HORM Devotional

Hebrews 4:12 ‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.’

DAILY READING; • 1 Corinthians 6; 1 Kings 19; Amos 3:3-4:3

The Library of Congress in Washington DC is the largest library in the world and oldest cultural institution in America.
It is formally known as the “library of last resort” in the U.S because it keeps a backup of
Items which may not be found in other national libraries.

The library of Congress has a vast holding that includes more than 32 million books, more than 61 million manuscripts, over one million newspapers from the last three centuries, over five million maps, six million pieces of sheet music, more than 14 million photos and prints and one of the only four perfect vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible in the world.
All these are contained in approximately 530 miles of bookshelves.
Each working day the Library receives some 15,000 items and adds more than 10,000 items to its collections.
Yet among all these volumes of books in this library, only one book can lay claim to being alive and powerful. That is the Bible.
The Bible, which contains the word of God, is unlike any other book in any library. The Bible is the oldest and most mysterious book in existence.
Unlike the other literary works, the Bible was not written by man, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through different authors who lived in different generations and in diverse regions of the world.
The Bible remains the most popular book of all times and the most widely distributed, with printed numbers running into billions. In addition to the printed copies, today, the Internet and digital media also make available diverse versions. For instance, YouVersion, a Bible app, has been translated into 799 languages and downloaded over 200 million times to date!

Indeed the Word of God is alive and powerful.
As believers we must never underestimate the spiritual asset God has made available to us today through the Bible.
The Words in the Bible are loaded with power. The Bible holds the answer to every of life’s question, it offers solution to every problem and shows the way out of every predicament.
The Word is God’s master plan for His people, it is our manual and road map to life.
Certainly no other book in the world can ever compare to the Bible.
News articles may inform us, excellent well written novels may motivate us, poetry may captivate us, but only the living, active, Word of God can change us, empower us and transform us.

To an ordinary man, the Scripture may be made up of stories, however to the redeemed, the Bible is made up of life-changing mysteries.
It is our light in the darkness, strength in weakness and comfort in sadness.
Everything we need for life and godliness is inside the Bible.
However, no man can gain access to the wonders in the Word except by the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible contains God’s success secrets. However, it is the revelation of the Spirit that unveils these secrets and shows us how to reap their benefits.

To receive revelations from the Word, our spirit-man needs to be actively alive. We must come up spiritually to the place where we are able to see what the Spirit of God shows to us.

In Revelation 4:1, God said: “…Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”

We cannot see the mysteries of the Word, or receive revelations while we are spiritually on the floor. As long as we are carnal or fleshly, we cannot access the depths in God’s Word.
There is therefore a call for purity and sanctification and spirituality to enable us hear what God is saying.

For any believer to triumph in the world today, there must be genuine attention given to God’s Word.
As we diligently listen to the Word and observe to do what it says to us, certainly, God will set us up on high above all nations of the earth and cause His blessings to chase us down and overtake us. (Deuteronomy 28:1-7)

PRAYERS;
Father, I thank You for the grace to sit down in Your Word to locate that answers to the issues of my life. Thank You Lord for enabling me to move away from carnality and to move up higher spiritually to the place where I can receive revelations from Your Spirit in Jesus Name.

QUOTE:
The treasures of God are never on the shallow end but are always buried in the depths of God’s Word. It takes a personal discovery to get there. – WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 22:3 ‘But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.’

DAILY READING – • 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Kings 18; Amos 2:1-3:2

On August 30, 1963, John F. Kennedy became the first U.S. president to have a direct phone line to the Kremlin in Moscow. A “hotline” was designed to facilitate communication between the American president and the Soviet leader.
The establishment of this hotline became necessary because due to delays in communication, the U.S. and U.S.S.R had come dangerously close to all-out nuclear war.
This happened when U.S intelligence discovered that the Soviets had planted missiles on the island of Cuba, capable of launching nuclear warheads into the U.S.
The highly tense diplomatic exchange that followed was plagued by delays and frustrations and in the face of the perceived threat, the U.S almost launched an attack against the Soviet Union. This could have begun the third world war.
Eventually, Presidents Kennedy and Khrushchev were able to resolve the crisis peacefully and both signed a nuclear test-ban treaty on August 5, 1963.
However fears of future “misunderstandings” led to the installation of a telephone hotline between the two leaders.
This hotline was a red phone which was to be used only in emergencies. What it meant was that anytime the red phone rang, it immediately got attention and was treated with highest priority.

As believers, we have a hotline to God.
There is a sound that rings in Heaven that always gets immediate attention. This is the sound of praise.
Praise is God’s hotline, it always compels His Presence.
If we need urgent intervention from God, then praise is our access.
Any situation that will require God, will always require praise!

Indeed Praise, is the surest way into God’s presence.
We can pray amiss but we cannot praise amiss.
While prayers may sometimes be delayed, praise cannot be delayed.
From Daniel 10, we saw how the angel bringing answers to Daniel’s prayers was delayed by the prince of Persia for 21 days.
However, answers to Praise cannot be delayed, because it is God Himself that comes down to respond to our call. And when God arises, nothing and no one has the capability to stop Him.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were about to be executed. It was a desperate situation and they needed God’s immediate intervention.
They first prayed and when there seemed to be no immediate answer, they switched to praise, and God answered them instantly. God came down in an earthquake that shook the prison’s foundation and broke every chain holding them bound. [Acts 16:25- 26]

Any time you need God’s urgent attention, switch to praise.
If you are facing complex battles that appear mightier than your strength, and tougher than your wisdom, then invite God in through high praises.
If you are faced with a crisis situation, always quickly switch to praise. As you stay in praise, God’s Presence comes to create a spiritual force field around you that halts every demonic operation. Indeed as God steps in, every enemy will be forced to step out.
Praise always gets God’s immediate attention because praise is God’s exclusive habitation [Psalm 22:3].
In Psalm 114, we saw how through praise, Israel made God their sanctuary and He cleared every obstacle on their path and led them to the promised land.

To arrive at our destiny of wonders this year, we must therefore engage God’s Presence, which is the source of all wonders. Exodus 15:11 tells us that God is fearful in praises, doing wonders.
When King Jehoshaphat was faced with a battle he couldn’t handle, he told God in 2 Chronicles 20:12 ‘For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon You..’.
When they switched to praise, God ambushed their enemies and gave them the victory.

The mysterious operation of the weapon of praise is what guarantees us speedy victory in every battle of life.
However it takes an understanding of the Word to enable us praise adequately.
Let us therefore continuously feed on God’s Word to receive the grace to continually give Him high praises, so that we can be ushered quickly into our high places this year.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to constantly feed on Your Word so that I can receive the faith and grace to praise You always.
As I praise You, I know that I shall be ushered into realms of unlimited signs and wonders in Jesus Name.

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

Luke 8:12 ‘Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 4; 1 Kings 17; Amos 1

The Gutenberg Bible is one of the rarest and most influential books in world history. Today a complete copy of the Gutenberg Bible could fetch upwards of $35 million. The Gutenberg Bible is the first great book printed in Western Europe and out of about 180 original printed copies, only 49 copies still exist today. They are kept carefully in library, university and museum collections.
In 1969, a man named Vido Aras, made a plan to steal a copy of this carefully guarded books from Harvard’s University. He hid in a bathroom in the University’s Widener Library until after the building had closed. He then slinked to the roof and used a rope to climb into the window of the room where the University kept its copy of the Gutenberg Bible. Aras succeeded in removing two volumes from their case and stashed them in his knapsack. But when he tried to climb back up the rope, he found that the 70-pound tome weighed him down. After struggling for a time, he lost his grip and tumbled six stories to the ground below, where he was found the next morning. The Gutenberg Bible was recovered with only minor damage. Aras, on the other hand, suffered a fractured skull.

It indeed appears that a divine hand stopped this thief from carrying out his plans. Had the thief succeeded, he would have further reduced the available copies of these precious and rare Bible.
Spiritually also there is a thief who is always attempting to steal the precious Word from the hearts of men.

Luke 8:11-12 says “The seed is the word of God. The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”

The sowing of God’s Word into a believer”s heart is something that is often greatly resisted by the enemy.

Have you ever sat down to read the Bible and suddenly find yourself battling with sleep, drowsiness, distractions, interfering thoughts, phone calls and a host of other things that seek your attention?.
Other times, the enemy tries to keep believers so busy that there’s hardly quality time spent in God’s Word.

These attempts to keep us from the Word is aimed at blocking our access to faith and denying us the victory that overcomes the world.

This is why we must be deliberate in spending time in the Word and give it primary place in our hearts.
Indeed the benefits of God’s Word in our lives is unquantifiable.
The Word of God is the master key to life; it is our divine visa to a life of exploits and our divine license for a successful life.
It grants us access to divine nature that distinguishes us among men.

Meditation in the Word makes us prosperous, gives us good success and guarantees divine health, wealth, protection, progress and all that partains to life and godliness.

God sent His Word to heal us and deliver us from destructions. His Word is the light that guides our feet through the spiritual darkness of the world and gives us absolute resistance against the devil in times of trials and temptations.
The sanctifying virtues of the Word enables us to live a life of purity and holiness and fills our lives with wonders.

Hebrews 1:3 tells us that God uphold all things by the Word of His power. Therefore our connection to the Word means we are upheld in life. Certainly, you can never fall as long as you stand on the Word.

Just as Job esteemed God’s Word more precious than his necessary food, so should we.
(Job 23:12)

Indeed God’s Word is life’s inestimable treasure and every believer’s greatest asset.
This is why we must jealously guard its access into our hearts.
Through daily meditation and spiritual discipline, let us always ensure the Word is never stolen from us.

PRAYER;
Lord I thank You for the grace to constantly meditate on Your Word. Please enable me to treasure Your Word more than anything else and always give it the first place in my life in Jesus Name.

QUOTE;
God protects and shields us when we are being led by Him. – 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 1 Corinthians 3; 1 Kings 15:33-16:34; Joel 3

The immune system is the body’s fighting system that helps to protect our bodies from outside invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and toxins.
It is made up of special organs, cells and chemicals that fight infections.
The immune system develops cells, (antibodies), specifically designed to fight certain kinds of diseases. It then stores these cells throughout the body, waiting for the signal to send them into battle.
If viruses or bacteria are detected, the immune system communicates a warning throughout the whole body and then directs the attacking cells to destroy the invaders.

One of the key players in the body’s fighting system is the white blood cells. The white blood cells act as an army of fighting soldier cells that move through blood and tissues, looking for foreign invaders to attack. They are fast, strong and smart. They can capture germs and even swallow them.
Apart from white blood cells, the other key players in the immune system are; the antibodies, the complement system, the lymphatic system, the spleen, the thymus, and the bone marrow. They all work together to destroy invaders.

The human immune system is essential for our survival in a world full of potentially dangerous microbes.
The immune system not only fights off infections, but it also keeps a record of every invader it has ever defeated. This means it can recognize them next time and quickly move to destroy them before they cause any damage to the body.

It is certainly amazing how our immune system fights for us through our blood, while we go about our daily life, unaware.
Yet, despite the critical work of the human blood, it is sometimes limited in its ability to always protect us.
Therefore, what a joy to know that we have access to the Blood of Jesus which is unlimited in power and capacity to always overcome for us.
The Blood of Jesus is our spiritual fighting system. When we engage the divine Blood of Jesus, every enemy of our life and destiny is totally defeated.
The Blood of Jesus works ultimately to protect every aspect of our lives. The Blood of Jesus not only secures our health, but it also secures our finances, family, career, business etc. Through the Blood, we constantly overcome in life.

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’

As we partake of the communion, the Blood of Jesus enters into us to flush out every invader. The Blood destroys every disease, poison, affliction, and demonic oppression anywhere in our system. Indeed no evil can withstand the presence of Christ’s Blood.

Every time you take the communion, you are introducing into your blood divine power that is going to electrocute every invader.
Like Jesus purged the temple, our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and Jesus, through His Blood comes into our temple to flog out every stranger conducting buying and selling in our system.
The communion is a divine mystery through which we are constantly purged and purified and made fit for the habitation of the Holy Ghost.
The Bible says that whatsoever defiles the temple of God shall be destroyed, therefore today, anything attempting to defile your body comes under divine judgement.
You are meant to glorify God in your body therefore anything that is contrary to glory will be eradicated by the Blood of Jesus.
Indeed through the Blood of Jesus we have all-round divine immunity that guarantees us total security in our spirit, soul and body.

PRAYER:
Lord, I thank You for the divine immunity available to me through the Blood of Jesus. Therefore, today, I invoke the Blood against everything contrary to Your Will in my life. By the mystery of the Blood, I am truly an overcomer in Jesus Name.

QUOTE
The battle you are faced with today is a good warfare because God has already foreordained a victorious end for you. WORDBITE 222.

Ephesians 5:26 “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”

DAILY READING; • 1 Corinthians 2; 1 Kings 15:1-32; Joel 2:12-32

Joseph Stalin, leader of the USSR, murdered millions of Christians, and destroyed many historical churches and cathedrals.
However the amazing fact about Joseph Stalin was that he once trained in a Seminary to become a priest. But along the way, he was wrongly influenced to abandon the path to priesthood.
Joseph’s mother, a devout Russian Orthodox Christian, had believed he should become a priest and in 1888, she enrolled him in a Christian school, where he did well and later won a scholarship to Tiflis Theological Seminary.
However, while at the Seminary, Joseph came in contact with a secret organization that began to turn him away from his Christian beliefs. Instead of studying the Scriptures as required by the Seminary, he began studying revolutionary materials, including the writings of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.
He became so greatly influenced by these writings that he abandoned his study at the seminary, despite being an excellent student.
He refused to return home, but began working full-time for the revolutionary movement.
He became so radicalized that in 1907, he carried out a bank Robbery and stole 250,000 rubles (approximately $3.4m in US dollars) to help fund the revolutionary cause.
He came to be known as ruthless and adopted the name ‘Stalin’ which means ‘man of steel’.
Over the years, he rose through the ranks, until he came to power as the leader of the Soviet Union in 1927.
Under the reign of Joseph Stalin, millions of Christians and over 50,000 clergymen were murdered, many were tortured, including by crucifixion. Stalin turned Russia red with the blood of martyrs and murdered over 20 million of his own citizens.

Certainly, if Joseph Stalin had focused on his education in the Seminary and studied the Scriptures as required, he would not have ended up as a mass murderer.
As we go through life, we need to be careful about distractions and the things we grant access into our hearts.
When God says we should meditate on His Word day and night, it is because He knows there is a bombardment on our minds day and night.
We live in a world of influences. The things you read, watch and listen to, will eventually seek to control your thoughts.
And your thought to a large extent determines what becomes of you. Life is a reflection and summation of all our dominant thoughts. Certainly as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

What we feed our mind is very critical to our lives. They can either assist or resist the fulfillment of our destiny.
This is why the Bible tells us to guard our mind with all diligence. We need to properly manage what goes in and out of our minds, to avoid derailment of God’s plan for our lives.
One sure way to guard our minds is through constant study and meditation on Scriptures. The Word of God is a fountain of life, where we daily take spiritual baths.

Ephesians 5:26 says “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”

As we daily meditate deeply in the Word, wrong thoughts are dislodged from our minds and replaced with God’s thoughts.
Through the Word, we are influenced to begin talking and acting as God would.
God’s Word is full of wonders and the more we look into it, the more we are turned into living wonders.

Psalm 119:18 says: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law”.

Certainly, there are wondrous things in God’s Word.
Many of the great men and women who did great exploits in God’s kingdom all spent time with God in His Word until they were influenced to begin manifesting amazing miracles.
Therefore instead of filling our minds with the trash that dominates the world’s media, let us fill our minds with the treasures of God’s Word.
You can never go higher than your thoughts and life gives you only what you sow into it.
Therefore, Let us diligently sow God’s Word into our minds, so that we can reap a lifetime of miracles, signs and wonders.

PRAYER: Lord, Please enable me to take up the spiritual responsibility of diligently studying Your Word. As I study, please open my eyes to behold deep insights that will enable me to manifest Your signs and wonders in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.

Exodus 4:17 ‘And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.’

DAILY READING; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; 1 Kings 14; Joel 2:1-11

Ginette Sainfort was the manager at a bank in Haiti, when the 2010 Haiti earthquake struck.
Her husband, Roger, who was on his way to pick her up arrived at the bank to find it totally destroyed with Ginette trapped 30 feet underneath the rubble.
Roger Sainfort desperately tried to dig through the debris to get to his wife. But not having the proper equipment, he couldn’t make much progress.

With the emergency situation all over the city, there seemed to be no immediate help in sight.
And so Roger kept vigil over the site, sleeping in the middle of the street and praying to God for a miracle. Though people were dying all around, Roger Sainfort chose to believe God’s Word and kept claiming that his wife would live.
Even after she had been buried underground for six days, roger didn’t give up hope.
Finally, it seemed his faith ignited the miraculous.
The head of Haiti’s National Equipment Center, Jude Célestin, was working at another location, when he said he didn’t know what made him to start going downtown.
While driving past, he spotted Roger Sainfort who was desperately looking for help to get his wife out.
When Célestin expressed doubt that she could still be alive after almost seven days, Roger insisted his wife was alive. Though he had no physical proof, he had profound faith in God.
Célestin, then agreed to personally lead the rescue effort. Circumstances seemed to be against Ginette Sainfort’s survival because while searching for her, the excavator unwittingly ran over the site where she was four times.
However, eventually, they were able to spot the top of Ginette’s hair, in a hole where she was trapped.
As her husband called her name, to everyone’s amazement she answered. She was alive! Ginette not only talked, she started singing praises to God.

The rescuers acknowledged that only God could have brought her out. The news of her rescue became global news and a wonder to many. Yet, it was the resilient faith of Ginette and her husband that delivered to them this incredible miracle which brought much glory to God.

Miracles are not accidental occurrences; they are the deliberate acts of God provoked by the desperate faith of men.
We serve the God of miracles. He is the God of might and power, of glory and grace and eternal authority. To Him, nothing is ever impossible.
Anytime we believe His Word against all the odds, He arises to perform His wonders in our lives.
Though a thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, it will not come near you, as long as you hold on to God’s Word.
When you believe what God says in His Word, then your belief can supersede any natural law.
Certainly, what you believe is what you will receive. It is unto every man according to his faith.

Therefore in every situation we must always walk by faith and not by sight.
Let the revelation of the Word always be more important to you than the situation in the world.
Despite the size of the odds and challenges, refuse to be intimidated. Always know that you are not alone, God is with you, and through His help every test will be turned into your testimony.
This is why we must always choose to focus on God’s Word. The more we feed on the Word, the more faith is birthed in our hearts to believe God to do the miraculous.
God has given us His Word as our rod for doing signs and wonders. Through faith in God’s Word we will always have the victory no matter how impossible any situation.
Faith always sees the invisible, dares the impossible, and delivers the incredible.

Perhaps today, you may be facing a situation that seems insurmountable. In the natural, you don’t see how you could overcome the health challenge or financial obstacle. But God is saying to you “If you will only believe, all things are possible’
Therefore don’t be intimidated by the size of what you are facing. The medical situation may not look good, but never forget that Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer, is on your side. Therefore it is well with you. Stay in faith and keep giving glory to God.
You may not see it right now, but trust that God is working behind the scenes, turning around things for you. And when it is all said and done, your life will be a manifestation of the wonder-working power of God.

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to spend quality time in Your Word so that my faith can be ignited 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.

Matthew 11:12 ‘And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.’

DAILY READING • 1 Corinthians 1:1-17; 1 Kings 12:32-13:34; Joel 1

The story of John Graham Lake is one of incredible displays of God’s power. He became one of the greatest men of God the world had ever known.
In the early 20th century, John G. Lake was used mightily by God in the area of divine healing with amazing signs and wonders.
John G. Lake was born into a large family of 16 siblings, eight of whom died young from various sicknesses. As a young Christian, Lake came in contact with the healing ministry of a great minister of that time named Alexander Dowie. Through Dowie’s prayers, the tide of death was stopped in Lake’s family.
However after Lake got married, just two short years into their marriage, death reared up its head again.
His wife, Jennie, was diagnosed with tuberculosis and heart disease. Over the next couple of years, the condition worsened and the doctors resigned to the fact that it was only a matter of time before she would die.
Lake’s friends counseled him to resolve himself to God’s will and to accept Jennie’s impending death. Lake found their advice unacceptable. One day, as Jennie began to draw close to her last breath, at a moment of desperation, Lake threw his Bible across the room, it fell to the floor and opened to Acts 10.
As Lake walked over to pick it up, his eyes were drawn to verse 38. It read, “…How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Those words gripped Lake. And he realized that Jesus is the author of life, but it was the devil, the author of death that was stealing away his wife.

With that understanding, faith filled his heart and he declared boldly that his wife would be healed at exactly 9:30 am.
When that time came, he knelt by her bedside and called on the living God. As he prayed, suddenly, the power of God came on his wife. The paralysis left, her heartbeat became normal, her breathing became clear, and she was totally healed. It was an awesome miracle and the story of this healing spread quickly, inspiring many to visit the Lake home.
This event ushered John G. Lake into a life of ministry that would take him across the world, preaching the gospel and seeing the power of God move upon millions of people.

Often times, why it seems problem still stare us in the face is because we lack of the revelation to know what to do.
When the light of revelation from God’s Word floods your heart, you can boldly confront any challenge and walk away victorious.
Revelation births faith, which is the covenant trigger for the manifestation of God’s power. Faith is a spiritual explosive that destroys the devil and establishes the dominion of the saints.
Jesus has given us the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over every power of the enemy. But the reason why sometimes negative situations seem to linger is because of not seeking revelation from God’s Word.
We need to search for answers from God and not lean on our own understanding.
When God reveals to us what to do in any situation, our victory over that issue is guaranteed,
Also as we receive revelations, we must by faith boldly declare our expectations. Whenever we speak in faith Power is released for performance.
When you open your mouth to declare your desire, God will begin to confirm what you are declaring. He confirms the Words of His servants and performs the counsel of His messengers..
We are created to dominate and rule over circumstances and situations. But it is only the violent that can take it by force.
You must therefore decide to be spiritually violent in dealing with issues that afflict you. The devil is not a gentleman, so don’t treat him like one. Fill your heart with God’s Word until revelation and faith arises, then roar against the enemy in the Name of Jesus and he will have no choice than to flee..
To see signs and wonders this year, you cannot afford to be passive and keep watching events. No matter what issue may seem a hindrance to you today, there is a way out of it. Go for revelation. God’s Word is full of wonders. When your eyes are opened to see those wonders, you will experience your miracle.
God is waiting to show you great and mighty things in His Word. Through divine insight, you will easily see how to handle the goliath that seems to be resisting your ascendance and progress,
Indeed through revelations from the Word, you will experience a revolution that will certainly establish you as living wonder this year.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me renewed appetite for Your Word, so that my heart will be constantly filled with the faith to dominate in every situation. I thank You Lord for making me the winner in every conflict in Jesus Name.
Quote
Until you cry out in the place of prayer certain things won’t happen WORDBITE 222

Ephesians 3:20
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”  

DAILY READING – – Mark 16; 1 Kings 12; Hosea 14

Abbey D’Agostino was an athlete who used to suffer a lot of anxiety over her performance.

As she competed in the 2016, Olympics, Abbey felt very much like an underdog.
She felt she might not achieve much in the Olympics

When she was to run the women’s 5000-meter qualifying race in the 2016 Olympics, she didn’t know what to expect.

But eventually, , she decided to turn over everything to God.
She believed God was able to do a miracle and exceed her expectations.

To further express her faith in God’s ability, she wrote on her hand Ephesians 3:20 that says: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”

And indeed, God did for her abundantly above all she could ask or think. Before the end of that race, from an obscure athlete, she was suddenly thrust on the global stage, as she found herself basking in worldwide acclaim. 

What led to this was an unusually kind gesture that she showed to another athlete.
During  the race, Abbey had collided with a runner from New Zealand, causing both women to fall down.  Abbey instinctively jumped up right away, and should have continued her race, as other athletes would. But instead she turned, and helped the other fallen athlete to her feet.

Due to the collision Abbey suffered a serious injury in her right knee. And though she should have stopped, it became a tremendous demonstration of faith, as she continued running with her injury. As she ran with the pain, she managed to run for almost another 2000 meters.
All the while she was helping the other athlete to also keep running.

Abby’s gesture of selflessness drew acclaim, from millions watching the Olympics from around the world.  Many commended her for her sportsmanship. 

Her perseverance and indefatigable spirit in the race made her to stand out.

Due to her injury, she essentially ran the rest of the race on one leg. When later asked how she managed to complete this incredible feat, she attributed it all to the power of God and His exceeding grace. 

As the global media reported about her actions in the race, it thrust her into sudden fame.
However, she used the newfound fame and media attention as opportunity to tell the world about her faith.

In the end, the Scripture verse she had written in her hand became her reality. God indeed did for Abbey, far more abundantly than all that she could ask or imagine.. 

Indeed God is able to exceed our expectations. There is no inability in Him.
It is possible for man to think and not have the ability to do, but not God. Whatever His mouth promises, His hand is also able to perform.
God is able to do infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or imagine..  

His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. Our thoughts, even at their best, are not His thoughts! As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His thoughts above ours. This is why we should trust Him to do exceedingly above what we could ever achieve on our own.

God is able to do great things for us in  ways and manners that exceeds our imagination. 

Indeed we serve the God of excessive power and excessive grace. And through study of The Word we build our faith to be able to receive His abundant blessings.  When we line up with His Word in our thoughts, words and actions, we will indeed see His exceeding goodness.

Throughout the scriptures we find expressed God’s excessive benevolence towards those that trust Him. . 

God’s capacity to do far exceeds our capacity of asking. Whatever we can believe, we can receive from Him. And whatever we can conceive, we can achieve by His grace.
Therefore today, let us believe God for signs and wonders beyond our expectations this year.
Anything and everything is possible through our faith in God’s divine abilities.
Indeed as far as our eyes can see, shall be given to us in this year of wonders, if only we can believe.

PRAYER: 
Lord please help me to stretch the limits of my faith. I know indeed You can do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine, therefore do in my life that which only You can do. Turn me into a sign and wonder to my world, this year in Jesus Name. 

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

Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

DAILY READING; Mark 15:21-47; 1 Kings 11; Hosea 13

Maria Woodworth-Etter was one of the most prominent healing evangelists of the 20^th century.

Her meetings were characterized by great power, healings and  visions. These amazing miracles and dramatic occurrences in her meetings made her to face resistance from both the religious and secular community. Yet in every challenge she kept her focus on God and His Word.

1890 to 1900 were especially tough years for Maria. While holding meetings in Framingham, Massachusetts, she was arrested for claiming to heal people, but was released when many came forward with their testimonies.

Around 1891, while holding meetings in St Louis, Missouri,  local psychiatrists filed charges of insanity against her for claiming that she saw visions of God

Yet, her ministry continued to prosper greatly despite these persecutions.

In the early 1900’s, while holding a meeting at Fremont, Nebraska, two doctors brought charges against Maria that she was hypnotizing people.

The county’s prosecuting attorney then prepared a complaint against her for practicing medicine without a license. A day before her meetings closed in the town, Maria Woodworth and her helpers were arrested.

However the arrest only worked to promote her ministry. Surprisingly the circular Media came to her defense. Some of the reporters who had personally witnessed miracles at her meetings, published stories of how God was using  Maria to transform lives.

The newspaper reports of the meeting eliminated the need for paid advertisements for Maria. The favorable news coverage also swung public sympathy towards Maria over her arrest, forcing her persecutors to drop their charges and release her and her staff.   

At every turn, the enemies’ attempts to stop Maria only ended up, promoting her ministry, and bringing greater glory to God.

Indeed God is always able to vindicate us better than we can vindicate ourselves. This is why we must learn to keep our eyes on Jesus in every trial.

Success often attracts enemies and open doors often come with adversaries, but if you will hold your peace, God will always fight for you.

The truth is that anyone making progress in life will face oppositions.  Most of these are spiritual resistance aimed at stopping the work God is doing through you.

At such times, learn to focus on God’s Word. The Word within you makes you indefatigable.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18-19  “…on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.’

The rock is God’s Word. When you have the word within you, no force of hell can prevail against you. God’s Word is what enables you to withstand storms, overcome enemies, and accomplish dreams that seem impossible.

With all the challenges lined up against Mariah, she succeeded because she maintained the right focus; looking unto Jesus..  Her life shows that there is no opposition that can hinder a man who has God on his side.

Whatever the enemy meant for evil, God can turn it all around for your good. Surely, God knows how to prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies.

 The important thing is to always remain connected to His Word, because it is the Word that imparts faith into the heart and faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

If you find yourself in the middle of a trial, an affliction, or a setback, always remember, that your destiny is greater than your disaster.  Though you may pass through the fire and the water, in the end you will surely come out victorious. Why? Because Jehovah, alone has the final say over your life. 

With faith in God’s Word, your victory is sure. Surely they that put their trust in God shall never be ashamed.

Regardless of how contrary things may sometimes seem, the truth is that your greatest days are ahead. What looks like a setback will only position you for a comeback! What looks a trial will only end in your triumph.

Nothing and no one can stop what God is doing through you.

The work God has begun in you He will finish. Indeed what God started in you He will surely complete!

PRAYER: Lord, Please help me to always focus on Your Word, no matter the situation around me. Please, help me to keep my faith strong in You at all times.  I know that indeed even right now, You are working out everything for my good in Jesus Name.  

QUOTE

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

Psalm 74:20 ‘Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.’

DAILY READING – • Mark 15:1-20; 1 Kings 10; Hosea 11:12-12:14

During the 18th and 19th centuries, there existed a dreaded band of thieves known as “mooncursers.”
In countries like England and the United States, sailing was made dangerous by these infamous villains who set up false lights to lure ships to crash on the rocks.
During dark and stormy nights, the ‘mooncursers’ criss-crossed the coast on horseback and planted large decoy lanterns at strategic points. After spotting a ship in distress, they would stand on the rocky areas of the shore and begin waving their decoy lamps, beckoning the distressed sailors closer to the shore.
Mistaking the false lights to be a lighthouse, the ship would begin moving in its direction, only to hit the rocks and get wrecked. Then these mooncursers would pounce on the wrecked ship, killing the men and plundering the goods.

They were called ‘mooncursers’ because they dreaded the light of the moon, which used to expose them.
Because the moon’s rays reflect and magnify the water’s surface, sailors could see very well on moonlit nights and be able to avoid these thieves. When the moon causes their trickery not to succeed, they often shouted, “Cuss the moon!”. Thus they came to be known as mooncursers.

The mooncursers thrived at that time because lighthouses were few and far between. However when the number of lighthouses began to increase along the coasts, they provided enough reliable guideposts for sailors navigating off tricky and dangerous shores.
The increased and better lighthouses eventually stopped the mooncursers from their murderous activities and saved the lives of many sailors.

In the journey of life, we need the light of God’s Word to avoid a shipwreck of destiny.
Today, there are many deceivers waiting at every crossroad, shining false lights, lying in wait to derail destinies.

Surely, the one thing we cannot do without in this end-time, is divine direction.
The revelation of the Word is our guarantee of safety.

In the world today, we are contending with invisible forces who operate in the realm of darkness. These are spiritual thieves who daily set traps for men and wait for opportunities to steal, kill and destroy.
However, the entrance of God’s Word into our hearts, gives us the light of spiritual discernment to avoid them.

One of the characteristics of the end-times is that there will be such great deceptions, that even the elect may be deceived.
We are told the enemy will manifest ‘lying wonders’.
Indeed with the many manifestations of darkness in the world today, our safety lies in walking by the light of God’s Covenant.

Psalm 74:20 says ‘Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.’

God respects His Word and has bound Himself by covenant to always fulfill what His Word says. Therefore, His Word is our only sure foundation in a world of deception, lies and trickery, where not all that glitters is gold.

In every situation, we must abide in the light of God’s Word and never look to the false lights of solutions of the world. God’s Word must have the final authority in our lives.
Our decision must be; whatever God cannot do in my life, let no man do it. Whatever God cannot give me, let no man give it.

Let’s learn to always patiently follow God’s direction so as not to fall to the deceptions of the enemy. God may not be early, but He is never late. He is always right on time. And His time is the best because He makes everything beautiful in His own time.
Indeed, we must make God’s Word our final ‘bus stop’. Let our personal creed always be ‘God says it, I believe it and that settles it’
As we patiently follow the light of God’s Word, certainly, we will avoid shipwrecks in life because His Word will be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the grace to always follow only what Your Word says. Through faith in Your Word, I know indeed that I will always triumph at all times in Jesus Name. ….

Quote
When we fight by God’s help we are sure of victory. WORDBITE 222.