Captivity held Captive

Tuesday 6 September
READ: Isa. 49: 24-25
MORE LESSON: Eph. 4: 8-10

When a warrior goes to war and brings back prisoners of war, the people are called the captives. They are the spoils that the warrior has taken from the war and he will not allow anyone to cheaply take his gain from him. Captors love to display their captives. They take pride in humiliating their captives because the more humiliated the captives are, the more powerful the captor feels. This is why satan parades his captives, by afflicting people with sickness, sinful habits, emotional problems, immorality and poverty because he delights in showing his power by oppressing men and holding them captive.
For a captive to be delivered, it takes a force that is stronger than the captor to free the captive, ...else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house: Matt 12:29.The only way to free a captive is to first make captive his captor. When the captor is captured, the captive can be freed. When Jesus died, He went down to the lower parts of the earth and He made captive all the evil forces of satan and his cohorts that took men captive. Therefore, ...When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men: Eph 4:8.
I want you to know that satan does not have any power over you. He is a captive himself. Jesus defeated him and made him a captive so that you can be free. The implication of this is that satan cannot rule you except you allow him through ignorance of your inheritance in Christ or you give him legal access through sin. Refusal to search the word of God to know your rights will allow the devil to keep you captive even though he is already captured and you are free. If you give the devil a legal access, he will manipulate and put you in bondage and his bondage is always weighty.
However, the greatest news today is that even if you have committed sin and the devil has lawful and legal right to bind and afflict you, the blood of Jesus still speaks mercy for you. This is why the Bible says; shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives of the just be delivered? Isa 49:24. These captives are lawfully held by mighty forces because of the wrong they did. The Word of the Lord says that ...even the lawful captives will be freed and the prey of the terrible be delivered (verse 25). Even if you had done wrong and that is why the enemy is afflicting you today, as you come to ask for mercy through the blood of Jesus, you are freed, in the name of Jesus. Settle your sin problem today by confessing and asking Jesus for pardon, and thereafter the legal right of satan over you is broken and all captivity is over. Say yes to Jesus.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Today by the death and resurrection of Jesus, I am free from captivity.
* I plead the blood of Jesus over every handwriting of the enemy against me.
* In the name of Jesus, I break every padlock and ancient doors that ever held me captive.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I reverse any sign of shame and hopelessness and receive glory and celebration today, in the name of Jesus.

What you do Counts

Monday 5 September
READ: Gen. 6: 8 – 14
MORE LESSON: Matt. 4: 22

Today, I want you to know that what you do makes a difference. Even when men do not notice you, you count so much in the sight of God. The little you do matters a lot to Him and your contribution makes a difference. In the generation of Noah, he was not influential among the crowd because all the people had gone corrupt and he was able to preserve his family alone in the ways of the Lord. What is a family of eight among all the people of the then world? However, for just pastoring his home well, Noah made an eternal difference. It was through him that the seed of mankind was preserved. You might be a parent and you diligently labour to bring up your children in the way of the Lord. Nobody may recognise your efforts or sacrifice and you may never get an award or a plaque for this work you are doing but be it known to you that what you are doing counts so much with God.
You may be following up just two young converts with all your heart to see that they grow in the Lord. The church may never be aware of your diligence and you may never get any recognition for it. You are important and Heaven will commend your work when all things are brought to light. Everyone may be doing wrong and cutting corners and you insist on standing for righteousness and it looks like no one notices what you are doing. In fact you might be facing persecution for doing right. But I want you to know that what you are doing makes a difference. Keep standing for God because you count so much, don't count yourself out.
There was a great servant of God called Pa Akindayomi who when he was alive and pastoring, some people didn't even know him so well. He kept doing the work of the Lord diligently and raising young ministers for the Lord. The people that the Lord produced through him have become mighty workers in God’s vineyard today. Through them he has attained great renown even in death. He remains an icon today and he is celebrated because of the people he raised. I don't know how important he considered what he was doing was, as he spent time with the young men of those days, but today it is obvious that what he did counts.
You are somebody important to God and to man. Do not feel like you are nobody because what you are doing is not being seen and spoken of in the open. Please know that you are somebody and what you are doing counts.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Father, reward my service, in Jesus’ name.
* When I shall submit my talent, let me receive a well-done-good-and-faithful-servant commendation, in Jesus’ name.
* I remove far from me a sluggish and slothful spirit in service, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month, things will work for my good to the shame of the devil, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Living with Eternity in View II

Sunday 4 September
READ: Lk. 16:19 -31
MORE LESSON: Acts 17:30-31

Luke 16:22; shows us how the rich man and the poor both died in the story that Jesus told. After death, the Bible says the rich man found himself in hell and he was screaming and crying. This man was used to all manner of drinks and liquor on the face of the earth but in hell, he was tormented by thirst. Hell is a place of thirst. It is unimaginable enough to stay without water on the face of the earth, where one is not being burnt in fire, for one or two days, talk more of hell where there is fire forever and there shall be no water. This was where the rich man found himself and his money couldn't help him at that time.
He had money when he was on earth but he didn't live with eternity in view as he didn't remember God. The only safety in life is a consciousness of eternity which makes a man secure himself in Jesus Christ while he lives. When the rich man realised that his fate was eternally sealed for destruction, he began to beg for his loved ones who were also not saved. This man was in pain but he was concerned for the people he left behind on earth and he didn't want them to come to where he was. So he begged to come back to earth to warn them to give their life to God so that after they believed, he could return to hell. Even this request was not granted. This man was concerned for other people's eternity even though he had lost it. You should also be concerned about the eternal fate of your loved ones, friends and people around.
The Bible says in Lk.16: 31, And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Every man alive has his chance now while he is on earth and the Lord's provision for salvation is for you to heed the Word of God as preached by His servants who are on earth with you. Any man that is waiting for something spectacular before he gives his life to Jesus may never get it. If you refuse to hear the simple messages as preached daily, the repercussions will be great indeed. There is a time you can make request to God and get an answer, it is while you are alive. After death, no prayer is answered again. This is the time of salvation, tomorrow may be too late. You own today, use it well, because tomorrow may never be yours. Live everyday like the last! Maximise each hour of your life; make the most of minutes and seconds. Eternity can be today.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Father, help me to live with eternity in view.
* In the name of Jesus, my eternity and that of my household shall be secured in Christ.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
On this fourth day, Jehovah the fourth man shall stand with me, no fire will burn me and I shall not be drowned in the water of September, in the name of Jesus.

Living with Eternity in View I

Saturday 3 September
READ: Lk. 16:22
MORE LESSON: Eccl. 8: 8

Looking at Luke 16:19 it tells a story about two men; one rich and the other poor. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores …. The point of emphasis today is verse 22 which says, And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried: Luke 16:22. The rich man died and the poor man died. This shows that all men will die one day. The employees will die and the employer will die, the preacher and the congregation will die, the one who loves God and the one who does not love God will die. There is nothing any man can do about this fact. You better stop complaining about the things you don't have in life and start preparing for what is inevitable.
Do you know that there is no difference in death; death is death. People die in different ways but death is death. Whether through sickness, accident, old age or any other means; once a man is dead, he is dead. There is no rich dead man, there is no intelligent corpse; once a man is dead, he is dead. Preachers have made declarations over people for years that, 'you shall not die!' and the people replied 'amen'. Eventually, both the person that made the declaration and the people that replied 'amen’ died. The right prayer is that you shall not die untimely death. There is no point being scared or stiff when death is talked about because it will surely come to all, if Jesus tarries. The rich man died and the poor man also died. All are entitled to die one day. However, three points are important about the issue of death.
The first point is that a child of God should not be a victim of untimely death. The covenant of longevity covers every child of God. This means that you can rebuke the forces of untimely death over yourself and your loved ones.
The second point is that, you have to live your life to make impact and maximise destiny so that you would have fulfilled destiny before death comes. Don't waste your time and life and allow death, when it comes, to cheat you with unfulfilled destiny. Do all you can do for God and for humanity so that you will die empty; having delivered all that you brought to the world to deliver.
Finally, live with eternity in view so that after your death, which will eventually happen if Jesus tarries, you will spend eternity with the Lord. To live with eternity in view is to be conscious of Heaven in everything we do.Heaven should be the determining factor in all our actions and decisions, nothing more, nothing less.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Receive grace to be conscious of Heaven in everything you do, in Jesus’ name.
* Believe God for the salvation of every one that matters to you.
Promise God that you will tell someone about His coming back.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I call my name (call it) and destiny and I announce to you, September shall not be hard for you, in the name of Jesus.