How to Find Joy

Thursday 18 May
READ: I Sam. 1:1-20
MORE LESSONS: Psa. 119:165

Joy and progress are not products of sight and wishes, but of knowledge and work. Someone once said to my wife, “The year is new but not a happy one”. The fellow was simply reacting to what he saw around, not what he knows about God. Ecc. 11:4 says, He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. You will never be happy looking around at prevailing situations, and satan will never allow you to see the things that will encourage your spirit, rather, he will show you negative things and will even magnify them beyond normal. So if you desire to have joy and gladness, don't look outside for them but erase and uproot them using God’s Word. Newspapers will never give you joy, because they are designed and marketed by bad news and negative events around the world. The only source of joy is God's Word and those who live by it can never be sad.
The point is this, the knowledge of God's Word and and promises is the only reason why a sick man with terminal illness can be happy, regardless of medical report and physical feelings. The same thing applies to the barren, the ones who are delayed, those with unanswered prayers, the burdened etc. Even as a believer, who is hale and healthy, if you desire joy by the things you possess, your joy will be as temporary as those material things. But if you build the source of your joy on what God's Word has promised you, no matter the negative environment, you will live such a happy life that the people around you will wonder what makes you happy. With Jesus on your inside as your anchor, you can smile at the storm and make your boast in the Lord your God. This is a major difference between the believer and the unbeliever. The believer rejoices in hope while the unbeliever has nothing to look up to outside of physical events
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The joy of the Lord shall be your strength from today. Whatever be your case and regardless of what negative signs you see cheer up, rejoice in hope, just as Hannah did as soon as the prophet had prophesied on her (I Sam. 1:18). She became happy by what was said to her, not her barren situation. She came to the altar weeping and sad, while she was praying the prophet said to her, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him. v17 (NIV). Hannah did not only say Amen, v18 says ...Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. - that is practical faith in the Word and v20 was the result; she was not disappointed, so will God do for you.

Prayer/Action
* Father help me to always find my joy in You no matter what I'm going through, in Jesus’ name.
* Father, let everything that makes me sad and sorrowful turn around to bring me joy, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
The strength of sin and error is hereby broken over me today by the blood of Jesus, in Jesus' mighty name.

Picking up the Pieces

Wednesday 17 May
READ: Psa. 126:1-6
MORE LESSONS: Job 42:12

Sometimes our dreams are shattered by lack of fulfilment; sometimes hope is lost to frustration. Many times we work so hard and get nothing and we ask, ‘why’? Sometimes the days ahead look so bright with an early sunrise, only for darkness to take over the horizon again. Often, great and solid promises suddenly disappear into thin air. Life becomes so confusing at such times that everything seems to be in pieces. Nothing seems real anymore; even God becomes so abstract, as if He does not exist. All we see is fear, helplessness, crisis, pain, darkness, and life becomes unbearable.
Many people commit suicide at such times; some go mad and never recover again. Others give in to depression and sit in self-pity, never attempting anything good again. A few others take it up against God and declare Him unfair and unjust. Consequently, they abandon seeking God and worship the creature of God or completely stay away from everything.
However, there are some who take advantage of such situations to rise. They simply decide to pick up the pieces of their life by fighting the enemy of goodness, the devil, using the last spiritual strength left in them. They just can't give up. They know that Jehovah God exists no matter what lies the situations of life attempt to tell.
Don't give up because it's not over yet. The God who turns captivity around is still in control. Seek God, invite Jesus into your life as your Lord and Saviour. Don't join the multitude to do evil. Make your ways right with God, and if you are already in Christ, stay hopeful. Renew your strength constantly in God's promises and like Job your change will come (Job 14:14).

Prayer/Action
* I declare in the name of Jesus that every dark cloud hovering around my destiny be cleared.
* I declare in the name of Jesus that there is hope for tomorrow no matter what I see today.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month, I receive the good news of the termination of every satanic agent working against me, in the name of Jesus.

The Favour of the King

Tuesday  16 May
READ: 1 Sam 16: 22
MORE LESSON: Prov. 16: 15

David was a shepherd with no claim to the throne and no right to stay in the palace. King Saul sent to Jesse, David's father, saying, ...Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight: 1 Sam. 16:22 (NKJV). Being called to the palace to appear before the king is a great honour and many people lobby for it. But here was David being begged to come to the palace when he didn't even deserve it by right or birth. David was not qualified for a place in the palace but he was being begged to come and sit in the palace.
The favour of God takes a man from a low position to a high place that he doesn't deserve. King Saul didn't ask David to be brought to the palace because he had laboured enough for it. He said, for he has found favour.'It was divine favour that moved David from the wilderness to the palace. It is your turn to receive unmerited favour. The favour of a king can change a man's life in a moment. When you find favour with a wealthy man, he makes his wealth available to lift you to the next level in life. I pray that you will find favour with kings and men of influence, in Jesus’ name. The best way to find the favour of kings is to be in favour with the King of kings. When you find favour with God, men will have no choice but to favour you.
In the text, David was being begged to come and occupy a position that others would give anything to occupy. Favour gives you a job that others are struggling for but can't get. Favour sets aside qualifications and put in your hands what you are not qualified for. I always say that it is someone who gets something by qualification that can later be disqualified. Disqualification means that someone qualified before but now he is no longer qualified – so, he is disqualified. But when there was no qualification in the first place, there can be no disqualification. It is your time of favour, get ready to get things beyond your qualification, in Jesus’ name.
I declared once in church that whatever you cannot afford to buy will be given freely by favour. Then, testimonies filled the church. People gave a lot of testimonies, including a young man that couldn't afford a car and someone gave him one free of charge. I was even worried for him whether he would be able to maintain the running cost of a car and he replied that since God gave him a car by favour, He would also help him maintain it by favour. That is the truth, when God gives you something by favour, He sustains it by favour. For the rest of your life, walk in unmerited and unlimited favour, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Father, let my season of favour begin now, in the mighty name of Jesus.
* Pray that you will be God's candidate for favour and grace, in the name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I take the shield of faith and I ward off every arrow of disaster and pain in this fifth month, in the name of Jesus.

Spiritual Training for Children II

Monday 15 May
READ: Mal. 2: 15
MORE LESSON: Eph. 6: 1 – 4

One of the reasons why God made a man and his wife to become one is because He is seeking godly children. Mal 2:15a (NKJV) says, But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring.... God's ultimate goal is not just that children are produced but that godly children are raised. To achieve this, we have to influence the children from their formative years. We should not allow the society, school and other institutions to form our children and then we try to reform them when we are not satisfied with what they have turned out to be. The best way to form children's conviction is to live a life of spiritual example before them while they are young.
I learnt this experientially years ago. Naturally, I spend a lot of time in the place of prayer. But I can be praying quietly for hours on a spot and no one would know except he/she comes very close to me. However, when my wife prays, you will know that someone is praying. In fact, you don't need to be in the room with her before you know. Of course, I am the one that has to put up with the praying. So, one day I asked, “why are you doing this to me, why can't you pray quietly like me.” She replied, “You can pray quietly for a long time and that is admirable. At the same time, God has blessed you with a wife that can pray loud. If the children don't hear you praying; at least, they will hear me and know they have parents that pray a lot.” I said it is okay. So anytime she needed to pray and I wanted to do something else, I would leave the room and go find a place to do whatever I needed to do. One day, I heard the children mimicking 'mummy's tongues'. They were actually speaking in tongues and saying this is how mummy prays.
It is important that parents do the right things for children to see. If you wake up in the night to pray, even if you don't want to ask them to join you, pray loud and 'disturb them small'. Let them grow up knowing that parents wake up at night to pay the price in prayer over their children's destiny. You should also bring your children to night vigils even if they will sleep throughout. Let them grow up with it.
Conversely, as parents, there are things that are lawful but not expedient. As a mother, a dress might not be a sin but if you wear it, your daughter will take it a bit further. You started it, she will help you finish it and then you can't control it anymore. For the sake of the children, there are certain things you must do and other things you must not do.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that you will not fail in your role as a parent, in Jesus’ name.
* Lord, bring your expectation for my home to pass, in the mighty name of Jesus.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, as this month draws to a close, I decree that every calendar of evil prepared by satanic kingdom for my future be destroyed now, in the name of Jesus.