THEME: OBEDIENCE – A PATHWAY TO HEALING
“He looked at them and said, Go show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.” – Luke 17:14, NLT.
Our obedience to God shows our love for Him. John 14:15 (NLT) says: “If you love me, obey my commandments.” Sometimes we find it difficult to obey God because we want things done our way. If we follow our carnal mind, we can never obey God. This is because most times spiritual things do not make sense naturally.
It becomes easy to receive from God when we walk in obedience. Deuteronomy 28:2 (NIV) ~ “All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.” John G. Lake said: “Healing is not always obtained by prayer. It is obtained by obeying God.” In Luke 17:12-14, ten lepers met Jesus and asked Him to heal them. Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priest.
Their healing occurred on the way. When the Israelites were in the wilderness, one time, they were bitten by poisonous snakes because they complained against God. According to God’s instruction, Numbers 21:9 (NLT) says: “So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!”
Naaman’s healing occurred when he obeyed Elisha’s instructions to dip himself in the Jordan River seven times. In the kingdom of God, your obedience is tied to everything else. Our sacrifices mean nothing to God if we do not obey Him. Walking in obedience to God pays in every way.
Prayer for today: Abba Father, thank You for your Word. I pray for the grace to constantly obey you in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Faith declaration: I choose to walk in obedience to access all that God has for me in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: KNOWING GOD PERSONALLY
“And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me. I will be one with him in his sufferings and become like him in his death.” – Philippians 3:10, TPT.
God desires that His children will get to know Him up close and personal. Knowing God personally strengthens your trust and confidence in Him. God told the Israelites in Hosea 6:6 (TLB) ~ "I don't want your sacrifices – I want your love; I don't want your offerings – I want you to know me.” Young Samuel ministered before God, but he did not know God.
1 Samuel 3:1,4-5 (NLT) ~ “Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days, messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. Suddenly the Lord called out, ‘Samuel!’ ‘Yes?’ Samuel replied. ‘What is it?’ He got up and ran to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’ ‘I didn't call you,’ Eli replied. ‘Go back to bed.’ So he did.”
Knowing God personally helps you to go through any challenge you experience. You do not waver in faith; you know that you will come out of that challenge strong. One time Paul and other prisoners were on the sea and there was a tempest storm. The storm raged for many days and no one had eaten for a long time.
Paul said in Acts 27:22-25 (NLT) ~ “But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.' So take courage! For I believe in God. It will be just as he said.”
Prayer for today: Oh Lord Jesus, help me to build my relationship with you and know you more each day, Amen.
Faith declaration: My relationship with God will not dwindle. I am a great blessing to many in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: YOU ARE A PACESETTER
“… you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God.” – 1 Peter 2:9, NLT.
God has chosen us as His possession to represent Him on earth. We are made pacesetters and inspirers to people around us. People’s attention must be drawn to us because of what we carry. Jesus said we are the salt of the earth according to Matthew 5:13. This means we are to give taste to the earth and preserve it. We are also the light of the world.
Matthew 5:14 (AMP) says: “You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” The people of the world should learn how to get things done by looking at you. Your family and relationship must inspire and show other families what a godly home looks like. Genesis 18:19 says: “For I know him (Abraham), that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord.”
Be a pacesetter in your duties at the workplace, and study hard to excel in your academics. Your business must provide quality services and products. Study the secrets of your trade to be outstanding. You are a city set on a hill. You are made to be at the mountaintop as God’s child. People must see your light.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood out in Babylon.
They were ten times better than their equals. God has promised us that whatever we lay our hands on to do shall prosper. Psalm 1:3 (NLT) ~ “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Do not lose your saltiness, light and placement.
Prayer for today: Father, empower me in every area of my life to be a pacesetter to inspire others to the kingdom, Amen.
Faith declaration: I am a city set on a hill; I cannot be hidden. I am helped by God to shine in my generation in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: EXHIBIT GOOD CHARACTER
“As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” – Proverbs 27:19, NLT.
Character is defined as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Dr. Myles Munroe said: “Reputation is what others think about you. Character is the truth about you. Reputation is what you are in public. Character is what you are in private. A solid character will reflect itself in consistent behaviour, while poor character will seek to hide behind deceptive words and actions.”
Joseph did not lower his morals when he was alone with Potiphar’s wife. Godly character is built on godly principles. Integrity is one of the principles. Be true to your word; be trustworthy. Proverbs 10:9 (TPT) says: “The one who walks in integrity will experience a fearless confidence in life, but the one who is devious will eventually be exposed.”
Apologize to people when you offend them. Learn to say sorry and please. Respect and honour people as human beings. Matthew 7:12 (MSG) says: “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behaviour: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.” Treat people the way you want to be treated. Have good manners.
Strive to build and maintain a godly character. Let your words match your actions. Matthew 12:35 (TPT) says: “When virtue is stored within, the hearts of good and upright people will produce good fruit. But when evil is hidden within, those who are evil will produce evil fruit.” Let your private and public character be the same. Model good and godly character.
Prayer for today: Oh Lord Jesus, as your ambassador on earth, help me to live a godly character in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Faith declaration: I obtain the grace to represent God fully. I will not frustrate the grace of God over my life in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: THE “ILLOGICALITY” OF GOD
“His mother saith unto the servants, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” – John 2:5.
God does not expect us to understand everything He tells us to do. God said to the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 55:8-9 (MSG) ~ “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work - God’s decree. ‘For as the sky soars high above the earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.’”
In 2 Kings chapter 4, Elisha asked the widow of a prophet to borrow empty vessels from her neighbours when she had only a little jar of oil. 2 Kings 4:3-4 (MSG) ~ “Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbours. And not just a few – all you can get. Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside.”
What the man of God asked the widow to do did not make sense, but she obeyed and saw the miracle of multiplication right before her eyes. The oil stopped flowing when the last jar was full. Let us leave the thinking to God while we act on commands. Some things will make sense later. Obedience to God’s instructions is key to securing our breakthrough.
In 1 Kings 17, a widow fed prophet Elijah with her last handful of flour and a little jar of oil. That act of obedience produced a ceaseless supernatural provision of food. No man can master God’s ways, that is what makes Him mysterious. Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NLT) ~ “Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.”
Prayer for today: My Heavenly Father, help me to trust and obey you even when I do not understand in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Faith declaration: I am marvellously helped by God. I obtain grace to obey instructions from God in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: OUR EXPERIENCES WITH GOD
“But you, God, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, you lift my head high; With all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain.” – Psalm 3:3-4, MSG.
Every season of our life reveals a dimension of God to us. When God interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel, he said to the king in Daniel 2:28 (NLT) ~ “But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.”
Our trust in God deepens when we know Him better. God’s acts reveal His nature. When we say God is a restorer, Job, Ruth and Naomi’s stories in the Bible confirm that. When we say God is a lifter of men, Queen Esther, David, Joseph and Jephthah among others also reiterate that. Also, Sarah, Rebecca, and Hannah’s stories prove that God can be trusted regarding the fruitfulness of the womb.
I believe we have personal experiences about certain dimensions of God we can testify about. Our scars of yesterday are our testimonials about God today. Our badges of honour come from unpleasant situations and harsh conditions. We all relate to God differently based on our experiences. And we minister to people from our pain, struggles or challenges of the past.
We can only share with people what we have tasted about God. Paul gives his own testimony in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. And he also said in 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT) ~ “For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” Through it all, let us learn to trust and depend completely on God alone.
Prayer for today: My Heavenly Father, I may not understand certain things, but I trust you completely. Strengthen me in adversities, Amen.
Faith declaration: I increase with the increase of God in this journey of faith. I am a blessing to others in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: COMMIT TO KNOWLEDGE
“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” – Proverbs 23:23.
It is said that today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders. One’s ignorance is his own mountain. Hosea 4:6 (AMP) says: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [of my law, where I reveal my will].” For Joshua to be a successful leader, God told him: “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8, NLT).
Insight and knowledge are what differentiate one person from another. Books can turn ordinary people into champions. Charlie Tremendous said: “You are today who you will be in five years except for the people you meet and the books you read.” In other words, you only advance your life by the company you keep and the books you read.
Books open and stretch your mind to be a high-flier. Books fine-tune your mind. No one is too old to study or read. Insight and knowledge give you a better assessment of issues. Intelligence is cultivated. Paul was an astute leader. He was a man of books. Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:13 (AMP) ~ “When you come bring the coat that I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.”
If only we commit ourselves to reading the right books, we will become masters in our field of endeavours. Concerning Ezra, the Bible says in Ezra 7:10 (GNT) ~ “Ezra had devoted his life to studying the Law of the Lord, to practising it, and to teaching all its laws and regulations to the people of Israel.” Be an ardent reader to gain knowledge and advance in your life
Prayer for today: Dear Lord, I pray for the discipline to be a student of the Bible and a reader of books, Amen.
Faith declaration: I obtain the grace to pursue knowledge to run my race. Ignorance shall not rob me of my possessions in God in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: FIND YOUR PLACE AND FUNCTION
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12.
We complement each other in the Kingdom. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:8-9 (AMP) ~ “He who plants and he who waters are one [in importance and esteem, working toward the same purpose]; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building.”
Every part of the body has its function. What the eye can do, the ear cannot do and what the mouth can do, the nose cannot do. Every calling has its audience. Peter was called to the Jews while Paul was called to the Gentiles. Galatians 2:8 (TPT) ~ “For the same God who anointed Peter to be an apostle to the Jews also anointed me as an apostle to those who are not Jewish.”
One of David’s assignments was to train a specific group of people. 1 Samuel 22:2 ~ “And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.” David trained these ordinary men to become great warriors.
You are wired for your space. If you have this understanding, you will not compete with others (Romans 12:4-6). Know where you are called to serve better and function effectively. Others may be doing the same thing God has called you to do. We are called into partnership, the harvest is huge, but the labourers are few. When Peter caught many fish, he called his partners to help (Luke 5:7).
Prayer for today: Abba Father, grant me the grace and strength to serve in my area of service in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Faith declaration: I will not miss my appointed place of service. My labour in the Lord shall not be wasted in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: DO NOT WASTE ANY SEASON
“There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1.
We are shaped by the daily experiences we go through. Life is full of lessons. As we go through the different seasons of our lives, let us learn from those seasons. Do not waste any season. Naomi went through a painful experience in Ruth 1:3, 5. As a widow, Naomi mentored her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Anna also became an intercessor as a widow (Luke 2:37).
As a younger person, make the most out of your time. Lamentations 3:27 says: “It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke [of godly discipline] in his youth.” We learn from the people we meet every day. T. D Jakes said: “The world is our university and everyone you encounter is your teacher. When you wake up each day, make sure you go to school.”
While you have the strength, serve God wholeheartedly. Be disciplined with your time to study the word of God and pray. Submit yourself under mentorship. Arise and shake yourself from any painful experience. When you hold on to your history you do it at the expense of your destiny. Embrace each day with confidence in God and hope for a bright future. All things work together for those who love God (Romans 8:28). Making a conscious effort to work on your personal Bible study life will save you from a lot of unforeseen storms that may come your way.
Prayer for today: Dear Heavenly Father, in every situation I give You thanks. Thank You for your grace which abounds, Amen.
THEME: IT IS NEVER TOO LATE FOR GOD
“Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give to you.” – John 11:22 AMP.
In Luke chapter 11, the story is told of Lazarus and his sisters (Mary and Martha). Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, but He waited two days before He visited the family. In summary, when Jesus got to their house, Lazarus was dead for four days. Martha said to Jesus: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You.” (John 11:21-22, AMP).
Martha made this statement – “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You” without believing it. Even when Jesus drew her attention to the fact that Lazarus could be raised at that moment, she still did not see the possibility. The depth of one’s knowledge about Jesus can affect his/her level of faith and mindset about issues.
God is not time-bound. Every day is a possibility of a miracle. Jesus said to Martha in John 11:25 ~ “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” Believe in the immeasurable resurrected power of Jesus to do wonders suddenly. Do not let the state of your “Lazarus” (hopeless state) swallow your belief in a miracle–working God.
God is committed to His Word. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (TPT) ~ “The one who calls you by name is trustworthy and will thoroughly complete his work in you.” Numbers 23:19 (GNT) also says: “Whatever He promises, He does; He speaks, and it is done.” Sometimes, God’s mercy overrides our doubt for His name's sake. After Lazarus was raised to life, many Jews believed (John 11:45) that nothing is too late for God.
Prayer for today: Lord Jesus, I believe in your resurrection power to do wonders in my life even now, Amen.
Faith declaration: My faith has found a resting place in the Lord. I am made for more in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: BUILD ENDURANCE
“He gives strength to the weary, and to him who has no might He increases power.” – Isaiah 40:29, AMP.
Endurance is needed in the fulfilment of destiny. Quitters faint in the face of adversity while winners exhibit courage in challenges. Proverbs 24:10 (AMPC) ~ “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” Be resilient in all your pursuits. The fact that God has given you a promise/vision does not mean it will happen easily. There is a need for perseverance and unwavering hope in God.
One time God said to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 12:5 (AMP) ~ “If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace [where you feel secure], then how will you do [among the lions] in the [flooded] thicket beside the Jordan?’”
After God had given and empowered Moses with the deliverance mantle, Moses had to go to Pharaoh ten times before he finally released the Israelites out of captivity to possess the Promised Land. God said to Moses in Exodus 7:3 (AMP) ~ “And I will make Pharaoh’s heart hard, and multiply my signs and my wonders (miracles) in the land of Egypt.”
I believe at a point Moses was exhausted, but he kept pressing on with the assignment. Crowns/prizes are only awarded to victors. To be a survivor, one key thing needed is mental fortitude. Have your mind set on the goal and overcome every obstacle to achieve it. In addition, hold tightly to your faith and trust God during any adversity. Receive strength to preserve.
Prayer for today: My Heavenly Father, endue me with mental, emotional and physical strength to fulfil every vision, Amen.
Faith declaration: I am more than a conqueror. I am the epitome of the glory of God in the Name of Jesus Christ.
THEME: A LIFE IN GOD’S HANDS
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” – 1 Corinthians 1:27, NIV.
In Judges 11, a story is told of a great warrior named Jephthah whose father was Gilead and his mother a harlot. One day, his step-siblings drove him out of the house because he was the son of another woman and they did not want him to get an inheritance. There came a time when Israel needed a commander to lead them to fight the Ammonites and they had to turn to Jephthah. The rejected person suddenly became the most important individual.
The dealings of God are different from men. Nobody is worthless before God. He makes kings out of the despised. 1 Corinthians 1:28 (TPT) ~ “He chose the lowly, the laughable in the world’s eyes – nobodies – so that he would shame the somebodies. For he chose what is regarded as insignificant in order to supersede what is regarded as prominent.”
People might reject you today, but your content (abilities) will make them look for you tomorrow. When your time comes, God will create a problem/situation that only you can solve just like the case of Joseph. Psalm 118:22 says: “The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner.” Never despise yourself saying, nothing good can come out of you.
While Gideon saw himself as the least in his family and his clan, God saw a mighty man of valour. God addresses you by who you are. If a murderer (Moses) can be chosen by God to be a deliverer to the Israelites, then God can do something with you. Do not belittle yourself because marred clay can be transformed into an honourable vessel in God’s Hands.
Prayer for today: I walk in the reality of who God has made me. I am useful and important in God’s eyes, Amen.
Faith declaration: I am a kingdom asset for global exploits. My life cannot be wasted in the Name of Jesus Christ.
