Day 11 - God Is Your Strength

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Ephesians 6:10

When you say, “I can manage this problem by myself, Lord,” God says, “Okay, you do it then.” But when you say, “Help me, Lord! I need You. I cannot do this on my own,” God says, “Good, I have been waiting for you to say that. You cannot, but I can. Now, watch Me!” at is how God is — He loves it when you depend on Him.

You see, when you think that you are strong and don’t need God, He cannot help you. But when you need Him and look to Him, He will not leave you weak and helpless. He comes and becomes the strength of your life. He becomes the breakthrough that you need.

A church member with a smoking habit came to me one day and said, “Pastor Prince, please pray that God will help me. I want to stop my smoking habit.”

I told him simply, “You cannot, but God can.”

He replied, “Yes, I know that I can’t. But with God’s help, I will discipline myself and try my best to quit the habit.”

I told him, “No, you cannot, but God can.” I repeated this to him a few times until he realised that it was not his self-discipline or willpower that would help him overcome his smoking habit, but the power of God. He finally understood that true deliverance from this destructive habit would not come by his own strength, but by “[being] strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”.

When I saw him again a few weeks later, he said, “Pastor Prince, since that day, I didn’t even try to stop myself from smoking. But each time I lit up, I told God, ‘I cannot, but You can.’ Then one day, the craving was gone! Jesus has completely delivered me from my bondage to nicotine!” This man experienced true deliverance, not just an outward form of discipline and willpower.

So when you say, “I can do something about it,” you are still relying on your human strength. But when you say to God, “I cannot, but You can,” you have just tapped into the real source of your strength — Jesus. And as you rest in His strength, you will see His power manifesting in your life!

Day 10 - God Is Not Judging You

Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Romans 8:33

Some people see God as a judge who has exacting demands on man. When they fall short or when things go wrong in their lives, they think that God is judging them.

My friend, the truth is that if you are a believer, God does not bring any charge against you. Instead, He justifies you because of the blood of His Son. In fact, God’s Word goes on to say that the One who has the right to condemn you, chose instead to die for you and is risen at the Father’s right hand to be your righteousness!

But what the devil tries to do is to get you to believe that God watches you with a critical eye and punishes you when you do wrong. He has deceived many sincere Christians into believing that if they have done something wrong, sickness or some other evil thing has a right to come upon them and their families. And when these things happen, he convinces them that they are suffering God’s judgment because of their wrongdoings.

33Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

In the meantime, these sincere Christians struggle with condemnation because they think that they are the cause of their problems.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Ever since the cross, where Jesus was judged in your place for every one of your wrong actions, thoughts and words, God no longer judges you, His child. You need not accept condemnation or evil things happening to you because Jesus took all your punishment at the cross.

So when you start to feel condemned for your actions or when you experience negative circumstances, say, “It is written: It is God who justifies me. I am completely forgiven and made righteous before Him. I refuse to accept any condemnation and I reject every symptom of the curse that I am seeing in my circumstances!”

Then, simply stand on the truth of God’s Word, and watch Him deliver and bless you!

Day 9 - By Jesus’ Stripes You Are Healed

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

You know, one of the biggest outcries against Mel Gibson’s movie, the Passion Of The Christ, was that it was too violent, especially the part where Jesus was scourged.

Let me tell you this: It was not violent enough! The Bible says that at the cross, Jesus’ visage was marred beyond that of any man. (Isaiah 52:14) In the movie, even after all the beatings, the actor James Caviezel, who played Jesus, still looked quite handsome. But the reality is that when Jesus hung on the cross, He had “no form or comeliness... there is no beauty that we should desire Him”. (Isaiah 53:2) He was beaten to a pulp until His face looked like jelly hanging out!

In the movie, when they scourged Him, only a small portion of His bones was exposed, so it was still quite tidy. But the messianic psalms say, “ the plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long” (Psalm 129:3), and “I can count all My bones. they look and stare at Me”. (Psalm 22:17) All His bones were exposed!

My friend, He was thinking of you when the soldiers tied Him to the scourging post. As they raised their whips, He said, “Let it all come on Me!”

But what came on Him was not just the whip stripping the flesh off His bare back, but your sicknesses and diseases. Each time He was whipped, every form of sickness and disease, including arthritis, cancer, diabetes, bird flu and dengue fever, came upon Him. “ the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Today, healing is your right because Jesus has paid the price for your healing. So if the devil says, “You cannot be healed,” just declare, “Jesus has paid for my healing. Disease has no right to be in my body.I am healed in Jesus’ name!”

Every curse of sickness that was supposed to fall on you fell on Jesus instead. He bore every one of those stripes, so that you can walk in divine health all the days of your life. The price has been paid so that you can rise up and get out of your bed of a affliction!

Day 8 - Jesus Is Willing, Be Healed!

3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.”...Matthew 8:3

Do you know that it is God’s will for you to be healed? In fact, Jesus always healed the sick who came to Him. The blind, lame, maimed, mute, deaf and demon- possessed — He healed them all! (Matthew 8:16)

The Bible says that he who has seen Jesus has seen the Father. (John 14:9) You want to see what God is like? Look at Jesus! He never gave sickness to anybody. You never find Jesus looking at a person, a fine specimen of a man, and saying, “Come here. You are too healthy. Receive some leprosy!” In fact, when a leper came to Him for healing, Jesus, full of compassion, told the leper, “I am willing; be cleansed.”

Unfortunately, there are some Christians who say, “It is God’s will for me to be sick. God has some purpose, some mysterious purpose for my situation. It is all part of His divine plan and we shall all know in the sweet by and by, the reason why!” But these same people go to their doctors to get well. They take their medication and rest. Why do they do that if they really believe that God wants them sick? Doesn’t make sense, does it?

Come on, what makes perfect sense is this: God wants you well. He wants you whole. His will is for you to be healed! In fact, He is so willing that He took all your sicknesses and diseases upon His own body, so that you don’t have to suffer them today! He allowed Himself to be beaten and scourged, so that by His scourging — by His stripes — you are healed! (Isaiah 53:5) Since He has already suffered the sickness on your behalf, why should you suffer it today?

So my friend, if you are sick, know that God did not give you the disease. Read every healing miracle that Jesus did in the Gospels and see how Jesus is the Lord who heals you. (Exodus 15:26) Hear His gracious words, “I am willing, be healed,” and know that they are as much for you today as they were for the leper!

Day 7 - You Are Already Blessed

I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’ Joshua 24:13

God is more willing to bless you than you are willing to be blessed! In fact, He is so keen for you to enjoy His abundance that in His mind, giving you over and above what you need is a settled matter.

God has already promised: “I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”

He did not say, “I may give,” which means that it may or may not happen, but He said, “I have given,” which means that it has already happened. It is only a matter of time before your revelation of what you have through the work of Christ brings forth the abundance that He has already blessed you with.

A brother in the United States wrote in to share how he needed to buy a car, but had only half the amount of money needed. He kept calculating and strategising, but the sums just weren’t adding up. He finally quit trying to make it happen and just rested in the Lord’s love and ability to provide for him. Weeks later, he was able to buy a car that was two years newer than what he had wanted, at exactly the amount that he had!

My friend, expect divine provision in your life because you are already richly blessed in Christ. Jesus took your place of poverty at the cross — “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) In Him, you are poor no more.

So stop looking at the lack in your natural resources. Look to the cross and say, “Because of Jesus’ finished work, I can expect to walk in all of His blessings!”

Day 6 - It Is Finished!

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30

Imagine looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre museum. Would you think of adding more brush strokes to it? Of course not! It was done by a master, so what could you possibly add to the painting to improve it?

In the same way, that is how we are to look at Jesus’ work on the cross. He cried out, “It is finished!” You cannot complete a completed work. You cannot finish a finished work. Our salvation is won. Our sins are all forgiven. We are made forever righteous by His blood. Christ paid completely and perfectly for our total forgiveness, righteousness and every blessing!

In fact, these three words, “It is finished”, come from one Greek word teleo. In the days of Jesus, a servant would use it when reporting to his master: “I have completed the work assigned to me.” ( John 17:4) The word means, “It is finished, it stands finished and it will always be finished!” Perhaps the most significant meaning of teleo is how it is used by merchants: “ the debt is paid in full!” When Jesus gave Himself on the cross, He met fully the righteous demands of the law.He paid our debts in full!

Today, it is not our works that will bring us the blessings. It is Christ’s finished work. Christian living is not about doing, but believing in His finished work. Under the law, we must do. Under grace, it is done!

Maybe you are faced with overwhelming odds today. Jesus promises, “It is finished!” You are not going to be delivered because you have already been delivered. You are not going to be healed because you are already the healed! God healed you 2,000 years ago! Isaiah 53:5 declares, “By His stripes you are healed!” You are already pregnant with healing. Keep resting in His finished work and it will manifest!

My friend, the work is finished. The victory is won. Our blessings have been bought by His blood! Live life knowing that there is nothing for you to do — only believe! It is finished!

Day 5 - Choose Not To Worry

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  Matthew 6:27

Many Christians are familiar with Jesus’ rhetorical question, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?”But not many of us actually let it get into our hearts and allow the love of God to free us from our habit of worrying. The truth is, no amount of worrying can lengthen your life or add anything to your physical person. Instead, worrying robs you of sleep, health and many good years. In fact, it is only when you are worry-free that God’s anointing flows freely in you, strengthening, healing, restoring and adding to you.

A church member, after undergoing a mammogram, found that she had lumps in her breast. Upon receiving the doctor’s report, she wrote this down on the report: “Jesus is my healer. I receive my healing. I am healed. I rest in God completely.”

She was due back at the clinic later the same day for a biopsy to see if the lumps were malignant. Her sister-in-law, who was having lunch with her that day, witnessed her cheerful and worry-free attitude while she ate her lunch.

Back at the clinic, this precious sister sat among other ladies who were also there for their biopsies. ey looked very worried, so she started sharing Jesus with them and prayed for some of them. When her turn came and she had an ultrasound scan done, the doctor was puzzled — her scan showed no evidence of any lumps!

The doctor went back to consult her colleague who had first discovered the lumps. Stunned, both doctors conducted their own investigations. They returned to her only to say, “It’s a miracle!”

My friend, when you worry, you are actually believing that the devil has the power to make inroads into your life that God cannot protect you from. But when you refuse to worry, you are putting your faith in God. You have more confidence in His love and power working for you than in the devil’s ability to harm you! When you refuse to worry, but choose to rest in the finished work of Christ, you will see the manifestation of your blessing. You will see your miracle!

Day 4 - You Are Perfect In God’s Eyes

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God... 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever them that are sanctified  Hebrews 10:12, 14, KJV

God sees you with no flaw, spot or imperfection, so honour His Word and the finished work of His Son by saying, “Amen!” Don’t doubt your perfection in Christ. To see yourself as far from being perfect is not modesty, but a failure to understand the perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made for you.

The Bible tells us, “For by one offering He has perfected forever them that are sanctified”. Did you get that? You have not only been sanctified, that is, made holy, but by the same offering of His body, you have been perfected. You are both holy and perfect in God’s eyes!

Your sins have been purged perfectly. Today, Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand not because He is the Son of God (although that is true), but because His work of purging your sins is completely nished and perfect!

So instead of being conscious of your sins, which is to have an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22), you can have a perfect conscience, a conscience that is free from the guilt and condemnation of sins.

When you find yourself conscious of your sins, just say, “ Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your wonderful work at the cross. It is a perfect work that has removed all my sins completely.

“Holy Spirit, thank You for convicting me of righteousness, not my own, but God’s righteousness given to me as a gift. Keep on convicting me in the days to come, reminding me especially when I fail that I am still the righteousness of God in Christ.”

My friend, God sees you perfect without any spot of sin. He sees you covered in the beautiful white robes of His own righteousness. He treats you like a righteous man because that is what He has made you. So expect good things to happen to you because blessings are on the head of the righteous! (Proverbs 10:6)

Day 3- Life without the Sweat

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  Matthew 6:26

Most people are of the opinion that the good life does not happen without hard work and buckets of sweat. They believe that to achieve success, you first need to have this educational certifcate, that professional qualification, this particular job and that many years of hard work. I have good news for you:

God has a better way. We all must work, but the world wants you to believe that there is a natural process of sowing, reaping and gathering, accompanied by waiting, toiling and stress, before the good life actually comes. But God says, “My people do not need to go through this natural process to enjoy the good life for they are not of this world’s system. They can operate out of My economy and I can give them a good life straightaway!”

InthesamewaythatGodfeeds the birds which do not go through the sow-then-reap-then-gather system of the world, He wants to and will do much more for you!

Your heavenly Father wants you to know the generosity of His heart toward you and how much

He wants to make you successful. A case in point is what happened to a church member who believed this truth. After leaving his previous job, he trusted God to provide him with a better one. Within just four months, he found himself heading two companies.

His newly formed distribution company not only clinched a major project in Singapore, but was also made the principal distributor in Southeast Asia for a popular line of products from the United States. His second company, which provided consultancy services, was given two projects by a Korean and a Hong Kong company for a six- figure consultancy fee in US dollars.

Today, God wants you to know that you are not of the world’s system. You are of the kingdom of God — the same kingdom that feeds the birds that do not toil, but simply trust their Creator for all their provisions in life. Be convinced that you are of more value to your heavenly Father than the birds, and let Him give you the good life without the toiling and labouring of the world.

Day 2 - The Lord Is Your Refuge

1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91:1–2

Every day, we are bombarded with news of conflicts, natural disasters, diseases and new strains of drug-resistant viruses. We also hear of people losing their loved ones in freak accidents. And we ask ourselves, “Is there a place where I can take refuge from a world gone mad?”

Yes, there is! God foresaw all these things and He has promised in His Word protection from every evil known to man. There is no trap set by the devil that our Father cannot deliver us from, if we trust in Him and take Him as our refuge. at is His promise in Psalm 91.

Whether it is an earthquake at midnight, a crazy sniper, an unknown virus or a terrorist attack, God says, “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that ies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.” (Psalm 91:5–6)

Because you have made Him your dwelling place, angels are (Psalm 91:1–2) watching over you right now. (Psalm 91:9–11) ey give heed to the voice of God’s Word, so you should give voice to God’s Word. is means that you should agree with and speak what God’s Word says about His preserving and protecting you. en, angels are sent to minister for you. (Hebrews 1:14)

My friend, don’t say, “If it can happen to them, it can also happen to me!” Say, “A thousand may fall at my side and 10,000 at my right hand, but it will not come near me!” (Psalm 91:7) The world says that you cannot but expect danger all around. God says, “You are in this world but not of this world. You have My protection because you are of Me and in Me.” ( John 17:14–23)

You have access by faith into the secret place of the Most High where no evil can touch you. ere is no need to fear living in the end times because the Lord is your refuge and fortress. His Word says so. And those who trust His Word completely find His Word completely true!

Day 1 - If It Matters To You, It Matters To God

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Luke 12:6–7

Many Christians make the mistake of thinking that God is too busy taking care of the “big things” to be interested in the little problems they are facing. Are you one of them? It may be your child’s bed-wetting habit, a quarrel with a friend or the small pimple on your face. No matter how trivial it sounds, if it troubles you, then God

wants to take care of it!
God wants to take care of every

area of your life, even the smallest detail. He loves you so much that He knows the number of hairs you have on your head. And if your loving heavenly Father knows and is interested in the small details of your life, then you don’t have to overcome any problem on your own.

When my daughter Jessica turned three, my wife Wendy and I decided to bring her to Disneyland. Knowing that it was her rst encounter with Disneyland and that she could be frightened by unexpected shocks, I decided to watch one of the theatre productions

which I had planned to bring her to, before I took her to watch it.

As I sat through the production, my mind was on Jessica all the time. I was thinking, “Is this too frightening for her? Will she like the mechanical singing bear? Is the place too dark for her?” I decided to bring her to the show only after I had seen it myself and was sure that she would enjoy it.

My friend, your heavenly Father cares for you in the same way as He lays out His plans for you. You are on His heart all the time as He carefully considers and makes plans for every aspect of your life, both big and small. And the very thought of you puts a smile on His face because He knows that the plans He has for you are plans to bless you. ( Jeremiah 29:11)

So no matter what problems you are facing right now, you can rest in His love for you. ere is no problem that is too insignificant for Him to handle. He is not just God Almighty, He is also your heavenly Father who loves you!

Take hold of what He has for you

 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Phil 3:12

God has a plan for your life. The great goal of the Apostle Paul’s life was to take hold it – to definitely and fully grasp that for which Christ has definitely and fully taken hold of him.

When we seek to enter into what God has planned for us remember that we do so from within the grasp of Jesus. Christ’s hand of provision and protection surrounds you so that you can embark on the journey of life confident of His love.

The greatest goal of your life is to enter into that which Christ has in store for you…to live for anything less is, as Paul describes in v.8, rubbish.

Christ did not simply take hold of you to save you from hell but so that you could fulfil His purpose. He has a plan for your life; He has called you to give you a hope and a future beyond anything that you could achieve in your own strength.

What a thought – a life of blessing and purpose waiting for you to take hold of. This is a life worth living – seek it out, chase it down and grasp all that which Christ has in store for you!

Nothing for Him is useless

 “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” 1 Cor 15:58 (NLT)

I’m sure you are familiar with the Greek myth of Sisyphus who was condemned to roll a boulder to the top of a mountain and which would then roll back to the bottom for him to repeat this each day for eternity. Life without purpose is meaningless. 

In this verse Paul reminds us that nothing we ever do for God is useless. Everything I have ever done for God, He will use to build His kingdom. What a fantastic encouragement!

We can enthusiastically throw ourselves into whatever we are doing for God confident that it is more than just words, more than just actions, it is an investment in something that will last forever.

Knowing this lifts our eyes to see past how things appear. Knowing that nothing we do is ever useless enables us to be strong in the face of opposition. It enables us is to remain immovable even when circumstances seek to push us in the opposite direction.

God has placed you where you are today for a purpose, you are called to be light in a dark place and the amazing thing is that God will provide all you need to ensure that what you do He will use to bring blessing.

Free to be who you are

 “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very natureGod, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.” Phil 2:5-6

Confidence in who you are frees you to live the life to which God has called you. I meet a lot of people who are constantly trying to prove how good they are. They use every situation to demonstrate their experience, constantly playing a game of one-upmanship. This was brought home to me recently when a person I was working with always responded to any information you told him with, “yes, I knew that” – even when there was no possibility that could be the case. So often I felt myself saying, ‘just chill out’, ‘be who you are’!

Jesus knew exactly who He was; He didn’t have to try and prove it or to convince others. He was so confident in His identity that He didn’t need to use this position to His own advantage.

You no longer need to grasp after position or use what you have to gain advantage over others. Your success and blessing is found in Jesus not in proving to others how good you are. Be confident in your position as a child of God. In Jesus you have been made perfect before God and there is nothing that you can do to improve your standing in His eyes.

Today be free in who God has made you to be and live confidently in the security of His love.

Don’t minimise your gifts!

 “Don’t minimise the powerful gift that operates in your life, for it was imparted to you by the laying on of hands of the elders and was activated by the prophecy they spoke over you” 1 Tim 4:14 (TPT)

Many of us walk around each day with a powerful gift within us waiting to be exercised. So often our gifting gets neglected - life has a way of burying things deep inside. Somehow in the busyness of work, family and friends we can feel like we never fully get to live the life we were designed for.

There is a powerful gifting in us that can so easily be minimised by our approach to life or fear of others. So often we measure the power of our gifting against human ability and the apparent difficulty of the circumstances we face.

Today remember that God has given you gifts to fulfil His purpose for your life. He is the one who has called you and it is He who will use the gifts within us to achieve all He has planned. You don’t need to worry about whether or not you can do it – it’s not down to your abilities, God will supply all you need.

Be encouraged that God will never call you to do something that He will not enable to you complete. Don’t minimise your gifts!

Your kingdom come...

 “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10

You are powerful. So much more powerful than you could ever imagine, God has placed us here to usher in His Kingdom, He has trusted us as his ambassadors here on earth, kingdom representatives (2 Corinthians 5:20). God has not asked us to bring his kingdom purely by preaching, teaching and speaking but by signs, wonders and miracles even more amazing than Jesus did himself (John 14:12)! You may not feel like it, but you are a kingdom ambassador, empowered and enabled to bring Jesus into any situation you face and see it changed in his presence.

It is in understanding that it is not you, but Christ in you that makes this possible. He is the power; we are the conduits to see the world blessed! Take the pressure off, realise the presence of Jesus everywhere, and see His love for everyone, you will soon enough see His Kingdom Come! Simple!

From head to heart

 1 John 4:19, Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 

An understanding of the love of God to us through Jesusneeds to grow in our hearts.  The knowledge needs to pass our heads and reach our experience and hearts. We have considered this recently at Exchange Church.

My journey has not been a smooth one.  What made it even more difficult was that my head believed one thing, but my heart could not fully grasp what it meant.  I studied the bible, I knew doctrine, yet my emotions were in the basement. 

It took years for my heart to fully grasp the truth of God’s love for me, and only then could I start to find emotional healing that stuck.  It was knowing, not just believing God loves me that turned my life around.

Child of God you are loved.  There is no room for shame when you know that all of your sins have been totally forgiven.  There is no room for fear when you know that you are accepted because of Jesus, not your performance.

Keep your head cool by trusting in the water of God’s love to extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy.