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Thanks be to God Almighty for the gift of a new year. It was the Psalmist who acknowledged the fact that “what if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israelrepeat: what if the Lord had not been on our side when peopleattacked us? They would have swallowed us alive in theirburning anger” (Psalm 124:1-2). The Lord smiled on Hispeople hence when the enemies came, they could not swallowus. Like the psalmist, we all have benefited from the smile offavour of the Lord hence the privilege of another year. If wemay reflect on the past years, especially last year, as a nationand individuals so many things threatened to swallow us. BokoHaram and their activities became a child's play when wereceived with shock the outbreak of Ebola virus Disease (EVD)everywhere was tensed up, relationships got broken down, andpleasantries were withdrawn. The church was not spared; Ebolaoutbreak affected the mode of receiving communion. Besidesall these, at our individual levels, we had so many things tocontend with. A good number of journeys were confronted withso many difficulties space will fail us to enumerate the so manyattacks we were exposed to but the mercy of God delivered us.We are hale and hearty. This is nothing else but the smile offavour we all have enjoyed. On this first day of the year, may Ilead you into making this commitment: O Lord may yourways be my ways throughout this year.PRAYERMy dear Father, thank you for your smile of favour, help me toremain under your favour throughout the year. 1

Psalmist in our passage for meditation yesterday started with a plea in the opening verse, “may God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favour on us”. In asimilar vein, we also want to begin this year that promises betterthings ahead of all of us. God wants to smile on His people againhence like the psalmist we must beseech the good face of ourAlmighty Father as He will be giving new positions/ offices topeople this year, you will not be left out this year, you will not beleft out of these divine arrangements.I am fully convinced that the Lord has chosen to remember youhence your name has appeared in the hall of fame. Although thecontest would be fierce but His smile makes the difference.Our passage for today is meant to direct our minds to the altar ofprayer, the right place to begin the year. Prayer is an essential toolthat will not only attract the smile of favour, but will actuallyposition you to maximize Jehovah smile of favour.The enemies know that with prayers, you are already a candidateof success; hence he goes on to weaken the prayer life ofbelievers. Unless the Lord builds … do not allow anything tomake you ignore the place of prayer at this new beginning.Begin the year with prayer and you will be glad you did.Even if none is going on in your church, start your own now. Praywith fasting by reading the word of God. Surely you will attractHis smile of favour this year.PRAYER:Dear Holy spirit awaken the spirit of prayer in your people, inthe Church and the nation today. 2

Certainly His smile of favour will give protection all through the year for all who will turn to him in prayer at this beginning. It is important for us to know that whenwe pray to God, It is a clear demonstration of our dependence onGod. If there is any Christian who lacks the attitude of prayer, it isobvious that such a person rely on some other powers. Christiansare always distinguished from others because of their prayer life.Beloved, what is your attitude to prayer, today is the third day ofthe year, are you still enmeshed in the euphoria of celebrations?The passage before us today clearly point to us that when menpray ,their fears turns to courage, mountains becomes levelground and enemies will become friends. The scripture says;“when people's lives please the Lord; even their enemies are atpeace with them” (Prov 16:7). Enemies are on the high ways ofthis year, the antidote to overcoming them is to live a life thatpleases the Lord. Ezra the man of God turned the eyes of thepeople to the Lord in prayer and fasting because he had told theking that God is able to protect his own.God indeed answered their prayers. It is the same God that youwill call upon so that your year will be smooth; enemies willbecome stepping stones to higher ground. What are you waitingfor, go to prayer and fasting now, all will be well.PRAYERGod of Ezra you are my God, as you inspired Ezra to pray,help me to pray in Jesus name. 3

I am fully convinced that Jacob's example will be sufficient for all who will succeed in the New Year. It was the psalmist who said; “commit your ways into the Lord trust also inHim, and He shall bring it to pass” (psalm 37-5)Encouraging you to pray at this early beginning is to help yourealize fully what the psalmist is saying. Praying is no big deal toall who depend on God. Two things we must take note of in theadmonition of the psalmist namely; commit your ways to theLord and trust Him.To commit is to completely surrender which is an indication thatwe are powerless without Him. It is at the altar of prayer we do itshowing that we depend on Him. Having prayed we go on totrust hence there will be commitment better still a vow.Beloved, what we have said is the example from Jacob. After hehad woken up from his dream, he realized that he needed God inhis journey. Without any long sermon, he pledged his loyalty toGod in his prayer. The period of celebration was like we weresleeping; after all, not much was going on. Now the reality of anew year cannot be argued with all the challenges ahead. Likethe psalmist had admonished, do not hesitate, keep the fire ofprayer burning and be specific like Jacob. Just as Jacob recordedsuccess, so as many that commit their ways and trust in Himshall succeed.PRAYERAlmighty Father, you changeth not, as thou have been, so willyou continue to be, help us to pray in faith and let success attendour efforts. 4

My dear reader, if they saw the star of Jesus far away in eastern lands, then it is a matter of self deception if anyone thinks someone somewhere is not seeingyour star. Who such people are, you cannot be specific but thefact remains, someone, somewhere is seeing your star. This isthe more reasons why serious prayer is a necessity. Your starfor this year may have been seen; you have a role to play. Youneed to pray and your prayer will activate all the promises ofGod concerning your life. Prayer and fast, it is not negotiable.Far away in the east, the magi saw the star of Jesus the Christ.These wise men were not Christians as some would want toassume. If these persons had no relationship with the God ofIsrael, certainly they must have exercise the power they had,but it became evident to them that they needed to submit toHis Lordship. Without hesitation they came to Bethlehem topay homage to the one in whose hand they have their being.The lesson is a call to prayer in order to secure our future fromthe hands of destiny killers. God has designed you for aspecific assignment and achievements this New Year. Youractions may have spoken volumes and someone may havenoted it and may want to hinder you. This is why we mustcommit ourselves to him who is able to do exceedingly andmore abundantly in our lives this year.PRAYERLord Jesus thank you for my star, if they could not suppressyou but worship you, my case will not be different. 5

O Lord in this New Year, keep me in the right place on daily basis in Jesus name. Amen. At last, the magi found themselves in Jerusalem. Their investigationtook them to King Herod of whom they inquired “where is thenew born king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and wehave come to worship him”. For the ordinary man the requestmay look insignificant which may be ignored but to King Herodit means a lot. Herod may have seen the visit and the birth of thenew born King of the Jews as the end of his own reign and thatof his Children. Herod knew that Rome wouldn't give hissuccessor as much power, so he at this time may have alreadydivided his Kingdom into three parts, one for each of his sons.The appearance of Jesus the Christ became a threat to Herodwhich was unknown to the magi. Meanwhile the magi thoughthey were dealing with someone who is sympathetic to theircourse whereas inside of Herod was treachery, the readiness todestroy the baby. Without mincing words, this is exactly whatwe see of our age. Election is drawing near, as we have seenbefore, no doubt in the count down to the electioneeringcampaign, many have died under mysterious circumstances. Inthe name of “consensus candidate” those qualified for thepositions have been edged out. All these point to the fact that weneed more of prayers, even if your destiny happens to be in thehands of wrong people, Baba God would fight for you.PRAYERLord Jesus our destiny for this year is in your hand. Yours wassafe mine will be safe too. 6

We are told that king Herod was deeply disturbed by the news of the new born king. Therefore, he had to assemble the leading priest and teachers of religiouslaw to ascertain the true position of the claims of the magi. Theyconfirmed that the messiah would be born in Bethlehem in Judea.Having been convinced, the scripture says; “Then Herod calledfor a private meeting with the wise men”. Why private meeting?Clearly, Herod is an enemy, enemy of progress, enemy of thepeople of God, enemy who is against the plan of God concerningHis people; enemy of the church, we shall confirm this shortly.Herods of our time are more dangerous than our estimation. IfJudas Iscariot could do what he did, why do you doubt the evil ofour age, Herods have positioned themselves for this year, butthank God, because he has the final say. Even if we do not knowand we cannot read the hearts of the people around us, there is onewho knows all things. For God and His word are capable ofexposing our inner most thought and desires (Heb 4:12).When the magi saw the baby, they worshipped Him and offeredthemselves and their substance to him who is both Lord andSaviour. One striking point is that those who dwell in Israel wereunaware of the birth of the Messiah, but those far away knew andcame to inform those at home. May we not be absent by what wedo or say throughout this year. The magi heard God speaking tothem.PRAYERDear Holy Spirit, help us to be sensitive to your move all throughthe year in Jesus name. 7

Indeed God is speaking; those who care to listen would save themselves from any impending doom. At the altar of prayer, God would unfold his agenda for the year for bothindividual and our cooperate lives. To what extent have youavail yourself of prayer concerning the New Year? For us whodo not have any other place to run to, we would always find theplace of prayer as a reliable and dependable refuge. Not onlythat God unfolds his agenda, He also reveals to us everysatanic agenda concerning us. This is why God did not hide theevil intention from the magi and parents of the new born baby.Imagine if the magi had turned to Herod, your guess is as goodas mine. Am sure there would have been more causality thanenvisaged. Herod would not have spared the lives of the wisemen. The man and the woman that were bold enough to bearthe child including the baby would have paid with their lives.If God spared all this persons from the murderous intentions ofHerod, I dare announce to you, those who are after your lifethis year shall pay with their lives God says; “I will feed yourenemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with theriver of their own blood…” (Isaiah 49:26a).Through God's intervention, the magi avoided Herod as theyreturned. Joseph and Mary with the baby left the territory.Your testimony shall be greater.PRAYERDear Father, as we pray, your Devine intervention we seek.Deliver us as you saved the baby Jesus. 8

According to prophet Isaiah, “but this is what the sovereign Lord say; this invasion will never happen, it will never take place” (Isaiah 7:7). On the strength ofthe word of the Lord, I decree and declare that no satanicinvasion of your life shall succeed in Jesus name. Prophet Isaiahwent on to declare upon the enemies as follows; “Call yourcouncil of war, but they will be worthless. Develop yourstrategies, but they will not succeed. For God is with us” (8:10).If Herod succeeded then, the Herod of our days particularly thisyear shall be disgraced. True to it Herod was waiting for the wisemen. As we remarked yesterday, the causality would have beenmore.Herod became furious and he mobilized his arsenal against thebaby, Thus he invaded Bethlehem and its environ andeliminated all the boys that were two years old and under. If youstill take life a pinch of salt without genuine commitment to theLordship of Jesus Christ, may we remind you that the likes ofHerod are out there. They will go to any length to achieve theirmurderous intentions. For those who have made the Lord theirrefuge through prayers and fasting, living for him daily, as Godalmighty saved baby Jesus and the magi so his salvation is stillthere for such persons. 2015 is a year of covenant renewal for thechildren of God. If God has done it before, he will do it again.PRAYERThank you father for this year 2015, I believe the propheticdeclaration you will do it again in my life. 9

To all my readers, I declare over your life those who plan to drive you out of your heritage so as to enjoy it, Baba God shall drive them away from you. If they fail toheed warnings, they shall not escape what happened to Herod.This is your year of consolidation, the grace of God is uponyour life, no one can dislodge you. You are standing on thesolid rock Jesus Christ, all other grounds are sinking sand.Certainly those who look down on you shall look up to you,those who laughed at you will laugh with you. Baba God istaking you from Zero to Zenith, from nothing to something,from nobody to somebody. Say to yourself I am coming out, Ishall not end like this. I will not die in a foreign land. I shallremain in my divine location for divine allocation. This is youryear, keep talking positively, confessing positively, walkingpositively, thinking positively and do all things positively.Egypt is not his home; therefore the new born baby will notremain there. His pursuer have died therefore it is time to gohome hence Baba God said, take the child and his mother backto the land of Israel. It is the same call to all and sundry toreturn home, return to where you belong. You have spentenough time in this area that does not glorify God. 2015 is ayear of return, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you areand the right place to return to.PRAYERMy dear Holy Spirit it is a call to return help us today toremember where many have fallen with a view to return. 10

In our concluding passage for yesterday, we were told that the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. And this fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah said. “He will becalled a Nazarene”. One interesting thing about the baby Jesusthe Christ was the fact that most of the things that happened tohim had been foretold before it happened. One prayer point forus in this story is that my life should be a fulfillment of all thatGod has said concerning my life. Pray that the enemy will notsmuggle any ugly thing into your life this year and that everymistake that would bring about a set back into your life the allpowerful God to deal with it for you.From Nazareth, the earthly parents of Jesus went to Jerusalemto attend religious festival. The infant Jesus was always goingwith them at twelve he went with them, while returning theyassumed that Jesus was among the crowd, whereas, he was inthe temple. If it were to be this age, it would have been a costlyassumption. This is the message the Lord is bringing to us as welive our lives this year, to avoid assumption particularly whatmay likely bring regret.To be able to overcome this is to give your attention to detailsespecially in prayers where God would reveal to you ahead oftime. The revelation can as well be through others. Theadmonition is that do not assume do what you need to do inother to expect a positive result.PRAYERLord Jesus, we plead with you to deliver us from satanicinduced assumption all through the year. 11

While meditating and writing this piece, the question that kept agitating my mind is if it were to be my son, where would he be found?Certainly it is a good question for all of us to ponder over. Whilewe admit the stubbornness of this age, will the Godly teachingsyou have given to your children exonerate you from everyunbecoming behaviour they may exhibit? In an age whereparents are glued to some stations on the Television such thatsome programmes can prevent them from attending churchactivities, what do you expect from the children? It is an age ofdifferent kind of teachers led by internet good Lord deliver us.The costly assumption took them three days before they couldlocate their son. What you need to do about your children, do itnow before it is too late. Three days wasted to recover whatcould have been done in a few minutes. It is another year, if youhave wasted the previous years; it is not God's will for you towaste this year every second is useful for something tangible.They found him in the temple among religious teachers. It is anevidence of the manner he was being brought up. If ourchildren grew to know the importance of family altar where theBible is read, prayer is said, praises offered to God, our Fatherin heaven will not allow them to depart from it. In case if thereis the need to guess where our child is and you cannot bespecific, it is a problem you must tackle now.PRAYERDear Father, my children are Godly seed, may nothing destroythem for me in Jesus name. 12

The parable before us is about the vineyard workers. Essentially, the parable made us to discover the different time of God's calling upon each and every one of us. Ittalks about the reward that is due to as many that have laboredfaithfully in the vineyard.Besides the above meaning, we would like to relate it to oureveryday living especially at the beginning of the year in orderto put the year in perspective and be able to maximize thebenefits thereof. Pertaining to our everyday living with regard tothis parable, it is obvious to us all that God desire that we allshould engage ourselves in a profitable venture that givesmeaning to everyday living hence we see the owner (God) of thevineyard going out at every hour to see whether some are idle.From the book of Genesis, God engaged man, “the Lord Godplaced the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch overit” (2:15). Some version says to work it, do dress it in otherwords man was not designed to be idle but to work hence theprovision of rest. It is only those who have worked that needrest. According to the parable, as at five o' clock in the afternoon,some able bodied men who came out with the intention to workwere still idle. They politely replied, “because nobody hired us”perhaps, this might be what you suffered last year and thesymptoms seemed to have surfaced this year again. The yokemust be broken today.PRAYERLord God, you were never idle and you made me in yourimage. Like father like son, I too will not be idle. Pray. 13

The workers said, “Because nobody hired us” This is the true state of some people, but there is another dimension that we must critically examine so thatthe people of God may be delivered. These workers werelooking out for physical hiring but spiritually they havebeen hired to be idle all through. Examples of this aboundhence you see able bodied men who ought to be workingare busy playing draft, smoking, drinking and all kinds ofthings. For some, their CVs are everywhere, but noting isforth coming. For some, bewitchment had set in and theyseem to be enjoying idleness especially, when they areserved their favourite drinks.For this year I declare over your life, you will not be idle,wrong hands will not hire you, you will work and earnyour pay legitimately in Jesus name. It was a commandthat we should stay away from all believers who are livinga life of idleness or idle lives because it is not God's will forHis people. If the enemies kept you idle all these time, takea step of deliverance today. You may as well ask yourself,how profitable is the work am doing now? It shouldn't beyour habit of seeking financial assistance every now andthen, get out of it now and be a helper to others.PRAYERLord Jesus Christ, help us to imitate your life and ministryall through the year. 14

As we continue with our daily meditation we shall spend some days to examine what we call the 'wisdom of Joseph'. This is one resource that is available to us to tapinto and the prosperity we long for can be available to us. Onefact we must underscore is, that it is the grace of God upon the lifeof a man that makes the difference. I do not think Joseph had asmooth adolescent upbringing. But look at what he turned out tobe. Grew up in the midst of envious brothers who sold him toslavery. Think about the conditions of a slave. He became a housemaid only to be exposed to a promiscuous woman who may nothave added any value to his life. From there to the prisons oneafter another. If the prisons were like the ones in Nigeria, whatcan Joseph boast of?What is your excuse why you think life has not been fair to you?Which part of yours is like that of Joseph as pointed above? Hearwhat God said and stop all these excuses, “I will show mercy toanyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone Ichoose” (Roman 9:15). If you think man denied you, why notturn your life to Jesus who can make something good out of it?“For God's gift and his call can never be withdrawn” (Romans11:29) that was the reason why Pharaoh and his people said“Clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are”. In thisnew year we can all tap into this excellent wisdom inspite of whowe may be. It is God who is at work; both within and without.PRAYERDearly Holy Spirit, wisdom is one of your gift and fruit,endow your people with it today. 15

Yesterday we read that, “So Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt”. This means he was sworn-in as the prime minister of the nation called Egypt, with fullauthority, politically and economically. This call for elaboratethanksgiving, with a heavy party, where everything under the sunis served for all to enjoy themselves.Secondly, we are told that pharaoh gave Joseph a wife from thehigher class of the society. No doubt it was a societal wedding, aroyal wedding of sort. Your guess is as good as mine, what themarriage would look like after the wedding, what follows; honeymoon in a choice part of the world. It could even be globethrottling as we have seen.But what did Joseph do? We are told, immediately he leftPharaoh's presence, he inspected the entire land of Egypt. Theimplication was that he left Pharaohs presence with a sense ofresponsibility. Time waits for no one; make haste while it is stillsunny. There shall be more time for those enjoyments when I havedelivered on my mandate. It is the same wisdom that some haveapplied at one time or the other and their testimonies are inspiringlives by the day.Our generation is highly hedonistic, we love pleasure andtechnology is helping to promote it. Sometimes by our activities, itis like no tomorrow.As important as those events were, for Joseph,in the light of the assignment given to him, they were trivialities.This is the wisdom for 2015PRAYERHoly Spirit, help us to place our priorities right in this new yearfor maximum result. 16

The wisdom of Joseph is outstanding. Hear Pharaoh saying, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you”. O Lord! I need this wisdom that makes everyone to look upto me for solution to their problems. Not only solutions, but alsogodly counsel for daily living. This is the favour Baba God hasgranted to many while the rest people will willingly surrendertheir money and time for the services they render. A typicalexample is the recharge card we buy to load our GSM phones.While the owners are busy doing other things money rolls intotheir pockets. Take this to heart, let your money work for you,and do not spend all your life working for money.When things looks rosy for some, they warm up to maximize themoment spend their income on things that never yield dividends.Ask yourself, those things you spend money on, how muchreturns do you get? Some of us would like to imitate others withsome shallow conclusion which they have drawn about life andsome of the conclusions are self-centered. Joseph in the midst ofseven years of plenty avoided some pleasures that can bepostponed. Perhaps, this is the wisdom that may help you toconsolidate this year, especially now that we are still in the earlybeginning. This is a personal message to you that may notrequire the approval of somebody else. It may be a sacrifice thatmay look stupid to others, but I tell you, your testimony willshake them.PRAYERHeavenly Father, as many that long for this wisdom, helpthem to live by your word and counsel that their testimonymay be complete. 17

Joseph became the only chief economist in the land whose wisdom provided for the need of all. Could that be the plan of God for Egypt and Canaan? I do not think so, however, it issad to note that among the lots, only one person seem to be wiseby what he does and what the multitudes are doing.How is the rating of Nigeria among the committee of nations? Isit not obvious that we are not wise because we suffer in the midstof so much? One single individual would prefer to amass whatbelongs to millions of persons. Wisdom is knowing what to doand doing it in the right way in the interest of all.When Joseph interpreted pharaoh's dream which led to hiselevation all the Egyptians were aware. When the seven years ofabundance came they saw the boom. The question is, what didthey do in preparation for the seven years of famine? WhenJoseph was busy buying the excesses and storing them, it didn'tconcern them. It was Joseph prophecy so let him carry the burdenthe doubter quince. Well, wisdom that is wasted will surely bepaid for in stupidity.When they needed to save, they squandered all and life must go onhence they have no choice but to bring their livestock in exchangefor food. The wisdom of Joseph is a necessity in this era ofoutright waste in many of the things we do. If we choose to beobjective in assessing our attitude to life, you will agree with methat there is so much waste on things that do not prepare us fortomorrow.PRAYERGood Lord deliver us from selling our properties to survive inJesus name.Amen. 18

THE WISDOM OF JOSEPH “Buy us and our land in exchange we offer our land and ourselves as slave for Pharaoh” v 19 READING & MEDITATION: Genesis 47:18-22The people asked; “Why should we die before your very eyes? Indeed where there is no vision, the people perish. If you are the man with the vision for a guaranteedfuture, do not give up no matter what you are passing throughwhen eventually you birth the vision, you will be celebrated.Too many people have died with their vision. Admittedly, thepeople around them denied them of their cooperation, theyfaced unnecessary hatred, envy was much, yet in the face of allthese, men with vision survived with their vision. This is thetroupe we must endeavor to join in life in order to give meaningto lives. This was the stance of Joseph hence the unequalwisdom.The wisdom of Joseph we must covet to live our lives. Thepeople came to him willingly, and said, “Buy us and our land”.In other words they placed themselves on sale. If we fear theLord, loved the Lord, the grace of God upon our lives will makepeople to look up to us. Imagine one man was ready to feed themillions for years. It is only when we are short of divine seedthat we are not able to do it. “For God is the one who providesseed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, hewill provide seed and increase your resources and thenproduce a great harvest of generosity in you” (2 Corinthians9:10). This is what we should pray for.PRAYERLord Jesus thank you for your word. I receive your divine seedfor everyday living and for the need of others. 19

What kind of wisdom is this? It is the wisdom from above. According to Apostle James, “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God ourFather, who created all the lights in the heavens. He neverchanges or cast a shifting shadows” (1:7.) The wisdom ofJoseph was from above which is still available to all who are inChrist Jesus. It is one of the spiritual gifts that are available to usall for our daily living. This wisdom is laden with excellent spiritthat is capable of managing situation and conditions of life.As we rightly observed yesterday, the people placed themselvesand their land on sale and Joseph bought them all. The next stagewas to provide the people with seed because they lack seed. Thecondition attached to it was not stringent only that they wouldalways work for Pharaoh. If we take possession of this wisdom,much of our stress will be taken off our neck. Our money willwork for us, our time will not be wasted but converted to money,and opportunities will not be wasted any longer.Beloved, take wisdom of Joseph serious and rescue yourselffrom the stress of life this year. Let it be a year that yourtestimony will disgrace your enemies. Say to yourself, my lifewill not be a repetition of the previous stress. I wish you thisexcellent wisdom.PRAYERDear Holy Spirit, let your fire refine me more and more for thespirit of Wisdom. 20

It is impossible for the devil to overcome anyone that is in favor with God. That was the secret behind the success that Joseph recorded in the land of Egypt. God is saying to usthat if we seek His favour He will be there for us. Too manypeople in the church parading themselves as Christians but theyare out of favor with God. Nothing could be more dangerouswhen one is out of favor with God. Indeed it is a life of risk, thefuture is never guaranteed. This is the reason why many areflocking prayer ground, they desire a miracle from Godthrough the one that may be in favor with God but they are outof favor.Your personal relationship with God guarantees your miracle.Once you enjoy that favor, you can move the entire heaven byyour prayer. When the man of God joins you it becomes an easytask. How often people have no faith in the God they claim toserve and His word yet they are seeking miracles? The word ofGod says; if God be for you, who can be against you? Let Godbe for you this year and your story shall be like that of Josephwho succeeded in all he did. To be in favor with God is tobelieve Him and His word. Give no room to any doubt accept Itand live your life accordingly. When the Lord is on your side,you are the majority, victory is sure, and you will be blessed.PRAYERDear Father help me to love you daily as I live by your word inJesus name. 21

The New Living Translation of our text is, \"The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?\" Joseph succeeded indeed but is ittrue that there were no enemies to contend with? Certainly therewere. Enemies have always been in the midst of where othershave succeeded. The scripture says; if a man's ways are pleasingto God, He will make his enemies to be at peace with him. Therate at which Christians are afraid of enemies' is a betrayal oftheir faith and the lack of knowledge of the word of God.Those who are in favor with God are those loved by God. Howcan you have this big God on your side, yet you are afraid.Because of fear, many did not miss any vigil they got to knowabout. They are there, to release fire on every perceived enemy.Joseph succeeded others have succeeded you too will succeedthis year.Are you going to continue this same way this year?Much as I do not doubt that there are enemies, I do not believethat they have any authority over your life as a child of God whois fully in favor with Him. Therefore mere mortals like humanbeings cannot do anything to you. What do you expect fromthem? If you believe they can harm you, then begin to study theword of God and believe it while using it to pray. My wholedesire for you this year is to be in favour with your God andwalk victoriously all through the year while you remain an overcomer and more than conquerors.PRAYERLord I believe that mere mortal cannot do-anything to me.Your favour will surely earn me victory thank you Jesus. 22

In the midst of enemies the Lord God would always see His children through because the promises of God as contained in His word are for His children who are in favor with Him.His Children will guard jealously this favor on daily basisbecause it is the root of their relationship with their God.There is a promise for those in favor with God this year in ourtext. It is the promise of peace. God says, he will keep in perfectpeace him whose mind is steadfast on Him as a result of theirtrust in Him (God). The promise is not for everybody but thosewhose minds are on Him. Such people know God for Hisability which is never determined by anything. The mightypower of God is ever constant, it will never fail. Where haveyou placed your mind? Please place on God.God has promised to keep them in perfect peace all through theyear. This does not mean you go to sleep. The promise is alwayssustained by your daily encounter with God in His word andprayer. This promise gives no room to fear or apprehension.The promise is able to keep the enemies where they belong as aresult of the favor you have with God. If you do not allow sin topenetrate your life and you are in constant touch with heaven,then your peace is guaranteed. Last year, may be rough foryou; believe the word of God and His peace which passes allunderstanding shall be yours.PRAYERHeavenly Father help me to always place my mind on you dailyfor my peace in Jesus name. 23

Perhaps God thought that the descendants of Adam and Eve would learn a lesson from what befell their parents but the story of Cain was a step further in disobedienceand wickedness. As man was increasing on the face of theearth, sin was also increasing; this led to God's Lamentation inour passage for today.Our society today is nothing short of that time if not worse. Evilno doubt is not only increasing but assuming an alarming ratewith its new faces shrouded with deception in order to deceivemankind. Man actually is always a victim, the one that wasonce declared as good has not ceased to be an object of sorrow.The Church is called out of the world in order to be the light ofthe world, but the world seems to be swallowing the church.The world has found a comfortable place in the church. Nodoubt the same lamentation is still going on. While God madeup his mind to wipe out man from the face of the earth, one mancalled Noah and his family survived because of his favor withGod. Noah made up his mind not to be like other men. Hisdesire was to please God. Thus, when God was looking forsomebody, he found him. God is already looking for someonenow. It is only your favor with God that will make God to locateyou for a successful year. Moreover as we prepare to vote thechallenge is that of looking out for the one that is in favour withGod.PRAYERLord may I never loose sight of your favor everyday this yearlet me be the man you are looking for. 24

The call to be in favor with all men as we follow the example of our Lord may be difficult but it is a standard that is required of every Christian.Man has always been difficult since the fall hence theLamentation of God in our passage yesterday. It is difficult tosatisfy fellow human beings. Sometimes when you think you aredoing the right thing as required, you may discover that you havestepped on some toes. This may be your experience in yourpolitical ambition or any other ambition of yours.To be in favour with your fellow human being is always judgedfrom both ends. From your side and the other person's.As much asyou may not be able to tell what the other person may say, fromyour own end, can you say you are in favor with those aroundyou? How is your relationship with them? Do you and do theyhave free access to you? This is an era when we talk much moreabout enemies. Where the idea of enemies dominates, it is alwaysdifficult to talk about favor with all men. Everything is alwaysunder suspicion and is subjected to a thorough scrutiny. Anyonewho is in Christ must not allow the idea of enemies to dominatehis thought and action. When God sends rain or sun he gives toall. This goodness of God had led to the conversion of some of hisenemies. In this New Year let God's attitude be your attitude, Hewill surely fight for you.PRAYERMy Father and my God help me to be like you inspite of thewickedness of man in this end time 25

The wickedness of men in this end time has assumed an alarming proportion whereby it is becoming difficult to be favourable to men. When men had gotten what theyare looking for you hardly see them again. Some would even turna hindrance to those who have shown them kindness they turnback to bite the finger that fed them. These are the challenges tobe in favour with all men. The idea of enemies is dominating theminds of many. Unknowingly such people are limiting the workof the Holy Spirit in their lives thus fellowship is been limited.However, as Christians, we are expected to be in favor with allpeople whether good or bad. When we do this, then we are likeour Father who is in heaven who causes his sun to rise on the eviland the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteouswithout discrimination. The example of our Father in heaven isthe hallmark of being in favor with all men. If the God we servehas no room for enemies and our Lord commanded us to love ourenemies and pray for those troubling us, then on our part we canbe in favor with all men.It is sad to note that within the body of Christ those drinking fromthe same cup of salvation, calling on this God that does notdiscriminate are enemies. They do not greet each other. Theylook different directions and deliberately they avoid one another.They go on to destroy one another. How can these crops ofpersons see the face of this good God? Your utmost desire thisyear should be that you will be like God and love as he loves.PRAYERFather you know how feeble we are we ask for grace andunderstanding to be like you in Jesus name. 26

Paul told the Corinthian Christians to Imitate him (1 Corinth 4:16) and to follow the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). The same message to thePhilippian's Christians. How many Christians today canboldly say, follow the example of Christ in a world wherewickedness is increasing by the day? This year we mustfollow his example so that we can enjoy his favour.Heaven is not a place for mixed multitude but for thosewho have been thoroughly washed and they keptthemselves pure in this corrupt world. Our Lord says, ourrighteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and thetax collectors and we must be perfect as our heavenlyfather is perfect. By no means will God lower Hisstandard.A pastor was preaching, after the service one of hismembers went to him and told him that; what you aredoing speaks, so loud that I cannot hear your sermon. Thisis the position of many believers in Christ. If what you dodoes not tally with what you say, then you cannot join Paulto say follow my example. The question is whose exampleare you ready to follow this year?PRAYERLord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit may we followyour example this year. 27

The road that leads to prominence is not an easy one. Some may want to be clever about it, but experience has gone to show that such people will lose at the end. Howmany people today can be trusted as they discharge theirduties? Sometimes ago a man decided to help a young boy witha view to establishing a business for him after some years. Hetook the boy and put him in charge of his business.While the boy was working for him, the boy was busy stealingmoney, he was able to gather the money and he bought a car.The man got to know about it, he was very angry with the boyand sent him away. Not too long, he had an accident with the carand it was beyond repair. The boy had nothing to live on; he wasbusy moving from one place to the other looking for what to do.That is the result of dishonesty. God will never bless those whoare dishonest. When you can be trusted with very little things,there is every assurance that if you are given much, the samespirit with which you treated little things you will handle itBeloved, if you have been unfaithful in the past, this year theonly option is to be faithful so as to attract His favour and Godwill bless you. Confess your past deed to God and He willforgive you. Do not pretend as if all is well; free yourself fromthis bondage once and for all.PRAYERI confess to you Lord, every act of unfaithfulness in the pasthelp me to be faithful in this new year in all matters. 28

It is a popular saying that to ere is human and to forgive is divine. When we are offended by our neighbours, the scripture has given us guidelines towards resolving thedisputes.Step IWhen your brother offends you, as a Christian you are to go andshow him his fault, just between the two of you. Before you goto him you need to pray so that he will be able to see his fault. Ifhe refused to listen to you then you proceed to the next stage.Step IIThe next thing you do is to take one or two others with you, sothat every matter may be established by the testimony of two orthree witnesses. One would expect that he will listen and hewill be able to see his fault.Step IIIIf the brother failed to see his fault after the second step, thenyou report him to the Church. The Church would then invitehim for settlement. If he failed to realize his fault, the Lord saysyou can now treat him as a pagan or a tax collector.The above three steps are meant to resolve disputes. When abrother offends us, the first thing we do is telling others hisoffence. From there we move to the Church or we keep malice.This is a wrong approach. It is time for Christians to callthemselves to order. The Lord's servant does not delight inquarrel follow the Biblical principles and resolve that dispute.PRAYERLord Jesus, give me a quiet Spirit that is able to absorb andboldly accept my fault. 29

Wedding ceremony is one of the familiar ceremonies in this our generation. The couples normally print invitation cards to invite people. The invitation card gives you the privilege toattend. In Israel, you cannot attend a wedding ceremony except you areinvited. If you are not invited, you can be called to question. So you mustget your invitation before you attend (John 2:2).There is a wedding supper that our Lord Jesus is preparing for HisChurch. Not everyone who goes to Church will attend this weddingsupper. This supper is meant for the born again Christians who on dailybasis are living for Christ. They got their invitation when they wereinvited to give their lives to Christ and they honoured it when they turnedtheir back to others to follow Christ.Those who are for this supper are those with fine linen, bright and clean.The linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints. The day you got yourinvitation is the day you were born again. After your conversion, Jesusnow put on you; a fine linen. If there is any unconfessed sin, then yourlinen is stained already, you cannot be admitted into that supper.There are many, who have lost their invitation. There is still room for youif you are willing to be part of this glorious wedding where Christ is thehusband; the born again Christians are the bride. If you surrender yourlife to Christ today, you will have the privilege.PRAYERLord, thank you for inviting me to your wedding supper Grant me thegrace to hold onto my invitation.Amen.PRAYERLord, thank you for inviting me to your wedding supper Grant me thegrace to hold onto my invitation. Amen. 30

Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his nobles and was feasting with them. As they were enjoying themselves, he gave orders to his servants to bring in the gold and silvergoblets which his father Nebuchadnezzer had removed from thetemple of God in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, hiswives and his concubines might drink from them. This was theheight of contempt and blasphemy. This reminds us of the respectwe need to accord to anything that has been dedicated to theservice of God. The manner we comport ourselves while in thehouse of God must be different from the way we behaveelsewhere. The sacredness of God and whatever belongs to himmust be underscored anytime anywhere. In his arrogance theking wanted to make mockery the things of God.At that point, Yahweh the God of Israel will not condone it. Godwill never share His glory with anybody. \"I am the Lord, that ismy name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise toidols\" (Isaiah 42:8). As they were drinking with the vessels,suddenly the finger of a human hand appeared and wrote on theplaster of the wall.Every kingdom, authority and power exists by the providence ofGod. And the moment it ceases to recognize the supremacy of theAlmighty, it must be uprooted. Nobody was able to read or tell themeaning of the writing except Daniel. That same night the kingdied. It was an evil regime that was rebelling against God. It maybe possible; you have found yourself under an oppressive,ungodly and evil environment it is already in its terminal stage.God will not allow it to continue.PRAYER0 Lord destroy every ungodly institution that has position itselffor this year in Jesus name. 31

Today the first day of the month, Jehovah God Almighty says He will repay for the loses we have incurred. Begin to thank God for this promise because it will surely be fulfilled in yourlife. At one time or the other people do suffer some loses. On manyoccasion I see heavy duty vehicles on the highways involved inaccident and their contents destroyed. For the owners it is a year oflocust. Last year may be such a year in your life and you may not haverecovered. The Lord says He will repay.This year of locust reminds me of a particular year that locust wroughta great havoc on our farm. That particular year we had a big farmwhere we planted cassava. The cassava was just six months old whenit was attacked by locust. Not only our own farm but also those whoplanted cassava around were all affected. Our farm was reduced tonothing and it was a wasted effort. The years of the locusts are theyears of waste, pains and labouring without anything to show for it.The years that enemies had their way all through. You even fasted andprayed and attended different prayer meetings. Men of God prayedfor you but to no avail.It could be possible that your present situation is a clear indication ofthe \"locust years\". You have tried all you can, but nothing seems to beworking. The Israelites had their own locust years immediately theyreturned from Babylon. The environment was not friendly. All thetactics were employed, but the locust had their way because, it mustsurely happen. The year of locusts is never a pleasant one. It is aperiod of great challenge that calls for prevailing prayers.Interestingly the Lord is saying the period is over. Your harvest is now.Years of locusts will no doubt result in years of abundance because thelocusts will turn to manure that will speed up the growth.PRAYERLord if I am tempted to sin, And outward things are strong. Do thou, OLord, keep watch within and save me from wrong. 32

Yesterday, we talked about the locusts' years. We said that such years are very unpleasant; sometimes the losses may be unimaginable. God is always constant,the years of locusts is the period that must give way. All thosewhose anchor is fastened to the Rock will now smile at last.After the locust's year, God said you will have plenty to eat,until you are full. Your enemy may think he is through withyou, and that you will never recover again. It is a month ofrecovery for you.This is where God begins his miracle. The years of locusts isalways followed by a year of plenty. God will satisfy youbeyond your expectation. His provision will continue until youare full. The anointing that He gives makes your cup tooverflow; this will result in praise to your God. He will repayyou for the years that the locusts (enemies) have forcefullytaken from you.Beloved, begin to trust the Lord for his promises and confesspositively. Things will surely change for the better. If alreadyyou are experiencing His faithfulness in terms of provisionbegin to sing His praise and declare His wonderful worksamong His people. You will never again be put to shame saysthe Lord.PRAYERFather thank you for your love towards your people make thisyear a year of abundance for your people in Jesus name. 33

Beloved do not allow your present situation make you lose faith in God. Apostle Paul says; “That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard timesand the coming good times” (Rom 8:18).The parable of thepersistent widow is meant to teach us never to be weary in prayer.We are meant to pray continually until our desire is granted to us byGod. According to our portion for meditation the widow did notgive up even though there were reasons for her to give up. Shecontinued to trouble the unjust judge to grant her justice against heradversary. After sometime, the judge dispensed the justice so thatthe woman will not wear him out with her coming. Our Lord said, ifthe unjust judge is able to do that, how much more our heavenlyFather. Will He not listen to His chosen ones who cry to him day andnight? Will he keep putting them off? Many of us easily give upwhen we have spend a little time to pray about a particular thing, webegin to look elsewhere.“How glibly we talk of praying without ceasing! Yet we are quiteapt to quit if our prayer remained unanswered by one week ormonth. We assume that by a stroke of His arm or an action of Hiswill, God will give us what we ask. It never seem to dawn on us thatHe is the master of nature, as of grace and that sometimes, to answera prayer and when it is answered and we look backward we can seethat it did. But God knows all the times and it is His will that wepray, and pray, and still pray and so come to know, indeed and oftruth, what it is to pray without ceasing\". Keep praying, the LordWill open unto you at the appropriate time.PRAYERLord implant in us, the faculty of persistent prayer with wrestlingquality that will keep us waiting for coming good times. 34

We are in a world of hypocrisy. Too many people want popularity at the expense of some other people. Not too many people want to break their fallow ground.Therefore they are looking for already made in order to claimownership of it. This is not only happening in the society but in thesanctuary of the most high - the body of Christ; it is a commonphenomenon.A story is told of an assistant pastor in a particular Church, whomobilized members of the church and planned a coup against thesenior pastor. The junior pastor succeeded in driving the seniorpastor from the church without any just cause. Whereas the juniorpastor was not there when the church was founded.Apostle Paul was a man who had an ambition to preach Christ. Hewent to places where Christ was not known and there he waspreaching. Take a look at the crop of ministers we have today, canwe say we have the same spirit with Paul? In every street you finda Church, which broke away with some members to form a newchurch. The ministers of today are no longer converting theheathen but what they are doing can best be described as crosscultivation. The congregations they are holding unto are the stolenmembers from other churches? These ministers do not have anyfoundation of their own; rather they are building on someonefoundation. Going by the way ministers of the gospel areoperating, it appears God is no longer calling people to minister inthe villages, camps and some other interior parts of our land.PRAYERLord Jesus you have called us for a purpose and specific placehelp us to build on the right foundation. 35

Like some had observed, our Lord requested us to pray for our enemies but no prayer point. This is not meant to fault our Lord but to ponder over the true meaning of what ourLord is saying. The activities of the evil ones are going from bad toworse somebody may likely say. Yes indeed we cannot deny thatbut we must not fight for ourselves, the battle is the Lords. In acompound, there was a lady who worships in one of these newChurches. One of the afternoons there was a horrifying noise thesound of fall and die, fall and die, fall and die, kept coming. After awhile, there was a pause and a voice which was that of the groupleader started saying, \"Anyone that will stand on your way in thiscompound; \"fall and die\" was the general response. This processcontinued until the end of the prayer session.Brethren, the story depicted a destruction scenario on our enemies,which I believe this Christian sect is emulating. The anticipateddestruction should actually be directed against the powers that areat work in the lives of the people. It is only then will these prayersactually receive an answer from the Father. Nowadays we use theHoly Ghost fire which is meant for anointing, distribution ofspiritual gifts and empowering the Church to pursue the commonenemies of believers. When our lives are filled with the fire of theHoly Spirit enemies cannot dare us. Jesus inferred in Matt 5:43-44,that we do good to our enemies like our heavenly Father. Paul wenton to say that the good we do for them becomes fire that willconsume them if they fail to repent.PRAYERHoly Father may I not ignorantly start fighting for myself but towholly lean on you and depend on your power in Jesus name.Amen. 36

Solomon was a man blessed by God but was led astray by the foreign wives he lusted after. In his fallen state he realized that the fear of the Lord teaches wisdom,we need to learn from him rather going astray the waySolomon went. For those who desire greatness in life takenote of what Solomon said and consider this, “To eat theyoke of egg, you must first break the shell. To eat the ripestfruit, you must first stretch your hands. To have a taste ofhoney, you must suffer the sting of bees. To walk as tall as aking, you must first bend down to work\". Verse 21 \"folly ispleasure to him who is without heart and sense ...” Beloved,be not deceived, humility opens the door of salvation, trust,acceptance, follower ship, obedience and honour. Verse 25of our text reads: \"The Lord tears down the house of theproud, but makes secure the boundaries of the widow\".The widow here stands for he who has no one to deriveprotection but wholly depends on God this is humility.At thislevel, the Lord will make secure your boundaries.From where do you derive your means of livelihood? Do youwant growth, promotion, favour, preferment, orappointment? Humility is the key; selfless service is thepivot. \"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble andcontrite in spirit, and trembles at my word\" (Is. 66:2)PRAYERLord I come that my shell be cracked off so that I can be whatyou design me to be in life in Jesus name. 37

It was said of Luther, that when he heard any discouraging news, he would say, come let us sing the forty sixth psalm. This psalm encourages us to take comfort in God whenthings look discouraging, threatening (Vv.1-5). To assureourselves that God who has glorified his own name will glorifyit yet again. (V 1 0, 11).The writer of hymn: SS & S 715,has this to say;Hope on, hope on, troubled heart!If doubts and fears overtake thee,Remember this the Lord hath said,He never will forsake theeThen murmur not, still bear thy lot,Nor yield to care or sorrow;Be sure the clouds that form todayWill break in smiles tomorrow.This is what God himself said, \"Be still, and know that I amGod; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted inthe earth. According to the Book Hebrews, \"For we have not ahigh priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of ourinfirmities; but was in all points tempted as we are, yet withoutsin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace thatwe may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need\".God will not share His glory with none hence He said; I will beexalted in the earth. Therefore let us put our hope in God.PRAYERHeavenly Father in our moment of trouble, teach us the secret ofquietness and dependency on you 0 God of our salvation. 38

To every generation God has ordained prophets to guide His people. This end time we have been ordained to speak to our generation. Once revelationceased then the future is at risk. Elisha was a great prophet inIsrael. Through him the Lord did so many wonders. Aram asa nation was sharing boarder with Israel. Constantly thereused to be border clashes. At different times, the king ofAram will plan to attack the king of Israel. Having perfectedhis plans, he would always expect the king of Israel and hispeople to fall into the trap. But to his utter dismay, the king ofIsrael and his people get to know and they will take anotherroute.The king of Aram tried several times without any success. Hebegan to suspect his officers. He summoned them toascertain which of them was on the side of the king of Israel.He was told of the man of God who is always revealing hisplan to the king of Israel. The role of Prophet Elisha hadhelped to save his nation. If not for his ministry, theArameans would have sacked them on many occasions. Wehave been ordained as watchmen to our generation, what roleare we playing to impact positively on our generation?PRAYERO Lord my God, we desire to be an instrument of yours to ourgeneration. As Elisha was a blessing to his nation make us ablessing too. 39

For those who are aspiring to higher ground or those who have arrived, the request of King Solomon is instructive. He requested for wisdom and knowledge from God to beable to govern the nation Israel that is as numerous as the sand bythe sea shore or as the dust of the earth.Looking carefully at the life of Joseph, you will discover that hepossessed these virtues. Not only possessing them he equallyemployed them when necessary. His knowledge of God came tobare, when it was reported that God was with him in everything hedoes. If Joseph had not known God, how could he have enjoyedthe favour of God as much? And through him God was alwaysblessing those he worked with. These are the virtues that Peterspoke about in 2Pet.1:5-8. And that if we possess them we remaineffective.The wisdom of God in a man makes the difference hence weearlier referred to the wisdom of Joseph. Solomon specificallyasked for wisdom and it was granted. This is an essential virtue fordaily living that can take a man to a place of his dream. Wisdomfrom above makes the difference.At whatever level we may find ourselves we need to continuallyask God for wisdom particularly those saddled with theresponsibility to lead the people of God. We need divine wisdomto manage our home in a moral decadent society like ours. Weneed this wisdom to be able to relate with others. Today let us askfor wisdom and it shall be well with us.PRAYERWisdom and knowledge are the gifts that come from the HolySpirit. Count me worthy of these virtues O Lord. 40

For those who neglect wisdom and knowledge, there would always be a turn of events at any stage. Proverbs 4:5-7, says, \"Get wisdom get understanding ---Do not forsakewisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watchover you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom ... \"Rehoboam the son of Solomon succeeded Solomon as the king ofIsrael. He was born with silver spoon and fed by it, so he lackedthe virtue that comes out of suffering. For him life is all about thepleasures in the palace. When all Israel went to him and madetheir humble request - \"Lighten our yoke\" he could notunderstand what it meant.He did a good thing by consulting with the elders but he took tothe advice of the younger generation whom he grew up with. Thissingular act of Rehoboam led to the disintegration of the nationIsrael. This is a typical example of one who had the privilege ofgetting to higher ground but wasted it.The elders had given him a good advice that would have made thepeople to be his servants, but they became rebels. That was theresult of leadership failure. Power corrupts; absolute powercorrupts absolutely. For those who have had the favour of God intheir lives, they should ask for wisdom and knowledge so that byno means will they abuse the privilege that God has given to them.PRAYERHeavenly Father, we pray for all who are in authority let theirpower be refined with wisdom daily in Jesus name. 41

Beware of the spirit of Gehazi. It can influence, it can possess. 419 business has been a long time business. Some people that we know and know them to havecome to the top through this dubious business are languishingin jail. With this business they have acquired material things,fame, prestige etc. It is a business that promises a goodbeginning but the end product is always regretted.Gehazi was the servant of Elisha with a bright future. If hecould be diligent and upright, when Elisha too would beleaving the scene, the mantle would fall on him. That washow Elisha took over from Elijah. Gehazi was already on theway to higher ground but he threw wisdom to the wind. Hethought God was interested in dubious people and liars.Apostle James reminded us that friendship with the world ishatred toward God. Anyone who chooses to be a friend of theworld becomes an enemy of God (James 4:4). Gehazi wentafter the things of the world at the expense of the integrity ofthe master and he lied. The consequence was that he got whathe did not bargain for. The qualities that took Joseph to higherground were the ones Gehazi lacked and he went down the pitinto seclusion and permanent isolation. As many that wish tobe great or impact positively on their generation must learn tobe obedient to the master the Lord Jesus Christ.PRAYERMy Lord Jesus Christ, temptations are always around us withpressures to yield to them. Good Lord deliver us. 42