Category: Shepherd Daily Devotional

God prioritizes our prayer requests according to our needs.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Oftentimes, we fail to realize that God doesn’t give us things because we lack them. He gives us things because we need them. You can live without the things you lack. But the things you need are those things that are necessary. Getting those things you need, can be more important than having the things you lack. For instance, you may pray for a car that may not be necessary at a particular time. At that time, the car may simply be a lack and not a need. Later, the same car could become a need in your life. God prioritizes our prayer requests according to our needs.

When Solomon asked God for wisdom, He said, “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” Because Solomon asked for what he needed, God was pleased. Perhaps, you are praying for the right thing at the wrong time. You might have left out what you need and have been praying for the things that God knows are mere shortages. Maybe, God wants you to ask for something else. It could be that the only thing wrong with your prayer is bad timing.

Prayer: Lord, let your will be done. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 72:1; 1King 3:9; Luke 22:42

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

Allow God to deal with the enemy.

Written By Benjamin 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: Dear Jesus, my battles are yours. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:17-24

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

Commit to focusing on what you can change, rather than what’s already happened.

Written By Benjamin 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 move on to another place. In other words, Peter didn’t to 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: Dear Jesus, give me the courage to move on. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-17

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.

God made the earth by His power.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

One thing that is common about every human is the desire to be powerful. Because we want to control others and our circumstances, we crave for power. The quest for power is what makes leaders dominate their followers. But power isn’t a negative thing. It is how we acquire and use power that either makes it good or evil. Actually, we don’t have to oppress people before becoming powerful. Real power comes when you are able to create something or do something new, especially when it has to do with your purpose. The Bible tells us that, “God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.”(Jeremiah 10:12). Again, this point is emphasized in Proverbs 3:19.

So God created the world with His power. But the power that God used didn’t come by oppressing anyone; it came through the use of His wisdom and understanding. This means that understanding and wisdom are related to power. It also means that in order to create anything you need to have understanding and wisdom. Therefore, our God is a Creator whose power is known by the things He creates with His wisdom and understanding. When God wanted to create earth, He didn’t exploit anyone; He didn’t ask anyone to do the work of creation for Him. He did it by Himself, with His own wisdom and understanding. For that reason, He owns and controls the earth. If you want real power, you have to do what God did. Whether you would like to create a tangible product or a business, it will require your wisdom and understanding. It is the person with knowledge that can be powerful; not a domineering person.

Prayer: Lord, give me the wisdom to create. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Jeremiah 10:12; Proverbs 3:19

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

Whatever you can overcome, God will let you handle it.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Miracles were a vital part of Jesus’ ministry. As He preached the gospel, He often performed miracles. When He left and the Holy Spirit came, His disciples continued His work of performing miracles as they preached the good news. Up until this moment, Christians have been experiencing miracles in their lives. When you read the gospels carefully, you will realize that most of the miracles Jesus performed were caused by an urgent need. For instance,the first miracle – turning of water into wine was done to solve an urgent problem. Also, Christ often performed miracles because of sympathy. Whenever Jesus became sympathetic, know that He was going to perform a miracle.

Equally, the miracles that God performed while He was taking the Israelites out of Egypt were often as a result of an urgent need. When they were unprepared to fight an army, God divided the red sea; when they were thirsty and there was no stream, God brought water out of rock; when they were hungry, and there was no food, He dropped manna from Heaven. But by the time they settled in the Promised Land, fewer miracles were experienced because the Israelites were able to take care of themselves. Know this; while we need miracles in our lives, it is important for us to know that God also expects us to take responsibility over certain areas of our lives. God often does miracles whenever He sees us in a difficult situation that is beyond our control or power. Whatever you can overcome, God will let you handle it because He created you to have control and He knows the power He has placed inside of you. If you don’t get that expected miracle, maybe it is God’s way of telling you to face that problem and conquer it by yourself.

Prayer: Lord, open my eyes, so I can see those things I can control. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Luke 9:11; John 2:1-11

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