I wish to acknowledge the Almighty God for His grace and inspiration to write this book I equally thank the members of my family for their support and encouragement My profound appreciation also goes to everyone who encouragedmeinonewayortheotherinwritingthisbook.
DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to the Almighty God and to every Christian around the world who is facing any battle in his or herlife
TableofContents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
DEDICATION
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER1
AFIGHTFORALL
IT IS ONLY ME
CHAPTER2
DIFFERENTSTROKESFORDIFFERENTFOLKS
WHAT YOU DON’T FIGHT WILL OVERCOME YOU INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
OUTWARD BATTLES
CHAPTER3
STAGESOFLIFEBATTLES
BATTLEFORARRIVAL
WHY THE BATTLE AT ARRIVAL POINT? FIGHT FOR YOUR SOUL
CHAPTER4 THEMARITALBATTLE
THE CHOICE OF A LIFE PARTNER LIVING WITH A PARTNER
Life is full of battles Everywhere you turn to you’ve got to fight to survive Everyone is involved in a fight whether they like it or not Some people usually say that they don’t have enemies Maybe you don’t but you have so many things that are up against you. Those forces are after one thing: to see to your downfall. They can never stop until youstandupandstopthem Tostopthemyoumustfight
It is a proven fact of all ages that the oppressor will never allow the oppressed to go free until the oppressed rise up to demand his freedom by force There is something that is there to guarantee your downfall, your pain, stagnation, setbacks, abuse, sorrow and every negative thing you can think of everyday of your life. It will take a fight for you to move forward Make no mistake about it; every progress in life is an outcome of a fight and every- stagnation, a resultofnofight,orwrongfight.Evenyourpeaceofmindrequiresafighttowardoffforcesthatinterferewithit
Only fighters achieve anything meaningful in life. Those who are afraid to fight remain slaves to strange force. Circumstances and forces will give way to the one who fights with the right weapons Jesus our Lord and master toldusthatittakesviolencetopossessthekingdom.
AndfromthedaysofJohntheBaptistuntilnowthekingdomofheavensufferethviolence,andtheviolenttakeitby force Matt 11:12
In other words, fight is a must for everyone who desires to see positive result in any area of his life Anytime you see result, know that someone has risen up to fight. Results don’t come on their own something attracts them. And anytimethereisnoresult,itisverylikelythatsomebodyhasrefusedtofightorengageinarealsacrificialbattle No battle, no results. However, wrong battles bring wrong result. So, you can see that it is not just fighting that brings resultsbutfightingtherightbattlesandusingtherightweapons
There are so many wars and battles going on all over the world but a huge percentage of those battles are either wrong battles or battles fought with the wrong weapons. The shooting and killings going on in different parts of the world are only detracting from our human essence The world can do without all the shooting and killings The battlesinourmarriagesandhomeswouldbewonifweappliedtherightweapons.
The fight of life is all encompassing It covers every area of human life and endeavors There is spiritual, physical, emotionalandpsychologicalfight. Thereisalsofightwithspirits,humans,animals,nature,seenandunseenforces. It therefore follows that whoever wants to win in life must be prepared to fight Get the necessary information that willequipyoutofacethebattlesofyourlife.
Thisbook:“StandupandFight”istimelyinspiredtoequipyoutoknowhowtofaceandovercomeyourlifebattles. Battles are not fought with nothing. There are weapons designed for different kinds of battles. You need to be skillfulintheselectionoftheseweaponsasthewrongweaponcouldleadtomoredamagethanyouexpect Theuse of the wrong weapon can make you lose an important battle of your life. You will agree with me that so many peoplehavelostabattleortwointhepastduetheuseofthewrongweapon Howmanyhomeshavebeendestroyed because the people involved fought wrongly? How many are poor because they don’t understand the weapons for combatingpoverty?Ourhomesandsocietywillbebetterifwefightandfightcorrectly
Chapter1
AFIGHTFORALL
Everyone is involved in the fight of life. No one is immune or exempted. The book of Job 14: 1 says: Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble This statement confirms that no one is exempted from the troublesorbattlesoflife. Inotherwords,thefightoflifehasnoracial,ethnicorreligiousboundaries.
It does not recognize the economic status of people It doesn’t care if you are a C E O or an employee Whether you are a Priest, a Prophet, a Pastor or a Lay man makes no difference. The only qualification you need to be involved in the battles of life is to be born on earth It does not matter how you were born or into what family you were born. Once you find yourself in this world, you are automatically enlisted for battles. Kings and nobles do not have any preferential treatments in the battles of life As a matter of facts, most kings and nobles had fought more battles than commoners King David in the bible fought more battles than so many people on this earth In Psalm 3: 1-2hesaid
Lord,howaretheyincreasedthattroubleme!Manyaretheythatriseupagainstme Manytherebewhichsayofmy soul,thereisnohelpforhiminGod.Don’tforgetthatDavidwasakingyethefacedsomanybattles.So,bothkings and ordinary people have got to fight if they want to see victory If you want to avoid the fight of life, don’t come intotheworldbecauseifyoudo,youwillbeenlistedinthefight
ItIsOnlyMe
Somepeoplebelievethey aretheonly onesinvolved inthebattles oflife Nothingcan befartherfromthetruththan the belief that you are the only one having the worst battle so far. Some people think they are the hardest hit by the bulletsoflifebattles Well,youmaybeataveryhotspotinyourfight,butthefactisthatyouarenottheonlyone There are many people who are going through worse or more severe fight than you are. Quit nurturing your wound; you are not the only one targeted by the arrows of life If you looked around, you would see another person that is havingittougherthanyouare.
The answer is not to sit there and murmur; the answer is to stand up and fight. The situation will not go away just like that Battles of life have no pity in their vocabulary; neither do they understand how you feel The only language they understand is action. Action, I mean real action. Without this, they will remain with you until you are dead I am not really sure they will not follow you into the grave After all, what do they have nothing to lose? Ifyouwereacomfortzoneforthemwhenyouwerealive,whatistheassurancethatyouwillnotremainthesamein your death? If you cannot fight while alive, I don’t think you can fight as a dead person Refuse to give up Quit nursing the notion that others are immune from the fight of life except you. That someone has won a measure of victory in an aspect of his life does not mean he is victorious in all aspects People shine brighter in the areas they have put up the most severe fight in their life. If you see two friends and one is more educated than the other, know that that one has fought more to acquire education than the other A couple who have more peaceful home than othershavealsofoughtmoreagainstelementsthatobstructpeaceinthehomethanothers.
The bible says that if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Adversities are part of human existence on earth Know for sure that you will face difficult times but the word of God assures of victory if we put ourtrustinthelord.HetoldJeremiahthathewouldfacebattlesbutHe,thelordwouldgivehimvictory.
For behold, I have made thee this day a defensed city, and an iron pillar, and a brazen wall against the whole land, against the king of Judah, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land And they shall fight against thee;buttheyshallnotprevailagainstthee;forIamwiththee,saiththeLord,todeliverthee.Jeremiah1:18-19
Chapter2 DIFFERENTSTROKESFORDIFFERENTFOLKS
Now, it is clear that you are not the only one involved in life’s battle. So, you can knuckle down to business and face your challenges head on You can’t win if you don’t fight It takes fight to win a battle Those who sit and mournorcomplainareonlymakingvictorycheapfortheenemy.
Your own fight may be different from another person’s fight There’s this saying that as ‘our faces are different, so also our needs and challenges are’. But the truth is that everybody has a challenge. This simply means that you can’t fight like any other person The weapons you need to fight and win your battle may not be the same as the ones your next door neighbor or your closest friend may need to fight and win. Battles of life vary according to individuals Understandwhatyourchallengesareandbraceuptofacethem Don’texpectittobethesamewithany other person’s If you have a peculiar battle you are facing, also know that you have a peculiar grace and ability to winsuchfight.
Some people have financial challenges, others have health challenges, yet others have the challenges of maintaining peace in their homes, others need the fruit of the womb while someone else battles with trying to bring a wayward child to the right track Another has brain that seems not to retain any information yet he/she wants to be educated
Another person may be battling with the problem of a large family and meager resources. Whatever the challenge maybe,youhavetostandupandfight Youhavetounderstandyourownbattleandchooseyourweaponcarefully The challenge you are facing will determine the kind of weapon you need for victory. You can’t fight sickness with the same weapon with which you fight lack of peace in your home Every weapon is not suitable for every battle If youshoutwhenyoushouldbesilent,youarenotlikelytowinthatbattle.
People sometimes pray when they should act and act when they should pray Whichever way, the result may not be desirable. Moses struck the rock when he was supposed to speak to it and he forfeited the promise land. He applied the wrong weapon for the right course and he got the wrong result The weapon we choose for a particular battle in our life can make all the difference between victory and failure. Sometimes our pride makes us to choose the wrong weapon You may know that it is better to be calm when your spouse is ragging but you just feel that your silence portraysyouasaweakperson;soyougoforahitandthenseeyourmarriagecrumble;somethingyouneverwanted butyourchoiceofweaponrubyouofthevictory
WhatYouDon’tFightWillOvercomeYou
What you refuse to fight won’t give you a break Refusing to fight does not exempt you from the fight If you are in a football pitch, and refuses to play, your opponent won’t share your idea; they are going to play against you and win you Life is not aware that you are not in the mood to fight; it just dishes out blows and keeps dishing it against you.Youwilldieifyoudon’tdosomething.
People ignore important battles in their lives believing that the problem will go away on its own. Challenges only respondtoaction,nottowishfulthinking Ifyourefusetofightignorance,itwillbecomeamountainbeforeyouthat willstopyoufromachievingyourgoalsinlife. Ifyourefusetofightspiritualforces,theywillmakesureyouendin hell There you will have the whole of eternity to regret not standing up to fight Whatever you refuse to fight will haveacheapvictoryoveryou. Fightersarewinners.
Some people do not believe in fighting for anything. They convinced themselves that they can get whatever God wants them to get, get to where God wants them to get to and be what God wants them to be all by divine providence. This is self- deception. God doesn’t play His part and our own part as well. He does His own and expectsustodoourown Beassuredthatitwilltakearealfighttoaccomplishyourownpartofthedeal Godgave Canaan land to the children of Israel as a promise but it took them real fight to possess it. Up-till now, they are still fightingtokeepit
God’s promise would have been enough for them. After all, God is all powerful, He can do all things. It does not takeHimanythingtodissolvealltheinhabitantsof Canaan, and give the land to His people (Israel) But He allowed them to fight for what He had already promised them
Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and only the violent takes it by force. Why would anyone need force to take the kingdom that Jesus already paid for by His sacrifice on the cross? His sacrifice gave us the kingdom free of charge but we need to stand firm on his promises and finished work or else, the devil will push us outofthekingdom
InsideandOutside
Battle could be internal or external Many people are battling with internal forces but outside they look okay This iswhysomeonewhoappearsokayontheoutsidecouldsuddenlydropdead. Peoplewouldbeshocked,notknowing thatsuchapersonhadbeenhavingintenseinternalstruggle
Well, it is still going to take fight to overcome internal battle If you are having an internal battle which I believe everyoneishaving,Iwillliketorecommendthesestepstohelpyouovercomesuchunduestruggles. Butletusfirst ofalllookatsomeinternalbattles
Sickness: Somesicknessesareinsideeatingdeepintotheirvictim.Don’tletyouroutwardappearancedeceiveyou. Make sure you check yourself from time to time and take the necessary professional advice to help yourself However, the most effective weapon against sickness is God’s word. Matt 8:17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities and bare our sickness Healing is the will of God for all His children. Jesus has paid for it. We can access it by faith and by agreeing with God’s word. Sickness is of thedevilthat’swhyyouneedtorejectit
Low self- esteem: Low self- esteem is a negative inner struggle that makes you believe the worst about yourself and expect no real good thing to happen to you Low self- esteem will also make you feel unloved no matter how muchanybodytriesto showyoulove. Youare notinferiorto anybody.Youarecreated intheimage andlikenessof Godlikeanyotherperson Thepsalmisttellsyouthatyouarefearfullyandwonderfullymade 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knowethrightwell.
So much has been written on this topic There is no need to feel inferior because you are God’s master piece and He doesn’t make mistakes in His works. He crafted you with so much care and dexterity to fit into the purpose for which you were created Shake yourself off from low self-esteem There is so much God has loaded inside of you You can’t just sit there and rob the world of so much you can offer by thinking you are just nobody. God does not create nonentities When he created the universe, He said that everything He created was good including you You are good. You are great. You are wonderful. Stand up and fight anything that makes you feel less than God has madeyoutobe
Anger: Thisistheoutburstofemotionmostlyinanegativeway Ibelievethatangerisanemotionthatyouneedto fight to bring under control otherwise it will destroy your relationship with other people. You can be a slave to anger As a matter of fact, a lot of people are When the spirit of anger has you, you are sure to lose a lot of battles Anger and foolishness live together that is why, more often than not, when people are angry, they do foolish things. Themanwhoisslowtoangerhasthereputationofgreateraccomplishmentthatageneralwhotakesawholecity Hethatisslowtoangerisbetterthanthemighty;andhethatrulethhisspiritthanhethattakethacity Prov 16:32
For you to accomplish anything meaningful in life, you have to deal with anger because man’s anger does not workoutGod’srighteousness
For more on anger management please read Anger management God’s Way by Daniel C. Okpara available on Amazon
Envy or Jealousy: This simply means feeling unhappy or angry because you wish you had something that somebody else has Envy could be a destructive force if not controlled I need hardly tell you that you need to fight to control such emotion. You overcome envy by being content and thankful for what you have. Contentment and gratitudearetwopowerfulweaponsagainstenvy
Everyone has got something Nobody is created empty You only need to acknowledge the deposit God has put in you. Don’t be unsettled because someone is more handsome or beautiful or even has a talent you don’t have. There is something you have that the person also lacks Not all good-looking or wealthy people are happy In fact, I have seen some very beautiful ladies who think they are nothing; they wished they were someone else. Be grateful for whatyouhavewhileyoutrustGodtosupplyyourneeds Thebiblesaysthatenvyislikerottennessinthebone
ThewordofGodtellsusthatenvyisaninternaldisease.Don’tlivewithenvy;itwillkillyouveryfast.Itwillcause rottenness in your bones Besides, you can never become the person you envy God made you unique and different So,don’tloseyourindividualitybyenvyinganotherperson
Depression: A feeling of despair or hopelessness. This is another inner struggle that a lot of people are battling with Depressiondoesn’tgoawayjustlikethat,youneedtofightit Thereishardlyanyonewhohaspassedthrough this earth or currently on it who has not at one point or the other been depressed. Depression comes when things didn’tworkoutthewayweexpectedittoworkout Itisthefeelingofhopelessnessthatengulfsyouwhenlifedeals outunfairmeasuretoyou.
More often than not we blame other people when we find ourselves in such situations. Complaining and blaming others are wrong weapons against the spirit of depression A better weapon is to remind you of God’s faithfulness and to assure yourself of sunshine at the end of the tunnel. Choosing to trust God at this point in time fortifies you andtakesthepressureoffyou
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise himforthehelpofhiscountenance. Prov.42:5
The psalmist in this scripture shows us a better weapon against depression. He first acknowledged that he was depressed and decided to address his depression by hoping in God and looking forward to a brighter tomorrow He knew it was useless blaming the society or neighbors for his condition. Trust in God is a sophisticated weapon againstdepression
OutwardBattles
As we have battles within, so also we have battle without. These are battles with external forces. These external forcescouldbehumanbeings,animals,spiritsoranythingyoucanthinkof Sometimesourbattlesarebothinternal and external. All you need to do is brace up and fight the challenges head on. Combat is the answer to whatever battleyouface
Chapter3 STAGESOFLIFEBATTLES
There are different stages of battles in everybody’s life. At any point you must be facing a certain kind of fight. You can never be left without challenges That is why you must be combat-ready at any stage so that you don’t allowtheenemytohavecheapvictoryoveryou. Let’slookatsomestagesofbattlesinourlives.
BATTLEFORARRIVAL
The battle of your life began even before you were born. The fact that you are in this world proves that you have won a major victory You made it alive out of your mother’s womb Not everyone was that lucky Some died at the point of birth; others entered the world deformed all because of the fierce battle at the port of entry into this world. Thefactthatyouareherealreadymakesyouavictor Youmadeitwhenyoudidn’tknowanythingaboutbattlehow muchmorenowthatyouareknowledgeable.
Youwillagreewithmethatcomingintothisworldrequirealotoffight. Well,ifyoudoubtitjustfollowapregnant woman to labor room; I am sure after what you will see, you will be convinced that it takes a real battle for one to comeintothisworld ThisiswhatIcalledbattleforarrivalorentrancebattle
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon herheadacrownoftwelvestars Andshebeingwithchildtravailinginbirthandpainedtobedelivered Andthere appeared another wonder in heavens and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his head And his tail drew the third part of other stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth; and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered. For to devour her and is soon as it was born.
Rev 12:1-4
The picture in this scripture shows that there is battle involved in coming to this world A dragon was already waiting to devour the child that was about to be born. That looks like the dragon doesn’t want the child to be born. Yes, there are so many dragons that did not want you to come into this world You are only here because those dragonswerenotallowedtoprevail.
This scripture tells us that this woman was travailing in birth. The word travail means: unpleasant experience or situation that involves a lot of hard work, difficulties or suffering This was enough battle for the woman When someone is travailing, he/she is fighting to get out of a difficult situation. So the woman was having enough battle tryingtobringherchildintotheworld Yet,thatseemednottobeenough;adragonwasstanding-bytoseethatifat all the woman overcomes the battle she was already neck deep in, the child will be devoured before he ever had a chancetolive
A lot of lives have been lost at this stage of life battle. Some succeeded but came into the world maimed and twisted Somepeople’sdestinieswereshortchangedatthisstage(atbirth) ThankGodforthosewhoovercameand arrivedsafely,butthenthebattleisnotyetover. Thedragonisstillafteryou.
WhyTheBattleatArrivalPoint?
Well, I have asked the questions several times Why do people go through a lot of fight to bring a child into this world? Inthispartoftheworld,childbearingisaverycrucialthing. Bothfriendsandfoesarealwaysatalertatthis point Itisatransitionpointthatisverycritical
Thebiblerevealedtousthedragon’sinterestinthechildthatwasabouttobeborn. Heknewexactlywhatthechild would be and he was not comfortable with such destiny around him Rev 12:5 She brought forth a man child who wastoruleallnationswitharodofiron;andherchildwascaughtupuntoGod.
Every child that comes into this world comes with a colorful destiny When a woman gives birth to a child, it is not justanotherhumanbeingthatisaddedtothemassofhumanityteamingthefaceoftheearth;astarisborn,ahistory hasstartedtounfold,agreatdestinyhasbeencreated Anadditionalheadachetothedevilhasjustarrived (Youare notjustan addition to the number of people already in the world, you are a star, a unique personality, a solution to a problem)Knowing this, the enemy will not fold his arms and watch He will do something to stop that child from arriving. Andifheisgiventhechance,hewillstophim.
The child can’t do much at this stage; it needs those who are already here to help him/her fight the battle for his/her entrance. This battle is both spiritual, scientific (medical) and so on. So many destinies have stolen at this point. ThankGodyouwonthismajorbattle FightforYourSoul
Now that you have arrived safely, please allow me to offer you my congratulations! And if you did not arrive as safely you would have wanted, I still say that you are welcome The truth is that you can still live a fulfilled life no matterhowyouarrived.
Forthosethathavearrivedsafely,thenextstageofbattlehasalreadystarted. Itisthebattleforyoursoul. Thegoal of this battle is to determine who will be the Lord of your life Is it God through Jesus Christ or the devil through any other means? This battle will run throughout your lifetime. God will use His word and other circumstances to make you recognize and accept His lordship over your life The devil will also use everything at his disposal: music,television,tradition,education,fashionandevenreligiontoobtainyouforhim-self.
Your decisions and actions will reveal who is having upper hand in your life at any point in time. You are at the Centreofthisfight Youarebeingbombardedfromthetwosides Godwantsyoutofulfillhispurposeforyourlife whilethedevilwantsyoutolivecontrarytothatpurpose.
This battle is so vital that it determines where you spend your eternity You will spend your eternal with whoever takesoverthelordshipofyourlife.
When you decide for God by accepting Jesus as your Lord, the devil will still come after you like the dragon came after the woman that gave birth in Revelation 12. However, being in the kingdom of God guarantees your victory overthedevilthoughnotwithoutbattles
The Bible says the thief cometh not, but to steal, to kill and to destroy. (see Jn. 10:10) These are the three things the devil has to offer anyone who welcomes him or refuses to stand up against him; steal, kill and destroy The remaining part of that scripture reads: but I come that they may have life and have it in abundance. John 10:10. This iswhatJesusoffers;Lifeinabundance
Who would you rather vote for as the Lord of your life; the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy or the one who comestogivelifeinabundance?Bewise!
Jesuswenttothecrosstopurchaseyourfreedomandeternalsecurity.HegaveHislifethatwemighthaveabundant life His grace is sufficient for us in whatever circumstance we find ourselves He loves us so much as to sacrifice Hislifeforus.Wecan’taffordtolosethisall-importantbattle.
Chapter4 THEMARITALBATTLE
After you succeed in winning your entrance battle and the battle of the lordship of your life by deciding for Christ, another battle begins This time, the fight is about who shares your life time with you as your spouse This fight is very vital. Many have been wounded in this fight. Many have even lost their lives in it. This battle has two stages: The choice of a life partner and living with a life partner This battle may start even before you give your life to Christ.Itisabattlethatismoreseverethanalotofpeoplethink.
It surprises me to see many people getting into this stage of life without proper consideration of what they are stepping into. Most people have no preparation whatsoever for marriage apart from the fact that they are old enough to be married Marriage is not all about bliss and ecstasy; sometimes, it could be a war front It is one of life battles youmustwin Alotisatstakeatthemarriagefront Alotofsacrificeisinvolvedinstayinghappilymarried
TheChoiceofaLifePartner
Not every woman or man that catches your fancy that is designed to be your spouse Not every woman or man that makes good impression on you that can be your wife or husband. Some so called good impressions and attractions aremerefaçade
The real thing is hidden inside, beneath the smiles, the cat walks, the swags and gesticulations When you hook up, therealmanorwomanwillsurface.
It will take real battle to fight off the smiles and temporary attractions and lay hold on the real person The enemy’s deception concentrates much on this area. The world calls it love at first sight. Well, there is nothing wrong if the love at first sight turns to love forever But more often than not, it doesn’t Love at first sight in most relationships hasturnedtohateafterwards. Thereasonisthatwhatyousawatfirstisnotwhatyouareseeingnow.
It is very imperative that you become very wary at this stage of your life otherwise the devil will make you an inlaw I am sure you know what that means? Take your time and prayerfully make you choice of partner that you will spend your life time with. Put in as much fight as possible to make sure the enemy or your wrong sense of judgmentdoesnotforceapartneronyou
You will agree with me that it takes real discipline to overcome some peripheral impression that lure people into marriage. TheBibleadmonishedthatweshouldfocusonthehiddenmanoftheheartagainstphysicalattractions.
… whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and wearing of gold or putting on of apparel But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not compatible, even the ornament of a meek and quietspiritwhichisinthesightofGodofgreatprice.1Pet.3:3-4
Some people have interpreted this portion of the scripture to mean that people (especially women) should not make up or wear jewelries But the bible is here giving us an option of inner beauty as against physical attraction Physicalqualitiescanneverberuledoutinourchoiceofapartner.Weallhavewhatappealstousasindividualsbut God admonished that we should not settle only for the physical In fact, He wants us to let inner qualities take precedenceoverphysicalqualitiesotherwiseweareheadedfortherocks.
MarriageissoimportanttoGodandtothemarriedpartners ItisthefirsthumaninstitutionGodcreated Hedelights in it. He wants to see it flourish as He intended. No wonder the devil has his eyes so much on it. Everything God delightsin,thedevilwillwanttodestroy GodprovidedamatethatwassuitableforAdam Hecanequallygiveyou asuitablemate
. And the LORD God said: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Gen 2:18
Itisimportantforyoutocarefullyandprayerfullyenterintothisstageoflife Ourworldisconstantlybeingplagued by divorce and broken homes. We don’t need any more of that. Yours will not be an addition to the divorce and breakuprole,inJesusname
LivingwithaPartner
The next stage of the battle of marriage is living with the one you have chosen to be your spouse Everyone knows that this is even the most critical battle humanity is facing in the world today. Families and marriages are breaking down, blood pressures are rising, bodies are aching, tears are flowing and pains are increasing as a result of the severe combat going on in this area of our existence. Families are churning out more and more children with broken lives as a result of broken homes The children themselves are taking it out on the entire society as hooligans,
hoodlums and angry mobs Some who are not hoodlums are too broken to make anyone else happy We seem to be losing this battle more rapidly than ever The reason is not farfetched; men and women are either not ready to fight to maintain their marriages or they are fighting with the wrong weapons. Some couples are fighting each other and notthemainproblem
WhenGodcreatedmarriageInstitution,Hisintentionwastogivemanasuitablecompanion Heneverintendeditto be a source of pain for any man or woman. But you know that whatever God makes good the devil will want to make bad God in His Infinite wisdom made the marriage relationship for the man and the woman to lift eachother upnottoputeachotherdown. Itisnotgoodthatthemanshouldbealone;Iwillmakehimahelpmeetforhim. The battle of living with a partner is not a fight against your partner like we see today but a fight for your partner. This fight is targeted at protecting and keeping your spouse It is a battle to keep the flow of love steady in your home; a fight to make your partner prefer you over any other; a fight to guarantee your fulfillment and that of your spouse;afighttomakesurenospoilerisallowedintoyourrelationship
The choice of weapons and the battle strategy in this area is very vital. Not every weapon is useful in this fight and noteverystrategywillguaranteevictory ItisbesttolookintoGod’swordfortherightweaponforyourmarriage
One weapon I have personally discovered to be a very wrong one in marriage battle is trading of words, especially negative words Saying just anything to your spouse in the name of quarrel or even correction could be very destructive. Another wrong weapon is undue silence. Marriage is all about companionship. I don’t see why we should claim to be companion yet we don’t talk to each other However, silence could also be a very good weapon especiallywhenyouseethattensionisrising.Atthispoint,itwillbebesttobesilent.
In marriage, paying your spouse with his/her own coin (especially wrong coin) may be a way to give the enemy cheap victory in your relationship Fire back with love and care when the arrow of insult or contempt is thrown at you. Use silence to combat abuses. Generosity is a better weapon against stinginess. Faithfulness is a more sophisticated weapon against cheating Giving your all could be one of the most destructive battering rams against enemy’s impregnable walls of selfishness and deception. To win this fight you need so much commitment. Your devotionmustbeabsoluteandadaytodaything
If your marriage has been taken over by the enemy, don’t give up, fight to recover it. Give it all it takes and I guaranteeyouawin Thebibleadmonishesustofight
And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people; Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughter, yourwivesandyourhouses[Neh 4:14]
Your marriage or home is not only for you Many people are connected to you Your failure here will affect them Ifyoulosethebattleofyourmarriage,yourspouse,yourchildren,yourbrothers,yoursisters,yourfriends,somany others looking up to you will be affected This is why the battle is a must win Fight for your partner; don’t leave himorherinthedevil’strap
The bible portion we read above says: fight to recover and protect your brethren, your wives, your sons, your daughters and your houses. Don’t allow your home to be torn apart by the enemy. Let not your sons and daughter liveindespairasaresultofbrokenhome Evenyourfriendsandrelationshavealottobenefitfromyourvictory Determine not to allow the enemy to win even if it means playing the fool A marriage Counselor said: ’it is better to be at peace with your spouse than to be right’. Having peace, love, care and trust flow in your marriage is more important than standing on your right You may have to give up that right in order to lock the spoiler out of your marriage. Resultiswhatisgoingtocountattheendnotwhowasrightandwhowaswrong.
I have seen in my own marriage how arguments over who was right or wrong steer up fight. This had happened severally to make me understand that ‘right’ is not what counts in a marriage rather it is the flow of love, care and trust that counts. Giving up your right applies to both man and woman. When there is tension, someone should backoff Thatdoesnotmakeyouweak Itisactuallyaproofthatyouarestrongerthantheotherpersonatthatpoint intime.
Another weapon I am sure you will find really useful in your marriage combat is the ability to accept your wrong andtoapologizeorsay‘Iamsorry’toyourspouse Icallthisaquickrecoveryofthefootholdtheenemyhastaken When there is a quarrel or misunderstanding, the enemy takes advantage of that to step in and whisper some negative things to the couple. Each of them will begin to nurse some negative thought against the other person. However, when one of them makes the move to apologize and initiate a reconciliatory process, the enemy will lose the foothold he has taken. If each of the couple decides to hold on to their right, the situation will degenerate and that home will become a comfortable place for the spoiler It won’t be long before the couple will find themselves incapable of living together. Settle quarrels as soon as they rise. Before they grow wings and too difficult to solve,
nip them on the board. The bible admonishes us not to allow the sun to go down upon our wrath. This can only be possibleifwehaveaplanofreconciliationbeforeeventhemisunderstanding The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with Prov.1:14
This portion of the scripture emphasizes the need not to allow quarrel or misunderstanding to escalate in our homes. Take the honor of staying away from strife and contention It is dignifying to give peace a chance by taking the first steptowardssettlement.
Itisanhonorforamantoceasefromstrife:buteveryfoolwillbemeddling Prov 20:3 Fight in marriage should not be against your spouse but against anything that interferes with the peace and sweetness of your marriage The devil has a plan against every marriage God created marriage for comfort; anything contrary to that is not of God. So, you own yourself the responsibility of making your home to be exactly whatGodwantsittobebywadingoffanyattackfromthewickedone PrayThisPrayerforYourMarriage;
Icloseeverydoorandeverychannelthroughwhichtheenemybringsdiscomfortintomymarriage,inJesusname I speak pleasure, comfort and bliss into my marriage, in Jesus mane. I open the door of my marriage to the Spirit of God to bring His wisdom, knowledge and understanding in the affairs of my home I declare that I have the sweetness, comfort and bliss that God intends for my marriage, in Jesus name. Love, peace, joy and prosperity is in abundantsupplyinmyhome,inJesusname
Chapter5
FIGHTFORECONOMICFREEDOM
The battle of life doesn’t end at the marriage front. Fight for economic liberation is another intense one. The struggle for economic freedom has turned so many men into desperados and human vampires Everyone wants to haveabiteofthegoodthingsoflifewhichGodhasendowedtheearthwith.
Poverty is one of the biggest epidemics the world is facing More than half of the world population does not have enough to eat yet they have as much right as any other person to the goodies of life. Everybody is involved in this fight both the rich and the poor Those who don’t have are fighting to have while those who have are fighting to have more and keep what they have. So, nobody is exempted from this fight. If you are afraid to get involved in this battle,youhaveaswelldecidedyourdestiny:hunger,deprivationandmisery
Poverty is such a strong force that takes real fight to overcome It has no respect for any person It has no regards for race, religion or geographical location. There are still poor people in places that are considered rich and developed There are equally rich people in the most improvised places of the world Whoever and wherever you are,onlyrealcombatwillgiveyouvictoryoverthismonstercalledpoverty.
Again choice of weapons and battle strategy are very imperative in this fight. There are weapons to combat poverty. Someoftheweaponsyouwillneedinthiscombatinclude:
HARD WORK: Laziness is a breeding ground for the spirit of poverty Hard work is a strong weapon to contend withthismonster. Thebibleadmonishesustobediligent. Theworddiligentimplieshardwork.
The soul of the sluggard (lazy man) desireth and hath noting; but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Prov. 13:4
It is said that there is no food for a lazy man. A lazy man is a friend to poverty. Good friends work together with each other So, poverty finds the life of one who has aversion for hard work conducive You must identify one area in life where you will work and put in your labor if you intend to push poverty far from you. Do not fold your alms andwatchothersworkbecausethosealmswillstillbefoldedwhentheirlaborbeginstoyieldfruits
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a littlefoldingofthehands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. Prov 6
DevelopingYourTalentorSkill
You will be combat ready against this ferocious monster if you take the time to develop your talent and skills The BiblesaysthatmuchfoodisinthetillageofpoorbutthereisthatisdestroyedforwantofjudgmentProv.13:23. The tillage of the poor here means among other things developing your talents and skills. Poor people will live betteriftheydeveloptheirtalentsandskills
Well, I am not a financial expert or Investment guru but I believe that the bible holds the answer to the solution of povertyandeconomicliberationforanyonewhocarestopayattentiontotheprincipleoutlinedinthescriptures
Having talked about hard work and skills/talents’ development, let’s look at some other principles that leads someonetoeconomicliberation
Giving
Giving is a dangerous weapon against lack Giving can be a guided missile against that monster called poverty A saying goes that “givers never lack”. Yes, this is true because the Bible says: ‘give and it shall be given to you, goodmeasurepresseddownshakingtogetherandrunningover,shallmengiveuntoyourbosom’Lk 6:38
Stand up and fight every force that is hindering you from giving because whatever hinders you from giving will equally hinder you from prospering. Give your way out of economic bondage. Giving is an elaborate topic in the bible but the simple principle is that you attract more of whatever you give This means that if I desire more, I shouldgivemore.Thewriterofthebookofproverbstellsusthattheliberalsoulshallbemadefat.Generosityopens youuptoanabundantlife Youcanactuallygiveyourwayoutoflack
Any one that is thinking of economic liberation must think of investment Investment is a pathway to success You cannot be successful if you don’t know how to develop streams of income. Visit Financial and Investment Experts forassistance
Economic battle should not be taken lightly by anyone If you fail to fight this battle, the war will extend to your children. I am sure you don’t want that to happen. Use every weapon available to fight this battle and make sure youwin
Devil always deceive people into selling their birthrights to gain economic freedom This is why people join secret societies or do rituals in order to become rich. Many involved themselves in robbery, duping and all kinds of illicit activitiesjusttohaveabiteofthegoodiesoflife
Well, as much as fight for economic liberation is a must win, your soul is still far more valuable than anything that life can offer you Jesus says: What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul, what can a mangiveinexchangeofhissoul.
Don’t sell your soul to gain economic freedom. That is playing unto the hand of the devil. If you do, you will have the whole of eternity to regret such foolish decision You don’t have to be crooked to be rich There are still a lot of peoplewhomaintaintheirintegrityandarestillveryrich.God’sblessingsmakeamanrich,nothumanstrength Win your economic battle with the proper strategy and the right weapons. Win the fight in a godly way. That is the only way you can say for sure that you have won the fight If you sell your soul to win the fight, you will lose more thanyouthoughtyouhavegained. Andthisdoesnotportrayyouasawiseman.
Chapter6
BATTLEOFRAISINGGODLYCHILDREN
We live in an ungodly world where ungodly principles are blatantly displayed before everyone. The world does not see anything wrong with their lifestyle As Christians, we have a huge responsibility of raising godly children in an ungodly world. This responsibility requires a fight, I mean real combat. The society has everything it takes to educate and form your children in their image and after their likeness and against God’s ways and purposes You needtofighttostopthem.
Raising godly children is not a battle for unserious individuals who are not combat-ready This fight does not tolerate laxity in any form. The slightest negligence can do unimaginable harm to your children. It would surprise you to know that even great men of God both in the bible and in our world had failed in this fight A very good exampleisEliinthebible
Thedevilhas norespectforanyone.Heis outtotake boththechildren oftherich andthepoor,the spiritualandthe ordinary He is like a roaring lion seeking whom to devour He uses the world system and the world system has everythingittakestocarryoutitsoperations.
Donotbealarmedwhenyouseerespectedmenandwomeninoursocietypromotingimmorality.Thatisthewayof the world So many things that were once condemned as ungodly are now being accepted as normal all because of the backing of respected men and women of our society. Same-sex marriage would never have become legal in some societies had important men and women not supported it The blatant display of the sensitive part of the body andnearnakednesswehaveinourfashionworldtodaygotitscreditfromoursuperstarsandcelebrities.Whenstars gonaked,itisonlynaturalforordinarypeopletofollowsuit TheBiblewarns:
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deitydwellsinbodilyform.Col2:8
This is why we must pray for the great men and women in our society They occupy positions of influence and as suchcouldmakeaheavypositiveornegativeimpactonourlivesandthelivesofourchildren.
Saythisprayer
I pray for every celebrity, every superstar, every important person, and everyone that occupies the position of authority and influence in our society that the Almighty God will fill their minds and their hearts with wisdom and ability for positive impact in the lives of their followers and those who look up to them for direction in Jesus name Amen Saythisprayereverydayforthem
TheseUngodlyValuesComeinAttractivePackages
The world has packaged immorality to look so attractive so much that the children of God patronize it without knowing exactly what they are buying Immorality now holds so much attraction for both Christians and nonChristians. The packages in which they come make them harmless. When you speak against them, you are labeled anti-social Nudity is no longer offensive It is not called nudity, it is called showing off your natural endowment Sexual immorality is called love. Prostitution is no longer a social vice in some places; it is now a noble profession. The scripture warns us to flee The bible enjoins us to separate ourselves from the ungodly world system It is going to take a real fight to guide your children on the right path. Don’t despair, the fight is worth everything. If you fight this battle loosely, your children will become part of the evil system and they ridiculed the godly values you stand for.
TheWorldSystemHasaWideCoverage
It does not take much time and effort for immorality to spread. Anything can get to anybody anywhere within seconds The world system has a very fast and efficient means of advertising their products They can get to your childrenthroughschool,socialmedia,television,anddifferentothermeans.
Devil’sTrapsagainstRaisingGodlyChildren
The Bible warns us not to be ignorant of the whiles of the devil. This means that it is our responsibility to guard against any tricks he might want to play against us He’s got bags of tricks and many people are falling for them Someofthetrapsheusesagainstfamiliesincludethefollowing.
1TimeApartfromYourChildren
We live in a busy world where survival is connected to activities So many activities in the quest for survival have turned so many parents into absentee parents. They don’t mean to do that. They are just trying to make ends meet. Unfortunately, too much commitment to work and other matters of survival leaves our children vulnerable When childrenarelefttogrowontheirown,theyareverylikelytogrowwrongly.
The devil likes to keep families apart because that allows him to crawl in and take a prominent place in that home. Findtimeforyourchildren Busynessatworkisnotavalidexcuse
Friends: Friendship is very important in our lives as human beings. However, we know that the kind of friends we keep can either make or mar us A friend can have so much influence over another We need to monitor the kind of friendsourchildrenkeep.Thebibletellsusthattheevilassociationcandestroygoodmorals.
There is a story in the bible of one of King David’s son Amon who started lusting after his half-sister. He told a close friend about his lust and his friend advised him wrongly The advice of his so-called friend led to his untimely death.(See11Sam.13)
Thatis how far friends can go in the life of someone Please take the time to know and monitor the friends that your childrenkeep.Itisoneofthetrapsthedevilusestoderailchildrenfromthepathofgodliness.
The things you need to look out for in the friends your children keep is what they stand for. What is there value system? What do they think about God, the gospel, and the church? Such scrutiny is worth it because they will subtlyrubtheirvaluesonyourchildrenwhenyouarenotthere.Andofcourse,youknowyoucan’talwaysbethere.
Saythisprayeroveryourchildrenandyourhousehold:
I declare in the name of Jesus Christ that my children (name them) are protected from evil friendship They are shielded from evil and harmful associations. They will only attract the right friends into their lives. Let my children’s lives repel and resist anyone that will influence them wrongly Every evil friend sent by Satan to entice mychildrenshallfailinJesusname HouseholdEnemies
Therearehouseholdenemies JesusHimselfaffirmedthatmanenemiesarethoseofhishousehold Jesusdidnotsay that to give us a license to suspect or hate our relatives. He said it to equip us to be on guard. A lot of things are happeningwithinthefamilycircle Abuseandmolestationareveryrampantnowinthefamily
A woman told my wife about how a cousin (girl) has been sexually molesting her little boy to the point that the boy hadbecomeverytimidasaresultofthethreatfromthegirl Mywifeadvisedhertotellherhusbandaboutitbutshe refused. She told my wife that the father of the girl in question also molested her when she was younger. You can seethatsexualabusehasbecomeastrongholdinthatfamily
We can’t end our relationship with our family members because many of them are decent and God-fearing but we need to watch out for those monsters the devil might use against our families. You must watch and pray for your childrenagainsthouseholdenemies
LetmyhousebetoohotforanyonewithevilintentionsagainstmyfamilyinJesus'name IdeclarethatmychildrenareimmunefromeveryhouseholdenticementinJesusname ThedemonofsexualabuseandmolestationshallnotcomenearmyhouseholdinJesusname I putthe mark ofthe blood ofJesus on my children and household. The evilarrows thatfly by day and by nightshall nottouchtheminJesus'name
SomePrinciplesofRaisingGodlyChildren
Some parents stand on godly principles but unfortunately, they teach them loosely to their children Eli in the bible was not in support of what his children were doing but he was not firm in rebuking and correcting them. It is not enough to imbibe godly values; you must pass them on to your children When we fail to do so, we give the devil a chancetoreclaimthevictorywehavewon.Youarenotsuccessfulifyourchildrencan’treproduceyoursuccess. The devil knows the value of trans-generational grace and that is why, all through the ages, he has fought to severe the link between parents and children He hates to see children following the footstep of their godly parents We havesomanyexamplesinthebible.Eli,Samuel,David,andsomeothershadwaywardchildrenyettheyweregodly
men themselves. We must adhere to certain principles if we must lead our children and families in the path of godliness
1PrincipleofModelling
One of the dictionary definitions of a model is a successful example to be copied, with or without modification Models are used in the Show Biz world to show us the picture of a perfect human being. They let us see that we musthaveaflattummy,looktallandbeautifulastheidealfigure
Well, that is for show biz. In our homes, we must model what we want our children to emulate. To model means to show an example We show our children whatever we want themto imbibe If you want your children to always tell the truth, make sure you say the truth yourself. If we must raise godly children in this generation, we must show them examples We must model for our children what we want them to do Studies have shown that children imitate their parents more than they follow their instructions. In other words, your children follow your lifestyle more than theyfollowyourwords TheapostlePaulinvitespeopletofollowhislifestyle
For yourselves know how you ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you 2 Thessalonians3:7.
The apostles showed the people a prototype of what they wanted them to be through their lifestyle. Be careful what yousayordobeforeyourchildrenbecausetheywillreproduceexactlywhattheyseeyoudo
Iknowawomanwhohasthehabitofalwayskneelingtoprayataparticularspoteachtimeshereturnsfromworkor any outing The children started imitating what their mother was doing They would return from school and kneel at that particular spot for a few minutes. Since they didn’t know what their mom usually says when she kneels there, theywouldjuststaytherequietlyforafewminutes Thatgoestoshowhowmuchourchildrenimitateouractions If youwatchverycarefully,youwillobservethattheyusethewordsorthetermsyouuseinthehouse
Modelling is an effective way of communicating our values to our children. One of the commendations God gave aboutAbrahamisthatHewassureAbrahamwouldcommandorshowhishouseholdthepathoftheLord Hewould bothmodelandinstructhishouseholdinthewayofGod.
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the LordmaybringuponAbrahamthatwhichhehathspokenofhim Gen18:17-19
When we hear the word indoctrination, what quickly comes to our minds is the teaching of the wrong doctrine Indoctrination is not about the wrong doctrine. It means to properly instruct someone on a doctrine, idea, or belief. The dictionary defines it as instruction in the rudiments and principles of any science or belief system We are to diligently and properly teach our children the word of God and our Christian faith. Educate your children on what you stand for Proverbs 22: 6 says: Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart fromit.
Oneofyourprimaryassignmentasaparentistoteachyourchildrentherightvalues Thisisnotjustanassignment; it is a war because society has so many wrong things to teach them The devil wants to impact them negatively Your teaching is an effective weapon against the devil’s onslaught over your family. God commanded the Israelites inthebibletoproperlyteachtheirchildrenHisstatues
And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thourisestupDeut.6:6-7
TeachingyourchildreninthewayoftheLordisaseriousbusinessinthekingdom.Itisastageofourlifebattleswe can’t afford to lose The consequence of losing such a battle is so grave and the joy of winning it is unspeakable God said He would fulfill the promise he made to Abraham when he commands his household to keep His statutes. SeeGen18:17-19
RodintheBibleisaninstrumentofguidanceandprotectionnotaninstrumentoftorture.Childrenneedtobeguided ontherightpath,protected from evil influence, and corrected when they do wrong We are admonished not to spare therodinthetrainingofourchildren.
The word of God attributes sparing of the rod on your child to hatred. In other words, you don’t love a child you refusedtocorrect Don’ttakeitpersonally;childrenwillalwaysbechildren Theydofoolishthingsnotbecausethey want to get at you but because that is all they could do at that stage of their lives. Foolishness is not far from them; thatiswhytherodmustnotbefarfromyou
The battle of raising godly children is a tough one. Do not let your rod be far from you. You will continue to guide and correct them until they get it right Your rod is a veritable, bible inspired weapon for this fight Don’t neglect or misuse it. The principle of the rod has two sides: toughness and tenderness. Tough enough to make them know you meanbusinessandtenderenoughforthemtofeelyourloveandcare
Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die Thou shalt beat him withtherodandshaltdeliverhissoulfromhell.
4.ThePrincipleofAttention
We must pay attention to our children if we must raise godly seeds If you have been to school, you will agree with me that teachers always demand the attention of the pupils whenever a lesson is going on. Every teacher knows that apupileasilymissesoutifheorsheisdistracted.Thebibleadmonishesustopayattentiontoourchildren. Bediligenttoknowthestateofyourflockandlookwelltothyherds Proverbs27:23
Our attention to our children is not negotiable We must know what is going on in their lives We must observe how theseedorvaluesweinculcatedintothemisdeveloping.Don’tassumethatyourchildrenaregodlybecauseyouare or because you have spoken to them about godly values, you need to watch how they are manifesting those values Children can obey in your presence and do something else when you are not there. So, you must pay close attention tothem Payattentiontodifferentareasoftheirlives
Attitude
It is said that attitude is everything. Know the disposition of your children towards different family values. How do they respond to church activities, to prayer, to education, and to work? Some parents are so devoted to the things of God but their children are not. The danger is that in the future, they will disdain and desecrate that which you hold sodear
Such an attitude must have started very little, in such an insignificant proportion, and was not corrected until they grewwild Godsaidtheywerevile(corruptadistasteful)
I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselvesvileandherestrainedthemnot.1Samuel3:13
God said that the sons of Eli made themselves vile They developed, they grew and they exercised themselves in ungodliness.Theygrewfromsimple,negligibleactstocomplex,complicated,andcatastrophicbehaviors.
Eli was not judged for his sin but for being weak in correcting his children. He must have overlooked some of the earlysignsthechildrenmanifestedasmerejuveniledelinquencyuntiltheygrewtoostrongforcorrection
The word of God says train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it
We live in a world where godly values are ridiculed; that is why we need to pay attention to the spiritual lives of our children. Pay attention to the spiritual life of your children. Lead them to Christ and see that they love the Lord. A sound spiritual life is a sign that God is at work in someone’s life When someone has established a cordial relationshipwithGod,thepersoncaneasilybeguidedbytheSpiritofGod.
MediaConsumption
The media is a very powerful tool in our world today Both good and bad are in abundance through the media and we know that everything available to man is also within the reach of the enemy of our souls (the devil). The television, internet, and social media are powerful tools in the hand of the devil. Children are being influenced by these tools more than ever before Pay attention to what they consume on the media because both positive and
negative values are disseminated through these avenues. If you ignore what your children do on the media, you will besurprisedhowfarthedevilhasgonebythetimeyouwakeup
I was once in charge of students’ affairs in one of the secondary schools where I was a teacher You need to see the volume of pornographic materials we were recovering from the students. They will download all sorts of porn and bring it to school to show their mates Some of these children were just ten years of age, some twelve Children are now being recruited for evil purposes online. Please, pay close attention to what your children consume online. So muchofsuchmaterialsaretoxic
Some people may say you are infringing on their rights by trying to monitor everything they do But remember that theintentionistoguidethemontherightpath.
Attention is not just a way of being a good parent; it is a weapon of warfare against Satan’s attack on your families When you pay attention to your children, you are wading off the enemy’s missiles against them. The devil won’t penetrate their lives when your eyes are on them Besides, when your eyes are on your children, God’s eyes will be onthem.Thereareseveralotherreasonswhyweneedtopayattentiontoourchildren.
They will feel loved: Children may tend to resent your too much attention, but there is no doubt that they feel loved when parents pay attention to them We have at one time or the other resented the monitoring of our parents only to appreciate the fact that they didn’t give up on us later on. Even when we felt they were prying too much into our affairs,westillcan’tdenythefactthatwefelttheirloveandcare
AttentionOpensThemuptoyou:Therearefamilieswherechildrenarefreetoopenuptotheirparentsandthereare others that thrive on secrets. Your children will tell you things if they know you genuinely care about them. Use the weaponofattentiontoopenyourchildrenuptoyou
You, Will, See Deeper Things: People have discovered things that others did not see because they paid closer attention Beingobservantisasecrettodiscoveringwhatothersdon’tsee Anattentiveparentwillseeanythingnew or strange in his or her children. You will know when their language changes or when they become resentful to thingsthatonceexcitedthem
King Artaxerxes observed that the countenance of Nehemiah changed and he asked why (see Nehemiah 2). This simply means that the king was attentive to things around him including the facial expression of a slave This is a big lesson for us. If a king with so many matters of the kingdom to attend to could notice the change in the countenanceofaslave,weneedtopaycloseattentiontoourfamilymembers
22. My children will grow in the fear of the Lord. They shall be established in the wisdom of God and they shall be satisfiedwithfavor,inJesus'name
23 The power that entices children into ungodliness shall be far from my family The oil of the Lord upon my childrenshallcausethemtoresisteveryevilenticement,inJesusname.
24 I speak strength into the lives of my children God’s ability is upon them to overcome every stage of life’s battle theyface,inJesus'name.
25. I break every influence of darkness over my household. The sons of wickedness are not permitted to afflict my family,inJesus'name
27. I forbid sickness and diseases in my household. God wants us to be in good health, therefore, I proclaim good healthinmyfamily,inJesusname
28 I bind every devil that causes obstacles to the ways of people I forbid them from hindering the blessings of my family,inJesus'name.
29 I declare that my children and the entire household are blessed as they go out and as they come in I and my household shall flourish in the land of the living. God’s goodness and mercy encompass us at all times, in Jesus name
