​“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15)

I’ve seen people try to bring down the heavens with their praise. They praise God so loud with their voices until they shout themselves hoarse. Anybody can sing, dance and shout to praise God. Now, there’s nothing wrong with praising God with dancing and shouting and singing; the Word actually says to do that. However, there’s a kind of praise that gets God’s attention. I’m talking about a kind of praise God cannot but respond to.

That was the kind of praise Solomon gave God. Indeed, Solomon praised God with his voice and danced, but he didn’t stop there. He thought much of this great God of glory and honoured Him with his substance. He offered such sacrifices to God as no king ever had a thousand burnt offerings (1 Kings 3:3-4), and that got God’s attention.

Later that same night, God showed up in his bedroom and told him, Ask Me for anything. I mean, God gave him an open cheque. Solomon could draw anything he desired on God’s account because he praised God with his substance. This is the kind of praise I’m talking about. When you give yourself to God like this, He ministers to you personally. Little wonder the Apostle Paul had such wonderful visions of God. That’s the man who said, And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you… (2 Corinthians 12:15). The Lord appeared to him in visions and He had angels minister to him several times.

He enjoyed so much attention from God because he had given everything and was ever willing to give anything to God. Whatever came into his hands went to the gospel. You too can get God’s attention this way by becoming committed to Him with your substance. Position yourself in the way of God’s blessing; give Him sacrificial praise today.
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FURTHER STUDY : 1 K I N G S 3:3-15; 2 S A M U E L 24:21-25; P S A L M 27:6

​The Bible clearly shows that givers are very special to God and this is why you must be a consistent giver. God is unwilling to abandon a cheerful giver. In other words, God would always locate such a man or woman, and intervene in any situation that concerns such a person. The Bible records that one day, the elders of the Jews pleaded with Jesus to heal the sick servant of a Roman centurion (Luke 7). Ordinarily, the Jews shouldn’t have had anything to do with this Roman centurion because he was a Gentile. But they besought the Lord on his behalf because the man was a giver (Luke 7:4-5).

Jesus followed them immediately He heard all he had done. Givers will always move the heart of God. Peter had a similar experience in Joppa (Acts 9). A certain woman called Dorcas had died, and the Bible says that this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did (Acts 9:36).
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In other words, she was a generous giver. When Peter arrived there, they showed him all the wonderful things she had done and immediately his faith was stirred. Guess what: he raised her from the dead, even though nobody asked him to; her generous heart stirred the anointing even in her death. Connect to the anointing through your giving. God is stirred by people’s giving more than by their need or complaints. Commit yourself to consistent giving to the Kingdom; it’s for your own blessing. You can put this to work today, and receive an answer that you’ve long been expecting.

​“Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need” (Ephesians 4:28 AMP). God has blessed you and has made you a blessing to your world (Genesis 12:2). Whatever you do, do it well and it will bless and help someone. Your effort must be beneficial to your world, the people and the environment. The reason for working is not to make a living; it is to make a giving. I’m not just referring to the giving of money, but working for the good of humanity. It may be in the sale of goods or services; if you’re diligent to perform excellently in your job, people will be grateful that you came their way. This was the thought the Apostle Paul tried to communicate to the Church in Ephesus. He admonished them to work primarily in order to have something to give. And this is still true for us today. Your inheritance in Christ is enough to last you all your life; if you were to sleep for the rest of your days, you’ll still have inexhaustible resources. The reason you shouldn’t just sleep all your days is because you wouldn’t be acting like your Heavenly Father, Who lives a life of giving. You should be out of bed, ready to do something good for your world today. If you don’t have a job, get one or make one! Work with dignity because you’re a blessing to your world! Follow God’s principle, which is to always do more than you’re paid for. Some people talk about “the dignity of labour” and I often wonder if they understand what they’re talking about. Dignity of labour doesn’t just end in having a job; it’s having a job and understanding the reason for the job. Yes, you render services to help someone else and they pay you, but that money is not your life’s source. God is your source! What you’re paid is just a compensation for your effort. Always do more than you’re paid for. Then and only then will your job and your lifehave a meaning, both to you and to your world. F U RT H E R S T U DY : 2 C O R I N T H I A N S 9:8-9 (TLB); N EH EMIAH 8:10,12

​“And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30).

I once read about a pastor who was asked how many members he had, and he answered, One hundred and fifty. He was asked again, How many of them are tithers? One hundred and fifty of them! he answered.The man asking him was surprised, You mean you have one hundred and fifty members and all of them are tithers? he queried. Yes,replied the pastor, but some bring their tithes and God collects it from the others! he added quickly.

In other words, those who wouldn’t bring their tithe willingly, God collects it from them, because the tithe belongs to Him, and they’re all supposed to be tithers anyway. The point is this: Whether or not you know it, since you’re in the Kingdom of God, you’re a tither. If God doesn’t get it from you willingly, He’ll surely get it one way or the other, and then with interests! The tithe is not a contribution you make. It’s not something that belongs to you that you decide to give God and He says thank you for. It’s not a freewill offering you give at any time and in the quantity you choose.

The tithe is a compulsory offering. God said it belongs to Him and you’re obliged to pay it. Every time there’s an increase in your life or you receive your income, ten per cent (10%) of it belongs to God. Don’t use it for yourself, because if you do, trouble is inevitable. But when you tithe, God rebukes the devourer for your sake. Instead of losses, there’s a blessing upon you and you find yourself riding higher and higher. Glory to God!
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F U RT H E R S T U DY : M ALACHI 3:10-11

 “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord“ (Jonah 2:8-9).

Do you know that celebrating your inheritance is one of the best ways of silencing the devil? What does it mean to “celebrate you inheritance”? It means to give thanks to God for the things He’s done for you through Christ Jesus. You can celebrate your salvation, divine health, prosperity, peace, and every other good thing that’s yours by virtue of the new birth. God wants you to always celebrate your inheritance irrespective of your situation. Some folks don’t look out for and celebrate the right things in their lives or in the lives of others. They talk about negative situations such as lack, want, sickness and death all the time. You would always hear them say, “Oh, I think I have a problem in my knee!” “I don’t have enough money.” They’re always looking for, and looking at the problem. Such people are unwittingly celebrating the work of the devil in their lives.

How do you celebrate God’s blessings? You proclaim His greatness; you worship and praise Him. You talk about His personality and all that He’s doing in your life. If you can’t think of anything to say at that moment, pick up your Bible and begin to quote scriptures that will build your spirit. This was what Jonah did in the belly of the fish. Jonah was a remarkable man: he was in serious trouble, yet he didn’t panic or complain. His prayer wasn’t laden with regrets or silly questions. He said, “… I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving…” (Jonah 2:9).

He celebrated his inheritance right in the midst of trouble. By celebrating, you’re showing the world and the devil that you’re excited about your inheritance. Until you realize how to celebrate God and His blessings in your life, you will not be able to walk in the fullness of those blessings. Stop seeing your lack; stop comparing yourself with someone else and seeing what you think you don’t have! Rather
make up your mind today to always celebrate your inheritance in Christ Jesus
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F U RT H E R S T U DY : P S A L M 56:4 NKJV; J O NA H 2:7-10

​“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

According to this Scripture, the Lord Jesus came to make us rich. But there are Christians who assume poverty is necessary to live a godly life. I’ve even heard a minister pledge to poverty. I think that’s absurd! Poverty might be the mark of religion but it’s definitely not the mark of Christianity.In 1980, at a ministers’ conference that I was privileged to attend, T. L. Osborn made a remarkable statement that stirred much controversy then. He said, “Poverty is a sin.”I’m sure this statement will stir up as much controversy today as it did then.

It’s imperative that we correct the impression that poverty is a prerequisite for serving God. Otherwise, 2 Corinthians 8:9 will be false and meaningless. Poverty is contrary to the provisions of God in His Word; reject it in its entirety. No father would want his children to live in poverty. God is our Father and His wealth is beyond human imagination or comprehension. We are heirs to His vast estate; He has given us a blank cheque, so it’s up to us to fill everything we need in the blank spaces. This is how to take advantage of the grace in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1).
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Don’t let the world put the mark of religion on you; reject poverty because prosperity is your right in Christ.
F U RT H E R S T U DY : P ROV E R B S 10:22; P SALM 23:1-2;