Have you ever read the Bible and thought it must have been awesome to be the sort of person that God would take the time to make promises to?
Look at Abraham for instance. He was nothing but a mere man and yet, God looked at him and made him great promises. Despite being aged, he became the father of Isaac and progenitor to Jesus. Then there was David. God promised him that his heirs will forever sit in royalty and this promise continues to pan out today because Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace who sits by the right hand of God and was a descendant of David. Or, what about Prophet Jeremiah? The Lord told him that nobody would be able to kill him and despite how many people tried, none managed. In fact, King Nebuchadnezzar honored him when his army conquered Jerusalem.
In this day and age, God continues to identify people to whom He makes promises. There are countless testimonies of people receiving specific and unique words from the Lord and they witness their fulfilment. There are also those who take advantage of the generalized promises contained in the Bible to their benefit and experience God's faithfulness as a result.
God wants everyone to become a recipient of His promises. Not just the ones listed in the Bible. No, God wants to call you by your name and make you a promise that will blow your mind when it comes to pass. His promises are priceless. Money can never buy them. Once the Lord makes a promise, He is sure to keep it. That's why the Bible refers to Him as the Covenant-keeper (Ezekiel 16:60). He takes covenants seriously. Even when we fail to keep our promises to Him, He is sure to not break His word (2 Timothy 2:13).
If you are interested in receiving a specific promise from the Lord, please look at Hebrews 11:33 - Their faith helped them conquer kingdoms, and because they did right, God made promises to them. They closed the jaws of lions (CEV).
Your faith is the key. It is the starting point from where you receive His unique promises for your life. Promises that are fine-tuned to your needs and when fulfilled, exceed what you could have imagined or asked for. It is that faith that will enable you to 'do right' as Hebrews 11:33 mentions. To live a life that God appreciates and thereby rewards with blessings that play out now and in the future.
Don't be deceived into thinking you must walk with the faith of a juggernaut. God knows that you are mere flesh (Psalm 103:14). This is why Jesus Himself, the Son of God, said we merely need faith the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20-21). Have you seen what one of those looks like? They are small. Yet, that is all you need to be the person who does right in God's eyes and receives His specialized promises for your life.
The Lord has made accommodation for your small, mustard seed size faith. This is where Jesus and the Holy Spirit come in. If you let them take 'the wheel' they will help you whereby your tiny faith will multiply and seem like that of a giant. Never forget that a young David picked up a pebble and a slingshot to take down Goliath, a giant. Do you think he believed he was so skilled that his tools would defeat a well armored soldier who had what was considered advanced weaponry for his day? Not at all! David trusted in the Lord to take his little effort and faith and transform it into something great.
Also be aware that "doing right", as Hebrews 11:33 mentions, could mean simply standing still (Psalm 37:7). The key is to obey and apply the faith you have in order to do what is right in God's eyes. To someone who lacks faith, this process could seem senseless and unproductive. Nevertheless, it is God's opinion that matters.
Do you want God to single you out and make you some special promises? Think about it and come back for Praise & Pray (for others) where in faith, we shall worship our God. In faith, we shall set our prayer needs aside to focus on those of others. And in faith, we shall call on God to help us and increase our faith just as others did in Luke 17:5. God bless you.
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FINAL MESSAGE
This week, I pray you will remember
So, in faith, do what is right before God and become a recipient of His promises.
And, when you get that promise from Him, don't forget it! Repeat it to yourself. Fling it like a wordstone every time the enemy wants you to doubt that God will fulfill it.
God bless and keep you till we meet again on Friday. Same time and same place, by His grace.
*From HC* - Thank you Father for this day. Thank you for your promises and your word. Thank you that all though we go through test and trials we can trust you!
CLOSING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, praise be to Your Holy Name! Thank You for showing us how our mustard seed sized faith can be transformed in Your hands. How our faith enables us to live and do right in Your eyes whereby we are hand selected to receive special promises from You.
Help us Lord to move aligned with You. To obey You and honor You with our lives. Continue to help us Lord, for indeed our flesh is weak though our spirits are willing. You are all we need to make it through and we thank You in advance for all Your help and guidance, IJMN, Amen.
Bless all who participated in today's fellowship and let them be recipients of Your favor and grace. May the blood of Jesus speak for them to Your glory, IJN, Amen.
LAST 10 MINUTES
Did you read today's message? Did it speak to you in any way?
Well, let us use it as a prayer point for our lives. Please join me in saying the following:
Lord, just as you did for David, take my little effort and faith and make it into something great so I too become someone you seek out of billions to make promises to. Promises that You will keep and have already fulfilled from the beginning of creation, IJMN, Amen. Grant me grace to walk with You in accordance with Micah 6:8 all the days of my life so I continue to enjoy the rewards of those who earnestly seek You. Rewards that will extend to 1000 generations after me as You have promised in Exodus 20:6.
Thank You Father, IJN, I pray and give You all the praise, Amen.
If you prayed sincerely, then please start praising the Lord. For He has promised to answer our righteous prayers (Matthew 7:11). And may I just say 'Congrats' to you! I believe strongly that the Lord who hears and answers us will visit you with a promise that He will swiftly keep.
God bless you!
We bring broken bodies, minds and souls to You, Father. We lift these individuals wherever they may be for Your healing grace.
Your word assures us that it was by the stripes and suffering of our Savior that we - mere dust, mere sinners - were healed.
Lord, we stand in the gap for those seeking Your healing. We call on You to hear our cries on their behalf and respond by sending out Your word as promised in Psalm 107:20. We say this prayer believing that it is to Your glory and we call on You that Your will - and Your will alone - be done here on earth as in Heaven.
Lord, have mercy and fix what needs to be fixed in the people this prayer is permitted to extend to. We thank You for hearing us, IJMN, Amen.
Mighty God, thank You. You are great and worthy to be praised. You alone are worthy to be feared and dreaded.
My King, I come before You to ask for justice. It is written: "He who planted the ear, does He not hear? Or He who formed the eye, does He not see?" (Psalm 94:9). God, as the Judge of the Earth (Psalm 94:1) I ask You to arise and exact Your justice. Please remember those victims that are crying in secret. Let Your divine retribution happen without delay. "When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong" (Ecc 8:11).
Abba, even though we are in the end days, and You warned us all these bad things would happen for a set time, I still ask that You remember the victims. Remember the helpless. Your word promises that You will not leave the guilty unpunished. All have sinned and fallen short of Your glory, "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24).
My Lord, please remember that You also accepted the intercession of Your son Abraham when he asked "will You destroy the righteous with the wicked?" (Genesis 18:23). In Your compassion, let justice prevail. This I ask in Jesus name I pray, amen.
*From AC* - Almighty Father, I lift up my Pepper fam and all that concerns them before You. I pray for Your grace, and divine blessings upon those struggling with health issues, financial troubles, hopelessness, bereavement, spiritual attacks, emotional trauma, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Please comfort them, cover them, heal them, and strengthen them by the Power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' precious Name, Amen.
*From BI* - Lord, I pray for Your children who have lost their way. So many looking for easy answers fell for new age, tarots and so much more packaged by the devil as innocent. I pray that Your children are guided to You, Your Word and Your Will. Give them strength to resist the devil and it’s empty promises. May they come to know that Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life. May they grow strong in faith and may Christ dwell in their hearts. I pray that they receive the Holy Spirits so their thoughts, words and deeds may be Holy IJMN Amen.
*From AC* - Thank You Abba for Your continued blessings. Thank You for helping me through this exhausting week. Despite my fatigue, You are the reason I am up on my feet and able to dance in rejoicing! Take all glory, precious Lord!
PRAYER TIME
By now you know who you want to pray for so drop a prayer for someone other than yourself. Call on the Lord to help that person or those people you are focused on. Ask God to work miracles for people. Be brave and courageous and pray in Jesus name, knowing that His name is the name above all names (Philippians 2:9). He stands by the right hand of God advocating for us, serving as our High Priest - interceding before the Lord.
Please remember to pray for others over the next 25 minutes.
God bless you.
Abba I thank You for:
- helping me to find a lost item of mine
- helping me to quickly accomplish a task that I thought would be difficult
- A nice time at the park today
- guiding me and mine to stay on track with You
Thank You, Lord, for blessings given, for promises fulfilled. Thank You for reassurance and confirmation of Your word. Thank You, great God for standing firm and going before us. Thank You for being the kind and loving Father that You are!
From BI - I thank God for sis @FFJ’s testimony. She will never have a better yesterday. Only good news henceforth. I declare her healing is permanent IJMN Amen.
To You be all the glory and praise, Almighty Jehovah!
You are the King of kings, the Lord of lords and the God of gods. I love You, Lord and I am grateful to You for the life You have given and the people You have placed in it to help me each step of the way.
Thank You for never being far away. For being the God who holds me by the hand. All by Your grace and to Your glory.
From AC -
Glory Hallelujah! Adonai Rapha, We give you all praise You for Your healing grace upon our sister @FFJ and for this victory to rejoice and testify to Your glory! Take all honor, Lord! Amen! Thank You for sharing this praise report sis. What a mighty and gracious God we serve. We declare your healing is complete in Jesus' name, Amen! Amen!
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FFJ said: I've got a testimony to share. I might have mentioned it briefly to some Peppers in our private conversations but it is time to mention it here. I've written and rewritten this message to try and shorten it but haven't been successful. Please forgive me. View attachment 4806785 First, let me praise the Lord for His grace and mercy. He is truly an amazing and faithful God to me. Several years ago, doctors found a fibroid in me. It was miniscule and seemed to not impact me so we let it be. Then one day in Summer 2020, the Lord told me to put my hand on my stomach and He said, "I will heal you." At the time, I had no clue what He was talking about, since as far as I knew I had no stomach issues. Yet, I was well trained to say 'Amen' once He speaks a word to me so that was what I did. Fast forward 2 years and it was discovered that there were multiple fibroids and they were impacting my health in ways I hadn't imagined. Thank God for caring doctors who kicked into action creating a regimen to watch me closely and potentially prepare me for surgery. I came home, prayed and told the Lord He had to handle everything because I didn't have much bandwidth. There was a lot going on at that time. Then a little while later, I recalled what He'd told me in 2020 and suddenly gained some confidence. This had to be what He'd been talking about back then. Keying in on that word, I sought God's face. His word was consistent as the months passed by - I have healed you. Yet, with each check up, the doctors kept saying the very opposite. However, the Lord kept telling me not to dwell on the symptoms and the reports but to listen to Him. So I did. It wasn't easy but the Lord kept telling me, I have healed you. I chose to keep believing. Though with all the waiting, I sometimes had to test the spirit and make sure I was hearing from the Shepherd and not the serpent. As Believers, we are specifically instructed to test every spirit to see whether it is of the Lord (1 John 4:1). And we are also cautioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 - Do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test them all; hold on to what is good. And over time, the symptoms disappeared. I got back to long walks, rigorous exercise and more. The doctors kept looking at their information and it didn't line up with my reality. There was confusion but I would smile and they'd be even more confused that despite the presence of the fibroids, the symptoms were gone. Periods that used to be long and 'heavy' were now normal. Plus, what they'd feared could happen - an impact on my liver and kidneys, hadn't happened. Everything seemed strangely fine. It was when I prayed with the technician who ran my last sonogram that she got it. She looked at me and noted that even she'd experienced a medical miracle and she knew it was God answering prayers. We smiled, talked about God and His word and prayed for her friend who is trusting God for healing on an issue. I sharing this long testimony to glorify the Lord. That is my primary reason. However, I also want to remind others who might have received a word from the Lord but aren't seeing the fulfilment of that word yet to hold on. God can do things instantly. He can, and often also does things slowly. See, the Lord gave me a word and at the time, I didn't know what it was about. He did, however. And that is in accordance with His word in Psalm 81:8 - Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel! When we have a word from God, we have to declare it especially when things look the exact opposite from what He said. That tends to happen because satan is aware of what God has done and is doing, and it wants you to believe the opposite of God's word. To worry and give up on God's promise to you. Now, if God hasn't given you a personal word, don't worry. Whatever issue you face, go search for a word on it in the Bible. That word is God's promise to you! Declare it often. Prophecy it into your life regularly. When you hear a report from someone with 'authority' and you see symptoms that speak to the opposite of the promise, thank God and hold onto His word. Never forget that God can take the long route to heal us/fulfill His word. Don't give up on waiting. Hold onto His promise and know He is good for it. Also, be sure to invest the time in hearing God directly and learning how He communicates with you. Doing this will help you hear when He speaks so you can move in accordance. After all, Romans 10:17 tells us faith comes from hearing. And finally, learn to test the spirit in the things you hear and see because we must know that not everything is from the Lord. Not even the things that appear good and seem like direct answers to our prayers. Satan is always looking for where we are gullible to deceive us and God has instructed us to not open that door. May the Lord help all of us to always believe God's word and obey Him so we receive His victory, IJMN, Amen!
Lord, I want to thank You for this day. I want to thank You for what has happened and for what is to come.
To You belongs all the glory and the praise.
Hallelujah!
*From AC* - Thank You Abba, for this glorious day and for Your unwavering love, mercy, and grace that renew each morning. Thank You for being a faithful Father, our mighty God Who always keeps His covenants and promises, for Your Word never returns void. You are my rock and Strong Tower and I depend on You alone. My Faith is in You alone. To You be all power and glory! Hallelujah! Amen!
I am thankful for today's word @FFJ Such a powerful message that is needed. May God increase our fortitude and unwavering faith in Him and help us to obey and apply the faith we have, for His purpose and for our good. In Jesus' name, Amen.
*From BI* - Thank You Almighty God for my life, health, shelter, wages and so much more. Thank You for all the times You said Yes and also the times You said No as everything You do is for my good. I thank You for being a God that is slow to anger and rich in mercy. Thank You for never turning Your face and love from me. All praise, honour and glory belongs to You Lord now and forever.
PRAISE TIME
Our Lord is wonderful and it's time to praise Him.
Think of what Jesus did on the cross in honor of God the Father and be thankful.
Remember that we who believe were given the Holy Spirit to guide us in all that is true and to honor Jesus and the Lord.
I know things aren't perfect for most if not all of us, but let's put our worries aside to glorify the Lord who gives us breath. Because of Him, there is hope for tomorrow.
Praise the Lord!
*From LB* - I just want to give a quick but heartfelt thanks to the almighty God for continuing to watch over me during this trying season right now. I want to give thanks to God for everyone in the P&P group and hope that you all will continue to prosper and be blessed each and every single day. Times are hard for a lot of people, but God is always here to lift us up and guide us throughout our journeys. Just continue to look to him for guidance and strength.
May God continue to keep you and bless you all! Amen!