THE FIGHT OF FAITH

Everything was pretty normal for the first two months of the new year. Then in the third month, I began to experience setbacks. My five major clients who pay me 1 million naira yearly due to the nature of their project, began to  pull out for one casual reason or the other. I didn’t see this as a problem initially.  I felt that I would still do well since I had many more average and minor clients, who pay for my services in hundreds of thousands and tens of thousands. I didn’t bother myself. Rather, I consoled myself that clients were not  supposed to last forever and that I’d have more big clients with time. Little did I know that I was heading for a total crash.

Business was pretty normal for a while, then it happened again. One after the other, my average clients began to slowly pull out until I had only a few minor clients left. Everything happened slowly but suddenly. After carrying out personal evaluations, I couldn’t figure out what the problem was exactly,  because my standards didn’t drop a bit.

 

Eventually, the final blow struck. I realized that I wasn’t getting any new clients at all. People recognized me as the best, but they kept giving excuses like;

“I don’t have money for now.

I need your services but not for now

I am having issues with my business partner. We’d check back when we’ve resolved our conflicts.

I like your competence but something is not settled about you on my inside

The lock down affected me. I am cutting costs for now etc..”

 

In fact, things grew worse. A good number of my staff left, because I couldn’t pay salaries. Still, I didn’t give up. I kept making calls and writing proposals until one day something whispered into my mind…. “THIS IS THE END FOR YOU. STOP TRYING. CURSE GOD AND DIE”. It came with a very depressing ambience that overwhelmed me. But, I didn’t give in to it.

 

On one particular morning in July, I woke up feeling too tired to get out of bed. I still couldn’t understand how and why everything I had built in 7 years could crash in less than a year. So, I began to reflect on my past 7 years in business. I reflected on how I had grown fast and prospered in business. And, I also recounted how I had always ensured that I delivered quality services. Although I knew I was in for a fight, I didn’t really know what to do. I didn’t understand why all these were happening to me even as a Christian; A child of God.

 

When, I took to my WhatsApp to see if I had gotten any response from potential clients, I stumbled over this quote on Oti Stories’s WhatsApp status:

“….When a prophetic word comes for the year, we embrace it, internalize it and fight a GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH with it…”

 

After reading this quote, I felt like I had been hit by something hard. There was instant awakening on my inside. And I thank God for it.

 

Although I’m a good Christian who has great value for praying, I had always overlooked and taken prophetic words for the year casually.  I just say AMEN, post it on social media  and forget about it. But that changed immediately, when I read that status.  I suddenly became aware that no matter what Satan had planned for a particular year, God has not left us without help. I realized that He had seen the beginning from the end and has given us His own plans for us regarding that same year. That’s why there are some people whose experiences in a particular year are very different from the complaints of others. Even though they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, they are not afraid because their eyes are fixed on what God’s word says and His promises to them for that year.

 

Honestly, if I wasn’t awakened by that quote, it would have been a total defeat for me.

 

So, I was determined to focus on my church’s Prophecy for that year: VICTORY. I wrote down the entire prophecy, and  had a daily reminder set for it. So once the reminder pops up, I take up the prophecy and proclaim it prayerfully for about 20 mins. Although there were times I felt lazy about it, the reminder helped to put me in check most of the time. Again, I wasn’t discouraged with the fact that it was already July. I told myself that it wasn’t too late for me. I was rest assured that, victory is God’s plan for me in this year.  And what I needed to do, is to step into it.

 

Shockingly, I got the final blow in the month of August . My landlord asked me to move out of the house, because my rent was seven months due already. I hadn’t gotten any new clients. And my account balance was so low, because I had used up my savings, to pay off my staff and clear outstanding debts.

At that point, I began to feel like someone had cursed me. I knew that if I didn’t do something urgently, I would finally end up on the streets. That night, I cried to God with all my heart. I told him that I desired to see His prophecy for the year made manifest in my life. Then that night, I had  a dream….

 

I saw a lady holding a bible in her hands. She was surrounded by what she could see and also what she couldn’t see. She appeared to be aware that there were strange forces around her, but she couldn’t see them. She knew she was up against something, but she couldn’t see it. Neither did she know the direction to face. This made me realize that humans can see only what they can see in the physical realm. But aside the physical, there are other things that they cannot see.

 

While I watched her, I asked within myself, “…how is she ever going to win , fighting like a blind woman???”.

 

Then, I heard a voice say to me…

 

“ …. SHE DOESN’T NEED TO SEE THEM. ALL SHE NEEDS IS FAITH.

Mark 11:24 says, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. If she believes she has whatever she desires and does not waver, she’d certainly have it…“

 

Just then, I saw light rising up from her to heaven.  As this light rose higher, I also saw her declaring… “Thank you LORD. You have heard my prayer. I believe I have my desires. I speak it… I have my desires. Hallelujah! Jesus has done all things for me, through His sacrifice for me. He has done this for me also. I have this. I have this now. Glorryyy”

Then, she began to rejoice as she walked joyfully and confidently.

 

All of a sudden, I observed that the farther she walked, the more the darkness in the unseen realm got thicker. But I also observed that the light shining from her to heaven grew brighter and brighter. I could say that the darkness made her focus more on her faith probably because there was no other option of light around her to distract her attention from faith-ing her desires.  She rested on faith. And that faith shone as light for her, all through her  journey through the darkness.

 

Then suddenly, I saw angels coming down through that light. And they were all making deliveries. They were going up and down, and delivering answers to her. Just then, an angel came to me and said to me.

“Faith pleases GOD. Hold on to God’s word and promises for you. If you believe it, speak and rejoice like you already have it, it would be impossible for you not to have it made manifest in your life. When it gets tougher and darker, REJOICE!!!, because God would never withhold anything from you.

 

But, you need to stay at it and never give up. The just must live by faith because God’s promises through the finished work of Christ, are delivered to you when you pray, rejoice and believe confidently that you have them. You must stay at it continuously, with the assurance that God always honors Faith. Satan would definitely try to distract you with overwhelming challenges, but your consistency in faith without being dissuaded by the lies of Satan, is the fight of Faith. It’s a good fight because faith always wins. “

 

I woke up full of joy and courage. I decided to do more than rely on the daily reminders. I allowed the Word for me; Victory, to occupy my heart most times. I spoke victory, I sang victory, I rejoiced in victory, I sowed expecting harvests of victories, I called forth victory and expected the manifestations of victory.

 

It didn’t matter what Satan had thrown at me or would throw at me. I had realized that all those are mere distractions to take my eyes off God’s promises to me. I was rest assured that if God has promised it, then it’s already a reality for me.

 

I made these  proclamations twice a day…

I believe God has given me victory. He is set to ensure that I walk in Victory in every area of my life this year.

My rent is paid hallelujah

My business flourishes

I have all I have lost restored to me

I have unending harvests of victories

God has gone ahead of me.

 

God has beaten down my foes before me

God has subdued institutions and nations before me

God has gone before me as a mighty man of war and has perfected all that concerns me

I have subdued on your behalf

Despite the  uprisings and turmoil I will be of good cheer, because God has prevailed on my behalf

Henceforth, things have changed for me. This year it’s one story of victory to another

It is my Year of Victory!

It is my Year of Victory!

Glory to God.. In Jesus name

 

Of course, there were times I was tempted to feel sad but I knew the decision was mine to make. To either focus on God’s report and agenda for me, or to focus on the agenda of Satan.

 

While still in faith, nothing really happened till October 26. I was only able to persuade the landlord to give me some time till the end of November. Things grew even worse. But the darker it got, the more I rejoiced because I knew God is reliable.

 

On the 6th of October, a thought crossed my mind to do an online advert. I resisted it at first because all I had on me was two thousand naira. At that moment, my second reminder to take  my proclamations on Victory for that day popped up. By the time I was done with the proclamations, the fear and uncertainty about the online advert had disappeared. And, I was fully persuaded to go ahead with it.

That was it! The results were overwhelming!!!. I advertised for train people on my skill, and I got 200 trainees who wanted to learn  my skill. Each of them paid two hundred thousand naira, amounting to a total of Forty million naira. With that, not only were my losses restored, I also got way more than I usually made yearly in my seven years in business.

 

Till date, I have learnt the fight of faith. Indeed it is a good fight because it always wins. As long as I believe it and stay in faith, I am sure that, IT IS MINE.

 

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written by: otistories.com