Hellooo!
I hope you've been doing well 🤗
Guess what today is about? My birthday! ☺️ It seems there's always this beautiful sense of attachment to our birthdays, where you just fall in love with the name of the month and the number of the date for no reason other than because it's your birthday!🕺
When I look back at my life over the years, all I can say is that God is love and He is good! There are many decisions I can't wrap my mind around how I made, many challenges I can't understand how I handled, and many events I can't fathom how they occurred. All I know is that the covenant-keeping God is on the stage and behind the scenes of the story He is writing with my life.
Looking back at where I've come from, it's just so obvious and undeniable that God is at work. For this reason, I've decided to share some of the practices that have helped me over the years. Someone out there might need them. As simple as they are, they've changed my life, and they can change yours too!
These practices aren't complicated or mysterious. They're the same things we've always done and sung about: "Read your Bible, pray every day." I've experienced progress by making God's Word and prayer a priority even though what makes the difference is His grace but all these practices brings us into alignment with His grace, so I'm going to be expounding on this and other practices, and how you can apply them to your life.
1. Read your Bible
The song says that we should read our Bible every day, but I need you to see that the context of that reading is not just skimming and surveying. Instead, it means analytical reading because nothing done on a surface level will bring growth. It has to be in-depth. Bible reading or scripture reading, in the sense I'm referring to, requires effort and dedication. Many people put in low effort and expect huge results, but it doesn't work that way. As studious disciples of Christ, it is our job to find the intended meaning of every single scripture, and this is my drive whenever I study.
Moreover, In the Christocentric community, knowledge is not just informative but transformative. Don't just read the scriptures to see that David fought Goliath; study the scriptures to understand that no matter how young you are, there are no limitations.
2. Pray every day
I learned a quote from Myles Munroe through my Apostle a few years ago that has now become a part of me: "When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse becomes inevitable." Maybe the reason why you don't like praying is because you don't know its purpose. If you know the purpose of prayer, you'll pray whether you feel like it or not. Prayer is not about our feelings but about what needs to be done.
You'll struggle with prayer if you don't see it from a standpoint of both duty and delight. Delight is there because you're fellowshipping with your Father (not your university lecturer 🌚). The duty is there because you won't always feel like it due to your flesh, but you must still do it because prayer is not about our feelings. Just as food is sweet to our mouth, that’s not the only reason we eat. We eat to stay healthy. There are times we don't feel like eating, especially when we are sick, but we need to eat to remain healthy.
I Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV
[17]pray without ceasing,
Prayer is about fellowshipping with God, and by doing so, we are preserved in the faith, love of God, and His will for our lives, and so we will pray whether we feel like praying or not. Look past your feelings today and stay in the place of prayer.
3. Follow God's leading
I've never approached God, even as a child, and received the wrong direction from Him. One way or another, He always leads me. I remember asking Him a couple of years ago, when I was between 10 and 12 years old, after a family vigil, to let it rain heavily later that day if He truly called me into ministry. Hours later, I was drenched in that rain while on the way to a crusade with my brother.
When it comes to spiritual leading, all you need to do is acknowledge Him by consistently seeking His guidance, especially for serious decisions. Learn to check your spirit to discern what the Spirit of God is saying, as His Spirit bears witness with yours. Don't act without checking.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; [6] In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Divine direction is not complete until it is entire. Wait for the full instruction before you swing into action. Understand the what, when, and how. When it's time, the capital is go! No matter the limitations.
4. Surround yourself with godly communities
This is very important and sensitive at the same time. Be cautious of your community because you cannot avoid being influenced by those around you. Both your conscious and subconscious mind absorb all kinds of information from your companions and loved ones, starting with your immediate family. I cannot overemphasize the profound influence my parents, siblings, and friends have had on me.
One crucial skill to develop in life is cultivating beneficial relationships because they can significantly impact your life. Surround yourself with friends who positively influence and inspire you to good works—friends who pray for you, comfort you, and edify you with words of wisdom and prophecies from the Lord. Seek balanced friendships that help you improve in every aspect of your life.
Additionally, have mentors—both close mentors and distant role models. I call my distant mentors "road models" because what they are doing relates to what I aspire to achieve. By listening to them, reading their books, and observing their lifestyles, I am inspired and equipped to live purposefully.
5. Depend totally on God
God will never mismanage your life
Blessed is the day I came to understand Philippians 4:6-8 and Isaiah 26:3-4
Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
[6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; [7] and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Whenever I face challenges, I remind myself that I do not have permission to worry. Instead, I immediately think about what God can do about the problem, not what the problem can do to me. Problems may seem overwhelming, but they can never exceed the power of the One who can do exceedingly abundantly.
Isaiah 26:3-4 NKJV
[3] You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. [4] Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.
Meditating on what God can do about your problems and fixing your gaze on Him keeps you joyful and peaceful. Despite the trials and tribulations that inevitably come in this world, your faith remains unshaken because you have chosen to look to the Author and Finisher of your faith.
I may not know what the future holds for me but I know who holds my future and I'll hold on to him.
Apply these principles, and your life will never be the same. I'm rooting for you! Don't forget to like, comment, and share the newsletter with someone.
Best regards,
Smart's Insights 💡
Thanks so much for this message sir ❤️🔥
Man of wisdom sir more anointing 🙇
Belated Happy Birthday 🎉. May the Lord continue to bless and keep you.