Wisdom Key of Praise

Wednesday 20 July
READ: Psa. 100: 4 - 5
MORE LESSON: Psa. 33: 1 - 4

Praise is a sort of celebration, rejoicing and expression of satisfaction and joy. The text of today shows that the way to enter the courts of God is through praise. When you want to access God, you enter through celebrating Him and expressing satisfaction and joy at all He is and has done for you. The book of Psalms has a lot to say about praising God. Praise is not just something you give God when you feel like; praise is a command in the Scripture.

It is quite easy to praise God when all is well and things are going the way we want them to. The difficult part of praise is giving God praise when things are difficult. Only great people can give God praise regardless of situations. The Psalmist says, I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth: Psa. 34:1. 'All times' means when things are right and when they are wrong.

Only wise people give thanks; a fool has no capacity for praise. A fool is full of complaints to God while a wise man approaches God's gates with thanksgiving. When a man praises God, the gates of Heaven open to him and miracles happen. It is wisdom not to approach God in your strength and based on your circumstances; approach Him in praise. Wise people are full of thanks even in undesirable situations because they already know the end of the matter.

Praise has the ability to make things happen without stress. Praise is a key that opens all doors. The Scripture is full of keys like prayer, giving and confession. Every key has a limitation or the other; however, praise has no limitation. Whatever door is shut against you, a life of praise will open it. Praise brings healing more than medicine; it heals faster than drugs. It has been medically proven that when people are excited, their medical condition improves. Praise brings prosperity; a joyful person goes around with an atmosphere of favour. People love to do business with an excited and praise-filled person. Customers run away from a gloomy and unfriendly person. Praise brings deliverance. Praise brings open doors and answered prayers. God loves to hear the prayers of a man of praise. The story of Paul and Silas (Acts 16: 25 – 26) and of Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 20: 22 – 25) also show that praise is a weapon of war.

There is wisdom in praise; it is a key that opens all doors. It takes a positive mindset to really praise God effectively. It is foolish to carry a frown around, grumbling and murmuring, it turns both God and men away from you. Life becomes easy when you stay in continual praise. Praise the Lord!

PRAYER/ACTION
* Declare that nothing will take praise away from your mouth today, in Jesus’ name.
* Give God thanks for your home, work, healing, victory and open doors.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
God of Israel, give no one the opportunity to sympathise with me the rest of this year, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Press for More

Tuesday 19 July
READ: Luke 18: 1 - 7
MORE LESSON: Gen. 18:17-33

People don't get answer to their prayers today because they fail to understand the principle of pressing forward. A woman in labour must continue to push until the baby comes out; if she dares stop pushing she may kill the baby and herself. The trouble may not give way immediately you begin to press but the trouble doesn't have the ability to last forever; it is just for a while! In the parable of the unjust judge, the judge said, Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me: Luke 18:5.

Everything that is worth doing is worth doing well. Everything that is worth having is worth pressing for. If your marriage is very important to you, then be ready to pay all the price you need to pay to make it the way you want it to be. The woman kept coming to the judge; she had no money to pay the judge; she had nothing that will make the judge to rise up on her behalf speedily except her persistent coming. Your continual working at your marriage, work, business, academics, spiritual life, child bearing or whatever project without giving up, fainting and losing strength will eventually qualify you for a miracle. The Bible says that the widow asked the unjust judge to avenge her of her enemies and he would not for a while (Luke 18: 4). Delay is not denial. The man would not answer her for a while but with persistence, she got him to. This woman was intentional and she got what she wanted from an unjust judge.

We have a Just Judge; our God. Our God is not an unjust God. Jehovah is a Just Judge so He will not give you failure when you are supposed to succeed. He will not deny you when you press. If the widow eventually got her desires with an unjust judge, then you will get yours with the Just Judge; the Creator of Heaven and earth, the Everlasting Father, who authored and finished the plan of your life, will not deny you. What you are experiencing today is not the end. All these things will turn out to be testimonies for you. You must press till you are victorious over that situation so that you will be able to comfort other people that will walk that path after you have come out of it. Congratulations, victory is yours.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Father, thank You because You are always there for me.
* Pray that you shall not give up on God.
* Ask God for strength to push on till answer comes.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
My father and my God, the strength of Jacob, please fast forward my miracles this month, in the name of Jesus.

Keep Pressing On

Monday 18 July
READ: Luke 18: 1-7
MORE LESSON: Phil. 3:13-14

What you ask for may not be given to you, but what you demand for will be given to you. If there is any time to be much more intentional, earnest, and apply more force in life, it is now. In Phil 3:13-14 Apostle Paul said, I press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He had his eyes on a mark and he decided that he was going to press towards it. When your eyes are set on the mark, your hand must be on the plough. Getting your eyes without your hands on the plough is wishing without doing; it leads nowhere. When you have a purpose that you desire to achieve, you must work at it. Intention without doing is frustration. You must press, apply more force and become intentional. Remember the Scripture says, ...from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force: Matt 11:12. This shows us the need to press.

In Luke 18:1-7, Jesus teaches us how to press, Jesus spake a parable unto them until this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint…. Fainting means to lose strength, to give up and stop pressing. Jesus gave this parable to show us the importance of pressing without giving up.

The woman in the parable got what she wanted by pressing. Every desire has a price tag. When you press to the point of meeting the price, you get the result. This woman lacked so many things but she had something - she had the ability to press. The judge would not have given her attention because he feared neither God nor man. But the woman knew what to do; she wearied him out by pressing persistently. You can weary your situation out. The devil cannot resist you forever; you can press on till satan gives up on you as far as that matter is concerned. Press in prayer, press in fasting, press in words and press in action. That affliction cannot continue forever; it is not possible! That challenge can only last for a while. It can’t last so long as you learn to press. Don't give up; let your situations and enemies give up, I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles: Psa. 34:4-6. This shall be your own testimony also, just keep pushing on by faith.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Father, I receive unwavering faith and focus to press on to my goals in destiny.
* Father, I receive grace to be focused until I attain the price tag for my goals, in Jesus’ mighty name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the name of Jesus, like Abraham, I shall not miss my appointed time.

Strength in Weakness

Sunday 17 July
READ: Psa. 61:1-2
MORE LESSON: Luke 22: 40 - 45

There was a time when Absalom conspired against his father King David and deposed him from the throne. He took over the king's concubines and sent him out of the kingdom. As David was running away from being killed by his own son, an unbeliever followed with insults and curses (2 Sam 16:5 – 13). This was a situation of great anguish for David as his own son sought his life and disgraced him. When he was in this state of great pain, he said, Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I: Psa. 61:1-2.

Though in great pain, David didn't complain or speak against God; he cried to God. Strong men also get to the place of weakness, but when they start to get faint, they don't turn their backs on God. The time of weakness and challenge is the time to come to God. The place of weakness is the right place to cry to the Lord. It is a grave mistake to leave God because you are in trouble. It is a deadly step to become embittered against God and turn away because you get to a place of discomfort.

In Luke 22: 41-42, Jesus got to the place of weakness. He had a challenge in front of Him which His strength couldn't carry through. He was demoralised and full of anguish, and His disciples were equally weakened because of the sorrow. Jesus, in the time of weakness, prayed to God. He ran to God when He got to the place of weakness and not away from God. The disciples, on the other hand, were so weak that they began to sleep. The time of weakness is not the time to sleep and cry. For instance, losing a loved one is a very challenging incident that brings weakness of heart, but the response is not to keep crying and refuse to go to church.

At the point of weakness, Jesus prayed and the Bible records that an angel came to strengthen Him. The angel strengthened Him because He prayed. In Luke 22: 44, the Bible says that being in an agony He prayed more earnestly... The more the weakness, the more should be your prayer, the more the agony, the more should be the prayer. Do not allow any weakness, agony or challenge to weaken you so much that you cannot pray anymore. Do not allow anything to so disturb you that you shut yourself away from God.

Weakness and challenges should drive you to the place of prayer because there, you will find strength in weakness.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Ask God to grant you strength in weakness.
* In the days of adversity my strength shall not fail me.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today, I declare, even if gross darkness covers the whole world, God's light of glory shall shine upon my life and destiny, in the name of Jesus.