Above All

Tuesday 12 July
READ: John 3:25-36
MORE LESSON: Eph. 2:6-10

We are seated with Christ in heavenly places, far above principalities and powers. John 3:31 tells us, he that is from above is above all. Everyone who has Christ on the inside is above all. When Jesus was on earth, He lived as a King. After He resurrected, He ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on High and we are seated with Him. The authority of a believer is as a result of who Jesus is, and not because of who we are. Jesus is King and it is He in you that makes you a king. And if you are a king by the virtue of redemption, nothing can put you under any more. Kings are above not below. This is the reason the Bible says concerning you, the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath.... Deut 28:13.

You are above financial difficulties, health challenges and life situations. Whatever you go through, say to yourself, ‘I am above all’. Make your destiny run in victory by having a consciousness that you are above. Jesus is King over nature, demons, death and all things and He is in you, then you are also a king over all things. No longer must you act and live as a slave, you are to act and believe as royalty.

The Kingship of Jesus has an implication for us. The implication is that satan has lost authority over all things in our lives forever. When we are conscious of Christ on our inside, we become a people above every situation. My Christian life took a new turn when I recognised the fullness of what Jesus did for me on the cross of Calvary. It makes it easy for me to access forgiveness when I need it, strength when I need it and the power of the Holy Spirit in the time of need. Righteousness has been imputed unto us. We are in Christ and since He is above, we also are above. When next someone asks you where you are, tell him you are above. My son once said to me, “Dad, how far” and I replied “Far above principalities and power!” It sounds like a joke but it is real.

David saw and declared this (Psa. 110:1) Every human being can determine his position in life and eternity by this verse. All who are in Christ are not only comfortable by the sitting position but are in addition, sitting at the right hand of God, which obviously is in the highest of all and all who make themselves servants of the devil are not only located at the lowest level but serve as footstool for the righteous. The conclusion is simple: who you serve determines where you are located. This is what John was telling those who came to report Jesus’ activities to him (John). In our text, that same Jesus is far above, He cannot be compared with John. Jesus is above all.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Father, in the name of Jesus, the veil of ignorance that has covered my eyes is hereby destroyed by fire,
* In the name of Jesus, I take my place of authority, power, divine health and prosperity where I belong.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I affirm and confess that it is well with my soul this year and it shall never be ill with me, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Great Calm II

Monday 11 July
READ: Mark 4:35 -39
MORE LESSON: Psa. 93: 4

Jesus was in the boat with His disciples and despite His presence, a storm struck the boat. The presence of storms in your life does not indicate the absence of the Lord. The fact that you are experiencing difficulties doesn't mean that the Lord has forsaken you. It is however expected that you must know how to handle storms when they come so that you will not be a victim but a victor over the storms of life. The first thing that should be noted from this story in the Bible is that God expects you to invite Him to act on your storms and not for you to assume that He will act automatically. Jesus didn't calm the storm the disciples found themselves in until they invited Him.

We must also take note of how Jesus calmed the storm. When Jesus was invited into the storm, He rose up and spoke to it. You must learn to speak to your situations in life. Complaining and panicking will get you nowhere, only faith inspired words bring a miracle. The disciples said to Jesus, Teacher, don't you care if we drown? Mark 4:38 (NIV). That is a question not a declaration! You must learn how to speak the Word of God to your situation and not speak words of complaint, murmuring or questioning God. In Jer. 22:29, the Prophet spoke, O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord. That is the kind of declaration you are expected to make; speak the Word of the Lord to the storm. There is no storm that will not respond to the Word of the Lord in your mouth. Your power is located in your vocal chords and whatever you cannot declare, you may not receive. So speak the Word! Even salvation is gotten by declaring and believing. The problem with many Christians is that they stare at storms of life instead of rebuking them.

In Ezek. 29:2-3, the Lord told Ezekiel to set his face against Pharaoh and prophesy against him. You also must set you face against your storm and prophesy against it. You don't have to wait to feel the Spirit of God like goose pimples on you before you prophesy. Just face that crisis and begin to make decrees from the Word of God against it. A decree is a declaration backed by the law. A decree carries full authority and the greatest authority and law is the Word of God, so when you speak God's Word against your storm, it must bow. Job 22:28-29 agreed, thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. So make sure you control the situations on your outside from your inside. Speak words of command from the inside and every storm on the outside will bow. Use the constitution, which is the Word of God to back up all you say and that storm will give way, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Help me not to lose sight of Your presence with me even in the face of the storm, in Jesus’ name.
* Speak the Word of God against the storm confronting your home, health and finance.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the name of Jesus, this day, this week, this month, this year, the sun shall not smite me by day nor the moon by night.

Great Calm I

Sunday 10 July
READ: Mark 4:35 -39
MORE LESSON: Psa. 89: 8 - 9

Jesus had gone for a meeting with His disciples and as they were coming back, the wind began to beat at the ship so ferociously that the disciples were greatly afraid. The ship had begun to be filled with water and it looked like it would sink. Water, in this context, represents trouble. Troubles and storms in life are a reality that we must face; it is how you handle them that determines whether you are really in trouble or not.

Many of the disciples were fishermen; they were skilled in the water business. So they must have immediately swerved into action as they tried to do all the professional things like removing excess load to make the boat light, rowing in the direction of the wind, etc. However, all they did was to no avail as the storm increased and the water became so overwhelmingly out of control. It was at that point that they realised they needed Jesus. They had tried all the physical things to correct the problem but there was no result. Most times, the reason for the struggle of men is that they are trying to handle a spiritual problem using a physical technique.

A great calm came when they realised that their knowledge of the sea could not help and they cried to Jesus. It was when they shouted out loud to Jesus for help that He rose up to calm their storm. What is intriguing in this story is that Jesus was in a boat and the boat was sinking and He didn't do anything. Don't think that Jesus was so dead asleep that He was unconscious of His surrounding and needed to be awakened by His disciples so that He would not drown with the ship.

The truth is that Jesus knew about the storm but He would not do something until He was invited into the situation. Jesus was waiting for them to recognise His presence and ask Him for help. This shows that Jesus could be in a boat and storms still attack the boat. This also teaches us that Jesus will not automatically calm a storm unless you ask Him to. God works by principles and one of his principles is that you only receive when you ask (Matt 7: 7). A desire without prayer is wishful thinking; you must talk to the Lord about your desire. The ship of your life could be filled with trouble today just as theirs was. You need to call the Master of the storm and He will bring a great calm. Prayer is the way to experience calm in the midst of the threatening storm. Don't assume that you are a Christian and a worker in church so the Lord would automatically calm the storm of your life without you expressing your need to Him in prayer. You must pray to the Lord for calm to come.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Jesus, come into my home, work and life and still the storm around my life.
* Pray that you will walk through any storm with Jesus in view.
* Declare that no storm will be able to swallow you up, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today, I use the token of the blood of Jesus to wipe out the handwriting of all ordinances programmed against my destiny, in the name of Jesus.

Power to the Faint II

Saturday 9 July
READ: Isa. 40: 29 – 31
MORE LESSON: Isa. 52:1-6

Weakness is a choice and strength is also a choice. A man chooses to be weak or strong by the things he does and how he does them. A man that is running away from fasting, prayer, church service and spiritual exercise is choosing weakness while a man that waits on God chooses strength. The reality of fainting and becoming weary in this life is inevitable but God also has made available the provision of power to be strong. However, accessing the provision of strength from God is a choice. This is portrayed in Isa. 40: 29 – 31, He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

The Scripture states emphatically that all men, including youths that are renowned for strength, will faint and utterly fall. However before the problem of fainting comes, the Word of God has made a provision for the solution to as many as will make the choice to receive strength. When you carefully examine the text, you will realise that God gave the promise of strength even before He announced the problem of weariness and fainting. In verse 30, the problem of fainting and weariness was announced but in verse 29, God had already promised that there is power available to the faint. It is only Jehovah that can promise the solution even before the problem shows up. This is the reason it is choice that eventually determines whether you stay in the place of weakness or strength. As far as God is concerned, there is provision of strength for you even before the advent of weakness, all you have to do is to make the choice to receive strength.

The secret of power in the time of fainting is shown in the Scripture, those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. This Scripture talks about a man who stays with God until his change comes. Job said that all the days of his appointed time he will wait until his change comes. Job is one man who stayed on with God till his change came (Job 14: 14). I want you to decide that whatever the situation in the country and around the globe your faith will stay fixed on the Lord. When you wait upon the Lord, your strength will be renewed and you will be able to move forward without becoming tired, Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments...: Isa. 52:1.

PRAYER/ACTION
* In the name of Jesus, I choose strength, not weakness.
* In the name of Jesus, my strength shall not faint and my points of strength shall not become weakness.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I declare my moments and times are defended by God and His Word from this day on, in the name of Jesus.