Recently, I have been reflecting on Christian families of our time. My reflections have mainly been about how God works through families today to continue his work of restoring humanity. My wife Joyce and I are blessed with a son and a daughter. My desire for our children to repent and believe the gospel has awakened these reflections.

In this article, I plan to share my reflections on how God uses a Christian home as a means of dispensing his grace. I hope to show that God uses a Christian home as a means of his grace (1) to a husband and wife, (2) to their children, (3) to other believers, and (4) to non-believers. Seeing this, I pray that this truth will strengthen your commitment to building and sustaining a sound Christian home.

What is a Christian Home?

What makes a Christian home? In short, it is the gospel. It is useful to describe a Christian home in its context of family and marriage. More precisely, in the context of the Christian family and biblical marriage.

Genesis 2:24 acknowledges that every biblical marriage establishes a new Christian family. Today, because of Ephesians 5:31-32, a biblical marriage necessarily involves an exclusive union between one man and one woman, both of whom are believers. The moment a husband is joined to his wife in a biblical marriage, the two establish a Christian family—right then and right there.

However, a Christian home is a physical and spiritual environment that a Christian family can build over time. While a Christian family is established automatically, a Christian home requires deliberate efforts to build and sustain. A sound Christian home is a safe and healthy dwelling place for both adults and children. Also, it is an atmosphere where the gospel flourishes, is lived out and can be encountered. Both the physical and spiritual dimensions are necessary for a sound Christian home.

On Means of God’s Grace

Christians usually understand that they ultimately do not deserve their salvation. We have received our salvation through faith as a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is what Scripture refers to as God’s grace.

Out of his wisdom, God has appointed some mundane things as means to communicate his grace to us. Question 88 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism names Scripture, sacraments (i.e., the Lord’s table and baptism), and prayer as means of grace:

“The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are, his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.”

It is critical to grasp that such means of grace do not communicate God’s grace to us by virtue of something inherent in them. Instead, they are effectual because God has appointed them and uses them. For instance, what makes baptism special is not the water used, but the authority that Christ has given to a local church in Matthew 28:18-20 and the faith of the baptised.

Christian Home is a Means of God’s Grace

I desire my son and daughter to grow up to become believers with “boring” testimonies.^[1] I mean testimonies without twists and turns, and devoid of extravagant sins. Testimonies that sound like:

I grew up in a Christian home. We had regular family devotions. Our parents were members of a local church where we heard the gospel every week. We were always around other Christian families. I do not remember an exact day but …

Nothing obviously dramatic. Only God’s grace at work—quietly, consistently, and surely.

Such testimonies bear witness to a means of grace that is easy to overlook: a Christian home. As noted before, a sound Christian home is the fruit of a faithful Christian family founded on a biblical marriage. Such a home is a blessing to the husband, wife, children if available, and other outsiders.

First and foremost, God uses a Christian home to graciously mature a husband and a wife in Christ. This happens as husband and wife build and maintain their home; their home, in turn, will be building and sustaining them too.

For example, a Christian home demands a husband who leads his family. As the husband leads his family, say in hospitality, God will use their hospitable home (like mealtimes shared with others) as a means to grow the husband and wife. I can personally testify to this.

Second, God uses a Christian home as a means of his grace to children. A Christian home is a haven for children. It protects children and provides a stable environment for their growth. More importantly, a Christian home consistently exposes children to the gospel.

In a Christian home, children witness their parents live out the gospel. This is remarkably important for children. Among other things, children need to witness their parents forgive one another, trust their God through life circumstances, and prioritise gathering with saints even when it is not convenient. God uses all these to form children and call them to Himself.

Thirdly, God uses a Christian home to bless other believers. Believers need to live in constant fellowship with other believers. Very little of this fellowship can happen when saints gather weekly on the Lord’s Day. Most of the fellowship should take place throughout the week, when saints are scattered. My favourite place of fellowship during the week is in Christian homes. There, saints can freely press into each other’s lives and apply the gospel appropriately—”Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15).

Finally, God uses a Christian home to reach out to non-believers with the gospel. The Bible expects and commands believers to be hospitable to strangers (Hebrews 13:2). Like children, a Christian home provides non-believers with an opportunity to witness the gospel being lived out.

What All This Means for You and Me

Seeing a Christian home as a means of grace is a huge first step. It orients our hearts better toward viewing our homes biblically. It shapes our attitude and the level of effort we are willing to invest in building one. I would encourage you, saint, to reflect on the importance of a sound Christian home and commit to investing your time and effort in improving yours—by God’s grace.

For the most part, building a sound Christian home involves a husband and wife striving to be faithful to what Scripture requires of believers and a married couple. I hope that recognising how God uses a Christian home to bless a Christian family, and others, will motivate you to honour, cherish, and work to build a Christian home. This is one of those areas that always has room for growth.

Notes

^[1] Now, I should highlight that calling any testimony “boring” is simply for a lack of a better word. All testimonies bear witness to the extraordinary work of God’s grace over the sinner.

The post The Christian Home as a Means of God’s Grace appeared first on TGN.

Recently, Joe Mettle, a seasoned gospel musician in Ghana, released a single entitled ‘This Year’, in which he gave musical expression to these very promises. In the song, Mettle declares the unfolding year to be one that will overflow with testimonies and signs and wonders on every side. He sings of swimming in abundance, of waking up with spiritual fervour, and of personally living out every promise God has ever spoken. Doors, he declares, will swing open at his approach; favour will meet him at every turn; every valley in his path will be transformed into a highway; and every prophecy spoken over his life will come to pass—all of this decreed and declared over himself in Jesus’ name.

The wealth and health gospel

The theology that animates this song belongs to what is commonly known as the Word of Faith movement, or the wealth-and-health—or prosperity—gospel. In brief, this teaching frames faith as a currency with which one transacts with God. The logic runs as follows: if you have sufficient faith, you may legitimately demand from heaven’s resources—perfect health, financial abundance, and essentially anything else one desires.

In this framework, faith becomes a guarantee of success, whether in job interviews, business contracts, or even sporting outcomes. One does not ask God; one commands Him, on the basis of one’s faith. This is precisely the spirit behind Mettle’s song: I decree and declare it.

Does God actually promise these things?

What does “a year full of testimony” actually mean? What is “swimming in abundance”? In Word of Faith phraseology, terms like testimony, favour, and blessing are interpreted almost exclusively in terms of wealth and health—material prosperity. Signs and wonders, in this framework, translate to having everything you want and never being in want. The question is therefore straightforward: does the Bible actually promise believers a life of uninterrupted abundance?

The answer is no. There is not a single verse of Scripture that makes this promise. It is, plainly stated, deceptive teaching. The song invites listeners to expect to “live every prophecy and word God has spoken.” Very well. Let us take that seriously and examine what God has actually spoken.

What Jesus promised

Jesus was unambiguous about what His followers should expect in this world:

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Note the words carefully: you will have tribulation. Not “you might”, not “you will if your faith is weak”, but you will. This is a promise as certain as any other Jesus made. The comfort He offers is not the removal of hardship, but His own victory over it.

More striking still is the cost of discipleship Jesus sets out in Luke 9:23-25. The language here is arresting. Daily self-denial. A cross. The willingness to lose one’s life. This is the path Jesus calls every believer to walk—not a highway of unbroken favour, but the narrow road of self-surrender. It is also a direct rebuke to the prosperity gospel’s core logic: Jesus Himself asks what profit there is in gaining the whole world, if the soul is forfeited in the process. The very thing the prosperity gospel promises—worldly abundance—is the thing Jesus warns us not to live for.

One looks in vain for these promises in the Word of Faith repertoire.

What the Apostle Paul experienced

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12–13)

Paul—who was caught up to the third heaven and authored much of the New Testament—knew seasons of genuine hunger and need, not merely as a passing phase on the way to abundance, but as a recurring reality of his apostolic life. The famous verse that follows (“I can do all things through him who strengthens me”) is not, as it is so often used, a promise of limitless achievement; it is a declaration of contentment in hardship, sustained by divine strength.

What the Apostle Peter taught

In his letter to Jewish Christians scattered across the Roman world, Peter offered no promise of comfort and ease. Instead, he called them to follow Christ’s own example of suffering:

“For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly… if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:19–21)

Peter goes on to say that it is blessed to suffer for righteousness’ sake (3:14), and that it may sometimes be God’s will for His people to suffer for doing good (3:17). Suffering, in Peter’s theology, is not a sign of weak faith or divine disfavour—it can be the precise pathway along which God leads His children.

The testimony of the early church

“…strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)

This was the message the apostles brought to young churches: not a guarantee of ease, but a call to persevere through tribulation. It is worth noting the word must—tribulation is not presented as an unfortunate possibility for those without faith, but as a normal feature of the Christian journey.

It is precisely in the seasons of lack, the trials of faith, and the furnace of tribulation that genuine faith is proved. Anyone can profess trust in God when life is comfortable. The question that suffering asks—and that the prosperity gospel cannot answer—is whether our faith is in God Himself, or merely in the blessings we hope He will provide.

But how about Job 22:28?

A verse frequently cited in defence of the decree-and-declare approach is Job 22:28: “You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways” (NKJV). The ESV rendition reads: “You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.”

Already, the ESV translation is telling: decide on a matter carries none of the mystical, commanding force that Word of Faith teachers read into this verse. On the surface, however, the NKJV rendering appears to lend credibility to the notion that the believer has the authority to speak things into existence—to decree prosperity, health, and success, and expect them to materialise.

John Gill, one of the most thorough biblical expositors in the history of the church, addresses this passage directly. His commentary is instructive. Gill notes that strictly speaking, unfrustrable decrees belong to God alone—it is God whose counsel stands and whose purposes cannot be overthrown. When the verse speaks of a person decreeing a thing, Gill argues it is best understood in one of three ways: as a just leader whose wise decisions are ratified by heaven; as a person who, having committed their plans to God, finds them prospered and established; or—most fittingly—as a person of prayer, who lifts their requests to God in genuine faith and receives accordingly. The light that shines upon their ways is not the light of their own authority or declaration, but the light of God’s grace within them, God’s word guiding them, and God’s favour blessing their endeavours.

In other words, Job 22:28 is a promise to the person who humbly commits their ways to God—not a licence for the believer to stand in the place of God and decree outcomes into existence. The authority here belongs to God; the posture required of the believer is faith and dependence, not command and entitlement.

This reading is confirmed by the verses immediately preceding:

“Then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you…” (Job 22:25-27)

Notice the portrait of the person whose decisions are established by God. This is someone for whom God Himself is the treasure—their gold, their precious silver. Because they delight in the Almighty above all else, their desires and decisions naturally align with His will. It is no wonder, then, that God establishes them. The text offers no support whatsoever for the idea that any believer, by the force of their declaration, can command God to produce outcomes on their behalf.

A conspicuous omission

It has not escaped our attention that the song ‘This Year’ is entirely silent on the call to holy living. From beginning to end, it is preoccupied with claiming blessings, with no word of exhortation to holiness—which is, in fact, the explicit will of God for every believer (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5).  It is therefore far from uncommon to find professing Christians living in open disobedience and yet fully expecting—and enthusiastically claiming—God’s blessing.

Conclusion

The theology embedded in the song This Year is a fundamental distortion of Biblical Christianity. It replaces petition with presumption, substitutes entitlement for faith, and promises what God has never promised. When Scripture is examined accurately, a different picture emerges: one in which believers are called to endure tribulation, follow a suffering Saviour, learn contentment in seasons of plenty and want, and trust a sovereign God whose ways are higher than ours.

This does not mean God is indifferent to our circumstances, or that prayer is futile. On the contrary—the Bible is full of encouragements to bring every need before God, ask boldly, and expect His faithfulness. But God’s faithfulness does not mean the removal of all hardship. It means the presence of God within it, strength sufficient for each trial, and an eternal inheritance that no earthly suffering can diminish.

The prosperity gospel does a profound disservice to Christians—particularly those in contexts of genuine poverty, illness, and suffering—by implying that their hardship is evidence of insufficient faith. It is not. Some of the most faith-filled people in Scripture suffered the most deeply: Job, Paul, Peter, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Their trials did not contradict God’s promises; they were part of them.

We call on Christian leaders, musicians, and influencers—particularly across Ghana and the wider African church—to handle the word of God carefully and accurately. The gospel is genuinely good news: not the promise of a trouble-free life, but the promise of a Saviour who has overcome the world, and who walks with His people through every valley until He brings them safely home.

Notes

• https://tgnghana.org/dont-fall-for-it-this-31st-december/
• https://tgnghana.org/new-years-eve-vigil-services-auspicious-moments-or-gospel-merchandise/

The post A Biblical Review of ‘This Year’ by Joe Mettle appeared first on TGN.

In the traditional Ghanaian worldview, you keep good news to yourself for fear that an ‘enemy of your progress’ might jeopardise it through witchcraft or sorcery. People do not share when they are attending interviews, expecting a child, making visa applications, or about to travel. The Ghanaian lives in perpetual fear of being harmed by the ‘evil eye’—even from within their own family.

A Biblical Worldview

The first audience of the New Testament was not so very different from us. Many had come from pagan backgrounds, having been exposed to sorcery, witchcraft, and the worship of false gods (see for example, Acts 19:19). It was therefore all too easy for them to import the practices and beliefs of their former lives into their newfound faith in Christ.

Several passages in the New Testament call for a new perspective and worldview, using the pattern: ‘you used to walk in these ways, but now…’ (Eph. 5:8; Col. 3:7–8; Titus 3:3–5). We need our minds—our perspectives, our entire worldview—to be transformed through knowledge. This is what Romans 12:2 calls the renewing of the mind.

A God-Entranced Perspective on Biblical Warfare

In Part I of this article, we called for a God-entranced worldview, saturated in the sovereignty of God, to permeate our prayers. This does not mean denying Satan’s power. The Bible acknowledges that Satan and his demons are always at work (1 Pet. 5:8–9), and that he has the power to instigate painful persecution and, at times, even to kill Christians (Rev. 2:10). But the great comfort is this: Satan cannot do anything apart from God’s sovereign permission.

The biblical worldview is that spiritual warfare is normal—there is nothing extraordinary about it. Ephesians 6:16 calls us to:

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.

The way to extinguish Satan’s darts—the way to do warfare—is simply to stand firm in our faith. It is faith in the Sovereign God that quenches Satan’s missiles. And the way we go on the offensive is by wielding the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). This means believing everything God says about Himself, about us as His children, and about Satan. The truth is that God is sovereign over Satan and his cohorts; we are hidden in Christ in God; and Satan is a defeated foe.

Doing Warfare Biblically

In light of God’s sovereignty, prayers for protection or deliverance need not dwell unduly on Satan. Our Lord once said to Peter: ‘Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers’ (Luke 22:31–32).

The word ‘demanded’ in the ESV can be easily misunderstood. The Greek root is equally rendered ‘to ask earnestly’ or ‘to request insistently’. In other words, Satan is asking God’s permission to have Peter delivered into his hands—which means he does not have the power to touch Peter in the first place. This reaffirms what we said earlier: whatever power Satan wields is entirely within the limits of God’s sovereignty. He cannot touch any child of God unless God permits it.

A text that unequivocally cements our security in Christ is John 10:28–29, where our Lord declares:

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

All Scripture is precious—sweeter than honey and the honeycomb (Ps. 19:10)— yet I confess I am tempted to call this the sweetest promise in all Holy Writ. Jesus here assures believers that they will never perish: their salvation is eternally secured. And as if that assurance were not sufficient, He adds that this security is doubly guaranteed in the might of the Father—there is none greater than He; the Father’s grip on His people ensures that no power can destroy them or wrench them from His sovereign, loving protection. Satan may do his worst, but he can destroy only the body; he can never touch the souls of God’s people (Matt. 10:28). And even that limited power is always constrained within the bounds of God’s sovereignty.

It is for these reasons that I believe the approach to ‘warfare’ propagated by the ‘dangerous prayer’ movement we talked about in Part I of this series does not square with the biblical perspective. When the Bible speaks of ‘weapons of warfare’, it points to standing on the truth of God’s Word in order to demolish strongholds of false belief—the distorted thinking that held sway when we were ignorant of God’s promises (Eph. 4:17; 2 Cor. 10:4–5).

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Cor. 10).

God Is Glorified When We Depend on Him

One final thought regarding praying for our needs. At the close of Part I, we asked whether God-entranced prayer precludes praying for our daily needs. In response, we turn to the Lord’s prayer, a model prayer Jesus gave His disciples. Of its six petitions, only one concerns physical provision—yet from this we understand that our Lord fully expected His people to bring their daily needs to Him: food, shelter, clothing, and all that is necessary for life. God is glorified when we depend on Him in this way, as creatures who look to their Creator for sustenance. Psalm 145 says as much:

The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds and the glorious splendour of your kingdom… The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing… He fulfils the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.

The Psalmist celebrates the goodness and mercy of God, summoning all creation to give thanks and His saints to bless Him. And among the glories of His kingdom that they are to proclaim, the Psalmist lists God’s faithful provision to all who look to Him. There is, then, a way of asking for provision that glorifies God—a posture of utter dependence and reliance that honours Him. He delights to fulfil the desires of those who fear Him.

Conclusion

Too often our prayers fixate on Satan, inadvertently giving him more credit than he is due. While we do not deny that Satan is at work to frustrate God’s agenda—which he cannot, we have clear biblical warrant that he cannot act outside of God’s sovereign rule and reign. We resist him, therefore, by standing firm on God’s promises. That is how we wage war as believers — wielding the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Such prayers are saturated with the sovereignty of God.

And it is God’s honour to provide for His creation. As His children, He is glorified when we depend on Him for our needs.

The post Learning to Pray Like Paul — Part II appeared first on TGN.

¹ LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; ² many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah ³ But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. ⁴ I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah. ⁵ I  lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. ⁶ I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. ⁷ Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.⁸  Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah (Psalm 3)

One of the recent coup d’états that hit the African continent was staged by the Presidential guard¹. The person paid to protect the President plotted against him. This was perhaps his closest ally—a friend who became a foe, a complete betrayal of trust. Psalm 3 reflects something similar. But it is even worse. David, a king, in this Psalm is being pursued. His own son has staged a coup against him. The heading of Psalm 3 in my Bible reads : ‘A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.’

Here is a son revolting against his father to overthrow him from the throne. This betrayal is far more despicable than a Presidential guard staging a coup against a President. But all this pales in comparison to the worst revolt in human history—humanity’s rebellion against their Creator: (Romans 1:21). All human beings are rebels who will have nothing to do with God. Like Absalom, we have all revolted against God. We have kicked God out of our lives. But out of His mercy, God sent Jesus to redeem rebels such as we.

Threat of The Enemy

The events of Absalom’s revolt are recorded in detail in 2 Samuel 15:1–6, 12. It is out of It is while in flight that David wrote this Psalm. In this Psalm, we see David overwhelmed by the threat of the enemy. His faith in God is being mocked. Notice how he expresses the threat: “LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me. many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God'” (vv. 1–2). His problems are rising and overwhelming.

Like David, we do get overwhelmed sometimes—if not often—by life challenges. It could be health, finances or a besetting sin we are dealing with. Then in the midst of all that, doubt sets in. The devil, the accuser of the brethren, is at your heel assailing you with unbelief. You can hear the accusation: “Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God'” (v 2)

David is being told God has forsaken him. God will not deliver him. He is being told he deserves whatever is happening to him (2 Samuel 16:5–8)

What did David do in the situation? He…

Turned to God in Prayer

Psalm 3 is a Psalm of Lament where we see David pour out his heart to God. “LORD,” the Psalm begins in v.1. That is a desperate cry to God for help. And see the number of times he appealed to God: “LORD” (v.1), “But you, O LORD” (v.3), “I cried aloud to the LORD” (v.4), “Arise O LORD, Save me…” (v.7). David cried out to the God who could save him. But David didn’t end at prayer—he continued in trust.

Trusted God in Prayer

In the midst of all his increasing problems, he trusted God. There is a remarkable contrast between vv. 1-2 and verse 3. In verse 1-2 David cries out about his pursuers. Then in verse 3, the language changes to trust: “But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head…“ (v.3a).

A shield is a common biblical picture of protection. So, David is affirming that despite his pursuers, he trusts in God for protection. God indeed protects his own. He preserves his own. He is a shield to those who have put their trust in him. In his prayer and trust, David further encouraged himself in God: “my glory, and the lifter of my head” (v.3b). This is a language of encouragement. His head was bowed in shame. His enemies taunting him. But “David strengthened himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6).

Whenever you find yourself in any overwhelming situation, do what David did: “encourage yourself in the Lord.” Don’t encourage yourself in your abilities or skills or wisdom. Rather, encourage yourself in the Lord—because…

God Answers Prayers

There is a reason David turned to God in prayer. There is a reason he trusted Him: because God answers prayer: “I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah” (v.4). David prayed, because God hears prayers and answers them. There are indeed many biblical promises of answered prayers (Psalm 50:15).  Dear child of God, do not linger long in your problems. Call out to God in prayer.

Peace In Prayer

Now, when you have prayed, let go of your worries. David did that. Verses 5–6 paint a picture of peace and tranquillity for David. “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me” (v.5). In the midst of his enemies pursuing him, David can sleep. This is total peace and confidence in God. Do not lose sleep over your problems. Trust totally (Philippians 4:6-7).

By the time we get to verse 6, there appears a turn of events.  Compare verse 6 with verses vv. 1- 2 where David laments his fears. In v.6 he expresses total confidence in God: “I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.” What happened? David can now say this because he has committed everything to God in prayer. He is no more afraid. His fear of his enemies is gone.

Triumph In Prayer

As we near the end of the Chapter, verses 7-8 paint a picture of Triumph for David. David is triumphant. He calls on God to administer justice “Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked”. David did not take revenge. He left vengeance with God.

And finally, in contrast to the mockery of the enemies in v.2, “there is no salvation for him in God”. David pronounces his salvation in God in verse 8: “Salvation belongs to the Lord”.

Salvation indeed belongs to God and God can save us from the enemy. Now, our greatest enemy is sin. It is what has caused us to rebel against God. John tells us Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him(John 1:10). We are like Absalom, unwilling to submit to submit to the authority of our Father. So, we have rejected God’s authority. We have rejected his king—Jesus. We need to return to God through faith in Jesus.

Note

¹ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34277989

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Oh what peace we often forfeit

Oh, what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer

In a previous article, the prayers of Paul, we pointed to a collection of the apostle Paul’s prayers as it is recorded in the New Testament. This article follows on from that and will examine some prayers of biblical characters. Being the first in the series, we will examine a prayer from the belly of a fish (Jonah 2:1). Does this sound familiar? It is the story of Jonah—called and sent by God, but he fled (Jonah 1:1-3). He didn’t get far before God intervened and stopped him in his tracks:

And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days  and three nights (1:17).

What did he do in there? He  prayed. “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish (Jonah 2:1). Jesus, in Luke 18:1 told a parable to point to the necessity of prayer.“…[we] ought always to pray and not faint.” Job certainly exemplifies this.

What Does Jonah’s Prayer Teach Us?

Prayer is offered to God

Jonah, alone in the belly of the fish prayed: “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish” (Jonah 2:1). What we observe in these words is that the object of the Christian’s prayer is God. When in trouble, it is God we pray to. We don’t pray to dead  relatives, dead saints, Mary or  our ancestors. We pray to God—the Creator of the  heavens and earth. Take note of  the spelling of LORD in the text. The all capital spelling is the translators way of pointing to God’s proper name in Hebrew: Yaweh, meaning the “self-existent one” (Jonah 1:9). We pray to only God. He is the object of our prayer. The Westminster Shorter Catechism captures this aptly:

Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies (Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q98)

Prayer Is Personal

Jonah’s prayer teaches us that we can talk to God personally. He is a God we can relate with on a personal level. Jonah’s prayer is instructive. He prayed to “The  LORD his God”. He prayed to God because he had a relationship with God. He was a covenant child of Israel. The only grounds by which we can approach God in prayer is covenant a relationship with him. And Jonah had that personal relationship. And for us as Christians, on the grounds of our relationship with Jesus, we can pray to God because he is our Father (Matthew 6:9).

Prayer Is Not Limited By Geography

Before we proceed, let’s remind ourselves where Jonah is praying from: the belly of the fish: “Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish. What an unusual place for prayer! This reinforces the omnipresence of God and because of this, our prayer is not  limited by location or geography. All of Jonah’s prayer were offered from the belly of the big fish. There  is no limitation to where prayer can be offered. Whereever we find ourselves, we can offer up prayer – and that should encourage us to pray.

Prayer is A Plea

If you have paid attention to many of the prayers been offered these days, you will hear much about commanding, decreeing, declaring, positive confessions and much more. Perhaps, dear reader, you may be guilty as charged. But these kind of prayer are wrong and unbiblical. Prayer is a plea! We call out to God to help. We bring our petitions before him, and that is no passive thing.

Imagine Jonah in the belly of the fish – suffocating, struggling to catch his breath, drowning in the midst of water, acid and everything else there is in the belly of a great fish.  He is in distress: “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress… out of the belly of Sheol I cried…” Jonah is in a real, face to face  encounter with death (vv 5;6;7).  You don’t command and declare your way out of a situation  like what Jonah found himself in. You cry out. You call out to God. You plead—God please save me! And we see it in the very next line “out of the belly of Sheol I cried”.

Sheol is depicted as hell or the grave. It brings clearly into view the picture of what Jonah was experiencing. To be people of prayer, we must plead our cause to God and turn away from the unbiblical prayers that have become so rampant among believers. Plead with God. Don’t decree and declare.

Prayer Must Be According To God’s Will

Prayer is no mere collection of wishes and desires—it must be according to God’s will. And where do we find God’s will? In the Scriptures. If you consider Jonah’s prayer carefully,  you will notice that it is saturated with the word of God. Jonah prays the Psalms. He prayed the word of God (Ps 18:4-6;42:7;130:1;31:22). Donald S. Whitney, in his book Praying the Bible, offers a compelling reason why we must pray the words of Scripture—especially the Psalms:

To pray the Bible, you simply go through the passage line by line, talking to God about whatever comes to mind as you read the text…If you don’t understand the meaning of a verse, go on to the next verse. Just speak to the Lord about everything that occurs to you as you slowly read his word

On some occasions, while leading a pastoral prayer in the church I pastor, I have prayed from a Psalm – and it has been deeply encouraging. It improves your prayer life and keeps you from being repetitive, from saying the same things every time you pray. Jonah prayed the Psalms.

Prayer Must Be Offered In Faith

From vv.2-3, Jonah expresses his distress. He feels driven away from the presence of God. But in the midst of it, he still had faith:

Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple. The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head. To the roots of the mountains I went down, to the land whose bars closed upon me forever. Yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple (Jonah 2:4-7)

Jonah feels a sense of separation from God, but two words points us to his faith: “yet I shall again look upon your holy temple” (v.4a). Despite his overwhelming experience—the feeling of complete separation from God—he still garned the faith to look towards him.  Verse 7 equally paints a picture of faith: “when my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord…”

Have you ever experienced a sense of separation from God? It’s just a feeling. Don’t live by your feelings—cry out to God in faith. Jonah in the belly of the fish is grappling with this illusion that God has drawn away or cast him aside. Yet he cried out to God. Regardsless of our feelings, we must always turn to God in prayer, in faith.

Prayer Must Be Offered With Thanksgiving

In Luke’s gospel, the story is told of Jesus healing ten lepers, and only one returned to thank him. Jesus’ response tells something about thanksgiving: “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17). This speaks volumes aboutthe place of gratitude in our faith walk. In the midst of all his petitions, Johan paused to thank God. In prayer, we don’t only bring our petitions, we bring our thanksgiving as well: “But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you;what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”(v.9).

We must be a grateful people for what God has done for us.

God Answers Prayer

 I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice (v.2)

To the roots of the mountains I went down, to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; Yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God (v.6)

And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land (v.10)

The greatest motivation for which we must pray is that God hears us, and he answers prayer. We see this powerfully in Jonah’s prayer and in his being cast out upon dry land. Do you need any further motivation to pray?

God answers prayers. So pray.

The post Praying With Biblical Characters: Lessons From The Belly of A Fish appeared first on TGN.

“Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” — Galatians 6:14

The message of the cross is the heart of all that God has done for the salvation of mankind; and the one thing that must be preached at all times.

We bring you a compilation of articles which speaks to Christ’s death for humanity’s sins: what it means, why it matters.

We pray it blesses you.

Download your free copy here: Christ_Our_Sin_Bearer

The post Christ Our Sin Bearer appeared first on TGN.

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. (John 11:1-4)

Dear reader, I believe you may have, on many occasions, asked yourself the question “why me” because of an unexpected, unpleasant event in your life. As a matter of fact, we don’t always understand the negative circumstances life throws at us. Some life events may cause us to question God’s love and care for us.

In extreme cases, some have abandoned the Christian faith because a spouse leaves a marriage, or they lose a job, a contract, business opportunity or they receive a diagnosis of an incurable disease. “Why me?” and “Where is God?” In such moments, God may seem silent or distant.

In John 11, we see a familiar narrative where Lazarus was ill, his sisters sent for Jesus, but rather than attaching urgency to the SOS call from the sisters, Jesus delayed – purposefully. Eventually Lazarus died.

As the narrative progresses, a sense of frustration is registered by his sisters–Martha and Mary. They seemed to have blamed Jesus for the death of their brother, because he delayed in arriving on time. Twice in the narrative, we hear the sisters telling Jesus “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (vv. 21; 32). They subtly blamed Jesus.

What do you do when you don’t understand what is happening in your life and God seems silent and distant, or when you feel that God is indifferent to your situation? Know that you are not alone. Scripture does account for such sentiments. David, in three places in the Psalms felt God was distant:

Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (Psalm 10:1)

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Psalm 13:1)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning (Psalm 22:1)

More encouraging still, our Lord on the cross cried out Psalm 22:1:

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46)

For the rest of this article, I will glean some lessons to help us through moments of doubt and struggle when God seems silent.

Embrace Suffering As Part of The Believer’s Life

Often we are ill prepared for suffering as believers and are therefore caught off guard when adversity comes. This may be a result of the kind of Christianity dominating our Christian milieu. The prosperity, health and wealth gospel has popularised the lie that Christians are not to suffer, get sick or experience setbacks. On the contrary, John Piper, in an article Why I Abominate The Prosperity Gospel, noted that,

“Normal Christianity is pain. Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing is the pattern (see 2 Corinthians 6:10). Prosperity preachers do not prepare new converts in third world countries to endure the realities of what it will cost them to be a Christian.”

We will do well to prepare ourselves for moments of suffering as believers and not dispair. You are not immune to the problems of this life because you are a believer. Believers get sick, believers experience hardships and believers experience loss in life.

In this narrative, we are introduced to a devoted family. They worship Jesus, they are devoted to him. Notice how one of the sisters-Mary-is presented to us: “It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill” (v.2).

It is possible the event was commonly known amongst the readers of John or because it was recorded in the next chapter, John prepares his readers to not lose the plot of the events (John 12:3). But this is an important part of the narrative. It was this devoted woman whose brother was ill: “It was Mary…whose brother was ill” Humanly speaking, this should not happen. With the recorded intensity of devotion to Jesus, how can she lose her brother?

I suspect perhaps John is inviting us into the realities of the lives of devoted people: they encounter suffering. God is not silent because you are suffering. In fact he knows your situation.

Another important lesson for our attention is the emphasis John placed on Jesus’ love for this family (vv 3, 5, 36). These references to Jesus’ love for them give us a view for them gives us a view into the lives of the family. They were devoted to Jesus and most importantly they are loved by Jesus. Yet one of the people Jesus loved died out of illness.

Call On Jesus

Before Lazarus would die, they had called on Jesus: “…the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill” (v.3). We can look at this as a picture of prayer. They called out to Jesus in their moment of trouble. And that is what we should do when problems come. Our first action must be to call out in prayer. Now, though they called on Jesus, their brother died, and this will sometimes be the reality of all of us. We may experience unanswered prayers or delays. We will believe God. We will pray. But what we request may not come, or it may be delayed.

I noted earlier in this article that the sisters subtly blamed Jesus’ delay for their brother’s death (vv.21, 32). They had no idea behind the delay, but we know because we are now reading the narrative. The verse 4 tells us why: “But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

“But when Jesus heard it…”

This is important for our consideration. Jesus hears us when we call on him. Our call to Jesus for help in prayer does not go unheard. Every cry, every complaint, every scream for help is heard. And therefore whenever it seems to us that God is silent, we must trust him.

Rest In God’s Providence In Our Lives

When Jesus said “This illness does not lead to death…”, he meant that Lazarus’ illness will not ultimately lead to death. Yet, he waited for Lazarus to die so that God’s glory will be seen and revealed through Jesus. The glory of God, the glory of the Son then, is behind the supposed delay.  Lazarus will die, so that there will be an opportunity for people to experience the glory of God through Jesus. This is the providence of God working in every detail of our lives. God directs every detail of our lives to his glory. Nothing takes him by surprise. Because everything that happens to us has a purpose. The apostle Paul in the popular Scripture in Romans 8:28 says that

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Do you believe this? You should come to a point of conviction that whatever  happens in your life, God is at work behind the scenes for his glory.

There is a little detail in the narrative worth noting. The events are meant to bring his disciples to faith in him (v.15). Truly every work of Christ is to produce faith in his people, including this. Do you have faith? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe that he is able to work out every aspect of your life to his glory including your salvation? Please believe this.

The post When God Seems Silent appeared first on TGN.

My purpose in this article is to demonstrate that much of what passes for prophetic declarations promises what God has not promised and, in fact, stands at variance with biblical Christianity.

This article is not a rejection of Christian hope, prayer, or encouragement for the year ahead. Rather, it is a critique of the practice of issuing authoritative “prophetic declarations” that promise specific outcomes God has not promised and that sit uneasily with the teaching of Scripture.

The Problem with Prosperity Prophecies

Tellingly, you rarely hear declarations that promise tribulation, suffering, or persecution in the coming year on account of one’s faith.

Consider this snippet from a megachurch’s New Year’s Eve service:

“There shall be no tears on your face all through 2026! Good news! 2026 is your year of laughter only! No breakdown for you all through 2026! 2026 is a sickness-free year for you! Your marital destiny case is open! There shall be no death in your household! All through this year, there shall be no downtime in your spiritual life!“

You may have seen or heard similar ‘declarations’ to the ones above, promising a year of uninterrupted blessings. Scripture, however, never promises a suffering-free Christian life. Jesus prepared His disciples for the opposite:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18-21).

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

The apostles taught the same:

“When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:21-22)

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” (Phil. 1:29)

Paul writes that at one point in Asia, he and his companions were so utterly burdened beyond their strength that they despaired of life itself:

“Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)

The context of these passages proves that suffering is part and parcel of the Christian life. In stark contrast, the import of the so-called prophetic declarations recycled each year is that if God is with you, it will always be sunny and bright. But Jesus and the Apostles disagree (see further Scriptural evidences here).

Four Fatal Flaws

First, these declarations diminish God by reducing Him to a cosmic vending machine. Biblical Christianity isn’t all about material prosperity. True biblical faith comes to God to get God, not things. Genuine saving faith says: “God is more precious to me than all the gold and silver the world can offer. He is my greatest treasure. Even if I have God and nothing else, that is more than enough” (Psalm 73:25-26). The ‘name-it-and-claim-it’ rhetoric treats God as a genie dispensing wishes. When those wishes don’t materialise, He becomes unattractive to us. This diminishes rather than glorifies God.

Second, suffering reminds us that this world is not our home. Suffering—bodily suffering in the form of sickness included— reminds us that we live in a fallen world; that this world is not our final destination. We are merely passing through, headed for “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Heb. 11:10, 16).

Imagine being on the Titanic after it struck the iceberg. Knowing rescue ships were en route, would you spend your remaining time hoarding luggage other passengers were discarding? We live in a world under judgment (1 John 2:17). Christ calls us to store treasures in heaven—the only treasure that endures (Matthew 6:19-21).

Third, annual declarations disregard God’s sovereignty. It may be God’s will that we suffer bodily for His glory (consider the man born blind in John 9) or remain unmarried. We may lose employment due to faithfulness, or experience seasons of material lack—all within God’s providence. While He may bless us with abundance, He may equally ordain that we glorify Him through scarcity, as Paul testified: “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11-12). Even our deaths can glorify God, if He so wills it (John 21:19).

Fourth, and most critically, biblical Christianity never promises instant spiritual growth. Spiritual maturity develops through daily faithfulness, not prophetic declaration. It requires consistent practice of the spiritual disciplines (Philippians 2:12-13).

This, in my opinion, may be the gravest danger of living by annual prophecies: they don’t place a premium on investment in the spiritual disciplines and simply representing Jesus well to others (Philippians 1:27). Rather than prophesying sudden spiritual growth, believers should be taught to seek God daily through His Word and prayer. This is God’s appointed means of conforming us to Christ’s image (2 Corinthians 3:18), and this is how believers throughout history have effectively witnessed (Acts 2:42-47). No amount of ‘prophetic declarations’ can produce instantaneous maturity.

Rosy Christianity is not a potent witness. Joy amid suffering and daily faithfulness is what authenticates genuine faith. Anyone can profess love for God when circumstances favour them. But if money, employment, health, and loved ones were all stripped away—would God still be enough?

Conclusion

Rather than living on declarations, resolve this year to faithfully represent Christ wherever you are, in whatever circumstances you face. Commit to daily growth through disciplined Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with believers. May Habakkuk’s confession be ours, as we face the year ahead, uncertain of what awaits us but trusting in the One who holds the future:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.“ (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

The post Are New Year’s Declarations Biblical? appeared first on TGN.

“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?'” – Daniel 4:35

August 6, 2025, will be remembered across Ghana as “Black Wednesday.” Social media platforms overflowed with grief as news broke that a helicopter carrying high-ranking government officials had crashed in the Sikaman Forest of the Adansi South District, Ashanti Region. The officials were travelling on official business to support the government’s anti-illegal mining efforts under the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme.

This tragedy plunged the nation into profound discussions about safety, divine providence, and the role of prophecy in national affairs. While investigations into the crash commenced and condolences poured in from across the nation, the government announced an unprecedented response: the creation of a desk within the Office of the Envoy for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations to receive “prophecies that bother on national security.” According to the Presidential Envoy, this initiative aims to ensure “responsibility, discernment, and stewardship over the nation’s destiny.”

Although I can understand the rationale behind this strange move by the government, I am convinced that this is a dangerous path to take and one that is not grounded in sound biblical thinking. It is my goal in this article to show why this meddling of the government in matters of faith is a dangerous precedent both for the country and the Christian community.

The Biblical Foundation: How God Rules the World

The Comprehensive Scope of Divine Providence

Scripture consistently testifies to God’s active governance over all creation. The biblical witness reveals that divine providence extends to every realm of existence, from the cosmic to the personal. Wayne Grudem reflects in Chapter 16 of his Systematic Theology that “God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them; (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and (3) directs them to fulfil his purposes.”

The Old Testament establishes this foundation clearly. Psalm 135:6 declares the universal extent of God’s authority: “Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” This comprehensive dominion encompasses both visible and invisible realms, as Proverbs 15:3 confirms: “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

Daniel’s prophecy further illuminates God’s control over human history: “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” (Daniel 2:21–22).

New Testament Affirmations

The New Testament continues this theme with equal clarity. Paul declares in Acts 17:24–28 that “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything… for ‘in him we live and move and have our being.'” The author of Hebrews adds that God the Son “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).

This collective biblical witness establishes that God maintains active control over all aspects of heaven and earth—not as a distant observer, but as the sovereign ruler whose purposes cannot be thwarted.

Historic Christian Teaching on Divine Providence

Centuries before our present circumstances, the church engaged in deep theological reflection about how God rules the world. The 1689 London Baptist Confession and the Westminster Confession of Faith—both reliable summaries of historic Christianity—begin Article 3 with this profound declaration:

“God hath decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass…”

These confessions capture the biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty, asserting that God is never caught off guard by any event in human history. Nothing occurs outside His wise and holy counsel. In theological terms, He ordains everything that comes to pass.

Implications for National Tragedy

The implication is that the calamity that happened on the 6th of August did not take God by surprise; he was in complete control. From a biblical perspective, the helicopter crash occurred within God’s sovereign will. Isaiah affirms this principle when he quotes the Lord: “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things” (Isaiah 45:7).

This truth provides profound comfort: the universe operates not by random chance or human foresight, but according to God’s unshakable decree. While this may challenge our natural inclinations during times of grief, it offers the solid foundation that nothing—not even tragedy—falls outside God’s ultimate control.

The Relationship Between Divine Decree and Human Responsibility

Importantly, the Confessions do not render prayer or human action meaningless. They teach something far more nuanced: God ordains both ends and means. Prayer, wise planning, and protective measures remain meaningful precisely because God employs them as instruments through which His will is accomplished.

Acts 27 provides a compelling illustration. During Paul’s storm-tossed voyage to Rome, God promised safety for all aboard (Acts 27:23-25). Yet this divine assurance coexisted with human effort—the crew’s diligent work and wise navigation did not avert the eventual shipwreck. The ship’s ultimate loss and the passengers’ preservation both fulfilled God’s decree, accomplished through ordinary means.

This understanding means that when tragedy occurs, it is not because we “missed” a prophetic warning. Similarly, when disaster is averted, it is not because a prophet intercepted God’s plan, but because God decreed prevention through whatever means He chose.

Why Institutionalising Prophecy Threatens Biblical Faith

While the government’s desire to prevent future tragedies is understandable, establishing a national prophecy desk poses significant theological and practical dangers.

Replacing Divine Sovereignty with Human Mysticism

The first danger lies in making God’s purposes contingent on human visions. This approach risks reducing the Almighty to a genie to pull out of the lamp whose plans depend on prophetic insight. Scripture teaches the opposite: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21). Job declares with confidence: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).

This theological confusion reflects a broader misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty within Ghana’s Christian landscape. While acknowledging the deep grief of families affected by the tragedy, biblical truth compels us to recognise that the helicopter crash occurred according to God’s will, accomplished through secondary causes. No amount of prophetic warning or spiritual intervention could have altered what God decreed. As the Psalmist affirms: “Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases” (Psalm 115:3).

This reality may raise difficult questions about suffering and divine justice. Yet biblical faith calls us to worship the God whose “kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19) and who numbers even “the hairs of your head” (Matthew 10:29-30). God’s governance of creation is perfect, and no situation—regardless of its magnitude or suddenness—occurs outside His knowledge or control.

The doctrine of divine sovereignty affirms that complete authority and absolute right to govern all creation, including human beings and their actions, rests solely with God. Not even Satan can alter what God has decreed.

Creating Chaos Instead of Clarity

The second major concern involves the inevitable confusion that results from institutionalising prophecy. Competing and contradictory “prophecies” will naturally arise, forcing government officials to make impossible determinations about divine communication.

Early reports suggest this problem has already emerged. In less than two weeks after the desk’s creation, over 200 prophecies were reportedly submitted, with only a few deemed credible. This raises critical questions: Who determines authenticity? By what criteria? What constitutes credible versus incredible prophecy? Such subjective determinations represent a problematic waste of government resources and administrative energy.

Biblical prophecy operated under vastly different standards. Moses established the test for authentic prophecy: “When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken” (Deuteronomy 18:22). True biblical prophets delivered specific, accurate predictions without confusion, for “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

The current chaotic landscape of competing prophetic voices contrasts sharply with biblical examples, where “the word of the LORD is right and true” (Psalm 33:4). The authentication process becomes both theologically problematic and practically unworkable, creating a slippery slope that could undermine rational governance.

Scripture warns extensively about false prophets (Jeremiah 23:16, Matthew 24:11). Moreover, even genuine biblical prophets were never intended to serve as security consultants for the state. Their role typically involved confronting rulers with divine truth rather than integration into administrative machinery.

A Biblical Path Forward

Combining Faith with Responsibility

The proper response to national tragedy involves neither fatalistic resignation nor frantic pursuit of mystical insights. Instead, Scripture calls for combining unwavering faith in God’s sovereignty with diligent human responsibility.

The Westminster Confession reminds us that God “orders [events] to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.” This means we cannot excuse negligence or policy failure by appealing to divine decree. Similarly, we cannot imagine that prophetic hotlines will secure our nation’s future.

True national security emerges from trusting the God who “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11) while faithfully executing our earthly responsibilities. Leaders and citizens must work diligently and wisely in the duties God has entrusted to them. 

Where Real Security Is Found

If Ghana’s future is to be secure, it will not be because a prophecy desk predicted danger, but because both leaders and citizens take seriously the truth that is revealed in his word, that God’s decree is unshakable. Real peace comes not from collecting confusing prophecies, but from biblical faith combined with responsible governance.

As a wise friend of mine recently observed, “God has left His mind in the Bible. Let’s go after it.” Rather than seeking divine guidance through subjective prophetic claims, we should diligently study the written revelation God has already provided in Holy Scripture.

Conclusion

The August 6th tragedy that claimed the lives of dedicated public servants deserves thoughtful reflection rather than reactionary policies. While the government’s desire to prevent future disasters is commendable, the path of institutionalized prophecy leads away from both biblical truth and effective governance.

Scripture offers a better way: trusting in the sovereign God who declares, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” (Isaiah 46:10), while faithfully fulfilling our human responsibilities. This approach honours both divine sovereignty and human accountability without descending into confusion or superstition.

Ghana’s security and prosperity depend not on collecting competing prophetic visions, but on leaders and citizens who embrace both the comfort of divine sovereignty and the call to responsible stewardship. In times of national grief and uncertainty, may we find our anchor not in human predictions, but in the unchanging character of the God who governs all things according to His perfect will.

“For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” – Isaiah 46:9-11

God bless our homeland, Ghana, and make it great and strong!

The post Divine Providence and National Security: Reflections on Ghana’s Response to Tragedy appeared first on TGN.

My Soul Clings to You, Your Right Hand Upholds Me
(Psalm 63:8)

In Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, Dane Ortlund shares a tender moment with his two-year-old son Benjamin at a swimming pool:

When my two-year-old Benjamin begins to wade into the gentle slope of the zero-entry swimming pool near our home, he instinctively grabs hold of my hand. He holds on tight as the water gradually gets deeper. But a two-year-old’s grip is not very strong. Before long it is not him holding to me but me holding on to him. Left to his own strength, he will certainly slip out of my hand. But if I have determined that he will not fall out of my grasp, he is secure. He can’t get away from me if he tried.

This simple story beautifully illustrates the doctrine often referred to as the perseverance of the saints—the biblical truth that those whom God truly saves, He also sustains. It is not ultimately our grip on God that preserves us, but His mighty hold on us.

In Psalm 63:8, David captures this same double reality: “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” David’s clinging to God is made possible—and sustained—by God’s unwavering grip on him. The reason David can hold fast is because God first holds him fast. This is the deep assurance at the heart of the Christian faith, and it goes deeper than a ‘once saved, forever saved’ statement; it is a truth that permeates the whole of the Christian life.

 What Does it Mean to Cling to God?

What does the Psalmist mean to clinging to God? To cling is to hold fast, to embrace with deep love and trust. In Psalm 63, David speaks from a place of desperation and longing:

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water (v. 1).

He describes his soul’s longing for God like a parched desert traveller thirsting for water. And then he says, “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food” (v. 5), a metaphor for deep, nourishing delight. For David, clinging to God meant treasuring Him above life itself (v. 3).

This idea is echoed elsewhere in Scripture:

You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him.²
If you will be careful to do all this commandment… loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him.³

The Might of God’s Right Hand

Your arm is endowed with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.⁴

God’s right hand refers to His power, glory, and active intervention in the lives of believers and the world. It signifies God’s authority, strength, and the place of honour from which He works.

The Bible describes God’s redeeming Israel from slavery in Egypt as a demonstration of the power of His arm:

And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders.⁵

In Christ, God displays His mighty right hand in vanquishing our greatest foes: sin, the devil and the flesh.

He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.⁶

This is the power that raised us from spiritual death and breathed new life into us when we were dead in our trespasses and sins⁷. Consider the mighty power of God that opened our hearts to faith⁸, shone the light of the knowledge of His glory in our hearts so we could behold the beauty of Jesus⁹, and replaced our hearts of stone with new hearts of flesh, malleable to his hand of grace¹⁰.

How did we come to love God? We love because He first loved us¹¹. How did we come to faith in Christ? All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out¹². No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day¹³. In the very place where Jesus affirms the Father’s hand brought us to Him in faith, He adds the double assurance that anyone thus brought to Him by the Father will be raised on the last day.

Reflecting on God’s saving acts in the lives of His people, the Psalmist notes:

Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”¹⁴

The same power that raised Christ from the dead works in us daily, conforming us into the image of its creator and making us more like Christ¹⁵. Even the desire to live a holy life springs from God’s work within us: It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure¹⁶. Our sanctification—just like our justification—is rooted in God’s initiative and sustained by His power.

Practical Applications

Christian, are you worried about your love for God? Do you fear your faith is too weak to endure the trials and temptations hurled at you by the world, the flesh, and the devil? Take heart: the God who saved you is the God who upholds you. The longing in your heart to please Him—even in its weakness—is evidence of His Spirit at work in you, renewing your nature after His image^15-16. He not only calls you to live a Christ-like life. He gives you both the desire and the power to live it^16-17.

Perhaps you’re saying, “I feel I’m not living up to God’s expectations.” God says, My right hand upholds you. Trust me, and stop focusing on your performance but instead on what Christ has already done on your behalf. I love you.  “I don’t feel worthy of Your love, considering my many failings.” My right hand upholds you. It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick¹⁸. I did not choose you because you were worthy—but by choosing you, I make you worth¹⁹. “My faith is so fragile, I fear I won’t endure to the end.” Trust in Me; My right hand upholds you. I will never leave you nor forsake you²⁰.

Is there a particular weakness or temptation that seems insurmountable? Ask God for strength to overcome. His right hand has ample power to uphold you. Do you feel at your wits end? ‘When we’ve reached the end of our hoarded resources, our Father’s full giving is only begun.’²¹

And how about you, my non-Christian friend? Is the arm of the Lord too short to save you? Even now, He stands ready to receive you. There is no sin so great that he cannot forgive. He is mighty to save. The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives²².

Notes

1. Phil. 1:6.
2. Deut. 10:20.
3. Deut. 11:22.
4. Ps. 89:13.
5. Deut. 26:8.
6. Col. 2:13-15.
7. Eph. 2:2-4.
8. Acts 16:14.
9. 2 Cor. 4:6.
10. Ezek. 36:26; Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10.
11. 1 Jn. 4:19.
12. Jn 6:37.
13. Jn 6:44.
14. Ps. 118:15-16.
15. Col. 3:10.
16. Phil. 2:13.
17. Col. 1:29.
18. Mk. 2:17.
19. Thomas Watson.
20. Heb. 13:5 and Deuteronomy 31:6.
21. Annie Johnson Flint (1941).
22. Fanny Crosby (1875).

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