January 22
Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth: Sing forth the glory of his name: Make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible are thy works! Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, And shall sing unto thee; They shall sing to thy name. Selah Come, and see the works of God; He is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. Ps 66:1-5 (ASV)
The Lord is set to do strange works among His people this year and only those who are sensitive to the spirit can get the leading of the Holy Spirit, this sensitivity dearly beloved, can only be discover through prayer. That is why our altar of prayer must not be cold but we must through fervency make the coals forever HOT.
The year has just started and we must enquire of the Lord how to chat the course of the year. We cannot afford to be lukewarm at the altar or else our destiny will be compromised by the devil and his agents.
So let us come boldly before the throne and make our desires known to Our Dear Father Who is heaven (Jer 33:3). Interesting, we serve a prayer answering God. He never stores up prayers, He gives answers to every request placed on demand before Him.
In Economics we have the law of Demand and Supply. Until there is a demand, there will be a corresponding supply. So also it is in the spiritual, when you place a demand before heaven, our prayer answering God will send a supply. So until you and I place a demand, the heaven’s will only be watching and as soon as it is done our angels will be at work, how about that?
So from now on, you and I should be sending our requests (demand) to heaven for corresponding replies (supply). Do you understand it, so keep on moving higher in the realm of the Spirit by sending your supplications often to the heavenly to discover God’s agenda for you in your life, career and ministry:
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there.—Mark 1:35
It was common knowledge among the disciples that they would find Jesus praying during the early morning hours. When they needed Him, they knew to go to the place of prayer. When Judas betrayed Jesus, he led his cohorts to Jesus’ place of prayer.
Every time the Lord Jesus faced an important decision, He prayed. When He was being tempted to do things by the world’s methods instead of the Father’s, He prayed (Matt. 4). When it was time to choose His disciples, He prayed the entire night (Luke 6:12). If the Son of God required a night of prayer in order to determine the Father’s mind, how long might it take us in prayer to clearly determine our Father’s will?
Because Jesus was so often surrounded by crowds, He knew He must find a quiet place so He could clearly hear His Father’s voice. Jesus had many people seeking to influence the direction of His life. His disciples wanted Him to go where the crowds were (Mark 1:37). The crowds wanted to crown Him king (John 6:15). Satan tempted Him to make compromises in order to draw a following (Matt. 4:3, 6, 9). Jesus knew that His mission was not to attract a crowd, but to remain obedient to His Father. It was prayer that set the agenda for Jesus’ ministry (Luke 6:12).
Prayer preceded the miracles (John 11:42–43); prayer brought Him encouragement at critical moments (Luke 9:28–31); prayer enabled Him to go to the cross (Luke 22:41–42); and prayer kept Him there despite excruciating pain (Luke 23:46). Follow the Savior’s example, and let your time alone with God, in prayer, set the agenda for your life.
In addition to a call above for a meaningful serious life, is another like it, Lord turn my eyes from beholding vanity and make my soul to yearn after You. Please ride on my dear to save yourself from the evil of the days we are in:
“Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken Thou me in Thy way.” Psalm 119:37
There are divers kinds of vanity. The cap and bells of the fool, the mirth of the world, the dance, the lyre, and the cup of the dissolute, all these men know to be vanities; they wear upon their forefront their proper name and title. Far more treacherous are those equally vain things, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.
A man may follow vanity as truly in the counting-house as in the theatre. If he be spending his life in amassing wealth, he passes his days in a vain show. Unless we follow Christ, and make our God the great object of life, we only differ in appearance from the most frivolous. It is clear that there is much need of the first prayer of our text. “Quicken Thou me in Thy way.” The Psalmist confesses that he is dull, heavy, lumpy, all but dead. Perhaps, dear reader, you feel the same.
We are so sluggish that the best motives cannot quicken us, apart from the Lord Himself. What! Will not hell quicken me? Shall I think of sinners perishing, and yet not be awakened? Will not heaven quicken me? Can I think of the reward that awaiteth the righteous, and yet be cold? Will not death quicken me? Can I think of dying, and standing before my God, and yet be slothful in my Master’s service? Will not Christ’s love constrain me? Can I think of His dear wounds, can I sit at the foot of His cross, and not be stirred with fervency and zeal? It seems so!
No mere consideration can quicken us to zeal, but God Himself must do it, hence the cry, “Quicken Thou me.” The Psalmist breathes out his whole soul in vehement pleadings: his body and his soul unite in prayer. “Turn away mine eyes,” says the body: “Quicken Thou me,” cries the soul. This is a fit prayer for every day. O Lord, hear it in my case today.
Finally beloved come with to Psalm 86:11- Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you (NLT).
It is only God that can teach you to love Him and to serve Him. So I will encourage you to paste this prayer where you can recite it often. Ask the Lord to teach you His way; so that you can walk in His truth. Also ask Him to give you an undivided heart so that you fear His name.
The reward of this prayer is in Psalm 145:18-19- The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them (NLT)
When you walk in God’s truth, He will be so close to you and when you fear Him, He will fulfill your heart desires. Is that not a good deal! Okay, top it up with this Ps 37:4
May He expound His word to you and give you the understanding to live it out.
Remain blessed in the Lord.
Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu
