5 February - Acts 14:3 ~ God confirms His word with signs and wonders

God confirmed the message preached by Paul and Barnabas by enabling them to perform signs and wonders (Acts 14:3). This is what the early believers had prayed for (Acts 4:29-30). The gospel message needed God’s confirmation, and He gave that confirmation (Acts 14:3). While the apostles preached the gospel, God was available to confirm it (Acts 14:3). Miracles are God’s and they are enabled by Him for the confirmation of His word (Acts 14:3; Jn. 20:30-31). There is no need to fake miracles or seek them from demonic sources when God is available to enable them. Our duty is to proclaim the gospel. God’s duty is to confirm our message by enabling us to perform miracles (Acts 14:3). We must depend on God to enable miracles and respect His purpose for doing so (Acts 14:3; Jn. 20:30-31).

PRAYER: 1. Father, please confirm your word with signs and wonders.
2. Father, enable me to depend on you alone for signs and wonders.

6 February - Lam. 1:5 ~ Sin brings exile

The nation of Judah went to exile on account of its sin (Lam. 1:5). They lose their liberty. What the Lord promised came upon them (Deut. 28:36-37, 64-68). The Lord is faithful to His promises to the righteous and unrighteous (cf. Ps. 1:1-6). Sin never pays. It always destroys (Ps. 37:38; Rom. 6:23; Heb. 10:26-31). No one ever reaped well from it (cf. Matt. 7:16-20). The only way to escape its consequences is to part with and be reconciled to God (1Jn. 3:6, 9; 2Cor. 5:17-21). Ask Jesus to take your sin away and He will do so. It is His work to do so (Matt.1:21; Jn. 1:29). To remain in sin is to remain in God’s wrath (Deut. 28:15-68; Ps. 1:4-6; cf. Rom. 1:18-19). To part with sin is to come under God’s blessing, not His wrath (Deut. 28:1-15; Ps. 1:1-3).

PRAYER: 1. Father, please forgive me all my sin.
2. Father, please cleanse me from all sin.
3. Father, please give me victory over all sin.

7 February - Obad. 15-16 ~ The universal nature of the day of the Lord

Although Prophet Obadiah’s announcement of the coming of the day of the Lord was primarily meant for Edom, the Prophet did not exclude all the other nations as well (Obad. 15-16). When God judged Judah as announced by Prophet Jeremiah, other nations were not exempted or excluded from His judgment (see Jer. 46:1-51:64). As far as the day of the Lord is concerned, the Scripture presents it as a universal event (Acts 17:31; 2Cor. 5:10; cf. Rom. 14:10-12). Since Jesus will be the judge on that day (Acts 17:31), those who accept or receive Him as their Saviour will be justified, while those who refuse or reject Him will be condemned (Jn. 3:18, 36). Nothing will suffice for anyone on that day except faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:18, 36).

PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to be ready for your judgment.
2. Father, please take away everything that hinders me from being ready for your judgment.

8 February - Acts 16:14 - God draws people unto Himself

While in Philippi in Macedonia, in the course of his missionary work, Paul spoke to a group of women (Acts 16:12-13). God opened the heart of one of the women called Lydia to respond to Paul’s message (Acts 16:14). While Paul preached the gospel, it was God who gave results (see 1Cor. 3:6-7). No man can open another’s heart to respond to the gospel. Only God can do so (Jn. 6:44). Our duty is to preach and teach the word (2 Tim. 4:1-3). It is God’s duty to give fruits and results. The natural mind is indeed hostile to God (Rom. 8:7-8). But it is God who draws us unto Himself (Jn.6:44). We must not despair when and where there seem to be no fruits and results. Instead, we ought to persist in preaching and teaching the gospel while we trust God to bless our efforts with fruits and results. And it is His will to draw all men unto Himself (Jn.12:32).

PRAYER: 1. Father, please open the hearts of people to accept the gospel message.
2. Father, please take away whatever hinders people from accepting the gospel message.
3. Father, please open my own heart to accept the gospel message.
4. Father, please take away whatever hinders me from accepting the gospel message.

9 February - Ezra 2:68-69 ~ Giving to God’s business is a priority

We are told in this passage that some of the heads of families who returned from the Babylonian exile gave towards the rebuilding of the house of God on its site (Ezra 2:68-69). The house of God was at the center of their lives. Normal life could not return for them until the house of God was rebuilt. Thus, they did not only make it their priority project, they gave towards it. Like these returning exiles, we must make the business of the Church our priority and be willing to give freely and generously towards it. We have been told of someone who did so and it counted in his favour (see Lk.7:1-10). When we give towards Church business, we are giving towards our own wellbeing. Our own wellbeing is inseparable from the wellbeing of the Church.

PRAYER: 1. Father, please give me the spirit of giving to you.
2. Father, please take away whatever hinders me from giving to you.

10 February - Ps. 13:5-6 ~ How to deal with despair

According to the psalmist, the enemy appears to be triumphing over him and the Lord has not answered for a long time(Ps.13:1-4). What does he do? As we find in this passage, the psalmist decides to trust in God’s unfailing love(Ps.13:5). This is indeed one of the best things to do in a state of despair. The love of God is unfailing for His children, whatever their circumstances(Rom.8:37- 39;cf.Rom.11:29). Whatever situation a believer may find himself, he remains in God’s love(Rom.8:37-39). This is sufficient comfort in despair. Believers who are beset or besieged by one circumstance or the other must remember that God’s love is never withdrawn from them, regardless of their circumstances. Circumstances are temporary while God’s love remains forever. In fact, God’s unfailing love makes adversarial circumstances insignificant. Nothing is worst for a despairing believer than not to trust in God’s unfailing love.

PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to trust in your love always.
2. Father, please take away whatever hinders me from trusting in your love always.

11 February - Rev.2:26-28 ~ The one who overcomes

This passage shows who the one who overcomes is. He is the one who does Jesus’ will to the end(Rev.2:26). Jesus’ will is the same as that of the Father(see Jn.10:30; Jn.14:8-11). Therefore, the one who does His will to the end is the one who not only believes in Him but remains completely faithful to Him to the end, even to the point of death(Jn.6:29). This alone, is the one who overcomes(1 Jn.5:5). No one is an overcomer who neither believes in Jesus Christ nor does His will to the end. Anyone who desires to be an overcomer must take Jesus as his savior and Lord and surrender his entire life to be led by Him(1 Jn.5:5). No one, no matter who he is, can overcome without Jesus (see Jn.14:4-6). There is no overcoming outside of Jesus Christ. Obviously this is not the way the world defines an overcomer. But as far as the Scripture is concerned , this is the only valid and legitimate definition of the overcomer. All contrary definitions are invalid.

PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to do your Son’s will to the end.
2. Father, please take away whatever hinders me from doing your Son’s will always.
3. Father, please show me your Son’s will always.

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