Topic: Be Patient [Tuesday February 28, 2017]

But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. — James 1:4

James teaches us that we can rejoice when we find ourselves involved in difficult situations, knowing that God is trying our faith to bring out patience. I have found that trials did eventually bring out patience in me, but first they brought a lot of other junk to the surface—such as pride, anger, rebellion, self-pity, complaining, and many other things. It seems that these ungodly traits, with God’s help, need to be faced and dealt with because they hinder patience as well as other good fruit like kindness, love, humility, and other things.

The Bible talks about purification, sanctification, and sacrifice. These are not popular words; nevertheless, these are things we go through in order to become like Jesus in our character. God’s desire is to make us perfect, lacking in nothing. He wants us to ultimately be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which usually requires us to go through some difficulties that, although are unpleasant, do eventually help us mature.

I struggled with the difficulties in my life for a long time until I finally learned that God would work them out for good and use them to help me in many ways. He simply wants you and me to surrender and say, “I trust You, God. I believe when this difficulty is over, I will be a better person than I was before it began!”

No matter what you are going through, trust God that you are growing closer to Him each day!

Topic: Impediments to Prayer [Tuesday 28, February 2017]

Memorise: If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: – Psalm 66:18

Read: Isaiah 59:1-4 (KJV)

1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

Bible in One Year: Genesis 25-26, Isaiah 47:1-13

MESSAGE:

The fact that God answers prayers is without doubt. Anytime you call on Him, as long as it is in the Name of Jesus, you can be sure the answer will come. Jesus in John 14:14 said,

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

To God, answering prayers is a question of keeping His word. He said if you call upon Him when you are in trouble, He will deliver you, and He is bound by His word (Psalm 50:15, Hebrews 6:18). There was once a contest between the prophet of God, Elijah, and 450 prophets of an idol called Baal (1 Kings 18:19-24). Each side was to call on their God or god; the goal was to see which side would receive a response by fire. The prophets of Baal called on their god from morning till afternoon, but there was no answer. The moment the man of God called on the Lord, fire fell from heaven. God is still in the business of answering prayers, but are you still in the business of obeying Him? Be assured that God is still in the business of stilling raging storms. If you remove iniquity from your heart, you will call on Him and He will answer and deliver you.

As much as God desires to answer your prayers, if you still enjoy a life of sin, your prayers cannot be answered. We must make conscious efforts to remove all impediments to our prayers. Such impediments include what the Bible describes as “the sin which doth so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:1). The pleasures of the flesh run against God’s expectations (Galatians 5:17). Such pleasures will not allow us to receive answers to our prayers. We must be weary of gossip because there is great danger in every idle word we speak (Matthew 12:36). Jesting should also be avoided (Ephesians 5:4). Jesting refers to unholy jokes. God is not against laughter and humour as some people wrongly believe. He is pleasantly humorous, but we must keep ourselves from unhealthy jokes that hinder holy living or make fun of the Holy Spirit. The Lord is not just looking for those who are calling on Him for miracles and signs; He is searching for those who will lift up holy hands and a pure heart before Him (Psalm 24:3-5). He is looking for those who are ready and committed to walking in His footsteps. God is holy, and He has called us to holy living. We are to do as He commands because we are the light of the world. God in Heaven is glorified when our light shines in the midst of the darkness of this world. If you don’t want any impediment of your prayers from now on, you must amend your ways. If you have been stealing, repent and steal no more. If you have been involved in questionable transactions and dealings, you have to repent and forsake such ways. If your life is right with God, your prayers will not be hindered.

Action Point: Confess every pleasure of the flesh you have yield to, asking for grace to live above them.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Topic: The Tragedy of Competition [Tuesday February 28, 2017]

Scripture: If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 1 John 4:20-21

Thought For The Day: The presence of strife is the absence of God.

One of the dangerous tragedies of life and destiny is competition. This is because unhealthy competition limits a man’s destiny.

It is not possible to be the person you are meant to be as long as you are struggling to become like another person.  You cannot become who you are meant to become when your major focus in life is to undo, overdo, or outdo someone else.

Competition works hand in hand with strife. The presence of strife is the absence of God. The presence of strife equals the presence of hatred because you cannot strive with someone you love. So, strife, hatred and competitive jealousy excuses a man from the presence of God because God is love (1 John 4:8). Love can never be found where hatred or strife is present. So, God can never be found where hatred or strife is present.

Beloved, deliver yourself from strife because it kills joy. And as long as you allow bitterness and jealousy in your life, your joy, which is needed to fulfil destiny is dead.

Therefore, struggle only to be what God wants you to be, not what another person is. Always avoid unhealthy competition.

Remember this: The presence of strife is the absence of God.

Assignments:

1. Avoid any form of strife, hatred and competition in your life.

2. Believe and act on the Word of God concerning you.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: DEADLY ENEMIES OF DESTINY.

Prayer: O LORD, deliver me from the spirit of competition, hatred and jealousy. Help me to live by Your Word, O LORD, in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Reading: Leviticus 22:17 to 23:44, Mark 9: 30 to 10:12, Psalm 44:1 to 8, Proverbs 10:19.

Amazing Fact: There are only thirteen blimps in the world. Nine of them are in the United States.

Today In History: 28/02/1922 – Egypt was declared a sovereign state by Britain.

Quote: The closer you get to God, the more secured your life will be. The farther you move away from God, the more vulnerable your life and destiny will be. Culled from 15 KINGDOM STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL by Dr Paul Enenche.

Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), is a powerfully anointed church, headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Dr Paul and Dr 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.

With all the stressful situations we face in our day to day lives, it’s good to have knowledge of relaxation responses to these stressors. This will help you avoid negative effects of stress like insomnia, high blood pressure, headaches, fatigue etc. Jumia Travel shares 7 relaxation techniques to help you achieve this. You can sample several of them to see the one(s) that work(s) best for you.

Breathing Exercises

In this exercise, you take long, slow, deep breaths (also known as abdominal or belly breathing). As you breathe, disengage your mind from distracting and troubling thoughts and sensations, says Julie Corliss, Executive Editor of Harvard Heart Letter. You should let your breath flow as deep down into your belly as possible (without forcing it), and breathe out without pausing or holding your breath, just let it flow out gently.

Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. Breathe in gently and regularly, and try counting from one to five in the process. It’s ok if you can’t; if counting is distracting you just focus on the exercise without counting. Try doing it for three to five minutes. However, this technique might not be appropriate for those with respiratory ailments or heart failure.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

After a few minutes of breathing exercises, you follow up with progressive muscle relaxation. Here, you focus on one part of your body or a group of muscles per time, and mentally release any physical tension you feel there. Basically, you scan your body to identify physically tense areas, and consciously relax those areas (one after the other) to help ease tension. You can lie on your back or sit with your feet to the floor while doing this, start the body scan from your toes to your scalp, noticing how your body feels and relaxing at every point.

Guided Imagery

Here, you remember soothing scenes, memories, places or experiences to help you relax and ease tension. If you have intrusive thoughts or find it difficult to conjure up mental images, you can find and download free apps or online videos of calming and soothing scenes and imagery. You only have to ensure you personally find these scenes calming and soothing.

Talk to Someone

Talk to your loved ones, as reaching out to those in your social circle is one of the best ways to handle stress and tension. Share your burdens with them, and in the process get fresh and helpful perspectives on the things weighing you down.

Listen to Soothing Music

Research shows that listening to soothing music can actually lower your blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety. Create a playlist of calm and soothing music (consider adding some classical music to that playlist), listen to them and allow your mind focus on the different melodies, instruments or even on the singer’s voice.

Move Around

Exercise helps the brain release feel-good chemicals and this gives the body a chance to deal with stress and ease tension. Quick walks around short distances, leisurely walks around your area or environment, walking up and down a flight of stairs, or doing some stretching exercises are enough to help you deal with stress and ease tension.

Repetitive Prayer

Yes prayer, especially for those who find religion and spirituality meaningful. Harvard Health Letter advises the use of this technique as a relaxation response to potential stressors. Here, you silently repeat a short prayer or a phrase from a prayer while practicing breathing exercises.

By Damilola Ojo
08101556883

Topic: The Christian Home (4)

Dear Reader,

God instituted marriage and He intended every house to be a sweet and peaceful home. Most Christians dream of a sweet home, a place where joy, peace, prosperity and fruitfulness abound. But they are not ready to pay the price it takes for their dreams to find fulfilment. That is why I want to show you some power tools for accomplishment.

Prayer:

Prayer is a vital tool in the home.  As a married man or woman, you have a higher level of unity with your spouse than any two friends can ever have. Your union is recognised and sanctioned by God. So, when both of you offer prayers to God in agreement, on any issue at all, God honours your request. The Word of God says: Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 18:19).

The key word in the verse quoted above is “agree”. When a man and his wife agree, tremendous power is released for the accomplishment of their desires. But if they do not agree, their prayers are hindered. The Word of God says: …That your prayers be not hindered (1 Peter 3:7).

So, one of the reasons the enemy puts disagreement between couples is so that he can rob them of this prayer advantage. The Word of God says: And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). God, your spouse and you form a three-fold cord that is not quickly broken. So, as you co-operate with God to establish His purpose for marriage in your home, He honours your family, by ensuring that whatever you desire concerning your home and children is established.

Prayer can bring that change you have long awaited, in your home. Elisha was an ordinary human being like you and I.  But with prayer, he was able to change the climate conditions of a nation as and when desired. Maybe, you have been going through a season of drought and dryness in your home, earnest, heartfelt prayers can change it to a season of refreshing, fruitfulness and plenty.

Your prayers can bring changes to the lives of your spouse and children, because the Bible says: For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy (1 Corinthians 7:14).

Look at this sister’s testimony: “When we were preparing for the Women’s Convention, I prayed to God and told Him I wanted my own family renewed. My husband was not saved then, and I did not want to be called the wife of an unbeliever any more. So, I told God that, and He did a great thing in my life. God changed my husband!

During one of the all-night prayer meetings, my husband decided to go with me to the church. He gave his life to Christ that day, and has stopped smoking since then! He is now a brand new person!” – Efemuaye, L.

Why not take advantage of this powerful weapon of prayer? You will see every unpleasant situation in your marriage and home turn around for good. God is on your side!

Word Study:

Another way by which you can obtain power is through Word study. Locate what the Word of God says concerning any issue of your life and home. God has made available His Word to you, but you must be able to sit down and locate your place in it. The Word of God says: And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book… (Revelation 5:4). Until the Book is opened, weeping continues. God is not moved by your tears; He is moved by His Word. You can neither use your tear to harass God, nor bribe Him by weeping. You only gain access to His blessings by the understanding and application of His Word.

Fill your heart with the Word of truth. Let the Word of God be your guiding light. Open The Book and let every shame roll away. Enough of guess work, enough of trials and errors. Invest in anointed books of proven men of God, whose lives and testimonies are real; then, bow down and devour them. Saturate your spirit-man with the Word of God. The Word of God says: Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

The only way to avoid shame is to study. If you don’t want reproach to continually hang around you, study. God says the only way out of shame is to study and apply yourself to the Word of truth. Are you having problems in any area of life? Sit down with your Bible and anointed books.

Friend, it’s time to retrace your steps to the study of the Word of God. Shame is not a thing of glory; it is a reproach. There is no testimony in shame, don’t allow it to hang around you any further. Delve into the Word of God, today, and be free from every form of shame. Also, fix your eyes on the Word.

In the natural, if you fix your eyes on a particular object consistently for a long time, the object tends to look bigger in your eyes. In other words, the more you look at the object, the bigger it seems. It’s the same with the Word of God. As you keep your focus on the Word, it is magnified more than your physical problems, and eventually, it swallows up these problems one by one until you see them no more. Therefore, as you focus on the Word, keep meditating on what you have seen, apply it to your situation and circumstances, and let those words form a pattern for your living.  I see you moving from glory to glory this year in your home and family, in Jesus’ name!

However, to practice successfully all that has been shared in this teaching, you need to give your life to Christ. If you are not yet a child of God and you want to do so today, could you please say this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. Deliver me from sin and satan to serve the living God. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

If you prayed this simple prayer, you are now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

Congratulations! You are now born again! All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name. Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through [email protected], [email protected]; OR 07026385437 and 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Topic: A Chuckle in the Darkness [Tuesday February 28, 2017]

Read: John 11:17–27, Bible in a Year: Numbers 20–22; Mark 7:1–13

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

In a Washington Post article titled “Tech Titans’ Latest Project: Defy Death,” Ariana Cha wrote about the efforts of Peter Thiele and other tech moguls to extend human life indefinitely. They’re prepared to spend billions on the project.

They are a little late. Death has already been defeated! Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Jesus assures us that those who put their trust in Him will never, ever, under any circumstances whatever, die.

 To be clear, our bodies will die—and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. But the thinking, reasoning, remembering, loving, adventuring part of us that we call “me, myself, and I” will never, ever die.

And here’s the best part: It’s a gift! All you have to do is receive the salvation Jesus offers. C. S. Lewis, musing on this notion, describes it as something like “a chuckle in the darkness”—the sense that something that simple is the answer.

Some say, “It’s too simple.” Well, I say, if God loved you even before you were born and wants you to live with Him forever, why would He make it hard?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I want to accept You as my Lord and Savior and follow You. Please forgive my sins and help me, from this moment on, to live a life that is pleasing to You.

Christ has replaced the dark door of death with the shining gate of life.

Insight:

Often when confronted with death, we are tempted to either deny how painful it is or to live without hope, only seeing the grief. In this passage, Jesus holds together both the horror of death and the sure promise of life. Because death is a tragic distortion of God’s good creation, Jesus as the Resurrection and Life is all that is opposed to it. If we read the whole story of Lazarus’s resurrection, we see a fuller picture of how Jesus responds to death and grief. He is “deeply moved” and “troubled” (John 11:33) and He weeps (v. 35). Seeing death in all its horror, He defiantly overcomes it and raises Lazarus to life. Jesus’s shout, “Lazarus, come out!” (v. 43) points to the hope of our own bodily resurrection.

This message was written By David Roper [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: An Unruly Tongue [Tuesday February 28, 2017]

Text: Psalm 12:1-8

Key Verse: “They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak” (Psalm 12:2).

Disappointments, disagreements and destructions are some of the tragic occurrences in human history. These are often associated with the misuse of the tongue. Yet, it is quite surprising that many people have not learnt to refrain from unguarded speech. The Psalmist raised some issues that are crucial to the happiness of all people. With genuine concern, he observed the absence of godly and faithful persons whose presence would have sanitized society and enhanced high morality among the people. Alas, their presence bred vanity, flattery, proud talks and oppression.

They say: “With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us” (verse 4). God answered them and rose to the help of the oppressed. It may sometimes take long, but God will not fail to come to the rescue of the oppressed and the less privileged. Instead of destroying lives through thoughtless words, we can bless others. We can comfort and not curse.

We can use this “comely part” to benefit others. Why use your tongue recklessly and risk God’s anger? Remember, “…every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). Let us bless God and His creatures at all times with our tongue; therein is our blessings.

Thought for the day: Those who have the mastery over the tongue, tame the monster.

Bible Reading in one Year: 1 Samuel 3-5

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

Topic: He Will Lead You [Tuesday February 28, 2017]

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16

Walking in the spirit. That’s the key to overcoming the flesh. If you follow the prompting of the Spirit of God within you, you won’t be dominated by the pressure your flesh tries to put on you.

As you listen to the written Word and the Holy Spirit telling you what to do, you’ll constantly be making little adjustments in your life according to what He says. And those little adjustments will keep darkness from overtaking you.

You see, God knows just what you need. He can look ahead in your life and see the traps and pressures the devil is laying for you. So follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and He will maneuver you safely around them to victory.

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-14

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: You Are Not alone [Tuesday February 28, 2017]

“… for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” —Deuteronomy 31:6

Loneliness is no respecter of persons. It invades the palace as well as the hut. Many turn to drink because of loneliness. Others lose their sanity becasue of loneliness. Many commit suicide because of the despair of loneliness. Thousands have found Christ to be the answer for their loneliness. The Hebrew children were not alone when they were hurled into the fiery furnace of persecution.

There was One with them like unto the Son of God. Moses wasn’t alone in the Midian Desert when God came to comfort him and call him to a wider ministry. Elijah wasn’t alone at the cave when God came near and spoke with the still, small voice. Paul and Silas were not alone in the Philippian jail when God came down and gave them a song at midnight. Whoever you are, Christ can give you comfort and companionship.

Prayer for the day: Whenever I begin to feel alone, help me to remember that You are always with me. Sometimes the way seems dark but You are still there. Thank You, Lord.

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.