Hello Everyone,   

We are starting a series called "Asking for a friend" where we answer questions old and new believers have. Every week we will tackle these questions and answer them as led by the Holy Spirit.   

This week we answer the question- "How do I know if I am saved even if I don't feel it".   

It is a very vital question and the one thing you must know is that salvation is not a feeling. 

Find out more as you watch.  

 Love always,  

Orode.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  

Dear Friend, One of the most important things in God's heart is that we have access to Him, and this is only possible when we pray. Prayer brings us closer to God because when we confess our sins and declare Him as Lord, He forgives us and makes us righteous through Jesus.  

 So come to God in Humility and talk to Him about whatever it is you need Him to know about. He hears and He is ready to forgive you. 

  Love Always  

Orode.

What is Prayer? 

Dictionary definition says 

“Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication”  Even the dictionary admits that it is a deliberate act. But why do we find it difficult to pray?  I’d like to share something God’s taught me in recent times.   This episode is specifically targeted at people who might be wondering how to pray? Why pray? What to pray about? Well, we would touch on each one of these things in future episodes- but let me just quickly say if you are struggling with prayer or you have never tried to pray before, don’t see this as a religious activity, remember you aren’t talking to an abstract deity, you are talking to a God who hears, feels, and answers, so start today and just talk.   Talk to him as you would yourself standing in front of a mirror.  Start with a word, and you’ll see that he’ll bring to your memory everything in your heart, and the best part is He wants to hear you out!  

 Love always, 

 Orode

Matthew 6:33" But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  God calls us to seek the KINGDOM- God asks us to seek first and foremost -HIS AUTHORITY. We must realise that how things operate in a kingdom is different from how things work in a state ruled by an elected official. And God is not a governor or a president- He is a KING.  In a kingdom, the King has absolute authority. Everything is owned by him, including your life. This should make us grateful that this particular King is also our Father.  In this episode, we explore some ways we can grow in maturity in Christ.   

Love always  

Orode Uduaghan

Isaiah 64:8 

But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Dear Friend, 

This scripture is a beautiful reminder that we are in the hands of our Father, and every day He adds a little something here and there until we become perfect in Him through Christ Jesus. 

Our life is a journey, and God molds us as a potter would a clay into a beautiful product. 

Today we are thankful for His hand upon our lives. 

Love Always 

Orode. 

Jeremiah 29

10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Love Always, 

Orode 

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing,  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you"   James 1:3-5 

Dear Friend,

We have been talking about renewing your mind in the last few weeks, but this week I really want to share something that has changed my life and how I approach trials and persecutions. I know and acknowledge that some trials need to be dealt with as they might be attacks of darkness however, in the midst of dealing with those trials with God's help I am learning to allow God to use every difficult experience to shape me into becoming more like Christ. In the past, I would feel defeated by so much persecution but today I know that I already have victory over darkness, and whatever circumstance I am in becomes a learning tool for me. I allow God to show me His view of that situation and I become intentional about growing from it.  

This is what I'd like to share this week, do not take persecutions likely, address them especially spiritually, but allow God to do a work in you through every single one of them because it builds your capacity. In a world that is so fickle, you need to be deeply rooted especially in your faith to thrive.   

Love always,

  Orode Uduaghan

Last week we spoke about A renewed Mind through Christ - but how does this work?  

Dear Friend,   Renewing your mind means getting freedom from limiting thoughts that produce limiting behaviours like anxiety, fear, depression, jealousy, insecurities, etc. Many of these emotions or reactions come from our worldview, and 80% of the time, it is according to the standard of the world and not God. We are told God isn’t bothered about our emotions or our mental health- that’s not true; GOD is very much interested in every emotion and in your mental health. 1 Peter 5 - 6 - 7 says Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

 Jesus does care about your mind; He cares about your emotions; every single one of them, he cares about how you feel at every single moment. He cares about the emotional roller coaster you are dealing with, and He is offering you a helping hand to you. In John 15: 5, He is is inviting you to a solution that will help you bear much fruit and see things like God sees. 

He is asking you to ABIDE in him (to stay, dwell, be firmly rooted) so He can give you a chance at being representatives of His kingdom in the world around you. A limited mind, a fractured emotion and a damaged self cannot produce much. So come into Him with your heart open and allow Him to do good work in and through you. And it all starts with your MIND.   

Love always 

Orode Uduaghan  

 Love God. Love People

Romans 12: 2

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

In today’s episode, I want to break down this scripture as it relates to oppression, addictions, fear, anxiety, or any other thing you might be dealing with.

But first I need to point out how important it is that we gain knowledge about God and all that concerns him.

Here is what I want to talk about from this verse when you come to Christ the first thing he does is strip you off your old self and replaces that old self with himself so that every day you become more and more like him. Imagine yourself as a child who went to play in the mud with your white outfit and you come home all stained and soiled. This is what it’s like with us and God, Your parents will pick you up or ask you to stay where you are, remove the dirty clothes- throw them into the washing machine or cloth bucket outside, for those who have an outdoor tap, wash you right there outside, or take you to the bathroom to give you a bath. Dry your body and then give you a clean outfit to wear.

Seeing our lives, the world, and everything around us from His view is very important. It is the first step to breaking free from any sort of bondage you might be experiencing.

Love Always

Orode Uduaghan

Luke 4: 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.

As we celebrate Christmas I want us to remember the real reason for this season. We are celebrating the birth of a saviour whose coming into the world changed the course of humanity forever.

Love Always 

Orode Uduaghan