Enduring Gift

Friday 26 May
READ: 1 Sam 1: 11 - 28
MORE LESSON: 1 Sam 2: 20 -21

Hannah sought God for a child, and she promised God that whatever child He gave her, she would give the child back to God. When she gave birth to Samuel, she brought back Samuel to the Lord. Samuel, through that singular act, became a gift to many generations. Samuel would have just been a hero in Hannah's house but when he was handed over to the Lord, he became a blessing to the nation and all generations. God also blessed Hannah with many more children such that there is no loss in her life as a result of the child that she gave to the Lord. No one has ever lost by giving to God; only blessing, increase and greatness come out of giving to the Lord.
Trinity Broadcasting Corporation (TBN) is one of the largest Christian media houses in the world. The man who started the media house shared his testimony. When he finished high school and needed direction on what to do next, he went to a man of God for prayer; and the man of God laid hand on him and told him to go to Bible school. So while others were going to university, he went to Bible school according to God's instruction. However, after the school, he fell sick with rheumatic fever. It was so bad that the doctors told him that he would not survive it and if by any chance he did, he would be paralysed for life. Then God came on the scene and healed him. He started a Christian programme to celebrate God for healing him and named the programme ''Praise the Lord!”. He would bring several ministers to speak and preach for free on his programme. He then started paying for television time for other ministers to preach across the world. He graduated to having his own television network where ministers worldwide preach for free. The great television network we celebrate today started as an act of appreciation to God.
Isa. 60:15 says, Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. God wants to make you a joy and gift to many generations. There is a gift in you that can affect nations and generations. However, until you hand over the gift to the Lord, it will remain locked inside. Like Hannah in the Bible and the founder of TBN, there is something you can give God which He will take over and make into a gift to many generations. You can offer service or take an assignment as an appreciation to God; no one can tell how far it will grow. Whatever little money, effort or time you give to the Lord in appreciation will grow to become a great blessing to many.

Prayer/Action
* Ask the Lord for the grace to give out whatever you have to Him and man, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask God to grant you the special gifts that will become a source of blessing for mankind.
* Declare that you shall be a joy of many generations, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
From today my relevance will begin to appear to all everywhere I go, in the mighty name of Jesus.

The Highest Honour

Thursday 25 May
READ: I Jn. 3:1-3
MORE LESSON: Jn. 1:12

God wanted a family and He created man to be part of that family. The whole Bible talks about God building a family, who will love Him, honour Him and reign with Him eternally, Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will: Eph.1:5. God is love so He treasures relationship, His nature is relational, He even identifies Himself with family terms: Father, Son and Spirit. God has always existed in loving relationship to Himself; He is never lonely, He did not need a family, but He desired one and created one, bringing man into the picture of what He desired. When we receive Jesus into our hearts as Lord and Saviour, we become God's children and He becomes our Father. God created everyone but not everyone is a child of God or part of God's family. Just as you become part of a family by birth so by being born again you become a member of God's family, For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus: Gal.3:26. The desire of God for the family is universal but it must be by faith in Jesus.
Becoming a part of God's family is the highest honour, stronger than the natural family ties because the spiritual lasts forever while the physical can be temporary, at times broken by distance, age and death. Benefits of this honour include: you inherit the family name, family likeness, family privileges and family inheritance. Everything that God has belongs to you and you can access them. You start partaking in the family fortune of God's grace, kindness, glory, wisdom, power and mercy. Part of that inheritance includes intimacy with God, defence and protection from all evil while here on earth, a place of abode with God in eternity where there will be no pain, sickness or disease and you get to share in Christ's glory.
Hear the word of Jesus, But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother: Matt.12:48-50. Becoming part of God's family is the highest honour you can ever receive. Have a true sense of honour this morning, feel important, loved and secure because you are a member of the highest family of all.

Prayer/Action
* Thank You Father in Heaven for giving me a place in Your heart and family, in Jesus’ name.
* My portion in the family shall not be stolen from me, henceforth I will enjoy all the benefits of being part of the greatest family of all, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
From today onward, as the Lord lives I shall never again be cited as a negative example, in the name of Jesus.

Becoming like Christ

Wednesday 24 May
READ: II Cor.3:16-18
MORE LESSON: John 1:12

One major purpose for the creation of man and the new birth is to make us to be more like Christ. This cannot be done in one's own strength. Today's reading, especially II Cor. 3:18, is very clear about this, But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us the power to make the changes that God wants to make in our lives. This working of the Holy Spirit is not in loud noisy ways but in quiet daily walk; He daily nudges us with the Word of God and urges us to do the right thing in every situation. The more we yield to His promptings and obey His leading, the more Christ like we become. The only thing is that the Holy Spirit will not force but prompt, we must learn to cooperate with His working by simple daily obedience. In the spiritual, efforts are required to grow and become like Christ; that required effort is the prompt obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Other personal responsibilities to become like Christ include:
1) Let go of the old ways of life such as lying, fighting, exaggerating and the likes.
2) Change the way you think, get a transformed mind by renewing your mind daily with the Word of God. The more renewed you are, the more Christ like you become.
3) Put on the character of Christ by cultivating new, godly habits. One's character is the sum of one's habits.
In becoming like Christ, God uses not just His Spirit and His Word to mould us; He also uses people and circumstances. He uses people to provide the support of training and care that we need to grow. He uses the circumstances to provide the environment that helps us practise Christ likeness.
Becoming like Christ is ensuring that whatever one does, it must be done in a Christ like manner and as this is done, godly character is achieved and the Lord is fully glorified.

Prayer/Action
* Father, help me to fulfil the ultimate purpose of becoming Christ like and thereby promoting godliness on earth, in the mighty name of Jesus.
* Teach me Lord to be sensitive to Your Spirit's training that I may by obedience accomplish all that You want me to in this world, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In the name of Jesus, this day, this week, this month, this year, the sun shall not smite me by day nor the moon by night.

Pray for one Another

Tuesday 23 May
READ: James 5: 14 - 16
MORE LESSON: Job 42: 10

There are blessings that accrue to you when you pray for other people. This is the reason we encourage people to pair up and pray for each other during meetings. This is also why having prayer partner is encouraged. Everyone in the church of God should have prayer partner with whom they share burdens and pray for each other. Even pastors should have prayer partners. The pastor carries more load than anyone else, so if anyone needs people to pray for him, it is the pastor. The Bible says, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much: James 5:16.
This scripture encourages us to confess our faults to one another. This is one thing that seems to have been lost in the church today. It is now difficult for people to confess their faults to one another. We have to be non-judgmental and loving so that people won't have problem confessing faults to one another. If a believer treats others as sinners and makes them feel condemned with his holier-than-thou attitude, when they fall into a mistake or sin, they will not be able to come to him to be helped. You must be loving and accommodating even though firm and uncompromising. We must also know that as people confess their faults to one another, there are things about people's privacy that you must not disclose to anyone. As a minister, when people come to confess their faults to you, don't go to the altar and use it to preach. In fact there are some private things about people's lives that you don't even tell your spouse. This doesn't mean we must hide everything in the name of privacy but we must know what to keep as secret and what to tell.
The Scripture says to confess faults to one another and to pray for one another. In Job 42: 10, we see that Job was blessed by the Lord only after he prayed for his friends. Even though they had wronged him, he forgave them and prayed for them and the Lord blessed him abundantly and restored all that he had lost to him. Your blessing is in praying for people. Do not judge or condemn people, rather pray for them. Praying for others includes praying for the sick. James 5: 14 says if anyone is sick he should call for the elders of the church to pray for him. There are many people in church that complain that they were sick and the pastor didn't call them. However, the Bible says that the sick should call the pastors. So it is his duty to call while it is the pastor's duty to pray. Let the pastor pray for his congregation and let the congregation pray for the pastor. Pray for one another so that you all may be blessed.

Prayer/Action
* Ask the Lord to receive your altar of intercession, in the mighty name of Jesus.
* Silence every accusation against your family and loved ones, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Every noise and voice of confusion and depression in my mind and spirit, stop now, in the name of Jesus.