DAY 28: FRIDAY, 29TH JANUARY 2021
FOCUS: DIVINE STRENGTH AND MIRACULOUS PROVISION FOR THE REST OF THE JOURNEY FOR ALL OUR RETIREES AND ABOUT TO RETIRE
TEXT: (GEN. 21:14-21)
INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER
The experience of Ishmael and his mother in the wilderness as read in our Bible passage today is a harrowing one. The environment was dry, no food, and no water. Both the boy and the mother burst out in tears. Miraculously, God heard them because of God’s covenant with Abraham. He attended to their needs by providing water for their restoration. God did not only provide them water, He went ahead to reveal to them the plan He had for the life of the young, helpless boy! That was a turning around experience for the boy and his mother.
If Ishmael’s experience was placed side by side with that of our retirees, there are lots of comparism.
i. Circumstances beyond control led Ishmael out of the house of his father especially when Isaac was born vs. 9-12. These retirees were the ones holding and leading our churches before. These leaders due to some circumstances were no more in the services of the mission.
ii. Verse 14-15. The provision made for Ishmael by Abraham when leaving home was inadequate for his survival. The same way our retirees entitlements are not enough to live upon.
iii. Vs. 17-21. The intervention of God in their situation brought the situation to normalcy. The same intervention is needed by our retirees at this particular time. Our retirees do not need to murmur or complain. Their retirement was not a cruel measure or step taken to them. Retirement is a necessity. It happens in other churches as well as in the public services.
People who retire in the public service especially in Nigeria experience greater ordeals. The church should not be castigated for the negative experiences of our retirees.It is not true that our church does not pay retirement dues. Apart from the retirement dues paid to all retirees; the church also registered all her staff with Federal Government contributory pension saving scheme which is paid back to everyone on retirement. The mission pays certain amount every month to the scheme for every staff. It is just that all these are not enough to meet all their needs after retirement. That is why we need divine assistance.
Let us Pray:-
1. Thank you Lord, for the lives of every servant of yours who had spent their lives in your work in this church.
2. It is you that they have served all these years, through the church, divinely intervene in their situation and show them mercy.
3. Ishmael and his mother cried unto you and you heard and hearkened to them. We are also crying to you on behalf of our retirees today, hear our prayer and attend to each and every one of them Oh Lord.
4. Heb. 6:10. Remember their labour of love for you and your saints; shower your blessings upon our retirees, Oh dear Lord.
5. Gen. 21:19. Open their eyes and let them see the provision you have arranged for their well-being Oh Lord.
6. Gen. 21:20. Dear Father, be with our retirees (from church and secular) and let them not be in wants, all the days of their lives.
7. Gen. 21:21. Let the remaining part of divine agenda for the lives of each them be revealed to them and be carried out in their lives Oh dear Lord.
8. Raise help for them where they are expecting, where they are not expecting and where they least expect it.
9. Touch the heart of different people whom you have used their ministries to bless in the past to remember them and bless them with their substance in turn.
10. Psalm 92:13-14. Cause each of them to bear fruits in their old age in Jesus name.
11. We remember the spouses and children of our ministers who have slept in the Lord, remember them Oh Lord and do them good.
12. Use me and use my assembly to bless a retiree whether from church service or public service.
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