LISTENING HUSBANDS HAVE AN ADVANTAGE

MEMORY VERSE: but God said to Abraham, ‘do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called, Genesis 21:12

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 12, Ps 97-98, Isa 40, Rev 10

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 21:8-13

The role of the leader is to serve the people not to boss them or lord over them. The role of the head is to serve the body. While every other part of the body is sleeping, the brain is busy working just to ensure that all is well with the body. The greatest leader the world ever knows was Jesus; He spent his entire life serving the poor and washing the feet of his disciples. The difference between a dictator and a leader is that leaders serve while dictators don’t. Mark 9:35 says and he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, if any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

As a husband you are the head of the family. Ephesians 5:23 says for the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the savior of the church. The role of the husband is to serve not boss over his wife. The role of the wife is to submit to her husband, Ephesians 5:22. Good leaders listen to their subordinates, but tyrants or dictators don’t. There is nothing wrong in a husband listening to his wife’s wise and godly counsels. Whether you believe it or not women are more intuitive than man, listening to their wise and godly counsels has its advantages.

Pontius Pilate could have been guilty of crucifying Jesus if not for the wise and godly counsel of his wife. She said to him ‘have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him (Matthew 27:19).’ Immediately Pilate heard that he washed his hands off the case of Jesus. The husband of the great woman of Shunem would have died without a child if not for the wise and godly counsel of his wife. She told the husband that they needed to build a house for the man of God and that one agreed (2 Kings 4:8-13). A year later he became a father. In Genesis 21:8-13, Sarah had an insight on a personal family matter and Abram felt that she was wrong. God told Abraham listen to the voice of his wife. Arrogant husbands who refuse to listen to their wives because they think they know it all will fall flat on their face.

ACTION POINT: Listen to wise and godly counsel of your wife.

THE NEED FOR VISION

MEMORY VERSE: where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he, Proverbs 29:18

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 11, Ps 95-96, Isa 39, Rev 9

The first question is what is vision? Vision is simply seeing things as God sees them or seeing things through the eyes of God. Hebrew 4:13 says neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do or whom we must give a word of explanation. Psalm 139:4 says for there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether in other words before is word in on my tongue, He knows all about it. Nothing is hidden before God, when you see things as God sees them nothing will be hidden from you.

Proverbs 29:18 says where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

The bible says ‘where there is no vision’, this could be anywhere. It could be the church, an organization, a government parastatals, a community, a family, a nation just name it. Anywhere in the world and I repeat anywhere in the whole world where people do not see things the way God sees them, death (financial, spiritual, material, physical, mental) is inevitable. How does God see divorce? Malachi 2:16 says for the Lord, the God of Israel ,saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts; therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. 1 Corinthians 7:10 says and unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, let not the wife depart from her husband. God hates divorce.

A man without a vision is a man without a future. How does an ordinary man become extraordinary? Vision. How did a young slave boy in Egypt become the father to Pharaoh (Genesis 45:8)? Vision. Vision is power. A fellow without vision is the equivalent of a blind man. Thank God for vision impaired technology but the truth is this if you put a blind fellow on a race track with a fellow with eyes sight, the fellow with eyes sight will obviously get to the finish line before the blind fellow. To attain God’s vision for your life in His own time, you need vision.

PRAYER POINT:Father, please help me to see things as you see them.

INTERCEDING FOR THE ‘HEAD’

MEMORY VERSE: When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn, Proverbs 29:2.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 9, Ps 92-93, Isa 37, Rev 7

The most important part of the body is the head. The head is responsible for vision. Proverbs 29:18 says where there is no vision the people perish. The head is responsible for hearing. Romans 10:17 says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 14:23c says whatever that is not of faith is sin. The head is responsible for making decisions. To make wise decisions, wisdom is required. The head is responsible for intercession. Matthew 7:8 says for everyone that asketh recieveth. The reason why God created the head is to serve the body.
The body greatly depends on the head for a lot of things. If the head succeeds, the body will succeed but if the head fails, the body will fail. If the head makes a mistake, the body will pay dearly for it. This is why we need to always intercede for our ‘heads’- Pastors, Bishops, Teachers, Governors, Presidents, Heads of States, General Superintendent or Overseas e.t.c. The enemy knows the importance of the head to the body and he understands that once the body is separated from the head, the body will die. Anytime he wants to destroy a fellow, he encourages the fellow to rebel against his head i.e. leader. When he wanted to destroy Judas Iscariot, he encouraged him to rebel and betray his master –Jesus; we all know the end of Judas. This is why we need to ensure that we are not part of any rebellion or we don’t make friends with rebels.
There is a real need to intercede for world leaders today. The problem of recession all over the world is a result of our heads - finance ministers, chancellors, specialist e.t.c. getting it wrong. The only way out of recession is just to pray for them so that they will get it right. Without the fear of the Lord in their hearts, getting it right will be impossible. Psalm 111:10 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Increase in crimes, high rates of unemployment, corruptions e.t.c. are all end products of wrong decisions made by our heads. We need to pray for the salvation of our heads. Many of us would rather curse them than pray for them. The truth is this, if they are saved we will all enjoy. Proverbs 29:2 says when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
PRAYER POINT: Father, please have mercy and save the souls of world leaders.

KEEP THE ROAD CLEAR PT2

MEMORY VERSE: Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear, Isaiah 59:1-2

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 8, Ps 91, Isa 36, Rev 6

One thing I have learnt in the few years I have spent on earth is that challenges don’t give notice. They come at unexpected times, this minute all is well the next minute it is not. A prime example is found in 2 kings 4:18-2, the son of the Shunem woman was in high spirit in the morning, running all around the house. By noon he began to complain of headache and before you know it the boy passed away. I pray this will never be your portion in Jesus name. Many a times God reveal things to us before it happens but once in a while he might decide to not reveal them. The reason been that He is sovereign, not only that so that we don’t get too complacent. When the son of the Shunem woman died, the Lord decided not to tell Elisha anything. That was why Elisha said the Lord had hid these things from me, 2 Kings 4:27. The Lord is not a talkative, He is God and He is not obliged to reveal anything to anyone but when He does please don’t take it for granted.

When you look at fire stations, they do not permit cars around their offices because emergency might occur. The last thing they want is cars blocking the entrances when called to an emergency. The same thing applies to us. The path between us and God needs to be clear at all times. Psalm 66:18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. We need to keep ourselves pure at all times. The only thing that can hinder God from hearing us when we cry to him is sin. Isaiah 59:1-2 says behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Just a week ago a sister called her dad only to be told that her dad was lying on unconscious on the floor. Immediately she asked the lady that picked up the phone to put the phone in the dad’s ear and began to pray for him. Within 5 minutes this man regained consciousness. The question is what if this sister had been gossiping with her friends before she called that day what would have happened? What if there someone she was not greeting, do you think the Lord will have heard cry? On Monday I was on my way to church when I met an elderly man and he began to share the bible with me. From nowhere a man came and started shouting at us. The next minute he took a pen knife and tried to stab me on the neck. I don’t how I did it but I somehow dodged and this man ran into the railing behind me. He tried again and he fell, later he left and walked back to the car. I have never met this man before in my life, I didn’t say a word to me yet he attacked me. Thank God for the Holy Spirit. The question is what if I was on my back from where I went to commit fornication? By now I would be history.

KEY POINT: Keep the road between you and God clear because you don’t know what is going to happen in the next minute.

KEYS TO UNBELIEVABLE BREAKTHROUGH

MEMORY VERSE: I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me, Proverbs 8:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 7, Ps 90, Isa 35, Rev 5

One of the keys to unbelievable breakthrough is giving. Giving gives you influence. Proverbs 18:16 says a man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. There are some doors hard work cannot open, gifts will open them within minutes. I once shared the story of a brother in church who bought his boss men's shaving accessories. Few weeks later he left the contract for a bigger contract. Everything was going on well until something happened and his contract was terminated. During Christmas period, this brother called his old boss just to say hi and wish him a Merry Christmas. As they talked , the boss asked him about the contract and he narrated what happened. Right on the spot the boss gave him his old job back ; his gift opened door for him.

Giving to God gives you great influence. It is important to note that different gifts produce different results. 2 Corinthians 9:6 says sow sparingly reap sparingly, sow generously reap generously. There are three basic types of gift. There are normal gifts, this is giving out of the abundance you have. No matter how small a gift is, God always say thank you. When you give Him a normal gift, He gives back to you in many folds. He ensures it is pressed down, shaken together and running over, Luke 6:38. The second types are the gift that hurts. These gifts cost something. An example is found in Matthew 14:13-21 where a young boy gave his lunch to Jesus. This boy gave Jesus a gift that cost something i.e. lunch. Before the end of that the boy got back twelve baskets of fish and bread from Jesus. When you go out of your way or give a God a gift that costs you something, the Lord extends His hands of generosity to you.

The third type of gift is called widow’s mites. A widow’s mite is when a widow gives all she has or when a fellow gives all he has not knowing where his next supply would come from. This is an offering of faith. When you give God such offerings, he turns a situation around. I had a major challenge not too long ago and it was obvious I was going to be sacked especially due to the no of evidences they had. After the first hearing the union representative advised me to resign because I was fighting a lost battle. Instead of resigning I decided to pay my widow’s mite. Since it was obvious that I was going to be sacked, I decided to give the last salary I was paid before the final hearing to Jesus. At the final hearing, the case turned in my favor and I was re-instated.

KEY WORD: When you give Jesus your last, He turns it into the first of many good things.

PRAYING WITH YOUR CHILDREN

MEMORY VERSE: and God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of the God called to Hagar out of heaven and said unto her, what aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God hath the voice of the lad where he is, Genesis 21:17

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 6, Ps 89, Isa 34, Rev 4

BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis 21:14-22

When it comes to spiritual activities like praying and fasting, many parents don’t engage their children because they believe they are too small. As parents and adults, please do not despise little children especially when it comes to spiritual matters. They may be very little but Jesus does not play with their prayer requests. Matthew 18:10 says take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. If you are thinking a child is too small to hear from God, you are making a big mistake. This is why I weep for parents whose children miss Sunday school, they doing those children a great disfavor.

There are several reasons why you need to start engaging your little children in spiritual activities. There are several reasons why it pays to ask them to agree with you when you are seeking the face of God on an issue. Matthew 5:8 says blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. In other words to see God in action in your situation, you must possess a pure heart. To always get a quick response every time you pray to God, you need to be pure in heart. To improve your spiritual signal so you that you can hear God every time He speaks, you need a clean heart or a pure heart. What is a pure heart? A pure heart is a heart that is devoid of bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, negative thoughts e.t.c. Most children are in possession of such heart because they are innocent. They don’t keep grudges, they are not jealous, they hate no one, they judge no one, their heart is empty of malice e.t.c. Because they are in possession of such heart, their spiritual signals are very good and every time they call on God He listens.

We see in our bible studies that it was the cry of Ishmael (the young son of Hagar) that caught the attention of God. God could not stand the cry of this young boy; He had to urgently send an angel to sort Hagar out. Another reason why your children needs to be your prayer partner is that once in a while, worries of life and other emotions make it difficult to hear when God is speaking. During this period when your faith is weak, God speaks through the mouth of these little children. If you do not make them your prayer partners, God speaking through them to you might be difficult.

ACTION POINTS: Give your children the opportunity to lead prayer during devotions. Ask for their inputs during bible studies.

THE NEED FOR HONESTY

MEMORY VERSE: and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, John 8:32

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 5, Ps 88, Isa 33, Rev 3

BIBLE STUDIES: John 4:4-43.

Today the world has broken lies into several categories; there are white lies; broken promises; fabrication; bold-faced lie; exaggeration; deception, plagiarism; compulsive lying e.t.c. A lie is a lie regardless of what category it falls under. God does not condone dishonesty, and those who tell lies he disapproves of. Why is lying so serious? First of all, anyone who tells a lie no matter how small is the child of the devil. According to John 8:44, the father of all lies is Lucifer or the devil. Not only that, a liar is a wicked fellow, Psalm 58:3. Parents please do not turn your children to wicked children by encouraging them to lie. Don’t ask them to tell visitors that you are not home when you are actually at home.

In our bible studies is a story we all know. Jesus was by a well resting; a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well. During the course of conversation with her, Jesus told her to bring her husband. This woman has had five husbands in the past and the man she was currently living with was just a boyfriend not her husband. Jesus knew all about her past but decided to check if she was the honest type or not. She came out clean and told Jesus, she had no husband. Because of her honesty, she became the first Samaritan to receive Jesus. Not only that, she became a great 
evangelist for Jesus because through her almost everyone in Samaria received Jesus.

Honesty opens doors. No one wants to associate with a dishonest person. Because the Samaritan woman was honest with Jesus, the door of salvation that had been locked to the Samaritans was opened. Honesty sets a man free. John 8:32 says ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Honesty sets a man free but dishonesty puts him in bondage. Once you tell a lie, you will need another lie to cover the first lie. Not only that you will always need another lie to cover the previous lies and before you know it, you become a serial liar. Psalm 16:11 says in the presence of God is fullness of Joy. A dishonest fellow will never experience fullness of joy because Psalm 101:7 says those who tell lies shall not tarry in the presence of God. Dishonesty is sign of immaturity in the Lord. A mature Christian will rather tell the truth and let the devil be ashamed.

PRAYER POINT: Father I repent of all dishonesty today. Please give me the grace to be honest at all times.