TODAY’S DEVOTION (TUESDAY 10TH MAY 2022)
“And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:
“Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who [c]by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things?
The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ.’
“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.
Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:23-29 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 130TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF AMAZING GRACE
This is the day the LORD has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it.
We give God the glory for giving us another day and counting us among the living of today. We must not take that for granted, because day unto day people are being cut off prematurely from the earth, but our God is keeping us alive. We owe Him gratitude for each day of life He gives us.
Sometimes we fix our hearts on what is not happening in our lives and forget what is happening.
We fix our hearts on the marriage that has not happened and forget the mercy of God that is happening. We do not consider that God’s mercy in our lives is much more important than marriage. Until He shows you mercy, marriage will be a misery when it comes.
We fix our hearts on the business that is not moving and forget the God that is moving in our lives. We do not consider that whatever is not moving, will move when God is through moving in our lives. Until we have been moved to proper alignment in the Spirit, nothing will align in our lives naturally.
We fix our hearts on the money that has not come, and forget the true riches of the kingdom that comes every day. We forget that money can not keep us saved eternally or give us the shalom of God, but the true riches of the Kingdom can give us all that and much more.
We fix our hearts on the things we know the devil can do or is doing and forget the ones we should know – we forget to pursue the knowledge of what GOD can do and is doing to stop the evil one.
We fix our hearts on our worries, our warfare, our unfruitful ways, and forget that the LORD says we should not worry, we should rather commit our warfare to Him and walk in His ways.
No one who commit their warfare to God and walk in His ways will remain in an unpleasant situation for too long. Ask Job! Things will take a glorious turn over time because the ways of the LORD are full of peace; the shalom of God lives in His ways.
The shalom of God carries the deliverance we need, the financial breakthrough we look forward to, or the marital blessing our destiny needs. The shalom of God carries all the Heavenly treasure for the earth.
THAT IS WHY THE BIBLE SAYS;
Thus says the LORD: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV
I do not care what a prophet may have told you, I want to submit to you that whatever evil or unpleasant thing that may be happening in your life is happening because you either walked or are presently walking in your own ways.
The ways of the LORD are what we are expected to embrace, our ways are what we are expected to abandon, when we come into Christ. But many do not abandon their ways when they cone to the LORD, that is why they still live in crisis even after coming to Christ, the Prince of peace.
The Bible says, in the world we will have tribulation but in Christ we will have peace. You can never have that peace if you build a resistance against walking in God’s ways.
One of the ways we build resistance against walking in God’s ways is by not listening to God’s written word but following what greedy prophets are saying. For instance, God’s written words says;
“Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Matthew 6:25-27 NKJV
But we do not listen to it, we worry. We forget that we have a very big God by our sides who is committed. The Bible says He is ever mindful of us and that His plans for us are good and not evil, to give us a future and a hope. We forget all that and worry.
The written word says we do not add to our lives when we worry, we actually subtract from it.
THE BIBLE MADE IT CLEAR THAT INSTEAD OF WORRYING, AND BEING ANXIOUS FOR ANYTHING, WE SHOULD PRAY.
It says,
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
We have been with the Cry of the Spirit on Practical Christian living. Do you know that being anxious for nothing and making your request known to the LORD by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving is part of practical Christian living? We saw that in our devotional text.
In Acts chapter 4, our fathers just did the assignment that the LORD of the earth gave them to do, and the men of the earth moved against them.
Sometimes when you carry out the assignment that the LORD of the earth gave you, men of the earth will move against you. But when they do, do not forget that you are an employee of the LORD of the earth who is superior to any man on earth. That was what our fathers did.
But they also had the chance to do what an average Christian will do in similar circumstance; they will slip into worry, then get locked up in the box of fear, and stop doing what God has called them to do because of the threats from men of the earth.
Fortunately, our fathers in Acts 4 were too interwoven to the Holy Ghost to do any of that. The text says;
“And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:
“Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who [c]by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ.’
“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.
Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:23-29 NKJV
WHAT A PATTERN TO FOLLOW WHEN FACING THREATS FROM MEN OF DARKNESS! YOU CAN SEE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING HERE!
If you look at this scripture, you will realize that our fathers never committed the threats against their lives to their hearts for worrying. They committed them to God in prayer, and God responded swiftly. That is the secret of the journey.
Do not commit your challenges to your heart for worrying. Commit them to God in righteous prayer. Continue praying until things change because they will. If knowledge is what you lack, while praying GOD will move you to where you will get it and use it to change your life.
Persistent and continues righteous prayers have not harmed anyone. They have RATHER helped everyone. That is practical Christianity; to persist and continue in righteous prayers until the LORD send help. It is not to stop and slip into worries.
The truth is, we are either committing things to God in prayer or committing them to our hearts for worrying. If you commit anything to your heart for worrying, you will be doomed. If you commit them to GOD in prayer, you will be delivered.
David said;
“I will call upon the Lord, Who is to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
The cords or bands of death surrounded me, and the streams of ungodliness and the torrents of ruin terrified me. The cords of Sheol (the place of the dead) surrounded me; the snares of death confronted and came upon me.
In my distress [when seemingly closed in] I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple (heavenly dwelling place), and my cry came before Him, into His [very] ears. Psalm 18:3-6 AMPC
This scripture made it clear that we are not saved from challenges when we commit them to our hearts to worry about them. We are saved when we commit them to the LORD by calling upon Him to save us.
THE EXPERIENCE DAVID HAD HERE IS STILL AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US, WE ONLY NEED TO PERSIST AND CONTINUE IN RIGHTEOUS PRAYERS.
Do not be tempted to commit things to your heart to worry when adversity comes. Committing things to your heart for worrying is the first step to take if you want to faint in the day of adversity. And the Bible says if we faint in the day of adversity, it is because our strength is small, not because the adversity is huge.
Meaning, no adversity can take us out if we have our hearts free from worries and our mouths filled with righteous prayers.
Come to think of it, it is with the heart we pray righteous prayers. So, if we fill it with worries, how will we pray righteous prayers? We will pray the prayers of a hypocrite or the heathen. We will never be able to pray righteous prayers. And it is righteous prayers that make tremendous power available.
The Bible says;
Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours]; and he prayed earnestly for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months.
And [then] he prayed again and the heavens supplied rain and the land produced its crops [as usual].” James 5:16-18 AMPC
It was righteous prayers that Elijah prayed, that was why he got result. He persisted and continued in it until the cloud of rain was formed. When it comes to righteous prayers we do not stop until the cloud of results is formed. We can stop when the cloud is formed and the rain or results are on the way.
WE STOP TO TAKE THE REQUIRED FAITH ACTIONS IN OTHER TO RECEIVE THE RAIN OR RESULTS IN THE CLOUD THAT HAS BEEN FORMED.
As we bring this a close, I want you to understand that practical Christian living involves not worrying about anything, but praying about everything. It involves committing adversity to God in prayer not to our hearts for worrying.
The kind of prayer to pray in other to commit things to God is righteous prayers. Righteous prayers are prayers that begin from God’s heart, where Christ is seated interceding for us, and continues in our hearts and mouth to return back to God’s heart for required actions.
Do not forget, Jesus is seated at the right hand of God interceding for us. So, when we come face to face with adversity, He intercedes for us.
Now, if our hearts are in a sound spiritual tone, free from worries and fret, we will be able to pick what Christ is saying on our behalf and pray them to God’s heart by His Holy Spirit. By doing so we make to be on earth what have been made to be in Heaven.
Answers are bound to come after a season of praying that way! We must understand that there is no one who has ever changed anything in their lives by worrying, but many have changed things in their lives by prayer.
So, instead of worrying about it, pray about it. A song writer said “when you can pray, why worry! When you can pray, trust in Jesus, He knows the way. Don’t be a doubting Thomas. Just leaned upon His promise. Don’t worry, worry, worry”
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY
“And I exhort you too, [my] genuine yoke-fellow, help these [two women to keep on cooperating], for they have toiled along with me in [the spreading of] the good news (the Gospel), as have Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life. Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!
Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is [a]coming soon].
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you. Philippians 4:3-9 AMPC