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WEAPONS IN GOD’S ARMOURY FOR CHRISTIANS (Part-1)

October 18, 2013 by Dr. Charles Ayoka

Introduction: An armoury is a storehouse or a treasury where weapons of all descriptions are stored. No army
will succeed in battle without many weapons in their armoury. In this last days, the Lord has opened his
armoury for his children to use. The weapons of our warfare we often apply are the word of God, praises, blood
of Jesus and prayer but as the battle gets tougher during this end time, we need to utilize more sophisticated &
divinely ordained weapons which are available in the armoury of God. This weapons are extra mighty, divine,
efficient, and ready for our use but we Christians often do not even utilize them because is either we do not
know they exist or how to use them. The guarantee to win some battles may depend on your knowledge and
application of this weapons. It doesn’t matter how powerful your weapons are they are worthless if you do not
know how to use them. Many Christian are defeated because they do not know what their weapons in God’s
armoury are. The Bile says “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim 2:3)”
Are We in War? Christians are at war over the forces of darkness and their agents. Joel 3:9-10. Q1. Why
should the weak say I am strong? Q2. Why were they called men of War?Q3. Are the weak among them and
what does this mean to a christian?. Jer 50:24-25 Q4. Why did the Lord open his armoury here? Q5. When will
the armoury of God be opened to you. Q6. What is contained in God’s armoury?. 2Cor 10:3-5: Q7. What type of
war are Christians fighting and are you involved, how?
Weapons in God’s armoury: Below are the sophisticated and superior weapons God has made available for
the church to use in this end time. 1. The hand & arm of the Lord. 1Sam5:” Q8. What caused the destruction
of Philistines at Ashdod? Q9. Of what use is this to a Christian? 1Sam7:13. Q10. What happened to the
Philistines during the days of Samuel?. Q11. What will you want to happen during your days on earth, what will
your prayer then be?. Ps 75:8 Q12. What is in God’s hand and what does God do with it against the wicked on
earth?. Is 19:16 Q13. What will make Egypt afraid and fear? Q14. What shall we do to cause our enemy to be
afraid and fear? Q15. In what ways can you apply this against your enemy? 2. The Whirlwind of God. Jer
23:19-20. Q16. What is the usefulness of the whirlwind of God to a Christian. 3. The East Wind. Exod 10:12-
13 Q17. What did the Lord ask Moses to do against Egypt and what did the Lord do? Q18. What has this
taught you in your Christian warefare and how can you apply this? Exod 14:21. Q18b. What did Moses do and
what did the East wind from God do? 4. The West Wind. Exod 10:19Q19. How can you apply this west wind
weapon in your prayers? 5. The South Wind. Ps 78:26-29 Q20. What did the introduction of south wind do
here to the Isrealites? 6. The Locust. Joel 2:25. Q21. Whose army are this things mentioned and what did they
do? Q22. Mentioned where they were used again in the Bible and for what purpose?. Q23. How will you use
them? (Moses used Locust to defeat Pharoah). 7. Shaking leaves & branches. Levit 26:36 Q24. What will
chase the enemies to flee here and what is their fleeing compared to? Q25. How can you apply this?. 2 Sam
5:24 Q26. What will necessitate the destruction of the philistines? (Shake your bible). 8. Fire of the
Lord. 2King1:10 Q27. What weapon did Elijah used here and where did he get it from?. Q28. Share an
experience of spiritual fire as a weapon used? Gen 19:24 Q29. What was the fire used to do here and how can
a Christian apply this?. Lev 10:1-2 Q30. What was the fire used here for and is this fire useful for Christians
today and How can you apply it?
9. The Earthquake. Acts 16:26 Q1. Who called for the earthquake and from where did it come from? How did
they call for it and what happened? 1 Sam 14:15-17. Q2. What caused the multitude to disappear at the war
front and what does this mean to you? 10. Darkness. Exod 10:21. Q3. What did Moses stretching out of hand
caused and what is the effect of this darkness?. How can you apply this? 11. Hail stones. Josh 10:11 Q4. What
killed them and from where did it come from? How can you apply this 12. The Voice of the Lord. Is 30:31 Q5.
What will cause the defeat of the Assyrians and How can you apply this? 13. Chariots of fire. Ps 68:17, 2
Kings 6:17 Q6. What did God send to defend Elisha and his servant against the enemy and what did his
servant did when he saw them? Q7. What does this mean to you? 14. Finger of God. Lk 11:20. Q7b. What can
the finger of God do for us? Dan 5:5-6. Q8. What is the finger of God used here for and how can you apply
it? 15. The Stars Judg 5:20. Q9. Who did the fighting and what does this mean to you? 16. The Flaming
sword. Gen 3:24: Q10. What did the flaming sword do and how can you use it? 17. The Sword of the Lord,
arrows: Ps 37:14-15. Q11. What has the wicked planned and what is Gods desire? Q12. How can we achieve
this desire? Prov 25:18 Q13. In what other way does the enemy send a sword and arrow to us. Q14. What will
false witness do to you and what will you do if it happens? Judges 7:18 Q15. Why were the people asked to
say this and what happened?. Q16. How can you apply this? Ps 7:11-13 Q17. Why is God angry with the
wicked?. Q18. What will you do to make God fire already bent and ready bow against the enemy? 18. Four
Kinds (Sword, dogs, fowls, beasts): Jer 15:3 Q19. How can you apply this in a battle? 19. Lightning: Ps
144:5-6. Q20. Demonstrate how you will call for and use this weapons in warfare? 2 Sam 22:14-15. Q21.
Demonstrate how you will call for and use this weapons in warfare? Lev 26:22 Q22. Who used this weapon in
the bible and what happened? how do you see this? 20. The Spear: Hab 3:11-12 Q23. What caused the moon
and sun to stand still and what does this mean to you? Ps 35:3 Q24. What can you use the spear to do in
warfare? 21. A Fever, Blasting, inflammation, Mildew: Deut 28:22. Q25. How many weapons are used here
and why ? How can you apply this? 23. Madness, Blindness, astonishment: Deut 28:28-29 Q26. Has this
been applied by any in the bible?, tell the story?. Q27. So when do you think it should be applied and how? 2
Kings 6:18-20. Q28. Why did Elisha applied this weapon and why did God release it? 24. Evil Angels &
trouble: Ps 78:49 Q29. What weapons are used here and How can you use them?. Ps 35:5-. Q30. Have you
applied this weapon before and what happened? 25. Pestilence, Famine: Deut 28:21. Jer 24:10. Ezek 14:19-
20 Q31. When and how can you apply this weapon of pestilence? Ezek 14:21 Q32. What weapons will be sent
here and what does this teach you? Show application. 26.Wasting Diseases: Deut 28:27. Deut
28:35. Q33. When and how can you apply this weapon?
27. Plenty Weapons Ps 18:1-20 (V7-Earthquake, V8- smoke, fire, coals, V9-darkness, V10-Wind, V11-
thick clouds, V12-hailstones, coal of fire V13-thunder, his voice, V14-Arrows, lightening, V15-rebuke, the
blast). Other weapons are the Stars Judges 5:20: Death and the gates of the shadow of death Psalms
55:15, Job 38:17 and Rain (Job 38:26)
Conclusion: We cannot afford not to know and make use of this God ordained weapons that will make us more
than conquerors. Hos 4:6 says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. As we get this knowledge, let
us know that they exist for our defence and can easily be deployed against the forces of darkness. With God on
your side, fear not for you are in charge with sophisticated divine weapons at your disposal.

TIME & CHANCES HAPPENED TO THEM

1. The author of Ecclesiastes made a puzzling statement when he wrote that “time and
chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Some interpret this to mean that, sometimes,
bad things happen for no real reason. But is that true?
Bad things certainly happen. But it would be completely out of character for the same God who
does not forget so much as a sparrow, and who assures us that “you are of more value than
many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7), to allow anything to happen without a reason.
Think about the implications of something happening without any reason. It means one of two
things: either God wasn’t paying attention or didn’t care. That’s like calling the Almighty either
incompetent or apathetic.
We know that neither is true. God is all-seeing (Psalms 33:13-15), never-sleeping (Psalms
121:3-4) and cares deeply about His people (Romans 8:38-39). So we must examine the
alternative—that, while God does not directly cause evil, He knowingly allows it to happen.
Because humanity has elected to follow its own way instead of God’s, God “gave them over to a
debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness,
sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,
unforgiving, unmerciful” (Romans 1:28-31). God has, in essence, taken a step back from a world
that says it doesn’t want Him around. He is allowing its inhabitants to see the result of a life
without Him.
That result is, from a human perspective, time and chance. Though God has not lost the ability to
restrain Satan and his demons at will, humanity has forfeited God’s protection by turning its
collective back on Him. As a result, “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor
bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and
chance happen to them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Bad things happen as a result of humanity’s
choices; as a result of sin and forsaking God. But none of them happen “accidentally” or apart
from God’s will.
As it is written in the Psalms, “the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope
in His mercy” (Psalms 33:18). That is a promise. (What about when bad things happen to God’s
people? See the Related Online Resources below.)

2. Some people believe that each event in our lives has been determined for us before we were born. Fate
or some god determined in advance when and how we would die, what trials were to come, whom we would
marry and whatever else might happen in our life. This kind of thinking can make a person become somewhat
fatalistic—and filled with the belief that they have no power to make choices in given situations—even when
those choices would change the outcome. It also means you don’t have to accept responsibility for what you do.
The Bible tells us that time and chance happens to everyone (Ecclesiastes 9:11). You can be in the wrong place at
the wrong time or in the right place at the right time—depending on whether you lose or win. Events in our lives
can sometimes implant superstition or the sort of thinking that makes one believe someone bigger than we are
is guiding each step of our lives. Many outstanding athletes have superstitions about various things—some go
through pre-sport rituals. These rituals may have taken hold due to a past success during which they were
wearing a certain item of clothing, tied their shoes a certain way and so on.
There is no question that someone bigger than us—our Creator—is involved in our lives and in our destinies.
There are occasions when God really does guide our destiny. But it is wrong to think that we have no say in what
happens in our lives. Jesus Christ had to control His will and conform to that of the Father (Matthew 26:39, 42).
He was destined for that precise moment and yielded to God’s will by choice.
We can choose to do the work of God or choose not to. A preacher can decide whether or not to preach. The act
of repentance, accepting the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ, stirring up the gift of God’s Holy Spirit (2
Timothy 1:6) and continuing steadfastly to obey God (Hebrews 3:14-15, 18) are all areas in which we have been
given the ability to choose. There are numerous encouragements to do the right thing. These would not be
needed unless we “could” make choices. There are also consequences of our choices—both good and bad. Our
choices may or may not please God. Since God truly is God, it just makes sense that we should seek to please
Him (1 John 3:22), because He controls entrance into His Kingdom. It would be good and wise to be on His
side. We make that choice.
Some people, however, are destined for a moment. It seems that there are times in which God has a certain task
He wants someone to do for Him. He prepares the way for that person to be able to serve, but still allows that
person the final say. God wants willing servants—not slaves He must constantly control. Naturally there are
great rewards for those who do strive to please God. The circumstances may not be of our choosing, or even of
our liking, but the choice to serve or not to serve Him is ours.
Let us consider the example of Queen Esther. Esther was a beautiful young Jewess who was used by God to save
the Jewish people. Although she was
only one of many wives of the king, she was granted special favor. God’s intention has always been that a man
was to have one wife only (Matthew 19:4-6, Titus 1:6). Esther may have wished for a better circumstance, but
God used what was available. He gave Esther great favor with her husband and when her uncle Mordecai came
to ask Esther to intervene with the king due to the proclamation of death to all the Jews, Esther hesitated
because she knew of the dangers that she would have to face. Mordecai told Esther to consider that she may
have come to this kingdom just for that moment (Esther 4:14). Yet, Esther was given the choice. Mordecai told
her that if she chose to refuse, help would come from somewhere else, but she and her father’s house would
perish. It seems Esther was destined by God to be ready to serve Him at this moment in time.
We can muse and wonder at the moments God has been planning and waiting for. When was Mary chosen to
become Jesus’ mother? Why did God wait until Zacharias and Elizabeth were so old before He told them that
they would have a son named John? God does His works for a number of reasons and purposes. Everything
glorifies Him and shows His nature as well as His power. Prophets like Jeremiah, Elijah and others were chosen
by God and used at special times. Like Jonah, they could refuse, but God has a way of showing us what we are to
do and why. Through our yielding to Him, we grow in understanding and are closer to being in His image and
having divine nature. By allowing us to choose, we also reveal what is in our hearts.
God does have a purpose for people and often works to bring about the circumstances that will cause that
prophecy or statement to come to pass. The remarkable look into the future in the book of Daniel also shows us
that some are destined for their moment in history. God stated in Isaiah 44:28, almost 150 years before Cyrus
was born, that he would be the king that would issue the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. That prophecy came true
in 2 Chronicles 36:23. He told of Joseph and the saving of the house of Israel. The list is lengthy of those God
used at a given moment in time. All could have refused and God would have found another way. But because He
is God, He can do a lot to ensure the fulfillment of that moment in destiny. God still leaves a choice as in the
example of Esther. He rejoices in willing, obedient servants.
We are left to wonder in awe and amazement at the work of God. In every generation God may have assigned a
responsibility to a certain individual. Perhaps the preparation of Samuel led to the moment he would anoint the
first king of Israel. David’s appearing at the time of Goliath was no accident. There may be many such moments
in the life of a servant of God, or there may be only one important moment. Is it possible that we could be
exactly where God wants us to be for a specific reason and for a specific moment in time?
When we humbly and gladly strive to serve Him, He grants us many moments in which to act and serve. Our
time is our own and God does not direct each minute. He does tell us to study and prepare ourselves to serve
Him when He has a task or responsibility for us. You have had a moment, whether you knew it or not—and you
will have many more if you are willing (Matthew 25:10). Be ready every day.

4. Your Identity And Destiny: 3 Keys From The Life Of Gideon

Helen Calder 14 November 2011 25 Commentson Your Identity And Destiny: 3 Keys From The Life Of Gideon
Your DESTINY is the answer to the question, ‘What has God called me to do?’
Your IDENTITY is the answer to the question, ‘Who has God called me to be?’
How can we discover the answers to these questions? And what will it take to completely fulfil the calling of God
on our lives?
Out of Hiding and into History
In Judges 6, Israel is living under oppression from their enemies, the Midianites. A young man called Gideon is
hiding from the enemy in a winepress, threshing wheat.
God sends an angelic messenger to Gideon to proclaim his God-given destiny and identity.
‘And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of
valour!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us?… Then
the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the
Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (Judges 6:12-14)
When the angel calls Gideon a ‘Mighty man of valour,’ he is calling him by his God-given identity.
In the Bible, a given name is often synonymous with a God-ordained identity or destiny. [1]
The name Gideon means ‘cutter down’ or ‘destroyer’, and Gideon is destined to be a leader who, with God’s
help, overthrows Israel’s powerful enemy.
Gideon, however, sees himself differently—as insignificant and powerless. As a result, he is living in fear and
weakness.
The angel’s pronouncement of Gideon’s identity and destiny sets in motion a chain of events that propels
Gideon out of hiding and into history.
What Gideon teaches us about our Identity and Destiny
We may not have an angel turn up on our doorstep with a message from God like Gideon did. We may not
even have a personal prophecy. But we can begin to grasp our God-given identity and destiny.
When we do, it will have life-changing consequences to others and ourselves.
Here are some things that we can learn from Gideon’s story:
1. God Himself Initiates our Identity and Destiny
‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we
should walk in them.’ (Eph 2:10)
God steps into Gideon’s normal, everyday life and announces His intention for him.
God’s purpose for our lives is not our own good idea of what we would like to be or do; it isHis plan for us.
God’s destiny for your life will be consistent with the way He has wired you. It may be helpful to consider the
clues He has given—your unique experiences, passion, abilities and spiritual gifts.
But don’t limit God by over-defining these things. Remember—He took Gideon by surprise and may have some
surprises in store for you too.
Prayer journaling is one helpful tool that you can use to converse with God. [2] Take time to pray and ask your
Father the questions:
 ‘What have you called me to do?’
 ‘Who have you called and created me to be?’ [3]
Ask godly leaders that you have a relationship with what they see in you. Allow them to speak into your life.
2. He Turns our Weaknesses into His Strengths
‘Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human
standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the
world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.’ (1 Cor 1:26-27)
When God calls Gideon, the young man does not comprehend his destiny or his identity—in fact, he is currently
being and behaving the very opposite of what God has called him to be.
Gideon is fearful, however his God-given identity is to be bold. He feels himself to be the smallest and least
significant, but God is calling him to be a leader.
In the Bible, those whom God uses powerfully usually have a history of weakness or failure in their very area of
strength.
God is by nature a Redeemer.
Consider where you have been hurt and wronged, or have sinned, or are weak. These are the very things God
is redeeming. With His help you will not only overcome those weaknesses, but they will become points of
strength. They will become areas in which you minister to others.
Remember, too, when your Heavenly Father speaks to you of your identity and destiny, it will be something
beyond your own natural ability to accomplish.
3. It Takes an Intimate Relationship with God to Wholly Fulfil our Destiny
An encounter with God is an invitation to relationship with Him.
Potentially, Gideon’s encounter with God could be the beginning of a personal relationship with Him. He has the
opportunity to be an Abraham, a Moses—a friend of God.
Gideon has the opportunity now, to not only overcome the enemy, but also to lead Israel in worship of God.
However, tragically, he will fall short of his destiny and instead, lead the nation into idolatry. (Judges 8:22-27)
Here is the bottom line.
Here is the very foundation of our identity and destiny.
We are created to have an intimate love relationship with God. This is both the beginning of our identity and the
ultimate end of our destiny.
As Christian believers, we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. This is the relationship that
Jesus paid to restore when He shed His blood on the cross.
And before we can fully understand our personal identity, we need to comprehend ourFamily identity.
We need to understand what it means to have the divine DNA, the identity of being a member of God’s royal
family. [4]
Only once we have understood this can we fully embrace and enter into our personal God-given identity—and
fulfil it.

5. DESIRE DETERMINES DESTINY

By Pastor Glenn Pease
People succeed for a thousand different reasons, but the one thing they all have in common is desire. Igor
Sikorsky, the great Russian airplane designer, tells in his autobiography of how his father took him to Paris as a
boy, and they visited an airport where he saw his first plane. His imagination was stimulated, and he developed
a burning desire to build a machine that would fly. He begged his father to let him leave school and work on it.
At 17 he began, and after two years he had spent nearly all of his fathers money, and his plane never got off
the ground. His sister still had faith in him, so she gave him all she could afford. After two more years he got his
plane off the ground, but plunged it into a local lake, and barely escaped with his life. The family still believed in
him, so they mortgaged their property to enable him to build another plane. He did it, and then went on from this
success to build the first successful multi-motored plane. Finally, he designed an built the famous China
Clipper, which he flew around the world.
His success began with his burning desire, and it was his desire that pushed him on through all this failures to
achieve his goal. If failure stops a man from pressing on, you can count on it, he has lost his desire. As long as
desire is burning, there is always fuel to keep it going, for desire determines destiny. This is true in every realm
of life. Take marriage for example. If two people really desire to find a solution to their problems, they will work
out a way. If they loose desire, however, they have little hope of success. Desire is the fire that pushes us
higher.
On the locker room wall of the University of Notre Dame's football team is the well known saying, "When the
going gets tough, the tough get going." Football games are not won in the first half when both teams are fresh.
Victory comes in the second half when their bodies ache, and they only want the grueling punishment to end.
That is when the team with the deepest desire digs to the depths of their being for that reserve energy to keep
going. If there is no deep desire to win, it is all over. If it is there, however, there is no telling what kind of
spectacular plays will be made. Deep burning desire drives a team to do in a few minutes what they could not
do in hours.
The greater the desire to reach a goal, the more likely it is, that goal will be reached. Longfellow said in his
teens, "I most eagerly aspire after future eminence...My whole soul burns most ardently for it, and every earthly
thought centers in it." Do you think there is any connection between his burning desire and the fact that most of
us recognize the name Longfellow when we hear it? There is a very definite connection. Right after World War
II, a young preacher who liked to paint had a showing of 50 of his paintings in one of Boston's great art
galleries. The critics were amazed, and declared he was a genius. He never even went to art school, but James
Greer was one of the great landscape artists of our nation. William Stidger, one of his seminary professors, had
him install one of his paintings in his house. He asked him how he came to be a painter, and he replied, "I
always wanted to paint more than I wanted to do anything else in life...." This is the key to almost every success
story you will ever hear. You tend to become what you really desire to be.
ADVERTISEMENT
If this be the case, there are few things in life that are more important than that of developing the desires that
will dominate, direct, and determine the direction and destination of your life. That is why the Lord's Prayer
deals with desires. The six petitions of this prayer represent the six basic desires that are to characterize the
child of God. When these six desires dominate your life, and become the inner driving force of your life, you are
as successful as any human being can be. Prayer is the soul's sincere desire. Here in this prayer of our Lord,
we have the very essence of prayer and desire linked together as one.
This prayer was taught to the disciples because they came to Jesus asking Him to be taught how to pray. This
prayer comes in response to their desire to know how to pray more effectively. It is, therefore, an answer to
prayer, or their soul's sincere desire. Desire is the cause of it as well as the content of it. It is a prayer which, in
itself, is an answer to prayer, and the key to all answered prayer. The key, of course, is divinely directed
desires. Fenelon, in the 17th century, said, "To pray is to desire...to desire is to pray, and sense, if we desire
improper things, we may be cursed with the granting of our prayer, it behooves us to desire only high and
worthy things."
What he is saying is, strong desire almost always leads to the getting of what is desired. That means if you
desire the wrong thing, you will probably succeed in getting it, and so your very success becomes a curse.
Bernard Shaw in, Man And Superman, was right when he said, "There are two tragedies in life. One is not to
get your hearts desire. The other is to get it." In other words, sometimes the worse thing that can happen is to
get what we most want. The Prodigal wanted his inheritance right now, and he got it, and ended up with the
pigs with nothing to show for it. Midas got the golden touch he so much desired, and ended up destroying the
daughter he so much loved. The Israelites got their quail they begged for. God granted them their deepest
desire, but it became a curse, and many of them died, giving credence to Oscar Wilde's statement, "When the
gods wished to punish us, they answer our prayers."
This means that the goal of prayer is not answered prayer, but divine desire. The highest goal of prayer is not to
get what we want, but to come to want what God wants us to have. We see this so clearly in Christ's prayer
battle in Gethsemane. He had a strong desire to escape the cup that awaited Him. He had the normal human
desire to live and not die, plus the pure and holy repulsion from taking on the sin of the world. Both His human
and divine nature had a desire to let that cup pass unconsummed. The goal of His prayer, however, was not to
get that sincere desire fulfilled, but to get His desire conformed to the will of God. He was able to win this
victory, and let His Fathers desire dominate His own. That is why He could pray, not my will but Thine be done.
Desire determines destiny, and because Jesus was able to wrestle His desires into a proper order where God's
desires took priority over His own, He became the Savior of the world. The destiny of all mankind hung in the
balance, as these conflicting desires struggled for priority.
Nobody knows better than Jesus that desire determines destiny, and that is why the prayer He taught all of the
family of God is a prayer designed to determine desires. Thomas Aquinas, the greatest theologian of the middle
ages, called the Lord's Prayer, "A list of perfect desires." Newman Hall said, "As the 10 commandments are a
summary of our doctrine, so the Lord's Prayer is a summary of what ought to be our desires." Bishop Gore said,
"Understand the Lord's Prayer and you understand altogether how to pray as a Christian should. It is not really
an exaggeration to say that the climax of Christian growth is to have thoroughly learned to say the Lord's Prayer
in the spirit of Him who first spoke it."
Oh, thus, by whom we come to God,
The Life, the truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod,
Lord, teach us how to pray.
And Jesus answers that prayer by teaching us the desires that are to dominate us as we come before God in
prayer. The Westminister Shorter catechism defines prayer like this-"Prayer is the offering up of our desires
unto God, for things agreeable to His will." That means the Lord's Prayer is the perfect prayer, for all of its
desires are perfectly agreeable to God's will. If you truly desire what the petitions of this prayer ask, you cannot
help but be successful in prayer.
But that is the catch: If you truly desire. The proof that this is hard work is that Jesus sweat drops of blood in
bringing His desire into conformity with the Father's will. Don't kid yourself, and think we have here a simple
success formula, and all you have to do is say the words, and like open sesame, the door of heaven will open in
response. The idea of using this prayer like a magic formula is contrary to its very purpose. If you cannot bring
yourself to truly desire what this prayer requests, the mere repeating of the words is vain repetition, and no
prayer at all.
You can say this prayer a thousand times: Hallowed be Thy name, and then go out and use the name of God in
vain as a curse word. It is meaningless words, and you just as well recite the multiplication table, for words
without desire is not prayer. People confuse wishing with desiring. A wish may be the seed of a desire, but it
has not yet germinated. You can hear a great piano player, and say, "I wish I could play like that." But that is the
end of it. A desire to play like that moves you to action, and you take lessons, and you practice. True desire
always motivates action to achieve what is desired. Anyone who truly desires what he asks God for is taking
action that helps achieve the answer. The mere wisher is using prayer as a gimmick. He hopes God will just
bring it to pass without him lifting a finger. The person who says I wish I knew the Bible better may pray, "Lord
help me understand the Bible." He hopes it will happen by God imparting it to him supernaturally. The person
who desires to know the Bible prays the same prayer, but he also reads the Bible, gets study aids, and devotes
a part of his life to achieve the goal.
In this model prayer of only 52 words in the Greek New Testament, Jesus gives us the list of desires that
always please God, and are desires that will always motivate us to actions that please God, and lead us to
successful Christian living. Just as the ten commandments are divided into two tables, with duties to God, and
duties to man, so the Lord's Prayer is divided into two sections. First there is three God-centered desires, and
then three man-centered desires. This prayer helps us keep a balanced perspective. We are concerned about
both the divine and the human. The divine has priority over the human, however, and is in keeping with Jesus's
command to seek first the kingdom of God.
The successful prayer life is one in which the dominate desires revolve around-
1. God's person-hallowed be Thy name.
2. God's power-Thy kingdom come.
3. God's purpose-Thy will be done on earth as in heaven.
If man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, then that end should be reflected in those desires that
bring us before God in prayer. Prayer gets distorted and abused when we forget God's priority, and begin to
come to Him only as a resource of power to get our own will done. There are too many books on prayer that
promote this idea of power in prayer from the perspective of how we can use God to get what we want. This
tends toward developing dominate desires that are self-centered rather than God-centered. This leads man to
that devilish role where we exalt ourselves above God, and strive to use Him as our servant. This can be
innocent and cute when a child does it in ignorance. Like the little guy who prayed, "Remember when the snow
was so deep there was no school. Could we have it again?" Or the little girl who prayed, "Dear God, I would like
to be a teacher so I could boss people around." Adults are not so open and blunt about it, but they could still
develop desires that are equally self-centered.
When God's person, power, and purpose, have the priority, selfishness is crowded out. The three Hebrew
friends of Daniel illustrate what a burning desire to please God will do. They were to bow down to a golden
image, or be thrown into a fiery furnace. They would have a normal desire to escape such a fate, but their
desire to do the will of God took priority, and they responded-"Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us
from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee,
O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Their burning
desire to be loyal to God was greater than their desire to escape, and the result was God honored their desire,
and saved them from the fire.
You cannot lose when you put God first. I like the spirit of Mark Hatfield, a dedicated Christian senator, who
takes this truth literally. He said, "I can't lose an election. My opponent may get more votes, but I will still win,
because my commitment is to God's will. It's obvious to me that if my opponent gets more votes, God has some
other place for me." That is the spirit of submission to the will of God that the Lord's Prayer requires. Without
this spirit you can say the prayer, but you can't pray it, for to pray it is to desire what it asks.
The Lord's Prayer is an answer to the prayer, teach us to pray. Now we need to pray, Lord teach us to truly pray
the prayer you have taught us to pray. In other words, help us to develop the desires that make it the real
prayer of our lives.
Teach me to suffer, strong and brave-
And mingle with my poor weak blood
A valorous spirit, quenchless fire!
In Thy blest Heart's redeeming Flood
My soul, dear Lord, in gentle mercy lave.
Refresh me with the nectar of Thy love,
Be Thou sole end and aim of my desire!
Author Unknown
It is your desire that will determine your destiny in the plan of God. Even an atheist, like Bertrend Russell,
recognized that desires are what determines what men will do. You can have duties, and moral principles, but
they will not determine anything unless men desire to be dutiful and moral. Desire, he rightly says, is the spring
of human action, and if you want to know what men will do, you must know their system of desires.
If a man desires his will be done regardless of God's will, then he is dangerous without measure, for then, like
Hitler, he will violate any and every moral principle for the sake of his desire. On the other hand, if his desires
conform to those of the Lord's Prayer, you can feel secure, for such a man will suffer personal loss, rather than
violate the will of God. The person who desires are the desires of this prayer is not only the ideal politician, but
the ideal person in every area of life. The more your desires match the desires of this prayer, the more you are
like Christ. When you can really pray, not just say, but really pray this prayer, you have reached the pinnacle of
spiritual success.
In the oldest commentary we have on the Lord's Prayer, going back to the African theologian Tertullian, who
lived 160-230 A.D., we read him saying of this prayer that it embraces, "As it were the whole of the Lord's
discourse, the whole record of His instruction; so that without exaggeration, there is comprise in the prayer and
epitome of the entire Gospel." Here is the Gospel in a nutshell, and the more the family of God can truly pray
this prayer, the more they will be the light of the world, and a channel for God's will being done on earth as it is
in heaven.
It is obviously not enough to know the Lord's Prayer. Millions around the world pray it as a rote prayer. Most of
us have prayed it in groups of people. It can have meaning this way, but usually we are more concerned about
whether we should say debts or transgressions, than about the real desires of the prayer. The problem is, we
think knowing it is enough, and so Christians are taught the Lord's Prayer, and everyone is content if it can be
recited. This is folly, for knowing it is not desiring it. I can know there is a good book on prayer in the library, but
it will not do me any good until I desire to read it, and learn how to pray better. Christian education has only
gotten to the first base when it imparts knowledge. There will never be any runs scored until there is a desire to
use that knowledge to achieve the end for which God gave it.
So when it comes to the Lord's Prayer, let us recognize, you can say it, say it, say it, and never really pray it,
because you think it is a matter of words to utter. It is not. It is a guide for us to follow in developing desires, and
getting our desires in the proper order so that we want in life what God wants us to want. This is the ultimate in
success. Let us use this prayer as a desire developer, for desires determine destiny.

6. Excerpts of Pastor Idowu Iluyomade’s Message on Sunday, February 22, 2015

Bible Text: Mark 2:1-12
From the reference text, we see that it was noised that Jesus was in the house (Mark 2:1). In
Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am
I in the midst of them.“ When Jesus is present, the Holy Ghost is present. When Jesus is in the
house, there is power to bless, to heal, to deliver, to set free, etc.
Many people were gathered together; but there were no room to receive them, not even around
the door. Also, Jesus was preaching unto them, sharing the Word of God (Mark 2:2). This shows
that Jesus attracted the crowd. As the Bible says you will be the sought out, the so shall you be
in Jesus mighty name, your life will be attractive. Everything you lay your hands to do shall be
attractive; men and women will fall over themselves to bless you.
Also, the Bible tells that four friends heard Jesus was around and they brought their paralysed
friend on a flat bed to the house. They heard like every other person and they brought their
friend to Jerusalem. May God give us friends like that in Jesus name. The Bible says we should
not forsake the assembly of the righteous because two are better than one; one can put to flight
a thousand, two ten thousand. So we have greater anointing and power when we come together.
Looking at the paralysed man, one would see that his situation was not always like that; he was
not born like that. Jesus said he was in that condition because of his sin; not the sin of his father,
mother of fore-fathers (Mark 2:5). So paralysis was just a phase in his life. 1 Peter 5:10 AMP
says, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who
has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be,
establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.” This tells us that if you belong to Jesus,
you cannot stay in any negative condition forever because there is something you ought to be
according to the original plan of God. Psalm 30:5 says, “...weeping may endure for a night, but joy
cometh in the morning.”Your joy is knocking at the door and that door will be opened today in Jesus
Mighty Name. The paralysed man was temporarily in that condition, he had a destiny and a
destination.
What Is Destiny?
Destiny is what God created you to be; His divine purpose. Destiny is your assignment, the
original plan of God for you, a pre-determined future, God’s agenda for your life. Destiny is also
what you ought to be in life. It is God’s design and purpose for you. It is God's pre-determined
path for your life before you were born. Destiny is a blue print, a map and a natural course of
events planned by God that will inevitably happen.
The paralysed man was a work-in-progress, God had a plan for him before the foundations of the
world. Indeed, when you look at what you are going through right now; it is different from what
God has planned for you, it is not the end, it is just a process. Habakkuk 2:3 AMP says, “For the
vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it
tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.” Your
testimony will speak in Jesus Mighty Name. All those mocking you shall see your testimony. Wait
till the finishing (Micah 7:8-10).
In Jeremiah 1:5-10, Jeremiah was looking at his present situation but God was speaking to him
concerning the original plan for his life. You will carry out God’s original plan for you and you will
reach your goal in Jesus Mighty Name (Psalm 139:15-16). Jeremiah 29:11 MSG says, “This is
God’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take
care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take
care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”
The paralytic agreed to go with his friends to meet Jesus because he knew his present situation
was not his end, and better and greater days were ahead. For those that have achieved, it is so
difficult for the to see that there is a higher level of glory. But there is always a higher level of
glory because the Bible says that we will go from glory to glory and we shall be lenders to many
nations. For example, the Chairman of a local government is an honorable, in the state's House
of Assembly level, we have honorable also. Then at the Federal level, the House of
Representatives members are also cacalled honourable, but one honourable is bigger ththan
another honourable. There is aa glory of the stars, a glory of the moon and a glory of the sun.
One critical thing about the paralytic was that he could not achieve his goal in meeting Jesus
unless he received help. He could not go to meet Jesus in his condition. Deuteronomy 28:13
says, “And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be
beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to
observe and to do them:” But God would not come down physically to do what Deuteronomy 28:13
says and physically lift you up. You need to understand that there are some realms that you
cannot reach unless God Himself activates destiny helpers to help you.
Who Are Destiny Helpers And What Do They Do?
Destiny helpers connect you to the top (not the bottom); they facilitate your destiny, they add
value, they are strategically positioned to help you arrive at your expected end, they go out of
their way to help you, they help you navigate through all obstacles, they help you succeed (in
your career, family, business, etc), they excavate barriers for you, they fight on your behalf as if
the battle is theirs, they use their time and tools for you, they use their own network to open up
opportunities for you, they are positioned by God to make your way smooth, they are ordained
by God to assist, they share experiences, scars, counsel and wisdom that would save you the
pain and frustration that they have been through, destiny helpers come to meet you when they
know you need help, they don’t wait for you to come to them (they notice you), destiny helpers
bear your burdens; Galatians 3:6. Job said in Job 29:15-16 15-16that I was eyes to the blind,
and feet was I to the lame, I was father to the poor, and the cause which I knew not I searched
out. These are characteristics of destiny helpers.
Destiny helpers are also tools used by the Almighty God to manifest His plans for you. Destiny
helpers connect you. Destiny helpers lift you up when you are down. They mentor you, advise
you and give you feedback when they feel you are going in directions that you ought not to go.
They are shoulders for you to lean on when you feel depressed.
The friends in the reference text were destiny helpers. They tried to go in through the door, did
not make it but did not give up. Those that God has ordained to help you will not give up in Jesus
Mighty Name. These friends knew that if a door is shut, there is another door open at the top.
They used their efforts to ensure their paralysed friend would reach Jesus.
Examples Of Some Destiny Helpers In The Bible
1. Jethro and Moses: Jethro was a destiny helper to Moses (Genesis 18). He went to meet Moses on
his own volition, and advised Him on how to appoint and delegate elders to attend to the people
of Israel. He gave Moses wise counsel.

2. Joseph, the butler and the baker: While in prison, Joseph was the one who looked at the eyes of
butler and baker and noticed that they were downcast and helped the Butler to fulfil his destiny
(Genesis 40:6-7). The Bible says we need to bear each other's burdens so that we fulfifulfil the
law of Christ. You need to be a burden bearer.

3.Namaan and the maid: In 2 Kings 5:3, it was a maid God used to help Namaan. Indeed maids are
named 'househelps', positioned to help you, and not to be defiled by you. God can use anybody
to help you.

4. Elijah and the widow of Zarephath: In 1 Kings 17:12-13, God saved the widow of Zarephath from
death and sent Elijah to help her.
5. Mordecai and Esther: Esther was an orphan but her uncle, Mordecai, who knew she was beautiful,
kept her and trained her. When the time came, he introduced her to greatness.

6. Hannah and Eli: With all the issues Eli had, he was the destiny helper God used to unlock
Hannah’s barreness. All Hannah needed was a declaration and a proclamation from a priest to
reach her goal (1 Samuel 1:17).

7. The Shunammite woman and Elisha: In 2 Kings 4:9, the Shunammite woman told her husband that
she perceived Elisha was a man of God and she decided to improve their hospitality towards
Elisha. It was through prophet Elisha that she was able to have a child. May God open your eyes
to locate your destiny helper today.

Destiny Killers
The friends tried to get their paralysed friend through the door but the people around Jesus
listening to the sermon wouldn't allow them. They were not bothered about the condition of
the paralyzed man, they didn’t make way for these four friends to see Jesus. They had no
compassion, they diverted the friends from getting through to Jesus. They are destiny killers.
Destiny killers block your dream, they divert your destiny, they cause delay, they frustrate
efforts, they only see the negative side of you, they are kill joys. Destiny killers tell you your
vision is too big, they drag you back, and when they have dreams concerning you, such dreams
are of calamity. Destiny killers are discouragers, they are wasters (they waste your time and
waste your life), they limit you and mock you. Some destiny killers are in your household, in
Church, and around you. Destiny killers are bent on abolishing your destiny (Ecclesiastes 10:5-
7). Destiny killers weaken your faith. If your destiny has been diverted, God would re-order it
today in Jesus Mighty Name. Any tare that has been sown in your life by the enemy will be
uprooted today in Jesus Mighty Name (Matthew 13:24-28).
An example of a destiny killer was Herod, who was bent on abolishing the destiny of others
(Matthew 2:1-18). Another example is Sanballat and Tobiah in Nehemiah 2:10, who said the
vision was to large; they were discouragers. If your destiny killers don’t change, God will trouble
them; He would take away their peace, He would give them an assignment they cannot complete
(Acts 23:12). If your destiny killers do not change, God would send them on a journey of no
return in Jesus Mighty Name.
The Helper of Helpers
But the Chief and Original Helper is the Almighty God, the King of kings, the LORD of lords, the
One that positions people to help you, He is the Helper of the helpless, He is the very present
help in times of trouble, He is the glory and the lifter up of our heads, He is the Original
Promoter, He is the One that can demote someone in order to elevate you, He activates helpers
for you to make you reach your goal in life. God Almighty will activate your helpers and send
them your way to lift you up today in Jesus Mighty Name.
From the reference text, God engineered it and took the paralysed man to the top where no evil
one, power or principality could touch him. God ordered his life and God’s ordained destiny for
him came to pass.
In Mark 2:12, after Jesus healed the paralytic and forgave him his sins, he immediately arose,
took up his bed and walked past those who had earlier not made a way for him (Psalm 23:5).
Where there was no way before, God will make a way for you in Jesus Mighty Name. These
people had to bow because he had received a touch from God. At the end of it all, his testimony
spoke for him. God says He will not leave you (Genesis 28:5). Your destiny helpers will not die
until they have fulfilled the plan of God for your life. God will preserve your destiny helpers in
Jesus Mighty Name.
However, when this man came to Jesus, Jesus said his calamity was caused by his sins. He came
to Jesus and brought his burdens to Jesus. Do you have burdens, issues, problems, struggles,
etc? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus? Are you still leaving in sin? The root cause of
problems is unconfessed sins. Come to Jesus today, tell Him about all your pains, burdens and
struggles. Jesus is the solution, He is the answer. Jesus would accept you; He would lift your
burdens, take away your struggles, silence and terminate all those who want to delay you, He
would activate destiny helpers to locate you, give you a brand new lease of life and write your
name in the Book of Life.
This is an excerpt, to get the complete sermon, please visit sermons podcast section of
our website.