The Christian Blog

Unravelling the Mystery of Ceaseless Prayers

“Prayer must be very hard. I doubt I can ever pray like these people,”

These were thoughts of young Abu, a man who accepted Christ not too long ago, while he observed a group of believers praying in other tongues.

Abu was born into a typical African Traditional home and had heard tales of a particular faction of Christians – the Charismatics, who were aggressive when praying but this was his first time observing them.
He never thought praying could be this vigorous and perspiring, however, Abu made a remarkable observation.

These charismatic Christians prayed for several hours, more rigorously by the time, in a totally different language but they appeared refreshed throughout the process.

This scene kept playing in his mind while he sat in church the following Sunday. Mysteriously, his pastor’s sermon that dwelt on praying endlessly.

“To pray without ceasing, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:17, means to pray uninterruptedly,” said Reverend Paul to the joyous congregation who seem to understand what that meant.

“How can that be possible? I don’t think anyone can follow through with this,” Abu thought.

He grew increasingly confused but nurtured a desire to learn more about this ‘endless’ prayer.

This desire pushed him to interview Reverend Paul after close of service.

“Prayer simply means communicating with God but there’s more to it,” says the Reverend. “Prayer helps you to be conscious of your ‘new’ life in God and grants you means of receiving from Him.”

Conscious of my new life? Abu interjected.

Reverend Paul noticed it was a good time to dwell on the subject of the new life since that would allow Abu to grasp the subject of prayer better.

He invites Abu into his office so they could have a detailed discussion on the subject.

Find out how the conversation between the Reverend and Abu transpired in the next part of this post.

This post was written by Dr. Emmanuel Sogah. Dr. Sogah is a medical doctor by profession, a budding minister of the gospel who is passionate about teaching.

The Hard Truth about Marriage

“Marriage is an encounter. How many couples would agree with me?” Pastor Fiifi Otabi Wilson of ICGC Faith Temple asked in his sermon on Sunday, May 28, 2017.

The cheers from the married couples in the auditorium were enough to confirm that marriage is more than a bed of roses but a real ‘encounter.’ Some of us are not too old in this encounter (just a little over a year and a half) but we can attest to the fact that marriage is a lot more than what meets the eye.

Most married couples, when given the opportunity, would definitely not settle for the people they are living with. If there was a petition which allowed them about a year’s orientation of marriage before they finally make the decision, there would be a lot of signatures and I’m sure some people would not even get married after the first year.🤣

Marriage is indeed a classroom on its own. It is a course by itself but a lot of married couples love to show the beautiful aspect of it, especially on social media (that’s fine). Just like every media form, we are selective about how our marriages should be perceived. Nobody would let you see the challenging aspect of marriage but when I am approached by my friends and asked the famous question, “Oh, so how is married life?” I tell you the truth, unlike most Christians who would only smile and say, “Oh, it’s wonderful.”

In my opinion, young people who are yet to sign these agreements deserve some exposition on marriage. When this question is posed to me, I like to be as real as possible. I don’t pretend. I clear my throat and say, “my friend, it isn’t a joke. If you know you love to be by yourself, in love with your sleep and love your simple lifestyle, then marriage is not your thing,” I say to them.

“You better stay in your parents’ house or rent your apartment and be by yourself oo. Do not worry yourself or someone’s child by getting married to them because this institution is hard work,” I add.

Marriage is a period in life where the couples are stretched on all sides – your patience, hard work, Godliness and every aspect is tested. No wonder, the congregation agreed with Pastor Wilson that marriage is an encounter. The institution has its own requirements which include being a manager of resources – money, time, people (yes, your in-laws are waiting for you particularly if you are Ghanaian). This would go a long way in defining how the union turns out.

Seek Godly counsel. It’s very important. Do not write off some counselors because they do not speak your kind of language. Listen to them all and select what is useful before you settle with a partner because, for us Christians, divorce is mostly not an option. It is after you marry, that is when you realize the importance of the premarital counselling (even though during that period, our main concern was the wedding ceremony 😞 ).

All is not gloomy if both of you share the same faith because God is always available to provide us with the help that we need, for He is our shepherd. This is when you begin to understand the importance of marrying someone who is a friend.

Before you go to the altar to say your vows, remember to invest a lot of prayers in the decision you have made for the journey is indeed a long one. And as my mother keeps saying, there is no vacation in marriage 🙂

This post was put together by Delali Sogah.

5 Christian Songs that Inspire Me Now

This week, I would love to write about five of my current favorite songs, the artists who made them and why the inspire me (I may be biased in my selection so don’t worry. You can also compile yours and send it to us on christianblogghana@gmail.com).

My name is Delali and one of my favorite pastimes is downloading tracks especially those I haven’t heard before and updating my gospel playlist. You can say me preference is slow gospel times. I know some Christians like their tracks fast, others prefer the Hip-Hop style but I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit when I listen to very slow tracks (I’m just preventing myself from using the term ‘worship’ for this kind of tracks).

Travis Greene – Made a Way

I know this is the current favorite for a lot of Christians, especially those who following the contemporary type of gospel. I heard it first in my church (ICGC Faith Temple). The choir ministered it on Sunday and on Friday too (I’m sure the choir got positive feedback). I was awed when I heard the part which said, “You can move mountains. You cause walls to fall. With your power, you perform miracles and there is nothing that’s impossible. And I’m standing here only because you made a way...” That part spoke a lot to my spirit and the next day, I looked for the song and downloaded it and listen to it repeatedly. It is currently number one on my playlist. Take a listen 🙂

Travis Greene – Intentional

Intentional is also an inspirational song. When I heard it was made by the same Travis Greene who did Made a Way, I kept wondering who he was, where he has been all this while and why I haven’t heard any of his songs before. Well, Travis Greene is quite young and he has two albums to his credit. The latest was released only last year and the album title, Intentional. Try and find his song, Anthem, which is another amazing track.

William Mcdowell – ??

I can’t say which of his songs inspire me now because all of them do inspire me anytime I listen to them. William is quite old in the game. I discovered him back at the University in 2010. When I listened to Wrap me in Your arms for the first time, I couldn’t help but look for other tracks he’s made and they are all spirit-filled. His songs will take you to heaven and back. Look for his tracks and you will be amazed. Some of the popular ones include Wrap me in your arms, Withholding nothing, I won’t go back, You are God alone and the list goes on and on.

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir – Worthy is the Lamb

Well, you can say it’s because they came to Ghana quite recently and you may not be too far from the truth. I have been hearing a lot about them but I did not know really know much till I saw an interview they granted on television. From their demeanor to their story and how the group is put together is nothing but a testimony. I was astonished by how they kept stressing on the power of the spirit and how they allow him to control every ministration they do. The spirit around them was sweet and I couldn’t help but ask why I have not been following them keenly. I guess it’s never too late to start.

Uncle Ato 😉

You can call me old-school or pentecostal but never joke with me when Uncle Ato is ministering. If this is the first time you are hearing his name, please look for him on Youtube. Maybe he is Ghana’s version of Don Moen. Whenever he takes the microphone to minister, there is nothing but the presence of the Holy Spirit all around. And when he is ministering songs of thanksgiving, they keep flowing without any inhibitions. This man is quite old in the game and I believe he keeps better and the Holy Spirit keeps using him awesomely.

So Uncle Ato and William Mcdowell for me any day. What about you? What are your favorite gospel tracks at the moment? Share with us!

Personal Dev’t: What the Modern Christian Needs

Christians are supposed to pray for things happen in their lives, right? The Bible even says we should pray without ceasing. It also admonishes us to ask whatever we want in Jesus’ name and things will happen. If that is the case, then why do we keep spending days, months and years on one particular prayer topic?

Christians are supposed to pray for things to happen in their lives, right? The Bible even says we should pray without ceasing. It also admonishes us to ask whatever we want in Jesus’ name and things will happen. If that is the case, then why do we keep spending days, months and years on one particular prayer topic? What are we doing wrong as Christians that the results of our prayers keep prolonging?

Don’t you wish prayer meetings would be praise sessions because the Lord has granted us everything that we need to help build His kingdom? Such prayer meetings will be ones where we come to thank God for all the souls we have won instead of asking God to fix our finances, help us find jobs and scholarship and contracts.

From my little experience in this life and observing trends, I think the modern Christian should find ways of building himself/herself up too. Let’s depend on God, yes but let’s also build ourselves. You want a new job but what extra skill have you learnt that you can boast of in the past ten years. You have been praying for a child but have you visited the fertility clinic to set is wrong with you and what you can do differently? You are searching for a job, how many applications have you written and sent out? Miracles do happen but applying some effort can push miracles to happen faster on our parts. The woman with the issue of the blood had to make an effort to touch Jesus’ garment (Luke 8:40-56).

We have left a lot of good and important things for the unbelievers for too long. We love to sit in our small corners and wait for miracles to find us. Let’s make an effort to be better in whichever fields that we find ourselves. Let us push God to speed our miracles.

What about educating ourselves to the highest point and getting to that point that we will be indispensable? What about us Christians targeting the top position? The parliaments, courts and even the entire nation?

I can imagine how great the world will be when Christians take over important leadership roles because they have developed themselves. Let us start by seeing ourselves as the light of the world and finding ways of spreading our influences throughout the entire universe.

I am waiting for your testimony!

Tips for Planning a Simple but Spectacular Wedding

Planning and pulling off a wedding on a limited budget is very easy. Wrong. It is one of the most challenging things I have done in my life. I know most people reading this will share similar sentiments if only they were on a limited budget 🙂

I had to use the creative juices running in my veins to pull a simple but spectacular event. I first subscribed to Pinterest. It was one of the most important resources I used during that period. From wedding dresses to hairstyles to accessories to decor to ideas on how to cut down on cost in fact, everything can be found on Pinterest. It’s simply awesome. The app also allows you to save the ideas and you can refer to them easily. One vendor was awed at my ideas and I felt I had indeed challenged her.

Another important resource is Instagram. Instagram is quite resourceful too. It gives you the opportunity to view the works of vendors and allows you to connect with them. Although Instagram gives you more ‘local’ ideas, I always felt pressured when I used that app. Why? Because I could feel the silent competition. It looked as if people were ‘battling’ to be featured there. They either copied someone entirely or totally had to come up with something different in order to be featured. I was not surprised at myself when I unfollowed all the wedding vendors and pages immediately after my wedding ceremony. My advice to those who use Instagram for ideas is that you should have your own ideas and not worry whether your photos get featured on these pages or not. Work within your budget and search for vendors who will be willing to work with what you have. You do not necessarily have to go for vendors who have made names in the industry.

Apart from these two social media platforms, I also read a lot. There are several articles, blog posts on the subject of organizing a wedding. Just google them. I did not only depend on what people had to say about weddings or what I knew about weddings but I decided to do things differently and be a source of inspiration to people.

Another resource is using a couple who have gone through the process and done things that you liked when you attended their weddings. These are people we normally take for granted but they have a whole wealth of knowledge you can tap into.

These were what helped me in the planning processes but it’s also very important to pray during the period for direction. Ask God to direct you to the right vendors because during that time, it did look like all the vendors were trying to take their pound of flesh. The terrible ones can really frustrate you therefore, the need to pray.

Don’t be scared to be different. Go against what you are used to and see your wedding as a platform to tell the story about you and your intended spouse. I was amazed at a couple who were getting married and did exactly what their friends had done two months earlier – from their colour theme to their invitation card to the pre-wedding shoot ideas, all was an ‘imitation.’ Don’t do that; there are several things that haven’t been done yet. Explore! Personalize!!

Where did you get your ideas from when you were planning your wedding? Share your thoughts with us.

This post is a continuation of last week’s post. To get in touch with Delali Kumapley-Sogah, send an email to christianblogghana@gmail.com

This is for the PASTORS

“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” John 4:48

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, the miracles he performed won him a lot of followers. It is believed that these miracles increased the level of faith people had in him and also, the miracles were an indication of his origin, that Jesus was from the Father (John 3:2).

The miracles he performed ranged from healing the sick, turning water into wine, walking on water and feeding 5000 people etc. These miracles had a role to play in Jesus’ ministry: to show his identity (John 14:11), to win more souls to repentance (John 20:30-31) and also to get the attention of the people (John 7: 2-5).

Christians in our time are becoming more and more like the people of Jesus’ days, in their quest for seeing instant miracles before believing in pastors. Some are even seeking for signs and wonders more than the Word of God. Christians would rather switch from one church to the other looking for miracles than read a simple scripture from the Bible.

Instant miracles in themselves are not negative but it becomes an issue if that is the only thing we desire to see. If we observe a great number of pastors concentrating on conducting miracles than on teaching the congregation then we, Christians, are to be blamed.

As a pastor, you need to ask yourself why you are focusing on performing miracles. Is it the church pushing you to display those powers or you are following the dictates of the Holy Spirit? Do not let your desire to get famous and trend on social media push you into doing ‘wondrous’ things.

While you are going about your work as a man or woman of God, remember that while Jesus was expanding his ministry, the people demanded more miracles from him (John 6:30). A number of them refused to believe him even when he performed those miracles (Matthew 13:54-58) and others who believed through the miracles had a temporal faith (John 6:26).

Miracles alone are not enough. There have been several examples of people who have been healed by men of God and after a while, whatever disease they were healed of attacked them again. This happened because the people who got healed did not know how to remain in good health.

Teach the congregation about the power of God and how they, members of the congregation can chase demons without spoiling the sleep of preachers. Let them know that their lives and their walk with Christ go further than seeing miracles.

Expectations – Have they been met?

It’s been quite a while since we posted anything on the blog. Several reasons account for this including the fact that the team is thinking of reconstructing the blog. If you have any ideas of what you would like to see or read about, do not hesitate to send us a mail on christianblogghana@gmail.com. We would like to hear from you!

The year is steadily drawing to a close. A lot of us had dreams, hopes, ambitions and expectations of how we wanted the year to be. Some of our hopes have been dashed, others were achieved. During this time of the year, some people refuse to chase after their dreams because they start making plans for the new year. Do not be like that. There is still hope!

Remember in Deuteronomy 3:16 where we are assured to be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them because the Lord our God goes with us; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Let us cast our minds to the fact that some people began the year with us and are nowhere to be found. Some have fallen sick, others are dejected and others have completely lost their faith but we are still alive to continue dreaming and hoping for what we would like to see in our lives.

Instead of losing hope and getting disappointed, why don’t you rather fix your eyes on the Lord who knows better than you do (Isaiah 55:8) and the one who has good plans for your life (Jeremiah 29:13).

Your life is testimony to other! Let us continue to run the race till we get to the finish line.

Do not give up!

Be Frank: What will you do in these instances?

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest– and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man – Proverbs 6:10 -11

This is one very popular verse in the Bible, quoted by a lot of people to remind
Christians not to be lazy. The high rate of unemployment in Ghana is real; a lot of people complete college and finding a job becomes a nightmare. To find any job as a graduate from the university is a prayer answered. What are some of the attitudes we put up when God provides us with a job? Let’s be frank, what will you do in the following instances –

You have prayed for a job and money and you now have both. You were sent on an assignment and have been provided with some amount of money. You did not use all the money you were given, will you bring the money back to the company or keep it?

You find yourself in a work environment where about three quarters of the workers are unbelievers, will you quit the job or what?

You have a job which prevents you from attending church service on Sundays. You have stayed in the house for such a long time and your current employees were the only ones who contacted you and offered you this job. What will your do?

What if you job allows you to promote all the things the Bible speaks against – pre-marital sex/adultery, alcohol, drugs, lottery etc.

You are the leader of a group in church. Your pastor needs you immediately. Your boss is a non-christian and has given something to do which is not too pressing. What will you do?

We would really, really love to know what your reactions would be in these instances. Please comment directly on the blog. Thanks 🙂

3 Deceptions about Christianity Most People are Not Told

There are some truths about the faith that are hidden from most people. They begin to worship God and after some time they get frustrated because they feel Christianity is difficult. These lies are simple but yet, they can cause people to backslide. Below are examples of such misconceptions.

Everyone has their conception of what Christianity is or what it ought to be. We believe Christianity is not just any religion but a relationship with the creator which needs to be built over time. It is believing your life is not yours to live but you being accountable to your creator. It is consciously renewing this belief and building your relationship with the Holy Spirit as well.

There are some truths about the faith that are hidden from most people. Such people accept the faith, they begin to worship God and after some time they get frustrated because they feel Christianity is difficult. These deceptions are simple but yet, they have the ability to cause people to backslide. Below are examples of such misconceptions:

Christianity means your life is free of challenges

This is one of the first misconceptions about the faith. The Bible in James 1: 2 mentions that we should count it joy when we meet trials of various kinds for we know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. This implies that our Christian walk is not trial-free. Each day comes with a new challenge but if we know that God’s mercies are new each day, we will not be afraid when dawn breaks but rather we would be excited knowing that our God has everything under control. Even when the challenges come we will smile at them, like Jesus in the boat with his disciples during the storm, we will only speak and the storm will be calm – Matthew 8:23.

Christianity means you should not work hard

Jesus Christ performed miracles in his ministry. The woman with the issue of the blood had to make an effort to touch the garment of Jesus and that was when power was released from him to heal the woman – Matthew 9:20.

Even for a miracle to take place, there had to be an effort on the part of the woman. This proves that miracles can happen when we also make an effort. Do not sleep and expect to be rich. Unbelievers will keep running the affairs of the world if we pray without working hard. Spend some time to pray and also some time to work hard; this is the only way we can succeed in the faith.

Christianity means it is easy to have faith

This is one of the easiest means of getting hold of our miracles – having faith. The Bible mentions that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can say to a mountain that it should move into the sea and that mountain will obey our voice (Luke 11:6). There are challenges that we see each day, the only thing we need to do is to speak to them and they will obey but why haven’t we been able to do that? This is because building faith is something we need to do each day. It does not come easily but it is possible. We can start with the little things in our lives, soon we will be able to tell the huge things to vanish and yes, they will obey us.

Are there any misconceptions you knew before becoming a Christian? Share them with us.

5 Empowering Scriptures you Need to Know as a Christian

How many of us agree that the Christian walk is not as easy. Even Paul admits in 2 Corinthians 4:8 that we are tempted on every side but are not crushed. Each day we are faced with different trials which are supposed strengthens us, according to the Bible and the only way we can face each day and battle is by using the appropriate scriptures, that is the only way we can reassure ourselves of God promises for our lives. Today, I am sharing five scriptures which always encourage me whenever I am faced with challenges of the day. As usual, you can also share those that inspire you.

Scripture 1: Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans and thoughts that I think towards you. They are thoughts of good and not evil. They are thoughts to give hope and a future.

Scripture 2: Isaiah 40:31

Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount on wings like eagle. They shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not grow faint.

Scripture 3: Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Scripture 4: Mathew 19:26

With man, this is impossible but with God, all things are possible.

Scripture 5: Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.