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Psalm 24:1
Psalm 24:1
The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.
(This includes Nigeria and all her inhabitants).
(This includes Nigeria and all her inhabitants).
I Samuel 17: 10-11, 16, 23-47
Maintaining the Right Perspective Concerning Nigeria
Goliath’s Perspective
- Goliath only saw armies of Israel; he saw the Israelites as ‘servants of Saul’. vs 8
- Goliath felt he was defying armies of Israel.
- Goliath presented himself for forty days, morning and evening (PRIDE).
- Goliath disdained David because he saw a youth.
- Goliath cursed David by his gods.
- Goliath trusted in his physical weapons - spear, sword and javelin.
- Goliath was seeing a bunch of fearful people he could intimidate.
Eliab’s Perspective
- Eliab saw pride and insolence in David's heart.
- He saw David as someone who had come down to see the battle.
David’s Perspective
- David saw a cause; He saw Goliath and all his threats as a reproach to Israel.
- He saw an uncircumcised Philistine. David saw a man defying the armies of the living God.
- Goliath was still speaking same words. So David heard them.
- The words of David could not be ignored; it was worth reporting to Saul.
- David was the first and only person who first brought GOD into this matter facing the Israelites.
- As far as David was concerned, Goliath would be like the lion and bear he had killed in the past. vs 36
- David trusted in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom Goliath defied.
- David knew his own weapons of warfare were not carnal but they are mighty. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
- David had faith and knew what God could and would do. vs 46
- He knew that God would deliver Goliath into his hand, strike him and take his head from him.
- He knew that God would give the carcases of the camp of the Philistine to the birds of the air and wild beasts of the earth.
- David did not touch the glory that belonged to God.
- David’s focus was not on the promise of “things that will be done to whosoever kills Goliath”; he did not even dwell on it. His focus was on the Person of God rather than upon the nine-foot-tall giant before him. To David, the Almighty God dwarfed the giant.
- By claiming the Lord of hosts as His strength, he was declaring that Goliath was confronting God Himself. vs 47
- David was more concerned about letting “all the earth know there is a God in Israel.” vs 46
All the Men of Israel’s Perspective
- When they heard the words of the Philistines, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. vs 10, 24
- To them, he has come up to defy Israel.
- They were already acting like defeated armies.
- They lacked confidence in themselves.
- Their emphasis was on what the king would do for whoever killed Goliath. vs 25
Saul’s Perspective
- Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him.”
- Saul saw David as a youth; he did not see the God at work in this young boy.
- Saul saw Goliath as a man of war from his youth.
- He eventually allowed David to go saying, “Go and the Lord be with you.”
- Saul then decided to clothe David with his armour (showing where Saul’s strength lies).
We have seen two different perspectives here - faith and fear.
Yet God told us severally in His Word “fear not.”
Yet God told us severally in His Word “fear not.”
How do WE maintain a right perspective concerning NIGERIA?
By Faith - Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things no seen.” NKJV
“Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses).” Amplified
“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.” The Living Bible
By Standing upon His Promises - Psalm 62:11
“God has spoken once, twice have I heard this; that POWER BELONGS TO GOD.”
The Philistines Facing Nigeria
- Lack of good governance;
- Bribery and corruption;
- Spirit of mammon - love of money in every facet of the society;
- Kidnapping;
- Lack of medical care claiming innocent lives;
- Bad road;
- Lack of infrastructures;
- Poor educational system.
The Philistine Facing the Church (Gates of hell rising against the Church)
- The Church has been robbed of the Message of the Cross;
- Children of God lack knowledge of the personality of their Father and His ability to save;
- A disobedient Church wanting to bring the world to her knees;.
- Spirit of mammon;
- Lack of focus;
- Left our first love.
PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS
- Father, make us people of faith and trust in You alone. Re-focus our perspective to be on You, not on the prevailing issues in Nigeria.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
- Pray that the Lord will raise men and women, young and old who will return to preaching the truth in every segment of this Scripture that has transformed the lives of many of us.
- Father, break it down into bite sizes so that Your children will once again experience what it means to be truly born again. These are the people who can transform our nation; people carrying the life that is light, the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord has spoken that a little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a great nation (Isaiah 60:22). It will all be by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).
- Let Your promise come to pass in our lives.
- Make us men and women of a contrite and humble heart who tremble at Your word. Isaiah 66:1-2
- Lord, as a man/woman striving for divine mastery, help me to strive lawfully to gain this crown. 2 Timothy 2:5
- Lord, make us channels of Your peace; where there is hatred, let us bring the love of Jesus.
- Where there is injury, let us bring Your pardon.
- Where there is doubt, let us bring true faith in You, only not in anything that belongs to the world.
- Where there is despair in life, let us bring Your hope.
- As ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ, may God reconcile us to Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:20
PRAYERS FOR THE CHURCH
Matt 28:18-20
Matt 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and n the earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo I am with You always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
- Pray that the Church in Nigeria will return to the great commission that Jesus Christ left for her. Return us to our first love - JESUS.
- Pray that the Church will raise disciples among men, women, young, old, in academics, in business, in politics and so on.
- Lord Jesus, we beseech You to come and build Your Church against every gate of hell that has arisen against her.
- We pray a return to the full, complete and unadulterated gospel; that the mystery embedded in the gospel will return to be the only message on our pulpits. ‘Jesus Only’ must be our message.
- Father, restore to Your Church, God-fearing men, who will defy every uncircumcised Philistine threatening the Church.
- Render powerless, every preacher against Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Jeremiah 31:33
- Pray that the Lord will put His law in the minds of His children and write it on their hearts
- Pray that God will be our God and we will return to being His people.
2 Corinthians 10:6
- Make the obedience of the Nigerian Church complete so she can confidently punish all disobedience.
PRAYERS FOR NIGERIA
- Pray for the President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, all Federal Ministers, members of the Houses of Assembly and Senate, State Governors, Local Government Chairmen and their Councillors.
- Pray for the academics; universities - Federal, Private and State.
- Pray that the Lord will break every inequality barrier in our nation.
- Let God’s will be done in the life of our President, especially concerning his health. Let Jesus be glorified in the life of this man.
- Isaiah 11:2 Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon them, Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Spirit of counsel and might, Spirit of knowledge and of reverential fear of the Lord.
- We want to trust God for the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ in all our leaders regardless of their faith.
- Titus 2:11 Pray that the free gift of eternal salvation which God has promised to ALL, will teach men, women and children to deny ungodliness and sinful pleasures; and to live good, God-fearing lives daily.
- Pray that the Lord, the mighty warrior who is great in battle, will arise and scatter all His enemies in Nigeria in Jesus’ name.
- Pray for the thorough cleansing power of the promised Holy Ghost to take control of every issue concerning Nigeria. Not by power, not by might but by His Spirit.
- Every mountain before Nigeria, Lord let it become plain and she shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of grace. Zechariah 4:7
- Mercy - Father, we have permanently deposited NIGERIA into your Intensive Care Unit of Mercy. Please do not take Your hands off her until Your glory burst forth.
