Monthly Archives: July 2022

MEMORISE: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

READ: John 5:4 -6

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

MESSAGE

Adversity may be a part of the system of this world, but my daddy – the Creator of the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1) – is greater than every adversity. Adversities are seemingly insurmountable circumstances that are greater than the power of man. They are mountains that hinder the progress of a person, a family or a group of people. Some adversities can be so great that the fellow would feel there is no way out. The Israelites faced this kind of adversity when they were delivered from slavery. Pharaoh and his army were coming behind and the Red Sea was right in front of them. The Israelites were afraid because, obviously, there was no way out. Humanly speaking, it was impossible to surmount such a situation. Even Moses did not know what to do until he cried out to God. My Daddy – the Almighty God – made a way where there was no way. For the first time in the history of man, a great body of water parted, and the children of Israel walked through that sea to the other side.

In the name of Jesus, I pray the Almighty God will deliver this kind of victory into your hands this day. This kind of unprecedented and unbelievable victory can only be found in Jesus Christ. The devil may raise storms around you, but Jesus gives absolute victory over every insurmountable situation.

Many years ago, during one of the Holy Ghost Congresses in Nigeria, a woman cried out for help, asking me to pray because she was barren, and her in-laws were not allowing her to enjoy peace in her home. I prayed for her and forgot about it. A year after this, I stood praying for people on a long line, and a woman stood before me, I asked her what she wanted, but she repeatedly said, “Jesus!” I was almost getting impatient. When I asked her again, she said “Jesus”, and explained to me that she was the woman I prayed for a year before about barrenness. Right there before me, she was holding a child with her right hand and one with her left. May God give you this kind of victory today in Jesus’ name.

God gives victory over adversities to His children. If you are yet to surrender your life totally to Jesus Christ, now is the time to do so, and every adversity against you will fall, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT

Father please, give me victory over every kind of adversity in my life, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 21-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS

1 My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

2 When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

3 His oath, His covenant, His blood,

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

4 When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found;

In Him, my righteousness, alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

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MEMORISE: He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Proverbs 29:1

READ: 2 Samuel 12:1 -13

1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

MESSAGE

Many a time, we do things that are wrong without knowing it. We just act as we like, whereas we are hurting other people or exhibiting a bad attitude. Those who are wise listen when people correct them and take to correction where appropriate. Those who are foolish however make excuses and ignore the correction. When we study the life of David and Saul, we will see the lot of the wise and the foolish ones. When Saul did wrong and Samuel corrected him, he made excuses and even tore Samuel’s garment in his refusal to take to correction in the presence of his subjects (1 Samuel 15:13-27). For David on the other hand, when Prophet Nathan corrected him, he immediately became sober and did all that he could to right his wrong (2 Samuel 12:15-18). At the end of the day, we see one of the reasons why God rejected Saul and loved David – their attitude to correction.

When people tell you that you get angry easily and you say, “No, I don’t get angry easily, it is just some useless people around me that get me angry”, or that you are lazy and sleep too much, but you respond, “The body is not wood; it needs rest once in a while, after all even Jesus slept while He was here on earth”, or even that you talk too much and you say, “Do you want me to become dumb?” then you have a problem and you must attend to it immediately. When God sends people to a person yet he or she keeps giving excuses, our memory verse for today says that the fellow would suddenly be destroyed and that destruction will be without remedy. If you want to see an example of this, look at Saul. The bible says in 1 Samuel 3:19 that God so honored the word of Prophet Samuel that not a word of his fell to the ground without being fulfilled, but when Samuel was pleading on behalf of Saul, God told him to stop wasting his time as He already found a replacement for him. (1 Samuel 16:1).

That little behavior that your spouse, boss, colleague, family members or neighbor have been correcting you about can either make or mar you; it depends on whether you take the correction or not. That little thing can bring irredeemable destruction if you are not careful. A word is enough for the wise.

REFLECTION

What are those things people have been telling you that you need to correct? Take the feedback today and begin to make necessary corrections in line with God’s word.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 17-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER

1 All to Jesus, I surrender

All to Thee I freely give

I will ever love and trust

You In Your presence daily live

Refrain

I surrender all, I surrender all

All to Thee, my blessed Savior

I surrender all

2 All to Jesus, I surrender Lord,

I give myself to Thee

Fill me with Your love and power

Let Your blessing fall on me

Refrain

3All to Jesus I surrender

Now I feel the sacred flame

O the joy of full salvation

Glory, glory, to Your name

Refrain

I surrender all, I surrender all

All to Thee, my blessed Savior

I surrender all (I surrender all)

I surrender all, I surrender all

All to Thee, my blessed Savior

I surrender all (all to Thee, my blessed)

All to Thee, my blessed Savior

I surrender all

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MEMORISED: I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. Psalms 40:1

READ: Psalms 40:1-5

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

MESSAGE

Many years ago in my home town, we needed to dig a well, so we called someone to do the job. After he had dug for so long and did not hit water, he gave up. Since our agreement was that we would pay him when he found water, he gave up the money too. We then called someone else to finish the job. The fellow also negotiated his pay and we agreed. The newly hired man continued from where the first man had left off and just as his digger hit the ground, water gushed out. Before long, he was done with his job and he collected all the money that the other fellow would have collected, without doing as much work.

You may just be one prayer away from receiving your answer. If you stop praying now, all the time and effort invested in praying over that matter may go to waste.

God can never withhold anything good from His children (Luke 11:11-13). He actually even wants better things for you that you can pray for. There may be things you have been asking Him for over a period of time; don’t worry, He can hear you and will answer in due time. when I was still living in house that is now called Open Heavens International Centre, my prayer room was more accessible to the children, but whenever I was in there, nobody dared disturb me except my youngest child who would come in anytime he wanted me to give him some cookies.

Sometimes I would ignore him, hoping that he would leave me alone, but he would not give up. At last, I would realize that if I really wanted to pray, I would have to get up from my prayers and attend to him first. Can you keep asking God for what you want until He says, “I had better give this boy/girl what he /she wants so that I can rest”? Certain destiny-changing miracles will not take place until you are ready to tell God, “I will not let You go unless You bless me” like Jacob did. Ask your spouse to pray along with you whenever you seem to be getting weary in praying over a particular matter. If you are not married, look for a Christian, preferably of the same gender, who can pray with you, so the person’s iron may sharpen yours (Proverbs 27:17).

If what you are asking for is the will of God and you don’t give up, your answer will come in due season.

ACTION POINT

Pray without ceasing.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 14-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

1. Sweet hour of prayer! 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!

the joys I feel, the bliss I share

of those whose anxious spirits burn

with strong desires for thy return!

With such I hasten to the place

where God my Savior shows his face,

and gladly take my station there,

and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

3. 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,

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MEMORISE: Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

READ: Luke 18:1 -8

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

MESSAGE

The wicked judge never respected anyone. He never deferred to anyone. However, as this poor widow troubled him relentlessly with her cry for justice, we see that the judge who was wicked had to response to her so that she could let him rest. Many children of God give up on their prayer before God responds to them. If that woman had stopped knocking just at the point which the judge was deciding to grant her request, she would not have had justice. Many Christians were only one prayer away when they gave up and lost their miracle. Sometimes you pray once and God will answer immediately, but at other times, you need to keep pressing in the spirit for your answer to come. If you stop pressing at some point, the answer may not come. That is why the concluding part of John 16:24 says:

…ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

I know that sometimes God wants you to keep praying, not because He doesn’t want to answer, but because there is something He wants to perfect in you and that thing can only be completed when you press deeper into the spirit.

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:3-4

I can tell you for sure: if God had answered all my prayers the very first time I asked, I would not be as deeply involved with Him as I am today. Prayer is more a blessing for us, than it is for God. You must always remember that prayer does not change who God is, prayer changes you. The more you pray and commit to prayer, the more strengthened you become as a Christian. There may be things you want God to do for you; even if those things are yet to come, don’t ever give up praying. God is not reluctant to give you what you asked for, but with your constant prayer in faith, you’re building a cloud of blessings that will soon break out upon you. Until your joy is full, don’t stop knocking on heaven’s door. Keep pressing in the spirit until your answer comes.

ACTION POINT

What are those things you have stopped praying for now simply because the answer didn’t come? List them out now and begin to include them in your daily prayers again.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 12-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN12: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1 My faith looks up to thee,

thou Lamb of Calvary,

Savior divine.

Now hear me while I pray;

take all my guilt away;

O let me from this day

be wholly thine!

2 May thy rich grace impart

strength to my fainting heart;

my zeal inspire!

As thou hast died for me,

oh, may my love to thee

pure, warm, and changeless be,

a living fire!

3 While life’s dark maze I tread,

and griefs around me spread,

be thou my guide.

Bid darkness turn to day,

wipe sorrow’s tears away,

nor let me ever stray

from thee aside.

4 When ends life’s transient dream,

when death’s cold, sullen stream

shall o’er me roll,

blest Savior, then, in love,

fear and distrust remove;

O bear me safe above,

a ransomed soul!

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MEMORISE: I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. John 10:14

READ: Galatians 3:21 126

21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

MESSAGE

In Ephesians 5:1, the Bible says:

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.

Anyone claims to be a child of God must also ensure that he or she behaves like God. If a child claims to belong to a father and he is loyal to another father, that would be deemed a bastard. This means that if you claim to be a child of God, you may need to check where you really stand. 1 John 3:9 says those who are born of God do not sin. Are you still sinning and feeling it is normal. A true child of God cannot consider sin to be normal. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 7:16:

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

What is this fruit? It is the fruit that proves to everyone that meets you that you have the Spirit of God living in you – the fruit of the Spirit. What fruits do you bear? Based on the fruits that you bear, whose child can your colleagues, family members and your neighbors say that you are? Do your colleagues bring offers to you to cheat your organization because they know you will consent to them? If yes, you are not bearing fruits for God but for the devil. Do you still repay evil with evil? That is not the character of God but the devil. You need to be clear whose child you are so you don’t fall into the category of a bastard. If you are a child of the devil, why claim to be a child of God? Why join the children of God to suffer your stomach when it is time to fast? Why not just go ahead and live for the devil all the way so when he is to be sent to the lake of fire you’ll go along with him? However, if you claim to really be a child of God, then your character should resemble that of Christ and everyone around you should testify that you resemble your Father in heaven.

On the last day, Jesus will sift the shaft away from the wheat. He will separate the bsastards from His real children. This is because, on the last day, He will tell some people “I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all [ye] workers of iniquity” Luke 13:27). If you are indeed a child of God, you will be living a holy life.

REFLECTION

Take a moments to inspect your life right now. In what areas are you not been behaving like God? Repent and start to behave like your Father.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 3-5

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!

4 Jesus, of thee shall be my song;

to thee my heart and soul belong;

all that I have or am is thine,

and thou, blest Savior, thou art mine.

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MEMORISE: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

READ: Psalms 24:3 -5

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

MESSAGE

From the memory verse, we see straightaway that the visa to heaven is a pure heart. The state of your heart determines whether you will go to heaven or not. This is because your words and actions will be based on the state of your heart. Matthew 12:34 says:

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 5:24 says that if you look at a woman to lust after her, you have committed adultery already. The same is true for women. Leviticus 17:11 says that the life of an animal is in its blood. The heart is the organ that pumps blood into the body: this means that the heart is the seat of life. Keep your heart diligently for indeed, out of it comes the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

When you become born again, your bloodline changes. You are now from the bloodline of God. Your heart therefore becomes brand new. This is why 2 Corinthians 5:17 says when you become born again, you are now a new creature. In Ezekiel 36:26, the Lord says He will give you a new heart. With this new heart, you have a new life flowing within you – the life of Christ Himself. 1 John 3:9 says:

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

If you are born of God, your heart now pumps the life of Jesus into your body, so you cannot commit sin. This is why I wonder at the doctrine of the ‘extreme grace’ preachers who say you can become born again and still continue sinning. If you are still permitting sin in your life, don’t deceive yourself, you don’t have the life of Christ in you. Holiness is not a doctrine of the Old Testament, it is the lifestyle and nature of children of God, whether in the Old Testament or not. Yesterday, in this devotional, we discussed holiness and we did not make any reference to any Old Testament Scripture; all the Scriptures were from the New Testament. Don’t let anyone deceive you with false doctrines of grace coexisting with sin. Without holiness, no man can see God.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please help me to keep my heart pure at all times.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 146- 150

HYMN 8: I’M PRESSING ON THE UPWARD WAY

1. I’m pressing on the upward way,

New heights I’m gaining every day;

Still praying as I onward bound,

“Lord, plant my feet on higher

ground”.

CHORUS

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,

By faith on heaven’s table-land;

Where love and joy and light abound,

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

2. My heart has no desire to stay,

Where doubts arise and fears dismay;

Though some may dwell where

these abound,

My constant aim is higher ground.

3. Beyond the mist I fain would rise,

To rest beneath unclouded skies,

Above earth’s turmoil peace is found

By those who dwell on higher ground.

4. I long to scale the utmost height,

Though rough the way, and hard the fight,

My song while climbing shall resound

Lord lead me on to higher ground.

5. Lord lead me up the mountain side,

I dare not climb without my Guide;

And heaven gained, I’ll gaze around,

With grateful heart from higher ground.

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MEMORISE: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

READ: Daniel 4:27 -37

27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

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

One day, I was on a prayer walk when I got into a conversation with God. You see, if you were to ask a primary pupil what the origin of a building is, he would say it is in the architect’s mind. A secondary student would say it is in the owner’s mind. Someone who has a bit of deeper knowledge would tell you that the origin of the building started when the owner of the building was born. If you were to consider it more deeply, you would see that if the parents of the owner of the building had never met each other to conceive him or her, the building would never have been built. Then again, if the parents were not born, they would never have met each other and the building would never have been built. By the time you go on and on, you would discover that everything we see in this world originated from God Himself. Every single thing.

Now, look at all things you have. Where do they originate from? From you or from God? Many times, people say, “I worked hard to achieve the things I have. I used my brain well and money came in”. Who owns that brain of yours? There was a professor who always sat in front of my grammar school when I was a student there. If you want to hear real history, all you had to do was just buy him a drink and he will tell you all that you needed to known about the history of any part of the world you asked of, yet he could not remember his own name. It is only by the mercy of God that your brain is still working. It is only by His mercy that you are not homeless today. It doesn’t matter what you achieved, it all came from God and if you decide to raise your shoulders too high He can withdraw it all, as in the case of Nebuchadnezzar in our bible reading today. He thought that all he had was achieved by his own wisdom, so God decided to teach him a lesson. God just shifted something tiny in his brain and before anyone knew it, the king was out in the field eating grass for seven years. The moment God had mercy on him and restored his senses, he ceased from praising God, saying “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his days judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase” (Daniel 4:37).

PRAYER POINT

Father, I just want to praise you for all that you have given me. I recognize that it is not by any power that I have whatever I have, it is by your mercy. Thank you Lord, for showing me mercy.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 136-138

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: O WORSHIP THE KING ALL GLORIOUS ABOVE

1 O worship the King all-glorious above,

O gratefully sing his power and his love:

our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,

pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

2 O tell of his might and sing of his grace,

whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,

and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

3 Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;

it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

4 Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.

Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,

our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

5 O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,

whom angels delight to worship above!

Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,

in true adoration shall sing to your praise!

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THEME: THE DANGEROUS MIXTURE

MEMORISE: And what concord
hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 2 Corinthians 6:15

READ: Matthew 6:24
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

MESSAGE

Many years ago, I travelled for a ministration. After I was done ministering, I got in my car but it refused to start. I called a mechanic to look at it and he discovered that the petrol I had bought into the car was mixed with water, hence he had to empty the tank and get rid of every particle of water in it then put pure petrol in it before I could move. While I was waiting for him to finish working on the car, a message hit me. The car could not move on a mixture of petrol and water, so also, many people don’t move forward in life because they are mixing light. with darkness in their lives. Indeed, what fellowship has light with darkness (2Corinthians 6:14)?

If you want God to multiply your finances, don’t mix stolen funds with your legitimate earnings. Once you start stealing money, forget about God’s blessings.

One day, a governor came to me for prayers towards his contest for a second term in office. God said to me that he would win and I told him. However, the elections came and he lost. It was absolutely clear that the election was rigged. I went back to God and said, “Lord, but you are the One who said this man would win; what happened?” God told me to send for him and ask him what happened, because after he left the Redemption Camp, he went to have meetings with witches and people of the occult. God said He had already decided that he would win the election, but when he went to meet occultic people, He changed His mind. It still surprises me that as much as we have said that God hates sin, many people don’t understand it. You cannot continue to sin and expect God’s grace to abound! God forbid! (Romans 6:1-2). If you want God to be involved in your life, stay away from anything He hates. Don’t lift up ‘holy’ hands in Church and then use those same hands to fornicate. Don’t praise God with your mouth and then use the same mouth to tell lies. You are inviting God’s wrath that way.

If you want to serve the devil, serve him wholeheartedly rather than to try and serve God and the devil at the same time. If you want to serve God, you will have to hearken diligently to His word, and in return, He will give you abundant life. Don’t mix the two.

Key Point:
You cannot continue in sin and expect God’s grace to abound in your life. God forbids it!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalms 132-135

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER
1 All to Jesus, I surrender
All to Thee I freely give
I will ever love and trust
You In Your presence daily live

Chorus:
I surrender all,
I surrender all
All to Thee,
My blessed Savior
I surrender all

2. All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken.
Take me, Jesus, take me now. [Chorus]

3. All to Jesus I surrender
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me. [Chorus]

4. All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His namel
[Chorus]6

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MEMORISE: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Psalms 103:2

READ: Deuteronomy 8:11 -18

11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

MESSAGE

A good study of the Scriptures will show you that probably the worst sin anyone can commit is that of ingratitude. Anyone who neither appreciates what has been done for him or her, nor knows how to show gratitude, cannot go far in life. When you read the story of the origin of sin in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden, you will see what I am talking about. God gave man an entire garden. It wasn’t Adam who planted the garden. God planted the garden and everything he would ever need was there. God then said He wanted to reserve just one tree for Himself. Man still went ahead and ate from that tree that was reserved tor God. Therefore God said, “Well, if you don’t appreciate all the things in this garden, then maybe you should leave it and go out to fend for yourself.”

In Malachi 3:8-10, where God says if you don’t bring all the tithes to His house, you are cursed, what He is actually saying is, “What is wrong with you? Whatever you have, I gave it to you. How come you can’t even say thank you with 10%?” When you read 1 Samuel 15 and compare it with 1 Samuel 10, you will see why God was so angry with King Saul. “When I wanted to appoint you king, you yourself said ‘Me of all people? My tribe is the smallest in Israel, my family is the smallest in my tribe, I am the smallest in my family and you want to make me a king”? Saul even went to hide because he himself saw that he was nothing. Now, God sent him on a mission and he didn’t carry out the instructions of the Lord. When the man of God came to talk to him in 1 Samuel 15 he reminded him that he was small even in his own eyes; how come he had now become so big that he had forgotten the One who promoted him? If you wait for God to remind you of His benefits towards you, then you are in trouble. However, if you make it a duty to always appreciate Him for his benefits in your life, then you will keep going higher and higher. David in our memory verse for today said he would never forget God’s benefits towards him. That is why he kept rising until he became father to the King of kings.

The elder in Africa have a saying that when you have done good to someone and the fellow is ungrateful, it is as if you have been attacked by an armed robber, don’t let God see you as an armed robber.

REFLECTION

Make a list of all the benefits of God in your life and thank Him specially for each of them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 120- 124

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 15: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD

1 Now thank we all our God

with heart and hands and voices,

who wondrous things has done,

in whom his world rejoices;

who from our mothers’ arms

has blessed us on our way

with countless gifts of love,

and still is ours today.

2 O may this bounteous God

through all our life be near us,

with ever joyful hearts

and blessed peace to cheer us,

to keep us in his grace,

and guide us when perplexed,

and free us from all ills

of this world in the next.

3 All praise and thanks to God

the Father now be given,

the Son and Spirit blest,

who reign in highest heaven

the one eternal God,

whom heaven and earth adore;

for thus it was, is now,

and shall be evermore.

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MEMORISE: I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1

READ: Philippians 4:8

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Psalms 34:1 -5

1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

MESSAGE

Probably the greatest thoughts any man can have are those of praise to God – when you just sit and begin to think of this great God and how marvelous He is. It is such thoughts that yielded names like “Greater than the greatest, Stronger than the strongest, Richer than the richest, Wiser than the wisest, Older than the oldest” which I call God today. It is such thoughts that every child of God should have.

Some people are angry with God because they feel He did not show up for them when they needed Him, but how can you be angry with your Maker? Isaiah 45:9 says:

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

I laugh most times when I hear people give God ultimatums to do their bidding. If He doesn’t do what you want, what can you do? Will you charge Him to court? Who will rule against the King of kings? In our memory verse for today, David said he would bless the Lord at ALL times. This means that, whether in sorrow or happiness, plenty or lack, life or death, he would continue to bless the Lordl. He also said in Psalm 71:20 that even though he had been through many sorrows, he knew that God would raise him again.

Today: I want you to put aside all your troubles and just think of how great God is. Look for a notebook and write down some of your thoughts of praise for Him. You can even share some of these thoughts with other people around you and discuss the greatness of our God. Let thoughts of praise to this Mighty God fill your heart all the time.

KEY POINT

You can’t fight the maker of heaven and earth; praise Him instead.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 119: 121-176

AUTHOR: E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: O WORSHIP THE KING ALL GLORIOUS ABOVE

1 O worship the King all-glorious above,

O gratefully sing his power and his love:

our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,

pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

2 O tell of his might and sing of his grace,

whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,

and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

3 Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;

it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

4 Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.

Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,

our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

5 O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,

whom angels delight to worship above!

Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,

in true adoration shall sing to your praise!

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