HIS DESIGN IS MY NEW DEFAULT; My LAST DAY ONE.

More than 365 days ago I started a journey, My Abstinence journey. I had GOD and my friends who I was accountable to in this journey.

I won’t edit this message, I won’t correct any grammatical error, I want it to come out and remain as it is from my heart. 

I had a lot of day ones , day Tens, day 70s !! Yes that much. It was a lot. 

When I started it was more of the works of the flesh, it was so much of an effort. Everyday i had to resist the urge? 

What urge ?

Yes  The Charles (who is now dead by the way ) was addicted and plagued by all forms of sexual promiscuity which includes masturbation, Lust, Sex… and it’s kind. 

Yes yes but he’s dead now by the way, he is free!!! , I’m alive now . I feel more alive than ever . I’m not here to tell you lessons or give a sermon or lecture on how others can do it. I’m just here to tell a story of how God helped a man !! And is still helping him. 

Realllllly !!! I look back and my eyes are watery . My God!![i go too shout abeg permit me] it’s been a journey, the days I was plagued by guilt on and in front of that alter, when I felt too dirty to come to his presence , the days I cried ? The days I felt something was wrong with me ? Funny enough days I gave up, or even gave my self excuses that it’s actually right !?..

I was ministering during these times oo, I was in choir , prayer unit and drama, these made me feel worse !.  I was an in house Exco too ahh!! In two units ooo! Disciplinarian sef 

It was a whole lot. 

BUT HOW DID I GET HERE?

DAY 365 ! GOD ! A WHOLE YEAR FREE!! 

Sincerely ? I didn’t do it God !! 

See I’m not going to say ohh it was because I deleted some apps,  prayed , had an accountability person, went on retreats, came out  for different alter calls and every other thing you can think of . Yea I did all these but this wasn’t it. Because a lot of people have done this and are still struggling. I did it and still had more than 15 day ones .

What changed ?

It was his grace ! His mercy!

It’s more than a story !! This is a testimony !! 

That I didn’t come out with HIV?, without Getting any lady pregnant?, a terminal disease?, or was ever disgraced ??….. OOOOO CHIM OO

It was his grace really, some people have made my mistakes and even though came out came out with a lot of scars. 

But God brought me out unscathed !!

In another write up I would maybe go deeper but I’ll just talk about  “MY LAST DAY ONE “

October 15th last year !

It was a day after I had fallen as usual and back to day one , it was like any day. I cried , prayed , felt dirty felt sad and started again, deleted apps, pictures , blocked people 😂, and started again. Nothing was different. Till tongues of fire 2023 which held around November. I can’t remember the date (too lazy to go and check).

Before the program  God instructed me to do a 3 days complete fast !. Like no food nothing just water !. I was like ahhhh me ? That can’t even fast from 6Am-12pm. You must be kidding holyspirit, e be like say na 😂wrong number .

 But well there’s something I’ve learnt in my work with God!. “ The Lord won’t give you an instruction he hasn’t empowered you to obey “

Yes he won’t. So I started . I can’t really remember the time line though … I think I started on a Thursday so I started till Saturday  , by Sunday . Jesus I lost weight, The experience wasn’t physically conducive , by the Third day I couldn’t walk , I Got questions like ''charles are you okay?, ''is everything fine? are you sick? i stood up and Sha carried myself to church on Sunday . Then guess what .. you know I was meant to break Sunday  ? And finally eat and breathe after church  . I didn’t know the reason for this instruction by the way ? I just obeyed blindly . So Sunday after service Pastor Olapade called me and told me. Let me say it like he said it. “ you know how to fast right ?” I said yes sir 

He now said as he looked at me The lord told him to tell me to fast starting from Monday till Wednesday 😂. 

In my mind 3 days kwa? Ment ?! 3 days ?! 😂!.

Again?! The one I did isn’t enough ?!  Wait sef for what ? He wants to kill me ?

Sha Sha 

I went to hostel bought food and ate oo. I bought enough asper I need fuel to do the Monday to Wednesday. That was the week of tongues of fire .

My Jesus !!

I started again Monday . I was to break on Wednesday. So by the first day of tongues of fire which I think was on Tuesday.  I wanted to faint in church , I knelt down by the AC side and in my mind I was going to break after this service , because I was too tired , I was weak. Then ma Ope raised a song(she was leading worship that day), the song was “ we behold until we are formed”  and the Holy spirit told me “ you don’t leave my presence because you’re tired , or because you’re weak! NO! You stay till you’re formed ! Till he’s done with you!! Because in there your flesh dies, your flesh will forsake you then you make the spirit the source of your strength. There is this bible verse “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.63.1.NLT . This spoke to me that your soul gets to an extent that even when it’s in need of what would feed you flesh , it instead yearns for God!. 

So you are no longer powered by your flesh, so OBINNA STAY TILL YOU ARE FORMED” I stood up and made up my mind to continue.

Guys the last day of tongues of fire came and GOD DID. After the program I had broken , started my normal life and all. Then after like a week and more it clicked . Wait oo I had not felt any urge ?. I didn’t see a woman and feel any certain way, I didn’t feel anything!. Like it wasn’t an effort again GOD  really went to settings  and Changed my DEFAULT SETTINGS TO HIS OWN PERSONAL DESIGN!. So you can see where the topic is from?. “HIS DESIGN IS MY NEW DEFAULT “

Yes That is the story on how October 15th would come to be  the  “LAST DAY ONE” and by his continuous   And relentless Grace would be my LAST. And of course till I meet my “🙈THE ONE” 

This story is not to tell anyone who is currently battling any form of addiction to go and replicate my instruction. No it’s a testimony and it’s for you to Use as a template to meet your maker and get your deliverance. Your journey starts from your obedience to one instruction God has / would give you.  Your obedience to God’s word/ instructions/ Directions is subjective to the Manifestation of his Plans for you.

A friend of mine (Esther)  when I told her I had reached Day 350 helped me to see and understand one of my names given to me by my Grand dad Odua Ngu of onitsha Chief J.U ETUKOKWU.  The name Chiyeaka !! Exactly how she put it . “Awwwwwwwwwwww

Congratulations 🎊 🎊🎊🎊 Chiyeeakaaaaaa “The One Who God Has Helped Up Until And He is Still Helping”!!”

 Yes really !!! It was not me or  anyone but Him!!!!! 

I end by saying THANK YOU JESUS , It was only because of you, it was only because of your grace that I’m here now .(this is the lyrics to a song he dropped in my heart, I would sing one day. So whenever you hear it in the nearest future this is the story behind it)

This is just the beginning and just one of what God has done and would do for me.  Sit back and relax(Be still and know that HE IS GOD)

And for anyone battling any form of addiction  I pray that the lord who did it for me would replicate the same in your life !!!.

In my journey I would want to really name few people that stood by me, that I was accountable with and have been source of encouragement even when I had a lot of day ones. 

Oreoluwa (Was significant in my my First Day one), Opemipo and Davida(kept me accountable), Esther[my dear friend], Tamitoye and juwon(they got me a Day 200 cake). Pastor olapade and everyone who prayed for me!.. I thank you for Abuad Chapel!!! Really !!!

God bless you~~ Etukokwu Obinna Charles Chiyeaka.