Praise the name of the Lord, amen. We bless God for his mercies and Grace that has carried us through the journey of 2021 and now we are just few days more to end the year, to the glory of God. It is not by power, not by mighty but by the spirit of God that we have carried through till now, his mercies and Grace as kept us hitherto, and we give all the glory to God alone, Amen.
As we draw the curtain of this year and open a new one, I want us to understand that God is a God if new things, new beginning and new possibilities, all through scriptures, we saw that God is a God that moves his people forward, he doesn’t know a better yesterday, he is always bent on making progress and advancement the portion of his people, this is the Lord’s ultimate desire for his people that they should make progress and move forward in every of their endeavors.
Even though, this is God’s desire, we must understand that there is a role on our path which we must play, to see this become a reality, the fact that God have this desire for us does not make it happen naturally, there is a responsibility attached to it, which we must subscribe to.
Faith is a shared responsibility, God has his path, you have your own path to play too, it doesn’t happen naturally, the bible says “write the vision, make it plain that he may run that readeth it – “. Every provision of Scriptures is tied to a condition, if you want to see the full manifestation, you need to adhere with the condition, God cannot deny his word, if we want to see his word in fulfillment, we must do what the word says;
Today, I will be sharing some of the responsibility that is upon us as God’s people, which we are expected to do, in order to make the most of the New Year 2022 that is just right ahead of us. There are things we don’t need a prophet to know, the scriptures as already make them clear to us, we don’t need any special prophet to know that, God’s desire for his people is to advance and move forward, the bible says, the path of the just is as a shinning light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18).
Also in Exodus, the bible says, God said unto moses, why cry unto me, tell my people to move forward (Exodus 14: 15-16).
In 3 John 1:2, the bible says; “I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper, be in health even as your soul prospereth”.
These are all scriptural Truth that establish for us, the counsel of God for our lives, so that we don’t remain in confusion, as to what we are to do, or what we are to become, the bible says; I know the thoughts that I think towards you, the thoughts of good and not of evil to give you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).
From all these scriptures, we can see that God’s agenda for his people is that they get better, they move forward, they live a good life, they live a glorious life, not a pitiable life, not in sorrow and shame, but in glory and honor, but having known this, what are the expected prerequisite for us, to achieve this goal, to enjoy this desires that has been laid down for us by the Lord.
What Am I Expected to do to see the Counsel of God fulfilled in my life in the New Year?
- Prayer : This is the genesis of it all, you have to start the year with God, this is the only way you can get to make the most of the year, it is by starting with God, there is so much that comes by revelation and inspiration only when we pray, they don’t come naturally, until we lift up our Voice in prayer. In Jeremiah 33:3, the bible says, call unto me and I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things that you knowest not. There are many things that God will only reveal when we pray, many people have not maximize their destiny because they are limited in knowledge, there is nothing more powerful like a revealed knowledge, it puts you above all others, when you receive from heaven, you are literally placed above those who did not receive anything. Also in the place of prayer, we are able to destroy the agenda of the enemy, the works of the wicked are destroyed and nullify when we pray. Don’t wait till you become a victim of wickedness, rise up and pray against it, destroy it before time.
- Word of God: The Bible says; Faith cometh, by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). You need faith as a child of God, to believe all things that God as spoken to you personally or written in the scripture, it is faith that empowers us to become what God says. Without Faith, the word of God cannot produce in your life, how to you access faith or build faith and make it come alive? By the word of God, this is the only way to build faith, it is by the word. So you must make up your mind to sit down and study the word of God, even as we prepare for the new year, you must search the scriptures and continue the same all through the new year, this is how to get the promise of God to be fulfilled in your life, take time to sit down and study the word of God. Many times, while we are studying the bible, God began to give us revelation, he gives us direction, he empowers us and impart us, to make it easy, you can also get books and sermon tape on subject of interest to you, either on finances, marriage, vision, Business and career, ministry or any other thing, because knowledge empowers, as you listen to other people’s revelation on it, you get your own, which makes you a commander in that realm. I want you to know as a Christian, that your destiny remains close as long as the scriptures remains closed, until the word of God is opened and accessed, the destiny of believers are at stake, but as you open up yourself to the ministry of the word, you are empowered and equipped to break every limitation and barrier in your journey of destiny.
- Serving God: This means, seeking the advancement of the kingdom of God, if you want God to decorate your life and glorify you, you must serve God, you must seek the interest of his kingdom, this is very paramount, before God can settle you, you must be useful to God, your love for God must be proven by your commitment to advancing his kingdom on the earth. The Empowerment of the spirit of God and the glory of God is meant for the servants of God, so if glory is your desire, service is the requirement, the bible says; ye shall serve the lord thy God, he shall bless your bread and water and shall take sickness far away from you (Exodus 23:25). Also in Matthew 6:33, the bible says; Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. In the kingdom of God, what you give to God is what makes a place for you in life, everything that you do for God is securing a future for you, both your time, your money, your resources, they are all working together to create a future for you, that is why you must be part of the advancement of the kingdom of God on the earth, this is the real prove of your love for the lord.
- Living in Integrity and the Fear of God: This is another major factor, that many people use to trivialize, you must make up your mind to walk in the fear of God, to walk in integrity both before God and before men, as a Christian, you must be trustworthy in all ways, especially when it comes to the matter of money and monetary transaction, you must develop a good reputation among men, because your relationship and credibility among men can go a long way to determine how fast or how slow your answered prayer will be. Many Christians today are doing in their office and workplace, the same thing that unbelievers are doing, so the unbelievers don’t even value and honor your God, because your lack of reputation as destroy and sabotage your Christian identity, if you live this way, you will be defeated and never be satisfied, because you are not representing God well enough. Be a Christian, not only in church, at home and everywhere you find yourself. Develop a godly character, be deliberate about your personality, be trustworthy with words, with money, this can hasten your answered prayer, or can shut the heavens over you.
- Sowing and Reaping: If one of your desires for the New Year is an Open door financially, you need to pay rapt attention here, God is a God of principle and order, he says, my covenant shall I not break, he is not a respecter of persons, if you walk the principles, you will get the desired result, God is not limited in his ways, whatever you see God doing in the life of someone at the moment is a pointer to what he wants to do for anybody who obeys his word. Around the world today, it seems the subject of finances, breakthrough and supernatural supply is one of the most crucial topic of utmost interest, many people wants to know the principle that makes for financial breakthrough, there are many ways to it, your spiritual wellbeing cannot be over emphasized, because God ways in his word that he wants you to prosper as your soul prospers too, so the material blessing must not reduce your spiritual flourishing, the both of them must go hand –in-hand. But apart from them, is the law of sowing and reaping, this is giving to God in obedience to his word and expecting his blessings in return as he has promised you, knowing fully well that God cannot lie. There are many people today, who lift up their voice and ask God for supply, but they have not sown the seed, you can only reap what you have sown. If you want to reap harvest, before you start praying to God, ensure you have sown the seed first, because this is what guarantees your harvest any day. The Bible says; in the morning sow thy seed, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:6. The law of seedtime and harvest is very powerful, do not trivialize it. This cut across the payment of your sacrifice, your offering, tithe, first fruits and more. God cannot fail, he cannot mismanage your life, and you just need to trust him enough and obey him and let him do that which only he can do. I have practiced this several times in my life, especially through the channel of tithing, the result is enormous and almost unbelievable, God is real, you can trust him, obey him in giving your resources and let him take care of all your needs.
- A lifestyle of Thanksgiving and Praise: After you might have prayed, study the word of God, have faith and make declaration of your desires, pay your tithe and sacrifices, the next very powerful thing to do, is thanksgiving, without this, your prayer and sacrifice are never acceptable, God is not a task master, he is the almighty father, you must understand that he is in charge of your life and can never mismanage your life affairs. Whenever you come to God to pray, or to ask for something, you must start your prayer with thanksgiving and end it with thanksgiving, the bible says; enter his gate with thanksgiving and his court with praise, be thankful unto him and bless his name, this is how God works, without thanksgiving, you cannot get anything from God, you must first appreciate him for that which he has done, what you have seen, no matter how small, even if you are saying; “I don’t think God has done anything special to me this year” remember that you are alive, he kept you, he didn’t allow evil to befall you, he didn’t allow your enemies to destroy you, thank him for that, before you make any request, thanksgiving is what authorize your other requests and make them acceptable before God. Don’t just give thanks when things are smooth and fine, No! Make it a habit and a lifestyle to always give God the glory, this please God so much. God deserves our praise, even when you make a request from GOD, thank him that he has done it, even when you have not seen it yet, it is a way to make it come to manifestation quickly, it is also a display of faith in God that God cannot fail, anywhere God sees faith in the heart of men, he steps in and do mighty things, Your praise is a symbol of your faith in the almightiness of God. Also note that, your praise and thanksgiving brings a multiplier effect on your life and endeavors, it commands the increase and blessings of God upon you, this is the reason why you must be deliberately thankful to God at all time, the bible speaking in Psalm 67:5-6 it says; Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee, then shall the earth yield her increase and God, even our own God shall bless us. That is what happens when we praise God, maintain a lifestyle of praise and thanksgiving, no matter what the situation maybe, take time to bless God about it, and it will change, because God in habit the praises of his people, the power of Praise is necessary, if you want your situation to change for the better.
- Planning: We have touched many spiritual weapons and biblical weapons that make for victorious life, that makes the word of God to come true in your life. I want to also touch another point that you must not ignore in the new year and that is “Effective Planning”, someone says, failure to plan is planning to fail, you have to come up with a plan, as God will lead and direct you, what do you desire next, what is your goal and target? Our goals are different, based on our phase and needs, some people might need to further their education, some might need to start a business, and others may be looking forward to securing a new job, while another might want to expand his Business to the next level. Whatever you desire is, write it down, make a plan, planning is what grant you speed, it help you to move faster, when God provide money for you, you will not lavish it anyhow, you know where you are going, so you are discipline and guided with your spending.
I want you to know that, whatever your needs and desires are, God is equal to the task, he can do it, you just need to have enough faith to carry it, write down the plans, what you want to achieve, let the spirit of God guide you, write down your vision and goal, and how to actualize them, what you write down have the potential to become a reality than that which you remain in your heart. When you are praying, your plan becomes the center of your desires. Remember the bible says, surely there is an end and the expectation of the righteous shall not be cut short, so your expectation can become a door way for God to visit you, he comes through for you faster when you have a goal, a target, this is very important.
I pray for you, in the name of Jesus Christ, as you journey into 2022, you shall experience the glory of God in your life like never before; God will increase you on every side in Jesus name, Amen. The Lord bless you.
Written by Pastor Matthew.