© Ayo Omolayo
The air-conditioning soothed my skin so much that I smiled occasionally. I covered myself with the duvet and rolled severally.
I never knew sleep can be this sweet. Wow! I didn’t want to wake up at all. I was awake on the bed, but I was just wondering when I would fall asleep. I really enjoyed my sleep tonight. It was awesome, I just don’t want to get up. My eyes were heavy but the only thing, I didn’t know how I woke up. Anyway, I was only waiting for the next round of sleep to begin.
“In the morning.
Early in the morning.
In the morning,
I will rise and praise the Lord!”
My quiet time alarm rang.
Ha! Just when I was enjoying my sleep. Why na? I don’t think I can do quiet time today ooo. Today is holiday! I’m too tired to do anything.
Immediately, my phone started ringing again, but it wasn’t my quiet time alarm. I had a phone call.
“GET UP AND PICK YOUR CALL!” Came the gentle whisper.
“Daddy! I’m so tired! Let me sleep for like fifteen minutes more, just to regain my strength”.
“WHEN DID FIFTEEN MINUTES SLEEP HELP TO REGAIN STRENGTH?”
“Daddy please na!
“HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT MUMMY SUSAN TAUGHT YOU ABOUT TIREDNESS? THIS IS THE WORK OF THE DEVIL. WHY ARE YOU JOINING HANDS WITH THE DEVIL TO DESTROY YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH?”
“Daddy! I’m sorry! I don’t know what is wrong with me. I know the truth, at least you taught me. But, I don’t know why I don’t do what I am taught.
“JOHN 13:17. IF YE KNOW THESE THINGS, HAPPY ARE YE IF YE DO THEM”.
I sat up on the bed.
“CRIS! SATAN IS NOT AFRAID OF ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT. HE’S STILL POWERFUL AS LONG AS HE CAN STOP YOU FROM PRACTICING WHAT YOU WERE TAUGHT.
YOU WERE SO HAPPY YOU HAD BEEN TAUGHT SO MANY THINGS. YOU SMILED AND GASPED AS MYSTERIES WERE REVEALED TO YOU. BUT THE DEVIL WAS BUSY STRATEGISING HOW TO KEEP YOU FROM DOING THOSE THINGS YOU WERE TAUGHT.
THAT’S WHY A LOT OF CHRISTIANS HEAR THE TRUTH, KNOW THE TRUTH, BUT DON’T OBEY THE TRUTH. THEY STILL LOVE DEFEATED LIVES AND CONTINUE IN THEIR LIFE OF ‘ I WISH FOR A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD! I WISH TO KNOW GOD MORE!’
EVERYTHING HAS BEEN REVEALED TO THEM, BUT WHEN ITS TIME TO OBEY, THEY SEE THEMSELVES UNWILLING TO RESIST THE DEVIL AND DISCIPLINE THEIR FLESH. THEY PREFER THEIR COMFORT TO THE PAIN OF DISCIPLINE. SO ALL THEY CAN DO IS, I WISH. THEY NEVER GET UP AND DO THE NEEDFUL.
THEY HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND DANCE AS THEY HEAR IT. BUT THEY NEVER DO WHAT THEY WERE TAUGHT.
WHILE YOU WERE BUSY RECEIVING MESSAGES ON HOW TO GROW IN GRACE. SATAN WAS BUSY ORGANIZING DEMONS AND GIVING THEM INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO KEEP YOU A BABY IN GRACE. SO THEY MADE THE AIR CONDITIONING SO SWEET TONIGHT. THEY MADE THE MATTRESS SO SOFT AND COZY. THEY MADE YOUR SLEEP SO ENCHANTING AND MAGICAL. THEY MADE IT LOOK EXTRA ORDINARY.
SO THAT WHEN IT WAS TIME TO WAKE UP AND SPEND TIME WITH GOD, YOU WOULD PREFER TO SLEEP. YOU WOULD FEEL AS IF YOU HAVE NEVER SLEPT IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. SLEEP WOULD BECOME SO BEAUTIFUL AND ENTICING. IT’S ALL AN ORCHESTRATION FROM THE PIT OF HELL TO STOP YOU FROM BUILDING YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.
THEY CAME THROUGH TIREDNESS, BUT SUSAN EXPOSED IT TO YOU. NOW THEY HAVE COME UP WITH A NEW STRATEGY TO MAKE YOU SLEEP WHEN YOU OUGHT TO PRAY. SATAN DOESN’T ACCEPT DEFEAT. HE STILL BELIEVES HE CAN WIN EVEN WHEN ITS OBVIOUS HE HAS LOST.
BUT YOU ARE COOPERATING WITH HIM. YOU’RE LETTING HIM WIN THE BATTLE. YOU’RE GIVING HIM THE UPPER HAND”.
I threw myself from the bed and dropped on my knees.
“Daddy I’m sorry!” I said and released my tears.
“I’m sorry for disappointing you. I sorry for joining hands with the Devil to destroy my spiritual growth. You have given me so much Lord, and you’re expecting so much from me. Please Lord, help me to stop being nonchalant.
Please help me to give my spiritual life and growth serious attention”, I prayed.
“CRIS! WHY IS IT THAT WE CHRISTIANS TAKE EVERYTHING SERIOUS EXCEPT OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE? WE HAVE TIME TO GO TO WORK, TIME FOR COOKING MEALS, TIME FOR SOCIAL MEDIA AND TIME TO SLEEP. WHY IS IT THAT ITS ONLY WHEN IT IS TIME FOR PRAYERS THAT THEY SUDDENLY FEEL THEY WANT TO SLEEP?
WHY IS IT THAT ONCE IT’S TIME FOR BIBLE STUDY, WE HAVE A PERFECT EXCUSE TO GIVE? WHY IS IT THAT YOU CAN BE ON FACEBOOK FOR 3 HOURS, BUT THE MOMENT YOU OPEN YOUR BIBLE FOR FIVE MINUTES, YOU START DOZING? WHY?
WHY IS IT THAT ONLY WHEN IT’S TIME FOR SPIRITUALITY THAT WE DON’T HAVE TIME ANYMORE? WHY?”
“I’m so sorry daddy! I would never do this again. I’ll never prefer my bed to the time I’m supposed to spend with you”,
“CRIS! DO YOU THINK THIS IS ORDINARY? DON’T THINK SATAN IS STUPID. DON’T THINK HE’LL CROSS HIS LEGS AND WATCH YOU RISE INTO A KINGDOM TERRORIST.
CHAT ON FACEBOOK HE’S NOT BOTHERED. WATCH LORD OF THE RING TILL TOMORROW MORNING, HE’S TOO BUSY TO HAVE YOUR TIME. BUT THE MOMENT YOU KNEEL DOWN TO PRAY, HA! YOU MAKE HIM SO SCARED.
CRIS! SATAN IS SCARED WHEN HE SEES BELIEVERS PRAYING CONSISTENTLY. HE KNOWS THAT A PRAYING CHRISTIAN IS THE MOST POWERFUL CHRISTIAN. A CHRISTIAN THAT KEEPS HIS OR HER QUIET TIME CONSISTENTLY IS GRADUALLY TURNING INTO A TERROR TO THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS.
BUT OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM AS CHRISTIANS IS OUR IGNORANCE. AND THIS IS THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE OF THE DEVIL. YOU DON’T KNOW HE’S SCARED. YOU THINK IT’S BEAUTY SLEEP? SATAN IS TOO SMART TO REVEAL TO YOU THAT HE’S SCARED. HIS STRENGTH IS IN YOUR IGNORANCE. THAT’S WHY HE DOESN’T WANT YOU READING YOUR BIBLE. HE BRINGS SLEEP TO YOUR EYES AND ENTICES YOU TO CLOSE YOUR BIBLE AND SLEEP.
YOU OUT OF IGNORANCE, CONCLUDE YOU’RE TIRED AND FALL FOR HIS DECEPTION. THAT’S WHY THE BIBLE SAYS. HE THAT LOVES HIS LIFE WOULD LOSE IT. IF YOU LOVE YOUR FLESH TOO MUCH. YOU WANT TO PAMPER IT. YOU WANT IT TO BE COMFORTABLE. YOU DON’T WANT TO STARVE IT WITH FASTING. YOU DON’T WANT TO DENY IT SLEEP IN OTHER TO GROW SPIRITUALLY. THEN YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE WILL BE LOST.
BUT IF YOU LOSE THE LIFE AND COMFORT OF THE FLESH FOR THE SAKE OF GROWING IN GRACE, YOU’LL SAVE YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.
SO STOP PARTNERING WITH THE DEVIL TO DESTROY YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE. START PARTNERING WITH GOD AND BUILD YOUR INTIMACY WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. LET NOTHING BREAK YOUR CONSISTENCY WITH GOD!”
I wept aloud and laid prostrate on the floor.
My phone began to ring again
“PICK THE CALL!” Came the instruction.
I crawled towards the bed and took the phone. It was my mentor calling.
“Hello ma!” I said with a choked up voice.
“Cris! I only called to be sure you were not sleeping when you ought to be with God. My mentor once shared a story with me that I felt strongly in my spirit to share with you”, she said.
“Yes ma!” I replied.
“She said many years ago, her mother announced to the house that 5am everyday was family devotion and prayer time. They agreed and every time it was 5am, they always came together and prayed.
This continued for two years. They never missed a single day. Once it was 5am, someone in the house would wake up and wake the entire family.
After two years, they started coming up with excuses. One thing led to the the other and that was how the 5am prayers died. Soon, 5am family prayers became history. Even when someone in the family was awake by that time, there was no more 5am prayers.
But God showed her family mercy. One day, she told me her mother woke up some minutes after five. She walked into the sitting room, where the 5am prayers usually held and almost died of fright”.
I sat up on the floor. I was curious to hear the whole story. What happened to my mentor’s mentor?
“Mummy! What did she see?” I asked.
“Seven tall Angels. Their heads were touching the roof of the house. They were so bright and armed with sword in their hands. Mummy thought she was dreaming, so she closed her eyes several times and opened it but she knew it wasn’t when one of the angels beckoned on her to come.
Trembling, she approached.
“Where are the people who said they would be praying by 5am everyday?” That was the question the Angel asked.
“Sir?” She asked.
“I said, where are the people who said they would be praying by 5am everyday? We have been assigned to take their prayers to God. For the past 3 years, were have been coming here whenever the prayers started.
But for a year now, we have been coming and met no one here. So I’m asking you, where are they!”
She quickly ran into the house like a mad woman. She dragged her husband and my mentor out of bed to the sitting room. But when they got there, the angels were all gone.
That day was family revival meeting. They almost prayed till 6pm in the evening. Nobody went to school or to work or even remembered food. They kept begging God for mercy, spoke in tongues for hours. It was an experience that taught my mentor a big lesson. They prayed until the Holy Ghost fell upon my mentor and she began to prophesy, ‘Thus saith the Lord! I have heard your prayers!’
That was when they were able to calm down and rest. They prayed and cried that day.
Cris! I believe you understand what this story means. You can’t have an appointment with the president of Nigeria by 3am and when it’s time, you’re still in bed. You should be present before the time. But God will be the one to send his angels to wake you up. He’ll touch your bladder and force you to use the restroom just to drag you out of that bed. But what do we end up doing?
We climb the bed again and go back to sleep. We look down on the fact that the president of presidents out of his busy schedule had your time, but you took him for granted. How many years would it take you to have an appointment with Buhari, President of Nigeria?
But here’s someone greater than Buhari. Yet we take this opportunity he gave to us, for granted.
Cris! It’s up to you! You have known the truth. Are you going to throw it away? Or wake up and pursue your destiny.
David said in Psalms 132:3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;
Verse 4. I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,
Verse 5. Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
While David told himself, no sleeping, we believers are rolling under duvets. No wonder darkness is taking over the land.
Cris! Herbalists are in the thick forest by twelve midnight, performing rituals. They are busy acquiring powers to do more evil. What are we believers doing?”
They don’t miss their appointment with the Devil, because Satan will punish them severely if they do. But we have a loving God who would send his angels to wake us for our appointment with him. And all we do is to insult his grace upon our lives”.
I can’t remember how that phone conversation ended, because I got carried away, blasting in tongues.
To be continued…….
Brethren, Satan is not ready to believe that he has lost the battle.
Despite the truth you have been receiving in this story, he’s ready to ensure you don’t apply it to your life.
All you keep saying is, “I wish! I wish! I wish!”
Rise up and discipline yourself! If you love the comfort of your flesh, you would lose your spiritual life. But if you lose the comfort of your flesh, you’ll save your spiritual life.
So chose for yourself. Please take your spiritual life serious. Enough of taking the grace of God for granted.
