Keep your Focus

Sunday 20 September
READ: James 1: 8
MORE LESSON: Matt. 6:22-24

When I was studying in the university we were taught that Nigeria is a non-aligned nation. Non-aligned means it is neither patterned after the West or the East. A non-aligned system is trying to be neither a socialist nor a capitalist system; it wants to be in-between. It was also said that our economy constitution is that of a mixed economy; we are neither ope
rating communism nor capitalism. The class lecturer jokingly said that kind of economy is called a confused economy because there is a goal that communism is set to achieve and another that capitalism is set to achieve so when you mix them, you lose focus. There will always be a confusion that arises from a concoction of two different systems. This lesson, to an extent, has a footing in reality.

The Bible says, a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways: James 1:8 KJV. In life, it is always important that you know your direction and go all for it. A man trying to do everything will succeed in doing nothing. A man trying to be like everybody will have an identity crisis. When a believer without focus hears that there is a powerful man of God, who preaches like Charles Finney of old, and everybody falls down and begins to cry, he runs to go and sit with the man. Then he hears that another apostle has arrived that is as anointed as Paul the Apostle, he immediately leaves the Charles-Finney-preacher and moves to the Paul-the Apostle-preacher. That is how he continues moving around trying to be, dress and talk like everybody. People without vision are not focused so they are easily distracted.

Having a defined focus is very important in fulfilling God's plan for your life. You must find out what God's plan for you is and unwaveringly begin to work towards it. There is great danger in instability and swinging to and fro in life. The danger of instability is failure. A bit here, a bit there without a defined destination destroys a man's destiny.

When a man loses focus, he cannot excel, because he is unstable. Sit down and hear what God wants you to do and learn where God wants you to learn. Know what you are doing, plan for your life and work towards achieving success along that plan. Don't start ministry experimenting everything to see which ministry will work. Be sure what you are called to do, focus on it and whatever happens, be determined to stay with it, keep learning, keep your focus and move on the path that leads you to success.

Prayer/Action
* Pray for a life that is consistently focussed.
* Tell the devil you refuse to be distracted ever.
* Pray that you will be unstoppable in life.
* Declare that you shall not be like a ship, tossed to and fro in destiny.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I reject every evil garment and every evil label over my life and destiny today, in the name of Jesus.

The Wealthy Place

Saturday 19 September
READ: Psa. 66: 12
MORE LESSON: Psa. 23:1 - 6

The text for today says Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. Beloved, there is a place called the wealthy place. It is a place of comfort where the problems and the afflictions of men are settled. Some things you struggle with in life naturally disappear when you get to the wealthy place. In Gen 13: 2, we see that God took Abraham to the wealthy place: Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. Gen 13:2 (NIV). So, part of the covenant of Abraham is the covenant of the wealthy place. As a child of God, you are entitled to the wealthy place.

Psalm 23 says The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul . . . Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.... This scripture is talking about the wealthy place. It is a place where lack doesn't exist. In a search for the wealthy place, people relocate, travel and do a lot of things. Many travel to America, Europe or Asia looking for opportunities for wealth, but I hereby announce to you that the wealthy place is not in a nation, it is in God. Whatever your geographical location, you can live in the wealthy place. You live in the wealthy place when the LORD is your Shepherd. You don't need to run around looking for 'greener pastures', because He makes you lie down in green pastures right where you are.

In the text of today, the people had been overrun, despised and reproached but God didn't allow them to end in slavery. They were afflicted through the fire and flood but at last, God brought them to the wealthy place. This shall be your testimony. No matter what you are going through, God has prepared a wealthy place for you. It is a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarcity, ... a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee: Deut 8:9-10. God will take you to your wealthy place today in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God, by His mercies, to take you to the wealthy place.
* Pray that this year, tables of abundance will be prepared before you.
* Ask God to take you out of struggles and endless labour.
* Pray that you will never loose contact with the Lord of increase.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, take away every BUT from my life and my family this day, in the name of Jesus.

Silencing the Accusers

Friday 18 September
READ: John 8: 3 - 11
MORE LESSON: Rom 8: 33 - 34

A woman was caught in the act of adultery. The religious people were ready to stone her to death, but before they could do so, they brought her to Jesus. The Bible makes it clear that they brought her because they wanted to tempt Jesus to see how he would handle the case. Her accusers felt there was no way she would escape the condemnation of death. Jesus, the Merciful God, is not interested in the destruction of sinners but in their salvation. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved: Jn. 3:17. However, for this woman to be saved, her accusers had to be silenced. Jesus didn't argue with these sin-hunters whether the woman was guilty or not, He only told them; He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her: Jn. 8:7.

The sinless man should cast the first stone and the others could cast the remaining stones till she died. No man can condemn another man because no man has any righteousness of his own self. (Rom 3: 10). The best of men are just sinners saved by grace. So when Jesus laid down never having sinned as the qualification for condemning another person, all the accusers were convicted in their hearts and they left. But the woman still remained after all her accusers left because there was one person who was without sin and so was qualified to cast that first stone that would open the door for her to be condemned to death. Jesus is the only Sinless One who is qualified to condemn. It is humbling to note that men that are not qualified to condemn are always eager to while the Holy One who is qualified said, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more: Jn 8:11.

No matter how grievous your sins are I want to announce to you that the only One who is qualified to condemn you has refused to. Jesus has justified you so neither men, angels, demons or devil is qualified to condemn you. By refusing to condemn you, Jesus silenced all your accusers. There is however only one more person that can condemn you – that is yourself. You condemn yourself when you refuse the gift of justification that Jesus has given you. You sign your own condemnation when you refuse to heed the instruction of the Master which says, go and sin no more. (Verse 9). 
Today there is no condemnation for you if you will accept Christ Jesus and embrace the law of the Spirit of life so that you can be delivered from the law of sin and death.

As you dedicate yourself to Christ today I decree that every accusation written against you is blotted out by the blood of Jesus. Amen.

Prayer/Action
* Pray against every sin that stands against you before the throne of God.
* Rebuke every force of the accuser over your destiny.
* Pray that like Jesus, the prince of this world will find nothing against you.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
The spirit of purity, fall on me today and keep me out of sin forever, in the name of Jesus.

How to be Grateful

Thursday 17 September
READ: Psa. 136:1-26
MORE LESSON: Psa. 103: 1-2

There is no one that God has not blessed, there are only people that think He has not blessed them enough. If you think that there are some things you have not got and so it is difficult for you to give thanks, then let me remind you that the air you breath is a gift from God. If you were ever to pay for the air you breath, you will realize how much you owe God. I pray that you and your loved ones will never be on oxygen support before you learn how to thank God for life and for free breathe. There is a man I know who has been sick for a total of forty eight years. He has only one prayer request, to be healed. It is because God is good to you that you have numerous prayer requests for which you count delayed answers as a reason to be ungrateful to God. If not for God's mercy, something could have happened that will reduce all your long list of prayer requests to only one. As you cry day and night for relief from the overwhelming problem that has apprehended you, without caring about all the other delays that you are complaining now. I pray that will not be your portion in Jesus’ name.

The point is that you have a reason to be grateful to God no matter your present state. The text today suggests that there is a tendency to forget the goodness of God. You should do the following so that you will not forget God's goodness. 
1. Constantly give testimonies of God's goodness to you. A testimony is a tool for duplication of miracles. When you tell of what God did yesterday, He will do more tomorrow.

2. Write down the things God has done for you. If you don't want to forget what God has done, write them down. Many people have books where they write what they want God to do for them but no book to write what He has done.
3. Create a memorial of what God has done. You can immortalise what God has done for you by doing something that each time you and others see it, there will be a remembrance that God did something for you.

4. Make a sacrifice to God that you will always feel. When God gave Samuel to Hannah, she brought him back to God- that is a sacrifice. God paid her back with other wonderful children. A sacrifice is not just a gift; it is something you feel the pain of giving, when you give something that 'creates a scar' on your bank account, time, energy or property, then you are making a sacrifice.

Prayer/Action
* Sing a song of praise.
* Shout Hallelujah thrice.
* Tell someone today one great thing God has done in 2015 for you.
* Tell Jesus thank you forever.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today, I cut off every besetting sin and all other forms of unrighteousness from my destiny, in the name of Jesus.