Leadership Calls for Discipline

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

One of the hallmarks of leadership is discipline; the ability to subject certain desires, needs and wants to the goals of leadership. A leader should be able to subject certain needs, desires and wants to the goals of providing leadership.

Jesus Christ came to planet earth to manifest God as well as reconcile lost humanity to God as well as show humanity the way to the Father. To do this successfully, Jesus Christ subjected himself to great personal discipline. The Bible records that He humbled Himself to take on human flesh and though God; Jesus Christ subjected Himself to God and died on the cross, carrying the sins of estranged and lost humanity in order to reconcile humans back to God. As painful and shameful as that death on the cross was (considering that Jesus prayed about it in pains); He still went ahead to the cross so the will of God for Him and humanity would be done. To God alone be all the glory. Jesus Christ is indeed Lord.

Secondly, the Bible also records that Jesus Christ rose a great while before dawn to pray, significantly not even in His house but in the wilderness – solitary places where he could be alone with God; where He would not be distracted and He could be alone with God. He also chose the right time of the day when no one would be looking for Him or He would have people milling around Him to be attended to. Jesus sure knew how to invest time but such time investment calls for great discipline. The early hours of the day, especially what the Bible describes as a great while before dawn are actually the hours when sleep, I mean real physical sleep is really sweet. I can confidently say this because I love sleep. I really love to sleep but I am learning to like sleep because too much sleep is not good for anyone. I pray that God will help me to sleep when I should sleep and be awake when I should be awake in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

For Jesus Christ to sacrifice sleep at that time of the day is a pointer to how disciplined He was. Also, the fact that He went to solitary places speaks of far greater discipline, the discipline to separate Himself from the crowd to invest time to achieve God’s highest plans and purposes for both His life and humanity.

Speak Healing to the Nations

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

And now I commend you to God [placing you in His protective, loving care] and [I commend you] to the word of His grace [the counsel and promises of His unmerited favor]. His grace is able to build you up and to give you the [rightful] inheritance among all those who are sanctified [that is, among those who are set apart for God’s purpose—all believers]. Acts 20:32 Amplified Bible (AMP)

“Now I’m turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends. Acts 20:32 The Message (MSG)

Take conscious deliberate steps to ALWAYS be a blessing to humanity through the words you speak or write. This is because words whether spoken or written are powerful and make huge impacts on people. If your words impact people positively, then you are a city set on a hill which cannot be hidden.

The Bible describes pleasant words as health to the bones because pleasant words are like a honeycomb which brings sweetness to the soul. Please see Proverbs Chapter 16 verse 24. You can be used greatly of God to bring healing to the world by and with words you speak. Please read 1^st Corinthians Chapter 12 verse 9, Proverbs Chapters 15 verses 30, 2, 7 and 12 verse 18, Revelation Chapter 22 verses 1 to 2, Ezekiel Chapter 47 verses 1 to 2.

Words which bring comfort, peace, edification, exhortation and encouragement have the capacity to bring healing to wounded hearts and hurting people. Please read Romans Chapter 10 verse 15, Isaiah Chapters 52 verses 7 to 9, 50 verses 4 to 5, and 61 verses 1 to 4; Luke Chapter 4 verses 17 to 19. Proclaim good news, good tidings, such as the word of God and the attendant benefits of the word of God so that the hearts of people who hear you will be guided by the word of God. Additionally, considering that the word of God has the capacity to build people up and give them an inheritance among the saints, you would have raised an army, a very great one for God through your utterances and writings. Acts Chapter 20 verse 32, Isaiah Chapters 52 verses 7 to 9.

Therefore, speak to the strengths of people. When you speak to the strengths of people especially by the Spirit of God, you inspire them to be who God created them be. This is because they are stirred up spiritually, mentally and physically to achieve. They also get to believe in God and themselves and their self esteem is heightened to be the best God created them to be. Gideon is a classic biblical example. Referred to as the mighty man of valor whom God was with; Gideon with the help of the Holy Spirit progressively became a warlord who defeated the Midianites and ended their oppression of Israel.

The Significance of Prayer

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Jesus Christ gave believers a prayer template. Please read Matthew Chapter 6 verses 5 to 15 and Luke Chapter 11 verses 1 to 4.

For healing – James chapter 5 verses 13 to 18, 19 to 20, 2^nd Kings Chapter 6.

To ask for forgiveness of sins – Psalm 51, Nehemiah chapter 1 , Ezra Chapters 8 verses 21 to 23, 10, Daniel Chapter 9, Exodus Chapter 32 verses 30 to 35, 1^st Samuel Chapter 7, note verse 6, 2^nd Chronicles Chapter 33 verses 12 to 19, 1^st John Chapter 1 verses 8 to 10.

To give thanks and praise as well as worship and adoration to God; for Who He is, His loving kindness and faithfulness to humanity.

To reverse evil situations and evil descendancies  - 1^st Chronicles Chapter 4 verses 9 to 10, 2^nd Kings Chapter 2 verses 19 to 22, Acts Chapter 12, Esther Chapter 4 verses 16 to 17.

Prayer is diligent work. Jesus Christ often withdrew into the wilderness to pray. He even spent a whole night in prayers, about twelve hours. This speaks of focus and concentration, to be alone for that length of time praying, undisturbed and  not distracted. Also, Jesus’ choice of prayer time as well as prayer venue is very strategic and instructive. He woke up early in the morning; before daylight to pray. This is very significant and instructive.

He chose the very early hours of the day to start off the day in the Presence of God as well as avoid distractions and being disturbed; solitary places, again to avoid distraction. This means that prayer is a regular activity. It is not a one off activity.  Please read Luke Chapters 5 verse 16, 6 verse 12, Mark Chapter 1 verse 35. The Bible counsels to continue steadfastly in prayer in Romans chapter 12 verse 12 as well continue earnestly in Colossians Chapter 4 verse 2 and to labor fervently in prayers in Colossians Chapter 4 verse 12.

What to pray about is also significant, in point of fact very significant. The will of God should always be prayed for and about. Please read 1^st John Chapters 5 verses 14 to 15, 3 verses 22 to 24, Ephesians Chapter 5 verses 17 to 18, Romans Chapter 12 verses 1 to 2. The how and content can be found in Luke Chapter 18 verses 9 to 14.

There is a difference between called to pray and driven to pray. Called to pray is a calling in which prayer is a way of life. It is the norm for the person called to pray to always pray irrespective of what the circumstances are. S/he prays because prayer is a fellowship between the person and God. In such instances, prayer topics and prayer items are usually determined and decided by God. That is to say that prayer items are the needs of God, dropped in the heart of the person who prays. S/he therefore prays the will and needs of God.

Godly Leadership and National Development 2

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Godly leadership always fosters prosperity in a land. Please read 2^nd Kings Chapters 18 to 20, 2^nd Chronicles Chapters 29 to 32, Isaiah Chapters 36 to 38, 39 verse 2. Hezekiah’s godly leadership brought about spiritual and economic prosperity in Judah.

Trust in God brings the Presence of God into a person’s life and when the Presence of God is in anyone’s life, the prosperity of God manifested in abundance in every area of life surrounds the person. King Hezekiah of Judah is a classic example. The Presence of God in his life occasioned by his trust in God brought prosperity in his life. The Bible records that he prospered wherever he went – God gave him resounding victory over supposedly militarily stronger nations such as Assyria, Philistia,. He enjoyed divine healing from a supposedly terminal ailment and was wealthy – he owned great material resources and money, he also prayed for His people and the Bible records that God listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. Please read 2^nd Chronicles Chapter 30 verses 17 to 19.

Hezekiah loved God and always did what was right in the sight of God. He opened the doors of the house of the Lord that were closed and repaired them. He repented of the sins of their fathers and restored the true worship of God in Israel. Please read 2^nd Chronicles Chapters 29 to 30. Tithes were paid, all kinds of offerings were given and the people of Judah gathered to worship the Lord. Please read 2^nd Chronicles Chapter 31 verses 4 to 12.

Arise from Slumber 2

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Valuable Lessons from Two Prostitutes – 1^st Kings Chapter 3 verses 16 to 28

They were both prostitutes, the trade they chose for themselves.

They both lived in the same house where they probably practiced their trade. In the course of time, they both got pregnant and they both had sons – three days apart. The mother of the living baby was the first to have a child and three days later, her house or roommate also had a son. Great women, great job because they took to caring for their sons despite not having husbands or live in partners. Their love of motherhood and care for their sons is highly commendable.

However, both women had terrible weaknesses. They loved sleep, real deep sleep; probably the type of sleep described by the Psalmist in psalm 13 verse 3, and the writer of Proverbs in Proverbs Chapters 6 verses 4 to 10, 24 verses 30 to 34.

Unfortunately, this great love of sleep cost one of the prostitutes a great loss – the death of her son. She slept so deep that she lay on her son and crushed the baby to death with her weight. Beloved, sleep is refreshing and wonderful for anyone and much so for women who have just given birth so that their bodies can recuperate fast from the rigors of carrying the foetus for nine months; and the travail of childbirth as well as the accompanying blood loss. However, every woman has just given birth to a baby sleeps with one eye open and two ears wide open. Why? Because the baby needs care and could cry for food and attention at any point in time. Even women who share beds with their husbands do not travel in sleep because they have a baby to look after. But these two young women, alone with their babies really slept deep. You may say only one of them did, the one who lay on her baby. But I beg to disagree. The two of them slept deep. How?

The woman with the dead baby must have been startled out from sleep by whatever or she probably got tired of sleeping. But for whatever reason, she woke up in the middle of the night as narrated by the mother of the living baby who was fast asleep. Immediately the mother of the dead baby realized that she had crushed her son to death because of deep sleep, she became wide awake and quickly strategized. She exchanged the babies; her dead son for the living son of the first woman who was still fast asleep. And while these was happening, the first woman who is also the mother of the living baby was fast asleep. She did not hear a sound, not even the sound of her baby being moved from her side and a dead one dropped by her sides. Some sleep, if you ask me!

Beloved, my prayer is that God in His infinite mercy will deliver His children from the sleep which makes them unaware of the plans and activities of the enemy targeted at destroying them or creating havoc in their lives.

The second woman had lost a son while the first woman was about to lose her son. Fortunately, certain characteristics in the life of the first woman coupled with the wise and sound judgment by King Solomon saved her son and helped her.

The first woman was observant. She knew the specific features of her baby and thus knew that the dead baby was not hers. Otherwise, she would never have gone to the King. She would have taken the dead child as hers and resigned herself to fate. But the knowledge she had of her son’s physical features gained from careful observation made her go to the King. After probably arguing with the second woman to no avail, she took the matter to the King for judgment.

Secondly, the first woman had compassion and that was what eventually helped in deciding the case. The second woman did not care about who owned the living baby as she assented to the King’s decision to cut the living baby in two halves as the two women could each have a piece of the baby. But the first woman could not stand and watch her living baby cut in pieces; and eventual death. So she begged the King to give the living baby to the second woman who was adamant that the living baby should be cut in two. The King then realized that the first woman was the mother of the living baby and ruled that the baby be given to its real mother. God bless discerning King Solomon.

But there are apt lessons to be learnt from this story. It may be about prostitutes but there are life lessons worthy of anyone’s attention including nations. While sleep is good and needful, too much of it, too deep a sleep can result in great losses.

Arise from Slumber

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Sleep is good. This is because the human body is divinely designed to rest, heal and rejuvenate during sleep, albeit quality sleeps devoid of worries, anxiety, fears and probably nightmares. However, too much sleep is not good for the body just as too little sleep or lack of sleep is not good for the body.

Significantly, sleep is not just physical. There is also spiritual sleep, a situation where a person goes to sleep spiritually. That is to say that you relax your spiritual oars, no Bible reading and study, no fervent prayers, no waiting on God, no praise and worship sessions, no evangelism, you are complacent, laid back, lackadaisical and non chalant about your Christian life and you even take sin for granted. Beloved, this is a dangerous spiritual state that if left to slide further can spell disaster.

The Bible records that a young man named Eutychus  was overcome by sleep and fell from the third story of the building to the ground floor. Quite instructive is the fact that Eutychus was at a deeply spiritual meeting – the Apostle Paul was leaving Troas for good the following day. So he decided to speak to the believers there as well as break bread with them. It was in the midst of this meeting that Eutychus chose to sleep and even as he sank into deep sleep, it did not occur to him to leave the window sill where he was sitting to a less dangerous place to sleep in; or better still, stand up and walk around to shake off the sleep. He slept on till sleep took the better part of him and he fell down dead.

Fortunately and to the glory of God, the Apostle Paul was used by God to minister life to him and he was brought back to life.

Beloved, spiritual sleep is dangerous and should not be toyed with. It is actually a satanic tool and trap with which the enemy plants thorns and thistles in the lives of the children of God. Please read Matthew Chapter 13 verses 24 to 30, Proverbs Chapters 24 verses 30 to 34, 6 verses 4 to 11, 10 verse 5. It is also the sleep of death, death to a new life in Christ Jesus. Please read Psalm 13 verse 3. It is a snare that should be avoided at all costs as it brings unpalatable consequences and is a harbinger of negative circumstances such as the great poverty which came upon the young man devoid of understanding in Proverbs chapter 24 who left his vineyard to go to seed because of his lack of control over sleep.

Communicate Success to Heal the Nations

Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha

Avoid the use of negatives. As much as possible, use positives anytime you communicate whether it is verbal or non verbal communication. People generally flock to people who speak and act positively and; avoid people who speak and act negatively. That explains why motivational speakers and preachers attract large audiences. Nobody likes to hear or see negative things. Only people who enjoy negativity, people who do not see any bright side to life would want to see or hear that. However, it is significant to note that depressed people who hear and see positive things become transformed. This implies that positive communication brings about healing and positive transformation. Please see Proverbs Chapter 15 verse 30.

A person’s tone also communicates success.  A gentle tone for instance reflects the peace, love and compassion of God in the heart of a person. On the other hand, a harsh tone, to a large extent is a reflection of the inner turmoil of the heart – envy, anger, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, and refusal to forgive. Sarcasm is a manifestation of spite, envy, resentment, jealousy and hatred. It is intended to hurt, wound a person, group of persons, and organizations with words and tone. A sarcastic person never sees good in other people. Therefore s/he does not want the happiness of other people and will always deliberately choose sarcasm as a way of speech. Both words and tone reflect the anger and resentment in the person’s spirit and mind. Such people do not communicate success.

A vengeful and vindictive person is likely to always communicates judgment and evil from God because a vengeful and vindictive person always want people who have offended him or her to pay for what they done. Such people usually have no room in their hearts for forgiveness and letting go. Their communication often creates fear, worry and anxiety. On the other hand, e a very compassionate and forgiving person communicates mercy, forgiveness, grace, abundance, creativity and wealth; success, miracles and a healthy reverence and respect of and for God. Such communication frees up people to heal internally and externally in addition to help them become creative by the Spirit of God. It is not surprising that most judgmental people are vengeful and vindictive especially when they keep harping on judgment.