Together with your Family

Sunday 19 April
READ: Josh 24: 15
MORE LESSON: 1 Sam. 8:1-5

When God calls a man to walk with Him or to do a work for Him, He expects the man to carry his family along. Any man or woman of destiny and purpose in the Lord should know of a certainty that his spouse and children are partners with him/her in destiny and purpose, and should treat them as such. When God called Noah out of the perverse world of his generation, he told him to answer the call with his family carried along. And the LORD said unto Noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Gen 7:1
God recommended Abraham to be the carrier of His covenant because God was sure that he will bring his wife and children into a covenant walk with Him. For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Gen 18:19

Joshua didn't just stand for the Lord, he vouched for his family to serve the Lord; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Josh 24:15

Many people who do great works of faith and of ministry do not have a good example to show in their marriages and family. This is not the will of God but the error of man. It is God's will that any man that serves him in whatever capacity should bring his spouse into the walk with God. Any vision you pursue should include your life partner. Some men believe that they are so anointed and competent that they think that the only contribution that their wife has to make in their life and vision is to cook meals, clean the house and give birth to children. Some women also never build capacity and develop themselves for the vision, purpose and ministry of their husband but think that once they get married and they can cook good meals, all is settled.

God's will is that couples be partners in life, purpose, vision and destiny. The responsibility to make this happen is on both the man and the woman. It is also each person's responsibility to add value to and develop the other for the destiny that God has prepared for them together. I pray that your family will be one in purpose and vision; the father, mother and children will all enter into God's prepared destiny for you. Your family will not be like Lot's family that one was godly and some fell by the way side in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Pray for your pastor’s home that his family will not miss heaven.
* Ask God to grant His servants the wisdom to begin ministry from their own home and family.
* Pray that children like Eli’s children and Samuel’s children will not be the portion of our minister’s families

PROPHETIC PRAYER
The Lord is my sun and my shield, the Lord will give me grace and glory, no good thing will He withhold from me, in Jesus’ name.

Joshua: The Servant Made Leader

Saturday 18 April
READ: Exo 33: 11
MORE LESSON: Exo 24: 9 - 18

Moses was a man of God in a class of his own. The kinds of divine encounter and miracle that Moses experienced are rare in any other man on earth. When Moses died, God had to bury him by Himself so that no man knows his tomb. That was necessary because men would have turned his tomb to an object of worship (Deut 34:5-6). Indeed, Moses was an exceptional man of God. After Moses died, God needed a replacement for Him. God could have chosen any of the leaders and princes of Israel to step into Moses shoes but He chose the young man, Joshua whom the people didn't see as a leader but as simply 'Moses' servant (Num 11:28). There was a secret that took Joshua to greatness, and that secret is service.

Service gives a man the opportunity to encounter the greatness that he could not have encountered by himself. All the while when Moses was experiencing divine encounters with God, there was a silent figure that enjoyed these encounters with him – Joshua was present as a servant, experiencing the supernatural with Moses. Even in the legendary encounter when God spoke to Moses face to face, Joshua was there.

So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he (Moses) would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle: Exo. 33:11-12 (NKJV) Everybody talks about how Moses saw God but we forget that there was a silent servant that humbly followed him about and so was with him when he saw God.

Also, when Moses went up the mountain for forty days and was enveloped by the glory of God to receive the tablets of the law, his servant Joshua was there with him (Ex 24: 13 – 18). Even though Aaron and his sons were the priests and there were seventy elders that were ordained by Moses, it was Joshua, who didn't have any title, that had the opportunity to go up the mountain to encounter God. He didn't deserve to be there; he entered as a servant. He saw it all silently as he followed Moses around so he knew the ‘in and out’ of the work of the Lord. No wonder he later became a miracle worker too and when it was time for someone to lead Israel into the Promised Land, God told Moses to lay hands on him. Joshua went ahead to record great exploits and even succeeded where Moses had failed. Joshua was an ordinary servant who became an extraordinary leader. That is the benefit of service. You can decide to serve today and you will see God take you to the extraordinary place.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to help you never to turn away from any God-given assignment.
* Pray that whatever God has done for others by service He will do also for you.
* Pray that you will not be slothful in business, but fervent in the spirit serving the Lord.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today is the day of my advance in grace and glory.

God’s Five Purposes for every Believer

Thursday 16 April
READ: Rom. 8:28; Eph. 3:11 MORE LESSONS: Eph. 1:11

There are responsibilities to meet and privileges to enjoy as members of the Church. The responsibilities include:

(I) God wants you to be a member of His family, to have fellowship with Him and with one another. Following Christ is not just a matter of believing, it also involves belonging and living in cordial relationship with one another (I Pet. 1:3; Eph. 2:19).

(ii) God wants you to be a model of His character through discipleship; be like Christ in character (I Pet. 2:21). Maturity is not measured by one's learning but by one's lifestyle.

(iii) God wants you to be a minister of His grace (service or ministry) and to use the gifts, talents and opportunities He gives you to benefit others (I Pet. 4:10; Eph. 2:10).

(iv) God wants you to be a messenger of His love through evangelism (Acts 20:24; II Cor. 5:19-20). In fact, our mission here on earth is to tell others about Christ.

(v) God wants you to be a magnifier of His name in worship (Psa. 34:3). Each of us has a personal responsibility to worship God (Exo. 20:3) and not our job, family, money, property etc. God’s children are to be thankful for these responsibilities and privileges, And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful: Col. 3:15.

Privileges of Believers
Spiritual and emotional benefits accrue from fulfilling the purposes mentioned above. Some of the privileges are:
(I) Worship helps people to focus on God.
(ii) Fellowship helps one to face life’s problems.
(iii) Discipleship helps to fortify one's faith.
(iv) Ministry helps one to find one's talents.
(v) Evangelism helps men fulfil their mission.

You were created for His purpose and may you discover and fulfil God's purpose for your life.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for a clear vision of your purpose in life.
* Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide your steps to God’s plan for your life.
* Pray that you will not live a wasted life but a God-filled destiny.
** What do you know is God’s definite purpose for your life? How much of your time do you invest in it? Definite purpose is the key to a fruitful life.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the name of Jesus, I revoke and turn into blessing, every curse pronouncedupon my life; from now on, I shall be unstoppable.

Flee Fornication

Wednesday 15 April
READ: Eph.5:21-23
MORE LESSONS: I Cor. 6:9-10

Purity of life is one great priority of God. He ordained marriage to, among others, prevent immorality and every sexual sin. Sexual immorality is one of the most grievous sins; it almost ruined the nation of Israel. God in His anger burst out, …let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them….: Exo. 32:10. The Israelites pushed God to the wall when they engaged in immorality and God was ready to change His plan of taking them to the Promised Land. No matter how sure a promise may be, when you choose to tow the line of carnal passion, God will have no choice but to change His mind.

It is very sad today that teenagers and young people see nothing wrong with sex before marriage. Reports have it that 43% of teenagers see nothing wrong with sex before marriage and about 36% are either living with a man/woman for sexual reasons or intend to do so before they marry.

This is contrary to the Word of God, But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul...: Prov. 6:32-33.When you allow anybody to defile you sexually, you are choosing destruction, wound, dishonour and lasting reproach. God frowns at sex outside marriage and will severely punish anyone who ventures into it, Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge: Heb. 13:4. So determine to remain pure for your (future) partner because apart from its grievous consequences, it is disobedience to God.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to help you keep your bed undefiled.
* Immorality is in different shades and forms, pray that non of it will have a hold on your destiny.
* Rebuke the spirit of immorality that is at work in this generation.
** Promise God to keep His temple (your body) holy.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Lord, today, I repent of all the sins and mistakes I have ever committed that have given the enemy an in-road into my life and destiny; forgive me, oh Lord!