© Ayo Omolayo
I got up and met Susan at a corner of the room sweating heavily in prayers. I was completely envious of this praying grace she carries. She couldn’t do without prayers in a day. I just wanted to be like her. If possible more than her. Don’t you think I can do it?
I had learned to set an alarm on my phone in order to wake up at the particular time I was supposed to pray. But I noticed Susan doesn’t need an alarm to wake up. The way she suddenly knows it’s time and her sleep vanishes is like magic to me.
This was my third day at the barracks and it’s not being easy for me. I had to pray for at least one hour in the morning before breakfast. That was not the issue actually. The issue was I wasn’t the type who prays for long. And why was there a rule like that?
“You can be wrong in every decision you make. But the only thing you can ever do that is never wrong is to pray. Men ought always to pray and not to faint”, came the gentle whisper.
“Okay sir!” I replied and sat on the bed.
The ceiling fan rotated endlessly, sending it’s cool air into my skin. The green coloured bulb was switched on. It gave the room a faint light. It was not too bright, but at least, it helped me see what was around me.
I relished the feeling and sat down on the bed, directly underneath the fan, to receive the fresh air. Prayer was always sweet when there was something to cool the body.
“Father I thank you! I worship you! You are Lord of Lords and King of kings. Without you, there was not one thing made that was made. In you is absolute light and there’s no iota of darkness. Your light shines in the darkness and the darkness comprehend it not”.
I opened my eyes and picked up my phone. I unlocked it with my fingerprint and started swiping through my apps.
“Juliet you’re praying ooo”, came the gentle reminder.
“Oh!” I gasped and quickly dropped the phone.
“Father you only are God! Thank you for making me see today”.
I opened my eyes to check my phone battery percent. I pressed the power button and the screen came up. It was 85 percent.
“I need to charge my phone”, I said and stood up.
“But you’re still praying ooo!”
“Yes I am! Let me just plug my phone”, I replied as I got to the wall socket and inserted my charger into it.
“Almighty God I bless your name!” I prayed as I stood up and returned to the bed.
On getting to the bed, I discovered the pillows were not properly arranged. So I quickly did that and sat down.
“Father you are worthy to be praised! Receive all the glory! Receive all the honour.
I discovered I didn’t smooth my skirt before sitting down. The skirt I was putting on was wide so I sat on it while sitting down.
I stood up and smooth my skirt properly, then I sat down comfortably.
“Father I worship you!”
I discovered a loosed thread from the T-shirt I was putting on, tingling my arm. So I quickly plucked it off with my hand.
I checked the time, it was already 30 minutes past 4am.
“Wow! I have almost completed one hour in prayers. Thirty minutes more and I’ll be through”, I said within me.
“You call this nonsense you’re doing prayers, right? You’re cutting thread from your shirt. You’re smoothing your skirt. You’re plugging phone, when you’re supposed to be focused and pray fervently.
“I’m trying my best! It’s not easy to pray!” I replied and continued with my prayers.
Soon, my phone’s message alarm rang. I had a text message. I remembered speaking with Dad last night and he promised to send me some money for my up keep.
I quickly rushed down from the bed to check my phone. I quickly typed my password and unlocked the phone.
“Get 80 percent bonus at a single recharge. In order to migrate to MTN…….”, I hissed and quickly deleted the message.
“Rubbish!” I said in disgust and returned to the bed. I made sure I smoothed my skirt before sitting down so as not to get up to repeat the process. As soon as I sat on the bed, I became pressed instantly.
I quickly stood up again and entered the bathroom. After relieving myself, I returned to the bed and sat down.
“Almighty God! You’re worthy to be praised! You are worthy to be glorified! I magnify your holy name”.
I opened my eyes and checked the time. It was ten minutes to 5am.
I smiled and congratulated myself for spending one hour in prayers. E no easy at all.
“Father I thank you for giving me the grace to pray this morning!”
Immediately, NEPA took light. I opened my eyes and looked up at the transient rotation of the fan.
“Why did NEPA take light now?” I complained.
“Ekusé ooo(weldone) one hour prayer warrior. What’s your business with NEPA?”
I quickly realized myself and looked at the time. It was 5 minutes to 5am. I quickly switched into a serious praying mode and started shaking my head violently in prayers.
“Stop shaking your head like that. You have succeeded in wasting your time and you’ll tell everyone that this was one hour prayers, right?”
I sighed and bowed my head.
“Daddy! I’m a failure!”
“I never asked you to call yourself a failure. But this is something Satan does to believers trying to build their prayer life. He distracts them in the place of prayer. That’s what he just did to you. What did you actually tell God in the so called one hour prayers you just did? Can you present something important you told God during your prayers?”
I opened my mouth, unable to lay hands on anything. All I could remember was I was thanking God and then, one hour was gone. I never committed my day into God’s hand. I never told him to be with me on my first day at school. I never told him to help me live a holy life throughout today.
All I did was to thank and thank him which was a prayer from my head and not my heart. It’s a different thing to communicate with God, telling him what’s in your heart, than telling him something in your head.
I felt like crying when suddenly, Susan tapped me and told me it was time for family devotion.
I had to control myself and be a good girl if I don’t want to be the subject of discussion.
I quickly stood up and followed her downstairs. We all sat down and sang praises to God. Several times my eyes met with mummy’s eyes and I had to look away immediately.
I was not liking the way her innocent smile was making me feel guilty.
She preached a very brief message that morning because we were all heading for school.
Be a light in the world you live in. That was the topic she spoke on.
“Esther was an Israelite. A Jewish lady in the Persian palace. The most wealthiest nation on the surface of the earth. Was it food you’re looking for? Was it high heels? Was it Brazilian wig? Was it the latest fashion gown?
What are you looking for that Esther doesn’t have? Infact she was in a place where her spiritual life was supposed to be buried. She was surrounded by excessive pleasure.
Yet, she was a queen that fasts. The Jews fast twice in a week. They pray 3 times a day. Surrounded by all life had to offer, Esther’s spiritual life was intact. She’s a challenge to everyone of us.
She was not only a queen that fasts. She also had Persian girls she was disciplining. Persian girls who can fast for 3 days, praying to the God of Israel. She was not only a queen, she was a Spiritual leader. She was a mentor. She used her position of influence to reach out to her servants and those around her.
She did not enter the Palace and allowed the Palace to colonize her. Rather, she was taking over the Palace little by little.
Whatever territory you find yourself, take it for Jesus. You may be a school teacher, that school is your territory. Those students and your working colleagues are your assignment. Take them for Jesus. Don’t allow them stain your white garment of righteousness with their filthy lifestyles.
Rather, let the light of Jesus in you shine that they may see and come to accept the Jesus you carry.
You may be an engineer in your company. Your colleagues are your assignment. Represent Jesus in that place. Take that place for him. Conquer that territory for him and make disciples of all nations. That was the assignment Jesus gave us. To make disciples of all nations.
So you are a student in a secondary school. That’s a greater advantage. Your classroom is your territory. Take it and make disciples for God out of that godless classroom”.
I smiled as I got the message clearly. I was to resume school today. I don’t know why mummy chose to put me in a different school. I wanted to attend the same school with Ella and Susan, but she refused.
She said it was a divine instruction to take me to a completely different school. I don’t know why God likes looking for my trouble, but it is well sha.
As soon as family devotion was over, we all greeted each other and went to get ourselves ready for the busy day. I took my bath and got dressed.
I never knew the biggest challenge of my life awaited me at the new school I was supposed to attend. THE BROADWAY ACADEMY.
By the time we arrived at the school and I saw the name, I was shocked. Was I on my way to Hell? Why did they choose that kind of name sef? And why would mummy open her two eyes and put me inside the Broadway?
At least everyone who has a bible in their house and have the time to open it would understand what Broadway means.
Even if you do not read it in the bible, at least your pastor must have preached it to you.
I don’t understand why the owner of a school would name his school after the way that leads to Hell.
And the part I don’t understand is where mummy said God instructed her to take me to this God forsaken place.
To be continued……..
How many of you have experienced what happened to Juliet during her quiet time today? ✋✋✋
That’s a strategy from the pit of Hell to waste some people’s time.
That you stood up to pray is not the conclusion of the matter. You must make sure you do not give place to the devil to distract you.
Pray fervently and pray with focus. Don’t allow any demon waste your time for you.
You’re not in that company to make money alone. You’re not in that classroom to graduate and make first class alone.
God placed you there for him. God wants the sinners in that place to come to know him through your presence in that place.
So get busy with the assignment God has placed in your hands. Make disciples of all nations.
Who likes the name of Juliet’s new school? 🤣😂😂😂
