Change your perspective

There is a story about a sales man who was sent to a remote region to sell shoes but on getting there he reported to his superiors that there was no viable market in the region as the residents don't wear shoes. After several months another sales representative was sent to the same region to sell shoes and his report was different.He called his superiors highly excited about the prospective market in the region for shoes.

 Two sales man working for the same company, selling the same product, catering to the same market but with absolute different outlook on the target. The challenge was the same but their attitude was the different. One saw potential  while the other saw defeat.

In the book of Numbers 13, Moses sent twelve Israelites to explore the promised land as God had instructed. Twelve people spied the land, had the same report but had a very different response to the situation. Ten people said the land was filled with giants and  noticed the surrounding problems totally disregarding the viability of the land. In analysing the situation they saw themselves as "grasshoppers" with no hope of survival.  Caleb and Joshua on the other hand only saw the potentials and their ability to possess the land "we should go up and take possession of the land,for we can certainly do it" Numbers 13:30. They had a can-do attitude.

Photo Credit:www.memegeneratore.com

CENTRAL TRUTH: Every body has the potential to see but we differ greatly in what we see, how we see and our response to what we see. For every knotty situation, we either see problems or challenges. A problem is a negative mindset about a situation while a challenge presents itself as a potential for growth and success-its a matter of perspective. When you view your circumstance,  do you see  problems or potential for excellence? Remember David? Goliath was an opportunity for promotion not a problem before the young shepherd. David did not cower before the ginormous man towering above him but saw a situation no bigger than what he'd faced in the past. To prove this point, he tackled this challenge with a simple shot from his sling. Goliath did not deserve a sword or worth stressing over.

The perspective you have concerning any issue will determine your attitude. Its a known fact that your attitude in turn would determine your altitude.

The Israelites were on the verge of the promised land, seen evidence of the abundance in the promised land but their "grasshopper" mentality prevented them from taking possession of the land "we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes and we looked the same to the same". They had a wrong mind view of themselves. They'd experienced the wonders of God in Egypt, the red sea and the wilderness and they still thought themselves to be NOTHING!!. They spent years wandering the wilderness because of their warped view of themselves. To think they were so close to it. The promised land was within their reach but they missed it for another forty years!

. Caleb and Joshua had no such low perspective of themselves. They'd experienced God and trusted Him. Same as David.Your perspective is in the WORD OF GOD."you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,a holy nation, God's own special possession" 1 Peter 2:9
The first shoe sales man would have experienced a record sales but for his negative view of the situation. He could have been named regional director of that region if he'd only seen right. The truth is our strength is not of ourselves but of God. Until a person starts seeing from God's perspective, life will be a vicious cycle of defeats and unfulfilled potentials. its almost the end of the year but not the end of the world, miracles still happen if only you will believe. Change your perspective and change your life.
STRATEGIES FOR CHANGING A WARPED PERSPECTIVE.

• faith in God.
• Study and meditate on scripture
• trust.
• prayer 
• recall the goodness of God.
• Grace.
• mind your influencers
• Guard your heart and mind
• watch your word.

Where to Look in Dark Times

Editor's Note: I met the most amazing woman some months ago who greatly inspired me. I cannot recollect her name as I type this article but I remember her story clearly which is what truly matters. Three times divorced, widowed, physically and emotionally abused and mother to seven children, her story seemed like a never ending tale of pain and sadness. Despite the plenty upheavals in her life, this amazing woman was able to achieve a life time dream of being a solicitor. It took her years and lots of heartaches, rejections and wrong turns but she arrived at her goal. She spends most of her time inspiring women all over the world that "life is possible" despite the plans of the enemy. A lot of people desire her life now but many would shy short of the dark times she went through. Your ability to trust God in the dark times is key to promotion and success.

photo by www.freedigitalphoto.net

 I remember this amazing woman today after I read this brilliant article by Ken Puls which focuses on where to look when the path seemed dark and endless. Many times when challenges comes many people worry, panic, do everything else but turn to God. Follow this link to read more

The day I prayed in Yoruba

It was an unusual kind of day. For some inexplicable reason I woke up cranky, sad and very much upset. There was no obvious reason for my foul mood as I'd gone to bed the previous night happy and ready to conquer whatever the dawn would bring in its wake. But I woke up defeated and angry at the world and at myself-angry at where I was and how I'd stupidly allowed myself to be browbeaten by life. Before the dark thoughts could overwhelm and totally ruin my day, I rolled onto my knees and prayed. The words that rolled out of my tongue were not the grand words that I was used to but the heartfelt cry of a little girl that I'd lost her way. As I poured my heart out, I realised I was praying in a not so familiar language. Not so familiar because I use the language to converse but never actually pray. You see, I was born in a Yoruba speaking part of Nigeria but I'm not a Yoruba girl by origin. To make matters more interesting, I was born in the not so much posh side of town so I know how to get down and dirty in the language. I can read, write and rap freestyle in the language. That day years back, the only interesting and fascinating thing I was doing in Yoruba was pouring my feelings at the feet of the one who loves and cares for me, in a language dear to me. Despite all my claim to Western education, the deep part of me is still that small Yoruba speaking girl and it was that little girl that reached out to the Master's feet after all the bible says "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me" Psalm 42:7. In order to experience a deeper intimacy with God, there was no room that morning for excessive grammar or pretence before the one who knew me even before creation "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations" Jeremiah 1:5 Hannah in the book of 1 Samuel definitely understands my position. She found herself in the temple brow beaten by barreness and humiliated by her husband's other woman. When she opened her mouth to pray, no audible word came forth only a heartfelt mumble that only God understood. Many times in the place of prayer words will fail but thank God for the HOLY SPIRIT. "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" Romans 8:26-27 "Intimacy with God is found in the realm of the spirit" BENNY HINN. It is a place of perfect communion and fellowship with God-no barriers or hindrances only easy and free access to the almighty." it is at times like this that words become inadequate because spoken words are the expression of the mind and not the soul. Words cease and you stop asking. Only your heart can speak as it erupts in worship". It is a heartfelt, deep level cry, communication and fellowship..TOTALLY AWESOME. That morning, I got on my knees broken but when the Yoruba little girl in me cried out, I rose up strengthened and my countenance brightened. I love that little girl in me , she is the reason I still smile through it all. P. S, THE CELEBRITY BABY PICTURE IS MY DARLING PRINCESS JANIS OBONNA..IS'NT SHE GORGEOUS....AND THAT MY FRIENDS AIN'T A QUESTION!

When to Pray by Greg Laurie

The importance of prayer cannot be over emphasised in the life of a believer. According to a popular saying "a prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian". Too many Christians have become play tools for the enemy due to a non-existent, Luke-warm or faithless prayer life. So I am devoting more time to the topic of Prayer-WE ALL NEED A FRESH DOSE OF "FIRE". Enjoy this article by Greg Laurie of Harvest Ministeries Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. —James 5:13 When we find ourselves in trying circumstances, often the temptation is to strike out at the person who helped bring those circumstances upon us. Or, we want to blame someone for our state of affairs. We may even become mad at God for allowing this in our lives. Or, we might wallow in self-pity. But when we are afflicted, when we are suffering, or when we are in trouble, God tells us what we should do: pray. Why? For one thing, it just may be that God might remove that problem because of our prayers. That is not to say that God always will take our afflictions, suffering, or troubles away. But sometimes He will. By simply bringing our circumstances before the Lord and acknowledging our need and dependence on Him, we can see God intervene in the situation we are presently facing. Prayer can also give us the grace we need to endure trouble and be brought much closer to God. James 5:13 tells us, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray." The word suffering used here also could be translated "in trouble" or "in distress." Is anyone among you in trouble? Are you distressed? Then you should pray. So when the bottom drops out, when you feel you are just hanging by a thread, when circumstances have become incredibly difficult, or when they have grown worse by the minute, what should you do? You should pray. You should pray when you are afflicted. You should pray when you are sick. You should pray when you are corrupted by sin. And you should pray when specific needs occur. Pray, and don't give up.

When to Pray

Difficult as it may seem, the best time to pray is when you absolutely don't feel like. The past few days have been wrought with emotional upheavals so much I felt like given up on people. Unfortunately, as humans we are created to nurture and be nurtured. So instead of giving up, I dug deep into that well spring of strength and I've been praying like my life depended on it and of-course it does. Boy, do I feel better. Prayer does not necessarily change the situation but it does change how you view your circumstances. It changes how you view our Father in heaven and IT ULTIMATELY CHANGES YOU. I have seen God move in tremendous ways when people pray and I've seen downcast people become radiant after uttering simple words of pray. You need to read the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1-18, it will blow your socks off..lol. I aint typing that, don't want to spoil the great reveal Nobody remains the same after being in the presence of God. You are not permitted to leave the presence of the ALMIGHTY downcast( it's a punishable offence..lol) SO WHY WON'T PEOPLE PRAY? "if my people who are called by name,will humble themselves and pray,seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,then I will hear from heaven,I will forgive their sins and heal their land" 2 Chronicles 7:14. So what are you waiting for? get off your behind, wipe off those tears and lets get praying. THAT'S THE SPIRIT. Truth is, we are all in need of prayer and what better time to pray than this present moment. Prayer cost nothing and its time well spent doing something absolutely life transforming. It's a strategy that's time tested and trusted. Enjoy this amazing ministration by Kevin Lever

When Life Hurts

Have you heard the music by R.E.M titled "Everybody hurts? Its actually a melancholic yet inspiring song depicting the pain that everybody carries though some are more visible than others. The rich, poor, married, single, elderly, young, employed, unemployed, male, female, pastors, laymen,you name it-everybody really do hurt sometime. Truth is we live in a fallen world with imperfect people. Despite our better intentions even the most perfect of us would still unconsciously hurt another. But what if you are the object of that hurt? what if you are the object of another person's vile intention. The first thing you want to do is hurt them back-make them hurt same way you've hurt or worse. That might seem like a good idea but what good does that do in the long run. Hitting back "might" give temporary satisfaction but can never take away the pain or restore what has been lost. So what do you do when life hurts. ACKNOWLEDGE THE HURT-Most people live in denial of pain and "gently sweep" the issue under the carpet and pretend it never happened. That my friend is a potent recipe for disaster. It is a festering wound whose rancid smell would eventually expose itself. Why else would a seemingly perfect couple suddenly turn on each other and open a can of hideous worms that seemingly appeared from nowhere! The can of worms didn't just appear, it had always been there just never acknowledged or dealt with. One or both had un-dealt with issues that suddenly spilled over with little or no provocation. Stop pretending and acknowledge the fact that you've been hurt. If its not all right, say its not al right!. DROP THE PRETENCE, YOU ARE BETTER OFF. CONFRONT THE ISSUE- I hate confrontation! I'd rather hide away and let the matter slide so peace would reign but I have learnt over the years that's it is a cowards way out. Confronting the issue does not imply aggression but a wise attempt at conflict resolution so an ugly situation would not repeat itself. it's a gently way of telling someone "hey buddy, what you said about my appearance hurt me". FORGIVE- Choose to forgive. It's is Our Father's desire that we "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" Ephesians 4:32. The ability to forgive is a measure of how Christlike we really are "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children" Ephesians 5:1 . The first time I heard about "ADVANCE FORGIVENESS" was from a dear friend. its simply choosing to forgive others way before they hurt you. it is also a biblical principle. "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins" Colossians 2:13. The bible is so rich on forgiveness. CONFIDE- In the words of legendary actor and comedian Frank Spencer(Michael Crawford)"a trouble shared, is a trouble doubled..lol not necessarily so. you are not created to live life alone. Instead of being overwhelmed with your issues, confide in someone that can help ease the burden. Not everyone needs to know your business but there is always someone that can help but DON'T DIE IN SILENCE. YOU ARE NOT ALONE-never for a moment think you are alone-someone,somewhere is going through or has gone through what you are dealing with. Don't be afraid to reach out. Don't let pride interfere. pride cannot save you only wisdom can. BE PREPARED- Scouts honour! Offences will always come. You will offend and people will offend but the bible says "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone".Romans 12:18. Never be too big to say Sorry or accepting another person's apology PRAY-There is no replacement for prayer. It is confiding and sharing your deepest hurts and desire with your heavenly father who never judges and would certainly never condemn you. It cost nothing and is more result oriented than any self help book out there. Finally, never let any situation or person determine your worth. No circumstance or human being is worth loosing your delightful smile for. According to popular parlance when life throws you a lemon, make a tall glass of lemonade out of it and remember to put some ice in it-makes it more refreshing .

One more P.U.S.H

It had been a very long day and the last thing I wanted to do was read Josh his bedtime story or pray at that. All I wanted to do was crawl under my cosy bed covers and sleep the day's stress away. My church had celebrated its monthly praise night and I'd been in heels all day...the ladies know what I'm saying- beauty aint for the faint hearted! To crown it all, Josh was in his element-he just wouldn't go to bed and unfortunately I was only in the mood to play bad cop but he would have non of it and neither would I. Ignoring his tantrums, I dragged myself to bed without reading him his story which made matters worse. You see, routine is very important to autistic children and Joshua has his. we have a ritual of reading a bible story each night and he loves the bible characters and the adventure they had-the unfolding stories was an adventure for us too as I dramatise every action. But not tonight!! I was too tired to play or pray. Bed time prayers was a routine for me too especially these past few weeks but not tonight! I needed to sleep. Just before, I hit the snooze button, I got this gentle nudge not to break the cycle that I'd taken ages to form despite my tiredness. I must tell you, it wasn't an easy decision but I dragged myself to my son's room and read him his story. True to form, the story calmed him and he gradually drifted to sleep. That night I prayed albeit sleepily and got the answer to a knotty issue that had been troubling me...HALLELUJAH. Its so easy to give up when things are not working out as planned. You wonder why you should smile when all you want to do is cry. Truth is, IT IS HARD. However,imagine a pregnant woman who'd carried her unborn child for nine months giving up mid labour because of the pain..ludicrous isn't it? The midwives don't tell her to give up but encourage her to give it one more PUSH. She ignores the pain and pushes, anxious to see her baby. Jesus gives the perfect example for not giving up and we are encouraged to emulate him. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2 Gradually one push leads to another and another eventually the baby comes out. Sometimes all it takes is one more PUSH. If you take a closer look at your circumstances you've invested too much to simply throw in the towel. God does not give up neither should you. Are you about to quit on that person, project or situation? Don't!! The answer might just be one push away. Pray Until Something Happens.

Disturb Us, Lord

I just had to share this poem. Its an excerpt from a book I'm reading titled YOUR KINGDOM COME,written by Daniel Kolenda. The book emphasises the importance of prayers in a believer's life and exposes the dangers of complancency in the place of Prayer. I'm just on page seventeen and already excited about what other pages have to offer. There is so much treasure to be unveiled in this book and I'm blessed to be reading it. Would do a much insightful review later in the week. Of a fact, power is released when a beliver prays. I pray that we'll be alert to the benefits of prayers more often. I hope you enjoy and are challenged by this brilliantly written truth as much as I was. Disturb us, Lord When we are too pleased with ourselves, When our dreams have come true, Beacause we dream too little, When we arrived safely, Because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us oh lord, When with the abundance of things we posses, We have lost our thirst for the waters of life, We have ceased to dream of eternity, And in our effort to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of new heaven to dim WRITTEN BY SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, 1577