SUNDAY 17TH NOVEMBER, 2019.
SUNDAY THANKSGIVING SERVICE
TOPIC: GOD'S PROPHECIES FOR THE FAMILY
TEXT: PSALM 128:1-6
"Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."
Introduction
A family is a social unit living together and sharing common attributes. A family usually consists of a wife, a husband and their children. Our Heavenly Father is the Author of the family institution which begins with marriage. In the above scripture, we see God's prophecy of being covenantally married to God's people with a clear promise to provide the families with Pastors who will feed the families with knowledge and understanding. Jeremiah prophesied that God is married to you and has a planned future for your family if only you meet the stated conditions.
Indeed in Ezekiel 16:8-14 and Hosea 2:19-20, these scriptures assure you that God has chosen to be joined to you and your family in a covenant relationship with several attached personal and family blessings.
The family is God's idea and God's creation therefore all families originate from God - Ephesians 3:14-15 "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Being a family God Himself with God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, it is not surprising that God made man to thrive in a family Setting. In Genesis 2:18-24, God instituted the family structure through the institution of marriage. Genesis 2:18 "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." This means it is not good to be without a family. Indeed a man would really struggle through life without a family. The intention of God is for Godly children to be raised in a properly functioning family institution (Malachi 2:14-15). The family unit is fundamentally important in God's plan of redemption and it is for this reason that there is so much attack from the pit of hell against the family institution especially in these end times.
Because of God's love for the family and the purpose God intends the family to serve, the Bible is filled with prophecies revealing God's will for the family and the members of the family. This
teaching is intended to help us understand some of these prophecies so that they may position our families for full expression and manifestation of these prophecies. May the Lord bless you as you apply this knowledge to your family.
Outlines:
1. What are Prophecies?
2. What are God's prophecies concerning the family?
3.What are the obstacles to the manifestation of prophecies?
4.What are your roles in the manifestation of prophecies in your families?
5.Family Prayers
Part 1: What are prophecies?
1.Prophecies are predictions or foretelling of the future through divine inspiration
2Chronicles 15:1-2. The birth of our Lord Jesus was foretold by Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 9:6-7.
2. Prophecies are revelations of the divine will of God concerning certain events to come - 1
Timothy 1:18. The divine will of God was revealed to Prophet Joel regarding a time when
God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh-Joel 2:28-29.
3.Prophecies are messages claimed by prophets to have been communicated to them by the
Holy Ghost - 2 Peter 1:21. When Elijah spoke to the widow in 1 Kings 17:14 confirming that
she will never go hungry but will be fed throughout the famine, it was the Holy Ghost
communicating through Elijah's mouth.
4.Prophecies can be positive in nature - An example of positive prophecy can be found in Joel
2:28-29.
5.Prophecies can be negative in nature - Negative Prophecies are usually provoked by gross
acts of sin and or disobedience. An example of negative prophecy can be seen in Amos 3:1.
6.Not all Prophecies are of God - Enemies can speak through the mouth of others to
discourage your project as was done in Nehemiah 6:12. Jeremiah 14:14 also confirms that
some prophecies are not of God, therefore they are false.
7.Prophecies can be reversed - As a sovereign God, God can choose to reverse a prophecy
when there is a gross act of sin that dishonors His name. An example can be found in 1
Samuel 2:30 The implication of this is that the fulfillment of prophecies may be conditional
Part 2: What are God's Prophecies concerning the Family:
God's Prophecies for the Family refer to God's revealed Will concerning the family institution and its members. God's prophecies concerning the family also represent God's message to the family spoken through the mouths of His prophets. The Bible contains numerous prophecies revealing the will of God for families. For today's teaching, we will focus on five prophecies of God to the family and what each of these prophecies mean to the family.
Prophesy #1: Your Family is Blessed: Psalms 128:1-6"Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel." God's promises through this prophecy for the family are that:
1. Good fortune is for every family head that has profound respect and demonstrates
reverence for God by obeying God's commandments. His efforts and travails will not be
wasted. He will be productive and reap the fruits of his efforts. He will have joy, good
fortune and it will be well with him - Joshua 14:9.
2.This man's wife will be abundantly productive biologically, materially, financially and in
every dimension. His children will be many and they will be faithful, steadfast and dutifully
obedient to their parents-Titus 1:6.
3. This man and his wife by implication will live long enough to be grandparents and witness
peace in their home and in their nation. They shall be free from anxieties and disputes.
There shall be harmony amongst family members both nuclear and extended Genesis
45:10; Psalm 103:17;
Prophecy #2: Your Family Is Built by God: Psalms 127:1-5 "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." What are the promises of God through this prophesy to the family?
Our effort to build the family is in vain. But if we partner with God, we can and will
successfully build our families - 1 Corinthians 3:10-11.
2.Worrying over our family challenges will not solve these challenges. Many people are
having hypertension and depression because of family challenges. Some have taken to
crime while others have turned to evil means of solving the problems. Human efforts
cannot solve our family problems. If we hand over our problems to God, we can go to sleep-
Luke 12:22; Matthew 6:25-31
3.Children belong to God and they are God's possession. Parents are only custodians. As such
anyone with a child is blessed by God and a pregnancy is a gift from God. Children should be
arms or weapons that bring confidence, respect, regard and honour to their parents. The
family is assured of joy as they take pride in well brought up children - Matthew 19:14;
Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16.
Prophecy #3: Your Fruitfulness and Healing are Assured as a family no matter how long the
conception is delayed: Exodus 23:25-26 "And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil." What does this prophecy mean for your family?"
1.As your family serves God, you will not come to any harm because you are highly favoured
by God in your place of work or business and the supply of your basic needs are assured
Psalm 121:3-8; Philippians 4:19.
2.God will drive sicknesses and diseases far away from you and if they strike, the Almighty
God will take them away by healing your family. God will not allow your pregnancy to be
aborted nor your young children to die suddenly - Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 7:15.
3.You will not be barren in any form. You will produce offsprings, you will birth ideas and projects that will advance and expand the family on all fronts. You will not die suddenly. You
will live long and fulfill your days in accordance with the plan of God - 2 Peter 1:8; Luke 1:36;
Songs of Solomon 6:6.
Prophecy #4: You Family will not Lack: Matthew 6:31-33 "Therefore take no thought, saying, 'What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
1. Worrying about your basic needs for food, clothing and shelter is a complete waste of time
because your Heavenly Father has made adequate arrangement for this if only you follow God’s principles for living Matthew 6:27-28, Psalm 37:25
2.Every family's first priority should be that of channeling their efforts and energies to locate
or discover God's kingdom and connect with this kingdom and live by the righteous
standards of this kingdom-Joshua 22:5
3.Every other desires be they physical health, material possessions, financial abundance,
emotional health, peace and joy will all be automatically supplied by God once the family
connects with and lives by the standards of the kingdom - Psalm 34:10.
Prophecy #5: Your Family will shine for God: Isaiah 8:18 "Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.
1. Both Husband and wife are designed to be visible reflections of the attributes of God in
their dealings and interactions with fellow men. Your character should be a public message
from God to those interacting with or observing your conduct. Your attitude and behaviour
should be a visible display of God's intrinsic nature thus becoming a wonder for others.
2.The children that God gave the family as custodians are also designed to be amazing to their
generation in their Godly character, Christian Faith and academic excellence - 1 Timothy
4:12.
3.These behavioral gifts, conduct and grace upon the parents and children are supplied by the
Lord of hosts whom the family members connect to on a continuous basis-Hebrew 8:10
Part 3: What can stand as Obstacles to the Manifestation of God's Prophecies in our Families?
1.Dishonoring God-When the family dishonours God by abusing the freedom of choice like
Eli's sons, God's prophecies will not manifest in such families. Eli's sons treated things of
God with levity and the family lost the prophecy and plan of God for their family - 1 Samuel
2:27-30. Dishonoring God could include: (a) Offering stolen, contaminated or impure gifts
to God-Malachi 1:6-7. (b) Paying lip service to God as a coverup for abominable acts-Isaiah
29:13-15. (C) Not paying first fruits to God - Proverbs 3:9.
2.Choosing to please men rather than God-When a family opts to please men rather than
obey God, the family may never find full manifestation of God's prophecies for their family
just as King Saul lost the will of God for his life-1 Samuel 15:20-23. If a family is preoccupied
with the works of the flesh and continue to exhibit lustful desires, the prophecies of God
may elude them - Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Peter 4:1-6
3.Disobedience to simple instructions - If a family decides to blatantly live in disobedience to
God's commandments and scriptural principles, the will of God may not find fulfillment in
the family just as the disobedience of Lot's wife caused her family to fall out of the plan of
God for this family. Sins of adultery by parents, fornication by children, maltreatment of
spouse or children, failing in spouse or parenting duties can lead to failure of prophecies to
manifest in families-Hebrews 2:2; Colossians 3:6; Ephesians 5:6.
Part 4: What are your Roles in Bringing God's Prophecies to Full Manifestation in Your Family?
2 Chronicles 20:20 "And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper."
The advice Jehoshaphat gave to his followers as he led them into the wilderness of Tekoa is
relevant today. For prophecies to find manifestation in our individual lives and in our families, we
must believe God from whom the prophecies have emanated and we must believe the prophets
through whose mouths the prophecies have been pronounced. Only then can we prosper in these prophecies.
1.Connect with - God Anyone who doesn't believe in God cannot receive His prophecies.
Those who believe God must believe that Jesus Christ is the Way to God and the connection
to God. John 14:6. For God’s prophecies to manifest in your family, accept Jesus Christ as
Saviour and Lord and invite Him to build your family-John 2:1, Revelation 3:20.
2.Know and Understand the prophecies - You cannot claim a prophecy that you don't know
and neither can you understand what you are ignorant about. Family prophecies can be
found and understood through the scriptures 1 Peter 2:2; Proverbs 2:3-5. Parents must
make it a family priority to teach God's word to their children - Proverbs 31:1; Joshua 1:8.
3.the prophecies - Manoah's wife believed the angel that prophesied to her and the
prophecy came to pass - Judges 13:3-7. She demonstrated her sincere belief by sharing the
news with her husband immediately
4.Receive the prophecies - Mary the mother of Jesus believed the prophecy even when it
looked impossible and she received it by making a declaration in Luke 1:38. For this reason,
she became a living testimony of the power of God to do the incredible. Every family that
wants God's prophecies to come to pass in their families will not look at their limitations or
present circumstances. The family must receive the prophecies in their hearts and trust
God's ability to do what has been prophesied-Isaiah 46:11; Isaiah 55:11.
5.Reserve yourself for prophecy fulfillment - live intentionally and consciously with the
realization of what God has purposed for your family. You cannot afford to live carelessly
when you are expecting God's prophecy to manifest. Joseph didn't compromise his walk
with God and God's purpose found full manifestation in his life. Any family that wants God's
prophecies to be fulfilled in their families must live their lives in accordance with God's
principles - Romans 6:1 "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may
abound?"
Part 5: Family Prayers:
Father, I Invite You afresh to take over the affairs of my family. I recognize I cannot build my
family without You. - Psalm 127:1.
2. Father, re-make every faulty foundation in my family that is standing between us and the
full manifestation of your prophecies in the name of Jesus. Please take over and rebuild my
family in the name of Jesus - 1 Corinthians 3:11; Matthew 15:13
3.Father, arise and rebuke every evil storm and adverse wind (physical, financial, emotional
etc) raging against our families and threatening to capsize our family boats in the name of
Jesus.-Isaiah 17:13-14; Mark 4:39
4.Father, please restore every lost glory, lost virtue, lost blessings, lost joy, lost favour, lost
peace, lost grace and lost opportunities to our families in the name of Jesus. Have mercy
Lord and restore families that are broken, separated or dysfunctional in the name of Jesus.
Please restore peace and joy to every suffering couple in the name of Jesus - Joel 2:25-26.
5.Father, please turn the hearts of our children to You; turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children; turn the hearts of disobedient children to wisdom; rescue your children from
perdition in the name of Jesus. Make all our families a people prepared to receive You
when You shall return in the name of Jesus-Luke 1:16-17