The Proven God

Saturday 30 January
READ: Psa. 44:1–4
MORE LESSON:1Sam 5:1-12

Our text today captures David's testimony of God. He testifies of how he heard from his fathers and the men of old all the exploits that God had done in ancient times. Compared to contemporary times, David is an ancient man, having lived around 4000 years ago. Howbeit, ancient David still testifies of how he has heard from ancient men about the consistency of God's power. This shows that God has a proven record that spans from ancient to ancient times. If a sportsman can win a trophy consistently back to back for a decade, I believe there should be no doubt as to the fact that he/she is the best. God has delivered results from the foundation of the earth and has never failed. The consistency of God's track record spans generations; there is no tenable reason for any man to doubt Him.

God is not just all time tested but also all locations tested. A sportsman may be playing well in front of his home fans and he is spurred to victory, thereby able to win all the games. But when he plays away from home in rival territory where he is booed, he might lose all the matches. So a man is not fully tested until he is tested both at home and away from home. If a man can prove his power both at home and in a faraway country, then he is truly powerful. The God of your help is tested and proven both at home and away from home and He is found consistent. In Isa. 
66: 19, God says, and I will set a sign among them . . . to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. Jehovah the God of Israel is not a God that has glory just at home; His fame and glory spread even among the gentiles – the other nations of the world.

All other gods have borders, but the Almighty is without borders. I had a teacher in secondary school who had great respect for cows: she didn't eat cow meat. When I investigated, I found that the cow is the symbol of the god of her homeland. But here we were, slapping cows, killing and eating them. So her cow-god was god only within the borders of her home-country. This brings to mind the story of the Ark of God when it was seized by the Philistines. They put it in the temple of their god, Dagon. In a matter of two days, their god laid prostrate on the floor before the Ark of God, with its arms and head broken off. God crossed the borders of Israel into the land of Philistia and beat Dagon, not only hands-down, but head-off. Jehovah is God in Israel and in every nation. You have a time-tested, borderless and proven God; exercise full faith in Him.

Prayer/Action
* Thank You Lord, because I serve You, the proven God.
* Lord, prove Your majesty to the world in my life, in Jesus’ name.
* Lord, let everything contrary to God in my life bow to Your Lordship, in Jesus’ name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today, call your name and say to it that it shall not be heard in any evil in 2016 in the name of Jesus

The Self-Sufficient Helper

Friday 29 January
READ: Psa. 46:1-11
MORE LESSON: Acts 12: 20 - 24

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early: Psa. 46:5 The help of God is Heaven's intervention in a matter that is beyond the control of man. Help enables you to do more than you can do ordinarily. Help is about being able to achieve more than you can on your own. Someone defined help as the extra hand that makes your load lighter to carry. God is the only Helper there is: if God doesn't help you, no man can. Every other man assists, but God helps. Assistance talks of relief coming in bits and pieces but help is holistic and has no limit; it gets the job done completely. Only God can provide real help; men can push a little but God provides the help. Man can take off to help and abandon it along the way, but God starts from the beginning and takes it all through to the end. When God is involved, He goes all the way to bring us help. When you put your confidence in man, you are putting your confidence in a supporter who himself needs help. But when you put your confidence in God He can use other men to accomplish things.

Every man will have something that he needs an extra hand for till the end of life. We all need help; I haven't found a man who is not in need of help. I have met 
the rich and the strong and they all need help. I haven't met anyone who does not need help except God who is self-sufficient. No man is self-sufficient; if you hear anyone say that he is, he is preparing for his grave.

God is self-sufficient and all men are dependent. Don't be deceived to think you are sufficient on your own like Herod (Acts 12: 21) who finished speaking and the people were hailing him, saying that it was not the voice of man but the voice of God. They said he was God and he was happy. All of a sudden, an angel slapped him and he fell down dead. No one knew an angel was in that congregation until the man was slapped. The angel would have wondered, “How can they tell you that you are self-sufficent and self-existent and you accept such praise from them?” It is only the Almighty God that occupies that office.

Never put your confidence in yourself. Herod must have believed he was some god also because he accepted the accolade of being God. Jehovah had to silence him as a lesson to other men. Don't ever trust that you can accomplish anything all by yourself but only by the help of God.

Prayer/Action
* Thank You Lord because You are my self-sufficient Helper.
* Oh God, my self-sufficient Helper, send me help early in my destiny, in Jesus’ name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Again anoint yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to saturate and anoint you , spirit, soul and body for an unfailing year in the mighty name of Jesus.

The Privilege of Service

Thursday 28 January
READ: 1 Tim 1:12
MORE LESSON: Num. 16: 9

It is necessary to know that serving God is an opportunity. It should not be taken for granted. It is a person without understanding that thinks he is doing God a favour by making himself available to serve in His vineyard.

The highest purpose of man is to give God pleasure (Rev 4: 11). The greatest achievement a man can have is to bear fruits for the Master. So when you are called upon to serve in the house of God, do it with a sense of reverence and gratitude. It is a great privilege. This is the same mind with which you should bring your offerings and gifts to the Lord. As it is written in His Word, If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof: Psa 50:12. It is not because God is in need that He asks for offerings and tithes from man; it is because He wants to increase you. It is a great honour and privilege to be called upon by the Creator of Heaven and earth to give to Him.

When a man looks at his past and abilities, he will realise that it is sheer grace that enables you to stand before God, let alone work for Him. This is the understanding Apostle Paul had that made him say, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the 
ministry: I Tim 1: 12. This is the attitude with which I do the privileged assignments He has given me as well. I am very grateful today that I am a pastor. I used to be a rascal, but today I am a radical for Jesus. Many people have done great things, but my greatness is in knowing Jesus. I do not count serving God as a sacrifice but as a privilege; no matter what I have to forgo or undergo to fulfil the ministry, it doesn't matter. I know that it is a rare privilege to be a servant in the vineyard of God. It is a great honour to be appointed a mouthpiece for the Almighty.

In the same way, you may or may not be in full time ministry but whatever you are doing for God, know that it is a great privilege and so do it with full reverence and gratitude to Him. Don't let people have to coax or coerce you before you give all to serving in the Church of God. Don't see giving to God as a burden. It is because God has given you the privilege of being alive that you can serve. Also it is because He has given you the body, health, resources and all you need that you can serve Him. So see it as a privilege and reciprocate by giving your all.

Prayer/Action
* Thank You Lord for the privilege You have given me to serve in Your house.
* Lord, don't let me be idle in the Kingdom business, in Jesus’ name.
* I shall not be slothful in business but be fervent in the spirit serving the Lord, in Jesus’ name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Repeat the anointing and declare your body and destiny a no parking zone for sickness and affliction in 2016 in the name of Jesus.

The Place of His Altar

Wednesday 27 January
READ: Deut. 12:5-7
MORE LESSON: Gen 33: 20

There is the mystery of place and location concerning how God answers prayers. We know that God is everywhere and can hear prayers anywhere but there are specific places where the Lord has chosen to put His name. It is wisdom to come physically to the place that the Lord has chosen and call upon Him there. Some people believe that they don't need to come to church; they believe that God is present in their bedroom as well and they can do all the fellowship they want with God alone in there. But in scriptures, you hear men say, 'The God of so and so, the God who encountered me at so and so, the God of Bethel . . .' It is absolutely scriptural that God puts His name on some people and places and when you connect with such people and places, you get things easily and cheaply from God. When you have not got to the place God has chosen to do His work you will struggle in other places. The Bible makes it clear, But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: Deut 12: 5.

I know of a couple who had been praying for a baby, then one day they got a revelation. The man then took his wife and they came to the altar in church; they rolled on the altar and prayed, and the Lord answered them. There are a thousand and one cases like that; it is not because of the man of God but because God is always pleased to choose the place of His altar. When the Lord chooses a place, that place becomes the altar of the Lord: the access point to Heaven. Do yourself good to go to where God has chosen. People don't come to the altar to pray to the pastor; they pray to the God that he serves.

And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes and and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks: v 6. It is to the place where the Lord has chosen that you are to bring your offerings. Bring your offerings and your tithes to the altar. Many people in church run into crisis because they do not understand the power of the altar. There is a blessing that God has put in His altar for you, And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: v 7.

Prayer/Action
* I repent of all complacency in coming to church, in Jesus’ name.
* Lord, grant me joy each time I approach Your house, in Jesus’ name.
* Lord, bless me as I go to Your house today, in Jesus’ name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Anoint yourself again and prophesy “ The days, weeks and months of 2016 shall be for my advancement in every way in the name of Jesus