Acts 9:31; Exodus 5:5-19; Jeremiah 6:16; Micah 2:10; Jeremiah 50:34; Job 3:17-18
God preserved a lot of precedents of release and rest in the Bible.
- God rested the seventh day, blessed and sanctified it.
- God expects us not to be like the dove of Noah, who found no rest for her foot (Gen. 8:9), and Jerusalem, who refused to find rest for their soul (Jeremiah 6:16).
- God expects us to release those we arrest in our hearts and seek release from life’s storms.
- The children of Israel sought rest for their brethren, and Naomi sought rest for Ruth (Joshua 1:15; Ruth 3:1).
- History will repeat itself in 2025 as we take comfort from the Divine Release and Rest of Peter, Paul, Silas, Jacob, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Hannah.
The providence of God is the great protector of our life and usefulness, and under the Divine care we are perfectly safe from danger – Charles H. Spurgeon.
P1. Knowing the Author of Divine Release and Rest
Philippians 3:10; 1 John 2:3,5; John 17:4; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Mathew 11:28-29
When you know God, your destiny will shift this year.
D – Divider of Life Barriers (Exodus 14:21).
I – Instructor of the Meek (Psalm 25:9).
V – Visualize your Predicament and Intervene (Exodus 3:7-9).
I – Instrumental to your Release and Rest (John 19:10; Matthew 11:28-30).
N – Newness in your Year Endeavours (Romans 6:3-4).
E – Envelope with God’s Glory (Exodus 34:29-35).
“Come, then, you who are without merit; Christ will be your merit. Come, you who have no righteousness; He will be your righteousness. Come, you who are full of sin, and the pardoning Lord will put away your sin. Come, you who are utterly desolate, and be made rich in Jesus” – Charles H. Spurgeon.
P2. Knocking for Sustainable Divine Release
Judges 19:22; Deuteronomy 15:1-3,9; Revelation 3:20; Matthew 7:7-8; Acts 12:13
Knocking precedes door opening, while prayer precedes Divine Release.
R – Reliance on God (Proverbs 3:5-6).
E – Emotionally Balanced (Psalm 55:22).
L – Labour in Prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
E – Encourage yourself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6).
A – Avoid Satanic Provocation (1 Chronicles 21:1).
S – Stay Close to God (James 4:8; Psalm 17:15).
E – Emulating good works (Matthew 5:16).
“What is prayer, but the promise pleaded? A promise is, so to speak, the raw material of prayer. Prayer irrigates the fields of life with the waters which are stored up in the reservoirs of promise. The promise is the power of prayer. We go to God, and we say to him, “Do as thou hast said. O Lord, here is thy word; we beseech thee fulfil it” – Charles H. Spurgeon.
P3. Keeping the Promises of Divine Rest
Numbers 10:33; 1 Kings 8:56; Exodus 33:14; Joshua 1:13; Isaiah 14:3-8
God’s promises are proof of His immutability, and we must retain them to maximize the benefits of Divine Rest.
R – Remember God in the season of rest (Isaiah 44:2; Deuteronomy 32:15).
E – Enjoy God’s release and rest (Esther 9:20–22).
S – Surrender all to God (Psalm 37:7).
T – Tell others about Divine Release and Rest (John 1:41).
“We are not made for rest; rest was made for us. Rest is God’s gift back to His people. His presence is how He connects us to His rest. It is part invitation and part prescription” – Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith.