Day 17: Saturday,
January 18th 2014
Focus: Giving-A master-key to access divine blessings
TextS: LUkE 6:38; II CorINTHIANS 9:6-7
INSIGHT FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYING
Life, generally is based on principles, either spiritually or naturally. Understanding and applying any of the principle of life either in the spiritual or natural, leads to results. Giving, is such a God-given principle to man that is backed up by divine power meant for men to have access to good things of life and blessings. The uniqueness of this principle, unlike other principles; is that it works for both believers and unbelievers who practices it, though it is primarily meant for believers.
Ironically, majority of believers are not enlightened of the potentials of giving. Inspite of the fact that they read it in the Bible and hear of it from the preachers, yet they are not keen on practicing it. Satan, on the other hand, knows the power of giving. Like some other injunctions of God’s, he knows that if believers are allowed to practise it, their lives will be transformed, hence, he desuades and discourages them from practising it.
Take for example the scriptural text for our prayer today and compare it with Proverbs 11:24-26, it is clearly shown that great power of blessing resides in giving. Why are we not accessing these blessings today? Simple answer; Satan’s device and deception. How many of us are not being deceived, cheated and deprived of divine provisions today? Only few. Something we should know for sure is that God is not a politician. He neither exaggerates or deceives people. What He says He would do, what He would do He says. Hear Him talking in I Cor. 11:35, “Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again’’. When God ask us to give, He takes responsibility to replenish the giver. No matter how and where we give, either through the Church or to individuals, He promises to pay you back in multi-folds.
The farmers who plant seeds on the ground know that the amount of crops to be harvested are far bigger and greater than the seeds sown. This is what encourages and motivates him to continue to sow. The same thing God wants us to do, to be sowers. The same power of God that multiplies the farmer’s seed in the soil and turn it to bumper harvest, is the one who also multiplies our spiritual seeds to turn them to abundance of blessings.
There are Churches whose members have understood and realized the importance of giving, such are always eager and looking forward to the time of giving, which is always their time of greatest joy during the service. The Opposite, seems to be the case in our own Church. Majority of our members complained that the contributions we do in our services were too much. Contributions for the work of God cannot be too much, unless it is too little. May God open our eyes to this reality in Jesus’ name.
LET US PRAY:
1. Forgive us Oh Lord, in those areas where we have missed it as far as giving is concerned.
2. Open our eyes, dear Lord, that we may fully comprehend the power of blessings embedded in giving.
3. Help each of us that we may not allow Satan to deceive and disallow us from practising ‘giving’ as you commanded us on continual basis in Jesus’ name.
4. Make us true sowers, Oh Lord, to please you and to meet the need of the kingdom.
5. Deliver us all, from the spirit of deception hindering our members from paying their tithes and other contributions as you want us to do oh Lord.
6. Baptize each and everyone of us with the spirit of giving in Jesus mighty name.
7. Love is the greatest factor of giving, fill our hearts with Your love and let giving becomes a natural phenomenal in our Church in Jesus’ name.
8. Help us to ‘prove’ you by our positive acts of giving that our lives may become living testimonies of your goodness.
9. Let heaven open upon the lives of all faithful giver in the Church in Jesus’ name.
10. If there is anybody who has been giving and has not been receiving in multi-folds, we command, every hinderance in his or her life be broken in Jesus’ name.
11. Take us to another and higher level in financial matters in Jesus’ name.
12. Let all locked doors of blessings of each and everyone of us in this Church be thrown open for us to have access to our blessings in Jesus’ name.
13. We decree that every debt owed us and also being owed by us be miraculously paid in Jesus’ name.
14. All our rights and blessings in the hands of others be released and given back to us by the power of resurrection in Jesus’ name.
DAY 18: Sunday 19th January 2014
FOCUS: TOTAL SUCCESS OF G.D.F. AND TOTAL BLESSINGS FOR ALL GOFAMINT FINANCIERS
TEXT: Genesis 26:1-22
INSIGHT FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYING
Gospel Development Fund (G.D.F.) has become an annual event in GOFAMINT since the past few years. How do we see this programme as individuals? Do you not see it as a cunningly devised method by the Church leadership to extort money from members or as a God-given programme meant to advance the cause of the kingdom and promote the lives of the members.
God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must do so in truth and in the spirit. GOFAMINT members are favored people, in the sense that the leaders of the Church are genuine and sincere people who do not make merchandise of the lives of the members.
Anytime they make a call for contribution in the Church, it is because there is a genuine need to do so. What Paul said in II Cor. 4:2: is very relevant, “but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God”.
G.D.F., is a spiritual programme which every member of the Church should buy into with joy, just like this on-going victory month prayers. This Victory month prayer exercise calls for sacrifice in terms of fasting, praying, giving and coming to the Church everyday. Yet, majority of our members are gladly participating because they know there is blessing in it.
In the G.D.F., we are also expected to make sacrifices especially to give another one-tenth of our monthly income apart from our tithes for the first three months of the year (January-March). This is not meant to impoverish us but to replenish us, because it is a divine programme designed to launch us into abundance.
Here, the scripture reading for today comes into appropriation. Isaac, according to divine instruction, sowed in that land during dryness (famine season) and he reaped hundred-fold harvest. Why? He obeyed divine instruction and he was better for it. Sowing is giving and giving is sowing, biblically and spiritually. When you are sowing, like Isaac, you are queuing into Abrahamic blessings and the result will be phenomenal (Gen. 26:24).
You may not know this before, the General Overseer, Pastor Elijah Oludele Abina has a special but personal blessing prayer programme he does for every G.D.F. faithful payer. Every person who participates faithfully, automatically queues into that covenant. I wish no GOFAMINT member will miss this great opportunity. Don’t forget, G.D.F. is a God-given spiritual programme designed to launch you into the era of abundant blessing. See it that way, believe it that way, do it that way and it will come out that way for you!
LET US PRAY:
1. Dear Father, like Isaac, I agree to sow in this land by paying my G.D.F. This year, give me all it takes to be faithful in Jesus’ name.
2. As I sow this year, let the dew and the rain of heaven fall upon my land and life in Jesus’ name.
3. Grant every GOFAMINT member sufficient grace to be faithful to the G.D.F. payment in Jesus’ name
4. We decree hundred-fold harvest and abundance blessing upon every G.D.F. payer in GOFAMINT in Jesus’ name.
5. Like Isaac, every well we dig (every undertaking) this year, help us to get water (blessings) in Jesus’ name.
6. Like Isaac, all the enemies fighting against our blessings, help us to prevail over them in Jesus’ name.
7. Because we are in partnership with You, let Your awesome presence characterize our lives and undertakings this year in Jesus’ name.
8. Let all our handiwork be blessed beyond measure this year in Jesus’ name.
9. Let the doors of opportunities be opened for all members of GOFAMINT this year in Jesus’ name.
10. Make this year an exceptional year in every assembly of the GOFAMINT in Jesus’ name.
11. Lead specific GOFAMINT members to unprecedented heights this year and help each of us to obey You to the letter, oh Lord.
12. Bless GOFAMINT and her sacrificial giving members financially this year that we may make unprecedented achievements in our national and local Church programmes.
13. Take us to our Rehoboth this year, individually and collectively that we may abound in serving You with joy in Jesus’ name.
14. Let us pray for those who have been faithful to this exercise in the past, and whose blessings are still pending that heaven will open for them in Jesus’ name.
15. Let us pray for those who have not been faithful in the past edition, that this year, they will be empowered to be faithful.
16. Help our leaders to do more capital projects this year than the previous years in Jesus’ name.
17. We decree unprecedented success on G.D.F. this year in Jesus’ name.
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