Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me… I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’  Nehemiah 1:8-9 REFERENCE Nehemiah 1:1-9 A good prayer is one that brings God into remembrance of promises He has made afore time, for He is bound to fulfill by His hands that which His mouth has uttered. Nehemiah did not riddle his prayers with a list of his merits or...

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  I Corinthians 10:13   REFERENCE I Corinthians 10:13 According to our passage, there is absolutely no temptation you are going through right now that is tailor-made for you; people through the ages have gone through the same temptations/challenges and have come out victorious, sometimes unscathed. Therefore, you have to see or approach any...

This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  Galatians 3:2   REFERENCE Galatians 2:21-3:3   God’s Love is not based on ‘Legalism’ but on ‘Grace.’ Legalism is an excessive adherence to procedures. It is dependent on the Moral Law to earn merit with God rather than personal faith through grace. Grace, however, is unmerited favor; and it is the only way we can receive God’s love and approval, not by works or adherence to a code of ethics or laws. Legalism is the exact...

Harass the Midianites, and attack them; for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you… Numbers 25:17-18 REFERENCE Numbers 25:16-18 It sounds extreme for God to command His children to harass the Midianites, but if you understand the background to the story, you will not wonder why? As Israel journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land, they came to a point where they camped in the plains of Moab…across from Jericho (Numbers 22:1). Balak, the king of Midian, got agitated by the presence of the Israelites on the fringes of his territory. So, unprovoked, he hired prophet...

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day to save many people alive. – Genesis 50:20   REFERENCE Genesis 50:15-21   Sometimes when bad things happen to us, or when we go through tough times, God doesn’t allow us waste the pain we experienced during such trying periods; rather He uses the experience to prepare us for a bigger purpose ahead. Problems don’t just come for problems’ sake, when God allows problems in our lives; it is because He has people in...

…Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength! - Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)   REFERENCE Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)   The biggest part of every battle, setback, crisis, delayed answers, or whatever challenge you are presently dealing with is psychological warfare. This is an area the devil thrives the most; his plan is to manipulate your mind to the point where you lose your peace of mind, as well as your hope and confidence in God. However, you can always beat the devil at his game. How? By your response of JOY! Our text clearly reveals that the joy of the LORD...

And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.” Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.” Judges 7:13-14 REFERENCE Judges 7:1-22 What kind of a soldier was this...

Every man in Ai went after the Israelites, and the city was left wide open, with no one to defend it. Joshua 8:17 (GNT) REFERENCE Joshua 8:1-20 (GNT) “Watch your six” is a military parlance which means to ‘watch your back.’ Service members commonly use this term to tell each other that their rear is covered or that they need to watch out for an enemy attacking from behind. If the people of Ai had known about this very important term and the lesson in it, they wouldn’t have left their city wide open with no defenses while they went after...

I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. Luke 11:8 (NIV) REFERENCE Luke 11:5-10 (NIV) This passage reinforces the fact that life will not necessarily give you what you deserve but what you demand from it. Even though they were friends, the person asking for bread in this parable did not get it based on friendship; but, because of his shameless audacity – refusing to leave his friend alone until he got...

…But if You CAN DO anything, have compassion on us and help us. - Mark 9:22   REFERENCE Mark 9:17-27   All through this week, we have learned about God’s limitless abilities, and how He is able to step in to do great things in our lives. However, it is your faith in God that connects His ability with your need. The bitter truth is God is not moved by your whining or crying; He is only moved by your faith; for without faith, it is impossible to please Him. So, replace all your worries, complaints, and cries with faith,...