Men Of Faith And Prayer

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Hebrews 11:1-6; 32-24 (KJV)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

“ And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

Prayer Points

·       Father, we thank You for our men of courage arising to work in faith in this daybreak, knowing that faith comes from hearing Your Word.

·       Keep them in the place of meditating upon Your Word.

·       Lord, let Your spirit shed light upon Your Word that they may know the reality and authenticity of Your Word.

·       We thank You for the men of old who have set an example for them to follow.

·       Jesus, You are the author and finisher of faith, help them to look only unto You as You have called them to arise in the assignment of Your kingdom.

·       Lord, let their hearts be more and more calm, quiet, and having a settled assurance, that the Lord will use them to bring increase to the kingdom assignment.

·       Lord, we pray that their faith be strengthened in the midst of trials.

·       Pray that they will be able to take God at His Word and rely upon it.

Proverbs 16:3 (KJV) - “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” 

·       Father, as they commit their works unto the Lord, let their thoughts be established.

·       Let their plans fit into Your perfect will.

·       Help them to walk by faith and not by sight.

Proverbs 3:5,6. (KJV) -  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” 

·       Lord, may they trust solely in You and not their ability. 

Proverbs 11:3 - “The integrity of the upright shall preserve them.”

·       Father, may they be upright in all You have called them to and let them always attribute the glory to God.

1 Corithians16:13 -14 (NLT) –“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”

·       Father, as they carry out the assignment, keep them watchful and on guard.

·       Deliver them from wrong entanglement or whatever mars the truth.

·       Help them to manifest the truth all through their lives.

·       Help them to fight the good fight of faith and to quit as men and be strong, standing steadfast in the faith against false doctrine, trials and persecution.

1 Peter 1:5-7 (NLT) – “And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

 

·       May their faith, when tried prove to be precious than gold.

 

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Men of Courage Arising 1

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NOW THAT THE DAY HAS BROKEN UPON OUR MEN OF COURAGE AND IN THE DAYS OF GOD’S POWER: (Isaiah 60:1-3)

Acts 16:1-40 (TLB)

Verse 6-8  “Next they travelled through Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the Turkish province of Asia Minor at that time. Then going along the borders of Mysia they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus said no. So instead they went on through Mysia province to the city of Troas.”

·       Thank You JESUS for the day that has broken upon our men of courage; that has lifted them up out of every slumber/sleep; that has shaken them out of every fear while they were threshing wheat like Gideon; that has made them to know that, “it is no longer business as usual anymore”; like it dawned on Moses on Mount Horeb; that has brought all their numerous doubtful questions of, “How would…?” “What will become….?” “Who would I say….?” “Why me at this….?” “What if….?” Like Moses to rest upon You; thank You JESUS for making them to know that it is not that they qualify for it, amidst past objections that they are/have raised; thank You JESUS for making them to realise that it is not of their strength, “For by strength shall no man prevail” – 1 Sam 2:9; THANK YOU JESUS!

·        Now LORD, cause our men as they are responding to Your call and are rising to do the will and work which You GOD has called them to, let it be in accordance to the instruction of the Holy Spirit. Help them to embrace what the Spirit accepts and to decline what He rejects. Help them to move inline with the will of GOD and in the way of GOD as they proceed.

·       Let the Spirit of Jesus begin to activate the hearts of our men to be in agreement in their walk and work with Heaven. “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).

·       Help them not to process Your divine command with their human knowledge; as they are on the field, help them to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace – (Eph 4:3). Blot out every spirit of confusion from the midst of our men which is contrary to GOD’s command - spirit of,  “I know it all”; spirit of “over-familiarity”; spirit of “I have been there before you.”

Verse 9-10  “That night Paul had a vision. In his dream he saw a man over in Macedonia, Greece, pleading with him, “Come over here and help us.” Well, that settled it. We would go to Macedonia, for we could only conclude that God was sending us to preach the Good News there.”

GNB – “they decided”      AMP – “confidently inferring that”      MESSAGE – “knew now for sure”      KJV – “assuredly gathering that”

·        Holy Spirit, set at work in the minds of Your disciples as they arise to shine Thy glory. Let them be convinced jointly in unity with You as they proceed unto the fields in these various nations. Help them to process what they see and what they hear to be in tune with You.

·       Enable them to see the spirit of teamwork, not only with each other but along with You, JESUS.

·       Breathe upon them, Holy Spirit, to seek Your face, Your counsel, at every crucial moment on the way. Activate their hearts to know that salvation belongs unto GOD, and that they are only vessels through which Christ wants to be projected.

·       Holy Spirit, speak comfortably into the heart of Your men concerning the needs of the nations, as well as the strategy You GOD has implemented to use inorder to save the souls of men; (see JESUS divine way in Mark 8:22-26 & Mark 10:46-52).

·         Let Your men not miss Thy divine timing in reaching out to save souls and in their place of primary assignment (not to drag behind and not to be too forward). Holy Spirit, order their steps to be at the right place at the right time.

Verse 13-15 “On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank where we understood some people met for prayer; and we taught the Scriptures to some women who came. One of them was Lydia, a saleswoman from Thyatira, a merchant of purple cloth. She was already a worshiper of God and as she listened to us, the LORD opened her heart and she accepted all that Paul was saying. She was baptized along with all her household and asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am faithful to the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we did.”

·       “All Paul did was to open his mouth and with the in-filling of the Holy Spirit, speak the Word of GOD.” “Register it unto the heart of our men, O LORD, that You are the One at work in them, a completed work that awaits Your divine manifestations."

·       “It was the LORD that opened the heart of Lydia, else all Paul was saying as powerful as the message was, could have been wasted.” Let our brethren know that the power of the message has nothing to do with their utterance/eloquence, but see themselves as rods in the hands of CHRIST who sees the heart and showeth mercy unto all men. Therefore let the message be rich in JESUS, deep in JESUS and is joy-producing in JESUS [CHRIST crucified, CHRIST glorified].

·        As You use Paul to impact the complete Gospel to Lydia, inorder to multiply disciples at Thyatira, cause our men of courage to deliver the true Gospel unto soul(s) on the field so that their hearts will be affected and they turn back unto GOD; (Remember how Jesus affected the heart of the Samarian woman, thereby bringing revival into Samaria).

·         “… She was a worshiper of GOD….” Who is a true worshiper? – those who worship GOD in spirit and in truth. Help our men of courage not to be carried away with denominational worshipers with incomplete truth of the Gospel. Let them be determined to go all out for Thy truth to be established in the lives of men/women they come across on the field, O LORD.

·        “Lydia was baptised along with all of her household. She received the visitation of the Comforter in a new way and in a new dimension, even though she was a worshipper of GOD. The visitation of the Holy Spirit did not stop with her alone, but also unto her ‘nation of people’ It was a new dawn for her entire family and the land of Thyatira.” “Therefore cause our men of courage to see from Your perspective, O LORD. Give unto them a copy of Your eyes of revelation – to see beyond the natural to the supernatural.

 

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Men Who Stand for the Undiluted Word of God

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Ezra 7

Ezra appears to be a silent labourer in the record of things. He was determined to go all the way for God's truth to be established among the heathen. A whole book was dedicated to him in the Bible, but he did not appear until this chapter (Ezra 7).

 “A whole nation was saved due to the determination of Ezra” (one man = one nation)

Prayer:

• Lord, please break our men and remake them to the vessels that befit Your Kingdom assignment. Help them to carry the humility that accompanies the manifestations of Your power in their lives.

1.                  EZRA'S PREPARATION (Ezra 7:6-10)

The captivity paved way for the glory of God in Ezra's life:

- His father (Seraiah) was killed by the king of Babylon (2^nd Kings 25:18-21) but he was not hindered by the loss or by an unforgiving spirit.

- He thoroughly furnished his life with the scriptures before directing others in it.

- He chose to follow God's perfect WORD and WAY - he did not take after his forefathers as magicians/astrologers (Chaldeans).

Prayer:

• Lord, release our men from any of their past experiences that are limiting them and Your work in their hands. Make them scribes that are inspired and instructed to revive the knowledge of scriptures. 

• Let our men become Heart cry scribes for this generation. To profit nations with the measure of Grace upon their lives, help them not to hoard Your Word but to be willing to communicate it for the good of others. 

• Make their lives fit for Your Work and help their lives to confirm their teachings at all times.

2.                  EZRA'S LABOUR (Ezra 7:13-23)

There was a spiritual restlessness in his heart towards attaining GOD'S REST in his spirit...

- He did not appear on the scene until there was work to do with those God raised with him, and no special title.

- He saw the order of things “in the hand of God” (The Beginning) and saw “the hand of God” (The Ending) as things were unfolding.

- He was given both the DIVINE and earthly authorities to act on behalf of God and for the good of others.

Prayer:

• Lord, help our men not to be too conscious of titles based on their privileged-contributions to Your Kingdom/Work. Let them always trace all things to You and see You in all things. 

• Lord, let our men make Your WORD the blueprint for their lives. Teach them to honour and magnify Your Word so they can become divine confidantes. Position them to trust You and Your Word.

  

3.                  EZRA'S TESTIMONY (Ezra 7:11-12 / 24-26)

He did God's WORK according to God's WILL and God's WAY.

-He stood on the undiluted Word of God for things that pertained to Jesus' life and Godliness.

-He saw to God's Word becoming the basis for appointing lawmakers and writing the  constitution of the land.

-He positioned himself to becoming the medium for fastening the Word of God into lives and situations.

Prayer:

• Lord, let our men see Your Will and Your Way in Your Work: To make everything around them conformable to the Word of God. 

• To become hammers of God, through which God's true word of life will be fastened to the lives of others.

4.                  EZRA'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GOD'S BACKING (Ezra 7: 27-28)

Through divine backing, Ezra managed his life and preached the Word of God by ways of purity, patience and prayers.

- He ascribed greatness to God for His unending mercies and grace.

- He attached the beauty of God through His Word to all things.

- He was a man of courage but attributed all his achievements to the miracle-working power of God's Word and God's Hand.

Prayer:

• Lord, open our men fully to the power and the beauty that is in the Word of God. To desire to run by the mercies of God and acknowledge divine opportunities in their lives. 

• Let our men launch out into things that will beautify the work of God in their hands and to be committed to showing forth the beauty of God in all they do.

LORD, PLEASE DO NOT WITHDRAW YOUR HAND FROM 

THE LIVES OF OUR MEN.

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Men Who Are Disciples Indeed

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Ezra 6: 13-22

Vs. 4-12

God arose on behalf of HIS people; expending all means possible so that the work of building was not truncated. Even today, God’s commitment has not dwindled; HE is passionate and ever ready to see to it that the work of building (first our lives and many others) is not aborted.

Vs. 14

So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

ü  Only the Jews (the Redeemed) are instructed to build (make disciples of all nations).

ü  They prospered in this through submission to human agents and instruments that God released to help mould and make them (disciplers).

ü  They started and completed their assignment under the leadership of CHRIST and following the commandment FIRST of the God of Israel and then, of men.

l  Fulfil Your desire Lord, of making our men matured disciples whom You can entrust lives unto.

l  Grant them receptive hearts that graciously submit to discipleship.

l  Help them run and finish their race well inside Christ.

Vs. 15-18

Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

ü  There is always cause to rejoice when a man fulfils destiny. We are carriers of the life of JESUS. When we allow HIM complete HIS work in us - the world rejoices; light shines and darkness cannot comprehend it; HIS GLORY fills the earth.

ü  God longs to see men stand on the full and complete Gospel. HIS heart is grieved when men settle for less and are reduced to shacks; abandoned/uncompleted property; or just a mere foundation without walls.

ü  Our men are God’s priest and Levites commissioned to make disciples that are built up and complete inside CHRIST.

ü  God has called our men to be co-labourers with HIM. Men who labour to celebrate the dedication of lives/hearts to God with JOY, both here on earth and in heaven.

l  Our men will heed God’s call on their lives early and also finish well.

l  Our men will not comfortably or ignorantly stand on sinking sand but on the full and complete Gospel.

l  We release our men to fulfil their mandate of dedicating disciples indeed, back to their Maker.

Vs. 19-22

19 And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. 21 Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel.  22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

ü  Make our men disciples indeed, who set themselves apart, and begin to lament for their nations.

ü  Let the life of JESUS in our men be so palpable that the hearts of kings turn to God.

ü  Lord, we ask for the hearts of the heathen as our inheritance.

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God's Outpouring

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Ezra 6:4-12

Recap- Chapter 6: 1-3 

• Men who treasure and keep record of God’s dealings and instructions to them.
• Men who build their lives/homes according to pattern shown via the Word of God.
• Men who will never deviate from the instructions of Scriptures regardless of the circumstances. 

Vs. 4-5

• God’s divine provision - expenses and material for building provided.

 Vs. 6-12

• Seeing tangibly, God’s out-stretched arm. 
• God contending with those who contend with HIM (The governors and Persians are instructed to keep away from them).
• God raised an advocate for Himself using a heathen (King Darius).
• God moved the heart of King Darius, who made a decree that the work of building MUST not be interfered with/ it CANNOT BE disrupted.
• King Darius under God proclaimed that the builders be not hindered (verbally as previously -see Ezra 4:1-5; physically- see Ezra 4:23-24; financially).
• Their provisions/sustenance as requested by the Priests was provided without fail; a heathen King made this his prerogative. 
• Death was the penalty of ANYONE who disrupted the work of building.
• The inheritance of those who disrupt the work of building was turned into a refuse heap. 

WHY WOULD GOD GO TO THIS EXTENT TO LAVISH HIS FAVOUR, PROVISIONS, DIVINE BACKING AND HELP ON THESE MEN? 

Vs. 10

• That the disciples offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to their God of heaven.
• That they become relevant and beacons of light in their communities and nation.  (Pray for the life of the King and his sons).
• That the life of JESUS in them finds continuity and the building work produces  disciples of ALL nations. 

GOD’S OUTPOURING IS NEVER TO MAKE OUR MEN FATTENED WITH SELF, PRIDE OR TO BE IDOLISED!!!!

   

PRAYER POINTS

• Cause our men to be people of faith. Men who launch out at Your bidding when the cost and building material are not immediately apparent. 

• Help the heart of our men to know that You never call a man to waste him. You never send forth without releasing what is needed to build. You always ensure that the Seed if Jesus in us will never be truncated or hindered. 

• Please Lord, address any concerns that may be hindering our men from following You all the way. 

• Stabilise the heart of our men so that the provisions/fruits of revival do not destroy them; that God's divine provision and outstretched arm further strengthens their conviction and love for you.   

• Help them to keep knowing that they were apprehended to manifest Jesus and commissioned to make disciples of all nations. 

• Let all that You do to ensure the fulfilment of Your purpose in our men make them love and fear You. Remove from their heart that which makes them want to capitalise on Your help as opportunities to advance their own purposes.

• Raising heathens as advocates for the propagation of the Gospel, divine daily provisions of food, materials and expenses are to let HIS KINGDOM COME and HIS WILL BE DONE. This sometimes brings men to their knees, cuts their hearts and brings brokenness. Help our men to capitalise on these opportunities to plant the Seed - Jesus.
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Build According to Pattern

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Ezra 6:1-4

Record Keepers 

• Men who are meticulous about documenting God’s dealings and instructions to them.

• Their scrolls are treasures stored away properly and can be easily assessed for referencing, reassurance, re-validation and passed on as an inheritance.

Men of Precision 

• Men who will only build according to the pattern/specification laid out by Jesus. Success to them equates to Jesus being the primary and singular architect and builder on all aspects of life.

• Unless Jesus is given full rights and authority to specify the materials and specifications for building, we cannot say that its foundation is firmly laid. “And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” - Exodus 25:40. 

• Men in whom Jesus has prevailed over so much that they can "do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." - John 5:19.

Prayer Points 

• Lord, please make our men meticulous with keeping records of Your dealings, instructions and their learning in the Spirit.

• Help them see their scrolls as treasures to be stored away and as inheritance for their seed. 

• Grant them foresight to document, we never know how You may use their documentation to bless other lives. 

• Holy Spirit, help our men build according to pattern, not haphazardly. Prevail over their hearts so much that they can do “nothing of themselves.” 

• Please do not allow our men to continue to build on sinking sand. Help them assess what is ‘under’ their ‘standing’. 

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Embrace God's Help!

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Ezra 5

The MERCY of God is always available physically and spiritually with an evidence of support, when building for the Lord. In the case of the builders in this chapter, there was a notable presence of God available to them – the Holy Spirit preaching the Gospel through the prophets, the prophecies made specifically for God's work by Haggai and Zechariah, and the joint efforts of   the four men of God – Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai and Zechariah.

        Prayer:

•  Lord, thank You for sustaining Your work in the hands of our men. Please continue to make them the objects of Your MERCY and cause Your MERCY to prevail over their lives in all walks of life.
•  Lord, open the eyes of our men to the essence and the extent of the power of the Holy Spirit. Let the POWER OF THE HIGHEST overshadow them and overtake them until they surrender to You completely.

Our arch-enemy (the devil) perfectly understands the efficacy of the power of God in sustaining and reviving His work. The enemy is aware of the heavenly resources in place for anyone that is all out for the work of God, BUT his power is limited in tampering with any of these resources.

  

         Prayer:

•   Lord, please help our men to see beyond “the enemy – the devil” at all times. Help them to know and embrace the ability of Heaven in sustaining them, and in reviving the work in their hands.
•   Lord, fortify our men with the essentials of the CROSS, so much that it will be extremely difficult for them to look back until they are completely sold out to You.
•  CALL FORTH THE HELPERS OF DESTINY INTO THE LIVES OF THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE...(if you are a man, call your destiny-helpers for God's work into your life).  

When the Holy Spirit of God is recognised and given the due respect to do what only Him can do, God does things in HIS OWN SPECIAL WAY. Everything (good or bad) begins to work together for the good of the true children of God.

         Prayer:

•   Lord, let the courage of Jesus on His way to CALVARY collide with our men. Grant them the POWER that made Jesus to be rest assured of Heaven while He was on the CROSS.