Sword of the spirit prayers for Dr. Adadevoh & others

(1) Ephesians 6:10-17 | NIV

10 ...... we are standing strong in you Lord and in your mighty power. 11 We put on the full armor of God today,  we take our 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 in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore we put on the full armor of God, so that as this day of evil Ebola has come, we are able to stand our ground, and after we have done everything, to stand. 14 We stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around our waist,
( the truth is that at the name of Jesus Ebola shall bow)
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
( we are the righteousness of Christ Jesus in God)
15 and with our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, we take up the shield of faith, with which we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
( by faith we declare that Dr Ameyo Adadevoh and all those in quarantine are saved from this deadly pestilence)
17 We take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
( because of our confidence in our God and our salvation in Christ Jesus, we use these words to pray as a sword. We cut down and totally route the enemy with these powerful words of God, knowing that they will not return void but accomplish that for which they have been spoken)
Amen

(2)1 Corinthians 15:58 | NIV

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, we stand firm. We shall not let anything move us. We give ourselves fully to this work of The Lord;( to stand in the gap and pray) because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Amen

(3)Psalms 91:1-16 | NIV

911 We who are standing in the gap dwell in the shelter of the Most High and we declare rest in the shadow of the Almighty for all Ebola victims . We say " Lord you are our refuge and our fortress, our God, in whom we trust." 3 Surely The Lord will save Dr Ameyo Adadevoh and others from the fowler's snare and from the deadly Ebola pestilence.4 He will cover them with his feathers,and under his wings they will find refuge;his faithfulness will be their shield and rampart.5 ( as The Lord strengthens them and their families, and banishes fear in their hearts) They will not fear the terror of night,nor the arrow that flies by day,6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,nor the plague that destroys at midday.7

Our Father, Lord, healer and great provider, command your angels concerning these for whom we pray and guard them in all their ways;12 lift them up in your hands Lord ,so that they will not strike ther feet against a stone( by no means come to any harm) 13 though they face the ravaging effects of this deadly virus, it will be as though they have tread on the lion and the cobra; that they will trample the great lion and the serpent. BUT 14 "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him;I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;I will be with him in trouble,I will deliver him and honor him.16 With long life I will satisfy him.

With long life The Lord will satisfy Ameyo Adadevoh and others in Jesus mighty name.

MM1 blues- Arrival in Naija July 2014

Our chaotic exit out of MM1 ( Muritala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, Nigeria) immediately erased every stored notion of rest and calm that was acquired on our trip away. Being thrown together with our compatriots; NigerIans , male, female and children of all shapes and sizes and from a variety of ethnic groups, is a feat not meant for the feint hearted. Everyone was talking/shouting at the top of their lungs. Some were complaining and some were giving instructions, while some were patently irritated by having run away trolleys bump them in the ankles and calves.
A man in a luminous grey suit, which was so bright and reflective that it could pass as silver had on a chocolate coloured polo t shirt, and the shade of brown of his shoes were almost exactly the same shade. He had bold tribal marks on his cheeks and proffered his unsolicited opinions on how things could have been better organised. I could almost see sparks flying off his metallic suit, that is how much he churned out his irritation into the atmosphere.

We were just grateful that it was not raining because the airport management of MM1 are plastic, waterproof people from another galaxy, so they cannot see any reason to get passengers to their cars via covered walkways. We were just thrust into the open and more or less left to fend for ourselves in order to reach the buses provided to ferry us to the car park!
Had it been raining, I shudder to think how things would have gone. It had rained earlier in the day, and this accounted for the whipped chocolate cream that I had to step into. I acquired a muddy hem on my maxi dress like a tribal right of passage. There was just no way of hoisting the garment and manoeuvring three different kinds of hand luggage through the teeming crowd at the same time.
Interspersed in the melee were touts holding up wads of crisp one thousand Naira notes, offering to sell foreign exchange or just break down notes into smaller denominations. They had the same effect as blue bottle flies buzzing around my ears. My first instinct was to reach for a fly swatter. Both official and 'kabu-kabu' drivers bent on attracting passengers to hire their vehicles tried to intercept our egress by running alongside or stepping in front of us to offer their servIces. If the money changers were flies, these were annoying pests of another kind which I can't quite find the adequate description for.

Soon, it was all over and we were in our car, and speedily being transported home. My head was reeling, I was utterly exhausted and I haven't been more pleased to cross the threshold into my home in a long time. For now, all is well and I can quickly forget the MM1 experience. That is; until the next time I travel out and return. 

But when will this avoidable chaos end?

Ebola prayer

2 Timothy 3:16-17 OBEDIENCE & THE GOD BREATHED WORD

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

In order to serve my purpose on earth, I must be equipped to do it. 

In order to be equipped I must obey the word of God.

Obeying the God breathed word takes me to a place where I am taught. 

My teaching includes:

-rebuking bad behaviour

-correcting wrong decisions 

....so that I am empowered to do good works full on.

This scripture inspired me to draw the image below. In my mind I saw a 'pressure can' , heated by the God breathed word of God. The elements are heated and stressed (our life's struggles) and ultimately purified. The emerging strong element is the smiley face, all set up and empowered to do good works.

Prayer: May you be empowered by the word to do good works as you embrace and learn from your training, teaching and rebukes. No matter what your challenges are, I pray that you push through believing in your heart that the process is God ordained for your training and refinement. More grace to you!

Amen

Gratitude , Grace , Faith

I kicked off celebratIons for my birthday by being  in a place of deep gratitude for another year of life, by his grace. I was reflecting on so many things, mostly the power of grace that I have been privileged to receive. In my reflections I read three pieces of writing from my journals which centred on grace and gratitude. They were written at different times over the last year and a half, and come together for me now as one whole thing that I embrace.

01 January 2013
SAVED BY HIS GRACE
Saved by His grace
Steeped in His love
My only answer
Is that its from heaven above
Grateful beyond measure
For innumerable gifts
For privileges
Seen and unseen
What an amazing God!
What a Saviour!
I bend low my knee
My heart cries out
Why me! Why me!
And he answers...
Because I love you
Because I honour my word
Because I want you to be
An example of this love
Endless and free
From eternity to eternity
I have loved mankind
Be a temple for me
Be the bible people see
Be the catalyst for someone to take courage
Be bold, be different
Showcase my creativity
Let me be me

GRATEFUL IN LAGOS 29 August 2013

G - Gratitude
R - Reverence
A - Adoration
T - Thanksgiving
E - Eternal glory
F - Fellowship
U - Unending love
L - Loyalty

I am grateful Lord, because of who you are, your patience and love for me. I am grateful for the truth you have revealed to me about myself, and my behaviour that  makes me struggle within sometimes. I am sorry for my stubbornness , for my rebellion and going my own way, and doing things in my own strength.
Forgive me Lord. Have mercy on me for I am a very silly girl at times.

This is why I am so grateful, because you always rescue me, and I am so happy that there is room for forgiveness from you. That there is fullness of joy in your presence.  
Help me Lord to forgive myself.
Be glorified in my life Lord. I am grateful for my life, and what you are doing in it, and what you will have me do.
I bless your name and reverence you. In Jesus mighty name.  

Amen!   

SAVED BY GRACE 12/07/2014

Every human being has faults that are inherent that can be magnified or subdued by the environment in which they grow up and have been nurtured. We are each socialised in peculiar ways triggered by the innate forces within until we find ourselves in a new environment with different forces, reach an age of reason, or come to realisations. Realisations and recognition are the bedrock of self awareness. There are two kinds of self awareness- 

one which is completely in the natural-governed by self will

and 

another which is in the spiritual-governed by God's will. 

They can sometimes be in conflict because our life's experience may not corroborate our Christ given identity, and therefore how God sees us. This is where FAITH comes in.

Standing on our belief system is a powerful tool which keeps us focussed on where we are going and centred on the truth about who we are in God's eyes. To ignore this truth is to diminish GRACE. We have free access to this grace through the word of God which is available for us to eat of.

Yes I am flawed. Yes I have made mistakes and taken decisions that I know are wrong. Yes I have said a word that has wounded someone. Yes I have failed to take many opportunities that came my way. However, I know that , I know that,  I know that my spirit man must be in the driving seat.

I am grateful for grace. I am grateful that I always have new choices. That I am transformed by the renewal of my mind. It is grace that has made that provision for me. I must keep that uppermost in my mind. My mind is the most powerful weapon with which I can hold on to the truth in His word regardless of times, seasons, circumstances or what others say about me. In Christ, I am a work in progress, but also, I am:
-More than a conqueror
- Able to do all things through Christ who strengthens me
-able to move out of darkness into His marvellous light.

FAITH AND GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY

Luke 18:1 (NIV)
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.


Luke 18:6-8 (NIV)
6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off ? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

These two statements say to me that God's willingness to answer prayer is not what the question is, but how I keep faith. Here it says I will get justice and 'quickly'. How do I reconcile the statement of 'quickly' with many issues that have not been answered yet, such as the return of the Chibok girls? It took nearly 25 years of suffering before I received healing? How 'quick' are those??

With the Chibok girls, I think perhaps God is using the situation to 'find occasion' against Boko Haram, just like he did with Samson and the Philistines and Pharaoh and the Children of Israel. Concerning my healing, if I pause a minute and look at what I have learnt through that adversity, the quantum of growth of my faith, and the depth of my relationship with God, I view those years with gratitude. God really did do something new in me , in and through those difficult times.

My conclusions:
It is all about my perspective, thoughts behaviours and belief system on the one hand and the sovereignty and timing of God on the other. Though I find it difficult to understand within the limits of my human view point, I can definitely 'allow' what God is saying to come through.

However, once I take a deeper look at the verse 6, I begin to see that my faith position is important in the equation.
What I hear loud and clear is that :
1) I must keep faith
2) God hears and sees my petitions and my plight
3) He says He will answer quickly
4) The timing of the answer is part of a wider picture which only God has control over.
5) God's sovereignty means that what is happening in my life is not about what is comfortable for me, but completely about how my faith shapes my response to life's experiences .  Also, how my faith impacts my willingness to serve God, and my submission to His sovereignty.

All easier said than done eh? So this is a reminder to myself. 

I hope this speaks to someone too.

May your faith be built up to the measure of the power of our God, which is available to you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Thoughts on Exodus 5:22 Moses upset with God

22Moses returned to the Lord and said, "Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? 23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.
Exodus 5:22 (NIV)


Moses was moved by compassion for the suffering of his people, he knew very well that God had plans to rescue them, and he was the agent/ leader to do this.
Prayer:
Father, Lord, thank you for Moses's strength in you, and the clear evidence of how close his walk was with you. He literally demanded from you what you had promised...I am scared to think that he accused you of being unfaithful when he said 'you have not rescued your people at all.' I believe that statement came from having confidence in who he was in you, and a deep rooted belief that you were able to do what you said you would do. It sounds like he was not doubting your ability per se, but was wondering what your motive was for not performing speedily. I am grateful for what I also observe concerning Moses' conscience; it must have been clear towards you. Help me to choose the thoughts and actions that auger well for a right standing with you. Thank you for your grace and for Jesus who gives me direct  access to God now.

Amen

YOU TOO MAY BE A GIANT SLAYER IN DISGUISE

Jealous Saul-triumphant David 1Sam 16-18

The bible's account of the relationship between Saul and David, is rife with Saul's jealousy towards the young, handsome, harp playing, spirit filled warrior and David's determination to honour God rather than reciprocate Saul's several attempts to murder young David.
It is notable that David, prior to his being anointed the next king of Israel, appeared to be a nobody; inconsequential. The baby of the family- the last born who was at best an errand boy for his older brothers and he tended sheep. In short, he was in a humble/lowly estate while his older brothers who were respected and  recognised by the King and the society were warriors and officers in Saul's army. They had the macho job, certainly in national security terms, their job carried more weight than David's.
What at all was that boy up to?...
Playing harps and following goats and sheep around!

It transpires that the brothers too were jealous of David. A feeling that deepened from both David's brothers' heart , and the king's. It all started after the pip squeak of a lad killed Goliath with one of the most unconventional battle weapons ever..... In fact ,Saul had put his armour on him, but the young lad asked to take it off and rather chose to wear his normal shepherd clothes . All he took with him by way of weaponry was a sling shot and five smooth pebbles.   
Na wao!
OMG! 

The boy killed the giant and took his head to Saul!  

Self note:

1) In what ways am I hindering my victory over something because I have taken on a battle strategy that is a wrong fit for me. I am chosen by God to win battles for him in His strength and possibly using the uniqueness of my skill sets, regardless of whether or not these are recognised by others. 

2) A key thing to note, is that God was with David but had left Saul.

3) All their feelings of jealousy, the insults and derision levelled against David  by the brothers and even the attempt on David's life by  the king Saul came to nothing. Imagine! Saul throwing a spear at David twice, with the pre-meditated motive of pinning him to the wall!!
Haba! What was David's offence?
Nothing.
Saul was simply jealous and he was unable to keep his feelings in check. But the bible says the 'evil spirit' that came over Saul was from God.

This I don't understand.
Why would God do this?
When I think of this, I feel sorry for Saul, because I know that even if he wished it, he could not possibly win against a spirit that God had put in him.

4) I am not a lawyer but this 'evil spirit from God' drove Saul to do all sorts of things that could be evidence of criminal intent:
-Malice a fore thought
-Attempted murder
-Stalking David thereby constituting himself into a public nuisance
-Consumed with the unlawful motive to cause grievous bodily harm to David

5) So, Saul was 'set up' by his maker. How could he have done anything to turn this tide? Did he have a choice to do different?
Whatever the answers to my questions, I can learn from Saul how poisonous jealousy can be, and how it will literally drive you insane, and you could possibly break the law too, if left unchecked.

6)....And yes , the close cousin of jealousy is resentment. I must get rid of that and all its other relatives. 
-anger
-strife
-'pull-him-downism'
-'she/ he is such a goody-two-shoes isms'

We must get rid them and throw them away, far, far from our normal living environment, just like we empty our bowels.

7) Also, here I see again God being the perfect Human resource manager in using David's hitherto unrecognised skill sets where it was least expected. David's killing of bears and lion's that had attempted to eat his sheep, was not really recognised as a skill worthy of use for national battle. Certainly not against the huge giant of a man, who's physical size alone struck fear into an entire army.
As well, David, their next king was under their very noses but they did not know!

8) We should  ask ourselves, which staff or junior worker that God has anointed for higher service have we overlooked? As God is God, he will give them the opportunity to spring up one day as He uses them to fulfil an assignment. We may be surprised, but we must not allow jealousy a shred of room.

I ask myself which part of me has The Lord planned for triumph one day, that I am unaware of ? What humble little part of me is a giant slayer in disguise? 

Perhaps you would like to think about these points and see if you too are a giant slayer in disguise? 

HEAVENLY ALGEBRA

1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[S]4Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 

Romans 4:1-5 (NIV)

Self notes:

It was not Abrahams works that made him righteous before God, it was his faith. In fact, I also see that Abraham's faith was evident through his works. I think of faith and works as conjoined twins.

Abraham BELIEVED God.....And ( his belief/faith) was credited to him as righteousness. From this I learn that faith is the seed capital that produces the desired bounty of righteousness. 

Righteousness is ' right standing before God'

I also learn that faith is simply believing God.

Believing God means I trust Him

Trusting Him means that:

1) I am certain of what I believe 

2) I know that I know that I know 

3) I am not swayed by times , seasons or circumstances

For our Chibok girls: surely a future hope

I have researched and found a few scriptures which can be formulated into prayers for the abducted. I am publishing my list now, to support those who are praying for the return of the girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State. I am including my own prayer as well. I trust that heaven will take note of the massive outcry that this dastardly act has generated in the hearts of Nigerians and in the hearts of many concerned people the world over.

SCRIPTURES

“I will save you from the hands of the wicked and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.”

-Jeremiah 15:21 (NIV)

Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

-Psalms 71:4 (NIV)

Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

-Deuteronomy 3:22 (NIV)

no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, ”declares the Lord.

-Isaiah 54:17 (NIV)

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

-Psalms 46:1-3 (NIV)

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

-Psalms 9:9 (NIV)

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

-Deuteronomy 20:4 (NIV)

But this is what the Lord says:“Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce;I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.

-Isaiah 49:25 (NIV)

There is surely a future hope for you,and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:18c (NIV)

PRAYER

Our Father and our God, thank you for your word, on which we can rely, that it shall not return void , but accomplish that for which it has been spoken. There is power in your word, the same power that created the heavens and the earth, all things seen and unseen , and raised Christ from the dead. 

In the matchless name of Jesus, please save the abducted from the hands of the wicked, and deliver them from the grasp of the cruel. Our God and deliverer, save the abducted from the grasp of those who are evil. Give the abducted a strong fighting spirit within such that they will not be afraid of their captors, keep their faith in being returned to safety burning bright for we believe earnestly that The Lord our God himself will fight for them. Our ever present help in times of trouble, we look to you to calm our fear as we put our trust in you. Your word says that captives can be rescued from warriors and plunder retrieved from the fierce . Father, Lord! God of all, contend with Boko Harram because they are contending with our nation Nigeria. Scatter them in several directions and throw confusion into their camp. We declare that no weapon fashioned against our girls shall prosper in Jesus name. Thank you Lord that we can rest assured that there is surely a future hope for the Chibok girls and we agree concerning them that their hope will not be cut off.

In Jesus name.

Amen!

PRAYER PERFUMED WITH PRAISE...my very first sermon!

 I have shared my testimony in many forums , revival sessions at church, women's fellowship meetings etc, but i have never before preached a sermon. I was excited about it and also quite nervous, which was ironic since i was preaching about not being anxious. The part i enjoyed most was putting the key points into bold graphic drawings. I literally sat still until the inspiration came. Awesome God!!!
Anyway, here it is below, including the images i used as slides.

PRAYER PERFUMED WITH PRAISE...
a sermon preached at VFC ; Victoria Fellowship Church
On Mothering Sunday 30 March 2014

Good morning Church!


Let us Pray:
I yield my heart, soul, psyche and spirit to the full control of the Holy Spirit, so that I will be a vessel used to bless your people this morning. And may it be a fragrant offering acceptable to you, to the glory of your name. Amen!

I am grateful to God and delighted for this opportunity to share a few words with you.
When I was first asked to come and share a message with the theme ' prayer perfumed with praise, my immediate reaction was 'what is that!?' I imagine, that you too are asking yourselves what on earth that means. Before I confirmed that I would take up this assignment, I asked for time to think about it and committed it to prayer. To be honest, my initial agenda was to change find a new title for the theme, but The Lord had a different idea, as all my prayers and pondering did not reveal a new theme to me. What was spoken into my heart was to use it as a springboard to share a personal , practical application of both the theme and the bible passage for today.

The word perfume generated a few thoughts in my mind. Firstly in my language Yoruba we have a phrase 'gbo orun' which literally means to ' hear a smell' . Secondly, I am borrowing a definition from my eldest daughter which she coined when she was a little girl, but I think it is quite apt that she said she thought perfume means perfect fumes. This led me to think about what the role of perfume is in a person's life, and I concluded that perfect fumes bring about an enhancement of the atmosphere around the wearer for their own enjoyment and also for the benefit and enjoyment of others. Perfume brings a certain note to the wearer, some of us have a favourite aroma which others can distinguish us by as we walk into a room, the scent wafts in with us.

In the context of our prayers to The Almighty through Christ Jesus, this led me to think about the role of praise in our prayer lives, and how praise brings a beautiful aroma into our communion with our heavenly Father. It made me think how hearing the word of God and ingesting it in a manner that it becomes an intrinsic part of our self talk can introduce a special dimension to our fellowship with our loving Father God.
The Lord hears us saying His own words back to Him, and that is a sweet aroma to His ears, just like the Yoruba description of what it is to perceive a smell that I said earlier.
In my blog, I shared a definition of prayer, which I came to after being part of several bible studies on the subject, and I quote:
Prayer is a conversation with God that communicates with Him in fellowship.
It therefore follows on, that praise can be a sung prayer. The bible says that praising our Father God is what we were created to do, and also when we reach heaven, it is what we will be doing 24/7 into eternity. We will be joyfully in the presence of God. What we are striving to do here on earth should be a pattern after that which God has created us to do. In doing that we know that we will be walking in His purpose for our lives. I believe this is why God made praise so enjoyable. I have observed that praise triggers other good things, like thanksgiving and gratitude.


I went on to read the scripture for the day and was filled with excitement because they are words I have read over and over again, and written notes and commentaries in my journals about. On further reflection, I realise that I have totally absorbed these words into my being, and in retrospect I recognise when I have applied them. That is what happens to the ingested word of God, and how it can be activated to release the promises of God. Just like a drop of perfume is activated by the heat in our bodies to release a beautiful fragrance into the atmosphere around us.

Phillipians 4:6-9 (NIV) says…….
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Lets take a look at this beautiful word of God together and break it down a bit.

art by Lara

Slide 1 The various things that make us anxious have only one outcome…. FEAR…. which is expressed in several different ways. I have left the blank spaces for you to think about and fill in with the things that make you anxious. Because we all have anxieties. We all have issues that are beyond our power to handle without extra help of some sort.

art by Lara

Slide 2 Our creator knows that we will have anxieties real or imagined and has put down some rules that should govern our attitude to them.
Basically, He is telling us to think about what we are thinking and substitute them with the list in the passage. He has asked us to Pray and bring our Petitions to him, with Thanksgiving, believing and trusting that He will come through for us. He says The outcome of those kinds of thoughts is not fear but peace.

art by Lara

Slide 3 I examined the list of things we are to substitute our anxious thoughts for and realize that they are characteristics of God. If we meditate on the characteristics of God, then it isn't too much of a leap to say that we are thus apprehending…The mind of Christ, since The Father and Son are one. Having the mind of Christ brings us Peace. Jesus stated himself, in John 14;27 and I quote…..
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

However, I found that I could not receive that peace while still meditating on my anxieties. In fact, I simply took the words 'Do not be anxious' as a command. What happened to me when I took this word of God as a command still leaves me astounded and grateful to this day. In a nutshell, I obeyed the command, this ignited praise in my heart and I chose to love God through obedience to that command in spite of the massive difficulties I was facing. I made joy my choice, and kept gratitude in my heart as a default. I began to think about what I was thinking, and went about changing my self talk. After choosing to meditate on the word instead of my troubles, I received a very strong palpable message that I was a child loved by my Father, God. He said these exact words to me 'Lara, I love you from eternity to eternity' The import of this powerful exchange will become clearer in the context of what I am about to share.


I have lived with acute asthma since I was a child, and had many emergency grade attacks as an adult. My family and myself thought this was bad enough to deal with until I began to have issues with extreme fatigue and muscle weakness. The anxieties in my heart and mind escalated in direct proportion to many un answered questions. I visited doctors over a span of eight to ten years in four different countries, and every where I went, all the tests came back normal and there began a downward spiral in my mind and spirit as each doctor attributed the symptoms to psycho somatic issues. At first I believed them until I became unable to chew properly, swallow, walk, sit up for more than a few seconds at a time. I became disabled and bed ridden, and began to have double vision and rounds of eye problems that made me so sensitive to light that I had to sit indoors with the curtains drawn and put dark glasses on. On top of that, I had serious breathing problems which took me to the emergency room often .There I would be jabbed with hydrocortisone and adrenalin and would be revived.
At a point, I was so frail and weak that my children took over the running of the house and together with my husband became my care givers. Things got so dire, that the threat of imminent death hung over me, and I cried unto The Lord in anger, frustration, fear and desperation. I cried until there were no tears left to cry. Then I resolved that I would fight, to the last breath in my nostrils, I would fight.

I started making affirmations in order to change my self talk. If God was calling me back, so be it, but if He was not, I would keep on fighting. What got me through those times were scriptures, hymns and choruses I had internalised before I was struck down. These I sang repeatedly in my head over and over again, as I resorted to praise as part of my arsenal of weapons against the enemy. Even in the midst of breathing crisis, I would struggle to sing, as well as praying over myself in tongues. I couldn't read because of blurred and double vision, and my bible was too heavy to lift, so I fed on all the scriptures that I had memorised, one of which is Phillipians 4:6-9.

The practical application of this scripture was played out for me in ways that make it possible for me to say that I am now walking in the physical manifestation of my inward confessions , thoughts and spoken words. Praise was a key element in getting me from where I was to where I am now. Those confessions came intrinsically from the word of God, and I found myself in a place of praise at a time when I should have been totally dejected. But let me back track a little to share with you a phenomenon in which God himself enriched , enhanced and perfumed my life with praise.

When I started receiving various songs complete with lyrics and tunes years before, I had no idea that The Lord was preparing me for a time when praise was the main weapon I would use to weather the storm of very trying times. I had no idea that I was about to enter into a season of torment that was generated by an up scaling of health challenges that had been bothering me for over two decades. I don't play any musical instrument, at least I haven't done so since I was a teenager at secondary school. I have a good appreciation of music just like everyone else, so you can imagine my surprise when the songs started dropping into my spirit. With no other tools to record them apart from my singing. I sang them over and over again, such that my family got a bit fed up of hearing me! I went on to write down the lyrics as well, and the repeated singing soon made them part of me.
We used some of them in our family devotion and I used them often in my personal quiet time.

One of the songs downloaded to me by the Holy spirit is titled
' nothing can prevail' and this and other downloaded songs became a declaration that would see me through many tough times.

SONG
Nothing can prevail
Nothing can prevail
Nothing can prevail when you're standing in the Lord
Nothing can prevail
Nothing can prevail
Nothing can prevail when youre standing in the Lord

Great is His love
Higher than the Heavens
His faithfulness reaches to the clouds
Great is His love
Higher than the heavens
His faithfulness reaches to the clouds

I said….. Nothing can prevail
Nothing can prevail
Nothing can prevail when you're standing in the Lord
Nothing can prevail
Nothing can prevail
Nothing can prevail when you're standing in the Lord

art by Lara

Slide 4…This is exactly what happened with me, the Lord did guard my heart from all the issues I was facing, and I felt the depth of Gods love in a new dimension, and I was able to love God instead of focusing on my feelings of fear, anger, anguish etc. It was like a breath of fresh air, a heavenly fragrance borne on the wings of praise.


Ultimately, I can say that what I received was a Godly exchange, and that was because my burdens were lifted, once I acted in obedience to His word. God has been faithful to His word, He has really 'Perfumed my prayer with praise'

Slide 5

To conclude, I will now share another one of the songs downloaded to me way ahead of my season of torment, that has become a victory song. It is titled "Look at me now'

Look at me now
Look at me now
I'm sporting a beautiful crown
The ashes are blown clean away
Look at me in this place
Look at me by His grace
I'm sporting a beautiful crown

He crowns me with love and compassion
Satisfies me with good deeds
My youth is renewed like the eagles
Im soaring high above the world

Sing…
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
I'm soaring high on eagles wings
I'm sporting a beautiful crown.


Thank you!!!!

Arise shine, Nigeria

In the light of continued Boko Haram bombings and wanton loss of lives, I stand on this word of God by faith.

My prayer for Nigeria is simple and is encapsulated in Isaiah 63.

I love Naija

The titles of the books written and produced locally that i saw on a trip to the Tejuosho Market area, made me think about the way in which we are socialized in this country. It is often said that our behaviour is driven by our large population. I have heard the analogy that we are reacting like rats packed in cages, and therefore it is no wonder we are so aggresive as a default. The rats in various experiments, apparently turned on each other, and started a canibalistic feeding frenzy out of the sheer pressure created by their cramped living quarters. Their hostility to one another became a means of ensuring the survival of the fittest. The results of research into the behaviour of new born male rats and how high levels of testostorone drive them to start trying to eat each other when they are barely out of their mother's womb, is a topic for another day.
My own conclusions from the various experiments and how they relate to Nigerians is that we are very 'dog eat dog' in our approach to life and our actions are akin to the high testostorone induced behaviour of the new born 'male ratties' regardless of our gender.
Even our words of endearment will crack up the most stern faced individual.
'Look at your head like coconut', could be as much an insult as an expression of undying love.
A translation of a yoruba phrase that literally means ' if i slap you, you will instantly have a craving to eat all kinds of foods at once' tells me very clearly that we are graphic and dramatic in our speech and behaviour.
All the foregoing did not prepare me for the book titles i saw at a roadside bookshop, you know; the kind that has winnie the pooh sticker books nestled in any number of cheap, ghastly plastic toys, and all kinds of frightening looking text books targetted at children . The novels didnt inspire confidence either. There were titles like;
'Weep not mother'
'The ugly ones refuse to die'
' Amaka and the sacred fish'
All with suitably hideous illustrations on the book cover. It is food for thought, and fodder for great mirth as well. Ultimately, i can see that these inputs mesh together to unleash a great deal of innovation and entrepreuneural spirit in our country. There are many local champions, and pockets of excellence in almost every shpere of endeavour you can think of. My hope is that eventually, the pockets will spread, and there will be overlaps, and the remaining spaces inbetween will be infinitessimal, and we will have an upsurge of quality standards in this great nation.
So help us God!

AGE OLD WISDOM

When did it ever matter what I think and feel and am?
When?
When will I move my recognition in line with what matters
I came to a place of knowing the revelations of many lies
And the new light stung my eyes like shards of glass

It gave me wisdom of my years and eyes that spoke volumes
Eyes that knew much, had heard much and had seen much
Babbling created white noise that drowned the central truth
Totally masking its importance and diminishing its potency

The white noise is for a time when filters have not yet been
They are the ones for later, advanced models, not yet, not now
It is a smoke screen and a tying down of reasons
Shackled to the ordinary, the explainable
Diminishing the magical, the miraculous
The heavy weight of age old wisdom comes to a new realisation
That what I thought I knew, I do not
And what I thought was certain, is not
Certainty is vain and illusory
She is what we hang on to for comfort
When we need to take courage and step on out
Step on out?

I like that, yes, I like that 

I should step on out
Now that is wisdom

New Year 2014

As 2014 rolled in, I started to reflect on my desires, plans and wishes for the year. In fact, I had been thinking about this for over a month prior to December 31st. 

At the beginning of the previous year 2013, I wrote out a list of elaborate plans which I grouped under key sectors such as;Spiritual,Professional,Personal, Health etc. I wrote down 'next steps', 'action plans' and included all sorts of footnotes. It was a massive brainstorming session. I felt good afterwards, but that feeling was short-lived as I surveyed the long list and instantly got stage fright as it dawned on me what an enormous task lay ahead of me. I actually stuck together several A4 sheets so that I would have everything in one place. There after, a vicious circle began where I attempted to implement my grand plans, came up short, fell into a guilt trip and on and on it went.
At first it seemed like an utterly useless activity! On deeper contemplation, I realised that the excercise had value in that I was able to do a  mental 'clear out' of sorts.

I entered this New Year with only one decision , which is such a contrast to a year ago. In simplifying things, I think I might have got rid of some lurking anxiety and given room to be instructed from above. As a result, I have found myself more focussed, and gaining better clarity as to what my next steps should be. Perhaps after all, the massive brainstorm was indeed part of the route to get here.
The one decision that I made was so simple but yet profound.
It was to be still.
To be still before God is not easy, and requires discipline, and I have discovered that I must keep whispering my new strategy to myself. Being still literally means banishing fear in every shape or form. Fear has its uses, and must be paid attention to in the right context, but really, 99.9% of the time, it is to be stared down and asked to go away.
So far, in two months of being still, there have been positive outcomes. Being still has allowed me to feel the love of God, and to receive it in a refreshing new way. In my stillness I was led to ask for wisdom-oh yeah! Just like Solomon. In my stillness I have discovered un confessed sin, bad attitudes, and hurt that needs healing. This may be the most important decision that I've ever made. I am released into a renewed confidence that I will be led aright and God hears me and speaks to me;because of that, I am strengthened within.

The words of Psalm 131 sprang to mind, I think it speaks very clearly about being still.