Favoured For Life A 21 Day Journey of Grace Ps Gebhardt Berndt

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Favoured for Life: A 21-Day Journey of Grace
By Gebhardt Berndt
Published by Hatfield Christian Church North
Corner Willem Cruywagen and Brits Roads,
Theresapark, Pretoria 0182
www.hccnorth.co.za
This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in
any form, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in
any form by any means – electronic, mechanical,
photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior
written permission of the publisher, except as provided
by South African copyright law.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®
unless otherwise stated. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas
Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2014 by Gebhardt Berndt
All rights reserved
Printed in Pretoria, South Africa

Thanks be to God for His grace and goodness in
our lives. May we continue to live in His favour as
we remain on this journey of grace!
A special thanks to:
Colleen Mitchell, Tshiamo Choane, Cherise Singh
and Charmaine Erasmus for their assistance with
the editing and proofreading of this book.
Melanie Stander for her creativity and effort in
designing the book cover.

Table of Contents
Introduction ................................... 7
Prayer And Fasting Guidelines ...... 9
Day 1 ........................................... 27
Day 2 ........................................... 41
Day 3 ........................................... 50
Day 4 ........................................... 65
Day 5 ........................................... 74
Day 6 ........................................... 82
Day 7 ........................................... 90
Day 8 ........................................... 98
Day 9 ......................................... 109
Day 10 ....................................... 121
Day 11 ....................................... 125
Day 12 ....................................... 133
Day 13 ....................................... 142
Day 14 ....................................... 150
Day 15 ....................................... 161
Day 16 ....................................... 171
Day 17 ....................................... 185
Day 18 ....................................... 195

Day 19 ....................................... 203
Day 20 ....................................... 208
Day 21 ....................................... 221
Final Comment .......................... 232
Bibliography .............................. 234
About The Author...................... 235

Introduction
This book will usher you on a prac-
tical journey of rediscovering God’s
favour and love for you. It is written
in a 21-day format, which can easily
accompany a time of dedicated
fasting and prayer. It also contains
helpful information about fasting,
along with some practical guide-
lines to ensure maximum ease dur-
ing a period of consecration.
7
FAVOURED FOR LIFE: A 21-Day Journey of Grace
God’s favour is not conditional; ra-
ther it is based on His Son – Jesus
Christ. His favour never changes or
fluctuates; it always remains con-
stant! Open your heart and come
journey with me as we rediscover
that we are destined to reign in life
through His favour!
8
Prayer And Fasting
Guidelines
Why Should We Fast?
The purpose of fasting should be to
take our eyes off the things of this
world and focus on God instead.
Fasting is a way to demonstrate to
God, and to ourselves, that we are
serious about our relationship with
Him.
9
Fasting helps us gain a new
perspective and a renewed reliance
on God.
The practice of regular fasting, as
standard Christian behaviour, was
taught by Jesus (Matthew 6:16,
9:15); exercised by the early Church
(Acts 13:2); and has been the
regular discipline of believers
throughout Church history. The
practice of fasting in Scripture
usually includes, but is not limited
10
Prayer and Fasting Guidelines
to, abstinence from food (Daniel
10:3) and may be engaged for
various durations - typically for no
more than a few days at a time.
Abstaining from all food for
extended periods of time is biblical,
but was rare and unusual in
Scripture (Exodus 34:28, 1 Kings
19:5-8, Luke 4:2), and thus should
never be undertaken without
counsel and appropriate super-
vision. The same standard applies
11
to an absolute fast, or Esther Fast,
of any duration (Esther 4:16). A
healthy adult can fast for forty days
without food; we read of such
examples in the Bible. The Bible
never speaks of children engaging
in fasting for this duration or at this
intensity.
Almost every major biblical leader
fasted at one time or another. They
knew the power and importance of
this practice. We should follow their
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example and the example of
church leaders throughout history
who had practised a lifestyle of
fasting.
The following are biblical examples
of fasting in the Old and New
Testament:
Moses Fasted: “Moses was there
with the Lord forty days and forty
nights without eating bread or
drinking water” (Exodus 34:28).
13
Elijah Fasted: “So he got up and
ate and drank. Strengthened by
that food, he travelled forty days
and forty nights until he reached
Horeb, the mountain of God” (1
Kings 19:8).
Ezra Fasted: “Then Ezra withdrew
from before the house of God and
went to the room of Jehohanan son
of Eliashib. While he was there, he
ate no food and drank no water,
because he continued to mourn
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over the unfaithfulness of the exiles”
(Ezra 10:6).
Daniel Fasted: “I ate no choice
food, no meat or wine touched my
lips; and I used no lotions at all
until the three weeks were
over”(Daniel 10:3).
Anna Fasted: “She never left the
temple but worshiped night and
day, fasting and praying” (Luke
2:37).
15
Cornelius Fasted: “And Corne-
lius said, four days ago I was fasting
until this hour; and at the ninth hour
I prayed in my house, and behold,
a man stood before me in bright
clothing” (Acts 10:30).
Early Church Leaders Fasted:
“While we were worshiping the
Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit
said, "Set apart for me Barnabas
and Saul for the work to which I
have called them" (Acts 13:2).
16
Paul Fasted: “For three days he
was blind, and did not eat or drink
anything” (Acts 9:9).
Paul never forgot the lesson of
prayer and fasting and later told
the Corinthians in his second letter
that he had been "in fasting often"
(2 Corinthians 11:27).
Most important of all – Jesus
Fasted: “And Jesus being full of
the Holy Ghost returned from
Jordan, and was led by the Spirit
17
into the wilderness, being forty
days tempted by the devil. And in
those days he did eat nothing; and
when they were ended, he
afterwards hungered” (Luke 4:1-2).
Guideline For Daniel’s Fast
The below are guidelines according
to the Daniel’s fast (see reference
for Author’s website):
“In those days I, Daniel, was
mourning three full weeks. I ate no
pleasant food, no meat or wine
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came into my mouth, nor did I
anoint myself at all, till three whole
weeks were fulfilled” (Daniel 10:2-
3).
All fruits: these can be fresh,
frozen, dried, juiced or canned.
Fruits include, but are not limited
to, apples, apricots, bananas,
blackberries, blueberries, canta-
loupe, cherries, cranberries, figs,
grapefruit, grapes, guava, honey-
dew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes,
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mangoes, nectarines, oranges,
papayas, peaches, pears, pine-
apples, plums, prunes, raisins, rasp-
berries, strawberries, tangelos, tan-
gerines, watermelon.
All vegetables: these can be
fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or
canned. Vegetables include, but
are not limited to, artichokes,
asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauli-
flower, celery, chilli peppers,
20
collard greens, corn, cucumbers,
eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale,
leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard
greens, okra, onions, parsley,
potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scal-
lions, spinach, sprouts, squashes,
sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips,
watercress, yams, and zucchinis.
Vegetarian burgers are an option if
you are not allergic to soy.
All whole grains including, but
not limited to, whole wheat, brown
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rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley,
grits, whole wheat pasta, whole
wheat tortillas, rice cakes and
popcorn.
All nuts and seeds including,
but not limited to, sunflower seeds,
cashews, peanuts, sesame as well
as nut butters, including peanut
butter.
All legumes, these can be canned
or dried. Legumes include, but are
not limited to, dried beans, pinto
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beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed
peas, kidney beans, black beans,
cannellini beans, white beans.
All quality oils including, but not
limited to, olive, canola, grape
seed, peanut, and sesame.
Beverages: spring water, distilled
water or other pure waters.
Other: tofu, soy products, vinegar,
seasonings, salt, herbs and spices.
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Foods To Avoid On The
Daniel Fast
All meat and animal products
including, but not limited to, beef,
lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.
All dairy products including, but
not limited to, milk, cheese, cream,
butter, and eggs.
All sweeteners including, but not
limited to, sugar, raw sugar, honey,
syrups, molasses, and cane juice.
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All leavened bread including
Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast and
honey) and baked goods.
All refined and processed
food products including, but not
limited to, artificial flavourings,
food additives, chemicals, white
rice, white flour, and foods that
contain artificial preservatives.
All deep-fried foods including,
but not limited to, potato chips,
French fries, corn chips.
25
All solid fats including shortening,
margarine, lard and foods high in
fat.
Beverages including, but not
limited to, coffee, tea, herbal teas,
carbonated beverages, energy
drinks, and alcohol.
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Day 1
You Are Loved
“So we have come to know and to
believe the love that God has for us”
(1 John 4:16).
To know the love of God is to know
life. The more we understand the
love of God; the more we
understand that we are the objects
of His love. Our love for Him is not
birthed out of ourselves. We love
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Him because He first loved us. The
love of God is so vast and deep
that it will find us in every
circumstance of life. In actual fact,
God's love is greater than life itself.
The Message Bible makes it so
clear: "So, what do you think? With
God on our side like this, how can
we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to
put everything on the line for us,
embracing our condition and
exposing himself to the worst by
sending his own Son, is there
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Day 1: You Are Loved
anything else he wouldn’t gladly
and freely do for us? And who
would dare tangle with God by
messing with one of God’s chosen?
Who would dare even to point a
finger? The One who died for us -
who was raised to life for us - is in
the presence of God at this very
moment sticking up for us. Do you
think anyone is going to be able to
drive a wedge between us and
Christ’s love for us? There is no
way! Not trouble, not hard times,
29
not hatred, not hunger, not home-
lessness, not bullying threats, not
backstabbing, not even the worst
sins listed in Scripture: They kill us
in cold blood because they hate
you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick
us off one by one. None of this
fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m
absolutely convinced that nothing -
nothing living or dead, angelic or
demonic, today or tomorrow, high
or low, thinkable or unthinkable -
absolutely nothing can get be-
30
tween us and God’s love be-cause
of the way that Jesus our Master
has embraced us.1
The Father's bold proclaim-
ation
The Father makes this awesome
proclamation about Jesus. He says:
“This is my beloved Son, with
whom I am well pleased” (Matthew
4:16-17).
1
Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: The Bible in
contemporary language (Ro 8:31–39). Colorado Springs,
CO: NavPress.
31
When God makes this statement
about Jesus, His Son; Jesus, up till
that point, has done absolutely no
miracle, no work, no sign, no
wonder, NOTHING! Yet the Father
hollers from the throne, 'THIS IS MY
BELOVED SON'.
This could only mean that God
validated Jesus based on Himself
and not on Jesus' works. In truth, I
think this is the place where most of
us get it wrong. Everything we have
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been taught tells us that we cannot
receive if we don’t give. We are
completely reward-oriented. We
have been conditioned to think that
if we’re not the best, then we’re
average. And if we don’t give of
our best, then life, at best will only
ever be mundane.
Most of us live lives that are based
on the approval of man and we
search for love and acceptance
wherever we go. But Praise God,
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that He loves us despite our
limitations. He loves us based on
His goodness. His grace over our
lives declares: YOU ARE MY
BELOVED! The Father calls Jesus
the beloved and we are IN the
Beloved - Jesus; that makes us
God's beloved. As He (Jesus) is, so
are we in this world.
Soon after God the Father made
this declaration over Jesus, Satan
appears on the scene. Satan tries to
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tempt Jesus by saying: “If you are
the Son of God, command these
stones to become loaves of bread”;
“If you are the Son of God, throw
yourself down, for it is written", etc.
I have read this scripture a
thousand times over, then one day
while listening to a sermon I
realised that Satan omits a specific
word in his temptation of Christ.
What word is that?
35
The word is “BELOVED”. Jesus had
just received the validation of His
Father: ‘YOU ARE MY BELOVED’,
when Satan steps onto the scene
questioning the identity of Jesus.
Satan does not want to remind
Jesus that He is the Father's
beloved, for by doing so he would
lose his momentum in testing Jesus.
Satan knew that if Jesus under-
stood that He was loved, temp-
tation would have no grounds or
hold on Him.
36
Satan tempted Christ by insisting
that if Jesus DOES something, he
will BECOME something: “IF YOU
ARE…". Satan wanted Jesus to
define His identity based on His
works or performance, and not
based on the Father's love. Had
Jesus focused on His works, He
would have lost focus of the LOVE
OF THE FATHER. You see, if we
don't abide in God's love for us, we
will base our acceptance on our
works. If we don't see ourselves as
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loved, we will receive our identity
through our own efforts.
But God the Father does not see us
based on our works - THAT IS NOT
GRACE (favour). He sees us based
on the Perfect man at His right side
- JESUS. We have God the Father's
validation, acceptance and app-
roval based on Jesus.
By this love perfected in us, we
have confidence in the Day of
Judgment, “because as he is
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so also are we in this world” (1
John 4:17).
Ponder on this truth just for a
moment.
Do you feel loved? Do you feel
accepted? Do you feel cherished? If
not, declare over yourself today: “I
AM THE BELOVED OF GOD” and
see this truth become a reality in
your heart. You are loved not on
the basis of your works but on the
finished works of the Lord Jesus
39
Christ. His work for you was perfect
and you are accepted, loved and
cherished because of Him.
Dear Friend, it does not matter how
you feel: YOU ARE LOVED!
Prayer:
Father, thank you that I am deeply
loved! I am Your beloved. I may not
always feel like it. But the truth
stands secure in You. I am loved. I
am Yours. Amen.
40
Day 2
As HE IS So Are
You In This World!
There are two types of Christians in
this world: the John-type and the
Peter-type.
I have always wondered why the
Bible describes John as the
"beloved disciple” or the "disciple
whom Jesus loved" until I realised
that John wrote that about himself
41
in the text. John was not loved
more. He understood that he was
loved.
That's THE BIG DIFFERENCE.
In the world, we try to convince
ourselves that we are loved. In
God's Kingdom we are loved. The
more we understand that we are
deeply loved; the freer we become.
At the Passover meal the following
scene plays off (John 13:21-25):
42
Day 2: As HE IS So Are You In This World!
“When Jesus had said these things,
He was troubled in spirit, and
testified and said, “Most assuredly,
I say to you, one of you will betray
Me.” Then the disciples looked at
one another, perplexed about
whom He spoke. Now there was
leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His
disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to
ask who it was of whom He spoke.
Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast,
he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”
43
In the above text Jesus makes an
announcement that one of those
around the table will betray Him.
Note that they were all in the
proximity of Jesus, but only one
was intimate with Jesus. Who is
that? John.
John is with the twelve, but he is
closer than any other. Why? John
celebrated the love Jesus has for
him, based on Jesus. He accepted
the love of Jesus based on grace
44
and not on works. He felt loved. He
felt cherished. He knew Jesus loved
him and that made him fall in love
with Jesus. He wanted to be close
to Jesus, so close that he lay on the
chest of Jesus. This is an incredible
picture of intimacy.
It is interesting also to note that the
other disciples recognised their
distance from Jesus, because Peter
says to John, "ask him".
45
The disciples understood that John
was closer and therefore could ask
the Master whom it was that He
was speaking about.
If we understand that we are loved,
it will always lead to more intimacy
with Jesus. It will take us right into
the holy place where we are
overwhelmed by the love of Christ.
It was this type of love that resulted
in JOHN, the only one of the
twelve, being at the cross. Because
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LOVE based on TRUTH has no fear:
for perfect love casts out all fear.
Pause and think: Are you like John?
Do you boast about His love for
you? Or do you still try to achieve
righteousness by your own means?
Dear Friends, note that the invita-
tion remains the same for all of us.
No one is favoured above another.
No one has a more special place of
entry. All of us are equal before the
Lord.
47
However, we do not all respond the
same. Not all of us take His
invitation open-heartedly. However,
this can change at any time. It is as
simple as making a decision. Say
to yourself: I want to be closer to
the Lord based on His finished
work and not my achievements.
Prayer:
Father, I am tired of trying to do, so
that I can be. I want to be all that
You made me to be. I want Your
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peace and joy. Help me, Lord Holy
Spirit, to experience the love of
God. Help me to enjoy His love
and to rest in the finished work of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Day 3
Peter-type Of Love
Peter, like most of us, boasts of his
love for God.
“And when they had sung a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of
Olives. Then Jesus said to them,
“You will all fall away because of
me this night. For it is written, ‘I will
strike the shepherd, and the sheep
of the flock will be scattered. ’But
50
Day 3: Peter-type Of Love
after I am raised up, I will go before
you to Galilee.” Peter answered
him, “Though they all fall away
because of you, I will never fall
away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I
tell you, this very night, before the
rooster crows, you will deny me
three times.” Peter said to him,
“Even if I must die with you, I will
not deny you!” And all the disciples
said the same.” (Matthew 26:30-35)
51
Peter based His love for Jesus on
his own effort: "I WILL NEVER
FALL AWAY". This type of love -
based in works - crumbled under
pressure when put to the test.
This type of LOVE has FEAR in it.
Peter gained his acceptance out of
his performance, his works and his
efforts. But when Peter's love was
tested, it literally disappeared.
Everything we build cannot stand if
it is not built on a firm foundation
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of the baseline truth: THAT WE
ARE LOVED. Paul the Apostle
actually says that if "I speak with
human eloquence and angelic
ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing
but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I
speak God’s Word with power,
revealing all his mysteries and
making everything plain as day,
and if I have faith that says to a
mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps,
but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I
give everything I own to the poor
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and even go to the stake to be
burned as a martyr, but I don’t love,
I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter
what I say, what I believe, and what
I do, I’m bankrupt without love"2 (1
Corinthians 13:1-3).
If we don't accept that we are
loved, we will look for love
everywhere else except from the
only Source that can truly give it.
2
contemporary language (1 Co 13). Colorado Springs,
CO: NavPress.
54
The world and all it has tells us that
if we have something we become
someone. In other words, if we
have nothing we are a ‘nobody’.
But God called us a ‘somebody’
while we were still a ‘nobody’. He
does not look to us to fulfil the
promise; He looks to Himself. Most
of us think that our relationship with
God is a contractual agreement,
but it is not, it is a promise.
55
The Scripture declares: “That
famous promise God gave
Abraham—that he and his children
would possess the earth—was not
given because of something
Abraham did or would do. It was
based on God’s decision to put
everything together for him, which
Abraham then entered when he
believed. If those who get what
God gives them only get it by
doing everything they are told to
do and filling out all the right forms
56
properly signed, that eliminates
personal trust completely and turns
the promise into an iron-clad
contract! That’s not a holy promise;
that’s a business deal. A contract
drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer
and with plenty of fine print only
makes sure that you will never be
able to collect. But if there is no
contract in the first place, simply a
promise—and God’s promise at
that—you can’t break it. This is why
the fulfillment of God’s promise
57
depends entirely on trusting God
and his way, and then simply
embracing him and what he does.
God’s promise arrives as pure gift.
That’s the only way everyone can
be sure to get in on it, those who
keep the religious traditions and
those who have never heard of
them. For Abraham is father of us
all. He is not our racial father—
that’s reading the story backward.
58
He is our faith father”(Romans 4:13-
16)3
A contract is entered into based on
terms and conditions. A Promise of
God, when given to someone, is
based on the works of Him who
promises.
We break a contract when we don’t
adhere to its terms and conditions.
It is impossible to break a promise
3
contemporary language (Ro 4:13-16). Colorado Springs,
CO: NavPress.
59
of God, because it is not based on
us but on Him who promises.
We nullify the reward of a contract
by not fulfilling its terms and
conditions. We cannot hinder the
reward of a promise of God
because the reward is based on the
Giver, not the recipient.
In the natural in order to make a
promise binding, a person normally
vowed with his own name. People,
however, break vows or promises
60
because they are fallible and
imperfect. But God made His
promises based on His Word and
His Word cannot fail. Therefore, His
promises stand secure FOREVER.
Righteousness is a gift given, not a
reward based on works.
Righteousness is entered into by
faith through the work of someone
else.
God chose Abraham when He had
nothing and gave Him everything.
61
Abraham acknowledged his
barrenness and shortcomings and
just accepted God's promise as he
entered into it by faith. We are
children of Abraham, and so should
enter into God's promises by faith.
If there were conditions to God's
promise, aside from believing Him,
then not everyone would be able
to enter it; meaning the Gospel
would not be meant for the world.
62
Entering His promise is not
conditional; we must only have
faith in Him. All requirements were
met in Christ, and if we have Christ,
we have all the promises.
Everything we have and will ever
have is based on God - through
God - for us. It is based on His love
for us, not on our works or our
ability to do right; but purely based
on this simple TRUTH: WE ARE
GOD'S BELOVED.
63
Prayer:
Thank you Father that I am Your
beloved. You loved me before I
knew You. Now that I know You
help me to abide in Your love and
commandments. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
64
Day 4
He Did Not Spare His

Own Son
“He who did not spare his own Son
but gave him up for us all, how will
he not also with him graciously give
us all things” (Romans 8:32).
The Father gave us Jesus; will He
not also give us all things? He did
not spare His own Son, but gave
Him up when we were still His
65
enemies. Why will He now keep
back anything when we have
become His children?
Before you proceed, declare the
following over yourself:
I am HIGHLY Favoured
I am DEEPLY loved
I am ABUNDANTLY blessed.
God knows me by my name, I am
His!
Jesus Christ is the very best heaven
had to offer. Nothing is, was or will
66
Day 4: He Did Not Spare His Own Son
be more precious to the Father
than His Son. The Father gave the
Son to gain more sons. He gave His
very best to gain us, and He did
this when we were still dead in our
trespasses and enemies of the
Kingdom. Therefore, if God was so
rich in mercy when we were still His
enemies, how much more will we
enjoy His favour now that we are
His children?
67
Jesus Christ is the Diamond of
Heaven. God's very best. If God
gave us the Diamond of Heaven,
why will He hold anything back?
This may be health for your body,
healing for broken relationships;
salvation for loved ones, restoration
of a life etc. Whatever we need, we
must understand that God gave us
Jesus, so why will he hold anything
back? As His children we can never
outrun or outlive His grace for us.
We can never be beyond salvation,
68
restoration and healing. God's love
will find us wherever we are and
bring healing to our lives. Paul the
apostle describes it in this way:
"For I am sure that neither death
nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor
things present nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will
be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord". (Romans 8:29-30)
69
God gave us Jesus. He made it
very clear that He loves us. Many of
us think that if we do certain things
more, like going to church, reading
the Bible, praying every day, that
somehow God will love us more!
But this is not true! God is not
impressed with what we do! He
loves us just the way we are. We
are first His children, and then we
learn to walk and talk as such.
70
Think about your own children just
for a moment or think about
people who have children. Those
children are not loved because they
fulfil a specific list. Rather they are
loved based on their status. God
loves you - for you! Full stop! In
actual fact, the life of trying to
impress God based on the gifts He
gave you is absolutely tiring. Many
Christians today grieve their own
hearts by the religious lists they
have made up.
71
Dear Friend, please understand
that God gave you Jesus while you
were still a sinner, worthless, with
nothing to offer heaven. He did
that because He believed in His
love for you. It is that love that can
change you much quicker than
anything else. Embrace that love
today and be glad that the Father
loved you so much He gave you His
very best - JESUS!
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Prayer:
I thank you Father that You gave
me Jesus. The very best You had to
offer. I am amazed by Your great
love. Father, empower me today to
live for You and to love You! Help
me to become the full plan You
have for my life! In Jesus name I
pray! Amen.
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Day 5
God Wants To Do
Something Great
Through Your Life
“He took him outside and said,
"Look up at the sky and count the
stars--if indeed you can count
them." Then he said to him, "So
shall your offspring be."(Genesis
15:5)
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Day 5: God Wants To Do Something Great Through Your Life
God wants to produce something
significant through our lives but He
will not do it based on our religious
acts or inconsistency of faith; oth-
erwise we will never enter the
promise!
Rather, God has prepared a place
for us and we can enter it, based
on Him. We can only enter into
what He has if we believe that WE
are DEEPLY Loved! We must know
that faith is a by-product of
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understanding love! We can never
fully know His love if we are still
trying to impress Him based on the
gifts He gave us (e.g. Grace -
Ephesians 4:7, Spiritual Gifts - 1
Corinthians 12).
God has prepared the stars for us,
but we can only enter His promise
based on our faith.
Faith can only be found in love;
because when we are deeply loved
we base our acceptance and pro-
76
mise on Him; His goodness; His
faithfulness; His Grace.
This is how we know that we can
trust the promise; if its fulfilment is
based on something or someone
greater than ourselves, our works,
or our efforts. If it were based on
our works, it would be a reward and
not a promise! A promise is always
greater than a reward because it's
based on something greater than
us!
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If the fulfilment of God’s promises
were reliant upon us we would
never enter them.
I have seen the Lord work through
my life on many occasions, but I
have become convinced that if all I
do is to love people and believe
that the Lord loves them; then He
will touch them every time.
It is His love that drives me. His
love that answers me - I am a mere
instrument in His hands. We have
78
nothing good to offer; this is how
we know it is of Him. But Praise
God, that He uses the weak, the
foolish and the base (1 Corinthians
1). We don't need to be perfect,
just willing.
Maybe you’re in a place in your life
where you haven't seen God’s
promises come to fulfilment as
expected. Maybe you are not
where you should be in life. Maybe
79
you feel you should have accom-
plished more.
Whatever you may feel know that
His plans and promises for your life
have never ceased. God will never
wash His hands of you and walk
away. There is still time and there is
still hope.
Prayer:
Thank you Father that Your promise
is greater than any problem I might
face. Father, in this day I call back
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to life the things that You have
intended for me. I surrender my life
renewed into Your hands. Thank
you that You have never given up
on me, nor will that day ever come!
Father, thank you that You love me
unconditionally; without regard to
my problems. You gave me Jesus
while I was still a sinner. Now that I
am a son, form Your Son in me. In
Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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Day 6
God Is Not Enough,

He Is Too Much!
“Now to Him who is able to do
exceedingly abundantly above
(beyond) all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works
in us, to Him be glory in the church
by Christ Jesus to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.”
(Ephesians 3:20-21)
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Day 6: God Is Not Enough, He Is Too Much!
• God is Able
• Able to do
• Able to do what we ask
• Able to do what we think
• Able to do what we ask or
think
• Able to do all that we ask or
think
• Able to do above all that we
ask or think
• Able to do abundantly above
all that we ask or think
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• Able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we
ask or think
Friends, if you believe the above
scripture, then take it for yourself
today. God is not the God that is
just enough - He is too much! He
wants to bless you, exceedingly
above your expectations.
Ever so often I find myself in a
toyshop with my girls. I have
discovered that when we shop with
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our girls, it is very wise to give them
a limit to how much they can
spend; otherwise we may find
ourselves out-of-pocket and broke
very quickly. But on occasion, I give
no limit to my girls. I tell them
"whatever you want you can have”.
I make this statement based on my
love for them because if they are
blessed, I am blessed! Praise God
their taste has not yet progressed
to the finer things of life and a
85
Disney doll, on most occasions, will
do.
BUT God is much better than me as
a Father. His heart is to see us
blessed in all realms of our lives.
More importantly, as the Creator of
all things, He can make it happen! I
am not speaking about material
wealth only, but rather more
importantly about spiritual, emo-
tional and physical overflow. God is
not just interested in some aspects
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of your life. He wants to see every
dimension blessed to over-flow.
However, you may ask how do we
receive this gift? Simple, you just
take it. Gifts are never based on the
receiver but on the Giver. There-
fore, receive the Lord’s blessing on
your life today. Say: Father, in Jesus’
name - I receive! You might not feel
worthy of God's blessing but ig-
nore that feeling and tell that
emotion to come in line with God's
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Word. You are worthy of His bles-
sing. You are a Kingdom child, and
He wants to see you blessed. Don’t
settle for anything less.
If there are areas in your life which
are dry and dormant, speak to
them and say: “Wilderness, be-
come a fruitful place in Jesus’
name!” Open your heart Friend,
God is not the God of just enough,
He is the God of too much!
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Prayer:
Father, thank you that You love me
exceedingly, abundantly, above all
my expectations and failures. Thank
you that You want to bestow Your
blessings upon my life. In this day I
open up my heart and receive
Father. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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Day 7
Favour Makes You

FREE!
“Who shall bring a charge against
God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”
(Romans 8:33)
The book of Job tells us that Satan
came to God’s throne and
complained about Job (Job 1:6–
12). God’s throne is the most holy
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Day 7: Favour Makes You FREE!
place. So why did God allow Satan
to come before Him?
Satan could come before God
because Adam had given up his
place when he bowed his knee to
Satan in the Garden of Eden
(Genesis 3). So Satan had the right
to take Adam’s place and come
before God. Adam gave his
position away when he gave his
authority away! But Adam lost his
position only momentarily
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Praise God, Jesus; the last Adam
has come! And the sprinkling of His
blood has cleansed the things of
heaven. “In fact, the law requires
that nearly everything be cleansed
with blood, and without the
shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness. It was necessary, then,
for the copies of the heavenly
things to be purified with these
sacrifices, but the heavenly things
themselves with better sacrifices
than these. For Christ did not enter
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a sanctuary made with human
hands that was only a copy of the
true one; he entered heaven itself,
now to appear for us in God’s
presence).” (Hebrews 9:22-24)
Satan no longer has access
because the last Adam came and
He restored what the first Adam
messed up!
Who then, is in God’s presence
today?
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Jesus! He is there for us (Hebrews
9:24). And since He is for us, “Who
is he who condemns? It is Christ
who died, and furthermore is also
risen, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also makes
intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
So what happened to Job cannot
happen to us.
Job was accused by Satan and had
no mediator.
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Job longed for a mediator, but he
had none (Job 9:33). His dream is
today our reality.
Today, we have Jesus as our
Mediator making intercession for
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” (1 Timothy
2:5-6)
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Since Satan cannot come before
God anymore; he comes to us on
earth and accuses us. He does this
because he has no real power
(Colossians 2:15).
But Praise God; if it is God that
justifies, who is he that condemns?
Friend, the devil is a liar. It is in his
nature to lie. You must not believe
a word he says. If God says, "He
that the Son has set free is free
indeed!” He means exactly that. It
96
is settled. Take your freedom today
and cast off all lies of condem-
nation that the devil projects on
you.
Prayer:
Father, thank you that I am free. I
don’t need to accept the lies and
accusations of the devil. You loved
me enough to give Your Son, and it
is because of Jesus that I can abide
in Your presence. I love You Father,
in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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Day 8
Favour Rests And

Favour Believes
“Now the gates of Jericho were
securely barred because of the
Israelites. No one went out and no
one came in. Then the Lord said to
Joshua, “See, I have
delivered Jericho into your hands,
along with its king and its fighting
men. March around the city once
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Day 8: Favour Rests And Favour Believes
with all the armed men. Do this for
six days. Have seven priests carry
trumpets of rams’ horns in front of
the ark. On the seventh day, march
around the city seven times, with
the priests blowing the
trumpets. When you hear them
sound a long blast on the trumpets,
have the whole army give a loud
shout; then the wall of the city will
collapse and the army will go up,
everyone straight in.”(Joshua 6:1-5)
99
These Israelites did not lift a single
finger for their victory. They simply
believed the Lord and acted in
obedience.
The Father was winning the battle.
The Father was ensuring the victory.
The Father was ready to perform a
mighty breakthrough.
The Israelites only needed to rest in
God's favour, believe and respond
in obedience. When we are
favoured we don't need to fight the
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battle; the battle is already won.
When we are favoured we don't
need to exhaust ourselves looking
for solutions and answers; the
answer and solution are already
provided. When we are highly fav-
oured we simply rest and believe.
The highly favoured person
believes! Why do they believe?
They believe in the One that loves
them with love greater than the ob-
stacles.
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Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on
a cushion. The disciples woke him
and said to him, "Teacher, don't
you care if we drown?" (Mark 4: 38)
What does favour do when favour
finds itself in a storm? FAVOUR
RESTS.
What does favour do when there
seems to be obstacles (walls of
Jericho)? FAVOUR BELIEVES!
The highly favoured person rests!
Why do they rest? They believe in
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the One that loves them with a love
greater than any storm.
When God gave us Jesus, He gave
us His favour. “And there were
shepherds living out in the fields
nearby, keeping watch over their
flocks at night. An angel of the Lord
appeared to them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around them, and
they were terrified. But the angel
said to them, "Do not be afraid. I
bring you good news of great joy
103
that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior
has been born to you; he is Christ
the Lord. This will be a sign to you:
You will find a baby wrapped in
cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the
heavenly host appeared with the
angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace to men on whom
his favour rests." (Luke 2:8-14)
104
When we are IN Christ - WE ARE IN
GOD's FAVOUR! We cannot go out
of His Favour as long as we have
JESUS!
Everything we will ever need is in
JESUS.
The world has nothing that we
need - but it needs our JESUS. We
must understand that the favour of
God is not about rule-keeping. The
Jews had the most intrinsic,
sophisticated set of rules in the
105
world, yet it did not declare them
righteous.
The grace or favour of God rests on
us purely because of Jesus. We
cannot win God over any more
than He already is for us.
Faith rests in the knowledge of
favour, and that resting produces
breakthrough. Breakthrough is not
dependent on man's effort but on
God’s love, demonstrated to us
106
when Jesus died on the cross
(Romans 5:8).
Jesus is truly GOOD NEWS to the
world. Friend, believe that YOU
ARE HIGHLY FAVOURED, receive it
for yourself today.
Do not let one day go by where
you think that you must perform to
receive His favour. Remember:
what does favour do when faced
with storms or obstacles? Favour
rests and favour believes!
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Prayer:
I thank you Father that I am
HIGHLY favoured. Thank you that I
can rest in the knowledge of Your
favour upon my life. In Jesus Name
I believe! Help my unbelief, Father.
Amen.
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Day 9
Victory-Conscious
“Goliath stood and shouted to the
ranks of Israel, “Why do you come
out and line up for battle? Am I not
a Philistine, and are you not the
servants of Saul? Choose a man
and have him come down to me.9 If
he is able to fight and kill me, we
will become your subjects; but if I
overcome him and kill him, you will
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become our subjects and serve
us.” Then the Philistine said, “This
day I defy the armies of Israel! Give
me a man and let us fight each
other.” On hearing the Philistine’s
words, Saul and all the Israelites
were dismayed and terrified.
But David said to Saul, “Your
servant has been keeping his
father’s sheep. When a lion or a
bear came and carried off a sheep
from the flock, I went after it, struck
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Day 9: Victory-Conscious
it and rescued the sheep from its
mouth. When it turned on me, I
seized it by its hair, struck it and
killed it. Your servant has killed
both the lion and the bear; this
uncircumcised Philistine will be like
one of them, because he has
defied the armies of the living
God. The LORD who rescued me
from the paw of the lion and the
paw of the bear will rescue me from
the hand of this Philistine.”
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Saul said to David, “Go, and
the LORD be with you.”
Then Saul dressed David in his
own tunic. He put a coat of armor
on him and a bronze helmet on his
head. David fastened on his sword
over the tunic and tried walking
around, because he was not used
to them.
“I cannot go in these,” he said to
Saul, “because I am not used to
them.” So he took them off. 40 Then
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he took his staff in his hand, chose
five smooth stones from the
stream, put them in the pouch of
his shepherd’s bag and, with his
sling in his hand, approached the
Philistine.
David said to the Philistine, “You
come against me with sword and
spear and javelin, but I come
against you in the name of
the LORD Almighty, the God of the
armies of Israel, whom you have
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defied. This day the LORD will
deliver you into my hands, and I’ll
strike you down and cut off your
head. This very day I will give the
carcasses of the Philistine army to
the birds and the wild animals, and
the whole world will know that
there is a God in Israel. All those
gathered here will know that it is
not by sword or spear that
the LORD saves; for the battle is
the LORD’s, and he will give all of
114
you into our hands.” (1 Samuel
17:8-11, 34-39, 45-47)
How did David defeat Goliath?
David’s secret was that he was only
conscious of victory and not defeat,
because he knew a God who had
rescued him time and again. David
was conscious of what God had
done for him. He knew that God
was for him; God loved him,
favoured him and would give him
victory again.
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David was conscious of God's
goodness, faithfulness, love and he
had a history of victory.
The armies of Israel were conscious
of the words of Goliath and thus
were choked by fear. In David's
mind God had a track record of
faithfulness. He did not heed the
words of Goliath. Goliath was just a
different form of a bear and lion
that he had faced already!
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In life, we are either situation-
conscious or God-conscious!
When we are God-conscious, we
have the ability to rise above a
situation to a place where we
conquer it, because we are deeply
loved!
David was so convinced of God's
goodness and faithfulness that he
picked up enough stones to
slaughter the brothers of Goliath -
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THAT'S AN ATTITUDE OF KNOW-
ING WE’RE LOVED!
When God brings victory He does
not just change the immediate
problem, He renews all things!
God's grace is like the waves of the
ocean: it comes again and again
and again and again. Every time we
need an answer His waves of Grace
are there!
Friend, I don't know what your cur-
rent situation is, but I know a God
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that is stronger! This God loves you
deeply and passionately. He is
willing and able to kill your Goliath.
But you must rise up in this day and
take those five stones (GRACE) and
say: "From this day I am going to
be victory-conscious. Goliath, in
this day I will remove your head
and your influence in my life will
stop".
Hallelujah - you are free! Shout for
joy!
119
Prayer:
Father, I thank you that You have
slayed my Goliath in this day. By
faith I arise in Your grace and I take
my stand, believing You. Thank you
Father that I am deeply loved by
You. No weapon formed against
me shall prosper in any way! I pray
this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
120
Day 10
How To Wait On
God's Promises
“For all the promises of God in Him
are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the
glory of God through us” (2
Corinthians 1: 20).
God’s promises are “Yes and
Amen”. However, they’re often far
from instant. What do we do while
waiting? Firstly, we must know that
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our current reality is not our finality.
It is merely in between a problem
and a promise. We must not be
moved by what we see, or moved
by what we feel. We must be
moved by what we believe. The
Bible will not always make sense;
but it is supposed to make faith. If
our faith is never tried, then our
faith can never be trusted!
Friends, God's promises are “Yes
and Amen” in Jesus Christ. This
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Day 10: How To Wait On God’s Promises
simply means they cannot and
should not fail. In actual fact God
does not know how to fail. As His
children we must believe that what
He has promised will come to pass.
It is our only option to truly see
breakthrough in our life. God loves
faith, and as His children, we must
frequently and honestly give Him
the currency of faith. We cannot
allow fear to drag our hearts into
depths of anxiety. Rather we should
choose to believe God and His
123
Word. It may not always be easy,
but it is definitely worthwhile.
Prayer:
Father, thank You that Your
promises are Yes and Amen in
Jesus. Thank You that it is by faith
alone that You move in my life.
Father, please help me believe
when I don’t have the courage to
do so. I completely trust in Your
goodness and faithfulness towards
me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
124
Day 11
The Shield Of Faith
“Above all, taking the shield of
faith by which you will be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked.” (Ephesians 6:16)
Above all, does not mean more
important than all, rather it speaks
about the position of the shield.
This phrase “above all” can be
translated in front of all or ahead of.
125
This means that we must keep the
shield of faith in front of us, out in
front of us.
“Taking” literally means, “to take
up”. Paul is saying to the Ephesian
believers to once again take up the
shield of faith that they had laid
down and hold it out in front of
them so that they may be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the
devil. This gives us an important
truth: The shield of faith can be
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Day 11: The Shield Of Faith
taken up, and the shield of faith can
be laid down. It is our choice as
believers -which one of the two do
we want to do?
When we lay the shield down, we
also take up something else (e.g.
problems, past, failures). When we
take up something else instead of
the shield of faith, we become
consumed by it. Before we pick up
other things we should rather be-
come fully convinced of God's
127
promise over our lives. A good
example of a person who had this
kind of faith is Abraham.
The Bible says that Abraham
looked at his own dead body and
said to himself: "I cannot do this by
myself" BUT GOD - so he became
absolutely convinced that God
could - and he looked to God!
Satan wants us to look to ourselves,
our shortcomings, our failures, our
problems and our past. He flashes
128
that in front of our faces and says:
“Can you really? Can you really
accomplish this dream, this plan,
and this destiny with a past like
yours, with problems like yours,
with shortcomings like yours?” And
we should say – YES, YES, YES!
I see the deadness, the problems,
the issues and the past - BUT
GOD ...CAN! And I am absolutely
fully convinced!
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God can change anything in a
moment! In one day He can show
up and show off!
Remember: Faith does not always
make sense in the natural - THAT’S
WHY FAITH RESULTS IN
MIRACLES. FAITH IN GOD IN-
CLUDES FAITH IN HIS TIMING!
STAY positive! Some of our best
days haven’t happened YET! Have
faith in God: God has faith in us!
That's why He sent us Jesus!
130
Friend, don't let that shield drop to
your side, pick it up and keep in
out in front of you! Believe God! He
will never leave you nor forsake you.
God has equipped you with
everything necessary to be full of
faith. Now stand up and believe
God. Now is the time.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you that You have
given me the shield of faith which
has enabled me to quench all the
131
fiery darts of the wicked one. Help
me Lord Holy Spirit to keep the
shield ahead of me. Remind me
when I don’t have it in place. In
Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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Day 12
The Weapon Of Prayer
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives;
the one who seeks finds; and to the
one who knocks, the door will be
opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
“To ask” means to call for an
answer, which indicates that we
133
must believe that there is someone
listening. Once we have started
asking, then we shouldn’t stop
asking.
Furthermore, to “knock” means to
stand at a door and repeatedly
thump it with our knuckles. We
knock and wait, then we knock
again, then we say, “I know you’re
in there,” then we knock again and
say, “I can hear your voice. Come
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Day 12: The Weapon Of Prayer
on, open the door.” Then we knock
again.
If we’re on the other side of the
door, we know how annoying it can
be to listen as someone knocks and
knocks and keeps on knocking. But
that’s precisely the picture behind
Jesus' command to keep on
knocking!
Jesus is calling for persistence in
prayer.
135
First WE ASK, and KEEP ON
ASKING, then WE SEEK and KEEP
ON SEEKING, then WE KNOCK
and KEEP ON KNOCKING. God
will open the door!
When we pray we must believe that
He hears us (John 11).
We must not doubt. If we doubt,
we become double minded. When
we are double minded He can do
nothing for us. In other words we
must become absolutely convinced
136
that God can. “But when you ask,
you must believe and not doubt,
because the one who doubts is like
a wave of the sea, blown and
tossed by the wind. That person
should not expect to receive
anything from the Lord. Such a
person is double-minded and
unstable in all they do) (James 1:6-
8).
Friends, God wants to answer
prayer. It is that simple. If we trust
137
Him for what we ask for, believing
that He can - He will. God always
answers in His timing, in His will
and in His perfect plan. We simply
should make the request, believe
and receive. If we trust Him, we will
also trust Him in prayer.
Some practical tips on prayer:
a) The quality of prayer is
important: “And when you pray, do
not keep on babbling like pagans,
for they think they will be heard
138
because of their many words”
(Matthew 6:7).
b) We continuously build our
spiritual muscles by praying in the
Spirit: “But you, dear friends, by
building yourselves up in your most
holy faith and praying in the Holy
Spirit” (Jude 1:20).
(Prayer is a LIFESTYLE and is not a
now and again practice).
c) Pray in agreement: “Again I say
to you, that if two of you agree on
139
earth about anything that they may
ask, it shall be done for them by My
Father who is in heaven. For where
two or three have gathered
together in My name, I am there in
their midst" (Matthew 18:19-20).
“Lastly you must know that the
prayer of a person living right with
God is something powerful to be
reckoned with” (James 5:16, The
Message).
140
Therefore we can pray at any time,
on all occasions, at any place. God
is listening.
Prayer:
Father, thank you that You listen
when I pray. Lord, I believe in the
power of prayer. Help me to
frequently pray by faith, believing
that You are a rewarder of those
that diligently seek You. In Jesus’
name. Amen.
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Day 13
God Wants You To

Be Fruitful!
“Put out into the deep and let
down your nets for a catch.” And
Simon answered, “Master, we
toiled all night and took nothing!
But at your word I will let down the
nets.” And when they had done
this, they enclosed a large number
of fish, and their nets were breaking.
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Day 13: God Wants You To Be Fruitful!
They signaled to their partners in
the other boat to come and help
them.” (Luke 5:4-7)
“Just as day was breaking, Jesus
stood on the shore; but the
disciples did not know that it was
Jesus. Jesus asked them, “Children,
do you have any fish?” They
answered him, “No.” He said to
them, “Cast the net on the right
side of the boat, and you will find
some.” So they cast the net, and lo,
143
they were not able to haul it in,
because of the vastness of the
catch.” (John 21:4-8)
Peter and company were plying
their trade as commercial fisher-
men; but this time, were having
little success. Along comes Jesus,
an outsider to their trade, with
some simple advice: do what
you're doing, only do it differently.
And the result is overwhelmingly
successsful (John 21:4-6).
144
Friend, don't we run into situations
like that from time to time? We
have God-given skills and know-
how, but get into a rut where we
seem to be going nowhere. The
man at the pool of Bethesda was
stuck in a place like this for 38 years.
He was close to the healing waters
yet he never received healing. He
gathered with the right crowd yet
the right crowd never delivered a
miracle. He saw the miraculous at
work yet he never experienced it
145
himself. He basically stayed stuck in
that place for 38 years.
When Jesus arrived, He challenged
the man's thinking. "Do you want
to be healed?” In other words: “Do
you want to move from being close
to my work to being right in the
middle of who I am? Do you want
to stay a spectator or do you want
to become a participator? Do you
want to see? Or do you want to
experience?”
146
The man was still trying to sort out
his response when Jesus inter-
vened and commanded him to pick
up his mat, which led to a miracle.
Many of us are stuck at a place like
this in our lives. We may have the
right answers but we don’t always
know how to get the answers
activated in our lives.
Friends, Jesus is the answer. He
knows our needs and He knows our
lives. We can honestly and fre-
147
quently ask Him. If you’re stuck at a
place right now I encourage you to
pray this prayer:
Prayer:
Father, thank you that You know
me. You know my needs and my
wants. My whole life is in Your
hands. Father, sometimes I feel
overwhelmed - not knowing what
the day of tomorrow will bring, but
You know, O Lord. Father, I
acknowledge that I am stuck
148
without Your intervention. Please
HELP me Holy Spirit. Father, I ask
for a turnaround in my situation
right now. I believe it and receive it
right now in Jesus’ name. Amen.
149
Day 14
Not The Prodigal Son

But The LOVING
FATHER
“Jesus continued: “There was a
man who had two sons. The
younger one said to his father,
‘Father, give me my share of the
estate.’ So he divided his
property between them. Not long
after that, the younger son got
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Day 14: Not The Prodigal Son – But The LOVING FATHER
together all he had, set off for a
distant country and there
squandered his wealth in wild
living. After he had spent
everything, there was a severe
famine in that whole country, and
he began to be in need. So he
went and hired himself out to a
citizen of that country, who sent
him to his fields to feed pigs. He
longed to fill his stomach with the
pods that the pigs were eating, but
no one gave him anything. When
151
he came to his senses, he said,
‘How many of my father’s hired
servants have food to spare, and
here I am starving to death! I will
set out and go back to my father
and say to him: Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against
you. I am no longer worthy to be
called your son; make me like one
of your hired servants.’ So he got
up and went to his father. But while
he was still a long way off, his father
saw him and was filled with
152
compassion for him; he ran to his
son, threw his arms around him and
kissed him. “The son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you. I am no
longer worthy to be called your
son”. But the father said to his
servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best
robe and put it on him. Put a ring
on his finger and sandals on his
feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill
it. Let’s have a feast and
celebrate. For this son of mine was
153
dead and is alive again; he was lost
and is found’. So they began to
celebrate.” (Luke 15:11-24)
The son came back home based on
his own self-righteousness. The
Father embraced him based on His
love for him.
The son was trying to EARN the
Father's love: "Make me a hired
servant". But the Father will never
allow us to EARN His love. We have
His love. It is given to us based on
154
Jesus Christ. The Father's love is
unconditional, unmerited, undeser-
ved, freely given. In this story, the
Father saw him - saw his need for
Him and had compassion on him.
He restores the son to his full status,
not based on the son's works or
desires, but only because of the
Father's compassion.
"In love he predestined us for
adoption as sons through Jesus
Christ, according to the purpose of
155
his will, to the praise of his glorious
grace, with which he has blessed us
in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:5-6).
Like the prodigal son, sometimes
we still want to earn the Father's
love, but we can never earn what
was given to us. Grace is not based
on the receiver but the giver. We
must merely receive grace. We can
never earn it. That is why the
scripture declares:
156
“So too at the present time there is
a remnant, chosen by grace. But if
it is by grace, it is no longer on the
basis of works; otherwise grace
would no longer be grace.”
(Romans 11:5-6)
If we are chosen by God, it is based
on His grace and not our works. If it
is by our works then we are not
chosen by God; but have selected
ourselves - in self-righteousness.
But Praise God! He demonstrated
157
His love to us while we were still
sinners. Now that we are sons, how
much more will we not be reci-
pients of His grace?
This story does not speak of the
prodigal son. Rather the loving Fa-
ther who had compassion on the
son.
Friend, I don't know where you are
right now in your life, but I do know
that God has compassion for you.
He is a loving Father, willing to em-
158
brace you at any moment. You can
never sin so much as to cause Him
to walk away. He is eternally
committed to you.
Therefore, you can come boldly to
the throne of grace to obtain mercy
in your time of need. Run to God,
dear friend, throw open your arms
and experience His warm embrace.
He is not angry, but full of love for
you.
159
Prayer:
Father, I thank you that You don’t
deal with me according to my
shortcomings, but in accordance
with Your great love. Father, I run
back home today into Your loving
arms. Thank you that Your love
heals and restores. In Jesus’ name I
pray. Amen.
160
Day 15
You Are God's Agent

Of Change
“You are the light of the world. A
town built on a hill cannot be
hidden. Neither do people light a
lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and
it gives light to everyone in the
house. In the same way, let your
light shine before others, that they
161
may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew 5: 14-15)
As the light of the world we have a
divine mandate to be agents of
change. We must remember that
as agents of change we have
access to two dimensions:
a. We have Holy Spirit:
Holy Spirit is the One that
empowers us: “and behold, I am
sending the promise of my Father
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Day 15: You Are God’s Agent Of Change
upon you. But stay in the city until
you are clothed with power from on
high.”(Luke 24: 49)
Holy Spirit is the One that leads us:
“For all who are led by the Spirit of
God are sons of God.” (Romans
8:14).
Holy Spirit is the One that guides
us: “When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you into all the truth,
for he will not speak on his own
authority, but whatever he hears he
163
will speak, and he will declare to
you the things that are to come.”
(John 16:13)
Holy Spirit is the One that helps us:
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our
weakness. For we do not know
what to pray for as we ought, but
the Spirit himself intercedes for us
with groanings too deep for words.”
(Romans 8:26)
Above all of this, we are temples of
Holy Spirit: “Or do you not know
164
that your body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit within you, whom you
have from God? You are not your
own, for you were bought with a
price. So glorify God in your body.”
(1 Corinthians 6:19)
b. We have the Word of God:
Furthermore, we also have the
Word of God.
The Word of God should dwell
richly inside of us: “let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly, teaching
165
and admonishing one another in all
wisdom, singing psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, with thank-
fulness in your hearts to God.”
(Colossians 3:16)
The Word of God is our
mouthpiece: “For the word of God
is living and active, sharper than
any two- edged sword, piercing to
the division of soul and of spirit, of
joints and of marrow, and
166
discerning the thoughts and inten-
tions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
WITH THESE TWO DIMENSIONS
COMBINED IN OUR LIVES we have
become territory-taking people.
AGENTS OF CHANGE! We see the
combination of these two dimen-
sions in the life of Jesus Christ:
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he
went up out of the water. At that
moment heaven was opened, and
he saw the Spirit of God descen-
167
ding like a dove and alighting on
him. And a voice from heaven said,
“This is my Son, whom I love; with
him I am well pleased.” (Matthew
3:16-17)
In other words, dear friend, as an
agent of change we have Holy
Spirit and we have the Word of
God. With both of these dimen-
sions in our lives we must affect
change. We can never settle for a
168
status quo. That is less than who we
were created to be.
I want to encourage you to ask
yourself the question: "Am I less
than what I should be?" If so -
change is within your grasp. Today
is the day! There is no better time
than now.
Take hold of your identity and
become God's agent of change.
Affect change in your household, in
your marriage, in the workplace,
169
etc. Let Holy Spirit lead and guide
you. Fill yourself with the Word;
become saturated with His truth.
Ready your heart as you step out as
God's agent of change.
Prayer:
Thank you Father that You call me
the light of the world. Father,
continuously lead and guide me by
Your Spirit to affect change
wherever I go. In Jesus’ name I
pray. Amen.
170
Day 16
Focused Thoughts
“And when they had laid many
stripes upon them, they cast them
into prison, charging the jailor to
keep them safely: Who, having
received such a charge, thrust them
into the inner prison, and made
their feet fast in the stocks. And at
midnight Paul and Silas prayed,
and sang praises unto God: and
171
the prisoners heard them. And
suddenly there was a great
earthquake, so that the foundations
of the prison were shaken: and
immediately all the doors were
opened, and every one's bands
were loosed. And the keeper of the
prison awaking out of his sleep,
and seeing the prison doors open,
he drew out his sword, and would
have killed himself, supposing that
the prisoners had been fled. But
Paul cried with a loud voice, saying,
172
Day 16: Focused Thoughts
Do thyself no harm: for we are all
here. Then he called for a light, and
sprang in, and came trembling, and
fell down before Paul and Silas, and
brought them out, and said, Sirs,
what must I do to be saved? And
they said, Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house. And they
spake unto him the word of the
Lord, and to all that were in his
house.” (Acts 16:23-32)
173
Here Paul and Silas find themselves
in a real bad predicament. They
have been imprisoned for a crime
they have not committed. Yet
amazingly, they are not consumed
with worries and woes - they
remain focused on the goodness of
God. In life, we must know that our
focus determines the outcome of
our reality. What we focus on can
become our master. When we
focus, we put our energy into what
we focus on. In other words, we can
174
activate our faith or fear by what we
choose to focus on. Our focus will
consume our attention.
There will be many situations in life
that demand our time but do not
necessarily need our attention. We
need to have the wisdom to know
the difference. Many people do not
progress because they are swal-
lowed up by everything else that is
less than the mandate God has
placed on their life.
175
Paul and Silas could have zoomed
in and complained about their
circumstances: "God, we cast out a
demon and this is what we get?
We’re on a missionary journey and
we get beaten and thrown in jail?
Instead of 'watching our back', our
backs are bleeding from a
beating"!
But they made a choice to worship
God in spite of their external
circumstances. What an attitude of
176
victory! Their worship restored their
spiritual equilibrium. Their correct
focus helped them regain perspec-
tive. When we focus on the Lord,
we zoom out and refocus on the
big picture. It is true that our
internal attitudes are more impor-
tant than our external circum-
stances. Our outlook on life will
determine the outcome of our life.
All of us will be tested somewhere
along the line. To be “tested”
177
means to be “measured”; when we
are measured we are refined. And
when we are refined, we become
more like Him (Romans 8:29).
When Jesus was TESTED in the
WILDERNESS He was measured.
That measurement only proved His
identity.
Therefore, no matter the test or the
external circumstance, we must
understand that our FOCUS will
178
consume our attention, our energy
and ultimately our potential.
The wrong focus will drain us. The
wrong focus can even destroy us,
but God will not allow that to
happen. He is stronger than the
storm. He is Master of all!
Focus your thoughts today on His
goodness, love and faithfulness.
Sing a song of joy and praise. You
will experience your spirit rising
above the situation.
179
Here is a good Psalm to sing today:
“Praise the LORD, my soul; all my
inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the LORD, my soul, and
forget not all His benefits—
Who forgives all your sins and
heals all your diseases, Who
redeems your life from the pit and
crowns you with love and
compassion, Who satisfies your
desires with good things so that
your youth is renewed like the
180
eagle’s. The LORD works
righteousness and justice for all the
oppressed.
He made known His ways to
Moses,
His deeds to the people of Israel:
The LORD is compassionate and
gracious, slow to anger, abounding
in love. He will not always accuse,
nor will He harbor his anger
forever; He does not treat us as our
sins deserve or repay us according
to our iniquities. For as high as the
181
heavens are above the earth, so
great is His love for those who fear
Him; as far as the east is from the
west, so far has He removed our
trans-gressions from us. As a father
has compassion on His children, so
the LORD has compassion on those
who fear Him; for He knows how
we are formed, He remembers that
we are dust. The life of mortals is
like grass, they flourish like a
flower of the field; the wind
182
blows over it and it is gone, and its
place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who
fear Him, and His righteousness
with their children’s children with
those who keep His covenant and
remember to obey His precepts.
The LORD has established His
throne in heaven, and His kingdom
rules over all. Praise the LORD, you
His angels, you mighty ones who
do His bidding, who obey His
183
word. Praise the LORD, all His
heavenly hosts, you His
servants who do his will. Praise
the LORD, all His works everywhere
in His dominion. Praise the LORD,
my soul.”
(Psalm 103)
184
Day 17
Jesus Is Still Master

Of The Storms
“And there arose a great storm of
wind, and the waves beat into the
ship, so that it was now full. And He
[Jesus] arose, and rebuked the
wind, and said unto the sea, Peace,
be still. And the wind ceased, and
there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:37,
39)
185
The demon-possessed man was an
important weapon in Satan's arse-
nal. Through the actions of the
demoniac of Gadara, the devil had
held the countryside hostage
through fear for a very long time.
The demoniac was so legendary
that people throughout the entire
coastland region knew of him.
The devil knew that if Jesus crossed
the Sea of Galilee that night and
reached the other side; He would
186
Day 17: Jesus Is Still Master Of The Storms
cast the demons out of that man.
When that happened, Satan would
lose the weapon he had long used
to terrorise the whole countryside.
The phrase "there arose" is taken
from the Greek word ginomai,
which, in this case, describes
“something that happens unexpec-
tedly or something that catches
one off-guard”. This plainly tells us
that Jesus and His disciples did not
expect bad weather that night. The
187
Greek word ginomai emphatically
means that this event completely
took the disciples by surprise. The
word "wind" is the Greek word
lalaipsi, which means this was “a
turbulent or terribly violent wind”.
This word can also be translated
“hurricane, cyclone, tempest, gale,
windstorm, a furious tempest, or a
fierce squall”. Therefore, we know
the storm that came against Jesus
that night was no small breeze. It
188
was a formidable, crushing, over-
powering type of storm.
Here Jesus was on the brink of one
of the greatest miracles of His
ministry: He would cast out a legion
of demons and send the man on
into his community and town as an
evangelist. At the same time, there
was the devil, fearing that he was
about to lose one of his most
highly prized weapons of terrorism.
It was at this exact moment that
189
this violent, destructive turbulence
came down upon Jesus and His
disciples. But that night, in the
midst of the storm, Jesus arose and
took authority over the situation.
The Bible says that when He
exercised His authority over this
unseen turbulence, "the wind
ceased, and there was a great
calm" (Mark 4:39). In doing this,
Jesus demonstrated that He was
Lord of the wind and the waves.
This potentially deadly situation
190
provided a great opportunity for
the disciples to learn that Jesus
Christ is truly Lord over all!
Friend, it is true that storms arise in
our lives from time to time and it
normally seems that they come out
of nowhere.
But Jesus is still Master of the winds
and the waves. Nothing will
happen in our lives that He is not
aware of or that He cannot master.
We must trust that He is absolutely
191
in control in every area of our lives.
He must be Lord. We cannot go to
Him occasionally or when we are in
trouble. He wants to be part of our
lives all the time.
What is amazing from this piece of
scripture is that Jesus never leaves
the boat (which symbolises our
lives) but He remains with the
disciples in the storm. Their boat
never sinks. In other words we are
never alone in our storm. Jesus will
192
not leave us to experience utter
disaster. At the right moment He
will intervene and show us that He
is still Master of the winds and the
waves. We must trust Him.
Prayer:
Thank you Father, that You are still
Master of the winds and the waves
of my life. In this moment, I come
to you Lord and ask you to silence
the winds and the waves in my life.
Thank you Father that you produce
193
peace now in the midst of the
storm. Lord I believe that You will
silence my storm now in Jesus’
Name. Amen.
194
Day 18
More Precious
Than Gold
“Then I turned to see the voice that
was speaking to me, and on turning
I saw seven golden lampstands,
and in the midst of the lampstands
one like a son of man, clothed with
a long robe and with a golden sash
around his chest” (Revelation 1:12-
13).
195
In this scripture Jesus is about to
deliver a message to His church.
However, it is important to note
that He describes His church as
"golden" - not broken down, not
beaten, not destroyed, not wasted,
not shattered – but GOLDEN. Not
just any gold, but the purest form
there is. It is true that the church
has always been made up of
imperfect men and women, with
lots of mistakes, shortcomings, pro-
blems and issues. Yet God chose
196
Day 18: More Precious Than Gold
people as His vessels to demon-
strate the Kingdom of His Son on
the earth. He chose normal people,
not the wise; not the academics;
not the rich or affluent, but normal
people. Why people? Because
without Him, we are completely
lost.
There are various opinions of what
the church is and how the church
should function; what is wrong with
the church, and so on. People have
197
left churches; have been offended
in churches; hurt in churches;
experienced trouble in churches.
Why? Because the church is made
up of people; not perfect people,
not flawless people, not impec-
cable people, or spotless people -
just people. People who sleep
every day, people who need to eat
every day, people who don’t have
control over the sun, moon, stars,
or the tides of the sea, people who
don't know what tomorrow will
198
bring. People! Nevertheless, Jesus
sees this group of people as
GOLDEN. He paid for them with
His blood. He came not to seek
and save the perfect, but the lost,
with all their imperfections, pro-
blems, shortcomings and some-
times even pride. Jesus still sees
them as GOLDEN. PRECIOUS.
WORTHY. TO DIE FOR!
However, this does not mean that
He leaves the church in its mess,
199
whatever that may be. In actual fact,
if we read on in the Book of
Revelations we will find that Jesus
speaks personal and direct mes-
sages to each of His churches. The
Scripture reading for today also
reveals that Jesus is in the midst of
His church, right in the very heart of
it, which conveys the message that
He is very well aware of what is
going on, yet He still chooses us.
200
These truths are a foundation for
our lives. What we must understand
is that Jesus sees every potential in
us to become more like Him. Satan
sees us as a great threat to his king-
dom and his plans. Satan knows he
can’t stop the plan of God, but he
can thwart it as best as possible. He
can throw hindrances our way and
he can frustrate us. He does this by
selling us lies, by stealing from us
and by destroying certain aspects
of our God-given inheritance.
201
Friend, in the eyes of Jesus Christ
you are golden, precious, worthy
and simply to die for. Never let the
enemy tell you anything less.
Prayer:
Father, thank You that You see me
as golden. I sometimes don't feel
golden in Your eyes. Please help
me to eradicate these lies in my
heart so that I can believe the
worth You have placed upon my
life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
202
Day 19
The Grace Of God
“For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, not
of works, lest anyone should boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9)
Grace is God’s generous favour to
undeserving sinners and needy
saints. Grace is God's free and
undeserved bounty. Grace shocks
203
us in what it offers or at least it
should "shock us" when we come
to realise the importance of grace
in our lives. The grace of God is the
expression of God's goodness
towards the undeserving. In
salvation, men who deserve hell
obtain heaven because of grace
that flows from the Cross (1 Corin-
thians 1:18).
This provision of heaven instead of
hell cannot be explained, apart
204
Day 19: The Grace Of God
from being a free, albeit cost-
ly grace. Grace is a gift that costs
everything to the Giver and nothing
to the receiver. That is why it is
described as “Amazing Grace!” It is
given to those who don’t deserve it,
barely recognise it, and hardly ap-
preciate it. The grace of God is
undeserved, unsought and un-
bought. Grace starts with God,
continues with God, and ends with
God! Anything we do is in response
to what God has first done for us.
205
Remember GRACE is:
G - a Gift, the principle of grace
R - Redemption, the purpose of grace
A - Access, the privilege of grace
C - Character, the product of grace
E - Eternal Life, the prospect of grace
God had grace on us, not on the
basis of anything we have done,
but on the basis of who He is. His
grace is exactly that: His. It is the
greatest gift we have received.
206
Day 19: The Grace Of God
Friend, God's grace is enough for
us. It is enough to empower us for
this life and the life to come. We
will do well to rest in His Grace.
Prayer:
Father, thank You that I am a
recipient of Your grace. Thank You
that Your grace is unmerited and
unreserved. Father, I open my heart
to receive Your grace in the areas
of my life where I have not applied
it. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
207
Day 20
Jesus Came So That

We Can Be Saved!
"No one is righteous—not even
one." (Romans 3:10)
“For everyone has sinned; we all
fall short of God’s glorious
standard.” (Romans 3:23)
We are all infected and impure with
sin.
208
Day 20: Jesus Came So That We Can Be Saved!
When we display our “righteous”
deeds before God, they are noth-
ing but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6a).
The apostle Paul makes it clear that
salvation is available only through
the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made
when He carried the sins of the
world on the cross.
“For God made Christ, who never
sinned, to be the offering for our
sin so that we could be made right
with God through Christ” (2 Corin-
209
thians 5:21). Jesus never sinned. So
He was the only one who could pay
the price and carry the sins of all
people who ever lived on the cross.
He was the sacrificial Lamb who
took upon Himself the sin of all
people.
This salvation comes only through
the grace of God towards man and
we can only receive it by faith - not
by any deed that we could ever do.
210
Furthermore, the scripture declares:
“And you He made alive, who were
dead in trespasses and sins, in
which you once walked according
to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the po-
wer of the air, the spirit who now
works in the sons of disobedience,
among whom also we all once con-
ducted ourselves in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and were by
211
nature children of wrath, just as the
others.” (Ephesians 2: 1-3)
Before we met God, we were dead
in our trespasses and sins. The
word “dead” here in the Greek
means “completely dead”, in every
sense of the word. Therefore, if
God had not done something to
save us, we would still be dead and
without eternal life. All those who
don’t accept the Lord Jesus Christ
212
are still dead in their trespasses and
sins.
When we were dead in our sins we
were ruled by another. This ruler is
none other than Satan himself.
Satan is called the god of this age
and he is still leading people to
destruction. The Bible makes this
clear when it says:
“And you, being dead in your
trespasses and the uncircumcision
of your flesh, He has made alive
213
together with Him, having forgiven
you all trespasses, having wiped
out the handwriting of require-
ments that was against us, which
was contrary to us. And He has
taken it out of the way, having
nailed it to the cross. Having
disarmed principalities and powers,
He made a public spectacle of
them, triumphing over them in it.”
(Colossians 2:13-15)
214
In this portion of Scripture, Paul
explains that before we met Christ,
we were dead in our trespasses and
sins. He goes further and explains
that you and I received hope when
Christ died in our place, erasing the
handwriting that was against us and
receiving the punishment of sin
Himself. He became our atonement
when He died in our place on the
cross. This is how wonderful our
Saviour is! He went further and
disarmed principalities and powers.
215
We can therefore say the power of
sin is forever broken over the
believer’s life.
Therefore, in our battle with sin, the
Lord Jesus took our sin. This does
not mean that a Christian cannot
sin. In actual fact, if you think you
are without sin you are deceived (1
John 1:8-9). All have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God (Romans
3:23).
216
However, if we claim that Jesus is
Lord of our lives, we cannot stay in
a place of habitual sinning. Sin
cannot become our lifestyle. If this
is the case, we should question
whether Jesus is really Lord over
our lives? However, we must under-
stand that this may not always be
the case with all individuals, as
some may be in bondage or op-
pressed by the devil in some way
or the other (Acts 10:38). What I am
trying to convey is the following:
217
Just because some people
continually get stuck in some speci-
fic sin, does not necessarily imply
that Jesus is not Lord over their life.
It may just mean that they are
being oppressed by the enemy in
some way or the other and there-
fore are struggling to get free.
Satan normally gains these advan-
tage points in a believer’s life when
the believer has willingly opened a
door (Ephesians 4:27). The devil
has been conquered by the Cross
218
of Christ; but that does not mean
he has stopped his attacks against
the individual nor the church.
That is why it is so important to
submit to God (James 4:7) and
resist the devil.
Friend, choose today to receive the
life of Christ. God wants us to
choose life and live a life that is
victorious in Christ.
If you find yourself oppressed in a
certain way, unable to break free, I
219
encourage you to reach out to the
Lord and someone you can trust,
and open your heart. God is willing
to heal and restore, but you must
be willing to receive that healing.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for Jesus. Thank
You that You have given me
freedom in Him. I joyfully accept
this truth into my life. In Jesus’
name. Amen.
220
Day 21
Not Many Clever

People Are Called
“For consider your calling,
brothers: not many of you were
wise according to worldly standards,
not many were powerful, not many
were of noble birth. But God chose
what is foolish in the world to
shame the wise; God chose what is
weak in the world to shame the
221
strong; God chose what is low and
despised in the world, even things
that are not, to bring to nothing
things that are, so that no human
being might boast in the presence
of God. And because of him you
are in Christ Jesus, who became to
us wisdom from God,
righteousness and sanctification
and redemption, so that, as it is
written, “Let the one who boasts,
boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians
1:26-31)
222
Day 21: Not Many Clever People Are Called
In this Scripture, Paul highlights the
people who God frequently calls.
They are the foolish, the weak, the
low and despised. In other words,
they are normal people.
This means that if we see ourselves
as normal, we may be the right
type of people God is looking for.
Normal people are willing, eager,
ready to learn, and available. Most
of the time, these are faithful
people, who serve wholeheartedly,
223
giving everything they have to a
cause.
Seemingly ”brainy” people are just
as powerful in the hands of God,
but sometimes they take longer to
submit to the plan of God due to
their rational way of reasoning. Saul,
before he became Paul, was an
intellectual. He was raised in one of
the best schools of his day and in
all appreciations of the word - an
expert in his field. But Jesus con-
224
fronted Saul on the road to Damas-
cus, bringing about a drastic
turnaround in his life. However, be-
fore this turnaround took place Paul
was most definitely "kicking against
the goads (pricks) ".
What does it mean to “kick against
the goads or pricks”? This was a
Greek proverb, which had similar
meaning to the Jews and anyone
who made a living in agriculture.
An ox goad was a stick with a
225
pointed piece of iron on its tip used
to prod the oxen when ploughing.
The farmer would prick the animal
to steer it in the right direction.
Sometimes the animal would rebel
by kicking at the goad (prick), and
this would result in the goad being
driven even further into its flesh. In
essence, the more an ox rebelled,
the more it suffered. Thus, Jesus’
words to Saul on the road to
Damascus: “It is hard for you to
kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14).
226
Therefore, Saul who became Paul,
first resisted the leading and
stirring in his heart. He was
stubborn. Nevertheless, Jesus got
his attention and turned his life
around. Saul, who became Paul,
had so much of the Word of God
inside of him that Holy Spirit quick-
ened great revelation to Paul, so
much so that he wrote much of our
New Testament.
227
Skill and anointing together is
extremely powerful, when it is
combined with a humble, serving
heart.
King David could kill Goliath be-
cause he had both skill and
anointing. I firmly believe that the
church is now moving into an age
where we will need both. We can-
not just have one and not the other.
We need both.
228
The people who God is going to
use are people who are full of His
Spirit, full of His Word and full of
His character. But what does this
mean? It means that all of us have a
choice to make. We can be people
who rely completely on God, or we
can look to our own efforts and
ourselves as a source of hope.
Friend, God wants normal, every-
day people.
229
In actual fact, everything that be-
comes too complicated is most
likely not God, but religion.
Religion tells us to follow a set of
rules to accomplish righteousness.
Jesus Christ says “accept me and I
will give you righteousness, based
upon my finished work at the
Cross”. Let us embrace the fullness
that He has for us, and never settle
for anything less.
230
Prayer:
Father I thank you that You use
ordinary, everyday people like me.
Thank you that in Your eyes I am
more than qualified. Lord, lead me
and guide me into righteousness.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
231
Final Comment
There you go friend, you have
successfully journeyed for 21 days.
I pray that the Lord will strengthen
you, guide you, lead you and help
you.
You are more than a conqueror,
highly favoured, deeply loved and
abundantly blessed.
God is for you and not against you.
232
With our Lord we can storm an
army and jump over any wall.
In Him we are able to do anything.
Love you very much!
Your servant in Jesus Christ,
Gebhardt Berndt
233
Bibliography
Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Mes-
sage: The Bible in contemporary
language (1 Co 13). Colorado
Springs, CO: NavPress.
www.danielfast.wordpress.com/dan
iel-fast-food-list/
234
About The Author
Pastor Gebhardt Berndt has been a
member of Hatfield Christian
Church since birth. After complet-
ing his National Senior Certificate
he studied Law at the University of
Pretoria and University of South Af-
rica. Thereafter, he completed a
four-year Bachelor of Arts Degree
in Bible and Theology at the Global
University, USA, graduating Cum
Laude. At present he is enrolled for
235
a Master of Arts Degree in Organi-
zational Leadership (MOL) at Re-
gent University, USA.
As pastor, Gebhardt has been serv-
ing Hatfield Christian Church North
dynamically and fervently: a church
with a congregation of more than
3000 believers. He served in the
following capacities from 2003-
2013: Head of Young People De-
partment, Head of Training De-
partment, and Area Shepherding
236
Pastor. In 2014, Gebhardt was ap-
pointed as the Executive Pastor of
Hatfield Christian Church North and
is in an active process of succession.
Another passionate and dedicated
mission is serving The Christian
Network (T.C.N.) as Chief Opera-
tional Officer of CLAY (Change Life
Around You) and Synergy National
Leader (T.C.N. Young People Net-
work).
237
Pastor Gebhardt has ministered lo-
cally, nationally and internationally
on diverse topics. Some of his fa-
vourites will always prevail: the
Prophetic and Holy Spirit. Further-
more, he has a profound passion
for the Word of God and is inter-
ested in the Greek translation of
the Biblical text. His heart lies in
observing God’s Word being
taught to the Church in its entirety
and for all Christians to live a life of
victory in Christ.
238
He has been married to his
cherished wife Shannon since 2005
and they are blessed with two
precious daughters, Yasmin and
Mickaele.
239

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Favoured for Life: A 21-Day Journey of Grace

Published by Hatfield Christian Church North

Corner Willem Cruywagen and Brits Roads,

Theresapark, Pretoria 0182

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in

any form, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in

any form by any means – electronic, mechanical,

photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior

written permission of the publisher, except as provided

by South African copyright law.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®

unless otherwise stated. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas

Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2014 by Gebhardt Berndt

All rights reserved

Printed in Pretoria, South Africa

our lives. May we continue to live in His favour as

we remain on this journey of grace!

A special thanks to:

Colleen Mitchell, Tshiamo Choane, Cherise Singh

and Charmaine Erasmus for their assistance with

the editing and proofreading of this book.

Melanie Stander for her creativity and effort in

designing the book cover.

Prayer And Fasting Guidelines ...... 9

Day 9 ......................................... 109

Day 10 ....................................... 121

Day 11 ....................................... 125

Day 12 ....................................... 133

Day 13 ....................................... 142

Day 14 ....................................... 150

Day 15 ....................................... 161

Day 16 ....................................... 171

Day 17 ....................................... 185

Day 18 ....................................... 195

Day 20 ....................................... 208

Day 21 ....................................... 221

Final Comment .......................... 232

Bibliography .............................. 234

About The Author...................... 235

This book will usher you on a prac-

tical journey of rediscovering God’s

favour and love for you. It is written

in a 21-day format, which can easily

accompany a time of dedicated

fasting and prayer. It also contains

helpful information about fasting,

along with some practical guide-

lines to ensure maximum ease dur-

ing a period of consecration.

God’s favour is not conditional; ra-

ther it is based on His Son – Jesus

Christ. His favour never changes or

fluctuates; it always remains con-

stant! Open your heart and come

journey with me as we rediscover

that we are destined to reign in life

through His favour!

Why Should We Fast?

The purpose of fasting should be to

take our eyes off the things of this

world and focus on God instead.