27/01/2026
DAY 16
OCCUPY HIGH PLACES BY TENACITY
Genesis 27:26-36
26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” 27 And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: “Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed. 28 Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!” 30 Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also had made [d]savory food, and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.” 32 And his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” So he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed.” 34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!” 35 But he said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.” 36 And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named [e]Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
Genesis 32:24-29
24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the [a]breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He [b]touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” 27 So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but [c]Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.
1 Samuel 17: 31-37
31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!
Luke 22:54-62
54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. 55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” 57 But he denied [a]Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” 58 And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, [b]the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster [c]crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
In order to occupy High places of influence, power, and dominion most times does not require huge stature of the body but tenacity of the heart and mind. David was the Youngest of his brothers but he rose up to eliminate Goliath after terminating a Lion and a bear (three living entities) on different occasions. Jacob determined was the younger one of the two brothers and mostly likely smaller in body stature but he was (three times) to get his blessing until it was pronounced an angelic being and he ruler over his brother. Peter of all the 12 disciples minus Judas was one of the two disciples who followed Jesus after his arrest. His denial of Jesus (three time) does not necessary signify lack of courage but tenacity/courage that had not yet matured that is the more reason he bitterly cry when he remember what Jesus told him. In order to Occupy High Places tenacity must be exhibited.
Biblical Examples of Tenacity
• Jacob, despite being smaller and the younger brother, persistently sought his blessing and wrestled with God, demonstrating determination that led to his transformation into Israel. Today we have a country (Israel) that started as a one man.
• David, the youngest son, did not let his size or age deter him from fighting Goliath. His past victories over the lion and bear built his tenacity, showing that experience and faith can propel one to greatness.
• Peter's denial of Jesus three times reflects a struggle with his courage. However, his eventual repentance signifies growth and the potential for restoration through tenacity.
The Call to Action
• Remind the audience that occupying high places requires a tenacious heart and mind, not physical stature per say.
• Self-examination of personal tenacity in facing life's challenges is key.
Prayer Declarations
1. Tenacious Heart: "Father in the name of Jesus, create in me a tenacious heart/mind that should never easily give up."
2. Courage Against Opposition: "Father, the road of serving you may sometimes not be easy, but Lord grant me courage to face any forces of opposition."
3. Growth through Word: "Father, let your word enter my spirit/life (Psalms 119:130) to mature and grow my tenacity."
4. Grace to Fight: "Father, give me the grace to learn to fight every good fight (2 Timothy 4:7-8) so I can occupy my God-given high place in Jesus' name."
Conclusion: A reminder of the importance of tenacity in the journey of faith is an encouragement to rise above challenges and claim your blessings.