“The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his Master the Egyptian.” (Genesis 39:2)
 
 As the children of the Most High God, the place for His children is up in the high and not in the low. God called Moses after having kept himself and the children of Israel in the low, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…” (Exodus 33:1) Indeed God wants to bring all of His children up and not low where there is no motion but stagnation. However, getting up to the top in His calling is not child’s play. Moses, wanted to know the way of bringing the children of Israel up, and he called on God, “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” (Exodus 33:13)  Moses, by virtue of his asking, knew that knowing God is in knowing the way of God. God responded to Moses’ request, “And He said, My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14) The point here is clear: the way of God is God, the presence of God is His way, and in the presence of God there is rest. What could a man desire in the journey of life? In every area of life the presence of God is all that matters and it is power to those that knows to obey and follow His word because in His word is His presence. Throughout the pages of the Bible, so many giants in the hand of God did not make it except with the presence of God. Joseph, a young slave in Egypt in the house of Potiphar, prevailed because, “The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” (Genesis 39:2) Success could not avoid the slave boy Joseph because the Lord was with him. It was evident to Potiphar to see that the Lord was with Joseph. The statement, “the Lord was with Joseph” is repeated two other times in the same chapter of Genesis 39. The Lord was with him because the enemies choose to be against him. As a believer, every time you are set to be elevated by God, the enemy will set to offset what the Lord wants to do in your life. In the case of Joseph, the enemy cannot be more powerful because the enemy’s choice to be against Joseph is what provoked the Lord to be for Joseph. The presence of the Lord was with Joseph and it was visible enough for all who were around him to see. Is the Lord with you in all that you are doing? Every time the phrase “The Lord was with Joseph” was mentioned, there was mercy, favor, prosperity, success and authority in place in the life of Joseph. When God is for you, no man can be against you except you being against yourself by walking outside of His Word. It is important for believers of the Word to know that the Word of God is forever true and He will not fail to perform His Word. God is the only one who turns around the evil intent of the enemy to come out for good. As a worshiper and obedient child of the Most High God who is faithful in walking the walk, you can be assured that all the wicked plans that have been set up against you for years, months or weeks, by your closest ones are what God will use to turn around your stagnation into motion. God is waiting and all that He did not allow will not be allowed in your life. When the Lord is with you, His presence will raise you up. Like Joseph, King David also enjoyed the presence of God that delivered him from King Saul. 1 Samuel 18:12, “Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul.” The presence of God made a king to be in fear of the young David. Also in 1 Samuel 18:14, “…David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.” In deed and in truth, there is nothing more for a believer to desire than the presence of the Lord God Almighty. This was evident in the life of Moses, Joseph, and King David. The days, weeks, months, and years past have been with great challenges. As a believer who has been privileged by His grace to see the day you are in, it is worth to look back and give God all the glory for His presence that has brought you this far. Acknowledging and thanking God for the past, the present and the future is all that will provoke His hand to continue to drive your vessel up to where He wants to see it arrive.
 
No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, but the wicked shall be filled with evil
(Proverbs12:21)
When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
(Proverbs 16:7)   

        “…Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…” (2 Timothy 2:1)
 
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”(2 Timothy 2:1-2) Here, the apostle Paul was writing to Timothy. The book of second Timothy was regarded as Paul’s last words from a Roman prison. It was also documented that at the time of writing, Paul knew it could be his final contact with Timothy because his execution was imminent. Are you experiencing a painful or prison time while not in prison? Does your root of pain need a source of strength? It is always important to know what gives hope in the face of death like the one Paul encountered. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, gave two points that will keep a believer strong: gaining strength in the grace of Jesus Christ, and gaining strength in all the testimonies in the word of God. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Also, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the love of God. In this world of challenges, knowing that the Holy Spirit of God is our strength gives us the ability to draw strength from the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the comforter, and when comfort is in place of weakness and challenge, peace will reign and strength will become of the weak. The love of God is Jesus and God testified, “Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” (Mark 1:11) God did not send His beloved son for the fun of it but to bring every of His children to Himself and deliver us from the bondage that causes weakness unto death. Jesus declared the grace that is in Him when He stated, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) There is no source of being strong such as having life and having it more abundantly. Being strong in the grace extends to the ability to be testifying and witnessing Jesus Christ. When a believer takes a step out in going around and witnessing and teaching others what the Lord has done, what the Lord can do and what the Lord will do, strength takes its place in the life of such a believer. Apostle Paul was there, he was through it, he saw it all, and he knew exactly what he was saying when he gave his admonishment to every gospel believers then and now. Through Timothy Paul said, “…My son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2) A conscious and consistent step into the Word will deliver a competent and complete manifestation of His Word. How you receive the word of God will determine how you conceive it. It is impossible to conceive a word of victory and delivering a word of loss. That is to say, what a man hears is what he receives and what is received determines what the man becomes. To be strong is a self and conscious decision to be made in the face of painful challenges and storms of life. How are you going to respond to the word of God that is meant to deliver you from every form of destruction? Receive the word of God through Azariah the son of Oded, “But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” (2 Chronicles 15:7)  It was this word of the living God that Asa the King of Judah heard, “And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage…” (2 Chronicles 15:8). How the word is received will determine the kind of deliverance that will bring forth. Asa moved outside of discouragement when the word sounded in his direction. It is not beyond you to make a conscious and deliberate move by acting the word of God. Making a move and allowing the word of God in our life can never be too late to terminate all that has been pronounced late by man. With God and His word there is nothing too late. Does this speak to your situation? “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) Today, if you will receive it, be encouraged in the word of God.
 
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Also, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is the love of God
 
A conscious and consistent step into the Word will deliver a competent and complete manifestation of His Word.
‘Tunde

“…The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts.” (Philippians 4:7)  

In today’s world of troubles and exceeding challenges, complete and consistent obedience to the word of God is the only source of struggle-free life for any child of God. Disruption, frustration and every other forces of concern is inhabited in the inability to trust and hold on to the promises that are constantly mentioned in the pages of the Bible. The inability to trust in the word of God is an evidence of disobedience. The word of God says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6) It’s easy to memorize and quote verses in the Bible but when a challenge shows up in an unexpected way or at a crucial hour, it becomes very difficult to remember not to be anxious. It is easy to read, tell or teach how Father Abraham engaged in a journey of faith, a journey where God requested for his son Isaac to be used for sacrifice. However, it is not easy to take such a journey into one’s life. The point here is, through the journey of Abraham to the ground of sacrifice, there was no record of complaint or pain neither was there any evidence of anxiousness demonstrated by Abraham. The record of the journey to MountMoriah sounded so smooth and unscathed. Abraham’s journey was rooted in his obedience to the word of God. As a result, the journey became struggle-free instead of it being a journey of all kinds of pain and struggle. Abraham obeyed God because he trusted that the One that gave him a child at a very old age of ninety-nine must have something in store for him. As a believer, what area in our journey of life has become painful, disruptive, or offsetting to our comfort? How are we dealing with it? Is there any sign of anxiousness in our response? Are we struggling with the confronting situations? As a believer, is there any obedience to the living word of God? “…For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5) The words of God have been, and are being deposited in our life. How long will it take for us as a believer to begin mixing the word of God with faith so that it can become profitable for us in every confronting situation of life? The word of God is written for us to wrap it around ourselves so it can produce an enviable result before the unbelieving world that surrounds us. Hebrews 4:2, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” It is evident in the word of God that every believer has a role to play before the word of God could bring forth results. Mixing the word with faith is acting on the word of God. Without any doubt, by virtue of the documentation of Abraham’s reaction when he left for the journey of sacrifice, Abraham had peace and was without struggle. He responded to God when he: “…Rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” (Genesis 22:3) The word of God talked about a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Abraham’s response was clearly with peace that surpasses all understanding. Reading and memorizing the word of God is far from enough in generating peace that surpasses all understanding. Mixing the word of God with faith will not happen within a few minutes or couple of hours a week in Bible study. However, it is clearly demonstrated that meditating morning, day, and night is what will be the grinding force that will enable the word of God to become mixable in every believer. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Indeed, the word of God is noble, just, pure and lovely, of good report and it is praise worthy. Meditate and you will have a struggle-free journey in the midst of challenges.

 
“Word of God is easy to quote but to put it on as coat is work”.

“The word of God is the only source of a struggle-free life this challenging world”

Tunde

“…While He prayed, the heaven was opened.” (Luke 3:21)
 
Among the different ways that prayer can be defined is talking and listening to God. Prayer is an intimate fellowship with God. What prayer requires is faith and to be in right relationship with God. Without faith or right relationship with God, prayer could be like attempting to wash a dirty cloth in dirty water. God will not answer when the relationship is not right; neither would He be pleased when there is no faith. The right relationship starts with asking for forgiveness. Among the different types of prayer are: Interceding, thanking God, praising God, and confessing before God. Above all, if there is anything that will certainly open the windows of heaven, it is prayer. 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, in His entire earthly ministry, was showing us how to walk the walk. When Jesus came to be baptized, He took His time to pray, and heaven opened. This is a clear demonstration that prayer is key for opening up the doors of heaven. It is also clear through the Bible that prayer opens heaven not only at the point of baptism but also at every juncture of life. When heaven opened in response to Jesus’ prayer, different things happened. Luke 3:22, “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.’” Prayer is a heaven-opener. The prayer by Jesus is a testimony to the fact that when a prayer finds the door to heaven, the Holy Spirit, which represents the presence of God, will come down and descend on the one praying. With the Holy Spirit descending, the voice of God will then sound in the direction of the one praying. With the heavens opened, the voice of God will speak direction if the one praying has the ear to hear the voice of God. We need the grace of God to hear His voice when it sounds in our direction. Again, with the heavens opened, Jesus heard the voice from heaven saying to Him, “You are my beloved Son: in You I am well pleased.” Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The voice that sounded as a result of prayer also pointed out that prayer rooted in faith is what pleases God. For without faith God is not pleased. God is a prayer answering God if His children will take the time to call unto Him in prayer as Jesus demonstrated. How is your prayer life? At times prayer requires simplicity; other times, persistency, intensity and fervency. However, prayers always need to be effective and consistent. Prayer is like a battleground a place of violent confrontation against the spiritual wickedness. Jesus said in Matthew 11:12, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Prayer can be the violent weapon in the hand of any believer that wants to take the kingdom of heaven by force. Prayer is the delivery room for every believer that wants to receive undeniable proof of God’s hand. In these days of spiritual wickedness, for every acclaimed believer, there is no substitute for prayer. God is very much in the business of answering prayer just as He was in the beginning. He promised in Isaiah 58:9,  “Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am …’”God is caring; He will not look away from His children when they cry unto Him. Exodus 3:7-8, “And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them…” God heard their cry and He moved for their deliverance. Can you think of any situation where you have been in bondage as the Israelites under the Egyptians? It is time to cry unto the Lord for your own deliverance. David said in Psalm 109:4, “…But I give myself to prayer.” The disciples stated in Acts 6:2, “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” As a believer, how is your prayer life? A prayer-less believer is like a vehicle driving in the dark without the headlights turned on. It will only take a moment before disaster happens. A church that prays will prevail while a prayer less church will remain in vain.
 
“A church that prays will prevail while a prayer less church will remain in vain.”
“And the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up.” (James 5:15)

“… But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain.”(Isaiah 57:13)
 
 
Psalm 125:1-2, “Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
 so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.” The word of God is true to perform and that is why it commands a great deal of paying attention to each and every Word. It is clear and true that trusting Him makes one to abide forever. Trusting in Him was not limited to only the people of the old but to all generations. The Word of God also likens those that trust Him to Mount Zion. What is it about Mount Zion that is special and rewarding for anyone that trusts Him? The same word of God pointed out in the book of Joel 2:32, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance…” Deliverance is surely the portion of any believer that trusts in the Lord. Those that trust in God, who are likened to Mount Zion, should not only be seen as having deliverance as their portion but also be seen as agent of deliverance because it is written in Obadiah 1:17, “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness…” The point is, any one that trusts in God is like Mount Zion and has what it takes to be an agent of deliverance. Do you really trust Him? It is all about trusting and resting in the name of God. Years, months, weeks or days can pass, but God will not forget His own: the ones that have taken a position of trust in His name. When waiting and trusting on God seems to be taking forever, and when it can be seen that time is clearly not in your favor, the Word of God encourages us, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8) God will never run out of time, and there is never a “late” in His timing, because the timing of God is different from the timing of man. All that Gods expects from those that believe and trust in Him is to call and cry to Him when the need calls for it. Isaiah 58:9, “Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am…’” King David, because of his trust in the Lord, declared in 1 Samuel 22:4, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” It takes the heart that trusts to remember to call in the midst of unbearable challenges. King David is an example of someone who did not hesitate to ask when the need called for it. David did not go to war without seeking God first. Twice in 1 Samuel 23, verses 2 and 4, he repeatedly went and inquired from God before going to war against the Philistines. David knew to ask God rather than assume before making a move against his enemies. When there is a cry, He will move His hand of deliverance. The children of Israel, in bondage of over four hundred years cried to God, “And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians…” (Exodus 3:7-8) God is consistent with His word. When you ask by calling on Him, He will answer; when you cry to Him, He will show up on your behalf.However, there are some questions you want to ask yourself when asking. Have you actually been begging, when you have been told to ask? In your asking have you been asking amiss? James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” God is not a partial God, but He is a faithful God. He is a God of order and demands complete obedience to His Word before the Word can work for anyone. When there is confidence to wait and receive, do not ask amiss, but trust in the name of the Lord God; call on His name and He will answer. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower…” (Proverbs 18:10) Personalize the Word of God and trust in Him, and the peace in His Word will be your portion. Remember, they that trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion. Consider yourself to be Mount Zion, which cannot be moved.
 
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
“Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.” (Psalm 32:10)