THE POWER OF ASKING

MEMORY VERSE: Ask, and it will be given to you; [b]seek, and you will find; [c]knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

BIBLE STUDIES: Matthew 7:7-9

There is power in asking (for help, questions, etc). Our chances of receiving things from God e.g. blessings, help, spiritual gifts, answers to questions, divine guidance, deliverance, etc., increases when we ask Him. Matthew 7:7 says: “Ask, and it will be given to you….” Had the blind man in Luke 18:38-43 not asked our Lord Jesus Christ to restore his sight, the man would probably have spent the rest of his life in darkness.

Our chances of receiving things from people e.g. help, answers to questions, directions, etc., increases when we ask them. Regardless of how prayerful you are as a man, you can miss out on a good woman if you don’t ask her to marry you.

Our chances of increasing our reservoir of knowledge increases when we ask questions. In addition, our chances of improving our quality of life increases by asking the right questions. You can start by asking yourself some critical questions e.g. why do I do what I do? Why do I dress the way I dress? Why do I speak the way I speak? Why do I have the friends I have? What I am about to do, will it add value to my life? What I am about to do, will it move me closer to the purpose of God for my life and my goal? Am i getting closer to my goals ? Am I making the best use of my time? Is this relationship pushing me closer to God and my goals or further away? Am I spending my hard earned resources on things that matter? I spend time praying, do I spend enough time to develop the right skills to achieve my goals? The people advising me, do they have my best interest at heart? The people advising me, will they give the same advise they are giving to me to their partners or their children? The people advising me, have they proven themselves to me that they care about me? Am i spending my time helping others fulfil to their goals and purpose in life while my goals and purpose suffer?

NOTE: Questions can reveal motives and agendas. Question improves knowledge. One question you must always ask yourself is why I am doing what I am doing.

Samuel Oluwatoki

CREATING YOUR WORLD: THE POWER OF IMAGINATION

MEMORY VERSE: Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Numbers 14:28

BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 1-4

The people of the earth decided to build a city and a tower whose top would reach heaven (See Genesis 11:1-9). Verse 4 says: ‘And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ Whilst building, God visited them and halted the project. He halted it because of their pride; viz., wanting to make a name for themselves. Also, He halted it because they refused to multiply and replenish the earth as He had commanded. As a result, He confused their language and the people moved away from each other.

Verse 6 says: ‘And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.’ Please take note of this statement: ‘AND NOW NOTHING WILL BE RESTRAINED FROM THEM, WHICH THEY HAVE IMAGINED TO DO’. Everything around us is a product of someone’s imagination. The personal computer, mobile phones, artificial lakes, Islands, skyscrapers, electricity, aeroplanes, ships, emails, etc., are products of people's imagination. Do you know this universe is a product of God’s imagination? It once existed in God’s thought. The Lord recognises the power of imagination; as such, whenever He wants to do something for a man, He will set the power of the fellow’s imagination into motion. For instance, after He promised to make Abram a father of nations, He began to speak to him using pictures to set his imagination into motion. Genesis 15:5 says: ‘And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.’ God gave Joseph a dream to set his imagination into motion. He gave him another one to stretch his imagination; and for the first time, Joseph began to nurse the possibility of ruling the whole world. His attitude to life and things changed completely. He began to think like a leader, act like a leader; and within a short while, he was made the prime minister of Egypt.

NOTE: There is a direct relationship between your imaginations and what you will have. Your confession is a product of your imagination (thoughts) – out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks - and what God hears you say is what He will do for you.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

THE HOLY SPIRIT II

MEMORY VERSE: But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. 1 Samuel 16:14

BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 28-31

The Holy Spirit is a ‘MUST HAVE’ for every believer. Do you want to excel in your career? You need the Holy Spirit. Daniel through the power of the Holy Spirit excelled in politics. Do you want to excel in your studies? You need the Holy Spirit. A story that comes to mind is that of a Christian sister who was studying for her Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination. Whilst studying a night before her Biology papers, a strange mosquito began to disturb her, and she killed it. As she was about to put it in the bin, the Holy Spirit told her to study the mosquito. She opened her Biology textbook, read about mosquitoes, learnt how to draw and label mosquitoes, and went to the exam room. The next morning when she received her exam booklet, the first question was ‘draw and label a mosquito.’

To be fruitful at your old age, you need the Holy Spirit. To conquer the enemy, you need the Holy Spirit. To fulfil God’s plan for your life, you need the help of the Holy Spirit. Even to create wealth, you need the Holy Spirit. Deuteronomy 8:18 says: ‘But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ This brings us to the question, how do I receive the Holy Spirit? You receive the Holy Spirit when you give your life to Christ. Acts 2:38 says: ‘Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’

NOTE: If you grieve the Holy Spirit, He will leave. As such, you must not grieve Him.  Because nature abhors  a vacuum; the moment He takes His leave, an evil spirit will enter and torment the fellow. 1 Samuel 16:14 says: ‘But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.’ One disturbing fact about the Holy Spirit leaving a man is that you won’t know when He takes His leave. Many a time, it is always too late before one realizes that the Holy Spirit has left.

PRAYER POINT: Holy Spirit, please help me never to grieve you.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

THE POWER TO CREATE YOUR WORLD

MEMORY VERSE: And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. Genesis 2:15

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 29-34


Genesis 2:15 says: “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." The task of giving names to the creatures God created was not a small one. Firstly, it was a time-consuming task. As of today, according to BBC, there are 8.7 million species of animals. Secondly, it was a task that required a great knowledge of animals and divine wisdom because the names had to be in consonance with God’s purpose for the animals. The Lord brought these living creatures – animals, fishes, birds, etc. - to Adam to give them names for two main reasons: To distinguish one from another, (and point at something in them that was natural to them, and made them different from each other) and to put them into his hands, and give him authority over them.

There are few things I will like to point out in Genesis 2:15-16. Firstly, God gave Adam free hand to give names to the living creatures He was putting under him (See Genesis 2:15a).  Secondly, He didn’t interfere with the whole process. He allowed Adam to give them names that pleased him. Thirdly, the living creatures answered to the names that Adam gave to them (Genesis 2:15b). Just as God gave Adam free hand to give names to the living creatures He was putting under him, God has also given you a free hand to give names to the children He gave or will give to you. Not only that, He has given you a free hand to describe your life and give a name to your situation. God will not interfere with the names you give to your children, yourself, business, company or situation. Lastly, your children, business, company and situation will answer to the names you give to them. If I were you, I will never call a situation a hopeless situation because, as God lives and His Spirit lives, that is what that situation will be –it will definitely become a hopeless one. If I were you, I will never call my child a good-for-nothing boy or girl. You may have done it out of anger but you have also damaged the destiny of that young boy or girl. Thank God, you can reverse those names.

NOTE: The power to define your world is in your words so use it wisely.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

THE POWER OF FASTING

MEMORY VERSE: And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. Luke 4:14

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 4-6

One spiritual activity that is fast becoming unpopular today is fasting. Yet, fasting is one of the most important spiritual activities that a believer must engage in. The body of Christ have been so weakened as a result of our lack of fasting. There are certain things you need to know about fasting. Firstly, fasting is a must for believers. Jesus told His disciples, “But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face” (Matthew 6:17). Take note of the phrase “when thou fastest ”. It is ‘when’ you fast not ‘if’ you fast, in other words Jesus expects His disciples (believers) to fast regardless of whether they have a need or not. You should fast when things are not going as planned. Also, you should fast when things are going as planned. Another reason why you must fast regularly as a believer is that there are some things you can’t get done without fasting. As i said recently, anyone who does not fast is limited. The disciples of Jesus loved God. They left all, followed Jesus and served Him with all their heart. They obeyed God; they were righteous men living a life of holiness. Yet, they were limited. They brought a child possessed by a demon to them and they could not cast the demon out (Mark 9:14-32). If you leave fasting out of your spiritual activities, you will be limited and that’s the gospel truth! 

One of the advantages of fasting is that it increases your spiritual capacity to receive spiritual power. Our spiritual life is like a pipe. Food is like a sponge that blocks the pipe so that the power of God is not able to fully flow through us. The power of God may flow through us but it will be very limited. Fasting drains that pipe. Fasting makes you completely open to God and His power is able to flow through you in an unusual manner. Some years back a great man of God shared how after a long fast, he hugged one of his friends and that one fell under the power of the anointing. The man was flat on the floor for over 5 minutes. 

Fasting is also a means of sharpening your spiritual senses so that God can get through to you. When Moses wanted to receive the Ten Commandments, what did he do? He fasted. When Jesus wanted to start His ministry, what did He do? He fasted. You want to be able to hear God when He speaks? Fast. When you fast you become spiritually empowered. After Jesus fasted for forty days and forty night, the bible records that He returned in the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:14 says, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.” I had been witnessing to a particular sister for a while and nothing happened. One day, i saw her in the rain outside her house shaking. When i asked what happened, she told me her husband locked her out of the house due to a misunderstanding and walked off. I used that opportunity to witness to her – i told her Jesus is able to resolve the whole matter and bring the man back home. She gave her life to Christ and we said a simple prayer. An hour later, the man who had been gone for over 7 hours returned.  A week later, she told me that she had just attended a job interview but she was scared. We prayed again in the name of Jesus and she got the job – after several years of unemployment. You want power to be released every time you mention the name of Jesus? Cultivate a lifestyle of fasting and praying. 

NOTE: There are also medical benefits of fasting. Fasting helps weight loss. It promotes longevity. Believe it or not, the less you eat the longer you will live. It improves your brain function.  It improves immune system because it reduces free radical damage, regulates inflammatory condition in the body and starves off cancer cell formation. Also, fasting helps clear the skin and prevent acne. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

“BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING”

MEMORY VERSE: And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. Mark 9:29

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 1-5

BIBLE READING: Mark 9:20-29

One caring father brought his sick child to the disciples of Jesus (Mark 9:14-29). The boy was possessed with a foul spirit. The disciples prayed and prayed nothing happened. They bound and loosed still nothing. In the midst of all these Jesus came around. “What is the problem”, He asked. The father of the boy explained to Him. Jesus rebuked the foul spirit in the boy and he was delivered. When Jesus and His disciples returned home, they asked Him “why could we not cast him out?” These disciples had casted out several demons in the past so they wondered why they could not cast out that particular demon. Mark 9:29 says, “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” There are several truths we can glean from this verse but we will look at two. Firstly, in the spiritual world, there are degrees in the satanic hierarchy. Some demons are more malignant than others and have greater power over the souls of man.

Secondly, any Christian who does not fast and pray regularly is limited. There are some enemies that one cannot conquer except by fasting and praying. There are some battles that one cannot win except by fasting and praying. A Christian who does not regularly pray and fast cannot enjoy total victory. There are some heights especially in spiritual things that one cannot reach except by fasting and praying. Some problems cannot be solved except by fasting and praying. Some impacts cannot be made in this generation except by fasting and praying. Whether you believe or not, some things will not leave your life except by fasting and praying. That foul spirit did not leave until a man who fasted and prayed regularly commanded it out. Let me say this, fasting and praying must be backed with a life of holiness. Certain things cannot come into your life except by fasting and praying. The enemy had shut away peace from the life of the father of that young boy. When the man who regularly fasted and prayed got to the scene, He casted out the foul spirit and peace came into his life. Dear single sister, what you need is not more tight clothes or revealing clothes. What you need is not more make –up. It is a life of fasting and praying. Tight clothes and revealing clothes only attract strange men. Dear unemployed brother, what you need in order to get a job is not a second degree. It is not even connection. It is fasting and praying. Where marriage counselling has failed, praying and fasting will not fail. Many of us want God to use us like Paul and Peter but we don’t want to fast and pray. Many of us covet supernatural encounters but we don’t want to pray. It will not happen without a life of praying and fasting.

NOTE: As a Christian, you must fast at least once a week if you are serious about your Christian walk.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE POWER OF SPOKEN WORDS

MEMORY VERSE: And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses. Deuteronomy 34:9

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 37-42

There are four categories of people whose spoken words can shapen your life. The first is yourself. What God hears you say is what He is going to do for you. Number 14:28 says, “Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.” What you say is what you are going to get. David told Goliath “This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” ( 1 Samuel 17:46). When David said this to Goliath, all he had on him was a sling and stone but one way or the other, he got what he confessed. By the time we get to 1 Samuel 17:51, David had already severed Goliath’s head from his body.

The second is your earthly parents. The words of one’s parents, especially one’s father can go a long way in shaping one’s future. The bible is filled with several examples of men who succeeded because their father blessed them for example, Joseph, Isaac, Jacob, etc. The bible also has examples of men who struggled in life because of the words their parents spoke into their lives. A typical example is Jabez. When his mother gave birth to him, she said “you are child of pain so i will name you Jabez” meaning pain (1 Chronicles 4:9-10). From that day, his life became synonymous with pain. If your parents have said something negative into your life, you better go and apologize. If you are not in talking terms with them, you better go and make up with them. The third is your spiritual parents, your father in the Lord and mother in the Lord. Joshua became who he was because of God and his spiritual father, Moses. Joshua was known as a wise man and he became a leader in Israel because his father in the Lord laid hands on him and said some powerful things into his life. Deuteronomy 34:9 says, “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.” Elisha also became who he was because his father in the Lord, Elijah, spoke some powerful words into his life. Both of them, Joshua and Elisha, were not lucky. They served their masters and were rewarded. They didn’t make the life of their father in the Lord hell. The fourth is the Most High God. If God says you are blessed, there is no man who can change it. If God decrees a thing concerning your life, even your unbelief cannot change it. God cancel any curse that has been placed on a man. He is God and He can do that although it will take some fasting and praying. If God curses a man, who will he run to? No one. As such, run away from anything that can cause Him to curse you like defiling His temple which is your body.

NOTE: Watch your words because they create your world.

ACTION: Start confessing what you want to happen to you.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 4: YOU CAN GROW IN AUTHORITY

MEMORY VERSE: So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. 2 Samuel 5:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 31-36

Although at the beginning of these series we defined authority, we would like to define it again. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines authority as a “legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; power exercised by a person in virtue of his office or trust; dominion; jurisdiction; authorization; as, the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children; the authority of a court.” Authority is not shouting. Have you noticed that when Judges pass judgement they don’t shout or scream at the top of their voice? Authority is not bullying or making threats. A man or woman who has authority doesn’t need to do all that. There are several categories of authority. We have authority at home, church, place of work, school, state, nation, etc. In the class room, the teacher has a delegated authority from Christ over his or her students. Parents, Christians and non- Christians, have a delegated authority over their children. Even if your parents are unbelievers, they have a delegated authority from Christ over you. As a wife, whether your husband is a believer or not, he has a delegated authority from Christ over you. This is not negotiable ma. As the head, he can ask you to break your fast because he wants to make love to you and you cannot say no! This is why i encourage our single sisters to pray seriously before accepting any proposal from a man. Pray about the brother, and ask your leaders in church to pray along with you. Whoever you accept his marriage proposal will be the one who will receive the delegated authority from Christ over you. Also, this need to be mentioned: every man or woman with delegated authority from Christ will give account to Christ one day.

As you already know by now (from these series), authority belongs to Jesus. Matthew 28:18 says, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Christ has delegated some of His authority to us – fathers, mothers, leaders, teachers, etc. Proverbs 8:15 says, “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.” Another point i will like to make concerning authority is that one can grow in authority. An example of a man who grew in authority is David. He started as a shepherd boy who had authority over sheep. Because He was a man after God’s own heart, God increased his authority and he became Saul’s armour bearer. 1 Samuel 16:21 says, “And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour bearer.” The Lord increased his authority again and he became a captain over a thousand.1 Samuel 18:13 says, “Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.” The Lord continued to increase his authority until he became the king over Judah and then over Israel. 2 Samuel 5:3 says, “So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.” As long as David obeyed the Lord and behaved wisely, the Lord kept on increasing his authority. The bible is filled with several examples of young men like Daniel and Joseph; young women like Esther and Ruth; ordinary men like Peter, Stephen, Philip, etc, who the Lord increased their authority. To increase in authority one must obey God and live holy. If you obey God's commandments , everything God created will obey you even demons.

NOTE: There are two basic conditions for growing in authority: obey God and obey people in authority. Anyone who is fond of disobeying people in authority will not grow in authority.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 1

MEMORY VERSE: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 11-15

What is authority? Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines authority as a “legal or rightful power; a right to command or to act; power exercised by a person in virtue of his office or trust; dominion; jurisdiction; authorization; as, the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children; the authority of a court.” There are certain things you need to know about authority. Firstly, authority belongs to God. Psalm 62:11 says, “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.” ‘All’ authority in heaven and on earth have been given to Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18 says, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” What is the essence of authority? The essence of authority is to ensure order. Imagine a city without the police force or a judicial system. Imagine a world without NATO, UN, and other bodies. Psalm 115:16 says, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.” The Lord gave the earth to mankind to subdue it for Him. Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” To help mankind subdue the earth, He gave Adam, the first man, some authority.

Secondly, God has delegated some of His authority to us. For example, He delegated some authority to our parents. Colossians 3:20 says, “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” Also, He delegated some to our spiritual parents e.g. pastors, bishops, GSs, GOs, and so on. Ephesians 6:1 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” He delegated some authority to kings, presidents, prime ministers, leaders, managers, team leaders, supervisors, chairmen and chairwomen of organisation, police, armies, navy, etc. Proverbs 8:15 says, “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.” Romans 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” He delegated some authority to Fathers and husbands. Ephesians 5:23 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” It is important for those who God has given authority to, to know that they are not the owner of the authority and as such, the authority must not be used for selfish gains. The authority they are wielding is only a 'delegated authority' and they will give account. Mr Vice Chancellor, the authority you have over the university staffs, teaching and non-teaching staffs, is a delegated authority. So also, Mr Police officer/ Manager/ Great man of God , Husband, Father, Leader of establishment your authority is a delegated authority not yours.

NOTE: Because your authority (over your children, wife, people working underneath you, etc )is a delegated authority, you must use it in the best interest of the One who delegated the authority to you. You must not use your authority to bully people or promote people of your own colour or race. Your authority must be used solely for the advancement of the kingdom.

ACTION: Let's pray for our leaders that the Lord will give them wisdom and boldness.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world

THE STRONG MAN

MEMORY VERSE: Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house, Matthew 12:29

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kgs 1, 2 Thes 1, Dan 5, Ps 46-47

In Matthew 12: 22 -29 they brought a demon possessed man who was blind and unable to speak to Jesus; a force stronger than him had possessed him and prevented him from making progress. Jesus healed him so that he could see and talk. Whilst everyone rejoiced with the family of the man who was healed, the Pharisee began to condemn Jesus. They said He performed miracles with the power of Beelzebub. When Jesus realized what they were thinking, He said to them, “every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed.” He then explained to them that it takes a strong man to put a fellow in bondage. It takes a stronger man to deliver the fellow from the strong man and it takes a stronger man to bind the strong man and spoil his house. Mark 12: 29 says or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house.

Who is the strong man? The strong man referred to in this passage is the demon that possessed the man. Strong men are demons. The first thing you need to know about strong men is that they are invisible to our physical eyes. Although they are invisible, the havoc they wreck is visible. We see from our passage that although the demon responsible for the man’s challenge is invisible, the blindness and dumbness he caused are visible. Ephesians 6: 12 says for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. The second thing you need to know about the strong men is that they are wicked and stubborn. They will not move unless they are moved with force. They have no emotion and the only language they understand is violence. Matthew 11:12 says from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

It is important that you know that the strong men are strong and only bow to the power of God. The strong men are everywhere and they operate at different levels. One needs the spirit of discernment to recognize their operation. They operate in our places of work, in our communities, our schools, just to name a few. This is why we all need to take our spiritual lives serious. This is the main reason why we cannot joke with bible studies, fasting and praying, living a life of holiness and so on. This is why we cannot continue to live in sin. This is why family altar in every family is mandatory. Any parent not taking his or her ward to Sunday school is depriving that ward of the opportunity to grow spiritually. Lastly to stop the activities of the strong men we need the power of God. To put an end to their activities in our homes, families etc, we need to be endued with power from on high. To stop the activities of the strong men on our roads, we need power! To recover what the enemies have stolen from us, we need power.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please endue me with power from on high.

Bro Samuel - Reaching the world for Jesus

IT SHALL TURN TO YOU FOR A TESTIMONY

MEMORY VERSE: and it shall turn to you for a testimony, Luke 21:13.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Sam 6, 1 Cor 16, Ezek 14, John 15

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 21:10-13

The fact that we have given our life to Christ does not exempt us from the challenges of life. Actually as a Christians we will face challenges . According Psalms 30:5, we will face many but the good thing is the Lord will deliver us from them all. One of the signs of the end times is we will be persecuted. We will face unusual challenges at work, school, business, ministry e.t.c. At times the unexpected will happen just like it happened to me sometimes last year. I got to work and one of the senior managers called me into a room for short talk. We got into the room and he handed me a letter of suspension; I was at home for over three months.

In Christ there will be challenges. John 16:33 says these things I have spoken unto you, that it me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. One of the things that bring me joy is that Christ has overcome the world for me and I believe He did the same for you too. I remember after one particular prayer meeting during my suspension, a brother walked up to and said ‘Bro Sam, It shall turn to you for testimony’. It did turn to me for a testimony.

Just as Jesus assured His disciples in Luke 21:13 that whatever they may go through it shall to them for testimony, I am also telling you that whatever you may be going through at the moment ,friend it shall turn to you for a testimony. Without trials there will not be a testimony. Without big challenges, there will not be big testimonies. Without fire, there will not be gold. Are you battling with the repossession of your house? It shall turn to you for a testimony. Is your child’s behavior or conduct at school causing you to worry? It shall turn to you for a testimony. I was once suspended from school but today my parents rejoice over my salvation. Several years ago I was giving a month to leave the country; today it has turned to me for a testimony. Some months back I had a big financial challenge. During that period I received a letter from an organization that I had to settle a debt, failure to settle it will result in a court case. The Sunday before the Monday they were going to take me to court, the Lord settled the debt. I want you to know that the challenges you are facing is a divine opportunity from God to give you a testimony. Small challenges births small testimonies but big challenges births big testimonies. 

PRAYER POINT: Father, let all that I will face in the remainder of this year turn to me for a testimony.

Bro Samuel - Reaching the world Jesus

DEMONSTRATING LOVE

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

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judg 14, Acts 18, Jer 27, Mark 17

Jesus said and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me (John 12:32). In other words I will do everything possible to help everyone I know get to heaven or I will use everything in my power to bring people to where I am going ( heaven) or I will spend and be spent for the sole purpose of evangelism. A careful study of this verse exposes the determination of Jesus to save humanity. Not only that, it reveals the willingness of Jesus to go all the way just to make His Father (God) happy. The Most High built heaven for fellowship with His children on earth. He wants to see all His children at the end in heaven. The sum total of it all is Jesus loves us and He is prepared to go to any length to get us to heaven.

Many of us say that we love our children, family, work colleagues, business partners, neighbor e.t.c in actual sense we don’t. The only way to show that you love a fellow is by pointing him or her to Christ in other words witness about Christ to them. How can you say you love a brother, and you see him treading on the path to hell and you keep quiet or do nothing about it?

One the Day of Judgment many friends will look at their Christians friends and say you are the reason I am going to hell. They will say you knew about hell and never bothered to tell me about Christ. Many children will look at their parents with tears and say Dad or Mum; you know my lifestyle did not reflect Christ and you kept quiet. Many would look at their colleagues at work and say ‘I sat opposite you for ten years and you never bothered to introduce Christ to me’. Some colleagues will say we ate lunch together at work every day and you never talked about Jesus once. Others will say I gave you lift to work every day and you never bothered to tell me about Christ. Many husbands would look at their wives and say ‘you knew that I was heading for this place (hell) and you could not even fast for my salvation ’. Many land lords will look at their tenants with the look of so you knew about Christ and you never told me about Him. Many will say bro I sat by you in the bus from Location A to B and throughout the journey you did not even bother to tell me about salvation. A lot of family and friends will say i came to your child dedication, christening, birthday’s e.t.c and you never cared to ask if i have accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. The only way to demonstrate love is to witness. The best gift you can give anyone is Jesus. You don’t really love those children until your number one priority becomes where they spend eternity. You don’t really love that bro or sister until your number one priority becomes where he or she will spend eternity.

TO PONDER ON: How can you say you love a brother, and you do not care about his salvation?

ACTIVATING THE POWER OF GOD

MEMORY VERSE: and it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them, Luke 5:17.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Josh 2, Ps 123-125, Isa 62, Matt 10

BIBLE STUDIES: Luke 5:17-26

In our bible studies is a story we all know. Jesus was teaching in a particular house and everyone came to hear him teach. The power of God was present to heal every sick man and woman in the gathering. While He was preaching some men with stubborn faith brought their paralyzed friend, they tried to come through the door but could not because of the crowd so they decided to use the roof. When they finally got their friends to Jesus, He told the paralyzed man to stand up and walk. The paralyzed men stood up and began to walk.

Anywhere Jesus is; the power of God is also there. This is because all power in heaven and on earth has been given to Him by the Father, Matthew 28:18. Anywhere the name of Jesus is mentioned, the power of God is present. This is why at the mention of the name of Jesus knees bow, Philippians 2:10. Every time we gather to pray, the power of God is present. Matthew 18:20 says where two or more gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. 

On that day the power of God was present to heal everyone in attendance, Luke 5:17. The question is how come only the paralyzed man received his healing? The answer is only the friends of the paralyzed man activated the power of God through their faith. A generator has the potential to produce power for your appliances. For power to be generated you need to turn on the generator. The generator could be there for twenty years, if you do not turn it on it will not generate power for your appliances. You can pray for as long as you want,to activate the power of God in your life you need faith. Not too long ago I had a big challenge at work. I was suspended and invited for a final hearing. I had only 5 per cent chance of coming back. I remember the Friday before the Monday of my final hearing, I met one of my colleagues at work and he said ‘how far’? I told him I will back on Tuesday the day after my hearing. That is faith .Anyone in my shoes will be looking for jobs but I didn’t because I knew I will be going back.Even though defeat was guaranteed I told everyone I will be back and to God be glory I came back. 

TO PONDER ON: It is your faith that activates the power of God.

WHAT IF?

MEMORY VERSE: Yea, before the day was I am He; and there is none that deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? Isaiah 43:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lev 27, Ps 34, Eccl 10, Titus 2

What if Moses had not heeded to the call of God on His life (Exodus 3:2-22)? The Lord would not have killed the firstborn of the Egyptians and drowned Pharaoh in red sea. If Moses had refused to be used by God, the red sea would not have been parted; the children of Israel would not have eaten manna for forty years; the wall of Jericho would still be standing; Rahab – the prostitute would not have received salvation and become the great grandmother of David (Matthew 1:5-6) and David would not have killed Goliath. If Moses had said no to God, the children of Israel (the Lord's firstborn) would still be slaves till today in Egypt. By refusing to be used by God or witness about Jesus to your friends, do you know the pain you are causing Jesus? Do you know what is at stake by deciding not to witness about Jesus to that colleague or family member of yours? 

What if Mary had abortion, our Lord Jesus Christ would not have been born. What if Joseph disobeyed the angel of the Lord when he was told to take Jesus to Egypt because Herod sought to kill him (Matthew 2:13). Herod would probably have gotten hold of the baby and killed him. Had it been Joseph remained in Israel when he was instructed to take Jesus to Egypt, the woman with the issue of blood would not have received her healing (Mark 5:21-34); the man with the withered would have not received his healing(Luke 6:6-11); the woman who had a bent back for eighteen years would have died in that pain (Luke 13:10-17); the widow of Nain who lost her only son would not have known joy again( Luke 7:11-17). Let’s just imagine for a second that Mary had an abortion because she became pregnant out of wedlock, the man who had been sick for thirty eight years at the pool of Bethesda would have died waiting for the pool to be stirred (John 5:1-16); Peter would have remained a failure all his life (Luke 5:1-7); the woman caught in adultery would have been murdered (John 8:1-11).

The fact that you got pregnant out wedlock is not a reason to commit an abortion.You have made a mistake but don’t make a bigger one by becoming a murderer. Before you go for that abortion think twice and ask yourself, what if my parents had an abortion would I be alive today? Before you abort those lovely ideas you are pregnant with, think twice . If Moses had not heeded to the voice of the Lord, the Lord would have called somebody else. If Mary had had an abortion, the Lord would have used another virgin to bring the savior into the world. No one can hold God to ransom. Isaiah 43:13 says Yea, before the day was I am He; and there is none that deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? What He would do , He would do .

KEY WORD:No one can hold God to ransom.

ANOINTING VS SKILLS

MEMORY VERSE: And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. Isaiah 10:27.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lev 11-12, Ps 13-14, Prov 26, 1 Thes 5

BIBLE STUDY: Luke 5:1-7

In our bible studies, we read the story of Peter who fished all night and caught nothing. He was a skilled fisherman. Not only that, he was very experienced and to add this he was a hardworking man. Despite all these he still failed.

There are one or two points I will like to highlight from this story. Point 1 - skills and experience can fail you. You can be an expert in your field, it does not guarantee anything. Plans can fail you. I don’t believe that Peter left home that day without a plan or strategy . He must have planned his day, where he was going to start and all that. I also believed that he had contingency plans too i.e. what to do if plan A fails. Support networks do fail. That night Peter had a companion with him and their combined experience could not produce result. Hard work guarantees nothing. A fellow who decides to put in extra effort by working when others are sleeping is not a lazy man. That was Peter's intention , at the end he had nothing to show for all the effort. Everything can fail ; Jesus cannot fail. Immediately Jesus came into the scene, the man who had failed repeatedly made only an effort and results began to flow in.

Point 2 – To become what God has created you to be, you need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. What is anointing? Anointing is what makes an ordinary man do the supernatural or extra ordinary. You cannot fulfill God’s destiny for your life through skills alone. You cannot win souls for Jesus through skills or experience. I remembered the times when I will search on the internet for questions people ask during evangelism. I will get all the answers, prepare myself and go and witness. I found out that you can answer all the questions people ask you and they still would not give their life to Christ. I know how many religious arguments I have won based on knowledge, there are even times when the other party will agree with me and at the end still say 'I don’t want to give my life to Christ.' I remembered the case of a particular fervent sister who backslidded for one reason or the other. She had an answer to all the bible verse I gave to her. At a point I gave up because I was exhausted. Then a day came we were just discussing over the phone over a matter and she began to cry. I asked her if she wanted to give her life to Christ and she said yes! All this while I had been using skills and experience but that day I allowed the Holy Spirit to do His work and within two minutes she returned to Christ. Point 3 – anointing produces more results than skills. Jesus who was anointed with the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:38), gave a simple instruction and Peter caught so much fish that two boats began to sink.

PRAYER POINT: Father, anoint me with the Holy Ghost

GOD ALWAYS HAS SUBSTITUTES

MEMORY VERSE: Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?, Isaiah 43:13

 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lev 2-3, John 21, Prov 18, Col 1

 

When God decides to do something on earth whether in a life or a church or a place or country, there is no one or Jupiter who can stop Him. Actually Psalm 33:9 says once He says it, consider it done. When God wants to do something, please never sit on the fence. It is very dangerous to neither be for Him nor against Him. He hates lukewarm attitude with a passion. Revelations 3:16 says so then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. That is why if you want to serve God, serve Him wholeheartedly if you don’t want to serve Him no problem with that but please, do not be a lukewarm Christian. 

 

It is unwise to be against God. The Lord told the children of Israel to go and posses the land of Canaan but they refused. The whole nation cried and said they were not going because there were giants in the land, Number 14:1-45. The Lord said no problem, I have promised to take the children of Israel to Canaan land – a land flowing with milk and honey. If you elders don’t want to go, I will take your children. Everyone from age twenty and above died but the young ones got to Canaan. If the Lord is asking you to do something and you are refusing to do it, no problem He will get another person to do it. If He is asking you to go and start a ministry or do one thing or the other for Him and you are acting like a big man or big woman to Him, He will just leave you and ask someone else. If you decide not to partake in God’s project or refuse to contribute financially to it, He will finance His projects with or without you.

 

Every time God calls a man or woman to do one thing or the other for Him, He prepares a substitute in case they misbehave or suddenly get too big for Him. When He called Moses, He had Joshua. Moses worked with God for forty years but at a point he allowed his anger to get the better part of him and the Lord decided that Moses was no longer fit to carry on so He picked Joshua. It was God that picked Saul. Saul grew too big and began to pick and choose which of God’s instruction to follow. God replaced Him with a substitute- David. I remember while I was growing up we had a young boy in the choir who was very good at playing drums. When this young man mounted the drum sets, praise and worship changed. At a point, he began to come late to church and at times he would go and play football during the service and there will be no one to play the drums. After every little thing he will get angry and people will have to beg him to play the drums. Few months later, the Lord brought a family and their son was a drummer. This boy was not as good as our drummer but the Lord so much anointed this boy that in a short while this boy took our drummers place. Our drummer will be in the field playing football but this boy will be busy playing for Jesus. Today that boy plays at concerts but our ex-drummer only sits and watches!

 

PRAYER POINT: Father, help not to be too big for you to carry.

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.

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.

JESUS IS LORD

Romans 10:9 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Lord is a differential appellation for a deity or person who has authority, control or power over others. When we say Jesus is Lord, what we are saying is that He has authority, control and power over everything. By authority we mean influence or command. According to Matthew 28:18, all authority in heaven and on earth is His. He has authority over non living things, He told a storm 'be still' and it stood still, Mark 4:36-41. He has authority over all living things, which is why at the mention of His name all knees bow, Philippians 2:10. He has or is in control. He has control over all the demons and witches in the world. That is why He Is called the Lord of Host. He presides over the entire host in heaven ,earth and hell, which is why He was able to tell the legion demons who had possessed the man in Gadara to leave and they left without grumbling, Mark 5:1-20. Lastly Jesus has power. Psalm 33:8-9 says let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him, for He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast. According to Isaiah 13:13 , He is able to shake the heavens and the earth will move out of its place .Nahum 1:4 says mountain quake before Him, the hills melt, and earth heaves at His presence. Because He has power, He is able to bring back to life a corpse that began to decay, John 11:33-45.Every time you say “Jesus is Lord”, what you are doing is you are putting everything that pertains to you under His authority, control and power. By admitting Jesus Lord, what you are doing is you are submitting your challenges and everything bothering you at His feet. The challenges are no longer yours; He is free to do whatever He pleases with them.

A Lord is also someone to be obeyed. When a Lord speaks over an issue, you do not have opinions, you do not question it, all you do is just obey. When it comes to judgment, the Lord can overrule a verdict or a ruling out of mercy. The woman caught in adultery was guilty no questions about it but Jesus out of mercy overruled the verdict to stone her to death. When He said go into the world and preach, it is not negotiable. Whether you like or not you have to do just that because the Lord has spoken. When He says forgive, that is final. So before you put your challenges before Him as the Lord, you must be ready to carry out all His instructions. When He says ‘jump’, you do not ask why? What you say is ‘how high Lord’. When He says ‘go into the world and preach’, your response will be ‘yes Lord’ and off you go. As you carry out His instructions, you will see that He will begin to exercise His authority, control and power over all the issues of your life.

PRAYER POINT: Father, I am ready to carry out your instructions, please exercise Your authority, control and power over the challenges of my life.

THE SEEING EYE

Proverbs 29:18a says where there is no vision, the people perish.

There are different levels of seeing. There are those who cannot see at all, we call them blind. There are people who can see which constitutes the majority of us. There are people who can see through skill for example sculptors. A sculptor looks at a rock and sees an object; he gets his chisel and other tools and carves out the object. Without the skill one will see nothing but a rock. There are people who can see with their mind, they imagine things. There are people who can see through experience. Because of experience in certain areas they can see what ordinary people cannot see. Sometimes back I went to buy bananas in a shop. On coming out of the shop , an elderly woman met me and said ‘young man those bananas are not good , by this time tomorrow they will be all be rotten’. I looked at the banana they were very fresh. I said thanks ma but I was too tired to walk back and change them so I went home. I ate two out of five and by the time I got to the kitchen the next morning the three left were completely rotten. This woman from experience saw what I could not see. 

There are also people who can see with their spiritual eyes. In 2 Kings 6:15-17, Gehazi saw the whole town been surrounded by an army and He began to panic. He ran to call Elisha the anointed man of God and when that one got there, he just began to smile. Why? Because he saw the host of heaven in their millions protecting them. Two of them saw the same thing; while one was panicking the other began to rejoice. In 1 Samuel 17:1-58, while the whole army of Israel saw Goliath and his stature and began to panic, because of the anointing on David he saw the unprotected skull of Goliath and began to rejoice. Notice this, the whole army of Israel stood before Goliath and saw nothing but a young anointed boy saw an exposed skull. Whether we believe it or not, the spiritual runs the physical. Anyone who is blind spiritually is equivalent to a man blind physically. With all the gadgets in this world, we know a blind man is still limited in a lot of ways. How easy is it for a blind man to defend himself when he is been attacked. How fast can a blind man run? How much can he achieve and at rate will he achieved them? If a physically blind man is this limited how much more a spiritually blind man? Many have entered into wrong relationships, accepted wrong contracts, partnered with wrong people because they cannot see the spiritual. According to Proverbs 29:18a, the lack of vision i.e. spiritually blind can lead to physical harm or loss.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please open my spiritual eyes.