“And it came to pass after this, that Ben-hadad King of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
“And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for four score pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.
“And as the King of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O King.
“And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? Out of the barn floor, or out of the wine press?
“And the King said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.
“So, we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
“And it came to pass, when the King heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he pass by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh”.
(2Kings 6:24-30).
WELCOME to the Month of August 2023. Our Focus for the Month is: “Thriving in difficult times and seasons”
I decree and declare that in this Month, you shall grow, bloom, evolve, emerge, advance and succeed in every realm. You shall gain strength to thrive and recover all that the enemies have stolen from your life; and by the help of God, enter into your “REHOBOTH”, in Jesus Name.
Difficult times and seasons could mean various things to different people – It could mean a depressive episode, an issue with your health, a loss of a loved one, a loss of job or opportunity, a Ministry crisis, problematic marriage, an economic issue, a transition in your life, relocating from one place to another, a break up, a rejection – The list is endless.
How can we succeed in difficult times and seasons, considering the economic realities facing our nation, Nigeria and other nations of the world. For instance, in Nigeria today, where people are experiencing hyper- inflation – a Dollar is trading for Eight Hundred and Sixty -Five (#865:00) Naira.
The Manufacturers are battling to repay suppliers credits with a devalued Naira and shortage of Forex for their required input. The borrowing cost has gone up due to various government policies. Also, the cost of fuel has gone up from One Hundred and Nine -Eight (#198:00) Naira to Six Hundred and Seventeen (#617:00) Naira, depending on where you are, because these prices are not uniformed. Those in the Northern parts of Nigeria buy at a higher rate than those in other parts of Nigeria.
Prices of commodities have gone up astronomically and also with the heavy presence of Boko Haram (Insurgents), whose activities have made some States a no-go- area for business and farming activities.
We can therefore summarize this message to mean, HOW CAN WE PROSPER OR THRIVE (FLOURISH) IN DIFFICULT TIMES AND SEASONS. How can we truly succeed in tough times like this?
Ways to thrive in difficult times and seasons:
1. Hearkening to instructions:
There was famine in the land and Isaac wanted to run away but God spoke to him and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: (Genesis 26:2-6). Instruction will keep you away from regrets, from taking bad decisions and alternatives in difficult times.
2. Obedience:
It is one thing for God to instruct you, and it is another thing for you to obey the instructions. Kindly note that obedience is key to your prosperity and possession (Job 36:11)
3. Look up to God:
Difficult seasons are times we should look up to God and not to man or other alternatives. God is your source, not man and the systems. Note that each time you look up to God, strength and direction comes, for your breakthrough (Psalm 34:5; 121:1-8)
4. Be a diligent worker:
Isaac was a diligent worker in difficult times. He was not lazy. He dug three wells and they covered them. He did not give up, but still went further to dig another well. Avoid the spirit of laziness, if you must thrive in difficult seasons (Genesis 26:18-22)
5. Be focused:
Deliberately refuse every spirit of distraction, the losses incurred and be focused for life. Truth is, there is every tendency for you to look back and entertain fear and a pity party. But I speak to you now, ‘refuse to look back’ and channel your energy appropriately for maximum results and impacts (Luke 9:62)
6. Have faith in God:
Faith is absolute trust in God. Don’t put your faith and trust in man and the systems (Psalm 20:7)
7. Dig another well:
There are things you have been doing before and you are not getting the appropriate results. From this moment begin to learn to do it differently. Change your strategies, approach and methodology and the Lord will visit you in Jesus Name. (Genesis 26:22).
8. Be faithful:
There are tendencies to give up in difficult times, but keep holding on to the horn of the altar until victory comes, like Elijah did when the servant came back with negative reports. He said “Go again seven times. So brethren, don’t give up. (1Kings 18:43-45; 50:50-51)
9. Deal with stress:
Stress is a major enemy in difficult seasons. Beware and deal with it. Stress can impinge on your mind, health, emotions and affect your capacity to perform effectively and efficiently. Take time off to relax, refresh, rest and be refreshed. Even God rested. (Exodus 31:17; 2Thessalonians 1:7; Matthew 11:28; Mark 6:31)
10. Take time off to seek God in prayers:
The Patriarchs of faith who accomplished great things for God in the Bible had their difficult seasons like Daniel and Esther, but they sought God in the place of prayer and victory was achieved. God answers prayers. So, go to Him in difficult times (Daniel 9:17-22; Esther 4:15-16).
11. Don’t quit:
Most times people quit in difficult seasons. But I say to YOU now, keep hope alive and keep digging the well of success and greatness, until you get to your Rehoboth; and continue. Isaac’s servants dug another well after their Rehoboth encounter, you know. (Genesis 26:22, 25)
12. The place of sacrifices:
There are times the battles of life become fierce. At this point, you may need to take a sacrifice before God. Sacrifices have the ability to break the backbone of the enemy and your challenges in life. In as much as this principle is being abused by some wolves in sheep’s clothing, does not mean it is not real or practicable. When the battle was too sore for the King of Moab and what his Seven Hundred and Fifty (750) men couldn’t accomplish, his seed did. He took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead and sacrificed him. Seed has the ability to break barriers and limitations. Deploy this mystery and you shall see God’s intervention and deliverance. Jephthah also did it (2Kings 3:26-27; Judges 11:30- 39).
Scriptural examples of people who thrive in difficult times and seasons in the Bible:
1.Noah (Gen. 7:1-24; 8:1-22; 9:1:1-3)
2.Abraham (Gen.12:1-20; 13:1-18; 18:1-33)
3.Isaac (Gen. 25:20-34; 26:1-35)
4.Jacob (Gen. 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32)
5.Joseph (Gen. 37-42)
6.Ruth (Ruth 1-4)
7.Gideon (Judges 6-8)
8.Esther & Mordecai (Esther 1-10)
9.Daniel (Daniel 1-12)
PROPHESIES:
In this Month, I decree and declare that the famine, hunger, struggles and deprivation is over in our Nation Nigeria and in the Nations of the World, in Jesus Name.
In this Month, I hear the sound of abundance of rain, surplus, rest, open doors and blessings, in Jesus Name.
Happy New Month!
Pastor Onoja is of Global Impact Revival Assembly International, P. O. Box 16504 Zone 3, Wuse-Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. E-mail: onojaaf@yahoo.com; Tel. Nos: +234(0)8055842594; +234(0)7034893375.
