Life Guide

Monday 21 December
READ: Jms.1:17-25
MORE LESSON: Heb:11:3

I once heard a preacher-man coin out an acronym for “B.I.B.L.E” and I love it. He called it, “Best Instruction Before Leaving Earth”. There are two spheres of life, time and eternity. Friend, there is no doubting the fact that there is life after here. It is called eternity or life without time, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Heb 9:27. We are eternal beings, designed by God to live forever. But the quality of our eternity will be predicated on the guidance we receive and obey here in time.

Time is rewarded in eternity so we cannot afford to spend time recklessly. We need an eternal compass, a divine pathfinder to successfully ply the road of life in time. We need a trustworthy time-guide; we need a living book. Praise God, we have the Bible. Even Science and Archaeology accept that the Bible is a truth-pack. But much more than all of this, there is only one infallible proof that the Bible is the best guide into eternity with God; its words work! The Word of God cannot and does not fail. It always works, giving life to its readers and impacting the earth with eternal life. Its words are sure; you can bank on it. Jm. 1:25 says, But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

It’s simple logic to say that a pillar, a picture, a bridge, the human body or anything at all cannot be firm in shape without a frame. And our anchor verse today from the living book reveals that …the worlds were framed by the word of God…. Heb. 11:3a. This shows us that the Word of God is the very substance or force behind the reality of the world as we know it today. Thus, it is impossible to live a life that is successful, relevant, impactful and Heaven bound without taking roots in the Word of God.

The audacity to poke satan in the face and claim your victory is predicated on how much of God’s Word you have searched out, believed and acted upon. Nothing is sweeter than a life that is lived in the Word of God because for Word-based people, Heaven is sure! Time spent with the Living Book is not time wasted; it is time invested. It is said that the purpose of a thing is with its manufacturer. The Word of God is our manufacturer’s manual for effective and productive living. As the sun is to the earth so is the Word of God to our lives. Prepare for eternity, study the Bible.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to help you run your life solely on the compass of God’s Word.
* Ask God to illuminate your mind and heart by His Word.
* Ask God to help you invest your time in the study of His Word.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
As from today, all my buried glory, goodness and virtue, I command you to begin to resurrect, in the name of Jesus.

The Giving Spirit

Sunday 20 December
READ: Lk. 6:30-38
MORE LESSON: II Chron.7:4-7

There is a mystery involved in the act of open-handedness that only a few men understand or appreciate. The average man is pleased to receive value and reluctant to part with same. This is the basic instinct of a natural man. A popular Christian author, John Maxwell, says, “We live by what we give”. When it dawns on a man that giving is the essence of life, then there will be no struggle in releasing his gifts, abilities, natural endowment, resources and time to serve God and humanity.

God is the greatest giver that made all men – givers and gatherers, the generous and the tight-fisted. It is wisdom for a man to be on the giving and generous side of life. It is only a mark of appreciation to the great Giver who gives to multiply givers on earth. If you study the lives of natural givers all over the world, you will notice that their ability to give always increases and they never lack. Remember that an unbeliever that lives by giving will always be ahead of a most holy believer that is tight-fisted in natural wealth and possessions.

Believers have the greatest opportunity to part with poverty and live fulfilled lives. We often want to be associated with the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon etc, but are we ready to pay the price they paid? These were men that emptied their lives for the Lord. He that empties himself for God will be rewarded with overflowing blessings from above. Change your attitude positively towards tithes, offerings, pledges, vows, almsgiving and helping others and you will never regret it. You were created to give. God gave His best (Jesus) and His children should give like Him.

Verse 38 of our text says, Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. That is not just a promise; it is a key to unlock wealth! If you are tired of poverty and you desire to come out as fast as you can, take the key of giving and the padlock against your wealth will give way speedily, There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty: Pro. 11:24. Now answer the question, “Who holds the key to your prosperity?”

Prayer/Action
* Promise God nothing will be too big for you to give Him.
* Cast every spirit of tight-fistedness out of your destiny.
* Command the spirit of giving to come upon you.
* Rebuke any spirit of loss, wastage and emptiness over your finance.
Give a special offering this week to your local assembly, shepherd or a church project with a request to God for a testimony in your finance.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I withdraw my soul from perdition and destruction as this year comes to an end, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Wait on the Lord

Friday 18 December
READ: Isa. 40:28-31
MORE LESSON: Isa.30:18-21

One of the major problems in the world today is haste; everybody wants to make it, that is, succeed as a matter of urgency. Sadly, this attitude is also found even in the body of Christ. The irony, however, is that those who carefully and patiently come behind you discover the money which you might have run over. Today, the Lord is teaching you to pause for a while. Learn to wait upon the Lord for everything.

The Bible teaches us that the Lord makes things beautiful in His own time. God does not use wristwatch to calculate time, seasons and years the same way we do. Psalm 90:4 says, For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday…. Are you in haste over anything? The Lord is telling you to wait upon Him. It is in your interest to wait upon the Lord because they that do so shall renew their strength (Isa. 40:31). You burn a lot of energy running here and there but when you wait upon the Lord in prayer and fasting, in diligence and commitment, your burnt energy is renewed, replaced or refilled. For waiting on Him, God grants you the strength of an eagle (agility, might, glorious height and dominance of your environment) to fly over and above all circumstances; the speed to run, power never to be weary, and the majesty, caution, confidence, protection and guidance to walk over pain, affliction, lack, opposition and obstacles, and yet not faint. You are granted total protection when you fly (great speed), run (medium speed) and walk (slow speed) as strictly directed by the Spirit of God in response to situations and circumstances of life.

Learn to wait on the Lord; it pays. Never be desperate about anything, whatever goes round must come round. Trust in the power of God to give you your heart desire in your season and His time. Prov. 28:20 says, A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent! And Isaiah the prophet says, Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste: Isa. 28:16. Another version (NIV) says, ...See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. and the Amplified version says, He who believes (trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone) will not be ashamed. Therefore, wait on the Lord! Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart...: Psa.27:14.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to grant you patience in the midst of challenges. 
* Pray for strength not to faint in the place of waiting.
Find a prayer partner today and agree with him or her that you will not wait in vain.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, I plead with heaven to expose and disgrace every unfriendly person masquerading as my true friend, in the name of Jesus.

Understanding Prophecy

Thursday 17 December
READ: Gen. 12: 1-7
MORE LESSON: 1 Thess. 5: 20

In Genesis 12, God gave eight “I wills” to Abram who was already old when God gave him this prophecy. A prophecy denotes a Word of the Lord about what is to come. Prophecy could be a promise or a warning. It could come to give direction and sometimes a confirmation. God might give you a prophetic word to tell you what tomorrow will look like and at another time, He might just be warning you about what could happen tomorrow if you do not do something. God can also give you a prophecy as an instruction and direction about what should be done and how to do it. At such times your obedience to instruction is what determines whether the expected result will come or not. God can also use His servants to give you a prophetic word to give you a confirmation of what He had spoken before.

God told Abram that He would make him into a great nation with people as many as the stars in the sky but at the time the word came Abram didn't even have a child. God was making a promise to him about tomorrow. In Ps 32:8, the Lord says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you (NLT). By His prophetic direction, a child of God should not wander around like sheep without shepherd and live life by trial and error. God will tell you where to go, when to go the kind of job to do, the location to settle down, who to marry and what ministry to do for God. Your blessings are connected to the instructions God gives you. When you stay personally connected to God. He will give you leadings which are prophetic directions on the best pathway for your life.

God spoke through Jeremiah to the people of Israel that If they didn't give up their ways of sin He will hand them over to the Babylonians- that was a prophecy of warning. (Jer. 22: 25) He was warning them that they would end up as slaves if they didn't repent as He asked them to. The Bible says, we should not take the issue of obtaining prophetic directions, instructions, warnings and declarations from the Lord lightly. A prophetic word might make the whole lot of difference that you have been waiting for all your life. So, despise not prophesyings. 1 Thess 5:20. I pray for you that you will have the wisdom to heed the directions and warnings that God gives you and every good prophecy that has gone ahead of you will be fulfilled in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that God’s Word will never cease to come to you in life.
* Ask God to fulfill Isa. 30:21 in your life - ..thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it...
* Uproot every negative word that could have been prophesied against your life to die now in Jesus’ name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I redeem today from every evil memorial and repeated evil occurrences, in the mighty name of Jesus.