I faced a lot of spiritual obstacles while growing up. At first, I didn’t believe they were unnatural. They seemed to me to be a part of life’s struggles- the challenges, disappointments, heartaches, stagnation, delays, and even ill luck.
But as my 40th birthday approached, I realized that neither these plans—the ones I had for myself nor the ones God had for me—were mine. I, therefore, decided to become closer to some men of God in my neighborhood. Even more so, I started going to Sunday fellowship services and staying back to see the pastor for personal prayers and counseling sessions.
The teachings I learned in the Fellowship program gave me the foundation I needed to start growing spiritually. And my personal life started getting better. The outcomes, though, took time to materialize. I would watch videos on spiritual topics while also reading my bible from Genesis to Revelation. Then, in an effort to get results faster, I started combining all of these strategies, and guess what? It worked for me!
I was advised by my preacher to take cognizance of the dreams I had. That spiritual advancement was facilitated by dreams. In other words, dreams are a sign to look out for after your prayer sessions. My dreams were at first hazy, partial, or ambiguous. I was, however, encouraged to see it as a sign of spiritual development. And that the dreams would get clearer with time, which they did.
And then, one night, I experienced a short, clear, and concise dream. When I opened my eyes, I realized right away that I had been visited by the Holy Spirit, and all of my problems were solved. Since then, I have noticed a positive change in all I do and, in my life, as a whole. The pastors I spoke with provided me with some prayer points, which I almost forgot to mention. I included similar prayer points that were related to my spiritual struggles as my main prayer topics.
Then, I used to stay up all night praying for myself and into the salt-infused water for my bath. For a bucket of water, I would add about one handful of salt. I would then begin singing songs of praise and adoration. The Bible contains numerous situations that happened when God is praised. The Wall of Jericho serves as one amazing illustration. By worshiping God, a high and mighty wall was brought down (Joshua 6:20). The Heavenly Hosts descend, chains are broken, and slaves are freed when you praise and worship God in spirit and truth.
Another instance is the story of Paul and Silas. Two apostles who were imprisoned in Philippi. At midnight, they prayed and sang praises unto God. And suddenly, a miracle happened (Acts 16:25-26). These examples, thus, demonstrate that God appreciates praises. So, it’s important to include praise and worship in your times alone with God if you desire prompt answers to your prayers. It’s been doing a great job for me. And I’m appreciative to God for introducing me to His servants who have imparted the art of prayer.
My next act is to pray using Psalms, beginning with Psalm 51, the Psalm of Forgiveness. Then come 23 and 91 (these two are for God to watch over me). Then Psalms 3 and 35 for protection from evil people who reside in the realm of darkness and for spiritual combat and liberation.
The next stage is to pray to my God after reading the Psalms from the Bible.
Asking God to bless me so that I could be a benefactor to others. This is a potent prayer that I learned from my spiritual mentor. To be completely honest, I love the prayer. Asking God to let His will be done in your life is another wonderful addition to your prayer points. God wants you to have a positive impact on other people’s lives, so He answers these requests more quickly.
After praying, I would take a shower using the water that has been diluted with salt. And I would be able to get a good night’s sleep since the Angels would be keeping watch over me. This also led to the end of my terrifying nightmares.
Now, when I look back, all I could think of to do is praise the Almighty. One of the reasons I made the decision to publish a book or start a blog on my life’s story was so that those who are facing difficulties could benefit from what I learned and from my story as well.
Because of how horrible it was, I lost my respect, dignity, position, and status in the family. In fact, my biological mom detested me. And would speak poorly of me at every chance she could find. At one time, she even threatened to lay a curse on me. Even my younger siblings received the respect I deserved from her. As a man, going to my younger sisters for support and assistance was really painful. It was even more hurtful seeing my family treat friends and neighbors with respect while disrespecting me who’s a blood relative. I was isolated. I lost my self-worth.
But I thank God today. And with all that I know now, I would never leave Him nor worship any other god. He really does exist and He answers prayers.
From Fear To Faith: How Trusting In God Changed My Life Story