18/06/2024
Jesus Power Assemby
Godly fear
Text: Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Hebrews 12:28.
Introduction
The focus of this teaching is to deepen our faith and walk with God in view of the godlessness of these last days. Godly fear is very dear in our contemporary time and this manifests in numerous evils of these end times as revealed by the word of God (2Timothy 3: 1-9). The fear of God along with obedience to His commandments is the whole essence of godliness and expected duty of man. Read Ecclesiastes 12: 13. We are commanded severally in the Scriptures to fear the Lord; Deuteronomy 6: 13, 24; 8: 6; 10: 12, 20; 13: 14; Joshua 24: 14; 1Samuel 12: 24.
1. The basics of godly fear
The fear of God consists of the following:
(a) Hatred of evil. Evil is anything that is ungodly, wicked and wrong. To detest or hate evil is to have godly fear. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate Proverbs 8:13. In Genesis 20 verse 11, Abraham said Genesis "Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake". The lack of godly fear makes men to do all sorts of ungodly things, wickedness and evil. Read Genesis 26: 7.
(b) Reverential trust and worship of God. This is the deep respect and honour that we give to God when we fear and trust Him. "And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me" Genesis 22:12. God attested that Abraham trusted and honoured Him to the extent of not withholding his son from him. We fear God when we live our lives in awe of God and His Word.
(c) Trembling at God's word and having contrite heart. The fear enables a man to pant and tremble on hearing the truth of God's word. Read Psalms 51: 17; Daniel 5: 19; 26.
(d) Walking in uprightness before God. Proverbs 14:2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
(e) Being afraid of displeasing God and having terror of His judgment Genesis 42: 18; 2Corinthians 5: 11.
2. Building godly fear. This is a deliberate act of building and possessing the fear of God. These are what we must do to have godly fear:
(a) Have deep esteem and respect for God and His Word always Job 23: 12; Psalms 115: 6, 15, 128.
(b) Always abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good Romans 12: 9b
(c) Love righteousness and hate wickedness. Read Psalms 45: 7.
(d) Be a companion of them that fears the Lord. Psalms 119:63; I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. Read Proverbs 13: 20.
(e) Seek the Lord truly and always. When we seek the Lord by daily walking in His presence, the imbibe the fear of God. Read Psalms 4: 3-5.
(f) Be in covenant relationship with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for this will enable you to inherit the promises of having the fear of God in your heart. "And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me" Jeremiah 32:38-40.
3. Blessedness of godly fear
The Bible is replete with the rewards of walking in the fear of God, His name and living in awe of Him and His Word. The benefits of the fear of God include the following:
(a) The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom Psalms 111: 10; Proverbs 1: 7; 9: 10; 15: 33.
(b) God teaches those who fear Him His ways Psalms 25: 12; 14.
(c) He reveals His covenant and purpose to those who fear Him Psalms 25: 14.
(d) The secrets of the Lord are with those who fear Him Psalms 25: 14.
(e) There is deliverance for those who fear God 2kings 17: 39.
(f) The book of remembrance will be opened for those who fear God Malachi 3:16.
(g) The sun of righteousness will come upon those that fear the Lord with healing in his wings Malachi 4: 2-3.
(h) Those who have the fear of God shall be clean and shall endure Psalms 19: 9a.
(i) The fear of God brings blessings and those who have it shall not want Psalms 34: 9.
(j) The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him Psalms 103: 17.
(k) The fear of God lengthens one's life Proverbs 10:27.
(l) It brings wealth and honour and life Proverbs 22:4.
(m) The fear of God makes us to serve God acceptably, avoids His wrath and enables us to inherit His kingdom. Read Hebrews 12: 28-29.
*Prayer*
1. O Lord God, You are the mighty God, the great I am, Your name be praised for ever and ever, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
2. There is none like You, O God, Your name is forever blessed, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
3. O Lord our God, You are the blessed potentiate, the sovereign Father, You are exalted above all other gods, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
4. O God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Jehovah the man of war, Your mercy endures forever and ever, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
5. Be thou exalted O God above all heavens and let Your glory be above all the earth, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
6. My Father, write Your laws upon the table of my heart and put Your fear within my heart, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
7. My Father, let the Spirit of the fear of God permanently reside in me, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
8. My Father, grant me a contrite heart and make to always tremble at Your word,in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
9. Help me O God, to hate sin with perfect hatred all the days of my life, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
10. My Father, let Your fear makes me clean and endure forever in Your presence, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
11. My Father, grant me the Abraham type of fear of You that made him not to withhold anything from You, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
12. My Father, give me the Joseph kind of fear that made him not do wickedness, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
13. My Father, help me to always detest pride, evil ways and every form of wickedness, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
14. My Father, work in me to fear Your name always, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
15. My Father, make me a companion of them that fears Your name, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
16. My Father, let me esteem Your word more than silver and gold, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
17. I receive grace to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
18. My Father, help me to pass my time of sojourning here on earth in the fear of God, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
19. My Father, cause me to love righteousness and hate wickedness, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
20. My Father, cause me to abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
21. According to Your promise O God, put Your laws in my heart that I may fear You all my days, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
22. Let the book of remembrance be opened unto me as I remain in Your fear, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
23. Let the sun of righteousness come upon me with healing in his wings as I follow You in godly fear O God, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
24. My Father, let the blessings of those that fear Your name be my portion, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
25. My Father, make me an obedient child and help me to live in awe of You, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
26. My Father, make me deeper in my love for You and reverence for You, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
27. My Father, give me a fresh circumcision of heart to fear and to love You, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
28. Father God, put Your fear in the hearts of leaders in Nigeria, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
29. My Father, help me to walk uprightly with You, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
30. My Father, in this journey and race of life, help me to finish well and enter Your glory, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Stay safe and blessed
Michael Olufemi Awodiran, Ph.D.
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