16 Secrets of Praise to the LORD

16 Secrets of Praise to the LORD

Praise involves appreciating the Lord with all your body, soul and spirit. The secret of praise is the password for every successful Christians.

If you intend to know the easiest way to live a glorious life, then don’t hesitate to read the message for today!

I remembered the story of an elderly lady who was well-known for her faith and for her boldness in talking about it. She would stand on her front porch and shout “Praise the LORD!”

Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, “There isn’t a Lord!”

Hard times set in on the elderly lady, and she prayed for GOD to send her some assistance. She stood on her porch and shouted “Praise the LORD. GOD, I need food!! I am having a hard time. Please LORD, send me some groceries!!”

The next morning the lady went out on her porch and noted a large bag of groceries and shouted, “Praise the LORD.”

The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said, “Aha! I told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries, God didn’t.”

The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and said, “Praise the LORD. He not only sent me groceries, but He made the devil pay for them. Praise the Lord!”

The story above shows that the access key that controls the Kingdom of Heaven and the gate of hell is regular Praise to the Lord.

Secrets of Praise to the Lord include:

1. Praise precede Favor – If you want the favor of God, always praise Him. Acts chapter 2 verses 47: “…praising God and having favor with all the people…”

2. Breaks Bondage – Acts chapter 16 verse 25 and 26: “…Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

3. Enrollments to Heaven – If you praise God always with a holy heart, then you are His heir. Isaiah chapter 43 verses 21 say: “This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise.”

4. Praise moves God to your abode – Second Chronicles chapter 7: “…When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD…”

5. You’ll easily know the Desire of God – Psalm 54 verse 6 and 7: “I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. For He has delivered me out of all trouble; and my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.”

6. Praise is a Spiritual Invitation – Psalm 22 verse 3: “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”

7. Praise wins Battle – Second Chronicles chapter 20 verse 22: “Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated…”

8. Your Works will yield Goodness – Matthew chapter 5 verses 16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

9. Praise strengthens Unity of the family – Romans chapter 15 verse 6: “that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

10. Praises is a Strong Will of God – First Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 18: “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

11. Delivers the oppressors – Isaiah chapter 61verse 3: “…The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”

12. Easiest way to Glorify God – Psalm 50 verse 23: “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me…”

13. Turns God’s anger away – Isaiah chapter 12 verse 1: “And in that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.”

14. Praise is a Good tool for Evangelism – Psalm 40 verse 3: “He has put a new song in my mouth-Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.”

15. Your Blood can Revenge – Genesis chapter 4verse 10 to 11: “And He said, what have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”

16. Praise make you modest – Revelation chapter 4 verse 10 to 11: “the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord…””

Christian Nightmares: How to Free Christians from bad dreams!

Christian Nightmares: How to Free Christians from bad dreams!

Nightmares are uncontrollable scary dreams that threaten some Christians. It produces feelings of confusion, guilt, fear, and sadness.

Research recorded by Statista showed that about 50% of 3 to 6 years old have frequent nightmares. About 20% of 6 to 12 years and 5% of adults in the U.S suffer nightmares.

Today’s message reveals the victory over nightmares for the Christians.

Nightmares are not normal phenomenon as widely believed by some sects. It is paramount that the Christians who want deliverance from nightmares must understand the source of these dreadful dreams.

10 Causes of Nightmares to the Christians

1. Watching Movies and Computer Games

The aim of every film show organized by the unbelievers is to take your heart away from the Lord and to occupy your mind with suspense, lustful desires, sexy, horror or violent motion pictures.

Whenever you watch any ungodly movie, you’d open the door of your mind to the demons. Your mind does not sleep at night, and the legal entrance you gave the demons during the day allows them to frighten your soul and mind. And this translates to nightmares during your sleep.

2. Fear

When you go through unholy fear, there is the possibility of suffering from nightmares. For instance, the fear of: demons, job loss, how to pay bills, barrenness, etc. can destabilize your state of mind. And the demons would take advantage of your unstable mind to hurt your emotions.

3. Possession of Charms

Many new converts suffer nightmares, because they don’t discard the charms they use when in the world. Charms for beauty, power, protection and riches are for the devil and you can’t serve two Masters. (Matthew 6:24)

4. Sickness

Some drugs have terrible effects on the sick Christians, and the effects may trigger the fear of death in the mind of the sick which can lead to nightmares.

5. Sinful Lifestyle

Nightmares cannot be strange to drugs and alcoholic addicts. For instance, it is not possible for a fornicator or adulterer to be free from dreadful sexy dreams. Sin in one’s life gives the Devil the complete access to the mind- the arena to afflict nightmares.

Romans chapter 12 verse 2 says: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God

6. A Challenging Situation

When you go through a terrible situation that appears to have no remedy, then nightmares may disturb your sleep.

7. Under Curse

Anyone under curse is bond to nightmares. The Holy Spirit always informs every new Christian under curse, and the Power of Jesus is available for perfect deliverance.

8. Bitter Heart

The images in a bitter heart are frighten, thus anyone with a bitter heart cannot escape horrible nightmares. For instance, going to bed after a hot argument or fight precedes nightmares.

9. Keeping Malice

Some Christians are very good at keeping malice. I would be surprise if such people could escape nightmares. Malice is a name given to one of the arch demons in the kingdom of darkness. Read Galatians chapter 5: 19 to 21

10. Spiritual attack

When the devil was chased out of heaven, the people on earth suffer spiritual attacks. (Revelation chapter 12).The easiest medium for the demons to afflict Christians is through the dreams, thus, a Christian with an empty mind will suffer nightmares and bad dreams.

Matthew chapter 12 verses 43 to 45 say: “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. “Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first…”

Nightmares are not normal for Christians. Since the main source of this terrible situation is through the mind according to the scriptures above, then, it is wise to always make your state of mind intact with Jesus Christ.

5 Ways to Overcome Nightmares

1. Fasten your Mind

Always watch Christian documentaries that edify your soul and not action films, wrestling, boxing or porn.

2. Read your Bible

Read passages that will strengthen your heart. If you live in an environment that prohibit reading of the Bible, then get a free Bible mp3 on the internet and cling to your ear piece.

The more you fill your mind with the word of God, the more difficult for the demons to control your mind.

3. Confess your Sins

You can’t continue to sin and ask grace to abound (Romans 6:1-2). The Grace of Jesus is for you to have the ability to live a holy life. A sinless life in Christ receives freedom from nightmares.

4. Rekindle your Night Prayers

Always create time for fellowship before going to bed. Sing to the LORD and worship Him with all your body, soul and spirit. Pray faithfully to the Lord and you won’t experience nightmares anymore. I practiced this powerful step and it worked for me.

Philippians chapter 4 verse 6 and 7 says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

5. Get your Weapons Ready

Your weapons are not carnal tools! If you want to enjoy permanent victory from nightmares, then denounce all act of worldliness.

Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10 to 17: “…Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places …”

 

Nightmares among Christians were due to their slack minds. So, to receive victory from nightmares, always guide your mind with the Word of God and live a holy lifestyle through Jesus Christ.

How to Receive Restoration from the LORD

How to Receive Restoration from the LORD

Restoration is getting back someone or something precious you lose. This world entails the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, light time and the darkest time…

No one can escape the two sides of this world; the smooth and the rough.

I remembered how I received the restoration from the Lord some years ago; I got married to a beautiful lady who gave birth to a handsome boy. She went through hard times few hours to the delivery and we agreed on caesarean.

The mother was going through the mild pains and healing process that accompanied the delivery when the gentle boy began to experience an unexplained inconvenience.

We rushed him to the hospital and the doctor said that my child was fine. But, we lost him thirty days after his arrival on earth. I held the dead boy to my chest and prayed to the Lord who had used me to raise the dead before, to bring life to my dead son…

But, God told me that His peace is sufficient for me and He promised to restore us. I wept bitterly and mourned for a year. It wasn’t easy, but we held tightly to Jesus.

He fulfilled His promise and we enjoyed His restoration; a natural birth to a beautiful baby girl…

You might be going through the darkest time of this world; Jesus can lead you through the dark tunnel. Today’s message will teach you how to receive restoration from the Lord.

10 Ways to Receive Restoration from the Lord

1. Check and Balance

Some bad situations occur to us because we carelessly open the loopholes. So, check your lifestyle, balance it with the instructions of God in the Bible and you will enjoy His restoration.

For instance, the Israelites enjoyed restoration during the lead of prophet Nehemiah. “Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dust on their heads…” (Nehemiah chapter 9)

2. Fertilize your Faith

It is natural to feel bad in times of trouble, but do not let your faith to melt away. Some people become atheist, because they lost their faith when in trouble – a big disaster for their eternity!!

You cannot receive restoration from the Lord if your faith in Him is uncertain.

Matthew chapter 17 verse 20 says: “So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

3. Fellowship with God

God promises to restore His children when they go through tribulation.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

You can speedily receive restoration from the Lord if you upheld your fellowship with Him. Fellowship with the Lord involves creating an ample time to sing, worship, praise and pray to the Lord. I assure you that God is not deaf. He heard my prayers. He will also grant your request for restoration.

4. Film the Patience

God’s time is different from yours, so wait patiently for your restoration. Was 400 years too long for the restoration of the children of Jacob? No, it was the right time! Was 4 days too short for Lazarus’ restoration? No, it was God’s timing! Thus, be faithful to the Lord and wait patiently for His restoration.

5. Weep Moderately

It is healthy to weep when going through hard times, but it is unhealthy to empty all the tears in the weeping closet. Uncontrollable weep can lead to; confusion, lack of focus, chronic depression and spiritual separation from the Lord.

6. Rejoice

It may sound strange to you that the best way to get restoration from the Lord is to rejoice in times of trouble. Paul discovered the secret and he said to the Colossians: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church…” (Colossians 1:24)

7. Be Hopeful

Do not run to the Satanists, false Pastors or Prophets for solutions. Let your heart be filled with the promises of the Lord in the Bible and have a positive mind.

8. Fix the Humble Heart

The Lord tests the heart of His children. So, you would receive restoration from the Lord speedily if you pass the test of humility.

 

First Peter chapter 5 verse 6 and 7 says: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

9. Meditate the Word

Read the Bible on a higher frequency when you go through hard times. This process helps me in a great way. Your heavy heart would be relieved if you meditate on the Word of God every day and night. Restoration from the Lord has its basis from the word of God.

10. Prayers

I remembered a song that says:

“Prayer is the key] twice

Prayer is the master key

Jesus started with prayers and ended with prayers

Prayer is the master key.”

 

Psalm 55 verse 16 to 18 says: “As for me, I will call upon God, and the LORD shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many against me.”

The Lord is not wicked and He is a faithful God. The world is filled with evil due to the presence of Devil in it. Don’t be afraid, because your restoration comes from the Lord.

Abandon God? 10 Horrible Things that can happen!

Abandon God? 10 Horrible Things that can happen!

To abandon God is like sitting on the keg of gun powder which can explode when least expected. You might be going through some hard times you don’t expect… and you thought such unwanted circumstances shouldn’t have happened to you because of your Christian status. Sorry about that! But to abandon God is not a good option.

Many years ago, I abandoned Satan and gave my life to the LORD. HE promised me good wealth and some other attractive packages. Few years later, I did not enjoy any good wealth as promised by the Lord.

So, I abandoned God and chose to follow my way. I met some guys who introduced me into a trading business I know nothing about. The business plan was so attractive, and I thought in my heart that I will be a millionaire in a short time.

I whispered to myself that it is good to abandon God and handle life the way it pleases me…

I borrowed a total of 4,000 dollars from three different sources for the trading. After the transaction, I ran into a huge loss. I never knew that the river side I always go for recreation could ever be a place of suicide for me.

Two minutes to my suicide hour, I received a miraculous phone call that gave me hope to pay back the money I borrowed. The God I abandoned had mercy on me.

To abandon God is dangerous, destructive and deadly!!

What does it mean to Abandon God?

God is the Creator of all creations. HE is so great that you can’t know everything about HIM. To abandon God means:

1. Stop praying to HIM with faith.

2. Refusal to praise HIM with all your heart.

3. To become a hypocrite.

4. Falling in love with the things of the world.

5. No passion for personal Bible studies and

6. Disobedience to the Word of God.

To abandon God attracts the following troubles;

1. Rejection: Satan was an arch angel in Heaven before He abandoned God. The LORD rejected him and he was cast out of Heaven.

Revelation chapter 12 verses 9 says: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

2. Curses: The Pharisees and the Priest abandon God for their selfish interest and Jesus rained curses on them.

Matthew chapter 23 verse 13 says: “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”

3. Restlessness: The minds that abandon God can never enjoy peace, because God is Peace and Jesus is Prince of Peace.

Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 says: “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

4. Confusion: Uncertainty is the order of the day for those that abandon God. For example; the Atheist always gets confused in the deepest part of their heart.

5. Demotion: Anyone that rejects God cannot enjoy steady promotion in life. For instance, king Jehoahaz abandon God and he was pulled down from his throne.

Second Chronicles chapter 36 verse 2 and 3: “Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. Now the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem…”

6. Pay unbearable Price: Those that abandon God live a life with heavy burden.

Jesus called those who abandon God to change their mind.

Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 to 30 says: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

7. More Enemies: if you abandon God, your enemies would triumph over you.

First King chapter 11: “… So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice…

Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant…”

“Now the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom...”

8. Slavery: the victims would suffer emotional, physical and spiritual slavery.

Judges chapter 3 verses 8 says: “Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.

9. Insecurity: Nightmares, spiritual torments, theft cases, loss of job, and other similar terrible things are not far from those who abandon God.

10. Lost Salvation: those that are strongly determined to abandon God forever will lose the salvation of Jesus Christ and will automatically lose Heaven.

Hebrew chapter 6 verses 4 to 6 says: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

 

Please do not reject God despite any ‘disappointment’. The motivational Pastors always preach half-truth such as; “when you accept Christ there is enjoyment, money, food, shelter, Joy, Fruitfulness and all good things.” They don’t preach the other side of the coin.

Please don’t reject God if you experience ‘Suffering in Christ’:

Apostle Peter said: “But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” (1Peter 3:14).

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” (1Peter 3:17).

Suffer means endurance, so everything about Christianity is not rosy.

Don’t abandon God when you meet ‘tribulations’ on the pathway of Salvation:

Jesus says: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The motivational Pastors kept this bitter truth from you… sorry about that.

There is no circumstance of life that justifies rejecting God as your LORD and Savior.

21 Ways to Avoid Distraction during Prayer

21 Ways to Avoid Distraction during Prayer

Prayer is the communication between God and yourself. But, this process could be frustrated when there is a distraction.

I remembered the story of a father and his son, Jonnie. The father was making a crucial call with his boss, but Jonnie was hitting the table and making a childish noise.

His father got distracted, and hit Jonnie on the head as he continued the phone conversation. There was silence in the room, but when the Father was through with the phone call, he looked back and saw the fainted poor boy.

…Jonnie came back to life, but the father spent a lot of money in the hospital…

Distraction can be annoying, but you have to use the right ways to avoid it. Today’s message will focus more on the solutions to adopt for a prayer that is free of distraction.

  1. Satisfy your Hunger

If you don’t have the ability to hold your hunger, then it is not a sin to satisfy the hunger. A troublesome stomach is a distraction that must be put under control for your prayers to go smoothly to the Lord.

  1. Silence your Phone/computer

If you want to enjoy your communication with the LORD, then you have to disconnect communication with man. It is a game of distraction if you are expecting an important phone call or email while praying to God.

  1. Rent a Private Apartment

The private apartment of Jesus for prayers was the mountain top. Mark chapter 6 verses 45 to 46: “Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.”

Don’t use a noisy venue for prayers to avoid distraction. Locate a quiet place!

  1. Choose the Right Time

A good fellowship with the Lord requires a specific time. So, your right time for prayers is your free time.

For example, the free time for Jesus was in the night, because no distraction from the people could disturb his communication with the LORD.

No thumb rule for the number of hours. If your strength can’t pray for more than 30 minutes, then don’t force yourself for another minute else distraction could set-in.

  1. Know your Audience Factor

For instance, you might get distracted by someone speaking in tongues (without interpretation) beside you during church prayers. Then your audience factor for prayers at that time is zero.

However, if you find it impossible to pray alone, then your audience factor at such moment is greater than one. For example, Jesus experienced both audience factors as recorded in the book of Mark chapter 14 verses 33 to 35:

And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch

  1. Control your state of mind

Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23 says: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

  1. Singing

If you are praying and you got ‘stuck’, then start singing to the Lord. The act of singing eliminates distraction, and it is also a medium for prayers.

  1. Quote Scriptures

Before praying, read the Bible and jot down some helpful verses. When distraction attempts to show up in your prayers, pick your jotter and read the quotes you wrote. Then more prayer points would flow into your brain.

  1. Settle Dispute

You can’t suffer anger and enjoy your prayers- impossible! Thus, take away malice, anger or hostility from your heart. Unholy fear, anger and sadness are strong weapons of distraction.

  1. Discard Prayer Books

Reading prayers that was written by another man cannot make you enjoy a genuine communication with the Lord. I called this a third party prayer of distraction.

Don’t spend your money on prayer books or CD, it is not scriptural. Pastors and Bishops selling such books are only after your money. Open your mouth and pray directly to the Lord and not through prayer books. Jesus says: “Ask and it shall be given.”

  1. Speaking in tongues

Many pastors tell their congregation to always speak in tongues when they are short of words during prayers. Please, don’t fall into such trap.

When speaking in tongues is not originated by the Lord, it causes more harm and distraction. …who knows if the ‘formed’ speaking in tongues are curses from the demons…?

  1. Change Prayer Position

There is no scriptural rule on the right posture for prayers. So, you can kneel down for a while, stand up, sit down or lie down at intervals. For instance, I stand up to pray at night when sleepy distraction sets in.

  1. Fasting

If you have the strength to ‘arrest hunger’, then fasting is a tool that takes care of distractions related to food; how to prepare it or when to eat.

  1. Automatic Conversion

Make a good use of the automation attached to your senses. Convert all thoughts to prayer points. That settles the problem of thoughtful distractions during prayers.

Don’t analyze the thoughts else you get distracted. Once it drops into your heart, then convert it to a good prayer point.

  1. Close your eyes

It is not compulsory, but it works very well for me. I don’t see the lizard chasing after the grasshopper- an interesting distraction!

  1. Comfortable Environment

Prepare a comfortable environment for yourself. For instance, if you are not adaptable to heat and you go to the mountain in the afternoon to pray, then the harsh heat would distract your prayers.

  1. Light your Focus Candle

If you are not focused, then you will sleep off during prayers. You can avoid such distraction by setting your heart towards the goals you intend to achieve by speaking to the Lord.

  1. Open your inner Ear

Prayer is all about communication to the LORD. Thus, you are the encoder and God is the decoder. You will be distracted by your prayers if you don’t listen to the feedback from the LORD.

  1. Pray with Emotion

Feel free to express yourself before the Lord. The Lord is your Creator, He understands you very well. So, don’t be distracted by the way you intend to present your case before the Lord.

  1. Pray in Spirit and Truth

You won’t get distracted by any physical distraction if your spirit clings to the Spirit of God. Jesus says: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (not speaking in false tongues o!)

  1. Rebuke the Voice of the Devil

It is the work of the devil to distract Christians during prayers by saying “Are you sure God will hear you” whenever you hear such voice of distraction in your heart, rebuke it with the mighty name of Jesus and make your faith firm in the Lord.