Friday 19 June 2009
Thursday 11 June 2009
Monday 8 June 2009
Trusting ...
Trusting that what Jehovah says He will do, will be done.
Trusting God’s Sovereignty and His mysterious, unfathomable ways. I shouldn't question His ways, however foolish they may appear to me. Indeed, the foolishness of God far outweighs the highest wisdom of man.
Trusting my Papa God, that He is in control. He knows and does what is Best for me.
Trusting my Papa God doesn’t mean complete absence of questions from within or without. But rather choosing to listen to and uphold God’s WORD and His Faithfulness above those unanswered questions and daunting voices.
Trusting Him doesn’t mean I’ve finally figured out how things will work out or that I’ve figured out my future. Instead it requires admitting that I don’t know and don’t have the power while God KNOWS and HAS the POWER to do all things.
Trusting God doesn’t always mean that I am happy-go-lucky all the time. The choice to bank all my hopes on my God, who is Invisible yet OMNISCIENT and ALMIGHTY, accompanies tears, fighting fears of the unknown and frequent reaffirmations of my faith in Him.
Trusting that He is the Master and He knows what He is doing. I am just a mere servant. He, the Creator and I, the creature.
My times are in His Hands. He is the Beginning and the End.
June 3rd, 2009
©Lady Akofa.
Trusting God’s Sovereignty and His mysterious, unfathomable ways. I shouldn't question His ways, however foolish they may appear to me. Indeed, the foolishness of God far outweighs the highest wisdom of man.
Trusting my Papa God, that He is in control. He knows and does what is Best for me.
Trusting my Papa God doesn’t mean complete absence of questions from within or without. But rather choosing to listen to and uphold God’s WORD and His Faithfulness above those unanswered questions and daunting voices.
Trusting Him doesn’t mean I’ve finally figured out how things will work out or that I’ve figured out my future. Instead it requires admitting that I don’t know and don’t have the power while God KNOWS and HAS the POWER to do all things.
Trusting God doesn’t always mean that I am happy-go-lucky all the time. The choice to bank all my hopes on my God, who is Invisible yet OMNISCIENT and ALMIGHTY, accompanies tears, fighting fears of the unknown and frequent reaffirmations of my faith in Him.
Trusting that He is the Master and He knows what He is doing. I am just a mere servant. He, the Creator and I, the creature.
My times are in His Hands. He is the Beginning and the End.
May the God of Hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15: 13
June 3rd, 2009
©Lady Akofa.
Friday 5 June 2009
Adventures in Nkↄm Nkyere 2
First of all, let me reiterate that I don’t know all there is to fasting. So I consider this to be a journey.
Secondly, I fast not because I think it works per say. I fast because I have faith in God. Faith that if God chooses to work in this manner and has commanded that I do so, then it’s for His Glory. Of course, there are some things that simple prayer will not be enough. Granted. Make sure you check the bible passage I've linked.
Stephanie asks in response to my previous post, "What have you found in fasting? Answered prayer? A closer connection with God? Great Sensitivity to the Spirit?” I actually think she has already taken words out of my response, to some extent in her comment.
Admittedly there are days I fast amiss; it almost seems like a hunger strike. However, on days that I purposefully fast, I’ve found that I’m much more alert and unusually eager and open to hear from God. My prayer times are often richer during those times even if few minutes are spent in prayer.
I’ve seen God loosen the grips of a besetting sin as I combined fasting with accountability, searching God’s Word and other spiritual disciplines. I’m also experiencing gradual deliverance in a long-standing spiritual issue and won’t back down till I see the promised victory with my two eyes and live liberated as God intended.
It's possible that if you've never had any long standing issue like an unsaved family member, or a wayward child, or a marriage that is falling apart before your very eyes, etc you may not be motivated to seek such drastic measures as sacrificing your meals for focused prayer at all. After all, what's there to labouriously pray for? I used to think like that. Read on. There is a bigger reason for such an endeavour.
I remember one time in my BA days when I fasted with the fellowship group. I didn’t have a class that day and my roommate had gone out, so I was alone in the room. There was nothing pressing to pray about; I was just seeking God’s face, talking to Him as I slowly walked back and forth in my room. As God drew me to His rich, loving presence, I felt drawn to kneel and bow down. But it wasn’t enough. After a while, the Holy Spirit drew me further down to lie prostrate before the Almighty Jehovah. How could I not? Like Isaiah, I am unworthy to stand before the Lord.
I’ve never gone on a long fast, I prefer the once or twice per week discipline unless the LORD calls me to do otherwise someday. I actually have such a profound respect for those who have gone on long fasts at some point in their lives and are living the fruit of what they prayed for.
I would encourage that anybody willing to explore this to first of all dig the Bible asking that God direct the search. See how the practice started in the Old Testament, when and why God commanded it, how it was done and is supposed to be done up to the New Testament days. It could be a whole new adventure! That’s why my post title is “Adventures in Nkↄm Nkyere.”
Finally, fasting like other disciplines of grace, such as prayer, personal Bible Study, Evangelism, Solitude, Fellowship, etc are all means to an end. Some disciplines are for healing, deliverance, telling others about Jesus Christ, growth in character, unity in the Church... the list is endless. They all work together for an Ultimate End and Treasure.
But what’s the Ultimate Treasure in my opinion?
Secondly, I fast not because I think it works per say. I fast because I have faith in God. Faith that if God chooses to work in this manner and has commanded that I do so, then it’s for His Glory. Of course, there are some things that simple prayer will not be enough. Granted. Make sure you check the bible passage I've linked.
Stephanie asks in response to my previous post, "What have you found in fasting? Answered prayer? A closer connection with God? Great Sensitivity to the Spirit?” I actually think she has already taken words out of my response, to some extent in her comment.
Admittedly there are days I fast amiss; it almost seems like a hunger strike. However, on days that I purposefully fast, I’ve found that I’m much more alert and unusually eager and open to hear from God. My prayer times are often richer during those times even if few minutes are spent in prayer.
I’ve seen God loosen the grips of a besetting sin as I combined fasting with accountability, searching God’s Word and other spiritual disciplines. I’m also experiencing gradual deliverance in a long-standing spiritual issue and won’t back down till I see the promised victory with my two eyes and live liberated as God intended.
It's possible that if you've never had any long standing issue like an unsaved family member, or a wayward child, or a marriage that is falling apart before your very eyes, etc you may not be motivated to seek such drastic measures as sacrificing your meals for focused prayer at all. After all, what's there to labouriously pray for? I used to think like that. Read on. There is a bigger reason for such an endeavour.
I remember one time in my BA days when I fasted with the fellowship group. I didn’t have a class that day and my roommate had gone out, so I was alone in the room. There was nothing pressing to pray about; I was just seeking God’s face, talking to Him as I slowly walked back and forth in my room. As God drew me to His rich, loving presence, I felt drawn to kneel and bow down. But it wasn’t enough. After a while, the Holy Spirit drew me further down to lie prostrate before the Almighty Jehovah. How could I not? Like Isaiah, I am unworthy to stand before the Lord.
I’ve never gone on a long fast, I prefer the once or twice per week discipline unless the LORD calls me to do otherwise someday. I actually have such a profound respect for those who have gone on long fasts at some point in their lives and are living the fruit of what they prayed for.
I would encourage that anybody willing to explore this to first of all dig the Bible asking that God direct the search. See how the practice started in the Old Testament, when and why God commanded it, how it was done and is supposed to be done up to the New Testament days. It could be a whole new adventure! That’s why my post title is “Adventures in Nkↄm Nkyere.”
Finally, fasting like other disciplines of grace, such as prayer, personal Bible Study, Evangelism, Solitude, Fellowship, etc are all means to an end. Some disciplines are for healing, deliverance, telling others about Jesus Christ, growth in character, unity in the Church... the list is endless. They all work together for an Ultimate End and Treasure.
But what’s the Ultimate Treasure in my opinion?
Intimately knowing God through Jesus Christ, His Son. A deeper and richer experience of God. Can anything or anybody be of more worth than knowing Him?
God bless ya,
Lady Akofa.
Lady Akofa.
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