Month: December 2023
The son of man and the son of God
Many times in the Scripture Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man. And rightly so, for He was as human as we are. His incarnation, the addition of humanity, rather than the subtraction of deity, was necessary for Him to become for us a faithful priest, one who understands our struggles, pains and fears. So when life presents challenges, we can look to Jesus; what and how he went through the same. What God did in Jesus, he did the opposite in us. Jesus took on human nature so we could partake in divine nature. Like Jesus we are carrying a divine nature within a human body. We are sons of men, who are now also, sons of God.
God often affirmed Jesus’ divine status. There is the voice of God at his baptism, and on the mountain of Transfiguration, “You are my beloved Son”. I believe this was partly because Jesus was going to face situations that would challenge his divine identity. So in the wilderness, and on the cross, there is another voice, “If you are the Son of God then….” These words must have been echoed loud even within Jesus’ own heart. As fully human, he could not have been immune from the question. He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Surely, in his misery, He may have been tempted to ask, “If I am the Son of God…then, why?” But in His final moments, the divine nature took over “Today, you will be with me in Paradise”. “Father, into your hands, I commit my Spirit”.
Satan often visits whenever our experiences conflict with our position. At such times, he will try to question our identity like he did with Jesus in the wilderness and on the cross. How should we react in such times? First, remember, we are the Sons of God! Second, understand that even though we are the Sons of God we will go through hard times. Third, wait for God. If He doesn’t come blazing with angels to save you, he knows why. If God has spoken and it appears it is not happening, stay clam. When situations question God’s love for you, don’t give up. When men ask, “If you are the Son of God…” stay calm.
I do not know what you are facing. 2014 may have been tough. You wonder what 2015 will bring. One thing I know “this son of man is the son of God”. You may be going through difficulties and the words “If I am the Son…” keep ringing and it is getting to you. And you are thinking “Why have you forsaken me”. Remember this same Jesus who was taunted on the cross. When he won the battle on the cross, when he had committed his Spirit unto the Father, He “stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets”. Child of God, victory is on its way!
Pray without ceasing
Jesus in Luke 18:1 charged us to always pray and not give up. Paul instructed the Thessalonian church to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). These two scriptures makes it clear to us what the Father’s will is for us when it comes to praying – do it without ceasing. What does it really mean then to pray without ceasing? This is a burning question for all of us.
The literal translation of the phrase “pray without ceasing” is nothing left between, without unnecessary interval, without a gap. The word was used in ancient Rome to describe someone with an annoying cough. Although the person would stop coughing at times, he is described as a “cougher” coughing every little while but constantly aware of the condition that caused the cough.
From 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we can draw a few observations.
1. Prayer doesn’t necessarily have to be audible. In Exodus 14:15 God asked Moses “Why do you cry to me?” yet there is no record of Moses praying. Moses was so intimate with God, that even though he may not have uttered a single word audibly, but his deepest feelings, thoughts, tears were capable of being understood as audible words by God.
2. Where we pray isn’t essential. As much as we have our own allotted places for prayer, for us to pray without ceasing means any place is a place of prayer. We are the temple of Christ Jesus and we carry his presence (1 Corinthians 3:16).
3. There are no set times of prayer. Although it is a good discipline to establish set times of prayer, it is clear from this passage that any time is a time of prayer. In some religions, they have established times of prayer. However, for us, the instruction is simple, “pray all the time”. I have come to realise that when I have prayed in my set time, I tend to be relaxed in my prayer throughout the day as I have this assumption that my job is done for the day. But the bible instructs us to never go without prayer. We should be God conscious continually.
4. Unlike other religions that have to adopt a certain posture and face a certain direction, we are not under any instruction from the word to adopt a certain posture. Some people kneel, others stand, ultimately the posture we adopt in prayer is one of our choice. However, if we are to pray always, it is certainly impossible to be on our knees all the time.
To pray without ceasing is therefore a constant awareness of God’s presence. We are to cultivate His presence and commune with our heavenly father continually. The more God conscious we are, the more we are able to pray without ceasing. Like the “cougher” who is constantly aware of their condition, we are to be in an attitude of prayer and nonstop awareness of God.
Why pray?
We live in an era where people don’t pray or are too busy to pray. In actual fact, people don’t pray, not because they don’t have the time to, but because they don’t believe that prayer can change anything. You will always create time for anything you consider important.
Most Christians believe that God is almighty and that He is able to do anything but only few are convinced He is also willing to do it for them. We need to connect, not just with the ability of God but also with His willingness, when we pray according to His will.
Nothing significant happens in this life except someone prays. Men and women who have changed the world, have been men and women of prayer. There is no one who has ever achieved anything for God who was not a man or woman given to prayer.
God does not just want us to work for Him but He desires an intimate relationship with Him whereby we can talk to Him and He talks back to us, this can be accomplished through prayer.
Martin Luther for example said “The first two hours of my day, I spend for God”. John Knox was a man of prayer who spent six hours every day before God in prayer. Charles Finney and co-partner Father Nash and David Brainerd spent hours daily in prayer. These men shook the world through revivals.
To accomplish anything significant for God and to fulfil purpose and destiny, you must be a woman of prayer.
Throughout the old testament, we see men and women who devoted their lives to prayer.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were men of prayer. They built prayer alters which basically was a place of contact with God and a place of covenant.
Hannah prayed for a man child and God answered her prayer.
David said in Psalms 55:17 “evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud to you”
Daniel went into his house and with his window opened towards Jerusalem, he knelt down and prayed three times a day as his custom was after the decree was passed that no one should pray, except to the king of Babylon.
In the new testament also, there are several examples of men and women who prayed.
Jesus, our great example. His life was characterised by prayer, early in the morning before the breaking of the day, Jesus would depart to a solitary place to pray. If Jesus, our saviour and Lord could pray, how much more us, and what makes us think that we can do the work of God without prayer. We cannot be effective minister of God’s word without investing time in prayer.
The disciples continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)
Your attitude in prayer determines your altitude in the Spirit
Why Pray ?
We pray because:
We love God. If you have ever been in love with someone, you know how much you want to spend time with the person. Same with God, prayer brings us in close fellowship and intimacy with God.
It is the means of making our request known to God and having our needs met. Every problem we are facing has a solution and the solution can only be found in God and in His word. The bible says that he that ask, receives. We receive instructions at the place of prayer to get our needs met.
In order to resist temptation. Jesus said to His disciples “watch and pray lest you enter into temptation”. Much sin is the result of prayerlessness. Through lack of prayer, we become weak and as a result, satan takes advantage of us.
Jesus prayed. If Jesus prayed, how much more us.
It is God’s weapon of choice given to Christians to enforce the will of God on earth. “Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” (Luke 11.2).
Through prayer, man invites God to act in salvation. “It is not God’s will that any should perish but that all may come to repentance” (2 peter 3:9).
God commands so. Jesus said “men ought always to pray and not faint” (Luke 18.1). Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Some demons can only be driven out through prayer.
I want to encourage you today to give yourself to prayer, God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think, when you pray.
Take the limits off your prayer, make a quality decision today to spend some quality time with God in prayer, you will be surprised what God will accomplish through you.
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1John 5: 14-15
He hears!
“To you, O hearer of prayer, let the words of all flesh come”
Psalm 65:2 BBE
Prayer takes on a new meaning, evokes a certain excitement when we know, not just mentally assent to, but have a revelation of the truth that God hears our prayers! The psalmist refers to Him as the hearer of prayers. He hears!
He hears intelligently, with the implication of paying attention to and obeying. That is what the Bible means when it says God hears our prayers. He pays attention to our prayers and this is the amazing bit – He obeys!
Our prayers are our words. I like the way the Bible In Basic English (BBE) puts it “….let the words of all flesh come”. When our words come to God He not only pays attention to them, he obeys them. No wonder then the Bible tells us the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16) It avails much because God hears the words uttered. Elisha uttered words to the effect that it should not rain and it didn’t for 31/2 years. He then uttered words again in prayer that it should rain and it did. Why? God heard his words.
God is not in the business of idle words that is; empty and ineffective words and we should not be either. Every time we pray, we must know that every word is heard and therefore it cannot just be words, but faith filled, effective words. Jesus said to the disciples not to use vain (empty, idle, ineffective) repetitions when they pray because we are not heard for our much speaking (Mt 6:7). We are heard when we pray, so our words should not be idle and how best to do that, than to use the Word which we have been given which we know is alive, active, quick and powerful (Heb4: 12).
What a privilege we have to be able to come to the hearer of prayers, the Almighty God of all flesh and know that He hears our words in prayer and He pays attention to them and obeys them.
Pray in that knowledge and awareness always.
And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours (1Jn 5:14-15).
Is there no balm in Gilead?
“The harvest is past, the summer has ended, yet we aren’t saved. Because my people are crushed, I am crushed; darkness and despair overwhelm me. What to do with God’s people, Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then have my people not been restored to health?” Jeremiah 8:20-22 CEB.
Jeremiah was deeply disturbed by the judgement that was coming on his people, he was overwhelmed with despair over their seemingly hopeless plight. Seasons came and went, and yet there was no sign of salvation, there was no deliverance in sight and the prophet asked the question “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then have my people not been restored to health”? Jeremiah 8:20-22 CEB. The region of Gilead was known for its perfumes and especially for its balm which was used to heal wounds, despite that, their wounds were not healed. Jeremiah seems to have understood that the sickness of his people was incurable and he wept over their predicament.
Perhaps you are sick in your body or have a health challenge, you have visited the doctors or hospital but there are no signs of your recovery. Perhaps you have even prayed and fasted and it seems like God is not answering your prayers. Perhaps you are discouraged, despondent, and angry or have even given up hope of being healed. I have good news for you, that long standing problem is coming to an end today in Jesus name, Amen.
The word of God is His balm for cure of all sickness and disease and Jesus Christ is our Great Physician. The bible says, my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). God’s will is for us to live in divine health with nothing missing and nothing broken. Sickness, disease and pain are not God’s plan for our lives.
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
During Jesus’s earthly ministry, the bible records that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power and He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:36). Healing and health are part of our redemptive right. When God gave us His son, He gave us everything we will ever need (2 Peter 1:3).
God has brought us health and cure through the death and resurrection of Jesus, therefore sickness and disease has no legal right in your life. Jesus received 39 stripes for your sickness, disease and pain. The price was fully paid on the cross (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Take hold of the Word of God today where your healing is concerned, for faith in God’s Word is the most powerful weapon in the world for your total health. He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions (Psalms 107:20).
Everyone who needed healing, and encountered Jesus received their healing (Matthew12:15). Your case is not an exception. Healing is your birth right through redemption, healing is the children’s bread (Matthew 15:26). Receive your healing today in Jesus name. Amen.
He is risen!
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the most significant event in history.
Easter is not about Easter eggs or bunny, new clothes or new shoes. It’s about a love so great we cannot comprehend.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1
Jesus paid in full the penalty for our sins by shedding His precious blood on the cross of Calvary and rose again the third day for our redemption.
What does the resurrection mean in your life today?
It means that Satan no longer has any claim over you. He no longer has any right to interfere with your life or enslave you to sickness, disease, poverty, lack, anxiety, fear, depression, addiction, bondage or oppression of any sort.
Because of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, you don’t have to sit at the pool waiting for the water to be troubled like the crippled man in John 5, who sat every day at the pool of Bethesda waiting for the angel of the Lord to trouble the water so he could jump in the pool and be healed.
God has already made every provision available, the water has been stirring every moment of every day since the day Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection, not only impacts your eternal destiny but also brings about supernatural turnarounds and breakthroughs in your life. God is opening awesome doors for you to receive His:
• Salvation
• Protection
• Provision
• Deliverance
• Healing
• Abundance
• Wisdom
• Guidance
• Direction
And whatever else you may be in need of, all through the blood of the Lamb which was shed for our redemption.
Your breakthrough begins when you believe in your heart the complete work of Christ on the cross of Calvary and what God says about you in His word. So, what are you waiting for, take that step of faith into your turn around today.
Christ is risen and because He is risen, you can walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4) and enjoy supernatural breakthrough in every area of your life today.
Let me pray with you today:
Father, in the name of Jesus, I come into agreement with my friends reading this post, I pray that you will touch every area of their lives where they need your touch and they will experience supernatural breakthroughs in their lives through the resurrection power of your son Jesus Christ. I destroy every spirit of lack, poverty, anxiety, fear and oppression that has held them captive and I decree and declare that they are set free today through the power in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. In Jesus precious name. Amen.
Your best days are ahead of you and not behind you, so never you give up.
God loves you.
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