MONDAY 4TH JUNE 2018 MORNING PRAYER DEVOTION
SCRIPTURE READING:– DANIEL 6
TOPIC:- YOU ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS [3]
TEXT:- 1 CORINTHIANS 9:27
III. But I keep under my body. Better, but I bruise my body. The word is very strong, and implies to beat the flesh until it becomes black and blue. The only other place the word occurs is in Luke 18:5.
The body is spoken of as his adversary, or the seat of those lusts and appetites which “war against the mind.” Romans 7:23; Galatians 5:17.
Bring it into subjection. Better, and make it a slave. The idea is carried on that the body is not only conquered, but led captive. We must remember that the language all throughout this passage is figurative, and the statement here refers, not to the infliction of actual pain on the body, but to the subduing of the appetites and passions which are located in it.
The true position of our natural appetites is that they should be entirely our servants, and not our masters; that we “should not follow or be led by them,” but that they should follow and be led by us.
Lest that by any means. Better, lest having been a herald to others, I myself should be rejected. The image is carried on, and the Apostle says that he has a further motive to live a life of self-denial, that he having acted as a herald, proclaiming the conditions of the contest and the requisite preliminaries for it, should not be found to have himself fulfilled them. It is the same image kept up still of this race, and of the herald who announced the name of the victor, and the fact that he had fulfilled the necessary conditions.
It was not the custom for the herald to join in the contest, but the Apostle was himself both a runner in the Christian course, and a herald of the conditions of that race to others. Hence, naturally, he speaks of the two characters, which in the actual illustration would be distinct, as united in one when applied spiritually to himself.
The word “cast away” conveys a wrong impression. The Greek word signifies one who had not behaved according to the prescribed regulations.
More Reasons We Need To Do Now:
1. If you are still living your sins, i.e. returning to your former ways of life, 2 Corinthians 5:17, you should understand that you wasted your time, days, strength in fasting for fasting sake, that is called hunger strike. See Isaiah 58:5-11.
2. If you have no praise, appreciation and thanksgiving to god who had sustained you for the longer programme, then forget it, you can’t receive more from me. See Luke 19:28-41.
3. With all those messages and talks, you are still doubtful and afraid, and yet not exercising your faith, then devil will capitalised abundantly influences your testimony, so begin to claim your victory and testimonies in faith. See Daniel 10:1-14.
4. If you are the type that uses to be worried often and also weak, then the devil will capitalised on that and real his ugly head to destroy your testimonies. See Matthew 6:25-34.
5. You must be sensitive enough to God’s voice and leading so that when God is ordering your steps towards your answered prayer and testimonies, you will grab it quickly. See Psalm 37:33.
6. You must be heavenly minded and be ready to go with Christ anytime he appeared for the second time to take his own home, because what will be the usefulness of your testimonies and then losing heavenly kingdom. God forbid!
7. Beloved, be assured to take note of the discoursed points above, then start rejoicing and praising the lord, train yourself to listen and obey god. Then you will begin to count your blessings. See Psalm 30:5; Luke 4:1.
Prayer Points:-
1. I refuse to give up, and I will not quit, in the name of Jesus Christ.
2. I command that, sin shall not have dominion over me, in the name of Jesus Christ.
3. I will make it till to everlasting life with Jesus, in the name of Jesus Christ.
