It is Day 12 of the 40Days of Return.
Two days ago, Stephen Onayemi charged us to stay on fire for God, and I followed up yesterday with a charge to let your heart long after God. Today, I still have a strong conviction about pressing further on that very important topic of thirst for God.
The Big Question: How?
The question I want to ask you is, how do you sustain your thirst for God? I believe that is where the problem lies for many believers and disciples of Christ Jesus.
I have a few recommendations to make to you.
One. Plan your day and create room for a time with God daily. Isolate yourself to speak to God.
Two. Cultivate a lifestyle of lifelong all-day-long fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Engage the Holy Spirit in your thoughts and heart throughout the day.
Three. Ask God questions and for his opinion over every decision you make, including at work.
Four. Spend time in Meditating in the Word of God. Make sure to have a verse that you are ruminating over in your mind and heart. A phrase or verse in the scripture that caught your attention and for which you need more revelation or light, or need to get down into your spirit man.
Five. Sing in your Heart to God all-day-long, thinking about His goodness and mercies to you.
Six. Focus on the Goodness of God and make His Goodness your Meditation.
Seven. Talk less and spend more time praying under your breathe in the Spirit.
Eight. Listen to the Bible and sound teaching while you relax, drive, or do other things.
Nine. Daily acknowledge your need for God, tell Him about how much you need Him in your life, yes say it to God, all-day-long. “Father, I need you in my life, please help me!”
Ten. Have an Intercession list, written or unwritten, with names of people to stand in the gap for, who needs to have an encounter with God.
Eleven. Have a Supplication list, with names of brethren, who have a particular prayer need. We intercede for the unsaved but supplicate for the saved.
Twelve. Acknowledge your absolute dependence on God. Acknowledge your insufficiency and limitation, and call out to God all-day-long for help. For me, I say things like, “Father, if you do not help, I am doomed. If you get angry with me, I am completely destroyed. If you forsake me, my life becomes miserable. I am nothing without You in my life. You are the secret behind my life. Please Lord, help me and have mercy on me.” I can say that as many times as possible to God in a day. It keeps my heart humble before the Lord and helps me a lot.
Thirteen. Stay committed to God’s plan for your life. We all face the temptation to abandon the divine plan and run with an alternative. If you care about staying thirsty for God, you must focus on the plan of God for your life. It always helps us depend on God and keep us humble yet excited about life.
Fourteen. Focus on doing What God has called you to do. It is not enough to know the plan of God for you, you must focus on walking in it. There are several assignments God has put in His plan for you, focus on getting them done. It will keep your heart seeking God for help.
Fifteen. Make it your Focus to complete the Father’s work. That helped Jesus a lot (John 9:4; John 4:34), and it is a top secret. People who are focused on finishing all, well and strong are rarely distracted from God. You will find yourself crying to God always for help because of the intricacies of ministry and walking with God.
Sixteen. Remind yourself of how much God has invested in you. To whom much is given, the scripture says much is expected (Luke 12:48). If you ponder on that, you will not relent.
Seventeen. Remind yourself of the shortness of time. Jesus says: We must perform the deeds of the one who sent me as long as it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:4-5). You are also the light of the world like your Savior, Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:14-16). If you commit to making your light shine, you will find out you always need God to shine brighter and brighter.
Eighteen. Remind yourself of the day of judgment. You will give account to God someday about all he has committed to your hands and how well you went about the opportunities he gave you (2Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:12).
Nineteen. Live one day at a time and do not overwhelm yourself. Feel free to withdraw from anything that is choking you and bringing stress to your life. Acknowledge that God has given you 24 hours in a day and He has expectations for those hours. Focus on what will matter in the long run and leave room for rest. Only 20 percent of what we do bring 80 percent of the results we have (The Pareto Principle). So quit the 80 percent wastage and unproductive use of your time. It will keep you stress-free and fresh, with ample time and attention for God.
Twenty. Live daily as if it is the last day. Make yourself ready for God’s coming. Do not let that consciousness leave your heart. Talk about it and make it your life brand.
Twenty One. Make sure to not forsake your gathering with other believers and disciples of Christ. Iron sharpens iron. Keep yourself in the fold and Body of Christ. It has a lot of benefits.
I ask you to bow your heart and talk to God in prayer. Ask Him to help you. He is more than willing to do so.
