Maximising The New Season

Happy new year! It’s a new year and a new season again. Thank God you are alive and He has kept you. Now it’s time to get to work. I want to encourage you to determine to do better than last year. How? Keep reading.

The first thing I’d like to encourage you to do is to Read. Read books, read God’s word too. Just read. Now I’m not saying you should just read anything, you have to also be wise and guard your heart against nonsense. I am however saying you should read things that would help you get to a better version of yourself and look more like Jesus. Jesus read scriptures which is why He knew what was spoken about Him(Luke 4:17-21). Paul the Apostle was also a reader “When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also, bring my books, and especially my papers.” 2 Timothy 4:13. So you should read.

You should also pray a lot to maximise this year. There is no moving further in life without prayer and not just in your finances but holistically. Basically, In your physical, mental and emotional health. Scriptures enjoin us to pray without ceasing ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17) and I have come to realise that the more time I spend with Jesus the stronger I am in my body, mind and emotions.

Lastly, please meditate. This is an area that I am still working on as life can get sometimes busy. However, one must be intentional about life. Mediation usually happens without help most time. for example, when you think about how rude that person was, that’s you meditating or when you muse over how stupid you sounded in that situation, that is meditation. The difference here is that you are being encouraged to think and speak God´s word (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 63:6)

These activities have greatly transformed my life and I invite you to practice them this year and see your life changed as you seek to meet your goals and honour Jesus.

You are loved, Favour

I feel like giving up

‘I feel like giving up’ these were the words I uttered yesterday as I almost missed my bus. My house is about 4 minutes away from the bus stop and for some reason I was super late. My bus was supposed to leave at 10:30 but at 10:28 I was still wearing my shoes 😳.. Now if you know anything about living in Europe, you’d know that taxis are expensive and isn’t always an option.

Anyway, I heard myself utter those words to my husband but I didn’t give up….instead I just picked my jacket and ran out. Thankfully, the bus was about a minute late so I made it.Phew😅 .

After I made the bus, I missed my next connection because the driver was a bit slow😒.. It literally just seemed like everything was against my going to church but I did not give up. It wasn’t even an option.. I was going to go to church, period! The next connection required a 14 minute walk and by the time I got to church, I was late and exhausted 😅 but it was worth it. It was worth it because I received what God had in store for me.

It was so worth it. How many times do we miss God because we give up just at the end? God’s ways are not always easy but will you continue? Will you be faithful? Will you see that project through till the end?

My message today is very simple, are you feeling like giving up? Do you feel like you won’t be able to make it? Do you like me, feel like you are too late? DON’T GIVE UP! The bus might just come one minute late.

Psalm 104 :19 tells us  “He appointed the moon for seasons;The sun knows its going down”.

He still has time and seasons in His hands. It might be difficult but you will eventually get there. Keep running, keep going!

You are loved ❤️
Favour

Can I encourage you today?

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life- Proverbs 13:12

Is your heart sick today? Let me share with you how to get your hope up again. First of all, remember that God works in you both to will and do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13 NLT). He didn’t have to give you that promise but He did because He is a good God. Now instead of getting discouraged, you can begin to remember what He has done in the past. In Psalm 63:6-8, King David remembered what God had previously done in his life and that helped to give in strength in persevering. God doesn’t want us to be unhappy and sad while waiting for His promises to be fulfilled. He wants us to wait in joy because it is with joy that we enjoy our salvation ( Isaiah 12:3).

Secondly, speak to yourself. You’d find that King David said at one point to himself “My soul why are you downcast” and he reminded himself t hope in the Lord(Psalm 43:5). Also the Bible talks about speaking to ourselves in hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19). This is the time to stir up joy in your heart. Don’t be beaten by despair and discouragement. God is too faithful to fail. If He has said it, he will do it. Check scripture and remember all He has previously done in your life. He has a record of keeping His word.

Furthermore, worship Him in songs and dance. You are most likely feeling discouraged because you’ve removed yourself from looking to Jesus to look at yourself and your circumstances. Fix your eyes back on the king. Worship and dance allow you to do this. He who began a good work in you will complete it in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Also don’t underestimate the power of community and fellowship. it is no wonder the Bible says “How good it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” ( Psalm 133:1). Share your heart with people in your community and allow God to give you strength from your sibling.

Lastly, waiting on the Lord is very important because the scriptures say that they that wait on the Lord will have their strength renewed(Isaiah 40:31). By waiting, I mean not just fasting but literally just sitting and reminiscing on His faithfulness. Waiting on King Jesus to strengthen your heart by speaking to you or just being in His presence.

I’m confident that if you will apply the above principles you’d receive tremendous results.

Jesus loves you, dear Sibling. I invite you to share your testimonies in the comment section below.

With lots of love,
Your sister, Favour.

Now that you have Believed in Jesus

Did you just get born again or are you at a place where you are wondering if you are saved or why your life isn’t better despite accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? If you answered yes to any of these questions, come with me as we explore some issues.

Congratulations on becoming part of the family of the Kingdom of Light. Your life is going to change dramatically as you have basically become light in the realm of the spirit( Matthew 5:14), even if your physical life currently seems to be the same, don’t worry it will catch up soon.

I know there is so much joy and peace as there should be however I would like to invite you to maintain it as you grow through praying, fasting, bible reading and meditating on scriptures. This is because getting saved isn’t only a one-time thing of confessing Jesus as Lord. No, don’t misunderstand me. Confessing Him as Lord is step one, however, the scriptures teach us that our souls are getting saved as we engage King Jesus and we will eventually be saved from this world when our blessed Lord comes for us ( Hebrews 10:39,1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 ).

Also, if you are unsure about your status as a child of God, there is really nothing to worry about as long as you’ve confessed King Jesus and you believe in your heart(Romans 10:9-10). However, you must engage who you are as light through the only authorized spirit guide – The Holy Spirit. You must now engage the Lord through reading and studying of the Bible, praying and fasting. I use the word “must” because this lets us throw our weight on Him and without this discipline, there is a tendency to become lukewarm and easy prey to satan.

Really, your life is supposed to be more peaceful and full of joy despite the presence of challenges and if you are not experiencing these things, it just means that you need to saturate yourself some more with God, His presence and consistent obedience to Him. Basically, get totally on fire for King Jesus and experience the abundant life that He has for you(John 10:10).

Jesus didn’t experience death, burial and suffering so that you could sit on your butt and be a lukewarm target for the Kingdom of darkness. No! He didn’t die so that you would continue to live in sin and use grace as an excuse (Romans 6:2). No! He died to first of all give you life as His child on earth and to empower you through His Holy Ghost to be a witness as to how good He is despite how difficult life on earth can be.

You are His witness and you have the Holy Ghost, get up and live for Jesus. Get up and walk in obedience by His Holy Spirit and when you slip, get up and keep moving because the real slip would be if you never got up(Proverbs 24:16).

Jesus loves you and is rooting for you. Live your life with this consciousness. Be strong my sibling!

With lots of love, Favour

Happy ressurection season and there is why you should care

Easter is basically about the burial, death and resurrection of King Jesus. He was the first man to die and resurrect after 3 days (Romans 6:9, Romans 8:34).

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Why is this important? Because before He died and was resurrected, people in this world pretty much lived hopeless lives. It was basically you live and die. And when you die, you don’t even know where you’d go or if you’d cease to exist but Jesus our lord, King and maker came to destroy the works of Satan! (1 John 3:8). This allows us to have hope of eternal peace after we exit our bodies.

This is therefore why we can fight against mental health struggles by the blood of Jesus. This is why we can have abundant life on this earth. King Jesus made a way.

So if you are still struggling with death in the form of mental illness, physical and emotional illnesses. Go to Jesus! He has won the victory already. You were not made to be a victim so refuse to be one. You were made to thrive, be healthy and eventually look like Jesus on this earth.

Don’t allow the kingdom of darkness to steal all the benefits of Jesus’s sacrifice. Stand up and fight. If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, this is a good place to ask Him into your life. Invite Him in your own words to walk through life with you and begin to read the Bible as His personal letter to you.

Jesus loves you very much and if you were the only one on this planet, He’d still have come. That’s how special you are to Him.

Have a wonderful easter season.

Lots of love, Favour

p.s: If you enjoyed reading this, you most likely would enjoy content from my youtube channel. I invite you to check out my YouTube channel here: https://youtube.com/@favouradebowale-anthony

Child of God, read!

The truth of the matter is that we don’t know it all and because we are part of the body, God gives various people revelation for the body (Ephesians 4:11-16). It is therefore important to read good books as led by God’s spirit.

Image by Racool_studio on Freepik

Besides the above point, reading helps to expand your possibilities. For instance, I didn’t know that I could be a candidate for the supernatural works of God till I read God’s generals by Roberts Liardon. Although the book of acts explains the acts of the Holy Ghost through men, it sounded so distant that it didn’t seem like it was for me today but when I read God’s generals, I saw God moving through men and women in the 20th century and it ignited a fire in me.

Instead of mindless TV watching, social media scrolling or too much talk that might lead to gossip, reading is actually a good use of your time as it keeps your mind busy and can protect your mind from Satan’s attacks (if you are reading spirit-filled material).

Reading also puts you ahead and can make a leader out of you. Child of God, remember that we’ve been called to be light and salt and the difference between the privileged and underprivileged is knowledge. The Bible (our Manual) says my people perish for lack of knowledge(Hosea 4:6).

Additionally, the Lord read which is why He could say “it is written” (Matthew 4:4-6), and the Apostles also read (2 Tim 4:13). I must add that you shouldn’t just read anything. Ask Holy Spirit for wisdom and His guidance as you search for materials to consume so that you won’t destroy your mind by reading rubbish.

Although this is not an exhaustive list, here are a couple of authors I’d suggest. Kenneth Hagin, Rick Joyner, Anna Rountree, Bruce Allen and Michael van Vlymen.Most importantly, read your Bible.

And remember that the Almighty God loves you.

Favour

p.s: If you enjoyed reading this, you most likely would enjoy content from my youtube channel. I invite you to check out my YouTube channel here: https://youtube.com/@favouradebowale-anthony

Why people don’t have lasting success in maintaing mental stabilty

So a couple of days back, I found myself having to deal with some intrusive thoughts and while I was wondering about why this was happening, It occurred to me that I had shifted my gaze from Jesus.

I had allowed the “legitimate” cares of this world rob me from meditation on my sweet Lord. I wasn’t meditating or speaking God’s word as much. I wasn’t even sitting still in His presence. I was busy being a mum. No, don’t get me wrong, Being a mum is not a bad thing but there should be priorities. JESUS should always be first. He should be the strength of your (my) life (Psalm 27:1).

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This is because it is from living and abiding in Him that we will have good success in life. Here is a scripture to buttress my point :

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31‭-‬32. When we remain faithful and continue to fix our eyes on Him, then we will know the truth and be set free. He is the truth and He sets free. But if we don’t remain faithful, there is a tendency to slip and the truth might be taken away from us -So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!(1 Corinthians 10:12)

The king James Version of John 8 says to Abide in Him. The lack of abiding in Him is why many of us don’t have lasting success. We fight, get a level of success and stop without getting rooted.

Synonyms for abiding include, long lasting, fixed, standing..etc. I’m sure you get the point . Abiding should be daily. His mercies to help us are new everyday (Lamentations 3:23). Basically, everyday abide! Don’t feel like “now I’ve gotten the hang of this thing and I’m good”. NO. Daily abide. Our persistent victory is in Abiding. When you struggle ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Ask your community for prayer and encouragement.

God almighty loves you, is for and with you.

With lots of love,

Your sister, Favour 🙂

Keeping your victory When the darkness seems to be returning

“Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand-Ephesians 6:13”

Having you gotten some victory in the battle for your mind, body or just generally battles of life? Does the darkness seem to be returning? Follow me as I break down practical steps on how to keep your victory.

1. Ask Jesus for strength. Scriptures tell us that by human strength shall no man prevail. 1 Samuel 2:9(itallics mine). Your strength is not enough to stand in the day of adversity. So ask the Lord for strength. Ephesians 6:10 says to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Don’t depend on your self, you cannot do it alone. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you.

2. Fix your eyes on Jesus Completely. Fill your mind with His word, talk to Him, sing His songs. Let Him think through you. Remove distractions. One of my favorite scriptures is “Those who look to Him are radiant with joy;their faces shall never be ashamed” – Psalm 34:5

3. Speak in other tongues, you are speaking to God and praying in the way the Holy Spirit would have you pray. So pray in the unknown language. 1 Corinthians 14:2

4. Put on the whole Armour of God – look at ephesians 6: 14-18 and after you’ve done everything you know to do based on God’s word.

5. Stand and keep standing. You are a soldier in the lord’s army. You cannot afford to leave your post because it seems like things are not working. No! We do not cast off our confidence. We stand still as we see the Lord’s salvation. That darkness will not overcome you as you continue to stand so please keep standing. God is for you.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it- 1 Corinthians 10:13

Remember that God almighty loves you,

your sister, Favour

Thanksgiving: A key to maintaining emotional and mental stability

If I must confess, being the mother of a toddler and an infant in addition to my other responsibilities can be quite exhausting. Although it is very easy to complain the days away, what has kept me sane is thanking Jesus.

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Yes, literally thanking Jesus and many times you’d catch me randomly yelling “thank you Jesus”. I have found that replacing thanksgiving with complaining has contributed to helping me maintain mental and emotional stability.

You know, the Israelites complained and murmured in the wilderness and as result could not enter their rest(Hebrews 3). Besides the fact that God doesn’t like it, complaining makes us focus on the negatives because what you talk about becomes your reality. It also shows a lack of trust in God because if you believe He will do what He has promised to do with you, you would be grateful instead of murmuring.

Thanksgiving, on the other hand, helps us look up to Jesus, which in turn causes us to be joyful and not ashamed(Psalm 34:5).

It also helps us keep us from focusing on our disappointments and keeps us focused on the good that king Jesus is doing in our lives. As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving- Colossians 2:6-7.

See, you were not created to live in unhappiness and depression. No, you were designed to bring Him glory and in bringing Him the glory, He makes sure you also are glorified.”Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus“- 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

So arise from that state of sadness and depression and begin to praise the Lord, who has given you another day.  Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light, has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!– Isaiah 60:1

Change your perspective with thanksgiving today.

God almighty loves you,                                                                                                                                                            Favour

The Unashamed Misfit

Dear Believer, I know you are working out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). However, I want to bring your attention to the issue of cowardice.

See what Revelation 21:8 says “But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death”. See how the cowardly or fearful (as described by other translations) are grouped together with unbelievers and people who are not walking with the Lord.

Do you know that God wants us boldly stand for Jesus? Yes, I know that the world tries to intimidate us and force us to agree with them but I’ve come to challenge you today to stand for Jesus.

If you are fearful of small persecution, how will you survive when global persecution starts. “Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands-Matthew 10:38

And people don’t have to like you, they never liked Jesus anyway. So don’t expect to just be loved by everyone. Build your “believing” through prayer, meditation and bible study so that you can stand for Jesus unashamedly daily.

Don’t be a coward just to fit in a society that doesn’t really know right from wrong. Don’t be a coward for the things of this world. Don’t lose yourself just to please people. Stand! stand!! stand!!!

And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19:21

Best believe that God almighty loves you and is rooting for you to overcome.

Favour.

How to spend time with the king

As part of your Christian discipline, you must spend ample time with the Lord who has saved you daily. You cannot be a passive participant in your walk with Him. So how should this work?

First repentance. You must daily repent “if we say we have not sinned, we are liars and the truth is not in us but if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness(1 John 1:8-9)

Secondly worship. Worship with all your heart, soul and body. Dance if you can. Really just engage with everything you have at that moment. Be present because you have come to mount Zion (Hebrews 12:22)

Pray in other tongues (1 Corinthians 14). You are praying the will of God for family, friends and our spiritual siblings on earth. You are also praying for the will of God here. Just follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and allow Him to pray through you. There is no particular order.

Read the word and meditate. This is the time to renew your mind (Romans 12:2) and remind yourself of who God is and who you are in this world. Speak the word to yourself. Don’t read the Bible passively, apply it to everyday situations. See Jesus and see yourself.

Finally, thank Him for answering you- “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him”- Hebrews 11:6.

There is no particular order to do these things, just do as led but make sure your time with the Lord consists of these items and you will experience Him.

God almighty loves you very much, Favour

Generational Blessings

Most Christians are conversant with generational curses but have you heard of generational blessings. This is not an attempt to convince you that your life will be perfect when you become a Christian. On the contrary, this is an attempt to open your eyes to your blessings as a Christian because life will come to test that.

Colossians 1 :13 tells us that we have been translated into the kingdom of light after Jesus disgraced the dark kingdom. Therefore we have been set free. But many believers are unfortunately still in bondage and living cursed even though Jesus has set us free.

Just in case you are wondering. Here is the verse that tells us we are no longer under any curse. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” – Galatians 3:13.

Many believers are still living CURSED because of the lack of knowledge. Scriptures say that “my people perish for lack of knowledge”(Hosea 4:6). People just don’t know and are not willing to pay the price to know.

I don’t mean knowing as something you just know in your head but can’t defend when push comes to shove. NO, I mean really knowing it in your heart of hearts. We KNOW God’s word only by the help of the Holy Spirit through prayer and meditation. Praying, reading, rereading and meditating on God´s word is how we should roll😃. This will help us be strong in the blessings Jesus bought for us by His blood.

Also, Galatians 3:29 tells us “And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you”.. So what was the promise to Abraham? , “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise” : Hebrews 6:14-15. As Abraham’s children, we are blessed and it is not limited to financial or material blessings. We are blessed with peace, joy and many other immaterial blessings(Ephesians 1:3). Therefore, whether you believe it or not it’s there. So please believe, accept and use it. It’s yours. You are not cursed and if the enemy tries to attack you remember that you belong to the light kingdom now and we are blessed people. Repeat after me “I AM BLESSED!

Also ensure you are living to please God. If you are not living to please God in holiness then the enemy will harass you very much and God won’t do anything because you are breaking covenant. So be holy as He is holy. That’s our covenant.

Basically, once you have Jesus. You are blessed. Even if your current circumstance doesn’t feel like that, you are. Keep working and walking with Jesus, constantly speaking and meditating on His word. The physical blessings will manifest too.

God almighty loves you. Favour