Whose Report Do You Believe?

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

– Isaiah 53:1

It is very easy to lose focus of the report of the Lord and concentrate on the many reports that bombard your minds from all different sources, including the news, media, doctors, just to name a few. This is a recipe for anxiety and depression. Whose report do you believe?

Often times humans like to see tangible evidence in order to believe. For instance, the report of the Lord says that believers are healed because healing is included in the salvation package that was atoned for by Jesus’ death. Isaiah prophesied it long before Jesus was even born (see Isaiah 53:5). Then, Peter echoed it after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension (see 1 Peter 2:24). Notice that Isaiah mentioned “…with his stripes we ARE healed” and Peter mentioned “…by whose stripes ye WERE healed”. Beloved, it is a done deal! Yet when the doctor’s report says there is evidence of Covid 19, or cancer, or any other sickness and disease, especially if it is torminal, one tends to immediately forget the report of the Lord and with fear and anxiety pay attention to the doctor’s report instead.

Then, in that atmosphere of fear and anxiety approach God in prayer with all the right words but the one thing that pleases God is missing and that’s faith (see Hebrews 11:6). It is impossible for faith to dwell in the same place with fear and anxiety. Don’t be deceived by the words of those who tell you, “do it afraid”. Those words sound good but that is not God’s modus operandi. This is evident in the report of the Lord that says the spirit of fear is not from God (see 2 Timothy 1:7). Therefore, it does not exist where love is because God’s perfect love cast out all fear since fear has torment (see 1 John 4:18). It stands to reason then that indeed fear is an evil spirit that comes from the devil to torment you.

Hence, when you are afraid for whatever reason and you desire to be obedient to the will of God for your life, how do you treat with the spirit of fear? What then do you do when the spirit of fear with its entourage of anxiety, worry, depression, et cetera tries to oppress your mind? You rebuke it in the name of Jesus, bind that demon and cast it out. I hear someone asking, “Can I do that?” With a resounding YES, you can! The report of the Lord says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils…” (Mark 16:17). These words were spoken directly from the mouth of Jesus. Beloved, whose report do you believe? The report of the Lord also says, “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19). Beloved according to the report of the Lord, Jesus has given you power over all the powers of the enemy and nothing shall be able to hurt you (see Luke 10:19).

God bless you!     

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Papa I worship You always. Thank you for Your report in Your Word that says I am healed, I am free from the spirit of fear and I have power over all the powers of the enemy therefore nothing can hurt me. I declare that I will believe the report of the Lord always no matter what I see in the natural and that my faith pleases God. Therefore, I experience the manifestation of the supernatural power of God in my life. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ precious name with thanksgiving. Amen!

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God Validates You!

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

– Psalms 37:5-6

Humans have a need to be validated by others as it gives them a sense of importance and belonging. Therefore, all of man’s actions exhibit his quest for validation. I have found this is especially so for persons who have experienced complex trauma that negatively affect their identity, self-esteem and self-worth. However, even though one makes every effort to impress others hoping to be validated, they are often disappointed. This pursuit of validation often encourages anxiety and depression.

True validation only comes from God. Believers must be absolutely yielded to God and unreservedly cast your life (all your cares, desires of your heart, aspirations, dreams, necessities, business) on God in faith by your effectual, fervent prayer, with earnest expectations of favourable responses from God and He will accomplish it for you.

Though what you have gone through have distorted your self-concept and make it difficult for you to see and accept who you really are in Christ Jesus, God validates you as He reveals your reputation to the world from which it is perceived to be eclipsed, and makes it as visible to all as the sunlight at noon-day. You are exalted to be seen beloved. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1).

God bless you!     

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Papa I worship and rejoice in You always. Thank you for the privileged opportunity to fellowship with you in prayer. I declare that I am absolutely yielded to You and Your response is showing me off as Your righteousness to the world in which I seemed invisible. Therefore, in obedience to You I will arise and shine in every dark corner of the world. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ precious name with thanksgiving. Amen!  

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Expectation from God

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

– Psalms 62:5

There is no one else in whom your soul can wait or rest or tarry, knowing that your expectation or hope also comes from that person but God. To wait on and hope in people, whether your family, parents, children, spouses, good friends, bosses, et cetera, is to set up yourself for disappointment over and over again because even with very good intentions people are often unable to meet the expectations held of them.

Being disappointed over and over again can lead to anxiety and depression as one focusses on the unmet expectation. As, “hope deferred makes the heart sick…” (Proverbs 13:12).

However, to wait or rest or tarry only on and hope in God result in your expectations being met because God never disappoints. He said in Isaiah 49:23, “…Then you will know that I am the Lord; Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” 

When you have expectation of God from whom comes the very expectation in the first place, rather than putting your hope in man, God will work through people to bless you. Even if you do not receive what you are hoping for when you expect to, you will have the peace of God as your soul rests or stays in Him, knowing that in the fulness of time He makes all things beautiful.

God bless you!     

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Papa I worship You in whom is my hope. Thank You that I can trust and depend on You because You are my God who never disappoints. I declare that I will only rest and hope in You for my help always. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ name with thanksgiving. Amen!

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Contentment Conquers Anxiety

…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

– Philippians 4:11

As I reflected on the previous devotionals that highlighted gratitude and joy as weapons for conquering anxiety, I also queried the Holy Spirit for other weapons and contentment was impressed in my spirit.

In Philippians 4:11 the Apostle Paul expressed, “…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

In essence, what the Apostle Paul emphasized is that from his experiences he has learned morally to habitually possess and enjoy a positive self-sufficiency or inward adequacy that comes completely from God by the indwelling power of Christ, both in times of plenty and lack, in good and bad times, through the thick and thin, in low and high times, in the dark days and in the sunshine.

According to the Apostle Paul, such contentment or self-satisfaction or self-sufficiency or independence amalgamated with godliness is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).

I believe an aspect of the “great gain” is that contentment conquers anxiety and empowers believers to live a victorious life in Christ. When you live a life of contentment, it fuels joy which encourages an attitude of gratitude for all that God has done, is doing and will do for you. Also, it works in the reverse, that is, when you have an attitude of gratitude for all that God has done, is doing and will do for you, the expression of joy will flow from the inside of you, and enable you to be content in whatever state you are in. Hence, there will be no place for anxiety to torment your soul.

The art of contentment is the wonted earnest expression of joy in and gratitude to God no matter the situation.      

God bless you!     

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Papa I worship and adore You. Thank You for being my Ever-present Father. Thank You for the indwelling power of Christ that teaches me the art of contentment. I declare that I am content, I rejoice and I am thankful in whatever situation. Therefore, contentment conquers anxiety and sets me free. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ name with thanksgiving. Amen!

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Joy Conquers Anxiety

Rejoice evermore.

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:16; Philippians 4:4

In the midst of deep despair in my life from a child, I have found that music makes me happy. However, I realized that happiness didn’t last too long before I was sad again. Then I found a way to be happy longer and that was by singing. I sang all the time. At first, I was afraid because I was criticized but I continued to sing. It was my only way of drowning the negative emotions I experienced. After a while, I began to sing to the top of my lungs every and anywhere I was. I didn’t care who heard me. As a matter of fact, when I walked the streets, I used my imagination to take me to different places where I had no fear and I pretended that I was the only person on the streets as I sang all the way on my journeys. Sometimes I skipped along as I sang. People called me crazy. However, the more I rejoiced, the stronger I became in my emotions.

We have heard in yesterday’s devotional that an attitude of gratitude contributes to healthy living, as thanksgiving conquers anxiety and engenders happiness. It was also said that joy, like gratitude have grave health benefits.

The Apostle Paul knew the significance of having joy so he encouraged the believers, “Rejoice evermore” (1 Thessalonians 5:16); “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

The word “rejoice” in both Scriptures is the Greek word chairó, which means to be cheerful or calmly happy, be glad, rejoice (Hebrew – Greek Key Word Study Bible).

Today, I want to emphasize that when you “rejoice evermore”, or “rejoice in the Lord always”, your joy conquers anxiety and strengthens you “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

The use of the words, “evermore” and “always” tells me that believers ought to perpetually or continually rejoice and never stop. One may ask, “Is it possible to eternally rejoice? Yes, it is possible because joy is not dependent on outward circumstances but is a Spirit-given expression that manifests especially in difficult times. It is an inner attitude that decides to rejoice no matter what is happening.

It is important to note that joy is often described as an emotion, however, it is not, though emotions maybe evoked when one is rejoicing. Instead, joy is the second segment of the fruit of the Spirit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…” (Galatians 5:22). It is a supernatural Joy: cheerfulness or calm delight or gladness that only the Holy Spirit gives. It is generated from the grace of God to help believers in difficult times.      

Regardless to what is happening in your life at this moment, in this season, would you receive God’s supernatural joy from His Holy Spirit today and begin to rejoice evermore in the Lord? You would be amazed how all the cares and anxiety in your soul vanish away, never to return again.

God bless you!     

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Daddy I worship You and bless Your name. Thank You for Your supernatural joy that enables me to rejoice evermore and to rejoice in You always no matter how challenging life gets. Thank You for Your supernatural strength that I receive in Your joy. I declare that no more will I be attacked by spirits of anxiety and fear because the joy of the Lord is my strength. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ name with thanksgiving. Amen!

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Gratitude Conquers Anxiety

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

– Philippians 4:6  

In previous devotionals I have shared extensively about my experiences with anxiety. However, I would like to refer particularly to Pt 5 in which I shared on Philippians 4:6 and highlighted ways in which anxiety can be conquered. Today I would like to focus on another that was not mentioned then, which is, “thanksgiving” or “gratitude”.

In this portion of Scripture the Apostle Paul is advising, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing…with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

The word “thanksgiving” is the Greek word eucharistia, and is a compound of the words eu and charis. The word eu means good or well and signifies a general good disposition or an overwhelmingly good feeling about something. The word charis is the Greek word for grace. Compounded together they form the word eucharistia, which defines an outpouring of grace and of wonderful feelings that freely flow from the heart in response to someone or something (Renner, 2003).

In essence, the Apostle Paul is instructing believers to show appreciation to God with an earnest outpouring of thanks, having earnestly requested of Him the special desires of your hearts. It is proper to show your gratitude to God immediately after making your requests know unto Him. Therefore, having an attitude of gratitude even from the beginning, before you receive the answers to your prayers is necessary for the defeat of anxiety. This earnest outpouring of overwhelming good, wonderful feelings that freely flow from your heart in response to God, keeps your mind focus on the goodness and faithfulness of God so much so that there is no room for anxiety. I believe it is for this reason that the Apostle Paul also advised believers, “ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

The word “will” is the Greek word theléma, which denotes a determination, choice, purpose, inclination or desire, pleasure (Hebrew – Greek Key Word Study Bible). This tells me that it is God’s choice or purpose or desire or pleasure for you to maintain an attitude of gratitude in everything because your gratitude conquers anxiety.

Research findings claim that anxiety contributes to stress and stress causes an imbalance in the stress hormone cortisol which has negative consequences on one’s health. However, research findings also claim that an attitude of gratitude balances the stress hormone cortisol as gratitude increases blood flow and activity in the hypothalamus, which is the master gland that controls hormones. Additional, gratitude balances the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, which help to regulate mood and emotion, and referred to as the “happy hormones”. Hence, it is also believed that cultivating an attitude of gratitude engenders happiness, which contrary to anxiety is related to astonishing health benefits.

God in His providence and sovereignty has provided believers with all that we need to defeat the spirits of fear, anxiety and depression that affect the whole man. Today, He has just reminded you that by having an attitude of gratitude you can conquer these demonic spirits. Would you take a moment to reflect on at least five things for which you can give God thanks and let your response be an earnest outpouring of overwhelming good, wonderful feelings that freely flow from your heart unto Him.    

God bless you!     

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Papa I come before You with worship and thanksgiving. Thank You for reminding me in Your word today that having an attitude of gratitude in everything is Your will in Christ Jesus concerning me. I declare that my gratitude conquers anxiety, makes me happy and sets me free to lead a healthy life physically, mentally or emotionally and spiritually. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ name with thanksgiving. Amen!  

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A Pleasant Partner in Jesus!

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

– Matthew 11:29-30

In yesterday’s devotional I mentioned that Jesus is inviting persons who have been wearily labouring on a wearisome job and heavy laden for a long time yet the job is not finished, to come unto Him in order to find rest. I likened this wearisome job to the difficult physical, mental or emotional and spiritual processing of persons who have experienced complex trauma and are on their journey of healing. Though the road has been extremely long thus far, there is still a long way yet to travel before the final destination is reached, that is before the total manifestation of your healing and deliverance. It is important to note that when you come to Jesus to get away from this wearisome labour it is only for a while for a time of relaxation, it doesn’t mean that your labour ceases. Jesus’ promise is not to prematurely, abruptly terminate your healing journey because it is wearisome for you but He promises if you come to Him, He will help you take a break from it in His presence where He can refresh you so that you can have the strength you need to continue your journey to the very end. God knows the plans He has for you on your healing journey and His plans include giving you an expected end or a hope and a future according to Jeremiah 29:11.

Therefore, in Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus also beckons, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The word “take” is from the Greek word airo, which means to deliberately lift or to deliberately take up (Renner, 2003).

The word “yoke” is the Greek word zugos, which defines the wooden yoke that joined two animals together so they could combine their strength to pull a load that generally would have been too difficult for one animal to pull by itself (Renner, 2003).

The word “easy” is the Greek word chrestos, which means pleasurable, delightful, or comfortable (Renner, 2003).

The word “light” is the Greek word elaphron, which describes something that is not burdensome, but light or easy (Renner, 2003).    

Jesus uses the word “take” to let you know that after you have accepted His invitation to come unto Him, you must then deliberately invite Him to be “yoked” with you or join you on your wearisome, difficult healing journey so that He can help you navigate this entire process, physically, mentally or emotionally and spiritually. When you deliberately take up Jesus’ “yoke”, together you and Jesus are inseparable and your combined strength causes you to be stronger, which makes your healing journey pleasurable, delightful or comfortable. Being “yoked” together with Jesus causes even the toughest of tasks to become pleasurable. Oh, what a delight it is to work with Jesus! Your healing journey that is wearisome, difficult, and burdensome because you are going it alone can be light or easy if you would only grab a hold of Jesus’s “yoke”.

Maybe your wearisome, laboured and heavy laden soul of anxiety and depression is because of physical ill health, or grieving the lost of a loved one, or a broken marriage that resulted in a messy divorce after many years with whom you believed is your soul mate for life, or a custody battle for your child(ren), or the loss of your job and you don’t know how you are going to provide for you family, or delinquent teenagers – whatever your healing journey entails, Jesus wants to partner with you on your healing journey. Would you let Him today?

God bless you!      

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Papa I worship and adore You. I exalt and glorify Your name for You are Holy. Thank You Jesus for inviting me to come unto You in my weary and burdened state so that I can find rest in Your presence. I deliberately invite You to partner with me today on the remainder of my healing journey because it is too hard for me to go it alone. I declare that I am yoked with Jesus, therefore, I am stronger than I have ever been and my healing journey is pleasurable, easier and lighter. I declare that it is such a delight to be co-labourer with Jesus on my journey to absolute healing and deliverance. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ name with thanksgiving. Amen!

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Rest for Your Laboured and Heavy-Laden Soul!

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

– Matthew 11:28

On my journey of healing from the severe negative impact of complex trauma, I have been involved in a very long and arduous spiritual and mental or emotional process yet I am still a work in progress. Each day as I write these devotionals, I receive new revelations of who God is and make new self-discoveries which are necessary for the total manifestation of my healing and deliverance. As a result, a few days ago I realized that the most tiring aspect of my journey has been my masking and pretending that I had already gotten over and let go some things for which I was still carrying the hurt. In particular, I discovered that I had been suppressing an anger towards God for not protecting me as a child therefore, all along it has been difficult for me to reconcile all the hurt I have experienced in light of the new revelations of who God really is, and accept the truth that God really loves me, that He is Faithful and Good, that He will protect me, et cetera. I read these in His Word, I confess them with my mouth, I share them with and encourage others who testify that they are being ministered to and blessed because they believe what I share. However, this morning the Holy Spirit asked me what seems to be a very hard question, that is, “Joanne do you believe I AM all that I’m revealing to you and that I do indeed love you with an everlasting love?” All my life I have professed that I believe in Almighty God. However, today His Holy Spirit confronted and enabled me to be true to myself and my God. The truth is that I have been labouring and heavy laden with unbelief among other things. I only needed to come to Jesus, unburden and ask Him to help my unbelief.  

In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

The word “labour” comes from the Greek word kopaio, and defines the most wearisome kind of labour. The Greek tense used for this word defines people who have been working, labouring and striving on a job with all their might for an extended time without a break. Therefore, the task has been exhausting, wearisome, and unending as the more they labour under this load, the more the work gets and the longer it takes to be accomplished (Renner, 2003).

The phrase “heavy laden” is from the Greek word phortidzo, and signifies a load or burden that is normal and expected for an individual to carry in life (Renner, 2003). The weight of this load or burden depends on the distance of the journey that this individual is on. The longer the journey, the heaver laden the load or burden.  

By using the phrase “heavy laden”, Jesus is really referring to persons who have been carrying out their duty for a very long time yet the task is not yet accomplished but there is still so much more work left to be done. It has not been an easy or instant road for them and the journey has only just begun as there is still a far distance to travel. Just the thought alone of the remaining distance or task ahead cause these people to be weary, both mentally and physically.

The word “rest” is derived from the Greek word anapauo, which means to rest, to relax, to calm, or to refresh. The root of this word is pauo from which the word “pause” is derived. Hence the use of the word anapauo in this portion of Scripture conveys the meaning to pause, to cease, to desist, or to refrain (Renner, 2003).

Jesus is beckoning, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, that is, all of you who are working, labouring and striving under the most exhausting, wearisome and unending load, for an extended period of time without a break yet there is no sight of its end so you are both mentally and physically weary, and I will give you rest, that is, I will relax, calm or refresh you by giving you the ability to pause, cease, desist, or refrain from this labour; in other words, have a hiatus or get away from it for a while.”   

Maybe for a very long time now you have been on a journey of healing from severe hurt by ceaselessly labouring on overcoming, and heavy laden with the load of various negative emotions as a result of past traumatic experiences, to the point of being not only physically but also mentally exhausted yet your effort is unending. However, Jesus is inviting you to come unto Him and He will enable you to take a break and get away from it all so that He can relax, calm, or refresh your soul in His presence. When you desist from constantly focusing on the complex trauma, the bad memories, the pain, the derogatory remarks, the people who have hurt you, et cetera, and begin to think about the goodness, faithfulness and love of Almighty God for you, you will experience His refreshing peace. Jesus is patiently waiting with wide open, caring arms to receive you. Would you come unto Him today?

God bless you!      

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Papa I worship and glorify You and greatly praise Your Great name. Thank You Jesus for the invitation to come unto you so that I can trade my weariness for Your calmness. I do believe with my whole heart that You are truly Good and Faithful God and that You love me with an everlasting, unfailing love. I declare that as from today I am taking a hiatus from all that toxic labour and spending more time in the presence of my Daddy where I will be refreshed. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ mighty name with thanksgiving. Amen!

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Healing by Blurted Faults and Prayers!

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

–James 5:16

For the past 55 days in my devotional blog, I have shared with you graphically my experiences with anxiety disorder and major depression. In doing so, I have highlighted various factors that contributed to my experiences, which included several events related to my family. I am aware that one can easily take what I have written and judge my family in a negative way. However, this is by no means my intention for sharing as vividly as I did. The truth is that I  have always felt the need to protect my family. I remember as a teenager in therapy, because I found it difficult to disclose the traumas, my counsellor asked me why am I protecting the people who hurt me and my life was being destroyed while they continued to live their lives. I have not stopped thinking about her words up to this day.

I asked myself, why the need to protect my family? Protect my family from what? The answer is the harsh tongue of our society, the shame, the negative criticism and judgement. I felt that sharing my experiences would have a negatively reflection on my loved ones so I wanted to preserve their reputation. However, the force behind this need to protect my family and their reputation is pride but pride is not of God. The devil is so subtle, he knows that if he can influence me to keep pride in my heart then I will remain in bondage and he will continue to attack my mind with negative emotions.

However, the Bible commands us in James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

The word “confess” is the Greek word ekzomologeo, which means to declare, to say out loud, to exclaim, to divulge, or to blurt (Renner, 2003).

The word “faults” is the Greek word paraptoma, which defines a falling in some area of one’s life. This word refers to a person who has fallen, failed, erred, or made some kind of mistake. This falling may represent either an actual falling into sin or a tripping up in the way one thinks (Renner, 2003).

It therefore means that we ought not to remain silent about the things in our lives in which we fall. We should be able to trust one another and not be afraid or ashamed to declare, say out loud, exclaim, divulge or blurt out the mistakes we have made, whether actually sinning or being bombarded with negative thinking that leads to anxiety and depression. Confessing our faults to one another should lead to us praying for one another and not condemning or judging one another. It is then that we are healed. Hence, we shouldn’t be anxious about protecting and preserving the reputation of our loved one. We can lose the fear, shame and pride and receive the liberty and peace of God. Jesus left us the greatest example when He made Himself of no reputation and became obedient unto death. 

The truth is that people will always have an opinion of you, good or bad no matter what you do. I heard Steve Harvey make a statement that is so profound it resonates with me to this moment. He said he heard Joel Osteen say, “People’s opinion of you is none of your business nor should you make it yours.”

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Obey God Instead of Pleasing Men!

…We ought to obey God rather than men.

– Acts 5:29

I was a people pleaser. I did whatever I was told or asked because I always wanted to please everyone. You tell me jump and I would ask how high. Sometimes what was required of me was uncomfortable for me but I dared not say no because I was too afraid of disappointing others. There were times when what was required of me, I knew I couldn’t do but I still said yes, I put myself out of the way to accomplish the task so that I can please others. Once I remember saying yes to helping someone do something and I couldn’t because I wasn’t feeling well at the time. I was so angry with myself for not keeping my promise even though I had no control over being ill. I feared that the person wouldn’t understand and I knew she was very disappointed because it was something very important to her. Furthermore, I was so obedient that I never challenged or questioned my parents’ and guardians’ authority as some teenagers do. They only had to talk to me once and I obeyed immediately. Trying to please everyone is very hard mental and emotional work and contributed to my experience with severe anxiety and depression.

In the book of Acts chapter 5 we read how that the Apostles’ ministry was a blessing to many as there were many signs and wonders wrought by their hands. The sick was healed, the demon oppressed were delivered, many people came to know the Lord as multitudes followed them. Nevertheless, the Apostles were arrested and put in the common prison because the high priest and the sect of the Sadducees rose up, filled with indignation because they had already warned them not to continue to teach in the name of Jesus. However, when the Apostles were brought before the council and the high priest asked them if they didn’t strictly command them not to teach in this name, the Apostles’ response was “…We ought to obey God rather than men.” They didn’t shirk because of threats of grave consequences. They continued to pursue the will of the Lord who had commissioned them into all the word.    

I have come to realize that I really can’t please everyone. Some persons are conventional and they wouldn’t be pleased by somethings I do or say because they rub them the wrong way. However, there are those who are being helped as they find healing and deliverance by what I share but most importantly, I am continually being healed and delivered from the prison in which I have been locked in for too long. Hence, while I respect the opinions of the persons who are conventional as I too was very conservative, like the Apostles I would rather obey God than men. Sometimes God calls us to do somethings that are outside of the traditional and religious customs of our society. Somethings with which some conventional persons would not be pleased and would even believe that such things are not of God. It is expected that by my pleasing God some people would be uncomfortable, but I am here for the ones who would find healing and deliverance that they have long been waiting for. Healing and deliverance that they would not have otherwise received if I had remained conservative and silent about the realities that are plaguing many for decades. Even if it is one person, then my sharing is worth it. The season in which I am currently in I am not looking to please persons, been there, done that, and I make no apologies. For too long I have listened to too many different voices and allowed those voices to influence my choices. I am only listening to one voice in this season and that’s the voice of the Holy Spirit.  

Believers, if you are struggling to obey God because you are afraid that by obeying God some people would be offended and you want to please everyone, know like the Apostles that it’s better to obey God than to please men because everyone wouldn’t be pleased with you anyway. It doesn’t matter what you do or say, there are those who will be uncomfortable. However, once you know for sure that you have heard from God, obey quickly, because as my adopted mother has been saying to me from the time we met, there are others waiting on the other side of your obedience.

Shalom!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Daddy, I worship You and bless Your Holy name. You are my Great Deliver. Thank You for delivering me from the bondage of people pleasing and giving me the courage and boldness to obey you at all cost. I declare that I will always obey God rather than men even who others are uncomfortable or not pleased by my actions and words. I declare that my obedience in God yields much fruit so that others will be edified and God glorified. Therefore, the plans of the enemy to sabotage the work of the Lord in and through my life are nullified right now in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.    

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