Seek him fervently

God is not a respecter of persons. What he does for one, he will do for another. If he can use one, he can use another. I am challenged by Daniel this morning. Challenged by his desire to know God and to understand his ways and where he is leading him. Constantly you find him praying and seeking to understand. And always he gets visitations from angels to give him insight and understanding. God revealed the future to him because he sought to understand.

How many times do we seek to understand what God has in store for us? Our purpose here on earth? How we can be more effective where we are? If I was to seek God with the desire to understand how to run this company under Kingdom principles, would he not give me guidance? If I was to ask him where the industry is going, so I am better able to strategize would he not show me?

I have been remiss in calling on God for insight, foresight and understanding. As such, I have been average and have not stood up above the competition. Daniel and his friends were found to be 10 times better and wiser than all the rest. I believe it is because they sought God earnestly for understanding, revelation of mysteries, guidance, insight, foresight and the way forward.

Lord grant me the desire to seek you more, to call to you more, to seek understanding from you, to rely on you like Daniel did. How else will I be the best in my industry. Give me the grace I need to fast and pray, to seek your face for this industry in which you have placed me. That I too like David may serve my generation faithfully. Cause me to seek you fervently, with renewed urgency. I thank you and honor you, in Jesus Holy and Mighty Name I ask this, Amen!

Daniel

I'm reading the book of Daniel and this guy just challenges me with every chapter. First he refuses to defile himself with their food, then he refuses to pray to their gods, then he is thrown in the lion's den and comes out unharmed. I noticed a pattern in his life. Always there is a test that he has to pass, then God is glorified and then he is promoted to another level in the Kingdom. It is clear that God still works like that in our lives as well. As you are promoted from Glory to Glory, you have to pass some tests to go on to the next level. God has to check your maturity.

The other thing that challenges and blesses me about Daniel is that the Spirit of the Lord was clearly on him. He had great wisdom, understanding, could decipher dreams, visions and enigmas. He was excellent in Character, faithful in his work to a fault. Such that the guys who were plotting against him said, "we will never get this guy based on his work or character, the only way to get him is pertaining to his God." He had an excellent relationship with God, praying 3 times a day with thanksgiving something he had done from his early years.

This is the example of a market place christian that I should be. So that God is seen in me and uses me to bring success to my company and my country, by the power of the Holy Spirit. I am so challenged. I am praying for the same Spirit that was in Daniel to be on me as well. "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me..." Amen!

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me!

I find that God is speaking to my heart about the year 2008 already. He is speaking of favor that he is pouring out, of forgetting the past and pressing towards the mark. This is a first for me. I have never before had God talk about the following year in advance like this. That tells me he has something specific he wants me to do for him. I want to be aligned to his will and his purpose. I want what he wants for me in the coming year. I need to hear from him clearly. I am convinced that he planned for me to have my surgery now so that we can have more time together. I pray that I will draw closer to God in the 6 weeks I will be at home. I want to know him more, to hear his voice clearly. Speak Lord! I am listening. My heart yearns like never before to hear what the Spirit is saying. He is hovering over the waters, waiting for me to decree a thing that it may be established. But how can I decree unless I hear? "Prophesy daughter!" is what I hear "But what shall I prophesy?" I answer back. Lord, make my ears as the ears of the learned, that I may hear your word clearly for 2008. Light a fire in me, and align my purposes, dreams and desires with Kingdom purposes, dreams and desires. "What shall I prophesy?" I ask again, and I hear him say " Prophesy and say":

Isaiah 61
The Year of the LORD's Favor
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

6 And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.

8 "For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed."

10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations.

Dog Tired

My job calls for innovation a lot of the time but lately it has taken on a whole new turn. We had a trainer scheduled to start training our new agents yesterday morning. Well, they got delayed and will not be able to start till the 9th or 10th. In the meantime, I can't send my agents home as they will likely get other jobs, so I have to train them. Well this morning I realised I had nothing to train them on and had to make stuff up first. God is faithful though, I managed to train them on american states, pronounciation, cities and the like. We had a good time in class too. Now I have to come up with something for tomorrow. It can be done. I am Dog tired right now though, but can't rest just yet.

Get set... Go!

I have all my papers in place, ready to do the tests and scan and then I can be admitted the night of the 10th for surgery the 11th. I feel good about it. The only thing is that I won't get to go to the coast as I had planned because of all the pre-surgery arrangements. No biggie. Will do it after recovery I guess.

I just found out that my godson has the chicken pox and I was with him all weekend. I have never had them, so I am praying that I don't catch them. Especially when I am trying to get surgery done. Man! That would be lousy luck. Say a prayer now