
ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOUNG (BUT TRUE) BELIEVERS


“In the same way Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost” (Matt 18:14)
If you try to ‘save’ one thousand people in the same time, you may end up frustrated, tired, and depressed. If you remain focused, looking unto Jesus, doing only what you see Him do, then you will be able to save one ‘little’ soul at a time. Ministry is a source of discouragement for the proud but a source of great encouragement for the humble. What a wonderful Savior! Humble King! My Lord Jesus Christ!
In Christ I declare:
I am lead by the Spirit! I will seek and find a needy soul and bring peace to him! I do not discriminate anyone, for Christ does not discriminate! I shall seek God and the interests of His kingdom! I shall not seek success for success sake! I leave my ideas of success at the altar! I shall not despise the day of little beginnings and little encounters! I shall be grateful for everything, every day!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen!

(in the picture: Oliver, very happy meeting his little brother Emory David Oakes… these are our beautiful grandchildren)

“I know that I can make it!
I know that I can stand!
No matter what may come my way…
My life is in Your hands! Jesus!”
“Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God Himself will fight for you.” (Deut 3:22)

“Give us today our daily bread…” (Matt 6:11)
Bread is basic. Bread is food. Bread is life. There is natural bread and spiritual bread. We have to humble ourselves to pray for bread on the table. We can never graduate from the level of this request. This prayer is not for the homeless sleeping under the bridge. It is for us all. Jesus commands us to ask daily for the provision of food. Each time I see a slice of bread (white or brown, dry or soft) I should see a point of contact with heaven and a fresh reason to worship God, the Provider of all good things. Jesus did not say pray for cake or for salad. Just for bread! Do not pray for ‘my bread’ but for ‘our bread,’ enough to supply the needs of the family and for all who do not believe in prayer but want food to eat. God always gives more than we ask. He is the most generous Person.
If I eat bread without prayer and without gratefulness I am a thief. If the thief is caught, he is to pay seven times more; sometimes this may mean all his property in his house. The lesson is that without prayer for daily bread, without acknowledging God as your ‘Bread Winner’ you are in serious danger of sudden poverty (PV 6: 30, 31). Let us make a good habit to pray and never take food for granted. Especially the bread!!! The crumbs under the table healed a stranger’s daughter from an incurable disease! (Matt 15: 21-28). Bread of Life, I worship You!
In Christ I declare:
Jesus Christ is my ‘Bread Winner.’ I am grateful for the supply He gives me. I trust that I will be renewed in my spirit. I believe that even the dry bread will taste good in my mouth.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen!

(In the picture, Nigerian bread; among the best in the world)
“Give us today our daily bread…” (Matt 6:11)
Bread is basic. Bread is food. Bread is life. There is natural bread and spiritual bread. We have to humble ourselves to pray for bread on the table. We can never graduate from the level of this request. This prayer is not for the homeless sleeping under the bridge. It is for us all. Jesus commands us to ask daily for the provision of food. Each time I see a slice of bread (white or brown, dry or soft) I should see a point of contact with heaven and a fresh reason to worship God, the Provider of all good things. Jesus did not say pray for cake or for salad. Just for bread! Do not pray for ‘my bread’ but for ‘our bread,’ enough to supply the needs of the family and for all who do not believe in prayer but want food to eat. God always gives more than we ask. He is the most generous Person.
If I eat bread without prayer and without gratefulness I am a thief. If the thief is caught, he is to pay seven times more; sometimes this may mean all his property in his house. The lesson is that without prayer for daily bread, without acknowledging God as your ‘Bread Winner’ you are in serious danger of sudden poverty (PV 6: 30, 31). Let us make a good habit to pray and never take food for granted. Especially the bread!!! The crumbs under the table healed a stranger’s daughter from an incurable disease! (Matt 15: 21-28). Bread of Life, I worship You!
In Christ I declare:
Jesus Christ is my ‘Bread Winner.’ I am grateful for the supply He gives me. I trust that I will be renewed in my spirit. I believe that even the dry bread will taste good in my mouth.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen!

(In the picture, Nigerian bread; among the best in the world)
‘Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots’ (Josh 11:6)
Joshua was attacked by a group of pagan kings under the leadership of Jabin, King of Hazor. These kings and their armies were very well trained and equipped; they had horses and chariots. Their combined army was ‘huge and numerous as the sand on the sea shore.’ But Joshua prayed and God answered, telling him not to be afraid by what he sees. God promises that He will weaken the enemy; that He will hand the thousands of pagan soldiers to Israel ‘as dead men’ and they should kill them all. The horses of the enemy should be ‘hamstrung’ and the chariots burnt with fire. To hamstring a horse means to cripple it by cutting the leg tendons. The result is that the horses will limp and be unable to run. They could use the horses for labor, to pull a plough for example, but never again in war. This command to cripple the horses sounds harsh to us but it is because God wants us to give Him all the glory for every victory in war. Chariots and horses represent the power of the flesh and the boast of pride. That has to die! God is jealous for His glory! God refuses to allow His people to learn the ways of the world and the strategy of religious pride. The kings in Israel were to be known as men of God, reading their Bibles. God forbade them to accumulate great numbers of horses, gold, or wives. They were to symbolize Christ, whose strength was always in His intimate relationship with the Father.
In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God! I am a soldier for Christ! I willingly enrolled in the army of the Living God! I went to war under the banner of Jehovah Nissi and I won the victory! By faith in God; I was weak, but I became strong; I was confused, but I became focused; I was afraid but I became bold; I was foolish but I became wise and prudent; I was shy but I now boldly proclaim His Word and sing His praises! My enemies persecuted, hated, slandered, attacked and tried to destroy my testimony, but they have lost completely! My enemies are now weak, confused, afraid, lonely, foolish, disgraced, crippled and burnt! My trust is not in things, people, money or positions. My trust is in the Lord Almighty! I do not boast in my wisdom, my wealth or my strength, but I boast that I really know God, His name and His Righteousness!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen!
This is a picture I took yesterday from my balcony, in Effurun/ Warri, Nigeria. It is now raining season. Can you see the beauty of God’s creation? Can you see the sky? It is like a painting! Glory!
Nigeria is my adopted country. I live here since 1980. This is my observation… Many Nigerians hate their country and want to go abroad, anywhere… so far is ‘abroad’… to find ‘greener pastures’. They think that God has forgotten Nigeria. They have lost hope for a change. Look at this picture… what do you see? This glimpse of the sky over us here in Effurun is a reminder that God is everywhere. He is the Omnipotent God! This is not ‘a second hand’ sky! This is not ‘a faded’ glory!!! I know that there are problems. But I also know that God is bigger than all the problems!
This picture is a reminder that God is in Nigeria and that God loves this country, I live here and I am a witness to His presence and to His love for the people. Let’s praise the only Living God! Let’s acknowledge His presence in our midst! Make some noise my dear Nigerian brethren!
“O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!” (Ps 8:1)


“I am the Lord! In its time, I will do this SWIFTLY!” (Is 60: 22)
There is acceleration in the Spirit Realm. God is moving and things change fast. There is reward for the humble and faithful.
In Christ I declare:
This is the last night I will sleep in poverty and sorrow. Tomorrow I will move to another LEVEL, to another PLACE. This is the last time that I see the moon’s light from between the bars of iron. I will never have to envy another. My natural gifts are redeemed and changed into that which pleases the Spirit. I will never feel like a visitor on this planet for it belongs to me and my descendants. I believe it! All things are mine in Christ. My Father in Heaven has (re-) planted me; watered me with His Word; touched me with the breeze of His Spirit, so that I may learn to sing, to respond to His calling, to appreciate the stillness and power of His presence… There is a fragrance of revival… There is the sound of increase of that which is holy… God is working… God is planting… None can stop it. All the glory to Jehovah!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen!
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matt 21: 21, 22)
A mountain in the Bible stands as a symbol for many things. One of them is an evil stronghold, an obstruction along the way. It is positioned to block your vision of the finishing line. The aim of the enemy is to blind you to the reward, to the destiny, and crown promised by God. This mountain is demonic. It speaks discouragement to weaken your faith. For example, when Nehemiah came back from Babylon, to rebuild Jerusalem, the enemy attacked him with doubts, fears and discouragement. The devil represented by Tobias and Sanballat opposed him saying that he was not able to finish building the wall. In the natural, things were very difficult. Even among the people of God, few had faith but many had doubts. This resistance to the work of God, to spiritual progress, is a mountain that has to be ‘thrown into the sea.’ Nehemiah proved to be a true leader, defeated the opposition, and finished building the wall of Jerusalem!
This is another word of faith: “Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.’ What are you, O Great Mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’” (Zech 4:6,7). The counsel God gave to Zerubbabel is this: in the fight against all opposition, the human power will fail, but the power of the Holy Spirit will never fail! This is the promise of Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts. God challenges Zerubbabel to finish building the temple by praising and giving Him the glory.
God’s grace, His unmerited favor rooted in the Cross of Calvary is revealed as a mighty overcoming power that nothing can quench! God’s grace means victory in the war against doubt and failure. Against all odds, the roof of the Temple shall be finished at the sound of fearful praise: ‘Grace… Grace!’ Jesus Christ, the Capstone shall overcome!
It is foolishness to start the Christian race by grace and then try to finish it by human strength. Both the foundation and the roof shall be done only by the grace of God! Our salvation and our sanctification are possible only by the grace of God! The grace of God is a mighty weapon! Use it! You cannot ignore a blockage in an artery and hope that things will improve! The patient will end up with a stroke!
Child of God! Do not deny the reality of spiritual attacks! Do not accept defeat! Do not remain spiritually stagnant! Do not be passive! Fast and Pray! Listen to the voice of Jesus and you shall hear encouragement and victory! He said that if you have faith in God you shall destroy the enemy’s stronghold! Faith is 100 percent! Doubt is 0 percent! The size of the opposition does not matter; it can be a mountain, a hill or the sea. Your faith in God and in His grace shall overcome all oppositions! Fear not! Declare war against the wickedness in high places! God will perfect all that concerns you! Move on in your destiny! You can do it! I believe the Word of God!
In Christ I declare:
I am saved! I am free! By faith I destroy all opposition in my path as I follow Christ! I fear not! I keep moving on! I believe! All glory to the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen!
(From my Book The Doe of the Morning)

(In the picture: Me during a trip to Israel. I was seated on top of an ancient stone olive press. Jesus said: ‘If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea’ (Mt 18:6). This millstone is very heavy!!! I could not move it!!! )
Memories light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were…
Memories may be beautiful and yet
So many memories too painful to remember
The way we were!
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
And if we had the chance to do it all again
Just tell me, tell me, would we, would we?
Could we, could we?
(Jewish poem)
Memory defined: the mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving facts, events, impressions, etc., or of recalling or recognizing previous experiences.
What is the purpose of memory?
a. To preserve our past
b. To learn
c. To connect
d. To tell the story
“Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. Meditate on it day and night” (Josh 1:8) The Bible should me in your mouth! That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization!!” (D. Willard)


“And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, ‘God hath made me laugh so that all that hear will laugh with me.’ And she said, ‘Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.’” (Genesis 21:1-7)
A lack of faith caused Sarah to laugh at God in disbelief. But an abundance of faith enabled her to laugh with God in delight.
This Bible story teaches us many things. The most important is that faith in God kills disappointment!
Dear sister, please listen: one thing is clear! The medical science says that after a certain age, your dreams to be a mother should die. But according to God, your Creator, you are never too old to believe that one day you will be a joyful mother!!! Do not laugh at God or at His promises! LAUGH WITH GOD!!! In His presence there is fullness of joy! Nothing can change that! God bless you as you believe!



One of the most frequent sins I am called to pray for thru the internet is gambling. I just received this note on my blog. He is a man from Kenya. Let’s call him Jonas. Dear intercessors, please join me in prayer for his deliverance. God bless you!
“Hi madam, the sin of gambling has haunted me for over 10 yrs, each time a coin or note gets into my hands is lost through betting. l has decided to trust in God for provision. I appreciate your encouragement. I am in Kenya…Thank you Mam”
This is my answer to him:
Dear Brother Jonas, thank you for your words. I know that it is not easy to open your heart and speak about things that bring pain, shame and guilt. I encourage you to trust God for the deliverance. Read the Bible, especially the New Testament and see how Jesus healed people who were sick with incurable diseases. Gambling is a demon. He is not afraid of you. But he is afraid of Jesus Christ! Attend a good living church. Open up to a trusted mature (in age and spiritually) pastor. Fast and pray! Fight for your freedom. Fight for your soul! God loves you! You could have died many times but God kept you alive. Please come back with a good testimony! I will share your prayer request with other friends who will pray for you. God bless you!