Goal Setting

 

Many people fail in life, not because they didn’t set goals but for the reason that they set the wrong goals.

There are times you may set goals and then succeed in realizing them, but just as you are about to celebrate, you may suddenly discover the goals you achieved shouldn’t have been set in the first place.

Scripture says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death.” Many people fail in life, not because they didn’t set goals but for the reason that they set the wrong goals.

No doubt, God has given us the right make plans, but we need His guidance (Proverbs 14:12; 16:3; 16:9; 16:25; 19:21).

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Forget the Past

 

God is about to do a new thing in your life.

 

After the Babylonian exile, God said to the people of Judah, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past”. That was not an easy thing to do. These were people who had lost everything they owned. Yet, God wanted them to forget the past.

When God is about to do a new thing in your life, He expects you to give up on the past (Isaiah 43: 18-19). God knew that if the people of Judah didn’t forget their pain, they wouldn’t be able to see the promise.

To experience the joy that God is about to bring into your life, you have to forget the pain you’ve experienced.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

 

That Hidden Message

 

Inside every person is a hidden gift that God has deposited for the benefit of others.

 

Jesus once said, “For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought to the open” (Mark 4:2-25).

Also, whatever is concealed inside an envelope is not intended to remain hidden, but similar to what Jesus said, it is meant to be brought to the open. Just as the sender of the message in an envelope expects the receiver to expose the hidden message, Jesus expects us to unravel and make use of the messages He has hidden in our hearts.

Inside every person is a hidden gift that God has deposited for the benefit of others. What are you doing with what you have received from God?

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

 

Becoming a Problem Solver

 

The challenges before you aren’t unsolvable.

 

All of the most notable leaders in the Bible were chosen by God to solve problems. When God created Adam and Eve, He needed someone to rule the earth. When God called Noah, He needed an ark.

When He called Abraham, God wanted to establish a righteous nation. When God called Joseph, He needed a man who could solve an economic crisis. When God met Moses, He wanted him to free some slaves.

Jesus also came into the world to solve a problem. If God is asking you to lead in any area that appears to be problematic, know that He wants you to be the problem solver.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

 

What Lies Within You

 Get up and activate the greatness within you.

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What lies behind us, and what lies before us are but tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

When Emerson made that remark he was possibly talking about our ability to triumph in the midst of challenges. Though we are often surrounded by challenges, within us, lays the power to prevail over every negative situation. 

We all were created by God and equipped with the ability to do great things. I am certain of this because you were created in God’s image. God is great, and since He put His Spirit inside of you, then you are automatically fortified for greatness. Activate the greatness within you (Genesis 1:26-28; 1 John 4:4).

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Stay Focused

 

To fulfill any leadership task, stay focused on the big picture.

 

One day, John and his brother, James tried to call fire down from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village because the people would not receive them (Luke 9:51). But Christ rebuked the two disciples.

No doubt, John and James were overzealous apostles. From the that incident, you would notice that Jesus was a leader who avoided distractions. Why should He worry about the rude Samaritans when their antagonism wouldn’t stop Him from traveling through another village?

As at the time that Jesus wanted to pass through the Samaritan village, He had already made up His mind to go to Jerusalem because it was time “for him to be taken up to heaven”. Today, focused on the big picture.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Premature Celebrity

 

Stay close to God.

 

After David killed Goliath, news about him spread. Then, some women popped up with a praise song that placed him above his master, Saul. Because of that song, David had to leave his country.

But the negative impact of the women’s song extended to other kingdoms. When David sought refuge in king Achish’s kingdom, his servants reminded him that he was dealing with a man whom they sang about (1 Samuel 18: 6-9; 1 Samuel 21:10-15; 2 Samuel 22:47-49).

There are times you might achieve something remarkable. And the praises you get will create enemies who feel threatened. So, they would try to stop you. If you ever find yourself in this kind of state, go to God for help.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Stay on course

 

Unless if God tells you to quit, stay there.

 

After winning the prayer contest against the prophets of Baal, Elijah inspired a revival. When the Israelites saw how God responded to Elijah’s sacrifice they immediately repented.

But just as Elijah was about to celebrate his victory, he found himself, once again in the wilderness, when he received a death threat from Jezebel. While he was on exile, Elijah became depressed and even prayed that God would take his own life. (1 Kings 18:38-46; 19:1-9)

Perhaps, you’ve found yourself in a similar situation. You’ve spent your energy on a cause. But instead of recognition, you’ve been rejected and misunderstood. Unless if God tells you to quit, stay there. Oftentimes, God wants us to confront challenges, not to run from it.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

God's Will

Pray according to God’s will.

 

One of the most powerful prayers in the Bible is the one by Elijah when he challenged the prophets of Baal. The prophets had begun the challenge by praying to their god. But their prayer didn’t yield any result.

When it got to Elijah’s turn, he prayed for a few minutes. Yet, God responded almost immediately.

One big difference between the two prayers is that while Elijah’s request was brief, straight to the point, and almost like a conversation, the Baal prophets prayed for too long, shouting, dancing and even slashing themselves with swords (1 Kings 18:1-39).

What we can learn from that story is that praying according to God’s will saves a lot of time and effort.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Bad Timing!

 

God prioritizes our prayer requests according to our needs.

 

Oftentimes, we fail to realize that God prioritizes our prayer requests according to His perfect plan. And that is often determined by time. That is, He responds to our requests at the time we need them.

Recall that in the book of Genesis, we are told that the earth had no shrub, “for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground” (Genesis 2:5). In other words, because there was no man to till the earth, God didn’t send down rain at a certain time.

Timing is therefore important to God. It could be that the only thing wrong with your prayer is bad timing.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

The Sweetest Revenge

 

Allow God to deal with the enemy.

 

There’s a saying that "revenge is a dish best served cold". This implies that revenge is more fulfilling when it’s carried out at an unexpected time.

I strongly disagree because the Bible condemns it (Romans 12:19).

Recall what happened in the case between Peter and Herod. When Herod tried to kill Peter, God stepped in and rescued Peter by Himself because Herod was actually fighting God, not Peter. By not fighting back, Peter left room for God’s wrath as Herod was eventually struck down with a blow by an angel (Acts 12:17-24). Allow God to deal with the enemy.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Move on!

 

Commit to focusing on what you can change, rather than what’s already happened.

 

When Peter told the brethren how the Lord had saved him, He said to them, “Tell James and the brothers about this,” and then he left for another place. That is, Peter didn’t hold on to his past. He moved on (Acts 12:1-17).

Clearly, the main thing on Peter’s mind was how to further his work of spreading the gospel. And not on dwelling on the bitter experiences. He moved out of the city, leaving his past behind.

One reason why many people fail to overcome the crises in their lives is because they often go through life feeling bitter and frustrated, even after they’ve been liberated.

To fully recover from a crisis, do what Peter did. Move on!

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Testify!

 

You may not know who’s going to be inspired by your testimony.

 

On the night that Peter was rescued by the angel, he went to the house where people had gathered to pray for him. He was eager to meet those who stood by him.

Peter didn’t think of rushing home to celebrate alone. Instead, the first thing on his mind was to share his testimony (Acts 12:25).

Too often, we fail to share our testimony after we’ve had our miracle. When we are facing challenges, we talk to people and ask them to pray for us. But when God eventually answers our prayers, we forget to return to those who prayed for us. What we fail to realize is that testimonies are important because they serve as proofs to God’s faithfulness.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Just Follow!

 

Why worry over something that is beyond your control?

 

On the night that Peter that was rescued by the angel of the Lord, he was heavily guarded by armed men. Ordinarily, there was no way Peter could have escaped by his own effort. So, he simply slept.

Probably, he had resolved to make the best use of that moment by having a good sleep.  So, when the angel suddenly struck Peter on the side and woke him up, Peter was dazed. He thought it was a vision.  But he followed the angel out of the prison, even though “he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening” (Acts 12:1-11).

When God responds to your prayers, act like Peter; and just follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Suddenly!

Prayer works!

 

Prayer doesn’t always work like a clock. While you can easily predict the hands of a clock, you can’t predict how or when a prayer will be answered.

After Peter was jailed by Herod, the Church prayed for him. The Bible didn’t mention how long it took God to answer their prayer. But we are told that on the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, an angel suddenly appeared and rescued him (Acts 12:1-7).

The miracle happened at the eleventh hour! My prayer for you is that God will suddenly respond to your prayer in an unexpected way.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka