Take Up Your Cross
Matthew 16:24 ESV
“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”
I was brooding over this scripture and trying to understand what it truly takes to take up my cross. You see, the symbolization of the cross is mainly the crucifixion of Christ and His accomplished work towards our salvation, but as I was meditating on this scripture this week, I honestly couldn’t get it out of my head, I received another meaning of this cross. The things we hold dear to our hearts and lives that we are not willing to part away with.
Taking up that cross means taking all your desires, accomplishments, accolades, things you have amassed, every dream you have, etc., and putting those behind you while focusing on Jesus. That explains why Jesus asked us to deny ourselves of all those things which have become a cross to us because they have consumed our minds, thoughts and being. In other words, following Jesus means you are to pursue His agenda for His kingdom and humanity as a whole and this pursuit will require a selfless walk with Him. In Matthew 19:221-22, there was a man who was so enthusiastic about inheriting the kingdom of God and when Jesus gave Him the prerequisite for inheritance, that he (the young man) would need to give up all his possessions first, the guy left and did not come back because he wasn’t willing to part away with the very things the Lord has blessed him with.
Dying to self and to things takes a special empowerment from the Holy Spirit and a renewing of your mind daily to understand that you are only a steward of everything the Lord has given you in this life. Including your very own life itself. It is a gift from God and a time will come when the true owner will take it back. Once you live under that orientation, life becomes easy and you become more selfless, knowing that God has made you a steward of His people and resources and that when He places a demand on it, you should let it go. My prayer this week is that the Holy Spirit will empower us to consistently walk selflessly with Him so we can inherit His kingdom. I declare it is so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.
Declarations For October 2024
The Oxford dictionary defines “WHOLE” as “an unbroken or undamaged state; in one piece.” I wanted to bring you this definition, as non-biblical as it is for you to understand that when God says you’re whole, even the natural meaning of the word means there’s nothing broken or missing in your life.
October is a month of wholeness and completeness so declare with me that;
- The peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, is perfecting everything that concerns our lives this month.
- There will be nothing broken or missing in our lives according to the promises of God.
- That all things are working together for our good - the tangible and intangible things.
- Our lives will bring glory to Jesus this month.
I declare it is so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena
This Kind
Matthew 17: 21 KJV
“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
In Matthew 17 you’ll read about the transfiguration and also about a father who brought his son to Jesus’ disciples for healing. Well, to the disciples’ credit, they prayed, rebuked and cast out everything from the young boy but he was not healed. So, when Jesus approached them, you bet He was not happy with them and He scolded them for their lack of faith and being the great boss He was, He healed that young boy with just a command. Repeat after me, “the boss with power!’ One of the disciples, face fallen, gathered the courage to ask Jesus why he and his teammates suffered such defeat and the scripture above was Jesus’ answer as to why all their efforts failed - that you needed to have been in a state of prayer and fasting to be able to kick out those demons in that child.
I’ve seen believers make some bold proclamations and yet with no results. The man Jesus that we are emulating carried raw power. I think the most effort He exerted during a healing process was using his saliva to mix mud and attach onto blind eyes. Other than that, I do not recall any other instance in the bible where He even had to speak twice to cast out a demon or heal someone. He did it effortlessly because He was the embodiment of prayer and fasting. We really need to increase our prayer life, fast (deny ourselves constantly) and commit to studying the Word of God. These can be our solution to confronting those challenges in our lives that have refused to bend to anyone and anything. I heard a mentor once say that “whatever looks like a mountain or challenge in our lives is only existing because it has not met the power that can confront it.” In these times we are in, there is no “pray for me” any more. You need to build on your own capacity to pray until something happens and you get the results you desire.
I pray for you this week, that the spirit of prayer, fasting and the discipline to stay with God’s word will be poured on you. Above all, may anything that has risen itself over the name of Jesus’ Christ in your life be brought down. I declare it is so and so it is in Jesus’ name. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.