Day4_Reflection

DAY 4: PRAYER FOCUS

SEEKING GOD’S PRESENCE

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

 

Yesterday, our Father said “fear not for I am with you” and again “I will strengthen you and hold you up with my righteous right hand”. Today, our Father re-echoes to us that he has already commanded us “to be strong not to fear nor dismayed”. We are seeking his presence this year 2025.

In Exodus 13:21, the presence of God was with the people of Israel when they left the land of Egypt. We read that “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night”. As you travel or move around this year 2025 may God’s presence be with you and your household. Let us ensure to remain faithful to God this year and he will also be faithful to us by leading us to places and opening unimaginable doors for us. Note that, so far as you remain faithful, our God remains faithful always. Let us not take his faithfulness for granted.

The presence of God can also depart from us if we don’t align ourselves with his commands. That is why in Joshua 1:8 he instructed him “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful”. Someone will ask, how can we keep all these commands in the bible. Oh yes, you can. Jesus summarized it all for us “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

We are immigrants in foreign lands, how are we treating our fellow immigrants. Is God pleased with the way because you want to make money and send home you are squeezing each other in order to make profit. Some of us are changing our identity for various reasons, does it please God. You know the rest, reflect on them and make a commitment to God to stop all these so that his presence doesn’t depart from you. Note that there is a promise in the same verse 8, “Then you will be prosperous and successful”. Prosperity and success are not earned by your strength, wisdom, skills or abilities. “For it is he (God) who give you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms his covenant.” Deuteronomy 8:18

In Joshua 7, the presence of God departed from the people and the lost the battle ahead of them. Because of one man “Achan”, they were defeated brutally in that battle after the walls of Jericho had fallen before their eyes. So, watch it, your actions can cause your entire household trouble. King Saul was tormented by demons when the presence of God departed from him and he also lost the Kingship reign for generations after him (1 Samuel 15 and 16).

We pray that we will turn away from any form of sin that the presence of God will be with us and families this year 2025. Let us seek his presence.

Shalom.