Topic: He Hears You [Thursday December 14, 2017]

If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. —1 John 5:14

God has said, “If my people . . . pray . . . then will I hear from heaven.” Before three thousand people were brought into the Church on the day of Pentecost, the disciples had spent ten days in prayer, fasting, and spiritual travail. God desires that Christians be concerned and burdened for a lost world. If we pray this kind of prayer, an era of peace may come to the world and the hordes of wickedness may be turned back.

Prayer for the day: Almighty God, burden my heart for those in the world who have not experienced Your peace in their lives.

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

Topic: No Deposit—No Return [Thursday December 14, 2017]

…Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments…. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. – Psalm 112:1,7

Are you ready to face a crisis? Don’t wait until one hits to find out. Prepare yourself now.

That’s what a couple of my Partners did. They faced a situation that would have made many people panic. But when the crisis hit, their hearts were so deeply established on the Word of God that their first response was not one of fear but of faith.

What affected me most when I heard their testimony was one particular phrase they kept using:

No Deposit—No Return

What they meant by that was that if you don’t take the time to deposit the Word in your heart now, it won’t be there later when you really need it. You’ll end up in a crisis with only doubt and unbelief instead of the faith and power you need to see you through. In a situation like the one this couple faced, that could be deadly.

You see, their 2-year-old son had suffered a fall that had cracked his skull and critically injured his neck. He had no feeling in his arms and legs and was unable to move. Yet as they rushed him to the emergency room, a great sense of peace rested on them. Rather than crying with fear, they prayed in faith and declared, “By Jesus’ stripes, our son is healed!”

Sure enough, within hours, their boy was totally restored. Even the X-rays verified the fact that a miracle had taken place.

What’s important to understand about that story is this: The victory was not won when the damage to that little boy’s body disappeared. It was won all during the days and weeks and months before when his parents were listening to tapes and studying the Word and praying in the spirit. It was won because these people had spent time building a foundation on the Word so that when this storm came, they were able to stand.

Now is the time for you to build a rock-solid foundation! Don’t wait around until you’re faced with a crisis. Get the Word in your heart in abundance now, so when you really need it, it will flow out in power.

Remember: No deposit—no return.

Start making those precious deposits today!

Scripture Reading: Psalm 112

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.

Topic: With God’s Help — Thursday December 14, 2017.

Read: Joshua 14:7–15, Bible in a Year: Joel 1–3; Revelation 5

So here I am today, eighty-five years old! . . . I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Joshua 14:10–11

As I’ve grown older, I’ve noticed more joint pain, especially when cold weather hits. Some days, I feel less like a conqueror and more like someone conquered by the challenges of becoming a senior citizen.

That’s why my hero is an older man named Caleb—the former spy sent by Moses to scout out Canaan, the Promised Land (Num. 13–14). After the other spies gave an unfavorable report, Caleb and Joshua were the only spies out of the twelve whom God favored to enter Canaan. Now, in Joshua 14, the time for Caleb to receive his portion of land had come. But there were enemies still to drive out. Not content to retire and leave the battle to the younger generation, Caleb declared, “You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said” (Josh. 14:12).

“The Lord helping me.” That’s the kind of mindset that kept Caleb battle-ready. He focused on God’s power, not his own, nor on his advanced age. God would help him do whatever needed to be done.

Most of us don’t think of taking on anything monumental when we reach a certain age. But we can still do great things for God, no matter how old we are. When Caleb-sized opportunities come our way, we don’t have to shy away from them. With the Lord helping us, we can conquer!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me the strength to get through each day. Help me to do Your will.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Insight:

Caleb had grown up in the slavery of Egypt. He’d seen God rescue His people from the grip of Pharaoh and provide for them for forty years in a hot and barren wilderness. He’d seen giantlike people make his fellow spies feel like insects (Num. 13:33), yet even in his old age he relied on God’s help to conquer the land.

Are you faced with an impossible situation? The same God who helped Caleb can help you too. Mart DeHaan

This message was written By Linda Washington [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Your Stand And Your Shield [Thursday December 14, 2017]

Scripture: …As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. I Kings 17:1

Thought For The Day: Where you stand determines how you end in life.

From our anchor scripture above, Elijah stood before King Ahab and fearlessly declared that there would be no rain until he had declared otherwise. What an audacity! It is like a civilian walking up to a military General and dictator, someone like Idi Amin Dada of Uganda or Adolf Hitler of Germany and telling him that he would not have access to the treasury of the country which he governs until he or she asks him to do so. That person, no doubt, would be on a suicide mission.

Come to think of it, as brutal as King Ahab and His wife Jezebel were, what was it that gave Elijah the courage to make such utterance right before them and went away unhurt? It was because of his stand with God.

Beloved, where you stand determines how you end in life. Your stand with God guarantees your shield in life. Your stand on the Word of God, prayer, holiness or righteousness; your stand in speaking on behalf of God against satanic or human opinions, etc. facilitates your protection by God from the arrows of destruction of the enemy.

Today, I prophesy to you, as you determine to stand with God, I decree that you are protected and preserved from every calamity that befalls people in this season. Your life is shielded from every arrow of disaster in this December, in Jesus’ Name.

Remember This: Where you stand determines how you end in life

Assignments:

1. Ensure that you maintain the Presence of God in your life at all times.

2. Never take any decision, act or move outside the Will and Presence of God.

Prayer: Lord, I ask that You eject the spirit of timidity from my life and inject in me the spirit of audacity. Help me to maintain Your Presence consistently at all times, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, Get the Message: WHERE ARE YOU STANDING?

Quote: It is impossicant to stand before God and kneel before any devil at the same time. Culled from THE PRINCIPLES AND POWER OF PRAYER by Dr Paul Enenche

Daily Reading: Jonah 1:1 to 4:11, Revelation 5:1 to 14, Psalm 133:1 to 3, Proverbs 29:26 to 27

Amazing Fact: The lifespan of a lash is about 90 days.

Today In History: 14/12/1918 – British women voted for the first time in a general election and were allowed to run for office.

Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Pastor Paul and Becky Enenche, as the Senior Pastors. It is a power-packed arena where God’s Presence, Principles and Power are at work for the salvation, healing and restoration of human destinies and dignities.