What to do when all seems to be Dark?

The truth is that in life, one would have trying and challenging times, when all seems dark and nothing seems to be working. In other words to know what to do when we are in such a situation, we need to able to identify ‘’dark times’’ as it were. Dark times as earlier said are those times when nothing seems to be working, they are times where our faith is tested and the efficacy of our testimony is tried, they are the days of wilderness, when they will be no father, mother or friend so save or deliver. During this period, men may even condemn you and tell you ‘’It is because of your past sins that these darkness as come upon you’’, these times brings weariness in prayer and most people will tend to seek help in the land of ‘’Egypt’’, these times are times of great frustration, for some it may be a rough period in our relationships when we are used and dumped more often than normal, when house rent cannot paid, no job or calls from those who have promised us ‘’heaven and earth’’, difficulty in eating three square meals and proper clothing, intimidation at work, sexual harassment at work, bad habits, etc. for a student it may be a period when school fees is not paid by our parents, or no support from our parents/guardians, strange carry over’s even with much reading/studying, constant oppression /harassment by cult members, pressure from lecturers to sleep with you, pressure of settlement for the fear and embarrassment of extra year, addiction to drug and sexual sins etc.

In all, this, it will look as if there is no God and that he doesn’t answer prayers. It will look as if you are the greatest sinner on earth and that God has forsaken you. But in all these things a believer must gird himself with the keys below in other to stay on top of the situation or else the situation will be on top of us-God forbid.

Understanding of what God says

‘’…For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning...’’(Psa 30:5)

Understanding of what God says about you as regards a matter and ultimately understanding of Gods words will make a lot of difference .Surely a child of God must fully be persuaded that he is on the wining and stronger side of the battle. It is certain that joy must and will fully come to matter what.

Now the scriptures also say ‘’…and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose…’’ (Rom 8:28)

This means that even in the midst of dark situations, the situation will end up favoring and will always work to our advantage no matter what. So, if we can believe this and have this full understanding then we would be in control of our challenges and not them controlling us. This understanding is an act if simple faith in God.

·              Patience

This is a virtue most believers of this age do not possess. We always want every thing in a fast and snappy way, like instant noodles and fast food! We must understand that God will take you through that situation step by step in patience. We must learn to wait on God and hear from God as regard our dark moments. When we are patient enough, we will be able to hear Gods instructions. Sometimes what will terminate that challenge may be a simple instruction from God. For example, God may instruct you to sow a seed, stop going somewhere, see a particular person for counseling and that is it. But because of our impatience we will miss that instruction and end up wasting our time in one form of spiritual gymnastics or the other, when what would have solved the matter was a simple instruction. We must be patient enough to know that God does not work the way we work. Sometimes we expect him to do it in a particular manner and at a particular time. May I quickly tell you that, God will not work with your own calendar or timetable but will rather work with his own timetable. The virtue of patience helps us to key into Gods plan fully having the understood that this challenge will pass no matter what.

·              Look up then look in

The psalmist said A Song of degrees. ‘’…I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth…’’ (Psa 121:1-2)

The truth is that most believers tend to look up to God to solve their challenges, which is a very profitable venture, because he as said we should come to him and he shall give us rest. (Matt11:28) However in life, we should not only look up to God, but we should learn to look ‘’inwards’’. You know! In most cases when you look up with patience we would hear a voice saying look inside you. We need to learn to look inwards as children of God that is, learning to retrace our steps, asking genuine questions like, what am I doing wrong or what have I been doing wrong, what steps have I taken or that am still taking, what is it that I should change, In what new way can I do this thing. Looking inwards is not relying on the strength of man but working together with God for a probable solution for it is written ‘’… come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD…’’(Ish 1:18). For it is also written ’’…can two walk together, except they be agreed...’’  (Amo 3:3)

Most times we expect God to do magic not knowing that there is something in our life that we must change, work on or take steps towards. Gideon was hiding in is village not knowing he had what it took to save and deliver a whole nation. He kept on ‘’looking up’’ until and Angel visited him and caused him to start looking ‘’inwards’’. Looking up and not looking inwards is equals to mediocrity, it’s just like praying to pass your exams without reading. Choose to look inwards as from today!

·                    Great lesson

This is another act of looking inwards through patience. The truth is that there is always a lesson to learn. God doesn’t just want to save you, he also wants to teach you and educate you concerning the operation of the wicked, to make you see our own errors and how great his power is. Listen here! There is always something to learn in that challenge! All you need to do is to open your eyes. If you fail to learn a lesson then its is likely you have suffered in vain and will not be able to help others in the same challenge when you see them and by this you will be useless to heaven. ‘’… when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren…’’(Luk 22:32)

May we not be useless to heaven in the name of Jesus.

·                    Prayer and fasting

This is an important virtue that must not seize during our dark moments. Most times we stop this venture when we see that nothing is happening; Excuse me please! Who told you nothing is happening? Who told you Angels are not wining on your behalf or working over-time concerning you? That you are not seeing anything physically doesn’t mean something is not happening spiritually, or have you forgotten that you are on the winning side? Even Elijah had to pray again and again before rain could fall. (1Kings18:43-46)

Prayer and fasting simply provokes the supernatural. Let me say this categorically that God will not move or act on your behalf except you tell him to do so. He has given mankind the authority on earth and he doesn’t interfere in our matters except we provoke him to do so via fasting and prayer. Even Jesus had to pray because he understood that as a man his heavenly father will not operate until he prays….don’t stop praying…your answers are nearer than you think or believe.

·                    The anointing

Sometimes it may be that we need one who has a greater anointing to save and deliver us and we may need to locate them. However, this should be by instruction from the lord. You don’t enter into the house of a strong man and carry his goods except, he that has a stronger power comes in and bind him. (Mark 3:27)

One day while I was in school, I was battling with prayerlessness and heaviness in my spirit for weeks and I knew I had to be delivered from this wickedness of the enemy, suddenly I got an instruction from the Holy spirit saying ‘’go to this church and I will send my servant to you’’ while in that church, I was thinking someone was going to come and meet me to say thus says the lord…but unfortunately no one came. The pastor who preached in the service for that day was newly posted to that church and he spoke on the ‘’mercy of the Lord’’...that night I received deliverance from that wicked spirit and got back my prayer life back also in my dream that same night I saw my self in a cage and someone brought me out…since then t ill I left school, I connected with the man of God in per of Pastor Korede Komaiya.

Friends this is the place of the anointing and the anointed. We must seek them if they are around us to come out of dark times. Now in seeking them, we have to be careful as they are fakes amidst them. The work of the anointing and the anointed is spelt out in Isaiah 61:1-8.

·                    Positive confession

We must maintain a positive attitude and more importantly a positive confession. We can’t believe God for a breakthrough and be saying the contrary. Even in the midst of the heat, we must maintain a positive language. In the beginning (Gen1:1-4) when the earth was without shape and void, God never complained, he simply spoke what he wanted despite the deep darkness over the waters. Most believers never come out of their dark times all because they keep saying what they see. It is a biblical truth to never say out or confess what we see with out physical eyes but that which we see through the eyes of faith from the pages of the scriptures and that we God told us. (2Cor5:7)

·                    Wrong association

Wrong association can make us loose our testimony. During our dark moments, we must be careful of people we share our trying moments with, people who may discourage us and cause us to loose faith in God and his promises; rather we should seek brethren who will encourage us in the lord.