Author: Senyo Cudjoe

I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! – Isaiah 65:24 NLT

In Genesis 37, the brothers of Joseph hated him so much that they threw him into a deep pit and were going to leave him there to die. But just then they saw a caravan of Ishmaelite merchants coming their way, and they decided to sell Joseph to them. What’s interesting is that trade caravan had been traveling for months on their way to sell their goods in Egypt. Long before Joseph was thrown into the pit, the answer was already on the way. Long before Joseph had the problem, GOD had the answer already set up.

GOD knows what you’re going to need, when you’re going to need it, and how to get it to you. The problem you’re worried about, GOD has the answer already en route. The vindication, the healing, or the breakthrough is already set up. When you’re tempted to worry, remember that everything you need to fulfill your destiny is right on schedule. It may not have happened yet, but what GOD has ordained is on the way.

LET’S PRAY
Everlasting Father, thank You that before I even ask You for my needs and desires, You’ve already lined them up and have them headed my way. Thank You for the people, the favour, and the promotion You’ve ordained to come across my path. I believe that even now, answers to my prayers are on the way in Jesus glorious name.

Fountain! Stay connected to Jesus Christ the Ultimate Source of Life to bear much fruits.

I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:1–2

David had a deep relationship with God. In this Psalm, he expressed his intimate love for the Lord. After telling of his love for God, David used seven metaphors to describe how much God meant to him:

*• My Rock.* This represents an unshakeable ground or firm foundation. God was David’s unshakeable ground. Those who trust in the Lord cannot be moved.

*• My Fortress.* A fortress gave a city an advantage in times of battle. It was high above the ground and a place to hide and shoot arrows. The Lord is the fortress in whom we hide and fight our battles.

*• My Deliverer.* A deliverer is able to take you out of a trap you have fallen into. Even when we fall into the hands of the enemy, the Lord will deliver us.

*• My Strength.* The intensity of the battlefield has a way of sapping the strength out of a person. But David underscored the fact that the Lord was the source of his strength. When we place our trust in the Lord, He renews our strength like that of the eagle.

*• My Shield.* The Lord is the one who blocks the arrows of life from taking us out. They may be deployed against us, but they shall not prevail.

*• My Salvation.* Salvation includes the whole idea of well-being. The Lord makes our lives beautiful and complete.

*• My Stronghold.* The stronghold is the last place of refuge. It is where you stand when all else fails. David declared God as his final line of refuge and defence. That is who the Lord is to us.

May we trust in the Lord as deeply as David did.

*LET’S PRAY*
Everlasting Father, You are my source of help. By Your Mercy give me the grace to trust you deeply daily in everything with faith in my heart as my my stronghold in mighty name of Jesus Christ.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:27 – 30 NLT

Sheep are simple creatures surrounded by a very harsh world. In the days of Jesus, the sheep had predators such as wolves, bears and lions. In addition, there were thieves and robbers who came into the sheepfold to steal, kill or destroy the sheep. The sheep also had to contend with all kinds of life-threatening diseases in the field.
The method of the predators was to snatch the sheep from the shepherd. The thieves tried to trick the sheep by imitating the voice of the shepherd so that the sheep would be led astray. The sheep which followed the voice of the thieves got stolen from the shepherd.

Jesus used this analogy of the sheep and the shepherd to teach us about the kind of relationship that had to exist between us and Him. He is the shepherd; we are the sheep. As the sheep is threatened by so many enemies, we also have enemies who want to snatch us from the hand of the shepherd.

In a world with so many attractions, how do we as Christians stay close to the Lord and live our lives for Him?

• Know the voice of the Lord the Good Shepherd.
God speaks to us daily through the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and through His anointed servants who study and share God’s word with us. At least one time in every sermon, God breaks through the words of the preacher and speaks directly to the people. It may be in a single sentence or in just one phrase. Let’s pay attention to His voice. Let’s position ourselves to hear Him speak to us.

• Follow the Lord the Good Shepherd obediently.
When we hear God’s voice, we must do what He wants us to do. His word should not just be something we hear; it must also be something we do. We must act on His Word. We must put His Word into action.

• Trust in the Lord the Good Shepherd’s protection.
We must be assured that the Lord, our Shepherd, has the best plans for us. Even when we are not sure of where He is taking us, we must trust that His thoughts towards us are for good and not for evil to give us a future and a hope.

LET’S PRAY
Everlasting Father, connect my heart to Your Word and teach me to know your voice to follow your direction for my life as child follows his father in mighty name of Jesus Christ!

“Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. Psalm 73:25 – 28

A father was watching his young son try to dislodge a heavy stone. The boy couldn’t make the stone budge. “Are you sure you are using all your strength?” the father asked. “Yes, I am,” said the exasperated boy. “No, you are not,” the father replied. “You haven’t asked me to help you.”
Like this father, God also wants to get involved in our battles, but we have to ask Him to help us. He will not rudely jump into our affairs until we acknowledge His presence and call on Him. With God on your side, you are a majority.

Have you asked God for help? Have you really asked Him for strength to fight your battles? Sometimes we pray hard and long and depend on those to get us through. Other times, we seek out a ‘man of God’ or ‘woman of God’ to pray for us and place our confidence in their prayers. But in all these actions, where do we place our faith – in God or in man? Beloved, l say it again, with God on your side, you are a majority.

When you see yourself surrounded by people with formidable and frightening weapons set against you, don’t be afraid. Yes, they may have more than you have. Yes, they may know more than you know. Yes, they may talk big and make you feel small. But wait a minute – who is on their side? They may seem more equipped than you are; but all of that is just the arm of flesh. It is the flexing of human muscle. *He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”* 2 Kings 6:16

Now, turn and look at yourself. Yes, you may be inexperienced. Yes, you may be just a little person. But, with you is the Lord God Jehovah. If the Lord fights in your corner, you have no fear of the giants who blow hot air against you. He is *Jehovah Nissi,* the Lord our Banner in battle.

The Lord will help you. The Lord will fight for you. The Lord will give you the victory. He said “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3 Invite Him to the battle. He is your strength.

LET’S PRAY
O Lord, You are my strength, arise and let Your enemies be scattered. By the Authority of Scripture and the Power of the Holy Ghost, you sickness be surmounted, challenge be surmounted persecution be surmounted in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!

Fountain! Stay connected to Jesus Christ the Ultimate Source of Life to bear much fruits.

And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”
Luke 8:24–25

Jesus asked His disciples about the whereabouts of their faith after He stilled the storm, they found themselves in. Why did the Lord ask them, ‘where is your faith?’ What did He mean?

*• Faith can be abandoned.*
It is possible to have faith and still not use it. The Lord Jesus did not doubt the faith of His disciples. He questioned why they did not use it at the crucial time when they needed it the most.

We abandon our faith when we allow the storms of life to overwhelm us so much so, that we don’t use our faith. Many times we magnify our problems to the extent that we abandon all that we know about God and His promises. Jesus does not want us to shelve our faith when we come against big problems. Our faith in God must always be put to work, no matter what.

*• Faith rests in God.*
The Lord demonstrated His faith by remaining calm and confident when He and His disciples were caught in the storm. Instead of panicking, the Lord trusted His Father to keep Him even when He was asleep.

*• Faith works at all times.*
When we operate in faith, we can trust the Lord to keep us at all times and in all situations. Although the Lord Jesus was asleep in the boat, His faith was active in God.

*• Faith speaks to the storm.*
When the Lord Jesus awoke from His sleep, He simply issued a command, and the waves obeyed Him. That is what He wants us to do. The Lord wants us to speak God’s word against every storm of life.

*LET’S PRAY*
Heavenly Father, my faith is fully rested in you alone. I therefore command every storm be to be stilled in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!

Fountain! Jesus the Ultimate Source of Life.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

A gift to the king challenges his wealth. The reason why a thankful heart invokes God’s blessings and time spent in God’s presence is never a waste. Be rest assured that your prayers are answered.

Blessed be the Lord, who bears our burden day by day, The God who is our salvation! Selah. Psalm 68:19 AMP

Sometimes, human limitations challenge our ability to see, understand and fully experience God’s blessings, but they do not prevent God’s blessings meant for us. God is faithful and always answers our prayers.

LET’S PRAY.
May the Lord empower you to fully experience the blessings of this lent and beyond in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Fountain!