Pastor Jerry Eze Streams of Joy Devotional 30 March 2024 Message for Saturday
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TOPIC: No Delay
Memory Verse
“These are evil times, so make every minute count.” (Ephesians 5: 16 CEV)
Scripture Reading: Acts 12:1-23 (NKJV)
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.
2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.
7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.
8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”
9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.
15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.
18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
20 Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.
21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.
22 And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”
23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
Focus: “And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.” (Acts 12: 7)
Today’s Message:
In our Focal Scripture, the angel of the Lord commanded Peter to arise up quickly. The angel did not only require that Peter must arise. He demanded that the rising must be done quickly. The angel demanded for speedy rising from Peter. Peter was not required to rise sluggishly. He was not to rise when it was convenient to rise. He was to rise quickly. He was to rise without wasting time. He was to rise fast. He was to rise without delays.
Friend, it’s not enough to desire to rise. God requires that you rise quickly. God requires that you rise without further delays. God requires that you hurry up with your rising. God requires that you rise like one who understands that there is no time to waste. God requires that you rise and move before he Herods of this world catch up with you. God requires that you rise like one who has an assignment to fulfill. He requires speedy rising.
Peter had already spent some time in prison. His assignment had already suffered, and he was not required to take all the time in the world while rising. He needed to rise, but it was important that he rose quickly. If you fail to rise quickly, you just might be causing more delays for yourself. If you fail to rise quickly, you just might be giving more room for the enemy to get at you. If you fail to rise quickly, you just might expose yourself to needless destiny pitfalls that will keep you out of relevance.
That voice that normally tells you to delay your rising is not of God. That voice that tells you to delay the fulfillment of your assignment is not of God. That voice that says you can rise later and not immediately, is not of God. That voice that says you should tolerate the prison for one more night, is not of God. Receive grace to rise quickly. Receive grace to move quickly. Receive grace to break forth quickly. Receive grace to rise above delay.
Welcome to that season where you must resist every urge to delay what must be done speedily. Welcome to that season where you must rise quickly.
Declaration
I will not delay my rising; I rise quickly, in Jesus’ name!
Further Reading: Ephesians 5
Streams of joy is the Home of the Global Online Prayer Platform; New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declarations (NSPPD). Through all our eyes have seen, our ears have have heard and our hands handled, We have a firm conviction that WHAT GOD CANNOT DO DOES NOT EXIST
