ICHABOD (Obtaining Grace to Last) 1 Samuel 4:1-22 KJV
“Until The Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.”
Isaiah 32:15 (KJV)
Pray: Lord, let the power to prosper, let this grace called favor and the power for the supernatural, commanding signs and wonders, rest upon me, in the name of Jesus.
The ignorant believer will always remain a defeated believer. (Hosea 4:6)
Lay your hands upon your head and cry for knowledge.
Pray: Father, all that I need to know, to drive away every form of ignorance in my life, I receive tonight, in the name of Jesus.
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (KJV)
Grace is dimensional. It is impossible to abound unto every good work until every dimension of grace is able to find expression in your life.
Every dimension of grace that is missing in your life, may this be the night that you access it, in Jesus’ name!
DEFINITIONS OF ICHABOD
Ichabod is a Hebrew word that means:
– The glory has departed or
– Where is the glory?
Every Believer in Jesus Christ has the destiny of ever-increasing glory. (Proverbs 4:18, Ezekiel 36:11)
God is committed to ensuring that the latter parts of our lives are greater, even than the beginning. (Ecclesiastes 7:8)
Many are excited about the beginning of things.
Beginnings are characterized by the start of something new, accompanied by overconfidence.
Usually, the beginning relative to the end is characterized by ignorance.
The book of Job 8:7, says “Though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end should greatly increase.”
When the Bible says, “should”, it does not necessarily mean that thing will be, because there are certain conditions attached to its manifestation. (Job 8:7)
Your true stamina is not measured by your ability to start but by your ability to remain and sustain what you started. Starting is not enough.
WHY GREATNESS IS SHORT-LIVED AMONG MANY:
1. Pride. (Proverbs 16:18, 18:12, 29:23, James 4:6-8)
Pride is the unashamedness or refusal to acknowledge God as the basis, the reason, and the principal factor for any result you may have.
Before any man falls, he may always look like he cannot fall, until it happens. There is nobody who cannot go down.
(James 4:6-8)
The anointing is designed to fight everything that is against the will of God in your life.
Who wins when God is The One fighting? When God is the one resisting you, no amount of Impartation can help or remedy the situation. (James 4:6-8)
In the presence of greatness, pride will always come to test you, because something happens to men when they become great.
The pride of life is the inevitable self-exaltation, that comes as a result of obvious results.
One indicator of pride is your inability to place value on people’s meaning to you.
When people do not matter to you, it is an indicator that you are suffering from pride.
As God lifts you and you rise, the first thing to verify is if pride is present.
Being simple does not automatically equate to being humble.
You have true victory, when you have victory over the pride of life.
Be careful when men applaud you and communicate that nothing works without you. Every house is indeed built by someone, but God is The Master Builder of all.
Humility can be discerned and can be felt.
A humble person is always conscious of lifting Jesus at the center of results, not self.
The need to prove a point is indicative that you have not actually succeeded.
Success is clear, visible, and loud. (Matthew 5:15)
A prayer point you should never graduate from praying, no matter your level of results is “Lord, keep me humble”.
The world we live in, makes you look like a fool when you project Jesus, more than you project yourself.
Your passion to remain must exceed by far, your passion to be known.
If your passion to be known is greater than your passion to remain, you will be popular, but you won’t last.
The solution to dealing with pride is to acknowledge God in all your ways. (Proverbs 3:6)
Reject pride and decide that your life will never become a lesson for or a memorial of a life that did not last, due to pride.
When you go down in life, it takes God’s mercy for men to remember your exploits.
WHY GREATNESS IS SHORT-LIVED AMONG MANY:
2. An arrival mentality. (1 Corinthians 8:2)
One way to know champions is that they always carry an unassuming personality and attitude, with a passion for learning: They are forever students.
Nobody applauds you twice. Maintain the heart of a learner.
Yesterday’s excellence will always be tomorrow’s mediocrity; celebrating yesterday, at the expense of today’s impact, is a recipe for disaster.
May you never lack fresh testimonies and may it not be that the only things you have to say, are the things that happened yesterday, in the name of Jesus.
Champions learn; they learn with their hearts open.
Those who fail are usually the commentators of people’s destinies, with no stories to tell of their victories.
It is easy to study when you have not yet become great in stature. As many rise, with visible results, it becomes difficult to humble themselves and continue learning. We must give ourselves to continuous learning.
(1 Timothy 4:15-16)
Arrival mentality is the cancer of great men. Reject an arrival mentality, so that the word “Ichabod”, is never used to describe you.
Always give yourself to continuous learning. (1 Timothy 4:15-16)
The victor’s path is a path of continuous learning.
When it has to do with knowledge, nobody has the monopoly of knowledge.
Don’t just learn from fathers or contemporaries, learn from subordinates and learn from children.
WHY GREATNESS IS SHORT-LIVED AMONG MANY:
3. Distractions and Compromises. (Galatians 5:7-9, Philippians 3:13-15, Ephesians 4:7, Acts 6:1-4)
Your ability to discern your area of grace and to stay with it will profit not only you but also, The Body of Christ.
When you function within your area of grace, it insists that you function excellently, within that area.
Be comfortable where God has placed you and serve with excellence.
You are a king in your own kingdom. God has designed a throne and a seat for you, to the end that you respect another area of graces not given to you.
God never sends one man to do everything.
Two Dimensions of Distractions:
1. Getting into areas beyond the scope of your grace. (Ephesians 4:7)
2. Abandoning and not protecting your focus or pursuit. (Acts 6:1-4)
Just because you are spearheading a vision, does not mean you know everything.
Give room for others sent to the vision, to express their intelligence, skills, and graces, for the success of that vision given you.
As a leader, if you do not train people under you, you are destroying your future.
It is impossible to know so much to the extent of not needing people in your life and destiny.
It is wisdom to protect your area of focus.
Declare: In the name of Jesus, I obtain grace to protect my focus.
Be comfortable with greatness and create a system to protect it, without feeling guilty.
Settle with the necessary things, for the protection of your focus.
WHY GREATNESS IS SHORT-LIVED AMONG MANY:
4. Violating your winning strategy – either divinely given or built from years of pain, wisdom, and learning.
(2 Chronicles 15:12-15)
Exploits and victory are always strategy-dependent.
It is the will of God, plus the strategy given by God, that results in victory.
No system fails, as long as they maintain its winning strategy.
Do not celebrate wins only. Teach your children, subordinates, and those around you, how and why you win. Teach them your God-given winning strategy.
If you teach them, they will reproduce and preserve your wins. If you don’t, they will lose it.
No matter how gifted people are when they join your vision, if they intend to stay within your vision, show them why you win.
Beyond getting the anointing, understand what keeps it.
Samson’s secret to his strength is his hair. David’s secret to his ceaseless victories is his worship.
When people go from grace to grass, most likely, their winning strategy was violated.
Behind every sustainable result, is a winning strategy.
God honors covenants.
Some consecrations and covenants enforce longevity and impact.
If God tells you what your winning strategy is, make sure you keep it.
If it is prayer, keep praying. If it is fasting, keep fasting.
There is a covenant with God that sponsors supernatural results.
Pray: Father, reveal to me where I have thrown away my winning formula. Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
Show me where I have violated my winning strategy and help me return to it.
If you do not want the name “Ichabod” to be associated with your life, find out the secret behind your glory and do all it takes to preserve and protect it.
Leviticus 9:6 KJV
WHY GREATNESS IS SHORT-LIVED AMONG MANY:
5. Unaddressed weaknesses and vulnerabilities. (Hebrews 12:1, Acts 24:16, James 1:19-20)
The humanity of men is why revivals die. Every man born of a woman has vulnerabilities.
Any weakness left unaddressed can eventually destroy you.
Vulnerabilities and weaknesses differ from person to person.
For some, it is lust, others pride, while for others, it is anger or an obsession for recognition
Every spirit of anger that has accessed anybody’s life, in the name of Jesus, I command that spirit to leave you now!
Weaknesses and vulnerabilities are not exclusive to a man of God, businessman, child, educated, or illiterate.
It is not only sin that destroys; some weights and weaknesses can bring a man down. (Hebrews 12:1)
Just because people have not acted out their lust, does not mean they are free from it.
Anytime you feel you are standing, you are already on your way down. The only reason we stand is by the mercy of God.
Offense comes with growth and increase.
With growth and increase comes the awareness of honor, shame, embarrassment, and disappointment.
The more you grow and increase, the higher your chances of being offended. (Acts 24:16, James 1:19-20)
Discover your weaknesses and vulnerabilities, then obtain grace to deal with them and build a system that protects you from them.
Sometimes offense comes when your expectations are disappointed or when your lusts are not met; but if you really know God, you won’t keep offense in your heart.
Letting go of offense does not happen automatically. The Holy Spirit uses the balm of Gilead for the healing of wounds created by the offense.
Lay your hands on your head and think of that one thing that the enemy can use to bring you down.
Pray sincerely, be very honest, cry for mercy, and talk to The Lord.
WHY GREATNESS IS SHORT-LIVED AMONG MANY:
6. Loss of passion and fire for God. (2 Chronicles 26:5, Revelation 2:4-5)
The secret of every man that has remained in the business of kingdom-come, is their genuine passion and love for Jesus.
There are things only love will make you do.
It is not always about what you are saying, but who you are loving.
What you are saying may be right, but with no evident impact to show for it.
The real proof of your love for Jesus is what you can lay down for Him. (John 15:13)
There is a project in the Kingdom of darkness, specifically designed for great people.
Certain weapons are fashioned against you if you’re a great person, and it is the strength of your spiritual army who upholds you in prayers, that won’t let those weapons prosper.
As a great person who desires to last in today’s world, you must have these three things:
1. Prophetic Intercessors who hold you up in prayers. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2, 1 Peter 5:8)
2. A system of accountability for correction, advice, counsel guidance, and prophetic speakings over your life.
3. The gift of godly and faithful friends.
(Proverbs 18:24, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) underline Godly and friend
Never submit to any authority, that you cannot listen to.
The variables for succeeding in life are so many, that you need guidance and help to navigate through.
As a great person, if you do not have good people in your life, you are in trouble. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
When you find godly and faithful friends, swallow your pride and protect them at all cost.
Nobody was designed to live in isolation.
Among the many things that can become a blessing to you, is the gift of good people.
If there is anyone connecting tonight, who does not have a sincere person to call a friend; I pray for you, may my God bring good people into your life!
If you cannot contribute value to people, contribute gratitude. You will need the gift of friends to go through life.
Never be the reason for anybody’s pain. Do not be the cause of someone’s tears or the downfall of anyone.
I declare, in the name of Jesus, if there is anyone in your life, causing you pain and pretending to be standing by you, may my God take them out of your life.
May He take away wicked people and deceivers out of your life, in the name of Jesus!
Pray: Lord, the name “Ichabod” will never be said about me, in the name of Jesus.
It will never be said that I was once a great person!
I receive the grace to last, in the name of Jesus.
