God is Ever Willing

TEXT: Matt. 8:1-3. MORE LESSONS: Matt. 9:18-19

It is a disadvantage to have a wrong perception of God. Therefore, it is wrong for anybody to assume that God is not willing to let him off the hook, like the leper in our text. This is share ignorance. God is merciful, kind and generous. Whatever you are going through, approach Him as a Father and don't be discouraged by the gravity of your sin because the blood of Jesus is enough to cleanse you from all forms of oppression and sin.

The prodigal son took courage and confidently walked to his father after squandering his inheritance, asking to be a servant, I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned ... And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants Lk. 15:18-19. You ought to do the same; go back to God, tell Him you are sorry, He is ever willing to forgive. Don't even have a servant mentality, go as a son, you are not a servant but a son ...I have called you friends.... Jn. 15:15. Your willingness is what is in question, now take a bold step and approach the throne of grace.

It took courage for the leper to approach Jesus because he did not know whether Jesus would be willing to heal him, and also because a leper was an outcast. But Jesus proved to him that none is an outcast no matter their state spiritually or otherwise. He is also willing any day to heal, save, restore, deliver or do any good, if you are willing to approach His throne of grace, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land Isa. 1:19. The first step to a blessing from God is willingness. It is willingness that brings obedience and obedience stirs Heaven to do anything.

Are you willing to be blessed of God in any area of life? Prove your willingness by living up to God's expectation from today and bring His power to bear in your matter. God is willing if you are willing. In fact, God is more willing than man, if only we will approach Him in faith believing, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4:16.

The leper came by faith and went away with healing. If you too can approach Heaven through prayer, faith and obedience, you will be delivered.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Ask God to take away anything that is an hindrance to your approaching the throne of grace.

* Tell God you are willing to walk in obedience, He should therefore bless you today.

* Ask that the power that cleansed the leper come upon you and take shame and reproach away from your destiny today.

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Living Praise

TEXT: Dan. 6:11-26., MORE LESSONS: Matt. 5:16.

I have found that praising God should not be limited to singing and clapping in the church, it should be an on-going daily activity. The life you live can determine whether your praise is acceptable to God or not. If you sing well but live wrongly, your praise and worship will have no value, but if you live well, your life will be accepted before God as an offering of praise and worship.

Looking at the life of men who brought praise to God by their absolute commitment to Him, two things stand out: 1. Praising God should not be limited to singing on Sunday. Living a life that pleases God is superior to just singing praises to Him. 2. God treasures praises from a holy heart. Daniel is an example of such men. The Bible says Daniel rejected the king's special food that was first offered to an idol so that he could live a life pleasing to God. Daniel became relevant because he lived a life that was pleasing to God.

In Daniel chapter 6, he had to make a choice whether to please the king and stop praying to Jehovah or obey God and be cast into the den of lions. He chose to enjoy God forever instead of temporary pleasure on earth. You too will always need to make a choice between light and darkness, between good and evil.

When Daniel chose to be cast into the den of lions, God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions. Eventually, the king acknowledged the God of Daniel as the only true God. Thus Daniel honoured God with his life and in return God protected him and honoured him.

Living right brings praise to God, so let your life give praise to God. It is absolute hypocrisy to dance, sing and clap hands to God out of a sinful heart. In fact, it is an abomination to God, the one that gives an acceptable praise to God is, He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart…. Ps. 24:4. Choir members and worship leaders should know that melody is not God's priority or else it will amount to ordinary entertainment of men. The combination of clean hands, a right heart and jubilant praise to God can do wonders in Heaven and on the earth; it can break prison doors. Living praise is righteous praise and that is what Heaven desires. It can do great things. It is a tool in the hands of the righteous to bring Heaven down.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Ask God to help you praise Him with your life and work.

* Ask God for the power of purified praise.

* Ask God to release the power in praise each time you lift holy hands to Him.

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Activate The Word

TEXT: Rom. 10:8-10, MORE LESSONS: Num. 13:26-33

One of the lessons God sought to teach the Israelites during the forty years of wandering in the desert was to bring them to a definite realisation of the power and supremacy of His Word over all situations. It is only by this clear understanding that people can wait for the fulfilment of God's Word. The Lord also expects His Church to understand that it was for a purpose that He took the people by the way of the wilderness where they encountered hunger, thirst, snakes, wars etc. In all of these God showed the sufficiency of His Word to provide water, food, deliverance from Egypt etc. The lesson today is that for a man to be what God wants him to be, he must be delivered from Egypt and self.

Until a man is delivered from self, it is difficult to learn of God. He wanted Israel to learn to trust His Word in spite of the difficulties. His Word rules over all. He also taught the people to remain resolute in their faith even in the face of opposition. To become anything in God's hands, you must learn to live by His Word even when others don't.

God expects you to stand on His Word as you make choices in all matters, even when such choices are unpopular, as long as they are godly and scriptural, stick to them. God's Word has everything that you need for godliness and prosperity in life and destiny. Read it, obey it and activate its force by confessing it. No matter how great an automobile is, until you ignite the engine none of its capabilities and functions will be useful. You need to ignite the Word by speaking it. Everything is in the Word but it will not go to work for you until you take it out of the written to the spoken, ...The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart.... Rom.10:8. So for effectiveness of the Word, read it, believe it in your heart and confess it. Activate the Word today by believing and confessing it and see the Word go to work.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Ask that God's Word will release its treasures to you as you confess it over any area of your life.

* Declare that you will be a testifier of God's Word at work, beginning from today.

* Proclaim that God's Word will have the rule over your destiny.

 Memorise one promise of God today and give thanks to God for its fulfilment in your life. Declare this throughout the day.

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Be Teachable

READ: Matt. 18:1-6, More Lessons: Matt. 13:11-17.

One attribute that endears children to their teachers is their teachableness. Little children are so teachable that if you teach them a wrong concept, it will take a long time to get them to unlearn it. They will disbelieve their parents and cling to their teacher's instructions and doctrines. Little wonder that Jesus in today's reading exhorts His followers to be like little children. In other words, be teachable, which implies a willingness to acknowledge your inabilities, ignorance and lack of skills. It involves being humble and willing to sit under the one who knows better and learn. Jesus calls, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls Matt. 11:29.

Christ is the best teacher whose teachings are with authority and life changing power as testified by His disciples. They enjoyed and profited from the teachings of Jesus through the help of the Holy Spirit. You must acquire the attitude of the disciples, ...as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us....Lk. 11:1.

Being teachable has several advantages

1. It helps to avoid waste of time in ignorance over what you lack skills to do.

2. It leads to increased knowledge for the learner.

3. It adds skills to you as you put yourself under the appropriate instructor.

4. It reduces stress that comes from lack of the know-how.

5. It leads to success without struggle.

6. It is the key to inherit eternal life.

When you stop learning, you stop growing, spiritually and physically, because no man is created an island of knowledge. Somebody always knows something you do not know, and you always know what somebody does not know, it is in exchanging what you know for what you don't know that you become better informed and greatly empowered. Never refuse to learn because knowledge is power; seek for knowledge, buy it, make it a part of all you do. Don't allow any opportunity to learn pass you by. It is one way to be great.

PRAYER/ACTION

* Reject unteachable spirit out of your life.

* Tell the Lord to grant you a teachable spirit like little children.

* Declare that no counsel of hell will prevail over your day.

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