Children - Honour your parents

Yes, every child has a duty of honour to the parents. It is not a reward for their care or lack of it, it is an instruction from the Lord. To honour them is to listen to, care for and love them. It bears repeating that honouring your parent has nothing to do with how they treated you while growing up, it is basically in obedience to God. You honour them because God said so and an added advantage is it prolongs your life.

Children - Modelled parenting

Children learn more from observation than instruction. You have to model what you want them to do for them to really get it otherwise they get confused. They will catch the fire if you are aglow yourself. You want them to love God, then you show your devotion to them. Model diligence and they will be diligent. The major challenge in the world is the hypocrisy that children see in their 'Christian home' while growing up. Live the life.

Children - Anxiety cure

What is the number one worry of most adults? Children. How are they feeling, are they setting in well, who are their friends? And the list goes on. Yet, worry never solves a thing. Teach them the right way and commit them to God. That is all. Your prayers for your children is the most important tool you have to raise them. Pray for them when in your presence and when absent. Do the work on your knees and trust God to direct and keep them.

Children - Love them

This is so obvious yet needs to be said. Children perceive love through actions more than words. Show understanding, they are obviously not as experienced as you so give them the allowance to grow. Listen to them especially when they are not 'making sense'.. .. it helps their confidence.

Give them gifts no matter how small, it is a token of love. And for teenagers, give them some independence and talk with them like adults, that is what they crave for.

Children - Train them

Children come like an empty memory card, what they display is a direct result of what is placed (or not placed) in them. Thus, teaching, correcting and rebuking them are your primary responsibility. Do not leave it to school or society to do for you. The word of God should be your primary training material, teach and correct them with word, and start it early (days old). Rebuke (discipline) should be used after teaching has been done severally on that topic.

Children - God's heritage

"My child, my child, my child", point of correction sir/ma, they are God's children, you are only the custodian. This change in perspective will go a long way in helping to rightly raise our children. God has entrusted great destinies in your hands, and you have the responsibility to nurture and train them to achieve the purpose of their being here on earth. Before they were formed, God had a plan for them. Find it.

Children - gifts from God

Children are God's gift to a couple and God's way of extending humanity. It is his delight to give to all. Fruitfulness is part of the blessing, you will be blessed with both biological and spiritual children. So if you are believing God for a child /children, your prayers will be answered. Hold on to God's word without wavering, faithful is he that has promised. Receive your children now in Jesus name. Amen.

Marriage - Togetherness

Marriage is primarily for companionship but in the midst of work/business, family and children, we sometimes forget this purpose. Make time to do things together, pray, play and watch movies together. Also, deliberately create time to talk about yourself, your plans and your prayer points. Enjoy each other's company and strengthen each other. Sexual intercourse bonds couple. Your marriage goes from strength to strength in Jesus name.

Marriage - Finances

Family finances is one of the most thorny issues in marriage. But it shouldn't be. Both have become one and the prosperity of one is the prosperity of the both. In addition, headship comes with responsibilities, the husband must know that the care of the family falls primarily on him. While the wife should and will help out when needed, the responsibility of provision is that of the husband. The Lord prosper you abundantly in Jesus name

Marriage - Love her

It is worth noting that husbands are constantly admonished to love their wives, and the only worthy comparison of the type of love is that which Christ has for the church. Sacrificial loving and building her up with the word. Treat her with respect and understanding. When you love your wife, you are actually loving yourself and eliminating hindrances to your prayers. Again the instruction to love is independent of whether your wife submits or not. Just keep loving her.

Marriage - submit to him

The basic instruction for a wife in scriptures is to submit to the husband. Submission is acknowledging that even though you are both equal partners in the marriage, the husband is the leader. Submission is not agreement and he will not always be right, but it is honouring him as the head and deferring to him. And please note ma that it is an independent instruction, you submit even when he is not showing love as you want it.

Marriage - Forgiveness

If there is one ingredient most important in a marriage, that would be forgiveness. A perfect marriage is not made up of perfect individuals rather it is made of persons who have perfected the art of forgiving. Make allowance for each other's faults and forgive each other genuinely from your heart without reference to past wrongs. You are strengthened in Jesus name.

Marriage - God's idea

Despite the distortions, marriage is not a social, ethnic or cultural construct, it is God's idea, it originates from God. It's purpose is for companionship, pleasure, procreation and extending the divine mandate of dominating and subduing the earth. Thus to make marriage work, the husband and wife must leave their social or cultural marriage biases and embrace God's manual for a successful marriage, the Bible. Build your marriage on God's word.

Marriage - wedding day

Yes, that joyous day of your dreams is finally here. It is the beginning of a journey of many decades. But note, you are not the only celebrant, both parents have also been looking forward to this day, so give them some allowance. Don't spend beyond your abilities, it is only a day afterall. Basically only 4 things are necessary: Legal acceptance, parental consent, at least 2 witnesses and vows before God represented by the priest, shikena.

Relationship - Have a plan

Most miss it in relationships because there was never a plan for success in the first place. What plan are you following, what standards have you set for yourselves? Design a plan for your relationship such that every meeting is purposeful and impactful. Prayer time, books to read, stuffs to learn together, people (places) to visit etc. Above all, reduce the times you spend together alone in a room planless, why tempt yourself?

Relationship - sexual purity

Sex was designed for marriage, 'a man leaves his parents and is joined to his wife and they both become one flesh'. Becoming one flesh only comes after leaving and joining (marriage). Sex is not a proof of love or compatibility, that's a lie. Neither is 'engaged to be married' equal to married. Regardless of the prevailing culture and pressures, God will keep you if you choose to obey and follow him. Flee sexual immorality.

Relationship - Entering a godly relationship

While physical attributes are good, they are not sufficient for a lasting relationship. A solid relationship with God should be the foundation with godly characters. The fruits of the Spirit must be evidently seen. Now, the perfect husband/wife is already married, so it is not about perfection but maturing. She/he must have a pastor and be actively serving God.
Finally and most importantly, there must be a deep conviction that he/she is the one. God will speak to you if you ask him.

Relationship - First things first

There are things that should be done before meeting "The One". 3 of those things are: Prayer - start praying for your future partner especially when you are not ready to enter a relationship, you are sowing seeds to your future. Secondly, have friends of opposite sex with all purity, it helps you to understand the differences in the genders.

Finally, read relationship books and ask questions from those in godly marriages, don't make your relationship a trial and error endeavour.

Friendship - Bear each other's burden

Friendship is more than just a name, it is a responsibility. You are supposed to be there for your friends, to offer a shoulder to cry and a companion for laughter. Their joy is your joy and their burden your prayer point. David and Jonathan are a very good example of friendship, even at his own expense, Jonathan was happy for David to be the next king. Do you rejoice at your friend's successes or you become jealous? Be a burden-bearer

Friendship - Truthfulness

"You are not properly dressed", if your friends are unable to say that to you, then you are not being truthful with each other. Friendship requires truthfulness and a certain vulnerability to the end of improvement. While you are not always looking for each other's faults, you must be comfortable enough to point out your deficiencies, it is better it comes from them anyway than public embarrassment. Make truth the foundation of your friendship.

Friendship - Friendliness

Now while you are not required to be a friend to all, you do need to be friendly with all. You owe everyone you meet the debt of love which is paid by being kind and good to all. Of course in the process of being friendly you will make some friends but don't be discouraged if you don't, that was not the goal in the first place. Be peaceable and kindhearted.