Category: Faith

[The Glory Unveiled]

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. [ Mark 11:24 NIV ]

Conviction is the pilot that drives beliefs into the realm of manifestation and boldness is the fragrance of conviction. Wherever there is conviction, boldness follows naturally. Just as goodness and mercy follow the man or woman to whom the Lord is Shepherd, boldness accompanies conviction. The proof that you believe in something lies in your conviction, which is founded on that truth or knowledge. Your convictions become the fence that protects what you believe in. Without conviction, no one can hold on to a belief for long. But with conviction, faith is rooted and grounded. In the world of men, faith is a currency. Just as in commerce, goods are exchanged for money, in the transaction between the Kingdom of men and the Kingdom of God, realities are transacted by faith. Without faith, every spiritual reality is like Canaan in the eyes of Moses. The believer may read about it and see it in the lives of others but not experience it personally. Just as you cannot doubt that money can purchase anything with monetary value, faith can acquire anything with faith value. Our text states that whatever we pray for does not automatically come to pass. What brings it to fruition is our faith—believing that what we ask for is already done. We must believe we have received what we are praying for, even before it manifests, without any doubt. God is able to provide whatever we ask for in prayer, but He will only release what we believe we have already received. Before you pray for anything, do you truly believe you have received it?

Prayer_Bead: Heavenly Father, thank you for your faithfulness and love. I believe that I have received all I ask for in Jesus name.

Wisdom_Quote: Boldness is the fragrance of convictions.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. [Joshua  24:15 NKJV ]

Every believer needs to understand that there is a choice to be made in following Jesus, and one must consider it carefully before making that choice. The person who will walk with Jesus on this lonely path for the long term is the man or woman who has counted the cost. Only one who has counted the cost and still decides to go with Jesus can go far with Him. It is not enough to say you will walk with Jesus when you see Him multiply bread. The bread may be the center of your decision, and when that bread ceases to come, you might stop following. In John 6, many of Jesus’ followers stopped following Him, so He asked the twelve (His inner circle) in verse 67 if they also wanted to stop following Him. Peter answered on behalf of the twelve, saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” The difference between these twelve and the rest of the multitude is that they had counted the cost of following Jesus before deciding to follow Him. Ruth and Orpah, from the book of Ruth, were also in a similar situation. Ruth counted the cost before deciding she would follow her mother-in-law, Naomi. Joshua, in our anchor text, asked the people of Israel to decide whether they would follow God or idols. He told them to count the cost and see if it was wrong to follow the Lord; if so, they should choose whom they would serve. But he and his household would serve the LORD. Today, we have the same opportunity to choose whom we shall serve. But before we decide, we need to understand that following Jesus comes at a cost and has its accompanying blessings.

Prayer_Bead: Father, I thank you for giving me opportunity to come to you through your Son Jesus Christ. I choose this day to be on your side, so help me God.

Wisdom_Quote: There is a dire price to choosing to following Jesus.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus, the Anointed One. [ Romans 8:1 TPT ]

In the legal world, a court case is considered “closed” when the legal proceedings have concluded, and there is a final judgment and resolution. This typically happens when a verdict is rendered, a settlement is reached, a case is dismissed, or all appeals are exhausted. In our case, when humanity was taken to court because of our sin, a provision was made after the final judgment was pronounced. The settlement reached was that humanity must die. Jesus came to take our place and died, bearing the full punishment for our sins so that, through Him, we may have forgiveness and eternal life. Now that Jesus has paid for our sins, the settlement was achieved through His blood. The case is now closed, and there is no accusing voice of condemnation against those who have had their sentence taken on by Jesus. The voice that could legally accuse us of sin and its punishment has been silenced by the loving sacrifice of Jesus. When we enter into a life-union with Jesus, we receive immunity from condemnation and accusations. Any form of accusation or condemnation hurled at a believer in Jesus is unfounded and false. The devil still goes about deceiving innocent and ignorant men and women, just as he did Eve in the garden. This is why we need to equip ourselves with knowledge. We need to understand our position in Christ and the possibilities that the abundant life in Jesus presents. Remember, it is illegal for the devil to condemn you. Don’t buy into his deceptions.

Prayer_Bead: Merciful father, thank you for paying the price for my freedom.

Wisdom_Quote: The believer receives a mark of immunity against condemnation when they come into a life-union with Jesus.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. [ 1 Peter 5:8 TPT ]

A lion looking for its prey to devour usually roars to scare the prey out of hiding. Fear has a way of exposing both people and animals. An animal hiding from a lion might run out of its hiding place, hoping to find a more “secure” one. It is this fear of being exposed that actually puts them in danger. This version of the Bible advises us to be well-balanced and always alert. A four-legged table that loses one or two of its legs cannot stand properly because it cannot balance. All four legs have roles in keeping the table stable. To be well-balanced means to have all it takes to succeed or excel at something. It means to have a well-rounded knowledge or skill in a particular area. Why should believers be well-rounded and balanced? In the Garden of Eden, the devil approached Eve through the serpent because he noticed she was not well-rounded and balanced. When the serpent asked Eve if God had said they should not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Eve responded that God said they should not eat or touch the tree. However, God had not actually said they should not touch it. The devil exploited this gap in her understanding. Her response showed that she didn’t have an adequate knowledge of God’s word. The devil roams around, seeking those without sufficient knowledge of God, so that he can deceive them with lies. We are advised to be alert and well-balanced in our knowledge of God, so that the devil will not take us captive due to ignorance.

Prayer_Bead: Mighty Father, thank you for teaching me through your word to be alert and well balanced in all I do.

Wisdom_Quote: The devil comes at believers with age old tactics, go against him with God’s words.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. [ Isaiah 40:31 KJV ]

Waiting on God is an act that describes the posture of our hearts. It exposes and reveals the true desires of a person and their willingness or unwillingness to allow God’s will to supersede their own desires. Waiting on God means to come into agreement with God. It means to submit to the will of God and conform completely with His plans. It is usually called for when we have options and opportunities to do other things apart from what God would have us do. Joseph faced the option to sleep with Potiphar’s wife or stay away from her. The latter was God’s will for him. However, he had the opportunity to do anything; he was free to choose which side he would take. When Joseph chose to align with God, he waited on Him. The Lord Jesus, in His final moments before the cross, came to the crossroads; a place where He had to choose whether to drink from the cup of suffering and death or to let it pass. The perfect will of God was for Him to drink from it. In those moments, He had to choose to wait on God and align with Him. So, He prayed that the cup would pass, but not His will, but God’s will be done. That was the turning point and true meaning of waiting on God: aligning with Him. After we have aligned with God’s will, there is a provision for us, and our strength is renewed. We become strong and equipped to do exploits. Waiting on God makes tremendous power available to us. Waiting on God does not mean being inactive or dormant. It is rather a time of intentionality and purpose. It is a time of surrendering to the plan of God when our plan is out of sync with God’s plan. It means putting aside every other option and choosing the will of God regardless of other alternatives. When we do, we later find that God’s plan was the master plan. This is the time to surrender our will to God’s will.

Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for the grace to wait on you. Thank you for the strength that is made available.

Wisdom_Quote: Waiting on God is not a delay avenue but a strategic route to glory.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.

[The Glory Unveiled]

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. [ 1 Peter 3:15 NIV ]

Failure becomes inevitable when preparation is sidelined. Success does not embrace everyone; it has a special affinity for diligence. As we learned some days ago, nothing can stand the test of time without structures and foundations to support it. For the believer, one such structure and foundation needed to support or host certain realities of God is reverence for Christ. Unless we have true reverence for the Lord, we cannot sustain any worthwhile existence in Him. This foundation gives us hope and confidence in God, a kind of confidence and hope that the world cannot understand. As a result, the world will ask us to give the reason for the hope that we have. The problem is that some believers have this hope, but when asked to give their reason, they are unable to. To give the right answer for the reason we have this hope, we need to prepare for it. Teaching must be done methodically and intentionally, guided by the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God is so wide and deep that it cannot be encompassed by the cunningness of men. We must be prepared to give others the reason for our hope in Christ, and the method to employ is gentleness and respect. We may communicate our reasons, but if not well communicated, they will not help our hearers. Your reason for hoping in Christ could be sincere and true, but how you share it with others can defeat its verity. You could have all the hope in Christ, but that hope can only give hope to others when we share it with gentleness and respect from a place of wisdom. So, give your answers with respect and gentleness.

Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the hope you have given me in you. As I share with my world, give me the wisdom to go about it. Amen.

Wisdom_Quote: Our relationship with others is mapped on the canvas of our reverence for Christ.

#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.