Friday, October 23, 2015

Reminding God of His Promises

Friday 23 October
READ: Isa. 43: 26
MORE LESSON: Gen 32: 22 - 31

In obtaining God's promises, there is the place of reminding God a promise He made to you so as to get it fulfilled. Isaiah 43: 26. Some people sometimes think that once God has spoken a promise or prophecy to them, He will do it whether they pray about it or not. I want to submit to you today that you need to go back to God and remind Him what He said concerning you. It is not that God is forgetful, but just your reminding Him shows that you are relying totally on Him. In Exodus 2: 24, the Bible said concerning the children of Israel who were in slavery in Egypt that So God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God promised Abraham that his descendants would go into slavery and He would later bring them out. (Gen 15: 13 – 14). But the descendants remained in slavery until they cried to God in prayers and when their cry came up to God by the reason of their bondage, He remembered that it was time to set them free. He knew all along, He was waiting for them to pray.

Prayer is the way to remind God of His promises for us. Personal prayer is very necessary to hold on to God to fulfil His promises over our life. Jacob held to God when he saw that the blessing he received by deceit was not working well in his life, so he held to God that the covenant must speak for him. Jacob came to a point where he realised that it was either God intervened and fulfilled His word over him or he would die. So he sent his wife and children ahead and stayed alone with God without distraction. God blessed him again and his life took a new turn. (Gen 32: 22 – 31).

That encounter Jacob had with God is a type of personal specialised prayer. I always tell people that as good as congregational prayer is, it is not enough to take delivery of all the promises that God has for you. Take time personally, enter into your closet and begin to remind God all that He promised you. It is also good to have a prayer partner with whom you agree and settle issues with God. (Matt 18: 19). Today, stay with God and bring your casue before Him, remind Him of all His exceeding great promises that He made to you through His spoken word and through the written word. As you remind God His word, you will see speedy performance.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to remember your destiny as He remembered Israel in Egypt and rose up to change their situation.
* Ask God for grace to be able to stand fast in the place of prayer until God remembers you like He remembered Hannah.
* Ask God for speedy performance of His promises over your life. 
* Rebuke every road block on the path way of the fulfilment of your destiny.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
By the blood of Jesus, I renounce and revoke the claims of evil family idols and altars over my life today, in the name of Jesus.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

The Best Gift of All

Thursday 22 October
READ: Heb.1:1-8
MORE LESSON: Phil.2:9-10

God loves to relate and speak with people. The scripture for today expressly declares to us that God speaks. Several people in the world think that God is so impersonal and distant from man that He does not speak. Far from it, God has been speaking and will continue to speak to man in all ages. God speaks to all without bias of race, color, tribe, status or class.

The only condition for enjoying the communion of closeness with God is to have the Son. God speaks to us by His Son (Heb.1:2); He has made His Son the fullness of all things. Jesus Christ is the full package of God's gift to mankind. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ: Rom.5:17. To reign in life, you must have Jesus and allow Him to live and reign in you. A man that has the fullness of Christ will have the fullness of life.

To enjoy God's best gift you have to use the name of Jesus. The key to accessing the good gifts God has provided for His children is using the name of Jesus. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it: Jn.14:13-14.

God has completely authorized that everything must respond to Jesus’ name. Such things that must respond include: 
1. The heavens and the earth (Deut.32:1). These have ears to hear and will respond. 
2. Stones and other created things will respond to the name. (Josh.24:27 Psa.29:1-3). 
3. Nations and people will hear and respond to the name (Isa.34:1). Call that rebellious member of your family that has refused to respond to the caution of the elders. Start calling him to respond to the name of Jesus and a change will happen.

Those long standing requests and prayers will respond to the voice of the LORD that is powerful, full of majesty, breaking the cedars of Lebanon and dividing the flames of fire. Arise and use the best that God has given you to access your victory.

Prayer/Action
* Sing a song to exalt the excellent name of Jesus.
* Ask that by the reason of that name every contradiction must submit to you today, in Jesus’ name.
* Declare your victory by the power in the name of Jesus.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Let the blood of Jesus flow in my life and blot out all ungodly inheritance, in the name of Jesus.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Beyond Wishful Thinking

Wednesday 21 October
READ: Prov 13: 1-11
MORE LESSON: Matt. 25:26-30

The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat: Prov.13: 4. This is true in the physical realm. The farmer who wants to harvest corn must first plow the field and plant the seed. A lazy person aims at nothing and usually hits nothing. Just desiring a good harvest will not produce the results. Wishing you know your Bible better or that you are able to read it through from Genesis to Revelation, without actually doing it, will not give a working knowledge of the Bible; you must study and research the Bible. Similarly, wishing you had a better prayer life will not make it happen; you must take time to pray.

It is those who take time and pain to labour that will have a good harvest. Laziness and wishful thinking without action leads to poverty, waste and loss of all things (Prov. 6: 9-11, Prov 18: 9, Matt 25: 26-30). Moreover, if a man will have all that his soul desires, He must have something he is gainfully doing (Neh 6: 3). A man who desires a good harvest must invest his time wisely and be prompt (Eph 5: 11). Work day and night; there is no law against working in the night, especially if that is the most suitable time for you (1 Thes 2: 9).

A man who desires great profit or income must be trained in his chosen field: ...Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways...: Prov. 6:6-8. Putting into practice all lessons a man learns whether from man, animal or inanimate things is profitable.
The Bible also commanded “no work, no eat” (2 Thes 3: 10-12). And as you get yourself involved in profitable righteous endeavours, you can be sure of God's blessing.

Prayer/Action
* I break off the yoke of laziness and procrastination from my life, in Jesus’ mighty name.
* I receive grace to labour profitably with abundant harvest in Jesus’ mighty name.
* I receive the abundant prosperity and blessing instead of poverty and lack, in Jesus’ mighty name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Right now, I command the bondage activators in my life to burn and perish, in the name of Jesus.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Integrity Counts

Tuesday 20 October
READ: Dan. 6:1-5
MORE LESSON: Job 27:3-6

But they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him: v 4. This was the testimony of Daniel, in a strange land where he was one of the captives; the enemy found no occasion to accuse him. He shared the same testimony with Jesus about whom the Bible testified as follows; for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me: Jn. 14:31. We are Jesus’ people and must bear His testimony as Daniel did. The Bible calls us the light of the world and if so, we must live a blameless life without spot or wrinkle.

What do people say about you as a Christian? If it is less than that of Daniel, then you have to work more! Integrity and uprightness are two pillars necessary for successful living (Psa. 25:21). Many believers’ lives are held down because of awkward lifestyles, unjust gains, falsehood, stealing, backbiting and all forms of disobedience. Lack of integrity makes the way very slippery. To be a person of integrity is to embrace honesty in words, actions and intentions; it is to make promises and pay the price to fulfil them.

Any life built on dishonesty always ends in loss and shame, For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up: Hosea 8:7. Lives and futures built on forged certificates and other frauds cannot be glorious. There are marks of integrity all of which must be found in your life :

1. Moral uprightness: Gen.20:3-10.

2. Unselfish service to God and man. And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them: Num 16:15.

3. Performing your vows and promises: Jer.35:12-19.

4. Rejecting brides of all forms: And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, ...: Acts 8:18-23.

5. Honest behaviour: Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man: 2Cor.7:2.

Job’s wife asked him a question that all of us must regularly ask ourselves; ...Dost thou still retain thine integrity? ...: Job 2:9. God, godly people and even unbelievers expect you to retain your integrity in all things. And until then you are still a struggling Christian.

Prayer/Action
* Father, release on me the spirit of truth, in Jesus’ mighty name.
* I receive grace to be honest in actions and intentions, in Jesus’ mighty name.
* I will retain my integrity in all things, in Jesus’ mighty name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Shepherd of my soul, I give You full control, lead me besides still waters,and take me to green pastures, in the name of Jesus.