Sunday, 29th November, 2020
Bible Reading: Psalm 40: 1-3
Memory Verse: No matter how often honest people fall, they always get up again; but disaster destroys the wicked. Proverbs 24:16 (GNT)
Abraham Lincoln was one of the most famous failures with a high influential personality. He was probably the greatest example of persistence on grounds of his failures. If you want to learn about somebody who didn’t quit, look no further. He was born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice he failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown. He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of America. Lincoln was a champion and he never gave up. Here is a sketch of Lincoln’s road from childhood to the White House:
1816: His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them. 1818: His mother died. 1831: Failed in business. 1832: Ran for state legislature – lost. 1832: Also lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in. 1833: Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt. 1834: Ran for state legislature again and won.
1835: Was engaged to be married, but his fiancee died and his heart was broken. 1836: Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
1838: Sought to become speaker of the state legislature but was defeated. 1840: Sought to become elector – defeated.
1843: Ran for Congress – lost. 1846: Ran for Congress again – this time he won – went to Washington and did a good job. 1848: Ran for re-election to Congress – lost. 1849: Sought the job of land officer in his home state – rejected.
1854: Ran for Senate of the United States – lost. 1856: Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party’s national convention – got less than 100 votes. 1858: Ran for U.S. Senate again – again he lost (probably his last failure). 1860: Elected president of the United States. Brethren, I say unto you this day: Never, Never give up. Quitters never win and winners never quit. Shalom.
Quote by Lincoln:
1. My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.
2. The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
My thought: Arise from where you have fallen and fight again. Your new year can start today.
Prophetic Decree: You are moving from failure to groundbreaking success, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. Thank you Father of all good success.
2. I break the backbone of failure in my life, in Jesus name.
3. Failure magnet in my environment, die, in Jesus name.
4. Curses of failure hanging over my life, break, in Jesus name.
5. Evil covenant of failure hanging over my head, break, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Corinthians 1-4