ALONE WITH GOD-Part 2

ALONE WITH GOD-Part 2 Praise the Lord! Our God is good. He is a stronghold for His children and He knows those who trust in Him (Nahum1:7). Brethren, I am very happy for the goodness of the Lord in the lives of His children. We are still continuing with our last month topic which is called “ALONE WITH GOD”. Last month edition, we talked about the importance of being ALONE WITH GOD in prayer and personal bible study. We also talked about what it means to be ALONE WITH GOD. To be ALONE WITH GOD is what is called QUIET TIME. It is where you shut out the world and have time with God.  As a child of God, for you to conquer the battles of life, you must be able to receive instructions and follow the instructions from God. As we said in the last edition that quiet time is not family devotion but it’s a time you are meant to be ALONE WITH GOD. It is the time set aside for God to speak to you through His word and you also speak to Him. Quiet time is an important practice for every believer. This Quiet Time: ü It is a time of humility and sincerity. ü It is a time of openness to God. ü It is the time of refilling your Christian life. Many Christians Have Backslidden Because: · They don’t have time with God: Devil knows that once you have no time with God in personal prayers and bible study he can easily pull you down. That is why he makes many Christians to be worried by the cares of these lives and from there they no longer spend quality time with God in prayers and bible study. Once your mind is clouded by what you will eat, drink or wear it will be hard for you to concentrate on your Christian life. 1“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col.3:1 NKJV). · They are far from God. · The problems they are going through. · They don’t know who they are in Christ Jesus. The cause of all this is the foundation of their Christian lives. It is a great blessing to accept Jesus Christ into your life, and also to know how to walk with Him. Brother, what is the foundation of your Christian life? · Are you a deeper rooted Christian or a shallow rooted Christian? · Are you still finding it difficult to read your bible? · Are still finding it hard to pray alone? · Do you only read your bible during church services? · Do you find it a joy to be corrected in the word of God? · Do you hide from your own flesh (do you speak the truth to yourself)? · Have you been trying to overcome Lukewarmness? · Is your daily prayers is to have more of God? · Are you always hungry for the undiluted word of God? IF your answer is yes, then I want to point you to Jesus, the Only One who cannot fail you, the Living Water and the Bread of Life, the Way, the Truth and the Life, the Bright Morning Star, the Lilly of the Valley, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He who was dead and He is now alive and He lived forever more. Have enough time with Him. When you have time with God, you are feeding your spirit and you “will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper”. (Psalm 1:3) 24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until breaking of day 25 And when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said “Let Me Go for the day breaks” But he said I will not let you go unless you bless me 27 So He said to him “what is your name?” he said “Jacob” 28 And He said “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed”. … 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip” (Gen 32:24-31). Jacob cheated on his brother and took his birth-right, which made Esau determined to kill him but Jacob ran away from his brother’s presence and went to Laban his mother’s brother where he was also cheated many times…  Jacob was one of the people in the bible that learnt to be ALONE WITH GOD. In the above scriptures we saw that Jacob was having many problems; he is a deceiver who deceives the father to collect a blessing that were not meant for Him. He also deceives his father in-law Laban and got lot of riches. When he heard that Esau his brother is coming to meet him, he was afraid and went to seek the face of God. Brethren, I don’t know what you are struggling with in your life right now? As you are reading this bulletin, what is that thing you are tired of? What is that character you want to stop? Is it stealing, fornication, rebellion, alcohol, disobedience, sexual abomination, masturbation (as a woman sleeping with a woman, or a man sleeping with a man). What is that thing in the past that is taunting your daily living?  Go and seek God. He is your God. He knows your fears and pains. Brother Jacob realised that he cannot be able to fight his brother, he went to seek God. Do you know that you cannot conquer that evil habit in your life until you go to God for help? “I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1 NKJV). Are you among the children of God that are running from one place to another? Are you looking for the most powerful prophets, pastors, bishops or apostles? You cannot find it anywhere on this earth, you will only find your solution in Christ Jesus. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among to which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Do not rely only on the messages in the church alone. You need to grow in the Lord. The desire of the Lord is for you to be deeply rooted Christian and also be ready at all times to meet Him anytime He will come to take us back “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42NKJV), Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming”(Mathew 25:13NKJV). Even if you are prayed for or prophesied to and it came to pass; without you having time with God it cannot last long in your life. This is the reason why Jacob ran to God who changes life. He was ALONE WITH GOD communing with Him and God came and do wonders in his life. The more you are growing in knowing the Lord; the more your impossibility will become possible. I always teach my brethren to follow God and not to follow me, because I know their victories are in Christ Jesus not in me “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”(Ephesians 2:10 NKJV). When God do wonders in their lives through me, I am just a vessel to be used. I cannot answer their prayers or carry their burdens. Go to Jesus in your closet, seek Him and you will surely find Him, when you search for Him with all your heart. 12 “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart”. (Jeremiah 29: 12-13) How to be ALONE WITH GOD Preferably, it is very early in the morning before family morning devotion, at mid-night or any other quiet period of the day. Materials for Quiet Time a) Bible(if possible of different translations) b) Quiet time note-book for recording c) Pen for writing d) Any other bible reading aids Places and time of Quiet Time a) A convenient place devoid of disturbance b) Best time at early morning before human activities and even morning devotion(it could be held in the day time but at very cool and quiet place). How to Do Your Quiet Time 1. Start with praise and worship, remembering that you are entering into God’s presence-Psalm 100:4 2. Review your life before Him, make appropriate confession and rewash yourself in the blood of Jesus-1 John 1:8-9 3. Ask God to lift you to His presence, reveal His mind to you and grant you understanding of His revelation-Ephesians 1:15-23 4 Read the Bible passage for the day. Expect God to speak to you from there-Psalm 15:1-5, Psalm 119:11, 2 Tim 3:16-17, Philippians 4:9 5. Think  and look through again and note the following: i) Any teaching about God the Father, or the Son or the Holy Spirit; ii) Any promise to believe and possess with any conditions attached (memories) (e.g.      Deuteronomy 28:1); iii) Any command to obey or a good example to follow; iv) Any warning for you to heed or bad example for you to avoid. Read the comment on the Bible reading aid about the passages (if any and check the references). v) Meditate: Try to find out for yourself what God is speaking to you through the passage, meditate thoroughly on the spiritual ordinary meanings, then write down in your notebook a point you would like to remember and definite revelations and messages given there from-Joshua 1:8. vi) Worship and pray again: Worship God for the revelations and promises. Pray over what you have received with thanksgiving- Philippians 4:6-7,  and vii) Pray for others-James 5:16 Dearest, this information is one of the things I taught brethren. It is surest way you can have daily personal encounter with God, because God’s word is a lamp to guide your feet and a light to your path. “Your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105).  May God bless you, in the name of Jesus. Prayer Points: 1. Thou resurrection power of God, resurrect my spiritual life, in the name of Jesus. 2.Thou power that transform Jacob, transform my life, in the name of Jesus. 3.The strength to walk with God, come upon my life, in the name of Jesus. 4. I cancel every evil declaration done against my life, in the name of Jesus. 5. I pull down every altar of spiritual slumber, in my foundation, in the name of Jesus. 6. I raise up an altar of bible study, praise, prayers unto God in the name of Jesus. 7. I surround my household with the blood of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. 8. O Lord let me always apply your word in my life, in the name of Jesus. Pray as the Spirit of the Lord gives you utterance!