My Journals, My Journey

The Importance of Prayer by Natasha Kamuna

Hello everyone! I pray that you are all well. I know I haven't posted in quite a while, but please do forgive me. I have been super busy with a few projects I have been working on such as UnashamedTwinszTV, a collaboration with one of my very close friend (in fact she's my twin). Please head on over to our Youtube channel, UnashamedTwinszTV to check out the videos we have so far and also follow us on instagram @unashamedtwinsztv.

First of all let me just wish you all a Happy New Year. I know it's very late, but better late than never right? Secondly I have a new feature on my blog, where I will be sharing blog posts from other sisters and brothers, about their Christian journey. So if you would like to write and share your journey feel free to drop me a message at journeywiththeking@gmail.com :)

So to kick start this new feature I have below a post written by the lovely Natasha Kamuna, from lordoutloud. I have been reading her posts and they have always been so timely and just what you needed. I pray that you will all be blessed by this post and please head on over to lordoutloud to have a read.

Importance of prayer

Prayer is communicating with God, it gives Christians a chance for that relationship with God that we all aim to have. You know the one where he is talking to us on a daily basis that when you’re walking down the street, you have to put your headphones in so it doesn’t look like you’re crazy. This all begins with prayer. There is no prayer that is too small or too large for God. Jeremiah 32:27 God tells us himself that there is NOTHING too difficult for him. Yet, why do we still waver in our problems when prayer is always the solution?

Sometimes we just find it easy to get caught up in our feelings about things, we then put too much pressure on ourselves thinking that we can go and make the situation better which then means that your mind, body and spirit are working overtime. We are easily annoyed, we are never mentally aware of things and we let certain things come into our lives knowing that they are no good but because the devil has caught you off guard, he will use that advantage to get you. The devil knows exactly when and how to come for you, always when you are the most vulnerable, maybe not in the right frame of mind and when you least expect it. BAM! He comes to hunt for you, maybe it starts with a little thought that you know you shouldn’t be thinking or the classic name calling. It is then that we should submit to God. Submitting to God means that you cast your burdens unto him because you know that by yourself you cannot do it.

Philippians 4:6 states do not worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done.

Lemme break this down for y’all:

Paul is instructing us to resist our flesh, the flesh will cause us to be anxious and to worry about things when they are beyond our understanding therefore we should not worry about anything. But instead, we are to what? PRAY.

Pray about everything. Notice the contrasts, going from not worrying about anything to praying about everything. You’ve gone from death to selfie to selfless. Praying is essentially just talking to God, knowing that God knows and sees everything means that you have to be truthful when you pray. Psalm 145:18 tells us that the Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. Therefore, we have to be able to have vulnerability when we are praying to God, that we can just go to him as we are and he is near. God is waiting on your prayers, but what is stopping you?

Recently, God has shown me that he cares about the small things. I was wondering how I was going to pay for a particular event and God led me to finding money. God knew that I wanted to go to the event because it was going to edify me so He made a way for me to get there. When you do things for God’s glory, He will show you how much you mean to him. There is never a prayer that goes unnoticed. Even those tough days where you feel defeated, God knows the desire of your heart, everything that God does is for the greater good. When you don’t get what you asked for and you get caught up in your feelings, know that God is working. He is bringing you something so much better that you could ever imagine. But, we have to believe that amongst everything God is working.

Praying for not only yourself but for your friends is so important. Having prayerful friends is so beautiful because even at times when we are too embarrassed or shy to tell others about our problems, our friends are already praying for us. Knowing that whatever is going on, they are so in tune with God that the Holy Spirit will download information onto them so that if God sends them to you, the problem is then shared and you will feel better. The way I am, I carry my friend’s burdens because I want what is best for them therefore what they are going through, we go through together. We can join in unity to pray together, laugh together and cry together yet in the midst we know that the presence of The Lord is there.

I want to challenge you to begin writing a prayer journal, record the prayers you pray and you will see great transformation. You will be able to see the wonders that God is doing in your life and those around you. Also, you will have written down the promises that God has given you and you will see such promises grow. You are planting the seed with prayer, as you continue to pray, you’re adding water to the seed, as things start to happen the seed is germinated and when the blessing comes, the flower has blossomed.

When are you going to start planting your seed with prayer?

By Natasha

To contact me further please check out my blog:

lordoutloud.wordpress.com

Follow me on Twitter:

@NatashaK18

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, by Shelly Ann

Hearts of Beauty

Comparison. A deadly killer of how I once viewed myself. Comparison leads to us neglecting our true worth and inner beauty. The worth and beauty that we have in Christ. I once let comparison dictate how I viewed myself and my worth. Being in the wrong relationships where I let the other person’s perspective shape how I viewed myself. Along with this I was also teased for my weight in primary school. I was told I was anorexic along with other harsh words. This lowered my self-esteem and caused me to start thinking that I wasn't beautiful and that I needed to "look" and "act" a certain way in order to be beautiful. I started to compare myself to other girls who had that "coco cola" bottle shape and I would try my hardest to fit in and be beautiful with how the world defined beauty. This took up my time and most of all it made me think less of myself, as I was constantly comparing myself to others. With all these magazines and TV adverts floating around with all these outwardly beautiful people, people are lead to believe that this is what beauty looks like. However, we do not know what’s going on the inside of these people’s hearts. It wasn't until Christ found me and showed me that my beauty is not defined by what the world says, but it is defined by what He says in His word. You do not need to look a certain way, dress a certain way or even talk a certain way for you to be beautiful. Your beauty should not come from the things that you wear, but from the things hidden in your heart. You should be beautiful both inside and out. You do not need another person’s approval in order for you to know that you are beautiful.

Instead of focusing on the things on the outside, why not focus on the things that are inside of your heart. We often tend to focus on having flawless skin, laid weave, on fleek eyebrows and all these other things, which leads us to neglect the things on the inside of our hearts. Yes, it’s good to keep up your appearance and make sure you are looking good physically. But what is the inside of your heart saying? What's happening on the inside of your heart will reflect the things that are going on outwardly. These are just temporary adjustments to the beauty that you have within. Sure enough you can look beautiful on the outside but on the inside of your heart is a completely different story. What are some of the permanent adjustments that you are doing to make you beautiful? Are you striving for godliness? Are you striving to be more like Christ each day? Is there jealousy, malice, slander and strife in your heart? If there is, I urge you to go to the Lord on your knees now and ask Him to remove anything that is not like Him from your heart. Ask Him to let your heart be more like His. People may look at the outward appearance and say you are beautiful but God looks at the inner beauty, the beauty of one’s heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 showcases this beautifully, But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” People base beauty on what's on the outside, but the Lord sees your inner beauty. You can be beautiful on the outside, but what's going on the inside of your heart? Are you oozing the fruits of the Holy Spirit? Are you being an imitator of Christ? Have a read of 1 Peter 3:3-4.

You are not defined by a designer label . As said before your beauty is not defined by what you wear. Living and abiding in Christ shows your true beauty. You have a spiritual label, a label that is eternal. Proverbs 31:30 states that Charm is deceptive and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. True beauty comes from a woman who has respect and reverence for God. In other words, she fears the Lord, she admires Him. She is so consumed by Him, that His beauty is reflected in her. A beautiful woman is someone who showcases Christ around her, so people are in awe of her beauty secret, who is Christ himself and not some Mac Concealer. A beautiful woman knows who she is in Christ. She is not defined by what the world defines beauty to be. The enemy wants to redefine what beauty is, by stating that it is external. But let me tell you something, do not be gravitated towards this way of thinking, do not be conformed to the patterns and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think -Romans 12:2. We need to get out of this way of thinking like the world. Break or rather challenge the norms of beauty! We are called to not think like the world. Therefore, the way you view beauty should be in line with what God has said in His word. The Lord knew you before you were born -Jeremiah 1:5. He knows the number of hairs on your head -Luke 12:7.

Beauty is found in the character that you have. Have you ever found yourself comparing yourself to others based on how they look? You may be struggling with low self-esteem but I am here to remind you that the Lord has made you beautiful. He says that you are more precious than rubies and that nothing can compare with you -Proverbs 31:15. You are beautiful and there is no need for you to compare yourselves to other people. Comparison wastes times and dampens your inner beauty. You become so focused at looking at other people that you neglect the beauty that is inside of you. Your beauty is based on Christ radiating through you. It is based on Him shining through you. Be content with who you are in Christ. You are beautiful because the Lord himself has made you in His image. David understood that he was fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator. He acknowledged the handiwork of the Lord -Psalm 139:14. Put an end to comparing yourself to others, and ask the Lord to allow you to be content with who you are in Him. Do not let what others think about you be the source that you use to validate your beauty. The Lord has already made you beautiful in His eyes. You were made in His image -Genesis 1:27. He has made you beautiful flaws and all. God made you unique! You may not be like Mary or Susan, but you will be you (insert name). There is no one like you, and the Lord loves and cherishes you just the way you are. People will tell you that you need to change in order to fit their standards of beauty. I encourage you not to change for anyone! Your husband will love you just the way you are. If some no nonsense boy is telling you that you need to dress or act like Kim Kardashian in order for you to look beautiful, please let him continue to think that way and leave him alone. He does not deserve you because you are far too precious and baby-girl your beauty is not defined by what he says. Do not ever change to accommodate for someone else, be your beautiful self and live up to God’s standards of beauty! Do not conceal your inner beauty but let it shine through so others can see Christ living in you.

If anyone could describe your character at this very moment in time, what would they say? Would they say you are malicious or slanderous? These are not things that you want to be associated with. Colossians 3:12 says that as God's chosen people, holy and beloved, we must clothe ourselves with compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. This is what beauty looks like. It looks like the fruits of the Holy Spirit shining through us -Galatians 5:22-23. God’s character should be shining through us daily. Instead of clothing ourselves with temporary things such as designer labels, let us clothe ourselves with these things as described in Colossians 3. This is true beauty. Be a woman of character. Invest your time in another sister’s life. Be a mentor and encourager to someone. Spend time serving in a ministry in your church. And don’t just do it because it looks good that you are doing something, do it because you love the Lord with your whole heart and you want to serve Him and be a blessing to others. Spend the time making a difference on things that will be eternal and not on temporary things that will fade away. Show kindness and patience to those around. Let God’s love shine through you. This is even more beautiful as you are reflecting His image. Continue to imitate Christ in all that you do -Ephesians 5:1, this is what makes you beautiful. Speak with words of wisdom. Be a woman of integrity and diligence. Love others whole-heartedly. Work hard and put others before yourself. Find your purpose and work in order to please the Lord and not man. Speak words of encouragement and positivity to those around you (Please read Proverbs 31). Ask the Lord to work on your character so that you are more like Him every day.

I pray that we as young women will not be caged in by what the world defines as being beautiful. My prayer is that we will be satisfied with who were are in Christ. That we will be reminded that He has made us beautiful and unique!

Love and blessings,

Shelly

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, by Shelly Ann

Hearts of Humility

As I write this blog post to you, I'm listening to S.O's new album "So it Ends". You guys should definitely go check it out! For a while the topic of humility has been popping up very often, from Bible study group discussions to my own devotional time. I am so excited *skips all over blogger* to share with you all what I have learnt thus far about humility (P.S I do believe that there is still so much more to learn about this topic). Enough of my excitement! I pray that as you all read this blog post the Lord will reveal to you the areas you need to submit to Him and let Him work on.

What is humility?

Humility is lowliness of oneself, not your worth but your lowliness in comparison to that of the Creator. When we are humble or rather expressing true humility we realise that we are nothing without God and that we need Him. Humility is about putting your total dependence on God and not on yourself. Proverbs 3:5-6 says that we should trust in the Lord and not to lean on to our own understanding (see how humility comes in this sense, we don’t rely on self but rely on God). Humility acknowledges that Christ is Sovereign. When we recognise that Christ is Sovereign over all, the need for self-praise is removed from one’s life, as the praise goes to the Lord.

Amanda Cook from Bethel music describes humility as true intimacy with Christ. What I believe she means by this is that, because you have this close relationship, this intimate relationship with Him you are able to recognise that He is in control (recognising the work He did on the cross). You are able to hear His voice and trust Him. You are able to rely on Him completely and not on yourself.

Humility should not make us passive or timid. When people think of humility some of the things that come to mind is that you have to be quiet and timid. Well if I am timid that goes against what the Bible says, because in Joshua 1:9 the word says that we should be strong and courageous. Courage is the opposite of being timid and if we aren't brave, we can’t step out in boldness and share God’s word. When we are timid we open up three doors. Doors of fear, worry and doubt to come into our lives and that is not something we want! So don’t ever think that in order for you to be humble, you have to be timid or passive. Be strong and courageous and active about your faith in Jesus Christ.

I was reading a scripture in 1 Peter 5 and it was talking about how we should follow the example of Christ, who was the perfect example of what humility looks like. From this scripture there is an instruction, an obstacle and a reward.

Instruction

The instruction that we receive from this scripture is that we are to clothe ourselves with humility. The reason we wear clothes is to cover ourselves (well for some people they tend to do the opposite). The type of clothes you wear can tell a lot about you as person. For example, wearing a lot of vintage clothing shows that you are into vintage, wearing only black colours may show you like only black (This might not always be the case, but I'm sure you all get what I mean). In the same way, when we clothe ourselves with humility this can allow others to know more about who we are. By clothing ourselves with humility it should be one of the first things that people recognise about us (that is we treat them with care and respect regardless of the positions that they may have). We should be ecstatic about wearing this beautiful clothing of humility. (Similarity is shown in John 13:3-5).

Obstacle

Pride is the opposite of being humble and when we become prideful we stop focusing on Christ and focus on ourselves. How familiar is this to all of us. Look at Satan, the master of pride. It was because of his pride that he was kicked out of Heaven (see Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-18). Satan became so proud that he was thinking of himself and what he could get. He wanted to be like God, in fact he wanted to be God. In the same way, when we think about our self we become consumed with thoughts of our self. What we want. What is best for us. What we should do. And the list goes on. This ends up with there being no space for thoughts about Christ as we have shoved Him aside to accommodate self-thoughts. We become so self-centered. We push God away and are basically saying to that we don’t need Him. That we are perfect and we can do everything by ourselves. No sweetheart, let’s see how long you can do that before actually come to the realisation that you are nothing without Christ. Pride is giving our selves credit for something that was intended for God’s glory. It is keeping the Glory to ourselves and not giving it to God. And this my dear friends can hinder us from receiving the blessings the Lord has in store and also bring us into opposition with God (it leads us away from Christ, which is sin).

Reward

The ultimate reward of true humility is that you will be exalted in due time. Notice it says “He” will exalt you in due time, not yourself but God will exalt you in His timing. Now you see the beauty of this is that when we are prideful we fail and fall horribly (Proverbs 16:18-19), but when we are humble God rewards us with grace and this grace gives us contentment, security and godliness. (Basically what I said but in another way: Humility will lead to more grace, holiness and peace being bestowed unto you, for those who are prideful will receive destruction). Looking at King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, we see where he knew about the Sovereignty of God but he decided to neglect this and still be prideful. So the Lord dealt with him according. Nebuchadnezzar was praising himself for building Babylon, see Daniel 4:28. And as soon as he said this, the dream he had which Daniel interpreted came to pass. Can you imagine, this King went from eating at his fine table eating them fancy delicacies to now eating grass like an ox (talk about being brought low). The Lord gave him this authority to be king, Daniel 1:2, however took it away from him as pride took the place of humility. However, in due time the Lord restored Nebuchadnezzar back to his position (Daniel 4:37).

How can we be truly humble and allow pride to starve?

Jesus did not come to be served but he came to serve. Just as how Christ came to serve we should adopt this trait and serve those around us in all lowliness of mind and always consider them better than ourselves-Philippians 2:3

Abiding in The Lord and drawing near to Him

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”. There is no way we can be truly humble if we don’t abide in Christ. Humility is a part of who is His and by abiding in Him, which means to continue/live/remain in Him, we are able to be more like Him. Often times we can neglect or rather disregard correction from wise counsel and that in itself can lead to pride. To overcome this, we can draw near to God and in doing so He will ultimately change our hearts with how receptive we are to correction.

Not just an outward action-be honest with yourself

The Lord searches and knows the heart of everyone. So we may think that humility is just an outward action, however that is not entirely true. Humility, true humility comes from the heart. One can have an outward appearance of "seeming to be humble" but in their hearts, pride still remains. Jeremiah 17:10 “But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve." Someone can say that they are humble, however in their hearts they are full of pride and arrogance. Let’s recognise that our hearts can be deceitful, so we need to ask the Lord daily to remove everything that is not like Him. Do not and I repeat do not go after what your heart says. I often hear people say follow your heart. How about we follow what the Holy Spirit is saying (maybe then we will make better decisions in life). Humility is a heart attitude, whatever is on the inside of your heart will show forth on the outside.

Recognising who you are in Christ and thinking about others

Some people believe that when you are humble you think lowly of yourself in the sense that you are worth nothing. Let’s not get this twisted guys. Humility as said before is about being lowly in spirit in the sense that you recognise that Christ is Sovereign, you submit to and obey His will. This does not in any way, shape or form mean that you are worth nothing. You are worth a lot to the Father. Just understand that humility has nothing to do with you thinking that you are worth nothing, but you acknowledging the Lord as Sovereign (total dependence on Him and not on oneself). Philippians 2:1-4 sums up what a humble person looks like. Humble people are not selfish and are not concerned with themselves but with other people (they are constantly thinking of serving and helping others). Humility should not be about impressing other people so we can be praised for being humble (Proverbs 27:1-2). They don’t try and impress others, rather they do it as an act of service. They don’t have the mind-set of getting something in return if they have done a good deed. See Matthew 6:1

I pray that the Lord will break us open and reveal to us the areas in our lives where we have become prideful. I pray that He replaces that pride with humility and a servant heart.

Love and blessings

Shelly