WAIT

Sitting in the bank lobby waiting for an account officer to attend to me, Even though I needed to hurry up and leave to attend to other matters I just had to wait till he was ready to attend to me. Some of us are like that with God. We find it hard to wait on Him when we ask him for a request. What is that request you are asking for? Don't be in a hurry with God. Take a chill pill (a verse of scripture) and be confident that what he has promised to do He will do.

As a Christian, it is your responsibility to learn how to wait on the Lord, Psalms 27:14 says "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Waiting on Him helps build your faith, increases your ability and strength, and He will honor you to inherit all you want and desire. It is your responsibility not to be anxious or lose hope on all that he has promised. Philippians 4:6 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God". I know the God that I serve, He is not a late God so learn to wait on Him like a pro!

GOD'S SUFFICIENCY

Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5 Amp

The Bible from the very beginning records it’s Victories, Blessings and the battles (From Adam & Eve, Noah, Moses, Joshua, Jehoshaphat, David, Samson, kings, and prophets etc). Almost all of the mentioned did not depend on their abilities but depended on All-Sufficient God Almighty. The all-sufficiency of God is the essence of all Christian experience, it has been the support of the faithful in all ages of the Church.

You know, 2020 started as a new decade and a new decade comes with its blessings and its challenges. We all face trials and battles - perhaps in our job, our family life, battles against temptation, against thoughts of worry, battles for mental or physical health, battles with the system, as well as spiritual battles. Through it all, we fought a good fight and kept the faith. The Grace of God was sufficient for us all and His sufficiency carried us through. With the consciousness of His Sufficiency, He has promised to sustain you and I this New year. 

The sufficiency of God may be considered either as proper or communicative. By His proper sufficiency I mean that He is "Self-Existent, Self-Sufficient & Self-Creator". A great Minister of the Bible by name Dr. Vance Havner quoted "Our efficiency without God's Sufficiency is only a deficiency"; this is so true because without the help of the Holy Spirit, you can never successfully live a victorious and triumphant life.

Make up your mind this year never to depend on your ability or might, but rather rely totally on God's provision because His Sufficiency knows no limits, and no mountain or wall can stop Our "Self Sufficient God". This year 2021, God is sufficient for you in your vision, wisdom, peace, finances, marriage, family, health, promotion, business, job, prayer life, spiritual life, your ministry, faith, worship and your study life. Our adequacy comes from God alone. God Bless you.

Further Scripture Study - 2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:13; Job 20:22; Proverbs 3:9; Ephesians 3:20; Acts 17:24-26.

Declare This - I declare and broadcast into 2021, that the position and the level of greatness I never dreamt of will manifest in my life without hesitation. The letter of Joy I have been expecting will locate me and my expectations will not be cut short this new year in Jesus name Amen.

THE GOOD FIGHT

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. 2 Tim 4:7

In life, we all face trials and battles - perhaps in our job, our family life, battles against temptation, against thoughts of worry, battles for mental or physical health, battles with the system, as well as spiritual battles. Whatever fight we face, the Bible reveals the key strategy to experience victory. 

The Bible from the very beginning records it’s Victories, Blessings and the battles (From Adam & Eve, Noah, Moses, Joshua, Jehoshaphat, David, Samson, kings, prophets etc). Almost all of the mentioned did not depend on their abilities but depended on God Almighty. Our Lord Jesus Christ faced battles before His dead and His disciples also faced battles too. 

To God be praised, Jesus dead and fought the victory on our behalf. He is the winning strategy because He is Alive forevermore. Even though, we have won the victory, as long as this life is concerned..we are still faced with daily battles and fights (Ephesians 6:10-18). Paul battled greatly (2 Corinthians 11:25-28), but at the end he declared "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith".

The Good Fight is a fight of faith. It means to say yes and Amen to the plans of God for your life without wavering in obedience or hesitating with fear. It means to stand firmly anchored in the Word, anchored in the power of the Spirit, reckoning ourselves dead to our feelings and our human reasoning, not letting sin rule in our mortal body by obeying its lusts. It means to stand in the face of opposition and remain confident that the Lord can and will deliver you. It is not a fight against God but rather a struggle against the world system, the flesh and our own self-will. 

Fighting the Good Fight of faith is not so much hostile combat against a physical enemy, but rather rising to a challenge of the Christian life and confidently taking hold of the eternal life that is ours in Christ. Seize hold of every opportunity, trusting His all-sufficient grace to bring you through by faith. 

YOU ARE NOT THE ONE FIGHTING BUT GOD IS FIGHTING FOR YOU.

Further Scripture Study: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30; 1 Tim 6:12

Declare This: Dear Father, my life is in You Lord and everything i have is yours. I declare I’m fighting the good fight and I'm prepared, positioned, strengthened, resolved, to win and be triumphant in all I do. I am seizing every opportunity and trusting in You for solutions because I trust in Your all-sufficient grace for my life in Jesus name Amen. 

STAY STRONG

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

As believers in Christ we are engaged in spiritual warfare, whether we want to be or not. This is why Apostle Paul is telling the brethren to be strong in the Lord and to equip themselves at all times for battle. The word in which we get ‘be strong’ literally means to receive strength. It is not your strength that equips you to stand; it is God’s strength invested in us when we submit to Him. That is why James 4:7-8 tells us that the power of resisting is found through submitting to God. The devil does not flee from your power, but from God’s power within us that overcomes him. We have the promise that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. 

If we are going to truly give the devil hell and defeat him and his strategies against us, we better make sure that we are strong in the Lord. It’s not one of submission, love and getting along, but it’s one of fighting and winning. Satan is not a nice guy, he won’t hesitate to kick you when you’re down. He will always look for weaknesses in you and will do his best to exploit them. This is why Paul made this statement to the Ephesian Church. Paul had gone through several battles, persecutions and trials in his life but through it all, he kept on winning. He knew it wasn't by his power nor by might but by the power of God's might.

To stay strong also means to "stand firm and remain courageous". If we are going to be strong in the Lord, you have to know there is an enemy that is stronger than your physical abilities and the only way to defeat him is in the strength of the Lord. You have to stay strong, stand firm and be strengthened with the Strength of the Lord Jesus Christ. On that name you have all strength required to win everyday. 

Further Scripture Study: 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Declare This: Dear Father, my life is in You Lord and everything I have is Yours. I choose to stay strong always against the tricks of the evil one and I stand strengthened with Your strength in me everyday in Jesus name Amen.

DAILY BENEFITS

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." Psalms 68:19 KJV

It almost sounds too good to be true, how much God wants to bless His people. When we make up our minds to consistently follow God, we will receive His blessings constantly upon our lives, so much that your storage is always loaded. The opening verse started with a phrase “Blessed be the Lord” this means an act of worship, humility and reverence to God. If you want anything from God, you will always reverence and humble yourself. 

When a person decides to trust God and put Him to the test, be rest assured that He will do exactly what He promised. He makes all things beautiful and releases every good thing to those who follow Him. 

The word "Benefits" means profits, compensations and rewards. So on a daily basis, you can receive as much benefits as you can carry because there is enough for each day. It is God’s nature to bless His children, He does not keep books or ledgers on the blessings that He gives to us. If He did we would owe Him more than we even think we did. With God's blessings its impossible to overdraft your account.

As long as you are born again, you are a son or daughter of the Most High God and He does not just call you His son or daughter, He also calls you “an heir” through Christ. Which means you are entitled to His Blessings. You have complete access to the inheritance and as a joint heir with Christ Jesus, you inherit everything that He is.

Further Scripture Study: Ephesians 1:3; Galatians 4:7

Declare This: Dear Father, thank You for the complete access to Your inheritance. I claim and place a demand on it everyday in Jesus name Amen.

DAILY ENCOUNTER

"But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14 NIV

The Lord Jesus had an encounter with a woman by the well in Samaria and they had a very fruitful discussion. After the meeting, the woman was transformed from her old life to a brand new person. One thing for sure is that when you encounter Jesus, the first thing that happens is; you will be confronted with the truth about who you are. Jesus told the woman about her life, she liked men and her moral life was the joke of the community. 

Jesus knew the truth about her, and forced her to see and admit the truth about herself. This is the way it is when we come into contact with God, suddenly His light shines on us and reveals the truth about us, then we understand that He sees us as we really are. When the real us is exposed by God, we have to admit the truth.

When you encounter Jesus, you will never thirst again, brokenness goes, temptation and the wrong habit dissipates, anxiety leaves, boldness and confidence increases, healing manifests, favor becomes your name and His Grace is released in abundance. Have a daily encounter with Him, it's to your advantage. When you do, He will load you with benefits daily.

Further Scripture Study: Psalms 68:19 

Declare This: Dear Father, my life is in You and everything I require comes from You. I will always call upon You daily and I will not depend on my own abilities but on You Lord. I will continue to always drink from the well that never runs dry in Jesus name Amen.

SPIRIT OF POWER

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

We live in a world of fear - fear of terrorism, inadequacy, disease, financial insecurity, and the unknown. Paul in prison writes to help and encourage Timothy about fear. There is no fear in God, He has given us power, love and a sound mind. Fear here means I have an awesome reverence and respect for God's awesome Power. I don’t want to do things my way, I want to do it His way because His way results in Power. 

True power comes from outside of self and it comes from turning self over to God. Not what I can do; but, what God can do through me. God has given us power to face everyday life and the Greek word for power here is "Dunamis"; it speaks of divine energy. God has given us the same power that raised Jesus from the dead to enable us to focus on our heavenly Father, not circumstances. When we waver or are apprehensive, it is because our focus is on ourselves and not the limitless power of God given to us.

God gave Jesus all the power and as long as you have the Holy Spirit in you, you carry this same power. This kind of power will destabilize any arrow the devil tries to throw at you and it carries you when your strength seem low. With the Spirit of power, you can never miss out on the joy of life.

Further Scripture Study: Matthew 28:18 

Declare This: Dear Lord, thank You for the Holy Spirit who lives in me. I carry His Divine energy in me to do all I have to and to fulfill Your purpose in my life in Jesus name Amen.

INDESCRIBABLE GIFT

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV

It is a short verse, only 8 words long. Why does Paul call Jesus "indescribable?" What kind of gift would it have to be called "indescribable?" Is it something that you’ve wanted all your life? Is it a gift that carries a lot of emotional feelings with it? Would it be a gift that you cared so little about that you wouldn’t even bother to find words to try to describe it? Would this make it an indescribable gift? Paul says that we can’t. Words aren’t adequate.

Paul calls Jesus "indescribable" because of His nature. How do you describe Jesus? What words would you choose? How do you describe a baby born of a virgin? How do you describe God in flesh, walking upon our earth & reaching out to the hurting masses of humanity? How do you describe God who has all knowledge and all powerful? How do you describe the Eternal and King of Kings? Many of the wisest men in the world have tried to describe Jesus but could not.

Paul called Jesus "indescribable" because of His purpose in coming to earth. John says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son......(John 3:16); How do you describe that? How do you put into words what God accomplished when He sent His only begotten Son into the world just because of you? I know there may be other reasons but I strongly believe that Jesus, God’s gift, is indescribable. He doesn’t owe us anything, yet He paid for everything; what an Indescribable God we serve. 

Further Scripture Study: John 3:16-17 

Declare This: Dear God, thank You for sending Your Only Son to die for me. What a precious gift beyond description. I am forever grateful to You in Jesus name Amen.

GREAT JOY AND DELIGHT

"When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty." Jeremiah 15:16 NIV

It's always important to read and study the Bible. I know how some people feel about reading the Bible; they know it's something they should do, but they don’t especially relish reading it, and they put it off as long as possible. It doesn’t have to be like that, because the Bible is the sweetest Book to read. It has all the action films, comedies, soap operas, romantic and love stories, dramas, news, reality shows, music, travel and even documentaries. For those who are willing to make the effort to understand it, the Bible is more than just a source of knowledge. It’s also a source of great joy and delight.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2. That’s what the Word does. It transforms us and gives us joy. The word of God is simple enough to be enjoyed by a child, and at the same time, deep enough to reward a lifetime of dedicated study. A three-year old can grasp the story of Jonah and the whale, and a Ph.D. in theology can spend a lifetime trying to fathom how God could become a man. The Bible rewards even a few minutes a day of reading, it has an inexhaustible supply of treasures for those who are more diligent.

God’s Word hasn’t changed. When we continue seeking God in His Word, He can give us the same kind of joy and delight that Jeremiah knew. Don't think reading the Bible is just a duty, no! It's a Joy and a Delight. It will give us delight because it is a book about the God we love, and on every page is written His love for us.

Further Scripture Study: Psalms 119:72 

Declare This: Dear Lord, Your Word is all I need to live a successful and prosperous life. I won't see Your Word as a burden but rather a source of Joy and Grace to me in Jesus name Amen.

WHY CHRISTMAS?

"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

        Merry Christmas!    Merry Christmas!! 
   

I declare this day will be the best of the best Christmases you've ever known. Seeing the review about Christmas and the billions of monies that it generates in the economy, is amazing. Jesus is the most celebrated man to ever live on this earth. His birth is lavishly celebrated and with great style by all and sundry; Christians and non-Christians alike. Looking at the city, you'll see elaborate decorations and lightings; only a truly great King - the King of kings can be celebrated like this. 

Have you ever wondered why since we are celebrating Jesus' birth, we don't send all the gifts and cards to the Church but to people around us? The reason is because Jesus' birth was for a greater purpose than himself. He was born, lived and died for a purpose. What is the true purpose of Jesus' birth, you may ask? 'YOU', 'ME', 'US', 'WE' are the reason for His birth; our salvation is the purpose of His birth. His life was a gift and He brought us the gift of the life.

Therefore, celebrating Christmas is more than celebrating the birth of Jesus; it is also a celebration of mankind and our glorious liberty from sin and death through Christ's birth. This is why, although we give special offerings in Church for Christmas, we do give to and receive lots of gifts from people. 

Make up your mind to celebrate and enjoy this season because it is about YOU. As you do, ensure you re-examine your life and position yourself rightly to continually live a life worth celebrating like Jesus' life! You are the reason for the Christmas.

Further Scripture Study: Isaiah 9:6 

Declare This: Lord, I thank You for coming to earth to set me free. My life is blessed and I am eternally thankful to You for everything You did to save me in Jesus name Amen.

IMPECCABLE GIFT

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 NIV

"Every good and perfect gift is from above." Oh if we could remember this profound statement each and every day when we crawl out of bed and begin our day. When we do, our days would be filled with wonder and testimonies. The heaviness that so many experience would be lifted by the gracious gratitude that comes from understanding that everything in life is a gift from Almighty God. The emptiness that so many experience would be filled with a fullness beyond measure. The grumbling and griping that so readily flows from our mouths would be transformed into words of gratitude to the Lord.

Everything, in all of life, is a reminder to us of God’s great and awesome love for us. One of the greatest gifts that God has given to us is the gift of His creation. Everything in all of creation points to the One who made it all for His good pleasure. 

God has given us the gift that none of us deserved, the gift of His Son. God knows our every deed before we were ever born. He knows the deepest secrets of our lives, the ones we pray nobody else finds out about; He knows the thoughts that ramble through out brain; greed, bitterness, hatred, selfishness, and the like. He knows all of this and more and yet He loves you so much He gave the Perfect Gift of His Son. Showcase the Gift to your world.

Further Scripture Study: Ephesians 2:8 

Declare This: Thank You God for giving me the Perfect Gift. There is nothing I did to deserve this but You still chose to give me the Gift. I will ensure I let others know about this Gift in Jesus name Amen.

HEART CHECK

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23 KJV 

We need to have a heart check, to see if we are attaining that higher level, if we are meeting the challenge of this day and if our hearts are doing what the Lord wants of us. It is God's desire to position us all to reach our highest potential in Christ and to exhibit His very life. It is expedient for us to check our hearts always because it's with the heart man believes and whatever goes into the heart comes outside. 

One of the ways to check your heart is to know if you're growing, that is, Personal Growth. To accomplish this you need to acknowledge that growth is a daily thing and when your heart is in order according to the Word of God, everything else will definitely fall in place as well. You have to grow in a new dimension each day and have the right motives. 

You see, when you become concerned about what you are becoming, you don’t want to take shortcuts for shortcuts and then you short-circuit yourself. You can't take a shortcut with your heart else you will experience shortness in your life. The Lord said His ways are not our ways, so does that mean we give up? No, we get on track everyday and keep rising. Don't allow any kind of information come into your heart and also be mindful of who you allow into your heart. Your heart is very delicate and precious to God. 

Further Scripture Study: Romans 10:9 

Declare This: Dear Lord, I know my heart is so precious to You. Therefore I will always guard and guide my heart for You in Jesus name Amen.

A THANKFUL HEART

"Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God." Philippians 4:6 AMP

Paul gives us the three important steps to take when giving our worries and concerns to the Lord. Paul tells us to make our requests known to God by "Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving". God not only expects you to be bold; He also expects you to thank Him for being good to you. It simply isn’t right to ask boldly without expressing thanksgiving. 

God blesses a thankful heart. When you give thanks, you put your focus on things worthy of thanks. Through thanksgiving you begin to see how God is working in your life. An unthankful heart will be unthankful even if they abound with blessings. A thankful heart gives glory to God. God is not glorified in a Christian who complains and sees only the negative things in life. 1 Timothy 6:6 tells us that godliness with content is great gain. Until we are content with what God provides, we will not see the greater things in this life.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." The only way we can be thankful in everything is to first learn how to offer prayer and supplication. When you can leave your problems at God’s throne, you can trust in His promise that all things work for your good. Praise and thanksgiving is the best sacrifice we can offer to God.

Further Scripture Study: Hebrews 13:15

Declare This: Dear Lord, I am thankful and grateful for all You have done in my life. With a thankful heart, I come boldly to Your throne of Grace with my sacrifice of praise in Jesus name Amen.

YOUR PRAYER

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6 NIV

There are three instructions Paul offered us when we find ourselves anxious and worried and they are "Prayer, Petition and Thanksgiving". God honors prayer that comes from the heart and not prayer or other actions that are done to show off our spirituality. A common question people ask is "If God knows what I need before I ask, why do I need to pray at all?" He instructed and commanded us to pray. The truth is God does not need our prayers to be God, He is a Self Existing God but we need Him to exist. He knows tomorrow and He has planned every step of our life. God even knows where our decisions will take us even when we choose to disobey and neglect His plan.

Prayer does not reveal our needs to God, but prayer conditions our heart for God. Prayer teaches us to look to God and it's for our benefit. When we pray, it should remind us to stop and examine our lives and the direction we are going. Prayer is the time we spend with God. Prayer is a very important way in which God speaks to us. No relationship can grow without communication. There are many people who live in material abundance and are destitute spiritually. You can’t experience the abundance of the Christian life without an intimate walk with Christ. Without prayer, you can’t walk close to Him. 

So instead of carrying your worries and burdens, you are to take the first step Paul gives you in moving from a place of turmoil to peace: Get close to the Lord in prayer. Once you are in that intimate, face-to-face place with God, take that opportunity to give Him your worries, fears, and concerns. When you give God your problems, in return He gives you His peace.

Further Scripture Study: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 

Declare This: Dear Lord, I thank You for allowing me to come boldly before You in prayer. I know that You love me and want to richly meet the needs I am facing in my life today. By faith I thank You in advance for acting to my requests in Jesus name Amen.

SEEK HIM

"Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6 NIV

The Bible says the greatest treasure to be found is not silver or gold, but the Lord. Silver, gold and other treasures will never truly satisfy you because one day it will all perish. But the treasure we have in God will truly meet the deepest needs of our souls, and it is eternal. The Bible says "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away".

In our text verse, it says that now is the time we need to seek the Lord. Why? because it is a divine command and instruction. The Hebrew word here for “seek” is “Darash”, it means to inquire, ask, place a request or demand, or to read something repeatedly and study. To "seek" God also means that you “study” His word, not flipping open your Bible once or twice, but really “digging in” to it. 

When we really “seek” something or someone, we put a lot of time and effort into it. God is not hidden, He can be found as long as our hearts are inclined to look for Him. We must take advantage of this gift, and make the most of it while we have it. God has given you the right to inquire and demand from Him.

That word "While" means there's a time limit when we cant seek Him anymore. There is a window of opportunity here and it will not remain open forever. It is available now, but one day it will be too late to seek Him. We are in the last days of the end time. 

Further Scripture Study: John 7:34; Matthew 24:35 

Declare This: Dear Father, thank You for the easy access to You. You have given me a command, I will ensure to daily seek after You in Jesus name Amen.

FAITHFUL TO FORGIVE

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". 1 John 1:9 KJV

God is faithful to forgive, this means, God didn't find out about the sin when you confessed it because He knew about it all the time (before and after the sin). When you confessed it was when you got rid of it, that's when you were cleansed of its effects in your life. When you make a mistake or go off track, remember, you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1). Always run to Him. He knows what you are going through, you don't need to be afraid. He didn't tear you apart for the sins you committed before you made Him Lord of your life, did He? Then how much more merciful and loving do you think He'll be now that you're His own? 

Don't run from God rather run to Him. No matter how badly you've sinned, He's eager to hear from you. When we go before the Father to confess our sins, our failures and weaknesses, we are admitting that we are human and in need of forgiveness. True confession is painful, but when we do, "He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." God is a good God but please don't take Him for a ride.

Further Scripture Study: Romans 10:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Corinthians 1:18 

Declare This: Dear Father, I thank You for the privilege to come before You to confess my sins, whether knowingly or unknowingly in Jesus name Amen.

STRONGLY ENCOURAGE

"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching". 1 Timothy 4:13 ESV

To Exhort means to "strongly encourage". Here we see Paul's charge to Timothy to strongly encourage those around him to follow the teaching of God's Word. You and I need to strongly encourage one another in the faith and also to the world at large because there are people following us who assume we know the way. Our wives, our sons, our daughters, our brothers and sisters, our friends and even our older ones sometimes look to us for guidance. We need to make sure every aspect of our lives points the way to Jesus because once you know the way to Him you can be an encourager and go anywhere in life without getting lost. 

Just as the Lord encouraged Joshua to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:1-9), the Lord want us to be strong and be an encourager too. Set aside special times to encourage someone who needs Christ, someone who wants the grace of God, someone who is desperate for an answer. This is our responsibility and mandate the Lord wants of us, we must do it while it is day for the night comes when no man can work (John 9:4).

Paul's challenge to Timothy is to be a preacher of God's Word; I am challenging you today to do the same thing. Let the preaching of God's Word be part of your resolution. Encourage someone and resolve in you that you'll be a compass to those around you. Be diligent, give your self wholly and persevere. 

Further Scripture Study: Proverbs 11:30 

Declare This: Dear Lord, thank You for Your Love. I will ensure I fulfill Your mandate for my life and be an encourager to those who needs this Love in Jesus name Amen.

HE IS YOUR FRIEND

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 NIV

The greatest act of sacrificial love provided is by God and He did this on our behalf. He laid down His life for His friends and sacrificed Himself for us. Oh what an honor. This love is sacrificial and undeserved.

Paul writes in Romans 5:7-8, “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The greatest act of sacrificial love was when Jesus willingly (John 10:18) sacrificed His life to free us from our bondage to sin "so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin" (Romans 6:6). Jesus laid down His life for you and calls you "Friend". 

Consider this for a moment, the Christian is a friend with the Creator of this world. Jesus is my friend. He is your friend too. This friendship isn't all one-sided, He has showed that He is a friend; we must also show that we are His friends by doing what He tells us to do. That commandment was "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you are to love one another". We show that we are friends of Jesus by the quality of love and self-sacrifice that we show.

Further Scripture Study: John 13:34; John 1:14; Philippians 2:7-8 

Declare This: Heaven Father, I thank You for making me Your friend and for laying down Your life just for me. I will increase my love for others and genuinely give of this love in Jesus name Amen.

DON'T ABANDON

"Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you." 1 Timothy 4:14 AMP

Paul, from the verse above advised Timothy not to neglect the spiritual gift within him. Paul told the Corinthians, “I have fed you with milk and not meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able” (1 Corinthians 3:2). The Corinthians were still spiritual babies as far as Bible knowledge was concerned due to neglect of God’s Word. Forgetting God will cause regret.

Neglect prevents spiritual growth. Neglecting to study God’s Word will cause one to eventually disobey or out rightly reject God. When you neglect to pray, you are giving room for the wrong information entering into your spirit. What you neglect to do influences others; in other words, when you don't pray and apply the Word of God - it influences others to do likewise (i.e., our children, spouse, members of the church) and also contributes to others outside the body of Christ to remain lost. 

You can change it. Action is the key to victory. Choose to renew your mind and rededicate your commitment every day.

Further Scripture Study: Jeremiah 18:15 

Declare This: Heavenly Father, whatever it is I've neglected knowingly or unknowingly; I ask You to forgive me. From this day, I make a turn around and ensure I do all I have to do in Jesus name Amen.

DEVELOP YOUR ABILITIES

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12:3 NIV

Are you dedicated to using the gifts God has given you? You might say but I don’t have the faith to use my gifts, that’s not true. Looking at our text verse above God has given (distributed) us the exact amount of faith to use in unfolding our gifts. God has not only given us gifts, but He has also given us the faith needed to use our gifts.

God has given us just the measure of faith necessary to use our gifts. We shouldn’t seek a faith big enough to move mountains until we have a faith big enough to move us. The existence of a gift is a call to exercise it. Eyes are purposeless unless they exercise the function of sight. When we don't exercise our faith, our spiritual life is heading for collapse. Paul advised Timothy, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you; Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all”. 

Take time out daily to develop your God given abilities. Keep stirring yourself up and stay growing in your faith work. 

Further Scripture Study: Proverbs 4:20; 1 Timothy 4:14-15

Declare This: Dear Lord, Your Word is the answer and solution to all I need, therefore, I choose to always use Your Word to develop myself thereby increasing my faith level in Jesus name Amen.