Faith and Patience

Saturday 20 January
READ: Hebrews 6:12-15     
MORE LESSON: James 1:2-4         

The dictionary defines patience as the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset. It is the ability to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. Patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Gal. 5: 22. Another word used in the Scripture for patience is longsuffering; so patience means to be long spirited, that is, being able to forebear. The word also connotes  being cheerful or hopeful in forbearance and endurance. Patience is endurance that is characterised by cheerfulness during the period of waiting or in the face of difficulties. Faith is the requirement for accessing salvation and other things from God; so every believer has a measure of faith, at least, sufficient to get him saved.

Many believers know that with faith we can possess what we want but their understanding of faith is incomplete.  Patience is what completes faith. The proof that you believe God is that you wait for Him, . . . he that believeth shall not make haste. Isa 28:16. Nowadays, people say if it is truly faith, then it must happen right now. But Scripture makes us to understand that, Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing: James 1:3-4.
Patience is a test of faith. How long you are willing to wait shows how much you believe. When God gives a promise and it has not materialised, the person who has no faith will quickly go out and explore alternatives. However, the man of faith will keep waiting on God because he knows that God will unfailingly come around for him.
Searching through scriptures, you will discover that the words 'faith' and 'patience' appear together most of the time because faith without patience is incomplete. Abraham, the hero of faith, was also renowned for his patience as he waited on God for years till God fulfilled the promise made to him, And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise: Heb 6:15.
Henceforth as you hold forth strongly in the patience of faith, I assure you that your fruitfulness will appear to all men, in Jesus’ name.              

Prayer/Action
* Pray that the virtue of patience will not be lacking in your life.
* Pray that patience will work the perfection of your faith.
* Receive grace to wait and hope for all He has promised.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
My Father and my God, Thou that rules in all things, rule my year 2018, I surrender it to You, in the name of Jesus.

Faith and Love

Friday 19 January
READ: Galatians 5:6  
MORE LESSON: I Corinthians  13:1-8  

The main text today makes us to understand that faith works by love. You must walk in love toward God and  men if you want to have a productive faith life. It is easy to believe and trust someone that you love because Love Beareth all things, BELIEVETH all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things: 1 Cor 13:7. The reason many find it difficult to have faith in God is because they do not love Him with all their heart. So they are always looking for alternative solutions to their problems because they are not ready to wait on Him. They do not spend enough time with Him and so do not know Him well enough how not to doubt Him. When a man has no deep rooted knowledge of God, doubt and unbelief are natural to such a man, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment: Matt 22: 37-38. Today, remove everything that takes your heart, love and attention from God and you will see your faith soar.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: Matt 22:39. When a man is filled with unforgiveness, hatred, bitterness, resentment and lack of care for others, no matter how many scriptures he knows, and he can't be a man of faith. If you are exercising faith only for things to consume on yourself, you will keep 'faithing' and nothing will happen. If your motivation for whatever you are believing God for is to help others, expand the Kingdom and show God's love to people, you will get what you want, And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love: 1 Cor. 13:13 (NIV). If faith won't work without love, then love is greater than faith. Faith moves God's hand but love moves God's heart. With sincere love for God and people, you can be a man after God's heart, And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him: 1Jn 4:16. God is love. Whosoever has the fullness of love has the fullness of God, And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God: Eph 3:19.

As you make the Agape love of God your pursuit in life, faith ceases to elude you and you become a blessing to everyone around you. I pray that from today, you will grow more and more in love for God and show God's holy love to people around you, in Jesus’ name.    

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to help you to walk in love toward Him and all men.
* Pray against things that work against your faith.
* Ask God to help you to pursue love as you pursue faith.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Thou force that rules 2018, thou power of divinity, advance me all-round this year, in the name of Jesus.

Grace for the Race II

Thursday 18 January
READ: Hebrews 12: 1 - 4        
MORE LESSON: 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

In the race of life, there are times when a man comes to the end of his ability. At such times, what he needs is grace. Grace speaks loudest in the face of helplessness. It is when a man comes to an utter end of himself and all human means have been exhausted that grace is most needed. If failure has ever stared you face to face, where it seems you are bound to fail, you will understand the place of grace. Imagine a man has written an examination and he knows that failure is inevitable based on what he wrote. When grace comes in, God intervenes and suddenly, a Higher Hand converts the imminent failure (F9) to distinction (A1). Grace makes the difference; grace is God in your race.

One way to know how to get something is to understudy the life of someone who got the same thing. In understanding how to access grace, we need to consider the life of Jesus who is full of grace. Jesus was about to face the cross and He realised that He didn't have the ability to do it on His own. After praying for the cup to be taken away from Him, He added, ...nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done: Lk. 22: 42. Submission to the will of God releases grace. When you are faced with a situation that you can't go through by your strength, submit to God and you will access grace by death to self-will. As long as a man insists on having his own way in running his race, his path will be difficult. Another fact in accessing grace is to recognise the need for it. As long as a man thinks he can do it all by himself, he will not access grace. He will keep trying and failing till he recognises the need for grace. By strength shall no man prevail!

Apart from people who think it is possible to do  something in their own might, another category of people who will not access grace is people who think it is not possible to do that thing at all. Some people say an assignment/ project/process/change is beyond their power, so they conclude it is impossible after all and thereby miss out of grace. You only enjoy grace when you believe that you can do it, howbeit, not by your might, but by God at work in you.  Grace is released by a possibility mentality born out of faith in the ability of God at work in you. The way to receive grace for your race is simply to ask for it. Heb 4: 16 says, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Today, ask for grace for your race. 

Prayer/Action
* Ask the Lord to amplify His grace in your weakest moments.
* Ask the Lord to take over every situation that is stronger than you.
* Reject impossibility mindset today.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Heaven and all the earth will rejoice with the doing of the Lord in my life in 2018, in Jesus' mighty name.

Grace for the Race I

Wednesday 17 January
READ: Hebrews 12: 1 - 3
MORE LESSON: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 

It is grace that makes the race of destiny easy. The Christian journey is likened to a race. Track events usually take a lot of discipline and endurance. There are different types of races. The sprint is a short distance race and speed is needed as the fastest runner usually receives the medal. The other type is the long distance race, which demands that athletes run long distance. In such a race, it is not the fastest but the one who is able to endure that wins. In a marathon, which is a long distance race, athletes don't even try to run too fast, because if they do,  they will lose their breath too soon and may no longer have the energy to finish the race.

The Christian race is not a sprint but a marathon. Successfully finishing a marathon is not all about having speed; there is need for endurance and support. This is the reason water, cheerers and energy drinks are stationed at intervals along the path of a cross country race. This is to show that, for a long distance race, there is need for help and grace. 
In Hebrews 12:1, Paul encourages us, ...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
This Scripture further states how grace for the race of destiny is accessed. He summarised, Looking unto Jesus.... (verse 2). Jesus is the grace for your race. He has run His race successfully and by looking unto Him and connecting with Him, you access everything that is needed to finish your race well. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of faith; so by maintaining unbroken connection with Him, we access limitless faith. He is the fullness of grace, therefore when we stay in touch with Him, we receive grace upon grace (John 1: 14 – 17). Jesus was pressed beyond measure, persecuted and beaten but He made it to the end of His race. Therefore, no matter what you face, you will triumph in your race. The secret to winning in the race of life is to stay glued to Jesus, running your race the way He ran His.  From today, in the race of life, you will never be a victim, in Jesus’ name; you will not be grounded, exhausted nor faint in the race of destiny. There is grace for your race.

Prayer/Action
* Ask for grace to run the race of life.
* Declare that you will not faint on the track of life’s race.
* Declare that you will not give up, you will finish strong.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Every storm shall surely obey my voice in 2018 as it obeyed the Master on the sea, in the mighty name of Jesus.