You must learn to deal with bad thoughts, because your thoughts create your words. How do your thoughts create your words?
For example, because someone stepped on your toes in class and refused to say sorry, you begin to dislike the person.
As you think those bad thoughts, the enemy tells you that you can act out those thoughts physically.
So if you wish for the person to trip and hit her head on the table, you could actually say it out loud.
You could say something nasty, that would make her cry of feel ashamed or something worse.
That’s how your thoughts affect your words. It’s like a volcano that is ready to erupt.
It spills out everything in it without any thought for those around it. It doesn’t care if its lava burns anyone.
More like you. You don’t care if your words hurt the other person. You feel hurt and just want to hurt the other person back.
You want them to feel as much pain as you do too. If not more than you do, as the case is sometimes.
Again you might argue that the other person caused it. Yes, they did you wrong but you had a responsibility to chose your words well.
Careless words stab like a wound. But wise words bring healing Prov. 12:18 ICB
The only way to show God how much you love Him is by obeying Him. Are you obeying God with your thoughts and words?
May God give you the grace to speak sweet and kind words to even those who hurt you. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, Jesus, I need your help with my words. Help me to deal with my thoughts so I can speak positive and life-giving words, even to those that offend me in Your mighty name I pray. Amen.
Action point: After dealing with your thoughts and words, how about apologizing to someone you said some unkind words to? Try it.
Dear kid, you have the power to forgive. Now, your failure to forgive has made you unholy before God, which won’t make Him listen to or even answer your prayers.
That’s because when God looks at you, He sees the mark of sin on you – resentment, unforgiveness, hatred, and He can’t look at you like that.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. – Matthew 6:14-15
When you ask for forgiveness before you pray, it takes the mark of sin away from you.
Or even while praying and the Holy Spirit convicts your heart of unforgiveness, quickly forgive whoever you need to forgive so that your prayers might be answered.
When God sees your entire heart as unholy, He also sees your body as unholy too.
By allowing unforgiveness to stay in your heart, you are causing yourself more harm than good.
An unforgiving heart affects your entire body. It can cause you to have medical conditions.
Be holy today and forgive who you need to forgive.
Let’s look at this short story about Bimpe, as we seek to understand the God that answers prayers. Bimpe ensured that everyone around her felt her sadness and displeasure. She sighed sadly, squeezed her face, hissed many times, kept a low profile and didn’t give much attention when spoken to.
God had not answered her prayers. This was like the hundredth time she had asked for Sola, her friend, who was failing miserably at school. Her last test score was poor and the rest of the class made fun of her when the teacher announced the scores.
Wasn’t God supposed to answer prayers? Wasn’t He the All-Powerful and Great God? The All-Knowing, All-Seeing and All-Doing God? She couldn’t help but wonder why God didn’t want Sola to do well at school.
‘You have been sighing and frowning since you came back from school and all morning too,’ her mother said to her later that day. ‘What’s going on with you? Care to share?’
‘It’s God,’ Bimpe replied.
‘What about God?’
‘He didn’t answer my prayer.’
‘What have you been praying for?’
‘I have been asking Him to help Sola pass her exams and tests at school.’
‘And how do you know so?’ her mother asked again.
‘She failed the test again yesterday. Doesn’t God answer prayers anymore?’
‘Of course, He still answers prayers and will always do so.’
Her mother wondered why she would ask such a question.
Then why hasn’t He answered my prayers? Why is Sola still failing her tests?’
‘Is she studying as she should? Does she listen in class and understand her lessons?’
‘She does, mum. She sits beside me in class.’
‘Have you tried asking her what the problem is and maybe help her study after school?’
Bimpe paused and thought about this. She had never asked Sola that. ‘No, mommy. I have never asked her what the problem was.’
‘There goes your answered prayer.’
Have you ever felt like Bimpe? Apart from praying for someone, you can always ask them what the problem is and see if you can help. That can be your answered prayers sometimes.
We began an interesting topic some days back – understanding God as our ever-present help. And we are exploring Psalms 46:1-3. I told you I was going to take my time to explain the words in the scripture and help you understand what the bible was saying.
We started with “God is our refuge”
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. – Ps 46:1-3 NIV
The next phrase we will be considering says
God is our strength
The word strength can be defined as the quality or state of being strong. This simply means in God, there can never be any form of weakness.
This scripture comes to mind whenever you feel weak, inadequate, incapable, or inefficient. All you need to do at such times is to roll out this scripture over and over again until you literarily feel strength first on your inside, then in the physical.
See another verse of the bible that you can draw strength from.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. – Philippians 4:13
Dear children, do not fret or feel weakened. The God you serve has promised to be a source of strength to you.
May I also add that the word strength can also mean a source of mental or emotional support. This implies God can be your source of support whenever you feel drained emotionally.
Face your day with this kind of confidence and you will see God come through for you.
Prayer: Dear Father, help me to always trust in your word. Amen.
Action point: Dedicate time to meditate on God’s word
Declaration: God is my refuge and strength, my ever-present help in trouble.
Learn how to know a good friend. Look at the following scenario and pick up lessons from it.
Ade didn’t say a word. He sat still and quiet while his friend cried. Tola, his best friend at school, just lost his dad and they were in his friend’s room right now.
Tola’s pillows were wet with his tears, the bed covers rough and halfway down on the floor.
His cries echoed throughout the room as he laid on the bed.
There was nothing Ade could do other than to sit and wait for his friend to talk when he felt like it.
Though deeply saddened to see his friend like this, there was nothing he could do, but to pray that God would comfort Tola for the loss and of course, stay by his side.
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. – Proverbs18:24
When a friend is in a state like Tola is, the only thing to do is pray for them like Ade is doing and ensuring that you are by them. Don’t try to talk unless they ask you to or do so themselves.
Never expect them to hurry out of their grief or tell them to. They need the time to grieve and mourn their loss as much as they have to.
All they need is your silence and presence. They need your support.
That is what is it means to hold the hand of a friend. You let them know that you are available for them. Your care doesn’t have to be in words but in action most times.
Only God will comfort them for their loss as the bible tells us.
May the Lord make you a good friend at all times. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, make me a good friend that will be there for my friends when they are in their lowest moments. Help me to hold their hands all through in Jesus name, amen.
Action plan: When next you see a friend going through a tough time, pray for and support them.
