Text: 1Samuel 16:7 (KJV)

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Friends, have you ever noticed that God uses completely different standard for selection than man does? God’s criteria are not the same as human criteria because He does not see as man sees. He is not impressed by physical appearance or outward packaging, so our eye-service can never move Him. God can reject a man and, at the same time, spot a new vessel in the crowd to anoint, based solely on His righteous judgment. From Scripture, we see a time when a new king was needed because the former king, Saul, had been rejected by the Lord. God then sent His servant Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint a replacement. Jesse presented his seven sons - tall, handsome, and outwardly qualified, thinking one of them must surely be chosen. Yet, the Lord was not impressed by any of them. Finally, Jesse called for his youngest son, David, whom he did not even consider king-worthy. However, the Lord instructed Samuel to anoint David because he was the one God had chosen. Do you know that God has seen your secret efforts and will reward you openly? What God saw in David was not outward appearance only but something inward in his heart. As Luke 8:17 says, “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” Interestingly, even Samuel initially thought Eliab, the eldest son, must be God’s choice because of his appearance. But God looks at the heart, and this was what made David fit for the throne. As 1 Samuel 2:3 reminds us, “For the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.” I pray that we will meet God’s parameters for divine selection, in Jesus’ name. We may try to cover ourselves with makeup, packaging, or rebranding, but God sees beyond all that. He looks inward at the real person. Psalm 147:10 tells us that God does not delight in human strength or physical ability.

Interestingly, we must also be spiritually sensitive to recognize moments of divine opportunity so we do not operate under expired assignments or miss God’s timing. May that never be our portion, in Jesus’ name. To see correctly, we must learn to see through God’s eyes. Human assessment is often limited and conditional because it is based on outward observation. Therefore, our mindset must shift to align with God’s perspective. Outward appearance can be deceptive, so we must be careful. God also gave clear criteria when selecting deacons in Acts 6:3: Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. So, the early believers chose men like Stephen and Philip who met God’s standard, and this pleased the entire assembly. Therefore, let us prepare and groom ourselves to meet God’s parameters in our calling. There are many vacancies in God’s work because the harvest is great but the laborers are few. Position yourself to become a vessel that fits God’s divine standard. I pray that God will help you and prepare you for His purpose, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINTS:

1.       Oh Lord, please purge our eyes, so we will not accept whom God has refused, in Jesus name.

2.       Father, I pray, nobody will take my position or my place no matter where I am located but grace will find me out in Jesus name.

3.       Father, please have mercy and deliver us from wrong choice of leadership in Jesus name.

ACTION QUOTE: Ask yourself, am I struggling on a task which the Lord did not choose for me?

Text: Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV)

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Friends, as believers, there is a right way to seek and find God, and it begins with sincerity of purpose. What makes this sincerity unique is the involvement of your whole heart and soul. Our text today reminds us to seek God with our entire heart, not with a divided mind as many people do. We must desire God’s kind of leading because His guidance is always peaceful, purposeful, and fruitful. One important truth about seeking God is that it must be done in spirit and in truth. When you truly desire Him, you will surely find Him. The amazing part is that the God we serve is not only a prayer-answering God but also a question-answering God. The Bible says in Psalm 34:10:“The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” Also in Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” The most important step is to open your heart to Him and never feel it is too late to seek His leading. No matter how far you may have gone on the wrong path, you can always find your way back by following His guidance.

God is so loving that He has given us clear instructions in the Bible on how to receive His leading. In Matthew 6:33, we are told:“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Seeking Him first accelerates our answers and brings clarity to our lives. Therefore, we should seek Him daily through these steps:  firstly, learn to follow God’s way, not your own.  Secondly, know God’s Word and obey His instructions. Also, maintain continuous fellowship with the Holy Spirit, who reveals the mysteries of His leading. I encourage you today to seek His leading daily, and you will see Him guide you to places you never imagined possible, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT:
God, please help us to grow in deeper intimacy with the Holy Spirit for the revelation of new ideas, in Jesus’ name.

ACTION QUOTE:
Ask yourself: Am I truly hungry for His Word with my whole heart?

Text: James 4:8 (KJV)

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Friends, it is often said that whom you follow determines what follows you. We all have a role to play in our covenant walk with God, just as He faithfully does His own part. We must understand that many who made meaningful impact in their generation maintained a close walk with God. They did not worship Him from a distance; instead, they continually drew nearer and nearer to Him, like those who thirst for the waters of life. We need to develop deep intimacy with God, marked by loyalty and undivided attention. When our hearts are not divided between God and the world, His promises become real in our lives. As Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” Therefore, in this troubled world, we cannot afford to walk in spiritual blindness during such critical times. Rather, we must walk with hearts full of faith. True nearness to God is a heart-to-heart connection produced by sincerity.

This is the time for us to decide who and what we draw close to, both spiritually and physically. We are in a season of choices, as there are choices about whose path we will follow. Though, challenges will surely come, but the good news is that there is always a place of renewal where we can encounter God. One key strategy for making the right decision is knowing whom we believe. We must learn to abide in the safe place, where God’s supernatural presence brings glory and testimonies follow. We must also develop our spiritual sensitivity so we can connect to the right source. This is the season to walk in partnership with the Master of all solutions, made possible as we draw nearer to Him. As Hebrews 10:22 reminds us, Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. I urge us to keep drawing closer to God, so that those things that irritates us will lose control over our flesh by studying and meditating on the word of God in prayers with a genuine worship at all times in Jesus name.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Father, help me to dwell in Your presence and become more like You, as drawing closer to You washes away every sinful nature, in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, help us to develop a deep relationship with You so that we will never be far from our Source, in Jesus’ name.

ACTION QUOTE

Can you imagine the impact of staying close to your father while growing up? That is the power of nearness to God.

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Text: Isaiah 60:1(KJV)

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

Our ultimate gift in this kingdom is to shine and influence our environment as our light cannot be hidden.  So, when we accepted to join God’s kingdom, one amazing gift was given to us, which was light (JESUS), but for us to sustain our position in this kingdom, we need to keep using that light to shine. Ask yourself I am shining without Jesus? The truth is, once light shines in a place of complete darkness, darkness bows, but what follows after a ray of light is the continuous shining of light with great impact. Think of it in the case of the sun, once it rises, it takes the darkness away, and after that has happened, it keeps shining. John 1:5- And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. The same goes for us as believers. We have been given light, but it is time for us to keep shining. The fact is there are different intensities of light some low and others high level, but we can grow our level of light.  For some, it might be slightly bright because they are still growing in their Christian faith, while for some, it is extremely bright because of their deep understanding of the Word of God and this is the intensity we are meant to have as true believers.

Amazingly, God wants us to keep shining, and that is why He gave us the Word as a manual to keep that light shining. Psalms 119:105- Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. The intensity of light God aims for us is the one that will shine, and it will radiate to everyone and things around us. This light is our inheritance, and we are meant to show it to the world. The truth is the length or intensity of our shining is determined by the volume of our oil (the Word of God) on reserve and the pruning of the wick (our faith), so I urge you to fuel yourself always with the Word so that you can be hotter and you will keep burning and shining over and over. I pray God will help us, in Jesus name.

PRAYER POINTS:

1.Oh Lord, strengthen me to keep the oil burning as to shine brighter again in Jesus name.

2. Father, may my light not be covered by the world standard instead be influenced positively in Jesus name.

ACTION QUOTE: Please do not cover the light in you as to enjoy the full output.

Text: Matthew 28:20b (KJV)

And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Friends, many times, because of the difficult moments people face, they become frustrated and begin to feel alone or even forsaken. But the good news is that the Word of God reminds us that He is always with us and will never leave us. Hebrews 13:5b says, “For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” God has made this promise, and we know that He is not a man that He should lie or go back on His Word. Hence, we must live daily with this assurance, because it is part of our inheritance as believers. We are inseparable from God. He has promised to remain in our midst despite all we may face or have faced. Psalm 46:5 declares, “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” So, my brothers and sisters, it is time to rejoice, because there is early help provided for us even in this season.

Interestingly, God’s ceaseless presence cannot be altered. Do not allow the devil to cause you to waver in unbelief or doubt. The Almighty God is with you. He is more than reliable, and it is not in His nature to abandon anyone halfway. Always confront doubt and unbelief with God’s promises through His Word. I pray that you will enjoy the rest of your days with joy and victory, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINTS

1.     Thank You, Lord, for Your divine presence that transforms us from within, in Jesus name.

2.     Father, may we continually experience Your ageless refuge and timely help in times of trouble, in Jesus name.

ACTION QUOTE

Can you see how inseparable you are from your shadow? The same way, you are inseparable from God.

Text: Psalm.126:5-6 (KJV)

Verse 5- They that sow in tears shall reap in Joy. Verse 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him

Friends, there is still beauty ahead, even though you may be in tears at the moment. We must remember that there is a heavenly joy that cannot be compared with the temporary joy of this earth. This truth should encourage us as believers, despite present suffering. No matter the weeping and struggles of this world, our FINAL JOY is coming. Rejoice, for our mouths shall be filled with laughter and gladness. Do not forget the joy set before us, it outweighs every challenge. It is a precious, eternal joy that has no end. Hold on to the glorious, unending joy that awaits us. Let us remain hopeful because a greater joy is still ahead. We may be sowing in tears through the stress and trials we face now, but we shall soon reap in joy, in Jesus’ name. Joy is a destination with Christ.  Psalm 30:11 says, Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.

There is a moment of everlasting joy awaiting us. Our Master has gone to prepare a mansion for us. DO NOT OVERLOOK THE JOY AHEAD. There is an original place of joy where we will meet our Master, Jesus, at the end of the age. There shall be no more sorrow or weeping there. Revelation 21:4 declares, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” It is a place of everlasting joy, where many saints are already rejoicing in heaven. Let this be our hope. However, true joy comes from the Holy Spirit as the fruit of the Spirit. I urge us to hunger for this precious gift. He will sustain us  now and bring us safely to our final destination in heaven in Jesus’ name.

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PRAYER POINT

Father, I pray you shall wipe away all tears, sorrow, nor death among us and replace it with Your precious Joy in Jesus name

ACTION QUOTE:   Remember, if you have shared secret tears before, rejoice your Joy is now?

Text: Psalm.126:5-6 (KJV)

Verse 5- They that sow in tears shall reap in Joy. Verse 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him

Friends, remember that there is joy at the end of the tunnel, no matter the unthinkable tragedies you may be experiencing today. Therefore, do not see your present distress as something that will last forever. Let us view sorrow as a season of sowing, for rejoicing shall be our harvest. Those tears have qualified you for joy. I encourage you to receive the strength that comes from His promise, because He cannot lie to us even though we pass through seasons of secret tears by reason of life challenges. Psalm 30:11 says, Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.

Sometimes we find ourselves in the process line for different reasons. If I may ask, are you there in that season as a worker, a waiter, or a weeper? The good news is that we are growing forth to bear fruits, not just ordinary seed but precious seed that will continue to impact our world. Remember, God sees and knows it all, even in drought-stricken moments, for there is no birth without travail. So, stop staggering at His promise but stay through to harvest your joy. 2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Hence, weeping may endure for the night, but be rest assured that joy comes in the morning, and there is a precious seed of joy ahead of the journey. I pray we shall nurture that season for a fruit bearing opportunity in Jesus name. 

PRAYER POINT

Oh God, prepare us to be part of that final Joy at the end of our journey here on earth in Jesus name

ACTION QUOTE:   Remember, if you are in tears today, relax, you shall joy eternally, too.