Looking both ways?

O Magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:3

Have you ever tried to look in two different directions at the same time? It’s ridiculous to try because one will always get your attention more than the other. The Lord knows that when we have failed in our humanness we can get consumed with what went wrong. The only way to help us out of making more mistakes is not to try and dissect what went wrong but to focus on the one who is always right.

We were not created to be lone soldiers. We have been created to be part of a family. There is power when we join together and great encouragement.

The devil attempts to isolate us in our moment of weakness and have us believe that we have nothing to offer others. When we believe right we understand that our success in life is not dependent on our actions and us getting it right but on the fact that Jesus has made us perfect and complete. When we magnify him over our lives, our ups and downs, success and failures we will come to see his grace working on our behalf.

Moreover. rather than run away from others, we will be drawn to them, to celebrate and magnify the Lords protection and deliverance and declare his goodness over our future.
 

A refuge when we mess up

I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears
Psalm 34:4

When we set our eyes towards the Lord we can have confidence that he’s ready and waiting. So often we can make things more complicated by trusting in what we have done, how right our attitude and behaviour has been and then we feel ‘good enough’ to approach the Lord.

David wrote this psalm after one of the most humiliating and lowest points of his life. Fear for his life had lead him to act like a madman in front of Abimelech the King of the Philistines, and now he was hiding in a cave.

In his moment of defeat and failure he knows where to turn. He doesn’t look to try and assert himself and pull himself up by his boot straps and give himself a pep talk. No, he turns to the one who is strength, who is victory, who has no fear. The Lord then takes him to a cave called Adullum. We might think that was because he was being hidden due to his sin & failure. But in fact Adullum means Refuge. The Lord led him, and leads us today, to a safe place even when we sin. He gives us refuge and in that place we can be transformed.

We are not going to find the answers in our might. When we understand our frailties, our inconsistencies, but know that doesn’t change how loved we are we are free to be honest with the Lord. He listens to our voice and he hears us but more than that he delights in delivering us and walking us into freedom and victory!
 

What is in your hand

There was no sword in the hand of David....  1st Sam 17

We have been looking at the story of David in Exchange. Goliath is familiar to all of us but we miss so many of the details that the Lord has put there for our encouragement.

What was David equipped with in facing down Goliath? He stands for judgement and condemnation against the people of God. What do you have in your hand to fight those feelings of unworthiness and guilt? The bible says that David did not have a sword - that speaks of human might. There is beautiful imagery for us in the weapons that David had.

He went to the stream which speaks of the Holy Spirit - life giving water in the lives of believers. In John 7 Jesus said that this would flow from our innermost being. he there takes 5 stones, the number of grace and another picture of Jesus, the living stone, and he goes to face his giant.

All you need today is the Holy Spirit and the gospel of grace (Jesus!) and you will see your giants fall. Not your strength but His. This is why David was confident to say "The Battle is the Lord's" because he knew that what was in his hand was more than enough.

Get your eyes on Jesus today and hold fast to the gospel of grace and see your breakthrough!

Good fruit!

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22

So often people read these verses and end up feeling condemned because they approach them with their eyes on self and their own performance.

What we forget is that we can never produce these qualities in our own strength. This is the fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit growing in your life. As we learn to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, as we learn to trust his voice and his ways this fruit will naturally grow in us.

It’s no good trying to force yourself to be patient or be peaceful. This will only last for as long as your will power will allow and it will be hard work.

None of us would plant a seed in the ground and expect to reap a harvest the next morning. We understand that for things to grow time and the right conditions are required.

We understand how things work in the natural world but what are the right conditions in the spiritual world. It’s not about our effort or our behaviour. The scriptures say faith comes by hearing ...and it’s hearing the word of Christ that will transform us.

If you desire to be changed into the image of Christ and reflect his glory fix your eyes in him. Feed on his love, his peace, his joy, his goodness ,,, Trust him and you will bear fruit!
 

Contend for the faith.

"...urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. Jude 1:3

To contend means to hold, profess, affirm, insist. When I read these definitions I felt challenged. They are strong words that imply a purposeful and determined approach towards what we believe.

Our understanding of our position in Christ needs to be carefully protected. Satan wants us to believe that as we grow as Christians it is no longer adequate to simply approach the Father freely. The lie he speaks is that maturity brings greater responsibility and greater accountability. This all sounds very logical and appeals to our sense of pride in how we are advancing in our spiritual walk.

However true understanding of this verse reminds us that it’s about our justification by faith. How we receive in the beginning is how we will continue to receive throughout this life. We come with nothing and are given everything through our trust and dependence in Jesus.

Right behaviour should never be our primary focus because when it does our eyes are immediately taken off Jesus and onto ourselves. It’s only when we keep our eyes on Jesus, who he is, what he says, how he sees us that we will find freedom and right living effortlessly manifesting in our daily lives.
 

No Weapon will stand!

No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness which is of me," says the LORD. Isaiah 54:17

Words have tremendous power. When the Lord created the world he spoke it into being. Throughout scripture we see the incredible power of the words that were promised to the children of Israel and then the challenges that they faced as they contended for that which was promised.

Many would describes the times today as being the most uncertain in history with the relentless advances in technology bringing with them greater threats to our safety and security.
And yet as new covenant believers we have the most certain future we could ever imagine.

As we meditate on this scripture today we realise that no matter what may be said or done against us the plans of the enemy will not prevail against the Lords people.

How can we be so certain of this? How can we truly accept this in our hearts and face a setback and challenge with hope and a greater zeal for the future?

The answer is simple “As he is so are we in this world.’ We are seated with Jesus in heavenly places. He is resting, victorious because his work is finished. The battle is over we are walking from victory. No longer can you be accused of not having done enough. He’s done it all.

There are no more pointing fingers that can cause you to be intimidated or paralyse you with fear. There is only one voice we need to take notice of. It’s the voice of truth. It’s the voice of your Heavenly Father, it’s the voice of his beloved son and he calls you righteous.

Strong Tower

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10

How many of us would want to live in a home called ‘Disaster’ or marry someone called Mr Angry!! These ideas may sound crazy but we need at times to remind ourselves that when God gives something a name it is of utmost importance.

Nothing is named without thought or intention in scripture. When we read the above verse it should birth in us tremendous confidence and assurance about who we belong to and where we are positioned in life.

The enemy wants us to get our eyes on our weaknesses. Where we don’t measure up, where we failed in the past, the areas we consistently trip up in. This type of thinking buries us in doubt and defeat and we become too weak to see a way out.

The Lord does not want us to have our heads down. What is his name? A strong tower! He is strength! We don’t need to muster it up. In fact we can’t because we must receive it from him. And not only that he’s a tower. Set on high. Looking above the circumstances from a position of authority.

We run to him and we are safe. And how do we know that we can do that? Because we are the righteous. The finished work of Jesus, dying at the cross in our place has removed any barrier that would have stopped us from approaching the Father. We are free to enter into to that place of safety and security and rest in his strength.

Day 31 - Power From Jesus’ Body To Yours

... “Take, eat; this is My body.” Matthew 26:26

Can you imagine the Lord sick, nursing a cold or fever while He walked on earth? No, our Lord Jesus was never sick! He was vibrant, full of life and full of health. When He told His disciples, “Take, eat; this is My body”, they could practically visualise what it meant because they had lived and walked with this Man. They had seen people without hands or feet made whole when they touched His body. (Matthew 15:30– 31)

Even His clothes were soaked with His health! A woman who had a bleeding condition for 12 years — no doctor could cure her — was healed immediately when she touched the hem of His garment. If the hem of His garment was soaked with His health, vibrancy, energy and divine radiance, how much more His body!

You know, some of the most encouraging verses in the Gospels are these: “And as many as touched Him were made well” (Mark 6:56), for “power went out from Him and healed them all”. (Luke 6:19) I love those verses! That is our Jesus!

The Bible says that they put sick people along the streets, and Jesus walked around, touched them and healed them. Now, you see movie stars doing this: They run here and there, they slap their fans’ hands, but nobody gets healed. But wherever Jesus walked, whoever He touched, He healed. Picture this: A trail of people. Those in front of Jesus are lying down, but those behind Him whom He has touched are leaping with joy and following Him! That is how Jesus healed the sick.

So that night, when He said, “Take, eat; this is My body,” as He broke the bread and gave it to His disciples to eat, they knew what it meant. ey were probably thinking, “We are going to ingest His health into our bodies! Hallelujah!”

That is what you must believe when you partake of the Holy Communion. It is not just a ritual or symbolic act. No, you must believe that He is the true bread from heaven who took your cancer, diabetes and heart disease, so that you can have His supernatural health! And when you eat of His broken body with this revelation, you will have life in abundance and the health of the Lord!

Day 30 - God Hears Your Prayers

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”  Romans 4:7-8

Some people think that if they were more “right” with God, then He would hear their prayers. For example, they sometimes believe that if they had not quarreled with their wives or had those bad thoughts earlier in the day, then God would answer their prayers.
God is not like that. He wants you to know beyond any doubt that you can always come to His throne of grace with boldness and have every confidence that you will receive His mercy and grace. (Hebrews 4:16) You see, because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross, you are already right with God. You don’t need to do anything to make yourself more right with God.

In fact, by faith in Jesus, you have received the righteousness of God Himself ! (2 Corinthians 5:21) And no matter how many mistakes you make, you will never lose that righteousness because in the first place, God gave it to you apart from your works. (Romans 4:5–6) In other words, God did not impute righteousness to you because you were good, but because you believed in Jesus. Because of what Jesus has done for you at the cross, all your sins — past, present and future — are forgiven. God will by no means ever remember your sins or count them against you! (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17)

My friend, because Jesus has been punished for your sins, today, God is not counting your sins against you. is means that your sins won’t stop Him from hearing and responding to your prayers. So you can always run into His presence knowing that you can boldly stand in and enjoy His presence and His love.

When you know this truth, it is going to set you free in your relationship with God. You can talk to Him without fear or any sense of condemnation. You can practice His presence and trust that He always hears you. Should something happen at home or at work, you don’t always have to call for your church leaders — you pray and God hears you!

Beloved, you are righteous in Christ and God hears your prayers — all because of Jesus!

Day 29 - Be Christ-Conscious

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace  EPH 1:7

Have you ever woken up in the morning and said, “Today, I will not sin.” And as you leave your house, you say, “I must be careful not to fall into sin today. I don’t want to sin. I will not sin!” My friend, when you do this, you are no longer Christ- conscious but sin-conscious, even though you have not sinned yet. Men, have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I don’t want to look at any woman in case I lust”? You are being sin-conscious when you think like that. And sooner or later, you will lust in your heart. You may not sin outwardly, but you will sin inwardly.
Have you also tried confessing every sin? I have! As a teenager, when a bad thought came, I would quickly say, “I’m sorry, Lord. Forgive me for this thought in Jesus’ name.” Then, another thought would come and I would quickly say, “Forgive me, Lord, for that thought in Jesus’ name.” Then, if I happen to doubt His forgiveness, I would confess my unbelief and ask for forgiveness: “Forgive me, Lord, for doubting You.” Before I knew it, I was oppressed in my mind and so sin-conscious instead of Christ- conscious!

My friend, when you fall into sin, God wants you to be Christ- conscious. This means that when you have missed it, God wants you to be conscious that in Christ, you have forgiveness of sins through His blood. God wants you to be conscious that Christ was wounded and bruised for your sins, and that the chastisement for your peace was upon Him. (Isaiah 53:5)

When you are Christ- conscious, you will have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) You will know that you are the righteousness of God in Christ because He who knew no sin was made sin for you. (2 Corinthians 5:21) He took your sin and now you have His righteousness.

So when you fall, don’t be conscious of your failure and feel bad or condemned. Instead, be conscious of who you are in Christ, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue your walk with God!

Day 28 - You Already Are, You Already Have

24Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  Mark 11:24

God’s Word tells us that we can have what we ask for in prayer — by simply believing that we already have it! As you are praying, know that you already have your answer or breakthrough — “believe that you receive them”. The Bible also tells us that we already have whatever we are praying for because we are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

And you are in Christ the moment you received Him as your Savior. So when you pray, you are actually releasing your faith to lay hold of what you already have in Christ. And as you keep saying that you already have it (Mark 11:23), you will see the manifestation of it in the natural realm.

In one of our church camps, a church member shared about the back problem she had had for 15 years as a result of a fall from her rooftop. She needed an operation to help stop the shooting pains in her spine. She had also been taking anti- stress pills for five years.

After coming to church, she realised that she had already received her healing through the finished work of Christ. Refusing the operation and even the pills, she would rebuke the pain which kept coming back, saying, “In Jesus, I believe I am healed. I am not trying or going to be healed. I am already healed. I have a brand new backbone for I am in Christ. As Christ is, so am I in this world.” It was not very long before this sister saw the manifestation of her healing.

Sometimes, the symptoms of a sickness or lack may return and you think that you still have not received your blessing. That is the time to release your faith and declare that you already have it. You are not confessing to get it. You are confessing because you already have it in Christ!

My friend, the Bible tells us that Christ is in us. (Colossians 1:27) is means that right now, your healing, wellness, family’s well-being and everything your heart desires are in you. So say, “I have everything I need in Christ right now!”

Day 27 - Call It Forth!

17... God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;

Romans 4:17

“Pastor Prince, I feel the pain in my body. How can I go around saying that Christ has redeemed me from this sickness? How can I say that by His stripes I am healed?”
Well, God’s way is to call those things that are not as though they are. And because you are made in God’s image, you can also call those things that are not as though they are!

When God wanted to make Abraham a father of many nations, what did He do? He changed the way Abraham talked. At that time, Abraham did not even have a single child from Sarah because she was barren. So how could he become a father of many nations?

God changed the way he talked. How? By changing his name from Abram to Abraham, which means “father of many nations”. (Genesis 17:5)

Just imagine: From then on, every time he met someone, he would say, “Hi, my name is Father Of Many Nations.” Every time dinner was ready, Sarah would call out to Abraham, “Darling... Father Of Many Nations... dinner is ready! Father Of Many Nations...” You can just hear their neighbours saying, “ they want a child so much they have gone mad!” But God changed the way Abraham talked so that he called forth what God saw him already blessed with.

You know, when Jesus saw the man with a withered hand, He didn’t say, “My goodness! It is so withered!” He said, “Stretch out your hand!” (Matthew 12:13) He called forth what He wanted. He looked at the paralytic and said, “Rise, take up your bed and go home!” (Matthew 9:6) He didn’t see the way it was in the natural. He saw the way God meant it to be and He called it forth.

Genesis 1 tells us that in the beginning, there was darkness over the face of the whole earth. God saw the darkness and He said, “Light be!” And light was. God called forth what He wanted and it became so! If it had been me or you, we would probably have said, “Whoa! It is so dark!”

My friend, despite the pain, call forth your healing. It is pointless to state the obvious. So change the way you talk. See the way God meant it to be, and start calling forth your healing and wholeness!

Day 26- Confessing Your Righteousness Pleases God

... the righteousness of faith speaks... Romans 10:6

Every time you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ”, God the Father is pleased. When you confess that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, it reminds Him of what His Son has done for you to become righteous.

Also, by making you righteous, God is showing Himself righteous — “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifer of the one who has faith in Jesus”. (Romans 3:26)

Each time Jesus hears you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” it brings much pleasure to His heart too, because you are laying hold of what He suffered and died to give you.

The Holy Spirit, who now indwells you to convict you of righteousness (John 16:10), also rejoices when you confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” He is pleased when you flow with Him.

The delight of the Godhead is not the only thing you gain when you declare, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” The Bible tells us that when you “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness... all these things shall be added to you”. (Matthew 6:33)

Whether it is food, clothing or other necessities in life, “all these things” will be added to you. They will not just be given to you, but added to you as your inheritance when you seek first His righteousness.

You don’t need to use your faith for every single need in life. You just need to use your faith for one thing — to believe that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, and it will cause all the blessings you seek to come after you and overtake you!

Day 25 - See the Favour Of God Multiplied In Your Life

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,  2nd Peter 1;2

 If you would like to walk in a greater measure of God’s favour, 2 Peter 1:2 says that grace, which is the undeserved favour of God, and peace, can be multiplied to you. Peace is the word “shalom” in Hebrew. Its definition includes wholeness, health, safety and provision. So when you walk in divine favor and peace, you will walk in blessings in every area of your life!

But how do the undeserved favor and shalom of God increase in your life?

It is not by your labouring or toiling to earn it. The Bible says that it comes as your knowledge of Jesus and His finished work increases. It comes as you learn more about and believe that through Jesus’ one sacrifice at the cross, God removed all your sins, gave you His righteousness as a gift and put you in Christ to enjoy everything Jesus has. God’s favour is multiplied in your life when you simply believe that the favour of God that is on Christ is also on you because of what Jesus’ work at the cross has accomplished.

Today, you don’t have to struggle for favour. Just release it by speaking forth God’s Word in faith. On your way to work, say, “God’s favour surrounds me as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12) As you continue to speak God’s favour over your life out of a revelation of Jesus’ finished work, you will see more of it being released.

When I first entered the workforce, I began to declare the favour of God in my job. Every time I was given a new assignment, I proclaimed that the divine favour of God was on me. e company began to prosper and I was blessed financially. By the time I left the company to serve God full-time, my income had increased so that I was in the top 15 per cent of earners in my age group in Singapore.

Today, in your workplace or at home, begin to declare the favour of God by faith. Expect to receive preferential treatment wherever you are. Say, “I am surrounded with the favour of God because of Jesus’ finished work. I have favour before God and man!” And see God’s favour work for you!

Day 24 - Surely!

Surely He has borne our griefs [sicknesses] and carried our sorrows [pains]... Isaiah 53:4

While waiting for the manifestation of their healing, some people find it hard to believe that Jesus really took their sicknesses and pains, just as He took their sin and shame. If you are one of them, don’t feel condemned. Your Father in heaven understands. That is why He put the word “surely” there when He said, “Surely, My Son has borne your sicknesses and carried your pains.”

Once, my daughter Jessica was crying all night because she was not feeling well. She had been sick for a few days. In my study, I took out my Bible and the Lord led me to Isaiah 53:4 where it says, “Surely He has borne...” Now, I know the original Hebrew here and it says, “Surely He has borne our sicknesses and carried our pains.” So I said, “Surely, He has borne Jessica’s sickness...”

But it was like the verse was just not real to me. Her cries seemed more real. Then, all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to a word in the verse that really revolutionised the way I saw the whole passage.

Notice the first word in the verse? It says, “Surely...” Surely,

4 Surely He has borne our griefs [sicknesses] and carried our sorrows [pains]...

Isaiah 53:4

He has borne our sicknesses and carried our pains. Now, look at the next verse: “He was wounded for our transgressions...” Every Christian knows and believes that Jesus was wounded for our sins, yet the word “surely” is not put here but in the earlier verse. I think God knew that we would find it hard to believe that Jesus also bore our sicknesses and carried our pains, so He put the word “surely” there to help us believe!

When I saw that, I put my Bible on the floor, stood on it and said, “Father, you know I don’t mean any irreverence, but I am standing on Your Word. Surely, Jesus bore Jessica’s sickness and carried her pain! I don’t care if I can still hear her crying. Surely, Your Son, Your beloved Son, bore her sickness and carried her pain! Hallelujah!” at night, the breakthrough came. at night, little Jessica was healed.

Are you or your loved ones suffering some sickness or pain right now?

Surely our Lord Jesus has borne your sicknesses and carried your pains. And as you believe this truth, surely, your healing and breakthrough will come!

Day 23 - Rejoice, O Barren!

Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor...  Gal 4:27

Barrenness. What a painful and frustrating condition. Yet, in Isaiah 54, God’s Word to those who are experiencing barrenness is to rejoice — “Sing O barren”!

Why? Because in the previous chapter, it tells us that the chastisement for our peace fell upon Jesus. (Isaiah 53:5) The word “peace” here in Hebrew means completeness, soundness, health, safety and provision. In other words, all these benefits are yours today because Jesus has already been punished at the cross for your peace. at is why you can start rejoicing.

So God wants you right now, in whatever area you are barren, to start rejoicing as if the fruit or yield you want to see has already come. He wants you to start thinking, speaking and acting as if the barrenness is no more.

If you are financially barren, start planning for what you would do when your finances increase. I am not saying that you go out and spend recklessly, but start making plans for increase. The time to do this is when you are still in what your natural eyes see as a barren stage. 

You may say, “Pastor Prince, you don’t understand, the banks are chasing me!”

God says, “Rejoice because you are well provided for in Christ.” In Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing, including nancial provision. (Ephesians 1:3) “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)

If you are sick, start planning to do what you have not been able to do. Don’t rejoice only when the healing manifests and the pain is no more. Rejoice now in your healing because Jesus has already borne your diseases and carried your pains, and by His stripes you have already been healed. (Isaiah 53:4–5)

Whatever barren situation you are in, rejoice and tell God, “Father, because of the sacrifice of Your Son, I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. You have already given me everything. So I am going to act like it is so and rejoice!”

Day 22 - A Sleeping Partner Who Benefits

Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram...  Genesis 15:12

In business, sleeping or silent partners don’t work but still take home huge profits. They are like the wife of the boxing champion. He gets badly beaten up to win the prize money. But when he gets home, his wife takes it from him and says, “ Thank you very much, darling!”

Do you know that in your covenant with God, you are like the boxer’s wife or the sleeping partner?

When Abraham asked God how he would know for sure that he would inherit the land that God had promised him, God made a covenant with him. (Genesis 15:8–21) But instead of cutting the covenant with Abraham by walking in between the animal pieces with him, God put Abraham into a deep sleep and cut the covenant with Jesus instead.

Jesus, the light of the world, appeared as the pillar of fire and cut the covenant with God the Father who appeared as the pillar of cloud. In other words, Jesus took Abraham’s place. He was perfect Man representing Abraham when He cut the covenant with His Father.

By substituting Abraham with Jesus, God was being gracious because if Abraham had done it, he would also have been responsible for keeping the covenant. And Abraham, being a mere man, would fail. But God the Son can never fail! Abraham’s blessings were therefore guaranteed because they did not depend on his performance but Jesus’ performance. Abraham was literally a sleeping partner, a beneficiary of the covenant.

Today, God has also made a covenant with you, called the new covenant. And like Abraham, you are a sleeping partner because the new covenant was also cut between God the Father and God the Son at Calvary. You are simply a beneficiary of the new covenant. You enjoy all its benefits without having to work at keeping it. Jesus, your representative, has already fulfilled all the conditions on your behalf. And because His obedience is perfect and His work is perfectly finished, the covenant blessings for you are guaranteed!

My friend, there is nothing left for you to do, but everything for you to believe. Don’t try to work for your covenant blessings. Rest in the Son’s finished work and receive them by faith!

Day 21 - Guaranteed By Covenant

And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeonGenesis 15:8-9

Are you discouraged because a breakthrough that you have been praying for has yet to manifest? Maybe it has been days or even weeks and you are asking, “How will I know that I will get it?” Abraham faced the same situation and asked God the same question. And God answered, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three- year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” What a strange answer!

But if you read on (Genesis 15:10–21), you will realize that God took Abraham’s question very seriously, and went on to show him just how serious He was about being his provider, protector and blesser. God was so serious that He was willing to bind Himself to a covenant.

What is a covenant? It is like a contract. Yet, it is more than a contract. A contract is binding only for a period of time, like five years or seven years, or until certain terms are fulfilled. But a covenant is perpetual. It is permanent. the only way out is through death. at is why marriage is a covenant, not a contract. It is permanent — “Till death do us part”. In Bible times, when you cut a covenant with someone, you bring an animal, usually a ram or goat, and kill it by cutting it in two. Next, you will face your covenant partner and walk toward each other between the two pieces of the animal, passing each other in the centre.
What all this means is that both parties are obligated to protect and provide for each other. Whatever belongs to you is your partner’s and whatever belongs to your partner is yours. Of course, the one who benefits is the lesser or poorer party.

Today, God is in covenant with us. We are the lesser, poorer party. We have nothing to offer God. But God, the richest and most powerful being in the universe, has everything to o er us!

My friend, God has bound Himself to a covenant, an iron-clad guarantee of His blessings and provision in your life, and it is all for your benefit. The breakthrough you are waiting for is guaranteed by covenant!

Day 20 - The Blood Of Jesus Protects

13... And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:13

For 400 years, the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. Life for them was one of hard labor, pain, loss and even death. When Moses their deliverer came, what soon followed was one plague after another on the Egyptians. But none of the plagues caused Pharaoh to release the Israelites until they put the blood on their doorposts. What nine plagues could not do, the blood did! The Israelites were finally set free because of the blood.

Are you under any kind of bondage? Are your loved ones held captive by the destroyer who is bent on destroying them? Plead the blood of the Lamb of God over all that is yours and your family’s. When nothing else seems to work, His blood always works!

When I was a teenager doing a stint as a relief teacher in a primary school, one of the girls in my class was absent from school one day. I didn’t think too much about her absence until I returned home that afternoon. As I was praying, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for her protection and to cover her with the precious blood of Jesus.

It was revealed later on that she had been abducted by a notorious serial killer who had murdered a number of young children. My pupil recounted how she had been tied up and offered to the “deities” the killer had in his flat. Miraculously, he released her when the evil spirits found her to be an unsuitable offering.

Why was this pupil released unharmed? I believe that she was presented to the deities on the same afternoon that I pleaded the blood of Jesus over her. Of course, the evil spirits did not want her because the Most High God would not allow them to have her. God was protecting her. She was set free because of the blood of Jesus!

You see, when you plead the blood of Jesus, the destroyer cannot come near. When he sees the blood, he must respect the blood. He cannot touch what is covered by the blood. e blood of Jesus truly protects and sets you free!

Day 19 - God’s Word Is Out To Bless You

11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:11

In the early church, whenever the Word of God was preached, there were miracles of salvation, healing, and other signs and wonders. The demon-possessed were set free. The paralysed jumped up and walked. People received their loved ones back from the dead.

I remember saying in one of our church services that there was an anointing for couples, who were told that they could not conceive in the natural, to receive the children they had been believing God for. As the word went forth, many couples received their miracle in that service.

One of the ladies who received was serving that day as an usher. She and her husband had been believing God for a child for a few years. A few months after that service, she realized that she was pregnant — with twins! God’s anointing is always greater than our asking.

I believe with all of my heart that we are truly coming to the place where as the Word of God goes forth, it produces the very effect that the Word promises. So if the Word on healing goes forth, know that healing is already exploding in your body. Your miracle has already happened.

Very often, as you are reading the Word on your own or listening to anointed preaching of the Word, you will feel God’s peace and joy, and feel faith springing up in your heart. As the Word goes forth and you find that you are strengthened to receive your miracle, that is the time to say, “Lord, I receive my healing right now.” that is the time to say, “I receive Your restoration for my marriage.” That is the time to say, “I receive Your breakthrough for my finances.”

You don’t have to wait until a church leader or friend prays for you. Every time your faith is strengthened as you hear the Word, release it through your mouth to receive your miracle, for God’s Word is out to bless you!