“‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ (Deut 27:25)

Jezebel was a foreign pagan evil queen married to Ahab, a king of Israel. He wanted to buy a piece of land belonging to Naboth, who lived next to his palace (1Kg 21). Naboth refused to sell it to him. Jezebel intervened to ‘help’ her husband. She manipulated and bribed the officials of the city. They agreed to hire two wicked men to slander Naboth. They stoned him and his sons to death on false charges. This is how Jezebel took his land and gave it to her husband.

The evil spirit of Jezebel is a blood thirsty demon. Do not be deceived! You cannot make any agreement with her that will be of help to you. She is merciless. She is not afraid to attack you or your children and to destroy your property. She hires paid assassins, her wicked agents and she gives bribes to buy men’s consciences. She hates to lose. She uses any means to win a battle. She is ready with bribery, seduction, manipulation, intimidation or witchcraft. The only thing that can defeat her is faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, in His sacrifice on the Cross.

This is the truth: There is a battle raging against your soul, your home and finances. The evil spirit of Jezebel is mad with anger at your progress. She has bribed men, agents of darkness to oppress and to depress you. You may feel tired and frustrated, unable to pray. You may feel afraid, restless and angry. This is an attack against your emotions and mind. Evil men will gain money for attacking you. The bribe has a voice that demands your soul, your freedom.

But we shall not faint or fall! We shall be strong in the strength of the Lord! We pray against the oppression of the powers of darkness! We lift up the standard of the Holy Spirit against the flood of evil! Our cry for breakthrough is heard in heaven! We reject bondage to any evil spirit! In Christ we are free and we shall remain free! The honor of God is at stake! We shall not draw back! We are more than overcomers thru Christ who loves us! We agree with the Word of God that anyone who receives bribes to kill innocent people shall have no peace on earth! Except he repents of his evil, confesses his sins openly with fruit to prove the conversion! We declare that Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness, is Lord over Warri, and Nigeria! We decree the fear of the Lord coming as a blanket over this land! None can hide! None can rejoice in evil! None can successfully deceive! For the earth is full of God’s glory as the waters cover the sea!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I plead the Blood of Jesus over my life, my marriage, my children, my grandchildren!

I plead the Blood of Jesus over my ministry and the work of my hands!

I destroy the spell of bribes over me and my family!

I destroy every plan of Jezebel to kill steal and destroy my family!

The power of spiritual paid assassins is totally destroyed!

The devil is an eternal loser that can never be redeemed!

I am a soldier in the Lord’s army! Victory is mine!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it” (PV 2:16-22)

ADULTERY KILLS

Wisdom is the skill to apply the Word of God in practical living. This godly wisdom is a shield. It surrounds and protects you from evil people. In particular, it defends you from the adulterous women who are influenced by the evil spirit of Jezebel. Wisdom is your source of deliverance. A wise man will find the way of escape from the snares of sin. This strange woman is a religious unbeliever. She is called strange because her spirit is from the realm of the dead. She is erratic in behavior, unpredictable in her ways. She has a tendency to be wayward and rebellious, to walk in paths of trouble.  She does not obey the Word of God. She professes Christ but has another law in her heart. She sings to ‘Jesus’ but she dances by the beat of another drum. Men who love strange wonderful things are attracted by her luxury and pleasure seeking. Men, who commit adultery with them, who fall prey to these women, will hate their wives, thinking they are too plain. To them, humility becomes boring and holiness, old fashioned. They forget that the strange woman is a messenger of death, taking their souls to hell.

This woman ‘has left the partner of her youth’. She has resigned her duty to true love. By definition Jezebel is a traitor. Pursuing her selfish ambitions, she kills her only true friend. She has forsaken the hope of her only pure love. Her strength is rooted in deception. She is a talkative person. She talks a lot; sweet words. She is a mistress in the unholy art of flattery.  She pours praises on you with the intent to seduce you. Her words are chosen, binding chains around your heart. She quickly becomes needed, a friend trying to help. Each visit, each greeting, each compliment is designed to build a cage around your soul.  Study the direction of her feet. Her house is down in the valley. Going down the hill is so easy. She descends to her comfort zone dragging you along with her. This ‘going down’ may seem like humility but it is the road towards the cemetery. She ‘planted’ colorful, attractive, but artificial flowers along the way. You may smell their sweet, but artificial perfume. This ‘romantic’ background is designed to hide the stench of decomposing corpses at the end of the road.

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

Christ is my righteousness and my wisdom!

I reject any evil spirit of Jezebel, seduction, foolishness, witchcraft and untimely death!

I destroy any covenant made on my behalf with the ‘boa snake-spirit’, ‘Ogbanje’ and ‘Mammy-water’ spirit!

I reject any covenant made with the spirit wife or spirit husband!

My steps are ordered by the Lord!

Led by the Spirit I am going higher, on the mountain of God! I will never go down to the valley of death!

I am not lead by what I see! I walk by faith in the Son of God, led by His Spirit!

I plead the blood of Jesus over myself and family!

It is well with my soul!

To God be all the glory!
In Jesus name

Amen!

“And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Gen 22:14)

This is our first prophetic prayer meeting this year. This is our new prophetic season. Last year we harvested. Now we are ready to plant new seeds. God gave me a word for His people: “You shall have an encounter with Jehovah Jireh”. Amen!

We read from Genesis 22, the encounter between Abraham, Isaac and Jehovah Jireh.

Jehovah Jireh is God the Provider. The word Jireh has two meanings: To see visions or to experience prophetic blessings.  The second meaning is to Provide. The word ‘provide’ is defined as this:  to make available, to supply something needed or to be able to afford something. For example, I may be able to buy biscuits. But I am not able to buy a plot of land. This is to see the different levels of revelation of Jehovah Jireh.

God does not change, but we do. We prayed for a clearer revelation of God as Provider. Man can never be called a provider. Man worships God and works the little he can work. Then God provides! He gives what no man can give. I am talking about a life style of miracles, of healing, deliverance and supply that no man can do.

We then shared the story of George Muller.  This is a very good example of a sinner saved by grace, a man of faith, who had an intimate walk with God, Jehovah Jireh. Nothing else can explain his success. We pray that our faith increases too!

GEORGE MULLER

George Muller (1805-1898) was a German man who had a great ministry in England in the 19th century. As a young man he was very reckless. He stole, lied and lived a prodigal life. But the Spirit of God arrested him and miraculously, he became saved. He went to England but could not speak English. He became a pastor there. He married a godly woman of faith just like him. They decided that they will never beg for money or food. They will only pray. God alone knew their needs. The following are some of his quotes:

“I want to move men by prayer alone”

“If you expect great things from God, He shall give you great things”

“Praise God always! I praise Him when He sent 10 cents and when He sent 10 millions”

He built seven orphanages near Bristol. At the beginning his faith was small. It was hard for him to trust God for $5. But as he applied his faith daily, it increased with time. Faith needs exercise to grow. He trusted God for provision for thousands of children. Millions of dollars passed thru his hands. God always provided for all their needs. When God told him to start building the orphanages he had only 50 cents in his pocket. When he finished building them he spent at least $7, 500,000. This amount was then, 200 years ago. Now it is much more. Once he said there was no food at all to give to the children. Calmly, he told them to sit at the tables, to pray and by faith to thank God for the provision. They did. Immediately they heard a noise outside. A truck that was delivering bread to a store broke down just in front of their gate. The driver gave them all the bread. This is just an example of supernatural supply. This is the work of Jehovah Jireh!

At last, in memory of Andre Crouch, another great man of God, we sang his song To God be the glory!

“To God be the glory

To God be the glory

To God be the glory

For the things He has done

With His blood, He has saved me

With His power, He has raised me.

To God be the glory

For the things he has done

Just let me live my life

And let it be pleasing, Lord to Thee

And should I gain any praise,

Let it go to Calvary”

In Christ I declare:

This year I shall have an encounter with God, Jehovah Jireh!

I shall surely testify of His supernatural Provision!

To God be the glory!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer” (Ezra 8:21-23)

God touched the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to release the people of God from captivity. He allowed them to come back home, so that they can rebuild the Temple of God and the walls of the city. Ezra was among the first to come back to Jerusalem. ‘The hand of his God was with him’ (Ezra 7:9). He gathered a group of Levites, Temple servants and teachers of the Word of God. Their going back to Jerusalem was not a visit, but to settle there. They should carry all their possessions. Their families, their children will follow them too. This is a second ‘Exodus’ in Israel’s troubled history.

The king was very generous and gave them much support. ‘Ashamed’, Ezra did not want to bother him with more requests. He did not ask for ‘police escort’ to protect them along the way. He decided that all should fast and pray that God will reveal the right way to move on. In Hebrew, the word ‘right way’ means a safe journey, a straight road, no complications, no detours, no waste of time. It will be an easy, pleasant and prosperous journey to all. Spiritually, this safe journey means a way of life or a mode of action in general. Trusting and acknowledging God in all things will simplify our lives (PV 3:5, 6).

Ezra fasted to humble himself. The flesh needs to die. Any form of pride, trusting of men or boasting of wealth must die. The primary reason for the fast was to seek God and His right way of moving forward. Ezra knew that in this life there are many ways of doing things. He wanted to know God’s way. That is why he prayed and fasted. Ezra trusted the Word of God to be His guide and protection. He remembered that ‘the hand of our God is upon all who seek Him’ to do them good. The word ‘hand’ means the power, resources, the fellowship and the sense of direction. Because they seek Him, the hand of God will be with them to bless, to strengthen, to protect, to encourage and to direct their steps. Even if they make mistakes, God will over-rule. No enemy can deceive or prevail against them.

The name of God in this passage is ‘Elohim’. It means the Creator of heaven and earth, the Supreme Authority.

This is their testimony: Elohim appreciated their fasting and prayer in the secret place of the Most High God. He answered their prayer. He rewarded them openly. All of them arrived safely in Jerusalem.

In Christ I declare:

I and my family, led by the Holy Spirit, we shall fast and pray!

God will answer our prayer!

We are seeking God and His right way for us ahead!

I, my husband and my children shall fulfill destiny!

God is our Helper, Provider, Doctor, Protector and Friend in our life’s journey!

God Almighty, Elohim, the Creator of heaven and earth is our God!

Our enemies who attack us shall surely fail!

No weapon formed against me and my family shall prosper!

God rebukes the Devourer for our sake!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Mt 6:16-18)

Fasting is a spiritual exercise that has great gain. It is one of the greatest Christian disciplines to learn self-control. Simply said, we deny ourselves from food and other pleasure things for the purpose of seeking God. The Holy Spirit helps us to fast and to pray. Fasting is also great weapon in spiritual warfare. We fast especially when things are difficult, when we are under an evil attack.

The Lord attracts our attention to the power of the flesh that can hinder even spiritual things like prayer and fasting. Self wants to be noticed, to be attended to. It desires fame and glory. Religion does not change self. It only adds some superficial beauty that fades with time. Our Lord said that if we desire to be His disciples, His intimate friends, then we must do three things: deny self, take up our cross daily and follow Him (Mt 16:24). More than any other spiritual exercise, it is the Spirit lead fasting and prayer that helps to deny self, to crucify the flesh. Then your spirit can mature, manifesting fruits to the glory of God.

The danger of hypocrisy in religious circles is very high. The word ‘hypocrite’ means to be an actor, to play another character and not yourself. A hypocrite is a liar and a deceiver, a child of the devil. He pretends to be better than he is, to feel high emotions he is not able to feel in reality. The hypocrites look sad when they fast. The word ‘sad’ also means angry, frustrated, depressed and mourning. They give the impression that God’s commandments are burdensome. They indirectly say that the yoke of Jesus is heavy and difficult. They give a false impression of Christ. They break the command to “rejoice always!”. This is the truth: The joy of the Lord is the seal of an ambassador of Christ. He represents Christ who now seats in heaven filled with eternal joy.

The hypocrites ‘disfigure their faces’. In Greek, the word ‘disfigure’ means to hide behind shadows, to vanish away, drawing back towards the darkness, refusing to manifest the truth about himself. Hypocrites are mysterious people. You will not know who they really are. In fasting and prayers they look very religious, but it is just a cover up to impress men with their spirituality. Some are very good in acting the part, they are like professional players. Their intent is to deceive the audience, to attract men (and their money) to them. Any form of flattery coming from men, if accepted, that is their reward. God will not answer their prayers. The applause of men is their salary. The money of men is their wages.

How then shall we fast as children of God? The first thing we remember is that we do it for God. That is why we go into the secret place of the Most High God. We die to men’s opinions and desire only God’s truth. We die to hypocrisy and chose to live an honest life. Our fasting and prayers do not change God. But thru these difficult spiritual exercises, we change ourselves. Pride, selfish ambition, cowardice, doubt, foolishness and others, shall die. We become humble, gentle, bold, wise and faithful. We prove to God that we are serious believers, that we have humbled ourselves ready to receive God’s blessings. We may deceive men but we can never deceive God. He knows all things and sees all things. Please remember this: God is more interested in the motives than in the actions. God looks at the heart. If the Father finds you faithful and true, He will reward you openly. In the presence of men and angels He will say:
“Well done good and faithful servant! Enter the joy of your Lord! Be in charge over cities and nations! Rule them in My name! For My glory alone!”

In Christ I declare:
I fast and pray in the secret place, for God alone!
I reject every form of religious hypocrisy!
I deny self, take up my cross daily and follow Jesus my Lord!
In Jesus name
Amen!

“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert… She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” (El Roi) for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” (Gen 16:7, 13)

Here we have a glimpse of the drama in Abraham’s household. It is not a pleasant story to read. Most of the time we ignore its lessons because we think we know ‘who Hagar is’: ‘Is she not the mother of Ishmael, ‘the father’ of the Muslims?’ Biased, we find no beauty in the story. But then we forget that this is the Word of God and our Lord’s glory shines there in all its pages. Let’s read it again…

God promised Abraham that he will have a son. He believed the promise. But he and Sarah, his wife, were ‘well advanced in years’. To have a child at their age was humanly impossible. Frustrated, Sarah devises a strange plan… Let Abraham have a child with her domestic slave, Hagar. Then they will ‘adopt’ that child. This is the strategy of doubt. God may surprise you with the success of a plan not of Him. The arrangement ‘worked’. Hagar became pregnant with Abraham’s child. This should have been wonderful news for all in the house. But trouble came with ‘the blessing’. Immediately, Hagar began ‘to despise her mistress’. She refused to honor, to respect her. Pregnant with the child of promise, or so she thought, she rebels at the idea that she is still a slave to an old, barren, cursed woman. The blessing of God made her proud and foolish. Quickly, Sarah reminds Hagar of her status and mistreats her. Sad story…

Lesson! Sarah’s reaction in hurting Hagar is wrong. We cannot sin and then try ‘to kill’ the consequences of our wrong choices. For example, your fornication may end in an unplanned pregnancy but abortion will not solve the problem. It will only complicate it. There is no ‘short cut’ with God. Al sinful choices should send us to the Cross! We should humble ourselves and repent. Misplaced aggression is always a sign of unrepentant pride.

Hagar runs away with ‘the treasure’ of Abraham. Her name in fact means ‘Flight’. She runs into the desert and gets lost there. That surely means death. Then the Angel of the Lord ‘finds’ her beside a spring that is on the road to Shur. The word Shur means a fugitive, to travel about as a harlot and a merchant.

Lesson! You can never run away from God. He will find you even in the desert of sin!

This is the first time ‘the Angel of the Lord’ appears in the Bible. It is a pre-incarnate appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please observe how He extends grace and mercy to a lost, confused, hopeless woman in deep misery. This scene reminds us of Jesus sitting by another well, asking for a cup of water from another Gentile woman, also ‘a sinner’ (Jn 4).

Lesson! Jesus reveals His deep love to all lost sinners, even to the Gentiles.

You can be Hagar! Appreciate her saving encounter with the Lord. Hagar weeps and prays. God hears her desperate cry and helps her. Hagar’s pregnancy is confirmed by the Lord. She will have a son and his name will be Ishmael, which means: ’The Lord hears’. God is described here as ‘the One who sees’ and ‘the One who hears’ the cry of needy desperate people. He is the merciful God. We may wish that God ignores the prayer of our enemies, but God is God to all His creation. Do not limit God. The sun shines on all, both good and bad. The rain falls on all, both saved and unsaved. This story of Hagar humbles me. I bow at the feet of Jesus who reminds me today of His mercy and grace.

Lesson! Yes, the desert is not too hot for the Angel of the Lord to find you there! Your situation is not too desperate that God cannot help! I wish that you do not waste God’s acts of mercy on only natural desires. I wish that your soul be saved, even as God heals your body from sickness and your heart from slavery sorrow.

Lesson! As I walk with the Lord, I discover that He loves more and He helps more people I could have imagined. Jehovah El Roi is the God who sees you. He sees you right now. Yes, right now! Even before you see Him, He is there with you. Have faith and pray. You lose nothing by crying for help to God Almighty. Your story is not ended yet. Each breath is a sign of hope. Even if men rejected you, pray! God hears! God sees! God answers prayers!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

Jehovah El Roi is my God!

God sees me! God hears me! God answers my prayers!

Jesus will never leave me and never forsake me!

To His glory alone!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Yet now BE STRONG, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and BE STRONG, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and BE STRONG, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and WORK; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’. ‘Consider now from this day forward… Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you!’” (Haggai 2)

This is the command of God, Jehovah Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts and the Captain of the armies of heaven: “Be strong and… work!” God does not ask you to do something without giving you the resources to obey. This strength is not the result of your exercising in the gym, eating good food or taking multivitamins. This is the supernatural strength given by the Holy Spirit. This strength is not given that you waste it in works of the flesh. It is given so that you can WORK!

This year you shall do God’s work like never before. You shall not be tired, easily discouraged, lazy or slothful. You shall not sleep too much, eat too much or waste time in unprofitable adventures. You shall not be afraid to start new things. You shall not grumble or gossip. You shall be prayerful, faithful, zealous and wise with your resources.  The Holy Spirit will be there with you to help you each moment. Others will wonder at the great changes in your life.

God will reward you for your service. For God does not owe any man. There is trouble in the world. The exchange rate goes up and down. The markets are not stable. Not so with God! In the Kingdom of God there is no inflation and no loss. The increase of God’s government, authority and peace is limitless. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb 13:8).

Start using the strength of God to serve Him. Any work for God is good. Clean the sanctuary or the toilets. Preach the Word or intercede for others. All these are ministries and God pays His workers. Even if there is no money in your account today, money will come!!! This is the decree of God that from today on, your breakthrough has started and the miracles will overflow. Faith 100%! Doubt 0%! Glory of God!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God!

I am a servant of God!

I am strong and courageous!

I do the work of God!

I am not afraid! I am not discouraged!

I am blessed! I am healed! I am delivered!

My financial miracle has arrived!

I will testify about my breakthrough!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“Noah entered the ark, as God had commanded. And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth… And the flood was forty days upon the earth, and the waters multiplied and bore up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth… And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth, and all the high mountains that were under all the heavens were covered” (Gen 7)

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty” (Mal 3:10, 11)

I am a medical doctor by profession. Please read this letter carefully. It is as good as when I use to give you drug prescriptions in the past. There is great power released from heaven for they who tithe faithfully!!! The promise given is that of supernatural blessings that no devil can stop. This is God’s promise: ‘the floodgates of heaven’ shall be opened to you and the ‘devouring pests’ shall not be able to destroy your harvest.

When God opens His floodgates, the rain will flood the earth as it was during Noah’s time. The flood is a picture of Baptism or Judgment. Some people shall be baptized in the waters but not able to come up again. Like with the Egyptians pursuing the people of God in the Red Sea, they shall enter alive and drown. The water will be their grave.  The waters will lift up the Ark and drown the rest. The waters of judgment will always prevail Even the high mountains shall be covered completely. This symbolizes the great men of the earth, the proud, rebellions, religious, rich or famous but without Christ. They shall receive no mercy when the judgment is revealed.  But the ones inside the Ark, which is a picture of Christ, shall live and rejoice at God’s salvation.

The same judgment is described by our Lord in the parable of the Builders (Mt 7:24-29). The wise man is the one who hears the Word of God and obeys it. He puts it into practice having visible results to testify to his obedience. But the foolish man only listens to the Word of God and stops there. He quickly forgets what he has heard. He refuses to obey the Word. There is no fruit to prove that the Word is alive, working in his life. When the floodgates of judgment are opened and the rain comes down, it will surely destroy the foolish man’s house. The destruction will be sudden and complete. But the wise man, like Noah in the Ark, will not only survive the flood, but become blessed thru it.  His wisdom and faithfulness shall be vindicated publicly.

If you faithfully pay your tithe, you too shall testify to this: You shall be blessed above your expectations! The judgment will come upon your enemies. All who live around you, planning evil against you, these shall perish as an invisible flood sweeps them all away. You or anyone else will not be able to help them at all. It is God’s judgment released by your tithe. The pests shall not be able to destroy your harvest. The fruit will not fall before its time. The tithe releases the blessing that stops the devil from destroying your wealth and health. You shall not be disappointed. You shall rejoice in serving God. Panic attacks, sudden loss of money, sickness, miscarriage or untimely death shall not be your portion.

This is God’s Promise to faithful tithers: “And all nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a delightful land, saith the Lord of hosts” (Mal 3:12). This is an international blessing!

The word ‘blessed’ means to prosper in a straight and honest way, to move forward from one breakthrough to another. This is totally impossible for the unbelievers who use only crooked means to make their wealth. God’s blessing will be seen upon you.  The curse of being a thief to God will be seen on them. No matter how rich, suddenly all men will hate and despise them.

This is another promise made by the Lord of Hosts, the God who fights and always wins. ‘Your Land shall be delightful’. That means you shall be a landlord. You shall not die a tenant. The word ‘delightful’ means to have great value, to be favored by God. You shall not buy a land that will be barren, swampy of destroyed by earthquakes. It is a land that has a purpose: to build a house that stands as a sign that God is good! Selah!    .

Lastly, there is no need to argue with me. This is not my idea. It is God’s Word. Pay your tithe (the first 10%) from all the financial increase God is granting to you. Do it joyfully with all your heart, having faith that God sees and God rewards. This is the beginning of the year. Start from now on. I have no doubt at all that you shall be blessed and have great testimonies of healing, deliverance and a supernatural prosperity. Teach your children to tithe too, from their pocket money and gifts from others. They shall be blessed too. This is one of the secrets of a holy, long, blessed and happy life on earth!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God! I am filled with the Holy Spirit!

I am Baptized in Christ! I died with Christ and I live with Christ!

I live in the power of His resurrection!

Jehovah Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts, the Captain of the armies of heaven, He is my God!

I pay my tithe joyfully and faithfully!

I am blessed! My family is blessed!

My enemies have been destroyed!

My prosperity is supernatural! My health is divine! My joy is complete!

My testimonies shall increase!

At the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is my Lord!

All to the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted,

Because they are no more” (Matt 2:18; Jer 31:15)

This is the story of Christmas. The wise men deceived Herod and went home by another road. The mad jealous king became furious and ordered the killing of all baby boys in Bethlehem. The above scripture is a quotation from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31) describing the painful going away on exile to Babylon. It was God’s judgment on a rebellious nation. Jeremiah prophesies that after 70 years, humbled and wiser, the people shall return with songs of joy to worship God in Zion once more.

Rachel is chosen by the prophet Jeremiah as an example of a grieving mother who refuses to be comforted. There are many mothers in the Bible. Why Rachel? She is a woman of sorrow and without hope. She was a beautiful woman but always filled with anxiety and doubt. Jacob loved her so much that he was ready to work 14 years just to marry her. But with all her beauty and the husband’s love, she was never happy, for she was barren. She cried to the husband: “Give me children or I will die”. She secretly stole her father’s house idols used to bless and heal in a pagan way. She represents a woman who is ready to do anything just to have her own blessings. She gives the impression of a selfish wife and mother. She was not ready to dedicate her husband and children to God. She died an untimely death losing them all. As she lay dying she named her baby Ben-Oni, which means ‘The son of my sorrows’. She wept until her last breath. She had no peace or comfort until she went to the grave.

Rachel represents the believers who refuse to be filled with the Comforter, the Holy Spirit. Their lives are lived in the flesh. The cross is a terrible thing to them. They refuse its shame and pain. Ignorantly they cut themselves off from the only true Comfort on this earth, God the Holy Spirit. That is a terrible way to live your Christian life. Just tears and no joy…God forbid!

You can see that Rachel is very different from Mary, the mother of Jesus. The sword of sorrows passed thru her breast too but she received the Comfort of the Holy Spirit at last. Leaving the tragedy of the Cross behind, Mary followed John and the other disciples to the upper room. There she surrendered her life to Christ and became filled with the Holy Spirit. She saw the purpose of the Cross, of the pain, rejection, sin and sorrow. She saw the plan of God, forgiveness, redemption and restoration. Then the Comforter came to her, as it was promised.

Today I remind myself of God’s Word: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps 30:5). I should not be impatient when I suffer. There is hope! Healing, deliverance, prosperity and joy shall come! God is able to change things and circumstances in a second. In all trials on earth, I should never sorrow like the pagans who have no hope, faith or peace. It is my holy duty to open my eyes and see the light in the midst of darkness, for God is here with us. I have no excuse to be sad, weak, confused, afraid or doubting. Let every man be a liar, God is forever true to His promises. In 2015 I shall trust God like never before. This is my heart’s desire today.

PROPHETIC WORD

Each time the Light of God shines and the glory of Christ is revealed, there is violence in the land. People weep for sorrow like Rachel of old. But in the midst of tears and loss, the plan of God goes on unaffected. Nigeria is at the edge of a great spiritual breakthrough. The conditions are ripe for revival to come in the land! The elections for a new president will be held next month. I am not a politician. I am not a business woman. I am not a religious fanatic. But I am child of God. I am a servant of the Living God. From the Word of God I see that some, like Rachel will cry refusing to be comforted at their loss. They will resist, grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. But there are others who are humble and faithful, who fasted, prayed, wept and pleaded for mercy, the true believers and intercessors, these shall rejoice with what God will do in the land. For God always has the last say in the human affairs. God can never lose! Nigeria belongs to God! The reign of darkness over Nigeria is over. The disgrace of sin in this country is over. Righteousness shall be seen upon this troubled land. Nigeria, “Rise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you!”

I am ready for the elections! I cast my vote for the Lord Jesus Christ, the Desire of all nations! God’s will be done!

In Christ I declare:

I am a child of God! I am a child of light!

I deny myself, I take my cross daily and I follow Jesus!

God has turned my mourning into dancing!

God has given me beauty for ashes!

God has given me the garment of praise instead of the spirit of depression and despair!

I am comforted!I am filled with the Holy Spirit!

Jesus Christ is Lord over Nigeria!

God’s plan and purpose shall be done in Nigeria!

Revival shall come to Nigeria!

To the glory of God!

In Jesus name

Amen!

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was[a] on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen 1:1-5)

Genesis 1:1 is a very special verse for me. I never read the Bible until I was 32. I was a confirmed atheist. I did not believe in God. I did not believe in the Bible. In Communist Romania I was told that God doesn’t exist and the Bible is a terribly dangerous book. I did not even see one before I came to Nigeria with my husband and children in 1980.

Early 1986 for the first time in my life I secretly opened God’s Book and read the first line: “In the Beginning God created…” That is all I could read… A fear I could not explained came over me. “God … what God … who is God?”

These words were like a sword to my soul. I could not fight them; I could not ignore them. Anyway, God had mercy on me. I had a crisis conversion and I became saved. Each January 1^st I start to read the Bible from the beginning. Here the holy words meet me again. What did I learn today reading the first scriptures of Genesis?

The word translated ‘God’ in Genesis 1 is Elohim. This is one of the many names of God. The word means the Supreme God, the Creator of all things, visible and invisible. The word Elohim is in plural. This is a great lesson: from the very beginning we are introduced to the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. May I never forget that!

Another lesson: I see that God loves to create, to start things. There is a beginning when God changes nothingness into something useful and beautiful. The word beginning means: the head, the highest and most excellent part of the whole, the foundation and also, first fruits. This first day or month of the New Year will determine the way your life will be later. That is why I want to gain something spiritual and good to give me the strength to move on. I wait for God to reveal Himself to me today. He knows that I wait on Him this month. He will not disappoint me! My faith, my hope, my excitement is on the increase…this will be a good fruitful year! I can feel it already!

God is not afraid to start new things. I want to be like God. Beginnings use to scare me. I never loved the first day in school. I was not excited to see the faces of new people, potential friends or enemies. After some time I relaxed. Routine fits me better. But now, I want to be like Elohim, my God, like Jesus. “In the beginning was the Word” (Jn 1:1). The Word made flesh came when there was nothing but sin, sickness and despair. Yes, God is not intimidated by darkness, ignorance, hopelessness or nothingness. From now on, me too, I will love new beginnings!

I also see that God created the light by His Word alone. The same God separated them later. For a time, light and darkness seem to be friends, stood there ‘face to face’ waiting for the decree of the Creator. But God separated them. The word ‘separate’ means that God made them so different from the beginning that they can never agree with one another. So, God divorced them. These two can never be one, can never cooperate or produce fruits together. This is another lesson: The children of light and the children of darkness may ‘play’ together, for a season, but they may never settle together. Their marriage cannot work. “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (Jn 1:5)

This is my prayer for today:

I pray to be spiritually bold and courageous!

I pray that from now on I should have more faith in the beginnings of God!

I pray that my faith will increase to trust God for healings, even of the so called ‘incurable diseases’!

I pray that I may trust God in all situations, even when I have no money or human helper!

I pray to be more discerning and reject, from the very beginning, the poisonous flattery of the powers of darkness!

I pray that I believe in God’s grace alone, sufficient to produce any miracle or breakthrough!

I pray to be more grateful, for God is indeed good to me and to my family!

I pray that this New Year will be sweet and wonderful, filled with many testimonies of God’s goodness and power!

All to the glory of Elohim!

In Jesus name

Amen!