Author: shepherd2centre

By Ben Dankaka

Shepherd Daily Devotional – Feb 2022 – The Power to Succeed

In his farewell speech, Moses instructed his people to recognize God as the One who gives the power to produce wealth. Why was that important? You see, whenever we do not acknowledge God as the source of our wealth, we automatically claim His glory. One of the blunders of our generation is self-aggrandizement. Go to social media and you will see a myriad of success stories aimed at glorifying individuals at the expense of the Creator. I am not saying we shouldn’t celebrate ourselves. But when we describe ourselves as “idols” or “self-made”, we put God at the rear seat.

God is deeply interested in our success. For that reason, He expects us to put our faith in Him. The purpose is to humble us so that He can guide us along the right path. Recall that Moses had reminded the Israelites of the time God gave them manna to eat in the desert, to humble and to test them so that in the end it might go well with them (Deuteronomy 8:16). When we acknowledge God as our source, we will not only avoid the sin of self-glory, but would find ourselves progressing from one success to another.

Prayer/Confession: Heavenly Father, I acknowledge you as the primary source of all that I have. Thank you, Lord.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Deuteronomy 8:10-20; Proverbs 3:16; 1 Chronicles 29:12

All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

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All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

KEY VERSE: 1Samuel 24:12

Written By Ben Dankaka

There’s a saying that “revenge is a dish best served cold”. This statement implies that revenge is more fulfilling when it’s carried out at an unexpected time. I strongly disagree because this statement opposes what the Bible teaches. To take revenge against your enemy is wrong, and the Bible condemns it.  In his letter to the Romans, Paul warns us “not to take revenge”, but “leave room for God’s wrath” (Romans 12:19). That is, we are expected to leave vengeance for God because whoever troubles us is actually fighting God, not us. Allow God to deal with the enemy.

Recall what happened in the case between Peter and Herod. When Herod tried to kill Peter, God stepped in and rescued Peter by Himself because Herod was actually fighting God, not Peter. So, Peter acted rightly by not fighting back. He simply moved on. By that act, he left room for God’s wrath. Later, on a particular day, Herod was struck down with a blow by an angel. You might have been badly hurt by someone in the past. However, if God has already liberated you, move on and leave room for God’s wrath. God’s retribution is sweeter.

Prayer:  Holy Father, I hand it over to you. Be the Judge. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:17-24

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All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

KEY VERSE: Proverbs 4:25

Written By Ben Dankaka

When Peter told the brethren how the Lord had saved him from death, He said to them, “Tell James and the brothers about this,” and then he left for another place. The scriptures didn’t tell us where he headed to, but we know that Peter moved to another place. In other words, Peter didn’t hold on to his past. He moved on. Clearly, the main thing on Peter’s mind was how to further his work of spreading the gospel. So, he quickly moved out of the city, leaving his past behind.

One reason why many people fail to overcome the crises in their lives is because they often go through life feeling frustrated, even after they’ve been liberated. They fail to leave the past. Instead, they remain bitter after the adversity is long gone. To fully recover from a crisis, you would have to do what Peter did. Move on immediately! You can’t change the past, but you can work toward a better future. So, commit to focusing on what you can change, rather than what has already happened. Peter knew that the only thing he could control was his future. For that reason, he moved on.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit, guide me as I move on from the past. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:11-17

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All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

KEY VERSE: Psalm 105:1-3

Written By Ben Dankaka

On the night that Peter was rescued by an angel, he went to the Mary’s house, where the people had gathered to pray for him. Notice that immediately after the angel left him, Peter thought of the people who had been concerned about his situation.  Most likely, 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). Too often, we fail to share our testimony after we’ve been rescued from a crisis. When we are facing challenges, we run to people for 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/Confession:  I will testify of the goodness of the Lord. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:11-17

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All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

KEY VERSE: Psalm 23:1-4

Written By Ben 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. Possibly, as at that moment, Peter wasn’t thinking of freedom. It could be, 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, 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 are drained, God will come to your rescue. When that time comes, act like Peter; follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer/Confession:  Holy Spirit, I am willing to follow your lead. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-11

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All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

KEY VERSE: 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

Written By Ben 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/Confession:  Heavenly Father, I know you will answer my prayer at Your own set time. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-7

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All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

KEY VERSE: Psalm 107:6

Written By Ben Dankaka

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 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’ve lost the strength to pray, ask someone to pray for you. Ask for help!

Prayer/Confession:  Heavenly Father, do for me what I cannot do for myself. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-5

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All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

KEY VERSE: Colossians 3:23-24

Written By Ben Dankaka

After winning the prayer contest against the prophets of Baal, Elijah inspired a revival. When the Israelites saw how God responded to Elijah’s sacrifice they immediately repented. Elijah had seized that moment and ordered the killing of the prophets of Baal. Moments later, just as Elijah had prophesied, Israel had a heavy rain, after over three years of drought. But before he could celebrate the victory, Elijah found himself, once again in the wilderness, when he received a death threat from Jezebel. While he was on exile, Elijah became depressed and even prayed that God would take his own life. But as he rested in a cave, God asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Possibly, God asked that question because Elijah wasn’t supposed to run away from his country, even though he was threatened by Jezebel. Maybe, you’ve found yourself in a similar situation. You’ve spent your energy on a cause. But instead of recognition, you’ve been rejected and misunderstood. You are now at a point where you are beginning to doubt and question your convictions. Unless if God tells you to quit, stay there. Oftentimes, God wants us to confront challenges and not to run from it.

Prayer/Confession:  I will not quit by the grace of God. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 1 Kings 18:38-46; 19:1-9

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All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

KEY VERSE: 1 John 5:14 

Written By Ben Dankaka

One of the most powerful prayers in the Bible is the one said by Elijah as at the time of his prayer challenge with the prophets of Baal. The prophets had begun the challenge by praying to their god from morning to evening. They shouted and danced as they asked their god to bring fire on their sacrifice. But despite their loud appeals, nothing happened, even after slashing themselves with swords. When it got to Elijah’s turn, the atmosphere suddenly became calm. Possibly, his prayer didn’t take more than five minutes but the response was instant.

We can learn from the way Elijah said his prayer. His prayer was straight to the point. He didn’t try to embellish it with many words. Also, Elijah didn’t try to impress God by screaming and dancing. Instead, he confidently talked to God. Clearly, his confidence was inspired by the fact that his prayer was said according to God’s will. Recall that Elijah had asked God to answer his prayer so that it will be known that He is the God of Israel and that He was willing to turn the people’s hearts back to Him. That was God’s will. Today, pray according to God’s will.

Prayer/Confession:  Heavenly Father, reveal Your perfect will to your servant. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 1King 18:1-39

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All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

KEY VERSE: Jeremiah 29:11

Written By Ben Dankaka

Oftentimes, we fail to realize that God prioritizes our prayer requests according to His perfect plan. And that is often determined by time. That is, He responds to our requests at the time we need them. Recall that in the book of Genesis, we are told that the earth had no shrub, “for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground” (Genesis 2:5). In other words, because there was no man to till the earth, God didn’t send down rain at a certain time.

Timing is therefore important to God. For instance, you may pray for a car that may not be necessary at a particular time. However, the same car may be a priority at another time. When Solomon asked God for wisdom, God was pleased with his request because that was what he needed at that time. Perhaps, you are praying for the right thing at the wrong time. It could be that the only thing wrong with your prayer is bad timing. You may need all of the things in your prayer list. But God will give you what you need when the time is right.

Prayer/Confession:  Heavenly Father, Your timing is right. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 1King 3:9; Genesis 2:5

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