Pray Without Ceasing

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Prayer is a command from God to believers. Please see Luke Chapter 18 verses 1 to 8, 2 verses 36 to 38 and 1^st Thessalonians Chapter 5 verse 18, and Ephesians Chapter 6 verse 18. It is also a platform for making our requests to God.

The content of prayers is very important to God. I am sure that explains why Jesus Christ gave the Church a prayer template in Matthew Chapter 6 verses 5 to 15, Luke Chapter 11 verses 1 to 4 so that believers are not misguided when praying especially so when they are praying against people who hurt them, offended them and made them angry. Nowhere in the Bible did Jesus say that believers should pray against their enemies; asking them to die, be destroyed, or their properties destroyed. Also, the prayer template does not give room for self righteousness as in the case of the two men – the Pharisee and the tax collector who Jesus Christ described in Luke Chapter 18 verses 9 to 14. Jesus Christ commended the tax collector who humbly asked God for mercy.

Why Pray

God answers prayer. The Bible is replete with instances of the people of God praying to God and God in turn responding positively to their prayers. Additionally, God said so in His word. Please see Matthew Chapter 7 verse 7, Luke Chapter 18 verses 1 to 8, and Jeremiah Chapter 33 verse 3. The early Church prayed without ceasing in spite of the fact that the Apostle Peter was already on death row. God intervened and Peter was miraculously released from prison by an angel of God. Please read Acts Chapter 12 for details. Prophet Elijah prayed for the son of the widow of Zarephath and the young man came back to life. Please read 1^st Kings Chapter 17 verses 17 to 24. He also prayed for rain after a long period of drought in Israel. God honored his prayer and there was a heavy downpour. Please read 1^st Kings Chapter 18. The prophet Elisha prayed and the dead son of the woman of Shunem was brought back to life. Please read 2^nd Kings Chapter 4 verses 15 to 37.

Big Dreams, Great Visions, PROPHESY to Heal the Nations 2

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Isaiah’s Vision

Prior to the encounter with God after the death of King Uzziah, Isaiah’s vision of God was blurred. So also was his ministry as it centered around the court. Additionally, Isaiah was probably a self righteous person who did not realize that he was a man of unclean lips who lived among a people of unclean lips – people who had no fear of God and carried on as if the Holy God of Israel did not see their evil. But all that came to an end when Isaiah saw the Lord significantly so after the death of Uzziah.

Isaiah’s vision of the Holy God of Israel surrounded by indescribable light and angels opened Isaiah’s eyes and understanding to the dimension of the great filth he and his people were in. Isaiah was both awed and afraid – a filthy sinner like him had encountered holiness and pure light. Significantly and this is quite instructive, Isaiah acknowledged his filthiness before the Holy God. Subsequently, his unclean lips were purged and cleansed of iniquity so that those same lips; cleansed and sanctified for the Master’s use could be deployed for kingdom purposes.

Healing the Nations Campfire 2018

Glory be to God. It is Healing the Nations Campfire 2018. 

This year's edition of  Healing the Nations Campfire promises to be awesome as God is about to do great things in the nations of the world.He is bringing about restoration in diverse area, restoring His order in the nations and ensuring mighty deliverance for His people; not by might nor by power but His Spirit, the Spirit of grace and supplication, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and is resident in you, who has a relationship with God. 

Please be part of the train. Shalom. God bless you. 

Big Dreams, Great Visions, PROPHESY to Heal the Nations 1

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Dreams and visions which are born of God and based on the word of God and also rooted in God are elastic. They can be stretched to whatever dimensions God wants them stretched to. Please read Genesis Chapter 13 verses 14 to 15 (as far as you can see); Isaiah Chapter 54 verses 2 to 3; Genesis Chapter 28 verses 13 to 15; Deuteronomy Chapter 33 verse 23; Joshua Chapter 17 verses 16 to 18.

Abraham’s Vision

Visualize the scope, expand your horizon, stretch your imagination.

Abraham’s vision was occasioned by the words God spoke to him – the journey to the land of promise coupled with the blessings attached to the obedience to that move from Haran. Abram alongside his father and other family members had embarked on the journey to Canaan but stopped at Haran where Abram eventually settled. Please read Genesis Chapter 11 verses 27 to 32. But at the appointed time, God spoke to Abram concerning moving permanently to Canaan in Genesis Chapter 12 verses 1 to 8. Significant and quite instructive is that Abram obeyed God and commenced movement to Canaan immediately. But the parts of Canaan Abram arrived at were not uninhabited land.

Writing to Heal the Nations 2

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Books are not written in a day though it is possible to have a draft of a book in a day depending on the size or scope of the book. A book can start as a letter which graduates into a series of letters which eventually culminate in a book or books which make up a book of books, for instance the letters of Apostle Paul to some of the Churches he planted which culminated in the Pauline epistles in the New Testament in the Bible.

King Solomon for instance commenced his writing career by speaking – the Bible records that he spoke three thousand proverbs while his songs were one thousand and five. Everything he spoke was documented, some by himself, and others by court scribes and they were handed down to succeeding generations as the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Songs of Songs. Please read 1^st Kings Chapter 4 verses 31 to 34, Ecclesiastes Chapter 12 verses 9 to 10. The Bible records that he chose his words carefully while speaking and writing. He chose words that would point people in the right direction in life. The fact that some of the writings of King Solomon were done by court scribes implies that the author of  a book may not necessarily be the writer of the book as the writer may be a conduit or channel for documenting the person’s ideas, thought processes, speeches, prophecies, messages etc. Baruch also wrote for the prophet Jeremiah.

Writing to Heal the Nations

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Writers are divinely designed to bring God’s love, healing and transformation to nations and peoples. The place of writers in healing the nations is significant as writers ordained by God to heal the nations with their writings are divinely tasked to write to impact humanity positively. The prophet Jeremiah wrote to instruct the Israelites to obey God, ignore the false prophets and the lies they told. Jeremiah encouraged the people to go to exile in Babylon and be fruitful while in exile. He also told them that exile in Babylon was not permanent as God would set them free and bring them back to Jerusalem after seventy years. The basis of Jeremiah’s prophecy, documented informed Daniel’s intercession for the release of Israel from Babylonian captivity. Please read Daniel Chapter 9 verses 1 to 5, and Jeremiah Chapter 29.  The Apostle Paul, John the Beloved, Moses and Habakkuk wrote to instruct believers and nations on how to live holy lives that would ensure peace and development in the nations. John the Beloved was instructed to write his visions in book for onward transmission to the seven Churches in Asia. Please read,  Revelation Chapter  1 verses 10 to 20, please note verses 11 and 19; Habakkuk Chapter 2 verses 1 to 3, Luke Chapter 1 verses 1 to 4, Acts Chapter 1 verses 1 to 20, Jude 3, 1^st Corinthians Chapter 10 verses 1 to 11.

This implies that God uses writing as a tool to fulfill divine purpose and impact lives. Therefore, writing to impact lives positively in order to improve and enhance the quality of lives of people to bring about positive transformation in their lives as well as be a blessing to humanity is great writing that should be hugely encouraged. This is because the benefits of such writing are immense. To start with, your writing enriches the mental processes of your constituency as they engage with the life transforming words, issues and subjects written about. Their enriched mental processes birth divine ideas which are again filtered through other quality life transforming books they mentally engage with or even produce.

Beloved, does your writing inspire, motivate people to rise up to their divine potentials and heights in life? Does your writing encourage people out of depression, stir them to challenge whatever limits them or is trying to put limits on them so that they can be who God created them to be? Does your writing provide guidance, direction, to guide people in the paths of righteousness and holy living? Does your writing inspire confidence and faith in God so that people believe and trust in God and subsequently have confidence in themselves based on their understanding of God’s love to them; God’s divine deposits in them to excel and soar?

GRACE

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood” Galatians Chapter verses 15 and 16.

 “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Ephesians Chapter 4 verse 7.”

The grace of God which is always sufficient also empowers the recipients’ of God’s grace to live holy and sanctified lives. The principles for living holy lives are not in the stratosphere. They are in the word of God, which a diligent search will give to you and the grace of God will empower to live holy to the glory of God. Ask God for the grace today.

God invested His grace in Paul and that grace was not in vain. It was used for the plans and purposes of God to glorify the name of God. Please see 1^st Corinthians Chapter 15 verses 1 to 11. The Apostle Paul abounded in grace. The grace of God in your life should be used to advance the kingdom of God. Ministry is about labor – the grace of God in your life is to enable you to labor in the kingdom of God and for the kingdom of God; for the establishment of His plans and purposes.

Do you really deserve such love and uncommon favor, bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, so that you will be free of all the ills the enemy threw at you? If yes, then take advantage of the great grace of God to you. The unmerited favor of God to you should never be taken for granted. God in His infinite mercy chose to grant you grace in spite of your trespasses. This grace is sufficient for everything you could ever ask for in life. 

Give Thanks to the Lord

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. 4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. 5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. 7 who made the great lights— His love endures forever. 8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. 9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. 10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever. 11 and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. 12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.