The Elevation Church

Tag: Prayer

Sharing Your Faith with Non-Believers
Do you find it difficult to talk about your faith with others – at work, in school or even in your community? Let me tell you a story…

Hannah and Joy have been roommates for about two years and Hannah had always tried to invite Joy to church countless times. However, Joy wasn’t interested in anything church and over the years, it seemed like her interest just diminished further. One fateful Sunday morning, as Hannah’s alarm went off; she quickly jumped out of bed, said a short prayer and dashed into the bathroom to get ready for church. When she came back into the room, she saw Joy ironing her clothes and it seemed as if she was getting ready to go somewhere. Out of excitement, Hannah asked her a question she had always asked her for so long.

Hannah: Is today the day you finally follow me to church?

Joy: I don’t see what going to church has done in your life (in the most sarcastic but revealing response and she left the room)

Hannah was hurt but what Joy said to her was the truth. Hannah was badly behaved; her words were hurtful and she didn’t have kindness in her heart but she played religion so well.

Sharing our faith with non-believers can be difficult and sometimes come off as offensive. When it comes to spreading the gospel, people think it’s all about going out into the street, sharing evangelical materials and asking people to accept Jesus. That is a good method of evangelism; however, you don’t necessarily need to go out into the street to spread the gospel. Sharing our faith with non-believers, goes beyond picking up the bible to preach Jesus, the gift of salvation. This Jesus we so much talk about has to show in our lives; our character should depict the lifestyle of Jesus. We should have love for others, display the fruit of the Holy Spirit and uphold God’s standards without compromising. Simply put, our lives have to mirror what we preach because Christianity is a lifestyle.

Ponder on this: How do people see you? How are you living your life? Are you shining your light and exhibiting the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control)?

Have you ever heard someone speak or act in a particular way and your first thought was, ‘and this person claims to be a Christian?’ A lot of times, we cannot reconcile people’s words with their actions. How then do we prove that what we are saying is real? All these transcends beyond behaving right; it also includes the kind of faith we have in God and the display of God’s power in our lives. People need to see you and say there’s something different about you.

With that being said, here are some things that can help us with sharing our faith with others especially non-believers
- Be practical: share testimonies, examples of God’s love and the joy of His presence as you see in your life and the lives of others. Try as much as possible to be relatable because it makes non-believers see that you understand some of their struggles. This way, they find it easier to receive the good news you are sharing with them.
- Be patient: you will meet people that don’t want to have anything to do with the gospel of Christ. Don’t force it down their throat, simply show them love and pray that God softens their hearts to receive the good news.
- Pray with them: some people just need you to hold their hands in prayer. Since the Holy Spirit does the convincing, just invite Him in and allow Him do the rest.
- Ask for the direction of the Holy Spirit: You need the Holy Spirit to direct the way you talk to each person as you meet them, so the words can find a place in their heart and they can be convicted and converted into a new life in Christ.
Never think that you have to be good at convincing people to accept the gospel, there’s no skill or guideline to it because it is not by your eloquence or charisma; but by the power of God. You are only a vessel used to present the gospel to them; but God is the one that softens the heart of men.

Remember, winning souls for God is a command, don’t you think others should be liberated also? What are you doing about it? Think about it, there are benefits that come with winning souls, I bet you didn’t know – here are few of them
- Wisdom: Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
- Unusual Glow: That natural glow that nobody can explain as seen in Daniel 12:3 – Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. (the MSG version says …will glow like stars forever)
So, are you ready for that glow and wisdom?

Written by Tolulope Oyekan
August 19, 2019
You Ought to Pray
Prayer can be viewed in 3D: devotion, discussion and demands. However, some of us have focused on the demands dimension of prayer for so long that we seldom struggle in the place of prayer. I have been there before, I used to struggle to find time to pray or concentrate in the place of prayers, I would sometimes get stuck looking for the right words to say to God. There are times I rely on the fact that God hears my heart and I don’t need to struggle to pray.

Whenever I get to certain crossroads, I ask questions like: Why do I have to pray if God knows my needs already? Why should I spend more time praying when it seems my prayers are not getting answered? Why does it take God a long time to answer my prayers despite my faithfulness to His word?

In my quest to find answers to these questions, I have come to understand that prayer is not just a means of communicating with God or compelling Him to do what I want. It’s a means of communing with God and connecting with Him on a deeper, higher and wider level. God is not my ATM (All-Time-Messenger) so I had to take my prayer from the dimension of demands to that of devotion.

What is Prayer?

In my few years in the faith, I have come to see prayers as WWW: worship, warfare and way of life. Prayer makes our walk with God more meaningful, fruitful and wonderful. We need to understand that prayer is not an exercise, it’s an experience. It’s about flowing with God, an intimate and intentional interaction with the God who sees and hears our heart’s cry. Prayer is both a means of resting in God and wrestling with God.

Why Should You Pray?

There is nothing God has not done, there are only things we are yet to experience because we have not prayed about them. Prayer is a spiritual strategy for downloading divine done “deals.” Just as praise is the password to God’s presence, prayer is the password to God’s powerhouse.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on Him in truth. — Psalm 145:18

God knows our needs but He also wants something from us; a connection. Just as we don’t want to feel ignored or neglected by our loved ones, God also craves close connection with mankind from the beginning of creation. Good and effective communication is a vital ingredient of every working relationship. However, the main reason for praying should not always be getting answers from God but aligning with God in the scheme of things about our lives.

When we put certain situations before God in prayers, He will start unlocking, unleashing and uncovering supernatural stuff to us. Even when it seems prayer is not changing things around us, things within us begin to change. Fear and worries give way to peace and joy.

In the place to prayer, we find courage and confidence to confront, control and conquer situations through the help of the Spirit.

What Should You Pray About?

Most times, we get into the web of vain repetitions because we don’t know what else to pray about. The Holy Spirit is able and willing to give us utterances but we need to make conscious effort in the place of prayer.
- Pray that God would honour His word.
- Pray that God would exalt His name.
- Pray for forgiveness and mercy.
- Pray for grace to grow in the love of God.
- Pray for career progress and business expansion.
- Pray for marital bliss and blessings.
- Pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
- Pray for revival in the land.
- Pray for protection, provision and preservation.
- Pray that God will renew the strength of His people.
- Pray for economic stability.
- Pray for divine direction for spiritual leaders and people in authority.
- Pray for strategic wisdom.
- Pray for aversion of disasters and evil.
- Pray for signs and wonders.
- Pray for security and safety of lives and properties.
- Pray for unity, peace and harmony in families and in the body of Christ.
- Pray for progress and peace in all nations of the world.
- Pray that unbelievers and backsliders will be rescued from sin and Satan.
- Pray for better knowledge of God’s word and His will.
How to Pray

Prayer does not necessarily need a special spiritual skill. The thief on the cross changed His eternal destiny with just one sentence; blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:47 cried out and said “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me”. When you tune in to the frequency of faith and your heart is totally connected to God, whatever method you choose to talk to God is fine by Him in as much as your actions glorify His name and as much as possible edify other believers. Pray in understanding and in the spirit. Engage the Holy Spirit to guide you on how to pray.

When to Pray

It is good to have special prayer schedules, but it is also important to know that prayer is both talking and walking with God. We should pray at all times. Prayer should not be our last resort or emergency dial; it is our only resort. Every time is the right time to pray.

Who Should Pray?

Prayer is not only for the poor, perplexed, weak, sick, distressed or downtrodden. We all ought to pray. Prayer is the only thing everyone and anyone can use to have unlimited and unrestricted access to the creator of heaven and earth.

We live in a generation where it seems you don’t have to pray to be prosperous, productive and progressive. However, prayer is not always about telling God what we want but having crucial conversations with the God who knows all things. This season, decide to engage God in prayers in a deeper, wider and higher dimension. You ought to pray about anything and everything, anywhere and everywhere at any time and every time.

Written by: Adeleke Adeite
August 14, 2019
Fasting & Praying
It is a brand new year laced with everything new. We are unaware and do not have control of how the days of the year will metamorphose; hence we seek for guidance, put our hands on the plough and hope to be victorious. In the midst of all the excitement about the New Year, it is pertinent to set aside some time to equip oneself for the tasks, challenges, tests and trials ahead in the New Year; one of such ways is fasting.

Fasting is an appetite-denying exercise achieved through the vehicle of discipline to better concentrate on God. It is essential for spiritual growth and to fine-tune our body/soul/spirit to heaven’s frequency. For fasting to be effective, it must be accompanied with prayer to ensure that you are not starving yourself; it is possible to pray without fasting but you can’t fast without praying.

There are different types of fasting:

Regular Fast – This means refraining from eating food for a period of time. Most people still drink water during a regular fast.

Partial Fast – This type of fast generally refers to omitting a specific meal from your diet or refraining from certain types of foods just as Daniel restricted his diet to vegetables and water.

Full Fast – These fasts are complete – no food and no drink. Paul went on a full fast for three days following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Esther also called for this type of fast for three days. It is recommended that this type of fast be done with extreme caution and not for extended periods of time.

You may be asking, why do we fast? Here are some reasons why:
- To draw closer to God so as to strengthen our relationship with him. During fasting we bond with God by seeking his presence. While in his presence we get to know him more and more.
- To consecrate our soul and bodies; that’s why we abstain from food and other things such as social media.
- When Jesus was to be tested by the devil in Matthew 4: 1-2, He prepared for the test by fasting. Fasting equips us to be victorious in times of tests/trials; they usually come unexpected.
- For a ready and receptive heart, sensitive to insights and understanding.
- Renewal of strength – The bible says, “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”
- Benefits of Fasting:
Spirit & Soul
- Guidance: You enjoy divine guidance from God and through revelation, you’ll have an understanding about things to come.
- Better bonding with God and alignment to his will.
- You become more focused on God as you exercise your faith.
Body
- It gives your internal organs the opportunity to take a break and relax from digesting food. These organs work round the clock, they also need a break.
- Weight loss: calorie intake reduces which constitutes to weight loss.
How to Get the Best of Fasting :
- Pray: Jesus derived strength from solitude with God. As often as possible, He withdrew to pray. You need to engage in prayer constantly. This does not mean you will leave your daily work activities; you can take out 5 – 10min to pray and if you’re not able to take some time out, you can pray in your mind. Christ dwells on your inside so he can hear you.
- Feed on the word. You are abstaining from food to be filled with God’s word. Thanks to bible apps, you can download bible promises, read through scriptures without anyone knowing.
- Reminisce on God’s goodness to stir up your faith regarding whatever you’re looking up to him for.
- Always give thanks because you know your labour is not in vain and that your prayer requests have been answered.
As we go through the 21 days fasting & prayers, be steadfast to follow through; before you know it, 21 days will be over. What is most important is that you have sought God during these days and received a word, inspiration, idea customised just for you to soar higher in 2019. Don’t miss out. Get on board and stay on board.

Written by Bolutife Ore-Dawodu
January 15, 2019
The Power of Silence

From the bustling noises of vehicles maneuvering the ever evolving roads in most developing cities, from the cacophony of voices perpetually raised in supposed normal conversation, to the various tunes emitted by radio waves, television sets and mobile phones, it’s a wonder that our minds are able to engage in any form of intellectual, cognitive thought processing. This could be a major reason employers these days are hardly able to find competency in our ocean of unemployed adults. Our ears are constantly attacked by a barrage of useful as well as unnecessary information. We often find ourselves engaged in conversations or just strings of thoughts that upon reflection cause us some form of embarrassment or disappointment.

All this hustle and bustle, unfortunately, has far reaching effects on the human mind. We are now faced with a major obstacle on our journey in life – a discomfort with silence. A good number of us are unable to enjoy a moment of silence as that has been associated with acknowledging the passing away of an individual.

‘Ah! I have to have music or some noise; I don’t want my mind to wander!’ ‘It’s too quiet in this house; what’s wrong?’ These statements recur in conversations all too often. To further compound the issue, iPods have become a staple fixture, an extension of our bodies; and we wonder at the decline in the academic achievement of our youth today.

We have all but forgotten the place of silent contemplation as a vital part of cognitive processing. Up until today, I have heard of neither a noisy chess game, nor a noisy surgery. Our learned colleagues in metaphysics, astronomy, neurology, pharmacology and all the other ‘ogys’ have been termed hermits as their need for not just silence but frequent periods of solitude, where they are able to engage in intense contemplation, is often over-emphasised. Profound thinking has resulted in discoveries that have changed our lives as mankind.

As people of the spirit, with an awareness of the happenings in the spiritual realm, it behoves us to have our minds aligned, tuned to the frequency of the spirit. Proverbs 4:23 says, ‘Keep vigilant watch over your heart (mind); that’s where life starts.’(The Message) The frequency of the spirit is silence – a shutting down of that humming sound which is the life around us; a deliberate decision to sit ‘at the feet of the master’ and receive instructions for lifestyle; a conscious effort to filter the sounds that permeate our minds and choose which to store or delete.

The power of silence can be seen in the encounter Joshua had with the Captain of the Hosts of heaven (Joshua 5:13-15); it can be seen in the transformation of Moses from a proud Egyptian prince to a humble Israelite priest in the silent wilderness. The power of silence can be harnessed by all and sundry – as is modeled by monks who spend months in silent meditation and have been known to wield interesting levels of paranormal power; our meditation however, being on the life-transforming words of life contained in the Holy Scriptures. Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and poet, 1803-1888) once said, ‘Let us be silent, that we may hear the whispers of the gods.’

The power of silence is shown when a warring couple spend time alone on a retreat, away from the hustle and bustle of society, and there discover themselves afresh – emerging with a new lease of married life; when men gather in a house of mourning and there make resolutions to adjust their lifestyle choices so as not to cut short their existence; when in deep worship men begin to hear the still, small voice that points them in the direction of eternity.

Our warfare in this season is really not against flesh and blood, but against the prince of the power of the air that is out to deprive us of one of the greatest arsenals we possess – the power of silence. There is a calculated and so far successful armada launched to enslave us to a low-level existence devoid of power and punch in the spirit. It is time to arise, to awaken from our slumber of ignorance and to blow the trumpet of knowledge, calling all comers to embrace this power, to explore and apply this principle, to educate ourselves and our children, to ‘listen and hear what the Spirit of God is saying to his church.

Blessings!

Author – Joy Isa

January 9, 2019
Fast More Than Food

As we have commenced our 21-day prayer and fasting for this year, we encourage you to use this time to purge your heart and mind of unnecessary habits that may distract you from the ministration of the Holy Spirit.

We are used to fasting food i.e. doing without food for various periods of time. However, we can also fast other things – the idea is to deny ourselves of things we otherwise see as daily habits so can we can be more open to communing with God.

Here are three things you can fast asides food:

* Social Media – This has become an integral part of our lives and a lot of us spend hours daily scrolling through our various feeds. This period, consciously cut down on your digital presence and spend more time in the Word.

* TV Shows – TV takes a lot of our time. One can sit in front of the TV for hours on end without even realising it. Go on a show-break for a while and dedicate that time to prayers and meditation.

* Gossip – How much unnecessary talk do you indulge in daily? Be mindful of the conversations you engage in and let your words and actions edify people and not bring them down. Remember to pray, read your Bible, worship and meditate.

To access resources, messages and articles on prayer and fasting, visit www.elevationng.org/prayer or click on the button below.

Written by: Dekemi Akinyede

January 8, 2019
If I Had a Million Dollars…

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” –

Matthew 6:25 (NIV)

Adulthood comes with a lot of responsibilities and there’s not much in life that adequately prepares us for these demands and their psychological impact on us. Between thinking of how to get a better life for oneself or family and not having to lack for any of our material needs; it is quite easy to become lost in the unproductive whirlpool of worry.

Worrying is an inalienable emotion of the human nature. As long as there are bills to pay, mouths to feed, family to take care of and businesses to run; we will always be prone to worry. And while we often use worry as the right impetus to push our goals and ambitions, many have been driven to tow perilous lines in their quest to acquire money at all costs. Because of this, stress and depression levels increase; morals and ethics are compromised; bonds, relationships and trusts are severed and lives are ruined.

Experience has shown that the pursuit of money does not equate happiness. While it is true that money can solve a lot of problems, the unhealthy pursuit of money is like chasing and trying to catch shadows, which can clearly be termed an exercise in futility. In fact, studies have shown that the more you chase after money, the less satisfaction you derive. This is because when making money becomes your priority, no matter how much you have; it can never be enough. So will one million dollars make you feel good? Yes. But will it will take all your problems away? Most likely not.

Is it God’s plan that we should worry about money? And does the Bible give insight on how to overcome worry? The answers to these questions are no and yes respectively. The Bible makes us understand that worry accomplishes nothing. It is certainly not God’s intention that we waste our mental energy on peripheral issues like food and clothing when he has bigger plans for us – Matthew 6:27. The beautiful thing is that we have God’s unwavering assurance to supply our every need according to his riches in glory. He does this by equipping us with wisdom to seek financial direction from others, skills to create & manage resources and the confidence to withstand and overcome the worries that come with lack. We just need to trust Him wholeheartedly and abide by his instructions.

Here are a few tips to help reduce worrying about money:

Create a Financial Plan

A prudent Christian learns to acquire the habit of financial planning and tracking the least of expenses. “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception” – Proverbs 14:8. Start with a budget, no matter how rudimentary. While a budget may not by itself solve your problems, it will at least give you a clear idea of your financial status to enable you delineate your needs from your wants. In this way, worrying is reduced.

Instead of Worrying, Pray!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present you requests to God” – Philippians 4:6. Instead of worrying about your needs, take it to God in prayer. Tell God what you need and express your appreciation for all he has done already.

Consider your Worst-Case Scenario

Whatever the issues are, take a deep breath, look them in the eye and ask yourself what is the worst that could happen. Put your circumstances in perspective and acknowledge the presence of the helper in your life. Consider the fact that he has done greater works and if he did it before, he will do it again and worrying will never help.

Keep Life in Perspective

While you may have spent a substantial part of your life chasing money, take some time to introspect and look at the bigger picture. Ask yourself if your net value is worth anything when compared with your soul. Mark 8:36

In conclusion, always bear it in mind that instead of wasting time and energy on worrying over what you can hardly control, do something more effective and practical. Seek the Kingdom and righteous living and all other things will be added to you – Matthew 6:33. That is an unequivocal promise from God and His words always come to pass.

Witten by Temitayo Ogunmokun

November 19, 2018