₦airaland Forum

19th November, 2015. “ Gratitude to God “ –Part 2


Psalm 28 v 7 - The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.


Psalm 30 V 12 - To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.


The word gratitude, means; thankfulness, appreciation, grateful, etc.


It is a medium to appreciate any one for an assistance offered one.

Gratitude to God, therefore means an attitude of appreciating what God has done in the past.


When we give God glory for one he is moved to do two.

Scriptural reading Psams 150 V 1- Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.



Example of a man who showed gratitude to God in the bible- 2 kings 5 V 9-10,14 &15- Is the story of Naaman the great soldier with leprosy, after his healing, he was greatful unto God.


THINGS TO NOTE FROM THE STORY OF NAAMAN

1. Naaman, located his place of visitation (Isreal ) –2 kings 5 V 5,

2. Naaman, located his prophet of destiny – 2 kings 5 Verse 9

3. Naaman, obeyed divine instructions – 2 kings 5 Verse 14

4. Naaman, came back to offer gratitude unto God – 2 kings 5 verse 15


HOW TO KNOW GRATEFUL PEOPLE.

1. They praise God every day- psalm 86 V 12- I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

2. They praise God every where – Psalm 100 V 4 - Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

3. They Give thanks to God in all things- 1 Thessalonians 5 V 18 - In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

4. They obey God in all things –Deuteronomy 11 V 27 - A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:

5. They renounce all old things -11 Corinthians 5 V 17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
In conclusion, the big question is, are you an ungrateful fellow? Have you shown gratitude for the ones he did for you before.


That is a big question, the Lord told me my Servant , tell my people to be grateful for the ones I have done, so I can do more for them.


Gratitude for what has been done in the past open doors for greater testimonies.


Prayer point

1. Father, I thank you for all you have done in my life, in Jesus name.

2Father, please, let not the ungratefulness of my parents stand against my prayers, In jesus name

3. Father, please, forgive me for being ungrateful to you, in Jesus name.

4. Father, please, empower me with the grace to praise you everyday, in Jesus name.

5. Father, please, empower me with the grace to praise you everywhere I go, In jesus name

6. Father, please, empower me with the spirit of thanksgiving in all thing, In jesus name

7. Father, please, please remove those sitting in my rightful position and place me there, In jesus name

8. Father, please, pass your judgment upon those that said I will not see next year, In jesus name

9. Father, please, Let your anointing take away every reproach from my life, In jesus name

10. Father, please, let your anointing, bring my destiny helpers to locate me, In jesus name

11. Father, please, uproot any sickness or affliction that want to kill me before my time, In jesus name

12. Father, please, tear into pieces any garment of shame upon me, In jesus name

13. Father, please, protect, my blessing with your fire, in Jesus name.

DON'T STOP TALKING

“And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
(Luke 17: 13)

That is the Focal Scripture of Streams of Joy Devotional today.

When the ten lepers in our Focal Scripture saw Jesus, they lifted up their voices and called for Jesus to intervene. The lepers were far from Jesus, but they bridged the gap between them and Jesus by lifting up their voices to Him. He was far from them, but they kept speaking to Him.

One strategy of the enemy is to make you keep silent whenever God seems far from you. When you go astray and disconnect from God, the enemy wants you to stop communicating with God so that you don’t re-establish your connection to Him. When you feel God is far from you, the enemy would rather have you remain silent.

Friend, when you can’t feel God around you, and when you feel He is far from you, don’t stop speaking to Him, don’t stop screaming His name, don’t stop praying, and don’t let the distance stop your communication. When you feel God has abandoned you, call on Him until He shows up to intervene. When you fail God and He departs from you, keep calling Him until He returns.

The ten lepers cried to Jesus despite the fact that He was far from them, and He came to their rescue. Keep calling out to Jesus concerning every matter that needs His presence; in a matter of time, He will respond and turn things around for good. Even if things are yet to change, don’t stop speaking to God until things change.

Jesus didn't refuse the call of the lepers just because they were far from Him. As you call upon God, even if you think He is far, He will hear and respond.

Psalm 50 vs. 15 sums it up: “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Prayer : Lord, even when You seem far, I know You are near enough to hear and rescue me, in Jesus’ name!Amen
Enjoy A Splendid Thursday.

YOu ARE COMPLETE

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:”
(Luke 17: 12)

That is the Focal Scripture of Streams of Joy Devotional today.

Our Focal Scripture introduces ten lepers. In Biblical Numerology, ‘ten’ means ‘complete through divine order’. So though the ten men were lepers, they were complete by divine order. They may not have been complete by the standards of men, but they were complete through God.

Friend, God says, you are complete in Him, nothing missing, nothing broken. You are complete in God despite the pain, shame, disappointment, disgrace, misfortunes, setbacks, rejections, betrayals, etc that have come your way. You are complete in God despite your unanswered prayers and the things you are yet to achieve.

When you face the challenges and battles of life, remind yourself that you belong to a God who won't leave or forsake you. When things which are contrary to God’s word and promises creep into your life, remind yourself that you belong to God, and that no power of hell will prevail over you.

Those men were complete through divine order, they were complete in God, and God made them complete in the eyes of men. If you are complete in Jesus, God will deal with issues that are contrary to your divine completion. Your divine completion is God's platform to complete you in areas where you are physically incomplete.

The lepers were complete through God, not outside of God. Your completion is tied to your connection to God. If you are connected to God, you are complete in Him; if you are disconnected from God, whatever physical completion you have attained might easily crumble.

Hold on to God, and if you are complete in Him, He will complete you in those areas where you are physically incomplete.

Prayer: Lord, I am complete in You; it’s not about who I am, it’s about Whose I am, in Jesus’ name!Amen
Enjoy A Wonderful Wednesday.

GENDER SPECIFIC ISSUES

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:”
(Luke 17: 12)

That is the Focal Scripture of Streams of Joy Devotional today.

Our Focal Scripture introduces ten men who were lepers. None of them was a woman; they were all of the male gender. So people in the same gender were caught in the same challenge. A challenge caught up with ten people in the same gender, and messed up their lives.

Jesus eventually showed up and dealt with the leprosy that came to reduce the destinies of those men. He dealt with a matter that affected ten people who were of the same gender. He dealt with what seemed to have become a gender specific issue. He took those ten men out of a challenge that affected their gender.

Friend, God is showing up to deal with every gender specific challenge that has come to mess up your life. God is showing up to pull you out of every sickness that has an affinity for your gender. The struggles of people in the same gender with you will not be your struggle; the challenges that mess up people in your gender will not mess you up or tamper with your life.

The ten men were together in the same challenge, and when Jesus came, He didn’t heal one of them or some of them; He healed all of them. As God shows up to deal with your own gender based issues, challenges, diseases, etc, He will not only solve your own issues, He will also reach out to everyone connected to you.

Instead of accepting your gender based challenges as necessary evils you must live with, take them to God in prayers. If Jesus healed those ten men, then He can deal with every gender-based issue affecting you and people connected to you.

If Jehovah is involved, your gender-based issues will end by the power of God.

Prayer : Lord, deal with every gender-based issue that has come to mess up my life, in Jesus’ name!Amen
Enjoy A Splendid Tuesday.

YOU WON'T BE REDUCED

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:”
(Luke 17: 12)

That is the Focal Scripture of Streams of Joy Devotional today.

Our Focal Scripture speaks of ten men who were lepers. They were men, they had families and responsibilities, destinies were tied to them; they probably had skills and careers that should keep them busy and fruitful, but leprosy crept in messed up their lives. Leprosy pushed them out of their place and responsibilities.

In their hopeless state as lepers, these men encountered Jesus, and He turned their lives around. They met Jesus, and Jesus dealt with the issue that interrupted their lives and pushed them out of the city. They came in contact with Jesus, and He pulled them out of the situation that came to reduce their destinies.

Friend, are there situations and challenges that have reduced your destiny to rubbles? Are you stuck in health and financial challenges that have made you a liability to your family and friends? Are you stuck in challenges and negative cycles that pushed your potentials into hiding?

Today, receive healing for any ‘leprosy’ that has reduced your destiny. Receive divine intervention for every challenge that has made you a liability; receive strength to rise above the roadblocks that have stopped you from fulfilling your responsibilities. Receive restoration for every destiny reduction that has happened to you.

Your challenges may be beyond human redemption, but they are certainly not beyond divine redemption. Take it to God and He will solve it.

Isaiah 60 vs. 20 says: “Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.”

Prayer: Lord, deal with every challenge that has come to reduce my destiny, in Jesus’ name!Amen
Enjoy A Blessed Monday And A Blessed Week Ahead.

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

God has given you another gift of a brand new day. A fresh opportunity to experience the Goodness and Favour of the LORD.

Therefore: all negativities shall be far from your territory today. The Joy and Peace of the LORD will pervade your life and environment today!
Doors of gladness shall open in all directions you face today!
In Jesus Mighty Name!!!
Beloved, have a joyful New week.

INSIGNIFICANT THINGS

“11. ...as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers...”
(Luke 17: 11-12)

That is the Focal Scripture of Streams of Joy Devotional today.

As Jesus went to Jerusalem, He passed through Samaria, Galilee, and a certain village. Samaria and Galilee had an identity; the ‘certain village’ wasn't known by its name. Identity wise,Samaria and Galilee were significant while the 'certain village' was insignificant.

In this instance, both the significant and insignificant were Jesus' Pathway to his destination/next level.

Friend, hear God’s promise: both the significant and insignificant things in your life will lead you to your next level. Your significant and insignificant skills/abilities will all contribute to your greatness; both the significant and insignificant opportunities will take you to higher realms; the outstanding and obscure assignments will contribute to your relevance; big and small clients will add value to you.

God says, even if people think it is not significant, take it seriously, it will take you higher. Take small opportunities seriously and God will use them to take you higher. Take ‘small’ people in your life seriously because they could be your link to the next level. Your ‘small’ things are pointers to destiny.

Your insignificant skills, opportunities, relationships, etc might just be closer to your next level.

Don’t overlook anything or any man, whether they appear significant or insignificant. If Jehovah is involved, both the significant and insignificant things in your life will take you higher.

Prayer : Lord, both the significant and insignificant things in my life will lead to my next level, in Jesus’ name!Amen
Enjoy A Super Sunday.