4PowersABelieverHas - (4.1) ThePowerOfPrayer (Part 1)

Pray without ceasing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:17

The art of prayer is one that every believer should endeavour to master. Prayer is a two way communication between man and his creator. (Copy and tweet). It also allows for one to constantly reach out to God during times that are good, bad and ugly. (Copy and tweet).

Having ministered for some time now, I am quite used to hearing prayers that are mostly need oriented. However, I do believe prayer transcends beyond a person’s needs. (Copy and tweet). It also solidifies the value of the relationship they have with God. It is this relationship that guarantees a person success in whatever they do. Your skills, talents, opportunities might get you whatever you desire, but it is God that grants the power, peace and the prosperity that comes with it. (Copy and tweet).

Luke the writer recorded over ten times the prayer lifestyle of Jesus in his book. I am not surprised at all as his book is full of the healing God performed through Jesus. I believe he wanted us to understand the sole method by which Jesus operated in the anointing was through prayer. (Copy and tweet). The ever-increasing prayer and connection between himself and God was the hit that produced the power for divine manifestation. Selah!(Copy and tweet). When one relates to God through prayer, the reward has often been the enormity of the out pour of the anointing by God on such a person.

The efficacy of prayer is much seen when it is based on the word of God. Just praying without the backing of the word to me seems empty. Without a continuous and a sustaining prayer lifestyle, the events of life will break you. (Copy and tweet). Your greatness as a person is encapsulated in the process of prayer. The power to command and possess is given to any prayerful person. I believe the very day Adam refused to commune (pray) to and with God, the devil gained access into his domain. To be a casual prayer person is very dangerous. (Copy and tweet). The devil will seek to destroy you with swiftness so you don’t reawaken that power again.

I don’t believe prayer has any method. For me, prayer is prayer, but it is most effective when done in the name of Jesus. (Copy and tweet). You can pray when at work, eating, bathing, at any place as long as the name of Jesus is involved. The enemy wants you to believe that there are special people chosen for this purpose. It could be true, but if Jesus prayed, then you too can pray. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About it-

A. Why do you think we ought to pray?
B. How do you think believers should pray? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

4PowersABelieverHas - (3) ThePowerOfRighteousness

……He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’ sake.~ Psalm 23:3

The question many ask is how can one be righteous before God? Righteousness is initiated by God in a person’s life. (Copy and tweet). He is the only one who leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. There are two things I can deduce here- Firstly, God is interested in protecting His name invested in a person’s life. Secondly, He started this journey and knows how best to carry a person through this life in order to make them right before Him. (Copy and tweet).

My difficulty with ritualistic Christianity is that it’s empty, powerless and never fulfilling. (Copy and tweet).  It’s synonymous to the other religions where adherents are made to believe that their wholeness comes through the performance of certain rituals. God is the only one who teaches a person how they can be right with Him. (Copy and tweet).  

I believe a person’s ability to walk righteously with God is seen in their understanding of the instructions of the relationship. (Copy and tweet). Until a person maintains their relationship to the source of their strength, they will lose out. (Copy and tweet).  There is more power in righteousness! A person can pray for the anointing and for the performance of miracles, but if they don’t live righteously, they should forget it.

It’s a journey which requires everything of the individual. I have seen God do more through me these times than ever when I began to desire a deeper  walk with him. You might be thinking can a person serve God and not have a deeper walk? Yes and a big yes! Many walk with the maxim that to the pure all things are pure yet live a contrary life to what the bible teaches. (Copy and tweet). In these times when many have the notion that correcting someone might offend them, which is different from judging, the desire to live right has been compromised. (Copy and tweet). This I believe has accounted for the loss of God’s power in individual lives.

You will only see the fullness of God’s power when He leads you in the paths of righteousness. (Copy and tweet).  This is like quid pro quo - God initiates the process and man allows himself to be consumed by it. God knows at some point you will falter, but still finds a way to make His power available so you can cross the finish line. (Copy and tweet). When you look onto Jesus who initiated the faith you possess and don’t allow anything to distract you , you can receive all of God's power that comes out of walking righteously with Him. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About it-

A. What does righteousness mean to you?
B. How do you think one can apply the power of righteousness in their lives? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

#4PowersABelieverHas - (2.2) ThePowerOfFaith (Part 2)

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

The power of faith is seen much in its enduring state. The most difficult stage a person can ever get to is the waiting period. (Copy and tweet). The anticipation of a turnaround can be very daunting when waiting on God.  Yet it’s during this time that a person should learn to activate the power of the faith they have. (Copy and tweet). The best out of the exercise of faith is received when an individual endures the testing period of the word of God. (Copy and tweet). 

There is so much power to be gotten out of faith and one has to go through the process before arriving at that place. The churning of milk produces butter. (Copy and tweet). The milk has to go through an unfamiliar process for its chemical composition to change. The power to become butter is not seen when the milk is in its natural state yet when it is placed in a barrel and turned over severally at a particular speed and temperature, change happens. It is only at this stage, that the milk is gradually forced to accept the changes its owners’ desires of it – to become butter. Selah!

We all desire that God will bring the best out of us. This will only happen when we are prepared to be taken through the spiritual "churning" process.  (Copy and tweet). The word of God is a double edged sword which cuts deep into the recesses of man. He uses this process to divide that which He desires in us from that which we have brought onto ourselves. (Copy and tweet). It is at this stage that a person has to make a choice -either to yield or keep fighting the spiritual incision of God. 

We love the addition that comes from the word of God but not the cutting away by the sword of the word of God! The enduring power to be gotten from faith is released when a person has gone through their spiritual incision. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About it-

A. Why do you think most people fail to apply the power of the faith?
B. What does faith mean to you personally and how have you applied it in your life? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

4PowersABelieverHas - (2.1) ThePowerOfFaith (Part 1)

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Your ability to exercise faith cannot be more powerful than the one who seeded you with it. (Copy and tweet). The concept of faith has been given a new definition by neo-Pentecostalism as whenever faith is made mention of, it has to do with needs. I sometimes find myself wondering why faith is equated to wealth and power. Well, am not amazed as to why many are made to believe exercising faith can be equated to the acquisition of power and wealth. Simply because, a person is shaped by their background and it’s something you can't avoid. (Copy and tweet). 

Your background plays an integral in all that you do. It’s only when you've challenged your experiences with divine knowledge and a “can do” attitude that you'll be empowered to break free. Thus a leader who hasn’t yet challenged certain beliefs they hold regarding faith will only raise followers of their kind. Faith isn’t what you have been told it is until you have an encounter with faith yourself. (Copy and tweet).

The writer in Hebrews  11 expresses faith differently from what we have been made to believe it connotes.  From verse 1 through the 31, a picture is painted of the “receiving” or “favourable side” of the practice of faith. (Copy and tweet). He expresses voluptuously what happened to those who practiced faith until you reach verses 32 where the testing of side of faith begins. This is also the other side of faith. Faith does not only learn to walk in the good but also exercises its enduring power in the ugliest of times. (Copy and tweet).

To exercise faith, is to have what it takes to please and believe God in His existence. (Copy and tweet). The ordinary person will find it difficult to appreciate this meaning especially when all around the interpretation we have had concerning faith is based on solving the needs of people. The reason we struggle to maintain the faith we have is due to the misapplication of the potency thereof. (Copy and tweet). There are three sides to faith that I have discovered- faith learns to accept, reject and also to endure. (Copy and tweet). In so doing, we expressly tell God it doesn’t matter what we face, our ability to believe and trust Him will not wane even in the face of the insurmountable. (Copy and tweet). 

Talk About it-

A. Why do you think most people fail to apply the power of the faith?
B. What does faith mean to you personally and how have you applied it in your life? 

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

4PowersABelieverHas - (1) PowerOfTheWord

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God -John 1:1                                                                                                          

The centurion implored Jesus saying "Sir only speak the word and my servant will be healed". It did happen as the centurion had faith for. As your faith is, so shall it be onto you. The substratum of all that we see, hear or have is the word of God. (Copy and tweet). The opening scripture says through the word, God created all that we see and all things were created for the word. For those of us who are familiar with the Bible and its theological meaning, we know that this expression is about Jesus. (Copy and tweet).

In simplicity we are being told that there is power in studying the word of God. The word is the manifestation of the thoughts of God for mankind. The more a person studies it, the more they will be in tandem with the mind of God for their lives. (Copy and tweet). God reveals His thoughts to us through His word. This only comes to those who are constantly seeking him in the study of His word.

The fight we have with the devil has never been about what we desire, but to stop us from studying the word of God. (Copy and tweet). In order to have power to overcome, a deeper search for revealed truths of God’s word is what will make the difference. The devil is not afraid of the Pope, Archbishop, Prophet etc. but the word of God. Jesus counteracted the devil with the word of God and he left for a season. If Jesus studied the word in order to defeat the enemy, then the responsibility to do likewise falls on us. (Copy and tweet).

Mere words don’t make a person wise but it is the word of God that makes the difference. (Copy and tweet). One cannot overemphasise the value the word of God plays in our lives. You cannot win convincingly when you underplay the significance of the word of God in your life. We are commanded in Joshua never to depart from the word if we require good success. This means there are levels of success but it is the word which insures that you achieve good success as a child of God. Anything a person builds or amasses outside the word of God will not last forever. (Copy and tweet). Anything built on the principles of the word, survives the onslaught of the enemy for ages to come.

John Harvard the first benefactor to the now Harvard University, was an English Pastor who emigrated from the United Kingdom to New England and settled in Charlestown. Upon his death, he bequeathed half of his estate to the new college which had been founded which was headed by his friend Nathaniel Eaton. It was later renamed Harvard University. The essence of this history is to depict what the word does in a person’s life. (Copy and tweet). Harvard is recognised as one of the world foremost Ivy League universities in the word.

Dr Kwame Nkrumah, one of Africa’s foremost sons, had a bachelor’s degree in theology. It is said he had thought of preaching until the need to lead his people and subsequently the entirety of Africa into liberation, consumed him. His leadership beliefs stemmed from the word. The word has enough dynamite to change a life, a corporation, vision, and an entire continent. (Copy and tweet). You can be everything God has destined you to be when a concerted effort is made into studying the word and living off it. (Copy and tweet).

If by the word God created everything we behold, then I can say that by the same word, God rewards. (Copy and tweet). The word has potency which can never be underestimated by any. God shows respect even onto his word. The writer in Psalm 138:1 says “He has lifted His word above his name”. (Copy and tweet). When you walk with God according to the word, men will be drawn to you. Your good success is waiting in the word. The jewels for overcoming, is hidden in the word of God.

Talk About it-

A. Why do you think most believers fail to apply the power of the word?
B. How do you think the power of the word can be applied in your life?

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

5MistakesToAvoidInTheNewYear - (5) TalkLessAndListenMore

….let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

I asked my fiancée what her “new years’’ resolution was and she said to talk less and listen more…guess that lady talks too much…kindly don’t tell her I said that Lol! I pondered on her statement for a while and voila, it dawn on me that most of us never take time to hear instructions in matters that needs attention. Many are really good in talking yet when it comes to listening, they fail big time. (Copy and tweet).

Whenever a person talks to God, they should be aware that He hears and if He does then we ought to develop the mindset of also listening to Him. (Copy and tweet). The Prophet Isaiah reiterate God’s desire to speak back to us when we’ve spoken to him In chapter 50:4- “the Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned”. (Copy and tweet).

Succinctly the Prophet expounds the concept behind why everyone should be prepared to listen more and speak less.  God desire is to grant everyone the tongue of the learned. Why not? When a person spends a lot of time with God, they come out carrying the knowledge of God. (Copy and tweet).  If a person will listen more to the voice of God and talk less, they will be moved from being ignorant of God’s ways into having the mind of Christ operating in them. (Copy and tweet).  You will also be well equipped with deep and workable divine knowledge. (Copy and tweet).

Many at times we carry so much load we forget God has the power to relieve us of it. The only way a person can in God’s power is through working with applied knowledge and heeding instruction. (Copy and tweet). Heeding instructions provide the necessary clarity you need. Talking less and listening more only enhances your ability to relate in tolerance in life. The more you talk without listening, the more you’ll come across as someone who is arrogant and condescending. (Copy and tweet).

By now you and I know that the easiest way to accumulate knowledge and subsequently grow in understanding is dependent on your ability to listen more. Everyone has some knowledge you can add to the one you already have. (Copy and tweet).

Hearing is entirely different from listening. Hearing is a physiological process in which our auditory connections transmit information to the brain through the ears. (Copy and tweet). Listening however is Psychology. It denotes a person deriving an interpretation and understanding from what is being said. (Copy and tweet). This simply means when one listen to God rather than talk all the time, they will have advantage by advance knowledge with what God says.  As per with our opening scripture, learn to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath. (Copy and tweet).

Talk About it-

A. Why do people tend to talk more and listen less?
B. How do you think a person can change and listen more whilst talking less?

In His Service

J. Akuoko II

5MistakesToAvoidInTheNewYear - (4) TakingYourselfForGranted

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Gen1/27

Its sometimes baffles me why certain individuals take themselves for granted even when everything speaks of the opposite. (Copy and tweet). Predators are always looking for people who don't take themselves serious to prey on. You ought to come to terms with the fact that God has placed VALUE on you so as not to become a victim but a victor. (Copy and tweet).

Taking yourself for granted is tantamount to you underestimating and discounting the investment of God in your life. (Copy and tweet). Any time you take yourself for granted because of the non existence of certain things the devil wins. (Copy and tweet). Subconsciously many of us have issues we haven't dealt with and its about time you employ the power of God to break free.

Talking to one woman the other day, she made reference to the fact that her ex- husband said she wouldn't amount to anything without him and ever since..... Many of us make permanent decisions out of events that weren't meant to last but were just passing. (Copy and tweet). Many write untold stories and etched them on their hearts and never allow for a change even when everything points to that. (Copy and tweet).

The experience of failing can make you take yourself for granted. This can make you lose your sense of purpose and direction. (Copy and tweet). It can also create a lack of self belief. What really get to me are those who make it seem as if they are the only ones who failed. No one ascends onto the throne of greatness without having a lot of failures. (Copy and tweet). STOP TAKING YOURSELF FOR GRANTED!

If you've noticed, taking yourself for granted has done nothing for you except this- caused many opportunities to go down the bridge of life. (Copy and tweet). God created you in His image and I am sure He knows you were bound to face challenges. However, He has already made provision for you. Yet what is actually stopping you is your inability to accept you are also a “somebody”. (Copy and tweet).   

Life is a mirror and you only reflect who you are. (Copy and tweet). Have you noticed that people don't take you serious? Why? Simply because you are projecting those negative frequencies and people are only being the mirror. Once we hit the threshold of 31 December and the clock chimed 12am, there was a shift spiritually. (Copy and tweet). God had changed the time and had allowed us to enter the New Year. This means you can no longer holds to that which makes you take yourself for granted.

Talk About it-

A. What makes people take themselves for granted?
B. How can a person deal with the attitude of "taking themselves for granted"?

In His Service

J. Akuoko II