A great many are willing to accept Christ; but they are not willing to publish it, to confess it afraid of what it might cost them. Beloved, the devil’s mountains are only made of smoke. Why, he can throw a straw into your path and make a mountain of it. Satan says to you: “You cannot confess to your family; why, you’ll break down. You cannot tell it to your market mate; he will laugh at you.” But the Lord gives the power when you accept Him to confess him. Remember what He has said: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” The only way to heaven is the way of the cross yet many stumble upon this verse than upon any other. They are willing to do everything necessary except take up the cross and follow Him. Remember our text again: “Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my father, which is in heaven.” If you want peace and joy, beloved you must be willing to confess. I am told that, in China, the apex of a Chinese man’s ambition is to have his name put in the house of Confucius. He must have performed some great act of valor, or done the State some great service, before he can have his name there. That is the highest point of Chinese ambition. It ought to be the height of our ambition to have our name registered in heaven, and have Christ to confess us in the courts of heaven. If we come out for Christ here, He will confess us in heaven before the throne and the angels.**Culled from The I Wills of Christ by D. L. Moody

Here’s Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 6:18-20 (TPT)—Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers. And pray also that God’s revelation would be released through me every time I preach the wonderful mystery of the hope-filled gospel. Yes, pray that I may preach the wonderful news of God’s kingdom with bold freedom at every opportunity. Even though I am chained as a prisoner, I am his ambassador.

Colossians 4:2-5 (TPT)—Be faithful to pray as intercessors who are fully alert and giving thanks to God. And please pray for me, that God will open a door of opportunity for us to preach the revelation of the mystery of Christ, for whose sake I am imprisoned. Pray that I would unfold and reveal fully this mystery, for that is my delightful assignment. Walk in the wisdom of God as you live before the unbelievers, and make it your duty to make him known;

and finally with Peter in Acts 4:29-31 (AMPC)—And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly, While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child and Servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.
 
May God help each of us to know His will and pray according to these things for which there’s verified proof of answers. This is the time to stop the bless me with bread and butter prayers and face the work we have been given. Shalom.


Pastor Afolabi Oladele