Month: January 2021

You may not know who’s going to be inspired by your testimony.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

On the night that Peter was rescued by the angel, he went to the house of Mary where the people had gathered to pray for him. Immediately after the angel left him, Peter thought of these people who had been concerned about his situation.  Obviously, he knew they had been praying for him. And since he had been miraculously rescued, He went to them because he wanted to share the good news with them. Peter didn’t think of rushing home to celebrate alone. Instead, the first thing on his mind was to share his testimony with those who stood by him.

After Peter described how God brought him out of prison, he then instructed them to share his testimony (Acts 12:25). Many times we fail to share our testimony after we’ve been rescued from a crisis. When we are facing challenges, we talk to people and ask them to help. But when God eventually answers our prayers, we forget to return to those who stood by us. What we fail to realize is that testimonies are important because they serve as proofs to God’s faithfulness. You may never know who’s going to be inspired by your testimony. Share that testimony!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I will testify of your faithfulness. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-17

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Why worry over something that is beyond your control?

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

On the night that Peter that was rescued by the angel of the Lord, he was heavily guarded by armed men. Ordinarily, there was no way Peter could have escaped by his own effort. So he simply slept. Peter probably realized there was no need worrying over something that was beyond his control. As at that moment, Peter wasn’t thinking of freedom. He had resolved to make the best use of that moment by having a good sleep.  So when the angel suddenly struck Peter on the side and woke him up, Peter was dazed. He thought it was a vision.

Peter followed the angel out of the prison, even though “he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening.” It was after he had regained his freedom that he realized that it was God who rescued him. As you hold on to God, you are going to get out of your troubles in the same way that Peter did. You may be feeling discouraged because you’ve exhausted all your strategies. Now that you drained, God will come to your rescue. When that time comes, act like Peter and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I am willing and ready to follow you. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-11

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Prayer works!

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Prayer works. But it doesn’t always work like a clock. While you can easily predict the hands of a clock, you can’t predict how or when a prayer will be answered. You can glance at a clock and immediately know the exact minutes it will take the hands of the clock to reach the next hour. But you can’t say a prayer and then predict the exact way it will be answered. I’m sure you’ve had incidences where God answered your prayers almost immediately. But then, there must have been times when the answers to your prayers were delayed.

After Peter was jailed by Herod, the Church prayed for him. The Bible didn’t mention how long it took God to answer their prayer. But we are told that on the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, an angel suddenly appeared and rescued him. The deliverance took place at an unexpected time and in an unpredictable way. God’s response was so remarkable that even Peter and those who were praying for him were surprised. The miracle happened at the eleventh hour! My prayer for you is that God will suddenly respond to your prayer in an unexpected way.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I know you will come through for me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-7

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Ask God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

Shortly after Herod had James, the brother of John killed; he proceeded and arrested Peter. Herod had decided to kill Peter because he figured it would make the Jews happy. This became a big problem to the Church because Peter was their leader. If he is also executed, then there would be a big vacuum. Since the Church knew they couldn’t physically confront King Herod because of his authority and influence, they resorted to prayers. In other words, they decided to use the master key to overcoming crisis. The scripture says, “The church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

I don’t know the sort of crisis you are currently facing. You might be facing a problem that has already overwhelmed you. Or you might be at the brink of giving up. If you are at a point where you feel defeated and have lost the strength to fight back; then do what the disciples did by handing over the matter to God. Like the disciples, pray earnestly. Get down on your knees and ask God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. And if you can’t pray, ask your friends and family to pray for you.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, do for me what no man can do for me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-5

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Often, we don’t pray according to God’s will.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Prayer is the master key to a successful life. Among other benefits, prayer can solve problems that money cannot. If you disagree, please visit any hospital and ask some of the doctors and nurses. I find prayer very vital because it is the one way through which we can build our relationship with God. I got to know more about God and discovered my purpose, through prayers. While prayer has a lot of advantages, it is also important to note that not every prayer is effective. You and I know that we have said certain prayers that God didn’t answer. There are many reasons why some of our prayers turn out to be ineffective. Let me deal with one of them. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells us to begin our prayers by aligning God’s will with ours.

Often, when we don’t pray according to God’s will for our lives, our prayers fail to yield the desired result. But you might want to ask; “how do I know God’s will?” Knowing God’s will or plan can be a difficult task, especially if you haven’t discovered your purpose in life. When you know what God wants you to do, you will likely pray according to His will. Shortly before God called me to teach His word, I was asking Him to bless me in areas that had to do with my life and business. But God didn’t answer any of those prayers. Instead, He kept on showing me visions of what He wanted me to do. But the moment I understood the visions and began to pray according to His plans for me, my prayers were answered. The scriptures say, “If we ask anything according to His will, He listens to and hears us” (1 John 5:14).

Prayer: Lord, teach me how to pray.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 1 John 5:14; Matthew 6:9-13

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.