Tag Archives: Father

Luke 23:34. Forgive them Father

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Luke 23:34
Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don’t know what they are doing.”They divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice.

Prayer Points To Avoid Opening Evil Doors.

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Prayer Points To Avoid Opening Evil Doors.

James 4:17-“Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Ephesians 6:10-13. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might…”

       1.    Father, by your mercy, shut every evil door opened before me, and my family, in Jesus name. Amen.

       2.    Father, tonight, by your mercy, set me and every member of my family free from satanic bondage, in Jesus name. Amen.

       3.    Father, by your mercy, terminate every satanic manipulation in my life, and in the lives of my children, in Jesus name. Amen.

       4.    Father, tonight, by your mercy, let every satanic operation in my life and in the lives of my children come to an end, in Jesus name. Amen.

       5.    Father, tonight, block permanently, every satanic access or in-road, into my life and my family, in Jesus name. Amen.

       6.    Father, from now, give me the spirit of discernment, that i may know good from bad, in Jesus name. Amen.

       7.    Father, henceforth order my steps in all the issues of my life, in Jesus name. Amen.

       8.    Father, for the rest of my life, let me walk in your light and not in darkness, in Jesus name. Amen.

Thank You Jesus.

Jesus Loves You.

Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

Father! In The Mighty Name Of Jesus Christ Your Son! We Cover Your Son Pastor E A Adeboye With The Precious Blood Of Jesus! He Shall Finish Strong, To Your Glory Through Christ Jesus Our Lord And Saviour! Amen!

May God Bless Israel, Nigeria, And America And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

Support Our Ministry

Good Morning Dear!

It Cost A Lot Of Money To Maintain A Website! Nonetheless A Non-Profit Christian Website.

Please If You Have Been Blessed By This Ministry And You Are Led To Support And Bless This Ministry In Return.

Please Make Your Donation To This Account

Ogwo Chukwuemeka Obiorah

Account Number: 0139438409

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Nigeria

To Help Us Continue In The Spreading Of The Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ To Every Corner Of This World.

Thank You Very Much For Your Support!

May God We Serve Bless You A Million Times In Return! Amen!

Ogwo Chukwuemeka Obiorah

For: https://jesus.bingo

How To Overcome Unbelief. Heaven Shall Water The Seed Of Faith In You. It Shall Germinate And Bring Forth In Hundred Folds, In The Name Of Jesus. Amen.

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How To Overcome Unbelief. Heaven Shall Water The Seed Of Faith In You. It Shall Germinate And Bring Forth In Hundred Folds, In The Name Of Jesus. Amen.

Nehemiah 11-13

Psalms 126

Hebrews 11:1-10

MEMORY VERSE:

Philippians 1:6– “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Faith is all about believing. You don’t know how it will happen, but you have an assurance that it will.

MESSAGE:

Unbelief is a terrible disease of the heart which every believer in Christ must strive to overcome. The first step to overcome unbelief is to know the will of God for your life. Ignorance is the devil’s weapon to rob believers of their divine purposes. He knows that if he can keep you from knowing the will and the purposes of God for your life, he has succeeded in caging you. Lack of the knowledge of what the word of God says concerning you results in unbelief.

The devil is still in the business of working on people’s mind to weaken their faith and boost their doubts and unbelief. He will tell you that you are sick when God says “By His stripes you are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). He will say you are broke when God says, “I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in good health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2). The devil will say you are depressed when the Bible says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10b); Rejoice, again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4) and many more. You can overrule the devil’s lies with the word of God. Refuse to buy what he is selling. Claim your victory in the word of God.

Secondly, you can overcome unbelief by rejecting fear, which comes with the lies of the devil. The Bible says you should be careful for nothing but in prayer, and not in fear, let your request be made known unto God (Philippians 4:6). Satan’s lies come with fear and is accompanied by torment. When your mind is not at peace, it would be difficult to read, meditate and believe on God’s promises for your life.

Fear is the basis of unbelief. If you don’t deal with it, it will deal with you and it will make you to doubt and question the words of God. Fear will keep you from the promises of God. It was fear that made the 10 Spies among the Israelites to call themselves “grasshoppers” and they failed to enter into their Promised Land. Only Caleb and Joshua,who saw the victorious power of God through their eyes of faith made it. The others died in the wilderness as their journey of 40 days became 40 years.

Beloved, tell unbelief the words of the hymn writer: Unbelief begone, my Saviour is near!

Prayer Points:

Father, by Your mercy, forgive me of the sin of unbelief, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

I overcome the spirit of unbelief, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Spirits of doubt and anxiety, I am not your candidate, die, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Powers assigned to rob me of the blessings of faith in God, die, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Every good thing that unbelief has robbed me of, I recover you now, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Father, increase and strengthen my faith, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Father, give me the faith that moves mountains, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

May God bless us all in Jesus name, Amen.

Thank You Jesus.

Jesus Loves You.

Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

Father! In The Mighty Name Of Jesus Christ Your Son! We Cover Your Son Pastor E A Adeboye With The Precious Blood Of Jesus! He Shall Finish Strong, To Your Glory Through Christ Jesus Our Lord And Saviour! Amen!

May God Bless Israel, Nigeria, And America And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

Support Our Ministry

Good Morning Dear!

It Cost A Lot Of Money To Maintain A Website! Nonetheless A Non-Profit Christian Website.

Please If You Have Been Blessed By This Ministry And You Are Led To Support And Bless This Ministry In Return.

Please Make Your Donation To This Account

Ogwo Chukwuemeka Obiorah

Account Number: 0139438409

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Nigeria

To Help Us Continue In The Spreading Of The Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ To Every Corner Of This World.

Thank You Very Much For Your Support!

May God We Serve Bless You A Million Times In Return! Amen!

Ogwo Chukwuemeka Obiorah

For: https://jesus.bingo

Thoughts Unto Sanctification. Dear Heavenly Father, I Thank You For Grace Unto Repentance And Salvation In The Blood Of Jesus Christ. In Jesus Name, Amen. Father, I Ask For Grace To Be Truly And Increasingly Sanctified Unto You. Father I Ask For A Daily Infilling By The Holy Spirit To Empower Sanctification And Victory Over Myself. Amen.

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Thoughts Unto Santification.  Dear Heavenly Father, I Thank You For Grace Unto Repentance And Salvation In The Blood Of Jesus Christ. In Jesus Name, Amen. Father, I Ask For Grace To Be Truly And Increasingly Sanctified Unto You. Father I Ask For A Daily Infilling By The Holy Spirit To Empower Sanctification And Victory Over Myself. Amen.

 HYMN:  Ancient Words

 CHORUS: Adonai I worship You

Our Father, creator of heaven and earth we bless your holy  name. We thank you for the gift of life and this new day you have blessed us with. We declare that you are good and your mercies endure for ever. We thank you for the gift of salvation through Christ Jesus.

 BIBLE TEXTS:

 2 Corinthians 5:17

Romans 12:1- 2                                                                                  Hebrews 4:12   

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.” (2 Corin 5:17 NKJV ).

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life: your sleeping, eating, going-to work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:1-2 MESSAGE version).

“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:8 NKJV)

Good morning brethren, we thank God for His faithfulness and mercies and the RCCG Convention earlier this month. We thank God for the grace to participate and the profound teachings from our father in the Lord; sanctification and being more than conquerors. By His Grace we each enter the new wave of glory. Amen.

 SANCTIFICATION:                                                                                                              This morning let us again pray that we continue to truly be new creatures from the old one that professed unto salvation on meeting with Christ Jesus. And that we are actually set apart unto the Lord.                                                   We are admonished in Romans 12:1-2 to not just flow with culture and generally acceptable practices of our generation, but actively think and choose what is pleasing to God.  There has to be a change from inside out, that is at the level of thoughts.  

 More Than Conqueror:                                                                                                We learnt at the Convention that the greatest victory we each require is not over perceived adversaries, but over SELF! Pride, anger, lusts, greed, gluttony, laziness, flippant talk and wrong attitudes etc etc are all to be conquered.

These are largely issues which may often not be readily evident or recognised by other people. They are birthed and nurtured in the mind, though outward actions may strive, and even go to great lengths to hide them. “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Jeremiah 17:9 NLT.

Thoughts are the fountain, and incubator of all that is against God’s will. Even if negative thoughts remain as such, and are not actually acted out, they can still amount to sin. Unlike human laws and statutes which require actual execution to warrant prosecution and sanctions, that which remains in the heart as negative thoughts still constitute sin before the Lord. “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust for her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. Mathew 5:28  

 ACTION:

Sanctification is a lifelong process by the will of God, and through His power.

 ”you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” 1 Cor 6:11

 “just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing if water by the Word,“ Ephesians 5:26

Sanctification and victory over self, cannot be by superhuman effort, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the washing of water with the Word of God. But what is the doing by believer? Apostle Paul provides a good model:

“Not that I have already obtained, or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has already laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 3:12-14  

Apostle Paul had a goal: he forgot the past, he took hold, he strained and pressed forward. Paul actively chose to forget the past, ie change his mindset, values, old thought process and focus on his goal. So the Holy Spirit will enable us as we wash in the water of the Word and renew our minds.

Apostle Paul goes on to give good advice in Phil 4:8-9 of what to focus the mind on and do. He enjoins we take him Paul as an example, and do what we learn and receive at the feet of the fathers.”—–whatever things are true, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      PRAYER

 Father, I thank You for grace unto repentance and salvation in the blood of Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

Father, I ask for grace to be truly and increasingly sanctified unto You.

Father, I ask that my mind and thoughts are daily washed and renewed by Your Word. (Phil 5:26, Hebrews 4:8)

Father I ask for a daily infilling by the Holy Spirit to empower sanctification and victory over myself. (Phil 4:8)

Father, thank you for answers to prayers. Amen.

Glory to God! Amen!

Shalom.

Thank You Jesus.

Jesus Loves You.

Father! In The Mighty Name Of Jesus Christ Your Son! We Cover Your Son Pastor E A Adeboye With The Precious Blood Of Jesus! He Shall Finish Strong, To Your Glory Through Christ Jesus Our Lord And Saviour! Amen!

May God Bless Israel, Nigeria, And America And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

Support Our Ministry

Good Morning Dear!

It Cost A Lot Of Money To Maintain A Website! Nonetheless A Non-Profit Christian Website.

Please If You Have Been Blessed By This Ministry And You Are Led To Support And Bless This Ministry In Return.

Please Make Your Donation To This Account

Ogwo Chukwuemeka Obiorah

Account Number: 0139438409

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Nigeria

To Help Us Continue In The Spreading Of The Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ To Every Corner Of This World.

Thank You Very Much For Your Support!

May God We Serve Bless You A Million Times In Return! Amen!

Ogwo Chukwuemeka Obiorah

For: https://jesus.bingo

Father, Again In Jesus Name We Meet

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Isaiah_9-6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah_9-6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Father, Again In Jesus Name We Meet
And Bow In Penitence Beneath
Thy Feet:
Again To Thee Our Feeble Voices
Raise,
To Sue For Mercy, And To Sing Thy Praise.

Lord, We Would Bless Thee For Thy Ceaseless Care,
And All Thy Love From Day To Day Declare:
Is Not Our Life With Hourly Mercies Crowned?
Does Not Thine Arm Encircled Us Around?

Alas! Unworthy Of Thy Boundless Love,
Too Oft With Careless Feet From Thee We Rove:
But Now, Encouraged By Thy Voice, We Come,
Returning Sinners To A Father’s
Home.

Oh, By That Name, In Whom All Fullness Dwells,
Oh, By That Love, Which Every Love Excels,
Oh, By That Blood, So Freely Shed For Sin,
Open Blest Mercy’s Gate, And Take Us In!
Amen!

Ephesians_4-6: One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all

Ephesians_4-6: One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all

Thank You Jesus!

[If You Were Blessed By This Devotional, Please Tell Me All About It. Please Leave A Comment Or Two In The Box Below! God Bless You. And I Love You Too]

May God Bless Israel, Nigeria, America And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

Support Our Ministry

Good Morning Dear!
It Cost A Lot Of Money To Maintain A Website! Nonetheless A Non-Profit Christian Website.

Please If You Have Been Blessed By This Ministry And You Are Led To Support And Bless This Ministry In Return.

Please Make Your Donation To This Account

Ogwo Chukwuemeka Obiorah

Account Number: 0139438409

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

To Help Us Continue In The Spreading Of The Gospel Of Our Lord Jesus Christ To Every Corner Of This World.

Thank You Very Much For Your Support!

May God We Serve Bless You A Million Times In Return! Amen!

Ogwo Chukwuemeka Obiorah
for: http://www.bummyla.com

Father! Visit My Foundation Today! Make My Life More Meaningful

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2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

Father! Visit My Foundation Today! Make My Life More Meaningful

2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

Anywhere I Have Passed That Brought Battles Into My Life. Father! Visit That Place, Make My Life More Meaningful, In Jesus Christ Name, I Pray, Amen!

2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

Was This Devotional Helpful? And Informative? Please Leave Your Comment In The Box Below

2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

[And If You Were Blessed By This Devotional, Please Tell Me All About It. Please Leave A Comment Or Two In The Box Below! God Bless You. And I Love You Too]

2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

2-Timothy_2-19: Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity

May God Bless Israel, Nigeria, And America And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

Father to the fatherless

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“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

Culled From:  awkward-moments-speaking-life-into-the-fatherless/

Ephesians_6-4: And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord

Ephesians_6-4: And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord

Each year in our high school the fathers of the graduating class come together for a Father and Son BBQ (which is really code for “life-sized Jenga, cornhole and really good food.”) However, there is also the random possibility that fathers will be encouraged to share their feelings (a rarity), which could lead to some tears. And this year, there was no shortage of tears as each father prayed blessings over his son. The thought occurred to me, “What about the boys without fathers?” It was almost an afterthought, as if someone else should worry about them, but today is about my son and I. That’s when God nudged me…

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalm 68:5

I looked down at our table and realized that my son’s best friend, Kevin, was sitting next to him. I remembered when Kevin’s dad got sick and passed away almost 5 years ago. I also remembered the promise I made to Kevin to be there for him when he missed his dad and during those times when he needed his dad. In that instant I flushed with memories of the past 5 years and the time I had spent pouring into this young man’s life – taking him to movies, vacations, birthday parties, and even giving him his first job. Now here we were at this awkward moment when he needed his dad more than anything.

I stood up and spoke a blessing over my son, and then the Lord impressed on me to pray a prayer of blessing over Kevin as well. These words came out of that moment, “Kevin your dad (Nasser) was a strong, gentle, and kind man, and you have become strong, gentle, and kind just like him, and he is very proud of you.” It was nothing rehearsed and really simple, and yet in that moment Kevin could not hold back the tears. He was a mess, and sure enough so was I. In that moment I was reminded once again of the impact that a father has on his sons. Those words of affirmation are so critical, especially in those pivotal times when they need to be heard. After that blessing I gave Kevin a man-sized hug and just told him over and over that his father loved him and so do I.

My challenge to you, Pastor… Who are the fatherless among you that God has called you to shepherd? Do your words speak life-affirming value to them? Perhaps you can look them in the eyes and remind them that their father is proud of who they have become and that their Heavenly Father loves them very much. You’ll never know the impact that a simple word of life spoken at the right time can have.

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[And If You Were Blessed By This Devotional, Please Tell Me All About It. Please Leave A Comment Or Two In The Box Below! God Bless You. And I Love You Too]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May God Bless Nigeria, America And Israel And Take Care Of Us; May God Make His Face Shine Upon Us, And Be Gracious To Us; May The Lord Lift Up His Countenance Upon Us, And Give Us Peace, In Jesus Christ Name, We Pray! Amen!

May The Grace The Lord Jesus Christ, And The Love Of God, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All. Amen!

How Deep Is Your Love? Father! LORD GOD Please Always Give Me A Reason To Love Everyone Around Me! I Love You

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Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain, just pray to God for a better umbrella. – That is the attitude! Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship. … Continue reading →

Daddy, I need to hear your voice

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Daddy, I Need to Hear Your Voice

by Simon T. Bailey

Women have two problems with men. (I can almost hear a few ladies saying, “only
two?” with a smirk.) The two key issues are that, as men, we don’t talk and rarely
listen. When we do talk it is all about us, and when we listen we have selective
hearing. Well, this couldn’t be farther from the truth in this next instance.
My father recently had to have surgery and I decided to fly up to Buffalo, New York
to be with him. I won’t bore you with the details, but he made it through with flying
colours. Thank goodness. On the day prior to his discharge, we were just sitting
in the hospital room when all of a sudden my father started talking to me.
It was way deeper than sports, weather, politics, or the economy. Someone or something
turned on a faucet inside of him and for the next three hours we had one of the
most meaningful dialogues I have ever experienced in my life. My Daddy did more
than communicate, he connected with me. He looked me in the eyes and gave me an
oral history of our family for the last 100 years.

Now, my Dad is a man’s man. I have never seen him break down, but he broke down
twice while talking to me about leaving Jamaica to come to America at 19 years of
age as a migrant worker picking oranges in Florida. Then he went to Perry, NY along
with another migrant worker to pick up apples. You would think that I would know
this history, but I didn’t. I’ve been working since I was 12 years old and really
didn’t know my family.

Some might say, perhaps you need to go and see a shrink. It’s all good. I am okay.
This is just one of those moments that caught this “A-type control freak” personality
of mine by surprise.

What is so amazing about this is that for the last twenty-five years, since leaving
Buffalo, NY to carve out my own path, I have talked to my parents just about every
Sunday evening. Our conversations are short, sweet and unemotional. I know for
some that this might be TMI (Too Much Information), but I have been waiting for
the last twenty-five years for my father to peel back the layers of his masculinity
and be emotionally available. Is it a sign of weakness? Hardly. I believe it’s a
sign of strength.

Those three hours of talking, listening, and sharing with my Pops left me speechless.
I know you find that hard to believe. Me, speechless? I had to get up and walk
around the hospital to clear my mind. In those three hours, he filled in so many
blanks. He told me that when I was 7 years old I would say that I would write a
book. He told me what he saw in me. He closed the loop in sharing what was in our
family DNA. He told me that my Grandfather, his father, was a brilliant man with
a sharp mind. I never met my Grandfather; I wish I could have. A part of me has
always sensed that there was a missing piece to my life’s puzzle. My Dad’s talking
to me helped me understand why I have a such free, cavalier, and often independent
spirit. It’s because of him.

He filled in the blanks and in an instant built a bridge from the past to the present.
The most touching moment was on the ride home from the hospital as I sat in the
back seat with my Dad. I was reminiscing with arrows of emotions shooting through
me wondering, “did my Daddy ever hold my hand when I was growing up?” I am sure
he did. Nevertheless this 40+ year-old man reached over and grabbed my Daddy’s hand.
I don’t know why I did but I could hear Luther Vandross singing in the symphony
hall of my soul – Dance with my father.

For fifteen minutes during the ride home, I held my 70 year-old father’s hand and
I got it. It clicked. As a father of two incredible children, I realized the heavy
sense of responsibility I have to help them uncover their purpose and identity.

When we arrived home, I made sure that my Pops was okay. He turned to me and said,
“Son, I am so glad that you came.” In that moment, my Dad hugged me with his words.
WOW! I didn’t know that I needed to know that my visit really mattered to him.
He then did what was most profound … my Daddy put his hand on my shoulder and
closed his eyes and started talking to God. It was like he was a friend of God.
He said, “God, thank you for Simon. Please watch over him and his family. Keep
him in all of his ways.” My Daddy talked to God about me. As a result, I know everything
is going to be just fine.

I stood frozen and leaned over this 5’7”, 140 lb. giant of man and kissed him on
his forehead. I said to myself, “That’s my Daddy. He doesn’t belong to anyone else.
That’s my Daddy. That’s my friend.” I don’t know how much time my Dad has here
on earth. But one thing is for sure, if he should depart Earth, I know beyond a
shadow of doubt that he loves me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to know, that I mattered
to him.

Please my friend, do not go to your grave without talking to those who matter the most to you.

Be real. Be authentic. Put your truth on the table about how you are really doing.
I can promise you that when you do your life will make a significant shift. Thank
you for letting me bend your ear.

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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