READ YOUR RHAPSODY OF REALITIES DAILY DEVOTIONAL. EXPRESS JOY – PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME THURSDAY AUGUST 18TH 2016
Imagine that someone got the news that a kind person left him
an estate worth a hundred million dollars; how do you think he’d receive the
news? I’m most certain he won’t receive it with a listless “Thank you.” He’ll
express much joy for what he received. Likewise, when you pray about a
situation, maybe a health condition, and you believe God answered you, act like
it. Express joy! One day many years ago, I was leading the church service and
had invited everyone to come forward for prayer. They all came around the altar
and prayed.
After the prayer, they returned to their seats as though they
had just been whipped, and the Lord said to me, “They didn’t receive answers to
their prayer.” He didn’t say, “I didn’t answer them,” because He always answers
when we pray. But they didn’t receive because they didn’t act like people who
had received answers to what they prayed about. There have been people who
received healing or other miracles in a meeting, and just as they turned to
leave the venue, everything returned to what it was before. They lost the
healing. Their healing was a sign; God had given them attention, and got their attention,
but expected them to further act their faith.
He wanted them to rejoice, testify, and be glad about what
already happened, and thus keep their miracle, but they didn’t. Many people
don’t know that their expressions are a message. Faith is expressed in words
and in actions. If your words and actions don’t demonstrate your faith, then
there’s no faith. Every time people received something from the Lord in the
Bible, they demonstrated it in their joy, and their blessing was sustained.
Some actually received more as a result of their joyful testimonies and
gratitude; an example is the leper in Luke 17:11-19.
The Bible says faith without works—corresponding action—is
dead. If you accept what God has said about you, you’ve got to act like it.
PRAYER
I thank you Precious Father, for making my life a bundle of
joy and happiness, and a testimony of your goodness. I go forth in your glory
today, in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
PHILIPPIANS 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord
always: and again I say, Rejoice.
1 CHRONICLES 16:9
Sing unto him, sing psalms
unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
PSALM 27:6
And now shall mine head be
lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his
tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
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