MEMORISE:
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Luke 14:28
READ: Luke 14:28-32, Nehemiah 1:11-2:8
Luke 14:28-32
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
Nehemiah 1:11-2:8
1:11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.
2:1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:Matthew 18-19, Isaiah 7:10-8:10

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

Many people do not realise that the Almighty God is a strategist and a God of order. This divine character is evident in the story of creation itself. The orderliness and sequence of the project of creation can only have come from the mind of a master strategist. The light came first, then the firmament, then the gathering together of the waters and the appearance of dry land, followed by the vegetation upon which the animals would feed, before the animals themselves were created (Genesis 1:1-13). Everything was in place before man was created. What a wonderful God we serve! No wonder the Psalmist in Psalm 53:1b says:
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”
In today’s memory verse, the Lord Jesus Christ shared with us the divine wisdom embedded in strategic planning. It takes strategic planning for anyone to succeed in life, and the good news is that the greatest strategist is our Father in heaven. The ability to strategise wisely is therefore available to us when we give our lives to God through Jesus Christ. Irrespective of how disjointed you may appear to be as a person, as a born-again Christian, you are a partaker of the divine nature of God, and so you are a strategic planner by nature (2 Peter 1:4). You need to understand this truth and begin to apply it to your reality.
Nehemiah was one strategic builder. Through strategic planning, he was able to do what seemed humanly impossible. Though very passionate and driven about his mission to rebuild the house of God and the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah was not presumptuous in his zeal. His strategy was built on the foundation of first seeking divine guidance through prayer and fasting (Nehemiah 1:4). Some children of God, maybe due to unrealised hidden pride, would not pray like Nehemiah did to find mercy in the sight of the king (Nehemiah 1:11). To succeed in life, we need the favour of God to be manifested in the attitude of men towards us. No wonder Luke 2:52 says:
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
The good news is that even though human beings are complex and unpredictable, they are still under the control of their Maker. Establishing this truth in Proverbs 21:1, the Holy Spirit says:
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.”
Nehemiah strategically presented his case before the king, and because he had presented his case to the Lord before going to the king, he got what he wanted: leave of absence, authority to build, the materials for the project and security in the course of building. The project would have ended in failure if any of these variables was missing. Beloved, be strategic in the planning of your life under the guidance of the Holy Trinity.
ACTION POINT:
Strategically plan how you will achieve your vision and objectives for this year.
HYMN
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
Chorus:
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 nor a fear
Not a sigh nor 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 nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest 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 favour He shows,
And 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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20

Memorise: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:24
Read: Psalm 24:3-4(KJV)
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.
Read: Galatians 2:20-21(KJV)
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Bible in one year: Matthew 16:17, Isaiah 6:8-7:9

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

One of the original plans of God for man is for man to continually have fellowship with Him. This is the reason why He created man to be like Himself. Genesis 1:26 says:
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
The Bible further reveals in the second and third chapters of Genesis that after creating man, God fellowshipped with him until this divine relationship was bungled through sin. Genesis 3:8 says:
“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”
From this verse of scripture, it is evident that God came down to take a walk with His beloved image carries, but sin came and destroys their fellowship. The interesting thing is that God is still interested in walking with as many as would determine in their hearts to pay the price of godly living, just like He did with Enoch (Genesis 5:24).So, how can we walk with God? The answer lies in the instruction that God gave Abraham in Genesis 17:1:
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” We see from this verse that it was God Himself who appeared to Abraham. In other words, we cannot discover God by our personal efforts. You cannot search for the Almighty God through religion; you only discover Him when He reveals Himself to you (Matthew 11:27, John 6:44, John 15:16). Another lesson is that living a holy life can never be compromised as the condition for walking with God. Immediately God made Himself known to Abraham, He declared holiness as the term on which they could walk together. This is why I am so addicted to the teaching of holiness. Under the New Testament, to walk with God as a Christian requires experiencing what Paul describes in today’s Bible reading, wherein you must allow your old Adamic nature to die on the cross of Jesus Christ. That disobedient heart that yearns for its own way, influenced by the old serpent, must be circumcised to bleed to death while you are infused with the new life that flows in the Blood of Jesus Christ. Then and only then can you have a blessed and successful walk with our Maker.

Prayer Point
Father, please empower me not to frustrate the grace of Your divine righteousness that came through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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20

Memorise: But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Acts 5:3
Read: Luke 13:6-9, Acts 4:36, Acts 5:5
Luke 13:6-9
6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
Read: Acts 4:36
36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
Read: Acts 5:5
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Bible in one year: Matthew 14-5, Isaiah 5:24-6:7

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

Just as the Lord Jesus Christ cursed the fruitless fig tree in our lesson yesterday, we see a similar scenario playing out in today’s Bible reading. These two examples are indicative of heaven’s standpoint of zero tolerance for fruitlessness. This principle is laid bare by the Master Himself in John 15:2, where He says: “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” Heaven values fruitlessness and would rather preserve and purge a fruit tree to make it bring forth more fruits. On the other hand, every unfruitful tree stands the risk of being uprooted and done away with.
In continuation of the subject matter studied yesterday, we must never lose sight of the lesson learnt not to lead a fake life. Acts 5:1-5 tells of a man in the early Church who attracted capital punishment to himself by living a pretentious life. One thing we learn from the story of Ananias and Sapphira is that the lie they told was unnecessary. This fact is buttressed by Peter’s question to Ananias in Acts 5:4, saying: “Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”
In other words, “Ananias, why should you lie to the Holy Spirit who knows everything? The land belonged to you. If you gave 50% and chose to keep the remaining 50% for your personal use, nobody would query you for doing so.” The problem with Ananias and Sapphira was that they wanted to be recognised to have a virtue they did not actually possess. Prior to their unfortunate act, Joses Barnabas has sold his land, bought the total proceeds and had been commended by the apostles. He was even given a nickname: “The Son of Consolation”. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to receive the same level of commendation but they could not do what Barnabas did, and so they lied to earn it. Romans 12:3 says: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to everyman  to measure of faith.”
You must therefore learn from the fig tree and from Ananias and Sapphira that living a fake life can only earn you a bad reputation, shame and untimely death. This will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, please cause me to be fruitful in Jesus’ Name. Please remove vanity from my heart and don’t let me die before my time.
Hymn
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.
Chorus:
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?
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.

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20

Memorise: “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.”– Proverbs 31:30
Read: Matthew 21:18-22 (KJV)
18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Bible in One Year: Matthew 13, Isaiah 5:8-23

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

For the next two days, we shall be reflecting on some lessons from the fig tree which Jesus condemned to death for being fruitless. Fruitlessness is a grievous deviation from God’s purpose and should be a source of concern to all children of God. From our Bible reading, we see that our Lord Jesus Christ was attracted to the fig tree because everything about it told Him that it had the capacity to bear fruit, but alas, He was disappointed (Matthew 21:19). For this reason, the first lesson we need to learn from the fig tree is that physical appearance can be very deceptive. This lesson is stated very clearly in today’s memory verse. In 1 Samuel 16:7b, when Samuel went to anoint another king to replace King Saul from the house of Jesse, God explained to him: “For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” These words should speak to young people who are waiting on the Lord for a godly spouse.
Another lesson to be learnt from the fig tree is that it is dangerous for you to portray yourself to be what you are not. The appearance of the fig tree was such that anybody would expect it to possess some fruit. One can reasonably assume that the fig tree was cursed, not necessarily because it did not bear fruit (Mark 11:13 clearly says it was not its season to bear fruit), but rather it deceptively appeared to bear fruit. Unfortunately, these days, people pretend a lot. To their shame and peril, many people fail to get the help they need from potential helpers because of the fake lifestyle they portray to the world. They ride in borrowed cars to show off wealth that they do not possess. When such people ask for financial assistance from their closest friends, it is assumed that they are just joking or trying to hide their real worth. Also, many marriages have broken down irreparably because of deceitful lifestyle. During courtship, some couples conceal many things from each other only for the truth to be discovered on the first night of marriage. Some men appear to be gentle during courtship only for them to show their true colours as wife-beaters after the woman says “I do”. Sadly for them, a fellow who sows deceit will also reap deceit. An adage in my mother-tongue says, “The wife you choose from a dancing floor will sooner or later dance away from your house.”
Beloved, the antidote for a life of deceit is to be in Christ, who is the Truth. Accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour today, and the shame that follows a deceitful life will cease in your life. When you have the Truth in your life, you will not be a victim of deceit, because you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32)

Action Point: Repent of all appearance of deceitful living, and be truthful to God, your neighbour and to yourself.
Hymn
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.
Chorus:
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?
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.

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20

MEMORISE:But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. Proverbs 6:32
READ: Luke 8:5, Proverbs 5:15-20
Luke 8:5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
Proverbs 5:15-20
15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.
18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:Matthew 11-12, Isaiah 3:24-5:7

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

Over the past two days, we have been learning from the Parable of the Sower. The importance of this parable is underscored by the fact that Jesus referred to it as the key to understanding the mysteries of His other parables. In Mark 4:13, He said:“Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?”
Today, we will reflect on this teaching from the perspective of marital faithfulness and fruitfulness. When a man sleeps with a woman, he is sowing seeds into her. In light of this truth, the Holy Spirit makes us understand in Malachi 2:15 that there is a difference between godly and ungodly seeds resulting from this act. Let every man therefore beware of where he sows his seeds, and let every woman be cautious of the type of seeds she receives into the ground that is her body. Sow wisely for your godly seeds to come at God’s appointed time. Proverbs 6:33 profoundly says: “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.”
In other words, when you have illicit sexual intercourse with a woman other than your wife, you lack understanding of the fact that you are sowing into a wrong soil. As a woman, it is foolhardy for to allow weeds to be sown into your vineyard through adultery.
“For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.” Proverbs 5:3-5
Another lesson to learn from the Parable of the Sower is that keeping a concubine is very costly. What your spouse cannot demand from you, a concubine will. If you are engaged in adultery or fornication, you are sowing to grounds that cannot bring forth any profitable harvest. Some men build houses for their concubines and expend resources on training children that don’t belong to them. Sex workers and concubines are always disrespected and abused by men who are merely using them. The motive of these men is not to hold on to them forever but to use and dump them as they choose. Eventually, they will have to face the consequences of their sinful way of life. If you are caught in the web of this lifestyle, call on Jesus to deliver you before it is too late. Remember, today is the day of salvation; tomorrow may be tool late.

ACTION POINT:
Separate yourself from all strange men or women engaging your life in fruitless sowing today, and keep only to your lawfully wedded spouse.
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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20

MEMORISE:
Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: Proverbs 24:3
READ: Mark 4:2-9, Mark 10:29-30
2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark 10:29-30
29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

Yesterday, we learnt a great lesson from the futility of indiscriminate sowing from the Parable of the Sower. The Holy Spirit taught us that it would amount to a waste of seed, time and energy if we do not sow wisely. Today, we will reflect on the benefits of sowing with wisdom.
To conclude His parable on the sower, the Lord in Mark 4:8 said:
“And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.”
The first lesson here is that seeds don’t all yield the same amount of fruit. Every child of God must have this understanding in order not be frustrated by unfulfilled expectations. In His own wisdom, the Owner of the Church did not endow every member of His Church equally (Romans 12:6-8). What is important is that we all sow seeds, using the endowments God has given to each of us, and we must do all within our ability to maximise the potential of our seed in order to yield the expected fruits (John 15:16). It will therefore be wrong for us, as members of the Body of Christ, to begin to compare ourselves competitively with one another. The Holy Spirit discourages this type of attitude among the brethren (2 Corinthians 10:12).
When we choose correctly the right soil to sow our seeds into, we are bound to prosper. It is frustrating to work and have nothing to show for it. Peter experienced this in Luke 5:3-8, by by the time he encountered the Owner of heaven and earth, he had a big catch. From Peter’s experience, you will be wise to learn that you need Jesus Christ, who is Himself the Wisdom of God, to experience breakthroughs in life without struggle (1 Corinthians 1:24-29). Moreover, if you are one of those who pay tithes and give offerings as commanded by God, you must identify the correct soil to sow these seeds of faith into. You must identify a commission which has God’s backing to sow your seeds of giving into. Many people have been discouraged from paying their tithes, offerings and first fruits because God’s promise on these in Malachi 3:10 is not fulfilled in their lives. They have become disgruntled about giving, not only to God but also to the needy, because they lack adequate knowledge on the priciples of sowing. The problem is that many people unknowingly sow among thorns and thistles, on the roadside or even on the rock. From the Parable of the Sower, we know what happens to such seeds. This will not be your experience in Jesus’ Name. Some ministries which are not founded on the call of God are like the wayside and rocky ground that Jesus described; you will be wise not to sow your time and resources in such places. Overall, the best investment you can make is to sow the seed of your life into Christ. If you do, you will surely reap the benefits in multiple folds (Mark 10:30, John 10:10).

KEY POINT:
God is not committed to what He hasn’t commanded. Are you sowing into a cause that has His backing?
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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20

MEMORISE: Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7
READ: Matthew 13:1-9
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Bible in one year:Matthew 6-8, Isaiah 2:6-22

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

If you have heard or read the Parable of the Sower as told by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, you must have learnt some lessons from it. However, if the Lord tarries, the Holy Spirit will be teaching us some more lessons from the parable over the next few days. The first lesson is that the sower was not prudent enough in the business of sowing. He sowed carelessly and in so doing, wasted a lot of good seed on inappropriate ground. This situation applies to the lives of many people who waste their energy and resources on unprofitable ventures because they are not wise enough to identify the appropriate business, places and people to invest in. It is unimaginable but true that some people sentimentally site their bakery in a village of less than a hundred inhabitants. Among such inhabitants, hardly would twenty people buy a loaf of bread in three days because not only are they used to their local foods, they are also not rich enough to afford a loaf of bread. The story was told of a poor fellow who was very loyal to his king’s business. Whenever the king called for volunteers to work on his farmland, this fellow was the first to show up and the last to leave; he was indeed very hardworking and dedicated. One day, the King decided to help him out of his poverty. He disguised a huge some of money in a big loaf of bread and gave it to him. “Take this bread home and let me see how it will transform your life for the better,” said the king. Incidentally, the value of the bread was enough to pay for the food that the poor man could eat for five days. To the disappointment of the king, the poor man sold the loaf of bread, not knowing what was in it, and that was how he lost the fortune of a lifetime.
Some ventures are like sowing among thorns or on stony ground. Initially, such ventures may appear as though they have prospects, only for diminishing returns to set in later. It is one thing to be hardworking and another thing to work wisely. It is one thing to keep busy and another thing to be busy doing something profitable. Even as minister of the gospel, you need God’s wisdom in the business of Church planting. It is counterproductive to build a three thousand-seater capacity auditorium in a community of 500 people. It is true that the souls of men are more valuable than money and that those souls in the village are not inferior to the souls in the city, but wisdom dictates that a congregation cannot grow beyond the number of people living in the community where it is located. This is the reason why the Holy Spirit inspired the words of today’s memory verse. Wisdom enables the soul-winner to engage in profitable methods of evangelism and church-planting. Praying for a miracle of any kind for an unrepentant sinner, apart from the miracle of salvation, may be equivalent to sowing by the roadside. I pray that the wisdom you need to experience breakthroughs in all dimensions of life will be given to you in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, I ask for wisdom that is rooted in Your word for all aspects of my life in Jesus’ Name.

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MEMORISE:And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
1 John 5:20
READ: 1 Chronicles 12:32
And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment
Bible In One Year: Matthew 4-5, Isaiah 1:18-2:5

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

As we start another year, it is pertinent for us to have an understanding of the times we live in, in order for us to succeed. The good thing about understanding is that it belongs to God (Psalm 147:5). Today’s memory verse reveals that one of the reasons why the Lord Jesus Christ came to this world is to give us understanding. How then do we gain access to the understanding that has been freely given to us? Psalm 119:98-100 says:
“Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.”
From this scripture, it is glaring that we need to meditate on the word of God this year if we will walk in the understanding that comes from heaven. No wonder God told Joshua that in order for him to succeed, the Book of the law should not depart from his mouth; rather, he should meditate on it day and night (Joshua 1:8).
The children of Issachar were men who understood the times they lived in. Now, more than ever before, this is an attribute that every child of God should possess, especially in these end times. We thank God we have the Bible available in all kinds of languages and media. It is our sure aid for understanding the signs of this dispensation. In it, the Holy Spirit warns us of the nature of the end times, saying in 1 Timothy 4:1-2:
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”
Beloved, to speak lies is evil enough, but to add the character of hypocrisy to the speaking of lies is a double tragedy. Our Lord Jesus Christ also said in Matthew 24:24:
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
In order not to be deceived by the different schemes being propagated by the devil in the world today, the elect of God by grace must have an understanding of the times they live in just like the children of Issachar. As a new year begins, many prophecies, predictions and projections will be given by different types of characters. As a child of God with understanding, you must be very careful not to be receptive to them all. Anchor your expectations on the revealed truth in the Bible, and you will live a life of freedom and good success in this new year. May the Lord continually be with you in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me the understanding I need to succeed this year in Jesus’ Name.

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