© Ayo Omolayo
It was a wonderful moment with mummy Toyin. I can really say, I have received a life transforming lesson. I sat up on my bed as my alarm sounded. I had spent sometime meditating and praying.
I had slept that night expecting a dramatic revelation, but there was none. I entered the scriptures and sourced out scriptures that would help me manage my fear. I was a person who usually got scared easily. If I was going to survive tye coming war, I needed all I could to survive it.
I had spent one hour repeating these scriptures, untill I could quote every one of them accurately. They were seven in number.
1 Peter 3:13. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
Psalms 16:8. I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psalms 138:7. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
Verse 2. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalms 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Verse 6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
Verse 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Verse 8. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
These were the 7 scriptures I wrote down to memorize against my fear. They were powerful. It seemed like I had not given the word of god serious attention in my life. I just realized that it really had this amazing power beyond human explanation.
Whenever I quoted them with conviction. Not quoting it randomly, but with energy and my entire being. It was like a healing balm to my soul. I really needed them at such a time like this because, my heart was seriously giving me a lot of images of how Mr Clifford will look at me and say, ‘ Despite all I told you you still came back? Sorry for you!’
I had seen that video in my head severally. So these scriptures have really been helpful in calming my nerves.
I sat up on the bed and said to myself that I was about to charge my spirit man. Susan was not in the room at the moment. I wonder where she was right now. Anyway, that was none of my business. All I had to do now was to charge my spirit man with at least one hour prayers.
So I began to pray, but started with a few worship songs. Of course, the bible says that we should enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. I had to at least tell God thank you for everything he had done and for everything he was doing.
Soon I was done thanking God and started praying. I remembered I was still praying when I almost fell off the bed because I had been praying in my sleep.
“Jesus!” I said in shock as I discovered I almost hit the floor.
What was wrong with me? How would I be sleeping while talking to the President of presidents? Imagine if I was sitting before the president of Nigeria and we were both talking with each other then I start dozing while the conversation is still on. What a fool that would make of me! I would be seen as someone unserious. He loo at me and hiss. He would be like, Take this unserious fellow out of my office!’
If God could be so humble to have my time, I rather be more thankful to him by not looking like an unserious fellow.
I shook my head vigorously and and stamped my feet twice. This was to drive sleep away from my eyes. There is a battle over my roof, I cannot be sleeping at this time.
Witches and demons, are moving and carrying out operations. If the power to darkness can be so consistent in making use of the night to their advantage, we the Christians should be able to do the same.
That’s why it looks as if the witches are powerful. They are always obeying the principles of spiritual power. That’s why they wield more power than sleeping Christians.
I started thanking God again in prayers.
“Father I thank you! I bless your name! I exalt you above everything in my life! Daddy, you are worthy!”
Those were the last words I could remember, before sleep helped me to continue thanking God.
I felt a very sharp pain on my leg and hit the spot in anger. I found blood stains on my palm as I realized I had killed a mosquito.
“Haa! Jesus! I can’t believe you had to use a mosquito bite to wake me up!” I said with watery eyes. You hardly find mosquito in our house. So where did this mosquito come from?
I rubbed my leg repeatedly to relieve myself of the pains I was feeling.
“Daddy! Please give me the grace to pray! Help me to pray tonight! Strengthen my inner man Lord!” I prayed as I shook my head vigorously.
I kept shaking it until, sleep helped me to take over the shaking of my head and almost pushed me to the ground.
“Jesus!” I gasped as I regained consciousness.
“Father give me the grace to pray! Please! Don’t allow me to continue struggling with sleep like this! Please!”
“JULIET! FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT IF YOU CONTINUE SITTING DOWN YOU’LL FALL ASLEEP. WHY NOT STAND UP AND CONTINUE THE PRAYERS?”
“I want to stand, but I’m too tired to stand up. I’m feeling too weak! Please strengthen me to pray. I need strength. I’m too weak. To stand to do this prayer is difficult for me.” I replied and got no response.
” Father have mercy on me! I’m sorry! Okay Daddy! I will stand. Please don’t go silent on me daddy please! I need you now more than ever!” I said as I stood up and began to walk around the room praying.
I prayed for 30 minutes and discovered I was now stronger, compared to how I was feeling weak when I started. I discovered my eyes were no longer heavy as at the beginning.
My legs were now hurting me for standing for almost half an hour. So I quickly returned to where I was sitting and sat down.
I continued praying and lasted for about ten minutes. Soon I discovered I was feeling weak again. I was gradually becoming sleepy.
“JULIET STAND UP! WHY DO YOU LIKE BEING COMFORTABLE SO MUCH? YOUR COMFORT IS WHAT IS KILLING YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE! YOU WANT TO BE IN A COMFORTABLE POSITION, BEFORE YOU CAN PRAY.
I BELIEVE YOU ARE CONVERSANT WITH MICAH 4:10
BE IN PAIN, AND LABOUR TO BRING FORTH, O DAUGHTER OF ZION, LIKE A WOMAN IN TRAVAIL: FOR NOW SHALT THOU GO FORTH OUT OF THE CITY, AND THOU SHALT DWELL IN THE FIELD, AND THOU SHALT GO EVEN TO BABYLON; THERE sThalt THOU BE DELIVERED; THERE THE LORD SHALL REDEEM THEE FROM THE HAND OF THINE ENEMIES.
IF YOU’RE NOT READY TO BEAR PAIN, YOU’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO BUILD YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE. YOU MUST BE READY TO GO THROUGH THE DISCOMFORT. YOU MUST BE READY FEEL THOSE PAINS IN YOUR LEGS AND IGNORE THEM AS YOU KEEP PURSUING THAT ONE GOAL IN YOUR HEART WHICH IS, BUILDING YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.
JULIET STAND UP NOW!”
“But I’m not sleeping na! I will stand up once I notice sleep is disturbing me. Right now, my eyes are very clear! Let me rest my legs a little, then I’ll stand to do the rest of the prayers.”
That was the reply I gave and continued praying. I didn’t hear a response from him anymore. But I wasn’t bordered by it. I knew my eyes were so clear and I won’t fall asleep.
I continued praying and praying.
It was Susan that woke me up because I opened my eyes and discovered I was on the bed, covered with a blank and saliva from my mouth had soaked my pillow.
“Juliet! How did you land here?” She asked.
“Land here? I don’t understand! How did the end up covering myself with h my blanket? I was praying na! When did all this happen? I said as my eyes got moist with tears.
“You ended up climbing the bed and covering yourself with the blanket. You mean you don’t know when you did that?”
“Jesus!” I gasped and covered my face with my palms.
“Juliet why are are you like this? Why are you too stubborn? Why? Oh my God! Why won’t you year word once and for all! Despite all the talk they talked, yet sense will not enter your head!” I said weeping.
“Will you stop that?” Susan shouted at me.
“I was supposed to stand and do the prayers, but I kept telling the Holy Ghost that I want to sit down. That my eyes were clear and I could handle the prayers. Look at how I ended up my prayers. Look at saliva on my face and my pillow.”
Susan grabbed my hand and drew me close.
“It’s okay! Don’t kill yourself over it. This should make you more determined to do better next time. By the way, have you heard of prayer position before?”
I looked at her and shook my head.
“No!”
“There are 5 praying positions
The laying down position the kneeling position, the sitting position, the standing position and the walking around position.
When I was as learning to build my spiritual life, mummy told me something I want to do ell you.”
Now I had to raise my face with expectation.
“For those starting their quiet time. I mean this is what she told me, that those who are just learning to build their prayer life should use the standing position or the walking around position.
Although some can sit or kneel to pray, it depends. But it is very advisable that once you notice you are sleeping on your knees, stop it.
Stand up and pray, don’t kneel anymore. Once you discover you are sleeping while sitting, don’t waste time trying to shake your body. It won’t work. Stand up immediately and continue the prayers.
Mummy said that the reason is this. The flesh is still very strong in the life is the christian who is learning to build his or her prayer life. So once the flesh is placed the the slightest comfortable position, it overpowers the spirit instantly.
You’re only stronger than your flesh when you’re prayerful. So trust me, he’s going to make sure he stops you from gaining that power you are craving for through prayers.
That’s the reason why the bible says. He that loves his life will lose it. If you love your flesh too much that you cannot see it in pain and allow it remain like that until what you want to achieve is achieved, them you’ll lose your spiritual life.
So next time you’re observing your quiet time, don’t sit down. Stand and do the prayers. Is that okay?”
To be continued…….
The flesh only needs the slightest comfortable position. Boom! It overpowers you immediately.
Comfort! Comfort! That what buried so many spiritual lives.
Come and fast! Noo! My stomach will be paining me!
Let’s pray! I don’t feel like praying right now.
You want to wait till when you feel like praying before you pray, you’ll wait forever!
Micah 4:10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
You force yourself to pray! You discomfort yourself to pray! You don’t wait until your back is no longer aching you, before you start praying.
Pray!
(You can go ahead and write down those scriptures on fear in your quiet time jotter).
