Memorise: Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 1st Corinthians 10:22
Read: 1st Corinthians 10:21-23
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Bible in one year: Nehemiah 7-8, Ezekiel 45:10-25

1. Colossians 1:16 tells us that all visible and invisible things were created by God and for God.
2. You were created to make God happy by following His will, plan and purpose for your life. However, when you take the path of self-government and go contrary to the purpose for which you were created, that is rebellion.
3. Lucifer and several angels decided to walk out of God’s original plan, and they became who we now refer to as Satan and demons (Isaiah 14:12-16, Revelation 12:7-9).
4. Anyone who follows self-government today will also end up where the devil and his demons are.
5. The truth is, if you fail God, you fail yourself. Therefore, pleasing God is the real path to true self-fulfilment, lasting peace and joy.
6. I tell you the truth, living on earth without conforming to God’s original blueprint for your life makes you waste that life.
7. Without God, life is not worth living. “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2nd Timothy 2:4
8. We are not here on earth by our power or design.
9. We were created and placed here to satisfy God’s eternal plan and purpose for our lives.
10. Even when Jesus was here, in all that He did, He did not try to please Himself but His father (John 8:29, John 5:30). Now that He has chosen us to be His soldiers, we cannot afford to please ourselves.
11. When He gives us an assignment, we must do it exactly as He wants it done, or risk going against Him.
12. In 1st Samuel 15, King Saul was given an assignment by God to go and utterly wipe out the Amalekites. He went out to fulfil it but made slight changes to the instructions. In the end, he failed God and failed himself. He lost his kingdom because he could not totally comply with God’s will. Today, for this same reason, many people are close to completely losing their place in God’s divine plan.
13. A king who resisted God had to go on a seven-year trip into insanity, and he lost his throne for that period (Daniel 4). Similarly, another king who said that God’s word should not be heard was eaten alive by worms (Acts 12:1-24). If these great kings could not resist or withstand God, do you think you can? If you are wise, you will totally submit to His will today.
14. God has a problem with the so-called obedience of a good number of His children. Although He is speaking to them, they are not listening to Him; rather they are more interested in hearing themselves. Hence, He has almost grounded them in all areas. Thinking it’s the devil at fault, such people are wrongly praying against agents of darkness. It is time to do nothing short of God’s total will in all your ways!

Resisting God could be in different forms, not necessarily speaking against Him directly. Some will say ” I don’t see God, how do I resist Him? The truth is that most times through our disobedience to God’s instruction greatly affects fellowship with Him. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” ‭‭James‬ ‭4:8‬. This bible verse simply explains one of the conditions to enjoying the presence of God. The consequence of disobedience to God’s will is death. Many atimes this death does not come in the physical at first but it later become evident in the life of the person that disobey. It is amazing yet appalling that believers goes against the instructions of God our Maker. God is the extra ordinary strategist. He knows the end from beginning. It is therefore very wise for us to follow His instructions to the last letter. Have you at one time left His presence or even resistance to the instructions of the Holyspirit? Repent and draw closer to Him, He will bless and restore your soul. The grace to obey God is granted us in Jesus name. Pastor E.A Adeboye is a great blessing to this generation through the open Heavens devotional. We pray that the Lord will fill with power and might for greater impact in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Those who resist God are fighting a battle they can never win.
HYMN Key Point
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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20

Memorise: By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Hebrews 11:20
Read: Genesis 27:20-29
20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me.
21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.
24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine and he drank.
26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:
28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
Bible in one year: Nehemiah 4-6, Ezekiel 44:28-45:9

1. A blessing is an invitation to all the forces in Heaven, on earth and underneath the earth to cooperate with an individual and assist him or her to succeed.
2. When Isaac pronounced a blessing on Jacob in today’s Bible reading, he summoned the dew of heaven, the land, and all the forces on earth to be of assistance to Jacob. As a result of this blessing, Jacob became exceedingly great. Hear what Genesis 30:43, says about his greatness: “And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”
3. How about his brother Esau? Genesis 27:38-40 says after Jacob had stolen the cream of the blessing from him, Esau came to ask for the remnant. What was the result of this “remnant”? From Genesis 32:3-6, we understand that this remnant got him so blessed that he could afford to retain the services of 400 personal bodyguards. If you become so rich that you require 400 men to go with you wherever you go, that is something remarkable.
4. I can recall the first time a president visited us at the Redemption Camp; he came with an entourage of 250 people. So Imagine how blessed Esau was for him to have had 400 people in his entourage! I believe he was really blessed.
5. Moreover, let me add here that after a blessing is pronounced on you, it may not be obvious how the blessing will be fulfilled. Most times, it may not even make sense. You may not even be able to afford a bicycle now, and a blessing may be pronounced on you that a time will come when you will need a Boeing 747 to airlift those who will accompany you whenever you are travelling. It may not make sense to you, but that is what a blessing can do.
6. I often say that I am where I am today by the grace of God and by the blessings of my mother. Any time I did something that pleased her, she would bless me. She would say, “You this boy, you will call one person, and two hundred people will respond.” I didn’t know what she meant back then, and I didn’t know how it would happen, but I always said “Amen”. Today, by the grace of God, I can say this has become reality.
7. Have you provoked the blessing of your biological parents? Have you provoked the blessing of your spiritual parents? Most importantly, have you provoked a blessing from God?

Craving for the blessings of God for our life should be ou attitude because the Bible says “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:22‬ ‭‬‬. It’s also amazing that God is greatly interested in your prosperity “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Psalms‬ ‭35:27‬. However, there are people like our biological and spiritual fathers that we can receive blessing and honor through. May God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye and strengthen him on every side in Jesus name.

Action Point
When a blessing is pronounced on you, simply sustain a conducive atmosphere for its fulfilment, and it will surely come to pass.
HYMN
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 power as thou shalt choose,
every power 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: And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Galatians 4:6
Read: Romans 8:14-16
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.      
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Bible in one year: Nehemiah 1-3, Ezekiel 44:15-27

1. In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught us to pray by approaching God as our Father. He said: “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” Matthew 6:9
2. Why did He not say “Our God”, Our Maker” or Our Deliverer”? It is because God wants us to have a definite, personal relationship with Him.
3. Of all the relationships we could possibly have with God, the father-son relationship is one of the greatest.
4. In Mark 14:36, when the Lord Jesus Christ was facing His greatest challenge – dying on the cross of Calvary – He addressed God as “Abba, Father”, which in other words is “My Daddy”.
5. This level of closeness with God is not exclusive to Jesus Christ alone. Romans 8:15 says, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again for fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
6. If you compare this scripture with Galatians 4:6, you will realise that both the Holy Spirit and our Lord Jesus Christ have made it possible for us to share the same kind of closeness with the Father that Jesus had. Therefore, we too can unashamedly call God, “My Daddy”. If only you know how much God longs to have such intimacy with you!
7. Intimacy with God is something you cannot do without if you are to fulfil God’s plan for your life.
8. There is a time of need that everyone will face, which will require each of us to draw on our relationship with God. Those who have God as their creator will approach Him as “My Creator”, while those who serve Him will approach Him as “My God”. In such times, those who are intimate with Him will call Him “My Daddy”.
9. You can be sure that one carries more weight than the others.
10. How would you want to approach God? Would you want to approach Him as a distant Creator, as God of the universe or as your personal Father? The choice is yours.
11. When you develop a good relationship with God, He will indeed be a Father to you by acting as the fountain from which you came forth (Genesis 2:7).
12. David understood this and he experienced a very intimate level of closeness with God. This is the reason why in Psalm 23, he could testify of enjoying that which a father provides: food, sleep, water, protection, guidance, security, goodness and mercy. These all will be yours today in Jesus’ Name!
13. Do everything possible to build your intimacy with God!

The relationship of a Father and Son is far deeper and loving than that of master and servant or creator and the creature. Your relationship with God will determine which category you will fall into. For those that seek Him at all time, worship Him in spirit and in truth as well as obey His instructions, such will become dear to Him as His son. God has prompted our Father in the Lord to teach on this particular topic since the beginning of this year and we have been exposed to various benefits of son of Abba Father. Let us go back to the previous teaching and follow up closely every first Friday of the month for the Holy Ghost Service to enjoy deeper truth about the Abba Father and son relationship and benefits. Thank God for Pastor E.A Adeboye and we pray that God will always empower him for greater works in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, draw me close to You like never before.
HYMN
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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20

Memorise: I will sing unto the LORD because he hath dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:6
Read: 1st Chronicles 16:2-3
2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.
Acts 20:35
35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Bible in one year: Ezra 9-10, Ezekiel 44:1-14

1. Generous divine provision is a benefit of those in the sheepfold of the Great Shepherd.
2. God prepares a table of abundance for His sheep (Psalm 23:5). No wonder David, in Psalm 13:6, said: “I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”
3. This scripture is a personal testimony of David. After God had blessed him beyond measure, he began to testify of God’s goodness through songs.
4. If you carefully study the life of David, you will discover that the secret of his prosperity lay in the principles he lived by.
5. One of such principles is demonstrated in today’s Bible reading: he believed giving to be the key to receiving. Can you imagine a man giving a loaf of bread to every citizens of a country? This was what David did, and he even gave much more!
6. We often wonder why most of us are not flowing in God’s abundance, even though God has resources to cater for more than we could ever need. One likely reason for this is that we do not strictly follow divine financial principles. Jesus, in Luke 6:38, said: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
7. Let us draw a few lessons from this. Firstly, if you ever want to receive, it is your duty to first give. If you fail to sow, you would be deceiving yourself to expect a harvest.
8. Many of us refuse to give, and yet we continue to pray, fast and do all other things right.
9. If you want to receive, first give. It is important to note that God will never owe anyone.
10. If you give, you will receive a harvest, no matter how long it takes, as long as the seed is not uprooted.
11. However, the way the harvest comes and when it will come are issues that may not be too clear to you. For instance, you may be expecting your harvest for a particular seed in the form of physical cash, not knowing that God has already given it to you as a harvest of peace in the time of trouble, or as protection when the enemy came calling.
12. Sometimes, you cannot tell how the harvest of a given seed will come, although if you key into the Holy Spirit, He can sometimes reveal to you that a particular harvest you received was from a particular seed you sowed.
13. Moreover, God who knows our needs should be given the freedom to determine when and how our harvests should come.
14. Just make sure that a lifestyle of giving and sowing seeds in an indelible part of you.
15. Do you give to God? Do you give to His servants? Do you give to the needy? How often do you give?

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 This is a scripture we should prayerfully reflect on. If it is more blessed to give than to receive why not choose to be a giver and not a receiver? May God continually increase Pastor E.A Adeboye for blessing us with the word of God daily.

Action Point
Giving is an act. Giving is also a spirit. Pray that God will give you the spirit of giving.
HYMN
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!
 

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20

Memorise: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. Proverbs 24:16
Read: Luke 22:31-34
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
Bible in one year: Ezra 7:8, Ezekiel 43:13-27

1. It’s a fact of life that we are all susceptible to making mistakes. However, when we make mistakes, we must have the strength of character to admit our mistakes and also to resolve never to repeat them again (Proverbs 28:13).
2. A child learning to walk will stand up, take a step or two and fall down again. You will observe however that in spite of these falls, he or she does not give up trying. The child will repeatedly make attempts at walking, and in the process of time, the child will not only walk, he or she will also run, leap and jump, all without falling to the ground like before.
3. Do not turn a mistake into your final destination.
4. Can you believe that because some people made a mistake in their walk of faith in Christ, they gave up the race entirely and decided to die there? That is most unfortunate!
5. Some people cannot forgive themselves for either denying Jesus at a very crucial moment when their faith was tested, or for falling into a particular sin that they have been preaching against all along. Such people need to learn from the example of Apostle Peter, who thrice denied Christ. The Lord had to make him realise that it was not over yet. That same Peter was the one who later led the other disciples in defending their faith in Christ and in propagating the Good News of the gospel around the world. “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.” Micah 7:8
6. One lesson from this scripture is that the fact that you slipped and fell does not mean that the enemy has won the battle over your life. He hasn’t. It also says that there is the possibility of a comeback.
7. From where you fell, you shall arise in Jesus’ Name! Your rise shall be more formidable!
8. You may say that your case is a bad one because you have fallen so many times and you therefore concluded that it was better to stop trying. Oh, how wrong you are!
9. Proverbs 24:16 says it is possible for a righteous man to fall seven times and still rise.
10. To fall seven times simply refers to the possibility of falling to a point of experiencing what most people will call the final or ultimate fall.
11. Yet, even at that, if you are a child of God, the Lord says that you should not give up hope. Make another attempt at reconciling with the Lord, confess your weakness to Him, and ask for His help. He will lift you up and He will sustain you afterwards.
12. So are you still on the floor? Arise now!

The devil is always striving to make believers fall. And if by chance he succeeds he proceeds to make such believer remain fallen. We as believers should also strive continually to remain standing in Christ and also stand firm. It is God’s desire to have us on our feet again if we by any means fall. We should therefore always be quick to run back to God for help when we fall at any point in time. It is well with us in Jesus name. We are grateful to God for blessing us with Pastor E.A Adeboye. His strength is renewed daily in Jesus name.

Key Point
Falling and rising in the Christian faith does not make you a failure, it only shows that you are at the babyhood stage of maturity and would need to trust Jesus Christ the more.
HYMN
1 Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.
2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.
3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
‘All, all is well.’
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
in our living, in our dying,
all must be well.

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20

Memorise: Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. Act 23:5
Read: Acts 23:1-5 (KJV)
1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?
5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
Bible in one year: Ezra 4-6, Ezekiel 42:15-43:12

1. A sign that confirms whether or not you have experienced genuine salvation is your willingness to make restitution with your fellow men.
2. When you are genuinely saved, the Spirit of Jesus Christ in you will motivate you to right your wrongs and undo your evil deeds.
3. An elderly judge once attended one of our meetings at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja (Lagos), and he gave his life to Christ. On his way home after the programme, he just could not contain himself. There was a person he quarrelled with several years before, and he had a burning urge to resolve the dispute; so right from the venue of our programme, he went straight to the house of the person in order to settle the matter.
4. Did you say you are saved, but you still hold grudges, have bitterness and manifest an unforgiving spirit? Please examine yourself to be sure you are truly in Christ.
5. Similarly, there was a particular king in Ogun State, Nigeria. For several months, I went to preach to him and he would tell me “Before your mother married your father, I have been going to church.” He would show me a Bible that Queen Victoria gave to his grandfather. Repeatedly, I said to him, “Your royal highness, that is not what I am talking about. I am asking you to repent of your sins and surrender your life to Jesus Christ.” Then one day, he yielded and gave his life to Jesus. By that time, he had not seen his wife for years, due to a disagreement they had. Within days of giving his life to Christ, he promptly contacted her, and they resolved their differences.
6. You cannot be genuinely saved and refuse to restitute.
7. In what areas would you need to make restitution today?
8. If you stole anything from anybody, return it or pay for its replacement if it’s lost.
9. If you bore false witness against somebody, go and uncover the truth.
10. Have you fraudulently acquired your academic certificate? Go and restitute.
11. If you have stolen another person’s passport and impersonated the fellow, using the passport to move around, go and restitute.
12. Are you a second or third wife to a man, or have you as a man married two or more wives? You are living in adultery. Make restitution!
13. Have you received payment for a contract which you did not execute? Go and return the money!
14. Have you been falsifying records and stealing money through that? Go and restitute.
15. If you have tough cases, seek counselling from a pastor in a true Bible-believing church.
16. Also, ask God to help you. If you really want to obey God, He will definitely make a way for you.

Restitution is a sign of total submission to God. You ordinarily become uncomfortable with things that are not in line with God’s will. It therefore becomes your desire to willingly correct every mistake of the past. Regardless of how hard or difficult it seems, when we ask for the help of God, it becomes easy. God help us as we decide to restitute in Jesus name. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Key Point
Salvation straightens your crooked paths with God, while restitution strengthens your crooked paths with men.
HYMN
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 power as thou shalt choose,
every power 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: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4
Read: Mark 5:21-24
21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
Bible in one year: Ezra 1-3, Ezekiel 42:1-14

1. How you approach a house will determine whether you will be welcomed or chased out. If you approach the door and knock, you will be attended to as a lady or a gentleman, but if you decided to break through the window, you will surely be taken for a burglar, thief or robber and met with several resistance.
2. Your approach matters! In the same vein, to enter into God’s presence, you must follow heaven’s protocol.
3. The Holy Spirit in Psalm 100:4 revealed this protocol when He said: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
4. If you want to be welcomed into God’s presence and have your requests granted, don’t just crash in, follow heaven’s protocol!
5. Let your heart and mouth be full of thanks for all God has done for you, your family and your loved ones.
6. When you approach God, let Him first hear your thanksgiving. Let this be followed by quality praise and worship.
7. Let your request come last, and let the time you use in making your request be shorter than the time you spent giving Him thanks, praise and worship.
8. Whenever you violate this order, you do damage your requests and hurt your relationship with the lover of your soul – the Almighty God Himself.
9. Moreover, you may want to ask: Why must I approach God with reverence, thanksgiving and praise? It is because worshippers always get what they want.
10. In Matthew 8:1-3, a leper approached Jesus, fell at His feet and worshipped Him, even before he made his request. In the end, he was cleansed.
11. What of the mad man of Gadara whose story is recorded in Mark 5:1-15? As mad as he was, after approaching Jesus, he knew enough to fall down at His feet to worship Him. For this reason, even without verbalising his desire to be delivered from the demonic siege he was under, Jesus set him free.
12. Effective worship works wonders!
13. Jairus was a top leader in Israel, and yet, when his daughter was seriously sick and he approached Jesus, he forgot about his position, power and wealth, fell at the Master’s feet and worshipped Him.
14. Also, when the woman whose daughter was tormented by demons came to the Lord expressing her need, the Lord ignored her; but when she began to worship Him, the tide turned (Matthew 15:21-28).
15. From today, follow heaven’s protocol in approaching God and you will get your heart’s desires.

Our Lord Jesus Christ knows the importance of thanksgiving and reverencing God. His gratitude to God is always expressed during His earthly ministry. Praise is powerful, prophetic and it is door opener. Phillipians 4:6- Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. May God continually increase Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Key Point
Presenting your request before worshipping God is like placing the cart before the horse.
HYMN
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the *rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Chorus
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
 
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
 
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then *I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!

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Memorise: for by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 24:6
Read: Luke 15:11-16
11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 35-36, Ezekiel 41:12-26

1. In life, some people experience provision before they ever need it, while some get provision just in the nick of time. Some others only get the provision they need after the time of need is past.
2. One Bible character who experienced provision before need is the prodigal son in today’s Bible reading. All he would ever need was already provided for and safely kept by his father. Nevertheless, what was his responses to his father’s wisdom and grace? He foolishly asked for all that was his, and he wastefully spent it all. Luke 15:13 says, “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”
3. May you never waste God’s provision for your life!
4. There are so many people who engage in wasteful spending.
5. There are some people God has blessed with the funds to buy a piece of land, which they can develop as God enables them, but they use the provision to acquire a flashy car or attempt to live ‘big’ while they are still in a rented apartment. This amounts to foolishness.
6. There are some youths who get some big money from legitimate ventures, but because they had no financial intelligence and never sought counsel, they wasted it and struggled thereafter. “If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.” Ecclesiastes 10:10
7. To manage financial provision, you need wisdom. In fact, the scripture above says that you can get results from a cutlass whether it is sharp or blunt; the difference is that wisdom helps you make the best decisions to obtain the best results.
8. If you have financial wisdom, you would avoid wasteful spending and increase whatever you have.
9. Do you have financial resources beyond what you need for the moment? Ask God for wisdom to manage it. Also, ask for guidance.
10. Follow the counsel in today’s memory’s verse: ask those who know better. Ask from experienced fund managers and people skilled in financial investments.
11. More importantly, find out from God, the provider of that provision, what the purpose of the provision is. If you can diligently ask Him, He will guide you on how to spend it in such a way as to guarantee repeated provision.
12. You do not need to spend on every item you see or like. Humbly surrender your desires to God and let Him reign over them.

The word of God is complete, perfect and accurate for and in every situation. It is the manual from which every believer should live and operate from. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:14‭-‬17. The key to great success and eternal life is strict adherence to instructions from God as revealed in the scripture and through the Holy Spirit. We are grateful to God for blessing us with Pastor E.A Adeboye who through the Holy Spirit is feeding us with the word of truth daily. May God renew his strength daily in Jesus name.

Key Point
You can completely avoid wastage when you submit your finances to Jesus, asking Him direction and approval of your budget.
HYMN
O Jesus, I have promised
  To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
  My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
  If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
  If Thou wilt be my Guide.
 
Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
  In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
  The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
  To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
  Thou Guardian of my soul.
 
O Jesus, Thou hast promised
  To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
  There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
  To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
  My Master and my Friend.
 
Oh, let me see Thy footprints,
  And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
  Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
  Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
  My Savior and my Friend.

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Memorise: Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Malachi 3:9
Read: Mark 11:12-14
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
Mark 11:20-21
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 33-34, Ezekiel 40:48-41:11

1. When you go through the scriptures and see the effect of a divine curse on those who were cursed, you would do just about anything to avoid a curse from God.
2. Although a curse from one man to another can have terrible effects, if spiritual help is sought from someone operating at a higher level than the source of the curse, such curses can be terminated.
3. It’s a dilemma however, if the source of a curse is God. There would be no one to run to in such cases.
4. When God cursed the ground after the fall of Adam, from that moment till now, the earth has not been yielding produce to its full potential. Wait until you see what this same ground can produce after the curse is lifted during the millennial reign of Christ!
5. Similarly, when God cursed Cain, it had a terrible effect on him (Genesis 4:9-15). Cain was supposed to be the first born of the whole earth, but when he was cursed, he became a vagabond. Virtually everyone he met desired to kill him, even without him offending them. No wonder he cried to God for clemency. Genesis 4:13-14 says, “And Cain unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that everyone that findeth me shall slay me.”
6. Moreover, in today’s Bible reading, Jesus cursed a fig tree which appeared to have fruit but had only leaves. By the following morning, the tree had completely withered from its very roots.
7. When God places a curse, it begins to operate from the root upwards.
8. I once visited the capital of a state in Nigeria some years ago. This state had a lot of mighty rivers, yet the state capital had no pipe-borne water. Surprised, I made some inquiries on why this was so, and I was told, “Sir, there is a tree in the centre of the capital that should not be uprooted. They even had to build a road around it. As long as the tree remains, nothing good happens to this town. “I said “Is that so?” Then I quietly added, “No problem, we are here “I then cursed the tree in the Name of the Lord. That very night, there was a storm in the town and by the following morning, the tree was uprooted completely.
9. Any evil tree tying down your progress is cursed today in the Name of Jesus! I command it to dry up and be uprooted in Jesus’ Name!
10. Are you under a divine curse? Immediately run to the cross of Calvary in repentance and make your ways right with God, and thereafter seek His face for mercy. May you find favour in His sight today!

It is necessary for us to ponder on the action Point of today’s devotional and follow it up with the required actions. There is salvation in Christ regardless of how terrible the past has been. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 showed Jabez the cursed being blessed. “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. 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.” May we access divine blessing and not curse all the days of our lives in Jesus name. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for this great insight into the word of God in Jesus name.

Action Point
Examine yourself to see if you have brought a divine curse upon yourself and your family by your actions, and immediately return to God in repentance and restitution.
HYMN
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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20

Memorise: O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 136:2
Read: Psalm 121:3-5
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
Bible in one year: 2nd Chronicles 31-32, Ezekiel 40:35-47

1. It is very important for you to give God thanks always.
2. One reason why this is necessary is because there are several battles God fights for you that you know nothing about.
3. Some people are so conservative when it comes to giving God thanks. They think they are clever, and so they only give God thanks when they believe He has earned it. In other words, they only thank God when He has done something very “tangible” for them. If however it appears that He has not done anything for them, they hold back on offering thanks to Him. Such people may think they are smart, but they are not.
4. When you are asleep, do you know the various battles waged against you by the enemies of your soul?
5. How can you fight for yourself in a realm you are oblivious of or when you are asleep?
6. Many years ago, while still lecturing at the University of Ilorin (Kwara State, Nigeria), I had an experience that left its mark on my mind.
7. In those days, I could travel from one end of the university campus to the other end within fifteen minutes. After my morning lectures, I could leave the campus, return home for lunch, and rest a while before returning for evening lectures. I was also the pastor of our church parish over there, and so people kept coming in and out of our living room. After my meal one afternoon, I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes so that I could get some rest. As I lay down, I put my two hands together on my head and closed my eyes. Suddenly, someone entered the room, held my two hands with one hand and held my two legs with the other hand and tried to kiss me. At first, I thought it was my wife, but then it dawned on me that whoever could hold me up this way must be a very tall fellow. I therefore opened my eyes and the creature disappeared. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I asked myself what this was.
8. Eventually, I pushed the incident aside. Intending to drive back to the campus, I got into the car, but all of a sudden I had a running stomach and began to vomit. I virtually crawled from the car into the toilet. Then I began to ask, “How could this happen to me?” God’s responses was, “Son, I just wanted you to see a little of the battles I fight for you, which you know nothing about.”
9. For you to sleep peacefully every day, God does not sleep. He continues to watch over you.
10. Why don’t you become really generous in thanking the Almighty God, who alone deserves all your thanks? 

There are so many reasons and things to thank God for. We have the known and unknown as well as the seen and unseen. Everything about God shows His greatness. It is God’s desire for us to give thanks at all times regardless of the situation. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 He wants a true worshipper who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. He is doing wonders everyday and our gratitude to Him must be all the time. God be praised forever more! We bless God for Pastor E.A Adeboye and pray that may he wax stronger in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, thank You for all You do for me, particularly for all the battles You fight on my behalf which I know nothing about.
HYMN
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the *rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Chorus
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
 
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
 
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then *I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!
 

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