HORM Devotional

Psalm 107: 20 ‘He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. ‘

DAILY READING •    Matthew 11:20-30; Leviticus 13; Proverbs 25

One of the deadliest battles in human history took place near a river in France called the ‘Somme’. This battle, which was fought during the First World War, involved more than three million soldiers, out of whom one million were wounded or killed.

From this battle came the miracle story of a soldier who was saved by God’s Word, not only spiritually but also physically.

The 21-year-old British soldier named Frank Viner was saved by the Bible in his breast pocket, which his father had given him less than three months previously for his birthday.

During the war, Frank always kept the Bible in his right-hand breast pocket. But while they were in the trenches at the battle of Somme, he decided to move the Bible into his left-hand pocket.

As the battle raged, the words from Psalm 91 went through his mind.  “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but you will not be harmed.”

At that moment there was an enormous blast as a shell hit the trench where Frank and his comrades were. Frank was thrown to the ground by the shell’s impact with his uniform torn and his helmet blown off.

When he got up he found that everyone around him had been killed. He realized that he too would be dead had it not been for the Bible in his pocket. A huge piece of shrapnel was embedded in the Bible which had ripped it open from cover-to-cover. If Frank had not moved the Bible to his left-hand pocket, his heart would have been pierced by the shrapnel.

Shell shock from the incident made Frank to be hospitalized, taking him away from the front line for the rest of the war.

The divine protection from the Bible in his pocket led him to seek God more. Thereafter he became a more committed Christian and a lay minister. He constantly testified about how God had protected both physically and spiritually through His Word in the Bible.

Though Frank’s decision to change the position of his Bible had seemed a random one, somehow it had divinely worked to save his life.

In our lives there have been many such seemingly inconsequential decisions that we took without realizing it was a divine orchestration to save our lives.

Through those decisions, God has steered the course of our lives and delivered us from various dangers.

Indeed we cannot possibly know all the details of God’s goodness to us.

Psalm 124;2-3 says ‘If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:’

God is indeed good! In His goodness He has sent His Word into the world to deliver us from all evil. Just as that soldier’s life was physically saved by the Bible, spiritually God’s Word is our protection from in all the battles of life.

Indeed there is power embedded in God’s Word for our deliverance from all forms of destruction.

Psalm 107: 20 says ‘He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. ‘

Through the power in His Word, God has given us all we need for survival and victory on the earth. People only perish for lack of knowledge of the Word.

To know the Word is to know God. And they that do know their God they shall be strong and do exploits.

We must understand that God has not left us without help.  There is power of deliverance through His Word. We must not allow spiritual laziness to rob us of the victory God has ordained for us. Through God’s Word we are preserved from every battle and armed with the faith to continually overcome the world.

Therefore today, let us begin to study the Word diligently so as to encounter the power of faith that will guarantee our deliverance and victory in every battle of life.

PRAYER: Lord, today I receive grace to diligently study Your Word so as to receive the faith that overcomes the world. Thank You Lord, for delivering me from every plan of destruction and causing me to triumph always in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

Faith is more than just believing, it is acting upon The Word that you believe. WORDBITE 222

Psalm 91:14 ‘Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.’

DAILY READING – Matthew 11:1-19; Leviticus 11-12; Proverbs 24

Jean Potter is one of the survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attack in America.

After graduating from high school, Jean Potter spent most of her career as an executive assistant in several large New York-based companies.
She was working for the managing director of Bank of America in its offices on the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Jean Potter was in her office at the 81st floor of the 110-storey building, when the first plane hit the skyscraper between floors 93 and 99.
On that horrific day, as the massive explosion rocked the building, it literally swayed from side to side.

At that moment, what first came to Jeans mind was the thought that it was not yet her time to die.

Being up 81 flights, she wondered how she was going to get out of there.

Her heart was palpitating a mile a minute as she began going down the staircase. Yet in the midst of the chaos Jean felt God reassuring her and prodding her to keep moving down the staircase.
Though debris and concrete pelted her, she said God’s mercy kept her alive.

She and her co-workers had to make their way down eighty-one flights of stairs in a desperate effort to escape the collapse of the North Tower.
Incidentally, her husband, who was a fireman seeing flames erupting from the World Trade Center, had raced from Staten Island to Manhattan determined to help Jean. But, recognizing his duty as a fireman, he stopped to help others even while he was anguished over his wife’s fate.

Jean did finally come down the stairs, and survived only by the grace of God.

Though her husband got wounded in the collapse of the South Tower, both of them remain ever grateful to God that they survived to tell the story.
Jean Potter’s story is captured in her book, ‘By the Grace of God, A 9/11 Survivor’s Story of Love, Hope, and Healing,’

God is often nearer than we know. .Even in situations that may looks dark and foreboding God is always near, He is our ever present help in times of need.
In times of trouble, we need to keep our eyes on God’s promises of deliverance and trust that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

When encountering terrible threats, David asked God for help. He wanted to be assured of God’s nearness as he faced enemies in battle. In a heartfelt petition David said, “Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go . . . . Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me” (Ps. 71:3, 12).

God is always available for our deliverance as long as we love Him and serve Him.

In Psalm 91:14 God says ‘Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.’

Our lives for God is verbally expressed through praise.
When Paul and Silas were in the prison, rather than complain they began to express love and faith in God through praises. As a result, God caused an earthquake and opened the prison doors.

Likewise in every tight situation, let us continually express our confidence in God through giving Him worthy praise.
Whatever you may be faced with today, choose to stand in faith and continue to give God praise because He is about to show up with amazing deliverance for you.
Praise never loses a battle. As you engage in high praises to God, surely every battle against your life will be converted to victory. Even if it sometimes seems as if you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, God will surely see you through.
God will make a way for you where there seems to be no way.
What was meant as evil against you, God will turn it all around for your good. Where you were meant to stumble, God will cause you to soar.
He will turn your mourning into dancing and transform every test into your testimony.
No matter how desperate any situation, as you switch to praise today, God will indeed cause you to escape out of every trap of the enemy.

PRAYER;
Lord, I thank You for turning every mourning into dancing for me. No matter the tough battles I may go through, I know You will surely deliver me and make a way out of every tight situation for me in Jesus Name.
QUOTE;
When God is on your side anything is possible. WORDBITE 222

Hebrews 12:1-3 ‘..And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

DAILY READING; Matthew 10:26-42; Leviticus 9-10; Proverbs 23

Florence May Chadwick was an American swimmer known for long-distance open water swimming. She was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions, setting a time record each time.
In 1952, Florence attempted to swim the 26 miles between Catalina Island and the California coastline. As she began, she was flanked by small boats that watched for sharks and were prepared to help her if she got hurt or grew tired.
The challenge she faced was not so much the distance, but the bone-chilling waters of the Pacific. As she swam she was able to endure knowing that land was just so many miles away. But the challenge became more complicated when after about 15 hours a thick fog set in. Florence began to doubt her ability, and she told her mother, who was in one of the boats, that she did not think she could make it. She swam for another hour before asking to be pulled out, unable to see the coastline due to the fog. As she sat in the boat, she found out she had stopped swimming just one mile away from her destination.
Two months later, she tried again. The same thick fog set in as a misty veil obscured the coastline and she couldn’t see the shore. But this time she kept reminding herself that land was there. With that confidence and faith she bravely swam on and achieved her goal. In fact, she broke the men’s record by 2 hours!”

Winning the battles of life begins with winning in your mind. That is where your victory is born.
It is not what happens around you, but what happens within you that matters. This is why we must always keep our eyes on Jesus. Because the enemy is helpless against the end result, he fights the process by trying to get you to shift your focus.
The moment Peter shifted his gaze from Jesus to look at the storm, he began to sink.
Therefore you must always understand that all the roaring of the storm is aimed at shifting your focus. But as long as you can focus on God via His Word, faith is imparted into your heart and your victory is always assured. Certainly, faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

Hebrews 12:1-4 says “run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.’

If you try to run the race without looking unto Jesus, which is looking unto The Word, you may get discouraged, because challenges are a part of life.
In every situation, your mind has to be fixed on what God has said concerning you. You may not control what happens to you, but you can control what happens within you.
When Israel was about to take the promised land, God gave Joshua charge to be strong and courageous. The taking over of the land would be determined based on the state of the mind. Indeed the first battle front is always within, the battle has to be won in the mind before it can manifest physically.
God asked Joshua to be strong and courageous through feeding on the Word. Likewise, to be victorious in the battles of life our hearts must be strengthened in the Word. It is through constant Word study that our hearts are strengthened to do exploits. It is they that know their God, that shall be strong and do exploits.
Certainly, as we continually feed on God’s Word in this season, faith and boldness will be imparted into our hearts to keep pressing forward until we arrive at God’s destiny of wonders for us this year.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to always focus on your Word so that I can possess the faith to keep pressing forward until I arrive at the destiny you have ordained for me. May I never give up my journey halfway. Thank You for grace to press on till I win in Jesus Name. .

QUOTE
God knows how to work everything together in your life for your own good. WORDBITE 222.

Philippians 4:13 ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’

DAILY READING: Matthew 10:1-25; Leviticus 7-8; Proverbs 22

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was one of the top American track stars of the 1990s. She was a multitalented athlete who won numerous Olympic medals and set records in several events.
She was the first American ever to win a gold medal in the long jump and the first woman in history to earn more than 7,000 points in the seven-event heptathlon. She won three Olympic gold medals, one silver, and two bronze, and she established a world record in the heptathlon. Her achievements are so astounding that she is widely regarded as one of the top female athletes of all times.
She was voted the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated for Women.
However, it is interesting to note that when she first started out in sports, her performance was very poor and she used to finish last in a race.
She was greatly encouraged by her mother to trust in God and keep aiming for the best. And so instead of giving up due to her poor performances she decided to improve on herself and began to practice every day.
As she became better at her sports, in 1983 she received devastating news when she found out that she was asthmatic.
Her health became so bad that some days it looked like she wouldn’t be able to make it through a race, yet she never allowed that to overcome her. Her faith in God remained strong.
Five years later, at the 1988 Olympics, despite the asthma, Joyner-Kersee won three gold medals. And she would go on to win many more Olympic medals and setting unbroken world records in the process.
Joyner-Kersee, who is an ardent Christian and whose husband is a pastor, believes that the secret of her success has been faith in God. Speaking at Washington University in June 22 2018, Joyner-Kersee said that “what I stand for is not the gold medals. Those are materialistic. There is a reason I’m blessed. I put God first.”

Indeed Jackie Joyner faced and overcame insurmountable situations through her faith in God.
Failure is not an event but rather it is your reaction to the event. When you are faced with any intimidating situation remember that as a child of God, you have what it takes to overcome because there is a Greater One in you.
Certainly, through Christ, that strengthens us, we can do all things.
When our foundation is built upon the solid rock of Christ, though the storm, rain and winds may come, we will survive them all and still stand strong.
Faith in God is our greatest guarantee of victory because it is what will always overcome the world and its challenges.
As far as destiny is concerned, it is to everyone according to his faith. Indeed faith is the master key to a world of unlimited possibilities. Through faith we are able to see the invisible, dare the impossible, and do the incredible.
Truly, when we believe God’s Word, it births supernatural faith in us that can supersede any natural law.
Today, if perhaps you are facing an overwhelming situation in your health, finances, or relationships, learn to acquire the faith to overcome through in-depth study of the Word.
Indeed when you believe, power is released for performance of your miracle.
Therefore don’t be intimidated by the size of any obstacle that may face you. In fact, the bigger the test, the sweeter your testimony.
You don’t have to run helter skelter looking for solutions, faith is available through God’s Word to help you overcome.
Therefore settle down and study the Word, stay in faith and keep giving glory to God.
Refuse to magnify the negative circumstance, but rather magnify God through giving Him worthy praise.
You may not see it right now, but trust that God is working behind the scenes, turning around things for your good.
And when it is all said and done, your life will indeed be a manifestation of the wonder-working power of God.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to pay the price of spending quality time in Your Word so that my faith can be strengthened to see You at work in my situation. I Thank You Lord for always exceeding my expectations and manifesting Your power in my life in Jesus Name.

Quote
When you are living and walking in the supernatural everything natural becomes subservient to you – WORDBITE 222.

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!”

DAILY READING; • Matthew 9:18-38; Leviticus 5-6; Proverbs 21

Prior to 1859, petroleum oil could only be collected in very meager amounts through a procedure of soaking it up from the ground with blankets.
The history of the oil business as we know it began in 1859 when an American oil driller named Edwin Drake became motivated to increase the level of oil production.
When Edwin Drake was employed by Seneca Oil Company to search for oil, he decided that the best way to find huge amounts of oil was to dig for it. He used an old steam engine to power a drill into the ground in search of oil.
He invested huge resources and endless labor into a search that spanned more than a year without results.
People laughed at him and called him ‘Crazy Drake’ but he remained single-minded in his quest. The well he constructed was called “Drake’s Folly” by some people because they doubted it could ever work.
As his venture continued to prove unsuccessful, his employees, Seneca Oil Company abandoned him and Drake had to rely on friends to back his enterprise.
After months of unsuccessful drilling, eventually on August 27, 1859, Drake succeeded as huge amounts of oil gushed through his well! His idea had worked!
Before long he had a steady supply of about 400 gallons of pure oil every 24 hours. This was a stunning amount when compared to the meager outputs collected with blankets from oil seeps.
This launched the petroleum age and led to the Pennsylvania oil rush. The success of Drake’s well essentially created a new industry, and led to the rise of men such as John D. Rockefeller who made vast fortunes in the oil business.

Indeed we need to keep pressing forward despite the discouraging situations we may sometimes face in life. There is a reaping for us when we refuse to faint or give up on our goal. It doesn’t matter how long you may have toiled in the past, if you persist, it is only a matter of time before you eventually win.
In Mark 5:25-34, the woman with the issue of blood could have given up because of the discouragements around her, but because she refused to quit and kept on pressing forward to touch Jesus, she eventually received her miracle.

Setbacks or criticisms should never deter or stop us from pressing forward in God’s plan for us.
Most failures result in life because people gave up without knowing how really very close they were to victory.
Life is in times and seasons. Every time of challenge, is only a phase of life. It too shall pass. Every problem, they say, has an expiry date. Therefore do not let temporary hurdles stop your long distance race.
We must always maintain steadfast faith in God’s Word, despite contrary circumstances.
Indeed to see the manifestation of our miracles, we must be persistent in faith. Persistence eventually wears down resistance.
Don’t get tempted to stop praying if you didn’t get immediate answers to prayers. Even in situations that does not seem to make sense, you must keep trusting in the Lord with all your heart. As you do, it is only a matter of time before you see how each setback eventually plays into God’s master plan for you..
Therefore, rather than fret or worry over challenges, choose to bless the Lord at all times and let His praise continually be on your lips. Through daily study of the Scriptures and fervent prayers, keep your faith strong. Surely there is an end and your expectations will not be cut off.

PRAYER; Lord I thank You for granting me the grace to keep pressing forward. By Your grace I will not be discouraged nor give up. And as I keep praising You, I know indeed my miracle is on the way in Jesus Name.

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

Isaiah 41:10 ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.’

DAILY READING – Matthew 9:1-17; Leviticus 3-4; Proverbs 20

Recently the Christian Broadcasting Network [CBN] featured the amazing story of Rose Martin.
On March 11, 2015, Rose Martin’s three sons were playing in the back yard of their home in Pennsylvania when she heard a blood curdling scream from her second son, Greg. He was shouting that his two-year-old baby brother, Gardell, was missing.
Rose searched every inch of the three-acre property, including a nearby stream, but Gardell was nowhere to be found. Then Rose called 911.
She gathered the children around and prayed that God would help them and cause somebody to find Gardell.
Their prayer was answered when a neighbor found Gardell farther down in the stream, trapped in the fence line. His lifeless body was in a severe hypothermic condition. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors tried to revive him, but for over an hour he did not respond.
As their friends and families gathered in their local Church to pray for divine intervention, a miracle began to take place.
Though Gardell had been in a critical condition without a pulse for 1 hour and 41 minutes, doctors finally discovered a pulse. With each passing hour, Gardell improved quickly at a rate of recovery that was stunning and amazed the doctors.
As prayers continued, within two days of the catastrophe, Gardell was fully recovered and discharged to go home.
Rose had no doubt that her son’s amazing survival and recovery was because of God’s miracle power that came in answer to their prayers.

We must always remember that God is greater and higher than any mountain we may face. If you walk through any dark valley, always know that God is your ever present help in every time of need.
He is our Way-maker and light in the darkness.
No matter how tight any situation might seem, we can always trust in God’s faithfulness to always see us through.
As long as we call upon Him in prayers, He will always answer us. He is always there to deliver those who trust in Him.

In Isaiah 41:10 God says, ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.’

Indeed God is our ever abiding help and strength. Therefore refuse to panic in the face of trials, rather stand strong in faith, hold on to God’s Word and keep confessing His promises over your life.
To win in life’s battles we have to learn to keep our focus always on the Word. We must keep filling our hearts continually with the Word, until there is no more room for fear.
When our heart is full of the Word of God, then we will have the faith to always overcome the world.
God is called the author and finisher of our faith.
Indeed what He starts in our lives He is able to finish it.
No matter the trials and temptations you may face, through faith in God you can surmount them all.
As this year begins to round up, trust God for the miracles of divine acceleration that will help you finish this year well and strong.
No matter the enemy’s plan to frustrate or hinder you, as you call upon God in faith, He will exceed your every expectations. As we praise Him, He will miraculously turn every mourning into dancing for us and do wonders in our lives that will cause men to ponder.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for being in perfect control of my life. No matter what I may face today, I know You are always able to take care of me and enable me to overcome every trial and temptations in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will make you free. – WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 9:2-3  ‘I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.’

DAILY READING   Mathew 8, Leviticus 1-2, Proverbs 19.

Dr. David Livingstone was one of the most popular British heroes of the 19th century.
David Livingstone arrived in Africa in 1840 at the age of 27 as a missionary and physician.
He made some of the most prodigious, and most dangerous, explorations of the nineteenth century, travelling through lands which no white men had ever set foot on.. His object was to open a  missionary Road or ‘God’s Highway,’ through which the Gospel could gain access to the African hinterlands. He also fought hard to stop the African slave trade.
His exploration of the African interior, particularly the Zambezi River area led to the discovery of the Victorian falls.  In early November 1855, Livingstone travelled down the Zambezi River to see for himself the area the natives called “smoke that thunders.” It was during this expedition that he became the first European to witness the magnificence of the Victoria Falls.
He was so dedicated to his cause that he spent the rest of his life in Africa.
When David Livingstone died on 1 May 1873, in Zambia, his heart was buried in Africa, under a Mvula tree. It is now the site of the Livingstone Memorial. But his remains was buried at Westminster Abbey.

His life is a reflection of God’s amazing grace  and guidance. He passed most difficult challenges, faced barbaric tribes and chiefs, who resisted him, and yet God gave him victory through it all.
The story of his exploits remain an amazement even to the present generation. But his great secret was awareness of God’s unmistakable Presence. He succeeded due to a strong assurance of God’s abiding Presence.

It was the invisible Presence of God that made Moses to dare pharaoh and lead the Jews out of bondage.
Speaking of Moses, Hebrews 11:27 said ‘By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.’

Indeed awareness of God’s invisible Presence is our greatest asset in life and ministry.
Knowing that you are surrounded by God’s power will change your walk and embolden your talk. It will cause you to do the impossible, knowing the greater One lives in you.

Psalm 114 records that when Israel left Egypt, it was God’s Presence that made the red sea to part, and caused the mountains and hills to skip. 

Acts 10:38, said ‘Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’.
It was God’s Presence with Jesus, that made demons to scream at His appearance and also led to the mighty signs and wonders in His ministry.  Likewise, when we carry God’s Presence, we will continually see amazing miracles, signs and wonders.
Certainly, God’s Presence is an unbeatable asset in the journey of life. When you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, why you will fear no evil, is because God is with you.

Psalm 9:3 says ‘When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.’
And Psalm 97:5 says, God’s Presence causes the hills to melt like wax before you. 

Indeed, God’s Presence ensures evil never survives around you. And God’s Presence is available to every child of God. The same way God’s Presence was with Jesus, so can it be with us.

In John 8:29, Jesus said ‘And He that sent  Me, is with Me, The Father had not left Me alone, for I do always those things that please Him.’

In the same way, for The Father to be with us, we have to do the  things that please Him. And one of the key things that pleases God is praise. And as we maintain His Presence through High praises today, we can be assured of unending victory in every battle of life.

In this new month of November, through high praises, we shal be rising to our high places. Indeed Gods divine Presence will truly make all the difference in our lives in this season.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to maintain Your Presence through doing those things that please You always. Grant me the grace to praise You always, so that Your Presence can always abide with me, and make the difference in my life in Jesus Name.

QUOTE;
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
 

Psalms 5:12 ‘For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.’

DAILY READING; Matthew 8:1-13; Exodus 39:1-40:38; Proverbs 18

The story of Rodney (Gypsy) Smith, is a fascinating tale of how God’s amazing grace reached down into the life of a poor, uneducated gipsy boy and totally changed his life.
Rodney Smith was born in a tent, raised on a Gypsy camp, never attended a school – not even for a day! – yet God used him to influence the lives of millions of people.
He was born to poor parents and his father was in and out of jail for various offences. When his father got converted during an evangelistic meeting, this influenced Rodney to also later accept Christ at the age of sixteen. He then taught himself to read and write and began to practice preaching. His beautiful singing voice earned him the nickname “the singing gipsy boy,” as he sang hymns to the people he met.
When he was 17 years old, God gave him divine favor and he was invited by General William Booth, founder of Salvation Army, to join him in evangelistic work.
This opened a big door for Rodney Smith into ministry. He later became an itinerant evangelist and worked with a variety of organizations all over the world, but particularly in Britain and America. He often held meetings where the crowds usually overflowed the halls and auditoriums. It is said that he never had a meeting without conversions. He conducted evangelistic campaigns for over 70 years and became a household name in many parts of the world and influenced the lives of millions for Christ.

It is truly amazing how God totally changed Gypsy Smith’s story. Though he was born into obscurity and mediocrity, all it took was the touch of God’s divine favor to turn his life around.
Though all the odds seemed against him, God’s amazing grace made all the difference.
So shall it be for us in this new month of November.
Today marks the first day of November. It is a season of the flow of God’s favour which will suddenly change our story.
Being the eleventh month, it may seem already late in the year and it may look like not much can be accomplished, but don’t forget that we serve the God of 11th hour miracles.

In Matthew Chapter 20, it seemed late for a group of laborers who had been unable to get work and it appeared they would go home empty-handed. But they were met by an 11th hour miracle and Matthew Chapter 20 tells us that they got jobs that gave them equal pay with those that started working long before them.
In the same vein, others may have gone ahead of you this year, but God is about to grant you the overtaker’s anointing.
One day of His favor is about to give you what will equal a whole year of labour.

A key attribute of righteousness is the clothing of God’s favour which compel men to do us good

Psalms 5:12 says ‘For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.’

As we abide in righteousness and walk in obedience to His Word, God will miraculously shift the odds in our favor.
When you are clothed with God’s favor, kings will lose their sleep and peace until they remember to bless you.
For your sake, God will put pressure on people in the corridors of power and they will be in a hurry to favor you.
While it may seem late in the year, suddenly you will find yourself doing the kind of jobs that will surpass everything else you have done before now.
Therefore keep faith alive and remain heavily expectant. Something good is about to happen. God is about to open doors for you that no man can shut. Though weeping may have endured for the night, your joy is about to break forth.
As you abide faithful in seeking and serving God, certainly, He will not forget you labor of love. He will surely reward you and make a way for you even where there seems to be no way.

In this new month, God will certainly exceed our expectations and give us the victory over every challenges in our finances, health, family etc. In the place of ashes, we are going to see beauty, favor, health, increase.
Therefore in every thing, let us keep thanking God for the manifestation of His wonder working power in our lives. Certainly, as we focus on giving God all the glory, He will surely change our story.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to always remain strong in faith and keep giving You all the praise because I know You are set to change my story and usher me into new dimension of wonders in this new month in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
When God is on your side anything is possible. WORDBITE 201

Acts 4:13 ‘Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.’

DAILY READING – Matthew 7; Exodus 37:1-38:31; Proverbs 17

Mary Slessor was a hard working Scottish mill girl and an unorthodox Sunday School teacher, who was inspired by David Livingstone to become a missionary in Calabar, Nigeria.
On August 5th, 1876, Mary Slessor arrived in Calabar. Her only great desire was to preach where other missionaries had not been. Mary would begin working among the most savage tribes of the hinterland. She lived among these natives and practically singlehandedly tamed and transformed three pagan communities in succession.
Despite several bouts of illness and constant danger, she lived with the tribes, learned their language, and traditions, earning their respect and putting an end to some barbaric practises, such as the killing of twins. She adopted many Nigerian children, particularly twins, who had been left to die.
When Southern Nigeria became a British Protectorate, she became the first ever female Magistrate in the British Empire and a skillful diplomatic emissary.

Mary died in 1915, aged 67, with great mourning amongst the tribes to whom she had dedicated her whole life.

The life of Mary Slessor, is a glaring example of what God can do with anyone who would believe and step out in faith.
Indeed Goers for God are getters for God. If Mary Slessor could face the darkness of the African continent and overcome it with the light of God so can anyone strike out in faith and do the incredible.
Whatever assignment God has called us to do, can be accomplished through the faith and boldness that comes from being with Jesus.

Acts 4:13 says ‘Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.’

When we spend time with Jesus in His Word, boldness is imparted into our hearts. Knowledge of God is what causes us to do exploits. When the Word dominates your heart you will be turned into another man. Your heart will receive an inoculation of Faith and boldness that will cause you to do extra ordinary things. Indeed when we meditate on the Word we become bold and courageous, to possess the land.

When we keep our eyes on God we will be full of faith and be dependent on His abilities.
There is still so much God wants to do with our lives. There are territories to be explored and new chapters of exploits to be written. Therefore refuse to end up as an ordinary lukewarm Christian. Dare to be different and accomplish the extra ordinary through the help of the Spirit of God.
Today may mark the end of October but it could also mark the beginning of a new season of boldness to serve God as we commit to diligent study of His Word and fervent prayers.
It doesn’t matter what your story could have been like in the past months, you can declare a new beginning for yourself and really begin to move into the great things God desires to do with your life. What matters is what you do from now onward!
With God, anytime is a time for a new beginning. God continually wants to do something new in our lives, He desires to take us to new levels and new heights.
Therefore, determine for yourself that as the door closes on October today, it is time to say goodbye to every spiritual laziness and begin to really live with spiritual fervency.
Today, as we bless the Lord for His faithfulness and mercies that has brought us thus far, let us also receive the grace to begin to shine as kingdom stars and manifest as signs and wonders to our world.

PRAYER
Lord, I thank You for bringing me to the end of October. I thank You for indeed it is my time to experience a new boldness in Christ and begin to manifest amazing signs and wonders in my life in Jesus’ Name.

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

Proverbs 19:21 ‘There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.’

DAILY READING • Matthew 6:19-34; Exodus 35:1-36:38; Proverbs 16

Reverend Walter Vinson Grant was a renowned healing evangelist of the 20th century who was mightily used by God to manifest signs and wonders to his generation.
However, before he could come into such a powerful ministry, he had to make the difficult choice of placing God’s will above all else.
In his early 30’s Walter Vinson Grant was serving God and doing well in his business. But a time came when he felt God calling him to fully preach the Gospel.
Though his business was prospering and the future looked bright, yet he had no peace until he finally gave up everything to answer God’s call.
Thereafter he abandoned business and in 1945 he became ordained as an Assembly of God minister.
God gave him a vision for thousands to be saved and so he launched his own evangelistic campaign in 1949.
Grant had a powerful ministry of prayer and intercession, often praying several hours a day. There were also seasons when God called him to fast for periods of time. Often these fasts were followed by an increase in the presence of God in his meetings. He commented in his book titled “The Grace of God in My Life” that he would often pray until 3am in the morning and sometimes all night for people.
This led to diverse healings and creative miracles in his meetings.
He had a passion for being led by the Spirit of God and as he obeyed the leading of the Spirit, there were such diverse testimonies of healings and deliverances in his ministry that made many people to marvel.
God used Reverend Walter Grant to ignite a great revival in his generation which continues to affect lives today.
At the end of his life, it became clear that God had done far more through him than he could ever have achieved for himself had he continued to pursue life as a businessman.

Indeed it pays to obey God. His plans are always better and far greater than what we could ever achieve on our own.
It is God’s plan for us as His redeemed to become pacesetters and trail blazers in the world. He has ordained us to be kings and priests to reign on the earth.
To achieve His purpose, God has lined up the circumstances that will bring us to this glorious destiny. In His plan, grace, favor, supernatural opportunities and divine connections are all lined up to help us arrive at our preordained place of glory.
However, frustration in life results if we leave God’s plan to follow our own paths. No matter how beautiful our own devices, it is only God’s plan that can stand the test of time.

Proverbs 19:21 says ‘There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.’

Indeed only that which the Lord does abides forever. And only the Lord’s doing can be marvelous in our eyes.
God’s plan for us surpasses whatever plans we may have for ourselves. As the Heavens are higher than the earth so are God’s thoughts higher than ours. But access to God’s glorious destiny for us only comes through our drawing closer to Him because no one has the capacity to execute divine plan except God Himself. As we walk in intimacy with Him, He will gradually reveal to us what we are to do per time.
Certainly, there can be no limitation to the man who solidly makes up his mind to follow God’s will. This is why we must never allow pursuit of worldly things, people or circumstances to cause us to deviate from God’s call upon our lives.
As we seek His counsel through consistent study of the Word, prayers and fellowship with the Spirit, it is only a matter of time before we fully experience the manifestation of His destiny of wonders for our lives..

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to feed constantly on Your Word, and to maintain a prayerful lifestyle, so that I can be sensitive to Your leadings. By Your grace I shall fulfill the glorious destiny You have ordained for me in Jesus Name

QUOTE
It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.