Monthly Archives: March 2022

MEMORISE
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Ephesians 5:33

READ: Ephesians 5:22 -33
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the c33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

MESSAGE
The responsibilities of both the husband and wife are spelt out in Bible, and made very simple. the responsibility of the wife is to submit, while that of the husband is to love. Many homes are in jeopardy because this order is not being followed. These two words – submit and love- are not difficult to understand. We all know what it means to submit and what it means to love. When both parties act on this order, there will be joy in the marriage. Therefore, if there is a home where joy is missing, you can be certain that obedience to this instruction from God is missing. A woman who is loved by her husband will blossom. A man whose wife submits to him will always be happy and at the end of the day, their marriage will succeed.

If you are a child of God, this instruction to submit to your husband or to love your wife isn’t a suggestion; it is a commandment from God. If you have not been experiencing joy in your marriage, you may need to check again to be sure you truly love your wife or submit to your husband.

A certain woman was always coming to ask me to pray concerning her husband’s behavior. One day I said to her, “When you get home today, serve your husband’s dinner, then invite him to the table, saying, “My lord”. She responded, “Whose lord?” I continued, “When he gets to the table kneel and serve him”. She said, “Over my dead body!” You see, this woman and her husband were both professors and she saw no reason to stoop that low for him. She had given her life to Christ, but her husband was yet to do the same and she really wanted him to. She was quiet for a while then agreed to do as I had instructed. When she got home and did as I asked, her husband said, “Tell the witch doctor who did this charm for you that it will not work on me”. She said “It is not a witch doctor; it is Pastor Adeboye who told me to do this”. He responded, “Really? Is that what they teach you in that Church? I will go there with you, then”. By the time I saw her next month, her husband had given his life to Christ and joy filled their home.

Wife, it does not matter if you are older than your husband, more educated or wealthier than he. As long as he is your husband, the Bible says you must submit. Husband, you must also love your wife unconditionally as Christ loves the Church.

PRAYER POINT
Do something special today to show your wife that you love her or husband that you reverence him

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 5-8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN: I LOVE THIS FAMILY OF GOD

I love this family of God,
So closely knitted into one,
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad to be a part of this great family.

I love this family of God,
So closely knitted into one,
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad to be a part of this great family.

I love this family of God,
So closely knitted into one,
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad to be a part of this great family.

I love (I love) this family (This family of God) of God,
So closely (So closely knitted) knitted into one, (Oh so knitted into one)
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad (So glad to be a part) to be a part of this great family.

I love this family.
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad to be a part (so glad to be a part of this) of this great family.

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MEMORISE:
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

READ: Genesis 18:1 -14
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

MESSAGE
When God comes visiting you, you an be sure you are in for pleasant surprises. As I have preached on several occasions concerning the issue of divine visitation, when God visits an individual, because He is a benevolent God, He does not come empty-handed as we see in our memory verse and Bible reading today. My prayer right now is that God will visit you with mercy and favor today, in Jesus’ name.

When Abraham was entertaining the three travelers as we see in our Bible reading today, little did he know that they were messengers of the benevolent God he had encountered in Genesis 12. The story of Abraham teaches us that we must be hospitable if we would experience divine visitation. God visits those who share the same attribute of generosity with Him because He is generous. He is generous that He gave His only begotten Son as a ransom for our sins (John 3:16), thus becoming the Father of millions of people who were once disobedient creatures.

When expressing generosity or hospitality, you must do it willingly, not as if you are being forced to do it. The angelic visitors would not have waited had they noticed any unwillingness in Abraham, his wife and the men who dressed a whole calf with speed.

One of the important benefits of a divine encounter is that you will begin to hear from God and His verdict on your enemies shall be made known to you as seen in Exodus 14:1-4, 1 Samuel 16:11-13 and 1 Samuel 17:37. When you have a divine encounter, obscurity shall be terminated immediately and you will be launched into the limelight (John 9:1-7). A divine encounter usually leads to accelerated promotion, according to Exodus 7:1. Your mockers will bow to you as seen in 2 Kings 2:1-15. Most importantly, a divine encounter motivates people towards a closer walk with God in holiness and righteousness, empowering them to become a terror to the kingdom of darkness. Furthermore, a divine encounter makes people more productive and fruitful in the vineyard of God.

May the Lord grant you a divine encounter today, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please help me to experience a divine encounter that would transform my life positively in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: JESUS, MY LORD MY GOD MY ALL
1 Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all,
hear me, blest Savior, when I call;
hear me, and from thy dwelling place
pour down the riches of thy grace.

Refrain:
Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore;
O make me love thee more and more.

2 Jesus, too late I thee have sought;
how can I love thee as I ought?
And how extol thy matchless fame,
the glorious beauty of thy name?

3 Jesus, what didst thou find in me
that thou hast dealt so lovingly?
How great the joy that thou hast brought,
so far exceeding hope or thought!

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MEMORISE:
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Acts 12:5

READ: Acts 12:1 -12
Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

MESSAGE
In today’s Bible text, we read that King Herod killed James the brother of John. On sensing that his wicked act pleased the Jews who were opposed to the disciples of Jesus Christ, Herod went further to arrest Peter for the purpose of executing him as well but prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him (Acts 12:5). The result of this Intercessory act of the Church was heart-warming. The Lord heard the prayers of the Church and sent angel to rescue Peter from the prison and also from being executed by Herod the King.

And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he’s mote Peter on the side, and raise him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
Acts 12:7

Beloved, we deprived ourselves the privilege of experiencing great testimonies whenever we do not go to God in prayers. The lyrics of a popular hymn captions this error brilliantly as follows,”O What peace peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Every thing to God in prayer”.

In our text of today, we see how beneficial it is to intercede for one another. It is unfortunate that instead of interceding, for example, for a brother or a sister undergoing a siege of sin or trial of faith, some people prefer to gossip about them. Many Christian brethren prefer to bury a wounded soldier instead of helping him to bounce back on his feet so that he could continue the fight of faith.

The Church interceded for Peter and he was rescued. The Church will always triumph if we can give ourselves to intercession and earnest prayer, one for another. This is the reason even Apostle Paul requested that the Christians should pray for him and the leadership of the early Church (2 Thessalonians 3:1). Prior to this time, this same Paul, together with Silas, prayed and sang praises to God in prison, leading to their mighty deliverance (Acts 16:25-30).

The body of Christ is in serious need of intercession. Will you commit to intercede for your brethren more?

ACTION POINT
Organize an Intercessory prayer programme in your household for at least two families that are under siege currently.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 32-34

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: 16. 0 GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST
1. 0 God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.

3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

4. A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

5. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

6. 0 God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come:
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

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MEMORISE
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Romans 8:34

READ: 1 Timothy 2:1 -4
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

MESSAGE
We would continue with discussion we started yesterday on the benefits of intercessions. In our Bible reading today, we are exhorted expressly to engage intercessions for all men and specifically for our leaders. In this text we see some important benefits of interceding for our leaders.

The Bible says our intercession for our leaders will cause us to lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. This is very important because living under an ungodly leader will promote corruption, as well as a departure from the earth. The Bible says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Proverbs 29:2). In order not to mourn therefore, we must intercede for our leaders – spiritual, political and so on. Believers must therefore not join the world in cursing our leaders but rather pray for them so we can lead a peaceful and godly life.

Intercession can also bring about a positive transformation in the life of an intercessor. In Job 42:10 we see that the Lord turned around the captivity of Job after he prayed for his friends. We should also note that Job prayed for his friends while he was still in distress and under intense attack from the enemy. This tells us that God expects us to engage in intercession irrespective of the situation we may be faced with and He will reward our labour of love.

Another benefit of intercession is revealed in the effect it has on unbelievers. When we intercede for sinners that they may be saved, our society will be safe for us to live in. As a matter of fact, law enforcement agents may eventually go on holidays when people are converted from criminal tendencies as a result of our intercession.

In addition, our Intercessory efforts would compliment the work of our Great Intercessor – Jesus Christ, who is presently at the right hand of God, interceding for us.

As followers of Christ, we must emulate Him and commit to a lifestyle of interceding for all men.

ACTION POINT
Put up an intercessory programme for some specific people who need divine intervention in your locality.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 29-31

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER
1. Sweet hour of prayerl
Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2. Sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless;
And since He bids me seek His face,
believe His word, and trust His grace,
I’Il cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayerl

3. Sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayerl
May I thy consolation share
Till, from mount Pisgal’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight;
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the ever lasting prize
And shout while passing through the all,
Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer.

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MEMORISE: And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them. Numbers 11:3

READ: Numbers 11:1 -3
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

3 And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

MESSAGE
Intercession can be simply described as the act of saying a prayer or making a statement on behalf of another person or group of persons. The ministry of intercession is as old as human history itself and it can come in different forms. For example in Genesis 4:15 we see God ‘interceding’ for Cain – a murderer:
◦ *And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.*

In today’s Bible reading, we see God’s representative (Moses), interceding for Israel when the judgment of God came upon them. The anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel because they misbehaved. They cried to God’s representative in their midst who then cried to the Lord, and the result was highly rewarding.

There are many lessons from this story, pointing to the benefits of intercession. One, it is a blessing to have a man that God listens to on your side. This tells us the type of Church leader we should choose for ourselves. Two, it is one thing to have a leader that God listens to and yet another to be able to approach such a person with your problems. The children of Israel cried to Moses and he in turn cried to God. The third lesson we should learn here is that the children of Israel chose to cry to God through Moses because they know their sin would prevent God from hearing them. Isaiah 59:1-2 says that iniquity would make God hide His face and not hear sinners. The fourth lesson is that we should live the life that will make us have direct access to our Father in heaven. The Bible says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19).

With Jesus in our lives, we can effectively intercede and gain God’s attention and favour.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please draw me closer to you so that I can have free access to your throne of grace in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 27-28

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: NEARE MY GOD TO THEE
1 Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

2 Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
yet in my dreams I’d be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

3 There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;
all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;
angels to beckon me
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

4 Then, with my waking thoughts bright with thy praise,
out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
so by my woes to be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

5 Or if, on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

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MEMORISE
But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Psalms 115:3

READ: Daniel 4:34 -37
34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

MESSAGE
​​​​The truth about God’s absolute sovereignty is seen in our Bible reading today. King Nebuchadnezzar declared, “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34).

Our memory verse confirms this truth about our God who is in heaven and does as He pleases. These scriptures are food for thought for those who would want to live a good life here and in the hereafter. One major lesson here is that God is capable of doing and undoing anything. He can kill and He can make alive. Where then is the bragging of mere mortals who, by a stroke of grace, are placed in privileged positions and begin to behave like the Almighty?

King Nebuchadnezzar leant his lesson the hard way, however, God was gracious to him and he lived to tell the story of the consequence of his pride. King Herod was not as fortunate as Nebuchadnezzar because in his arrogance, an angel of the Lord struck him and he was eaten up by worms before dying (Acts 12:21-23).

One then wonders why those in authority tend to act as if they have the power of life and death. Some even wrongly allow themselves to be addressed as if they are truly sovereign like the Most High God. This is the reason some of them refuse to allow Christ to reign in their domain. They would do everything possible to obstruct the gospel. How ignorant they are! The Psalmist says, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heaven shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision”(Psalm 2:2-4).

I can attest to the absolute sovereignty of God in every area of life and that is why I am determined to serve Him for the rest of my days. It would be best if you did the same.

PRAYER Join me to thank the Sovereign Lord for adding another year to my life today. Please pray that I will finish well in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 20-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 17: O LORD MY GOD

1. O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder consider all the works thy hand hath made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed;

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art!

2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze: Then sings my soul…

3. And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die – I scarce can take it in that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin: Then sings my soul…

4. When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation and take me home – what joy shall fill my heart! Then shall I bow in humble adoration and there proclaim, ‘my God, how great thou art!’ Then sings my soul.

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