According to God’s eternal counsel, man should always be dependent on Him for every direction that is vital to man’s journey. If men can sustain the ability to call the attention of God into any situation, then they will always experience victory and not defeat.
Many people are going through seasons of defeat, not as a testing period, but due to their lack of spiritual direction. It is most important that we stay with God and walk in His ways if we want to fulfill the destiny that He has planned out for us.
As a believer, being born again is not enough, you must continually make God the center of your life and let Him lead you in the path He wants you to go. This then raises the question ‘How do I stay on the path He intends for me?’
Well, first of all, you need to know what path He has chosen for you before you find out the strategies for staying on the path.
As a believer, the first task is to ask God what He wants you to do, or where He wants you to be.
After this, then you need to learn how to stay on course, obeying and walking in the light of what has been revealed to you.
Some ways to achieve this is by doing the following:
1. Study The Word to Know More
The word of God or the Scriptures, is a compendium that holds the records of the dealings between God and men since the beginning of the world. There is a lot to learn from the Scriptures, and these lessons should be applied to your life as well. Paul says this:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV
The Scriptures or the bible, as we know it, contains instruction to lead and direct you, doctrine to teach you, reproof for showing us where we err, and correction for helping us retrace our wrong steps and fix them back on the right path.
The word of God is the knowledge-base for believers. It is the place where we find answers to questions, and practical examples of what we aspire to attain.
In order to remain on the path of God’s calling for your life, you need to search out the Scriptures and find who else walked the same type of path that is before you, you learn from their walk, and you are encouraged by their stories. The bible says also:
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” – Romans 15:4 NKJV
There is a spirit of encouragement that springs out of the Scriptures when you see people who have walked similar paths as you, and you are encouraged to patiently and persistently walk on until you see a performance.
2. Pray and Pray
The power of prayer cannot be over-emphasized, because it is dynamic in its working:
“… the heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put in action and made effective by God – it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].” – James 5:16 AMP
Prayer never gets old. It is a sure solution to everything we seek in the kingdom, that was why Paul said, ‘Pray without ceasing’ in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The thing with prayer is that you must realize that it isn’t only about asking God for answers to your problems, but it is one of the means of having fellowship and communion with God.
In the place of prayer, you also listen to what God has to tell you. Prayer is a place for drawing new strength. It was when Jesus prayed that He gained the spiritual energy to carry on the mission to the cross:
“He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’” – Matthew 26:39 NKJV
When He prayed, though He was weak, He received grace to go on, and to obey the will of the Father. Prayer can also help us in the same way, when we begin to lose focus or feel discouraged about the journey that is set before us, we can go to the Lord in prayer to receive strength and power to stay on the path.
3. Seek Mentorship
It is important that we walk by the guidance of the Holy Spirit who is God. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of wisdom, knowledge and power. He gives us leadership by hearing His voice.
He has also given us teachers, either by virtue of experience through their walk with Him or by His gift (spiritual gifts). Such people can also teach us things that we have not come to experience yet, and they can guide us and give us direction as the Spirit leads them to. This is why Paul also said:
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 11:1 NKJV
Paul is not asking us to imitate men, no, he doesn’t stop there, but says that we imitate them as they also imitate Christ.
A mentor is a person that you can trust, not necessarily a friend because they need to be people that you can respect and honor their journey with God. They have a track record of walking with God and also working for God.
They are a voice that you have come to respect and can obey, trusting that they are in line with the Spirit’s instructions. You need a person like that in your life, who’s journey aligns with the patterns of yours, so you can learn from them and also, they can teach you the things to do and the things to avoid in order to stay on track in your walk with God.
Read Other Christian Literature
Just as it is important to read the bible, there are also experiences of people that have been shared through writing, and these are equally valuable. Christian literature is like a combination of the Scriptures and mentorship.
Great men who have gone through certain processes, pour out their knowledge in their writings on various topics that border the Christian today. Take advantage of these books and grow in your journey to greatness.
In conclusion, God has made systems for us that can help us to walk and stay on the path of destiny. If we use these keys wisely, in addition to other strategies we are exposed to, then we will enjoy a wonderful walk with God.
