PRAYING AS HE TAUGHT: ALIGNING WITH GOD’S WILL
Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Adebola was eager to be useful so whenever the community gathered to pray, he would always be the first to speak and the last to stop. His prayers were always long, passionate, and detailed. He told God exactly what […]
LEARNING TO LISTEN: THE DISCIPLE’S EAR IN PRAYER
John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Timilehin was a young apprentice who followed a master everywhere he went. From dawn until evening, he stayed close, watching how the master shaped wood with steady hands, how he arranged his tools after each task, and how he paused […]
CALLED TO BE WITH HIM: A LIFE OF PRAYER
Mark 3:14 “And He appointed twelve, that they might BE WITH HIM, and that HE MIGHT SEND THEM out to preach.” Tunde first assumed his supervisor simply liked silence or was naturally disciplined. But as weeks passed, Tunde began to notice something deeper. Mr. Adebayo was rarely bothered, even when deadlines were tight or unexpected […]
DYING TO SELF: BROKENNESS THAT PRODUCES LIFE
Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise.” Jerry was strong, confident, and capable and this was because he had successfully learnt how to survive pressure without showing people his weakness. Even in ministry, he was relying on discipline […]
DYING TO SELF: LOSING CONTROL TO GAIN LIFE
Matthew 16:25: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Sanjo liked structure and he planned his days, managed outcomes, and felt safest when everything was predictable. Even in the place of prayer, he also tried to guide God on how He should […]
DYING TO SELF: THE CROSS BEFORE THE CROWN
Luke 9:23 (NLT) “Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Ezekiel was gifted, visible, and effective such that whenever he ministered, people responded. Yet beneath the fruitfulness of public ministry, there was […]
DYING TO SELF: WHEN DESIRE GOES UNCHECKED
Tosin was a young disciple, passionate in prayer and service. Yet secretly, he just so much desired recognition. Every compliment fed his ambition. When asked to lead a difficult outreach, he started seeking tasks that made him look good instead of serving faithfully. Slowly, his devotion became selective—driven by what he wanted, not what God […]
DYING TO SELF: THE QUIET VOICE OF PRIDE
James 4:6 (AMPC) “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Peter never intended to become proud but it happened quietly and subtly, like a dew falling upon a dirty vehicle. At first, it was just a small, flattering word here, and a compliment there. People noticed his diligence, his devotion, his sincerity, […]
DYING TO SELF: SELECTIVE OBEDIENCE
1 Samuel 15:22 (AMPC) “To obey is better than sacrifice…” Michael was deeply committed to God. He prayed fervently, fasted consistently, served faithfully, and gave sacrificially. From the outside, his walk with God looked solid, admirable, and even inspiring, but beneath the layers of those spiritual activities, there was one clear instruction he kept postponing: […]
DYING TO SELF: WHEN GOD ASKS YOU TO WAIT
Luke 9:23 (AMPC) “…let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Daniel stopped counting months because in the beginning, he recorded everything carefully with each prayer request being noted, each expectation written with faith, but as weeks stretched into months, his faith began to shrink and he slipped into praying but […]