Saturday, 20th April 2024
Bible Reading: 2 kings 3: 26-27
Memory Verse: Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land. 2 kings 3:27 (NIV)
To sacrifice means to give up (something valued) for the sake of other considerations. When the King of Moab discovered that the battle was sore against him and didn’t want to give up, he sacrificed something precious – his eldest son who happened to be the heir to the throne. Despite the prophecy of Prophet Elisha, there was a great indignation against Israel. Until you make up your mind to sacrifice your sleep and engage in midnight prayers, some problems may keep reoccurring in your life.
The myth of ‘I am tired due to work” is sustainable until you are tired of your problems. Then, you will willingly give up your sleep for prayers. You will always have time for what you consider most important to you. Mark 10:28 (NAB) says, “Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Apostle Peter and other disciples left their convenience – their wives, their children, their work, etc, sacrificially to become all that Jesus would have them become.
No wonder they were invincible and glorious. Imagine if the likes of Mary Slessor did not sacrifice her comfort in Europe for Africa. Perhaps the killing of twins wouldn’t have been abolished. Imagine if David Livingstone did not give up his comfort in England to be haraassed by demons and malaria in Africa, surely the gospel of Christ would have suffered loss in his hands.
“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?” – David Livingstone. As a student, what are you willing to sacrifice for a higher grade in school? What are you willing to do in order to acquire additional relevant skills in the ever competitive labour market? Don’t eat all your pocket money. Sacrifice some on the altar of self-development.
Furthermore, what sacrifice are you making for kingdom advancement in your locality? Are you willing to bear insults and accommodate shame because of your faith? “No sacrifice should be too great for Him who gave Himself for us” – Harry Ironside
Quote: People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege – David Livingstone.
Prophetic Decree: May you be established on the altar of kingdom sacrifice, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. My Father, please engrace my heart in order to lay hold on you, in Jesus name.
2. Holy Spirit please help me to journey on the road of sacrifice, in Jesus name.
3. O Lord, please don’t allow the labour of the Saints of Old to waste upon our land, in Jesus name.
4. I receive discipline and grace for sacrificial Christian living, in Jesus name.
5. By the mercies of God, the story of my sacrifice for the Kingdom shall remain memorable in heaven and on earth in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 121, 123-125, 128-130
