Beyond the Physical

   STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Beyond the Physical

 

12 November

 

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. Luke 5:5

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Luke 5:1-9  9 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,

          

 MORE LESSON Job 42:12-17  12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.

 

In life, never let your physical reality become your destination. If you want to go higher in life, step into what is written in the Golden Book (the Bible). In today's text, Peter realized his level of failure and the insufficiency of his situation. He said, “We have not caught and we can't catch.” But he didn't stop there: he transferred that failure, that insufficiency, to Divinity. What was the result of the transfer? He got more than sufficient. He came with one boat which was sufficient but went home with two boats which were more than sufficient. So we have a God who can change our insufficiency to not just having enough, but He has the capacity to move us beyond enough into the realms of more than enough. There is no point struggling with what is not working when you are connected to the One who can help you to turn things around. Peter could have chosen to keep proving to Jesus that he was a professional fisherman and he would have gone home with nothing. However, he looked beyond his physical reality and dared to take Jesus for His word, and was astonished at how things worked out.

 

When placed side by side the word of God, man's wisdom, no matter how professional, is in no way a match to the word of God. The doctor can say that a patient has one week to live whereas the word of God says that He will satisfy him with long life. If that patient dares to believe God's word despite his deteriorating health condition, he will not only live but will fulfil the number of his days to a ripe full age. However, if a man chooses to dwell on his physical realities, he will make the word of God of non- effect in his life. So, never let your physical condition define you.

 

There is no physical reality that the word of God cannot overturn. In II Kings 7, the hunger is the land was so terrible that women agreed to take turns to eat their children. Evidence exists of the strong ties between mother and children; yet, the situation was so bad that women were eating their children. However, in the midst of the situation, the word of the Lord came through the prophet in II Kings 7:1: …Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. One of the king's official, who probably was abreast with the current economic situation doubted the word of God, and even though he saw its fulfilment, he never tasted of it.

It is better to accept what God has said rather than doubt and miss out on God's mighty supply. Indeed nothing is too difficult for Him to do. Let God be true and every medical report, economic situation, family crisis, etc be a lie.

 

Prayer/Action

*    Pray that you will not be trapped by what is happening physically around you.
*       Receive grace to believe God beyond physical realities.
*       Pray that the physical realities will not overwhelm your faith.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: By the unquenchable fire of the Holy Ghost, I make a proclamation that this day and the entire month is a no trouble season, in the mighty name of Jesus

The More than Sufficient God

  STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

The More than Sufficient God

11 November

 

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. Luke 5:5

 

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Luke 5:5-7 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

 

MORE LESSON Isaiah 55:10-11  10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

 

I am sure you are familiar with this story of Apostle Peter. Simply put, the apostles did everything and it didn't work. However, when Jesus came and took the ship that had been failing in their hand, he turned it to a success in His ministry: it became a different story. It didn't stop there: by the time it got into Jesus' hands, it became a very successful boat. Jesus preached in it and had good results. By implication Jesus said, “What has been failing in your hand has changed in my hand, but I don't want you to end there. Come and continue the success.” The same boat that had failed them, He put it back in their hand. In other words, “What you have been struggling to do and could not do, go and do it now.” Then they said, “Given our past story, it doesn't work but because you have spoken, we will do what you have said.” So they launched out into the deep, and the Bible reports that they caught so much that the nets began to break.

 

Thereafter, they had to seek help. When the help came, the extra boat they got was also full to the point that the two boats were in jeopardy. What is the lesson? If you want the sufficient God, you will see Him. He will give you just what you need because sufficient is just what you need. It won't be less; it won't be more; just sufficient. But beloved, the moment the factor of sufficient moves to divinity, it becomes more than sufficient.

 So, the lesson is simple: whatever is failing in your hand, give it to the God who is more than sufficient. That's what Peter did. If your life is failing, give it to Him who is more than sufficient. First, hand over every failure to Jehovah: if it is your academic pursuit that is failing, give it to Him. When He steps in, your weakness becomes strength and you begin to succeed where you failed before. This is because there is a switch and now you now are working with His strength and no longer yours.

 Secondly, learn to trust what God's word says against your physical realities. God's word ranks above everything you can think of. So when it seems like what God has said is conflicting with your present reality, you must be wise enough to take sides with what God has said. The word of God is creative in its work: and it doesn't matter if what you desire does not exist, the word can create it. The whole world was created by the spoken word of God and this did not happen just because He is God, but He showed us a technology that can deliver whatever we desire and how we desire it. So, if you want to experience the more than sufficient dimension of God, plug into His word and you will see the wonders of His word in your life.

 Prayer/Action

 *  Declare that nothing shall fail any longer in your hand

 * Receive abundant blessings of God for your life and family. 

 * Hand over anything that is failing in your hands to Jesus now.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: By the power of the Holy Ghost, I decree that my shining light will never diminish in the midst of darkness and no darkness can comprehend it, in the wonderful name of Jesus

 

The Strong Tower

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

The Strong Tower

10 November

 

The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

 

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Proverbs 18:10 10 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

 

MORE LESSON Zechariah 9:11-12 11As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; a tower of deliverance, healing, freedom, help, success, breakthrough, new day, and new testimony. When Jesus sent His disciples out to preach, they returned with the report in Luke 10:17, ...even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. The name of the Lord deals with both what you can see and what you cannot see, what you can say and what you cannot say, what you can do and what you cannot do, the deal you can strike and the one you cannot strike, the labour you can carry and the one you cannot. When I read this verse of scripture, I said to myself: “A name that can work before activation of the covenant will do more after its activation.” It was after Jesus resurrected that God gave Him a name that is above every other name. However, even before it was activated, those who had spiritual eyes were operating it and it was working. The Bible reveals in Ephesians 6 that the devil shoots fiery darts at the saints and in order to quench them, we are admonished not to let go of the shield of faith. The question then is, “Faith in what?” Faith in the name and the finished work of Christ on the cross. Part of what the death and resurrection of Jesus made available to the believer is His name. His name is a defence against the onslaught of the enemy. The truth is that the devil will not leave you alone just because you have declared your allegiance to Christ. In fact, the day you make this decision, the battle line is drawn. This is not to scare you but to open your eyes to the arsenals and the advantage that we have over the enemy that will help us enforce the victory that Christ has won for us. The believer can take cover in the name of the Lord and be sure that his safety is guaranteed.

 A strong tower is a source of defence for soldiers in times of battle. Among the many things that the believer is called in the Bible is a soldier. In warfare, a skilled soldier must know what is the best tactics to employ at any given time. There are times when he should fight, but at other times he may need the cover of a fellow soldier, and there are still times when the best thing to do is to run. The Bible says when it becomes necessary for the believer to run, the name of the Lord is that Strong Tower that guarantees his safety. At the name of Jesus, everything in heaven, on earth and beneath the earth responds accordingly. The name of Jesus gives the believer the needed backing to enforce victory because certain things will not respond to your name but will only bow to the name of Jesus. No matter how boisterous the storm may seem, take cover in the name of the Lord and decree peace in Jesus' name.

 Prayer/Action

*  Declare peace to every storm in your life in the name of Jesus.

 * Activate every good thing you want in the name of Jesus.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: I receive the spirit of good news everywhere I go and everything I do, in the wonderful name of Jesus.

You are Deities III

STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

You are Deities III

9 November

 

And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. Acts 14:11

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Acts 14:7-15 7 where they continued to preach the gospel. 8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. 11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

 

MORE LESSON Acts 1:8 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

 

Stop complaining about the mishaps in the world today because your relevance is in that chaos. People have only seen darkness and they are wailing. What will they do when they encounter gross darkness? Do not join the world to complain because you are o m n i p o t e n t ,  o m n i s c i e n t  a n d omnipresent. You are an extension of God's hand to humanity. When men see you in action, they should acknowledge that they have seen God. Then just as they want to worship you, you introduce them to the Almighty.

Every believer is supposed to be a pathway to God. When people follow you over time, ultimately, they should find God. This is what happened to Paul and Barnabas at Lystra as recorded in Acts 14:8-11: …there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet,… The same heard Paul speak:… Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. They responded to the man's situation in a way that was typical of a god.

Jesus read out His purpose on earth, in Luke 4:18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. This is the blueprint of every believer's assignment. Jesus is the first fruit among many brethren, which means that the believer is supposed to become all that Christ was on earth and even more through the supply of the Holy Spirit. So, your deity-ship is so that you can preach the gospel, heal the broken-hearted, preach deliverance to captives and restore sight to the blind. The society should feel the impact of your existence. When you tell them God is good, they will understand it better when you are a channel of conveying God's goodness to them. You may not feed a nation right now, but you can give a meal to a starving child. You may not take the gospel to the nations just yet, but you can win that your straying neighbour or colleague.

At whatever level you are, there is something you can do and there is something you can offer. The subject of lack is relative. According to God's justice system, everyone at every point in time has something to offer. He or she may just not be aware of it or may undermine it. So, get up today and live in the reality of who you are: you are a deity.

Prayer/Action

*              Pray that you will be a solution provider to your generation.

*              Ask for grace to always be obedient to the voice of God.

*              Pray that you will not be a reproach to the body of Christ.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: As the salt of the earth, I will sing everywhere I stand, and be a blessing not a curse, in the powerful name of Jesus