The Master Key

If we ask anything according to His will, He listens.

There are many reasons why some of our prayers turn out to be ineffective. Let me deal with one of them. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells us to pray according to Heaven’s will. This means that when we don’t pray according to God’s will, we may not get what we are asking for.

Years ago, I asked God to show me how to revive my business. Instead, He showed me something different. At first, I thought it was the devil, playing with my mind. But it wasn’t so, because after a while I realized it was God redirecting steps.

Here’s the key: When you know what God wants you to do, you will likely pray according to His will (1 John 5:14).

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

How to Create

 

It takes knowledge to create anything.

True leaders depend on creativity. And it doesn’t matter the field, creativity is required in every line of work. You may not be creative in your current work, but there’s a place you can be creative. And that place is oftentimes in your area of gifting.

The Bible tells us, God made the heavens and earth by His understanding. That is, by His knowledge, God created the heavens and the earth (Psalm 136)

So, He didn’t just create the heavens and the earth with His word alone. To create the earth, God had to use His understanding. Do what God did. Use your knowledge and understanding to create something that can impact our world.

 

 Written by Ben Dankaka

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Becoming Powerful

Whatever you can overcome, God will let you handle it.

 

All humans want to feel powerful. But in our quest to feel powerful, we end up dominating others. But it doesn’t have to be that way.  The Bible tells us that, “God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding” (Jeremiah 10:12; Proverbs 3:19).

Notice that when God created the earth, He neither exploited anyone nor asked anyone to do the work for Him. He created the earth by Himself, with His wisdom and understanding.

If you want real power, you have to do what God did. Whether you want to create a product or business, it will require your wisdom and understanding.

Written by Ben Dankaka

Do it Yourself

 

Whatever you can overcome, God will let you handle it. 

 

Miracles were a vital part of Jesus’s ministry. In the gospels, Jesus did miracles when there was an urgent need. Also, whenever He saw someone who was helpless, know that Jesus would perform a miracle (Luke 9:11; John 2:1-11).

Equally, the miracles that God performed while He was taking the Israelites to the Promised Land were often as a result of an urgent need. For instance, when they were unprepared to fight, God divided the red sea; when they didn’t have farms, He dropped manna. But when they settled in Canaan, they took charge.

While we need God’s help, it is important for us to know that God also expects us to take charge.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

The Best Seller

 

Go back to the Word.

 

After Israel was divided, the Kings misled their people. When Josiah became king of Judah, he sought God. Under his leadership, the Book of the Law was found, which had been missing.

When the Book was read to the king, he tore his clothes in fear because he discovered they had not been acting in accordance with what was in the Book (2 Chronicles 34:14-15). It became clear that if the Book of the law had not been found, Josiah wouldn’t have known how to lead his people.

Today, many Christians have gone astray because they do not study God’s word. Perhaps, what you need to do in order to get out of your current troubles is to start reading God’s word.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

What Makes People Perish

Many people perish, not because they lack education. 

 

The Scriptures say, “My people perish for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).  Notice it didn’t say, for lack of education. But for lack of knowledge.

In other words, God’s people were perishing because they didn’t know how-to live-in harmony with God’s laws. Anyone, whether rich or educated will perish if they do not know God’s word.

Some years back I felt as if I was perishing even though people thought I was successful. But deep inside of me, I knew something was missing. When I began to study God’s word, I discovered a new kind of knowledge that was so different from everything I was ever taught in school. Then I found peace and a clear purpose. God’s word is the best!

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Overcoming Fear

Fear not, for I have redeemed you. 

 

Sometimes, it is the not the crises in our lives that hurts us the most but the fear of it. I remember when my mum was very ill. At a point, my blood pressure rose.  But what made me hypertensive wasn’t caused by anything else other than the fear of losing my mother.

To overcome any crisis, fight your fears. Unfortunately, fear isn’t something you can eliminate with medication. You’ve got to get God’s word.

In Isaiah 43, God said, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” Then He said, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” You see, God may not always prevent crisis from hitting us. But when crisis comes, He rescues us.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

The Things of God - Part Two

God wants us to enjoy all the nice things of life.

 

Although Jesus had told His disciples He would rise after three days, Peter ignored that part and instead, focused on the suffering and death (Mark 8:31-38).

Peter probably wondered how "pain" and "gain" could ever match up. Possibly, what he thought was that Jesus would have a smooth ride to the top. Peter acted like most of us usually do. We like to think of life as easy and blissful, all the time.

No doubt, God wants us to enjoy the nice things of life. He also wants us to succeed in whatever we lay our hands to do. But He never promised that we would get all that we desire without hurdles.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

The Things of God – Part One

Your pain will soon become your gain. 

When Jesus told His disciples, He would suffer and “must be killed and after three days rise again”, they were deeply troubled.

Peter, in particular had rejected the prophecy. But Jesus said, “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Mark 8:31-38).

Truly, Peter didn’t know how God does His things. If he was aware, he wouldn’t have been so troubled. Instead, he would have focused on the resurrection; which was part of the prophecy. Notice that Jesus didn’t only teach about His death; He talked about His triumph over death. You see, for every pain that life brings our way, God turns it into a gain.

 Focus on the good side.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

The Daily Cross

Don’t suffer for the wrong reasons.

 

One time, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23-27). 

Obviously, Jesus wasn’t referring to a physical cross. Specifically, Jesus wanted us to know that we would have to go through pain, if we follow Him.

Though we are bound to experience some pain, Christ assures us that our suffering will not be in vain. But it is important for us to realize that the cross isn’t just any kind of trouble.

If your suffering is as a result of your selfish acts, then it isn’t a cross. Don’t suffer for the wrong reasons.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

When to let go

Just as a lion can be cornered by hyenas, you too can be cornered. 

 

As a kid, I was often intrigued by stories of lions. But as I grew up, I discovered that they don’t always win, even though they are powerful. Like lions, we are built to conquer. But life can still hit us with a crisis, capable of weakening us.

But when we are at our weakest point, our ability to bounce back will largely be determined by our relationship with God. The psalmist said, “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Psalm 34).  

No matter what you are going through; you can get back on your feet if you would only trust God.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Keep Working

 

Keep Working!

 

If you are not persistent, crisis will make you quit. 

 

No matter how talented you are; you are going to incur obstacles. No doubt, there will be times you wouldn’t feel like getting up from bed. And if you are not persistent, you will quit.

Being persistent is important because the little steps you take each day will eventually mount up and force its way, pulling you out of any crisis.

The apostle Paul knew this principle. In his letter to Timothy, Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the good faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Paul acknowledged the fact that his journey was a battle, but like a sportsperson, he was persistent.

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Waiting on God

For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. 

 

There was a time I was praying and it seemed like God had shut his door on me. Instead of moving ahead, I was stuck.

 

If you ever find yourself in a situation like that, wait quietly. Even if you think God has abandoned you, continue to wait. That was exactly what I did after I stumbled on the scripture that says, “it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” (Read Lamentation 3:1-32). 

 

I was inspired by that verse because it captures the story of a people who were going through deep pain, yet were hopeful that God will redeem them.  Don’t grumble; wait on God.

 

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

God’s Training Camp

                    Just as we go to school to be trained, God also enrolls us in His training program.

God had great plans for Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob. But he was a small Jewish boy who only knew how to run errands. To prepare him, God had to let him go through crises until he got to the very place God had plan for him.

 Just as we enroll in a school in order to prepare ourselves for opportunities, God also enrolls us in His school. In our schools, we pay money but in God’s school, the cost is patience.

 In the same way that our skills were tested by our teachers, God also allows life to test our character, before He promotes us (Psalm 105:17; Genesis 45:7).

 

Written by Ben Dankaka

Until You’re Tested

  

What you’ve done is more important than what you intend to do. 

Too often, we expect people to support us when we launch a project. But if the project is in its infant stage, people may snub us because what you intend to do isn’t what people want to hear but what you’ve achieved.

When Saul was made king, some of his countrymen didn’t like him. But Saul didn’t try to convince them.

Later, Nahash, the Ammonite attacked the Israelites. Saul saw it as an opportunity and led a successful war against the Ammonites. And then, the same Israelites who once despised him reaffirmed his kingship (1 Samuel 11: 1-15;).  Wait until you’re tested!

 

Written by Ben Dankaka