Choose Eternal Glory

Tuesday 1 September
READ: Luke 16: 19 - 31
MORE LESSON: Matt. 6:33

There are different types of glory as expressed in 1 Cor. 15: 40 – 41; There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is the earthly and the eternal glory. There is a major interrelationship between the earthly and eternal glory that you must never forget.

Eternal glory can bring earthly/physical glory but earthly/physical glory cannot bring eternal glory. You may have wealth and glory here on earth and do not have eternal glory. However, spiritual glory can bring earthly glory which will last forever. This is amply captured in Matt. 6:33, which says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. This means that when you have spiritual life which is the eternal glory, every other thing will be added. When you carry the grace of God, that is, you are born again and doing the things of God, every other physical thing can be added to you. However, if you are not born again even if you are a church goer or church worker, whatever you have physically cannot qualify you for everlasting life. The fact that you are born again gives you access to glory even on the face of the earth. But if you have everything beautiful on the face of the earth it does not guarantee you access into eternal glory.

If you are wise therefore, what should be your choice? There is one that can attract the other, and there is the other one which cannot attract the first. There is one which is permanent and the other which is temporal. Which should you aim for? Go for eternal glory because it will deliver to you earthly glory. There are many who are not interested in the things of God; they are so cumbered with worldly pursuits, great ambitions and quest for fame. If those are your life pursuits, I warn you that you will fall prey to the hand of the devil because he can afford all these things for you. But if your pursuit is God and His kingdom, then you have eternal glory and even in this earth you will live a glorious life.

The rich man in the story in Luke 16: 19, had glory while on earth, but because he didn't choose to get eternal glory, he found himself in hell where he was begging for water not even to quench the fire but for a drop to assuage his thirst. That tells you what happens to a man who chooses earthly glory over eternal glory. The Bible describes hell as a place where worms eating up men do not die. The greatest pain in hell is not the fire but the thirst and regret. Heaven, on the other hand, is a place of eternal glory; choose correctly.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that you will never substitute holy glory for earthly glory.
* Pray that as you choose eternal glory, other things shall be added according to scriptures.
* Pray that no earthly thing will take eternal glory from you. 
* Ask that no earthly pressure will stuff eternity from you.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Thank You ancient of days for a new month; make this ninth month a mighty month for me, in the name of Jesus’.

Generational Praise II

Monday 31 August
READ: 2 Sam 7: 1 - 16
MORE LESSON: Psa 89: 1

You can give God a praise that will last through all generations. In yesterday’s reading, we saw how David decided that he wanted to give God a praise that would last all generations and he did it by making his praise into songs that will be sung forever. But he didn't stop at that; he decided to build a temple for God. As many as praised God in that temple through all generations would be helping David to give God praise. Even though God didn't permit David to build the temple, he made all the resources needed available and commanded his son Solomon to build it. It was Solomon that eventually built the temple. Innumerable people in different generations praised God in the sanctuary built by one man: that is generational praise. One way you can give God praise that will last through generations is by sowing a seed that will last beyond you.

I heard a saying in the university that if you want to plan for a year, plant corn; if you want to plan for a decade, plant a tree but if you want to plan for a life time, train a child. In the same way, each time you want to give God thanks, plan for generations. Look around and ask, ‘What can I do for someone or in the house of God that will last even when I'm gone.' Do something that many people will benefit from and praise God long after you have gone. You can pick an orphan to sponsor in school, you can build a church for God like David did. If you can't afford that, there is something you can afford for God – a block, a bag of cement or a window. It is not how big it is that matters, it is the heart that loves to give a generational praise that God commends.

Someone wanted to give God praise at my consecration as a Bishop and bought a rug to decorate God's altar. Others after that day would dance and roll on the rug to praise God. They benefit from the praise the first person gave. However they too should not stop at dancing and rolling. They should do something that will stand as a generational praise before God. Dancing to God is good but when you dance and roll, people around you have not benefitted, not to talk of many generations to come. So dance all you can but go beyond it, do something that generations will benefit from. That is what is called generational praise.

Today give God generational praise by planting a memorial that will last beyond you and many generations after you will benefit from.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for a life of positive influence beyond your generation.
* Ask God to empower you to do memorable things in life.
* Promise God you will no longer live for yourself alone but that you will be a blessing as you have been blessed.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Helper of Israel, Your strength will not fail in my matter forever, in the name of Jesus.

Generational Praise I

Sunday 30 August
READ: Psa. 89:1
MORE LESSON: Psa. 149: 1

Every man lives in only one generation, but the Psalmist says in Ps 89: 1 that he would give God thanks that will last through all generations. How does a man give God generational praise? Generational praise is the praise you give God that lives beyond you. It is a 'thank you' that has a beginning but no end. David knew he wouldn't live forever but he said he would give God thanks that will last forever. It is important that we discover how he intended to achieve this so that we can follow his example. The first thing David did to ensure his praise to God lasted beyond his generation was to write the praise down. In fact, he captured them in songs to be sung forever. As long as those songs are sung, David still praises his God. If you want to show gratitude to God that will last beyond you, express your heart felt praise to Him in songs; write the songs and sing them to others. You don't have to worry about the melody, just express your worship to God by letting a song rise in your spirit, write the song down, teach somebody and also sing it in the congregation of the saints (Psa. 149: 1).

Many times God gives us songs in the place of prayer, these are spiritual songs that no man knew before. We sing these songs in prayer, enjoy them and then forget them. However, every song the Lord gives you is a gift that is meant to be passed on to others. The experience and revelation in the song might be what somebody needs for the situation he is going through. So let someone be blessed by that song and sing it too, by so doing you would give generational praise to God. When you are not there or when you are gone, people will praise God from the experience of your praise.

Every powerful song that we sing today came as an inspiration from somebody's experience. When God gave them the experience, they wrote them down, captured them in song and passed it to people. This is how the hymns we sing today came to be. There is power in worshipping God in your secret place with new songs. Many believers don't have songs for the Lord when they pray; they come to God and start talking and reciting their requests like a cassette player. You see them sweating after prayer but they never feel refreshed because they didn't enjoy Him in worship.

Prayer is not only about presenting needs to God like a news presenter. God wants to talk back to you, He wants to give you songs and hear you sing to Him. He wants to enjoy your prayer time as well. You give Him this opportunity when you sing to Him and you make His praise generational when you bless others with the song He gives you. This is one way of giving God generational praise. However, a life of impact, righteousness, sacrifice and service to God and humanity are also some other ways of generational praise.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to make the life you live a generational praise.
* Ask God for an encounter with Him in the place of prayer.
* Tell God you want to be a tool of generational praise.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the name of Jesus, every enemy operating behind a mask in my destiny, be exposed.

The Need for Help II

Saturday 29 August
READ: Gen 2: 18 - 25
MORE LESSON: Heb 4: 16

We saw yesterday that though man was blessed and perfectly created in God's image, he still needed help. So a man's blessing is not complete until it leaves a window of help for him. The mandate for fruitfulness, dominion and productivity that God gave man at creation is impossible in the absence of help; by implication God created man to need help. This means that no matter how blessed, strong, comfortable or privileged a man is, there is a deficiency in his life that only the help of God can deal with.

It is true that a man can be so blessed and comfortable that he doesn't realise his need for help; it is possible that a person is so rich that he thinks that he doesn't need help from anybody. If you are so wealthy that you feel you don't need God or anyone else, you have made a very costly assumption. It is like some developed nations that have made so much economic and infrastructural progress that they feel they do not need God and so they try all they can to remove God from their national system; that is walking the path of destruction.

You cannot be wealthier than Adam in the Garden; He was the only man who had the entire world to himself and, probably because of that, he also didn't know that he needed help until God Himself had to help him identify his need for help. It was actually God that identified Adam's need for help and gave him help; it was only after Adam received the help of God that he realised what he had been doing without all the while. Adam never knew he needed the bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh until God gave Eve to him but when he got her he felt complete (Gen 2: 25). This concept should not be limited to marriage; it is a general principle that there is a gap in every man's destiny, whether he is aware of it or not; and only the help of God can fill that gap.

You might even have been doing things on your own and feel you have been doing a good job of succeeding on your own but today I want to let you know that you have been missing a whole lot of good if you have been living without God’s help. Even the wealthy and influential need God; blessing and prosperity without God are a waste. Today, I want to help you identify the need in your life; it is the need for the help of God. Your life takes a better dimension when the help of God locates you and your eternity becomes assured. I declare that you have help from the Lord from today, in the name of Jesus.

Prayer/Action
* Ask that God will add more help to your blessings.
* Prophesy an unprecedented help upon your life and destiny with evidence from today.
* Pray that helplessness will never be your portion in life.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I declare them troubled that trouble my destiny today, in the name of Jesus.