HOZ

December 17, 2021

Day 19: Dressed And Ready For My Spouse

HOZ

December 17, 2021

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

— Luke 12: 35 - 40

A dressing is a covering and we are asked to DRESS up, be READY for SERVICE and KEEP the LAMPS BURNING. Dressing up here refers to the covering by the word and his presence. Be ready for service means after dressing up, it is time to go to the banquet and serve where God has called you. You cannot be dressed up and remain in the closet, and you cannot go to serve without being dressed up. You must keep your lamps burning-which means, there must be oil in the lamp (Don’t be like the 5 foolish virgins in Matthew 25). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105. The oil is the outpour of the Holy Spirit. The grace and the flow of the anointing and the Lamp is the word of God; that light that shows us the way we should go. The bible talks about studying the Word in 2 Timothy 2:15 “Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth”. This means one must create time to dress up (stay in the word/presence) and be ready. We cannot be tardy because we can miss out on our time of visitation. You cannot be waiting.

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8. Trust is a huge issue among human beings. However, people are more likely to trust created things than the creator-God. When we put our money in the bank, we trust that nothing will happen to it. We buy cars and trust that they will drive us to our destination. We live in homes and trust that they will protect us from natural disasters. However, to trust our existence in the hand of God is by faith and only a few are able to trust God to the very end. Jeremiah 17-8 states there is a blessing for anyone who has put his/her trust and confidence in God. This is a good incentive. Trust God and be blessed, and that blessing is further explained in Verse 8 - a tree planted by the water, sends its root into the stream-Meaning one is planted in the Word, in God, the vine who provides CONTINUOUS NOURISHMENT. Such a person does not care what seasons they are in, because his/her roots are deep in the place of nourishment. No fear of bad weather, always bearing fruits because their fruit bearing ability is not related to the weather but to the place where it is planted.

As singles, you must trust God at every stage of life, and be ready at all times, as you never know when your spouse will appear in front of you. As hard as it may be looking at the reality that you are not married, having confidence in God is the best place to be, as there is no other option.

Prayer Points

Ask for forgiveness from any iniquities and sin in your life and family: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
Ask for the grace to trust and have confidence in God and his Word: "But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8
Pray that the Word of God will shine in your path so that you will be able to see every step you are taking as you look for the right partner: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Paslm 119:105.
Ask the Lord to take away anything that prevents your ability to dress up, be ready, and keep your lamps burning: “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.” Luke 12: 35-36
Pray that you will not fail in studying the Word and presenting yourself approved: “Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
Pray that at every time you are dressed up it will be in purity and righteousness before your God: “Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.” Romans 6:13
If you are a woman waiting for your husband, pray that as a helper, your husband must locate you in the right season. If you are a man waiting for your helper, pray that God will connect you to your helper in due season for it is not good that you remain alone: “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18
Pray for the readiness as a wife and to be available in the right place at the right time for your husband to find you as a good thing prepared by the Lord: “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.” Proverbs 18:22
It can be so tempting to be in the world and deal with different people daily who have no integrity for the things of God. Ask God for the grace to stay in his Word and allow the Word to renew your mind daily: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
Ask the Lord for the grace not to invest any love in the world but to love God with everything within you: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
Pray for the grace to remain pure and not engage in any form of premarital sex: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Hebrews 13:4
Stand on this word to declare fire, thunder and the wrath of God upon any household wickedness standing against your ability to get married: “ For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.” Micah 7:6
Stand on the Word of God and release fire upon any activities of the enemy in the spiritual standing against your ability to get married: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

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HOZ

December 16, 2021

Day 18: Rebuilding The Broken Walls Of The Prayer Altar

HOZ

December 16, 2021

“So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.”

— Genesis 26:25

“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be[b] great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.”

— Malachi 1:10-14

“Then you will come and pray to me, and I will listen”

— Jeremiah 29:12

According to Genesis 26:25 (quoted above), an altar is a place where the name of the Lord is called. We call God’s name during our communication with him. The method of communication is through prayer, which represents one of the most effective ways that God has given to man to communicate with him.

The altar is the place of revelation, where God reveals himself, as such assisting us in our relationship with him. “He built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled from his brother.” Genesis 35:7

As intercessors, we want to see the move of God in our lives, families, communities, churches, and nations. This comes with a price we must pay. What kind of aroma is produced from your altar? The aroma at Abraham’s altar moved God to make a declaration that we are benefiting from today. “The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.” Genesis 8:21

The altar is the place where you come in obedience and offer your Issac; giving your best to the Lord. Abraham was blessed by the Lord and the same God asked him for Isaac, and he offered him without questions. What has God asked you to let go at the altar? Your breakthrough may be on hold because you have not yet surrendered your Isacc. God blessed Abraham and multiplied the blessing.“ When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.” Genesis 22:9

To rebuild any altar that will attract the presence of God and open his ears to our prayers, we must bring down the altars of Baal, whether from our families or ourselves. These Baal altars may include anything that does not align with the spirit of God that we have been living with for a while, yet we go before God every day, examples: unfaithfulness, gossip, chatting, worshiping things that do not bring God glory, etc. “Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it” Judges 6:25

Also, in rebuilding the altar, we must let go of any unforgiveness; as this can hold us captive and prevent our communication with God: “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” Matthew 5:23-24

According to Malachi 1:10-14 (Stated above), we cannot bring blemished sacrifices when we come to God in the place of prayer, as noted in Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship,” we must be alive through Christ(Colossians 2:13) and come in Holiness (1 Peter 1:16). “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” 2 Chronicle:16: 9

To maintain the altar, we must know the source of our living and understand that without that we cannot survive. We must choose to stay connected to the source.“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5

God is not a man and we do not see or feel him like we do human beings, therefore, our relationship with him has to be spiritual, so we come to the altar through the Holy Spirit and by faith. Therefore to rebuild the altar, we must renew our relationship with the Holy Spirit as well as our faith in God. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

God makes the provision available when an altar is built with the right materials and right attitude as stated above. In Genesis 22 Abraham and God are having communication about an altar and we see that in the end, both parties kept their promise, although Abraham was really blessed. Abraham had come to that place in his life where his faith was not shaken by anything. “ The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 22:15-18