Hello Dearest family,

First, I need you to take out time to thank God for the gift of life o, my dear no need of yours is important enough to make you ungrateful or not thankful for life because, No Life, no Needs. By the way,

Are you tired of waiting for that miracle? Do you try to figure God out with your head and get nothing or does it look like God is on break?

Do you pray and at the same time look up to man for help in case God did not hear? Do you pray, then if it looks like it is not forthcoming or if it is taking top much time, do you then look elsewhere for help or try play, “God”?

Are you mad with God?

Are you sad, anxious, lack good sleep or weary or think a lot?

Is your faith in God dead or semi-dead as a result of lack of answers over issues repeatedly… the list is endless however one thing is certain, if you feel this way and more, then you certainly need to take a chill pill- REST.

I have come to realize that for us to enjoy God’s promises and blessings or to see God at work in our lives then we need to rest and let Him work.

I know you need that Job, life partner, children, financial fortune, the Big break etc, and I know you need all this but hey, you can’t be playing God in your life. If you really trust God you will REST and let Him be God. I will illustrate this point with a scripture that has a personal meaning and implication in my life.

Joshua 1:13… “The Lord your God is giving you REST and has granted you this LAND” if you notice REST came before possessing the LAND. So please note it isn’t when you get your needs met that you are entitled to rest, rather you REST trusting God to perform what He said, until then you might not enter the LAND or you might enter the LAND tired. Not until I stopped struggling and started thanking God for answered prayers even before seeing those answers, I did not posses certain promises or see certain manifestations in my life. Thus RESTING is very important.

Ways to enter into REST:

1. PRAY, but make sure your prayer life is a dialogue between you and God. Prayer doesn’t mean you have to be the only one talking. See it as a relationship between two people. Both parties have to listen and talk.

2. MEDITATE on the WORD

Really I do not know how we want to pray effectively or encourage ourselves in trying times without effectively meditating and “chewing” on the word. This is the source of your knowledge as regards terms and conditions of your love relationship with God, it helps you know how to place a demand of blessing accrued to you and see how other people survived trying periods thus you are encourage yourself

3. CONFESSING THE WORD You need to chant the word and promises of God to yourself at all times and remind God of His word. Not that He forgets but it is also an act of knowledge and intimacy. Keep saying it, keep thinking it, don’t stop and you will see it. Like Bishop Oyedepo said, “what you do not say, you are not permitted to have”. 

Let me share something I do well when things are not going as I planned or when I am trusting God for something, I just testify or rehearse my testimony in my room, over and over again and honestly I see it happen over time even more than I imagine.

4. PRAISE and THANKSGIVING You can never over do this. Just be thankful, look for reasons to be thankful. Look at things He did in the past for you and remind yourself. Sing praises and dance even if you do not feel like, start anyhow even if it seems rigid, trust me after a while you will get lost doing it. When you have done all you know how to do, just PRAISE, when you do not know what to do just PRAISE, when you are between crossroads just PRAISE, wherever you find yourself just PRAISE at all times. It works.

5. KEEP THE RIGHT ATTITUDE Make sure your attitude matches your confessions and your faith. Don’t say one thing and act otherwise, it counters and waters down your faith. So you cannot talk anyhow or be gloomy or weary. Shake off that gloomy feeling, don’t wait for any pity party, adopt David’s style, encourage yourself in the Lord 1st Samuel30 (try to read it)

6. SELF TALK & IMAGINATION It is more like confessing but even more it is like calling yourself to order and verbally encouraging yourself in the Lord. Also, celebrate with people who are celebrating or enjoying what you want. Sow seeds. Have your “REST SLOGAN”. For me at times regardless of where I am, once I begin to panic or feel overwhelmed I could say, “hey, Imisi this too will pass or its part of the process or it will all end in Praise” etc. Form yours too. Like Bishop Oyedepo says, “if you cannot say it, you are not permitted to have it”.

So by all means take a chill pill, that is to say, REST.

You can reach me on @imisisulaiman talktoimisi@gmail.com. Remember I love you all.