Daily Divine Encounter: Recent Episodes
International Prayer House Chapel
A Daily Devotional Prayerfully put together to inspire and divinely position us ready for the challenges of everyday. This Holy Spirit inspired devotional is brought to you by Reverend Alfred Acheampong, General Overseer of International Prayer House Chapel. We pray these messages impact your life and the lives of other throughout the world. Kindly enjoy these messages and we hope you see the Lord's Light through Christ Jesus our Lord. Shalom!
The 'fourth watch' last from 3:a.m. until 6:a.m. Night TIME is when God does SOME of His BEST work! When the lsraelites FACED the RED SEA, we read, 'All that night the Lord drove BACK the sea' (Exodus 14:21 NCV). During 'the middle WATCH ' of the night, Gideon DEFEATED the Midianites (Judges 7:19-24). Jesus rose from the dead before 'DAYBREAK' (Matthew 28:1). Matthew says: 'In the FOURTH WATCH of the NIGHT He came to THEM , walking on the sea. When the DISCIPLES saw Him... they were terrified... immediately Jesus spoke....' Take courage, it is l; do not be afraid" (Matthew 14:25-27NAS).
NOTICE TWO IMPORTANT THINGS:
1) JESUS WAITED until the storm was at its WORST and they'd LOST all HOPE. That's because GOD dictates the TIMETABLE for our DELIVERANCE, and He's NEVER LATE.
2) THE DISCIPLES DIDN'T RECOGNISE HIM UNTIL HE REVEALED HIMSELF TO THEM. Often the answer you NEED is right beside you, but you don't recognise it until God reveals it to you. On another occasion, 'When... the crowd was pushing in...[Jesus] climbed into the boat that was Simon's.... put out... from the shore... [And] using the boat for a pulpit.... taught the crowd' (Luke 5:1-3 TM). In that MOMENT it would have been TEMPTING for Peter to feel IMPORTANT, THINKING the Master needed his BOAT. No, God doesn't need anything we have to accomplish His PURPOSES not our credentials, talent, or resources. So be humble. And don't PANIC! When Jesus came to the disciples that night He was 'WALKING ON THE sea.' God is on TOP of the SITUATION. Be at PEACE; He will do whatever it TAKES to reach and RESCUE you. Your problem is just a PLATFORM DISPLAY His POWER to act on your behalf!
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Anchor Scripture: 'IN THE FOURTH WATCH.... HE CAME TO THEM.' (Matthew 14:25 NAS)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, thank You for being there for me, my Saviour, refuge, comforter and deliverer. Amen
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Josiah's grandfather, Manasseh, was a VIOLENT king who FILLED 'Jerusalem from one end to the other with [the people's] blood' (2 kings 21:16 NLT). His father, King Amon, DIED at the HANDS of his own OFFICERS. 'He did what God said was wrong,' reads his epitaph. Josiah was only EIGHT when he ASCENDED the THRONE. Immediately he chose RIGHTEOUSNESS, and didn't stop doing what was right all his life (2 kings 22:2). What's the POINT? We can't pick our PARENTS, but we CAN pick our ROLE-MODELS.
When Josiah was rebuilding the TEMPLE he DISCOVERED a scroll CONTAINING God's law. As he READ it he WEPT, realising his PEOPLE had DRIFTED far from God. So he SENT word to a PROPHETESS and asked, 'What will become of our people?' She told Josiah THAT since he HAD repented when he heard God's Word, his nation would be spared (2 Chronicles 34:14-27). Wow! An entire GENERATION received GRACE because of the INTEGRITY of one man.
So, you can RISE above your PAST and make a DIFFERENCE. Your PARENTS may have GIVEN you your DNA, but God CAN give you a new BIRTH and a new BEGINNING .'You are God's children whom he loves, so try to be like him' (Ephesians 5:1 NIV). Just like Josiah, YOU cannot CONTROL the way your FOREFATHERS responded to God, but you can CONTROL the way you RESPOND to Him. Your PAST does not have to be YOUR prison; you HAVE a say in your LIFE, you have a VOICE in your DESTINY, you have a CHOICE in the PATH you take. CHOOSE well and SOME day GENERATIONS from now OTHERS will thank God for the LEGACY you left.
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to leave behind a legacy of integrity, and of service to God and man in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
We think EVERYTHING rests on our SHOULDERS, but it doesn't! It's God's WORLD, not ours. At the BEGINNING of each DAY God REMINDS us that He HAS His WAY, that He CONTROLS outcomes, and that He CARES about every DETAIL of our lives.The way we get up in the MORNING sets the TONE for our ENTIRE day, so try this:
FIRST thing tomorrow, GET alone with God for a FEW minutes. Don't TRY to make it LAST an hour, just START with five minutes. Go over YOUR plans for the DAY. If you have a CALENDAR, look OVER it with Jesus. As you are GOING through it you will HAVE some CONCERNS. Just hand them OVER to Him. Maybe you will notice a MEETING or a particular PROBLEM you are WORRIED about. Ask Him for WISDOM. If He DOESN'T give you an IMMEDIATE answer, realise that it's BECAUSE He WANTS you to TRUST Him. He has SOMETHING better in MIND, something that you HAVEN'T thought of YET. So many of us START our day ANXIOUS, hurried, FEARFUL , or RUSHED. But we DON'T have to. We are going to START our day anyway; why not START it with Jesus? Do we have any better offers? We are going to have a FIRST thought anyhow, a FIRST word, so why not let it BELONG to God, before Whom all our ANXIETIES flee? We can DO this. We REALLY can. We can START our DAY with God. Take a MOMENT and MEDITATE on this Scripture: 'Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days (Psalm 90:14 NIV).
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to always begin my day with God in prayer in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'IN THE MORNING I LAY MY REQUESTS BEFORE YOU AND WAIT IN EXPECTATION.' (Psalm 5:3 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
Esther won a beauty contest, married a king, lived in a palace, UNCOVERED a plot to EXTERMINATE the Jewish PEOPLE and saved THEM. Her story SHOWS us the IMPORTANCE of being in the RIGHT place, and being INFLUENCED by the RIGHT people. So:
1) WHERE YOU ARE TODAY IS NO ACCIDENT. Mordecai, Esther's MENTOR, challenged HER and changed HER life by saying, 'Who KNOWS but that you have come to your ROYAL position for such a TIME as this?' Esther didn't SET out to be QUEEN, but ONCE she was, SHE had to DECIDE between her COMFORT and her CALLING. It's a CHOICE we all MAKE. 'What's my calling?' you ASK. It could INVOLVE your JOB, your MARRIAGE, your TASKS as a parent, your FRIENDSHIPS. It could involve the NEIGHBORHOOD where you live or VOLUNTEERING at your church. One thing is CERTAIN: when God calls, it's 'YOUR TIME' We are TEMPTED to THINK we are 'treading water' right now, WAITING for some other TIME or more IMPORTANT opportunity. No, you don't get to CHOOSE your TIME; God DOES that! The Psalmist said, 'My times are in thy hand' (Psalm 31:15).
2) GOD SENDS SPECIAL PEOPLE TO GUIDE US. Without Mordecai in HER life Esther MIGHT never have UNDERSTOOD her CALLING. And without his HELP she MIGHT never have EMBRACED it. So, who's your Mordecai? Who KNOWS you WELL enough to HELP clarify your CALLING ? Who loves you ENOUGH to challenge you when you get off track, or STRENGTHEN you when you WANT to quit and TURN back? Not one of us is a COMPOSITE of all of life's VIRTUES; we all have BLIND spots and WEAKNESSES. That's why God SENDS others; and why we NEED them!
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father connect me to the helpers of my destiny in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.' (Esther 4:14 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Sometimes it's WISE to wait, to say, 'l don't have the answer right now but I will think about it, pray, and get back to you.' Your need to RESCUE someone, or IMPRESS them and make points, will come back to BITE you. The Bible says, 'A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly' (Proverbs 12:23 NIV). Allow WISDOM to DETERMINE your RESPONSE , not EGO! When people are ANXIOUS for ANSWERS they will PRESSURE you into SPEAKING before you have all the FACTS or have TAKEN time to PRAY and CONSIDER the situation. If you ASK Him, God will tell YOU what to SAY and WHEN to SAY it. His PROMISE is: 'l have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand' (lsaiah 51:16 NIV). Ego says, 'Don't JUST stand THERE, say something.' WISDOM says, 'Don't JUST say SOMETHING, stand there!' Quietly ASK God for insight. One insight from Him can settle THINGS in a HURRY . SOMEONE else's NEED to know shouldn't DETERMINE your need to SPEAK.
When Jesus STOOD before PILATE in JUDGMENT He said, 'DO you THINK l CANNOT call on my Father, and he will at ONCE put at my DISPOSAL more than twelve legions of angels?' (Matthew 26:53 NIV). Yet the Bible says, 'He opened not his mouth.' When He was brought before PILATE , Jesus just STOOD there and said NOTHING. That's because He was not on trial, Pilate was. Jesus knew His DESTINY, and most importantly, He knew His FATHER intimately. And when you KNOW God, you can FACE anything with CONFIDENCE; and be FREE to be QUIET . What a WONDERFUL place to be!
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to always open my mouth in wisdom and to take time to pray before giving out answers and solutions to issues of concern in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
When you make DECISIONS based on doubt and UNBELIEF , they never turn out right. After HEARING Jesus PROMISE to RISE from the DEAD , and actually SEEING Him ALIVE, the disciples went back to WHAT they were doing BEFORE they met Him: FISHING . NOW God will use our past EXPERIENCES to TEACH HIM us, but He ALWAYS LEADS us FORWARD; never back. When FEAR and UNCERTAINTY make us want to go back to the SECURITY of what we KNOW, we END UP WITH like the DISCIPLES: ' They went out and......GOT into THE boat, and that night they caught nothing' (John 21:3 NKJV).
But there's good news: lf God called you, you are still called. Notice how Jesus addresses them: '"Children, have you any food?"' (John 21:5 NKJV). In spite of your lacklustre performance, you are still His child! Next, He tells them: '"Throw your net on the right side of the boat...". When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "lt is the Lord!" (John 21:7 NIV). That morning Jesus ate breakfast with them, renewed fellowship, removed their doubts and sent them out to change the world. What's the lesson here? When we work out side God's will it is like fishing on the wrong side of the boat; we wear ourselves out and in the end have nothing to show for our efforts. Are you succeeding in life? No? Maybe you are fishing on the wrong side of the boat! Things aren't going to work out right until you submit to Christ, renew your fellowship with Him and allow Him to direct your steps.
God's Servant.
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to continue to win souls for your kingdom in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'THROW YOUR NET ON THE RIGHT SIDE.' (John 21:6 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
There's an INTERESTING sequence of EVENTS leading up to Peter's DENIAL of Christ.First, Jesus WARNED Peter that he was a TARGET: '"Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But l have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren'" (Luke 22:31-32). Next we read that when the AUTHORITIES came to arrest Christ, Peter 'followed afar off' (Luke 22:54). Notice, Peter had GROWN distant from Christ. Then the man who SWORE he did die for Jesus DENIED knowing Him. At that point the ROOSTER crowed, Peter REMEMBERED his promise to Jesus, and 'went out, and wept bitterly' (Luke 22:55-62).
Observe how it works:
a) you are UNPREPARED for the enemy's ATTACK when it comes
b) you ALLOW work and family PRESSURES to cause you to FORGET that your first COMMITMENT must always be to God.
c) you END up spiritually DEFEATED. You say, 'That will never happen to me.' That's what Peter said! The reason '"Satan hath desired to have you,'" is because he KNOWS that when you become PASSIONATE about God's purposes, you are UNSTOPPABLE . lndeed, the very DESIRE that's BURNING within you right now is the FUEL that ENABLES you to withstand his ATTACKS.
There's a reason the CRUCIFIXION has been REFERRED to as 'The Passion.' The Bible says of Christ: 'Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God' (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV). Even as He was DYING, Jesus was MINISTERING to others. That's PASSION! So the Word for you today is, 'Don't LOSE your PASSION for God.'
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to continue to serve you with passion all the days of my life in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: DON'T LOSE YOUR PASSION FOR GOD! 'LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART.' (Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The CHRISTMAS STORY goes like this: 'There were.... shepherds.... keeping watching over their flocks by night. And behold an angel of the Lord stood before them… The angel said to them, ' Do not be afraid, for behold, l bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger (Luke 2:8-12 NKJV).
Have YOU ever WONDERED why the ANGEL first TALKED to shepherds, a job CONSIDERED lowest on the SOCIAL ladder? Think about it: if the ANGEL had talked to church LEADERS they did have had to consult their DOCTRINAL texts books and DENOMINATIONAL boards. If he did appear to CELEBRITIES they did have had to check and see who was WATCHING. If he did appear to CHIEF EXECUTIVES they did have had to CONSULT their DIARIES and spreadsheets. So he gave the GREATEST news STORY in history to THOSE with no axe to GRIND, no REPUTATION to protect and no LADDER to climb; people with humble HEARTS and open MINDS; people with simple, CHILD- LIKE faith. Getting the idea? Outside Bethlehem there is a church marking Jesus' birthplace. Behind the altar is a CAVE with a SYMBOLIC star EMBEDDED in the floor. You can enter the CAVE, but with one REQUIREMENT you must KNEEL. The door is too LOW to get in STANDING up! God still OPERATES that way. You will find HIM among the COMMONPLACE. But to EXPERIENCE Him, you must get DOWN on your KNEES.
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending your Son to come to die for my salvation. I renew my pledge to serve Him in humility today and always in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'NOW THERE WERE… SHEPHERDS...' (Luke 2:8 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
There is the need to walk in FORGIVENESS throughout your EXISTENCE on earth. The American author Philip Yancey DESCRIBES forgiveness as an UNNATURAL act and says, 'You don't find dolphins forgiving sharks for eating their play mates. It's a dog-eat-dog world....not a dog-forgive-dog world.' BITTERNESS comes NATURALLY when you have been HURT, whereas, forgiving is SUPERNATURAL and requires God's enabling GRACE. But remember, Jesus said, 'lf you do not forgive... your Father will not forgive your sin' (Matthew 6:15 NIV). Humanly SPEAKING, there is not one single REASON God should forgive your SINS, yet the OFFENSES He PARDONS you for every day far OUTWEIGH anything you will EVER be ASKED to forgive OTHERS for. By FORGIVING, you change the whole DYNAMIC. You OPEN the door of a PRISON where you are both PRISONER and JAILOR, setting yourself and the other PERSON free. Grudges not only ISOLATE you from PEOPLE who were once FRIENDS, they actually SHORTEN your life by PRODUCING deadly enzymes that CONTRIBUTE to a host of physical AILMENTS.
One man told his counsellor, 'l wish my BROTHER could come to my WEDDING, but we haven't SPOKEN in years.' The counsellor asked, 'How come?' Pausing, the man replied, 'lt sounds RIDICULOUS now, but I don't even REMEMBER.' DRIFTING apart is the natural RESULT of an UNFORGIVING spirit; FORGIVENESS reverses the TREND by restoring and HEALING broken RELATIONSHIPS. It's a medical CERTAINTY that FORGIVENESS adds YEARS to your life. As a rule, when you talk to PEOPLE who have passed the eighty-year mark you find THEY are at PEACE with THEMSELVES because they have LEARNED to FORGIVE and let GO.
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
You KNOW you are GETTING older when: your KNEES buckle and your BELT doesn't fit again like before; you ARGUE about which denture is APPROPRIATE or best; you sit in a ROCKING chair and can't MAKE it go; by the TIME you HAVE lit the last CANDLE on your BIRTHDAY cake the first ONE has burned out; you no LONGER think 'getting older' JOKES are funny. GETTING older isn't for the FAINT-OF-HEART, so the Bible GIVES us glimpses of what it ENTAILS. Isaac's EYESIGHT gave out (Genesis 27: 1). Jacob COULD not see (Genesis 48:8-10). DAVID was always COLD (1 kings 1:1-4). ELISHA became sick and DIED (2 Kings 13:14) Paul REFERRED to himself as 'Paul, the aged' (Philemon v. 9 NAS) and TALKED about the PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL PAINS of old age - of feeling ABANDONED and LONELY, being DISAPPOINTED by fellow WORKERS, and saying GOODBYE to FRIENDS he MIGHT never see again (2 Timothy 4:9-21).
One author writes: 'On my most recent BIRTHDAY my sister sent me this MESSAGE: ' The bad news: outwardly we are wasting away.' (Did l mention this is my older sister, and as I like to remind her, she will always be my older sister!) Then she ADDED, 'The good news: We do not LOSE heart.... even THOUGH OUTWARDLY we are WASTING away.... the INWARD man is BEING renewed every day.' lf you have creaky joints, arthritic hands, weakened eyes, a slow step step, an ear that struggles to hear, or a heart that beats to the sound of a cholesterol drummer, be ENCOURAGED! God is PREPARING a.... CELEBRATION for the day you ARRIVE in heaven, where you will no LONGER age because you will be home in the LAND of the AGELESS.'
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to grow gracefully in both physical and emotional strength and to patiently wait for the day l will go home in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '..... OUTWARDLY.... WASTING AWAY.... INWARDLY.... BEING RENEWED....' (2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
In the 1950s Mary Kay Ash (1918-2001)was FIRST woman to SIT on the board of directors at the World Gift Company. (USA) But it WASN'T all SMOOTH sailing! Although she did EARNED a place in the CORPORATE world, her ASSOCIATES refused to take her SERIOUSLY and ACCUSED her of 'thinking like a woman.' FRUSTRATED, she retired in 1963 to write a book DESIGNED to help WOMEN in business. Sitting at her kitchen table, she LISTED all the POSITIVES about the COMPANIES where she did worked, as well as the things that COULD be improved. In doing so she CREATED a marketing PLAN for her ideal COMPANY. Her accountant and her ATTORNEY discouraged her but with her HUSBAND'S SUPPORT port she CREATED a new cosmetic line and RECRUITED and trained an all-female sales force. Her motto was, 'GOD FIRST, FAMILY SECOND, CAREER THIRD.' When her husband died unexpectedly, she STAYED on track and LAUNCHED her new company.
From a storefront in Dallas, USA and a $5000 investment, Mary Kay Cosmetics, lnc earned $200,000 the first year, quadrupled it the next, and when it went public in 1968 sales were over $10 million. Mary Kay wrote three best sellers, her business MODEL is taught at Harvard, Fortune Magazine named her COMPANY one of the Ten Best Companies for Women, as well as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America. When she died in 2001 she had 800,000 independent beauty consultants in 37 countries with annual sales over $2 billion. Never UNDERESTIMATE someone with VISION and DETERMINATION ! When you face ADVERSITY don't GIVE up. 'There is wonderful joy ahead.'
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help us not to give up in the face of adversities but to persevere till goal is achieved and purpose accomplished in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '..... THERE IS WONDERFUL JOY AHEAD, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE TO ENDURE.... TRIALS...' (1Peter 1:6 NLT)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Jesus said, 'Ask, and it will be given to you...' (Matthew 7:7 NKJV). But that PROMISE is QUALIFIED by this condition: what you are ASKING for MUST be in HARMONY with God's WILL (1 John 5:14). When you sign a LEGAL contract you CANNOT afford to OVERLOOK the fine print. And as SOMEONE with a DREAM, you can't AFFORD to overlook REALITY. If you do, reality will STOP you cold in your TRACKS. When God GIVES you a DREAM , He gives you all that's NEEDED to FULFILL it. The more unrealistic your DREAM, the MORE you will be TEMPTED to depend upon things you CANNOT control (such as luck). You must BALANCE the boldness of DREAMING with the REALITY of your SITUATION . Yes, you need to REACH far BEYOND what you think you are CAPABLE of, but at the SAME time BASE what you DO on your STRENGTHS and other FACTORS within your CONTROL . The more CONCERNED you BECOME with THINGS you can't CONTROL, the LESS you will do to IMPROVE the things you can CONTROL. And when YOU do that, you START living in a FANTASY world. When God GIVES you a DREAM it will play to your STRENGTHS.
Catherine B. Hales an American author observed: 'We SPEND most of our TWENTIES discovering all of the HUNDREDS of things we can BE. But as we MATURE into our THIRTIES, we begin to DISCOVER all of the things we will NEVER be. The CHALLENGE for us is to REACH our FORTIES and beyond and put it all TOGETHER - to know our CAPABILITIES and recognize our LIMITATIONS - and become the BEST we can be.'
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, continue to strengthen my faith through circumstances of life, a strengthen and stable faith that will overcome all barriers to the accomplishment of God's agenda for my life in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '.... "THEY SPEAK A VISION OF THEIR OWN HEART, NOT FROM THE MOUTH OF THE LORD."' (Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Many PEOPLE have been SOLD a bill of GOODS when it comes to DREAMS. The saying, 'lf you believe it, you can achieve it,' is SIMPLY not true. Just about EVERY child DREAMS of being able to FLY like a BIRD but it's not GOING to HAPPEN, no matter how much they IMAGINE it. Ever watch? SOME of these MUSICAL contest dubbed 'America Got Talent' or 'Nigeria Got Talent'. Some of the CONTESTANTS are clueless when it comes to their ABILITY. They sing off key, they screech, they bellow and they howl. And when they are TOLD that they are not GOOD enough by the judges, these WANNABE stars throw TANTRUMS and say, 'That's just your opinion. I am GREAT.' We all need a REALITY check. Faith is not FANTASY. It's not MIND over matter. It's not having a LOTTERY mindset. People who THINK this way BELIEVE that if they SOMEHOW show up at the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time and MAKE the right CONNECTIONS, then presto, their FANTASY will come TRUE! Wouldn't it be NICE if it were that EASY? But it isn't.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) An American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist and poet observed: 'SHALLOW men BELIEVE in luck... STRONG men BELIEVE in CAUSE and effect.' When God GIVES you a DREAM you need FAITH to BRING it to PASS. So the QUESTION you NEED to ask YOURSELF is, 'ls my DREAM from God?' When it is, YOU will have the NECESSARY gifts and TALENTS to FULFILL it. And what you LACK, God will PROVIDE in ADDITIONAL relationships and RESOURCES . The trouble with CHASING a FANTASY is, while you are DOING it you ARE not FULFILLING the DREAM God has GIVEN you for YOUR life.
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving me Faith, talents, giftings, abilities and resources to accomplish the vision that you have given me in life in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '.... "THEY SPEAK A VISION OF THEIR OWN HEART, NOT FROM THE MOUTH OF THE LORD.' (Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The Bible says: '.... That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working...' (Philippines 2:13 TM). Often the DREAM that WON'T let go of YOU, and the CHALLENGE that CONSUMES you, is God
'willing and working' in you. If you have the FAITH to answer His call you will ACHIEVE things you NEVER thought POSSIBLE.
Thomas Edison (1847-1931) An American inventor and businessman said, 'lf we DID all the THINGS we were CAPABLE of doing, we WOULD literally ASTONISH ourselves.' Don't let your BACKGROUND, your PRECONCEIVED ideas, your PRESENT difficulties, your PAST failures, your self-doubt or the OPINIONS of others KEEP you from BECOMING all that God WANTS you to be. In lf lt Ain't Broke... Break lt! Authors Robert J. Kriegel and Louis Patler write, 'We DON'T have a clue as to WHAT people's LIMITS are. All the tests, stop-watches and finish lines in the world can't measure HUMAN potential.
When someone is PURSUING their DREAM they will go far BEYOND what SEEMS to be their LIMITATIONS. The POTENTIAL that exists WITHIN us is limitless and LARGELY untapped.... When we think of LIMITS, we CREATE them.' lsrael did that; they 'LIMITED' God '....They did not remember His power...' (Psalm 78:41-42 NKJV). As a result, they DIED in the WILDERNESS. Sharon Wood, one of the first women to climb Mount Everest, said: 'lt wasn't a MATTER of physical STRENGTH but.... inner strength. The CONQUEST lay WITHIN my OWN mind. I had to PENETRATE those BARRIERS of self-imposed LIMITATION and get through to the GOOD stuff - the stuff called POTENTIAL , 90 percent of which we rarely use.' The Scripture, 'With God nothing will be impossible' is not just a nice SENTIMENT , it's the ABSOLUTE truth!
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, my birth, circumstances, family heritage, city and country of residence can not stop me from becoming all that God has purposed that I become, for with my potential l arise above every challenge to the fulfillment of destiny in Jesus name
Anchor Scripture: 'WITH GOD NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE.' (Luke 1:37 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Paul writes: 'And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.' Understand this: Grace is the power to excel or licence to just get by. Either way, you are accepted and considered righteous in God's eyes the moment you trust in Christ. Why would God arrange it that way? Because the love He gives us is unconditional, and only a response of love can satisfy Him. What an amazing truth; God makes Himself vulnerable to the rejection of people like us! Perhaps you are wondering, 'How can l prove that l truly love God? That's easy: you will love your brother and sister (1 John 4:21). You will love God's Word (Psalm 119:97). You will love spending time in prayer (Jeremiah 29:12). Grace, rightly understood, doesn't prevent holiness, it produces it. 'The grace of God that brings salvation.... teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and wordly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives' (Titus 2:11-12 NIV).
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father l thank You for the grace that is at work in me, enabling me to be and to labour with this bestowed grace and finish my cause in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'IF BY GRACE, THEN IT IS NO LONGER BY WORKS...' (Romans 11:6 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
When Edward and Alice went for MARRIAGE counselling the counsellor asked Alice, 'What first ATTRACTED you to Edward?' She replied, 'His strong, silent temperament.' The counsellor continued, 'So why do you WANT a divorce?' Alice answered, 'His strong, silent temperament!' Sometimes what drew us TOGETHER ends up a major IRRITANT. In every RELATIONSHIP there are TIMES when it SEEMS it would be EASIER to quit than to HANG in. But short of PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL abuse, there are ADVANTAGES to working THROUGH your issues. For example, there are:
1) EMOTIONAL BENEFITS. Contrary to what the world CELEBRITIES would have us believe, (Divorce rate is high among them) DIVORCED people are MORE likely to feel DEPRESSED due to LONELINESS. In fact, many say although there were DISAGREEMENTS in the RELATIONSHIP, they MISS having somebody to come HOME to.
2) HEALTH BENEFITS. Emotional stress leads to PHYSICAL problems, and being in a RELATIONSHIP, especially a GOOD marriage, can be BENEFICIAL for your HEALTH. It's like having your own NURSE or therapist.
3) COMMUNITY BENEFITS. What your CHILDREN see INFLUENCES their future choices. Staying in your MARRIAGE teaches THEM how to work through RELATIONSHIP challenges. Couples with STRONG marriages are HELPING to build a nation of LOVING, responsible PARENTS who can GUIDE their CHILDREN onto the right track. 'Love... Keeps going to the end.' American author Christy Scannell says, 'When [my husband and I] got married, we AGREED it was for LIFE .... Weeks before our wedding we made a PACT to work out whatever PROBLEMS came our way.... Yes, we FIGHT. We ACCUSE. We toss barbs... but we won't be MOVING out or filing papers... whatever happens we are STAYING .'
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, we come against all demonic attacks against Christian marriages worldwide in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '.... LOVE... KEEPS GOING TO THE END.' (1Corinthians 13:4-7 TM)
Stay Blessed
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Someone has said that we are NOT human beings TRYING to have a spiritual EXPERIENCE but SPIRITUAL beings trying to have a HUMAN experience. The life FORCE within you CAME from God, Who is Spirit. So in the act of WORSHIP, it's like GOING back to YOUR beginnings and RECONNECTING with Him.
The story is told of a little boy sitting beside the crib of his newborn baby sister. He whispers to her, 'Tell me what God is like, for l have forgotten.'
Jesus said, 'God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit' [out of the depths of your spirit]. When asked HOW he could SCORE over EIGHTY POINTS for his team in a SINGLE game, basketball SUPERSTAR Michael Jordan replied, 'Because l WAS IN THE ZONE.' ln a sense, HEARTFELT worship takes you INTO the GOD-ZONE! David the Psalmist lived there. 'Seven times a day do l praise [you]...' (Psalm 119:164). ' From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised' (Psalm 113:3 NKJV). 'As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God' (Psalm 42:1 NKJV). What a PICTURE. In the stream of God's PRESENCE our deepest THIRST is quenched, our WOUNDS are healed, our STRENGTH is renewed, and we are placed BEYOND the reach of the ENEMY.
Henry Blackaby an American pastor and author says, 'You will never be satisfied just to know about God. Really knowing God comes only through experience as He reveals Himself to you.' And that is what HAPPENS when you SPEND time 'in the worship zone.'
God's servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father l will continue to worship and praise You all the days of my life so help me Lord. Amen
Anchor Scripture: 'GOD IS SPIRIT, AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT...' (John 4:24 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
CHARACTER and MATURITY aren't qualities we NORMALLY expect to find in our CHILDREN. We assume that THESE things come LATER, , assumption that HINDERS their growth POTENTIAL. God's got HIGHER expectations for your CHILDREN!
In His Word we READ:
1) 'Our sons... will be like well-nurtured plants.' Not in their forties, fifties or sixties but 'grown up in their youth' (KJV). They needn't WASTE their YOUTH; they can GROW now. Why does God LIKEN them to PLANTS? Because they have SPIRITUAL roots CAPABLE of drawing in His nurture, ways and strength, and are born with the potential for success. '... I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one' (1 John 2:14 NIV). Hello, that's your CHILD He is talking ABOUT!
2) 'Our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.' Why would God EQUATE your daughters with PILLARS? First, because they are DESIGNED to be UPRIGHT and support-giving; they are INDISPENSABLE to the building's STRUCTURAL integrity.
Second, because they 'adorn' the BUILDING'S attractiveness, draw ATTENTION to its GRANDEUR and cause US to admire the ARCHITECT and owner. Palace pillars glorify the King, making Him, and them, look good. Your CHILDREN need you to BELIEVE in their God-given POTENTIAL. Do you remember what Jesus said about our children? '"... of such is the kingdom of heaven"' (Matthew 19:14 NIV). His faith in their potential is great. Yours MUST be TOO .
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help us, parents to identify the God-given potentials of our children and so help them to develop, grow and become a profit and a benefit to themselves their generation in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '.... WELL-NURTURED PLANTS... PILLARS... TO ADORN A PALACE.' ( Psalm 144:12 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Thinking MATURITY and SPIRITUAL growth will suddenly 'HAPPEN' to your children is like EXPECTING an acorn to SUDDENLY become an OAK TREE. Time, DEVELOPMENT and nurture are REQUIRED to produce an oak tree-the SAME GOES for RAISING CHILDREN . And the EARLIER you start the BETTER your results will be. 'lt is good for a man to BEAR the yoke while he is YOUNG.' Otherwise the passage of TIME will just PRODUCE unprepared CHILDREN with HABITS and ATTITUDES that are hard to SHAKE later on when life requires them to take on RESPONSIBILITY . In the 'yoke' metaphor the untrained ox learns by being YOKED to the well-trained one, sharing the workload and following its example. Parents tend to make two mistakes with their children.
FIRST, THEY OVER-FUNCTION. They do everything for THEM, then blame the child for being LAZY.
SECOND, THEY UNDER-FUNCTION. They DEMAND too much of the CHILD, frustrating them and making them feel INCOMPETENT . The key to building CHARACTER and CONFIDENCE is not to do it for them but WITH them, teaching them RESPONSIBILITY . The YOKE PRINCIPLE offers two great advantages:
a) IT PROVIDES THE ROLE-MODEL ADVANTAGE. 'Apprentice' your CHILDREN by patiently, lovingly using on-the-job TRAINING to DEMONSTRATE and IMPART skills and COMPETENCE. They will APPRECIATE you when the TOOLS you provide them LEAD to a LIFETIME of natural and spiritual success;
b) IT PROVIDES THE RELATIONSHIP ADVANTAGE . Those TRAINING TIMES and SHARED work are great OPPORTUNITIES to develop and DEEPEN an ENDURING and PRECIOUS BOND with your children.
God's Servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to train my children in the way that they should go so when they grow they will not depart from it. Amen
Anchor Scripture: 'IT IS GOOD FOR A MAN TO BEAR THE YOKE WHILE HE IS YOUNG.' (Lamentations 3:27 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
At age six, Henry John Heinz BEGAN helping his mother TEND the small GARDEN behind their FAMILY home. At TWELVE, he was WORKING three and a half acres of GARDEN, using a HORSE and cart for his three-times-a-week DELIVERIES to grocery stores THROUGHOUT the city of Pittsburgh.[USA] He went on to FOUND his own COMPANY and named it 57 Varieties. The Henry John Heinz COMPANY was incorporated in 1905, and TODAY, over ONE HUNDRED years later, it SELLS more than THIRTEEN HUNDRED products WORLDWIDE, ranging from KETCHUP to baby food. But THERE are OTHER things you NEED to know :
Henry John Heinz LOVED Jesus and was DEEPLY involved in the PROMOTION of Sunday school in Pittsburg and around THE WORLD. His COMPANY was noted for PIONEERING safe and SANITARY food PREPARATION and for being AHEAD of its time in EMPLOYEE relations. He PROVIDED free medical BENEFITS, swimming and GYMNASIUM facilities, and PROMOTED women to POSITIONS of greater RESPONSIBILITY, making them SUPERVISORS. He earned a REPUTATION for enhancing the WORKING and living CONDITIONS of his WORKERS . In his will, Henry John Heinz said: 'l DESIRE to set forth at the very BEGINNING of this will, as the MOST important ITEM in it, a CONFESSION of my FAITH in Jesus Christ as my SAVIOUR . I also DESIRE to bear WITNESS to the fact that THROUGHOUT my life, in WHICH there were UNUSUAL joys and sorrows, l have been WONDERFULLY sustained by my FAITH in God THROUGH Jesus Christ. This LEGACY was left to ME by my CONSECRATED mother, a WOMAN of strong FAITH , and to it l ATTRIBUTE any success l have ATTAINED.'
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to leave a generational legacy behind the kind that will continue to speak after I am gone in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'HER CHILDREN RISE UP AND CALL HER BLESSED...' (Proverbs 31:28 NKJV)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Heaven ANNOUNCED the birth of Jesus in these words: 'The virgin will... give birth to a son, and... call him lmmanuel which means,'God with us.' lsn't it ironic that the FIRST people to QUESTION the MIRACLE of the virgin BIRTH were RELIGIOUS leaders? The pharisees said to Jesus, '..." We were not born of fornication..."' (John 8:41 NKJV). Their INSINUATION was CLEAR and CRUEL . After all, Jesus couldn't point to Joseph and say, 'He's my father.' Understand this: Jesus had to be MAN in order to DIE , and He had to be God in ORDER to SAVE . You were the CHILD of an EARTHLY father, so you WERE 'born in sin.' But Jesus was the CHILD of a heavenly Father, so He broke the GENETIC cycle of SIN before He was BORN .
In the Old Testament a SACRIFICIAL lamb had to be WITHOUT blemish (birth defect) or spot (something picked up along the way). Since Jesus had NEITHER inherited sin nor practiced sin, He qualifies as '... "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world"' (John 1:29).
The VIRGIN birth is TRUE because:
a) THE ANGEL OF THE LORD ANNOUNCED IT (Matthew 1:20);
b) MARY'S HUSBAND-TO-BE ACCEPTED IT (Matthew 1:24);
c) ELIZABETH , HER COUSIN, RECEIVED IT BY DIVINE REVELATION (Luke 1:41-42);
d) THE STORY WAS WRITTEN BY A WELL RESPECTED MEDICAL DOCTOR WHO KNEW THE CHARACTER OF ALL CONCERNED: '...since l myself have carefully INVESTIGATED everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to WRITE an ORDERLY ACCOUNT for you... that you may know the CERTAINTY of the THINGS you have been TAUGHT' (Luke 1:3-4 NIV).
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Points: Heavenly Father l thank You for the miraculous birth of your son Jesus Christ, for with His birth came my salvation and deliverance from eternal damnation. Amen
Anchor Scripture: 'THE VIRGIN WILL... GIVE BIRTH TO A SON...' (Matthew 1:23 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
To be 'saved' YOU must PUT your TRUST in Christ, and NOTHING else. You say, 'But what if l clean up my act?' No, there are PEOPLE who live BETTER by ACCIDENT than you do on PURPOSE . Our DISTINCTION as Christians is that we have PLACED our TRUST in the SHED blood of Jesus Christ, and NOTHING else. Paul lays it clearly on the line: 'lf you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation' (vv. 9-10 NKJV). SALVATION is the RESULT of what you BELIEVE in your HEART about the FINISHED work of Christ, and what you CONFESS with your LIPS .
Those two elements, BELIEVING and CONFESSING , bring you into a STATE of 'RIGHTEOUSNESS ' in the EYES of God. Once you PLACE your TRUST in Christ, God sees you as RIGHTEOUS from that MOMENT on. The word 'RIGHTEOUS ' simply MEANS 'to be in right STANDING with God.' What a WAY TO LIVE! What a WELL OF JOY! What a SOURCE OF CONFIDENCE !
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, thank You that I have right standing with You through the work of redemption. Amen
Anchor Scripture: 'WITH THE HEART ONE BELIEVES UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS...' (Romans 10:10 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Each time we OFFER our BODIES as 'living sacrifices' to God, our STUBBORN nature will REBEL . But WITH Christ in CONTROL we can BREAK its grip. 'Do not conform... to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind' (NIV). We have the OPTION ; be CONFORMED or TRANSFORMED ! Deciding 'l will not conform to the world' leads to a TRANSFORMED LIFESTYLE. Your old NATURE naturally conforms, ENSLAVING you to WORLDLY influences.
Philip's translation says: 'Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould.' CONFORMING to the world's VALUES , like SENSUALITY , PRIDE , CONTROL , etc, will ROB you of the LIBERATING power of Christ LIVING in you, RESULTING in a recurring CYCLE of guilt, FAILURE and DISCOURAGEMENT . CHOOSING not to CONFORM to this WORLD is what OPENS the DOOR to your TRANSFORMATION . UNLIKE conformity, which is EXTERNALLY initiated, your WALK with God will BECOME an outer EXPRESSION of an INNER change. The tadpole's life is TRANSFORMED into the FROG'S LIFE, and the CATERPILLAR'S into the butterfly's. You become TRANSFORMED from the INSIDE out. How does it HAPPEN ? '... greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world' (1 John 4:4). Add to your DECISION not to CONFORM , your COMMITMENT to 'the RENEWING of your mind,' which in GREEK text MEANS you think God's THOUGHTS instead of your OLD thoughts, then watch as a Holy Spirit - empowered TRANSFORMATION begins to TAKE place in your DAILY LIFE.
God's servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to continue to grow spiritually so that l am always in the position of power liberating force against conforming to the world in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'DO NOT BE CONFORMED... BUT BE TRANSFORMED...' (Romans 12:2 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
What does it MEAN to give YOURSELF fully to God?
1) IT'S AN ACT OF WORSHIP 'Offer your bodies... this is your spiritual act of worship' (v. 1 NIV). WORSHIP isn't just ATTENDING Sunday service, singing praises and saying prayers. '... this people... honour Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me...' (lsaiah 29:13 NAS). It calls for SURRENDERING your HEART to God TWENTY-FOUR hours of every day; whether you are ALONE or in a CROWD , at work, ENJOYING recreation, SPENDING FAMILY TIME , at school, on a date etc. If your HEART ISN'T MOVING you, your BEHAVIOR will only be an ACT of RELUCTANT compliance RATHER than one of joyful COMMITMENT . SURRENDERING to God isn't a PART-TIME thing done for your own BENEFIT ; it's a FULL-TIME act of WORSHIP done for God's BENEFIT .
2) IT'S A RESPONSE TO TO GOD'S GENEROSITY. '... in view of God's mercy... offer your bodies...' (Romans 12:1 NIV). God doesn't say, 'lf you don't SURRENDER l will PUNISH .' THERE'S no arm TWISTING . You don't SUBMIT through CLENCHED teeth because of fear; no, it's a response to a DEBT . Everything God asks is INITIATED by His GIVING . Your REPENTANCE is a RESPONSE to His LOVE . Your tithe is a RESPONSE to His BLESSING . Your OBEDIENCE is a RESPONSE to His PROMISES . God's GRACE is never 'a deal,' lt's the 'FREE GIFT' of His LOVE to the UNDESERVING (Romans 5:18). Therefore 'in view of' - as a RATIONAL response
to - His mercy, 'offer your bodies as living SACRIFICES .' lt's your 'REASONABLE SERVICE' and it will be 'ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.'
God's servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father continue to accept my reasonable service in your house of worship with grace and understanding in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
Anchor Scripture: 'DO NOT BE CONFORMED..BUT BE TRANSFORMED...' (Romans 12:2 NKJV)
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
TRANSFORMATION : 1) Requires personal SACRIFICE . It's not easy, natural or AUTOMATIC . It calls for BECOMING a 'LIVING SACRIFICE' The problem with 'living' SACRIFICES is their TENDENCY to keep ESCAPING the altar, having to be LED back REPEATEDLY to be SACRIFICED again and AGAIN . Salvation is an INSTANT , once-for-all EXPERIENCE , but there can be no INSTANT , once-for-all 'LIVING SACRIFICE' lt's a day-by-day, moment-by-moment RECOMMITMENT which means BRINGING our STUBBORN nature BACK to the altar, SURRENDERING it to God as OFTEN as necessary. Don't WAIT for your OLD nature to IMPROVE or to AGREE to die before CONCLUDING your sacrifice is truly GENUINE . And don't let it DISCOURAGE you in your BATTLE for victory; your old NATURE and your REGENERATED spirit are mutual ENEMIES , '...constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions' (Galatians 5:17 NLT). Your job isn't to OBLITERATE the flesh but to CRUCIFY it each TIME it wants to TAKE over, REFUSING to let it curtail or CRIPPLE your commitment to SPIRITUAL growth.
2) IS A TWO-SIDED ISSUE. '.... offer your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God' (Romans 12:1 NIV). That INVOLVES a resolute DECISION of mind and WILL , because our BODIES don't SURRENDER themselves. Until YOU DELIBERATELY choose to 'offer your [body]... to God,' your FLESH will act UNRESTRAINED . '... Just as you..OFFER the parts of your BODY in SLAVERY ... to ever increasing wickedness, so now offer THEM in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness' (Romans 6:19 NIV). When you SURRENDER to your lower IMPULSES, you reap SIN. When you SURRENDER to God, you reap His BLESSING .
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to live a surrendered life constantly bringing it to the altar for crucifixion in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'DO NOT BE CONFORMED.... BUT BE TRANSFORMED.. '(Romans 12:2 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
A renowned man of God said, 'We like to IMAGINE ourselves a RACE of rugged individuals- ( men of steel). The truth is, we HATE to appear DIFFERENT lest we be OSTRACISED, branded FANATICS and REJECTED. So, we CONFORM. You will see it in the CHILD eager to PLEASE; the ADOLESCENT aligning with PEER PRESSURE; the ADULT breaking their BACK to keep up with the JONESES.' Just being DIFFERENT for its own sake is LIKELY to be WORTHLESS, even counterproductive. WHAT God WANTS from US is our WILLINGNESS to be radically TRANSFORMED. 'Therefore, l urge you...to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind' (vv. 1-2 NIV).
Here are TWO important OBSERVATIONS to HELP you reach that goal:
FIRST: Transformation BELONGS to believers. The UNBELIEVER can't BREAK the WORLD'S control over them WITHOUT Christ, but believers are promised: '...the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world' (1John 4:4 NLT). God's INDWELLING Spirit ENABLES you to resist the WORLD'S pressure to CONFORM you to its WAYS.
SECOND: God's appeal is urgent. 'l urge you, brothers.' Words like beg, plead, beseech are used in some translations because the appeal isn't secondary or OPTIONAL. It's VITAL, a divine imperative! God is seeking for SURRENDERED vessels that are ready to be TRANSFORMED for His USE. Are you willing to say, 'Yes, Lord, use me'?
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Points: Heavenly Father continue to transform me with Your word of truth and make me usable for your service in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'DO NOT BE CONFORMED...BUT BE TRANSFORMED...' (Romans 12:2 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Have you heard about the butterfly effect? In physics, it describes how tiny changes in initial conditions (such as the flap of a butterfly's wings) can affect weather thousands of miles away. Imagine-a fragile butterfly can alter weather patterns on another continent! Had it not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the weather system might have been vastly different. What can you learn from this? You may feel insignificant at times, as fragile as the butterfly. It may seem like you are just flapping your wings when you are standing alone for truth and honesty in the workplace or the home. You say, 'What can l do in the face of a problem this big?' More than you think! Your faith, your words, your deeds, your prayers, your example, your kindness and persistence can release the power of God and activate the forces of heaven to go to work in that situation. God loves to use things that we consider to be insignificant, like Moses' rod which parted the Red Sea, or David's slingshot that brought down a giant, or a boy's lunch that fed a multitude. Your flapping wings can initiate changes that will influence lives around you for all eternity.
Jesus said, 'lf you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "move from here to there," and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you' (Matthew 17:20 NKJV). It's not about the size of the seed you sow, but about the God Who can make it grow. It's not about the prayer you pray but about the greatness of One Who answers prayer.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Anchor Scripture: 'DO NOT DESPISE THESE SMALL BEGINNINGS, FOR THE LORD REJOICES TO SEE THE WORK BEGIN...' (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to continue to play my assigned role in the work of Your Kingdom with my giftings and abilities in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The Bible says: 'There was a MAN named SIMEON who LIVED in Jerusalem. He WAS a righteous MAN and very DEVOUT...and he eagerly EXPECTED the Messiah to COME...The Holy Spirit had REVEALED to him that he WOULD not DIE until he had SEEN the Lord's Messiah. That DAY the Spirit LED him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph CAME to present the BABY Jesus to the Lord as the law REQUIRED, Simeon was THERE. He took the CHILD in his ARMS and praised God, saying, 'Lord, now l can die in peace...l have seen the Saviour." (Luke 2:25-34 TLB). The STORY of Simeon TEACHES us three IMPORTANT truths:
FIRST: No matter how long it takes, if you seek the Lord you will FIND Him. Or better yet, He will FIND you and REVEAL Himself to you.
SECOND: God, not you, CHOOSES the time and the MANNER in which He will come to YOU. Simeon didn't GET to see Christ's AMAZING ministry during His three and a half years of supernatural power. He only saw the NEWBORN baby in Mary's arms. But he SAW God, and that was ENOUGH for him.
THIRD: Even though he was 'very devout,' Simeon REALISED that he was ONLY READY to die when he MET the LORD and EMBRACED Him. Some of us DON'T want to die UNTIL we have seen the world. Simeon didn't WANT to die until he had SEEN the Redeemer of the world. So the question you must answer is- have you MET the Lord? Is He your PERSONAL Saviour? Only when you have the RIGHT answer, are you READY to die.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to live for you and to offer myself for your service in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
In 1955 Rosa Parks (1913-2005) [ "The first lady of civil rights" and the mother of the freedom movement" in America was arrested in Alabama for REFUSING to give her SEAT on the BUS to a white man. BOYCOTTS and BLOODSHED followed UNTIL the U.S. Supreme Court ruled SEGREGATION unconstitutional. Later Rosa wrote: 'Knowing what MUST be DONE does AWAY with FEAR. When l sat down on the bus that DAY l had no IDEA history was BEING MADE, l was only thinking about GETTING home. But l had to MAKE up my MIND. After many years of BEING a VICTIM...not giving up my SEAT, and whatever l had to face AFTERWARDS, wasn't important...l FELT the Lord WOULD give me the STRENGTH to ENDURE whatever l had to FACE. It was time for someone to stand up - or in my case, sit down.' Courage is DISPLAYED at unexpected MOMENTS; what you DO in such MOMENTS can CHANGE you, and those AROUND you.
The story's TOLD of a spy who was SENTENCED to DEATH by a general in the Persian Army. (Now present day lran) The general had a STRANGE custom of GIVING CONDEMNED criminals a CHOICE between the FIRING SQUAD and 'the big door.' When the general ASKED, 'What will it be?' the spy CHOSE the firing squad. TURNING to his AIDE the general said, 'They ALWAYS PREFER the known to the UNKNOWN, yet, we gave them a CHOICE.' The aide asked, 'What lies beyond the big door?' The general replied, 'FREEDOM.' Then he added, 'Few are BRAVE enough to take that door.' The DIVIDING line between MEDIOCRITY and SUCCESS is COURAGE. That's why David told his son Solomon upon ASCENDING the THRONE: 'Be strong and of good courage, and do it.'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father continue to give me the courage to face the dangers and threats of life fearlessly so that l will inspire, motivate and influence others into acting likewise in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '..."BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE, AND DO IT..." ' (1Chronicles 28:20 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Joshua DISCOVERED four REASONS why YOU need to be STRONG and DEMONSTRATE courage. Yesterday we looked at the first two. Today let's look at the next two.
3) FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS. People are WATCHING you. They WANT to KNOW if you WILL face the SITUATION with COURAGE or buckle before it in FEAR. Your ability to DEMONSTRATE faith in the MIDST of difficulties WILL give them COURAGE. The BATTLE is not JUST about you, it's ABOUT those God has PLANNED to bless THROUGH you. You may not HAVE money or fame, but you have INFLUENCE. The ATTITUDES you display and the DECISIONS you make will INFLUENCE your children and your grandchildren. You say, 'But l am afraid.' We all EXPERIENCE fear. But the Psalmist declared, 'Whenever l am afraid, l will trust in You' (Psalm 56:3 NKJV).
4) FOR YOUR ENEMIES' SAKE. David wrote: 'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies..' (Psalm 23:5 NKJV). God WILL not only FIGHT for you, He WILL vindicate YOU in the EYES of your CRITICS. It's good to have CRITICS and COMPETITORS. Sometimes a FOE can press YOU into VICTORY where a friend CANNOT. Who WOULD ever have HEARD of David, without Goliath? Who WOULD have KNOWN about Moses, if there HAD been no Pharaoh OPPRESSING God's PEOPLE? And what would have BEEN known ABOUT Esther, without Haman's evil PLOT against the Jews? What's your DREAM? Is THERE an ENEMY standing BETWEEN you and its FULFILLMENT? Dare to CONFRONT them and THEY will BECOME an INSTRUMENT in God's HAND to press YOU into your DESTINY.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to always act courageously in all situations of life so that my faith will encourage others to act likewise in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE...' (Joshua 1:6 NKJV)
Stay Blessed
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Why did God say to Joshua, 'Be strong and of good courage' ? For four reasons:
1) FOR JOSHUA'S OWN SAKE. God had a lot INVESTED in Joshua; the FUTURE of an entire nation RESTED on his shoulders. And since God has a lot INVESTED in you too, you MUST believe that it's His WILL for you to SUCCEED. If you GREW up in a FAMILY or CHURCH where you FELT unworthy of God's FAVOUR and UNENTITLED to His blessing, you must REPROGRAMME your MIND with the Scriptures. '...then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success' (Joshua 1:8 NKJV)
2) FOR THE LORD'S SAKE. God told Joshua, '....do not be afraid...for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go' (Joshua 1:9 NKJV). God's REPUTATION was on the LINE. The nations in Canaan had HEARD how He DELIVERED the lsraelites from SLAVERY, drowned the Egyptians army in the Red Sea, and FED His people with FOOD from heaven every day. Had Joshua FAILED to conquer the PROMISED LAND it would have BROUGHT reproach to God's name and made His people a LAUGHING stock. The Lord had a BIGGER stake in Israel's SUCCESS than ANYONE else. His plan to bring FORTH the Messiah DEPENDED on their SUCCESS. His desire WAS to turn a BUNCH of slaves into the GREATEST nation on earth-one that SERVED the true and LIVING God. And Joshua had a BIG part to PLAY in it. Where did Joshua's STRENGTH come from? This promise: '....the Lord your God is with YOU wherever YOU go' (Joshua 1:9 NIV).
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, give me the courage to work through the obstacles of life to accomplish Your plan and purpose for my life. Help me to live a life that demonstrate Your presence in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE...' (Joshua 1:6 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Solomon writes: 'Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest' (Proverbs 14:4 NLT). If you INSIST on always HAVING a nice NEAT stall, YOU will have an EMPTY stall. If you WANT a big HARVEST, you will NEED a big ox with a BIG appetite who CREATES big messes.
For example, if you DECIDE to have CHILDREN you WILL have LOTS of joy, and LOTS of MESSES to clean UP. Within MINUTES, children can TURN a nice ORDERLY and FURNISHED house and make it LOOK like a trial RUN for the BATTLE of Armageddon. So you have an OPTION: live by YOURSELF and ENJOY a less COMPLICATED life, or ACCEPT the PROBLEMS that COME with having a FAMILY. Even in the dictionary, the words STRIVING and STRUGGLE come before the word SUCCESS.
Dr. John Maxwell says, 'At some point you have to make a TRANSITION from BELIEVER of the DREAM, to buyer of the DREAM. No dream COMES true WITHOUT somebody PAYING for it. And PART of the PRICE you will HAVE to pay is in LEARNING from the MISTAKES you make. You can attend EVERY success SEMINAR, read every SUCCESS manual and follow every SUCCESS mentor, but the PRICE must ALWAYS be paid in MESSES and MISTAKES. There isn't a single PERSON in the WORLD who has ACHIEVED anything WITHOUT paying a PRICE for it. Some PAY with their LIVES or their FREEDOM. Others PAY by giving up OPTIONS or finances or RELATIONSHIPS. But one way or ANOTHER, everybody PAYS.'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, l banish fear of failure out of my life and learn to take risks for the accomplishment of my dreams in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'A RIGHTEOUS MAN MAY FALL SEVEN TIMES AND RISE AGAIN...' (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Peter writes: 'Never return...insult for insult...'(1Peter 3:9 AMP). When you are UNDER fire, INSTEAD of DEFENDING yourself with CAUSTIC COMMENTS and clever COMEBACKS designed to put the OTHER guy in his PLACE, pray 'for their WELFARE, HAPPINESS, and PROTECTION..that you may...inherit a blessing [From God]' (v.9 AMP).'Keep [your] tongue...from evil' (v.10 AMP). Some PEOPLE never LEARN this lesson. There is an old English headstone that reads: 'Beneath this sod, this lump of clay, lies ARABELLA YOUNG; who on the 24th of May BEGAN to hold HER tongue.' During the French Revolution (1789-1794) the king and queen were beheaded, leaving the crown prince orphaned.
There was talk about beheading him too, until somebody said, 'lf you kill him you will just send his soul to heaven. Instead, turn him over to Old Meg and she will teach him vile, filthy words so his soul will be damned forever!' However, when they turned the prince over to this woman of the streets who tried to get him to repeat all kinds of profanity, he refused, saying, 'l was born to be a king and I will not say it!' Bottom line, when you are the child of the king your words should reflect it. 'Seek peace' (v.11 NKJV). It takes courage to be the PEACEMAKER. Everywhere you look PEOPLE are angry ABOUT the ECONOMY, health care, unemployment and just about anything else you can think of. Being a PEACEMAKER isn't the same as being a PEACEKEEPER. PEACEKEEPERS look for WAYS to keep the PEACE by maintaining a delicate balance between both sides. PEACEMAKERS plough into the MIDDLE of the CONFLICT and help them MAKE PEACE with each other.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, l continue to Thank you for the journey of life, full of stumbling blocks and challenges. With each hurdle there is growth. With each setback a valuable lesson. Lord l ask that You give me the wisdom and presence of mind to learn from my mistakes and pitfalls. Help me to approach these things with maturity, so that l can be closer to You in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'LET US GO ON...AND BECOME MATURE...' (Hebrews 6:1 TLB)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
SPIRITUALLY, some of us haven't GROWN up. 'You...ought to be teaching others, but instead you...need someone to teach you...until you become...mature..' (Hebrews 5:12 & 6:1 TLB). JUST as there are SIGNS of physical GROWTH, there are HALLMARKS of spiritual MATURITY like the ones MENTIONED in 1Peter 3:8-12 AMP)
1) 'BE...UNITED IN SPIRIT.' Now unity isn't the SAME as UNIFORMITY where EVERYONE has to THINK alike or even UNANIMITY where we HAVE to agree about EVERYTHING. Unity is FOCUSING on what UNITES us, INSTEAD of the petty ISSUES that divide us.
2) 'SYMPATHISING WITH ONE ANOTHER.' The Greek INTERPRETATION of the word SYMPATHY is 'to feel for' others. 'When [they are] HAPPY, be happy with THEM..when they are SAD, be sad' (Romans 12:15 CEV). When you BECOME more CONCERNED about OTHERS than YOU are about YOURSELF, you are STARTING to mature.
3) 'LOVING EACH OTHER.' We all need FRIENDS to LOVE and SUPPORT us. Some one said ONE of his GREATEST hopes is to END up with eight FRIENDS who will attend his FUNERAL without once CHECKING their watches!
4)'BE...COMPASSIONATE' ln a high-tech AGE it's easy to TUNE out those in NEED. When Jesus saw people, '...He felt compassion...because they were distressed and dispirited..' (Matthew 9:36 NAS). HURTING people TOUCHED His heart, and they SHOULD touch ours TOO.
5)'BE...HUMBLE.' One Bible teacher says, 'Look for OPPORTUNITIES to give..to BUILD up rather than TEARING down, to SERVE rather than being SERVED, to LEARN from others RATHER than CLAMOURING for the TEACHING stand.' So, how are you DOING so far?
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to mature and grow up spiritually through the under stated attitudes and virtues--unity in spirit, feeling for others, loving others, being compassionate, and true humility in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'LET US GO ON...AND BECOME MATURE...' (Hebrews 6:1 TLB)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Before Andrew Jackson became the 7th president of the United States he was a general in the Tennessee Militia. During the War of 1812 ( conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain over British violations of U.S. Maritime rights) his TROOPS were FIGHTING and BICKERING among THEMSELVES so he CALLED them TOGETHER and said, 'Gentlemen, LET'S REMEMBER the ENEMY is over THERE!' We did ALL do WELL to REMEMBER that. It's EASY to LOVE God because of EVERYTHING He's done FOR us; it's HARDER when it COMES to LOVING those we HAVE to live WITH.
A respected Bible teacher says: 'lf there's ANYTHING that WOULD keep me AWAY from Christ if l was LOST..it would be the ATTITUDE of Christians TOWARDS one ANOTHER...When l was a child and an ARGUMENT broke out...my FATHER used to SAY, "We may have a few DIFFERENCES inside THESE walls but REMEMBER, we are FAMILY. If your BROTHER or SISTER needs you...take CARE of THEM...love THEM...and pull for THEM." ' Everything we need to KNOW...can be FOUND in THESE two verses, 'Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself..look out...for the interest of others' (Philippians 2:3-4 NAS) ln other words, THINK about the OTHER person...Don't be SELFISH. Sounds like SOMETHING a teacher MIGHT say to a ROOMFUL of nursery CHILDREN..yet how MANY adult PROBLEMS could be SOLVED if that was the driving FORCE in our RELATIONSHIPS?...How MANY couples COULD reconcile their MARITAL differences?' Jesus said, 'People will know...you are my followers if you love each other.' In the hours before He died He was STILL praying for US to '...become one HEART and MIND...' (John 17:21 TM).
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help us to continue to love and to support one another in sincerity of heart more especially through prayers in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '...YOU ARE MY FOLLOWERS IF YOU LOVE EACH OTHER.' (John 13:35 NCV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Pastor, are YOU an EMACIATED chef? Are you SERVING healthy MEALS to your CONGREGATION every SUNDAY, while you YOURSELF are STARVING to death SPIRITUALLY? Have YOU allowed the BUSINESS side of the CHURCH to steal your PRAYER life and ROB you of TIME spent in the Scriptures BUILDING yourself UP? One of the great DANGERS of ministry is GIVING out but not TAKING in. Financially, when YOU give out MORE than you TAKE in you END up BANKRUPT. And the same thing CAN happen to YOU SPIRITUALLY.
When Joshua REPLACED Moses as the LEADER of Israel, God said the same THING to him THREE TIMES: 'Be strong and of good courage' (vv.6, 7, 9). Then He explained to Joshua where his strength and courage would come from: 'This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success' (NKJV). Note the words, 'you will make your way prosperous'. You HAVE a ROLE to play in BOTH your STRENGTH and your SUCCESS. What is it? To 'MEDITATE ON [God's Word] day and night'. To MEDITATE is to RUMINATE. Cows are RUMINANTS. They chew the cub, SWALLOW it, BRING it BACK up and CHEW it SOME MORE, and EACH time THEY do, THEY get SOMETHING more OUT of it. So CHEW on God's Word. Think ABOUT it. PROCESS it. If you WANT to be SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY, MEDITATE and RUMINATE on the Scriptures!
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to continue to build myself up spiritually by meditating on the scriptures for my nourishment, empowerment and success in my calling in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '...MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT...' (Joshua 1:8 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
Mark Roberts an American Presbyterian pastor and a writer, writes: 'On a mountain hike...we spotted a peak that seemed to be just a couple of miles further, so we headed for it. By the time we conquered it we did used up most of our water. Our return...was mercifully downhill, but there wasn't even a tiny spring to slake our nagging thirst...I spent three hours longing for water, thinking of nothing else besides how wonderful it would feel to get a drink'.
When David wrote, 'My soul thirsts for You...in a dry and weary land where there is no water', his enemies were pressing in on him and he wondered if God had forgotten him.
Ever been there? Your PAIN is UNBEARABLE and God FEELS distant? Just as PHYSICAL thirst is YOUR body's WAY of telling YOU that YOU need WATER, inside you THERE'S a SPIRITUAL thirst ONLY God can QUENCH. And He will: '..[When you] require Me [as a vital necessity]...[you will] find Me when you search...with all your heart' (Jeremiah 29:13 AMP). Half-hearted EFFORTS won't cut it! One Bible teacher says: 'The only way to know God is...FIRST-HAND. Those who are CONTENT to know Him through a SECOND-HAND relationship DON'T really know Him...They WANT others to PRAY for them RATHER than praying THEMSELVES...to provide the VERSE rather than reading it THEMSELVES. They are content with a TV church, or a SERMON on the internet...Every PERSON needs to TEST God...to SEE if He is WHO He says...if His PROMISES are true...if He will ANSWER your PRAYERS...if He will be THERE when you NEED Him...if He will GIVE you WISDOM, STRENGTH, ENDURANCE and PERSEVERANCE...He is, they ARE, and He WILL every TIME'.
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, energise my desire to always thirst and hunger for Your presence, for in Your presence is fullness of joy, peace, comfort and blessings in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '...MY SOUL THIRSTS FOR YOU...IN A...LAND WHERE IS NO WATER'. (Psalm 63:1 NAS)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Jesus said, 'Do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?"or "What shall we wear?" For [non-believers] run after all these things' (Matthew 6:31-32 NIV). One author WRITES: 'The other DAY I was WORRYING about SOMETHING when I HEARD a minister say, "WORRY is a LACK of TRUST in GOD". So then I began to WORRY over the FACT that I was WORRYING. Then SOMEONE else said, "Just DON'T worry about it".
Sounds SIMPLE ENOUGH, but I COME from a LINE of people who speak FAITH, but act OUT of FEAR. Then a friend CAME up WITH this NOVEL idea: "Why DON'T you TRY this WORRY coupon. It ENTITLES you to WORRY as much AS you LIKE, but only if:
A) IT WILL FEED AND CLOTHE YOU;
B) It will ADD to your LIFE instead of TAKING from it;
C) It will make TOMORROW better;
D) You don't MIND ACTING like a non-believer!"
Then he said, "If that DOESN'T work MAKE a list of all the things you are WORRYING about, place it in a BOX and PUT it up on a SHELF where YOU can't SEE it. If God is EITHER UNWILLING or UNABLE to take CARE of it, YOU can ALWAYS go GET the BOX and start WORRYING again but at LEAST give Him a CHANCE. And while you are WAITING for Him to ANSWER, PRAY, STAND on His WORD and DON'T GIVE your WORRIES a VOICE". 'The Amplified Bible says: 'Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you'.
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong
Anchor Scripture: 'CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM, FOR HE CARES FOR YOU'. (1Peter 5:7 NKJV)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to learn to cast all my cares upon You, knowing that You are able and capable of handling them in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Let's LOOK at SOME of the EXCUSES we OFFER for not PURSUING the DREAM God has GIVEN us:
First - Dreams DON'T come TRUE for ORDINARY people like ME.
The Wright brothers WANTED to FLY. Winston Churchill ENVISIONED a free Europe. Dr. Martin Luther king jr. DREAMED of racial EQUALITY. But you DON'T HAVE to be a WORLD figure to have a DREAM. No, the PURSUIT of a DREAM is what MAKES the difference between ORDINARY and EXTRAORDINARY people. Ordinary PEOPLE live EXTRAORDINARY lives when they FOLLOW their DREAM. Why do we SAY that? Because a GOD-GIVEN dream will MOTIVATE you to MAKE important CHANGES in your LIFE. You won't JUST change WHO you ARE in ORDER to live out YOUR dream; you PURSUE your DREAM, and the PROCESS changes WHO you are and WHAT you can ACCOMPLISH.
In other WORDS, your dream is BOTH your GOAL and your change agent.
Second - 'If the DREAM isn't BIG it's not WORTH pursuing'.
Size DOESN'T determine SIGNIFICANCE. Your DREAM doesn't have to be BIG; it just has to be BIGGER than YOU. Mother Teresa (1910-1997) the Albanian lndian Roman Catholic nun and missionary said 'We CAN'T all do GREAT things, BUT we CAN all do SMALL things with GREAT love'.
Third - 'Now is NOT the RIGHT time to PURSUE my DREAM'.
Permission to PURSUE your DREAM comes from TWO sources: God and YOURSELF. British novelist George Eliot (1819-1880) said, 'It's NEVER too LATE to BECOME what you MIGHT have BEEN'. The TIMING will NEVER be perfect for YOU to pursue YOUR dream so you MIGHT as well START now. If you DON'T, next YEAR you WILL be one YEAR older and NOT a step CLOSER to it.
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong
Anchor Scripture: 'BUT THEY ALL...BEGAN TO MAKE EXCUSES...' (Luke 14:18 NKJV)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father give me the courage and strength to pursue my God-given dream and I bind any excuse that will seek to slow down, or prevent it's fulfillment in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
When Moses KILLED the Egyptian and HID the body in the SAND, he looked AROUND to make SURE no one was WATCHING. Ever done SOMETHING wrong when NOBODY was WATCHING? We all HAVE! One pastor says he COUNSELS people whose BUSINESS travels MAKES them VULNERABLE. 'An executive FINDS that away from HOME she's INAPPROPRIATELY flirtatious, even THOUGH she LOVES her husband and WANTS to remain FAITHFUL. A high POWERED professional STRUGGLES with [sexually explicit images] in hotel rooms, even THOUGH he's not TEMPTED by them at HOME. The INTERNET sets INNUMERABLE ethical traps...By FREQUENTING online CHAT rooms a wife BECOMES entangled in an EMOTIONAL relationship with ANOTHER man...a husband STRUGGLES with the AVAILABILITY of internet pornography...The SENSE that no ONE was WATCHING allowed THEM to sin in WAYS they would NEVER sin in ORDINARY, observed life.' HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO REALISE:
1) God SEES you WHEN nobody else DOES.
When you COUPLE that with a DESIRE to PLEASE Him and not GRIEVE Him, it MAKES a difference in HOW you act.
2) 'The godly offer good counsel..' (Psalm 37:30 NLT).
If you know you are VULNERABLE in a CERTAIN area, SHARE it with SOMEONE who will PRAY for you and HOLD you ACCOUNTABLE. (Nowadays there are even computer programmes that will monitor your internet activity and send a report to others).
3) Avoid SITUATIONS that AFFORD you too MUCH privacy.
One woman CLOSED her PERSONAL bank ACCOUNT and opened a joint ACCOUNT with her HUSBAND because her SPENDING was out of CONTROL. God CREATED you to LIVE in RELATIONSHIP with OTHERS, and the MORE OPEN and HONEST you are, the less LIKELY you will BE to STRAY.
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong
Anchor Scripture: 'GLANCING THIS WAY AND THAT AND SEEING NO ONE...' (Exodus 2:12 NIV)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to continue to be accountable to myself in my walk of righteousness, integrity and holiness before You in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalSpeed
God's GRACE comes to US free and CLEAR, with no STRINGS attached. In FACT, He's more TOLERANT and less JUDGEMENTAL than MANY of us ARE. We weren't WORTHY of, didn't DESERVE it but BECAUSE we BELONG to Christ, 'Out of His...(abundance) we have all received...one grace after another...spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing...favour upon favour and gift [heaped] upon gift.'
Richard John Neuhaus (1936-2009) a Canadian born American priest and writer said, 'The MORALISING and LEGALISING of the Gospel of God's GRACE is a dull HERESY peddled to DISAPPOINTED people WHO are ANGRY because THEY have not RECEIVED what they HAD no good REASON to EXPECT'. When you truly grasp the CONCEPT of GRACE:
1) You will gain a fresh APPRECIATION for God's GIFTS to you - THINGS like SALVATION and FORGIVENESS, the gift of LIFE, HEALTH, LAUGHTER, music, BEAUTY and FRIENDSHIP.
2) You will be less CRITICAL and less CONCERNED with what OTHER PEOPLE do.
Ever heard the saying, 'I'm okay with me. I don't need to make you wrong?' WHEN you OPERATE in the FREEDOM that COMES with GRACE, you are OKAY letting other PEOPLE chart THEIR own COURSE and MAKE DECISIONS you may NOT MAKE.
3) You will BECOME more TOLERANT and LESS JUDGEMENTAL.
Instead of focusing on APPEARANCE based on RELIGIOUS PERFORMANCE, you will look for AUTHENTICITY and a GENUINE love FOR God.
4) You will GROW SPIRITUALLY.
David said, 'He brought me out into a spacious place...' (Psalm 18:19 NIV). GRACE EXPANDS your HORIZONS so you can NEVER go BACK to WHERE you ONCE were.
God's Servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, thank You, that we will continue to labour in the sufficiency of Your grace, knowing that much can be accomplished through grace in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '...WE HAVE ALL RECEIVED...ONE GRACE AFTER ANOTHER...' (John 1:16 AMP).
Stay Blessed
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The Psalmist wrote: 'Before l was afflicted l went astray, but now l keep Your word' (Psalm 119:67 NKJV). By DOING it the WRONG way, he EVENTUALLY learned to DO it the RIGHT way. The TRUTH is, WHEN you fail in one AREA, it can DRIVE you to EXPLORE other AREAS. Most of LIFE'S successes are BASED on the PRINCIPLE of trial and ERROR. Often FAILURE is not FALLING short of your GOAL, it's SIMPLY not MAKING the EFFORT. Failure can ACTUALLY help you DISCOVER your AREA of SUCCESS. For EXAMPLE, when you HATE your JOB you will LIKELY fail in it. Yet it's in LOSING that HATED POSITION that you MAY be PRESSED to pursue what you REALLY like to DO, and are CALLED to do.
Another BENEFIT of failure is THAT it makes you less JUDGEMENTAL of others. When you HAVE experienced FAILURE you BECOME more SYMPATHETIC. lnstead of POINTING an ACCUSING finger, you SEE the NEED to EXTEND a helping HAND. Instead of SAYING foolish THINGS like, 'l can't BELIEVE you DID that.' You REMEMBER the pit GOD dug YOU out of AND with GRATITUDE and HUMILITY, share your EXPERIENCES. You know how it HURTS to fail, and you FEEL their pain BECAUSE of what you HAVE been THROUGH. This MAKES you a BETTER friend, a BETTER mentor and a BETTER example of GRACE. Jesus told Peter: '...satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But l have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren' (Luke 22:31-32 NKJV).
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Anchor Scripture: 'A RIGHTEOUS MAN MAY FALL SEVEN TIMES AND RISE AGAIN...' (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father thank You for my seemly failures in life, for it has all work together for my good and has brought me to where l am fulfilling God's purpose for my life in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
In 1952 Roger Bannister (1929-2018) an English middle-distance athlete and neurologist ran in the Olympics and FINISHED in FOURTH place, FAILING to WIN any kind of MEDAL. But he REFUSED to quit. Up UNTIL this TIME many EXPERTS considered it HUMANLY impossible to RUN the MILE in under four minutes. Yet that WAS Bannister's GOAL. And on May 6, 1954, he BECAME the FIRST man to DO it. Now RUNNERS do it REGULARLY. What's the POINT? If you REFUSE to quit WHEN you FAIL, you will ULTIMATELY succeed. You JUST have to be WILLING to get BACK up and KEEP moving FORWARD.
ln 1832 Abraham Lincoln was DEFEATED for the State Legislature.ln 1833 he FAILED in business. ln 1835 his SWEETHEART died. ln 1836 he had a NERVOUS breakdown. ln 1838 he was DEFEATED for Illinois House Speaker. ln 1843 he was DEFEATED for NOMINATION to Congress. ln 1854 he was DEFEATED for the U.S. Senate. ln 1856 he was DEFEATED for NOMINATION for Vice President. ln 1858 he was DEFEATED again in a U.S. SENATE race. But TODAY he is CONSIDERED one of America's GREATEST presidents. He became the 16th president of America from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. A wise man concluded: 'lt's a MISTAKE to SUPPOSE that PEOPLE succeed ONLY through SUCCESS; they often SUCCEED through FAILURES.' And you are not DEFEATED until the PAST takes your FOCUS off the FUTURE. So don't be AFRAID of FAILURE.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Let not my enemies rejoice over me when l fall, for surely l shall arise again into victory and honour in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'A RIGHTEOUS MAN MAY FALL SEVEN TIMES AND RISE AGAIN...' (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
UNTIL you OVERCOME the fear of FAILURE, you will be IMMOBILISED at the PROSPECT of taking a RISK. The IMPORTANT thing to REMEMBER when you FAIL is NOT to quit. History SHOWS that FAILURE can ACTUALLY become a BRIDGE to SUCCESS. In school, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was forty-second in a class of forty-three, yet he WENT on to BUILD an ARMY that CONQUERED much of the WORLD. George Washington (1732-1799) the founding father and the first president of the United States of America lost two-thirds of his MILITARY BATTLES, yet against OVERWHELMING odds he won the REVOLUTIONARY War and CHANGED American history. Albert Einstein (1879-1955) a German born theoretical physicist WAS such a SLOW LEARNER that it was SUGGESTED he switch STUDIES from physics to some other topic, yet he's CONSIDERED the father of the atomic age. When you RECALL these NAMES you don't REMEMBER their FAILURES but their CONTRIBUTIONS to the WORLD. Only when you CONSIDER your FAILURE to be FINAL, are you FINALLY a failure.
FAILURE is not an event, only an OPINION, and as long as it's NOT your OPINION you can come BACK and succeed. 'A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.' In his first inaugural address Franklin Roosevelt (1882-1945) the 32nd president of the United States of America told the nation, 'The only THING we have to FEAR is fear itself.' FAILURE is not FATAL; you can BEGIN again. But the FEAR of FAILURE could PROVE fatal to YOUR goals by KEEPING you from TRYING again.
After cataloguing every possible scenario that could come against us, such as tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, Paul writes: 'Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us' (Romans 8:37 NKJV). So the word for you today is- don't be AFRAID OF FAILURE.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father give me the strength to always overcome my seemly failures in life's assignment and to try again knowing failure is not the last verdict on my life in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'A RIGHTEOUS MAN MAY FALL SEVEN TIMES AND RISE AGAIN...' (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The title of William Shakespeare's romantic comedy, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, was drawn from the biblical STORY of Jesus RAISING the DAUGHTER of Jairus from the DEAD. When Jairus WENT to Jesus for HELP, his DAUGHTER was CRITICALLY ill. While Jesus and he were WALKING TOWARD his HOME the little girl DIED. At that POINT Jesus told the DEVASTATED father, '..."Do not be afraid; only believe"' (Mark 5:36 NKJV). When they ARRIVED at the house EVERYBODY was WEEPING. At this point Jesus asked, '..."Why make ye this ado?"'(Mark 5:39).The word 'ado' means 'commotion, clamour and uproar.' Then Jesus took the child by the hand and told her to get up. And to everyone's AMAZEMENT, she did.
Now if Jesus CAN RAISE the dead, SURELY you don't HAVE a problem He can't SOLVE! The miracle WAS set in MOTION the MOMENT Jairus went to Jesus. And by DOING the SAME thing, you are POSITIONING yourself to GET the RESULTS you NEED. Are you GOING to MAKE a great 'ado,' or are you GOING to PRAY in faith, BELIEVING God to come THROUGH for YOU? How much ENERGY and EMOTION are you WASTING over THINGS that will NEVER materialise? Or THINGS you CAN'T control? How many more NIGHTS are you GOING to lie AWAKE, staring at the CEILING, THINKING about all the THINGS that COULD possibly HAPPEN? Can you IMAGINE how that MAKES God FEEL. Claim this promise: 'l will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety' (Psalm 4:8 NIV).
God's servant
Rev. Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: l shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon day because the most High is my habitation. Amen.
Anchor Scripture: 'THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ABRAM...SAYING, "DO NOT BE AFRAID."' (Genesis 15:1 NKJV)
Stay blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
RESEARCHERS have FOUND that about FORTY PERCENT of the THINGS we WORRY about NEVER happen. THIRTY PERCENT are in the PAST and can't be HELPED. Twelve percent INVOLVE the AFFAIRS of others THAT are NOT even our BUSINESS. Ten PERCENT relate to SICKNESS, real or IMAGINED. That means only eight PERCENT of the THINGS we worry ABOUT are EVEN likely to HAPPEN! Scientists at YALE UNIVERSITY have ACTUALLY identified a 'WORRY GENE.' But they say THAT while YOU may HAVE inherited it, you can OVERCOME it. SOMEBODY has said THAT 'WORRY IS JUST INTEREST paid on TROUBLE before it COMES due.' And in most CASES it never COMES due. Think; WHEN you WORRY, there's a NINETY-TWO percent CHANCE you are PAYING INTEREST on a debt that's not even yours! How foolish is that? TAKE THE FEAR of flying, for example. You WOULD have to FLY EVERY day for NINETEEN THOUSAND YEARS before reaching the PROBABILITY of BEING in a PLANE CRASH. YET it is ONE of the SIX most FEARED CAUSES of death.
SOMEONE has said that THERE are THREE HUNDRED and sixty-five 'FEAR not's in the BIBLE one for EVERY DAY of the YEAR. When you WORRY, you DOUBT God and GIVE the devil an ENTRY POINT into your LIFE. How LONG have you BEEN doing this? When are you going to STOP it? Knowing that Abraham was LEAVING his COMFORT ZONE and his SECURITY BASE, God said, '..."Do not be afraid, Abram, l am your shield, your very great reward"(Genesis 15:1 NIV). And today God's SAYING the SAME to YOU.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, Thank You that You have not given me the Spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind therefore l shall never live in fear of circumstances nor be anxious in life in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ABRAM...SAYING, "DO NOT BE AFRAID."' (Genesis 15:1 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
God asked Abraham to do a very difficult thing: '..."Leave your country...and your father's household and go to the land l will show you. I will make you into a great nation and l will bless you; l will make your name great, and you will be a blessing...So Abram left, as the Lord had told him" '(Genesis 12:1-4 NIV). If you are afraid of changing jobs, houses or locations, stand on this Scripture because as a redeemed child of God you are entitled to the blessing of Abraham. All our fears basically come down to these two questions:
First: 'Lord, will you protect me?'
Second: 'Lord, will you provide for me?' With Abraham, God addresses both: '...."Do not be afraid...l am your shield, your very great reward" '(Genesis 15:1NIV). The words, 'very great reward,' literally mean, 'l am your unfailing, inexhaustible, ever increasing source of supply.' Awesome! You don't have to go to anybody else for protection or provision; God's got you covered! And notice what happened next. God entered into a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:17); He said to him: 'l will take care of you and your descendants as long as you live.' But there was a problem. 'Then birds of prey came down on the [sacrifice], but Abram drove them away' (Genesis 15:11 NIV). There is a lesson here. Even though God has promised to take care of you, you must drive away the worries satan sends to prey on your mind. How do you do that? By standing squarely on the promises God has made to you in His Word.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, l drive away the spirit of fear and doubt from my life and enter into the realm of believing faith, knowing that you will always provide for me and protect me from the raging storms of life in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ABRAM...SAYING, "DO NOT BE AFRAID."' (Genesis 15:1 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
THERE ARE TWO WAYS IN WHICH WE ARE LIKE SHEEP:
1) Without a shepherd to GUIDE us, we get into STUFF that HURTS us. God has no 'super-sheep.' The Bible says: 'All of us, like sheep, have strayed...We have left God's paths to follow our own...' (Isaiah 53:6 NLT). Like SHEEP, SOMETIMES we are CLUELESS and HEADSTRONG, choosing things that TURN out badly UNLESS God intervenes.
2) Sheep aren't smart ENOUGH to hide THEIR shortcomings. lndeed, their WILLINGNESS to be what THEY are is ONE of their STRENGTHS.
F.B. Meyer (1847-1929) a Baptist pastor and evangelist in England said, 'l USED to think God's GIFTS were on SHELVES, one above the other, and the TALLER we grew the MORE easily we COULD reach THEM. l now find THEY are on SHELVES one BENEATH the OTHER, and it's NOT a QUESTION of GROWING taller but STOOPING lower.' Solomon said, '....with humility comes wisdom' (Proverbs 11:2 NLT). Since God ALREADY knows EVERYTHING about YOU, why bother PRETENDING? Plus, the things you REFUSE to ACKNOWLEDGE and DEAL with just STUNT your GROWTH and LIMIT your USEFULNESS to God. That's TOO high a PRICE to pay! God VALUES truth and EXPECTS you to be TRUTHFUL with Him, OTHER people and YOURSELF. Paul writes: '...express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]...' (Ephesians 4:15 AMP). And James adds: 'Confess your [faults] one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed...' (James 5:16 NKJV). We all have our PLUSES and MINUSES. But when you GIVE God all THAT you ARE (and aren't!), He will BLESS and USE you in SPITE of YOURSELF.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father thank you that with all my minuses and shortcomings you continue to use me for your glory.
Anchor Scripture: '....THE GOOD SHEPHERD...LAYS DOWN HIS...LIFE FOR THE SHEEP.' (John 10:11 AMP)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). The 40th President of the United States of America said, 'SURROUND yourself WITH the BEST PEOPLE you can FIND, delegate AUTHORITY, and DON'T interfere.' Yet in our EAGERNESS to PLEASE God we take on RESPONSIBILITIES that are 'too heavy...to handle...by [ourselves].' Moses was SPENDING every waking minute LISTENING to COMPLAINTS from long LINES of people. Finally his father-in-law said, 'You are going to wear yourself out- and the people, too,' and advised him to appoint capable leaders to 'help...carry the load' (v.22). lt was a win-win solution; the PEOPLE got help FASTER, and Moses BECAME a better LEADER. One Bible teacher writes: 'One of our GREATEST challenges...is DETERMINING what God DOESN'T want US to do! We LOVE God, we LOVE His people, and we SEE many NEEDS. But sometimes good INTENTIONS cause more HARM than GOOD...When you BECOME AWARE of a NEED, don't AUTOMATICALLY assume God WANTS you to MEET it.
The only REASON to perform MINISTRY is when God CLEARLY tells YOU it's His will. If you are OVERWHELMED...you are PROBABLY doing MORE than God asked. Pray ABOUT the ASSIGNMENTS you TAKE on, so you DON'T rob YOURSELF and OTHERS of God's best.' Jon Walker, an American musician adds: 'lmagine if God created you to be the Michelangelo(1475-1564) an Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet) of this AGE but you STAYED so busy DOING all kinds of things-good things- that you NEVER got AROUND to painting and sculpting. You did END up MISSING the best BECAUSE you got DISTRACTED chasing the GOOD. What a DISAPPOINTMENT...for God...and all the PEOPLE who WOULD have BEEN blessed if you DID stayed FOCUSED on your ORIGINAL purpose.' Learn to DELEGATE. Release the BURDENS God never MEANT you to CARRY, and FOCUS on what He CALLED you to DO.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to stay focused on my divine assigment excel in my field and become a blessing to my generation in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
Anchor Scripture: '...THIS JOB IS TOO HEAVY...TO HANDLE...BY YOURSELF.' (Exodus 18:18 NLT)
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
To SUCCEED in LIFE you must do THESE THREE THINGS:
1) DECIDE WHAT'S IMPORTANT. The story's told of a family who moved to the countryside to get away from the city in one of the States in America. They decided to raise cattle so they bought a ranch. One day a friend visited them and asked what they did named it. Dad said, 'l wanted to call it The Flying-W, but Mom wanted to call it The Suzy-Q. One of our sons liked The Bar-J, but our daughter preferred The Lazy-Y. So we compromised and called it The Flying-W, Suzy-Q, Bar-J, Lazy-Y Ranch. 'The FRIEND asked, 'How are your CATTLE doing?' Dad replied, 'We DON'T have ANY. They didn't SURVIVE the BRANDING.' Come on, decide what's important to you!
2) PRIORITISE YOUR TIME. Too many of us are like the STORE OWNER who GOT so busy TRYING to keep the PLACE clean that he FORGOT to open the FRONT DOOR. The reason you are in BUSINESS is to SERVE CUSTOMERS and make a PROFIT, not get DISTRACTED by secondary THINGS. Base your LIFE'S DECISIONS on your PRIORITIES. And if you need HELP figuring out WHAT they are, ask God: 'For the Lord GIVES wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.'
3) LEARN TO MOTIVATE yourself. Most TIMES, NOBODY else WILL. When TRAGEDY struck his LIFE, we read: 'David encouraged himself in the Lord...' (1Samuel 30:6).You NEED to learn HOW to do that too. Jude writes: '....building up yourselves...praying in the Holy Ghost' (Jude v 20). To succeed in LIFE you must LEARN to ENCOURAGE yourself, PRAY and BUILD YOURSELF UP.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Anchor Scripture: 'FOR THE LORD GIVES WISDOM...' (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father l continue to walk in the abundance of Your wisdom so l shall prosper in all that l do avoiding all forms of petty and unnecessary distractions to the fulfillment of my destiny in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
When YOU have a DREAM, there are CERTAIN things you MUST be WILLING to GIVE up. You CAN'T keep all YOUR options OPEN; you have to NARROW your FOCUS to what's most IMPORTANT.
John Maxwell says: 'Many PEOPLE do the OPPOSITE. Rather than FOCUS on their DREAM and LET go of LESS IMPORTANT things, they WANT to keep every OPTION open. But when THEY do, they ACTUALLY face more PROBLEMS because DECISION-MAKING becomes overly COMPLICATED...at first it's fun to have so many POSSIBILITIES..But as TIMES goes by, YOU can't MAKE progress BECAUSE you SPEND all your TIME preserving OPTIONS rather than MOVING FORWARD...When you EXPEND your TIME and ENERGY on the few things that make a DIFFERENCE...tasks that aren't EXCITING or IMMEDIATELY rewarding take on added VALUE. Each ACTIVITY becomes an IMPORTANT piece in that BIGGER picture.' When God gives you a VISION He doesn't SHOW you the WHOLE picture up front. He DOES it in stages so you won't get OVERWHELMED.
For example, when He shared with MOSES His vision for delivering lsrael, Moses had to WAIT for each part to DOWNLOAD. By FAITH he left Egypt. By FAITH he kept the Passover so the enemy wouldn't touch the firstborn of lsrael. By FAITH the lsraelites walked through the Red Sea and their enemies drowned trying to pursue them. By FAITH he kept the lsraelites moving for forty years through the wilderness until he stood, an old man, OVERLOOKING the Promised Land. What kept Moses GOING even after God told him he did NEVER enter the Promised Land? Simply this: he STAYED focused on DOING the WILL of 'Him who is invisible.'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to stay focused on my assignment in life without being distracted by anything of demons or man in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '....HE PERSEVERED BECAUSE HE SAW HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE.' (Hebrews 11:27 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The Bible says, '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.' Do you KNOW what God EXPECTS of YOU? FAITH! He WANTS you to TRUST His WORD, His CHARACTER and His track record of FAITHFULNESS. It is IMPOSSIBLE to please Him if you DON'TS have faith.
The DIFFICULTY you are DEALING with RIGHT now may HAVE to do with WHERE you are in YOUR faith WALK with God. That DOESN'T mean if you are GOING through TROUBLE, you DON'T have FAITH. But while it MAY not be a LACK of FAITH that got you INTO trouble, it's the STRENGTH of your FAITH that will BRING you THROUGH it. You say, 'But shouldn't l be RATIONAL?' Yes, but don't be so RATIONAL that you FAIL to LEAVE room for the supernatural. Narcissism is the WORSHIP of our OWN INTELLECT. We say, 'if l don't understand it, l don't believe it.' Then, in ESSENCE, you are your OWN god! You DON'T really BELIEVE in God, you BELIEVE in you.
What are you going to do when life hands you a problem you can't solve?Before Christ RAISED Lazarus from the DEAD He ASKED Mary and Martha to take Him BACK to the grave, the place where they STOPPED BELIEVING, the point at which they gave up because of HUMAN limitation. Why? Because only WHEN you reach THAT point, do you DISCOVER that God ' is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that [you] ask or think....' Ephesians 3:20 NKJV]
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point : Heavenly Father thank You that my faith will not fail in the day of adversity and that l will always maintain a possibility faith in all circumstances of life.
Anchor Scripture: 'WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM...' (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
When God INTRODUCED Himself to Abraham He went by the NAME El Shaddai, (Gen. 17:1) which means 'The provider of all.' And TODAY God is SAYING to you, 'l WILL be ALL you NEED!' Now you KNOW that God is ABLE, but don't you SOMETIMES wonder if He's willing? SIMPLY having a REVELATION of God's ABILITY is not ENOUGH; you must ALSO believe THAT He will, in ORDER to put a SOLID foundation UNDER your FAITH. One day a leper CAME to Jesus saying, 'if you will, you can HEAL my disease.' Jesus revealed His heart by saying, 'l will' (Mark 1:40-42). Don't ALLOW satan to CONVINCE you that God MAY or MAY not take CARE of you.
The Bible says, '....God shall supply all your need...' (Philippians 4:19 NKJV). Notice, the Bible doesn't say, 'God is power,' it says, 'God is love.' It focuses on His WILLINGNESS to USE His power, RATHER than the POWER itself. Because God has a HEART of LOVE, He will USE His power to MEET your needs.God ACTUALLY gets GREAT pleasure OUT of meeting your NEEDS. 'The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works...The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing' (Psalm 145: 8-9 & 15-16 NKJV). God may not ANSWER your PRAYER in the WAY you THINK He SHOULD or when you THINK He SHOULD, but if you TRUST Him He will ANSWER in the WAY that's BEST for you.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father thank you that You are more willing to meet and grant us all that we request for in life in line with your will and purposes in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'THE EYES OF ALL LOOK EXPECTANTLY TO YOU...' (Psalm 145:15 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Each NIGHT a little girl THREW one of HER shoes UNDER the bed BEFORE going to SLEEP. When her MOTHER asked why, SHE replied, 'My Sunday school TEACHER said if l HAVE to GET down by my BED in the MORNING and LOOK for my SHOE, it will REMIND me to SAY my PRAYERS while l AM there.' If it helps, throw your shoe under the bed! PRAYER is the LIFE force that SUSTAINS us SPIRITUALLY. David wrote: 'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you..My soul thirst for God, for the living God. When can l go and meet with God?' (Psalm 42:1-2 NIV).
In his book, The Power and Blessing, American Pentecostal Pastor and author Jack Hayford writes: 'l had GONE on VACATION, and l needed it! It was DELIGHTFUL to get to THE beach. But about the FOURTH day...l found l WAS FEELING empty INSIDE. Then it OCCURRED to me THAT for four DAYS l hadn't READ a word of SCRIPTURE, PRAYED a prayer or SUNG a SONG of praise. It was just kind of 'Let's get away from it all.' We WERE so INVOLVED with CHURCH that we DIDN'T want to do ANYTHING 'godly' for a WHILE. But SUDDENLY l was CALLED back by the INNER hollowness l FELT. Through that EXPERIENCE l LEARNED that l CAN'T recover at a PHYSICAL or EMOTIONAL level, if l NEGLECT the SPIRITUAL level.'
The Bible says: 'Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgivng.' ONLY when YOU have SPENT time in God's PRESENCE and DRAWN STRENGTH from Him, will you be EQUAL to the CHALLENGES you FACE on any GIVEN day.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to become a prayer addict in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'DEVOTE YOURSELF TO PRAYER...' (Colossians 4:2 NAS)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus: 'Pray...that whenever l open my mouth, words may be given me...that l will fearlessly make known...the gospel.' Do you pray for your pastor? You should! After Wilbur Chapman's (1859-1918) first sermon at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia USA, a man said, 'You are pretty young to be pastor of this great church. We have always had older men. I am afraid you won't succeed, but since you preach the gospel l am going to help you all l can.' Chapman thought, 'What a crank.' But the man continued, l am going to pray for you, and a few others have covenanted to join me.' Later, Chapman wrote, 'l didn't feel so bad when l learned that they were going to pray for me. Soon the three became fifty, and the fifty became two hundred who met before every service to pray for me. ln another room eighteen elders knelt so closely around me that l could put out my hand and touch them. l always went into my pulpit confident that l would have God's anointing in answer to the prayers of those people. It was easy to preach, a real joy. And what was the result? Eleven hundred people were saved and joined the church in the next three years, and six hundred of them were men. lt was the fruit of the Holy Spirit in answer to prayer.
Church members have much more to do than go to church as curious, idle spectators to be amused and entertained. lt is their business to pray mightily that the Holy Spirit will clothe the preacher with power and make his words like dynamite.' [ John Wilbur Chapman was an American evangelist and a songwriter with the Presbyterian church]
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to continue to pray always for my pastors so that they will be empowered with the Holy Spirit for effectiveness in ministry in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'PRAY...THAT...WORDS MAY BE GIVEN ME...' (Ephesians 6:19 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
When it CAME to those he LOVED, notice what Paul PRAYED FOR:
1) THAT THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND THE WILL OF God. 'Asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 'Rome was not an easy place to be a Christian, yet Paul wrote: 'Everyone has heard about your obedience...' (Romans 16:19 NIV). OBEDIENCE to God's WILL should be YOUR NUMBER one PRIORITY. When your name is MENTIONED, no one SHOULD have any DOUBT as to the LEVEL of your COMMITMENT to Jesus.
2) THAT THEIR LIVES WOULD BE PLEASING TO GOD. 'That you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way...' (Colossians 1:10 NIV). When YOU stand BEFORE God to be REWARDED you won't HEAR the words 'well said' or 'well planned' but, '..."Well done, good and faithful servant..." ' (Matthew 25:21 NKJV).
3) THAT THEY WOULD PROSPER IN THE WORK GOD HAD GIVEN THEM. '....bearing fruit in every good work...' (Colossians 1:10 NIV). NOTHING brings JOY to the HEART of a PARENT like SEEING their CHILD succeed. And God FEELS the same WAY about YOU.
4) THAT THEY WOULD PERSEVERE BY DRAWING ON HIS STRENGTH. 'Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance...(Colossians 1:11 NIV). Like a LIGHT bulb, you DEPEND on POWER from from ANOTHER source. So UNLESS you stay CONNECTED to God YOU will be SPIRITUALLY weak.
5) THAT THEY WOULD PRAISE GOD. 'Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints..' (Colossians 1:12 NIV). In other words, LIVE with an ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE and a HEART of PRAISE.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Anchor Scripture: '....WE HAVE NOT STOPPED PRAYING FOR YOU...' (Colossians 1:9 NIV)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to continue to pray always for the saints of God, for their obedience to the will of God, that they will live lives worthy of their calling, that they will prosper in the their divine assignment, being filled always with divine power and having a heart of gratitude always before the Lord in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Martin Niemoller, a former U-boat captain (U-boat is a German Submarine used in the first and second World War) was AMONG those in Germany WHO spoke OUT against Hitler. Predictably, he was ARRESTED and IMPRISONED. En route to face his ACCUSERS in court he was WALKING through an UNDERGROUND tunnel when he HEARD these words: 'The NAME of the Lord is a STRONG TOWER; the righteous RUN to it and are SAFE.' Niemoller was SHOCKED. There was NOBODY around WHO could have SAID them. Had God SPOKEN to him AUDIBLY? In the end it didn't MATTER because God USED His Word to STRENGTHEN and ENCOURAGE one of His OWN. Apparently a Christian GUARD, who KNEW the acoustics INSIDE the TUNNEL would allow SOMEBODY to WHISPER into the WALL and be HEARD up ahead, had QUOTED the verse. Niemoller was ACQUITTED but he was STILL imprisoned for another SEVEN years. When the PROSECUTOR asked, 'How can we IMPRISON a man who's been ACQUITTED?' Hitler replied, 'Because he's my PERSONAL prisoner!' Jesus said, '...when people...persecute you and falsely say...evil against you because of me. Rejoice...great is your reward in heaven...' (Matthew 5:11-12 NIV).
Charles Swindoll, an American pastor, author, educator and radio preacher writes: 'When YOU are PUNISHED for DOING the right THING, you have a "great cloud of witnesses" surrounding you (Hebrews 12:1)...faithful MEN and WOMEN who EXTENDED the kingdom and MADE the WORLD a better PLACE...at great PERSONAL cost..Take COURAGE...you FIGHT for the WINNING side.' The Bible says: '...everyone who wants to live a godly life...will suffer...' (2 Timothy 3:12 NLT). The second that prison-cell door slammed shut, Niemoller JOINED a DISTINGUISHED league of SAINTS willing to ENDURE hardship in this LIFE in order to REIGN with Christ in the NEXT one.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, l take refuge in Jesus's name against the onslaught of the enemy and overrule his verdict in the issues of my life in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
When God WANTS to make YOU a BIGGER person, He DOES it through 'DISTRESS.' The way to BUILD stronger MUSCLE is to lift MORE weight. Now when a MUSCLE is put UNDER stress, you GROAN. But if you PERSIST, that MUSCLE grows STRONGER and what YOU were GROANING about last WEEK you are SMILING about this WEEK. Who said the Christian LIFE was supposed to be EASY? Not God! His Word compares it to a BATTLEFIELD, not a BED of roses. '...endure hardness, as a good soldier...' (2 Timothy 2:3). Satan's number ONE target is your FAITH!
Jesus said to Peter, '....satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But l have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail..' (Luke 22:31-32 NKJV). ln the SAME way you SEPARATE wheat from CHAFF, satan WANTS to SEPARATE you from your FAITH. Not only did Peter SURVIVE this ATTACK, he grew THROUGH it and WROTE: 'Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you' (1Peter 4:12 NKJV). Because we TEND to be SHOCKED when TRIALS come OUR way. Peter DEALS with our ATTITUDE toward ATTACK. He wants us to KNOW how to THINK when we ARE under ATTACK, to UNDERSTAND the appropriateness of the BATTLE we ARE in.Satan may ATTACK your HEALTH but he is AFTER your faith. He may ATTACK your FINANCES but he is AFTER your faith. lf he can DESTROY your CONFIDENCE in God and His Word, he WINS and you LOSE. So the WORD for you TODAY is 'STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH.'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, continue to strengthen my faith through trials of life so that doubts and unbelief will give way to possibilities in all things in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '....THOU HAST ENLARGED ME WHEN I WAS IN DISTRESS...' (Psalm 4:1)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
God answered Jonathan's 'MAYBE' with a 'DEFINITELY.' That's BECAUSE his CAUSE was JUST, his FAITH was STRONG, he had a HEART to do God's WILL, glorify His name and BLESS His people. To STEP out on a 'MAYBE' you MUST know that YOUR motive is RIGHT, that you have PRAYED and SEARCHED the Scriptures and that you HAVE been WILLING to listen to GODLY counsel. A 'MAYBE' doesn't GIVE you the RIGHT to be PRESUMPTUOUS or ask God to RUBBER-STAMP your personal AGENDA.
Sometimes when WE want SOMETHING to happen, we PRESUME God DOES too. Up UNTIL this POINT lsrael WENT to war BASED on a PLAN, a PROPHECY or a well- thought-out STRATEGY. But SOMETIMES God-given OPPORTUNITIES come to you 'on the fly,' (while in motion or progress) and it TAKES faith and WISDOM to know HOW to respond to THEM. In those 'MAYBE MOMENTS' you CAN'T wait for GUARANTEES or sit STILL and do NOTHING because your ACTIONS involve RISK. You can't FEAR natural CIRCUMSTANCES, obstacles or FRIGHTENING situations.
You must take the 'MAYBE' you have BEEN given and do SOMETHING with it, for that's WHEN you BEGIN to see God TURN your 'MAYBE' into a MIRACLE. Once you KNOW that your HEART is RIGHT before God you MUST be WILLING to face your FEAR and SEIZE the MOMENT. When you are in a MOMENT that has the POTENTIAL to ALTER your future, TRUST God, STEP out in FAITH and move FORWARD. Don't let your DREAM die INSIDE you BECAUSE of the RISK involved. With God, RISK is the BRIDGE that GETS you to WHERE He WANTS you to BE.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to boldly take steps of 'maybes' which are divinely directed to the fulfillment of your agenda for my life in all situations and circumstances in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '....IT MAY BE THAT THE LORD WILL WORK FOR US..' (1Samuel 14:6)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Jonathan, king Saul's son, was PURSUING a Philistine GARRISON. No PROPHET had SPOKEN. He had NO word FROM the LORD to CONFIRM that he WAS going to WIN the battle. He SIMPLY said to HIS armour bearer, 'COME, and let us GO over unto the GARRISON of these UNCIRCUMCISED: it may be THAT the Lord WILL work for us.' Now, this DOESN'T give you LICENCE to go OFF and DO your OWN thing, then ASK that God BACK you UP. Clearly, Jonathan WAS fighting on the SIDE of the Lord's PEOPLE so he KNEW that God WAS with him. But WITHOUT specific, DETAILED direction he STEPPED out on a 'MAYBE.' Did it work? YES. When Jonathan and his armour bearer KILLED twenty of the Philistines, it THREW the opposing FORCE into such CONFUSION that they STARTED killing one ANOTHER, and lsrael CAME out on TOP.
Solomon said, 'He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap' (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NKJV). In other WORDS, if you WAIT for the PERFECT conditions you WILL neither ATTEMPT nor ACCOMPLISH anything. Yes, it WOULD be wonderful if God ALWAYS gave us SPECIFIC directions. But OFTEN He LEADS by an IDEA or an impression that begins to GROW inside you, and as it STRENGTHENS and PERSISTS you start to think, 'MAYBE this is what God WANTS me to DO.' We like the GUARANTEED outcome (and income). We are COMFORTABLE with the CERTAIN, absolute deal, with no RISK of failure or LOSS. But you are GOING to FACE a 'maybe' MORE times THAN you will have GUARANTEES. And it's those times of UNCERTAINTY that STRENGTHEN your faith, your RESOLVE and your COURAGE.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, l ask that Holy Spirit will speak to me now as l wait on you for wisdom, insight and direction. And whatever you show me or direct me to do, l pray that l will quickly obey in Jesus's mighty name.
Anchor Scripture: '...IT MAY BE THAT THE LORD WILL WORK FOR US...' (1Samuel 14:6)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Successful PEOPLE allow their God-given PASSIONS and TALENT to GUIDE them in LIFE. They have a SINGLE FOCUS and an undivided heart. God doesn't CREATE you to be TALENTED in an AREA, then ask you to GIVE YOURSELF to some UNRELATED area. There is always a POTENTIAL alignment of TALENT and PASSION, if you HAVE the COURAGE to PURSUE your life's PURPOSE and take RISKS.
Po Bronson an American journalist and author of What Should l Do With My Life? writes, 'l am convinced that business success in the FUTURE starts with the question, "What should l do with my life?" Yes, that's right...people don't succeed by MIGRATING to a "hot" industry or by ADOPTING a particular CAREER-GUIDING mantra. They thrive by focusing on the question of who they really are and CONNECTING to work THEY TRULY LOVE(and, in so doing, UNLEASHING a PRODUCTIVE and CREATIVE power they never IMAGINED).' Carly Fiorina an American businesswoman and politician said, 'LOVE what YOU DO, or DON'T do it...Make the CHOICE to do SOMETHING because it ENGAGES your HEART as well as your MIND. Make the CHOICE because it ENGAGES all of you.' Don't BECOME a SLAVE to someone ELSE'S dream BECAUSE once you OWN a DREAM that dream WILL own you. Being a SLAVE to someone ELSE'S dream QUICKLY becomes a NIGHTMARE.
Paul writes: '...But they are only comparing themselves with each other...How ignorant....We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us.....' (2 Corinthians 10:12--13 NLT). If you are CONFUSED, out of FOCUS or going in CIRCLES, pray, ' Lord, give me a clear VISION and an UNDIVIDED HEART.' That's a prayer God will answer.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to continue to love doing what my life has been created for with passion, courage and total commitment in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'l WILL GIVE THEM AN UNDIVIDED HEART...' (Ezekiel 11:19 NIV)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
During His EARTHLY MINISTRY Jesus needed 'the Spirit of wisdom' when it CAME to making DECISIONS and DEALING with the ENEMY. As believers, that same Spirit lives in us. James 3:15 NKJV says there are three kinds of wisdom: Earthly wisdom, which isn't always dependable because 'Sometimes what seems right is really a road to death' (Proverbs 16:25 CEV). Sensual wisdom, which is based on emotions that can lead to confusion, hurt, and jealousy. Demonic wisdom, which is selfish, lustful, and ungodly. Godly wisdom, which '...[comes] from above is...pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and...hypocrisy' (James 3:17 NKJV). The Bible says, '[When] you need wisdom, ask...God, and he will give it to you...' (James 1:5 NLT). And when you are PRAYING, ask YOURSELF these questions:
A) ARE my MOTIVES pure or will l be ASHAMED of them LATER on?
B) Will my DECISION result in MERCY and COMPASSION or strife and STRESS?
C) Have l CONSIDERED all the PEOPLE who will be AFFECTED by the outcome?
D) Am l WILLING to submit to WHAT God WANTS or am l DETERMINED to plough on REGARDLESS?
E) Will the END result CAUSE me to have a HARSH attitude or will it PRODUCE an ENVIRONMENT where love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control can grow? (Galatians 5:22-23).
F) Is it FAIR and IMPARTIAL or does it FAVOUR a particular PERSON or group?
G) Can l in GOOD conscience PURSUE this PARTICULAR course of ACTION or does it INVOLVE some LEVEL of deceit and SELFISHNESS?
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, You see all things and know all that there is. Your understanding is beyond measure and Your knowledge is perfect. Teach me, Lord that l may walk in Your wisdom. Guide my steps so that l do not end up in the wrong path, and direct my thoughts so that l do not make the wrong choices in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL REST UPON HIM, THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM...' (Isaiah 11:2 NKJV)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
God KNOWS everything THERE is to KNOW about YOU, including YOUR past, present and FUTURE. He doesn't miss a THING. He KNOWS your name: '...."Fear not, for l have redeemed you; l have called you by your name; you are Mine" ' (Isaiah 43:1 NKJV). He also KNOWS your ADDRESS: 'l know...where you dwell...' (Revelation 2:13 NKJV). And here's the MOST AMAZING part. With full KNOWLEDGE of YOU, He LOVES you! He DOESN'T say, 'l love YOU, if.' There are NO 'ifs' in God's HEART. His LOVE for you EXISTED before YOU were BORN and it will EXIST after you are GONE. 'How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is WHAT we ARE!' Does that MEAN God doesn't CARE what we SAY or DO? No, to LOVE without CONDITION doesn't MEAN to love WITHOUT concern. Sometimes we CONFUSE unconditional LOVE with unconditional APPROVAL. God doesn't APPROVE of betrayal, selfishness, pride, dishonesty, lust, resentment or any other form of sin.
These are the OPPOSITE of the LOVE God wants to INSTIL in our HEARTS. God's UNCONDITIONAL love just MEANS He continues to LOVE us even WHEN we blow it; that He WAITS for US like the father WAITED for the RETURN of his PRODIGAL son. lt's important that we HOLD to the TRUTH that God NEVER stops LOVING us even WHEN He's GRIEVED by WHAT we do. 'Why is that so IMPORTANT?' you ask. Because God's LOVE is the MAGNET that will DRAW us back to Him EVERY time.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: God of Goodness, l come into your Presence so aware of my human frailty and yet overwhelmed by your love for me. l thank you that there is no human experience that l might walk through where your love cannot reach me. You have equip me to face each day with the power of your love, your forgiveness, and your grace in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE THE FATHER HAS LAVISHED ON US...' (1John 3:1 NIV).
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Before leaving the STORY of Jesus RAISING Lazarus from the DEAD, here are TWO more lessons:
The FOURTH lesson is ABOUT radical FAITH. When SOMEBODY is DEAD and BURIED, that's as 'FINAL' as it GETS. To BELIEVE God in the FACE of such a SITUATION requires RADICAL FAITH. Until this moment Martha had 'if only' faith. '..."Lord, if only You had been here, my brother would not have died"' (John 11:21 NKJV). But then she began to REALISE what Jesus could DO, and moved to 'even now' faith. She said to Jesus, 'But even now l know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You' (v. 22 NKJV). RADICAL FAITH says, 'Lord, l BELIEVE that my FUTURE can be GREATER than my PAST, that You can TURN the SITUATION around and SNATCH victory from the JAWS of DEFEAT, that NOTHING is too HARD for You. 'RADICAL FAITH in the FACE of RADICAL CIRCUMSTANCES brings RADICAL RESULTS.
The fifth LESSON is about RESTORATION. 'Therefore the sisters sent to [Jesus], saying, "Lord, behold, He whom You love is sick"....Then...He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea"' (vv. 3 & 7 NKJV). You WILL never KNOW what the Lord CAN do UNTIL you INVITE Him into YOUR SITUATION. He can GIVE you back WHAT you HAVE loved and LOST. He can RESTORE what LIFE has TAKEN from YOU and more! It's not too LATE. Send for Jesus. No matter how bad your situation may be, pray, 'Lord, even now l know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, strengthen and empower my faith so I will be able to radically confront and overcome issues of life without wavering in faith in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'NOW A CERTAIN MAN WAS SICK, LAZARUS OF BETHANY...' (John 11:1 NKJV)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The third lesson is about relinquishment. As long as you believe you can handle the problem on your own, you will not reach for the miracle-working power of God. You have to be in a situation so bad that you pray the prayer of relinquishment: 'Lord, l have done all l know and things are not getting any better. So l am through trying to fix it. l turn it completely over to You. I don't know how You are going to handle it, but l know You love me and want only what's best for me. So here it is, Lord; it's all Yours.' This is not a prayer of defeat, it is one of total trust. David wrote: 'Though l am surrounded by troubles...The Lord will work out His plans for my life-for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever...' (Psalm 138:7-8 NLT).
The pastor of a great church tells of running out of money when they were only halfway through the construction of their new building. The congregation was growing and there was no doubt that they needed the extra space. But the bank wouldn't give them any more funds. So the pastor prayed and said, 'Lord, personally speaking, l don't need this big building. l already have a place for all my children. You need a place for Yours. l don't know how You are going to take care of this, but those are YOUR CHILDREN, Lord, so l am TURNING it over to You.' God ANSWERED, the MONEY CAME through, and WITHIN a few years they were WORSHIPPING in a BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, debt free. So give your problem to God and don't TAKE it BACK!
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, 'l have done all l know and things are not getting any better in my (marriage, career, health, relationship etc.). So l am through trying to fix it. I turn it completely over to You. I don't know how You are going to handle it, but l know You love me and want only what's best for me. So here it is, Lord; it's all Yours' in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'NOW A CERTAIN MAN WAS SICK, LAZARUS OF BETHANY...' (John 11:1 NKJV)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
From the STORY of Jesus RAISING Lazarus from the DEAD, we learn CERTAIN lessons:
The FIRST lesson is about REASON. You cannot have RADICAL faith UNTIL you have EXHAUSTED all REASONABLE solutions. Mary and Martha didn't SEND for Jesus UNTIL they did DONE everything THEY themselves COULD do FOR Lazarus. Be REASONABLE; if you CAN do it for YOURSELF, God WON'T do it for YOU. For EXAMPLE, unless you are WILLING to CHANGE your DIET and START eating right, how CAN you GO to God with confidence for healing? UNLESS you are WILLING to put the NEEDS of YOUR spouse ABOVE your own, what's the point in PRAYING for a happy MARRIAGE? James writes: '...Show me your faith without your works, and l will show you my faith by my works"' (James 2:18 NKJV).
The SECOND lesson is about RELATIONSHIP. Some PEOPLE only TURN to God when THEY have a CRISIS. Prayer is a foreign CONCEPT to them UNTIL they HAVE a car crash, or their marriage falls APART, or they lose their JOB. Then, incredibly, they say, 'GOD, why did You let this HAPPEN?' It's hard to go to SOMEONE when you are in TROUBLE, if you've spent no TIME BUILDING a RELATIONSHIP with them. Jesus often SPENT time at the HOME of Mary and Martha, EATING at their table. They were GIVERS, not TAKERS. 'It was that Mary who ANOINTED the Lord with FRAGRANT oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick' (John 11:2 NKJV). WHEN you LOVE the Lord to that EXTENT you CAN go to Him in FAITH knowing YOUR needs WILL be met.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to grow deeper in my relationship with my Lord, a relationship that qualifies me to always put my needs before Him knowing my needs will be met in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'NOW A CERTAIN MAN WAS SICK, LAZARUS OF BETHANY...' (John 11:1 NKJV)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
James writes: 'Consider it all joy...when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance...that you may be perfect and complete' (vv. 2-4 NAS). Peter writes: '...don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you' (1Peter 4:12 NLT). TRIALS are the COMMON thread that UNITES us. When YOU get THROUGH with ONE, CHANCES are THERE is another ONE coming up the ROAD. That's why James didn't say, 'if,' but 'when you ENCOUNTER...trials.'
Observe:
1) TRIALS come in various CATEGORIES. They are PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, FINANCIAL, and RELATIONAL; it's not a one-size-fits-all deal. Some are SHOCKING, like the UNEXPECTED loss of a LOVED one; OTHERS are more DRAWN out, like an acrimonious DIVORCE or a prolonged ILLNESS. Some play out in PUBLIC while others take place in your own PRIVATE hell. Some are due to your OWN, or other people's MISTAKES; others have NOTHING whatsoever to do WITH human shortcomings.
2) Trials test our FAITH. They bring us BACK to BASICS and remind US where our PRIORITIES should lie. One Bible teacher says,
'During...intense trials l go back to...what l really believe... ELEMENTALS such as PRAYER and DEPENDENCE...getting quiet and WAITING on God. Trials...force us BACK to the BEDROCK of faith UPON which our FOUNDATION rests, and this becomes a REFINING and necessary PROCESS.'
3) Trials MATURE us. When we are SUFFERING there is a TENDENCY to try to LOOK for the quick WAY out. Don't DO that. Trials are DESIGNED to MAKE us 'COMPLETE.' By letting THEM do their WORK, you end up STRONGER.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit empower me to overcome the trials of my life in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'CONSIDER IT ALL JOY...WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER VARIOUS TRIALS.' (James 1:2 NAS)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The first RECORDED QUESTION God ever ASKED was, '[Adam]...WHERE are YOU?' And it's a QUESTION YOU need to STOP and ASK YOURSELF today: 'WHERE am l REALLY?' If you DON'T know the ANSWER, or you DO but you DON'T like it, then TODAY'S devotion is for YOU. When God ASKED Adam, 'WHERE are YOU?' he RESPONDED by SAYING, 'l HEARD you in the GARDEN, and l was AFRAID because l was naked; so l hid' (v.10 NIV). It's AMAZING the LENGTHS we will GO to in ORDER to HIDE. We will BURY ourselves in WORK or get INVOLVED in an AFFAIR or BUILD a wall AROUND our hearts- anything BUT face the TRUTH.
God WASN'T trying to FIND Adam; He just WANTED Adam to find HIMSELF. Until you do THAT, you are TRULY lost. And the problem is, when YOU hide you BECOME a phoney. Have you any idea how much EMOTIONAL energy it REQUIRES to keep up a CHARADE for others? Only TWO things are WORSE: being a PHONEY with YOURSELF and being a PHONEY with God. Furthermore, you will find it DIFFICULT to be HONEST with OTHERS or look THEM in the eye. Why? Because you will be AFRAID they MIGHT look into YOUR heart and SEE the REAL you. Is that WHERE you are TODAY? AFRAID to look INTO your own HEART? The good NEWS is, Adam was NAKED but God CLOTHED him; he was GUILTY but God CLEANSED him; he was ANXIOUS but God COMFORTED him. And if you COME to Him TODAY God will CLEANSE you, CLOTHE you and COMFORT you. He is just WAITING for the OPPORTUNITY to DO it!
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Anchor Scripture: 'THE LORD GOD CALLED TO THE MAN, "WHERE ARE YOU?"' (Genesis 3:9 NIV)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, You know me more than l know myself, for nothing can be hidden before you so Search me O God and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, for l desire to be pure in heart before you in Jesus name.
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
If you are WAITING for a A PROMISE God has GIVEN you to be FULFILLED, observe the WORDS of Jesus: 'The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come' (Mark 4:26-29 NKJV). Before you RECEIVE what God has PROMISED, you OFTEN go through CERTAIN STAGES. Let's look at them:
First there's the 'l DON'T KNOW' stage. Your seed is in the GROUND; when it will PRODUCE a HARVEST is entirely UP to God. But His Word ASSURES you it will. Next comes 'THE BLADE' stage. It's just a tiny BLADE blowing in the BREEZE but it's ENOUGH to encourage YOU and let you KNOW that the ANSWER is on the WAY. Next comes 'THE HEAD' stage. Now it's STARTING to look LIKE what you PRAYED for. Hopefully YOU have been WATERING it will PRAYER, fertilising it with God's Word and PROTECTING it from any NEGATIVE force that would try to UPROOT it. Finally you enter 'THE FULL GRAIN' stage. This is WHEN God says: 'Put in the sickle, because your harvest has come.' At this POINT it's crucial to RECOGNISE your HARVEST and begin to REAP it. Whatever STAGE you are at TODAY, stand on God's PROMISE and keep TRUSTING Him. He will not DISAPPOINT you.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Anchor Scripture: '...FIRST THE BLADE, THEN THE HEAD, AFTER THAT THE FULL GRAIN...' (Mark 4:28 NKJV)
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father give me the patience to wait till l harvest all the answers to my prayers in Jesus name.
A tourist was driving through the countryside in one of the towns in the United States of America where he has gone on a visit. There he saw an old farmer sitting in a rocking chair on his porch, rocking away the time. Behind his farmhouse was seventy-five acres of land. The tourist asked, 'Is that your LAND?' 'Yep,' he REPLIED. 'Well, what are you DOING with it?' Thinking of GROWING cotton?' the tourist ASKED. 'Nope, l am AFRAID the boll WEEVILS will get it,' said the FARMER. 'What about CORN?' the tourist ASKED. 'No, l am AFRAID the LOCUSTS will EAT it, he replied. 'Well about RAISING cattle?' The FARMER said, l am AFRAID the price of beef might go down.' 'So, what are you going to do with all that prime farmland?' the tourist ASKED. 'Nothing. I am just GOING to play it SAFE. 'Is that how you feel? When you CHOOSE to play it SAFE in life, your POTENTIAL for SUCCESS is like that BARREN wasteland. As long as FEAR RULES your life you won't STEP out in FAITH and fulfill your DESTINY.
The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Isn't it BETTER to risk FAILURE and do what GOD wants, than RISK displeasing Him? We have all EXPERIENCED the FEAR that MAKES us want to pull BACK. Only those who OVERCOME it go FAR in life. '..."Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant" '(Psalm 35:27). CONQUERING the FEAR of FAILURE BEGINS with believing, 'GOD WANTS ME TO SUCCEED.' Undergirded by that TRUTH you CANNOT only DEFY your FEARS but DEFEAT them.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to learn to take risks by moving out of my comfort zone and embracing the will of God with all its challenges in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER AND OF LOVE AND OF A SOUND MIND.' (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Fear is something you will experience each time YOU try SOMETHING NEW, like a new job or a NEW RELATIONSHIP or a new INVESTMENT STRATEGY. You will never SUCCEED as LONG as you keep GIVING in to FEAR. The corporate WORLD risks FAILURE every TIME they launch ANOTHER product. The fashion WORLD risks FAILURE with each new CLOTHING line. Yet they are WILLING to take multi million-dollar RISKS to IMPROVE their MERCHANDISE and BOOST their SALES. Do they ALWAYS WIN? No, BUT WITHOUT taking a RISK they have no CHANCE of SUCCEEDING at all.
The poet wrote: 'There was a very cautious man who never laughed or played; he never risked, he never tried, he never sang or prayed. And when one day he passed away, his insurance was denied; for since he never really lived, they claimed he never died!' The fact is, WE all FAIL! The FAILURE rate of the HUMAN RACE is one hundred percent, and EVERYONE (you included) QUALIFIES for MEMBERSHIP in this club. But that DOESN'T mean YOU have to LIVE in the FEAR of FAILURE. Faith in God is WHAT gives YOU the COURAGE to CONFRONT your FEARS and live the LIFE He MEANT you to LIVE. If you DON'T, you will SUFFER the REGRET of 'what could have been,' You will NEVER be PERFECT, so you will NEVER be PERFECTLY SUCCESSFUL. That DOESN'T MEAN you will not SUCCEED in LIFE but you MUST try. Fear is a 'SPIRIT', and if you LET it, it will CONTROL YOU. God OFFERS you THREE BETTER OPTIONS: 'POWER.....LOVE...a SOUND mind.'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, thank You that you have not given me the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER AND OF LOVE AND OF A SOUND MIND.' (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Let's look AGAIN at the TEN lepers Jesus HEALED. In the final STAGES of their DISEASE the flesh literally BEGAN dropping OFF their BODIES. But notice, Jesus didn't lay hands on them or pray for them. He didn't even address their leprosy. Instead He COMMANDED them to go and show THEMSELVES to the priest. How odd. To SOME of US it MIGHT even seem RIDICULOUS. But BEFORE God WILL do the MIRACULOUS, sometimes He will ASK you to DO the RIDICULOUS. Indeed, when He TELLS you to do SOMETHING it may not SEEM like it's even RELATED to what YOU are PRAYING about at all. When that HAPPENS, you have a DECISION to make: DOUBT Him or OBEY Him. Instead of discussing the ISSUE ENDLESSLY, just do what He's TOLD you to! SOMETIMES God will GIVE you 'a word' and it LOOKS like it's not WORKING but it is, even when it DOESN'T LOOK like it.
The FAITH that God RESPONDS to does not REQUIRE explanations. 'And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed' (v. 14 NKJV). Note the words, 'as they went.' The Bible says, 'The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord' (Psalm 37:23 NKJV). When God tells you SOMETHING, STEP OUT on it. Try to imagine this: while they are WALKING, their toes are GROWING back. As they move in obedience to His word, a stub TURNS back into a finger. Don't STOP now. Keep walking. '...He who has begun a good work in you will complete it...' (Philippians 1:6 NKJV). Rise up in faith and declare, 'l am coming back!'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me a working faith that act in obedience to your word of instructions enabling me have my miracles and breakthroughs in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '...."THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE."' (Luke 17:19)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Luke records: 'As He...passed through...Samaria...there met Him ten...lepers, who...lifted up their voices and said, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!' So when He saw them, He said...'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed' (vv 11-14 NKJV). In Christ's day lepers WERE SOCIAL OUTCASTS, so they lived together in a COLONY. But the PROBLEM is, you can't GET well HANGING around PEOPLE who are as MESSED up as YOU are. That's WHY you NEED to bring the PROBLEM to Jesus. Notice the words, 'He passed through.' Jesus didn't go to the LEPER colony, He was just PASSING through.
What do you do when you're LOSING your LIFE, your FAMILY, your JOY, your FINANCES, etc., and Jesus DOESN'T seem to be LOOKING in your DIRECTION? You can get FRUSTRATED when it FEELS like He's BLESSING everyone but YOU, and wonder, 'Lord, WHEN is my TURN coming? l have served You FAITHFULLY, yet it SEEMS like EVERYBODY else is the OBJECT of Your ATTENTION.' lt's TIME to CRY out, 'Jesus, have MERCY on ME!' Away with DIGNITY and DECORUM, DESPERATE people pray DESPERATE prayers and God RESPONDS to their PRAYERS. Notice, when Jesus was PASSING by these LEPERS did not shout, 'UNCLEAN,' as the law REQUIRED. No, they broke PROTOCOL. When you are in a BAD situation, SOMETIMES you have to BREAK out in ORDER to BREAK through. You have GOT to do WHAT David did: 'l cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill' (Psalm 3:4 NKJV). Come on, if you WANT an ANSWER, put your FAITH to work!
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, hear my cry today and visit me with healing, finances, success in my business, career, marriage and education in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '...."THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE."' (Luke 17:19)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The Syrian ARMY had SURROUNDED the city of Samaria and its POPULATION were DYING of STARVATION. Having LIVED off SCRAPS of BREAD that FOLKS threw OVER the wall EACH day, four LEPERS quickly ASSESSED that they were in TROUBLE. They said, 'Why sit here until we die?' (2 kings 7:3 TLB). So they went into the CITY, only to DISCOVER God had WORKED a MIRACLE, causing the Syrians to FLEE in terror, LEAVING behind them FOOD, WATER and RICHES.
What do we LEARN from these FOUR lepers? When you put YOUR faith into ACTION, God will go to WORK on your BEHALF. But you have to RISE up and SAY, 'lf l am going to die, l am going to do it REACHING for something, BUILDING something, GOING after something.' When it FEELS like you are DOWN for the COUNT of ten, you HAVE to RISE up and SAY, 'l shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord' (Psalm 118:17 NKJV). That kind of faith GETS God's ATTENTION every TIME. When you get DESPERATE enough you WON'T care WHO God uses, you will be WILLING to RECEIVE any HELP He sends your WAY Naaman the leper, a five-star general in the Syrian army, HUMBLED himself and BECAME willing to LISTEN to a girl who washed dishes and made beds in his house. (That's because she had an answer from God!) He was even WILLING to dip seven TIMES in the dirtiest river around, in order to COME up CLEAN (2kings 5:1-19). Faith says, 'l don't CARE WHERE l have to go, what l HAVE to DO or who l HAVE to LISTEN to, whatever God SAYS, l will DO it.'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to develop a strong and stubborn faith that will never give up until it receives its targeted desire in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '...."THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE."' Luke 17:19)
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YearOfSupernaturalSpeed
We BECOME so ENGROSSED in what we SEE, FEEL and HEAR, that we OPERATE within OUR NATURAL SENSES rather than our SPIRITUAL ONES. 'Through your faith, God is protecting you by his power' (1Peter 1:5 NLT). Your 'faith' is what activates the power of God.Before a stone becomes a diamond it's just carbon put under millions of pounds of pressure.
The Bible says, 'These trials will show that your faith is genuine' (1Peter 1:7). Trouble not only PLACES a DEMAND on your FAITH, but reveals the DEPTH of it. You DON'T really KNOW much ABOUT your FAITH when your bills are PAID, your body is HEALTHY, your children are acting RIGHT and your marriage is INTACT. But when all HELL is BREAKING LOOSE and you trust GOD to BRING you THROUGH it, you KNOW you HAVE got FAITH.
SOMETIMES we think we are doing BETTER SPIRITUALLY than we are. But OFTEN the ENEMY has not CEASED to ATTACK, he's just MOVED from DOING it in the NATURAL realm to DOING it in the SPIRITUAL realm. He is ATTACKING your MIND, your REST, your PEACE, your EMOTIONS and your THOUGHT life. So what CAN YOU DO? Lift up the shield of faith and stop his flaming arrows. Take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and use it to drive him back (Ephesians 6:17 NKJV). Put your faith to work. Say, 'ENOUGH is ENOUGH,' and begin to take back what the ENEMY has stolen from you.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help my faith to grow stronger and deeper to enable me accomplish great things for the Lord and to overcome the adversities of life in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '...."THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE."' (Luke 17:19)
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YearOfSupernaturalProvision
'...."WHY ARE YOU CRYING OUT... TELL THE ISRAELITES TO MOVE ON." ' (Exodus 14:15 NIV)
VISUALISE yourself UNDERTAKING an IMPORTANT assignment. Things go WELL and God BLESSES your EFFORTS. Then CIRCUMSTANCES change, you FACE DIFFICULTIES, DISCOURAGEMENT sets in, those you COUNTED on start BLAMING you, and now you WISH you did NEVER UNDERTAKEN the PROJECT.
Welcome to Moses' world! (vv. 10-20). God told him to lead lsreal out of Egyptian slavery into the land He PROMISED them four hundred years earlier. But FAITH gave way to FEAR when they were STUCK BETWEEN the Red Sea and the PURSUING Egyptian ARMY. So they turned on Moses, BLAMED him for THEIR DILEMMA and wanted to RETURN to Egypt. What was Moses' REACTION?
WHATEVER he felt, he STILL BELIEVED what God had PROMISED. So to CALM the PEOPLE he said to THEM, 'Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord' (v.13 NKJV). That's good COUNSEL. But God had MORE to say, 'TELL THE ISRAELITES to MOVE on.' lnstead of ALLOWING them to REST, God REDIRECTED their ENERGY by CALLING them to ACTION. Anybody ATTEMPTING an ASSIGNMENT for God ENCOUNTERS SIMILAR challenges. So what SHOULD you DO? Ask God for DIRECTIONS, and DON'T CONSULT ANXIETY-DRIVEN people. Have you been STANDING still, WAITING for improved CIRCUMSTANCES when God wants you to MOVE on? GET GOING! While you are WALKING God will be WORKING. He will NEUTRALISE the ENEMY without and the ENEMY within. Refuse to be DEPRESSED, DEFLECTED or DERAILED. The Red Sea will part, the ENEMY will be defeated, and you will SING the new SONG in the new land.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to walk the faith walk in all assignments and projects earmarked for me to accomplish in my life time, overcoming all forms of obstacles because God will is with me in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalSpeed
As a boy of twelve, Jesus said, 'l must be about my Father's business.' During His ministry He said, 'l must work the works of Him that sent me...' (John 9:4). Before He died He said, 'l have finished the work which You have given Me to do' (John 17:4 NKJV). Jesus KNEW His PURPOSE and PRIORITIES, and He LIVED by THEM.
The QUESTION IS, do YOU? You can't HAVE it ALL. You must UNDERSTAND your God-given PURPOSE and KEEP it in FRONT of YOU continually. That WAY you will KNOW what you MUST sacrifice, and what you MUST give YOURSELF to. Only a CLEAR PICTURE of WHO you ARE and WHERE you WANT to GO can HELP you PRIORITISE what YOU NEED to do. We all MAKE choices. The question is, ARE you GOING to make CHOICES that bring YOU closer to YOUR goal or take you FURTHER away from it? If you don't understand YOUR life's PURPOSE you won't be CAPABLE of MAKING the right CHOICES. Clarity of VISION creates CLARITY of priorities.
Speaking to pastors, the late American renowned revivalist of the twentieth century Vance Havner (1901-1986) said: 'lt is one of the ironies of ministry that the very man who works in God's name is often hardest put to find time for God. The parents of Jesus lost Him in church, and they were not the last ones to lose Him there.' Ray Ortlund an American pastor and author said: 'We must first be fully committed to Christ, then to one another in Christ, and finally to the work of Christ in the world.' The BEST way to KEEP your PRIORITIES in PLACE is to make PRAYER and God's WORD your TOP PRIORITY.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to keep my priorities in place in relation to my life's purpose, choices and goals in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '..."l must be about my Father's business."' (Luke 2:49 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
God's WORD has the ANSWERS you NEED, but you've GOT to READ it! You say, 'But l am not sure where to start.'
Here are some HELPFUL SCRIPTURES from the New Living translation: When you are worried: 1Peter 5:7 NLT: 'Give all your worries...to God..he cares about you.' Philippians 4:6 NLT: 'Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything...' Psalm 62: 6-7 NLT: 'He..is my rock and my salvation...l will not be shaken..' Isaiah 26:3 NLT: 'You...keep in perfect peace all who trust in you...whose thoughts are fixed on you!' Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT: '...the Lord...will...go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. 'When you are heartbroken: Psalm 147:3 NLT: 'He heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds.' Psalm 23:4 NLT: 'Even when l walk through the darkest valley, l will not be afraid, for you are close beside me..' 2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT: 'He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others..' Deuteronomy 33:27 NLT: '...God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you...' When you are feeling guilty: Acts 13:39 NLT: 'Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God...' 1John 1:9 NLT: 'lf we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.' Colossians 1:22 NLT: '...you are holy and blameless as you stand before him.' Isaiah 1:8 TLB: 'No matter how deep the stain of your sins...l can...make you...clean.' Romans 8:39 NLT: '...nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God...' Isaiah 43:25 TLB: '....am he who blots away your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to walk in the light of Your word so my ways will prosper in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'THE TEACHING OF YOUR WORD GIVES LIGHT...' (Psalm 119:130 NLT)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
The third thing that describes Christ's relationship with His Father is obedience. Jesus said: 'As l hear, l judge; and My judgement is righteous, because l do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.' Jesus neither considered nor consulted His own will in the matter. Instead He focused like a laser on one thing - doing the will of God, no more and no less. Note the words, 'As l hear.' When you have heard from God the discussion is over; it's time to act. God's not going to change His mind, so you need to start changing yours and 'get with the programme.'
When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, you give up three basic rights:
a) WHAT IT WILL COST YOU;
b) WHERE IT WILL TAKE YOU;
c) THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT WILL CHANGE YOU. ln order to enjoy a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus SIMILAR to the ONE which He had with His Father, that's the PRICE TAG! You say, 'That sounds very DEMANDING.' Yes, but it's also very PROTECTIVE. When God told His PEOPLE to do SOMETHING, He also told them WHY: '...that it MIGHT go WELL with YOU...' (Deuteronomy 5:33, 6:3, 12:28). God's not trying to CRAMP your STYLE, make your life HARD or put you in a STRAITJACKET. He's a Father WHO wants ONLY the BEST for His CHILDREN. lsn't that what every good parent wants? So when you walk in OBEDIENCE, God's BEST is WHAT you will GET.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to continue to obey Your word of instruction always and at all times so that my ways will prosper in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '....I DO NOT SEEK MY OWN WILL BUT THE WILL OF THE FATHER WHO SENT ME.' (John 5:30 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
Three things describe Christ's relationship with His Father: INTIMACY, DEPENDENCY AND OBEDIENCE. Today let's look at His DEPENDENCY on God. 'The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner' (v.19 NKJV).
Jesus KNEW He couldn't DO ANYTHING without His Father, so He didn't bother to try. We, ON the OTHER hand, sing, 'Without Him l can do nothing,' then go out and act like it all DEPENDS on US. If we SUCCEED, we often BECOME SO CONCEITED that nobody can stand us. And if we FAIL, it's usually because we COLLAPSED under the WEIGHT of an assignment God DIDN'T give US in the first PLACE.
Have you ever wondered why Jesus never struggled with insecurity or battled the fear of failure like we do? Because it never even occurred to Him that He COULDN'T do SOMETHING which His Father had ALREADY assured Him He COULD do. When you know YOU have HEARD from God you can FACE any OBSTACLE or enemy with confidence. God will NEVER GIVE you an ASSIGNMENT that DOES not REQUIRE His wisdom and UNDERGIRDING STRENGTH. Indeed, every act of God in your life is DESIGNED to INCREASE, not decrease your DEPENDENCE on Him. You say, 'But l have talent. I can do a lot of things!' YES, but you can do nothing that MATTERS in God's EYES. So BEFORE you begin your day, kneel and pray, 'Lord, l am COUNTING on You, and DON'T have a BACKUP plan!'
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to continue to depend on God so that l will successfully complete the work He has called me to do in His Kingdom in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: '....I DO NOT SEEK MY OWN WILL BUT THE WILL OF THE FATHER WHO SENT ME.' (John 5:30 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalSpeed
The RELATIONSHIP Jesus had with His Father is the KIND of RELATIONSHIP that He WANTS you to HAVE with HIM. Three THINGS describe that RELATIONSHIP. For the next few days let's look at each of them:
FIRST: INTIMACY. Jesus said, 'The Father loves the Son and shows him all he does...' (John 5:20 NIV). You INTERACT with many PEOPLE throughout the day, but YOU only SHARE your HEART with those you TRUST, and with WHOM you have a CLOSE RELATIONSHIP. So, how CLOSE are you to God RIGHT NOW? Close ENOUGH to HEAR when He SPEAKS to you? Close ENOUGH to KNOW when you have said or done SOMETHING which has GRIEVED Him? Close ENOUGH to feel the WARMTH of His PRESENCE? The truth is, YOU are as CLOSE to God RIGHT now as you DESIRE to be, DECIDE to be, and DISCIPLINE YOURSELF to be. NOTHING is BORN unless THERE is FIRST an act of INTIMACY BETWEEN two PEOPLE, and INTIMACY is based on one word: 'DESIRE.' How MUCH do you DESIRE God?
David said, 'O God, you are my God, earnestly l seek you; my soul thirsts for you...' (Psalm 63:1 NIV). Do you DESIRE His house? 'They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights' (Psalm 36:8 NIV). Do you DESIRE His WORD? 'l have not departed from the commands of his lips; l have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread' (Job 23:12 NIV)
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to continue to seek a more deeper relationship with you each day of my life in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
'AND HE...SAID, "BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW..."' (Revelation 21:5)
OBSERVE:
1) CHANGE MEANS ACCEPTING RISK. Your ANXIETY will kick in and say, 'What if l don't get the JOB? What if the ECONOMY fails? What if l make the effort to change but THEY don't?' We like ironclad GUARANTEES. The PREDICTABLE feels less THREATENING than sticking our NECKS out. But the PRICE of our SECURITY often means remaining STUCK with the status quo. Sometimes your GREATEST risk is TAKING no risk at all! God often requires you to LEAVE the path that FEELS and LOOKS safe, for the one that feels and looks RISKY. 'Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for...the proof of things [we] do not see...' (Hebrews 11:1 AMP). Your faith is FOOLPROOF ASSURANCE, God's confirmation, the title deed GUARANTEEING that the CHANGE you want will take place if you ACT on it.
2) CHANGE WILL HAPPEN IF FAILURE IS NOT ALLOWED TO STOP YOU. Fear of FAILING often stops us from TRYING, yet many of God's best people EXPERIENCED failure on their way to SUCCESS. Consider Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David, etc. All of them SUCCEEDED only after dealing with PERSONAL FAILURE. Indeed, the richest, most profound CHANGE often HAPPENS after we have TASTED failure. Until then we tend to be cocky and of not MUCH USE to God. Peter FAILED the Lord miserably, and at the most crucial moment (Matthew 26:72). But he GREW, becoming Christ's CHOICE to lead His newly EMPOWERED church on the DAY OF PENTECOST, winning three THOUSAND souls (Acts 2). Don't let FAILURE stop you!
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father continue to help me to change for the better, so become more efficient and useful tool in the Lord's service in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
(Ruth 2:2 NKJV)
Ruth TURNED her LIFE AROUND when she was bereaved, BROKE and BARREN. How?
FIRST: By CHOOSING the right MENTOR. She told Naomi, 'wherever you go, l will go...' (Ruth 1:16 NKJV). The fact that Naomi was a Jew and Ruth a Gentile, or that Ruth was YOUNG and Naomi was OLDER, didn't PUT Ruth OFF one bit. Doubtless, there were TIMES they didn't see eye-to-eye or RELATE to each other at all. But when God wants to STRETCH you He will put SOMEBODY into your life with DIFFERENT experiences and INSIGHTS. Naomi was Ruth's eyes and ears in a WORLD she didn't KNOW; she was her TUTOR and GUIDE in getting Ruth to her DESTINY. God is RAISING up LEADERS with SOLUTIONS for today's PROBLEMS. If you HOPE to be CALLED for DUTY, recognise those He SENDS to PREPARE you. Whether they come to CHEER, COMFORT, COUNSEL or CORRECT you, remember the words of Jesus, '...He that receiveth whomever l send receiveth me' (John 13:20).
SECOND: By GETTING into the RIGHT field. Ruth said, 'Let me...glean...after him in whose sight l may find favour.' Things were bad in Moab but good in Bethlehem. So Ruth left the COMFORT of the FAMILIAR, STEPPED out in faith, and not only ENDED up surviving, but THRIVING. In the end she married Boaz, the owner of the field, and went on to become part of the FAMILY of King David and our Lord Jesus Christ. How is that for a TURNAROUND? God's PLAN for your FUTURE INVOLVES connecting with the right PEOPLE, and being in the right FIELD. So ask Him to GUIDE you.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, guide and connect me to the helpers of my destiny in Jesus name.
Any HABIT you cannot BREAK, or that you REFUSE to BREAK, is a HABIT that has the POWER to BREAK you. Are you DEALING with APPETITE that are OUT of CONTROL? Do you STRUGGLE with COMPULSIONS that bring MOMENTS of PLEASURE followed by DAYS of REMORSE? Do you GO through PERIODS of ABSTINENCE, only to be followed by SEASONS of INDULGENCE that leave you DEFEATED and CONDEMNED? Christ can set you free! The Bible says, 'God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil...' (Acts 10:38 NKJV).
It's not WHAT you GO through in LIFE that messes you UP; it's what you KEEP GOING back TO! Are YOU TIRED of saying, 'l am not going to look at it, l am not going to listen to it, l am not going to do it, 'only to go out and REPEAT your OLD PATTERNS over and over? Here is a PRAYER for YOU to PRAY, a prayer God will ANSWER: 'Turn [me] back to You, O Lord, and [l] will be restored.' Ask God to turn your HEART BACK to Him, because the truth is, you CAN'T do it for YOURSELF! You say, 'But my friends have given up on me.' God won't. The Psalmist wrote: Many are they who say of me, '..."There is no help for him in God. "...But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. l cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me"' (Psalm 3:2-4 NKJV). Christ CAN set you FREE, so TURN to Him today.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, heal me O Lord and l shall be healed, save me and l shall be saved in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalSpeed
Two more life-changing principles: (1) YOU MUST BE WILLING TO CHANGE UNCONDITIONALLY. In the early stage of therapy counsellors bump into the 'change-if' syndrome. The client sees change as a strategy of give-to-get: l will change if they are willing to do...lf not, l won't.' With God, your REWARD for changing is INTRINSIC. You get the JOY of His APPROVAL, plus all the BENEFITS that follow from being a CHANGED person. This includes God's gift of '...salve to put on your eyes, so you can see' (Revelation 3:18 NIV). The ABILITY to see things clearly will enable you to understand the PROBLEM and deal with it EFFECTIVELY, regardless of what SOMEONE else does or doesn't do.
2) YOU MUST ACCEPT THE TRUTH THAT CHANGE MEANS LETTING GO OF THE PAST. Whatever you CLING to ultimately CONTROLS you. If the OFFENCE resulted from your ACTIONS, or the LOSS from your POOR judgement, CONFESS it to GOD, receive FORGIVENESS and leave it at the CROSS. If it was the OTHER person's FAULT but you have HELD onto it because you THINK you are the INNOCENT party and 'deserve your pound of flesh,' the FREEDOM you FORFEIT and the OPTIONS you miss are too HIGH a PRICE for the false COMFORT of being right. '...forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you' (Ephesians 4:32 NIV) will release you from the CHAINS of RESENTMENT, giving you back your FUTURE. If you are bound by chains of REGRET over 'coulda, woulda, shoulda,' God STANDS ready to make your FUTURE better than your PAST could ever have been (Joel 2:25).
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to take back my future from all forms of regrets, over what could have been, would have been and should have been, from unforgiviness pain and hurt Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalSpeed
Anchor Scripture: (Revelation 21:5)
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.
The Bible's story is one of CHANGE from Genesis, the book of 'beginnings,' to Revelation, where God says: 'Behold, l makes all things new.' Whatever your SITUATION today, CHANGE is POSSIBLE through Him. However often you have REPENTED, CONFESSED and tried CHANGING, God can CHANGE what you can't- and MAKE it LAST. But CHANGE requires understanding certain principles. Let's look at them:
1) YOU DON'T NEED TO CHANGE OTHERS IN ORDER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE. 'I'd be happier if he'd stop...' 'Things won't improve for me till she...' Such beliefs make you focus on the problem and not the solution, ignore realistic opinions and feed depression. 'Make a careful exploration of who you are...take responsibility for...your own life' (Galatians 6:4-5 TM). Instead of trying to change others, which only produces resistance and resentment, let God show you what you need to do differently to improve your handling of the problem. When you stop doing what doesn't work and change your reactions to the problem, others often change spontaneously.
2) TRUE CHANGE BEGINS BY ADDRESSING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. Bitterness and frustration over problems just result in distancing from God, leaving you to handle the issue in your own strength. SURRENDERING to Him CHANGES you FUNDAMENTALLY, challenging pride, envy, resentment, fear, dishonesty, etc.- characteristics of POOR CHANGE MANAGEMENT. 'Let's take a good look at the way we are living and reorder our lives under God' (Lam.3:40 TM). With 'our lives under God,' we are more honest, self-aware, able to perceive realistically; we are respectful, and prepared to become GOD'S CHANGE AGENTS.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to change what I can change in my life, and leave what l can't change to You, knowing that You are capable of changing me to conform to the image of Christ in the name of Jesus.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
In this wilderness God provided His people with MANNA so that they wouldn't go HUNGRY. It appeared MIRACULOUSLY each MORNING: 'Everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered...a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.' Ever NOTICE there are TIMES in life when God's blessings seem to '....overtake you...?(Deuteronomy 28:2).Your PRAYERS are getting ANSWERED, the doctor's report is GOOD, the bills are PAID, your job is going GREAT and your CHILDREN are finally on the right track. When that HAPPENS REJOICE and THANK God for His GOODNESS.
Then there are other TIMES when He GIVES you 'JUST ENOUGH' light to take one more STEP. That's when He's TEACHING you to TRUST Him on a daily(or sometimes hourly) basis; to test His Word and see for yourself that '...his mercies...are new every morning...' (Lamentations 3:22-23 NCV). Bottom line: God NEVER lets us GATHER tomorrow's MANNA today.
The Bible says He will 'supply all your need according to his riches in glory' (Philippians 4:19). He wants you to RELY on the GIVER and not the GIFT, to trust Him to meet all your needs, and to EXPECT that He will bring GOOD THINGS out of BAD SITUATIONS. lnstead of getting STRESSED out, He wants you to '....let [all] your requests be made known to God' (Philippians 4:6 NKJV), to stop FRETTING when you are alone because He will '...never leave you nor forsake you' (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV); to realize that no matter what LIFE THROWS at you, you NEVER have to question His LOVE because it's...everlasting...' (Jeremiah 31:3).
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, teach us to continue to depend and rely on You for life's journey, provision protection and to never doubt Your love for us knowing that you will never leave us nor forsake us in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalSpeed
Have you been asking God, 'Why do l have to wait so long?' If so, here are four important things you need to know:
1) WAITING TRAINS YOU.
Time spent waiting can be time spent learning. And if you are learning, you are not losing. God will train you for battle because He's a good general. 'Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle' (Psalm 144:1 NIV).
2) WAITING CORRECTS YOU.
The Psalmist wrote: 'Before l was afflicted l went astray, but now l keep Your word' (Psalm 119:67 NKJV). Pain can be profitable. Adversity can lead to spiritual advancement if you are willing to glean from it. Pain forces you to look to God for answers, to lean on Him instead of others, to learn where you went astray, to hunger for His presence and His healing touch, to listen for His instructions and be sensitive to the changes He wants to bring about in your life. Yes, you can turn your pain into progress.
3) WAITING REVEALS THOSE AROUND YOU.
Motives are not easily discerned. Trust God but test people. That's scriptural. '....the Lord your God led you...forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart...' (Deuteronomy 8:2 NIV). People can keep their intentions and motives covered for a long time, but waiting generally forces the truth to the surface.
4) WAITING GIVES GOD TIME TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
He is a miracle-working God, so don't get ahead of Him and rob Him of the opportunity to demonstrate His power in your life.
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to learn how to wait on you, for my set time in the issues of life in Jesus name.
Matthew writes: 'One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority' (v.1 NLT). The Pharisees were bound by tradition, so they opposed anything new. The Sadducees were bound by reason, so they opposed anything supernatural. Since Christ BROUGHT a NEW REVELATION of God and a new DIMENSION of His POWER, both the Pharisees and Sadducees opposed Him. So Jesus warned His disciples: 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees' (v.6 NLT). In a culture where people used yeast to make bread, Christ's point came through loud and clear. Just as yeast works SILENTLY and SPREADS slowly, so DOUBT and UNBELIEF work the same way in our hearts and minds. Then Christ asked His disciples two questions.
FIRST: 'WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT THE SON OF MAN IS?' (v.13 NLT).
He wanted them to know when their THINKING was BEING NEGATIVELY INFLUENCED by those AROUND them so that they would be on GUARD against it.
SECOND: 'WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?'
Immediately Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God' (v.16 NLT). Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being" (v.17 NLT). There are things that people can teach you and if you are wise you will listen. But there are THINGS that ONLY the LORD can REVEAL to YOU and if you are WISE you will LISTEN and do WHAT He says.
God's Servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father thank you that the Holy Spirit will continue to influence me to know God the more and to understand the deeper things of the Spirit in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
Few things can discourage you like children who don't follow in your path. As Christians parents we long to see our children serve God. If you have PRAYED, lived your FAITH BEFORE them as best you could and yet they CHOOSE another PATH, your HEARTACHE can be DEEP. But others have TRAVELLED the PATH before you. Isaac saw his son Jacob surrender to God, while his other son Esau rejected Him.(Genesis 28:1-9) Aaron, the high priest, had two sons who offered 'STRANGE FIRE' on God's altar.( Numbers 3:4) Manoah lived through the SUICIDE of his son, Samson. (Judges 16:25-31) Even the prophet Samuel's sons 'didn't take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, taking bribes, corrupting justice' (1Samuel 8:2-3 TM). You are not ALONE in your concern for your CHILDREN, and it's too early for guilt, or for GIVING up on them. REMEMBER:
FIRST: GOD ALONE CAN SAVE.
'Salvation is of the Lord' (Jonah 2:9). Don't try to take on God's responsibility or accept guilt that's not yours. Because He knows our hearts, God knows how and when to 'close the deal' with your child. So instead of worrying, keep lifting up their names before Him in prayer.
SECOND: LET GOD SHOULDER THE LOAD.
Your PART is to PRAY and BELIEVE God for THEM, then to get out from UNDER the BURDEN. He can CARRY IT; YOU CAN'T! (1Peter 5:7) THIRD: if they are ALIVE, there's HOPE. (Jeremiah 31:17). God can ARRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES and turn their STUBBORN HEARTS AROUND, if you will only TRUST Him.
God's Servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong.
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father thank you for making us more than conquerors, by that we are capable and able to deal with life's issues and overcome them, because greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
Stay Blessed!
Sometimes you have to overcome your family environment. None of us come from an ideal family. We all experience things like REJECTION; PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, VERBAL or SEXUAL ABUSE; POVERTY; RAGE; DRUG ADDICTION; ALCOHOLISM; DIVORCE; etc. Years later we still struggle with things like low self-worth, marital failure, loneliness, depression, addiction, anxiety, anger control and dysfunctional parenting. But having a bad start doesn't mean you can't have a great finish. Your life today is more than what happened yesterday; it's about what you do with what happened yesterday.
Consider Jephthah's family background. He was born to a prostitute, kicked out of the house by his brothers, robbed of his rightful inheritance, disappointed in religious leaders, a refugee and rebel living in a cave (Judges 11). But unbowed, he defied defeat, trained a motley militia of rejects, delivered lsrael from their enemies, and made it into faith's hall of fame with Abraham, Moses and David (Hebrews 11). How did he do it? He started where he was, he took what he had, and he did what he could. By faith he seized his God-given opportunity. You are more than the product of your environment. Whatever happened back then, you are now '...a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!' (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). Live in the new and renounce the old! '...You have already won a big victory.... for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world (your environment) ....' (1John 4:4 TM).
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help us to stand complete in our victory in Christ Jesus knowing that if Satan could not prevent us from becoming born again then he can't prevent us from fulfilling God's plan for our lives in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
Jesus said, '....Here on earth you will have many trials...' (John 16:33 NLT). Having problems doesn't mean you are a fake, a failure or the focus of God's displeasure. The storm tested both the believer's and the unbeliever's house (Matthew 7:24-27). But the believer overcame it. So what's God's goal? To make you an overcomer, not an escape artist! 'Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.' Yes, God will deliver you but first He will develop you.
There are problems you can't avoid and must deal with, such as: Your physical heredity. In a society obsessed with 'looks,' are you unhappy about yours? Feel too tall, too short, unattractive, not athletic; you are apple-shaped, pear-shaped, your nose is all wrong? Got freckles, double chin, protruding ears? Tried to darken it, lighten it, accentuate it, hide it, reduce it, enlarge it, but it never looks the way you wish? Beware of our culture's carnal norms. '...They measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another...without understanding' (2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV). The Bible points out that 'sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator...saying, "Stop, you are doing it wrong!"' (Isaiah 45:9 NLT). Look your best, but accept what you can't change. God doesn't make mistakes. Don't be like those 'without understanding.' '..."People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" ' (1Samuel 16:7 NLT). Adopt God's standard, not man's. Start appreciating yourself.
God's Servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to learn to love the way I look, for l am fearfully and wonderfully made, and to appreciate myself always in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
Let go of what you failed to DO! 'lf l could just go back, roll back the years, l did...' The poet said, 'The saddest words of tongue or pen, are these, we hear, "IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN." Not one of us escapes the long shadow of 'OPPORTUNITY MISSED.' We fail more frequently by what we didn't do than by what we did. We could have HELPED, HEALED, BLESSED, CHANGED things for the BETTER. But by pursuing our own interests we left words of love and gratitude UNSPOKEN. Avoiding unwanted consequences, we left the awkward truth unacknowledged. Evading the label 'religious bigot or nut.' our witness remained MUTE. A RESPONSIBILITY unfulfilled, A DECISION sidestepped, AN AGING parent neglected, a child crowded out, a spouse excluded. 'HOW DIFFERENT MY LIFE could have been if l did pursued my education, accepted that promotion, made that investment, relocated, or TAKEN a chance on LOVE.( That is rejected a MARRIAGE proposal)' When the DOOR is closed, the person's gone and OPPORTUNITY passed, it's time for:
a) LETTING IT GO.
The same cross that cancels your SINS of commission, cancels your SINS of omission too. CONFESSION, not REMORSE, brings God's FORGIVENESS and CLEANSING from 'all sin' (1John 1:9)
b) RENEWING YOUR FAITH IN THE GOD OF SECOND CHANCES.
He can 'make up to you for the years that the LOCUST HAS EATEN' (Joel 2:25). Believe Him; He can place you where you did be, had the OPPORTUNITY never been LOST.
c) ASKING GOD FOR A NEW DREAM.
Then 'forgetting those things (old, sabotaged dreams) which are behind and reaching forward to those things (NEW DREAMS)..which are ahead, press forward,' to A LIFE OF RESTORED OPPORTUNITY and fulfillment (Philippians 3:13).
God's Servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, Thank you for restoration and recovery of lost dreams and opportunities with divine speed in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
Let go of what others have done to you! Thorns come with roses, and hurts come with human relationships. And few hurts go as deeply as those inflicted by friends and family. Ask Joseph, who was sold out by his brothers and locked up in a foreign prison for a crime he never committed. lt's the stuff BITTERNESS, DEPRESSION, DESPAIR AND DEFEAT are made of. And who'd have blamed him? But Joseph knew that he, not his ABUSERS, had the last word; that he, NOT THEY, would decide his FUTURE. Others can wound you, but no one can DESTROY you without your PERMISSION and COOPERATION. lt's not what they do to you that determine your OUTCOME, it's what you do NEXT. Joseph decided to let the OFFENSES go and accept RESPONSIBILITY for his own REACTIONS. When you do that you take back your POWER, open yourself to new options, and make choices that position you to come out of it STRONGER, WISER and more BLESSED. Notice:
a) JOSEPH SAW IT FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE.
'You did not send me here...God did...to keep you alive by a great deliverance' (Genesis 45:8)
b) HE RELEASED HIS RESENTMENT.
He moved beyond it and ministered to the needs of those who had hurt him.
c) HE REFUSED TO BECOME A VICTIM OF OTHER PEOPLE'S ACTIONS.
As a result God made him 'ruler over all....Egypt' (Genesis 45:8)
d) HE PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE.
How? By excelling in his PROPHETIC and ADMINISTRATIVE gifts, even though imprisoned(Genesis 41:39). So, choose to see it God's WAY. Let it GO. Do what you have been called to do, and watch God VINDICATE you ROYALLY after the pattern of Joseph.
God's Servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help me to live after the pattern of Joseph, where l will rise above bitterness, pain, hurt, abuse, despair, frustration and anger in my relationship and interaction with others so secure my prophetic future in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
What do you do when your memory drags the 'there and then' into the 'here and now,' immersing you in the same old pain? The Bible answers, 'Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, l am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?' Your past can infect your present and influence your future unless you decide to let it go. For the next few days, let's think about it.
FIRST, let go of what God has forgiven! God's only response to confessed sin is to FORGIVE AND FORGET IT. lf it comes up again, you, not He, brought it up. 'lf we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us...and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness' (1John 1:9).
TWO THINGS MAKE LETTING GO DIFFICULT.
1) YOUR FEELINGS.
'l just don't feel forgiven' you say. You are forgiven by God's grace obtained through Christ's sacrifice regardless of emotions. Don't wait to feel it before you accept it; accept it and you will start to feel it!
2) A WRONG CONCEPT OF GOD.
You say, 'You say, 'My earthly father says he forgives me, but each time l fail all my old offenses are thrown in my face again.' Your HEAVENLY FATHER doesn't operate that way. 'l, even l, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more'(Isaiah 43:25 NIV). God doesn't bring them up; because He doesn't remember them. All your sins were judged and paid for at Calvary. Once CONFESSED, you will never again be charged with them, so REJOICE and let them go. The COURT OF HEAVEN HAS RULED YOU 'NOT GUILTY.'
**God's Servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong**
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, help me to learn to forget and let go of my past, both success and failures so l will be able to embrace the present and the future with joy, peace and hope in Jesus name.
Stay Blessed!
John records that: 'Jesus...rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself...poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, 'Lord, are You washing my feet?" (Luke 13:3-6 NKJV) Jesus didn't wait for His disciples to make the first move, He went first. He taught that in order to serve God you must be willing to lay aside your IMAGE, your COMFORT and your AGENDA. And He dramatized it in a way His disciples would never forget. By laying aside His garments He showed them God has no time for form or fashion.
Real ministry is not IMAGE CONSCIOUS; it's done with a complete LOSS of DISTINCTION. God incarnate clothed Himself in HUMILITY. Amazing! But Peter didn't get it. He was embarrassed to think that His Lord would allow Himself to be seen in such demeaning light. So Jesus said, 'You call Me Teacher and Lord...lf l then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For l have given you an EXAMPLE, that you should do as l have done to you...lf you know these things, blessed are you if you do them' (John 13:13-17 NKJV). If you want to be blessed, don't join the 'SPIRITUAL ELITISTS' who are impressed by their own speeches and display their own accomplishments. Lay aside everything you privately glory in and pick up the TOWEL OF SERVANT-HOOD. And don't wait for others. Somebody at your table needs to START a TREND. Today let it be you!
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father, today l pick up the towel of servant-hood, so l could serve God and humanity in humility and love in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'JESUS...LAID ASIDE HIS GARMENTS...' (John 13:3-4 NKJV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
lt's difficult to endure hardship at the best of times, but when you don't know WHY, it can be frustrating. God doesn't give us LENGTHY explanations on how He works; He's used to creating worlds with a single sentence.(Genesis 1:1-25) So when you don't find an immediate answer in His Word or through prayer or the counsel of others, you are left wondering. And you wouldn't be the first. David REPEATEDLY asks WHY in the Psalms, and God still called him 'a man after My own heart, who will do all My will' ( Acts 13:22 NKJV). So don't get discouraged.
Bible commentator William Barclay pointed out that endurance isn't just the ABILITY to bear a hard thing, but to use it for your GROWTH and God's glory.
When the answers aren't forthcoming the question then becomes, 'How do l get through this? And the Bible addresses it by telling us Jesus endured 'the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew...later on he would be glad' ( Hebrews 12:2 CEV). Then it goes on to say: 'Keep your mind on Jesus...you won't get discouraged and give up.' The reason Jesus endured was because He was able to look ahead and ENVISION the JOY of pleasing His Father, building the church and saving a lost world.The Psalmist said, 'l have set the Lord always before me..he is at my right hand, l shall not be moved' [discouraged, or thrown by the situation] (Psalm 16:8). STAYING-POWER is not deny ing REALITY. lt's keeping your eyes on Jesus and drawing from Him the STRENGTH you need to FIGHT your way through to VICTORY!
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help us to continue to stand in the strength of the spirit and in the power of His might till we see total victory over our enemies in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'Keep your mind on Jesus [and].....you won't get discouraged and give up.' (Hebrews 12:3 CEV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalProvision
You may have several different gifts, but you must discover your core GIFT and build your LIFE around it. David sensed that he was more than a shepherd; he was a king-in-the-making.Killing Goliath just gave him a chance to demonstrate it. (1Samuel 17:41-51) Had he failed to realize that, he did have gone back to tending sheep. What blinds us to our core GIFT?
- FOCUSING ON OUR FLAWS. Instead of focusing on our strengths we listen to our critics and rehearse the qualities that discourage us most. Be careful; the COMPANY you keep will either lift you or lower you. (Proverbs 13:20) That's especially true of those who resent your success, because it reminds them of their own lack of it. ENVYING THE GIFTS OF OTHERS. lt's okay to appreciate others as long as you don't try to duplicate them. lnstead of living in SOMEBODY'S SHADOWS, stand on their shoulders and glean from their wisdom. Be an Elisha; ask God for twice as much as your mentor. (2 kings 2:9) Uncommon people are just common people who recognize their CORE GIFT and put it to work.
Paul speaks of SEVEN different gifts: 'We have different gifts, according to the GRACE given us. lf a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. lf it is serving, let him serve; lf it is teaching, let him teach; lf it is encouraging, let him encourage; lf it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; lf it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully' (Romans 12:6-8 NIV). What's your CORE GIFT? DISCOVER IT, DEVELOP IT, and then DEDICATE it to God's HIGHEST SERVICE!
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Point: Heavenly Father help us to discover our core gift, develop it, and then dedicate it to God's highest service in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'We have different gifts...' (Romans 12:6 NIV)
Stay Blessed!
YearOfSupernaturalSpeed
A letter was returned to the Post Office. Handwritten on the envelope were the words, 'He's dead.' Through an oversight the letter was inadvertently sent to the same address again. Again it was returned to the Post Office with yet another message: 'He's still dead!' Let's be honest; most of us resist change. We desire improvement, but we don't want to pay the price for it. And that's a problem, because we will never become what God intends us to be by remaining what we are. lt's not enough to be open to change, we need to pursue it.lf you are serious about changing your life, Dr. John Maxwell (an American author, speaker and pastor who has written many books, primarily focusing on Leadership) says: 'Don't just change enough to get away from your problems change enough to solve them.
Don't change your circumstances to improve your life change yourself to improve your circumstances. Don't do the same old things expecting different results get different results by doing something new. Don't see change as something hurtful that must be done see it as something helpful that can be done. Don't avoid paying the immediate price tag of change if you do, you will pay the ultimate price of never improving.' James writes: 'When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing' (James 1:3-4 NLT). CHARACTER BUILDING is a slow process; it happens day-by-day. Whenever we try to escape LIFE'S DIFFICULTIES we short-circuit the PROCESS, DELAY our GROWTH, and end up with a worse kind of pain; the worthless type that accompanies denial and avoidance. So, be OPEN TO CHANGE; AND PURSUE IT!
God's servant
Rev Alfred Acheampong
Prayer Points: Heavenly Father help us to desire the needed changes in our lives and to pursue it so that we will grow spiritually and become a profit to the Kingdom of God in Jesus name.
Anchor Scripture: 'LET PATIENCE HAVE ITS PERFECT WORK.' (James 1:4 NKJV)