Men who would Not Bow II

Friday 30 September
READ: Dan. 6: 1-10
MORE LESSON: Dan. 1:3-8

There come times when it becomes difficult to profess faith in God, and it is at such times that men are differentiated from boys in the things of God. When the going gets tough, it is only the tough that gets going. There was a time in the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians when the rulers conspired against Daniel to make King Darius sign a decree that outlawed the worship of Jehovah God. They knew that they would never find any basis for charges against Daniel unless it had something to do with the law of his God (Dan 6:5 NIV). So they manipulated the king to make a law that nobody should worship any god except the king for one month.
Daniel didn't bow to the ungodly legislation, rather when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks to his God, as was his custom (Dan 6:10). How many of us would not bow to the ungodly system in the same situation? If a law is made in your working place that prohibits identifying with Jesus, will you refuse to bow to that law? If you are threatened to be fired from work unless you compromise your faith, what would you do? We should not love our job more than the God who gave the job. God is looking for men that will stand for Him and defy ungodly laws. I want you to know that it is God who gave you that job and He can give you a better one. Moreover, if the Lord says that job is yours, nobody can move you an inch. Those who rise against you will rather fall for your sake (Deut 28: 7). This is what happened in Daniel's case; those that conspired against him finally fell for his sake.
Peter and John also preached and healed in Jesus’ name, and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious ruling class, summoned them and after beating them, prohibited them from preaching or speaking in that name anymore (Acts 4: 18). But Peter and John stood their ground and told the council members, Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard: Acts 4:19-20 (NIV). They refused to bow to the ungodly injunction that they were given. The result of their stand for God was that the gospel spread abroad and we benefit from it today. If they had bowed, generations would have been doomed to hell. Your refusal to bow to ungodliness is not just for yourself but also for the destinies of generations to come. Make up your mind and receive grace from God not to bow.

Prayer/Action
* Father, I receive grace to stand for Jesus come what may.
* Father, raise me and my household as part of the generation that will not compromise their faith for anything.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Thank You God of Heaven, there is none like You. You have already given me the nineth month out of twelve, I celebrate Your faithfulness, in the name of Jesus.

Men who would Not Bow I

Thursday 29 September
READ: Dan. 3: 14 - 18
MORE LESSON: Dan.11:32

These are days when it is challenging to stand in the faith, but there is no challenge we see now that has not been faced by men before. Our fathers faced those challenges but they never failed God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were Hebrews in the land of Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, made an idol and told all the people to bow to it. It was either they bowed to the idol or were thrown into the fiery furnace. If you were the one in such a situation, what would you do? Don't be too quick to beat your chest and say, “I would not bow, I would rather be burnt”.
Examine yourself in the light of similar situations you face before you make your claim: if you are told to do something wrong or be sacked at work, would you bow? If you are asked to give bribe or lose a contract, job or fail an examination, would you stand or devise some 'spiritual' rationalisation for your compromise? If religious terrorists hold you and say you should deny Jesus or be killed, what would you do? I know people that have changed their faith to secure or maintain a position. Those have bowed to the idol of Babylon.
Many of us have not faced great challenges as the Bible heroes faced and we have already run out of church. Men are quick to deny the faith in our time but Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego boldly declared, ...our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up: Dan 3:17-18 (NKJV).
It is only men who will not bow that will stand as testimonies and witnesses of God in this end-time. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, the Lord God showed up for them and the king saw what he had never seen before: he saw the King of Heaven in the fire and king Nebuchadnezzar bowed to King Jesus. It is only the people that refuse to bow in this world that will cause the world to bow to Jesus. The reason our communities, workplaces, schools, institutions, states and nations are not bowing to Jesus is because believers easily bow to the same things unbelievers bow to. Today, God is asking you to decide to be one of those that will not bow.

Prayer/Action
* In the name of Jesus, by Your grace, I shall not bow to any challenge.
* Father, help me to stand as a testimony for Christ everywhere I am found, in Jesus' name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Jesus, with You by my side, I shall not fail, victory is sure all-round, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Glory Brings Good Things

Wednesday28 September
READ: Psa. 84:11
MORE LESSON: 2 Chron. 1: 6- 12

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘glory’ has several definitions and explanations. I am particularly impressed by the definition of glory as “a special cause or reason for pride”. This means that glory is something that happens to you or to someone around you and gives you a reason to be proud of the event. I think a man should always and only do and go for things that he can be proud of. Don't do things that you will be ashamed of when such are announced openly as what you did. Glory therefore is whatever brings you respect, honour and splendour. If glory makes a man to be respected, you should go for glory. I pray for you that in the name of Jesus, you will not see shame.
Glory is desirable. We can be proud of good things when they happen; success, wealth, children, marriages, jobs, academic excellence and increase are things that we can be proud of. When these things happen to us, we announce them and testify about them. Someone once likened glory to a spiritual visa that gives a man access to the best things of life. When you want the best things of life, what you need is for the glory of God to come upon you. When the glory comes, you immediately see good things draw to you of their own accord. Several people are pursuing money, appointments, promotions, houses and marriage partners, without caring to seek God's glory upon their lives. That is putting the horse before the cart. Those are not the first things to seek; get the glory and all those things will pursue you. David said, Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever: Psa. 23:6.
When the Lord told Solomon to ask for whatever he wanted, Solomon didn't ask for material things; he asked for wisdom. The wisdom of God is part of His glory; so Solomon was actually seeking God's glory to be upon his life. The God of glory spoke to him, Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like: 2 Chron. 1: 12.
He got the glory and the good things of life followed him. I pray for you that the glory of God will be your portion today, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Father, my life and works shall show forth Your glory.
* Father, don't let me dip my hand in anything that would bring shame and reproach.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I receive a total purification in the blood of Jesus from all the evil perfumes of bad luck and delay, in the name of Jesus.

Love, Don’t Hate

Tuesday 27 September
READ: Matt. 22:37-40
MORE LESSONS: Lk. 11:4

A good person will not think of killing any other person. Now the Bible says, Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and… eternal life and murder don't go together: 1 John 3: 15 (MSG). The person who hates has no eternal life and so he is spiritually dead. God equates hatred to murder; hatred is darkness and is of death which is separation from the source of life. And the true source of life is God. Therefore, any man who hates his brother separates himself from God. Hatred is the nature of the devil. The man that is not born again does not have the capacity to love because he does not know God. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. Love is the expression of the new life the believer receives at new birth. At regeneration, we receive the ability to love.
A brother shared a testimony of how God healed his mother of a disease. This woman had experienced long years of health crises. She had visited many doctors, spent a lot of money, and visited men of God for prayers but to no avail. Medical science could not diagnose what was wrong with her until the disease reached a terminal stage. People fervently interceded for her, and then she was finally diagnosed of cancer. The doctor said she needed to go through surgery. Then, during a fasting and prayer programme, the Lord revealed to this brother that the cancer was a product of hatred, which the devil used as a foothold to afflict her. It was also revealed that if she would repent and forgive the person who had offended her, she would be healed.
She reconciled with the person and asked God for mercy and then went for the surgery. After the operation, the doctors confirmed that there was no trace of cancer in what they brought out of her. She had been healed. Hatred is a foothold for satan to afflict a man. Hatred is the nature of the devil and it is a mark of spiritual death. A spiritually dead man cannot love because love comes out of life. As you determine to forgive those who have offended you and let go of your past hurts, I prophesy today that death will not have power over you.
In the scriptural passage that we read, the man came to Jesus to ask Him what good thing he would do to have eternal life, and the answer Jesus gave was to keep the commandments. The commandment of God is love. Love is the key to life. Love the Lord your God and love your neighbour, your distant and close brother, your hurting friend and all! Let a new season of love begin today, that we might be forgiven and healed.

Prayer/Action
* Father, I uproot every seed of hatred planted. in me, in Jesus' name.
* Father, I forgive everyone that has hurt me in the past and I receive Your forgiveness, in Jesus' name.
* Father, heal me of every wound that unforgiveness has caused in my life.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I withdraw performance from every negative pronouncement over my life, in the name of Jesus.