ALONE WITH GOD

ALONE WITH GOD

Praise the Lord! The Lord is good. He is a stronghold in the day of trouble and He know those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7).

I want to thank God, for His faithfulness that endures forever. In this month of June, we are going to deal with a topic that is very crucial to every believer who desire to walk with the Lord titled “ALONE WITH GOD”.

We Are Going To Look Into:

(a) What does it mean to be alone with God?

(b) What are the advantages of being alone with God?

(c) What are the disadvantages of not being alone with God?

“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, he went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. (Mark 1:35 NKJV). “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16 NKJV)

I would like you to understand that the person referred to in the above scriptures, is our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is our perfect example and He was always having time to be alone with God in prayers. The success and all the miracles that were recorded in the earthly ministry of Jesus, was because of His continuous fellowship with God. Jesus knew that without the intimate fellowship with God, He is nobody. He understood what it means to have a time called a Quiet Time with God always.

What is Quiet time?

Being alone with God is a time which we call quiet time.

It is a time of your personal communion and fellowship with God. 1 Corinthians 13:14

It is a period of total separation from the world including family members and work just to be alone with God in prayers and personal bible study. Luke 5:16

It is a time to hear from God and not time to speak much to God. 1 Samuel 3:10

It is not a family devotion, but it is where you are alone with God.

It is not a vigil. It is time you sit down and discuss with God.

It is where you ask God questions and He will answer you and also gives you instructions.

It is a time of reasoning with God.Isaiah 1:18

It is the time of humility and sincerity before God.

It is the time of wrestling with your flesh to sit alone and God speaks to you in His word.

Quiet time is very important in our lives as children of God, because it is where you draw your strength from the Lord.

This is the time that the Lord spoke in Isaiah 1:18-19.“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord,” (NKJV). “I the Lord, invite you to come and talk it over” (CEV).

This is an invitation from God. It is the time you go to God to discuss the issues that are disturbing you. In NKJV, the Lord said come now and let us reason why you are not able to do what I told you to do and God will give you reason why you are able to do it. For an example the Lord told you to forgive someone that hurt you and God now called you to come and let both of you reason together about the issues between you and that woman. The Lord will ask you, why you have not forgiven that woman. You give your reason that because she hurts you without any reason. The Lord will tell you why you need to forgive her.

God may tell you that my child:

Forgive that woman so that I can forgive you.

Remember you too there are times you hurts somebody with or without your knowledge.

Unless you forgive that person; you will not have peace in your heart.

God may also tell you that I am not saying what that person did to you is good; but what I am telling you is to release that woman from your heart so that anytime you remember her; you will not loose your peace and anytime you see her you will not lose your peace.

The Lord will tell you that remember I told you that vengeance is mine and I will never avenge you from your adversaries as long as you are holding her in your heart.

The Lord will also give you a deeper revelation that when I say forgive them, ‘it means hand them over to me so that I can deal with them’.

Many times why we behave like confused people when we are passing through situation is because we do not have time to discuss our issues with God.

”Though yoursins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow”. Brethren, I want you to understand that the Lord is not only talking about fornication, lying, adultery, etc. God is saying though your case, issues, situations, troubles is so hard, no matter how your mountain seems to be huge and tall, no matter how your battle may seems to be so fierce. No matter how your condition looks so fierce. It is during the quiet time that you present your issue to God because there is a throne in the kingdom of God which is called the throne of grace.

I want to clear something here that when you hear grace; it means an unlimited power of God. When this power comes upon you; it will enable you to do what you cannot do with your own strength. The grace of God is the mighty power of God that will enable you to resist sin. It is the power that will enable you to do what the Lord is telling you to do. It is the power that will help you to overcome any situation. No wonder the Lord appeared to Paul and told him that ‘my grace is sufficient for you’ The Lord meant that what I call you to do; my power will help you to do it. The Lord says that it is not by might, not my power, but by My Spirit says the Lord’ (Zech 4:6).

IN contemporary English Version Bible, the Lord said “I the Lord invite you to come and talk it over” Isaiah 1:18. This is not the pastor, friend, bishop, angel, inviting you but the Lord is the one that inviting you to talk things over with Him.

Usually when we have issues in our lives we go and tell our friends but none of the day we present our cases before God. For an example a married woman having some issues in her marriage; instead for her to present the issue before God, she will go to one of her friends and the friend will tell her Ah! Your husband is having another woman’. She will go to another friend, and that one will tell her ‘he just looks down on you and she will go to another friend, that one will tell her No! He is tired of you and he does not want you again and the woman will carry all those jargons going about eeeh! He does not want me again, eeeh! He is having another woman and he is tired of me.

When this woman goes to the throne of God, He will give her solution to her problems. He will tell her what to do and what not to do. The born again Christian that are divorcing right from the church; they are divorcing because they are refusing the instruction of God. If they follow the instructions of God; there will be victories in their cases.

Born again singles that ended up in wrong marriages is because they refuse to follow the divine instructions of God. I remember the time when my wife was refusing to marry me, I was telling God; you see she does not want to marry me; let me just look for another girl to marry; there was always a question mark in my heart that if I go into a marriage with the woman the Lord did not say she is my wife, when trouble start whom will I call, will I go to God and talk to God? Will I say Lord, this woman you gave me, when she is sick, will I say God heal my wife? God may ask me who your wife is. I did not give you a woman called Maria but Amaka. I am not telling you this to entertain you, but to learn from my experience. As a single person if you decided not to follow God’s instruction, God says wait, you say I am getting old or you run and enter. When troublestart, you will not call upon God; even if you say you are praying; you know you are not really praying. Those are the things that we need to know and understand. God said ‘come and let us talk it over’.

Sometimes you find someone crying because their mamas or papas do not like them. You don’t need another preacher, prophet or angel to tell you that God is with you always and He really loves you. God’s love is the only authentic love. God said that “your mother and your father may forsake you, but I will never leave you nor forsake you” Psalm 27:10 & Hebrew 13:5. Believe what the Lord has said and the peace of God will fill your heart. When it comes to giving; the word of the Lord already said give; you don’t need another person to tell you that be a giver” Luke 6:38. The word of the Lord said ‘flee all appearances of evil; run away from sexual immorality 1 Corinthians 6:18.

It is during quite time that the Lord tells us what and what not to do.There is a throne of grace; when you go to that throne, you will receive the grace. The grace means the power to do what the Lord is telling you.It’s an unmerited power from God to us. Selflessness, forgiving, giving, truth, fleeing from all kinds of sin will become an easy thing to you and people will look at you with amazement and saying “I want to be like Brother John, he is always generous because he abide in the grace of giving. Ah! I want to be like Sister Mary, she is always happy, yes because she just abides in the grace of joy (Phil 4:4).

If your happiness is only when you have something or lots of money; you will not be able to rejoice always. In all issues you might be facing, go to the throne of grace to obtain mercy. If you are having difficulty with evil thoughts, sit alone with God to receive grace to overcome them. God will always show you how to escape from every sin.

Importance of Quiet Time

God will not force us to do what He wants us to do but If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19 NKJV). Upon every invitation from God, there is always a benefit. You will receive the benefit of:

YOU WILL BE SANCTIFIED BY THE WORDS FROM GOD, FOR THEY ARE TRUTH JOHN 17:17. Anyone that receives the truth will be set free –John 8:32.

SEEKING THE COUNSEL AND WAYS OF GOD. You will be delivered from the traps of death; you will know the will of God for your life. You will get counselling from the word of God –Prov. 4:12. When Isaac was in the land of Philistines, there was a famine and he wanted to go to Egypt, but the Lord appeared to Him and told him to stay in the land, Isaac sowed in that land and God blessed him. In the eyes of men, it looks impossible to sow in a dry land, but his obedience to God’s instructions made him to be satisfied from above. (Gen 26:1-14). When you are always inquiring from God in your quiet time; he will guide you in all your ways.

YOU WILL BE WISER THAN YOUR ENEMIES, PSALM 119:98.The simple believes every word. But the prudent considering well his steps (Prov. 14:15). Your quiet time with the Lord will help you to weigh every word, every advice; every teaching from any pastor etc. God will give you wisdom to overcome all the manipulations of the enemy. Many Christians are no longer where they are supposed to be; because they lack time with God. Do you want to be a wise Christian? Do you want to be sober and vigilant? Have time always with God.

YOU WILL WALK IN WISDOM.¹⁵“See then that you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise ¹⁶ redeeming the time because the days are evil.(Eph 5:15-16 NKJV).

o It is through wisdom you will build your life. Proverbs 24:3

o It is through wisdom that kings rule and wage war. Proverbs 8:16-17

o It is through wisdom you will be strong.Proverbs 24:5-6

o It is through wisdom you will scale the city of the mighty and also brings down the trusted stronghold.

BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO LISTENS TO ME, WATCHING DAILY AT MY GATES, WAITING AT THE POSTS OF MY DOORS”. (PROV.8:34).You will be blessed by listening to God. For an example you need a life partner and the Lord told you to wait that He will give you your life partner. The word of the Lord will surely come to pass; while others are rushing into marriage blindly, you are there waiting. People will be laughing at you but you know that God cannot lie “So shall MY word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55: 11 NKJV). It means you are waiting for God’s time not your own time. You are daily having a special time with Him. I want to let you know that whosoever will wait as the Lord is telling him/her will never be put to shame. Prov. 4:20: My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart”.

You must be a child that listens to God and you will receive:

for they are life to those who find them

and health to all their flesh” (Prov. 4:20-22),

for length of days and long life(d) and peace they will add to you” (Prov. 3:2 NKJV). God Bless you. To be continued…

FOOD FOR THOUGHTS

“I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn”(Isaiah 57:17 NLT).