Dealing with life’s challenges 12

 “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 KJV

Some life challenges are created by foolish actions, careless decisions, and unguarded words. Foolish actions bring weariness, while foolish talk creates an unnecessary atmosphere of pain, offence, and conflict. Many battles people face are not caused directly by the devil, but by words spoken without wisdom and actions taken without divine counsel. The most foolish thing anyone can do is to reject God’s love in Christ Jesus and resist God’s will for their life. Rejecting Christ leads to eternal destruction, while rejecting God’s will opens the door to unnecessary struggles. The Scripture says, “The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city” (Ecclesiastes 10:15). When a person lacks wisdom, even simple journeys become difficult.

Saul lost a glorious destiny because he acted foolishly and disobeyed God’s command. Samuel said to him, “Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God” (1 Samuel 13:13). Nabal also brought trouble upon himself through foolish speech and behaviour toward David’s servants. If not for Abigail’s wisdom, his entire household would have been destroyed (1 Samuel 25:25). Folly invites trouble, but wisdom preserves life. The antidote to folly is right knowledge, godly understanding, and obedient application. Therefore, choose your words carefully, seek divine wisdom, and act according to God’s will. May folly be far from you in Jesus’ name.

Prophetic Word: I declare that the spirit of foolishness shall not rule over your life. God will fill your heart with wisdom, order your steps, and guide your tongue. Every problem caused by ignorance, carelessness, or wrong decisions shall be corrected by divine wisdom. In Jesus’ name.

Prayer: My Father and my God, give me wisdom to deal wisely in all affairs of life. Help me to speak with grace, act with understanding, and obey Your will at all times. Deliver me from foolish decisions and careless words. Let wisdom preserve my destiny. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dealing with life’s challenges 11

 “And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.” 1 Samuel 18:8-9 KJV

Some challenges arise because you are growing. New levels often attract new battles, greater responsibilities, and stronger opposition. Isaac faced resistance in Gerar because God blessed him, and he became mightier than the people around him. Abimelech said unto Isaac, “Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we” (Genesis 26:16). In the same way, Saul became angry with David because David’s exploits were being acknowledged. The songs of the women revealed David’s rising influence, and from that day, Saul saw him as a threat.

Do not assume that everyone will rejoice over your progress. Some people are uncomfortable when God begins to lift you. However, you must not allow jealousy, opposition, or intimidation to distract you from your assignment. When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7). Therefore, focus on pleasing God, walking in obedience, and doing His will. Also, learn to deal with the enemy within, which is the flesh, and the enemy without, which is the devil and his human instruments. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4–6). As you grow, remain humble, prayerful, obedient, and spiritually alert.

Prophetic Word: I declare that every enemy threatened by your growth shall be subdued before you. No Saul assigned against your destiny shall prevail. As you increase, God will defend you, preserve you, and bring you into greater favour. In Jesus’ name.

Prayer: Oh God, help me to grow in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with men. Give me grace to remain humble, obedient, and focused despite opposition. Subdue every adversary before me and let my life continue to please You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dealing with life’s challenges 10

 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” Hebrews 13:15 KJV

No life’s challenge can withstand the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Praise becomes a sacrifice when it is offered in the midst of pain, pressure, uncertainty, and battle. It is easy to praise God when everything is working well, but when you praise Him while still waiting for answers, you show that your faith is stronger than your situation. Paul and Silas were beaten and locked in prison, yet at midnight they prayed and sang praises unto God. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, the prison doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed (Acts 16:25–26). Their praise invited divine intervention. In the same way, when Judah praised God in the face of battle, the Lord fought for them and gave them victory without struggle (2 Chronicles 20). Praise shifts the battle from your hands into God’s hands.

Thanksgiving is also an altar of deliverance. The Psalmist said, “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Psalm 50:14–15). Jonah also declared that he would sacrifice unto God with the voice of thanksgiving, even from the belly of the fish, and God brought him out (Jonah 2:8–10). Therefore, no matter what you are facing, do not complain. Open your mouth in praise. Build an altar of thanksgiving, and let God take over your battles.

Prophetic Word: I declare that your praise shall open prison doors and your thanksgiving shall bring divine intervention. Every battle before you shall turn into a testimony. As you praise God, He will fight for you, deliver you, and bring you into victory. In Jesus’ name.

Prayer: My Father and my God, give me the grace to praise You in every situation. Help me to offer thanksgiving even in the midst of challenges. As I lift my voice in praise, arise on my behalf, take over my battles, and turn my situation into a testimony. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dealing with life’s challenges 9

 “Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” Genesis 37:20 KJV

Some life challenges come because of the vision God has placed in your heart. Joseph’s brothers did not hate him only because of who he was; they hated him because of what he carried. They said, “We shall see what will become of his dreams.” This shows that some battles are attacks against your divine assignment, your destiny, and the future God has revealed concerning your life.

When God gives you a vision, opposition may arise. The enemy may try to discourage you, delay you, or make you doubt what God has spoken. But the good news is that no enemy can destroy what God has ordained. If God is for you, no power can successfully stand against you (Romans 8:31). Joseph was sold into Egypt, but God was with him, delivered him from his afflictions, gave him favour and wisdom, and lifted him to become a ruler in Egypt (Acts 7:9–10). What was meant to bury his dream became the road to his fulfilment. Therefore, do not abandon the vision God has given you. Paul said, “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). Even when people opposed him, plotted against him, and sought his life, God preserved him. It is better to remain in the will of God with challenges than to live outside His will in false comfort. Your glory is hidden in your obedience to the vision.

Prophetic Word: I declare that the vision God has given you shall not die. Every opposition against your divine assignment shall become a stepping stone to your glorious destination. You will not be disobedient to the heavenly vision. In Jesus’ name.

Prayer: My Father and my God, strengthen me to pursue the vision You have given me. Let no opposition, delay, or discouragement stop me from fulfilling Your purpose for my life. Cause my vision to speak and bring me into my glorious destination. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dealing with life’s challenges 8

 “And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.” Exodus 2:23 KJV

Some challenges are tied to time, process, training, and divine preparation. They do not last forever. Just as a pregnant woman carries a child for a season and later enters into joy and celebration, some challenges expire when their appointed time is completed. What looks painful today may be part of a process that will produce glory tomorrow. God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in another land and would be afflicted for four hundred years, but afterward they would come out with great substance (Genesis 15:13–14). This means that even when challenges are permitted for a season, God already knows the end from the beginning. The affliction of Israel was not permanent. It had an expiry date.

There are challenges you cannot simply pray away because they are connected to growth, discipline, learning, and maturity. A student cannot enter university and receive a degree on the same day. There must be a process. The process may be difficult, uncomfortable, and sometimes dark, but if you remain faithful, the light will surely come. In such seasons, you need grace, patience, wisdom, and endurance. God said, “I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10). The furnace may be hot, but it is not meant to destroy you. It is meant to refine you, strengthen you, and prepare you for what God has ahead. Therefore, do not give up in the process. Your challenge has an end, and your testimony will come.

Prophetic Word: I declare that every challenge appointed for your training and preparation will not destroy you. You will receive grace to endure, wisdom to learn, and strength to overcome. Your season of pain will end in joy and celebration. In Jesus’ name.

Prayer: My Father and my God, give me grace, wisdom, and strength to overcome my present challenges. Help me to understand the process and not give up before my testimony comes. Let every season of difficulty end in victory and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dealing with life’s challenges 7

 “Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.” 1 Samuel 17:36 KJV

Life’s challenges are not always meant to destroy you; sometimes, they are permitted to strengthen you, train you, and prepare you for greater victories. Every challenge you overcome becomes a testimony, and every testimony becomes a weapon for future battles. The lion and the bear were not the end of David’s story; they were preparation for Goliath. When Saul told David that he was too young to fight Goliath, David did not argue. He answered with the testimony of what God had already done through him. He remembered how God delivered him from the lion and the bear, and he believed that the same God would deliver him from the Philistine. This shows that yesterday’s victories can build confidence for today’s battles.

If you run away from the lion and the bear, you may not be prepared to face Goliath. The challenges you refuse to confront today may return in another form tomorrow. Therefore, do not run from every difficulty. Stand in faith, depend on God, learn the lesson, and receive strength through the process. With God’s help, what looks like a battle today will become part of your testimony tomorrow.

Prophetic Word: I declare that your present challenge will become history in Jesus’ name. The God who helped David against the lion, the bear, and Goliath will help you also. You will not be defeated by what is standing before you. Every battle you face shall produce strength, wisdom, and testimony. In Jesus’ name.

Prayer: My Father and my God, give me victory and testimonies concerning my present challenges. Strengthen me to face what I must face, and help me not to run from the battles that are meant to prepare me. Let every challenge before me end in victory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Dealing with life’s challenges 6

 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” Colossians 2:14 KJV

Some life challenges are rooted in patterns that seem to run through families, foundations, or generations. But the good news is that, in Christ, such burdens do not have the final say. Jesus has already paid the price for our freedom. Through His death on the cross, He blotted out every ordinance that stood against us and redeemed us from every curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). What may have worked against others before you do not have to continue in your life, because redemption has made a new way for you.

Hiel rebuilt Jericho without understanding the ancient word spoken over it, and the cost was severe (1 Kings 16:34). Likewise, the house of Eli came under judgment that affected future generations, even when some were busy with the work of ministry and may not have fully understood the depth of what was hanging over their lineage (1 Samuel 2:31-33; 1 Samuel 22:16-20; 1 Kings 2:26-27). These examples remind us that some afflictions may be connected to foundations, covenants, or words spoken long ago. But the power of Christ is greater than every evil foundation, hidden covenant, or inherited battles. As you trust in Him, every inherited battle will give way to divine intervention, and your life will reflect the victory of redemption. Stand on the finished work of Christ, declare your liberty, and enforce your victory by faith. The blood of Jesus speaks better things, and His power is able to break every chain tied to your foundation.

Prophetic Word: I declare that every challenge arising from a faulty foundation, inherited pattern, evil covenant, or hidden curse is broken by the power in the blood of Jesus. Every handwriting against your life is cancelled, and every yoke is destroyed. You are delivered from affliction, separated from evil patterns, and established in the liberty of Christ. What limited others in your family will not limit you. You will walk in freedom, victory, and divine breakthrough. In Jesus’ name.

Prayer: Oh God, I thank You for the finished work of Christ on the cross. I receive my deliverance from every evil foundation, inherited struggle, generational affliction, curse, and negative covenant. Let the blood of Jesus speak for me and blot out every ordinance working against my life. I declare that I am redeemed, set free, and established in victory. In every area of my life, I enforce my deliverance by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.