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FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2024 Pastor's Desk

My prayers for you | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: January 05, 2025 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 12, No. 36

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. I am delighted to welcome you to the first Sunday of this new year, year 2025. Clearly, it is because of the goodness of the Lord that we are alive and well to witness the new year. So, I want you to join me in singing the song that says:

Thank you, Lord.
Thank you, Lord.
All I have to say is ‘Thank you, Lord.’

Now, as we begin this new year, I want to offer for you too the prayers of Apostle John for a friend of his, which read: “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” (3John 2NIV) What is the first thing John is asking God to do for his friend? It is that He will cause him to enjoy good health.

Why is that important? It is important because without good health, it will be hard, if not impossible, for anybody to do anything tangible for God, for himself or for others. Also, without good health, people cannot enjoy their lives or any good thing they have. And I want you to be able to do all kinds of tangible things for God, for yourself and for others this year. I also want you to be able to enjoy your life, your relationships and whatever good thing God does for you or gives to you in the year. Therefore, just as John prays for good health for his friend, I also pray that you too will enjoy good health all through this new year, so that you will be strong enough to do whatever good thing your heart desires to do and so that you will enjoy your life and everything you have. Amen.

What is the second thing John asks God to do for his friend? It is that He will cause all things to go well with him. Don’t you too want all things to go well with you this year? Don’t you want all things to go well with your family, business, education, ministry and anything else that concerns your life this year? I want all things to go well with me this year. And my prayer is that all things will go well with you too every day of this new year. Amen.

Then the third thing John asks God to do for his friend is that He will make his soul get along well with Him. In other words, John wants God to make this man sound spiritually. He does not want him to be a prosperous healthy man that is living a godless, foolish or meaningless life. I also don’t want you to be a prosperous healthy person that is living a reckless or useless life this year. That is why my prayer for you too is that God will make you sound spiritually in every way this year, so that your health and wealth will be used to honour Him.

Well, those are my prayers for you as we begin this year. And as I look forward to doing all kinds of great things together with you in the year, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you both now and forevermore. Amen.

Happy new year.

Copyright © 2025, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 08146472876)

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FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2024 Pastor's Desk

And your joy will be complete |By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 29, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 13, No. 35

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours without measure from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. It is with great joy that I welcome you to the transition week between this year, 2024, and the new year ahead of us, year 2025. My prayer that is that God will see to it that you move into the new year with overflowing joy, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now one of the ways to experience overflowing joy over ever matter of our lives is to pray. Jesus says this to us about joy: “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24NIV) Did you see that? How do we experience complete joy or fullness of joy in our lives? It is by praying to God.

So, what we need to do is to identify those areas of our lives in which we are not happy at all or in which our joy is not full and begin to talk to God about them. And the Lord Jesus has already assured us that if we will do so, we will receive answers to our prayers and that will result in fullness of joy for us. It is now up to us to either pray in order to experience fullness of joy in our lives or not to pray and remain sad.

For instance, as we are told in the bible, Hannah used to be a very sorrowful woman. Why? First, it was because she was barren. Second, it was because the second wife of her husband, Peninnah, used to torment her because of her barrenness. Truly, her husband, Elkanah, often did his best to comfort and make her happy. But his comfort was never sufficient to keep her from crying or being sorrowful. (Cf. 1Sam 1:1-8)

However, one day, Hannah decided that she was going to talk to God about that which was making her sorrowful every day. And after that prayer session, sorrow disappeared from her life. Look at what the bible says about that: “…Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” (1Sam 1:18NIV) Did you see that? Through prayer the joy of the Lord rose up in Hannah’s heart and drove away her sorrow. Not only that, through her prayer that day, she received a baby boy from the Lord. And that, of course, made her joy overflow.

In like manner, if we will pray to God about any matter that is bothering us or filling us with sorrow, He will answer us. How? He will first cause His joy to well up in our hearts and drive away our sorrow. Then He will cause the answers to our prayers to manifest. That way, His joy that is in our heart will begin to overflow and result in thanksgiving to Him.

So, though we are in the last days of this year, I want you to know that it is not too late for you to have sorrow banished from your life in all ways or to experience overflowing joy over every matter that is bringing you distress. All you need to do is pray to God, as Hannah, did. Yes, pray to Him out of a sincere heart, telling Him everything that is bothering your heart and what you want Him to do about it. And He will answer you, drive away your sorrow and also perform for you miracles that will cause you to overflow with joy, even before this year ends.

Now, as I look forward to hearing your testimonies, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you both now and forevermore. Amen.

Happy new year in advance.

Copyright © 2024, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 08146472876)

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FROM PASTOR’S DESK 2024 Pastor's Desk

Don’t ruin the celebration | By: J.O. Lawal | Date: December 22, 2024 | Series: From Pastor’s Desk | Number: Vol. 13, No. 34

Beloved: grace, mercy and peace be yours abundantly from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. I am delighted to welcome you to the fourth week of the month of December 2024. My prayer is that God will keep your overflowing with joy all through the remaining days of the year. Amen.

Now, as we all know, this season is regarded by many people all around the world as a season of celebration. And while it is okay for us to join in the celebration, we must not forget that everything we do as believers in Christ Jesus must be done with understanding and moderation. Otherwise, we may ruin our own celebration.

For instance, as we see in the Scriptures, David once led the people of Israel in high celebration to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from where it had been to the place he had just prepared for it in his city. Unfortunately, while the celebration was going on, God killed somebody. Yes, God killed a young man called Uzzah because he touched the Ark of the Covenant while trying to prevent it from falling off the cart it was placed in. And that ruined the celebration of the day. (Cf. 2Sam 6:1-7)

But why did God ruin the celebration of His people in that manner? If it was Satan that had ruined their celebration, we would not be surprised. But it was not Satan that ruined their celebration – it was God. Mind you, He was the one that they were praising on the occasion. Why, then, would He ruin their celebration?

Well, as David would later say, it was because they did not follow God’s prescribed way of handling the Ark of His Covenant that He ruined their celebration. In other words, it was their own ignorance that exposed them to God’s judgment that turned a day of celebration into a day of lamentation for the whole nation. And that is teaching us that ignorance can ruin celebration. So, as you celebrate God’s goodness this season, don’t allow yourself to be so carried away that you start getting involved in handling things that you are ignorant of or things that are too high for you. Otherwise, your celebration may be ruined through God’s judgment or satanic affliction.

Then, as I mentioned already, our celebration this season must be handled with moderation. Eat moderately. Drink moderately. Dress moderately. And spend wisely. Don’t turn yourself into a glutton because you are in a season of celebration. And don’t run into debt or foolishly spend your money all in the name of celebration. Otherwise, you may ruin your reputation.

The bible says to all God’s children: “Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1Cor 14:40NKJV) This, of course, is said specifically concerning our church meetings. But it is also applicable to how we handle our lives. We are to do everything in a moderate and orderly manner. So, as we celebrate God’s goodness, we must do so with wisdom. Otherwise, we may expose ourselves to avoidable accidents, danger or regrets and ruin our celebration. I pray that the year will not end in regrets and sorrow for you or your family, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Merry Christmas in advance.

Copyright © 2024, Reality Desk, a ministry of Alaythia Bible Church –This material is the sole property of Reality Desk. It may be copied for personal non-commercial use only in its entirety free of charge. All copies must contain this copyright notice. Please direct any questions you may have to pastor@abcministryng.com or call: 08037592851 (WhatsApp Number: 08146472876)