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I am a Daddy͛s boy, God͛s ͞Dada ba͟Ͷas we say in Ghana. I have always considered myself such.
Privileged, endowed, overwhelmed, protected, shielded and blessed for absolutely no reason. I do not
want to use the word ͞spoilt͟ to describe me because I feel it implies a failing on God͛s part, which
cannot be. If you get my drift, I am as positively spoilt as I can be without it being wrong. I know and I
believe the Spirit testifies, that I am kind of special. I know you are too. Yet I am really special, you know,
precious and honoured kind of special.

I have been through stuff in my life. Things have happened and still do happen. Someway, somehow, I
always know and I am confident that God is very much in control and there is no need to panic. He finds
a way to impart the grace I need to get through my challenges. Except for a couple of instances where I
have been disappointed by close buddies and have not been quick to let go, I have never been blue for
long. I will admit to being black though.

I have not prayed much in my life, nothing to be proud of. I have tended to do a lot more reasoning and
figuring out with God. Exploring issues, trying to figure out what His views are, what He thinks of
investing in stocks and getting really excited when He does me small favoursͶthe kind of stuff that it is
like are not important enough to bother him withͶlike when he made sure I saw that my car odometer
was at 99,999. He knew I would be tickled by that. Stuff like the plumber standing at my gate when I
needed him.

The one thing that has characterised my relationship with God, if you were to ask me, would be the fact
that I do not have to ask Him for stuff for me. Whatever I have needed, He has provided, ahead of my
needing to ask. Everything. Sure, I have asked him for stuff that has not come through, those I know are
not real needs. I believe if I served, he will always provide. When I have found myself lacking, the first
area I look is my service to him. The answer has always been there. When I have prayed, it has always
been easier praying for others or trying to convince God to fast track my development so I could serve
him better or perhaps, I must confess, in a ͞flashier͟ way.

Over the past year or so, my prayer has been based on the Lord͛s Prayer. I have focused on the fact that
͚Thy will be done͛ and ͚Thy kingdom come͛ are preconditions to ͚And give us this day our daily bread͛. If I
focused more on pushing God͛s business, my daily bread will not be an issue at all. In a sense, this is a
corollary to ͚Seek ye first the Kingdom of God...͟

Yesterday, in the morning, while praying before service, I learnt something in Isaiah 62 which, I believe,
has added another dimension to my outlook on prayer. Intensity and fervency.

Isaiah 62 has 12 verses. Verses 1 to 5 and 8 to 12 describe a wonderful dream for Jerusalem, kind of like
Martin Luther͛s ͞I have a dream͟. I am not sure if it is Isaiah͛s dream or God͛s plan. No brainer, either
way, it͛s God word and will come through when the necessary conditions are met by God͛s people, you
and I. In the middle of Isaiah 62, verses 6 and 7 is the familiar scripture:
 
I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,

and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem

and makes her the praise of the earth. (NIV)

Êor me what this means, is dream, plans, vision notwithstanding, we the watchmen, those who have
been given a sneak peek at the future are to give ourselves no rest and to give God no rest until that
future is realised. This is not a matter of ͞que sera sera͟ (what will be will be), it is about literally bugging
God until the dream comes to pass. It means identifying with the dream and wanting it as bad as God
wants it. Wanting it bad enough not to accept the status quo, not to rest as in verse one:

Êor Zion's sake I will not keep silent,

for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.

Êor me, it is clear: this Dada ba has to get involved big time in the family business, not just take his cut of
the earnings. I need to follow my big brother and get involved in ͞God and Sons͟. It is time to throw off
the cloak of laziness, to roll up my sleeves and dig in. I am of age now. It is time to bug Daddy as it were,
so the promises about the New Jerusalem, the church universal, my local church, my nation will come to
pass. This is not to say if I do nothing, God͛s will will not happen. It is to say God does not need my help
but I want to be part of it, I want to be in the thick of his business, I want to follow my big brother͛s
example, I want to be a true son. I want Daddy to say of me too: ͞This is my beloved son, in whom I am
well pleased͟.

Nehemiah was so grieved about the state of Jerusalem it showed on his face. He sought God and gave
Him no rest until he opened doors with the King. He did not just pray but he took action too. Daniel
understood from reading Jeremiah that the time of captivity was about ending so he prayed. When the
vision tarries, it is time to give God no rest.

This Dada ba wants to be a watchman, too.

Micky.