Memorise: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrew 4:11
Read: Hebrew 4:7-11
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Bible in one year: Joshua 23:24, Jeremiah 48:45-49:13

1. Psalm 23:1-6 is a very powerful psalm which speaks of the relationship between the sheep and the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. God’s sheep enjoy many benefits, one of which is the entitlement of rest.
2. If you are a bona-fide sheep of Jesus Christ, His rest is made available to you.
3. When the Psalmist says “He makes me to lie down”, he simply speaks about entering into God’s rest. The rest that the Good Shepherd offers His sheep can be at several levels.
4. Some people are labouring so hard in search of the salvation of their soul. They want to be free from sin, and yet the more they labour to be free, the more entangled they find themselves. If only they can come to Jesus today, they will find the salvation they have been seeking. Jesus Christ is the final destination for everyone who genuinely desires salvation.
5. Another kind of rest that the Good Shepherd offers is bodily rest.
6. Ordinarily, after a hard day’s work, by the time you hit the bed, you should fall asleep. However, do you know that there are people who find it so difficult to sleep? They stare at the ceiling all night until the following morning. This continues for days, weeks or even months. Psalms 127:2 says if you are beloved of God, you will surely have rest through sleep.
7. Do you suffer from insomnia? Has it been so difficult for you to get a good night’s sleep? That sleeplessness is terminated today! From now on, you shall access God’s rest in Jesus’ Name!
8. In addition, the Good Shepherd offers rest to those who labour continuously without rest. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are laden, and I will give you rest.”
9. One way the devil has led some people into their ultimately death is by heaping so many problems, burdens, debts and heavy responsibilities on them which they cannot carry, thereby frustrating their efforts to enter into financial freedom. The more they labour, the further they drift from success. If you are in that situation, do not give up or think of ending your life. Just come to Jesus with all your heart and He will give you rest.
10. Finally, today’s Bible reading talks about the eternal rest that we have access to as sheep of the Great Shepherd. Nobody can enter Heaven except through Jesus Christ.
11. If you are saved and you continue to follow Jesus Christ, obeying Him every step of the way, you will surely enter into His rest. Are you qualified to enter His rest?

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

It is amazing that God is greatly in love with us that He promise us rest from the trouble of life. The bible says
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. These three verses explain the guarantee that we have in Christ Jesus. Apostle Paul also revealed ” For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. which means sickness is not our portion. God bless our Father Pastor E.A Adeboye and equip him with greater wisdom to impact us more in Jesus name.
HYMN
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
You wilt find a solace there.

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20

Memorise:
For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 1 Corinthians 9:16
Read: Acts 8:5-8
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 22, Jeremiah 48:28-44.

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

1. During a time of famine, the Lord instructed Elijah to go to Kerith Brook, stay there and a raven would continuously bring him food there (1 Kings 17:2-6). He said, ‘Yes Sir’ and obeyed. He did not hesitate or question God. He did not even ask God to show him where ravens ever brought food to anyone in the Bible. He obeyed instantly. Instant obedience is strong evidence of faith. Anyone who would work signs and wonders in these last days must be a man or woman of faith. Do you have enough trust in God to the extent of obeying Him without hesitation?
2. Moreover, in addition to faith, the fellow who wants to operate in the miraculous must be an incurable witness for Christ. He or she must be a soul-winner. In today’s Bible reading, Philip did not wait for Peter to come and conduct a crusade in Samaria. He went there himself because he believed in God’s command to go out and preach the gospel. People who are diligent in soul-winning usually have their prayers answered speedily. People often ask me what l do to get God to answer my prayers speedily aside from living holy. I tell them soul-winning and instant obedience. Even if you are going to kill me, I will still share the gospel of Jesus Christ with you. I do not look at faces to determine who I witness to or not. lf l am attending an occasion and you make the mistake of giving me the microphone, you will hear about Jesus.
3. Some years ago, I received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Ibadan. lt was a serious gathering with eminent personalities of the political elite, traditional title holders and academicians all gracefully adorned in their beautiful gowns. At some point, they gave me the microphone and told me l had just five minutes to say something. l thanked them for honouring me and quickly added that I could not have received this honour but for Jesus.
4. I further said that there is an honour waiting for some people in Heaven and that if they do not give their lives to Jesus, although they can be honoured here on earth, they will lose the honour of Heaven. I then gave an altar call. Beloved, witnessing for Jesus is our assignment wherever we go. Talk about Jesus everywhere you go and He will repay you with signs and wonders.
5. When last did you win a soul to Christ? How many souls have you won to the Lord since the beginning of this year? You were saved and chosen for this reason. Are you fulfilling God’s purpose of winning the souls of the lost?

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

This secret of answers to prayers have been told to us many times. I will like to challenge you to embark on this assignment of expanding the Kingdom of God and depopulating the Kingdom of darkness. There are many rewards attached to this instruction from God. Sometimes when prayer fails, the next thing we should activate is Soul-winning. We bless God for our Father in the Lord, Pastor E.A Adeboye for the grace to inspire and exhort us in today’s devotional yet again. ‎

Key Point:
As God works with evangelists, He will always confirm their words with signs and wonders in order to convince unbelievers. That’s a key to the miraculous.
HYMN
1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.
Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.
2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.
[Refrain]
3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.

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20

Memorise: Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Proverbs 7:23
Read: Proverbs 7:7-23 (KJV)
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
Bible in one year: Joshua 20-21, Jeremiah 48:9-27, Hymn: Sing hymn 6

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

1. A negative experience many people have had to contend with is captivity. Captivity can mean bondage, slavery, imprisonment, detention or a lack of freedom. Captivity also comes in various forms. It can occur as a consequence of being captured in a battle, like it happened to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abedbnego (Daniel 1:1-7). In this particular case, King Nebuchadnezzar invaded the nation of Israel and carried away some of the people into captivity.
2. From that moment, these captives became slaves in a foreign land. Similarly, some people enter into captivity by falling into a trap set by the enemy. For instance, in Judges 16:4-5, the lords of the Philistines used a beautiful woman as bait for Samson. Today, there are several “hunters” of destiny and life all around, setting all kinds of traps to get their prey. May you never be one of their victims!
3. One common trap people fall into today is the trap of adultery and fornication. The devil has several agents and means to use as bait, and believe it or not, he catches a lot of prey. He may use beautiful ladies like he did to Samson. Today’s Bible reading describes how a prostitute sets a trap and catches her victim. She could also use her seductive attire which reveals her curves and exposes sensitive parts of her body. She could also use her sweet flattering words, seductive make-up, perfumes or gait just to get her prey. When he finally yields, she leads him like an ox to the slaughter slab. Proverbs 7:23 says “Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.”
4. Anyone being lured or enticed into lust should realise that it can never really be for his or her own good. Today, several female students have become easy prey for sugar daddies and evil horny lecturers because they erroneously think that they are getting something of value in return.
5. How much can a man pay you to allow his to destroy your destiny or kill you? What score will a lecturer award you in exchange for your life? The victims of lust, immorality and adultery are usually trading their precious lives for pittance. Are you in captivity of adultery, thinking it benefits you because you are getting rapid promotion in your place of work? Don’t be deceived! You are truly paying with your life!
6. Repent, come to Jesus and cut off all hunters from your life! Break that relationship if your partner is pressurising you for sex as a basis for friendship. It is not worth it! Ask God to deliver you from every trap of the devil.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

What type of trap were set for you by the devil to fall into. There are certain things that we need to know about the devil, he’s interested putting people under bondage or captivity but if we guide ourselves with the whole armor of God, we cannot be his prey.
Being a prey is like been enslaved and there is no amount of effort such person that is under captivity will make that will bring reasonable results. May we never fall prey in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, deliver all our children, teens and youths from sexual immorality.
HYMN 6
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: (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 2nd Corinthians 6:2
Read: 2nd Corinthians 6:1-2
1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Bible in one year: Joshua 18-19, Jeremiah 47:1-48:8

1. God is never late for any appointment. He is always on time.
2. Looking at the experiences of different people in the Bible, this has been shown to be true over and over again.
3. For the man who had been sick for 38 years, when his appointed time finally came and the once-in-a-year miracle platform God had put in place could not meet his need, Jesus personally picked him out from the crowd and healed him by His own will (John 5:1-6). Also, when the appointed time came for the woman who had been bent over for 18 years, the Lord healed her without her asking for it (Luke 13:10-13). Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
4. One thing you should learn from this is that God has a timetable, and His timetable may be completely different from yours. He has a set time for every event in the lives of His children. It is like setting an alarm clock to a particular time; when the alarm rings, God will address the issues at stake.
5. Another lesson worth learning is that until God’s appointed time for a particular matter to be addressed dawns, God may appear silent on the issue, even when He has all the facts and figures of the situation at His disposal.
6. If He knows what an individual is going through, and He chooses to watch carefully and quietly, He may just be doing so in order to see how the fellow will respond to the situation.
7. Would he stand in faith and resist the devil, or give up his faith and cling to doubt, fear and unbelief? Would he draw nearer to God or go further away from Him? Would he down tools and stop serving God, or would he continue serving God in the midst of no divine response to his problems?
8. When God keeps quite at such times, He may want to test your faith to see how elastic it is. It may be very frustrating when God is silent on an issue, but never get to the point of thinking or believing that He does not know what you are going through.
9. He knows it better than you do. He sees what you see and what you don’t see within the circumstance. Just trust in Him and hold on to Him in faith.
10. Love Him more, worship Him more, serve Him more and keep trusting Him more. In the end, you will be victorious.

There is indeed an acceptable time. As the word of God says “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:”‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1‬. Most times we are just inpatient with God to the extent of forsaking His ways by looking for alternatives. What have you found to be the best alternative or remedies instead of waiting until the appointed time of God. What is running through your mind? Have you already set a time for God to intervene concerning a situation and the conclusion is death incase you don’t receive answer? May we never die or expire before our appointed time of blessing. May God continually increase and strengthen Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, give me grace to endure till my appointed time, and when it dawns, let me see the manifestation of my good expectations.
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: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
Read: Matthew 1:18-21
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORDappeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Bible in one year: Joshua 15-17 Jeremiah 46:13-28

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

1. Todays memory verse clearly states that the reason why Jesus Christ came to this world was to save His people from sin. Many people fail to realise the horrors of sin, hence they toy with it. If only they knew how terrible sin is, they would maintain a great distance from it. Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. This “death” is not limited to physical death but also extends to every area of life. Do you know that sin can lead to physical death?
2. Going by the laws of many countries today, if a man is convicted of killing a fellow human being, he might have to pay with his own life. In this case, the sin of murder has led to physical death. Beyond physical death, sin can also bring about material death, marital death, spiritual death, and more. Do you know that for failing to comply with the divine commandment on tithes and offering, some people who once enjoyed a boom in their businesses have had to face dryness of the worst kind – almost to the point of begging for food? This is how sin can bring about material and financial death. It can also attract emotional death. A man or woman cheating on his or her spouse wi|| bring about emotional death in that relationship.
3. ln any way you have attracted death to yourself, may the mercy of God intercept judgment and turn its sword away from you in Jesus’ Name!
As far as God is concerned, there is only one penalty for sin, and that is death (Ezekiel 18:20). lt is important to note here that this death is separation from God. If you were brought before the judgment throne of God, accused of just one act of sin, you would not be made to face a sentence of three months, one year or even five years imprisonment; God’s judgement for every size of sin is the same – death.
4. Today, we categorise sin according to our understanding. We call some sins “high crimes” while some others are seen as harmless. However, whether a sin is so light or so “innocent” that everyone approves of it does not matter to God. All sins fall short of His standard and are all punishable by death. We are created to live our lives fully connected to God, but when sin comes in, it separates us from our only Source and Sustainer.
5. If the Blood of Jesus is not applied to wash away a person’s sins, the drift away from God continues until physical death occurs and the fellow is forever banished to Hell. In what way is your sinful lifestyle bringing death upon you today? Rise up and run to the cross of Jesus Christ, asking for forgiveness of sins and cleansing by His Blood. Invite Him to come into your heart, and thereafter keep a great distance from sin.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Many of us find it difficult to accommodate or even accept topics like this, but the truth will always remain and the word of God cannot be broken. According to what I heard from a great man of God, “sin is even deadlier than death itself”, because any saint who dies has eternal life and therefore death has no victory of the saints. But the only thing regardless of the gravity that can deprive one from enjoying this eternity with Christ is SIN ( Simple Instruction Neglected), May we never be ignorance and depart from the ways of God. Let’s always be in the spirit to enjoy peace and life. Consider Romans 8:6 ” For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. God bless our Father Pastor E.A Adeboye and equip him with greater wisdom to impact us more in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point:
Father, in Your mercy, reverse every form of death I have brought upon myself.
HYMN 11: l 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.
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
My cross I’II carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’Il carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’Il carry, till I see 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.

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20

Memorise: For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 57:15
Read: Isaiah 57:15-16
15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
Bible in one year: Joshua 12-14, Jeremiah 45:1-46:12

1. “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Exodus 15:11
2. One amazing thing you need to know about our God is that He is a wonder! For example, In 1 John 4:8, the Bible says that God is love, and yet in Hebrews 12:29, the same Bible says this God is consuming fire!
3. When you hear that God is love, you will think of embracing Him, but just then, you also hear that He is a consuming fire and you freeze, asking yourself if you want to embrace fire!
4. Another wonder of God has to do with His size or form. The Scriptures says God is so big that the heaven and the heavens of heaven cannot contain Him (1st Kings 8:27). It also says that Heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool, meaning that as He sits in Heaven His legs touch the earth (Isaiah 66:1).
5. Just imagine how great and long those legs are! What of His arms? The Bible says His arms are everlasting and so long they can reach any distance (Deuteronomy 33:27).
6. When you try to picture how super-massive this God is, then you will begin to wonder how such a God can become small enough to reside inside of you. 1st John 4:4 says, “Ye are of God little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
7. God is truly awesome and a wonder we cannot comprehend. As massive as God is, He can still relate with us at our tiny, very little level. As high as He is, He can still reach down to those who are lowly placed or have a heart of humility.
8. In fact, from the height of heights, God is able to see those who are of a humble spirit. And He relates with them while ignoring the proud.
9. Are you like God? Is the position you occupy not distancing you from those who are not as fortunate or as privileged as you are?
10. If you are truly of God, your privileged status will not hinder you from reaching out to those who are impoverished.
11. Recently, the wife of one of the richest men on earth visited an African country and identified with the poorest people there by trekking a good distance to fetch water like the poor women there. She carried a bucket of water on her head and trekked all the way back. She also joined in washing the dishes in a very poor neighbourhood. That is a minute example of what Jesus did by leaving His heavenly throne and becoming a man (Philippians 2:5-8).
12. Can you leave your throne to reach out to the lowly?

The integrity of God is beyond philosophy of this world. Our father in the Lord is very right as he stated above “God is truly awesome and a wonder we cannot comprehend. As massive as God is, He can still relate with us at our tiny, very little level. May the lord help us in Jesus’ name. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for today’s insight into the word of God.

Key Point
If you have truly encountered Jesus Christ, there is nobody that you cannot relate with.
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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20

Memorise: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; Genesis 2:21
Read: Genesis 2:21-22
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Bible in one year: Joshua 10-11, Jeremiah 44:20-30

1. From experience, we know of a truth that God answers prayers. It is also common knowledge among those who walk with God that on several occasions, despite consistent prayers, God may take His time before intervening in a given situation.
2. In fact, in some cases, He may allow the situation to deteriorate to its extreme limits before He steps in. This was the experience of Mary and Martha, sisters to Lazarus (John 11:1-6).
3. Why would God wait until you are completely helpless before He turns things around? It could be because He does not want you to tamper with what He is about to do.
4. When a doctor wants to perform an operation, he puts his patient to sleep. When God was about to form Eve out of Adam, He put him into a deep sleep. Genesis 2:21 says, “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof.”
5. Do you know that God still likes to do some great things without any contribution or interference from us?
6. Sometimes, He may allow us to get to a point of helplessness before He moves in to begin His work. He wants you to be absolutely surrendered to Him so that when He begins to do what He wants to do, you will not consider your own ideas.
7. If you are ever so self-willed, you may need to visit the bus stop of helplessness repeatedly, but if you are completely yielded to Him, this may not occur too often in your life. How submissive are you to God?
8. Similarly, God may take His time before coming to your aid because it is in those extreme moments that prayers are said from the depth of the soul (1st Samuel 1:15).
9. When you are totally helpless, you will pray from your heart and not from your head.
10. In Matthew 15:21-28, when the woman whose daughter was grievously tormented of the devil came to Jesus asking for help, the Lord ignored her, and the disciples asked that she be sent away because she was too noisy. The woman simply said, “You haven’t heard any noise yet. Whether you like it or not, I am not leaving here without my miracle.” Then the Lord said to her, “I cannot give the children’s bread to dogs.” She said, “Fine, I agree I am a dog, but this dog is going to get her miracle today.” Since she had no alternative, she knew she had reached her last bus stop, and she refused to give up.
11. People who are totally helpless pray a different kind of prayer compared to those who have alternatives.
12. Whatever your needs maybe today, as you ask God, He will answer you in Jesus’ Name.
13. Have you reached your final bus stop? Is Jesus Christ your last hope, or do you have other alternatives.

Many believers have failed to ask for better interpretation of what this verse implies “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.” Genesis‬ ‭2:21. The deep sleep was caused upon Adam to allow God fulfill His perfect will concerning him. When God is interested in your case, sometimes He desires us to be very patience, not that He’s too weak to perform quick miracles but He loves to take glory in situations that have been given up on by men. But unfortunately, we usually fail to wait for the perfect time of God. May we have the grace to abide with the perfect timing of God. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for daily impacting us with the word of God.

Action Point
Some delays are in your best interest. Ask God to make every delay to work in your favour.
HYMN
1. My faith looks up to thee, 
thou Lamb of Calvary, 
Savior divine! 
Now hear me while I pray, 
take all my guilt away, 
O let me from this day 
be wholly thine! 
2. May thy rich grace impart 
strength to my fainting heart, 
my zeal inspire! 
As thou hast died for me, 
O may my love to thee 
pure, warm, and changeless be, 
a living fire! 
3. While life’s dark maze I tread, 
and griefs around me spread, 
be thou my guide; 
bid darkness turn to day, 
wipe sorrow’s tears away, 
nor let me ever stray 
from thee aside. 
4. When ends life’s transient dream, 
when death’s cold, sullen stream 
shall o’er me roll; 
blest Savior, then in love, 
fear and distrust remove; 
O bear me safe above, 
a ransomed soul! 

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Memorise: Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. John 4:34
Read: 2nd Timothy 3:1-5
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Bible in one year: Joshua 8-9, Jeremiah 44:11-19.

1. From Matthew 6:10, we understand that man was created to do God’s will on earth so that he can ultimately continue doing so when he gets to Heaven.
2. Although God has a plan for everyone He created, He will not force us to do anything against our will, because He created us as free moral agents with the power of choice.
3. After Adam sinned, he lost God’s glory and began to pursue a life of self-will (Romans 3:23). This self-will has ultimately led to self-centeredness in mankind. When you study the vices that the Holy Spirit forewarned us will be rife in the last days, you will discover that one common theme summarises them all: selfishness.
4. In the world of instant gratification and individualism that we live in today, it is either you are God-centred or self-centred. It is either you consider how an event will benefit God’s Kingdom or how you will personally benefit from it.
5. If you are a lover of self, it will be difficult for you to really please God. Why? Your service will be plastic and superficial, having no depth in the things of the Kingdom.
6. A self-centred individual cannot make sacrifices for God. All he or she is interested in is personal convenience, whether in service, worship or giving. If such a fellow gives a big donation to any kingdom project, you will discover that the motive behind the giving is to have it announced for the sake of his or her ego.
7. A self-centred fellow lives in rebellion against God. He loves pleasure a lot because it delights Him. Samson lived such a selfish life, even as a leader of God’s people. He could not be controlled by his parents because selfish people are in charge of their own lives, not God or anyone else. His parents warned him against marrying an unbeliever, but he refused. He went ahead because she satisfied the lust of his eyes and that of his flesh (Judges 14:1-3).
8. Your choice in life must be God-centred. Jesus is our perfect example. While on earth, He was mainly preoccupied with doing His Father’s will (John 4:34). Any time His personal desire clashed with that of His Father, just like it happened at the Garden of Gethsemane, He subordinated His will to God’s will (Luke 22:41-42).
9. What kind of life are you living? Are you pleasing yourself or making God happy in all that you do?

Living according to God’s original plan for our lives is one of the best thing we can do for ourselves. Doing otherwise will either lead to failure or death in most cases. When we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will also lead and direct our path to a great success. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for blessing us with today’s devotional in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, in all that I do, help me always remember to please You and not myself.
HYMN Prayer 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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Memorise: Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. Titus 3:1
Read: Acts 8:26-38
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 
Bible in one year: Joshua 6-7,
Jeremiah 43:8-44:10

1. Philip was a man of good report and full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:3-5). Beyond this, he was also a man of instant obedience.
2. In todays Bible reading, just after concluding an extremely successful crusade in Samaria, the word of the Lord came to him saying, “Philip, leave this city and go to the desert.” What was his response? “Yes, Lord!”, and off he went. He did not even ask what he was going to do there. He did not ask what was going to happen to his converts in the city he just moved. When he got to the desert, he saw a man in a chariot and the Holy Spirit spoke again: “Get into to that chariot.” Without hesitating, he said, “Yes Lord”, and he complied. He was indeed a man of instant obedience! Once he received an instruction and recognised the voice as that of the Holy Spirit, he immediately swung into action. How soon do you comply with divine directives?
3. Some people hear God and they pretend it is not God speaking.
4. When it comes to giving away something precious or something of great sacrifice: a treasured car, a mansion, large sums of money or a choice piece of land in a prime area, some people begin to pretend it is the devil speaking to them. They would begin to rebuke Satan where Satan is not even present.
5. Do you have this character of instant obedience? When some people receive an instruction from God, they will say they want to pray about it. Are you praying about it so that God will change His mind?
6. Some will say they want some time to think about it. Some others will say, “Lord, l have heard You, but let me first discuss it with my spouse.”
7. How fast do you respond to divine instructions?
8. In the early days when I was a worker in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, being in possession of a car was a big challenge. Why? You could get to the headquarters of the church at Ebute-Metta, Lagos, in the morning, and after being greeted, you would be told, “Brother, please go to Ondo State (about 5 hours drive away) and pray with a particular brother who is sick” Getting to Ondo, you may be told, “Sorry, he moved to his home town over the weekend”, and you would have to go there and trace his location. Nobody would give you money for fuel. When you got to church in the morning, you could not say when you would get back home. All you were expected to say is, “Yes Sir”.
9. God is looking for those who can say “Yes Lord”, and He will use them for signs and wonders.
10. If you can obey God promptly, you will go very far with Him.

Instant obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit is key to pleasing God and obtaining the blessing in return. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12:13‬ The above scripture explains the truth about the desire of God about obedience to His commands. May the Lord almighty help us. God’s wisdom will continue in the life of His son Pastor E.A Adeboye for this wonderful piece in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, give me grace for instant obedience.
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 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 from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12
Read: Mark 2:1-5
1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.
2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
Bible in one year: Joshua 3-5, Jeremiah 42:18-43:7

1. While some people encounter God and ask Him for nothing, some others ask for crumbs while some few ask big. Also, while some people are ready to wait until their desires are granted, some others are desperate.
2. Even though God has the ability to do all things, how fast your desires will be granted is often determined by your level of desperation.
3. Desperate people do desperate things to get results, and so, the attitude of their prayer is usually different from that of those who can wait.
4. In our Bible reading for today, when four men brought their friend who was paralysed and bedridden down to Jesus, they did not like what they saw: all the doors and windows were blocked and a big crowd surrounded the house. So what did they do? After studying the situation, these four friends observed that only the roof was free, and an idea struck their minds. They wiggled their way to the roof, tore it open, and lowered their friends into the place where Jesus was. The Lord Jesus Christ had to suspend everything else He was doing to attend to their friend.
5. How desperate are you to receive your miracle? If you say you are desperate, where are the signs of your desperation?
6. Desperate people break protocol! They refuse to wait where others would, and try out new measures that others may never think of.
7. Desperate people refuse to be limited by what limits others, and they will do everything possible to get the result they desire.
8. When God sees desperate faith in action, He is most unlikely to turn it down. Infact, God allows such. Hence, Matthew 11:12 says “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
9. If you are not desperate, you would be placed at the end of the line. If you are a bit violent, you can end up in the middle of the queue, but if you are truly desperate, you will be moved to the front, irrespective of how long others have waited to get there.
10. Desperate people are persistent. They draw up the attention of other people in their bid to get what they desire.
11. Although desperate people can really be a “nuisance”, they don’t care about who they inconvenience as long as they get what they want.
12. How desperate are you for divine intervention over your situation? Cry out to God today and let Him hear the desperation in your voice and see it in your actions, and He will surely answer you.

It’s so sad that in the body of Christ, people don’t really understand the principles to activate the blessings of God. Being desperate to received what we desire from God is not a sin as many assume. When we consider Matthew‬ ‭7:7‬ which says  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” The interpretation of this verse is that we should keep knocking and searching until we receive. It also means that getting what we desire from God is beyond just asking, it might require searching. Imagine the parable of Jesus about a woman who was desperate to get her right from the wicked judge in Luke 18:1-7 “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?” This story is to let us know that God wants us to be persistent and desperate. May God help us. God be praised for blessing us with Pastor E.A Adeboye. May he wax stronger in Jesus name.

Key Point
A desperate fellow persistently tables just one request before God and cannot wait to receive a positive response on it.
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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