COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, SERIOUSLY...

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, SERIOUSLY

Psalm 103:2 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits…”

  Some weeks back, I was in my Dad’s firm, when he called me into his office. “Close the door,” he said. Now, if you are like me (maybe not), whenever your Dad tells you to ‘close the door’, your head begins to make all sorts of calculations and permutations. You begin to ask yourself ‘what did I do now? What will he say now? What does he want from me now?’ It’s worse when he calls you by your middle name.

Note to self: it’s not always about you. Got it.

  I closed the door behind me but still stayed within easy reach for a quick escape. No way I was gonna give him the chance to make my stay there any longer. What was I afraid of? you may ask (although you know what. Yes, you do.)

Heh.

“I want to do something,” he said, looking at his phone.

“What is it?” I asked. He told me. “Hmm.” My interest was piqued. It was something we had discussed to some extent a few days ago.

“But I don’t have the money now,” he said, and then decided to outline every other project that needed his money.

“But we need this now.” I said.

“Yes,” he replied.

  We talked about some other things, and then I asked him “When do you need to get this thing? What’s the deadline?” Something was stirring within me, and I was smiling within not because I felt like I could get him this thing, but because there was something God was dealing with me on, and this looked like a great opportunity. A wonderful one.

  He looked up at his calendar. “In about 5 weeks.”

“Okay.” I kept silent for a while as I thought about everything that had gone on in the past 10 minutes or so. And then, I made a decision. 5 weeks eh? “Don’t worry. You will get it.”

  We talked about a few other things, and that was it.

  Or so it appeared.

  The most amazing thing is that during that period, the Holy Spirit was getting me to increase my knowledge base on the issue of Prayer. I had been reading a book ‘The Art of Prayer’, and I had been listening to a two-part message on the subject as well, ‘Kingdom Prayer: Praying from Heaven to Earth’ by Reverend David Ogbueli. These two resources had opened my eyes to so many things, with the book providing more knowledge on the issue while the message gave me practicality including extensive teachings as well as principles of how to pray what kind of prayer, when to pray what kind of prayer etc. Now, we all know that in school, after studying, we all get a test or an exam, so…

  The next morning during my morning prayer, I put what I had learned to practice. I didn’t sing to God about the issue. I didn’t cry. I didn’t even necessarily pray.

  No.

  I called it forth in the name of Jesus Christ. I carried the image of what I wanted in my heart, and I believed. I did this for the next few days (Hey, I was learning). I was encouraged by the instances that Reverend David gave of people who had done it, including him, and how they’d done it. I simply applied the same principles.

  Two weeks ago or thereabouts (yeah, should be) my Dad called me into his room and showed me a picture. He’d gotten that thing he’d wanted, that thing I’d called forth. I rejoiced with him, and over time, I forgot.

I…forgot.

(Insert epic face-palm here)

  Two days ago, the Holy Spirit reminded me of this. While I was at the office, the realization hit me again, this time, like a freight train. Wow, God really did this? He answered the prayer of a little boy like me? He confirmed His Word in my life? I tried to remind my Dad. He didn’t remember the conversation.

  But no matter, the Holy Spirit remembered. Now, I do.

  I have made up my mind now. When I want a project to be executed, once I pray about it, I will write it down in my little notebook.

  How else am I going to know when God answers? How else will I know I have a testimony? And not just the big things. Even the ‘little’ ones too.

  So, you should count your blessings too. Seriously.

  On another note, here’s this amazing song by Leeland: I Cry.

  God bless you…