PRAYER VERSUS THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2022.

SUBJECT : PRAYER VERSUS THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL!

Memory verse: "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17 vs 20 - 21). 

READ: Matthew 13 vs 24 - 28:

13:24: Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of God is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 

13:25: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. 

13:26: But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then tares also appeared. 

13:27: So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? 

13:28: He said to them, 'An enemy has done this. ‘The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them up?’

INTIMATION:

In the passage we read today, Jesus teaches about the activities of the devil in the lives of believers. In explaining the parable in Matthew 13 vs 39, He said that the enemy who sowed the tares is the devil. The devil is forever busy luring the children of God to his side by oppressing them in order to win them over with his greatest weapon of fear. It takes the resistance of the believer in prayer to ensure victory over him. 

Are you faced with challenges? Are certain forces resisting every move you make? Do things seem not to be working for you in spite of all your input? I'm glad to announce to you that the power in prayer is available to you as a child of God, to fight all the oppositions en route your victory and triumph in life. 

Our memory verse is part of the answer Jesus gave to His disciples when they could not cast out an evil spirit even though they had been empowered to do so (See Matthew 10 vs 1). Satan was blocking their access to results in ministry. The principal weapon engaged by the believer in victory over Satan is prayer. On it all other weapons revolve.

The potent weapons available to the believer is; faith, hope, prayer, fasting, the Word of God, the name of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Note that all these weapons are enforced in prayer. Don't sit there crying and waiting for someone to pity you; rise up and take advantage of this potent powers and free yourself from the hold of the enemy. He is called "the wicked," because he has no feelings of sympathy for anybody. He is out for you, so you must arise and invoke the powers of heaven to flush him out.

As I said in the past, many people think that Christianity is a passive religion that advocates waiting for God to act. But you must have an active faith, invoking through prayer the powers engaged in victory. Things don't just happen, they are made to happen. The Scripture in First Corinthians 16 vs 9 says, "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries."

Being a Christian does not exempt you from warfare; it only gives you an edge over the opposition. Going through rivers of difficulty will either cause you to be drawn or force you to grow stronger. If you go in your own strength, you are more likely to drown, if you invite the Lord to go with you He will protect you. Isaiah 43 vs 1 - 2 illustrates graphically how the Lord protects you: "But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name;  You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you."

Your redemption notwithstanding, God says, "When you pass through waters....when you walk through the fire..." not, "If you pass through the waters....if you walk through the fire..." Warfare therefore, is inevitable, but victory is guaranteed. God says, "Fear not, I am your redeemer, I am committed to deliver you and give you the victory." 

The obstacles are real; the victories are also real. Victory is our heritage. As long as you are still breathing, the battle is not over. Rise up and stop tolerating failure and mishaps! Stop putting up with pains, lack and want. If you won't arise, your enemy will prevail. One strategy of the enemy is to make you feel you can't handle the issue. That is a lie. God is committed to your victory, if only you will fight. 

But remember "For though we walk in the flesh! we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds,..." (Second Corinthians 10 vs 3 - 4.) The foremost of Christians’ weapon is prayer. In prayer all other weapons of are engaged.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are my Faithful Companion. I can do all things through You who strengthens me on the prayer altar. Let my supplications and petitions come to You as a sweet smelling savor that I may obtain the strength to prevail against the evil tidings of the wicked one, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Glorify God by Giving Thanks

 

It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:15)

Gratitude to God is a joyful emotion. We have a sense of joyful indebtedness for his grace. So in a sense in the very emotion of gratitude, we are still the beneficiaries. But by its very nature, gratitude glorifies the giver. When we feel thankful, we acknowledge our need and God’s beneficence, God’s fullness, the riches of his glory.

Just like I humble myself and exalt the server in the restaurant when I say, “Thank you,” so I humble myself and exalt God when I feel gratitude to him. The difference, of course, is that I really am infinitely in debt to God for his grace, and everything he does for me is free and undeserved.

But the point is that gratitude glorifies the giver. It glorifies God. And this is Paul’s final goal in all his labors. Yes, his labors are for the sake of the church — the good of the church. But the church is not the highest goal. Listen again: “It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” All for your sake — for the glory of God!

The wonderful thing about the gospel is that the response it requires from us for God’s glory is also the response that is most natural and joyful; namely, thankfulness for grace. God’s all-supplying glory in giving and our humble gladness in receiving are not in competition. Joyful thankfulness glorifies God.

A life that gives glory to God for his grace and a life of deepest gladness are the same life. And what makes them one is thankfulness.

SEEKING GOD’S KINGDOM IS HIS WILL!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2022.

SUBJECT : SEEKING GOD’S KINGDOM IS HIS WILL!

Memory verse: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6 vs 10.)

READ: Matthew 6 vs 31 - 33:

6:31: Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

6:32: For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

INTIMATION:

God's kingdom has been long in existence in heaven. God created the world for a purpose, out of His love and goodness, and created man for the purpose of taking care of His new kingdom. His desire is that His spiritual reign is extended to the earth, as it is in heaven. A kingdom is a state having a king as its head. The king's word is a law to be obeyed. God already reigns as the king in heaven, and desires that His spiritual sovereignty is established here on earth.

Then, when we pray "Your will be done," we are asking in consonance with His will, that God's purpose of creation be accomplished in this world as well as next—in heaven.

Praying for His will to be done shows our reference of Him as the Creator, and the supremacy of God's will over all things. Therefore, kingdom-oriented prayer gives you special audience with God. The Bible says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6 vs 33.) This is God's will, and because you have prayed according to His will, He hears you. 

The Bible says in First John 5 vs 14 - 15, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." The emphasis here is on God’s will, not our will. When we communicate with God, we don’t demand what we want; rather we discuss with Him what He wants for us. If we align our prayers to His will, He will listen; and because we have not been selfish in our prayers; but rather desired His own interest—His will, He will definitely concern Himself with providing those our needs He is already aware of, thereby adding them to us.

To “seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness” means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with a His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything. When you do these things, all other of your needs will be added to you even without your asking. The assurance is given to us according to God’s word in Isaiah 65 vs 24, thus, “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

Many people are dying in their prayer rooms because they are self-oriented in their prayers. It is all about self in their prayers. They are the "needy-stars" of the kingdom. They always pray, "Lord, give me this; Lord, bless me; Lord bless my husband, bless my wife and Children," and their demands are numerous, not wanting any form of discomfort. They are least concerned about the welfare of anybody else or on any issue that does not touch them personally.

If you desire breakthroughs in your personal life, one of the fastest ways to achieving it is to have a strong affection for God and His kingdom. It is noteworthy that how much you take pleasure in the affairs of the kingdom determines the quality of response you enjoy from God. When you are interceding on kingdom matters, let it be from the depth of your heart, as if you are praying for your only child who is dying. Let it mean much to you than your personal matters. God will even answer your prayers in the aforementioned manner.

It has been observed that when a kingdom prayer point is raised in church, a lot of people just mumble through; not knowing what to say, and you can hardly hear what they are saying. But when it comes to personal supplication for their needs, the whole congregation is charged, and vibrating. Nevertheless, the prayer strategy that moves heaven to rain down favor on you, so much that you will not need to pray for most things before you get them, is kingdom advancement prayers.

Your Heavenly Father already knows your needs, and requests that you concern yourselves less with these needs of yours, but rather take pleasure in things that concerns Him; fill your thoughts with His desires, to take His character for your pattern, and to serve and obey Him in everything, and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37 vs 4.)

And when you do have pleasure in the things of God and His kingdom, His mood toward you is expressed by the psalmist thus, "You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time has come. For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, and show favor to her dust." (Psalm 102 vs 13 - 14.)

People, objects, goals, pleasures, and other desires all compete for priority. Any of these things can bump God out of first place in your life if you don't actively choose to give God in first place in every area of your life. This will eventually leave you with a life of struggles, and make you miss all the ‘additions’ promised by Him if you seek His kingdom first, and His righteousness. (Matthew 6 vs 33.) The things the world struggle to get comes to you on a platter.

Life is so sweet and simple if you can resist the desires of the flesh, and allow your spiritual knowledge take over your sense knowledge. Determine today to prioritize your desires, and put God first in everything in your life.

Prayer: Abba Father, let the desires of your kingdom eat me up, that I may put You first in everything in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Hold Fast to Your Hope

 

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. (Hebrews 6:17–18)

Why does the writer of Hebrews encourage us to hold fast to our hope? If the final enjoyment of our hope was obtained and irrevocably secured by the blood of Jesus, then why does God tell us to hold fast?

The answer is this:

What Christ bought for us when he died was not the freedom from having to hold fast, but the enabling power to hold fast.

What he bought was not the nullification of our wills as though we didn’t have to hold fast, but the empowering transformation of our wills so that we want to hold fast.

What he bought was not the canceling of the commandment to hold fast, but the fulfillment of the commandment to hold fast.

What he bought was not the end of exhortation, but the triumph of exhortation.

He died so that you would do exactly what Paul did in Philippians 3:12, “I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” It is not foolishness, it is the gospel, to tell a sinner to do what Christ alone can enable him to do; namely, hope in God.

So, I exhort you with all my heart: Reach out and take hold of that for which you have been taken hold of by Christ. Hold it fast with all your might — which is his might. His blood-bought gift of your obedience.

BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2022.

SUBJECT : BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS!

Memory verse: "And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." (Luke 12 vs 15.)

READ: First Timothy 6 vs 6 - 7:

6:6: Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 

6:7: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

INTIMATION:

Prosperity isn't all about you. God entrusts us with resources so that we can be a blessing to other people, so it isn't selfish to desire prosperity. When you see God as your source and treat the possessions He gives you as a resource to be stewarded, then it is very godly to want to prosper so that you can give and help establish God's covenant on earth.

In our memory verse, Jesus says that the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy, therefore, be on guard against greed, covetousness, and desiring that which you don’t have. It’s a societal norm that the more we have and acquire, the fulfilled, comfortable, and happier we should be. But this is contrary to the teachings of the Scripture. 

In the passage we read today, the apostle Paul says that being content with what we have is godly and is great gain. He reminds us that we came into this world empty and so shall we leave the world in our passing (see also Job 1 vs 21; and Ecclesiastes 5 vs 15). This is key to our spiritual growth and godly personal fulfillment. A fulfilled life honors God and center its desires on Him (Matthew 6 vs 33), remembering that the only thing we take away from here in our passing is our relationship with Him. We should be content with what God is doing in our lives.

Reflect on the obvious truth of coming into the world with nothing and the certainty of living with nothing. What then, is the need for covetousness, and the strive for riches that is pervading our world. The craze for personal aggrandizement in our world breeds all these greed, discontentment etc. Ask yourself, "Am I content in any circumstances I face?" Learn the truth in the saying, "The contented is never poor, but the discontented is never rich." 

Some Christians have the wrong attitude about prosperity. When you talk about God's desire for us to prosper through stewardship, immediately their greed and selfishness kick in. They start thinking, I'm scripturally justified to get as much stuff as I can, and possess them as my own. However, it's all wrong. God truly wants you to prosper, but with the right motive of proper stewardship of what He blesses you with, and this is super important.

On the other hand, we have people teaching prosperity from a selfish standpoint. Some preachers present prosperity like it's all about getting more. It's selfish, and the driving motive for that kind of prosperity is covetousness. The right and godly motive for prosperity is “blessed to be a blessing.” That is God’s concept of prosperity—knowing that all you have is entrusted to you by Him, and requires proper stewardship (proper management to achieve His purposes).

Having the right motivations for financial stewardship doesn't come naturally. Our society is so focused on self-fulfillment and self-gratification that living for God is a totally foreign concept. It doesn't make sense to the natural mind. Greed, selfishness, personal freedom and self-interest are the order of the day in our society, and freedom is nearly a God to some people. These attitudes completely negate the teachings of Jesus Christ.

It is for this reason that apostle Paul admonishes believers in First Timothy 6 vs 3 - 5, saying, "If any teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings, of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself." 

The apostle Paul’s words are a reminder that personal freedom isn't everything. Life isn't supposed to be all about taking care of oneself and seeking one’s own gain. Most people are living very self-centered lives. Everything is all about "me." The truth is, when you're all wrapped up in yourself, you make a very small package. There is this saying, "The pride and prestige of a king is size of his follower-ship." Likewise, in Christendom, Churches are ranked by the size of their fellower-ship. If then you are so self-centered, you are all alone, and imagine the size you make.

The secret of godliness with contentment is drawing on Christ's power for strength. Learn to rely on God's promises and Christ's power to help you to be content. If you are always in want of more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you contentment in every circumstance. You can learn contentment by striving to live with less rather desiring more, give away out of your abundance rather than accumulating more, relish what you have rather than resent what you’re missing. Become satisfied knowing that our sufficiency is in God’s sufficiency—He is able to meet all our needs. 

Believers who become materialistic are saying by their actions that God can’t take care of them—or at least that He won’t take care of them the way they want. Always see God’s love expressed in what He has provided, and always remember the futility of earthly desires—that money and possessions will pass away some day (First John 2 vs 17).

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of contentment in all things, and with the strength and courage to rightly serve You and others with the possessions entrusted to me by You. Fill me with the desire for an intimate relationship with You, and not being obsessed with the things of this world, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

POWERFUL PRAYER BY APOSTLE JOSHUA SELMAN

WEALTH AND RICHES ARE BY-PRODUCT OF GOD’S FAVOR!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2022.

SUBJECT : WEALTH AND RICHES ARE BY-PRODUCT OF GOD’S FAVOR!

Memory verse: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1 vs 17.)

READ: Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18:

8:17: Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.

8:18: And You shall remember the Lord Your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

INTIMATION:

God gives us wealth and riches, but these aren't our real asset. It's like the old children's fable about the goose that lays the golden eggs. The golden eggs are not as valuable as the goose that produces them! The goose lays a golden egg every day, and when you have the goose you get all of the golden eggs that come with it. In the same way, wealth and riches aren't your true assets. The real treasure is the blessing and the favor of God that produces them.

God is the source of our prosperity, but notice that the Scriptures doesn't say God gives us wealth. God doesn't send us cheques in the mail; He gives us the power to get wealth. He releases an anointing on whatever you do, and causes it to prosper, and the blessing of God is so powerful that it cannot be reversed (James 1 vs 17). Balaam is the infamous prophet who was hired by a foreign King to curse the children of Israel, but he said, "Behold, I have received commandment to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it" (Numbers 23 vs 20). 

Wealth and riches are just the by-products of God's favor. The Lord told Abraham, "I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12 vs 2). It was the spoken favor of God on Abraham's life that caused him to prosper. It was God's favor that allowed him to grow rich from grazing his cattle and sheep in a desert. Most people judge their worth by their savings and assets, but those things are just a physical manifestation of the real assets—God's favor. This is one reason why Scripture reminds us that the power to get wealth comes from God, not our efforts. (Deuteronomy 8 vs 17 - 18.)

God supplies most people with the personal and financial abilities to respond to the needs of others. If we all realized how God has blessed us, and if we all used our resources to do God’s will, hunger and poverty would be wiped out from the surface of the earth. Wealth and riches are blessings only if we use then in the way God intends. 

A lot of people today are focused on gathering golden eggs, and they are completely overlooking the parent force that creates them. The person who owns the goose is going to end up with a lot of more gold than someone who is running around looking for eggs. Likewise, once you realize that God is the source of prosperity, you understand how pointless it is to chase after riches. 

Once the favor of God is in your life, it cannot be stopped! The only thing that can derail the blessing of God is your own unbelief and negativity. As long as you keep believing, the blessings of God will keep coming. Understanding the true value of God's favor in your life will cause you to have a steward’s attitude toward possessions. You can look at all of the things you possess and say, "It's just stuff." You will know that money is merely a tool that helps you accomplish what God has called you to do; it isn't true prosperity. It’s God who gives us everything we have, and it’s God who asks us to manage it for Him.

Riches and wealth can be stolen and property can be taken away, but no one can rob you of God's favor. Study the rich master in the parable of the unjust steward recorded in Luke 16 vs 1 - 8. The rich man knew where his real treasure was, and that is why he didn't get mad with the unjust steward because he wasn't counting his paper money and assets as his true net worth. Once you get that same mindset, you can become so secure in your relationship with God, and so certain of His favor in your life, that you actually find something to commend a thief about like the master of the steward.

The focus of your life should be your relationship with God, which is what causes wealth and riches to accumulate. Money isn't that significant. On the other hand, God's favor in your life is priceless.

Prayer: Abba Father, You bless us to be a blessing. Give me the power and favor to get wealth, and endue me with the right spirit to serve You, and others with the wealth and riches You put in my care, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!