Did you ever try to lie to your mom about something when you were little? How successful were you? Probably not too good. Mothers have a way of sniffing out when their children are being deceptive.
God is the same when it comes to humans. The Bible tells us that He knew us before we were in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5). He even knows every hair on our head (Luke 12:7). It is therefore no surprise that we cannot deceive Him.
Nowhere is this point highlighted more than when some elders gathered to ask Jesus questions in Matthew 21. They asked under whose authority He operated. Their objective was not to gain wisdom but to trap Him. They wanted a basis to accuse Him of blasphemy so they could have Him killed.
Thankfully, Jesus received wisdom from the Lord and knew what they were up to. John 12:49 - For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.
Instead of answering, He asked them a question. Matthew 21:24-25 - “I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?”
Since they were calculating and deceitful, the elders gathered and agreed that they needed to be careful what they said. Matthew 21:27 - So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then He said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
Notice Christ's response? Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
It doesn't pay to approach God with deception and lies in our hearts or on our tongues. We can't fool Him and those who try will not receive answers to their questions (in this case, prayers). And even worse, such liars become detestable to Him (Proverbs 6:16-17).
Too many of us don't realize we can sometimes be like the elders in this story. This happens when we come before the Lord with ulterior motives and expect Him to bless us. We want wealth to show off, yet we claim we want to be a blessing to others. We proclaim we are believers in Jesus but our lives don't testify that we follow Him. We craft schemes and resort to worldly wisdom instead of seeking God's insight.
The Lord knows that it is hard to fight our human desires. This is why He gave us His word, the Savior's sacrifice and a deposit of His Holy Spirit to help. We have to desire and accept that help so we are constantly being led to live righteously and repent when we sin. That way, we will not be among those God detests and whose prayers He will not answer.
The Lord God will help each of us. By His grace He will refine us and improve us for this glory and purpose. That way, we shall not be like those who think they can deceive the Lord. IJMN Amen.
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I will worship You
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord, You are our God. We gathered before You today to honor You and You alone. Thank You for guiding us through today's fellowship. Thank You for filling the atmosphere around us with Your presence.
How mighty are You, Lord!
As we disperse to attend to other matters this day and until we gather again, please keep Your children - the participants - in Your bosom. Cover them in Your grace. Remember them for genuinely exalting You and interceding for others. As they prayed for others, pour out Your mercies upon them.
Help us to always remember that those who approach You with deceit in their hearts will not have their prayers answered. That we may never be like such people, Father.
That the world will know that You are the Sovereign Lord. IJMN, Amen.
From M22 - Father Lord I pray for those affects by natural disaster. I pray that you help them as they rebuild and move forward. I pray Father that they will not experience this situation again. I pray that you touch the hearts and mind of the governments, evacuation agencies and humanitarian agencies to provide every neccesary aid they will need of be stable and settled IjMN Amen
LAST 10 MINUTES
Have you ever approached the Lord with deception or lies in your heart or on your lips?
Arguably, we all have and we have the chance now to repent for this, so let us pray.
Heavenly Father, thank You for being He who knows all things and sees all things. Thank You that there is no secret I could ever keep from You.
I repent for approaching You with deception and lies. You are steadfast and true, You do not like lies and I am sorry for ever thinking I could deal with You that way.
Lord, I cry out for grace and strength to be transparent and vulnerable in all my dealings with You. I also pray for Your wisdom so I am like a dove and blameless as I deal with people. I want to honor Your word in all things and at all times because that is the only way I can experience Your promised fullness of life. Thank You for hearing and answering this petition, my God. To You be all the glory and the praise, IJN, Amen.
Lord, praise be unto You, Jehovah Sabaoth. The God of the Heavenly Hosts.
Father, I come against witchcraft in the lives of the members of this fellowship and their families I speak against every attempt to control, destroy and ensnare with such arts, IJMN, Amen. I know satan's modus operandi is to steal, kill and destroy the glorious destinies of Your people by enticing them with slickly-packaged, deceptive messaging that blurs the lines between what is godly and what You have specifically forbidden Your people to get entangled with.
Nevertheless, I thank You, Father, for You are He who has all dominion (Daniel 4:34-35). You are the Sovereign Lord. And no matter what satan's desires are, no matter how much it flexes and roars, it is Your purpose and plan that shall be fulfilled to the last letter (Isaiah 14: 24 & 27). Hallelujah!
I therefore pronounce Your word upon these wicked practitioners of witchcraft, necromancy, and other dark arts. As they are used against your people, Ezekiel 11:21 applies. Repay them, Lord, as promised in Jeremiah 16:18. Let Your word in Isaiah 45:16 be thoroughly fulfilled for them. Hit them with the mighty blows of Your arm, oh Lord (Isaiah 30:32).
Thank You for Your word that satan itself is less than nothing and those who choose it are detestable and nothing just as the power source they rely upon (Isaiah 41: 24 & 29). Expose them, Father. Drag them out, pull them down and bring them to ruins, Lord.
For the Kingdom of God is of power not about talk (1 Corinthians 4:20). Oh my God. I look forward to seeing the fulfillment of this prayer pronounced to Your glory and by Your grace, IJMN, Amen. Let me see what will happen to who will stand against You, my Lord.
From M22 - Father Lord I thank you for sis @FFJ and her family. I thank you for teaching and helping us grow in our faith through her leadership in this community. I pray that you will continue to strengthen her faith. I pray that you will continue to increase her u. Supernatural wisdom, favour knowledge and understanding. I pray that you will continue to open the storehouse of Heaven over her and her loved ones. IJMN Amen
From M22 - Father Lord I commit myself and my siblings to you. Help us to focus on you and not the circumstances around us. Help us to focus on your word concerning us and less on the words of man. Father Lord I thank you for your intervention in our lives. I thank you for teaching, transforming, pruning and renewing us for your glory. I thank you Father for drawing us closer to you and I pray we will continue to experience you beyond our expectations IJMN Amen. I submit our needs and desires at your feet, I pray that you fulfil them according to your will IjMN. I pray that you strengthen our faith and help us to stand firm in it so you can help us stand. IjMN Amen
Heavenly Father, I thank You for You are He who wants His people to experience the fullness of life that You alone can give.
As such, I lift up those who are dealing with thoughts of self harm and suicide ideation. Lord, I stand upon Your word in Psalm 118:17 - I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
I hereby declare that every spirit whispering death and trying to cause Your people to harm themselves is defeated in the name of Jesus. I proclaim that Your people shall live and not die. That they shall declare Your good works in the land of the living. I speak over them Your word in Psalm 27:13 - Still I am certain to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Instead of death, they shall see the goodness of the Lord.
By Your grace, my God, they shall walk before You, right here in the land of the living (Psalm 116:9) and the enemy of their soul shall be put to shame, IJMN, Amen.
From M22 - Father Lord I pray for people struggling with their health. I rosy that your healing power permeates every inch of their bodies. I pray that you use doctors, specialists, medicine, science and technology to perfect your healing in their bodies. I pray that you coordinate the eyes and hands of operating surgeons to carry out successful surgeries. Father Lord I pray that you touch the hearts and minds of health ministries, governments and institutes to rollout schemes that will help people have seamless access to quality healthcare IJMN Amen
From M22 - Father Lord I pray that you avert every spirit of untimely death over the lives of people. I pray that you foil the plans of the enemy to remove them prematurely from your green earth. I pray that we will not die but live to declare your word. Jesus Christ died that we may live and when he was raised again, we were renewed and raised again. I thank you Father for everlasting life. I thank you Father for your protection and preservation over us. Thank you Jehovah Shammah. Amen.
From M22 - Father Lord I pray for children across the world. I pray that they will continue to grow and draw closer to you so they can experience you. I pray that you help them fulfil their kingdom calling and purposes here on earth. I pray that you touch the hearts and minds of parents, caregivers, teachers and guardians to nourish and nurture them in your word and ways. IJMN Amen
Prayer from sis Justa back in 2022
Lord, I pray that you'll soften the hearts of those who have been protecting themselves from past hurts. Let them not forget your love and how you want to bless them with the lives they so truly deserve. Every day is a new day for a new start with you and you are our safety net because you are dependable. Above all, you know our souls and i hope we live up to the person you called all of us to be.
Fortify these promises in the quote above and show us how great you are.
In your name I pray, amen!
From M22 - Father Lord I thank you for this wonderful community. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to gather in your presence. Thank you Father for constantly teaching, transforming, pruning and renewing us for your glory. Thank you Lord for contending against those who contend against us. Thank you Lord for speaking us for where we have no voice or influence. I thank you Father for scattering what the enemy gathered against us. I thank you for supernatural restoration, deliverance and increase over everyone of us IJMN Amen
Almighty Father, You are the King of Kings. Sovereign Lord, You created the heaven, earth, the seas and everything within them.
Psalm 12:5 - “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.”
The enemy fights Your plans and purpose, keeping people in strongholds of poverty that is not in accordance with Your word. However, You are the God who has spoken from the beginning, saying, the silver and gold belong to You (Haggai 2:8).
And so, I come to You lifting the poor to be recipients of Your provision. God, our Jehovah Jireh, let them experience the overflow of Your abundance. They do not believe anyone could worry about them or help them. May they come to see You as Jireh the ultimate Provider, the ultimate Father, as You bathe them in Your merciful provision. Thank You great and mighty King, IJMN, I pray, Amen.
And may the world know that You are Lord.
PRAYER TIME
Hallelujah to the Lord!
Pray for those in need. Not sure how to do this? Imagine the challenges you are facing. Now, instead of praying about those issues for yourself, ask God to help others facing those problems.
Remember, we aren't praying for ourselves but for others.
Wow, this is the praise point I had written for today, sis M22. It aligns with the one you shared as well.
Thank You for what the enemy planned has failed, good God. You have stood for us and put the enemy to shame. You who foil the devices of the crafty. Thank You for sending Your angels to carry us so we don't hit stones with our feet.
You are steadfast. Trustworthy. You never fail and we are grateful, Lord.
Thank You!
Almighty God, welcome into our midst. We are grateful for Your presence for in Your presence there is freedom, joy, and much more.
Thank You, God for being with us!
From M22 - Father Lord I thank you because what the enemy meant to hurt me and mine you turned it over for our good. I thank you Lord I am here to fellowship despite how the enemy tried. Father Lord I pray for physical and spiritual strength to focus on you above everything else. IJMN Amen
Lord, look at Your word in Jeremiah 32:38-41 - They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.
Father, I thank You for these great promises. Thank You for being the God whose covenant is sure. You never renege, You never contradict Yourself, and You are not a hypocrite.
Thank You so much for what You are doing and will do for us. The God who has committed to never stop doing good for us!!!!
Hallelujah!
From M22 - Father Lord I thank you for today. Thnk you for how you are teaching me and helping me as I walk with you. I thank you Father that I can depend on you for strength to walk this walk with you everyday. I pray for grace to be more like you everyday. Thank you Ebenezer! Amen.