A.S.A.P.
The next day I threw away my packet of cigarettes. I had been a chain smoker for the past seven years, and used to faithfull y smoke at least a packet a day. By God's mind blowingly awesome grace I haven't smoked since -- and the best thing is He's made it easy too! I am so grateful to God! And more than that, it gave me the strength to believe that God can get me through anything, I need not fear.
The next area of change on the agenda was my girlfriend. That was really tough because we'd been together for two years and we really loved each other. But I told the Lord, "Lord I'm laying down the person I love the most in the world. I'm showing You that I really mean business and I really want to come back to You." So with great difficulty I let go of her in the beginning of this year. It was really not easy one bit and I thought I would be destroyed but the Lord pulled me through.
He's gently convicting me of things in my life that I need to give up. Recently I threw away most of my music. I was proud of my collec-- tion ( mostly sinful music) but I felt God asking me to throw it away. He also asked me to remove my blog which I didn't feel was aligned to a God centred life. Loads of people had read it and appreciated it and I was quite proud of it but God in a very gentle manner asked me to remove it. The best thing of all, is how Jesus helped me give up on things I considered precious till then.
I have been moving on the prophetic since, and I constantly find God giving me words for others. I am always amazed at the clarity with which the words come to me and can only thank God that He chose a wretch like me to be of service to Him. I feel a lot different now. There's a strange sense of happiness and peace.
I don't know what God is going to do with my life, but I know He has the best plan for me, and I'm really excitedly looking to see it unfold!
My dream is to start a magazine in India for the youth. I believe this is a God -- given dream and I trust He will see it to its completion if that's His plan for my life. I really would cherish your prayers and know that it's these prayers that will keep me steadfast as I learn more about our Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel and the salvation that came from His death and resurrection.
Yohaan Phillips Brighton U.K.