Thursday 31 January 2013

HE MUST INCREASE Part 2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 32, Mark 3, Est 8, Romans 3
 
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease
 
Yesterday we learnt that to become a new creature i.e. born again, Christ must increase in our lives and we must decrease. The desire to feed the flesh must reduce and the desire to feed our spirit must increase. Today we will look at another two areas where Christ needs to increase and we decrease. Christ must increase is in our conduct. There is a way true believers conduct themselves. Philippians 1:27 says only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I can and see you, or else be absent ,I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. Believers conduct themselves as if Christ is watching at all times. This was how the first disciples conducted themselves. They conducted themselves in such way that people in Antioch began to call them Christ-like i.e. Christian. Christ so much increased in their lives that all their achievements became invisible. When people see us, what do they see? Our degrees, business success or the signs and wonders the Lord had wrought through our hands or Jesus Himself. For a student to succeed in the medical profession he must decrease and the doctor in him must increase. The cool, calm, caring, meticulous, collected part of him must increase and the rough, untidy, un –serious, lazy part must decrease. This is what the medical school strives at. The law school ensures that the shy, timid, subservient part of the student decreases and the bold, aggressive, argumentative side of the student increases. Unless this part of the student increases, he will struggle in the legal profession. For Christ to become visible in our lives, the part of us that loves to show off must decrease.  The part of us that submits to authority both at work and church must increase; even at home. As a wife you might be the breadwinner but for Christ to increase you must submit to your husband –head. As a husband for Christ to increase you must love your wife to the extent of laying your life for her if need be, Ephesians 5:25. Not only that you must also serve as Christ did. Matthew 20:28 says Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for many.
 
Another area where Christ must increase is in how we spend our time. No serious medical student spends his or her time in the club partying. Any law student who means business will spend his or her time in the library reading. Christ will not increase in our lives if we continue to miss Sunday school or mid-week service or night vigil. When you miss Sunday school you become an uneducated Christian. Not only that you read the bible and miss a lot of informations. Many of us do not even know that Abram used to worship fire before the Lord called him in Genesis 12:1-3. I learnt this from Sunday school. It was during one of our mid week services, i learnt the factors that leads to a turning point in one’s life. Point 1- what you heard; point 2 – your response to what you heard and point 3- the outcome you experience. I will not go further into this but there are other life changing messages you are missing by not attending Sunday school or weekly services.
 
PRAYER POINT: Father, help me to become an ambassador of Christ. Also help me to stop missing services that will change my lives.
 

HE MUST INCREASE Part 1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 31, Mark 2, Est 7, Romans 2

John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease

2 Corinthians 5:17 says therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. To become a new creature, Christ must increase in our life and we must decrease. The spirit needs to increase and the flesh must decrease. John 6:63 says it is the Spirit that quikeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The first place Christ needs to increase is in our thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 says for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. We are what we think off. If an individual thinks of committing adultery with a woman, he is an adulterer. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. This also applies to women too. If an individual thinks of lying in his heart, he is already a liar because as a man thinketh in his heart so is he. This is why the psalmist says if I regard iniquity in my heart; the Lord will not hear me, Psalm 66:18. Transformation only comes when we renew our thoughts .Romans 12:2 says and be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. You are not a new creature if there is still a brother or sister you are wishing that something terrible to happens to. To become a new creature Christ needs to increase in our thoughts. Philippians 4:8 says finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Another area Christ needs to increase is in our conversation. Ephesians 4:29 says let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. There are some words or slangs that should never proceed out of the mouth of a believer. There are some jokes a believer should not even entertain. Ephesians 5:3-4 says but fornication , and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not once named among you, as becometh faith saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. Colossians 3:8 says but now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy talk out of your mouth. As wise children of God, our word needs to be full of grace. Ecclesiastes 10:12 says the words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious. When someone cuts you in traffic and you swear at them or curse them, such words are not full of grace. The reason why Christ needs to increase in our thoughts is because our thoughts control our speech. Luke 6:45 says out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Our speech can either bring justification or condemnation on us. Matthew 12:37 says for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. In other words our thoughts can bring condemnation on us or justification. I pray that our words will bring us justification on the day of judgment in Jesus name, amen.

PRAYER POINT: Father, rid of every evil thoughts and increase in my thoughts.

Wednesday 30 January 2013

EFFECTIVE PRAYER

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 30, Mark 1, Est 6, Romans 1

Nehemiah 4:9 nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

BIBLE STUDIES: Nehemiah 4:7-18

There are different kinds of prayers. There are some God does not even entertain at all for example the prayer of a fellow who is living in sin and refuses to repent. John 9:31 says now we know that God heareth not sinners. If you are still living in sin please repent today so that your prayers will be answered. There also some cries He does not even hear at all. Psalm 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me. Before you go to God make sure there are no bitterness or unforgiveness or hatred in you. Then there are some prayers while it is still been offered, God hears and answers immediately; these are the prayers of the righteous. Psalm 34:15 says the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. James 5:16 says the effectual fervent prayer of a prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Bible scholars have told us that the word effectual in this passage means energoumene in Greek which translates to energetic. An example of this type of prayer is found in Luke 22:44, where Jesus prayed and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. A prayer that produces sweat as of great drops of blood is not a gentleman’s prayers (not the one we pray sitting down or casually), it is a very aggressive, energetic prayer and the bible says such availeth much.

An effective fervent prayer needs to be backed by an action. Just as faith without work is dead, prayer without an action is dead. What parted the red sea was not the cry of Moses to God; it was the action he took after praying. Exodus 14:15 says and the Lord said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. Many of us have prayed and fasted, it is now time for action. Many of us have prayed for financial breakthrough, it is now time to learn a trade or add value to our lives by getting education or start a business. In our bible studies, we see Nehemiah backing up his prayers with an action. After praying for protection, he began to watch day and night. In 2 Kings 2:14 when Elisha got to River Jordan, after calling on the God of Elijah, the next thing he did was struck the water. Many are at their river Jordan calling on the God of Elijah but not taking any action. Before embarking on that journey, after you must have prayed and committed the journey into the hands of God, take action by driving carefully and abiding by speed regulations. After praying for success in that exam, take action by studying hard. Praying alone is not sufficient to pass an exam. Paying tithe alone is not enough to prosper you; it needs to be backed up with diligence and hard work. After payment of your tithes, make sure you get to work early and do your job properly. Not only that, our services in the vine yard of God needs to be backed up with righteousness. After winning souls or working in the vine yard of God, as children ensure you obey your parents; as wives ensure you submit to your husbands and as husbands ensure you love your wife. It will be counterproductive to evangelize and not obey one’s parents or submit to one’s husband or love one’s wife just as Christ loved the church. After praying for a marriage partner, take necessary actions to take care of yourself. Be well groomed. Wear neatly pressed clothes. They do not have to expensive but they must be ironed not rough .

KEY WORD: Fervent prayers need to be backed up with actions!

Monday 28 January 2013

IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 29, Matt 28, Est 5, Acts 28

Genesis 5:1 this is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God

Genesis 1:26 says then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Man in the image of God means man has both moral and spiritual nature of God. Animals do not have morals. There are no good lions or bad lions, lions are lions; all lions kill. There are no humble crocodiles or compassionate hyenas . Humans can decide to show mercy but a tiger cannot. John 4:24 says God is a Spirit. Man is a spirit being. He has body, soul and spirit. Animals are not spirit being. Man in the image of God also means man has the characteristic of God. To have the likeness of God simply means to be able to function like God. According to Genesis 5:1 , God made man in the likeness of God which means God made man to be able to function like God. God did not create us to be a failure or victim of circumstances. He created us to have dominion.

God functions by faith. Almost everyone who received a miracle from Jesus got it by faith. He told the blind man in Mark 10:46-52, ‘go your way; your faith has made you whole ‘and the bible records that immediately the man was healed. In Matthew 9:27- 30, Jesus was in a house when some blind men approached him. The men told him we know You can heal us, He touched their eyes and said ‘according to your faith be in unto you’ and immediately they saw. As anointed as Jesus was, when He got to His country the bible records that He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief, Matthew 13:54-58. Faith operates by two things – love and speaking. Galatians 5:6 says for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcised; but faith which works by love. If we are not walking in love, our faith won’t work. The reason why mountains do not move when we tell them to move despite our faith is because we are not working in love. 1 John 4:8 says God is love. It will be impossible to function like God when we are not walking in love. Ephesians 4:31 says let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you , with all malice. These are all opposites of love and once they are present in an individual such an individual will never function like God. Faith also operates by speaking. To function like God one needs to always speak in faith. God speaks in faith. Romans 4:17 says He calls those who are not as though they are. 2 Corinthians 4:13 says we having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak. In John 11:11 Jesus said ‘our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up’. He believed Lazarus was not dead but asleep so He told His disciples that He was going to wake Lazarus up. What God hears you say, is what He will do. Numbers 14:28 says as you have spoken in My hearing, so shall I do.Joel 3:10 says let the weak say 'i am strong' . What God expects to hear from the weak is they are strong. He is expecting you to confess the result you want so that He can say amen!

KEY WORD: To function like God, we need to walk in love and speak faith at all times.

Sunday 27 January 2013

I AM MY BELOVED’S

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 28, Matt 27, Esth 4, Acts 27

Songs of Solomon 6:3 I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: He feedeth among the lilies.

What the Shulamite woman meant by I am my beloved’s is I no longer own myself again, I belong to my beloved. She was saying i am no longer in charge of my body, my time and resources. What she was saying was that I have giving up my identity and taken the identity of my beloved in other words i have become invisible so that my beloved will become visible. What she saying was that I having giving my aspirations, my past, present and future, even my decision making to my beloved. In other words I have giving all to my beloved. After giving up everything, the next thing she said was ‘and my beloved is mine’ which means I own all my beloved has. This woman had to first give herself to get her beloved in return.

There are one or two lessons to learn from this verse. Firstly, to get anything you must be ready to give yourself to it. There is a price for everything. There is a price for success, good husband or wife, good home, even to get to heaven. The price to get to heaven is by been born again. John 3:3 says except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. To get anything in life you must ready to give all. Secondly, whatever you will own will be determined by what you are willing to give. God is not a respecter of persons but a respecter of principles, Acts 10:34.There are two important principles for receiving anything in life- giving and asking. Luke 6:38 says give and it shall be given unto you. It is only when you give that you can expect something in return. There are many who go to God with long list of prayer requests daily but they are not ready to give up their time to serve in the vine yard of God or evangelize. That is not how things work in the kingdom of God. Even God had to give something to save our soul. John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that He gave. The second principle is asking. Matthew 7:8 says ask, and it shall be given you. You only stand a chance of receiving when you ask. Brethren, after giving you are required to ask. God knows all your needs before you come to Him, but He expects you to ask. God knew what Solomon was going to ask Him, but He still said to him ‘ask, what I shall give thee, 2 Chronicles 1:7’. The bible says ask not complain. It says ask not grumble or get angry at God. We are limited by request! The reason why many get into problem is because they do not seek counsel or ask questions. It is not a sin not to know actually there is a saying which goes it is better to ask a stupid question than to make a stupid mistake. Proverbs 15:22 says without counsel purposes are disappointed. Proverbs 11:14 says in the multitude of counselors there is safety. How did the Shulamite get her beloved? She gave herself, Songs of Solomon 6:3.After that she asked for her beloved. The whole book of Song of Solomon is filled with the Shulamite asking for her beloved. How can I get Christ on my side? Firstly give yourself to Him and secondly ask Him to come to you. It is impossible to have Christ by your side if you are not willing to give yourself to Him. It will be a waste of time to give yourself to Him and not ask Him to come into your life or challenges . Matthew 7:8 says for everyone that asketh recieveth. Before you go and ask, ensure that are truly His.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I want you in every facet of my life.

Saturday 26 January 2013

WHAT TO DO WHILE WAITING

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 27, Matt 26, Esth 3, Acts 26

Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

There is always a waiting period between a promise and the fulfillment of the promise; planting and reaping; service and rewards; conception and delivery. There is a waiting period for everything. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says to everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven. This waiting period varies. The gestation period (conception to delivery) varies between living things. The gestation period of a woman is nine months / forty weeks while for an elephant is twenty months /eighty-eight weeks. The gestation period of a rat is between twenty-one and twenty and three days. The period between planting and reaping also varies with crops. To harvest a corn one needs to wait between two and three months; for rice it takes between three and six months and for yam it is between three and four months. This principle also applies in sowing and reaping.The waiting period between a promise and its fulfillment varies. Abraham waited for twenty-five years for the promise of a son to be fulfilled. Joseph waited for over thirteen years before his dream finally came to reality.

While waiting patience is required. Proverbs 16:32 says he that is slow to anger (i.e. patient) is better than the mighty. The lack of patience during the waiting period leads to disaster. Any attempt by a pregnant woman to give birth before her due time will result in either death or loss of the pregnancy. Abraham’s impatience led to the birth of Ishmael; at last he lost Ishmael because Sarah forced him to send him away. What an individual does during his waiting period goes a long way in deciding whether the promise will be fulfilled or not; whether there will be reaping or not ; whether there will be rewards or not. What an individual does during his waiting period plays a big role and it decides the end.During gestation period , the doctor advises that the women should eat well and exercise. While waiting we are in our gestation period ; we are pregnant with breakthroughs , bundles of joy e.t.c .During this period we are expected to feed on the word of God more and engage in spiritual exercises like fasting and praying.Not only that , she is advised to run away from certain things like cigarette and alcohol. Whilst waiting we are required to run from sin because it aborts our pregnancy.The woman is also advised to try and be active not just sit down all day and watch TV.During this time , instead of doing nothing lets get to work. In Genesis 26:1-16 God told Isaac to dwell in the land that He will bless him. Instead of Isaac to sit and wait for God’s blessing, he went to work and the bible records that he sowed in the land in the same year and reaped a hundred fold. Proverbs 14:23 says in all labor there is profit. During gestation period, the pregnant woman attends ante-natal to prepare her. Whilst waiting we also need to prepare ourselves.This preparation can be in the form of adding value to our lives through education or attending seminars.

ACTION WORD: Whilst waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise, start working; start adding value to yourself through education.

Friday 25 January 2013

LIMITATIONS OF MAN

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 26, Matt 25, Esth 2, Acts 25

Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Man is limited in a lot of ways. There are a lot of things money cannot buy. It cannot buy good friends,a good husband or wife. It can buy good education but not wisdom. Definitely It cannot buy peace of mind.

From studying Micah 6:14 we see that the abundance of food does not guarantee satisfaction. Isaiah 9:20 says on the right they will devour, but still be hungry; on the left they will eat, but not be satisfied. It is God that satisfies hunger not the food we eat. The fact that a man sows does not mean he will reap. He can sow on the best soil and still have nothing to reap.1 Corinthians 3:7 says neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Wisdom is very important. Proverbs 4:7 says wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. According to Proverbs 16:6 wisdom is better than gold. It is far better than strength, Ecclesiastes 9:16. Ecclesiastes 10:10 says wisdom is profitable to direct or lead. Despite all the advantages of wisdom, it does not guarantee promotion. Promotion only comes from God, Psalm 75:6. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, not yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, Ecclesiastes 9:11. It is a good thing to be hardworking , but hard work alone cannot make a man rich. Deuteronomy 8:18 says it is God that gives power to get wealth. There is a God who is not limited.Because He is no limitation, He is able to take care of your limitations. Solomon loved the people of Israel.Although he had a good heart, he was limited because he lacked intelligence.One day He received a visit from the unlimited God and his limitation disappear. The man became so intelligent, the bible records that he became an authority in the study of animals, fishes, plants, trees e.t.c. Not only that his brain so much developed that he wrote a thousand and five songs and spoke three thousand proverbs, 1 Kings 4:32-33. Naaman was a top general, full of medals. He had the brain, the love of the king, the contact but he was very limited because he had leprosy. Despite all his potentials he could not function because of this limitation. One day he met with the servant of the Unlimited God and his leprosy was taken care off.

PRAYER POINT: Father, every limitation before me please take care of them.

SMALL HINGES SWING BIG DOORS

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 25, Matt 24, Esth 1, Acts 24

Genesis 40:7 and he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his Lord’s house, saying, wherefore look ye so sadly today?

The little things make big difference.Little act of kindness opens mighty doors. Many miss big opportunities because it comes disguised in ordinary moments. In Genesis 40:1-15 a big opportunity came to Joseph disguised in ordinary moments. He saw two fellow prisoners – the king’s butler and baker, looking sad and he decided to check if all was well. That simple act of care ushered him to the presence of Pharaoh. In Genesis 18:1-16, Abraham saw three men passing by and instead of doing what everyone does which is to act as if they are busy or pretend as if they did not see them, he decided to offer them water to wash their feet .This men agreed to stay at his place, later he found out that he was hosting the King of kings. That little gesture opened the door to his long awaited miracle. The little gifts we give can open doors during famine. A brother in church had a message like these and decided to give his manager a gift during Easter Celebration. He gave him a box of shaving set . Few months later he left the contract for another contract with better job prospects. The contract ended on the 24th of December so he was home during Christmas without a job. On the 26th of December, he called his former manager just to wish him a merry Christmas and that one asked about the contract and how he was getting on. He told him the contract had ended and will be applying for jobs in the New Year. Right on the spot, the manager offered him a job and by 2nd of January he was already employed. The little box of shaving stick he gave during Easter got him his job back. Just this last Christmas, I went into a shop to take shelter from rain and I noticed this stack of Christmas cards. I am not a card person but for some reason the Holy Spirit ministered to me to buy it and share it. Since the weekend was our Christmas Carol service I bought it and shared it to all the families present. After the Christmas service at church, one of the women I gave the Christmas card called me and gave me a very heavy bag. She said that was my Christmas gift, I thanked her and left. On my way home, I noticed I was the only one carrying a Christmas gift home out of the whole congregation. People told me it was favor but I said little hinges open big doors. My Christmas card brought a big bag of rice.

What am I trying to say? The small favors we do, the little helping hand we give, those small gifts, the little things we do for Jesus can open mighty doors for us. A young driver witnessed to his madam and she gave her life to Jesus. Because this woman was so rich, she gave the church one of her houses to be used as parish. That parish gave birth to over a thousand parishes .Redeemed Christian Churches of God (RCCG) has over a thousand parishes in Port Harcourt all because this young driver witnessed to this madam. A single soul witnessed to brought about the birth of over a thousand churches in a big city in Nigeria. That person you think is so bad that even Christ cannot save could be the next mighty evangelist. You might have been doing things for people –both small and big and they do not appreciate it or nothing seems to happen. Continue doing what you are doing because the reward is coming very soon.

KEY WORD: A single soul witnessed to brought about the birth of over a thousand churches in a city; you could be the next person to witness to a soul that will bring nations to Christ.

Thursday 24 January 2013

JESUS OUR RESTORER

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 24, Matt 23, Neh 13, Acts 23

Psalm 126:1 when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream

Overcoming a strong man is not a child's play . Luke 11:21-22 says when a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. The fellow who will overpower a strong man must be far stronger than the strong man. Those that robbed Zion and took them captive were far stronger them. The resident of Zion was taken captive not because they were lazy but because a stronger nation came and overpowered them.

The fellow who will restore what the thief has stolen must be far stronger than the thief.
Not only that, the fellow must be willing to help. Who is the thief? The devil . According to John 10:10, he steals, he kills and destroys. But thank God we have a restorer who is Jesus. He is far stronger than the thief – devil. He is so strong He can shake the heaven and the earth will come out of its place, Isaiah 13:13. Matthew 28:18 says all power in heaven and in earth is His. He is not only strong but He is willing to restore everything the thief or the enemy has stolen from you. Jeremiah 29:11 says His thoughts towards you are thoughts of peace and to give you an expected end. In Mark 5:1-13 is the story of the mad man of Gadara. This man was full of potentials. Actually he was born to be a great evangelist but one way or the other demons that were far stronger than him took him, bound him and robbed him of his glorious destiny. Immediately this man saw Jesus, he ran to Him and worshiped Him. Jesus delivered him and restored his potential back to him. Jesus left the city and by the time He came back this man had already won the city of Decapolis for Jesus, Mark 5:19-21.The bodies of Sarah and Abraham robbed them the opportunity of having a child – Abraham was ninety-nine years old and Sarah was eighty –nine years old. The bible records in Romans 4:19 that Abraham’s body was dead while Sarah’s womb was dead. In Genesis 18:1-16, the Lord visited them and restored life to their body. Nine months later, Sarah gave birth to a bouncing baby boy at the age of ninety. The question is how can I get the Lord to restore what the enemy has stolen from me? By worshiping and serving God. Paul and Silas delivered a young girl possessed by demons and the owner of the girl put them in prison; they robbed them of their freedom. As Paul and Silas began to worship there was an earthquake and the Lord restored their freedom, Acts 16:25. Peter fished all night and caught nothing. While he was washing his net, Jesus requested for his services and he agreed. After Jesus had finished preaching on his boat, he restored all the opportunities Peter had lost all through the night. Peter caught so much fish that two boats began to sink. Luke 5:1-8.

ACTION POINT: To recover all the enemies have stolen from you , worship and serve God this year with all your heart.

Tuesday 22 January 2013

ACCEPTABLE SERVICES

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 23, Matt 22, Neh 12, Acts 22

Isaiah 40:31 but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint

To wait on God means to serve at God’s table. After waiting on Him to His satisfaction, He gives a tip. The tip is He renews the strength of those that wait on Him. Not only that, He ensures that they mount up with wings as eagles; He also ensures that tiredness or weariness would be a strange word to them. When strength is renewed prospering – spiritually, mentally, financially e.t.c becomes easy. Mounting up with wings as eagle simply means achieving or making progress without stress. The tip He gives to those who wait at His table is basically He helps them prosper without stress. Proverbs 10:22 says the blessings of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

There are things expected of waiters in a restaurant. They are expected to be well groomed .The cutlery used to serve is expected to be clean. They are expected to be courteous and polite when carrying out their duties. When a well groomed waiter serves you to your satisfaction, on your way out you give him a tip. But if you walk in and you notice that the waiter is in dirty uniforms or there is a cut on his hands or his nails are unkempt, you will request for another waiter or walk out of the restaurant. If the waiter brings your food in a dirty dish or you notice dirty cutlery on table, you will request for a cleaner cutlery or leave. If while serving you, he is everywhere or impatient or look uninterested, after eating you will pay for the meal and he gets no tip. The same thing happens when we wait at God’s table. The first thing He checks is if we are well groomed i.e. are we saved? Have we been washed clean in the blood of Jesus? Without salvation, all our righteousness is as filthy rags, Isaiah 64:6. No one wants a waiter in filthy rags, definitely not God. He checks the hands of those waiting on Him if they are unkempt i.e. their ways. He checks if they are righteous or not. Psalm 11:7 says the Lord’s countenance beholdeth the upright. The next thing He looks at is the cutlery used to serve Him i.e. the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 says for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. According to Jeremiah 17:10 the Lord searches the heart. He searches the heart to check if the service is eyeservice or not. He searches the heart to check if the fellow is serving him grudgingly.2Corinthians 9:7 says every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly , or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. The next thing God looks at is how the waiter serves him i.e. work ethics. One thing God disapproves of is laziness. Jesus said in John 5:17, my father work hitherto. God loves diligence in service. Hebrews 11:6 says God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. God is more interested in the giver of the gifts than the gifts. When He is satisfied on all grounds, He then gives a tip. A single tip from God is enough for a lifetime. If you don't believe me ask Solomon. This king took his time to offer a thousand burnt offerings to God. He was not in a haste . His heart was right with God. His ways were commendable before God . When he had finished waiting on God,his tip was to ask for anything he wanted, 2 Chronicles 1:6-12.

PRAYER POINT; Father I am making up mind to serve you please give a tip.

Monday 21 January 2013

CHRIST’S DOVES

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 22, Matt 21, Neh 11, Acts 21

Song of Solomon 6:9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, they praised her.

Songs of Solomon is a love song that allegorically pictures the church as the bride of Christ. The Shullamite is the church and the Beloved is Christ. As brides of Christ, we are His doves. We are expected to exhibit the characteristics of doves. What are the characteristics of doves? Doves are docile birds i.e. very submissive. As His doves, we are expected to be submissive to Him.James 4:7 says submit yourself to God. Not only to Him but to authorities also. 1 Peter 2:13 says submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme. According to Matthew 10:16 doves are harmless. As His doves we are expected to be harmless. Philippians 2:15 says that ye may be blameless and harmless, sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as light in the world. Another characteristic of doves is that they are humble. Been gentle is not humility. There are many gentle people with proud heart. Humility is a thing of the heart. As Christ's doves, He expects us to be humble. Psalm 138:6 says though the Lord is high, yet He respects the humble: the proud He knows from far. Doves by behavior are monogamous. While every other birds mate with any bird they see, doves sticks to only a partner all the days of their lives. According to Proverbs 6:32 anyone committing adultery or fornication lacks understanding , he may think he is having fun but he is actually destroying his soul . While dogs go around pleasing everyone, His doves are interested in pleasing Him alone. According to Jeremiah 48:28 doves make their nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth .For fear of birds of prey, she makes her nest in the side of a hole or cleft of a rock , that she and her young may be safe from them. His doves make their nest way from danger– pride, haughtiness, arrogance, self exaltation, fury and futility. Proverbs 16:18 says pride goeth before destruction, and haughty spirit before a fall.

The dove is a symbol of peace. Brides of Christ are expected to be symbols of peace not contentions or discord. 1 Corinthians 7:15 says God has called us to live in peace. Romans 14:19 says follow after the things which make for peace. We are expected to not to only seek peace but to pursue it, Psalm 34:14. The dove is also a symbol of purity. 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says for God hath not called us unto uncleanness but holiness. Whiles pigs dwell in uncleanness - dirty environment, doves stay far away from anything that can stain their white feathers. His doves are expected not to only run from sin but everything that appears as sin, 1 Thessalonians 5:22 . When you look at the fruit of the spirit , love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness e.t.c you will notice that this are all character traits of the dove. His doves are expected to bear the fruit of the Spirit

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit.

Sunday 20 January 2013

THE KEYS OF DAVID

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 21, Matt 20, Neh 10, Acts 20

Revelations 3:7 and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; these things saith he that is holy, he that is true , he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.

Keys are used to lock and unlock doors. When a door is locked, those that are in are prevented from coming out and those that are out are prevented from going in. Specific keys open specific doors. One of the biggest mistake we make today is we try the wrong keys on the right door expecting it work. You cannot try your car keys on the door to your house and expect it to work. The key to receiving a thing is asking for it. Matthew 7:8 says for everyone that asketh recieveth. The key to success is diligence. Proverbs 22:29 says the diligent shall stand before kings. Proverbs 12:24 says the hands of the diligent shall bear rule. The key to seeing God in action in our life is Holiness. Hebrews 12:14 says follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Also specific keys shut specific doors. The key to shutting the door on devourers is tithing, Malachi 3:9-11. The key to shutting the door on Satanic activities in our life is submitting to God and then resisting the devil,James 4:7. From studying Revelations 3:7, we see the possibility of a door been shut or opened regardless of what we do. Jabez was a diligent man but the curse on his life shut the door of success on him regardless, 1 Chronicles 4:9-11. The reason for the poverty in the life of the woman with the issue of blood was not because she loved sleep, Mark 5:25-34. This woman started life as a wealthy lady, but she spent all trying to get a cure for her illness. The mad man of Gadara was not sick as a result of sin, Mark 5:1-16. The reason for his mental illness was because he was possessed by wicked demons.

There is a key that opens all doors and shuts all doors. Not only that, when this key is used to open any door, the door remains permanently opened and when it is used to lock any door, the door remains permanently locked.This key is called the keys of David. The keys of David symbolizes power and authority. The possessor of the keys of David is Jesus Christ. Jabez ran to Him and the door of success was opened unto him. The woman with the issue of blood touched the carrier of the keys of David and received her healing. As mad as the demonic man of Gadara was, he recognized the carrier of the keys of David and worshiped him. I remembered when I was writing my final year project. Despite every effort I missed the dead line as my project authenticator was not around to sign off my project.The project deadline was Friday at 5pm. I got it signed off few minutes past five which meant i had to wait till the next semester. I ran to the One who possessed the keys of David and He opened the door of mercy to me.The next Monday morning I went to the submissions office and told them i wanted to submit my project. Without asking any question , the lady took it off me and gave me a receipt. If there is any door before you today, run to the Jesus and He will open it.

PRAYER POINT: Father , please open every door before me .

Saturday 19 January 2013

BY ASSOCIATION

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Gen 20, Matt 19, Neh 9, Acts 19

Proverbs 13:20 he that walked with wise man shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Those we associate with can either move us closer to God or farther from God. They can either help our faith or the destroy our faith. Romans 10:17 says faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If we surround ourselves with people who have faith, our faith will definitely grow. To make a mark in life, one needs to associate with people who want to make a mark in life not time wasters or people without goals. Our association informs our perspective of life.It influences our confession, how we react to issues, even our commitment to God. Through association one can either become wise or foolish. There are two types of wisdom. There is the earthly wisdom and divine wisdom. It is the earthly wisdom that advocates sex before marriage or ensuring that the lady gets pregnant before taking her to the altar. The end of such wisdom is confusion and every evil thing, James 3:16. There is also divine wisdom. Divine wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord, Psalm 111:10. Divine wisdom is to fear God, Job 28:28. If you come across any professor or philosopher or genius who says there is no God, know for sure that such fellow is totally void of wisdom –earthly or divine. Psalm 53:1 says the fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God’. Proverbs 8:13 says the fear of the Lord is to hate evil .According to Proverbs 16:6; it is by the fear of the Lord that men depart from evil. Those that are in possession of this divine wisdom do not play with evangelism. Proverbs 11:30 says he who wins souls is wise. Soul winning is not a choice. It is not negotiable. Proverbs 4:7 says wisdom i.e. soul winning is the principal thing. The question is why do I need to win souls for Jesus? Proverbs 3:35 says soul winners i.e. the wise shall Inherit glory. Not only that, they shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to righteousness e.g. those who invite people to church , like the stars forever and ever. This form of wisdom brings peace, James 3:17.

I want to become wise, what can I do? I am struggling in the area of soul winning what do you advise? I know it is right to fear God but for some reason I struggle when it comes to fearing God, please what can I do? The first step is to ask God who is the giver of wisdom. James 1:5 says if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him. The second step is to change one’s association. Proverbs 27:17 says it is only Iron that can sharpen Iron. Proverbs 13:20 admonishes that anyone who wants wisdom should associate with the wise. It is possible for a wise man to become foolish. How? By associating with fools. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says be not deceived, ‘evil communications corrupt good manners’. The greatest deception in the world today is the belief that we can change people. It is the Holy Spirit that changes people not men. If you are keeping unwise friends with an intention to change them later or you are in a relationship with an unwise person hoping to change them after marriage you are only deceiving yourself. People can change and people do change but it is advisable to go into marriage with the brother or sister who God has changed not who He is in the process of changing or planning to change.

ACTION POINT: Examine your present associations and check their effect on your walk with Christ. If they are taking you away from Christ , it is a sign that those association are not the best for you.

Friday 18 January 2013

THE POWER OF DIALOGUE

 Gen 19, Matt 18, Neh 8, Acts 18

Isaiah 1:18 come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 13:6-10

Dialogue is the most effective way of solving or dealing with human relationship problems. The absence of dialogue breeds many problems. When you study the relationship between Lot and Abram , one thing you will notice is the absence of dialogue .From the moment Abram decided to take Lot with him in Genesis 12:5 to Genesis 13:7 where fight broke out between their herdsmen , the bible did not record any dialogue between them. The absence of dialogue between Abram and Lot led to strife between their herdsmen. Both parties were aware that the land was not able to support them because of their possessions, instead of talking about it they kept quiet. Because they kept quiet the relationship between the two began to suffer. One of the causes of problems in relationship is that people shy away from issues; before you know it the relationship begins to suffer. The absence of dialogue hinders the realization of the potentials in a relationship. The relationship between Abram and his cousin – Lot had a lot of potentials. In Genesis 14:1-6, we see one of the potentials when Lot got into trouble and Abram mobilized kings to come to the rescue of his cousin. Both parties would not have been able to realize this potential if they had not dialogued when there was strife between the herdsmen. The absence of dialogue also gives room to unhealthy assumption. Before any strife, there would always be give away signs that all is not well. Before fight broke out between Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen, there must have been give way signs that all is not well. Because there was no dialogue, they just assumed all was well between the herdsmen. The fact that people are quiet in a relationship does not mean they are happy in the relationship. Lastly, dialogue creates an atmosphere for providing lasting solutions to the problems at hand. The dialogue between Abram and Lot provided solutions to the problems between the herdsmen. Not only that, it also birthed a way forward. During the dialogue, a suggestion came up that the land should be divided into two: Lot will pick a portion and Abram will pick the other.

Humans are in existence today as a result of the dialogue between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in Genesis 1:26. In Isaiah 1:18, we see the Almighty God encouraging a dialogue between Himself and man. He said ‘come now, and let us reason together’. Why would God want to dialogue with man? Because He understood the power of dialogue. From the day Abram and Lot sat down to dialogue, their relationship took a positive turn. From that moment onward, there was no record of any contention between them again; the bond between them grew stronger. In that relationship with your spouse encourage dialogue so as to ensure that everyone is happy. In that relationship with your children, encourage dialogue so as to know what they are going through and provide the necessary assistance. In that business relationship encourage dialogues to avoid assumptions.

ACTION POINT: In relationships, encourage dialogue.

Thursday 17 January 2013

GIVER OF GOLD OR THE GOLDEN CALF

   Gen 18, Matt 17, Neh 7, Acts 17

Luke 12:48 but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

God is not just giver of gifts, according to James 1:17 He is a giver of good and perfect gifts. One of the things that give God pleasure is blessings His children. Proverbs 35:27 says let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. One of the good gifts He gives is life. 1 Timothy 6:13 records that He quickeneth all things i.e. give life to everything. Something He gives daily to all His children is His blessings. Psalm 68:19 says blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. He is the giver of strength, opportunities, chances e.t.c John 3:27 says a man receives nothing, except it be given him from heaven. The most important gift He gave over two –thousand years is salvation through death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. John 3:16 says 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. God has been in the business of giving since He created the world.

When the children of Israel left Egypt, the Lord handed the possession of the Egyptians, their riches, their gold e.t.c to them courtesy of His generosity. That day the Lord handed the economy of the greatest nation in the world at that time to little Israel. Israel moved from been a slave to become a wealthy nation in a single day. One will expect this little nation to serve God with all their strength but what did they do? They used all the possessions to make a golden calf, Exodus 32:1-6. Out of the resources God gave to them, they made an idol and began to worship this idol. What the Israelite did back then could be compared to what many are doing today. Many have created an idol out of the resources God has giving to them. Many now miss services because of the jobs gave God gave to them. Many now miss worship or fellowship with the Lord because of the business, the marriage, the opportunities, the connections God has given to them .They worship the golden calf instead of the Giver of the gold. The result of their action was God got angry with them. The Lord’s anger is something no one should wish to see. Hebrews 10:31 says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. The question is what are you serving, the golden calf or the Giver of gold. The resources He has committed into your hands, are you using them for His glory or to create an idol to replace Him with. There is no one living the Lord has not giving something to. The fact that you can talk is a gift, use it to witness for Jesus. That strength, use it to serve God in one capacity or the other. A day is coming we will all give accounts to Him. The more resources at our disposal, the more we have to give accounts for. Luke 12:48 says to whom much is given, much will be required.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please forgive me for all your resources I have wasted and as from now onward give me the grace never to waste any more of your resources again.

WATCH YOUR EXPECTATIONS

 Gen 17, Matt 16, Neh 6, Acts 16

Proverbs 23:18 for surely there is a future hope; and your expectation shall not be cut off.

Mark 9:23 says everything is possible to them that believe. Belief is a very strong force. With your belief, you can attract anything. The difference between faith and fear is that faith is a strong belief that something positive will happen whilst fear is a strong belief that something negative will happen. When you entertain fear, you are indirectly pulling the negative results towards yourself. This is why fear is bad. Fearful people always proof themselves right; their greatest fear always comes to pass.

There is no one presently alive who has no expectations. You are either expecting something good in life or the opposite. Fear is a negative expectation and faith is positive expectation. This is why the righteous needs to stop fear in its track because whatever they fear, they indirectly expect and the bible assures us that their expectations shall not be cut off. Despite all the measures God put in place to protect Job, he still managed to put himself into trouble because of his fears. Job himself said the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, Job 3:25. Jonathan on the other hand expected victory and he got it. Jonathan and his armourbearer believed that nothing restraints the Lord from saving by many or by few, 1 Samuel 14:4-16. The two went into the camp of the Philistine expecting victory and the bible records that there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling. Peter and John asked the lame man at the beautiful to look at them, Acts 3:1-8. This man did not just look at them, the bible records that he looked at them expecting to receive something from them. He looked at them with a positive expectation, guess what? His expectation was not cut off. He left that scene walking on his two legs. What you expect is what you will get. When David faced Goliath, what do you think He expected? I can assure you he was not expecting defeat, 1 Samuel 17:26- 51. From his confession we can deduce that he was expecting to severe the head of Goliath from his body despite the fact that he did not have a sword on him. At the end he severed the head of Goliath from his body with Goliath's sword.Ignore the resources at your disposal and begin to expect things to walk in your favor. Begin to expect good things to come your way in life. Remember your expectation will not be cut off. With your expectation you can make your dreams become a reality.

ACTION POINT: Begin to expect good things to happen to this year.

Wednesday 16 January 2013

WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED

 Gen 16, Matt 15, Neh 5, Acts 15

Luke 13:12 and when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 13:11-13

God does not make people sick or put them in bondage to test them. James 1:13 says for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man. God does not use trials and tribulations to tempt His children. It is the devil that brings sickness or challenges. He is responsible for every theft, death and destruction, John 10:10. In our bible studies, we read the story of the woman who was bent over and could not fully straighten herself for eighteen years. To bend over for just an hour is very painful talk less of been bent over for twenty- four hours. She was in that position for eighteen years. Many of us do not appreciate the fact that we can stand upright, instead of been thankful we keep complaining to God. The last thing on the mind of this lady was marriage, promotion or financial breakthrough because she was in great pain. Standing was an issue for her, sitting was unbearable, lying down was worse. Asides the constant pain she was in, joy was a strange thing to her. Not only that, she knew unhappiness like the back of her hand. Many look forward to a great future, but this lady look forward to a future of pain because the pain increased with her age. While Jesus was preaching, He saw the lady and out of compassion He called and said “woman thou art loosed”; that marked the beginning of her healing.

There are certain questions we need to answer. Firstly, who said woman thou hath loosed from thine infirmity? It was Jesus. We receive salvation through Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 says for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Acts 4:12 says neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Not only that, all power in heaven and in earth has been giving to Jesus, Matthew 28:18. Philippians 2:10 says that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth , and those under the earth. The only One who can lose what the enemy has tied is Jesus. Luke 11:22-23 says a strong man guards his house and his goods are in peace but when a stronger man than he comes, he overpowers him , takes from him all his armor and divide his spoils. It takes a stronger man to overpower a strong man. Only Jesus can deliver those under the bondage of addictions, sickness e.t.c Secondly, who was the statement directed at? It was directed at a woman facing some challenges. The name of the woman was not mentioned which meant that it could have been anyone. Jesus could have been speaking to either you or me. Thirdly, what was the name of the infirmity or sickness or challenges? The bible did not specify it, which meant that it could have been any form of challenges- challenges in career, in finance , relationship , in business to mention a few. When we replace the word ‘woman’ with our name and ‘thine infirmity with our challenge, it becomes e.g. Jesus said unto him, Olusamuel thou hath loosed from every challenges in 2013. Go ahead and replace the word woman with your name and add whatever challenges you are going through. When you look at it from another angle, it becomes a prophesy “olusamuel thou hath loosed from every challenges”. Remember it is what God hears you say that He will do, Numbers 14:28.

CONFESSION: Your name (Olusamuel) thou hath loosed from every challenges in 2013.

Tuesday 15 January 2013

GETTING THE ATTENTION OF GOD

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 15, Matt 14, Neh 4, Acts 14

1 Kings 18:38 then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

BIBLE STUDIES: 1 kings 18:31-39

There are several ways to get God's attention. One of it is by living a life of righteousness. Psalm 11:7 says for the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright. Psalm 4:3 says but know that the Lord has set part for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him. Another way to get the attention of God is through giving - giving to the poor and the needy. Proverbs 19:17 says he who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given. Also supporting kingdom projects. Luke 6:38 says give it will come back to you, for with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Another way is through prayers. James 5:16 says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

In 1 Kings 18:31-39, we see an effective way of attracting God's attention. After the whole nation had gathered, Elijah stepped forward, repaired the altar and began to Eulogize God. He began to call Him names like Lord God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Israel and before you know it, fire fell from heaven and consumed the offering. If you study the passage carefully, you will notice that Elijah did not even request for fire. According to Numbers 14:28, it is what God hears you say that He will do. If you call Him the great Physician, He will heal you. If you call Him the Help of the helpless, He will help you. Elijah knew this, so he started by calling God “Lord God of Abraham". According to Genesis 18:1-15, with the God of Abraham nothing shall impossible. The impossible happened because fire came from heaven and consumed the offering. He went further to call God "God of Isaac". According to Genesis 26:12-14, the God of Isaac is the God of steady greatness. The family of Elijah was nothing to reckon with in Israel. The bible did not even make mention of his family but from the moment fire fell; the whole nation began to look up to him. He now ended by calling God “God of Israel". According to Genesis 30:41-43 , the God of Israel is the God of exceeding greatness. Elijah ended up as the only man in history who rode on the chariots of fire. When you worship God, He gives to you what you did not even ask for. All Hannah asked for was a son, 1 Samuel 1:9-17. After she got the son, she praised God to the extent that God gave her another three boys and two girls, 1 Samuel 3:21.

ACTION POINT: The more time you spend worshiping God, the less time you will need to make your request known to Him.

Sunday 13 January 2013

TAKE NOW THY SON

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 13, Matt 12, Neh 2, Acts 12

Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 22:1-19 The way God expresses His love is different from the way we express love. He does not like, He loves.

John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. He does not dislike, He hates. Proverbs 6:16-17 says these six things the Lord hates, yes seven are an abomination to Him; A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood. There are two levels of God’s love; there is the general love and special love. Under general love, He loves everyone – the good and the bad. According to Matthew 5:45, He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. This love costs nothing; all that is required is for you to take it. He gives light to everyone. He gives the rain even to farmers to who publicly confess that there is no God.

There is a higher level of love called special love. Those He specially loves enjoy special benefits. In 2 Kings 2:10-11, we see God sending a chariot from heaven to bring Elijah-His prophet home. God loved this man so much he did not want him to see death. When He wants to bless this group of people, He blesses them until their barns can no longer take the blessings. Take for instance the case of David in 1 Samuel 16:1, God told Samuel to fill his horn with oil and go and anoint him. The question is why fill a horn with oil just to anoint a man? Is that not wastage? The oil could have been used to anoint at least a thousand men. That is God for you. When He loves, He cannot stop giving. He anointed David with the Holy Ghost until his cup run over. Also this group of people enjoys special favors from Him. In Genesis 18:1-16, God Himself left heaven to come and eat in the house of His friend – Abraham. What is required of me to enjoy God’s special love? You need to love God. Proverbs 8:17 says I love those who me. John 14:21 says he that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love, and will manifest myself to him. This special love cost something. It might cost you your time, resources or things special to you. That is why it is special. You will be required from time to time to demonstrate that you really love God. In Genesis 22:1-19, Abraham was required to demonstrate His love for God. God told him to go and sacrifice his son and he obeyed. Because he loved God, God loved him back and mightily blessed Him. Peter also demonstrated his love by leaving his fishing career and following Jesus and in return, God filled him mightily with the Holy Ghost to the extent that his shadow was healing the sick, Acts 5:15. I have always nursed the ambition of studying abroad but for one reason or the other it never materialized. During that period, our church was preparing for its annual convention and there was a lot of brick laying works been carried at the convention ground. I joined the brick layers and worked for free for Jesus. Few months after the convention, I found myself on the plane to abroad to go and study. I loved Him and He reciprocated the love back!

ACTION POINT: Demonstrate your love for Him today, by working for Him and watch Him deal with your channges.

HEARING FROM GOD

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 14, Matt 13, Neh 3, Acts 13

Amos 3:7 surely the Lord God will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret unto his servants the prophets.

BIBLE STUDIES: Jeremiah 42:1-22

God is still in the business of speaking to His children. He speaks through dreams, vision, prophesy, the bible. He speaks to our heart; He speaks in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13); He speaks in an audible voice and you hear him clearly as if you are speaking to a friend. He speaks concerning all issues. In Genesis 21:12, He spoke to Abraham about his marriage. In 1 kings 17:2-9, He spoke to Elijah about his sustenance in the midst of famine. He spoke to Isaac about where to live in Genesis 26:1-6. He told Gideon of his assignment to deliver his nation, Judges 6:11-40 e.t.c. If you want His input in that choice or decision you are about to make, why not go to Him today.

For God to speak concerning a matter or issue, there are one or two things that needs to be in place. First of all, if you want His input on any matter you need to go to Him. James 4:8 says draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Every time you go to God in prayers, He comes close to listen. Before we go to Him, we must make sure that we have dealt with whatever can hinder Him from speaking to us. The reason why we don’t actually hear from Him when we call on Him is sin. Psalm 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. How can God answer when He cannot hear us calling on Him? John 9:31 says we know that God heareth not sinners: but he does listen to anyone who worships Him and does His will. This is why if you are yet to give your life to Christ, please do so today and if you have giving your life and you are still living in secret sin, ask Him to forgive you and wash you in the blood of Jesus. Another thing that must be in place to hear from God is the readiness to do whatever He says whether it is pleasing or displeasing. If you are expecting him to always say what you want to hear, am afraid you are wasting your time. Long after Abraham had separated himself from Lot, he was expecting God to commend him or say something he wanted to hear. God told him “walk before me and be perfect “, Genesis 17:1 . That was the last thing Abraham expected but he listened and God visited him. Lastly be ready to wait on Him. God is no one’s servant and He is not obliged to answer you immediately. If you petition the president of your country or your boss in the office, he will reply at his convenience and you have no option but to wait. If you can wait for mere men, how much more the King of glory, King of kings and the Lord of Lords. The Most High is not a talkative; anyone who wants to hear from God must learn patience. In our bible studies, Jeremiah heard from God after ten days of praying and fasting. If you come to God in fasting and prayers and you do not hear from Him, do not get tired, come back to Him again. Been patient with God is profitable because once He speaks concerning any matter, success is guaranteed.

ACTION POINT: Put measures in place to deal with anything that might hinder God from hearing you this season.

Friday 11 January 2013

KEYS TO UNLIMITED GREATNESS

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 11-12, Matt 11, Neh 1, Acts 11

Jeremiah 29:11 for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

One of the questions we ask from time to time is what is God’s plan for our life? When the bible talks of an expected end, what is the meaning of an expected end? According to Joshua 1:8, the end God has promised for us is good success; to be successful in all endeavors. Good success to mean sustained success. To be the head always and never be the tail. The expected end according to 3 John 1:2 is for us to prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers. I am not talking of prospering at the expense of our soul. I am talking of prosperity that comes as a result of living a life of holiness, a life sold out to God completely. Also the expected end is unlimited greatness.

Three of the most essential things that you must have so that you can have unlimited greatness are vision, health and power. Let’s look at them briefly. Firstly vision, Proverbs 29:18 says where there is no vision the people perish. Which means where there is no vision, nobody becomes great. The bible makes it abundantly clear that when we talk about vision, it is whatever you see that you can have. In Genesis 13:14-17, God said to Abraham ‘lift up your eyes and look from where you are –northward, southward, westward, and eastward’. He said ‘whatsoever you see I will give it to you’. He then said ‘let me help you further, I want you to get up and walk in the breadth of the land because the more you walk the more you see’. Vision is very crucial to unlimited greatness. Secondly health, even if you have great vision, without health you cannot achieve much. You can have vision of greatness but if you are sick, it will be just a dream. 3 John 1:2 talks about prospering and been in health. Because without health, prospering becomes difficult. Moses was able to successfully lead the children of Israel out of Egypt all because of good health. According to Deuteronomy 34:7, Moses at the age of one twenty was still strong and healthy. The bible records that even his eyes were not dim. Only the healthy can dream of becoming a mighty evangelist that will win a million souls for Christ. Only the healthy can dream of becoming the president of a nation or inventing things. Thirdly power, I am referring to the power that only God can supply. Unlimited greatness comes with a lot of responsibilities and challenges. Isaiah 40:30-31 says even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall. No matter how strong you are, you will get tired one day but the bible further goes on to say that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. Unlimited greatness will challenge your human ability; you need divine strength to cope. We need power to be witness for Jesus in the world. Acts 1:8 says you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Jesus in all areas of the world. Brethren to win a single soul for Jesus requires power talk less of winning a hundred or thousand or if you are greedy like me a million. According to Deuteronomy 8:18, we need power to get wealth.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I want to be great for you , please give me new vision, divine health and power.

Monday 7 January 2013

BE YOUR OWN PROPHET

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 7, Matt 7, Ezra 7, Acts 7

Proverbs 12:6 the words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

BIBLE STUDIES -2 KINGS 4:18-37

Many of us listen to newspaper reporters-wonderful people; prophets in their own right. We listen to economics – wonderful people; prophets in their own right. At times we even listen to doctors – lovely people; highly educated people; qualified professionals; prophets in their own right. The question is why don’t we learn to prophesy to ourselves?

The great Shunamite woman in our bible studies prophesied to herself. She did not even wait for Elisha to tell her all will be well. She kept on prophesying that it shall be well. On her to see the man of God, her husband asked if all is well and her reply was “it shall be well”. Again when the man of God saw her coming afar off, he sent his servant to check if all is well and she told the servant “it shall be well”. Despite the fact that her son was dead she kept on prophesying to herself that it shall be well and at the end all was well because her dead son lived again. When you study the scriptures you will notice that almost everyone who had a major breakthrough prophesied to themselves before the breakthrough. In Genesis 22:1-18, God told Abraham to go and sacrifice Isaac to Him as a test. On his way to the mountain, Isaac asked Abraham where the lamb for burnt offering was and Abraham said “my son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering”. He prophesied into his own life and that was the exact thing that happened. In 1 Samuel 17:26-56, David told Goliath “this day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you”. He prophesied that he was going to severe the head of Goliath from his body. Do you know that when David prophesied, he did not even have a dagger on him talk less of a sword? But because he had prophesied that was the exact thing that happened. Immediately Goliath fell he ran to him, since there was no available sword around, he took Goliath’s sword and used it cut of his head. The woman with the issue of blood prophesied to herself, she said “if only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made whole” (Mark 5:25-34). That was the exact thing that happened when she touched the clothes of Jesus. Proverbs 12:6 says the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. Before Jesus got to the house of Lazarus, he prophesied to Martha, John 11:17-45. He said “your brother will rise again” and that was the same thing that happened that. Your prophesy in adversity will determine the result. Joel 3:10 says let the weak say “I am strong” meaning let the weak should prophesy strength to themselves. Cultivate a habit of prophesying good things yourself. Ignore people’s opinion on your challenges; just continue to prophesy the result you want. Be your own prophet this year, it is what God hears you say that he will do not what the doctors say or people around you.

KEY WORD: It is what God hears you say that he will do not what the people around you say or the expert about your challenges.

Sunday 6 January 2013

GUARD YOUR MOUTH

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 5, Matt 5, Ezra 5, Acts 5

Proverbs 21:23 whoever guards his mouth and tongue, keeps his soul from troubles.

Proverbs 18:21 says death and life are in the power of the tongue. With the tongue, one can either start a war or put an end to war. With the tongue, one can either ask for help or reject help. With the tongue, one gather people or scatter what has been gathered. The rightful use of the mouth can bring deliverance. In Acts 16:25-27, Paul and Silas were bound and put in prison. In the middle of the night, they began to sing praises to God and before you know it there was an earth quake which lead to their deliverance. The rightful use of the mouth can lead to healing. Joel 3:10 says let the weak say I am strong and Numbers 14:28 says whatever God hears you say is what He will do . Do you know that just by witnessing with your mouth, you can inherit glory and begin to shine like the stars? Proverbs 10:31 says he that winneth souls is wise. According to Proverbs 3:35, the wise shall inherit glory. In other words those that witness (the wise) will inherit glory. Daniel 12:3 says the wise (those that win souls) shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who turn many to many into righteousness like the stars forever and ever. There is an African proverb which says words can either bring kola from the pocket or clubs from the bag.

Proverbs 21:23 says whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from trouble. The mouth of many has landed them in trouble. A wise man once said “we may forget blows but not words”. Proverbs 6:1 warns us that our mouth can be snare to us. As powerful as Samson was, his unguarded mouth cost him his two eyes, Judges 16:4-21. Samson who was a terror to the Philistine became a grinder in the prison because he could not keep secrets. Proverbs 18:6 says the mouth of a fool calls for strokes. To have relationship with God, one must learn to guard his mouth. There is a time to speak and there is a time to be quiet. If one speaks at the time he is meant to keep quiet he will end up facing embarrassment. Many of the quarrels and the enemies we have today could have been avoided if only we guarded our mouth. They say silence cannot be misquoted. Proverbs 14:23 says in all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty. Unguarded mouth leads to unnecessary arguments and confrontation. Also the unguarded mouths of others can put us into trouble if care is not taken. Herod was an orator. He had his way with words. Because of his eloquence, some people with unguarded mouth started comparing him with God and instead of stopping them, he enjoyed it. They shouted “the voice of a god and not of man!” Right on the spot, the angel of the Lord struck him and he was eaten by worms alive (Acts 12:21-23). David suffered the same fate. After conquering Goliath, some ladies with unguarded tongues began to compare him to the king, I Samuel 18:7-9. Instead of stopping them, he too just enjoyed it and then the King went after him. The king that took him as a son started to throw javelins at him. Thank God he survived but he spent half of his life running from Saul all because of unguarded mouth.

PRAYER POINT : Father , please help me today to guard my mouth.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 6, Matt 6, Ezra 6, Acts 6

John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

What is a ripple? A ripple is simply a small wave along the surface of water. An example of ripple is a small wave that occurs when you drop a rock into a pond. Ripple effect is the spreading effects experience as the result of a single event.

Some forty-something years ago, a young promising concert pianist fell in love with an African American boy. She got pregnant and her parents sent her out of the house. Due to the pressure of becoming a dad at a very young age, the boy began to misbehave. Things began to fall apart in the life of this lady and because she had no mentor she began to use drugs. The government of the state deemed her as an unfit mother so they decided to take the baby off her once she puts to bed. This deepened her sorrow. One day a Christian sister noticed this pregnant girl with the burden of the world on her shoulder crossing the road without checking the traffic. She ran to her and helped her. This sister witnessed to this lady and she gave her life to Christ. Several months later, the young lady to put to bed and gave birth to a boy. This boy grew up to become a Grammy Award –winning American Christian singer and a worship leader. Some of his songs include Alpha & Omega; I am a friend of God e.t.c. Later this lady (now an elderly woman) re-united with the sister (now an elderly woman too) who preached to her while she was crossing the road and got talking. It was a powerful re-union. Whilst talking, the Lady asked this sister, “What made you come to my assistance while I was crossing the road? What made you preach to me?” The sister replied “I had just met the Lord recently so I was preaching to everyone I saw”.

Because this sister received Jesus and began to witness, a young pregnant girl who was on drugs gave her life to Jesus. Instead of aborting the baby, she kept the baby and gave a birth to a son who leads millions to the presence of God through praise and worship. Today we have one of the leading Christian gospel artist- ISRAEL HOUGHTON, all because a sister decided to witness to that young pregnant girl who was crossing the road forty something years ago. The decision of this sister to witness caused a ripple effect that is still affecting the body of Christ till today. Today your decision to share Jesus with every one you come in contact with could cause a ripple that could lead to the birth of a world renowned evangelist. Your decision to do good or show kindness or help someone could cause a ripple effect that could change lives. The decision of Jesus to die on the cross caused a mighty ripple that shaped humanity. Whatever you do produces a ripple. It could lead many to Christ or lead many from Christ. It could put food on someone’s table or take food from their table. It could open an opportunity for some to succeed. Today we have men and women mightily used by God all because someone decided to witness to them or invite them to church

ACTION POINT: You can start a ripple today by giving your life to Christ. You can start a ripple today by deciding to be kind to everyone you come in contact with. You can start a mighty ripple today by deciding to share Jesus with everyone you come in contact with.

Friday 4 January 2013

WAITING ON THE LORD

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 4, Matt 4, Ezra 4, Acts 4

Isaiah 40:31 but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

BIBLE STUDIES: Lamentations 3:25-26

What does it mean to wait on God? A waiter is a person whose occupation is to serve at a table. When you go into a restaurant, waiters serve you. After the waiter must have served you to your satisfaction, on your way out you give the waiter a tip. To wait on God means to serve at God’s table. After waiting on God to His satisfaction, He will give you a tip. What is the tip He gives? Isaiah 40:31 says they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.

The tip God gives after we have waited on Him to His satisfaction is that He renews our strength. The synonyms of strength are power, security, courage, health, stability e.t.c. When God renews your strength (power), prospering financially becomes easy. Deuteronomy 8:18 says it is God that gives power to get wealth. When power is renewed one will become a blessing-spiritually, financially, materially, physically, to anyone they come in contact with. Also one is able to restore joy to homes just like Jesus did when His strength was renewed in Acts 10:38. The bible said He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. When He renews your strength (Security), your security is guaranteed. Psalm 125:2 says the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even forever. When He renews your strength, you will receive courage. Once He renews your strength, you will be able to boast that if God is for me, who can be against me (Romans 8:31). When God renews your strength, you will be free from every disease, Deuteronomy 7:15. When He renews your strength, you will enjoy stability. It will be impossible to move you because God is your help, Psalm 46:5. After He renews your strength, you will begin to mount up with wings as eagles. Which means you will go from crawling to walking; walking to running; running to flying and from flying to soaring like eagles. If at the moment you do not speak in tongue, once your strength is renewed you will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and you will begin to speak in tongues. As you begin to labor in God’s vineyard, give to God, evangelize, your strength will be renewed and before you know it any sick person you pray for will recover immediately. Lamentations 3:25 says the Lord is good to those who wait for Him. Psalm 37:9 says those who wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth. If at the moment all you do is just go to church on Sundays, why not begin to serve God so that He can renew your strength. Once your strength is renewed, at your place of work your managers will begin notice an excellent spirit in you; in your business everyone will suddenly start patronizing you; at school your grades will tremendously improve, in your marriage things will change for the better and if you are single God will provide partner.

PRAYER POINT: Father I am ready to wait on you , please give me a tip.

Thursday 3 January 2013

A SOFT ANSWER

    BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 3, Matt 3, Ezra 3, Acts 3

Proverbs 15:1 says a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

BIBLE STUDIES: Proverbs 15:1-2

I read a fable about the sun and the wind. They quarreled about which was the stronger, and the wind said, ‘I’ll prove I am. See the old man down there with a coat? I bet I can get his coat off him quicker than you can. ‘So the sun went behind a cloud, and the wind blew until it was almost a tornado, but the harder it blew, the tighter the old man clutched his coat to him. Finally, the wind calmed down and gave up, and then the sun came out from the behind the clouds and smiled kindly on the old man. Presently, he mopped his brow and pulled off his coat. The sun then told the wind that gentleness and friendliness were always stronger than fury and force.

Many of the problems, disagreement we encounter in our relationship with people could have been avoided if only we approached issues with gentleness and friendliness. Proverbs 15:1 says a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Many of the problems between couples today could have been avoided if only one of the parties approached issues with gentleness and friendliness. Getting angry and answering in anger has been found to be unproductive in handling situations. Actually it has been tested and proven that our actions and answers inform the reaction and the response of people we are dealing with. Many have made unnecessary enemies due to the way they reacted to issues in the time past. Despite our past, God could have treated us with His heavy hand. He could have giving us what we deserve which was death for every sin we have committed but what did He do? He reacted to us in love. 1 John 4:19 says we love because God first loved us. Love begat love. Jesus has the right to use force and fury to save us but He did not do that, He opted to use gentleness and friendliness by gently knocking on the door of our heart to save us. Many have been on the right and did not get the justice they deserve all because they approached the other party in anger. Opt for the soft answer approach today. Do not react to things in anger, if you are angry it is better to just keep quiet. It is not profitable to argue or get angry. The Chinese have a saying, ‘he who treads the ground softly goes far’. The sun can make you take off your coat more quickly than the wind; and kindliness, the friendly approach and appreciation can make people change their minds more readily than all the bluster and storming in the world.

REMEMBER: ANGER IS THE ENEMY OF PERSUASION

Wednesday 2 January 2013

LET THE FIRE FALL

 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 2, Matt 2, Ezra 2, Acts 2

1 Kings 18:33 – then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

BIBLE STUDIES: 1 Kings 18:25-40

In 1 Kings 18:25-40 is a story we all know. Elijah and the prophets of Baal met at Mount Carmel to decide who the true God was. The prophet of Baal called on Baal but there was no response.Elijah called on God and He sent down fire. The fire consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

Let us now carefully look at what the fire consumed. The first thing the fire consumed was the burnt offering. In the olden days, when God accepts an offering, He will send fire to consume the offering and also say thank you. During the dedication of the temple, Solomon offered uncountable number of sheep and oxen (2 Chronicles 5:6) and brought it before the Lord. The Lord accepted this offering by sending fire, 2 Chronicles 7:1. After the fire He also said thank you by ensuring that Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom, 2 Chronicles 9:22. The only offering God accepts is an offering from a cheerful heart. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says God loves a cheerful giver. God will never accept any offering giving grudgingly. The second thing the fire consumed was the wood. Science will tell you that when fire touches a good wood energy is released. When the fire of the Lord falls, your potential is released. Peter had potential but no fire. In Luke 5:1-7, he fished all night and caught nothing. But immediately the carrier of the Holy Ghost came into his boat, his potential was released. He was then able to cast his net once and caught so much fish that two boats began to sink. I pray that the fire of God will fall and your potential is released in Jesus name, amen. The next thing the fire consumed was the stone. The stone represents unfruitfulness or unrepentant heart. Once the fire falls, unfruitfulness or bareness is consumed and you will begin to bring forth fruit. Also the unrepentant heart i.e. heart of stone is consumed. The next thing that was consumed was the dust. We are created from dust and dust represents the flesh. Once the fire fall, living a life of holiness will be easy because fleshly desires will be consumed. Also diseases in the flesh are consumed. The fifth thing that happened was that the fire licked the water. The water represents your tears. The fire will dry up all you tears. The only one who can tell you weep not is the One who is capable of taking care of what is causing you to weep.The fire from God is capable of dealing with what is causing you to weep. Before Elijah called down fire, he prepared the altar i.e. he put things in other. The fire will not fall until we put our walk with God in order. We need to begin to obey Him. The fire will not fall when are living in disobedience. We also need to prepare our bodies through fasting and prayers. If fire touches a bad wood nothing is released but if it touches a good wood, energy is generated.

ACTION POINT: Before you call down fire, put things right with God and prepare your body so that when the fire falls, your potential is released.

Tuesday 1 January 2013

ALL IS WELL

  BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Gen 1, Matt 1, Ezra 1, Acts 1

2 Kings 4:23 – so he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.” And she said, “It is well.”

BIBLE STUDIES: 2 Kings 4:18 - 27

In 2 Kings 4:8-27 is the story of the great Shunem woman and Elisha. One day this woman saw the man of God passing by and she invited him for a meal. Although the man of God refused, she persisted and the man of God came in to eat. Because the man of God enjoyed her food so much  anytime he was passing by, he will come in and eat at her place. Later this woman increased her giving and built a house for the man of God. The God who Elisha served visited this woman and gave her a son. One day death came and snatched this boy and she ran to the man of God. The man of God cried to God and death released what it had stolen from the Shunem woman.

Firstly,  I want to you to know  the fact that you love God does not mean there will not be problems. Challenges are part and parcel of life, be it a believer or an unbeliever. The only difference is that when the storms of life begins to blow, as a believer we have the One who Isaiah 9:6 calls the Prince of Peace. Who is the Prince of Peace? Jesus. When we study Mark 4:35-41, we will see that despite the fact that Jesus was in the boat, there was a great windstorm but a word from Him stilled the storm. Brethren there will be storms but the assurance we have as believers is that our boat will never sink. Psalm 34:19 says many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. John 16:33 says in the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. All is well is simply telling the devil to try his best but at the end all will be well with me. Secondly , please watch your mouth. Proverbs 18:21 says death and life are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 6:2 says our mouth can be a snare to us. It is important to watch what we say because whatever God hears us say is what He will do. Numbers 14:28 says “say to them, ‘as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you.” It does not matter what the whole world says, God is not interested in what everyone is saying about the challenges you are going through. He is only interested in what you are going to say and whatever you say is what He will do. When the son of the great Shunem woman died and her husband asked her hope all is well? Her response was ‘it is well’. When the prophet of God saw her coming afar off and asked his servant to go and check if all is well. This woman told this servant ‘it is well’. At the end of the day all was well. Instead of confessing the negative, she kept on saying what she wanted. She used the power of her tongue to change her destiny. What this woman said with her mouth was what God did for her.

CONFESSION: This year will be a prosperous year for me. I will not lack anything good this year. This year I will know God better. This year the world we will see the glory of God in my life.