How To Keep A Fervent Spirit Even In The Busiest Times
A lady came to me out of her sincere concern and asked a question; “Abiodun, how exactly are you doing it?” I was curious to know what she was talking about. Okay, what do you mean? I mean “How are you managing your spiritual life with all these things you are doing?” Oh, you mean that? Smiles, its nothing but by the wisdom and the help of the spirit. “Please, can you share it with me?” Of course, God grants us insight in order to help others. Follow me.
Prior to this time, I do have this same problem. I never knew how I can manage my busy schedules and still fit in my quest of seeking God and chasing after growth in him. It looked so difficult to be able to combine my pursuit of God with so many activities that I found myself. A time came, I was very discouraged. I felt it can’t be possible. I just have to choose one. It’s either I focus on my busy schedules and my truckload activities or I chose my pursuit of God.
I wonder what God did to me. Pursuing God and seeking after him in prayers, studying, fasting and fellowship is not something I could forfeit because I had become willed and addicted to God. It’s not that I was very good at them but I have been compelled by the power of God not to be fine unless I pursue him. It looked as if pursuing God has been programmed into my genetic fabrics and I can’t just help it. Hence, it wasn’t possible for me to stay off prayers, studying, fasting and fellowship. Stopping those things for days can kill me. Yes, I mean it. I could literally feel like choking. Just like a fish that was taking out of water. I won’t just be able to survive it. If I find myself out of that culture for days or perhaps weeks, I will literally feel my spirit dying or leaving me. My sensitivity will become so poor and weakened.
On the other hand, I couldn’t help being busy. I have to be fully active in so many things. Not unnecessary activities though. But those inevitable engagements. The matter got worse when I was at University. Especially in my final year. If you have gone through that stage, you will know what I’m talking about. Your whole life will be messed up in stress. You will literally burn out. You will have so many things to do in little time.
How then can I beat this thing? How can I be so occupied and still be very alert and fervent in the spirit? I do think it was impossible until I stumbled into a scripture.
Romans 12:11 “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord”.
This scripture burnt my heart. I couldn’t help it but shout. At that time, all I could wish was to see Apostle Paul and shout at him. No, you mean! Haha, I don’t get you? Are you trying to tell me that “a man can be very functional in his business (activities) and still be fervent in the spirit!?” No man, you gat to be kidding here! I have gone through this thing, it does not work! Wait, Apostle Paul, with all due respect sir, you didn’t pass through what we are passing through. I believe its because, in your own time, there was no school, no final year, no project, no businesses, no companies, no professional jobs and so on that could consume all your 24 hours right in front of your eyes! Don’t give me that crap sir!
Well, you need not to blame me. I was burning under myself. I couldn’t just imagine that such could be possible. I mean, it seemed like a fictitious scripture to me. And then, God began to open my eyes and he started showing me several great men up there that despite their unending busy schedules, they are still on fire for God! In fact, many of them, before they climbed the throne of greatness, their routine with God was intact as they were still diligent in their businesses! I saw many of them that despite their fervency in the spirit, their academics, and other parts of their lives never suffered.
Then, I began to understand that truly, that realm is possible. It only takes wisdom to access it. So, I began to make my inquiries. How can this be?
You know, many of us, we are caught in this same web. If you check vividly, an average tongue talking and God chasing believer do have one part of his life suffering because of a lack of maintaining stability. It now looks as if, if a man will chase God, he has to lay down other areas of his life. In fact, nowadays, the devil has so much dealt with us such that activities have been programmed to increase daily. So, you find yourself having so many responsibilities and functions that you must and of a must respond to. And by the time you will be done with them, it’s already very late at night, all you can do at that time is to sleep helplessly. No time to pray, study and fellowship.
Many people work in organizations, companies, government sectors and so on. Many do about two to three jobs per day. Some have to manage different businesses daily. Some will have to resume as early as 7 am which in order to beat traffic, they must leave their houses by 4 am and till 10 pm they won’t return! They are swallowed in this deadly cycle just to make ends meet and bring something on the table.
We can not shut down these activities and responsibilities. That’s an open letter to a life of great trouble. How then can we help ourselves by the help of God to beat this deadly wave? How can we manage our businesses and activities well and still be fervent in the spirit?
To be fervent means, to be on fire, to be burning and to be blazing. And like I said earlier, Apostle Paul made us understand in the book of Romans 12:11 that it is possible to be efficient and not slothful in business and still be fervent and serving the Lord. He didn’t place those things together coincidentally. He was led while writing it. So what could be the way out? Let me take you on a brief Journey
Firstly, there are about four things we do basically in order to stay fervent and connected to God. These things keep our spirits alive and make us connect with the father always. And they are Prayers, Fasting, Studying the scriptures and fellowship with God and brethren. These four things are the basic lifestyle of believers. Therefore, our growth and fervency in the spirit are also hinged on these four.
Now follow me, according to a general belief, these four things can only be done when two things are in place. That’s location and time. If you will pray, you will need a location and time of/for prayers. If you will fast, you will need time of/for fasting even if you don’t need location. If you will study the scriptures, you will definitely need a certain location to sit and study and you will need time too. If you will fellowship, you will also need a place/location and time.
So you can see that, almost or all the factors that help us get fervent and connected to God are hinged on just these two things; location and time. In other words, if a man can improvise a technology by which he can manipulate location and time, then, he won’t have a problem with being fervent in God. This is the wisdom I have brought to us. How we can beat location and time in our pursuit of God so that we will remain fervent and burning even as we go about our daily activities and businesses.
Briefly, let’s look at John 4: 20-24 (KJV)
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Now, let’s look at this. This was a conversation between the Samaritan woman and Jesus at the well. The woman was trying to tell Jesus that according to their own culture as Samaritans, they can only worship or commune with God on a mountain and as for Jews, they only worship in the temple in Jerusalem. And so, what is the best place of worship? So, she was indirectly asking the question of “location” and then Jesus gave a very beautiful answer.
In short – “in the spirit and truth”. The woman would have been like; What sort of answer is that? I am asking about location, you are telling me something else. Explain yourself.
Jesus was actually not telling her that the mountains and temple were not fit for location. It’s not that it is wrong to use them as places to meet and commune with God. According to the phrase “believe me, a time cometh…”, what he was saying is that, a time, a dispensation, a season will come that those locations will not be a wise thing to use in order to stay connected to God! A time will come that location will be choked of diverse activities. A time when men will not have time to go to the mountains and temples any longer. So, the only way out is that they must use another location that is not found in the physical. That location is “in the spirit“!
This is the first powerful way we must understand. This was the first deliverance I had. When God opened my eyes to it, my heart leaped in joy.
God had provided a way for us even before this time came. He had already placed a solution several centuries ago before now. The first solution is that we must forget about the location. Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a place where we pray, study and fellowship. It doesn’t mean that having a particular ground where you go to pray and study is bad. No. What it means is, a subtitle has been made available for us such that if you see that location is not available for you, you can still carry out your spiritual exercises and remain on fire for God!
Therefore, it is no longer an excuse if you can’t find a location – a particular ground, place, church, chapel or temple where you can commune with God and exercise yourself spiritually. What you do is to journey to the spirit and make a tabernacle there!
Jude 1:20-21: But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
This scripture reveals to us that you can build yourself, be on fire, be burning and blazing in your spirit (on your most holy faith) if you can “be praying” (note: praying not to pray, that’s a continuous statement) in the Holy Ghost. And by this technology, (verse 21 now), you will be able to “keep yourselves” in the love of God!
I know we are familiar with this before but I am bringing it to light the more. Sir, ma, there is little you will be able to do if your prayer life is only restricted to location! You will burn out so quickly! I tell you, days will come especially for we youth, that we will be so occupied and choked with responsibilities and activities that we will never be able to find that chapel ground, mountain, prayer ground and so on anymore. At that point, you will find it difficult to survive if you don’t learn this powerful key.
Become a Mobile Altar
Becoming a mobile altar is a prerequisite for this dispensation, praying in the spirit is the order of the day! You must learn it. Keep yourself on fire every day, every time. It is the only technology you can use to beat location! So, as you go in the morning, driving to that place of work, you continue to fire up your spirit with tongues! You get to work, you are attending to customers or clients, you continue to pray in the spirit. You are on your way back, boxed up in that traffic, you continue to fire it. This will keep your spirit alive and connected. I learned this great mystery in school then. I discovered that I can’t find time to go to the chapel ground anymore, so what I did is to become a mobile altar! Anywhere I go, I fire tongues. I am working to class, to the labs, to the hall and offices, I keep my spirit alive by praying in tongues.
It might look simple but I tell you, if you will survive the deadly wave of distractions and activities that are gently sweeping across our dispensation, you must learn the act of being a mobile altar! You must learn the act of praying in the spirit any time, anywhere! It greases your spirit and keep it alive! You can’t afford to be waiting for a temple, mountain or prayer ground before you pray. I assure you, at this age, we are going to, you might never find one. Hence, you must strive to become a mobile altar! Moveable altar!
So for prayers, you pray continually in the spirit. For studying the scriptures, the technology I used was to equip myself with messages of different men of God. Before you crucify me, I know there is a place of personal study but this is a wise innovation. Instead of waiting for a time to stay personally to study, just load yourself with messages first. As you go in that car in the morning, be consuming scriptures through messages. Listen to them over and over. You are coming back, keep listening. In your place of work, keep playing in a low volume (if permitted). When you get home, keep playing even as you relax! You can also get an audio Bible. Scriptures will be played in audio for you as you go about your businesses and activities.
And for fasting, if you can’t go for long days because of your activities and choking responsibilities, no problem, do short ones! You can take a day or two in the week, just fast to 3 pm or even 12 noon. Depending on your capacity. Make sure at least in a week, you are doing something. This is just to keep you on a check and to keep your spirit alive. In this case, it’s not about how long, it’s about sustenance!
Pay Compensations
Lastly, compensation! The truth is, you can’t be busy 24 hours in a whole year. No! That’s not possible. A time will come when you will have luxury and abundance of time. No matter who you are, there will always be a time when you will be free (a luxury time). So you don’t waste such times on frivolities, you redeem the time! That’s what the Bible meant in the book of Ephesians 5:16(KJV): “Redeeming the time because the days are evil”.
So when you see that your routine has taken so much from you for a particular period, then look for a free period and compensate for them. Go for an intentional retreat! For example, you have been working back to back for a month and you haven’t been able to pray, study, fast and fellowship well. And luckily, you were given a day or two days off. So, what do you do? You compensate for the previous lack. You use that period to separate yourself into more prayers, fasting and studying before you resume back again! So, as you go about your daily activities, always look for a time of compensation. A time you can quickly maximize to pray for long and fast. This will keep your radar on balance again!
I would have loved to talk more but let me leave you with these two. They are the basics and the most powerful key of sustaining a fervent spirit even in the busiest of times. Know that you can engage God anywhere. Hence, you remain in the spirit by praying always in the spirit. Location doesn’t really matter and shouldn’t hinder you from burning! Get messages, audio Bible to feed your spirit always. And lastly, make compensations for your previous lack in time of abundance. Go for retreats when you have the luxury of time.
If you can make use of these strategies, you will see yourself burning even in the busiest times!
Thank you for reading. Make sure you leave your comments below. Let’s hear from you. God bless you.
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February 27, 2020 @ 10:10 am
This is so so timely.
Thanks for the word sir
More insights
February 27, 2020 @ 11:06 am
The words came in just in time. God bless you sir
February 27, 2020 @ 11:23 am
True Sir
February 27, 2020 @ 11:24 am
Interesting
February 27, 2020 @ 11:58 am
There is much wisdom in this! A wise man receives instruction and increases in understanding. God help us.
And Sir, I pray that God enlarge your heart to bear these pungent instructions and counsels in Jesus' name!
February 27, 2020 @ 12:09 pm
Amen, God bless you sir/ma
February 27, 2020 @ 12:10 pm
Amen, and you too sir/ma
February 27, 2020 @ 12:10 pm
Amen! Thank you so much sir/ma
February 27, 2020 @ 12:27 pm
We can not fall, we cant be weary, as a matter of fact it's too late to back down…kai we will login and stay
February 27, 2020 @ 12:33 pm
Yes o, we will login and stay!!!!
February 27, 2020 @ 1:05 pm
God bless you Daddy
Greater Grace in Jesus name
February 27, 2020 @ 4:16 pm
Apt! well done sir
February 27, 2020 @ 4:35 pm
Amen!
February 27, 2020 @ 4:35 pm
Thank you so much!
March 1, 2020 @ 6:17 pm
This is great, thank you sir, more insight to deep knowledge
March 1, 2020 @ 9:20 pm
Amen, thank you so much for reading
March 11, 2020 @ 10:50 am
Thank you for this sir
May 18, 2020 @ 5:11 pm
Wow… So inspiring. This word came at the right time most especially its importance in this critical time of this pandemic.. More accuracy and insight sir.
May 19, 2020 @ 9:45 am
Amen. Glory to God!