Luke 9:1-2
“Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
INSIGHT
-A kingdom can be defined as the governing authority of a king over his territory; imparting it with his will, intent and purpose to produce a people who reflect his culture, value and morals. The kingdom citizens reflect the kings lifestyle (Myles Munroe). From the beginning, God made us in His own image and likeness, and gave us dominion over fish, birds, cattle, over all the earth and every creeping thing on the earth (Genesis 1:26). When Adam sinned, we were alienated from God having no hope. Jesus then restored on us dominion through His sacrifice on the cross giving us power and authority over all demons, and the ability to do many signs and wonders including healing the sick. It is prime then to realize the vitality of the kingdom of God. Jesus taught us to pray that the kingdom of God should come on earth as it is in heaven. As ambassadors of Christ, we are His representatives here on earth and should reflect His image and likeness. We should also focus on the kingdom agenda as Christians for we are kings and priests unto God. Each one of us has a purpose in life which God predestined for us before the foundations of the world, and especially to advance the kingdom mandate. We should therefore focus on what each one is called to do so that we may fulfill the great commission, for no one having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).
PRAYER
Thank You Abba Father for Your goodness and mercy upon our lives. Thank You for what You have done unto us, what You are doing and what You will do for us in future. You have comforted us, sustained us, protected us, provided for us, directed us and showed Your unending love. You are the God who answers prayers thank You for this far. Be with all our children who have closed school for midterm we humbly ask You, may You protect and sustain them Lord. Be with us in our careers, businesses and education that You may direct us and expand our boundaries. Help us dear Lord in our families that we may always forgive one another and hold fast love. Be with our president and other leaders so that Your salvation may be their strength. Sustain all those who are homeless and our street children dear Lord for the glory of Your name. Heal all the sick among us merciful Father and deliver all those who are demon possessed. No weapon fashioned against us shall prosper for You have given us power and authority over all demons Lord. Help each one of us to realize that we are Your ambassadors here on earth and empower us to execute our mandates with wisdom; that only comes from You. All these we pray through Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen
Matthew 6:31-34
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
INSIGHT
-Sometimes we fall into the wave of worry, especially when things do not go as we expect. Anxiety crops in and we are thrown off balance and start seeking worldly pleasures because of external pressure. God reminds us that we are His children and He already knows what we need before we ask Him. Our relationship with God is then the most important thing that we should focus on. When seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, all other things will be added unto us. The kingdom of God does not entail eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17). We find several instances outlining the word righteousness including; Abraham had faith and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Gen 15:6), those who give to the poor; their righteousness endures forever (Psalm 112:9), blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled (Mat 5:6), God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21), for in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed; a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith” (Rom 1:17) etc. Righteousness can simply be defined as having faith in God. Since our citizenship is in heaven, we should rely on the righteousness of God through faith and work so that we may function effectively to accomplish what we have been called to; for the glory of His name. Like Paul was content in lack and during plenty but had firm faith in God, we should also learn how to be content in all situations seeking God’s perfect will for our lives. As God’s children, we should not be anxious about anything but in everything through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving make our requests known to Him. Further, submit our burdens and cares unto God having faith that He will accomplish all things for the glory of His name.
PRAYER
Holy Spirit we need You everyday and at every moment of our lives. Thank You for this far that You have brought us and the far that You taking us, take complete control of our lives. Search us and know our hearts, test us and know our anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in us and lead us in the way everlasting. We are nothing without You Lord, fill our hearts with Your righteousness as we seek first Your kingdom. Help us to be content during lack and when we have plenty, all our trust is in You. We cast all our burdens and cares unto You Jesus, for You care for us, lead us in our walk of faith. Nothing is hard for You Lord, settle our hearts and minds in Your perfect peace. May Your grace, righteousness, peace and joy overtake us and our descendants, all the days of our lives. Amen
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
INSIGHT
-Worldly pleasures have a way of creating a facade before our eyes and blind us from true righteousness and holiness. Contentedly, one may sacrifice the great and glorious hope of eternal glory with the Father, for the sake of the pleasures of sin which are short lived. All sins including: – fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy, stealing, covering, drunkenness, revelry and extortion have no place in the kingdom of God. God calls us to flee from the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim 2:22). Since we are the righteousness of God through sanctification and justification by the blood of Jesus and the gift of salvation, God calls us to be holy for He Himself is holy. Through holiness, we demonstrates kingdom living as it was God’s intention before Adam sinned. The kingdom principles which are in heaven should be reflected here on earth, in our lives, work places, businesses, schools, homes, relationships, marriages, families, institutions and in the entire world. Although sometimes we miss the mark and go astray, God is merciful and calls us to repentance which causes transformation and grown in our Christian lives through the help of the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12).
PRAYER
Lord You are holy and Your holiness is everlasting, Father You are righteous and Your righteousness endures to all generations, Holy Spirit You are loving and Your love is eternal. With sincere humility we come at You feet Jesus asking for Your mercy and grace. Be merciful unto us and cleanse us from all sin with Your precious blood. Holy Spirit our Helper, help us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling as You have called us. Strengthen us with Your wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of You, so that our lives may be a true reflection of Your love. We humbly ask You to transform our lives and that of many among us who are lost to worldly pleasures. May Your salvation reach all our homes, workplaces, schools, institutions, churches, nation and the entire world; because of this reason You came Jesus. Restore unto us the joy of Your salvation Holy Spirit and teach us to always do Your will, we humbly pray. Amen
Luke 17:20-21
“Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
INSIGHT
-God has set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Ecc 3:11). The kingdom of God is in our hearts and we need to find it; through the help of the Holy Spirit. God has put His Spirit within us Who helps us to walk in His statutes and you be careful to observe His ordinances. Though from the same heart arises issues of life, we are called to guard it with with all diligence. Through His everlasting love, God chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight that we may also live in love. For a good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; and out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). We are called to live the kingdom life through our words and deeds, and produce good fruits through the help of the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER
Holy Spirit kindly our hearts with the fire of Your love, we humbly pray. Reveal to us the deep things of God that You have set in our hearts. Set us apart that we may live by Your statutes and according to Your divine wisdom that no darkness may be found in us. Your word is a strong tower in our lives and a pillar of salvation, direct us and our nation in all things. Through the light of Your Spirit Lord; instruct our hearts in love that we may abide in You as You are in us. Heal our land Father from every evil and shine Your face upon us that we may be saved. Help us Lord to produce good fruits that only reflect Your kingdom principles now and forever. 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 forevermore. Amen
Luke 13:18-19
“Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus told the parable of the mustered seed shows us the importance of having faith in Him. Sometimes we may have very little faith the size of a mustered, but that is what God used to works wonders in our lives. We are told that without faith we cannot please God. We may seem so small in our areas of operation but when we put our trust in God, He widens our spectrum. David was forgotten and judged as not fit to become king. He was considered the least among his brothers and was often left for fend for his fathers flock. God used him mightily and he destroyed Goliath the Philistine giant warrior. Later he became one of the greatest kings Israel has ever had in history, and the Lord gave the people rest during his, and his son’s reign. We know that the first shall become last and the last shall be first. Like the mustered seed which seem like the smallest in size, God magnifies it to a massive tree. Albert Einstein as a young man tried to enroll as a student in some of the major universities but was rejected. He went on to apply as a lecturer to further his career but he was disregarded. Later, he became one of the greatest scientist in history, unveiling certain truths that are still being used developed to create future innovations. He formulated the most popular physics equation E=MC^2 and won a Nobel price for it. Like David and Albert, sometimes we face rejection and disappointment in life and we feel discouraged and perturbed. The kingdom of God requires us to have faith and to shun away fear. With the same faith creation is waiting eagerly for the revelation of sons, so that the birds may find a place to build their nests; on the mustered tree. God reminds us to put our trust in Him and He makes us great men and women in the world. When we walk with God, we have unlimited potential of growth and divine establishment, for with Him nothing is impossible. God loves us and knows who He created us to become. He calls us to have faith in Him and believe in our potential, and He will elevate us beyond our imagination.
PRAYER
Your heart Abba Father is perfect and beats for the good of us Your children. Thank You for loving us Jehovah. Remember us Father in our different situations and see us through victoriously for victory belongs to You Lord. We are more than conquerors in You Jesus, strengthen us to bring transformation and change all over the world. You created the heavens and the earth and all that is in it, reveal to us Your deep things Holy Spirit. Increase our faith in You Lord and grant us wisdom to see the universe like You do. Open the eyes of our hearts that we may see You and believe that all things are possible with You. Our lives belong to You, use us Holy Spirit to make a difference in the world. All glory, honor, power, praise, wealth and wisdom belongs to You Lord, now and forever. Amen
Matthew 6:9-13
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father 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 debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus taught us how to pray this powerful prayer that touches on all aspects of life. Through the prayer, we see that it is imperative for the kingdom of God to come on earth as it is in heaven, where Jesus is the head. As we know, the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. God demonstrated this concept of His kingdom during the time of Noah when the people were wicked and He was displeased. Since Noah sort the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, he obtained favor before God and was saved. God’s priority was and still is to bring sanity back to the earth since the fall of man and Noah became a righteous heir; which is according to faith (Hebrews 11:7). After the flood, Noah and his family experience the peace and joy of God which is an encounter each one of us should have. All of us who believe in Jesus Christ have been given righteousness through faith in Him (Romans 3:22). Jesus requires us to hear His word and follow His will for whoever does not hear, does not belong to Him (John 8:47). This He demonstrated when He went to the temple and found vendors trading outside. Jesus whipped them saying that; “My temple shall be called a place of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves” (Mat 21:13). The whipping was part of correction, that we may focus on prayer and hearing His word, and not on the cares of this world, for the word and the world always have conflicting interests. Jesus demonstrates that we should seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and not many other destructive things that are not of His kingdom. Jesus calls us to hear His word, pray always and follow His will through true righteousness that only comes from Him; when we believe.
PRAYER
Lord You are the King of kings and Lord of lords, our Savior and Father, we thank You and give You all the praise. There is no other God but You, all righteousness and salvation belongs to You. We humbly ask You Jesus to forgive us all our sins and sanctify us with Your precious blood. Be with all our children as they go back to school, protect them dear Lord and guide them in their studies. Lord You are God of all, may Your grace be upon all our street children that You may get them out of the street through Your righteous hand. Have mercy Lord on all those who are sick for by Your stripes we have been healed. Be with us Lord in our unique capacities and answer our prayers and hearts desires, for only in You we put our trust. Help us to hear Your word Jesus and keep it deep in our hearts that we never depart from it. Our Father 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
Luke 4:42-43
“Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus revealed the purpose for which He came, to preach the kingdom of God. Previously, Jesus revealed that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and aided His mission to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, preach liberty to those who are oppressed and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Lk 4:18-19). These sayings concern His kingdom mission. Apostle Paul also preached the kingdom of God and taught the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence (Acts 28:31). As disciples of Christ, we are called in our individual capacities to preach the kingdom of God to the whole world, through the help of the Holy Spirit. God work’s in us and through us in many ways. Some of us have been entrusted to mentor the youth, to help the widows and orphans, to empower the street children, to visit the sick and prisoners, to help the elderly, to fight corruption and all forms of evil, to always share and love one another, to do our duties as priests and kings on earth and preach the kingdom message to the whole world.
PRAYER
Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. He will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves. God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. We are more than conquerors in You Jesus. No weapon fashioned against us nor any voice raised against us shall prevail Lord. Give us the confidence and wisdom to preach Your kingdom message like Paul Your servant did. Grant us the grace to always be wiling to serve Your people and not to be served Father. May Your always increase as we decrease dear Jesus. Grant us the humility to do Your holy will and to dwell in Your presence. Only in You Lord do we live, move and have our being. We thank You in all things Holy Spirit. Amen
1 Corinthians 4:20-21
“For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?”
INSIGHT
-Symbolism has been used to describe a two part scenario, one of judgment and other of love and compassion. From the parable of the prodigal son, we find the younger son who took his inheritance and went to a far away country and wasted his possessions in wild living. When there was great famine, he suffered want and went to work in a pig farm where he ate their pods. When he came to his senses, he resorted to go back home and reconcile with his father. He said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry (Luke 15:21-24). When the prodigal son expected judgment and punishment, his father offered him love and mercy. His elder brothers on the other hand was jealous of him and instead of offering love; his heart was filled with hate. We are reminded that the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love (Psalm 145:8). We are called return to the Father with repentant hearts and He will surely grant us mercy. If the prodigal son was received with love and compassion, we too will receive the same kind of royal welcome, for we are God’s children and will dwell in His kingdom forever. Though his elder brother was jealous of him, we are reminded to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful. Further, that there is power in forgiveness and when we forgive others our Father in heaven forgives our trespasses too.
PRAYER
Lord our God You are merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgive us our iniquities, transgression and sin and do not remember them any more. Lord You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Create in us clean hearts Lord and renew a steadfast spirit within us. Do not cast us away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from us. Restore unto us the joy of our salvation and uphold us by Your generous Spirit. Give us the grace Lord to forgive those who offend us dear Jesus and cover us with Your precious blood. With the merciful show Yourself merciful unto Lord, with kindness show Yourself generously Father, with grace reveal Yourself gracious to us Jesus. We sincerely appreciate You Abba Father for this far that You have brought us. All glory, honor, power, grace, strength and salvation belongs to You Lord, now and forever. Amen
Mark 4:26-29
“And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus outlined the parable of the growing seed to explain His kingdom. He describes how it is a mystery to us how a seed grows into a mature plant without our full consciousness. It is also a mystery how such growth cannot be fully controlled by anyone but God alone. In the same ways, God tells us not to worry about anything for before we ask, He already knows what we need. God created all things and we were not involved in the creation process. God provides for all our needs and calls us to put our trust in Him. The kingdom of God dictates that we should not worry about anything but in everything give thanks to Him, for this is His will through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth. The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if you listen to His voice harden not your hearts, as in rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness. Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. We cast all our burdens and cares unto You Jesus; for You care for us. Thank You for protecting us, clothing us with us peace, filling us hearts with joy and love, sustaining us and providing for us all our needs. Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. Amen
John 3:5-8
“Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
INSIGHT
-When we are born of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts and witnesses that we are children of God. Baptism with water and believing in Jesus precedes these graces. When Peter was sent to Cornelius the Italian Regiment, he baptized his entire household and they received the Holy Spirit, and spoke in tongues. As children of God we belong to His kingdom and are led by the Spirit Who dwells in our spirits.
SUMMARY
The kingdom of God is of prime importance to each one of us. Jesus taught us to pray that the kingdom of God should come on earth as it is in heaven. Each one of us having been known before the we were formed in our mothers wombs and our purposes predestined by God. We are called to advance the kingdom agenda as each one is called. To seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all other things will be added unto us. Noah was a just man in his time and he received a righteous judgement before God. He was divinely warned of things not yet seen and moved with godly fear by preparing an ark for the saving of his household. As the world was condemned, he became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith (Heb 11:7). This is the same faith that each one is called to hold fast in the Lord as we pray always and do what God wills. And in the same hope of salvation that Noah had, we too will be raised up from corruption to in-corruption at the last trumpet and we shall be changed (1 Cor 15:50-52). We are then called to walk in righteousness and flee from the devil and he will flee from us. Through the right standing in the word of God, we are able to win over all the snares of the evil one; through Christ Who gives us strength. As kingdom citizens, God knows what we need before we ask and therefore we should not worry about what to eat, drink or wear, or be anxious about anything, but focus on the will of God. As disciples of God we are reminded to spread the gospel of Christ having been given power and authority over snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy. As ambassadors of Christ, we are His representatives here on earth and should reflect His image and likeness and we will always obtain victory over all things. As kings and priests to God, we are reminded that we should rule on the earth having been given dominion over fish, birds, cattle, over all the earth and every creeping thing on the earth (Genesis 1:26). When we walk with God, we have unlimited potential of growth and divine establishment, for with Him nothing is impossible. Christ redeemed us from the power of sin causing death and gave us another Helper just like Him so that we may operate in the same power He operates in, for the kingdom of God is in us. When we are baptized and believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes into us and He leads us in all things as His children. As God’s children, we are also reminded to walk in love and forgive those who offend us from deep in our hearts, as blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. With the same mercy, we are called to help and support all those who are sick, suffering, oppressed, neglected and those who need us most as share true love. Jesus said that, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mat 19:24). When we reflect on the story of Lazarus and the rich man, we find that the rich man was not concerned about the affairs of Lazarus, and when he died he went to hell while Lazarus went to heaven. As kingdom citizens, we should store us our treasures in heaven and focus on the things above, as we advance the kingdom agenda; as each one is called.
PRAYER
Abba Father we thank You for loving us. We appreciate You for Your unending mercy and grace upon our lives. We worship You for the gift of life and the far that You have brought us. We bless Your name for the gift of salvation that You have given us and our descendants. May Your salvation Lord reach all those who do not know You. Receive all the glory, praise, and honor for You are good and Your mercies endures forever. We did not choose You Lord but You chose us, thank You Jesus. Thank You for making us Your children and kingdom citizens. Have mercy on us, our families and on our nation Father. You have said in You word that, a man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven, thank You for giving us all things. Lead us holy Spirit always according to Your will. We belong to You Jesus, thank You for loving us. All thanksgiving, honor, blessings, power and praise belong to You Jesus, now and forever. Amen