In our Christian journey, in our earthly race, forward ever, backward never!
“But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62
“But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:26
EXPOSITION:
Today, it is still about our heaven-bound journey. This matter should not be seen as being over stressed. The attention being given to it is a well-deserved one, considering that the coming of the Lord Jesus is becoming more imminent; He mustn’t come to meet us unawares! Hence, it is necessary more so at this auspicious prayer season, to re-echo and hammer it hard so that those who have ears, will hear, and do the needful. May God so help us.
This journey though might have been long, rough, and tough, but regardless, we should press on, not looking back which, doing otherwise could be catastrophic and regrettable! Paul said in Phil. 3:12-14, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on for that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me…reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ.” In this vein also it written in Luke 9:62 – “No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” The ‘plough’ we have laid our hands on is the kingdom race; regarding it, our slogan should be ‘FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER’ and so it shall be for us in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Reminiscence of the Rea Sea incident, at that dreadful scene God said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” Moses could have rightly asked, ‘But God, forward to where, into this massive, roaring Sea in the front’?
The story of Lot’s wife is another incidence from which we can learn from. Lady Lot, because of the material and ephemeral things she was leaving behind in Gomorrah, dare the divine instruction to flee for safety, she looked back and face the dire capital consequence. This will not be your portion and mine in the name of Jesus. Amen.
In 2 Timothy 2:4 it is written, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” Be it known that there are many unworthy things we engage with that can hinder us from pressing on to that better place.
God will open our understanding to these things and help us to summon up the will power to say ‘NO’ and to disengage from these things forthwith; we have laid our hand on the ‘plough’, we will not take our hands of it; like Lot’s wife, we will not look back; for all of us, it shall be FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER in the name of Jesus. Amen and amen. God bless you beloved of the Lord. SHALOM. Pastor Jide Siwoku
Prayer Points:
1. Father, I thank You because You always hear me whenever I call on You and because You will hear and answer me speedily as I call upon You today in the name of Jesus. (Jeremiah 33:3).
2. I thank You Lord for leading me this far in my Christian journey, I thank You that by Your grace, power and mercy, You shall strengthen and uphold me to the end in the name of Jesus. (Philippians 1:6).
3. All our iniquities as individuals and as a body of Christ that have separated us from You, pardon and forgive us in the name of Jesus. (Isaiah 59:1).
4. By the power of the Holy Spirit, strengthen our souls and deliver us from the negative spirit of worry, anxiety and fear in the name of Jesus.
5. By the power of the Holy Spirit, every valley between me and my spiritual growth, progress and accomplishment, be exalted now in the name of Jesus. (Isaiah 40:4).
6. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I command every mountain and hill preventing me from moving forward, be brought low and rise no more in the name of Jesus. (Zechariah4:7).
7. All crooked places and paths to my heavenly glory, be made straight and smooth in the name of Jesus.
8. All militating factors contesting and contending against my all-round progress, Father by Your power, I render them powerless, and I declare my total freedom from them in the name of Jesus. (Isaiah 49:25).
9. In my Christian journey, I declare, forward ever and backward never, I refuse to look back like Lot’s wife in the name of Jesus. (Genesis 19:26).
10. In my Christian journey, every power of ‘thou shall not grow, ‘thou shall not move forward’, ‘thou shall not complete your divine assignment’, be destroyed right now in the name of Jesus.
11. In my Christian journey, every spirit of backwardness from my father’s and my mother’s houses affecting my spiritual progress, scatter by fire, scatter by fire, scatter by fire in the name of Jesus.
12. In my Christian journey, I refuse to be distracted, I refuse to be diverted, I refuse to be lukewarm, and I refuse to backside in Jesus’ name. (Luke 9:62).
13. In my Christian journey, I declare that the works of flesh, the devil or the things of this world shall not cause me to end up in hell fire in the name Jesus.
14. In my Christian journey, through the help of the Holy Spirit, I declare that I shall finish well, I shall finish strong, and I shall end my earthly race in heaven in the name of Jesus. (2 Timothy 4:7).
15. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we thank You and exalt Your name for granting all our prayer requests tonight in the name of Jesus.
