Strengthened for Battle

TEXT: Eph.6:10-18, MORE LESSONS: 2Tim.2:1-7

Strength is defined as a state of being strong. A strong army, strong financial base, strong personality etc.  all speak of strength. In this age everything is about strength, from the cradle to the grave, from Egypt to Canaan. Weakness is the absence of strength and a weak Christian is a defeated Christian. Wherever there is weakness failure is imminent, so if you hate to fail, you must increase your strength.

There is nothing that makes a man succeed that is related with weakness. Grace, anointing, help, glory are all strength related. Apostle Paul ends his letter to the Ephesians, ...be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might Eph 6:10. Then he enumerates what the Ephesians must do to be strong. They are to put on God’s armour made of truth, righteousness, preaching of the Gospel of peace, faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, i.e. the Word of God, constant prayer and supplication in the spirit , being watchful always , perseverance and intercessory life (Eph.6:14-18). An armour is a protective covering which Paul wants us to wear in order to resist the enemy and as a shield to stop the arrows that Satan aims at us Eph.6:13,16).

From these verses, it is obvious that the Scripture, written over 2000 years ago, is now being fulfilled in our days. So you need to strengthen yourself for the battle. Verse 13 speaks of the “evil days” and verse 16 gives the definition of the evil day as a time when the devil will shot his “burning arrows” (G.H.T.D) at believers. The burning arrows are now all over-insecurity, church bombings, assassination of Christians, abject poverty, strange diseases, heresy, false prophets, worldly churches, worldly brethren in the name of liberty and globalisation, etc.

Beloved, it is war time; only those who wear their armour are safe. Look at those elements of the armour once again, and ensure that none is missing on you, from your helmet of salvation on the head to the Gospel sandals on the feet. That is the only way to be strong for the battle, the only key to guide against weakness and failure.

From today be armed with your weapons, put on your armour and you will be strengthened for the battle of faith. The song writer has rightly spoken, “Christians seek not yet reposed, hear your guiding angels say, thou art in the midst of foes, watch and pray”. Don't retreat. I hear our Captain say we shall overcome.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Give God thanks for not allowing you to be swept away by your weaknesses.

* Thank God for the provision of defensive armour ahead of the days of evil.

* Ask the Lord to empower you against every form of weakness in your Christian race.

* Prophesy the armour of God in Eph.6:14-18 to your life one by one.

 Create time to memorise all the armours today. Finally, prophesy that you will not lose any battle to weakness this year.

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Top Up II

TEXT: 2Pet. 1:1-5, MORE LESSONS: Col.1:1-10

Yesterday we established the fact that every anointed man of God needs a constant refilling of the anointing to stay relevant and useful. The point is that anything in use must be serviced to remain useful. This is true of both the human and material world. Anything you use without refilling must finish. However usage is not the only way by which a resource can be depleted. It could also be by leakage. Leakage is defined as the undesired and gradual escape of any material resulting in a loss.

Anointing can leak as a result of carelessness in a believer as it happened to Samson, a man highly anointed but he fell into immorality. Samson's anointing actually leaked because he never knew power was escaping out of him until Delilah was done with him and he found himself empty, …And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him Judges 16:20. Talkativeness, evil company, lack of self discipline, hatred, variance, wrath, emulation, strife, sedition, heresy, envying, murder, drunkenness, reveling (Gal 5:19-21), cause spiritual leakage among others, which a believer must avoid. How do you avoid leakage of anointing?

Purge yourself of all carnal/fleshly living and set your affection on things above, Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,…. Col 3:5. Our text says keep adding, ... II Pet.1:5-6. The addition leads to maturity, ...they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful….2Pet.1:8. It concludes in verse 9, But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off....

These are keys to a fruitful life. The anointing of God is for fruitful living the secret of which is constant addition to whatever already exists. Top up; block any leakage and constantly add to your oil. Don't wait until you notice dryness before refilling, that may be too dangerous. The wisdom of the five virgins was in the extra oil they carried for top up when the bridegroom delayed. Add, and don't ever stop adding until you see Jesus. giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness

PRAYER/ACTION

* Ask God to keep you thirsty for more of Him.

* Tell the Lord to help you never to think you have enough of Him.

* Ask God to end every spiritual leakage in your life.

* Lift your hands up and begin to ask the Spirit of God to pour upon you His power.

* Today, join hands with somebody of like mind and say a word of prayer for your pastor/mentor.

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Top Up I

TEXT: Matt.14:15-23, MORE LESSONS: Prov. 4:23-26

Anything that is in constant use needs to be topped up or else it will finish; this includes, but not A limited to, the anointing of God upon a person. In Luke 8:46 when the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus' garment, Jesus immediately noticed and commented. That was a proof that each time Jesus ministered, there was a drop in the anointing, though the anointing upon Him was without measure. It is commendable that Jesus was sensitive enough to know that something left Him; but the absence of such sensitivity has caused many church workers and ministers disastrous losses. Some work and have no sense that the anointing in them is reducing with every service until weakness begins to manifest, occasioned by emptiness. This is more with ministers without spiritual back-up in form of prayer supporters.

Several times Paul repeatedly solicits for prayer, Brethren, pray for us 1 Thess. 5:25, Finally, brethren, pray for us…. 2Thess.3:1, Pray for us: for…. Heb13:18. Jesus, though God, never flowed in the anointing without refilling and topping up. In our reading, after the miracle of multiplying bread and fish, He refused to go into celebration but rather withdrew to top up the anointing with hours of prayer (v23). In fact, He was there until about 3am in the morning (v25).

We all must learn from Jesus’ example. We must learn to pray not only before service/programme but after. The prayer after must be as serious as the one before the programme. Praying after a service helps you first to give the glory back to God, renew your strength and to begin the preparation for the next one.

A constant refilling after a programme is the secret of a greater tomorrow. This is as important for the ministers/leaders of a programme as well as the co-workers. If you want your leader to last and do more, whether he asks you for prayer or not, pray for him, back him up. It is easier to pray before the programme than after. Often brethren savour the joy of victory and the sense of fulfilment. But Jesus overcame all this and topped up after a miracle. I wish just a quarter of women who celebrated David after the killing of Goliath went back to raise an altar of prayer for David and his battle with Saul occasioned by that victory might have been tempered. Learn to refill, and start the preparation for the next assignment immediately after the last one.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Give thanks to God for being ever there to renew your strength.

* Ask God to help you be more sensitive to the state of your spirit.

* Proclaim that you will not dry up and you will not be a spiritual disaster.

* Put your hands on your head and for the next five minutes concentrate your thoughts on God and begin to say “Lord refill me now with Your Spirit”.

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Word for Triumph

TEXT: Gen 1:1-5, MORE LESSONS: Josh 14:6-7, 9, 10

The earth was without form and void until God's Word came to it. Life also is void, without form, and filled only with darkness until the Word of the Lord comes into it. I pray God give you understanding of this text because it is the root of all that you desire in life. Until God's Word comes into your life, just like the earth at creation, your life will simply remain empty and without form or beauty whatsoever.

From the text, this beautiful earth was an ugly, chaotic and shapeless place until Jehovah showed up and began to speak to it. Lazarus remained a dead man, rotten and smelling until his word came, …Lazarus, come forth Jn.11:43. Your situation remains dead and rotten until you locate and speak God's Word to it.

Although a prophet of God, Jeremiah remained unfocused, without direction and purposeless until his word came, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; … and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jere.1:5. The phrase, a prophet unto the nations, changed his perspective entirely, he stopped seeing himself as a local prophet sent only to Israel; now he knew he was an international prophet sent to nations. While thousands were dying in the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan, Joshua and Caleb were simply dreaming of the type of house they would have in Canaan, because they already had God's Word for the journey, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb … and Joshua …. Num.14:30. All the age mates of Simeon died of sickness, old age, attack, etc but Simeon refused to die like others, because he had God's Word that he would not die until he had seen the Saviour born (Lk.1:25-26). He lived until he saw the Saviour.

Caleb made it to Canaan but remained empty without any possession in the land until he laid hold on the Word of God for his life, Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day…. Josh.14:12. You too need to lay hold on God's Word for your life by reading, studying and praying God's Word into your situation or else you will be empty, void and shapeless like the earth was initially. When Joseph's Word came, he prevailed over the prison. Today, by God's Word I see you break your prison doors (Ps. 105:19-20).

PRAYER/ACTION

Start prophesying now over your life and destiny. Declare that:

* Your destiny will not be barren of anything good.

* You will reach your Canaan.

 You will triumph in life, spiritual and physical.

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