Author: busialighthousechurch

HEALING OF THE SOUL AND SPIRIT OF MAN SERIES 003 – WRONG THINKING FORMULATED FROM FOUNDATIONAL LIES
“….I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” John 14:6 “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” Psalm 51:6
FOUNDATIONAL LIES
WHAT IS A FOUNDATIONAL LIE ?
Another type of bitter root — a type of personal stronghold (2Cor 10:4); A message we believe about ourselves, others, God or life that does not agree with the truth of God’s Word, His character and His Nature.
About self : “I am stupid”, I don’t belong, I can’t be loved

Case Study : Matthew (not his real name ) was brought up by high performing African parents who had struggled to get an education and achieve middle class status in society through sheer determination. They had worked hard to break out of the poverty of their village by studying tediously and performing well in school. Matthews dad was a prominent city lawyer, while his mum was a senior government official. They had worked hard to provide for Matthew and his siblings a comfortable living in an otherwise difficult environment. They provided for their children the best education and expected them to perform exceptionally well. Matthews siblings met their parents expectations, however Matthew lacked interest in academics and his class performance was below average. He had well-built body and preferred soccer and the arts. His parents being ultra-high academic performers would from time to time lose patience with him and compare him with his siblings and once in a while lose their temper and burst out how slow or stupid he was compared to his siblings. By time Matthew was in high school he had a low self-esteem about himself and believed and felt he was a failure in life.

About others: “People can’t be trusted; Nobody cares; All white people are racists ; All black people are lazy”

Lydia was brought up in the eastern part of her tiny African Nation. She went to a nearby primary school and high school where most of the pupils and teachers were from her tribe. The other tribe in the western part of the country were quite different in their ways and customs from Lydia’s. She grew up hearing many stereotypes about the other tribe. She heard her parents, teachers and other community make negative comments about the other tribe. ‘They can’t be trusted’ ; ‘They are violent’ ; ‘They are lazy’; and Lydia believed what she was hearing. After high school Lydia qualified to join one of the national Teachers Training Colleges. She was excited about this opening , because her lifelong dream was to become a teacher. However there was challenge. The Teachers Training College was in the Western part of the nation. She wondered how she would cope with people of ‘the other’ tribe.’ Her first year in college was a difficult one. She kept mostly to herself or interacted with people from her tribe. She hated everthing about the college and felt home sick. Unfortunately this affected her performance and just barely passed her end year exam to qualify for the following year. This experience made her to make new resolutions for the following year and chose to be more positive about her new environment and to be more friendly and outgoing. That year they began a friendship with Philip who was also a final year student in the college and also from the western tribe. Initially the friendship was rocky and unstable, but they both became committed to the colleges Christian union and began to grow in their Christian faith they became inseparable. Amazingly after three years out of college they become married in a colorful Christian wedding and last year they celebrated their fifteenth wedding anniversary.They are blessed with three lovely children.

About life : “Life is meaningless; life is unfair; life is hard

Timothy’s father died when he was just four after contracting H.I.V Aids. He watched their unemployed mother struggle with them until he was ten, when she began to ail and finally succumbed to the same disease after just eight months due to lack of anti-viral drugs. Timothy and his younger sister were forced to move in with their maternal uncle who had promised to educate them. Unfortunately after just one year in the school, his uncle’s lost his job at the local factory and could no longer afford to have Timothy and his own children in school. Therefore Timothy was forced to remain behind and perform menial work in his uncle’s farm as his cousins went school. Timothy began to feel hopeless in life. He moved out of his uncle’s home at fifteen and survived on low paying jobs to make ends meet. He also became addicted to the local cheap brew. When Timothy came to church and gave his life to Christ he felt a sense of hopelessness. Even after giving his life to Christ he still felt that he would never recover the lost opportunities he once had. After a series of prayer and counseling with his pastor, Timothy began to have a positive outlook in life. He moved from just depending on menial work to earn a living and today he has a thriving cobbler business.

About God : “God is punishing , God is distant”

Shelly was born out of wedlock. Her mom was just in high school when she became pregnant and gave birth at home. Shelly’s strict grandfather was extremely disappointed with her only daughter. He felt that she had brought shame to the family name being a respected church elder. After Shelly’s mom gave birth, her dad quickly arranged for her to quickly move to her aunts home in a far county, while Shelly remained to be nursed with her grandmother. Shelly grew up with a sense of shame and feeling unwanted . Her grandfather was harsh and hardly spoke to her kindly. Later on in life she felt like she was being punished for her mother’s sins.

Our mind might know a truth while our heart believes the opposite. That is because, although thoughts are expressed by the mind, they begin in the heart. (watch out for our study of heart and mind)
“…..Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” Matthew 15:19, NAS
We may be tempted to act out a lie, in spite of what our minds tell us we should do.
If my heart believes the lie that nobody cares, that lie will tempt me not to share my heart even with persons my mind knows can be trusted.
It is not enough to just quote Bible verses or consciously decide to believe the truth. We need to repent of believing the lies, and put them to death on the cross in prayer.
Satan is the “father of lies”, John 8:44. Therefore, lies can be empowered by demons. Therefore Deliverance is sometimes needed. (watch out for our series on “Deliverance and Inner healing).
……LIES ABOUT SELF ARE SOME OF THE HARDEST TO GIVE UP.
FOUNDATIONAL LIES THAT SILENCE OUR SONG
“For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalms 139:13 – 16 NIV
“The Lord Your God is with You, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 NIV.

God created each one of us with our own “song”.
Our parents did not create our identity; we came with one: Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 NIV. The Hebrew says, literally, “ in his way” , meaning the natural bent of the child. Parents are to affirm and strengthen this.
Our parents did not create our destiny. God has preordained plan for us.
“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 NIV
Parents are to be God’s primary instruments to sing to us, through….
Blessing – calling forth identity, and confirming these truths over and over again, by singing our song
Making it easy to hear these truths, by providing laughter, light-hearted playfulness, affirmations, prayer, etc

As we hear our song sung over and over again, we begin to :
Choose to receive the truth of who we are
This enables us to walk in the works created beforehand (Ephesians 2:10).
We walk in personal authority, confident of our gifts and talents, ruling and reigning as Sons or Daughters of the King.
Know Him and allow ourselves to be known
If we given too few confirmations of God’s truth we may:
Be tempted to believe lies that deny our original design.
Take on a false identity. Temptation comes in the form of ;
Spoken lies about who we are “ Death and Life are in the power of the tongue”. Proverbs 18:21a NAS ; “You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless. Psalm 69:19- 20
Lack of Love – physical care, unconditional acceptance, “I love You”, praise and validation (not just for what we do, but for who we are), play, loving touch, protection.
Abandonment and rejection –
Not wanted from birth – abortion, abandonment,
Lack or loss of bonding (parents away from home;death;divorce)
Abuse
Emotional abuse: unfair punishment, painful silences, shaming for mistakes
Sexual abuse
Teasing and ridicule by peers
Bad things that happen to us
Not being allowed to express our true temperament
Lies taught or modeled from generation to generation
Cultural influences (Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world…
Lies the enemy tells us
Lies we tell ourselves – lies about self; others; life; or God
They gain power and become experiential when we :
Stay bitter towards parnts, God and /or self
Continue to respond this way to similar experiences throughout life
The deciding factor….. Even powerful lies can lose effect and begin to crumble when:
The home is filled with laughter, light-heartedness, playfulness and prayer
Affirmation is spoken; the child’s song is sung.
And….only if our hearts chooses to receive the affirmation and truth
When we are faced with the lack of these blessings, we can still receive them directly from God (Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” Psalms 27:10) though it can be very tempting to believe He is not there.
If we choose to believe a lie and stay bitter toward those who wounded us, the lie can become ingrained and woven into the very fabrics of our lives.
The lie becomes a three fold cord of agreement:
The person who tempted us to believe the lie
The enemy (a liar and the father of lies- John 8:44)
Us

HOW TO RECEIVE INNER HEALING FROM FOUNDATIONAL LIES
RECOGNIZE :- The lie you have believed about yourself, others, life or God.
REPENT :- Ask the Lord to forgive you for ways you have judged those who told the lies, yourself, for agreeing to believe the lie, break agreement with the father of lies
RELEASE forgiveness and blessing – to those who tempted you to believe the lie.
RECKON AS DEAD :- Pray to bring lies to death and revoke their power in your life. – the words spoken , the negative patterns and habits resulting from the lies.
RESURRECT :- reverse the lie according to the Word of God.
RECONCILE :- Change your attitude towards parents or others, self or life.

MOVING YOUR MARRIAGE FROM THE ROCKS TO THE ROCK SERIES 004 – A COVENANT RELATONSHIP
MARRIAGE A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP

LESSON OBJECTIVES :
Understand the power of a covenant in the spiritual realm
The marriage covenant means accepting God’s purpose for your marriage.
The marriage covenant means receiving your mate as a gift from God for your growth and perfection
The marriage covenant means “ leaving and cleaving”.
The marriage covenant means you allow nothing to divide or break the marriage

PROTECTING THE MARRIAGE COVENANT
QUESTION : What is a Covenant?
It is a binding and solemn agreement made by two or more individuals to do something.
A signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action.
An agreement between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behaviour from them in return.
In relation to God, it is the promises of God to man as found in the Bible.
In a marriage , it is a binding commitment to each other to love each other to love each other and to remain together until one dies.
VARIOUS TYPES OF COVENANTS
Between God and Man
Our salvation is based on the covenant of God with man through Jesus (Heb 9:15).
Other Covenants God made with man include the Noahic covenant (Genesis 8:20 – 9:17), the Abrahamic covenant(Genesis 17:1 – 11), the Mosaic covenant( Genesis 19 -24:18) , the Davidic covenant(1 Chronicles 17:11 – 14) and the new covenant through Christ Jesus.
God will keep His covenant no matter what the circumstances (Is 54:10).
God enables man to keep the covenant ( 2 Cor 3:4 – 6)
Between man and man
They were to bind men together
Example of David and Jonathan (1 Sam 18 : 1-4)

Between husband and wife (Mal 2:14 – 15)
LIVING GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR MARRIAGE
Provide an atmosphere of love and security. Ephesians 5:28 – 29 “In the same way , husbands ought to love their wives as they love their bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the Church.
Teaches us to be servants Ephesians 5:22 “For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” – Both parties must submit to each other for the success of the marriage.
Helps us learn to share and give
Produce godly offspring
Become the building block of the Church and Society
SELFISH PURPOSES FOR GETTING INTO MARRIAGE
To obtain financial security.
To get away from parental authority
To feel important
To merely satisfy sexual lust

RECEIVING YOUR MATE
Adam received Eve as a Gift from God (Gen 2:18 – 23) “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the Lord God formed from the ground all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “ At last !” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman’ because she was taken from ‘man’.
How to Receive your mate
Accept your mate with his/her flaws. None of Us is perfect. You are NOT perfect yourself. In fact the marriage is God’s tool to perfect both of You.
Realize the basis of acceptance is trust in God. Trust is the ‘glue’ that holds the marriage together.
Do not try to change your mate into your ‘image’. Listen, “You can’t change your spouse, only God can.”
Do not compare your mate with others.
Do not criticize your mate
Be more sensitive to your mate’s needs than your own.

“LEAVING AND CLEAVING” ( GEN 2:24 – 25)
“This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
Leaving means the relationship with the parents is changed.
You are still to honour your father and mother, but are not under obligation to obey them.
You are not to abandon your parents. (1 Tim 5:8) “But those who won’t care for their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers”.
Leaving does not mean you are to depart from the area where your parents live or that you are not to seek their advice.
You enter into an adult relationship with your parents.
You consider your mates needs and opinions before your parents.
Your mate becomes the main person you try to please (1 Cor 7:33 -34) and not your parents.
You forgive any past hurts from your parents so you will not be bound and driven by the wounds in the future.
“Cleaving “ means to be Joined Together and Faithful to One Another.
Cleaving involves the physical , sexual union (1 Cor 6:16)
Cleaving stress the permanent bond of the marriage.
Cleaving also includes the unity emotionally and spiritually.
Adam and Eve were one before the fall (Gen 2:25)
Sin brought about man’s of himself and hindered his being transparent with his wife.
You need Jesus to make you one as a couple.
MARRIAGE THE PERMANENT SEAL
Marriage is an irrevocable, Permanent Bond (Pr 2:17)
God is a witness to the marriage union and covenant (Mal 2:14) “ You cry out, “Why doesn’t the lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows.”
Divorce between believers is wrong (1Cor 7:10 – 11) “But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.
Honor the Covenant Vows You Made to Each Other
You made an unconditional commitment to your mate, that nothing but death would separate you.
You committed to be one “flesh” with your mate.
You agreed to “cleave” only to your spouse.
You promised to fulfill your roles in the marriage.
You said you would put your mate’s needs before your own.
LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER OR DIVIDE THE UNION – RUTH 1:16 – “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you: for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge, Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION SERIES -004 IS THERE A DEVIL?
Many are fearful of him and are not ready to mention even his name. Some deny or ignore his existence. Others believe that he is not as bad has been claimed and are ready to make pacts with him, so that they can benefit for him, financially, politically, socially or otherwise.
He has been honored in art and has even a Museum dedicated to him in Kaunas Lithuania (Zmuidzinavicius Museum)
Wikipedia describes the devil as the personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions.
EXPLORING HOW DIFFERENT FAITHS PERCIVE THE DEVIL
BAHAI FAITH
The Baha’i faith does not believe that a superhuman being or spirit entity such as a devil or Satan exists. However the term Satan appears in the Baha’i writings, but is only used as a metaphor for the lower, evil nature of man.
ISLAMIC FAITH
In Islam, the principle of evil is expressed by two terms referring to the same entity Shaitan {meaning astray, distant or devil} and Iblis. The Quranic narrative about the creation story; When God created Adam, he ordered the angels to prostrate themselves before him. All did, but Iblis refused and claimed to be superior to Adam. Therefore Iblis was condemned to hell, but God granted him a request to lead humanity astray, knowing the righteous will resist Iblis attempts to misguide them. Like Christianity, Iblis was once a pious creature of God, but later cast out of Heaven, due to his pride. Unlike Christianity, the devil did not rebel against God, but humanity. He plays a less significant role as the personification of evil compared to Christianity; he is merely a tempter, inciting humans into sin.
HINDUISM
The earliest Hindu texts do not offer further explanations for evil, regarding evil as something natural. However later texts offer various explanations for evil. According to an explanation given by the Brahmins, both demons and gods spoke truth and untruth, but the demons relinquished the truth and the gods relinquished the untruth. But both spirits are regarded as different aspects of one supreme god. Even some fierce deities like Kali are not thought of as devils but just as darker aspects of god and may even manifest benevolence.
JUDAISM
Yahweh the God of Judaism created both good and evil, Isaiah 45:7 “I form the light, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.” In the first chapter of the book of Job, the devil appears with other angels in the presence of God. The scriptures refer to them as the sons of God.

The Biblical account of the Story of Lucifer / Satan:
God created wonderful things even before He created the heavens and the earth. He created angels who are spiritual beings whose purpose was to do the will of God.

Angels we created to worship God and to serve Him for all eternity. Rev 5: 11 -14 : Then I looked again and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders . And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered – to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped the Lamb.

Then one of the arch-angels Lucifer rebelled against God. He wanted to be above the throne of God. He rebelled with a third of the angels God threw them out of heaven. REV 12:4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.

Isaiah 14:12-14 “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.
Lucifer after his expulsion from heaven was separated from the Glory of God and became known as Satan. He lost the glory he initially had.

Ezekiel 28: 11 – 17 – Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign lord: “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone – red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx , green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald – all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold, They were given to you on the day you were created. I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. Your rich commerce led you to violence, and you sinned. So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings.
Lucifer was filled with evil and darkness. The angels who joined in the rebellion also lost their glory , and became demonic powers and powers of darkness in the world.

MAN’S MAJOR ENCOUNTER WITH THE DEVIL THAT CHANGED THE CAUSE OF HISTORY
After God created the world he created man and gave him the authority to have dominion over the earth. Genesis 1:27 – 28: So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, birds in the sky and all the animals that scurry along the ground.

God planted a garden for man and gave him the responsibility to care for the garden. Gen 2:15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. God created the woman to be a companion and helpmate to the man. Gen 2:22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and brought her to the man.

The devil appeared to the woman in the form of a snake and tricked her to disobey God, she later convinced her husband to do the same and in the process they lost their authority they been given to the devil. Their disobedience also attracted a curse in the earth.

Only through Jesus Christ also called the second Adam was this authority restored back to man through His death and resurrection.

SHOULD CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS BE FEARFUL OF THE DEVIL TODAY
The bible warns us to be aware of the schemes of the devil. 1 Peter 5: 6 – 11 “ So humble yourself under the power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen. The word encourages us to depend on God’s power to defeat the devil and not to worry or be fearful so long as we are in Christ. The word of God alerts us that the devil is still active and looking for opportunity to attack believers. We are admonished to be strong in our faith and in the end God will give us victory in spite of the spiritual battles each believer must face against the devil and his army of demons. Ephesians 6:10 – 20 Outlines how a believer must engage and battle with devil and the spiritual tools God has provided for us to overcome the enemies attack. ( Also read and watch my sermon The war we must each fight here on our website and You Tube Channel – https://busialighthousechurch.cw.center/ or t.me/busialighthousechurch ). Therefore Although the Devil possess a limited amount of power , God’s power and might is incomparable . Hence the Christian believer does not need to be fearful. 1 John 4:4 “You dear children , are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

IS A PACT WITH THE DEVIL WORTH IT?

A few years ago, a young man walked into the church compound where I was the resident Pastor. It was after our Sunday Service and church members were streaming out of the church compound. The young man was welcomed into the church with the church caretaker and from a distance I could see them engaged in brief conversation. Suddenly I noticed the caretaker facial expression turn to that of serious concern and near panic. I then saw him usher the young man towards where I was standing and chatting with other church members. We he got to where I was he stated with a shaky voice “Pastor you need to see this young man immediately in the privacy of your office”. I then excused myself from the group I was with and the three of us went into the church office. The young man went straight to the point, “Pastor I am looking for a church where they worship the devil.” I was utterly shocked by that statement and I asked him if I had heard him correctly. He repeated “Yes, I am looking for I church where they worship the devil.” “Why then have you come here? Here we worship the living God.” I asked and stated. He said he had come from a long way and a stranger had given him directions to our church. I finally asked him why he would like to worship the devil. He told me that he had been a Christian previously and also converted to Islam, but being an orphan was not able to pay his school fees. He felt that both Christianity and Islam had disappointed him and now he was ready to make a pact with the devil. I could feel his pain and disappointment, I empathized with him, but I told him he had making a big mistake because of his disappointment. I told him that there were no free gifts from the devil; whatever he received he would have to pay with his very life. I invited him to receive Christ as his lord and savior. I told him that together we could pray and ask God to open a door for his schooling again. Fortunately he accepted the Lord as his savior and I prayed for the Lord to provide resources for his schooling. We have never met again, but I believe God answered our prayer of agreement. John 10:10 Summaries the mission of the devil on the earth and that of Christ. Devil’s work on earth is to steal, kill and destroy, while Jesus Christ mission is give humanity a rich and satisfying life here on earth and throughout eternity. Choose to make a pact a covenant with Jesus Christ Today.

Written By
Pst. Willy Ochieng
BUSIA LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH

MOVING YOUR MARRIAGE FROM THE ROCKS TO THE ROCK SERIES 003 – SIMPLE TIPS OF BUILDING A STRONG FAMILY ALTAR
SIMPLE TIPS TO BUILD A STRONG FAMILY ALTAR
A family that prays together stays together. Praying families make strong churches, praying churches make strong communities, praying communities make a strong Nation.
PRAYING TOGETHER
Reasons for Praying Together
There is power in agreement (Matt 18: 19 – 20). “ I also tell you this : “if two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them”.
PERSONAL TESTIMONY: – Being an introvert I really enjoy moments alone with God. I would not trade anything for those wonderful times alone in the presence of God. Sometimes I take many hours or days in the alone seeking the face of God. This moments with God alone have been life transforming in my walk with God. However I have realized that sometimes the answer that I am seeking for from the Lord when I am alone; takes along time to come by. In contrast when Nancy (MY WIFE) and I , set time aside to pray together , the answer to our prayer seems to come much faster and easier. The prayer weight seems lighter to carry.

There is increased authority and power in spiritual warfare . (Deut 32:30). “ How could one person chase a thousand of them, and two people put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given had given up?”. It is easier to carry a heavy load in the physical world when you are many in number. The contrary is true if you are fewer in number. The load becomes difficult to carry. The same principle hold true in the spiritual realm. When a couple pray together in agreement they release limitless spiritual power able to transform any area of their lives.
The spouse is the ideal prayer partner
It is a “strange phenomena” for married couples to have prayer partners that are not their spouses and not pray together with their wives or husbands. This is a recipe for disaster in any marriage. It is okay to have prayer partners with other people, but when you are married; your primary prayer partner is your wife or husband.
GUIDELINES FOR PRAYING TOGETHER
Set a definite time each day.
Have a planned and specific time to pray together. Whatever is not planned for, never gets done. Take into account your temperaments and personalities. For instance my wife Nancy is a morning person, while I am a ‘night owl’, that is I function optimally at night. Nancy is most active in the morning. Because of our personality differences have negotiated a compromise for our ideal time of prayer together.
Start with short prayer times and devotional reading
Every big thing today, had a small beginning. Allow your prayer altar to grow gradually accommodating both your prayer capacities. The norm is that most couples are not at the same prayer level; therefore the stronger of the two should be able to accommodate the weaker without prejudice. That is each party should be considerate of the needs of the other party.
Do not critize your spouse’s prayer
During our first years of marriage , I particularly had a great challenge in this area. I was this young man “on fire for Jesus”( thank God I am still on fire for Jesus – but wiser) intercessor and very loud prayer warrior. Every prayer I made then, had to be loud and aggressive. My wife Nancy on the other hand was more of a worshipper and quietly soaked in the presence of God. I simply didn’t understand or appreciate her style of worship. Although I didn’t speak it audibly, internally I wanted her to pray like I did. So we conflicted about this and struggled with this issue making our prayer altar very weak. Finally God dealt with me about this issue and I began to appreciate and accommodate our different prayer styles. God has not created clones , we are all different and unique. God loves diversity. Infact most likely it is yuor difference that attracted you in the first place. Do not critize your spouse prayer. God is not looking for eloquence in our prayers , He is more interested in a broken and contrite heart.
Take turns praying
I love it when Nancy prays now, she always seems to remember that one thing that was so important and I would not think of. It is powerful when you take turns and pray with your partner. You are able to cover a vast area together in prayer , because you both think differently. Prayer also becomes restful when you pray in turns. Prayer is spiritual work requiring effort. Praying in turn spreads out the effort , hence making the work load lighter.
While one is praying in the understanding , the other may pray in the Spirit (1 Cor 14: 14-15)
“For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying. Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will also sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in the words I understand.” Great heights of prayer are reached when each partner is filled with the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. Prayer shifts to a different level when we are able to pray in tongues. Especially when we engage in it as a couple. This gift is available to all born again Christians who desire it. You only need to desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit and asked and receive by faith. We will soon be teaching on “Being filled by the Holy Spirit” in details.
Pray for needs that are of Concern to both of You, especially finances, guidance , health , children and family problems.
God answers prayers. It is a great idea to journal your prayer requests and tick them as the Lord answers . This builds faith in a big way and also allows to specifically thank the Lord for the answered prayer.
Use philippians 4:6 as a guide for praying.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

BUILDING THE FAMILY ALTAR
Reasons for Having Family Devotions
It is an opportunity and a command from God to train your children in the ways of the Lord (Deut 6:6 -9).
“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.”
It gives your children a reverence for the things of God.
It provides a role model for your children in showing them how to present their needs to God, how to intercede for others, and how to do spiritual warfare.
There is power and authority in the prayer of agreement as members of the family touch on a matter in faith.
It teaches children how to pray out loud and read the scriptures,

Guidelines for Family Devotions
Keep them short and simple.
Do not preach or lecture.
Encourage participation from all family members.
Set a definite time and place to have them daily.
With younger children, you may want to teach short Bible stories, followed by discussion and prayer.
You can also do brief topical studies.
Compiled By Pastor Willy Ochieng
Senior Pastor Busia Lighthouse Church

FINISHING THE RACE STRONG
2 CHRONICLES 24: 1-5 ; 17-22
Although King Joash of the nation of Israel started the race of his destiny strong, he finished the same race very poorly. God had miraculously rescued him from the evil plot of his wicked grandmother, Athaliah to destroy him together with the entire royal family so that she could assume power after the death of her son Ahaziah.
He was hidden in the temple for six years without the knowledge of His wicked grandmother, who ruled the nation at the time. On the seventh Year of Athaliah’s reign; Jehoida the priest together with five army commanders successfully plotted and overthrew Athaliah from the throne and killed her. They then installed the seven years Joash, as king of Israel. Jehoida the priest acted as his guardian and trusted chief counsel.
The bible records that the young King Joash began his leadership very well as he keenly followed the advice of the trusted priest Jehoiada. Their relationship must have been very close like that of a son and father, since it was Jehoiada who chose of him his two wives.
One of their outstanding projects was the repair and restoration of the temple. Where the kingship and priesthood synergized their energies and efforts and refurbished the depilated Temple at Jerusalem after years of neglect from corrupt and backslidden previous leaderships.
QUESTION :- What happened to this Great king who began the race so well , but ended so poorly?
After the death of Jehoiada the priest, the leaders of Israel approached King Joash and offered to be his new advisors, now that his longtime advisor was dead. This was the genesis of King Joash’s problems. The advice that he received from the group of these leaders was, bad advice. What kind of advice are you receiving today. The advices we receive influence the decisions we make and ultimately the course of our lives. The advice we receive in our lives must be in line with the word of God. Jehoiada being a priest, must have adviced the young king in accordance to the word of God. His new set of advisors had vested interest as they advised the king, hence he soon got himself in deep trouble. The next question you must ask yourself is what is the character of the person offering me advice. Jehoiada being a priest must have been a godly person, hence his guidance was beneficial. The bible does not talk about the character of King Joash new advisors. However we can clearly see the results of their advice, therefore we can deduce what kind of people they were. It is foolishness to expect an orange from a lemon tree or bananas from an apple tree. A wicked man is only capable of producing wicked fruit, while it is a natural for a good nurtured woman to be helpful. Before you receive advice from anyone analyze the individual giving the advice; are they experienced in the area of interest? Have they succeeded in the same area? Do they have special knowledge in the area of interest? Are they trustworthy? What is there testimony?
King Joash also finished poorly because He abandoned the temple of the Lord. The temple is a place of worship and service to God. They neglected the most important thing and replaced their relationship with God for other things. The bible says that God is the author and finisher of our faith. He has the ‘blueprint’ of our lives. The moment we push him out of the ‘equation’ of our lives or we relegate him to second, third or fourth place in our lives, we are doomed to finish very poorly. Unfortunately many, including Christian believers we have pushed God down our list of priorities. Our Jobs, families, husbands, wives and even Christian ministry have taken the place of God and become idols, just like the Asherah pole worshipped by the backslidden ancient nation of Israel.
King Joash finished his race poorly because he refused to listen to the servants of God that were sent to him. The bible states; The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen. Some Christians find it hard to believe that God still speaks. If we believe that we serve a living God who has created us in His own image, we should not have a hard time believing that a living God speaks and also like his creation made in His likeness desires to constantly communicate with us. God speaks to us through his written word the bible, through circumstances and situations, through an inner still voice and also through his servants. Therefore we must be alert and sensitive to know when he speaks. The word of God assures us that if we belong to him we will know when he speaks. In addition we can always ask Him in prayer to confirm His word and He will. To finish strong, You must listen and obey what God is instructing through His Prophets.
King Joash had a poor finish because, he repaid Jehoiada the priest who rescued him, brought him up and finally installed him as king with disloyalty by murdering the priest’s son. King Joash simply forgot where he came from. He repaid the good he had received with evil and as a result he had to reap what he had sown. God has instituted upon the universe the law / principle of sowing and reaping. We you sow beans you must reap beans. When you sow corn you must reap corn. The same principle applies to intangible or abstract objects , like love, hate, bitterness, loyalty etc. When you sow love you will reap love, when you sow bitterness, you will reap the same. King Joash sowed disloyalty and he reaped the same when his own officials assassinated him as he lay in bed.
FIVE THINGS TO HELP YOU FINISH THE RACE OF YOUR DESTINY STRONG
PURPOSE TO PLEASE THE LORD – The bible says that initially King Joash did what pleased the Lord. He was keen on knowing what was the will of God on every matter and did his best to do the bidding of the Lord. For You and I to complete the race of our destiny well, we must always ask ourselves; what is the mind of God in this matter? Remember that a true believers life is surrendered to Him. It is not about “me”, it is about Him. Our purpose in life is only discovered when we totally surrender and submit to His will. Amazingly we only get fulfilled when we begin to fulfill His purpose for us. Every believer must stop living a self-centered life and begin to life for him.
”Mark 8:35 -37 : For whosever will save his life shall lose it; but whosever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” In order to finish strong do not live for yourself, live for God. Self-preservation cannot really protect us , instead surrender to God and He will take care of you better than you can take care of yourself. The best place to invest your life is in the hands of the “Giver of life himself”. Investing your life on the things of this world is okay, but risky, because there security is temporal. Investing in pleasing and living for God is better because you are sure of eternal security. Hence it is more profitable to invest in an Eternal God.
Be a Team Player :- King Joash began as a great team player, involving the inputs of the priests and the levites in the mega project to restore proper worship in the temple. Although he was king with all authority to do as he pleased. He found it necessary to involve and recognize the inputs of other experts. “Do not walk alone”. “Do not be a lone ranger”. “Don’t be a superstar.” It is much better to work with likeminded people to achieve your goals. Even Jesus Christ , formed a team of twelve to win the world , in spite of the fact that he was the Son of God with all powers. When you are a team you are able to share the risks, burden of the work, expertise and finally you must be ready to share the profits and spoils too.
Be diligent: – Initially King Joash was diligent in his project. The king delegated the collection of the temple tax to priest and the levites as a means to fund raise for his mega project. After a while he realized that the priests and levites were lax in undertaking there responsibility and no funds were coming in. He therefore took it upon himself and closely supervised and followed up to ensure the project was a success. Do not leave anything to chance. We must be diligent in whatever assignments the Lord has given us in order to finish strong. “Proverbs 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks and look well to thy herds.” God expects as to be diligent in whatever project or work he has availed to us. We need to give 101% of ourselves in the family, work , business, ministry that we are involved in, so we can finish strong. There is no room for laziness if we really desire to finish strong.
Lead from the front :- King Joash assumed leadership of the temple project that normally would have been initiated by the chief priest of Israel. He realized the broken temple was hindering the prosperity and progress of Israel. Instead of starting “the blame game” or “passing the buck” to the priesthood , he chose to ‘lead from the front’ and ensure the project was completed. Leadership is not a position, but ability to influence others towards a worthy cause. Your influence causes others to give you permission to lead them and your combined efforts produce desirable results. The entire leadership process should be able to produce growth in the particular area of interest. You do not need to be given an office or title to lead. Take the initiative to help others and solve problems like King Joash did and you will become a leader who will finish the race of destiny strong.
Be accountable and practice integrity :- King Joash and Jehoiada the priest handled all the public funds the received with great accountability and integrity. The bible says “This pleased all the leaders and the people, and they gladly brought their money and filled the chest with it”. Unfortunately this joy that was evident with the public, during King Joash reigns; with how their funds were handled is currently very rare. Public fund managed by governments, businesses, ngos, church ministries are normarlly dogged with controversy and conflict, because of lack of transperancy and a lack of integrity with the funds. Many great men and women, politicans, pastors, bishops, ceo’s finished the race of destiny poorly because of lack of integrity. I pray that the lord will enable us to be men and women of integrity so that we may finish well.

Sermon By Pastor Willy Ochieng
Senior Pastor Busia Lighthouse Church

SIMPLE PRINCIPALS TO ACHIEVE A LIFE OF EXCELLENCE
BASED ON PROVERBS 1
Excellence :- The quality of excelling; possessing good or desirable qualities in high degree ; outstanding feature
“These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel “.King Solomon the Son of King David is credited to being the most wise and successful human being who ever lived. When it was time for him to inherit his father’s throne. He was one of the youngest of his father’s sons and the least qualified. He knew he would have to face many challenges beyond his knowledge and experience, therefore he prayed that God would give him wisdom. God answered his prayer and he established one the most prosperous kingdoms of ancient times. He built for God a glorious Temple in Jerusalem. He also wrote the book of proverbs that is full of practical principals that can help us live a life of excellence.
The first principal we learn from King Solomon is to “ask for wisdom from God”. Although he was King with all the resources and all the ‘trappings of power’ he still relied on God to guide him and lead me into paths of integrity, success and excellence.
The book of proverbs teaches that knowledge and wisdom for excellence is available to those who will desire, who will seek for it and who will ask for it.
“There purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline to help them understand the insights of the wise.” In order for you to excel in any area of your life you must be ready to learn. If you have a “know it all “attitude it is difficult to succeed .There is always something new to learn. You need wisdom to succeed. One of the definitions of wisdom is accumulated knowledge. That is wisdom is actually knowledge you have gathered over a long period. That means do not expect “a quick fix” to wisdom. Time is an indispensible asset to obtaining knowledge and wisdom. Experience is still the best teacher. Young people can benefit from older people with experience of applied knowledge. The young may have more knowledge; unfortunately this knowledge has still not been tested. The young must humble themselves and allow to be mentored by older people who have “walked the same path” before. Discipline is essential to success. Discipline is synonymous to following instructions or procedure in order to achieve a specific objective. Do not try to “reinvent the wheel”. The path has already been marked out. The parameters for excellence are marked out. Hard work, determination, courtesy, Focus, consistency, honesty and virtues are principals of success we cannot circumvent if we really want to achieve excellence. Discipline has to do with sacrifice, self-denial, delayed gratitude and humility. Discipline is the price we pay for excellence. Like they say there is no gain without pain. The question is; are you ready to pay for the price of excellence? The other quality to possess when preparing to excel is insight. Insight has to do with in-depth perception. That is the ability to see things that the majority of the people cannot see. Bill Gates was able to see the benefits of computer software before most people had the idea how computers would revolutionize the world. When you have insight, you have the ability to see clearly what may seem vague to most people. May the Lord give you a crystal clear vision for your life and destiny today in Jesus Name.
To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice and judgment, and equity. The word receive in Hebrew is laqach (pronounced “law-kakh’) means ; to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry ,take a wife ,snatch , take away. Hence there is deliberate action you must apply in order to obtain wisdom and excellence. The word instruction is musar (moosawr) which means discipline, chastening, correction, rebuking, restraining , check (checks and balances), bond. In order to achieve a life of excellence, will sometimes have to do what you do not necessarily enjoy doing. It is not the easy or popular path that leads to success , but many times it is the difficult and unpopular path that gets you to the place of excellence and glory. The human nature hates to be disciplined, humbled or corrected. However the path of wisdom is a humbling path of submission and delayed gratification. Jesus Christ taught His followers to choose the narrow path that few find and follow and avoid the wide path that is popular with the majority of humanity. Once in a while we all miss the mark and need someone in our life that can tell us : “hey! You are on the wrong path!”. We all need someone who can speak into our lives and correct us. Non of us can ever get “too big to be mentored”. QUESTION : “Who have you allowed to speak into your life as a mentor, father or authority?” For you to achieve a life of excellence , you need someone who has already gotten where you desire to go, and allow them to speak into your life. Mostly they will encourage You, guide you and speak blessing upon you declaring that as they have made it ,you too will make it. There also moments where they must , correct you, rebuke you , when you loose direction. Ask God to connect you to the right mentors. Many have been abused and misused with wrong the mentors. Others have been misled with timid mentors who are not bold enough to tell them that they are on the wrong path. For you to achieve excellence You must appreciate correction even when it hurts (Proverbs 3:11 – My Son despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction.) Take every correction and rebuke you receive positively and you will become wiser and better. A majority of people generally receive criticism negatively and miss out on the “learning points” they received from the rebukes. All things work for good for those who are in Christ Jesus.
EXCELLENCE TIT BITS
PRAYER
DEPEND ON GOD FOR GUIDANCE
DESIRE WISDOM AND EXCELLENCE
BE WILLING TO LEARN FROM OTHERS
INVEST IN TIME
PAY THE PRICE OF DISCIPLINE
DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN AND THEN ACT
ACCEPT POSITIVE CRITICISM
GET A MENTOR / A SPIRITUAL PARENTS
Written By Pastor Willy Ochieng
Senior Pastor
Busia Lighthouse Church

HEALING OF THE SOUL AND SPIRIT OF MAN SERIES 002 – PAIN AND HURT CAUSED BY INNER VOWS
“Do not swear at all …..Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and ‘No ‘, anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:34, 37 NIV
“Come now, you who say , “Today or Tommorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, If the Lord wills we shall live and also do this or that .” But as it is , you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:13 – 17)
WHAT ARE INNER VOWS ?
The promises or statements one makes as a result of the negative expectations he/she holds. It is an inner determination we make to ourselves normally at a young age to keep us from ever being hurt again. Because we normally make them early in life we often forget that we made them.
Biblically and spiritually an oath is a legally binding contract.
“Or if anyone, without thought, takes an oath to do evil or to do good, whatever he says without thought, with an oath, having no knowledge of what he is doing; when it becomes clear to him, he will be responsible for any of these things.” Leviticus 5:4 BBE
TESTIMONY
I come from a very musical family; both my father and mother are great singers. All my siblings Victor, George and Cynthia (now late) have beautiful voices. I am the odd one out. Interestingly as a child I remember singing and leading my family in worship songs. An incident occurred when I was about twelve or thirteen years. My younger brothers and I were actively involved in our local church musical group. We were so excited about the group and actively engaged in composing songs and singing. There was one particular song that I contributed immensely to its composition and really wanted to be the lead singer. While practicing I insisted on leading it. Others also wanted to be the lead singers. As I child I thought I was best placed to lead it, being the oldest and having contributed more to composing it. However the group thought that my leading the song was terrible. I was so hurt especially when my own brothers made fun of my singing. I quietly said to myself “I will never sing again or lead a song”. From that moment I lost all interest in singing. In high school I had to take music as a subject. I hated it. Amazingly I still used to be the top of my music theory class. When I got to form three I dropped the subject I really hated. I had lost my ability and to sing, because of the inner vow I had made never to sing. This became a big challenge when I got involved in active Christian ministry where I was required to sing from time to time. Singing became a big handicap for me. I thank God for the continued work of the Holy Spirit today my singing has improved greatly and I love to worship the Lord in song. However I still rely heavily on my wife Nancy and other anointed servants of God to lead worship at our church. That is a simple illustration how an inner vow can drastically affect your personality.
We use inner vows as type of personal fortress or stronghold where our emotions can be safe from ever being hurt again. The inner vows we make protect us from pain, but they are harmful in the long run and can hinder us from reaching our full potential in life.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds”. 2COR 10:4 KJV
Scriptures says guard your hearts (Prov 4:23). But we are to do this by God’s strength and motives not our own. When we depend on our own strength and flesh to protect us using the vows we have made internally, we idolize our own abilities instead on depending on God and that is a form of Idolatry. We normally make inner vows beginning with the following words, “I will,” “I won’t “, “I will never”, “I will always”. This words indicate self-determination, pushing “SELF”, onto the Centre stage of your life and decisions while , God is pushed into the background.
Case Study: Susan (not her real name) came for counseling. By any standards Susan is a beautiful successful African lady. She is a senior nurse at the county referral hospital. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in nursing. She is actively involved in her local church choir. She provides comfortable living for her aging mum and supports most of her nephews and nieces with their schooling expenses. Apart from her work at the hospital , Susan and her younger sister have set up a successful hair salon in the upmarket part of the town.
In spite of being one of the few success story in this part of the world. Susan is struggling with a serious problem. Next November, Susan will turn 48. By African standards, Susan is fairly late for marriage. The pressure is piling on Susan to get married. Some of her maternal aunts have even schemed for her to get married as a second wife (polygamy in Africa is accepted under customary law). They consider this delay a shame or a curse in their family.
Susan desires to get married to a good serious Christian man, in a proper Christian marriage. She just does not understand what the problem is. She began dating at twenty eight years and has been in about a dozen relationships. Most of her past relationships began well and a few got to the level of engagement. Unfortunately they all seem to break at some point for unexplained reasons. She simply loses interest or the gentleman loses interest. It has simply been difficult for her to get into a relationship that can lead to marriage. Initially she excused herself for being busy creating the career she desired. Now that she is more settled and stable she still has the same problem.
When Nancy and I took her through counseling we began to understand the genesis of the problem. When Susan was 7yrs old, her father left Susan’s mum for another woman. Susan’s mum was left to take care of Susan and her two older brothers. Susan watched the pain and struggle her mother went through to bring them up alone. She felt the pain of rejection. As a child she somehow blamed herself for her father living them. Susan at that tender age made a decision.
“ Men are unreliable , I will take care of everything myself”. Over the years , she simply forgot the inner vow she made and moved on to be successful , fuelled by this inner vow. However the same vow that made her to excel and succeed in life also haunted her in the area of marriage.
Common inner vows we make at an early age.
I will never cry again
I will never sing
I will always be strong
I will never open up again
I will never get angry
I will never trust men again
I will never trust women again
I will do everything perfectly

The children also made vows that caused them pain and harm. Numbers 14:2 “ All the Israelis complained against Moses and Aaron. Then the entire assembly responded, “We wish that we had died in Egypt or in this wilderness.” The children of Israel had confessed again and again that they were going to die in the wilderness. They expected to die. They said they would die and sure enough, God said “I am going to give exactly what you are believing for and confessing. You will die in the wilderness.”

How To differentiate the different stronghold that affect our spiritual hygiene
A foundational lie is what we believe
A Bitter root judgment is how we judge
A bitter root /negative expectancy is what we expect
An Inner Vow is a promise to protect oneself from further hurt
Soul tie when you enter into a covenant with another person
Generational sins and curses sin energy passed on from one generation to another through the family line
Trauma leaves negative pictures that produce sin energy or demonic energy.
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN INNER VOW
Inner vows are common to most people. We use it as a defense mechanism to avoid future hurt and shame.
Inner vows are mostly unspoken and appear like a vivid thought in your mind. However sometimes they are consciously spoken in an audible voice.
Inner vows are strong and they command us to think, act and feel only as they instruct us.
They get ingrained into our characters and personalities and take a life of their own. They begin to produce bitter fruits in our lives.
True sincere repentance is the only remedy. The effects of inner vows cannot simply disapper when we receive Jesus. We must identify the sin and specifically repent to destroy their effects in our lives.

We have all made many inner vows of varying intensity and tenacity. There are good and helpful vows as well as destructive ones. Even the good vows need to be dealt with at the cross of Calvary and released so that we are not lead by the flesh , but by the Spirit. Inner vows act in our lives as a software programme does in a computer. The software installed in the computer determines the functionality of the computer. The computer cannot simply execute functions not installed in its software. Inner vows act in the same in the same way in our lives. We get ourselves doing the same undesirable actions we would like to change. Until the “software”(inner vow) is upgraded or changed we simply remain the same.

Our habit provide a platform for our inner vows to function
It is through our habits that we fulfill the programmes designed by our inner vows. Hence as we repent of the inner vows it is also proper we repent the habits that are associated with them. An inner vow to withdraw might be fulfilled through spending a lot of time on your phone or T.V, isolating from others, or refusing to talk. An inner vow to not feel , might be fulfilled through addictions, denial or avoiding relationships. When you repent of the inner vows you remove the power of sowing and reaping. Therefore some habits disappear immediately own their own. In some instances you must deliberately dismantle through repentance the bitter fruits caused by the inner vow. You must also establish new disciplines especially in cases of addictions.

QUESTION:- ARE ALL INNER VOWS WE MAKE TO OURSELVES EVIL?
ABOSLUTELY NOT. A righteous resolution is a pure desire to do what is right, empowered by grace.
I will be a loving mom unlike my mom
I will never drink or smoke like my step dad
Nevertheless an inner vows are motivated by bitterness and self-protection. Therefore even one that seems righteous can coerce to act in a way that is not righteous.
An inner vow to always be gentle might coerce us to be gentle even when God calls us to be stern.
An inner vow to always be “honest” might coerce us to be abrupt even when we should be tactful.
“GOOD INNER VOWS CAN BACKFIRE”
CASE STUDY: – Mark’s late father was a proud polygamous African man. In his generation polygamy was regarded as a sign of wealth, prosperity and honour. Although Mark and his siblings considered their childhood blissful in thier large extended polygamous family. He also related well with his three step mothers and their children in their large home in the village. Mark had many questions about polygamy. He could not help, but notice the absence of his father for long periods of time. His father had to share his time and attention amongst his four wives and twenty three children. It is no wonder that Mark would not have a reasonable conversation with his father for several months at a time. The wives and the children all squabbled and fought for their husband and fathers attention. At his father’s deathbed, Mark had developed “steel in his veins”, and did not care any more about his relationship with his father. All he cared about was his hurting mother who was despised by her co-wives. Being the third wife she was considered a home wrecker. Mark made up his mind and internally declared “I will never be polygamous like my father”. He made this decision out of the pain he and his mother had experienced in their family. Several years later Mark married Emily in a large well attended wedding. The first seven years of their marriage were amazing and Mark was a loving father to his son and daughter. He loved his wife and gave her a lot of attention. Then out of the blues Mark found himself cheating on his wife with the secretary at the office. He was remorseful for his terrible action and purposed to change, by becoming more religious and attending church regularly. Unfortunately the negative habit persisted. He soon found himself with a string of mistresses all depending on him and some bearing his children. By the time he got counsel it was too late. He wife wanted nothing, but a divorce. What happened? Mark’s good inner vow not to be polygamous had backfired. It had put him in a worse place compared to His father.
When we bitterly vow never to do evil, it works in reverse. Eg “I will never be angry, like my mom”, can actually cause a person to become angry.
“I ‘ll never cheat on my wife, like Dad,” can predispose a person towards cheating on his / her spouse.
Reasons for this results :- Bitter Root Judgment and Expectations;- we become like those we judge :- Resentment cannot produce a righteous deed

We must die to all inner vows, “good or bad, so that righteousness is by God’s grace and not by our striving.
Gal 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit , are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Prescription for healing of Soul and Spirit from the Negative effects of inner vows:- Recognize the inner vows you made, a good starting point is identifying the pain or hurt that motivated the inner vow. Many inner vows are not made at any one moment, but are formed over time. Many inner vows were not put into words, but are revealed by your actions. You can see the evidence in the fruit. The next step is repentance. Pray and renounce the inner vow. Forgive all those who tempted you to make the inner vow. Nail the inner vow to the Cross of Calvary and reckon that it is dead. Bless those who wronged you and you wronged and declare victory and a new beginning.
NB:- The ideal situation is to find a Trained Christian Prayer Counselor to guide you through the process.
You are not able to access prayer counselor use the guide above and let the Holy Spirit lead you. You can also pray using the guide below.

PRAYER ABOUT INNER VOWS
Put word to the vow as specifically as possible.
Lord, I renounce this strong promise I made to myself. I ask you to break its power in my life, that my spirit and my body not remember it. Set me free to be restored to your original design for me. Please lift out of my life the requirement to fill, think, and act according to this vow.
Lord, this has been a defense, a hiding place to keep myself from being hurt; it has become my very own homemade armour. I know that this homemade protection blocks out the love, warmth and nature I long for. I come to you because I am powerless to change. Come into my life and dismantled this vow. I want You to be my defense. Lord, help me become vulnerable, able to risk love. Father, I forgive _________ (the people who wounded me and tempted me to make this vow and hardened my heart)
As a set of my will and my heart, I choose this day to let You take down my walls of isolation and connect me to the others within my family and your body, but in a way that honours and builds up rather than crushes and tears down. I declare this regardless of the storm of emotion or the absence of emotions. I give You the loaves and fishes of my trust – I trust Your timing and sequencing of events with as much trust as I have. Lord mend my trust in You. I know that peoples love is not always trustworthy. But for those times when it was, forgive me, Jesus for not trusting the love offered me by ____________ ( my spouse, children, fellow Christians). I ask You to bring people into my life who know how to love unconditionally and still have the courage to hold me accountable. Amen.

Compiled by Pst Willy Ochieng
Primary Resources : The transformation of the inner man by John & Paula Sanford

PROOF THAT JESUS IS GOD
FOUNDATION
Who is Jesus Christ? Many people today are willing to give him some honour.
Muslims say Jesus was a prophet/apostle, but not God (Koran 3:171 – O people of the Book , do not be fanatical in your faith, and say nothing but the truth about God.
The Messiah who is Jesus, son of Mary was only an apostle of God, and a command of His which He sent to Mary, as a mercy from Him. So believe in God and His apostles, and do not call Him ‘Trinity’. Abstain from this for your own good; for God is only one God, and far from His glory is it to beget a son. All that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him; and the earth belongs to Him; and sufficient is God for all help.)
The Jehovah’s Witness sects say Jesus is above the angels but below God.
Many recognize Jesus as a great religious leader and nothing more.
However the bible scriptures point to the divinity of Jesus Christ.

BACKGROUND
Two thousand years ago Jesus appeared onto the face of humanity and history.
He was born in a unique divine way. Both the Bible and the Quran attest to His divine birth. Quran ( 19: 19-21) He replied : “I am only a messenger from your Lord (sent) to bestow a good son you.” “How can I have a son, “she said “when no man has touched me , nor am I sinful?” He said : “Thus will be. Your Lord said: ‘It is easy for Me, and that: ‘We shall make him a sign for men and a blessing from Us. ‘This is a thing already decreed.”
His being was unique being both man and divine at the same time.
The virgin Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and Christ was born.
It was God Himself who had visited the world in the form of man.
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of Father’s one and only Son”. John 1:14

JESUS MISSION AND PORPOSE ON EARTH
To Save Man From the Power Of darkness and Satan :- “ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost”. Luke 19:10
To Die on the Cross so he can ransom us and purchase us back into the kingdom of God :- “Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28
To Destroy the works of Satan :- 1 John 3:8 “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.”
To give us eternal life :- 1 John 5: 10 – 11 “ All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified : He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
To enable us to be born again into the family of God :-
John 1:12 “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”
To restore Our relationship with God :- 1 John 1:3 “We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us .And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”

CLARIFYING MISUNDERSTOOD PHRASES ABOUT JESUS IN THE SCRIPTURES
“The Son of God”
Many agree that Jesus is the Son of God, yet they disagree what the title means. Those who doubt the deity of Christ may rightly point out in the Scripture that
Angels are called “the sons of God” (Job 1:6, 2:1 ; 38:7 ; Da 3:25)
Adam is called “the son of God” (Lk 3:38)
Christians are called “the sons of God” (Ro 8:14 , 19 ; 9:26)
Adam and angels are the created sons of God. Christians are the adopted sons of God. Only Jesus is the eternal Son of God(Jn 1:1), He is Unique and rightly called the “one and only Son of God”. (John 3:16) . God the father testistifies about Jesus in the scriptures: “And a voice from heaven said ,”This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”. (Mt 3:17)
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voicefrom the cloud said , “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Mt 17:5)
“One with the Father”
Some deny the deity of Jesus Christ saying that being one with the father is not sufficient proof that He is God. They claim the phrase in the bible simply refers to oneness in purpose, like Jesus prayed He and His disciples would be one in the following scriptures(John 17:20-22). However this not the only way they are one. They are also one in nature and character. They are both God. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” (Philippians 2:5-6)
“The Only Begotten Son”
The phrase “the only begotten son”, have caused some to stumble. They have wrongly concluded that Jesus is a created being. In the Greek language , “only begotten” is monogene . It means one of a kind. In other words, Jesus is a unique son. The NIV correctly emphasis Jesus is unique than begotten. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory ,the glory of the one and only , who came from the Father, full of grace and truth……… No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only , who is at the Father’s side , has made him known. {Jn 14,18}
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…..Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one only Son. {Jn 3:16, 18}
“The Firstborn “
The word firstborn has led some people to conclude that Jesus was born first before anyone else. This is not correct the first born son had a special position of honour in Jewish tradition. Jesus is not called the ‘firstborn’ because he was born first. He is called the “firstborn” to help us understand that he is respected more than anyone else. Jesus is the firstborn in the sense that he is the first in “rank”. He is
First among many brothers (Rom 8:29)
-“Over all creation”(Col 1;15)
-“worshipped by angels”(Heb 1:6).
Thus we see that Jesus is called the “firstborn” in a figurative. This compares Him with all Figurative language is also used about Jesus in other scriptures. He is called a lamb, a lion, a door bread, a vine, etc., to illustrate certain truths.

Q 6 Why is Jesus referred to as the “firstborn”?

       These concept ”_”Son of God” “One  with The Father” “Only Begotten son, “and  “Firstborn”—Have often been misunderstood.  They have been misused by those who do not believe in the deity of Christ.  Nevertheless, the scriptures plainly teach that Jesus is more than a prophet or an apostle.  We will now consider ten conclusive proofs that Jesus is God.

Jesus is God

    Many proofs exist to show that Jesus is God, just as the Father is God. For the sake of space, we will give only ten such proofs.  They all show why Christians believe in the deity of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Is the Creator Of Everything
“In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all thing were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (Jn1: 1-3)
“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.” (Col 1 :16)
Apostles and prophets do not create. The Quran also says that Jesus created a small bird , healed the blind,healed the leper, and infuse life into into the dead{Quran 3:49 And he will be Apostle to the children of Israel, (saying:) ‘I have come to you with a (sign)prodigy from your Lord that I will fashion the state of destiny(a bird) out of mire(clay) for you, and breathe (a new spirit) into it, and (you) (it will become a bird)will rise by the will of God. I will heal the blind and the leper, and infuse life into the dead, by the leave of God. I will tell you what you devour and what you hoard in your homes.In this will be a portent for you if you do believe } . God alone has the attribute of being Creator. The scriptures above clearly indicate that Jesus is the creator. Therefore Jesus is God.

Jesus Accepts Worship
In the Ten Commandments, God forbade the worship of any other god. (Exodus 20:3-5)
“And again when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him”. (Heb 1:6)
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a laud voice they sang “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth, wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise! Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever !” The four living creatures said , “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshipped. (Rev 5:11 – 14)
Jesus Is Without Sin
“ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? “ (Jn 8:46)
“Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd , “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” (Lk 23:4)
He commited no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth. (1Pet 2:22)
“Therefore , since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the of Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is to sympathies with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just us we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Heb 4:14 -16)
“Such a high priest meets our need —one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. (Heb 7:26)
Jesus is the only sinless human who ever lived. He was able to live a sinless life on earth because of his divine nature.
Jesus Forgives Sin
He forgave the paralytic (Mk 2 :3 -11)
He forgave the sinful woman (Lk 7:47 – 49)
He forgave at a higher level than a regular human being. We have the ability to forgive those who sin against us. However , Jesus forgave even those who did not sin directly against him. He went further and gave the apostles power to forgive sins. This was only possible because of His divine nature.

Jesus Is Eternal
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the word was God. (Jn 1:1) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Heb 13:8)
“You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “ and you have seen Abraham,!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (Jn 8:57 – 58)
The universe , the angels , demons , humans and animals were all created. Jesus Christ was not created. He declares in the book of revelation that He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end. This is another proof of His divinity.
Jesus Will Raise the Dead and Judge Them
“Do not Judge, or you too will be judged “, (Mt 7:1)
“Moreover , the Father judges no one , but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him. (Jn 5:22 – 23)
“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead”. (Ac 17:31)
“For all must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2Co 5:10)
All creation will be judged, man, demons and angels. The above scriptures clearly states that this role is preserved for Jesus Christ. He will also raise the dead back to life, and the proof is that he rose from the dead.
Jesus is Called “God”
“For to us a child is born , to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God. Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us”. (Mt 1:23)
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28)
There are patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all , forever praised! Amen. (Rom 9:5)
But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God , will last for ever and ever , and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.” (Heb 1:8)
The above scriptures refer to Jesus as God.
Jesus is Present Everywhere (Omnipresent)
A human or angel can be in only one place at one time. Only God can be present everywhere at the same time.
“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (Mt 18:20)
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age. (Mt 28:20)
Only God can declare the above statements , hence proof that Jesus Christ is God.
Jesus is the Ruler of the Universe and Head of the Church
“Who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand —–with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him”. (1 Pet 3:22)
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the first- born from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Col 1:17 – 20)
Jesus is the Image of the invisible God
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his His Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word . (Heb 1:1 -3a)
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Col 2:9)
He is image of the invisible God. (Col 1:15)

Compiled by Pst. Willy Ochieng
Primary Resource : Bible Doctrines by P.C Nelson and Pius Wawire Other resources The Holy Bible , The Holy Quran

HOW TO RAISE A FAMILY ALTER TO PRESERVE YOUR MARRIAGE ( PART ONE)
Marriage is not just a physical act but an emotional and spiritual act. 1COR 6:15 -17 “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he , shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. The apostle Paul while teaching on sexual purity to the Corinthian Church clarifies that the (marriage act)sexual act is not just a physical act , but has spiritual implications. He illustrates that a Christian engaging in immorality is not only defiling himself/herself , but is also defiling the body of Christ spiritually. Hence the spiritual part of marriage is very vital for the success of the marriage.
Therefore since marriage is also a spiritual act between to people who become one spiritual after marriage. (Genesis 2:24 – Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh).
Marriage being spiritual , the couple must invest in maintaining the marriage spiritually and that is by raising a prayer alter. Prayer is a very important factor for a successful marriage. Every marriage faces challenges that are larger than what the couple can handle naturally and that is when the element of prayer becomes vital to the survival of marriage. Challenges like unemployment, chronic diseases, rogue children or partners, business collapse and others are best survived in marriage by prayer. In order for your prayer to be effective you need to first ask God to do the following.
BE BORN AGAIN
“ Jesus answered and said unto him verily,verily , I say unto thee, except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
“Marvel not that I said unto thee Ye must be born again.” John 3:7
You must accept Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.
SPIRIT FILLED
“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1 ;8
“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance”, Acts 2:4
“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the cirmcision which believed were astonished as many as came with Peter, because that on the gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.Then answered Peter. “ Acts 10 :44 – 46

Desire to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which is a separate experience from the salvation experience. This gift avails all the gifts of the Holy Spirit outlined in 1CORINTHIANS 12 to the believer with evidence of speaking in tongues.

WALK IN THE SPIRIT DAILY
Finally walk in the spirit which is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide You daily in every decision you make. That means before you make any significant decision you purposefully try to listen to God’s direction.
ESTABLISH A PEROSNAL DAILY PRAYER PROGRAMME
Before you develop your prayer programme as a couple you must each develop your own personal prayer programmes. Many times we find either one of the partners solely depending on their spouses prayers. This wears the praying partner down and can get to a point of ‘burn out’. This may drastically affect the marriage. Therefore the ideal situation is that each partner develops a focused prayer time individually first. Here are some prayer tips.
Pray early in the morning (Ps. 5:3)
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning , O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up”
Early mornings are ideal for prayer because there are few disruptions and you get to begin your day with prayer before you face the tasks and challenges of the day.
Find a place where it is quiet and free from distractions (Matt 14:23)
“And when he had sent the multitude away,he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come he was there alone.”
Prayer is serious business and work. It requires good focus and a conducive environment. From the above scriptures we can see that the Lord Jesus Christ took prayer very seriously. He stopped ministry to make room for prayer. He looked for the most ideal environment where he could fully engage and focus on prayer. He prayed for long periods alone. Each partner in the marriage must emulate our Lord and Saviour.
Pray out loudly, it helps you concentrate (Ps. 3.4)
“ I cried unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill.”
It is okay to pray out loud , in fact it is helps when you pray out loud. King David the writer of the book of pslams prayed out loud and testified that the Lord heard his prayer. Due to our religious and denominational orientations some believers feel that it is in appropriate to pray out loud. However from the holy scriptures we can see that is acceptable. God is not disturbed by our shouting or praying loudly like a librarian would be in a library. On contrary I believe that heaven will be quite “a noisy party”, with the holy angels blowing trumpets saints singing , shouting victory shouts and worshipping for thousands and thousands of years. Revelation 7:9 – 11 “After this I beheld and , lo , a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands. And cried with a loud voice saying , Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God.” We can see a glimpse of heavenly activities from the above scriptures and confirm that it is “one big glorious noisy party”, and not a library lesson. Therefore if you plan to get to heaven, begin to practice here on earth with some prayer sessions that are loud and lively.
Pray from the heart . (Matt 6:5-7)
“And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you. They have their reward. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray use not vain repetitons as the heathen do : for they think that they shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
The motives of all your prayers must be sincere and pure before God. It is not really the amount , or where or how we pray that captures God’s attention ,but the condition and motives of our hearts.
Listen to God (Jn 10: 2-5)
“But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow , but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers.”
Prayer is not a monologue , but a dialogue between you and God. Prayer is communication between the earth and the heavens. Allow for time to be quiet during your prayer time to listen to God. You may ask , Pastor how does God speak? God speaks through his word , through circumstances , through the ‘small still voice in your heart’ and through his servants. How will I know it is God? You will have inner peace about it. I believe for me that this is the most important part of prayer. Hearing from God. In my walk with Him I have come to realize that it does not really matter what I tell him, because He already knows my needs and desires even before I ask. What is important is what He is saying to me. What he says to me has the ability to forever transform my life. Take good quality time during your prayers just to hear the mind of God about You.
Pray over the Word as you read it.
“Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask a miss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. James 4:3
It is possible to pray outside the will of God as the above scriptures illustrates. One of the tools available to the believer to pray the will of God over our lives is His word. When your prayers are based on God’s word , you cannot pray a miss.
Pray in your understanding and in the Spirit (1 Cor 14:15).
“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding also”
There are moments when you have to pray in the understanding to built faith and expectation. There also moments that you need to pray in the Spirit to allow the Holy Spirit to pray through you and to edify your inner man.
Pray from a clean heart (Ps 66:18)
“ If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.” God answers our prayers depending to the conditions of our hearts. If our hearts are full of jealousy, unforgiveness and bitterness we cannot expect a breakthrough in our prayers. Have time in your prayer sessions where you repent of known and unknown sins. Purposefully choose to forgive those who sin against you. Do not allow bitterness of any kind to form in your heart. Do not hold those who wrong you. Forgive them.
Pray in faith (Mk . 11:24)
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them” . God has given us an open cheque when it comes to prayer. The conditions to cash this spiritual cheque are three according to the above scripture a)desire – You must want it strongly , expect it to have it, be unsatisfied until you receive it. b) believe – be confident about your answered prayer, accept / regard as true even before you see it. c)receive – get / possess before it manifests /express willingness to receive and accept as true and valid even before it happens in the natural. Regard as favorable and with thanksgiving.
Be bold before God (Heb 4:16)
“Let us therefore come bodly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Approch the throne of grace bodly. Enter into God’s presence with confidence , because your are a child of a loving God who has became your Father through your faith in Christ Jesus. Do not fear . God is willing to answer your prayers more than you know.
Do not give up. ( Luke 18:1)
“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Do not faint .Prayer can sometimes be hard word, but be persistent. The flesh , the human body hates prayer , but do not surrender. Pray until something happens. Do not give up.
Use the Lords prayer as a model (matt 6:9 -13)
The Lord’s prayer is not just a prayer ,but a model or guide of prayer. In the scriptures the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. They wanted to have a formulae of effective prayer. Jesus gave them the outline to use while praying. The outline includes a) Adoration – hallowed be thy name b) Petition – thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven c) Supplication – give us this day our daily bread d) repentance – forgive us our debts e) Guidance- lead us not into temptation f) Spiritual warfare – deliver us from evil
Study the Word of God.
Make a yearly bible study plan
Mark passages in the bible which speak to you directly
Take notes of what you learn
Memorize special passages
Read the bible slowly meditating on each verse.
Get a prayer Journal / notebook where you write daily about your walk and thoughts with God. Incude special needs and answered prayers.
Written and Compiled by
Willy Ochieng
Senior Pastor
Busia Lighthouse Church.