IT'S GOOD KNOWING THAT YOU'RE NOT ALONE.

Have you ever had a sense of companionship with the devine source of your being? A source that not only knows you intimately but also cares for you as well.
    Jesus spoke about God as father not to perpetuate the image of a patriarchal power chain so much as to imply a birthing from, a presence of nurturing and intense watchfulness, a deep pride of creation. An immutable connection. Love.
       As much as i appreciate the power we each have within ourselves to create our destinies, i cannot escape the notion that above us hovers a benevolent, all knowing, and intensely kind-full presence ..... a personality of good.
I cannot be comfortable by the thought of some vast neutral overseer that regards me as merely a speck of light on a diamond-studded ocean, nor will i put my hopes, faith and trust in a god who doesn't talk back to me. As much as i desire & cherish my freedom and  pride myself in being an independent soul, capable to stretch my wings, i still want to know that someone is watching and cares about every move i make. I want a God who knows my middle name.
Jesus had this sense of life. In fact, if you looked at what drove him-especially on his darker days-it was his desire to please his father .....a desire to return to this very intense and personal embrace again. God invites us to join the movement, the swaying, the feeling of being in harmony with something larger than ourselves.
  "It is a rare group that can stand linked arm in arm in a circle & not begin to sway. "
  Author Lewis Thomas in his book "THE LIVES OF A CELL" informs us that all of earlier is continually humming ....... that even earthworms make drumming sounds, and termites hit a staccato note that no one can find reason for even after years of observation.
Jesus head the humming, too. He said the rocks and the trees can sing-that they will do so & have been. All of this for one simple reason: "WE ARE NOT ALONE"
Jesus knew he was not alone & we should as Christians too, know that we are not alone!
Olu Akpata (Zûr).

IGNORE THE HOLDUP & HOLD-ON!

A quick errand takes two hours because of unexpected traffic, an important letter gets lost in the mail, a long awaited job promotion goes to a less-experienced co-worker. When unexpected delays frustrate our plans, we sometimes want to make things happen. We also may start to question God or completely give up on our goals.
     This delaying process, however, can be part of God's discipline. He wants our desires to be motivated by the prodding & empowering of the  holy spirit, not by our own efforts or our need for significance and achievement.
An angel reminded Zerubbabel to look to God's spirit, not his own resources, to build the temple.  God promised to remove the obstacles, to bless his work and complete it. Zerubbabel was then faced with the challenge to trust God's words to him and to accept his timing & ways to accomplish this task.
  How do you respond when your plans are delayed? Can we learn something from Zerubbabel's example? I pray, that as from this day, may we begin to trust more in  Jehovah, accepting his timing and ways so that we can accomplish any task and fulfill our purpose here on earth IJN. Amen.
-Olu Akpata (Zûr)
www.prayerlinez.blogspot.com

DIALOGUE WITH GOD

"I talk to Jesus everyday," I responded to this elderly pastor from my local church 8 years back (Pst. Dada. CAC.), trying to show this gentle, prayerful man of God that i have a relationship with the Lord.
"Young man, he said to me: millions of people talk to their gods every day. What I'll like to know is, does your God talk back to you? " startled, i had to think before i realized that God had indeed spoken to me many times.
The fact that our God speaks to us and encourages us to dialogue with him is what makes our relationship with him so different & special. God didn't intended that our prayer life be a one-way communication, with a list of requests from us or orders from him. One of the most important aspects of our prayer life is the need to discipline ourselves to listen.
         We see this in Moses who went to speak "with God," not to him! (Exodus 33:11) observes that God spoke to Moses "as a man speaks with his friend." In a dialogue of friendship we take time with each other, sharing openly & listening carefully. Dialogue with God can include any topic. He's concerned with whatever concerns us.
  When we pray, don't let's spend all the time talking. Let us take time to listen to the Lord as well.
-Olu Akpata (Zûr)
www.prayerlinez.blogspot.com

BREAKING CHAINS OF INJUSTICE.

God's throne is established on justice and righteousness (Psalm89:14). He hates injustice, and he's called us to intercede in prayer as the way to break the chains of injustice. Whether we're praying for impoverished families in the US, political prisoners in Asia, xenophobic, rape & abused women in south Africa or oppressed Christians in nations where the Bible is banned, we are agreeing with God'swill when we pray for justice.
  In 1982, children in a Christian school in southern California were learning how to pray for nations in turmoil. They began by praying for the release of Lech Walesa, the imprisoned of Poland's solidarity trade union.
Thousands of people worldwide were also praying for Walesa, who was eventually freed by Communist authorities and went on to become president of Poland in the nations first Democratic elections. Needless to say that, a similar case was that of Madiba (Nelson Mandela) in South Africa in 1994. Those southern California  children and all the children of Africa as well, saw that their prayers can make a direct difference in the  history of a nation.
        Praying against injustice takes persistence -it may take months or even years before we see a breakthrough. But Jehovah is faithful. He always brings justice to those who cry out to him
What area of injustice can you respond against in your prayer?
Olu Akpata(Zûr)
www.prayerlinez. blogspot.com

AMAZING UNBELIEF

Jesus had returned to teach in his hometown of Nazareth, but this was no "welcome home" party. He longed to bless the people & yo preach the good news. But they took offense at one of their own, a carpenter, appearing with disciples and a message from God. Jesus would gladly have reached out with miraculous power to those who needed his healing touch but he could not. Certainly there was no lack of power or love on jesus' part, but the unbelief of the people held back the power of God.
      One of the greatest hindrances to the  holy spirit functioning in power today is unbelief--those situations where individuals, families, churches, towns, nations and cultures reject God's purpose for themselves and doubt the word of God. In such an atmosphere, the fire of the holy spirit is put out. Conversely, in the atmosphere of faith, miracles can & still do happen!
  Think about some situation in your life where you lack faith. Ask Jehovah to forgive your unbelief and help you to take steps of faith.
Olu Akpata (Zûr)
www.prayerlinez.blogspot.com

GOING DEEP WITH GOD.

God invites us to come and drink deeply-to plunge in and stay deep in the flow of his life-sustaining spirit. This is the living water Jesus was referring to when he said: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him"(John 7:37). Now that the holy spirit resides in the temple of our hearts, we can expect this living water to flow out from us in order to refresh others.
     As we seek to know God through our personal devotions, we must not be afraid to yield ourselves fully to the holy spirit. As we receive his fûllness, we will be spiritually nourished and bear spiritual fruit that is a source of healing for others.
    Don't just observe this river of waters, or tests its depth with your feet. Immerse yourself fully in it, allow the holy spirit to lead you deeper into God's life-giving water.
    I fervently pray today, that each and every one of us will be a source of that fruit bearing, sickness healing, yoke breaking living water IJN. Amen.
    -Olu Akpata(Zûr)
www.prayerlinez.blogspot.com

EXPOSING OUR DARK SECRETS!

Idolatry today is more subtle and self-deceptive than in Jeremiah's time. Our "god " can be a friend, our self-image, our home or even our work for God. Whenever we constantly obey a need instead of God's spirit, we create an idol.
   Because we depend so often on our idols for security and comfort, our hearts don't easily give them up. Emotions like fear, envy,  jealousy and the like are often indicators that an idol in our hearts  is being threatened.
              A senior colleague of mine offered  these questions at a workshop to help us identify personal idols. I find them very rewarding if, they're sincerely applied:
* Who am i trying to please?
* What needs am i trying to meet?
* What insecurities do i pamper?
* What rewards am i seeking?
* What fears am i fleeing?
* With whom do i compete?
* What guilt am i covering?
* When is there enough?
     The holy spirit is eager to expose and free us from idolatry and self-deception. We simply need to be willing. Let us invite the holy spirit to expose any idol in our hearts as we honestly answer the questions posed above.
  Don't be afraid!  He wants to set us free!