GOD SPOKE TO ME AGAIN THIS MORNING............

WHY WE MUST CONTINUE TO PRAY...

God spoke to me again this morning. I was in the "twilight zone", that period between sleep and wakefulness, when God spoke to me in His clear precise voice. I've heard God's voice clearly on several occasions, the 1st time was when I was 10 years old. In the last year or two the occasions have become much more frequent and I now instantly recognize His voice.

He said "WE MUST CONTINUE PRAYING EVEN WHEN WE FACE OBSTACLES." The immediate context was in relation to the resolution of a serious family feud between some friends of mine. One sibling had become so angry with the entire family and had refused to speak to or have anything to do with any of his siblings for several years despite entreaties by the parents and serious attempts to resolve the issues. In the past few months the person had started speaking to one of the siblings and had even deigned to attend a family birthday party. The rest of the family were pleasantly surprised to see them and even though things are not completely right yet there's now hope for a complete resolution of the feud and a return to good family relationships and interactions.

I talked briefly about the rapproacment with one sister and while we rejoiced about the direction of things, the sister stated that she will continue to pray for full resolution and increased love within the family. We will ALL face challenges and trying situations in our lives and need to pray unceasingly regardless of whatever obstacle is in our path... Our God who hears and answers all prayers is listening and will answer us in due time. In the meantime we must keep praying. The previous evening I had just received the answer to a prayer request I had made over 6 months earlier! The person I was actually praying about had even since died, but God had heard and answered my prayer though I didn't know it until that night...

My youngest brother was diagnosed with a brain tumour just over a year ago and passed away after about ten months of illness. At the same time as he was diagnosed in America, there was another young man of his acquiantance who was diagnosed with the same type of brain tumour in Canada. Even though I didn't actually know the young man in question, I prayed for his recovery anyway... The similarities between himself and my brother were uncanny. Both were born and brought up in the same city in Nigeria, attended the same university, had a similar circle of friends, had recently relocated to Canada and the United States respectively and were both recently married with young wives and children. When I heard the other young man's illness had progressed and he'd slipped into a coma and it seemed likely he wasn't going to recover, I asked the Lord to please let him regain conciouness even if briefly, in order to speak to his wife before he passed on.

When I heard he'd died, I asked if he had ever regained conciousness and was told no. That I thought was the end of the matter. That evening as I received condolences about my brother from a family friend, he told me he was also a close friend of the other young man and had even been to visit him in Canada. Without my asking, he stated that the young man had undergone an operation to relieve the pressure in his brain, and he did recover conciousness, albeit briefly! I then asked if his wife had been present at the time and what do you expect...? Of course she was and had been able to speak with her husband for a while before he slipped rapidly back into unconciousness. He did not realise the significance of what he'd told me but I was so grateful to God that He did answer my prayer, even though I hadn't known it at the time.. I felt like leaping and shouting out praises to God there and then. It may seem like a little thing to some of you, but that God answered my prayer and against all odds found a way to let me know it, is glorious and amazing to me and I'm ever so gratetful. 

The young men both died, within 5-6 months of each other. Both have left widows and young children to support, but in all this God hears, cares and answers us, especially when our hearts are right with His. So regardless of what obstacles we will have to face, regardless of whatever dreadful situation we might be in, we must continue to pray. God is looking for steadfastness, He's looking for complete faith and trust in Him along with right-heartedness, then will He hasten to answer us when we call upon Him in our time of need. Now more than ever will I continue to pray, and I hope so will you too............

Three years on, December 2012

The sun always rises in the morning, so too the dark can't
extinguish the light of God and prayer reminds us of this.