Start our day with prayer, and watch how God transforms our lives, everyday. Amen.

 Welcome beloved friend to prayer time. You are not here by accident. 

God himself has brought you to this very moment. Because this prayer is not just words. It is a doorway to change, healing, and breakthrough. As you read on, I want to invite you to release every worry, let go of every distraction, and simply rest in the presence of the Lord.

This is a sacred encounter. This is a divine appointment. 

The prayer you are about to join in has the power to shift the atmosphere in your life, to break chains you cannot see, and to open doors you never imagined possible. Take a deep breath, beloved. Lay down the weight of yesterday. 

Open your heart to God's voice. 

For in these next moments, His Spirit is here to strengthen you, to comfort you, and to lead you into peace. 

By the time we finish, you will not be the same. You will walk away lighter, stronger, and filled with a renewed hope. Stay with me, pray with me, and let us step together into the blessing God has prepared for you today. 

🙏🏽 🙏🏽 Heavenly Father, Almighty God, I rise before you this moment with a heart wide open. I lift my voice with boldness, not in fear, not in timidity, but in the authority given to me by Lord Jesus Christ. 

I declare that this day is holy. I declare that this moment belongs to you. 

I declare that every breath I take is evidence of your mercy and every step I walk is sustained by your grace. 

Today I stand under the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ. I proclaim that his blood surrounds my family, my home, my work, my health, and my future. 

No weapon formed against me shall prosper because the blood of Jesus Christ speaks a better word over my life. The enemy has no claim. Darkness has no hold. Fear has no authority. The cross has spoken. And the verdict is victory. 

I speak it. I believe it. I receive it. Victory in Christ Jesus today. 

Father, I rise this moment in full armor. I gird my waist with truth. I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I lace up the shoes of the gospel of peace. I raise the shield of faith to quench every fiery dart. I place on my head the helmet of salvation.   And in my hand, I grip the sword of the spirit, which is the living Word of God. 

l am not defenseless. I am not vulnerable. I am armed with heavenly weapons that are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. 

Today, I walk into this day not as a victim, but as a warrior. I break every scheme, every trap, every whisper of the 

enemy in the mighty name of Lord Jesus Christ. 

I break fear. I break discouragement. I break confusion. I break anxiety. I break hopelessness. 

I declare they have no place in my mind, no place in my heart, no place in my family. They are broken by the name of  Lord Jesus Christ, the name that is above every name. 

Lord, I thank you that you did not give me a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. 

I declare that this moment is not just another moment. This is a moment of power. This is a moment of breakthrough. This is a moment of restoration. This is a moment of new mercies. I embrace the fresh mercy of God. I welcome the new compassion of my Father. 

I rejoice because great is His faithfulness. 

I may not know what today holds for me, but I know the One who holds today in His hands. And because I know Him, I can walk into this day with courage. 

Lord, I thank you that your goodness is running after me. I thank you that your mercies are new, not recycled, not reused, but new every single morning. 

I thank you that today is not defined by yesterday's mistakes or last night's tears. 

Today is a new day. Today is a new chapter. 

Today is a new opportunity to walk in the fullness of your blessing. 

I declare blessing over my home. I declare blessing over my family. I declare blessing over my work. I declare blessing over my health. I declare blessing over my mind. I declare blessing over my relationships. 

Every part of me belongs to you, Lord. And therefore, every part of me is touched by your favour. 

Father, I ask for joy this moment. Not fleeting joy, not circumstantial joy, but the joy of the Lord that is my strength. I choose joy. I declare joy. I receive joy. 

Where sorrow tried to linger, joy comes in the morning. Where heaviness tried to settle, joy lifts my soul. Where hopelessness tried to drown me, joy lifts me out of the waters. 

Lord, you have turned my mourning into dancing. You have taken off my garments of sorrow and clothed me with garments of praise. And so I dance in the spirit today, even before the breakthrough comes, because I know the victory is already mine in Christ. 

I declare hope over my heart. Hope for the dreams that feel delayed. Hope for the prayers that feel unanswered. Hope for the situations that seem impossible. 

I declare that my hope is not in man, not in money, not in systems, but in the living God who has never failed me. My hope is alive because my Saviour is  alive. 

Father, I speak protection over my life and my loved ones today. I declare that your angels encamp around us, that they bear us up, that they guard us in all our ways. I declare that no accident, no sickness, no evil, no  scheme of hell will come near my dwelling. We are under the shadow of the Almighty and under that shadow there is refuge. 

Lord, lead me in every step I take today. Guide my decisions. Protect me from wrong paths. Keep me from walking into traps. Order my steps in your word and let no iniquity have dominion over me. 

This moment I surrender my plans. I lay down my agenda. I place every meeting, every task, every responsibility into your hands. Lord, if it is of you, bless it. If it is not of you, remove it. Close every door that would lead me away from your purpose. And open every door that is aligned with your will. I trust you, Lord, with every detail. 

And Father, I declare not only for myself, but for every person reading and praying with me right now. This is a moment of power. This is a moment of faith. This is a moment of answered prayers. This is a moment where chains are broken. This is a moment where burdens are lifted. This is a moment where miracles are birthed. 

Lord, as we lift our voices together, I believe you are moving. As we agree in faith, I believe heaven is responding. 

 As we declare your promises, I believe strongholds are falling. I rise this moment with fire in my spirit. I rise this moment with faith in my heart. I rise this moment with courage in my soul. I rise this moment with praise on my lips. And I will not be moved. I will not be shaken. I will not be silenced. For greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. 

And so, Lord, I consecrate this day to you. I crown this moment with worship. I fill these hours with praise. I declare that my story today will be one of your goodness, your mercy, and your faithfulness. 

Let this prayer be a sweet fragrance before you. Let this declaration be a shield around me. Let this moment be marked as the beginning of miracles. 

( Before we continue deeper in this prayer, I want to invite you to pause for just a brief moment. Take this time to rest your mind, breathe deeply, and let God's peace settle over your heart. In just a moment, we will continue praying together. And I promise the next part will carry a powerful blessing you will not want to miss. )

🙏🏽  🙏🏽 Father, I now lift up every area of my work and finances to you. l ask for your blessing to rest upon the work of my hands. Let every project, every effort, every plan, every task that I step into today be fruitful. Your word says in Deuteronomy 28:12, "The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season, and to bless all the work of your hands." 

Lord, I receive that promise. I declare that my labour will not be in vain. I declare that my efforts will bear good fruit. I declare that every assignment aligned with your will shall prosper. 

Father, I break every cycle of unfruitfulness. I cancel every spirit of wasted effort. I come against delay, stagnation, and frustration in the mighty name of Lord Jesus Christ. 

 I proclaim that doors of opportunity are opening before me. I proclaim that heaven's resources are being released. I proclaim that divine connections are aligning with my steps. 

Lord,I trust you to be my provider, to be Jehovah Jireh, the God who supplies all my needs according to your riches in glory. 

And so today, I lift my eyes with confidence. I know that the heavens are open over my life. I know that favour is surrounding me as a shield. I know that supernatural provision is being released. 

Lord, let my work bring glory to you. 

Let my finances be used for your kingdom. Let prosperity flow through me so that I may be a blessing to others. 

Father, I also ask that you guard my heart and mind in purity and focus. Keep my thoughts clean. Keep my motives pure. Let my mind be free from every corrupt influence, every destructive thought, every temptation that pulls me away from you. Guard me from distractions that steal my time and waste my energy. I pray for the discipline to focus on what truly matters. Your presence, your purpose, your calling for my life. 

Lord, give me wisdom in my speech today. Let every word that comes out of my mouth be filled with grace, seasoned with truth, and anchored in love.

 Keep me humble. Keep me honest. Keep me walking in integrity. Protect me from pride. Deliver me from arrogance. Teach me to walk in the humility of Christ who though he was rich became poor so that we might become rich in grace. 

I ask you also, Lord, to protect me from toxic relationships. Remove from my life every connection that draws me away from you. Guard my heart from influences that sow negativity, fear, or compromise. Instead, surround me with people who sharpen my faith, who encourage my spirit, who call me higher in your truth. Let my relationships reflect heaven's values and kingdom purpose. 

Father, I lift before you every wound of the heart. For those moments when I have been broken, rejected, or betrayed, I ask for your healing touch. Heal the broken places. Heal the silent pain. Heal the wounds that no one else can see. 

Lord, I lift up to you every anxious thought, every restless feeling, every worry that has stolen my peace. Replace it with your comfort, oh God. Let the peace of Christ which surpasses all understanding guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.  

For relationships that have fractured, I pray for restoration. Where there has been division, bring unity. Where there has been bitterness, bring forgiveness. Where there has been silence, bring reconciliation. Lord, breathe new life into what seems beyond repair. 

And for my body. Lord, I speak your healing over every cell, every organ, every system. Your word declares in Isaiah 53:5, "By his wounds, we are healed." I receive that promise today. I declare that sickness must bow to the name of Lord Jesus Christ."  I declare that weakness must be replaced with strength. I declare that every part of my body is aligned with the healing power of the cross. You are Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals me and I trust you to restore me completely spirit, soul and body. 

Father, I proclaim boldly that I am strong in you. I am not defined by my weakness. I am not defeated by my failures. I am not held down by my past. l am strong because you are strong. l am victorious because you have already overcome the world. I am unshakable because my foundation is Christ Jesus. 

Lord, l ask for the strength to endure every challenge that comes my way. When trials rise up, let me stand firm. When storms rage, let me remain steady. When difficulties press against me, let me not grow weary, but lean on your everlasting arms. Strengthen my faith, Lord. Let it not waver in the face of adversity. Let it not crumble under the weight of uncertainty. Let it not falter when the battle grows intense. Instead, let my faith rise like a shield. Let it be bold, unshakable and steadfast 

And Father, give me courage. Courage to obey you even when it's costly. Courage to follow you even when it's unpopular. Courage to step into purpose even when fear tries to whisper, "You can't." 

I declare that nothing, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord. 

Father, this moment I surrender not only my heart but also my purpose to you. l ask you to use me as an instrument of your peace. Let me be a vessel that carries your love into every place I step. Let my life radiate the presence of Jesus Christ so that those around me are drawn not to me but to you. 

Lord, where there is conflict, let me sow peace. Where there is discouragement, let me speak hope. Where there is brokenness, let me bring compassion.  I pray that my words today would carry weight. Not the weight of criticism or complaint, but the weight of encouragement, life, and truth. May every conversation I have lift someone higher. May my voice become an echo of heaven, reminding people of their worth, their hope, and their calling. Use my speech, Lord, to inspire, to comfort, to convict, to restore. Make my words like water to the thirsty, like light to the lost. like healing to the wounded. 

Father, I ask for opportunities to testify of your goodness. Open doors for me to share my faith. Give me boldness to speak of  Lord Jesus Christ. Let my story become a testimony that points others to your saving grace. Whether through a small word, a simple act of kindness, or a powerful declaration, let my life give witness to the gospel. 

Lord, I place every gift you have given me back into your hands. Use my talents, my skills, my time, and my resources for the glory of your name. I do not want to bury what you have entrusted to me. I want to multiply it, to invest it in eternity, to use it faithfully for the building of your kingdom. 

Show me where to serve. Teach me how to serve and keep my heart humble in every act of service. 

 This moment I commit to serve with all my heart, with all my strength, with all my mind. Whether the assignment feels small or great, seen or uneen, I choose to serve faithfully as unto the Lord. For my   reward is not in human recognition, but in knowing that I have pleased you. 

And now, Father, I shift my prayer to faith and gratitude. Thank you Lord for hearing every prayer I lift up today. Even before I see the answers, I thank you. Even before the doors open, I praise you. Even before the healing manifests, I worship you. I know tha heaven has heard and I know that heaven is moving. Teach me to live with a thankful heart in all circumstances, in abundance and in need, in joy and in sorrow, in clarity and in confusion. 

Let gratitude always be my response. 

Let thanksgiving be the rhythm of my life. Because gratitude attracts your presence, strengthens my faith, and reminds me of all you have already done. 

 I choose to believe that you are acting on my behalf even when I cannot see it. 

I choose to trust that you are making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert. I choose to believe that you are aligning things in the unseen, preparing breakthroughs that will be revealed in your perfect time. 

Father, I invite you to fill me completely today. Fill my heart with love. Fill my mind with truth. Fill my spirit with courage. Lead me, guide me, speak to me, correct me, empower me. Without you, I cannot stand. 

Without you, I cannot overcome. But with you, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And I boldly declare this moment. Today will be a day of blessing. Today will be a day of victory. Today will be a day of joy. Today will be a day where heaven touches earth in my life. 

Father, I now lift up my family to you. Bless them abundantly. Cover them with your Presence. Surround them with your protection. Fill them with your peace. Strengthen the bonds of love between us. Keep us united in Christ, walking together in faith and grace. 

I pray for unity in marriages. Where there is strain, bring reconciliation. Where there is coldness, bring warmth. Where there is brokenness, bring restoration. Let homes be places where your love reigns, where forgiveness flows. Where grace abounds.  

I pray for wisdom and grace in raising children.   Teach us, Lord, to guide them in the way they should go so that when they are older, they will not depart from it. Protect them from evil. Shape their hearts. Call them to yourself at an early age. Let them walk in purpose and destiny. 

Lord, I also pray for your church. Protect your people. Strengthen leaders. Pour out revival in the hearts of believers. May the church rise in power, in unity, and in holiness. Let the body of Christ be a beacon of light in this generation. and let revival not stop at the walls of the church, but spread into cities,  communities, and nations. 

Father, I intercede for my nation. Let your Holy Spirit move across the land. Heal divisions, restore righteousness, raise up leaders with integrity, wisdom, and courage. Let revival fire sweep across  this country, and bring transformation that only your spirit can accomplish. 

Finally, Lord, I surrender my future into your hands. Guide me in the destiny you have designed. Open doors of calling and purpose. Give me discernment to know what is from you and what is not. Keep me from detours, distractions, and deceptions.  Remove every barrier that tries to block your will for my life.  I declare that my destiny is not in the hands of man. My future is not controlled by circumstances. My calling is not limited by opposition. My destiny rests securely in the hands of the Almighty. And because it is in your hands, I will not fear. I will not waver. I will not doubt. I proclaim this moment that I am walking into the fullness of my purpose. l am stepping into the future you have written for me. l am moving forward in faith, not backward in fear. 

And I declare boldly, my destiny is safe. My destiny is blessed. My destiny is victorious because my destiny is in you. As this prayer draws to its final movement, I bow my heart before you with reverence and awe. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the One who holds all things together. 

And this moment I lift up not only my own life but also the lives of all who join me in prayer declaring that we belong to you fully, completely, eternally.  

Lord, I bring before you the deepest part of my heart. I ask you to shape my inner being. Give me a heart that is soft and teachable, a heart that listens to your voice above all other voices, a heart that responds quickly to your leading. 

Remove every trace of bitterness, every seed of resentment, every root of unforgiveness. Purify me, Lord, from hidden anger and silent offenses. Let my heart be free, unburdened, filled only with your peace and your love. Grant me rest in my soul and in my mind. Quiet the restless thoughts. Silence the racing anxieties. Calm the storms within. Fill me instead with steadfast faith even in times of trial. Teach me to trust you that when life feels uncertain, you remain unshakable.  Let my heart be cheerful, humble, and grateful regardless of what the day may bring. 

Father, I lift up the gifts you have placed within me. I did not create them. I did not earn them. They are yours. Reveal to me the full measure of the gifts and callings you have deposited into my life. Show me how to use them faithfully for the building up of the church, for the blessing of others, for the glory of your name. Keep me from burying what you have entrusted to me. Instead, let me multiply it, invest it, and release it into the world for kingdom impact. 

Grant me the courage to step into greater things. Do not let fear hold me back. Do not let doubt shrink my vision. Let me walk boldly into the works you prepared in advance for me to do. And I declare with confidence, I will finish my race. I will fulfill the purpose you have assigned. I will complete the mission you have set before me. By the grace of Jesus Christ, Lord, shape my character. Build in me patience when I want to rush ahead. Teach me discipline and faithfulness in the small tasks, knowing that these prepare me for greater assignments. 

Grow generosity in me, a willingness to give freely, to help eagerly, to bless continually. 

Let perseverance rise within me so that I never quit, never shrink back, never surrender to weariness, and when success comes, keep me humble. 

 Let me never boast in myself, but only in the Lord my God. I lift up your church, Lord, the body of Christ across the earth. Pour out unity among your people. Tear down the walls of division, the pride of denomination, the barriers of offense. Let revival fire fall on pastors, leaders, and congregations.   Strengthen those who serve faithfully. Protect the church from every attack of the enemy, from deception, from compromise, from fear. Let the church shine as a light to the world, a refuge for the broken, a beacon of hope to the lost. 

Father, I pray for my nation. Grant wisdom to leaders. Surround them with counselors who fear you and walk in righteousness. Raise up men and women of integrity to guide decisions. Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream. Bring peace to this land. Heal divisions and restore unity. And above all, turn the hearts of the people back to you. Let revival sweep across the nation, from the cities to the villages, from the young to the old. Breathe new life into dry bones and call forth a generation who will stand boldly for truth and holiness. 

Lord, I lift up the economy and the livelihood of the people. Bring provision, bring jobs, bring breakthrough, protect the weak, defend the poor, and bless the land so that the people may see your goodness in tangible ways. 

And now, Father, I look to the future with hope. Direct my steps in every major decision. Close doors that lead to destruction. Open doors that lead to destiny. Guide me into the plans you have written for me. For I know they are good plans. Plans of hope and not of harm. When my dreams seem delayed, breathe fresh hope into them. When my path seems blocked, make a way where there is no way. Give me courage to step out of my comfort zone. To walk in faith even when the ground beneath me feels uncertain. I declare today that my future is not shaped by fear but by faith. My destiny is not determined by man but by God. My dreams are not wasted. They are seeds that will grow in your timing. And I rest secure knowing that my future is firmly in your hands. 

Father, above all, I long to live a life that glorifies you. May every breath I take, every step I walk, every word I speak be an offering of worship. I choose not to live for myself but for Christ who loved me and gave himself for me. Teach me to be faithful in the small things. Let my actions, my attitudes, and my decisions reflect your love to the world. 

Let my life itself become a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you. And Lord, as l end this prayer, I do not close the door, but open it wider. For I lift up every person who is praying with me right now. 

Father, bless them richly. Pour out your spirit on their lives. Heal their wounds. Restore their families. Strengthen their bodies. Renew their faith. Let them taste and see that the Lord is good. Let them be filled with peace. Their day filled with strength, and their future filled with hope. I declare that chains are breaking, doors are opening, blessings are flowing, healing is coming, and revival is stirring. 

For you are faithful, Lord. You are mighty, you are good. And we rise this moment declaring, "This is the day the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. We seal every word, every declaration, every request in the mighty 30:00 name of Jesus Christ. And together we say with boldness, with power, with unshakable faith, amen and amen. 

( End of 30 minutes) 

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, I rise before you this morning

We Pray, We Believe, We received

 Matthew 21:22

KJ21(21st Century King James Version)

And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

ASV

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

AMP

And whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

AMPC

And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.

BRG

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

CSB

And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

CSBA

And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.’

CEB

If you have faith, you will receive whatever you pray for.”

CJB

In other words, you will receive everything you ask for in prayer, no matter what it is, provided you have trust.”

CEV

If you have faith when you pray, you will be given whatever you ask for.”

DARBY

And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

DLNT

And you will receive all that you ask in prayer, believing”.

DRA

And in all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

ERV

If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”

EASY

So when you pray to ask God for something, believe in him. Then God will give you whatever you ask for.’

EHV

Whatever you ask for in prayer, as you believe, you will receive.”

ESV

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

ESVUK

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

EXB

If you ·believe [have faith], you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”

GNV

And whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, if ye believe, ye shall receive it.

GW

Have faith that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

GNT

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

HCSB

And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

ICB

If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”

ISV

You will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe.”

PHILLIPS

“Believe me,” replied Jesus, “if you have faith and have no doubts in your heart, you will not only do this to a fig-tree but even if you should say to this hill, ‘Get up and throw yourself into the sea’, it will happen! Everything you ask for in prayer, if you have faith, you will receive.”

JUB

And all things, whatever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

KJV

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

AKJV

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

LSB

And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

LEB

And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.”

TLB

You can get anything—anything you ask for in prayer—if you believe.”

MSG

But Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don’t doubt God, you’ll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you’ll tell, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God.”

MEV

And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.”

MOUNCE

And whatever you ask in · prayer, if you believe, you will receive.”

NOG

Have faith that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

NABRE

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”

NASB

And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive it all.”

NASB1995

And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

NCB

Whatever you ask for in faith-filled prayer, you will receive.”

NCV

If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”

NET

And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.”

NIRV

If you believe, you will receive what you ask for when you pray.”

NIV

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

NIVUK

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.’

NKJV

And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

NLV

All things you ask for in prayer, you will receive if you have faith.”

NLT

You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

NMB

And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive it.

NRSVA

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.’

NRSVACE

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.’

NRSVCE

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”

NRSVUE

Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”

NTFE

Whatever you ask in prayer, you’ll get it, if you believe.”

OJB

And, when you daven, all things whatever for which you may make techinnah (petition, supplication) with emunah, you will receive.

RGT

“And whatever you shall ask in prayer - if you believe - you shall receive it.”

RSV

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

RSVCE

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

TLV

And whatever you ask in prayer, trusting, you shall receive.”

VOICE

Jesus: If you believe, whatever you ask for in prayer will be granted.

WEB

All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

WE

When you ask God for anything, believe that you will have it. Then you will have it.'

WYC

And all things whatever ye believing shall ask in prayer, ye shall take. [And all things whatever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall take.]

YLT

and all -- as much as ye may ask in the prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Just how narrow is the narrow gate? 这扇窄门究竟有多窄？

 The narrow gate, also called the narrow door, is referred to by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:23-24. Jesus compares the narrow gate to the “broad road” which leads to destruction (hell) and says that “many” will be on that road. By contrast, Jesus says that “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” What exactly is meant by this? Just how many are the “many” and how few are the “few”?

First, we need to understand that Jesus is the Door through which all must enter eternal life. There is no other way because He alone is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The way to eternal life is restricted to just one avenue—Christ. In this sense, the way is narrow because it is the only way, and relatively few people will go through the narrow gate. Many more will attempt to find an alternative route to God. They will try to get there through manmade rules and regulations, through false religion, or through self-effort. These who are “many” will follow the broad road that leads to eternal destruction, while the sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him along the narrow way to eternal life (John 10:7-11).

While there will be relatively few who go through the narrow gate compared to the many on the broad road, there will still be multitudes who will follow the Good Shepherd. The apostle John saw this multitude in his vision in the book of Revelation: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10).

Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The Greek word translated “strive” is agonizomai, from which we get the English word agonize. The implication here is that those who seek to enter the narrow gate must do so by struggle and strain, like a running athlete straining toward the finish line, all muscles taut and giving his all in the effort. But we must be clear here. No amount of effort saves us; salvation is by the grace of God through the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). No one will ever earn heaven by striving for it. But entering the narrow gate is still difficult because of the opposition of human pride, our natural love of sin, and the opposition of Satan and the world in his control, all of which battle against us in the pursuit of eternity.

The exhortation to strive to enter is a command to repent and enter the gate and not to just stand and look at it, think about it, complain that it’s too small or too difficult or unjustly narrow. We are not to ask why others are not entering; we are not to make excuses or delay. We are not to be concerned with the number who will or will not enter. We are to strive forward and enter! Then we are to exhort others to strive to enter before it’s too late.

这扇窄门究竟有多窄？

窄门，也称窄门，在马太福音7:13-14和路加福音13:23-24中，主耶稣都提到过。耶稣将窄门比作通往灭亡（地狱）的“宽路”，并说“许多人”会走这条路。与之相反，耶稣说：“引到永生，那门是窄的，路是小的，找着的人也少。” 这究竟是什么意思？“许多人”指的是多少人，“找着的人”指的是多少人？

首先，我们需要明白，耶稣是所有人进入永生的必经之门。别无他路，因为唯有祂是“道路、真理、生命”（约翰福音14:6）。通往永生的道路只有一条——基督。从这个意义上说，这条路是窄的，因为它是唯一的路，只有相对较少的人会走这条窄门。更多的人会试图寻找通往神的其他途径。 他们会试图通过人为的规章制度、虚假的宗教或自身的努力来达到目的。这些人“众多”，会走上通往永恒毁灭的宽路，而羊群则会聆听好牧人的声音，跟随他走上通往永生的窄路（约翰福音 10:7-11）。

虽然与走宽路的众多人相比，走窄门的人相对较少，但跟随好牧人的人仍然会很多。使徒约翰在启示录的异象中看到了这群人：“此后，我观看，见有许多人，没有人能数得过来，是从各国、各族、各民、各方来的，站在宝座和羔羊面前，身穿白衣，手拿棕树枝，大声喊着说：‘愿救恩归于坐在宝座上我们的神，也归于羔羊！’”（启示录 7:9-10）。

 进入窄门并非易事。耶稣曾教导门徒要“竭力”进入窄门，这清楚地表明了这一点。译为“竭力”的希腊词是agonizomai，英语单词agonize（痛苦）就源于此。其含义是，那些寻求进入窄门的人必须像奔跑的运动员冲向终点线那样，拼尽全力，竭尽所能，努力奋斗。但我们必须明白，任何努力都无法拯救我们；救恩是出于神的恩典，藉着信心的恩赐（以弗所书2:8-9）。没有人能靠努力赢得天堂。然而，进入窄门仍然困难重重，因为有人的骄傲、我们天生对罪的喜爱，以及撒旦和他所掌控的世界的阻挠，所有这些都与我们争夺永生。

 劝勉我们努力进入，就是命令我们悔改并进入那扇门，而不是仅仅站在那里看着它，思考它，抱怨它太小、太难或太窄。我们不应该问为什么别人不进去；我们不应该找借口或拖延。我们不应该在意有多少人会进去或不会进去。我们应当努力向前，进入！然后，我们也要劝勉别人，趁着还来得及，努力进入。

Collaboratio Sacra ( Latin ) • Sacred Collaboration

 The Sacred Art of Collaboration

( from Modern Monk Coffee)

Why Modern Monk believes the future tastes better when it’s crafted together.

There’s a game many of us played as kids: King of the Hill.

Get to the top. Stay on the top. Push everyone else down.

It was fun when we were nine.

But many of us kept the same game going as adults.

Business, ministry, startups, social media—so much of modern life is built on one-upmanship, on the anxiety that someone else’s success threatens ours. We talk about “competitive edges,” “market share,” “brand dominance,” as if flourishing is a zero-sum game.

And many of us are exhausted—

exhausted from building brands,

exhausted from maintaining a digital self,

exhausted from trying to stay at the top f a hill no one actually wants to die on.

I was talking to a man who runs a very successful business the other day. He was confessing this kind of exhaustion to me. When I gently asked how his soul was doing, he smirked, winked playfully, and said…

“It’s lonely at the top.”

But I saw the fatigue in the corner of his eyes and the quivering lip behind the forced smile.

Perhaps it is lonely at the top. Pop culture certainly repeats the phrase often enough.

But there’s an older saying—one rooted in maritime wisdom and echoed in the way of Jesus:

“A rising tide lifts all ships.”

Not some ships.

Not the biggest ships

All of them.

This is the logic of the Kingdom.

This is the way of neighbour-love;  love your neighbour as you love yourself. 

And this is the heartbeat behind our newest collaboration.

The Julian Hard Cider Story

A few weeks ago, our team at Modern Monk partnered with Julian Hard Cider—and I need to say it plainly: their founder, Paul Thomas, is a force of nature.

Paul is relentless about quality. Not in a 📢 or flashy way, but in the kind of quiet mastery that’s been earned over decades. When I visited their tasting room, I met employees who have been with him for years upon years. In an industry known for burnout and turnover, that kind of longevity is rare.

You don’t build that with hype.

You build it with integrity.

With care.

With relationships.

With commitment to craft.

Modern Monk shares those same values—our Rule of Life for coffee: Mission, Selflessness, Excellence, Ethics, Faith, Trust, and Living the Rule.

So when two companies carry the same DNA, collaboration doesn’t feel transactional.

It feels like family.

It feels like vocation.

Tasting Collaboration

And here’s the part I didn’t expect:

You can taste the collaboration.

This coffee is rich and layered—smooth, rounded, deep.

But then you get this lovely apple tartness from the Julian cider fermentation, a brightness that snaps at the edges of each sip like a playful bite.

It’s a coffee with personality.

A coffee with story.

A coffee with harmony.

This kind of product isn’t just “good coffee.”

It’s a testimony of what happens when two crafts collide:

when cider makers and coffee fermenters bring their histories to the table,

when ideas cross-pollinate,

when creativity compounds,

when teams learn from one another,

when we submit our egos and elevate one another’s gifts.

The flavor itself becomes a parable:

we are better together—more complex, more interesting, more beautiful—when we dream together, build together, and bless one another.

You can taste unity.

You can taste shared vision.

You can taste what happens when the tide rises and both ships lift.

Why Collaboration Matters Right Now

In a world obsessed with individual achievement, collaboration is a quiet revolution.

It refuses the scarcity mindset.

It rejects the fear that someone else’s success diminishes ours.

It embodies the teachings of Jesus:

“Whoever wants to be great must be a servant.”

“Give, and it will be given to you.”

“Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Collaboration is discipleship in practice.

It is leadership without ego.

It is hospitality brought into the creative process.

It is the death of “King of the Hill” and the birth of a kingdom where we celebrate one another’s flourishing.

And it is, quite literally, delicious.

The Coffee, the Cider, and the Calling

Our Julian Hard Cider collaboration is more than a beverage—it’s a picture of what we believe at Modern Monk:

• creativity is communal

• excellence is shared

• craft is sacred

and the world is better when we make things with one another, not against one another.

This is ora et labora—prayer and work—brought into the modern world through a cup of fermented coffee.

What’s Next

Our tide is rising, and we’re bringing friends with us.

Upcoming collaborations include:

Principe Winery — Ramona, California

AleSmith Brewing Company — San Diego, California

Each holds its own story, its own craft, its own community of makers pursuing excellence in their corner of the world.

And if this collaboration has taught us anything, it’s this:

When the tide rises, every ship in the harbor rises with it.

And maybe—just maybe—that’s the kind of world God always intended.

You MUST Hear This Now

 Chosen One: God's Final Warning To Everyone 

 You MUST Hear This Now

¶Have you ever felt like everything you were taught about being chosen was backwards?

I AM NOT CHOSEN FOR GLORY, BUT FOR CHANGE 

¶Like the universe has been whispering a truth so radical, so earth shattering that your soul recognized it before your mind could comprehend it. 

¶Right now, in this very moment, something ancient is stirring within you.

¶And what I'm about to reveal will shatter every belief you've held about your divine purpose.

¶Say, "l am ready " when you feel this pull.

¶If something inexplicable drew you to this page at this exact moment in your life. And if this message resonates with the deepest part of your being, say " I am ready ". Not for me, but as a declaration to the universe that you're ready to receive what's been hidden from you. 

¶Your single nod is a cosmic signal that you're choosing to wake up. 

Listen carefully. For centuries, we've been told that being chosen means you're special, separate, elevated above others. We've been taught that the chosen ones are marked by supernatural powers, protected from suffering, destined for glory, while others remain ordinary. 

But what if I told you that this understanding, this interpretation that's been passed down through   generations is not just incomplete, but fundamentally inverted?

What if the real truth about being chosen is so paradoxical, so contrary to human ego that it was deliberately obscured because humanity wasn't ready to hear it? 

The ancient mystery schools knew this secret. 

The Gnostics whispered it in coded language. 

The mystics of tradition danced around it with metaphor and parable. 

And now, as we stand at the threshold of a massive  collective awakening, the universe is revealing what was hidden.

Vulneratus illuminatec ( The wounded man is enlightened.)?

In the next few minutes, you're going to discover why everything you thought you knew about being a chosen one was wrong. What your true purpose actually is, and why this revelation will change not just how you see yourself, but how you navigate every remaining moment of  your existence. 

The signs that led you here were not coincidence. 

Your soul already knows what your mind is about to learn. 

To understand how we arrived at this profound misunderstanding, we must travel back to the ancient world to a time when wisdom was not written in books, but carved into the fabric of   initiation rites and mystery teachings.

FORGIVE ME THAT YOU ARE NOT

 In the temples of Egypt,  caves of Greece, and the hidden schools of ancient Persia, the concept of the chosen one existed, but it carried a meaning so different from our modern interpretation that it would be almost unrecognizable to us today.

The ancient Egyptians spoke of the SHEMSU HOR or "Followers of Horus," , not as individuals elevated above humanity, but as those who had awakened to serve humanity's evolution.

In the hermetic texts, particularly the CORPUS HERMETICUM ,  we find Hermes Trismegistus   teaching his student AESCULAPIUS / Eskeipius about the twice born. Not those born into privilege, but those who had died to their false self and been reborn into authentic purpose.

 DISSOLVE AND CLOAK

This was never about being better than others.   It was about being broken open so thoroughly that divine light could pour through the cracks.

The Gnostic Christians persecuted and driven underground in the early centuries preserved teachings that the Orthodox Church found too dangerous to allow.

In texts like the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Philip discovered near the Upper Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945, we find a Jesus who speaks not of the chosen being separate from the unchosen but of those who have recognized the light within themselves. The same light that exists in  all beings.

(DEATH IS THE DOOR TO LIFE)

The Gospel of  Thomas records, If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you will kill you. 

The choice was never about divine favouritism. It was about inner recognition and response. 

In the Buddhist tradition, the concept of the  bodhisattva offers perhaps the clearest mirror to this truth. A bodhisattva is one who has achieved enlightenment but refuses to enter final liberation until all beings are free.  Read that again.

The 'chosen' status comes with an impossible burden to delay your own peace for the sake of those stil  suffering. This is not the triumphant ego stroking narrative we've been sold. This is sacrifice masquerading as selection. 

The cabalists of  ....

(Cabalists is plural nour for Kabbalist, who is a follower of the ancient Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah.) ... of medieval Spain and Saft spoke of the TZADIKIM  NISTARIM  (Tzadikim Nistarim), the hidden righteous  ones, 36 individuals in each  generation who bear the sorrows of the world, often unknown even to themselves. 

 According to this mystical Jewish tradition, these individuals don't live lives of ease and recognition. They live lives of  profound challenge. Their very existence holding back catastrophe for humanity. They are chosen not for reward but for burden. 

( DESTRUCTION NECESSARY )

Even in Islamic mysticism, the Sufis describe the abdaal, the substitutes saints who maintain the  spiritual access of the world through their devotion and suffering.

The poet Rumi wrote, "The wound is the place where the Light enters you." (Our pain is not punishment, it is passage.) 

Here’s the full context of the quote below.

“I said: what about my eyes?

He said: Keep them on the road.

I said: What about my passion?

He said: Keep it burning.

I said: What about my heart?

He said: Tell me what you hold inside it?

I said: Pain and sorrow.

He said: Stay with it. The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

For the mystics, being chosen meant being  wounded, not protected. It meant being refined in the fire of trials that would destroy ordinary consciousness.

What happened then? How did we transform this profound teaching about sacred responsibility into a narrative about personal exceptionalism?

The shift occurred gradually as spiritual truths passed through the filter of human ego and institutional power.

Religious and spiritual systems seeking to control and organize found  it useful to create hierarchies of chosen versus unchosen. 

(LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS)

It served those in power to suggest that some were divinely selected for authority while others were meant to follow.  

The original teaching that being chosen meant choosing to serve, to suffer consciously, to be broken  open for the sake of all was too radical, too threatening to established order. By the time these teachings reached the modern New Age movement, they had been thoroughly inverted. Now being a chosen  one meant you were special, that the universe owed you protection, that your spiritual gifts made you superior to the sleeping masses. 

This corruption of the original teaching has caused immeasurable suffering as countless awakening souls mistook their calling for a crown, their wounds for weaknesses rather than initiations, and   their challenges as signs they were doing something wrong rather than evidence they were doing something cosmically significant. 

Now we arrive at the heart of the matter, the truth that will recalibrate everything you thought you understood about your path. The chosen one is not chosen for glory. The chosen one is chosen for transformation. So complete, so devastating to the false self that it becomes a doorway through which others can glimpse what's possible. You were never selected to escape the human condition. You were   selected to transcend it while remaining fully within it. To become a living bridge between what is and what could be. 

Think of it this way. When a master sculptor chooses a block of marble, does the marble rejoice at being selected? 

No. The marble has no idea that being chosen means it will be struck thousands of times, that pieces of it will be chipped away, that it will endure what seems  like violence and  destruction. But the sculptor sees what the marble cannot, the masterpiece hidden within the stone. The choosing is not about the marble's  superiority over other stones.  It's about the sculptor's vision and the marble's particular qualities that can withstand the transformation , You are that marble and the universe is the sculptor. 

Every hardship you faced, every relationship that shattered you, every dream that died every moment you felt abandoned by the very divine forces you thought were protecting you. These were not signs of  cosmic rejection. They were the chisel strikes. The choosing was never about shielding you from the strikes. It was about your soul's capacity to endure them and emerge as something unprecedented. 

Here's where we've been catastrophically wrong. We believed that being chosen meant having an easier path,  supernatural protection, a destiny of  external success and recognition. We thought the signs and synchronicities were the universe saying, "You're special. You're safe. Everything will work out for you."But the  signs were actually saying something far more profound. 

You're strong enough for what's coming. You're being  prepared. The ordinary path would never forge you into what you're meant to become.

The ancient alchemists understood this perfectly. They didnt speak openly about spiritual transformation.

They disguised it in the language of turning lead into gold. But those who understood the symbolic code knew they were describing the process of the soul.

The lead heavy dull base represents our unrefined consciousness. The gold represents our illuminated state. But here's what the alchemists emphasized   that we've forgotten.

To transform lead into gold requires the negrado, the blackening, the putrifaction, the complete dissolution of the original substance. 

In plain language, you must be destroyed to be reborn. 

The chosen one is chosen precisely because their soul agreed before incarnation beyond the veil forgetting to undergo this voluntary destruction.

You signed up for this. 

Your higher self in full knowledge of what it would cost your human self said "yes" to the path that would strip away every false identity, every false comfort, every illusion of safety.

This is why your life has felt different from others. 

Not because you're better, but because you're being prepared for a different function. While others build lives of false comfortable patterns, you've experienced pattern interruption after pattern interruption. 

While others find their tribe and settle in, you've been moved from place to place, relationship to relationship, identity to identity, never allowed to root in anything false. This hasn't been punishment. This has been preparation. 

The Greek myth of Prometheus perfect parallel. Prometheus was chosen. Chosen to steal fire from the gods and give it to humanity. And what was his reward for this sacred theft, this act of divine service?    He was chained to a rock where an eagle ate his liver every day only for it to regenerate each night so the torment could continue eternally. 

The chosen one who brought light to humanity received eternal suffering. This myth isn't meant to be taken literally. It's a teaching story. 

Those who carry divine fire, those who serve as conduits of higher consciousness to humanity will experience a particular kind of torment. The constant regeneration and renewal of their wounds, the inability to simply heal and move on because their wounds are their credentials, their proof, their access point to depths of compassion and true wisdom that false comfort could never teach. Every spiritual teacher worth their salt has known this truth.

Gautama Buddha sat under the bodhi tree and was attacked by Mara, the demon of illusion, who sent  armies and temptations. Jesus Christ spent 40 days without food and water in the desert being tempted by the devil. Muhammad retreated to the cave. Moses wandered 40 years. 

The descent always  precedes the ascent. 

The dark night always precedes the dawn. 

And for the chosen one, these aren't one-time initiations. They're recurring cycles. Each one taking you deeper, refining you further until there's no separation between who you are and what you serve. 

But here's the dimension of this truth that will shake you to your core.

The part that even the ancient texts could only hint at because humanity wasn't ready to bear its weight.

Being chosen is not just about your personal  transformation. It is about your willingness to be a lightning rod for collective consciousness. To absorb and transmute energies that would shatter ordinary awareness.

You are not here simply to awaken. You are here to help metabolize the darkness of an entire species moving through its most profound evolutionary crisis. 

Let me be absolutely clear about what this means.

When you feel waves of inexplicable sadness, when anxiety grips you without personal cause, when you carry a heaviness that doesn't belong to  your  own story. This is not mental illness, though it may be diagnosed as such. This isn't your weakness.

You are experiencing what the mystics called divine empathy, what the shamans called soul retrieval for the collective, what modern energy workers might call being an empath. But these terms don't capture the full magnitude. 

You are a transmutation station for human consciousness. You feel what others cannot yet feel. You process what others cannot yet process. You carry wounds that aren't yours so that healing can occur in the collective field. 

This is why you've always felt too much. 

This is why emotional numbness feels impossible for you. 

While others seem to navigate life with such ease. They're not stronger than you. They're not designed for your function. 

A radio antenna feels every signal passing through it. The radio in someone's living room only needs to play one station. You were never meant to be the living room radio. You are the antenna. And yes,  it's overwhelming. 

But it's also your gift and your curse braided together. The medieval Christian mystics had a term for this, vicarious atonement. Not in the corrupted sense that one person's suffering saves others from their sins, but in the mystical sense that certain souls incarnate specifically to hold space for collective shadow work.

St. John of the Cross in his dark night of the soul wasn't describing a temporary depression. 

(Next .... Check here ....

The blessed and only Potentate is Lord Jesus Christ

 Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that Jesus Christ is “the blessed and only Potentate”.  (1 Timothy 6:15) A potentate is one who possesses great power as a sovereign, monarch, or ruler. A sovereign is one possessing supreme political power and authority. A monarch is a person who reigns over a kingdom. One that holds preeminent position or power.

From these definitions we can glean why Paul called Jesus the only Potentate. He is the only Potentate because of:

His preeminence. He is before and above all things. He is above the splendid coronation of King Charles III. He is above and before the Pope and Mohammed. No one who understands the Lord’s preeminence would consider himself to be preeminent or allow himself to be held in high esteem by others. We bow to his name; we don’t let others bow to us.

Jesus was born the King of Jews. When he was crucified the inscription read, “This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews”. Phil 2:10-11 says, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”.  

All the kingdoms of the world will be his, Rev 11:15. He will be king over all the earth, Zech 14:9. Now, and when he returns, he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. He is the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, 1 Tim 1:17.

His power. There is no power higher than he. After his resurrection, he said “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”, Matt 28:18. In Eph 1:19-22 we read about, “the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ… Far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church”.

There is no one and there is nothing that can match his power. He is “far above” all power. He is by far the greatest. By comparison we are all as nothing.

His potency. Potentate; Potent; Omnipotent. These all speak of his force, his unique ability to bring about a particular result. He can do anything he wants to.  

The world is currently impressed with the power of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship. However, to the Lord it would be like a bottle rocket that fizzled out and popped. Less than nothing.

The Lord’s power is in his words. “The worlds were framed by the word of God”, Hebrews 11:3. He is “Upholding all things by the word of his power”, Hebrews 1:3. He spoke everything into existence and keeps it functioning by his words. One day he will simply command and the heaven and earth shall suddenly pass away, 2 Peter 3:10. And yet his words shall not pass away, Matthew 24:35.  

This Bible from which I am preaching is called the “Authorized Version”. That’s because of the authority of these words. “Where the word of a king is, there is power”, Ecclesiastes 8:4. You and I are to obey his words.  

The centurion understood this. He knew that Jesus only had to say the word and his servant would be healed. That’s because he rules by the authority in his words. “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”, Ephesians 3:20. It’s crazy to think of a Christian who let these words sit on the coffee table and gather dust.

There is power in his gospel, Romans 1:16, the power to save. There is power in his blood, 1 John 1:9, the power to cleanse, Hebrews 9:14, and the power to purge our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. And there is power in his resurrection, Philippians 3:10, the power to live the eternal life we now possess.

Conclusion: There is no other being in the universe, not one, who has and will beat death. Not your doctor, your religion, or your own goodness. The only One who has the power to beat death is the one who beat it, the only Potentate, Jesus Christ. You must trust Him to save you if you are going to live for ever.

Is Jesus your King? 

 Is Jesus your Ruler? 

 Is Jesus your Power? 

 Is Jesus your Saviour? 

Jesus Christ should be, if He isn’t!