Learning Month '26 | STS | Our Warfare Has Ended II | FEB. 15th 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Born Again to See

Jesus told Nicodemus, a religious leader who came at night, “You must be born again to see God’s kingdom.” Nicodemus struggled to grasp this—how could a grown man reenter his mother’s womb? Jesus clarified: birth by water (repentance) and Spirit (God’s power) opens eyes to eternal realities. Without this rebirth, even devout religious people miss the kingdom. [06:47]

The kingdom isn’t a physical place but God’s reign in hearts. Jesus didn’t debate theology with Nicodemus—He revealed a non-negotiable truth. Just as a baby has no say in its first birth, we can’t earn spiritual rebirth. It’s God’s work, making us new to perceive His active rule.

Many attend church but still live like outsiders. Have you let God rewrite your spiritual vision? What habits, fears, or traditions keep you from fully embracing His kingdom?

“Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’”
(John 3:3, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal areas where you still rely on religious effort instead of His Spirit.
Challenge: Write down one old habit you’ll surrender this week to make room for kingdom priorities.

Day 2: Stoned but Still Standing

Paul was stoned, dragged outside Lystra, and left for dead. Yet when believers gathered around him, he stood up and returned to the city. Later, he warned new disciples: “We must endure many hardships to enter God’s kingdom” (Acts 14:22). His scars proved faith isn’t about comfort but perseverance. [09:59]

Trials test what we’re made of. Paul didn’t quit after near-death—he saw persecution as part of following Jesus. Modern believers often abandon faith when life gets hard, but God uses struggles to shake off superficial devotion. What remains after shaking is unshakable.

Where are you tempted to walk away when faith costs too much? If you faced opposition today, would your current practices sustain you?

“They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.”
(Acts 14:19–20, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve avoided hardship instead of trusting God’s purpose in it.
Challenge: Text a believer facing trials today with a verse about God’s faithfulness.

Day 3: Shaking What Can’t Last

God promised through Haggai: “I will shake all nations” so only His unshakable kingdom remains. Zerubbabel’s temple seemed unimpressive compared to Solomon’s, but God filled it with greater glory. Earthly systems—governments, economies, even religious structures—will tremble. What’s built on Christ alone will stand. [12:40]

Shakings expose faulty foundations. Like a sieve separating wheat from chaff, God’s judgments purify His people. Hebrews 12 warns not to reject His voice when everything familiar crumbles. His fire consumes sin but refines those who trust Him.

What in your life relies more on human stability than God’s promises? If your job, health, or routines collapsed, would your faith remain?

“Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens. The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”
(Hebrews 12:26–27, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for His mercy in shaking what harms you.
Challenge: Identify one “shakable” thing you’ll release this week (e.g., worry, control).

Day 4: Praying with Fire

Haggai’s listeners saw ruined walls and doubted God’s presence. Yet He declared, “I am with you” and promised to fill His house with glory. Their call wasn’t to rebuild alone but to partner with Him through prayer. God’s Spirit stirred them to work, not in fear but fiery confidence. [15:23]

Prophetic prayer starts with God’s promises, not our problems. Like Zerubbabel, we intercede from victory, not desperation. When we pray His revealed will, heaven’s fire ignites our words. No enemy can withstand a church that prays what God already vowed to do.

Do your prayers sound like wishlists or declarations? What would change if you prayed Scripture’s promises over your struggles?

“‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
(Haggai 2:9, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to align your prayers with His specific promises this week.
Challenge: Read Haggai 2:1–9 aloud, circling every “I will” God says.

Day 5: “You Have Heard Me”

At Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus thanked the Father before shouting, “Come forth!” He prayed not to convince God but to proclaim what was already settled. His confidence came from knowing the Father always heard Him. Prayer wasn’t a negotiation—it was a revelation of divine partnership. [35:02]

Jesus’ prayers flowed from unity with the Father. He saw Lazarus’ resurrection before speaking it. When we pray from revelation, not desperation, we shift from begging to announcing. The Spirit intercedes for us, bridging our limits with heaven’s certainty.

How often do you pray from anxiety instead of assurance? What would you dare to ask if you knew God had already answered?

“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here.”
(John 11:41–42, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus aloud for His active intercession for you right now.
Challenge: Write “He has heard” on a sticky note and place it where you pray.

Sermon Summary

God announces a season of decisive shakings that will separate what can be moved from what endures. The kingdom and the church differ: being born again opens sight into the kingdom, but the present transition will remove crowd-driven religion and expose unsteady faith. Scripture shows that trials and tribulation refine readiness for the kingdom; persecution and testing prove who will stand when nations and systems collide. Oppression of the poor and the groaning of the afflicted will trigger divine correction, and righteous living will direct cities toward revival while wickedness invites overthrow.

Prayer receives renewed definition: faith acts on divine promises by asking, and prayer becomes the bridge between God’s vast possibilities and human response. The pattern of Jesus’ prayer life models confidence — prayer framed by assured hearing (“you have heard me”) and ongoing relationship (“you hear me always”) — and invites intercession that flows from intimate knowledge of the Father. Spiritual warfare has its place in seeking God's help and direction, but prophetic intercession begins after explicit revelation of God’s will and then intervenes to align earth with heaven, as Elijah and Jesus demonstrate.

The Holy Spirit and the Son intercede without ceasing, supplying groanings and advocacy that remove uncertainty from praying. Clear knowledge of God’s mind produces precise, effective petitions; acting in unity with the Father yields works that reflect divine life and authority. The congregation receives promises: God has not forgotten the afflicted; his presence surrounds his people like walls continually before him and a consuming, protecting fire. Members receive a charge to encourage themselves in the Lord amid loss, to pursue recovery boldly, and to prepare to function as restorers of the earth.

The coming season will demand endurance, holiness, and a transition from crowd mentality to kingdom identity. Those who embrace revealed prayer, stand in tested faith, and pursue justice for the needy will find themselves established as unshakable foundations in the city and as conduits of God’s greater works in the years ahead.

Key Takeaways

1. Kingdom will shake the church Shakings will remove what depends on human popularity and whatever cannot withstand testing. The separation refines corporate identity so only those formed by regeneration and tested faith remain to steward God’s purposes. This shaking serves purification rather than mere punishment; it produces a people shaped for lasting kingdom service. [01:16]
2. Prayer bridges God's possibilities and faith Prayer functions as the practical interface between divine promise and human obedience; asking activates what God has already purposed. When prayer flows from faith that knows God’s heart, it accomplishes outcomes beyond natural capacity and sustains perseverance in trial. Persistent, revealed prayer prevents weariness because it rests on assurance rather than striving. [02:22]
3. Prophetic intercession follows revealed will Prophetic intercession begins after God discloses his intent; it proceeds with confident, targeted petitions that implement heaven’s plan on earth. Unlike general spiritual warfare, this intercession aligns with clear revelation and brings decisive change when executed in unity with the Father. Cultivating the capacity to discern God’s mind moves prayer from speculation to authoritative action. [33:18]
4. God surrounds restorers with fire God promises protective presence that functions like walls and consuming fire around those he names to restore the earth. This divine enclosure repels intruders and secures families, ministries, and cities from destructive forces. Confidence in that protection enables courageous recovery, pursuit, and rebuilding in the face of loss. [54:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:17] - Session Overview
[00:35] - New Structure, New Stature
[01:16] - The Shakings of the Kingdom
[03:27] - Prophetic Intercession Overview
[04:06] - Church vs Kingdom Distinction
[11:02] - Hebrews: God Will Shake Everything
[14:07] - Haggai’s Shaking Prophecy
[28:12] - Upgrade: From Warfare to Intercession
[33:18] - Jesus’ Prayer Pattern Explained
[49:35] - Transition to Prophetic Intercession
[54:29] - Walls and Fire of Protection
[56:37] - Charge to Pursue Recovery

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Hebrews 12:26-28 (ESV)
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.

Observation Questions

According to Hebrews 12:27, what is the purpose of God’s “shaking”? What does it remove, and what remains?
In Acts 14:22, Paul says believers “must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” ([08:08]). What examples of trials or testing were mentioned in the sermon?
Zechariah 2:5 describes God as a “wall of fire” around His people. How does this imagery connect to the promise of protection for those who pursue restoration ([54:29])?

Interpretation Questions

Why might God allow trials and persecution to refine faith rather than simply removing obstacles for believers? How does this relate to the distinction between “crowd-driven religion” and “kingdom identity”?
The sermon describes prayer as a “bridge between God’s possibilities and human response” ([02:22]). How does Jesus’ prayer in John 11:41-42 (“You have heard me…you hear me always”) model this dynamic?
What does it mean for believers to function as “restorers of the earth” ([56:37]) in a season of shaking? How does this differ from merely surviving hardship?

Application Questions

When facing a trial or disappointment, how can you shift from asking “Why is this happening?” to “What is God refining in me through this?” ([08:30])
The sermon emphasizes praying with confidence in God’s revealed will. What area of your life needs prophetic intercession (praying God’s specific promises) rather than spiritual warfare (general requests for help)?
How might you “encourage yourself in the Lord” ([54:56]) this week if you feel overwhelmed by loss or delay? What practical step could you take to pursue recovery?
The “walls of fire” promise protection but also require trusting God’s timing. Where are you tempted to take matters into your own hands instead of waiting for His intervention?
In what relationships or environments can you actively advocate for justice for the poor and oppressed, aligning with God’s heart for the marginalized ([22:22])?

Sermon Clips

And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruit. How did he pray this time? He heard the word of the Lord. Go show yourself to Ahab and bring in rain on the earth. And when he executed judgment on the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, and then he announced to Ahab, I can hear the sound of the abundance of rain. From what he heard, he now prayed until his servant saw a cloud like the hand of a man. [00:31:17] (34 seconds) #PrayFromHearing

What's a bridge between God's possibilities and the man of faith's possibilities? A prayer. All we have to do is just ask. I want you to write this down, please. Write it in bold letters. The Christian faith allows individuals to act on God's promises and achieve things assumed beyond human capacity. I've said that before. That simply means all we need to do is ask because of the limitless possibilities of prayer. The limitless possibilities of prayer. If you are praying and you are getting result, you can't be tired praying. [00:02:19] (60 seconds) #PrayerIsTheBridge

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Learning Month '26 | STS | Our Warfare Has Ended II | FEB. 15th 2026 | Pastor 'Tunde Bakare