🛐🙏The power of prayer-3🙏🛐 📖✝️Syllabus-33✝️📖 "The doors of that gate opened before them." Acts 12:10 When the proud and honorable King Herod had James killed with the sword, and saw that the Jewish community was very happy about his persecution of Christians, he became even more furious and arrested Peter and imprisoned him. He stationed 16 armed soldiers around him and chained Peter between two soldiers. He had no way of escaping. It was the Passover feast. So Herod thought that after the Passover feast, he would bring Peter and publicly execute him. But he fell to the ground. His hope was no longer fulfilled. That night, an angel came and freed Peter from all his bonds and led him out of the prison. The iron doors swung open before them, and he was freed. But what was the power behind this event? Behind this event was the power of prayer. On the day Peter was arrested, “prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” Acts 12:5. If the church had been lying in wait for Herod to release Peter, it would have been of no avail. Or if they had gone armed to rescue Peter, it would have been of no avail. For Herod’s army was greater. In fact, they had no other way to rescue Peter. There was only one way, and that was to use the power of prayer. And they faithfully used that power. As a result, Peter was released and joined them. We need to use the power of constant prayer to free so many of God's children today who are trapped in the deception of the devil. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16.

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:2 ɴᴋᴊᴠ The sanctification spoken of in this passage is not the practical sanctification of the believer spoken of in other scriptures, and which must be relative or a question of degree, but that far deeper sanctification of the Spirit which is absolute. It is, as William Kelly puts it, that “effectual work of divine grace, which first separates from the world a person, whether Jew or Gentile, unto God.” The order in which the truth is presented clearly shows that it cannot be practical sanctification. Practical holiness follows on being justified by the blood, whereas the sanctification in this passage precedes the blood. Moreover, the elect are set apart through the Spirit to come under the cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ. By faith in Christ, the believer comes under the shelter of the precious blood which cleanses from all sin, and sets him before God in peace. When the Spirit of God works in a sinner, it is in order that the life of Christ may be produced in him, and that he may come under the efficacy of the death of Christ, which removes everything contrary to God. Thinking only of ourselves, we should have put the blood first, for it is by the blood alone we can approach God. But Scripture first presents the great positive end that God has in view when His Spirit begins to work in our souls, namely, to reproduce the life of Christ. From this verse we learn that we have come into relations with every divine Person in the Godhead. We have been elected according to the foreknowledge of God the Father; we have been sanctified by the work of the Spirit in us; and the Father’s election and the Spirit’s work are in view of our obeying as Christ obeyed and coming under the sprinkling of the blood of Christ. Hamilton Smith O blessed Savior, is Thy love so great, so full, so free?Fain would we have our thoughts, our hearts, Our lives, engaged with Thee. Joseph Stennett https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-01

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: WEDNESDAY 22ND JULY 2026 TOPIC: THE KEYS TO FREEDOM, PART 3 MEMORIZE: "In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears." Psalm 18:6 (KJV) BIBLE READING: PSALM 3:1-4 1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. 2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. 3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. MESSAGE: Over the past two days, I have discussed some of the steps that anyone who is under the devil's yoke of bondage must take to become free. Today, I will conclude this series by highlighting why a person under the yoke of the devil should cry out to God for deliverance. I am often surprised to see people being passive and uninterested when it is time to pray. Unfortunately, people who behave in this manner are only wasting their time and would hardly get any results. No one, let alone those who are suffering under the devil's yoke, should be passive when it comes to prayer. This is because it is the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous that avails much (James 5:16), not the passive prayers. For example, in Mark 10:46-52, if Bartimaeus had not cried to Jesus for help, he would have remained blind. Similarly, in Matthew 15:21-28, if the Canaanite woman had not gone to seek help from Jesus and persisted in her cry to Him, her daughter may never have been delivered. David was a man who always cried out to God for deliverance when faced with battles. Many times in his Psalms, he wrote about crying out to the Lord for help. For example, in Psalm 3:4, he wrote, "I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill." Just as David cried unto the Lord with his voice, as a child of God, you must also learn to cry unto Him whenever you find yourself in distress. Nobody can cry better or louder than you about any distressing situation you might find yourself in because you are the only one who knows where the shoe pinches. This is why people who are always running from one place to another in search of prayer contractors - people who will pray to God on their behalf - often stay in bondage for a long time. In today's memory verse, David said that he called upon God and cried unto Him in his distress, and God heard him out of His temple. God will never close His ears to a person who cries to Him genuinely and with a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). Beloved, you must never grow weary of praying whenever you feel burdened until God hears you; you must be willing to pay the price for freedom in the place of prayer. I pray that the Lord will answer you speedily every time you cry unto Him, in Jesus' name. KEY POINT: Those who cry out to God in their distress will experience His salvation. BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 29 - 31 AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE HYMNAL 27 - WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS 1. What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear; what a privilege to carry Ev'rything to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear- All because we do not carry Ev'rything to God in prayer. 2. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a Friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness, Take it to the Lord in prayer. 3. Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Saviour, still our refuge, Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer. In His arms He'll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there. PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY, 22ND JULY, 2026 *THE KEYS TO FREEDOM III* ‎ ✓Father, You are bigger than the biggest, and mightier than the mightiest; no battle can withstand Your power, neither can the legion of demons resist Your authority. ✓Father, I praise You because You are my help in times of trouble, my shield in life's battles, my glory and the lifter of my head ✓Father, I worship You for You are abundantly able, to save, and to deliver those who trust in You ✓Father, thank You for giving us the weapon of prayer. Thank You for teaching us how to pray, and for the Holy Spirit praying for us with a groaning that cannot be expressed. ✓Father, please help me never to be passive with my prayer life, but to be fervent and effective in praying without ceasing; until my joy is full, may I stop praying, in Jesus' name. ‎ ‎✓Father, please deliver me from every distress I am in, and shut every door of affliction in my life, in Jesus' name. ‎ ‎✓Father, for my ashes, I receive the beauty of Your glory; oil of joy for my mourning, and a garment of praise in exchange over the spirit of heaviness, in Jesus' name. ‎✓Father, please deliver me and my loved ones from satanic bondage. Hear me from Your throne of mercy, and do not close Your ears to my cries, in Jesus' name. ✓Father, please help me never to go weary in the place of prayer, strengthen me to trust You still even when I feel burden, in Jesus' name. ✓Father, please help me to pay the price for my freedom in the place of prayers, in Jesus' name ✓Father, every time I cry to You in prayers, please answer me speedily and glorify Your name in any situation I find myself, in Jesus' name. ✓Father, thank You for the life of Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye. ‎ Help him never to grow weary in the place of prayers, in Jesus' name. Bless his children (biological and spiritual). Help him to continue to produce sons and daughters to Your glory, in Jesus name ‎ ‎✓Father, please bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measure, and all those who have been broadcasting them, in Jesus' name. ‎ ‎✓Father, please let every challenge, hindrance and obstacles of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus name. ‎ ‎✓Your personal petitions. ‎(Philippians 4:6) ‎ ‎✓In Jesus name I pray. ‎(John 14:13-14; 15:16) #GodBlessOurNation *These prayers have no expiry date! Please join us in prayer, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus’ name.

Good morning, brethren. The second post under Morning devotion every morning has 4 categories. Daily guides for Adult, Youth, Children, and Daily Manna devotionals. You can choose your group that suit you and use it. Thanks. 1. Morning devotion for today: MD.i. 😀💝🌺🎁🌹🎀 MORNING TEA THE WORD FOR TODAY FRIDAY JULY 17, 2026. "ARE YOU 'STEPHEN‘? (4)" '…Stephen, a man full of faith…’  Acts 6:5 NIV ANOTHER QUALITY that opened the door to leadership in the church for Stephen was: faith. Oswald Chambers said, ‘Faith that is sure of God is the only kind of faith there is.’ When drought hit some farming communities, faith made a little girl take her umbrella to a prayer meeting called especially to pray for rain, while all the grown-ups wore sunglasses. Faith isn’t just what you say, it’s what you do. And it’s not just about what you can do, but what you can trust God to do. When it comes to faith, you must: 1) feed your faith. The Bible is faith food. ‘…Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God’ (Romans 10:17). Note the word ‘hearing’. When you read God’s Word out loud, it enters your spirit through both the eye-gate and ear-gate, doubling its impact. 2) protect your faith. When terrorists attack, they have more in mind than just blowing up a few buildings and killing some people. Their goal is to strike fear into your heart and cause you to capitulate. Jesus warned Peter that his faith was about to come under attack (Luke 22:31-32 NKJV). It’s not just your finances or your health or your relationships that are under attack; it’s your faith! 3) Use your faith. Faith is like money; it’s the currency of God’s kingdom. You must have it in order to do business with God. When Christ encountered someone who demonstrated real faith, He was ecstatic. And He always responded to them. So you must ‘exercise’ your faith daily until it becomes your ‘reflex action’ in any given situation. Bible In A Year: Acts18-19; Matt 10:11-20; Ps 146; Pr0 16:4-5. Courtesy: Grace So Amazing Foundation 💝🎀 *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*💝🌹🌷🎀. MD.ii. [16/07, 9:11 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DAILY Ⓜ️ANNA - (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR ADULTS) FRIDAY 17TH JULY, 2026``` *OUR PEACE OFFERING* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️🐑✝️🩸🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽 📜📜```TEXT:LEVITICUS 3:10-13```📜📜 🔑📖```KEY VERSE:``` _*"And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD" (LEVITICUS 3:10, 11).*_ *The Hebrew word for "peace" _shalom,_ represents wholeness and right relationship with God, others, and creation. The peace offering, as a voluntary offering, signifies restored relationship with God. This type of offering is indicative of a voluntary expression of faith, thanksgiving, and gratitude.* *Our passage today pertains to the detailed instructions given for the peace offerings. These offerings were important for maintaining a harmonious relationship between an individual and God. Specifically, the passage outlines which parts of the animal are to be removed and offered to the Lord. It also gives us the role of the priests in the exercise. The kidneys and the fat signify the best portions of the sacrifice, which were to be dedicated to God. This act of offering the choicest parts is a form of worship and reverence, recognising God's supreme authority and generosity.* *From that context, it is clear that such offerings were to be made accurately and respectfully. The focal point of burning these parts was to create a "sweet savour unto the LORD," signifying that the offering was pleasing and acceptable to Him. The prescribed portions for the peace offerings highlight the significance of giving God the best, demonstrating the importance of sacrifice, and dedication in worship.* *However while the Old Testament gives us the details of how to make acceptable blood sacrifices, Jesus Christ, in the New Testament, offered up Himself as the Lamb of God who took away our sins on the cross at Calvary. "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Ephesians 2:14). With Jesus as our peace, we need not kill any animal to make peace for our iniquities, but only embrace Him wholeheartedly. Praise the Lord.* ✍🏽```THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:``` _*Any talk about peace that excludes the Prince of Peace is a piece of delusion.*_ 📜📜```THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:``` *EXODUS 1-4*📜📜 Our Peace Offering https://dailymanna.app// *RECOMMENDED GOSPEL HYMNS AND SONGS - GHS 237: PEACE! PERFECT PEACE!; GHS 40: WASH ME, O LAMB OF GOD; GHS 38: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS; AND GHS 39: POWER IN THE BLOOD* *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#DailyManna17thJuly2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [16/07, 9:12 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*HIGHER EVERYD🅰️Y: (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR YOUTHS)*_ ✍🏽👩🏻‍💼🌻 🍇🙏🏽🛰🚀🔬📚 ```FRIDAY 17TH JULY, 2026``` *REMAINING SPIRITUALLY RELEVANT* 🎚️📓📖🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️📓👨🏽‍💻🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🗣️📢📣🙏🏽 📜📜```TEXT:1 TIMOTHY 4:12-16```📜📜 📖``` MEMORY VERSE:``` _*"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 TIMOTHY 4:12).*_ *To remain spiritually relevant is very important. Having been born again and backsliding eventually is a sad commentary. Most saints of old served God well and finished strong. Joshua, for example, was a young man who served God under Moses. He was hard working and faithful.* *When Moses died, leadership responsibility was transferred to him, he served Israel well till he died at the age of 110. On his leadership impact, the Bible records this about him: "And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua..." (Joshua 24:31).* *Joshua was spiritually relevant from his youth to old age and even after death. Being spiritually relevant is not about being popular in the Church. It means to be committed to God, and living an impactful life for His kingdom.* *Beloved, maintain your spiritual experiences. Also, be devoted to God by having regular and meaningful quiet time, evangelising and reading, meditating and applying the word of God in your life. Moreover, maintain regular fellowship with the believers (Acts 2:42).* 💬 ```QUOTE:``` _*Be committed to God.*_ 🏆 ```CHALLENGE:``` _*Remain in the faith and impact lives for Christ.*_ 🙏🏽🙏🏽 ```PRAYER:``` _*Lord, keep me spiritually relevant, in Jesus' name.*_ Remaining Spiritually Relevant https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#HigherEveryday17thJuly2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [16/07, 9:12 pm] Pastor Attah: ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*(SINCERE MILK: Children Daily Devotional Guide 2⃣0⃣2⃣6️⃣)*_ 🙇🏼🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼🙇‍♀️🙇🏼‍♂️ ```FRIDAY 17TH JULY, 2026``` *AVOIDABLE REGRET* 📓📖🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️😔😟🧎🏽🧎🏽‍♀️🙏🏽 📜📜```2 CORINTHIANS 7:8-12```📜📜 🕔📚🖋️🚻😁🎼🏆🍉🪴🌈💻 🔑📖 ```Key Verse:``` _*"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death" (2 Corinthians 7:10).*_ 📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖 Margaret, with a tone of regret, called her friend and said, *"If only I had done what I knew was right. If only I had listened to my parents..."* Continuing, she said, *"I wish I could go back and change some decisions I took."* She thought about the sinful actions and choices she had made. She regretted not following the advice of her godly parents and living by God's word. Regret is a feeling of sadness about a wrong action or about a mistake made. It is a wish that things could have been different and better. Nobody loves the feeling of regret, which many times is avoidable. Regret can come from missed opportunities. It might also arise from poor performance because of poor preparation. Regrets can arise from the pain of disobedience or from bad choices made. *The most painful regret everyone must avoid is missing heaven. Surrender your heart totally to Jesus Christ. Achan, Judas Iscariot and Herod probably wished they had made different choices. Avoid eternal pain and regret. Choose to obey God and His word even if you are the only one.* 🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥🍥 ```🅿️rayer:``` _*Dear Lord, please help me to always choose to obey You.*_ 🙏🏽 ```📖 Further Reading:``` *Ephesians 5:15-17* Avoidable Regret https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#SincereMilk17thJuly2026* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] [16/07, 9:12 pm] Pastor Attah: *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY ⓂANNA* FRIDAY, 17TH JULY, 2026. *BRINGING CHRIST'S PEACE TO OUR RELATIONSHIPS* *TEXT:* LEVITICUS 3:10-13. 10 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. 11 And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD. 12 And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD. 13 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about. *Timeless Truth:*_"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us"_ (Ephesians 2:14). *INTRODUCTION* The world, with all its beauty and splendour, will not be a worthy place to live in when peace is absent. The same with families, communities and individuals. Where there is no peace, the world will not even be as habitable as the animal kingdom. A relationship that is void of peace will produce bitterness and wormwood rather than joy or happiness. Peace is multidimensional starting with an individual person's peace which is the most important and the first thing Jesus gives those who come to Him. Then there is peace between man and God which goes simultaneously with true personal and individual peace. Lastly, we talk of peace between fellow human beings. This is the main reason why Jesus, the Prince of peace, came to pay the ultimate price to reconcile man with God. This subject is therefore, very important to God and must be important to anyone that desires to walk with God and work for God. The text gives us some valuable information on this all important subject of peace. *1. The Price of Peace* a. The price of peace is not cheap as we could notice from what must be sacrificed in the peace offerings offered to God. Anyone who desires to enjoy peace on a platter of gold may be living in the fool's paradise. There is a price to pay. The two kidneys and the fat must be removed from the animal sacrifice and burn as an offering to God on the altar while the remaining animal can be eaten as they wanted. *"And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away"*. Kidneys are vital organs in the body. When the kidneys are defective or dead, the person is as good as dead. This vital organ is what God demanded for Himself as His own portion of the peace offerings. The fat of the animal gives aroma to the meat and makes it pleasant to eat. Fat is one of the most precious parts of the animal. It is the energy repository of the animal. It is instructive enough that God also reserved the fat to Himself, indirectly showing that consuming too much of fat is not good for human health as shown by modern scientific discovery. *"And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD"*. The kidneys and the fat were burnt for God while the remaining belong to man. b. God demands the best for Himself just as the kidneys and the fat are vital parts of the animal. Man, with due respect to God, must give God the best time or hours for fellowship with Him and for devotion with God. The best of man is the heart and so the heart should be given to God. Just as God asked for the kidneys, God is asking man, *"give me your heart"*. The best of man's possessions and treasures should be given to God. Just like the popular hymn says, *"Give of Your Best to the Master".* *Question* Do you give of your best to the Master in every area? *2. The Personification of Peace* a. Jesus is our peace offerings and that is the best the Father can give to us. God sacrificed His only begotten Son for the world that is totally void of true peace. Jesus offered Himself to the Lord for our peace. *"And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD"*. We also must be willing to offer our best that is possible and available for peace. *"For he (Jesus) is our peace (offerings), who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us"*. The wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles was broken down by Christ so that there would not be enmity between the Jews and the Gentiles any longer. Also, the enmity between God and sinners has been destroyed by the offering up of the living body of Christ. The sinful man can now repent and come into direct fellowship with God. *"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace"*. This peace offering of Christ makes reconciliation with God an experiential reality. *"And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby"*. Jesus did not only yield His precious body as an offering for sin, His messages are centred on peace. *"And came and preached peace to you..."* (Ephesians 2:14-17). b. Though the sacrifice is already done by Christ, man has his own part to play. The sinful man, through the priest, must *"lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about"*. The sinner must identify with the sacrifice for the transaction of peace to be perfected and effectual. In order to enjoy the peace of God, the sinner must identify with the sacrifice of Christ by accepting it by faith and petition His blood to produce peace in the heart and peace with God. *Question* Have you identified with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ by faith in Him? *3. The Pathway to Peace* a. The peace that God first gives is the peace with God which simultaneously results in the release of peace of Christ in the heart. Without peace of Christ in the heart, all other types of peace become elusive. *"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"*. The offended God forgives our sins and becomes our loving Father after repentance from sin through faith in the atoning sacrifice of peace offering of Christ. All efforts of man to bring peace to the world, families and relationships without first experiencing the peace of Christ in the heart will not yield a lasting and enduring peace. b. Just as Jesus paid a heavy sacrifice for peace, believers in Christ must be willing to pay the price of humility, forgiveness, longsuffering and forbearance among others, so as to enjoy peace with our relations and neighbours. This peace must be pursued at all times because without it there is no heaven. It must also be preached and encouraged among people because *"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God"* (Matthew 5:9). It is the possession of peace and grace to make peace with others that distinguishes a true child of God as genuine. No price is too high for peace. The problem of the nations is that the nations are being ruled by people who have not experienced the peace of God in their hearts. *Prayer Points* 1.Give praises to Jesus Christ for paying the ultimate price for our peace 🙏. 2.Ask for the peace of God to reign supreme in your heart and to pay any scriptural and needful price to make peace with anyone that you are not at peace with you 🙏. 3.Promise God that you will be committed to the ministry of making peace between sinner and God and fellow man to fellow man. Ask for the grace and the heart to always give your best to the Master 🙏. 4.Pray for where you know that peace is lacking and that the peace of Christ will be embraced and allowed to reign 🙏. *HYMN:* When peace like a river *BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* EXODUS 1-4. 2. Morning Prayer for today. MP.i. Morning Prayer Rejoice in the Lord always: [and] again I say, Rejoice. ⏤ Philippians 4:4 We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world, and bring its power down to earth. ⏤ Andrew Murray O God, our Father, we thank You for this bright morning. We want to share in the joy that’s all around us. All of Your creation praises You, and we want to join in that praise—not just with our lips, but with our hearts and lives. We want our lives to be like songs that bring joy to those around us. Help us live victoriously today, not letting our cares and trials get the best of us, but keeping Your praise in our hearts even in the darkest times and toughest challenges. Breathe Your Spirit into our souls this morning so that we can go out and live with cheerfulness all day. Don’t let the hard things discourage us or take the joy out of our hearts and the brightness out of our faces. We thank You that You’ve promised to give us what we need. We know that while You are always with us, You come even closer to us when we’re in trouble; that while You always give us strength, You give us even more when we’re feeling weak. Come to us today in exactly the way we need. Sometimes we get discouraged and frustrated. Keep us today from falling into these negative moods. Help us live among our neighbors in such a way that they see that we have God helping us. Keep us from worry and anxiety. Teach us to cast all our cares on Jesus, who cares for us. May we trust You so completely that no matter what happens, we can be happy and strong in You. We pray for everyone in our home. Prepare us for all the duties, tasks, and responsibilities of the day. Keep us safe from accidents and bring us back together again in the evening. We ask all these things, along with the forgiveness of our sins, in the Savior’s precious name. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/12/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

A GREAT DOOR IS OPEN Key Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 16:9; Revelation 3:7–8; Isaiah 45:1–3 A great door isn’t just an opportunity; it’s a divine invitation leading you into a fresh season filled with God’s purpose and favor. God continues to swing open doors of blessing, promotion, ministry, healing, provision, and breakthrough for His children. The Apostle Paul reminds us, "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Corinthians 16:9). This serves as a powerful reminder that every opportunity from God may come with its share of challenges, but those challenges often signal that something truly significant is on the horizon. Don’t let obstacles convince you that the door is shut when God has already flung it wide open. Throughout the Bible, we see God opening doors that no one can close. He freed Peter from prison (Acts 12:5–11), parted the Red Sea for Israel (Exodus 14:21–22), and lifted Joseph from the depths of a prison to the heights of a palace (Genesis 41:39–41). These miraculous acts show us that when God opens a door, no barrier, enemy, or limitation can stand in the way of His plans. "I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it" (Revelation 3:8). The same God who opened doors in the past is actively working for you today. If God is presenting a great door in front of you, step through it with faith, courage, and obedience. Don’t let fear, doubt, or past disappointments hold you back. Seek wisdom, stay faithful, and trust in God’s guidance. "Thus saith the Lord... I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight... I will break in pieces the gates of brass" (Isaiah 45:1–3). This is your moment to embrace new opportunities, expand your influence, and experience divine favor. A great door stands open before you—walk through it with confidence, for the Lord has already paved the way, and your breakthrough is just around the corner. REV. ISHMAEL ASARE BAKAE WORD OF FIRE MINISTRIES

Maranatha. A New Life. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.... You must be born anew. John 3:5-7, R.S.V. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit.... A person may not be able to tell the exact time or place, or to trace all the circumstances in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. By an agency as unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly working upon the heart. Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impressions are made that tend to draw the soul to Christ.... Suddenly, as the Spirit comes with more direct appeal, the soul gladly surrenders itself to Jesus. By many this is called sudden conversion; but it is the result of long wooing by the Spirit of God,—a patient, protracted process. While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God. It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the work of redemption. Its mystery exceeds human knowledge; yet he who passes from death to life realizes that it is a divine reality. The beginning of redemption we may know here through a personal experience. Its results reach through the eternal ages.5The Desire of Ages, 172, 173.

Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* FRIDAY 3RD JULY, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* THE CONSEQUENCES OF REJECTING GOD'S GRACE. *TOPIC:* DAMAGED RELATIONSHIPS. *TEXT:* DEUTERONOMY 32:15-20. 15. Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, they became heavy and sleek. They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Saviour. 16. They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. 17. They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God — gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear. 18. You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. 19. The Lord saw this and rejected them because He was angered by His sons and daughters. 20. “I will hide My face from them,” He said, “and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful. *TOPIC:* DAMAGED RELATIONSHIPS. *THE MESSAGE:* God is our Creator, our Rock and Salvation. He requires total allegiance from us. Anything short of this damages the relationship. In this text, the children of Jeshurum worshipped worthless idols instead of God. This detestable practice marred their relationship with God and stirred His anger against them. They have become perverts, and God vowed to hide His face from them and belittle them before other nations. Unfaithfulness and ingratitude towards God are disastrous. Today, some profess to be Christians yet indulge in idolatry, witchcraft and wizardry, ritual practices, and the like. These practices mar their relationship with God and attract His wrath. Are you guilty? Repent and amend your ways. *REFLECTION:* Maintain a sound relationship with God. *PRAYER:* Heavenly Father, help me to maintain a good relationship with You. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* HEBREWS 10:29. 29 How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified Him, and insulted the Spirit of grace? *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* PROVERBS 10-13. ED.ii. *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY* *ⓂANNA* FRIDAY, 3RD JULY, 2026. *DISPENSATION OF GRACE REVEALED* *TEXT:* EPHESIANS 3:1-7. 1For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. *Timeless Truth:*_"Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit"_ (Ephesians 3:5). *INTRODUCTION* A person who lives in this New Testament dispensation may not be able to appreciate the unique and unmatchable blessedness of the New Testament dispensation like the Jews who had experienced what it meant to be under the dispensation of the Law. Even in few places where the Old Testament alluded to grace, the Jews still used the lenses of the Law to interpret it. They understood by experience what it is meant by a mystery which is now revealed to all mankind. The revelation of God's grace through Jesus Christ is one of the greatest truths unveiled in the New Testament. While God's redemptive plan was hinted at throughout the Old Testament, its full disclosure was made known through Christ and revealed to His apostles by the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul regarded himself as a steward of this divine mystery—a sacred trust committed to him for the benefit of both Jews and Gentiles. Every believer today is privileged to understand, embrace, and proclaim this glorious dispensation of grace. This passage teaches us that God's revelation is not merely to satisfy curiosity, but to transform lives, unite believers, and advance the gospel. As we meditate on this text, may we appreciate God's gracious plan and faithfully live as beneficiaries and stewards of His grace. *1.Recipients of Divine Revelations* a. Every new dispensation is heralded by a divine revelation. This revelation comes to man through people that God has specially prepared to understand and to spread the truth. For example the dispensation of the Law was given by Moses while the Author of the dispensation of grace is the Lord Jesus Christ while God used the holy Apostles especially Paul to receive the revelation and pass it to humanity. *"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ"* (John 1:17). Paul the apostle introduces himself as *"the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles,"* emphasizing that his suffering was not a consequence of failure, but a testimony of faithful service. He had received *"the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward"* for the Gentiles. He emphatically claimed that it was *"by revelation he made known unto me the mystery"*. b. The word dispensation here refers to a period of time in God's plan that He has assigned in His wisdom to deal with man under a special covenant that was not known before. The mystery Apostle Paul preached was not discovered through human intelligence, philosophy, or religious traditions. It was revealed to him directly by God. It is only people who are specially devoted to God and proved faithful like Moses and Paul the apostle that can be trusted with this kind of dispensational revelations. The deep revelations of God are reserved for those who are proven by God to be holy, faithful, trustworthy and triumphant over the world. Jesus commanded, *"Give not that which is holy unto dogs"*. The Lord graciously entrusted Paul the apostle with the message that salvation through Christ is available to all people without distinction. This reminds believers that divine truth originates from God. Spiritual understanding comes through God's revelation as we depend upon the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9–10). God still reveals His truth through His written Word to the humble and obedient hearts. Every Christian is also a steward of God's grace and is expected to faithfully communicate the gospel to others. *Question* Does your life recommend God to choose you to know His revelations and share it with others? *2.Reading Diligently for Realisation* a. Apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesian believers to read his writings carefully so they could understand his knowledge of the mystery of Christ.*"Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ"*. The recorded revelation of God is meant to be read and well understood. The received revelation from God should be diligently read to fully understand it. Spiritual maturity requires diligent reading, careful meditation, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Revealer of divine secrets, but will expect man to first value it by paying the price of diligent study and concerted prayer coupled with willingness to obey the Word. The mystery hidden in previous generations was now fully revealed to Christ's holy apostles and prophets through the Spirit. b. Although the Old Testament contained promises concerning the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6; Genesis 12:3), the complete truth that Jews and Gentiles would become one body in Christ was only fully disclosed after Christ's death, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. *"Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit"*. Many believers desire spiritual growth while neglecting consistent Bible study. God expects His children to search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11), meditate upon them (Psalm 1:2), and rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). As we read prayerfully, the Holy Spirit grants understanding and transforms our minds. The Holy Spirit illuminates God's Word. Biblical revelation produces spiritual maturity and sound doctrine. *Question* Do you receive personal revelation of God and His Word by the Holy Spirit? If not, why not? *3.The Resonance of Dispensational Reality* a.Paul the apostle finally explains the content of the mystery: *"the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of God's promise in Christ through the gospel"*. To the Jews, the Law rated them as special and superior to the Gentiles being children of Abraham and the direct receivers of the Covenants. Paul the apostle succinctly listed their reasons for this conception. *"Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the* *covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;* *Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever"* (Romans 9:4-5). However, the cross changed all that and extended the same blessings, statuses and privileges to the Gentiles. Through the cross, all barriers separating Jews and Gentiles have been broken down. Salvation is based entirely on God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. b. This dispensational reality continues to resonate throughout the Church today. The Church is a unified body composed of redeemed people from every nation, tribe, language, and culture. No believer possesses superior standing before God based on ethnicity, nationality, denomination or social status (Galatians 3:28). Apostle Paul acknowledged that he became a minister *"according to the gift of the grace of God."* Christian ministry is not earned by personal merit, but received through God's grace and empowered by His divine power. Every believer has received grace and can receive more to serve according to God's calling. *Question* What are the distinctive and benefits of the New Covenant dispensation? *Prayer Points* 1.Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing the mystery of Your grace through Jesus Christ🙏 2.Help me to study Your Word more diligently, understand Your divine purpose and faithfully proclaim the gospel to all people🙏. 3.Empower me by Your Spirit to live as faithful steward of Your grace, in Jesus' name. Amen🙏. 4.Let the Spirit of revelation be poured on Your people so that they will understand the mystery of Your truth🙏. *HYMN:* Marvellous Grace of our Loving God *BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* GENESIS 7-10. 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ⏤ Philippians 4:7 In His peace, our hearts find their home, untouched by the storm. ⏤ J.R. Miller The day is done, Father, and we bring it to You. Please bless it. As it is folded away with all past days, to remain closed until the books are opened, pass Your cleansing hand over it, and seal it with Your grace. Bless all we have done, forgive our sins, and sanctify all our experiences. Make our hearts clean and strengthen our souls. We ask for Your rich blessings upon our home and family life. You created the home; the family is Your design. So, we ask with confidence that You make our home pleasing to You, filled with love, fellowship, and all that is good. Bless each of us, young and old. Guide our family in the future, helping the young to grow in divine beauty, making our home a place that reflects Heaven. Help us make our home welcoming, loving, and a source of holy influence. We bring all our concerns to You—our work, our household chores, our studies, our friendships, our hopes, plans, and fears. Grant Your grace upon all these things. We pray for the responsibilities You have given us, especially those related to Your kingdom. Help us be faithful in every duty, and may nothing suffer under our care. Almighty and most merciful Father, we commend ourselves and all who are dear to us into Your hands. Tenderly care for the elderly, have pity on the weak and tempted, show mercy to the fallen, comfort the sorrowing, and bless the sick and those who care for them. Hear us, O God. Receive our prayer and save us, through Jesus Christ. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/89/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

The Present Truth # 8 Heaven’s Communication System. Methods of Communicating Communication is the means of exchanging messages between people and places. The closer the relationship between two parties, the greater the need for an effective communication system. This is specially so where one is fully dependent on the other. To have a continuous, living communication with the supplier of every need is of vital importance. Ever since this world’s creation people have sought to make and improve communication systems. It is not so long ago that natives in African villages exchanged messages by drumbeats, and North American Indians sent out smoke signals. At the beginning of the nineteenth century one of the best systems known to man was the semaphore, transmitting messages from hilltop to hilltop. With the advent of electricity, the wireless telegraph was invented by Marconi, and soon messages were clicking to and fro between ships at sea and stations on shore. Technology improved and the telephone appeared on the scene, swiftly followed by the radio, television, satellites, fax, and computers. Today, we cannot only hear, but see people traveling in space. Apart from these highly sophisticated communication systems there is a system that stretches through the measureless expanse of the universe and provides an instantaneous connection between us and God. Nothing we have invented can be compared with this infallible communication system, prayer. What Is Prayer? Prayer is said to be “the key in the hand of faith, which will unlock heaven’s storehouse.” Prayer has been referred to as “the breath of the soul,” “the secret of spiritual power.” As much as we need to breathe in order to sustain our physical life, so we need prayer to sustain our spiritual life. This vital link is understood by so very few, even among professed Christians. Millions today are living, but are spiritually dead. “But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” 1 Timothy 5:6. God is able to create spiritual as well as physical life and He is longing to restore this spiritual lifeline with feeble, wayward humans. He is more willing to supply our needs, than a human father is willing to feed his child, if we only ask. “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11:11-13. Prayer has also been defined as “the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.” Too many people have a wrong concept of God. Do not think He is too high, or too great, to be concerned with the personal interests of us who are living on our small planet in the vast immensity of the universe. “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou are mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Psalm 8:3, 4. Nothing is too great for God to bear, for He sustains worlds, He rules over the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to see. “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31. Some see God as a relentless judge waiting for an occasion to punish every sinner with great severity. This is untrue. Read how the Lord feels toward us: “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3. Lord! Teach us to Pray The disciples of Christ saw how their Master prayed, and how He was endowed with life-giving power from God. They desired to know how to pray as effectively as their Lord. “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1. We too should desire to know how to pray effectively. True prayer has to be learned, just as any other skill we wish to master. Knowing how to pray and what to pray for, will open to us the mighty power of God. We will be able to withstand the strongest temptations and to overcome the slightest sinful traits of our character. We need to learn how to pray, just as importantly as what to pray. No one knows our needs better than God, who knows even better than we know ourselves. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26. Christ Himself gave a pattern, outlining how and what to pray in Matthew 6:9-13. Notice how the Lord’s prayer starts with the endearing title: “Our Father.” What a privilege to address the Creator of the universe as: “Our Father”! Our first thoughts should not be of our needs, but express appreciation from a heart filled with gratitude and adoration. We are to praise the holy name of God: “Hallowed be thy name.” A warning is given to take care not to follow the heathen in their senseless prayers, for there are counterfeits even in prayer: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Matthew 6:7, 8. A continuous repetition of set phrases is of no value, and such prayers remain unanswered. We should therefore not “say our prayers,” but rather pray from the heart. In private prayer, our deepest thoughts are brought before God. “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6. We should not try to form beautiful sentences, but speak to God from an honest heart. God looks upon the heart. He knows our innermost longings before we even come to Him. “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.” Psalm 139:1-4. We need not fear that God will not understand our human needs and weaknesses. Do not be tempted to think that because He is God and you are human, He has not passed through the same experiences you have to pass through. This is not so. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15, 16. To pray more effectively, pray privately like Jesus did when He was on earth. Matthew 14:23. However there is no time when we cannot pray to God. We don’t have to move our lips when we pray. We can send up a silent petition from the heart while at work, traveling, or walking on the busy street. Conditions for Answered Prayer 1. Faith True prayer and faith are closely allied and cannot exist apart from each other. “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.” Hebrews 11:6. 2. Confession of Sin It is sin that separates us from God, and if we try to hide any sin from Him, our prayer will be in vain. God knows all about us, and we can hide nothing from Him. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Psalm 66:18. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. . . . He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:9, 13. 3. Thy Will Be Done Our prayer may also remain unanswered if we pray selfishly, or for that which is not for our good. “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:3. If we ask in accordance with God’s will, we have the assurance that He hears us. “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.” 1 John 5:14. 4. We Must Feel Our Need We also must feel our need. If we pray to God without a sense of our great need, our prayers are like those of the Pharisee in the temple who thanked God that he was so good. His prayer went no higher than the ceiling of the temple. Nearby was a publican who cried in his need: “Oh God, be merciful unto me, a sinner.” He was heard in heaven. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6. God awaits our request. He wants to help us, but He waits on us to willingly open our hearts to Him. 5. We Must Pray in the Name of Jesus “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:14. To pray in the name of Jesus is more than just mentioning His name at the beginning and close of a prayer. It is to pray in the spirit and mind of Christ, believing His promises, relying on His pardoning grace, and living His life. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5. The Power of Prayer The dormant power that is at our disposal through fervent prayer is tremendous. We cannot even begin to comprehend how much heaven has in store for those who diligently seek God. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20. “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:15, 16. Examples of the power of prayer are abundant in the Bible. The weather was changed: “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” James 5:17, 18. The dead were raised: “But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.” Acts 9:40. Lions’ mouths were closed: “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. . . . My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” Daniel 6:10, 22. The experiences of answered prayer are endless. Many books have been written, and many testimonies given concerning the wonderful miracles and experiences which have accompanied prayer. For Whom Should We Pray? First, we should pray for the people of God, and for those who work as the Lord’s messengers and pastors: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.” Ephesians 6:18, 19. We are admonished to pray for those who are beyond the borders of family and friends: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44. When Should We Pray? We may lift our hearts to God in prayer at any time and in any place. “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. This does not mean that we should constantly be on our knees in prayers, but at all times and under all circumstances we should have the door of our heart open to heaven. However, it is a good plan to set aside special times for prayer. “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17. Allow nothing to rob you of these sacred moments; no day should pass without heartfelt prayer. Prayer is a power to keep us so close to our heavenly Father that in every unexpected trial our thoughts turn to Him as naturally as the flower turns to the sun. “Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145:2.

Maranatha. Satan's Last Campaign. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 1 John 2:18. The enemy is preparing for his last campaign against the church. He has so concealed himself from view that many can hardly believe that he exists, much less can they be convinced of his amazing activity and power.... Man is Satan's captive and is naturally inclined to follow his suggestions and do his bidding. He has in himself no power to oppose effectual resistance to evil. It is only as Christ abides in him by living faith ... that man may venture to face so terrible a foe. Every other means of defense is utterly vain. It is only through Christ that Satan's power is limited. This is a momentous truth that all should understand. Satan is busy every moment, going to and fro, walking up and down in the earth, seeking whom he may devour. But the earnest prayer of faith will baffle his strongest efforts.... Satan hopes to involve the remnant people of God in the general ruin that is coming upon the earth. As the coming of Christ draws nigh, he will be more determined and decisive in his efforts to overthrow them. Men and women will arise professing to have some new light or some new revelation whose tendency is to unsettle faith in the old landmarks. Their doctrines will not bear the test of God's word, yet souls will be deceived. False reports will be circulated, and some will be taken in this snare.... We cannot be too watchful against every form of error, for Satan is constantly seeking to draw men from the truth.... Some men have no firmness of character. They are like a ball of putty and can be pressed into any conceivable shape.... This weakness, indecision, and inefficiency must be overcome. There is an indomitableness about true Christian character which cannot be molded or subdued by adverse circumstances. Men must have moral backbone, an integrity which cannot be flattered, bribed, or terrified.... God has set bounds that Satan cannot pass. Our most holy faith is this barrier; and if we build ourselves up in the faith, we shall be safe in the keeping of the Mighty One.39Testimonies for the Church 5:294-297.

The Present Truth # 6 Prophecy of World Events. The Great World Empires. What the future holds has always been a matter of deep interest to world leaders and their subjects. Proud monarchs cherished the ambition to expand their kingdom to the uttermost ends of the world and to establish security for their kingdoms forever. To this end they devoted all their energies by heavily fortifying cities and raising huge armies. When, to all human probability, it appeared that they had attained their goal, their kingdom was often overthrown and followed by another. What does the future hold? Does the rise and fall of great world empires happen by chance or do they all form part of a great plan? If so, what will the outcome be? God’s foreseeing eye reveals the future; history establishes the certainty of it. A World Ruler Troubled Nebuchadnezzar, the great and ambitious king of ancient Babylon longed to know what would come to pass in the future. One night he had a remarkable dream. His mind was deeply impressed, but when he awoke he found it impossible to recall the dream. His wise men, the magicians, astrologers and soothsayers were unable to tell the king what he had dreamed, and because they claimed to have supernatural power, the king was angered at their inability to tell the dream, and ordered them to be executed. Among the wise men at the court of Babylon was a young man named Daniel, and his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These four young men had been chosen from the Jewish exiles, to be educated at the king’s court. When he heard of the death decree and the reason for it, Daniel begged the king for an extension of time, so that he and his friends could pray to God to reveal to him the dream and the interpretation of it. This request was granted and the four young men, with strong faith in God’s ability to answer them, prayed together. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16. It is not surprising that the answer came immediately. Read Daniel 2:1-30. The Dream Revealed Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar the dream he could not recall: “Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” Daniel 2:31-35. The king had been listening with close attention to every particular and knew that it was the very dream which had so troubled him. His mind was thus prepared to favorably receive the interpretation. Daniel declared: “. . . there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. . . . This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.” Daniel 2:28, 36. The Dream Interpreted 1. The Head of Gold Daniel proceeded with the interpretation: “Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.” Daniel 2:37, 38. Babylon was the golden kingdom of a golden age. The city of Babylon was referred to as “the golden city,” Isaiah 14:4. It towered to a height of splendor never reached by any of its later rivals. This beautiful city was sixty miles in circumference, with solid gates of brass, its walls were approximately 120 meters high and 30 meters thick. Its magnificently terraced hanging gardens, its temples and palaces were called “The glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency.” Never before or since, has the earth seen a city like it, or has there been an equal. The images’ head of gold was a fit representation of the earth’s greatest city, Babylon. “No capital in the world has been the centre of so much power, wealth, and culture for a period so vast.” (History of Babylonia and Assyria, Volume 1, page 397). After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, its greatest Monarch, Babylonia declined and eventually passed away under weaker rulers. During the reign of king Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, Cyrus the Persian, invaded Babylon. Belshazzar gave a feast and the whole city joined in the drunken revelry. While the party was in progress, Cyrus temporarily diverted the water of the river Euphrates which flowed through the city, and marched with his soldiers along the river bed, under the river gates and onto the drunken city and took the Babylonians by surprise in 538 B.C. This feast of Belshazzar is described in the fifth chapter of Daniel; and the scene closes with the simple record, “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain, and Darius the Median took the kingdom.” 2. The Breast and Arms of Silver “And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee . . . ” Daniel 2:39. The Medes and Persians succeeded Babylon. But in what way was Medo-Persia inferior to the preceding kingdom? Not in power, for it was Babylon’s conqueror. Not in territory, for it was the most extensive empire that ever existed. It was inferior in wealth and magnificence. Under the rulership of king Cyrus, the seventy years of the Jewish exile came to a close and they were permitted to return to Jerusalem and to build their temple. Two hundred years later Greece was rising to prominence, emerging as the next world empire. 3. The Belly and Thighs of Brass “. . . and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.” Daniel 2:39. With unparalleled speed, Alexander the Great, ruler of Greece, led his armies in conquest. At the Battle of Arbela in 331 B.C., Darius III, King of Persia, was completely vanquished. Alexander was given to excessive drinking and lowest passions. Having conquered the world, his time was wasted in intemperate revelry. This proved his downfall and at the early age of thirty-two he died in a drunken orgy in the year 323 B.C. Because of ambitious leaders, his kingdom was soon divided under four of his generals. The kingdom’s greatness was short-lived, and the divisions fulfilled other prophetic expectations. Rome conquered the Syrian division of the Greek Empire in 190 B.C., the Macedonian division in 168 B.C., and Egypt surrendered to Rome in the same year. 4. The Legs of Iron The iron kingdom of Rome is the fourth empire that ruled the world. Gibbon wrote: “The arms of the Republic, sometimes vanquished in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the ocean; and the images of gold, silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations or their kings, were successively broken by the iron monarchy of Rome.” (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, chapter 38, paragraph one, “General Observations.”) In the time of Christ, the Roman Empire included all of Southern Europe, France, England, the greater part of Holland, Switzerland, the Southern part of Germany, Hungary, Turkey, and Greece as well as extensive possessions in Africa and Asia. “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” Luke 2:1. The first taxing of the world, enforced by the decrees of Rome, shows the expanse of this Roman Empire. How could this mighty and stable empire disappear from the earth? It seemed well nigh impossible from human observation. But a further scene from the prophetic vision was to take place. 5. Feet of Iron and Clay “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.” Daniel 2:41, 42. Unlike the previous empires, Rome was not overthrown in battle by a successive nation. Rome weakened internally as the people lived in luxury and experienced the degeneracy of self-content and intemperance. The territory which made up the official Roman kingdom lay west of Greece, which was represented by the legs of iron. By fragmentation, this territory was divided into ten independent kingdoms, represented by the ten toes of the image. Some retained the strength of the original iron kingdom, and some were weak, as symbolized by the clay. This division took place between the years A.D. 351 and A.D. 476. The ten tribes were: the Lombards, Franks, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Burgundians, Suevi, Heruli, Vandals, Alemanni and Saxons. Later prophecies, given in chapters eight and nine of Daniel revealed that three of these kingdoms were to be uprooted (destroyed) by another power. This has proved true, but the remaining nations are still traceable in the nations of Europe today as Italy, France, England, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Germany. Although the prophecy shows Christ’s coming as the next event, other prophecies indicate intervening developments. These will be discussed in future lessons. “And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” Daniel 2:43. For centuries the nations of Europe have endeavored to be united again under a central government. Neither by force, nor by diplomacy have men and women succeeded in foraging the iron and clay together. Wars have been fought but to no avail. Marriages formed to unite the nations under one ruler. All monarchies of Europe are related to each other through intermarriage, but the division still stands, as the word of God foretold. The prophecy says, “they shall not cleave one to another.” Charlemagne tried to bring Europe under one kingdom, so did Charles V, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Wilhelm, Hitler, and the European Common Market. Although they have appeared to succeed for a time, there has been and will not be a permanent cohesion. What Is the Next Event? 1. The Stone Cut Out Without Hands “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” Daniel 2:44, 45. Here is the climax of this great prophecy. The final act in the drama of the world empires is the establishment of the kingdom of God. This is certain! Just as the previous symbols were all exactly fulfilled in the course of history, so we know that this final part will also come to pass. Daniel said: “The dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” We are instructed to study the historic fulfillment of Bible prophecy and to be assured of their truth: “Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.” Isaiah 34:16. It is in the days of the last kingdoms of iron and clay, that the kingdom of Christ will come. Christ will return, not as the Lamb of God, but as King of kings, as a mighty conqueror. His kingdom does not depend on human support, it is the kingdom of Heaven, a stone cut out without hands. His kingdom, unlike the human kingdoms, is everlasting and shall stand forever. Jesus will soon return, but before He does He seeks first to establish His kingdom in the hearts of men. Dear friend, will you allow the Prince of Peace to rule your heart now, so that when He comes you may inherit the Kingdom of Heaven? .