ENSURE TO FULFILL YOUR PROMISES IN PRAYER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY MAY 06, 2024.

SUBJECT: ENSURE TO FULFILL YOUR PROMISES IN PRAYER! 

Memory verse: "Then she made a vow, and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You wilt indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but wilt give Your maidservant a mail child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." (First Samuel 1 vs 11.)

READ: First Samuel 1 vs 20 - 28:

1:20: So it came to pass in the process of that time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”

1:21: Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

1:22: But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the LORD, and remain there forever.

1:23: So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

1:24: Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh:. And the child was young.

1:25: Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli.

1:26: And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD.

1:27: For this child I prayed; and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.

1:28: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD.” So they worshipped the LORD there.

INTIMATION:

No one is forced by law to make a promise or vow to God, but once made, they ought to be fulfilled. God takes our promises or vows seriously, and requires that they be carried out (Deuteronomy 23 vs 21 - 23). We often have good intentions when making promises or vows because we want to show God that we are determined to please Him. God, however, expects you to fulfill your vow even if it is difficult to do so. For instance, if you vow to give ten percent of your income and suddenly some unexpected bills come along, God expects you to keep your promise, even when your faithful stewardship is costly. Therefore, be careful what you promise in prayer because God may take you up on it. 

Breaking a vow or promise is tantamount to breaking a trust, and breaking a relationship. Trust is still the bases of our relationship with God and others. Keeping vows and promises is important; it builds trust and makes committed human relationships possible. When you pray, ask yourself, 'Will I follow through on any promises I make to God if He grants my request?' It is dishonesty to ignore a promise, especially to God. God keeps His promises, and He expects you to keep yours. Although, we are not in a position to barter with God, He may still choose to answer a prayer that has an attached promise, and gets you committed to Him. 

Go to Him in prayers with total sincerity of heart and frankness in all intents and purposes. Don't keep anything back. Don't ask for what you really don't want, or promise to do something you can't or won't do. Remember He already knows your heart. Hannah so desperately wanted a child that she was willing to strike a bargain with God. God took her up on her promise, and to Hannah’s credit, she did her part, even though it was painful.

To do what she promised, Hannah gave up what she wanted most—her son—and presented him to Eli to serve in the house of the Lord. In dedicating her only son to God, Hannah was dedicating her entire life and future to God. Because Samuel’s life was from God, Hannah was not really giving him up. Rather, she was returning him to God, who had given Samuel to Hannah in the first place. These verses illustrate the kind of gifts we should give to God. Do your gifts cost you little (Sunday mornings, a comfortable tithe), or are they gifts of sacrifice? Are you presenting God with tokens, or are you presenting Him with your entire life?

Hannah had no child for her husband who really loved her. She was greatly discouraged and bitter because the husband's other wife had children and ridiculed her. Her loving husband could not solve her problem. She then turned in prayer to the Provider of solutions to all problems. Eventually, Hannah discovered that an honest and fervent prayer opens the way for God to work. Hannah made a vow in return for having a mail child, to dedicate him to God for a lifetime service. God gave her a son named Samuel. She lived up to her promise, and God even blessed her with five more children excluding Samuel. 

Any of us may face times of barrenness; when nothing seems to work in our work, service, or even relationships. And it is difficult to pray in faith when we feel so ineffective. But Hannah did! She so desperately wanted a child that she was willing to strike a bargain with God. God took her up on her promise, and to her credit, she did her part, even though it was painful. We should always be careful what we promise in prayer because God may take us up on it. It is better not to make promises than to make them and then later not keep them. It is best to count the cost beforehand and then to fulfill them. Prayer without complete sincerity is a sin, and an abomination before God.

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to commune with You in complete frankness and sincerity of heart. For You already knows my thoughts before I say them, and is pleased with the truth. Give me the grace to keep any promises or vows I make to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD'S OPTIONS OR OURS? - MAY 05

GOD'S OPTIONS OR OURS? - MAY 05

Matthew 14:27-28. "But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water."

MATTHEW 14:22-33

It is important to analyze Peter's statement. Peter was overwhelmed when he saw Jesus walking on the water, and he wanted to do the same. While there is really nothing wrong with his desire, the request he put before Jesus was totally wrong. He didn't ask the Lord if he wanted him to walk on the water, or if his faith was up to it. Instead he said, "If it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." What was Jesus going to say, "It isn't me. Don't come."?

There are no other examples of someone walking on water in the Word of God. Jesus had a definite reason for walking on the water; however, Peter simply wanted to see if he could do it. God will permit us to do things that are not His perfect will for us.

Many times we hinder our own prayers by the way we ask things of God. We say, "Do you want me to do (a) or (b)?" The Lord may not want us to do either one. We should offer Him a third choice - (c) none of the above. We should trust God's wisdom and even allow Him to select the options.

FILLING THE VACUUM!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY MAY 05, 2024.

SUBJECT: FILLING THE VACUUM!

Memory verse: "And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2 vs 10.)

READ: John 6 vs 16 - 21:

6:16: Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,

6:17: got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them.

6:18: Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing.

6:19: So when they had rowed about three to four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid.

6:20: But He said to them, “It is I; be not afraid.”

6:21: Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

INTIMATION:

Life without its Owner creates a vacuum. This vacuum needs to be appropriately filled. If you look around, you will notice that few people seem content within themselves. But when you get closer, they will tell you of a vacuum in their lives that needs to be filled. Many people are searching for something that will give their lives a boost. A strange and often hard-to-identify inner vacuum gives most people an uneasy sense of incompleteness. Christ fills that vacuum! As Jesus’ person is fully divine, so we, united by faith with Jesus, find personal fulfillment in Him: “You are complete in Him.”

Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men.” (John 1 vs 3 - 4.) With Him you are something valuable and unique; apart from Him you are nothing, and can do nothing (John 15 vs 5). Christ alone holds the answer to the true meaning of life because He is life. He is the unique source of knowledge and power for the Christian life. No Christian needs anything in addition to what Christ has provided to be saved, and to live; ‘as His divine power has given us all that pertains to life and godliness’ (Second Peter 1 vs 3). 

In our life’s experience and circumstances, some days may not feel like it, but in Jesus, the vacuum is gone; the full power and presence of God have taken up residence in your mind and heart. In Christ you are a new person, equipped for life and satisfied in God. In union with Christ through His empowering Spirit, we are complete. We have all the fullness of God available to us. But we must appropriate that fullness through faith and through prayer as we daily live for Him. You can ask the Holy Spirit to fill every aspect of your life to the fullest. Take some risks—God will guide you. Give more generously—God will supply. Love more freely—God will energize you. Say “can do” more often—God will amaze you.

Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Revelation 22 vs 13.) Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and it signifies the eternity of God. Without Him you have nothing that is eternal, nothing that can change your life, nothing that can save you from sin. When you place your life in Christ’s hands, He restores you now and resurrects you later to an eternal, peaceful relationship with Him. Is the Lord your reason for living? “the Alpha and the Omega” of your life? Honor the One who is the beginning and the end of all existence, wisdom, and power.

In the passage we read today, the apostle John recorded the very significant and unique attribute of Jesus! When you willingly accept the entrance of Jesus into your life, you will immediately arrive at your ultimate life’s destination. Just as His disciples willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going (John 6 vs 21). When you catch this revelation, you will willingly receive Him into your life, trust, and rest in Him, assured of your ultimate arrival to your life’s destination.

Prayer: Abba Father, all to You I surrender, all to You I freely and willingly give my life. I will ever love and trust You , and in Your presence I will daily live. Fill me in with Your abundant grace to follow You to the end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

HE BLESSES WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE - MAY 04

HE BLESSES WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE - MAY 04

John 6:9, "There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?"

JOHN 6:1-13

Notice that Jesus didn't just turn some of the stones into bread (as Satan had tempted Him to do in Lk. 4:3). We find only one instance in scripture where God created a supply to meet a need (Num. 11:21-23). Usually, the Lord simply blesses what we set our hand to do. The resources were totally inadequate to meet the need in this instance, but when the Lord blessed it, there was more than enough.

Jesus didn't just teach the disciples, but He trained them also. He was constantly trying to involve them in these miracles. Just a matter of days later, He again asked His disciples what they could do to feed the multitude of four thousand men. It was like He was saying "You missed this question when I asked you how we could feed the five thousand men. Now, here are less people and more food. What would you suggest this time?"

Instead of remembering the previous miracle, they acted like they had never seen Jesus feed the multitude and they looked at their own resources again (Mt. 15:32; Mk. 8:1). Likewise, we all too often try everything we can do first and forget God's supernatural power until all we can do is pray. Many people have missed their miracle because they never took that first step of faith and used what they had. This young lad was certainly credited with part of this miracle for offering what he had. When in need, we should seek God's direction for something to set our hand to, and then trust Him to bless it and multiply the results of our work.

LIVING BY THE WORD OF GOD!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY MAY 04, 2024.

SUBJECT : LIVING BY THE WORD OF GOD!

Memory verse: "And Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” (Luke 4 vs 4.)

READ: Matthew 7 vs 24 - 27: 

7:24: Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock,

7:25: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

7:26: But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand,

7:27: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.

INTIMATION: 

The Word of God is the message from the Lord, delivered with His authority and made effective by His power. The Bible is the custodian of God’s Word, and is inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. It is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing. The Bible is entirely authoritative for our faith and life, and our safeguard against false teaching, and is our source of guidance on how we should live. Knowing the Bible verses is an important step in a Christian's life. It is the sword of the Spirit we engage in spiritual battles. (Ephesians 6 vs 17.) A word-dry Christian is a powerless Christian. 

Real life is accepting, and abiding in the Truth—the Word of God. It is total commitment to God and living by every word that comes from Him. It transforms us, and makes us into what God wants us to be, and gives us everything we could possibly need in living for Him. Jesus said in John 6 vs 63, "....The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." Life was in the words of Jesus, and that life was the light of men. Anyone who embraces the word and lives the word embraces the light which is the life of men. The word is only living in the lips of the believer, not in the book nor on the written page.

How can we live by the word of God? (1) Recognize our need for it. (2) Agree that God alone can truly satisfy us. (3) Pray for God’s presence, wisdom, and direction as we read. (4) Savor the relationship you have with Him through Christ. (5) Practice what He teaches you. The prevalence of the Word in your heart and in your mouth guarantees a successful Christian life (Romans 10 vs 8). The Word needs to become to you as real as day and night. Dominating events in your life is as close as the Word is to your heart and mouth—believing is in your heart and speaking out is in your mouth. 

When the Word prevails over us, we are sufficient in all things, not because of our abilities, but because of His power Christ—the Word—working in us. Not because we are obeying the law, but because of His grace (His Spirit) working in us. We are what He says we are. We can do what He says we can do. He is what He says He is, and no Word from Him is void of ability to be made good in us. 

The Spirit of God uses the Word to make us like the Son of God. To become like Jesus, we must fill our lives with His Word. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. To be a healthy disciple of Jesus, feeding on God's Word must be your first priority. Jesus called it "abiding." Many believers, because the Word does not prevail in them, live as common men. Disease and sickness prevail over them because they do not walk in the light of the Word. It is the Word in our lips that is active. 

Jesus is the Word (John 1 vs 1), He is the truth (John 14 vs 6), and He is God. Therefore, in Him is God, the Word, and the truth. Abiding in His Word, is abiding in Him, and in the truth. In our day-to-day living, abiding in God's Word includes three activities, namely; accepting its authority, assimilating its truth, and applying its principles. You must accept the authority in the Word. The Bible must become standard for your life: the compass you rely on for direction, the counsel you listen to for making wise decisions, and the benchmark you use for evaluating everything. The Bible must always have the first and last word in your life.

Many of our troubles occur because we base our choices on unreliable authorities: culture ("everyone is doing it"), tradition ("we have always done it"), reason ("it seemed logical"), or emotion ("I just felt right"). All four authorities are the works of man, and they are defective, and imperfect like man himself. What we need is a perfect standard that will never lead us in the wrong direction. Only God's Word meets that need. 

God's Word is the spiritual nourishment you must have to fulfill your purpose in life. Therefore, never take it for granted. You should consider it as essential to your life as food (Job 23 vs 12). The Bible calls the Word of God milk (First Corinthians 3 vs 2; First Peter 2 vs 2), bread (John 6 vs 48), solid food (First Corinthians 3 vs 2), and sweet dessert (Psalm 119 vs 103). This four-course meal is the Spirit's menu for spiritual strength and growth. Crave for it like no other food, because in it all other things exist.

Practicing obedience to the Word is the solid foundation to weather the storms of life. It is likened to building on the rock, a solid foundation, and the builder is considered wise. And everyone that hears the Words and do not do them, is likened to foolish man who built his house on the sand. The hearer must become a doer or else the entire structure that he builds will be destroyed.

Prayer: Abba Father, Your Word endures forever, it is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. O Lord, give me the grace to live my life rooted in the nourishment of Your Word, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

JESUS MEETS ALL OUR NEEDS - MAY 03

 JESUS MEETS ALL OUR NEEDS - MAY 03

Matthew 14:16, "But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat."

MATTHEW 14:15-18

The disciples were using natural reasoning and recognized that they didn't have the ability to minister to the multitude's need for food. Jesus did have the ability and the willingness to minister to their needs, so the multitude did not need to depart. All of their needs could be met through Jesus.

The same thing is true today. Some disciples today are sending the multitudes to the world to meet their physical needs (finances, health, counseling, etc.) and proclaiming that God only meets spiritual needs. But, "they need not depart." The Lord is willing and able to heal our bodies, prosper us financially, or counsel us from His Word in any area of our life where we might have need.

Before we can be a blessing, we have to be blessed (Gen. 12:2). One of the purposes of God's prosperity in our lives is so that we can be a blessing to others. The Scriptures instruct us to walk in God's love towards all men, believers and non-believers alike. Jesus told us to love our enemies (Mt. 5:44). In Galatians 6:10 Paul places a priority on helping fellow Christians. This does not diminish our responsibility to show God's love to non-believers. Instead, Paul is simply saying "charity must start at home." It would be hypocritical to step over hurting brothers and sisters in the Lord to find unbelievers to minister to.

God didn't just give us something that He had; He gave Himself. And what was God's motive for giving? It wasn't because of His need, but ours. He was motivated out of love for us (Jn. 3:16). In the same way, we should be encouraged to give unselfishly of ourselves. Pray for Divine appointments, to be used of God to touch someone's life today.

LET HIS WILL BE DONE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY MAY 03 , 2024.

SUBJECT: LET HIS WILL BE DONE!

Memory verse: "So He said to them, “When you pray, say, Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Luke 11 vs 2.) 

READ: Matthew 26 vs 37 - 44:

26:37: And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

26:38: Then He said to them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with Me.

26:39: He went a little farther, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.

26:40: Then He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with me one hour?”

26:41: Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

26:42: Again the second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”

26:43: And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

26:44: So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

INTIMATION:

Why the will of God in one’s life, it is the greatest and most profitable achievement anyone could make in life. God created all things, and for His predetermined plans and purposes. Our ability and resourcefulness to fall in line with His predetermined purposes for us is the greatest thing ever to happen to anyone. God wants us to carry out His will for us, therefore, our desire should be to do God’s will. It is human nature to make our own plans and then ask God to bless them. Instead, we should seek God’s Will to be done in our lives.

By constantly thinking about the Lord and His way of living, we will gain insights that will help us make right decisions and live the way God desires. Communicating with God allows Him to counsel us and give us wisdom. God created us as free moral beings, and does not usually stop us from making our choices, even wrong choices. He lets us choose independent of Him, even though He knows that in time we will become slaves to our own rebellious lifestyle of making our choices independent of Him, and lose our freedom not to sin against Him. Life without God is slavery to self, and it is worse than slavery to sin.

When you follow God’s guidance, you know you are where God wants you to be whether you’re moving or staying in one place. When we really want to do God’s Will, we must accept all that comes with it—even the pain. Those who patiently and persistently do God’s Will find eternal life. And to know God’s Will does not mean we must hear His voice. He leads in different ways. When you are seeking God’s Will, (1) make sure your plan is in harmony with God’s Word; (2) check your own motives to see if you are seeking to do what you want or what you think God wants; (3) pray for God to open and close the doors as He desires. (4) seek advice from mature believers.

God allows people to participate with Him in carrying out His Will. Your task is not just to sit and watch God work, but to give your best effort when work needs to be done. God fulfills His Will despite the defenses people try to erect. God can use anything; pain, suffering, even an error, and so on, to bring His Will to pass. This is good news for God’s followers because we can trust Him to work out His plans and keep His promises no matter how desperate our circumstances are. No one enjoys pain, but a faithful disciple wants above all else to please God. Our desire to please God should overshadow our desire to avoid hardship and suffering. 

God appreciates immensely those who strive to do His Will, and rewards such people exceedingly. What does it take to be able to say, “as You will”? It takes firm trust in God’s plans; it takes prayer and obedience each step of the way. In the passage we read today, Jesus accomplished God’s Will in His life, and God also highly exalted Him, and gave Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth (Philippians 2 vs 9 - 10). 

Though Jesus agonized greatly on the suffering that laid ahead in accomplishing God’s Will, but that didn’t deter Him. Though the human side was very sorrowful, the divine side knew that the plan of God that was foreordained before the world was created must be carried out. Jesus’ strength to obey came from His relationship with God the Father, who is also the source of our strength. So, our strength to do God’s Will comes from our relationship and fellowship with Him.

You are physically somewhere right now. He had a purpose in placing you where you are right now. All you need to do is to find out His will for you where you are. Instead, of praying, “God, what do you want me to do next?” Ask, “God, what do you want me to do while I’m right here?” Begin to understand God’s purpose for your life by discovering what He wants you to do now! Our circumstances at anytime does not change God’s Will for us. God can use us in any circumstance to do His Will. While we might pray for a change in our circumstances, we should also pray that God will accomplish His plan through us right where we are. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to do Your Will. Give me the grace to accomplish this desire in my life, that I may earn Your approval and the crown of life You have preserved for those who have done Your Will, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!