For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. - Mark 11:23
Did you know that when it came to a blessing (rain for Israel), Elijah prayed hard by bowing his head between his knees (Kings 18:41–45)? But when it came to a curse (drought for Israel), he simply declared it with confidence (1 Kings 17:1). Why? It’s because Elijah had more faith in God’s judgment than in God’s goodness! He was an old covenant prophet with an old covenant mindset when it came to prayer!
My friend, old covenant prophets call your sins to remembrance and deliver to you the judgment and punishment of God. They are judgment-minded. New covenant prophets, on the other hand, call your forgiveness and righteousness in Christ to remembrance, and point you to the finished work of Christ.
So when it comes to praying, do you have an old covenant mindset that says, “God is quick to curse but slow to bless,” or do you have a new covenant mindset that says, “Because of Jesus, God doesn’t curse me but is quick to bless me”? I encourage you to put on a new covenant mindset. Know that because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross, if you need a blessing today, you don’t have to pray hard and long, as if God is reluctant to bless you. No, all you have to do is boldly declare the blessing in faith and it will come to pass!
BE NUMBERED AMONG THE UNDEVOURABLE :
1 PETER 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
The devil cannot just walk right up to you and rob you of your health, peace or family. He cannot just come into your life to enforce disease and destruction.
If the devil can do that, then he does not have to walk about “seeking whom he may devour”. He only has to walk straight up to anyone he wants to devour and devour him! But since the Bible says that he goes about seeking whom he may devour, the truth then is that there are people whom he cannot devour.
You see, the devil goes about like a roaring lion trying to stir up fear in people with his roars. But the people who are not devourable are those who refuse to be intimidated by his roars because they know that the true Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:5), has already come and rendered powerless him who had the power of death. (Hebrews 2:14, NASB) They know that the devil cannot just do anything to them because the Lion of Judah resides in them, and that He is greater than the devil who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
My friend, the Lion of Judah is in you. He has given you rights, privileges, authority and power. He redeemed you with His blood. Therefore, everything about you and your life is redeemed by His blood. So if you are fearful about losing your job, cover your job with the blood of Jesus. If you are worried about your children’s safety in these days of terrorist attacks, plead the blood of Jesus over them. If you have received a bad report from the doctor, speak the blood over yourself.
Whatever you have covered with the blood of Jesus, God declares, “Protected! Redeemed!” And the devil flees when he sees the blood. And when he flees, he takes with him sicknesses, diseases, pains, sufferings, destruction and loss.
Once the devil knows that you know who you are in Christ and what you have in Him, his days of intimidating you are over, and you are numbered among the undevourable!
WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” - Mark 8:29
Do you know that how you see Jesus determines what you receive from Him? If you see Jesus as your healer, you will receive healing. If you see Jesus as your refuge and fortress, you will receive protection.
The people of Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, saw Jesus in the natural. They said of Him, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matthew 13:55–56) They saw Jesus in the natural. They did not see Him as God in the flesh. As a result, He could not do many mighty works there. (Matthew 13:58)
Today, many people, including some philosophers, see Jesus of Nazareth as a good person who led an exemplary life. They feel that if all of us could live our lives like Him, the world would be a better place.
They don’t see Jesus as the bread of God who came from heaven to give life to the world. (John 6:33) They don’t see Him as the one who came to give them living water, so that they would never thirst again. (John 4:14) They don’t see Him as the Lamb of God, who took away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) They don’t receive from Him what they need because they don’t esteem Him rightly.
Jesus did not come just to set a good example for man to follow. He came to be our Redeemer. (Galatians 3:13) He came to be our righteousness. (1 Corinthians 1:30) He came to be our shepherd, so that we will not lack anything. (Psalm 23:1)
Jesus asked His disciples once, “But who do you say that I am?” How you answer this question depends on how you see Jesus. And how you see Jesus will determine how and what you receive from Him. So see Him as your God, as everything He claims to be in His Word, and He will do mighty works in your life!
Thought For The Day :
How you see Jesus determines how and what you receive from Him.
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