Who is Hurt?

Friday 22 June
READ: Exodus 9:22-35
MORE LESSON: 2 Kings 5:20-27

There is a saying that a man's deceptive practice reaches its peak the day he succeeds in deceiving himself. In our text, Pharaoh played hide and seek with Jehovah. When he hardened his heart against releasing the Israelites and a plague stroke, he quickly soft-pedalled and invited Moses for a talk. As soon as the plague ceased, he went tough again. Who was hurt in the long run? It is sad that some people play with their life as Pharaoh did, thinking they are smart. They don’t pray or go to church, or do what is right and holy until they have a problem. Then, they suddenly remember God; and run to men of God for prayer and observe other religious rites. But as soon a solution to their problem comes, their spiritual commitment stops. They will give a thousand and one excuses why they are not able to meet up with their spiritual commitment. When they have a problem, they put those excuses aside and seek for help from God, and the cycle continues. Such people seek to use God to meet their needs but never allow God to use them to meet His needs.
Pharaoh did not prosper in his hide and seek game with Moses. Although he knew very well the powers of the gods, he chose to play on the God of Moses. At first, he was seemingly successful in playing on the intelligence of Moses' God to the admiration of his people. But Pharaoh lost everything at the end, including his firstborn. If he were straight in his dealings with Moses and God, he would have spared himself the unwarranted losses.
I counsel you to love and serve the Lord with all your heart, might, soul and all your strength. Those who do so are always honoured by God. He will deliver them from their enemies, and in the days of famine He will keep them from destruction. Stop the deception now and seek after God with all your heart. Learn from Cain who offered an unacceptable offering, became jealous of his brother, and even when God warned him about falling into sin, he didn’t listen. He bluffed God even after killing his brother; and when God pronounced judgement on him, he protested that the judgment was too harsh. Why wait for your house to be on fire before calling for help when you have the opportunity to stop someone from putting the fire on your roof? Even if men come to your aid to put off the fire, you would have lost your roof top. Be diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Rom.12:11).

Prayer/Action
* Receive grace to follow the Lord in all seasons, in Jesus name.
* Ask the Holy Spirit to pour upon your heart the love of God to do His will.
* Pray that God will not use judgment or enemies voice to communicate His mind to you.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: I connect with the grace and favour upon Daniel and I receive the Spirit of excellence to excel above my equals, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Perfect Love

Thursday 21 June
READ: Romans 5:5-8
MORE LESSON: John. 3:16

I am looking forward to the day and time when Christians, including me will love others with Jesus' type of love. This is the cry of my heart that I will love all people exactly the way Jesus loves me. I believe that therein lies the solution the world is looking for. The Bible says, ...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us: Rom. 5:8. That is the difference between the love of man and that of God. God loves us even with our flaws. He does not wait for us to be perfect before loving us; rather, He invites us just as we are and perfects us on arrival.
It is very difficult to find someone who can see your flaws and your immaturity and still love you in spite of all. Someone once said, If the only way you can love me is after I have perfected my imperfections, then you really don't love me. Indeed, it is good to ask ourselves, How many of us really love people for who they are and not for what we can have from them? Love is perfect when it is expressed without conditions. Paul gives us the characteristics of perfect love in I Cor. 13:4-7;
…Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Each of these traits of love will solve any problem anywhere in the world. Anything in the name of love less than this is fake and will only create more problems than solve them.
Let me say it again, God loved you while you were unlovable so you would never have to hide in the bushes again like Adam. He has loved you with an everlasting love and you must also love someone the way you have been loved. In marriage, we must love our spouses whatever they are. Once you have said, “I do”, you must always “do” without reservation. Among the brethren, we must endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).
As a way of life, we must love strong enough to warn friends, family members and neighbours about the danger of hell and tell them of the unconditional love of God for all mankind. Above all, perfect love must be honest and transparent enough to say, This is who I am, and it is all that I am; love me and be patient with me. There is no telling what I will become, but today this is who I am. I love you!

Prayer/Action
* Ask for the mind of Christ in order to walk in perfect love for others.
* Pray that in our homes and assemblies, the love of Christ will reign supreme.
* Break the force of offence, bitterness and hatred over your life, and receive the right heart to walk in love.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: My Father, as You have promised in Your Word, increase my strength, my capacity and ability, end every limitation and weakness in my destiny, in the mighty name of Jesus.

The Holy Oil

Wednesday 20 June
READ: Psalm 89:20
MORE LESSON: 1 John 4:1-4

I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: Psa. 89:20. This was God Almighty Himself speaking concerning David. It implies that there are oils that are not holy; if there is a genuine one, there is also a counterfeit. Everywhere you see a counterfeit there is a genuine somewhere and if God is talking about holy oil it means then that there is fake oil. If you use a fake thing, you get a fake result and if you use fake oil, you get fake anointing. If you are anointed with holy oil, you get holy result. When men exhibit fake anointing it is very clear; you will see the struggle and limitations; they don't go far. There are people who ‘wash their face’ today to be able to give the Word of knowledge and Word of wisdom. This means they go to herbalists to collect charms to ‘wash face’. When they consult for people, they tell them what will happen tomorrow, that is, in future and this makes people think they are true but they are fake.
The reason why fake prophets are taking over the cities and going to media houses to give prophecies, while political leaders also run after them to ask about their tomorrow, is because genuine people have refused to take their place. This has given room to the counterfeit and they are taking the centre stage. The handwriting of the enemy will be erased if the children of the Most High God will take their rightful place. The fake will continue to thrive until the original appears.
A good knowledge of the original helps you to easily identify the fake. Someone once said that you do not discover fake naira or dollar notes by studying so many counterfeits. All you need is to know what the original looks like and you can identify the counterfeits. This is why Peter admonishes us to test all spirits. But how can you test spirits without a good knowledge of the Word of God? You must therefore,
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth: 2 Tim. 2:15.
A good knowledge and application of the original will eliminate the fake. You are the light of the world; therefore, arise and shine so as to deliver the world from darkness.

Prayer/Action
* Lord, pour Your Holy oil afresh upon me, in Jesus’ name.
* Pray that you will not fall victim of counterfeit anointing.
* Pray for your pastors that the oil of God upon their lives will not run dry.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: I terminate the season of ashes on my prayer altar and I renew strength for battle, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Wasted Destiny

Tuesday 19 June
READ: Daniel 1:1-2
MORE LESSON: Malachi 1:1-2, 6-8

Nebuchadnezzar was one of the kings of Babylon, he was such a powerful king in those days. When the children of God sinned against Him, He allowed them to be captured by Nebuchadnezzar, who was favoured of God. He was a man that was full of abundance; and he was put on the throne by God even though he was a terrible man. The Almighty endowed him without limit; he was a man of power and influence. Though he hated God, God still kept His children under him. He was a man that broke all the laws and privileges of God. He contradicted all the laws of the Almighty yet, the heaven still gave him a long rope. In fact, he was a man so privileged by the Almighty that saints could be put under him. He enjoyed the cover of saints and thought he was under his own cover. He was flattered to think all was well when everything was wrong and had no knowledge or respect for God. Despite all the shortcomings of Nebuchadnezzar, God still endowed him with all the wealth, influence and affluence you can imagine.
One day, Nebuchadnezzar rose up to create a parallel kingdom with the Almighty. He was a man who had an opportunity but abused it. He experienced what an ordinary man should not see because he disrespected the opportunity given him; and God sent him off into the wilderness. When you examine the life of Nebuchadnezzar, you realise that he was a man endowed with the privilege to prevail but he failed. That was not because God didn't like him but because he did not appreciate the place of opportunity. His life became an epitome of a wasted destiny because he allowed pride to enter him. He built an image and made a proclamation that whoever would not bow down to it would die. He exalted himself above God.
A lot of times today men tend to exalt themself above God. Wastage is the end of the proud; no matter how small, destruction is the end of the proud. Run from pride, and give God glory for all He has given you; never forget that all we are and all we have belong to the Almighty God. No man can become anything without God, the Creator and it is in returning the glory to Him that we are kept, sustained and established. If we abuse and misuse our God-given opportunity like Nebuchadnezzar, to think that our own hands have given us all we have, we would lose it to the waster.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that you will not abuse your God-given privileges.
* Pray that you will not live a wasted life due to abuse of opportunity.
* Make a commitment to God that you will not live your life without Him.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Every altar competing with my altar of prayer be swallowed up now, in the name of Jesus.