD when he fell out of Purpose. Hence, it was expedient that man had to be reminded of who He truly was, the essence of His creation and how He can fully achieve that Glorious destiny, thus pointing to us the need to have an understanding and true understanding can only come when we have knowledge of what the subject matter is. The only way to gather this knowledge is if we go out in search of it. One way, we do this is through studying God's word, THE BIBLE (God's wisdom in prints).

Until you have answered the following questions rightly, you cannot really say you have achieved Purpose or you are close to it.

Therefore to discover our purpose, we must find answers to these questions that have plagued man for ages.

-Who am I? 

-Why am I here? 

-Where did I come from? 

-What was I born to do? 

-What can I do? 

-Where do I fit? 

-Why am I different?

 -What is my potential? 

-Where am I going?

 -Why did I come to this planet? and many more like this.

So, how do we get answers to these questions?

Well to get the specifics of a gadget what do we do? We simply read the owner's manual written by the manufacturer. It's the same for man. God who is the manufacturer here has his own manual for man- The Bible. The scripture says in Luke 4:17-18

[17]And there was handed to Him [the roll of] the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened (unrolled) the book and found the place where it was written, [Isa. 61:1, 2.]

[18]The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity],

Jesus found out his assignment (purpose) in the pages of the Bible. 

The scripture also says in Psalm 40:7

[7]Then said I, Behold, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me;

So the Scriptures (Bible) has always been God's primary way of revealing His purpose for our lives to us. Read it and in there you'll find life.

However discovering your potential is not enough. You have to maximize it by;

1. Knowing your source- God (manufacturer).

2. Acknowledge Him as your source.

3.Understanding your potential

4. Being in the right environment that best suits your potential (the right company; this can be in form of persons, places, materials, things, ideas, etc)

5. Cultivating your potential i.e. improving and sharpening it, and lastly,

6. Serving your potential..

Always remember, a Purposeless life is a wasted life.You have and can do something no one else can do. There is something in you that is just waiting to materialize. Just go out in search of it and maximize whatsoever it is.Please do not deny the world of you.

The world needs you, but you must discover first what you have that will bless the world. It's in you, You can do it, All you need is, get back to the Creator, read His manual, walk and work fulfilling the dictates.

It is pertinent that we discover why we are here and also pursue it tirelessly.

Thank you for following through this series..God bless you and have a blessed weekend.

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WHY AM I HERE - PART 2

 WHY AM I HERE - PART 2

Proverbs 15:22 "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in this multitude of counsellors, they are established".

Earlier this week, we began understanding what the element of Purpose is and why it is a must have for every true-man. From our scriptural reference, we see that only with good counsel can good purpose be established, hence we need to groom ourselves and lean onto solid counsels for us to fulfil Purpose. 

Let us look at the story of a certain man; an English novelist named Charles Dickens.

This man wrote in his famous book. "A tale of two cities"; he said, life is a  tale told by a fool. He went on to dispute any claims in the opposite saying he had no answer but life was just a bombardment of separated incidents that have no harmony, relativity or relationship with one another. It's just this, that and the other. He further said in life there is no formation, no conclusion, no answer, all are just stage stories been told by a wild man that has no ending, solution or equation. According to his words. life is sporadic, out of control, crazy and all mixed up, His admonishment "Don't try to understand anything about what life is really all about". 

These were his perceptions about the concept Life in totality, but can we say he was correct. NO!

Charles Dickens was wrong in his assessment of life. He sought to draw a conclusion without acknowledging and inquiring from the One who has given life to all men, GOD himself. 

Ask yourself this question? Who creates and just creates for the fun of it - The Blacksmith? The Sculptors? The Gold miners? The Furniture makers? The Builders?. There is no creation without a purpose for its creation.

 God is the Creator of man and all living things. No Manufacturer manufactures without a purpose or reason. Such purpose and reasons are evident in the manufacturer's manual, hence it's essence. There is a manual because he or she has an understanding if these things are not used right, it is only a dent into his work, and there is also a possibility of misuse without the manual. God is the creator of man and there is a reason He did so.

In the journey of life, one of the curious questions that any man should desire to get an answer to is WHY AM I HERE?. The sense of belongings is really what drives man. A very sensible man will always ask himself the question why am I here?, Because he has an understanding if the why? is not answered, then the how? won't surface. 

The inability of a man to first ask the right questions or ask from the right sources, and intentionally being diligent to get the answers is what makes man void of the truth i.e. getting the right answer to the question. The Why? is a very tough question to answer; thus it requires a diligent search to get the right answer.

More importantly, the question Why Am I here? cannot be answered correctly if you are yet to find answers to these two important questions.

Who am I? and where am I from?.

The question "who am I?" is not a question of what is your name, what do you do, what designer clothes are you wearing?. It is a question of identity. It is so pathetic that youth of nowadays have to wear designers clothes before they can feel special or important, that is simply the results of lost or misplaced identity. You are simply what God's words says you are. If you don't read His word, how then do you Know who you are -no way.  When the reality of the answers of who are you? dwells in you, you become victorious at the end of every challenge.

Where am I from is not a question of where is your birth place or what is the name of your country nor ethnicity?. It is simply a question of source. Your source is your Creator. Until you know your source and tap into it, you may run dry like a river which is cut off from the source where it springs from, and also not know the reason why you are here.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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WHY AM I HERE? - PART 1

 WHY AM I HERE? - PART 1

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them".

A wise man once said and again and again, it has been repeated over time; when the purpose of a thing is not known, misuse is inevitable". This statement has never been as true as it is today. The prevalent circumstances of the world today has clearly shown that the concept of purpose and it's full understanding has completely been lost. We see so many happenings in our society of today which leaves us wondering whether Purpose has been dome away with or it was never in view. Is it in the pharmaceutical industry- Cough syrups turned into hard drugs, anti-depressants misused. What of institutions created to better the life of the masses that have been turned into something else. The recent #Endsars protest properly depicts the tragedy of an institution that has lost it's purpose. For if Purpose were to be in place and followed carefully, certain things won't be the order of the day as we have now. The government will do things the right way, the masses will do things the right way, and there will be peace and harmony in our world. But lack of understanding of what true purpose is has led us to the position we are now. Imagine if there was no purpose of God for creating man, then man will be no different from the animals. Purpose is to clearly state our identity, what differentiates us from other things or events like us. It is supposed to be what gives meaning to man and his existence. 

Despite having a purpose from the Creator himself, how many live up to that today?. According to the preceding verses, we have been created unto good works, thus if bad works become d order of the day, we are not living up to the Creator's standard for our existence.  The greatest tragedy now is that most men sadly have no idea or sense of their purpose in life. According to Hosea 4:6 "my people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge". 

The frightening increase in the number of young men in psychiatric institutions, correctional centers is a testament to the fact that the true meaning of Purpose has been lost. Ask a young adult today, what Purpose is, we will be shocked by his definition. So many want to live in exotic houses, drive Porsche cars, live the extravagant lifestyle. It is not bad to have good thoughts about what your life should be, but let's truly ask ourselves, is this what Purpose is all about?. Because it will mean those in position of authority, our leaders and those in power today are indeed living a Purposeful life. We have all derailed from this path created to better living and relationship with one another.

 What do we say of the now common bold claim of homosexuality amongst the youths today, showing the growing rate of sexual confusion. The list is endless. And all this bores down to one thing - PURPOSE.

When a manufacturer sees his beloved product being misused, it will surely cause him heartache. No wonder after God created man, He said in Gen 1:31 that;

[31] "And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely." 

This is what brings Joy to a Creator, the good works of your creation (Ephesians 2:10).

But see what He later said in Chapter 6 of the same book verse 6;

[6] "And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved at heart".

Man lost his purpose and that caused God a lot of grief. One can only imagine how sad he might be today.

Therefore to discover our Purpose, we must find answers to these questions that have plagued man for ages.

WHY AM I HERE??

TO BE CONTINUED...

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THE PRAYER OF FAITH - PART 3

THE PRAYER OF FAITH - PART 3

In our preceding two articles, we have been made to understand why the concept of  Faith is paramount in our prayer life. But today, we see more reasons for this:

WHY FAITH?

6. Faith is a godly virtue: 

From the scriptures, we are made to understand that our Father Abraham believed in God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Also in the book of Hebrews 11:33 "who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness...". A Faith filled life is a Godly life. We see in Galatians 5 talking about the fruits of the Spirit; one of which is Faith. Even Christ while on earth exercised his Faith in the Father; and we are admonished from scriptures to live the same life He lived. Through Faith, it is possible to please God and this counts as a godly virtue.

7. Faith re-validates and substantiates our inheritance: 

The Bible says in Hebrews 11; Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. The things hoped for are our inheritance in God and our Lord Jesus Christ. But through Faith do we lay claim to them. Through Faith, do we validate the possession of this inheritance. It takes an active use of your Faith to actively inherit the blessings. Our Father Abraham was not static in Faith; at every point He was growing and this kept substantiating the promises. There was an earlier faith of leave your homeland, knowing not where to go; and a latter one of "take your loved son and offer as a sacrifice unto me". But in all, his Faith never diminished, again and again(revalidating); thus obtaining the promises.

8. Faith commits the integrity of God to perform: 

Until our Faith is alive, we can never be sure of receiving our expectations. A very renowned man of God will always say " You are not permitted to become whatever you have not believed ". Until your Faith has the ability to produce it, you cannot show it to the world. Why? because Faith commits God. It shows him that you believe in all His words concerning you, ready to trust Him and obey all He will ask of you. I have come to realize that until you believe a person,  you cannot really trust or follow everything He or she will tell you. The sane way it is with God. Our Faith in Him brings out the results we see. Hebrews 11:2 " For by it, the elders obtained a good report ".

9. Faith breaks the hold of hindrances and barriers: 

Have you ever prayed and it looked like the answers were not forthcoming? Did you just stop praying or you continued? Ever wonder why you stopped or continued? It's because you either possess or do not possess Faith in that which you have requested of. A man of Faith continues to persevere on the altar of prayer till he sees his desired result. The Bible makes us to understand that it is expedient that we travail i.e press and continue pressing(1Thessalonians 5:17). But this can only be possible, if we truly believe the capacity of what we have prayed coming to pass. Daniel in the book of Daniel 10; he had prayed and the answers looked like they were not forthcoming, but He still continued. This differentiates a Faith filled Christian from an ordinary church-goer. Ephesians 6:16 also talks about the ability of Faith to destroy all opposition to that which is our desire.

10. Faith secures our breakthrough:

One thing I have understood is in Faith, we take responsibilities. We do not just watch God do what we asked, but by our actions, we secure our answers. Faith speaks in our actions and in our deeds. Looking at the Bible in Hebrews 11; all the testimonies wrought through Faith were testimonies of Breakthrough. And we see that only active involvement of Faith in God could have pulled them off. Until you have grown the seeds of Faith, you are not permitted to reap its fruits. When it looks like the door is shut, for a man of Faith, through his Faith in God and unshaken trust, there opens another.

11. With Faith, we are pleasing before God: 

Hebrews 11:6 "For without Faith, it is impossible to please God, for He that must come to Him must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him". Until we believe in Faith, it us never possible to please God and if we can't please Him,we can't get anything in return. Our ways must be pleasing and one way by which it can is to hold firm our Faith.

How then can I activate the weapon of Faith?

It is very important that when we pray, we pray a prayer of Faith. Jesus said it in Matthew 13:58 "he could do little miracles in his hometown, because of their unbelief". Thus, we are limited in prayers, if our Faith does not come alive.

1. Be a child of God: This is one way to have access to all the inheritances so stated. You can't lay claim unless you are part of the family. John 3:3 " Except a man be born again.. " The fruits of the Spirit are for them that are in Christ. 

2. Faith comes by constant hearing of the Word: Romans 10:17. Let the words that you hear continue to stir up Faith in you over and over; read God's word, anointed books of men of Faith. Constant and active search for the words as concerning that situation will stir up Faith inside of you.

3. Through Prayer and Fasting: Mark 9:29 "And he saith unto them, howbeit, this kind goeth not forth, but by prayer and fasting. Give room to a life of prayer and also fasting, then see. Faith come alive in you.

4. Praying in the Holy Ghost: Jude vs 20, But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most Holy Faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.

Our Faith has to be in motion to set things in motion in prayers. 

For more edifying articles, you can view our page @THE MEN THAT LEAD. GOD BLESS YOU

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THE PRAYER

THE PRAYER OF FAITH - PART 2

Mark 11:22 "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have Faith in God

23 "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith".

Earlier this week, we were made to understand how important prayer is to every believing child of God. Prayer is what brings down Divinity into Humanity. It is our one means of connecting with what God's plan and purpose for our lives are. Looking into the scriptures, we see so many instances when the children of God use this weapon of prayer and fasting when they had to seek His face. Prayer is also an avenue of being intentional unto God our needs and as a loving father responding unto us accordingly. Matthew 7:11 "how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?.

But today, we will look further into the concept of Faith-full Prayer. 

We must understand that Faith goes beyond a confessional statement. Yes, in Prayer, we make the confessions, but in Faith we make more than just confessions. It is adding sophistication to our confessions. We see from the anchor scripture "if you will say". This was the praying part. Then Faith stepped in as d latter aspect" if you will not doubt but believe in your heart". Many a times, until our Faith is put into action, our prayers can never be answered. Therefore, it becomes necessary to understand Why Faith?

We see in Mark chapter 9; a boy who had just been brought afflicted with demonic spirits. Yes, at this time, the disciples have been taught well on how to pray; this they did, but still there was no results. Jesus called them in verse 19 "O faithless generation". This is just to reiterate the importance of our Faith. 

1. Faith is an accelerating force:

We have seen countless instances from God's word, where the Faith of men had to be in place for the blessings to be encountered. Christ's encounter with the centurion (Matthew 8), the Healing of the woman with the issue of blood(Luke 8:43-48), the healing of the demon possessed son (Mark 9), and many like this. Faith is that force that brings instant answers our way. The Bible makes us understand that Faith is Now (Hebrews 11:1). It is an instant Force bearing instant miracles.(Matthew 8:13).

2. Faith does not look at impossibilities, but believes God in all things: 

This is one attribute of Faith in God and a reason why as believers we need to be full of Faith. This Jesus demonstrated in John 11 when he raised Lazarus from the dead. Verse 40-41 "said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,  Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me". The phrase "hast heard me" is a that of an assurance and this can only mean one thing, Faith in God. Despite how impossible it looked for Lazarus to rise being dead four days, it wasn't Jesus who would raise, it was God the Father. And His power to do all things is magnificent and unending. Christ showed unto us what Faith in the Father entails and why it is important to have Faith as Christians. Verse 42" that they may believe that thou hast sent me". Mark 9:23 "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth".Faith creates possibilities out of a myriad of impossibilities.

3. Faith is a working force: 

Have you ever had to trust God for something and He came through for you. What exactly do you think was in place? Faith is you handing over wisdom, and knowledge to Him who is more wise and knowledgeable on any subject matter. It is a state of complete, and unshakable trust in God. Looking at the lives of our Fathers of old (Abraham, Moses, Noah, David) and how this principle of Faith worked for them, we can boldly say Faith is a working force. Let's see John's testimony in 1John 1:3 " that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us". You can only tell of a thing when you are totally confident of its potency. It is no doubt that the fellowship of Faith will anytime any day yield results. Faith is a very potent force.

4. The proofs of Faith are undeniable:

In Acts 3:1-13, we see the works of Faith wrought here undeniable. The Bible makes us understand in verse 11 "And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together  unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's greatly wondering.

Peter replying them in Verse 16 " And his name through faith in his name (JESUS), hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. No one can deny the working proofs of Faith, even the Pharisees and Sadducees as much as they didn't believe Jesus's testimony, they were terrified by them.

 5. Faith purifies the heart:

Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation". Acts 15:9 "And God which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by Faith. We see, as much as Faith is a thing of the heart, it also has the capacity to purify he heart. The Bible made us understand that Abraham believed and it was counted to him unto righteousness. (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3, 13). Faith brings us into this level of Purification.

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THE PRAYER OF FAITH - PART 1

 THE PRAYER OF FAITH - PART 1

Hallelujah!!! We thank God for a new week and a new day. And we welcome you into another inspiring powerful new series. Stay blessed and Stay tuned!

Matthew 6:5 "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corner of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily, I say unto you, They have their reward"

6 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly".

Prayer is a form of communication between man and a superior being, in our case GOD ALMIGHTY. It is an avenue whereby we relate with our Father, talk to Him and He responds unto us. Prayer is one very important weapon of our warfare, and which is a must have for every believing child of God. A life not given to prayer is a life meat for life oppositions, torments and peril. Just as a warrior will not face a battle without his armour, we cannot face the battles of this life without Prayer. But according to scriptures, we see that not every prayer is acceptable before God. Over time, we have come to realize in our Christian journey and looking at the lives of our biblical patriarchs, we are not measured based on a scale formed by ourselves, but there is a requirement we must meet as believing children of God - a yardstick upon which our life actions are weighed (1Samuel 2:3). There are certain necessities that must be in place before our prayers can be accepted. Just as Christ taught us in Matthew 6:5; until your Prayers are acceptable, you cannot enjoy the rewards. 

It was the words of Matthew Henry that said: 'When God wants to begin a thing He sets the Men a-praying. Prayer is earthly permission for Heavenly interference. Man is the sole custodian of activities and happenings in the earth realm. Spirits are not permitted to execute any action on the earth without the endorsement of Men–Psalm115:16. 

Prayer is the legal means by which man involves Divinity into the situation. Men who wrought power in God were men given to prayers. Prayer is the route to accessing possibilities in God. If Prayer then procures our access to possibilities in God, we must therefore understand what makes it acceptable.

Who are the hypocrites?

The Bible made mention of the hypocrites- the Pharisees and Sadducees who show case their spirituality in order to be recognized as being spiritual; they show off in order to be seen and these category of people can never be answered. When the Bible says, close the door and shut, it is literally not what it means. This is just an emphasis that Prayer is a thing between you and God to whom it is rendered. Only two parties are involved and any other attempt at interfering with this channel disregards this order. The First is; Prayer is between you and your GOD.

One other fundamental that makes our Prayer acceptable is FAITH. The connectability of our Prayer life with Faith facilitates the flow of our prayers. Until we have believed in Him to whom we make our supplications, we can never get our response. This was why the Bible in James 5 talks about the Prayer of Faith. Until your prayers have mixed with Faith, you are not permitted to receive the answers. It is one thing to have a Father who sees in secret and rewards openly; and another to be able to believe His capacity to reward you. Hebrews 11:6 "he that will come to the Father must first believe that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him". You just must believe.

As our biblical patriarchs did- the likes of Abraham, Moses, Noah, Gideon, David. These men did not just get on with God, they had Faith working in and for them(Hebrews 11). 

Faith is THAT ASSURANCE (Hebrews 11:1) that when we have asked a thing, the answer is already with us. It is a proof of our answered prayers. Matthew 7:7 talks about our request to the Father; "Ask and it shall be given; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you".Verse 8 is the confirmation (FAITH). Vs 8 "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened". Here it is no longer a prayer as in verse 7 but an assurance that verse 7 is possible. When we add Faith to our Prayer, we literarily hand over the charge to GOD Himself. We must understand that when we pray, there is a part we play in speaking the words; i.e if the right words are not spoken, the right answers won't come. But in Faith, we hand everything over to GOD. This was what Jehoshaphat and the host of the children of Israel did in 2Chronicles 20. From verse 3 "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah..." Verse 20 "Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established, believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper".

In the preceding verses, we see the King and his people first prayed, then FAITH was brought into action and they won the battle. We can only win the battles in prayer when we have already won with our FAITH.

TO BE CONTINUED...

THE MEN THAT LEAD

Building manhood...

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