Higher Height II

Sunday 14 January
READ: Matthew 7:28-29        
MORE LESSON: I Corinthians 2:9-11

We saw yesterday that it is God's desire that we should continually scale to higher heights. We notice that Jesus didn't do any less. In fact, the Bible says that at the beginning of His ministry when He preached in the synagogue, the people said He preached with authority and not as the scribes. Even on the pulpit he defeated, several times over, those who went to school. It is an incredible thing what God has planned for us and if only we could find it out, life would be better on the face of the earth and best in heaven. God is not only planning good on the earth, but also for better and best in heaven. If you consider the words that Jesus constantly used to encourage those who want to become His children, you will find out that His desires, plans and provisions for us are not small things at all. In John 10:10 He says He has come to give us life, and not ordinary life, but abundant life. Living from hand to mouth or having to beg is never part of God's plans for us.

I notice that all during the life time of the Master Jesus, even though He didn't have any bank account, He never had a reason to get into a situation where He could not afford something. There was nothing He could not afford. The day He noticed that the treasurer had no money in the purse, He commanded the Heavens to send it through the bank in the waters. No Central Bank could provide that. That's a higher height; when your needs are met by a force that is beyond human capacity.

Most times people live less than what God desires for them because they have exchanged their standards. Instead of looking up to the life of Jesus as the standard, they tend to compare themselves with other humans; ...but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise: 2 Cor. 10:12.
The goal of the Holy Spirit is to make us like Jesus and not like another man. But Jesus even said, if we believe, we can even do beyond what He did. It is amazing that no  man has been able to attain that height, and we are so satisfied.
The key to attaining higher height is to remain open for more. The largest room in the world is the room for improvement. No matter how high you have gone there is a higher height. Don't stop; keep moving!      

Prayer/Action
* Pray that the supernatural hand of God will be at work in your life.
* Pray that in your field of life you will attain to the peak.
* Pray that you will attain to the high life of Jesus, in every area of life.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In 2018, my seeds, my roots and my fruits shall be saved from the waster, in the mighty name of Jesus.         

Higher Height I

Saturday 13 January   
READ: Daniel 6:1-3      
MORE LESSON: John 14:12      

Daniel first entered the land of Babylon as a slave. He was captured from the land of Israel by King Nebuchadnezzar. Then he rose steadily during the reigns of different kings and began to rule over the indigenes of the land. That was inspite of the fact that he was a stranger and a slave who was not qualified for anything more than serving and cleaning. Instead of doing things associated with a slave, he reigned in the class of the elite. The Bible says that he was promoted in a foreign land to the position of a president, and from a president he became the president of presidents. That is a higher height than an ordinary Jew in Babylon should have enjoyed. So he was higher than his fellow Jews by becoming a president in a strange land.

Joseph started enjoying higher height from his father's house; charity they say begins at home. His greatness began from his father's house. He was one of the youngest of all the children but because he was distinguished by the Almighty God, he became the jewel to the admiration of everybody in the house. The Bible says his father loved him more than his brothers. And what more? He moved from his father's house to become a man of divine love and admiration to the point that wherever he went he was preferred. Even in the prison he was preferred above his fellow prisoners.

The day he arrived the prison he was treated specially. He wasn't a warder but he was better than a prisoner; people began to seek for his favour even in the prison. Even the warders respected him; the Bible says he was preferred even in the prison. He was so preferred that even in Potiphar's house, his master's wife desired him. The wife of a general preferred a slave boy to her husband. This is the type of life God wants us to live. By God's design, you are meant to be celebrated and not tolerated or even pitied. I Peter 2:9 says  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
If you are still being tolerated or even looked down on, you need to step to a higher height. If you are already on a high height, you must climb higher. Never be satisfied with where you are; there is room for more.       

Prayer/Action
*Pray that the priestly honour and royalty of a king will be evident in your life.
*Ask the Lord to take you to higher heights.
*Pray that God will grant you unsual favour and acceptance today.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In 2018, every day is a closer walk with Jesus, in the name of Jesus.     

Fruitful in all Seasons

Friday 12 January
READ: Genesis 21:  1 - 2           
MORE LESSON: Psalm 92: 12 -15

Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah was ninety when they had their first child, Isaac. The birth of Isaac is a testimony that God can make one fruitful even in old age. We serve a God who is not limited by times and seasons. In fact, God lives outside the scope of time, so He is not subject to the law of time. In the natural, there is a time and a season for certain fruits and another time and season when they are not available. In the same vein, humanly speaking, there is an age of childbearing and a time when medically a woman passes the age of childbearing. The good news is that God is not bound by these laws.

God suspended the law of times and seasons and gave Abraham and Sarah a child when it looked like the season for it was gone. There is no seasonal limitation in fruitfulness when God is involved. This is the reason Psa. 92:12 – 14 says, The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.

Those that are planted in the courts of the Lord will flourish in the courts of our God, so there is no limitation to their fruitfulness; they will be fruitful even in old age. The presence of God has a rejuvenating effect. Therefore even when some cells are dead due to the aging process, the Life that comes from God's presence will activate them. In the presence of God, there is no time, only endless eternity. Consequently, twenty years can be compressed into a day, for  with God one thousand years is a day with Him (Psa. 90: 4). So when men think you are too old to be productive, successful or fruitful, you are just starting your day of fruitfulness.

Abraham was called to destiny at the age of 75, at which age, other men have retired. But a man started the journey of destiny at seventy-five and still achieved generational greatness. Jesus Christ lived for thirty-three years only but no other person can come close to the greatness and impact that He made in His short life. Even  men that lived to be nearly a thousand years did not have the level of impact that Jesus made in three and a half years of ministry. Therefore, it is not about how young or old, it is about connecting to the God of all seasons. From today on, your greatness, success and fruitfulness will transcend seasons, in Jesus' mighty name.      

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to cause every seed that you sow to bring forth a hundredfold return.
* Declare that your loins/womb is blessed with fruitfulness.
* Prophesy that the devourer shall not eat up your seed in 2018.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
In 2018, help and helpers will not be missing in my endeavours, in the name of Jesus.

Jesus in My Boat

Thursday 11 January
READ: Matthew 8:23-27    
MORE LESSON: Hebrews 4:12-16

Any man who embarks on the journey of life without Jesus in his boat has signed up to be sunk by the boisterous storms that may arise. The devil is always working tooth and nail to make sure he scuttles the assignment that God gives His children and that is why we cannot afford to sail on our own. To have Jesus in your boat means to have a personal relationship with Him. It is evident from our text above that despite the fact that the disciples had Jesus physically present in their boat, they were not relating with Him because He was fast asleep. Many of us are going through situations because they have stopped servicing their relationship with the Master. As a result, though He is in the boat, the boisterous storms of life threaten to sink them. Arise and awake the Master and watch Him bring a great calm to that storm, in Jesus’ name.

When the disciples went to wake up Jesus from sleep, He didn't need to start struggling to help them remove the water from the boat, He simply spoke the Word, Peace, be still. The Word is strong and powerful; apply His Word to any situation and you are sure that situation will definitely change. He spoke to the storm and the storm responded. He spoke to few pieces of fish and a few loaves of bread and they multiplied and fed thousands. Nothing, no matter how difficult, will refuse to respond at the name of Jesus. At His Word there is response; all situations respond to His Word.

When Jesus told His disciples that He would be leaving in John 14, they were scared about His going because with Jesus around they had no problems that were not fixed. He healed Peter's sick mother-in-law, He sent Peter to get money out of a fish. There was nothing He didn't provide, His presence was the answer to any situation. They were never scared or afraid while He was around. But then He was going away and they were sad. When Jesus leaves a man's life, that man needs to be sad. It doesn't matter the security around a man, if Jesus is outside that security, there is no safety; that man is in grave danger. That was what the disciples perceived. They knew that everything minus Jesus was zero.

There will be crisis when Jesus is outside a situation; any situation without Jesus is a hopeless one. Jesus is the guarantee of a glorious change. Jesus told the disciples not to be scared about His going but they were not convinced, so He gave them assurance that whatever they will ask the Father in His name will be done. Whatever the person of Jesus can do, His name can do also. You can confront death in the name of Jesus and it will yield because it is guaranteed. Is Jesus still in your boat?                                        
   
Prayer/Action
*Pray that you will sail through the journey of life successfully.
*Pray that you will not be igorant of the fact that Jesus is always with you in the journey of life.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I decree the sound of abundance of rain, glory, and celebration in 2018, in the name of Jesus.