YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY

6 THEREFORE humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, STEADFAST IN THE FAITH, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."
1 Peter 5:6-10 (NKJV)

• Someone else's Faith cannot be working for you indefinitely—for Life. You have a responsibility to Develop or grow up in your own Faith.

• While you are young and immature in the faith, someone through his or her faith can receive what you needed or wanted, on your behalf, from God.
• However, as time passes, God expected you to grow up in your faith, in other to receive whatever you may need from Him by yourself—through your faith.
• God does not want you to remain a liability to another person, a spiritual infant; but rather, does want you to grow up in your faith, and know how to approach Him through His Word, and have your needs met (Hebrews 5:12-14).

• A personal Responsibility.

• You are responsible for your prayer life. No one would be able to talk to God on your matter like you would do.
• You know where the shoes are pinching you, or you are feeling the pains most; thus, you are in a good position to tell God about whatever you are going through.
• The essence of new birth is about Fellowshipping, or communion, with God. A Believer is reconciled with God through his or her Faith in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:18). Believing in their hearts, that Jesus died and resurrected that they might be justified (Romans 4:25). And confessing with their mouths, the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9,10).
• God wanted Believers in Christ Jesus to come to Him and ask whatever bothering their minds, and not through any human as an intermediary.
  GOD wants to lead you by His Spirit and the written Word (John 14:26; 16:13; Romans 8:14).
• Your prayer cannot be effective without faith that comes through the knowledge of the Word of God (John 15:7). Through His Word, His Will are known. And whatever is asked according to His Word, which is His Will, would be granted (1 John 5:14).

• You have to develop your Faith.

• Wrong thinking affects the Believers negatively. The Believers are to receive the teaching of the Word of God, for their thinking to be straightened out (Ephesians 4:21-25).
• As a Believer, the hearing of, or listening to, the negative words, could rob you of God's Blessings.
• Know that you cannot become perfect, mature, in walking by Faith overnight.
  Spiritual growth is similar to physical growth. It has to be progressive.

• The truth is, God would permit you to be tried and tested on your Faith, right up to the end (James 1:2-4).

• However, If your trust IN God is firm, you can stand the test even right up to the last moment (1 Peter 5:10).
• If you stood firm in your faith in God's Word, the answer will surely come.
• The storms of life is common to all:
  "NO TEMPTATION HAS OVERTAKEN YOU THAT IS NOT COMMON TO MAN. God is faithful, and HE will NOT let you be tempted BEYOND YOUR ABILITY, but WITH THE TEMPTATION HE WILL ALSO PROVIDE THE WAY OF ESCAPE, THAT you may BE ABLE to ENDURE IT" (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV).
  READ: Acts 27:20-25
• You can stand on God's Word in the storms of life, just as Paul stood on the Word of God that was given him in that Storm which they had on the Sea—on his way to Rome as a prisoner (Acts 27:25).
• Jesus will not tell us to do something we could not do, what we had not been given the grace to do.
• If God asked us to do what we could not do, what we had not been given the Grace or ability to do; we have the right to challenge His fairness and Justice.
  HE would be considered an unjust to say that, but God is NOT Unjust.

• Stir yourself up in the Faith!

• You need to be stirred up in your faith, and in the things of God. This is a personal responsibility of yours.
• Growth is a deliberate act. There must be a thirsting in you to grow in your faith—your walking with God.
• Growth in faith is through:
  (i) The study of the Word of God, and the practicing of the Word (James 1:22-25).
  (ii) Obedience to the instructions given by God (Hebrews 11:8).
  (iii) Prayer of inquiry to know God's mind on whatever to do (1 Samuel 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:19,23).
• The above mentioned points build and prepare your faith for the challenges of life that might be permitted to come your way, which would eventually cause the growth of your Faith.
• Your Walk with God; the studying of His Word, and prayers, which you have imbibed, or been doing, would put in you the stamina or strength needed to face whatever challenge that might be permitted to come your way.
• What you were made of is seen or known when challenges come, and how you successfully handle them.
• Faith grows in the midst of tribulations (Romans 5:3,4). The devil would want to challenge your Faith, whether it is a genuine Faith, or an ordinary boldface or audaciousness. YOU must be able to resist him in faith: "BUT RESIST HIM [the devil], BE FIRM IN YOUR FAITH [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]" (1 Peter 5:9 Amps).
• In every Canaan land which God has apportioned you, as a Believer; there are always giants there to challenge your Faith and cause you to doubt.

• Building up a spiritual stamina.

• It is not enough to confess the Word of God. Many confessed the Word of God, but nothing happened, and they concluded that faith walk is not real and does not work.
• You build up spiritual stamina through the Word of God; you study it and apply it in your daily living.
• If your life, or the pattern of your living, is not built on the Word of God and the practicing of it; When the challenges of life come, you would not have the immunities to withstand or resist the power behind the problems or challenges.
• Note: Prayers are needed. The Word of God you know would teach or direct you on how to pray aright.
• And also, you need to pray consistently in the language of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:2; Jude 20).
• The Word of God and prayer will cause your spirit, the inward Man, to be strong, being equiped with the Stamina to withstand and resist whatever the challenges of life (1 Peter 5:9).
• When challenges come; Get hold of the Word of God that speaks to the situation, pray and fast on it, and Confront the devil behind the problems—you will surely overcome.
• Some are too lazy in spiritual exercises; praying, fasting, and the studying of the Word of God. Some even give money to the so-called prayer contractors, those who asked for money to pray and fast on your behalf.
• If you wanted to deceive yourself, and play with your future, you can go ahead and give money to Such people, and do believe they are praying for you.
• Jesus has paid the price for our SINS, and given us, the Believers, an Access to God the Father.
• Believers can come to the throne of Grace through the blood of Jesus, and to receive an abundance Grace for their needs to be met (Hebrews 4:16).

• You have a responsibility to grow in your faith. God does not want you to be a liability to another person in the Faith. - Remember, the challenges are permitted to help Build your faith.

• Faith grows in the atmosphere of tribulations and trials

• You will not be a prey in the hand of the enemy in Jesus' name.

• Should there be any ailment in your body, such is cursed and uprooted totally in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
• I declare you free completely from every oppression of the devil, and no cause for Afflictions again, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
  Peace!