Favour Adebowale

Bye August 2019, Hello September 2019

August was different from what I expected it to be. I thought I’d be fasting and praying (‘kabashing) ‘ most of the time 😏😅. Then I had to remove my teeth, medicine to take and fasting didn’t just cut it. Hehe.

So what then happened in August? I kept learning to GROW. Growth in my relationship with Jesus, growth as a person and growth as a wife.

September is now here and I honestly just want to know the Father in this season. There is so much of God to know, if we will just be patient with Him and sit at His feet. With His help, I hope to continue implementing my growth strategy in this month😅.

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering being made conformable to death….. Happy New Month fam!

You are loved,

Favour

How to settle in a new culture

Moving and settling in a new city/country isn’t always easy. It is even worse if they speak a different language. For example, if you speak English but have to move to Portugal where Portuguese is spoken. It can also get really lonely.(I know this because I have lived on 3 continents) So what is the solution? How can you easily settle in your new location?

1. Know that you nobody can satisfy you except God: Only Him can give you joy. Let your joy come from within (if you have the Holy spirit). The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord strengthens us (Nehemiah 8:10b). Only when you are full of joy are you able to be positive.

2. You must be positive: If you hate your new environment and are ethnocentric about your culture then you will not enjoy your new environment at all. You will just keep hating it and will be unable to settle in. However, if you are positive and believe the best, then you will get the best. You will draw the energy you put out. For example:if you expect people to be racist to you, that’s what you will get. If you expect people to be nice to you, that’s what you will get. Just have a good attitude and believe God. You will be fine.

3. Get a community: You need people to help you get settled in. You need friends. I usually find mine at church. Join a small group, serve in church, attend functions and just immerse yourself in your new culture. Soon, if will begin to feel like home.

4. Keep in touch: Thank God for the advent of the mobile phone. Technology has made life easy which means you can talk to your loved ones as often as you want. You should keep in touch with your family and friends in your home country/city. Trust me, it helps to just talk to people that care about you.

Above all, wake up each day trusting God to order your steps(Psalm 37:23).I hope you enjoy your time in your new city/culture.

‘You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail’ – Psalm 19:21

You are loved,
Favour

Have you told someone?

Have you told someone …..
about Him?
about His loving kindness and tender mercies?
that His mercies never end?
about His goodness as Father?

Have you told someone…….
about His love?
about the love that made die on our behalf?
about the love that made Him serve our punishment?

Have you told someone…
about the reality of Heaven and Hell?
of life after death?
of the hope of life with God forever?

Have you told someone…….
of the power of the Holy Spirit?
of the One who helps us through life?
of the one who is able to help us raise children supernaturally?

Have you told someone……
of the One who gives us direction for daily living?
of His ability to heal all types physical and mental illnesses?
Have you told someone about Jesus today?

Living without regret

So I’ve been reading alot about Jesus. Hehe.. I mean I’ve been reading the gospels. The fact that Jesus was super bold to stand against injustice and challenge norms despite his age! Can you imagine? He was in His early 30s 😁 and for some reason, thinking about it makes my heart leap.

One would think, the Creator of the universe would bid his time and wait till He was in His 40s to fulfil His mandate for mankind. But no, the Lord was in prime and was challenging man-made customs and hypocrisy as the Holy Spirit led Him.

If you come from a traditional society like me, there is a huge chance that you worry about what people might say if you take that step of faith? What will my relatives say? How will people look at me? How will this affect my family? At one point, the Lord told His mother and brothers that His congregation were His relatives😁. He took a stand and pursued His purpose till He fulfilled it WITHOUT REGRET.

Now, I am not encouraging silliness or absurdity. The point is that as long as the Lord leads you, you should step out boldly, paying no mind to society. You should basically walk in love and seek to represent Jesus😊.

The nice thing about this is that He was led by the Holy Spirit and therefore He wasn’t alone. Now it’s your turn, take your stand and pursue your purpose as the Holy Spirit leads you and you won’t have regrets.

Acts 4:31 ‘And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness’

YOU ARE YOUNG! YOU ARE BOLD! YOU ARE FEARLESS. Go for it!!!

You are loved,

Favour

How do I overcome jealousy?

Today’s post might be a little strange but I am convinced the Lord will have me write about it. Recently I’ve struggled with jealousy and did not even know that it was jealousy till the Lord showed me my heart. (Don’t judge me). Jealousy/envy can refer to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions. Envy can include emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust. No wonder the Bible says that “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” James 3:16.

You see, many of us struggle with this thing and yes many times it is unplanned. People do not go about deciding to be envious about other people. You just catch yourself feeling bad about someone else’s gift or journey. The deal though is that God is not glorified when we cannot find happiness and joy for other people’s progress. No I am not here to beat you with a Bible. We are human and sometimes we have to deal with our flesh but praise God we can walk in the spirit and shut the flesh. However, if you find yourself in this situation, here are some steps that can help your heart.

STOP COMPARING YOURSELF: 2 Corinthians 10:12 gives us a basis not to compare ourselves. You are different, your journey is different and you are special. It is not wise to compare yourself to anybody because people deal with stuff that they do not post online and you might not necessarily be able to see.

ASK GOD TO HELP YOU: In my experience, I did not even admit it to be jealousy, I tried to coat it with some excuse but fam, you have to tell yourself the truth and ask the ONLY One who can help you. If you need to keep your distance, do it for your heart and for your journey with the Lord. We can only see God work in our lives when we are pure in heart. To be pure in heart is totally possible and God will help when we are honest with Him! “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

REMIND YOURSELF OF HIS PROMISES: If God is able to do good things for other people, He is able to do them for you as well. Therefore you remind yourself of His word, His promises and His plan for your life. One of my personal favorites is the fact that I am the apple of His eyes. Exodus 14:14 tells me that the Lord (Who is also my father) will fight for me, and I shall hold my peace.” I don’t need to do anything, I just trust Him. He has won the battle against life, comparison and despair.

I am loved by my Father God and so are you. Child of God, YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS.

You are loved,

Favour

Why you should stop trying to rush your current season.

Have you ever sat down to reminisce on past seasons? This has been me recently. I have been missing the seasons when I was in the university and when I was living with my parents. I graduated about 6 years ago but sometimes thanks to Facebook, pictures keep popping up here and there.

I can only wonder why I wanted to rush through those seasons. It was so much fun, although it had its challenges like every other season in life. It was great to not worry and think about bills or the ‘adult life’.

The thing about life is that in a few years, I would be missing my current season 😂. So what do we do? We enjoy our current seasons and enjoy it to the fullest. We take advantage of every opportunity the Lord brings our way, we share His love and when we feel bad, we recognise that it’s just a feeling and we talk to our Father God about those feelings.

So are you currently in a season and begging God to remove you? Chill Fam, God can but He probably will not as soon as you want it. Life is in phases and seasons and every season in life is for a purpose. You must learn what He wants you to learn and you must grow. So grow Fam, grow! Focus on the positive things, enjoy your current season, learn what He wants you to learn and just trust Him even if it’s hard.

And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories. This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being]. Acts 17:26-28b.

Your life is safe in Him. Trust Him and enjoy every season and phase.

You are loved.
Favour

The ‘art’ of making friends

For many years as a child growing into a teenager, I never could fit into anywhere. It’s not that I didn’t want friends, it was just difficult to have a friend. Trust me, friends are biblical and they are important for our walk with the Lord.

“There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother”- Proverbs 18:24

God finally gave me a friend just as I was finishing high school and over the years, He has blessed me with some wonderful people. However, it did not just happen, even though God blessed me, I had a part to play. So here are some steps that I believe will help as you develop friendships.

1. Ask Jesus: the Bible tells us in James 1:17 that all good and perfect gifts come from the Father of lights with whom there is no shadow of turning or variation. God is a good father and He gives us good gifts which include gifts of men. When I was in university, a few years ago, I was worried as I left my home country. I wasn’t sure I would have friends or settle well and I talked to God about it. I asked Him for good friends and He sent me amazing people. The friends He gave me in that season really helped to shape and strengthen my life.

2. Be a friend: The bible admonishes us to do unto others what we want to be done to us. You want friends? Be a friend. Pray for that person, check on that person, don’t speak ill of that person, defend that person.That is what friends do. Now, I am not saying that you keep forcing yourself on the person. No, no one is doing you a favour by being your friend. I am basically saying, care about people and work on your character. I wouldn’t want to be friends with you if I get a vibe that you somehow think you’re better than me. You might not be thinking that but it might just be the vibe you put out.
People don’t care how much you know or how nice you are, until they see that you care.

3. Everyone is not meant to be your friend: Know that not everyone is meant to be your friend. Some people are acquaintances and that’s just it. Do you have common interests, do you pray together or do you gossip and compete? Friendships can also affect your mental health. God created us as relational beings which is why relationships can affect our state of mind and also longevity. So choose them carefully.

4. Be wise: Trust God for wisdom (James 1:5). Some people are wolves in sheep’s clothing and you might not be able to identify them immediately. Let God help you discern and don’t ignore your gut feeling. Also, make sure your friend loves God as much as you do and is willing to grow. You don’t need people who will bring you down to destruction.

I am who I am today because of the investments of some wonderful people in my life. If God did not bring my amazing sisters to me,
I would totally be a different person with a very poor self-esteem. We need men to progress in this life. Even Jesus had 12 of them and out of those 12, He had 3 really close ones. You cannot function by yourself. You need your ‘sisterhood’ or a ‘brotherhood’.

It is important to note that the ultimate friend is the Holy Spirit. You need Him!

It is my prayer that the steps above will help you in your search for Godly friends and partnerships.

You are loved,
Favour

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Hi everyone, thank you for reading my content.

I now have a YouTube channel where I share what the Lord puts on my heart..If this blog has been a blessing to you, I invite you to check out my YouTube channel.

Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Q5c09uvgEaPklXNQPa-Yg

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Thanks fam ❤️

You are loved,

Favour

The hidden war

If you are reading this post and you don’t believe that there is a different realm and dimension beyond the one we can all see, then it is truly a pity. The truth is that humans don’t just exist on earth, we live in two realms at the same time but most people are only aware of one – the one we can see.

You are a spirit being having a human experience. The only difference between us and ghosts (spirits) is our body. Our bodies allow us the privilege to enjoy earth. Hollywood even blatantly shows these things (with an attempt to exclude God) but sadly lots of people are still ignorant.

‘But Favour, how do you know these?’ – Firstly, I come from Nigeria (West Africa) where the existence of extraterrestrial forces is ‘common knowledge’.Black magic(Juju/Jazz) is real, spirits are real BUT God is even more real. Secondly, the Bible teaches us in Ephesians 6:12 that ‘We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places’.

As some of you might already know, my husband and I lived apart for a year after our wedding ceremony and it was a huge test for us. In that season, I realised at some point that I was just having lots of conflicts everywhere. I was disagreeing with everyone around me and it seemed like there was so much negativity around and people didn’t seem to like me as much. In that season, the Holy Spirit taught me to rebuke the spirit of strife and soon as I did, everything went back to normal. I became ‘favoured’ again. 😁

The spirit realm is so real and we cannot overcome without the Holy Spirit. In fact, if you enter the spirit realm without the Holy Spirit, you are a witch. The Bible tells us that the Holy spirit is to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). Yes, even truths of the spirit realm.

I have also had really bad attacks on my mind that were just not normal. Infact, one will ask how such thoughts will cross a person’s mind. Here’s the thing, most times those abnormal thoughts are from the pit of hell, this is why you must stay with the Spirit of Truth(John 14:17) also known as the Holy Spirit.

Think on these, your colleague that is always goosiping and looking to put people down, is that normal? (yes I know some people have bad characters but could it be that he or she is yielding to wrong spirits?) That constant urge to masturbate, is that normal? The constant disagreement with your spouse, could there an evil spirit behind that? We are in a war, child of God. Complacency is not a luxury we can afford.

No, I am not trying to scare you but we cannot be ignorant about these things. This world is very deep and we have lots of forces to battle but glory to God, we have overcome and are overcomers. The enemy is not stronger than God, the creation cannot be stronger than the Creator (God did not create them evil….that’s a different post for another day) . Please stay close to the Holy Spirit today. Your victory is assured. We win!

‘You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world’ – 1 John 4:4.

PS: To understand these better, I invite you to read ‘The Triumphant Church’ by Kenneth Hagin. You are also welcome to read ‘Angels and Demons’ by Micheal VanVlymen.

Jesus loves you!

Favour

My lover and I

They say ‘fine girl, why are you wasting your beauty following this Jesus?’. They said ‘with your ‘hour glass body and figure 8’ you could be so much more.
I said, Beauty is vain but a woman that fears the Lord shall be praised.
I said I am nothing without Jesus..
~
If I don’t follow Jesus, wetin I gain?
This world as it is, is passing away.
One day I will be old and wrinkled, what will my Saviour then say about me? Will He be pleased with me or will He be barely able to stand me?
~
What would the generation after me learn?
Will they only be concerned about looking glamorous for the gram or beautifying their spirits for Heaven.
It is even because of my beauty I should follow Him.
~
I did nothing to be beautiful.
He created me like this, why wouldn’t I give it all back to Him?
He is my identity.
~
My identity is in my lover – Jesus!
I am nothing without Him.
But with my Lord and my Lover, I can be everything He desires that I be, on this plane and in the life to come.
~
I am His and He is mine ❤️
~
P. S. He is also my husband’s lover 😉