Di Second Set of Places Wey Person Dey Stay

To Dey Continue for Prayer with Gentleness

Lesson Fourteen: To Enter di Second Places to Stay

For dis chapter, Saint Teresa dey encourage her sisters wey just dey begin their life of prayer and conversion to continue for di journey without giving up. She dey do dis as she dey encourage dem to practise prayer with di mind and to grow for virtue.

Dis chapter concern people wey don already begin to practise prayer and wey understand why e dey important make dem no remain for di first Mansions [Places Wey Person Dey Stay], but wey many times never get strong enough determination to leave those Mansions [Places Wey Person Dey Stay], and wey no go avoid situations wey fit lead dem to sin. Dis na very dangerous condition (II.I #2).

Two of di biggest obstacles wey people for di second set of places wey person dey stay dey face na to turn away from prayer and to fall back into sin. Di remedy na to strengthen their virtue through regular prayer with di mind.

Prayer with di mind mean to use your mind relate with God, no be only your lips. Person fit dey use mouth say prayers while im mind dey somewhere else. For Saint Teresa, dis no be prayer. One way to pray with di mind na when person dey say one traditional prayer and dey pay attention to everything wey e dey talk. For plenty people, dis hard pass as e fit first look. For example, when we dey pray di “Our Father,” many times we just dey say di words without deep intention or proper awareness of wetin we dey talk. One way to deal with dis na to pray di prayer slowly, dey meditate on each word as we dey pray am.

Another way to pray with di mind na meditation. Meditation na to dey think deeply about one truth of our faith, like one passage for Scripture or one truth wey di Church dey teach about God. When person dey meditate, e deliberately put dis truth for im mind and dey consider am again and again, from different sides and for different ways. Sometimes, person dey use im imagination more for dis meditation; other times, na mainly im ability to reason e dey use. See di Introduction of dis book for fuller explanation of di different ways to pray.[1] 

When person begin to practise prayer with di mind, im will dey become stronger, and im desire for virtue dey begin grow. E dey begin see how foolish im past sins be and dey begin overcome dem. But dis na battle, and plenty of dis chapter go focus on dat battle, dey encourage di soul to continue without giving up and no go back to di former way of life.

Reflection: If you wan describe your prayer life, wetin you go talk about am? How you dey pray every day and every week? Begin by thinking deeply about how often you dey pray. You dey set time aside every day for nothing else apart from prayer? If you no dey do am, dis na one necessary step wey you need take to begin enter dis second level of holiness.

If you dey spend time to pray every day, how deep dat prayer be? Just to use mouth recite prayers no reach for person to dey pray for di true sense. When you dey say prayers, you dey carefully think about everything wey you dey talk? You dey also spend time to meditate on those prayers, on passages for Scripture, or on di doctrines of our faith?

Make firm decision to pray every day, and make firm decision say dat prayer go be true prayer. No let discouragement enter you if your prayer life no don go far before now. Instead, give thanks say you don realise dis, and use am take make firm decision to form di habit of true prayer every day.

My Lord wey love me, You don call me to live life of true prayer. I don fail to remain faithful to di practice of prayer for di ways wey You want. Abeg, help me strengthen my determination to set time aside every day for dis most basic part of my life. Teach me to pray, dear Lord, so dat I go come know You and love You with all my heart.

Most Holy Trinity wey dey live inside me, I love You, I trust You, I surrender my life to You.

Lesson Fifteen: To Hear di Lord Dey Speak

One of di greatest comforts wey person for di second set of places wey person dey stay dey experience na to fit hear God dey speak through im prayer. But as e no fit fully respond to God gentle voice, dis dey cause am great distress.

Dis our Lord want so much make we desire Him and strive to stay close to Him, sotey He dey call us without stopping, time after time, make we come near Him; and dis His voice sweet so much sotey deep sorrow dey overwhelm di poor soul because e no fit do wetin He want immediately. So, as I talk, di soul dey suffer pass as e for suffer if e no fit hear Him (II.I #4).

Person wey dey dis places wey soul dey stay go dey fall into sin, then through prayer, e go rise from dat sin again. Na painful struggle wey dey cause even more spiritual suffering than before. Di suffering dey come because di person don begin see how far e still need to go for di journey, and im weakness and sin dey discourage am. For some ways, e easier for di first places wey soul dey stay, because di person no too know about im many sins. But di suffering wey e dey experience for di second places wey soul dey stay good, because e dey push am to continue and change. One thing wey be like contradiction, but wey dis person dey begin understand, na say di more love for God dey burn for im heart, di more e fit experience spiritual suffering deep inside. Again, dis one good, because when soul don fit love deeply, e also dey open itself to greater suffering whenever e fail for dat love.

All dis things dey possible for dis stage because, for di first time, di person dey begin hear God dey speak to am. As e dey meditate on di Scriptures, e dey begin understand wetin God want. As e dey reflect on di life of Jesus, e dey get di desire to imitate Am. As e dey recite different traditional prayers with prayerful heart, wetin e dey talk dey begin enter im heart. Through spiritual reading, careful listening to sermons, and other spiritual practices, God voice dey become clearer and clearer. Na through dis ways God dey speak, and di person dey hear.

Reflection: As you dey practise prayerful meditation, wetin God dey tell you? Wetin you dey “hear?” God dey speak for different ways, and we need learn how to recognise Im voice.

For di past week, as you pray one particular prayer and meditate on wetin e mean, any part of dat prayer draw your heart? If na so, e fit be say na God dey speak to you. As you dey go about your day, your mind dey keep going back to any picture wey come to you during prayer? If na so, e fit be God voice wey dey show you wetin E want. Any sermon, spiritual book, or other devotion don catch your attention? If na so, continue with those holy practices.

When you meditate with prayerful heart, take time after to think about wetin touch you pass for your prayer. Then later, go back to dat meditation. Take time enjoy am well, as person go take enjoy good food or holiday.

Also, think about your sin. As you dey pray, if one particular sin come your mind and you feel shame because of dat sin, know say dis fit be di very thing wey God want make you pay attention to for your life now. No let am take over all your thoughts. Just recognise am, pray for di grace to overcome am, make firm decision to cooperate with dat grace, and move forward. If you fall into dat sin again, no give up and no let discouragement hold you. Continue to pray and continue to listen to God voice. Trust say E fit help you, and E go help you overcome every sin for your life if you do your part and never give up.

Jesus wey get patience pass all, You dey speak to me day and night, but plenty times I no dey listen. Abeg, open my ears of faith so dat I go sabi Your gentle and clear voice well. Help me to listen to You and respond with joy and firm decision to do anything wey You talk.

Most Holy Trinity wey dey dwell inside me, I love You, I trust You, I surrender my life to You.

Lesson Sixteen: To Continue without Giving Up

As we dey begin hear and understand God voice when E dey speak to us for different ways, through prayer, sermons, spiritual reading, or other means, we go need fight one battle inside us. Sometimes, we go doubt whether we fit move forward, and we go think about going back to di spiritual condition wey we dey before, when things easier. God go get patience with us if we persevere and no quench di desire to grow for holiness.

…because His Majesty dey fully ready to wait for many days, and even years, especially when E see say we dey persevere and we get good desires. Na dis one dey most necessary here; if we get am, we no fit fail to gain plenty (II.I #6).

To persevere for dis stage of spiritual growth dey very important. One thousand temptations go come against us. Di devils go attack us wickedly with thoughts to abandon our journey. We go remember our former sins and think about going back to dem. As our desire to love God dey grow, we go experience one new kind of suffering inside us, as we discover say we need to change and see how far we still need to go for di journey. When dis one happen, temptation go come make we return to di time when our love small, because for some ways, dat kind life easier. For dis stage, if we no persevere, we go lose everything.

The best way to stand firm for this stage na to use the powers of your soul as God want. To talk am clear, you must use your human ability to reason, your memory, your will, and your understanding to fight this battle. With your ability to reason, you must see say to turn comot from the path wey God don call you to follow na foolishness. Faith must guide how you dey reason, and you must use wetin you don learn through faith to make good decisions and think clearly. Your memory go help you remember the bad things wey sin don cause, and those bad memories must move you to turn away from those sins for future. With your will, you must allow the divine Lover to draw you to Himself, and choose Him above everything. As you dey do this, your understanding go help you see the wisdom wey dey for choosing God, His holy will for your life, and the many good things wey go come as you dey follow the right path.

Wetin to Ponder: Sometimes, your spirit dey fall for your spiritual journey? If na so, where your mind dey go back to? Na your old bad habits of sin? Na relationship wey no good for you? Na the time wey e been easier for you to love God less? Na enjoyment wey no dey last and satisfying yourself anyhow? Reject all these as foolish things wey no good for you to pursue. These na temptations from the many demons wey dey try stop you from discovering the glorious life wey dey wait for you.

Think about the things wey God don tell you recently. Think about those moments wey lift your spirit, when you feel comfort, encouragement, joy and hope. Bring these thoughts back to your mind. Allow your will and your desires to stay fixed on them. Think well about how foolish e be to turn away from God, and the wisdom wey dey for following the hard and narrow road wey lead to Him. No fear the suffering wey come from love. This suffering na love wey dey make sacrifice, and e dey always bring satisfaction for life wey deep well-well. Use every tool wey God don give you. Stand firm, stand firm, stand firm. No give up, no lose hope, because life wey full of fulfilment dey wait for you.

My Lord wey get wisdom, You know wetin best for me, and You know the perfect path wey go lead me to fulfilment. Abeg, help me see Your wisdom and experience Your great love. As I dey do this, abeg, make my mind clear so I go choose You above everything, no matter how hard this one first look. Help me stand firm for my journey towards You, wey dey live deep inside my soul. I choose You, my dear Lord, and I leave the world, the things wey e dey use lure me, and all im lies behind.

Most Holy Trinity wey dey dwell inside me, I love You, I trust You, I surrender my life to You.

Lesson Seventeen: To Fight All di Powers of Hell

One of the best ways to overcome when your spirit dey fall na to equip yourself with the truth. One truth wey you need to know be say when demons see say you dey grow for holiness, dem go attack you with everything wey dem get.

The soul go surely face serious trials for this time, especially if the devil see say the soul character and habits show say e don ready to make more progress: all the powers of hell go join together to push am back again (II.I #11).

This thought fit make person fear, but e no need to be so. The demons wey fall from Heaven and dey our world still get their natural powers to influence people and put thoughts for their mind. Since dem don fall from Heaven, dem now dey use those natural powers to turn you away from God and convince you to join them for their misery.

To fight these temptations from the evil one and im many armies, e dey important to learn how to recognise their voices. No be so we go listen to them we dey learn to recognise their voices, but so we go reject them the moment dem speak.

Saint Teresa dey make am very clear again and again say for this stage of spiritual growth, “all the powers of hell go join together” to push you back to how you been dey before and stop you from making progress for your spiritual journey. Dem go put am for your mind say you no good enough, you no holy enough, and say you go need to give up plenty things wey you been dey enjoy. Dem go still tell one thousand other lies to turn you back. This part of the spiritual journey fit pain well-well as you face these armies of lies wey dey press you because these demons don desperate. The aim na to recognise these lies in a simple way, with clear reasoning, gentleness and peace, and reject them. Na so e be.

Wetin to Ponder: As your relationship with our Lord dey grow, you dey sometimes find say your mind no fit leave thoughts about your past, your sin, your struggles, or other thoughts wey dey weaken your spirit? If na so, e most likely be say these na temptations wey dey come because these fallen angels wey dey jealous you don desperate. But no fear, God don give you the power to overcome them. Still, e go help you to know the ways wey dem dey try turn you back.

Think about any strong temptations wey you dey struggle with. As you bring them to mind, recognise them as lies wey the evil one dey tell you. No fear them, because even Jesus allow Himself to face temptation. He do this so He go overcome every temptation and make us fit follow His path.

If di temptations wey you dey face dey cause you pain for inside your heart, know say this one good. E be sign say di devil dey see di good wey you dey do and how you dey move forward. Scatter im plans as you make firm decision to draw nearer to God by rejecting sin, praying more, and growing for virtue.

Lord wey all strength come from, You endure plenty temptations for Your life as human being, so that You go conquer temptation itself and make me fit share for Your divine strength. As I make firm decision to follow You with more devotion, I dey pray for di grace wey I need to overcome every obstacle and temptation. As di powers of hell dey attack me for different ways, make I turn to You with peace and trust, so that You go win di battle for me.

Most Holy Trinity wey dey dwell inside me, I love You, I trust You, I surrender my life to You.

Lesson Eighteen: Companions for di Spiritual Journey

As Saint Teresa dey encourage us, she pause to give one practical advice:

E be very great thing for person to keep company with others wey dey follow di right way: make e mix, no be only with di people wey e dey see for di rooms where e imself dey, but also with di people wey e know say don enter di rooms wey near di centre more, because dem go help am well-well, and e fit become so close to dem that dem go carry am follow body (II.I #12).

Deep inside who we be, we get strong desire for spiritual friendship. Husband and wife suppose be di closest of friends, as dem dey help each other for their journey to Heaven. Other family members must also support us spiritually for our journey.

True-true, sometimes family members dey block our journey pass as dem dey help us. For that kind case, love and mercy must be di main things wey guide how we treat dem. But even with that one, we still need spiritual companions for our journey. If family members no dey play this role for our life, we must look for other people wey go support and encourage us as we dey go.

Spiritual friend different from ordinary friend. Ordinary friend fit be person wey like something wey we too like, and we dey enjoy to do that thing together. But spiritual friend share our faith and our desire to draw nearer to God. Saint Teresa describe two groups of this kind people. First, some be like say dem dey di same inner dwelling place where we dey now. Na people wey their journey of faith resemble our own. Second, some be like say dem don go far for their spiritual life. We must look for these companions and spend time with dem, so that dem go fit help us for our journey.

Reflection: Who dey inspire you? You know anybody wey dey openly live out im faith and dey encourage you? As e suppose be, one or more family members go dey play this role. E fit be say somebody dey for church wey you fit spend more time with. E fit be say prayer group dey where different people go help you grow for holiness. E fit be say podcast, blogger, or person wey dey use social media dey share im faith openly, and you fit get inspiration from am.

Spiritual companionship dey make our spiritual journey easier to carry on. If e dey hard you to find this kind person for your life, make this one part of wetin you dey pray for. Know say if God see say you need this one for your life, E go answer your prayer if you ask Am for this gift. Open your heart to how God dey guide you. Spiritual friendship wey good and sound no go become source of confusion or temptation for you. Di person no go dey try to control you or claim you as im own alone. Instead, this kind person go encourage you gently, and God go use am teach you how to move further for your inner journey towards God.

Lord wey holy pass all, when You walk this earth, You get plenty companions and friends. You dey especially close to Your own dear mother, and You receive plenty love and comfort through her. Abeg, give me true friends wey dey try to follow di same road to Heaven with me. Use dem support me, guide me, and help me to be this kind companion to people wey need am.

Most Holy Trinity wey dey dwell inside me, I love You, I trust You, I surrender my life to You.

Lesson Nineteen: Strong Determination Wey No Dey Shake

Even though Saint Teresa don already give us this advice wey follow, anytime person talk say, “and you must no forget this one, because e very important,” we suppose listen well.

All wey person wey just begin to pray need to do—and you must no forget this one, because e very important—na to work hard, stand firm for im decision, and prepare imself with all di care and effort wey e fit put, so that wetin e want go agree with wetin God want (II.I #15).

Work hard, stand firm for your decision, and make wetin you want agree with wetin God want. Na advice wey Saint Teresa really want make we understand be this.

How we go make wetin we want agree with wetin God want? Di best way to do this na to prepare ourselves with all di care and effort wey we fit put. This kind care and effort go require make we work hard well-well and make firm decision to become holy.

To make wetin we want agree with wetin God want no require any extraordinary mystical experience. We no need visions, messages wey we hear from God, or private revelations. We no need make other people notice how holy we be. All we need to do na to discern wetin God dey ask us to do every day, then do am with strong determination.

Sometimes when we pray, we dey try make God follow wetin we want. We dey tell Am wetin we think say better pass, then we pray make E do wetin we ask. But no be this road we suppose follow. To make wetin we want agree with wetin God want mean say we go work hard to put aside our own will, wetin we prefer, our goals, and our desires. E require make we truly die to our own self. We must let go of wetin we prefer and prepare ourselves to prefer only wetin God want. This way of letting go of our own will from inside our heart na the best preparation we fit make to follow wetin God want through prayer. When God see say we open our heart, we ready, and we willing, E go begin reveal His perfect plan for our life. For beginning, this one go require plenty effort, plenty sacrifice, surrender, open heart, and determination. But the more you free yourself from insisting on your own will, the more you go ready to follow wetin God want.

Reflection: How easy e be for you to let go of your own will, wetin you prefer, and your own ideas? You fit die to your own self so that God go take control? To make our whole being agree with wetin God want fit first look like work wey too hard. But if you fit take am one step at a time, you go fit do am.

When you pray, you dey tell God wetin you want make E do? You dey try control God like pikin wey dem don spoil dey try get everything im own way? If na so, admit that sin of selfishness, and confess how foolish e be. Even if e hard for beginning, know say you fit do am. Start with small things. Pray the prayer of our Blessed Mother wey talk say, “Make e happen to me according to Your will.” And pray the prayer of Jesus for the Garden when E talk say, “No be wetin I want, but make wetin You want happen.” Pray those prayers every day. Meditate on them, think deeply about them, and let them enter deep into your heart so that every day, you go mean wetin you dey pray more and more.

As you dey gradually perfect these prayers, know say God go begin show you the smaller things wey you still dey hold on to. For our life, everything must finally agree with wetin God want. Make up your mind firmly to do so, and begin the process. By God’s grace, if you persevere, wetin God want go become wetin you want, no be the other way round.

My Lord wey no dey seek Your own gain, for the Garden of Gethsemane and throughout Your holy life, You always make Your human will agree with the Father’s will. Your Blessed Mother too show this same perfect surrender for the Annunciation, and she continue this prayer until her Assumption. Abeg, help me join my prayer and surrender with Your own and Your Blessed Mother own. Allow me join both of Una as Una continue to make this offering to the Father for Heaven. Father, make Your will happen for earth as e dey happen for Heaven. Make e happen to me according to Your will.

Most Holy Trinity wey dey dwell inside me, I love You, I trust You, I surrender my life to You.

Lesson Twenty: Good Wey Come Out of Sin

Sin no come from God. Na to reject God. But with His power wey no get limit, God fit even bring good out of our sin.

So, if you fail sometimes, no lose heart or stop to dey strive to move forward, because even from your fall, God go bring good… (II.I #16).

Wetin be the good wey fit come out of our sin? God fit bring us back to Himself when we sin and experience the bad effects of sin. This one go happen as we become aware deep inside say God no dey present, and our desire to seek Am inside the castle of our soul go come alive again.

First, once you don begin the journey of faith through inner prayer, you go sometimes experience different temptations. God sometimes dey allow these temptations for your good. For example, if you hold on to one thought so much that you no fit leave am—like anger against somebody, greed for possessions, desires of the flesh, or any other thought wey you no fit let go—God fit allow you experience how that thought dey tire you out, to teach you say e no come from Him. Or if you try persevere for prayer and you find say the prayer dry and e no dey inspire you, God fit dey allow this spiritual dryness as a way to strengthen your determination to pray.

If temptation happen turn to sin, even serious sin, know say God dey ready and willing to do two things for you. First, E dey willing to forgive you if you repent. Second, E want make you remember wetin dat sin cause. No be to leave you inside shame or guilt, but to keep reminding you say na foolish thing to make dat kind choice. Your temptations and sin go then turn to grace wey God go use strengthen you and keep you from falling again, so dat you fit move forward for your spiritual journey.

Reflection: Any thoughts dey your mind now wey no gree leave you and dey weigh you down? Anything dey wey you dey think about again and again, wey dey make you lose courage and feel empty for inside? If so, quickly recognise say na temptations wey God dey allow now, so dat you go come understand say you need to remove dem. Reject dose thoughts, and pray make God give you understanding so dat peace go return to your soul.

Also, any sins dey wey you don fall into again and again? If so, how dat sin make you feel for inside? If you dey see am clearly, you go notice say di experience be heavy load, and e make you lose dat inner awareness of God. Use dat experience as weapon to fight against dat sin and every other sin wey go tempt you for future.

You fit continue steadily for prayer? Or your prayer now dey dry, without any freshness or inspiration? If prayer dey hard, make up your mind to remain faithful to am. Just pray! Your prayer fit dey dry either because you willingly dey allow distractions carry you away when you dey pray, or because God dey allow am so dat you go strengthen your determination and devotion to Am. Whichever one e be, use any dryness wey you experience as stepping stone to put more effort and commitment into prayer pass ever before.

My Lord wey dey forgive and dey patient, You dey invite me to love You with all my heart. Sometimes I dey fail for dis love and return to di easy way of sin. Abeg, forgive me for my sin, and help me learn from my mistakes, so dat my past sins, my temptations, and even my dryness for prayer go become things wey go move me to return to You with strong zeal and determination.

Most Holy Trinity wey dey dwell inside me, I love You, I trust You, I surrender my life to You.

Lesson Twenty-One: Prayer Wey Person Dey Gather Im Mind

For di second set of rooms, Saint Teresa explain say, apart from prayer wey you dey use your voice pray and meditation, you must practise wetin she call “Prayer Wey You Take Gather Your Mind for Inside.”

You no fit begin to gather your mind for inside by forcing yourself hard; e must come gently. After dat, you go fit practise am for longer periods at a time (II.I #18).

E no make sense to think say we fit enter Heaven without first entering our own souls—without coming to know ourselves, thinking deeply about how wretched our nature be and wetin we owe God, and continually begging for Im mercy (II.I #19).

Meditation na kind of prayer wey you take truths from outside yourself, like di doctrines of our faith, stories from di Gospels, or beautiful prayers, and bring dem deep into your heart by thinking about dem again and again with your mind. Through meditation, God dey teach us plenty things and dey reveal Im love to us through images and ideas.

Di next way to pray na wetin dem dey call “gathering your mind for inside.” Like meditation, dis one na also wetin we dey call “prayer of di mind,” wey mean say we fit choose to pray dis kind prayer with our own effort. She teach dis prayer wey you take gather your mind for inside in detail for her book Di Way to Perfection, Chapters 28 and 29. Since God dey dwell inside us, and prayer na journey wey dey carry you deeper towards di central and secret room of your soul, where your prayer go reach perfection and where di fullness of God dey dwell, dis prayer wey you take gather your mind for inside na way to begin enter inside yourself on purpose, so dat you go dey alone with God.

For how to practise am, di best way to begin dis kind prayer na to close your eyes, pay no attention to anything wey your outward senses dey pick up, and search for di King wey dey inside you. For example, you fit try imagine your soul as beautiful castle wey precious stones and gold full. You fit imagine say your heart na di throne wey God dey sit on. Then you fit see di decorations inside dis castle as your virtues. As you gather your mind for inside like dis, you no go only begin encounter God; you go also begin know yourself more fully as you think deeply about your sins and your virtues for di light of di great King.

As you dey look deep inside yourself, you fit also want pray Our Father to God, slowly well-well, from your own heart, with full attention and love. Or you fit want tell Am the things wey you dey struggle with pass, your fears, your worries, and your sin. After that, you fit offer Am one long prayer of praise and thanksgiving. For beginning, you go dey talk and listen. Then, when you don gather your mind well for inside, you go just sit there with the King and look Am with love, without talking, just dey love Am with your will, your deep feelings, and your whole soul. After many months of practice, this prayer go become habit, and e go easier for you to go through your day with your mind gathered well for inside.

Reflection: You fit talk to God from deep inside your soul? You dey pay attention to His divine presence inside you? You fit also see the many weaknesses wey you get—your sins, your temptations, your wounds, and your confusion? Deep inside your soul na glorious place to live, but plenty people no dey ever enter there. Plenty people dey use all their attention for the world wey surround them, and dem no dey ever take time or make effort to discover the world wey dey inside them. You be one of those people?

You must learn this prayer of gathering your mind for inside, and na only through practice you go learn am. Give yourself fully to this journey. Find time every day to sit quietly for place wey go help you pray, close your eyes, and begin talk to God. If e seem hard to do, still do am. Continue to pray like this again and again. Dey look forward to that prayer time every day. Build prayer habit this way, and try carry that habit enter your daily life. To do this na necessary step to discover the world wey dey inside you, wey far pass anything wey this world fit offer.

My Lord and King, You dey live inside me; You dey dwell with all Your fullness for the most hidden room of my soul. Abeg help me to choose to turn my eyes towards You, to talk to You, to hear Your voice, and to just dey with You. As I dey do this, abeg help me discover who I be and how I need to change. Help me continue steadily for this kind prayer, so that all through my day, my mind go gather well for inside and focus on You.

Most Holy Trinity wey dey live inside me, I love You, na You I trust, I hand over my life to You.

List of Wetin Dey Inside