Signs of Spiritual Exile I

Text: Matt. 14:26-31 
MORE LESSONS: Psa. 51:12 
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 40-42

One easy way to identify a situation of spiritual exile in the Christian walk is the loss of joy and gladness. Do you know the joy of salvation? It is the satisfaction, comfort and peace that flow in your heart with the assurance that you are a child of God. I remember sometime ago my father, mother and elder ones gathered on the night before I was to go back to school and said to me, from today when you get to school, you must not go to school fellowship anymore. If we catch you there you get nothing from us, no school fees, no provision. 

I went back to my room and knelt down to pray and tears rolled down my face. How would I not go to fellowship anymore, as the leader of the fellowship, because of school fees? I didn't want to disobey my parents and I didn't want to disobey God. If I obeyed them, I would have money for school fees, but I would lose eternity. I was scared with tears running down my face but I had joy inside me. So I noticed that I had crisis physically but it did not affect me inside. My joy was still there. The moment you break from God, you are on exile from the throne of God, from the presence of God. 
The first thing that proves it to you is that your peace and joy disappear. 

Secondly, you can always expect a silent loss of power. Things that you can easily do and get results become difficult because there is no more power. Y our effect upon situations disappears, you cannot make impact anymore the way you used to because your link with the power source has been broken and you are empty. You don't carry what to transmit anymore for the moment you break from that connection, the power disappears.

Thirdly, when one goes into spiritual exile one notices that gradually there is a loss of confidence. The things that you could easily handle--demons that will oppress you in your dream and you wake up and command them to go to hell even without preparation--can’t be done without struggle because that confidence has disappeared. Things happen around you and you can't boldly confront them. I beseech you, whatever your title or place in the faith, if you are convicted of any of the evidence today, cry to the Lord, like Peter the sinking disciple, and say to the Lord of life, Save Lord.

Prayer/Action
* Confess every known sin to God now and ask for His mercy, cleansing and forgiveness.
* Ask God to restore your joy of salvation.
* Ask for grace to go and sin no more.
* Give God thanks for His mercy and restoration
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Advancing by Prayer

Text: Acts 12:1-9 
MORE LESSONS: Matt. 26:40-41
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 37-39

The challenges of the Church didn't start today, they started from the beginning. Herod vexed and persecuted the Church because the people were pleased when he killed James the brother of John. He then decided to take Peter and kill him also, And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him: vs4-6. We have heard so much about prayer. James was killed because the Church refused to pray; and because the Church refused to pray Herod moved to kill Peter, but the Church had learnt her lesson. I pray God's Spirit move the Church so that she determines what happens to the Church and the nation.

The Church can enthrone and dethrone; the Church can decree as the Bible says whatever you decree in the name of the Lord shall be established. The Church earnestly prayed and Heaven intervened and sent an angel to help Peter (v7). God heard the prayer of the Church and sent an angel to the inner dungeon where Peter was kept in chains. The angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, ...Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands: v7 The angel didn't bring a file to cut the chains but the presence of the angel of God changed the spiritual environment of the prison, Heaven took charge of the prison and miracles began to happen.
When the Church prays, the chains the enemy has used to bind her will begin to break.

Let the chains the enemy has used to gag the Church preventing the Church from praying begin to break off, in the name of Jesus. Let the padlock the enemy has used to lock the mouth of the Church open, in the name of Jesus. The chains broke by themselves. The doors opened of their own accord. All this happened because the Church prayed. However, when the Church refuses to pray men perish. These are the days of revival of prayer in the Church of Jesus so that the things that have stopped us from achieving our mandate will begin to give way. We can break the chains and open the doors by prayer. Pray; it starts with you and your family.

Prayer/Action
* Command every prison door wherever believers are held for Christ’s sake to be broken.
* Ask God to dethrone every satanic agent on the throne of your nation.
* Ask God to stir His Church back to prayer, beginning with you.
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God Honours the Faithful

Text: Dan. 6:6-22 
MORE LESSONS: I Kgs. 8:56-59
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 34-36

Daniel was a man of faith. From the time he entered into Babylon he stood his ground and never compromised on any issue that had to do with his faith in God. In Daniel chapter 6, the people came to the king and asked him to make a law that would forbid anybody to pray to God but to the king.

They knew Daniel was a staunch believer who would not compromise his faith. So they wanted an occasion to deal with him, and conspired against Daniel because he believed in the God of Israel. Therefore they made the king to sign a decree that everybody must pray to the king for their needs. Thus they made the king god to be worshipped by people. When Daniel refused to pray to man, they threw Daniel into the lions’ den because he would not renounce his faith by the reason of the decree of the king.

Daniel did not compromise even in the face of death. How many of us would not serve the idol if we were in Daniel’s situation today? If they made such a law in your working place, would you refuse to serve the idol? How many of us will not love our job more than God who gave the job, who can provide a better job? We never think about that, we just think of the immediate benefits.

In Daniel chapter 6, the Bible says immediately Daniel knew that the decree had been signed, he went into his room, faced Jerusalem and prayed three times as he used to pray . He did this with his windows open and people could see that he was praying. Where are the Daniels of today who will raise the hands of God? Daniel prayed, and they took him and threw him in the lions’ den but the lions could not harm him. If the Lord had not restrained the lions they would have devoured Daniel. If the Lord says that is your working place they cannot sack you.

If the Lord says that is your position, nobody in Heaven or earth can move you. Daniel believed in his God and God worked for him. Where are the Daniels of today who will not be moved in the face of hostility and compromise their faith? In the different sectors of our economy, ministries, departments, agencies and so on, God is looking for men who will stand for Him and not compromise. Many people have denied the faith in order to keep their jobs and positions. They do things that should not be heard of Christians because they could not trust God; but God is ever faithful to His own, He will not let His beloved down. Dare to be a Christian and see God honour you.

Prayer/Action
*Commit every temptation and persecution threatening your faith to the Lord for His attention.
* Rededicate yourself to godly living and ask God to arise for you.
* Pray believers within and outside your borders who are already getting weak by affliction.
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You will Not be Burnt

Text: Dan. 3:1-27
MORE LESSONS: Isa. 43:1-5
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalms 31-33

God honours the man who stands when others bow. Our fathers faced the challenges you are facing today but they never failed God. They even faced greater challenges to their faith than we face (Daniel 3:15). The three Hebrew youths were to bow down and worship an idol that was set up by the king of Babylon or be thrown into a fiery furnace if they refused.

That was the challenge of faith to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. If you were the one, what would you do? Many have not faced challenges of such nature today but they have run out of church, they have denied the faith, and denied God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up: vs16-18. The three youths did not bow but stood their ground when others bowed.

Where are the Shadrachs of today who will stand their ground in their working place, who are undaunted when asked to change their faith to retain their job? I know a very big man who changed his faith to maintain his position. Where are the Shadrachs of today? Where are those people who will say, I know my God will deliver me. And let it be known that if my God does not deliver me, I am ready for whatever comes out of it . Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood against the harassment of the status quo of that time, of the laws and the government of the day. They refused to change their faith or worship the idol, they were determined. They had confidence in God. How many people have the ability to believe that God is able to do what He says He will do?

Truly, the three youths were thrown into the fiery furnace, but the king saw what he had never seen before. The king testified that he saw the Son of the Most High God in the fire with the boys. In your working place, have they testified of your God? Have you shown your faith in God that the head of department wondered who you are? Which God you serve? The king of Babylon saw Jesus in the fire and he said that all who persecuted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego should be thrown into the fire. If you honour God by standing for righteousness in an impossible situation, He will not forget you inside the fire; God will honour those who honour Him.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that you will not fail God in the time of trial.
* Pray for several Christians being persecuted globally that they will find strength and courage in God.
* Pray that God will defend His Church as He did in the days of old.

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