Be Steadfast in PRAYER

So I’m doing a bible challenge with some of my friends and last week I started reading Job. I haven’t been able to shake what I've read in job 1:6-7 so I thought it would be a good idea to share what the LORD has put in my heart. First of all Job was blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil.

Job 1:6-7 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, where have you come from? Satan answered the LORD, “from roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it’. Job 2:2 also says the same thing on Job’s second test.

What I’m trying to say is that Satan is always roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it. BE CAREFUL love. But there’s one thing that has always been effective in getting rid of Satan in our lives. We should be steadfast in prayer. The devil will use a lot of things to devour you but if you are steadfast in prayer, God will be with you and the devil will have nothing on you.

1Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

The bible clearly explains to us that we should be self-controlled and alert because the devil prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. If you are not careful and steadfast in prayer, this could be you. We need to resist him and stand firm in faith and ask God to make us strong, firm and steadfast. One thing that I've realized is that when you are not devoted in prayer, you leave room for the devil to enter. Ever realized that sometimes we complicate our lives and intentionally invite the devil in our lives because we are not steadfast in prayer? I’m saying INTENTIONALLY because we do it with knowledge and we as Christians should be aware that when we are not strong in prayer, we leave room for the devil in our lives to come and complicate things for us.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Submission is defined as an act of accepting or yielding to a superior. GOD is our superior, our father in heaven, the one we should submit to. He will help us resist the devil. When you are totally submitted to God, the devil with absolutely flee from you.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves in prayer, being watchful and thankful.

1Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

In order to keep the devil far away from our lives, we should put on the amour of GOD. Paul the apostle of Christ outlines this in Ephesians 6:10-17.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. 11 Put on the full amour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil and in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full amour of God, so that when the devil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. 18 and pray in the spirit on all the occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Yes, Paul said all this. I’m sorry to burst your bubble but you won’t be able to resist and cast the devil out of your life without praying continually. Read your bible and hear what God has to say, pray without ceasing and submit yourself to God. Remember, the only time you leave room for the devil in your life is when you don’t devote yourself in prayer. So PRAY.

From me

Divhani

I love youJ

A thousand times i FAIL

I've been around my nephew for about 7 months and I've noticed that the relationship we have is no different than the relationship our Father in heaven has with us. Well, chill a little bit I’m just stating some similarities, ours not as perfect as the love God has for us. Let me start by saying my nephew is quiet a naughty little boy. He is 10 but annoying as hell. We fight a lot but we don’t stay angry at each other for a long period of time. Sometimes when I’m angry I tell him I’ll never help him with his homework ever, but my heart breaks after I've just said that and I call him to help him with his homework. Does that ring any bells for you? OK, let me give you another scenario, my nephew is one child that doesn't like going down without a fight, we almost the same height and I think he thinks i'm the same age with him….sigh. He sometimes doesn't listen when I talk to him and talks back, but that doesn't make me love him any less. I do his laundry, cook for him, help him with his homework, tests and also buy him stuff when I feel like I should reward him.

So enough about my nephew and I, what I want to tell you is that God never gives up on you, you give up on yourself because you don’t think you are worthy enough. He loves you and no matter how many times you've messed up, his love remains. We sometimes don’t listen to God and go on with our selfish desires, but the moment you go down on your knees and ask for forgiveness his like BAAAMMM you’re forgiven. Like really, is there a greater love than that? I think not.

A thousand times I fail, but your mercy remains. How many times did the Israelites worship other gods and God still forgave them and delivered them from their enemies. How many times did God hand over their enemies into their hand? How many times did God fight their battles and they didn't have to lift a finger? How many times did God provide food for the Israelites even when they didn't listen to him? A thousand times right?  The enemy will try by all means to make you feel dirty and undeserving of God’s love and mercy, but today I say toss the enemy aside and look unto the Father, he’s got mad love for you, excuse the lingo #hides. But damn, God loves you.

Psalm 86: 5 you are forgiving and good oh Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. This scripture says it all, no need for further explanations. He is forgiving and abounding in love to all who call him, to you sweetheart, you who feel unworthy, he is abounding in love.

One of the scriptures I love so much is Psalm 145: 8 which say The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

Ephesians 2:3-5 “All of us also lived among them one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace that you have been saved”.

God never gives up on us; all we need to do is go to him. It doesn't matter what people say, how many times people make you feel guilty, he loves you and will forgive you all your sins, all you have to do is ask. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”.

Micah 7:18 “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgressions of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not angry forever but delight to show mercy”.

I can quote a thousand scriptures about God’s love and mercy, but it’s up to you to decide how you go about it. Do not give the devil the satisfaction, go down on your knees and ask for forgiveness. God loves you and will forgive you. He never ever gives up on his children. He didn't bring you this far to leave you.

Last but not least, the most famous scripture of all, JOHN 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal love”.

Don’t forget to read your bible and pray. A verse a day, a scripture a day, remember, a little goes a long way.

I love you

From me Divhani

God loves you more than you can ever imagine J