HAND OF THE WICKED
Acts 12:1-19
 
It is worthy to rise early in the day and pray: Father, deliver me from every hand of the wicked that has been stretched in my direction, to harass me. The Bible recorded in Acts 12:1-2, “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” The hand of Herod that went out against James, took the life of James. It was the same hand that was released in direction of Peter attempting to kill Peter, “So when he had arrested him, he put him in a prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.” (Acts 12:4) Herod had bad intentions for Peter. What is it that has bad intentions for your life? Are there any bad intentions against in your life? Ask God that every bad intention that is being set against you, in all areas of your life, God will put it into a permanent termination. Without doubt Peter was set for the same occurrence that took away James’ life. Unlike when Paul and Silas were kept in the prison, praying and praising God, Peter was busy sleeping. There was no way of escape for Peter, but God responded at the eleventh hour. Peter was about to be brought to Herod, when God sent for His delivering angel for Peter’s escape. While Peter was being taken through the escape route by the hand of God’s angel, Peter, “…Did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.” (Acts 12:9) When it is your time of deliverance from the hand of the wicked one, your story of escape will be sweeter than that of Peter’s. Peter thought he was having a vision, his story was like that of the children of Israel coming out of captivity. Psalm 126, “When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”” If you desire your escape, it will be deposited to you just like He did for Peter and the children of Israel. Peter could not have escaped through sleeping, but thank God that while he was in prison, “…Constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” (Acts 12:5) Do you belong to any prayer group? Prayer is the way of communicating with God, and it is what will bring the hand of God against the hand of the wicked, like that of king Herod. 

Prayer for today: My Lord, and my God, I ask this day for Your great delivering hand against every representation of Herod’s intentions for my life, let them be terminated O Lord, my God.

SON OF DAVID

Luke 18:35-43

Calling on Him like no one has ever done will get Him to attend to you like He has never done for anyone before. Is there any situation that requires a special attention from the Lord? Calling on Him by the right name, at the right time, and in the right place will no doubt get His attention, that no force can deny. Luke 18:35, “Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.” The blind man Bartimaeus was in the right place, at the right time because Jesus was passing by where he was begging. Evidently, being in the right place and at the right time was not enough for the blind man, but the ability to be sensitive to what was going around him. As a believer that possesses all the understanding that it takes to call on Him, there will always be a need to be spiritually sensitive. The blind man Bartimaeus could not see, and was not sleeping in his condition. Bartimaeus was actively alive when he heard a sound of deliverance in his direction. Luke 18:36-37, “And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.” When Bartimaeus found out that Jesus was passing by, there was no force that could deny Him from what he had known, as he began to cry out by calling on Jesus for help. In his crying out, he was not making noise, but he was calling for Jesus’ attention like no one had ever done before. He cried out to Jesus like he knew Jesus, and He answered to him like He had never answered anyone before. Luke 18:38, “And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Hardly there was that many in the Bible that called or cry on Him in desperate situation like Bartimaeus did when he cried out “Jesus, Son of David”. Despite the attempt of the multitude to stop him for crying out, when Jesus heard His name being called with all familiarity, “…Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him…” (Luke 18:40) Interestingly, the multitude that attempted to keep Bartimaeus’ mouth shut, were command by Jesus to bring Bartimaeus near to Jesus. Knowing Him by His name, and being at a right place, at the right time, with the right mindset can be identified as sensitivity to the move of the Spirit of God. Psalm 92:14, “…I will set him high, because he has known my name. 15 He shall call on Me and I will answer him.” Indeed and in truth, Bartimaeus knew what had to be done when he called on the name that he knew, and he got an answer that set him high above his affliction.

Prayer for today: Jesus, Son of David, Have mercy on me. 

WORK HIS WORKS
Luke 13:22-35

Peter was trained, and schooled, at the feet of Jesus Christ. During his training, he saw it all, and had everything that qualified him to be a disciple of Jesus. He learned all that a man could have possibly learned from his master. By virtue of the knowledge gained from Jesus, he was qualified to teach, and share, the mind of Christ through the Spirit of God. Once, when he was preaching to the gentiles he stated, “But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:35) In this statement from Peter, it is clear that without the fear of God, it is not possible to work righteously, and without the works of righteousness no one can be accepted by Jesus. Peter was speaking with the mind of Christ to all that had ear to hear. Also, Jesus mentioned the effects of works in His teaching on, “The Way into the kingdom.” In Luke 13:26, “Then you will begin to say, ‘we ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.” The point to be driven to here is the works of righteousness. When it is time to enter the Kingdom, the time that Jesus will have to identify who is who, and have lived the life of qualification; it is our work that will show up. The emotional roller coaster of jumping, rolling, and working in the church will not be visible, neither would it be considered by Jesus. What Peter was referring to was the works of righteousness, and that is what Jesus will be looking for, as He has mentioned. What this required works are about can be identified in the book of John when Peter, and his fellow disciples, were learning at the feet of Jesus. John 6:28, “Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”” Have you considered knowing what it is or what it means to “work the works”, or “work righteousness”? Jesus gave the answer to what it means when he responded in John 6:29, “Jesus answered and said to them, this the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Do you believe? To believe is not just in the mouth, or going to Church. To believe is to be-living Christ like. Without doubt, if maybe 5% of the acclaimed believers today are true followers, who are be-living Christ today, the world would be a better place than what it is today. “Work the works” that Jesus will identify in you when it is time for you to move into His Kingdom.

Prayer for today: In all the work that I work, O Lord my God, let me work the works of righteousness that I may be counted for Your kingdom.

SACRIFICE TO POSSESS
Genesis 23

In life, there is no possession, without sacrifice. This is to say that, behind every gained possession, there is a reasonable sacrifice invested. Sacrifice might happen in different ways, but sacrifice is inevitable before rightfully possessing. Moses was speaking to the children of Israel when he said, “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess.” (Deuteronomy 11:8) God promised the children of Israel a possession, but it would not happen until they had invested a required sacrifice. Keeping the commandments would give strength to go forward to possess that had been given unto them. Sacrifice is costly, and could be in different forms. Obeying the commandment is a sacrifice because it will take man out of his way to God’s. Sacrifice could also be paying hard earned money before having any possessions. After Sarah’s death, Abraham needed land to bury Sarah. Abraham requested a land from the sons of Heth to bury his wife. The sons of Heth responded to Abraham, “Hear us, my lord: You are a mighty prince among us; bury your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold from you his burial place, that you may bury your dead.” (Genesis 23:6) Both the sons of Heth, and Abraham, went back and forth offering the land for free while Abraham insisted on paying for the land as a sacrifice. After Abraham consistently refused to take the land for free, by asking for the price to be paid, he eventually got a quoted price for the land to bury his wife. Genesis 23:17-18, “So the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city. And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 So the field and the cave that is in it were deeded to Abraham by the sons of Heth as property for a burial place.”” The land did not become Abraham’s possession until he paid a reasonable sacrifice (price). 1 Corinthians 16:9 “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Possessing from your great and effective door begin to contend in battle with every adversary. The Lord is on your side and you shall possess your possessions.
Prayer for today: Enable me O Lord to be able to deliver a reasonable sacrifice that will grant me the grace to possess all of my possessions, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

MONTH OF OPEN HEAVEN
Matthew 7:7-11

Jesus was teaching when He said, in Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” This is to say that the combination of asking, seeking, and knocking will bring about a great opening, because a great God responds greatly, and abundantly. Also, Jesus was teaching from experience, and from what He knows will undoubtedly happen. Prayer is the combination of asking, seeking, and knocking. In Luke 3:21, “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.” Jesus, by example and teaching, proved that the key for opening heaven is in prayer. Jesus went to the place of baptism, and people that were baptized remained quiet with no prayer after their baptism. Jesus refused to be intimidated by their silence of not praying, Jesus went into prayer, after being baptized, and heaven opened. As a believer, do not look around you for who is praying and who is not praying, before you, yourself start to pray. Prayer will open heaven, and earth will not be able to stop your blessings. Here is what the opened heaven deposited in Jesus, “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” The effect of an open heaven was what channeled Jesus into the center of His assignment on earth. Right after the open heaven’s manifestation, Luke 3:23 pointed out that, “…Jesus Himself began His ministry…” The word of God is true and, “All the scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) By this word, if you have prayed, and there is no experience of an open heaven on your behalf, it is time to take your prayer to another level, which is able to catapult all adversaries into the pit of hell. Jesus proved to us that prayer opens heaven, and the Bible lets us know that adversaries make open heaven seem like it isn’t opened, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16:9) How is your prayer life? If this is a new day, week, or month for you, and you are expecting from God, consider, profess, and meditate that it shall be your season of open heaven. It is important to know that effective, fervent prayer will catapult every adversary that could hinder your great and effective open heaven.

Prayer for today: Father, I ask in Jesus’ name, every form of adversaries that have positioned itself to deny my open heaven shall be burned off by the consuming fire of God.