You need mercy and grace for all your endeavours in 2017 and beyond. Without grace and mercy; one would be a  great loser in the race and battles of life. Any life that is destitute of mercy and grace will be grounded, formless, deprived of the good things of life, vandalized and deformed. Truly, any life that is devoid of mercy and grace will live in constant disgrace, defeat and sorrow!

Without gainsaying, we need grace and mercy for the New Year. According to Warren Wiersbe “God’s grace gives us what we do not deserve while God’s mercy doesn’t give us judgment that we deserved”. Grace will give us all those good things that we do not deserve. Similarly, mercy will not allow God to deal with us as we deserve in 2017.
Grace is God’s unmerited and undeserved favour. “It is receiving everything for nothing, when we deserve nothing “It is divine strength and support in weakness. And more importantly, “Grace is God’s willingness to use His power on our behalf even though we do not deserve it’’. And God will surely use His power on our behalf in various dimensions this year and beyond.

Mercy is the kindness in excess of what may be expected or demanded by fairness. A deposition to forgive; forbearance and compassion. Mercy is divine compassion. That compassion which causes God to help the weak, the sick or the poor or needy. Mercy is Divine pardon. It means compassion; pardon or forgiveness and showing of favour. Mercy is also divine kindness.

Beloved, no Church or individual or family can be strong and be constantly victorious without the Grace and mercy of God. Mercy causes God to overlook that punishment that one is entitled to because of sin. Grace causes God to give to one, those things one is not entitled to. God’s mercy is wonderful. There are two aspects of God’s mercy that makes it a destiny maker and builder. Withholding punishments that we deserve, keeps us from ‘hell’ and helping those who are miserable due to circumstances beyond their control. An example of this is seen in those miracles of Jesus. He healed the blind men (Matt. 9:27-31, 20: 29 – 34) He healed lepers (Luke 17:11-19) He healed a daughter of Abraham (Luke 13: 11-16). Those acts of healing grew out of His attitude of compassion and mercy. The recipients did not deserve what they received.

Beloved, this year’s mercy shall be extended to you. His mercy will not be withdrawn or withheld from you, your family and your work (Ezra 7: 28). The Lord will show you great mercy this year (1Kings 3:6). This year, you will achieve great things and affect your generation not by your merit but by His mercy.  There is no limit to where the mercy of God can carry you. This is why you must cry for God’s mercy this year (Ps. 4:1,6, 9:13, 27:7, 30:10, 31:9).

When the grace and mercy of God are at work in a life, family or Church, unthinkable victories, breakthrough, lifting, restoration, deliverance, provision and protection become natural occurrences. The manifold weapon of mercy and grace is our highest need. Examples abound in the Bible of people that mercy and grace turned their night to noon. Joseph, Ruth, Esther, Mordecai etc. Mercy and grace cause people to win difficult and hopeless battles. Therefore, mercy and grace will keep you on top, irrespective of  what may come your way this year and beyond. Happy new year of walking in His grace and mercy. You will never suffer disgrace, disaster and loss of any good thing.

LET US PRAY
1.    Give thanks to God for all His wondrous and great things He did for us both individually and corporately last year. Once again, recall everything He did for your family and the church and give Him Praise.
2.    Read Prov.16:6, Lord, by Your mercy and truth, let every iniquity in my life and family be purged.
3.    Daniel 4:27, Father of all mercies, empower me to break off any sin in my life by practicing righteousness or doing what is right.
4.    Prov.28,13 O Lord, grant me the heart of humility and grace to sincerely confess and forsake any sin in my life, so that I will obtain mercy.
5.    Ps 139: 23-24 Search me, o God and know my heart. ‘Try me and know my thought and see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting’ (Allow the Holy Spirit to see in your whole life).
6.    O Lord, have mercy upon me and don’t give me what I deserve according to Your judgment withhold every punishment that I deserve this year in Jesus Name.
7.    Heavenly Father, don’t allow my life and family to become destitute of Your mercy and grace this year and beyond.
8.    Father, by Your mercy and grace; make my life and family glorious, strong, beautiful, magnetic, useful and fruitful this year and beyond.
9.    Father, by Your mercy and grace; turn every night of my life and my family to noon, like You did it for Esther, Mordecai, Ruth and Joseph.
10.  Father, by Your mercy and grace; cause my life and my family to achieve great and amazing things this year.
11.  Father, by Your mercy and grace; cause me and my family to win great and difficult battles that may be against us in the name of Jesus.
12.  O Lord, let us enjoy Your undeserved protection, promotion, and provision all round the year by Your mercy and grace.
13.  O Lord, help me to enjoy Your mercy and grace every day of my life.