RHEMA From Heaven

Divinely protected

Romans 8:31says “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
One assurance we have as Christians is that, God is always with us and He makes us triumph in the face of any fiery battle or challenge.

Isaiah 54:17 says “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord”.
You see, being in Christ is the greatest security you can ever have in life.

The prophet Isaiah described the divine protection of Christians as a heritage. Meaning, divine protection is every Christian’s property or birth right.

Be conscious of this truth. Let it sink into your heart and let it dominate your mind. Keep saying it anytime and everywhere that, “you are under divine covering and protection”.
That’s the blessing of being in Christ.

Don’t fret when you see any battle or tide trying to come against you. Remember that you have what it takes to overcome.

Read: Acts 17:28 “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring:”

Study: Romans 8:37

Watch and be sober; Jesus is returning

1 Thessalonians 5:2,6 says “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. [6] Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”
Christ’s return is certain. It is one great happening every Christian must be ready for. That’s why our opening text enjoins us to watch.

The word watch means looking at or observing attentively someone or something over a period of time. It also denotes, exercising care, caution or restraint about something.
Watching also describes a state of alertness. As Christians, this is one important thing we must do in relation to the return of Jesus.

The preceding verses on the key text, explains clearly why we must be on the watch. See 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night”.
You see, the times and seasons we are in clearly points to one thing that the end of all things is near.

It is important to know that most prophecies in relation to Christ’s return has been fulfilled before our very eyes. What remains of it is the “unknown hour” for Christ’s coming.
Mark says, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is, lest coming suddenly he finds you sleeping”.

Be on the alert as we eagerly wait for the coming of the Lord. Above all, keep the faith and always put your life in the centre of God’s will.

Read: 1 Peter 4:7 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer”

Study: Revelation 1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

Delight yourself in the Lord

Psalm 37:4-5 says “Delight yourself in the LORD, And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; Trust in Him also and He will do it.”
God is ever ready to meet the needs of his children. But you have to position yourself- your heart in a way to receive from him.

Your part to play in what God wants to do is for you to delight yourself in him. In other words, you must take pleasure in the Lord. Nothing must be esteemed more than your relationship with him.

Delighting yourself in the Lord also means doing everything possible to please the Lord. When you delight yourself in the Lord, you will not speak lightly of the Lord, the things of the Lord, nor will you live contrary to his plan for your life.

The Psalmist teaches that, people who delight themselves in the Lord, shall receive their desires and petitions put before him.
That’s to say, when you put God first, it will be well with you- spiritually, physically, financially and in all your endeavours.

Read: Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”

Study: Psalm 37

Be sensitive to spiritual things

Romans 8:5 says “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires”
It matters what you are sensitive to. You can be sensitive to your flesh and you can also be sensitive to the Spirit of God. But there is nothing pleasing to God or that glorifies God like being sensitive to the Spirit.

You see, the Christian life is a spiritual walk. It is therefore important to place premium on spiritual things (the voice of the Spirit, God’s word and biblical instructions from God’s servants) than carnal or earthly things.

People who undermine spiritual things in their walk with God never make much progress.

The born again believer has been made alive spiritually. Ephesians 2:1 says “And you hath he quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins”. Meaning that you have the capacity to relate with spiritual things. To the Christian getting along with spiritual things must be the normal way of life. That’s to say, you shouldn’t look at things from man’s perspective or the freshly mindset to the neglect of the word.
In any case, anything outside this must rather be considered abnormal.

Being sensitive to the spiritual things involves your alertness to the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit, and being able to flow with the signals your human spirit picks as you go about your daily life. Your success as a Christian depends more on ” spiritual things” than anything else.

Train yourself to be spiritually minded. Never let your flesh and earthly things deaden your sensitivity to the things of the spirit.

Read: Romans 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Study: Romans 12:11

Ask, that your joy may be full

John 16:24 says “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

There is a joy that comes when you get answers to prayer. But if you’re not getting answers to prayer, if you’re not getting results, then there can be a look of perplexity and trouble on your countenance.
God hears and answers prayers when it is done according to his will.

On the other hand, before the manifestation of your prayer, you need to have joy in your heart because you are resting on the integrity of God’s word.

You see, there is no joy like seeing God move in your family and in your home, answering your prayers.

As a Christian, your joy can’t be full in the face of uneasiness, troubles, challenges, and many obligations to meet when you don’t have the means. But God wants you to have your needs met. God wants you to be full of joy. Thus, he wants you to ask him.

However, once you have asked the Father to meet your needs in Jesus’ Name, sometimes you need to have joy before you ever see what you asked for.
You have to be joyous before you see the answer materialize.

In asking God to meet your needs, let go of worry since worry hinders God from helping.
People who try to figure things out, or how things will happen methodically after praying have the care or burden of the problem, and that means they are not in joy.

Ask and you will receive

Read:Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”

Study: John 16:24

Obey the “heavenly vision”

Acts 26:19 says “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I (Paul) was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision”
Every vision or mandate from God is worth obeying and this was exactly what the Apostle Paul did.

He stands to be credited with the words, “heavenly vision”. This he used to refer to the assignment or the purpose that God made known to him concerning his life on a journey to Damascus.

See God’s assignment to Paul as told by him in Acts 26:16,18:”… rise, and stand upon thy feet (Paul): for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; [18] To open their eyes (referring to the Gentiles and the Jews), and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

To this purpose, the apostle Paul stayed true. He was consistent in delivering on his God-ordained assignment.
To him nothing mattered any longer after knowing what God wanted him to do. He was completely sold out.

Hear his confession to the Philippians when he was faced with treats and challenges, “for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phillipians 1:21).

This is the exact example God wants us to live out as Christians. As a Christian you must stay true to God’s purpose for your life. You must not substitute it for anything- money, fame, personal interest and pleasures.
Although following God’s purpose will sometimes bring challenges, you must know that faithful is He that calls us, and he will help us out.

You must know that staying with God’s purpose for your life is what will cause you to prosper in this world and in the one to come.

Don’t be disobedient to what the Lord tells you to do in life. Obey your “heavenly vision ” even in the face of challenges.

Read: Isaiah 1:19 “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land”

Study: Deuteronomy 27:10

When you pray, believe

Mark 11:24 say “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them”
When it comes to the prayer of request, it is your faith that gets the job done.
In other words, when you pray you have to believe.

When you stand on God’s word to make demands or pray, you must believe that God will deliver on his word.

You see, for your prayers to avail, it must be said in and by faith.
Many people miss out on this truth. They only have a culture of prayer or they have made prayer just a “ritual”.

Anytime you pray and ask for something from the Lord, exercise your faith. Hebrews 11:6 says “For he that comes to God must believe that He is, and is the rewarder of those that diligently seek him”.
Those who believe when they pray don’t wait to see a physical manifestation before they thank God and celebrate their miracle. NO! After prayer, their countenance changes. Their faces shine with the joy of the Lord. They make glorious confessions. They talk their way up to victory.

Read: 1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us”

Study: Jeremiah 33:3

SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE

One of the things we must learn to control is your affection. Colossians 3:2 says “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”.
Affection means passions, love, thoughts, cares and desires. Therefore, setting your affection on things above is to love, desire and to be mindful of things which are eternal, heavenly and spiritual.

You must know that, your success as a Christian depends more on heavenly things. Paul understood this truth and that is the more reason he told the believers that “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Meaning that his desire and passion for life was set above. To him nothing in this world is worth living for.

You must not be an “earthly minded believer”. In fact, don’t be carried away by the cares and pleasures of this life since they are but for a moment.

Learn from Moses of whom it was said that, He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt (Hebrews 11:25-26).

You must make conscious effort to set the things of God on your heart daily. You must allow yourself to be obsessed with heavenly and spiritual things. That is how you can sail through this sin doomed world.

Remember that the world’s system will keep troubling you with “worldly stuffs” but if you are heavenly minded you will stand to the end and be saved.

Dare to be different. Be spiritual and heavenly conscious than anything else.

Read: Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]”

Study: Hebrews 11:25-26

Keep the right company

Proverbs 13:20 says “Keep company with the wise and you will become wise. If you make friends with stupid people, you will be ruined”.
The Bible again in 2 Corinthians 6:14 says”Do not come into close association with unbelievers, like oxen yoked with asses. For what is there in common between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what partnership has light with darkness?”
In as much as God wants us to be at peace with all persons, it also matters the kind of company you keep.

As a Christian you must be particular when it comes to the associations or the company you keep. Going around with people who don’t regard nor value God will only destroy you.

You see, there are people you must keep to help your God given vision in life and there are some too you must avoid to prevent your God given vision from failing.

Just as lives perish when there is no vision, vision sometimes too perish when you don’t get the right people.
Proverbs 27:17 says “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend”.

Which people are you getting along with in life? What do they value? Do they have reverence for God? Are they bent on following God’s will and agenda for their lives ?

Remember that anyone you have as a friend, or associate with is your own choice. Be wise and keep associations that will inspire you to be godly, prayerful, hardworking, and above all, will cause you to end up in Heaven.

Read: 1 Corinthians 15:33 (Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”)

Study: 2 Corinthians 6:14

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Colossians 4:2 says “Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving”
Thanksgiving is one attitude that every Christian must maintain in prayer.

When it comes to prayer, there are different kinds based on the content and the approach.
You can pray a prayer of faith, you can pray in the spirit, intercede, and pray a prayer of thanksgiving.

The prayer of thanksgiving dominantly and basically involves appreciating God’s grace and goodness in your life. It also involves appreciating God for past victories won.

Hannah the mother of Samuel is a perfect example when it comes to the prayer of thanksgiving. After receiving her “miracle baby” after many years of marriage without a child, she went back to the Lord’s house with thanksgiving and even paid the vow she made to God.

1 Samuel 1:27 says “For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him”
1 Samuel 2:1 also says “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord : my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation”.

Learn to always abound in thanksgiving when you pray.

Read: Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”

Study: Psalm 100:4