EVENING, MORNING, AND NOON

Imagine being able to walk up to the President of your country or to one of the richest men in the world, at any time of the day, to make as many requests as possible and have your requests met. How awesome that would be!

If we had such opportunity, I doubt if anyone wouldn't make the most of it. But we already have that privilege and opportunity! To be able to call upon the Lord through prayer at any time of the day, is indeed an awesome privilege.

David made the most of that opportunity. The Psalms is full of him calling upon the Lord. You can tell that David valued the opportunity to call upon the Lord. He said, "As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." Psalm 55:16-17.

Prayer is the passport, and the name of Jesus is the visa. When we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus, we can be sure of receiving answers to our prayers (John 14:13-14). What are you waiting for?

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DOUBLE PORTIONS

There are several things that cause shame; and there are people who want to put us to shame. Shame could also be a result of our past conditions and experiences. Whatever the case, shame is not our portion. Psalm 25:3 says that no one who hopes in God will ever be put to shame. Hallelujah!

God said to the Israelites in Gilgal, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” Joshua 5:9. If you've been ashamed until now, your shame is being rolled away now, in the name of Jesus! Never again shall you be put to shame; never again will your enemies triumph over you at work, in school, or anywhere else!

Isaiah 61:7 says, "Instead of shame and dishonour, you will enjoy a double share of honour. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours." Say Amen!

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BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN LOVE

Shame is a painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, or disgrace. It is also a condition of disgrace or dishonour. David said, "In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me." Psalm 25:1-2.

If there was ever a perfect church, it's got to be the Early Church. The power of God was very present, the grace of God was upon them all, the world respected them, they were united and there was love for one another. Those who had possessions sold them and laid the proceeds at the feet of the apostles so that no one among them would lack. That has never ceased to amaze me.

Hebrews 13:1 says, "Let brotherly love continue." Who are your brothers and sisters? Sorry to disappoint you, they are not members of your local church alone, they are members of the Body of Christ, irrespective of their denominations, preferences, status, class, colour or tribe. We are all one in Christ.

Love is our identity. It is by our love for one another that we are identified as Christians (John 13:35). You are not identified by your clothes, by always carrying the Bible, by always using Christian terminology, by bearing titles, or by the stickers on your door, cars and desks, you're only identified by your love!

We are to love as Jesus loved us, not as we love ourselves, not as we think we should love, not according to our own definitions of love. We are to understand how Jesus loved and love likewise. No favouritism, no discrimination, no partiality, no judging, no snobbing, no fighting, no separation.

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YOUR WORDS AND YOUR DESTINY

According to Ask.com, researchers found out that on the average, men and women speak around 16,000 words a day. The information is important considering the power and effect of words on our lives. Words are powerful and they affect our destinies. Words are like bullets; they aren't to be used carelessly else we'll suffer the consequences. Matthew 12:37 says, "Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation."

Have you ever thought about the words you've been saying everyday? We talk to friends, colleagues, customers, family members, church members, and so on; but of those 16,000 words, how many are intentional spoken by you to yourself? Have you been using the power of words for your benefit and those around you? The word of God is powerful; have you been speaking God's word over your life and business or have you just been jesting and chatting?

As Christians we should be mindful of what we say because we are defiled by words. Matthew 15:11 says, "It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth." And James 3:6 says, "And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself."

Determine not to let any unwholesome word come out of your mouth; only words that can build up, words that can inspire and bless (Ephesians 4:29). And don't be quiet! Staying quiet won't help you either; if you sow nothing, you'll reap nothing! Speak words of healing, life, faith, success and blessings everyday.

Speak wholesome words this Wednesday!

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IT IS GOOD

To be born again doesn't necessarily mean to be perfect, even the Bible says that "All of us do wrong things." (James 2:2). Now, that's not to say we should cling to our old and sinful ways, we are to grow to become like Christ. There should be noticeable change in our lives after we've believed.

There are people in the world who don't believe in God or in Jesus. Some air their opinions publicly, while others have inners doubts about the existence of God. Most people in this category are quite intelligent, humanly speaking, so they find it difficult to understand God as babes. But God is! There's a God, mere men born by women are unfit to say otherwise.

David wrote, "How good it is to be near God!" Psalm 73:28. Yeah, it is so good to know God and to be in a relationship with Him: it's actually an awesome privilege! I'd rather die than live without God; I'd rather be a pauper than be rich without God.

Life is nothing without God. You know whether you are saved or not; if you don't, you're probably not saved. Why don't you accept Him as your Lord and Saviour right now? Repent of your sins, believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and confess Him as Lord of your life. And if you're saved, you can get deeper in love with Him.

Tell someone about Jesus this Tuesday!

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GIFTED FOR EXCELLENCE

I  attended a meeting shortly after publishing my first book in 2004; I was recognised and asked to move to the high table to sit with senior lecturers and professors. Proverbs 16:18 says that "A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men."

What's a gift? It's what God enabled you to do well. Bezalel and Aholiab were said to be gifted men in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to do the work (Exodus 36). Nimrod, if I'm right, was the first to be called a great one on the earth in the Bible. What was he? A hunter. His ability to hunt well made him mighty! Genesis 10:8-12. We read of these men in the Bible because they used their gifts: their gifts brought them to limelight.

You have a gift that you must use! It could be cooking! I believe you know your gift; the message is that you've got to use it. What first got David to the palace? His ability to play the harp! Saul said to his servants, "Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me." 1 Samuel 16:17.

There's a difference between a man who's merely working hard and the one who's working hard at using his gifts. Your gift, when combined with hardwork will earn you success faster than those who are merely working hard. There's something you can do well, it's your longest ladder and easiest route to the top!

Have an excellent Monday!

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PROPHET IN TOWN

In 2 Kings 5, we see two kinds of men: the king of Israel and the prophet in Israel. Both men were anointed, though for different purposes, but the major difference between them was what they thought about themselves.

They were both approached by Naaman, the leprous great and honourable man, for healing. Watch this: when Naaman met the king, the king tore his clothes saying, "Am I God, to kill and make alive?" Isn't it how many Christians think? People meet us for solutions to their problems and we send them away just as they came or we refer them to someone else: and yet we say we have the Holy Spirit in us!

Elisha, the prophet, heard that the king tore his clothes and sent a message to him saying, "Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." I love that! Elisha said Naaman would know that there was a prophet in Israel, not a God in Israel, because he knew he was God's representative in Israel.

As a Christian God expects you to be responsible. The Holy Spirit isn't in you for your entertainment or pleasure, He is in you so that you'll be an effective witness of the grace and the love of God to people around you. Stop shirking your responsibilities and duties as a Spirit-filled and empowered believer; the world around you should realise that there's a prophet in town!

Have a special Sunday.

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