The Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” This means that how you see yourself determines your physical health. So how do you see yourself in the midst of your symptoms, or after hearing your doctor’s negative report?
Beloved, the truth is that through Jesus’ finished work at the cross, you are completely righteous and completely redeemed from every curse of sickness (Gal. 3:13 NIV). You are God’s beloved child for whom Jesus did a complete work to save, heal, and deliver.
So don’t see yourself as the sick trying to get healed. You are the healed, righteous, and beloved child of God facing some symptoms.
Be of good cheer! There is no disease or condition that is greater than the perfect, finished work Jesus has accomplished for you. Declare what you’ve been made in Christ and see your body manifest this truth!
Hebrews 13:5 says that God’s presence in your life is a guaranteed constant. But I want you to know that you cannot evaluate God’s presence and His unmerited favor in your life based on your circumstances. To help you understand what this means, let’s look at the life of Joseph.
Joseph refused the advances made by Potiphar’s wife, and as the common saying goes, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!” She maliciously accused Joseph of attempting to rape her, brandishing as “evidence” the garments that Joseph had left in her hands when he fled from her. When Potiphar heard his wife telling her version of the story, his anger was aroused and he seized Joseph, stripped him from the place of authority he had given him and threw him into prison.
Just put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. What is happening here? It sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? With the painful memory of his brothers casting him into the pit still fresh in his mind, here he is once again, cast into a dungeon even though he was innocent.
Any average person would be bitter and angry with God! Most people would ask, “Where is God? Why had God brought him this far, only to abandon and forsake him? How could this happen? Where is the justice against this false accusation?”
But Joseph was literally no “average Joe”! He knew that the Lord would never leave him nor forsake him. Joseph considered not his circumstances, but kept his focus on the presence of the Lord.
Regardless of whether he was a common slave, an overseer in Potiphar’s house or now a prisoner facing the prospect of life imprisonment for a crime he did not even commit, Joseph did not evaluate God’s unmerited favor in his life based on his circumstances. Instead of getting bitter, he kept his hope in the Lord. Instead of throwing in the towel and giving up on God and on life, he kept his confidence, knowing that all his success was wrapped up in the presence of the Lord.
And boy, did the Lord deliver him! I want you to read this for yourself to see what the Lord did for Joseph:
But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.
—Genesis 39:21–23
What does this tell you? If you refuse to bow to your circumstances and continue to be conscious of the Lord’s presence, wherever you are placed, whatever your environment, you will rise to prominence.
You will have favor with your bosses and they will promote you to man-in-charge. And whatever you do will prosper!
Today’s Word Today’s Scripture I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13, NIV
Be Confident God gave Joseph a dream that he would be in leadership and do great things. That seed was planted in his heart, but for thirteen years everything he experienced looked just the opposite. He was sold into slavery in Egypt, falsely accused of a crime, then locked away in prison. He could have easily gotten bitter in that long dry season and said, “Where is the goodness of God in all of this pain?” But Joseph remained confident of God’s faithfulness and kept doing his best in spite of his circumstances. Then one morning he was suddenly called to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, and he went from being an imprisoned slave to the prime minister of Egypt.
You may be in a dry season. Thoughts will tell you, “God has forgotten about you. Things will never change.” No, God can quickly turn things around. One touch of His favor, one good break, one phone call, one divine connection, and suddenly the dry season ends. Keep being faithful. He’s going to bring you out better, promoted, stronger, healthier, at a new level of your destiny. A Prayer for
Today “Father, thank You that You are my deliverer and vindicator when negative things come against me. Thank You for the confidence I can have that if I keep moving forward in faith, I will see Your goodness. I believe that You will amaze me with what You have planned. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
SECTION TWO
God’s Word tells us that “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). Like Jesus, you can increase in wisdom and in God’s unmerited favor.
How? You have probably noticed that some believers seem to experience a lot more unmerited favor than others. I believe that this is because these believers understand the key to accessing God’s favor.
Romans 5:2 clearly spells out that “we have access by faith into this grace [unmerited favor] in which we stand.” To gain access to your computer or your bank account, you need a password. To gain access to and increase in God’s unmerited favor, the “password” or key that we need to have is faith, faith to believe that YOU Gloria Oshiomouwa Daniels___ (insert your name), are highly favored!
One of the things that I have taught my church members to do is to declare over themselves that they are greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved.
“How do we know that we are greatly blessed, Pastor Prince?”
Read Hebrews 6:13–14 for yourself. God wanted us to be so anchored in the sure and steadfast knowledge that He will bless us, the seed of Abraham, that He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”
“How can we say that we are highly favored?”
Ephesians 1:6 tells us that by God’s grace (unmerited favor), God “made us accepted in the Beloved.” In the original Greek text, the word “accepted” is the word charitoo, which means “highly favored.”
“And are we really deeply loved by God?”
God didn’t just love us. John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” He demonstrated how He SO loved us when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us.
I pray that the verses that I have shown you here will help you believe that through Jesus, you are indeed greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved. If these truths are still not established in your heart, start speaking them.
Look at yourself in the mirror every morning and declare boldly, “Because of Jesus’ perfect work on the cross, I am righteous by His blood, and I am greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved! I expect good things to come my way. I expect good success and I have a confident expectation of good!”
Today’s Word Today’s Scripture And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry. Ephesians 4:26, NLT
Don’t Get On Board You can’t stop negative feelings such as anger, disappointment, or sadness from coming, but you don’t have to let them control you by getting on board with them. Imagine you’re at a train station and the conductor says, “All aboard for the Depression Express. Stops at offenses, self-pity, and worries.” Too often, we hand the conductor our ticket and step aboard. No, quit getting on board with those feelings. Try a different approach. Next time those negative feelings say, “All aboard,” say, “No, thanks. I’m not going where you’re going. My destination is joy, peace, abundance, and victory.”
When we’re controlled by how we feel, that’s a very surface way to live. You have to go deeper than that. There will always be opportunities to be discouraged, offended, and upset. You have to make the choice. “That’s not for me. I’m going to live this day in faith. I’m going to focus on what’s right. I’m going to enjoy my family. I’m going to be grateful. I’m choosing to have a good mood.” That’s how you rule your feelings, and not let them rule you.
A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You that though I can’t stop the circumstances around me, I can guard my heart and mind against the negative things that try to control me. Thank You that I don’t have to get on board the hurts, the worries, and disappointments. I will stop the anger and bitterness from getting in me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
SECTION TWO
There is power in the blood of Jesus to forgive you of all your sins, and understanding this is crucial to living a victorious life.
The enemy fears this truth the most and that is why he attacks this teaching on the forgiveness of sins so vehemently.
If the enemy can get you to believe the lie that you are not completely forgiven and keep you sin-conscious, he will be able to keep you defeated, condemned, fearful of God, and caught in a vicious circle of failure.
The writings of the Gnostics are malevolent because they propagate the lie that Jesus was a mere mortal, which means that His blood has no power to cleanse us from all our sins. This is a lie from the pit of hell!
Jesus is the Son of God and His blood is untainted by any sin. That is why the shedding of His pure and innocent blood is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
His blood does not cover sins temporarily like the blood of bulls and goats in the old covenant. His blood blots out and completely erases all our sins.
This is the blood of God Himself, shed for the forgiveness of all our sins! We need to start to realize that this is not a “basic teaching.” This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the end times, people will not be anti-God, but they will be anti-Christ. The anti-Christ movement in the end times will attempt to devalue Jesus’ deity, the cross, and His power to forgive all our sins.
That is why, in these last days, we need more preaching about Jesus, His finished work, and the new covenant of His unmerited favor. We need more new covenant, Christ-centered preachers who will put the cross of Jesus as the focus of all their preaching.
The only way to stem this deception from creeping into the church is to focus on exalting the person of Jesus and the central tenet of the new covenant, which is the complete forgiveness of sins! This is the gospel and when the gospel truth is preached, people will be set free.
There should be no compromise when it comes to the gospel of Jesus. Forgiveness of sins is based on His grace (unmerited favor) alone, and we have access into this grace by faith. Our part is to only believe!
This is what makes the gospel the good news. Take away the complete forgiveness of sins and it is no longer the “gospel,” which means “good news.”
Beloved, believe that all your sins are forgiven. That is your part in the new covenant. That is how you become established in the new covenant of grace and experience the fullness of His unmerited favor!
Tribalism on its own poses a threat, so consider the consequences when it merges with another harmful trait — hypocrisy!
Tribal hypocrisy presents complexities from all angles! It can manifest in various ways, often involving contradictions between stated values and actual behaviours within a group or community.
Certain illustrations include: Double standards: Applying different rules or expectations to members within the group versus outsiders.
Selective interpretation: Interpreting traditions or norms in a way that benefits certain individuals or subgroups.
Inconsistencies in values: Claiming to uphold certain values while acting contrary to them.
Numerous examples of these and others come to light here, illustrating different facets of double standards.
The phrase double standard refers to the inconsistent application of rules or principles to comparable situations, often in an unfair or hypocritical manner. This can manifest in several circumstances.
Morality: judging others more harshly than oneself for the same actions
Rules and regulations: enforcing rules differently for certain individuals or groups
Social expectations: having different expectations for men and women, or for people of different social classes or backgrounds
Implications Double standards can undermine trust and credibility, creating chaos.
People who face unfair judgment or treatment often experience resentment.
Unequal treatment often arises from double standards, reinforcing inequality.
Dealing with Double Standards Understanding and accepting one’s own biases and double standards.
Seeking to uphold the same rules and principles for everyone.
Supporting honest discussions regarding double standards and their consequences.
Recognizing and tackling double standards allows us to strive for increased fairness, equality, and understanding, but it won’t be easy with so many individuals promoting tribal hypocrisy.
Amidst tribalism, opponents will transform into enthusiastic backers, rallying behind the malevolent figure as he spirals into doom — and the world remains perplexed, witnessing a flawed champion babbling inconsistently.
The formation of a tribal hypocrite reveals that tribal hypocrisy can take on multiple expressions, as illustrated by this group:
Hypocrisy in standards Different standards for those within one’s own tribe versus those outside of it. They find fault with the evil in others but endorse and empathize with it among themselves.
Wanting others to conform to particular behaviours while not practicing those behaviours personally. It raises concern that the same individuals who feast on human flesh will openly bemoan cannibalism simply to fool their victims.
Cultural Conflicts Discrepancies between stated cultural values and actual practices or behaviours. Under the cheeky notion of ‘ours is ours’, they condemn anything that doesn’t serve their purpose.
Interpreting cultural norms or traditions in a way that aligns with personal interests or biases.
Tribal hypocrisy can foster mistrust, conflict, and division among groups and within them.
Failing to hold oneself and others responsible for their actions can lead to ongoing hypocrisy.
It’s however important to understand and confront one’s biases and double standards. engage in candid and truthful exchanges concerning cultural norms and practices. Then advocate for transparency and fairness in interactions with individuals.
When we acknowledge and tackle tribal hypocrisy, we can promote greater understanding, empathy, and unity, but this requires the self-styled Pharaohs to be open to learning.
Today’s Word Today’s Scripture “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I consecrated you.” Jeremiah 1:5, AMP
Approved Before you were born, God not only knew you and chose you, but He put a calling on your life. He put greatness in you. He’s destined you to leave your mark. But the enemy will work overtime to try to make you feel left out, as though you don’t matter. “You’re not smart enough. You don’t fit in. You’re too different. You don’t have a good personality.” Don’t believe those lies. Tune all that out. God specializes in choosing people like Jeremiah, people who feel they have too many weaknesses and shortcomings.
Don’t disqualify yourself. Don’t think that you have too many flaws, that you’re not qualified, that you don’t come from the right background, that you’ve made too many wrong choices. God knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb. He knew every mistake you would make. He knew what you would struggle with. He knew the environment you’d be raised in. And He still chooses you. He approves you. Your past is forgiven. Your future is bright. You are well able to fulfill your purpose.
A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You that You approved me before I was formed in my mother’s womb, long before I made my first mistake. Thank You that You chose me and love me despite my weaknesses and shortcomings. I declare that I am going to approve myself and feel good about who I am. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Beloved, it is vital for you to receive the gift of no condemnation because that is what will give you the power to overcome your weaknesses, destructive habits, and addictions. If you believe that God condemns you for your failures, would you run to Him for help?
Look at how Jesus gave a sinner the power to sin no more. He defended the woman who was caught in adultery.
He looked tenderly into her eyes and asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:10–11).
You see, the Ten Commandments, in all their pristine holiness, cannot make you holy and cannot put an end to sin. The power to stop sin from destroying your life comes from receiving the gift of no condemnation from Jesus.
Your Savior, who has fulfilled the law on your behalf, says to you, “Where are those who condemn you? NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU. Now, go and sin no more.” This is grace, my friend. This is His unmerited favor!
The law says that God will not condemn you only if you stop sinning. However, Grace says, “I have taken your condemnation on the cross. Now, you can go and sin no more.”
Romans 6:14 says that “sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace [unmerited favor].” If you are still struggling with sin, it is time to stop depending on the law. Fall upon His unmerited favor like the apostle Paul did.
When you know that Christ has made you righteous apart from your works, and that He has perfected you by His unmerited favor, that will give you the ability to overcome every sinful temptation, habit, and addiction in your life!
Right now, when you reach out to your Savior Jesus, God sees you as perfect in Him. He does not condemn you for your past, present, and even future mistakes because all the mistakes that you will make in this life have already been nailed to the cross. You are now free to sin no more, experiencing victory and success over every sin and bondage in your life!
Today’s Word Today’s Scripture Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10, NLT
Why Not Change? It’s easy to get negative when someone offends you. It’s easy to live in self-pity over a bad break. It’s easy to be rude to people who are rude to you. But what if you knew all that was a test. That God put you there to see how you would respond. Don’t let the same things upset you, the same people offend you, the same compromise defeat you year after year. Instead of waiting for it to change, why don’t you change? Why don’t you grow through it?
It’s time to step up and prove to God who you are. You’re not weak. You’re a warrior. You don’t fall apart when trouble comes. You are strong in the Lord. You don’t complain that you can’t take it anymore. You can do all things through Christ. You don’t live offended by people who did you wrong. You let God be your vindicator. That’s how you grow through it. When you prove to God that you’re growing stronger, He can entrust you with more favor, more resources, more influence.
A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You that I have the power to remain strong when circumstances and people try to defeat me. Thank You that I can change and grow through the challenges I face. I’ve made up my mind that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
SECTION TWO
First the blade, then the head, and then the full grain in the head of wheat. Just as a seed takes time to sprout and grow, it may take some time before your healing manifests fully. And just as a new farmer may see a thirty or sixtyfold yield before he sees a hundredfold yield, it may take some time before you experience 100 percent wholeness (Mark 4:8 NLT).
My friend, don’t say, “Why is my healing taking so long?” and give up. Press on toward the hundredfold. As you get 30 percent better, trust God for the 60 percent, and then the 100 percent.
Don’t lose sleep over when or how the full manifestation of your healing will happen. Be like the farmer—go to sleep! Rest, and leave the how and when to God.
Beloved, the Lord will give you strength to persevere. Your hundredfold is on the way!
Today’s Word Today’s Scripture Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her….Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1:14, 16, NIV
Times of Letting Go Ruth and her sister-in-law, Orpah, both lost their husbands. Their widowed mother-in-law, Naomi, was moving back to her hometown. She told Ruth and Orpah to return to their hometowns and find new husbands, that there was no future in staying with her. Orpah kissed Naomi and moved on. But Ruth refused to leave Naomi and was determined to care for Naomi in spite of what it might cost her. That tells me that if someone is supposed to stay with you, they’ll stick with you through thick and thin. You won’t be able to talk them into leaving. On the other hand, you can’t convince the people to stay who are supposed to leave. When God closes the door in a relationship, you can’t pay them enough, compliment them enough, or treat them good enough. You have to accept that it’s a necessary ending.
You enjoyed the time together, but to become who you were created to be, you have to let them go so you can move0 forward into new relationships, new opportunities, new growth. Trust Him when you don’t understand.
A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You that You are directing my steps even through the seasons of hurts, questions, and disappointments. Thank You that You bring people into my life and at times You move them out. Help me learn to accept Your sovereign plan, to stay in faith, and to see Your plan unfold. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
All Christians probably believe that God has the power to bless, heal, protect, prosper, and make someone a success. However, we know that not all Christians believe that God is willing to do all that for them.
Matthew 8:1–3 records the story of a leper who came to Jesus for healing. He said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” The leper did not doubt Jesus’ ability to heal him, but he was unsure if Jesus was willing to heal him, a leper who was ostracized by all.
In other words, he believed in God’s omnipotence, but was not sure if God’s heart was one of love and unmerited favor toward him. I am sure that you know believers who are like that.
They may believe in God’s power, but they are unsure of God’s heart toward them. They know that God can, but they are not sure if He is willing.
My friend, don’t be like that leper who completely misread Jesus! Let’s see how Jesus responded to him. This is important because it would be the same response that Jesus would give you if you approached Him today.
Matthew 8:3 records that “Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.'” Can you see how personal Jesus’ ministry is?
He did not touch every person that He healed. At times, He simply spoke and the sick were healed.
But in this case, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the leper tenderly. I believe that Jesus did this to heal him not just of his leprosy, but also of the emotional scars that he had received from years of rejection.
Leprosy was a highly contagious disease and the law forbade lepers from coming into contact with anyone. This meant that for years, this leper had been shunned by everyone who saw his condition, even his own family members. He probably stank of decaying flesh and neglect, and his appearance must have been repulsive.
But without flinching, Jesus touched him, giving him the first human touch he had since he contracted the disease. The Bible tells us that immediately, his leprosy was cleansed and the man received his healing.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). Whatever breakthrough you are believing Him for, He says to you, “I AM WILLING.”
Don’t doubt His heart of love for you any longer. Stop being occupied by your own disqualifications and be completely absorbed in His love and grace (unmerited favor) toward you!
Is there no suffering in the body of Christ today? My dear reader, none of the protection truths found in God’s Word negates the fact that we are called and given the privilege to suffer persecution for His name’s sake as the apostle Paul states in today’s scripture.
Furthermore, Paul tells his protégé, Timothy, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12 NLT). Jesus Himself said that those who follow Him will be persecuted for His name’s sake (Matt. 10:22). Be clear that this persecution doesn’t involve terminal illnesses, tragic accidents, or premature death.
But Pastor Prince, wasn’t Job a righteous man who experienced terrible suffering?
I have preached a full message on Job and it is not the focus here to cover the full spectrum of Job’s suffering. (You can find this audio message, “The Story of Job Through the Lens of Grace,” in your Joseph Prince app library as a free sermon.)
For now, I want you to see that what happened to Job is not something that will happen to you who are IN CHRIST today. You see, one of Job’s complaints was this: “If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together” (Job 9:33 NLT).
Now, read these powerful words spoken by Elihu in Job 33:23–24, which describes this mediator: “If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to show man His uprightness, then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom.'”
Elihu’s description of a mediator foreshadows what 1 Timothy 2:5–6 tells us, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Job experienced his sufferings because he didn’t have a mediator.
But today, you and I do—in the person of our Lord Jesus, who died at the cross to atone for our sins and made us righteous before God. He became our ransom (the Hebrew word for ransom comes from the root word kaphar, which means “to make an atonement”).
Beloved, the atoning blood of Christ has canceled all the legal rights that the enemy had against you and your family. When you receive all that His perfect sacrifice at the cross has accomplished for you, you don’t have to live afraid that you will be like Job.
Unlike Job, you have a mediator—Christ Jesus. In Him you can look forward to a future full of His promises, blessings, and protection (Ps. 23:6)!
I would like to share this testimony from a key pastor in our church. He and his wife were planning for a short vacation in Hong Kong to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They had set their eyes on a particular hotel in the city.
However, no matter how hard they tried, they were unable to secure a room. Frustrated and disappointed, they had no choice but to change their plans.
Sometime later, that hotel was all over the newspapers. It turned out that in the very same week that they had originally planned to stay there, there was an outbreak of a deathly disease.
Someone who was staying at the hotel had died of a highly contagious virus, triggering a lockdown. All hotel guests had to be quarantined and some were found to have contracted the virus as well.
What had initially been a disappointment for this couple turned out to be God’s hand of protection upon them. Who is to say that angels weren’t working overtime on their behalf to thwart their travel plans and prevent them from being at the wrong place at the wrong time? After all, Psalm 91 promises that no plague would come near their dwelling.
My friend, I pray, according to today’s Scripture, that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened, that you may know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.
I pray that like Elisha, you will be able to see beyond that which is in the natural realm, and see the legions of angels that are poised to minister for you. The Bible tells us that “the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).
Today, we might not physically see angels, but we know they are here with us. The Lord has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He has promised that His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives (Ps. 23:6).
Our confidence is not in what we see but in His promises that are everlasting, and as you put your trust in the Lord, I pray that you will experience every blessing that the Lord Jesus has purchased for you on the cross of Calvary!
Dara Network TV 