KEY SCRIPTURE: John 5:35 KJV ” He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light”.

John the Baptist came to prepare the hearts of men for the Messiah. The prophet Isaiah revealed the message that John would be preaching. Isa 40:3 KJV. “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God” . John had no means of advertising his message. He was in the wilderness for most of his life time. (Luke 1:80) What is it that made John’s ministry so impactful, such that people came all the way from, all over Israel to be baptized by him.?

The Lord revealed the answer in John 5:35. John 5:35 KJV” He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light”. John had spent so much time praying unto the father to the point that, he became a burning and shining light. Prayer had set him on fire to the point that men had to leave the cities to the river Jordan to partake of his light. John Wesley once said ‘I set myself on fire and men come to see me burn ‘. How does he set himself on fire? He does that through fervent prevailing prayer. Preaching cannot impart life if it is not cooked in prayer.

Every move of God among men, has been precipitated by prayer. The prophet Isaiah made an analogy in Isa 64:2 as follows Isa 64:2 KJV “As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!” This verse is referring to prayer, which comes from the bellies, flowing as rivers of living waters, and makes impact in men’s life. (John 7:39). The melting fires is the stirring of the Holy Spirit, which burns like fire when one is praying. Can you imagine the great impact you would make, if you would spend hours in God’s presence praying in the Holy Ghost?

CONFESSION

Thank you, heavenly father for your Holy Spirit who stirs in me fire that causes the rivers of living water to flow. This brings glory to the Father as men see His power and His enemies are totally destroyed.

FURTHER STUDIES

Act 2:3 KJV “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them” .

Luke 9:29 KJV “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering”.

KEY SCRIPTURE :1Kings 17:1 KJV” And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, 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”.

Elijah was exceedingly bold character, although he expressed human frailties on some occasions. He stood before Ahab the king and said as the Lord God lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be rain nor dew for three and a half years. The phrase ” before whom I stand” also means,’ I am always in His presence talking with Him’ The following is how the new testament put it James 5:17 KJV ” Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months “.What would have happened if his decree failed? It could mean his head being chopped off.

Elijah called for a contest between himself and the prophets of Baal. (1st Kings 18:21-25) He stood alone, against four hundred men. They were to call down fire from heaven, and the God who answered by fire, He was God. The one who failed to bring the fire down would be slaughtered. Elijah said the following, in his prayer, during his turn to call down fire.  “Lord let it be known in Israel… that I have done all these at thy word”. How did he hear God? During his moments of prayer.

Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa of blessed memory was attacked by hired killers, who came to him carrying machine guns. He boldly walked towards them and declared by the count of three all your bullets would melt away, and you would lose your head.

The killers were overtaken with fear and started begging the man of God. Listening to Him once, he said he maintained three or four nights each weak to pray throughout those nights. His knowledge of God in prayer made him fearless.

 Apostle Joshua Selman said ” The most accurate measure of the health of your spiritual life is your prayer life. It is easy to Preach but it is a sacrifice to pray”. Dear child of God, don’t be lazy to pray. “Prayer blazes you up, to consume any opposing forces”.  (Hebrews 12:29)

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I receive the spirit of prayer to pray consistently for the conversion of souls and to deal with every opposing force in Jesus name.

FURTHER STUDIES

Act 4:31 KJV” And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness”.

Luke 4:14 KJV” And Jesus returned in the

power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: March 1:35 KJV “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

Prayer was a unique lifestyle of the master. He was so used to praying that His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. (Luke 11:1). Why didn’t His disciples asked Him to teach them to Preach and teach as He did.? It was all because they saw that prayer was like breath to Him. On many occasions after a hard day’s work He still had to go and pray, when His disciples had left him. Matthew 14:23 KJV “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone”.

The Lord did not approach prayer only as a means of getting things from the father, so that he only prayed when He needed something, No. To Him, His very existence depended on it. It was a means of fellowshipping with the father. Fellowship is more than just being together. It is from the Greek word ‘koinonia’ and has the following synonyms: partnership, participation, intercourse, benefaction, communication, communion, distribution. Prayer as fellowship brought him into oneness and participation with the Father.

Please, remember that, the Lord Jesus was not walking on this earth in His capacity as God (Philippians 2:5&6). He had to depend on the Holy Spirit to Know that which the Father had for Him. Prayer gave Him the privilege and the access to walk in step with the will of the father. His exceptional success in life was due to His ardent commitment to prayer.

HE said in Luke 18:1 that “… Men ought always to pray and not to faint” Dear child of God, we have also been called into a similar ministry. We must learn from His example and devote ourselves to fellowship with the Spirit. There is a scriptural quotation most Christians recite at the close of many of their meetings. 2 Corinth 13:14 KJV” The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen”. This verse is not just a closing statement to our meetings but a reminder of our continual fellowship with the Spirit, of prayer is one of the means to   maintain it

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the awareness to enter into my prayer life as a fellowship with you. I set my heart on you, taking away from my life everything that would only rob me of my pleasure’s moments with you. I pray that as I devote more time to you, my life would get more colorful to your glory, in Jesus name.

FURTHER STUDIES

1Thessalonians 5:17 KJV Pray without ceasing.

Romans 12:12 KJV” Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

Ephesians 6:18 KJV” Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”;

KEY SCRIPTURE Mark 4:19 KJV” And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful”.

We continue with our discussion on how Satan attacks God’s word in men. The third point says he tempts the believer with the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things. These things compete with the word for a place in the heart of the man. If the man does not kill these things from his life, they would grow and over shadow the word, making it ineffective.

Cares come in many forms. One may be taken over with cares over a bad health condition, financial state or any loss of something dear. It can be anything that one gets anxious about. It is one of Satan’s strategies to attack God’s word in your heart. This is why God says be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. (Phil 4:6) Some are also taken over by the deceitfulness of riches. Their hearts are over taken by the desire to be rich and begin to do and say all kinds of things to be rich. 1st Timothy 6:10, says the love(lust) of money is the root of all evil.

The Lord also added that some also begin lusting after other things, which take the place of God ‘s word. Lust comes in all forms. Lust for pleasure, lust for food, lust for browsing on the internet. Lust of the eyes and many more. The Bible teaches in 2nd Peter 1:4, that men are corrupted because of lust. One statement that describes these things that choke the word is ‘ to walk in the flesh’. Dear child of God, refuse to walk in the flesh. The seed in the Greek is ‘sperma’. The woman cannot be pregnant without the sperm. The seed(sperma) is the word (Mark4:14). Keep it in your heart, and your miracle (baby) would be born.

 CONFESSION

I refuse to be tempted with anything that would choke the word of God in me. I feed my heart with the word. I believe whatever the word says. This gives birth to outstanding miracles. The word is the seed that grows to become the fruit of miracles.

FURTHER STUDIES

1 Peter 1:23 & 25 KJV Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

1 Timothy 6:10 KJV “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:17 KJV” And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended”.

We have learnt that; it is the presence of God’s word in you that overcomes the devil and brings to birth that which God intends for you to have. The second approach that Satan’s uses to make God’s word ineffective in the Christian, is to raise, challenges, problems, afflictions and many more in the life of the Christian. He does this so that the Christian would turn his anger towards God and His word. This is how our opening scripture put it. Mark 4:17 KJV ” And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended”.

Please just consider what the word said. It says the afflictions and persecutions arise because of the word in you. His ultimate purpose is that you would be offended in the word. If he succeeds in making you feel God has disappointed you, you would not trust the word any longer. There are a number of Christians who have been caught up in this satanic orchestration. They unfortunately vent their anger on God. There are too many Christians who are unhappy, because they feel God has disappointed them.

Dear child of God, it is not God who is refusing to heal you. It is not God who is keeping you from having the fruit of the womb, or even preventing you from getting a life partner. God’s solution to you, is His word, don’t turn away from it. Heb 10:38 KJV “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”. Your faith in the word is what overcomes Satan. Keep the word in your heart and say it continuously with your mouth. If you draw back, God would have no pleasure in you.

 CONFESSION

I keep God’s word in my heart. I do not turn to the left or to the right. No matter the opposition that may rise against me, I never lose my focus on the word. I always get my answers

FURTHER STUDIES

Hebrews 10:35 KJV “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward”.

1 John 5:4 KJV “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:15 KJV” And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts”.

Satan knows the validity and potency of the word in the life of the believer. He is fundamentally a liar and therefore he is darkness. The word is truth and therefore, it is light. Light will always and under any condition humiliate darkness. John 1:5 KJV ” And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not”. The greatest dread of Satan is the word in you. On this note, he will do everything to overthrow God’s word from your heart.

The parable of the sower shows us the three main ways Satan robs men of the word and its resultant impact in their lives.

They are as follows:

1. He steals the word from their hearts. Mark 4:15

2. Uses Affliction or persecution to get them to be offended about the word. Mark 4:17

3. Tempts men with the cares of this life, deceitfulness of riches and lust of other things.

Many Christians do not know that, their greatest instrument to conquer is the word in their hearts and their subsequent reliance on it. These people do not give full attention to hearing the word and so they do not understand nor even have the word deeply settled in their hearts. Satan has the easiest task of taking that word from their hearts. Mark 4:15 KJV ” And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts”.

What must such people do? Give full attention to hearing the word. Do not allow anything to take your attention from hearing the word. In church, don’t browse on your phone. If you have a means of listening to it in audio format, please listen to it over and over again. I have been listening to certain messages over a hundred times. They will be established in your heart such that, no devil cannot rob you off it.

 CONFESSION

 God’s word is, established in my heart. I cherish it and so reflect on it in my heart. Nothing can rob me off the word. I believe in the word and apply it in various life issues. It always gives me victory making me do exploits in life.

FURTHER STUDIES

Proverbs 4:20 & 21″My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart”.

Deuteronomy 4:1 KJV “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 55:11 KJV “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent IT”.

GOD’S word is the highest authority in the natural and spiritual world. It reigns in the spiritual and subsequently in the natural as well. All things natural and spiritual proceed from His word. The word and God are one. (John 1:1-2, Heb 11:3) Hebrews 11:3 KJV” Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear”. The word is a person(spirit) having life and therefore has creative abilities (John 6:63). Faith in the word is faith in a person, the most powerful entity in the universe. Jesus is His name.

All that matters for your victory over difficulties is to get the word into your heart and trust whatever it says. Our key scripture says Isa 55:11 KJV ” So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” .The Lord assures all who would dare to put their confidence in His word that, it would not come back to Him, without accomplishing the mission for which it was sent.

Never be worried about the magnitude of any problem. God’s word tells us two extremes of problem. 1.That which is dead

2.That which does not exist. (Rom 4:17)

God’s word solves all these. How does it do it. (Romans 10:9 & 10, Joshua 1:8),)

1 Believe the word in your heart

2.Do as the word says

3. Say the word in consent(agreement) to what is written. Keep saying it. That is how God our Father does it. He raises the dead and calls those things which be not as though they were. All these is done by the word. Don’t attend to the devil and his sayings, attend to God and his word.

 CONFESSION

 I have God’s word in my heart and in my mouth. The word in me is Jesus alive in me. Nothing is impossible unto me. Sicknesses cannot thrive in me. I am very prosperous and making great impact in this life. Souls are saved by my testimony and those held under Satan’s bondage are made free. Glory be to God.

 FURTHER STUDIES

Acts 20:32 KJV” And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified”.

Hebrews 4:12 KJV “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”.

Psalms 119:89 & 90 KJV ” Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Psalms 112:7 KJV “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD”.

(Read Psalm 112)

Psalm 112 reveals some of the amazing experiences and character of the righteous man. Among the many things that he experiences or develops within himself is the ability not to be afraid of evil tidings because his heart is fixed on the Lord. He is not moved or shaken by threats of evil. This is a very important trait that causes such a one to triumph in difficult moments. A fixed heart on God will always deliver your victory into your hands.

The psalmist lays forth some of the processes that builds up into a person whose heart is established in the Lord. They are as follows:

1. He fears the Lord. (Psalm 112:1)

 The fear of God makes the dread of other threatening situations insignificant. Isaiah 8:13 KJV ” Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread”. Set the Lord apart from all other things. Place Him high above everything. You may do this by taking some moments to meditate on His awesomeness. Faith cannot be strong without a proper knowledge of God.

2. The second action is to price God’s word and His commandments above every condition, state or person (PS 112:1).  Take every word as pouring forth from the father’s lips and is also filled with His life.

3. Let your tongue say what the word says. Say I have an established heart and have no fear in me. Fear is a negative emotion proceeding from a response to a negative thought, or suggesting coming from the enemy. When dealing with God, never say I am afraid of this or that. That would weaken the stability of your heart in God.  Keep saying, my heart is fixed on the Lord, and also declare that God has done what He said. This would strengthen your heart. Your positive words nullify every negative word and also seeds your heart with faith.

 CONFESSION

My heart is fixed on the Lord and His word. I have no fear of any evil tidings. I am secured in the Lord and I continue triumphing in all circumstances. His word in me is the seed for my miracle. I do not lose the word, for that is all that matters. Glory be to His name.

FURTHER STUDIES

Isaiah 8:12&13 KJV Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Hebrews 10:38 KJV” Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”.

KEY SCRIPTURE:2 Corinthians 4:2 KJV ” But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God”.

Any child of God who practices secret acts of sin is in direct fellowship with the devil. Unfortunately, there are some Christians who still present a dual nature of themselves. They come to the midst of other Christians and are like angels, yet in the secret hideouts or when they are in ‘their selves’ they practice and say all kinds of unscriptural things. Rom 2:21 KJV ” Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?”

It is amazing to see some Christians living as natural men. They are men of the flesh. This is what the Bible says about such people. Eph 5:3 KJV” But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; “Stealing, fighting, and all works of the flesh should not be named among you. You are Saints, holy men or women. You should not have any hidden life of dishonesty. There is nothing hidden in this life. Everything is open and naked before Him with whom we have to do (Heb 4:13).

Why do some Christians live double lives?

1.Some who live this way are just deceived by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13).

2. There are others who do not know that, they have a new nature of absolute righteousness and sin does not rule in them. (Romans 6:14)

3. To others it is a neglect of scriptural activities (divine disciplines) like, prayer, Bible study, fasting, fellowship, meditation on the scriptures, giving, evangelism. etc. Lack of practice of divine disciplines causes the Christian to gradually drift off into non-performance of his faith. It is a big error for any Christian to live in sin. Don’t accept you are a sinner, but refuse any suggesting to do wrong.

 CONFESSION

 I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I have renounced every hidden thing of dishonesty walking according to the truth in every occasion. I am the Light of the world and I give light to those in darkness. I have a glorious life in Jesus name.

 FURTHER STUDIES

Ephesians 5:8 KJV “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light”

Ephesians 5:13 KJV” But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light”

Hebrews 3:13 KJV “But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”.