So, you felt the pull. You knew you had to pray, maybe even fast. After all, the Bible said some issues would not budge unless you prayed and fasted.

Consecrate yourself; the preacher said, “God is looking for clean vessels He can use to do exploits on the earth.”

Did I hear you shout, let’s go! I thought so.

Today, we take more strides as we travel the way of the cross, the road to power.

Lining the sides of the road, we have all kinds of voices; let’s call them temptations on the highway of life.

Wait, did you notice that since you decided to wax holy, it seemed like someone opened the gates for all the negative things to come out? Somethings you are not necessarily proud of. I mean, you are supposed to be praying, fasting, and separating yourself unto good works, and hell released all its mad drivers on the road, and now you have to deal with them? So, you found yourself cussing instead of blessing?

You got angry too quickly when you should have been showing the love of God.

Have you ever wondered how temptations make their way to you when you decide to go straight and narrow?

Relax; you are being introduced to yourself. You know how the fire exposes the snake? Your flesh is revolting against the spirit; plus, you guessed right, the flesh is a sore loser.

Forgiveness is a willful decision to release the feeling of anger, bitterness, and resentment, overtly or covertly wishing you could pay the offender in the same coin.

It is being deliberate about excusing the frailties or shortcomings of others. It understands that all things being equal, no one in their right spirit and mind would set out to hurt another. It is recalling that we all have the breath of God inside us. We all embody God. No one with God ruling their hearts would willfully cause his brother pain. It recognises that it is human to err, and for as long as we live on this earth suit, we will be offended, and we, too, will wrong others.

Un-forgiveness is a self-created prison. You do not want to be in one. Visiting the place of the offence may bring back the pain (you may have tucked it in so far away that you don't want it revisited). You may break down in tears. Negative emotions may flood your being, your heart may be broken, and your spirit vexed, but you must

forgive. It is the way of the brave and wise.

Many people are in such prisons, and their inner selves crave freedom. And they may not know how to navigate their way out to freedom.

We unravel mysteries when we come apart. God promised we would find Him when we seek Him with all our hearts.

When we heed the Spirit’s counsel to enter God’s presence with praise and thanksgiving, we experience a change in the atmosphere. Our spirits become lighter, our hearts full of joy and peace, and we naturally progress to worship God. We are full of awe as His presence envelopes us. It is natural to bow, lift our hands, express our adoration and so on.

God’s presence is pure and holy, and when we come therein, our experience is almost indescribable with everyday words. But do you know that experience can characterize your daily life? You can exude positive energy; life can be beautiful and stress-free just because you discovered the power of worship.

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving

and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God,

the great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to him.

The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

for he is our God

and we are the people of his pasture,

the flock under his care. Psalm 95:1-7

Let us begin right.

We do this by acknowledging our guide, God, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead. His assignment is to show us the way of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, the Captain of the Hosts of heaven, the maker and ruler of everything, our Messiah and King. We embrace the Holy Spirit of God, who is ever present to open us to the resources we need and help us maximize our opportunities.

We must follow the example of Jesus, who walked the earth and made it possible for us to have an unhindered relationship with God the Father. We join the inhabitants of heaven as they show us how to function in the presence of our Father, the one and only true God. When we do it right, our lives and times become purposeful and fulfilling here on earth.

Now, let us imagine our walk begins with a gateway, and just as we are approaching, the Holy Spirit hands over the key "praise and thanksgiving" to us.

Seeing He knows the heart of the Father and is privy to the protocol of heaven, He encourages us to approach God in praise and thanksgiving.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5

"Not my own." Those words caught my attention as the young man pronounced them as he led prayers at one of our intercessory meetings. The context was the story of the two women who approached King Solomon to help determine whose baby was the living one.

I felt drawn into the discourse, and the more I studied, the more I saw that the problem was an identity issue. The object was a baby and transposed to our world can be a vision, a destiny, a purpose, and so on. God blessed both women with gifts to nurture. They received blessings that should define or, at the very least, affect their future. They each recognized and owned their gifts. The journey had been a while, nine months, many hours spent nurturing the dream. Imagine the joy and anticipation of holding the manifestation of God's promise and grace. The emotions could range from pure joy to anxiety, with the mothers through the gestation period, wondering what the future held for their babies. They could only hope and pray that all would be well.

That you might be like Jesus, walking the earth, wielding power the way He did, bringing glory to God and blessing to humanity. That, in my view, is the essence

of the christian's sojourn on earth...

Beginning today, we embark on an odyssey, we walk the way of the cross, learn the lessons therein and interface with the power of God and deploy the same to our world.

Welcome on board, dear friend.

If you ever faced rejection, you would have secretly questioned your identity. It may have felt like you did not fit in the room. It could have come as an outright question or someone's action or inaction. People's words may have cut deep into your soul, making you feel less than others or driving you down the evil path of despair, self-doubt,  defeat, and depression. You may have traversed many dark valleys, pushed down great mountains, and been told there was no room for you in the inn. Maybe you had doors slammed in your face, and the scars remain to date. The perpetrators may be long gone; others may continue to sing eerie tunes and perpetuate their evil mission. Your heart may be nursing the hurt, pain, and questions, screaming louder and demanding attention. Many life experiences may have rattled you to the core, leaving your essence a mystery.

Know this, beloved; you are not alone; it is the way of man, and it is almost impossible to go through life without facing the issue of one's identity.

Resolutions, Goals and Vision Boarding. Should we make them, do they work? If yes, how should we go about them?

How can we make the new year a very productive year?