Proverbs 4:23

Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issue of life.

Another version says,

Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.

The heart is a very precious organ that is responsible for supplying blood to other parts of the body, and a whole lot can go wrong when the heart suddenly decides to take a break or if something suddenly goes wrong with it, it can lead to paralysis or even death.

What does it mean to guard something?

To guard something means that the thing being guarded is very important and considered to be valuable.

It was in time past that people put their valuables especially money at home, but in today’s world, there are so many establishments that gives the promise of giving security to our money and other things we consider important when we decide to do business with them.

If we are told to guard our heart above everything, it shows that it must be as important or even more important than those things we take to the bank for safe-keeping.

Just like no one put materials that are considered valuable on display or at a place where people can easily access it or where it can easily be trampled upon or stolen, why then do people care less about their heart which is one of those things the bible tells us to guard?

The bible speaking says we should be careful of throwing our pearls to the pig, lest they trample upon it and they turn back and fight the owner. Your heart is that precious too or even more precious than the most expensive diamond.

Your heart is a very precious organ and just like you can’t deliberately watch a person coming with a knife pointed at your chest and just keep laughing especially if that person is a stranger and he has a deadly look in his eyes.

It is very important because the quality of life you live depends on the kind of thoughts you allow in your heart.

Life doesn’t just start from characters we exhibit per time. It stats from the heart (thoughts)

I learned an acronym a long time ago about how characters are formed.

T-A-H-C

T- Thoughts

A – Actions

H – Habits

C – Character

Character doesn’t just get developed, it all comes from the things we have allowed settled in our minds over time.

And it is the things we feed our heart with that will definitely begin to think about overtime.

So, Guard your heart.

How Then Do You Guard Your Heart?

1.      1   Watch The Songs  And Videos You Listen To

There are so many artists and movie producers  in our world today with them releasing an album or videos every other day, while they have the capacity of churning out content, you have the choice on the kind of songs and videos you listen to.

While you might not be able to control the kind of songs that others play, probably when you are on the bus, at work, in a public place, but you very well can control the kind of songs and videos on your phones and laptops. YouTube also does this, it recognizes the kind of person you are, after a while of using that platform, it begins to bring suggestions of YouTube mix for you based on the videos you have listened to overtime.

Songs and videos are so important, there are some you’ll listen to or watch them and you would literally feel like God is wrapping you in His hands, and there are others that you’ll listen to that leaves you with the feeling of grabbing the next girl or guy for a showdown or just taking your own life.

To guard your heart, watch the songs and films you consume.

2.      2    Be Careful Of The Books You Read

Books, Books, Books.

Recently, I shared my journey with reading romance novels, you can click here if you missed it.

Books are important, they grant you access into traveling to places, you have never been in the flesh.

And those places can be a good place or a bad place, depending on the book you are reading.

You can’t be on a mission to guard your heart against lustful thoughts and be a person of worth when you are constantly reading magazines and books that feed your mind on bedroom activities or just books that aren’t adding any significant value to your life.

So to guard your heart, be careful of the content you expose your heart to.

3.      3   Be Mindful Of The News You Listen To

In guarding your heart, the news you give yourself to hearing over time will go in no small way in affecting your heart and ultimately shape your mindset and ultimately your lifestyle.

There is certain news you should guard your heart against.

Know the kind of news that is capable of making you be in a bad place and deliberately begin to guard against them. For some, just coming online to read the news of what is going on all over the world is enough to make them lose the zeal they need to accomplish their tasks that day.

You are a young person who is looking forward to getting married, but the kind of news or statistics that you are fond of listening or following is that of how many wives have killed their husbands in the last five months or how many husbands have poured acid on the face of their wives in the last one year.

While it is a good thing to stay abreast of what is going on in the world at large, but there are certain news that you should keep your heart guarded against, especially when you know you aren’t so strong in that aspect.

Someone who grew up in an abusive home and has now given his life to Christ have no business watching those kinds of news, they’ll keep building doubt and fear in your heart which is the opposite of what is your reality in Christ.

Someone who keeps listening to this will soon start doubting if there are still good women around, a person like that will soon start looking at her husband as a man who isn’t just right.

Be careful of what you listen to, so they don’t become your reality.

Whose report will you choose to believe?

4.      4    Be Careful Of Your Association

There are certain people whose words have the ability of sending you towards depression.

There are some people who will just open their mouths and spew out words without giving thoughts on how those words of theirs will affect the person hearing it. if you have such a person around you, you might have to start minimizing the time you spend around such people until you are in a much better place where what they say or don’t say won’t affect you adversely.

There are certain people who in their presence, you’ll suddenly realize that you are getting sad as there are fond of saying demeaning words to you.

These are people you should be careful of, you don’t have to call such people every day, if there are your colleagues at work, you can decide to stay clear of them for a while until you are in a better place mentally and you are able to hear their words and then it no longer affects you.

And if these people are not those you can outrightly stay clear off, then when they are talking, mentally bring a shield up in your mind through which you can shield yourself against any hurt their words can cause.

All these are a great determinant of the kind of thoughts that will ultimately run through your heart.

Your heart is very important.

Don’t let anything mess up with it.

Remember, as a man thinks in his heart, so he is.

Today's blog post is to get you familiarized with the face behind this blog. 

While there are various parts and experiences of my life scattered all over the blog, read on as I share some other facts with you.

1.   I am a twin    

You know those people whose mother gave birth to two children on the same day with minutes or hours interval, I belong to those people. 

I have a twin double.

Mine is a non-identical case, so my twin sister and I don’t look so alike. Her picture is on this post here.

 2.  I am both the first and the last born    

My family is a very small one where it is just my Dad, Mom, and Twin sis and I.

I am both the first and the last child of the house and same goes for her.

 3.  My Mom Is A Twin     

Yes, you read that right, I am a twin and my biological mother is one too. 

While I have a female double, my mom’s double is a male.

So if you want to give birth to twins, you know what to do abi (smiles) 

It’s so interesting watching my mom’s twin brother call her his younger sister and my mom also calling him her younger brother. If you have a twin friend or family member, you’ll be very familiar with this game twins play.

4. I Can Trek For Africa  

I sincerely think I can win an award for marathon walk in Nigeria or in Africa.

I love been on my feet, although not every time but for most of the time.

This is one of the reasons prayer walks are still one of the ways I pray for long.

I am sure some people in the sixties and seventies haven’t trekked the number of miles I have trekked within my short time on earth.

I used to joke with some of my friends that I think I have trekked enough for all my children and grand-children unborn. While this is purely a joke, I think it holds some form of truth considering the distance I have trekked in life.

I look forward to my prayers having such an impact on my generations unborn too.

5. I Have Never Tasted Sharwama  

Shawarma is like the next snack everybody eats and it is only funny that I have never tasted it.

I remember on my way from work one day, a particular shawarma vendor was trying to get me to buy what he was selling and he was telling me to come and buy shawarma from him because his shawarma is very hot. In my mind I was just laughing because either shawarma is supposed to be hot or hold, I have never tasted it. Pizza falls into this category of edibles I have never tasted too.

6. I Love Amala and Abula

My love for that meal ehn.

Amala and Abula is a meal peculiar to a certain tribe here in Nigeria but I am certain I love this meal even more than those who are from that state.

I didn't grow up in the village o, my love for that meal came to be as a result of the home I grew up in. In my home, if we haven't eaten swallow also known as okele in a day, the day wasn't complete.

So, that was the life I was used to. 

I didn't even realize I loved eating Amala that much until I gained admission into the University and at some point my hallmates and I started to be cooking together. 

I was always clamoring that we eat swallow while they wanted something else. 

It became obvious that I was a special breed when on one of my sick days, a friend decided to take me out and of all the available meal, the one I choose was Amala.

My flatmates wouldn't let me have a breath of fresh air when I told them.

As I grew older, I found that when Abula is combined with Amala, it can create a wonderful memory for you.

There is a certain level of love and admiration for God that I feel whenever I taste that meal especially if I have not eaten it in a while. White rice and ata-dindin (fried stew) falls in this group too.

7. I Love  Reading

Way before it became popular that reading was an avenue through which you can develop yourself, I have loved reading.

I shared my journey with books in a recent post which you can check out here.

I still feel a sort of excitement when I go to bookshops that sells the kind of books I read.

My favorite authors are Elizabeth Elliot, Francine Rivers, Ife-grace Dada, T.D Jakes, Lisa Bevere, Taiwo Iredele Odubiyi. I have been tremendously blessed reading books by these ones and a host of others. I’d do a review of great books I have read very soon.

8. I Studied Microbiology In The University

This is quite contrary to what someone coming to the blog for the first time might have, but the fact remains that I don’t have an English background, I studied a science-related course in the Uni.

It is a course where you get all familiar with different microbes and their names and functions in human life amidst other things.

I might still explore the mass media world in years to come, but I rest in the assurance that at this stage of my life, God has all things figured out.

9. I Love Prayer Walk 

My love for prayer walk is not from here. 

While there have been times in the times in the past when I haven't been so consistent, but it is one of the disciplines the Lord is teaching me in this season of my life.  

I love the energy that comes from praying at the top of my voice with no one eavesdropping on my conversation with God.

10. I Was Really Spanked As A Child 

Yes, I was the stubborn one. 

My twin sister is the definition of cool, calm and collected while I was just the exact opposite. 

There was a time that no week ever went by without being flogged.

I used to envy those children I saw on television who had the luxury of calling 911. I live here in Nigeria where we don’t have that luxury

I remember those days of wishing I could just faint or something should just happen to me so that my mom can regret beating me. But nothing like that ever happened as she was always declaring that she got me (us) from God so nothing could ever go wrong with me. 

My mom would be beating me while praying and pleading the blood of Jesus over me. I need to know I am not the only person with a mom like this. Biko signify if your mom and mine are in the same WhatsApp group. 

Thank God, we no longer get flogged.

We haff grow. 

… And the extra one…

I Love Disturbing My Dad. 

I really love doing this.

My friends are fond of telling me to enjoy it while it lasts before they bring yam to take me away from him and I don't even get to see him talk less of disturbing him. 

Everyone should just leave me alone, shebi it is my hobby not theirs. 

***

That’s a little about me for now.

What is the new thing I shared that you didn’t know about me?

What will you like to know about me?

I look forward to reading your comments.

Acts 9:36-43

Dorcas; a name synonymous to a woman with a large heart.

My biological mother bears this name too.

The name Dorcas was only mentioned in a particular chapter of the bible but the lessons from her life are so great.

The first that was said about this woman after her name was the fact that she was a believer, it wasn’t just about any other thing but about Christ and all that the kingdom represents. It is not enough as being known just by our carrying bibles or being the one who prays the loudest in our flat, but in what ways is our profession as believers benefiting those around.

The scriptures moved on to talk about the fact that she was always doing good things for others, this great woman wasn’t self-centered, she was often times seen going about doing other things for others.

Point of reflection; what are you doing?

In what ways are you concerned about the well-being of the people around you?

She was doing good to the poor. To be able to do this means she saw herself as being blessed, to give to others isn’t just about the things you have or about the wealth you have been able to accumulate for yourself. What really matters in the grand scheme of things is what portion of the things you own that you are willing to give out.

And when we really think of it, we don’t really own anything, as all we have comes from God and out of his own do we give back to him and the people around us.

It was not recorded that Dorcas an extremely wealthy woman but to it is obvious from the account of the story of her life that she had a giving heart. She didn’t only give to the people who had and so would be able to give back to her too when she is in need. She was recorded that she gave to the poor; people who didn't have as much as she did, she went as far as giving to these set of people who had nothing else to give her knowing full well that it was God she was giving to and by so doing she put herself on God’s payroll.

You don’t have to have so much to be able to give to others.

There was an account of when Christ was on earth and he was in the synagogue, he saw how people were giving their offerings and were dropping it in the bowl, but after it all, he made a profound statement that it was a widow (a woman who had dropped just a mite) who have given the most. The rest had brought from their abundance, but she had brought all she had. It isn’t just enough to keep postponing when we will give to others, we can start where we are with what we have.

Back to Dorcas, she became ill and died just as it is the custom of everyone on earth, but what should have been the end of her life started another beautiful story of her life.

It was her friends; the people she had been kind to over time that prepared her body for burial and as a divine arrangement, it happened to be when Apostle Peter was around that town, it was still her friends who set people to Peter for him to come to her house.

The arrival of Peter met with the widows holding the garments that this great woman has made while crying.

Point of reflection; if anything happens to you today, are there people whom you have been kind to within your circle of influence who would go out of their way to see you restored?

What impact are you making in the life of people that will make them cry when you are no longer on this side of eternity.

If Dorcas hasn’t been good to others, her death might have been final. 

Most times, when we do good to others, we think that there are the only ones who have solely gained from we have done but often times, we also gain from the transaction all be it a different way.

Dorcas must have felt she was giving them without expecting anything in return as they didn’t even have anything to give her, but when she died, this people who had seemingly nothing to give her were those instrumental in her being brought back to life.

Many people got saved in that land after she was brought back to life on the basis of a named believer who was devoted enough to her master and it showed in her conduct and show of love towards others.

Dorcas was not a pastor or a great prophet; she was just a plain woman like you and I, someone who can be called a regular girl.

It isn’t everyone who has been called to public ministry or those who would stand in front of thousands of people in a church auditorium as they proclaim the gospel of Christ, but there is one thing we have all been given. We all have people around us who are in distress, people groping in darkness, people in need, and while we might not have access to the life of the millions of people on earth, but we sure have access to the life of one or two people around us, in what way are we faithful stewards of the resources that God has given unto us?

While I am a great advocate of being prudent with our finances and being faithful stewards of the wealth in our custody, but our being faithful stewards shows in the way we care about the people around.

A certain percent of our income should go into the life of others, life isn’t just about us.

Imagine for a moment that Dorcas was not the kind of person she was, she would have lived life, enjoyed it to the fullest, but when she died, there wouldn’t have been any one to go summon the apostle and her death would have been final.

While you might ever have the privilege of holding the microphone and telling a congregation about God, but we all definitely have people within our circle of influence, people whom the lord has brought into our corner at different times of our life, being able to be an ambassador of the kingdom to them is what really matters.

It is not just about fighting for the pulpit, but how far have we stewarded our gifts and talents to the people around?

You might not have everything, but you definitely have something to give.

Let’s live life in such a way that people won’t have to lie at our funeral.

I read my share of romance novels ehn.

I was invited recently to be a guest on an online TV program, and one of the questions I was asked was how romance novels contribute to sexual purity.

I smiled at that question because it brought back many memories of about ten years ago.

Let me give you the full gist…

After my Junior school exam, during the break before I resumed back for the senior school, I suddenly discovered my LOVE for reading, due to the fact that I had a lot of time on my hands with little or nothing to do. After a while, I had read every book that appealed to my eyes that was in the house and I wanted more.

Fast forward to when I finally resumed into senior school, the new love I had discovered while sitting at home soon had me on the lookout for books I could read, not too long after that laid my hands on books that were usually in circulation around that time; romance novels. It wasn't long before I became a confirmed romance novel reader.

Till tomorrow, I still don't know Boyle's law and all those other laws that was taught in chemistry and physics classes, don't blame me, blame it on my using those times I should have used reading my chemistry books but that was used instead to finish a novel I had hijacked at closing time and had to return to the owner the next day.

I was a romance novel addict from Senior Secondary 1{SSS1} till I got to Senior Secondary School 3 {SSS3}. There were days I read 2-3 novels in one day. I was that good (or let me say that bad).

I didn't have a boyfriend, I wasn't sleeping with anyone, so you can imagine the sexual frustration I was taking myself through.

Fast forward till when till when I had to go into the University, during my Post-UTME (This is an exam you write in your tertiary institution of choice after you have passed JAMB), the room of the undergraduate I slept in when I was there for my exam was filled with books, I don't think I slept till about 4-5 in the morning because I was reading.

I was so excited to see so many books.

{I still feel that sort of excitement when I walk into Bible Wonderland at Surulere where I buy books now, I always wish someone will just kindly lock me up in the BIG bookshop and go home}.

In that man's room was where my liberation came, it was then I realized that although I loved reading, but my addiction to romance novels only came to be because that was the only books I had access to at that time.

Thank God I gained admission that year and coupled with the fact that my fellowship campus had a functioning Godly library, I was finally able to overcome that bad habit of reading romance novels.

Is reading novels bad?

Not at all, I still read them, but reading romance novels that is sex film in print is what I have stopped doing. 

Reading those kind of books won't help you at all, it only shows a particular side of life, it paints life as though sex is the ultimate thing which isn't entirely true as there are other aspects of life asides bedroom matters or what goes on behind closed doors.

There are books authored by Christians which talks about relationships but within boundaries which the average romance novel lacks. There are even some principles for life and living that you get to take away from reading those kind of Christian-centered novels. 

I’d write a post on some books which have helped me overtime, do look out for it.

You love to read, but you necessarily don’t have to spend all your time on books painting a woman’s shape or how the man is giving the woman pleasure in bed, you can channel that same vigor you use in reading x-rated magazines into reading books that will add value to your life.

That habit didn't just go away, I had to replace it with other godly alternatives, I can't even remember the story line of some of those romance novels I read back then as more godly books have been stored up in my heart over time. So, with every bad habit you are trying to break, try replacing it with a positive one.

I no longer read romance novel, I can't even remember the last time I read one, probably7-8 years now. 

I never thought I could stop reading it when I was in secondary school, as I was literally addicted to it for about 3 years of my life, but I was able to stop, and so can you. You can stop whatever ungodly habit you have now.

You can’t want to be sexually pure while you consistently keep reading books that are not pure, you’d just end up deceiving yourself.

If you are struggling with any sexual sin, talk it out with God, look for someone you can be accountable to, watch those things you feed your mind with, and be determined.

If there are ungodly things around you that triggers those experiences, begin to deliberately replace them with godly alternatives, we have a lot of godly alternatives now. 

With God on your side, it will only be a matter of time before that bad habit becomes a thing of the past.

I stopped mine, with God’s grace, you can too!

Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas  to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.

Okay, so my second name is Esther.

I was named after the queen Esther herself. But that woman didn’t become a queen overnight, it was due to what happened to the queen before her and how she handled her position when the king was calling her to come and showcase her beauty before the people of the land.

There are so many school of thought about why she didn’t come, some are of the opinion that probably the king was drunk and wanted her to come and parade before other drunk men, others think that she was just full of herself and that is why she didn’t give regard to the invite of the man who had made it possible for her to even have a party to host for the women of the land.

With all that happened that day, the truth still remains that Vashti refused to come out to see her husband the king when he demanded her attention, and by so doing, she lost her position as the queen of the land.

 You might be asking ‘Okay, the story of Vashti’s life is over now, so how does it concern my career?  It actually concerns your career in more ways than you can imagine.

Sometimes back, I was having a hard time with my immediate boss at work, some things were not going right and my heart was not right too. I prayed about it and as I was going about my daily task, the story of Vashti was suddenly impressed upon my heart. I was wondering how Vashti and her being demoted from the exalted place she was as a queen had anything to do with my career, but I was ready to learn.

Vashti signifies that person in the market place who was brought into that place by God through a man here on earth, it is possible that within the space of a little time, that small man or lady that was brought in some months or years ago also rose to the position of  having juniors or other people that begins to report back to you too, and it can be said you now have kingdom of your own too and so the king who made it possible for you to be able to hold a banquet for the women of the land literally speaking no longer holds any water in your eyes.

While God is ultimately the lifter of men and you can’t be lifted except God is the one doing the lifting, but the people he uses are men, you can’t consistently be dishonoring superiors at work and then expect that you will be lifted anyhow anyhow. Remember Vashti, she was demoted in the kingdom and another person was brought into her place.

In today’s world, while some people have it going rough for them on the premises of something that isn’t even their fault, others have it going on so smoothly for them because of the privilege they have of knowing someone.

While this knowing of someone is relative, as there are people who do not know a soul prior to their employment in a particular office, but then, there is someone who adopted you in that office, there is someone ahead of you, there is someone whose experience in relevant tools and applications is helping you not to make the same mistake again, and irrespective of who that person is, they still deserve all the respect you can give them.

A lot of older people help younger colleagues to have a footing in life and career, and most times when they do, the young fellow suddenly feel they have arrived too since they have mouth-watering figures in bank and solid investment portfolios and can do just about anything they want to do since they now have their own space and people who are also saying say yes sir or yes ma’am to them.

While your promotion is ultimately in God’s hands but don’t forget the people on whose shoulder you are climbing or you climbed in time past.

Don’t become so big in your own eyes that you begin to see that person as insignificant.

Remember Vashti, it takes nothing for you to be pulled out of that position and then replaced with someone more worthy.

It’s great you now have your own harem where you are a host too, but don’t look down on those who made it possible.

Don’t make them shut the doors of opportunities on others who will still need them later on in future based on your actions today.

When next you are tempted to look down on the king of your kingdom in that office, remember Vashti.

My name is Sola Peters.

I was an answer to the prayers of my parents who have been praying to God for the gift of a child for the first six years of their marriage.

My birth brought so much joy to her parents and to everyone within my parent’s circle of influence who had prayed and looked forward to the day when God would definitely smile on the Peters.

I grew up seeing my parents pray every morning and night and every time in between. I would see my dad sit down at the dining area bending over books which my young mind didn’t fully understand at that time. As I grew up, I began to understand that the various books I saw my father bending over on the dining table were different versions of the bible.

Like the typical Preacher’s kid, I had my days of waiting for my parents in the car while they would be busy sometimes for hours without end moving from one meeting to another. Last Sundays were the days I dreaded the most as we wouldn’t leave the church premises till far late in the night because of monthly record which needed to be tidied up.

I grew up serving God as that was my only reality, before long, I soon started representing my church in bible quiz competitions within my state and even outside my state. I wasn’t only good in bible quiz but also in school, my parents were always beaming with joy whenever they came for prize giving day. I was indeed an answer to prayers.

Then I met Wale on my 15th birthday.

We met when one of his friends brought him to the tutorial center I attended. The first day he spoke to me was great as I have never felt the way I did while he was talking to me.

Wale came from a broken home, and to him, every girl child is just a fun project whose end is to get them on his bed.

At first, I felt that wale doesn’t belong to the same class as I did. Although he attends a church too but there was just something about him that didn’t really sit down with me. Looking back now, I wonder why I still kept seeing him, or why I still kept letting him sit beside me during classes or why I even allowed him make me sit on his laps in the bus when we were going to his house.

Yes, I followed him to his house, he begged and begged that day at the tutorial center, and I felt there was no crime in following him to his house, although a part of me felt was what I was doing was wrong, I still followed him.

We got to the apartment where he lives with his father, his father had traveled to another city on an official assignment and his sister was residing with their mother, so he had the whole apartment to himself.

He entertained me, and I did enjoy myself.

Soon after, I suddenly felt a hand around me, I looked back to discover that it was wale touching me; I slapped his hands off and told him, ‘I will love to go back home now.’ I said to him.

He told me he didn’t want me to go and that he was really enjoying my company. An alarm ran in my head at that statement but I refused it, I stayed back despite the uneasiness I was feeling.

Lon story cut short, we had sex in his father’s sitting room.

I stood up from that bed and my eyes suddenly became open, I couldn’t believe this just happened to me, a church girl, how was I going to look into the eyes of other ladies in church who were still virgins.

I just stood up from there, thank God I was among the ladies who had thin hymen so I didn’t really have myself stained and in about few minutes, the only evidence that remained after I had lost my virginity was a little pain down there and a little amount of blood on the bed sheet.

I got back home and kept pretending as though all was well, my mom kept looking at me as though something had happened to me, but after a while of asking me questions and I was not coming forth with answers, she left me to be on my own.

What happened between Wale and I must have opened up a side of me that had been lying dormant, because soon, I was the one running after him. One would think the bolts that were used to hold my brain together was also removed alongside my virginity, cos I couldn’t just keep my legs closed any more.

This continued till I got into the Uni.

I started attending the campus fellowship due to my dad’s command, it was there I met other Jesus girls and in my second semester the sisters’ unit paired up different ladies as prayer and accountability partners. That was how Juliet came into my life. Before long, we became close and although I had promised myself I wasn’t going to tell anyone what was wrong with me, but I soon found myself opening up to her.

She was so easy to talk to unlike my sisters’ coordinator in my daddy’s church who used to have an air of holier-than-thou anytime she was walking by. Every thought of telling her about my case flew out of the window when she used an information Esther who is one of my friends shared with her in confidence as a case study during the sisters’ program. 

She had given enough details about the person she was talking about that I didn’t need a prophetess before I knew it was Esther she was referring to. Esther had gone home crying that night while I had gone home deeper into my sins since there was no one I could share my innermost feeling with.

Juliet came through for me, she would call me in the morning and at night, there were days the temptation would be so great that I would feel like grabbing the next man I see, but Juliet wouldn’t let me be, there were days she wouldn’t get off the phone until she was in my room. She helped me get back on my feet.

There were days I felt too weak to continue but Jesus was there for me every step of the way.

I thought I have been sentenced to a life of just getting married to just any good guy, in my mind I felt who would want damaged goods, but God proved himself yet again.

Tomorrow, I will be walking down the aisle with Tobi who thinks I am the next thing since slice bread. I thought he would run away when I told him in few words of the things I have done when I didn’t know better, but he still stayed. 

The words he told me at Ndubuisi Kanu Park at Ikeja still rings in my mind

‘Sola, God has forgiven you and has welcomed you back into his fold; he wants me to be an expression of that love to you on earth.’

To think God loves me this much brings so much joy to my heart.

I’ll be saying yes to him in front of witnesses tomorrow.

You can never be too far gone in your sin.

All you have to do is come back home.

Luke 18:1

'And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

I remember while growing up , it is common to hear people singing this song in church,

Prayer is the key, prayer is the key, prayer is the master key, Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer, prayer is the master key.

This song talks about how important praying is, but as I began to grow up, I realized that although prayer is so important, but there are times when I find myself not praying for a long time despite knowing how important it is to pray.

There are times when amidst the hustle bustle of life and living, you suddenly wake up to realize that the last time you prayed alone was three months ago.

Prayerlessness  might be due to a lot of things like a change in environment, a new assignment, a new schedule or even a change in status (from a single to a married individual), but no excuse is ever worth giving. Like every worthwhile project, prayer needs a measure of discipline.

There are times when things we never planned for might just begin to crop into our daily schedules and before we realize it, it has been days, weeks or months since we really pray. While some of us might still be able to whisper some words of prayer as we take our bath, or a plus Jesus minus Satan kind of prayer as we are locking the door of our apartment on our way out. 

It is usually to the devil’s delight when we don’t spend time in prayer, as he knows what we stand to gain by talking to God and what we loose out of when we get too busy to pray. Prayerlessness makes you become more cranky, easily annoyed, more prone to anger and other vices, this is possible because when you don't pray your flesh becomes stronger and your spirit becomes weaker, but to make sure that the devil isn’t wining this battle against your soul, then we must be very disciplined in this regard.

I know how easy it is to pray, it is more easy to listen to songs, listen to messages, and some other times even read the bible than it is to pray.

While some of us enjoy studying the bible to praying, but they must both go hand-in-hand if we will ever be able to fully live the God-kind-of-life here on earth.

So to jump back to praying after a long break;

1.     Admit That You Haven’t Been Faithful

To thy own self be true.

If you haven’t been praying as much as you should, then admit it to yourself that you need to wake up from your slumber.

If you still keep pacifying yourself, saying statements like "I pray for two to three minutes before I sleep every day" that will only keep you under the blanket of prayerlessness but as you admit it, you will feel a certain surge of energy to get of its grip of and begin to talk more with the Father.

2.     Don’t Make Prayer Time An All-me Affair

One of the reasons why people suddenly loose interest in praying is because they see prayer as just something that totally revolves around their lives and families. 

If you keep praying everyday just about you, your parents and siblings, it is only a matter of time before you begin to run out of prayer points. If you come from a small nuclear family like mine which is only four (father and mother inclusive), then you’ll know that just praying just for your family every day of the week is definitely going to be wearying.

But, you can take out time to pray for other people;

Friends

Colleagues at work

Course mates

People trying to conceive (both those you know personally and those you don’t)

People going through one hard time or the other

People on the verge of committing suicide

People whose home are on the verge pf breaking

People whose life aren’t going the way they want

People who are confused and who want clarity

People who are looking to God for spouse

People with stubborn children

Men and women of faith (those men and women whose messages are on your phone and laptops  needs prayer too).

Prayer of intercession is great.

With this type of prayer, you can never run out of people to pray for, and you’ll realize that by praying for these different categories, you will be able to tarry in the place of prayer as against if your prayer was just centered on yourself and everything that revolves around you.

3.     Pray In The Spirit

If you have been baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, please as much as often, pray in the spirit. There is an extra energy this gives you.

4.     Know What Works For You

Till tomorrow, I for one will continually envy those who can pray on their knees for hours, one of the best ways to catch me sleeping in the place of prayer is for me to be on my knees. And there are others who can pray for hours without end on their knees. Just know what works for you.

I pray more when I am pacing around or having a prayer walk, the time just goes by. 

If you discover that you feel more tired when you are kneeling to pray, then stand up to pray, pace around, there isn’t any rule that says you must pray on your knees. While kneeling connotes a submission stance, but since you won’t actively be able to talk to God that way, then stand, he is the one heart whom you are praying to and he sees you. The most important thing to do is to pray.

5.     Get Resources To Help

One of the good things God has given us via social media is the ability to be able to access sounds and tunes by gospel minstrels just by the click of a button. 

There are different ministries that have recorded sounds that you can listen to and be energized to pray.

Get books on the subject of prayer too.

6.     Rely On The Help Of The Spirit

There will be times when you will want to pray and your body/flesh has other plans, after you have done all you should, allow yourself to be carried on the wings of the spirit, you’ll find yourself praying more on those days than you normally would have done.

Remember, we do not know how to pray, but it is the Spirit who intercedes for us with groaning that cannot be uttered.