Not So II

Sunday 13 November
READ: Matt. 25:9
MORE LESSON: Gen. 39: 1-9

A child of God must know what to accept and what to reject. You can't accept everything that is presented to you because you do not want to offend people. Accepting everything that people present to you is not being nice. Learning how to say 'not so' is part of wisdom. You must say it to men when necessary and you must say it to the devil every time he suggests his offers to you. Answering the devil back is a vital tool in spiritual warfare. Never let the devil have the final word in your life and matter. Tell him, 'not so, Mr. Devil.' Be informed that there is nothing that satan offers you that you must consent and there is nothing he says that you should keep quiet. The right answer to defeat the devil on any case is, ''not so”.
When he suggests that little headache is not bad, after all everyone has headache now and then, tell him not so; Jesus has borne all my sickness and diseases. If he tells you that the course in school is difficult and it is okay to fail it since there is massive failure, tell him “not so”. The fact that everybody failed doesn't mean you should fail. Sometimes he uses prophets of doom and evil dreams to tell you that the journey you want to embark on will have challenges on the way; tell him “not so”. The Lord has promised to preserve your going out and coming in. Even if he brings the matter to your sight and you are looking at it with your naked eyes, still look at him and tell him, 'not so'. Walking by faith entails looking into the spiritual rather than the physical and that means you have to look at the devil plus his concrete evidence and tell him, “not so”.
Faith confuses satan. When he talks and you answer back with wisdom and boldness, he is scared. When the devil brings an offer and you tell him, 'not so', he trembles. This is because he realises that he has no right over you as long as you do not give him a chance. So, your 'not so' actually means 'satan, I disqualify you and disallow you on this matter.' Remember, the Scripture says, ...neither give place to the devil: Eph 4: 27. How do you refuse the devil a foothold in your life?
1. By telling him, 'not so!'-Jam.4:7.
2. By not keeping evil company- ICor. 15:33.
3. By loving God and resisting evil-Isa. 1:16-17.
4. By refusing to love the world-I Jn. 2:15-16.
5. By seeking for divine assistance in matters that seem confusing in life instead of keeping secrets or struggling alone.
6. By praying and committing every evil request that comes to you to God-Prov. 3:5.

Prayer/Action
* I resist every evil suggestion of satan contrary to the Word of God, in Jesus’ name.
* Satan you have no memorial over my life and destiny, in Jesus’ name.
* I renounce every appearance of evil, no way today, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Every persisting wind contrary to my lifting, in the name of Jesus, fade away.

Not So I

Saturday 12 November
READ: Matt. 25: 1-10
MORE LESSON: Prov. 1:10

In the parable of the ten virgins, the five foolish virgins were unprepared so they didn't have enough oil; making them unable to enter when the bridegroom came. The five wise virgins paid the price of extra oil and didn't fall into the same error as the foolish virgins. When the bridegroom came, the five foolish virgins asked the wise ones to give them oil so that they could share. Everybody's lamp had gone dim and the little oil remaining was sufficient just to get the wise virgins in. If shared, it would do both parties no good. It would be enough for neither of them so the wise virgins did a wise thing. They said, Not so... when requested to share their oil. Many times knowing when to say no and having the boldness to say it is a display of wisdom. The wise virgins were saved from being locked out with the foolish because they knew how to say, 'not so.’
You must know how to say 'no' to invitations to do what is not in the best interest of God and of your purpose in life. You must know how to say 'not so' to temptations and sin. The willingness to fit into everything presented and what I call wanting normalcy is what destroys so many people. You should not be afraid of refusing requests that will not prosper the plan of God for your life. If someone wants to borrow your vehicle to carry another man’s wife to commit adultery, will you agree because you don't want to offend him? No. You should say, 'not so.' To go far in life and make Heaven, you must know how to say 'not so' to men at the appropriate time.
You must also know how to say 'not so' to the devil. When satan tempts you, you should tell him, ‘not so’. When sickness and affliction knock on the door and want to enter into your life, you use your mouth to shut the door. Tell them that there is no space in your body for them. If poverty tries to join with your life, you say, “Not so”. Even when poverty advocates try to convince you that Lazarus in Jesus' story in the Bible was poor and still made Heaven so you can be poor and still make Heaven, tell them that it was so for Lazarus but for you, 'not so'. Today, I want to encourage you to know when to refuse what is being presented to you and doesn't glorify God. Refuse what will damage your destiny. When offered to bear the consequence for another man's foolishness, say 'not so'.

Prayer/Action
* Receive courage to say no to anything that is ungodly, in Jesus’ name.
* I renounce every ungodily alliance and relationship, in Jesus’ name.
* I shall not sell my birth right no matter the challenge I face today.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the remaining days of this year, Jehovah will order my steps to the locations of my lifting, in the name of Jesus.

How not to Fail

Friday 11 November
READ: Luke 22: 31 - 34
MORE LESSON: Luke 22: 39 - 46

We must learn to ask God for strength and not assume that we can survive by our own strength. Jesus once told Peter that the devil wanted to sift him like wheat. The Lord told him that he would deny Him but instead of praying to God to help him stand, Peter said that he was ready to go with Jesus both to prison and to death (Luke 22: 33). He had forgotten that it is not by power or by might but by the Spirit of the Lord (Zech 4: 6). After this incident, Jesus went to pray and took Peter and some other disciples to pray but Peter started sleeping. How do you imagine a man that has just been told that the devil is planning to deal with him and he goes to sleep? That was born out of assumption and carelessness.
Many today also claim new creation and go around assuming things without praying. You confess that you are filled with the Holy Ghost and nothing can touch you but you are not praying. The outcome of Peter's assumption was that he fell to the devil and denied Jesus. It was the prayer that Jesus prayed for him that restored him and delivered him from being utterly lost.
The following are the reasons Peter fell to the enemy’s plan to sift him.
1. He overestimated his strength: he was told that the devil was planning his downfall and instead of praying, he felt that nothing would happen.
2. He slept in the hour of prayer. Jesus took him to the place of prayer so that he could pray through for strength but instead of praying, he slept off along with others.
3. Finally, after Jesus was arrested Peter followed Him but the Bible says, ‘he followed from afar off’.
This last point is one of the strategies of the devil when he wants to sift a man away from the faith. He removes him from godly company. He isolates him from the brethren, the church and godly counsel. He keeps him far away from godly attention. Peter followed Jesus from afar off until the devil finished with him. If you must not go weak in faith, stay close to your brethren; stay where you could be noticed if anything is going wrong. It is important to stay where you could be corrected and lifted in times of weakness. Thank God that Peter rose from the fall, but his fall is a lesson for us to stand. You will not fall, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Father, keep me from falling, let your grace be sufficient for me, in Jesus’ name.
* In the name of Jesus, I shall not be ignorant of the devices of the devil.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, all my glory that has been plugged to the socket of non-achievement, today, I unplug them by the mercies of the Lord, in the name of Jesus.

Choose Right

Thursday 10 November
READ: Prov. 1: 29 – 33
MORE LESSON: Josh. 24: 15

Many things in life are choices. Poverty is a choice, wealth is a choice, success is a choice and failure is a choice. Sin is a choice and righteousness is a choice. It is a man that chooses where he wants to be in life. Many people do not want to hear this truth because it places responsibility on their shoulders for where they are in life. They would have loved to claim that where they are in life is not their choice; it just happened. They would have loved to blame their background, relatives, witches, demons, the national economy or fate for their predicament. They will never agree that where they are today is a direct outcome of the choices they made in life. This perspective and mindset of unwillingness to accept responsibility has made greatness elude many. You must accept responsibility to choose and develop the discipline to live the life that leads to your desired destiny. A wise man once said, 'If you fail, it is your fault and if you succeed, it is your fault'.
A man chooses in life by the things he does and how he does them and not necessarily by raising up his hands and speaking out a choice. A man that refuses to follow God's principle for prosperity is choosing poverty, even if he never verbalised such choice. A lady that promotes nudity and wears skimpy dresses, has made a choice for immorality; this is because she can be raped and will definitely have immoral men swarming after her like ants after sugar. A Christian whose closest friends and confidants are all unbelievers has chosen failure in life and destiny. This is because when he has an issue and he needs counsel, he goes to the unbelievers who will not give him advice from the wisdom of Jehovah but from the wisdom of the world that comes to nought (1 Cor. 2: 6). So such a believer's life comes to nought as well. If an unbeliever that has divorced his spouse and is living in unfaithfulness is your trusted marriage counselor whose words you esteem above the words of the spiritual leaders that God has graciously placed over your life, then whether you agree or not, you have made a choice for a marriage that will hit the rocks.
The good news is that you can choose life. You can choose to be wealthy, successful and impactful. It is not too late to make this choice for greatness, success and strength; all you have to do is to start to do the things that the Word of God has outlined that make for success. Job 34: 4 says, Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good. Choose strength, success and greatness today by searching and obeying God's principles. Choose life by giving your life to Jesus Christ.

Prayer/Action
* Father, I receive power for wisdom for rightful decision in life and destiny.
* Father, I renounce every association and relationship that will not help my decision making, in Jesus’ name.
* I choose life, prosperity, success, righteousness, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Today, I decree a new season of gladness and joy upon my life, in the name of Jesus.