“NEVERTHELESS, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2Timothy 2:19-21)
Welcome to the Month of February, 2025 with our Focus: “Becoming A Vessel Unto Honour”.
I decree and declare that in this Month of February, the grace to become useful vessels of honour and instrument in the hands of God shall rest upon us. This grace will carry His compelling presence and power; and will occasion revival in our lives, families, careers, ministries, cities, nations and our generations, in Jesus Name.
I pray that God shall fashion and shape us into His nature, character and attributes, and will lead us to manifest His love to our generation, in Jesus Name.
What is a vessel?
– A Vessel has multiple meanings, including a ship, a container, or a tube that carries a substance. It can also be referred to a person who has a particular quality or is used for a specific purpose.
– It is a container (such as a cask, bottle, kettle, cup, or bowl) for handling something.
– It’s also a person into whom some quality (such as grace) is infused, a child of light, a true vessel of the Lord.
Introduction
In a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Many of us came to Christ with different attributes and characters which is similar to the character of the vessels in our text; but we can become useful vessels in the hands of God if we can purge, sanctify our lives and follow God’s principles for godly living.
We can become a change agent in the hands of our Maker, prepared and shaped to transform our generation. God is in search of useful vessels who have passed through the crucibles of fire, tested and proven character-wise, that will say no to sin, and every form of ungodly lifestyle. He wants to raise vessels that will hold cities and nations spell bound, and compelled the kingdom of darkness to bow to the authority and the name of Jesus Christ. He is in search of men who will not prostitute the anointing on the lap of Delilah like Samson nor merchandise the anointing of God on their lives like Gehazi.
They were useful vessels who passed through our generations whose impacts and legacies are still speaking. Men such as Billy Graham, Oral Robert, Evangelist R. W. Schambach, Archbishop Benson Idahosa, A. W. Tozer, Charles Finny, Charles H. Spurgeon, A. A. Allen, Smith Wigglesworth, John Wesley, John G. Lake, etc.
God will shape you to a vessel of love to help encourage others. He will fashion you into a vessel of His power and of His Word so that the Word can come out of your mouth and set people free.
It doesn’t matter if your vessel has been marred in some way in the past. Jeremiah 18:4 tells you how the Potter looks at a vessel that is marred: “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the Potter to make it”.
He can make you into another vessel. Just yield or submit yourself to the Potter. It doesn’t matter what your situation is today or where you have come from. You might have been a prostitute like Mary Magdalene or the woman of Samaria at the well in John 4:1-30; or a thief or a murderer like Saul who later became Paul and one of the greatest Apostles in the Bible (Acts 9:1-22). Brethren, note that God can still make you a new vessel.
Requirements for becoming a vessel unto honour:
* Purge yourself (John 15:1-2; 1Cor 5:7; 2Tim 2:21)
* Sanctified (John 17:19; Romans 15:16; 2Tim 2:21)
* Prepare yourself unto good works (2Tim 2;21)
* Flee youthful lust (2Tim 2:22)
* Strife at all costs to live a Righteous life (Matthew 5:6; 2Tim 2:22)
* You must have Faith in God (Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38)
* Charity (Love). 1Corinthians 13:1-13
* Peace (1Peter 3:11; James 3:18; 2Tim 2:22)
* Pure Heart (Psalm 24:4; 2Tim 2:22; 1Peter 1:22)
* Avoid Strive (2Timothy 2:24)
* Meekness/Gentleness (Colossians 3:12; 1Tim 6:11; 2Tim 2:25; Galatians 5:22)
* Patience (1Tim 3:3; 2Tim 2:24; James 5:8)
In the cause of your walk with God or service in His kingdom, the vessel could be marred (broken); and so many things happens when the vessel is marred. We shall therefore be looking at what happens below.
What happens when the vessel is marred?
1. Leakages Occurs: The grace of God on our lives & the anointing begins to diminish. This is what happened to Samson in Judges 13:5; 16:20;
2. Your productivity, creativity, potentials, impacts and influences are hindered;
3. Your fire, passion and fervency in the spirit and your services in the kingdom becomes retarded;
4. You become a shame and reproach to the body of Christ. Samson was, to the Kingdom;
5. Your visions/dreams becomes blurred and limited;
6. You become vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy (Judges 16:21); and
7. At the end, the person is destroyed, just like Samson (Judges 16:19-31).
Solutions to the marred vessel:
1. Repentance: Go to God and ask for forgiveness. He is faithful and just to forgive us from our sins (2Chronicles 7:14; 1John 1:9);
2. Go to the Potter for repairs (Jeremiah 18:4);
3. Humility: Be humble to admit that you are helpless without Him. Don’t be ashamed of your Father;
4. Don’t Give Up: Hold on to the horn of the altar like Adonirjah did, until your victory comes (1Kings 1:50-51); and
5. Return to Fellowship: Upon mount zion there is deliverance and healing (Hebrews 10:25; Obadiah 1:17)
Prayers:
* Father, I offer myself as a vessel unto honour, for your use. Purge and sanctify me of any impurity, in Jesus Name;
* Lord, I give you freedom to work your plan for my life. Mold me, lead me and direct me; and
* Lord, take away every distractions and impediments that will hinder me from becoming a vessel unto honour in your hands.
Prophesies:
– I decree and declare that in this Second Month of 2025, the passion and zeal to serve God faithfully shall fall upon you, in Jesus Name.
– I decree and declare that as you serve God, your portion and inheritance shall be given to you and your loved ones, in Jesus Name.
– I decree and declare your preservation throughout this Month, in Jesus Name.
Pastor Onoja is of Global Impact Revival Assembly International, P. O. Box 16504 Zone 3, Wuse-Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. E-mail: onojaaf@yahoo.com; Tel. Nos: +234(0)8055842594; +234(0)7034893475.
