Responsible Children I

Tuesday 17 January
READ: 2 Kings 6: 1 - 7
MORE LESSON: Psa 127: 3 - 5

The sons of the prophet called their father Elisha and begged him to let them a build bigger place for him. The explanation of the story in the text is that the sons of the prophet were ministers in training staying with Elisha and learning from him. They came to Elisha and told him that they noticed that it was getting too tight in his house where all of them were staying. They begged him to allow them go and build a bigger place for him so that it could conveniently contain them and he would also have a bigger space. You would notice that it was not Elisha that complained that the house was too small and jam-packed; they beseeched him to let them build a bigger place. These sons of the prophetic showed themselves to be responsible children.
It is always pleasing to parents when they have responsible children in the house. Such children identify problems and take initiative to solve them without anyone pursuing them around. Identifying and solving problems by self-initiative shows a sense of responsibility. It is always a thing of joy for a man to have grown to a point that the children he raised can solve his problems. Even if he has what it takes to solve the problems himself, he doesn't get as much fulfilment as when children solve them. It is not about the solution, it is more about the fulfilment and joy of having responsible children.
The sons of the prophet begged their father to go with them to the work site and Elisha left his tight ministerial schedule to follow them. Responsible children will always have the backing of their father. When they were at the site, the axe of one of them fell into the water. Thankfully, Elijah was around so he stood in his office as the prophet of God and commanded a miracle there and then. Responsible children also enjoy the miraculous because the grace of the father is released with the whole of his heart when they have a need and he prays for them. How will the grace of God on the life of Elisha not be stirred, when one of his spiritual children comes to tell him that he borrowed an axe to build for the prophet and now the axe has fallen into the water? The man actually went out of his way to borrow in order to get a bigger lodge for the prophet and he was in trouble. Miracle must surely be commanded. My prayer for you today is that you will be a responsible child of God in His church and of your parents, both biological and spiritual.

Prayer/Action
* Lord make me responsible to my spiritual and biological parents/guardian, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask God that the blessings of a responsible child shall not elude you.
**Do something memorable for your parents today.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Jesus, light of the world, illuminate my destiny today, in the name of Jesus.

What’s your Name?

Monday 16 January
READ: I Chron. 4:1-10
MORE LESSONS: Hos. 1:2-11

There is so much about a name; it tells one’s history or heritage. Jabez was so named because his mother bore him in pain. Jabez did not like it so he asked God to bless him, enlarge his coast and keep him from evil (1Chronicles 4:10).
When Phinehas' pregnant wife heard the sad news that the ark of God had been captured and that her husband, his father, and brother were dead, that the army of Israel suffered heavy losses and fled before the Philistines, she went into labour and gave birth to a boy whom she named Ichabod because of the bad events surrounding his birth (1 Samuel 4:17-22). Jesus was named Jesus because He was born to save His people from their sins and Emmnauel because God came to dwell with man (Matthew 1:20-25).
What is your name? Is your name a memorial of pain, an epic of sorrow, despair, frustration, rejection, doom or a symbol of faith, hope and abundant life? We have many examples in the Scripture of how a man's name can determine his destiny; some had the name from birth, others had theirs changed. Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Peter, all had a change of name, while Jesus, John the Baptist and Isaac had their names from birth. All of them had their destinies influenced by their names. Although Jabez had a bad name, he did not drop the name but had a change of the influence of the name. The Bible says, …And God granted him that which he requested: I Chron. 4:10.
The point is that names have effect and influence on one’s destiny, negative and positive. But unlike what many believers think, the first thing to do about a name with a negative influence is not to change it but to pray for deliverance and a divine instruction on what to do with the name. You need not rush to change your name, rather give prompt attention to the force behind the evil name. Even names that come out of negative events will respond when there is a change of force behind the story. When the power of God breaks the yoke, and the story of barrenness, lateness, failure, sorrow etc. changes, obviously the forces behind the evil name will go. I agree with you, that every evil force working against you by your name is broken. Receive power for a greater life now.

Prayer/Action
* Decree that your name will influence your life positively.
* Declare that whatever evil force is associated with the names in your lineage be destroyed, in Jesus’ name.
*Pray that your name shall be heard in great places, in the name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
The daily rising of the sun in 2017 shall carry on its wings my next level without fail, in the name of Jesus.

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.