12 Holy Healthy Habits II

Thursday 9 November
READ: Gen.1:29    
MORE LESSON:  Rom.8:1-13

The first chapter of the book of Genesis contains not just facts and figures of the story of creation but also about God's recommended feeding habits for mankind. The diet God gave people at the beginning of creation was fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds. Man was created by God to live on three dimensions; as a spirit, he lives in a soul and has a body. And throughout Bible days and even contemporary times God is seen to be greatly participating in the spiritual, soul, and bodily well-being of His Children. God gave us His Word and His Spirit to nourish our spirit, He gave us His love, joy and peace to nourish and renew our mind and also gives us timely instructions on how to live in good hygiene and health.

The Christian walk has been greatly misunderstood  by some people to be strictly a spiritual voyage, giving directions only for the spirit dimension of man. On the contrary, the Word of God is full of healthy feeding and living habits that even science has found to be the best way to live. Scripture- obeying people are the healthiest on earth because the Bible is balanced with wisdom and nourishment for the total man. Jesus says, Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out: Jn. 6:37. Jesus is ready to break the shackles that bind us; He longs to set us free if only we will permit it. Our worries, evil habits, nervous tensions, and fears will be gone when we do His bidding (Phil. 4:13). He says, These things have I spoken unto you ... that your joy might be full: Jn. 15:11. The devil says freedom is found in disobedience, but this is falsehood (John 8:44). Take all of these habits to Christ and lay them at His feet. He will joyfully give you a new heart and the power you need to break any evil habit and become a child of God (Ezek. 11:18, 19).

Divine healing is God's responsibility to us but divine health is our responsibility to our body. The Scripture is very clear about what your body really is - the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it must be handled in the most holy and honourable way by us, in a way that is suitable to the Lord of this temple (1 Cor. 6:19). If this body is a temple, then we cannot afford to perform harmful experiments like using cigarette to smoke it up because it is not a chimney, it is a temple.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that the Word of God will always guide your life, in Jesus’ name.
* Proclaim that you will be healthy-spirit, soul and body, in Jesus’ name.
* Ask the Holy Spirit to enable you break off unhealthy habits, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY’S  PROPHETIC PRAYER
Lion of the tribe of Judah, arise, spare not, prove Your power to every human manifesting as a dangerous enemy to my life, in the name of Jesus.

12 Holy Healthy Habits I

Wednesday 8 November
READ: Prov. 3:7-8  
MORE LESSON:  Psa. 91:16

The Bible rates health very high on the list of importance (3 John 1:2). Man's mind, spiritual nature, and body are all interrelated and interdependent. God gave health rules because He knows what is best for the body (Deuteronomy 6:24, Exodus 23:25). A bondservant of Christ should eat and drink all to the glory of God - using only "that which is good" (Isa.55:2, 1Corinthians10:31). If God said something is not fit to eat, He must have a good reason. He is not a dictator, but a loving Father. All His counsels are for our good. So if God withholds a thing from us, it is because such does not benefit us (Psa. 84:11). Let us see a list of 12 holy and totally healthy habits dug up from the Word of God:

1. Eat your meals at regular intervals (Eccl.10:17).
2. Don't overeat (Prov. 23:2, Lk.21:34).
3. Make mealtime a happy time (Eccl. 3:13).
4. Don't harbour envy or hold grudges (Prov. 14:30, Matt. 5:23,24).
5. Balance work and exercise with sleep and rest (Exo. 20:9,10, Eccl. 2:22, 23; 5:12, Psa. 127:2).
6. Keep your body clean (Isa. 52:11).
7. Avoid all harmful stimulants. 
8. Bury body waste to avoid disease (Deut. 23:12-13).
9. Avoid eating animals that are strangled (Acts 15:20,29;21:25).
10. Avoid eating animals that die by themselves (Lev.17:15;22:8, Deut. 14:21, Ezek. 4:14).
11. Do not eat animal fat or blood (Gen. 9:4, Lev. 3:17; 7:23-27; 17:10-14, Deut. 12:16).

[Note: Recent scientific studies have confirmed the fact that most heart attacks result from a high cholesterol level in the blood -and that the use of "fats" is largely responsible for this high level. Also, the blood can transfer diseases. Science is just catching up with the Bible.]

12. Put full trust in the Lord (Prov. 4:20-22; 19:23).
God's counsels and rules are always for our good, just as good parents' rules and counsels are best for their children. God holds us accountable (Jam. 4:17). The reason for restricting our diet is because we are the holy children of a holy God (Deut. 14:1-3).

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to  help you develop useful habits, in Jesus’ name.
* Declare that your water and bread are blessed and they shall be for health and healing for you, in Jesus’ name.
*  Ask for grace to be a doer of these words, and not a hearer only, deceiving yourself.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, this eleventh month, prove to the world that You are the faithful miracle working God, in the name of Jesus.

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.