The Backslidden and Stubborn Heart

Sunday 15 January
READ: Matt.13:5-7, 20-22
MORE LESSON: Isa.1:18-20

A backslidden heart is one that has gone astray or left the path of God to follow after worldly cravings. Though such a heart has not renounced God, he has no love and affection for God and the things of God anymore. It is a heart that has been choked up by the cares of this world. A backslidden heart is one to which satan has easy access, ensnares and lures back to those things which the heart has once rejected and renounced. The backslidden heart now accommodates those things and finds excuses for them. Since his love and affection for God has grown cold, the backslidden no longer enjoys the fellowship, prayer, reading the Bible, going to church, giving offerings, paying tithes, etc. Such things become a burden and something inside him tells him they are a waste of time and energy.
A heart that is backslidden from God easily finds company, pleasure and comfort with people who do not talk about God while the people of God are offensive to him. The backslidden heart loves the world and the things therein contrary to the scripture which says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever: 1John 2:15-17.
A stubborn heart is one who does not yield in obedience to God and the path of righteousness. Although he believes in the supremacy of God, he will go headlong to do what he wants rather than what God wants. The conscience of a stubborn heart is not completely broken, so his will easily overrides God's purpose. Even when he is repentant, he still wants things his own way (1Sam.15:24-25). Hebrew 2:1 says we must take earnest heed to the things we have been taught lest we drift away. The antidote to backsliding is to consciously examine yourself at the end of each day whether you are doing the things a forward moving believer is supposed to do, and make amends as necessary.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, deliver me from the spirit of backsliding, in Jesus’ name.
* I receive power to do only those things that give Jesus pleasure, now and forever, in the mighty name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
My light will shine in 2017 and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it, in the most powerful name of Jesus.

The Repentant Heart

Saturday 14 January
READ: Ezek.11:19-21
MORE LESSON: John.8:36

A repentant heart is one which has turned to God from satan, through the name of Jesus, to serve the living and true God (1Thess.1:9). True repentance is not just about being sorry for your sins and mistakes and becoming personally determined not to commit sin again. It is not just about telling God or someone that you are sorry, and will not repeat such sinful acts again. True repentance is about your spirit man (the man's heart) being rescued from the control and dominion of the power of sin; the force that makes a man to do what he knows he is not supposed to do and yet he keeps doing it (Col.1:13; Rom.7:18-19, 22-25).
A repentant heart is one in which Jesus is in control; therefore unclean thoughts, wickedness, immorality and all such do not dwell there. When satan brings these things to the heart of the man, they are repelled by the Spirit of God who now controls the man. A repentant heart is one that is cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and the Spirit of God now resides in him. He is regenerated (Titus 3:5), made alive (Eph.2:1), and full of the life of God (Eph.2:12). The conscience of a repentant heart has been made alive; so he is conscious of sin and the fear of God. He has also been empowered to rebel against sin and follow after righteousness by the Spirit of God (Titus 2:11-13).
A repentant heart has passion for God and the things of God only because the Spirit of God dwells in him. He has positioned himself under God for the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. The attractions of a repentant heart are those things that are Heaven-wards (Col.3:1-3). His former ways of life no longer appeal to him, and he can indeed say, ...[I am] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. When a man admits that he is a sinner and acknowledges Jesus the Son of God as God's provision to take him out of the power of sin, God's Spirit takes hold of that man's spirit, sets him free and empowers him to live a sin-free life. You can enjoy that today if you want to. Will you ask the Spirit of Jesus to do that for you right now?

Prayer/Action
* Jesus, I repent of all my sins. Give me a new heart that thirsts after God and His righteousness, in the mighty name of Jesus.
* I proclaim I am a new creature. Old things have passed away, all things have become new in me, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
2017 is bright and beautiful for me, I shall testify, in the name of Jesus.

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.