YOU ASK AND DO NOT RECEIVE!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2020

SUBJECT: YOU ASK AND DO NOT RECEIVE!

Memory verse: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." (James 4 vs 3.) 

READ:  James 1 vs 5 - 8; First John 5 vs 14 - 15:

James 1:5: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally, and without reproach, and it will be given him.

1:6: But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

1:7: For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 

1:8: he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

1:17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 

First John 5:14: Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
5:15: And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we asked of Him.

INTIMATION:

The major problem with us is that we most times fail to ask from the Lord. We go around complaining about our problems and spending half our times trying to figure out what we can do to solve the problem. We do everything under the sun except the one thing we are asked to do in the Word of God; “Ask, that we may receive that our joy may be full.” (John 16 vs 24.) And when we now remember to ask God in prayer, we ask in unacceptable ways that will culminate into our not receiving our petitions.

The apostle James mentions the most common problems in prayer: not asking, asking for the wrong things, or asking for the wrong reasons. Do you talk to God at all? When you do, what do you talk about? Do you ask only to satisfy your desires? Do you seek God’s approval for what you already plan to do? Are your desires in accordance with God's will? Your prayers will become powerful when you allow God to change your desires so that they perfectly correspond to His will for you. 

The apostle James also stated that God's blessing is without reproach or fault-finding. When He blesses, He has blessed, and never turns to find faults. When we go to Him, asking Him for help, He doesn't withhold His help from us because we have made a mistake. The reason why we don't receive is not because we don't deserve what we are asking for, but because we are not asking in faith, and because we have lost our confidence or we are being double-minded.

In his epistle, the apostle John gives the condition for answered prayer, “Beloved if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing to His sight. And thus is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commitment.” (First John 3 vs 21 - 23.) 

Therefore, answered prayer is conditioned on (1) keeping God’s commandments, and (2) doing the things that are pleasing to God. Therefore, we must ask according to the will of God, for God does not work contrary to His will in answer to prayer. We must ask upon the condition that we are obedient to His will, for God works through the lives of those who are carrying out His work in the world. 

According to the apostles James and John: 

God is what kind of a God?  A "giving God."

How does He give? "Liberally and ungrudgingly."

To whom does He give? "To everyone that ask according to His will"

What is His attitude in giving? "Without reproach and fault-finding."

What kind of gift does He give? "Good and perfect gifts."

How does He react after giving? "Without variation or shadow of turning."

When does He give? "When we ask in faith."

Who receives from Him? “The undoubled-minded person, stable in his ways.”

Why do we ask in faith? “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

“For whoever would come near to God must believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11 vs 6). And whatever you desire, ask from God, and wait patiently for Him to bring it to pass in His own way, and in His own time. God's ways are perfect! If you are frustrated about timing, learn to pray with the psalmist, "My times are in Your hands......(Psalm 31 vs 15). 

Prayer: Abba Father, I can receive nothing unless it is given to me from You. And I can only receive when I ask in faith, without doubting. I know You will not deny me anything I need to live for You. Endue me with the spirit of faith in, and complete obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name I prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD IS EVER-CARING!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MARCH 2, 2020

SUBJECT: GOD IS EVER-CARING!

Memory verse: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (First Peter 5 vs 7.) 

READ: John 10 vs 11 - 16:

10:11: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
10:12: But a hireling, He who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep, and scatters them.
10:13: The hireling flees because he is a hireling, and does not care about the sheep.
10:14: I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known by My own.
10:15: As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.

10:16: And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

INTIMATION:

God has deep interest in all that concerns you and I. We are fragile but God's care is eternal. God is so committed to us in love that He gave us His only Son to die for our sins. Too often we focus on God as Judge and Lawgiver, ignoring His compassion and concern for us. When God examines our lives He remembers our human condition. His mercy takes everything into account. God will deal with you compassionately. God is so caring that when He forgives us our sin, He separates it from us and doesn't even remember it anymore. We need never wallow in the past, for God forgives and forgets.

Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life. It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, and to admit your needs, and let God take care of you. Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God's concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight of those struggles, including your sins. Remember, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5 vs 8.)

Our loving Father will never leave you; that is His promise to us. But the enemy of our souls wants us to doubt God, and to question His ability. Obviously, if you told a big enough lie long enough, people would believe it. And this undoubtedly, is the trick the father of lies—Satan—has used from the beginning of human history. In the Garden of Eden our first parents were set up to live happily ever after, having been placed in a paradise-like setting by a Loving, Caring, and Personal God. They had been given everything they could ever want, but with only one small restriction: "Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2 vs 17.)

We easily will say today, 'What a simple innocuous request and easy to obey.'

But when they were enticed by the devil, they fell into his trap of questioning the love and goodness of the One from whom they had only experienced good. Satan told them a monstrous lie, but they bought the lie hook, line and sinker! And mankind has been wretched ever since, but for God's intervention through His Son, Jesus Christ, Who laid down His life of inestimable value for our completely worthless lives to save us from sin consequences, and cleansed from our sins.

We do the same today. We willingly swallow the lie that we cannot trust our Heavenly Father. We allow our earthly hurts from parents or others to distrust our view and our understanding of God. Our many feelings, emotions, fears, and human experience effectively block a clean perception, consequently stifling all truth about Him. Pray that God will help you not allow negative human relationship and experience interfere with having a close relationship with your Loving, and Caring Father, and hindering your enjoying the never ending and limitless benefits of His care.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are so caring and loving that You gave Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins. What a supreme sacrifice You made for me! Forever You remain my God. Endue me with the spirit of love, compassion, trust, and complete obedience to You, that I will give my all to You as You have given Your all for me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

BREAKFAST BY THE SEASIDE
Life's Punchlines... (Volume 3).
❤🇳🇬🇳🇬 Year 2020🇳🇬🇳🇬❤.

Preacher: Priest Godsknight O.J

Topic: Pleasant Fictions (1).

Text: Is 30v10 "They say to the seers, " See no more visions!", and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions."

Real Life won't become fake because of illusionists. Real fakers are everywhere with their products on display, your job is to buy original only.

God can't dwell inside illusions, He is reality- personified. Hence, a minister of the Word must avoid over familiarity with the flocks, else, the ministry becomes profane.

Once your church members are the one deciding your next sermon, you no longer have a ministry. The Word of God should be able to try anybody (1 Sam 3v9-18 ), He's no respecter of persons (Acts 5v1-11).

One major reason for powerlessness & tiredness of Ephods in Christendom is pleasant fictions. Nonetheless, God is still in charge ( Ezek 12v24).

It's one thing for God to minister to your soul through Words of wisdom & knowledge, revelation, worship & prayers, it's another for you to keep screaming "I receive it", without wisdom.

Saul couldn't become a King without a seer (1 Sam 9v6-24 ), King Nebuchadnezzar couldn't understand his own dreams without a prophet (Dan 2v28-49 ), never underestimate the power of vision ( Prov 29v28).

Jesus will elevate you, but don't relegate His vision for your life. Stop striving to make attendance, rather, be a visionary member that can become a spiritual attendant.

When God elevates you, be careful of those who only want to play to the gallery in your cabinet. You don't need children on adults' battlegrounds.

Good life is God's vision for all, be a good motion picture in His television (3 Jn 1v2 ). Finally, draw your inspiration from the original source, in order to get a lasting attention ( 2 Tim 3v16-17).


God Bless You And Happy New Month In Jesus Name 🤝.
Instagram: @PriestGodsknight.

OUR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN CHRIST!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MARCH 1, 2020

SUBJECT: OUR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN CHRIST! 

Memory verse: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1 vs 3.)

READ: Ephesians 2 vs 4 - 7:

2:4: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
2:5: even when we were dead in trespasses, made us live together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
2:6: and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
2:7: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

INTIMATION:

The metaphor “in Christ” refers to a spiritual relationship one has with Christ as a result of what He has done for us. In this relationship with Christ, all the blessings that relate to one’s salvation are for those who are in Christ. All that God did in order to reconcile man to Himself through the cross is granted to those who are in Christ. We are baptized into Christ (Romans 6 vs 3 and Galatians 3 vs 26 - 27). Therefore, in order to come into contact with all spiritual blessings that originate from the heavenly realm, one must act on his faith by obedience to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 

He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ (Ephesians 1 vs 3). It means that in Christ we have all the benefits of knowing God—being chosen for salvation, being adopted as His children, forgiveness of sins, insight, the gifts of the Spirit, power to do God’s will, the hope of living forever with Christ. Because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy these blessings now. The heavenly places means that these blessings are eternal, not temporal. The blessings come from Christ’s spiritual realm, not the earthly realm. 

We are blessed. We are rich in Him. We have His fullness. We are sufficient in His sufficiency. All that He is, we have. We are what He says we are. And the Father has told us that we are in the Beloved. The grace (unmerited favor) gives us the gifts of His love life, wisdom, His very being, and substance. We are the branch of the vine; we are partakers of the Divine Nature. His fullness here means His ability, His love, His righteousness, His utter completeness, and we have received them all. All the gifts and favors are now piled on us one after another, and all by His grace.

The responsibility of the believers is to know God better. How do you get to know someone? By reading biographical information or historical data about him? That will help you know a lot about that person, but it won’t enable you to actually know the person. If you want to get to know someone, you have to spend time with that person; there is no shortcut. The same holds true with God. Reading the Bible, great works of theology, and devotional materials are wonderful, but there is no substitute for knowing God personally. Do you really know Christ, or do you just know about Him? The difference is spending time with Him. Study Jesus’ life in the Gospels to see what He was like on earth more two thousand years ago, and get to know Him in prayer now. Personal knowledge of Christ will change your life.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You  so much for the spiritual blessings bestowed on us in Christ. Engrace me to achieve my utmost heart desire of having an intimate relationship and constant fellowship with You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

LOVE AND SERVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 29, 2020

SUBJECT: LOVE AND SERVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART!

Memory verse: "So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10 vs 27.)

READ: Deuteronomy 11 vs 13 - 15:

11:13: And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,

11:14: then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.

11:15: And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.

INTIMATION:

God demands our love and service (total devotion) to Him, and in sincerity of heart, not with eye-service, but doing the Will of God from your heart. Doing the Will of God is obeying His commandments passionately, that is from your heart! How do you know when you are serving God from your heart? The first telltale sign is enthusiasm—your excitement, and great interest in serving Him. When you are doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you or challenge you or check up on you. You do it for sheer enjoyment. You don't need rewards, or applause or payment, because you love serving in this way. This is exactly what God requires of us. 

The second characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness. Whenever you do what God wired you to love to do, you get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don't care about a task, it is unlikely that you will excel at it. In contrast, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.

God’s interest in the man’s heart is because the heart is the center of the man. Your heart reveals the real you—what you truly are, not what others think you are or what circumstances force you to be. Your heart determines why you say the things you say, why you feel the way you feel, and why you act the way you do. The Bible, in Proverbs 27 vs 19, says, "As in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man." The Bible uses the term heart to describe the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections you have. Your heart represents the source of all your inspirations—what motivates you, you love to do, and what you care about most. Even today we still use the word in this way when we say, "I love you with all my heart."

It’s for this reason that God demands our heart (our passion) in loving and serving Him.

Our heart—our feelings of love and desire—dictates to a great extent how we live because we always find time to do what we enjoy, hence God’s interest in our hearts. In Proverbs 4 vs 23, the Scripture says, "Keep you heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life." It tells us to guard our heart above all else, making sure we concentrate on those desires that will keep us on the right path—the path of God. When your heart is centered on God, your affections push you in the right direction—the path of God—and consequently, you put boundaries on your desires, and will not do or go after everything you see. 

Another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects you feel passionate about and others you could care less about. Some experiences turn you on and capture your attention while others turn you off or bore you to tears. These reveal the nature of your heart. Your emotional heartbeat is the second key to understanding your shape for service. God gave each and everyone of us some inborn interests. Don't ignore your interests. Consider how they might be used for God's glory. 

Now, what is your passion for God? God wants you to serve Him passionately, not dutifully. Let the service come from your heart. The Bible repeatedly tells us to "serve the Lord with all your heart."  People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve Him and others. The reason you love to do those things you love doing is because you derive great passion in doing them. Listening to inner prompting—signals from your heart—can point you to the ministry God intends for you to have. 

Prayer: Abba Father, Your Will is that I love and serve You, and others with passion. Engrace me to manifest fully in passionate love and service to You and others, O Lord, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

,BREAKFAST BY THE SEASIDE
Life's Punchlines... (Volume 3).
❤🇳🇬🇳🇬 Year 2020🇳🇬🇳🇬❤.

Preacher: Priest Godsknight O.J

Topic: Pray For SARS.

Text: Is 62v1 "For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns."

I was having an intercessory session on Tuesday morning, when the LORD said, "There is a need to pray specifically for this unit".

The rate at which members of this unit commit deliberate blunder, suggests that they have a handful of spiritual & psychological problems.

Security agency members, especially in this part of Africa seek protection and fortifications using fetish means. This gives the devil 😈 an edge over those who patronize him.

When those who are suppose to value lives, now waste lives than armed robbers do, it means blood thirsty demons has taken over their souls.

God is of the opinion that, complaining about SARS without waging spiritual warfares on their behalf is wrong.

From the days of John The Baptist, spiritual violence has been legalized. Don't wait till SARS members kill your loved ones before you attack incessant Evil schemes.

Cursing the SARS unit is not wise, don't give the devil 😈 an occasion to activate more spell on them. The ripple effect might be undesirable, let us pray:

1) Father, every spell that is controlling the SARS unit, neutralize such with Your ever potent blood in Jesus Name ( Col 2v14-15 ).

2) Every Spirit of confusion in the life of SARS, consume with Your refiner's fire 🔥 in Jesus Name ( Exod 3v2).

3) LORD Jesus, I decree that none of my friends, family member will be a victim of rituals in Jesus Name (Heb 11v33-34 ).

4) Father, inject the spirit of love for humans into the life of every SARS member in Jesus Name (Matt 7v12 ).

5) Father, raise a standard against the spirit causing this unit's senseless killing ( 1 John 4v1, Is 54v15).

God bless you🤝.
Instagram: @PriestGodsknight.

THE LOVE OF GOD!

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2020

SUBJECT: THE LOVE OF GOD! 

Memory verse: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3 vs 16.)

READ: Romans 5 vs 5 - 8:

5:5: Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

5:6: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
5:7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die.

5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

INTIMATION:

The love of God was manifested by the death of the Son for those who were unworthy. God sent Jesus Christ to die for us, not because we were good enough, but just because He loved us. If the death of Jesus on the cross were the result of debt that God had to pay for the merit of those who kept the law and performed meritorious deeds, then there would be no manifestation of love and grace. However, since Jesus died for the unworthy sinners—to pay the wages of sin we owed—then love and grace are manifested. Whenever you feel uncertain about God’s love for you, remember that He loved even before you turned to Him.

The problem of being human is the fact that we cannot live in a manner that is sinless before God. Therefore, we cannot live in a manner that would merit the mercy of God. Mercy is not given out of debt, but out of love and grace. God’s mercy is not something that we merit according to law. It is given out of love and not on the basis that it is legally earned. When we realize how far God had reach to bring us out of sin, we realize how far we were in sin and how hopeless our situation was in sin. However, regardless of our sinfulness, God loved us to the extent that He sent His Son to die for our sins.

If one’s knowledge of God’s love offering of Jesus on the cross does not stimulate a loving response to God, Then one’s heart is hardened. It is not a heart that is fit for eternal dwelling. Because God has first loved us, we love in response (Romans 5 vs 8). Because He had mercy on us, we have mercy toward others. The nature of the hearts that are fit for eternal dwelling is merciful because of love.

God’s action toward man was the result of love. Therefore, “We love Him because He loved us first” (First John 4 vs 19.) One must not exercise a simple belief in Jesus, but rather God’s grace to us on the cross through Jesus must stimulate an obedient faith response. The faith response is the condition, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is  rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11 vs 6.) Those who do not respond to God’s grace by obedient faith will perish from the presence of God. But those who do believe and respond, will have life because they will remain in the presence of God throughout eternity.

The message of the gospel comes to a focus in our memory verse. God’s love is not static or self-centered; it reaches out and draws others in. Here God sets the pattern of true love, the basis of all love relationships—when you love someone dearly, you are willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrifice. God paid dearly with the life of His Son, the highest price He could pay. Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and then offered us the new life that He brought for us. When we share the gospel with others, our love must be like Jesus’—willingly giving up our own comfort and security so that others might join us in receiving God’s love.

Now, look at the conclusion of the whole matter as the apostle Paul says, “....We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor power, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8 vs 37 - 39.)

These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scripture. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death. These sometimes cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of His unconquerable love. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s presence. God tells us how great His love is so that we will feel totally secure in Him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid.

Prayer: Abba Father, Your love has been poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit who was given to me. You adopted me as Your son, I am complete in You, and have Your fullness in Christ. You have blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. I am in You, and You in me. Strengthen me with might according to Your glorious power that I may be fruitful in every god work, worthy of Your calling and fully pleasing You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!