DAY 2 OF 21 DAYS PRAYER AND FASTING -THE GOD WHO IS BIGGER THAN OUR STORMS

 Day 2, January 07^th:

THE GOD WHO IS BIGGER THAN OUR STORMS

LUKE 8:22-26:- In our text, the disciples find themselves in a terrible storm. Now many times storms catch us when we’re not expecting them. This was probably true for the disciples, as this storm came even when Jesus was with them in the ship!

But in this story, Jesus reveals Himself as the God who is bigger than our storms. And I think our view of God is very important because how we view God will determine how we view ourselves. And this morning I’m sure that all of us know that God is bigger than our storms, but if you’re like me, you just sometimes need to be reminded. One thing is for sure in this story: The storm was not as big to Jesus as it was to the disciples! And even though the storm was above their head, it was still under His feet!

But wait a minute. In what way is God bigger than our storms? There are five principles in our text that answers this:

I. His Intention Is Bigger Than Our Storm

 (Luke 8:22) 

Jesus had a plan. And what was that plan? It was for Him and His disciples to make it to the other side of the lake. That was God’s plan!

We as human beings have failed in our intentions, haven’t we? Have you ever determined to help someone one day, but when all was said and done, you didn’t help at all? Have you ever set out to do a good deed, only to end up not doing it? We have all failed in our intentions, but God has never failed in His intentions! God’s plan cannot be thwarted! Phil. 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

Now we may never go through a literal storm on the Sea of Galilee, but we do go through various “storms of life.” Your storm maybe when someone you love dearly dies unexpectedly, and you don’t understand it. It may be when your job is not going the way you need it to go. It could be when you feel betrayed by those you love and no one understands your heartache. Our storm can be when life has us so confused, we don’t know where to turn or what to do. It may even be when Satan whispers in your ear, “It’s no use, it will never work. You may as well give up.”

What can we do when heartache comes knocking on our door and we feel overcome by despair or bound by a feeling of hopelessness?

We start by realizing that God has a plan, and His plan is greater than our feelings! And His intention is bigger than any storm!

I don’t understand it all. I don’t fully understand why I’ve got a speech impediment. But I’m glad for one thing. I’m glad that I know that God has a plan for me and that His plan for me is bigger than any storm I’ll ever experience! Do you believe that?

II. His Interpretation Is Bigger Than Our Storm (Luke 8:23)

Jesus is asleep in the storm and evidently has been asleep for a good while. Isn’t that strange? How could Jesus sleep through a storm? The disciples literally thought they were dying! Obviously, the storm was not as big to Jesus as it was to the disciples!

I wonder: Do we sleep well when problems are consuming us? I don’t!

When problems consume me, I have a hard time sleeping . . . So do you know what I do? I just lay awake and help God “run the world!”

The disciples interpreted this storm as something terrible! The fact is – They could not change their circumstances! There was absolutely nothing they could do about the storm! And that’s hard to deal with sometimes, isn’t it? Do you ever wish you could change your circumstances? I do! But we can’t. We may as well accept that! We need to realize that God doesn’t see the storm the way we see the storm. His interpretation is bigger than our storm. 

Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

God sees the storm as a means of advancement. He uses storms of life to test us to help us get closer to Him. God uses the dark, scary, uncertain times of life as an opportunity for Him to demonstrate is power, not ours, and for God to get the glory, not us. God wants to use our trials to get us a little closer to Him.

I wonder: When our “storm” starts to devastate us, do we want to take God’s interpretation of our storm? Or, do we want to just develop our own interpretation? When trouble comes down on us, do we carelessly say like some, “God doesn’t care – or He’d do something for me!” But problems are sometimes just opportunities in “work clothes.” He’s testing our faith. We must not forget: Faith is taking God at His Word despite the circumstances. And faith is often claiming God’s promise in the midst of bad circumstances.

Like the disciples, we may be in a terrible “storm.” We may be so scared that we’re biting our nails off. But it’s good to know that God’s not biting His nails off . . . because His interpretation is bigger than our storm!

III. His Inclination Is Bigger Than Our Storm (Luke 8:23-24)

When the Bible says the ship was “filled” with water it means they were losing “control” of the ship and the water was controlling the ship.

 Rather than the boat controlling the boat, the storm was controlling the boat. The word “jeopardy” indicates that they feared death! They thought, “It’s over!” But they did the right thing – They went to Jesus! And while they were literally going down, Jesus was rising up!

Jesus “arose,” but not the way I would have arose! Have you ever been awakened suddenly and unexpectantly form a deep sleep? Our normal response is to be startled, bewildered, confused and to rub the sand out of our eyes, right? However, Jesus didn’t do that. He arose and immediately He inclined Himself to them.

A. His Inclination Is To Hear Us!

That’s His nature! Immediately Jesus inclined Himself to them! God is never in such a deep sleep that He doesn’t hear our faintest whisper. Aren’t you glad for that? Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” God wants us to call on Him!

One amazing thing that doctors have verified is that a mother often has a special “ear” for her baby’s cry. Mothers can often distinguish their own baby’s cry in a room of crying babies. What in the world? For me, and most men, one child’s cry is the same as another. If you’ve heard one, you’ve heard them all. But not to a mother. Why? Because God made her with a special “ear” for her baby. She is inclined to hear her baby.

But that pales in comparison with God’s ear for the cry of His children.

 Psalms 34:17-18 says, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

 

 In your trouble, cry out to God – He’s waiting for you.

 

B. His Inclination Is To Help Us!

Although Jesus was sleeping, I think the disciples misunderstood the nature of His sleep. They evidently thought that “sleeping” meant that He was unaware of their present danger, or that He was unconcerned for their personal lives, or maybe He was unable to make the difference that they needed.

 

But Jesus was no less God when He was asleep than when He’s awake. Jesus was no less God when He was lying down than when He was standing up. He rebuked the wind and storm and produced a calm! 

Psalms 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

 

No matter how dark our life may seem, we must believe the truth that His inclination is bigger than our storm!

IV. His Intervention Is Bigger Than Our Storm (Luke 8:25)

These disciples had seen other miracles before, but notice what they said: “What manner of man is this?” The way He intervened was unreal. They were saying, “It’s not human!”

Let me ask you something: If God can control the wind and the waves; don’t you think He can control your storm? If God can alter the very laws of nature, I believe He can help me with my problems! . . . Don’t you? There is no storm too big for God to handle! Do you believe that? Even the wind recognized His authority and the storm was just a platform for Him to do His work on. 

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

I don’t understand how He does it, but God can even use the junk in my life to bring glory to Him. God desires to use everything that happens to us for our good and God’s glory. Do you believe that He can do that in your life? Thank God that His intervention is bigger than our storm!

V. His Instruction Is Bigger Than Our Storm

The disciples learned some things through the storm that they might not have learned any other way.

A. They learned something about their faith (Luke 8:25)

When Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?”, He asked a good question. I don’t know where their faith was, but I know where it wasn’t. Their faith may have been in the size of the boat, to withstand the storm. Their faith may have been in their ability to out-row the storm. Their faith may have been in the strength of their anchor. I don’t know where their faith was, but I know where it wasn’t: It wasn’t in Christ. They learned something about their faith from the storm, and we do too! When God sends a storm my way, I see how many different things I’ve been leaning on!

What if Jesus asked us this morning “Where is your faith?” Some would have to answer, “My Father is in my circumstances being just right. But they rarely are!

Others would confess that their faith is in people responding just so. But they rarely do! Some people’s faith is only in the pleasures that this life can offer? But, they’re so short-lived. Many only have faith in their finances and in the things money can buy. But they don’t satisfy.

B. They learned something about their future (Luke 8:26)

They did get to the other side! God wasn’t through with them yet. He had something else for them beyond the storm. And when the storms of the life beat down on us, we need to realize that there is life beyond the storm. God is not finished with us yet.

I was watching Euronews several years ago there were awful hurricane storms in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Puerto Rico. A person who lives in Puerto Rico described the awful noise of the storm to be like an uncontrolled monster that nearly made a person deaf.

On television, news reporters interviewed poor families in Honduras that were completely devastated by the storm and the response they gave kept me till date kept me in reflections of our storms and through this some of you can remember my message SEE JESUS IN IT.

 Just listen! Some of their attitudes were both virtuous as well as convicting. One lady said, “Yes, it was awful. We lost everything, and we’ll have to start all over.

But the good news is – it’s brought our family back together again. We are closer than ever.

The community is banding together like we’ve never seen before.

Do you know what they were saying?

They were saying, “We benefited from the storm.”

-        Child of God, Can God really do that?

-        Do you believe He can do it for you?

-        Can he do it today?

For sure God is bigger than just all our storms in the name of Jesus.

Reflect:

-        What is the glory of God in the storm you are going through today in life?

-        What is the value of what you have lost in your storms compared to your life?

-        Is God using the storms to give you direction?

-        Is God using the storms to protect you?

-        Is God using the storm to draw you closer to Him?

-        And if yes what should be your next step?

-        And if no, what then is behind the storms of your life?

 

Prayer:

-        Heavenly Father, reveal anything in my Life that attracts storms in the name of Jesus.

-        Heavenly Father, take away the fear of the unknown in me, that attracts storms in my life.

-        Heavenly Father, release the great east wind to open up like it did for the red sea, over every storm of my life in the name of Jesus. 

-      Father every storm in life that does not want me to cross on the other side this year oh, Lord by the authority of the name of Jesus and His voice let that storm claims in the name of Jesus.

 

 

 

 

DAY 1 OF 21 DAYS PRAYER AND FASTING - THE STORM IS OVER

 

21-day prayer guide

Prayer for your personal life

Day 1, January 06^th

TOPIC: The Storm is Over!

 Acts 27:20: And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

Acts 27:33: And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

"The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars until at last all hope was gone."

"As the darkness gave way to the early morning light..." Acts 27: 20, 33

I believe you will be thoroughly blessed this year by these messages. My faith and courage have been enhanced. And yours? The word of God is rich, vast, deep and very dynamic. Yes, I have in the past preached from some of these passages, but I think I'm receiving new insights into them. It has been a very rewarding year! When you love and open yourself up to His word, you'll begin to see things the way heaven sees them. You will begin to operate in the supernatural. Yes, you will still be a human but will be better equipped to do the will of God on earth. No situation will be able to harass or embarrass you again. Our God is alive and in perfect control of everything that happens in the entire universe. I see you going into the New Year a sign and wonder! Every storm in your life has seized. Praise God!

Here, we want to see how God used the apostles prophetically. You know we have been trying to show that there are situations, problems that will only and always require prophetic intervention to solve. Paul was sailing to Rome to appear before Caesar. They were 276 people on board with cargoes. And suddenly the weather changed, the storm arose, the sea became very unfriendly and they were in real and serious danger of all perishing in the water.

 God! You will not understand this except you have experienced a serious storm while sailing or flying; you would almost say your last prayers so many times over. Permit me to quote directly some of the fearful words used to describe what Paul and his co-travellers went through, "We had several days of rough sailing, and after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus. But the wind was against us, so we sailed down to the leeward side of Crete, past the cape of Salmone. We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. We had lost time. The weather was becoming dangerous for long voyages by then because it was so late in the fall." The typhoon was so severe that it blotted out the sun and stars and all hope was lost. Terrible!

Did you get that? Please, let's bring out those fearful negative phrases from that situation: rough sailing, great difficulty, against us, struggle along, lost a time, becoming dangerous, so late, so severe, blotted out and all hope was lost. Wow! All these are just to describe what happened on a single journey? Just for Apostle Paul to sail to Rome and stand before Emperor Caesar, Satan raised such a formidable chain of obstacles. Yes, the journey was important to the forces of heaven and hell. God had told Paul that he would take the gospel to the gentiles, and going to Rome was a very important part of that mission.

He would (through his trial) release the good news to the ruler of the empire and other Roman citizens. And reaching these people meant getting the heart of the then world. The enemy would have none of these and he promptly mobilised the dark forces in the air and in the water to stop the trip by all cost. He wanted to destroy (sink) Paul, the ship and all the other 275 passengers. But, you know very well that the real target was the word of God that the apostle was conveying. And this is exactly what the enemy is doing to you.

He is throwing all those arrows and obstacles to you just to see that you don't fulfil God's purpose of bringing you to into this world. The fulfilment of your destiny is sure going to deal a deadly blow to Satan and his dark plans. Let him do all he can, but God's purpose will always prevail!

I can hear you say, "But my own challenges are so tough." Yes, they are because your destiny is great. I was once worried like you until I discovered God's plan for my life.

God's plan for my life is sure a great threat to the kingdom of darkness and the enemy discovered this quite early. This explains why he did everything to stop me. I went through extreme situations from a very young age. Thank God I was divinely preserved. Yes, I was divinely preserved for His work And God always makes me to know that He preserved me just for that purpose - THE GOSPEL!  

The enemy   had tried to destroy me while I was still in my Mother’s womb, to the extent that the day my lovely mother was going to give birth to me in the town of Victory they were heavy rains and a huge flood almost carried my mother away into the sea, thank God for divine intervention, that she could hold on to the irons of the bridge as the floods were directing her into the Atlantic ocean and when she made it to the Victoria Hospital and as I was born the rains immediately stopped. Can you imagine?

 

She was carrying God's messenger in her boat (her womb) so the storm just like was the case with Paul was released to make sure that she does not get to the Hospital.

 

The enemy has done everything possible to stop this commission “Arena of God Ministries” but God's purpose has prevailed. Praise God! I will tell this story in full at the proper time. So, I'm not just preaching the gospel by choice, it is mandatory. Like He told Paul that this is what he MUST do. Now, how do you think the enemy will let you rest when he knows that God will use you to set millions of his captives free? How do you think that you will have a smooth sail when you are going to be the voice of God to your generation and to the world? You won't!

 His Word Came.

When all hope was lost that anybody or the ship could be saved from this imminent disaster, Paul suddenly woke up to declare the intention and the intervention of haven in the situation. He told them to be of good courage that no life will be lost. He declared the authority of his pronouncement - word from the angel of God. He gave direction to the sailors who wanted to abandon the ship to save their own lives.

He begged everybody to eat after fourteen days of fear-imposed fasting. He immediately brought bread, gave thanks and began to eat; even as the storm continued. Praise God!

Paul was in perfect control of the situation. Why? Because, he had seen, believed and declared what others were not seeing at that moment. And that is what the prophetic is all about. Getting an 'exclusive' from God and declaring the same to help men on earth. His message cheered others up. It brought life and hope back into them. And this is what this message is intended for. The word of God has come for you. There is still hope for you!

Darkness gave way for morning

The bible said that as all these were going on, the long and thick darkness began to give way to the morning light. The Sun began to rise and shine again. Praise God! Things began to look up. Divine intervention will always bring a breaking forth. No matter how gloomy, no matter how dark the situation, once the word of God comes, the light will begin to show again. Now, know that no degree of darkness (or night) can prevent the light of a breaking day.

The morning will always come. Yes, you have stayed in that darkness for too long, lost all the hope, wasted a lot of time and resources, suffered, harassed, embarrassed and famished, but the light is now appearing in your situation. I command your day to break forth in the mighty name of Jesus! Let there be restoration in your life. Let your sun begin to shine again.

Reflect:

•Take some time today and reflect the purpose of God for your life.

.Why is your life connected to that particular storm, maybe the storm of failures, the storm of barrenness, the storm of poverty etc...

.Think of your Prophetic word of 2021, what storms could it attracts in your life and how you could pray it away throughout these 21 days Prayer and Fasting. 

 

•What special time will you set aside in the next21 days to talk and listen to God concerning your life as a whole?

 

Prayer:

-         Thank you, Father, for making me see a new year and for grace for me to partake in these 21 days prayer and fasting.

-         Lord Jesus no one understands storms like you do, Please help me to be focused like Paul each time the enemy raise a storm in my life.

-         Lord Jesus by the authority of your name, I prophetically raise your voice upon every storm presently affecting my life in the name of Jesus Christ.  

 

CONNECTING WITH YOUR DESTINY HELPERS

 

Text: Mark 2:1-12

Everyone has a purpose for being created whether a man or a woman. We are all destined to fulfil one specific thing or the other. Destiny is our mission in life. 

In order to fulfil it, there are helpers assigned to help us accomplish a greater thing in life. At the same time, there are helpers assigned to help us get out of the problem(s) that have been battling with us, either in academics, marriage, finances, health, etc.

 The man in our text is a typical example of a man who needs helpers to get out of his situation. He was a paralyzed man, sick for many years that only God known. But those that have assigned for his healing carried their mission successfully.

 FOUR MAJOR THINGS WITH THESE HELPERS:

 1. They were not weary until they fulfilled their mission. As they were not nauseating, I pray that your helper with not be wary until they finish helping you.

 2. They were not tired until they finished their helping assignment with him.

 3. They did not see it as a burden but see it as a responsibility that must be done by them.

 4. They make sure that they brought the man to where he should be.

 5. They saw to it that the man becomes what he should be.

 THE RESULTS (OUTCOME) OF THEIR HELPS:

1. The man they help got to where he should be. The man was laid down at the presence of Jesus Christ- Luke 5:19. There is a place that God wants you to be, you will be there with the help of your helpers.

 2. The man was ahead of other people. Hundreds of people had been in the house where Jesus was, but the man that brought late is ahead of them. It was the story of the man that was noted majorly in the journey of Jesus Christ there. When divine helpers help you, you will surely be ahead of others that have started before you. In your office or place of work, when God raise your helpers to help you, you must superior than other people. You must be an achiever more than your colleagues.

3. He got what he should get – Solution to his problem. Forgiveness and healing is the major needs of the man, and he got it. I want you to take note of one thing: the helpers of the man have it in mind for man to be healed, but Jesus Christ makes additional need (forgiveness of sins) to it. There some things you but you don’t know them, but God know them and He will surely give them to you.

 4. His enemies were put to shame. Luke 5:25-26. Some of the people that were there did not want the man to be healed or freed from his problem were later disappointed. God will disappoint your enemies in your presence.

Exodus 2:1-8

• Moses was a destiny child. The mother hid him for three months until she could no longer hide him. He was born at a critical time but met with Pharaoh’s daughter who helped him.

A rather significant story is recorded in 1 Samuel 10:1-2.  Saul went in search of Prophet Samuel because of the loss of his father’s donkey. After Samuel anointed Saul, the higher anointing restored his loss and he said to Saul “When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found.” By divine arrangement, after leaving the presence of the Prophet, two strangers were strategically positioned to give Saul good news. 

SOME FACTS ABOUT LIFE

• Life is about God linking you up with your destiny helpers.
• In life, there are 2 kinds of people you will ever meet. Destiny helpers and destiny killers.
• When God links you up with your destiny helpers your tears will be converted to joy, your torment to peace, your labour to favour, your pain to gain and your Goliath becomes your stepping stone to the place of celebration.
• A great prayer to pray daily is, O Lord make me invisible to all my destiny killers and make me visible to all my destiny helpers.
• Destiny killers are those who always wonder can anything good come out of this life? they say this with their mouth, their attitude and their actions.
• Destiny killers always see the negative side of you and are always out to discourage your efforts.
• No man can by himself fulfil his destiny. Everyone needs a destiny helper.
• Jesus did not walk alone. He had 12 helpers who promoted his destiny.

WHO IS YOUR DESTINY HELPER?

When you meet them, your life will move from zero to hero.

They are agents of change, agents of transformation, agents of elevation, agents of enlargement, agents of promotion and agents of an uncommon breakthrough.

God will not physically come down and help you. He will send people to you so be alert to discern their presence.

Your destiny helpers are strategically positioned to help you arrive at your expected end.

ILLUSTRATIONS

1)    I met a man when returning from Jos on the 3rd of March 2014. He shared this story. He wanted to go abroad by all means and he decided to go through Libya by Vehicle. He boarded a desert jeep to convey him and others across the desert to Spain. The Vehicle got spoilt at the middle of the desert and the driver escaped. They finished all the food they had and for the next two weeks, they drank their own urine and became very weak. About 11 of them died. The ones still alive decided to put fire on the jeep and desert warriors came to their rescue when they saw the smoke. Gave them food and after they recovered asked them if they want to return or continue their journey. He declines and returned back to Nigeria. He is a pastor today.

2)    A man lost his job when the wife was 7 months pregnant. He was a good driver and at seven months the wife asked him to start buying baby things. He went to work and the owner of the taxi told him that he was financially down and decided to sell the vehicle as his last option. The man pleaded and the owner asked him if he was ready to buy. The man became jobless and became a motor park loader of vehicle. What he gets can hardly feed the family. The ninth month came and they wife called him to take her to hospital and he looked for a friend to help. The car spoilt at a rich man’s house and they pushed and the car refused to start. The rich man called him and asked what is wrong, he explained and was told to take a brand new wagon 504 and he went to the hospital the wife delivered. He decided to return the car, the rich man then went in and brought the particulars and gave the man the car for free. And supported him with 100 thousand which he used to settle the medical bill and his life changed.

3)    Young shall grow motors was a vulcanizer who barely got a job often. One day a man’s brought a jeep and asked him to look at the tyre that was down. He discovered that it was a nail that pierced through it. He removed it and fixed the tyre.  The man asked him the amount and he said he should pay whatever he feels that since morning that was the only job. The man asked him if he can sell tyres and the following week brought tyres and asked him to sell and return the money. He then linked him up and from tyre distributor he now owns the young shall grow motors. Every year he visits the family of the man even though the man is late now. He was his destiny helper.

4)    Massoma learnt a trade of spare parts in Tiko South West Region of Cameroon and the master sent him to the village that he will settle him later but never did. Massoma’s mother waited and after some months decided to sell their piece of land and spate on Massoma’s hand and prayed that he will succeed. Massoma came to Douala and started hawking baby wears and one woman saw his zeal, called him and offered him wares of about 100,000Frscfa  and told him to pay when he finish selling. Massoma was faithful and she gave him 200.000Frcs and Months after he made it to 2million. Massoma now got a big store at Marche de Fame and later travel to Switzerland and married a white lady. He came to Cameroon and went to Tiko and learnt that the master who refused to settle him that his business has fallen and fire gutted his store and was hospitalized at the CDC Hospital. He went to see him and the master confessed that God is punishing him for his wickedness. Massoma said he pushed him to his destiny. He gave the master 5million to start business again before going back to Switzerland.  

3 things that can happen to your destiny helpers

1. They may not show up at all.
2. They can be missed.
3. They can be killed.

Witchcraft powers can make sure they are wrongly positioned so they never get to you.

Destiny Connecting Prayers

1. Power of God hooks me to my destiny helpers in Jesus name.
2. Lord Jesus hook my destiny helpers to my destiny in Jesus name.
3. The person that doesn’t know me, begin to fight my cause in Jesus name.
4. Blood of Jesus link me up with my helpers in Jesus name.
5. O Lord work things out in my favour in Jesus name.
6. Thou power of the serpent saying no to my manifestation die in Jesus name.
7. Every witchcraft gathering assigned against my good news scatter in Jesus name.
8. My stolen crown be returned and be restored by fire in Jesus name.
9. The agenda of the enemy to disgrace me be converted to promotion in Jesus name.
10. O Lord arise and link me up with my destiny helpers in Jesus name.
11. If I be a child of God let my helpers locate me in Jesus name.
12. My manifestation cannot be stopped. I decree that my star shall shine, my voice will be heard, my enemies shall bow, I shall dance, I shall sing, I shall move forward and I shall breakthrough in Jesus name.

 

STEPS TO VICTORY

 Mark 1:40

1. REACH out to Him
2. REQUEST of Him
3. RECOGNIZE Him
4. REGARD it as done.

Step one: REACH out to Him: “And there came a leper to him. . .”

No doubt this man had been to others to try to find some relief. But even though he more than likely got, a few “be well my sons,” and perhaps more “go away you bother me’s,” he persisted. As a leper, he was totally dependant on others for everything.

Get into the habit of reaching out for Jesus. It is the only way to make contact with him.

Step two: REQUEST of Him. “Beseeching him. . .”

1. God has made it quite clear that we are to ask, seek and find.
2. He longs to hear our requests.
3. Sadly that is the only time that many communicate with Him.
4. No wonder he encourages us to ask of Him, else He may never hear from us.
5. Talk to God, tell him how you feel, tell him what you perceive that you need, tell him what you want. Don’t be shy. Talk, talk, talk. Listen, listen, listen.
6. God wants more than anything to have a conversation with you. Make your request known to him and receive his answer with Thanksgiving.

Step three: RECOGNIZE Jesus for whom He really is: kneeling down.

Over the last one hundred years, there has been a movement to relegate Jesus to the position of a great teacher, or a great philosopher. Let me submit to you that he was none of those. C. S. Lewis put it best in answer to this question. “He is either a liar, a lunatic or lord.” But the most burning question for us today is the very same question that Jesus asked his disciples 2000 years ago. “But whom do you say that I am?” You know Jesus is asking that very question of you today. And what is your answer? To you is Jesus just a really nice guy? Or perhaps he has some great truth to tell? Examine yourselves today. Who is Jesus to you? If he is not the Lord of your life, then you have missed this step on the road to victory. Recognize Jesus for whom he truly is.

Finally,

Step four: REGARD it as done. “Thou canst make me clean. . .”

We must believe that Jesus can do anything. Why? Well, simply because He can!!! Many over the centuries have tried to make this such a deep theological thing and it is not. This is not rocket science folks, Jesus can do anything. And Paul takes it a step further by saying that through him.. “all things are possible.” That means that if you have followed all of the steps, you can do anything as well. The greatest thing that Jesus can do is to take all of your cares and burdens. Take all of that rubbish and leave it at the foot of the cross, turn around and leave it. What many insist on doing is to lay their burdens down and then immediately go back and pick them up again. How absurd. Let Jesus deal with it and forget about it. Regard it as done.

What step are you on right now?

Are you reaching out?
Are you making requests?
Are you recognizing Jesus for who He really is?
Are you regarding it as done?

Take the steps to victory in Jesus.

YOU AND YOUR VOW

 “That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth…It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterwards to reconsider his vows…Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?” (Deut 23:23; Prov 20:25; Eccl 5:5,6). 

It is a common thing among the people of God to make vows to God for certain needs in prayer or a
pledge to give certain things to God for His work.  We may find such examples both in the Old Testament and also in the New Testament.  It is important for the one who made the vow or pledge to understand the implications of both.  Whether you make a vow in prayer for a special request or a pledge for certain projects in God’s works, it is the same thing.  The God whom you pray to is the same God whose work you pledge to give certain things either in cash or in kind.  You are bound to pay your vow immediately you receive the answer to your prayer in the first instance; on the other hand, if it is for God’s work, you are to pay what you pledged to pay in cash or in kind.  But most of the time some of God’s people do not mind to pay their pledge, they only remember the place and the day the pledge was made and forget it later not minding the redemption of it.  That kind of attitude means that such people are ignorant of making vows to God and His works.  God is a faithful God who keeps His words and promises, so should the child of God do.  When you make a vow to God or a pledge for His work you are bound to fulfil your vow or else, you are not taking God seriously.  Failure to redeem or fulfil your pledge makes you a defaulter which may have adverse effects on your spiritual life according to the word of the passages chosen for this message. 

Some Christians choose not to vow or make pledge under the guise of the Ecclesiastics’ passage of this message and therefore refrain from this sacred obligation.  That is not the right attitude in doing that, you are actually indulging yourself in being not able to keep your words and promises either to God or man.  One of the implications of failing to redeem a vow is a hindrance to one’s prayer.  But I would advise that you discipline yourself in the attitude of making vows or pledges and fulfilling them.  That helps you to keep your promises and appointments as a child of God who imbibes the culture of integrity. 

Let this message challenge you to be a promise-keeper, a redeemer of vows and pledges, and my God will bless you. Amen.

FIVE KEYS TO YOUR MIRACLE

 FIVE KEYS TO YOUR MIRACLE: from the wedding at Cana

John 2:1-8
God is a God of miracles. Jesus, during his ministry in this world, performed many miracles. The first miracle of Jesus was turning the water into wine at the wedding of Cana. We can learn many truths from this incident.

OUTLINE

1.INVITATION
2.INTERCESSION
3.INSTRUCTION
4.INSTRUMENTS
5. INSPIRATION

THE MESSAGE

FIVE KEYS TO YOUR MIRACLE: from the wedding at Cana

1.INVITATION
John 2:1,2
If we want to experience a miracle, we must first invite Jesus into our lives. Jesus was invited to the wedding at Cana. If Jesus had not been invited to that wedding the miracle would not have taken place. We must invite Jesus into every area of our lives. We must seek His blessing and His guidance in every aspect of our lives.

2.INTERCESSION:
John 2:3,4
The second step for a miracle is to intercede before the Lord and to make our requests known to him. At the wedding in Cana when they ran out of wine, Mary the mother of Jesus made it known to Jesus. We must also take all our burdens to the Lord. Instead of rushing to our friends and relatives to share our needs, we must first take it to the Lord and cast our burdens upon Him.

3.INSTRUCTION:
John 2:5.
The third step is to be taught obedience to the commandments of the Lord. At the wedding in Cana, Mary, the mother of Jesus told the servants to do whatever Jesus commanded them to do. It was obedience to the instructions of Jesus that enabled them to experience the miracle. We must be careful to obey the instructions that the Lord gives to us. We must live according to the word of God.

4.INSTRUMENTS:
John 2:6.
The Lord uses instruments to perform His miracle. At the wedding in Cana, the Lord used the water that was available to perform a miracle. Jesus used five loaves and two fishes that was available to feed the five thousand. The Lord can use whatever we have to perform miracles. He can use even ordinary vessels to reveal His power. We should allow the Lord to use whatever we have for His glory.

5.INSPIRATION:
John 2:7,8.
Here Jesus intervened and performed a miracle by turning the water into wine and His disciples believed on Him. The miracle that Jesus performed inspired the disciples and caused them to develop a strong faith in the Lord. We must cause every miracle that the Lord performs to become an inspiration for us to have greater and deeper faith in Him.