Reason to Sing

READ: Psa..40:1-5
MORE LESSONS: Psa. 124: 1-8
Bible Reading in One Year: Deuteronomy 26-28

Apparently, there are many things men consider in order to make merry and such include success in an examination, safe delivery of a new baby, birthday and wedding ceremonies among others.... is any merry? Let him sing psalms: Jam. 5: 13. When you talk about making merry and singing to the Lord, a lot of people think it is until they get a new job or when any of the things listed above happens. However, there are things which when a man considers, he shows sincere gratitude to God with a joyful heart. One thing to think about is to remember where you are coming from. Anyone will be qualified for joy, singing and making merry should he just remember where the Lord took him from. If you will think about yesterday and remember your beginning, you will think of singing psalms and rejoicing. Whatever is your condition today, think of where you are coming from and your heart will be merry.
In thinking about your past, it's also important you think about your colleagues that you started together with. Ask yourself, ‘Are they dead or living?’ “Are they happy or just pretending to be getting by through life?” Just look around your life. How many of your colleagues are truly as happy as you are? How many of the people you started primary school with are still alive? The people you started together with may not even be dead but you will realize that you are not the most backward; you surely are not behind as you think. Also, still considering yesterday, ask yourself, “If God had not been on my side, what or where could I have been today?” Remember some crucial stages when there was no intervention, it would have been a different story. The Psalmist simply looked back and remembered the 'horrible pit, the miry clay (v2), the many wonderful works, and thoughts and he declared: … if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. v5. Count your blessings today, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. I have a reason to give thanks; I hope you do too. Just by recounting our past experiences everybody needs to make

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to help you never to forget His goodness.
* T ell God you are grateful for all things and believe in His love to make you a symbol of testimony for the rest of your life.
* Renew your decision never to stop believing Him in all circumstances.

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Sing Psalms to the Lord

READ: Jm. 5:13 MORE LESSONS: Exo. 15:1-21
Bible Reading in One Y ear: Deuteronomy 23-25

The scripture shows us that God wants us to be joyful and also teaches us how to handle joy . '…Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms: Jm. 5:13. God attached a responsibility to happiness – which is that we should sing to the Lord. He went further to tell the type of song to sing. When you want to show God that you are happy, sing psalms unto our God. The word 'psalms' here doesn't just mean quoting the book of Psalms; it primarily means that you sing songs that make meaning and are taken from God's Word. Sing songs that are connected with the theme of the gospel of Christ. Until you sing songs that make meaning in the spiritual realm, you are not yet singing psalms. Singing psalms involves making melodies that are based on the Word of God. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea: Exo. 15:1 . Making melodies unto God is a responsibility that expresses our gratitude, merriment and happiness. Many people have wasted their lives doing all manner of things in the name of showing happiness but the Bible encourages believers to show happiness by singing psalms unto God.
Just like the children of Israel sang psalms to God after miraculously crossing over the Red Sea. As you rejoice, celebrate, and sing, there is also edification for your spirit because God seeks worship in spirit and truth which the psalms give Him.
Well, some may think they can't sing because they do not have a reason to be merry but such a person should just look ahead. Can you see any ray of hope ahead of you? Is there a possibility that you will be better than what you are today? If so, then you have a reason to make merry and sing psalms. Even if all things are bad, there is still a ray of hope that all will be right as it is not over with you yet. Job says, Though your beginning maybe small. Yet your latter end shall greatly increase: Job 8: 7. Do you believe that tomorrow will be alright? Then the Bible says merriment is your portion; celebrate by singing psalms. God wants you to do it continuously. Don't sing psalms only today; next time your heart is heavy, sing a song of hope. Always create a heart that is filled with joy because God is able. From today you shall always have reasons to sing songs of joy to the Lord, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Prophesy to yourself that the rest of this year shall be filled with rejoicing.
* Cancel every plan of the enemy to steal your joy this year.
? Anoint yourself for the spirit of gladness and joy, no more heaviness.
? Pick a scriptural verse today and sing it all day .
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The All-Sufficient God

READ: Phil. 4: 10-19
MORE LESSONS: Gen. 22: 1-18
Bible Reading in One Y ear: Deuteronomy 20-22

And my God will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus: Phil 4:19. We serve a God who is more than enough. The reason God can confidently tell you He will supply all your needs is because He is confident that the source of His resources is inexhaustible. I can't imagine any wealthy man on earth who can volunteer that anyone with a need should come to him for the need to be met. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine: Ps 50:10-11 (NKJV). The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell there in: Psa. 24:1. Jehovah is the owner of the entire universe; His assets are unlimited. No child of God should be living in poverty because the earth and its fullness belong to God, your Father. A child of a rich man can only be poor if he is ignorant of what his father has or if he does not have a proper relationship with his father.
We have to know that Jehovah is a God of principles. He has His codes of conduct and He will not do anything outside or against His Word. We should not be ignorant of the principles of our Father so that we won't be living in poverty when all His wealth could be available to us. Every action of God is a determined response to a principle in His Word. Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back: Lk. 6:38 (NLT). If you want to partake of the outpouring of God's blessing, you have to be a giver.
There are principles of faith that govern healing, salvation and righteousness, but when it comes to the outpouring of financial blessing, the only principle is giving. There is no outpouring upon a man who is tight fisted against Jehovah because God's principle is that if you give you will receive. Financial prosperity is about sowing and reaping a harvest. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was a response to their life of sacrificial giving to ensure that their pastor did not lack as noted in verses 14-16. So anyone who must claim such prayers today must also have such testimony of the Philistine church and no doubt the harvest will follow.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for the spirit of a giver and an end to being tight fisted
* Ask God to remember your offerings and sacrifices today.
* Rebuke every spirit and agent of poverty over your life.
* Ask that the windows of heaven be opened upon you from today.

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The Kindred Spirit

READ: Acts 6: 1-6
MORE LESSONS: Gen 14: 8-16
Bible Reading in One Y ear: Deuteronomy 17-19

The word kindred refers to a group of people who are related either by marriage, birth or association. The kindred spirit is the bond that exists between a people and that motivates or inspires them to go the extra mile to do things for one another. In other words, kindred in the spiritual realm means a spiritual affinity or bond. The wrong type of kindred spirit among believers is when we do things on the basis of tribal and ethnic groups. If within the church, you give certain privileges to a fellow tribesman, whether he merits it or not, that is a negative display of kindred spirit. Evil thrives when people are ruled by negative kindred spirits because they are blindfolded by tribalism. One of the first things I was taught as a believer is that a brother in the faith is more important than an unsaved blood brother. In those days you hardly saw a Christian brother staying with his own ‘brother’ who was not born again; he would rather live with a Christian brother. The Blood of Jesus that binds us together is stronger than tribal ties. The Spirit of Christ inside us makes us attach more importance to spiritual bonds than to natural ties.
As we read in today’s text, in the early church, as the number of the disciples increased there was a problem between the Hellenists and the Hebrews. The Jews were giving all the food distribution to their own widows and overlooking the Hellenist (Grecian) widows. This is not the kind of thing we want to see in the Church. Any tie or privilege that sets people against one another in the Church is negative kindred spirit. Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia: II Cor 2:12-13(NIV). This is the positive kindred spirit at work: when you see an open door and refuse to rest until you make your brothers in the faith to be partakers; when you go looking for a brother or a sister you no longer see in church; when for the sake of the love of Christ you go to any extent to care and help fellow members of the Body of Christ. It is only then you can say you have a positive kindred spirit. This is the kind of spirit in the children of darkness, the occultic and the children of the bond woman that has brought them great strength and unity. Members of the body of Christ ought to do better than those in the world because the Blood of Jesus that binds us together is stronger. And it is only by so doing that the world will see Jesus in us, if we love one another.

Prayer/Action
* Rebuke every strength of negative kindred spirit in our commission.
* Pray that the love of Christ will supersede every relationship.
* Pray that you will be an example of positive kindred spirit.

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