Forward Ever

Thursday 1 September
READ: Exo.14:5-18
MORE LESSON: Lk.18:1-8

And the LORD said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak to the children of Israel that they go forward: Exo.14:15. This verse is God's message to all His people at these times, “Go forward”. The background story clearly shows that there were contrary situations around the Israelites that contradict forward movement but the Lord still says to move forward. Fainting situations will arise that discourage and tend to slow you down but the Lord Jehovah says to you this morning refuse to give up and cease forward movement. You have to press forward even in the face of challenges because this is God's will for you. The Israelites were faced with the Red Sea in front and the Egyptians pursuing strongly behind them but the Lord still told them to cease crying in despair and hopelessness, rather they should move forward.
I say to you today, “Arise from that crying, despairing and mourning situation and move forward.” When you obey God and move forward in the face of challenges, then you see great manifestations of God's power as the Israelites did. The Red Sea parted for them to pass and it became a burial ground for their enemies. May you also have such a resounding testimony; you must make up your mind not to faint but to move forward, For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again and the tender branch thereof will not cease, though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground: yet through the scent of water, it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant: Job 14:7-9. Though that business was totally ruined by that fire incident, there is hope my brother; rise up and go forward. Though the doctor's report is all negative and discouraging, believe God and rise from that bed of affliction to go forward because that is what the Lord says to do.
You must know and act on the following to go forward:
1. Know that that delay is for a while. It is not a “NO”. God has good intentions for you and He is working out a greater plan for your life.
2. Your hand must stay on the plow; do not give up. Pray about what is going on in your life and then move forward. Take steps that the Holy Spirit ministers to your heart in the place of prayer.
3. Go for counseling and prayers before men of God who God has placed in your life and fortify to move forward.
Press forward by choosing to stand while others are sitting all around you. Fulfil Isa.40:31.

PRAYER/ACTION
* I renounce every fainting spirit and I receive fresh grace to move forward.
*I rebuke every Red Sea in my life and I declare also that every Egyptian of life and destiny be buried in the Red Sea.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, I thank You in advance for the remarkable progress and blessings that I will have this month, in the name of Jesus.

Prepared Goodness

Wednesday 31 August
READ: I Cor.2:6-13
MORE LESSON: Matt.25:34

Today's Scripture reading is good news for all who read it. In a world where good news is becoming scarce day by day, I have good news for you: “God has prepared goodness laid up for His own”, But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things God hath prepared for them that love Him: I Cor.2:9. In this same nation and generation, God has divine preparations for you. These include:
1. Overflowing blessings-thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over: Psa.23:5. In the presence of those who want to see you beg and cry, God has prepared a table of abundance for you. Everyone around you may be confessing lack and hunger, but I tell you today that you have a prepared table of fat things in abundance.
2. Treasure of goodness-Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men: Psa. 31:19. Believe God this morning; He has laid up goodness for you if you indeed trust in Him. Do you? Have you not shifted that trust to other things or men? Are you still trusting God to help you in times as these? If you trust God then you have access to the treasure of God's goodness.
3. A spiritual feast- Again he sent forth other servants saying, tell them which are bidden, behold I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage: Matt.22:4. God calls you to a prepared feast of great grace and abundant experiences in the Holy Ghost, so come and dine!
4. A heavenly home- In my father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you: Jn.14:2. God is the only Father that prepares for His children both in Heaven and earth. He prepares for His own not just here on earth but eternally. I urge you today to step into God's divine preparations for you. How? By revelation given by the Spirit of God. Take time to pray about your life before Him, commit your ways to His guidance and leadership and you will enjoy all that your loving Father has prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Lord, I believe Your Word and I step into the reality of divine provisions today.
* Holy Spirit, as I step out today, lead me into all that my Father has prepared for me in opportunities, increase and all fruitfulness.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Jesus thank You, because of You I didn't lose August and I shall not lose September, in the mighty name of Jesus.

A Good Time to Praise

Tuesday 30 August
READ: Acts 16:22-28
MORE LESSON: Eph. 1:3-4

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praise unto God: and the prisoners heard them: Act. 16:25. Is this how we react to hardship? Most of the time when trouble overwhelm us, we only plead with God for deliverance from the suffering, for healing of disease, for provision, for success and for God's quick intervention. We don't always remember to do as Paul and Silas did from the depths of jail cell, to offer thanks for God's loving-kindness, neither do we offer praise to God for giving us life and the blessed promise of eternal life.
There is this story of a man called Terry Waite, a courageous British negotiator during an international hostage crisis who went to Lebanon to arrange the release of prisoners. But he was also arrested and detained in solitary confinement. And through his long, lonely days and nights, not sure whether his life would be spared or not, he offered a prayer written in 1596 by Queen Elizabeth I. He expressed most humble and hearty thanks for manifold mercies so abundantly bestowed upon him as well as for God's preservation, regeneration, peace, gifts of seasons and times and great mercies exhibited by God in Jesus Christ.
When we do as Paul, Silas and Terry Waite did, we will surely get the result they got. It is sure that there are situations of life for which we find it difficult to thank God. But at that time, the best thing to do is to remember God's mercies of the past, give Him thanks for them and leave the present situation for God to handle as He did before.
Through the account of Paul and Silas, it is sure that one thing that makes God respond to men's situation quickly is praise and worship. Note that the Bible says, And suddenly... You need God's quick intervention: you need to do the unusual like them. You need to quit crying, murmuring or looking for men's connection to overcome the problem and worship like these apostles did. If you do it with the whole of your heart, you can be sure, the angel of the Lord will open the prison door and bring you out immediately (Acts 5:19). When we acknowledge God's great mercies, we are able to offer Him praise, even in pain and difficulty because praise comes naturally when we count our blessings.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Father God, there is no situation of life that You cannot handle, therefore I praise You.
* Thank You Father for Your unlimited mercies over my life.
* Oh Lord, I judge You able even in my present situation.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I am moving forward, I will not retreat, I will not go backward, I will gain speed more and more, in the name of Jesus.

Tired about What?

Monday 29 August
READ: Isa. 40:18-31
MORE LESSON: Isa. 40:31

One of the things the world is struggling with right now is how to overcome and cub stress. People are easily fatigued and tensed probably due to stress. Stress, fatigue and lack of rest are major issues confronting the working class of any society today. It is as if we don't have twenty four hours again because by the end of the day, you still find out that you have not finished what you planned to do that day. This is despite the fact that you have stretched yourself so much in the day.
Our choice today is not whether we will experience weariness or not, but what we will be weary about. Some people experience so much stress as a result of worry, fear and bitterness. Nothing saps a man of strength and agility like worry and fear. So to overcome weariness and stress, we must overcome sins that easily beset us. Heb. 12:1 says, ... let us lay aside every weight..., worry, fear, unforgiveness, bitterness are weights that easily sap people’s strength. On the contrary, we must exercise patience, which conserves strength and energy, makes a man feel fresh at all times and is the secret of strength in trouble. When we allow the Lord a place in our daily issues, negative feelings will no longer dominate us and we can use our God-given energy to serve God in areas we are capable. Our Creator also anticipates weariness in His finite creatures and promises to renew our strength if we wait on Him.
God's people sometimes suffer fatigue and even exhaustion and today's reading acknowledges that. He also understands that our need for strength like our need for food, is not a once for all provision; it is often needed. Someone said, “Ïf you are weary in life's race and driven by its hurried pace, then learn to wait upon the Lord: His strength will be your sure reward”. We must know that God gives strength in proportion to the strain. No wonder, the Bible says, God will not tempt us beyond that which we can bear, but will provide a way out of every difficulty situation. Prov. 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord all your; lean not unto thine own understanding. As you lean on the Lord, depending on Him for all your strength, you will begin to discover such tremendous strength and might that is far beyond what man can understand.

PRAYER/ACTION
* Father, thank You because I have an unfailing strength in You, in Jesus’ name
* I refuse stress and weariness of the body and spirit, in Jesus’ name.
* I put on my full strength and from now I will never be weak again, in Jesus’ name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Jesus, You are the light that the enemy cannot comprehend, continue to shine through me, in the name of Jesus.