The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 8 April 2025 — A Sickness Not Unto Death
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TOPIC: A Sickness Not Unto Death
READ: John 11:1-19 (NKJV)
- Now a certain [man] was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
- It was [that] Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
- Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
- When Jesus heard [that,] He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
- Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
- So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.
- Then after this He said to [the] disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
- [The] disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”
- Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
- “But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
- These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
- Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”
- However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
- Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.
- “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”
- Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
- So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
- Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.
- And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
THE MESSAGE:
Lazarus, Mary and Martha were very remarkable siblings, and Jesus loved them. During a visit to their village, Mary anointed Jesus with an expensive oil (verse 2; 12:3; Matthew 26:7). She also delighted in listening to the word of God (Luke 10:39-42). Martha, on the other hand, was very good at service delivery (Luke 10:40-41; John 12:2). When Lazarus fell sick, his sisters informed Jesus through a message, but He deliberately spent two more days before setting out for Bethany.
The reason for this delay was that the sickness was not unto death, but would bring glory to God (verses 4 &15). By the time He got there, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. As usual, people gathered to comfort the sisters. To them, all hope was lost. When you are sick, pass through difficult times, or even “pass through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4), keep praying and believing God. That delay may not mean denial. Daniel did not know that the answers to his prayers had been given on the first day of his 21-day retreat (Daniel 10:12-13). Continue, therefore, in prayer concerning that troubling situation so that “God may be glorified through it.”
PRAYER: Lord, let Your name be glorified as I overcome every challenge that comes my way.
PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY’S DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONAL
DATE: TUESDAY, APRIL 08, 2025
TOPIC: A SICKNESS NOT UNTO DEATH
- Father in the name of Jesus, thank You for the grace to see this new day, the ninety-eighth day in the year 2025 in good health, sound mind and in joy
- Father, thank You for the special gift of life, many wished to see this month, but they couldn’t.
- Thank You Jesus for being there for us, Your children.
- Thank You Lord for Your plans for me this year. They are plans of good, not of evil, to give me a good and successful end.
- Father, please forgive me all my known and unknown sins, and let no sin reign over my life this year, in Jesus’ name.
- Help me, Holy Spirit, to gain the trust and love of God, in Jesus’ name.
- I declare that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit: therefore sickness shall not have dominion over me in Jesus’ name.
- Whatever am passing through now will end in glory, not shame, in Jesus’ name.
- Wherever I have lost allhopese, may Christ fully restore my hope, in Jesus’ name.
- Holy Spirit, help me to have a deep, flourishing and an unbroken relationship with God, in Jesus name
- LORD, help me to get my life right this year, and let Your perfect will be enforced on me, in Jesus name
- LORD, help us to get it right in Nigeria, and let Your perfect will be enforced on us in Jesus’ name.
- Heavenly Father, let Your peace continue to reign in every part of this country,
- Whether the devil likes it or not, I will make heaven and receive my eternal rewards in Jesus’ Name.
- This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
- Personal and family prayer requests.
- Confession: God bless the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), God bless the Universal Church, and bless our country Nigeria -1 Chronicles 17:27.
