SIN

What is sin? Sin is the transgression of the Law of God. And what is the Law of God? The Law of God is that we love one another by doing unto others as we would have them do unto us; whether family, friend, foe or stranger. Sin is a comfy cozy prison cell where the door is wide open until time runs out and the door slams shut! we have been put into a mortal prison house where we are the keeper of our prison until we pay our debt, or time runs out and death of the mortal coil slams the door shut on redemption. WE can continue living in our prison cell of sin, or we can change that dirty prison garment of sin suffering and death for the wedding garment of righteousness freedom and Life. The teachings of Jesus are to open the eyes of the blind who reside in the darkness of their prison house and turn them from the sin of Satan to the Righteousness of the Living God: to quicken the dead so they can see the law of sin ruling their mind. Everyone commits sin because they are connected to a soul which is full of all subtely and all mischief; connected to that child of the Wicked One, the enemy of righteousness, doing all he can to covertly pervert the Law of God. The way of the soul is sin and death, but the way of the Living God is righteousness and Life through applying the original teaching. We think, say, and do the sins the soul shows to our mind. The soul subtely injects its thoughts into our mind by making the thought sound just like our own voice. The soul uses rationalization to justify the sin as harmless, thereby establishing our own righteousness. A man's foes are the thoughts of his own soul. Circumcise the soul from your mind. Cut it off from controling your thoughts through its' emotions, moods, and feeelings. Stop servering it's law of sin by becoming the "doer" of Jesus' teachings, not just another reader paying lip service but a doer. If we are carnally minded, running after the things of this world, we will continue in sin because we will always have the temptations of mammon. Remember? - you cannot serve both God and mammon. But to be spiritually minded and walking in the righteousness of the Living God is Peace and Life. This is a most difficult choice each one of us must make on our own; to suffer the slings and arrows of criticism and continue with the masses marching unto war, under the captivity of sin, or take control of the soul and sin no more, enjoying that Peace which passeth all understanding.. We think we have been living our own life; fighting occassionally with ourself to be good, and do the right thing, and yet we haven't always been able to do that which we wished we could have done. In reality we have been battling the soul, unaware. We have been obeying certain lusts and desires of the soul, thinking the voice in our head is our own voice; it is so convincing it easily snares us and slays us with sin time and time again, even though we want to do right. For this reason was the Son of God manifest, that he would reveal the works of the soul: that we commit sin because we are the servant of the Wicked One's child, the soul. Call upon the Father to help; call with all your mind; ask that he sends you the revelations you need to eventually overcome the soul. Learn how to rule over your own soul first, and then you can show others the way that is not of mammon. Free your mind from sin by becoming the servant of righteousness; develop an obsessive complusive disorder when it comes to righteousness. Your sins are forgiven you as you have forgiven those who sinned against you (for they know not what they do). Let your WILL exceed the strength of Samson and do not let the soul cause you to sin. Be not deceived, the Kingdom of God is Righteousness.

REOPENING CLOSED CASES

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Psalm 2:4

Read: Daniel 6:10-17

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.

16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.

17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

MESSAGE

The Lord of hosts never loses a war. If He gives up a battle, it is because He wants to use that medium to win a war. Our God is always full of surprises. When Daniel’s enemies were plotting against him, God knew about it but He kept quiet. By the time Daniel fell into their trap and was thrown into the lions’ den, God did nothing about it. After the entrance to the lions’ den was shut behind Daniel, everyone thought he was finished. By the following morning however, God sprang some surprises on them all. The fellow they thought was dead and digested in the bellies of the lions came out alive. You are coming out from wherever the enemies placed you – alive, stronger, richer and better! All the mischief makers who though Daniel’s case was closed received a rude shock: his case was reopened, and what they thought was in their favour turned against them. That case that was decided against you in your office or in your extended family shall be revisited in Jesus’ Name! What they though was closed shall suddenly be reopened. The Lord will spring surprises on your enemies this season! In addition, the table turned for Daniel’s enemies. Not only were they now to become food for the lions, so also were their family members. This season, all those plotting against you shall be completely wiped out! None of them shall escape in Jesus’ Name!

Another surprise God sprang on the enemies of Daniel was that, by the reason of Daniel’s miraculous deliverance from the lions’ den, the God of Daniel became officially recognised and feared all over the kingdom as the true and living God. In Daniel 6:26, the king said,

“I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.”

Beyond this, after the coast was clear, Daniel prospered in the kingdom. He remained relevant in the corridors of power in successive government and was recognised as a man that could not be ignored. Daniel 6:28 says,
“So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”

If you are prepared to the utmost price for the Kingdom of God, you can be sure you will receive divine compensation beyond your imagination. How are you living today? Can you take a stand for the Lord in righteousness and refuse to compromise with sin?

Prayer Point:

Father, upturn every case the enemy has judged and concluded against me, my loved ones and members of my local assembly in Jesus' Name!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Exodus 26-27
Jeremiah 1

IT MAY NOT MAKE SENSE

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

Read: 2 Kings 4:1-7

4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels: borrow not a few.

4:4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

MESSAGE

Total obedience remains a major key to unlocking the doors of signs and wonders. In our Bible reading, when the man of God gave some instructions to the widow whose sons were about to be taken into slavery, she had every right to call them stupid instructions. He told her to go and borrow empty vessels from her neighbours. With the human understanding, one cannot see the relationship between borrowing empty containers and the money she needed. Also, she was asked to pour the oil in her little bottle into large containers.
How can a small bottle of oil fill up one large container, not to mention several containers? That is exactly the point. Blessed are those who will not argue with God. If you ask about my greatest secret, it is simply that l do not argue with God. He has asked me to do many things that the rational mind will call "foolish", and yet I never argue. Why? I discovered a long time ago that my brain is too little to understand this great God. The Bible in 1 Corinthians 1:27 says,

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty,"

Many years ago, when God asked me to go to the current site of the Redemption Camp, which was still a dense bush then, I did not argue. I could have advanced several reasons for not going. I could have said it was the operational base of armed robbers, or that it was very far from Lagos, or that there was no electricity or water supply there. Back then, we needed a place
where a lot of people could converge for our convention. By the grace of God, I did not argue. Today, the result is there for all to see. If you can be "foolish" enough to obey God completely, you will definitely become a candidate for signs and wonders. Many of the divine instructions that produce outstanding results do not make sense. It did not make sense when an axe-head fell into the river and the servant of God sank a piece of wood into the river to make the axe-head float (2 Kings 6:1-7). It did not make sense when a simple march of four helpless and hopeless lepers towards the enemy's camp became the thunderous hustling of thousands of chariots and horses, thereby chasing away the forces that had besieged Samaria (2 Kings 7:1-7). It does not make sense when you are in need and God instructs you to give Him or His servant the last you have on you (1 Kings 17:10-14). It may not make sense to you, but it does to Him. The sooner you accept His "foolish" instructions the better for you. If you have to wait until it makes sense, then the miracle might be delayed indefinitely.

Key Point:

God's mode of operation may sound foolish, but it always gets the desired results.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Exodus 20-21
Isaiah 65:13-25

ANY PRICKS?

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 1 Timothy 4:2

Read: Romans 9:1 & 1 Timothy 1:16-20

9:1 I say the truth in Christ, llie not, my conscience also bearing me
witness in the Holy Ghost.

1:16 Howbeit for this cause l obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1:18 This charge l commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare:

1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

1:20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto
Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

MESSAGE

"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. " Acts 2:38

For anyone who wants to partake of salvation from sin, Satan and the world,
God requires genuine, heartfelt repentance. In Acts 2:37, after preaching to the multitudes, they asked Peter, "What shall we do?" He simply replied, "Repent and be water-baptized, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." From his response, we understand that the Spirit of life Himself is a gift, and that if you will have Him, you must start from the place of repentance. If you want to experience the move of the Spirit in your life, begin with repentance. Repentance is the foundation stone on which faith in Christ is built. Anyone who claims to be a servant of God but who did not start from the place of repentance is only engaging in self deception. Examine yourself today. Are you
saved? Have you truly repented?

After you have successfully laid the foundation of repentance, your conscience
will be purged by the Blood of Jesus and made to come alive through the prompting of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14, Romans 9:1); to the extent that if you as much as tell a lie, you won't get away with it. You will remain troubled until you confess and restitute the lie. If you are never under the pressure of the Holy Spirit to make right your wrong deeds, you can be sure that something is wrong with your foundation. Many years ago, while travelling to Lagos from Ilesha (South-West, Nigeria), I forgot to buy a gift for my father in the Lord. By the time I got to Surulere, Lagos, I realised this oversight and so I bought some oranges to give to him from there. As Papa peeled and sucked the oranges, he
said, "These oranges are sweet. You must have bought them on the way." "Yes sir", I replied. The Holy Spirit said to me, "You just lied." My response to this was "How did I lie? Roadside is roadside, whether at Surulere or between Ilesha and Lagos." The Spirit then said, "You know his question meant whether you bought them on your way from llesha to Lagos." I replied, "Does it matter? Does this affect the sweetness of the oranges?" The Spirit insisted, You have lied." So l turned to my father in the Lord and told him l bought the oranges at Surulere, Lagos and not on my way from llesha, and Papa exclaimed, "Holy Spirit!" He knew the Spirit was dealing with me. Does this same Holy Spirit deal with you when you lie or sin? If your conscience is not responding to the pricks of the Holy Spirit, it means you have strayed from Him.

Prayer Point:
Father, quicken every part of my conscience that has been seared by persistent disobedience.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Exodus 17-19
Isaiah 65:1-12

HOSTS AT HEAVEN'S GATE

Set your affection on things above, not onthings on the earth. Colossians 3:2

Read: Colossians 3:1-4

3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

MESSAGE

In the world we live in today, a lot of people are overwhelmed by sorrow and are living in depression. It is therefore no accident that one of the crucial assignments of the Holy Spirit is the work of comforting the sorrowful and uplifting the depressed (John 16:6-7). His comfort shifts your focus away from your fears, wipes away your tears, sets your mind on the bigger picture you should see, gives you peace in the midst of the storm and gives you a reason to live beyond that moment of depression. In the end, He also gives you strength to help others in similar situations. In any area you need the comfort of the Holy Spirit, receive it today in Jesus' Name!

Several years ago, while still lecturing at the University of Lagos, I had a particular student We referred to as Brother Moses, He was a passionate soul-winner. His passion for the lost endeared him to me. We became so close that you would even think he was my biological first-born son. After he graduated from the university, he was posted to the northern part of Nigeria for his mandatory one-year service in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme. Within a few months of his service year, his fellow corps members had fallen in love with him. Then suddenly, he died. His fellow corps members could not accept this, and so they began to pray. He died at about 10am and by 2pm he came back to life. He told the brethren the Lord asked him to come back to tell them that they were praying the wrong kind of prayers, and that their noise was disturbing Him. The Lord said they should not be praying for Brother Moses to return from glory to join them on earth; they should rather be praying for themselves to finish the race and end up in glory. As soon as he delivered this message, he lay back on the bed and off he zoomed back into glory! When I heard of this incident, I grieved so much. I tried to comport myself with dignity during the Church service but immediately after the service and at other times when I was alone, I wept over and over again. On the third day, the Lord asked me why I was crying. I told Him it was because Brother Moses had died, but He corrected me that I was weeping because Brother Moses left me behind. Then the Lord asked me this: "How would you feel if you travelled abroad to a place you have never been to and suddenly you bumped into someone you knew before?"
I said I would be happy. Then He replied, "When you get to Heaven, Jesus will be there to receive you, but Brother Moses will be there to specially receive you." That brought comfort to me like nothing else! Beloved, your loved ones who died in the Lord will be waiting for you at Heaven's gate when your time on earth is up. Just fight the good fight of faith and pray that you finish well

Action Point:

Pray that God should cause the leaders of your nation to walk in honesty and truth. Pray also that their hearts will be filled with the fear of God and true love and concern for the people.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Exodus 11-12
Isaiah 62

OBEDIENCE AND MIRACLES

His mother saith unto the servants, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. John 2:5

Read: John 2:1-12 (KJV)

1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.

MESSAGE:

Besides sowing seeds, obedience is another key factor that can trigger a miraculous harvest in your life. May the Lord grant you the grace to obey Him completely in Jesus’ Name! To enter into this realm of the miraculous, all you need to receive is the divine directive, and immediately you comply with it, you will have your miracle. In our Bible reading, Jesus and His mother were invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee. At some point, they ran out of wine. His mother came to tell Him of their need, but He simply said it was not yet time for a miracle. Pre-empting Jesus, maybe based on experience, Mary told the servants present to wait on Him, receive any instruction from Him and carry it out to the letter. Later, the Lord instructed them to fill up some water pots with water. The servants thought of arguing with Him that what was needed at the party was wine and not water, but remembering Mary’s strict instructions to do whatever He asked them to do, they complied. Therefore, Jesus asked them to fetch some of the water and serve the chairman of the wedding feast. Again, they wanted to argue, but recalling what Mary said, they obeyed. They took it to the chairman but prepared a ready-made answer should he taste it and ask why they served him water. However, on their way, the water became wine.

One lesson from this story is that God searches for certain attributes in people before giving them their desired miracles. If you want a miracle, you must approach God in faith (Hebrews 11:6). Also, if there is no divine instruction or word from God backed up by total obedience from man, that miracle may never see the light of day. Before performing a miracle, God searches to see whether there is any word of His to honour by this miracle. In other words, if no prophetic word, word of revelation or promise of the Scripture is available concerning the situation, seeking for a miracle in such a case could lead to disappointment. No wonder the Psalmist in Psalm 138:2 said

“I will worship toward thy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”

In addition, if you truly desire a miracle, you must first crave to be acquainted with the God of miracles. Our God is a God of relationship. He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24, John 15:15). He can sustain His relationship with you even to generations after you depart from the earth. Lastly, after God ha

HE LIFTS MATERIAL BURDENS

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mathew 11:28

Read : Luke 13:10-17 ( KJV )

10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

Message

Burdens are loads imposed on a person by the wicked forces of this world or by circumstances of life. They come under certain categories, one of these being physical burdens. Physical burdens are exemplified by the case of Naaman who had an incurable disease ( 2 Kings 5:1 ). Also, the woman with a spirit of infirmity, who could not straighten herself for years, is another case in point ( Luke 13:11 ). No matter how much she tried, everywhere she went, she remained bent. Similarly, the man who had been at the pool of Bathseda for 38years had a physical burden ( John 5:2-9 ). Do you have a physical burden? Are you physically handicapped? Jesus Christ will lift your physical burdens today! You shall experience a turn around in Jesus Name!

Burdens could also be material in nature. The widow of Zarephath was carrying a material burden ( 1 Kings 17:8-16 ). Things used to be good for her, but her situation deteriorated to the point where she had only one meal to her credit. In addition, the heavily indebted widow of 2 kings 4:1-7 was plagued by debts left by her late husband. The creditors came calling and threatened to enslave her son's. Thank God she knew the right place to run to. She cried to the prophet, who was connected to the burden Bearer, and the tide turned for her and children. What about the wedding feast in John 2:1-11? They thought they had everything in place, but midway through the celebration, they ran out wine. They called on the Burden Bearer and He supplied what was lacking.

A very wealth man with a fleet of 14 cars once picked a quarrel with his wife, and she threatens that by the time she was done with him, he would be trekking about the street of Lagos, Nigeria. The man laughed it off, not knowing the kind of woman he has as wife. Not long after, his business began to nose-dive, and things because so bad that at a point, he had only one car left with 50 kobo in his pocket. Then he reasoned with himself, "if I buy petrol with this money I will starve, and if I spend the money on food, then I would trek in fulfilment of my wife's evil decree". That was when he decided to run to Jesus Christ for help, and the Lord turned things around for him. By the time he was sharing this testimony, he was dedicating two new houses on same day. What material burden see you carrying presently? If you run to Jesus, He will help you carry it. Through Him all material burdens can be lifted!

Key Point:

Over the ages, Jesus Christ has borne the burden of many. If you can fully come to Him, He will readily help you to carry the load that you cannot bear.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 48-50 and Isaiah 58:1-12

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: THROUGH THE LOVE

WHEN HIS VOICE THUNDERS

For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. Isaiah 30:31

Read: Psalm 29:3-9 (KJV)

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.

8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

MESSAGE

"But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”
Matthew 8:27

Are you currently in a state of perplexity? Does it seem as if the devil has vowed to sink the boat of your life? I have good news for you: he is only joking. Why? One reason why the boat of your life cannot sink is because all the elements, wind, storm and waves working against your boat were created by God, and they must hear His voice and obey Him. The disciples could not believe their eyes when they saw the manifestation of this. Jesus spoke to the contrary wind and the waves of the sea and they obeyed him. This season, everything working contrary to your boat and sail will hear the voice of the Master and beat a retreat in Jesus’ Name.

Everything God has created treats His voice with fear and awe. According to today’s reading, this voice is so powerful and awesome that there is no one and nothing that can withstand it. When the Lord speaks, thunder and lightning follow (Isaiah 30:30). When He speaks, the world beholds the true majesty of God. When He speaks, mighty cedar trees are split in pieces. When He speaks, the hottest of fires is cooled. When He speaks, the earth shakes and the wilderness quakes. When He speaks, hidden secrets are exposed and the impossible became possible. What can resist God’s voice? Nothing in or out of this world can! Today, the Lord will speak into your situation and every force or power actively working against you will take their flight. Yes, when He speaks, everything standing in His way will have to give way. At a point in time, the Philistines gathered together to invade Israel like they had done in times past. Samuel cried to the Lord and the voice of the Lord sounded from heaven to roundly defeat them. They never invaded Israel again after this (1 Samuel 7:8-13). As God speaks into your situation today, the speed at which your oppressors will disappear will be quite amazing. Look around you today, what are those things that have refused to let you go forward? Call on the Lord to speak into your situation now and there shall be change. The Lord will speak into your life, family, work place, finances and academics today, and all your enemies shall scatter.

Prayer Point:

Father, Lazarus heard Your voice and he came out of the grave. Speak into my life and let every opposing circumstances be silenced now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 46-47 and Isaiah 57

YOU ARE BLESSED

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. - Genesis 1:28

Read: Genesis 1:26-30

1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

1:28 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.

1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

MESSAGE :

God’s voice is so powerful that it can bring about abundant increase. When He speaks in a situation of lack and acute shortage, whatever is responsible for that anomaly is arrested and there is bountiful provision. An example of this can be seen in the lives of the children of Israel. In Genesis 46:26-27, we read that all the people that Israel brought with him into Egypt including Joseph and his family were 70. However, when they were leaving Egypt, the men alone were numbered at 600,000 (Exodus 12:37).

In fact, the Israelites’ rate of multiplication in Egypt was so rapid that it became a source of worry to the Egyptians (Exodus 1:7-10). Sometimes, we think that such miracles can only occur in Bible times. By the grace of God, in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, we have seen God’s faithfulness demonstrated in the area of multiplication. In 1952, the Church started with about 12 people. By the time I became the general overseer in 1981, we had only 40 parishes including the headquarters. The convention we had in 1980 had a little over 600 people in attendance, yet we thought that was quite large. Today, through the grace of the Almighty God, this same Church has spread to over 174 nations of the world! Why? It is simply because there is a God who can speak from Heaven to make something little increase abundantly. This shall be your portion today in Jesus’ Name!

A blessing summons all the forces in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth to help an individual to succeed. To bless someone, you have to open your mouth to declare it. When God blesses you, all the angels of God will assist you, and even demons will fight one another to clear the way for you. In Genesis 48:8-20, Joseph, while visiting his father Jacob with his two sons, carefully guided his father to rest his right hand on the head of the elder son, Manasseh, and to rest his left hand on Ephraim the younger. At this time, Jacob was old and sick, and could no longer see. When Jacob crossed his hands over the two boys, Joseph protested but Jacob insisted, saying the younger will be greater than the elder, and then he blessed them. Within a short period of time, the younger son had become 10 times more blessed than his elder brother (Deuteronomy 33:17).

This is what the declaration of a divine blessing can do in the life of a person. Ask God to declare His blessings on you. You can also seek the declaration of blessings from a father that is connected to God.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, from today, let me experience Your blessing of multiplication in every area of my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 42-43;
Isaiah 55

LIKE ABRAHAM?

And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel, on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an alter unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. Genesis 12:8

Read: Genesis 12:7-8(KJV)

7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.

8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

MESSAGE:

One crucial question that many people asking God to prosper them have not answered is: what will you do with the wealth you are asking for? While some people are sure of what to do with such wealth, many others are not so certain. Why do you want God to prosper you? Is it so that you can have multiple spouses, build multiple houses or buy a multitude of cars? If you really desire great wealth from God, what you plan to do with it to bring glory to His Name must not be far from you. May you have the right reasons, motives and goals that will be honoured by God in Jesus’ Name!

Let us consider the case of Abraham our spiritual father. After God promised to bless Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 and repeating the same promise in Genesis 12:7-8, what did Abraham do? Abraham immediately built an altar and worshipped God. Note that at this time, all Abraham had was God’s promise; there was no blessing yet. In other words, he was saying, “for promising to bless me at all, You deserve my worship.” Down the line, in Genesis 13:1-4, after the blessings started pouring in, Abraham did not forget his resolve to worship God. He travelled quite some distance to an altar he had earlier built at Bethel to worship God. By the time you get to Genesis 22:1-18, although Abraham had become truly blessed, he still proved to God that he loved Him more than any blessing he had received from Him, including Isaac his beloved son. When God saw all these, He was so impressed that He released greater blessings on him; hence, Abraham’s servant could testify that God had greatly blessed Abraham (Genesis 24:34-35). From the onset, Abraham was focused on worshipping God. As the blessings came, He remained committed to worshipping God. For this reason, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 51:2 instructs us to learn from him:

“Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.”

Not many of us are like Father Abraham. When you allow the little blessings you received from God to derail you from the faith, how can you then convince God to give you more? If you truly want the exponential blessings that God has reserved for you, you must have a solid plan for how you will glorify Him with such wealth. How are you spending the little you have now?

Key Point:

God has a plan for how you should spend every provision He makes available to you. Make it a point of duty to always ask Him to reveal this to you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 40-41 and Isaiah 54

MULTIPLY YOUR SEEDS

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Ecclesiastes 11:6

Read: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 (KJV)

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

MESSAGE:

One law that applies to everyone is the law of harvest. The Holy Spirit in Galatians 6:7 says it is what you sow that you will reap. As a universal law, it holds true irrespective of your religious inclinations, race, colour or tribe. It applies, regardless of whether you believe it or not. Similarly, it is common knowledge that the kind of soil a seed is sown in will definitely affect and determine the harvest that will be taken from it. If the soil is good, the harvest will most likely be good, but if the soil is bad, the harvest will most likely be poor. If there are several farmers sowing the same type of seeds in the same kind of soil, is it possible for one farmer to have a more prosperous harvest than his colleagues? The Bible answers this in 2nd Corinthians 9:6

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

It is possible for one of the farmers to reap a better harvest, if he or she increases the quantity of seeds sown or the frequency of sowing. In light of this, the preacher strongly advises us to engage in regular sowing of seeds. You should be prepared to sow by day and by night. You should also sow when you are young and continue sowing when you are old. Why? Nobody can determine how the harvest of the seeds he or she has sown will be. Some seeds may come up with a poor harvest, some with a good harvest while some others may not yield at all. All these are pointers to the fact that you input can greatly influence your harvest.

Some people sow once in a very long while and then wait to see the harvest before deciding to sow again. This is why their harvest is kept far away from them. Do you know that in spite of all God has done for us – He sowed His only begotten Son to obtain our redemption – He is still sowing seeds for mercy, love, forgiveness, protection, provision, etc into our lives on a daily basis? This is why He continues to take in a harvest of souls every day. No wonder He tells us in Galatians 6:9

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

How frequently do you sow into God’s Kingdom? Have you stopped sowing because you are now old? Don’t stop sowing! Scatter your seeds today!

Action Point:

Looking at the size and quality of harvest you want for the future, go ahead and sow the seeds that will give you such harvest.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 38-39 and Isaiah 52:13-53:12

HE BEARS BURDENS

Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. - 1st Peter 5:7

Read: Matthew 27:27-32

27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

27:28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

27:31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

27:32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross

MESSAGE :

In Exodus 1:8-11, a generation of the children of Israel woke up one day and realised they had become slaves in a foreign land. From that moment, their children were born into slavery. Slavery became a burden that was attached to them for hundreds of years. Has something unsavoury been attached to you from birth? The Lord shall separate you from such burdens today in Jesus’ Name! Thankfully, just as there are burdens, there are also burden-bearers.

A burden-bearer is someone who sees you carrying some burden and offers to carry it for you, or gives you a helping hand. We see this demonstrated in today’s Bible reading. While leading Jesus to Golgotha where He would to crucified, the Roman soldiers made Him carry His heavy wooden cross. Even though He had been thoroughly beaten, was bleeding and was tired, He still had to carry his cross. As they began the journey, Simon of Cyrene came alone and he was compelled by the soldiers to assist Jesus in carrying His cross.

Some years ago, we had an experience with one of our domestic workers. Whenever we ask her to suggest a chorus during our family devotion, she would always raise a particular song that says, “The fire is burning the bush but the bush is not consumed, how great is our God.” One day, we curiously decided to find out about this fire she kept singing of. On interviewing her, we discovered that she became a housemaid because her parents were heavily indebted and could not pay. By the grace of God, we paid the debt. The following day, when asked to suggest a chorus during prayer time, she sang a new song which proclaimed “He has done it for me!” if you have carried a burden for so long and the burden gets lifted away, your song will indeed change.

The burden-bearer is the one who sees you carrying a burden and empathises with you. He comes to say to you that the load you are carrying is too heavy for you, and then offers to help you. There is no greater burden-bearer than then the Lord Jesus Christ! He wants to help you carry any load you are struggling with. Here is His call to you today:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Accept His invitation, and call Him for help.

ACTION POINT :
Confess those words to the Lord: Lord Jesus, I answer to Your call, I bring all of my burden to You. I lay them all at Your feet. I ask that You give me rest. Teach my heart to learn to cast all of my cares upon You in Faith, and to live in worry.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Genesis 34-35;
Isaiah 51:1-16

IS JESUS IN YOUR BOAT?

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Read: Matthew 8:23-27, Psalm 37:3-5

23 And when He was entered into a ship, His Disciples followed Him.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep.
25 And his disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Psalm 37:3-5
3 Trust in The Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in The Lord: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto The Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.

MESSAGE:
A. Have you ever been on a journey and the opposition against your progress was so intense that you felt you would never get to your destination?
1. If your answer is yes, then know that you are not alone.
2. Life is like embarking on a journey to a destination.
3. Every trip has its obstacles and hurdles.
4. While on a journey, The Disciples of Jesus once found themselves in this kind of tough situation.
5. It was so bad that they felt their boat was going to sink.
6. In fact, water was already entering their boat, and going by all they saw, it appeared nothing could be done.
7. If you are facing a similar situation today, simply make this confession to yourself: "My boat cannot sink, I shall reach my goal and nothing can stop my trip!"

B. Why will my boat not sink?
1. The reason is because Jesus Christ is in the boat of my life.
2. Nobody and nothing can “swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies”, a song-writer declared.
3. The greatest mistake you can make is to embark on a journey without Jesus in your boat.
4. It is important to note here that you should have Jesus Christ in the boat of your life, which you can do by receiving Him as your Lord and personal Saviour.
5. In addition to this, you should also have Him in the boat of your endeavours.
6. Do you know that if Jesus is in the boat of your life but not in the boat of your personal endeavours, these projects or plans can sink?
7. Many believers today take it for granted that because they are saved, automatically they will scale through any rough waters, including projects in which they never involved the Lord.
8. This is not faith but presumption.
9. If you are a believer in Christ and you go ahead to start a business, a home or a career without God’s involvement, you are on your own.
10. This is why the memory verse of today says you should trust God and not depend on your own limited understanding.
11. Even when Jesus appears to be asleep in your boat, as long as He is in your boat, He is still in control.
12. Hence Psalm 121:4 says, “Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."

C. Is God silent over your situation?
1. Does it appear that He is unaware of what you are going through?
2. Do you feel abandoned by God or even doubt whether He really loves you?
3. Be comforted! God still loves you. He cares so much for you.
4. He empathises with you in that present situation you are faced with, and He will surely make a way for you.
5. In spite of how you feel, God is still in control.
6. In spite of how distant God appears to be, God is right in the middle of your situation to bring you out.
7. It does not matter what is happening around you, The Lord is in control.
8. Very soon, you will testify of His intervention.

Key Point:
Any Faith you exercise that is full of hope and great expectations but puts Jesus at the back burner is presumption and not faith.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 32-33 and Isaiah 49:24-50:11

DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO GOD

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in himshould not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Read: John 3:16-17

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

MESSAGE:

Our Heavenly Father expects us all to grow in our Christian faith (2 Peter 3:18). If you refuse to grow, you may end up keeping God in an endless state of waiting for you to grow. Unfortunately, while God waits for you to grow, you may end up losing certain crucial things to others who grow up faster. For how long will you remain a babe? How long do you expect God to wait for you? Keeping God waiting can definitely affect His original plan for the life of some of His children. The night is far spent, and the Lord’s return is around the corner; therefore we cannot afford to slow down the growth process.

Your level of maturity determines the level of relationship you have with God, and in turn, the level of your relationship determines the communication channels that are open to you from heaven (Numbers 12:6-. It also determines your understanding of and response to God’s word. As a result of this, you can expect different responses to the same word from God by different children of God. Take for instance, if you tell three Christians at different maturity levels that God loves them, they will see it in different ways. When a baby Christian hears “God loves you” he will rejoice because this reminds him of his triumphant state. He will remember Romans 8:37 which says,

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”

When you tell an adult Christian “God loves you”, he will inquisitively ask why you are saying this to him, because this reminds him of responsibility: for whosoever the Father loves, he chastises (Hebrew 12:6). On the other hand, when you tell a bone-cracking Christian “God loves you”, he will be a lot more apprehensive. He will say “Amen; may God have mercy.” He is saying this because it reminds him of sacrifice: for whosoever the Father loves, He sacrifices (Genesis 22:2, Ephesians 5:2). God the Father was so pleased with Jesus that He sacrificed Him to redeem the world (John 3:16). When God wanted to prove to the world that there was no God above Him, what did He do? He sent His outstanding sons, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, into fire. When He wanted to show His supremacy over lions, what did He do? He allowed His loved Daniel to go into the lion’s den. How will you respond now when I say to you that God loves you? Can God trust you enough to send you to tough assignments that will bring honour and praise to His Name?

Action Point:

God can be patient, but not to the detriment of His timetable. Wherever you need to say “yes” to God, do it now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 30:31 and Isaiah 49:8-23

THE COMFORTER

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26

Read: 2nd Corinthians 1:3-10

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

MESSAGE:

In addition to knowing God as the Father and as the Son, you also need to know Him as God the Holy Spirit. There are many marvellous things to know about the Holy Spirit. For example, He is the Source of our power (Acts 1:, a wonderful Teacher (John 14:26) and a Revealers of secrets and of the future (John 16:13). Although all these characteristics are wonderful, one characteristics I find so fascinating is that He is the Comforter (John 14:26). If you have experienced Him as the Comforter, you will be able to comfort others in their time of distress (2nd Corinthians 1:4). If you have not experienced sorrow, you cannot be of much use in comforting the sorrowful. When we encounter tragedies and sorrowful situations, the best people can do is to say comforting words like “take heart”, “sorry”, etc. in such situations, the ministry of the Comforter is needed to heal the hurt felt deep inside. Are you presently going through a sad circumstance? Are you so sorrowful that all human attempts at comforting you have failed? The Holy Spirit will reach out and comfort you today in Jesus’ Name.

In times of sorrow, people do not expect some of us who occupy certain positions to express sorrow. This should not be so. I once visited a family who suffered a great loss, and I began to shed tears after seeing what they were going through. Some people began to say, “You are the General Overseer, you are not supposed to cry. We have come here to comfort those who are mourning; we should not be mourning.” I simply told them, “Leave me alone. In a similar situation, Jesus wept. If Jesus can weep, I am free to cry also.” One of my sons lost his mother, and it was extremely difficult to comfort him. His mother had suffered to train her three children and these children had plans to take good care of her. She however passed on while they were still trying to find their feet. This brother began to ask God why He called his mother home at a time when they had not been able to do anything for her. The Lord simply replied, saying “Your mother has come to be with Me. Can you take better care of her on earth than I am doing here in Heaven?” On hearing these words, he dried his tears, apologised to the Lord and moved on. Are you in a situation where you need the comfort of the Holy Spirit? He will reach out and touch you today. He will dry your tears, calm your fears and give you a greater hope.

Action point:

Pray for believers going through sorrow everywhere, asking that they receive the soothing of the Comforter.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 28:29 and Isaiah 48:12-4

IMPEDIMENTS TO PRAYER

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Psalm 66:18

Read: Isaiah 59:1-4

1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

MESSAGE:

The fact that God answers prayers is without doubt. Anytime you call on Him, as long as it is in the Name of Jesus, you can be sure the answer will come. Jesus in John 14:14 said,

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

To God, answering prayers is a question of keeping His word. He said if you call upon Him when you are in trouble, He will deliver you, and He is bound by His word (Psalm 50:15, Hebrews 6:18). There was once a contest between the prophet of God, Elijah, and 450 prophets of an idol called Baal (1 Kings 18:19-24). Each side was to call on their God or god; the goal was to see which side would receive a response by fire. The prophets of Baal called on their god from morning till afternoon, but there was no answer. The moment the man of God called on the Lord, fire fell from heaven. God is still in the business of answering prayers, but are you still in the business of obeying Him? Be assured that God is still in the business of stilling raging storms. If you remove iniquity from your heart, you will call on Him and He will answer and deliver you.

As much as God desires to answer your prayers, if you still enjoy a life of sin, your prayers cannot be answered. We must make conscious efforts to remove all impediments to our prayers. Such impediments include what the Bible describes as “the sin which doth so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:1). The pleasures of the flesh run against God’s expectations (Galatians 5:17). Such pleasures will not allow us to receive answers to our prayers. We must be weary of gossip because there is great danger in every idle word we speak (Matthew 12:36). Jesting should also be avoided (Ephesians 5:4). Jesting refers to unholy jokes. God is not against laughter and humour as some people wrongly believe. He is pleasantly humorous, but we must keep ourselves from unhealthy jokes that hinder holy living or make fun of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is not just looking for those who are calling on Him for miracles and signs; He is searching for those who will lift up holy hands and a pure heart before Him (Psalm 24:3-5). He is looking for those who are ready and committed to walking in His footsteps. God is holy, and He has called us to holy living. We are to do as He commands because we are the light of the world. God in Heaven is glorified when our light shines in the midst of the darkness of this world. If you don’t want any impediment to your prayers from now on, you must amend your ways. If you have been stealing, repent and steal no more. If you have been involved in questionable transactions and dealings, you have to repent and forsake such ways. If your life is right with God, your prayers will not be hindered.

Action Point:

Confess every pleasure of the flesh you have yield to, asking for grace to live above them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 25-26 and Isaiah 47:1-13

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. Luke 22:40

Read: Luke 18:1-8 (KJV)

1And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

MESSAGE:

In 1st Thessalonians 5:17, the Holy Spirit says this to us “Pray with ceasing”. This statement is not a piece of advice but rather a command. The reason why we should obey this command is revealed in the words for our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples in Luke 22:40b

“Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”

The disciples did not take this admonition seriously for obvious reasons of the sorrow that overwhelmed their hearts after their Master’s valedictory speech. This is a lesson to us all that we should not allow circumstances weaken our prayer lives.

The result of their prayerlessness was catastrophic. Most of them lacked the courage to stand firm when their Master was arrested. They would have obtained the needed courage in the place of prayer. They therefore could not resist the temptation of running away. Peter, the one who had appeared to be the boldest among them turned out to be bold only in the flesh; he ended up denying his master three times. He had no spiritual courage to follow through with his boast of readiness to die with the Master (Matthew 26:35). What a great lesson to us all! The arm of flesh will always fail (Jeremiah 17:5)

There are many lessons we can learn from the story of the widow in today’s Bible text; first of which is that the judge intervened in her case not because he was interested in her. Rather, it was her relentless prayer that compelled him to act and avenge her of her enemies. Secondly, this woman did not change her prayer at any time. In other words, she was consistent in her prayer, and so there was no need for additional witnesses to be called in, or for more evidence to be presented. Many people gamble in their lives, not knowing exactly what they need. They are unstable like the waves of the sea, being driven by the wind. Concerning such people, Apostle James in James 1:7-8 writes:

“For let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ through this story assures us that our heavenly Father, unlike the unjust judge, will answer us speedily, but on one condition: if we pray in faith and trust in His justice. Therefore, ask of the Father today in faith, and you will receive beyond your wildest imagination.

Prayer Point:

Father, avenge me of every adversary of Your plan and purpose of my life this year.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Luke 6 and Isaiah 24:1-20