RHEMA From Heaven

God’s commitment to answering our prayers is undeniable. Nonetheless, not every prayer gets the believer the desired results.
For you to receive whatever you pray for or for you to have your requests granted by the Lord, it must be preceded with the right motives in your heart.

You see, you can’t pray with wrong motives in your heart and still expect God to deliver. The amplified Bible puts it this way:

James 4:3- You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires.

God’s commitment to answering your prayers is also dependent on the condition of your heart and how you intend to make use of the results.

To have answer to your prayer of request, pray with the right motives, pray in line with the will of God and always have it at heart to use what you get in prayer for the right things.

Read: James 4:3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”

Prayer: Lord, I pray that my heart and my motives will be right as I desire to make requests in prayer.

One important lifestyle that characterized the life of Jesus when he was on earth was private or personal prayers.

Private prayer life is a personal prayer life. It is a one-on-one time with the Lord without any interference from anyone. Our opening scripture readings tells of how Jesus separated himself from his disciples and the people he preached,just to pray.

This private prayer life did not only make him stayed his course to bring us salvation, but it also made him fit for any spiritual battle, and amplified his results in life.

You see, although congregational prayers are important. It must never make you leave out your personal prayer life.

Learn to get up early to pray. Learn to isolate yourself from people to pray. This is a sure way to build intimacy with the Lord and to align yourself to His plans.

Read: Luke 11:1 “It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”

Prayer: Lord; I pray for grace to develop a private prayer life to always align myself to you plan and purpose for my life.

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”

Prayer: Lord, for grace to stand in faith anytime I go on my knees to pray.

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”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to stay true and obedient to your vision for life here on on earth.

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”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace to develop deeper love and desire for your word which blesses every area of my life.

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”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for wisdom to be sober and watchful for your return in this end time.

Love the Bible says works or does no evil to another.

When love is at work or when we walk in love we will hardly harm or hurt people. That’s to say that, we will not devise schemes to destroy one another.

You see, the deeds or fruits of love is always good. It promotes an atmosphere of peace and joy. When love is at work it leaves no room for evil to operate.

As a Christian you have a command from the Lord to walk in love (John 13:34). The way people treat you must not let evil spring out of you towards them. Doing evil to people because of what they did to you is not love .

In walking in love you must not take advantage of people or use their weakness to destroy them. Not only that, so as not to harm people in life, watch what you say about them and to them, watch what you do to people and watch what you tell others about them.

Use this golden rule when it comes to love: ” I will not let my actions and inactions harm or destroy another person”.

Read: Romans 13:10 “Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law”

Prayer: Lord, I pray that the virtue of love will dominate my heart and affect my actions.

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:”

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the provision and assurance of my divine protection always.

Judgement is one important subject matter that the Christian must not take for granted.
When all is said and done, the Christian will have to give an account of his life pertaining to what was done and what was not done to the Lord.

The book of Hebrews describes the teaching of judgement as a primary or an elementary subject (Hebrews 6:1-2). That’s to mean that, every Christian must have an understanding of the matter.

You see, our relationship with God does not only offer us blessings and good things. It also places on us some divine obligations for which we must give an account.

As a Christian, God expects you to make good use of his grace and investment into your life. He expects you to live in accordance with his word. These standards become the basis for accountability, and the judgement that will be given.

Never lose sight of this truth of judgement. Each of us will one day be held accountable for what we did, how we lived, how we walked with the Lord and our fellow Christians.

Read: Romans 14:12 “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for grace and wisdom to live prudently in this life with you and the brethren.

Love drives your faith to work. Love emboldens your faith to produce results. Without love your faith will be inoperative.

You see, your faith will only work when your love is intact. Love is a faith propellant. Your faith can’t give you any spectacular results when you are out of love.

If you want to master faith, master love. They are supposed to work together.
This is the more reason why some Christians never go far in the exercise of their faith. You have and must walk in love to go far in your faith.

People who don’t walk in love are limited. So you see, whether faith for healing, faith for finances, and faith for overcoming the storms of life, it all comes from love. Trying to exercise faith without love is like trying to drive a car without an engine. It can’t get you anywhere irrespective of how hard you try.

Read: Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love”

Prayer: Lord, I pray grace and strength to always keep a heart that is dominated by love.