Comrade in Compassion

Tuesday 7 November
READ: Heb. 4: 14 - 16          
MORE LESSON:  Rom. 12: 15

God allows us to go through some things so that we can bring succor to people who are passing through such things. Jesus advocates for us because He has experienced the temptations and struggles that we face as humans. Heb. 4: 15 says, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. In other to save humans who are flesh and blood, Jesus had to leave His divinity and manifest as flesh and blood: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil: Heb 2:14. It is good to  associate with people's weakness and empathize with them.  We shouldn't judge or condemn people when we do not even have an idea how it feels to experience what they are going through.

This brings to mind the story I heard on the news years ago. There was a very rich lady named Paris Hilton of the Hilton Conglomerate family pedigree.  Being from a rich family, she couldn't relate to the struggle of the poor and destitute but regarded them as second class people.  She lived in luxury and partied around in extravagance. One day she was driving while drunk so the police picked and detained her for 23 days. She was put in a small room with no phone or electronic device, except a Bible. She said she read the Bible till she got tired of reading it. She came out of the place refined and never remained the same again. When she was released, her family welcomed her back and spent a lot to make her comfortable and get over the trauma of the detention. But she couldn't get her mind off the many people she met in the prison who had no family to receive them when they leave the prison. Many therefore go back to committing crime so that they could be locked up again. They have no one and nothing out there in the world and actually feel more secured and catered for in prison than out and free.

Having experienced the struggles of these people, she took it upon herself to help rehabilitate people who have come out of prison and re-integrate them into the community. Instead of wasting her money on wild-living, she found a purpose; using it to help ex-convicts settle back to a decent life after living prison.  We must be compassionate and identify with the pains of people. By the reason of grace, we might have been lifted above the struggles of other people but we should not despise them. This doesn't mean that we should desire to be comrades in struggle with them, but we can be comrades in compassion. Remember, this high priest of ours understands our weaknesses for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin (Heb. 4:15).

Prayer/Action
*  Ask God to give you a compassionate heart.
* Pray that you will be a source of blessing and encouragement to people going through difficult times.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, by Your love and mercy, settle me before this month runs out, change my waiting to a testimony, in the name of Jesus.

Real Praise and Worship

Monday 6 November
READ: John 4: 21 – 24        
MORE LESSON:  Acts 16: 25-26

Praise and worship session is part of the order of service in nearly all church gatherings. Most churches put it among the first items on the order of service. However, the truth is that most believers still have a long way to go in offering real praise and worship. The first point in the text today is that real praise and worship is not dependent on environment. If your praise of God is limited to some items on the church order of service, then you have not started giving real praise and worship. You should not be a child of God that can only praise Him in church; praise should be your way of life.  There are some people that are ashamed to praise God in certain places. You have not started giving real praise until you give praise without minding your environment.

Even in church, some people are so mindful of the people around them that they cannot give God quality praise.  You can't be so conscious of your dressing that you can't let go and praise God. Real praise is from the spirit, and is not restricted by the environment. This doesn't mean making the service disorderly, it just means throwing away your self-imposed restraints and giving God real praise and worship without caring about who is watching you and who is not. Forget about the make-up on your face and glorify the God who can make your destiny up.

Real praise has benefits. The first benefit is that God comes to inhabit your life as you praise Him. Psa. 22: 3 says that God inhabits the praise of His people. When you give real praise and worship, there are miracles that happen in your life that you may not even notice immediately. There are blessings that you cannot explain. You don't get signs and wonders by going round prophets looking for miracles.  You become a sign and a wonder by living a life of real praise to God.

Praise and worship is the time that God starts doing some real wonderful things in people's lives. You get your own portion by giving Him praise and worship. There is the praise and worship that is rehearsed and staged in church with all the dancing steps already practised. Well, there is nothing bad about it if it is done to the glory of God. However, much more better is the spontaneous and real worship and praise that flows from your heart when no one is watching and cajoling you; that comes from your true heart and spirit in response to the might of God. When you give real praise and worship, real wonders start happening in and through your life. The best way to prove your love for God is via obedience, sacrifice, giving, but much more by holy praise, with or without music, particularly in times of challenges. Praise God always.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that your heart will be a fountain from where true praise will flow to God, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask God to fill our assembly with true worship of God in spirit and in truth, in the mighty name of Jesus.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
This month, they that hate me without cause shall die my death without cause, in the name of Jesus.

Benefits of Praise

Saturday 4 November
READ: Acts 16: 25 – 26 
MORE LESSON:  2 Sam. 6: 14 – 15

It was praise that brought Paul and Silas out of the prison. There are numerous benefits in praise. The Bible said that when Paul and Silas praised that there was an earthquake, the prison doors were opened and every man's chain was broken. They experienced those three benefits in one action of praise. Strange miracles happen when you praise.

Many times the reason we do not achieve maximum benefit from praise is because we are too careful in praising God. We do not want to be too out-of-place, so we do not go all out in praising God. David was not careful in praising God so He became the man after God's heart. When the Ark of the Covenant was being brought into the temple, David praised God and danced so much that some people were getting embarrassed for him. But personally, he was not embarrassed about praising God. These are times we must throw away caution when it comes to praising God: we must praise God anyhow.

Praise is not just something one does in the bedroom or in the Church; it is the day to day expression of gratitude to God. Praise is an attitude and it shows in our interaction with people and our environment. A praise giver is always excited about God and people; he has a grateful spirit and always expresses thanks at every opportunity. A lot of people praise in church, but their attitude and expressions in everyday life negate all the benefits that the praise in church would have brought to them. Praise must be total; in your closet, in church and in everyday life. If you must get maximum benefit from praise, then you should note the following points.

1. You must not make praise only a secret affair but also a public one. God is impressed by your praise when you make it public. If you give secret praise, you get secret result. To get outstanding and public results, you should give public praise.

2. Praise must come from the heart. Real praise is not a lip service; it should be a heartfelt expression.

3. Praise must be all involving. You can't praise God and not be physically involved in it. You don't praise aloof and you don't think praise. You do it and engage yourself in it. Do not praise God while your mind is on other things.

Praise has untold benefits. Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely: Psa. 147:1.

Prayer/Action
* As k the Lord to release upon your life the spirit of praise.
* Ask God to help you to be more conscious of His presence than your environment when you praise.
* Declare that your life will always show forth the praises of God.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Satan, your hold on me is broken this month, in the name of Jesus.

Beauty of Doing

Friday 3 November
READ: Eccl. 10:18 
MORE LESSON:  Jam. 2: 17 – 26

A building that is not in use and which no one is staying in decays with time. Anything that is not put into use becomes dilapidated. The Bible likens a believer to the building where God lives (1 Cor. 3: 16). Therefore, like a building, disuse will make a man's life become dilapidated. Idleness and slothfulness cause a destiny to decay. For a man to amount to anything in life, there must be action. Only men of action enjoy the beauty of life.

Anywhere that there is no motion, there is demotion. A destiny decays when there is no movement.  The easiest way to lose value is to do nothing. If a man wants to fail in life, all he has to do is to do nothing. When faith lacks action it is merely an empty boast. James 2: 17 says, In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead (NIV). A man who confesses faith and prays but does nothing will soon die of starvation.

Anything that has decayed is usually thrown away and destroyed. The key to not becoming discarded or destroyed is to do something. As it is written, By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through: Eccl. 10 : 18.

Life celebrates men of action. A man who adds value is valued and can never become discarded. As every man values and preserves his best possession, so does God also value people who add value in His Kingdom. Therefore, a man of valuable actions is honoured by God. There are people who are dead but the fruit of the valuable actions they took while alive is still speaking today.

Matt. 28:19 contains the Great Commission which is the responsibility placed on the Church. The first word in the Great Commission is 'go'. 'Go' is a verb; it is an action word and requires motion. Therefore, you cannot amount to anything in the Kingdom unless you take the action of going. Jesus was always on the move when He was on the earth. He was always doing something. Church title has no meaning unless you take actions that meet up with the responsibility placed on you. The responsibilities include bringing others to Christ, witnessing for Jesus, serving in the Church and blessing lives. Empty chairs in the Church and innumerable sinners on the streets, show that we are not taking enough actions. By the grace of God, you will no longer be a motionless Christian. There is beauty in going as commanded by Jesus. There is beauty in doing as admonished by the Word of God. Your life is beautified as you take Word-inspired actions. 

Prayer/Action
* Declare that as you put your faith to work, God will work wonders in your life.
* Pray that God will make you the doer of the Word.
* Pray that God will take you beyond lip service to serve Him actively.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
It's a new day, a new season, a new glory; all old things have passed away, in the name of Jesus.