“that if 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” ( Romans 10:9)
Once the Apostle Paul was going about in his ministry walks. Then he met a young girl who was being exploited by profiteers making money out of her as a fortune teller, and she kept at his party. “Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.…” (Acts 16:18). What we notice here is that Paul spoke to the spirit torturing this girl and it left.
Another different scenario, once a furious storm hit a boat in which were panic stricken disciples. Then Jesus “.. got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” ( Acts 4:39). Jesus had got up and spoken to a storm and it died.
Then there was also a case when Peter met a street begger. He turned and spoke, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” ( Acts 3:6). Again here we see the power of the spoken word.
Such is the power of the spoken word. It is the spoken word that raised Lazurus from the dead. For “Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face” ( John 11: 43-44). Jesus had not merely looked at the grave. He spoke!
Where you have challenges, and we all do, of whatever kind, you too can speak boldly to them, to take cover. Just as Jesus rebuked the spirit that had penetrated in his camp to cause confusion when he turned and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” ( Mathew 16:23), you too can!
Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I rise to speak loud and clear to my situation, perfectly known to you, that by your power, you shall bring it to rest, for I have prayed in Jesus’ name!
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08/05/2024 - 09/05/2024 All day“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
The culture of sharing gifts runs through scriptures and is at the heart of the Gospel. Upon realizing that Jesus Christ had been born the three wise main did not just go empty handed. “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Mathew 2:11).
When Jacob decided to return to his country, he went with gifts to soften the heart of his twin brother Esau, whom he had left maddened at him for various wrongs. “Then he selected these gifts from his possessions to present to his brother, Esau: 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams, 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys” ( Genesis 32: 13-15). The reason was, Jacob thought, “I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me.” So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp” (vv 2—21).
Esau was already a wealthy man and had no need of the gifts presented. But Jacob pleaded with him. “Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift” (Genesis 33: 11). This symbol of good touched Esau, brightened his heart, burying the old acrimonious relation.
Taking after these two instances believers should be in the habit of sharing gifts. We should visit each other not empty handed but like the wise men with gifts, not so much that those we are gifting are lacking, but as a way of blessing them. Proverbs 11:25-26, says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
Most importantly we bless each other with gifts because we have received the most important gift there is in life, the gift of salvation. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I thank you for the most precious gift of all that you gave me of eternal life through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and so I pray that I may not hesitate to share this gift and bless those with as much whom you enable me to meet, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
