This is a guest post by Mercy Ndirangu.
As I had written last week, this week will be talking about ‘Coincidences in our lives are not accidents, but are God’s way of demonstrating to us that he is present and that he is having his way in our lives’ and prayer . I would like to thank you for inspiring me to read widely and write about this topic on Inspiration. Just a recap, I’m writing on going back to basics.
Last week I talked about going back to basics in Salvation and I hope by now you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior. As a new born I won’t lie to you this journey is not easy you will be discouraged, challenged, things will fall apart but all works for his glory.Remember God is always behind the scenes in our lives and he will give you strength to overcome: We are over-comers (Listen to ‘We are Overcomers ‘a song by Abel Chungu Musuka).
Are there situations in your life that you glorify God for saving you? Have you met people in your life that you didn’t expect you would? Have there been people who left your life and you thank God they did? Have you ever come across someone who doesn’t like you, or hates you because of your personality? Probably the way you laugh, the shape of your teeth, the way you talk, walk, laugh, and behave and many more reasons. I’m sure you have. As I was reading the book of Esther Chapter two and three, I came across a man Called Haman.
Haman was an Agagite a descendant of Agag, the king of Amalekites. Now to you who are aspiring to become mothers or dads kindly don’t name your son Haman, the name maybe in the bible but it talks of a bad person, just because the name is in the bible it doesn’t qualify to be given to your child. The reason I’m saying this, is because when Haman was made the royal official at the King’s palace (He was the guy making rules) , he did not like the Jews especially Mordecai, not because Mordecai had wronged him but simply because Mordecai did not kneel to honor him . Remember In Chapter two Mordecai had warned Esther not to disclose who she was to the king and Haman had observed Esther closely, and realized that Esther too was not kneeling to pay the King honor, thus Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews.
There might be people who are not happy of your success and vision. I remember in our Tuesday Kkrew Bible Study (that happens from 5:30 PM to 8 PM) When Pastor Angie Murega was speaking about purpose and leadership she said,” Don’t be quick tell everyone about your Vision, pray in secret.” This brings me to this week’s topic about going back to Basics in Prayer. Have you watched War Room movie? Do you know what I mean about praying in secret? Pastor Steve Thuo of Trinity Chapel also talked about it last week in his illustrations. He said and I quote,
“Men if you see me in a blanket in the morning and my eyes are red marry me because I have been praying somewhere the whole night,I’m not from a night club like other women who are in make-up, short things hidden in a trench coat.”
Haman went to the King and told him that there were people dispersed all over his kingdom, whose customs are different from all other people and they were not obeying the kings law and he asked permission to destroy them which he was given. When the Script about what was to happen reached Mordecai, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth went into the city wailing loudly and bitterly. It is then that he persuaded Esther to help. Esther instructed Mordecai to gather all the Jews who were in Susa and requested them to fast for her for three days and she was to do the same with her maids.
How often do you fast? Ooh Sorry I should have asked have you ever fasted? Kindly note I’m not taking about hunger strike. Fasting is part of Christian life; Jesus fasted for 40 days before he was tempted, we see Esther Fasted for three days before he could approach the king. How is your prayer life? Are you the type that says Amen in the Morning? How do you pray? Did you know they are 42 bible verse that talk about prayer? My favorite Verse is Jeremiah 29:12 God says that I will call on him and pray and he will listen. My goodness how wonderful is that, Jeremiah 33:3 continues that I (mention your name) I should call him and he will answer me, tell me of great and unsearchable things I do know. Surely what else do I need? If is about spouse I want he tells me in Mark 11:24 that whatever I ask in Prayer I should believe that I have received it and it’s mine. Brothers and Sister kindly note that you are lacking something because you haven’t prayed for it.
Back to Coincidences in our lives not being accidents, but God’s ways of demonstrating to us that he is present and that he is having his way in our lives. I hope so far you have noticed that the story of Esther and Mordecai is a story of spiritual growth. We see in the beginning the spiritual life of Esther and Mordecai was at low ebb. We see Esther Participating in the King’s immoral ‘beauty contest’ decided on the basis of one night spent the night with him; thereafter, she married a pagan King, contrary to God’s laws of mixed marriages ( Ex 34:16,1kingd 11:1-2). Her hesitation to approach the king is understandable , for until then she was concerned only about herself. She stops thinking only of herself when she risked her life for the preservation of the Jews. Through difficult crises in our lives spiritual growth often occurs.
I remember Back in 2010 was I was almost finishing my undergraduate I was still born again but I used to date a person who wasn’t born again. It’s not that I didn’t know that Believers should not be ‘yoked by none believers’ as the bible says, I knew but chose to give it a blind eye like most ordinary Christians would do. It’s until I decide to be extraordinary is when I stopped relating with non-believers. During that time in campus almost all Sunday Rev Njenga (Senior pastor AIC Shabab Nakuru) would preach his sermons and I would feel in my spirit he was talking about me. When I talk about feeling in my spirit I mean that Revo(as we would call him) was teaching something that I was going through. There is even a time that he asked me who I was dating and I was like…..Now this is too much.
We had dated with Paul (for purposes of this story) for one year and three months. One Sunday evening at 4 PM I remember I was leaving the youth hall heading home to prepare for my final exam on Rhetoric’s that I was to do the following morning from 8:30 AM. I got a call from a new number; I picked the caller was a lady; she introduced herself and told me the reason she called. I started sweating, I was furious; my head was running 1000 kilometers per min. I know you are starting to be curious what she told me Right?
She told me she was dating Paul and she was pregnant. I don’t know how she knew I was dating him and where she got my number. To cut the long story short that was the last time I ever dated a non-believer. Up to today I don’t see my situation that time was an accident I believe in my disobedience, God still found ways to manifest himself in my life. I became more cautious in his teaching and obedient. I pray for what I want and he gives what he knows I deserve. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand ( Proverbs 19:21)
This week I want you to keep in mind that in your struggles, in your weaknesses God is still present. Allow him to work in you. Obey what his telling you even if it looks absurd, impossible and awkward. Large numbers of coincidences that occur in your life cannot be accidental. God is bringing his will to pass in you. Read the whole book of Esther and it will convince you that all of life lies under God’s plan and control. As Jesus told his disciples, ‘with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Mathew 19:26) so I tell you. Pray for Providence, Pray without seizing, exercise patience and his Goodness and Mercy’s shall follow you all the days of your lives. Next week I will talk about another element that is clear in the book of Esther,’ God can take even your sins and mistakes and use them in his service’