Understanding The Heart Of Man
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1 Chapter 1 | Understanding the heart of man
DEDICATION
This Book is dedicated to Rev. Tina Suwa ( Father’s Heart Assembly, Abuja ), for motivating and inspiring me to write and also to Rev. Akwetey Kofi Vovonyo ( Crossover Evangelistic Ministry, Ho), for your various contributions to my life and ministry all these years.
It’s my utmost privilege to have met you.
Thank you and God bless you the more.
Contents
Your Disappointment and Your Heart
INTRODUCTION
One of the most important parts of man that God is so much interested about is his heart. God is not impressed by the work we do for Him nor the service we render unto Him. He is not much interested in the kind of worship we give Him whether we bow down, roll on the floor, shout or kneel before Him. What moves Him the most is the quality and the kind of hearts behind the worship and the works we do for Him. He looks and judges man according to his heart and not by appearance.
The heart is the core of our being and the Bible sets high importance on keeping our hearts pure: “Above all else, guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life.’’ Proverbs 4:23.
However, man’s heart since his fall in the Garden of Eden, has been perverted and polluted with evils. In other words, the fall has affected him at the deepest level, their emotions, minds and desires have been tainted by sin. This sinful condition has discarded man from his maker and destroyed the sweet fellowship and intimacy he has been originally enjoying with God. He has suddenly turned to an enemy of God whose heart has been perverted with all sorts of evils. The wickedness of man has been so pronounced that God has repented in His heart to have created man in His own image. His purpose for man on earth has been twisted and frustrated who will now live at the mercy of Satan and sins the rest of his life.
Nowadays, the wickedness and perverseness of man’s heart abound around us in our societies. Men kill and murder their fellows with no mercy. Evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, theft, adultery, deceit, greed and all the likes proceed out of man’s heart and have become the order of the day in our societies. The heart of man is desperately wicked and evil.
The state of your heart determines who you are and what you can do for God.
When a man’s heart is polluted, he has become unfit for God and cannot find purpose on earth. What’s in your heart reveals your whole being and no one can be different from his heart. Your heart betrays you, that’s why one must guard his heart with all diligence.
This insightful book in your hands will help you understand the importance of the heart, the necessity of a good heart, the depth of the wickedness of men and some of the heart-related problems many people are going through. Journey with me as the Holy Spirit unfolds this mystery about your heart.
CHAPTER ONE
THE HEART OF MAN
One of the things about life and man that needs serious attention is one’s heart. Your head and all the organs are not as important as your heart. I have countless times seen blind men, people who are physically challenged and the likes who are still living and enjoying life but I’ve never met a man whose heart stop working yet is still breathing. The tragedy about life is that, men spend time taking care of their body only to neglect to check the state of their heart. We beautify the carnal body, spending all that we have to make it look good but yet our inner man remains dirty, polluted and unverified. It’s a suicidal mission for a driver who often takes his car to workshop to make it look good at the appearance without checking the engine.
The heart is a vital organ. The Bible mentions the human heart almost 300 times. It says, the heart is that spiritual part of us where our emotions and desires dwell. The 7th Edition of Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary also defines a “heart” as a place in a person where the feelings, and emotions are thought to be.
The heart is the center of life; it’s where life proceeds out from. The heart is the source of life. Man ceases living the moment his heart stop working. The heart is to a man what an engine is to a vehicle. There is no movement or action if the heart is no more working. That’s the sole reason why it must be carefully guarded.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life”.
Proverbs 4: 23
A man’s heart determines his character. Everything a man does come from the heart. You cannot be separated from your heart; what is in your heart is what shows up in your character. In other words, you cannot live in contrary to what is in your heart. It’s your heart that directs you, frames and orders your step. If your heart is good, you will have a good character.
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”
-Proverbs 23:7
God is a perfect God and everything He created is good and perfect including you. There is no imperfection or mistake with Him. Man is a special and unique creature above all. He has been made and fashioned in God’s own image and likeness. He resembles God and carries His personalities, His breath, thus making him a “god”. No wonder the Bible states that; “we are fearfully and wonderfully made”.
The problem of man starts when he allows lies and deception in his heart. Beloveds, no matter how good you think you are, you cannot be better than your heart. The day you distance yourself from your maker and your heart is no more influenced by His Spirit, you will start dying. If your heart is no more influenced by God’s Spirit, it will open door for strange influence. Many people are still wondering why troubles, problems abound nowadays around us. They keep asking why mysterious things are happening these days that are unprecedented in the history of humanity. The answer is not far-fetched. We are deliberately disconnected from our maker. We are no more under the sweet influence of His Spirit. There is no way you can keep
yourself aloof from God and expect yourself to be better
When your heart is not guided by God’s Spirit and God’s words have not found a place in it, it can only be influenced wrongly and manipulated. Our problem is that, humanity has chosen to distance himself from God. That’s the birth place of all unrighteousness around the world.
The Heart of Man
Understanding the heart of man will help you understand man and everything he does without criticizing or crucifying him. It will also help you get an intimacy with God and reposition you against all the actions and behaviors of people around you. How then is the heart of man? How does it look like?
The heart of man is desperately wicked.
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Jeremiah 17:9
The wickedness of man is clearly manifest around us. All the killings, the robberies, and all sorts of wrong-doings are the immediate result of the wickedness of man’s heart. The wickedness of man cannot be overemphasized. It abounds in our societies.
The heart of man is callous and unsympathetic
“And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.And the LORD said unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother?
And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
-Genesis 8-9
A Callous heart is a heart that is not caring about other people’s feelings or sufferings. A Callous heart lacks feeling; it is emotionally hardened, indifferent to the suffering of others. It’s an insensitive, unsympathetic and a stony heart.
After God had received Abel’s sacrifice, Cain his brother was very wroth, and his countenance fell. His heart was Callous towards his brother Abel and killed him. There are people in our various families, workplace, market and around with the spirit of Cain. Their hearts are very Callous. They show compassion or sympathy to no one. They can be angry at you with no reason. They are happy whenever you fail, get sick, and their prayer is that you lose that contract or get sacked from your workplace. They seem to be your friends but their heart is bitter against you. May the Lord himself handle their case.
Do not be surprised whenever you see people not rejoicing with you when you get promoted, or blessed. Whenever people question or criticize your blessings, when they seem to stand against your elevation in life, just know you are in the midst of people of Callous heart and allow God to deal with them accordingly.
Some of families and friends that we claim to have these days, are not really what we think they are to us. They are nothing than spiritual masquerades with dark and blind heart. When you warn people about the company they keep, they would never listen. These people finally get into the worst of their situations before they realize the true color of their so-called dear ones. May the Lord open your eyes to know men by their hearts.
“Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from
the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart.”
Ephesians 4: 18
The heart of man is full of lies and deception
Do not be surprised or shocked whenever you find out that people lie to you. Understand from this perspective that there is lies and deception in the heart of man. Never take what people say so seriously until what they say has come to pass. Man’s heart is full of lies and deception.
The heart of man is full of pride
Many have been caught in the tricks of the devil thinking they are too important and indispensable than others. They have opened their hearts to the spirit of pride and bought the lies of the devil with this belief that they are above everyone else. The truth here is that, we are nothing without Jesus. Your level of Education, your beauty and social status are not measures of your importance. Whatever you have today, someone has gotten it before you. So do not be too proud.
Pride is the feeling that you are better or more important than others. Anytime, you begin to exalt yourself above others in one way or the other, just know pride is coming up. Pride is a very powerful and destructive canker that everyone of us need to deal with in our personal lives most importantly when God blesses us. Lucifer lost and fell from his honorable and powerful position in heaven because of pride as he desired to exalt his throne above the stars of God.
Man’s heart is full of pride. We act and speak out of pride. Many people have no respect for others. They relate with others according to their standards. When they get improvement in their life, their level suddenly changes. Their lifestyle, and their way of doing things is now high and they think others are low. What they ignore is that, this life goes up and down. No wonder when the other face of the coin changes, they find it difficult to recover. Beloveds, remember that; “Pride goeth before destruction, and a naughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16: 18). We must always bear in mind that God resists the proud but He gives grace to those that are humble (James 4: 6).
The heart of man is evil
The world is replete with evil of all sorts. Life on earth has been threatened by evil deeds of men against their fellows. It’s crystal clear from the Bible perspective that human’s heart is truly evil. The heart is the source of all evil. Everything that proceeds out of our mouth comes from the heart. If you keep speaking evil, it’s an indication that your heart is evil.
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come
forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”
Mathew 5:18
Many people claim to be good but keep speaking evil. They never cease having evil thoughts against their fellows. The truth is that, you can never be better than your heart. When evil are coming out of your mouth, it shows that your heart is evil. You need nothing than to deal with it right away. You cannot be a good man you pretend to be if the treasure of your heart is evil. every word you utter, comes from the treasure of your heart, that means the heart controls your speech.
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart
bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil
man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth
that which is evil for of the abundance of the
heart his mouth speaketh” - Luke 6:45.
Beloveds, there is evil in a man’s heart. To truly discern the kind of person you are dealing with, just pay attention to what proceed out of his mouth.
Dangers in the pursuit of good things with evil heart
There are so many people that have lost their lives or got themselves more harms in the pursuit of good things while their hearts remain evil. God has no problem giving us things that we desire or wish. The problem is about the position and quality of our heart. I find out that, our heart must be first of all right with God before asking Him things.
Most of the times, we think we are late in getting what we desire. We rush and get those things prematurely meanwhile God is using those moments to prepare our hearts. When your heart is good and right with God, whatever you get from the Lord will be an everlasting blessing not a curse.
People get things and because their hearts are not good enough, those things they get end up destroying them. This is no work of the devil or witches and wizards. It’s purely a result of evil heart. Many aspire the position of leadership with wrong motives. Their heart beat is only to satisfy their selfish ambitions and not the people. No wonder they end up tormenting, afflicting and oppressing their own people. Before you long for something, just ask yourself: “Do I have a good heart? Is my heart evil? Why do I want this thing am praying for?
“And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hand the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
But Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: forTHY HEART IS NOT RIGHT in the sight of God” - Acts 8:18-21
Allow God to work on your heart while you patiently wait for His own timing for your life. When this is done, whatever He gives you will be a blessing.
The rate people are fighting for the position of leadership nowadays is very alarming. What one must get very clearly is that, leadership is not a position. Leadership is never a matter of position, title or status. No one needs a position power to do others good. To help people does not require you being appointed to a position. What one needs in order to help humanity is love not power. I keep asking myself why do people want effortless and unceasingly to be crowned chiefs, kings? Some among them clearly know they are not fit or even coming from that lineage to be crowned king, but still they fight tooth and nail to be one. Why?
Today, it’s very unfortunate to see pastors of the same church fighting one another for position sake. We are fighting for titles while the work we are called to do remains still undone. What a pity?
Unlike what you may be thinking, leadership is about the heart. Leadership is not where or how long you sit in there rather how well you are sitted there. It’s about your head, your heart and your hands. How people want to sit in a position but do not want to work to the seat! How they aspire for a position but fail to pray into it! How are they eager and desperate to be the person their hearts have rejected to be! These biblical passages will enlighten you the more:
●Hazael became king by shedding blood and ruled by iniquity
“When the King heard the news, he said to Hazael, ‘take a present to the man of God and tell him to ask the Lord whether I will get well again. So Hazael took forty Carmel loads of the best produce of the land as presents for Elisha and said to him, “Your son Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, has sent me to ask you whether he will recover”.
And Elisha replied, “tell him; ‘Yes’. But the Lord has shown me that he will surely die!”
Elisha stared at Hazael until he became embarrassed, and then Elisha started crying. ‘’what’s the matter, sir?” Hazael asked him. Elisha replied, “I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel: you will burn their forts, kill their young men, dash their babies against rocks, and rip open the bellies of the pregnant women!”
“Am I a dog?” Hazael asked him. “I would never do that sort of thing.” But Elisha replied, “The Lord has shown me that you are going to be king of Syria”. When Hazael went back, the king asked him, “What did he tell you?” And Hazael replied, “He told me that you would recover.”
But the next day Hazael took a blanket and dipped it in water and held it over the king’s face until he smothered to death. And Hazaell became king instead.”
-2 Kings 8:7-15
Hazael was one of the evil kings in the Bible next to Manaseh, Jeroboam and others.
His heart as well as his motives are perverted and evil. Such a person cannot be a leader. What he will end up doing is to overturn the rights and privileges of the citizens. The examples abound with us in our societies
.
●The sons of Zebedee and their mother’s evil motive for greatness.
“ Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, what wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom…”
Matthew 20:20-23
This woman and her children had good request but sponsored and motivated by an evil and wrong motives. They were not satisfied because Jesus saw the intent of their heart and realized it was full of pride, competition, arrogance and envy. Their prayer was not out of a pure heart. They want to be not only great but ‘boss’ over their fellows. Jesus knew that, they could do whatever it takes to have their desires met. But they were disappointed to hear that, fasting and prayer does not make a man a leader. Jesus said, it is a choice of the Father. What a good news? Many Christians can fast and pray forty days and forty nights; they can go from mountain to valley; they can even do night vigils to get a husband or wife or an appointment or promotion at work but are not ready to fast for change of character and attitude. No wonder most of them cannot stand in the position because their ways of life are hunting them. A renowned man of God once said; “We don’t pray into leadership, we pay into it.”
Someone is ahead of you at your workplace or ministry. This person may be even there before you come; so why would you venture yourself to be head over him overnight? Even if this is possible, it will be by grace not by conspiracy, greed nor blackmail. It will only come from God the Father, not you killing the person, charming him or praying against him. The rate some dangerous prayers are been lifted these days among Christians is very pronounced. If only we can pray likewise for change of heart, this world will be a better place to live in.
●Jeroboam’s evil and rebellious heart led Israel into sin
“Another rebel leader was Jeroboam (the son of Nebat), who came from the city of Zeredah in Ephraim; his mother was Zeruah, a widow. Here is the story back of his rebellion: Solomon was rebuilding Fort Millo, repairing the walls of this city his father had built. Jeroboam was very able, and when Solomon saw how industrious he was, he put him in charge of his labor battalions from the tribe of Joseph.”- 1 Kings 11:26-43
Many people can succeed to hide under the covering of hypocrisy with an evil heart, luring others to believe them to be good and genuine. They can be very committed and industrious in whatever they are called to do. They seem most of the times to be serious and zealous for their work and the things of God. They are never tired working neither do they complain no matter the situation. They make people believe in them to be true and great men who can bring about change and transformation.
What I find out in life is that, most of these kinds of people are only operating under the coverage of hypocrisy and deception. You only discover their true color when they are handed over a position of leadership. The mask quickly falls off their face when small chance is given them.
The lesson is; not all who are loyal today can remain loyal and not all of them that are really humble and submissive. Remember there are Jeroboams in every place.
A story was told of a man who got born again in a church. For two (2) whole years, he was very committed and zealous for the things of God. He never missed any church activities and was always present during Sundays and mid-week services. He was preferred and commended by the senior pastor and the entire leadership of the church. No wonder when he proposed to a God-fearing sister in the church, nobody objected to his plan not even the lady. Every one of them were happy and the wedding was successfully conducted. The Christian sister got the biggest shock of her life when her new wedded husband woke up one morning and told his wife to stop attending “that church”.
The Christian sister thought it was a joke but what the man said next brought tears down from her eyes. He said, he was not really born again and that he did all these things just to marry her since he knew very well that, she would never accept his proposal if he is not born again. “That’s why I joined your church”, he added. The lady fainted at the words of the husband and was rushed to the hospital but the worst has already happened.
How then can one lead without exercising evil in his or her leadership position? How can we lead according to God’s heart?
Allow God to try your heart
“Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shall find nothing; am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. I have followed your commands and have not gone along with cruel and evil man. My feet have not slipped from your paths”. - Psalm 17:3-5
Have you allowed God to take you through fire? Have you been refined as silver is refined? Have you been tried as gold? Have you been chosen in the furnace of affliction? How successful have you passed through the threshing floor of God?
The truth is that, God does not really know you neither can He rely on you of handling good things until he tries your heart. David passed the test but Uzzah failed. Abraham was distinguished to be God-fearing and was counted to be the father of all nations after God tried him and he successfully passed. How is your heart? How obedient are you to God’s commands? Our trials, pains and sufferings are the test that will qualify us to be chosen or not. Allow God to try your heart.
Wait patiently for your timing
How well and patiently did you wait for God? Have you overcome the test and trial of waiting? Have you submitted your heart under the influence of test of time? It’s only those that waited upon the Lord that can renew their strength. The test of time will finally reveal who you really are. While you are patiently waiting under God for his appointed time for your life, He will work on your heart that whatever he blesses you with will really be a blessing unto you and your generations.
LEADING BY THE HEART
“Then Huram the King of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them”.
2 Chronicles 2:11
I find this scripture very interesting and eye opening. The bottom line here is that, God makes kings. He makes men kings because of the position of their hearts and this because of the love He has for His people. In essence, he makes kings for the interest and benefits of His people. Why are we still emphasizing on this issue? The reasons are many:
−Leadership develops from the heart (whether in politics, ministry, business or secular jobs)
−Leadership is service, therefore, it must be done from the heart not from your mouth. You must learn to be genuine, sincere and serious in whatever you do. You must learn heart service not eye service. You must also learn to go to work on time. Stop giving excuses all the times. You must stop laziness and procrastination and get your hand dirty. You must understand that, whatever character you are developing today is yours, not for government or the boss under whom you are working. The day you stop working there, those characters and attitudes will definitely go with you everywhere you go.
−You must learn to sacrifice for a cause. David sacrificed himself for the cause of Israel nation to kill Goliath. Goliath could have killed him and that’s all, but he sacrificed his life. Whether your boss or Madam is heartless, whether he or she pays you well or not; as long as you remain there, you must sacrifice for the progress and success of the job. Do not sabotage the place you are working. Whether someone sees you or not; whether they recognize your effort there or not, you must do the work which is required of you.
−Learn to add value to whatever you are doing. Give your all to see the work that is committed under your care prosper. Don’t criticize the one you are working for. Don’t find fault in him.
PRAYER POINTS
-O Lord, search me and clean my heart from every uncleanliness, immoralities and filthiness today in the mighty name of Jesus.
-Father, take away every stony, callous and evil heart and give me a heart of flesh in Jesus name.
-O Lord by your Spirit, give me a heart for you and humanity, all the day of my life, in Jesus name.
CHAPTER TWO
YOUR DISAPPOINTMENT AND YOUR HEART
You may be wondering why “Your Disappointment and Your Heart.”
You may even ask yourself what disappointment has to do with one’s heart. Yea, there is a strong correlation between the disappointment men experience often and the position of their hearts. Very simply, disappointment has to do with the heart. It’s an issue of the heart. The issue of the heart must be taken seriously. It can kill you or revive you. That’s why the Bible emphatically reminds us to always keep our heart with all diligence. Most of the times, many people when dealing with their fellow human beings, take too serious some matters that rise between them. Their position or state of heart during those moments determine what befall them. When issues arise, the way you relate to them will definitely determine what happens to you. Preserve your heart and it will be preserved.
Nowadays, most of the tragedies such as suicide, self killing and the likes are mostly the immediate results of disappointment. So many people are going through divers kind of headaches that have taken their lives away or have caused more harms to them either physically or emotionally. Broken heart and heart failures people experience on daily basis are disappointment based. Many people are suffering from various diseases because of disappointment.
Disappointment is a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized. It’s also the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goal.
Disappointment is sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations. It’s a disease that starts with malaise in one’s heart and spreads to those around them.When hope suddenly dies, it leaves a scar and a throbbing pain of disappointment.
A disappointment is what happens when things don’t go your way. That sad, frustrated feeling of loss that follows. The noun ‘disappointment ‘comes from the middle French word ‘disappointer’, meaning “undo the appointment”. It’s true that a friend cancelling your plans or loosing your job is a disappointment, but today disappointment can describe anything that crushes your hopes, ruins your day, or otherwise lets you down.
WHY DISAPPOINTMENT?
Seeing how often people get disappointed and its impacts on them that experience it around the world, it’s of the uttermost importance to search and discover their root cause and find out how to deal with this dangerous issue in our society. Why disappointment?
Why do people get so disappointed?
i. When they put their trust in man
“Thus saith the Lord; cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord”.
Jeremiah 17:5
Nothing kills a man like trusting in his fellow. Making flesh your arm is as deadly as poison. It’s a curse to put one’s heart on man rather than God.
ii. When your hope and expectations did not come true
“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life’’- Proverbs 13:12
The most important thing to know here is that, God cannot help the hopeless. To be hopeless is to be helpless. God only comes to the aid of those who have hope. That’s why the Bible specifically states that; the expectations of the righteous shall not be cut short ( Proverbs24:14). But the issue at stake here is: in whom do you put your hope? From whom do you expect things in life? Is it God or man? Many people get sick and disappointed when their hope has been deferred. But the truth is that, those who put their hope on God will never be put to shame. When you set a time for yourself, when you are in rush to see your expectations fulfilled, then, it’s no longer hope. When you put your hope on God,you allow him to work on you , while you are patiently waiting for his appointed time to bring to pass all that have been said concerning you .
Remember, God will never disappoint you nor put you to shame. He will surely perfect all that concern your life at the right time. Don’t get tired and fed up! God will never fail you.
iii. People get disappointed when people don’t believe in them
I find out that, many of the great men in our generation today were at a point in time men and women in whom people hardly believe. Even Jesus had been painted as a son of a Carpenter, a man from Nazareth, a place where nothing good can come out from. Many people did not actually believe in him until they saw the great work he has been doing.
The truth is that, people will not really believe in you when you share your dreams, visions and plans with them. They will find it difficult do believe in your greatness, so don’t let this break you down, discourage you or cause you to be disappointed. Rather get focused, plan and work towards the direction of your dreams.
And when you do just that, they will celebrate you tomorrow. David, though Saul and the whole army did not believe in him, didn’t succumb to discouragement rather persevered until he killed the giant of his days. When you want people to believe in you, you cannot fulfill destiny.
iv. People get disappointed when they commit themselves unto others.
“But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men.”
John 2:24
For some people, the Holy Ghost must come upon them afresh in order to give them deeper knowledge about who they are relating with in life. Many of us need to pray hard to gain insight, understanding and knowledge about people surrounding us either in our home-setting, workplace and churches. We need to ask God to open our eyes wide and empower us to know who man is and what he is capable of doing.
Jesus knew all men, that’s why he did not commit himself unto them. He knew the intent of their heart, their behaviors, so he kept himself aloof from them. Belovers, don’t commit yourself unto man; whether family, relatives or friends or co-worker. The truth is that, you cannot know what man can do until he did it. And when it happened, you will be shocked. It was David’s own people who celebrated him when he returned from the slaughter of the Philistine that wanted to stone him to death. What about Jesus himself? The same people who spread their garments in the way for Jesus to walk upon and cut down branches off the trees and strewed them in the way as sign of Jubilation and Celebration were the same people that commanded his crucifixion. Beware of men and women surrounding you. Never commit yourself unto anyone. Don’t put yourself or force yourself on people because of the relationship between you. The kindness of people, their love and closeness towards you must not be an opportunity for you to entrust yourself to them. Know people by their heart. The same people that lift you up today can abase you tomorrow.
David, seeing the behavior and actions of king Saul and discerning his heart, behaved himself more wisely. To avoid disappointment, one must behave himself or herself likewise.
“And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways;
and the LORD was with him. “I Samuel 18:14”
v. People get disappointed when they took no counsel or proper counsel
“Without Counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the
multitude of Counselors they are established.” - Proverbs 15:22
Many people get disappointed with their plans, projects and business. Their purposes never seem to have been established. The reason is that, they believe what they believe and do what they want to do. They are not ready to take advice or counsel from anyone. What one must know is that, someone somewhere is already doing what you have started. What you are planning to do has been well accomplished by someone else. Therefore, you need his advice. Even if it has been instructed you by God, you surely need counsel. The Bible says, our plans are established in the multitude of Counselors. My advice is that, never start anything in life without proper Counsel. It’s key to avoid disappointment.
vi. People get disappointed when they want approval or witness from man.
“--- And needed not that any should testify of man;
For he knew what was in man” - John 2: 24-25
Many want others to bear witness about them. They want people to say good things about them. They are happy when they say things like: Congratulations, You are the best; the brilliant of the class, ‘the most talented’ and the likes. When people fail to give them approval and recognition they want, they get angry and disappointed. Jesus however, refused the approval of men and needed no man to bear witness of him. The reason is that, he knew what was in man. He knew the one who praise you today can destroy you tomorrow. He knew there is envy, jealousy and lie in man. Jesus also knew that man by the sweetness of his lips can bring you down from where he has put you. It was John the Baptist that bore witness about Jesus as the light of this world. But in no time, he sent messengers to Jesus to ask him whether he (Jesus) is truly the Messiah or not. What a world!
Beware of people who take you in high esteem. Many of them are more poisonous than snake’s venom. Whenever their interests seem to be threatened, they can leave you on the way. It’s in the DNA of man to approve and disapprove. It’s easy for man to turn his back at you whenever he or she thinks you are no more useful for him or her.
vii. People get disappointed when they refuse to live a life of contentment
Many people are not happy with what they have, who they are or the state of their lives. One of the secrets about this life is to accept how God made you and be happy for whatever you have. Many of us want more of everything even though we know it’s not in our power to get those things. We want to be like others and have what others have. Happy life starts with gratitude unto God for whatever He has blessed us with and trusting Him for better days when His set time comes. The Bible also stipulates that; “Godliness with Contentment is great gain.” Let us be content with whatever we have today to avoid disappointment.
Heart –related problems
People who have often been disappointed have pains in their hearts. The joy in their hearts has taken a beating. They are no longer capable of looking forward to something. They are no longer filled with expectations that something great will come. Their hearts no longer beat with expectations. They brace themselves, thinking that nothing good could come their way again. They believe it won’t work out once again so they refuse to try again.
According to Chinese medicine, disappointment causes blockage in the heart meridian, which can cause problems along this meridians route: the side to the chest, under the armpit-inside the elbow –to the inside of your wrist and into your pinky. It can cause you to have heart palpitation, shoulder pain, dizziness or even chest pain. Disappointment is a feeling that shouldn’t be underestimated and deserves serious attention.
In the same vein, many people are suffering from spiritual heart problems. Many of nowadays christians challenges are heart –related. Below are signs that your spiritual heart is under attack.
-Those who have heart problem, lack understanding
“Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
“Isaiah 6:10.
Many Christians continually hear the word of God but seem not to understand it at all. They are preached to but no tangible changes occur in their lives. Many years after being born again, they have not shown any sign of maturity. What they lack is understanding .Lack of understanding is a serious spiritual heart problem in our churches.
-Those who have heart problem cannot hear God and gain insights about the Lord.
“But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he
hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them;
as the LORD had said. - Exodus 8:15.’
Do you have difficulty hearing God and following His instructions? Is obeying the commandments of God a great task for you? Then, you may be suffering from spiritual heart problem.
-Those who have heart problem always display foolishness and cannot see the light of moral truth.
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened”.
Romans 1:21
PRAYER POINTS
-O Lord help me to trust only in you, in Jesus name
-Father, by your mercy, deliver me today from every curse of trusting in man, in the name of Jesus
-Every power of disappointment at the edge of breakthrough, catch fire now, in the mighty name of Jesus.
-O Lord, let my heart desires come true, in the name of Jesus.
CHAPTER THREE
WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART?
It’s of the uttermost importance that each one of us genuinely bring an answer to this question. We all know what is in our heart. You know what occupy your heart. What’s in your heart? What does your heart beat for? Your sincerity of response about this question is paramount because what’s in your heart can make or unmake you. What’s in a man’s heart can kill him or give him life; it can destroy him or restore him.
God is still looking for people after his heart, those hearts beating for Him. He is still in search of people bearing His love inside their hearts because He wants to set them apart, distinguish them in their generation and bless them. God wants men and women that will give their all to Him, people who will wholeheartedly love God in this dispensation. It’s a requirement and divine commandment to man to love God with all his heart.
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thineheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 6:5
What’s in your heart? What’s your heart beating for?
Our maker wants to see our heart always beating for Him and Him alone.
He wants to see the longing of our hearts always been directed towards Him. What’s your heart beating for? What’s it pursuing? Is it the love of woman? Is your heart always beating for women? Is it directed at chasing women all towns? Samson loved a woman, a strange woman and died an untimely death. He was advised and counseled not to but he refused. Some people won’t stop chasing men and women around the town irrespective of all the messages and warnings they receive on daily basis. They refuse o stop chasing married people and young ladies around until the worst happens to them.
What’s in your heart? What does your heart beat for? Is it material things? The things of this present world? Gehazi ended up with leprosy and later with his fourth generations. Many people have wasted and destroyed their lives and that of their offspring because of greed.
Their hearts are filled with covetousness about the materials possessions. They want things at all cost. Their hearts are longing for worldly things that are temporal. They work all days for things that will not go beyond the grave. They give value to the things of this present age forgetting other things that matter the most. What they end up doing to temporally satisfy their wants is to permanently sell their unborn generations into total and everlasting bondage and captivity. What a sorrow!
Is your heart beating for food like Esau who lost his birthright for food? Some people lost the opportunity of a life time because of food. They cannot discipline or crucify their king stomach. I have countless times met some so called Christians who cannot fast and those who fast cannot even exceed twelve (12) noon. It’s very sad. The truth is that, many have died or have their destinies polluted as they were caught trapped by the devil with food. If the devil has failed with all his tricks around you, he can equally use food to get you. My advice is that, you crucify at times your stomach and ask the Holy Ghost to fill you.
What is your heart yearning for? Is it the love of money? Don’t be like Judas Iscariot, who after betraying his master (Jesus) died frustrated by hanging himself. He surely got the money but did not get the satisfaction.
Don’t allow Satan to fill your heart with the love of money. Money is good but the love of money is evil. Many lives were destroyed for their love of money. The devil has opened many people’s eyes on the riches of this world. What they do is to covet, betray and conspire against their fellows to unjustly laying treasure riches for themselves that are nothing than vanities.
“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labor shall increase.” - Proverbs 13:11
What’s in your heart? What does it beat for? Is your heart beating for fame, power and honor? Some get it, some don’t but those who get them are still not satisfied. A Hollywood famous actor had been reportedly said to have committed suicide at the height of his career. These things cannot satisfy anyone. Many people who longed for power as they joined occultism, lodges and other secret courts end up regretting their acts because the powers they have covenanted with are now hunting and harassing their souls to death.
What then should be on our heart? What should your heart beat for? How did I attract divine and heavenly attention upon my life? What should then engage my heart here on earth? In what does our God delight? What are the most important and needful things that our hearts must always yield for?
The Love of God
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth
my soul after thee, O God.”- Psalm 42:1
You cannot find joy in things only in the person Jesus. Only Jesus satisfies. Is your heart yearning for Him? Are you longing for God’s Love? No human can love you sufficiently. When you have received God’s Love and you are enjoying it, the small love a man gives you is sufficient. God created man to give Him pleasure. Until man comes back to God’s original plan and purpose to give Him pleasure, he will continue to be dissatisfied.
What’s in your heart?
Give your love first to God and let nothing occupy your heart more than God. To be satisfied here on earth, we must be obedient to Deuteronomy 6:5, to love God with all our hearts, souls and might. God must be on our hearts everyday and all the times. The pleasure of God should dominate our thoughts and the work of God should engage our might. If a measurement (meter) is applied on your heart, will it read 80% love?70% love; 50% love? God is so jealous that He can only take 100% love from us. God does not love us less, He did not withhold Jesus but willingly gave him up for us. God loves us much more than we imagine or think. The same glory He gave Jesus, is the same He gave us. He calls us sons of God (Galatians 4:6). What manner of love that you must be called sons of God. Jesus, said, you are no more servants but friends (John 15:14). Now we are heirs of God and joint – heirs with Christ to the inheritance of the Father.
“And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him that we maybe also glorified together.”- Romans 8:17
The prodigal Son’s father said to his older son; “Son, thou art ever with me, all that I have is thine “(Luke 15:31). How can I access my inheritance in Christ? How can I be a partaker of all God’s riches in Christ? –Give Him all your heart 100% love with no reservation nor conditions attached. Can you love God as such? Can we be in love with Him to that extend? Apostle Paul’s heart was beating for God and he exclaimed: “What then can separate me from God’s love? Think about it!
The Anointing and Power of God
“And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of THY SPIRIT be upon me”
- 2Kings 2:9”
Elisha sought the double portion of Elijah’s anointing. He did not long or ask for money silver and gold. His heart was beating for the most important things. His heart was yearning for the anointing. Through the anointing, the yokes are broken, the captives are set free. By the reason of the oil, impossibilities are made possible, lives are transformed and destinies are restored. What’s your heart beating for? Elisha sought the anointing that was the source of his relevance and recognition. The anointing brings God’s power which can turn ordinary people into supernatural and extraordinary beings. Let your heart yearn for it day and night.
The Word of God
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.“ -Colossians 3:16”
Your level of hunger determines your degree of satisfaction with God.
How yearning is your heart towards God’s word? How full are you with God’s word? The Bible says; let the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom. God never undermines the yearning of the hungry. Those who do not hunger for God can never be filled by God. A lack of hunger for God is the reason of spiritual frustration. Many people go round, running from pillar to post looking for miracles and human favor. They refuse to settle down and study the word of God. What they gain at the end of their journey is total frustration and tiredness.
The miracles, signs and wonders we are looking for are in the word of God.
God always reveal Himself in His word not in water or oil. Samuel experienced it when yearning for God’s word.
“And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord” – 1 Samuel 3: 21
The way people run after prophets, anointing water and anointing oil these days is very alarming. If only we can go after the word the same way, Christianity will be more impactful than how it was in the apostles’ time.
The kingdom of God and his righteousness
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you”- Matthew 6:33
How yearning is your heart for the work of the kingdom? Are you willing to spend and be spent for the expansion of the kingdom of God? How yearning are you to see souls won for Christ? How beating is your heart to see nations serving the Lord? Are you willing to give yourself, your resources, your prayers for the expansion of God’s kingdom here on earth? Is your heart longing for the establishment of God’s Kingdom and his righteousness among us?
Let your heart continually beat for the lost souls. Let’s cry to the Lord against all unrighteousness, immoralities and war around us. Let’s speak and pray against the works of darkness that have taken over our nations, government and societies. God wants Phinehas of our time that will restore righteousness on earth (Numbers 25:10-11). There are more territories to conquer for God. The kingdom of God must be expanded even to the uttermost parts of the world. Nations must see the light of salvation. It’s our duties to carry the word to them. The kingdom of God must be established here on earth.
Love for God’s House
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD”- Psalm 122:1
David was reportedly said to be a man after God’s heart. He was said to be the beloved of God. In spite of all critics and judgments from people about how God could have so much loved and cherished his kind of man, God chose him again and made his Kingdom an everlasting one.
I found out that David did not jump there or got this honor overnight. He attracted the attention of God upon himself. Apart from his service, humility, prayer life and worship, the love for God and His house was paramount to Him. David had a yearning for God’s house. His heart always beat for the house of God. His ever presence in the house of God has always engaged the thoughts of his heart. Serving and worshipping God even in his house was not outdated to him. He planned for it and always rejoiced at any single opportunity he got to be in the house of God.
Is your heart beating for God’s house? Do you want to be in the house of God at all times? Some people don’t even include service unto God in their program. Sunday and mid-week services are neglected and seemed not to be important for them. Many people who go to church are like visitors or strangers in the house of God. They are not doing anything for God there. For most of them, they don’t really know who sweep or clean chairs they sit upon. They feel shy to work for God.
What’s your heart beating for? What do you want to do for God? David said; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of God, than in the tents of wickedness (Psalm 84:10). Think about it! You are ashamed to be an usher in your local church but David’s heart was longing to be a security man in God’s house. In God’s house there is fatness and river of God’s pleasure (Psalm 36:8). There is deliverance and preservation in God’s house as well as fountain of life and only those who are planted there shall flourish and bear forth fruits. Remember your heart must be attached to something in God’s house. You must find something doing there. That’s what makes you planted.
Prayer points
-O Lord, increase the yearning of my heart for you and your Kingdom in the name of Jesus
-From now onward, let your word oh Lord be the meditation of my heart and cause your work to engage my might, in Jesus name.
CHAPTER FOUR
WHY THE WICKED CANNOT CHANGE
There are a lot of polemics nowadays about the wickedness of men and how to deal with them. In essence, many people don’t really understand what wickedness of men is all about and their implications on those who fall victims to their tricks and devices. The truth of the matter is that, the wicked cannot change even if an opportunity is given them to do so. Your kindness to the wicked doesn’t make them good; they keep on doing wrong and take no notice of your majesty.
“Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord”
Isaiah 26:10
There is nothing a man can do on earth to bribe the wicked from doing his or her wickedness. Your kindness, love and good deeds towards them are rather avenues for them to inflict more havocs on you. Nowadays, the works of wickedness are everywhere and abound around us. This wickedness is so pronounced that many people think and believe God has created this world and gave it to Satan and his demons to be in charge. Many of our beloved’s deaths, accidents and evil occurrences have reportedly said to be caused by the wickedness of men, witches and wizards, and the likes.
Many people get more conscious and worried about the works of the evil one and their spread in all areas of life. We have seen the working of wickedness in our workplaces, government setting, and in our homes. The operation of wickedness nowadays has made many people to see demons and witches in everything including their own clothes. The relatives and friends they believe and take to be trustworthy and dependable turned to be betrayers, conspirators and enemies without a reason. What a world we are in!
Many people are crying. Sorrow, sadness and mourning have taken hold of many people’s heart. Wickedness keeps increasing in our societies. Will wickedness cease? Shall it come to an end in our societies? Shall men stop inflicting havocs on their fellow? What about the wicked? Will they change one day? How can we escape the wiles of the wicked? How can we be exempted from their wicked schemes and live in a peaceful world?
The hard truth
Many people find it difficult to accept, assimilate and believe the biblical truths. The reason is that, they have for longtime believed and bought the lies of Satan. They claim one must not pray against the wicked nor the witches and wizards. They believe we must rather pray for their repentance which goes contrary to the scriptures. The Bible clearly says, they can’t repent even if they are favored to do so (Isaiah 26:10).
If that be the case, why then are some people wishing, witches and wizards to live long when God himself said, suffer not a witch to live? Why is it that most people pray for the repentance of the wicked? Why do we always want witches and wizards to live and continue their work? It’s evident to me that many people don’t really know who the wicked is and what they are able to do in the life of a man or society. Many people need to be baptized afresh with the spirit of knowledge to be able to know and discern the effects and impacts of wickedness.
To be able to assimilate this biblical truth, one must first and foremost understand what the English word wicked is all about.
In English, the word ‘wicked’ is someone who deliberately does evil generally in an open and aggressive way. The word is synonymous to cruel, hard, malicious, harmful and is contrary to what is good, gentle and human. In essence, the wicked are characterized by what they do. A wicked is someone who can kill his fellow with no mercy. He is someone who will not rest until he executes his evil plan on you.
Why can’t they change?
These following reasons will help you understand why the wicked cannot change and why the supplications of gentle believers for their repentance will always prove futile. The reasons are many:
-The wicked cannot change because their wickedness originated and dwell in their heart. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”- Genesis 6:5
You see? Wickedness proceeds out of man’s heart. When your heart is wicked, what you do is wickedness. Wickedness is rooted and dwell in the heart of the wicked that’s why he can’t help than doing evil. His heart is wicked as well as everything about him. How do you expect this kind of person to change?
-The wicked cannot change because they have abandoned God
No one on earth can be good or do well by himself without the help of God. It’s not possible. God by His Spirit helps and enables us to do so. Anyone that abandons God can never be good because wherever God’s Spirit is absent, Satan and his demons are present. Wickedness is what characterizes Satan.
-The wicked cannot change because their heart is irony.
-The wicked cannot change because they live far from God.
“The wicked are not so, but like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous”- Psalm 1:4-5
One of the reasons why most people are fighting tooth and nail charismatic and fire churches and are not ready to join them is because of their wickedness they are afraid of being unmasked. They are happy and comfortable where gentle prayers and recitations are conducted. That’s why you can see demons trooping in on Sunday morning during service, to kill people and go free because the fire on the altar is quenched.
Because someone comes to church does not mean he or she is genuine, clean and harmless. Even Satan attended the first Christian gathering. It’s not the people who come to church but the quality of their hearts that matters most. Satan was there with a wrong motive (Job 1:6). Those who live far from God can come to our gathering but with a wicked heart. They think they are fooling you and God with the covering of lambs and angels. Witches and wizards that come to our gatherings know of sure that they are not there for repentance, salvation or any good intention.
They know they are not from God and their activities are far from Him. The church of God, the body of Christ must wake up from their sleep and draw the battle lines. It’s high time the wickedness of the wicked lived within his border without interfering with the issues of your life. Let darkness remains in darkness and let light continue shining.
-The wicked cannot change because their heart is stony
-The wicked cannot change because they are in covenant to do evil
“Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty”.- Psalm 74:20
Wicked people have covenanted with the devil to do evil that’s why it’s impossible for them to change.
LET THE WICKEDNESS OF THE WICKED COME TO AN END!
“Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end……”- Psalm 7:9
David was one of the mighty men in battle. He fought and won uncountable battles during his days. He was raised and trained in the bush with bears and lions before facing the giant Philistine who he killed to be made King over Israel. Before and after he took over the throne, David experienced several challenges which were nothing than the wickedness of men. He had seen how people rose against him including his own son.
Those who claimed to be with him also turned against him overnight. This is with no doubt the reason why he declared the end of men’s wickedness. The question is, does the wickedness of men really come to an end? Do the wicked cease from inflicting their havocs around the world? The truth is that, since David made that declaration, evil and wickedness of men has been increasing in our societies. The devil keeps sending his agents with different assignments. Many people keep covenanting with dark powers to shed blood and afflict their fellows. It’s clear to us all that wickedness cannot cease in this world. It can never come to an end.
“The truth is that the wicked live on to a good old age, and become great and powerful. They live to see their children grow to maturity around them, and their grandchildren, too”
Job 21:7-8
If we understand that the wicked cannot change, then their work of wickedness too will never cease in the world. The wickedness of the wicked can never come to an end in our societies as long as men continue to live on earth.
The good news is that, though wickedness of men cannot cease in this world, it can come to an end in our personal lives. How could that be possible? How can we live wickedness free in a world full of perversion, oppression and affliction? How can we be exempted from satanic oppression? How can the wickedness of the wicked come to an end in my life?
Be always conscious of your position in Christ
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place”. - 2 Corinthians 2:4
Believer must always be conscious about their position in Christ. They must always be armed with the knowledge of who they are and their place in God. Believers must embrace the truth that, they are in the world but not from this world. For wickedness of the wicked to come to end in your life, you must be conscious that Christ has prevailed and conquered all manner of wickedness for you including that one in your workplace, home and family. This knowledge and consciousness will cause wickedness to cease around you.
Be connected to the high power
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in Him will I trust.” - Psalm 91:1-2
One of the reasons why people are afraid of witches and wizards and the wickedness of the wicked is that, they know they have no power to prevail against them. The surest way to cause the wickedness to cease in your life is to connect yourself to the high power of God. Unless one connects himself or herself to that heavenly power, wickedness will continue to prevail over you. God’s power supersedes every other power and in the name of Jesus Christ every knees shall bow and every tongue must confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God.
Are you afraid of witches and wizards? Do you fear the wicked of your family, thus can’t pay a visit to your home? God can give you that power today as you connect with Him. You can draw power from Him to achieve the unachievable and accomplish the impossible. When you connect yourself to His high power, He will hide you in His secret and safe place, and under His mighty shadow shall you abide forever. God by Himself will uphold you and be your refuge and fortress in times of trouble.
Let the word of God be a profit to you
“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it”. - Hebrews 4:2
When God was doing the works of creation, He used the word. When darkness covered the face of the earth, He brought light through the spoken word. For Jesus to conquer the devil and his devices, he used the written words. The same way, the wickedness of the wicked cannot come to an end if we fail to effectively use the word of God in our life.
How much of God’s word do you know? And how much of it can you exact in your everyday life? The problem with this generation is that, we have all the assets: the rapid growth of technology, the social media where thousands of messages are preached daily and the rapid spread of churches but the word preached to us seems not to profit us at all.
A great man of God once said that, “Many Christians mark their Bibles but their Bibles never marks them”. What we need to prevail over satan and cause the wickedness of the wicked to cease is contained in the word of God. Your attitude and approach to the Bible determines your victory over the devil.
Live the life of Self Discipline.
It has been established that one can never be the person one is called to be if discipline is taken out of one’s life. Discipline is doing what needs to be done even if you don’t feel like doing it. What you must understand is that, what is fighting you is more disciplined than you can ever think or imagine. The wicked one never gives up. He is never tired. He never stop until he inflicts his havocs. Therefore, to cause his wickedness to cease in your life, you must be more disciplined. You must discipline yourself in prayer and fasting knowing that some issues can never go or happen until you fast and pray. How often do you fast and pray? How many hours do you pray a day? It’s only through effective fervent prayer that one can win the battle over the wicked. How well do you study the word of God?
Many Christians never cease seeing demons in everything. They think they need deliverance, when all that they need is DISCIPLINE”. They need discipline in conduct among their friends, in their homes and at work. You cannot be living somehow and thinking you can prevail over the evil one. If your way of life is not aligned with God and his word, you are joking. Today’s generation doesn’t need deliverance, we need self-discipline.
PRAYER POINTS
−O Lord, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end in my life in the name of Jesus.
−Every wickedness perpetrated in the heavenly against my life, destiny and marriage, catch fire now in Jesus mighty name.
−Household wickedness die by fire now in Jesus mighty name.
−Every stubborn wicked oppressing my family, am not your candidate, die now by thunder in Jesus name.
−I break today the high arm of every wicked that is lifted against me. I command your evil schemes to cease now in the name of Jesus.
−Every power that’s in covenant against my fulfillment, break loose and die now by the power of the Holy Ghost in Jesus mighty name.
−I live a life free from demonic and satanic oppression in Jesus name.
CHAPTER FIVE
A NEW HEART
“A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh”. - Ezekiel 36:26
There is a new dawn for man after all his toils and suffering under the bondage of sin and satan. Light finally appears at the end of the tunnel for him to come out of the darkness that has covered him since he perverted himself from the righteous ways of the Lord. God in His infinite mercy, purposes to renew the heart of man that has been polluted with evil and enter into covenant with him to bring to pass His original plan for mankind. God promises to give us a new heart.
A new heart is a genuine heart. It’s a perfect heart, a heart devoid of sins and evil. It’s a heart that pleases unto God. A new heart is a heart that is purified from old things and old ways of doing things. It’s not a heart that is contaminated with sins. That’s the kind of heart God is giving us. How can one get such a heart? In which ways can I have my heart renewed and purified from all filthiness?
Find the heart of God
God is a mystery and everything about Him is a mystery. Finding the heart of God is the only guarantee to a purified and a new heart. To find God, one must seek Him and seek Him with all our heart.
How can I find God? – Through His heart. We can only find God through His heart. What does it mean to find God through His heart? It simply means to discover and find out what He wants and what are the desires of His heart. Finding the heart of God is discovering what pleases Him most and in what He takes delight. Finding the heart of God is nothing than fulfilling the pleasures of God’s heart.
New Birth
To find the heart of God, one must first and foremost be born again. Through new birth, we are reconciled with God and adopted as His children. By our regeneration, we become not only children of God but Sons of God. We have been therefore brought closer to God and with all the privileges attached to this position, we are now made heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. We have at the same time been sealed and anointed by the Holy Spirit who now comes to make our lives his abode.
Those who find it difficult to assimilate and admit the veracity and reality of the concept of “New Birth” are just deceiving themselves. They may be ceremonial church goers but not real Christians because true Christianity starts with new birth. Jesus clearly says that one must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. Unless you want to be born in a church, or denomination and die there, unless you don’t want to enter God’s kingdom, you can stand against the new birth. God does not- know you as sons if you fail to be born again. New birth is the passport to your sonship and recognition to the kingdom of God.
Walking with God
Finding the heart of God requires from us, our walk with God. Walking with God is very vital for everyone who desires to find the heart of God. A part from being born again, walking with God is the next step to find the heart of God. Many are they that involved themselves in the works of God without having times to walk with Him. The truth is that, you cannot work for God if you have not walked with Him. The work is His and one needs details, His plans and purpose concerning it. These things can be known only if you walk with Him. For a good and successful work, make sure you walk with Him and Him alone.
“And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him”.
Genesis 5: 24
Closeness to God
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” - Hebrews 10:22
This is a call to everyone who is seriously desiring to find the heart of God, to come closer to Him with a pure and true heart. If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us and will open up Himself to us.
“Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.” - James 4:8
Dealing with the love of the world
One of the reasons why some Christians cannot hear God and know what He is saying and walk accordingly is because of their love for the world and the things it contains. Anything contrary to the word of God and His will is the world. The lust of the flesh and its pleasure, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life especially in our possessions need to be seriously dealt with if we want to find the heart of God.
What shall we say more? Time would fail me to tell of Gratitude, Abiding in Him, Intimacy with God among others which are the gateways to finding the heart of God.
THE HEARTS GOD WANTS
Throughout the ages, God has been searching for people whom He will prepare and commission to carry out His plans and purpose to humanity.
He has been looking for men and women who will fulfill His will here on earth. God wants to see people whose hearts please Him, those hearts that are devoid of sins, and iniquities. What kind of heart do you have? What is the position and quality of your heart? These are the heart conditions that God delights in:
A broken and contrite heart
‘….The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise’ - Psalm 51:1-7
A grateful heart
‘Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy disease.’ - Psalm 103:2-3
A grateful heart is a great heart and a heart full of gratitude to God and to humanity for whatever they have done or given you. What God wants from us, is to be grateful for whatever thing He blessed us with.
Can you count the blessings of God in your life? Can you name them one by one? Can you take a day in the week to plunder over God’s goodness and thank Him for that? Can we take time to arrange ourselves, prepare our ways to gratefully approach God with thanksgiving on our lips for what He is doing in our lives? Do you thank God for your family, job and position? Only grateful people praise God. Ungrateful people see nothing even when God has done great things for them. As it has been established it’s only great fools that will not be grateful unto God.
Be grateful to God if not for anything for the breath of life you have because many people don’t even have it. It is a sin when we refuse to give thanks unto God and people when they bless us. Never take the blessing of God for granted. Thank God for every single blessing, favor, protection and preservation you enjoy from Him.
An Obedient heart
Are you obedient to God and His commandments? Do you obediently follow the instructions He gives you? God wants those hearts that are obedient unto Him. Disobedience is a great sin. God delights in those whose hearts are obedient for they will enjoy the best of God.
“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” Isaiah 1:19
Many are willing. We all pray and aspire for the best in life but how many of us are obedient? Only the obedient shall eat the good of the land.
A heart of Love
We are created love creatures therefore God is expecting us to love Him and love one another. God is not pleased when hatred, strife and quarrels find their ways to our hearts. It’s a divine commandment for man to love God with all his heart, soul and might and to love his neighbor as himself. Whenever we fail this command, God is not well pleased.
“Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” - Matthew 22: 37-39
Is your heart bearing love for God and your neighbor? Do you always find it difficult to love God and your fellow? Check your heart!
A perfect heart
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…’- 2 Chronicles 16:9
A genuine heart
It’s very sad to see some people who act as serpents; they are never true nor sincere to themselves talk-less to other people. Their heart is not genuine. They are like a well that produces a sweet and bitter water at the same time. If you find yourself in this category of people, God will always be a spectator to you. God never delights in those whose hearts are not genuine.
A clean and pure heart
A clean heart is a heart that is not stained. It’s a heart that does not get itself dirty or polluted. It’s a heart that is devoid of all forms of defilement. God wants us to always keep our heart clean and pure. Let’s get away from anything that can pollute and stain the purity of our heart.
A heart of sacrifice
God wants us to bear one another’s burden. He wants us to be our brother’s keeper. It’s the delight of God to see us interceding for one another, and thinking about our fellow more than we think about ourselves.
Can you go extra mile for your brother or sister? Can you share what you have with a brother in need? Jesus approach to this issue was emphatic.
“And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twice. Give to him that asked thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away”. - Matthew 5: 40 – 42
Christianity is all about sacrifice. Sacrificing your life, time, and resources. Do you want to spend and be spent for God? How well can you sacrifice yourself for God? It’s your heart sacrifice that God wants most not the words of your lips.
A heart of worship
Praise and worship are the foods God eats. He does not take delight in man’s food neither does He eat rice or fufu. Worship is the only thing God cannot give Himself that’s why He created us to worship Him. Do you really give God the praise and worship due to His name?
David often comes down from his throne to kneel down in worship to God. At a time, he danced before the LORD with all his might though he was girded with a linen ephod. It has been said of him that he regularly praise his God.
“seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments” - Psalm 119:164
The truth here is that, one can pray amiss but one cannot praise amiss or worship and miss God. What prayers cannot do, worship will do it more. God wants to see our heart been full of praise and worship unto Him and Him alone. Are you a worshipper? Do you always give God the praise He deserves? Remember we are created for the praise of God and God deserves our praise and worship. When praise and worship are lifted up unto God, it attracts His heart and He intervenes in the affairs of men.
A courageous heart
God is never pleased with the coward. He takes no delight in those who are timid because He has not given us the spirit of fear. He told Joshua to be bold and courageous. God is interested in those who take bold steps; those who take risks without considering their lives, position or situation in which they find themselves. Those who cannot be courageous cannot go with God and can’t attract His heart.
Courage was the key to David’s success. He always dared what seems to be impossible for people. How courageous are you? God wants us to be bold as lions. Only the courageous in heart can attract God’s heart.
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” - Joshua 1:9
WHY DO WE NEED A NEW AND PERFECT HEART?
There are three (3) main reasons why our hearts need to be new and perfect.
To keep and do the judgments and statutes of God
Someone one day asked me, why is he not able to do what (the good things) he wants to do? The problem is about his heart. When you have a good heart that can accommodate God’s Spirit, you don’t have any choice than doing what He (Holy Spirit) wants. Many people plan to change but find it difficult to do so because their heart is not free, therefore the Holy Spirit can’t dwell in to help them. A new and perfect heart is a perfect condition for the Holy Spirit which helps us to do things God wants. Your flesh and polluted heart can’t help you.
“….And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them”. - Ezekiel 36:26-27
To be God’s own people living in His appointed place
Many people think because they go to church, they are automatically God’s people. It’s emphatic No! You cannot continue deceiving yourself that you are God’s own when you have the seed of satan in your heart. Some people cannot live without fighting, quarreling, gossiping, backbiting, betraying and yet they say they are believers. They are into illegal business, hatred, unforgiveness and bitterness have stained their heart but they are claiming God to be their father. These are the seeds of satan. God cannot begot satan. We need to surrender our heart to receive cleansing and purification through the blood of Jesus if we really want to be God’s own people. It’s only through this that we can be where God originally put us. Many people are wandering, roaming about without any sense of direction. They have become wandering stars because their heart is heavy and could not be sensitive to God. They are here today and tomorrow they are somewhere else. What they do is to jump from one thing to another. Are you one of them?
“……And ye shall dwell in the Land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people and I will be your God”,
Ezekiel 36:26-28
To fulfill the will and purpose of God
“….i have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will”. - Acts 13:22
In a crowded and selfish world that we are, everybody is busy day and night doing their own things their own way to succeed. It dawned on me that, people don’t really know the reason why they are here on earth. If you are among this kind of people, am glad to announce to you that, we are here to fulfill the will and the purpose of God. We are not here for our own things; we are here for the things pertaining to God and His kingdom.
Of course, we may do our own works and businesses but they are there to support and supplement what we are called to do. David in his own generation, found and fulfilled the will and purpose of God. Have you found your own? Are you fulfilling it? Before then, God has testified of David to be a man after His own heart. What about your heart? It’s only those heart that align with God’s that can find purpose and fulfill it.
God must take delight in you and your generation will celebrate you.
“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption.”- Acts 13:36
Prayer points
−O Lord, create in me a new heart in Jesus name
−Father, help me fulfill your purpose here on earth in Jesus name
−Father, by the force of grace, plant me and establish me in my appointed place in the name of Jesus.
PRAYER OF SALVATION
Have you ever asked Jesus to come into your heart?
That’s are you born again? If you are not saved, you are not safe neither can God take delight in you. If your answer is NO, or you are not sure, please pray this prayer with all sincerity and confidence:
Lord Jesus, I come to you today! I am a Sinner, I cannot help myself.
Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with your precious blood.
Deliver me from sin and Satan, to serve the living God.
Today, Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord, and Savior.
Thank you Jesus, for saving me! Now I am born again.
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