None of us like to entertain the thought of defeat. We imagine ourselves as winners and we should, particularly as children of God. He has won every battle on our behalf so we can bask in the glow of victory. And yet, despite identifying as children of the Most High God, we still encounter defeats. How is this possible? And why should such a thing happen?
We've previously discussed several potential reasons why a child of God might not see their expectations fulfilled. Sin could stand in the way through fornication, unforgiveness, unrepentance, disobedience, and hypocrisy. When it comes to sin, the list could be long but God is faithful to reveal what stands in the way of His blessings in our lives.
We have also examined that God sometimes uses suffering and pruning to strengthen His children. Although they encounter defeats, those experiences will increase their faith, bring God glory, and bless others.
And it is in this vein that we look at Joseph, the son of Jacob. A man who'd received a dream from the Lord that spoke of his greatness only for him to see the exact opposite. Despite the glory that was to come for him, Joseph was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery. He went from the favored son of his father to a slave in Potiphar's house. Although he excelled in service and was put in charge of his master's home, a false accusation sent him to prison. There, the Spirit of Excellence remained on him and he again rose to distinction. Yet, he languished in captivity, forgotten even by those he helped leave the prison.
But one day, the God of Suddenly remembered him and brought him out of prison. Joseph had continued to serve and believe in His God, so when the opportunity came to display God's power to an unbeliever, he was supernaturally ready. And his life was never the same after that. He catapulted from slave and prisoner to Egypt's second most powerful man. Even Pharaoh deferred to him.
Joseph's story is an important reminder that the defeats we experienced were not for nothing. God used his defeats to prepare him and bring him to victory. This is exactly what God can and will do in the lives of those who completely submit to His authority.
Defeat and suffering are not supposed to crush our spirit. They can be the stepping stones - the launching pad - to greater heights. If you are a genuine child of God - being led by the Holy Spirit and obeying what Christ taught - and you are experiencing life's troubles, please realize that God might not be punishing you. He may be building you up for His purpose - training you for greater things. Take a moment. Take a deep breath. Thank Him for the defeats and declare that you submit to His will for your life. Show Him you trust Him to usher you to great victory. A victory that will reflect His greatness and cause others to praise Him for what He's done for you.
And if upon self-reflection you can admit that you have not been living your life for Jesus, then it is time to do the needful and recommit/give your life to Christ. Repent, return to God, and be restored by Him. That way, you will experience what Joseph did - your defeats will lead to victory.
Take all the glory, Lord!
To learn more, please read:
FINAL MESSAGE
Next week is a blessed week for all of you. If you have the time, read Haggai 2 on Christmas Day, December 25th. The Bible highlighted that day as a day of blessings (you have to use the Hebraic calendar to find the right date each year). God actually promised to bless on that day in verse 19 - But from this day on, I will bless you.
So, if you think you missed out on a blessing this year or if you are still waiting for something from the Lord, start reading Haggai 2 and make declarations upon yourself so that you reap the blessings He freely gives out on that day.
And when you get your blessing, be sure to praise God. Make sure you testify so others and also bless Him for what He did for you. Share with others from your blessings - give to the poor and the needy, the orphan and the widow, the oppressed.
Once again, God bless and keep you till we return here to commune next Tuesday by His grace.
CLOSING PRAYER
Glorious God! You are highly lifted up!!!
Thank You for bringing us to this moment. Faithful God, You have been too good to us.
My prayer Lord is for more encounters with You for all of today's participants and those who will fellowship in the future.
Bless them all, IJMN, Amen.
LAST 10 MINUTES
Let us declare the following - Every defeat I've experienced is a stepping stone to my victory in the Lord.
Thank the Lord for this grace. Honor Him with your worship. Appreciate Him for His merciful kindness. Think of the ways you've messed up, yet He remains committed to bringing His blessings into your life.
So, thank Him. Thank Him that your story isn't done, it is just beginning IJN, Amen.
Father, all of us are in need of Your grace to step into the fullness You have already granted us.
The world is overwhelmed by the realities we see on TV and sometimes just by looking out our windows. These realities often leave us in despair.
You, however, have told us that we are exempt from the rules of the world because we have claimed Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
With that in mind, I raise all of Your beloveds seeking employment. You have promised, Lord, in Proverbs 10:24 - ... what the righteous desire will be granted.
I place them before You Lord, trusting that You have heard our prayers and will bring forth that which they need, IJMN, Amen!
Lord, You had Abraham and Sarah wait. You had Joseph wait. You had Daniel wait. You had Elizabeth wait. You had Hannah wait. You had Manoa and His wife wait.
Lord, we praise You that nobody who waits on You shall ever go down in disgrace. Thank You!
Give Your people strength and patience to wait and stand firm as they do so.
All to Your glory and by Your wonderful grace, IJMN, Amen.
From M22 - Father Lord I thank you for me and my siblings. I thank you for how you have been taking care of us and most importantly for how you are transforming, renewing pruning and strengthening us for your purpose and glory. We thank you Lord for everything you have done this year and everything you will continue to do. We thank you for breaking strongholds and traps the enemy thought they set for us. We bless you Mighty God. IJMN Amen
From M22 - Father Lord I pray for singles waiting on your their spouse. I pray Father that you will help them wait and you'll give them supernatural discernment, patience and clarity to ward off counterfeits as they wait. Abba Father I trust you that you will settle them in your timing IJMN Amen
From CMC - Happy Friday family. I hope you all are doing well in this season. Not of many words today but I am here worshipping with you !
Thank you FFJ for your words today. It hit me more than I expected.
Giving thanks and praise to God almighty “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior” Amen
Adding this song in because it has been on constant repeat for the past 2 weeks
My soul feels full after each listen.
From M22 - Abba Father I pray for families finding hard to celebrate the holidays. I pray that you bless them with resources beyond measure. I pray that even after the holidays, they will never run out of resources. I pray that they will experience your immeasurable joy this season and beyond IJMN Amen
From JIR - Lord, I pray for those who struggle with addictions. I pray that You bless them with the courage and the strength to break through the bondage of their addictions. I pray that You bless them with the support and help they need to overcome their addictions and rebukes any lies the enemy may be feeding them to make them feel like they need to be codependent on whatever they are addicted to. I pray, Lord, that You bless them to break loose from whatever it is that has a hold on them and You bless them to recover and redirect their focus on You. IJMN. Amen.
From M22 - Father Lord I pray for couples waiting on the fruits of the womb. Father Lord I pray that you turn their waiting into fruitfulness. I pray that you bless them with healthy and beautiful babies that they will nourish and nurture them in your ways. Father Lord I pray that you put an end to miscarriages, failed IVFs and difficult adoption processes IJMN Amen
I call on You my Heavenly Father for an outpouring of Your double portion and even more upon the righteous. Glory be to You my God!
You are great in heaven and earth. Beautiful God. Mysterious God! You are awesome!
Nehemiah said the following prayer in Nehemiah 5:19 - Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.
Father, I say that prayer over Your people who have been called to Your purpose. Lord, remember them with favor. Embarrass them with blessings that will make others wonder how.
Dear God, do this for them in Jesus' Mighty, Marvelous, and Wonderful name!
From M22 - Father Lord I pray that you put an end to the cycle of war, famine, natural disasters and bloodshed in this world. Father Lord your Word is that we will live to always declare your Word and we believe your Word will always stand true concerning regions affected by these negative cycles. Father Lord I pray that you touch the hearts and mind of leaders, governments and institutions to come to an amicable resolution that will better the lives of citizens IJMN Amen
From M22 - Abba Father I pray for people struggling with homelessness and poverty. I pray Father that as they head into the new years they will experience your abundance and provision beyond measure. Father Lord I pray that you connect people and communities that will help them settle into every stream of opportunities you have for them I pray that you destroy every strong hold of lack and scarcity in their lives and bless them with wonderful accomodations and jobs that will help them live day to day. I pray that they start to live and you put an end to the cycle of survival in their lives IJMN Amen
From JIR - I pray for all believers to read the Bible everyday and not only read the Bible but also live by the Bible. I pray that we all put ourselves in the shoes of those in need and eagerly give the shirts off our backs and the shoes off our feet if need be. I pray that we give to those in need on a consistent and persistent basis. IJMN. Amen.
Father, I want to pray for children everywhere. The Bible said that "[c]hildren are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from Him" in Psalm 127:3.
Lord, protect children. The world is working overtime to overwhelm and destroy them through depraved acts and images.
You give children to be a blessing. Please hear this prayer seeking Your blessed covering over them. IJMN, Amen.
From M22 - Father Lord I want to thank you for this wonderful community. You have seen us through the past 12 months and we bless you Lord for holding our hands through it all. Even when we thought we would fall apart, we came out unscathed. Father Lord we thank you for your abundant grace, if we choose to write how much you have done for us, we would run out of ways to write. I bless you Father for how you are constantly transforming, renewing and pruning us. Thank you mighty Father. Amen. You are worthy of our Praise.
PRAYER TIME
Now's the time to kick into intercessory prayer. We'll spend the next 25 minutes praying for other people to be blessed by the Lord.
Know someone in need of help? Now is the time to ask the Lord to work things out for them.
Let us pray for others so that when we hear their testimony, we can smile and say to ourselves, "I prayed for that!"
Thank You God for all that You do for us and our loved ones. Thank You for mercy and Your kindness. You show us grace we technically do not deserve. And yet, You love us abundantly.
Who is man that You are mindful of Him, Jehovah? (Psalm 8:4) Thank You for that blessing. Thank You for loving us wholly. Give us grace to love You completely and live lives pleasing to You, oh Lord.
From JIR - The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
Thank You Lord for blessing me to not want for anything. You are who I look to. IJMN. Amen.
From M22 - I also want to add that I am grateful for sis @FFJ and this wonderful community. It's been 2 years and counting worshipping with you all. I am grateful for every single one of you. You have made a significant spiritual impact on my life. I pray God blesses you all beyond measure. Amen.
Proverbs 21:31 - The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.
God, You are always the Victor and I am so grateful that as Your child I am a recipient of Your victory as well. Thank You for coming through for me!
Father continue to be magnified. Smash the devil and all its efforts against us. We know that by Your great grace, we are more than conquerors all to Your glory! Amen!
Romans 8:37- No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
From JIR - Thank You Lord for Your strength. You get me through everyday. Without You I am nothing. You give me reason and purpose. You bring me peace and contentment. To lay my life down and live for You is the best decision I have ever made. It is an honor to serve You. I will serve You all the days of my life. Thank You for blessing me with the privilege to be Your servant. I am devoted to You. I worship You and I thank You. IJMN. Amen.
From M22 - Father Lord I thank you for how you are guiding me through your Word everyday. I thank you for the strongholds you have destroyed in my life. I am grateful for how you have opened up my heart and mind to truly understand how much you love me. I am grateful for how you prune me everyday. I pray Father that you continue to break through me till I become that woman you have created me to be IjMN Amen
Hallelujah to You oh Father! Thank You for Your grace upon our lives. Thank You for Your mercy and Your kindness.
Mighty King! You who have preserved us till this day. Glorious God! Be forever magnified in our lives.
Psalm 28:7 - The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
From M22 - I am grateful for how God has been spiritually awakening me. I am learning more about his character in his Word and how much he loves me. I am learning to be patient as I walk with him and not put pressure on myself to conform to any standards outside of God's will for my life. I am also grateful for my siblings.
Daniel called You the Revealer of Mysteries and he was right (Daniel 2:29). Thank You for being that and so much more in our lives, Lord!
Daniel 2:20 - ... Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.
From JIR - Lord, thank You for Your patience. Your love for Your children is immeasurable. You are Who we call on for all things from the good to the bad to everything in between. Your name is above all names. What a Mighty name to call upon for all things. The enemy flees and trembles at Your feet when we call on Your Wonderful name, Jesus. Thank You Lord for equipping us and preparing us for battle everyday. If You are for us, who can possibly be against us! Thank You Lord. All glory belongs to You. IJMN. Amen.
PRAISE TIME
What are you grateful for?
Share so we can join you in giving the Messiah glory.
Hallelujah!
It is God for me
It is God for me
Can't you see all the ways He's been blessing me
Praise Him
I say glory be to Him
All blessings come from Him
So praise Him
From CD - I love a good reminder and confirmation that My God is King of Kings and the Most High!!
What the enemy means to use against me, My God uses for Me and my good!!
My Defender
My Rock
My Shelter
My Father
My Daddy
My God, My God, My God
From JIR - Thank You for breathing life into us this morning Lord and ushering us into today. None of this would be possible without You. We are grateful that You have blessed us with another day. Thank You for all You have done, all that You do and all that You continue to do. All glory is Yours my King. IJMN. Amen.
I love today’s message. Thanks so much sis @FFJ. It really is encouraging. I love how you said God remembered Joseph. God’s unfailing love endures forever. He is so faithful. Once he makes a promise it is as good as kept. It is up to us to go through what ever trials or challenges that may be put in front of us but to always keep in the back of our mind that our promise is on the way. The fact the God never failed one person in the Bible and He is still the same today as back in biblical times gives me the determination I need to keep persevering. What more do I need?? He doesn’t just bless us with what is conceivable to our little minds but when He fulfills a promise it is abundantly and exceedingly more than we can imagine which is reason enough to keep that fire in me going, to be patient and to keep waiting. IJMN. Amen.
From EC - Amen and good morning ladies!
From M22 - Thank you Heavenly Father for another beautiful fellowship day. Thank you Abba you are forever worthy of our Worship and Praise. I thank you for life, mobility, food, shelter, utilities, your protection, provision and grace over us. I pray that we will continue to please and honor you as we navigate every single day IJMN Amen.
Thank you for today's word sis @FFJ . Everytime I look back at the past 3 years of life, I feel defeated and it took God really working on my heart everyday to see that he was pruning me just as I ealeys prayed for. I felt defeated so much that I felt he was punishing me but now I look back and know I am supposed to go through this phase of my life for his glory and for my own greater good. There are days where I wish I could have done better but I am learning to submit to God's direction, purpose and will for my life. I resonate with Joseph a lot and he's my favorite Bible person apart from Apostle Paul. They both endured but God gave them victory in unique ways.
I look forward to worshipping with you all later today. God bless you all. Happy Holidays
And because I've got that Christmas feeling
Oh come let us adore Him
Oh come let us adore Him
Oh come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
What are you listening to (that praises and adores our God) as we approach Christmas?
I'm getting ready for today (and 2025) with praisesssssss
Every defeat I've experienced is a stepping stone to my victory.
I'm also expecting a miracle for YOU!
Let me dance, ya hear!
PS: You better come into P&P dancing today. Humph!
Permit me to share this encouragement sis CD shared with us on July 5, 2024. It ties in with today's message and I pray it blesses you.
We also must [be] mindful to not get so discouraged and distracted when God gives us a glimpse of what is to come that we give up on God's promise because it doesn't come when we think or want it to show up!!! God anointed David King, and David went back to the fields and it wasn't until years later that he made it to the palace; However, had David given up because the promise was taking too long to come to pass, he wouldn't have gotten the training and preparation that occurred during that waiting period, But God!!
Similarly, Joseph had a dream, shared it with his FAMILY who grew angry, not that he had a dream, but because of their position in his dream and threw him in a pit, he then went to jail...again, years of waiting and preparation before his God-given dream came to fruition.
The devil comes to steal (your dreams, hope, and faith), kill (your dreams, hope and faith) and destroy (your dreams, hope, and faith)!! So, we must be like Jairus, Joseph, David and the many other biblical examples to hold on to God, and like Genesis 32:22-31, "I will not let You go until You bless me!"