ASK

ASK TO HEAR HIM BETTER :

I will listen to what God the Lord says... - Psalm 85:8, NIV

Oftentimes, people think they can’t hear from God. They think He doesn’t talk to them. But really, it isn’t that God isn’t speaking; it’s not that He isn’t giving us direction. The problem is that we’re not always paying attention.

Learning to hear the voice of God is the most important skill you could ever develop. The more you pay attention to Him and the inner promptings and impressions of the Holy Spirit, the more you will know Him and see His goodness and protection in your life. How would your life be different if every morning you would wake up and pray, “God, help my spiritual ears to be open and sensitive to Your voice. God, help me to hear what You’re saying today”?

Today, know that God wants to give you wisdom, direction, protection and guidance that will save you heartache and make your life easier. He wants to give you breaks that will put you years ahead. If you’ll ask to hear Him better and learn to be still and listen, you’ll experience God’s hand of blessing and His direction in every area of your life

WORD POWER :

Matthew 14:29, "And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus."

This one word "come" was spoken by the one who made all things (Jn. 1:3) and it had just as much power in it as the words that were spoken at creation. This is where the power came from for Peter to walk on the water. Likewise, any word spoken to us by God carries in itself the anointing and power it takes to fulfill that word, if we will release it by believing it and acting on it.

We need to not only know God's power, but the greatness of God's power, and then the exceeding greatness of God's power. This exceeding greatness of God's power is towards us. That means that it is for us and our benefit. Some people get glimpses of God's power, but very few have the revelation that it is for us and at our disposal. It doesn't do us any good to believe that God has power if we don't believe that it will work for us. This great power of God is effectual only for those who believe. We must believe to receive, or if we doubt, we do without.

Despite all the criticism that might be leveled at Peter in this instance, he did walk on the water. There were eleven other disciples in the boat and although they clearly saw Jesus and Peter walking on the water, they still did not participate. One of the important steps in receiving a miracle from God is to leave the security of your natural resources (get out of your boat) and put yourself in the position where there has to be a miracle from God to hold you up. God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11). Any of the disciples could have walked on the water, if they would have asked and gotten out of the boat.

TRUST IN THE LORD 

Scripture says in Proverbs three to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” That’s not always the easiest thing to do. We are human, and we are so used to trying to figure everything out on our own. It’s hard to turn away from what you can see, feel and understand. Sometimes, it’s so foreign to just let go and trust God. But, we have to realize that trust begins by making a choice. You have to decide to fully commit your heart to trusting God, and then your mind and emotions will follow.

When you were growing up, did you ever play that game where someone stands behind you and you just fall back into their arms? The first time I played that game with my older brother, I would start to lean back, and then I’d just take a step back and catch myself before falling. He’d say, “Fall back, I’ll catch you!” But I still wouldn’t do it for the longest time. Eventually, I decided in my heart to just trust him and fall back, and of course, my brother caught me. (He’d have a lot to explain to my father if he hadn’t!) After he caught me the first time, I had no problem doing it again because he proved himself to me, and I trusted him.

That’s what you have to do in your relationship with God. Remember, He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. He will never leave you and never forsake you. He loves you with an everlasting love, and you can trust Him today with every area of your life.

Maybe it’s not easy for you to trust. Maybe you have some obstacles today that seem overwhelming. Maybe you’ve tried to trust, but you’ve ended up just taking a step backward and leaning on your own understanding. Today, I want to encourage you to cast your cares on Him. Cast the weights that are trying to overwhelm you. Make the decision to trust and just lean back into the arms of Almighty God.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV)

Whatever you are faced with right now, Jesus wants you to rest and to cast that care upon Him.

Instead of fretting over the situation, go to Him and say, “Lord, I know You love me and You care for me. You don’t want me to carry this care, so right now I put it in Your hands. I know that You will make a way for me” (1 Peter 5:7).

See the problem in His nail-pierced hands and be at rest knowing that the Lord, your God, is now working behind the scenes on your behalf!

PRAYER POWER :

Luke 11:1 - "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples'."

When you consider that Jesus was the greatest miracle worker who ever walked the earth and the greatest preacher who ever lived, it is amazing that His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Why didn't they ask Him to teach them how to work these miracles or how to preach and amaze the people with their doctrine?

It's because Jesus' prayer life was even more powerful than His miracles or His doctrine. Indeed, it was His union with the Father that gave Him His power to work miracles and His authority to speak as no man had ever spoken before. Jesus said repeatedly that it was His Father who was doing the miracles through Him and that His doctrine was not His own but the Father's.

The same holds true today. Jesus said in John 15:5 that without Him, we can do nothing. There are many things that we should do in addition to prayer, but there is nothing that we can effectively do without prayer. Prayer is one of the main ways of abiding in Him (John 15:7). Therefore, our request should be like these disciples' — "Lord, teach us to pray."

We should come expecting to receive answers to prayer. The Father is ready and willing to answer our prayers. Just ask and you shall receive

The Gospel Saves In Every Situation

    For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…     Romans 1:16

Each time you hear the gospel of Christ, you are hearing God’s good news for you. And the Bible tells us that the gospel of Christ — the good news that God wants all men to hear — is the very power of God for your salvation, not just from hell, but also from illnesses, financial lack, harm, a failing marriage — every aspect of your life that needs saving!

You may say, “Pastor Prince, I’ve heard the gospel of Christ, but it seems like I am one of those whom the power of God has missed.” My friend, when you hear the gospel of Christ, do you really believe it? You cannot just understand it in your mind. You must know and believe the good news in your heart, and then you will see that it is the power of God for your salvation.

But what is the good news that God wants you to know in your heart, which will release the power and salvation of God into your situation?

“For in it [the good news] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith…” (Romans 1:17) The good news is that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, which you receive from faith to faith.

This means that this righteousness comes because you have faith in His blood, not your good behavior, to make you righteous. It is from faith to faith, not faith to works, or works to works.

The good news is not preached to show you what is wrong with you. It is preached to show you what is right with you because of Jesus’ work at Calvary, in spite of what is wrong with you!

There is nothing left for you to do to earn God’s blessings for your life. You only need to hear and believe the all-encompassing saving power of the gospel of Christ to heal you of diseases, preserve you from danger, prosper your finances and bring well-being to your family.

The world may say that the good news is too good to be true. But for those of us who are the righteousness of God in Christ, the good news is so good because it is indeed true!

Thought For The Day
Hearing and believing the good news will release the power of God into your situation.

REVERSAL AND RESTORATION

GOD REVERSED AND RESTORED ALL THINGS FOR JOB AND THROUGH CHRIST JESUS HE CAN DO THE SAME FOR YOU

JOB 42:10 And the LORD restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11 Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.
12 Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.
13 He also had seven sons and three daughters.
14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch.
15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.
16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations.
17 So Job died, old and full of days.

It Is Finished!
    So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.   John 19:30

Imagine looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre museum. Would you think of adding more brush strokes to it? Of course not! It was done by a master, so what could you possibly add to the painting to improve it?

In the same way, that is how we are to look at Jesus’ work on the cross. He cried out, “It is finished!” You cannot complete a completed work. You cannot finish a finished work. Our salvation is won. Our sins are all forgiven. We are made forever righteous by His blood. Christ paid completely and perfectly for our total forgiveness, righteousness and every blessing!

In fact, these three words, “It is finished”, come from one Greek word teleo. In the days of Jesus, a servant would use it when reporting to his master: “I have completed the work assigned to me.” (John 17:4) The word means, “It is finished, it stands finished and it will always be finished!” Perhaps the most significant meaning of teleo is how it is used by merchants: “The debt is paid in full!” When Jesus gave Himself on the cross, He met fully the righteous demands of the law. He paid our debts in full!

Today, it is not our works that will bring us the blessings. It is Christ’s finished work. Christian living is not about doing, but believing in His finished work. Under the law, we must do. Under grace, it is done!

Maybe you are faced with overwhelming odds today. Jesus promises, “It is finished!” You are not going to be delivered because you have already been delivered. You are not going to be healed because you are already the healed! God healed you 2,000 years ago! Isaiah 53:5 declares, “By His stripes you are healed!” You are already pregnant with healing. Keep resting in His finished work and it will manifest!

My friend, the work is finished. The victory is won. Our enemies have been made His footstool. Our blessings have been bought by His blood! Live life knowing that there is nothing for you to do — only believe! It is finished!

Thought For The Day
It is believing in Christ’s

PRAYER FOR THE DAY :

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139: 9-10)

Dear Lord God, I praise You. I honor You. This is the day the Lord has made; let me rejoice and be glad in it. Let the larks sing out a new song to greet the Lord when all the happy angels are singing hymns of praise around the holy throne. I lift up my voice to praise God and pray that surely mercy and grace shall follow me all the days of my life, I lack of nothing for God is my creator and provider.

Gratefully, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen !!!

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