Genesis 12:2 -3 NIV
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
INSIGHT
-Great in Hebrew is written as gadol and megas in Greek which means vast, massive, powerful, and excellent. The Jews boasted of having Abram as their father. Even though the Lord changed his name to Abraham so as to make him the father of many nations and establish an eternal covenant with him. He made his name great although Abraham had not yet received the promise of a son. Abraham did not loose hope in the Lord, and did not consider his old age or the barrenness of his wife Sarah as deadness of her womb, but had strong faith in the Lord and gave glory to God (Romans 4:19-20). The Lord made Abraham into a great nation and sealed his promise through circumcision. Even though the promise to settle the Israelites into the promised land was not instantly executed, they had to suffer a while in the hands of their Egyptian masters, and the Lord declared a punished against the oppressors (Acts 7:5-7). This promise has literally, historically, and verifiably come true. The blessing of Abraham was not only with temporal, but principally with spiritual ones, since Abram in person had no share of the land of Canaan; even with the adoption of children and friendship with God. Abraham received the promise of a son Isaac, who was the father of Jacob and in turn the father of the twelve patriarchs who were also called to faith. The faith of Abraham was justified by the imputed righteousness of Christ. This blessedness came upon him when uncircumcised; with a large measure of faith and thus resulted to circumcision of the heart for those who believe in Jesus Christ. We are then great and possess the blessing of Abraham through faith and have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and increase in faith until we will be brought to perfection, eternal glory and joy with Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Lord You are Great and Mighty is Your name. There is none like You Jesus. Lord You are Great and greatly to be praised. You are to be feared above all gods. You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, our everlasting King. Thank You for You are Great in our lives, families, businesses, economy, leadership and our nation. None can compare to You. Thank You for this far that You have brought us and for enabling us to start a new week in good health. May You remember all those who are sick in hospitals and at home, that You may heal them and deliver them from their pain and distress. May You remember us with mercy that You may heal our hearts and forgive us all our trespasses. May You remember the promise that You have made unto us and our descendants through our father Abraham that You may bless us and make us great for the glory and honor of Your name. May You grant the gift of salvation unto us and all our descendants dear Jesus. May You bless all the candidates who are waiting to do their exams that You may grant them good success. May You grant us peace and security in our nation and all the nations of the world. May You cover us with Your precious blood and hedge of fire that nothing harmful may come near us. We thank You Jesus for the blessings and grace that You have given us from everlasting to everlasting. We thank You for Your love and favor that transcends to all generations. We exult Your name Jesus and praise You now and forever. Amen.
Further reading: John 8:33-36, Galatians 3:29
1 Chronicles 17:16-19 NIV
“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, Lord God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men. “What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant, Lord. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.”
INSIGHT
-King David found favor in the eyes of the Lord and narrated the prayer above. He acknowledged that God’s everlasting promise was upon him and his household. 1 Chronicles 17:27 reveals the conclusion of David’s prayer saying, “Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.” The Lord established an everlasting covenant with David, the great grandfather of Jesus. David reigned forty years over Israel, seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem, and Solomon sat on the throne of his father, and his rule was firmly established (1 Kings 2:11-12). David doubled us as both a king and a priest, and when he ate the consecrated bread during the conquest by king Saul, he did not die (1 Samuel 21:6). The Lord has given us the same promise through His Son Jesus Christ, that we are kings and priests to Him and we reign on earth (Revelation 5:10).
PRAYER
Lord You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. We appreciate You Jehovah Jireh for You have crowned the year with victory and prosperity. You have given us peace and have watered our land. We bless Your name Jehovah for the victory that You gave us on the cross, for You have made us kings and priests to You, and we shall reign on earth. Thank You for Your blood that speaks better things than that of Abel dear Jesus. Thank You Jesus for You are the One who fights our battles. When we are weak then we are strong for You are with us, our Strength and Salvation. May You make a way even where there seems to be no way. May You establish us in Your righteousness and truth dear Jesus. May You bless our children as they do their exams and teach them Your ways. May You bless us and expand our territories. We exult Your name for Your goodness and mercy that transcends to all generations. 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: Revelation 1:5-6, Isaiah 62:3
James 5:17-18 NKJV
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”
INSIGHT
-James emphasizes on the power of prayer and operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. He exposes the effectual nature of the fervent prayer of a righteous man which avails much. Also that power and greatness is not limited to a certain few, such as apostles and prophets. He compares prophet Elijah to believers who possess power lying within and is made evident through the help of the Holy Spirit. Elijah prophesied and went to mount Carmel and prayed, and the drought came to an end (1 Kings 17:1, 18:41-46), and again fire came down from heaven (1 Kings 18:38). We are the body of Christ and each one of us is a part of it. Some among us have relied on the power of medicine and forgotten the power of the Holy Spirit. Some among us have over-relied on other powers and forgotten our powerful Savior. We are called to pray and exercise the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given us and all glory will go back to God.
PRAYER
We thank You Jesus for You are great and greatly to be praise. You are adored and exulted above all the nations and all people. You are magnified Jehovah in all the nations of the world. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus You are Lord to the glory of God the Father. We thank You Jesus for You have shown us great love, and when we were still sinners, You died for us. When the blood of goats and calves could not redeem us, You blood dear Jesus gave us an eternal redemption. We praise Your name for giving us the gift of salvation and eternal life, that we now have the sure hope of eternal life. Thank You for You have never left us orphaned but have given us the Holy Spirit. May You fill us with Your gifts precious Holy Spirit and help us to exercise them powerfully like Elijah did, for the glory and honor of Your name. We pray for all those who are sick that You may heal them and deliver them from pain and suffering. We pray for all the street children and the homeless that You may provide for all their needs and transform their lives. We pray that You will respond to all our prayers and hearts desires Holy Spirit. May You use us mightily for the glory and honor of Your name. 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: 1 Corinthians 12:27-28
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 NKJV
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”
INSIGHT
-The first part of this chapter reveals the advantages of obedience to God’s word which causes blessings to overflow upon those who are faithful, leading to greatness. The later section explains the curses that result from disobedience which is deemed as idolatry (Colossians 3:5). This is a covenantal treaty that acts a natural law and the consequences are clear to those who are either faithful or unfaithful. Daniel demonstrated total obedience to God’s word and he did not defile himself given the kings wine or delicacies. The results were clear as he appeared fatter and healthier than the young men who indulged themselves into the kings delicacies (Daniel 1:8-16). Daniel was honored as his excellence and integrity were unmatched. It is vital us to posses the above blessings if we diligently follow the statutes of the Lord which led to abundance of life, favor and grace.
PRAYER
Oh Heavenly Father, we come before your throne of grace and mercy with boldness that we may obtain Your grace to help us in times of need. What a pleasure it is to be in Your presence Oh Lord our God. In Your presence there is fullness of joy. In Your presence there is fullness of peace. In Your presence we fullness wholeness. We love You Lord and praise Your holy name. Thank You for Your saving grace upon us and our entire generations. May You show us Your ways and purify us with Your precious blood. May You teach us to do Your will with unwavering hearts. May You transform our minds and our hearts desires to be like Yours dear Jesus. May Your prosper all our plans and answer our hearts desires. 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: 1 Samuel 15:23, Colossians 3:5
Ephesians 2:5-7
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
INSIGHT
-As believers we share in Christs’ resurrection, ascension, and in His present rule at the right hand of God. From this place of partnership, He grants that we share in the present work of His kingdom’s power. Colossians 1:13-14 reminds us that God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in Whom we have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins. We therefore, rejoice in His power and dominion in which we share as His children, and partake of His enduring grace and mercy.
SUMMARY
The Lord promised Abram to make him the father of a great nation, to bless him, to make his name great, to bless him and all the people of the earth have been blessed through him (Genesis 12:2 -3). Abraham had not yet received the promise of a son but he put his hope and faith in the Lord. It is by faith that he obeyed the instructions of the Lord to go into a foreign land; Canaan, and receive his blessing. He also obeyed an instruction that seemed difficult, as he went to mount Moriah to sacrifice his only son Isaac. It is through this faith in the Lord that we are Abrahams seed and possess the promise of his blessing. The key to such greatness is obedience as we sight in Deuteronomy 28. The Lord has promised to bless you in the city and in the country. To bless the fruit of your womb, the produce of your land and offspring of your livestock. To bless you when you come in and when you go out. To cause your enemies who rise up against us to be defeated before us. To bless your barns and everything you put your hands to do. To bless you in the land the Lord is giving you. To establish you as His holy people, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep His commandments and walk in His ways. To make you prosper abundantly in the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. The Lord will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. The Lord will enable you to lend to many nations, but borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail; to only move upward and never downward. This is possible since God has made us alive when we were dead to trespasses and sins, in which we once walked according to the course of this world, and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved. God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:2-7). We then posses the power of the Holy Spirit within us, if we believe in Christ and the power of His resurrection, and are able to do great works for the glory of His name. We are then more than conquerors in Christ Jesus, and celebrate His most precious gift of salvation.
PRAYER
I lift up my eyes towards the hills. Where does my help come. My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; Your Protector will not slumber. Lord You are the Maker of the heavens and the earth, we praise praise You and honor You our Lord and Savior. You are our Maker and our Protector, we rely on Your grace dear Jesus. Lord You are the Maker of our businesses and our jobs, we know that You are expanding our territories and blessing the work of our hands. You are the Maker of our families, we know that You are making a way where there seems to be no way and blessing the fruit of our womb. Lord You are the Maker of our nation, we believe that You are making us great, and giving us Your salvation. Lord we know that You are blessing us according to Your word in Deuteronomy 28 and establishing Your promises in our lives. We worship You Lord and praise Your holy name. 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: John 3:16, Matthew 28:18-20