THE RETAINING HAND OF GOD

‘’And the Hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.’’

1Kings 18:46 {KJV}

Dearly beloved, welcome to another beautiful Sunday morning. Thank God for His goodness to us. I’ve come to encourage you to continue to hold fast to the profession of your faith knowing that He who called you unto Himself is not done with you yet. I see the Hand of God catapulting you to heights beyond your wildest imagination. Just as Elijah outran Ahab who rode in a chariot of iron in 1Kings 18, so will the Lord enable you to outrun all those that have gone ahead of you. It is therefore vitally important that you are rightfully positioned to partake of this glory that is to come. Let me share a few nuggets with you.

Beloved, the ancient Prophet Elijah was able to outrun King Ahab because the Hand of God was upon him. In a world like ours that is filled with corruption, you need the Hand of God. His Hand is His ability. Without His help or ability, you cannot do anything. Remember that God will not force Himself on you and that means you must position yourself to receive from Him. When the Hand of God is upon you, you become unstoppable. One sure way to retain and sustain His Hand upon your life is through knowledge. Yes, knowledge of God and His word. The scripture in Ephesians 1:3 says ‘’blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ’’. Beloved, did you notice that these spiritual blessings are in Heavenly places? They are in the realm of the spirit. It is therefore your responsibility to download them into the realm of the physical, because that is where they are relevant. There is no point being sick, lacking money, feeling frustrated and depressed when your portion is divine health, financial abundance and prosperity of the spirit soul and body. It is the truth that you know that will ultimately set you free, so you must go after the truth.

Secondly, you need to know what the word of God says concerning the situation you are faced with. Are you trusting God for a spouse? Then find out what the word of God has to say about it. Are your finances going through tough times? Look through the Bible and discover what the scriptures say about money. Whatever it is you need, just check out the scriptures and find out what God says. There is no need in your life that God has not taken care of in His word. The problem is that we have a clientele of believers who are too lazy to find out what God has to say concerning what they are going through. Beloved, every word of God is pregnant with the power of God. All you need is a word from God concerning your situation and you will receive your hearts’ desire.

Thirdly, having located the word, take the word back to Him in prayer and pray without ceasing. Let the devil know that you know your rights. Nullify all his lies; pray all manner of prayers with that word until you see a manifestation. You must live a life of prayers because without prayers you cannot go far. Prayer gives you boldness. Without prayers you cannot be in the big league. If you want to make news on earth, then you must constantly connect to heaven. Pray in season. Pray out of season. Refuse to keep your mouth shut.

Finally, another sure way of retaining the Hand of God is to have a relationship with Him. Beloved, your access into the supernatural realm is the New Birth. If you get that right, then every other thing will naturally follow. Remember that God made you in His own image and after His likeness. Why do you think he did that? The reason why He made you in His own image is that you might fellowship with Him. It is in the place of fellowship that you discover who you really are, and the resources available to you. That is where God shows you how He does what He does, so that you can replicate it and show forth His glory here on the earth. It is that simple.  

This week, you will experience the retaining Hand of the Lord in that situation. I bless you in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Maranatha!

In His Royal Service

Dr Mike Okonkwo

The Presiding Bishop