SPIRITUAL INGREDIENTS
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
Rev. Dr. James Mbotela Syomuti, ThD, DD, PhD, is a Kenyan citizen and he lives in Kitui County, near Kitui Town. He is married to Anna and they have been blessed with six children, (four sons and two daughters.) All of their children are now adults and some of them are married. He is a pastor, a teacher, an artist, a writer of fiction and nonfiction, a poet, a humorist and he is also a prolific personal blogger (https://syomuti.blogspot.com). He has a deep passion for writing content. So far, he has written and published some ebooks with Smashwords Publishing Platform in USA. His published titles are; (1) The Maid (2) The Moving Mouth (3) The Virgin (4) The Drunkard. (5) The Soliloquist (One), (6) The Soliloquist (Two). (7) The Stranger & Other Poems. You can access the above books by visiting his site on the internet, by clicking https://syomuti.com He has taught students at different Secondary Schools in his home county for many years down the line. He is an approved Bible Skills Institute (BSI) trainer, a theological program of Every Home for Christ International, (Headquarters-The Jericho Center, Colorado Springs, COUSA). He teaches church adults theological courses. On top of that, he teaches adults (physically), English Language. He is a born again Christian, a pastor and the Founder/Bishop of Siloam Worship Center International Ministries. You can access the church details online, by just writing and clicking the aboveunderlined name, on the internet. He is an itinerant preacher, a radio preacher and a teacher of the Word of God. He has several
certificates and diplomas in theology, from national and
international Bible Schools. He has a certificate in Spiritual Life
Development from Northwestern Christian University, in USA.
Above all, he has honorary doctorate degrees of Doctor of Humanity (DH) and Doctor of Theology (ThD) from Prixton Church & University, in USA. He also has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Ministry Science, and honorary doctorate degrees of; Doctor of Achievement in Ministry Science, Master of Arts (MA) in Ministry Science, Doctor of Divinity (DD) in Ministry Science and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Ministry Science, from Abide University.
SPIRITUAL INGREDIENTS
FULL COMMITMENT
A commitment may not be in a full measure. Nothing can hinder the Lord Jesus Christ from saving us from an antagonizing situation, whether by using many or by using a few people. The Lord will act on our behalf if we fully commit ourselves to do his will here on earth. Be encouraged and fully committed to him, in his service. The eyes of the Lord are everywhere all over the world to see those who are fully committed to Him in order to strengthen them. Discover the secret of full commitment to God and He will be with you, to protect, to promote and to provide for you in any aspect of your life. Be fully committed to God in your prayers. Be fully committed in fasting, reading the word of God, attending Church fellowships, honoring your pledges and being devoted and diligent in the areas where the Lord has assigned you as a steward. Full commitment in serving the Lord Jesus Christ is the key secret to tangible victory and fulfillment. Full commitment to the Lord in everything that one does, acts as a springboard that ushers him to a spiritual and as well as a physical environment of success. Full commitment causes God to release to you what you need in your life. The Lord Jesus Christ can give you victory in many areas of your life if you portray total commitment to Him, as an individual or as a group. In the book of 1 Samuel 14: 6-7, we read about Jonathan and his cupbearer (Personal Assistant). The two warriors were fully committed to war and the Lord enabled them to conquer the Philistines. The Lord acted on behalf of the two warriors and therefore nothing could hinder him from saving them, whether by many or by a few. The Lord Jesus Christ is determined to act on your behalf if you are fully committed to Him in your heart and in your soul, whether you are in the battle field fighting alone or with many. Jonathan's armor-bearer was always very close to his master and he had full commitment in heart and soul. He was always ready to face any adversity with Jonathan his master. When you become a cupbearer to anyone, you must ensure that whoever you are serving is fully protected and by ensuring that you stand with him or her all the time.
THE SECRETS OF PRAYER (2 Chronicles 7: 14)
"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and heal their Land."
Moses was a humble man, more humble than anyone else on the earth. (Numbers 12:3) Jesus said: "All things are possible to him that believes" (Mark 9:23). Faith,(or spiritual sight) is the power that stimulates and makes prayer effective. Visualize your prayers as answered. Many people do just the opposite. They are conscious and absorbed in their failures, frustrations and defeats. Some Christians insist that God does not hear them when they pray. Pray for these people and you just waste your breath. Ten minutes later, they will want you to pray again because they are so accustomed to denying that God answers their prayers. By refusing to ACT their faith, they submit themselves to failure. They actually throw away the very key that would release them from their imprisonment (Acts 16: 25-26)- Paul and Silas prayed and sang until the doors of the prison were opened.) There is nothing else that can trigger God into taking action, except the prayer(s) of a saint. Few, short and feeble prayers, always indicate a low spiritual condition. A true Christian has to pray much and apply energy and perseverance. In the book of Matthew 15: 21-28, the Bible gives us an account of a Canaanite woman who had an encounter with Jesus Christ.
The Canaanite woman portrayed total persistence and perseverance to Jesus by appealing to him to drive out a demon which was tormenting the young girl. In the book of 2 Kings 2: 2-9, we still see another act of persistence and perseverance from Elisha to Elijah. Every time that Elijah told Elisha to remain behind, Elisha would not allow him to go until he had to receive a share of Elijah's power. (2 Kings 2:9) Eminent Christians are aggressive and devoted in prayer. The deep things of God are learnt and done through great prayers. He who prays much, studies much, loves much, works much, does much for God and humanity, remains in good relationship with God. Some people think that God does not want to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. (Isaiah 21:11-) The only way to trouble God is not to go to Him at all. In most cases, we knock at God's door and then run away instead of waiting for entrance and an answer. Quite a good number of people pray in that way. They do not wait for an answer. Our Lord teaches us that we are not only to ask, but we are to wait for the answer from him. If the answer does not come, we should seek to find out the reason. We are to ask with a beggar's humility, to seek with a servant's carefulness and to knock with the confidence of a friend.
TIPS ON PRAYER-(special information)
1. Discipline yourself to make a special time each day to pray. For a
housewife, it may be more practical to pray before or after the breakfast. For the man of the house, he can rise before the rest of the household and spend time with God.
2. Quality is always to be preferred, to quantity, but remember; a five
minutes prayer is not going to cement a deep relationship with God. One only gets to know a person better by spending time with him. Spend time with God and you will get to know Him in a deeper and more personal way. God desires your personal relationship and fellowship.
3. Avoid unnecessary repetition. Don't go through your prayers like
a shopping list. Discuss the requests. By this, it means you will
discover that God will speak into your spirit. Solutions to problems,
guidance in certain areas of your life will be brought to your mind
as your spirit is permitted to operate freely in your prayer time.
4. Don't expect to have dramatic visions. If it happens, it is well and
good. But never become dependent on feelings in your private devotions with God. You may experience moments of holy joy,
tearful thankfulness and many other heavenly emotions may flood
your being, but don't rely on them.
Feelings are not a precise yardstick or a gauge to measure the degree of spirituality. Always remember that we live by faith but not sight or feelings. We speak to God the Father, to Jesus Christ and to the Holy Spirit, by faith.
5. Check your motives while praying. For instance, if you are
praying to God to give you a wheelbarrow so that you can show off to your neighbor who has been very mean with his wheelbarrow, God will not respond because your motive is wrong!
6. Don't always approach God with a string of requests. Remember to give thanks often. Sometimes spend the whole of your prayer time giving thanks to God. Learn to cast your cares to Him for He knows your needs even before you ask. (Philippians 4:6).
7. Don't let the reading of the word of God squeeze out your prayer
time. Both are essential to a healthy spiritual life. Don't neglect
either.
8. Besides your special time alone with God, speak to Him often
during the course of the day. While in the car, in the bus, in your office, at your work place or while walking in the street. By so doing, you will be interacting with the presence of God. This has two very practical benefits;
(a) There is less chance of idle and sinful thoughts invading your mind.
(b) When a crisis or tough decision comes your way, you are well
prayed up.
FINDING DOD'S WILL
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
Matthew 7:21; 12: 50, 1Peter 4:12, Ephesians 2:10; 5:17, Colossians 1: 9; 4:12, 1 John 2:17.
1. The Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles taught that man's greatest honor and privilege is to do the will of God.
2. It is mere folly to move into the future on our own without involving God to guide us. God's plans are the best in our lives. If we yield to Him, He can save us from Satan's snares.
3. It is possible to miss God's perfect will for our lives because of
carelessness or disobedience.
CONDITIONS FOR FINDING GOD'S WILL
1. Daily fellowship with God in meditation and prayer is vital if we
wish to have God's guidance in our lives. To find God's will, we must first fulfill the following conditions:
(a). We must believe that God will reveal His will to us. Such faith will
be characterized by earnest desire and patience. We should be willing to wait for God's time.
(b). We must distrust our own cleverness and humbly lean upon
God. We do not have to discard our intellectual abilities, but our
confidence must be in God and not ourselves.
(c). We must be willing to seek God's will in every area of our lives, and not just in a few. We must be obedient to the light God has already given us, and should keep our consciences clean always.
(d). We must yield ourselves without reservation, to God and be
willing to accept anything He chooses for us.
(e). We must walk with God daily, listening to what He has to say. We
must allow Him to renew our minds and deliver us from worldly thought-process.
RELYING ON THE HOLY SPIRIT- (John 14:16, 26)
The Holy Spirit lives in a believer to be his guide, and He replaces all the external means of guidance that existed in the Old Testament. External guidance is for the immature saints. Inward guidance is for the mature saints and this is the way God desires to lead all His children today. When seeking God's will, we need to ascertain what the Holy Spirit is saying to us in our spirits. It is therefore essential that we seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 4:1-2; 11:13), Ephesians 5: 17; 18). Throughout His earthly life, the Lord Jesus
Christ was governed by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, but
never by human ideas or advice.
The sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit was found among
the early Christians too. In Acts of the Apostles, we find Philip
acting on the inner urging of the Spirit and joining the chariot of the
Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:29). Peter obeyed the inner voice of the Holy
Spirit directing him to go to Cornelius's house (Acts 10: 19-20).
The leaders of the Church at Antioch recognized the witness of
the Holy Spirit in their spirits confirming the call of Saul and
Barnabas to foreign missionary service (Acts 13:2). The same Spirit desires to guide each one of us today in every decision we make.
RECOGNIZING THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT-(John 14: 126, 26).
The Holy Spirit speaks to us through an inner pressure on our
spirits rather than through an audible voice. He urges us inwardly
either to take or not to take a certain course of action. Normally,
this is the result of much time spent in prayer, weighing the
advantages and disadvantages of the proposed course of action.
However, the Holy Spirit may also give us a sudden urge at times to go somewhere or to do something. But sudden impulses to do something ridiculous can come from the devil too, or from ourselves. So, we must be careful. The Holy Spirit will in any case
never lead us contrary to the teaching of the Bible. We can distinguish the voice of the Holy Spirit by the increasing pressure He produces in our spirits and the growing peace He gives to our minds, as we pray over the matter. The devil's voice is usually harassing and often accompanied by threats of judgment, if we not obey instantly. God gives us sufficient time to consider and be sure of His will. On some occasions the Holy Spirit may lead us to do something our minds cannot fully understand. Stephen Grellet, an American preacher, was once led by the Holy Spirit to a certain lodging camp which he found deserted. But since he was so sure of the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he went into the empty hall and preached his sermon. Many years later, a man approached Grellet in London. The man Reminded him of the incident. He said he had been the cook at that camp and had been the only man there that day. He had hidden outside a window as he listened to Grellet's sermon. He was converted and had gone on, to work for the LORD back in London. Such guidance however, is extremely rare. It is often not easy for us to distinguish between our own hearts' voice and the voice of the Holy Spirit, for our hearts are so deceitful.
GUIDANCE THROUGH THE INNER WITNESS
1. God rarely guides us in spectacular ways. In this New
Testament age, God guides us through the Holy Spirit. So we must
seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11: 13).
2. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through an inner pressure on
our spirits. This pressure increases as we wait on God in prayer.
3. To distinguish the voice of the Holy Spirit from the voice of our own hearts, we should examine our hearts, our motives and ensure that they are pure.
4. A 'balance sheet,' to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a proposed course of action, can be helpful in enabling us to find God's will.
5. We must place great value on the inner witness of the Holy Spirit, for this is God's chief means of guidance in our day. God expects us to be governed by this in our daily lives and not merely by a moral code.
GUIDANCE THROUGH EXTERNAL MEANS.
The Holy Spirit guides us through the teaching of the Bible. God may on rare occasions confirm His guidance through a passage in
our daily Bible reading. But this should never be made the sole basis for guidance in any matter. The Holy Spirit guides us through the witness of circumstances. God can use circumstances either to confirm the guidance we have received or stop us taking a wrong step, like Balaam (Numbers 22:1-39). But Satan too can order our circumstances to some extent. So, they are not always an indication of God’s will. God may lead us at times contrary to circumstances. We can also ask God to reveal His will by altering circumstances. God may occasionally confirm His guidance to us by means of a sign. However, asking for signs is a sign of spiritual immaturity and we should grow out of that state as soon as possible. The Holy Spirit guides us through the advice of other believers. The advice of godly men will enable us to see other aspects of a particular matter which we may have failed to consider. God has made this provision as a safeguard against our missing His will. There are some occasions when we should pay attention to the advice of godly men, and some occasions when we may have to go against the advice of those same men, and yet other occasions when we do not have to consult anyone at all. We should never be governed by the advice of other believers alone. The final decision must always be our own. But when we have to go against the advice of godly men, we should check and recheck our guidance. Whatever means God may use, the supremely important thing is to hear His voice.
You can contact me through;
Email:syomuti@gmail.com or jambsy@yahoo.com
Mobile: +254724649652 or +254718776259
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/jamesmbotela.syomuti.7 Twitter:https://twitter.com/jambsy@yahoo.com
Website:https://syomuti.com
Blog:https://syomuti.blogspot.com
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