Glory Time

Text: John 5:1-10
MORE LESSONS: Jn 1:14 
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 49-51

Jesus Christ ministered on earth under the Old Covenant because the New Covenant was not yet enforced when Jesus was on earth. A covenant cannot be ordained until the death of the testator. Therefore until Jesus died on the Cross and rose again, the New Covenant was not enforced. That was why, when He healed people, He would tell them to go tell people and do what Moses commanded them to do because the Old Covenant was still in force. It was an Old Covenant arrangement, and if you look at the first scripture, it says whatsoever disease one had--cancer, HIV/AIDS, leukemia, migraine, fibroid--one should step into the water and one was healed. That was in the Old Testament. If the ministry of death is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of life; if that which passed away was that glorious, what about Jesus? 

The man by the pool had been there for 38 years, and every year, it was hope dashed as he looked forward to the angel staring the water, desired to step into the water and somebody stepped in before he could. So the man went in a circle of hope and depression for 38 years until one day his story changed. Today is your own day. 
Just one day and the glory appeared, glory on two feet, glory personified came and asked him, ...Wilt thou be made whole? And the cripple began to tell stories,...I have no man.... He had been on the same spot for 38 years, no job, no money, no loved ones. It’s success that has relatives, even if he was married, the wife would have gone. 

Jesus answered him, Look at me, I put those arrangements there for your convenience, I don't need an angel or water or man. I don't even need your effort; will you be made whole? I don't need to follow the procedure, I don't need your faith, or your stepping in, I am God, Glory has come. Stop focusing completely on your faith, that could be why the issue lingers. I don't want you to focus on the money or tithe that you give. Don't focus on the help that men have given you but focus on the glory, focus on the King of glory Himself. I don't want you to focus on the challenges of the past 38 years either, how men forsook you, how you have been on one spot, how money has not been there, because right from this moment, the glory is changing your story.

Prayer/Action
* Declare prophetically-Today I shall enter into my season of glory, in Jesus’ name.
* Command your buried glory to manifest by the Word of the Lord.
* As I move out today let me encounter the God of glory in my... (Name it) 
* I shall ride on the wings of glory to overcome every challenge of my life, in Jesus’ name.

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Zealous for the Lord

Text: Num 25:1-13
MORE LESSONS: Exo. 32:22-29
Bible Reading in One Year: Psalms 46-48

Israel had transgressed the law of God by committing sin with the Moabite women. While Moses the servant of God stood on the altar and was rebuking them for the evil they had done, one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman. He probably put his hand round her neck and leaned on her as they walked like they were not concerned with what the man of God was saying, determined to go into the camp to commit sin. Phinehas went after them with a javelin and stabbed them to death. Thereafter, Jehovah turned His anger away from the house of Israel because Phinehas was zealous to avenge unrighteousness on behalf of God. God also made a covenant of a lasting priesthood with him. The zeal and enthusiasm with which you serve God can determine what you get from Him. 

The reason many people are serving God and are not getting a return for their services and giving is because they are not doing such acts zealously. Anything you do for God reluctantly is a waste of time and energy and you will not get a reward. Worse still, you can even incur God's anger and punishment. Be zealous to do right and to serve God.

But it is not just enough to be zealous to do right; you must also be zealous to do something about the wrong that is happening around you. Phinehas took a spear and avenged iniquity. Many of us need to learn a lesson from this. Sometimes while doing things right you see a colleague doing wrong but you don't bother to correct him and thereby you have aided the wrong act. Phinehas was living right; if he was not, he wouldn't be able to correct someone else. But he also didn't stop at just living right, he went ahead to confront wrong. If you see a brother doing wrong and you turn your face the other way or encourage him, you have partaken of the sin. Instead of being tolerated, the sinning person needs to be confronted and corrected. God's blessing to Phinehas was that he and his descendants shall be priests for all times. 

By this one zealous act, Phinehas rescued the nation, distinguished himself and got his unborn children blessed. Some of the blessings we are enjoying today are the products of the zeal of our parents. This is where parents have to pay due attention to their lives. If as parents, being in church three times a week is already a problem, what will the children inherit? This man left an unforgettable heritage for his children; this should be our zealous pursuit in this generation.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that you will serve God in an extraordinary way all your life.
* Pray that the spirit of immorality will not prevail over you.
* Ask God to help you live a consecrated life.
* Pray that you will never be a partaker of sin.

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Signs of Spiritual Exile II

Text: Psa. 137:1-7
MORE LESSONS: Gen 4:16
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 43-45

Every time you go into spiritual exile you lose being edified by God’s Word. Therefore you can no longer hear the Word of God and be excited; the joy of being blessed by the Word disappears and the Word no longer impacts on your spirit because there’ s no connection. When others are saying that was a powerful message in a service, do you see the dimension the pastor intends? Are you indifferent? In fact, when a message ends in church, to pray will be difficult because nothing is deposited in you, you feel bored inside church, you are more concerned about the time, asking when the preacher will finish so you can go home. All this shows you are in a spiritual exile, it’s not normal. 

When you are in a meeting where others are busy taking notes and you are sleeping, there is a problem and it may be spiritual. You are in a meeting and you see people responding to the message and to you it doesn't look like anything is happening. In fact, you understand better in your classroom when you sit down to do academic things but in church, you just look around and when at the end, others are praying fervently you yawn and wonder what’ s happening to them; something definitely has gone wrong with you. 

Moreover, an obvious loss of edification and direction attracts confusion, mental and spiritual. How do you know this? You lose the grace to easily know the will of God in a situation and taking decisions becomes difficult. When an unbeliever walked up to you before and said he liked you and would like to go out with you, you let him know that you are a child of God. As soon as he started to speak to you, your spirit connected that he was an unbeliever and you had no business with him. But now, you say okay, I will think about it because you no longer have a check in your spirit when you do the wrong things; you just feel normal in sin. Surely things have gone wrong, but the devil is a liar. 

The powers that have taken you captive are hereby broken. The powers that have carried you away in to exile are broken and revival fire has come your way today, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to examine you and expose to you wherever you went wrong.
* Ask God to give you back any spiritual connection that could be missing in your life, known or unknown to you.
* Pray that you will live a revived Christian life.
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Signs of Spiritual Exile I

Text: Matt. 14:26-31 
MORE LESSONS: Psa. 51:12 
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 40-42

One easy way to identify a situation of spiritual exile in the Christian walk is the loss of joy and gladness. Do you know the joy of salvation? It is the satisfaction, comfort and peace that flow in your heart with the assurance that you are a child of God. I remember sometime ago my father, mother and elder ones gathered on the night before I was to go back to school and said to me, from today when you get to school, you must not go to school fellowship anymore. If we catch you there you get nothing from us, no school fees, no provision. 

I went back to my room and knelt down to pray and tears rolled down my face. How would I not go to fellowship anymore, as the leader of the fellowship, because of school fees? I didn't want to disobey my parents and I didn't want to disobey God. If I obeyed them, I would have money for school fees, but I would lose eternity. I was scared with tears running down my face but I had joy inside me. So I noticed that I had crisis physically but it did not affect me inside. My joy was still there. The moment you break from God, you are on exile from the throne of God, from the presence of God. 
The first thing that proves it to you is that your peace and joy disappear. 

Secondly, you can always expect a silent loss of power. Things that you can easily do and get results become difficult because there is no more power. Y our effect upon situations disappears, you cannot make impact anymore the way you used to because your link with the power source has been broken and you are empty. You don't carry what to transmit anymore for the moment you break from that connection, the power disappears.

Thirdly, when one goes into spiritual exile one notices that gradually there is a loss of confidence. The things that you could easily handle--demons that will oppress you in your dream and you wake up and command them to go to hell even without preparation--can’t be done without struggle because that confidence has disappeared. Things happen around you and you can't boldly confront them. I beseech you, whatever your title or place in the faith, if you are convicted of any of the evidence today, cry to the Lord, like Peter the sinking disciple, and say to the Lord of life, Save Lord.

Prayer/Action
* Confess every known sin to God now and ask for His mercy, cleansing and forgiveness.
* Ask God to restore your joy of salvation.
* Ask for grace to go and sin no more.
* Give God thanks for His mercy and restoration
.
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Advancing by Prayer

Text: Acts 12:1-9 
MORE LESSONS: Matt. 26:40-41
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 37-39

The challenges of the Church didn't start today, they started from the beginning. Herod vexed and persecuted the Church because the people were pleased when he killed James the brother of John. He then decided to take Peter and kill him also, And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him: vs4-6. We have heard so much about prayer. James was killed because the Church refused to pray; and because the Church refused to pray Herod moved to kill Peter, but the Church had learnt her lesson. I pray God's Spirit move the Church so that she determines what happens to the Church and the nation.

The Church can enthrone and dethrone; the Church can decree as the Bible says whatever you decree in the name of the Lord shall be established. The Church earnestly prayed and Heaven intervened and sent an angel to help Peter (v7). God heard the prayer of the Church and sent an angel to the inner dungeon where Peter was kept in chains. The angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, ...Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands: v7 The angel didn't bring a file to cut the chains but the presence of the angel of God changed the spiritual environment of the prison, Heaven took charge of the prison and miracles began to happen.
When the Church prays, the chains the enemy has used to bind her will begin to break.

Let the chains the enemy has used to gag the Church preventing the Church from praying begin to break off, in the name of Jesus. Let the padlock the enemy has used to lock the mouth of the Church open, in the name of Jesus. The chains broke by themselves. The doors opened of their own accord. All this happened because the Church prayed. However, when the Church refuses to pray men perish. These are the days of revival of prayer in the Church of Jesus so that the things that have stopped us from achieving our mandate will begin to give way. We can break the chains and open the doors by prayer. Pray; it starts with you and your family.

Prayer/Action
* Command every prison door wherever believers are held for Christ’s sake to be broken.
* Ask God to dethrone every satanic agent on the throne of your nation.
* Ask God to stir His Church back to prayer, beginning with you.
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God Honours the Faithful

Text: Dan. 6:6-22 
MORE LESSONS: I Kgs. 8:56-59
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 34-36

Daniel was a man of faith. From the time he entered into Babylon he stood his ground and never compromised on any issue that had to do with his faith in God. In Daniel chapter 6, the people came to the king and asked him to make a law that would forbid anybody to pray to God but to the king.

They knew Daniel was a staunch believer who would not compromise his faith. So they wanted an occasion to deal with him, and conspired against Daniel because he believed in the God of Israel. Therefore they made the king to sign a decree that everybody must pray to the king for their needs. Thus they made the king god to be worshipped by people. When Daniel refused to pray to man, they threw Daniel into the lions’ den because he would not renounce his faith by the reason of the decree of the king.

Daniel did not compromise even in the face of death. How many of us would not serve the idol if we were in Daniel’s situation today? If they made such a law in your working place, would you refuse to serve the idol? How many of us will not love our job more than God who gave the job, who can provide a better job? We never think about that, we just think of the immediate benefits.

In Daniel chapter 6, the Bible says immediately Daniel knew that the decree had been signed, he went into his room, faced Jerusalem and prayed three times as he used to pray . He did this with his windows open and people could see that he was praying. Where are the Daniels of today who will raise the hands of God? Daniel prayed, and they took him and threw him in the lions’ den but the lions could not harm him. If the Lord had not restrained the lions they would have devoured Daniel. If the Lord says that is your working place they cannot sack you.

If the Lord says that is your position, nobody in Heaven or earth can move you. Daniel believed in his God and God worked for him. Where are the Daniels of today who will not be moved in the face of hostility and compromise their faith? In the different sectors of our economy, ministries, departments, agencies and so on, God is looking for men who will stand for Him and not compromise. Many people have denied the faith in order to keep their jobs and positions. They do things that should not be heard of Christians because they could not trust God; but God is ever faithful to His own, He will not let His beloved down. Dare to be a Christian and see God honour you.

Prayer/Action
*Commit every temptation and persecution threatening your faith to the Lord for His attention.
* Rededicate yourself to godly living and ask God to arise for you.
* Pray believers within and outside your borders who are already getting weak by affliction.
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You will Not be Burnt

Text: Dan. 3:1-27
MORE LESSONS: Isa. 43:1-5
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 31-33

God honours the man who stands when others bow. Our fathers faced the challenges you are facing today but they never failed God. They even faced greater challenges to their faith than we face (Daniel 3:15). The three Hebrew youths were to bow down and worship an idol that was set up by the king of Babylon or be thrown into a fiery furnace if they refused.

That was the challenge of faith to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. If you were the one, what would you do? Many have not faced challenges of such nature today but they have run out of church, they have denied the faith, and denied God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up: vs16-18. The three youths did not bow but stood their ground when others bowed.

Where are the Shadrachs of today who will stand their ground in their working place, who are undaunted when asked to change their faith to retain their job? I know a very big man who changed his faith to maintain his position. Where are the Shadrachs of today? Where are those people who will say, I know my God will deliver me. And let it be known that if my God does not deliver me, I am ready for whatever comes out of it . Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood against the harassment of the status quo of that time, of the laws and the government of the day. They refused to change their faith or worship the idol, they were determined. They had confidence in God. How many people have the ability to believe that God is able to do what He says He will do?

Truly, the three youths were thrown into the fiery furnace, but the king saw what he had never seen before. The king testified that he saw the Son of the Most High God in the fire with the boys. In your working place, have they testified of your God? Have you shown your faith in God that the head of department wondered who you are? Which God you serve? The king of Babylon saw Jesus in the fire and he said that all who persecuted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego should be thrown into the fire. If you honour God by standing for righteousness in an impossible situation, He will not forget you inside the fire; God will honour those who honour Him.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that you will not fail God in the time of trial.
* Pray for several Christians being persecuted globally that they will find strength and courage in God.
* Pray that God will defend His Church as He did in the days of old.

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The Word of His Power

Text: Psalm126:1-6
MORE LESSONS: Psa. 109:16-20
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 28-30

God does not need a week to change a man's life because He is God, He can do a perfect work in the life of any one even in one day and make a total change in one's destiny. David woke up one day as a shepherd boy and at the close of the day, he went to bed as the anointed king of Israel. One day brought a change to his life. I pray for you that today will be your day. As a matter of fact, one day is too long; just one meeting, one encounter with the glory can make all the difference you have been waiting for.

When you encounter the glory of God, everything about your life changes. The point of encounter with the glory is your turning point, a watershed in your life history because an encounter with the glory of God redefines your entire life. There is no single person who meets with the glory of God and remains the same. When Moses met the glory at the burning bush, he was a fugitive, afraid of Pharaoh who had put him on the wanted list but after that encounter, Moses became a god to Pharaoh; everything changed just by one encounter . One meeting is too long for God to meet all your needs; for God, one word is enough, you don't need a whole sermon. When that demonic man of Gadarene met with the Lord and the Lord Jesus asked for his name, he said they were many.

There were more than 6,000 of them and then the demons begged, don’t throw us away before our time, send us to that place instead. And Jesus spoke just one word of two letters. At the Word Go, over 6,000 demons disappeared. I pray that your word will find you. Your word will come. God will speak to your situation. You will remember today for the rest of your life.

The Scripture does not say if the Lord turned away the captivity of Zion, that would be a probability. It means the captivity of Zion may be turned or may not be turned. However, the way the Bible presents it, it is a matter of certainty. Today as you read this, I pray for you that everything that has been working against you must change. Where you have been experiencing darkness, there must be light. Where you have been experiencing financial hardship and difficulty, you will step into abundance today. I prophesy and release the power for a new day, a new destiny, a new testament by divine encounter upon you right now.

Prayer/Action
* Rise up and begin to prophesy something new to your destiny. Mention the old things that must go and announce their replacement right now.
* Pray that your day can only be better, it shall not be worse.

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Reviving the Faith of our Fathers

Text: Hebrews 11:32-37
MORE LESSONS: 1 Sam. 17:1-32
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 25-27

The first text tells us about the fathers of faith and the exploits they did. I pray God revive the faith of our fathers in our day. The fathers were not quitters in the face of challenges. They didn't quit their confession of faith or deny God even when they were to be thrown into fire. Though their lives were at stake, they were strong in their faith; they believed God, standing and fighting for Him. My prayer is that God will revive the faith of our fathers in the Church in our generation.

The fathers of faith did exploits by faith. In I Sam. 17:4-8 we see the example of David when Israel was confronted with the challenge of Goliath, the 'boko haram' of their day. The same way we have this Goliath challenging the Church of Jesus today, so also Goliath challenged the children of God. Everybody was afraid but they looked up to the God of Heaven who was able to deliver them from the great Goliath (verses 21-27).

There are many Goliaths confronting the Church today. I don't know how many people still come to church in your assembly. There are people that have not come to church for the past one year because of the harassment of the Goliath of our time. Goliath challenged the God of Israel, he challenged the power of the God of Israel, but God raised a man, David. Where are the Davids of our day? Where are the Davids in the Church today that will rise to the harassment of Goliath, the enemy of the Church? You know David was not up to 20 years at the time he came to the limelight but he was anointed.

Probably he was anointed by Samuel around seventeen years of age, at that time he was still keeping the sheep of his father. But when he heard the harassment of this Philistine, he stood up and faced the challenge.

Where are the people who are going to confront the harassment of the enemy of the Church today? And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine: v32. God needs men with such faith to challenge the Goliaths of our time.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that this generation will catch the fire of revival, in Jesus’ name.
* Pray and cast out every spirit of fear and intimidation among believers today, in Jesus’ name.
* Receive grace to stand when your faith is tried/ tested by the fire of the enemy.
* Receive courage to stand the trial of your
* Oh Lord raise men of faith in our time like David, Gideon Barak, in Jesus’ name. faith like our fathers of old, in Jesus’ name.

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Shout Down the Walls

Text: Joshua 6: 1-20
MORE LESSONS: 2 Chron. 13:15
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 22-24

Bible history tells us that the wall of Jericho was a massive structure upon which chariots could conveniently ride side by side. It had the shape of a cuboid and its height was about the height of a four storey building. It was a huge wall indeed and yet the children of Israel must pass through for God said He had given them the land. So Joshua sought the Lord and He gave him the strategy on how the wall would be destroyed.

There is a strategy in God by which your walls will come crashing down but you have to seek Him to find the strategy. The Bible says the Israelites shouted, and the wall came crumbling down. In the same way you can bring down your wall by a shout of what God has promised, a shout of your expression of confidence in what God can do about that situation. It was not just a shout, it was a shout that was inspired by the Word of the Lord of hosts.

The Israelites themselves did not believe that a shout could bring down a wall so mighty but it did; and friend, if it happened before, it can happen again. God wants you to shout down your opposition, your adversary, that is, the devil, as the Bible encourages, Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you: Jam. 4:7. You must, by reason of your submission to God, get radical and resist the devil and he will flee from you.
The only language the devil understands is a radical shout from the mouth of a child of God. The devil hates it when you confront him with confidence and boldness. The Israelites kept marching round the walls for seven consecutive days according to the Word of the Lord. They didn’t give up doing what the Lord commanded concerning the wall of opposition before them. And on the seventh day, they shouted, submitting themselves to the will of God.

They were opposed and denied passage into Jericho for seven days, but they were tenacious about it. You must learn to stand your ground until the walls come down. It may take time according to your assessment but the wisdom of God is to teach us how to fight battles. He could have by the breath of His nostrils pulled down the walls but He chose to fight using the people and if it took many years for the walls to be built, one should not expect it to crumble in one day, else the victory would not be appreciated. So what is that wall of limitation confronting you and denying you entrance into your glorious destiny? It is time to shout it down by the Word of the Lord, shout against it by the boldness and confidence you have derived from the Word of the Lord, Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, ...God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before ...Judah: 2 Chron. 13:15.

Prayer/Action
* Today I confront every wall of limitation with a shout of triumph, in Jesus’ name.
* “The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon”; let it break every ancient wall against my going forward, in Jesus’ name.
Lift your hand to Heaven and shout hallelujah! Then give thanks to God for the fall of your Jericho. ?

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Your Word is your Victory

Text: Job 22: 28- 29
MORE LESSONS: Mal. 3: 16- 18
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 19-21

Your word is your life. Jesus says that the words that He speaks are Spirit and life. Hence if with the Spirit of Christ in us we say things that others in the world say then we would have the same results as theirs. But as for me, when men are being cast down, yet shall I arise and say.... That was what Job said, that when the casting down is going on, I will stand up, and I will say.... So the power over being cast down is in your tongue. What you say about your situation, how you say it, and what you believe and do at the hour that things appear tough and difficult are vital; they can determine what happens to you in that situation.
You ought to be careful what you say even after you have gone through a difficult time and you are waiting for result. For instance, when I was in school and we finished writing a tough paper, some students would not go home immediately after submitting their exam scripts, they would hang around waiting for others to come out so that they could discuss the exam. Their expectation was for you to tell them that the examination was not good.

But if you made a mistake and said it was okay, they would say, Ah, ok? Professor! And then you became an object of ridicule for declaring positive. But hear this friend, even examinations already written can turn around because of your spoken word. Next time the enemy roars at you, roar back at him; roar God's Word to him, roar your confidence in God and your faith to him. Don't ever go down agreeing with the enemy over your situation, testify what the Word of God says. Keep saying, I have conquered you, I am stronger than you, and I am more than a conqueror. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I am more than this challenge, and with God on my side, I will overcome it.

I can run through a troop, I will prevail; I can leap over a wall. Keep saying the Word, keep confessing it, even if the matters are not yielding, keep on expressing what God has said about the matter. Don't listen to your situation, listen to God's Word, listen to the promises of God, listen to what God has said ahead of any situation, for before the start of the problem, God has pronounced its end from the beginning.
So keep repeating what God has said in faith and confidence and it shall be to you as you say. Always bear in mind that your words go to God's hearing and He will do according to what He hears you say. Y our word is your victory. Speak God's Word always, no matter what.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to anoint your words for victory.
* Pray that every negative word you have ever spoken about your destiny be annulled and cancelled.
* Open Psa. 1:3-4 and confess it on your life and family.

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Birthing a Glorious Destiny

Text: 1 Sam. 1: 9-18
MORE LESSONS: Luke 22:40-44
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 16-18

When you go through I Sam. chapter 1 you see the take off of a destiny. The chapter begins with several characters but attention is on one particularly. The whole of the book from beginning to the end speaks about a man whose mother was barren, and the mother decided to go to God in Shiloh and pray alone at the altar until the priest took notice of her. The priest thought she was drunk with wine because it was after a feast and he asked her, but she answered ...I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD: v15, and the priest blessed her .

That woman is Hannah, and the child that came out of that encounter with God is Samuel. Chapter one ends with a testimony in verse 27, for this child I prayed...., so the life of Samuel began as a testimony; he was a product of prayer, and the mother was a testifier all her life. There is a glorious destiny that you must also give birth to. But it will not come on a platter of gold, rather you get it on a well orchestrated, deliberate, conscious and desperate prayer. Though Hannah's words of prayer were not documented in chapter one, in chapter two the Bible says, And Hannah prayed, and said...: v1. Some theologians have argued that 1 Samuel chapter 2 was a song, but the woman actually said it was her prayer. When you go through it, you will find how Hannah prayed.

There is so much to learn from this because prayer should not be a mere request. The only way to bring order to prayer is to consider how men and Jesus in the Scripture prayed and got results. Then you will begin to learn to pray by praying the way they prayed. Look at the Lord’s Prayer in Matt. 6:9-13, you will discover that it is organised, orderly and inspired prayer.

Praying is not just standing up from sleep repeatedly shouting Jehovah, I ask You, Jehovah, what? If you will pray prayers that will birth a glorious destiny , you can take such prayers as the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where, although He was in agony , ... he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground: Lk.22:44. It was few words but it got Heaven’s attention and an angel had to be deployed immediately to the earth to strengthen Him. That was destiny birthing prayer. Learn to pray the way men and women who received answer from God prayed when destiny was involved, and answer will come.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to train your hands to war so that the bow of steel may be broken by your hands.
* Pray that God will give you grace to pray until something happens.
* Ask God to make your feet like hind’s feet, set upon high places.
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Replaced Destiny III

Text: 1 Sam. 3:11-19
MORE LESSONS: Lk. 2:40-52
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 13-15

I have asked myself on many occasions that when God was picking Samuel, where were Eli's children? They were adults and Samuel was only a child; perhaps they were even bullying Samuel, hitting him on the head saying that is not how to carry the ephod, sit down, that is not how to wear the minister's clothe, put your tie well, and possibly spank him for not doing things right in the temple. Yet God chose that little boy instead of them.

It pleased the Lord to attend to and prefer that boy above them; why? It is because they refused parental teaching. Eli did not handle his children in such a way that they could look like Samuel in the temple, so God sent a message through Samuel to tell him that He would strike Eli and his children in one day and they would die.

Each time I read some scriptures, I shiver. Look at one of them, In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end: 1 Sam. 3: 12. That is terrible, God said He would not spare but would do to Eli as He warned that He would judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he brought, which he knew, because his sons made themselves vile and he did not restrain them. Parents should not let their children go free when they do something wrong saying they are only children.

Because Eli did not restrain his children, he jeopardised their destiny and generations after him. In 1 Sam. 4:19 –21, his daughter-in-law delivered a child and named the child Ichabod, saying the glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father- in- law and her husband, from whom the glory departed and the destiny of the family was replaced. It is good for children to obey their parents in the Lord for the sake of their own destinies. Though Eli was not very strict about his instructions to his children, if the children were wise enough to yield to their father's words, they would have saved the destiny of their family.

Children can be the saviour of their family. Samuel was weaned early by his mother, yet he did not derail from his mother’s teachings even in the midst of the sons of Belial. Daniel was a young man also in Babylon but he purposed in his heart not to defile himself (Dan. 1:8). Even in the absence of your parents, you can still please the Lord and your destiny will not be replaced.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for children that Heaven and earth will be proud of.
* Pray against any child’s wrong doing that could wipe away God’s favour from the entire family .
* Ask God to send more godly children to the earth through all waiting mothers in church.

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Replaced Destiny II

Text:1 Sam. 3: 1- 10
MORE LESSONS: Isa. 8:1-18
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 10-12

We started considering the issue of replaced destinies. In 1Sam. 2:18,the Bible says, But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. Take a look at how this destiny took off; it was introduced first as a miracle child, next as a child that was weaned and submitted to the church, directly to the presence of the Lord, the next report we hear about him is that this destiny became a minister. Samuel ministered as a child. Samuel began his destiny by ministering to the man who brought him up. He brought a word from the Lord to Eli. Eli's children had become very rascally to the extent that God could not use them to replace their father.
One of the greatest things God can do for you in life is to help you raise children that are greater than you, who can pick up from where you stop and do greater works than you.

Eli forfeited that privilege and that is why the study of the home is important today. In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, the rich man remembered the life his younger ones were living and begged father Abraham, Please send someone to the face of the earth, that these people may hear the word of God and be careful because I don't want them to come and meet me here. But Abraham refused, Sorry, if you didn't teach them or whatever you taught them before you left that is the best they can get. If not let them listen to God’s servants that minister to them now. If they don't listen to them, they will also come to meet you where you are now.

How many parents can look back and be glad about their children? Now that you are alive and your children are in secondary school, away in the boarding house, it is not too much to watch over what they are doing; it is not too much to watch over things they do on the computer. They read and study all manners of material, some even stay at the internet cafe until 1a.m.

Somebody needs to watch over them because there is so much pornography and terrible things on the internet, and as a father you sleep in the house snoring while your child is inside the room in your house, sitting down with her computer and watching all manners of crazy things; that is asleep of death. Look at Samuel, his mother was proud of him forever, but Eli was not proud of his children. May the Lord make you and your children signs and wonders and not a shame in the land.

Prayer/Action
*Pray that the spirit of Belia l will not enter into youths to do wickedly.
*Pray against whatever makes young people to hate godly instructions.
*Ask that your children will be for signs and wonder sin the land of the living.

Replaced Destiny I

Text: 1Sam. 2:11- 12
MORE LESSONS: Prov.22:6
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 7-9

I always refer to 1Samuel chapter two as the “sunrise and sunset” chapter because Samuel's destiny experienced sunrise and Eli's destiny, sunset. The sunrise and sunset story here shows how two destinies were exchanged; one replaced the other. You don't know what you do to yourself when you do not give attention to things that God has committed into your hands. It is quite challenging that a man who is a priest, a minister of the Lord, will have children who do not know the Lord. It is not that Eli’s children were not involved in activities in the temple, supervising the sacrifices and offerings that went on there but that they did not know the Lord. God's perspective firs to fall is that they didn't know Him and as such were classed as sons of Belial. Every evil thing they did was a by- product of this very issue of not knowing God.

It was at this time that God began preparing a new destiny to replace that of Eli. God gave Eli several warnings but he would not respond. Be careful about the matters that God often brings to your notice. God does not joke, He means whatever He says and you must know that before Him no one is indispensable. He can afford to wait until the man that will do His will shows up. God permitted Eli to continue as priest until Samuel matured enough to replace him. Note that Eli's offence was not that he failed in his ministry. Infact, it was through his faithfulness to his ministry that this new destiny, Samuel, was birthed. Bu the failed in raising children for the Lord.

Today satan pays more attention to the families of God’s children more than any other sector because he knows that will serve his purpose. He knows that the root of everything God is doing on the earth is the family. When the family is bad the nation and the church cannot be good. When he could not get to derail Eli, satan gave attention to his children and he succeeded, and got Heaven to knock out Eli and his children in one day.

Even the glory of the family, which is the priesthood, was given to another who grew up in the same place. If you desire to keep your family glory as parents, begin to have a family devotional (family altar) regularly, start taking your children with you when going to church, replicate the attention you give to their academics in the spiritual, i.e get them Bible lesson teacher, ask what they learning Sunday school, do memory verse with the man don't hold back the stick when necessary . May your glory not be replaced!

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to reveal Himself to all your children/relations that are yet to know Him.
* Surrender all that you possess to the Lord afresh today.
* Pray that He will continue to speak to you and that you will continue to listen to Him.
* Ask God to help you walk in His purpose, and give attention to His warnings in order not to be replaced in destiny.

The Baptism of Fire

Text: Matt.3:15-17
MORE LESSONS: Matthew 3:5-12
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 4-6

There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and fire, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Matt 3:11.

You could carry the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues and it ends there, they are not the evidence of fire. You need to acquire the fire, which also comes from the Holy Ghost but can stand alone. So when you see people who are filled with the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues and when they sleep demons come to oppress them, they don’t have the fire. The fire that the Bible talks about here refers to baptism in the Holy Spirit and with fire. However, when there is sin in your life, the fire dies, The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly: Prov. 20:27.

The fire of God in your life is located in your spirit man. Wherever in your life that you tolerate sin, the consequence is that the light goes off. But the plan of God is that the candlelight of God should be on perpetually, The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out: Lev. 6:13. In the spirit realm the altar of a child of God is his heart, a symbol of the altar of God.

Your spirit man is an altar, and the instruction to the priest is that upon this altar the fire shall burn regularly (Lev. 6:13). In other words, your spirit must relate with the fire of the Holy Ghost regularly, every time, every moment, every minute, everyday. You must be somebody whose spirit is consistently on fire for God because the candlelight of your spirit (your inner man) is the spirit of God.

When you walk into sin, no matter how tiny it is the candlelight is quenched. When you walk into sin, the power of the light that ought to be consistently on is terminated. Sin destroys the fire of the spirit, it doesn't matter what that sin is. Even a tiny lie would mess you up. Every time you go into sin you quench the fire; that is the reason why without the fire on you cannot possess your possession. When your fire is constantly on, which means your spirit is constantly in touch with the Spirit of God, everything that is yours walks up to you.

When Jesus was baptised three things happened to Him:

1. Heaven opened.
2. The Holy Ghost, like a dove, descended on Him.
3. He heard the voice from Heaven.
That is more than a tongue experience. Ask for it.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to baptise you with the Holy Ghost and fire.
* Ask God to take you deeper in the Holy Ghost than tongue experience.
* Ask that the Lord will add gifts of the Spirit to your baptism experience.

Christianity by Fire

Text: Act 2:1-1 MORE LESSONS: Joel 2:28-29
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 1-3

The enemy you are dealing with is dry grass by prophecy. Rather than struggle with him, just acquire fire. One thing about fire is that it is respected anywhere, any day. Fire is such a strong force on the face of the earth and in Heaven that everything responds to it. In fact the whole earth is moved by it. There is nothing functioning on the earth that is not by fire. Whether it is blue or red, it is fire.

Aircraft, ships and cars are driven by fire; you need fire everywhere. Y our body metabolism is fire; you are warm because your body metabolism is functioning adequately, the moment that system collapses you go cold; that is why when you touch a dead man's body it is cold.

Everything is driven by fire, so when you acquire fire, you acquire energy. When you acquire fire you acquire a force that can drive anything. Fire will drive your possession to you. Everything submits to fire. There is nowhere a man comes in contact with fire and plays with it. If you see a house on fire without control, your possessions not regarding you can't jump in. You will see your certificates, which you spent all your life acquiring, burning and you can't enter the fire, that's the force of fire.

Just as it is in the physical so it is in the spiritual. When you carry fire demons cannot come near you because they are not stupid enough to get burnt. Hell is fire, the resting place for sinners. Why God will use fire to destroy satan and hell at the end of the age is because the only thing that they fear and respect is fire. So before the final day of burning, if you release fire upon demons they will have respect for you. The devil has respect for fire and he doesn't play with it. When you carry fire, the devil sees you from a distance and he runs away. He constantly assesses you to see when the fire goes down, but as long as the fire is in place all the tiny demons that jump around you will disappear.

The answer to the greatest demonic opposition is to acquire fire. Restore fire to your Christian life and destiny by living holy, being prayerful, and running away from fire extinguishers like evil company and sin. You cannot acquire fire by spending hours watching ungodly movies, living in bitterness, unforgiving and careless Christian living. Go back to the upper room and catch the Fire

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for a fresh experience of the Holy Ghost today.
* Pray that you will not lose your strength in God.
* Pray in the spirit for a moment.

Acquiring Fire II

Text: Exodus 3:2-4
MORE LESSONS: Psa. 104:1-4
Bible Reading in one Year: 1Thessalonians 1-3

When we talk about the possession of Jacob, it is a word of God to you as a person, that the promise of greatness given to Abraham must happen in your life. It implies that whatever God promised Abraham must come to pass in your life. Whatever theology says that is contrary to Scripture, you must not accept it. Refuse to accept that darkness will abide on you forever. Refuse to accept that because you fail today, you will remain a failure. Reject failure. Faith is not telling lie, it is simply agreeing with what God's Word says. God's Word says through Abraham you will be blessed, you will be great; if you are small say to yourself, That is the situation today but that is not where I will be tomorrow, I am destined to be great.

What makes you great is not just your profession; it's the promise of God and your connection with that promise. Keep confessing the Word, keep standing on the Word, keep believing it. God says you are blessed and you will be great. Even if today nobody knows you, it is not sufficient; greatness will happen to you before you go to your grave because it is the promise of God, hold on to it. So how does the house of Jacob possess their possession, how do you actualise God’s promise of greatness and blessedness to Abraham which was passed down to Jacob? And the house of Jacob shall be a fire…: Obad.18. The house of Jacob must be a fire.

That is to say if the house of Jacob is going to possess her possession, there is only one requirement- acquire fire! It is going to happen by fire. No fire, no possession,...And the house of Joseph a flame.... The question is, Why fire for possession?...and the house of Esau for stubble….You need fire to take your possession because God always operates great things by fire. Moses was called by fire, the New Testament is operated by fire, Penticost was by fire. Satan dreads fire and God is clothed in fire; your fire power determines your victory in physical warfare, same in the spiritual.

How do you acquire fire? Let Jesus take over your life to rule and reign; step up your holy living such that sin has no place in you, be filled with the Holy Ghost and power, live a prayerful life, ever confronting every work of wickedness by prayer and fasting. One more thing, learn to spend at least one hour praying in the Holy Ghost every day. Then you become a hot stove that no house fly can sit on. Catch the fire.

Prayer/Action
* Ask that the flaming fire of God begin to operate in your life against every enemy position.
* Command every force against the covenant of God over you to begin to burn by fire.
* Ask the anointing of God to fall upon you afresh today.

Fervent Spirit

Text: Acts 18:24-28
More Lessons: Matt. 3:1-11
Bible Reading in One Year: 1Thessalonians 4-5

One of Paul's instructions Christians in Rome about Christian lifestyle and service is, Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord : Rom. 12:11. He saw fervent spirit and effectiveness as necessary components of our service to the Lord. Being fervent in spirit implies being zealous, enthusiastic, and not being indifferent. Diligence and fervency are qualities that God requires of His children because He expects us to be diligent and industrious in all our duties both to God and man, especially in the duties of our calling.
To be fervent is to be earnest; allow your heart to be engaged in everything you do. Be enthusiastic about working for God. Nothing should be done out of hypocrisy, eye service, murmuring, grumbling or with indifference. The Bible condemns the attitude of Reuben, Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart: Judges 5:16. Contrary to what the world believe, an idle, slothful person cannot be a Christian because Christianity doesn’t encourage idleness or slothfulness.
Apollos has a testimony of being diligent among the Christians in Ephesus, This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John: Acts 18:25. After being taught of the way of the Lord, Apollos became a useful tool in nurturing the believers in Corinth (I Cor. 3:6). Paul also comments about Epaphras as always labouring fervently in prayer (Col 4:12); Phinehas has the commendation for being zealous for God (Num 25:1); Jesus, our perfect example, says, ... My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work: John 4:34. To have a fervent spirit, be earnest, let your heart be engaged in what you do, be diligent in seeking God, be consistent and be at the forefront of Kingdom matters.

Prayer/Action
* Ask the Lord to renew the zeal for His work in your heart.
* Ask God to kindle a fresh fire upon your spirit.

Acquiring Fire I

Text: Hab.2:3
MORE LESSONS: Obadiah 1:17-18
Bible Reading in one Year: Daniel 10-12

I remember that the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa used to say , I can acquire what I desire if I perspire and do not retire. And then one man of God added, ...if only I can refire. So say to yourself, I can acquire what I desire if I perspire and do not retire, but refire. I love the saying because it encourages one to keep on doing something until one gets result. Don't say never; just keep firing. Don't retire, just insist until something happens.

A lot of people go to bed after they have tried and waited on the Lord, fasted and prayed and it looks as if what they are looking for is not forth coming; they retire into sleep and tiredness. They stop praying; in fact sometimes when they announce a fast they ignore the announcement. Don’t be tired of praying, And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint: Lk. 18:1.

Y our problem is not what God can’t do, your retiring is your trouble; beloved, refire! The promises in today’s first scripture are promises that can be achieved if only you understand what the requirement is. The promise is that on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, there shall be holiness, the house of Jacob shall possess their possession, but then it goes ahead in verse 18 to tell us how the house of Jacob will possess their possession.

The first question we need to ask is, What is the property or estate that the house of Jacob need to possess? The first possession of the house of Jacob is the covenant, And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed: Gen.12:1. This verse spells God’s determination to bless Abraham. When Abraham was dying God had not fully fulfilled that promise, so Abraham handed over to Isaac for the continuity of the fulfilment of the promise in him. Isaac handed the same promise to Jacob and Jacob to Joseph. Obadiah 1:18 says for that promise to be possessed by the patriarchs, Jacob must become a fire and Joseph a flame, while Essau, an enemy of the promise, shall become dry grass.

Taking possession is made easy by the fire in Jacob and Joseph consuming the grass, that is, the enemy of the covenant. Today, I declare all the enemies of your promise dry grass and command your fire to consume them, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Command that every covenant promise for your life step up to fulfilment from today.
* Ask that every obstacle working against your fulfilment in life be destroyed by fire.
* Ask God to rekindle the Holy Ghost fire and righteousness in your life.

The Weapon in Your Mouth

Text: Mark 11: 20-24
MORE LESSONS: Deut. 6:26, I Kgs.16:34
Bible Reading in one Year: Daniel 7-9

One day while traveling to my village in a festive season, I stopped over to see a leading man of God in Nigeria, whose hometown is next to mine. While we were sitted at dinner someone brought a photograph of a lady who had burns all over her body and they were using her photograph to solicit for money for her. She obviously could not come out again so she sent people with her pictures to go beg for her.

They came and gave the man of God the photograph and the letter of appeal for funds for medical treatment. He looked at it and they were expecting him to write a cheque but he took the photograph and said, I curse the root of the burns, in Jesus’ name. He spoke to the malady as if the woman was present physically even though he had just the photograph. This problem is not ordinary, he said, I curse the root of the burns; woman, get healed in the name of Jesus; and he gave the photograph back.
In the first text, Jesus saw a tree and cursed it because the tree was occupying space and deceiving people with flamboyant leaves without bearing fruit.

The Bible says that by the next day, the tree dried up from the roots. It is unusual for a tree to dry up that way; trees start drying up from the top to the roots. And even if you cut a tree down from the roots it doesn't dry up the next day. But Jesus spoke and instantly the tree started drying up ; by the next day , the tree had dried up from the roots. What do you think dried that tree? It was the word that came out of the mouth of Jesus that dealt with the tree. When things are not the way you want them to be in your life, that is not the time to keep quiet. Use the words of your mouth to make things right. If anyone has spoken a word or a curse on you and it is causing problems for you, you have the right to speak your own words to your situation and the Spirit of the Lord will empower your words and the situation will change. From today, learn to speak words of command to your situations. Whatever is not planted by the Lord in your life, I command it to dry from the roots, in the name of Jesus.

The strongest weapon on the earth is the word on the lips of the believer; the heavens and the earth were created by the Word, and by the Word they are upheld. It is by the Word that man can operate his dominion mandate; by the Word a man is raised and by the Word he is brought down. Speak the Word of God and rule your world, ...upholding all things by the word of his power ,...: Heb.1:3.

Prayer/Action
Today, make authoritative declarations on any unfruitful situation in your life or a fellow child of God that you care for - Job 22:28, Isa. 45:11

Thieves of Glory

Text: II Pet. 1:5
MORE LESSONS: Judges 16:16-19
Bible Reading in one Year: Daniel 4-6

There are always representatives of satan to destroy your glory and no matter how long it takes them to achieve that they don't worry; they are enemies of glory on mission and until that mission is accomplished, they don't give up. Delilah didn't give up on Samson until she accomplished her mission in his life. You must insist on sustaining your glory as you never know the method which the enemy wants to use to terminate the glory of your life. I want you to know that glory has enemies. Everywhere glory is manifested attack is imminent. Whenever the devil sees your glory, agents are sent to begin to launch attacks on your glory until you give up.

Therefore, it is not sufficient to know that you have a glory within you. The first thing to do is to discover it, then pursue it and defend it. You have to be very careful and watchful, don't let your glory be taken from you; manage it well and be prayerful. Your glory must be defended because satan is interested in spoiling good things. You can't have honey around and ants are not there. In Isa. 60: 1-2, the same people that are asked to “arise, shine” are also told that darkness will threaten the glory.

Many people are in problem today because they don't know how to pursue their glory. Being the son of a president does not automatically make you a president, you have to pursue your glory. There is a son of a former president in a country who has been in trouble since the death of his father; he has been in problem with the financial crime commission over money laundering issue. He can't even win an election in that country because he did not know how to manage the glory when he had it. There was also one son of another president who pursued the office of the president until he became the president of that country. That is glory management. He rode on his parents’ pedigree and got into glory. He knew how to manage the glory. The glory of a family can be stolen. When glories are stolen, they are done in the spiritual realm.

This happens when wicked people are able to demonically peep into your destiny and invoke some demons to steal your destiny from you. For Samson, it was sex offered by a strange and demonic woman. After Delilah was done with Samson the Bible says that his strength left him. Just one woman offered him sex and took away what he carried. Don't let that strange being steal your glory. The same would have happened to Joseph but he resisted. However, it happened to Esau who couldn’t manage hunger and he lost it. Guard your glory by righteous living, careful walk, prayer and good company and you will never fail.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that your glory will not be available for harvesters of glory.
* Ask that the powers that defended the glory of Jesus will be at work in you.
* Ask God for sensitivity and grace to walk worthy of your divine glory.

The Price for the Prize

READ: Heb 12: 2
MORE LESSONS: Isa. 51:1-2
Bible Reading in one Year: Daniel 1-3

Jesus endured the cross for the glory that was set before Him. The glory of sitting at the right hand of God was the end result that Jesus wanted to achieve. But He had to make the sacrifice of enduring the cross in order for Him to get to the place of glory. Sacrifice is the price to pay for the prize of glory. You must get ready to make sacrifices if you want to see your glory manifested. There might be temporary pain or shame but there is always glory at the end. Jesus despised the shame and is now set at the right hand of the throne of God. Get ready to despise the shame, get ready to sacrifice something.

A man who will have glory cannot live the way everybody lives. Carriers of glory do not go just anywhere or do anything without bounds. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were asked to wash and purify their bodies. That is a symbol of spiritual purity, holiness and washing by the Word. A carrier of glory must stay away from sin. You were bought with a price, so you must magnify Christ in your body. Righteousness and holiness bring glory, beauty and honour.
There is no price that is paid for holiness that can compare with the glory that comes out of it. However, sin is not the only hindrance to glory. Therefore, there are other sacrifices to be made for glory to manifest. There are certain things that are actually not wrong or sinful but they are not expedient for a man who is on a quest for glory; there are certain things that are not sinful but are not needful for glory.

For example, eating is not a sin but fasting is a necessary sacrifice for glory. When others use their money to buy things that gratify the desires of the flesh but you decide to lay down your first fruits, pay your tithes and give to God, those are sacrifices. Others can be playing and watching movies but you invest your time in studying, developing yourself, praying and reading the Bible; you are making sacrifices. All these prices will eventually bring out glorious testimonies for you.

Prayer/Action
* Ask the Lord for grace to be able to make the required sacrifice for your glory.
* Declare that all your sacrifices (spiritual, financial) shall bring forth glorious testimonies.
* Receive the power to live in righteousness and holiness.

The Glory that Sleeps

Text: II Sam. 9:1-13
MORE LESSONS: Psa. 57:7-8
Bible Reading in one Year: Esther 8-10

A glory can sleep for not every man that carries glory manifests the remarkable. The reason is because some people's glory is active while some people’s is sleeping or inactive. There are abilities that have been incapacitated by satanic spirits inside you, and until you increase your flame on your knees, the glory will not wake up. You must get out of your comfort zone and go to a solitary place and awaken your glory that is, what God has placed inside you for your glory but which is lying dormant. There must be a doing, a pursuing of the glory for it to be manifested. There is one thing that you will do, which will announce your name to the whole world and awaken your glory.

Some people have, by ordinary cooking, stepped into glory. Others have been announced by service, prayer, giving, divine contact e.t.c. Get something doing; wake up the glory inside of you. The story of Mephiboseth interests me. This man was a disaster as he lost the throne and was crippled. He was a prince but bare and deserted. One day David asked for someone from the house of Saul to whom he could show mercy. And nobody else was remembered except this lame man. They brought Mephiboseth to David the king, and he restored to him the land of his grandfather, Saul (2 Sam. 9:10).

Saul acquired a lot of property when he was reigning over Israel. If you remember the words of Prophet Samuel about the type of king Israel was going to have, you will agree that Saul accumulated riches for himself, putting the people under hard labour and mandating them to pay tax to him. So when David restored all the lands that Saul had to Mephiboseth he virtually made him one of the richest in the land of Israel.

The servant of Mephiboseth was Ziba, and Ziba himself had fifteen sons and twenty servant s. That was the servant of Mephiboseth. Something happened to Mephiboseth's glory in the spiritual that he became an owner of servants so much that even his servant, Ziba, started hiring servants. May God restore your sleeping glory back to you today. God used David to awaken and restore the glory of Mephiboseth. I don’t know what He will use for you. It may be your prayer, service, fasting, giving, righteous living, favour, divine help that God will use. Whatever He will use, I command your glory to awaken today, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Command every dormant glory in you to wake up now.
* Rebuke every force that makes destinies dormant to give up over you.
* Ask God to connect you with glory lifters, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Confidence III

READ: Heb.10:35
MORE LESSONS: 2 Tim. 1: 6-9
Bible Reading in one Year: Esther 4-7

Many years ago, I was asked to preach and make altar call for sinners to give their lives to Jesus at a meeting where many great preachers were present. I was also given an impossible task to preach in ten minutes, and that was after a renowned man of God had finished preaching and made an altar call to sinners in the same congregation. The first thought that came to my mind was that if the preacher had preached and some people came out, there couldn't be any more sinner in the congregation. I also felt intimidated to preach in a meeting with so many great preachers present. But all the same I encouraged myself in the Lord and decided that I would just speak God's Word and God would be with me to confirm His Word.

When I got to the pulpit, I declared to the people, if you are in this congregation and you have not given your life to Jesus, you are a dead man. Immediately, I got everyone's attention. Then I said, I don't have all the time to read scriptures and preach, but if you know you have not given your life to Jesus, you are a dead man. So how many of you are ready to surrender to Him now? To my amazement and to the glory of God, thousands of people started trooping out to give their lives to Christ. This taught me a great lesson on confidence. Next time you speak about the Lord, talk with confidence. When you quote scriptures, quote with boldness.
Don't speak about Jesus to an unbeliever as if you are intimidated. This is the confidence that we have in Him that when we approach the throne of God with assurance, He will answer us (I Jn. 5:14). Next time you have an interview for job , visa , promotion e . t . c goin confidence. If the altar of God, the highest place in all of the universe can be approached in confidence, then you should not be intimidated by any lesser human being. Have confidence in God, yourself and all that God has placed in your hands. If your confidence is constantly weakening, check three things:

I. Your knowledge of God’s Word.

ii. Your company.

iii. The kind of things you give your ears and your eyes to.

Remember, God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). So be confident to declare the Word of God, deal with any evil dream, revelation or any force of wickedness. You are the child of the Most High, therefore take your place.

Prayer/Action
* Ask the spirit of courage, boldness and sound mind to come upon you afresh today.
* Say to your fear, “I am the child of the Most High, I cannot be dominated by fear”
Read Isa. 11:1-2 and invite the seven spirits of God upon your life.?

Confidence II

READ: Heb 4: 16
MORE LESSONS: James 5: 16-18
Bible Reading in one Year: Esther 1-3

Some years ago, rain delayed in the city where  our  church headquartered is located. The traditional ruler who was a Muslim sent a mail to the church asking us to pray to God requesting for rain. We prayed and sent back to the Sarki (the traditional ruler) that there would be rain between 5pm and 7pm that same day . We actually gave him time! When the emissary left, I said to myself, Oh my God! What have I just done? After service that day , I did not go home, I stayed in the place of prayer; and the rain began. The point is that you should be bold and confident in your prayers and Jehovah will reward your confidence in Him.

Our first text tells us to come to the throne of grace in the time of need, but it also shows us that it is important how we come. You get answer by coming to God boldly and confidently. Your confidence in God as you pray to Him determines whether you get answer to your prayer or not. Don't pray as if you do not know the ability of the God to whom you are praying. Don't say , Lord the preacher said you can change the matter confronting me and so I have come to see whether it is Your will or not for me to get answer .... That is not a prayer of confidence in God. No confident child walks to his father fidgeting. God loves to see His children great, bold and confident in the place of prayer. However, sin makes a child fear to appear before his father.

The prodigal son is one example of a confident child. Evidently he sinned, nevertheless as soon as he came back to his right mind, he was confident that he had a father who would forgive and he was not disappointed. If you have any wrong doing, confess it, settle with Heaven and take your confidence back. I am sure the Father will not disappoint you. It’s time to live in confidence again.

Prayer/Action 
* Give thanks for the privilege to stand before the King of kings with confidence.
* Ask the blood of Jesus to wipe out anything that can erode your confidence before Him.
* Ask God to reveal to you anything that has been a hindrance to your prayers and take it away.

Confidence I

READ: 1 Jn 5: 14
MORE LESSONS: Gen. 21:1-2
Bible Reading in one Year: Nehemiah 10-13

I want to say emphatically that God answers prayers. If you have been praying to God for anything, I want to give you the assurance that God will answer you. However, there i s a condition given in our text today and once this condition is met the answer to your prayer cannot elude you. According to the first scripture, if you ask anything according to God’s will, He will surely answer you. This means that once you have been able to establish that your request is according to the will of God, when you pray , you are as good as walking in the answer .

The important question that must be answered is, What then is the will of God? As many things as are written in the Scripture are the will of God. Search the Scripture for God's promises; as many of those promises as you lay your hands on are the will of God for you. If it is written in the Word of God, it is God's will for you. The answer must come when you pray according to His Word because God cannot lie about His Word. The promises of a man can fail but the promises of God can never fail. Today I want you to locate what is written concerning you and pray based on that promise, and you can be confident that the answer is inevitable. This is the assurance that I want to give you today that there is certainty of answer to your prayers.

Another certainty is the factor of faith, If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord: Jam.1:5-7.
Today , answer will be your testimony , in Jesus’ mighty name.

Prayer/Action
* Give thanks that you have the God who answers prayer.
* Tell God that since He answered others like Abraham in the Bible, you believe He
will answer you.
* Tell God you have confidence in Him.

Signs of Stolen Glory

READ: Nah. 2:2-3
MORE LESSONS: Jer . 48:12-13
Bible Reading in one Y ear: Nehemiah 7-9

There are many instances in both contemporary and Bible times when people have been robbed of their glory . It is a cheap thing to be robbed of material things no matter how expensive they are, but it is a terrible thing to be robbed of your glory . Y our glory is the key to every other thing in your life, so if you allow it to be stolen you can never be the same again in destiny . In our first text we are told that emptiers have stolen the excellency of Jacob and he is empty . it shall not be so for you. What are the signs of stolen glory?

i. You suddenly become a shadow of yourself because you are empty . Certain things you do with ease suddenly become difficult for you because your ability and strength have disappeared. It is a sign that something is wrong with your glory and that needs an urgent attention. Don't be quiet about it, cry to God for help, stand firm in the place of prayer and take back your glory .
ii. You begin to have constant setbacks. Y ou discover that you work hard but things are not working out. One of the most frustrating things in life is to work hard and have nothing to show for it, it is a sign that the enemies are right behind and before you, wasting your effort.

iii. You are valueless among your colleagues and in the society , you become an object of ridicule and people prefer others to you. Nothing you say ever makes sense to them because somebody stole your glory . Ask the Lord to take away that shame from your life today .

iv . Perennial barrenness in business and in the family . Other people’ s businesses are working but your own is not working. You enter into a business because there are people doing it and they have good returns but the reverse is the case for you. You carry something of value but nobody patronises you. These are signs that your glory has been stolen. You can rise again if only you will call God into the matter, asking Him to bring back your glory

v . You lose self-confidence. A man who has lost his glory is always afraid and not confident. Success in a man's life will be a difficult thing if he loses his confidence because confidence makes many things to work in your life if it is applied. It was with confidence that Esther entered into the king's palace, she was not afraid of death and after applying that confidence, the stolen glory was restored. It doesn't matter how long the enemy has stolen your glory , today , God will restore it back to you.

Prayer/Action
* Pray against all robbers of destiny to stay away from your life.
* Ask that your glory will not go to another.
* Plead the blood of Jesus on your life and work against robbers of destiny .
Take the second text and reject every negative prophecy therein.?

Not Just a Cloud

Text: Gen. 15:1-18
MORE LESSONS: Exo. 19:9
Bible Reading in one Year: Nehemiah 4-6

Glory is a divine currency for getting the good things of life. You need a better understanding of what glory is beyond the religious understanding of glory as a cloud. Glory has passed the stage of being a cloud, it is the manifestation of God such as favour , help, honour e.t.c that makes things happen in an unusual way. Even when glory appeared to the Israelites as a cloud in the wilderness, it was a manifestation by which the Red Sea was parted, the Egyptians were drowned and the Israelites walked on dry land in the sea and ate manna in the wilderness. Each time God was about to reach the people, the cloud descended and God began to demonstrate the very act. And the moment the people saw the cloud they knew that God had descended and something was about to happen. So the manifestation of the glory is a release or sign that God is about to show His power. .

The cloud itself was not the glory; it was the symbol of a presence that made something happen. So the moment you know that there is a release of God's glory upon you, it is a divine manifestation that makes things happen. Gen. 15 is an account of an occasion when God came down and had a crucial discussion with Abraham on His entire plan for him. It started in verse 1 with a vision. In verse 9, Abraham wanted a proof that God would do what He promised and God asked him to prepare a sacrifice on an altar . Then in verse 12, God visited the altar but first a dark cloud fell upon Abraham and God spoke to him. It was beyond a cloud for Abraham because he heard God.

As God visited Abraham, God will visit you beyond the cloud. He will reverse your misfortune. He will clear your doubt and establish His promises for you. In verse 17, the cloud returned in the form of a smoking fire pot. God’s visitation to you will not be limited to one time. You will see the glory . I prophesy to you right now that your destiny will not be over until you taste glory . A life without glory is a wasted destiny . When you lack glory , you can’t enjoy the good things of life. Glory is the thing that makes things happen in your life, it is that very atmosphere that attracts the good things of life to you without struggle; it is the realm of rest. Therefore a life without glory is a dead destiny . Glory is not just a cloud, it is about walking in God’s acts.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to visit you in a special way today.
* Ask that God's visitation to your life will not be limited.
* Pray against hindrances to divine visitation.

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No Evil

Text: Psalm 91: 1-10
MORE LESSONS: Psalm 91: 1-16
Bible Reading in one Year: Nehemiah 1-3

With all the evil and terrifying events around, we need assurance of security and safety more than anything in the world today. The media is full of reports of disasters and terrible occurrences that can create fear and panic but I want you to know that fear will not help you, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power , and of love, and of a sound mind: 2 Tim 1:7. If a man takes all that is going on around him to heart, he will begin to doubt the promises of safety and security in the Scripture. Therefore, I encourage you not to doubt because doubt will make you vulnerable.

We need faith in the Word of God now than ever before. You need the knowledge of God's Word and faith to stand on the Word. When predictions of evil are everywhere and threats and r u m o u r s t h a t c a u s e p a n i c a r e predominant, that is the time to believe and stand on the Word of God and confess, A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked:v7. Stand on what the Word says and nothing else. This is the victory that overcomes, even your faith.

Even if there is any evil prediction about your life, your family , the church or the nation, I want you to know that faith overcomes evil predictions. Faith in the Word of God is superior to the predictions and analyses of men. By faith in the Word of God no evil shall befall you and no plague shall come near your dwelling, in Jesus’ name.

When God visited the land of Egypt with ten plagues, He told the children of Israel to anoint the lintels of their houses with the blood of the animals that were sacrificed so that when He saw the blood, He would pass over them. This simply means that they were not meant to partake of the afflictions of Egypt, but if any Israelites refused to do as the Lord said they would suffer the same afflictions as the Egyptians suffered. Jesus taught us that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So it does not matter what evil lurks in the day , the Word of God for each day is our security . God gave a word to the Israelites and they obeyed and were delivered.

If you hear God's Word to you each day and obey , it shall also come to pass that a thousand shall fall by your right and ten thousand by your left but no evil shall come near you; with your eyes only you will behold the recompense of the wicked. No evil is permitted in your life this year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prayer/Action
* Thank God for His promises to defend you in the days of evil.
* Pray Psa. 91:10-16 on your life.
* Declare that you will ever dwell in safety in the remaining days of 2014.

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