Friday, 12th April 2024
Bible Reading: 3 John 1: 2, 1 Timothy 4:8
Memory Verse: Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. 3 John 1:2 (NLT)
Dr Strive Masiyiwa wrote: Twenty years ago, I arranged to meet a well-known British international businessman who invested a lot in Africa at the time. We agreed to meet for dinner at a leading hotel in London. After a good meeting, we started to walk out of the restaurant when he suddenly collapsed in the lobby. There was total pandemonium as they rushed to get medical assistance. He had had a heart attack and had to have triple bypass heart surgery. Sadly he died a few weeks later. He hadn’t been sick and his sudden death surprised everyone.
As I reflected on it, and discussed with a doctor friend who knew him, I realized he was very laid back about his health despite having a hectic business life. Even during our dinner, he had quipped that he was too busy to exercise and was determined to eat what he liked as he consumed huge volumes of ice cream and other truly unhealthy foods. That was a real wake-up call for me. I realised that you can easily put your health at risk. You are never too young to die suddenly like he did. I decided then that I was going to look after my health as best as I could.
Together with my wife, we decided to consult doctors and nutritionists for wise guidance. And of course, we read a lot of books [good books, not what quacks write. Beware!] We changed our diets to include lots of vegetables, fruits, and nuts. I don’t exercise to look like an athlete but I exercise every single day. I check my blood pressure daily and go to the gym. It’s a habit next to my prayer and Bible study. We fast at least one day each week for spiritual reasons. Fasting is also considered to be one of the most powerful tools in physical health. It also helps to kill unnecessary and compulsive cravings for food.
I drink lots of water [and so should all of us]. I do not drink sugary drinks under any circumstances and you know I don’t drink alcohol. I prefer a simple digital watch that allows me to track things like steps and sleeping. I can read for hours, and travel for days. I believe “maintenance is better than repair”, so I prefer to see doctors when I’m well, not when I’m sick! As busy as my schedule is, twice a year I set aside time for doctor appointments. Remember I’m over sixty but for younger folks like most of you guys, once a year is enough.
Even if you are twenty, try to start your habit early. Checkups for men should include prostate cancer while checkups for women should include cervical, ovarian, and breast cancer. Everyone needs to keep an eye on their skin, especially if you have been under the sun a lot over the years. People of all colours can get skin cancer! People of all colours can get skin cancer! Doctors tell me that you can treat 90% of diseases if you catch them early enough.
Quote: Maintenance is better than repair. Do not wait to see your doctor until you are unwell.
Prophetic Decree: Any cauldron cooking your health breaks now, in Jesus name
Prayer Focus
1. Thank you Father because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
2. Sickness in my blood, be flushed out by the power in the Blood of Jesus, in Jesus name.
3. Any altar cooking my health, catch fire, in Jesus name.
4. I receive divine wisdom to live in good health even as my soul prospers, in Jesus name.
5. Power of resurrection, quicken everything dead in my body, in Jesus name.
6. I command peace from Zion upon my body, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 15-17
