[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

When we pray – God works!
27 AUGUST 2021


‘Pray without ceasing.’
1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV


Two things about prayer are truly amazing: 1) God listens when we pray. 'You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it’ (see Mark 11:24 NLT). You may not have much clout anywhere else, but when you pray God listens. 2) We seldom pray. We've the greatest privilege imaginable – access to the control centre of the Universe – yet we rarely use it. And our lack of prayer surprises God.

Through the prophet Ezekiel He lamented: ‘I sought for a man among them who would...stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one' (Ezekiel 22:30 NKJV). Upon learning that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed, Abraham didn't rush to warn the cities. No, he chose to' ... [remain] standing before the Lord' (Genesis 18:22 NIV). When God said the golden calf warranted a nationwide death penalty for Israel, Moses interceded and saved them. One paraphrase of Exodus 32:11 says, 'Moses tried to calm his God down' (MSG).

An obscure priest by the name of Phinehas begged God not to send the plague, and it was checked (see Psalm 106:30). You say 'Why place such a premium on prayer?' Simple. Because when we work, we work; but when we pray, God works! Scripture attaches breathtaking power to prayer. ‘When two of you get together on anything…and make a prayer of it, My Father in heaven goes into action' (Matthew 18:19 MSG). Does any other activity promise such results? Did God call us to preach without ceasing? Or have committee meetings without ceasing? No, but He did call us to 'pray without ceasing'.

Ecclesiastes 1-3, 2 Corinthians 4

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


God is only a prayer away
28 AUGUST 2021

‘This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.’
Psalm 34:6 NKJV

J.C. Penney has died and gone to heaven, but hundreds of department stores across America still carry his name. When he started out in life he was interested in one thing only: making money. Working as a clerk for six dollars a week, his consuming ambition was to be worth a hundred thousand dollars.

When he reached that goal he felt temporary satisfaction, but soon set his sights on being worth a million dollars. Then tragedy struck his life. His wife caught a cold that developed into pneumonia, of which she subsequently died. He recalled, ‘When she died my world crashed about me.

To build businesses, to make a success in the eyes of men, to accumulate money – what was the purpose of it all? I felt mocked by life, even by God himself.’ Before long he was ruined financially and in deep depression. It was at that point he turned to God and experienced a miraculous conversion. He said: ‘When I was brought to humility and the knowledge of my dependence on God…it was like a light illuminating my being.

I cannot otherwise describe it, than to say it changed me as a man.’ Have things fallen apart in your life today? Are you down, wondering if you’ll ever be able to get back up? Turn to God; He’s only a prayer away. And David the psalmist prayed that prayer: ‘This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.’ And what God did for David, He will do for you today.

Ecclesiastes 4-6, 2 Corinthians 5

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Toggle navigation
There are no menial jobs
29 AUGUST 2021

‘Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.’
1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

David said, ‘I’d rather scrub floors in the house of…God than be honoured as a guest in the palace of sin’ (Psalm 84:10 MSG). Along those lines Joni Eareckson Tada writes: ‘Elsie runs a Christian home for young girls who’ve left lives of prostitution and drug dealing on the streets of Hollywood. She walks the streets, shares the gospel, and leads these girls to Christ. If these new converts truly desire to change their lives and commit to new responsibilities, they’ve a place in Elsie’s home.

Pam is one such convert…A Christian with a sweet spirit, she bears scars from knife fights and heroin needles. Her arms are marred with tattoos. I sensed her joy and deep appreciation when she explained her role…“I scrub the toilets and bathrooms…That’s my job and I love it!” This young woman was so grateful to have structure in her life, safety in her surroundings, and an honest-to-goodness job of service in Christ’s kingdom…that a day of ministry in Elsie’s home was far better than a thousand days lived in the sordid pursuit of self-destructive pleasures…Her humble spirit towards her job…her delight in cleaning toilets sprang from a keen awareness of her role in the body of Christ.

Few believers have a background like Pam’s, but every day each of us rolls our sleeves up to accomplish menial, basic tasks – changing oil [in the car], changing ink cartridges in printers, or changing [nappies] (perhaps on an elderly parent).’ So, how’s your attitude towards menial work? When you ‘serve the Lord with gladness’ (Psalm 100:2 KJV) you find joy in everyday tasks because you remember who you’re working for.

Luke 16:1-15, Psalms 87-88

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Use the smile strategy
30 AUGUST 2021

‘When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them.’
Job 29:24 NLT

A pastor tells of being in a church for twelve years. He had a custom during Sunday morning service of calling the children forward just before his sermon so that they could go to a ‘children’s church’ especially for them. The children would march past the pulpit and he would make it a point to smile at each of them.

In return he received smiles. ‘It was one of the high points of the service for me,’ he recalled. But one day he apparently missed smiling at a child. A curly-headed four-year-old ran out of the processional and threw herself into the arms of her mother, sobbing as if her heart was broken.

After the service he went to find out what happened. The mother explained to him that her child had said, ‘I smiled at God, but he didn’t smile back at me!’ The pastor reflected, ‘To that child I stood for God. I had failed with my smile, and the world went dark.’ As you go through this day, commit yourself to using the smile strategy. You say, ‘I’ve got more troubles than Job, so I’ve got nothing to smile about.’ Job experienced more troubles in a year than most of us will experience in a lifetime.

But though he was down, he lifted others. Though he was in despair, he encouraged others. How did he do it? ‘They longed for me to speak as people long for rain…When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My look of approval was precious to them’ (vv. 23-24 NLT).

Ecclesiastes 7-9, 2 Corinthians 6

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


The ‘If only’ trap
31 AUGUST 2021

‘Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.’
Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT

Author Betty Mahalik says in this day and age we’re surrounded by messages that scream, ‘My life would be perfect if only I’d a different job…house…car…nose…spouse…bank account (you fill in the blank). Or if I could be like some celebrity whose life appears well ordered and perfect.

Well this week I stopped playing “my life would be perfect if,” and started playing “my perfect life”. What’s the difference? Three things: 1) Being in the present; 2) An attitude of gratitude; 3) Taking action with what’s available now…When we’re caught up in the “my life would be perfect if” trap, we lose touch with the present and can no longer practise gratitude.

Think about it: it’s difficult to be grateful for what you don’t have…and what you don’t have is always somewhere in “future-ville”. Look around you…do you have a roof over your head and food to eat? A few good friends or close relationships? Then appreciate them…You’re probably sitting there thinking “Yes, but I want more money, a better relationship, more time to travel, to be thinner, happier, or whatever”…stop focusing on what you lack and start focusing on what you’ve already got.’ The Bible says, ‘Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.

If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.’ If you demand perfection-or-nothing, you’ll keep ending up with nothing. The fact that ‘God…made us what we are’ (Ephesians 2:10 TLB), means while our best is always commendable, none of us will attain perfection this side of heaven. And that’s okay, because Christ has clothed us in His righteousness and made us ‘complete in him’ (Colossians 2:10 KJV).

Ecclesiastes 10-12, 2 Corinthians 7

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Take the high road
01 SEPTEMBER 2021


‘Tempers flared, and they ended up going…separate ways.’
Acts 15:37-39 MSG

Paul and Barnabas had travelled and ministered together, encouraged one other, endured persecution side-by-side, and won many to Christ. But even the best of relationships can go awry, and they were no exception. ‘Tempers flared, and they ended up going…separate ways.’ Paul and Barnabas never intended to hurt each other. They were both good men, and God’s Kingdom was their top priority.

God chose Paul to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, and the Bible calls Barnabas ‘a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith’ (Acts 11:24 NIV). Both agreed on the major issue: namely, re-visiting those churches where they’d ministered earlier. They just differed on how to go about it. Barnabas wanted to take John.

Paul didn’t; he wanted to take Silas. And it often happens that we agree on what needs to be done but differ on how to accomplish it. Natasha Robinson says it’s important to: a) Recognise when God brings a relationship to a close and not to try to turn ‘seasonal’ people into life-long friendships. When He sends certain people into your life, He doesn’t intend them to become permanent partners.

Yet because you love them and get attached it’s hard to let go, even when it’s time. b) When you part company, make a clean break and don’t let anger make you sin. We’re emotional creatures. It’s easy to get bitter and want to tell your side of the story, and consequently end up causing division. Speak ‘the truth in love’ (Ephesians 4:15 KJV). Refuse to bad-mouth the other person and God will honour you. Even if they speak out against you, God knows, and He’ll handle it.

Song of Songs 1-3, 2 Corinthians 8

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Speak positively (1)
02 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.’
Philippians 4:13 NLT

When you can’t choose or control your circumstances, you can still decide how you’ll respond to them. Paul was in prison when he wrote, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ (v. 4 NKJV). We’re addressing those who have a perpetually pessimistic outlook on life and talk negatively most of the time.

This is serious stuff! ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit’ (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV). That means you can talk yourself to death or talk yourself to life.

This is scriptural truth! The trouble is we don’t always recognise when we’re engaging in negative self-talk, because it’s habit forming. We unconsciously develop a compromised view of ourselves when we constantly think and say things like, ‘I’m such a loser,’ or ‘This is too hard; why even try?’ We settle for defeat when with a few minor attitude adjustments, we could open the door to amazing possibilities. The worst part of negative self-talk is that we don’t just limit ourselves; we limit God (see Psalm 78:41).

As His redeemed child, there resides within you the power to think better, talk better, and do better. ‘Does the Bible say that?’ you ask. Yes, Paul says, ‘To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…be glory…forever’ (Ephesians 3:20-21 NKJV).

It’s time to draw a line in the sand and declare, ‘Whatever God says about me, I will say too!’ And here’s a great verse to get you started: ‘I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.’

Song of Songs 4-5, 2 Corinthians 9

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Speak positively (2)
03 SEPTEMBER 2021


‘I decided to forget my complaints…put away my sad face and be cheerful.’
Job 9:27 NLT

Let’s begin by acknowledging that sometimes life is hard. And some of us have it harder than others. That’s why the Bible says there is ‘a time to cry and a time to laugh’ (Ecclesiastes 3:4 NLT). But what if you just keep ‘crying’ about life? How can you reduce the strain and drain produced by negative self-talk? Here are three ways: 1) Cut and paste.

Train yourself to recognise negative inner chatter the minute it starts and delete it immediately. If you have to, take a chainsaw to it. If it helps, make a ‘time out’ signal with your hands as a physical reminder to yourself. But don’t stop there. Replace those negative thoughts with scriptural self-talk. ‘Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles’ (Proverbs 21:23 NKJV). 2) Tweak your tone.

You know how the doctor says, ‘This may sting a little,’ as he jabs a needle into your arm? Borrow his technique and reduce big ugly blackhead wordage to smaller, unintimidating blemish terms. ‘Impossible’ is a brick wall compared to ‘this may take some work’. Wouldn’t you rather tackle a project that’s ‘challenging’ rather than ‘unmanageable’? 3) Be your own BFF (Blessed Friend Forever). Using your BFF voice, intentionally over-dub that negative droning voice inside you. Speak to yourself like you would to your very best friend.

The Bible says, ‘David encouraged himself in the Lord his God’ (1 Samuel 30:6 KJV). Reboot your mind. Reprogramme your thoughts. There’s power in God’s Word. So, whatever He says about you, start saying the same thing and watch your life change for the better.

Song of Songs 6-8, 2 Corinthians 10

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Speak positively (3)
04 SEPTEMBER 2021


‘Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.’
Philippians 4:8 NLT


Positive self-talk isn’t a new concept; it’s a scriptural one. Paul writes, ‘Fix your thoughts on what is true…honourable…right…pure…lovely, and admirable…things that are excellent and worthy of praise.’ Here are three ways you can do that: 1) Avoid comparisons. Each of us has a different skill set. You’re unique. The way you do things may differ from the techniques of others, but that doesn’t make it wrong.

As the old saying goes, ‘There’s more than one way to skin a cat.’ (Try not to imagine how that adage originated!) Comparison is unwise, unfair, and fosters negativity. Unless you’re the reigning world champion, there’ll always be somebody better than you at a specific skill. So what? You don’t need another tiara! 2) Tack on hope.

The Bible says, ‘Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping – believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”’ (Romans 4:18 NLT). And the psalmist said, ‘I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God’ (Psalm 42:5 NIVUK).

There’s power in the word ‘yet’. It can miraculously transform your ‘I can’t’ perspective, into ‘I can with a little more time’. The difference is subtle but profound. 3) Act positively to actually become positive.


In Winning the Stress Challenge Dr Nick Hall cites a study confirming that signals transmitted to a person’s brain when they’re behaving a certain way, provoke similar physical and mental changes to those elicited by real emotional responses. In other words, putting on a happy face can truly make you feel happier. Try it!

Isaiah 1-2, 2 Corinthians 11

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Toggle navigation

Speak positively (4)
05 SEPTEMBER 2021

‘If our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace.’
Romans 8:6 CEV

Pessimism affects you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Negativity is directly related to heart disease, immune system deficits, and the ability to cope with physical pain.

The famous Mayo Clinic conducted a thirty-year study of eight-hundred patients – and the results are telling. The pessimists’ risk of early death was 19 per cent higher than that of the optimists in the group.

In Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, Dr Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania concluded that optimism and pessimism affect your health almost as clearly as physical factors.

Have you ever said, ‘I’m sick to death of this’? Then do something about it – quickly! If you hold onto that thought for too long – it may come true. One of the great findings of modern medical science is that the words we speak don’t just affect others, they affect us too.

Indeed, sometimes they affect us even more! Words are powerful. You believe and internalise what you repeatedly say. That means you have the God-given ability to change your perception of your own abilities from limited to limitless.

Let’s be clear about what that does and doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean you can play the guitar like Eric Clapton or paint like Van Gogh just because you decide to and want to. But it does mean you can do whatever God has told you to do in His Word. Whatever He calls you to do, He will enable you to do. And that’ll happen when you line up what comes out of your mouth with what’s written in His Word.

Luke 16:16-31, Psalms 89-90