CRUSH THE OBSTACLE OF PRAYER

With faith as a shield against every difficulty and trial, believers from different parts of the world came to the Christian Church Of All Nations – Thessalonica in order to see the miraculous hand of the Lord working in their lives. The worship team created a beautiful atmosphere full of faith, singing songs of praise and worship. At that moment, nothing seemed impossible, as healing, deliverance, and blessing seemed to come as naturally as breathing!

Then the man of God George Athanasiadis took the floor and welcomed the believers with an inspiring message entitled, “CRUSH THE OBSTACLE OF PRAYER”. He began by explaining that prayer is the most powerful weapon in the life of a Christian. It is a salve for every sore, a remedy for every malady! So if we are seeking divine intervention for the situation we are facing, prayer is essential! However, many Christians today either do not know how they should pray for their needs or they pray in the wrong way. And there are Christians who have been practicing faith for years, but they still do not know the approach they should have in their prayer. Prophet George pointed out that all these problems arise because Christians today are praying, giving God instructions on what to do, without considering whether what they are facing is for His glory!

The first biblical passage he used was taken from Luke 18:10-14: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’”. In analysing the parable, he highlighted the attitude of the tax collector in his prayer, who recognised himself as a sinner and unworthy before God. In contrast, the Pharisee boasted before God by exalting himself… In order to enlighten the people of God, he made it clear that in our approach to God in prayers, we must first see ourselves as sinners undeserving of His presence before we are fit to be dignified or honoured. Just as the tax collector did!

Using the example of the centurion from the Bible who ran to Jesus Christ for help, he pointed out to the children of God that even though he had a high social status in the eyes of men, he came before God in humility! As a result, he left the presence of Christ changed, saved, and justified. This man’s action captures the first miracle performed at a distance, as the centurion’s servant was healed at that moment by a word of Jesus Christ. We understand, therefore, those who would come to God must do so with humility and sincerity of mind and not confession in the form of fasting and praying or waving hands in worship without a thorough reformation of heart and life.

Afterwards, he read a second biblical passage from the book of Psalms 33:16-18: “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.” King David, despite his power and wealth, always relied on the Lord for every decision and act. In contrast to a large percentage of Christians today who tend to rely on their own strength. Forgetting that when we presume upon our own power and tempt satan to tempt us, we provoke God to withdraw His power and leave us to our own power!

In closing the sermon, the man of God George emphasised to the children of God that they should be very careful not to fall into the trap of the devil, putting their blessings above God, because this will not last long! So, having this knowledge, we will be ready to crush the obstacle of prayer which is pride and the conviction that we can do it on our own without God’s help!

“I WAS DARKNESS AND NOW I AM LIGHT!”

One can probably admit that a young child feels fear more easily and needs his parents to feel safe and comfort again. However, if this is considered normal, up to what age is this true? And how strongly does this otherwise harmless fear have the “right” to affect you? If we ask this young man, his answer might even surprise some!

From the age of 5, Mr. Marios, who is of Cypriot origin, started having some bad dreams in his sleep. He would wake up terrified and scream in the night. Even when he was awake, he could not get any peace, as when he opened his eyes after these dreams he felt that the walls of the house were about to crush him! One could say that he was in a “prison”, since afterwards he could not even sleep – he felt a dark presence beside him. This situation happened on a weekly basis.

So, every night, he would ask to sleep with his parents who tried to calm him down after the nightmares, but they didn’t know how to do it. He was a child who was impossible to be left alone in the house, even during the day, as he grew a little older.

Having spent a few years in this situation, Mr. Marios became a teenager with low self-esteem, he had difficulties in socialising and he had no personal opinion. He tried in vain through partying with friends in nightclubs to overcome his problem.

At the age of 18, it was time for him to serve his military service. One night, while he was sleeping, he suddenly felt someone pressing on his chest as if he wanted to kill him! He tried, but he could not ask for help from the other soldiers in the chamber. When this demonic attack stopped, Mr. Marios was worried that it might happen again. And, indeed, during his military service, he was attacked twice more.

Since then, a new fear was born in his heart. At the slightest symptom or pain, he feared that something bad would happen to his health, and in his panic, he would ask his parents to take him to the doctors!

All these years, his relationship with God was completely typical, until he succumbed to his difficulties and confessed that there is no God.

In addition to fear, there was lust in Mr. Marios’ life, which in turn led him to pornography and masturbation. Although he considered it something normal, he was filled with depression inside and felt an emptiness, losing all desire to be active in life! Consequently, he saw his future as uncertain.

By the grace of God, the Lord arranged the one Divine appointment for him to realise that the Lord not only exists, but He saves and transforms lives! So, he saw some videos of the ministry on the internet. Seeing other people being set free, healed and blessed, he decided that he needed to receive prayer himself! Which he did! The man of God Harry prayed for him during the prayer line, and at that moment he felt something leave him. It didn’t take long for the changes in his life to show!

That same night, Mr. Marios slept peacefully after many years! All fear and all feelings of emptiness and depression have disappeared! Needless to say, he no longer has low self-esteem! He is a man who is making plans for his future, which he now sees as bright! He now has his own opinion and he is not influenced by the opinions of others! Lastly, lust is now a thing of the past for him!

“Don’t get disappointed; no matter how many problems you have, the solution is Jesus Christ!”, was his beautiful piece of advice. He also did not skip promising God Almighty that He would fulfil His purpose in his life!

It is not normal to feel fear as a creation of the Most High, because fear weakens our determination and our willpower.

FAITH CONQUERS DOUBT AND BRINGS HEALING!

Life often brings unexpected trials that often cause us to question our faith in God. When illness strikes, many people feel anger, pain and doubt. These feelings, however, are not limited to the body, but also affect the soul, leading us to question even the existence or the power of God. Such an experience of doubt, however, can lead to an unexpected blessing! In some cases, faith, even when it seems to fade, becomes the light that finally leads to freedom. The same feelings were felt by Mr. Filmon, who in the test of illness, he experienced doubt, but also experienced the miraculous healing that God offered him, restoring his faith in a miraculous way!

Everything in Mr. Filmon’s health started when he noticed that he had some pain in his gums! At first, he thought it was just an ordinary tooth pain and that he just needed to have that tooth removed. After he had the tooth removed at a hospital, the pain did not diminish and his doctor advised him to see a specialist. So, as they did the necessary tests, they diagnosed him with advanced gum cancer and informed him that they would have to proceed with surgery in which they would cut out a bone from his leg in order to put it into his gums. Mr. Filmon refused to have the surgery and made the decision in his heart that God is the only Healer!

The daily pain he had was from morning to night, but because he had decided that God was the Great Healer and Deliverer, he just kept taking the pills the doctor gave him and going to work as normal. Despite all his faith, he often experienced some doubts and negative thoughts in his mind and heart that sometimes made him wonder if God was really with him!

Throughout this difficult period, Mr.Filmon took the decision to find a solution to his problem and through the Synagogue, Church Of All Nations in Lagos, Nigeria, he found the Christian Church Of All Nations – Thessalonica. He immediately called the prayer line to receive prayer and there he expressed his desire to visit the church. Joyfully, he booked his tickets from Norway to Thessaloniki!

Taking part in the prayer line, Prophet George Christodoulou approached him and said: “You don’t need to have doubts about God’s presence in your life. Jesus Christ is aware of your situation and has not forgotten you as you think! You are already healed, but from now on you have a role to play! You must leave your old life, bad habits, anger and unbelief behind and come closer to Jesus Christ! You will see that everything you wrote on the placard will become a thing of the past! You will come back to share your testimony of the wonderful works that Jesus Christ has done in your life!”

After receiving this prophetic and guiding word, being joyful, he wanted to confirm what Prophet George had said and began by saying that he often doubted God and many times he heard a voice telling him that he should believe, yet his heart was struggling!

Regarding the bad habits mentioned in the prophecy, he said that he watched pornography and even when he met Jesus Christ this habit continued and the attacks of the spiritual woman who came in his dreams continued even after he was married!

Another problem Mr. Filmon was experiencing was the spirit of anger that could not be seen by those around him, except by his family who lived in the same house with him! Whenever he got angry, he would leave the place where he was at that moment in order to calm down. His wife, however, would follow him so that they could pray together and he could calm down!

Now, after prayer, he feels completely changed and healed! Mr. Filmon now feels the presence and power of God all the time in his life and has promised God, the Giver of his healing, that He will follow him forever and make Jesus Christ his best friend!

God is always present, even in the most difficult times of our lives. Whenever you face unusual challenges, do not despair. It may be to prepare you for the unusual blessings that await you, because unusual blessings always attract unusual challenges!

HIS LIFE WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN, HE WANTED TO END IT…

In life, we all have to face difficulties and challenges that affect our daily lives. Often, economic instability, psychological pressures and family conflicts can make us feel trapped and desperate. Many times, God allows these situations to make us seek Him and bring resolution to our lives, glorifying His name and strengthening our faith. In other words, the challenges for us, the children of God, are not for our destruction, but for the salvation of our souls!

Mr. Veiko and Mrs. Suivi from Finland visited the Christian Church of All Nations – Thessalonica with faith that God will shed light on their case. During the laying of hands, Prophet Javier told Mr. Veiko: “I see a family curse. You have been through a lot in your life. Poverty, pain, many situations. Today is the day that God will break every chain, every family curse that satan has used”.

The blessing, however, continued! Shortly afterwards, Prophet George Athanasiadis spoke to Mrs. Suivi, saying: “I see mental disorder in the family, satan is attacking you with mental disorder and you need to pray against it! Satan is attacking you now and has attacked you in the past. Today that ends, it is a thing of the past, but continue to pray for God’s grace and mercy in your life”.

Later, Mr. Veiko confirmed that he has suffered many hardships in his life. He has had illnesses since birth and, in general, he has faced financial problems and difficulties in his relationships. The weight of the pain he experienced in his life was so great that he sometimes wished he weas not alive.

Mrs. Suivi confirmed that her family did indeed suffer from various mental illnesses. Her grandmother, her uncles and aunts and her cousins all had mental health problems. Some, in fact, had very serious problems, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This had affected her deeply because she had come to understand that this was not from God.

After the prophecy, Mr. Veiko stated that she felt an immediate physical and mental healing and now believes that the curse has been broken! Now, the blessing has begun to flow in his life and will continue to increase. His wife also believes the same.

With joy and relief, the couple promised to serve God until the end of their lives!

As a Christian, the struggle for survival is not a personal challenge, but a challenge against God; it is an opportunity to honor God before men! So don’t despair, for if you stay close to God and manage your situation with care, it will soon turn around!

NIGHTMARES AND HOPE: HOW FAITH TRANSFORMS LIFE

Anxiety and depression have become an integral part of modern daily life, affecting large segments of the population. With the stress and demands of life increasing, more and more people are facing mental challenges leading to feelings of uncertainty and frustration. However, God’s Word tells us that the basis of our thoughts should be His Word. Anyone who relies on Jesus for everything will not fall into frustration, depression or anxiety. Jesus offers peace and comfort to those who turn to Him, reminding us that faith can be a foundation of stability in the storms of life.

During the prayer line, man of God, George Christodoulou, approached Mr. David and said the following: “You don’t need to worry about your life and be nervous, because if you continue like this, I see that sickness will come into your life. You will have a problem with your heart, if you continue with this anxiety, with this depression. That spirit will leave you, but make sure to stay close to Jesus Christ, read the Bible daily and not only read it, but live according to the Word of God. Make the Word of God the standard for your life. Keep praying, keep being close to God and you will see that those problems you have on the placard will leave you. As we pray now, everything will be gone”.

Mr. David then wanted to confirm what the Prophet said, pointing out that in the last three years he started having nightmares, which made him feel anxious, lose his sleep and worry about many things. He began to over analyse and become anxious about both his personal and professional life, especially as he was working in the IT sector. The stress he was experiencing began to build up to such an extent that he felt stressed all the time.

On the other hand, regarding his personal life, that is, his family, although they got along well, he was often angry. Although he loved them, he felt inexplicable anger, which confused him because he did not understand how he could feel so angry towards people for whom he had a deep love.

As for his relationship with God, whereas three years ago he used to wake up at night, read the Bible, pray and then sleep peacefully, the situation changed due to the fatigue from the nightmares he was having. As a result, he was unable to read God’s Word and his spiritual life began to decline. His prayers decreased and his relationship with God was negatively affected.

In time, he decided to consult a doctor, who diagnosed him with depression and prescribed some medication. In addition, he began to experience panic attacks, which caused him great discomfort.

After praying, he realised that only God’s Word and prayer could help him overcome his condition. Still, he realised that he should stay close to God, not give up, read His Word and strengthen his life with prayer.

Finally, his promise was to serve God and help other people in a similar situation to his own.

The time of trial is the beginning of your testimony. When a person fully trusts God and remains stable in His Word, he will see his difficulties turning into blessings and his life changing for the better.

Here are some pictures that illustrate the power of Jesus Christ to heal and deliver all those who have come before Him in faith, seeking healing, freedom and blessing in their lives!