Trusting the Lord II

Sunday 2 October
READ: Prov. 3: 5 - 6
MORE LESSON: Psa. 20: 7 - 8

The text says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight: Prov 3:5-6 (NIV). There is a God that can make your path straight and deliver you from all the crooked paths in destiny. There is a God who can rescue you from the crises that rule over the world. There is a God that can establish your feet and give you all the good of life to bountifully enjoy. He is only asking one thing from you; that you trust Him with all your heart. Trusting in the Lord will make you have access to all His treasure and will establish you, keep you from evil and level all mountains on your path.
God's requirement for access to His blessing is trust. He wants this trust to be done with all the heart. This is the admonition in the text of today, God is looking for people that will demonstrate such absolute and unwavering confidence in Him that He will be moved to act on their behalf. God is actually proud of people who trust in Him regardless of situations and boasts about them to all Heaven, earth and hell (Job 1: 8). If you can hold on to God without looking sideways or seeking anything from any man, He will move on your behalf.
There are signs that show when a man is truly trusting in God with all His heart. Such a man does not seek alternative to God. Whatever he commits to God, he waits for God to do it. Praying to God and still pulling carnal strings is not trust. Trust is trust when it is absolute. Secondly, a person who trusts in the Lord does not doubt for one second what God has promised him. When you trust in God with all your heart you have no business contemplating 'what if God fails?' for a second. When you trust, your heart is set like a flint on the Lord. Thirdly, a man who trusts in God with all his heart stays on God without ever making negative comments or expressions. His confessions are positive and consistent. He doesn't say "God will help me today" and tomorrow he says, " It is like this faith thing is not working.'' When a man trusts God, his confession is absolutely committed to declaring positively about the promises of God. Do not waver in your thought, imagination and speech. Don't let your confession contradict your confidence in the Lord. Your access to the Lord's blessing is in your unflinching trust in the Lord.

Prayer/Action
* No matter the situation and story, I will trust and wait on the Lord.
* Today, I receive the grace to trust and hold on to God.
* I declare like Job that my Redeemer lives and He will not fail me.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
I proclaim setback for every satanic agent sent against my year this month, they will no more make progress, in the name of Jesus.

Trusting the Lord I

Saturday 1 October
READ: Prov. 3:5-6
MORE LESSON: Psa. 118: 8-9

I discussed with some Europeans sometimes ago and I realised that the advancement in technology is fast taking the place of God in people's lives. Technology has provided so many solutions and promises that men's trust has unconsciously shifted from God to science. This is not limited to Europe, Asia and America, even in Africa, men have now somehow found it easy to forget the supreme God and look quickly to technology for answers to questions they have. People look to science for healing, for children, for making ends meet. As good as science is, it is limited. Only God the maker of Heaven and earth deserves our unreserved and absolute trust.
Solomon was a man that was highly blessed by God in wisdom and wealth and this is what he has to say, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your path straight: Prov. 3:5-6 (NIV). If any man had any basis to trust money, medicine, qualification or intelligence, it should have been Solomon who had gold like sand in the land of Israel. Yet in all that he had, he admonished mankind to trust in the Lord. It is by trusting in the Lord that you can prevail and excel in every situation and condition of life. Don't let anything take the place of God in your heart. Whatever situation you find yourself, positive or negative, you have to make sure that your trust is in the Lord and not in anything else. Believe Him and His Word, put your absolute confidence in Him that He will do whatever He says He will do .
It is in the face of alternatives in life that we know who is trusting and who is merely acting up. When the world suggests alternatives that are contrary to the Scripture, a man of trust will stand resolute on the Word of God. When several things present themselves as if they are alternatives to God, then the man of trust will choose God no matter the consequence. Even when you use science and technology, let your trust be in God. There is a formula that will never fail in the face of any challenge, situation and circumstance, it is absolute and unwavering trust in God. Make sure that your heart never trusts in anything else other than the Lord, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee: Isa.26:3; Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies: Psa. 40:4; Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is: Jer. 17:7.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that nothing will take the place of God in your life.
*Pray that your trust will not shift away from God.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Father, thank You for having mercy over Nigeria, the enemy shall no longer overturn her from today, in the name of Jesus.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY NIGERIA

Men who would Not Bow II

Friday 30 September
READ: Dan. 6: 1-10
MORE LESSON: Dan. 1:3-8

There come times when it becomes difficult to profess faith in God, and it is at such times that men are differentiated from boys in the things of God. When the going gets tough, it is only the tough that gets going. There was a time in the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians when the rulers conspired against Daniel to make King Darius sign a decree that outlawed the worship of Jehovah God. They knew that they would never find any basis for charges against Daniel unless it had something to do with the law of his God (Dan 6:5 NIV). So they manipulated the king to make a law that nobody should worship any god except the king for one month.
Daniel didn't bow to the ungodly legislation, rather when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks to his God, as was his custom (Dan 6:10). How many of us would not bow to the ungodly system in the same situation? If a law is made in your working place that prohibits identifying with Jesus, will you refuse to bow to that law? If you are threatened to be fired from work unless you compromise your faith, what would you do? We should not love our job more than the God who gave the job. God is looking for men that will stand for Him and defy ungodly laws. I want you to know that it is God who gave you that job and He can give you a better one. Moreover, if the Lord says that job is yours, nobody can move you an inch. Those who rise against you will rather fall for your sake (Deut 28: 7). This is what happened in Daniel's case; those that conspired against him finally fell for his sake.
Peter and John also preached and healed in Jesus’ name, and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious ruling class, summoned them and after beating them, prohibited them from preaching or speaking in that name anymore (Acts 4: 18). But Peter and John stood their ground and told the council members, Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard: Acts 4:19-20 (NIV). They refused to bow to the ungodly injunction that they were given. The result of their stand for God was that the gospel spread abroad and we benefit from it today. If they had bowed, generations would have been doomed to hell. Your refusal to bow to ungodliness is not just for yourself but also for the destinies of generations to come. Make up your mind and receive grace from God not to bow.

Prayer/Action
* Father, I receive grace to stand for Jesus come what may.
* Father, raise me and my household as part of the generation that will not compromise their faith for anything.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Thank You God of Heaven, there is none like You. You have already given me the nineth month out of twelve, I celebrate Your faithfulness, in the name of Jesus.

Men who would Not Bow I

Thursday 29 September
READ: Dan. 3: 14 - 18
MORE LESSON: Dan.11:32

These are days when it is challenging to stand in the faith, but there is no challenge we see now that has not been faced by men before. Our fathers faced those challenges but they never failed God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were Hebrews in the land of Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, made an idol and told all the people to bow to it. It was either they bowed to the idol or were thrown into the fiery furnace. If you were the one in such a situation, what would you do? Don't be too quick to beat your chest and say, “I would not bow, I would rather be burnt”.
Examine yourself in the light of similar situations you face before you make your claim: if you are told to do something wrong or be sacked at work, would you bow? If you are asked to give bribe or lose a contract, job or fail an examination, would you stand or devise some 'spiritual' rationalisation for your compromise? If religious terrorists hold you and say you should deny Jesus or be killed, what would you do? I know people that have changed their faith to secure or maintain a position. Those have bowed to the idol of Babylon.
Many of us have not faced great challenges as the Bible heroes faced and we have already run out of church. Men are quick to deny the faith in our time but Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego boldly declared, ...our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up: Dan 3:17-18 (NKJV).
It is only men who will not bow that will stand as testimonies and witnesses of God in this end-time. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace, the Lord God showed up for them and the king saw what he had never seen before: he saw the King of Heaven in the fire and king Nebuchadnezzar bowed to King Jesus. It is only the people that refuse to bow in this world that will cause the world to bow to Jesus. The reason our communities, workplaces, schools, institutions, states and nations are not bowing to Jesus is because believers easily bow to the same things unbelievers bow to. Today, God is asking you to decide to be one of those that will not bow.

Prayer/Action
* In the name of Jesus, by Your grace, I shall not bow to any challenge.
* Father, help me to stand as a testimony for Christ everywhere I am found, in Jesus' name.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Jesus, with You by my side, I shall not fail, victory is sure all-round, in the mighty name of Jesus.