Prevailing I

Text: Psa. 18: 29-40
More Lessons: I Sam. 2: 7-9
Bible Read in one Year: Numbers 31-33

One of the sports I used to enjoy watching is wrestling. I wouldn't take part in it but I loved to watch it. In wrestling, the hero is the one that eventually prevails over the opponent to the point of getting him to surrender or getting the opponent so defeated and pressed down that he is unable to stand before the count of three. The referee then lifts up the hand of the winner. The two wrestlers are strong but the winner is stronger and so prevails. Prevailing is a state of being greater in strength or influence; you prevail when you have a stronger and greater influence.

Another dimension to prevailing is becoming so more effective that you win. So prevailing has to do with these three; being greater in strength, being greater in influence and being more effective, by the reason of which you get on top of the situation that competes or is in conflict with you. The underlying concept in prevailing is that there is comparison of one with another and prevailing is the consequence of being greater than something or someone.

It is important that you understand prevailing from the perspective of being stronger, greater and ever staying on top. It is the will of God that you stand above and conquer the things that contest with you and conquer them. God’s will is that you don't stay under in any situation but that you be greater. You excel in an examination by staying on top of failure.

When you have a stronger spiritual strength and influence, you deal with demons, sins and sicknesses; you start pursuing things that have been pursuing you in the dream and when you pray, miracles happen. That is prevailing. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth: 3Jn. 1:2. This scripture is actually not only referring to prospering in finances but it also refers to every area of your life. It is my prayer for you to do well spiritually, and that in business you don't bow to financial needs nor be under in any matter.

Many people are defeated because they lack strength, influence or efficiency. But King David in our text testified of God's strength to run through a troop, (v29). How? By the strength supplied by God (v32). Look at the secret of that strength: He teacheth my hands to war, …… given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up,... Thou hast enlarged my steps under me,… v 33-36. And the result in vs 37-40 include power to pursue, overtake and consume enemies. This is all because … thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle:… v39a. Today, receive strength to prevail over all your battles.

Prayer/Action
* Give God thanks for His promise of victory to His children.
* Ask God for power to be greater in strength, influence and effectiveness in all matters of your life.
* Pray that you will never be a victim in life but a victor to the glory of God.

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It Matters who You Marry

Saturday, 22 March
Text: 2 Cor . 6:14-18
More Lessons: Eph. 5:7-10
Bible Reading in One Year: Numbers 28-30

If indeed you are a true child of God, then it matters who you marry. As a believing parent, it matters who your child marries. Marriage is so central to a person's life, future, and happiness as well as the fulfilment of the plan and purpose of God for his/her life that one can’t afford to be careless about the choice of a life partner. It is an issue that should be given all the diligence and prayer it deserves.

Throughout the Scripture, God treats marriage as a very serious matter and God's covenant people in the Scripture gave the matter of marriage a very careful and proper attention. It was God that gave Eve to Adam (Gen.2:18). Abraham insisted that Isaac his son should not marry a Canaanite. He sent his servant to go and pick a wife from among his people for Isaac (Gen.28:1-4).

How properly you marry will determine how well connected you will be with the covenant blessings of God. In several places in the Bible, God warns His people not to intermarry with the idolatrous Canaanites; rather they should marry from among God's covenant people. So also our text says you cannot be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. As a believer you cannot marry someone who (is):
1. Not yet born again,
2. A backslider,
3. Living in sin and is not ready to repent,
4. Already married,
5. Eager to go to bed with you before marriage, and
6. Does not share your faith, belief, and core-values.

You are to marry by God's leading and to a person in Christ. It is important to seek the consent and approval of your parents and spiritual leaders before you finalise any marriage deal. In fact, it is better to carry them along from the beginning. May the Lord lead and guide you in this vital decision of life, in Jesus' mighty name. However, if you have already made a mistake in this regard, seek the face of the Lord for divine intervention and help. Don't take any rash decision, seek for counsel from a Bible-believing spiritual leader and carry your spouse along in any decision. Marriage needs care, so handle it God’s Word and wisdom.

Prayer/Action
* Give thanks to God because His Spirit is ever willing and ready to direct you.
* Pray for young people that God will direct them in this crucial issue of marriage and that they will hear and obey the voice of the Lord.
* Pray against any doctrine of satan in marital issues that they will no longer prevail over our youths.

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Fruitfulness II

Friday, 21 March
Text : John 19: 30-34
More Lessons: Psa. 92: 12-15
Bible Reading in One Y ear: Numbers 25-27

Bareness, as we discussed yesterday, is not only when a person does not bring forth a child biologically. Every child of God who has led a soul to Christ is fruitful. The blessing of fruitfulness has been upon the earth before man started to bear children, which means it is not just about child-bearing. However, by His work on the cross, Jesus also made provision for biological fruitfulness.

But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water: John 19:33-34. When Jesus' side was pierced, blood and water came forth. This brings a picture to my mind of when mothers give birth, how water and blood also come forth. The relationship is that when the side of Jesus was pierced and water and blood came out, the price for fruitfulness was paid. Jesus actually brought forth water and blood from His side close to where the womb is located in women as a symbol of the defeat over barreness.

What Jesus paid for here, according to this scripture, is inclusive but not limited to just child bearing. He paid the price for your all round fruitfulness. You can appropriate the piercing of the sides of Jesus against any unfruitfulness in your life whether financial, material, physical or biological. By the blood and water from the Master's side, every unfruitfulness is terminated in your life, in Jesus’ name. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing: Psa. 92:12-14.

You shall also be fat with the good of life means you will be full of good results. Flourishing talks about expansion, enlargement, extension and be established beyond all deficits in life. Fatness, fullness and flourishing are your portion because the earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof' (Psa. 24:1). This is not only for some select people, but for every child of God. It is the will and the desire of the Father that each of His children flourishes and be fruitful. To bring forth fruit in old age can be directly applied to bringing forth biological children even in old age. With God, age is not a barrier to child bearing; menopause is a pause, it is not a stop. I declare you fruitful in whatever area of your life you desire it today, in Jesus’ mighty name.

Prayer/Action
* Say with me, “Every natural and demonic force confronting God's command for me to be of fruitful, be swallowed up, in Jesus' name.”
* Declare that you are a planting of the Lord and must flourish, in Jesus’name.
* Command that none shall be barren in the house of our God.

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Topic: Fruitfulness I

Text: Gen 1: 20-31
More Lessons: Gen 21: 1-7
Bible Reading in One Year: Numbers 21-24

Fruitfulness means to bring forth an increase, to produce or reproduce. Fruitfulness predates man. In other words, before God created man, He had already ordained that everything He created would bring forth fruit. So your life and destiny must bear fruit. Fruitfulness was the gift God gave man after creation. The first major thing God did after He created man was to bless him: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth: Gen 1:28.

Fruitfulness is not just a wish or mere desire, it's a commandment of God to man. It is a declaration, a decree from God. So when you are doing something and it is not bringing forth fruit, you should let that thing know that it is not obeying the law of God. Breaking the commandments incurs punishment as recorded in the Bible, therefore, whatever prevents your fruitfulness is an enemy of the Word of God; rebuke it. Fruitfulness is not limited to child bearing; if it was, we would have to conclude that Jesus was barren but this is obviously not so. The fact is that you and I are His spiritual children. Barreness is not only when a person does not bring forth a child naturally. Any child of God who has not led a soul to Christ, whether he brought forth children physically or not, is unfruitful. If you have led someone to Christ, then you are not barren. We should not always limit fruitfulness to biological child bearing.

Every time God said to be fruitful we see things brought forth; the birds of the air, the trees and fishes in the sea are all evidences of multiplication and fruitfulness by the commandment of God. The law of fruitfulness in the Scripture has never been contravened and it won't be broken in your life, in Jesus’ name.

When God wiped off the first earth, He asked Noah to bring the animals into the ark in their twos, which Noah did (Gen 6 :19). After the flood, the blessing of fruitfulness over the earth was repeated; And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth: Gen 9:1. That was the second time God was blessing the earth with fruitfulness. He did this to ensure that you are fruitful no matter what happens. By all means you shall be fruitful, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Release the spirit of fruitfulness upon your destiny.
* Rebuke every attempt of the enemy to make you stagnant and barren.
* Pray for everyone around you that the enemy has hindered from fruitfulness.
* Pray that you will never be barren of good things.

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