Have you ever wondered what God’s Word will do for you? Alright, start by thinking about what a lamp does? It gives light to a dark area, right? Dark areas are beyond the physical dark places in your environment that require you to switch on the light or use a torch to see.
The unseen dark areas of your life include the times when you are unsure of what to do out of maybe confusion, fear, or pressure.
While in these dark places in your heart and mind, you need light and not a physical light but the light of God.
Divine light instantly lights up everywhere, driving out shadows and making you see well. This divine light is God’s word, the bible.
The psalmist in chapter 119 and verse 105 acknowledges what God’s word does for him.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105
This shows that with God’s word as your light, you won’t lose your footing. You won’t fall into any form of sin, fear, confusion, or bow down to any form of pressure from anyone to make you commit a sin. And even if you happen to want to fall, His word will still help you not to fall.
His word won’t let you fall for they will lighten up your path. They will give you an understanding of any situation you are facing at school, home, or anywhere.
His word will teach you how to handle the situation. He will guide you on what to say, do, or how to act.
God’s word is very powerful. Able to guide, teach and save you from any challenges you might have. His word is also able to show you how you could have managed past problems.
This way, when such situations rise up again, you already know how to handle them.
Remember this verse when you seem not to know what to do. Go into God’s word and let his light keep your feet firm and your path bright.
Lurry was caught in a cross-road. She had lost one of her parents which resulted in her academic pursuits being threatened.
Her late father’s friend stepped in to help out with finances. It was like God sent because the man was rich.
However, in no time, he began to make sexual advances. Lurry was confused. If she said no, there would be no money. If she said yes, she would be in an adulterous relationship because the man was married with children. What was she supposed to do?
Candid advice! Run, run, run! There is fire on the mountain!
You see, you cannot because of mammon destroy your destiny. As a believer, God is your source and not man! You cannot trust in the arm of the flesh!
The consequence of violating the sacredness of the marriage bed far outweighs the seemingly temporary ‘lack’ you may experience when you decide to follow God.
God is not an author of confusion. If you stand up for righteousness and refuse to dip your hands in sin, God will surely make a way for you.
Righteousness invariably exalts while sin will culminate in shame and reproach!
Befriending a married man or woman and sleeping with them in exchange for money is a demonic setup to ruin your life, and lose your soul eternally, but you can still make amends as you read this.
Under no circumstance, excuse or guise will you be justified before God for doing such a thing, so don’t even bother with flimsy excuses, God’s word will never be broken.
If you have been coerced into such or you dabbled into it in ignorance, now you know that it is wrong, and you have the power of choice to decide your future now!
Don’t be deceived, it can never be God’s will for you to date or be sexually involved with a married person. The marriage covenant must be respected. If you have done that, ask God to forgive you and never have an outing again with that married person.
Remember that what you sow is what you reap. You cannot be another person’s headache (in his or her marriage) and expect that it will be well with your own marriage when it comes to your turn!
May God grant you more understanding.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will not be in hurry. I will not violate God’s principles.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Oh Lord, help me to stay chase in Jesus name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. – Heb 13:4 (KJV)
Marriage is a covenant. Know this and know peace! It is sad to know that there are married people who are entangled in sexual affairs with their colleagues, subordinates or superiors at work. How I wish you know the implication of what you are doing?
How I wish your eyes would open to see the turmoil and anguish that awaits you, then you would have escaped for your dear life.
Adultery ruins, it destroys, it tears families apart, it transfers wrong spirits to innocent children, it opens the home to invasion of demonic attacks, the list is endless.
Above all, God’s principles and spiritual laws are violated, you risk losing all of God’s support in your life. It’s an unsafe place to be!
Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex. – Hebrews 13:4 (MSG)
Sexual intimacy between a man and a woman is sacred. It is not a carnal act neither is it an evil act.
The Bible advises that this sacredness of sexual intimacy between a husband and a wife must be guarded.
Marriage is to be honoured. It is an institution that must be respected. One of the ways you respect the marriage institution either as a husband or wife is to guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy.
To be continued.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will guard the sacredness of my marriage.
PRAYERSFOR THE DAY Lord, give me the wisdom I need to run my marriage well.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY All of you should honor marriage. You should keep the marriage bed pure. God will judge the person who commits adultery. He will judge everyone who commits sexual sins. –Hebrew 13:4
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY List a few ways you need to make changes in your marital bed. Follow through.
The habit of thanksgiving is good. In fact, it makes everyone around you want to do something for you, you know why? That’s because everyone loves to be appreciated.
Let me show you something interesting. Even the bible says we should give thanks in everything.
In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. KJV 1Thessalonia 5:18
Giving thanks is God’s will for us as his children. His desire is for us to be appreciative of everything and anything.
The bible says “in everything”, another translation says “in every circumstances.”
In essence, all the time is when we should give thanks.
Giving thanks or saying thank you shows you are a grateful person, and grateful people get more things, unlike someone that isn’t appreciative.
So many things happen when we give thanks, to God, our parents, friends and everyone.
1. You make the person receiving the thanks or appreciation happy
2. You get blessed the more. It’s very simple, if you say thank you for biscuits you’ll get more. Try it.
3. You can multiply what you have by giving thanks.
Remember Jesus, when he fed the five thousand, he gave thanks and broke the bread, then gave his disciples to share. He feed five thousand people and more with five loaves of bread and two fishes.
How do you learn this habit?
1. By asking the Holy Spirit to help you be a grateful person.
2. By thanking God all the time for what you have.
3. By being appreciative each time you get something.
Prayer: Lord, help me to be thankful always; Amen.
Action point: Study the word “gratitude”
Declaration: I am grateful to God. I thank my maker every day of my life.
If you are not married, don’t demand for sexual gratification. If there is respect, you won’t want his/her virtue compromised to satisfy your own lust. Real love and respect is waiting.
2. Communication
Don’t discuss your past, inadequacies and failures in great detail at the inception of the relationship. Some details are better left until there is acceptance, trust and understanding between the two parties.
However, basic issues like health status, genotype, family history and some other crucial issues need to be discussed as early as possible. If he/she finds out years later, mistrust can easily rear up its heads.
3. Chastity
Don’t start kissing someone you met two hours ago. Don’t end up in a car or in corner in a sexual encounter with a total stranger. That is gross irresponsibility and indiscipline. Moreover, you will be offending God.
4. Emotional Needs
Do not depend on one another for the fulfillment and satisfaction of every emotional need. Your partner is not the Holy Spirit. Participate in activities outside your romantic relationship. Don’t be parochial. Be creative and be open to ideas that will further move your relationship forward. Learn, read books, attend seminars together.
5. Selflessness
Guard against selfishness. Both sides should be involved in giving. Love should be reciprocal. It is not a one way affair, it is a song done by a duet. In marriage, there are no spectators; both are actors striving to get better and sowing energies and time into the marriage to make it work.
Stop quarreling everyday of your courtship. Follow the principles of God and stop every compromise. Make sure your foundation for marriage is rightly laid.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY Our love is rekindled daily. I love my spouse and I am committed to our marriage.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, open my eyes and show me what I know not.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Gal 6:7 GNB Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Talk to God. Pour your heart to Him now
If you are married, never deny him/her in bed. It should not be used as a reward or punishment in marriage. Always be there for him or her because if you are not, he or she becomes vulnerable to others outside who may be putting pressure.
2. Communication
Don’t hide anything from your spouse. Be very open. The moment you start hiding things, you are opening the doors for the devil. Whatever is covered would never be healed. Iniquity is perpetuated in the atmosphere of secrecy.
3. Chastity
As a married person, don’t play with infidelity. Don’t hang out with colleagues discussing your home and marriage. Respect the marital covenant you have with your spouse. Don’t be too fast giving up on your marriage because of personal differences and opinions that will surely show up.
4. Emotional Needs
Do not manipulate your spouse with emotional antics. Your spouse cannot satisfy ALL your emotional needs. Some of the emotional emptiness you feel are as a result of deep emptiness in the soul that can only be satisfied with God and His word. No wonder the scripture says, ‘He restoreth my soul!’
5. Selflessness
Cover the back of each other. Avoid tit for tat! In marriage, you are one. When you fight or hurt your spouse, in reality, you are fighting or hurting your destiny. Don’t shoot yourself in the leg. Put your ego aside and apologize quickly.
Be very sincere, and run away from deceptive tendencies. Let your spouse trust you any day any time. Learn to say sorry and forgive quickly. Think about it, if God stops forgiving you when you ask Him to, how would you have survived it? Work together as one and your progress will be ensured.
I pray for you this morning that God will give you the wisdom you need in your marriage, family, home, career, work, business, and other endeavors in Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY Our love is rekindled daily. I love my spouse and I am committed to our marriage.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, open my eyes and show me what I know not.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Gal 6:7 GNB Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Talk to God. Pour your heart to Him now
Learning to treat people right is important. Do you like to be shoved away, kicked, punched, pinched, teased, mocked, bullied, and lied at? These are just some terrible things that can happen to you.
Other children or even adults can do these wicked things to you just because they can or they think you deserve it. How would you feel? Really ask yourself this question.
On the other hand, you could be the one doing these same unfair acts to other children.
Maybe in collaboration with other children, you could be bullying a classmate who has bushy eyebrows. You could mock them with a name like “the bush”, “bushbrows”, “bushy” or any other name you think is cool.
Do you think they would like that? Really ask yourself this.
You definitely won’t like to be on the receiving part and shouldn’t do that to another person. They also won’t like it. If you won’t like it, they most likely won’t like it too.
Jesus condemned treating people wrongly and told those around him to not do so. He was teaching them to value others with respect, love, and care.
“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” – Luke 6:31
He was saying that you should treat others the way you want to be treated. If you want to be treated well, treat people well. That’s the right thing to do.
May you receive the strength to treat people well. Amen.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I obey your command and will treat everyone well. Strengthen me for this task. Amen.
Action point: You can start by apologizing to the people you have treated badly in the past. Then begin to treat other people well.
Parents usually wish to see their grandchildren on time. Also, they get anxious about your success in life and wouldn’t want you to miss out on any advantage of life they feel is due to you at the time, this can also constitute pressure.
Do not yield to such pressure just to satisfy your parents when you know in your heart that God isn’t leading you yet. You cannot please your parents at the expense of God.
Your parents cannot sustain your marriage, it is only God that can. While it is good to obey and listen to your parents according to the scripture, you cannot obey them when what they are asking you to do clearly violate the principles of God.
Environmental and Media Pressure
A lot of destinies are warped today because of the warped outlook of a given society at any point in time. We live in a sexualized age aided by print and media broadcast, which makes available pornographic and other sinful materials.
However, the environment is not an excuse in any way as God expects that your light shine’s forth in the midst of the darkness. God expects that you stay chaste and refuse to compromise despite all the pressures that come your way. That is how to show your maturity in God.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I refuse to stay under pressure of any kind. I am in control through the Spirit of God. I exercise authority over all situations and circumstances in Jesus name. I will not crumble under pressures in Jesus name.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, strengthen me daily to withstand every kind of pressures in Jesus name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. James 1:13 (MSG)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Identify all stress sources, and work towards eliminating one at a time.
Infidelity is the quality of being unfaithful. Once either spouse gets into the muddy, murky waters of infidelity, trust is ruptured, the marital covenant is broken, and God’s principles are violated!
Infidelity is a marriage killer any day. There are so many reasons why people get into infidelity but none of the reasons is justifiable. You have no excuse for becoming unfaithful to your spouse. Adultery is a killer, it looks sweet initially, but the consequences are undesirable.
Let’s look at some scriptures in the book of Proverbs. When Solomon starts talking to you about adultery, you had better listen, he had it all and you will never be able to break his record! He had so many women in his harem that he must have used tallies or numbers to identify them.
Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. –Proverbs 9:17(KJV)
Adultery seems sweet, but what happens afterward?
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. –Proverbs 20:17 (KJV)
You sure don’t want to be served a plate of gravel for food, but that is what a lot of people are cooking for lunch and dinner!
Unfaithfulness in your marriage will also reduce you. It will reduce you to what can be swallowed by the devil. See it here:
For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. –Proverbs 6:26 (KJV)
To be continued…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will be faithful. I am kept by God’s power. I am filled with God’s Spirit; I will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord keep me strong and keep me by your Word. Keep me by your Spirit in Jesus name
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY So be happy with your wife and find your joy with the woman you married. –Proverbs 5:18
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from every immoral relationship.
As a Christian child you should have passion for God. You should be passionate for the things of God. You must burn with the desire to do things for Him.
The thought that it’s for God must push you more to do things that will bring glory to His name, make Him happy and be pleased with you.
How do you show your passion for God? It shows in your day-to-day activities at home, school, church and anywhere you visit or are.
If your passion for God reflects Him to other people around you, He is more than ready to bless you. You just won a spiritual jackpot!
That should be your number one goal. Wining souls for Him. And the more you do this, the more He gives you the grace to do more.
May the grace of our Lord be with you. May the passion for God and His things fill you u. Amen
Prayer: Lord, make me Passionate for You and everything that concerns You. Amen.
Action point: Read more about how to be passionate.
The fear of getting the right spouse who wouldn’t treat you harshly or abuse and jilt you is a terrible source of pressure.
There is also the fear of not meeting and having your right spouse in time.
The right way to handle this fear and its pressure is to focus your mind on the truth that God has the right spouse for you, and he or she will come at God’s appointed time.
Fear can immobilize and incapacitate. Fear can also cause you to hasten unnecessarily into dangerous terrains.
Whichever way, you need to know that God has not given you the Spirit of fear. Don’t end up marrying an unbeliever because of fear of getting old.
You cannot try to fix a pressure by violating God’s injunctions. It’s not going to work that way! You cannot jump ahead of God’s timing and expect things to work out. At the end of the day, what you venture into out of fear keeps the process elongated.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. – 2Ti 1:7 KJV
Cast out the Spirit of fear and trust your father to give you the best.
If you missed yesterday’s devotional, you can read it HERE
Comparison Traps
Another dangerous source of pressure is comparing yourself with your friends and colleagues, especially when they are all either engaged or married.
You can either be strengthened or intimidated by your friends; do not be intimidated.
Understand that you are uniquely different from every other person; your destiny is quite different from theirs, so your life’s story is also different.
A friend’s success should not determine your direction. It is comparison traps that often drive one into adulterous relationships all in the bid to ‘belong’ or to meet financial pressures.
Avoid this trap as much as possible, because when you keep trying to be like everybody else, you will be like nobody else at the end of the day.
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. – 2Co 10:12 KJV
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I refuse to stay under pressure of any kind. I am in control through the Spirit of God.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, strengthen me daily to withstand every kind of pressures in Jesus name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Jas 1:13 MSG Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Identify all sources of pressures and work towards eliminating one at a time.
The issue of communication in marriage cannot be over emphasized. Think about it, before that relationship started, you had to communicate your love to her.
In preparing for the wedding, you had to do a lot of communication. The problem is a lot of couples stop communicating after marriage.
Words are powerful. Jesus said words are spirits. Spirits don’t die, therefore words don’t die. Jesus said you will account for everything you say.
You can build your marriage with right words and you can ruin it with wrong words. Whilst doing my Master’s Degree programme in Communication and Language Arts, a professor told us in class something simple but powerful.
In communication, the speaker and the hearer are very important. Until what is said is perceived and understood by the receiver, there is no communication. The question is “are you listening to her?”
Spend time with your spouse. Discuss from time to time. If you don’t give your spouse attention, you will be shocked of the extent he/she can go just to get attention.
In some countries, listeners are hired and paid just to listen to women talk. That is how important communication is.
Whatever happens in your marriage, don’t stop communicating. Learn your spouse’s love language, that is his/her password!
You see, out of the abundance, of the heart, the mouth speaks… If you are on his/her mind, there will be communication! When you are rendered incommunicado in a marriage for whatever excuse, it is not a good place to be.
If your marriage is defective, you can still make amends today!
He stands at the door of your heart and knocks. If you open the door for him he will come in right now and realign your marriage.
May God give you more understanding.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY My mouth is full of right words. The opening of my mouth is unto wisdom and grace.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Spirit of God, fill my mouth with right words over my spouse, children and family
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Pro 18:4 The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Fix a time for a hearty discussion
Understand that God’s word will not fail. Let’s look at the journey of the Israelites. After the death of Moses, the Israelites needed a new leader.
After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them- to give to the Israelites. (Joshua 1:1-2 NIV)
Moses died before he got to the Promised Land and God needed to fulfill His promise to Abraham. So, God chose Joshua to continue from where Moses had stopped.
Since he had been an aide to Moses, he was the best fit for the job of leading the descendants of Jacob to the promised land.
He also fought many wars to win land for his kinsmen. God also showed and used His great power during this period.
Through praise, he had the wall of Jericho fall down so that the Israelites could defeat the people of Jericho.
The Jordan also parted for the Israelites to walk through it just like the Red Sea, in the time of Moses.
The sun stood still so the Israelites could win their fight against the Amorites (chapter 10) and victories over many more battles.
It was in Joshua’s time that each tribe of Israel received their portion of the land promised them by God.
God was with Joshua just like He was with Moses. He did everything He promised. He gave provision and protection as always.
On any adventure, God always watches over His children.
Still talking about pressure. If you missed it, read it HERE
Matchmaking Comments and Prophecies
Comments from friends, family and those you respect and look up to should not be allowed to constitute pressure in your relationship, especially when they are contrary to your personal convictions.
Your decisions should always be influenced by what God says; follow His directions alone!
People may tease you on how good you and someone could be together; they may say you’d make a perfect couple. Do not be influenced against your personal convictions. Pastoral, parental and friendly match-making should serve only as confirmations.
Do not yield to prophetic manipulations or some prophecies. The Bible says woe unto prophets that say that God said something He didn’t say.
No prophet or man of God has any business choosing a spouse for you. It is your responsibility to do that. God may use them to guide, confirm, instruct and advise, but not to choose or impose anybody on you. That is not the purpose of anointing. The anointing is to break yokes and lift burdens, not to add it into people’s lives!
As singles, you should stop taking names all over the place; you will get more confused at the end of the day.
In the first place, you are not supposed to have more than one name! What you should also know is the at most of these prophets are hungry, so they will always have something to say!
Stop looking for directions and wasting your money all over the place. God’s order in the New Testament is not to start seeking direction but to develop a good relationship with God, His word and His Spirit wherein you can hear God clearly and by yourself.
Men of God are to teach, instruct, correct and confirm!
Some of these things border on manipulation and witchcraft where specific directions are being sought all the time. You almost would have to take permission on when to sleep with your spouse in marriage! That is not in the Bible!
Everyone has a responsibility to learn to hear God. It is the greatest blessing you have in life.
I pray over your relationship that God will open your ears and hearts to hear Him clearly and explicitly. He will do a new thing and He will make all things new in Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am filled with God’s wisdom.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, strengthen me against any pressure in Jesus name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Eph 5:23 MSG The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing.
“Hullo dear, have you slept?” “No, I have not, I am listening! I heard the last thing you said.” The truth is that you have dozed off.
It has happened to me many times, and I am sure it has happened to you as well. My wife is talking to me on the bed, and I have dozed off. I am trying to listen to her because it is a legitimate need of hers, but the son of man is tired!
Somebody said women speak more words than men. A man speaks an average of ten thousand words in a day, but a woman speaks about twenty-five thousand words! There are exceptions, though.
The man is back from work and he has probably exhausted his 10,000 quota since he derives his self-esteem and fulfillment from work.
By the time he is coming back home, he is done for the day, words have been spoken with friends, colleagues, clients, employers, employees, on the phone and so on. He wants to come back home, eat, listen to news, check a few mails, make love to his wife and sleep!
The wife too has probably exhausted 10,000 words at work, but by the time she is home, she still has 15,000 words bubbling in her! It is even worse if she is a housewife! She has nobody to talk to and so people around her say she nags, making repetitions and all that. The fact is that she needs to talk!
So the wife asks her husband “How was work today?” He answers “Fine!” If he is in a good mood, he adds a few more words like, “oh baby, my day was cool, Thank God!”
She is worried he is not talking, but the guy is in no mood to talk.
The husband asks the wife, “how has your day been? And he regrets afterwards! That was all she needs to unleash the words that have been brewing in her like a molten magma. The volcanic eruption of words is so massive; the guy wants to walk away. So she starts from when she woke up, and goes on and on, and the man is wondering: “What did I ask, what is she narrating!”
You see, that is a woman for you and you must not mute her or shut her up! Let her talk! Don’t make a mistake of shouting her down all the time or quieting her! It is a legitimate need of hers.
When a woman has no fear of God and this legitimate need of hers has not been met, she might succumb to the traps of the devil and get that legitimate need met through illegitimate means, which of course will be detrimental to the marriage and the home!
There are people out there who are waiting to capitalize on your insensitivity to your wife and take advantage of that emotional gully created by lack of communication.
You see, a lady becomes emotionally connected to the person she talks to!
To be continued…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY My mouth is full of right words. The opening of my mouth is unto wisdom and grace.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Spirit of God, fill my mouth with right words over my spouse, children and family
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY (Pro 18:4) The words of a man’s mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Fix a time for a hearty discussion
Let’s look at the power of your faith through the story of Cynthia. Cynthia stood afar watching how the crowd pushed towards the table stand where some girls stood, sharing fliers for a singing audition.
She loved to sing but wasn’t so sure she would make any audition. Her toothbrush was her microphone and her younger brother was no help at all.
She moved towards the crowd, biting her lips and clenching her fists.
“Here goes nothing”, she told herself as she got closer.
There was a lady in the bible who felt just the way Cynthia did. A woman with a long standing health issue stood where Jesus was.
She had heard of how Jesus had been healing people and wondered if He would heal her.
The woman thought, “If I can even touch his coat, that will be enough to heal me.” Mark 5:28 ICB
After much deliberation, she found her way through the thick crowd around Jesus and touched the hem of His garment. Instantly she was healed and Jesus knew someone had touched Him. He asked who had, the woman came forward, told Him her condition and He further prayed for her (Mark: 5:29-34).
I am sure the woman too said, ” Here goes nothing”, as she went ahead to touch Jesus’ garment. Just like Cynthia did too.
You never know what will happen if you don’t take that much needed step.
Are you still unsure of taking that step forward to accept Christ as your Saviour and Lord? You think He will reject you or that you are not good enough for Him? Jesus Christ will never reject anybody that comes to Him. He loves you more than you could ever imagine.
So, take a bold step today and touch the hem of His garment, let Him help you.
Prayer: Lord, Jesus, like the woman with the issue of blood, I hold on to the hem of your garment. I receive all that I need right now. In Your mighty name, I pray, amen
Action plan: Reach out to Jesus today and always. Touch His garment daily and as much a stout need to.
Yesterday, we started looking at some pressures singles face, especially in the areas of relationships and marriage.
Let’s continue…
f. Self-imposed Deadlines
Deadlines are good and advisable, especially in goals achievement; however, they could be a source of pressure, especially in relationships.
You need to be patient and understand that God is involved in it too. He is even more interested than you are in your relationship, and He wants you to marry the right person, at the right time. Things become beautiful in His own time, not your own time.
Do not unnecessarily be in a hurry. The decision of a life-long relationship is worth giving all the time you can reasonably afford. Don’t rush into marriage. Courtship is necessary! Get to know him or her!
g. Emergencies
Do not get pressurized into a relationship because of emergencies. He just won a visa lottery, or got transferred to a distant location, or got a political or ministerial appointment, so he decided to make haste and get married for reasons that could range from ensuring he wouldn’t lose her due to distance or some other reasons.
If you are not very sure of him/her as your right life partner, do not make a marital commitment. Don’t yield to pressures when things become so fast you cannot think again.
Be wary of getting married to somebody you met last week online and then you are planning to resign your job and travel somewhere!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am filled with God’s wisdom to rule my house.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, strengthen me in Jesus name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Eph 5:23 MSG The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing.
You should not only call the disciples (other friends) into your marriage, but you need to call Jesus as well. Both Jesus and his disciples were called. When they needed a miracle, it wasn’t the disciples that turned water into wine, they were busy drinking wine, but it was Jesus. There are times when the wine of the marriage dries up, and it is Jesus you need at such times.
In marriage, you need the person of Jesus and the principles of Jesus to make it. But you know, a marriage full of sexual compromise and lack of self-control is not giving space for Jesus at all. When you start having adultery, you are doing things worthy of self-rustication from the school. You are kicking at your teacher and you are trying to say you want things done your own way.
A marriage where the husband, wife or both of them are cheating are disenfranchising themselves from the very help and wisdom they need in their marriage! The scripture advises that you drink water from your own cistern!
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? – Proverbs 5:15 – 20
When you drink water from your own cistern (talking about making love with your wife), it is like water turned into wine. How sweet it is!
But, when you drink water from strange women and cisterns, you are taking poison! It tastes sweet in your mouth but it will hurt you!
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. – Proverbs 20:17
The teacher is compassionate! He stands at the door of the class, in your heart, and simply wants you to extend an invitation to him to enter the class! In your marriage, the wine will always be insufficient.
Your own wisdom will fail you. But he is there to help you out, if you invite him!
Will you invite him today? It is the best thing to do. He will save you from shame and keep the wine of your marriage, life and destiny flowing beautifully. He will teach you how to make your marriage a bliss and not full of blisters, how to make it a haven and not an oven!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY In my marriage, I will not be cut off in the midst of my days. I will last in the marriage institution.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, open the eyes of my understanding as regards my marriage
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Mal 2:15 MSG GOD, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that’s what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don’t cheat on your spouse.
Dear child, you must understand the Father’s love for you. Is there anything or anyone that can separate you from the love of God? Your mom or dad? Siblings or friends? Your face or clothes? An angel? What else can you think of?
News flash! There’s nothing or no one that can remove God’s love for you from Your heavenly father’s heart.
He loves you so much. Remember that He sent His most precious son, Jesus, to come to die for you. How could He now allow something or someone to make Him stop loving you? Not even His angels. You are very precious to Him.
Look at the verse below
“Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from the love God has for us. Not death, not life, not angels, not ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, or anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Romans 8:38 – 39 ICB
This was apostle Paul writing about the impossibility of God to stop loving us. He wrote that no power here on earth, no situation, nothing will make God stop loving us.
When you sin and feel that God will stop loving you or has stopped doing so, read these verses and know that He can never do so.
Ask for forgiveness and receive it with joy. Do not let the devil or anyone tell you otherwise. Your great Father in heaven wants nothing to separate you from Him.
There are pressures everywhere. There are pressures that often attempt to take pleasure out of our relationships.
Let’s take a look at some pressures in the area of relationships and how to handle them.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; – 2Co 4:8 KJV
1. Sexual attraction
Physical attraction which often leads to sexual attraction can constitute so much pressure. Her possession of all the right statistics, the lips, tips and hips, or his good-looking appearance, height, muscles and riches should not captivate your mind to the point of getting you love-sick with unnecessary pressure.
The truth is that you can actually be in control (just as you have to be), get to know the person well before entering a relationship.
Don’t put yourself under any pressure over somebody you met a few hours ago. You cannot fall in love with someone you don’t know!
The pressure of sexual attraction also plays out itself in extra-marital and adulterous scenarios. You cannot bow under that pressure for any reason, even if you have to be thrown into furnace of fire like the three Hebrew boys where you are being threatened of losing some job or contract.
You should not sleep with your boss in order to keep your job! When you do that, you might think you have sustained your job or some promotions, but I can assure you that you would also have sustained havocs in your life and family and it will all culminate in regrets.
Why? It is not God’s order of doing things. Your body is not for all and sundry, it is not a tool to get what you want; it is the temple of God!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am filled with God’s wisdom to rule my house.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, strengthen me in Jesus name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Eph 5:23 MSG The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing.
