© Ayo Omolayo
“FIRST BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THE PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUAL STABILITY, I NEED TO CLARIFY SOMETHING.
THIS MENTALITY OF I AM TIRED IS A LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL! ITS A SKILL THE DEVIL APPLIES TO DEFEAT A LOT OF CHRISTIANS TODAY.
I KNOW IT’S TRUE HUMANS GET TIERED. BUT I ALSO KNOW A MAN WHO WAS ALSO TIRED. HE WAS SO TIRED THAT HE WAS SLEEPING AT A NIGHT VIGIL DUE TO BUSINESS OF THE DAY. HE WAS SO STRESSED OUT THAT HE COULD NOT PRAY AT THE NIGHT VIGIL. ALL HE COULD DO WAS TO SLEEP. HE FOUGHT SLEEP TILL HE LOST AND GAVE IN TO THE FLESH.
EVEN JESUS WHEN WAKING HIM UP SAID, ‘THE SPIRIT IS WILLING TO PRAY. BUT THE FLESH IS TOO WEAK TO PRAY!’
EVEN JESUS ADMITTED THAT THIS MAN WAS TRULY TIRED. BUT CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION. DID THE ENEMY REASON HIM THAT HE WAS TIRED?
DID THE ENEMY WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT TO STRIKE HIM DOWN LOOK AT HIM ANS SAY, HE WAS TIRED?
DID THE ENEMIES OF HIS DESTINY PITY HIM AND SPARED HIM?”
“No!” I answered.
“GOOD! I JUST SAID I SHOULD CLARIFY THAT OOO! BECAUSE MANY CHRISTIANS ARE IN HABIT OF RESTING WHEN THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OBSERVING THEIR QUIET TIME. ANS THEY HAVE A GENUINE AND GOOD REASON.
I JUST NEEDED TO OPEN THEIR EYES TO THE FACT THAT YOU ENDANGERING YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE IF YOU CONTINUE TO BEHAVE THAT WAY.
SO LET’S CONTINUE. NOW, I’M NOT HERE TO DENY THE FACT THAT THE JOURNEY TO HEAVEN IS DIFFICULT. IM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU SPIRITUAL LIFE IS GOING TO BE EASY. BUT I’M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS GRACE TO HELP YOU, IF ONLY YOU POSITION YOURSELF TO BE HELPED.
THERE ARE 3 PRINCIPLES TO SPIRITUAL STABILITY.
NUMBER ONE IS CHOICELESSNESS. THERE’S NO WORD LIKE THAT, BUT THAT BEST DESCRIBES WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY. YOU DON’T HAVE A CHOICE. A LOT OF CHRISTIANS HAVE THEIR WILL INTACT. I MEAN, THEIR WILL HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED AND SURRENDERED TO GOD.
SO THEY STILL HAVE THE CHOSING ABILITY. WHAT DO I MEAN? THEY CAN CHOOSE WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO. THEY CAN DECIDE TO DO THIS PARTICULAR THING AND DECIDE NOT TO DO THIS PARTICULAR THING. THEY ARE WILLFUL. A WILLFUL CHRISTIAN IS NOT A GROWING CHRISTIAN.
I REPEAT! A WILLFUL CHRISTIAN IS NOT A GROWING CHRISTIAN. IF YOU ARE THE TYPE OF CHRISTIAN WHO TELL GOD THIS IS WHAT I CAN DO AND THIS IS WHAT I CANNOT DO, YOU’RE FAR FROM SPIRITUAL STABILITY. YOU’LL ALWAYS REMAIN A HOLIDAY CHRISTIAN.
YOU SHOULD PREPARE YOURSELF TO BE AT ONE PARTICULAR SPIRITUAL POSITION FOR YEARS, BEFORE MANAGING TO TAKE JUST ONE STEP FORWARD AND REMAIN THERE FOR ANOTHER 5 YEARS OF SAYING I CAN’T DO IT OH GOD.
THE RIGHT WORD FOR THE FIRST PRINCIPLE SHOULD BE YIELDEDNESS. BUT I’M USING CHOICELESSNESS TO BUTTRESS MY POINT. DO YOU HAVE A CHOICE? DO YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU WILL OBEY AND WHAT IS TOO DIFFICULT TO OBEY?
DO YOU TELL YOURSELF THIS ONE I WILL DO, BUT THIS OTHER ONE, I CANNOT DO. YOU WILL NEVER LIVE A SPIRITUAL STABLE LIFE.
AM I DENYING THE FACT THAT GOD WILL NOT DEMAND FOR SOMETHING STRENUOUS? NO! BUT IF YOU’RE A CHRISTIAN WHO HAS YIELDED HIS OR HER WILL TO GOD, THEN IT WON’T BE A PROBLEM. SO NUMBER ONE IS CHOICELESSNESS.
NOW LET’S MOVE TO NUMBER TWO.
NUMBER TWO IS PREVAILING PRAYERS. ONE THING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT PRAYERS IS THIS. THE REASON WHY WE FEEL WEAK AND INCAPABLE IS BECAUSE OF OUR FLESH. THE FLESH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WEAKNESS WE CARRY. SO WHENEVER GOD SAYS , ‘DO THIS!’ WE RESPOND TO HIM THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE OUR FLESH IS NOT CAPABLE.
THIS WAS WHAT HAPPENED TO JESUS AT THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. IT WAS THE FLESH AT WORK. IT WAS LOOKING FOR EVERY POSSIBLE MEANS TO FIND EXPRESSION. IT WAS PUTTING PRESSURE ON JESUS TO YIELD TO HIS LUST. FLESH ALWAYS WANTS TO SAVE ITSELF. IT ALWAYS WANT TO BE COMFORTABLE AND PLEASE ITSELF.
SO SUBMITTING TO GOD BECAME A STRUGGLE, BECAUSE WHAT GOD WAS DEMANDING FROM JESUS WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE THINGS ON EARTH.
SO THE FLESH BEGAN TO FIGHT TO FIND EXPRESSION, BECAUSE JESUS WAS SCARED OF DYING A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH. AND IT WAS PUTTING PRESSURE ON JESUS TO SAY NO TO GOD. JESUS STRUGGLED AND STRUGGLED, BUT HE WASN’T READY TO DISOBEY HIS FATHER
BUT HE WENT TO BEG HIS FATHER TO TAKE AWAY THE CUP OF SUFFERING AWAY FROM HIM. SO HE STARTED PRAYING TO GOD TO TAKE AWAY THE CUP BY HIMSELF SO THAT IT WON’T LOOK AS IF HE WAS THE ONE THAT DISOBEYED GOD.
BUT YOU KNOW GOD VERY WELL. CRY TILL TOMORROW, HE’S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. THAT THING HE SAID YOU SHOULD DO IS WHAT HE WILL STILL COME BACK TO ASK, WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED CRYING. HE CANNOT CHANGE AND WILL NEVER CHANGE.
BUT JESUS KNEW THE PATTERN TO GET THINGS TO HAPPEN. OPEN TO ISAIAH 40:28.”
Immediately I opened it, I read out.
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
Verse 29. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Verse 30. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
Verse 31. But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
“JULIET LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. THE HUMAN STRENGTH IS NOT A CONSISTENT STRENGTH. I REPEAT! THE HUMAN STRENGTH IS NOT A CONSISTENT STRENGTH.
THE DAY YOU HAVE THAT AT THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, 50 PERCENT OF YOUR SPIRITUAL INCONSISTENCY HAS BEEN SOLVED.
EVEN PHYSICALLY, IF YOU EAT IN THE MORNING. LETS SAY YOU’RE A STRONG MAN. THE HIGHEST YOU CAN GO IS TILL EVENING. BY EVENING, YOU WILL BE HUNGRY AGAIN. AM I CORRECT?”
“Yes!”
“THAT’S EXACTLY HOW IT WORKS. SPIRITUAL STABILITY IS A POSSIBLITY ONLY TO THOSE WHO HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT MY STRENGTH IS NOT CONSISTENT. IT NEEDS RENEWAL. YOU NEED TO EAT AGAIN TO REMAIN STRONG PHYSICALLY HOW MUCH MORE SPIRITUALLY.
SO IF YOU’RE DISCOVERING THAT YOU’RE WEAK OR INCONSISTENT IN THE PLACE OF PRAYER. THE CURE IS TO PRAY!
HAA! DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A SOLUTION? I CAN’T PRAY AND YOU’RE TELLING ME TO PRAY.
SEE! APOSTLE PAUL SAID SOMETHING THAT WE CHRISTIANS NEED TO RECITE EVERY MORNING WHEN WE WAKE UP. HE SAID, I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.
THAT WAS A CONCIOUSNESS IN HIS HEAD. ANYTIME WE WAS FACED WITH SOMETHING DIFFICULT, HE WILL SAY! GOD GIVE ME STRENGTH. THAT’S HOW SPIRITUAL LIFE WORKS.
AFTER ALL, THE BIBLE SAYS IN PHILIPPIANS 2:13 FOR IT IS GOD WHICH WORKETH IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO HIS GOOD PLEASURE.
I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD BE TELLING GOD IT IS HARD. OH MY GOODNESS! JULIET! MY PEOPLE PERISH BECAUSE OF LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.
GOD WAS THE ONE WHO GAVE YOU THAT DESIRE TO PRAY IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND NOW THAT YOU WANT TO PRAY, IT IS STILL GOD THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE GRACE AND STRENGTH WHETHER PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL TO PRAY. WHY? WHY ARE WE SAYING IT’S DIFFICULT? WHY ARE WE SAYING I CANNOT DO IT! IT’S TOO HARD. WHEN IT’S THE PERSON WHO SAID DO IT THAT WOULD GIVE YOU WHAT IT TAKES TO DO IT.?
HAAA! JULIET! YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE FROM SPIRITUAL INSTABILITY.”
I already had tears dropping down my eyes. So all these while I was struggling to do what was supposed to be done by God? So all these while what I was supposed to do was to meet him and say, ‘Daddy you said I should go to school, I want to go. Please I need money to go to school.’
What I’ve been doing all these while is hustling. Instead of going to meet my dad to pay the bills, which is provide the grace and strength. I do odd jobs inorder to meet up with the payment and when my money is exhausted, I drop out of my spiritual school and start afresh after gathering more money, which is more spiritual strength.
“Haa! But I have a question! Why is it that God still needs our strength in the place of prayers? Sometimes we are really tired! God I’m not lying! We use to be tired! And yet, you still come demanding for us to come before to worship you and observe our quiet time.
Daddy! How do we handle this kind of situation?”
“GOOD QUESTION! WHICH TAKES US TO NUMBER 3. THE THIRD PRINCIPLE OF SPIRITUAL STABILITY IS WAITING TILL YOUR SIMON OF CYRENE SHOWS UP.”
“Simon of Cyrene? Daddy, please explain!”
“DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN JESUS WAS CARRYING HIS CROSS TO GOLGOTHA?”
“Yes!”
“THAT’S HOW SPIRITUAL LIFE IS. HE KEPT ON MOVING. IT WASN’T EASY FOR HIM. THE CROSS WAS VERY HEAVY. HE WAS ALMOST FALLING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE CROSS. HE WAS WEAK, JUST LIKE YOU SAID. BUT HE DID NOT GIVE UP. HE KEPT MOVING UNTILL HIS PHYSICAL STRENGTH WAS EXHAUSTED.
HAVE YOU HEARD PEOPLE SAY, THAT WHERE THE STRENGTH OF MAN STOPS, THAT’S WHERE THE STRENGTH OF GOD STARTS. HAVE YOU HEARD PEOPLE SAYING THAT BEFORE?”
“Yes!”
“THAT’S EXACTLY HOW SPIRITUAL STABILITY WORKS. IMMEDIATELY JESUS WAS EXHAUSTED, GRACE SHOWED UP. THAT’S SIMON OF CYRENE. HE REPRESENTED GRACE. IMMEDIATELY JESUS WAS OUT OF STRENGTH, THAT WAS WHEN GOD SHOWED UP TO HELP.
BUT REMEMBER THE SECRET! JESUS KEPT GOING EVEN THOUGH HE WAS WEAK. HE DIDN’T SAY I’M TIRED! I DON’T THINK I CAN OBSERVE THIS QUIET TIME TODAY AND GO BACK TO BED. HE CONTINUED DRAGGING THAT HEAVY CROSS, TILL HEAVEN SENT HIM THE HOLY GHOST TO HELP HIM CARRY HIS CROSS. THAT’S WHAT SIMON OF CYRENE REPRESENTS.
JULIET REMEMBER THE 3 PRINCIPLES. NUMBER ONE, YOU MUST BE CHOICELESS. GOD WANTS ME TO CARRY THE CROSS. I DON’T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE THAN TO CARRY IT. SINCE GOD SAYS I MUST DO THIS PARTICULAR THING, I HAVE NO CHOICE THAN TO OBEY.
NUMBER TWO IS PREVAILING PRAYERS. WHENEVER YOU FEEL TOO WEAK TO OBEY GOD, START PRAYING. THE BIBLE SAYS, HE THAT FAILS IN THE DAY OF TEMPTATION, HIS STRENGTH IS SMALL. THE REASON WHY YOU FELL IS NOT BECAUSE YOU HAVE WORK READ SPIRITUAL BOOKS. ITtS NOT BECAUSE YOUR PASTOR DIDN’T PREACH TO YOU. IT’S BECAUSE YOUR SPIRITUAL ENERGY TO WITHSTAND THAT DRIVING FORCE, PUSHING YOU TO GO AND MASTURBATE, PUSHING YOU TO OPEN THAT PORN VIDEO, PUSHING YOU TO TELL THAT LIE. IT’S BECAUSE YOUR SPIRITUAL ENERGY AT THAT TIME THE TEMPTATION CAME, WAS SMALL.
START PRAYING SO THAT YOU CAN REGAIN ENERGY AND GATHER STRENGTH TO SAY, ‘LET YOUR WILL BE DONE.’ JUST AS JESUS SAID. HE PRAYED AGGRESSIVELY, UNTIL THE FLESH LOST POWER AND HIS SPIRIT MAN BECAME STRONG AGAIN. BECAUSE WHILE YOU PRAY, ANGELS WILL APPEAR AS YOU’RE PRAYING AND PLUG YOUR SPIRITUAL BATTERY TO THE POWER BANK OF HEAVEN.
THEY WILL BE BUSY FILLING YOU UP WITH STRENGTH, WHILE THE PRAYERS IS GOING ON. SUDDENLY, YOU DISCOVER YOU HAVE STAMINA. YOU DISCOVER THAT PORN VIDEO YOU WERE CONSIDERING TO WATCH WILL SUDDENLY VANISH FROM YOUR MIND. YOU PREVAIL THROUGH PRAYERS.
AND THIRDLY, DON’T STOP! KEEP GOING UNTIL YOUR SIMON OF CYRENE SHOWS UP. UNTILL GRACE IS RELEASED, KEEP STRUGGLING TO CONTINUE THE PRAYERS. DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO PRAY. EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE TIRED. KEEP THE PRAYERS GOING. AS YOU’RE PRAYING, SUDDENLY YOU’LL DISCOVER AN USUAL STRENGTH WILL POSSESS YOU. THE SLEEP AND HEAVINESS OF EYES WILL SUDDENLY VANISH.
SIMON OF CYRENE OR SHOULD I SAY, GRACE HAS SHOWED UP.”
IT’S 11PM ALREADY! THIS IS THE END OF THE CLASS. GO AND PRACTICE WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT! BE A DOER OF THE WORD NOT A HEARER ONLY!”
“Yes sir! Daddy! Thank you so much for this revelation!” I said as I went down on my knees waving my hands to God in appreciation.
To be continued…….
Don’t be a reader alone. When I started my walk with God, I discovered that not all days were the same.
There were days when I was happy and wanted to pray so badly. And there were days everything in me is telling me to rest.
One thing about the flesh is this. If you yield to the desire of the flesh today. It will show I’ll come for you tomorrow. And if you yield tomorrow, till will still come back the following day.
By the time you realize yourself, you have not observed your quiet time for one week. The flesh is very tricky! Smart and selfish.
That’s why, principle number 3 is very important. Keep praying whether you feel like it or not. Keep praying whether you are tired or not, don’t stop. Discipline yourself until grace shows up and powers your physical body.
