Praise waits for Thee, O God in Sion: and unto Thee shall the vow be performed.                       ~   Psalm 65:1

The word “waits” in this verse can be translated “is silent”.  This seems strange due to the fact that praise is to be any thing but silent.  But this scripture is presenting a picture of  a lion who is silently waiting to pounce upon his prey.  That’s what we’re to be like when we come into the house of God.  We’re to be just waiting to spring forth in praise to God!  What a hugh difference it would make in the anointing in our meetings if everyone came with this attitude.

The story is told about Smith Wigglesworth who once made everyone present in a meeting leave and come back in praising the Lord.  One lady who was present in that meeting remarked years later about how powerful that meeting was.  The psalmist of old told us to “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise”.  Simple obedience to God’s commands will always produce remarkable results.  Let’s all do a better job at entering His gates!

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.   ~  Deuteronomy 28:1,2

Thank God for His blessings!  God truly wants His blessings to overtake us.  That means no matter how fast we’re running we can’t run fast enough to keep ahead of the blessings of God!  These two verses in Deuteronomy reveal the key to walking in God’s blessings…  “if you will hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.” 

The more we listen to and obey God’s voice through His Word and His Spirit, the greater level of blessings we’ll be able to walk in.  So I encourage you to go to great lengths to obey the voice of the LORD this day and throughout the new year!

Happy is that people, that is in such a case:  yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.  ~  Psalm 144:15

If you were to ask people, “Where is the happiest place on the earth?”  you’d probably hear answers like Disneyland, a football game, or kids would probably say Chucky Cheese!  But the happiest place on earth is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ!  It’s where more love, more joy, more peace, more blessing is offered — more than anywhere else.

So why aren’t God’s people always the happiest people on the planet?  It’s because they are not partaking of what’s available.  Even a child wouldn’t be happy if you took him to Chucky Cheese and just made him sit there and never enter into what’s available.  But one thing I’ve noticed…   those who do enter in are always happy.  So truly the Church IS the happiest place on earth, but YOU must enter in and enjoy what’s been provided!

But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.                   ~   I Peter 1:19

Jesus’ Blood is precious!  Precious means, “held in honor, held as of a great price, highly esteemed, especially dear, costly”.  In heaven they sing and talk about the Blood a lot!  Perhaps that’s why the Church is weak…  we don’t sing and talk about the Blood enough.

And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of Hs disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray.   ~  Luke 11:1

Notice that as great a teacher and preacher that Jesus was, as great a miracle worker that He was, His disciples are never recorded as asking Him to teach them how to preach or to teach them how to work miracles.  What they did ask Him though, was to teach them how to pray.  Perhaps they were more impressed with His prayer life than anything else. 

What an irony that prayer seems to be the thing that least impresses His disciples today.  They may be impressed with teaching or with miracles, but don’t really have time for prayer.  Someone said, “It is more important that men learn to pray than they gain a college education.”  I’m not knocking college, it can be very helpful, but learning to pray is far more important.  When you know how to pray you can get yourself out of any crisis of life!

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of Host.  And all the nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land.                     ~   Malachi 3:11,12

God is very much interested in your finances.  He wants to multiply and protect them.  But He won’t be able to do so unless you open the door for Him to do it.  How?  Through tithing to your local church!  When you tithe you give God the legal right to intervene in your financial affairs.  You give Him the right to defend you against any financial destruction the devil might try to bring.  Tithing causes you to lay a foundation for success and abundance.  Tithing is an insurance plan against the devourer. 

A friend of mine, when he was first beginning to walk with the Lord was having a problem with tithing off of his gross income.  He decided he would tithe off the net, even though the Word of God tells us to bring the first fruits of all our increase.  He tithed off of the net for two weeks and each week his car had problems that cost him the same amount as the difference between tithing off of the gross and tithing off of the net.  Needless to say, he learned a lesson — tithe off of the gross!  Now, God didn’t tear his car up, it was the devourer. 

Don’t wait until your back is up against the wall to start tithing.  Begin now.  Start developing your faith in the blessings God’s Word promises you as a tither.  Learn to act on the Word when it comes to tithing.  When satan tries to take advantage of you in the financial area, stand your ground and proclaim what is written.  Be like Jesus when satan tempted Him in the wilderness…  say, “it is written.”  When you do this you’re going to come out on the other side with sweet victory!

And from the days of John the baptist until now the  Kingdom of  Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.   ~   Matthew 11:12

We’re living in a time when satan is fighting believers like never before.  He knows his time is short and that the consummation of the ages is upon us.  If you’re going to live in divine health right now you’re going to have to be extreme about believing what God’s Word says about healing.

We’re not in a time when a little dab will do you!  We’re living in a time when you must be violent about what you believe.  Not violent with people, but with the devil, and the sickness he tries to bring your way.  If you have sickness in your body today, if I were you, I’d choose some teaching CD’s that would fill my heart and mind with God’s anointed Word on the subject of healing, and listen to them throughout the day.  I’d do everything I could to run that sickness off.  That’s taking the Kingdom by force!