Temiloluwa 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 Tina, 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 Tina 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,’ Temiloluwa replied.
‘What about God?’
‘He doesn’t want to answer my prayers.’
‘What have you been praying for?’
‘I have been asking Him to help Tina 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 Tina 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?’
Temiloluwa paused and thought about this. She had never asked Tina that. ‘No, mommy. I have never asked her what the problem was.’
‘There goes your answered prayer.’
Have you ever felt like Temiloluwa?
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.
Temiloluwa asked Tina what the problem was and discovered that Tina felt timid in asking questions when she didn’t understand the lessons. With this knowledge, Temiloluwa was able to explain and teach her friend, and in no time, Tina’s grades improved at school.
Sade stood afar watching how the crowd pushed towards the table stand where some girls stood, sharing fliers for a singing audition. She loved to sing but wasn’t so sure she would make an audition. Her toothbrush was her microphone and her younger brother was no help at all. So it was as though her faith was low. She moved towards the crowd, biting her lips and clenching her fists.
“Here goes nothing”, she told herself as she got closer.
There was a lady in the bible who felt just the way Sade did. A woman with a long-standing health issue stood where Jesus was. She had heard of how Jesus had been healing people and wondered if He would heal her. But she had faith!
The woman thought, “If I can even touch his coat, that will be enough to heal me.” Mark 5:28 ICB
After much deliberation, she found her way through the thick crowd around Jesus and touched the hem of His garment. Instantly she was healed and Jesus knew someone had touched Him. He asked who had, the woman came forward, told Him her condition and He further prayed for her (Mark: 5:29-34). Now that’s faith there!
I’m sure the woman too said, ” Here goes nothing”, as she went ahead to touch Jesus’ garment. Just like Sade did too.
You never know what will happen if you don’t take that much-needed step. Are you still unsure of taking that step forward to accept Christ as your Saviour and Lord? You think He will reject you or that you are not good enough for Him? Jesus Christ will never reject anybody that comes to Him. He loves you more than you could ever imagine. Simply have faith.
So, take a bold step today and touch the hem of His garment, let Him help you. May the help of God always find you, Amen.
Prayer: Lord, Jesus, like the woman with the issue of blood, I hold on to the hem of your garment. I have faith, and I receive all that I need right now. In Your mighty name, I pray, amen
Action plan: Reach out to Jesus today and always. Touch His garment daily and as much a stout need to.
Dear God Well, you start writing a letter with the word “Dear” and God much likes it when you call Him that.
Have you ever wondered how writing a letter to God would be like? It’s pretty much simple. Just pick a writing pad, notebook, or something to write on and start to write.
After starting with a “Dear God”, you tell Him why He is so great and powerful, why you love Him, and why people praise and worship Him.
Then begin to thank Him for what He has done for you, your parents, siblings, friends and people around you. It’s good to thank Him for not only what He has done for you but for others too.
Move on to laying your requests before Him. Tell Him what you need and it’s not like He doesn’t know but He wants you to still say it. He says you should ask Him of anything and He will answer, that it’s what He hears you say that He will do.
Ask in faith and not in fear, knowing that your heavenly Father is able to do far more than you can ever imagine. Ask knowing that He hears your prayers.
“Behold, I am the Lord , the God of all flesh; is there anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27) AMP
Then bring in some more praise and worship as you thank Him for a time in His presence. Thank Him for answered prayers. Give Him the glory and honor due to His name. Don’t forget to close with a faith-filled “In Jesus’ name.”
Of course, you should put your name at the end because all letters end with the name of the writer. How about you write a letter to God write now, starting with ‘Dear God.”
Remember we said that prayer is like a one-on-one session with God? It’s time alone with God and not open to anyone or anything to cause any distraction. Distracting someone in prayer is not cool at all.
So, when you see someone praying maybe during church service or not, it’s not the time to start distracting them. It’s not cool to make a joke then or nudge them to look at someone or something irrelevant or trivial.
Don’t tap someone who is praying and say “Hey, look at Tom’s torn jeans” or “See how messed up Susan’s hair is.” It’s really not cool to make jokes about people’s looks, clothes, or social status. And not even during prayers. And God doesn’t want you to do so.
When you do so, you are distracting them from God – you break their connection to God at that time. This prevents them from hearing or receiving a message from God at that time.
Just like you shouldn’t allow anyone or anything to break your focus during prayer, you shouldn’t do so to others too. Let them enjoy the same blessing you receive from praying to God. Don’t be a stumbling block in their path; stop distracting them.
Prayer is an important ingredient to any Christian’s life. It’s important in your life. May the Lord give you a heart of understanding. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, I don’t want to be a stumbling block in the paths of people during their praying time; help me not to be distracting people. Help me to remain focused on You during prayer. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Action plan: When next you feel the urge to talk to someone and make a joke during prayers, ask the Holy Spirit for help. And don’t do it.
Confession: My children are true worshippers. They worship God in spirit and in truth. They will not be distracting others in their worship.
Speaking in tongues isn’t just for praying alone as most people would think. As much as the Holy Spirit blessed you with this gift to pray to God, He also gave you the ability to worship God by singing and speaking with the same tongues.
You can be speaking in tongues and be worshipping God with it. Have you ever heard adults in church saying people should worship God in another language, our heavenly language? You see, it is something that the Spirit of God empowers believers to do – not just adults, but children also.
While worshipping God in tongues, the Holy Spirit can magnify it for you and lead you to start singing in tongues as well, as worship to God. You may not know what you are singing, but you shouldn’t be bothered by this because God knows what you are singing. You are not singing rubbish; no you are not! You are only worshipping God in the language of heaven and all heaven is dancing along with you. How amazing is that? Angels dancing as you sing; very amazing.
The benefits of doing this are, worshipping God in tongues takes the burden of constructing words for worship. You also, won’t need new words to worship God with because you are speaking or singing in a language that is divinely renewing itself. Unlike using an earthly language that everyone knows what a word means. A heavenly language can mean so many things at different times. The third thing about it is that it helps you keep your focus on God.
Hallelujah! May the Spirit bless you with a massive gift of tongues to worship the King of kings. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, give me a stream of tongues that I may release my worship through them to you. I want to sing songs and worship in tongues to you. In Jesus’ name, I ask. Amen.
Action Plan: If you have the gift of tongues, use them to sing to God. If you don’t, find someone to minister it to you. or ask the Holy Spirit for it.
