2 Corinthians 6:14

‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what  communion hath light with darkness?

DAILY READING    •      Acts 17:1-15; Judges 6; Job 36

Throughout his administration, American president, Abraham Lincoln was under fire, especially during the scarring years of the Civil War. And though he knew he would make errors of office, he resolved never to compromise his integrity. So strong was this resolve that he once said, “I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me.”

Living as a Christian can sometimes be a lonely walk.  To live right and do what is right you will have to be careful the company you keep. The issue of keeping the right company becomes even more challenging when we live in a world where we constantly have dealings with unbelievers. As Christians, we are not called to huddle away from the world, because we are bound to have dealing with unbelievers. As long as we are in the world we are going to be meeting and relating with unbelievers at one level or the other, either as colleagues, clients, customers, relatives etc.

Often times this association, if unmonitored can become a trap the enemy uses to plot a believer’s downfall. Some believers have fallen because they were ignorant of the devil’s devices. Oftentimes we have lamented over politicians who started well as Christians, only to later backslide through continual association with unbelievers.

In as much as we do not want to be seen as bigoted, at the same time we have to be very careful in forming relationships with people outside the faith. Friendship with an unbeliever can adversely affect even strong believers, if that friendship is not carefully monitored. Paul tells us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. If you take delight in the company of someone with worldly morals, you run the risk of being influenced by their behaviors, language, and habits. It’s a matter of time. And peer pressure is not exclusive to youths. A woman was interviewed by reporters on her 102nd birthday. When asked about the benefits of living past the century mark, she answered, “No peer pressure!”

The challenge is how we can balance being more like Lord Jesus by relating with sinners, and yet not be influenced by them. Jesus kept company with publicans and sinners, He influenced them, they didn’t influence Him.

This means that we are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, the serpent is said to be the most subtle of all animals, and it was through its subtlety that Eve was  deceived. This means you should be able to second guess what is going on in the head of the unbeliever. And the only way to handle this, is by being always  led by The Holy Ghost. When you are led by The Holy Ghost you can escape any trap. Inasmuch as you laugh and relate with an unbeliever always have it at the back of your mind that he is from a different kingdom, and possessed by a different spirit. It is not a relationship based on what you think, or feel, but based on the guidance of The Holy Spirit, because at the end of the day one person is bound to influence the other.

We have to be strong spiritually so as not to be easily influenced by the world we are trying to reach.

When we maintain a fervent prayer altar and feed constantly on The Word of God, we  will be strengthened by The Spirit to live as sons of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom we shine forth as lights.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to escape every trap the enemy tries to set for me in the area of friendships and associations. Grant me the wisdom in relating to unbelievers, so that in all I do You will always be glorified  in Jesus Name. .  

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As a child of God you have to recognize that you are in the middle of an ongoing battle. WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE  BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD]

 Mark 11:23

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith’

DAILY READING – -Acts 16:16-40; Judges 4-5; Job 35

In December 1981, Dodie Osteen, wife of founding pastor of Lakewood church, John Osteen, was diagnosed with metastatic cancer of the liver.  The doctors told her she only had a few weeks to live. When the diagnosis came, Dodie knew that she had no hope except for the Word of God!  So she decided to go home and seek God’s face. The doctors told her not to go home longer than 10 days, before returning to be admitted at the hospital. But she never went back. That day she made a decision to live by faith. When people would ask her how she was doing, she would say “By the stripes of Jesus I’m healed.” With every step throughout her day she would repeat a healing scripture.  She had to cast down so many imaginations because fear and torment came against her, she had to bring all thoughts under the captivity of Christ. Every time the devil told her that she would die she would declare God’s Word  instead. Her husband prayed for her, though outwardly  nothing seemed to change, she didn’t give up, she continued her good fight of faith.  Dodie  put younger pictures of herself at the foot of her bed and asked God to make her like she was in those days.  Like Abraham she “called things that were not as if they were.”  She would envision herself well, see herself with her children grown, and seeing them become married.  She made “healing cards” with healing scriptures on them.  She would read them and remind God of His Word.  The healing scriptures were her medication.  Dodie, recognizing that Forgiveness is a key to healing, also took the time to write letters to everyone she felt she needed to ask forgiveness from.  She also prayed for others, as Job prayed for his friends and was healed. Like Hezekiah she asked Jesus to give her extra years.

And eventually, to the amazement of the doctors,  Dodie was declared totally healed of cancer. She has lived well and healthy since then with no further sign of cancer.

Indeed the Word of God works. Dodie could have given up right then when she heard the doctor’s verdict. But she knew that the Word of God is true, and decided to hold on to it until it became her reality.

So can it be for you. What are you believing God for? There is really nothing impossible to God. Don’t give up too soon! Whatever you’re  believing God for can also come to pass. It is closer than you think. God gave us His Word as building blocks for whatever we desire in our lives. The Word starts by building pictures in our minds, and these pictures as we hold on to them eventually become our reality. It is not just enough to read The Word, through meditation we allow the Word to build the right pictures in our minds. What you see within eventually is what you will experience outwardly. When you desire health, then meditate on healing scriptures until the picture is painted in your mind and you can see yourself healed. Once the inner picture is established within, it is only a matter of time before the outward picture becomes a reality.

Stay with the Word no matter how long it takes until the picture is formed. That inner picture once conceived in your mind is like carrying a baby in the womb. It is only a matter of time, before it is birthed forth, as your outward reality. When you believe  in your heart, and continue to  speak forth what you believe, you will surely receive.

In Mark 11:23 Jesus tells us we can have whatever we say when we believe. So the work really is in staying with The Word until faith arises in our hearts. Faith will paint an inner picture in our mind,  which when we hold to it and keep confessing it, eventually becomes our reality. And that is why the enemy battles the mind, because he knows once he has lost the battle in your mind, he has truly lost the battle over your life. This is why we keep meditating in The Word, to keep our hearts constantly filled with faith, so that there is no room for doubt. When The Word dominates our lives then it is only a matter of time before our desire manifests.

What God did for Dodie Osteen, He can do for us in any area of our lives when we believe.

PRAYER: Lord, please open my eyes to behold the wonders that are stored up in your word for me. Let pictures of your promises grip my mind until they become my reality. May I walk in the fullness of Your blessings in Jesus Name

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For you to enjoy victory in The Kingdom of God, you need to develop a kingdom mind, that thinks in line with The Word of God. – WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

DAILY READING –   – Acts 16:1-15; Judges 2-3; Job 34

Poison ivy looks like many harmless plants, and it keeps company with some beautiful ones too. Some gardeners may find that they get rashes from poison ivy whenever they prune their roses. That is because the poison ivy vine would attach itself to the rose, taking advantage of the tender loving care the gardener gives to the rosebush. Some people are just like that. They look harmless, and they blend in with people who, like roses, are fragrant and beautiful. But these people, like poison ivy can give you a rash. So be careful who you run with. People that do not share the same faith, or have a vision of the work of God, can be poison to your destiny.

Anyone who is not adding to your life is subtracting from it. Just like the poison ivy, some people look harmless, they are fun to be with. But the question is how are they adding to you spiritually, how do you feel after they leave you? Your destiny is too precious to be subjected to wrong influence.

The Bible asks us  not to be unequally  yoked with unbelievers. Are you still hanging around some unbeliever friends? Yes they can sometimes seem fun to be with, but being with them is also doing something to you, especially if your discussions are not based on the Gospel. They can come in the guise of business partners, family members, colleagues etc, but the more you stay in their presence and indulge in their worldly conversations, little by little your fire is being dimmed. Proverbs 27:17 says ‘As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.’  Your friends should be sharpening you to become better. Their good qualities should be rubbing off on you. They should be inspiring you to go further in life. Anyone who is not sharpening you, is causing you to become blunt.

You have to set boundaries. If someone is always negative, critical, finding fault, then they’re not for you. Spirits are transferable. Proverbs 22:24-25 says you should not hang around a hot-tempered person or you’ll become hot-tempered too. The same book of proverbs advises us to depart from the presence of someone when we sense they lack wisdom.

You can’t hang out with chickens and expect to soar like eagles. Birds of the same feather flock together. Make sure you’re flocking to the right group. There is a principle called the law of the group. We associate with people the way we see ourselves. Complainers find other complainers, gossips find gossips. Successful people find other successful people. Also if you hang around excellent people excellence will rub off on you.

Surround yourself with eagles, people who will add value to your life, and help you on the journey of destiny. Life is too short to waste time hanging with the wrong people. You won’t become who you were created to be if you don’t become selective in your friendships. Sometimes it may mean being lonely for a season, but it is better to walk alone than to run with fools. Because the companion of fools shall be destroyed. Friendship is not by force. Don’t stay with any friend who will weigh you down on the journey of destiny. Who you spend your time with has a great impact on your life. There are the destiny helpers who will help you to become all that God has ordained for you to be. Seek such friends. Pray to God to bring these right friends your way. There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. That is the kind of friend you need,  someone who will be there through thick and thin, someone who will love you not only on the mountaintop, but also in the valleys of life. Someone who is committed to ensuring that you fulfill God’s will for your life.  These are God ordained people who will inspire you to be the best you can be. They are rare to find. But when we wait on God, He brings such divine relationships and connections to us. And if you have such friends already then value them, because they are heaven’s agents sent on assignment by God to help you on the journey of life.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to be surrounded by the right friends. Keep far from me anyone who will hinder my destiny in any way. Bring to me destiny helpers, those who by Your grace will help me to be all You have ordained for me to be in this life in Jesus Name.   

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Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- WORDBITE 222

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE]

Acts 8:4 KJV

Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word.

• DAILY READING – – Acts 15:1-21; Joshua 23-24; Job 32

A star fish has an amazing tendency to multiply when cut up. Some oyster fishermen found that out. When their oyster beds became infested with starfish, these fishermen  cut up the starfish they caught and tossed the pieces back into the water. But much to their dismay, instead of dying the star fish only multiplied. If one of the arms of a starfish is severed, a new one will grow in its place. When a starfish is cut up, any piece that contains a part of the central disc will develop into a new starfish. So while you think you are destroying them, you actually helping them to multiply.

This is similar to what happens to a Child of God.

It doesn’t matter how much anyone tries to cut you down, you will only keep multiplying. When Pharoah tried to destroy the children of Israel through oppression, the more he persecuted them the more they multiplied.

In Acts chapter 8, the church grew after the disciples were scattered from Jerusalem. Persecution sometimes is a necessary fodder for our growth as Christians. This is why the Bible tells us to count it all joy when we pass through fiery trials, because it is all working out  together for our good.

By destiny we are created to be above and never beneath. Oil by nature is meant to always ascend above water. John 3:32  speaking about Jesus says  ‘He that cometh from above is above all’. And as He is, so are we in this world. By virtue of carrying the nature of Christ we are meant to be above too. We are seated with Christ in Heavenly places, far above.  No matter how much anyone tries to put you down you will only keep coming up and rising higher, because by nature you belong  to the top. Being born of God we are destined to be always above. No matter how many times we may be pushed down we will only keep rising, just as a cork always rises to the top of the water. .  Though we are in the world we are not of the world. As sons of God, we are created to ride on the high places of life, not dwell in the low places, we are for the mountaintops not the valleys. It is our nature to always be above. Understand that, it is inbuilt in us. As  believers we are meant to be the head and never the tail. So it doesn’t matter if people try to cut you down or situations and circumstances try to put you down, you will only keep rising.

Through Christ you have all it takes to keep going forward. You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you.  What may look like a cutting down now is only pruning you so that you can grow bigger and better. However sometimes,  it seems as if we have to first go down before we can go up. Before attempting a high jump, an athlete first takes a few steps backwards, only to suddenly shoot forward and  scale the height.  Before a tree grows up it takes root downwards. So do not be discouraged by what may look like a cutting down or setback, it is only a set up for your glorious comeback.

What is going on  is only preparation for a greater leap, it is always darkest just before the day breaks, and sometimes tough times can be an indication of the good times coming. That is why the Bible tells us not to be weary in well doing because there is coming a reaping season. Once you have put your hands to the plough do not withdraw it, so that you do not miss your moment, a reward is coming. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. So hang in there, no matter how tough it gets your rising is coming soon. God is working it all out for you. Keep waiting   on The Lord, keep praising Him, keep judging Him faithful. He is at  work on your behalf.  Though it may look as if you are being cut down now in your finances, health or relationships, know that when you are down to nothing God is up to something. So do not give up, do not give in, because when you endure  to the end you shall reap.

PRAYER: Lord, please give the grace to keep rising despite how many times situations seem to bring me down. By Your Grace I shall always be the head and never the tail..

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When God places His hand upon a man in life nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. – WORDBITE 222.

 [CULLED FROM THE BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD]

Daniel 5:21

The Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and He appoints over it whomsoever He will.  –

• DAILY READING – Matthew 24:32-51; Numbers 28-29; Song of Solomon 8:5-14

It is of The Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, His compassion fail not.[lamentations 3:22] Today September 28 is a special day in history. It is a day, 90 years ago, that God especially intervened in human affairs. On this day in 1928, something amazing happened that changed the course of the human story.  Daniel 5:21 says, The Most High God rules in the kingdom of men.  Flipping through the pages of history, we find this indeed so. God rules in the affairs of men. There are defining moments, life changing points, where without doubt you know God reached down to intervene in the affairs of men. 1928 would be one of such times. At that period, with no knowledge of antibiotics, infectious diseases had been ravaging mankind. Can you imagine a small cut on the finger, becoming so infected with bacteria that it could lead to death. This was the state of the world then, and there were no drugs that could kill infections. Streptococcus pyogenes caused half of all post-birth deaths and was a major cause of death from burns. Staphylococcus aureus was fatal in 80 percent of infected wounds and the tuberculosis and pneumonia bacteria were famous killers. Doctors were trying their best but they lacked the adequate drugs. In wars more soldiers died from infections than from actual wounds. Many a mother had wept helplessly as the cold hands of death snatched away their children , it was almost reminiscent of the children of Israel crying  under the oppression of pharaoh, but this Pharaoh was killer infections. God heard the cries of men, and sent help.

Today some will call it an accidental discovery, or mere coincidence, but indeed it was a divine arrangement that led Dr. Flemming, a Christian doctor, to discover penicillin. He was working on some mould of staphylococci, [a source of serious and often deadly human infection] before going on a vacation. When he returned to his lab, he found that on the culture dish where he was growing the mould of staphylococci,  another mould had appeared  on the plate from nowhere which was now killing and hindering the Staphylococci.  Further experiments  led to the production of penicillin drug,  which became a wonder drug that cured infections.  Indeed it became a life changing moment in human history. During ww1 18% of soldiers died from infected wounds, but by ww2 when the drug was given to soldiers, the death rate from infections was less than 1 %.

It is unimaginable what life would have been like without the discovery of antibiotics. Today the infections that killed people in the past are stopped by a simple dose of antibiotics. Indeed God rules in the affairs of men. And it is of His mercies that we are not consumed, and if God can have mercy on the world to send help, how much more those of us who belong to His kingdom. God’s deliverance is always available to  His children. There may be times in our lives when certain problems may look like they have no solutions. but it is never over until God says so. The God who rules in the affairs of men knows how to intervene and bring about our deliverance. He can do for us exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ever think or imagine.  And today He will arise for you, He will do something  so amazing and life changing  that men will know that indeed this can only be the finger of God.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always know you rule in my affairs. Even now I know You are at work to exceed my expectations, I thank You for your goodness in my life. Indeed with You nothing shall be impossible.  

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You will never need more than God to experience the impossible in life. WORDBITE 222.

Luke 21:12-13 KJV

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

• DAILY READING – Acts 13:26-52; Joshua 20-21; Job 30

Pastor Christo Kulichev,  an evangelical pastor  in Bulgaria became a marked man by the Communist party in Bulgaria for his outspoken faith and preaching. On January 9, 1985 he was arrested, tried, and imprisoned for his disobedience to the Communist regime. His crime was that he preached in his church when the state had appointed another man to preach in his place.

His trial was a mockery of justice. He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. During his time in prison he made Christ known every way he could. When he got out he wrote, “Both prisoners and jailers asked many questions, and it turned out that we had a more fruitful ministry there than we could have expected in church. God was better served by our presence in prison than if we had been free.” Though it seemed the communist government  were restricting him, they only ended up helping to expand his ministry. Sometimes what may appear as tribulation in your life may be God expanding the scope of your mission. In Acts 8, when the apostles were scattered they went about preaching the Gospel to many cities.

Sometimes we can suffer tribulations as Christians  without understanding the reason why. In pastor Christos’ case he was imprisoned for preaching in his own church. Though he had committed no crime, he was thrown into prison. But whatever phase or stage we find ourselves, we must realize it is all for a purpose. There is a plan God is working out. Though things may not look good at first, understand you are being pruned for a reason. Just submit to God’s will and let patience have its perfect work. And as Job said ‘When He hath tried me I shall come forth as gold’. [Job 23;10]

When you are a child of God things don’t happen to you anyhow, there is a reason behind every season of life. Your life is following a divine script.  When Joseph’s brothers sold him into a foreign land, it seemed like the end of the road.  But rather they had only sent him to the place of destiny.  Sometimes God can use your enemies to scatter you from the familiar only to bring you to the place of destiny. Change is often not comfortable. Leaving behind the familiar and venturing into the unknown can even be scary. But in the case of Moses, Joseph, Esther, Daniel, David, it seemed none of them could come into their destined place until they have first been scattered.  In Isaiah 66:19 God said ‘and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations.., to the isles afar that have not heard My Name, neither have seen My Glory, and they shall declare My Glory among the gentiles’.

That is the purpose; to declare His glory. We are created and prepared for the purpose of manifesting God’s Glory.  Everything that is being done in our lives is for the purpose of declaring His Glory. Even the trials and tribulations you seem to be facing right now,  are for the purpose of manifesting His Glory. God said in Isaiah 43;7  ‘Even everyone that is called by My Name, for I have created him for My Glory’.  And verse 21 says  ‘this people have I formed for Myself, they shall shew forth My Praise’.

Despite the gross darkness, the glory of the Lord is rising upon you and the gentiles shall come to the brightness of your rising. What looks like tribulation right now is working out for your good, and The Lord shall be glorified through your testimony.

We are destined to be vessels for the revelation of God’s glory. And it is only when we have been pruned, purged and prepared that we can be vessels of honor fit for the master’s use. There must be a preparation before there can be a manifestation. So everything that is happening , every phase and stage, is simply God preparing us for the greater purpose He has created us for; to declare His glory.  Isaiah 48;10 says . behold, I have refined thee but not with silver, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction’ and Job 23;10 says ‘But He  knoweth the way that I take, when He hath tried me I shall come forth as gold’. This is why in everything we give Him thanks, everywhere we go we proclaim His Name. and  even when the enemy thinks he is persecuting us, we are only being purified by the fire to bring to God worthy praise. Because the greater the test, the sweeter the testimony. This is why wherever we go, we proclaim His doing, we use every available means and opportunity to preach the Gospel.  We must preach in season and out of season.  To every place we come to, we ask ourselves “To whom can I witness here?”  In everything, God must be glorified.

When we trust God we will let Him have His way in our lives, knowing that our lives are ultimately to declare His Glory. Even when it seems we are being scattered, He is at work to cause all things to work for our good. We trust Him not only with the present but also with the future, knowing that He that has begun this good work in us is able to bring it to perfection.

PRAYER: Lord, please give me  the grace to see your will being done in my life despite what may seem like a scattering, please give me the wisdom to discern your voice as You guide me through the storm into my place of destiny..

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The test you are going through in life today is not for your destruction, it is for your testimony. – WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]

Psalm 111;10

“The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom, good understanding have all they that do His commandments, His praise endureth forever.”

• DAILY READING Acts 13:1-25; Joshua 18-19; Job 29

Some tribes on earth are quite fascinating. One of these are the eskimos, also called the inuits, who dwell in one of earth’s coldest regions. Imagine people  living inside  houses built from snow.  How do they survive without freezing to death in such cold environment? Their survival has been possible because there exists among them a profound understanding of their extreme environment. The eskimos , live in a vast area spanning more than 3,500 miles, which includes eastern Siberia, Greenland, Alaska and parts of Canada.  These inhabitants of Earth’s more frigid regions, often find building materials scarce.  To survive brutal winters eskimo hunters  build shelters with what is available, which is only snow. Snow is used because the air pockets trapped in it make it an insulator. Their clothing, made from caribou-skin or polar bear-skin  provide warmth for hunters who lie on the ice for hours waiting for their prey. The density of the fur is amazing.  Dressed in two layers of caribou hide, a hunter can stay warm even in the most extreme conditions.  The eskimos , through good understanding of the behavior of animals around them, also have abundant supply of food for their family and communities. Eskimos are able to survive and thrive in an environment that could have killed others because of their  good understanding of the terrain.

It doesn’t matter how harsh the environment you may find yourself, once you have a good understanding of what to do, you will survive and thrive in it.  Wisdom is profitable to direct.  When we sometimes find ourselves in a spiritually hostile environment, by the good understanding which God gives, we can survive and thrive. As Christians in the world, we are already in a spiritually hostile environment.  Jesus said  in Matthew 10:16  ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves’  It is through divine wisdom that we can overcome  in the world.  During the time of Jesus, the Jews constantly set traps for Him, waiting for Him to do or say the wrong thing, so that they could have accusations against Him.  But He escaped their many traps through the wisdom of God. One time they asked Him whether it was right to pay tax to Ceaser or not. It was a tricky question that He could not answer either way without being accused of speaking against Ceaser or contradicting scriptures. But His answer eluded their trap and they ended up marveling at Him. In the house of king Saul,  David survived the traps set for him, by behaving himself wisely.

Sometimes you can find yourself in an environment, where there may be conspiracies and plots; how then would  you know what to do? This is when we need the wisdom of God. At such times you do not walk by sight, but by faith. Walking by sight can be confusing. What you need is the Holy Spirit giving you the needed wisdom as you take every step.

No matter how hostile the environment, with the wisdom of God you can escape any trap. By divine wisdom  you will always be a step ahead of the opposition.  God will give you a mouth and wisdom which your adversaries will not be able to resist nor gainsay. Because you are born of The Spirit, they cannot tell how you come or how you go, like the wind they cannot understand your operations. . Good understanding comes from The Word of God. Through good knowledge of The Word of God, you will not only survive every hostile environment, you will also dominate and thrive there.

As the darkness grows thicker in the world, it is those who walk by the light of The Spirit that will thrive. It is therefore important that we maintain a close walk with God, so that by His wisdom we can escape every plot of the enemy. Indeed as the psalmist says ‘ in Psalms 124:7  ‘Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.’

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to escape every trap, no matter how spiritually hostile my environment is, by good understanding from Your Word, I know I will always escape in Jesus Name. .  

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As a child of God you have to recognize that you are in the middle of an ongoing battle. WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE  BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD]