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.