HOW TO CATCH GOD’S ATTENTION (Have Faith!) #SamKorankyeAnkrah “Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15:28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Praises to God for another beautiful day. Following her persistence, Jesus broke His silence and answered her, making reference to her as “a dog” (v26) and rightly so, giving the fact that she was a Gentile outside the promise of God. She pulled through to the place of merit by her quick reply. She remarked, “The little dogs do eat of the crumbs that fall from the table” (v27), Jesus described this as a level of faith such as had not been seen before in the whole of Israel. The take home lesson for today; do not turn away from every rejection or every “no”. Faith requires persistence. You were turned away for that job interview, go again! Your first attempt in that business failed, start again. As a student you have to exhibit this persistent faith against academic challenges. Above all, we are in the last quarter of the year and it seems every expectation said “No” to you. Just like the woman, don’t leave the Master’s presence until your petition is granted. Pray with me; My Heavenly Father, help me in my faith walk. I position myself today for a sudden miracle. Look favourably upon me and show me your goodness in Jesus’ name. Amen.

LIVING BY GRACE October 02, 2021 Ephesians 2:1-10 As Christians, we know we’re saved by God’s grace. But grace isn’t a onetime gift. Following our salvation, the Lord continually gives us that blessing every day so we can live by it in every aspect of life. Paul wrote extensively about believers being recipients of God’s favor and often opened or closed his letters with “grace to you.” He experienced the power of divine grace to trans- form his life and enable his service (Acts 9:1-20). The apostle was also able to endure adversity with joy and contentment because he knew divine grace was sufficient for his weakness (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 12:9). And the Lord will do the same for us. Paul urges us to continue in God’s grace because it’s the way we live in full dependence upon Him (Acts 13:43). Every time the Lord meets our needs, guides our steps, forgives our sins, or comforts and strengthens us in our hardships, He’s lavishing us with divine favor. And it doesn’t end in this life. In the eternal ages to come, He will show us “the boundless riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). Bible in One Year: Malachi 1-4

RENEWED YOUTH Genesis 18:1-15; Genesis 21:1-7 Have you been waiting for God to do something about a situation in your life? Perhaps you’ve prayed about it for years or even decades, yet nothing has changed. If that’s the case, you may at this point feel hope is gone. That’s probably how Sarah felt. Though God had promised to give Abraham a son, the aged couple remained childless. So when the Lord told Abraham that Sarah would have a son the following year, she laughed—not with joy, but with skepticism, saying, “After I have become old, am I to have pleasure, my lord being old also?” (Gen. 18:12). Thinking it was too late for God to keep His promise, she had lost her hope. The next year, however, when Sarah held Isaac in her arms, she laughed with the joy that comes from seeing God keep His promise (Gen. 21:6). Her youthful outlook was renewed by experiencing the Lord’s faithfulness, and He will do the same for you. But even if He doesn’t give the specific answer to prayer that you desire, one thing is certain: God is just as faithful to you as He was to Sarah. Remember that He sees the future and knows each of us better than we know ourselves—and will answer prayer accordingly in order to give us what is best. Let this truth rejuvenate your flagging spirit and fill your heart with joy. Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 46-48

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Receive the power to live a fearless life in Jesus name, Amen.

CARING FOR YOUR CONSCIENCE 1 Timothy 1:3-7 Yesterday we looked at how powerful our conscience can be, but even this divinely bestowed moral compass can be swayed by our thoughts, experiences, and background. What matters most is the amount of truth that informs it. Since Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), trusting Him is the first step toward developing a good conscience. When He comes into our life, He gives us a new heart and mind, which can understand and apply truth. Things we once considered acceptable, we now recognize as sinful. We also have the truth of God’s Word. As we let Scripture fill our mind, our “monitoring system” is sharpened. Then we filter thoughts and actions through the grid of God’s standard for right and wrong. In addition, we have been given the Holy Spirit, who works with our conscience to assist us in discriminating between righteousness and sin. He also interprets Scripture for us and prompts us to apply it accurately to our life. Thankfully, the Lord has given us everything we need to develop a good conscience, which is essential for living a godly life. Bible in One Year: Daniel 7-9

GOD’S PROVISION Matthew 14:22-33 We all face trials. Realistically, if you’re not currently in a storm, you’re either just getting out of one or about to enter one. Thankfully, we serve a good God who always provides—including during the dark periods of life. Today’s passage tells of a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee. Let’s look at three ways Jesus provides for us today just as He did for the disciples then. 1. Presence. God is with every believer through His indwelling Holy Spirit, and He promises never to leave (John 14:16-17; Heb. 13:5). This is a great gift because it gives a sense of comfort, courage, and confidence. 2. Pathway. He blesses Christians with guidance through trouble. Jesus is in total control of our storm and will use it for His purposes. We may not understand, but we can trust Him to lead us and accomplish good. 3. Potential. He offers believers the ability to grow. Hardships are exercises in trust and times to learn more fully who God is and how great His power and love are. No one enjoys trials, but we can be grateful for God’s hand in our life and the ways He will use us. Hardships are opportunities to trust the Creator and know Him better. Bible in One Year: Daniel 10-12

THE IMPACT OF PRAYER Psalm 139:23-24 When we think about prayer, we frequently focus on what we want the Lord to do for us or others, but communing with Him also impacts us in spiritual ways that we may not realize. Scripture tells us to devote ourselves to prayer and to pray without ceasing (Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17). Continuous conversations with our heavenly Father are one of the means He uses to impact us personally. Prayer changes us. As we seek the Lord and regularly spend time in His Word, we’ll be transformed. Our desires will be replaced by His, and our thinking will align more closely with His thoughts. As our understanding of His character grows, we’ll have a better idea of how to pray in accordance with His will. Through prayer, we invite God to accomplish His work in us. While we can’t alter a single divine plan or make the Lord change His mind, we can invite Him to alter us. In prayer, we submit to God’s will, repent of sin, and ask Him to shape us into the image of His Son. And He will hear and answer this kind of prayer because it is exactly what He desires to do in each of us. Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 40-42

Psalm 119:89 King James Version 89 For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

PROTECTING OUR FUTURE Genesis 25:19-34 Many people give little thought to the long-term consequences of their choices. As a result, they can sacrifice future blessings for the sake of present pleasures. But this is nothing new; we see it in the very first book of the Old Testament. Swayed by his immediate needs and desires, Esau failed to value the privilege of his birthright. In those days, the eldest son received a double portion of the inheritance from his father, along with leadership of the family. But in this particular situation, there was much more at stake—the birthright contained blessings of the covenant God had made with Abraham. Esau didn’t care enough about his spiritual heritage, so he thoughtlessly sold it for a meal. Being far removed from that particular transaction makes it easy to see the folly of Esau’s choice. But what about you? Are you sacrificing God’s spiritual blessings for short-term gain? Maybe you’re spending long hours working or playing but reserve little time to spend in God’s Word and prayer. You can protect your future by yielding to the Spirit’s control and pursuing what Scripture considers most valuable: knowing, loving, obeying, and serving God. This investment reaps long-term blessings that continue into eternity. Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 23-25

GROWING FAITH 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 Faith isn’t a one-time event with the single purpose of ushering us into salvation. Sadly, some Christians never progress beyond this initial level of faith. But God wants our relationship with Him to continually grow. Willingness to trust the Lord affects every area of our life—how we feel, what we do, the way He blesses us. In some ways, it comes down to our focus: When you face difficulties or heartbreak, do you notice the impossibility of the circumstances, or do you see the greatness of our Father? Another way to ask the question is, Whose voice are you listening to? Our focus also affects our emotions. Those who choose to believe God experience peace and joy. But when we doubt, it’s easier for anxiety and fear to creep in. Then, instead of resting in Christ, we fuss and fume, trying to anticipate all possible outcomes and solve problems in our own strength. We need to realize that our faith is of utmost importance to God, and He takes joy in seeing it grow. He can move heaven and earth to act on our behalf and answer our prayers—and He delights in our choosing to believe that. By trusting Him, we will discover new excitement and adventure in life. We’ll also see that our Father is always faithful. Bible in One Year: Lamentations 3-5