YOUR FAITH WILL HEAL YOU: 31/3/2020

Mathew 9:21-22 – She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

This woman did not need Jesus to even talk to her – she just wanted to touch His coat. With that touch she believed she would be healed. And yes she was healed.

Too often we struggle in our faith. When we pray, we come into His presence and there we give God our burdens. Why do we pick them back up on the way out of His presence? Why do we feel God has to come to our workplace to fix things, to our homes and meet our needs, to our relationships and deal with our ego, to our problems and remove them? It is because our faith is weak.

Faith is taking His promises that He gives to us in His presence and walking out knowing that He will keep every promise. It is touching His garment and knowing God has heard and will answer our prayers.

Let’s come into His presence. Let’s hear the promises from His Word. Let’s leave with the faith of this woman knowing because we’ve chose to believe Him and His promises, our faith will heal us.

PRAYER:
Father, today in Your presence, I want to hear You speak. Let Your Word wash over me and saturate my mind and thoughts. I want to hear the promises spoken from Your mouth. Your words are life. I want Your life in abundance. Forgive me when I have left Your presence in the past and picked up my burdens on the way out. I choose today to leave only with the promises You speak. In Jesus’ name I pray Amen.

NB: A prayer of faith ushers you into the presence of God.

Calling Forth

NEW WINE IN NEW WINESKIN: 30/3/2020

HIPI: THE GLORY DEVOTIONAL

Mathew 9:17 – Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

This is one of my favorite parable about life.

God has used this parable to release so much blessing in my life. This is because it talks about letting God release new things into us. Too often we are comfortable with the things God has given us. God has life for us that is much greater, much more exciting and challenging than anything we have done or can imagine.

It is summed in this parable – we need new wineskins because God has new wine for us. Our mindsets cannot contain what God wants to do in and through us. It means letting go of what you feel comfortable with, what you can understand and do well, what you want to do and letting God lead you into a whole new world of experiences.

It is easy to think we are in that world right now – that is what these people thought. Jesus is telling you otherwise. He is saying, “What I am bringing cannot be contained in your thinking right now”. Let His word open up God’s heart to us in ways that we have never seen.

PRAYER:
Father, I thank You for I know there are still doors that You want to open up for me that I do not imagine. So today as I look at Your Word, open my eyes to the things I need to see. Give me the strength and faith I need to take hold of it and never let it go. Give me a heart to walk in Your great and awesome plan. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR HOPE OF CHANGE : 29/3/2020

HIPI: THE GLORY DEVOTIONAL

2 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

So many people know they need a change or a transformation in their lives but they don’t know how.

When we turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. The veil represents the things that hold us back from change; things like fear, guilt, unbelief, anger, freshly desires and so on. But the good news is that when you are in Christ, you are being transformed – changed – like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

We may not see ourselves the way God sees us, nevertheless we must allow ourselves to change. It is a process of progress – we are works in progress. We can trust God with the transformation of our lives because He has the blueprint for our own unique design.

So, how does God change us? He does it in three ways: by the renewing of our mind, by the Holy Spirit and by His grace. The key is to allow His transformation to work in your life. We are saved by grace but we are changed by choice. We have to continue to make right choices, every day, one after the other, aligning our lives with His plan and purpose for us.

Our one hope is in the One Who never changes: Jesus. So, let our hope of change be to become consistently more like Him. (2 Corinthians 3:18).

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank You for making it possible that when I come to You the veil that holds me back from changing is taken away. Lord thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit and keep renewing my mind so I’ll be able to make right choices daily which aligns to Your plan and purpose for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

WHY IS GOD TAKING LONG? : 28/3/2020

HIPI: THE GLORY DEVOTIONAL

James 1:2-4 – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

When things are rough, when they’re not going the way you had hoped, when you feel your prayers aren’t being answered, when the trials of life seem too much to bear, when the battle seems too long, when your faith is under attack, when you’re feeling weary and you aren’t sure you can endure much longer, you can cling onto the foundation provided for your faith—the many promises contained in God’s Word—and rest in that safe haven.

One such promise is that “you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” —but God doesn’t promise that it will be yours instantly. His timetable is not always the same as ours. There are times when He does bring instant answers to prayer, but there are also many times when He allows time for our faith to mature and develop, like fine wine.

Patience is not an easy virtue to cultivate. In fact, it goes entirely against the way the world today operates, which is all about getting quick results. We can experience instant miracles and answers to prayer when God knows that’s what’s best, but sometimes He may want us to experience the tests, trials, and challenges of life that arise when His answers don’t come immediately.

Faith isn’t manifested only in our ability to receive immediate, miraculous answers to prayer; it is also manifested in endurance, longsuffering, and the patience to hold on even when we don’t see immediate results from our prayers. So “let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

PRAYER:
Faithful God, thank you for your promises that never fail. You remain faithful even when I am unfaithful. I pray for the grace to patiently wait for Your timing and not to faint no matter how tough the battle maybe. May I remain steadfast so I would be made perfect and complete, lacking nothing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

CAUSE FOR CHANGE : 27/3/2020

HIPI: THE GLORY DEVOTIONAL

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I have had plenty of setbacks and discouragements in my life, but my sense of purpose has enabled me to keep getting up, keep striving to be better and keep on going.

Our lives are as powerful as the purpose they are attached to. If you have a vision for your life that is attached to a purpose – especially the purpose of God for your life– this will be your motivation to change and strive to become better. The reward of change is the blessing of God. Your life will improve, you’ll have a sense of well-being and fulfillment.

The change that God brings lines up your life with His will, and when this happens, you start to see the fruit in every area of your life. The key is to make good choices, every day to live a life pleasing to God. This brings positive change in your life while bringing you continually closer to Jesus and being transformed into His likeness.

PRAYER:
King of glory, I thank You for designing me for a purpose. I pray that may you help me to keep discovering it everyday and that may it motivate me to keep going despite setbacks and may it also be a cause for my transformation into Christlikeness daily. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

AN EVER-PRESENT HELP : 26/3/2020

HIPI: THE GLORY DEVOTIONAL

Psalms 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

We know that God is always with us, but the psalmist says that in times of difficulty, God is our ever present help. You’ll never see the fullness of who God if you’re in the light all the time. It’s in the storms, in the difficulties that God is most present.

When you don’t see a way out and it’s dark, you’re in prime position to experience divine help, so never get discouraged or give up. It’s going to happen for you, though you may not see it coming. One moment you are down, weak, struggling to overcome temptation, etc but suddenly you’re up, strong and conquering every thing the devil throws at you, experiencing breakthroughs, etc. What happened? Help came from above.

The God who is a very present help in trouble said, “Your night season was only temporary. It’s time for your breakthrough. Now it’s time to propel you forward.” God is about to do that for you. You only need to remain steadfast, never give up and keep walking in righteousness pleasing the LORD.

PRAYER:
Father, thank You that in times of trouble when I don’t see the way out and it’s dark, that You come bursting in with help and direction. I believe that You, the Creator of the universe, have highly favored me and are about to propel me forward. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TAKING OUT THE GIANTS: 25/3 /2020

HIPI: THE GLORY DEVOTIONAL

1 Samuel 17:45-46a – You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand.

When David faced Goliath the odds were completely against him. David was a young shepherd boy who loved to sing but facing and conquering his giant was the catalyst to becoming Israel’s most beloved and famous king.

What giants do you have to face? Do you realise that these giants could be the catalyst to changing your life? David knew the source of his change didn’t lie within his own ability but with God when he boldly declared,

You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand. (1 Sam 17:45-46a)

Like David, if you put your trust and hope in the Lord as the source of your breakthrough and victory, the Holy Spirit will empower you to take down the giants that threaten to hold you back from your God-given destiny.

In the same way, the Apostle Paul always pointed people to Jesus as their source. In Colossians 1:27b he declares “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The more like Jesus you become, the more your life will change for the better. The source of your change, breakthrough and salvation is in knowing Christ – go to Him and His Word and there you will find the keys to taking out those giants.

PRAYER:
Omnipotent God, I thank You for being a source for the change in my life and breakthrough. Father help me face the giants in my life even as I put my hope and trust in You. May I not rely on my ability but wholly depend on You. For Christ in me is the hope of glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

CHECK YOUR SOIL : 24/3/2020

HIPI: THE GLORY DEVOTIONAL

Mathew 13:8 – Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.

Jesus told a parable about a man who sowed seed on good ground, and it flourished, producing great crops. But some of the seed fell on rocky ground, and lacking soil and deep roots, its plants withered. Other seed fell among the thorns, and its plants were choked from growing. All the seed was the same quality; what made the difference was the soil.

You are a seed. You are full of gifts, talents, and potential. But if you plant yourself in unhealthy soil, if you hang around friends who compromise and pull you down, if you’re in an environment with limited mindsets where people tell you how you’ll never accomplish your dreams, you won’t see the growth you should.

It’s not because there’s something wrong with your seed. It’s that the thorns and rocks are choking the life out of your seed—your dreams, your vision, and your character. Do your part and keep your seed in good soil; an environment that will spur you up in love and good deeds, one that will challenge you to grow in your faith and prayer life, a soil that will make you delight in God the more.

PRAYER:
Eternal loving Father, I thank You for the gifts and potential You put in me. Help me protect what You’ve entrusted to me by being selective about my environment. I believe that as I stay in the good soil, I am going to see increase and new levels. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

THIS HAS GOT TO CHANGE: 23/3/2020

HIPI: THE GLORY DEVOTIONAL

Psalms 109:21 – But you, Sovereign Lord , help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

Have you ever felt that there’s something in your life that represented real failure or pain or just some big mistake you made or an attitude or addiction that you have to change? Do you believe you can actually change your life?

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, job, chatting with friends, visiting love ones, relationships, relaxation, etc — and place it before God as an offering.

Embrace what God has done for you. Fix your attention on God, you’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. God can bring the best out of you, and develop a desirable attitude and character in you that is pleasing to Him.

The very first step toward change is to believe that you can. You don’t have to stay the way you are because God is a God of change and transformation. He can bring change to your life and bring the best out of you.

PRAYER:
Gracious and loving Father, I thank You for loving me and always desiring the best for me despite my limitations. Lord I can’t do this without Your help, I need Your grace and help to be all that You want me to be. I know there’s nothing impossible with You if I believe. Help me Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen