HORM Devotional

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 Matthew 6:1-18; Exodus 33:1-34:35; Proverbs 15

Reverend John G. Paton was a missionary used greatly by God to spread the Gospel in the New Hebrides Islands of the South Pacific in the 19th century.
Born to Christian parents in Scotland, as a young man he spent a great deal of his time in serving God through preaching and distributing tracts, while he prepared himself to be used by God in a greater dimension.
When he finally sensed God calling him to serve as a missionary in the New Hebrides, he spent time praying about it until he was fully convinced.
Eventually he and his wife embarked on the journey to New Hebrides Islands to begin their missionary work. However, working among the hostile cannibal tribes in the region was not easy, but through all the trials, John Paton maintained an unshakeable faith in God, knowing that God who had sent him on the assignment was with him. This assurance of God’s Presence made him to enjoy unusual protection as he worked among the heathen tribe.
One night these hostile natives surrounded his mission house intent on burning it down and killing them. John Paton and his wife prayed continually during that fearful night trusting God for His deliverance. When daylight came they were amazed to see the attackers had inexplicably left.
A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ, and Paton, remembering what had happened, asked the chief what had kept him and his men from burning down the house and killing them that night.
The chief replied in surprise, asking Reverend Paton if he hadn’t seen the hundreds of big men in shinning garments, standing guard with drawn swords in their hands. He said this was what had made them afraid to attack. Rev. Paton then realize that God had sent His angels to protect them that night.
Through many other challenges that he faced, God helped Reverend Paton to overcome them all and he eventually succeeded in his mission to bring many of the natives to Christ.

Indeed Reverend Paton succeeded due to a strong faith in God and assurance of His Presence. This awareness of God’s Presence has been the secret of the great men who have done exploits in God’s kingdom.
In Exodus 33;15 Moses refused to go on with his journey, except God’s Presence went with him. And due to God’s Presence that surrounded them on the journey, Psalm 114 records that when Israel left Egypt, the red sea saw them and fled, the mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs..
Indeed when we carry God’s Presence, evil will see us and flee, because evil can never stand where God abides. God’s Presence is an unbeatable asset in the journey of life. When you are surrounded by God’s Presence, though you may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil, because God is with you. Wherever you go, He will give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways.

Let us therefore always take the time to prepare spiritually and ensure God’s Presence is with us. Indeed we must be first established in God, before we can begin to manifest outwardly in our calling as sons of God on the earth.
Our seasons of spiritual preparation will involve times of separation spent in prayer, praise, fasting and studying The Word. When we eventually succeed in carrying God’s Presence, it will change our walk and embolden our talk. It will grant us angelic assistance and divine protection from every enemy.
Psalm 9:3 says ‘When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.’
Indeed God’s Presence will always make the difference in our lives. And one of the key ways of maintaining God’s Presence is through praise. God inhabits the praises of His people and as we continually engage His Presence through High praises, we can be assured of unending victory in all our endeavors..

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to pay the price of spiritual preparation to enable me carry Your Presence. Please grant me the grace to live a life that pleases You so that Your Presence can always make the difference in my life in Jesus Name.

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

Psalm 66:3 ‘Say unto God, How terrible art Thou in Thy works! Through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies submit themselves unto Thee’.

DAILY READING; • Matthew 5:21-48; Exodus 30-32; Proverbs 14

John C. Wengatz was a pioneer missionary to Africa for 42 years, serving in Liberia, Angola, and the Congo during the early 1900’s.
In his book, ‘Miracles in Black’, Dr. Wengatz tells of an African convert, Joao Mbaxi who was appointed to head a new mission station in a hostile town.
When Joao began preaching the Gospel in this region, for many months the rains refused to fall, leaving the people in a lot of hunger and suffering.
The rulers of the town then began to blame Joao for the woe that had befallen them saying it was because of “the white man’s God” Joao was preaching. As a result they asked Joao to leave the town. However Joao courageously refused to go. Their chief then challenged Joao, saying that if his God was as powerful as he claimed then He should send them rain, he told Joao that if it didn’t rain by sunrise of the next day, Joao would be killed.
Though it was a frightful challenge, Joao recalled the biblical account of Elijah. He then went into his hut and prayed through the night asking for God’s divine intervention. As the dawn approached the Chief got ready to give the order for Joao to be killed.
However, just before daylight, thunder was heard in the distance and lightning began to flash across the sky. In a short while rain began to fall in abundance upon the ground. The people were indeed astonished at the mighty power of the God Joao served. As a result, his life was spared, many of the people believed and the work of God greatly flourished in that region.

Psalm 66:3 says ‘Say unto God, How terrible art Thou in Thy works! Through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies submit themselves unto Thee’.

Indeed through the greatness of God’s power we are to subdue the challenges of the enemy. Through the application of superior might, we can conquer the things that confront us.
Through the manifestation of God’s power, we will dominate our environment and truly rule in the midst of our enemies.
The truth is that we need power in this wicked world to stay alive and to stay victorious.
The kingdom of God is not in words but in power. And especially in the perilous times that we live in today, we cannot afford to be spiritual weaklings.
Power is a non-negotiable requirement for every believer in these end-times. This is because the only language the enemy understands is the language of power, he does not respect title or wealth, but only power! It is through the greatness of God’s power that the enemy submits and bows.
Therefore we must take the responsibility to live spiritually empowered. This we do through diligent study of the Scriptures, having times that we fast, pray, and minister to God in worship.
Indeed as believers in this era, power is an absolute necessity. The Gospel we preach should not be in the enticing words of men’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power. Therefore let us determine to seek God until we experience His power fully at work in our lives.
Through the manifestation of God’s power we will silence every opposition and truly dominate as the sons of God on the earth.

PRAYER: Father, please grant me the grace to pay the required price to manifest Your power in my life. May I not miss my place in Your end time move upon the earth in Jesus’ Name.
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When we fight by God’s help, we are sure of victory. WORDBITE 222

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

DAILY READING; • Matthew 5:1-20; Exodus 28:1-29:46; Proverbs 13

During World War 2, enemy pilots captured by the Germans were locked up in a prison called Stalag Luft III. This formidable prison held thousands of airmen from Britain, America, Canada, Australia, France and other Allied nations Stalag Luft III was built to be a most secure and inescapable fortress and the Nazis took every possible measure to ensure no prisoner ever escaped. However in 1943, about 600 of these captured airmen, desperate for freedom, embarked on what seemed an impossible mission. They began to build an underground tunnel which would run beneath the prison’s walls and lead them to the outside world. Having no tools, they converted 1,219 knives, 478 spoons, 582 forks and 1,400 powdered milk cans into digging instruments. 4,000 wooden boards taken from their beds were used to build ladders and 1,700 blankets, were placed against the walls of the tunnel to muffle sounds. These men desperate for freedom, worked in secrecy and in very difficult conditions. However, after a year of construction, the tunnel was final completed in March 1944. On March 24th, some of these imprisoned airforce men escaped from the prison the Nazis had said was impregnable and regained their freedom. Their story has become known in history as ‘the great escape’. It has been captured in books and replayed in the 1963 blockbuster movie ‘The great escape’.

Isaiah 61:1 says that Jesus came to ‘proclaim liberty to the captives, and open the prison to them that are bound..’

Indeed Jesus has come to set the captives free. However, it is those who are determined and desperate enough to press in, that will experience the fullness of this freedom.

Today, in the world, people are being held in all manner of spiritual imprisonment. Some people are trapped in health conditions, which doctors have termed medically incurable. Some are bound in financial limitations that seem to defy every effort or hard work. Yet some others are in bondage in the area of marriage, relationships, childbearing, family issues etc.
However, no matter the depth of any captivity or bondage, God has provided a way of escape through the Blood of Jesus. When Jesus died on Calvary He descended into the dungeon of death to set every captive free.

According to Mathew 27 after His death, the earth quaked, the rocks rent, the graves were opened, and the saints who had been buried came out of the graves! Indeed through His death, Jesus paved the way of escape from every grave, pit, captivity or imprisonment. So whatever prison may be holding you today, whether the prison of financial debts, poverty, sickness or disease etc, understand that through the Blood there is deliverance for you.

However, to see God’s promise of freedom fully manifest in our lives there is a demand for spiritual violence. There must be a determination and forcefulness to press ahead in diligent study of God’s Word, fasting, praying and praise; until you gain your freedom. Indeed the Anointing that breaks every yoke of captivity is reserved for those who are determined to seek God until they find Him.

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

Surely when we seek God with all our heart, and find Him, He will destroy every captivity, break every yoke and usher us into the freedom of a beautiful and glorious destiny.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank you for the power that is in the Blood of Jesus. Indeed by Your grace, I have escaped from every prison, bondage and captivity of the enemy in every area of 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

Psalm 91: 9-10 ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.’

DAILY READING Matthew 4; Exodus 25-27; Proverbs 12

American’s first president, George Washington was born to Christian parents on February 22, 1732. Though his father died when he was only 11 years old, his mother worked hard to raise him as a committed Christian. With her guidance, Washington made prayer and study of the Scriptures, a daily habit and a life-long practice.
Even while serving in the military, he would get up at 4 am each morning to pray and study the Bible. As a result of this diligent prayer life, he enjoyed unusual divine protection.
During the French and Indian War, young Washington was appointed as a colonel. Though his mother was worried and tried to discourage him from going to this battle, he assured her that God’s protection was around him.
And indeed God divinely protected him. During a particular battle on July 9, 1755, Washington and his men were completely outnumbered and outmaneuvered by the French and Indian warriors. Within two hours, 1,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded. While soldiers were falling all around him, Washington remained unharmed. Even when excellent sharpshooters from the Indian warriors fired severally at Washington, none could hit him. Two horses were shot dead from underneath him, and yet Washington was unharmed. The Indians finally stopped shooting at him, recognizing that there was a higher power protecting him.
After the battle, later that night, as Washington took off his coat, he discovered that 4 bullet holes had passed through his jacket but left no marks on his skin. They literally stopped before touching his body! He was indeed amazed at God’s divine protection over him.
And in the years that followed, George Washington, would fight in many more battles but was never injured in any of them as God’s protection remained strong around him. He went on to serve as the commander in chief of the Continental Army and eventually became the first President of the United States of America.

Psalm 91: 9-10 says ‘Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.’

According to this Psalm, King David understood the secret of divine protection through maintaining God’s Presence, this was why despite all the bloody battles he fought, he was never wounded.
The issue of protection is especially crucial in our world today. Recently in the News there has been increasing agitations in some Nations over their security systems. Citizens of these Nations have been expressing fear and loss of trust in their security forces.
However, as believers we have to understand that our trust is not in our Nation’s security system because we belong to another kingdom. We don’t have any cause to worry because God’s Presence is our place of guaranteed protection. Indeed when we make the Lord our refuge, though a thousand may fall by our side and ten thousand at our right hand, yet it will not come near us.

Despite the arrows of the wicked that fly by day and by night, the Name of the Lord remains our strong tower where we continually run into and are safe. While some may trust in chariots and some in horses, our trust is in the Name of The Lord who made Heaven and earth. Indeed no matter what goes on in these perilous times, let us always be assured that God is able to keep and cover our heads in the day of battle. He has given His angels definite charge over us to keep us in all our ways.

Let us therefore always secure God’s Presence around us through a lifestyle of diligent study of the Word, fervent prayers and praise. We must also ensure we always make the right confessions, because it is our confession that determines our possessions in protection. Therefore don’t say what the world says, but rather say only what the WORD says.
Surely as we fill our hearts with God’s Word and continually confess it with our mouth, the Lord will remain our refuge and strength, and our ever present help in the time of need.

PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to always maintain Your Presence around me in these perilous times. I thank You Lord, for Your constant protection over me and my household at all times in Jesus Name. .

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When you obey God’s instruction you are delivered from destruction. WORDBITE 222

Ezekiel 37:7 ‘So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.’

DAILY READING Matthew 3; Exodus 24; Proverbs 11

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke was principally known for his Great Gospel Crusades throughout Africa.
However, before his worldwide ministry began, he overcame a great setback. In 1984, he had acquired the world’s biggest revival tent, which cost more than $3 million and seated 34,000 people.
During the dedication of this tent on February 18 1984, thousands of souls came to Christ. And in two months of using the tent throughout the nations of southern Africa, thousands more were saved, delivered and healed.
This good news however made many witch doctors in the region to be unhappy. In the early hours of Sunday, May 6, 1984, a freak wind suddenly ripped the tent apart and shredded it to fabrics. As witch doctors openly claimed that they had destroyed the tent, Reinhard Bonnke was undeterred. As he sought God’s direction on what to do, a comforting Word of prophesy came, saying “My glory shall be a canopy that covers the people and the praises of my people shall be the pillars.”
From this prophesy, Bonnke realized he didn’t need a tent, rather God’s glory was the canopy he needed. And so he made the decision to hold the next crusade in the open air.
Taking their place as the prophesied “pillars,” thousands of Christians began to pray, praise and intercede for a fair weather. As if to worsen matters, the week before the crusade, a winter storm struck the region, uprooting trees and destroying homes. But miraculously, the rains stopped just before the opening service of the crusade on Saturday, May 19 1984. Afterwards the sun shone throughout the days of the crusade. This crusade became the greatest revival that ever took place in the history of Cape Town till then. Over 70,000 attended, more than 29,000 made decisions for Christ and thousands were healed through amazing miracles.
Bonnke would later say, ” Had the tent remained intact, it would have been too small to accommodate all those people.”
From then on, Bonnke’s crusade would expand to hundreds of thousands of people throughout Africa which no tent could contain, rather the canopy over them was indeed the glory of the Lord.

Sometimes what the enemy sends to scatter you, ultimately ends up, serving God’s perfect plan for you.
In our personal lives and in our nations, there are times it may seem as if an evil wind from the enemy has come to rip things apart. But rather than relent, that is when to go into intense prayers, clamorous praise and intercession. Often what may initially appear like chaos and turbulence, will end up leading to our change of level, greater growth and increase.

In Ezekiel 37, before the mighty army arose in the valley of dry bones there was a shaking and rumbling. The rumblings may have sounded like scattering and destructions, but in reality, a miraculous formation was taking place. In the turbulence, bone came to bone, and things began to take shape until a mighty army arose.

In acts 8, the enemy thought he was scattering the Christians when he used Saul to launch an intense persecution against the Church. But when the disciples fled Jerusalem to escape persecution, they ended up proclaiming the gospel everywhere they went. This caused the church to grow mightily, achieving the very opposite of what the enemy planned.
Indeed whatever the enemy meant for evil in our lives and in our nation, God will turn it all around for our good. Never forget that tests precede testimonies and trials precede triumphs.
Therefore, if it seems as if you are going through a season of trouble, realize that it’s only temporary, because through the help of God, you are surely bouncing right back again. You may get knocked down, but not knocked out. You may be bent over, but it’s not over because you will rise again.
Indeed in this season, as we hold on to God’s Word and remain strong in faith, we can trust Him to turn around every contrary situation for us. No matter how dry or hopeless things may seem, God will certainly cause every dry bone to come alive again. [Ezekiel 37:7]
As we continually praise and bless Him, surely He will turn every mourning into dancing for us and give us beauty in the place of ashes.

PRAYER: Lord please help me to always see You at work in my life no matter what things may look like. Thank You Lord that even right now, You are working out everything together for my good in Jesus Name. .

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When you apply The Word of God, it will work for you, anywhere and anytime- WORDBITE 222.

2 Timothy 1:7 ‘for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind’..

DAILY READING – Matthew 2; Exodus 22:1-23:33; Proverbs 10

In 1789, a general panic which has come to be known as the ‘great fear’ swept through the French countryside. It was based on a false rumor that the aristocrats, the ruling class, planned to use soldiers to plunder their villages and fields. Without bothering to find out the truth, the villages became filled with mass hysteria. Strangers, even animal herds, were often mistaken for this band of invading soldiers. People lived their lives in fear, tormented by the thought of soldiers about to invade them. To protect themselves, villagers formed armed militias, but this only exacerbated the problem, as the militias themselves were often again mistaken to be the invading soldiers by neighboring villages, when they happened to patrol nearby. Some militias further added to the chaos by attacking and burning down houses and fields owned by the ruling class. Confusion and fear reigned for weeks until word eventually filtered in that it was all a false rumor. It was indeed amazing how fear disorganized this people, negatively affecting their lifestyles and brought chaos to their nation.

2 Timothy 1:7 says ‘for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind’.

Today in the world, we are in a time where one can easily become afraid because of the news and rumors that fly about. However, no matter what you hear, you must be careful never to give room to fear because fear makes a victim of men.
Fear is indeed a sinker. Even as a believer and follower of Jesus, if you give into fear, you may begin to sink.
Peter was following Jesus and walking on the water in Mathew 14, but when he saw the boisterous wind, he became afraid and as a result he immediately began to sink.
When Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him, He said to Peter ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’[Matt. 14:31]

Job also was another victim of fear. Despite his testimony of being a righteous man, and God putting a hedge around him, yet he became a victim of satan’s attack through fear.
He said in Job 3:25 ‘For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.’

Indeed fear grants the enemy access to a person’s life, and people often become victims of what they fear.
However Faith is the spiritual antidote for fear. Where fear is, faith cannot be found and where faith is, fear cannot be found. In some versions of the Bible, “FEAR NOT” is written 365 times, as an encouragement to us for each day of the year.
Every time you notice fear, it is an indication that faith is absent. And what you need to do is sit down and diligently study God’s Word until faith fills your heart. Having adequate knowledge of God’s Word is the cure for fear.

Daniel 11:32 says ‘..but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.’

When you know God, you will be strong in heart and mind. As a covenant child of God, your case will always be different. The things that happens to the world is not permitted to happen to you, because God has given His Angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways.

Psalm 34:7 – The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

Therefore despite the fearful news that may be flying around in the world today, let us always chose faith over fear. Let us fill our hearts with God’s Word so that we can always walk by faith and not by sight.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You for the hedge of protection around me and my family. Please enable me to meditate constantly on your Word so that my heart can be filled with faith and not with fear, so that I can be strong and do exploits in these end-times in Jesus Name. .
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Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- – WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 77:14 ‘Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.’

DAILY READING – • Matthew 1; Exodus 20:1-21:36; Proverbs 9

Creation is full of the wonders of God. There are wonders in nature that even science finds hard to explain. For instance it is amazing to realize that salt which is necessary to life is composed of two poisonous substances, sodium and chlorine. Either of these substances, if taken individually could kill a person. And yet when mixed together and ingested as salt it aids life.
Water is another wonder. Its chemical formula is H2O. That means it has two parts of hydrogen for each part oxygen. Oxygen is flammable; hydrogen readily burns. Unite hydrogen and oxygen into water and you put out fires with it! That’s hard to explain.
Another wonder is the alnico magnet. It is the strongest magnet in the world, and yet it is composed of three nonmagnetic substances—aluminum, nickel and cobalt. Indeed many such wonders abound in creation.
The greatest wonder of all is the amazing love of God. It is indeed hard to explain how God can take a hell-bound hopeless sinner and transform him into a heaven-bound saint and a son of the living God!

1 John 3:1 ‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…’

Through His amazing love and grace, God has redeemed and transformed us to become wonders to our world. We are His workmanship and vessels of mercy through which His glory will be revealed upon the earth.
At a time of gross darkness in the world, it is God’s plan for us to arise and shine as lights in the world. God’s end-time agenda is for His glory to be seen upon us so that all the gentiles will be drawn to the brightness of our rising. At a time when the world structures are shaking and systems are collapsing, it is God’s desire to lift us up as solution providers and wonders to our world.
Joseph, Daniel, Esther all became wonders to their world at a time of crisis in their nations. And amid the crisis of this end-time, God is set to display His manifold wisdom through the Church. Therefore let us get ready, it is our time to shine.
However, our shinning and manifestation as sons of God will be a direct function of the dominance of God’s Word in our lives. This is why we must continually keep our focus on God’s Word.
We are God’s battle axe and weapons of war, with which He will exhibit His signs and wonders upon the earth.
Let us therefore prepare to be usable vessels, through spiritual growth, maturity and discipline. Certainly as we rightly position ourselves through diligent study of God’s Word, fervent prayers and continual praise to God, He will do such amazing and mighty things through us that will establish us as wonders to our world.

PRAYER; Lord, thank You for causing my light to shine even in this time of gross darkness in the world. Please let Your manifold wisdom manifest through me to bring solutions to the world around me in Jesus Name.
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Faith is more than just believing, it is acting upon The Word that you believe. WORDBITE 222

Philippians 3:13-14 ‘..but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’

DAILY READING – Hebrews 13; Exodus 18:1-19:25; Proverbs 8

Emmitt Smith is one of America’s greatest football players. Among his outstanding achievements was leading the Dallas Cowboys to win three Super Bowl championships.
However Emmitt’s rise to fame was as a result of his choice to elevate God’s Word, above the many odds stacked against him.
Emmitt became a Christian at an early age. As a boy, he dreamed of playing in the National Football League, but throughout his high school, he was told that he didn’t have the size or the speed to play in college football, talk less of making it to the National Football League.
However, instead of becoming deterred or discouraged by the criticisms, Emmitt rather used it as fuel and motivation to press forward, believing his destiny was only in God’s hands.
In 1987, despite the obstacles, Emmitt earned a scholarship to the University of Florida. Before he left home his grandmother gave him the Bible verse in Proverbs 3:5, which said “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding..’
Holding on to this Scripture helped Emmitt to overcome the many challenges that lay ahead. With great faith in God, Emmitt went on to eventually become a celebrated player, breaking a number of football records in the process. He was able to finally silence his critics by going on to become the National Football League’s all-time leading rusher.
Today, Emmitt Smith continually thanks and praises God for his amazing success despite the odds against him. In a recent press conference he said “I owe Jesus everything I have and everything I am and every fiber of my being belongs to Him,” Smith said

Despite the oppositions Emmitt faced, he pressed forward with God’s help until he attained his goal.
Truly, God has great destinies for each of us, but we must pay the price of persistence and resilience, if we are to see the manifestations.
Responsibility is said to be the mother of greatness and responsibility is also a distinguishing attribute of the sons of God.
Those who are spiritual mature will always maintain steadfast faith in God’s Word, despite contrary circumstances.
Indeed when our heart is strong in God, no matter the challenges that may come our way, through Christ Jesus we will always overcome.
This is why setbacks or criticisms should never deter or stop your progress in life. Even in situations that does not seem to make sense, you must keep trusting in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
As you keep pressing forward, it is only a matter of time before you see how each setback eventually plays into God’s master plan for your life.

Therefore whatever you may be confronted with today, be assured that through God, you can overcome. Remember that every time of challenge, is only a phase of life. It too shall pass. Every problem, they say, has an expiry date. Life is in times and seasons. Therefore do not let temporary hurdles stop your long distance race. Keep your focus on God’s Word and keep pressing forward by His grace to His high calling in your life.

Philippians 3:13-14 says ‘..but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’

Certainly, the faithful God who called you will also perfect all that concerns you. Therefore in every situation, rather than fret or worry, 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. And as you keep pressing forward, it is only a matter of time before you see the full manifestation of God’s promises in your life.

PRAYER: Father please enable me to keep pressing forward despite any challenge I may face. I thank You Lord for indeed doing exceedingly abundantly above all I could ever ask or imagine in Jesus Name.
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When you obey God’s instruction, you are delivered from destruction.
WORDBITE 222.

Deuteronomy 31:6 ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee’

DAILY READING; • Hebrews 12; Exodus 16:1-17:16; Proverbs 7:6-27

One of the subtle but yet very powerful aspects of military warfare is psychological manipulation. Especially during World War II, this psychological warfare was heavily employed by each warring nation to target the emotion and sentiment of enemy soldiers.
The objective was to infiltrate the minds of these soldiers and so demoralize them that they would consequently become too discouraged to continue fighting.
One of the methods used to spread this negative propaganda was a kind of bomb called the leaflet bombs. These leaflets, written in a way to inflict doubts and fear into the minds of the readers were often dropped by bomber planes over the enemy population. Some of the leaflets were filled with messages specifically targeted at the fighting soldiers to cause them to lose their motivation and enthusiasm.
For example, some leaflets depicted scenes of marital infidelity, a theme that no doubt touched on the insecurity of some of the soldiers, who were far away from their wives and homes. Also warning leaflets of impending destructive attacks were dropped on these soldiers to create fear in their hearts.
The intended effect of the psychological warfare was to demoralize troops, intimidate them and instill fear in their hearts so that they would surrender their fight and abandon their objective.

Spiritually the enemy applies the same tactic today in the attempt to demoralize believers. Through words of fear and discouragement, the enemy often attacks the minds of believers to get them to stop their work and abandon the promise from God.

When Nehemiah received a mandate from God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he and the Jews began this work with excitement and zeal and the people worked with all their heart.
However, soon after, the enemy began to bring negative propaganda of impending attacks which made the people so afraid and discouraged that they abandoned the work, saying “We cannot rebuild the wall.”
However Nehemiah encouraged the people to keep their gaze on God, and not on the fearful propaganda of their enemies. He told them `Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.’” (Nehemiah 4:14)
As a result of putting their focus on God, the same people who had earlier cried “we cannot rebuild the wall” completed the work in 52 days.

Just like Nehemiah, God has called many of us to build and accomplish great things this year. However, it seems that we have had to continually contend with negative news and propaganda, either of pandemic, economic hardship or social unrest. Through these negative happenings, the enemy has been trying to instill fear and discouragement into many people’s hearts, to get them to abandon God’s promises for this year.
However, no matter what happens, we have to keep our gaze on the infallibility of God’s Word. Let us mind what is written and not what is happening. God knew about the storms before He asked us to cross over to the other side to see His revival and glory this year.
Therefore, in every situation let us keep our focus on the promise and not on the problem. What God has promised to do in our lives this year, will surely come to pass. Nothing will stop the manifestations of His glory, as long as we stay in faith. Indeed the Lord in our midst is greater and mightier than every noise and turbulence of the enemy.

Let us therefore continually keep our focus on God, through the study of His Word, prayers and praise. Indeed as we remain full of faith giving glory to God, our hearts will indeed be strong and our hands will be strengthened to accomplish what God has willed and planned for us this year.

PRAYER; Lord, I thank You that what You have promised to do in my life this year will surely find full expression in this season. No matter what may be going on in the world, surely, I shall still see the manifestation of Your glory in my life in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
God’s promises in Christ in your life may appear delayed, but never forget that delays are not denials. WORDBITE 222

Zechariah 9:11 ‘As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

DAILY READING; • Hebrews 11:23-40; Exodus 15; Proverbs 6:1-7:5

In June 2016, the British Broadcasting Corporation[BBC], featured the story of Sara Davidson who was a Jewish hostage on Air France flight 139 which was hijacked by terrorists on 27 June 1976.
On that day Sarah, her husband and two sons had boarded a plane in Israel, to travel overseas for a holiday. However the dream of a holiday soon turned to a nightmare when suddenly the plane was hijacked in midair.
The armed hijackers flew the 250 terrified passengers and 12 crew to Entebbe in Uganda, where they were held hostage in the airport.
These terrorists then placed demands on the Israeli government, threatening to kill the Jewish passengers if their demands were not met. But the Israeli government had a policy of not negotiating with terrorists and so didn’t respond favorably. Rather what they did was to begin planning what would become one of the most daring rescue operations in history.

On the seventh night of the captivity, the Jews were roused by the sudden sound of gunshots everywhere. Believing the terrorists were coming to kill them, the Jews prepared for the worst. When an armed soldier, dressed like one of the terrorists burst into the airport lounge, Sarah Davidson, thinking they were about to be shot, used her body to shield her son. But to their greatest amazement the soldier said calmly in the Hebrew language: ‘Listen guys, we’ve come to take you home.’
Sarah couldn’t believe her ears! It turned out that the camouflaged soldier was part of the Israeli commandos who had successfully invaded Uganda to rescue them.
Recounting that moment to the BBC, Sara Davidson said “I didn’t believe what I was seeing, even now I can’t describe it – seeing the soldier, it was as if an angel had come down from the sky.”

These Israeli commandoes had flown for almost nine hours over 4,000km, through hostile territory and beneath the scope of enemy radar, to mount the surprise raid at Entebbe.
In under one hour they had completed what is now known as ‘operation thunderbolt’. They put the rescued passengers and crew into a waiting Hercules transporter plane and immediately flew them safely back home to Israel.

These Jewish captives experienced a miraculous rescue just when they least expected it. At the midnight hour of their ordeal, when all hope seemed lost, God suddenly showed up for their divine deliverance.

In the same way spiritually, when we were without hope in the world, Christ came and rescued us from the captivity of the enemy. Jesus came and shed His Blood at the cross to give us a new hope of eternal life.
Through the price He paid at Calvary we have been rescued from every oppression and delivered from every waterless pit.

Zechariah 9:11 says ‘As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.

Indeed through the Blood of Jesus, we are assured of divine rescue from every tight situation of life. Even in cases that may look hopeless, as we invoke the Blood, God will arise to scatter every enemy and break every chain of captivity around us.

Today, no matter what may be happening in the world, as a covenant child of God, always be assured that there is divine rescue for you. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.
As you keep pleading the Blood of Jesus around you and your household, a ‘touch not seal’ comes upon you. This mark of exemption ensures that no weapon formed against you shall ever prosper.
Indeed in these perilous times, we must begin to make much of the Blood. God has paid the ultimate price for our divine rescue and we must begin to utilize this power that has been made available to us.

Our security in these end-times is in the continual invocation of the Blood of Jesus. Through the Blood, the rod of the wicked can never rest upon our lot.
Through the power in the Blood, affliction cannot arise a second time in our lives. Because Christ has set us free, we are truly free indeed.

PRAYER: Father, I thank You for divinely preserving me and my family in these end-times through the Blood of Jesus. Thank You precious Lord for bringing to an utter end every oppression and captivity in my life in Jesus name. .
Quote
It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 201.