The Heart of a Sinner

Friday 13 January
READ: Matt.15:17-19
MORE LESSON: Jer. 17:9

In biblical context, the heart does not just refer to the organ of the body which is responsible for blood circulation. The heart refers to the spirit of man, which is responsible for the actions, response, conduct, and behaviour of a man (Matt.15:17-19). It is this heart that actually controls the real man who lives inside the body. As the state of the physical heart which circulates blood determines whether the body lives or not, so also the state of a man's spirit determines whether he has eternal life or not.
When a man is not born again, his heart is under the control of the forces of darkness (Eph.2:2-3); as a result he does not have eternal life. Eternal life means the life of God. A man who is not born again is separated from the life of God (Eph.2:11-12), God is not in his heart; rather satan has full control and residence of that man's heart. Therefore, his thought, language, affections, and conduct are always filthy and impure; and such is the heart of sinners.
If a man's heart (the spirit man) continues in that state up to the time when he comes out of the physical body (which is death), he cannot go to live with God in Heaven because God is pure and holy; the man can only go to hell, which is the abode of satan who is the lord of impurity and filthiness.
The sinner's heart is doomed for destruction except it is submitted to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus. When you sincerely give your life to Jesus, satan's control over your heart is broken and your spirit man then receives the life and power of God to live to please Him. Will you give your life to Jesus today?

Prayer/Action
* Ask the Lord to retrieve your heart from every ungodly influence, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask the light of God to lighten up your light, in the name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
The power that rolled away the stone at the tomb of Jesus and crushed death to raise Jesus back to life will crush every barrier to my greatness and give me breakthrough this year, in the name of Jesus.

You Must be Born Again

Thursday 12 January
READ: John 3:1-7
MORE LESSON: 2 Cor. 5:16-21

Everyone on earth was once born. The only way into this world is through birth. However, the Bible talks about a second birth, ...except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God: John 3:3. Natural birth doesn't qualify a man for God's Kingdom. It doesn't matter whether the man was born into the hand of church midwives in the mission house or into the hands of a prophetess in the church hospital, until he makes a personal decision to be born again, he is not qualified for the Kingdom of God. Being a worker or leader in the church will not compensate for a person who is not born again. Serving in the church or giving will not cover up; they are all irrelevant if a man is not born again. In my opinion, the strongest statement in scriptures is 'except a man be born again, he cannot . . .' This means no matter what you do, there is no compromise on this matter; if you are not born again, no Heaven for you; you must go to hell. I think this statement is much more serious than people think.
Getting born again is a conscious act and it involves certain steps. First, you need to acknowledge that you are a sinner, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness; accept Jesus as the Saviour and Lord of your life, and confess Him publicly and continue to live your life for Him. It is the result of these steps that is called being born again. It is very true that many people merely assume that they are born again; especially those that are in the church environment. Being in church doesn't mean you are born again, you must be able to pin-point a definite time when you made the decision for Christ and you acted on it thereby giving your life to Christ.
It is only those that are truly born again of the Spirit of God that will inherit the Kingdom of God. If one lived this earth and missed eternity, then all his life and everything he did on earth was a very big waste. This is the reason we appeal to all men not to take the Word of God for granted, you must be born again if your eternity is to be sure. Leaving the earth without being born again is a very dangerous experiment, Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences: 2 Cor. 5:11.

Prayer/Action
* Today, I confess the lordship of Jesus over my life (if you have not done it before), in the name of Jesus.
* I re-dedicate my life to Jesus today, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
2017, I shall not fail, I shall not fall, I shall not be trampled underfoot, in the name of Jesus.

All-round Prosperity

Wednesday 11 January
READ: III Jn. 2
MORE LESSON: Gen.39:1-6

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth: III Jn.2 is God’s golden Word to you this morning. God wants you to prosper in all areas of life. Some say that God will not bless you all-round so that you will stay humble, or that God gives you one good thing and takes another good thing from you in exchange. These are just human postulations; the Word of God says God wants you to prosper all-round. Consider how the Amplified version puts that same verse, Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and that your body may keep well, even as I know your soul keeps well and prospers. Say to yourself, “I will prosper in every way, in every area of my life because this is God's will for me. My spirit, soul and body will prosper. I will not settle for less, in Jesus’ name”. Divine prosperity is full and all encompassing; it affects the spirit, soul and body.
How can you enjoy all-round prosperity? 1)Be connected and stay connected to God. Deut.8:18 says, But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Therefore true wealth is only gotten by connection to God. 2) Find something doing; God made all that Joseph did in his master's house to prosper as clearly seen in the second reading for today. If you are not doing anything and you expect great prosperity, you will not have your wish. What has God put in you? Put it to use and He will bless that thing. No one is created empty, everyone is a solution for someone somewhere and people will pay for solution.
Locate what God has put in you to bless humanity and sell it and it will bring wealth your way. 3) Have a giving life. Pro.11:24 says, There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The secret to breaking tightness in finances is not to hold unto money or hide money somewhere, it is to put money to work or invest it in valuable ways. Part of investing is spending for God's kingdom. Sacrificially give to God's projects and building of His kingdom, bless God's servants and people in need especially those that are close to God's heart like His servants on the field, missionaries, widows and orphans.
Obey these principles rather than envy the wicked that use evil and ungodly means to get wealth. Such people do not have all-round prosperity because wealth in this brief world without spiritual prosperity is equal to eternity in hell, what will a man give in exchange for his soul? No prosperity must jeopardise a man's eternal abode and placement in Heaven.

Prayer/Action
* My heritage in Christ is all-round prosperity, I connect permanently to God for all-round prosperity, in Jesus’ name.
* Help me Lord to practise the principles of abiding wealth. I will not just be blessed but will be a blessing to humanity, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
There is the glory of the sun, moon and star, I shall shine this year in the greater glory of the sun, in the name of Jesus.

Sevenfold as Bright

Tuesday 10 January
READ: Isa. 30: 26
MORE LESSON: Gen. 1: 14

The Lord wants to increase His light upon your life. In Gen 1: 14, God created the lights in the firmament and He said that they should be for signs. As a carrier of light, God has made you to be for signs. You are a sign and a wonder to many. Isa. 8: 18 says concerning you, Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. As the light of God is multiplied in your life, you become a wonder to many,
I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge: Psa. 71:7. Isa. 30:26 says, Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. This is the day that the Lord will give a sevenfold increase to His light in your life. This happens when He binds up your bruise and heals the stroke of your wound. Sin is the breach that separates men from the light of God. As you confess and forsake your sins, your light will shine sevenfold brighter. A stroke is a sudden act of destruction that comes upon a people. Sin is the breach that creates an opportunity for the stroke to come.
It is sin that makes a man open and vulnerable to the attack of witches and wizards. Darkness has no power over a believer except sin creates a chance for it. However, today the Lord bind the breach of all sin in your life by His blood and heal the stroke of your wound. Every wrong that has allowed satan to have a foothold in your life is destroyed, in Jesus’ name.
When you confess your sins and receive forgiveness through His blood, then the light of the moon will become like the light of the sun and the light of the sun will become seven times as bright. Today, it is day break for you and your sun will shine seven times as bright. Song. 4:6 says, Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. It is day break for you and all shadows are fleeing away from your life. Your life will be so bright that there will be no shadow of darkness at all. When men complain of darkness, your moon will be as the light of the sun and the light of the sun will be seven fold as bright for you.

Prayer/Action
* Receive the capacity for improvement, in Jesus’ name.
* Receive a sevenfold increase of peace, joy and abundance, in the mighty name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father in Heaven, in 2017 I shall shine by default,in the name of Jesus.