Dealing with a Deficit Future

Monday 23 November
READ: Lk. 15:11-24
MORE LESSON: Hos.10:12

A deficit future is a tomorrow that has been squandered today. There are many people squandering their tomorrow by the type of life they live today and they do not know it. Some of them are even doing it gladly, like the prodigal son. The story of the prodigal son is a lesson on the repercussion of the riotous lifestyle of many people today. The prodigal son had a temporary immediate gain and pleasure, but he paid dearly for it later in life. The day the young man collected his inheritance prematurely, he left like a hero but then a little while after, the only option he had was to gladly eat with pigs.

When you prematurely eat your evening meal in the morning, it will be delicious. But in the evening, hunger will teach you the lesson that night hunger can be deadly and then the night becomes longer. Premarital sex can be pleasurable while it lasts but it breeds barrenness and incurable diseases tomorrow. Stealing from your parents can make money available today just as smoking, drinking alcohol and such vices are apparently pleasant but results in a deficit future. Whatever exists in you that will cause a sad, bankrupt future, I chase them out now, in Jesus’ name. Your today will bring a happy tomorrow, in Jesus’ name.

For a better tomorrow, stop living a wasteful life today. Begin to build reserves/savings for your tomorrow no matter how small; stop eating everything that comes to you. Reject anything that is sweet today but that will breed sorrow tomorrow. Always ask yourself what the eternal result of what you are doing is, and what contribution or otherwise your action will make to your future.

Thank God that the prodigal son came back to his senses; he took a bold step to go back home and found grace. Today, you too can stop reason and ask God for help. Our God, the gracious Father of all prodigal children is still waiting to receive you if you can take a positive step today. I release grace and favour for your recovery. Esau wept to recover but he didn't get it (Heb. 12:16-17). I prophecy that unlike Esau you will get yours if you can seek God with a sincere heart today.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, today I reverse every loss I have suffered due my reckless past.
* I turn to credit every inadequacy posted to my future by my past mistakes.
* I declare healing for every pain that was brought about by my past.
* I terminate every ancestral inherited pain and deficit waiting in my future, in Jesus' mighty name.

--Spend the whole of today praying and taking positive corrective steps over anything in your life that you know will bring you sorrow tomorrow. Pray that God will open your eyes of understanding to the wrong things you do and ask Him for mercy.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, I destroy the operatives of all satanic powers sent to dishonour my destiny, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Labourers and Harvesters

Sunday 22 November
READ: John 4: 37-38
MORE LESSON: I Cor. 3: 6-8

A young missionary came from Europe to Africa and after investing all his lifetime in a community, he had only one young convert. He lost his wife and child to malaria in the land and after all the years, he went back to his country, thinking he had wasted the bulk of his life. He would have died a bitter old man, but for the fact that close to his death he met someone from the same field who gave him a good report. The one convert he had for all his labour had grown to become a great evangelist and church planter in that country. Thousands of people were saved and many churches planted in many nations through him. Today, the Gospel is waxing stronger and stronger in that land. The old missionary repented of thinking that he wasted his labour and praised the Lord for the harvest that others were reaping from his labour. Then he passed on to glory.

When you look at life, you realise that everything you enjoy today is a result of the labour of people who have gone ahead of you. The technologies like cars, phones, computers etc that make life easy for us today are the results of the efforts and labour of some people in the past. Some of such people didn’t even live to benefit from the results of their labours. It was after their lifetime that the efforts began to yield results for other people.

This is true in the spiritual also. All your labour in the spirit such as your prayer, fasting, giving and diligent service to God are counted for harvests in the future. Even after you leave this world, other people, including your children, will benefit from such harvests. Many of us are reaping the good of the spiritual labours of our parents. This is the reason why each person should be very diligent in all the things of God because he is laying up harvest for his seed and the future generation.

The converse is also true. Laziness in the things of God and all the evil that men might do today would also to be paid for by future generations, including the children of the perpetrators of evil. Many countries are suffering and struggling today because of the lack of vision, corruption, embezzlement and evil of their past leaders. Of a truth, ...one soweth and another reapeth. . . other men laboureth, and ye are entered into their labors: John 4: 37-38.
Today, I charge you to start laying down spiritual and physical foundations that others will build on and reap from even when you are gone. This is the path to making everlasting impact.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that your labour in life will never be a waste, in Jesus’ mighty name.
* Pray for a life of impact that extends beyond your generation.
* Ask God for His grace to live a life filled with results, in Jesus’ mighty name.
* Pray for the power of divine speed and fulfilment in life.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
By the leading of the Holy Spirit, I shall always be at the right place at the right time all through my destiny, in the name of Jesus.

You can be Taller

Saturday 21 November
READ: 1 Pet. 2:1-10
MORE LESSON: Psalm 23: 1-3

The Christian life should be characterized by continuous growth. Living is life in progression; it is continuous growth. Every blessing and grace of the believer is in form of a seed and if the seed is cared for it will grow to full maturity. As the Christian walks in the light, he receives knowledge and grows normally to full maturity.

Christian maturity doesn't just happen; our “diet” has to be right and we must “exercise” our faith regularly. It is as we feast on God's Word and obey it that we can realize our full potential. When it comes to how tall we are physically, the inherited genetic factors establish a ceiling that limits our height. No matter how hard we may try, when that limit is reached we can't grow taller anymore, even though many of us have a tendency to continue to expand horizontally. Our potential for spiritual advancement is however unlimited. Spiritually, how “tall” we become depends on our own desire and how much we draw on the provisions of our heavenly Father. We are not held back by the genes we inherited from our earthly parents. For the believer, there is no limit to growth.

Moreover, II Pet. 3:18 makes us understand the secret of growth as believers, But grow in grace, and in the knowledge .... We must pay careful attention to the intake of the undiluted Word of God and pure doctrines. How tall, blessed and strong are you in God's sight? How much have you developed this year? Whatever is your answer, you can be more and stronger. It is the desire of God that we grow more like Jesus, day by day. Drawing close to Jesus more and more produces a growth that is Christ-like.
The Scripture highlights some important issues about Christian growth. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Eph 4: 12- 15.

(i) We grow spiritually by speaking the truth; that is, confessing the Word of God and making it our own word. (ii) Growth delivers us from instability and deception because it takes us from childhood to adulthood in God: v 14. (iii) Harmony with others; it is only when we are growing that we can be in unity of faith with other believers and overcome immaturity, division, strife and spiritual dwarfness: v13. (iv) Growth is also essential for spiritual service and being a blessing in the Kingdom work: v12. Spiritual growth of the believer enhances the Kingdom of God on earth.

Prayer/Action
* I receive grace to grow spiritually and physically, in Jesus’ mighty name.
* Father, let the hunger and thirst for Your Word and fellowship with others increase in my life now, in Jesus’ mighty name.
* Lord Jesus, help me to apply Your Word always to every situation of my life.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today, I receive the ability to break forth on the right and on the left, in the name of Jesus.

Respond to Training

READ: Eph 6:1-3
MORE LESSON: Prov 22:6

Parent-child relationship is ordained of God primarily for the care of the child. That is why ideally every child is born into the hands of two matured adults (father and mother) so that the child (male or female) can find nurture and training. Most times children want to do their own things even though God has given every child parents to teach him/her how to live as today's text explains. The word,“train” involves controlling your mouth and learning subjection, obedience and avoidance of sin. “A child” can be an infant, a pre-teen, a teenager or an unmarried young adult; and “the way he should go” is the direction God wants you to go“When he is old” refers to when you have grey hair and have given birth to your own children.

Every parent is saddled with the responsibility of teaching his/her children, to the third generation all that he has seen and experienced in his dealings with God and man. Only take heed to thyself, ...but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons: Deut. 4:9c. However, when children refuse their parents’ instructions and teachings and go their own way, they are rejecting God’s instruction, Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord: Col 3:20. The result is recorded as follows: I was almost in all evil Having not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me: Prov. 3:14-15.

On the other hand, when children obey their parents, there are at least six blessings of security awaiting them. So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet: Prov.3:22-24.They have life, grace, safety, stability in life, no fear, restful sleep. 
Obedience to parents is very important. Therefore, if your parents and leaders are training you to be all God wants you to be, respond promptly and properly. If you do, then you will reap it's harvest in time to come.

Prayer/Action
* Father, I yield to the control of the Holy Spirit and Your Word, in Jesus’ mighty name.
* Lord, I receive Your Spirit to obey all in authority over me, in Jesus’ mighty name.
* I receive grace to obey my parents and teachers, in Jesus mighty name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I shall not die before my time, but like Abraham, I shall reach my full age and be blessed in all ways, in Jesus’ mighty name.