Memorise: And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
Read: Acts 5:1-6
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
Bible in one year: Numbers 3, Jeremiah 14:13-22

1 One of the attributes of the Holy Spirit that confirms to us that He is a person is that He can be grieved.
2. Indeed, the Holy Spirit can be abused to the point of being grieved.
3. At this point, He can decide to show His Almightiness like the other two personalities of the Godhead.
4. This is the reason why Apostle Paul admonished us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30).
5. There are many reasons why it is dangerous to grieve the Holy Spirit. One of such reasons is located in today’s memory verse.
6. We are sealed unto the day of redemption by the precious Holy Spirit in our lives. This seal serves as a covering that shields us from the activities of Satan and his cohorts.
7. If you make your Covering annoyed to the extent that He deserts you, in that case you will be left without a shield protecting you against evil spirits.
8. This is very dangerous because we cannot pass through this world of evil as pilgrims without the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
9. Another reason why it is dangerous to grieve the Holy Spirit is that His wrath could be very devastating.
10. The story in today’s Bible text confirms that no man can withstand His wrath. Ananias and Sapphira his wife grieved the Holy Spirit and they were punished by death. What did they do to grieve the Holy Spirit? They lied to Him.
11. Many so-called believers would regard this as a “simple lie”, but it was enough to grieve the Holy Spirit, and He struck them dead.
12. Cooperating with a liar can also grieve the Holy Spirit as in the case of Sapphira, Ananias’ wife.
13. It is dangerous to keep company with liars because the same punishment meted out to the original liar would be received by the accomplice.
14. In times past, Christians used to be persecuted in various establishments because they would not cooperate with liars who would get to work at 10 a.m. but register 7 a.m. as their resumption time. Today, some Christians are doing worse, even in Church offlces.
15. Rebelling against the Lordship of the Holy Spirit over your life is another way through which He can be grieved.
16. When you get to a point where you refuse to take instructions from the voice of the Holy Spirit within you, then you have rebelled against His Lordship. The Bible in Isaiah 63:10 says, “But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.”
17. Beloved, let us heed the admonition of Paul and desist from grieving the Holy Spirit by all means.

The Holyspirit is our friend. He is our comforter and teacher. We should never grieve our friend, comforter and teacher by any means. It is very abnormal to pay good with evil even in real life scenerio and in the same vein when we ignore the Holyspirit, blaspheme or lie against or to the Holyspirit we grieve him and it is not just bad but dangerous because when the relationship breaks the friendship and union is lost. Also the edge gets broken hence devil gets a loophole to penetrate through.
The key to living the right way and in God’s will is the indepth study of the word of God and the help of the Holyspirit. This is why we must do everything to maintain our relationship with the Holy Spirit and not grieve him. God will help us in Jesus name. We are grateful to God for blessing us with Pastor E.A Adeboye. May His grace never depart from him in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, please pardon me in any way I have grieved Your Holy Spirit, and give me the grace never to do so again until I see you in glory.
HYMN
O spread the tidings ’round,
Wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts
And human woes abound.
Let every Christian tongue
Proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!
Refrain:
The Comforter has come!
The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav’n,
The Father’s promise giv’n,
O spread the tidings ’round,
Wherever man is found:
The Comforter has come!
The long, long night is past;
The morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail
And fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills
The day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!
[Refrain]
Lo, the great King of kings,
With healing in His wings,
To every captive soul
A full deliv’rance brings;
And thro’ the vacant cells
The song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come!
[Refrain]
O boundless love divine!
How shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell
The matchless grace divine –
That I, a child of hell,
Should in His image shine?
The Comforter has come!

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20

Memorise: There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. Proverbs 11:24
Read: Luke 15:11-14
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.
Bible in one year: Numbers 1-2, Jeremiah 14:1-12

1. Many people do not know that the act of giving has principles that must be followed in order to get rewarded for it by God.
2. Due to their ignorance, such people have become discouraged from giving because they had given in times past without getting the results which they rightfully expected.
3. The truth of the matter is: giving has principles, and unless you follow these principles, you will have no result for your giving.
4. For example, if you sow your corn or wheat on the sea, you will definitely get nothing. Therefore, we must learn the principles of giving in order to have the desired results for our giving.
5. God will never owe any man; He gave us His word of assurance on this in Hebrews 6:10: “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have administered to the saints, and do minister.”
6. However, you must know the type of ground you sow your seed into. For example, it is an exercise in futility to sow your seed into a church ministry where the more money comes in, the more women the leaders acquire to his pleasure.
7. Also, when you give to a ministry which you know diverts your seeds into private estates and into taking care of the body instead of using it for winning souls, do not expect any reward from God.
8. Apart from being selective of the type of causes you give to, you must also learn to give intelligently.
9. In today’s Bible reading, the prodigal son took all that he had, left the environment of accountability and spent everything recklessly. The result of his wild lifestyle is glaring in Luke 15:14: “And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.”
10. It is an established truth that giving brings blessings upon the giver (Proverbs 11:24a). The Lord Jesus Christ Himself established this in His teachings (Luke 6:38).
11. However, there is another truth we also need to pay close attention to in Proverbs 11:24b, which says: “…and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty”
12. In other words, though we are not expected to “spend all”, we must not fall into the error of conserving more than is necessary. This is the word of God.
13. Those who live a lifestyle of spending their all always become a nuisance to the body of Christ through excessive borrowing. Learn from the story of the seven years of plenty and strategy of conservation given by Joseph against the succeeding seven years of famine (Genesis 41:33-36).
14. Also, learn from the ants how to manage your resources prudently (Proverbs 6:6-8).
15. May God give you wisdom along this line, so that you can spend and give wisely.  

There are important points mentioned in our devotional for today that we should take seriously and that is what I will like us to reflect on. “There are principles that must be followed when we give in order to get rewarded for it by God.” “Giving brings blessings upon the giver (Proverbs 11:24a).” We must know the type of ground you sow your seed into. Be selective of the type of causes you give to and also learn to give intelligently. Let u study the bible references give in the last paragraph meditatively and I pray as we do the Holy Spirit will minister more truth to us as regards our giving. May God continually increase Pastor E.A Adeboye in knowledge, grace and strength so that more truth of God’s will can be published for the body of Christ in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, give me wisdom to manage the resources You have entrusted to my hands.
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: Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: Matthew 3:8
Read: Acts 3:13-19
13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 26-27, Jeremiah 13:15-27

1. Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, hypocrisy has been a character trait of mankind.
2. For this reason, God has continuously reached out to man with message of living a changed life.
3. The Mosaic Law was all about making the Israelites live a life that was different from that of all the other nations around them, a life of change which conforms to God’s expectations.
4. At different points in time, when they erred from the Mosaic Law, God still sent prophets to them with the message of change.
5. One of such prophets was Ezekiel. Speaking through him, the Lord demanded that His people repent and change from their hypocritical ways (Ezekiel 14:6). The Lord also spoke through Prophet Ezekiel about the change of life He would bring about by the regeneration of the human spirit through Christ (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
6. When this prophecy was to be fulfilled, the Lord sent John the Baptist to preach the baptism of repentance. However, John discovered that some people were just coming religiously for baptism without any intention of changing their ways, and he had this to say to them: “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” Matthew 3:8-9
7. The apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ also had the message of change forming the central theme of the gospel they preached.
8. In spite of the demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit with signs and wonders, the apostles did not mince words in declaring heaven’s demand for a change of life to the people of their day. Peter in Acts 3:19 boldly declared thus: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”
9. It is sad, however, that many modern-day preachers have deleted the message of change from their sermons because they would not want to be “offensive” to modern minds. What such preachers fail to realise is that the message of change is the only hope for the world.
10. The message of change brings repentance, and repentance brings times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.
11. I therefore beseech you to effect the necessary changes befitting of a Christian pilgrim in your life today. Remember, tomorrow may be too late!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬ Considering the statement of Apostle Paul, there is a way we have to live of life that is acceptable and perfect will of God. It’s unfortunate that message of the truth is scarce in the body of Christ today. You cannot be cold and be warm at the same time, as Christ spake to the Church in Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Brethren the consequences of playing God and pretending to have changed can be unbearable, therefore let’s wake up, be a genuine changed person in Christ as see your God uplifting you. When you hate evil and focus on God and His Kingdom you get divine promotion “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Hebrews‬ ‭1:9‬. “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:21‬ ‭God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for this spirit lifting devotional. ‭

Prayer Point
Father, grant me the grace to change my crooked ways, and give me the strength of character to walk with You on the straight and narrow path all the days of my life.
HYMN
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 still I will follow
Though none go with me still I will follow
Though none go with me still I will follow
No turning back, No turning back
My cross I’ll carry, till i see Jesus
My cross I’ll carry, till i see Jesus
My cross I’ll carry, till i see Jesus
No turning back, no turning back.
 
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: Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Psalm 127:3
Read: Exodus 2:1-9
1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.
4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.
7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.
9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 25, Jeremiah 13:1-14

1. Many people who are blessed with the gift of children are not conscious of the fact that children are the heritage of the Lord, meaning that God is their rightful owner, and they are gifts from Him.
2. This is why an adage from my village says “Rich people cannot find children to buy in the market.” What money cannot buy can only be obtained from the Almighty God.
3. What then should be the attitude of parents to these priceless gifts? The answer can be seen in the story of the birth, adoption and upbringing of Moses, the child who later become the mouthpiece of the Almighty God. Moses was born at a time when Pharaoh had commanded that every newborn male child should be immediately killed. His mother tried to hide him for three months, but when he could no longer be hidden, she decided to drop him off by the bank of River Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter picked him up from there and adopted him as her own. By God’s providence, the princess gave Moses to a nurse who happened to be his mother. Hear what the princess said to her: “Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.” Exodus 2:9b
4. There are many lessons we can learn from this story.
5. By adoption, Moses was the child of Pharaoh’s daughter, but she gave him over to a nurse to nurture him for her. This mirrors God’s divine arrangement, whereby He, being the owner of children, hands them over to parents to nurture them for Him.
6. In other words, just as the princess told Moses’ mother, “nurse this child for me”, God is also saying to parents, “nurse this child for Me.” The princess also told Moses’ mother that she would pay her wages for a job well done.
7. God is equally telling parents that if they properly nurture children for Him and not for themselves, He will reward them well.
8. It is unfortunate that many parents are nursing God’s heritage for themselves or the devil; hence, they are getting their wages from the flesh or from the devil.
9. This is the reason why many children have turned out to be a curse to their parents breaking their hearts because the parents nursed the children for themselves and not for the Lord.
10. On the other hand, godly parents who train their children to fear the Lord are paid the wages of peace of mind from God at old age.
11. The children of such parents prosper under the grace of Jesus, which they have been exposed to from infancy, and they are battles axes in the hands of their original Owner, the Almighty God.

Most parents are actually not aware that parenthood or parenting is more sensitive than they think. The physical, financial and emotional aspect is what many focus on leaving out the spiritual part. Some even think instilling good moral is same as instilling the fear and love of God in their children. The existence of some western law has left some parent residing in the Western countries with no option than the ungodly way of grooming their children. Even where such law doesn’t exist negligence has taken over some parent. This is a call to order, repentance and correction for parents and guardians. I pray that the host of heaven will join every parent willing to bring up or bring back their children the way of the Lord and it will become a reality in Jesus name. God be praised for blessing us with Pastor E.A Adeboye who feeds us with quality and deep truth of the word of the Lord.

Prayer Point
Father, give me wisdom to nurse the children You have divinely placed in my care, and may I not miss my reward for nursing them according to Your counsel.
HYMN
1 God give us Christian homes! 
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught, 
Homes where the Master’s will is sought, 
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought; 
God give us Christian homes; 
God give us Christian homes! 
2 God give us Christian homes! 
Homes where the father is true and strong, 
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong, 
Homes that are joyous with love and song; 
God give us Christian homes; 
God give us Christian homes! 
3 God give us Christian homes! 
Homes where the mother, in caring quest, 
Strives to show others Your way is best, 
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest; 
God give us Christian homes; 
God give us Christian homes! 
4 God give us Christian homes! 
Homes where the children are led to know 
Christ in His beauty who loves them so, 
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow; 
God give us Christian homes; 
God give us Christian homes!

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20

Memorise: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people. Luke 1:68
Read: Jeremiah 29:10-11
10 For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 23-24, Jeremiah 12

1. “And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.”Luke 7:14-16
2. The account of events in the above passage of Scripture is indicative of what a divine visitation looks like.
3. Divine visitation with its attendant supernatural occurrences brings joy to the heart of those visited.
4. I pray that God will visit you today and your joy shall be full in Jesus’ Name.
5. In our Bible text today, Prophet Jeremiah gave a revelation concerning the future deliverance of Israel from bondage. He prophesied that this would be realised by the power of divine visitation.
6. When God comes visiting, He comes with deliverance from bondage and servitude like He did when He visited the children of Israel in Egypt (Exodus 4:31). When the children of Israel, because of their spiritual decadence found themselves in Babylonian bondage again, His love for His friend, Abraham their father, compelled Him to promise another divine visitation.
7. In Jeremiah 29:10, He sent His word to them in Babylon saying: “For thus saith the LORD, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to his place.”
8. Also, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prophesised under the influence of the Holy Spirit about the coming of redemption of Israel through yet another divine visitation (Luke 1:68).
9. Divine visitation brought salvation to mankind, when God personally came in the form of man to dwell among us, suffered, died and rose again so that we may obtain salvation (1st Timothy 3:16).
10. Beloved, do you want a divine visitation of salvation?
11. Jesus Christ says this to you today: “Behold, I stand at the door; and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelations 3:20
12. Open the door of your heart to him today, accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour, and He will come in right away and give you the gift of salvation.

God is mighty, merciful and kind. If He in His greatness steps out to visit us either directly or indirectly then we can be sure of a turn around. Zacchaeus never remained the same after Jesus visited him. Father Abraham, Lot, Paul, Zechariah, Obed Edom to mention a few are examples of people visited by God and their stories turned around for good. I pray that every unpleasant story we are battling with will turn around as the Lord visit us in Jesus’ name. We bless God for the author of this devotional Pastor E.A Adeboye. May God strengthen him in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Lord Jesus, please visit me today, make Your abode in my life and give me Your gift of salvation.
HYMN
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 still I will follow
Though none go with me still I will follow
Though none go with me still I will follow
No turning back, No turning back
My cross I’ll carry, till i see Jesus
My cross I’ll carry, till i see Jesus
My cross I’ll carry, till i see Jesus
No turning back, no turning back.
 
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: And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. Genesis 21:1
Read: Genesis 18:1-10
1 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 21-22, Jeremiah 11:9-23

1. Our God is a benevolent God; He visits an individual, He does not come empty-handed.
2. If you are privileged to receive a visitation from Him, you can be sure you are in for pleasant surprises.
3. My prayer for you is that God in His infinite mercy will visit you today in Jesus’ Name.
4. When Abraham entertained three strange men in his tent, little did he know that they were messengers of the benevolent God.
5. Take a closer look at all the effort Abraham put in just to entertain visitors he could ordinarily have regarded as casual passers-by. Genesis 18:6-7 says, “And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measure of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.”
6. From this passage, it is obvious that Abraham engaged his entire household in making these visitors comfortable.
7. There are many lessons you can learn from Abraham’s experience which will make it possible for you to enjoy the blessing of receiving a divine visitation.
8. First, you must be hospitable if you want to experience a divine visitation. Concerning this, the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 13:2 says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
9. God visits those who share His attribute of generosity. God is so generous that He gave His only begotten Son as a ransom for our sins. Consequently, He became the Father of millions of people who were once alienated from Him.
10. Secondly, when you are showing generosity or hospitality, you must do it willingly, and not as if you are being constrained to do it.
11. The angelic visitors would not have waited if they had noticed unwillingness in Abraham, his wife or his men in receiving them. It was after the strange visitors had eaten their fill that they delivered the message they brought from God. Angels don’t eat human food, so how come theses ones ate the food Abraham served them (Genesis 18:8)? This can only be explained by the sovereignty of the Almighty God. They were transformed and given a human nature in order to be able to eat, so as to teach us valuable lessons.
12. One of these lessons is that when God requests for your tithe, offerings or your first-fruits, it is because He wants to set you up for a divine visitation in your business or chosen career. Be wise!

Some events are orchestrated by God for our own sake either to answer our prayers or to manifest Himself in our situation. The way and manner that we respond to this event matters a lot as it sparks the fulfilment of God’s plan. When the love of God is shed abroad in our heart, it does not only make us love God without restrictions, this love is extended to fellow human being. In today’s devotional, the God sent to Abraham in human form and he didn’t miss that divine visitation. May we never miss God’s visitation in Jesus name. However, we have to be ready all the time in our hearts, mind, spirit, deeds and ways to welcome the Lord when He visits. When the love of God dwells in us we are positioned to love all that is His as well as others. Then we can discern with the help of the Holyspirit when God visits us. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for this great devotional. More grace for greater works in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, please visit me with your awesome presence today.
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 the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1st Thessalonians 4:16
Read: Acts 1:9-11
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 19-20, Jeremiah 10:17-11:8

1. One of the reasons why there is spiritual decadence in the Church today is the loss of focus on the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Jesus knew this would happen and for this reason, He gave us the parable of a king who went on a journey to a far country, leaving behind his servants to work and await his return (Luke 19:12-27).
3. Our King is coming back to be the judge of both the living and the dead.
4. As a preview of the nature of the judgement He will declare against those who rejected His Lordship over their lives, Luke 19:27 says, “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
5. Beloved, this will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. However, you must always remember that our King is coming, and you must also remember what He is coming to do. This attribute will guide you on how to comport yourself in readiness for His return.
6. Do not be deceived by the error of those who claim that Jesus Christ will not come again or that He has already come in the spirit. These are all lies of the devil.
7. The angels who addressed the early disciples after Jesus was taken up to Heaven said this to them in Acts 1:11: “….This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.”
8. You can therefore rest assured in your heart that Jesus will surely come back.
9. Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming to put the devil where he belongs (Revelations 20:10).
10. All the angels that fell along with the devil, referred to as demons, will also partake of the eternal damnation that will befall him (Matthew 25:41).
11. Our King is also coming to give rewards to every believer according to his or her works. The Lord in Revelation 22:12 says, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
12. Beloved of God, ensure you are one of those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
13. If your name is already there, work hard to receive commendation and a good reward from the Master.
14. If you labour for the expansion of God’s Kingdom through evangelism and witnessing or through giving and intersession, you can be sure you will not miss your reward when the King returns.

I pray that we shall be commended and not condemned when our king arrives in Jesus name. Our father Pastor E.A Adeboye told us in today’s devotional that when we labour for expansion of God’s kingdom by evangelism, witnesses, intercessions and giving we can expect reward. This should be done genuinely and willing and not to impress our pastor or show off. Our work here on earth matters a lot because we shall be judged by these works. May our work not be burnt that we may receive reward in Jesus name. We bless God for the author of this devotional. May he wax stronger in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, at the second coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, may I not be put to shame please give me the grace to be watchful as I live according to your word.
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: 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. Matthew 11:29
Read: Luke 9:23-26
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 17-18, Jeremiah 10:1-16

1. After giving your life to Christ, you need to go further in your walk with God by becoming a disciple.
2. Many Children of God these days don’t know that discipleship has a price. They don’t even know that Jesus Christ, the Master, has a yoke that they must share with Him.
3. The early disciples, with great difficulty, got to understand this truth on the eve of the crucifixion. While agonising over the inevitable death on the Cross, Jesus Christ asked the disciples to pray and watch along with Him, but instead, they slept. Matthew 26:40-41 says: “And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
4. We are so blessed to have a Master who knows our frame. He knows that the flesh is weak, even though the spirit is willing.
5. Our willingness to share in His yoke qualifies us to be His disciples.
6. Today, many people don’t want to be taught this aspect of the gospel. They prefer the doctrine of relativism, which teaches that the end justifies the means.
7. Those things that the Lord Jesus Christ abhorred are being courted by some so-called believers today. This should not be so!
8. In our Bible reading today, Jesus Christ gives a vivid description of the price we must pay to be true disciples of His. In Luke 9:23-24, He said: “….If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”
9. This is the price of discipleship. There are many so-called “disciples” today who are far from being disciples.
10. Many cannot even deny their ungodly friends, not to talk of denying themselves. They hold tenaciously to the world contrary to the word in 1st John 2:15-17 which says: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
11. Beloved, are you a true disciple of Jesus Christ or do you want to be one?
12. Ponder on these things and don’t deceive yourself.
13. Always remember what the Holy Spirit said to us in 2nd Timothy 2:12: “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.”

The truth is as a disciple of Jesus Christ we must be ready to face crucifixion. We have to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him daily. We have to let go of all and live for Him alone. Luke 9:23-24 says:And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. Paul understood this scripture so well and decided to live for Christ such that he had the conviction that if he dies it’s gain and his living is for Christ. Philippians 1:21-For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us- 2 Timothy 2:12. We must always remember Romans 8:17-18 which says: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Let’s strive to be His true disciples here on earth. May God help us in Jesus name. God be praised forever more for a disciple like our father in the Lord Pastor E.A Adeboye. The ability to turn even more to Christ is released unto him in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, the grace to follow You in spirit and in truth, please give me today.
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: But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 1st Timothy 5:6
Read: Revelation 3:14-19
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 15-16, Jeremiah 9:12-26

1. It is amazing that many people are suffering today but they do not realise it. Is it even possible to suffer without knowing it? Of course, it is!
2. The Bible passage in our memory verse points to one of such scenarios.
3. A prostitute and his or her clients think they are enjoying life by indulging in indiscriminate sex and getting paid for it, but in the sight of God, they are dead. The reality of the word of God will knock on their door the day the doctor announces their HIV status.
4. A drunkard also is one who is “suffering and smiling”. The Bible gives a vivid description of the pitiable state of a drunkard in Proverbs 23:31-35.
5. It is also possible for people who profess to belong to God to be oblivious of their true state in the sight of God. For this reason, we must always look at ourselves through the mirror of God’s word, and wait on the Lord in the place of prayer to hear what His opinion of us is.
6. In today’s Bible text, we see the verdict of our Lord Jesus Christ on the state of the Church of the Laodiceans. After the Lord x-rayed their spiritual life, their self-delusion became apparent for all to see. He gave His assessment in Revelation 3:17: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”
7. This is food for thought for these churches in these last days which major on the so-called “prosperity gospel” to the detriment of the spiritual well-being of their congregation.
8. Such churches are actually miserable, poor, blind and naked – they are suffering without knowing it.
9. In Acts 3, Peter and John were going for a prayer meeting at the temple, and a lame man looked up to them in expectation of receiving alms from them.
10. Pay close attention to these words of Peter to him in Acts 3:6: “…Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
11. The lame man walked because the early disciples were rich in the things of God, even though they were poor in material things.
12. Today, many churches have sliver and gold, but they no longer have the effective use of the Name of Jesus Christ.
13. Beloved, let us go back to our first love, rather than groping in the darkness of self-delusion that we are fine.
14. Many problems that were alien to the early Church are now common place in the modern Church.
15. Ministers of gospel are being carried here and there for healing. May God have mercy on us.

To realise our true state in Christ, we must often look at ourselves through the mirror of God’s word. If we discover that we are off the track from what the scripture says we should retrace our steps rather than deceiving ourselves. As we continuously seek God’s face to know our stand in Him through study of God’s word, prayer and fasting I pray He will reveal to us and lead us unto the right path in Jesus name. We pray for strength and greater ability for our Father Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, open my eyes to see where I have missed it, and help me to retrace my steps back to You, the Lover of my soul.
HYMN
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary. Refrain
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me. Refrain
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he’ll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I’ll share. Refrain

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20

Memorise: Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:21
Read: 1st Samuel 1:9-11
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
Bible in one year: Leviticus 14, Jeremiah 8:18-9:11

1. Most good things in life come at a cost.
2. Many Children of God may find it hard to accept this truth, but doesn’t change its reality.
3. The reason why some children of God may not want to accept this reality of life is that our salvation is freely given to us. They would reason that since the precious salvation of our souls is free, other precious things of the kingdom should also be without a cost. They forget that although salvation is free for us, it came at the expense of the precious Blood of Jesus, shed through His gruesome death on the cross.
4. The fact that it is given to us for free does not mean it was freely acquired by the Giver.
5. Just as a child should not think the bread he is eating freely from his father’s table is actually free – as the father would have laboured for the money with which the bread was purchased – believers also should not think that it cost the Father nothing to give His only begotten Son for the redemption of our souls.
6. When Jesus Christ was healing the sick and delivering those that were oppressed by demons during earthly ministry, the disciples wanted to perform the same feat. They were however disappointed when they discovered that they could not do what the Master was doing. They therefore asked Him why they could not cast a demon out (Matthew 17:19). Here is the Master’s response to them in Matthew 17:20-21: “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
7. From this response, we understand that you cannot be eating three square meals with snacks in between and expect demons to obey your every command.
8. Years ago, my children in Britain asked me to begin conducting a monthly Festival of Life Service in the U.K. I declined, the reason being that I could not minister at a Festival of Life Service without making adequate spiritual preparations.
9. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, knew that God needed a priest to replace Eli, and so she promised God that if He gave her a son, she would give the boy back to Him. God immediately granted her request because she was ready to pay a price for what she wanted.
10. Beloved, what is the motive behind your request? If it is to glorify God, be sure you will have it today.

How true? So true! There is a price to pay! For everyone who wants to make a difference and impart lives such must be ready to pray and fast. Even our Lord Jesus whose conception, birth, growth and being was miraculous fasted and prayed on several occasions. The fact that He is supernatural did not hold Him back from these spiritual exercise. Miracles don’t just happen. Healing don’t just take place. Words of knowledge and wisdom don’t just flow and get manifested. Spiritual seed and exercise precedes such occurrences. Genuine ministers and children of God who pulls God’s presence to wrought wonders engage in serious fasting and prayer always. God will give us the grace to subdue our body and its desire so as to engage in spiritual exercise that will cause a change in our lives and world in Jesus name. Thank God for Pastor E.A Adeboye. He is a blessing to our generation.

Prayer Point
Father, grant me the grace to constantly mortify the deeds of the blood through fasting and prayer, so that Your Spirit may operate freely without hindrance in my life.
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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