Benefits of Forgiveness

Thursday 7 June
READ: I Samuel 24:1-22
MORE LESSON: Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness is a rare virtue and a word that is becoming very scarce in our world. There seems to be friction everywhere; parents not getting along with their children, and vice versa, employer against their employee, the list is endless. This has necessitated the need to learn the act of forgiveness because Luke 17:1 says, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! If this is true, then we must also make forgiveness a part of our everyday life so that we can easily deal with offences as they come.
Forgiveness is not easy. Sometimes in a bid to forgive, there is this temptation to pay back but we must always resist such temptations. For instance, when Saul pursued David in the wilderness, intending to kill him, David got close to Saul while the King was asleep. He cut a piece of Saul's robe but his heart smote him because of what he had done. And he said to his men, ...The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way: I Sam. 24:6-7. Like most of us today, David was also tempted to repay Saul for all the evil he had done to him but David was more conscious of pleasing God rather than having his way. If all we seek is to please God, then forgiveness will become very easy for us. Though not easy, forgiveness has tremendous benefits which pay off both in the immediate and in the long run.
Benefits that David derived from forgiving Saul:
1. Saul was humbled before David and he wept. You can break the proud wings of your enemy by choosing to forgive them.
2. David's goodness and act of kindness became obvious to Saul and he could not but acknowledge it…thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil: I Sam. 24:17.
3. Saul became subject to David; he eventually accepted David as the one chosen to replace him and begged him not to cut off his seed after him or destroy his name out of his father's house.
Forgiveness will always win, it will always prevail and conquer, just like in the story of Joseph; it is like stooping to win. Choose the path of forgiveness for it is the pathway of godliness.

Prayer/Action
* Ask for grace to be able to forgive at all times.
* Pray that you will not be an instrument of offence but of peace.
* Pray that as you forgive men today God will heal your heart and give you all the benefits of forgiveness.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Satan, by the power of the Almighty God, I overthrow you this sixth month from every area of my life, in the name of Jesus.

Benefits of Forgiveness

Thursday 7 June
READ: I Samuel 24:1-22
MORE LESSON: Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness is a rare virtue and a word that is becoming very scarce in our world. There seems to be friction everywhere; parents not getting along with their children, and vice versa, employer against their employee, the list is endless. This has necessitated the need to learn the act of forgiveness because Luke 17:1 says, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! If this is true, then we must also make forgiveness a part of our everyday life so that we can easily deal with offences as they come.
Forgiveness is not easy. Sometimes in a bid to forgive, there is this temptation to pay back but we must always resist such temptations. For instance, when Saul pursued David in the wilderness, intending to kill him, David got close to Saul while the King was asleep. He cut a piece of Saul's robe but his heart smote him because of what he had done. And he said to his men, ...The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way: I Sam. 24:6-7. Like most of us today, David was also tempted to repay Saul for all the evil he had done to him but David was more conscious of pleasing God rather than having his way. If all we seek is to please God, then forgiveness will become very easy for us. Though not easy, forgiveness has tremendous benefits which pay off both in the immediate and in the long run.
Benefits that David derived from forgiving Saul:
1. Saul was humbled before David and he wept. You can break the proud wings of your enemy by choosing to forgive them.
2. David's goodness and act of kindness became obvious to Saul and he could not but acknowledge it…thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil: I Sam. 24:17.
3. Saul became subject to David; he eventually accepted David as the one chosen to replace him and begged him not to cut off his seed after him or destroy his name out of his father's house.
Forgiveness will always win, it will always prevail and conquer, just like in the story of Joseph; it is like stooping to win. Choose the path of forgiveness for it is the pathway of godliness.

Prayer/Action
* Ask for grace to be able to forgive at all times.
* Pray that you will not be an instrument of offence but of peace.
* Pray that as you forgive men today God will heal your heart and give you all the benefits of forgiveness.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Satan, by the power of the Almighty God, I overthrow you this sixth month from every area of my life, in the name of Jesus.

When a Leader Sins II

Wednesday 6 June
READ: 1 Samuel 24:4-11
MORE LESSON: Romans 12:16-21

When a leader is being disciplined for the sin he has committed, he should take it in good faith rather than create enemies. God anointed David in Saul's stead and this made David become Saul's arch enemy. He started seeking every possible way to kill David. This didn't change anything; Saul only succeeded in making the matter worse. This is because fighting a man who God has chosen only means fighting God Himself. I have discovered that trying to cover one sin only leads to more, because you can only use sin to cover sin. Therefore, Saul was not just guilty of disobedience but he was also guilty of lying, hatred and suicide.
When a leader sins, it is in the place of his followers to forgive him, especially if they have been directly offended. In a bid to do this, most times there is the temptation to pay back but we must always resist such. For instance, when David met Saul, he moved and cut a piece of Saul's skirt but his heart smote him because of what he did. Like most of us today, David was also tempted to repay Saul for all the evil he did to him but David was more conscious of pleasing God rather than having his way. If all we seek is to please God, then forgiveness will become very easy for us.
Finally, when a leader sins, it is not given to the subordinates to discipline or ridicule him or even take vengeance. They must remember that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. David had opportunity to kill Saul but he refused to lay his hand against the Lord's anointed.
And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way: 1 Sam. 24:6-7.
Though the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, this didn't reduce David's respect for Saul. What loyalty! As subjects, we must remember that our leaders’ correction should come from God and we should not take laws into our hands when they offend us. We must resist the temptation to join unbelievers to ridicule God’s servants no matter what they could have done. Rather, we must pray for them and trust that the God who called them will help and lift them up.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that you will always be a source of strength and blessing to your leader.
* Pray that God’s mercy will raise up every fallen leader.
* Pray that God’s grace shall be sufficient for you as you lead.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: All spiritual embargoes and altars of impossibility, your tenure has ended, collapse now, in the name of Jesus.

When a Leader Sins I

Tuesday 5 June
READ: I Samuel 28:1- 20
MORE LESSON: I Timothy 2:1-4

Somebody once said that, the leader's sin, is a leading sin. Saul disobeyed God and the entire nation of Israel suffered t h e consequences. God sent Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites but he sparred the best of the animals and Agag the king,
And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? 1 Sam 15:18-19.
And the Spirit of the Lord departed not just from Saul but also from the land of Israel. This was evident in the fact that they were defeated when they went to war against the Philistines (1 Sam. 28:19). A leader must be very careful because the consequences of his sins do not just affect him alone but also on the people he is leading, and sometimes the consequences are even trans-generational.
When a leader sins, he should quickly ask God for pardon rather than try to justify his action. When Samuel the prophet rebuked Saul for not obeying the Lord, rather than confessing and seeking for pardon, Saul tried to justify himself and even shifted the blame to the people. And Saul said unto Samuel,
Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal: I Sam. 15:20-21.
The leader cannot blame the people for causing him to sin because he is the one that has the instruction of God. His subjects are meant to follow him.
So as leaders, we must resist the urge to shift blame to our subordinates when things go wrong. The sign of good leadership is to accept wrong when it happens; after all, no leader is born an angel. This way we become examples of righteousness; David was a wonderful example in this. When confronted by the prophet about his wrong doing with Beersheba, he declared, ‘I have sinned’. Then the prophet declared, ...The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die: 2 Sam. 12:13. Followers however should not take pleasure in seeking the fault of their leaders or accusing them. We owe God prayers and support for our leaders at all times.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that as our leaders lead the people they shall not fall into sin.
* Pray that the power of God will keep and preserve every leader in God’s will.
* Pray that no pressure or trail will overcome their faith.

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: By fire, I break every chain of limitation and average life off my destiny this month, in the name of Jesus.