HORM Devotional

James 1:2-3
‘My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.’

DAILY READING – Revelation 17; Isaiah 1-2; Psalm 108

Kathryn Kuhlman was converted when she was 14, at an evangelistic meeting held in a small Methodist Church in her hometown.

When she was 16 years, she graduated from high school. At that time, her older sister, Myrtle had married an itinerant evangelist named Everett B. Parrott. The couple spent their time traveling and preaching.

One summer they asked Kathryn to join them for the holiday and she went to Oregon to stay with them. She worked with them in the ministry and often gave her testimony during their meetings. When the summer was over, Kathryn wanted to stay on and the couple agreed. Kathryn ended up working with them for the next five years. As she travelled on preaching tours with her sister and brother-in-law, Kathryn came to realize that their marriage was not a happy one. They were under a lot of financial strains that was creating problems. Since the Parrots could not afford a maid, Kathryn decided to take over many of the household chores. Despite the tough situation, she did not complain but rather as she worked physically, she also used the time to grow in her spiritual walk with God. She spent much time reading and studying the Word and learned the basics of ministry through observing her sister and brother-in-law. And from what looked like a mess, God brought forth her message.

The years Kathryn spent with her sister and brother-in-law turned out to be years of learning and preparation that gave her a solid foundation for a global ministry that would greatly impact the world.

Years later, in many of her sermons, Kathryn would often refer to the lessons she learned in those early years as part of why she succeeded in ministry.

The things we pass through today often trains us to be stronger for our tomorrow. This is why James 1:2-6 tells us to consider it pure joy, whenever we face fiery trials. The fire is not meant to burn us but to purify us, so that after we have been tried we can come forth as gold.

Paul tells us to endure hardship as true soldiers of Christ. Though sometimes, outwardly it may seem we are perishing, yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day. We are being strengthened, we are being made stronger. For our light and momentary afflictions are achieving for us a far more eternal weight of glory. [2 Corinthians 4:17].

In other words, after the trial, greater rewards are coming. After the tests come our testimonies. After the rain comes the sunshine. In all that we go through, God works behind the scenes to ensure that they all work out for our good. We are therefore encouraged not to become weary in well-doing, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Many of the things we pass through in life are training us for our reigning. A season of spiritual preparation must precede the season of manifestation or outward prominence.

In the life of David for instance, we saw how God first prepared him before taking him to greatness. It was in the bush, in a time of worshipping God in secret that he was prepared for the throne.

Indeed, a season of hidden spiritual preparation is crucial to our outward manifestation. Our seasons of preparation will involve times of separation spent in prayer, fasting studying the Word and worshipping the Lord.

Certainly, our depth in God will determine the height we can attain in life. Therefore, let us learn to release ourselves to God to train and prepare us as He deems fit. Our concern should be ensuring we are in His perfect will at all times.

Men may exclaim in wonder at you when God finally unveils you, but then they didn’t see the hidden places of preparation where God trained you. Therefore, in every situation, let us learn to count it all joy, and keep praising the Lord at all times, because He is faithful to do what He has said He will do in our lives. Though weeping may have endured for a night, surely your joy is coming in the morning. Despite what may look like a difficult situation today, one day you will look back and be grateful for every lesson you learned along the way.

PRAYER
Lord, I thank You for turning my mourning into joy and dancing for me. Lord, please grant me the grace to persevere and submit to the seasons of preparations You bring me into for I know that in due season Your glory shall be revealed in me in Jesus’ name.

QUOTE
Everything that ultimately has a glorious ending usually has a humble beginning. – WORDBITE 222

Hebrews 11:6
‘But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.’

DAILY READING – Revelation 16; Esther 9-10; Psalm 107:23-43

As the first Baptist missionary of the modern era, William Carey arrived in India in November 1793. However, he faced a lot of challenges because he did not have sufficient funds.

Carey was forced to move his family repeatedly as he sought employment that could sustain them. As hardship racked his family, he wrote; “I am in a strange land, no Christian friend, a large family, and nothing to supply their wants.” But he also retained hope: “Well, I have God, and His word is sure.’

Due to their harsh living conditions, Carey and his wife eventually lost three of their small children. His wife was devastated, unable to cope, she progressively became invalid. “This is indeed the valley of the shadow of death to me,” Carrey wrote, “But I rejoice that I am here notwithstanding; and God is here.”

Certainly God was with William Carrey. Though his ministry started out with many challenges, eventually he began to reap the fruit of his labor. After the first seven fruitless years of his mission, in December 1800, Carey baptized his first convert. Two months later, he published his first Bengali New Testament. Carey formed a team that translated the Bible to 34 Asian languages, compiled dictionaries, started an influential College; began Churches and established 19 mission stations; formed 100 rural schools; started the Horticultural Society of India, printed the first Indian newspaper; and introduced the concept of the savings bank to assist poor farmers, etc. Carey’s fight against the burning of widows helped lead to its ban in 1829.

Despite all the challenges he initially faced, Carey eventually spent 41 years in India and made a great impact with the Gospel there. His greatest legacy was in the worldwide missionary movement of the nineteenth century that he inspired. Missionaries like Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor, and David Livingstone, among thousands of others,

Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Indeed, we must persist in faith, if we want to reap the reward of our labor.
Many of life’s failures are people who gave up before their harvest came. There is a due season for reaping, and we must not faint if we are to access that season.

God has an appointed time for each season of our lives. He is working with a master plan. When we trust Him, we will be patient to wait until our appointed season of harvest comes.

Despite his many challenges, Joseph did not faint nor grew weary, he waited until his appointed time came. Moses could have given up after 40 years of staying at the backside of the desert, but he persisted until his appointed season came. We don’t have to run ahead of God. We must understand that God relates to us according to the times and seasons of life. He has the script to our lives’ drama. Therefore in each season, we wait for His timing and prompting. Our responsibility is to ensure that we are cooperating with His Spirit to follow His perfect will for our lives.

Therefore, no matter the situation you may face today, always understand that there is coming a reaping season. Your labor cannot be in vain. And if you do not faint, surely in due season, you shall reap.

God is in control, your promotion comes only from Him, and not from men! Though things may not initially seem to work the way you thought, as you abide faithful and persist in faith, God will exalt you in due season. It is only a matter of time!

Do not compromise your faith and refuse to grow weary in well doing. Remain prayerful, keep honoring God and remain obedient to His Word. Certainly your time is coming. God is a rewarder and as you continue to bless Him in every situation, soon you will reap a bountiful harvest of all your labor. .

PRAYER
Lord, please grant me the grace to persist in faith through diligent study of Your Word and never become weary in well doing. Certainly, I know my reaping season is coming. Please help me to remain obedient to Your Word and never to compromise as I await Your appointed seasons of harvest for me in Jesus’ Name.

QUOTE
The study of the Word will keep shame and disgrace far from you. – WORDBITE 222

Hebrews 13:15 ‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name’

DAILY READING; Revelation 15; Esther 6:14-8:17; Psalm 107:1-22

In 2017, six Protestant pastors were arrested and jailed in India for holding house prayer in an Indian village..
Hindu activists had reported them to the police.
At that time, the situation in the region was very alarming for Christians, especially after a Hindu administrator took over the affairs of the state. Severally, Christians had suffered attacks from the Hindus.
Even before the Pastors arrived at the jail, the Hindus in the prison had been alerted and told to attack them.
And so for the first three days of their stay in the jail, the Pastors were verbally abused by the inmates, who pulled their hair, took away their bed roll, and forced them to sleep on the floor.

However, when the pastors continued to respond with the love of Christ, the prisoners began to change their attitudes. Before long, they were gathering to listen to the Gospel message being preached by these pastors.

When finally their case was brought to the court, the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the pastors. As a result, they were released on bail after having spent nine days in jail.
However, despite their ordeal, the pastors came out of the jail, joyful and thanking God for the opportunity to have witnessed Christ in jail to the prisoners. They believed it was a God given gift to have gone to jail to win souls for Christ.

The truth is that in life’s journey sometimes you may have to pass through some valleys before you can get to your mountaintop. A valley is defined as a depression. When you come to those places of depression in your journey, what do you do? It is easy to praise God when things are going well, but what of those times, when it seems as if life has taken an unexpected twist or turn?

Jesus gave thanks the night that he was living in the shadow of the cross. He was about to be crucified by the Romans, which is the most brutal form of death, yet He gave thanks.
The same night, Judas betrayed him and Peter denied him three times, Jesus gave thanks.
(1 Corinthians 11:24-25)

Because of the joy that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross and despised the shame. He chose to look forward despite the difficult circumstance of the cross that surrounded Him..And because He endured with joy, He was able to triumph at last.

Indeed the spirit of thanksgiving releases the miracle-working power of God. When you sow the seed of praise you will reap the harvest of signs and wonders.
No matter how difficult the trial, as we stay in praise, God will turn every test into our testimony.

We don’t just praise God when it feels good, looks good, or benefits us in some way, we offer praise, “continually.”

Hebrews 13:15 says ‘By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name’

Even at those times, it may seem we have a good reason to feel down and discouraged, we must discipline ourselves to always give God thanks in everything.

I Thessalonians 5:18 says “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus’

Depression will only give room to the oppression of the enemy. But thanksgiving leads to our lifting.

When you continue to offer the sacrifice of praise, in the midst of difficulties, somehow, in ways you cannot fathom, things will begin to turn around.
You will see that negative medical verdict overturned, the financial problems will be resolved, the family crisis, marital troubles etc will all be overcome.
Indeed there’s nothing God cannot handle in our lives, as long as we stay in praise.
Certainly, He is the God of miracles, who can exceed our every expectations.

PRAYER: Father please enable me to always praise You at all times and in every situation. Please destroy every form of depression and discouragment in my life. Certainly, You are at work, even now, to turn every negative situation around for my good in Jesus Name.

QUOTE ;
When you make God your priority, God automatically makes you priority in His own plan. – WORDBITE 222.

Proverbs 18:10
‘The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe‘.

DAILY READING – Revelation 14; Esther 5:1-6:13; Psalm 106:24-48

During the 9th century, towers provided protection for the people of Ireland from the raid of the Vikings. The Vikings were Scandinavian warriors who left their homelands to seek their fortunes by attacking and raiding other towns. The Vikings often raided monasteries and Churches which they found as a rich source of treasures and valuable artifacts. They found the monasteries quite easy to raid because the monks were mostly unarmed and couldn’t fight their fierce warriors brandishing axes and spears. And so the Vikings often targeted Ireland’s Christian communities on their search for gold and valuables.

However, one way the monks defended themselves was by running into strong towers. The monks would hide both themselves and their valuable chalices, crosses and gold in the tower’s highest point. These fortified towers were difficult for the Vikings to break into and so these monks found a hiding place within the walls.

Indeed, throughout history, towers have been used as places of defense, even in prehistoric times. In ancient times, strong towers were often built as stone structures – solid, thick and virtually impregnable. During enemy raids, people would leave their fields and their flocks and run to the strong tower, where they would be safe. The enemy could not get in because of the strength of the building. Often times, these strong towers would store huge amounts of food and supplies for the people hidden within its walls. Also, strong towers served as watchtowers and were built to be part of the city wall, where soldiers would be mounted to provide security and surveillance for the city.

Proverbs 18:10 says, ‘The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe‘.

Spiritually, the Lord is our strong tower. He is our refuge, strength, our protection and preservation. God not only provides defense and protection for the righteous, but He is a covenant-keeping God who will fight our battles and overcome for us. Through the Name of the Lord, the righteous can always be protected and enjoy victory in every conflict of life.

One of the ways we call upon the Name of the Lord is through praise. As we magnify His Name and praise His mighty power, His presence surrounds us like a strong tower. The more we bless the Lord, and call upon His Name, the more we enjoy divine immunity and become untouchable to the forces of wickedness.

Philippians 2:9-11 says everything in heaven and on earth must bow to the Name of Jesus.

This means that as we lift up the Name of Jesus in praise, every contrary force in the atmosphere bows as they hear that Name. At we magnify the Name of the Lord, every demon, trouble and problems fall flat at the mention of that Name.
The Name of the Lord is our tower, our castle and our place of fortification!

Indeed, God is a refuge to all those who put their trust in Him. If trouble comes, or fear looms and anxiety threatens, the Name of the Lord remains our place of safety and refuge. When you bless His Name in time of danger, the power in the Name quickly rises to shield you from every harm. Anytime it seems we are confronted, we should always know that the battle is not ours but the Lord’s. At those times we are to focus on God’s power and not on the problem. As we call upon the Lord and He arises, all enemies will certainly be scattered.

Let us therefore make it a lifestyle to bless the Name of the Lord at all times. As we do, we will have divine security and always be defended by the power in His Name.

PRAYER
Lord, I thank You for being my constant refuge, strength and protection. Thank You Lord for the power inYour Name. Certainly, as I praise You always, my victory is established over every challenge in Jesus’ Name.

QUOTE
Illuminate your world for you are a star destined to shine. – WORDBITE 222.

Revelation 12:11 ‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death’

DAILY READING – Revelation 13; Esther 3; Psalm 106

Glacia Robinson is a multi-award winning singer, songwriter, producer, worship leader and author.

She has a powerful testimony of divine healing where she was literally snatched from the jaws of death.

She was sick for five and a half years, with an illness that could not be diagnosed by doctors in Jamaica and the US.

The effects of the sickness made her so weak that she was confined to a wheelchair.

It got so bad that she could not even digest water with her weight falling to below 90 pounds. Doctors said she would never walk again, and never sing again.

Though she virtually lost everything, yet she never lost hope in God. Eventually, the doctors gave up on her and said that there was nothing more they could do.

They asked her to go home, make peace with everyone and get ready to die.

They advised her family to put everything in order for her funeral.

Many people indeed believed that she could never survive the sickness and rumours started flying about that she was already dead.

Through it all, Robinson clung to her faith in God. She had to constantly fight negative voices in her mind that told her she would never recover and would certainly die.

She continued to declare
Psalm 118:17 “I shall not die, but live to declare to the works of the Lord.”

Despite the odds, she held on to prayers. She told God, ‘Lord, I know that You have a plan for my life…this is not how my end is going to look!”

God indeed answered her prayers and miraculously healed her.

By 2016 Robinson had defied all the doctors’ predictions. She was walking and back to her singing career.

Since then, she has
produced five albums including the title – “I Shall Live,

Today, her ministry extends into international missions, as she goes about testifying about God’s amazing deliverance power.

Revelation 12:11 says ‘And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death’

Indeed, through the power of God’s Word and the Blood, we will always overcome in every battle.

We engage God’s power for our deliverance through declarations of faith. In every situation, we must always think in line with God’s Word.

It doesn’t matter what the facts or the experts may say, God’s Word is always superior to man’s opinion.

Through declaring God’s Word we are able to win the battles the enemy often wages against our minds.

In 1 Samuel 17, Goliath, constantly attacked the minds of the Israelites, with negative words, intimidating them. His tactics worked because the Israelites fled before him each time he appeared. And for 40 days the Israelites were tormented, intimidated, worried and living in fear of Goliath. But then David showed up with a different mindset.

Instead of listening silently to Goliath’s harassing word, David fired back with words of faith. He declared he would bring down Goliath’s head in the Name of the Lord, and that was exactly what happened.

Indeed, through the Blood and the Word of our testimony, we can always bring down the head of every Goliath mocking our destiny.

Instead of listening passively to the negative words of the enemy, we need to attack back in faith with God’s Word.

Today, if the enemy has been attacking your mind with thoughts of fear, trying to intimidate and discourage you, counter that attack by declaring God’s counsel over your life. Whatever you may be confronted with today, in your health, family or finances rise up and begin to engage the weapon of the Blood against that evil attack.

Indeed, as we engage the weapon of Christ’s Blood and His Word, every tongue that shall rise against us in judgment shall be condemned. Truly by the Blood our victory is always guaranteed in every battle of life.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You today, that I have victory by the Blood of Jesus, indeed today I declare that no weapon formed against me shall prosper and every tongue that shall arise against me in Judgment is already condemned in Jesus Name.

QUOTE:
For you to enjoy victory in the Kingdom of God, you need to develop a Kingdom mindset, that thinks in line with the Word of God. – WORDBITE 222

Psalm 92:12-14 “But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the LORD’S own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.” (NLT)

DAILY READING • Revelation 12; Esther 2; Psalm 105:26-45

Palm trees are known to be storm survivors.
They rarely break no matter how hard the wind blows. One reason for their unusual strength is the fact that Palm trees evolved in regions with frequent strong winds and climates of hurricanes and typhoons.
After many generations of surviving such weathers, they have evolved to become nearly windproof trees.

Palm trees develop thick root systems that spread out to keep them from tipping over.
Palm trunks are naturally elastic, like a flexible aluminum rod. Reportedly, if a car crashes into a Palm, the tree will bend and then snap back, hitting the car again!
Its anchored roots and flexible trunk makes it very hard for a palm tree to be knocked over.

Indeed the Palm tree is the most resilient of trees.
The destructive force of typhoons and hurricanes can tear buildings to shreds and uproot other trees. However, the palm tree not only survives these strong winds, but when the storm is over, the palm tree remains standing tall, totally unfazed.
Though the winds can bend the palm tree, even flatten it almost horizontal to the ground, yet it rarely can break it.
The main stems of some palm species can bend as much as 40 to 50 degrees but once the storm is over, it just pops back up to its original position.
Interestingly, rather than weaken the palm tree’s root system, the storm ends up actually strengthening it.

Psalm 92:12 says that the righteous will flourish like the Palm Tree.
This means that just like a palm tree, the righteous will survive the storms of life, rise again, and keep prospering.

The truth is that God has equipped us with everything we need to be overcomers. Though the storms will come and winds will blow, yet through it all we are destined to be more than conquerors. Certainly, no weapon formed against us will prosper!
Though we may go through fire and through water, certainly, God will bring us out into a wealthy place.
(Psalms 66:12).

Despite the tough times, you will come back—even stronger than you were before. Indeed every setback will only serve to set you up for a greater comeback. What was meant for your harm God will turn it all around for your good.

God knew that you would experience times of being stretched and being compressed. However,He has designed the storms to end up making you better. You may bend, but you are getting right back up again!

God not only gives us the strength to bounce back, but He also promises to restore in our lives double for all our troubles. [Zechariah 9:12]
Sometimes, the reason for the storm, is because you are about to move to a higher place in destiny. When an airplane is about to rise higher, it often experiences turbulence.
However, the key to surviving and thriving through the tough times is being rooted in God. Time spent blessing the Lord through prayer and worship—regardless of your circumstances—will make you become grounded in faith, ready to weather any storm.

Through diligent study of God’s Word, we develop deep spiritual roots that make us immovable.
The Word births faith in our hearts that makes us unshakeable. While the world around us may be trembling in fear and anxiety, like Paul, we can boldly say ‘none of these things move me!’.
Our hope is not in the government’s security system or economic system, rather on Christ the solid rock we stand, because all other grounds are sinking sand.
Through Christ, we will keep flourishing even in the most difficult of times. Though the rain, wind and storm may come, like the house built on the rock, we will stand and never fall.
As long as we remain strongly connected to God, we will triumph over every test and soar high above every storm of life.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the grace to stay rooted in Your Word and to abide strong in faith despite the oppositions I may face. I know that You are too faithful to fail me, and no matter the trials and temptations, I will keep thriving, flourishing and rising higher in Jesus Name.

QUOTE:
True success is not verifiable in the fact that a man has never fallen before but in the fact that he did not only fall but also got up. WORDBITE 222.

Exodus 15:11 “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

DAILY READING; Revelation 11; Esther 1; Psalm 105:1-25

Leslie Haskin is the author of the book, ‘Escape from the World Trade Center’.
The book is about her miraculous escape from the twin towers during the 9/11 terrorist attack.
In 2001, Leslie Haskin was a top executive for one of the largest insurance companies in America. She enjoyed all the privilege of an executive’s life.
Then at 8:43 am on the morning of September 11, 2001, everything changed.
Leslie was in her office on the 36th floor of Tower One when a Boeing 747 airplane slammed into the building.
The first impact of the plane was in the floor above her. Panic was instantaneous and people began to make a mad dash toward the exit stairs. As Leslie was trying to escape, she could hear the screams of people, and the sound of elevators falling. It was a nightmare! There was fire and smoke around her and and she saw people dying. She rushed down the exit stairs and ended up walking to the concourse level in darkness.
In that moment of desperation Leslie needed God. Though she grew up in the church and her father was a Baptist pastor, but as an adult she had not been close to God. However, that day, in the midst of the despair, she prayed like never before. She then began to sing hymns and praises to God.
God answered Leslie’s prayers and miraculously, she was able to escape from the burning building, soaked in dust and blood.
God also saw her through all the traumatic experiences that she later passed through in her health and finances due to the tragic attack.
She was able to recover all and eventually get back on her feet as a much better person. Today, Leslie Haskin is an evangelist who travels all over the world, encouraging thousands of people in their journey with God

Exodus 15:11 declares that God is fearful in praises, doing wonders.
No matter how desperate any situation, we can always connect to immediate divine deliverance through praises.
Praise is a Covenant mystery that draws God’s Presence into any situation.

The miracle working power of God manifests in the midst of praises.
Indeed praise paves the way for signs and wonders.

Genuine, heartfelt thanksgiving is a Covenant trigger for divine intervention. There is something about praise that instantly moves God.
In the face of any challenge, you can turn the tide of the battle through genuinely blessing God from the depths of your heart.

No matter how formidable the confrontation, just switch to praise and then stand still to see the salvation of the Lord!

You may pray amiss, but you can’t praise amiss. This is because the moment your voice of praise rises to Heaven, you gain God’s attention.
And as God arises for your deliverance, all enemies will be scattered.

Praise never loses a battle. Though you may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, as long as God is present, you shall fear no evil.
Certainly, the key to miracles is God’s Presence.

In this season, we can surround ourselves continually with God’s Presence through blessing Him at all times.
As we give God worthy praise, He will arise to deliver us from troubles and fight our battles, seen and unseen.
As we make the choice to magnify the Lord continually, certainly we shall receive fearful blessings and experience tearful testimonies.

PRAYER: Lord, I am grateful for Your marvelous helps in my life. I thank You for giving me both ‘fearful’ and ‘tearful’ testimonies in this season. As I praise You today, I know that You will indeed give me a divine turnaround and total victory in Jesus Name.

Psalm 110:1–2 ‘The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion: rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies.’

DAILY READING Revelation 10; Nehemiah 13; Psalm 104:24-35

Some accounts of miracles in Israel sometimes sound too incredible to be true.
One very famous case of such miracles happened in 1958 when the IDF [Israel Defense Force] went into the Golan Heights to fight the Syrian army. In the course of the battle, a soldier from the IDF got run over by a Syrian tank and was seriously wounded. As the Syrian soldiers saw this man lying helpless on the battlefield, they approached him and pulled out their guns ready to shoot him. But all of a sudden the Syrian soldiers started to run away for no obvious explanation. When later questioned by their superiors, these Syrian soldiers stated that they saw thousands of angels around this man. And at about the exact time, this wounded Israeli soldier said that he heard the voice of God telling him that He was not finished with him yet. And this man survived.

In another incident in 1973, a lone Israeli soldier took an entire Egyptian patrol all by himself. And this lone soldier, who became a hero, said that he couldn’t make any sense of it, he thought that he was going to be killed, but instead the Egyptian forces just turned themselves in and allowed him to lead them into Israeli territory. And when the Egyptian commander was questioned on why he and his men gave themselves up to this lone soldier, he replied, “One soldier? No, there were thousands of them.” According to him, it was only after they had crossed into Israel’s territory that these ‘thousands of soldiers’ disappeared!

These are testimonies of God’s miracles in the midst of His people.
These stories, as incredible as they seem, have been documented and collaborated by eyewitnesses. Indeed, the survival and existence of Israel is a living proof of God’s Presence in the midst of His people.

Israel is a tiny nation surrounded by large hostile nations, yet by the power of God Israel has continued to dominate and rule in the midst of its enemies.
Certainly, it is God’s will for His people to rule and dominate upon the earth. Likewise, according to God’s end-time agenda, the Church is in its era of dominion. It is God’s will that we dominate in our environment.
We are destined to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We are to be the head and not the tail; above only and never beneath. We are to take the lead, while others follow. That is our heritage. But you cannot dominate without being empowered.

1John 5:19 tells us that ‘the whole world lieth in wickedness.’

Therefore to live and thrive in such a wicked world, we need power.
It is the power content at work in your life that makes you dominate. It is the level of power you operate in that will authenticate the level of dominion you can manifest.
Power is the beauty of Christianity. It is the identity and portion of every child of God. The kingdom of God speaks in power not just in word. It is through the manifestation of God’s power that our enemies shall be subdued. Through the power of God we rule over sickness, disease, poverty and every enemy of our lives and destiny. It is therefore time to go for power. And power is encountered through prayer and in-depth study of the Word of God.
Let us determine to pay the required price to walk in dominion. What we sow is what we will reap. If we sow the seed of diligently seeking God, we will be rewarded with the power to dominate over life’s situations and rule in the midst of our enemies.
In this season of fruitfulness and abundant harvest, let us sow the seed of spiritual diligence through study of the Word, prayers and praise. As we do, we will certainly reap the harvest of power and dominion to reign as kings and priests on the earth.

PRAYER: Father, I desire to live a life of victory and dominion. Please enable me to always seek You because I know that You are a rewarder of them that diligently seek You. Through the manifestation of Your power, I shall indeed live as a sign and wonder to my generation in Jesus’ Name.

QUOTE:
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.

2Chronicles 20:17 ‘Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.’

DAILY READING Revelation 9; Nehemiah 12; Psalm 104:1-23

When he was born prematurely in December 1707, Charles Wesley made no cry and lay silent.
He appeared dead and was not moving.
He had to be wrapped in wool, for weeks and gently tended until he fully came alive.

Charles Wesley was the eighteenth of nineteen children born to Samuel and Susannah Wesley. Only ten of those children lived to adulthood.
Though Charles Wesley almost died when he was born, yet God’s hand was upon him, and he survived.
Interestingly, this baby who was silent when he was born, would grow up to sing some of the greatest hymns in history.
Though less famous than his older brother, John Wesley who founded the Methodist denomination, Charles established his own legacy as the author of some of the most memorable and lasting hymns of the Church. These includes “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “”O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,”etc

The ability to write hymns came alive in him after he made a total surrender to Christ.
Though he was brought up in the Christian tradition, and even ordained a minister, yet Charles had no personal relationship with God until much later in his adult life..
After wholly handing over his life to Christ on May 21, 1738, the hymn writer in him emerged.
After this encounter with the Lord, his heart began to burn with the desire to sing praises to God.
Thereafter, he wrote his first hymn “O for a Thousand Tongues,” which became famous afterwards.
He would go on to write over 8,989 hymns and spiritual songs that continues to bless the world today.

Although Charles Wesley was born with a great destiny of singing praises to God, yet at birth, the enemy tried to silence him.
The truth is that many of the battles we fight in life are attempts of the enemy to snuff out the great potentials of praise in us.
This is why in every situation we must strive to maintain our praise.
Trials and temptations are often attempts to distract us from our life’s purpose of blessing the Lord at all times.
However, if we refuse to be silenced and continually praise God in every situation, we will have constant victory in life.

Praise is not just about singing, it is our source of strength and the covenant secret God has given us to stop the enemy in his tracks.

Psalm 8:2 says ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger’

Quoting this verse, Jesus said in Mathew 21:16 ‘Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?’

Indeed God has put strength in our mouth and it is the power of praise. Through praise you can always stop the enemy and the avenger.

Indeed praise is our covenant technique for easy victory. It is not just a preparatory thing you do before prayers, it is a formidable tool in the working of miracles.

Each time we raise our voice in praise God’s Presence is engaged for our deliverance.

In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat admitted that he had no strength to face the mighty army coming against him. Then God showed him what to do, and when he engaged the power of praise, he secured his victory.

God told him in 2 Chronicles 20:17 ‘Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you,.’

And God is saying the same thing to us today. If the battle you are faced with seems too much for you, hand it over to God through praise. Praise will cause God to fight on your behalf.
Whatever miracle you desire today, you can have it through praise. Just take the time to appreciate God for His mercies in your life. . Bless God continually for His faithfulness, loving kindness, goodness, provision and preservation..
Certainly, as we bless the Lord at all times, He will ensure we triumph always and fulfill the glorious destiny He has ordained for us.

PRAYER: Lord, I Thank You for granting me the grace to praise You always. I know that even now You are doing for me exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond all I could ever ask or imagine in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

Praise is proof that you believe God to do what He said, He would do in your life, – WORDBITE 201.

Habakkuk 3: 17-18 says ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation’.

DAILY READING • Revelation 8; Nehemiah 11; Psalm 103

The book ‘A Wandering Jew in Brazil’ is the true story of a very courageous Jewish missionary named Solomon Ginsburg. He was born to a father who was a Jewish Rabbi who intended Solomon to follow in his footsteps and trained him to also become a Rabbi.
However, when Solomon was still a young boy, one day he overheard some Jewish men discussing chapter 53 of the book of Isaiah, raising questions about whom the prophet was referring to.
Solomon became curious, but when he later asked his father whom Isaiah 53 was referring to, his father replied him with a resounding slap.
His father’s reaction only ignited greater curiosity in young Solomon.
His question was eventually answered years later when he met a Jewish Christian who explained to him that Jesus was the Messiah prophesied about in Isaiah 53. This encounter with the Gospel made Solomon to surrender his life to Christ.
However, his conversion infuriated his family and friends in the Jewish community, and they even made attempts to kill him.
One day, Solomon went with some Christian friends to hold an open-air meeting in the Jewish community. As the crowds gathered, some of the Jews identified Solomon as a Jewish renegade. They then drove his friends away, but caught Solomon and beat him until he was almost dead. They then threw him into a garbage box with his skull cracked and his body all covered with bruises.
He was later rescued by a passerby. When Solomon regained consciousness, rather than be bitter he began to praise God that he had been permitted to suffer for His Name’s sake!
Solomon continued to count his trials as joy, even when he later went to serve as a missionary in Brazil and was jailed for preaching the Gospel. As he remained joyful despite the persecutions, he eventually triumphed over every opposition and was used mightily by God for thirty-five phenomenal, fruitful years of service in Brazil. Through him many lives were transformed, several churches were planted and multitudes were led to Christ.

Habakkuk 3: 17-18 says ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation’.

Not many people have experienced what David felt when his own brethren and friends turned against him.
When he and his men returned to their home in Ziklag to discover their property destroyed and their wives taken by the Amalekites, his men reacted by speaking of stoning David.
It must have been a heartbreaking experience for David. Yet, rather than become bitter, in the midst of all these, he chose to praise God.

1 Sam 30:6 says David “encouraged himself in the Lord his God”.

When David decided to trust God even in the midst of despair, God gave him victory and full restoration of all he had lost. Eventually, David was able to pursue, overtake and recover all.

In our journey through life, sometimes we can be confronted by deep betrayals or adverse situations even while we are trying to obey God.
However, in every trial we must always choose to bless the Lord at all times.
We must learn to count it all joy and continually judge God faithful.
In the midst of persecutions and oppositions, when we lift our hands in praise and worship, we are breaking spiritual alabaster boxes of oil at the feet of Jesus. The sweet fragrance of our sacrifice of praise creates the conducive atmosphere for God to do the miraculous.

As we make the choice to praise God, He arises in His might and power to cause a forceful turnaround of every contrary situation in our lives.

Therefore let us quit worrying about people that may oppose us or contrary circumstances that may sometimes confront us. Rather let us resort to praise and watch as God arises to scatter every enemy of our destiny.

Certainly, it takes Praise to engage God’s Presence for our deliverance.
Always remember that the battle is not yours; the battle belongs to the Lord. And as we focus on giving Him high praises, He will certainly take us to our high places in life.

PRAYER: Father I choose to bless You at all times. I choose to set the tone to receive Your favor, grace and mercy by praising You in every situation. I thank You Lord, for giving me a positive change of story and granting me supernatural harvest of blessings in this season 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