Bona fide Expressions

In chasing after worldly things, we're literally missing the very essence of our existence, God. Indeed, we ought to live the life God gave us, but leaving Him out of every part means we're chasing after things that ultimately become idols. Our life is meaningful and fulfilling when we are intentional about spending most of our time engaging His Holy Spirit who dwells in all who determine to love and serve Him. He is yearning to have fellowship with us and should be the first person we think about and talk to daily. Let's be deliberate about making God our utmost priority. God bless you!

For those who’d rather live according to the dictates of the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are responsive to the Holy Spirit and are by Him led, “set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit” 
 (Romans 8:5 AMPC)

But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right — the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
Matthew 6:33 AMP

In a room filled with people lying prostrate, praising and worshipping God, one can feel so lost and unresponsive to the beauty of being in His presence. Spending time with God in the secret place, in prayer and meditating on His word makes all the difference. The perspective completely changes, and in a gathering of Saints we can effortlessly join in giving reverence to the Lord. As we grow in fellowship, we no longer feel comfortable hiding anything from our Maker, and our spirits are quickened, naturally responsive to His voice when He calls us to avail ourselves and be used by Him to draw others closer to Him. Let's be intentional about communicating  with Him daily. God bless you!

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 NKJV 

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:11 NKJV 

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints - Ephesians 6:17‭-‬18 NKJV

Knocking on doors the Lord clearly shuts for a reason, we embark on a pursuit for a help mate based on the wrong motives. Thinking  we are head over heels in love, we get trapped in an unbearable circus of pain and regrets. Marriage, being a lifetime journey, requires fervency in prayer and keen attentiveness to the Holy Spirit’s leadings when making the right spouse-choice. Let's not take marriage at face value and be intentional in seeking the Lord's face concerning it. In the end, we'd be glad we waited and followed God's leading. 
God bless you!

pray without ceasing
I Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
Amos 3:3 NKJV

For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 AMP

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
I John 5:14‭-‬15 NKJV

Prayer is indisputably vital in our Christian walk. We are humanly naive to the possibility of treading on sloppy ground, yet we automatically take steps, esteeming the ground to be solid in the physical realm but often oblivious to what pertains spiritually. The God-Man Jesus expects us to discern both the physical and spiritual. God journeys with us and directs our movements all the time and so we must constantly engage His Holy Spirit in our daily endeavors. This gradually quickens our spirits and causes us to move in the direction He gives. Let's remain connected to Him by incessantly using His precious gift of prayer to us! God bless you! 

Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]
1 Thessalonians 5:17 AMPC

He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions, And under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a wall.
Psalms 91:4 AMP

In our walk with the Lord (which ought to be a close one), we must constantly remember how marvelous it is to be in His presence wherever we go. To have the Lord holding your hand and liberating you into expressing your love for Him in the most vulnerable of ways is the best feeling; nothing can compare or compete with the joy He brings. The devil from time to time, may attempt to consume our minds with thoughts or situations around us with the sole aim of  pulling us back and making us think God's love isn't enough. It's easy to believe this when we don't fully comprehend who we are in Christ and that only opens the door to entering into spaces that the Lord would rather we stray not into or encountering people who would seek to drag us away from the intimacy we share with the Lord. Truth is, the love of God knows no boundaries and as we faithfully remain in close proximity with Him, we grow in  confidence at every given point in time, unperturbed at the enemy's schemes to change our identity and alter our course.  God will definitely  lead us in the right direction. Let's continue to keep our eyes fixed on Him. God bless you!

You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation]. 
Isaiah 26:3 AMP 

For His loving kindness prevails over us [and we triumph and overcome through Him], And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord ! (Hallelujah!) 
Psalms 117:2 AMP

The Lord has bestowed on us several abilities, and we often twirl in different directions, having no clue where to begin. We were brought into this world for a purpose and in pursuing all that God requires from us, comparisons (that often deflate rather than uplift) must be our no-go resort. It's His direction we ought to seek; this way, the unique spiritual gifts we each have can be used in various mediums to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people all over the world. Let's stay connected to the Lord and He will certainly order our steps aright!
God bless you!

For just as in one [physical] body we have many parts, and these parts do not all have the same function or special use, so we, who are many, are [nevertheless just] one body in Christ, and individually [we are] parts one of another [mutually dependent on each other]. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them accordingly: if [someone has the gift of] prophecy, [let him speak a new message from God to His people] in proportion to the faith possessed;  if service, in the act of serving; or he who teaches, in the act of teaching; or he who encourages, in the act of encouragement; he who gives, with generosity; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy [in caring for others], with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:4‭-‬8 AMP

We're so eager to experience the unfolding of God's promises that we spend most of the time wallowing in frustration when we see nothing happening. We even go to the extent of looking for other alternatives just so we can get to the destination quickly. That, however only worsens situations and we end up not seeing God's good plans manifest accordingly. We ought to allow God to be in charge because He knows the end from the beginning and His strength is what we need for the journey ahead when He finally opens the door. We need Him in order to be successful at handling the tasks and to genuinely enjoy the blessings that come with our obedience to Him in fulfilling those tasks. Let's feast on His word and develop stronger intimacy with Him in our time of waiting so we can boldly fight the good fight in faith and finish the race honorably and to the glory of the Lord! God bless you!

 You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].
Isaiah 26:3 AMP

 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.
Isaiah 40:31 AMP

We get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we give a little portion of our time to God, or none at all.  Time spent with God, reading, meditating on His word, having conversations with Him is essential as we go about our daily routine. The closer we get, the more quickened we are by His Spirit within, becoming sensitive to and being led by  Him so we can easily face whatever comes our way as the conquerors that we are in Christ. Let's constantly communicate with the Lord, giving Him first place in our lives!

God bless you!

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you. Psalms 32:8 AMP

Commit your works to the Lord [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance]. 
Proverbs 16:3 AMP 

Guard [with greatest care] and keep unchanged, the treasure [that precious truth] which has been entrusted to you [that is, the good news about salvation through personal faith in Christ Jesus], through [the help of] the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. 
2 Timothy 1:14 AMP

God, desiring to bring us to a place of redemption, sent His Son, Jesus Christ to this world, who demonstrated an extremely incomparable and incomprehensible act of Love, being condemned and crucified by  the ones who truly deserved to die. Jesus rose again however, and our atrocious deeds were completely blotted out; our lives now restored (and those who accept this actually experience it). God is calling, giving us a free invitation to know the Father through Jesus. Genuinely make the choice to accept this invitation and be a part of a liberating experience!
God bless you!

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he [will eat] with Me.
Revelation 3:20 AMPC

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts and passions. Do not go on offering members of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness. But offer yourselves to God [in a decisive act] as those alive [raised] from the dead [to a new life], and your members [all of your abilities—sanctified, set apart] as instruments of righteousness [yielded] to God. For sin will no longer be a master over you, since you are not under Law [as slaves], but under [unmerited] grace [as recipients of God’s favor and mercy].
Romans 6:12‭-‬14 AMP

For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23 AMPC

God is so detailed in everything He does; it's why He took His  time to create each and everyone of us. Sometimes, we get to a point where we feel insecure about ourselves, as the many negative voices keep seeping in. We were made in  His image and likeness and must always remember that we are His Masterpiece.

So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:27 AMP

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].
Ephesians 2:10 AMP

Constantly declare who you are in Christ and walk in confidence!
God bless you!

Sin (essentially opting to reject the Lord and all He stands for and straying from His paths of blessing intended for our good) came into this world and has attempted to distract or even succeeded in distracting many individuals from the predestined plans God has in store for each one who diligently seeks Him. Our earthly strings are not as extended as we think and in the blink of an eye, they no longer move. We don't  have a lot of time, neither do we get to choose how long we'll live on earth. The strings of life after death never stop stretching, and in between those strings are two places, heaven or hell (initially “prepared for the devil and his angels” [Matthew 25:41]). God loves us and desires for us to spend eternity with Him, the heaven string (John 14:2-3), but that can only happen when we repent and stop leading lives that please the enemy whose agenda is no good. 

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 
John 14:2-3 AMP 

So repent [change your inner self - your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God - seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; Acts 3:19 AMP 

Let's live on purpose for God;  genuinely seek forgiveness from the Lord and obey His word, not hesitating to proclaim it to others. God bless you!

In our walk,there'll be days we won't understand, so many questions we'd desire to to ask God; and we may be tempted to stop seeking His face when we are overwhelmed with many life struggles. However, not only do we have to connect when all seems rosy; it is in the midst of chaos that our walk with God should intensify, genuinely reverencing Him,  knowing that He is God and will take great care of us.

Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]. 
1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 AMPC 

Lift up His name everyday and leave everything to Him! 
God bless you!

Carrying unique personalities, we picture things differently, and this more often than not  influences our decisions and the detours we take. We seem to be riding on a carousel, and the journey feels very smooth for some, while others  don't even have the courage to be a part of the adventure; It can be extremely daunting and so some of us get lost along the way. Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, is calling us to believe and trust in Him, following Him on a remarkable life journey that will cause us to boldly walk in God's purpose and ultimately live the God kind of life.

"Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time)." John 6:35 AMPC 

"For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God]." 1 John 5:4 AMP

"And the testimony is this: God has given us eternal life [we already possess it], and this life is in His Son [resulting in our spiritual completeness, and eternal companionship with Him]."
1 John 5:11 AMP 

"And we [have seen and] know [positively] that the Son of God has [actually] come to this world and has given us understanding and insight [progressively] to perceive (recognize) and come to know better and more clearly Him Who is true; and we are in Him Who is true–in His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah). This [Man] is the true God and Life eternal." 
1 John 5:20 AMPC 

Our perceptions should change once we make the decision to let God lead the way! God bless you!

We plan our next agenda for subsequent days only to realize that the scenes that unfold are different from the plans we had. Some days bring so much hope and fulfilment, others get us so confused, clueless, downcast and trodden. This shouldn't stop us, however. Truth is, none of us have a clue what tomorrow holds, but we must constantly fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who has set before us a great cloud of witnesses. 

[As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!" (Hebrews 12:1‭-‬2 TPT)]

[Oh, taste and see that the Lord  is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalms 34:8 NKJV)] 

No matter what life may throw at us, God is good and faithful; so, let's take a leap of faith and  be hopeful that the end will be beautiful!

God bless you!

Pacing, as though we're being chased, we make decisions without seeking God's face first. The outcome when things don't go our way makes us so devastated and we realize too late that it's not what God desired for us. God's guidance is what we need in every endeavour because He knows what's best for His children. We ought to walk in accordance to His perfect will for our lives and not rely on our own prowess.

 "For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will release you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and all the places to which I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captive" (Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬14 AMPC).

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding" (Proverbs 3:5 AMPC).

Consistently feed your mind with these and walk differently from now on. God bless you!

Regardless of how broken we feel, we attempt to live in disguise, hoping it'll all go away. Unfortunately we go back, despite being amongst a multitude, feeling alone, no healing or solution to our problems whatsoever. God, who neither sleeps nor slumbers looks out for us, and His knowledge of us (Psalm 139) is unfathomable; but that's who He is. We should give God our full attention the way He desires ours. There's nothing too hard for Him which is why it's important to quit living in pretence and to long for and actually reach for God and His word because He has all the answers to our many ponders.

He assures us to let go of fear ( "Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice" Isaiah 41:10 AMPC), and to communicate with Him ("Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [ things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish." Jeremiah 33:3 AMP)

Let's reach out to Him and allow Him to be in full control over every situation. God bless you!

We get so used to being part of a perverse generation that we hardly hear God calling, and even when we do, we often choose to ignore. There's a void every time we attempt to connect with God, especially after leading a life that displeases Him and this feeling of emptiness can be so heavy that it prevents us from drawing close, because we feel ashamed and don't think we'll be accepted by God. We resort to living in that void and continue to partake in the forbidden, just so we can belong somewhere. However, God is calling us to Himself, to walk with Him on a journey that involves letting go of everything that separates us from Him and reaping the benefits of serving Him and obeying His word. There'll certainly be no regrets when we choose this path.