“Do not Be afraid, for I am with you.”

I must admit that 2023 was a difficult year for me. I was attacked spiritually, mentally, psychologically, and emotionally. Surprisingly, I was financially okay. It made dealing with all other uncomfortable situations and circumstances bearable. Yahoo! The good news is that, because I was standing, I was hopeful and that was my greatest strength. The assurance of hope kept me grounded. I had faith that God could overcome everything I faced, and I can attest to His extraordinary presence. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you, In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? Psalms 56:3-4.

I was told that, despite my situation, I carried myself with grace. Nobody knew about the difficulties I was facing. That’s because I brought my issues to the Lord so that He could fight my battle rather than putting them on display to win people over with no resolution. The people closest to me were the only ones who knew what I was going through, and I knew they would join forces together and pray for me. I was tested beyond anything I could have imagined, but I remained firm in my faith that the Lord would deliver me.

We all have spiritual gifts, the question is how to fully utilize the spiritual gifts we possess that matters. I am an intercessor and a dreamer. I dream about future events so that I can pray to God to stop it before it happens. Sometimes, I am unaware of what to pray for, but the Holy Spirit guides me through my dreams to focus my prayers.  The challenges we face spiritually can occasionally be greater than our own abilities. As the Bible expressly states – “For our struggle is not against fresh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. Ephesians 6:12.

These spiritual attacks can frequently unleash numerous spirits like familiar, unfamiliar, monitoring, wondering and other spirits that might be unknown to us. which can be attained through fasting, praying and some weeping to experience a breakthrough. When we pray for others, we run the risk of being attacked by unseen demons if we lack spiritual stability. Just by virtue of our proximity to someone, we can still be affected. These spirits are powerful and requires divine intervention. You may discover that you go through comparable experiences as the individual you should be supporting. Which is why we need to “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”. Ephesians 6:10-11. Which is precisely what I did to receive full delivery and be freed from the bonds that were holding me captive. Why pray, fast, and weep, one could wonder.

1. FASTING – The purpose of fasting is to humble us and bring us nearer to God. Fasting is the practice of going without necessities to show that you depend on God for critical tasks. Giving something up for a while shows that you are committed to fixing the problems in your life.
2. WEEPING unleashes your hurt, remorse, and pain. If you are moved by the pain in your heart, you will be affected by what is wrong. When we weep over something, is because it moved us or broke our hearts. You probably won’t be able to move or break your heart if the things in your life that need to change don’t break or move you. God needs to work in us before He can work through us.
3. PRAYER drives the who step before the do. Below is a model of prayer.

• Declare who God Is – Declaring who God is and what he can accomplish puts you in a position where you can trust that He can handle everything.
• Confess your sins, your family’s & your nation’s – We all have sin, even after we believe, we keep on sinning, but “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. 1 John 1:9.
• Recall God’s Promises – Remind God of His promises, not just who He is, but what He has said He will do. God’s promises are unchangeable – Hebrews 8:18-19. His promises help us in times of trouble – Psalms 16:1-2. God Promises to quiet our storms of self-criticism – 1 John 3:18-20. God Promises he won’t leave us alone – Hebrews 13:5-6. God Promises to calm our fears – Zephania 3:17, Psalms 34:4. Many more of his promises can be found in the Bible.
• Boldly Ask – don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. Not for our glory but for His glory. And He will grant your request according.

When I was in despair, I wrote a prayer to get God’s attention using a combination of bathing with salt and water and he answered me. “Salt symbolizes God’s covenant with humanity, transcending time and space. It can be used practically for things like food preservation, flavor enhancement, and water purification. Salt is a representation of fresh starts and a break from the past. Elisha tosses salt into a spring to purify the waters and signal a fresh start. The curse on the water is no more. “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt, in it. “So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ And the water has remained whole-some to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken”. 2 kings 19:20-22

My Heartfelt Prayer in Desperation

The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it belongs to Him. My Healer, My Redeemer, My Fortress, My Strength, My Comforter, My Protector, My Provider, My Conqueror. Father, I magnify You, I worship You,  I honor, revere, exalt, elevate, and bow down to only You. “Open the eyes of my heart Lord, Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you 2X. To see you high and lifted up, shining in the light of your glory. Pour out your power and love as we sing Holy, Holy, Holy. “Create in me a pure heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. And grant me a willing spirit to sustain me”. Psalms 51:10-12.

My Great Physician, amid all my troubles, I come to You in my desperation and fear. I trust there is nothing impossible for You. I pray You stretch forth Your Mighty righthand and save me from all evil spirits – monitoring, familiar, wondering, unfamiliar spirit and all other spirits I may not be aware of. I refuse to suffer what I don’t know about; my kids and the many generations that follow won’t experience suffering that they are unaware of. I cease all misfortunes, wicked schemes, and witchcraft manipulations that continue to plague my family and me. As I give you my entire heart, Lord. I reject, repudiate, and purge myself of all such customs and spirits. In the name of Jesus, I proclaim liberty/freedom today.

Your word said in Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. My soul is weary and burdened Messiah. Please grant me a willing spirit to overcome every obstacle and grant me rest according to Your words. Today, I cast my anxiety onto You for I know you care for me. “Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech. Let death take my enemies by surprise; Let them go down alive to the grave, for evil finds lodging among them”. Psalm 55:9 & 15.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.- Philippians 4: 6-7. Even in my anxious stage, I will cast my request onto You for I know You care for me. Your promises are true and Amen. You will never let the righteous to be shaken. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline”. 2 Timothy 1:7. “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.”- Psalms 35:1-2. As I pray the darkness will turn to light, As I pray, the will of God and man will align.  El Shaddai, may my prayer align with Yours today in Jesus’ name. As I lay down my request onto Your throne, I know You will answer and deliver me against all attacks in Jesus’ name.

Prayer is about embedding scriptures you have memorized into your praying life. Taking God words back to Him and believing in your heart that He promised to do what He said He will do. As he said it, He will surely do it.

Below are questions to help you gage your life this new year. Seven questions to ask yourself:

1. How is my life going?
2. When I look over the past year, what have I learned from my mistakes?
3. Where is my one conflict?
4. Does my life reflect my values?
5. Do I have integrity?
6. Does my vision for tomorrow lapse?
7. What do I need to change in the next 6 months?

Change is the only constant thing in life. It’s never too late to make positive changes in your life, if you want to live a more fulfilled life. Do not allow age, time, or other obstacles to stop you. The seven questions serve as a wake-up call to reflect where we came from, what we represent and our future directions. As you go through the new year, remember that you will face challenges. But it’s how you handle those challenges that will make a difference in your life. Will you take it to God in prayer or will you fight it alone? Embed God today into all your dealings and see Him perform miracles in your life. Happy New Year 2024!