Secrets of Answer to Prayer

Monday 17 August
READ: John 15:1-8
MORE LESSON: Lev. 26:1-3

The joy of praying is in receiving answers. When you pray and receive answer to your prayer, your joy is full. In today's Bible passage, Jesus presented some fundamental principles that could make you enter unlimited opportunity to be joyful always. He told His disciples, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (vs.7). This statement connotes that there is a level of relationship you can enter into with Jesus such that any time you make a request, whatever your request is, God will do it for you.

What is this level of relationship? It is when you abide (that is, to live or stay) in Jesus and Jesus' words abide in you. The relationship is all about the Word; Jesus is the Word made manifest in the flesh. To abide in Jesus therefore is to abide in the Word. The Lord told Joshua: Let this book of the law not depart from your mouth...therein you will have good success: Josh. 1:8. The man who will ask whatever he desires and get answer must be deeply rich in the Word of God. Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian brethren: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord: Col.3:16. When you stay deeply rooted in the Word of God, you become a “god”, a son of the Most High (Psalm 82:6). The requests and desires of gods are never turned down. There are Heavenly Hosts whose responsibilities are to carry out the demands of God. No wonder, Joshua asked the sun and the moon to stand still for the season he was fighting war, and God did it as he commanded (Joshua 10: 12-13).

What does it take to stay in God's Word? Know it, memorize it, daily desire the sincere milk of God's Word and believe it as God's final instruction. Be passionate about God Word make it part of you on a daily basis. Let it become the compass of your life. The more of this you do, the more the power of God is created in you so much so that you can make a request and the spiritual hosts of the army of the Lord will rise and not fail.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, help me to abide in You as my Vine Dresser.
* I receive grace to know and practise the Word of God and to teach others to do it.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the name of Jesus, I release the force of uncommon help to characterise the remaining months of 2015.

Life-changing Encounter

Sunday 16 August
READ: Mark 5:1-20
MORE LESSON: Lk.8:41-46

The story in our text today gives a clear illustration of what a life in darkness experiences. The man of Gadarenes was living in the graveyard because of the evil spirits tormenting him. This man had his dwelling in a place where normally men would never stay to relax or much more live there. This is the destruction Satan brings into men's lives; he makes them abnormal and inordinate. If before then this man had a family (relations, a wife and children), I guess that because of what happened to him all his loved ones had left him. No one wanted to be identified with a mad man. Maybe when the family tried all they could to make him normal and it did not work, they had to let him go. Satan then took this man to the lowest level of being dead while still living, as the man made his home with the dead in a graveyard.
The evil spirits humiliated the man to the point that he was always crying and cutting himself with stones, yet there was no help for him to get out of bondage until the day Jesus came into that country. Because the man was so desperate for a release, contrary to the evil spirits in him, he ran to worship Jesus and that was the end of the madness that no one could tame or heal. …For this purpose the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil: I Jn.3:8.
This man had a life-changing encounter with the Master of the universe and the reverse of darkness manifested to him. Light came in and darkness had to leave. And they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind and they were afraid:Mark 5:15. The madness made the man restless and uncoordinated. But when light came in, he could sit down and experienced rest. He was naked and dirty before, then light came in and he became clothed. He lost his senses before but when he had an encounter with Jesus, his life changed; He became normal and all his senses were restored.
Jesus will give you rest from every form of restlessness from within to outside, amen. Yours may not be as bad as the mad man of Gadarenes but you get so restless and unsettled; unsure of tomorrow. Jesus will give you rest! Just surrender your life to Him as the mad man did by running to Jesus and you will enter rest.

Prayer/Action
* Jesus, You are the life-changer; come into my life and turn my night into day.
* I terminate every activity of Satan and his agents in my life by the power of Jesus Christ.
* Today, I enter into full rest from every torment of the enemy, in Jesus’ name.
 
PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, I overturn today, in its entirety every satanic decision and plot against the rest of my year, in Jesus’ mighty name

Caution for the Last Days II

Saturday 15 August
READ: I Cor. 7: 29-31
MORE LESSON: Eph.5:10 -20

One of the things that make men of a particular generation to avoid the pitfalls of their generation is caution such as was exhibited by Job (Job 31:1-3). He was so conscious of his godly heritage and status that he made covenants over what he would never do with members of his body in order to avoid sin against God. No wonder God boasted about him (Job 1:8).
Caution must be exercised to avoid unholy festivities. Eating and drinking on its own is not sinful but when it leads to revelry and drunkenness then it is sinful and attracts judgement (Matt.24:49). Christians should even get to the point where organizing parties with no eternal purpose attached should not be encourgaed. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God: I Cor.10:31. The Bible says that even in eating and drinking or gathering men for celebrations, God's glory must be the aim. If it will not glorify God, shove it aside even if the society calls for it. Honour God more than societal expectations. As we expect the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus, believers should use their parties as evangelistic tools which will bring great benefits to the Kingdom and self- fulfilment to the believer.
Another caution to take about the last days is to consciously avoid abnormalities and inordinate tendencies in every area of life. Abnormalities have existed since the days the fallen angels came into the earth and had intercourse with humans (Gen.6:1-4) and produced abnormal humans called giants. Even today Satan still continues to move men to do abnormal things. This is not just in sexual practices but also in attitudes and character traits. Demonic interactions with men when allowed leads to unforgiveness, bitterness, revenge and hatred. Such interactions also drags men into deceptions, little lies and little foxes which spoil their Christian testimony.
There must be a conscious effort to tell Satan to get behind you, when he comes with his vicious conversations that lead to abnormal behaviours. Some people have listened to such and have become vessels in Satan's hand to divide God's people by evil rumours, slander and gossip. Refuse such relationships in your life; learn to bind those demons and send them to the abyss where they belong. Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled: Heb.12:15. Be indeed diligent and careful so that at the end of your race here on earth, you might see the Lord!

Prayer/Action
* Holy Spirit, help me to seek God's glory in all that I do today and always.
* I close all the gates of my life to every demonic interference, in Jesus’ name.
* Satan will not use me in any way to destroy God's Kingdom or divide God's people, in Jesus’ name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Jesus, the name above every name, rise above every name opposing Your glory in my destiny, in Jesus’ mighty name.

Caution for the Last Days I

Friday 14 August
READ: Matt.24:36-41
MORE LESSON: II Tim.3:1-9

The days that will usher in the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ have been compared to the days of Noah. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be: Matt.24:38-39. We must all take precautions to avoid being caught unawares and consequently miss the rapture. The passage clearly shows that legitimate issues such as marriage, eating and drinking can so much occupy men at the expense of making heaven. How can this happen? Marriage for example is instituted of God as a legitimate, correct process but it is being made illegitimate by people in these last days. Marriage perversions are gradually creeping in and taking over nations. In some societies today, children are growing up to encounter situations that make them think it is correct to have two men or two women as parents, contrary to what God instituted (Gen.2:22-25; Rom.1:26-27).

If the floods of these end times will not sweep you away, then you must consciously guard against perversions of all forms from taking over your life, home and family. Some of these marital perversions are entering our homes through latest home videos and movies. Parents must guard against their children being gradually indoctrinated into various perversions by the media of the day. We must teach our children what God's Word says and cry against the vile glamour of the perversions being portrayed as fashionable and acceptable.

Another evil that is gradually creeping in is that of violence (Gen.4:23). The issue of violence (physical or verbal) must be strongly prayed and spoken against because some people are already coming to the conclusion that if they cannot have things peacefully and legally then they should use violence to take them by force. Such people forget or are ignorant of the saying that, “He who lives by the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt.26:52). There are better ways of expression both within and outside the home. Christians must give good examples to the world by handling matters the Bible way and not violently. Husbands must never lift their hands against their wives; correction and discipline of children must be done moderately and not to inflict wounds. Above all, the way out of domestic or external forms of violence is to lead members of the family, friends in the neighborhood and others to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer/Action
* I receive grace to be careful and watchful in order to escape destruction as Noah did in his generation, in Jesus’ name.
* I rebuke the spirit of all forms of perversion in my life, home and family.
* The Word of God will without compromise continue to be my standard for living, in Jesus name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I overthrow every power contending with the grace of God upon my life and I prevail in the mighty name of Jesus.