DETHRONING SELF
As Dr. D. K Olukoya puts it, “a proud person is as useless to God as cosmetics on a corpse” God abhors pride. Little wonder our beloved brother James says, “God himself resists the proud but gives grace to the humble “.(James 4:6b)
We must deny ourselves and consciously dethrone self and cause it to die, that our spirit may live. The flesh must be subdued and disciplined to a point where it becomes clear to us and to flesh that it is not and cannot be in control anymore. The only way to ensure that we will not be disqualified is by disciplining ourselves and putting our flesh under subjection. Paul states it in 1 Corinthians 9:27 and it will help us a lot to learn to wait on the Lord to work out things according to His perfect timing and will.
Living in the flesh causes us to give birth to Ishmael instead of Isaacs. The language of brokenness is “wait for him” no matter how long it takes for God to show up. Isaiah 40:41.
Brokenness is death to self, self is the same as flesh. Flesh is the elements inside of us that makes it impossible for us to please God As Paul clearly says in Romans 7:18.it the nature we inherited from our parents. Psalm 51:5.The flesh is the Adamic nature in us that is corrupt and always desires to do evil. It controls the mind of a man and uses his physical body to accomplish its wishes. The scriptures admonish us to put off that nature in Ephesians 4:22.
A clear line is drawn between the flesh and the spirit in Galatians 5:16-18, the flesh is in constant conflict with the spirit and always seeks to control and lord it over the spirit. Whoever gains control inside of a man determines what the man does. Apostle Paul had a great challenge in this area, Romans 7:18-25, it is terrible to live and work in the flesh. When you walk in flesh you can never get to your destinies in God. Romans 8:5-7 flesh is a great enemy to any serious believer, King David had some challenges also in this area and in psalm 19:13 he prayed to God to deliver him from presumptuous sins.
Dying to self is an experience every Christian should crave for. Death is beautiful because no glory can come forth except through death. If there is no death, no fruit will be brought forth. John 12:24.
In God’s kingdom, there is no elevation without humiliation, no crown without a cross. The way up is down. Death precedes life. The power of his resurrection goes with the fellowship of his sufferings. Paul expressed the deepest longing of his heart in Philippians 3:10. To take the crown you must willingly take the flesh to the cross and hang it there. It is the only pathway to the power of God and the only way to bring deadness to every spiritual arrogance as Paul says in Galatians 2:20. Only broken people can enter into the pathway of life and be lost completely in God. For you to be recognized in heaven and feared in hell, you must die on the cross. If indeed you are dead, the works of the flesh will not be found in your life. Galatians 5:19 Paul clearly enumerated the works of the flesh.
Brokenness is also the shattering of dependence on human strength and ability. Whatever human strength and abilities we have were given to us to enable us to serve God better. Therefore we should not idolize the gifts and shift our focus from the giver. Philippians 3:4-7 should have made Paul’s but he chose to count all those things as dung. The secret is that he made up his mind to discipline his body 1Corinthians 9:27
The journey to brokenness begins when we gladly undress and stretch out ourselves on God’s stretcher, in his theatre and allow him to open us up and remove the dirt and junks in our system that we do not have need of. So much of kingdom work would be advanced if we were broken.
God wants us to willingly submit and allow him to brood over us.
PRAYER POINT:
THANKSGIVING: Psalm 105:1, psalm100:4
Psalm 105:1a “O give thanks unto the Lord “
- Father thank you once again for opening my eyes to see the light of the gospel in the name of Jesus.
- Father thank you for revealing the spiritual cankerworm that has been undermining my spiritual growth.
- Thank you Father for the death of your son Jesus Christ that brought life in abundance to me.
SPIRITUAL CIRCUMCISION :
Colossians 2:11, Romans 2:29, Galatians 5:24.
Colossians 2:11 ″in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:”
- Oh Lord circumcise my heart in the name of Jesus.
- Father cut off all the unwanted earthly tissues inside of me and replace them with the heavenly ones that will enable me to be who you want me to be in Jesus name.
- Let the body of sin of the flesh be put off in my life in the name of Jesus.
- Let every flesh and its affection living and hiding in any area of my life die now in the name of Jesus.
OPEN EYES: Luke 24:31, Act 9:18, Matthew 6:22, Psalm 119:18,
Luke 24:31a ”And their eyes were opened, and they knew him “
- Oh Lord open my eyes to see the works of the flesh at work in my life in the name of Jesus.
- Father in the name of Jesus open my eyes to see who I am
- Oh Lord open my eyes to see and be able to run away from things that easily entangles me to flesh in Jesus name.
DEATH TO FLESH: Galatians 2:20, John12:24
John 12:24 ″verily, verily, I say to you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit. “
- Let the power sponsoring flesh in my life be crushed now in the name of Jesus.
- Let the old man and its nature die in the name of Jesus.
- Let the resurrection power destroy the hold of flesh in my life in the name of Jesus.
- Lord deliver me and give me power to overcome every besetting sins that easily entangles me to the flesh in the name of Jesus.
- Let greed, covetousness, selfishness and rebellious spirit die in my life in the name of Jesus. Amen.
- Oh Lord take away the garment of pride and clothe me with humility in Jesus name. Amen.