Esteeming the Word

Sunday 15 May
READ: Job 23: 12
MORE LESSON: Psa. 119: 97

There was a time I travelled out of Nigeria to far South Eastern Asia for ministry work, and I was there for almost a month. Because communication technology was not as advanced as it is now, for almost a month I had no contact with anybody at home in Nigeria. I began to long so much for any contact from home – a letter, phone call, e-mail, anything. It was at such a point that I was able to access an email from someone at home. Can you guess who sent me the e-mail? You guessed right - my wife, of course. Do you know what I did with that email? I printed it out and began to carry it about. I noticed that I would read it in the morning when I woke up. When I had a little break from ministering in the afternoon, I would quickly go through it. In the evening before I went to bed, I would read it. It wasn't a long document that I needed to read in instalments and I didn't plan or premeditate reading it every now and then. However I just found myself reading the same letter every one or two hours. No matter how many times I read it, each time seemed fresh like I just received it. In fact, I didn't notice that I was reading it so frequently until I got back home and was with my wife and it dawned on me that it was the same letter I had been reading so many times. I could almost recite the content of the letter by that time. I love my wife so much that I was so excited and unconsciously drawn to reading her letter repeatedly.
Believe it or not, how much you read the Word of God is a sure indicator of how much you love Him. The psalmist says, The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold: Psa 119:72 (NIV). If the Word of God in the Bible could become as dear as that to you, everything and everyone in the world will respond to it in your mouth. A preacher that doesn't love God’s Word has no power in his message. He can only stand on the pulpit and tell stories. A believer that is not in love with the Word of God is dry and empty for he is in constant lack of power. Many people are giants at reading novels, textbooks and newspapers but when it is about reading the Bible they are dwarfs. Such a lifestyle cannot lead to a life of exploits. You are not only to read the Word, you are supposed to fall in love with reading it. Then you can say, How sweet are your Words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth: Psa. 119:103 (NIV).

Prayer/Action
* Father, help me to love and long for Your Word daily.
* Father, create a thirst in me that only Your Word can quench.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today, every curse of back-to-square one working in my life and destiny: break now, in the name of Jesus.

The Outstanding Life

Saturday 14 May
READ: 1 Cor. 15:40-41
MORE LESSON: Matt. 5:14-16

Did you know that the stars are out there in the sky in the day time, but you cannot see them? The reason is that the sun shines so brightly that it makes everything else in the sky but itself to be unseen in the day time. The sun rules outstandingly in the day, so the glory of the other heavenly bodies are hidden during the daytime. The glory of the moon is not seen during the day because the sun is more outstanding. This fact is portrayed in the Scripture which says, There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory: 1 Cor 15: 40-4.
When you are not outstanding, whatever you do or know is not regarded no matter how much effort you put into it. It is only an outstanding man that has a voice. No matter how hard a man works, until he hits the outstanding mark, it just looks as if he is not doing well enough. Sometimes it is not as if a man is not good enough or even doing it right, it is just that his results are covered and not getting the right expression. A man may be doing all right and making efforts but as long as the outstanding result has not manifested, it will look as if he doesn't know how to do it. This is the reason the issue of getting outstanding results and living an outstanding life must not be taken for granted, as Christ advised, ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house: Matt 5:14-15.
I believe that God's children should be outstanding wherever they are found. An outstanding man is the man who is able to stand out in everything he does. You cannot be doing what everyone else is doing and achieving the level of results they are getting and expect to be outstanding. There is the outstanding Spirit and mindset that you need to contact today and I pray that you will contact it. It is the outstanding man that is conspicuous. He is celebrated and regarded as superior. Today, I want to create a desire in your heart to become outstanding. My prayer is that the Lord will make you outstanding in every area of life this new year.

Prayer/Action
* Father, like Abraham, cause me to encounter You today
* Let my heart be transformed for the better today by Your encounter with me, in Jesus’ name.
* I receive grace not to dishonour God’s call upon me, in Jesus’ name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Every evil personality my family, office or neighbourhood sent to report my progress to witches and occultic forces, your time is up, die by fire, in Jesus’ name.

The Cure for Ignorance

Friday 13 May
READ: Psa. 119:9
MORE LESSON: 1 John 2:14

Ignorance kills. When a person is ignorant of the truth, he can go into slavery for life. Ignorance makes a man engage in self-destructive actions that he may regret for the rest of his life. Hosea 4: 6 says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
The cure for ignorance is not mere knowledge, it is correct knowledge. It is accurate knowledge that is called 'truth.' There are many forms of knowledge in the world today, but what men need is true and accurate knowledge. John 8: 32 says, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. The Word of God is the truth that cures ignorance (John 17: 17). The Bible in your hand is the treasure you need to find solution to every problem in life. People run helter-skelter looking for answer to life's questions whereas if they can stay on the Word of God, they will discover everything they are looking for.
Young people are commonly seen to be ignorant when they make hasty and wrong decisions. It is possible to be young and wise, all it takes is a youth that is full of the Word of God. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed there to according to thy word: Psa. 119: 9. The young; male and female, may face many different temptations in school, at home, work and other places. With the Word of God in you, you overcome temptations. The devil is interested in young people because of their strength which he wants to channel to achieve his pervert ends. God also sees the resources in young people and wants to harness such to conquer the devil. It is the Word of God that makes a young person a weapon in God's hand. According to 1 John 2:14, I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
You need to read the Word of God, commit it to memory, meditate on and live according to its dictates. Do not read God's Word merely as a religious exercise devoid of the life , rather study it with the whole of your heart and open your spirit to ingest the substance that is in it. Psa 119: 10 says, With my whole heart have I sought thee: oh let me not wander from thy commandments. You will not wander away like the ignorant when you make the Word of God the priority in your life. Stay strong in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Avtion
* Lord, let Your Word which is the truth give light and life to me today, in Jesus’ name.
* Lord, give me understanding of Your Word to expose every lie of satan in my destiny, in Jesus’ name.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
Every stubborn power assigned to keep me in perpetual bondage of failure be disgraced out of my life now, in Jesus’ name.

Zacchaeus: Lessons in Divine Visitation 2

Thursday 12 May
READ: Luke 19:1-9 MORE LESSON: 2 Cor. 6:2

Zacchaeus needed a turn-around and we have seen how he obtained information about the itinerary of Jesus, which turned his situation around. It is a strong desire for a change that makes a man to seek for knowledge and information. A complacent person sits back while life-changing information slips by but when a man is determined for a change, he does everything possible to get the necessary information. If you need to go to school, go for training, buy books or ask questions, do all you need to do to get the necessary information. Zaccheus was recorded to be a rich man and he was the head of all the tax-collectors. So he was definitely popular and influential. However, he didn't allow what he had to hinder what he desired. He had money, connections and popularity but he didn't have eternal life which only Jesus can give. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, he forgot all that he was and had and humbled himself to go get that which he needed. He didn't allow his past successes to prevent the next one. There are some things that can hinder you from getting to where you desire. The greatest hindrance to the next success is the present success. If you become proud because of the successes you have, you might never get the next one.
Zacchaeus was a man of small stature but he humbled himself to climb a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Whereas some people felt too big to come to see Jesus in day light, Zacchaeus, on his own part, climbed a tree in broad day light, just to take a look at Jesus. He disregarded what people think to get his desired change. He had a physical challenge of being small in stature that could have prevented him from seeing Jesus but he didn't allow the physical challenge to limit him. So even his past failure could not stop him from encountering Jesus. Do not let the fact that you have failed before hinder you from your breakthrough. Do something about your situation. If you must go up to do something in life, you must do something.
You need the right information to go up in life. Beyond getting information, you must act on the information you have received. Zacchaeus left his house and went to climb a tree, that is action. There is always an action and sacrifice that you need to engage in to enter into your next level. Finally, it was not merely climbing the tree that changed Zacchaeus' life. Many people climbed trees before and after him and the only change they had was a broken arm. It wasn't climbing the tree, it was Jesus that changed his life. Jesus only is the change you need. When you encounter Jesus you will experience a divine turn-around.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to endow you with the right virtues needed to enter destiny.
* Rebuke pride in your life.
* Ask Jesus to visit your destiny as He visited Zacchaeus.

PROPHETIC PRAYER
I cover up all graves dug for me, I turn every coffin built for me and cancel every death sentence fixed on me this year, in the name of Jesus.