There are times in life when you feel trapped and there is no way ahead! It is a prison like experience. You can’t break the invisible but real iron bars and you cannot climb the oppresing walls. Then you need to pray with faith like never before! God hears the prayers of His children! Especially the desperate prayers of pain energized by faith. You need to receive the grace of a new beginning! Only God can grant that! May this grace be your portion!

This morning start a good new path of life. Pray to Abba Father! He will hear your cries, not matter how feeble! Change your mind set! Reject fear! Desire a holy life! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! That is the eternal powerful success story of all the children of God! Go to the Cross of Christ! Desire to die to the flesh, to refuse its begging deceitful cries and turn to God Almighty! Say NO to the devil! Do not be sorry for the devil! He is your enemy and can never become your friend! Read the Bible and pray daily! Chose to know God the Father, to love and serve Him. That is why Jesus died, to save your soul, that you may live eternally! Look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith! Then you shall live!

This is my prayer for you:
May the devil suffer, starve and shrink because of you!
May the Kingdom of God benefit, increase, shine, become richer and stronger because of you!
May God smile over you because of the godly choices you shall make starting from today!
Give God all the glory for this new beginning of grace!
You can do it! In Jesus’ name,
Amen!

Some people asked me what to do in times like these. First of all, trust God! Look unto Jesus! He is your Helper in times of need! That is the KEY! Read your Bible daily and pray! Worship God (play worship music on your phone or radio). Stay calm and be joyful! Be wise! Encourage others! Listen to your pastors. Obey their counsel! Fear not! This plague has come TO PASS! Have hope! The future is better than the present!

These are some medical and common sense guidelines: Wash your hands with (Dettol) soap and water as often as possible. Keep a little container with bleach by your sink. Dip your hands there often. Bleach kills this C-virus instantly. Do not shake hands with others and do not hug. Avoid going close to people (2 meters in between). Do not visit people and do not allow others to visit you inside your house. If anybody comes to visit you (friends or relatives) go and meet the person outside where there is fresh air blowing. Talk as little as possible. The rest of the discussion is on the phone. Tell them that for now, they cannot come inside your house. That is your doctor’s advice. (Call my name if you need to. I am a medical Doctor: Dr (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh). Safety first! Do not spend money for non-essential things. For now, buy only food, medicine and credit for your phone. Live a simple life! Humble yourself! You will discover the blessings of a simpler life! If you buy stuff thru the internet, or somebody brings things to you, leave these gifts outside the door for at least one hour. The virus will die outside. Use bleach on your door handles and on anything like plastic, metal etc. You can also use the hot air from a hair dryer on any material or fabrics you buy and where you cannot use bleach.

Keep this in mind: This C-virus is very sensitive to heat. Do not complain about the heat outside. I believe it is a blanket of grace upon Nigeria. Every evening do ‘steam inhalation’. Breathe thru your nose and thru your mouth! The hot air kills the virus on your face, in your mouth, throat and nose. To the hot water you can add mentholatum, ginger roots, mint leaves (or tea bags), lemon grass or ‘dogoyaro’ leaves (the best of all). Any one of these is good. You can also combine them. You do it once a day, every evening before you go to sleep. No virus will be able to survive on your face! It is a simple and not expensive method but very efficient! This is my advice to you as a doctor and mother! God bless you all! It is well!

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus… Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained” (2Tim 2:1, 8, 9)
My desire is to encourage you thru the Word of God. This encouragement never fails. As believers in Christ, we focus not on the outward circumstances, we focus not on ourselves, but on The Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God ‘made flesh and dwelling among us’ (Jn 1:14). The Word of God is profitable always, but especially now, when there is so much anxiety in the world, because of this epidemy with C-Virus. My advice is that you read and retain the Word of God. Read your Bible daily. Pray for understanding. The Word of God is food for the soul and living water for the spirit. It will make you strong, wise and happy.
Listen to this story: Apostle Paul was in chains, in prison. He could not come out and preach. Writing from his cell, he said that the Word of God can never be chained by men or demons. He who was in prison was encouraging others who were free! This is the truth: The Word of God has no limitation; no barrier and it bows to none. “God’s word is not chained (bound or imprisoned)” (2Tim 2:9). Just think of this: Paul was in prison in Rome, on the death row. He was waiting to be called anytime to be put to death. Why? Because he was preaching the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. He was telling the people of Rome that the Caesar (their king) is not God, as he claimed to be, he is only a mortal man. He was telling the people that Jesus Christ is God. Paul said: ‘stop worshiping Caesar and worship only Jesus!’. He told them that Jesus died for their sins. Jesus died once and for all. Jesus will never die but He will come back again to judge all men! In Him, we become a new creation, we have eternal life! In Him we lose all our fears and all our guilt. In Him we find peace with God and our real identity. Because he was preaching these words, the Romans decided to put him to death. Preaching truth was his offence. That is why they said that he is ‘an evildoer, a criminal’. Afraid that he will lose his worshippers, in 64 AD, Emperor Nero condemned him to death!
(Three years later, the city of Rome burnt down, and thousands of people died in the fire. I am not saying there is any connection between these two events, but this is confirmed history).
It is said that they did not want to kill him in the city so that the Christians will not revolt. So, the Roman soldiers took him from his cell in Rome and carried him outside the city, to a place along the road that goes to Ostia (the city used as the port of Rome). It was a busy road. Because he was a Roman citizen, they did not disgrace him, by killing him thru crucifixion. By law, a Roman citizen was to be beheaded for a quick and painless death. Tradition says that they tied Paul to a pillar and a soldier beheaded him. They said that his head fell of his body and bounced three times on the ground. On each spot, a spring of water came out. A rich Christian woman called Lucina, took his body and buried him on her land at that very place. Later, a church was built on top of the place where Paul was martyred. It is called “The Church of Saint Paul at the Three Fountains” (Chiesa del martirio di San Paolo alle Tre Fontane, in Italian). It is one of the oldest churches in Rome. The three springs of water flow till today.
On a busy road, without any brethren around, this is how the great Apostle Paul died. But his life is not a tragedy. He wrote more than three quarters of the New Testament. These are the Books that Apostle Paul wrote: The Books of Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and possibly Hebrews. Two thousand years have passed since the great Apostle died. But his words can never die. Millions of people got saved by reading these books. His words can never be chained. Who remembers the words of Emperor Nero, the proud and coward king? But we all read the words of Paul and get encouraged by them. Even today! I encourage you to read, memorize and quote the Word of God. Because of circumstances, you may have to stay inside your house. But the Word of God is like a dove than no hunter can trap, and no king can kill. May the Word of God set you free! Praise the Living God!
(My husband and I visited the cell, of The Mamertine Prison in Rome, where Apostle Paul was imprisoned before he was killed. In the first picture: I took this picture myself: The prison cell where Apostle Paul stayed in Rome. It is from this place underground that he wrote many of his epistles. On the floor there is a hole from where water springs forth supernaturally (it is said that God provided water for the baptism of many of the poisoners who became saved there. The second picture shows “The Church of Saint Paul at the Three Fountains”, outside Rome, built on the place where Paul was martyred. In the third picture, inside the church you see the pillar where they tied Paul to be beheaded)

I hope that you are not tired of celebrations. We pray for more reasons to rejoice, especially in times like these. Ok, this is a good reason to praise God once more: Our youngest daughter, Jemine Leigh Oakes was born this day, some years ago… (I will not tell you her age). She was born at a time when we had a lot of financial problems. We were young, just coming from Europe. We worked as medical doctors in Nigeria. We trusted some bad people and we lost all our money. When Jemine was born, we were living in Warri, Nigeria. In fact, we could not afford to go to a private clinic. I delivered her at home, in the living room. Her dad, who is a doctor, delivered me that early morning at about 5 am. Her arrival into this world came with a flood of blessings. People came to visit us and gave us gifts and money. They encouraged us to start afresh. That is how we started Lily Clinic!

From her first breath, Jemine had a melody in her voice. She was beautiful, bold and confident. She was a ‘Warri Girl’. She loved singing and dramatizing. I still remember one day, a musician told us: ‘do you know that your daughter can sing? Really sing?’ Her father and I were surprised. We did not take her seriously. But it was true. She had a good voice and a good musical ear. She also had a good memory (she could remember the words of many songs and the exact key to play the tunes).

She became born again as a teenager. She is a woman of faith! She prayed to marry a man of God and she did! She married dear Matthew Oakes. They have two sons: Olver and Emory.

In the past, I had some inferiority complexes about my work and ministry as a mother. But today, looking at our children and grandchildren, I have to admit that God blessed us beyond any dream I ever had. I am a proud mother! God bless you, Jemine! With the blessings of Christ! You are a child of Covenant! Whoever blesses you is blessed!

(I use Jemine as a godly point of contact to bless all of your children! In Jesus’ name!)

(In this video clip, Jemine worshipping God at her church in Woodlands, near Houston, Tx).

Today is my birthday. To God be all the glory! This is how @66 looks like. When I was young this age looked like an eternity. I had no imagination for myself, of how I will be and what will I do at 66. But here I am, stepping into the mystery called ‘old age’. Like with any age, there are challenges and there are blessings. I lost some of my physical strength but I gained much more patience and wisdom! My heart is now established! Heaven is sure! I lost my fears, I abandoned my desire to prove something to any man! I killed all my inferiority complexes concerning my looks. I have stopped competing with people for positions or visibility credits! By the grace of God, I am who God made me to be! I love God’s creation and art work in me!
As a woman of God, wife, mother, grandmother and pastor, I love who God made me to be! I am God’s work, beautifully made for His glory! I used to be shy in public, but not anymore! This is my secret: I am filled to overflow with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Resurrection Power that scatters cages of limitations and graves of shame. I am a wonder to myself! Praise the Lord! Seasons come and seasons go but God never changes! The love and the presence of Jesus Christ, my Savior, is more precious to me as I get older. And that is all that matter! Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes. God bless you all!
(My husband took this photo recently in our garden in Warri/ Effurun, Nigeria where we live).

It is not enough to have the knowledge; it is not enough to say that you believe; you need to prove your faith with works following! Like an orange tree produces oranges by itself, so faith and life produce the fruit of the Spirit that none can deny!
Souls are hungry for the reality found in Christ alone! Not religion and fake smiles, but true love that never fails!

Do you feel the hunger of people around you? Then supply the hope of the Gospel to them and lives will change, nations will change… to the glory of God!

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them!” (Jn 13:17)

“Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him… Do not be misled (deceived), my beloved brethren” (Jam 1:12, 16 AMP)

The greatest danger for a believer is to ‘fall in the middle of temptation’, to fail the test of true love, to become infatuated with lust for the world and to betray God and His purpose for your life. Do not ignore the danger to compromise your faith during difficult times! The devil wants you to replace love with lust. That is a spiritual demotion of destiny. Love is a champion. Like a lion, love is a leader and fears nothing. True love never fails any test to remain faithful to its lover. But lust is a loser and a coward. Lust deceives many, pretending to be love. Lust is ‘fake love’ and can only succeed in the heart of them that betray the best. Lust fails all tests to prove its worth. Lust is destroyed in the trial. All who indulged in lust end up regretting it! Lust is a criminal that comes to you with a rose in the hand and a gun in the pocket. Do not be deceived dear brethren! The word ‘deceive’ means to be misled, to wander, to go astray, far from truth, virtue and safety. Lust is an impostor, a wicked unmerciful leader of the blind, taking them into the pit of shame. Indulging in lust is already backsliding.

Child of God! Repent and come back to the Cross, to the God of the Bible! Even if you have failed the test, you are still alive, so there is hope for restoration! Do not be deceived and chose to dwell in sin! Do not settle in the mud of shame! Remember Jesus Christ Crucified! Come home! Are you hearing me?

“Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever” (Dan 12:3)

I live in Nigeria. I am a pastor here. Our children live in Texas. So, I am involved in two worlds. Over here, people ‘worry’ about so many little things (food, paying rent, school fees …) that they have no more time or energy to worry about the big things (like coronavirus, crashing markets…). Both small and big worries are like poisonous weeds trying to choke the Word to make it barren. I have learned to jealously guard my ‘quiet moments’ with God and His Word. I willingly and joyfully pay a great price to be able to build up my intimacy with the Holy Spirit. I cut off anything that does not give glory to God or does not edify my spirit. I am out of touch with ‘the breaking news’ of the world. I am out of fashion with the latest political tweet or the ‘gist’ of any Hollywood star.
I furiously uprooted the evil spirit called ‘busybody’. I chose to be filled with the Holy Spirit! This radical attitude has become my safe heaven. No fears! No worries! I am not in touch with so many fancy things in the world. The things of God give me so much pleasure and strength that I can never trade them for anything. As the sky gets darker, so the stars shine brighter. I want to be a star men see and acknowledge that there is a God! Praise the Lord

“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand…” (Ps 31:14, 15)

The Bible is filled with examples of delay. Abraham waited 25 years for the son he was promised by God. Sold into slavery, Joseph spent over 20 years in Egypt before being reunited with his brothers. The Israelites waited 400 years for liberation from bondage, then spent 40 more years wandering in the desert. Anointed by Samuel, David had to wait another 20 years or so before ascending to the throne.

For me, waiting was a very hard lesson to learn. I never knew that I was so impatient until I was told to wait. This impatience manifested as a turning of my ‘belly’… I will become easily distracted.. and even rude when I was waiting… The Holy Spirit had to do deep surgery in my heart. The result is wonderful. I now ‘love’ to wait. “Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end…” (Dan 12:12). The word ‘blessed’ in Hebrew and in Greek means to be happy, worthy to be congratulated. These days I don’t wait for men to acknowledge my spiritual efforts… I congratulate myself for being happy as I wait for God to move on my behalf. When I was impatient, my life became very short. I will jump over so many precious moments, desiring to see only the success at the end of a waiting boring fearful tunnel. But since I have been delivered from this demon of impatience I now love to wait…It is a miracle! I gladly number my days to gain a heart of wisdom.. I have time to admire the color of the grass (it is of different shades of green)… I give myself space to look around and see peoples’ eyes… I find ways to help the helpless… In between cooking the soup and washing the dishes, I am able to squeeze a freshly baked poem… even the salad is sweeter… Tomorrow smiles at me (it used to bully me with anxious things unknown)… My English is getting better… My heart is softer…

Waiting has increased my faith for I know that the Holy Spirit is with me… when things seem stagnant, I am not alone… I stand still I know that He who waits with me, is the Lord! And that is all that matters! Praise the Lord!

“Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up [to Him] and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but [only] one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10:38-42)
This is my question: Have you found this blessed spot at Jesus’ feet? Are your eyes gazing uninterrupted at His lovely face? Or are you still distracted by many things, trying to please all men, trying to control everything around you? Have you disciplined your ears to desire to listen only to the Word of God? Has your soul found rest under His gentle yoke of learning the Word? Is your heart trained to abide in His presence, to desire nothing else, for as long as the Teacher is speaking? Are you able to obey His command: ‘Be still and know that I am God’! You say that you are busy… that you do useful many things for the ministry… I am not saying that ministry is bad… But, do you ever stop and think about just pleasing the Lover of your soul? I know that you give offerings and you help the poor… I agree with you, it is a good thing to do… but, do you ever stop and think that your Master may need something… maybe a cup of water… something that only true love can offer? You say that life is short, therefore you must enjoy it… you take care of your family… people say that you are a responsible woman… that is good! But, do you ever stop and think that there is a way to bring a smile on Your Teacher’s lips? I know that you are busy, active and committed in the church… people see and greet you well… but do you ever stop and think of Him who died on the Cross that you and your family may live?
As for me, against all odds, after much stumbling, I finally found that place… my heart, my feet, they could not rest from seeking until I found that blessed spot… men have pushed me aside and prayed against my passion… men laughed at my longing and pointed at other things to do… But the Lord of my sister Mary became my Lord also… He called me heavenwards and revealed that space prepared and preserved for me alone. I seat at His feet. I seat with Him in heavenly places! Throughout my spiritual journey, He encouraged, defended and covered me. The truth is that I have never seen a Man like Jesus. He speaks mysteries to my spirit and my heart melts at the sound of His voice. He who holds the stars in His hand, holds my breath and my soul forever… The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want! What can man do to me? Nothing! For I am safe forever! I fear nothing except to grieve Him by my doubts, restlessness and foolishness. I have found peace and joy… this is my hidden treasure… this is my testimony! My spot at His feet is secure forever… His seal is there… His oil has marked round about! My name is stamped on that holy ground and none can erase it… From the words of His mouth, I share with you all… In the presence of my enemies, He calls me to His personal banqueting table… I observe that men stare at something close to the ceiling. Surprised, I too look above and see: His banner over me reads: “FOREVER LOVE”! Nothing compares with this! I found love! Better said, LOVE has found me! Abiding in His presence, I live! “To worship You I live!” Glory!

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering” (Rom 12:1; TM)
This week my husband and I celebrate 46 years of marriage. This is my simple advice for the younger wives: be grateful to God for the gift of marriage! Many wives confuse spirituality with practicality. They feel that taking care of the home is not very spiritual. They feel used and misused. They develop inferiority complexes. They think that preaching in the pulpit or singing solo in the worship team are the only signs proving that they are women of God. That is not true! The Bible teaches us that there is a practical side to being spiritual and a spiritual side of being practical. For example, as a wife, I pray for my husband and our children. This is clearly a spiritual work. But cooking good meals for my husband is also a spiritual work, highly rewarded by God! When I fry the tomatoes and pepper for the Nigerian stew (as you know, it takes a long time, you need to be patient so it will not get burnt…) I play worship music on my radio and I pray. Cooking in the presence of the Holy Spirit makes me happy and the stew will be tasty. I never feel that my work in the kitchen is a low class type of ministry. Cooking tasty food for my husband is a practical expression of my spirituality and a demonstration of God’s grace to him, thru my kitchen ministry! Like pepper and salt, prayer and cooking they go together! What God had joined together, please do not separate! (You can smile now!) Glory to God!

“Nothing brings me greater happiness than to hear that my children are obeying the truth” (3 Jn 1:4)

I rejoice with all who share with me about the good things The Holy Spirit is doing in their lives and hearts. But my greatest joy is to see how my spiritual children grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! Please read the following testimony. It is from a sister in Christ. She is a godly wife and mother. She is hard working but her shop had to close down. We prayed and asked God for wisdom. I told her to go back to her foundation as a Christian. I told her that as a point of contact she should attend the Foundation School in the Church. And she should pray for a fresh filling with the Holy Spirit. She obeyed this simple advice. Immediately she finished the Foundation School, she was baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire. I am a witness. Now, the Lord is free to bless her in a greater measure including the work of her hands. By faith, we say, it is well! Jesus is Lord!

“Dear Malia,
I was baptized again in the Holy Spirit last Saturday prophetic class, to the glory of the Lord!! Right after I graduated from the Foundation School on Monday . I see that the Lord wanted to do something in my life. It’s like a new beginning for me. I enjoyed every class and looked forward to Mondays. I realized while attending, that we are never too mature to re-learn the basics of our Christianity. I’m also grateful for all the seasoned teachers in the ministry. They were wonderful! Thank you Malia! I bless the name of the Lord!
Your daughter…”

“For with God nothing will be impossible… Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Lk 1:37, 45)

Child of God, have you heard people say: “God will not give you more than what you can handle”? Sorry to disappoint you! But this is a lie! This idea is not Biblical. It is man’s wisdom! Just think of this: If God will give you only things you can ‘handle’, then you will start to trust in yourself! You will become a god to yourself. Your money will become your angels. Your friends who counsel you will become your idols. But God is jealous! He will not allow you to control your life! Only God is God! When no man can help and no ‘prayer kit’ works, God will intervene and you shall know that He alone is God!

So, what is the truth? According to the Bible and my own experience, God will give you MORE than you can handle!!! Why? So that you run to Him!!! Troubles push you to the Cross! All trials have a purpose! To give glory to God and to increase your faith! In everything, give thanks always! True faith gets mature during impossible circumstances, when you don’t know what to do; when you do not know what to pray for! Faith in the God of the Bible gets established and starts to shine like gold that passed thru the fire, when the whole world is against you and all you have is Jesus Christ! You and Jesus are the holy majority! You can ‘vote’ the devil out of your life! True faith grows, makes roots and fruits, when the only hope you have is God Almighty and His promises! During hard times, do not waste the opportunity to build your faith in God! It is the most precious currency you have. It works in good times and in bad times. It works in America and it works in Nigeria!

When you go to your office, you work for a salary. Men pay you a salary! But money cannot buy faith!!! When you need a miracle, it is only faith that will connect you with the supernatural provision! Faith bypasses the human wisdom and the power of money. Faith is heavenly approved! Faith is in a class of its own. Nothing will be impossible for you when with all your heart, you trust in God! Is your life hard today? Do not pray just for healing or money! Pray for only two things: divine wisdom and greater faith. Reject doubt, foolishness and fear! Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Trust in God! This is the ‘recipe’ for miracles and victory! Hard times do not last forever! The Word of God that encourages you lasts forever! Come back with a fresh testimony! I wait for you! Jesus Christ is the Lord!

“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” (Ex 13:17)

In the Book of Exodus, after God brought His people out of Egypt, He led them thru a longer route because they were not ready to fight. The Philistines blocked the shorter path. God knew that is they face war they will run back to Egypt. That means they will cancel their deliverance by going back into bondage. What foolishness! Anyway, that was long ago. But even today, things are the same. Many Christians refuse to pay the price for spiritual maturity. They do not exercise how to pray successfully. They choose to remain ‘baby Christians’. Of course, children do not go to war. So, they decide to remain children. That is why they do not experience breakthrough and victory on a regular basis. This is the truth: Salvation is free because Jesus paid the price for it. But after you become born again, you must pay the price for spiritual growth! You must pay the price for each answer to your prayers, for each dream you want to come true. You need to learn how to stand in the victory purchased by Christ. You need to learn how to use the whole armor of God. You need to learn how to persevere in battle until the victory is yours.

Child of God, remember! God is with you! Christ is in you! God can never be on the side of that witch who is attacking you. God can never encourage or help a wicked man (or a woman) who takes delight in tempting you to backslide. God is on your side! If you learn how to pray warfare prayers, God will lead you thru shorter paths and your progress will be faster. Why waste time? Redeem it! One of the ways to redeem time and lost opportunities, is to pray warfare prayers until you possess your possessions! This is maturity! This is fruitful testimony! To the glory of God! Jesus is Lord!

“Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other. Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.” So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice” (1Kg 3:24-28)
Divine wisdom will establish you as a man (woman) of God! People will fear your God and gladly submit to you. This is true leadership; not thru manipulation or display of wealth. But by the power of the Holy Spirit! This is a wonderful story! Two women fighting over a baby. Try to imagine that! Solomon was faced with a major dilemma. His decision would affect not only these two mothers but the child as well. What if he made the wrong decision and gave the child to the wrong mother? How could he possibly know what to do? God gave Solomon the wisdom he had asked for and with this wisdom, Solomon did an amazing thing.
Imagine the tenseness of the moment. A newborn child laid before Solomon and he calls for a sword. Who in their right mind would bring a sword near a baby? Then he commanded one of his soldiers to cut the child in half and divide it between the two mothers. Why did Solomon do this? Was he out of his mind? He knew the women’s response would reveal the child’s identity. In the presence of life and death, all men drop their hypocrisy. Before the hour of death, men may deceive themselves and others. The power of ‘419’ works when death is not around. But once death looks you face to face, truth comes out. I am a doctor and I have seen this again and again. Dying people become honest and are ready to repent and change. This is the truth!
Solomon never intended to kill the child. He only wanted to see how the women would respond. He knew that there was no way the true mother would let her child be killed. Though giving up her son was painful, she was willing to do so if it meant saving his life. But the mother whose child had died responded differently. “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.” Her insensitivity to the child’s well-being revealed that she was not the real mother.
As I consider this story about Solomon’s wisdom, I see something else that is very important. The wisdom he received from God gave him great confidence and courage. He needed that to be a king. He was a young man and inexperienced in the politics of the royal chambers. But he prayed for wisdom and God granted him that. It was wisdom that he used to rule as a king among men. Wisdom is not sold in the market. Wisdom comes from God!
What is the lesson for us? Pray that God will give you His wisdom so that you see all things thru His perspective. Then, you will never be intimidated by the strength of others. Human eyes and ears can easily deceive. No school on earth teaches you how to overcome all fears and obstacles. It has to be the Holy Spirit! Remember that wisdom is applied knowledge. You need to know the Word of God so that the Holy Spirit helps you to apply it in practical living! All efforts invested in the study of the Bible and prayer shall be rewarded with a higher level of authority, faith, confidence and courage! May it be so to you! In Jesus’ name! This is my prayer for you this morning!

This is one of the thrones of Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. This throne is more than 4000 years old. It was made of acacia wood covered with gold. I took this picture inside the Egypt Museum of History in Cairo.

“Like Joseph, in Christ, I declare that I am fruitful vine. My enemies have failed to destroy me. Their poisonous envy, criminal anger and wicked bitterness have failed to uproot me. My roots are too deep for them, holding to the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ, my Lord! I drink daily from the well of life. It is the secret of my ever-growing strength. No matter the seasons of life, during rain or drought, I continue to grow in knowledge and in grace. I never stop producing sweet fragrant blooms of joy and mature fruitful faith of the Holy Spirit. The branches of my influence run over the wall of limitation and oppression. My enemies surrounded me with their hatred. But by the power of the Holy Spirit, I overflow with wisdom and strength. Victory is mine! My children will be stronger than me. We shall bless nations!
According to the blueprint in heaven, I am a success story. Angels in training come closer to me to study the miracle change, from an earth crawling worm called ‘A nobody’ to a free colored butterfly of resurrection life. I serve the God called “Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Light shining in the darkness!” My boasting is not imitation. It is not a man invented song! It is grace speaking! I have been commanded to do it! For the glory of the King of kings! The Blessings of heaven above and of the deep of the earth are mine! The name Joseph means “Divine Multiplication”. The blessings of the breasts and the womb are mine. I am a mother in Zion! My children, natural and spiritual shall possess the gates of their enemies! When they open a door, no enemy can shut it. When they shut a door, none can push it open! The blessings of the everlasting hills are mine. The gold and the diamonds inside the hills, the riches stored in secret places, are hidden from the eyes of common man. But not from my eyes. That wealth is mine to find and use! I can never fail! hearing the trumpet of triumph, I can only move forward! From faith to faith I follow! From grace to grace I grow! I have done everything required! Therefore, I stand! This is my story! This is my song! In Jesus’ name! Amen!” (Gen 49:22-26)

The geographical centre of London is called ‘The Charing Cross’. It is a major junction where six roads meet. From that junction you can find your way to any place in London. Originally, there was a humble stone cross there. In the 17th century, the Parliament gave an order for the humble cross to be destroyed and be replaced with a much more artistic monument befitting the great city of London. But the name ‘The Charing Cross’ could not be erased.
This is a true story: A little boy was once lost and a policeman, wiping away his tears, asked if he can take him home. The boy replied: ‘Oh, no, Sir! Take me to the cross and from there, I will find my way home!’
Like this boy, let this be our prayer: ‘Holy Spirit, take me to the Cross! Help me to see Christ Crucified and Resurrected!’ For that is the way home to God!
(In the picture: The Charing Cross junction in London, UK)

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Lk 18:1-8)

Some prayers are answered immediately. Some are answered after a long time. As a general rule, we have a tendency to think that God is too slow in responding to our requests. It takes spiritual maturity to trust God without complaining for the timing and the modality of answer to our prayer. The cross has done its deep work and the heart has been circumcised by Christ for the man to remain joyful and grateful under the burden of yet unanswered prayers. The danger is that we get impatient, restless, lazy or passive spiritually; become deceived about the value of prayer and decide to stop it. This is called spiritual ‘fainting’, a major hindrance to a successful prayer life. Once you chose to give up prayer, what is left is just wishful thinking that things may change one day. You lose the active faith to push forward and expect an answer to your request made long ago.
Let’s look at the word ‘to give up’. What does it mean? In Greek the word means to fail, to faint in the heart, to become weak and wicked, to harm yourself and others thru doubt and rebellion. The same word is defined to abandon an action because of despair of success. The man becomes a coward; he fails and betrays his destiny when he estimates that the miracle has become impossible even for God to perform. For example, he chooses to believe that the sickness is incurable, and God is not available or able to heal his body. He accepts and declares defeat without waiting for the final hour when God judges and rewards according to each man’s work. This spiritual fainting is worldly sorrow and a symbol of death. By choosing to stop prayer, a man abandons the desire to see a miraculous change in his circumstances and he aborts his dream. The choice to stop prayer is the silent but sure signal of backsliding. Selah! Prayer keeps faith burning! Faith keeps prayer burning!

We see that ‘to give up’ means to surrender to failure, to discontinue a good work or to resign. It is a matter of control. Like the man who commits suicide just to prove that he is in charge of his life. Spiritually speaking it means to deliberate chose to allow the enemy to take over your position of standing before the throne. You surrender your blessing of communion with God to another with no possibility of resuming it in the future. What a tragedy to stop the prayer of faith! What a great loss!
The opposite is to hold on, to abide, to dwell in the same place of waiting without interruptions. In other words, pray until something happens (‘PUSH’). It is a great dishonor to God to give up prayer because of circumstances that look contrary to the expected miracle. This is a great revelation! The devil does not care if we start a prayer request; he does not care if we join the line of waiting before the throne. But later he comes to persuade that we have waited too long and he offers himself to stand in our place. Satan is a thief and a fake ‘intercessor’. He desires to take over your place of blessings! Be careful! The pressure from the enemy will increase as you get closer to the moment when the prayer will be manifested in the natural realm. Then pray like the widow: ‘Lord – grant me justice against my adversary!’ Pray for the justice of your cause as you continue to give glory to God! Jesus is giving us a warning here not to be fools. Do not abandon the place of waiting which will eventually become the place of testimony, blessing and miracles!

Our Lord urges restless continued prayer! What then, is the position of the Church? That of a widow whose only weapon is incessant prayer. It is only by means of this intense concentration that faith will be preserved.

‘Dear Lord Jesus, please strengthen me today, by Your Spirit, to continue to pray, until I see results, or I see Your face…Amen!’

This is the story of a godly man named Francis. He was born in Assisi, a small city near Rome. His father was a rich business man. He had a store selling silk fabrics. Francis was handsome and spoiled. He loved beautiful clothes and parties. He has many friends. One day he became very sick and he almost died. He said that a voice told him to go and ‘repair My church’. He said it was Jesus who talked to him. He pledged to God that if he was healed, he will obey. God healed him. He went to a small church that was falling down. He sold his horse and his expensive clothes to raise money to repair the church. He made a vow to live a poor life and use all his wealth to serve God. This is how he got converted! His father dragged him to his house and beat him to forget his vow. He refused. His father then threw him on the streets and dis-inherited him as a son. He went to live in the church that he repaired. He dressed with a rough garment and lived by the mercy of others. Many people believed in his ministry and became his disciples. Francis’s humility was such that he never became a priest. Coming from someone whose order attracted thousands of people within its first ten years, this is humility indeed!
After renouncing his wealth, St. Francis founded one of the most famous religious orders, the Franciscans. The Franciscans lived an austere life of poverty in service to others following Jesus’s example, and preached the Gospel message all over Italy and other parts of Europe. He died at the age of 44, sick in his body but rejoicing in his spirit. After his death, he was made ‘a saint’ by the Pope. He is the Patron saint of Italy.
The Prayer of St. Francis is one of the best known and best loved prayers in the world today.
“Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
In Jesus’ name! Amen!”
(This is a painting of Francis of Assis, done by Lodovico Cardi)

This is a story of grace. It is about a man called Louis Zamperini (1917-2014). He was an angry criminal youth who grew up in Torrance, California. He loved sports. He was freed from the life of crime and poverty by his success in athletics. In 1936 he competed in the Olympic games, finishing 8th in the 5000 meters race. He was looking forward to the 1940 Games where he hoped to win the gold medal. Then, the II World War started and stopped those dreams. Soon, he was flying bomber planes over the Pacific Ocean. After many dangerous missions as a war pilot, his plane went down off the Marshall Islands in 1943. Adrift on a raft for seven weeks, Louis and two of his colleagues barely survived. When one of them died, Louis prayed and asked God for mercy, to rescue him, promising to serve Him is he got home alive. He did survive. He was rescued by the Japanese, who were the enemies. For two years he was tortured in a Japanese prison, subject to near starvation and savage brutality. But Louis was set free again, this time by the US troops. He returned home to California as a hero. The city airport was named after him, in his honor. Soon, he married the girl of his dreams. He received a lot of money as compensation. But he was haunted by the memory of his suffering in the Japan prison. He hated all the Japanese. He wasted all his money on get rich schemes. He drowned his pain with alcohol. His marriage was almost ruined. Bitterness was holding him captive. His freedom was only an illusion.
In 1949 a neighbor invited him to a Billy Graham crusade. Louis refused to attend. But his wife went and came back saying that she is now born again. She begged him to come the next day. He promised her to come just once. When Billy Graham preached that ‘all have sinned and come short of the glory of God’ (Rom 3:3) he got angry and ran away from the crusade. But he could not sleep. He became restless. The Holy Spirit convicted him of sin. He saw that all his achievements as an athlete or as a soldier cannot save him from hell. He could not buy peace of mind with money. At last, he humbled himself before God and surrendered his life to Christ. In 1950 he finally went back to Japan to face his former tormentors. Preaching at the very prison where he suffered so much, Louis told them that only Christ sets free from sin, emptiness, folly, anger, hatred and bitterness. He told them that because of Jesus who died on the Cross for him, he forgave all his enemies. Some of the Japanese officials believed and became saved.
Louis, his wife and their children became members of the First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood, California. He started a ministry for troubled youths, helping them to live good lives. Many found Christ thru his ministry. He told them that he could have died many times, but God kept him for His purpose. He lived a long blessed life. From sin to grace, torment to joy, anger to forgiveness, hatred to love, wasted talents to an abundant fruitful life, Jesus has set him free indeed! “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” (Jn 8:36)
(In the pictures, you see Louis Zamperini, when he was young and when he was old)