My Supplier

My Supplier

THE SUPPLIER

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10

One thing we must all learn is to see God as our source. You must decide you will look to GOD ONLY as your source of supply. You need to tell God that you’re going to look to Him alone to provide for your needs and that you won’t look anywhere else.

We get ourselves in trouble when we confuse the channel with the source. God may use your salary from work as the channel to supply your needs, but your employer is just the channel for God’s provision – and He can shift to another channel anytime He wants. When you start to look to something or someone else to meet your needs, when you begin to confuse the channel with the source, then you start getting into trouble. You start worrying.

We allow worry and fear into our heart when we start looking to our job as the source, instead of the channel of our supply. You start thinking, “What if I lose my job?” You know what – the channel may close, but the source of your every need is still alive and abundant. When God turns off one channel, He can turn on another one.

You need to give God the right to choose whatever channel He chooses to fulfil the need. It may be a channel different from that which you are used to or expect. In fact, God may deliberately choose a different channel in order to teach you to keep looking to Him for all your needs.

It’s exciting to just let God be God. It’s exciting to watch God meet a need in a way that you never thought possible or could have never thought up on your own.

Prayer: Receive the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ask Him to bless the work of your hand and multiply all your investments.

Scriptural Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

My Supplier

Delight In The Lord

Delight In The Lord

DELIGHT IN THE LORD

Delight yourself in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Whilst waiting for the full realization of what we have believed God for, we are encouraged to maintain an attitude of gratitude and joy by delighting ourselves in the Lord. That simply means to get excited about the things of God. It means to praise, worship and glorify the Lord even if the answers to our requests are delayed.

All of us get tempted to worship and praise God only when things are going on well with us. We get so obsessed with our problems and yield to despondency. The joy of the Lord dries up. The smile wears off our faces. Instead of living in expectancy of a miracle, we allow the spirit of depression to dominate our moods.

God requires that we delight ourselves in Him as part of the process for getting the desires of our hearts fulfilled.

• Practise Praise. When you are tempted to yield to self-pity, just open your mouth and speak words of thanks and gratitude to God. Your feelings may be down but allow praise to well up in your heart.

• Participate in the joy of others. When you hear that someone else has received a miracle or been blessed by God, share in their joy and be genuinely happy for them.

• Promote God’s work. Occupy your time of waiting with service in the house of God. Let His work be your delight and He will make your delight His work.

Prayer: Thank God for how far He has brought you, declare that whatever He has purposed for your life will come to you.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 37:1-11

Delight In The Lord

Take The Initiative

Take The Initiative

TAKE THE INITIATIVE

For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

Another principle for connecting with people is this: Be courageous and take the initiative! Don’t wait on somebody else to connect with you. You must take the initiative to connect with them. This often takes courage. Why? Because when we’re full of fear and anxiety, we don’t get close to each other. In fact, we back off from each other. We’re afraid of being rejected, manipulated, hurt, or used.

Fear does three terrible things to relationships:

•  Our fears make us defensive. We’re afraid to reveal ourselves. When people point out weaknesses we retaliate and defend ourselves.

•  Our fears keep us distant. We don’t let people get close to us. We want to withdraw and hide our emotions. We don’t want to be open and honest.

• Our fears make us demanding. The more insecure we are the more we try to control or dominate things. We try to have the last word in a relationship. It’s always a symptom of fear and insecurity.

Where do you get the courage for taking the first step in connecting with someone? You get it from God’s Spirit in your life. The Holy Spirit makes you courageous in your relationships. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit you love people. You enjoy being with them. You’re not afraid of them because God’s Spirit is in your life. The Bible says “God is love” (1 John 4:16) and “Love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18). The more of God you have in your life the less fear you’ll have in your life.

Prayer: Bind and cast out the spirit of fear and timidity from your heart; ask the Lord to connect you with the people who will help you move to your next level.

Scriptural Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-12

Take The Initiative

Be Considerate

Be Considerate

BE CONSIDERATE

Let each of you look out not for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:4

The second principle for connecting with people is to be considerate of other people’s needs. In other words, if you want to connect with people, you’ve got to start with their needs, not your own. That’s how you make that initial connection. There’s an old Chinese proverb that says, “Seek to understand before seeking to be understood.”

The Bible talks about this in Philippians 2:4: “Look out for one another’s interests not just your own.” That is such a counter-cultural verse. Everything in our culture – from the moment we’re born – tends to train us to think ‘me first.’ As a result, we’re all disconnected because we’re all thinking about ourselves and not thinking about the needs of other people.

Yet, one thing we all need to always keep in mind is “It’s not about me!” The world doesn’t revolve around you just as it doesn’t revolve around me. You’re very special in God’s eyes. You were created for a purpose. But the world does not revolve around you.

Here’s another truth – If you want your needs to be met, first start focusing on meeting the needs of other people. Why? Because God wants you to learn to be unselfish. He wants you to learn to love, to be generous like Him.

Part of being considerate of other people’s needs is making allowances for their faults. Colossians 3:13 says “Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Proverbs 17:9 says, “Love forgets mistakes.” It’s not that you are blind to someone else’s faults; rather, you choose to overlook them. Great friends are good forgetters.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to touch your heart and give you a heart of love for all people.

Scriptural Reading: Philippians 2:1-11

Be Considerate

Honesty

Honesty

HONESTY

He who gives a right answer kisses the lips. Proverbs 24:26

One of the keys to connecting with people is this: Be candid about problems in the relationship.

Being candid and being connected go together. You don’t have one without the other. Genuine, healthy, deep, meaningful relationships are built on honesty, not on flattery. An honest answer is the sign of true friendship. Flattery is a sign of a manipulator, not a sign of somebody who is genuinely your friend.

All of us have blind spots. The question that really matters is: do you have anybody in your life who loves you enough to point them out? You cannot grow unless somebody points out the things that you can’t see in your life, but that need changing. Let me give you three rules for being candid in relationships:

1. Compliment in public, correct inbprivate. Do this with your children, your spouse, your employees, and your friends.

2. Correct when they’re up and not down. When I’m feeling good, I can handle almost any correction. When I’m feeling tired, I can’t handle anything. Timing is everything when you’re being candid.

3. Never offer correction until you’ve proven that you are also willing to be corrected. Remember: seek to understand before seeking to be understood. You open up your life before you expect someone else to be open with you.

Connecting means we care enough to be candid. Is there an issue you need to be candid about?

Prayer: Ask the Lord to give you wisdom to be honest and candid in all your relationships.

Scriptural Reading: Proverbs 24:23-29

Honesty

The Power Of Thanks Giving

The Power Of Thanks Giving

THE POWER OF THANKSGIVING

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:8

In the Old Testament, we find an interesting story of how King Jehoshaphat took an uncommon approach when his enemies waged war against him. Instead of sending in his army first, he sent in the choir and musicians. Imagine the scene: “All right, soldiers, tomorrow at dawn we will mount an offensive attack against the Assyrian army and the strategy is that the choir and the musicians will lead the attack.” Most of his soldiers might have thought he was out of his mind.

But God had directed Jehoshaphat in this unusual battle tactic. We read that Jehoshaphat appointed people to sing to the Lord, praise the beauty of holiness, and go out in front of the army saying, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” And that is exactly what they did. The Bible tells us that when they began to sing and praise God, He sent an ambush against the enemy, and they were destroyed. They won a great victory not through ammunition, but through praise and thanksgiving.

In approaching God to ask for new blessings, we should never forget to thank and praise Him for the blessings He has already given. If you would stop and think about how many of your prayers God has answered and how seldom you have come to Him just to give thanks, you will be ashamed of yourself. We should be just as deliberate in giving thanks to God as we are in asking for His help.

Prayer: I praise You, Lord for You are good and Your mercy endures forever.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 107:1-16

The Power Of Thanks Giving

Don"t Get Disqualified

Don’t Get Disqualified

DON’T GET DISQUALIFIED

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you.” 1 Samuel 13:13

The moment we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, we are enrolled in a spiritual race. One of the mandates of any competition is that we play by the rules or we will be disqualified. This is true in every race, but perhaps especially so in the spiritual one.

First Samuel gives us the story of King Saul, a man who did not play by the rules. He began his reign in victory and ended in humiliating defeat. He lost his character, power, crown, and in the end, his very life. Based on Saul’s life, let us share some few principles on how not to win the spiritual race.

• Ignore the Little Things. Saul’s failure was not immediate, but when pride turned into envy, and he ignored what God had plainly told him to do. Likewise, it is not for us to pick and choose what parts of the Bible we like and don’t like. We are to obey God even in the smallest matters, because “small” sins turn into big sins. They certainly did for Saul.

• Never Take Responsibility for Your Actions. More than once Saul blamed others for his own bad choices. Saul just wanted to save face. He forgot that no matter what, God knows the truth.

• Get Jealous, be Driven by Hatred. Saul’s animosity ultimately destroyed him. He became jealous when God anointed and began using David, the young shepherd boy. We need to understand God chooses whom He will choose. Don’t let jealousy and hatred destroy you.

God has given you, like Saul, potential. He has given you certain talents and gifts. It is up to us to run the race well and play by the rules. Don’t get disqualified. Don’t allow disobedience, pride, jealousy and hatred to destroy your future. Walk by the Spirit and live by the Word of God.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to guide and lead you in all your ways so that you will not be disqualified for the reward.

Scriptural Reading: 1 Samuel 13:1-15

Don"t Get Disqualified

Of What Benefit Do You Do This

Of What Benefit Do You Do This

OF WHAT BENEFIT?

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Titus 3:9

The early Latin writer, Tertullian of Carthage, is said to have remarked that the one thing that converted him to Christianity was not the arguments they gave him, because he could find a counterpoint for every argument they would present. “But they demonstrated something I didn’t have. The thing that converted me to Christianity was the way they loved each other,” he said.

Sometimes we get caught with a desire to prove that what we believe is right and get involved with comparative religious arguments. We allow those who oppose our faith to draw us into useless debates that lead to bitterness, anger and insults. In the end instead of showing Christ to our world, we show the world the worst side of our unsanctified character.

Our world is not looking for new arguments for Christ but a new life that makes Christ real. Our lives speak louder than all the Bible verses we can quote to prove our point. People can laugh at our devotion, propose counter-arguments for every point of view we have and even appear more successful than us but they cannot ignore the witness of a Christ-like life. When we are considerate to others and exhibit moral uprightness in both our personal and professional conduct, we present an unchallenged argument for the living Christ.

In our offices, schools and neighborhood, many watch us to see whether the Jesus we profess is real or just a religious dogma. Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you and there will be no need for bitter contentions.

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you self-control and help you to witness to the world.

Scriptural Reading: Titus 3:1-11

Of What Benefit Do You Do This

Have Conviction

Have Conviction

CONVICTION

And being full convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Romans 4:21

Dictionaries usually define “conviction” as a fixed or strong belief. Conviction is really much more than that. Your convictions include your values, commitments, and motivations. I like the definition of conviction I once heard from the great Bible teacher Howard Hendricks: “A belief is something you will argue about. A conviction is something you will die for!” Our convictions determine our conduct. They motivate us to act in certain ways.

When you first become a Christian, you often do things simply because other Christians around you suggest or model them. You may pray, read the Bible, and attend services because you see the examples of others. This is fine for a new Christian. Little children learn the same way. However, as you grow, you must eventually develop your own reasons for doing what you do. Those reasons come through revelations and become convictions.

Conviction helps us to be diligent in our spiritual growth. Growth requires time and effort. Without convictions we become discouraged and give up. No one stays with a difficult task unless he is convinced that there is a good reason for doing it. A church can teach people how to pray, how to study the Bible, and how to witness, but without imparting the corresponding convictions, people will not stick with it.

Knowing what to do (knowledge), why you do it (perspective) and how to do it (skill) is all worthless if you don’t have the conviction to motivate you to actually do it! What are your convictions in your walk with the Lord?

Prayer: Ask the Lord to open your eyes to His Kingdom principles and give you strong convictions to overcome all the schemes of Satan.

Scriptural Reading: Romans 4:13-25

Have Conviction

Take Possession Of Your Blessing

Take Possession Of Your Blessing

TAKE POSSESSION

How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you? Joshua 18:3

Joshua led the children of Israel into the Promised Land. He led them in battles against the existing nations in the land God promised them. The Lord continued to bless the Israelites in victories as they continued to take more territory, just as He had promised. In the beginning, their faith was strong. But as years passed, there was still the need to drive out the other inhabitants from their own allotted territories. Seven tribes hesitated to go forth and take their inheritance. The gift lay before them, so why the delay? Why did Joshua have to force them to go forward and take their inheritance?

Maybe they were afraid of the unknown. They were afraid of the opposition. What about you? How many times do you neglect to take the gift that God is giving you? We pray and pray for something and then one day, God answers our prayer. But the answer involves stepping out in one way or the other. Sometimes we see the answer clearly before us, but we hesitate to go forth and take it. Maybe you are more comfortable just praying for it than actually receiving it. We are sometimes afraid of the change that we must make in our lives in order to receive from God. We prefer our old ways.

Is there something you are neglecting to possess? God has a promise land for each one of us. Don’t let fear or hesitation keep you from possessing it.

Prayer: By faith, cast away anything in your life preventing you from moving to the next level of your life.

Scriptural Reading: Joshua 18:1-10

Take Possession Of Your Blessing

Where Are You

Where Are You

WHERE ARE YOU?

Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9

The first question that God poses in Scripture is found here: “Where are you?” Because God knows all things, we have to understand that He did not ask this question in order to gather information for Himself. Rather, He asked the question for Adam and Eve to find out where they were in relation to Him.

I think it is still a relevant question that He still asks all of us, ‘where are you?’ This is a question that calls us to shed off our hypocrisy and truly examine our hearts to identify whether we are where we want to be in our relationship with God. To answer that question well, we have to find out where God expects us to be in three important areas of our lives.

• Our passions. Where is our heart? What are the things that we feel strongly and passionately about? Some of us started our walk with Christ with passion and great love. Now, our love for the Lord has become cold and our hearts unresponsive to the things of God.

• Our pursuits. Where is our focus? Does God’s kingdom and righteousness feature anywhere in the things we run after? It is alright to work hard in order to earn an income for our families and to discharge our responsibilities. However, sometimes in pursuing our legitimate needs we become so absorbed and neglect God, our spouses and children.

• Our plans. What is on our agenda? Do we deliberately make time for God and our families?

Today, God is asking – ‘where are you?’

Prayer: Lord, help me to keep my heart right with You at all times.

Scriptural Reading: Genesis 3:9-19

Where Are You

Angels In Our Life

Angels In Our Life

ANGELS

And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” Acts 12:11 KJV.

The Old and New Testament contain at least 300 references to angels. Everywhere in Scripture, we see examples of angels at work. Story after story tells us about the work of angels.

When Peter was arrested for preaching the gospel, the church prayed. And in answer to their prayers, God dispatched an angel to deliver Peter, who was in such deep sleep, the Bible tells us, that the angel had to strike him to wake up. The chains fell off his wrists, the prison door opened automatically, and Peter walked out.

And as Hebrews 1:14 tells us, angels have a special work they do in the lives of believers: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Generally we don’t know what angels are doing and when they are doing it. They are God’s Special Forces: they are dispatched on a mission, they go in, they take care of business, and we are never aware of it.

Angels are God’s secret agents. They are His ministering servants, protecting, delivering, and guiding God’s people. You don’t see them. You don’t need to engage them. You don’t need to try and communicate with them. They are simply doing the work that God has called them to do.

Prayer: Thank God for His angelic protection for you and your family.

Scriptural Reading: Acts 12:1-19

Angels In Our Life

The Storm

The Storm

THE STORM

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. Matthew 14:22

Although He knew that a storm was coming, Jesus said to His disciples, “Go to the other side.” Jesus sent them out on the Sea of Galilee because He knew there was a lesson for them to learn. He knew they would make it safely to the other side, so He allowed His disciples to go through the storm. You can say the storm was a part of the day’s curriculum for the disciples.

Life is like that too. We don’t always know when a storm is coming. We don’t know when a tragedy will strike. We don’t know when a crisis is going to hit. We don’t know when a hardship may come up in our lives. But God does, and He allows the storm to come because there is a lesson in the storm He wants us to learn. There is a faith lesson in the storms of life. He wanted His disciples to learn how to trust Him even in the midst of a storm. He had said to them, “Go to the other side,” and they needed to learn that when He speaks, no storm is strong enough to hinder His word.

Now here is the question: How do you respond to life’s storms? Hard times happen to everyone, but as Christians, we need to know that the storms cannot destroy us, it can only strengthen us. Whatever we are going through, because of His love for us, God will turn it around for our good.

Courageous people are a lot like tea bags. We don’t know their strength until they are in hot water. It takes faith and courage to face your trials. It takes faith and courage to say, “I’ve made a commitment to follow Jesus. I’m not going to give up. Even though the storm of life may come, I’m going over to the other side.”

Prayer: Ask the Lord for the strength to stand firm in whatever challenge you may be going through till victory arrives.

Scriptural Reading: Matthew 14:22-33

The Storm

The Danger Of Victory

The Danger Of Victory

 

THE DANGER OF VICTORY

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. John 10:10

The period when we are most vulnerable is our moments of triumph. The greatest challenges and temptations of the Christian life come, often, after great victories. It is after we have experienced some great blessing in our life, after God has worked in a powerful way in our life, that the devil comes to challenge it.

Think about it. After God had powerfully worked through Elijah on Mount Carmel, Jezebel ordered soldiers to go and kill him. The prophet became so discouraged that he wanted to die. After Jesus was transfigured, He came down from the mountain to find a demon-possessed person waiting for them. After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and the Holy Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove and God said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with Him,” – then He was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After the dove came the devil. The devil will always be there to challenge whatever God has done. It may come after church, after an All Night prayer service, after God blessed you and spoke to you. That is when he comes to tempt and tries to take your blessing from you.

You wonder how that could happen. But that is just the devil’s way. He wants to make your life miserable. Most importantly, he wants to steal anything that God has done in your life. The devil is watching us and he’s looking for vulnerabilities. That is why we need to watch and pray. When we think we stand is when we need to be careful because that is when we are likely to fall. And that is why we need to brace ourselves. The more you step out to be used by the Lord, the more you can expect opposition from the devil.

Prayer: Pray for divine protection and preservation against all the schemes of the Enemy.

Scriptural Reading: John 10:7-21

The Danger Of Victory

The Lord Will Fight For You

The Lord Will Fight For You

THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU

With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles. 2 Chronicles 32:8

A father was watching his young son try to dislodge a heavy stone. The boy couldn’t make the stone budge. “Are you sure you are using all your strength?” the father asked. “Yes, I am,” said the exasperated boy. “No you are not,” the father replied. “You haven’t asked me to help you.”

Like this father, God also wants to get involved in our battles but we have to ask Him to help us. He will not rudely jump into our affairs until we acknowledge His presence and call on Him.

When you see yourself surrounded on all sides by people with formidable and frightening weapons set against you, don’t be afraid. Yes, they have more than you have. Yes, they know more than you know. Yes, they talk big and make you feel small. But wait a minute – who is on their side? They may seem more equipped than you are but all of that is just the arm of flesh. It is the flexing of human muscle.

Now turn and look at yourself. Yes, you are inexperienced. Yes, you are just a little person. But with you is the Lord of Hosts. If the Lord fights in your corner, you have no fear of the giants who blow hot air against you.

The Lord will help you. The Lord will fight for you. He will give you the victory.

Prayer: Boldy declare your victory over all your enemies and challenges through Christ who strengthens you.

Scriptural Reading: 2 Chronicles 32:26-31

The Lord Will Fight For You

Build Your Confidence In Christ

Build Your Confidence In Christ

CONFIDENCE

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Ephesians 3:12

Don’t let the difficulties of today get you down. Just feed your spirit on the word. Get strong on the inside—in your mind, thoughts and understanding. One of these days, when you are going through some really tough situations, someone is going to ask you, ‘How are you handling the pressure?’ You will turn to the person and respond in surprise, “Pressure? What pressure?” That response would not be because you are in denial or avoiding reality. It would simply be because you have built the spiritual and mental capacity to handle your challenges with ease. You have grown to carry that which easily crushes others.

As you build yourself up in the word and power of the Lord, you will begin to see life in a totally different perspective. Once you see that the very Spirit and power of Christ resides in you, nothing—no debt, disease, or demon—will be able to defeat you. You will be so aware of who Christ has made you that the giants of this life will appear like dwarfs. You will see people running and panicking in all directions but you will find great stability and confidence in the power of the Lord.

Those who build their confidence in the Lord, look within themselves and see Christ magnified. When they look on the inside, they do not see their own human limitations; they see the unlimited Christ. That point of view will transform a weak, beggarly, defeated person into a champion for Christ. Remember, we live for Him and not for ourselves. He is our Lord; we are not masters of ourselves. He is our King; we do not rule ourselves. He is our deliverer; we do not deliver ourselves. He is the Lord of the battle. He lives in us, stands by us and walks with us. In Him we have the victory!

Prayer: Boldly declare your victory over every challenge Satan may throw at you.

Scriptural Reading: Ephesians 3:8-13

Build Your Confidence In Christ

Laziness Is A Sin

Laziness Is A Sin

LAZINESS

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10

Many people never stop to realize that laziness is a sin. But slothfulness is like any other landmine in that it can hurt or destroy us. To be constantly idle and fruitless is contrary to God’s teachings. And anything that goes against His word is a sin. In the parable of the talents, Jesus said of the servant who had buried his master’s money, “You wicked, lazy servant!” The Lord put wickedness and slothfulness in the same undesirable category.

The book of Proverbs gives us a description of the lazy person.

•   First, he is a procrastinator – somebody who puts off work that needs to be done.

•   Second, he uses any excuse he can to avoid work.

•   Third, he wastes time.

•   And finally, a slothful person is neglectful and careless regarding what is going on around him.

Laziness does not fit who we are as believers. God expects us to live purposely and work conscientiously; to be lazy and turn out a poor performance damages our testimony as children of God. The Bible says, “Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble” (Proverbs 25:19). A lazy, untrustworthy person leaves tasks unfinished and, as a result, is a poor witness for Christ. Unbelievers will not see anything in that kind of life that they would desire for themselves.

Everything we do, we should do it as if doing for the Lord. No matter the work you do, the Lord is interested in your productivity. He has promised to reward us for every good thing we do. Don’t allow laziness to prevent you from achieving your full potential. Rise up and apply yourself to your work. Hard work is the surest route to success.

Prayer: Ask the Lord to give you the grace to be fervent in spirit and diligent in all your work.

Scriptural Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Laziness Is A Sin

Give Thanks In All Things

Give Thanks In All Things

GIVE THANKS

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Colossians 3:15

What would you do if your boss called you to his office with the good news that he was planning to make a recommendation to the board of your company to appoint you to a new position with a huge increase in your salary? It is very likely that you would smile broadly, probably give him an enthusiastic handshake or a hug with profuse words of gratitude. After you leave his office, you would probably write him a letter of appreciation, thanking him for his generosity. At that point he would not have made the recommendation but you would thank him “in advance.”

In the very same way, the scriptures encourage us to be overflowing with thankfulness towards Christ for what He has promised to do in our life. You can begin thanking Him now, because He will certainly do what He has promised to do. You may not be perfect yet but you can be absolutely sure that by His grace you will become like Christ, and you can be thankful today for what He will do in the future.

If you are saved, do you remember how it felt when you were first saved? Do you remember how thankful you were that God, in His mercy, had forgiven you of your sins and had cleansed you and had given you a brand new start? The very same sense of gratitude you feel for what Christ has done in the past, you can express for what He will do in the future. God is faithful and will keep His Word, you can be thankful now for what He has promised to do in the future.

Prayer: Present all your needs before the Lord, and thank God in advance for them for His goodness and faithfulness.

Scriptural Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

Give Thanks In All Things

Power To Prosper

Power To Prosper

POWER TO PROSPER

And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:18

The wealth of the earth is not for those who are living for greed or lust or selfishness. It is for those who walk with God and have put Him first in their lives. The world has misused wealth and its power for ungodly or personal gain, and not the purpose for which God gave it. Wealth and riches are given to us for the purpose of establishing the covenant of God.

God gives you the power to get wealth. His wisdom and anointing empower you to possess the wealth and riches for the purpose of establishing—to set up, ordain or to prove—His covenant. God made a covenant with Abraham and established it again with Isaac and Jacob. In that covenant, He promised to bless and multiply them and their seed. He is bound to His Word, and therefore He is bound to bring that increase into your life if you will walk by faith in Him. It is time for the financial increase for God’s covenant people. It is the day for financial abundance to come to the house of God. God wants to prove His covenant with Abraham in your life. And as you increase, you are able to use that wealth to further establish God’s covenant in others. The ultimate plan for your increase is in order that the message and power of His covenant may be brought to the people of the world. God wants to make you His Kingdom financier. He wants to bless you so you will take the gospel to the world.

Prayer: Release the blessing of Abraham into your life, and prophecy financial abundance for yourself and your family.

Scriptural Reading: Deuteronomy 8:11-20

Power To Prosper

Kingdom Of God Prosperity

Kingdom Of God Prosperity

PROSPERITY

The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is the servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7

How long do you want to be a servant or for lack of a better word, a slave? How long do you want to live from paycheck to paycheck? If you are tired of living at the subsistence level, then it is time for a change.

The majority of people believe they have a money problem, and they think the way to cure it is to get more and more money. But your situation is probably not a lack of income, but a lack of sense. Sense is defined as “intelligence, brains, intellect, wisdom, common sense, logic, and good judgement.” The reality is that there is no level of income you couldn’t outspend. The problem is not the need for money as much as it is the need for discipline and knowledge to take control of the finances that you have.

Having knowledge about money and how money works can help you buy a house, finance higher education, or start a retirement fund. Here are a few steps that you can take to make your money work for you:

•  Establish goals. Where do you want to be?

•  Create a plan. Determine your current situation. Where are you today?

•  Pay off your debt. Becoming debt free is the first step to freedom.

•  Invest and diversify your money into treasury bills, shares, mutual funds, real estate, gold, and other instruments.

•  Walk in wisdom. Wisdom gives you an advantage over the world.

•  Keep God first. Support His work with your tithe and offerings.

By following these simple steps you can go from debt and lack to wealth and freedom.

Prayer: Ask the Lord for wisdom to manage and multiply your finance.

Scriptural Reading: Proverbs 22:1-16

Kingdom Of God Prosperity

The Place Of Victory

The Place Of Victory

THE PLACE OF VICTORY

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

If you want to experience victory in any conflict and tough decision facing you, consider how Jesus fought and won His battles. Before He got to the cross, the crucial, pivotal battle of His life was fought in Gethsemane, where He and the Father wrestled through what lay ahead. For Jesus, it was overwhelming to realize the weight of sin He would bear and the spiritual separation from the Father He would experience. In His special place of prayer, He got alone on His face before the Father and cried out to Him. When Jesus left that garden, He walked out a winner. He would still drink the cup of suffering and separation, but He knew that, He would triumph over it.

Jesus’ example reveals that the key to winning life’s battles is being on our knees, on our face before the Father, alone with Him and wrestle in spirit until we know and surrender to His will. Our own wisdom or even godly counsel will not bring us the victory. If we don’t wrestle things out alone with the Lord till you hear His voice, you will never be sure you’re doing the right thing.

We must all develop the habit of spending time alone with God to discern and submit to His will when we face challenges or come to major decisions which have significant consequences. It is after we have won the battle on our knees, can we win it on our feet. When we seek and fully surrender to the will of God in such situations, we place the consequences of all our decisions into the hands of an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God who holds the past, present and future in His hands.

Prayer: Declare victory over all your challenges in Jesus’ name.

Scriptural Reading: Matthew 26:36-46

The Place Of Victory

The God Of Abundance

The God Of Abundance

THE GOD OF ABUNDANCE

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Are you facing a lack in any area of your life, be it finances, health or relationships? Know that in that very same area, God has already prepared His superabundant supply for you. Our heavenly Father is the source of all abundance. When we consistently experience lack in our lives, it is an indication that something is wrong with our fellowship with Him.

In John 6:1–13, Jesus was with a large crowd of people who were hungry. The problem then was a lack of food. But Jesus knew that where there is lack, there is superabundant supply in His Father’s kingdom to overcome that lack. His disciples, however, did not know that. They did not think the same way as Jesus did. They told Him that there was a boy with five loaves and two small fish, but they did not think that that would amount to anything. They said, “What are the five loaves and two fish among so many?”

They saw only the problem, the lack. But Jesus took the little, lifted it up as He looked to heaven and gave thanks to His Father, whose supply is so much more than we can ever ask for. When Jesus started distributing the little that was in His hands, a miracle happened. Five thousand men, not counting women and children, ate as much as they wanted.

God wants us to always be conscious of His grace abounding toward us and enveloping us. So let us, like Jesus, acknowledge God’s superabundant supply by thanking Him for it. Let us believe that His superabundant supply will flow towards us to meet all our needs.

Prayer: Thank God for His abundant provision for you and your family; release the supernatural abundant provision into your life.

Scriptural Reading: Philippians 4:10-20

The God Of Abundance

Triumphing Through Trial

Triumphing Through Trial

TRIUMPHING THROUGH TRIAL

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Philippians 1:12-14

We all face trials from time to time. These trials come not to destroy us but to challenge and build our faith. When we face our trials with the strength of the Lord, and with an assurance that they will ultimately turn out for our good, we always triumph over them. In 2 Corinthians 1:8, we read that the trials the Apostle Paul faced were so horrendous that he sometimes desired to depart this life and be with the Lord. But Paul learned to live above his circumstances, and overcame all his challenges. And you too can do the same. Here are three lessons we can learn from him:

•   Focus on Jesus Christ and not the problem. He has the sovereign ability to handle whatever you are facing. When you relinquish control to God, He is free to work in a miraculous way.

•   Focus on the will of God and not on the opinions of men. Seeking the counsel of others always is a wise idea, and the Bible supports this. However, be sure what your friends tell you align with God’s Word, which is your ultimate authority. Seek godly counsel from others but make sure that you spend time alone with God in prayer.

•   Focus on positive results and not personal pain. No one enjoys hardship. However, when trials come, ask the Lord to show you what He wants you to learn from the situation, and how you can apply those lessons to your life. Paul lived above his circumstances because his focus was set on the Lord and not on his trials.

Prayer: Thank God for the trials that come your way, declare that every trial will lead to your triumph.

Scriptural Reading: Philippians 1:12-14

Triumphing Through Trial

The Image of God

The Image of God

THE IMAGE OF GOD

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. Ephesians 5:1

Every child’s first image of God is his earthly father. The place we need to begin, in our desire to protect and improve our Christian witness is our home. We need to live our faith in front of co-workers and friends, but in the privacy of our home, we also want our family to see Jesus in us. If we show love, forgiveness, faithfulness, patience, and generosity, then our children will expect to find those traits in the Lord.

In a similar way, negative behaviors — for example, consistent harshness, indifference, or unfaithfulness — also shape a child’s view of God. I remember a young man who came to me worried about his salvation. He had received Christ as his personal Saviour but wasn’t convinced he was truly forgiven. When I opened the Scriptures to share some assurances with him, he responded, “I believe them, but I’m just not sure God’s promises apply to me.” He seemed surprised when I asked about his relationship with his father. During our conversation, it came out that his dad had often made promises he failed to keep. Now, years later, the young man was finding it difficult to believe that God is loving and forgiving.

God has placed a huge responsibility on us parents to be worthy ambassadors of Christ. Becoming an accurate reflection of the heavenly Father requires that we submit to Him, walk in all His ways and seek to please Him in everything we do. We must also approach parenthood as an area of service and ministry to the Lord.

One of the great legacies we can leave our children is to model true fatherhood and as a result make it easier for them to relate with the Heavenly Father.

Prayer: Ask the Lord for grace to live a consistent and godly life before all those who look up to you, especially your children.

Scriptural Reading: Ephesians 5:1-14

The Image of God

Unlocking God"s Promises

Unlocking God’s Promises

UNLOCKING GOD’S PROMISES

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. – 2 Corinthians 1:20

A vast majority of Christians are living beneath their privileges.

As born-again believers we have inherited enormous rights and privileges. We’re children of the King! Yet far too many believers are content to trudge through life like lowly beggars.

You don’t have to live that way. Jesus said He came to bring you abundant life. God’s Word is literally filled with promises to you, as a believer. However, those great and precious promises will not become a reality in your life automatically. You must unlock them with the key of faith.

Yes, to receive the fullness of God’s promises in your life you must have faith, and the only source of faith is the Word of God. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” When you focus your time and attention on God’s Word, faith is the result. Faith will bring God’s promises down from the realm of the spirit right into your life.

We get a glimpse of how faith works in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for” For instance, if you are sick in your body, 1 Peter 2:24 says, “By whose stripes ye were healed.” In other words Jesus bore your sickness and pain on the cross. You don’t have to be sick anymore. As you confess and meditate on this promise, hope and then faith will rise up in your heart and set you free from that sickness. By faith you can access all the promises of God.

Prayer: Bring all your needs before God and declare that your every need is met by God in Jesus’ name.

Scriptural Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:15-24

Unlocking God"s Promises

The Lord Your Healer

The Lord Your Healer

THE LORD YOUR HEALER

If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon on you which I have brought upon the Egyptians. For I am the LORD your Healer. Exodus 15:26

This was God’s first healing covenant with His people. Some Hebrew scholars say this verse should be translated in the permissive tense—meaning “I will allow” instead of “I will put,” in which case it would read, “I will allow none of these diseases upon thee, which I have allowed upon the Egyptians.” God finishes by saying, “For I am the Lord your Healer.” The Hebrew says, “I am Jehovah Rapha.” Two or three million children of Israel left Egypt believing God. They went out of Egypt with silver and gold, and the Bible says there was not one feeble person among them.

But God put a few conditions on this covenant: “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments…” You see, even in the first healing covenant, there was a correlation between hearing and being healed. One of the conditions for receiving the healing benefits of Jehovah Rapha is giving ear to His commandments. There is a direct connection between hearing and being healed.

Also, notice God didn’t say, “I will be or I was the Lord your Healer.” He said, “I am the Lord your Healer.” We find in James 1:17 that God never changes. James said there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” with God. If He was the Lord who healed His people back then, He’s the Lord who still heals His people today. He is still saying, “I am the Lord who heals you. I am Jehovah Rapha.”

Prayer: By faith confess the Lord as your healer, and declare that by the stripes of Jesus you are healed.

Scriptural Reading: Exodus 15:22-27

The Lord Your Healer

The Power Of Resurrection

The Power Of Resurrection

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Romans 6:8-9

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is among the most important of all biblical truths. It is foundational. It is bedrock. Many other aspects of the Christian faith depend and rest on the Resurrection. Let us look at just three essential Christian truths that depend on the Resurrection.

First of all, the Resurrection is the assurance of our justification. By the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from death, we are declared not guilty of all our transgression.

Second, the Resurrection of Christ gives us power to live the Christian life. Romans 8:11 says, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” The Resurrection, therefore, promises us that God will not only give us life beyond the grave, but He will give us power to live our earthly life with power and glory.

Third, life beyond the grave depends on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul said, “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). Jesus’ victory over death promises us that we too will overcome death.

The Resurrection is no peripheral issue. It is the principal issue. All the benefits of redemption are ours through the resurrection.

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to manifest the full power of the resurrection of Christ in your life.

Scriptural Reading: Romans 6:1-11

The Power Of Resurrection

Forget Your Past

Forget Your Past

FORGET YOUR PAST

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Did you know that if you refuse to let go of your past, you would never move toward your future? This is what almost happened to Peter. He told Jesus he would die with Him and that he would never leave Him. Jesus told Peter, “Before the cock crows you would have denied Me three times. Naturally Peter vehemently disagreed; after all, he would never do such a thing. But he denied ever knowing Jesus three times. He never believed he would ever do that.

You may be in the same situation. You may have done some things since you’ve been saved that you never thought you would do. But I’m here to tell you when you confess it before God, He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness, so you can move forward in Christ Jesus.

Three days after Jesus was crucified, He rose again and appeared before over 500 eyewitnesses including His disciples. You would think that after Peter saw Jesus, he would be recharged again. But Peter couldn’t get the past out of his mind. He was stuck remembering how he failed Jesus. So, Peter went back to fishing. You see, Peter regressed; he went back to fishing instead of going out preaching the gospel. Since he would not forgive himself for what he did, he went back to what he used to do.

Are you stuck in your past? You may be a person who has not forgiven yourself of what you did, said or even felt. Yes, you look normal on the outside but inside you are hurting. But in the name of Jesus, cut your past loose now. Just let go and let God. You are a new creation in Christ Jesus. You have been forgiven.

Prayer: By faith in the blood of Jesus, loose yourself from any past sin or mistake that is keeping you from moving forward in life.

Scriptural Reading: 1 John 1:5-10

Forget Your Past

It Is Finished

It Is Finished

FINISHED!

When Jesus had tasted it, He said, “It is finished!” Then He bowed His head and released His spirit. John 19:30

The cross was the goal of Jesus from the very beginning. His birth was significant and so was His death. The incarnation was for our atonement. He was born to die so that we might live. And when He had accomplished the purpose He had come to fulfil, He summed it up with a single word: “finished.”

In the original Greek, it was a common word. Jesus probably used it after He finished a project that He and Joseph might have been working on together in the carpentry shop. Jesus might have turned to Joseph and said, “Finished. Now let’s go have lunch.” It is finished. Mission accomplished. It is done. It is made an end of.

So what was finished? Finished and completed were the horrendous sufferings of Christ. Never again would He experience pain at the hands of wicked men. Never again would He have to bear the sins of the world. Never again would He, even for a moment, be forsaken of God.

Also finished was Satan’s stronghold on humanity. Jesus came to deal a decisive blow against the devil and his demons at the cross of Calvary. This means that you no longer have to be under the power of Satan. The power of sin, death, sicknesses and diseases, poverty, and shame was broken forever. Because of Jesus’ accomplishment at the cross, finished was the stronghold of Satan on humanity.

And lastly, finished was our salvation. It is completed. It is done. All of our sins were transferred to Jesus when He hung on the cross. His righteousness was transferred to our account. We are redeemed!

Prayer: Boldly declare that you are righteous, saved, healed, prosperous, blessed and highly favored.

Scriptural Reading: John 19:28-30

It Is Finished

Dunamis

Dunamis

DUNAMIS

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

When Alfred Nobel discovered an explosive element that was stronger than anything the world had known at the time, he asked a friend and Greek scholar for a word that conveyed the meaning of explosive power. The Greek word was dunamis, and Nobel named his invention “dynamite.”

Dunamis is the same word that Jesus used when He told His disciples, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In other words, “You shall receive explosive, dynamite power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

Think about how this power transformed the first-century believers. Prior to Pentecost, Simon Peter couldn’t stand up for his faith when strangers asked him if he was a follower of Jesus. After the power of the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost, Peter stood up and boldly preached the gospel, resulting in 3,000 people being saved.

After Saul of Tarsus became a believer on the Damascus Road, God led Ananias to go and pray for him. He was then filled with the Holy Spirit, and from that moment on, he went out and proclaimed Christ everywhere, turning the then world upside down.

This power is for a purpose. It is not power to make you feel good. It is power to be a witness for Christ. It is power to change your life and change the world. Have you received this power?

Prayer: Ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit and manifest His power in your life and ministry.

Scriptural Reading: Acts 1:1-11

Dunamis