Adetomi Popoola

We should continually ask for forgiveness as we are human and we sin everyday. For us to have a right standing with God, we must continually ask for his forgiveness. The Bible says we must forgive others if we want God to forgive us. It says we must forgive 70 times 7 which means as many times as possible. This is to enable us receive God's blessings and forgiveness because without God's blessings or forgiveness, we are like a walking corpse.

1) We do not want to ask others for help because of pride, shyness or we just do not know how to go about it or we think they might feel we are always asking. 2)We seek to be independent of God because we think we can do it by ourselves especially when things are going on well for us and we think we know it all. 3) In as much as earn a living, we still need to ask God for daily bread because the Bible says Without God, we can do nothing. It is the Lord that gives us ideas how to move on in life. It is not by our own power or strength. We need to acknowledge God in everything we do even in our successes/failures. Let God be No. 1 in our lives.

We are asking that the Father's Kingdom should come in that we are God's glory will be manifested in all we do. Being in the centre of God's will is very important. So we are in essense sayiong, Not my will but let your will be done in my life as God knows best. He knows the end from the beginning and vice versa. This prayer should affect our lives in that we must consistently give ourselves over to God, learn his will by hearing what he has to say.Study and meditate on his word daily.

Living a pure and holy life hallows the name of our father and brings glory to his name. Dirty talks/jokes, complaints, backbiting, lies etc desecrates and besmirches God's name. We must be very careful at believers what comes from our mouth. The way we live our lives is also very important. We must check ourselves constantly and daily to ensure we are living a life pleasing to God. We can hallow God by going into his presence respectfully, reverently, full of praise, thanks and worshipping God truthfully and with all our hearts.

Mind control is important because the things happening can easily take us out of Christ. Our minds are carnal so we have to consciously fix our mind on the sriptures and on Christ. That way we can be at peace wth God and ourselves. I have decideed to focus on God and not on my anxieties. I ususally tell myself that worrying about any situation will not change the situation but get me all stressed up and unhappy. I have to consciously tune into God and his word.

To be called upwards by God is God calling us out of darkness into his marvellous light. In 1 Peter 2:9, the Bible says, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a perculiar people, to show forth the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light. God has called unto a higher task of being obedience to him at all times and fellowshipping with him. God's call becomes dim in our hearing when we disobey him, when we don't spend enough time with him and also when we allow the things of the world to take the first place instead of God. We can renew our hearing of his call by spending quality time in fellowship with Him i.e. in worshipping Him, in Bible studies, Prayer and Fasting and listening to the still small voice. The contents of this call is to be obedience to Him and serve Him with our whole being.

Our failures can get in our our way of having a deeper relationship with Christ i.e. when we dwell so much on what could have been, then we might not be able to move forward as we ought to. Also our successes could be an hindrance when we feel we have it all, we are contented with where we we are which could be the beginning of our being puffed up. The Bible says He that think he standeth, take heed lest he falls. We need to forget our successes/failures in other to focus more on Christ. Whatever happened yesterday is in the past, whatever happens today is now and whatever will happen tomorrow is in the future. We just have to move on to become better christains.

We know God will exalt us because the BIBLE says so and we belive God's word to be true. We get impatient because atimes we believe God is slow concerning his promise. We want the answer now i.e. immediately on anything we ask God for and God might just be telling us to wait. Our impatience causes us not to trust God fully, we go our own way which leads us into trouble atimes. So we must be very careful and wait on the Lord reminding Hime of his word. The Bible encourages us not to be weary in well doing because we will reap if we do not lose heart.

When we give our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, it means we are saved by grace i.e. we are telling the Lord to take control of our lives i.e. we need Him to help us live the God's kind of life. Even as a christain, we still sin, and we have to go back ask for his forgiveness and move on. Working out our salvation means that we should stive to keep on growing in the Lord. We keep at it because there will be turbulent times, trying times, trials, temptations etc. but we will not give up as it would make our faith more sronger in Him. There is no end to our growing in Crist until He comes to take us home and we will be judged with whatever He finds us doing. Like Paul said, forgetting those things that are behind but let's reach out to those things ahead of us so that we can become the best Christ would have us to be.

When we complain and argue, most times it is because we see things only from our perspective, we believe we are right and it should be done in our own way. When we cease from complaing and arguing, peace and love will abound because we will see others as better than ourselves and we want to listen to them. Shining as stars signify humility which makes us stand out in the crowd. Well, in my church there has been some arguing and complaining here and there. The way forward is for every party involved to sit down, talk through the problems, listen to one another and reach a decision. It should all be done in humility and love.

DISCERNING MEANS ABILITY TO KNOW WRONG FROM RIGHT. AS CHRISTAINS WE NEED THE SPIRIT OF DISCERNMENT IN ORDER TO KNOW GOD'S WILL AND OBEY HIM FULLY. WE CAN BECOME SELFISH WHEN WE DON'T SHARE WHAT GOD IS TEACHING US I.E. WHEN WE KEEP IT ALL TO OURSELVES.