Reflection on the Book of Colossians (16)

[Choir Singing] To God be the glory, great things He hath done! So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in. [Speaker 1] Church fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God will always govern from these words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] We give God all the praise. We give Him all the glory. We give Him all the honor. We give Him all the adoration. We thank Him for the opportunity again to be here this evening to learn at His feet, to look again into scriptures, to fellowship with scriptures and to fellowship with one another. And we trust the Lord that as we fellowship together this evening, it will be a time again of refreshment and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. Let’s take this song together, we pray and then we move on from where we left the matter last week. We left the matter last week in concluding the book of Colossians chapter 3, so this week we’re supposed to be moving to Colossians chapter 4. Let’s take the song together, "I will live for Jesus day after day." It’s a prayer song as we start together. I will live for Jesus day after day. I will live for Jesus, let’s come what may, let’s come what may, the Holy Spirit I will obey. I will live for Jesus day after day. Day after day, I will live for Jesus day after day. Day after day, I will live for Jesus, let’s come what may. Let’s come what may, the Holy Spirit I will obey. I will live for Jesus day after day. For the last time, I will live for Jesus day after day. Day after day, I will live for Jesus, let’s come what may. Let’s come what may, the Holy Spirit I will obey. I will live for Jesus day after day. Our Father, we are grateful again for this evening. We thank You as we gather to fellowship. Lord, we all gather unto You in every location where we are. We that are here physically, our brethren who are connecting on Mixlr, our brethren who are connecting with us on Telegram. Lord, our God, we all gather unto You this evening. And our prayer, Lord, is that Your Spirit will work within us all in the name of Jesus. Now we look up unto You again as we reflect further on the book of Colossians. Lord, we pray. Meet us where we need You most. Instruct our hearts. Thank You, Eternal Father. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen! So, last week we were able to conclude the book of Colossians chapter 3 where we saw what is supposed to be the right attitude to the right attitude that befits any employee or any servant or anybody who is a Christian, what should be the Christian attitude of the employee. And we saw very clearly last week that it is so important that the believer knows that as somebody under obedience, you must not work as men-pleasers. People can only do right when they are under watch. We should be people who can do right even when we are not watched, when nobody is watching us. If your Christian life is correct, you don’t need to be watched to do right. And then we saw that it is very important for us as Christians to know that our attitude to our jobs, number one, we must work heartily. And we must work cheerfully. In whatever assignment as employee, in whatever assignment as subject, being under anybody, we must learn to work cheerfully. Something happened this afternoon where I went to a government institution for something and the officer who was handling the calling of names was almost barking at everybody. If he calls the name and maybe you don’t answer loud enough for him to hear, he would just bark out, "I said when I call, you say yes, this, let us know you are here!" And at a point, two corps members who came for the same thing that I came for, they got so pissed off and they were barking. I was overhearing them speaking. And I told them that see, the point of anger, I’m not saying the man is right in barking at people, but he was giving instruction correctly. His instruction is that when he calls the name, you should answer loud enough. You answer as if you’re so full of yourself, you didn’t answer loud enough. That was why he was barking. He said, "But he’s not supposed to bark at people." I said you must understand when people work under pressure, you may be under pressure and not do right. While what he’s doing is not correct at the time, the truth is that the attitude too you are putting on is not correct. One thing I want to bring out of it is learning to work cheerfully under pressure. Even when you are under pressure. We are not called to be nice. We are not called to be nice, we are called to be kind. There’s a great difference between being nice and being kind. To be nice is the ability to do good when the circumstance and the situation is favorable. But to be kind is the ability to do good whether the circumstance is favorable or not. Kind is unconditional. So we’re not called to be nice. We're not nice people. Brother is not nice, Brother Sola is not nice. Put them under pressure, then you understand what looks nice was because there was no pressure. Just change the circumstance, provoke, do something. That’s why you always see that patience and kindness go together. Love is patient and kind. They always go side by side themselves. So we’re not called to be nice, we are called to be kind. So we can be cheerful. A believer works with his heart. And a believer also knows that he's not working unto men, he’s working for God and that God will reward his or her. So he is not bothered if even where the master doesn't reward appropriately, he’s not bothered because he knows that he’s not working for this master. The master that he's working for cannot forget him or her. And will definitely come to reward that good work. So whatever it is, let us be sure. And he concluded by saying that knowing that the Lord, from the Lord you will receive your reward of inheritance. But he who does wrong will be repaid, for there is no partiality with God. I read that in the NLT version last week. For God doesn’t have any favorite that will get away with evil. God doesn’t have any favorite that escapes evil with God. God will punish evil. So all things we do, that was our focus last week. And today we want to move on to the chapter 4 where he just simply now faces the employer, the masters, the supervisors, the examiners, the owners. He now gives instruction to them. While those the servants work as unto the Lord, the masters, something similar, that’s chapter 4 from verse 1. It says, "Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven." So speaking now to the masters, while the servants are supposed to submit themselves to masters whether they are good or not good, whether they are kind or not kind, whatever you may face, servants are to work as unto God. However, there is instruction for those of us who at any point happen to be the one who holds power. At any point where you hold power, where you are the one deciding, where you have the opportunity to decide over people, it says, "Master, be careful, be watchful, be sober to give your bondservant what is just and right." So speaking now for any Christian who happens to be the super-ordinate, the master, the employer, the examiner, the supervisor, for any Christian who happens to be that, he does not need the workers to protest. Like what happens in the world. Until there is protest, there is demonstration, masters don’t give their servants what is right. You don’t need a protest from the people under you. You don’t need a fight. If your work with God is correct, you will not be possessed by riches. People who don’t do what is just and right when they are in authority, they are not holding power, it is power that is holding them. If you are truly possessing power and not being possessed by power, when power is in your hand, you will be able to do what is just and what is right. And so when you notice that it’s like the same thing he was telling fathers who are the head of the family. When you are holding power, you are careful, you are watchful to understand that look, you too you also have a Master. You have a Master and that Master is in heaven. And do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked. Whatsoever you sow is what you will reap. If when people are under you, you don't act justly, you don't act rightly, you are not good, you are not true, you use your position to ignore them, to silence them, you use your position to sit on them. Don't worry, it's just a matter of time. There’s a scripture that speaks so loud to me that made me know that I read actually somebody said, "It's so difficult to give away kindness." He said because as you are giving it out, it comes back again to you. But you know what I got from that thing that the person wrote? I said it's not only kindness, even wickedness, even selfishness, it's so difficult to give it away. And the place I learned that is where the Bible says, "Give and what will happen? It will be given back to you." You are the one that put money there. Money is not in that scripture. He says, "In the measure with which you measure, it shall be measured back to you." But when you have to be measured back to you, he said, "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will men..." So if those under you cannot give it back, don't worry, God knows how to arrange it. You too will be under somebody. God knows how to arrange it. God will arrange it. You will also see that by the time they want to give you back, you know when you plant just a seed of corn, by the time you want to eat the corn, what do you eat? Is it just a seed? Ah, there are plenty things to eat inside. In fact some corn, they will give like this, two full cob to eat. Just a seed. That's why he said, "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, will men..." It's not going to be God. God will arrange that men give it back to you. So for me, it is not only kindness that is difficult to give away. You can’t give away wickedness. You can’t give away evil. Any of them you can’t give it away. What goes round comes round, that is the reality of it. It will come back. And so as believers, everywhere we have opportunity to decide matters, to decide over people, two things the Bible wants us to do. Number one is that we must be just, we must be fair. Number two, we must never lose sight of the truth that there's a Master who is watching us. Master in heaven who is watching us. And so wherever we have opportunity to decide over people, where we hold authority, where we hold power, where the fate of people are in our hands, let us be sure that we are just and we are fair. May God help us in the name of Jesus. Moving from that point, moving to the verse 2 of chapter 4, it says, "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Now, on a very general note, if you notice a Christian you don't have a vibrant prayer life, I want you to know that it is either you don’t know God or you are not walking with God’s Spirit. I take that on a very general note. If you are living a Christian, if as a Christian you notice that you don’t have a vibrant prayer life, you look at it, your prayer life is weak, your prayer life is somehow, you pray at will, lackadaisically about it. One thing that you must get clear is perhaps you don’t know the Lord. Or two, you are not walking with God’s Spirit. I don’t know the Lord is I won’t take that away. Ordinarily, I will expect that I’m speaking to people who are born again. I don’t want to believe I’m speaking to people who have not encountered Jesus. Because the truth about this matter is that vibrant prayer life that you don’t know the Lord should be the least we should be talking about your life. I want to expect that you have given your life to Jesus. But the problem is not walking with God’s Spirit. And why did I say so? I will show you, very many references to some general thing. Number one, if you look at Romans chapter 8. Look at Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, just calling our attention to some things. Romans chapter 8, I want to take the reading from verse let me just read verse 14 and verse 15. It says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we do what? By which we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" One thing about the Spirit of God that is in us is the ability to cry to God. It’s that freedom that it brings to interact with God. Once you don’t have fervent interaction with God, think that maybe you didn't receive the Holy Spirit. See the Holy Spirit, there's this freedom, there's this liberty, there's this liberation that comes with it to cry, to talk to God. To cry to God, "Father, Father!" To be earnest with God, to be open to God. It did not stop there. The scripture moves on again at some point to tell us again that many times we don’t know how we ought to pray. Is that true? But who helps us to pray according to the will of God? The Holy Spirit. What does that tell you about the Holy Spirit? It tells you again that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prayer because He helps you to pray. Something about the Holy Spirit is He begins to direct your prayer: pray like this, pray like this, pray like this, pray like this, pray like this, because there is earnest need to pray. If there is no earnest need to pray, the Holy Spirit will not be enabling us, "Ah no! Pray like this! Pray like this!" He begins to help you, "No, do it like this, do it like this!" telling you that there is urgency about the Spirit of God and the Spirit of prayer. There’s urgency. So what I’m saying is that when a man is not having a work, when a man's prayer life is not fervent and he's a Christian, it's a sign that he’s not having a work with God’s Spirit. You can’t have a work with that Spirit and not be fervent in prayer. That is about the Holy Spirit. Now, what of about the Lord Jesus? There are so many scriptures where the Bible says, "And Jesus would rise a great while before day to go and pray." Is that not? A great while before day to go and pray. Jesus would be alone with Himself praying. He fasted 40 days and 40 nights praying. And then Jesus Himself gave a parable to teach us that men ought always to pray and not to faint. That is Luke chapter 18. But the point I first want to draw out is that if a man actually has encountered the Spirit of Christ, what do you think again about the Christ? When Jesus was here, what do you know about Him? He prayed. Prayed, prayed, prayed, prayed, prayed. So the Spirit of Christ is what again? The Spirit of prayer. The Spirit of the Christ is the Spirit of prayer. So when there’s no fervency in the place of prayer, then the what is indicating to us to you is that there’s a disconnect between you and the Spirit. And why did I say the Spirit of the Lord is because in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 17, the Bible says, "The Lord is that Spirit. The Lord is that Spirit." And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. So the Lord is that Spirit. So when one is being a fervent prayer life, we wonder if the man actually has a work with the Lord. You can’t have a work with the Lord who is the Spirit and that Spirit is the Spirit of prayer and then you are not praying. You say prayer life is casual, it's at will... No, they begin to wonder if there’s really any work. These are things you should check about your life. Check for indicators so that while you might be thinking you belong to us, you may just be a spiritual bastard. You may just be a bastard thinking that you’re a child. I’m talking about children of perdition, accursed children. They are children but they are accursed. You find that in 2 Peter. It says "accursed children of God." So you need to check. If you look at what Peter said too when he was speaking in 2 Peter, he said, "Add to your faith this, to that this, add this, add this, add this." He said when all these things, when they abound in you, it makes you to know, it gives you assurance that you are going somewhere. So you see, I’m trying to make you understand why the Bible say the Bible did not say, "Continue in prayer." The Bible says what? "Continue earnestly in prayer." Christians don’t just continue to pray, Christians continue earnestly in prayer. That’s the point I’m making. The instruction of God for us and this is not done in isolation. Look at Luke: "Men ought always to pray and not to faint." Which means if men pray sometimes, then they are fainting. If they pray many times, they are fainting. Until they are praying always. Every matter, what the Bible is saying is that people who are working with God, the deeper you work with God, let me tell you, let me make this statement. From personal work, I’ve come to see that the deeper you get with God, the more you realize that what you really need in life is to prevail with God. Once you prevail with God, you'll be a settled person. Nothing rattles you. Nothing... because you are not feigning calmness. You are not feigning, "Let me just try to be calm, let me calm myself, let me calm myself, let me trust God." It is because you have not touched the real thing. If you touch the real thing, you are not trying to be calm, you are calm. But this thing, they come by depth. They come by depth into God. The more you come alive, issue of look, there is so much power, there is so much suppression in praying about anything and praying about everything and that once you have prayed, there’s this peace that passes all understanding. It keeps your soul. You will not understand why you are at peace, even you, you will not know why you are at peace, but you'll be at peace because that peace of God passes understanding. In fact, people will say, "Ah, are you aware that..." "Don't worry, it will be well." "But do you know that..." "Don't worry, God will take care of it." "But even though that..." "It will be well." "But haven't you been told that..." "God will take care of it." You are in it, but the deeper you work with God, the more you come to realize that what it takes is not how much you know, it is in prevailing with God. It is in prevailing with God. And that's the point the Bible is teaching us here, that as believers, we must learn that we must continue instant in prayer. And look at what follows quickly. Look at what follows. It says, "Be vigilant in it." Why? Why? Because let me tell you, if you are not vigilant about this matter, there are one thousand and one things that will not make you to continue instant in prayer. People don't know that you have to be vigilant over your prayer life. If you're not vigilant over your prayer life... oh, thank You, Jesus. Let’s go to Genesis 26 if I’m not wrong. That story should be in Genesis 26. Yes, I’m correct, it’s in Genesis 26. Let’s see what happened between Isaac and the people at Gerar. Now, there was famine in the land, Genesis 26:1. So Isaac was thinking of maybe he should go to Egypt. But in verse 2, Bible says the Lord appeared, "Do not go down to Egypt. Live in the land of which I tell you. Dwell in this land and I will be with you and bless you." So Isaac stayed in that land. When you go down to verse 12, and so I just want to go to verse 12. It says, "Then Isaac sowed in that land"—that was in the land of the Philistines. He didn't go to Egypt again because God told him not to go. So he sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. Now look at what happened. I want to explain prayer life. Just as we see Isaac sowed in the land and reaped in that same year a hundredfold because the Lord blessed him. Verse 13: "The man began to prosper." Look at it. He reaped in that land a hundredfold because the Lord blessed him. And so because the Lord blessed him, what happened to the man? He began to prosper. I’ve always told people this secret: don’t seek to prosper, seek to be blessed. The blessing of God will make you rich. Once you are blessed, you will prosper. But that’s not my focus, just because we read something around it. Because the Lord blessed him, the man began to prosper and continued prospering until he became very prosperous. For he had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So what happened? What happened? The Philistines, they envied him. They envied him. Now look at what happened. The Philistines, what did they do when they envied him? What did they do? Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go from us, for you are much mightier than we." Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar and dwelt. And Isaac dug again"—please notice something—"dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father. For the Philistines had stopped them all after the death of Abraham. He called them by the name which his father called them." What am I trying to make point? What is it that is the contention? What is the contention? The contention is because Isaac had become very prosperous. What is the secret of the prosperity? The Lord blessed him. Is that not the secret of the prosperity? They noticed that what enabled that prosperity, wells. So they are doing everything to stop the well. They want to stop. After Abraham died, they stop the well. Isaac opened all those wells again. And then he began to redo the well. He dug another one, they had problem. He dug another one because there must be well. What I’m trying to make point is that if you are not vigilant about this matter, the well of your life is prayer. What connects you to water, the Spirit of prayer, is the Spirit of intercession. That Spirit of intercession is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of prayer is the Spirit of Christ. That Spirit of Christ is the Lord Jesus. The Spirit of prayer is the Spirit of revelation. He said, "I pray that your eyes be opened." The Spirit of prayer is the Spirit of revelation. Now, the Spirit of revelation is the Spirit of inspiration. He said the Holy Spirit inspired them to write the Bible. So which means the Spirit of prayer is the Spirit of scriptures. Anybody who is not connect to the Spirit of prayer is not connect to all of these things that I’ve mentioned. If your prayer life is shallow, your revelation should be shallow, your inspiration should be shallow. Everything dwells in the well of our life. So when enemy begin to envy you, you know what they want to stop? They want to stop the well. They're not concerned about all the golds; if they can stop the well, all these things they will die. It’s just a matter of time. They are not struggling with you over the cattle, no. They are doing everything to stop the well. The well is the sustenance. They want to be sure that sustainability is destroyed. Look at it for you to now get it clear. What did the Bible say in Psalm 127:1? "Except the Lord builds the house, the laborers"—what are they doing?—"they labor in vain." So do you see that if you don't prevail with God, all your labors are in vain? That is what our brother James was trying to tell us when he said, "You fight, you kill, you this, you that, it is because you did not ask." "Except the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen"—what are they doing?—"they stay awake." So when the Bible says be vigilant, be sober, what the Bible is trying to make you understand is not to be like this and like this. It’s trying to make you understand that you must be vigilant to continue instant in prayer. That is what Peter was saying when he said, "Be vigilant, be sober, for your adversary the devil goes about seeking who to devour." You are thinking it is vigilant of no! It's vigilant to be earnest in prayer. If you want to pray of the devil, you must watch unto prayer. So when Peter said be vigilant, be sober, your adversary the devil, what he's saying is that be vigilant and be sober to continue instant in prayer. Don't allow anything to stop the well from flowing. Or else everything that gather around your life, all your cattle, all your possessions, all your gold, all that the Lord blessed you with, they will soon die. They will go down. And that's why Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray." You may notice again when the Apostle was speaking to the church in Thessalonica, what did he tell them? "Pray without ceasing." In Colossians, what was instruction? "Continue instant in prayer." In Ephesians, what did he tell them? Ephesians again, he put it in a way that becomes very, very clear to us. Look at how he put all these things together. Sometimes we don’t see the interconnection. That’s what I’m talking about prayer. Let’s start with verse 10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness of this age that are in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand and withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, stand! Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God." Now, look at verse 18. Sometimes we don’t notice the interconnection. That’s what I’m talking about prayer. In verse 18, what does he say? He says, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Praying always. Look at how KJV put it: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all these very things." Let’s go to NLT: "Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayer for all Christians everywhere." Stay alert and be persistent in your prayer. NIV: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." The Message: "In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one will fall behind or drop out." Amplified: "Pray at all times, on every occasion, in every season, in the Spirit with all manner of prayer and entreaty. To that end, keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in the behalf of all saints, God's consecrated people." What are we seeing about prayer? Do you notice that all the weapons we are talking about from verse 11 through verse 17, how do you put them on? You put them on through prayers. Prayer is that thing that holds everything together. Prayer is the action of putting on. And so as a believer, the instruction that is coming to us as we close for today, it is very, very crucial. Very, very crucial for us to know that it is not just for us, it is not just for us the instruction for our life is continue earnestly. It is the effectual fervent. It is not the casual non-fervent. It is the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous that avails much. So it is continue earnestly in prayer. That’s number one. For you to continue earnestly, there's something to do: be vigilant in it. Be vigilant in it, be vigilant in it. And then he concluded with thanksgiving. Not only should we be vigilant to continue, we must learn one big secret about prayer, one big thing you must learn about prayer, that prayer is a place essentially that says in all things, give thanks. He says being vigilant in this thing with thanksgiving. You see, the point that we must understand, something that you must God must help you to grow into is for you to know as a Christian that while anything can happen to you, nothing can just happen to you. Let me take that again. While anything you can pass through anything, you must have that understanding that you are doing God’s will, that you are following God does not immune you from the rain, from the storm, from the wind, from the pressure, in fact, from crucifixion. Jesus was crucified. From crucifiers, from suffering. You see, while you can pass through anything as a Christian, but you cannot just pass through anything. That is the secret of giving thanks. What he is saying is this: you must understand the reason why we are ever positive and not passive attitude about anything that we are inside is because we have the clear understanding that nothing can just happen to us unless God allows it. It is this is one of the the pillars of a deep-seated faith. A believer must have a clear understanding that my life can pass through anything but anything cannot just happen. Whatsoever is happening, you know what has happened? Baba patterned it, patterned it, and patterned my life into it. There is a God that my life is in His hands. It is something that you must get clear. And that is why he says watch unto it with thanksgiving. There’s this attitude of coming to God with a clear understanding that whatever it is, Papa, thank You. There’s this attitude because if you don’t have this attitude, so many things will take you away from prayer. You can be discouraged and not pray. Some things can happen, you won't understand that everything is about Papa, thank You, this is what has happened. You see, it is nothing happens to you that meets God unawares. That must be clear to the believer. And so you are watching unto this thing, you are vigilant, you are sober, and you are watching with thanksgiving. You are watching with a clear understanding of giving thanks to God in all things because you know that are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Are not two sparrows sold for one penny? Yet one cannot fall to the ground outside the will of our Father. And what did He tell us? He said fear not, even the very hair of your head, they are what? They are numbered. I want you to know the difference. It's not that you have three million hair on your head, no, they are numbered. That is as your hair stand, when God looks at you, He knows number five, He knows number six, He knows number seven. What's He trying to make you understand is that to the minutest details of your life, God is concerned. The minutest, even the one you are not serious about, God is concerned. To the minutest details of your life, God is involved. God is involved in our lives to the minutest details. Let’s begin to pray this evening. That’s actually where I want to stop. Our focus actually today is to look at the matter of prayer. That verse 2, but I wanted to conclude chapter 3 and 4 verse 1 because they are tied together. I want you to see this instruction again. How is it coming to you? What are you learning this instruction? What are you seeing, what are you understanding? Talk to the Lord, talk to the Lord. Talk to the Lord. Is it possible that the enemy has been pouring sand? Is it possible? Is it possible that somehow it looks as if you are still praying, but deep inside you know that you are not really praying? It looks as you are still studying Bible, but you know deep inside nothing really is going on again. Is it possible that sand have been poured here and there? As you understand the place that prayer must be, it must be continuous, prayer must be instant, prayer must be fervent, prayer must be with perseverance, we pray under all situation, prayer must be with thanksgiving, prayer must be with a clear understanding that He knows my name, prayer must be with a clear understanding that if He carries the weight of the world upon His shoulders, He's able to carry me. If He carries the weight of the world upon His shoulders, He’ll carry you. Our Father, we thank You for today. Our Lord, we just commit ourselves into Your hands. The instruction from scriptures is we must continue earnestly in prayer. We must continue earnestly and we are to do it with perseverance, we are to do it with thanksgiving. Lord, all I’m just praying this evening is that beyond this meeting, Baba, let us hear Your voice speaking again on this matter over and over to us in the name of Jesus. Now in those areas of our lives, are there things that the enemy had begun gradually over the years to pour sand? And the depth of the well, the surface, the deep things in those well, gradually they are being closed. Oh Lord, by the working of Your mighty power, send revival. Send revival. Let there be refreshment that comes by the power of grace divine in the name of Jesus. Thank You, Eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's share the grace together in fellowship. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. Surely, God's goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. Amen. This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission aids. Our regular activities are: Discipleship class, every Monday, 5:00 PM; Adolescent and Singles club, every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Marriage forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Family life seminars, regular school outreaches and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location: Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite Rejoice Filling Station, along Ijede road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.