HORM Devotional

Isaiah 61:1

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”
DAILY READING Mark 8:1-21; 2 Samuel 19; Daniel 12

The fire of The Holy Ghost that fell at Azuza in 1906, marked the beginning of a global spiritual revival. This fire gradually spread all over the world. As far away as England, it ignited fresh fire in the lives of many people. One of them was Smith Wigglesworth, who became greatly used of God. .

In 1907, a year after the revival began, Smith heard of this great move of God in America. Though, he had been preaching the Gospel, he was not yet baptized in The Holy Spirit. Hearing of a group of people in Sunderland, who had experienced this Holy Ghost baptism, he travelled down to Sunderland, and tarried with them until he also received the baptism, and began speaking in tongues.

This experience totally revolutionized his life. When he came back, to his hometown in Bradford, he mounted the pulpit and preached from Isaiah 61:1 which says “The Spirit of  The Lord is upon me.”.

As he was still preaching, people began to fall under the power. From then on, a great outpouring began, as hundreds received the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

His healing ministry also exploded. Everywhere he preached miracles took place; cancerous growths disappeared, blind eyes received sight, the deaf regained their hearing, new limbs were created, and many dead were raised.

One day, he heard a friend of his was dying, and hurried to the man’s home. But he arrived too late, he met the doctor already pronouncing the man dead. Despite how hopeless things looked, Smith began to pray. Suddenly the power of God came down,  and the man was raised from the dead.

Many such dramatic healings took place in his ministry. In another remarkable case, a boy’s body was so mangled, that he was encased in iron. His father brought him to Smith. As Smith anointed him and laid hands on him, The Holy Ghost began to move upon the little boy, who started shouting, “Papa, Papa. It’s going all over me! It’s going all over me!” And he was miraculously healed and made totally whole.

All these amazing miracles took place in the life of Smith Wigglesworth, through his encounter with the Holy Ghost baptism.

In the same way, our lives can also be revolutionized, when we genuinely encounter The Holy Ghost.

Baptism of the Holy Ghost is more than merely speaking in tongues. It is encounter with the raw power of God.

It is what will position us to be part of the end-time revival.

William Seymour, leader of the Azuza street revival, before his death, prophesied of a coming move of God that would hit the earth in another hundred years.

And we are now at that time. Again, the fire of God has begun to sweep through the earth. Revival is here again. God is doing a new thing and releasing a new sound. And you can’t afford to be left behind.

It is therefore time to repair every broken altar, and present our bodies as a living sacrifice.  It is time to lay between the porch and the altar and cry unto God, until the fire falls.

No matter how normal things may appear outwardly, there is a serious ongoing spiritual battle. The enemy is going about looking for whom to devour. You therefore cannot afford to be powerless, lest you become a victim. You must be prepared and ready to do battle. And the decisive weapon in this battle is the firepower of The Spirit. Hebrews 12 says that our God is a consuming fire. And Isaiah 4, refers to the Holy Ghost “as a spirit of burning’. He is the light that shines in darkness and darkness does not comprehend it.

Isaiah 60 said gross darkness shall cover the earth and its people. This gross darkness is manifesting now in the kinds of perversions that are taking over the world. But though the darkness covers the earth, Isaiah 60:2 says ‘The LORD shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you.’

So the time of the greatest darkness for the world is also the time of the greatest glory for the church. We shall be ruling in the midst of our enemies, they shall be made our footstools.

But it is through the greatness of God’s power that they shall submit unto us. Power therefore is no longer an option. It is a necessity.

Most importantly, we must carry the fire of The Spirit, so as to lead people out of darkness. Our lives must continually be aflame, drawing men to Jesus. Psalm 104:4 says God makes His ministers a flaming fire. We are to be the light to our world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hid.

Let us therefore keep our lives aflame, through a lifestyle of fasting,  praying and diligent study of The Word. By so doing, our lights will keep burning brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
PRAYER: Lord, please set my heart ablaze with the fire of revival.  Cause a revolution in my life through a fresh encounter with Your Spirit. Set me apart in this generation, to be a shining light, to my world.  May many souls be brought into Your kingdom through Your light that is shining through me in Jesus Name.

QUOTE

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

WORDBITE 222.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven

• DAILY READING Mark 7:14-37; 2 Samuel 18; Daniel 11:21-45

Azuza street revival is definitely one of the greatest revivals the world had ever seen. It was a glorious outpouring of the Holy Spirit that began in Los Angeles, California in April 1906. It is considered to be the beginning of the modern Pentecostal movement that we have today.

During this revival led by William Seymour, people came from different parts of the world to encounter God at Azuza. Services were held day and night.  The services ran almost continuously, and  the place was never closed or empty. God’s presence was manifested through the unending testimonies and unusual phenomena that accompanied the meetings. One of these phenomena was eyewitness reports of fire emanating from the roof of the building. On more than one occasion, people on the street reported seeing a glow of fire on the roof.  The fire department would be called upon to quench this fire, but when they arrived, they would find no fire.

Miracles, and phenomena such as these, made The Azuza street revival one of the greatest revivals ever witnessed in the history of the world.

However, this great revival, witnessed publicly, came as a result of the personal revival that first took place in William Seymour’s life. Before the fire fell at Azuza, it first started burning in William Seymour’s life. Years before the revival erupted, he had been praying fervently for it.

Speaking in his book, spiritual hunger, John G. Lake recounted Seymour’s testimony. He said  prior to the revival, The Lord had led Seymour into a deep life of consecration,  as he assigned 5 hours every day to  prayer. This continued for three and a half years. One day as he prayed The Holy Ghost said to him, ‘there are better things to be had in the spirit, but they must be sought out with faith and prayer.’ This so quickened Seymour’s soul that he increased  his hours of prayer to 7 hours a day and continued to pray  for another 2 years longer, until the fire fell at Azuza.  So the great revival that was witnessed at Azuza, came from the fire that first started burning upon the altar of William Seymour’s heart.

Lev 6:13  says  ‘The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.’

Before the Glory of God can glow outwardly through us, the fire must have started burning already in our lives. The inner flame of devotion to God, must first begin in our hearts  until it  reflect brightly to the world around us. This fire on the altar of our hearts must never go out.

Jesus said in Luke 12:49 ‘I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!’

This fire that Jesus came to bring to the earth, is the fire  that erupted on the day of Pentecost. This is the fire that has been burning through the lives of great men and women of God  such as William Seymour. And  it is this fire that we must keep burning in our individual lives. It should never be put out day or night.

The desperate times in which we live demands that we constantly carry this fire. Only this fire will be able to stop the tide of sin and evil in the world, from overcoming us.

In this endtimes, the enemy has unleashed a wave of distractions and temptations like never before. We desperately need to let the fire of God burn through our lives and keep us constantly sanctified. .

Matthew 24:12 says ‘And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.’

Already iniquity is abounding in the world, and if you don’t want your love for God to grow cold, then you must keep the fire burning constantly in your heart.  To keep iniquity from overcoming us we must keep our fire burning.

You cannot afford any distraction at this time.  There is a glory of God coming upon the church. Jesus is coming for a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle. This means that before Jesus comes, the church will be reigning in glory. This glory is the portion of every believer. God has a plan to glorify you, and you must keep your fire burning so that the enemy does not derail you through sin. The reason why the enemy brings temptations, is to try to derail you from seeing God’s glory.

Imagine if William Seymour, allowed himself to be derailed from God’s plan, then there would have been no Azuza street revival. Or imagine if Joseph succumbed to Potiphar’s wife, then he would have lost access to the throne of Egypt.

So don’t compromise your stance. Don’t give in to the deceptions of the enemy. Never  allow your fire to go out. Do not like Esau sell your birthright for a morsel of meat. You have come too far to lose this race. Keep your fire burning. Maintain a hot spiritual life, through diligent study of the Bible and fervent prayers. Let your light so shine before men that they will indeed see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
PRAYER: Lord,  please let Your fire burn continually in me. May I never compromise or allow my heart to grow cold. Give me the grace to maintain a fervent spiritual life always. May my light so shine before men that they will see Your glory manifesting through me in Jesus name.

QUOTE

There is something that God has placed within you that the world is eagerly awaiting to see.

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]

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  Mark 7:1-13; 2 Samuel 17; Daniel 11:1-19

Dr. David Livingstone was a pioneer medical missionary, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of the 19^th century. David Livingstone was indeed a living wonder to his generation. His life was a reflection of God’s amazing grace and guidance.

He was born to poor and pious parents who taught him about God, early in life. Their family was so poor, that at some point, young David, had to pull out of school and began working at the mills, while continuing his education at an evening school. From the stories his father told him about great missionary exploits, he developed a burning desire to be a missionary. One day, he got on his knees and prayed, “Lord, Send me anywhere, only go with me”

And the words of God came to him “Lo, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.” This assurance of God’s Presence gave him great confidence and led to the exploits he would later do as a missionary in Africa.

He accomplished unimaginable feats, travelling through lands which no white men had ever set foot on. He made some of the most prodigious, and most dangerous, explorations of the nineteenth century. His object was to open a  missionary Road or ‘God’s Highway,’ through which the Gospel could gain access to the African hinterlands. He also fought hard to stop the African slave trade.

In his missionary journeys, God’s Presence always made the difference for him. Many times, he ran out of supplies, yet God would raise native chiefs to give him all he needed to continue in his journey. He passed through many dangers; one time he was attacked by a lion and almost killed, yet God miraculously delivered him. Agents of the slave trade who wanted to stop his work, often set ambushes for him, yet  he always miraculously escaped. At one time, while walking through the jungle, spears were thrown at him, a spear grazed his neck, another missed him by a foot, but none ever hit him. He suffered many bouts of fever that could have killed lesser men, yet he survived. He passed barbaric tribes and chiefs, who resisted him, and yet God gave him victory through it all.

The story of his exploits remain an amazement even to the present generation. But his great secret was awareness of God’s unmistakable Presence.

This also has been the secret of great men of God who have done exploits in the kingdom.

In the hallmark of faith, in Hebrews 11, the heroes of faith did great exploits, because of God’s presence.  Speaking of Moses, Hebrews 11:27 said ‘By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.’

It was the invisible Presence of God that made Moses to dare pharaoh and lead the Jews out of bondage.

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

Psalm 114 records that when Israel left Egypt, it was God’s Presence that made the red sea to part, and caused the mountains and hills to skip.  And in Acts 10:38, The Bible says ‘Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’. So it was God being with Jesus, that made demons to scream at His appearance and also led to the mighty signs and wonders in His ministry.  Likewise, when we carry God’s Presence, 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 walk through the valley of the shadow of death, why you will fear no evil, is because God is with you.

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

So God’s Presence ensures evil never survives around you. Indeed God’s Presence makes the difference. It brings a change of garment and a positive change of story to a man’s life.

And God’s Presence is available to every child of God. The same way God’s Presence was with Jesus, so can it be with us.  Romans 8:32 says ‘He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with him also freely give us all things?’ So, just as Jesus carried God’s Presence, the same is available to us today.

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

In the same way, for The Father to be with us, we have to do the  things that please Him. And one of the key things that pleases God is praise.

Psalm 69:30-31 says ‘I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.’ So praise pleases God, and brings His Presence.

Let us therefore switch into high praises, knowing that   God is indeed worthy of all our praise, for the amazing things He has done for us, especially this year. Indeed God has been good. And as we maintain His Presence through High praises, we can be assured of greater exploits and amazing testimonies in Jesus Name.

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

quote

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

Isaiah 49:15 -16  
‘Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

’DAILY READING – Mark 8:22-9:1; 2 Samuel 20-21; Hosea 1:1-2:1

In April of 2006, a massive F3 tornado caused a wave of destruction in Hendersonville, Tennessee.  It killed 10 people, tore down dozens of homes and caused $650 million in damage. Among the homes destroyed was that of a fireman named Jerrod Hawkins. He was on duty at the time and had called his wife, Amy, who was home with their two little sons, to let her know that fierce winds were headed their way. 

Amy had hardly dropped the phone, before the massive storm began to tear through their home. She rushed her children down to the basement. Seeing the fury of the storm, she laid herself on top of her two children, to protect them, reciting the Lord’s Prayer over and over again. As debris began to hit her, she passed out, and has little memory of what happened next. The storm completely destroyed her home and sent bricks and mortar raining down upon her and her two young sons. Her body acted as a buffer between the weight of the falling debris and her boys, who were just six and three years old. Her body was buried in a pile of bricks, but her sacrifice saved her young boys. A neighbor who found them, rushed both boys to a nearby Medical Center, but dared not move her twisted and crumpled body, as she  obviously needed more professional care.  The emergency medical service soon arrived, and she was rushed to the hospital.  It was found that her spine and ribs were crushed, her lungs were punctured and she had suffered severe head injuries. She would soon learn that she was paralyzed from the waist down. She underwent numerous operations, and has made a remarkable recovery over the years as she has gained more feeling in her legs and feet. Her recovery is still ongoing and she believes she will one day walk again. Her heroic story of sacrifice warmed the hearts of many people and led 2,000 volunteers to club together to build the family a new home.  In a recent media interview when asked if she had any regrets for what she did, she replied that if she had to, she would do it all over again just to protect her sons. 

That indeed is the strength of a mother’s love. A mother would stop at nothing to save her children even if it meant risking her own life. Yet, as marvelous as a mother’s love can be, it still does not compare to God’s love for us. 

In Isaiah 49:15 -16, God says ‘Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.’

Nothing compares to the love of our Heavenly Father.  His love is more gentle than a mother’s tenderness to her infant, and it is stronger than a father’s arms to protect his children. It is more consistent than a child’s affection.  God’s love is not a single act, but is the abiding state of God’s heart.  His love have no beginning or ending. God has always loved and always will love. Man’s love might waver and even die away, but God’s love abides forever. Civilizations will come and go, empires will rise and fall, but God’s love will always remain.

And it is only the love of God that can truly meet our heart’s deepest longing. Only His love can satisfy our hunger for true love.

When you are thirsty, you can drink coke, Pepsi or any other soft drink, but your thirst will not be truly quenched until you drink water. The same way we can receive love from diverse relationships, but the only love that can  truly satisfy us is the love that comes from God. No human being has the capacity to fully meet our love need. Our heart has a love shaped hole that only God’s love can fill. No matter how much someone claims to love us, they can never meet that innermost desire to be loved completely and unconditionally. Only God can. 
Part of what we want from friendships is to know that the other person won’t leave us, no matter what is encountered.  Even if we disclose our deepest scars and they see our worst imperfections, we would  still like to know that through thick and thin they will still be there for us.  But that is not always the case.  And because we have had too many bad examples of human love, we find it hard sometimes to understand divine love. But God’s love is unconditional, it is everlasting.

Jeremiah 31:3 says ‘The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’

We don’t have to be broken from place to place and person to person looking for true love. When life has wounded you and you find yourself falling, be assured that God’s hand can catch you and keep you from hitting rock bottom. In Deuteronomy 33:27 God says He is our refuge, and His everlasting arms are ever under us.  

It doesn’t matter what you may be facing right now, be rest assured that God loves you very much. He has loved you with an everlasting love. He has been using different circumstances to draw you closer to Him. Whatever maybe the circumstance surrounding you, God will help you, He will uphold you with the right hand of His righteousness. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

And to truly understand the love of God we have to have an in-depth knowledge of His Word. It is through His Word that we begin to grasp the height and depth and reach of His amazing love for us. And when we can begin to receive His love and respond to it, then our lives will be truly transformed. 
PRAYER: Lord, I know You love me, please enable me to have a greater revelation of  this love so that my life can be revolutionized. Grant me a deeper hunger of Your Word so that through indepth study I can truly come to know Your amazing love for me in Jesus Name. 
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. 
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ESTABLISHED IN THE WORD OF GOD] 

Habakkuk 3:17-19
‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 
DAILY READING  Mark 8:1-21; 2 Samuel 19; Daniel 12

The Chinese bamboo tree is a very interesting tree. When planted, it stays about 4 years in the ground without any sign of growth. In the first year there is no sign that anything is planted there. In the second year, still no sign of growth above the soil. In the third and fourth year, still nothing happening. And then finally in the fifth year, behold, a miracle! The tree suddenly breaks out to the surface and within just six weeks it grows up to 80 feet, which is about the height of a 5 story building. Amazing!

The Chinese bamboo tree teaches us that, apart from the natural way trees grow, there can be extraordinary growth. This kind of extraordinary growth is similar to what happens spiritually when we give God praise.  

Beyond the normal rate of harvest, there can be supernatural harvest. And the mystery of praise is the sickle with which we reap this supernatural harvest. 

 Psalms 67: 5 – 6 says ‘Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.’

When we give God quality praise, the earth yields her increase. In other words, when we praise God, power is released that enforces the earth to yield whatever is due to us.  As we praise, all our benefits the earth is holding back is suddenly delivered into our hands. And like the Chinese bamboo tree, suddenly you experience extraordinary surpassing growth within a short period. 

God is fearful in praises.  When we praise God,  He does the miraculous. He does exceedingly abundantly above all we could ever ask or think. 

Often times when people sow seed and don’t reap their harvest, it is because the sickle of praise is missing.  Even when seeds are sown naturally in the ground sometimes weather conditions or pests can cause a farmer not to receive his expected harvest. In the same way there are spiritual forces that try to resist your harvest. Proverbs 14:23 lets us know that all labor in God’s  kingdom entitles us to returns. Whenever you have sown, you are entitled to reap.  However there are evil forces that try to tamper with the sowing and reaping process. And one of the ways the enemy attacks a believer’s harvest is through depression. Through pointing out the things that have not been working in your life, the enemy tries to depress you. The aim of the depression is to cause you to lose God’s Presence, because God only dwells in a joyful atmosphere. And the enemy cannot oppress you until he first depresses you.  Therefore resist every attempt of the enemy to depress you. Rather than letting the enemy point out your unachieved goals or what has not worked, begin to count your blessings and thank God for all He has done. .

Habakkuk 3:17-19 says ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.’ 

When you praise God despite your situation, God causes you to ride upon your high places. Despite the low points of the year, praise God for the great and mighty things you have seen,  and if you sincerely count, there has been many of them. Praise is a multiplier. When Jesus thanked God for the 5 loaves and 2 fishes, they miraculously multiplied. Praise brings wholeness, when the one leper came back to thank Jesus for his healing he was made whole. 

So like that one leper, begin to thank God and praise Him for all He has done for you this year. As you do so the power in praise will cause the earth to yield her increase to you; the power in praise will forcefully dislodge the cankerworms that had hitherto been eating up your harvest. What you do not want you do not watch. Therefore, engage praise for a forceful turnaround of your situation. When you praise God, He inhabits your praises. And when you are surrounded by God’s Presence, every devil steers clear.  

No matter what you may have seen so far, there is still so much more God planned for you this year. In this last month, you need the sickle of praise to bring in all your pending harvest. And as you praise God, get ready for exceeding surpassing growth. Like the bamboo tree overnight you are going to erupt to unexpected heights. God will amaze you with His goodness, such that everyone will know that indeed you are serving the living God. 

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to stop worrying about things yet undone in my life this year, grant me rather the grace to praise You, so that the earth will yield her increase, even as I experience your exceeding abundant blessings in Jesus Name. 

QUOTE 

You will never need more than God to experience the impossible in life. WORDBITE 222. 

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE] 

Acts 16;25-26 

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

DAILY READING –  – Mark 7:14-37; 2 Samuel 18; Daniel 11:21-45

Praise is a spiritual weapon that can crush your toughest and roughest battles in life. 

Psalm 22:3 says God inhabits the praises of His people. This means that God is in praise and thus, whatever cannot resist God, cannot resist praise.

In Acts 16:25-30 When Paul and Silas, in the midnight of their ordeal, sang praises to God, He stepped in. The foundation of the prison was shaken, all the doors were opened and everyman’s chain was loosed. 

Through praise they were able to escape imprisonment. Likewise, it doesn’t matter how the enemy tries to lock you up, you can escape any such trap through praise.

The power of praise to invoke God to create divine escape, is exemplified in what happened at Dunkirk, during the Second World War. The battle of Dunkirk is a uniquely enthralling story of God’s faithfulness to those who call upon Him.

It is a tale of how, surrounded by overwhelming enemies and faced with imminent annihilation, an entire army escaped to safety by sea, through divine intervention. It was like the miracle of the  Exodus, with the English Channel in this case, replacing the Red Sea.

On 10th May 1940, Hitler unleashed a military onslaught on France and Belgium. Within days the British Army – outmanoeuvred and unprepared – along with soldiers of other Allied nations, found themselves with their backs to the sea and hemmed in by enemies. Hitler’s army boasted with confidence that they were ‘proceeding to annihilate the British Army’. Indeed the total destruction of the British army seemed  imminent. Prime Minister Winston Churchill found himself preparing to announce to the public an unprecedented military catastrophe involving the capture or death of a third of a million soldiers.  But it didn’t happen. On 23rd May, King George VI requested that the following Sunday should be observed as a National Day of Prayer. Late on the Saturday evening the military decision was taken to evacuate as many as possible of the Allied forces. On that Sunday, the nation devoted itself to prayer and praising God, in an unprecedented way. Eyewitnesses and photographs confirm overflowing congregations in places of worship across the land. Long queues formed outside cathedrals. The same day an urgent request went out for boats of all sizes and shapes to cross the English Channel to rescue the besieged army. About 800 vessels were eventually gathered for this rescue operation. As the prayers went on across Britain, miracles began to take place. In a decision that infuriated his generals and still baffles historians, Hitler ordered his army to halt their attack on the British troops. Had they continued to fight, the destruction of the Allied forces would have been inevitable. Yet for three days the German tanks and soldiers stood idle while the British evacuation unfolded. Not only so, bad weather on the Tuesday grounded hitler’s warplanes, allowing Allied soldiers to march unhindered to the beaches. In contrast, the sea was extraordinarily calm, making the perilous evacuation less hazardous. By the time the German Army was finally ordered to renew its attack, over 338,000 troops had escaped from the beaches, including 140,000 French, Belgian, Dutch and Polish soldiers. They had escaped an imminent destruction by Hitler’s army. This was truly miraculous. Sunday 9th June was declared a National Day of Thanksgiving, as the people blessed God for this miracle of deliverance for the British troops.

This indeed is proof of what the power of praise and prayer can do. 

Indeed, it doesn’t matter the odds against you, as long as God is on your side you will surely escape.   

When you engage God through praise, He will always arise for you. 

Indeed God is fearful in praises. Exodus 15:11 says ‘Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?’

Praise is a spiritual medium through which we transfer our battles to God.

When you praise God, He makes a way for you.  He sets an ambush against your enemies. When the three enemy nations came against king Jehoshaphat, God set an ambush against them. He caused them to arise and begin to kill one another, till the last person was dead. 

Whenever you find yourself in a tight corner, Praise is the way out.  Instead of worrying, switch to praise. And when you praise God, He will always create an escape for you and ambush your enemies. Whether it is the enemy of sickness, poverty, joblessness etc, as you praise God, He will ambush them and give you deliverance in Jesus Name. 
PRAYER: Lord, please grant me the grace to always switch to high praises in the face of every challenge, so that I can experience total deliverance in every area of my life in Jesus Name.  
QUOTE 

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

 [CULLED FROM THE BOOK SUPERNATURAL LOVE OF GOD] 

Psalm 61: 2-4

‘In the midst of this storm I will cry out to You, “when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings” 
DAILY READING Mark 11:1-14; 1 Kings 1; Hosea 4:11b-5:4

On Monday, November 28, 2016, one of the worst air disasters ever to hit professional football occurred. It was also the worst air disaster in Colombia in two decades. A chartered plane carrying a Brazilian soccer team, crashed into a mountain near Medellin, Columbia. The Chapecoense football team of Brazil were traveling from their  home town in Chapecó, Brazil, to play in the South American Cup, when this crash occurred. Almost the entire team was lost. Out of the 77 people on board, 71 died in the crash. This tragedy shook up the South American soccer world.   

However, out of the only six survivors, was a 31 year old defender with the Brazilian team, named Helio Neto.

Neto is well known for his strong Christian faith. He recalled that while they were in the plane, the lights had suddenly gone off, and then flight attendants told them to put on their seat belts for a crash landing. This was the moment Neto realised the plane was going to crash. Though survival seemed humanly impossible, his last and only resource had been to turn to God.  As the plane began to go down, he began calling upon the Name of The Lord. He passed out, but was later pulled out of the plane alive.  

During the rescue operation, a battered Bible was found at the site of the crash, it had Neto’s name on it. This is the Bible he always read, and carried around wherever he went. In the Bible, he had bookmarked Psalm 63 which he possibly had been reading before the crash.

This Psalm reads in part: ‘Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy Name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.  Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.’

This Psalm indeed proved true in Neto’s life. By abiding diligently under the shadow of God’s wings, his life was preserved. The outcome of a man’s life is a function of his regard for God.

Psalms 27:5 says  ‘For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.’ 

The Lord’s promise of protection is to those who maintain fellowship with Him, who dwell in His secret place and abide under His shadow. Under the shadow of God’s wings, is our hiding and abiding-place.  But it is only for dwellers, not for visitors.  

Psalm 91: 1 says “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” 

Under the shadow of His wings is a place of shelter and refuge from storms. It is His shadow that preserves us from terror, from the arrows that fly by day and night, from death and from destruction. Troubles of life may come, but in those times God arises to hide us in His secret place. 

In Psalm 61: 2-4 David says, ‘In the midst of this storm I will cry out to You, “when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings” 

Under the shadow of God’s wings we have a safe place, a refuge, a shelter. Dwelling under His shadow, means dwelling in His Presence.  We come under His wings when we are overshadowed by His Presence.  And we cannot access His presence without engaging in thanksgiving and praise. Psalms 100:4 tells us to enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.

Thanksgiving and praise are covenant platforms through which we can access a hiding place in God. The Anointing that comes from praise is the oil that preserves us. David, praised God seven times a day and God speaking of him in Psalms 89:20-23 said ‘I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.’

This means that when we praise and thank God, His presence is invoked and His anointing comes as a seal of protection over us to preserve us from evil. Psalms 105:13-15 says ‘Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm’ 

Those who carry the anointing of God’s Presence, also carry a ‘touch not seal’. They cannot be tampered with, by any devil. Their lives are precious and hidden in Christ. God is committed to delivering them in the time of trouble. 

Do you therefore want to carry  the ‘touch not’ anointing? Then it is time to move to a new level of diligence in seeking God’s presence. When you carry the anointing of His Presence, a thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will never come near thee. By carrying His Presence, you are continually preserved.

Let us therefore maintain a lifestyle of diligent study of The Word, thanksgiving and praise. By so doing we will be continually anointed with fresh oil that will preserve us from every trouble.
PRAYER: Lord, I desire to carry Your ‘touch not seal’ upon my life. Therefore, please grant me the grace to commit to a lifestyle of diligent study of Your Word, and praise, so that I will always be protected and persevered by Your Presence in Jesus Name. 

QUOTE : 

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

It takes a heart for God to make a mark in the sands of time. – WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS] 

Revelation 5:5 

‘And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
“DAILY READING — Mark 10:32-52; 2 Samuel 24; Hosea 4:1-11a

The Lion of Judah was used as a Jewish symbol for many years. It was originally the symbol of the tribe of Judah. In 1950 it was included in the Emblem of Jerusalem, because Jerusalem was the ancient capital of Judah.

The association between Judah and the lion is traced to the blessing given by Jacob to Judah in Genesis 49:9, where Jacob referred to Judah as a “Young Lion”.  

Both King David and Jesus hail from the tribe of Judah. Jesus Himself is known as The Lion of Judah. Revelation 5:5 says ‘And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”

The Lion of Judah represents the triumphant Jesus. 

The lion is known as the king of beasts, because of its raw power and strength. it is strong and bold; it is afraid of no other animal. Proverbs 30:30 says “the lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any.”

By reason of the nature of Christ in us we are fearless.  

Proverbs, 28 : 1 says “The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous is as bold as a lion.” 

Because of the righteousness of Christ in us we are as bold as a lion. We share the same DNA with Christ and as such, possess the same Lion nature in Him. In John 17:18 Jesus said ‘As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world’. And as He is, so are we in this world. 

And as Jesus operated in the realm of unlimited possibilities, we have also been redeemed to live above human limitations. However we cannot exercise full authority of our ‘lionic’ nature until we see our true identity in the light of God’s Word. We need an understanding of our redemptive rights in Christ so as to live victorious. 

A story was told by Kenneth E. Hagin of a lion cub that was captured and made to grow among sheep. It lost its “lionic” identity by virtue of its environment, until the day it saw its reflection on the surface of the water. That day, it realized who it was, and regained its identity and confidence.

The same way, when we look into the mirror of God’s Word, we see our true picture.

To be able to exercise the nature of the lion of the tribe of Judah, you need deep revelations from The Word of God. 

Most importantly also, Judah means praise. It is the tribe of those who carry the Presence of God due to the high praises they offer unto God. What this means is that the ‘lionic’ nature in us will manifest as we feed deeply in The Word of God and engage in unending praise. This is what will cause us to dominate in our environment.  This is what will cause us to live a victorious life that glorifies Christ.
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to know my true identity, through indepth study of Your Word, so that I can be able to manifest the lionic nature You have placed in me. 

QUOTE 

Praise always guarantees you power for a raise, learning to praise God in season and out of season is key to fulfilling destiny. – WORDBITE 222. 

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK REJOICE] 

Isaiah 43:18 – 19  “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’DAILY READING –– Mark 10:32-52; 2 Samuel 24; Hosea 4:1-11a”

In June 2017, many leading News media, carried the story of a daring rescue mission made by a Christian organization called the free Burma rangers. This organization is committed to aiding people in war zones. And during the 9 month battle to liberate Mosul in Iraq, from ISIS, this Christian organization, made a daring rescue of a little girl. This was captured on video, that immediately went viral, capturing the hearts of millions worldwide.

Dave Eubank, a former Special Forces soldier is founder of the Free Burma Rangers. He was filmed as he ran out in the open amid ISIS sniper fire to rescue a six year old girl trapped among those shot dead. The rescue took place on a street in the Iraqi city of Mosul, where ISIS snipers were firing at civilians who were attempting to flee. Alerted to the situation, Eubank and Iraqi troops coordinated with the U.S.-led coalition to drop smoke canisters to shield Eubank from the snipers’ view as he attempted to rescue the little girl. Eubank and his team crept up behind the wall of smoke dropped by the American troop. But bullets kept pinging all around them as they got closer to the wounded civilians. There was shooting everywhere. But Eubank prayed as he sprinted across the open ground to where people had been shot. There he saw a girl peek her head out from underneath a dead woman’s hijab. She had been hiding under her mother’s clothes. Eubank called to her. But she was unwilling to follow him. She wanted to still remain with her dead mother. As he reached out to help her, she was screaming, unwilling to let go of her mother. But Eubank snatched her up from her mother, carried  her in  his arms and made the mad dash, running as fast as he could back to the tank, with ISIS shooting all the time. God preserved him from being hitting by any bullet.

The rescued girl after her initial agitation over being drawn from her mother, later calmed down. Taken to a safe place, she was given food, new clothes, and surrounded by people eager to help her. She now lives a new and better life, free from the fear and crisis of living under ISIS.

The remarkable thing  about the story, is this little girl’s initial refusal to follow Eubank. Though her mother was dead, she still wanted to stay there, she was afraid to trust anyone or move away from the familiar, no matter how dead that familiar was.

And that is reminiscent sometimes of human nature. We are often afraid of the new. We would rather stay with the old we are familiar with, no matter how dead it may be.

God says in Isaiah 43:18 – 19 ‘Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’

We serve a God that does new things every moment.

Lamentation 3:23 says: ‘They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.’

God is always moving forward. We must be willing to let go of the old and embrace the new thing He is doing.

Philippians 3:13 says “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.’

In this last month of the year God has brought us into a new season. It is a crowning season. It is a season of fat things.

Psalms 65:11 says ‘thou crownest the year with goodness. And thy paths drop fatness’.

God’s best blessings are reserved for the last month, because better is the end of a matter than the beginning thereof. So we are now in the better season of the year.  Therefore expect greater blessings in this better season. The bottom pot is usually the sweetest. In this last month, God has reserved the sweetest portion for us.

This is the crowning month of the year and God has reserved the best for the last. Be expectant this month because God will be doing new things. He will be doing the unexpected and the unprecedented. He will be doing inexpilcabe things that will make men wonder.

God is always going forward. If you stay too long in the right place you are already in the wrong place.  As much as you loved the past, it is time to move into the new phase.

It doesn’t matter what experiences we may have had in the past months, it is time to prepare for a new season. It is time to embrace greater things. Preparation is the mother of manifestation. We have come into a shift and a lift. It is a month of change of garments. It is deckember. We are being decked with new garments. But our hearts must be prepared and open to receive the new thing God is doing. Because if you don’t believe, you will not receive. Be prepared for a season of quick works.

The things of the spirit are in levels. What you see is determined by the level of where you stand. It is change of level that determines what and how you see. For you to assume the next level, you have to climb up. Revelation 4;1 says ‘Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.’

We must go up higher to see better. To receive the better things of this season, we must move into a new level of Word study, prayer and worship. Preparation must precede manifestation.

Most importantly, it is  time also to enter into a new level of praise. Thanking God for all He has done in the past months, so that we can see the new thing He has reserved for us this last month.

PRAYER: Father please open my eyes to see the things You have stored up for me in this crowning season of the year. May I never miss my portion in Jesus Name.

 quote :

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

 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK TRIUMPH OF LIGHT OVER DARKNESS]