Becoming a Winner in Life: Solution to Your Situations

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By Strength Shall No Man Prevail

God has a way of teaching His children, building them up, and showing them how to put their trust in Him. Jacob believed in his own strength and swiftness until God broke him down. The Lord gave him a blow on his thigh, and he became a limping man (Gen. 32). Though it was prophesied and determined by God even before Jacob’s birth that he would be greater than his brother Esau was, he wanted to achieve this in his own way and by his own strength.

I do believe that nobody wants to lose or be a loser in life, but it is only Jesus Christ in God that we can really be winners and more than conquerors. Romans 8:37 says, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us …

Beloved, I can see the Lord touching you with His hands of miracle and deliverance as you read this book. Whoever says you will not improve, move up, have divine acceleration, and whatever says you will not be enlarged must die by fire and be cleared off your way in the name of Jesus.

Deut. 32:13 I will bring honey out of the rock. I will bring oil out of the stone. We know a stone cannot produce oil. Neither can honey come out of a rock. Those are impossible things. God is the maker of all things. God can command the bees, which produce honey to become rock, and it will be. The Bible says that, no matter how harsh, hard, or terrible the economy is and no matter how terrible the situation is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is able to squeeze out your blessings and breakthroughs for you.

To be a winner in life, it is primarily important to know that God makes and ordains winners. Hannah was a barren woman, molested, mocked, despised, and ridiculed by her husband’s second wife and her children. Hannah said in 1 Samuel 2:9, He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. Ecclesiastes 9:11 also says, I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither bread yet to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to the men of skill, but time and chance happeneth to them all.

When David confronted Goliath, David said to the giant in 1 Samuel 17:47, And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you unto our hands. David was telling Goliath that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the strong and that by strength shall no man prevail. Goliath was a very strong enemy. He cursed and defied the people of God for forty days and nights. He was a formidable foe, but he did not understand certain things about physical and spiritual warfare until he landed in hellfire.

Promotion does not necessarily go to those who are worthy. Some people can reap what they did not sow. Advancement does not mean that we should not work hard. Natural gifts by themselves are not enough to handle the battles of life. Natural abilities or talents are not enough for a successful life. Skill and intelligence do not necessarily ensure or guarantee progress. Being the swiftest and the strongest does not necessarily guarantee progress or victory. The battle is not for the strong, and by strength shall no man prevail. There are wise people who are hungry. There are intelligent people who go unprepared. In many contests, the best candidates do not necessarily win. Being smart or talented is not a guarantee that you will succeed. People say heaven helps those who help themselves. But heaven only helps those who agree with Jesus that they cannot help themselves and they want Jesus to help them.

Pharaoh had a very large army and was very confident that, with the kind of army he had, pursuing the Israelites, who had no weapons, would be very easy for him. But he got to the Red Sea to find out that the battle was not for the strong and the race not for the swift and that by strength shall no man prevail.

The Bible gave us one of the numerous names of Jehovah God, a man of war. "Gideon’s army started with 32,000 (Judg. 7). Eventually, God pruned them down to three hundred. Why? The battle is not for the strong and the race not for the swift, and by strength shall no man prevail.

Moses was forty years old when he tried to help God by using physical strength to kill an Egyptian. He learned the hard way that he could not do anything in his power. He had to go to God’s training school for forty years in the wilderness, and he learned there that by strength shall no man prevail. When the same Moses came back with the rod of God in his hand, nothing was in that rod. God just wanted to use it to disgrace the enemy. He took over the whole land of Egypt from Pharaoh.

Psalms 118:10 says, All nations compassed me about but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They compassed me about yea they compassed me about but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

It is only in the name of the Lord that you can operate and prevail and become a winner in life. For by strength shall no man prevail. Many married sisters or brothers always try to settle marital conflict by fighting, quarreling, or denying their partners of their sexual right. But all those ways are carnal ways and trying to use your own strength.

Hannah made the prophetic statement: By strength shall no man prevail after her own strength failed her. But one day, she decided to cast all her burdens unto God. She said, Lord, if you give me a son, I will give him back to you. God entered into a deal with her. The Lord broke the backbone of her barrenness. I pray that the backbone of your enemy shall be broken as you continue this book in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Abraham and Sarah tried the arm of flesh, and it brought problems upon them and the whole Christian race. Anytime you try to have children outside of God’s way, the only thing that would come out is Ishmael.

At the pool of Bethesda in John 5, there was a multitude of the lame, blind, deaf, and much more. Now Jesus, who sent an angel to trouble the water, personally went there, but the people around did not recognize him. He went to one person and asked him a simple, direct question: Will thou be made whole? Yes or no would have been the answer to that question. But the man said, I have nobody to put me inside the water. I have been here for thirty-eight years. He had been trying in his own power to receive healing. He did not know that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong and that by strength shall no man prevail.

In Luke 5, Peter toiled all night and caught nothing. He failed in what he was best at. But when Jesus came to the scene, he turned his toiling to triumph and his breakdown to breakthroughs. Truly, the race is not for the swift and the battle is not for the mighty, and by strength shall no man prevail. I see God turning your toiling to triumph and your breakdown to breakthroughs in the precious name of Jesus.

To move from the tail to the head, the race is not for the swift and the battle is not for the strong and by strength shall no man prevail. If you look at your life today and it appears as if you are in the wrong location because a fish cannot receive blessings outside the water or a tomato fruit cannot prosper on top of a mango tree, then you have to rise up. There will be no prosperity when you are doing something the Lord does not want you to do. You may hold a degree, but the Lord could ask you to sell fish or open a dollar store. You may hold a PhD, and the Lord would say, Go into poultry. I know many medical doctors who are not practicing their professions today. You must ask yourself these questions: Am I doing what God wants me to be doing? Am I what God wants me to be? Am I where God wants me to be?

Perhaps you look at yourself and find that not all your friends are serious. Perhaps you notice that, when you have good things to do, something will just go wrong. A system wants to keep you permanently where you are. If some people tell you how much money they have handled in their lives and how they have nothing now, you will be amazed. It is the spirit of the tail. The race is not for the swift and the battle is not for the strong, and by strength shall no man prevail.

I want you to look at yourself very well, how life has been treating you, the opportunities the enemy has stolen from you, the positions you ought to have attained, and some reasons you are not there. Look at your family, specifically those people who are your seniors, their achievements, and what they have done. Look at the siren being blown against you every day. You know that within you there is a power to be a winner and an overcomer, but somehow with all the talents, it appears as if you are not moving forward. Whenever you want to move, something goes wrong and takes away your time and money.

Are you so dependent on your skill, power, ability, money, talent, and so on? Are you trusting and relying wholly on God for your miracles, breakthroughs, and changes? Or are you trusting on the arm of flesh? The Bible says, The arm of flesh will fail you.

Do you criticize other people’s effort because you believe you are better than them? Because things seem to be working and easygoing for you, do you look at other people as being lazy? Do you criticize those who are not married or late in marrying because you are married or married early? Listen, it isn’t because you are beautiful or smart that makes marriage work or easy for you. Do you talk about other people’s marital problems as if your own marriage is perfectly okay and you know how to do things better? Remember, By strength shall no man prevail.

I found out that marital breakthroughs or problems do not really have to do with your beauty, smartness, intelligence, family, wealth, fame, education, popularity, and much more, but only by God’s favor and mercy.

Those who have no jobs or no spouses are not the worst sinners. Let us all learn to treat each other with more care and love. Let everyone mind his business and always lift up his fellow brethren and not assist in pulling them down or spoiling them. (Read Galatians 6.)

Seek God for Your Breakthroughs

Have you ever been in a situation that seemed totally barren or hopeless? Have you ever felt like giving up on yourself, your family, or your seemingly impossible situation? Let us look at the life of Hannah and find out what she did in the midst of her adverse circumstances. Let us find out what caused this woman of God to receive a mighty breakthrough (1 Sam. 1:1–10).

A certain man named Elkanah had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children while Hannah had none. This caused much grief and disappointment to Hannah as she desperately wanted to have a male child, but the Lord had closed her womb. Elkanah was very faithful to take his family to the city of Shiloh every year for the purpose of worshipping and offering sacrifices to the Lord of hosts. When it was time for Elkanah to make an offering to the Lord, he would give portions to Peninnah and all her sons and daughters, but to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved her.

Peninnah liked to provoke Hannah because of her barrenness. She enjoyed making Hannah’s life miserable, and as a result of her continuous scoffing, Hannah wept much and refused to eat or drink at the table. Her husband could not understand what she was going through emotionally and once said to her, Am I not better to you than ten sons? Not realizing what he was saying, he just made matters worse.

So Hannah arose from the table and positioned herself before the Lord in prayer. Being in great anguish of soul, she wept bitterly before the Lord until she could weep no more. Her prayers were like sweet incense before the Lord as she set her face like flint in pursuit of him for her breakthrough miracle.

I believe it is time for you to position yourself before the Lord in prayer for your breakthrough miracle. I can perceive that you are on the verge of breakthrough. You cannot quit now. You have come too far to turn back. Keep pressing on and pursuing God.

As Eli the priest watched her from the doorpost of the tabernacle, Hannah made a vow to the Lord of hosts. She was determined in her spirit to see a manifestation of her desire come to pass. She was tired of Peninnah’s constant chiding and provocation. She was fed up with her barrenness and decided to continue in hot pursuit of the Lord and his purpose for her life. Her desire for a male child caused her to persevere in prayer and faith.

Has the enemy been lying to you and provoking you because of your situation that seems hopeless? Has he told you that you will never come out of this situation victorious? Has he told you that you will never have children because of your barren condition? Has he told you that you are going to die in that bad condition? I urge you today by the Spirit of God to stop listening to the lies of the devil and get on with your life. The Lord of hosts wants to pour out his blessings upon you if you will just learn how to position yourself before him so you can receive those blessings. In 1 Samuel 1:11, Hannah vowed:

O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.

Eli the priest thought Hannah was drunk, but Hannah let him know otherwise:

I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.

Have you been falsely accused of wrongdoing? satan’s accusers are strategically placed in every office, school, church, and ministry. We must not allow the false accusations of man to get us down. We must instead learn to set our faces like flint to pursue God in the midst of these humiliating accusations and press on toward the victory that God has ordained for us. Sometimes provocation may come at our hour of breakthrough. What Eli did was somehow provocative, but thank God for the patience that Hannah exercised. Many have lost so many blessings and breakthroughs just at the edge of getting them due to lack of conduct coordination. Do everything to be swift to hear and be slow to speak (Jas 1:19, 26).

Eli probably felt like a fool as he kindly responded to Hannah, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of him.

This was all Hannah needed to break that spirit of oppression and hopelessness over her soul. She received the blessing that Eli spoke over her and went on her way rejoicing in the Lord. With a whole new outlook on her situation, she went back to the table and celebrated by eating and drinking her rightful portion. She knew in her spirit that God would bring the needed breakthrough. It was now just a matter of time. It is amazing how God can take a hopeless situation and turn it into a time of great rejoicing. One word from God can change your whole outlook on life.

Hannah eventually conceived and gave birth to a son she called Samuel. She remained faithful in her vow to the Lord and was very grateful for all the Lord had done for her. She was no longer a sorrowful woman, but a woman filled with great joy.

The Lord has a way of silencing our accusers. He has a way of bringing His people through difficult circumstances and situations. That way is staying in hot pursuit of him. When we pursue God with all of our hearts and minds, He will be faithful to grant us the petitions that we have requested of him.

Do not let this word end like this. Let it have a life-changing impact upon your life. When you are going out and coming in, do everything possible to be a doer of God’s word (Jas 1:22–27). This message is for champions, not those who want to remain in their tail department. It is for those who want to receive expected and unexpected breakthroughs in every area of their lives.

Please, I want you to pray these prayer points so there will be divine rearrangements in your life:

1. Every satanic pride in my life, die in the name of Jesus.

2. Lord, help me to depend only upon you in the name of Jesus.

3. Every spirit of the tail, what are you doing in my life? Come out and die in the name of Jesus.

4. My destiny, come alive by fire in the name of Jesus.

5. Every cage of the tail in my life, break in the name of Jesus.

6. Every witchcraft cauldron caging my blessings, break in the name of Jesus.

7. My Father, if I am in the wrong position, change me now in the name of Jesus.

8. I claim divine rearrangement by fire in the name of Jesus.

9. The power that moved the Israelites forward at the Red Sea move me forward by fire in the name of Jesus.

10. Lord, restore honor and dignity back to me in the name of Jesus.

11. My point of ridicules shall become my source of miracles in the name of Jesus.

12. Let every longtime reproach in my life be defeated now by the blood of Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus.

13. I am God’s property; I cannot be molested by the devil in the name of Jesus.

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When God Does Not Make Sense

The God of the Christians is the God of solution. Genuine solution is with him. He is the solution to every situation in life, and he has not for once changed. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever more. God is far too great for us to fully understand. He has no beginning, and he has no end. There is no place where His presence is not felt. Job 11:7 says, Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

Now, when you come to this God for solution, you must get yourself ready for total commitment to His instructions and foolishness. His ways are never our own ways, and he does not think the way we think. Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

Faith believes without seeing. Does that make any sense at all to you? Isn’t that foolish? But that is the foolishness of God that makes you a high-flier. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).

The issue of faith is foolish to a carnal man. Natural intellect cannot comprehend it; analytical reasoning cannot explain it. Faith practitioners follow the foolishness of God but turn out to be men of impact.

You must first obey the foolishness of God before you can enjoy His blessings. By your faith, you overcome all life’s challenges, but you must first embrace its foolishness to enjoy its blessings.

Some of the demands of the Gospel are things you may be ashamed of doing because they appear irrational, but doing them makes the way for your breakthroughs in life.

Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:16, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth … 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

When you believe God enough to give Him what you have, you have committed Him to give you what He has. When God gives you what He has, you will forever be swimming in the ocean of abundance.

Most of the demands of Scriptures cannot be rated as rational, but inside those seemingly irrational demands lies the power of God that delivers, restores, and adds colors and beauty to destinies. Those instructions might appear foolish to you, but that foolishness of God is still wiser