40 DAYS AT JESUS FEET DAY 40 "GOD REWARDS FAITHFULNESS"

TODAY IS DAY 40

Reading Matthew 8: 5-13; Luke 7:1-10

● Today's miracle is about a master who engages prayer for his servant who was dear to him. His faith amazed Jesus so much that Jesus says openly about him "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." (Luke 7:9)

● When Jesus says "I have not found...", it means that he was looking for and is still looking for such faith and such people.

PRAYER GUIDELINES

POINT 1 THIS MAN WAS NOT ONLY A SERVANT. HE WAS ALSO A DEAR SERVANT TO HIS MASTER

What does it mean to be dear to someone? If someone is dear to you, it means you hold them very close to your heart.

From the Hebrew root, dear means rare, very precious, honour, dear. From the Greek root, it means held in honour, prized and precious.

One thing is to be next to someone, another thing is to be closed to someone. No one graduates from a servant to a dear servant overnight. To call someone a dear servant, it means you have walked with them and they have proved their loyalty, their faithfulness and their trustworthiness. It means you can trust them.

QUESTIONS

Do you value your relationship with others? 

How good is your relationship with others around you? 

How is your relationship with your masters at your place of work? 

How good is your relationship with your spouse? 

How good is your relationship with your pastor? As a pastor, how good is your relationship with your flock? 

In your relationship with others, are you faithful? Are you loyal? Are you trustworthy? Or do you expect others to be faithful, loyal and trustworthy to you? 

In your relationship with the Lord. Are you likewise faithful, loyal and trustworthy?

FAITH DECLARATION No 1

God testifies about Moses, “My servant Moses [is] not so, who [is] faithful in all mine house.” (Numbers 12:7)

God testifies about Abraham, “… his heart [was] faithful before [the Lord], and [the Lord] madest a covenant with him to give the land . . .” (Nehemiah 9:8)

DECLARE | Father, the same way Moses and Abraham were before you, grant me a faithful heart before you.

FAITH DECLARATION No 2

There are blessings attached to being faithful:

1.   God preserves the faithful

Psalms 31:23 “…the LORD preserveth the faithful…” 

2.   God entrusts treasures, riches, possessions, responsibilities, rulership and dominion  to the faithful 

Nehemiah 13:13 And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah, … Zadok, …Pedaiah, …Hanan, …for they were counted faithful… 

Luke 19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 

3.   Blessings abound to the faithful 

Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. 

4.   Being faithful keeps one above the reproach and the accusations of the the devil and his agents 

Daniel 6:4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he [was] faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

DECLARE | Father, help me to be counted faithful in my relationship with you, faithful in prayer, faithful in the Word, faithful in my ministry … so that I can enjoy the blessings attached to it. Anytime I was unfaithful in one way or in another, I pray and ask that you forgive me in Jesus Name!

FAITH DECLARATION No 3

IT IS WRITTEN IN Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

DECLARE | I will follow peace with all men and holiness. Help me Father.

POINT 2 THIS SERVANT WAS READY TO DIE BUT BECAUSE HE WAS DEAR TO HIS MASTER, THE MASTER WAS NOT READY TO LET HIM DIE. HE ENGAGED INTERCESSION TO THE LORD FOR HIS HEALING.

It is written in Luke 7:2 “… [He was] ready to die (he was sick at the point of death)

QUESTIONS

Do you think that the master of this servant could have done this for him if he was not dear to him? 

 Do you know that you can be ready to die but God can cancel death for you just because you are dear to him? 

Do you know that it pays to be faithful and loyal servant?

FAITH DECLARATION No 4

IT IS WRITTEN IN Psalms 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD [is] the death of his saints.

DECLARE | Father, keep me from being superficial. Grant me the grace to build a quality relationship with you. Help me to build closeness in my relationship with you.

POINT 3 THIS CENTURION KNEW TO MAKE CLEAR DIFFERENCES AND BOUNDARIES IN HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE AROUND HIM.

• In Luke 7:3, after he heard about Jesus Christ, knowing that he was a Roman not a Jew, he sent the Jewish elders to beseech Jesus to come home.
• In Luke 7:6, while Jesus was on his way coming to his house, he changes his mind and sends his friends to tell Jesus not to come home but to just say a Word
•   In Luke 7:8, he reveals to Jesus through his friends that he was a man under authority and himself had men under his authority.

We see clearly that around him he had friends and he had elders. Above him he had authorities. And under him he had soldiers. So, to him it sounded weird and disrespectful to request Jesus to come as if Jesus was under him. Therefore, if Jesus is above him, he doesn’t need to come but to just say a Word and everything will fall into place.

QUESTION

•  Do you know to set boundaries in your relationships with others? 
• Who are your friends? How do you relate with them? Do you share your faith with them?
•  Do you have elders around you from which you can draw wisdom?
•   Are you submissive to the authorities God has set above you?
• How do you relate with those under you? With your house help? With your driver? With the workers at home?
• How do you relate with your spiritual authorities? Your pastor? Do you honor him?
• How do you relate with your husband? Wife? Children? Parents?

  

FAITH DECLARATION No 5

IT IS WRITTEN IN Romans 13:7 “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

DECLARE | Help me Lord to render to all their dues.

POINT 4 JESUS IS HONOURED WHEN A MAN HONOURS, REVERES AND VENERATES  HIS WORD.

In Luke 7:7, the centurion says to Jesus, SAY THE WORD, and my servant must be healed.

IN Luke 7:9, Jesus reacts to his declaration of faith as it is written “When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”

The centurion believed that the Word of Jesus was as powerful as Jesus was. He showed his honor toward Jesus Christ by his honor toward his Word. He believed that just one Word was enough to settle the case.

Jesus called this faith “great faith”

QUESTION

Do you honor the Word of God? 

Do you venerate the Word of God? 

Do you revere the Word of God? 

Do you treasure the Word of God? 

Do you delight in the Word of God?

IT IS WRITTEN IN Psalms 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

IT IS WRITTEN IN Jeremiah 6:10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

DECLARE | Lord, let my heart delight in your Word

 IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST ! 

JESUS IS LORD ! 

Pastor T.D. KASUKU K.K.

The Word Of Life Church International

Nairobi/Kenya