There are several gateways to a man’s spirit. These gateways are like large open doors through which good or bad spirits can access our inner man. I believe it is to this intent that the scripture says:
Pro 4:23 (KJV) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
The heart has to be kept with security systems that would prevent unsolicited access into your heart. The gateways in every man include the mouth gate, the eye gate, the ear gate, and nose gate.
This morning, I want to say a few words as it relates to the eye gate and relationships.
The Bible actually talks a lot about being cautious with what we see. One such scripture can be found in:
Job 31:1 (KJV) I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
Job had to come to a point in his life and he realized his eyes are going to get him into serious trouble. So he dealt with his eyes in order to deal with his thoughts. His eye gate was feeding his thought life and those thoughts were far from healthy.
He knew if he was going to be okay, he had to make decisions. And that is what you will need to do too, you will need to make decisions!
Jesus even elaborated more here:
Mat 5:28 (KJV) But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Just having a deliberate lustful look, Jesus said it’s the same as an adulterous sin.
What do you do?
You see, the first look is not always a sin or any trouble. It is the second, third and perpetual look that becomes the problem. It’s when you start thinking on or meditating on an unhealthy sight that issues begin to rear their heads. The solution is simple, like Job, you must make a decision and deliberately refuse to look at whatever is going to feed your weaknesses.
I pray that today will be a great day in your life, even as you make those decisions.
Be blessed!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am deliberate with what I see
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Ask for the grace not to feed your weakness.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Job 31:1 (MSG)”I made a solemn pact with myself never to undress a girl with my eyes.
Opposite, they say, will always attract. That has been found to be true, always and at all times. God is a God of varieties. God’s own way of ensuring that you don’t get so bored in marriage is that opposite will attract.
The reason you fell in love most of the time is because there is something you saw that you don’t have.
God in His wisdom, sovereignty and divine love, intends that your spouse will have strength in the area where you have weaknesses, and you will have strength in the area where your spouse has weaknesses.
The strengths versus weaknesses tango will then create a balance, so that the children can be properly and emotionally developed.
Won’t it really be very odd for husband and wife to have same weaknesses?
So opposite will attract. Your lover will reason and think differently from you, mostly.
These opposites that attract, however, will also now be the very thing that will cause irritations when the love euphoria dies down.
It is at this point that most relationships get broken, because they did not understand why they have been so different, without knowing that the very difference is what they need to create a beautiful balance and be able to have a matured marital experience.
So, do not despise your differences in any way, rather celebrate those differences because that is what will bring balance into the relationship and eventually your marriage.
The opposite ways will definitely bring different opinions, reasonings and conclusions, but you must be matured enough not to mute your spouse but rather create an enabling environment for expressions in the relationship and marriage.
Work on your strengths by maximizing them. Work on your weaknesses by minimizing them!
May God grant you more understanding.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am different. I am unique. I am special.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to accept the fact that we are made to be different.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12 KJV
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Study a book on temperament to know why you are different
Life is a question of power. The moment power is drained and strength is dissipated, life will ooze out slowly and death will set in.
Wealth and riches are a question of power. Poverty is an expression of weakness and lack of strength in finances.
Strength! It determines a lot.
Marriage requires strength. A successful relationship that will translate into a great courtship and eventually a blissful marriage requires strength all the way. When a person lacks strength, all kinds of stuff will happen to the weak emotions. The emotions are as vulnerable to the degree that the soul is weak.
I love the scripture below:
Eph 3:16 (KJV) That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
If there is anything you should pray for today, it is strength in your inner man. Strength to navigate the meanders of the marital road and be able to avoid emotional mirages that appear as you journey on that road. All of us will ply that road at one time or the other.
Getting a spouse, getting married, having a glorious wedding, and then a great marriage all require strength. Walking down the aisle is no less a task, there is strength needed every step of the way to avoid distractions that scream at you.
Strength to be a husband! Strength for leadership! Strength to be a wife; to submit and respect! All these are no small feats. You are going to need strength.
God can grant you this strength. Ask for it. Pray for it. And when you have it, it will make all the difference!
I love the Passion Translation:
Eph 3:16 (TPT) And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.
I pray for you this morning, may supernatural strength flood your innermost being in Jesus name!
Have a great day!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I have supernatural strength as a person
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, increase my strength
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Eph 3:16 (CEV) God is wonderful and glorious. I pray that his Spirit will make you become strong followers
David was very much loved of God. He was simply God’s favorite. Just as today, we are all God’s favorites through the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
However, he fumbled along the way. From adultery, he descended so fast on the lane of iniquity, fueled by lust of the eyes and of the flesh. From the cage of adultery, he dug further into the dungeon of a murderous act.
In one swoop of his signature, he exterminated the life of one of his most loyal men, in a desperate bid to cover up a pregnancy.
And after all of that, our God’s man gathered enough temerity to convert the widow of the man he murdered into his harem. This did not go down well with God.
He had to be confronted, because his present deception will put him into eternal jeopardy.
Out came the fiery man of God, Prophet Nathan, in one of the most dramatic confrontations ever recorded in the scriptures.
David was cornered. But he did something so powerful I want you to see. He did not live in denial or delusion once confronted. He owned up. Psalm 51 was a prayer from the heart of a repentant man.
One verse that struck me however, which inspired this morning’s discourse is this:
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
He knew if the Holy Spirit is gone, he is finished. He must have remembered Saul, and what happened to him when the Holy Spirit departed and took His mercy away from him.
Perhaps in your quest to settle down and get married, your greatest asset is the Holy Spirit.
He is the revealer. He is the teacher. He is the comforter.
Protect your relationship with Him. It is a key to a lasting relationship and marriage. He is the one that will show you who to marry, just as He showed me!
May God grant you more understanding!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY The Holy Spirit is my greatest asset. I value his friendship.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Thank God for the Holy Spirit. What a great asset!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
The almighty God! What does it mean to be more than enough? How does one become more than enough? Can anyone be more than enough? Humanly speaking, it is outrightly impossible to do or be so. But not with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
God is El Shaddai – the Almighty God who is more than enough for us. His power to help, protect, provide, and deliver us is more than we need. Imagine for a second, you need two cups of cereal to eat and there are ten cups of it in the package. You take the two needed and keep the rest, knowing in your mind that there are still eight cups left. You keep going back for more when you need to.
When God does something for you, don’t think He is out of stock. Rather, He has an indefinite supply of every and all the things you need or can ever need. Be it knowledge, strength, finances, friends, healing, jobs, protection – just name it. Remember, He created the world by just saying “Let there be….” He is the almighty God!
El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One, gives us life, nurtures us through His word and Spirit, and pours Himself (blessings) daily into us. Let’s look at a mother and child relationship.
Your mother gave birth to (life) and weaned you at her breast (nurture) – that means daily, she kept pouring herself into you (developing a deep and intimate relationship between you two). The relationship brought you comfort, protection, and security. As you think of this, think of the almighty God.
As a result of the nourishment received from her, you grew in good health and matured. She never worried that she could be out of breast milk. Why? Because nature has seen to it that she will always have an abundant supply to feed you with. In fact, the moment she got pregnant with you, nature had ensured that breast milk was going to be available for you. So, there was a supply of it – nourishment, waiting for you even before your birth.
El Shaddai isn’t worried that He doesn’t or won’t have enough to give you because He is the God that owns heaven and earth. He is the almighty God!
God is always filled and prepared to meet our needs. He wants to comfort and pass His being into us through His Word and Spirit. Just like a mother won’t forget or ignore her crying child, El Shaddai won’t and doesn’t forget you. In the event that a mother forgets or ignores her child’s cry, El Shaddai won’t.
“The Lord answers, “Can a woman forget the baby she nurses? Can she feel no kindness for the child she gave birth to? Even if she could forget her children, I will not forget you. see, I have written your name on my hand. Jerusalem, I always think about your walls.” Isaiah 49: 15-16, ICB.
Two things to remember – God is never out of supply (no scarcity or lack) and there is nothing you need that God cannot give or do for you. He is indeed the almighty God.
Prayer: El Shaddai, thank You for the abundance of Your love for me. Come be El Shaddai more in my life. Let Your over-sufficiency cover up all my insufficiencies. Amen.
