Welcome to the January newsletter (and while it’s very late, happy new year).

I have decided to move to a newsletter format, in order to capture all my thoughts and learnings for the month in one place and of course share God’s Word(—so I really do hope you enjoy it!).

January permits a fresh start, it is the perfect time to set aside negativity and plan positive changes for the year ahead. For many Christians, an essential part of planning for the New Year is prioritising spiritual development. At the end of last year, I committed to fasting every Tuesday throughout the month of January. While some weeks have been more challenging than others, fasting forced me to seek God and lean into Him for help and comfort. During this period, God spoke and revealed things which I’m excited to share below.

1. Undivided heart

Distractions and familiarity are often the enemies of sustained passion. 

I thought a lot about the danger of familiarity in my life [but also generally for children of God]. While it is good to be familiar with Biblical stories and teachings, as it opens our heart and draws us closer to God. When we become familiar with things, we begin to take them for granted, we tend to stop examining them, or even noticing them. Familiarity tends to rob us of our wonder, and what has captured the wonder of our hearts will control the way we live.

God has promised through His Word that a heart that loves Him and seeks after Him will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:14). His one condition is that He desires our whole heart, undivided and entirely dedicated and surrendered to Him. Therefore, a question to ask yourself: ‘Is my whole heart submitted (laid down) before God?’. It is never too late to renew and build a personal relationship with Him. My best advice is to stay in constant communication with God—through His Word, prayer, worship music—give Him your whole heart become he loves you (see 2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

2. Divine advantage

In short, divine advantage is when God lives in and works through us. One biblical character who epitomises divine advantage is Daniel—not because he studied more or was more skilled, but because he lived a life of purity. When our life is shaped by love and reverence for God, He can empower us to be excellent in all we do [relying on His strength rather than our own].

3. Resist

Resistance is about identifying the ways the devil tries to move you towards sin and radically taking a stance against his pressure. Like Jesus when He was tempted by the devil, we must be immovable concerning the truth of who God is, what He has said, and what His heart is towards us. Jesus used God’s words to overcome the devil’s lies. A practical tip to “resist” temptation is having scriptures to hand to declare over the situation. In other words, use the authority given to you [by God] to resist the devil.

January prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that 2023 will be a year of renewal and growth in my life. Lord, continue to build my faith and trust in you. I pray that you will intertwine my heart with yours and fill me with the Holy Spirit to the point where I don’t think for myself but are fully led by You. I submit my goals and aspirations to you Lord. And I prophesy blessings, prosperity, success and fruitfulness into all my endeavours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.