Day 12: A heart of Thanksgiving

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”
— Psalm 9:1

Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We have to always have an attitude of thanksgiving every time irrespective of our circumstances. We have been fasting and praying for the past 11 days.

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

Thank God for being our strength and shield during this season of prayer and fasting.

1 Corinthians 1:4 “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.”

Thank God for his grace given to us during this season.

2 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.”

Thank God because in Christ, our journey is victorious in every aspect.

Hebrew 12:28 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.”

Thank God for revealing his unshakable kingdom to us as well as granting us access into his throne room.

Daniel 2:23 “To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

Thank God that during this time he granted us access to his wisdom, knowledge of understanding of his word.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.”

Thank God that our faith-knowledge of Christ is growing daily as we spend time in his presence.

Zephaniah 3:7 “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

Thank the Lord for being in our mist during this season.

Psalm 31:19 “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”

Thank God for his goodness, faithfulness and Love poured on us during this season.

Exodus 33:14 “And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Thank God that his presence is going with us to the retreat.

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

Thank God for sending the Holy Spirit to teach us all we need to know at the retreat.

Deuteronomy 9:3 “But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.”

Thank God for going ahead of our retreat as a consuming fire, destroying and subduing all forms of hindrance both physically and spiritually.

1 John 5:14-15 “14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

Thank God for building our confidence level to approach his throne while knowing that he heard us and has answered all our prayer needs.

Day 11: Securing and Contending Our Faith

“3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
— Jude 1:3-4

In this modern day as well as when Jude wrote this letter, the Gospel, our faith in Christ- the very foundation of our believe is under attack by falsehood. Jude is asking us to contend for this faith.

You ask what does contend mean??

Answer: Fight, wrestle. Strong up for the truth, defend it.

Mathew 11:12 “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.” You cannot fight for what you don’t understand.

Pray for the grace to content this faith. We must take it by force.

1 Timothy 6: 12-15 “12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”

We fight by walking in the righteousness of God in Christ, living a life of holiness because he is holy, Walking in truth because he is truth. It is putting our faith in the completed work, allowing Jesus the radiance of God’s glory to shine within and through us so that the dark world may see and come out of darkness. Pray for the zeal of God to consume his church so that we will embrace the totality of the gospel- Christ in us the hope of glory.

Isaiah 49:25  “For thus says the LORD: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.”

Pray that God will arise and contend for all those who have been taken captives by false hold, false prophets, and false teachers etc.

Psalm 35:1-3 “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help! Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers! Say to my soul, “I am your salvation!”

Pray that the mighty man of war will arise with his weapons of war against these false pursuers in Jesus mighty name.

2 Peter 2:1 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.”

We can only fight these false prophets with truth. The Bible says in John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Pray that the church will arise in prayer and the word of God. John 17:17 “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

Pray that the Spirit of God will locate and expose false prophets in our communities and show them mercy for repentance and if they do no repentance, they should be expelled them out of our cities.

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Pray that our cities will occupied with people filled with the word of God so that everyone is able to teach and admonish each other with spiritual wisdom and knowledge, as well as singing songs and hymns that brings encouragement and enrichment in the hearts of people. This will strengthen the faith and beliefs, as well as prevent people from falling as preys to falsehood.

1 Corinthians 9:25-26

1 Corinthians 9:25-26 “25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.”

Paul understood what he had to go through to make himself a certain spiritual man. What about us?The demands of God is unique to each one. There is a price that each one has to pay. Paul knew he was in a race, therefore he set a goal to fight and to get to his destination.? Pray that the church will put on this attitude of Paul. Some believers are never serious. Pray that the spirit of the Lord will help his church.

Matthew 13:25-30 “25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

There is no part of the Bible talking about the devil sleeping, taking time off, short breaks, naps etc. Pray that the spirit of God will strengthen the church at the altar of prayer and the word. These are part of the tools to in fighting falsehood- 2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” The Lord also has an appointed time for these falsehood. Ask God to take control.

Hebrews 1:1-4 “ 1 Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways.2 In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4 So He became higher in rank than the angels, just as the name He inherited is superior to theirs.” This is the Bible; revealing God and his plan for salvation for the fallen man through Christ.

Jesus- the way is the only one chosen by God- Pray that the church must embrace and teach these truth to protect it from foxes, vultures, etc

“1  awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion;
put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.”
— Isaiah 52:1


Pray that the church will wake up from slumber, sluggishness, fainting ( men aught to pray and not faint) etc and receive strength from the Lord to stand against all these wickedness. The Lord says there shall be no more of such evil among us.

Amos 5:21-23 “21 “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. 22  Even though you bring me burnt offeringsand grain offerings, I will not accept them.Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.”

God hates the opening of all these religious activities called worship; worldly music has been added to church music- some have mimic worldly songs or use the rhythms to create worship songs- so to speak -to attract the youth to church- that is called compromise and there is no room for such foolishness in God’s word. There is only one standard and way- Jesus Christ- revealed in the word. Pray that the eyes of the church will be open. That is how the church opened its door to the devil’s agenda.

Thank the Lord for answers to prayers.

Day 10: Praying for Leaders and the Nations

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
— 2 Chronicles 7:14
  1. My people here refers to believers. So it’s required that we pray.

    Pray that the church will humble themselves before God.

  2. Pray that the church will seek God

  3. Pray that the church will ask for mercy and will turn from wickedness so that God may hear us and heal the land.

  4. Ezekiel 22:30 “And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.”

    Pray that God will locate you and put his burden for the nations and leaders in your heart. Tell God that you have answered the call to intercede for the nations. Ask him for the grace to continue to stand.

  5. 1 Timothy 2:1-3 “1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior.”

    It’s the expectation for believers to intercede for those in authority. Answered prayers lead to peace, quietness, and holiness in our communities. God gets all the glory and we are blessed. Let’s pray & Ask God for the grace to intercede.

  6. Psalm 28:2 “Hear my cry for mercy when I call to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

    Pray that God will show Mercy over the nations and leaders both government and spiritual leaders.

  7. Proverbs 21:1 “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

    Pray that God will turn the hearts of leaders towards his will for the nations.

  8. Daniel 2:21 “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”

    Pray that the Spirit of the Lord will go through the nations in his time and displace leaders who need to go and equip new leaders with wisdom and knowledge to serve the people.

  9. Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

    There is so much disrespect for leaders in the church and circular world. Pray that people will come to the realization of God’s word.

  10. proverbs 28:2 “When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order."

    Pray for the spirit of knowledge, discernment, and understanding upon the leaders so that they can maintain order in the nations.

  11. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

    Pray that we all the people of God to reach repentance speedily so that we can also see the fullness of God’s promise fulfilled in our lives speedily.

  12. Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

    Although we cannot really say it, many of these leaders are not believers and thus possess a huge challenge to God’s purposes. Pray for the salvation of these leaders.

  13. Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!”

  14. Isaiah 60:12 “For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish; those nations shall be utterly laid waste.”

    Can you just imagine if leaders of nations were surrendered unto to God? God really knows how to bless his people if only they will allow him to be their God. Pray that the Lord will have mercy over the nations. Pray that he will raise prophetic intercessors who will hear his voice and war in the spirit for the deliverance of these nations.

  15. Micah 4:3 “He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

    With so many problems and wars going in the nations, one will begin to wonder when and if at all this Micah 4:3 is possible. Our God is a God of impossibilities. Pray that his word for the nations comes to pass.

  16. Revelation 7:9 “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”

    Pray for the deliverance and salvation of the nations because one day we are all expected to stand before the mighty God and worship with one voice. How God will do it we may not know, but his word cannot lie.

  17. Mathew 28: 18-19 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

    Psalm 22:27 “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.”

    Isaiah 60:3 “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

    There are so many people in the world who have not heard the gospel. Some right around our homes. Pray that believers will have a desire and a passion for the lost souls in the nations of the earth. Pray for increased evangelism and missionary into the nations.

  18. Thank God for hearing our cry.

Day 9: Go tell that Fox

“31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!”
— Luke 13: 31-33

What is that thing that wants to kill you, your dream, ministry, children, family, destiny, life goals, career etc??? There is a way to resist them by the word of God- “Go tell that fox.” The fox is any form of spiritual or physical distraction standing against your ability to achieve your potentials. Jesus had to address Herod with a very hush word because he was making an attempt to distract him from his heavenly mandate. We have to learn this lesson. Time gone can never be recovered.

Tap into this anointed word and send a message to the foxes- Go tell the foxes that the work of God must be completed in our lives, ministries and the church etc in the name of Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing it our eyes on Jesus,the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

What are those little things in your life that hinders and the sin that entangles? Ask God to open your eyes. Ask for the grace to focus on Jesus and avoid distractions.

Isaiah 6:1 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.”

Ask the fire of God to flow through you and destroy every personality of king Uzziah in your life in the name of Jesus.

Exodus 5:1 “After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.'"

Go tell the all the foxes named Pharaoh in the land; it’s time to let go your life, business, family, ministry, city, community etc. it’s time to worship your God.

Isaiah 37:33-36 “33 “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. 34 By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city,” declares the Lord. 35 “I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!” 36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!”

Go tell the Assyrian fox- he will not hinder the work of God, thus he will not enter our cities, churches, communities, families, children, finances, jobs etc. He will not shot any arrow, he will not build a shield or siege, he will return back in the same way he came for the Lord is defending his work for the sake of his name in Jesus mighty name.

Micah 2:1 “Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.”

Job 24:14 “When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief.”

Proverbs 4:16 “For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.

Go tell the wicked foxes and their wickedness who devise evil plots on their beds against the elect of the Lord and the work of God thinking they have the power to do so. Woe onto them for the judgement of Jehovah God is coming after them.

Esther 5:13-14 “13Yet none of this satisfies me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up. “

Esther 7:9 “Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said: "There is a gallows fifty cubits high at Haman's house. He had it built for Mordecai, who gave the report that saved the king." "Hang him on it!" declared the king.”

Go tell all the foxes named Haman, the same poles they have prepared for you, your families, ministry, the church, God’s work etc they themselves will be buried with their entire generations according to the word of God- whoever digs a pit so shall he be buried into his own pit- Proverbs 26:27.

1 Kings 21:15 “As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.”

2Kings 21:19 “Say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”

2 Kings 10:10 “Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail, for the LORD has done what He promised through His servant Elijah."

2Kings 9: 36-37 “36 Therefore they came back and told him. And he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37 and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as refuse on the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say, “Here lies Jezebel.”

In our communities, churches, families etc there are some many of such selfish and self centered people who use their ranks to go after poor and voiceless people. The Lord knows that all. Go tell the foxes in Ahab’s household, tell the Jezebels in the churches, families, work places etc -This is what the Lord says “In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’

Micah 7:2-4 “2 The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains.Everyone lies in wait to shed blood; they hunt each other with nets. 3 Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire— they all conspire together. 4 The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thornhedge. The day God visits you has come, the day your watchmen sound the alarm. Now is the time of your confusion.”

Even among the very elect, wickedness is the order of the day. The love of many is waxing cold. People have sold their soul to the devil and they have to get money, titles, property by anyhow and any means. However, God is watching them. Go tell these wicked foxes who shed innocent blood, steal, lies to get money and property, cheat their way to the top; the day of Judgement of the Lord is at hand. They must perish.

Isaiah 49: 24-26 “24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty,or the lawful captive delivered? 25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. 26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.”

Go tell the foxes who think they have power to hold destinies, children, ministries, churches, the work of God as a prey or kept in captivity. Jesus’s blood is enough. Tell them it’s time to let go for the Lord is contending with all of them. These foxes will feed on their fleshes and they will drink of their own blood declares the word of the Lord in Jesus mighty name.

Thank God for hearing our cry. He is so faithful to fail.