The year of 2010 the Lord and I have drawn closer together. He has shown himself faithful in so many ways...
1. My number one prayer request for about 7 months has been for my parents and our relationship.
Looking back a full year later I can joyfully say there has been much improvement. The Lord has soften my heart towards them. He has also shown me how my actions towards my parents is not loving. Thus, I started doing little things like hugging them every time I see them when I'm home, texting them encouragement words and just simple I love you's. There still needs to be more improvements but in it all the Lord is faithful.
2. Making the Lord my first love/ and being complete in him
One night in fall 2010 I was seeking the Lord. I remember the first half of it I just broke down in his presence and basically laid out to him all the burdens I was holding in. I don't remember what those burdens were but I know after the Lord took them off my shoulder. After I was just basking in his presence and then I said those 3 words to him "I love you". I know you might think I am crazy. But honestly I have always sang songs expressing my love to him, even prayed them out. But I have never just spoke to Jesus and told him I love him. This was so deep to me because it was the love I always long from a man. It was at that moment that I knew deep in my heart that all I want in life is Jesus. Like literally, that's all I need; everything else is secondary.
3. The Lord has increase my Faith 100%
I have shared from my previous blogs the HURRICANE that I went through in the beginning of this year. For many months I was walking blind but solely on faith that God would provide for me despite how hopeless my situation looked. Around May the Lord took me out of the storm and his blessings were so much that I was just full! The Lord has shown himself countless times that he is faithful
4.Transparency to tell my testimony in public.
" Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."-Galatians 1:10
I use to be ashamed to tell my testimony because I worried what others would think of me. Through months of prayer, the Lord has freed me from fear of man. (This is kind of connected to the third point.Jesus is my identity and to me that's what I pride myself in and not myself.)
It is very frustrating because in the year 2010 my quiet time have fluctuated ....there will be times when I am doing very good but towards the end of this year it was honestly hanging on a thin string!
2. a FERVENT prayer life
I started this year fervently praying, but after the Lord took me out of my hurricane my prayer life started declining. It's even more sad because I know that the hurricane taught me what it means to pray. I believe part of my lack of zeal to pray is connected to praying for my friends and just seeing them take two steps back.
I am joining Stephanie :)
...and you can too!!!!
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/files/2010/12/TGC-Two-Year-Bible-Reading-Plan1.pdf
4. Be a better accountability partner to Stephanie
I honestly haven't been a good accountability partner...I've been lazy
5. Speak my Poems more often
One Friday prayer meeting at my church they were reading the Parable of the Talents ( Matthew 25:14-30) ; I have heard this parable many times never thinking that it applies to my life. But that night I knew that there are many times I pray Lord please give me a poem and he does. I would write the poem and never look at it again. SMH ...yah thats gotta change
6. Bear more of the Holy Spirit fruit
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, for bearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.-Galations 5:22-23 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. -2 Peter 1:5-9
7. Being an Ex-Porn Addict means that I still get tempted. I have felt very shameful to admit that there are times when I have fallen into sin. When that happens I feel unworthy to even be a child of God! I get upset and sad because I shouldn't be going through this anymore!!! The devil is still is who is his, and he ultimate plan is for me to die!
But thank God Jesus is Lord over my life! Thank God that his words are always louder than the enemy! And thank God for his Grace! I want to rage war on the enemy and against all his plans against my life! First I need to humble myself. I, Faith Umoh, am nothing special! I am just saved by his grace and still need his grace everyday! Even when my flesh wants to cover up my sins I must reveal my ugliness to Jesus and to my accountability partner. Consistent purity in my heart, thoughts, and actions is what I desire Lord.
I know your properly read my recent blog and now wondering why am I making these goals? The Goals I made for 2010 were all worldly goals. After reflecting, the only goals I really conquered were the ones that brought me closer to the Lord. Thus, I made some new spiritual goals because I want more of Jesus!
