Category: Uncategorized (Page 2 of 70)

Understanding the principle we must follow to operate effectively in the Kingdom of God.

We must believe what Jesus has declared about Himself, receive what He has accomplished, and draw near to Him with full assurance of faith.

Main Theme: is that our assurance must be deeply rooted in Jesus and His finished work on our behalf.

To operate effectively in the Kingdom of God, we must believe what Jesus declared concerning His mission on earth and confidently receive the benefits He has made available to us through His sacrifice. Our confidence must not be based on our human ability, personal qualifications, righteous acts, past failures, or the opinions of others. Rather, it must be firmly rooted in the truth of what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf.

The Lord desires for us to draw near to Him with a true heart with full assurance of faith, believing that what Jesus has promised and made available to us is real and accessible through our faith. The greatest miracle is not us merely receiving a particular answer to prayer, but our learning to live continually in the place of full assurance of faith in Jesus’ ability and faithfulness.

1. Believe What Jesus Declared About His Mission on Earth

In Luke.4:18&19,21, Jesus openly declared the purpose of His anointing and mission: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me [i]to heal the broken hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are [j]oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” “21 And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’”

Jesus made it clear that He had been anointed and sent by the Father to accomplish specific things for humanity. His mission included preaching the Gospel to the poor, healing the broken hearted, proclaiming liberty to captives, recovering sight to the blind, setting the oppressed free, and proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord. He concluded by declaring that the Scripture was fulfilled in the hearing of those present.

This declaration provides the foundation stone for the assurance we have in Jesus, because He did not merely speak about what He hoped to accomplish, but He declared the purpose for which He had been anointed and sent and did what He had spoken. So those who drew near to Him, believing that His words were true, could trust Him to receive the benefits made available through His ministry.

They did not have to become perfect before they could receive from Him because the essential requirement was to believe what Jesus had declared about Himself and trust in His ability to accomplish what His anointing made possible. This principle remains vitally pivotal for us today, because we must believe what Jesus has said concerning His ability and lay hold of the benefits He has made available to us.

We must not allow our human opinions, fears, the concerns of others, or doubts about the Lord’s ability to weaken our confidence in His Word. Our assurance must rest on what Jesus has declared, and not on our personal qualifications, shortcomings, failures, or the opinions of people around us. As we engage our hearts in believing Him, we position ourselves to receive what He has made available through His sacrifice.

2. Receive what Jesus has accomplished for you without boasting in any human ability.

We must learn to draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith because we believe what Jesus has done on our behalf. We know that through Him, the Holy Spirit has made all these benefits available for us to receive, and we must embrace them by faith. We do not receive these benefits because of our own abilities or righteous acts, because we have no grounds for boasting as though we earned what we have received.

Our ability to receive life and partake of what the Lord has provided rests on what Jesus did to make these benefits available to us. Therefore, our confidence must never be rooted in ourselves, but it must be rooted in the finished work of Jesus and our willingness to believe what He has made possible for us. When our hearts are fully persuaded of His ability, we can draw near to God with confidence instead of continually questioning whether we are qualified to receive His provision.

We must stop allowing our human limitations, past mistakes, or perceived inadequacies to determine what we believe is possible with the Lord. Our responsibility is to believe Him, trust in His faithfulness, and receive by faith what He has made available. By doing this we are not boasting in our own strength, but we are placing our complete confidence in the One who has accomplished what we could never accomplish for ourselves.

3. Draw near to God with a true heart with full assurance of faith.

Hebrews.10:22 teaches us about drawing near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. This truth reveals the cleansing associated with us drawing near to God as described in His Word. So we must receive the truth of what the Lord has provided for us and allow that truth to shape our hearts, our faith, and our approach to Him.

The full assurance of faith means that we are persuaded of Jesus’ ability and trust in what He has accomplished for us. So we no longer approach the Lord continually questioning whether we are good enough, capable enough, or qualified enough to receive from Him. Instead, we come fully trusting in Jesus and resting in the sufficiency of His finished work.

The Lord wants us to grow beyond the point where we merely just seek our individual answers to prayer. He wants us to develop a settled confidence in Him with a faith that is established on the truth of His Word and which remains fully persuaded of His ability to fulfil what He has promised.

The greatest miracle is therefore not simply receiving a particular answer to prayer, but walking in the place where we have learned to live in the reality of the full assurance of faith in Jesus’ ability to accomplish everything He has promised we can partake of through His sacrifice.

Take-Home Point

Believe what Jesus has declared, trust in what He has accomplished, and draw near to the Lord with full assurance of faith. Do not base your confidence on your human ability, personal qualifications, past failures, or the opinions of others. Jesus has made benefits available through His mission and sacrifice, and your part of the deal is to believe Him and receive it by faith.

So your ultimate goal is not just to merely obtain an answer to prayer but to develop a settled, confident relationship with the Lord, by resting boldly in the faithfulness and finished work of Jesus.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the mission of Jesus and for all that He has accomplished on my behalf. Thank You that He was anointed to preach the Gospel to the poor, heal the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to captives, recover sight to the blind, set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Holy Spirit, please help me to believe what Jesus has declared about Himself and to receive the benefits He has made available to me through His sacrifice.

Deliver my heart from fear, doubt, human opinions, and every thought that weakens my confidence in the ability of Jesus. Forgive me for the times I have relied on my own qualifications, abilities, or righteous acts instead of resting in Your finished work. Teach me to draw near to the Father with a true heart and full assurance of faith, trusting not in myself but in the faithfulness of Jesus. Let the truth of Your Word cleanse and establish my heart, as revealed in Hebrews.10:22.

Please help me to stop questioning whether I am qualified to receive what You have provided for me by learning to rest confidently in Your faithfulness. May my faith grow beyond just seeking individual answers to prayer into a settled assurance of Your ability to accomplish everything You have promised I can partake of through Jesus’ sacrifice. Thank You that I can come to You with confidence because of what Jesus has done for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Declaration for the Day

Today, I declare that my confidence is firmly rooted in Jesus Christ and His finished work and I believe what Jesus declared concerning His mission, His anointing, and His ability to accomplish what He was sent to do.

I refuse to allow any fear, human opinions, past failures, personal limitations, or doubts about my qualifications to weaken my confidence in the Word of God. I will no longer boast in my own ability or trust in my righteous acts because my confidence rests in what Jesus has accomplished on my behalf.

I draw near to the Lord with a true heart and full assurance of faith, as declared in Hebrews.10:22, because I believe that through Jesus, the Lord has made provision for me, and I receive by faith what He has made available through His sacrifice.

Today, I choose to rest in the faithfulness of Jesus rather than continually question His ability. My heart is being established in the truth of His Word, and I am growing in the confidence to receive what He has promised.

I will not measure the Lord’s willingness or ability by my human qualifications or the opinions of others, but I will believe Jesus, trust His finished work, and walk in the assurance of faith. My greatest pursuit is to know how to live continually in this place of confidence in Him.

So today, I draw near to the Father with full assurance of faith, by receiving what Jesus has accomplished, and I walk confidently in all the benefits He has made available to me through His sacrifice in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Main Theme

Do not allow fear, delays, discouraging reports or the mockery of others to uproot the seed of faith you have sown through your words and expectations before the Lord. Keep believing what you first trusted Jesus to do, even when circumstances appear to contradict your faith.

5. JAIRUS: DO NOT ALLOW FEAR TO DESTROY WHAT YOU HAVE SOWN

Jesus demonstrated this principle in the life of Jairus. In Mark.5:36, we read these words: “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe.’ ” What was Jairus supposed to continue believing? We must first consider the words he had already spoken to Jesus in Mark.5:23 when he earnestly begged Jesus to come and lay His hands on his daughter so that she might be healed and live.

Jairus had expressed his expectation which is the seed from his heart of what he wanted: if Jesus came to his home and laid His hands on his daughter, she would be healed and live. In doing so, he had expressed the outcome he was seeking from Jesus. Jesus immediately responded by setting out toward Jairus’s home. However, a delay occurred which always happens in life, that a woman who had suffered from an issue of blood for many years reached out and touched Jesus.

6. The woman with the issue of blood which represents the faith that acts on the word spoken interrupts the proceedings.

The woman had already determined in her heart that if she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. She acted upon that conviction, touched His garment, and received her healing. When Jesus became aware that power had gone out from Him and stopped to address what had happened. He wanted the woman to come forward and tell the whole truth about her experience.

In Mark.5:33 & 34, we read: “But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.’ ” Jesus allowed her to tell the whole story of what she had done and commended her faith. He addressed her as “Daughter,” affirming her relationship with the Father, and sent her away in peace.

Her testimony demonstrated how she had acted in faith upon what she believed concerning Jesus and had received her healing. This interruption, however, even though great meant that Jairus had to wait longer for Jesus to attend to his daughter, while Jesus attended to the woman. Then in this interval came the devastating report from Jairus’s household that his daughter had died, and that he should no longer trouble Jesus.

7. Do not receive fear as the answer when circumstances contradict your expectation.

Jesus to whom Jairus had sowed his words of faith to had not changed the harvest, so Jesus immediately intervened when the report of the girl’s death arrived. He instructed Jairus not to be afraid but to continue believing. Stay in faith by not pulling out your seed.

Jairus was now facing a circumstance that appeared to contradict the very outcome he had sought when he first approached Jesus. His daughter had been at the point of death when he asked Jesus to come. Now, while Jesus was delayed, the report was that she had died.

This was the moment when fear could have displaced his confidence. But Jesus the Lord of the harvest directed Jairus back to his faith. This principle is vital that we must not allow a contrary report to erase the confidence with which we first approached the Lord, because this delay did not mean that Jairus had to abandon his expectation.

The report of death did not prevent Jesus from continuing to the house. Jairus was the person who needed to keep his attention on Jesus rather than allow the circumstances to dictate the outcome of what he had already believed was possible.

8. Never dig up your seed of faith planted when people mock what you believe.

When Jesus arrived at Jairus’s house, He encountered mourners who were overcome with grief and making a commotion over the girl’s death. Jesus the Lord of the harvest told them that the girl was only sleeping, but their response changed instantly and they all began laughing at Him and ridiculing Him to the point of scorn. They were looking at the situation through the reality of death and the arrangements associated with a funeral. Jesus, however, was about to demonstrate the power of God in a way they had not anticipated.

What really mattered was that Jairus did not abandon the expectation he had expressed when he first sought Jesus. The words he had spoken were not to be discarded simply because a delay had occurred, a death had been reported, and people were now mocking Jesus. This opposition had no bearing on the final outcome. Jesus simply proceeded to put the mourners out of the house. Once they were removed, He addressed the little girl and told her to get up.

She arose in response to His word, and the Kingdom of God was manifested in Jairus’s house that day. The outcome that had seemed impossible became a reality through the intervention of Jesus. This account teaches us not to allow fear, discouraging reports, delays or the mockery of others to dictate what we believe about the Lord’s ability to act. We must remain attentive to the Holy Spirit, established in the Word, and willing to follow Jesus through circumstances that seem to contradict our expectations.

Take-Away Point

Once you have approached the Lord in faith, never allow fear or a contrary report to erase your confidence in His ability to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think. A time delay is not a valid reason to abandon your expectation, and the mockery of others does not determine what Jesus can and will do.

So keep your attention focused on Him, by continuing to stand on His Word, and obey the direction of the Holy Spirit even when the circumstances appear impossible. As Jairus learned, what seems to be the natural end of the story does not place a limit on the power of Jesus to make life come back.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching me through the life of Jairus how not to allow fear to destroy what I have sown in faith. Thank You that Jesus is able to intervene for me even when circumstances appear to contradict what I have believed and expected.

Lord Jesus, help me to hold firmly to Your Word when delays arise, particularly when discouraging reports come, and when people mock or question what I believe. Do not allow me to become so overwhelmed by what I see and hear that I forget Your power and faithfulness.

Holy Spirit, strengthen my heart so I remain established in the truth. Teach me how to never uproot the seed of faith I have sowed with my mouth through fear, doubt, negative confessions or impatience. Please help me to keep my attention firmly focused on Jesus and to follow His instructions, even when I cannot understand what is happening or how the situation will turn around.

Give me the grace to trust You through every stage of the process of seedtime and harvest. So when circumstances seem impossible, remind me that they do not have the final say in my life. Please help me to remain steadfast until I see the manifestation of Your power and purpose in my life. May my faith remain strong, my heart remain settled in You, and my life testify to Your faithfulness in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Declaration for the Day

Today, I declare that I will never again allow fear to destroy what I have sown in faith. Just like Jairus, I will keep my attention focused on Jesus and refuse to let delays, contrary reports or the mockery of others determine the outcome of what I have trusted Him for.

I will no longer uproot the seed of God’s Word from my heart because circumstances appear to contradict His promises, but I will continue to believe, speak the truth and obey the instructions of the Holy Spirit. Even when discouraging news comes, I will remember the words of Jesus in Mark.5:36: “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

I refuse to give fear the authority to silence my faith or dictate my response. I declare that my confidence remains steadfast in Jesus, whose power is not limited by what I can see or understand. I declare that delays will not make me abandon my expectation, and the opinions or ridicule of others will not cause me to surrender my confidence in the Lord.

I will no longer judge the outcome of my situation prematurely, but I will continue trusting Jesus to lead me through every circumstance in life. So just as the Lord intervened in Jairus’s house, I will remain attentive to His leading and trust Him to demonstrate His power according to His will in my life. I will stand firm in faith, remain obedient to the Holy Spirit and refuse to let fear uproot the seed I have sown.

I choose faith over fear, perseverance over discouragement, and confidence in Jesus over the evidence of contrary circumstances. I will keep believing, i will keep trusting and keep following the Lord, knowing that no delay, discouraging report or human mockery can limit His power. My faith will remain steadfast as I look to Jesus, in His mighty name. Amen!

Daily Devotional: Day Two: Understanding the operation of the Kingdom in my heart to produce the life of God.

3. Speak The Word of Faith and expect the impossible to become possible. Mark.11:23 & 24.

Main Theme

Speak the Word of God in faith, to keep your heart established in His promises, and patiently expect the harvest of what He has spoken. The Holy Spirit brings into existence things that previously did not exist as we declare in faith the Word Jesus has spoken to us. Through faith-filled declarations, mountain-like situations can be removed, and what once seemed impossible can give way to realities that we had not previously seen or experienced. This Kingdom principle is taught by Jesus in Mark.11:23 & 24.

The Kingdom operates through us speaking words of faith without doubting in our hearts. However, speaking the Word is not a one-time activity and we must continue watering the seeds we have sown in our hearts through our daily confessions of the truth, thus maintaining our confidence that what the Lord has promised will come to pass. We must also refuse to allow contrary circumstances to divert our attention from the Lord’s Word or to become a greater reality in our hearts than what the Lord has spoken.

This fact does not mean that we ignore difficulties or neglect using wisdom. Rather, it means that we remain established in the truth, by continuing to speak in faith, and following the Holy Spirit’s instructions while waiting for the manifestation of the Lord’s promises.

Jesus further explains this Kingdom principle through the illustration of a seed planted in the ground in Mark.4:26-29. Just as a seed grows through stages—first the blade, then the head, and afterward the full grain in the head— so the Word of God sown in our hearts develops towards its appointed harvest, even when we cannot see or understand every part of the process.

A farmer does not continually dig up a seed to check whether it is growing in the soil. He trusts the process and allows the seed to develop until the harvest is ready. Likewise, we must not dig up the Word sown in our hearts through doubt, fear, contradictory confessions or abandoning our confidence in what God has spoken.

The absence of an immediate result does not mean that nothing is happening. So we must remain steadfast, by continuing to confess the truth, obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit faithfully, and refusing to let opposing circumstances convince us that God’s Word has failed. The Kingdom is always at work in our hearts even when we cannot explain every detail of how the manifestation is taking place.

Take-Home Point

Under no circumstances uproot the seed of God’s Word in your heart through doubt, fear or discouragement. Just keep speaking the Word in faith, by continually watering it daily through your confessions, obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit, and patiently trusting the Lord’s process of fulfilment. Even when you cannot see the harvest, remain confident that the Word is at work, and keep believing until what the Lord has promised becomes visible.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching me the principles of Your Kingdom through the Holy Spirit. Thank You that Your Word is a seed that can produce a great harvest in my life. Please help me to speak Your Word in faith without doubting in my heart. Please teach me to remain steadfast in Your truth and to continue confessing what You have spoken, even when my circumstances appear to contradict Your promises.

Please forgive me for the times I have allowed fear, doubt, discouragement or contrary situations to weaken my confidence in Your Word, and help me not to uproot the seeds of life You have planted in my heart through negative confessions or impatience. Holy Spirit, guide me in wisdom and teach me how to respond faithfully to every situation while I wait for the manifestation of the Lord’s promises.

Please strengthen my heart to trust Your process, even when I cannot see what is happening beneath the surface in my heart that is impacting circumstances around me. Help me to obey Your instructions and remain faithful through every stage of growth, because I believe that what You have spoken to me will accomplish Your purpose in my life. Please give me the grace to persevere until the harvest comes, and let my life demonstrate the power and faithfulness of Your Word in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Declaration for the Day

Today, I declare that I will speak the Word of God in faith and I expect the impossible to become possible to me. My heart is established in the truth of what Jesus has spoken, and I flatly refuse to allow any contrary circumstances to become greater in my heart than the Lord’s promises. I will not uproot the seed of the Word of the Lord in my heart through doubt, fear, negative confessions or impatience.

I will continue to water the word in my heart through daily declarations of the truth, trusting that the Kingdom is at work in my life even when I cannot see the results. I will no longer be discouraged by the absence of an immediate manifestation, and just as the seed grows through stages in the soil until the harvest is ready, I will remain steadfast, by keeping on believing and obeying the instructions of the Holy Spirit.

I refuse to be distracted by circumstances that seek to undermine my confidence in the strength of the Lord. I will walk in wisdom without surrendering my faith, and I will continue speaking the Word, trusting the Lord’s process and expecting His promises to come to pass.

I declare that the Word of God is working in me and my faith will not fail, because my confidence in the Lord’s ability to do exceedingly abundantly will not be shaken, and I will not abandon the seed of that word that has been sown in my heart. I will remain faithful until the harvest appears, and the impossible will give way to the manifestation of the Lord’s promises in my life, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

A DAILY DEVOTION: A PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE KINGDOM OF GOD WORKS IN OUR LIVES.
Scripture: Mark.4:11-32.

The main theme.

We must hear the Holy Spirit accurately, understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, sow the words of faith into our circumstances, and confidently expect the harvest of God’s promises. The Holy Spirit desires to teach us how the Kingdom of God operates so that we can walk in truth, resist deception, and experience the manifestation of God’s Word in our lives.

As followers and lovers of Jesus, we have been given the privilege of knowing the mysteries of His Kingdom through the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must therefore become discerning, remain firmly established in God’s Word, and learn to apply His promises to our individual circumstances with faith and confidence.

In this season, when deception is seeking to draw believers away from the truth and hinder the work of the Spirit, we must be careful to hear the Holy Spirit correctly. The enemy seeks to undermine our confidence in what God has spoken, using contrary circumstances to distract and discourage us. However, as we grow in our understanding of the Kingdom, we will become less vulnerable to deception and better equipped to stand firm in the truth.

In Mark.4:11 & 12, Jesus revealed that His chosen followers have been given the ability to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God. We are not meant to remain ignorant of how the Lord works or continually wonder how His promises will come to pass. Through our relationship with Jesus, we have been given the Holy Spirit, who teaches us, explains the Word, and shows us how to apply God’s promises to our daily lives.

This privilege also carries a responsibility: we must seek His wisdom, understanding, and might, and cooperate with His instructions. As we receive His revelation and act on His Word, the Holy Spirit stands ready to intervene on our behalf, with the support of the angelic host, to bring the Word of the Lord into manifestation.

Our understanding of the Kingdom must therefore go beyond hearing and knowing Scripture. We must learn to sow the words of faith given to us by the Holy Spirit, hold fast to them without doubt, and expect the corresponding harvest. When we understand and follow the principles of the Kingdom, we position ourselves to experience the reality of God’s promises and become vessels through whom His power and glory are revealed.

Take-Away Point

We are not to remain ignorant of the workings of God’s Kingdom. We must on purpose make time to hear the Holy Spirit, study and meditate on the Word, and obey His instructions.

We are to refuse to let deception, doubt, or contrary circumstances undermine your confidence in what the Holy Spirit has spoken. We must sow His Word into our situation in faith and patiently expect the harvest, by trusting the Holy Spirit and the Angelic host to bring His promises into manifestation in our lives.

Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me the privilege of knowing the mysteries of Your Kingdom through Jesus Christ and for giving me the Holy Spirit as my Teacher and Helper.

Holy Spirit, please teach me to hear Your voice accurately and discern truth from deception. Open my understanding to the operations of the Kingdom, and show me how to apply the Word of God to every situation I face. Deliver me from ignorance, confusion, doubt, and every distraction that would undermine my confidence in what the Lord has spoken.

Help me to receive Your words with faith, then to establish them in my heart through meditation, by sowing them faithfully into my circumstances. Give me the wisdom and understanding to follow Your instructions and the patience to remain steadfast while I await the harvest. Let my life become a demonstration of the truth, power, and glory of Jesus Christ.

Holy Spirit, work in and through me, to bring the Word of the Lord into manifestation according to His will, so that my life will bear lasting fruit and testify to the reality of Your Kingdom in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Declaration for the Day

I declare that I have been given the privilege of knowing the mysteries of the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. So by the help of the Holy Spirit, I declare that my spiritual understanding is increasing, and I am learning how to hear His voice more accurately and walk in His truth.

I refuse to be deceived, distracted, or discouraged by circumstances that appear contrary to the Word of God. I choose to remain established in the truth, by receiving the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Spirit, and faithfully applying His instructions to my life.

I declare that I am a faithful sower of the Word of God, and I will speak and meditate on His promises, believe what He has said, and refuse to uproot the seeds of faith in my heart through doubt and unbelief. As I cooperate with the Holy Spirit, I will see the fruit of His Word manifested in my life.

Today, I choose to hear the Holy Spirit correctly, to understand the workings of the Kingdom, by sowing words of faith, and expecting a God sized harvest. My life will testify to the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus and reveal the power and glory of His Kingdom in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Please Holy Spirit teach me the things that my natural expertise cannot teach me. Give me wisdom that money cannot buy and understanding that comes through a relationship with You so that my marketplace becomes a place where people encounter Your Kingdom. Please take the things I have considered ordinary and use them for extraordinary purposes.

Precious Holy Spirit please be at the helm of my venture today by directing my decisions, revealing great opportunities, giving me wisdom, and causing my efforts to produce fruit that could only be explained by Your involvement.

Please let my business and my life become instruments for reaching people, demonstrating Your Kingdom, and glorifying Your name. May this day mark a new chapter in my story in Jesus name. Amen.

Lord Jesus, I make what I have available in my life to You today. Please use my business, my work, my skills, my resources, my opportunities, and everything You have placed in my hands for the advancement of Your Kingdom.

Where I have experienced disappointment, frustration, empty nets, and unproductive labour, help me not to allow yesterday’s experience to determine today’s expectation. Give me the discernment of Peter to hear Your instructions and the grace to do whatever You tell me to do in Jesus name. Amen.

I declare that Jesus is at the helm of my life, my work, my business, my resources, and my future. So I willingly place what I have in His hands and give Him permission to use it for the advancement of His Kingdom.

I declare that my business is not merely a source of income but that it has become a platform through which Jesus reaches lives. My workplace is becoming a marketplace of Kingdom influence, because my skills, resources, knowledge, and opportunities are all available to the Lord.

I will not be intimidated by the opinions of people or afraid of being labelled a fanatic. I will never allow the disappointment of yesterday to determine my expectations for today. I declare that my empty nets do not define my future. So I receive grace to hear what Jesus is saying to me and to do whatever He tells me to do.

I acknowledge the fact that Jesus knows far more than I do, and I welcome His wisdom into every area of my work and business. He can teach me what money cannot buy and reveal strategies that natural expertise could never discover.

The wisdom of Jesus is working in my business and my efforts are becoming more productive. My decisions are becoming fruitful as my opportunities are increasing. I declare that my resources are being used wisely and I am entering into supernatural results that I could never have produced with my own strength or understanding.

I declare that Jesus is turning your places of disappointment into places of divine encounter. He is transforming empty nets into miraculous catches and ordinary business resources into Kingdom instruments.

I am willing to let Jesus use what I have, and I am also ready and available to receive His instructions. I am stepping into a new pursuit, which requires a new level of wisdom, a new dimension of productivity, and a new chapter in my life.

I declare that my story is changing because Jesus is changing my life course and setting me on the path of awesome blessings I could never have imagined possible. Therefore my day will be miraculous. Today will be productive because Jesus is at the helm of my venture, and my life and business will glorify His name in Jesus name. Amen.

Today I share with you the conclusion of my communion time with the Holy Spirit on giving your business over to Jesus to use for the Kingdom and experiencing the miraculous triumph it brings into your life.

It was wisdom that came through a relationship with Jesus because there are things only Jesus can teach you about your business, profession, calling, industry, opportunities, relationships, and future that no amount of natural expertise can give you.

Your experience, knowledge and professional skill may be valuable, but Jesus the Creator of all things knows more and we need to acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord over all things. Jesus knows more about everything because He created everything, including the fish and their habitat, and the water they dwell in.

Therefore, allowing Jesus to lead your business does not diminish your expertise but rather it brings your expertise into partnership with the wisdom of the Creator to increase your productivity. So as the miraculous catch occurred, Peter became convicted of his sin, as the revelation of Jesus’ power and holiness overwhelmed him, and he asked Jesus to depart from him because he recognized that he was a sinful man.

However Jesus did not reject Peter, but instead, Jesus revealed why He had come into Peter’s boat and into his life. Jesus then told Peter, in essence, that Peter was exactly the kind of person He was looking for, and Jesus called him to follow Him and promised him that: “I will make you a fisher of men.” The miracle therefore was about much more than catching fish.

Jesus was demonstrating His Kingdom in Peter’s marketplace while simultaneously revealing Peter’s greater assignment. Thus the boat became the place where Peter discovered his future. Having seen the Kingdom in action in his marketplace, Peter immediately left fishing, along with the other three partners in that company, to follow Jesus.

They embarked on an entirely new pursuit which meant that they would no longer simply be fishermen catching fish. They would become fishers of men. Imagine the opportunities that were now added to their lives, because from now on they would travel with Jesus through many cities and encounter completely different scenes of life.

They would meet countless people, many of whom, they would watch Jesus heal and deliver from bondage, while witnessing Him raise people from the dead. Their encounter with Jesus transformed the direction, scope, and purpose of their lives. So what began as an ordinary business morning became the doorway into an extraordinary Kingdom adventure.

This is why the Holy Spirit is asking you today whether you: Are you willing to let Jesus have and use your business? Are you willing to let Him use your profession and have the use of your skills? How willing are you to let Him use your resources? Are you willing to let Him use what is already in your hands to reach people in the marketplace?

Or are you too concerned about being labelled a fanatic? Peter could have been concerned about what people thought but instead, he made his boat available to Jesus, and that act of giving his boat became part of the pathway to his transformation. Perhaps yesterday did not go well for you and perhaps you worked hard and saw little or no return. Perhaps you have used everything you know and still have not seen the results you expected.

The Holy Spirit however is saying to you today: Do not allow yesterday’s empty nets to determine what you expect Jesus to do for you today because Jesus can step into the very arena where you experienced failure and bring wisdom, productivity, blessing, and a completely unexpected result of fruitfulness and prosperity.

The Holy Spirit wants you to rise to this challenge by letting Jesus become involved in your life and business. Please allow Him to use what you have. Then be ready to receive instructions that may take you beyond your natural understanding.

Jesus can give you uncommon wisdom to profit you in ways that you could never have thought possible, regardless of how much effort you have already made. The lesson from Peter is not simply that Jesus can produce a miraculous catch.

It is that Jesus can change the outcome of your labour when you surrender your resources and your expertise to His leadership. He can take your business from being merely a means of livelihood and turn it into a Kingdom instrument. He can take your marketplace and make it a place of divine encounter.

Jesus can take your disappointment and turn it into the beginning of a new story. So today, rise to the challenge and experience Jesus at work in your life and in your business. Go ahead and put Him at the helm of your venture by letting Him direct your way. Let Him speak and let Him use what you have.

Let Him give you wisdom and show you possibilities you could never have imagined as you let your business become a vehicle through which lives are reached and transformed as the Kingdom is demonstrated in your life.

Have a miraculous and productive day with Jesus at the helm of your venture that is a day that you will be talking about for years to come. Your new story will read these words: “Jesus has changed my life course by setting me on the path of awesome blessings that I could never have imagined possible in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen.”

In my communion time with the Lord this morning, the Holy Spirit prompted me to look at Luke.5:1-11, where Jesus requested the use of Peter’s stationary boat. We see that Jesus had a purpose for that boat because people had gathered along the shore of Lake Galilee to hear Him teach about the Kingdom, and they were pressing closer and closer to Him.

Jesus needed a place from which He could effectively reach them, and Peter’s boat became the platform He chose. Think what an extraordinary picture layout for the Good News of the Kingdom.
Peter on the other hand was thinking about his business, whereas Jesus was thinking about the Kingdom. Peter had a boat, and Jesus had a plan for the boat, and the business resource that Peter possessed was about to become an instrument for reaching lives.

Peter and his fellow fishermen had just come through a very disappointing night because they had toiled all night long and caught nothing. They had used their nets and bait to attract fish, applying the expertise they had developed through years of experience. Yet, despite all their labour, they had caught nothing.

Their disappointment was real and their nets needed to be cleaned. Peter was around the shoreline securing the nets, washing them, and checking whether they were broken. He was also checking the boat to make sure it was properly anchored and had no leaks.

From the natural perspective, Peter was simply trying to recover from a bad night’s work and prepare his business for another opportunity. However Jesus saw a bigger picture Peter could not yet see because Jesus had a divine plan for Peter’s business that morning.

More importantly, His plan involved all the partners of the business, and that plan was going to change their lives eternally. However there was something Peter and his partners needed to do first. They had to agree with Jesus’ plan by giving Him permission to use what they already possessed which was their boats.

This giving of their boats was necessary because Jesus wanted to involve their business in the preaching of the Kingdom and, through that act of service, bring His blessing and reward into their lives.

Peter had something Jesus could use, and Jesus was asking for it. This is an important Kingdom principle that we always have to be willing to give first. Generally, however, we never want to give first, but we always want to receive first. But the Lord’s pattern is different.

Genesis.8:22 reminds us of the principle of seedtime and harvest which represents the divine order of giving, sowing, and then receiving. Peter therefore needed to be willing to allow Jesus to use his boat first to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom which Peter did.

Once Peter made his boat available, Jesus proceeded to use it to reach the people who were pressing toward Him. Just think about the significance of this after Peter’s boat had just been associated with a night of failure. It represented empty nets, exhaustion, disappointment, and unproductive labour. Yet Jesus was about to transform that same business environment into the setting for one of the greatest encounters of Peter’s life.

Sometimes what we think is merely just a business resource is actually something Jesus wants to use for Kingdom purposes. So your business may become a platform for Kingdom expansion and your workplace may become a mission field.

Your profession may become a place where people encounter Jesus and your resources may become the instruments through which the Kingdom reaches people. The question is always whether we are willing to let Jesus use what we have available.

When Jesus finished speaking to the people, He gave Peter instructions concerning what they needed to do to catch fish. This is where the story becomes even more remarkable because Peter and his partners were the experts at fishing. Fishing was their business and they understood the lake and they knew by experience how the fish behaved which is why they fished at night.

They had already spent the entire night working. And now Jesus, the preacher, was telling these experienced fishermen how to fish in an environment where there was so much noise. From the natural perspective, the instruction could have seemed unreasonable. However Peter was discerning enough to at least act on the word of Jesus, and his response reflected the principle Mary had given the servants at the marriage feast in Canaan in John.2:5 that:

Whatever Jesus tells you to do, just do it. You ask Why? Because the words of Jesus never fail to produce the great results He speaks. Even though Peter only partially obeyed Jesus by dropping down one broken net, something astonishing happened.

This resulted in Peter learning something new about fishing. So the man who had spent his life fishing discovered that Jesus knew something about fishing that he did not know, and this was wisdom that money could not buy.

Lord Jesus, I make what I have available in my life to You today. Please use my business, my work, my skills, my resources, my opportunities, and everything You have placed in my hands for the advancement of Your Kingdom.

Where I have experienced disappointment, frustration, empty nets, and unproductive labour, help me not to allow yesterday’s experience to determine today’s expectation. Give me the discernment of Peter to hear Your instructions and the grace to do whatever You tell me to do in Jesus name. Amen.

Today I am sharing the first part of my communion time with the Holy Spirit on giving your business to Jesus to be used for the Kingdom.

In my communion time with the Lord this morning, the Holy Spirit prompted me to look at Luke.5:1-11, where Jesus requested the use of Peter’s stationary boat. We see that Jesus had a purpose for that boat because people had gathered along the shore of Lake Galilee to hear Him teach about the Kingdom, and they were pressing closer and closer to Him.

Jesus needed a place from which He could effectively reach them, and Peter’s boat became the platform He chose. Think what an extraordinary picture layout for the Good News of the Kingdom.
Peter on the other hand was thinking about his business, whereas Jesus was thinking about the Kingdom. Peter had a boat, and Jesus had a plan for the boat, and the business resource that Peter possessed was about to become an instrument for reaching lives.

Peter and his fellow fishermen had just come through a very disappointing night because they had toiled all night long and caught nothing. They had used their nets and bait to attract fish, applying the expertise they had developed through years of experience. Yet, despite all their labour, they had caught nothing.

Their disappointment was real and their nets needed to be cleaned. Peter was around the shoreline securing the nets, washing them, and checking whether they were broken. He was also checking the boat to make sure it was properly anchored and had no leaks.

From the natural perspective, Peter was simply trying to recover from a bad night’s work and prepare his business for another opportunity. However Jesus saw a bigger picture Peter could not yet see because Jesus had a divine plan for Peter’s business that morning.

More importantly, His plan involved all the partners of the business, and that plan was going to change their lives eternally. However there was something Peter and his partners needed to do first. They had to agree with Jesus’ plan by giving Him permission to use what they already possessed which was their boats.

This giving of their boats was necessary because Jesus wanted to involve their business in the preaching of the Kingdom and, through that act of service, bring His blessing and reward into their lives.

Peter had something Jesus could use, and Jesus was asking for it. This is an important Kingdom principle that we always have to be willing to give first. Generally, however, we never want to give first, but we always want to receive first. But the Lord’s pattern is different.

Genesis.8:22 reminds us of the principle of seedtime and harvest which represents the divine order of giving, sowing, and then receiving. Peter therefore needed to be willing to allow Jesus to use his boat first to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom which Peter did.

Once Peter made his boat available, Jesus proceeded to use it to reach the people who were pressing toward Him. Just think about the significance of this after Peter’s boat had just been associated with a night of failure. It represented empty nets, exhaustion, disappointment, and unproductive labour. Yet Jesus was about to transform that same business environment into the setting for one of the greatest encounters of Peter’s life.

Sometimes what we think is merely just a business resource is actually something Jesus wants to use for Kingdom purposes. So your business may become a platform for Kingdom expansion and your workplace may become a mission field.

Your profession may become a place where people encounter Jesus and your resources may become the instruments through which the Kingdom reaches people. The question is always whether we are willing to let Jesus use what we have available.

When Jesus finished speaking to the people, He gave Peter instructions concerning what they needed to do to catch fish. This is where the story becomes even more remarkable because Peter and his partners were the experts at fishing. Fishing was their business and they understood the lake and they knew by experience how the fish behaved which is why they fished at night.

They had already spent the entire night working. And now Jesus, the preacher, was telling these experienced fishermen how to fish in an environment where there was so much noise. From the natural perspective, the instruction could have seemed unreasonable. However Peter was discerning enough to at least act on the word of Jesus, and his response reflected the principle Mary had given the servants at the marriage feast in Canaan in John.2:5 that:

Whatever Jesus tells you to do, just do it. You ask Why? Because the words of Jesus never fail to produce the great results He speaks. Even though Peter only partially obeyed Jesus by dropping down one broken net, something astonishing happened.

This resulted in Peter learning something new about fishing. So the man who had spent his life fishing discovered that Jesus knew something about fishing that he did not know, and this was wisdom that money could not buy.

Lord Jesus, I make what I have available in my life to You today. Please use my business, my work, my skills, my resources, my opportunities, and everything You have placed in my hands for the advancement of Your Kingdom.

Where I have experienced disappointment, frustration, empty nets, and unproductive labour, help me not to allow yesterday’s experience to determine today’s expectation. Give me the discernment of Peter to hear Your instructions and the grace to do whatever You tell me to do in Jesus name. Amen.

Father, thank You for the exceedingly great and precious promises You have given us and thank You for the privilege of becoming a partaker of Your divine nature and for everything You have made available to us through Jesus. Holy Spirit, forgive us for every place where we have been careless, slack, negligent, nonchalant, or casual with what You have entrusted to us.

Teach us Precious Holy Spirit to steward Your promises with sobriety, faithfulness, obedience, honour, and reverence. Search our hearts and expose every selfish motive, natural intention, and desire that is not aligned with Your purposes, then give us grace to surrender everything to You and to walk in the Spirit.

Teach us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus faithfully. Holy Spirit help us to remember what You have spoken, so we always treasure Your Words to us, and to continually establish Your instructions in our hearts.

Holy Spirit please give us grace to carry the authority You entrusted to us responsibly and to use every gift, promise, opportunity, and assignment for the advancement of Your Kingdom. Please let Jesus have complete reign and rule in us, so our lives become fruitful, productive, faithful, and pleasing to You, as we produce fruit that remains.

Let us experience the exceedingly great and precious promises You have prepared for us in the now, and let everything You accomplish through us bring forth the exceedingly, abundantly above all we ask or think glory to Jesus through Your power working in us in Jesus name. Amen.

I declare that I will no longer treat casually what the Lord has entrusted to me. I am a faithful steward of the exceedingly great and precious promises of the Lord. I recognize the magnitude of the grace I have received from You and the privilege of being made a partaker of the divine nature. I receive grace to walk with sobriety, diligence, obedience, surrender, and faithfulness.

I will not be careless, slack, negligent, or nonchalant concerning the purposes of God for my life. I understand that to whom much is given, much is required, and I willingly embrace the responsibility attached to what the Lord has committed to me.

My heart says yes to everything the Lord has prepared for me, and my will is surrendered to the Holy Spirit. My motives I declare are purified, my desires are brought under the Lordship of Jesus, and my life is aligned with His purposes. I on purpose deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow Jesus.

I receive grace to steward every measure of authority, every promise, every assignment, every gift, and every opportunity faithfully and honourably. I will remember the words of Jesus, and I will treasure His instructions, establish them in my heart, and continually walk them out.

I will never forget what the Lord has taught me, and I will allow the Holy Spirit to remind me, correct me, instruct me, and lead me into greater faithfulness. I declare that Jesus and His Kingdom have reign and rule in me. I am yielded to the Holy Spirit just as the Apostle Peter and Paul were, and I will complete the task Jesus ordained for me on this earth.

I declare that I am experiencing the exceedingly great and precious promises of the Lord in my life in the now. So I am fruitful, I am productive, and I am faithful. I declare that I am fruitful with much fruit that remains, and the grace of God is working mightily in me and through me, and the life of Jesus is being revealed through my obedience.

I will steward faithfully what the Lord has entrusted to me, and my life will become a faithful testimony of His grace, His glory, His Kingdom, and His faithfulness in Jesus name. Amen.

Today I am sharing the declarations for my communion time with the Holy Spirit on walking in the exceedingly great and precious promises we can partake of.

Father, thank You for the exceedingly great and precious promises You have given us and thank You for the privilege of becoming a partaker of Your divine nature and for everything You have made available to us through Jesus. Holy Spirit, forgive us for every place where we have been careless, slack, negligent, nonchalant, or casual with what You have entrusted to us.

Teach us Precious Holy Spirit to steward Your promises with sobriety, faithfulness, obedience, honour, and reverence. Search our hearts and expose every selfish motive, natural intention, and desire that is not aligned with Your purposes, then give us grace to surrender everything to You and to walk in the Spirit.

Teach us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus faithfully. Holy Spirit help us to remember what You have spoken, so we always treasure Your Words to us, and to continually establish Your instructions in our hearts.

Holy Spirit please give us grace to carry the authority You entrusted to us responsibly and to use every gift, promise, opportunity, and assignment for the advancement of Your Kingdom. Please let Jesus have complete reign and rule in us, so our lives become fruitful, productive, faithful, and pleasing to You, as we produce fruit that remains.

Let us experience the exceedingly great and precious promises You have prepared for us in the now, and let everything You accomplish through us bring forth the exceedingly, abundantly above all we ask or think glory to Jesus through Your power working in us in Jesus name. Amen.

I declare that I will no longer treat casually what the Lord has entrusted to me. I am a faithful steward of the exceedingly great and precious promises of the Lord. I recognize the magnitude of the grace I have received from You and the privilege of being made a partaker of the divine nature. I receive grace to walk with sobriety, diligence, obedience, surrender, and faithfulness.

I will not be careless, slack, negligent, or nonchalant concerning the purposes of God for my life. I understand that to whom much is given, much is required, and I willingly embrace the responsibility attached to what the Lord has committed to me.

My heart says yes to everything the Lord has prepared for me, and my will is surrendered to the Holy Spirit. My motives I declare are purified, my desires are brought under the Lordship of Jesus, and my life is aligned with His purposes. I on purpose deny myself, take up my cross daily, and follow Jesus.

I receive grace to steward every measure of authority, every promise, every assignment, every gift, and every opportunity faithfully and honourably. I will remember the words of Jesus, and I will treasure His instructions, establish them in my heart, and continually walk them out.

I will never forget what the Lord has taught me, and I will allow the Holy Spirit to remind me, correct me, instruct me, and lead me into greater faithfulness. I declare that Jesus and His Kingdom have reign and rule in me. I am yielded to the Holy Spirit just as the Apostle Peter and Paul were, and I will complete the task Jesus ordained for me on this earth.

I declare that I am experiencing the exceedingly great and precious promises of the Lord in my life in the now. So I am fruitful, I am productive, and I am faithful. I declare that I am fruitful with much fruit that remains, and the grace of God is working mightily in me and through me, and the life of Jesus is being revealed through my obedience.

I will steward faithfully what the Lord has entrusted to me, and my life will become a faithful testimony of His grace, His glory, His Kingdom, and His faithfulness in Jesus name. Amen.

This morning, during my communion time with the Holy Spirit, He reminded me of the responsibility we have as followers of Jesus to take seriously if we are going to remain faithful to every word the Father has spoken to us and about us. The Holy Spirit reminded me that although the Lord has given us exceedingly great and precious promises, we also have the corresponding responsibility to steward those promises and work them out with great care, sobriety, faithfulness, and honour in our lives. 2 Peter.1:4.

We cannot afford to treat casually what the Lord has entrusted to us. The promises of the Lord are not merely things we are waiting to receive. They carry with them a personal invitation into a life of partnership with the Lord Himself, and therefore they require a corresponding level of responsibility from us. The Holy Spirit pointed out that we cannot afford to be careless, slack, or nonchalant about the way we conduct ourselves and walk out our lives once we hear and receive them.

We must remember that we have been bought and paid for at an immeasurable cost because the Father gave the life of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, so that we could have the privilege of becoming sons and daughters of God. That fact alone should cause us to stop and consider the magnitude of what has been entrusted to us. In 2 Peter.1:4 we read these words: “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Look carefully at what Peter is saying by the Holy Spirit that these are not merely promises of a new car, a house, or other natural possessions that we might purchase if we have sufficient money. These are exceedingly great and precious promises that cause us to become partakers of the divine nature of God. This is an extraordinary privilege that has been bestowed upon us. The Lord has not merely promised to improve our natural circumstances but He has called us into participation and partnership with His divine nature which means we have all things.

Therefore, we should let these words saturate our hearts and overtake our minds until we recognize just how much the Lord has done for our lives and what it means that He has made us co-heirs with Him. We must allow the reality of this privilege to change how seriously we approach our walk with the Lord which is in the realm of exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. The Apostle Paul also speaks of the magnitude of what the Lord has made available to us when he refers to the fact that the Lord is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think in Ephesians.3:20.

We see that both Peter and Paul understood the astonishing reality of what had been given to them through their covenant relationship with Jesus. Their revelation of this grace was so overwhelming that they could only respond with stupendous praise as they revealed these realities to us, who would also become partakers of the same grace. The magnitude of what the Lord has done on our behalf is so immense that even superlative adjectives cannot fully express it.

Human language struggles to capture the greatness of the privilege, the inheritance, the grace, and divine nature into which the Lord has brought us. This is precisely why we cannot be slack or negligent about our responsibility to embrace these facts in our lives because the greater the privilege, the greater the stewardship required. The exceedingly great and precious promises of the Lord call for an exceedingly great commitment on our part to steward them correctly and effectively.

Jesus our Master made this principle very clear when He taught that to whom much is given, much will be required. Luke.12:48b reads: “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Therefore, we must realise that if the Lord has committed exceedingly great and precious promises to us, there must also be an exceedingly great commitment on our part to steward those promises correctly.

We cannot realistically separate the privilege from the responsibility. The Lord’s generosity toward us does not eliminate our responsibility toward Him. Rather, the greatness of what He has entrusted to us should produce much greater seriousness, greater surrender, greater obedience, and greater faithfulness towards His promises happening in our lives. I know that many people do not want to believe and accept the fact that Jesus does make requirements of us. So anyone who truly serves Jesus must understand that He requires every part of us.

The Holy Spirit will always expose our selfish motives, natural intentions, and anything within our hearts that is not aligned with the Lord’s Character that is still within our souls. He continually brings these things into the light so that we can surrender and submit them to Him and allow them to be removed from our lives. This process is not designed to diminish us, but it is designed to empower us to serve Jesus more fully and faithfully.

We must remember that Jesus’ demand of anyone who would follow Him is firstly the denial of self, then taking up your cross daily, in order to follow Him. I do not see how we can honestly embrace that call and still say that Jesus requires nothing from us. Even our natural parents do not necessarily require this level of surrender from us, but as children mature, parents often give them increasing freedom and allow greater latitude.

However Jesus calls us to something deeper. He calls for our whole person, spirit, soul and body. He calls for our hearts, wills, motives, desires, decisions, priorities, obedience, and lives to come under His Lordship. We will never receive the level of authority Jesus gives without us also receiving the corresponding responsibility to steward that authority correctly. The caveat is that authority without responsible stewardship becomes dangerous. This is because the greater the authority entrusted to us, the greater the responsibility required to use it faithfully for the purposes of the One who gave it.

This is why I would encourage you to study the Gospels over and over again to keep your mind fresh concerning the commandments of the Lord. When you study the words of Jesus carefully, you will repeatedly find Him saying, “and again I say to you.” Pointing to the fact that Jesus continually reminded His disciples to keep rehearsing His words to them, because He understood that yesterday’s teaching could easily be forgotten today.

His repetition was never unnecessary, but it was intended to put an emphasis on the importance of continuing to hear His words. He was saying, in effect: Do not forget what I taught you yesterday. I am reminding you again because this is important. So I am saying it again so that you will remember it, establish it in your heart, and live by it. The repeated words of Jesus demonstrate the importance of careful stewardship of what we have heard.

We are never to assume that because we heard something once, we have automatically mastered it. We must treasure the Word, revisit it, meditate upon it, to allow the Holy Spirit to bring it back to our remembrance, so we continually work it into our lives. This is why the subject before us is vast, because it requires careful study, spiritual sobriety, plus total heart surrender. It requires our willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to deal with everything that would hinder us from faithfully walking in what the Lord has prepared.

The Holy Spirit is reminding us today that we have not been given these promises so that we can remain passive or careless. We have been given them so that we can become faithful participants in what the Lord is doing. The grace of God is what makes this life possible, but we must surrender ourselves to that grace and allow it to work through us. The Holy Spirit wants to find in us a willing heart that is a heart that always says yes to what the Lord has prepared.

My prayer is that as you hear these words today, the Holy Spirit will find in you the willingness of heart to surrender to the grace He has made available to you. May you learn to walk in this reality so that you can experience all the exceedingly great and precious promises that Jesus wants you to walk in your life in the now. May your heart say yes to everything the Lord has prepared for you.

May you go further and surrender your heart and will completely to the Holy Spirit. Please allow the Holy Spirit to work this truth into your character, your decisions, your conduct, your priorities, your motives, your relationships, your ministry, and every dimension of your life. Because the purpose of this revelation is that Jesus and His Kingdom shall have reign and rule in you, just as they did in the Apostle Peter and Paul.

And as Jesus reigns in you, you will be able to complete the task He ordained for you to fulfil on this earth. Remember that the goal is not merely that you know about the promises, but the ultimate goal is that your life becomes a faithful expression of the One who made them concerning you. Jesus wants you to experience His glory through much fruitfulness and productivity that remains, and may everything He has entrusted to you produce lasting fruit for His Kingdom and bring glory to His name in Jesus name. Amen.

As followers of Jesus we must understand and know that there are things Jesus says that may appear small or simple to us when we first hear them, yet they carry enormous significance for our lives. The Holy Spirit reminded me this morning during my communion time with Him that we must learn how to treasure the words of Jesus deeply in our hearts, just as Mary did. Luke:2.51b tells us that Mary treasured Jesus’ words deeply in her heart.

This point raises an important question for all of us concerning: What do we treasure most in our hearts? When we examine our lives honestly, we should be able to identify what occupies the place of greatest value within us? Is it our career? Is it the home we own? Is it the car we drive? Is it our possessions, achievements, plans, ambitions, relationships, or earthly successes and possessions?

Mary’s response to the Lord gives us a totally different example because she treasured the words of Jesus. So her example should challenge us to become much more attentive to what Jesus says to us and to place His words above everything else we value. We must understand that whatever Jesus says will come to pass. Therefore, His words to us must never be treated casually.

Jesus’ words require our fullest, dedicated attention. So whenever Jesus speaks, we need to listen carefully to Him. We must not just simply hear His words and move on as though they are ordinary statements. We need to ponder them, treasure them, and allow them to search our hearts and influence how we conduct ourselves based on what they are saying to us. Sometimes Jesus may say something that initially does not make sense to us.

Peter experienced this first hand, when Jesus told Peter in Luke.22:34 that he would deny Him before the cock crowed three times. Imagine what that must have sounded like to Peter. Peter must have thought: “What do You mean Jesus? That is just an hour from now! What could possibly happen to me within such a short period of time that would cause me to do such a thing?” Peter obviously could not see how Jesus’ words could possibly become a reality.

Yet the reality was that Peter would do exactly what Jesus said he would do. This principle teaches us something very important about receiving words from Jesus: we are never to presume that we understand the situation better than Jesus does. We may look at our present circumstances and conclude that what Jesus has said cannot happen, or we may think we know ourselves well enough to know what we would or would not do.

We may even look at the time available and decide that there is no possibility of the Lord’s word coming to pass. However the fact remains constant that Jesus sees what we cannot see because He knows what is ahead. Jesus understands circumstances, people, pressures, opportunities, dangers, and spiritual realities that we may not yet perceive. Therefore, when Jesus speaks, our responsibility is not to argue with His word or explain why it cannot happen.

Our responsibility is to listen carefully, then treasure His word, by pondering on it, and making all the necessary corrections to enable us benefit fully from it. The Holy Spirit particularly emphasized this principle to me for us to: Never presume we know what Jesus is thinking. This is one of the great dangers in our walk with the Lord.

We can hear part of a situation, observe the circumstances, and then immediately form an opinion about what Jesus would want us to do. We may even convince ourselves that we are being wise or sensible. However the wisdom of the Lord is never the same as our natural reasoning, and sometimes what appears obvious to us is not what the Lord is saying.

Sometimes the person we think should not be helped is precisely the person the Lord wants us to minister to. In many cases the opportunity we think should be postponed is the opportunity the Lord has specifically arranged and what appears to be an interruption is actually a divine appointment. This is why we must treasure the voice of Jesus above our own assumptions.

Mary’s example in Luke:2.51b challenges us to examine what occupies the treasure room of our hearts, by looking at what we value most? What words do we carry with us which we keep replaying in our minds? What words do we allow to determine our decisions?

What do we allow to influence our actions? The Lord from His part wants His words to have that place of prominence within us because when we treasure His words it reveals the fact that we trust Him implicitly and have faith in His faithfulness to carry out what He has spoken to us.

Father, thank You for the example of Mary and for the reminder in Luke:2.51b to treasure the words of Jesus deeply in our hearts. Holy Spirit, please teach me to become a more attentive listener. Deliver me from the folly of presumption that we already know what Jesus is thinking or what He intends to do, by giving us the grace to hear His words clearly, ponder them deeply, treasure them faithfully, and make every correction necessary to walk in obedience.

Help us Precious Holy Spirit not to allow our careers, homes, cars, possessions, plans, or natural reasoning to become greater treasures in our hearts than the words of Jesus. Whenever Your instruction do not seem to make sense to us, help us to trust You rather than argue with Your word. When You interrupt our plans, help us to recognize them as divine appointments.

I declare that the words of Jesus are the greatest treasure in my heart and I will treasure His voice above my career, my possessions, my home, my car, my plans, my ambitions, and my own understanding. Today I receive the grace to listen carefully whenever Jesus speaks, so that I will no longer presume that I know what Jesus is thinking.

I declare that I will not allow my natural reasoning, circumstances, emotions, or human opinions to speak louder than the voice of the Holy Spirit. I will hear, ponder, treasure, and obey the words of Jesus spoken to me, and when His word challenges my understanding, I will trust Him. So that when His instruction requires a correction, I will make the correction promptly and move when He tells me to move.

I declare that I will no longer miss divine appointments because I presumed that I already understood what the Lord was doing because my ears are attentive to hear the voice of Jesus. I declare that my heart treasures His words and my steps are ordered by His counsel, knowing that His voice will save me and rescue me from all harm.

I declare that the voice of Jesus will protect me from floppy decisions that would take me outside His purpose. So that whatever Jesus says concerning my life will come to pass. I will no longer contradict His word because of what I see presently, and I will not abandon His instruction because I cannot yet understand how it will happen.

Like Mary, I will treasure Jesus’s words deeply in my heart and just like Peter, I will learn that the Lord sees what I cannot yet see. I declare that I will discern spiritually that what appears to be an interruption is a divine appointment carrying blessings and purposes far beyond what I presently understand.

I will listen to Jesus, then I will treasure His voice, and I will obey His instruction. So that I will walk safely in His purposes, and His word concerning my life will surely come to pass, in Jesus’ name. Amen.