It happens all the time. You fall in love, you make commitments, in some cases, wedding plans begin, and then like a mighty tornado from nowhere, doubt hits you like you hit someone with a sledge hammer.
I thought I was in love! Where is this doubt coming from? O Lord, help me!
It even gets more confusing when compromise or specifically, sex is involved. You hardly know what to do. On one hand, you think you love him or her, but when you think about your future together, a lump rises in your throat and a subtle fear meanders in the inner crevices of your mind.
What do you do at such times? This is what we want to look at this morning.
At what points do doubts occur? Here are some:
1. A relationship is outside of God’s will and God needed to get your attention.
2. A relationship is actually God’s will, but the devil wants to confuse you so that you can step out of that will.
3. You have huge and sometimes unrealistic expectations and unfortunately the expectations are far from being realised.
4. You are in a relationship and it is God’s plan for you, but somewhere along the line, you are caught in sex. The devil would usually bring guilt trips and if you stay habitually in the compromise, confusion will enter the soul and you won’t know your left from right.
5. You are not informed and you are ignorant of your basic spiritual rights, you will easily get confused and yield to doubt.
6. You start a relationship or courtship without seeking God’s will. That conviction would not be there and doubts would have an upper hand.
7. You sought direction about your marriage from some prophet without a personal adventure in seeking God’s face.
8. You go into a relationship or marriage in order to escape from something. After your escape,then you start asking whether you really love the person.
9. All your mentors, pastor, and even parents are against the marriage except you. Doubt will surely come eventually.
10. Marriage is not all about roses and flowers, when the thorns show up, they usually come in the basket of doubt.
The next thing is “will one ever get to a place in life where doubt is completely extricated and will never occur again?” Like take a gun and shoot doubt for ever and ever?
I will talk about that tomorrow.
Don’t miss it.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am not confused.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that every doubt will be destroyed
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY “Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Php 4:7, MSG)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Spend time in God’s presence
BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY 2 Chronicles 6-7; Psalm 136
This morning, I want to challenge us as we begin a new week to not allow the devil to negotiate you out of the best that God has for you!
My teaching is taken from the below short clip.
The scripture there is
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
Gen 1:22 (KJV)
These were the first words of God to humanity! You can’t allow any nonsense from the devil! Don’t allow him to negotiate with you and come up with all kinds of excuses why your relationship is not working, why nobody is coming your way, why there is an unnecessary delay, and so on and so forth!
Why is the scripture above so important!
This was God’s instructions from the beginning!
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1Jn 1:1 (KJV)
Go back to what God said in the beginning and hold on to that! All other suggestions, instructions, manipulations, adaptations, conclusions, and deductions are inferior to the very first words that proceeded from God!
If your relationship is not fruitful, then something has been tampered with and you cannot settle for it!
It is either fruitfulness or fruitfulness!
And the verse above listed the process involved; hear it, see it, look upon it and let your hands handle it!
This week, I am praying for you, whatever it is that stares you in the face, be it your business, relationship, carrier, ministry, or whatever it is, I declare fruitfulness in Jesus name!
That will be your portion this week in Jesus name! Have a great and fulfilling week!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I refuse to cooperate with the devil
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Oh Lord, take my relationship to how you intended it in the beginning
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1 John 1:1[ESV] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life
One way you can achieve this is by rejecting the victim mentality in your relationship.
There are people who live with a victim mentality. It is not a good place to be. It is a negative mentality, an unfortunate place to be.
The guy with the victim mentality goes into a relationship expecting it to break up. The lady with victim mentality expects to be heartbroken, expects to be disappointed, and expects to be jilted.
Somehow, that person is addicted to pain. Until he or she is treated in some bad way, he or she is bored. It is a contradiction. He or she prays against pain but then looks forward to it through actions and in-actions. Such a person enjoys the depression and despondency that comes after being hurt.
So the person indirectly positions himself or herself to be hurt. Even when the hurt is not forthcoming, he ensures something happens that will create the scenario.
It is a victim mentality, a time-waster, a destiny twister.
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Num 13:33 (KJV)
How did these people know that they were like grasshoppers in other people’s eyes? It was their belief system.
When you go into a relationship with this mentality, the break up is guaranteed.
This mentality and feeling must be rejected.
Don’t go into a relationship believing that you will be abused. Don’t go into a relationship believing that you will be jilted. Don’t go into a relationship believing that you will be cheated and conned.
Don’t go into a relationship believing that you will be dumped and discarded. Don’t go into a relationship when you don’t even love yourself.
Believe the best of God. Love believes the best. Give yourself some hope, stay positive and constantly declare God’s word over your life.
I will stop here this morning.
May God bless your relationship!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY
I am loved of God
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, take away from me every negative spirit
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Num 13:33 (MSG) Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers.”
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Confession God’s word over your life
1. Dating is an appointment between two people (not in a hotel or some guest house)
2. Dating is a meeting to conduct a long-range interview with the purpose of knowing a person.
3. The purpose of dating is to eliminate all surprises eventually if a romantic relationship ensues.
4. Dating seeks to know the person, not the body.
5. Dating is a discovery of who the person is, not what is under the clothes.
6. Once jeru trip is involved, the mind enters into confusion and you can no longer trust your judgment.
7. Dating seeks all information as regards the person in consideration, medical, spiritual, and all.
8. Dating helps you not to fall in love blindly.
9. Dating is perfectly okay for a child of God. However, meeting in his place or at some ungodly hour is not dating! When you are in a guy’s territory, anything can happen.
10. Finally, after dating, take everything back to God. Do all of this before any emotion is involved and let God guide you by His peace!
God bless your relationship.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will not be deceived
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, guide me by your shepherding grace
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 2Ti 2:22 (KJV) Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Talk to God every step of the way
Dressing matters a lot. Somebody said the way you dress is the way you will be addressed. Take a look at the below video and then we will get into this:
This video says it all. In no way should people come to church and then be distracted. Distractions are understandable out there, but certainly not in church!
People really want to come to church and be able to focus. You see, we need to understand this especially the ladies.
You see ladies don’t understand that men are moved by sight. The hanging cleavage, the rolling eyes, the flashing laps, the batting eyelids, the chewing of gum and smirking of lips, the seductive dance and gyrating.. all of these and more are killing for an average man.
Some people will say that dressing does not really matter, but the scriptures says otherwise.
Joseph had to change his raiment when he was summoned to the palace from the prison.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
Gen 41:14 (KJV)
Joseph needed to change his clothes for his new address.