MEMORISE:
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62

READ: Luke 9:57-62

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

MESSAGE
Situations in the world today can make any child of God backslide if he or she is not well-grounded in His word. Knowing this, Jesus Christ told the disciples in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you,that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”.

Just after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, Peter decided to return to his former trade of fishing along with some other disciples (John 21:3). Many things could have been responsible for their decision to abandon their calling in Christ as evangelists to go back to fishing. Peter and the other disciples that followed him must have felt the future was bleak since their expectation of Jesus as the political Messiah was dashed at His crucifixion. They may also have been disappointed over the fact that, upon His resurrection, Jesus Christ did not restore the sovereignty of Israel as a nation, as expected. This made them ask, “…Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

Beloved, what may cause you to contemplate going back into the world? Is it joblessness, a troublesome spouse, a failed business, yet-to-be-fulfilled dreams, betrayal from friends or loved ones? Take a cue from Paul -an apostle of Christ, when he asked rhetorically:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Romans 8:35, 37.

Jesus Christ in our memory verse today warns us against going back when He says that, having decided to work for the Lord, anyone who goes back to the world is not fit for the Kingdom (Luke 9:62). Therefore beloved, going back because of what you are passing through is not an option because the Bible says that we should hold fast that profession of our faith without wavering (Hebrews 10:23). The good news is that glory is waiting ahead of you if only you can hold on to Christ and never go back to the world (Colossians 1:27′ Psalm 30:5).

PRAYER POINT
Father, please keep me in Your arms, don’t let me fall away from the faith, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 21-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

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,
oh, 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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20

MEMORISE
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 1:19

READ: Daniel 12:3
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

MESSAGE
Shining in darkness is one thing but to shine in broad daylight is something else entirely. It is extraordinary.

The only way to shine broad daylight is to surrender your life to Christ – the Bright and Morning Star. You cannot shine without Him because you have no light of your own. You must become a disciple of Jesus Christ if you want to shine like Him and to achieve this you must obey His word and continue in it (John 8:31-32).

You can only shine when you reflect the light of the Bright and Morning Star. When the Bright and Morning Star takes over one’s life, many pleasant things begin to happen to that person. For example, Jesus the Bright and Morning Star deliberately came to this world poor, so that through His poverty, we might become rich, according to 2 Corinthians 8:9 which says:
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Flourishing when the economy of nations and the world in general is struggling is an example of shining as the Bright and Morning Star. Being perfectly whole in the midst of a pandemic is another great example since you have already been healed by the stripes of the Bright and Morning Star (I Peter 2:2).

One of the fastest ways of shining like the Bright and Morning Star is to continue to do, what He has commissioned us His followers, to do: soul winning. Our memory verse says that we His followers shall be wise and shine like the sun; that when we win souls, we shall shine like stars. Prov. 11:30 tells us that those who win souls are wise. To shine like the Bright and Morning Star, we must therefore be wise – we must win souls.

It is an open secret that I began to shine the moment I made up my mind to win souls into the Kingdom of God. You also can become a star today. Accept Jesus as your Lord, begin to win souls for Him and you will shine forever.

ACTION POINT
Begin to win soul today and the Bright and Morning Star will shine through you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 18-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: I’VE A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD HALLELUJAH.

1 I’ve a message from the Lord, Hallelujah!
The message unto you I’ll give.
’Tis recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

Refrain:
“Look and live,” my brother, live.
Look to Jesus now and live.
’Tis recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

2 I’ve a message full of love, Hallelujah!
A message, O my friend, for you.
’Tis a message from above, Hallelujah!
Jesus said it, and I know ’tis true.

3 Life is offered unto you. Hallelujah!
Eternal life your soul shall have
If you’ll only look to Him. Hallelujah!
Look to Jesus, who alone can save.

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20

MEMORISE
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Revelation 22:16

READ: Revelation 22:12 -16

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

MESSAGE
Jesus introduced Himself as the Bright and Morning Star in our Bible reading today before making some important declarations concerning His expectations from us as well as our promised reward. HE was very clear about His expectations because not only does He want us to be like Him, He also wants us to perform greater works (John 12:14).

To become shinning stars like our Lord Jesus, we must acknowledge that we were filthy sinners before we encounter Jesus (1 John 1:7-9); Romans 3:23). This knowledge will take us to Calvary where the Bright and Morning Star bled and died for us to access forgiveness and cleansing. This is when we confess and repent of our sins. Two, we must live strictly by Hs standards. Many people want to benefit from the innumerable blessings of the Bright and Morning Star including shinning in the darkness of this world, but they are not ready to surrender completely to His Lordship. If Adam and Eve had known whom they belonged to, they would never have succumbed to the deceit of the devil which suddenly turned their day into night.

What are the characteristics of the Bright and Morning Star? He never sinned; hence,to shine like Him we too must live a sin-free life. Many may claim that this is impossible, but it is possible because the Bible says those who are born of God do not sin; indeed, they cannot sin because the seed of God is within them (1John 3:9). How? John 1:11-12 says that as many as believe Jesus He gives power to become children of God.

The Bright and Morning Star has never been overwhelmed by darkness; even in the day, He still shines brightly to the whole world. The Bible says, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not (John 1:5). Sickness is a form of darkness and Jesus Christ was never sick. I therefore declare that the Bright and Morning Star will make sickness history in your life.

Do you want to shine like the Bright and Morning Star? Give your life to Him first, and then begin to live strictly by His commandment.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please send your light upon me and let me begin to shine like my Lord- the Bright and Morning Star, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 15-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHIN LESS.

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

2 When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.

3 His oath, his covenant, his blood,
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.

4 When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found:
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.

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20

MEMORISE
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Psalms 90:12

READ: Job 14:1 -2
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

MESSAGE

There are many lessons we can learn when we number our days in other words, when we put a tally on our days in order to evaluate how we are faring. Numbering our days in whatever form such as birthdays, anniversaries of special events and son on can teach us great lessons and wisdom according to our memory verse today.

Why should we number our days? Our Bible reading for today gives us an answer. Man, born of a woman is of few days and even these few days are full of trouble. The Scripture likened man to a flower that blossoms then gets cut down and as a shadow that eventually disappears. These clearly show that man’s time on earth is short and hence must not be wasted.

We can count our days effectively by evaluating our lives, asking such questions as, “Do I have a goal at all? “What are my goals” “To what extent have I achieved my goals?” “Since I have a few days and these few days are full of challenges within and without, what am I doing in preparation for eternity?”

We can also number our days effectively by counting our blessing like the Psalmist did when he penned Psalm 103 – particularly verse 1 to 5. This will give us a sense of gratitude to God who has blessed us with multiple blessings even within our short stay here on earth. The Bible says:
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Hebrews 13:14-15

Another important reason we should number our days is the evaluation of how much work we have done for the Lord. When we consider the Great Commission (Mark 16:15) and remember that we have limited time on earth, it compels us to work harder and faster as the work of the Master demands urgency (John 9:4).

May the Almighty God help us to make excellent use of our time here on earth, in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT
Ensure you evaluate your life carefully, count your blessings and name them one by one. Also, commit to doing more for the kingdom of God

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 9-11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 27: WHEN UPON LIFE’S BILLOWS YOU ARE TEMPEST TOSSED
1 When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

2 Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

3 When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

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20

MEMORISE
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Ephesians 5:33

READ: Ephesians 5:22 -33
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the c33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

MESSAGE
The responsibilities of both the husband and wife are spelt out in Bible, and made very simple. the responsibility of the wife is to submit, while that of the husband is to love. Many homes are in jeopardy because this order is not being followed. These two words – submit and love- are not difficult to understand. We all know what it means to submit and what it means to love. When both parties act on this order, there will be joy in the marriage. Therefore, if there is a home where joy is missing, you can be certain that obedience to this instruction from God is missing. A woman who is loved by her husband will blossom. A man whose wife submits to him will always be happy and at the end of the day, their marriage will succeed.

If you are a child of God, this instruction to submit to your husband or to love your wife isn’t a suggestion; it is a commandment from God. If you have not been experiencing joy in your marriage, you may need to check again to be sure you truly love your wife or submit to your husband.

A certain woman was always coming to ask me to pray concerning her husband’s behavior. One day I said to her, “When you get home today, serve your husband’s dinner, then invite him to the table, saying, “My lord”. She responded, “Whose lord?” I continued, “When he gets to the table kneel and serve him”. She said, “Over my dead body!” You see, this woman and her husband were both professors and she saw no reason to stoop that low for him. She had given her life to Christ, but her husband was yet to do the same and she really wanted him to. She was quiet for a while then agreed to do as I had instructed. When she got home and did as I asked, her husband said, “Tell the witch doctor who did this charm for you that it will not work on me”. She said “It is not a witch doctor; it is Pastor Adeboye who told me to do this”. He responded, “Really? Is that what they teach you in that Church? I will go there with you, then”. By the time I saw her next month, her husband had given his life to Christ and joy filled their home.

Wife, it does not matter if you are older than your husband, more educated or wealthier than he. As long as he is your husband, the Bible says you must submit. Husband, you must also love your wife unconditionally as Christ loves the Church.

PRAYER POINT
Do something special today to show your wife that you love her or husband that you reverence him

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 5-8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN: I LOVE THIS FAMILY OF GOD

I love this family of God,
So closely knitted into one,
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad to be a part of this great family.

I love this family of God,
So closely knitted into one,
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad to be a part of this great family.

I love this family of God,
So closely knitted into one,
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad to be a part of this great family.

I love (I love) this family (This family of God) of God,
So closely (So closely knitted) knitted into one, (Oh so knitted into one)
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad (So glad to be a part) to be a part of this great family.

I love this family.
They’ve taken me into their hearts,
And I’m so glad to be a part (so glad to be a part of this) of this great family.

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20

MEMORISE:
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

READ: Genesis 18:1 -14
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.

11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

MESSAGE
When God comes visiting you, you an be sure you are in for pleasant surprises. As I have preached on several occasions concerning the issue of divine visitation, when God visits an individual, because He is a benevolent God, He does not come empty-handed as we see in our memory verse and Bible reading today. My prayer right now is that God will visit you with mercy and favor today, in Jesus’ name.

When Abraham was entertaining the three travelers as we see in our Bible reading today, little did he know that they were messengers of the benevolent God he had encountered in Genesis 12. The story of Abraham teaches us that we must be hospitable if we would experience divine visitation. God visits those who share the same attribute of generosity with Him because He is generous. He is generous that He gave His only begotten Son as a ransom for our sins (John 3:16), thus becoming the Father of millions of people who were once disobedient creatures.

When expressing generosity or hospitality, you must do it willingly, not as if you are being forced to do it. The angelic visitors would not have waited had they noticed any unwillingness in Abraham, his wife and the men who dressed a whole calf with speed.

One of the important benefits of a divine encounter is that you will begin to hear from God and His verdict on your enemies shall be made known to you as seen in Exodus 14:1-4, 1 Samuel 16:11-13 and 1 Samuel 17:37. When you have a divine encounter, obscurity shall be terminated immediately and you will be launched into the limelight (John 9:1-7). A divine encounter usually leads to accelerated promotion, according to Exodus 7:1. Your mockers will bow to you as seen in 2 Kings 2:1-15. Most importantly, a divine encounter motivates people towards a closer walk with God in holiness and righteousness, empowering them to become a terror to the kingdom of darkness. Furthermore, a divine encounter makes people more productive and fruitful in the vineyard of God.

May the Lord grant you a divine encounter today, in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please help me to experience a divine encounter that would transform my life positively in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JOSHUA 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: JESUS, MY LORD MY GOD MY ALL
1 Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all,
hear me, blest Savior, when I call;
hear me, and from thy dwelling place
pour down the riches of thy grace.

Refrain:
Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore;
O make me love thee more and more.

2 Jesus, too late I thee have sought;
how can I love thee as I ought?
And how extol thy matchless fame,
the glorious beauty of thy name?

3 Jesus, what didst thou find in me
that thou hast dealt so lovingly?
How great the joy that thou hast brought,
so far exceeding hope or thought!

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20

MEMORISE:
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Acts 12:5

READ: Acts 12:1 -12
Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.

7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.

10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.

11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

MESSAGE
In today’s Bible text, we read that King Herod killed James the brother of John. On sensing that his wicked act pleased the Jews who were opposed to the disciples of Jesus Christ, Herod went further to arrest Peter for the purpose of executing him as well but prayer was made without ceasing by the Church unto God for him (Acts 12:5). The result of this Intercessory act of the Church was heart-warming. The Lord heard the prayers of the Church and sent angel to rescue Peter from the prison and also from being executed by Herod the King.

And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he’s mote Peter on the side, and raise him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
Acts 12:7

Beloved, we deprived ourselves the privilege of experiencing great testimonies whenever we do not go to God in prayers. The lyrics of a popular hymn captions this error brilliantly as follows,”O What peace peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Every thing to God in prayer”.

In our text of today, we see how beneficial it is to intercede for one another. It is unfortunate that instead of interceding, for example, for a brother or a sister undergoing a siege of sin or trial of faith, some people prefer to gossip about them. Many Christian brethren prefer to bury a wounded soldier instead of helping him to bounce back on his feet so that he could continue the fight of faith.

The Church interceded for Peter and he was rescued. The Church will always triumph if we can give ourselves to intercession and earnest prayer, one for another. This is the reason even Apostle Paul requested that the Christians should pray for him and the leadership of the early Church (2 Thessalonians 3:1). Prior to this time, this same Paul, together with Silas, prayed and sang praises to God in prison, leading to their mighty deliverance (Acts 16:25-30).

The body of Christ is in serious need of intercession. Will you commit to intercede for your brethren more?

ACTION POINT
Organize an Intercessory prayer programme in your household for at least two families that are under siege currently.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 32-34

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: 16. 0 GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST
1. 0 God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.

3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

4. A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

5. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

6. 0 God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come:
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.

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MEMORISE
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Romans 8:34

READ: 1 Timothy 2:1 -4
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

MESSAGE
We would continue with discussion we started yesterday on the benefits of intercessions. In our Bible reading today, we are exhorted expressly to engage intercessions for all men and specifically for our leaders. In this text we see some important benefits of interceding for our leaders.

The Bible says our intercession for our leaders will cause us to lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. This is very important because living under an ungodly leader will promote corruption, as well as a departure from the earth. The Bible says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” (Proverbs 29:2). In order not to mourn therefore, we must intercede for our leaders – spiritual, political and so on. Believers must therefore not join the world in cursing our leaders but rather pray for them so we can lead a peaceful and godly life.

Intercession can also bring about a positive transformation in the life of an intercessor. In Job 42:10 we see that the Lord turned around the captivity of Job after he prayed for his friends. We should also note that Job prayed for his friends while he was still in distress and under intense attack from the enemy. This tells us that God expects us to engage in intercession irrespective of the situation we may be faced with and He will reward our labour of love.

Another benefit of intercession is revealed in the effect it has on unbelievers. When we intercede for sinners that they may be saved, our society will be safe for us to live in. As a matter of fact, law enforcement agents may eventually go on holidays when people are converted from criminal tendencies as a result of our intercession.

In addition, our Intercessory efforts would compliment the work of our Great Intercessor – Jesus Christ, who is presently at the right hand of God, interceding for us.

As followers of Christ, we must emulate Him and commit to a lifestyle of interceding for all men.

ACTION POINT
Put up an intercessory programme for some specific people who need divine intervention in your locality.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 29-31

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER
1. Sweet hour of prayerl
Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2. Sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless;
And since He bids me seek His face,
believe His word, and trust His grace,
I’Il cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayerl

3. Sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayerl
May I thy consolation share
Till, from mount Pisgal’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight;
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the ever lasting prize
And shout while passing through the all,
Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer.

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MEMORISE: And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them. Numbers 11:3

READ: Numbers 11:1 -3
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

3 And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

MESSAGE
Intercession can be simply described as the act of saying a prayer or making a statement on behalf of another person or group of persons. The ministry of intercession is as old as human history itself and it can come in different forms. For example in Genesis 4:15 we see God ‘interceding’ for Cain – a murderer:
◦ *And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.*

In today’s Bible reading, we see God’s representative (Moses), interceding for Israel when the judgment of God came upon them. The anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel because they misbehaved. They cried to God’s representative in their midst who then cried to the Lord, and the result was highly rewarding.

There are many lessons from this story, pointing to the benefits of intercession. One, it is a blessing to have a man that God listens to on your side. This tells us the type of Church leader we should choose for ourselves. Two, it is one thing to have a leader that God listens to and yet another to be able to approach such a person with your problems. The children of Israel cried to Moses and he in turn cried to God. The third lesson we should learn here is that the children of Israel chose to cry to God through Moses because they know their sin would prevent God from hearing them. Isaiah 59:1-2 says that iniquity would make God hide His face and not hear sinners. The fourth lesson is that we should live the life that will make us have direct access to our Father in heaven. The Bible says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19).

With Jesus in our lives, we can effectively intercede and gain God’s attention and favour.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please draw me closer to you so that I can have free access to your throne of grace in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: DEUTERONOMY 27-28

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: NEARE MY GOD TO THEE
1 Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

2 Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
yet in my dreams I’d be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

3 There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;
all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;
angels to beckon me
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

4 Then, with my waking thoughts bright with thy praise,
out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
so by my woes to be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

5 Or if, on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

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