HORM Devotional

Romans 8:28: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.’

DAILY READING: – Matthew 16; Numbers 1-2; Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

On August 30, 2017, the Washington Post carried a story of how a wrong turn taken by a firefighter turned into a miracle. A firefighter named William Gressen, was on his way to work, when he mistakenly took a wrong turn. However, while on the wrong road, he drove past a mysterious beam of light piercing the dark woods along the Highway.

At first, he thought it was illumination from a construction site, but something about it still didn’t feel quite right. He turned around, pulled over and hiked down to an embankment through brush and downed trees. About 125 feet down, he discovered the light source: a gold Hyundai Elantra had rolled down from the road, trapping a woman inside. Blood was running down her face. Her head was wedged between the headrest and the door, and a seat belt was wrapped around her neck, choking her. He plunged his hand through a broken window and freed the choking woman. Later on, medical officials said she might have died had he not been there in the nick of time to help her.  The wrong turn this firefighter took on his way to work, was what led to the miracle that saved the woman’s life.

Possibly, at the moment he took the wrong turn, the firefighter might have lamented his mistake, but what he did not know was that God was orchestrating his steps to save a life. Indeed God turned his mistake into a miracle.

In the journey of life, we may sometimes take wrong turns. However, regardless of the detour, God knows how to turn it all around for our good when we trust in Him. As long as we are sincere in our heart, He knows how to turn what may look like mistakes into miracles for us.

Romans 8:28 speaks of God’s ability to turn situations around.  It says, ‘And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.’

 “All things” includes your failures and your mistakes. We have all made mistakes at one time or the other; no one is immune. However, when we seek God’s help and align to His will, He will turn things around for our good.

Deuteronomy 23:5 says, ‘The LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing.’

The word “turned” in this verse is the same word we find in Exodus 7:14-15, where the Lord tells Moses to confront Pharaoh with the rod which was turned into a serpent.

Indeed, what was meant to kill you can be turned around by God to become a life-giver. Sickness can be turned to health; poverty can be turned to prosperity; stress can be turned to strength. God can transform the impossible into the possible. He can turn a curse into a blessing. He will make miracles out of your mistakes. He will turn your mess into a message, and He will cause your scars to become your stars.

Where you may have recorded losses, God is about to turn them into profits. What was a disadvantage, God can turn into an advantage, and this will happen when we are sincerely seeking Him with our whole heart. Indeed, when we love God, all things work together for our good. Deuteronomy 23:5 tells us why. It says, ‘The Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.’

God truly loves you, He cares for you, and that’s why He will turn things around for you. You may have made mistakes, but God is at work to turn your stumbling blocks into stepping stones. There is no situation God cannot turn around. There is no night so dark His light cannot penetrate. You may not know what to do, but God knows what to do. Just turn over the situation to Him in prayer. God knows the end from the beginning. He knows how to fix our lives. He is the potter that knows how to put us back together even when we are broken.

You may not immediately see how things will work out right now, but just trust God. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you could ever ask or imagine. He has it all figured out. No matter what happens, God has it all under control. He has a plan and a purpose. And as long as we remain sincere in following Him, He will indeed cause everything to work out together for our good.

PRAYER: Lord, I thank You because I know indeed that everything is working out together for my good. Thank You Lord for giving me a positive change of story. Indeed, By Your grace, I am moving from glory to glory in Jesus’ name.

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

Proverbs 3:5-6 ” Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths..”.”

DAILY READING – – Matthew 15:21-39; Leviticus 26-27; Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26

The American Tobacco Company, was once one of America’s greatest industrial conglomerate. It was founded by baron James Duke, after whom  the Duke University in North Carolina, was named. On November 22, 1912, an only child, Doris, was born to James Duke. The newspapers christened her “the richest little girl in the world.” Her father dotted on her and gave her the best he could.

However, when Doris was only 12 years old, her father James Duke suddenly died, leaving the bulk of his great fortune to his daughter. On his deathbed, James had cautioned her to “trust no one”. Her father’s last words indeed made Doris to trust no one, not even her own mother. When she was only 14 years old, she sued her mother to stop her from selling family assets.

The book  ‘Trust No One’ tells the story of Doris Duke who  lived the life of a recluse for the first 50 years of her life, not trusting anyone. Eventually in her later years, she made efforts to trust her Butler, who had come to her household as a poor Irishman. As he gained her confidence, he convinced her that everyone around her was conspiring against her. This made her to eventually cut off from even close relationships. Few years later, she died at her Beverly Hills mansion, without family or friends; her billion-dollar legacy left in the sole control of her butler. After her death, the butler came under suspicion of having murdered her for her wealth. Doris Duke’s lawyers sued him. After a California court deemed him unfit to handle the wealth estimated at $1.2 billion, he was forced to relinquish the wealth willed to him by Doris Duke. The sad story of Doris Duke reflects the result of misplaced trust.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says  ” Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths..”

We are to trust in The Lord with all our heart and not to lean on our own understanding or perceptions. No one can know the intents of the heart except The Lord.

Jeremiah 17:9 says ‘the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?’

Limited by our five physical senses, we are often prone to errors and mistakes in our assessment and judgment of people and situations. But when we trust God to lead the way, He guides us in the way that we should go.

James Duke advice to his daughter to ‘trust no one’ ended up negatively affecting her. We cannot go through life fearful of people, with hands held across our hearts.  Unfair things happen, and people let us down but then that does not mean that there are not good people too. We do not let pain define us, rather we let it refine us. In a culture of misplaced trusts, broken promises, and damaged lives, only Jesus is unshakable, unchangeable, unbreakable, and worthy of all our trust.

When we trust God He can make  even our enemies to be at peace with us. God knows how to turn around what was meant for evil  and use it for our glory. Joseph survived the evil plot of his brothers because he trusted in God. David survived the evil plots of his father-in-law, Saul, because he trusted in God. Not everyone will be happy with your progress and not everyone will wish you well. But when  we place our trust in The Lord, He guides us away from the evil intents of men’s hearts.

Psalm 125:1 says ‘Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.’

Trusting God means  we are absolutely dependent on Him regardless of the situation. Trusting God means we will declare His faithfulness regardless of any circumstance. As we trust in God, He will surely cause us to triumph in every trouble.

And we can only trust God when we know Him through His Word. The more we know God through intimate fellowship, the more we will trust Him to take care of all that concerns us.

PRAYER; “Father, today I choose to lean on You and trust You with all my heart. I won’t put my confidence in what I see, but I will trust in Your Word which remains true forever in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

QUOTE

It is only when you can see God in the light of who He truly is that you can begin to walk in the overflow of His blessings. – WORDBITE 222

1 Samuel 14:6  ‘For there is no restraint to The Lord to save by many or by few.’

DAILY READING Matthew 15:1-20; Leviticus 24-25; Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Amazing testimonies in Israel have continually proven that God is the defender of His people. During the Yom Kippur War in 1973 one of the remarkable stories is about what happened when an Israeli tank commander found himself and his men in the middle of a mine field. The Israeli officer, Commander David Yinni was in the process of pulling his troops out of a confrontation with the Syrian army when he realized that they were trapped in a minefield. Knowing it would take a miracle for them to make it out alive, the troops began crawling on their bellies while using their bayonets to try and find the mines without setting them off. At some point, one of the soldiers uttered a heartfelt prayer. As the story goes, all of a sudden a windstorm blew in. The soldiers hunkered down until the storm subsided, and when it did, it had blown away so much of the dirt that the mines were exposed and the entire platoon managed to escape unharmed

These men knew without doubt  that God in His mercy had intervened to deliver them from possible death. What they had just witnessed beat their imagination, it was an option they never foresaw, or even thought could be possible.  Yet again God had proven Himself faithful in the defense of His people.

Often times when we find ourselves facing challenges, we tend to limit God in the way He can deliver us. In considering the available human alternatives we oftentimes rule out the divine option.

God however, is not limited to save by few or many. He can use options we never even considered. He can suddenly turn around what the enemy meant for evil to be for our good. This is why when you have prayed all you can, and done all you can do, you just stand. Stand? Yes, stand and see the salvation of The Lord with you.

At the red sea, when the children of Israel were out of options and had their back against the wall, God told them to stand and see His salvation. He parted the red sea, which was an option they never even considered.

Don’t limit God’s means and ways of deliverance. Even when it seems you have been thrown into the fire, still know that with God nothing shall be impossible. Keep declaring in faith, keep proclaiming that your God is able. Faith moves God. The faith of the three Hebrew boys was a clarion call in Heaven that made God to come down as the fourth man in the fire. Faith honors God and God honors faith.

Each time the enemy tries to get you into a fix, when he thinks he has locked all doors of escape, remember there is a God in Heaven that rules in the affairs of men. The Bible says that He sits in Heaven and laughs. When there is no way, Jesus says ‘I am the way’, He makes a way where there seems to be no way. Certainly, for Paul and Silas locked up in jail, it seemed as if there was no way out, but God did the incredible, an option they never considered! God caused an earthquake that broke the prison chains. When Peter was locked up in prison to be killed the following day, guarded by soldiers and seemingly no way to escape, an angel came right into the prison and brought him out. God is a God of miracles who can break open prison doors and break you out of any captivity. Nothing can limit God.  He can use anything and anyone to bring deliverance to you.

No matter what the situation may be or the options you think are available to you, do not limit God to your options. If He can rescue the three boys from fire, divide the red sea, shut up the mouth of lions, cause earthquakes and raise the dead, then be assured that He is not at all limited in organizing a rescue for you. What He is asking is for you to keep trusting Him. Faith is the link that keeps you connected to Heaven for a rescue operation, don’t break that link. As long as you can believe God, anything and everything is possible. To him that believes nothing shall be impossible.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to make your Word top priority in my life, so that I can always walk by faith, and not limit you in my thinking, because with You nothing is impossible.

Quote :

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

John 1:5 ‘And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

DAILY READING – -Matthew 14:22-36; Leviticus 22-23; Proverbs 31

The use of fire to keep wild beasts away during the night is a basic survival tip for campers. Many people who have survived nights in dangerous forests were often able to do so by maintaining a campfire all night long. In 2016, this was the case with a woman in Tucson Arizona who got lost in the forests.

On March 31 2016, Ann Rodgers was driving to Phoenix, when she took two wrong turns and ended up on a dirt road in eastern Arizona. When her hybrid car ran out of gas and then the car’s electric power died, she found herself stranded.  Not able to get a signal on her cellphone, she decided to go further up to a higher ground, to search for a signal, but in the process, she ended up losing her direction. And as she walked further  down the road looking for a sign of people, she only ended up wading deeper into the forest. And for nine days she found herself lost and wandering in the wilderness. However, she was able to survive, due to application of basic survival skills she had learned from a survival course. During the days she ate plants and drank pond water, and at night, she kept away the wild beasts by gathering enough wood to keep a campfire burning all night long. Fortunately she had a lighter with her, with which she made the fires. With no rescue in sight, she continually cried out to God for help. And finally on April 9, Rescue helicopters that had been searching for her, were able to find and rescue her.

One of the major reasons for her survival was because she had fire with her, which helped  to keep the night beasts away. Fire usually scares animals off and threatens them to move away.

The same thing applies spiritually. When we are filled with the light of The Word of God, darkness is kept far away from us.

1 John 5;19 tells us that the whole world lies in wickedness. And Psalm 74:20 says the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. Ephesians 6:12 further says ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’

All these scriptures clearly depict the spiritually dark state of the world. The fact is that man is under siege by the hosts of darkness, and the only hope of survival is the light of God’s Word. This is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.  We are living at a very crucial time on earth now and many destinies are under serious contention. This is why as a believer you can no longer afford to live carelessly. We must let the light of God’s Word shine brightly through us so as to keep the evil beasts  away. Anytime light comes in, darkness must bow out, there is no argument between light and darkness. We must go for the Light of The Word if we are to survive the darkness of this world. We also keep our lights burning through fervent prayers, especially when we pray in the Holy Ghost.

James 5:16 lets us know that effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

The baptism of The Holy Spirit is the baptism of fire. The more we pray in the Holy Ghost, the more we become too spiritually hot for any devil to handle. The last days are climatic days. Isaiah 60 tells us that darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness shall cover the people. But also it is the time of the greatest light for the church, as the Glory of The Lord arises upon us. Though it is the time of great spiritual warfare, it is also the time of the greatest release of Power to believers by The Holy Ghost. Indeed His great power is needed to combat the gross darkness. We are in the days of His Power, where we will rule in the midst of our enemies and God will make them our footstool.

Through the manifold wisdom of God we will confound principalities and powers. And we are going to reign through the dominance of light. It is by the light of The Holy Ghost that you can triumph over the works of darkness, it is by His Light that we can see our way forward in a spiritually dark world. This is why we must keep our light  burning through study of God’s Word and fervent prayers in the Holy Ghost. The more we pray, the more our light will shine brightly and the glory of The Lord shall be seen upon us.

PRAYER: Father help me to keep my fire burning. I thank You for granting me the grace to always pray fervently and to study Your Word like never before. Thank You Lord, for I know that Your glory is rising upon me even right now 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.

1 Samuel 2:30: ‘Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.’

DAILY READING: Matthew 14:1-21; Leviticus 20-21; Proverbs 30

Steve Curry is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors. A six-time NBA All-Star, he has been named the NBA Most Valuable Player twice and won three NBA championships with the Warriors. Many players and analysts have called him the greatest shooter in NBA history. He is credited with revolutionizing the game of basketball. Yet Steve Curry credits all of his success to God.

He is not only a Christian, but also quite outspoken about his faith. During his MVP speech he openly declared “People should know who I represent and why I am who I am, and that’s because of my Lord and Savior.”

When playing on the court he often pounds his chest and points up. He said the reason for that is because he has a “heart for God” and also it is a reminder that he plays for God. The NBA superstar grew up going to Church. His parents ensured they instilled Christian values early in their children. His mother would wake the kids up before school to do devotionals as a family, so as “to emphasize putting God first.”

Stephen says his faith gives him strength, and the Word of God is his beacon of light and lighthouse. Curry says that although he takes every opportunity to talk to someone about God and his faith, he puts a larger emphasis on letting his actions speak for him. Part of the action that speaks for him is the Bible verse on the side of the sneakers he wears on the court; Philippians 4:13 which says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It is a verse that gives him strength and a sense of purpose, to remember who he is playing for every time he laces up his sneakers to get on the court. Curry also has written on his wrist, in Hebrew “First Corinthians 13:8”—Love never fails…

No doubt God has honored Curry and blessed him tremendously. Today he is one of the most successful players in the NBA, and he has also become an international celebrity. ESPN has ranked Curry among the most famous international athletes, while Forbes has ranked him among the world’s highest-paid celebrities for his endorsements.

God said in 1 Samuel 2:30, ‘For them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed’.

Every position God has granted us is for us to serve Him and proclaim His Kingdom. We are where we are only by His grace. Therefore wherever we go, we must use every opportunity to serve Him. And when our goal is to serve God, then honor automatically follows us.

In John 12:26 Jesus says ‘If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.’

As Christians, our whole life should be focused on bringing glory to God. Honoring God means making Him our top priority. It means putting Him first in everything and making Him our number one consideration in every decision. We must conduct our lives and affairs is such a way that it bring glory to God’s Name. Whatever we do,, wherever we are, we must let our light shine so brightly before men that they will see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. And for our light to shine brightly we must be willing to buy oil in the place of prayer.

There is a commanded blessing that comes upon those who honor God. When you keep honoring God, you become a magnet for His goodness, God will open before you doors that no man can shut.

We have a duty to continually bring honor to God wherever we are. In Malachi 1:6 God says ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear?’

Indeed if we desire glory from God; then we must first give Him the glory due to His name. And one way we honor Him is by praising Him. When we give God praise we are planting seed that will bring forth His fearful acts in our lives, because God is fearful in praises. Thanksgiving is a debt everybody owes God, and it multiplies God’s blessings in our lives; it preserves His presence. And it is the Presence of God that beautifies the destinies of men. Let us therefore endeavor to bless The Lord at all times and let His praise continually be on our lips.

To continually see God’s goodness, we must therefore engage in tireless thanksgiving and celebration of God at all times. We must endeavor not to take God for granted so as not to become grounded. And when you keep honoring God, His blessings will find you. When you honor God, it will put you in a position for His blessings to overtake you. Indeed the more we uplift Him before men, the more He will also elevate us to higher positions to bring greater glory to His name.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to honor You continually with my life. Wherever I go please help me to use every available opportunity to bring glory to You. May my light so shine before men that they will see my good works and glorify Your name continually in Jesus’ name.

QUOTE: The purpose of prosperity is for you to proclaim the Gospel. – WORDBITE 222.

Luke 6:48: ‘He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.’

DAILY READING: Matthew 13:24-58; Leviticus 19; Proverbs 29

In a town called Pisa in Italy, there is an old 7-story tower which is almost 1,000 years old. It is called “the leaning tower of Pisa” because of its shape. Instead of standing upright like other buildings, it leans as if it is about to fall. The leaning tower of Pisa was actually the result of a human mistake. Just one little miscalculation made in the 11th century, has led to an amazing 14,500-ton leaning tower!

The construction of the tower began in 1173. Originally designed to be a bell tower, it stood upright for over 5 years, but when the third floor was completed in 1178, Italians were shocked to see that the tower began to lean ever so slightly. The reason was because the foundation of the tower, which is only 3 meters deep, was built on dense clay. The foundation of sinking clay was not strong enough to hold the tower upright over time. Due to this problem, construction works stopped for 100 years. In later years more floors were added, bringing it up to seven floors. However, despite the architectural compensations made in the construction to correct the defect, the tower still continued to lean forward. Today, its unique leaning shape has made it to become a tourist attraction in Italy, yet it is a glaring example of what bad foundation can result in.  Though millions of dollars have been spent to keep it stable, there is no guarantee it will not fall one day.

Psalm 11:3 says, ‘If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?’

In Mathew 7, Jesus’ parable about the two men who built on different foundations raises for us the question: what kind of foundation are we building on? These two men had the same vision: they both wanted to build a house. Their dream was the same but the methods with which they pursued their vision were different, and so they both ended up with different results. While the man who built on the rock had his house upright, the man who built on the sand had his house crumble down.

Building our lives can be likened to building a house. Every life will stand or fall depending on what foundation it has. In any form of construction or development venture, the foundation deserves the highest focus and attention to detail.  This is because any mistake made in the foundation will only keep getting worse with time. In engineering, it is known as ‘compounding defects,’ and it means that mistakes keep growing. For a building to rise up and stay up, it becomes important that the foundation be dug deep and made firm.

Likewise, the foundation upon which we build our lives matters. Spiritually, the deeper your foundation in the Word of God, the stronger and higher up your life goes. If you have not built a solid foundation through constant study of scriptures, you may be swayed when the storms of life come your way. It is our strong foundation and depth in God’s  Word that keeps us from leaning over and compromising when faced with temptations. It is only by the strength of the Word of God in us that we can overcome sin.

Psalm 119:11 says, ‘Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee.’

It is by hiding God’s Word in our heart that we can stand strong and not fall. Building upon God’s Word is building upon the rock that will never fail. The Word of God is forever stable and solid, and it never changes. What God says is the same forever. When you stand upon God’s Word, no matter the kind of storm that comes your way, you will always overcome. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world and faith comes from the hearing of God’s Word. The more our heart is filled with The Word, the more faith arises within us. When your foundation is strong in God’s Word, the Word will hold you up in every situation.

Hebrews 1:3 tells us that God upholds all things by the word of His power. Therefore if we do not want to lean over like the Tower of Pisa, then we must build up a strong foundation of God’s Word in our heart. Indeed, you can never fall standing on God’s Word.

PRAYER: Lord, I know that when I build upon Your Word, I am building upon a foundation which will never fail. Please grant me renewed appetite for Your Word so that my faith can be built up to trust in You at all times in Jesus’ name.

Quote: When you make that which is priority to God to become your priority, God automatically makes you priority in His own plan. – WORDBITE 222.

Hebrews 12:24: ‘And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.’

DAILY READING: Matthew 13:1-23; Leviticus 17-18; Proverbs 28

Hospitals everywhere often need donated blood because of emergencies. According to medical experts, every two seconds globally, someone needs blood. In the UK alone, 1.5 million pints of blood need to be collected each year to meet the needs of hospital patients. A single accident victim may need as much as 100 pints of blood. In America, every year, blood transfusions help save up to 4.5 million lives.

While blood transfusion saves lives and improves health, however, many patients requiring transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood. Oftentimes too there is not enough blood in supply to meet the high demand. Since blood cannot be manufactured outside the body and has a limited shelf life, the need for constant supply by generous blood donors becomes crucial. One donation could save up to three lives. From these generous volunteer donors,  the Red Cross is able to provide about 40% of the need for blood and blood components. However, finding blood donors isn’t always easy. Though 37% of the population is eligible to donate blood, only 5% actually do. Supply can’t always meet demand because of the low percentage of age-eligible people who donate blood yearly. For example in the U.S, while an estimated 6.8 million people donate blood each year, the supply is barely enough to meet the great demand. Clearly, there is still a long way to go in being able to find ways to produce enough blood to meet the increasing human need.

However, there is a fountain of blood that is never limited and is always available to meet every need. It has been flowing for 2,000 years now and will flow forevermore. This is the fountain of the precious blood of Jesus. There is no shortage of it. There is easy access to it. Every time we call upon this blood, it arises to meet our needs. The blood of Jesus cleanses and heals. It protects and preserves.

Heb. 13:20-21 says that the blood of Christ is the blood of the Everlasting Covenant; therefore, its potency is eternal. Indeed, there is everlasting power in the blood of Jesus. The Blood of Jesus is the divine provision for man’s freedom from all satanic oppression. It is what it takes to silence the opposition. It is our ultimate victory in every battle of life.

In Egypt, despite the preceding plagues, when the blood came on the scene in Exodus chapter 12, Pharaoh quickly gave up. The blood of Jesus is our ultimate weapon in every battle. Every time we say, “The Blood of Jesus!” we are invoking God’s very life because according to Leviticus 17:11, the life of the flesh is in the blood. And when God arises, all His enemies are scattered.

Heb. 12:22-24 says, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and Church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

The blood of Jesus indeed speaks better things for us. His blood speaks Passover to every plague of Egypt in our lives. His blood cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness. His blood destroys every form of sickness and infirmity.

Through the Communion, we engage the mystery of the blood covenant by partaking of the flesh and the blood of Jesus. As we partake of His blood, every Egyptian in form of sickness or disease is swallowed up by the Red Sea of Christ’s blood. We have to make much of the blood. We have to begin to apply the blood in every area of our lives. We have to begin to appropriate all God has made available to us through the blood of Jesus.

His blood elevates us to the place of triumph in every contest. His blood, when invoked in battle, disarms and destroys the bands of wickedness. His blood is a weapon of mass destruction against every satanic assault. And the good news is that every believer has access to this ever-flowing fountain of the precious blood of Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to truly see the victory I have through the blood of Jesus. Enable me, O Lord, to begin to make much of the blood in every area of my life.  Indeed, by the blood of Jesus, I have all-round victory 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.

Hebrews 12:1 ‘Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.’

DAILY READING: Matthew 12:22-50; Leviticus 15-16; Proverbs 27

In June 2019, The Queen of England, the US President, and other heads of state attended the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, also known as the Normandy Landings. The D-Day Invasion, which took place on June 6, 1944, was the largest military naval, air and land operation ever attempted in history. It marked the start of the campaign to liberate Nazi-occupied northwest Europe. Troops from the UK, the US, Canada, and France attacked German forces on the coast of northern France on that day. They simultaneously landed tens of thousands of troops on five separate beaches in Normandy.

On that day, more than 6,330 boats carrying thousands of men launched an invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. But many of the first troops to arrive at the beaches in Normandy, were accidentally dropped off by their landing boats into waters that were too deep. The landing crafts were meant to have dropped them off in the shallow sides of the water close to the shore, but they miscalculated the distance. And so when these men jumped off the boats, it was to find themselves going into unexpectedly deep waters. As a result many of these soldiers drowned. The reason for their drowning was mostly due to the weight of their guns and equipment and the cans of food they were carrying, which weighed them down. Without the weights many could have swum to the shore, but each American soldier was carrying about 75 pounds. As a result many didn’t make it, and drowned even before they had a chance to get to the shore to fight.

Just as carrying too much weight was disastrous for these soldiers, likewise as soldiers of the cross, we are required to lay aside every weight so as to effectively fight the battles before us.

Hebrews 12:1 says, ‘Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.’

Life is a race, and to win in this race, we must “lay aside every weight” that would drag us down. Weights are those things in our lives that are contrary to God’s will for us. Weights are things that drag us down spiritually and keep us from making progress in the journey of life. They keep us from walking in step with the Spirit by burdening us with things of the flesh.

The word “weight” is from the Greek word ogkos — a word that describes a burden or something so heavy and cumbersome that it impedes a runner from running his race as he should. These things make it difficult for us to please God. We are also asked to get rid of besetting sin. Besetting sin is that thing that you find yourself struggling with all the time. It may be an addiction, obsession, immorality, critical spirit, bad temper, selfishness, gossip, bitterness, telling lies, an envious spirit, Internet porn, etc. The sin that besets, does not just slow you down – it trips you up to fall and eventually stops your progress. Every sin is a sinker and the weight of sin will eventually sink a man if it is not stopped in time.

And one way to deal with sin is through spending time with The Lord in His Word and prayers. As we wait in God’s Presence, fleshly tendencies die off and we receive the power to say ‘No’ to temptations.

Indeed as soldiers of Christ, we must rid ourselves of anything that hinders us to effectively fight spiritual battles. We must break off every weight so that we can run unhindered this race of destiny helped along by God’s grace!

PRAYER: Lord, I know You have so much in store for me. Please enable me to lay aside weights and things that hinder me from making progress in my spiritual journey. I receive grace today to live a life that pleases You always in Jesus’ name.

QUOTE: Nothing liberates like truth. The truth you know and act upon will set you free. – WORDBITE 222.

Psalm 63:2-3  ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory’

DAILY READING; Matthew 12:1-21; Leviticus 14; Proverbs 26

Aimee Semple McPherson is famous for founding the Foursquare Gospel Church.  Known as ‘Sister Aimee’ or simply ‘Sister’, she was a Pentecostal evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s, who pioneered the use of modern media in evangelism. McPherson’s preaching style, extensive charity work and ecumenical contributions were a major influence on Charismatic Christianity in the 20th century.

However she could only serve God so zealously because of a revolution that took place in her life when she was only 17 years old. She had early exposure to Christianity through her mother, who worked with the Salvation Army soup kitchens. And as a child Aimee would play “Salvation Army” with her classmates, and at home she would gather a congregation with her dolls, giving them a sermon. However as a teenager, McPherson strayed from her mother’s teachings as she began to read widely and was exposed to teachings like Charles Darwin’s theory of Evolution. Confused over a number of issues, she began to quiz visiting preachers and local pastors about faith and science, but was unhappy with the answers she received.

When she was 17 years old and still in high school, she attended a revival service where she accepted The Lord. Aimee desired to seek God further. One weekend, while on a visit to a group of Christian friends, heavy snow began to fall and she couldn’t go home for some days. Grounded by the heavy snowing, she used the time rather to wait upon The Lord and to seek His face in prayer. And in those few days of waiting upon The Lord many of her gnawing questions were answered and her life was totally revolutionized as she received the baptism of The Holy Ghost and the call to ministry. Later on, she would begin to lead revivalist meetings, drawing large crowds in tents, concert halls and sports arenas. She witnessed thousands saved and healed during her evangelistic meetings. She built the Angelus Temple in 1923, which was a 5,000-seat auditorium and one of the first mega churches. She paved the way for other female evangelists during a time when women were hardly accepted in the pulpit. She also launched the first Christian radio station and established a Bible college.

It is remarkable that in just a few days of waiting upon The Lord when she was 17 years old, Aimee’s Life became changed forever. When Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem, He was telling them that this was a means of experiencing His power. In waiting they would catch the wind of God’s Spirit and see mighty signs and wonders erupt.

Isaiah 40:31 says ‘But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’

When we wait upon God, especially in a fast, we receive power and renewed strength to go forth and excel. Prayer and fasting  are assets of inestimable value in fulfilling God’s agenda for our lives. The call of God upon a person usually attracts oppositions. 1 Corinthians 16:9 says: ‘For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.’

It is through waiting upon The Lord in a fast, that we deal with such spiritual oppositions.

In Matthew 17:21, Jesus said: ‘Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting’

This means that some resistance will continue to get stronger without prayer and fasting. In other words, the siege sitting over some destinies may never move except when the force of faith coupled with prayer and fasting is engaged. We must, therefore, be careful not to sell out our glorious destiny like Esau, who for a morsel of meat sold his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34).

The truth is that it is impossible for anyone to operate in the realm of power without prayer and fasting as a lifestyle. Every man or woman of God who has ever operated in the realm of power subscribed to the demands of prayer and fasting. Even Jesus at the beginning of His ministry had to undergo a forty-day prayer and fasting expedition. But when He came down from the mountain there was an immediate eruption of signs and wonders. Today the world is waiting for such manifestations of the sons of God.  But to see God’s power there is a price to it. In Psalm 63:2-3 David, in desperate need for power, said: ‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory’

Indeed we must first be thirsty for God’s power and glory before we can see it.  To see the prophesy of ‘glory unveiled’ this year, we must deliberately enforce its fulfilment through prayer and fasting. Nehemiah was given a word by The Lord, but he was only able to see its fulfillment and succeeded in rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem in 52 days, after he had prayed and fasted.

Therefore we must make up our minds to pray the required price to see something new happen in our lives. Jesus said in Luke 10:42  that one thing is needful, which is sitting at the feet of the master, and hearing His Word. Let us therefore begin to take the time to wait upon God, knowing that He has not called the sons of Jacob to seek Him in vain. Indeed when we seek Him and find Him, there is a reward and our expectations shall  not be cut short.

PRAYER: Lord, please  grant me  the grace to wait upon You always. May I never be too busy to seek Your Presence. As I wait upon  You, let my strength be renewed to mount up with wings as an eagle in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

Until you cry out in the place of prayer certain things won’t happen

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

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

Few individuals have made such an impact on the world for the gospel as the plumber-turned-evangelist, Smith Wigglesworth.  Multitudes were saved worldwide as he ministered, and miracles of healing and deliverance occurred that have rarely been witnessed since the days of the apostles. However Wigglesworth personally encountered The Healing Power of Jesus before he could minister same to others. He tells his story ‘At one time I was so bound that no human power could help me. For six months I had been suffering from appendicitis. I went to the mission of which I was pastor, but I was brought to the floor in awful agony, and they brought me home to my bed. My wife was sure it was my home call and sent for a physician. He said that there was no possible chance for me-my body was too weak.. He left my wife in a state of broken-heartedness. But after he left, there came to our door a young man and an old lady. I knew that she was a woman of real prayer. This young man jumped on the bed and commanded the evil spirit to come out of me. He shouted, “Come out, you devil; I command you to come out in the name of Jesus!” There was no chance for an argument, to tell him that I would never believe that there was a devil inside of me. The thing had to go in the name of Jesus, and it went, and I was instantly healed.’

On receiving his healing, Wigglesworth immediately dressed and went out to his plumbing work. The doctor later came back to check on him, and on hearing that he had gone out to work, “they’ll bring him back a corpse.” He said. But that never happened, and Smith Wigglesworth was never sick again.

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

The woman with the issue of blood could not be healed by the physicians. She had spent all her money on doctors. But when she came to Jesus she got her healing.

Today, Jesus is the healer. He takes over where doctors fail. Are you still looking at the doctor’s report? It is time for the Son of righteousness to arise with healing in his wings for you.

Jesus has great compassion for the sick. Throughout His earthly ministry He went about healing the sick and oppressed. He has not changed. He wants to heal you, He wants to deliver you from every destruction. He came and died that you might have life and have it more abundantly. And by His stripes we are healed. He is waiting in His word to heal those that come to Him. His power for deliverance is embedded in His Word. Victory comes through in depth knowledge of the word of God. People only perish for lack of knowledge of The Word. The victory that overcomes the world is our faith. Your level of faith is a function of how much time you spend in the word of God, because faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The home of faith is the word of God.

Scriptures are the power of God in written form. When you load your heart with the written word, you are loading your heart with power. It is like loading a gun with bullet. When you shoot forth in prayer, every devil flees.

To know the word is to know God. And they that do know their God they shall be strong and do exploits. When you come to know God through His Word, power is imparted into you, it is this power that brings healing and deliverance.

He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions. So begin a fresh search today into the Word of life so as to encounter God’s power for your healing and deliverance.

PRAYER; Lord, today I receive power from Your word to overcome every infirmity. Please give me the grace to spend time in Your word so I can have my total deliverance  from every affliction in Jesus Name.

Quote

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