HORM Devotional

1 Peter 5:8 ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:’

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

DeWayne Lamont Woods is an award winning American Gospel musician. Sometime ago, he appeared on an episode of the T.V series, “Morris Cerullo Helpline”, to talk about how he contracted HIV. During a season of spiritual coldness and ungodly associations in his life, he had become involved in a sinful relationship that led to him being infected .
In 1993, while in Chicago working on a play, Dewayne began to experience fainting spells. During a checkup to determine the cause, he was diagnosed with HIV.
Alone in a hospital room, he prayed and pleaded with God to spare his life.
For the next seven years he battled the deadly disease. During this time he became more committed to his faith and prayer.
Also,, worship became one of the strongest points in his life.
Eventually, in 2000, seven years after he was diagnosed, Woods got a clean bill of health from his doctors.
Though he had sinned and derailed from God’s Will, yet, when he cried out to God for mercy and forgiveness, he experienced first-hand the healing power of prayer.
Dewayne Woods concluded his testimony on the TV show by saying
“When you turn your life over to God know that He is going to work things out for you…”
The song “Let Go, Let God,” is the award-winning song that was inspired by his life-changing incident

God is indeed merciful and faithful.
No matter how far we may stray, even in the deepest night, if we but step toward Christ, His light will reignite our souls.
As we sincerely return to God and recommit our lives to Him, we will find restoration, wholeness and healing.

However,, it is important to realize that we must never allow our fire to go down without seeking revival because we are living in spiritually dangerous times. We must do everything necessary to stay sober and vigilant because there is an enemy who is going about as a roaring lion looking for whom to devour. We cannot afford to give room to the devil in our lives because anyone who breaks the hedge shall be bitten by the serpent.
The truth is that straying out of God’s Will is too expensive, none of us can afford it. Sin is a sinker and a silent blessing stealer, and it is the core reason why believers suffer unnecessarily at the hands of the enemy.
We therefore need to constantly examine our hearts and be sure we are walking in line with God’s will for us.
Sometimes we may not commit a major sin, but can stray from God’s purpose. Instead of pursuing God’s vision, we become busy pursuing personal ambitions and become more and more entangled with the world around us.
As a result, our spiritual fire may begin to go down.
The good news is that no matter how far we may stray, we are not beyond the reach of God’s grace!
As we come before the throne of grace with a penitent heart and ask for cleansing by the Blood, God will show mercy.
Indeed God will revive and restore us once we can retrace our steps back to Him.

These beginning days of this year is a good time for sober reflection. We must take a definite decision to stay away from sin and all ungodly associations. It is indeed time to go deeper in our walk with God. As we commit to walking in line with God’s will, we will surely enjoy overflowing blessings in the days ahead.

PRAYER: Lord, please destroy every sinful tendency and spiritual laxity in me. I thank You for igniting my heart afresh today with Your divine fire and renewing my passion and zeal for Your kingdom in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
When you are living and walking in the supernatural everything natural becomes subservient to you. – WORDBITE 222.

James 5:16 (AMP) ‘The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

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

John Nelson Hyde was an American missionary and the son of a Presbyterian minister. His father had fervently prayed that God would send more missionaries to foreign mission fields. Interestingly, John Hyde became one of the missionaries that were raised in answer to his father’s prayer. register in a
At the end of his studies at theTheological Seminary, John believed that God was calling him to be a missionary to India.
In 1892 he embarked on the mission based on his passion without first seeking the anointing necessary to make his ministry impactful.
While still on the ship taking him to India, he received a letter from a friend who highlighted this need for the Anointing. This friend wrote that he would pray to God to fill John with the Holy Spirit. Angry at the suggestion that he did not already have the Spirit, John threw the letter away. But later acknowledging that his friend was right, John then humbled himself and prayed to God for help.
When he arrived in India, it soon became obvious that he indeed needed power. For the first eight years he labored without any results and made no converts. Eventually fed up with his fruitless efforts, he made the decision to pray and fast until there was revival.
He then began to spend days without eating, praying to God to open up the hearts of the people. Sometimes, he spent whole nights in prayer and the Indians began to call him “The man who never sleeps.”
His lifestyle of fervent prayers also made him to become known as ‘praying Hyde’.

With time, his prayers began to have their desired effect. He received the power and anointing that finally broke the yoke of fruitlessness in his life. The Lord started moving in his ministry and revival broke out.
God’s revival power spread far and wide, touching many lives and causing millions of people to come to Christ through John Hyde’s missionary work.

James 5:16 (AMP) says ‘The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

Heartfelt and persistent prayer is an absolute necessity for experiencing revival..
To see an eruption of God’s power in our lives we must be willing to pray fervently.
The truth is that any of us can experience a change of story, if only we are willing to pay the required price.
You don’t have to settle with fruitlessness and lack of progress, there is a way out through prayers.
Prayer is the foundation for unlimited breakthroughs in life. God will do for us even what seems impossible, when we embrace the spiritual responsibility of prayer.

Christianity is a faith of responsibility, every provision in scriptures has its conditions. We will always receive the promise when we willingly fulfill the conditions.

God said in Jeremiah 29:13-14 ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity,’

According to this Scripture, when we seek God with all our heart and find Him, He then turns away captivity from us. Therefore every captivity of sickness, poverty, fruitlessness, frustration etc, can all be destroyed from our lives, if only we make the choice to diligently seek God until we find Him.
Truly, God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. As we seek and find Him, there shall be a reward and our expectations shall not be cut off.

Let us therefore today make the decision to fervently seek God.
Enough of making excuses for failure, let us engage in a search to seek and find God’s power for our desired solutions. Let us get into the depth of the Word, prayer and deep worship; there we will find God’s power in a new and greater dimension.
There are many things God wants to do in our lives this year. As we begin to sincerely seek Him, we are going to see a manifestation of His glorious power that will establish us in the life of wonders He has designed for us.
Certainly, this year, by God’s grace, our story must change for the better. As we begin to seek God with greater fervency, we will experience the spiritual revival that will transform.our world for Christ.

PRAYER: Father please grant me the grace to dig into the depth of Your Word, prayers and deep worship until I experience the revival that will transform my life. As I seek You with all my heart may Your power and Presence indeed turn me into a wonder to the world in Jesus’ Name.

QUOTE;
God is preparing you for the season He prepared for your breakthrough WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 42:1-2 says ‘As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…’

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

Tommy Lee Osborn was an American Pentecostal televangelist, author and teacher whose ministry greatly manifested God’s miracle-working power.
T.L Osborne and his wife Daisy got married in 1941, at very young ages, when Tommy was only 18 years and Daisy was 17.
They immediately began working as evangelists and in 1945 they headed out to India as missionaries. But they failed to make any impact on the people of India because there were no miracles or signs to authenticate their preaching of the Gospel..
They lasted less than a year in India and returned back home to America, desperately seeking the power of God. They read biographies, books, sermons, searched the scriptures and prayed for power. .
After attending a meeting by a woman named Hattie Hammond, the Osborns were deeply stirred and when they returned home they prayed late into the night desiring an encounter with Jesus. The next morning at 6:00 am T. L. Osborn woke up and saw a vision of Jesus that changed his life forever. T.L Osborn testified that Jesus stood in front of him and his senses were completely overwhelmed. From that moment on, T.L Osborne wanted only one thing – to see the glory of Jesus manifested in his life.
As he and Daisy continued seeking after God, they eventually encountered the power and glory of God that they had long desired.
The manifestation of the power of the Spirit brought them to global recognition and led to the establishment of their worldwide ministry.

Psalm 42:1-2 says ‘As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…’

The truth is that we cannot give what we do not have. To see revival and the manifestation of . miracles, we must be willing to pay the required price of fervently seeking God until we receive His power.
To succeed in life and ministry, our hearts need to hunger and thirst for a divine encounter that will revolutionize our lives.
Every great man and woman ever used by God to manifest great miracles, all came to a point of spiritual ‘desperation’ in seeking after God, until He revealed His power to them.
Likewise, if we desire to see the manifestations of signs and wonders, our hearts must greatly pant after God.
Every prize demands a price, and progress in life calls for a pressing in.
There are wonderful things to be had in the Spirit, but we must press in to where they are. There are mighty manifestations of power and glory, miracles signs and wonders, awaiting us when we pay the price to diligently seek after God.

As a child of God, you are meant to live an amazing life. You are to be a sign and wonder to your world. You are not to live an ordinary or mediocre life. You are the light of your world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hid. Men are meant to look up to you. They are meant to come to you for answers and solutions, you are meant to rule in the midst of them and be the head and never the tail. However, all these will only come into manifestation when we pay the price of pressing into the depths where the power of God is.

Indeed a desperate desire for the power of God is the gateway to receiving the anointing that will announce us to our world.
The truth is that none of us can accomplish much in God’s Kingdom, without the power of the Spirit at work in our lives.
Therefore, as we launch out into this new year, let us make up our minds to seek God with greater zeal and passion.
As our hearts desperately pant after God, He will certainly release to us the anointing that will establish us as signs and wonders to the world.

PRAYER; Lord, Please grant me renewed appetite and zeal for Your Anointing. Please enable me to always give the study of Your Word, prayers and praise, top priority in my life, so that I can constantly be empowered to do exploits on the earth in Jesus Name.

QUOTE;
God’s Word is God’s ‘prescription’ for every area of your life, let God’s Word fix every situation in your life. WORDBITE 222.

Leviticus 6:13 ‘the fire shall ever be burning upon the altar it shall never go out.’

DAILY READING; Acts 15:22-41; Judges 1; Job 33

Charles Grandison Finney was a revivalist of the 1800s, who is often called the “father of modern revivalism”. He was a leader in the Second Great Awakening in America and a man whose heart burned with fiery passion for God.
During his ministry, he preached in a village called Evans’ Mills. While there, he was grieved by the spiritual lethargy he witnessed among the congregation. One day, after preaching a sermon stressing on the need for conversion, he abruptly told his congregation, “You who have made up your minds to become Christians, and will give your pledge to make your peace with God immediately, should rise up.”
The entire congregation, having never heard such a direct challenge to take a stand for God, remained in their seats.
Finney confronted them with their spiritual coldness and rebuked them sternly. He then dismissed the congregation and many left angry.
The next evening, Finney preached more on their need for revival, but the people remained largely unresponsive.
However, Finney knew the power of prayer and fasting that could break the spiritual coldness in the lives of people. As he engaged in prayer, a change began to take place in the hearts of the people.
The next night, the entire town turned out, including a man who was so angry with Finney that he brought a gun and intended to kill the evangelist. But that night, as Finney preached with power, fire erupted in the church; people stood up to pledge their lives to Christ, while others fell down and groaned in repentance and submission.
Revival swept through the congregation, and many submitted their lives afresh to serve God. Finney carried this revival to other towns and many more repented of their sins and committed their lives afresh to serve God.

Oftentimes people can be in Church and yet be spiritually cold.
While it is glaringly clear that we are living in the very last days, the truth is that some people in the Church remain spiritually asleep, still entangled with the affairs of this world and unaware of the increasing signs of the times.
However, it is dangerous at this time for any believer to continue in a state of spiritual slumber. It is not just enough to warm the pews, our lives must burn with passion towards the service of God.
As we begin this year, now is a good time to do a heart check and determine if we are in the right place with God.
Certainly, this year, lukewarm Christianity will not do, we need fiery zeal and blazing passion for the things of God to be able to make a difference in the world.
With the worsening state of affairs in the world, there’s a growing need and urgency for us to remain spiritually revived and keep our lights burning.
Indeed we are living in a very critical time on the earth right now. It is a time when no believer can afford to live as an ostrich with head buried in the sand, pretending everything is alright in the world while it is not.
We need to become spiritually alive, so as not to be caught unawares by unfolding events.
Watching in the Word and praying always is a crucial requirement for us to escape what is coming upon the earth.[Luke 21:36].

Keeping our spiritual fire burning brightly is what will keep away the encroaching gross darkness of these last days.
Every moment we spend in God’s Word will count in sustaining our fire because it is the entrance of the Word that gives light.
To stop our fire from going out we must keep putting in the wood of the Word.

Proverbs 26:20 says ‘Where no wood is, there the fire goes out.’

It is indeed necessary to keep our fire burning constantly and never allow it to go out.

Leviticus 6:13 says ‘the fire shall ever be burning upon the altar it shall never go out.’

To excel this year, we need to do everything we can to stay on fire for God!
Certainly, as we remain spiritually fervent, the fire of the Spirit burning through us will dispel every darkness around us and draw men to the glorious light of the God we serve.

PRAYER; Lord, please help me to understand the times and seasons. Please grant me the grace to watch and pray always and have renewed appetite for Your Word. Thank You Lord for igniting fresh fire on my prayer altar in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
The treasures of God are never on the shallow end, but are always buried in the depth of God’s Word. It takes a personal discovery to get there. – WORDBITE 222.

Mark 11:24 ‘Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’

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

James Hudson Taylor was missionary to China and one of the most influential carriers of the Gospel since the days of the apostles.
As a young man, few months after his conversion he took time for a special season of seeking God. While praying, he heard clearly the call to serve as a missionary in China.
It seemed a very difficult call because at that time China was not open to the Gospel.
Though Taylor, did not know how to go about his call to China, and had no money, he believed God would make a way. And so he began to get ready for this mission by studying the Chinese language. Young Taylor would also begin the study of medicine as well as Greek, Hebrew, and Latin.
As he vigorously prepared, he became greatly discouraged when he sought counsel from his pastor and was told his desire to serve in China was an archaic idea, which would not work.
However, Hudson believed that God who called him would see him through. And so from then on he took the decision to take his eyes off man and focus only on God. His most important preparation became seeking God in the place of prayer. As he persevered in faith, miraculously God opened a way into China for him and provided the funds he needed for the trip. .
When he finally arrived in China, he faced horrendous challenges and was almost overwhelmed by the enormity of the undertaking to serve there as a missionary. The nation generally was beset by local wars and international tensions. Extortion, pillaging, and torture were common. Diseases were ravaging, with little proper medical care. Opium addiction, slavery, poverty, and famine were rampant. Foreigners such as Taylor were feared and hated and often became targets of violent attacks.
These circumstances caused Taylor to spend many wakeful nights in prayer. He continued to rely on God for protection, provision and everything else.
And indeed God helped him marvelously. Hudosn Taylor would go on to do mighty exploits in China. He founded the China Inland Mission which was responsible for bringing over 800 missionaries to China and began 125 schools, which resulted in the conversion of thousands of Chinese people.
When Taylor arrived in China in the 1850s, there was one Protestant Christian for every one million people. Fifty years later, estimates place the ratio as one Protestant Christian for every two thousand people.
Taylor took on the challenge of preaching Christ to one-quarter of the world’s population and saw the power of the Holy Spirit move in a way rarely witnessed since the days of the first century Christians.

Often times, the great and effectual door God opens for you also comes with many adversaries. And you have to be prepared beforehand to overcome.
When the door to become king of Israel was opened for David, it came with many adversaries; including Goliath and Saul. However, prior to this time, God had trained David in the secret place. Though David had no idea of the future that lay ahead of him, he had been faithful to prepare by devotion to God through worship and prayers.

Likewise this year, we will succeed based on our dedication and commitment to fervently seek God. As we draw closer to Him, we will be continually revived and ignited to triumph over difficulties and accomplish His will for us this year.
Surely, as we make God our sole focus, we will be more than conquerors in every battle.
Therefore, rather than looking at the global conditions, our best preparation for success this year is our spiritual preparation. This we do through diligent studying of the Word, fasting, prayers and fellowship with the Spirit.
As we seek first the kingdom of God, every other thing will fall into place. Certainly as we seek God first we will never be last, rather we will be the head and never the tail; above only and never beneath.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to commit to diligently seeking Your face in this season. As I do, please guide me by Your Spirit into the great things You have in store for me this year in Jesus Name. .
QUOTE;
The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained victorious end for you – WORDBITE 222.

2 Chronicles 27:6 ‘So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God’.

DAILY READING; Acts 14; Joshua 22; Job 31

William Booth was an English Methodist preacher who, along with his wife, Catherine, founded the Salvation Army and became its first “General”
The Salvation Army is a Christian international charitable organization that is present in about 131 countries around the world.
William Booth succeeded in ministry because he gave a lot of focus to his spiritual preparation.
While in his teenage years he became converted to Christianity. Thereafter, he began to prepare himself to be a preacher by reading extensively and trained himself in writing and in speech. He soon became a Methodist local preacher and began evangelizing to the poor in Nottingham and doing open-air evangelizing in the streets.
In 1851, Booth joined the Methodist Reform Church and on his 23rd birthday became a full-time preacher in the Church. However, though he became a prominent Methodist evangelist, he was unhappy that the denomination did not give him the freedom to do evangelistic campaigns. After his request to be freed for evangelism full-time was refused, Booth resigned from his position and became an independent evangelist. All that mattered to William Booth was obeying God and he was willing to lay down everything to follow Christ.
In 1865 he founded the Salvation Army, which is a Christian movement with a quasi-military structure. The army spread from London, England, to many parts of the world. Today, it is known for being one of the largest distributors of humanitarian aid. The organization has had amazing positive impact around the world and recently William Booth was named among the 100 Greatest Britons in history.

William Booth sowed his life as a seed in the service of God and reaped the harvest of a ministry that continues today to impact the world.
The principles of seedtime and harvest control every man’s life and destiny.
The depths of our walk with God will determine the heights of our exploits in life. Our focus on spiritual preparation is a fundamental key to our success in life and ministry.

We have come into a new year and the days ahead are like a blank slate. However our level of spiritual preparation at the beginning of this year will determine the outcome of the months in front of us. As we make up our mind to seek God diligently and fervently, we can be sure of a glorious year ahead.
Whether we realize it or not, everything we are experiencing now is a direct result of the spiritual investments we have made in our lives in the past. Indeed the fruit our lives eventually produce is a reflection of how we have spiritually invested our time.
Our life is made up of our time. That is why our period on earth is called a ‘lifetime’. And for us to reap a fruitful life on earth it is important that we sow our time rightly in the diligent pursuit of God.
These beginning days of the year is a good time for a personal retreat, where you get away from noise and distraction to hear from God.
When you meditate upon Scriptures and spend enough time in prayers, you will certainly receive definite direction from God.
This is one year we really need divine direction and guidance. It is a time to really get close to God and carefully follow His plan.
We must live ready and be spiritually prepared; constantly seeking God for His divine guidance.
At this time, God is raising an army of believers who will command influence and dominate the world. Each of us has a place in this great army.
However it is our choice for dedication today that will guarantee our distinction tomorrow. Let us therefore determine to reap a glorious year, by investing time in the place of adequate spiritual preparation at this time.
As we earnestly seek God in this season we will surely experience revival in a new and greater dimension this year.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to pay the needed spiritual price so at to manifest Your glory this year. Please help me to invest my time rightly in the pursuit of Your kingdom, so that I can reap the harvest of Your overflowing blessings in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE :
Illuminate your world for you are a star destined to shine. WORDBITE 222..

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”

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

At the beginning of the 20th century, John G. Lake was a successful business man who served part time as a minister of the Gospel.
But though he was making about $50,000 per annually [which is the equivalent of almost 2 million dollars today], yet he felt unfulfilled and remained deeply hungry spiritually.
However, 1907 became a pivotal year in his life and ministry. That year, Lake decided he just had to move up to a new level in his walk with God. For the first nine months of 1907, Lake fasted, prayed and cried out to God.
In October of that year, Lake became powerfully baptized in the Spirit. And from that moment on, his life began to manifest varied range of the gifts of the Spirit.
Soon after that, John G. Lake received instructions from the Lord to move to South Africa to begin a life of ministry.
He forsook his mega-salary, give away all he had and in 1908, together with his family, he set off on the journey with virtually no money and no contact in South Africa.
Miraculously, as they arrived, a woman approached them and said God had sent her to give them accommodation and take care of them. Through a series of such miracles, God provided their needs and gave Lake the platform to begin preaching the Gospel.
As he ministered, there were eruptions of signs and wonders that drew many to Christ.
Within the space of 5 years in South Africa, John G. Lake’s ministry produced 1,250 Preachers, 625 Congregations and over 100,000 converts. Through him, God began the most successful southern African religious movement of the 20th century.

Alleluyah! Today is a brand new year!
What a joy to finally cross over to this New year. To God be all the glory!
It is indeed our new season to see greater things.
Just as 1907, became a pivotal year for John G. Lake, through God’s grace, this year can also be a pivotal year for us. So much that can occur in our lives if we make the decision to move higher in our walk with God.

With the previous year and all its challenges now behind us, it is time to move forward. Therefore, as we step into this New Year, let us remember God’s Word in Deuteronomy 11:10-12 which says ‘The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.’

Egypt was the place of stress, sorrow, and struggle. But Canaan was the place of success and spiritual growth.
In other words, this New year we are coming into doesn’t have to be like last year we have just left behind.
Therefore let us not remember the former things, rather let us press forward in the high calling of God that awaits us this year. It is indeed time to experience new levels in God and move into the great and mighty plans He has for our lives.
Each of us has a new road ahead of us in this new year. It’s a different road than any we’ve ever traveled on before. As we step off down that road, we are comforted in knowing that God is with us as we steadfastly seek His face.
As long as draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Therefore we are never alone in this journey. And certainly, when God is with us, nothing and no one can ever be against us. Therefore let us step out in faith this year believing God for greater heights and divine elevations.
It is certainly a new beginning for us.
Therefore let us get up and get going. Let us rise and shine, for indeed our light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us.

PRAYER: Father, I am grateful that You enabled me to see this brand New Year. Thank You Lord! Please grant me the grace to seek You diligently this year so as to experience a full manifestation of Your glory and the great things You have in store for me this year in Jesus’ Name.

QUOTE
When God is on your side, anything is possible. WORDBITE 222

Lamentations 3:22-23 ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’

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

The song ‘How Great Thou Art’ has consistently been listed as one of the greatest hymns ever written, usually considered second only to ‘Amazing Grace’.
Interestingly this famous hymn has its origins as a poem written by a former sailor in a small town in Sweden.
The writer, Carl Gustav Boberg, was a 26-year old young man, who had a divine encounter that made him to quit his job as a sailor to start working as a lay-minister in his native Sweden.
One Sunday afternoon, after executing his pastoral duties at the Church, he was caught in a thunderstorm. From his perch in the mountains, Boberg watched as the storm swept in with a bolt of lightning and massive clap of thunder. The storm hurtled through the meadows and grain fields, reverberating across the countryside with the sound of its astounding power. After the storm, pastor Boberg looked out through his windows and found a rainbow spread across the sky and the birds singing gloriously.
At that moment, Carl was overwhelmed by God’s power and majesty. The result was an outpouring of adoration and worship in the writing of the song, which first had the Swedish title of ‘O Store Gud’ meaning ‘Mighty God’.
The song, which is a declaration of God’s infinite greatness began to appeal to the hearts of those who heard it. Soon it reached beyond the shores of Sweden and became translated into different languages including German, Russian, and English. The English version was titled ‘How Great Thou Art’.
It was later song by many famous musicians including Elvis Presley and Carrie Underwood. Within 50 years, it was recorded over 1,800 times.
Today, it continues to be sung all over the world by millions of Christians in different languages as they declare the heartfelt humble adoration, “My God, how great Thou art!”

Reflecting on God’s faithfulness in the past 12 months, we cannot help but declare ‘“My God, how great Thou art!”
Indeed we have seen the power and wonders of God in diverse dimensions this year.
Truly God has been amazing!
Because memory is a catalyst for worship, today, is a good time to look back at the many blessings of God so as to give Him worthy praise. Indeed on this last day of the year, we must be deliberate not to forget the benefits of God that we have received.

Ps 103:1-2 says “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits”.

This year, by the mercies of the Lord we have not been consumed. Despite, the current uncertainties and instabilities in the world, God has been our refuge and strength, and our ever present help in trouble.
As the world struggled through economic confusion, panics and pandemics, God’s Word has remained our anchor and solid rock.
Even those times, when it seemed we passed through the water and the fire, yet through faith in God’s Word, we were able to overcome.
Truly, God has delivered our soul from death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling [Psalm 116:8].

For all of these blessings, God deserves our special thanks today as we finally come to the end of this year. What a great and mighty God we serve!
As we prepare to cross over into the New year, let us keep declaring His greatness and faithfulness. If it had not been for the Lord on our side, especially in this season, where would we be? Let us therefore bless Him from the depth of our hearts.
And as we look forward to the New Year that is about to begin, let us continue to thank God in advance.
As we keep thanking Him in anticipation, surely, He will go ahead of us to make every crooked path straight and show us even greater and mightier things in the coming year.

PRAYER: Lord I am deeply grateful that You enabled me to see the last day of this year. I thank You precious Lord for all Your blessings and benefits in my life. May all glory, honor and adoration be unto You alone now and forever in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
When you praise God despite your situation power is released for a raise. – WORDBITE 222

Exodus 14:13 ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.’

DAILY READING – Acts 12; Joshua 15-17; Job 28

Arthur Blessit is an evangelist who has carried a wooden cross all over the world in a mission that has taken him through 315 countries. His journey is in the Guinness Book of World Records as “The World’s Longest Walk.”
In one of his journeys he was almost stoned to death when he came to a predominantly Moslem city of Tetouan in Morocco. At a major road intersection hundreds of people who saw him with the cross, began screaming at him. Cars stopped and people began running out of shops screaming with their faces full of hatred and rage. Since Arthur had no interpreter, he couldn’t understand what they were saying.
Soon they began throwing rocks at him and many of the men with long sticks beat his arms, legs and side and then also hit the cross repeatedly.
Arthur’s Land Rover, carrying some of his team, who usually trailed him during his walks, came down the road and when they saw the dangerous situation they yelled to him “Arthur drop the cross and run, let’s get out of here.”
But he screamed back, “No, go on. If I make it, praise the Lord! If I don’t, praise him anyway!”
When the crowd realized the vehicle was with him, they began running toward it, but the driver took off out of sight. At that point Arthur believed they were really going to kill him. Deciding to die while preaching,. he then began to preach right in the faces of the people still beating him.
Just at that moment, he saw two men come from a store, who started screaming at the crowd, waving their arms and clenching their fists. As the crowd began screaming back, momentarily their attention was diverted from Arthur. Just then he felt the Holy Spirit say to him “Go, now!”
And so he began to push through the crowd. It was as if the people couldn’t see him as he walked right through their midst. He was a half block down the street before they realized he was gone. Though a few people threw rocks at him, yet no one followed after him.
Thus Arthur walked away safely from that place. He later located his Land Rover parked alongside the road, waiting for him and so continued his journey to other towns.

When Arthur Blessit chose to honor and praise God in the midst of a desperate situation, he experienced a miraculous deliverance.
Indeed God will always make a way of escape for those who trust in Him. For some of us this year, this has been our story. Though we had faced battles that seemed too great for us, yet God showed up in inexplicable and unfathomable ways to deliver us.
This is why today, we raise our voices to bless and thank Him for His faithfulness and wonders we have seen this year. Certainly God has been good!
Truly, we serve the God of awesome wonders! There is no mountain that He cannot level, no sea that He cannot dry up, and no Jordan that He cannot drive back for our sakes.
Indeed no battle or challenge we face is ever beyond what God can handle. As long as we give Him worthy praise, He will arise to show us His wonders.

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat was surrounded by mightier armies. And it looked like there was no way of escape. In 2 Chronicles 20:12, he prayed ‘We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you’.

God responded by telling them that they did not need to fight in the battle. What they needed to do was to set themselves and stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.
And so they set themselves by organizing a praise warfare! When they prioritized praise, God turned their battlefield into the Valley of Berachah.
Berachah meaning “blessings” was the name they gave the place because it took them three days to gather all the spoils of war!

Indeed God is fearful in praises and when we engage His presence through praises, we will see the eruption of His signs and wonders.
As we prepare to cross over into the New Year, we must be deliberate in offering God worthy praise. As we do, He will arise to deal with every gathering and gang-up of the enemy against us.
As we praise God, certainly He will ensure that the Egyptians we saw in 2021 we shall see them no more forever.
Just like the red sea swallowed pharaoh, so shall every evil attempting to cross over with us, be swallowed by the red sea of the Blood of Jesus. None of the sickness, financial instability, relationship crisis and other troubles of 2021 shall cross over with us. Surely affliction shall not arise a second time.
As we keep praising God, He will certainly go before us to break the gates of brass, cut asunder the bars of iron and usher us into a New Year of unending blessings.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for all You have done for me this year. I thank You in advance for the ‘fearful’ and ‘tearful’ testimonies awaiting me in the New Year.
As I praise You today, I know indeed that my victory is guaranteed over every battle in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
Praise always guarantees you power for a raise, learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORDBITE 222

1 Corinthians 15:33 ‘Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners..’

DAILY READING • Acts 11:19-30; Joshua 13-14; Job 27

Billy Graham is considered one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century.
He became the friend and confidante of presidents, celebrities and royalty. Billy Graham had a friendship with American President Richard Nixon which made him to become an adviser to the president, regularly visiting the White House and leading the president’s private worship services.
However Billy Graham’s friendship with Richard Nixon almost became detrimental to his ministry. After the Watergate scandal which led to president Nixon’s removal from office, there were controversies that Graham had agreed with many of President Richard Nixon’s antisemitic opinions.
In 2002, this controversy became glaring when declassified “Richard Nixon tapes” revealed a 1972 conversation between him and Billy Graham, where Graham said something negative about a Jewish media group.
In 2009, more Nixon tapes were released, in which Graham was again overheard in a 1973 conversation with Nixon expressing his dislike for a group of Jewish journalists.
When these tapes were made public, Graham apologized and expressed his deep regret of such comments made in his conversations with President Nixon 30 years earlier.
Billy Graham told the Media that he wished he had steered clear of politics. He said ‘I’m grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; ..but looking back I know I sometimes cros­sed the line, and I wouldn’t do that now.”
Billy Graham’s friendship with president Nixon almost marred his reputation and for the rest of his life, it taught him a great lesson on the issue of being selective in his associations.

To go far in God’s plan and purpose for us, we certainly need to be careful over our associations. Truly, who you follow determines what follows you.
As we prepare to cross over to the New Year, now is a good time to go through our contact lists and decide what to keep or what to delete.
As covenant children of God, we must be deliberate about those we surround ourselves with.

It’s been said, “The anointing attracts all sorts, and so does favor.”
When the favor of God is upon your life, all sorts of people will desire to come around you. However, it takes wisdom and spiritual discernment to know those who are there to help or to harm.
Certainly, to fulfill destiny, we have to become selective in our friendships.

One of our greatest needs is the uprooting of destiny killers from our lives and the locating of destiny-helpers that will help us to attain the next levels and new heights God has ordained for us.

Destiny Helpers add value to you and are strategically positioned to help you arrive at your expected end. Sometimes these divine connections are the missing link between you and your miracle. Therefore part of our prayers in this season is to ask God to bring into our lives those right people He has ordained to help us fly high.
Also, we must make a definite decision to let go of those wrong associations that have been hindering our spiritual lives and progress..
Indeed we cannot afford to keep hanging around people who we know are not adding value to us.
The truth is that anyone who is not sharpening you is hampering you.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Therefore, today, let us receive strength by the power in the Blood of Jesus to cut off from anything or anyone who will be a hindrance or stumbling block to our race in the coming year.
At the same time, let us bless and thank God for arranging for the divine relationships that are ordained to catapult us to glorious new heights in the coming year.

PRAYER:
Lord, please help me to make the choice that will help me and not hinder me in the coming year. Please uproot from around me wrong associations and help me to be continually surrounded by destiny helpers in Jesus’ Name.

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