Be the Best II

Wednesday 3 January
READ: Matthew 5:13-16  
MORE LESSON: Obadiah 1:21     

Yesterday we began to look at the fact that God wants us to be the best in all that we are and do. We also examined the necessity of becoming the best as a means of taking up kingdoms for our King and Father. We cannot effectively invade the world, impact it positively and take up territories without becoming an icon of excellence in our field. Moreso, we cannot become the best by remaining in obscurity. We are a city that is set on a hill, which cannot be hidden.

The things that God does are not an accident, oversight or coincidence. God is intentional about everything He does. He did not just make us the light of the world, the Bible says we are set on a hill so that our potential to shine will not be limited. It is God's original intention that when the world that lies in gross darkness seek light, they will look up to us on the hill. It is amazing that the children of light whom God has set on the mountain have left their place and are struggling for relevance in the valley.

Many Christians have hidden their light under the bushel of laziness, mediocrity, religious mindset and lots more. If we must become the best then we must learn to strike a balance in all that we do. Most times you find Christians who spend working hours praying and fasting instead of working. The Bible clearly tells us that God is not the author of confusion. He has given us time for everything.
We must, therefore, learn to manage our time wisely so that we can obtain maximum output in all that we do. It is embarrassing that we are the ones that are always queried for negligence of duty. It is an insult to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Also, some people have not been able to become the best in what they do because of mediocrity. They just believe in being small as they don't want to get out of their comfort zone to get anything done. With this kind of attitude, we cannot influence the world for God. We should therefore cast off every restraint of laziness, mediocrity, excuse etc, and work at becoming the best in all that we do,
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God: Rom 8:19.

It is time to wake up from slumber and manifest the glory of God in us and thereby command the world to do same.  Be the best.      

Prayer/Action
*Ask the Lord to make you an icon of excellence in your field of endeavour.
*Ask God to grant you the wisdom to stand out as the best.
*Pray for grace to live up to the expectation of God for your life.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
2018, I forbid you from co-operating with enmity against me in your whole season, in the mighty name of Jesus.                                                                                 

Be the Best I

Tuesday 2 January
READ: Matthew 5:13-16  
MORE LESSON: Isaiah 2:2-4   

There is a difference between being the best and being your best. To be your best limits you to your ability which may not be good enough. Your best may not be the best attainable height. But when you are the best, it means you are at the peak of what is attainable. God's desire is for us to be the best in everything we do. A mediocre mindset is never God's intention for His dear children. This is why He has given us the Spirit of love and a sound mind to the end that we will be the best.

God is expecting us to be above par in every aspect of our lives, be it physical, spiritual, economic, academic, marital, political and other wise. God's plan is for the world to look up to us as examples in whatever we are or are doing. Matthew 5:14 says, You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden: Matt 5:14-16 (NKJV). A light shines and sets the pace. In the same way God wants us to shine and teach the world what to do using Kingdom principles by being tiptop in whatever our hands find to do. The world cannot experience the excellence of our Father if we do not show forth His praise, But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: 1 Pet. 2:9-10 (NKJV).

Therefore, whatever we do or become, we are invariably telling the world that that is who our Father is and that is what is obtainable in His kingdom. It is quite unfortunate that the Church has descended so low as to be copying the world instead of the world to imitate the Church. We are in the time when the Church must rise to her position and be unsurpassable. The Bible says, ...The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever: Rev 11:15.

This will only happen when the Church influences the world with the Kingdom lifestyle. But how can the world copy us when they tend to be doing better than us? I challenge you today to rise and be the best in whatever you do. Do not relax until you get to the top of your calling, career and ministry. Invade the world systems with the Kingdom lifestyle and take up territories for our King. Be the best.

Prayer/Action
*Ask the Lord to make you the best.
*Ask that the Spirit of excellence rest upon you.
*Pray against the spirit of mediocrity.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
January 2018, you shall be the beginning of strength and excellence shall last from start to finish, in the name of Jesus.

Rules in Engaging Year 2018

Monday 1 January

Happy New Year and Welcome to 2018
It is our Year of Divine Authority  ...the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force:  Matt 11:12. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open: Isaiah 22: 22.

To exercise divine authority demands that we recognize that:
1. We are people of power.
2. Our authority stems from the power of God.
3. We represent God, the Owner and Possessor of Heaven and the earth, here in the world; therefore, the earth must hear us this year.
4. As the children of God who owns the earth, we have the right to govern and direct the earth.
5. By the privilege of redemption, we can exercise God's authority over everything on the earth.
6. By our sonship in Christ, we do not beg situations and circumstances; we command them.
7. There is a giant in us that must not live like a toy.
8. The only thing we cannot own is what we cannot command by divine authority.
9. This year will respond only to those who take it by force.
10. We have a dominion mandate by which we can rule 2018 by His Word for the year

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Oh year, year, year 2018, hear the voice of the Lord, you shall be for my joy and fulfilment, in the mighty name of Jesus.

The Ten Lepers

Sunday 31 December
READ: Luke 17:11-19 
MORE LESSON:  1 Thess. 5: 18

Ten lepers approached Jesus and prayed Him to heal them. He asked them to go and show themselves to the priest, and as they went, they were healed.  It was the step of faith that they took as they went to meet the priest, according to the Word of the Lord, that released the power of God for their healing. A leper ordinarily was not supposed to appear before the priest, but becasue they went in faith according to the Word of Jesus, the leprosy disappeared before they met the priest. Therefore, they were healed not because of their qualifications but because of faith in the Word of God.

After they noticed that they had been healed, one of the lepers immediately returned to the Lord to give thanks. When he went back to Jesus, the Lord gave him an extra blessing - he made him whole. The others were merely healed but he was made whole. It was faith in God that healed them all but it was gratitude that sustained and perfected the healing of the one leper who returned to give thanks. The other nine lepers were forgotten but the one leper that returned to give thanks was noticed. Gratitude makes you to be noticed; it brings you to limelight.

The other nine lepers displayed their ignorance through their ingratitude. An ungrateful person is ignorant of the Person and principles of God. An ungrateful person belittles the blessing of the Lord and therefore is disqualified from more. The nine lepers made light of the fact that the leprosy had disappeared. They therefore missed the greater blessings that the Lord had in place for them after healing their leprosy. Don't take the 'little' blessings you receive for granted, thinking until you hit that major miracle before you give thanks and testify. At the end of this story, the other nine lepers lost their blessing because of ingratitude. Ungrateful people are always losers.

Gratitude can be learnt and can be taught. In fact, it should be taught from childhood. Gratitude starts from the home and from childhood; we should therefore teach children to be thankful and grateful so that they grow up to be grateful people.  Choose gratitude!

Grateful people are few in life; usually there is only one grateful person out of ten people. You must make a deliberate choice to be the one out of them. According to 2 Tim. 3: 1 – 2, one of the signs of the end time is ingratitude. We should make the deliberate choice not to be overcome by the spirit of ingratitude that holds sway on people in the world today.  Ingratitude shuts the doors of blessing against men while gratitude opens the door for greater blessings. Be like the one leper that returned to give thanks.

Prayer/Action
* Repent of any form of ingratitude.
* Pray to God that you will not be an ungrateful individual.
* Pray that your gratitude to God will never be short of a substance.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Imela! Nagode! Jesu E sseun!! Hallelujah!!! 2017 ends today, thank You for sunshine, in the mighty name of Jesus.