By Funmi Komolafe

I’d like to begin  Joyful Homes , this week, in an usual way by asking  a simple question: What is the state of your mind?    Are you still expectant?

Whatever is your answer,      I suggest that you should be expectant and thankful that you are still alive.      Only  the living can be    hopeful.

Now, let’s return to our focus.

By the way, did you find time to attend any of      the special programmes organized by some churches last weekend?    If you did, expect  amazing testimonies in the mighty name of Jesus.    If you missed them, you still shouldn’t stop praying.

In some of the previous editions of Joyful Homes, I suggested that    one of major ways of having a breakthrough is    doing something unusual to please God.

An unusual step

During  the just concluded special programme of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG),        a lady gave a testimony that confirms    our earlier suggestion that taking an usual step    could make one a quick beneficiary of the mercy of God.

This lady, who had  been      waiting on the Lord for the fruit of the womb, said she participated in    the RCCG 100 days fasting and prayer.   She didn’t conceive after this but she kept her faith alive and fulfilled her pledge    by making her financial contribution to        the building of the new auditorium.    Even after this, nothing happened.

She remained expectant.

After these      two major steps,    she was not discouraged.    She took    another step.    In her words, she attended the August  Annual Convention of the RCCG      but decided to stay back and do whatever she could to provoke God to attend to her challenge.

She told the congregation: “    I stayed back to pick      rubbish ( which had littered the    premises). I did it so much    that my back was paining me”.

This was in August 2014.    This last action of hers provoked God.

She conceived and, by September 2015, she became a mother with the birth of  a  baby girl.

Her story is inspiring; isn’t it? My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will lead you to take the step that will provoke the Lord to visit you in the mighty name of Jesus.

Remain expectant

For whatever  we are believing God: Marriage partner, job, restoration of joy in the    home, winning back the heart of  your marriage partner, boost    in business, financial breakthrough, etc, we must remain expectant.

Whatever  we are going through  will come to an end one day.

Pastor Gbenga      Oso of Laughter Foundation often says “ every challenge has an expiry date”.

Proverbs 23 verse 18 states : “ For surely there is an end; and    thine    expectation shall not be cut off”

Jeremiah 29 vs 11 and 12 further assures us; “ For I know      the thoughts that I think of you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil    to give you an expected .    Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will harken unto you”.

The emphasis her is “ Thine expectation shall not be cut off,” and. “ Pray unto me and I will harken unto you”.

It is clear that our God is    desirous of having our expectations met but we also have a duty to pray and call upon him.

Pastor Enoch Adeboye  of the RCCG,  while speaking on    “ Flood Gates of Joy,”asked, “ How much joy can you have?      He said, “ It depends on how much you ask?”

He suggests, “ Ask till your joy be full”.

Adeboye stated that the biggest problem with us Christians is that we don’t pray enough.

This suggests to me that  one can never be tired of praying, especially if our major expectation has not been met.

How do your respond to bad dreams?

A certain woman had been consistently having dreams of her babies being snatched. Anytime she had this dream, her pregnancy will be aborted.

Her case brings us to the issue of how we respond to our dreams.    This is where the study of the Bible becomes relevant.

Whereas      many of us have time to read  gossip publications, we hardly find time to study the word of God, yet the word is our greatest weapon against    the enemy.

Apart from worshipping      under the right man of God,    our study of the Bible is needed      daily.

No one needs to be afraid of evil dreams.      We should be bold to stand up and    nullify that dream with the word of God.

Unfortunately,    many prefer to sleep  rather than  rise up and use  the words of God to cancel  evil dreams.

Again, I’ll share an experience.

A lady had a dream in which she saw a coffin brought into her home.    She jumped up , held her Bible and began to reject the coffin.

She began to declare    that she will not die, her spouse will    not die, her kids will not die, etc.        She prayed so loud that her neighbour heard her and she too in her own apartment also began to pray.

Less than a month after that, her husband and others were involved in an helicopter crash. To the glory of God, all including her husband survived.

Imagine what would have happened if she had not stood up to pray.

May God give us the grace to stand up to our spiritual enemies in Jesus name.

Baby after 24 years of waiting

As usual, let’s share this testimony of Mr. and Mrs. Adeoye    who got married in 1991 .    The couple gave their testimony at the monthly Laugher Foundation  Day of Laughter Foundation  International Ministry.

They had a set of twins: Two girls after 24 years of marriage.

How long have your been waiting? I have    disclosed the identity of this couple so that couples waiting on the Lord can use them as a point of contact while praying.

God  still in the business of miracles

Another couple at the RCCG Holy Ghost Congress presented their second set of twins after 17 years of waiting.

The father of the twins said they had prayed for over 10 years and, during one of such prayer meetings, there was a word of knowledge from the pastor who said: “ The Lord said by the time I finish with your bareness, you will need more than one house maid”.

With two sets of twins, that word of knowledge has been fulfilled in their lives.

I suggest that you get ready, your status is about to change.

You are going to move forward in Jesus name.

When the babies come, your status will change.   When you get married, your status changes.   When your long awaited financial break through manifests, your status will surely change.

In this season of yuletide,  my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will lead you to sow your seeds in the right place so that your harvest will shock our enemies and your friends.

It is well with you in Jesus name.