Peace in the midst of Trouble

Monday 8 June
READ: Matt. 8:23-27
MORE LESSONS: Acts 16:23-26

Peace is not the absence of trouble, problems or challenges in one's life but the ability to rest or stay calm despite the troubles all around. The main reason why many people hardly stay calm in the time of trouble is that they don't remember God's abiding presence. If Jesus is right there in the boat of your life, it is impossible for the boat to go under.
Don't run up and down when you are faced with challenges of life. If God be for you nothing can be against you. God will never abandon His children, no matter the situation or circumstance of life. He was with the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:24), He was with Joseph in the prison (Gen. 39:21) and He was with Daniel in the lions' den (Dan. 6:22). When you remember that Christ is with you, you can act calmly in the face of painful and difficult situations. Jesus has the ability to calm a mighty storm, He will certainly calm the storms you are encountering and overcome any force of evil that comes against you.

One reason why people feel agitated in the face of storms is that they forget the promises of God - the Lord will deliver you from all your afflictions (Ps. 34:19). He will never assume the state of man to lie (Num. 23:23). If you are a child of God, He will deliver you from that sickness, barrenness, lack, oppression etc. Have the knowledge today that His Word has already gone ahead of you. Believe God for whatever He says in His Word that He is: a fortress (Ps. 18:2); a helper (Heb. 13:6); a healer (Exo. 15:26); a deliverer (Ps. 18:2); a sun and a shield (Ps. 84:11); a shepherd (Ps. 23:1) Your glory and the lifter up of your head (Ps. 3:3), a shield and a buckler (Ps. 91:4). Believe and stand on the promises and surely the storm will give way to peace.
Like Apostle Paul says in the midst of storm, …for I believe God.... Acts 27:25. Believe God despite the storm. I command peace to you, in Jesus' name.

Prayer/Action
* Say, “Lord, thank You for being the God that can be present in the storm”.
* Say, “I declare peace to every storm around me, in Jesus' name”.
--Today, take a worship and praise song, give thanks to God for His power to calm storms. Praise Him sincerely because I can hear in my spirit that the storm is over.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I shall not go back to Egypt, I shall not return to my vomit, and I shall press to the prize mark, in the name of Jesus.

The Pilgrimage

Sunday 7 June
READ: I Cor. 10:1-6
MORE LESSONS: Heb. 12:1-2

The Israelites’ journey out of Egypt, through the wilderness, to the Promised Land is a type of Christian pilgrimage. Our Christian journey has such a striking resemblance to the Israelites' journey that it is important for us to study it, learn from their experiences and avoid pitfalls as we move towards the heavenly Canaan. As Apostle Paul exhorts, Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition...: 1Cor. 10:11. The lessons from Israel’s experience are many. The Israelites were chosen by God to be His peculiar people but God had to raise a deliverer to lead them out of the bondage of Pharaoh and Egypt (Exo. 2:23-25; 3:7-10). This compares favourably with our need to be free from the bondage of sin and Satan, Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son…: Gal. 4:3-4.
To escape from this bondage, one must accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour (Jn. 3:16). This is about creating a Father-son relationship with God through acknowledging that you are a sinner, and accepting Jesus' offer of forgiveness through cleansing in His blood. If you are already born again but you still struggle with your old sin, this can be compared with the stubborn act of Pharaoh who even after he had released Israel to go, still pursued them to the Red Sea, where he perished with all of his army. In that same manner all your enemies shall perish, in Jesus’ name. As long as you don't give up the battle, your old life will bow to your new Saviour.

Here are some few things you must do to permanently win the battle over your old sin habits.
1. Attend a good convert/follow-up/foundation/discipleship class in a Bible-believing Church, immediately.
2. Begin to give more time to reading, studying, memorizing and confessing God's Word.
3. Go for deliverance and don't hide anything from the man of God, including your old habits.
4. Spend more time praying in the Holy Ghost.
5. Ask God to sanctify you wholly – spirit, soul and body - (I Thess. 5:23).
6. Never give in to satanic blackmail of being a sinner. You are not; God loves you with an everlasting love. (Rom. 8:36-37).
7. Be assured of your victory over Satan, sin and the world (I Jn. 4:4). God is faithful who has begun a good work in you and will perform it until the day of Christ (Phil. 1:6).

Prayer/Action
*Pray that your sojourn on this earth will not terminate in hell.
*Ask God for grace to be a full time Jesus chaser.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Even if darkness and gross darkness cover the whole world, God’s light and glory shall be seen upon me, in the name of Jesus.

Power Packed

Saturday 6 June
READ: Heb. 4:12
MORE LESSONS: Acts 19:11-20

The writer of Hebrews has given us fresh revelation on the mystery and efficacy of the Word of God at work in us. In today’s passage, three major things are evident about the power of the Word of God. Firstly, it is quick, which means that when you receive the Word of God, it quickens you. The reason why the Word of God is given to us as a 'quick' capsule is because the enemy wants to poison us until he can slow our lives down completely. Satan and his cohorts are out to stop every good thing that God is doing in and through our lives.

They start out by slowing down our faith in God for miracles and breakthroughs. Then they slow down our zeal for the things of God and our desire to be in the assembly of the saints of God. Thereafter, they slow down our ability to tarry with God in prayer and deep communion. And as soon as communion with God is withdrawn, we lose direction and divine guidance and the spirit of fear sets in, followed by all manners of sin and lawlessness. But the Living Book declares in II Cor. 2:11, Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Then comes the ministry of the word in us; it quickens, revives, awakens and activates us unto the things of God. This is why we must continue to live by the Living Book, which provides quick capsules that insulate us from the poison of the enemy that can slow us down completely, and make us inactive and unresponsive to the things of God.

The next major assignment of the Word of God in us is to release immense power. Indeed, the Word of the Lord is powerful enough to save us from anything and everything that stands in our way. This is so, because the enemy’s device is not only to slow us down but also to leave us disarmed and weak. If you have ever noticed any area in your life that is weak and maybe a part of your body that is sickly, apply the power capsule in the Word of God and see the anointing of God's Spirit restore and re-invigorate you with the fullness of life. I dare to say that a wordless life is a powerless life. As you stand firm on the Word of God today, every slow and blunt area of your life is being quickened and empowered right now by the living Word of God, in Jesus’ mighty name.
Thank God for the Living Book. Thank Him for the Word of God.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that God’s Word will quicken, revive and awaken you to who God is.
* Ask that the power of God’s Word will strengthen you in all areas of life.
* Release the power in the Word to re-invigorate your destiny in God.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I declare that every snare is broken today, I have escaped from the fowler and no weapon shall prosper against me.

Humility

Friday 5 June
READ: Eph. 4:1-3
MORE LESSONS: Jam. 4:10

The Christian life is a walk; we progress a step at a time. Walking requires life, strength, freedom and balance, and a day by day progress towards a God-given goal. We should live as people who have been set apart by God and not do anything that would discredit the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul admonishes and pleads with us on how we should walk as Christians:
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; v2.
This describes the quality of being humble and the absence of pride or self-assertion.
Humility makes unity possible and visible and today’s text brings out clearly some evidences of genuine humility. Before a man can say he is humble, he must possess the listed characteristics.
Lowliness: anyone who is lowly in mind will not think of himself alone but will see other people as more important. As it was reported of Jesus in Phil.2:1-11, Paul also served the Lord with all humility (Acts 20:19). This should be the attitude manifested by anyone who is humble.
Gentleness: It is another word for meekness. Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control. The meek person does not deliberately hurt others, even though he has the power to do so. Those who are meek keep their power under control. Num 12:3 tells us, Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. In Matt.5:5, Jesus said, Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Longsuffering: Being able to suffer long: in other words, ability to bear with people. The ability to bear with one another is also important for Christian unity. When we bear with others in love, it builds and gradually changes them.
Humility: We need to put on the cloak of humility because God resist the proud and gives grace to the humble person. Someone has said that humility does not consist merely in a person's thinking of himself in low terms but rather it is not thinking of himself at all. The Lord Jesus perfectly exemplified this attitude. He never considered His own desires. He only did the Father's will. He did not go to the cross because of Himself, but because of sinners. He was beaten for our transgressions, He went to hell to set us free because we were bound to life imprisonment there. He was born so that you and I can be saved from sin and He is sitting at the right hand of the Father today, interceding for you and I. Can you work for others? Can you suffer because of your neighbour?

Prayer/Action
* Pray that God will clothe you with the garment of meekness and selflessness.
--Sacrifice something very precious to you today by giving somebody who may need it as much as you do.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I shall be singled out for glory and praise this month, in the name of Jesus.