Do This Before Running…

Welcome to the year 2026. I believe God that this year will be the best of your years—that you will go from strength to strength and from glory to glory. Welcome to this glorious year, and my prayer is that whatever proclamations have gone forth from the Lord concerning you and your family, and all that you do, will be made manifest for you in the year 2026 in the name of Jesus.

It’s already 9 days into the new year, amazing how fast the year is running. Many are already running with it and restyling without waiting on God. But before you run, do this first: wait on God and fast. The greatest thing to do is to wait on God. They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, and they shall mount up with wings as eagles.

Many hit the ground running, they hit the year running. But strategically, it is best to hit the new year by waiting on God and fasting. There are so many benefits of waiting on God and fasting. It is great to set apart days, weeks, etc. to wait on God through fasting.

This must not be a religious activity, it must not be a routine or yearly church program. You cannot make the most of it if you are not purposeful. If you lack the understanding of the power of fasting, you will miss the power that comes with it.

Fasting is not a demonstration of spiritual superiority, it loses its potency when the purpose is misconstrued. Your church family may have declared 3 days of fast, or a 120 day fast, it does not translate to spiritual superiority or inferiority.

Understand that the period of fasting is to set yourself apart to seek the face of God. It’s a time to recalibrate, to turn down the noise, interference, and clutters of the flesh so that you can amplify your receptivity to the signals of the Spirit. The signal of the Spirit will give you great direction for the year 2026, enlarge your capacity, and thrust you forward with unstoppable speed of the Spirit.

Major things of the Spirit are not birthed without men waiting on God. Moses waited 40 days for the tablets of stone written with the fingers of God to be delivered unto him. Jesus waited 40 days before His ministry would begin. Paul and Barnabas would only be separated to the work the Holy Spirit had listed for them when the leaders, the prophets, and teachers fasted in Acts 13. Ezra fasted for direction with his people. Esther fasted for deliverance for her people. Just name it, fasting is vital.

Listen, be blessed, and share this with others.

In optics, radiance is the measure of how much light a surface releases, how strongly it shines, and how far its glow extends. It is important to state clearly that light never appears on its own. It always comes from a source. Whether it's a spark, a flame, or a star, every light has a source. The strength of the source determines the strength of the light.

John 1:4-5 says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.” Light does not appear by chance. It begins with life. Your radiance is directly connected to the life within you. Life is more than breathing or simply existing. Life is the core of your shining. When life flows fully within you, your radiance stretches far. Your purpose expands, your influence increases, your joy is strengthened. But when life is stolen, radiance is dimmed. The enemy understands this. Every attack on your life is truly an attack on your light, on your God-given brilliance, your influence, and your destiny.

Satan has used this method throughout generations. Look at Dinah in Genesis 34. She was the only daughter among Jacob’s children recorded in Scripture. She was meant to be the carrier of generational brilliance.

Sadly, Satan positioned a man called Shechem to dim her radiance. Through the abuse of that one woman, Satan brought down an entire city. The man who raped her died. His father died. All the men in the city were killed (Genesis 34:25-29).

Note that the abuse of a woman often leads to collateral damage. Dinah's family was not exempted. Her brothers became murderers. Jacob was troubled and wounded in his old age (Genesis 34:30). When he was about to die, he even cursed the sons who carried out the attack. The violation of one woman led to the destruction of both the guilty and the innocent.

Do you know that when the man went after Dinah, he even had a deeper secret desire? See what he said to his fellow brethren in Genesis 34:23: “Will not their livestock, their property, and all their animals be ours?” They understood that by violating one girl, they could gain access to the wealth and generational blessing of Abraham. They saw that her stolen life was a doorway into the inheritance of a covenant family.

What many young women do not know is that the enemy saw you as a doorway to greatness. He knew you were designed to be radiant and born to shine. So he positioned dangerous, damaged, and demonic people to come after you. Those people were being used even beyond their own understanding. They were manipulated to steal life. By stealing your life, the enemy hoped to gain access to the lives and destinies connected to you.

Tamar, David’s daughter, is another example of a stolen life. She too was violated, raped, and left desolate—not by an external force, but by a family member. Satan always uses external or internal agents. If not a stepfather, it’s an uncle, a cousin, an aunt, or a father. The abuse of a woman is one of Satan’s quickest tools to destroy multiple lives. Through just one stolen life, destinies, nations, and futures can fall.

My wife and I have met young girls who were used to break marriages, damage men, and tear down destinies through sexual perversion at its peak. When we prayed and asked questions, we discovered that their lives had been stolen at an early stage. A wicked messenger of the enemy came to abuse, rape, and shatter them. They carried the pain, the shame, and the loneliness. Some who could not find healing became instruments of destruction. But those who met Jesus became bright and burning lights again.

I sense the Lord saying, this is your season, precious woman of God. You will shine again. Your life will be restored. Your radiance will be restored. You will manifest the light of life. You will shine. You will live. You will grow, and you will rise in the strength of God. Hallelujah.

Enough of crying. Enough of weep

Exodus 34:6–7:“And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

“By no means clearing the guilty” — this reveals the justice and accountability nature of God. Justice is the very foundation upon which God’s throne stands. It is the heartbeat of His kingdom. Justice is love aligned with holiness. It is love that refuses to trade truth for comfort or righteousness for convenience. Justice gives love its strength and holiness its meaning. It is how God maintains divine order in His creation and purity in His people.

In God, mercy never violates justice, and justice never cancels mercy. They coexist in perfect harmony, revealing the fullness of His divine nature.

Justice is the balance between compassion and conviction, between grace and truth. Mercy without justice becomes indulgent, and justice without mercy becomes cruel. But when both walk together, the heart of God is revealed — tender yet firm, forgiving yet pure, compassionate yet unyielding.

Justice is not punishment; it is protection. It guards love from becoming weak and holiness from becoming harsh. Mercy heals, but justice preserves what mercy has restored. Every act of divine correction is not an act of cruelty but an expression of care. Justice is how God guards what He loves.

In the covenant of marriage, justice manifests as righteous accountability — the willingness to uphold truth, protect purity, and preserve covenant. Justice in marriage does not come to condemn; it comes to restore. It is the voice that says, “I love you too much to let sin destroy what God has built between us.” It calls for truth, repentance, and humility. It refuses to let pride, secrecy, or deceit erode the foundation that God has sanctified.

Justice restores divine order where selfishness once ruled. It dethrones pride, silences rebellion, and exalts righteousness. It calls both husband and wife to integrity — in speech, in action, and in motive. Justice becomes the inner compass that guides them back to holiness whenever temptation whispers or weariness sets in. It is not control; it is covenant protection. It is not dominance; it is divine alignment. Where justice reigns, love becomes safe, trust is cultivated, and the presence of God abides richly.

Without justice, mercy becomes weakness. Without mercy, justice becomes a weapon. But when they unite, love becomes both strong and secure. Psalm 85:10 declares, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” This is the harmony of heaven, the culture of God’s throne. In such a marriage, mercy heals the wound, and justice ensures the wound does not reopen. Mercy restores the relationship, and justice sustains it.

To live justly in marriage is to live truthfully. It is to speak honestly, even when the truth is uncomfortable. It is to uphold righteousness when compromise seems easier. It is to set boundaries that honor God and to choose forgiveness that does not ignore truth. It means guarding the home as a sacred altar where the presence of God dwells. To dishonor your spouse is to dishonor God. To violate your vows is to violate His order. Justice restores that reverence and places the throne of God at the center of the home.

But hear me singles and unmarried: justice does not begin at the altar; it begins before the altar. It begins in singleness. It begins in the quiet places of integrity, in the discipline of truth, and in the willingness to be accountable. A person who avoids accountability before marriage will not suddenly become accou

The first truth about forgiveness I want to speak on today is this: you must forgive yourself. This is not for everyone, but for some of us, it is absolutely necessary. We make mistakes, and we will continue to make them. Some still blame themselves for a divorce. Others carry guilt over the death of a loved one: “If only I had sent more money… if only I had given more attention…” Some parents cannot forgive themselves for the choices of their children: “If I had been more present, my daughter would not have gotten pregnant… if I had not gone out that night, this would not have happened.”How long will you hold yourself captive in the prison of your past?

Forgiveness begins with you. Many remain trapped not because God refuses mercy, but because they refuse to release themselves. Past mistakes, wrong choices, repeated failures—these weigh heavily on the heart. Yet Romans 8:1 speaks with authority: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” No guilt, no shame, no past sin has power to bind you in Christ. Holding on to it keeps you chained, looking backward, unable to move forward in His grace. Until you fully embrace God’s mercy within yourself, extending forgiveness to others is impossible.

It is time to let go. Stop torturing yourself with “what ifs” and “if onlys.” Stop replaying failures that God has already buried in His mercy. The blood of Jesus did not cleanse you halfway—it washed you completely. Let the past die. Step into freedom. Forgive yourself, and then watch how God enables you to forgive others with the same unshakable grace.

Forgiveness also requires releasing those around us. Many marriages and relationships are bound not by open conflict, but by the silent prisons of unspoken pain. Choosing peace over pride, restoration over revenge, and words that heal instead of harm allows love and mercy to flow freely. Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 18:22 — forgiving “seventy times seven” — reminds us that forgiveness must be continual, an ongoing act of love and mercy even when offenses repeat.

A profound way to cultivate forgiveness is to see others through the eyes of Jesus. On the cross, with all the pain, shame, and humiliation, He looked down at those who had been healed by Him, or their relatives, who now spat on Him, whipped Him with thirty-nine lashes, wove a crown of thorns, divided His clothes, and nailed Him to the cross, shouting, “Crucify Him!” And yet He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Wow! What a powerful choice! Jesus did not say, “I forgive them”; He transferred the burden of forgiveness to God. He assumed that those committing evil did not fully understand their actions. Imagine if Jesus had believed they knew exactly what they were doing — forgiveness would have been impossible. How wonderful it would be if we could assume that those who hurt us do not fully understand their actions, rather than presuming malice. Often husbands and wives, or people wronged in other relationships, say, “He knows what he is doing” or “She knows what she is doing,” and forgiveness then becomes very difficult.

When Satan desired to sift Peter like wheat, Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not. And when you are converted, strengthen your brethren” (Luke 22:31–32). Jesus did not condemn Peter or express disappointment at his potential failure. Instead, He prayed for his recovery and saw a future where Peter would be restored and strengthened to serve others. Jesus looked beyond present failures, focusing on potential and divine purpose. This challenges us to do the same — to see a better future in those who are failing, to release bitterness, and to p

Exodus 34:6–7 “And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…”

Forgiveness is the very heartbeat of God. To forgive means to release someone from the debt of their wrong and to no longer hold their offense against them. It is not pretending nothing happened; it is choosing to let go of vengeance and to entrust the matter into God’s hands. Forgiveness is freedom, freedom for the one who gives it and for the one who receives it.

God forgives all kinds of wrongs – iniquity, which speaks of the hidden corruption of the heart; transgression, which means deliberate rebellion; and sin, which refers to human failure. He forgives not because we deserve it but because He delights in mercy. Micah 7:18–19 says, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

When God forgives, He does so completely, keeping no record of wrongs. Likewise, in marriage, where two imperfect people live together, offenses will surely arise. That is why forgiveness is not optional; it is essential. Forgiveness is the breath of love, the nature of God that holds a marriage when everything else falls apart.

Without forgiveness, even the most beautiful marriage will suffocate under the weight of accumulated offenses. The marriage that breathes forgiveness will always rise again, no matter how broken it once was. A husband and wife who cannot forgive cannot truly love, for love and forgiveness are inseparable. When forgiveness departs, bitterness begins to rule, and when bitterness rules, destruction is only a matter of time.

Please, my dear friend, it is time to let go. You have carried the burden of unforgiveness for too long. You are hurting yourself; you are breaking yourself. Let it go and let God stand for you. It is time to forgive the wrong of your spouse. Forgive completely, forgive quickly, and forgive continually. Matthew 18:21–22 reminds us that forgiveness has no limit. Do not keep a record of wrongs. Stop rehearsing the pain and start embracing the healing. Forgiveness is not denial; it is deliverance. It is the nature of God at work in the human heart.

And to you who are single and preparing for marriage, be very careful if you meet someone who carries grudges in their hearts. When you hear things like, “I am not on talking terms with my father,” “I cannot forgive my mother,” “I cannot forgive my siblings,” “In my church, I do not talk to that person,” listen, you are in trouble. The person who carries bitterness is missing a vital nature of God. If the man or woman you want to marry does not have the nature of forgiveness, you better go back and pray, and pray again. That person is missing the heart of God and it will surely manifest in your relationship sooner or later. Forgiveness is the nature of God that helps you forgive all kinds of sin, transgression, and iniquity.

Also, it is important to understand that forgiveness requires acknowledgement of our wrong. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You do not keep doing wrong and refuse to acknowledge it. You must confess, you must take responsibility, you must humble yourself. Forgiveness is not a license to continue in sin. You must not use forgiveness as a tool for manipulation. Some say, “I know she will forgive me,” and then go on committing adultery. Others say, “I know he is a good man; he will forgive me,” while they continue speaking evil of their spouse. That is not lov

Exodus 34:6–7:“And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

When God revealed Himself to Moses, one of the first attributes He unveiled was His mercy. After revealing His grace, His long-suffering, His abounding love, and His overflowing goodness, the Lord declared again, “I am the God keeping mercy for thousands.” This is no casual statement. It is a divine revelation of sustained mercy, mercy that transcends time, mercy that endures across generations, mercy that remains unshaken even when man falters, mercy that never grows weary or grows cold. This is the mercy that defines the heart of God.

It is one thing to show mercy once, but it is another thing to sustain mercy. Many couples are merciful for a moment, but mercy is not their nature. They show compassion until they are offended. They forgive until they grow weary. They love until they are wounded. But God is not like that. His mercy is never temporary. His mercy is not fleeting. It is constant, enduring, and faithful. It is not shaped by circumstances; it flows continually, limitless, and steadfast through every season.

You see, in our marriages and relationships, we often hear people say, “I have forgiven five times already. I am done.” But when God describes Himself, He does not say, “I forgive for a season.” He says, “I keep mercy for thousands.” That means His mercy is stored, sustained, and stretched across generations. The mercy that saved your father is still strong enough to save you, and the same mercy can reach your children.

God’s mercy is consistent and generational. It is not swayed by mood; it is anchored in covenant. Remember, marriage is a covenant, and only the sustained mercy of God can uphold it. Your spouse will offend you again and again. You will have to forgive for the same hurt twenty times over. This is the nature of God’s mercy. It does not run out because of your weakness; it endures because of His unchanging character. He does not merely show mercy; He keeps mercy. The word keep means to guard, to preserve, to maintain carefully and continually. It is mercy that refuses to expire.

The world teaches, “He does not deserve another chance. She has shown the highest level of disrespect; do not even consider reconciliation.” Hmmm, the sustained mercy of God teaches differently.

Psalm 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations.” The mercy of God is everlasting. It cannot die. It cannot fade. Lamentations 3:22 reminds us, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.” As long as we return with open hearts, acknowledging our wrongs and turning from our ways, His sustained mercy reaches us even in our lowest state.

When the sustained mercy of God is active in our marriages, offenses, bitterness, anger, rage, and unforgiveness will find no root. There is no place for resentment to grow, no room for pride to harden the heart, no opportunity for past hurts to control the present. Mercy that is preserved by God’s nature transforms relationships. It softens hearts, restores communion, and produces a marriage where grace flows continuously, love remains vibrant, and peace reigns without end.

Sustained mercy means God’s compassion flows from who He is. He keeps mercy for thousands because He keeps covenant with His own heart. No wonder David said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

Mercy follows. Mercy fights. Mercy preserves. Mercy covers. Mercy sustains.

When this revelation enters your&

Exodus 34:6–7 “And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”

When God revealed Himself to Moses, He did not introduce Himself as the God of thunder or of fire, though He is both. He revealed His heart, His very essence: love and goodness. He said, “I am abounding in love.” Love is not something God does. Love is who He is. His goodness flows out of His love, and His love gives meaning to His goodness. Without love, goodness has no foundation. Without goodness, love has no expression. Love is the highway upon which the goodness of God travels.

Many marriages, ministries, and lives have broken not because power was lacking, not because prayer was lacking, but because love was absent. Until you have experienced divine love, you cannot express divine love. Until you have been healed by love, you cannot become an instrument of love.

To abound means to overflow, to increase beyond limits, to multiply without measure. Here lies the mystery: God is love, yet He says He abounds in love. The One who is perfect still overflows in love. If He abounds, then you must abound also. To abound in love is not a feeling. It is a divine posture. It is to live from a heart so full of God that love becomes your response to everything.

We live in a generation that speaks of love but has lost its weight. “I love you” has become empty. Many love to take, not to give. True love is measured by what it gives, not by what it gains.

There are three prophetic expressions of love that build strong marriages and reveal the true heart of God:

Love Gives. “For God so loved the world that He gave…” (John 3:16). The proof of love is in giving. Love gives attention, time, joy, peace, and life. Many today give their attention to phones, social media, and online programs, while their marriages bleed in silence. You pray all night but neglect your home. That is not love. Love gives attention before it gives noise. Love gives time, prayer, and care. Love also gives up, giving up wrong associations, bad habits, addictions, selfish ways, and pride. Love gives, and love gives up.

Love Keeps. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). True love is disciplined. Love keeps its word, keeps its promise, keeps its covenant. Many marriages collapse because love could not keep. If someone claims to love you but cannot keep commitment, you are in danger. Love without the power to keep is deception. Dear husband, dear wife, true love keeps. Dear single, beware of one who cannot keep their word. Love keeps faith, purity, and covenant.

When love abounds, forgiveness flows naturally. When love abounds, faith works effortlessly. When love abounds, homes are healed and destinies restored. Love is not weakness. Love is the greatest power of all.

Let love abound in your marriage until it becomes your nature, your fragrance, and your power. Let it overflow until it defines every word, every action, every moment of your life.

When love abounds, God is revealed.

“And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6)

This was not a mere description of God. It was His revealed nature. When God unveiled Himself to Moses, He began with mercy, grace, and longsuffering. That is the nature that sustains every covenant. That is the nature that preserves every marriage.

In marriage, God uses seasons of strain to unveil His nature within you. When emotions waver and faith stretches thin, He does not call you to fight or to flee. He calls you to stand still and let His grace work. “After that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10) Suffering has a limit, but its fruit is eternal strength. Every test you pass through with patience adds divine weight to your spirit. It forms within you the kind of love that does not break under pressure.

Abigail stands as a living portrait of longsuffering. Married to Nabal, a man rich in substance but poor in spirit, she endured arrogance, foolishness, and emotional neglect with divine wisdom. While Nabal’s pride drove him toward destruction, Abigail’s calm restraint preserved an entire household. She did not shout, argue, or retaliate. She acted under the inspiration of heaven. Her patience under provocation became the channel of divine intervention.

This is what many homes lack today. When one partner becomes unteachable, unreachable, or proud, communication begins to die, peace weakens, and love is tested. Yet it is not cowardice to endure. It is spiritual mastery. Longsuffering is the bridge between pain and divine intervention. It is what keeps a home standing while heaven completes its work.

Marriage is not a destination. It is a lifelong classroom. No one graduates. Every day brings new lessons in patience, forgiveness, and understanding. Longsuffering is what keeps you in class when others drop out. You will say again what you already said. You will forgive what you already forgave. You will love what has not yet changed. That is divine endurance. That is the love of God in motion.

To the singles, hear this prophetic word. Longsuffering is not learned in marriage; it must be built before marriage. It is not born in pleasure; it is formed in consecration. Without it, many will quit before glory appears. Longsuffering is what keeps a man or woman standing until the full counsel of God is revealed. It is not enduring in despair; it is enduring with hope. It is the patience that believes while waiting, the restraint that worships while wounded, the faith that stays until God finishes what He started.

Key Areas Where Longsuffering Is Needed in Marriage

1. Communication – When words are ignored or misunderstood, longsuffering teaches you to speak the language of patience when understanding fails.
2. Finances – When financial imbalance or irresponsibility brings strain, longsuffering becomes your covering until wisdom and stewardship take root in your spouse.
3. Offenses – When wrongs are repeated and apologies are delayed, longsuffering steadies your heart until grace completes its inner work in your spouse.
4. Spiritual Growth – When one pursues God and the other drifts in complacency, longsuffering keeps you praying instead of complaining, interceding instead of judging.
5. Emotional Maturity – When anger, pride, or mood swings disturb peace, longsuffering quiets the storm before it breaks the home.
6. Intimacy – When affection wanes or desires clash, longsuffering keeps love sowing and the covenant alive until healing comes.
7. Family Influence – When in-laws intrude or tensions rise, longsuffering becomes your silent shield, preserving peace when external voices seek to pull your home apart.
8. Character Weaknesses – When pride, laziness, or impulsiveness surface, longsuffering gives the Spirit