When Faith Works

Waking up one beautiful Friday morning in 2015, I prepared for work, went to my car and started it; lo and behold it wouldn’t start. The next thing I did as a Jesus baby was to pray. I sat there and prayed but it still wouldn’t start. Does it mean God can’t cause a miracle? Well, as I sat there thinking, I was led to call the company that usually serviced our car.

I picked up my phone and put a call through to my husband to tell him what was happening and asked that he call them. They sent someone to my house. As they were checking everything checkable, I had the strong urge to pray. And I felt “Oh really? Right now? When I am supposed to open my eyes wide to see what they are doing?” Oh how faithless I was in the technician.

OK then! I prayed. But this time around, it was for God to help them find a solution to whatever the problem was and not create another problem. Cause them to be honest enough to tell me what the true problem was and not be like the typical mechanics.

Hmmm, God hears. God is always listening.

And then I wonder, how is it that He hears you and I and another, talking to him at the same time without mixing up our conversations? I know for sure that when both of my children are talking to me at the same time, I am like: left, right, left, right; trying to listen to both at the same time and even end up mixing it all up. But I digress.

They searched and narrowed it down to an electrical problem. He honestly told me, “Call the person who did what was then my problem because he knows exactly where it is. If we call our electrician, he would end up going in circles.”

Why this epistle? You may ask. Oh! She has come again. Oh yes I have. (Laughs)

Now, let us get to the good part.

  • We should know when to draw the line between Physical Problems and Spiritual Solutions.
  • We should know when it’s a miracle we are expecting and when we should prepare ourselves for it.

When you don’t know what you are fighting, how do you fight?

Sometimes, we have so much faith that we spend it on the wrong needs. I usually tell myself,

FAITH IS LIKE A CURRENCY. Know when to spend it and where. DON’T spend it for the wrong thing. DON’T spend it at the wrong place. You’ll only end up disappointed when you don’t get what you want.

In my case, I needed to call the mechanic first, then have faith in God to get a proper diagnosis from them.

Read through the stories of Jesus in Scriptures, everyone that got a miracle had a specific problem.

Find out what the exact problem is and ask for help. God sends help most of the times through your neighbour [fellow human beings]. God wouldn’t have come down to fix the problem for me… if HE did, I definitely wouldn’t be writing this.

God’s beautiful blessings to you.

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The Late Night Visit

How many of you have had to visit or have been visited by someone late in the night?

It leaves you curious as to why right?

We have been studying the book of John in our Bible Study Group and for some reason, my mind keeps going back to Chapter 3.

If you are wondering what’s in Chapter 3, it is a clear sign that you need to go open your Bible.

Let get into it.

‘Pastor’ Nicodemus waited for his fellow pastors and members to sleep first before he went visiting Jesus. Have you ever wondered why?

I want to believe that the other Pastors would have emotionally blackmailed him and the members would have gathered to discuss Pastor’s matter. So in a situation like this, the night visit had to happen.

Upon visiting Jesus, he admitted something all of them (his fellow pastors) knew but couldn’t admit because they did not want to ruin their pastoral reputation.

I particularly like the way The Message puts it:

“There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it.” Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to—to God’s kingdom.””

John 3:1-3 MSG

Now Jesus’ answer to Pastor Nico got the man very confused and he had to ask Jesus what He was talking about. Jesus went on to explain what He meant by being born again which wasn’t about being born again physically but spiritually.

This means, when you give your life to Christ, your Spirit is BORN AGAIN. Remember you are Spirit with a soul living in a body. And if you are Spirit, and your spirit is born again, you are born again.

Back to our story.

This conversation between Jesus and Pastor Nico would later show us that despite this Jewish leader been well read and well taught in “Seminary school,” he still didn’t know and understand; and Jesus had to explain to him using the wind as an illustration.

So many of us are like that, we hear and hear and hear but understand we do not.

We go to every church service and jump at every Amen, raise our hands to every worship, dance to every praise, volunteer for every meeting and attend every conference but still don’t know God for ourselves. Only what we are told by others.

A relationship with God far outweighs what you know or are taught by others. Acknowledging how little you know or don’t know at all is the first step to knowing and understanding.

Seeking to know more should be the next step. If you only know what your Pastor has said, you are missing out. This is because there is so much God wants you to know that He cannot tell your pastor. He is waiting to tell you.

So what needs to be done?

Seek Jesus! Like Pastor Nico, if you have to “sneak out late at night” when no eye is watching, do it.

The amazing thing is that you don’t have to visit anyone, just where you are, you will find Jesus.

It is my prayer that you get to know God for yourself because, He wants to have a relationship with you through His Holy Spirit.

Beautiful Blessings.

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Christian Marriages: Are there still godly ones?

Social media has been buzzing over the weekend here in this part of the world, on the increasing cases of domestic violence in Christian marriages and the deafening silence or “war-room” response in most churches on this matter. As a result of this, several people have come to say that no godly marriage exist and I do not blame them. I can understand why they’ll come to that conclusion.

Most Christian singles have also expressed their fear of going into marriage as they don’t know what lies ahead and let me say this. “I do not blame you. I would also be scared if there was this buzz around the time when I was preparing to get married.” Even now that I am married, I sometimes have this fear for my siblings and my children. So your fear is valid and it is your heart’s way of protecting you from the unknown.

This post is dedicated to the Christian singles contemplating marriage; but we married people can by the help of the Holy Spirit learn a thing or two.

A little background.

The topic of marriage is one I try to steer away from because it is a very sensitive one. Too sensitive because, aside from what we may know from either of the parties involved, what truly, really happens within each marriage is known IN FULL DETAILS to only the two parties. While Apostle Paul gave the instructions on marriage as one filled and led by the Holy Spirit; over time, we’ve come to see that Paul’s message on marriage, if followed as Christ followers (both husband and wife) has helped build godly and exemplary marriages and homes.

In marriage, you’ll come to understand and practicalize the commandment of God, “To love your neighbor as yourself.” Understanding that a neighbor is someone close to you.

Who is closest to you as a married person? Your spouse.

Now, LOVE is the foundation for every relationship including marriage but there are other factors that play a role in addition to love to keep the marriage going. Some of these factors include, understanding, tolerance, communication, kindness, prayers, the controversial word -submission- and so many more on the part of both partners. These, many non-Christians have come to understand and apply to their marriages and are thriving.

On the other hand, for us as Christians, we not only have LOVE as the foundation but also GOD. The problem with many Christians is that they just leave it at that. “I have God, my spouse has God, we love one another and that’s enough.” No. No. It is not enough.

Marriages have challenges even when God is there and love exist. It is the natural order of things.

This takes me back to the conversation between Jesus and His disciples when they asked Him to teach them how to pray in Matthew 6. In verse 13 of our popular King James Version, it reads, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” For the sake of this post, I am also quoting from The Message Version which reads; “Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge!”

This simply means we can change. Things around us can cause us to change. We should not think that it is only the devil we need deliverance from. We also need deliverance from ourselves. Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 – “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”

However, the next verse will answer this. “I, the Lord, search the minds and test the hearts of people. I treat each of them according to the way they live, according to what they do.” Do you see why we must pray for deliverance from temptation? Come to think of it, the idea to treat our spouse exactly how they treat us or in a bad way, is a temptation in itself which is not a sin. Doing it, that is, acting out that idea is what is sinful. So you see why we need to pray for such temptations not to come our way in the first place; and if it comes, deliverance from it.

In all of this, we clearly see that there will be challenges in every areas of our life (marriage inclusive) but we must pray for God’s deliverance. Either the wife or the husband can be faced with temptation. Not because they don’t have Christ but because temptation is common to man.

How do we go on in this marriage matter as Christians?

Remember this: Both of you are a team. And it’s you two against a whole lot. Never allow the devil make you see your spouse as the problem but instead, isolate the problem and face it as a team. For example, we have a wife who disciplines the children in a particular way and the husband has his own style. Both of them are faced with disciplining their child, instead of arguing and blaming the other for their method, they face the situation as a team, which is to discipline. They both sit down and communicate on the method of discipline to use as a team and each sticks to it.

Godly marriages exist and if we take a survey of these marriages, I am almost certain that you would hear that beyond God in their heart and at the center of it all, there is Love and there are other factors.

Finally, don’t measure your marriage with another person’s own. Watch, learn, be inspired but don’t copy or compare. Never stop praying for your spouse. Never stop praying for your spouse. How much you prayed before meeting him/her, should still be how much you pray for them after saying I do. Consistency is key. By God alone, I learned this early and God receives all the glory for this.

So to you my single ladies and guys, I am not going to say fear not. But I’ll say believe God who said “Fear not!” in Isaiah 41:10.

Beautiful Blessings.

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BIBLE STUDY SUPPORT GROUP IS LIVE

One of the things that made my 2021 different was the study of the Bible with the Holy Spirit. Feel free to read about it here.

After sharing this with you all last year, I was so excited to see so many show interest in the study of the Bible. The most beautiful thing about studying the Bible with others is that you get to discover more revelation on a scripture as it will vary from person to person.

And like going to a university and offering several courses, in a Bible study group, you learn from fellow believers and together we grow to be more and more like Jesus.

The link to subscribe to our Telegram channel is below. Click on it and get instant access.

Join Bible Study Telegram Channel

To enjoy this journey, I’ll recommend you get:

  • A journal
  • A Bible app with different versions (a Bible in preferred version is great)
  • A color pen or highlighter
  • A beautiful cup of tea or coffee (it just goes together with studying. haha)
  • An open heart
  • A purged heart (purge yourselves of every unscriptural things)
  • A broken spirit
  • An untainted love for God

See you there as we study the Bible together.

Beautiful Blessings.

A New Path called 2022

Happy New Year my Beautiful People. I believe it’s still okay to greet everyone even though the first month in the new year is already over.

All glory to God alone for his loving kindness and never ending mercies that we enjoy each new day. (Lamentation 3:22-23)

Wow… what a year 2022 has been so far.

I started the year waiting on the Lord and also attending a Faith conference and oh my, I can’t even begin to explain how I felt and still feel. When you see me now, I speak different because what I received during the conference did a 360 degree reset in me.

Now let’s talk about all the things God is set to do here in the Beautiful Life community. There are a line up of events set to start off and many to continue and some to resume back. For some reason, I am so excited and thankful for 2022. There’s been a lot of prophetic utterances and I am very sure that God alone will be glorified in our lives this year.

Sometime last year, just before our yearly challenge in 2021, I was challenged in my spirit to think about challenging mom to pray as well. So dads who are here, don’t think you are not called to pray, you are indeed as the priest and prophet of your home.

We are also starting a Bible study support channel this year and I am so happy many of you have shown great interest in subscribing.

This year, we would be discussing on topics from FAITH (Our main focus) to nutrition to career and business. We will also have some virtual hangouts for mom, singles, married and professionals. We will be doing all of these standing on the word from God for us for the year – Matthew 6:33

But FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANTLY seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

Upcoming events

  • March 1st, 2022 – Bible Study Support Channel on Telegram.
  • April 2022 – Beautiful Moms Virtual Hangout (Date TBC)
  • May 21st – 27th, 2022 – Beautiful Moms Prayer Challenge – Maiden edition
  • June 1st – 30th, 2022 – A Prayer and A Thanks a day

Kindly mark your calenders and let us make it a date.

In this year 2022, I pray that testimonies abound for you and your families. I also employ you to confess faith over doubt and draw from the mercies of God every waking date.

God bless you and much love.

Steps to study the Bible better in 2022

One of the highlights of my 2021 is the daily study of the Bible and the deep revelations I got.

Let me tell you this my beautiful friends, there’s nothing like studying the Bible with the Holy Spirit and Him revealing the mind of God to you.

Is the study of the Bible part of your goals for 2022? Then here are 7 steps to making it an indescribable experience.

Feel free to share this with friends and family members you’ll want to study the Bible together with in 2022.

Much love and beautiful blessings.

Day 12 – GRATEFUL for the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

Welcome to the last day on this prayer challenge.

It has been an honour to lead you beautiful women alongside my fellow sisters to prayer on the Holy Spirit during this challenge. While we didn’t get to cover all I would have wanted to, Thank God for opening our eyes to the Fruit of the Spirit that characterizes a believing wives’ life

Thank you all for joining in today.

Remain blessed and beautiful.

Day 11 – SELF CONTROL [able to marshal and direct our energies]

It is day 11 on this year’s beautiful wives prayer challenge. We thank the Lord for how far we have come seeking Him, befriending the Holy Spirit and also praying for a full manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit.

Today we get to see the last fruit of the Spirit and for me I see it as the “Main one.” This is because everyone can relate to it. Unbelievers know about it and while they exhibit theirs when they feel like, as believing women, our manifestation of this fruit of the Spirit is one we must exhibit on a daily basis not when the need calls for it. Now what is it? Self Control

Self-control is so easy to throw around but very difficult to practice. It is self control that would make you not respond in the same manner in which the other person is talking to you. It is self control that makes you not to buy that product even though you can afford it. It is self-control that’ll make you look away from that tub of ice cream. It is self control that keeps you going no matter the pressure to do something which is not sinful but may look sinful to a new believer. It is self-control that helps you stay loyal and faithful to your spouse.

Self control can be taught. It can be learned but It can only be sustained through the help of the Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, SELF-CONTROL. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

To put it in the best term, Oxford dictionary defines Self-control as “the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires, especially in a difficult situation.” You may call it discipline or restraint and you are right.

For example, you are trying to grab that woman’s hair for annoying you and you are able to keep your hands back in your pocket; or you have been asking your husband for money and he didn’t give you, only for you to see some money in his trouser’s pocket. Everything is telling you to take it but you restrain yourself from doing that.

Prayers

Find scriptures to guide you as you pray to manifest this fruit of the Spirit daily in your life. Please I encourage you to pray as this is more personal than communal.

  • For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]. – 2 Timothy 1:7
  • So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. – Romans 7:17-19
  • After all, God’s saving kindness  has appeared for the benefit of all people. It trains us to avoid ungodly lives filled with worldly desires so that we can live self-controlled, moral, and godly lives in this present world. – Titus 2:11-12
  • Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving] – James 1:19
  • Because you have these blessings, do all you can to add to your life these things: to your faith add goodness; to your goodness add knowledge; to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add patience; to your patience add devotion to God; to your devotion add kindness toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to this kindness add love. If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 1:5-8
  • But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them. – 2 Timothy 3:1-5
  • He who is slow to anger is better and more honorable than the mighty [soldier], and he who rules and controls his own spirit, than he who captures a city. – Proverbs 16:32

Reflection

What areas of your life do you need to practice self-restraint or discipline? How will you practice self-control in the days ahead? Will you be open to allow the Holy Spirit help you as you commit to this?

Tomorrow is the last day beautiful women. I hope to see you tomorrow as we bring this year end prayer challenge to a close.

God bless you.

All Scriptures are quoted from http://www.biblegateway.com