God provides for all your needs. Be grateful for food, clothing, shelter, education, and so many other things that God provides for you through your parents and other people.
The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. Psalm 23:1 AMP.
“I will feed my flock and I will let them lie down [to rest].” Says the Lord God Ezekiel 34:15 AMP
Be grateful for having all these things. Without Him providing for your parents to get you all the things you’re enjoying right now, they won’t be able to provide for you. So be grateful for food you eat everyday.
Show your gratefulness to Him by first thanking Him then your parents. Let it show in your behavior towards Him.
Thank Him for all the times He has provided food for your family to eat, that every morning, afternoon and night, there was food to eat in your house. Yes, be grateful for food.
Be thankful for the clothes you have on, that you are not walking around naked or have never done so and will never do so.
Thank Him for the house you live in, that during sunny days you had a place to stay away from the sun. During the rainy seasons, you had a place to stay, away from the rains. Be grateful for food, and shelter.
Thank Him for your shoes; the new and old ones. That you don’t walk barefooted is a blessing.
Thank Him for the schools you have attended, are attending and will attend. It’s because of His great love for you.
The Lord is your Shepherd, He will provide for all your needs in Jesus’ name, Amen. So be grateful for food, and everything God does for you.
Prayer: Father, I thank You for all that I have. Thank you for food, clothing and shelter. I will never take for granted all these things you have given me. Help me to always be grateful. Amen.
Action point: Be grateful for food, clothing, and shelter. Show your gratitude to God in a special way.
Yesterday, we considered a few things to note about pressures.
We discussed that;
1. Pressures come to everybody 2. Nobody can put pressures on you unless you allow that person.
Let’s conclude this morning.
3. You can stop the pressures when you want to When you really want to stop the pressures, you simply stop seeing the person in question. You press the ‘disconnect’ button. You stop picking his or her call. You see, the moment communication lines are kept open; the pressures would keep coming! You say somebody is putting pressure on you and yet you are ‘flashing’ the person with your phone? Who is really putting the pressures?
4. Be sincere with yourself. Do you really want to stop the pressures or are you enjoying it? If you want to stop it, you won’t be like Samson, rather you will follow the example of Joseph.
What was the difference?
Joseph ran away at the face of sexual pressures. Samson thought he could handle the pressures, but he lost his life eventually. Look at what Delilah did to Samson:
And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; (Judges 16:16 KJV)
That is what I call pressure! But he didn’t run away. He thought he could handle it. He was wrong.
Joseph was pressured too! Look at the scriptures:
She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her. (Genesis 39:10 Message)
He stood his ground, and eventually ran away! That is what you do at the face of pressures. Run! Don’t bother to speak in tongues or spiritualize it, just run away!
Are there people around you that you need to run away from? Are there some Delilahs, some Amnons and some Mrs Potiphars? Wicked men? Evil men? Strange women? Liars? Impostors? Deceivers? Manipulators? Think about it! You have a responsibility to protect your life and destiny by the decisions you make and the people you give access to! Selah!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am not under undue pressures. I have liberty in God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Ask God to give you strength to handle pressures.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me:and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.(Genesis 39:12 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from people putting pressures on you
Every wife should get to a point where no matter how loving and romantic and cordial they are with their spouse, they still give God his place. God deserves the first place in our lives and He wants to have all of our heart, mind, energy, and best of our beings. God is a jealous God and He will not share His glory with any other man, not even our husbands.
Our husbands, no matter how they love, if they cannot love us like Jesus, they cannot die for us. That’s why Jesus is the lover of our souls. He alone can love deeply and extravagantly.
If our husbands are godly, God will reveal to them how to love and treat us. But that also depends on how well they can receive from the Lord. Our spouses at the very best are still ‘human’. They are not given to meet all our needs. They can only try. God wants our attention, focus, love and worship.
You cannot beg to be loved. Rather look to God to meet your deepest emotional needs.
Most spouses don’t even understand their wives. We are so wired differently. So sometimes, they are not being wicked, they don’t just have a clue on how to love us the right way. That’s when God steps in. He wants to meet all our emotional, spiritual, social, physical needs. He knows us because He created us.
There some of our needs that we don’t even understand or can articulate in the right way or with the right words, making it difficult for even our husbands to try and meet. So take the frustration off your husband and off your marriage. Let your spouse do what he can do and allow God do what He can and wants to do.
Don’t let your esteem or self-worth come solely from your spouse. Your self-worth should come from God. You are very special to God. You worth so much to Him. You are Royalty. You are the apple of His eyes. God will bat an eye lid to protect you.
For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou was refused, saith thy God. Isaiah 54:5 – 6 KJV
The scripture in Isa 54:5 is telling us that thy Maker is thy Husband. God is speaking to us what it is. God is not just trying to be our husband or writing an application to be our husbands. We have to receive these words, believe it and walk in the light of it. We have to mediate on it so much until it becomes real to our hearts.
God is saying we are Mrs God! What a privilege! We are not just His princesses, we are married to Him. He is our maker. He understands us. He knows our wiring because He put them there. He knows what words to speak to us par time.
We are married to the Almighty, all powerful, the wealthiest on the earth and in heaven. Hallelujah! It’s so comforting and refreshing to know. God finds you so lovely, flawless and gorgeous.
So other women are being treated harshly by their husbands. They are oppressed, bullied and abused. God wants you to shift your focus from the hurt you are experiencing. Give that hurt to God your husband. He knows how to fix it. God is introducing Himself as the Lord of hosts. He has hosts to deploy to rescue you. You are Royalty, her Royal Majesty.
Never forget that. Find a way to always remind yourself that. I wear a tiny chain around my neck to remind me I am royalty. I am loved by God.
I will get into what it means to have God as your husband tomorrow by God’s grace.
God bless our marriage.
CONFESSION FOR TODAY My God is my husband
PRAYER FOR TODAY Pray that you will experience the love of God
THOUGHT FOR TODAY Isa 54:5 (TLB)for your Creator will be your “husband.” The Lord Almighty is his name; he is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.
ACTION PLAN FOR TODAY Study the bible reading for the day
The Psalmist in the book of psalms tells of how it feels to thank God. This feeling leads him further to do more than just saying thank you to God. It’s leading him to sing praises and to tell the whole world about how good God is. He wants to do it in the morning and even at night.
It is a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the Lord, To sing praises to Your name, O Most High, To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night.
Psalm 92:1-2 AMP
When you wake up every morning, thank God for keeping you alive. Thank Him for the grace He has given you to be among the million people worldwide that are awake and praising Him right now. Be thankful also for your parents and siblings who have also woken up like you too.
Add this to your prayer journal and the date. This is a good spiritual habit you should learn as a child. Once it becomes a part of you, gratitude will come easy to you.
And at night, just before you sleep, thank God for how He kept you, your parents, and your siblings throughout the day. Include the things He has made possible for you to do or have like passing a test at school or making a new friend.
Begin and end your day with gratitude, just like the psalmist – thank God.
May the Lord keep and bless you every day in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayer: Heavenly Lord, I thank You for each day that I am awake and when I sleep at night. Thank you for my parents and siblings. I will always praise Your Holy name in Jesus’ name, amen.
Action point: Start your day by thanking God for keeping you alive – thank God.
Pressures can come from different sources. Pressures can come from the devil, they can come from your friends, they can come from your environment, and they can come from within you.
Here are a few things to note about pressures.
1. Pressures come to everybody Everybody experiences one form of pressure at one point or the other. From the pews to the pulpit, from the laity to the clergy, from the janitor to the archbishop, from the person that got born again yesterday, to the one that has been in the faith for twenty years! As long as you are human, you will experience one form of pressure or the other.
The fact that pressures come to everybody is also an indication that tells you that you are not in that alone. There are no custom made pressures, and there is no pressure that you are facing that somebody, somewhere has not faced before.
Here is the scripture:
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV)
Even Jesus Christ had pressures! That is why the Bible says
We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all––all but the sin. (Hebrews 4:15 Message)
2. Nobody can put pressures on you unless you allow that person. Everybody that is putting pressures on you, be it sexual, physical or mental, you have allowed them one way or the other.One of the greatest gifts that God has given you is the gift of time. 24 hours that you live yesterday was time spent, but it was also a portion of your life that can’t be relived again. Those hours are gone into oblivion. The question is who have you given access to in your life, directly or indirectly?
Anybody you spend time with and listen to, you have just given them access into your life and permission to carry out whatever ulterior motives they had.
The moment you spend time with that unbeliever, you have just given him access to put pressures on you. The moment you go out on date with your boss who is married, you have just given him access to put pressure on you. The moment you report your spouse to your colleague or your boss at work, you have just given him or her permission to put pressures on you! The moment you keep spending time with that fellow all in the name of being taught tutorials, you have just given such a person access into your life.
I will show you more ways to handle pressures tomorrow.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am not under undue pressures. I have liberty in God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Ask God to give you strength to say NO at the right times.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me:and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.(Genesis 39:12 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from people putting pressures on you
There are differenttypes, kinds, shades, and forms of trouble in life and of course, in marriage. Some of these troubles we face in marriage are due to our carelessness most of the time. While others are the devil wanting to stir up issues.
Whichever way, God has told us of how to handle troubles in His word.
I must admit that there are some troubles or challenges that are so bigger than us. There is no way we can come out of then successfully without God intervening.
King David even though he was God’s beloved Psalmist, faced different situations way bigger and stronger than he. The good news is that God brought him over them all.
At whatever season in our marriage, when trouble comes, not if they come, because they will surely come, if we are believers, we are assured victory.
Some challenges are spiritual and must be dealt with by engaging in spiritual warfare. Whether they are in-law issues, financial, child birth, barrenness, betrayal, infidelity issues, health issues or we just noticed some resistance on our way, or there are constant quarrels between us as couples that really has no basis, or any other attack on our marriage, it calls for spiritual warfare.
That is the time we should deal with and take charge of whatever trouble or strange oppressive spirit from the devil that wants to destroy our marriages.
We must know how to intercede for our marriage more than anything else. We fight on our knees.
The bible says
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:3 – 5 KJV
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 KJV
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19 KJV
Our major work is to bind the wrong spirit behind such issues and loose the power of God. We come against the different spirits causing troubles for us and not allow us to enjoy peace, love and joy in our marriage.
Some problems are not with the 3rd party but within spouses. You have to learn to take charge and exercise authority over such anti-peace, anti-unity spirit. All they are after is to cause division, disunity, distress and fight in the marriage.
Also, praying for the eyes of the understanding of the other party is important.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:17 – 18 KJV
By the time you have engaged in spiritual warfare, God promised us victory over every trouble. The victory may not come the way we want. But victory is sure and peace will be restored into our marriage
God bless our marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am not a careless spouse. I engage in battle for my family.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Oh Lord, open the eyes of my understanding.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19 KJV
God ensures that there are many things in your life that you should be grateful for. So you must learn how to be grateful. God gave you loving and kind parents, a roof over your head, shoes on your feet, clothes to cover your body, food to eat and even a pet dog to play with. These are just some of the things you should be grateful to God for.
O house of Israel, bless and praise the Lord [with gratitude]; O house of Aaron, bless the Lord; Psalms 135:19 AMP.
Gratitude should be about looking around you and in your life to see the things that you are enjoying. Or the ones you have enjoyed in the past. This is one way to learn how to be grateful – by carefully looking around.
Get a journal and daily write down the things you are grateful for. No day passes without a blessing from God. Find those blessings and write them down. Yes, write them down. That is how to be grateful.
Don’t just look at the big things only, note the little things too. God wants you to thank Him for both the big and small things because He made it possible. As big as our God is, He still does the little things. And you should learn how to be grateful no matter the ‘size’ of what God has done.
It’s better to write these things down as soon as they happen to you or at a convenient time for you. That way you don’t forget any.
May God give you a heart of gratitude always and help you find things to be thankful for daily. May He teach you how to be grateful in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer: Thank you Father for your daily blessings. I will always be grateful for your blessings.
Action Point: Find an unused notebook or a diary, label it “My Gratitude Journal” and start to write all that you are grateful for each day. Don’t look at a good thing that happens to you as small, include it in your journal.
Women geteasily hurt. And the husbands may not even be aware that they are hurt because their needs are miles apart.
Those are the times a husband asks his wife, “what is wrong?” She simply answers “Nothing!”She says nothing because she doesn’t feel good explaining that something so little gets her upset. Or she knows if she tries to explain, the husband might end up making her look like an idiot. So she keeps quiet.
What are examples of those little things that could upset your wife?
Here we go.
1. Don’t do things that make her uncomfortable sexually. Don’t embarrass her and don’t compare her with some past escapades.
2. Don’t ignore her when it comes to making important of financial decisions. Don’t leave her in the dark, keeping her guessing all the time.
3. Don’t compare her with others especially when it has to do with her appearance, weight or hairdo. Don’t go out of your way to appreciate and dote on other women while you completely ignore her.
4. Don’t do things that you have disallowed her from doing, making her feel like a little child who cannot think for herself.
5. Don’t ignore her when she is emotionally down or physically tired. Don’t say things like, “I am tired of you. When you get out of your nasty moods, let me know!”
6. Don’t hug and embrace other ladies endlessly while you don’t even hold her hands in public. Go out of your way and offer some PDA! Public Display of Affection!
7. Don’t leave her alone to do all the house chores while still expecting her to be an amazon in bed later in the night. That would be insensitive.
8. Don’t make her do all the pornographic antics and gymnastics you could have watched in the past, and then making her feel she is frigid if she couldn’t do such. Rather appreciate her for not having a dirty mind and understand that most things you watched were acted by professional prostitutes and men of depraved mind!
9. Don’t watch football all day and all night while refusing to let her watch her favorite programs. Don’t make her look like an idiot for her preference of programs. Join her to watch sometimes, and encourage her to join you as well.
10. Don’t forget or deliberately ignore her special days like birthdays and other anniversaries. That will hurt her. Rather go out of your way to set notifications so that you can surprise her on those special days.
May God grant more understanding
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am good spouse
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, bless our marriage
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Pro 5:18 (KJV) Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
There are two things in life that are so important and pertinent that if you can have them, you are good to go. They are two things you need in relationships, marriage and life. They are the two things you need at work, in your school, in your business and in every sphere of life.
The Presidents of nations will pay millions to get these two things and the common man will desperately search for them. What are these two things?
These two things have caused not a few to dabble into the occult and some other terrains that are dangerous.
People are willing to pay millions for these two things. Some die in their bid to get them and some even lose their lives when they fail to get it right. Some have committed suicide at their inability to have these two things.
Everyday of our lives, we are trying to answer these two questions. We make decisions based on our projections on these two things.
What are these two things?
1. Profitability or fruitfulness 2. Direction or Navigation
That is the summary of success in life. The young girl wants to know who to fall in love with. That’s direction. She also wants to know whether it will last or be fruitful and then lead to marriage. That’s profitability.
The young man wants to know which career to follow or business to do. That’s direction. He also wants to know whether it will eventually make him rich. That is profitability.
The minister of God wants to know what God will have him do. Is it a church or an itinerant ministry? That’s direction. He also wants to know whether the church will grow or the itinerant ministry will prevail. That is profitability.
And it goes on like that all through life. We are constantly tying to search and check. Will it prosper? Is it the right direction?
Life without a compass can be frustrating. One can be lost in the meandering paths of life without a navigation system. There is nothing as tiring as proceeding on a journey without direction. And after you have direction, what will I do when I get there? We are all in a race, so says Apostle Paul, but then to where? Speed in the wrong direction can be a tragedy of life.
God gave me a scripture that answers with all finality what I have been discussing with you this morning. Direction and Profitability!
Here is the scripture.
Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. (Isaiah 48:17 KJV)
This scripture nailed it all.
I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit – Profitability.
I am the Lord thy God which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go – Direction.
In studying some of these words in Hebrew from where they are translated, I saw some beautiful truths.
The word “teacheth” is “lamad” and it means amongst other things, “to diligently and expertly instruct” Do you believe God is an expert enough to teach you in your relationship, marriage, career, business and so on?
And then, the word that interested me most and caused an explosion of revelation within me is this. The word “Profit” is “yaal” and it means to “properly ascend,” to be “valuable” and “useful”
I know you have ascended a little in life, but we are talking about “to properly ascend!” God is about to expertly and diligently instruct you to properly ascend and to be valuable and useful!
And then He says He will lead you in the way to go. The right man to get married to, the right lady to go after, the business to choose and the career to settle with.
Get ready as God teaches you to profit and also leads you in the way to go! When you have these two things; success is inevitable!
I see God teaching you and leading you! It is difficult in the natural realm to have these two together. A good teacher may not know how to lead. A good leader may not know how to teach. But in God, we have both! You will succeed. God will lead you. He will teach you. You will no longer be confused! The light of God dawns upon your soul right now.
From this morning, you know what to do and where to go. You will no longer draw a blank, God is your teacher and you leader. From this morning, you will no longer be lost in the maze and turns of life that leads nowhere, you will have direction and you will profit! Why? God said so! Go ahead and speak that into your life!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am led and taught by God.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will lead you to your right partner.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Isa 48:17 (BBE) The Lord who takes up your cause, the Holy One of Israel, says, I am the Lord your God, who is teaching you for your profit, guiding you by the way in which you are to go.
This morning we will be considering the topic “Can I Change My Spouse?” This is a question that has been in the minds of many married couples.
Mr. And Mrs. Scott have been married for five years and both of them are frustrated. They are both born again, God loving and loved each other passionately. But over the years, that love seemed to have waned. The love they once had seemed to have evaporated into the thin air. The butterflies that used to congregate into the love shape within their tummies seemed to have gone on vacation.
The eyeballs of Mrs Scott that used to engender a rush of adrenalin in her husband seemed the very source of irritation now. From, “I just love your eyeballs, they are heavenly,” It is now, “Please, stop looking at me irritatingly like that!”
The broad shoulders of Mr. Scott that weakens the knees of his wife as she admires him, does nothing to her now. In fact, she thinks, he is too wide chested! Does he think they sell “chests” on earth when he was being created?
What happened?
Well, The Scotts embarked on a journey to change each other shortly after their wedding. They constantly sang the song into each other’s ears.
“You need to change.” “You are the problem in this house.” “If only you can change.”
Well, they never changed. And that is the reality you will always meet and see in marriage. When you expect your spouse to change overnight, you will be heavily disappointed. When either spouse is an unbeliever, that is another thing entirely. Change in that sense is possible and can be anytime. But when we talk about habits, attitudes, and behavioral patterns it can take a while. Take note of these few points.
1. Patience You will need to exercise patience! It takes a while. Let’s assume your spouse was twenty five years old by the time you got married.It means that he or she has been formed into a certain mold for twenty five years.
Coming into marriage and expecting a quick change because your sermonized or lectured him or her will not make a change in a few days. If you keep expecting a quick change, you may be disappointed.
1Co 13:4 (CEV) Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud…
I think in marriages, you always get to understand that virtue called “long-suffering!”
2. Don’t lecture or sermonize Your lectures and long talks does nothing at the end of the day.It only turns you into a nag, a domineering spouse and an impatient spouse. Between a husband and a wife, one will talk more than the other. Don’t ever make the mistake thinking your ability to package words is effective on your spouse. It is even much more annoying and irritatingly hilarious if your spouse is a phlegmatic who doesn’t want trouble. He or she will allow you to talk and talk, and then will promise you there is change, only so that you can stop talking! Only to do the very thing you’ve been talking about!
You feel like escaping from the marriage, but sorry, you are hooked already! Trust God that things will get better.
3. Pray rather than talk and talk Your most effective and sure way to create any change is to pray.Take it to God and stop wearing yourself out. Try and think about it, you’ve been complaining about something for seven years, yet no change! And you keep complaining! Don’t you think in seven years, your spouse has disconnected himself or herself from your complaints? He or she has mastered the art of closing the gate of his heart, you are only talk to the ears! It does nothing and it would do nothing! Pray about it!
4. Get back Into dating mode You used to love yourselves! What happened? You used to overlook and ignore some things you are bitterly complaining about now. You need to get back into that romantic mode and love each other again rather that thinking your spouse is the problem of your family!
1Co 13:7 (CEV) Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
Be supportive, be hopeful and trust again. Cast your cares unto Jesus and stop focusing in the flaws of your spouse. Get back into appreciating him or her in the area of strength.
I pray that God will help you need and send the very help you need in Jesus name.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am patient
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to be love my spouse again
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1Co 13:7 (GW) Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.
Gratitude means to declare that you acknowledge something good that you received. It could be a gift or help. How to practice gratitude as a child is what we wish to look at today.
I will exalt You, my God, O King, And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Psalms 145:1 AMP
The psalmist in the above verse is showing this gratitude to God by writing Him a poem to say how grateful he was. That is how to practice gratitude.
Look at this second verse:
Remember [with gratitude] His marvelous deeds which He has done, His miracles and the judgments from His mouth, 1 Chronicles 16:12 AMP
Now the writer here is saying that we should remember with gratitude what God has done for us. You have to just learn how to practice gratitude as a child.
When people show ungratefulness it’s because they forget about what people or God has done for them. They believe that they have never received anything good in their lives. They refuse to say thank you. They refuse to praise God.
When you appreciate people for the good things they do for you, it’s a sign of gratitude. Rather than focus on what you didn’t get, be grateful for the ones you have. Yes, that is how to practice gratitude.
Saying thank you to God every time He blesses you gladdens His heart and He will bless you more.
For the next few days we will look at ways on how to practice gratitude to God and others.
You will also learn how to find things to be grateful for.
May your gratitude always go before God as a sweet smelling aroma in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
Prayer: Father, I am grateful for the spirit of showing gratitude at all times. Teach me how to practice gratitude. Thank You dear Father in Jesus name. Amen.
Action point: Look for an empty notebook or jotter to start writing down things you are going to be grateful for as we continue the series.
If you are a member of KHC, get ready to move! Yes, I hear the Spirit of God say, in areas of your lives where things have been static and stagnant, there is about to be a rumbling, and a movement that will turn every captivity around and put an end to disappointments!
Let’s take a look at this scripture that the Lord woke me up with.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. (Exodus 14:13 KJV)
Moses was asking the people to stand still here. And some of you have stood still for a while.
You have fasted. You have prayed. You have done all you know to do. Things have stood still for a while. The man was not forthcoming. You couldn’t seem to find the right lady. The business has not been buoyant. Currency that is meant to flow stood still. Admission to higher institutions seemed pending.
But I love the next statement!
“…for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.”
The failure you saw in the past months, you will see them no more!
The disappointments you saw in the past months, you will see them no more!
The abandonment, the jilting experiences, you will see them no more!
The strings of tragedies, the premature loss of loved ones, you will see them no more!
The reality of poverty and lack intertwined, you will see them no more!
The depression and despondency, the literal emotional upheavals, you will see them no more!
The rejection, the seemingly trail of curses, you will see them no more!
The delay, the disfavor, the loss of opportunities, you will see them no more!
Look at the next verse:
The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. (Exodus 14:14 KJV)
You see, this year, God will fight for you! That is why He is saying Press forth! You want to ask, how will I press forth? Where are the resources? How will I do it? God says, keep shut your mouth and stop asking questions of doubt, I have got your back covered! Glory to God!
And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: (Exodus 14:15 KJV)
Here God said, Look Moses, the people have stood still for a while, stop crying to me, take some action! Press forth! Go forward! Stop complaining and making doubtful statements, move!
Message translation says “…order them to get moving!”
I come in the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of God this morning and proclaim to all KHCites, “Get moving!” There is divine energy to move right now!
But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. (Exodus 14:16 KJV)
Press forth this year! You will go on dry ground. The ground will not swallow you. This year, you will not slip under the ground. The ground has been solidified for you! The ground of marriage, the ground of business, the ground of academic achievement, the ground of professional careers, have been made ready for you!
Get moving this year. Write that book. Publish that material. Start that business. Start that blog! Press forth! Get married! Begin the idea!
The sea has been divided for you. The hindrances have been disgraced. The obstructions have been divided. The sea has been “unsead” That courtship that is almost becoming everlasting because of funds, you are about to press forth because God will supernaturally provide!
Get ready this year to Press forth!
Press forth into your destiny. Press forth into God’s plan for your life! I come with a trumpet in my mouth this morning, and I blow upon all KHCites, PRESS FORTH!
Quit looking back. The sinful and oppressive lifestyles of Egypt, should be relinquished. No more frolicking with demons of iniquity! No more locked in the false embrace of a guy or lady, no more covered with the sheets of sexual perversion, it is a new day!
It is a new day for you! Press forth!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am pressing forth this month! No more disappointments!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, I receive energy to press forth in Jesus name
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut! ” (Exodus 14:14 Message)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Write down areas where you need to look beyond disappointments and press forth!
Part of beingsincere and being open and transparent in marriage is being able to express yourself without feeling ashamed. This is why we are considering the topic Don’t Be Afraid of Being Needy In Marriage”
I know this could be difficult to do. I have been there before. My husband is a full-blown-blooded choleric. And clerics are very expressive and opinionated. They could be very blunt and believe why should they be diplomatic? In fact, the blunter the better. They are not apologetic at all.
In my own thinking as a phlegmatic, everything has to be with diplomacy. You have to think of not hurting the other person even if it means you get hurt instead. You have to be apologetic and so on.
My husband is of the opinion that if he needs anything he will ask. Jokingly or straightforward, he will ask. He believes there is nothing he should not be able to ask his wife especially Jeru trip(*winks). He is never ashamed.
I had to learn to ask and not be ashamed that I am needy.
Recently, I saw our Caucasian dog do this and the Holy Spirit ministered to me that it’s so easy to ask for what you want.
Shame is a sign you are not naked and transparent with your spouse yet.
Our huge dog, whenever you are outside will come to you, make sure you notice him and then lie down very close to you expecting that you use your leg to rub him. He shows pleasure and if you remove your leg he will use his own legs to touch you. A non-verbal way of saying “don’t stop”.
We as couples should always learn to ask politely and courteously from our spouse. Don’t let the unfavorable answer of our spouses discourage us. Just ask. It is either he/she says Yes, No, or some other time.
We all are needy, in one way or another. Where I am strong my husband is weak and he is strong where I am weak. God created it so. We need one another, but we have the responsibility of making our needs known.
Don’t be too egoistic and don’t be ashamed of your needs. God already knows you are needy. Don’t also try to be humble unnecessarily by sacrificing your needs. Talk about your needs as a woman. Talk about your needs as a man, which includes jeru trip, intimacy, affection, time out even the need to be pampered.
Let’s be expressive even if we have to learn it.
God bless your marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I put God first place in my life
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, empower me to do thy will, at all times
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. (1 Peter 3:7 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Decide to sow a good seed into her today!
One of the greatest challenges that a man will face is how to care of his wife. This is not because a man is reluctant to do so, but simply because the definition of care in a man’s brain is sometimes exact opposite of how a lady defines care. I am not talking about when you’ve just fallen in love. Mostly at that time, your eyes are not open to reality then. At the times when you’ve just fallen in love, everything he does is okay and everything she does is okay!
A woman sees C-A-R-E as availability, attention and some good money! A man often sees C-A-R-E as money, money and money, and that is where the problem is?
Didn’t I just send you money? How can you say I don’t care? Didn’t I just send you to Dubai? You see, a woman that truly loves you doesn’t mind going to Dubai, but she doesn’t want to go alone! She wants to go with you!
I know there are some women who see C-A-R-E as money, money and money! This isn’t a genuine love, and at the end of the day, they are still frustrated despite the money because the real need is never met!
This is the bane of ladies who are of marriageable age, but refuse to love and be loved appropriately because of some man who is giving them money or who rents an apartment for them somewhere.
You call them big girls, but they are really small inside! The big girls are not the ones spending some ill-gotten money that they accumulated from using their bodies as a commodity; the big girls are the ones who refuse to compromise in the face of provocation, who decides to stand up for God!
If you are engaged to a lady who never asks for your time and attention but only wants you to send her money, you should really be worried! She is probably getting the emotional fulfillment somewhere else and you are just a tool in her hands, to get money!
On the other hand, if a lady never stresses you for money but only asks that you call regularly and be there for her, she really loves you! Though, there could be an extreme of this as well, when the lady in question is overly needy because of past experiences and self-esteem issues.
So how do you take care of lady? Be there for her. Take care of her by spending time with her. But, I have to provide for her, so I am busy and I have to be away! Yes, but you have to create time out of no time, to be available for her. May you not get the money and then lose her!
You need to understand that it is a need of hers! Initially she might not complain because the money is always there, but after a while, she would rather let you have her than the money having her.
Why do you think some rich women get depressed? Haven’t you seen ladies living in palatial mansions who are so unhappy and depressed?
Money answereth all things…that it can answer!
Like it is often said, can money buy sleep? Nay, it may buy waterbed, not sleep!
Can money buy a good heart, nay, it may get a beautiful face, not necessarily a good heart. One of the worst things that can happen to a man is a stunningly beautiful face sitting on an evil heart! Conversely, one of the greatest tragedies that can happen to a woman is a stupendously rich man and a handsome face sitting on an abusive, egocentric and violent man!
His money buys your body, your mouth and your mind! You can’t even think for yourself, that is not marriage! Sadly this is where a lot of ladies find themselves! A lady called me sometimes ago weeping profusely; that she has all the money but she cannot spend! She was living in a prison!
It is for this reason that when you are talking of a relationship or marriage with a person, the most singular important factor is God’s choice for you!
And then some people will come up with some funny ideas like; what if God gives me somebody I don’t love? What you don’t know is that God is not man, that arithmetic or geometry will never be.
That God will lead you to somebody you hate all your life? It never happens like that! You will always love what God offers because He gives you the best! Yes, initially you may not cooperate with God’s plan because of selfishness and greed, but when you come to embrace God’s plan, you will see the wisdom of God, and you will be full of praises to God!
Only God knows the man or woman that will last the whole journey with you. Only God knows the one that will pack his or her load along the way. Only God knows the one that might pull the trigger on you five years later. Only God knows the one that wouldn’t mind using you for some ritual… because God looks into the heart…while you are looking at the bank account and the face! You see why it is important you follow God’s direction?
What if you are already married and you feel you made a mistake? Stay there and correct that mistake, with prayers, good attitudes, wisdom and a lot of maturity, God can heal your marriage and make it good!
May God help us all!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am not confused. I am being led of God
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord lead me into that place by your side.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. (Psalms 5:3 KJV)
In today’s article, we would be examining how children can pray, as seen in the Bible. The bible is full of so many power-packed prayers from ordinary people like you and me, who faced one issue or another at different times in bible history.
It’s a reservoir of prayers said out of fear, pain, and loneliness. Some were faced with destruction and had to cry out for help. Some more said prayers out of confusion, hopelessness, and despair. Prayers for mercy, deliverance, and strength are found in the bible, said by people who were faced with huge challenges. And in these stories we see how children can pray.
Sometimes, God can lead you to a particular book, chapter, and verse in the bible as a guide to pray with. When directed to read from the bible, obey. That way, you get to know what God wants to teach or tell you about that burning issue in your mind.
David praised and worshipped God a lot in the psalms. His prayers also showed that he too had fears and prayed about them. He had hope in God to save him from all his enemies. And the Bible records that God gave him victory over all his enemies. Reading these life stories, you learn how children can pray.
When he was afraid, lost, and unsure of what to do –“Later David prayed to the Lord. David said,
“Should I go up to any of the cities of Judah? The lord said to David, “Go”. David asked, “Where should I go?” The Lord answered, “To Hebron”. 1 Sam. 2:1 ICB
As you learn how children can pray, include reading and meditation from the bible. God bless you as you do so. Amen
Prayer: Lord, as you lead me to read the bible, help me to grasp the meaning of what I read. Help me meditate on these readings so I can learn how to pray. Amen.
Action point: Read some Psalms of David. Note the different ways he prayed for help, forgiveness, and other things.
Declaration: Prayer is the master key, so I use it well.
This devotional is continued from yesterday where we talked about dangerous myths singles have to forgo.
5. I don’t have to get married. I can just have some kids and then live my life
When you think like this, something is missing somewhere. This kind of thoughts is a rebellion to God’s order and principles.
A person that says he or she doesn’t need marriage and yet sleeps around, is trying to get the benefit of marriage without the responsibilities attached to it. That would be adulterous. That is not God’s plan and you can imagine what the children raised in that kind of scenario will turn out to become.
6. God doesn’t love me. I cannot see His love
God will never forget you. God will never leave you.
“But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isa 49:14-16, KJV)
I love Amplified Version of verse 16
“Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [ O Zion ] your walls are continually before Me.” (Isa 49:16, AMP)
Your picture is tattooed on the palm of God’s hands, not just one palm, but both palms.
Believe in His love. Respond to His love and you will even see His love the more. You respond to God’s love by obedience. Obedience to God unleashes the love and benevolence of God even more in your life.
I pray for you this week, may you experience God’s love this week.
May you experience the love of God in a special way, in a way that is specific to your present needs, in a way that will replace your tears with a laughter, in a way that will turn your tests into testimonies, in a way that will minster specifically into your heart, in a way that will melt away all doubts and replace them with assurance of His love!
May the blessings inherent in His love be your portion. I pray that that every confusion will be annihilated even by His love on Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am loved of God. I am free from dangerous myths.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will deliver you from dangerous myths.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom 5:5, KJV)
As we continue in this series, we will look at another aspect today – “pray for yourself.” You know it’s very easy to judge others. You see them doing something you perceive to be wrong and bam! You find a word to quickly call them maybe out loud or in your mind. Your face even shows it even if you don’t say it.
That’s very natural. And God being merciful will give His Holy Spirit freely to you. The job of the Holy Spirit is to quickly and lovingly show or tell you some things.
One, the Spirit of God will tell you how you have acted like the person you are judging immediately. He shows you the many instances you have acted like them. That you are not any different from them. It is when this reality hits you that you will know you need to pray for yourself.
An example of this is when prophet Samuel told king David a story about a man and David was so quick to judge the man in the story. But when he realized he has acted like the man, he broke down and prayed. Learn to pray for yourself.
Another thing the Holy Spirit will do is to lead you towards repenting and asking for forgiveness immediately as well. He wants your remorse at the stage. And it is not a good thing to try and argue with the Holy Spirit.
Don’t try to say how different you are from the person or how the circumstances are not the same. It is the Holy Spirit you are talking with. He knows all things. He knows the minds of all men. He knows your thoughts, past, present and future. Just break down and pray for yourself.
Thirdly, He will reveal to you the probable reason why the person is doing what they are doing. He wants you to understand so you can empathize with them. This does not in anyway mean He accepts what they are doing. No! But He only wants you to not commit the sin of judging others thereby causing yourself to be judged as well. When He shows you this, it also makes you pray for yourself, so that you don’t fall into the same thing.
Finally, He could show you other ways you can help this person out. Apart from praying for them, He could show you what you have that they need and that you can give them. For instance, if you noticed a classmate who cheats during exams, you could pray for them and offer to teach them some school work after school hours. That’s what the Holy Spirit would want you to do.
Judging others does no good to anyone. Not to you or the other person.
May the Holy Spirit watch over your thoughts, words and actions. Amen.
Prayer: Sweet Holy Spirit, show me my faults. Brood over my words, thoughts and actions in Jesus’ name, amen.
Action point: Listen to the prompts of the Holy Spirit anytime you feel like judging someone, and pray for yourself.
There aremany reasons why your wife loses interest in bed with you.
This attitude is not to be ignored because it can potentially bring harm to marriage.
It can push a man without self control into the zone of adulterous escapades, and of course, that comes with its unpleasant and attendant consequences that are detrimental to the family and home.
When this happens over and over again, that marriage is in serious danger of being exploited by the devil.
What seems like occasional refusals can quickly degenerate to a point where the wife closes up her spirit and the husband starts looking elsewhere.
When you look at the scriptures, it advocates that you should not deny each other sexually.
As a counselor, I have to counsel not too few a couple on this area.
What are those reasons why a wife can suddenly lose interest, especially if she has been cooperative before?
1. When she is repeatedly hurt and disappointed
Yes, the man is the head of the house and he is supposed to have the final say.
But when the man refuses to let his wife talk all the time, shuts her up and mute her voice, it can make her withdraw emotionally. When she is withdrawn emotionally, she cannot enjoy jeru trip like she should.
She is not a prostitute. And because she is not, a sexual experience for her is a total experience that affects every part of her.
If she is unhappy while at it, she can have the feeling of being raped.
And when this happens continuously, she would associate pain to an experience that you are supposed to enjoy and which is supposed to transport you to a land of delight like never before.
I believe this is one of the reasons Apostle Peter said:
1Pe 3:7 (CEV) If you are a husband, you should be thoughtful of your wife. Treat her with honor…
Being thoughtful about her off bed will make her cooperate more on the bed. Invest in her emotionally. Stop hurting her over and over again. The moment you lose her emotionally, you will not enjoy yourself as well.
I am not justifying this attitude on the part of the wife, because this attitude is not the appropriate response to an insensitive husband.
Maybe he just does not understand how to treat a woman or how you want to be treated specifically.
That is not a sin in itself, he only needs to learn. So, talk to him. Explain, rather than withdraw, go quiet and sulk. Communicate. Express your frustrations without nagging and work together to build your home.
May God grant more understanding!
Be blessed!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will cooperate with my spouse
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, let your love be shed abroad in our home
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1Pe 3:7 (GW) Husbands, in a similar way, live with your wives with understanding since they are weaker than you are. Honor your wives as those who share God’s life-giving kindness so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.
There are myths every single should disbelief. Let me show you some.
1. The reason I am not married is because I am not beautiful
You see, beauty is in the beholder’s eyes. When you truly meet your spouse, you will be beautiful to him however you look.
Why do you think you are ugly? It is probably because some people told you that. Well, that is their opinion. However you look, somebody will soon see you and tell you you are beautiful.
I always say humourously that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You will be fearful (ugly) to some and you will be wonderful (beautiful) to others.
Psa 139:14 KJV I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
2. God is punishing me because of my past mistakes.
God never consults your past to determine your future. Let’s take a look at the scripture.
Heb 10:17 KJV And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
God will not only forgive you, He will forget about it. He would erase it out of His records. And listen to me, what God has forgiven and forgotten, don’t let the devil who is the accuser of brethren hold you on it.
Here is what Message translation says:
Heb 10:17 MSG He concludes, I’ll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.
What God has concluded on, don’t allow the devil to add another paragraph. Where God has put a full stop, don’t allow anybody to change it to a comma.
3. A woman can never successfully submit to her husband
Submission to one’s husband is not a negotiation, it is an instruction from God. When you submit to your husband, you will bring yourself into a season of unprecedented favour, an unleashing of creativity and flowing in the fullness of God’s blessings over your life. Why? Because you are obeying God, even when it is not easy.
1Pe 3:1-2 AMP (1) IN LIKE manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them], so that even if any do not obey the Word [of God], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [godly] lives of their wives, (2) When they observe the pure and modest way in which you conduct yourselves, together with your reverence [for your husband; you are to feel for him all that reverence includes: to respect, defer to, revere him–to honor, esteem, appreciate, prize, and, in the human sense, to adore him, that is, to admire, praise, be devoted to, deeply love, and enjoy your husband].
4. There is certainly a curse working against me.
Curses are real. But the liberation from curses is even more real! The devil is wicked, but God is loving.
Through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been redeemed from curses of the law. We have been made free. No devil should be allowed to lord it over you again!
Gal 3:13-14 MSG Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the Cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse. And now, because of that, the air is cleared and we can see that Abraham’s blessing is present and available for non-Jews, too. We are all able to receive God’s life, his Spirit, in and with us by believing–just the way Abraham received it.
I will conclude on these myths tomorrow. Don’t miss it.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am free from myths and wrong beliefs.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will deliver you from known and unknown myths
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom 5:5, KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Challenge every myth you know about marriage.
The power of a genuine prayer for something to happen or for someone to change can never be overrated. Instead of judging your friends, pray for them. Prayer is one mighty tool to use to create the change you want. In its purest form, it touches the heart of God and moves His hands to do the miraculous. And God always listens to a prayer said on behalf of someone.
When God hears your prayers concerning somebody, He listens. So pray for them. It is called intercession. When you intercede on behalf of someone, asking God to help them have a change of heart, He loves it. This is because God loves it when people change from being bad to good. That’s why He sent Jesus to die for us all
Instead of judging someone, pray for them. Speak to God about them. Ask God to help them see the errors of their ways and stop doing every wrong think they are doing. Give them your prayers instead of judging them.
Your prayer is a cry for mercy to God for them. You are telling God to look upon them with mercy and not on their wrongs.
Instead of the punishment that they should receive for their wrongs, ask the Lord to forgive them and make them new again in His sight, just like Jesus cried on the cross, asking our Heavenly Father to forgive us all. Learn to ‘pray for them.’
Pray as often as you can as the bible encourages to pray always.
Prayer is like preparing a bowl of stew. You first gather your ingredients, get the pot and fire ready and start the process. It takes time to prepare the soup and the process has to be followed if you want the stew done and ready.
Continue to pray and believe God will bring a change in them. Don’t forget our anchor phrase this morning – ‘pray for them.’
May the Lord bless you as you pray for people. Amen.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill me with the urge to pray for others instead of judging them. Help me to continue to do this, in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.
Action plan: Who is the first person you think you should start praying for? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you.
