Empty Handed

Saturday 24 September
READ: I Cor.9:16-23
MORE LESSON: Ezek. 33:1-7

There is a song I grew up singing as a young believer in the Deeper Life Christian Ministries. Each time I sang it, it was always with passion and burden. That burden and passion has not left me even now. It has become a prayer and labour, something I pray about daily and work at. Sing it with me this morning and pray about it:
Must I go an empty handed, thus my dear redeemer meet, not one soul with which to greet Him, must I empty handed go.
You know why the song hits me so much each time? It is because of my knowledge of God's great investment upon my life, the price that Jesus paid to save a wretched one like me. It makes me cry to Heaven, Oh Lord, don't let me return back home to You like an ingrate, empty handed.
Only an ingrate or an ignorant person will go to Heaven without a soul in his hand to say thank you to Jesus. Think of His sacrifice of putting on humanity although He is God, the humility of subjecting Himself to earthly parents yet the Father of all, I see Him the creator of motion learning to crawl. Imagine Him before Pilate answering framed up charges as an accused. What about the soldiers slapping Him, spitting on Him and mocking Him!
Have you ever thought of Jesus in Gethsemane? He manifested humanity and made a request that could be answered by the Father. He tasted denial and although He prayed with sweat coming out like blood, He never got it and all these just to purchase my forgiveness. With that done, I will be wicked to refuse to tell sinners (friends, classmates, relations and neighbours) about life in Christ.
The only proof of appreciation that you and I can give Jesus is not to keep quiet while sinners go to hell. We must tell them, if by any means we shall be able to snatch some back to God and get to Heaven with a gift of souls.

Prayer/Action
* Oh Lord, don't let me return back home to you empty handed.
* Father, help me to shine the light of the gospel everywhere I am found.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month, my heavens must open, in the name of Jesus.

Don't let your Love grow Cold

Friday 23 September
READ: Matt. 24:12
MORE LESSON: 2 Tim. 4: 1 - 3

One of the signs of the end-time declared by our Lord Jesus is that the love of many will wax cold because iniquity will abound. Of a truth, when we compare the way people were passionate about the things of God in the early days and how they take the things of God now, we see that the love of many has waxed cold. Many people were radical about evangelism, prayer, personal study and church fellowship when they first gave their lives to Christ but now, it has become difficult to see these same people in church. The few times they come to church, if the service extends just a bit, they start complaining. These days you see Christians hurry out of church only to go and attend village and clan meetings.
When I was young in the faith, our services were lengthy and we enjoyed it. We counted it as a crime to read anything except the Bible on Sunday; in fact we didn't even read school books on Sunday. Though sometimes we were unnecessarily religious, it shows the extent of our heart for God and our dedication to Him. But these days many abscond from church on Sundays to attend to their business. Even church workers and leaders absent themselves from week-day meetings. I know of people who almost swore that they would serve the Lord in the ministry in those days who have now forgotten about God's work and some are now married to unbelievers because they waited on God and, in their own timing, He did not come through for them on time.
The Bible prophesied that iniquity will abound and we can see it everywhere. I recently saw a fellow with dreadlocks and tattered clothes. I sincerely thought he was a mad man until I was told that it was just fashion. I was shocked. These days we can hardly tell the difference between madness and fashion. Only prisoners wore trousers that sagged those days but now, people deliberately 'sag' their trousers. The number of iniquitous things tagged “it doesn't matter” has increased; ranging from same sex marriage to divorce, immorality and corruption. These iniquities have found their ways into the Church and you have to decide that you will not be part of it. Matt 24: 12 says, And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. This prophecy must not necessarily be fulfilled in your life. He didn't say that 'the love of all . . .' but 'the love of many will wax cold.'
You can choose not to be among the many whose love will wax cold. I want you to decide that whatever it will take , you will remain steadfast in heart to the Lord. Do not let anything take away your love for the Lord. Decide that the iniquity and lukewarmness of this present world will not affect you. Do not let your love for God wax cold.

Prayer/Action
* Cast out the spirit of lukewarmness from your life and church.
* Lord, keep me on fire for You always.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today, I rebuke every marriage hijacker and command my marriage to be released, in the name of Jesus.

Advancing by Prayer

Thursday 22 September
READ: Acts 12:1-9
MORE LESSONS: Matt. 26:40-41

The challenges of the Church didn't start today, they started from the beginning. Herod vexed and persecuted the Church because the people were pleased when he killed James the brother of John. He then decided to take Peter and kill him also, And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him: vs4-5.
We have heard so much about prayer. James was killed because the Church refused to pray; and because the Church refused to pray Herod moved to kill Peter, but the Church had learnt her lesson. I pray for God's Spirit to move the Church so that she determines what happens to the Church and the nation. The Church can enthrone and dethrone; the Church can decree as the Bible says whatever you decree in the name of the Lord shall be established. The Church earnestly prayed and Heaven intervened and sent an angel to help Peter. God heard the prayer of the Church and sent an angel to the inner dungeon where Peter was kept in chains.
The angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, ...Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands: v7 The angel didn't bring a file to cut the chains but the presence of the angel of God changed the spiritual environment of the prison, Heaven took charge of the prison and miracles began to happen. When the Church prays, the chains the enemy has used to bind her will begin to break. Let the chains the enemy has used to gag the Church, preventing the Church from praying begin to break off, in the name of Jesus. Let the padlock the enemy used to lock the mouth of the Church open, in the name of Jesus. The chains broke by themselves and the doors opened of their own accord. All this happened because the Church prayed.
However, when the Church refuses to pray, men perish. These are the days of revival of prayer in the Church of Jesus so that the things that have stopped us from achieving our mandate will begin to give way. We can break the chains and open the doors by prayer. Pray; it starts with you and your family.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to pour out upon the Church the Spirit, grace and supplication again.
* Pray against the force of prayerlessness in the church and your personal life.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Anointing to run well and finish strong, come upon me now, in the name of Jesus.

Remember Lot’s Wife II

Wednesday 21 September
READ: II Pet. 2: 20 – 22
MORE LESSON: Lk. 17: 32

The story of Lots's wife is a very touching one. A woman that was saved by the cover of the covenant suffered the same consequence as the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah just because she allowed herself to be distracted by the things she had left behind. She lost her privilege of deliverance, backslided and lost the glory of God. It was a small distraction and flickering thought that must have gone through her mind as she remembered something in the world. She just looked back; she had not even taken the step to return and that was all for her. It is actually little distractions that make men lose what God has for them. Some have lost eternity to such things as they turn back into old lifestyle and worldly pleasure. Some have lost the call and destiny of God to things that should be in the past.
The focus that should remain fixed on your heart is to keep Jesus as your goal till the very end. If you have not accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour, do it right away. The greatest honour that any man can have on earth is to be saved and sanctified in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are saved then you have the job of continuing in the way till the very end. Keeping your relationship with the Almighty God is the most important thing in life. Lot's wife lost her relationship by simple disobedience of looking where she was not supposed to. The Bible urges us to remember her so that we can learn from her and avoid such a fate. You need to daily pay attention to keeping your faith in God until you see Jesus.
Do not return to the sins of the world that you left. Satan is trying to drag people back to the world like dogs to their vomit. It is determination and grace that will make a believer to live a life that is worthy of the Lord till the end. Lot's wife today is a negative example of someone who missed it. You have to determine that you will be a good example for others who are coming behind. You will keep on the race until you see Jesus. Today there is new strength for your commitment and service to the Lord to the very end, in Jesus’ name.
Remember also Damus, who started well but ended as nobody (2Tim. 4:10) and Esau, who started as nobody, he even sought to have it back with tears but never got it again-Beloved don’t turn back.

Prayer/Action
* Father, having been saved by grace, I shall not face the consequence of sin with the wicked, in Jesus’ name.
* I break every link that tempts me to my old ways of life, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today, I command every ministry of evil spirits targeted at me and my family to expire now, in the name of Jesus.