Psalms 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
INSIGHT
-The word still in Hebrew is derived from the word chashah which means to be at a state of rest and quietness. It also means to believe in God unconditionally. A state of stillness is a place of peace, having faith that God is able to be do that which seems impossible for you to accomplish. Being still is also having knowledge that faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of what is not yet seen. Faith is therefore a call to believe in the nature of God and His limitless power. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him (Romans 4:18). Faith is a personal call to believe in Jesus Christ and what He has promised. Without faith we cannot please God. Jesus reminds us that if we have faith and do not doubt, whatever we ask for in prayer and we believe, we shall receive (Matthew 21:21-22).
PRAYER
Abba Father we thank You and glorify Your holy name. We exult You in all the earth. You are faithful and mighty, and power and strength belongs to You. You are able and mighty Lord our Father. Teach us to be still in all situations dear Jesus and we shall know that You are God. May You teach us to believe in You and Your promises. May You increase our faith and grant us Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Teach us to believe in You and Your power without looking any other way. We commit this day and the entire week unto Your able hands, may You go ahead of us in everything that concerns us. We commit all our plans and ambitions unto You dear Jesus, may Your will prevail in our lives. We commit our situations into Your hands, may You bless us and show us Your ways. We commit our families, relationships and marriages unto You Jesus, may You unite us with codes of love that cannot be broken. We commit our hearts desires unto You dear Jesus, may You respond unto us according to Your divine purpose. We commit our businesses, jobs, future, children and our nation unto Your able hands, may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now, and forever more. Amen
Further reading: Ephesians 3:16-17
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
INSIGHT
-The word to be still in Hebrew is also written as rapha which means to be weak, let go, release, or to surrender. When we are in a position of surrender, we are proclaiming that our strength, intelligence, power and wisdom is not sufficient. It is a place of weakness and need of intervention. Apostle Paul writes that when we are weak then we are strong, for Christ’ power rests upon us. It comes a time when we fight for our health; going to different hospitals until the doctors are unable to bring forth a cure then we notice that we are weak. We may be financially challenged and sometimes we lack the basic needs then we realize that only God is our Provider. It comes a time in our marriages when we have given our all and the marriage is at the verge of breaking then we realize that we are weak, and we need the grace of God. Sometimes we travail for long in our prayers and our responses take too long, then we realize that we are insufficient and we need to surrender our will to God’s will. Paul says that one should take pleasure during such times when infirmity, need, persecution, distress comes, so that the power of Christ may be made manifest in our situations. Sometimes we fight loosing battles until we realize that we have lost it all. We are called to be still and look to Christ alone, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith that we may remain triumphant in all things.
PRAYER
All I need is You Lord. All I need is to experience You Holy Spirit. All I need is Your intervention God our Father. We are nothing without You Jesus, we need You. We come to Your feet with humility dear Jesus, may You take over. Take over my personal needs and desires, I need You. Take over my hearts desires and plans. Take over my relationships and marriage dear Jesus. Take over my financial situation Abba Father. Take over our businesses and jobs Jehovah. Take over the lives of our children Holy Spirit. Take over our economy, the welfare of our societies, and our nation Jehovah Shalom. May You take over the situation in all the war torn countries. All we need is You Jesus. We surrender all to You. May You take pre-eminence in our lives. When we are weak, then we are strong, for You are in us and with us. We cast all our pains and burdens unto You dear Jesus, for You care for us. May You heal our wounds. May You restore all that is lost. The battle belongs to You dear Jesus may You fight for us. May You guide us in the way that we should go. May You protect us from all the snares and wicked plans of the enemy over our lives. May You cover us with Your precious blood dear Jesus. May You teach us Your ways and grant us, and all people the gift of salvation. May Your sufficient grace abound in our hearts and our lives. May the sufficient grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and abounding love of God, and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now, and forever more. Amen
Further reading: Psalms 121:1-8
John 14:23-27
“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
INSIGHT
–The word still in Hebrew has various derivations and meanings as we have previously evaluated. Another word for still in Hebrew is amad which means to take one’s stand or to be principled. The Bible from the beginning tells us that our God requires us to follow His principles and statutes. He presented various laws and regulations to the Israelites in the wilderness through Moses (Exodus 20), and instructed them to follow them, with the promise of a blessing (Deuteronomy 28). This formed the principles of the ways of the Lord. He also sent forth prophets to reveal His divine plan for the people. In the New Testament, Jesus summarized the law into one, the law of love. Matthew 22:37-40, states that you should love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and your neighbor as yourself. Upon this law of love hang all the law and prophets. Jesus demonstrated the way to love by laying down His life for us His friends. He also requires that we follow that which He commands us (John 15:13-14). He also requires that we believe through which He makes us righteous (Romans 10:4). When we believe in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, He sends forth His Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us of all things, and He gives us His sure peace that the world does not know of. Through this then, we are able to live godly lives through the knowledge of Him as we participate in His divine nature and escape the evil desires and corruption of this world. We are reminded to add our goodness to faith, knowledge to goodness, self control to knowledge, perseverance to self control, godliness to perseverance, mutual affection to godliness, and love to mutual affection (2 Peter 1:3-7), in our walk of faith.
PRAYER
What greater love than this that Jesus You lay Your life for us Your friends. Thank You for loving us dear Jesus. We love You Jesus, thank You for loving us first. Thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross and for making us righteous in You. Thank You for Your blood which speaks better things than that of Abel. May You wash us with Your precious blood and surround us with Your hedge of fire. Thank You for Your fruit of love in our hearts Holy Spirt that enables us to love You Lord with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and our neighbors as ourselves. Thank You for Your love Holy Spirit that reminds us to keep Your word and follow Your divine principles. May You anoint us afresh that we may know You more and always work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We seek Your presence every moment of our lives Holy Spirit, may You form us in Your image and likeness each day. We belong to You, thank You for loving us. May You teach us to do Your will. May Your salvation reach our families, friends and the whole world. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen
Further reading: John 3:16, Psalms 1:1-3
Luke 1:19-20
“The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
INSIGHT
-Another word for still in Hebrew is damam which means to be silent or to stay dumb. Being still has a lot to do with our tongue and words. This is seen during the birth of John the Baptist, God made the father Zachariah dumb until the birth happened. He was able to speak again after he wrote down the name John according to word of God. This is because if Zachariah was to speak before, he would have interfered with the move of God. We also find another instance in Numbers 14, where the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, they murmured and complained a lot, until a whole generation was wiped out in the wilderness. God has called us to give thanks always and desist from murmuring and complaining as it does not glorify His name and hinders our progress. According to James 3:5-6; a tongue is a small organ but can be very destructive and spark a fire that can light up an entire forest. Proverbs 17:27-28 reminds us that a fool may be considered wise when he keeps silent and a person with understanding deemed as foolish when they speak. Therefore God calls us to be still in all situations and seek His wisdom in all things. We should not be quick to speak or mummer because this may not please God, but interfere with His move in our affairs. Our mouth should be used to Glorify God through thanksgiving and praise, as well as edify each other in the truth of God. We are called to desire more eager to hear from God, and speak His word in all situations as we wait on Him to move and act according to His divine will.
PRAYER
Dear Lord God we humbly come before You this day with thanksgiving in our hearts. We exalt You and glorify Your Holy Name. We declare that there is none like You. You are enthroned with power, great is Your faithfulness. We desire to walk in Your wisdom and grace, great and mighty God. May Your teach us Your ways and put coals of fire on our tongues so that we may not utter that which is not pleasant before You. Father, fill us with Your Holy Spirit that You may guide us and direct our tongues with wisdom. May You fill our hearts with the gift of discernment that we may know when to speak and when to keep silent. Abba Father, we humbly ask You calm our hearts and spirits in Your peace and teach us to wait on You always. We come against the spirit of anxiety, confusion and impatience and ask You to shield us with Your blood. We repent for every vain word we have spoken to condemn ourselves and others, humbly ask for Your forgiveness. May You remove any accusation against us, our families, businesses, society and nation in the courts of heaven by Your precious blood our great Advocate. We wait on You with thanksgiving, praise and supplication in our hearts. May You grant us the peace that surpasses human understanding now and forever. Amen
Further reading: James 1:19
Mark 4:39
“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”
INSIGHT
-The famous story of Jesus calming the storm is one that shows faith and hope. There was a great tempest in the sea and Jesus was sleeping in the boat as the disciples thought they would perish. In terror, they woke Jesus up to calm the storm, since none of them had strong enough faith to do it. In the same wavelength, Peter in another instance was instructed to walk on water when he saw Jesus and thought that He was a ghost. Peter began well but his faith failed him when he saw that the wind was boisterous and he began sinking (Matthew 14:29-30). Being still in stormy situation is a call to have faith in God despite the anxiety that comes with it. As Jesus found sleep in the middle of a great storm, He calls us to rest secure in Him and we will find sure peace.
SUMMARY
The word still in the Hebrew language have different derivations and meanings. First, it is pronounced as chashah which means to be at a state of rest and quietness. This is a call to faith, personal faith in God’s ability to do that which seems impossible to you. Like Abraham who had strong faith in God and he received his promise, we are reminded to be still in God putting on faith in all situations. Secondly, to be still in Hebrew is written as rapha which means to be weak, to let go or surrender. When we are in a position of surrender, we are proclaiming that our wisdom, intelligence, strength, and power is insufficient. It is a place of weakness and therefore we need Jesus, for when we are weak then we are strong, since Christ’ power rests upon us. Thirdly, the word still is written as amad which means to take one’s stand or to be principled. In the Old Testaments, we find God introduce laws which He gives to the Israelites. God also send prophets to deliver His message to the people so that they may follow His laws and regulations. In the New Testament, Jesus summarizes the law and the prophets into the fruit of love, and calls us to be principled by not only hearing His word but also following it. Last but not least we have the word damam in Hebrew, which means to be silent or to stay dumb. We are reminded to be wise and discerning, and know when to speak and when to remain silent. Jesus is our Sure foundation and He gives us total peace when we are in the middle of a storm, He calms down our souls. Jesus fights for us our battles even when we are not aware of it, and calls us to be still and know that He is God.
PRAYER
Almighty Father, we exalt and praise You today, for You are great and worthy to be praised. We lift You high above every other thing for there is none like You. Father we trust in You and know that in You we are safe and secure. Hide us Lord under Your wings we humbly implore You. Cover us with Your precious blood from all the plans and scheme of the enemy. We come against every plan and trap the enemy has put before us. We declare protection is our portion and we are covered with Your blood dear Jesus. We speak and plead the blood of Jesus over our families, friends and societies. May You keep us and preserve us in Your sure peace. Father You are King over the storm. Help us to be still under the flood. May You God of peace grant us Your sure peace that breaks every form of anxiety and barrier. May You calm every storm in our lives, families, relationships, marriages, businesses, societies and nation. May Your grace and divine favor always accompany us in all that we think about and do. May You teach us to be still before You Lord and to wait patiently for You. Teach us to be patient even when people succeed in their ways, as they carry out their wicked schemes. May us to seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness, and all other things You will add unto us. May You forgive us the many times we have not trusted in You and trusted in our own strength and ways. Forgive us dear Jesus for the many times we have not called upon Your name and have even disobeyed You. Dear Lord help us to obey You always and remove every disobedient spirit in us, our families and societies. Teach us Holy Spirit Your ways and give us wisdom to know what to do in all circumstances. Father may You fill us with the gift of faith that we may have uncommon faith at all times. Increase in us faith dear Jesus. May You bless us and keep us Lord. May You shine Your face upon us and be gracious to us. May You turn Your countenance towards us and give us Peace. Amen.
Further reading: Luke 24:36, Psalms 37:7