Derek Prince Ministry

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 10, Denial of Self-will

 
https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/ad82083e-9d91-4889-8db6-1df451544922/audio.mp3
 
Let us press on to maturity.

The distinctive function of an Old Testament priest was to offer sacrifice. Thus, being a priest, Jesus had to offer sacrifice. Since He was not a Levite, He could not offer the sacrifices of the law, so He offered His own specific priestly sacrifice, which was prayer.

    He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him [God the Father] who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (Hebrews 5:7–8)

Jesus’ reverent obedience caused the Father to hear His prayers. He learned obedience through suffering. Jesus had to learn obedience, and we have to learn obedience in the same way. We find out what obedience is by obeying. We do not find it out by listening to sermons on obedience. Those may help us, but obedience has to be worked out, step-by-step, by obeying. Obedience brings suffering because it demands denial of one’s self-will. The key phrase in the obedience of Jesus was, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Every step of obedience in the Christian life is one of self-denial. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself” (Matthew 16:24). That is painful, for the old ego does not like to be denied. Ego says, “I want,” “I’m important,” “This suits me,” “I feel good,” “I don’t want,” and the like. Following the Lord requires a continual denial of that ego.

In the above passage from Hebrews, God was talking to us about coming into maturity as sons through obedience. Jesus is the pattern. God brought Him to maturity through obedience. This is the pathway for you and me, too. This is the new and living way.

Thank You, Lord, that You are leading me onward. I proclaim that following the Lord requires a continual denial of my ego, and I choose to follow Jesus’ pattern in meeting this requirement. I shall press on to maturity. Amen.

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 11, Our Spiritual Objective

 
https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/35dbfac9-660e-464d-bbe6-6f160bc5d12f/audio.mp3
 
Let us press on to maturity.

    Let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.(Hebrews 6:1–2)

We seek to go on to perfection. Unfortunately, as I previously noted, the word perfection has an unattractive sound for most Christians because of some doctrine of sinless perfection that they’ve been exposed to. In most cases, those who claim to have achieved perfection demonstrate just the opposite by their words, behavior, and lifestyles. This hypocritical attitude has turned people away from the pursuit of perfection.

I would like to remind you of three alternative translations of the word perfection that make better sense: “maturity,” “fulfillment,” and “completion.” The Greek word translated “perfection” comes from a noun that means “end.” Therefore, it suggests a goal or objective toward which we are moving. I think we would all agree that having a spiritual objective is desirable. Having entered into the way of righteousness by faith, we can go on, or we can go back. God will have no pleasure in anyone who turns back, so we belong to those who are moving on into the full salvation of their souls. (See Hebrews 10:38–39.)

There are two things: the actual and the ideal. To be mature is to see the ideal and live with the actual. To fail is to accept the actual and reject the ideal; and to accept only that which is ideal and refuse the actual is to be immature. Do not criticize the actual because you have seen the ideal; Do not reject the ideal because you see the actual. Maturity is to live with the actual but hold on to the ideal.

Thank You, Lord, that You are leading me onward. I proclaim that I belong to those who are moving on into the full salvation of my soul—the goal of maturity, fulfillment, completion. I shall press on to maturity. Amen.

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 12, Taking Our Place with Christ

 https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/b47d66f5-484a-42ab-9660-14f146c15039/audio.mp3

 
Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place.

We can contrast this confession with another “Let us” phrase found in the book of Hebrews: “Let us…come boldly to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). This one says, in essence, “Let us draw near to God.” We need to understand it in its context. It is directly related to the statement in Hebrews 10:

    Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place…, let us draw near to God.    (Hebrews 10:19, 22 NIV)

To me, this passage clearly says that “drawing near to God” is equivalent to “entering the Most Holy Place.”

Let’s compare these two statements. “Let us come boldly to the throne” means that we are to come for the help we need—for mercy and grace. But, “Let us draw near to God,” I think, takes us much further. The suggestion is not merely that we come to the throne for help, but also that we are invited to take our place with Christ on the throne. That is what it means to enter the Most Holy Place.

There is not enough space to give a detailed exposition of the tabernacle, but there were three main areas. First, there was the Outer Court. Then, beyond the first curtain of the tent was the Holy Place. And finally, beyond the second curtain was the Most Holy Place. The language in Hebrews is based on the pattern of the tabernacle.

Our destination is the Most Holy Place, beyond the second curtain or veil.

Thank You, Lord, that I can draw near to You by the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I take my place with Christ on the throne. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 13, By a New and Living Way

 https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/07ec5efd-7025-46d9-9108-d2ccdd722fff/audio.mp3

 
Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place.

The only furniture in the Most Holy Place, as it was designed by God, was the ark of the covenant, which was a box made of acacia wood and covered with gold. Its lid was called the mercy seat, or the place of propitiation. Inside were the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, but these were covered up by the mercy seat, indicating that through Christ’s propitiation on our behalf, the broken law (the Ten Commandments that were broken) has been covered by His propitiation. On either end of the mercy seat was a cherub. The two cherubs faced one another, looking toward the center of the mercy seat with their wings stretched out over them and their wing tips touching over the center of the mercy seat.

The mercy seat was God’s throne—He sits on a throne of mercy that covers the broken law. The two cherubs with their faces turned inward toward one another, their wing tips touching, represent the place of fellowship. So, this is a place of mercy and a place of fellowship—but it is also a throne, the seat of God as King.

In that piece of furniture there was no representation of God Himself, which was forbidden for the Israelites. But God did come in and take His place on that seat in the form of the shekinah glory—the visible, sensory presence of almighty God. The Most Holy Place was in total darkness; it had no natural or artificial illumination. But when the shekinah presence of God came in, then God was taking His place on the throne.

In Hebrews 10 we are invited into the Most Holy Place to “draw near to God” (verse 22 NIV). We are invited to take our place with Christ on the throne. We are to come by “a new and living way” (verse 20 NIV). This new and living way is Jesus.

Thank You, Lord, that I can draw near to You by the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I come to the Most Holy Place by Jesus, “the new and living way.” I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 14, Four Requirements

 
https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/283035a2-9cdb-451a-b173-14f4d76437b6/audio.mp3
 
Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place.

According to Hebrews 10:22, one must fulfill four requirements in order to approach the mercy seat and the throne in the Most Holy Place. First, one must have a “sincere heart”; second, one must have a “full assurance of faith”; third, one’s heart must be “sprinkled to cleanse [him] from a guilty conscience”; and, fourth, one’s body must be “washed with pure water” (NIV). Let’s look very briefly at each of these.

A sincere heart: We approach God with our hearts, not with our heads. God is not the answer to an intellectual riddle, but He will meet a sincere, longing heart. We must come without pretense, exposing ourselves to God just as we are without hiding anything.

Full assurance of faith: Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God], for he who comes to God must believe.” We must come with absolute faith in God’s faithfulness—not faith in our own abilities or righteousness.

Our hearts sprinkled from a guilty conscience: A guilty conscience results from committing wrong, sinful deeds. But through the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, we have assurance that our evil deeds have been forgiven and that our hearts are pure from sin.

Our bodies washed with pure water: First John 5:6 says that Jesus came by water and by blood. In Hebrews 10:22, we see both these elements: the blood that sprinkles from an evil conscience and the water that washes our bodies. I believe that the water represents Christian baptism. In the New Testament, Christian baptism means sharing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, the “new and living way” mentioned in Hebrews 10:20 is Jesus. We are to identify with all that He endured when He died for our sins and rose again.

Thank You, Lord, that I can draw near to You by the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I come with a sincere heart, full assurance of faith, a heart sprinkled from a guilty conscience, and my body washed with pure water. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 15, Identifying with Jesus

 https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/5d5a6d99-e6ca-41f5-bc94-88724b802b6f/audio.mp3

 
Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place.

Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus (and to us, as well),

    But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions….And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.     (Ephesians 2:4–6 NIV)

Notice these three stages of identification with Jesus. First, we are made alive; second, we are raised up, or resurrected; and, third, we are seated with Him. Jesus is seated on the throne. So, what does it mean for us to be seated with Him? It means to be enthroned, to share the throne with Him.

Once we understand our identification with Jesus, we are invited to follow Him all the way. He is the “new and living way” (Hebrews 10:20). We can be made alive with Him, we can be resurrected with Him. But we need not stop there. We can be enthroned with Him.

Using the pattern of the tabernacle, I believe that the first curtain represents our sharing in the resurrection of Jesus. The second curtain that leads to the Most Holy Place represents what we enter through sharing in the ascension of Jesus. Jesus was not merely resurrected, but, subsequently, He also was raised up to heaven, to the throne. And that is where God wants us. God does not want us to stop short in this new and living way until we have reached the Most Holy Place, where we are sharing the throne with Jesus—seated with Him in heavenly places. That is our destination.

Let’s make it our resolution not to stop short of the place where God wants us to come.

Thank You, Lord, that I can draw near to You by the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I will not stop short of the place where God wants me to come. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 16, Seven Times

 https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/f12eceb2-12b4-43c9-a44b-6492a356dc2e/audio.mp3

 
Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place.

The Old Testament previews how Jesus was to pay the price and make the final sacrifice. This preview is found in the ordinance of the Day of Atonement, described in detail in Leviticus 16. The high priest was to go just once each year into the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies. He had to take two things: a censer filled with incense, which made an aromatic cloud that covered him and the mercy seat, and the blood of the sacrifice, offered on his own behalf.

Going thusly into the Most Holy Place, he had to sprinkle the blood seven times between the second veil, where he entered, and the front (or east) side of the mercy seat itself. So, there was an initial sprinkling of the blood seven times. I believe that this was an exact prophetic preview of how Jesus was to sprinkle His own blood on the way to the cross, as well as on the cross itself. The number seven indicates the work of the Holy Spirit—it is the number of completeness, or perfection, indicating a perfect work. The prophetic sprinkling was exactly fulfilled in the way that Jesus shed His blood: He shed His blood precisely seven times before the sacrifice was complete.

In that sevenfold shedding, Jesus’ body was emptied of blood. He literally poured out His soul to death in these steps: (1) His sweat became blood (see, for example, Luke 22:44), (2) they struck Him in the face with fists and rods (see, for example, Luke 22:63–64), (3) they flogged Him with a Roman scourge (see, for example, Luke 18:33), (4) His beard was pulled out (see Isaiah 50:6), (5) thorns were pressed into His scalp (see, for example, Matthew 27:29), (6) His hands and feet were pierced with nails (see, for example, John 20:25), and (7) His side was pierced with a spear (see John 19:34).

Thank You, Lord, that I can draw near to You by the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that by sprinkling His blood seven times, Jesus made the sacrifice complete. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 17, Life in the Blood

 https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/cb69701f-09f2-4f26-bcee-18ffbe52adb1/audio.mp3

 
Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place.

In the Old Testament, the book of Leviticus contains the ordinances for Israel’s Aaronic priesthood. The Lord said, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).

That is a tremendous prophetic statement that was fulfilled fourteen centuries later in Jesus. The word that is translated life is the Hebrew word for soul (nephesh). It is not just the life of a human being that is in the blood, but it is also the soul. We all know that when the blood ceases to circulate, the life has gone. In a certain sense, life depends on the blood.

In the previous chapter of Leviticus, in the ordinances for the Day of Atonement, Moses told his brother, Aaron, the high priest, that he could go only once every year into the Most Holy Place, into the immediate presence of God. He had to enter holding in one hand a censer full of burning coals with incense on them to send up a cloud of fragrant smoke; in the other hand he had to hold the blood of the sin offering that had been slain in front of the tabernacle. If he did not have both the censer of fragrant incense and the blood of the sacrificial animal, death would be the consequence. There was no access to the presence of God without those two things.

The censer, with its fragrant incense, is a beautiful type that symbolizes worship. We never come into the immediate presence of God without worship. But we never come without blood, either, which speaks of atonement for our sins. These pictures in the Old Testament were prophetic types—previews of what would actually be fulfilled in the New Testament.

Thank You, Lord, that I can draw near to You by the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that I come into the immediate presence of God with worship and the blood of atonement. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 18, The Lifeblood of Jesus

 https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/a63afa34-583a-447a-8d6a-871c5b6fa440/audio.mp3

 
Let us draw near to the Most Holy Place.

When the priest entered the Most Holy Place with the incense and the blood, he had to sprinkle the blood seven times on the mercy seat, which was a picture of the atonement, and seven times in front of the mercy seat. God’s ordinance was absolutely specific—not six times, not eight times, but seven times. Then, in Isaiah, we find a prophetic picture of the suffering of Jesus—the clearest picture in the Old Testament of Jesus’ suffering for our sins.

    Therefore I [the Lord] will divide Him [Jesus] a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death. (Isaiah 53:12)

It is important for us to understand that the word in Isaiah 53:12 that is translated as “soul” is the same word that appears in Leviticus 17:11 and is translated as “life”: “The life [soul] of the flesh [every human being] is in the blood.” When Jesus made atonement for our sins, He poured out His soul in His blood. His blood is the most precious blood in the universe because in that blood is the soul life of God, the Creator.

There is more power in one drop of the blood of Jesus than in all parts of the kingdom of Satan put together. The lifeblood of Jesus is the life of God the Creator—a life that is greater than the entire universe and all the creatures He ever created. That life is released only through the blood of Jesus. He became the Life-giver when He shed His blood. We should never turn away from the blood of Jesus. There is no other atonement for sin, and no other source of life. One of our big problems, brothers and sisters, is not meditating enough on the blood.

Thank You, Lord, that I can draw near to You by the blood of Jesus. I proclaim that life is released only through the blood of Jesus—the only source of life. I shall draw near to the Most Holy Place. Amen.

[who_am_i]

https://www.derekprinceindonesia.org/resources/daily-devotional/daily-devotional

November 19, The Importance of Hope

 https://cdn.subsplash.com/audios/9S2SS4/9b15d78c-2265-4235-ab53-9eeaf62f8f69/audio.mp3

 
Let us hold fast our confession without wavering.

Most Christians have heard much preaching about faith and love, but, in many cases, they have heard comparatively little about hope. Such was my own condition many years ago when I was in desperate need of help from God. I had heard many messages on faith and some preaching on love; but what I needed in that particular situation was hope, and the Holy Spirit had to take me directly to the Scripture because I had never heard a sermon about hope. It was there that the Holy Spirit met my need. For this reason, I am particularly concerned that people understand the importance of hope. I want you to grasp what hope is, how important it is, and how you may have it.

Hope is necessary if we are to maintain both faith and love. Unless we have hope, our faith will “leak out” and our love will fail. Hope is not optional; it is essential to the fullness of the Christian life.

People often say, “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” I think there is a good deal of truth in that statement. But the opposite is also true: Where there’s hope, there’s life—and where there is no hope, there is no life. In my opinion, hopelessness is one of the saddest conditions in human experience. I can hardly think of anything sadder than being hopeless. Yet, countless people in our world today are completely hopeless. When I am sitting in an airport, taking a walk, or dining in a restaurant, and I look at the faces of other people, I find that many of them have a blank stare of hopelessness. But, thank God, we do not need to be hopeless.

Thank You, Lord, that You are faithful—You give me hope. I proclaim that where there is hope, there is life. I shall hold fast my confession without wavering. Amen.