21st  AUGUST 2023

“If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live securely in your land” – Leviticus 26:3-5

Many would look upon the complexities of life and wonder if truly they will ever experience the wonderful promises of God. It is true also that we pray and don’t receive favourable responses from God. It is also very correct that reasons abound why prayers are rarely answered or why plans are seldom fulfilled. While some are comfortable, some are not that fortunate! While some are hopeful, others have completely lost faith in life or are, at least, not hopeful of a desirable future. Nevertheless, there is no gainsaying that the Lord continues to decree good things upon His children from age to age. If the Lord decrees, then it must be established! If you are not receiving despite God’s decree, then you have to undertake a self-examination to find out why. One of many reasons we don’t receive from God is our inadequate preparations to receive from Him.

The mistake we make when we expect to receive from God is that we focus on “receiving from God in the future”. In reality, there is no future, but now! Therefore, you are actually supposed to be receiving from God Now, and not in the future! When you are futuristic, the blessings never come! This is because your mind is already programmed for the future. The principle, therefore, is to merge the future into the now! Therefore, when you pray, tell yourself, “I receive it NOW!”  This principle, if well imbibed, will lead us to adopt a strategic mindset about how to tackle all our plans. 

Do not say, “What does the future hold for me?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. Rather ask, “How should I embrace my present needs?” Without realizing it, the things you are praying to receive should actually be in your possession already! For instance, don’t say, “I need, or I desire a car”. That statement put everything on hold till the future, which is quite indefinite! Whatever you are praying to have in the future is not useful to you at the moment, for the future has not yet come. Perhaps, this is one reason Jesus tells us, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34)

What then do we do to enable us to receive from God?

i.                   Faith in God becomes important, for, without faith, we cannot please God. But, on the other hand, if we please God, definitely He will honour our requests.

ii.                 We have to focus on God. He is the ultimate promise keeper; He is the ultimate provider; He is ultimately powerful.

iii.              Be faithful to God. To be faithful to God is to follow His teachings and be obedient to His Command.

iv.               Program your mind to receive now, rather than see yourself receiving in the future.

 Today’s word teaches us to focus on God, be faithful to Him, and have faith in Him in order to receive from Him. God says, “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments to carry them out, then I shall give you ………” Therefore, our prospect is tied to our relationship with God. If we live a life of sacrifice in obedience to God, he will definitely prosper us. Even in the face of persecution, God will still prosper us if our life is centered around Him. Jesus says;

“Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life (Mark 10:29-30)    

It is indeed a wonderful life for the children of God, who are focused on Him, faithful to Him, and have faith in Him. It is time to rediscover God especially. Focus and have faith in Him today; be faithful to Him while you take your turn to receive abundantly from Him now!

PRAYER

Father in the name of Jesus Christ, I thank you for the prayer answered today as I receive from you Now! AMEN.

FURTHER READING: Isaiah 42:9; Isaiah 46:10; Isaiah 60:15; Jeremiah 29:11   

A DECREE OF WONDERFUL THINGS TO YOU!

21st  AUGUST 2023

“If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. Indeed, your threshing will last for you until grape gathering, and grape gathering will last until sowing time. You will thus eat your food to the full and live securely in your land” – Leviticus 26:3-5

Many would look upon the complexities of life and wonder if truly they will ever experience the wonderful promises of God. It is true also that we pray and don’t receive favourable responses from God. It is also very correct that reasons abound why prayers are rarely answered or why plans are seldom fulfilled. While some are comfortable, some are not that fortunate! While some are hopeful, others have completely lost faith in life or are, at least, not hopeful of a desirable future. Nevertheless, there is no gainsaying that the Lord continues to decree good things upon His children from age to age. If the Lord decrees, then it must be established! If you are not receiving despite God’s decree, then you have to undertake a self-examination to find out why. One of many reasons we don’t receive from God is our inadequate preparations to receive from Him.

The mistake we make when we expect to receive from God is that we focus on “receiving from God in the future”. In reality, there is no future, but now! Therefore, you are actually supposed to be receiving from God Now, and not in the future! When you are futuristic, the blessings never come! This is because your mind is already programmed for the future. The principle, therefore, is to merge the future into the now! Therefore, when you pray, tell yourself, “I receive it NOW!”  This principle, if well imbibed, will lead us to adopt a strategic mindset about how to tackle all our plans. 

Do not say, “What does the future hold for me?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. Rather ask, “How should I embrace my present needs?” Without realizing it, the things you are praying to receive should actually be in your possession already! For instance, don’t say, “I need, or I desire a car”. That statement put everything on hold till the future, which is quite indefinite! Whatever you are praying to have in the future is not useful to you at the moment, for the future has not yet come. Perhaps, this is one reason Jesus tells us, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34)

What then do we do to enable us to receive from God?

i.                   Faith in God becomes important, for, without faith, we cannot please God. But, on the other hand, if we please God, definitely He will honour our requests.

ii.                 We have to focus on God. He is the ultimate promise keeper; He is the ultimate provider; He is ultimately powerful.

iii.              Be faithful to God. To be faithful to God is to follow His teachings and be obedient to His Command.

iv.               Program your mind to receive now, rather than see yourself receiving in the future.

 Today’s word teaches us to focus on God, be faithful to Him, and have faith in Him in order to receive from Him. God says, “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments to carry them out, then I shall give you ………” Therefore, our prospect is tied to our relationship with God. If we live a life of sacrifice in obedience to God, he will definitely prosper us. Even in the face of persecution, God will still prosper us if our life is centered around Him. Jesus says;

“Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life (Mark 10:29-30)    

It is indeed a wonderful life for the children of God, who are focused on Him, faithful to Him, and have faith in Him. It is time to rediscover God especially. Focus and have faith in Him today; be faithful to Him while you take your turn to receive abundantly from Him now!

PRAYER

Father in the name of Jesus Christ, I thank you for the prayer answered today as I receive from you Now! AMEN.

FURTHER READING: Isaiah 42:9; Isaiah 46:10; Isaiah 60:15; Jeremiah 29:11