MEMORISE:

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Ephesians 4:28

READ: Genesis 26:12-14

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

MESSAGE

Unemployment and poverty are some of the reasons people give for engaging in acts of stealing and fraudulent practices involving obtaining false pretense. However, such people are not being sincere with themselves or with God. There is only one legitimate cure for lack, and its name is hard work. When people say there are no employment opportunities, I beg to differ. What people to as unemployment is the lack of the type of job they want. Such people fail to diversify the scope of labor they are willing to engage in, and so they keep looking for white color jobs when there are other available jobs that can provide for their needs. Unfortunately, they consider such jobs to be beneath their status as graduates or professionals and hence choose to remain unemployed. Today’s Bible reading records how Isaac worked hard by sowing in a time of famine, notwithstanding the abundant blessings that were his by covenant! Those who steal to survive should learn from his example that there is an acceptable alternative to stealing which is hard work centered on God. Furthermore, in today’s memory verse, the Holy Spirit expressly commands those who steal under the excuse of poverty and joblessness to find something good to do so that they can even have more than enough to give to others.

The story of Obalola serves to illustrate today’s topic. One day, he and his friend went to the seer to know what the future had in store for them. To Obalola, the seer said “You will be king, if……”, but before the seer could finish, Obalola jumped up in excitement and sprinted away. In Obalola’s absence, the seer proceeded to deliver a prophesy to his friend. He had just begun saying “You will die poor, unless….”, when Obalola’s friend also stormed off, annoyed at what he was hearing. Having heard from the seer, Obalola began to play around, boasting that he would be king someday. His friend on the other hand decided that he would not die poor. This man went into the jungle with his farming implements and started farming. He worked the jungle until he turned it into a pleasant farm with crops being taken to the town for good money. In the course of time, the king of the town died and there was a famine in the land. Obalola’s friend with his great farm was the only source of survival for the town. Desperate for survival, the town’s people came to him and begged him to become their king. Meanwhile, Obalola had wasted his life boasting and waiting to become king; he died a pauper. Beloved, laziness in any form is not a Christian virtue. It makes people vulnerable to poverty, and poverty leads to desperate acts which erode integrity (Proverbs 24:30-34, Proverbs 30:7-9).

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me the health and strength to work and be productive in life

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 10-12
Jeremiah 44:11-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: TRUST AND OBEY.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

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MEMORISE:

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them. 1 Samuel 2:8

READ: Genesis 41:39-46

39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

MESSAGE

As observed by the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 1:9, some life events are capable of repeating themselves in history. One of these is the rags-to-riches story described in today’s Bible reading. Joseph had been sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers, and as if that was not enough, he was also framed and cast into prison, where he remained for some years until God’s favor rose over his destiny and took him to the throne as second-in-command of the largest empire on earth, even though he was a stranger there. The familiar story has some hidden lessons we can learn. First of all, God will do whatever He has purposed in His heart to do, regardless of any obstacles on the way. Although Joseph was destined to be great, his brothers thought they could abort God’s plan for his life by selling him into slavery. They could never have imagined that they were actually sending him to the place where his dreams of greatness would be fulfilled. Likewise, when Potiphar’s wife framed him, little did she know she was only acting as an instrument to bring about the fulfilment of God’s plan for him. In fact, Pharaoh’s butler could have been reinstated without him dreaming about it. God however made him dream about it so that Joseph could be known, and his gift of interpreting dreams could be used to save lives (Genesis 50:18-20).

Beloved, are you passing through the furnace of envy and jealousy of those you consider to be your brethren? Joseph’s experience can be repeated in your life. All you need to do is keep your focus on where God id taking you to. Joseph was focused and that was why he achieved his purpose in life. Some people give up on their dreams in the face of adversity. This is not right, because Proverbs 24:10 says:

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.”

Are you in the prison of despondency and uncertainty? I prophesy into your life today that you will ascend from that prison to the throne of joy and glory in Jesus’ name. those looking down on you shall begin to look up to you, and you will fulfil your destiny in Jesus’ Name. for you to fulfil your destiny gloriously, you need to align yourself with the Author of your destiny: Jesus Christ is His Name. that destiny which Satan, sin and the wicked people of this world have battered shall be restored, and today shall be your day of coronation in Jesus’ Name. congratulations!

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please take me to the place where Your purpose for my life will be fulfilled in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 8-9
Jeremiah 44:1-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

• There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
• Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

• There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

• There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

• There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

• There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.

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MEMORISE:

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Romans 6:12

READ: Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

MESSAGE

The flesh is Adamic nature that everyone is born with. This nature is subject to sin and is under its bondage. However, when a person becomes born again, he or she dies to this nature as it is nailed to the cross of Jesus and so sin no longer has dominion over such a person (Romans 6:6, Galatians 5:24). To live in this dominion, we must continually stand our ground in faith against the works of the flesh whenever suggestions to do them arise in our mind. Allowing the works of the flesh to manifest in your life after becoming born again implies choosing to be dominated by the flesh again (Romans 6:16). The Holy Spirit lists some works of the flesh in today’s Bible reading, and He makes it clear that those who engage in them cannot inherit the kingdom of God. It’s true that after becoming born again, we are still susceptible to the works of the flesh because of the mortal body we live in (Romans 6:12). However, when Jesus returns to transform us, this mortal body will be done away with and we will have a new body that is no longer susceptible to sin (1 Corinthians 15:35-54). For this reason, the Holy Spirit admonishes us to subdue the need and desires of our present body through self-denial and discipline so that the works of the flesh do not find expression through any of its parts. He says in Colossians 3:5:

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”

He also says in Romans 8:13:

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

Please take note of the terms the Holy Spirit uses in these verses. As Christians, we are to mortify our bodies and not the flesh because our flesh, which is the old Adamic nature, is crucified already. The mortification of our body must be done consciously and deliberately. Sharing his personal experience on this, Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:27:

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

Beloved, no matter the spiritual height you have attained, you have to keep subduing your body through self-denial and discipline so that it does not mess you up. This is the reason why I always say that one cannot be too careful when it comes to the issue of sin. May the Lord help us to finish well and strong in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT:

Abstain from anything that triggers sinful desires in your body such as going to night clubs, unnecessary body contact with the opposite sex, pornography and ungodly jokes.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 6-7
Jeremiah 43

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

• Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
• Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

• Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

• Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

• Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

• Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

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MEMORISE:

If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. John 13:14

READ: John 13:12-17

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

MESSAGE

Some people don’t know the difference between being a serving-leader and a servant-leader. A great example of a serving-leader is our Lord Jesus Christ. He served till the end of His earthly ministry and continues to serve even at the right hand of power in heaven (Romans 8:34), Hebrews 7:25). However, he is not a servant; He actually acknowledged His status as Lord and Master in John 13:13. It is unfortunate therefore that many followers want to make servants out of their God-ordained leaders. Leaders are meant to serve but not to be subject to servitude! This is what I personally describe as the “abuse of a leader”. Some people use their leaders to their own self advantage, and when such a leader dies, they jump over to another leader who they will also use to death! King Saul is a good example of a servant-leader. When he was confronted with his disobedience to god, he said in 1 Samuel 15:24:

“I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.”

The people he was supposed to guide were actually the ones controlling him, and by his own admission, he feared them.

When a serving leader becomes a servant-leader, people begin to wonder, “who is leading who?” God is not the author of confusion; this is why He always appoints a leader who He relates with and through whom He passes instructions to His people. Our Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear that there is a difference between a servant and a friend (John 15:15). A servant is limited, whereas a friend has a deeper relationship. This distinction is the reason why leaders appointed by God cannot be servants. Followers should be sincere enough not to try to make servants of their God-ordained leaders. Such leadership will not do them any good, and they may not be spared when these servant-leaders, whom they have badly influenced, receive their judgement from God. Some mischief makers who like to manipulate their leaders to do their bidding would always advocate for servant-leadership, because they don’t really want leaders; they would rather have a stooge who they can use for their own selfish interest. This arrangement is common in the political sphere, and cannot serve the interest of the people. If you are in such situation, remember you will give account of your service to God and not to a godfather. May God grant us leaders who will serve His interest in our churches and nations in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, make me a serving-leader and not a servant of individual interests. Also, give us serving-leaders and not servant-leaders who will lead us astray through the fear of men.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 4-5
Jeremiah 42:7-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU.

1.While passing thro’ this world of sin,
and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within;
Let others see Jesus in you.

Refrain:
Let others see Jesus in you,
Let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true;
Let others see Jesus in you.

2. Your life’s a book before their eyes,
They’re reading it thro’ and thro’
Say, does it point them to the skis,
Do others see Jesus in you?

Refrain

3. Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.

Refrain

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MEMORISE:

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Matthew 5:11

READ: Daniel 3:16-23

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

MESSAGE

Persecution is being mistaken for prosecution nowadays. There is a whole lot of difference between the persecution of a believer and his or her prosecution for evil deeds. As defined by the Lord Himself in today’s memory verse, it is persecution when men rise up against a Christian for the reason of his or her faith in Jesus Christ of choice to live by His principles. Standing firm in the face of persecution attracts blessings from the Lord (Matthew 5:12). When a child of God is undergoing a period of persecution, it is not because he or she has done anything wrong to warrant it. In fact, the Holy Spirit says in 1 Peter 4:15:

“ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.”

It is unfortunate that this meaning of persecution is gradually being eroded by those who compromise their faith and get indicted for it, who then whip up religious sentiments in order to garner sympathy and escape punishment. a lot of people who compromise their faith abound in the body of Christ today. Gone are the days when Christians suffered persecution in their places of work due to their uncompromising stand. Today, Christians connive with unbelievers to swindle their employers, or simply look away from the shady deals being perpetrated under their watch, for fear of persecution. They forget that they are actually the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Their salt is gradually losing its saltiness and their light is growing dimmer by the day. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were brought before the king Nebuchadnezzar, it was as though they were enemies of the state. Some of their brethren who had compromised their faith in the foreign land would have seen them as being proud, showy or acting holier-than-thou. It is very painful when members of a righteous man’s household turn out to be enemies or join forces with enemies to slander and persecute him.

I encourage you to recognize the difference between being punished for righteousness sake and being punished as an evil doer. Once you know this, and you are sure you are the same page with God, you will receive an internal boldness and peace that surpasses human understanding whenever persecution arises. This boldness was present in the three Hebrew young men, and it was also manifested by the early apostles (Daniel 3:16-18, Acts 4:19-21). As the light of the world, I admonish you to never do anything that would justify your being prosecuted as a criminal. If you must suffer prosecution for anything, let it be for upholding the cross of Jesus Christ, which you should never be ashamed of. May God continue to help you.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me comport myself in a way that always glorifies You, and let me never have cause to suffer as an evil doer.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 1-3
Jeremiah 41:9-42:6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

• I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

• The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

• Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though- none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

• My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

• Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back

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MEMORISE:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. Hebrews 8:9

READ: 1 Samuel 1:9-11

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

MESSAGE

For you to fully enjoy the benefits of your walk with God, you need to understand His character. One character traits of God is that He keeps His end of every covenant He enters into. In other words, He is a covenant-keeping God. Based on my experience, I can boldly say that entering into a covenant partnership with God is a wise thing to do. Times without number, God has proved it to me that no one can beat Him in adherence to the terms of a covenant relationship. In today’s Bible reading, we see a situation where God’s need intersected with the need of man to produce a covenant partnership. God urgently needed a faithful priest to replace Eli and his notorious children, while Hannah needed a son to silence her adversary, Peninnah, who continually mocked her on account of her barrenness. To get her heart’s desire, Hannah entered into a covenant partnership with God. She promised that if God would give her a male child, she would give him back to God. The deal was struck: Hannah got a son and God got his priest. The great God even went on to bless Hannah with five more children (1 Samuel 2:21)!

Testimonies abound on covenant partnership in our ministry; testimonies of how God has been keeping His own side of the bargain with those who have chosen to partner with Him in the advancement of His kingdom. There is one covenant partner in our ministry who rose from being an employee to becoming a member of his company’s board of directors. This exemplifies what those who partner with God stand to gain, provided they keep to their agreement with God. There is also this story of someone who chose to partner with God but decided to breach the covenant even before the first miracle matured. A young man came to us and shared his desire to become a covenant partner with God. We prayed, and he received his first breakthrough when someone hired him to put his estate up for sale. When we advised him to give God a tithe out of his profit from the deal, he flared up and said “not until another one comes!” He left in anger, but before long, the fellow who wanted to sell his estate changed his mind at the point of payment, to the extent that he literally chased this covenant breaker away! That was how the young man lost a huge business deal. Beloved, God is a very faithful business partner to have if you decide to enter into a covenant relationship, He chose to make us comfortable by asking for only a tenth of the blessing He gives us. To receive more blessings, the wise will want to increase God’s portion of this sharing formula. Like some of us have done. Choose to partner with God today and you will see how pleasant he is to do business with.

ACTION POINT:

Key into the power of covenant partnership today to receive the answer to a long-awaited request from God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 39-40
Jeremiah 40:13-41:8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

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MEMORISE:
And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Psalm 50:15

READ: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

9 And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.

10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

MESSAGE

Here’s some good news for children of God today: The Almighty God, the creator of the universe, still answers prayers of those who call on Him. There is someone using this devotional who thinks that God no longer answers prayers, because it seems you have never received an answer to your prayers before. Those testimonies you have been hearing of God’s awesome acts now look like make-up stories. The Lord asked me to declare to you these words of Jesus Christ today:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
John 16:23b-24

God’s promise in today’s memory verse is as valid as ever, and we must keep believing it. We should not allow the devil cheat us by convincing us to seek other alternatives instead of praying to God. When the Almighty declared the words in Psalm 50:15, He was not making a political statement; rather, He was telling us not only what He is capable of doing but also what He is eager to do if only we believe. In John 11:40, Jesus said to Martha:

“……. Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”

One man who experienced this prayer-answering God was Jabez. Reacting to the painful circumstances surrounding his birth, his mother gave him a name meaning “child of sorrow”. However, Jabez was determined to defy the negative influence of this bad name. he therefore called upon God and the Lord and granted his request. Are you under a similar burden? I decree over you today that like Jabez, every negative influence affecting you will be wiped away as you pray in faith in Jesus Name. you can learn a lot from the prayer of Jabez, particularly the way he rejected poverty by a simple prayer of faith. Jabez did not shy away from prosperity like some Christians do. I have tasted poverty, so much so that I had no shoe on my feet until I was eighteen years old. I have also tasted of divine prosperity. I can therefore tell you that one is far better than the other. Moreover, Jabez prayed that riches should come into his life without bringing calamity along. He believed that the God who blessed can equally protect him from the evil that can be associated with wealth. People who fear being wealthy should learn from the prayer of Jabez and begin to call on the prayer answering God, who alone can protect as well as bless (Proverbs 10:22). Go ahead and pray for your heart desires; today is your day of answered prayer.

ACTION POINT:

Following the pattern of Jabez’s prayer, ask the Lord to bless you indeed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 37-38
Jeremiah 40:1-12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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!

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.

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;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

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MEMORISE:

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:35

READ: Matthew 5:17-20

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

MESSAGE

To explain the place of law and grace in our lives as Christians, one of my sons once said that the law teaches us godliness while grace gives us the power to do what the law commands. We can then say that law and grace work together for us to live acceptably before God. You cannot claim to be under the grace of God and live a lawless life, because those who live under God’s grace are subject to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-2). You are a partaker of God’s grace because the Spirit of Lordship now lives in you and controls you to live by Christ’s commandments. On the other hand, you cannot obey the instructions of this Spirit of Lordship without the help of God’s grace. Why? It is because His standard is high and His was uncompromising. This is the reason why Christ paid such a high price for us to gain access to God’s throne, where we obtain grace that helps us in this regard. Hebrews 4:16 says:

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

God’s standard is entrenched in His word. No matter how much the world changes, the standards which God’s word sets for man to live by cannot be changed (Matthew 24:35, 2 Timothy 2:19).

Our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s Bible said He did not come to destroy the law or the prophets; rather, He came to fulfil them by the grace He brought from heaven. His grace is more than enough for those who are willing to obey God, love Him and worship Him in spirit and in truth. Whatever the Lord commands, He gives the grace to do (Philippians 2:13). From the Lord’s teachings in Matthew 5:27-32, it is obvious that His standard of the Law of Moses. This is because His standard establishes the will of God as it was in the beginning (Matthew 19:8). Thankfully, His grace is more than enough to help us meet this standard. For example, Christ brought the grace not only to avoid going into the act of sexual immorality but also to help us not lust after the opposite sex in our hearts (Matthew 5:27-28). The law says we should not commit murder, but the letter of grace helps us not to be angry at all. The same thing applies to the issue of divorce. Jesus Christ taught against divorce, equating it with the sin of adultery (Matthew 5:31-32). God’s standards have not changed, and they will never change. Our love for God should motivate us to live by His standards. James 1:25 says:

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Let us continually look into the perfect law of liberty in order to please our God daily.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please grant me the grace to live by Your standards daily, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 35-36
Jeremiah 39

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS

• Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
• Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

• Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

• Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

• Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

• Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue. Please

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MEMORISE:

Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul. Proverbs 29:17

READ: 1 Samuel 3:11-14

11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

MESSAGE

I think we can all agree that chastisement is not a pleasant thing. However, although nobody wants to be chastised, rebuked or corrected, it is necessary if we want to reach our goal in life. If we want young souls to become great, we must rebuke them, and sharply too, before it is too late. It is satanic psychology that teaches that children should not be corrected or punished for wrong doing. Contrary to this lie, the wisdom of God tells us in Proverbs 13:24:

“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”

It is not a virtue but rather vain glorying to hear people say, “I don’t punish my child” or “My father never punished me.” The Lord said He would judge the house of Eli forever for the iniquity of his children, because he knew about it but did not punish them for it (1 Samuel 3:13). Some parents cannot even endure the pain of chastising their children, and so they allow them to develop into persons with evil character. Such parents need to understand that God, in His wisdom, says in Hebrews 12:11:

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

Today, in the so-called developed world, corporal punishment is outlawed to the peril of the young and upcoming generation. Modern child psychology has vehemently come up against corporal punishment. It is therefore not surprising that modern society is paying a high price for this in the form of character erosion. There is no psychologist anywhere in the world that can be more accurate in judgement than the Creator of mankind who owns all children (Psalm 127:3). Based on what He knows about children, He said in Proverbs 22:15:

“ Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”

It is unfortunate that some people take this verse as a mere figurative statement. In any case, we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth (2 Corinthians 13:8). While I was growing up in my hometown, a rich parent arrested our teacher for flogging his child and this teacher vowed never to punish the children of the so-called rich among us again. Unfortunately, those children never amounted to anything good in life. Beloved, the child psychology that forbids chastening or rebuke gets its inspiration from the pit of hell. We must reject it in its entirety if we desire a glorious future for the next generation.

ACTION POINT:

Pray that God will fill the hearts of parents, guardians and teachers with His fear and wisdom to influence the next generation into godliness.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 33-34
Jeremiah 38:14-28

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES

1. God, give us christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the master’s
Will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty thy love hath wrought;
God, give us christian homes;
God, give us christian homes!

2. God, give us christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyous with love and song;
God, give us christian homes;
God, give us christian homes!

3. God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in queenly quest
Strive to show others thy way is best
Homes where the lord is an honored guest;
God, give us Christian homes;
God, give us Christian homes!

4. God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God, give us Christian homes;
God, give us Christian homes!
Amen.

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MEMORISE:
The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29

READ: Luke 18:1-8

1And 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 benefits of the elect are innumerable, but we will be reflecting on just one of these today, which is the benefit of answered prayers. Who are the elect in the first place? Isaiah 42:1a says,

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;…….”

The elects are those with whom the Lord is well pleased. How does one become an object of God’s pleasure? The Holy Spirit answers that question in Psalm 147:11, where He says:

“The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.”

Because God has given freewill to every person, we all have a role to play to be numbered among His elect. Whether people believe it or not, God has His favorites. You can choose to be one of His favorites by fearing Him and willing to walk in His ways. As a man, Jesus Christ was a favorite of God because He willingly offered Himself to do God’s will (Hebrews 10:5, Philippians 2:5-11). Therefore, in Matthew 3:17, God declared concerning Him:

“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

No wonder Jesus Enjoyed the benefit of answered prayers to the maximum when He was in the flesh. In John 11:41c-42, He said at the tomb of His friend Lazarus:

“Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Proverbs 15:29 tells us that the Lord hears the prayer of the righteous. Righteousness is a gift of grace that we receive through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22, Romans 5:17). Faith is required to obtain the righteousness of God which qualifies us to be numbered among His elect. This issue of faith is so important if we are to enjoy the benefit of answered prayers, so much s that when Jesus taught on the place of persistence in prayer, He asked this question in Luke 18:8b

“ Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

This question needs an individual response from everyone.

Beloved, you need to be one of God’s elect if you want your prayers to be answered. God listens to the cry of the elect and responds positively to their requests. You can enjoy this benefit if you give your life to Christ today and continually live by faith in His word.

KEY POINT:

The Good Shepherd only recognizes the voice of His sheep. If your prayers go unanswered, it’s time for you to check your life and your faith.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 31-32
Jeremiah 38:1-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

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!

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.

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;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

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