MEMORISE:

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:24

READ: Deuteronomy 5:30-33

30 Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.

31 But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.

32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

MESSAGE:
Walking with God is highly rewarding when we are ready to pay the price. Walking with God requires perfect obedience of His word. Failure to do this brought calamity upon humanity in the garden of Eden. The Bible in Genesis 2:16-17 says:
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

The first man and the first woman did not keep to these terms. This is exactly what is still happening today. People find it difficult to live by the letter of the Holy Bible, claiming it is old-fashioned. The question is: What did God say concerning His word and the latter days? Matthew 5:18-21 says:
“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Beloved, walking with God requires your obedience in all the ways which the Lord has commanded us to. Obedience to God’s commandments is vital to the peace and prosperity of His children. This is why Deuteronomy 5:33 says “ Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.”

Furthermore, Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Beloved, do not believe those who say that any aspect of the laws and commandment of God is obsolete in this 21st century. If you want to enjoy the wonderful benefits of walking with God in this world so that your eternity with God will be guaranteed, then you must do everything in your power to be obedient to all the commandments that Jesus teaches in the Bible.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to be able to walk with You in perfect obedience to Your word, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 25.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.
1. 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!

2. 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.

3. 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,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

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MEMORISE:

Rejoice evermore. 1 Thessalonians 5:16

READ: Luke 7:12-15

12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.

13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

MESSAGE:
One of the shortest verse of the New Testament which is also our memory verse today says “Rejoice evermore.”

Today, we read about the command “Weep Not”. This command is easier read than obeyed. A widow lost her only son and Jesus Christ commanded her not to weep! The Lord is saying to you also “Don’t weep, but rather, rejoice” because He will intervene in that situation that is drawing tears out of your eyes. Weeping doesn’t solve any problem; it is merely an expression of sorrow.

Weeping could be detrimental to those who indulge themselves in the habit. Weeping blurs vison and reasoning- both physically and spiritually. Weeping particularly when God says don’t weep in such situations that appear unpleasant, is an indirect protest against God’s command, and anything that we do contrary to the command of the Lord is an act of rebellion. The Bible assures us that “Weeping may endure for a night; but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). We are most blessed if we believe this Scripture.

Weeping blurred Mary Magdalen’s vision on the resurrection morning to the extent that she mistook Jesus Christ for a gardener (John 20:11-15). Jesus tried to console her but she did not recognize Him.
“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” John 20:15

An antidote for weeping is reading God’s word concerning His promises for us in the time of trouble. Another one is high praises to God who specializes in reversing the irreversible. The Bible says when David was distressed at Ziklag because the wives and children of he and his men had been taken away captive by raiders, he appealed to God for His consoling word. He was not only consoled but also assured of full restoration (1 Samuel 30:1-8). Seek and speak the word of God that is applicable to your challenge in the time of trouble, then praise Him. You will surely laugh last.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please wipe away all tears from my eyes and remove those situations that cause me to weep today, in the name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 22.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 31: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD.

1. Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

2. Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And guard us through all ills in this world, till the next!

3. All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,
The Son, and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven—
The one eternal God, Whom earth and Heav’n adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

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MEMORISE:

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

READ: Philippians 3:14-17

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

MESSAGE:
The Bible’s instruction to “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” simply means to carefully research and meditate upon the lives of those who obtained God’s approval. Learn those things they did that earned them God’s approval. In today’s text, we read of Paul- an outstanding apostle of Jesus Christ. He strove to reach the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The following are the things he did to attain this goal: One, he forsook the worldly glory and approval to gain the approval of God through the righteousness that can only be found in Christ. Two, he sought to know more of Jesus Christ in order to do His will; he was never satisfied with a life of mediocrity. The apostle made bold to say:
“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” Philippians 3:17

Beloved, any Church leader who cannot say what Paul said above is not worth following. Show me your leader and I will tell you who you are. I will even tell you how far you can go in the Christian journey. When I gave my life to Christ, I was blessed with a leader who was heaven-bound. That was my late Father-in-the-Lord – the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Any time I looked at him, I saw the glory of God and the image of Jesus Christ in him and knew if I could follow his footsteps, I would make it in my Christian walk. He was completely transparent, a lover of the cross of his Master and Savior. He did not only teach but practiced what he taught to the letter. Paul, the apostle wrote:
“ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”Galatians 1:8-9

It is necessary for Christians to prove all things and hold fast that which is good, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:21. We are to abstain from all appearance of evil. I advise you to seek out genuine teachers of the word of God and learn from them because only the truth and nothing but the truth can set you free from the errors of the end times. Jesus Christ is the truth.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please reveal Yourself to me afresh through Your Son and Your appointed leader over my life, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 20-21.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOR.

1. Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

o Refrain:
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

2. Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.

3. Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

4. Thou the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee,
Whom in Heav’n but Thee.

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MEMORISE:

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21:5

READ: John 4:19-24

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

MESSAGE:
The Bible says in Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:”

Jesus Christ is the foundation of the new anointing; He makes things new, including our ways of life and worship. This is the truth that Jesus explained to the woman He spoke with at the well in Samaria, according to our Bible reading of today. The woman was arguing for the old dispensation but Jesus said:
“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” John 4:22-23

Before Jesus Christ ascended to be with His Father, He promised His disciple the power of the Holy Ghost- Acts 1:5,8. The coming of the Holy Ghost brought the new anointing. One thing the new anointing does is that it convicts us of sin, according to John 16:7-8. Another thing to note is that your anointing needs to be updated or else it becomes obsolete. How do we renew or update our anointing? The Bible says “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 12:2).

The Scripture above clearly tells us that (1) we must not confirm to this world as it brings new ideas and the philosophy of men to derail us, (2) rather, we must be transformed as we had conformed prior to our salvation, according to 2 Corinthians 5:17, (3) we must do this by the renewing of our minds against the old ways of life we are used to, (4) by this, we will be able to distinguish good from evil and (5) ultimately, we shall safely arrive at the perfect will of God for our lives. With the renewed anointing, we are shielded from seducing and lying spirits. We are properly groomed into all godliness without having to struggle on our own, according to Zechariah 4:6.

Surrender your life to Jesus Christ, not only as the Savior from sin but also as the Lord of your life. Only then can the blessings of the new anointing be yours.

KEY POINT:
Activate the new anointing upon your life by praying in Jesus’ name, for the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 19.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 11: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR.

1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

o Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

5. I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

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MEMORISE:
Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. Exodus 32:26

READ: Exodus 32:25-26

25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

MESSAGE:
In John 21:1-6, we read about the disciples’ encounter with the resurrected Jesus at the Sea Tiberias where they had gone fishing. In spite of all their hard work they caught nothing. Jesus came to them, but they initially did not recognize Him. He then teased them, asking “Children, have ye any meat?” The answer was obviously negative. When you are not where you should be, you are on the wrong side and this can bring untold hardship and sorrow.

Jesus had compassion upon the apostle and gave them a directive to cast their net to the right side of the boat for a catch. They obeyed and hauled in a mighty catch. Every child of God must always strive to be on the right side of the Lord- doing His will, obeying His word and walking according to his ways.

“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.”
Genesis 13:10-11

Lot greedily chose the land that seemed good for his flocks without consideration for his elderly uncle who brought him out to choose first. Unfortunately, it was the wrong side; it was a place marked for destruction. The land was totally destroyed and lot lost everything except two of his daughters. He even lost his wife to the destruction.
“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:24-26

Beloved, please come to the Lord’s side today if you are yet to answer His call. Repent and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. He will prosper and give you all-round rest as He has promised, in the mighty name of Jesus,

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please take me away from the wrong side of life and bring me to the right side, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 16.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Philippians 3:10

READ: Matthew 24:2-13
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

MESSAGE:
Numerous blessings await anyone who knows Jesus, spends time reading, studying and meditating on the word of God. Apostles Paul prayed that he might know Jesus the more (Philippians 3:10) because he know that doing so would bring a lot of blessings.

What does it entail to know Jesus Christ?

It takes staying with Him, learning of Him, doing His bidding and loving people unconditionally. He said in Matthew 11:28-29 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me…..”

There are lots of things we must learn of Jesus if we really want to know Him as He is. For example, Jesus Chrsit was confronted with the three categories of sins: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life when He was tempted by the devil to engage in a show of power. However, He refused to jump from the pinnacle of the temple, according to Luke 4:9-13. Jesus overcame by His obedience to the word of God. Against one of the temptations, Jesus said in Luke 4:4 …..It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

The more we know Jesus Christ, the more we want to conform to His image, the suffering He endured and His death on the cross.

“ If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:12-13

Anyone who lacks the knowledge of Jesus Christ is an alien to God and thus short-changes himself or herself. The Bible says:
“And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” Daniel 11:32

The apostle of old understood the importance of knowing the true God, thus one of them said in John 14:8 “…show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”

Our knowledge of Jesus Christ is all we need for our cases to be permanently settled. My prayer is that you will know Him today in Jesus’ name.

ACTION POINT:
Using Philippians 3:10, pray earnestly to God that He may reveal Jesus Christ to you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 16.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.

1. 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!

2. 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.

3. 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,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

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MEMORISE:

And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach Mark 3:14

READ: Acts 4:13-14
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

MESSAGE:
There are occasional followers of Jesus Christ and there are those who are permanent as well. The occasional followers of Jesus Christ typically opt not to live completely according to the Lord’s standards choosing what and when to obey. They chose a life of partial obedience to the word of God. Once, when Jesus was teaching these standards, the Bible says in John 6:66 “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

To be with Jesus means to live by His teachings. He once lamented in Luke 6:46 “ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” he said further in John 8:31-32 “…..If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Two things are clear in our Bible reading of today: One, if you have been with Jesus indeed, boldness will be your trademark. The Bible says:
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

When a so-called child of God is living in fear, we must check whether he has been with Jesus indeed. Two, someone who has been with Jesus lives a daily miraculous life. This is another trademark of genuine followers of Jesus Christ as we read in the text today. The Bible says:
“And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.” Acts 4:14

I have taught in the School Disciples that what our Master Jesus did, we can do also, and even more, according to His promise. When this happens, we become genuine ambassadors of Christ on earth. As Christ’s ambassadors, we shall bring the whole world to their knees, saying “Jesus is Lord”. We are light and salt indeed if we choose to be with Jesus, living according to His standards, as written in the Bible. The blessings of being with Jesus include learning from Him and when we do so, we shall find rest for our souls, according to Matthew 11:29. If you are yet to give your life to Christ, make up your mind, not only to come to Jesus today, but also to stay put. Don’t be an occasional or casual follower of Christ.

ACTION POINT:
Make up your mind today to live the rest of your life for and with Jesus and you will be blessed indeed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 14-15.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING.
1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

o Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

3. Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

4. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

5. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

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MEMORISE:

Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

READ: John 6:11-13
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

MESSAGE:
There are many so-called praise songs that are not celebrating the beauty of God’s holiness and are thus unacceptable to the Lord. The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving can produce abundant prosperity, according to our memory verse today. Let us consider prosperity through the sacrifice of thanks, as we see in today’s Bible reading.

We as children of God need to understand that God has numerous ways by which He can do whatever He says He will. We should not waste our time in trying to pre-empt God or dictating to Him how our blessings or prosperity should come. We are to simply pray for what we want with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).

When the battle against the children of Israel raged in 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat merely obeyed the voice of the Lord by appointing choristers to sing unto God. Who would have thought that soldiers from the attacking nations would go to war with so many precious jewels and expensive clothes? God had purposed to bless His people because He knew from the onset that they would praise and bless the beauty of His holiness and He had to compensate them for giving Him His due!

Another lesson we must learn from this story is that our praise and worship must be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Some of our so-called songs of praise are from our carnal man, not the Spirit.
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:23-24

When we give God heartfelt praise and worship, He in turn showers us with blessings. However, if we deny Him the praise, He is worthy of, He would also deny us His prosperity. In the text of today, our Lord gave thanks upon five loaves and two fishes; the response of His Father was phenomenal- five thousand men were fed to satisfaction. Many of us are so ungrateful. How blessed we would be if we could learn to offer God the sacrifice of thanks.

Let us cultivate the habit of giving God worthy praise and thanksgiving and He will bless us with abundant prosperity.

ACTION POINT:
Decide to worship God in truth. In spirit and in holiness, giving thanks throughout today as you go about your activities.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 13.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 20: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?

Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
gladly forever adore him.

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MEMORISE:

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 2 Chronicles 20:22

READ: 2 Chronicles 20:18-22
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

MESSAGE:
The issue of praise and worship cannot be over-emphasized. As a matter of fact, the primary and original reason God created man and indeed all things for His pleasure as we see in Revelation 4:10-11:
“The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Despite the fact that we are created for the purpose of praising and worshipping God, the Lord still daily loads us with benefits (Psalm 68:19). One of these benefits is the victory that God gives to us when we sing His praise according to our Bible reading today.

Another thing we must learn from today’s reading is that the Bible says:
“…he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness….” 2 Chronicles 20:21

It is not all so-called praise and worship singers who are genuine and acceptable unto the Lord; some are unto the flesh. I have often told my children in the faith that they should be mindful of the type of song they sing in the name of praise or worship. Some of these songs are from the pit of hell, coated with Christian lyrics. Any song, display, dance, drama or general work of art that promotes promiscuity is unacceptable in the sight of God and will do the opposite of what genuine songs of praise and worship do. Our song should come from a pure heart, its presentation void of pride and ulterior motives.

It is unfortunate that the origins of some so-called songs of praise and worship are demonic shrines. They are so melodious and we embrace them without knowing the implication. From today, let us allow the Holy spirit to give us songs that the Trinity will appreciate. Let us sing of the beauty of God’s holiness for irreversible victory over our adversaries. It is only when our praise or worship is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit that it can indeed be an indomitable weapon of spiritual warfare.

ACTION POINT:
Commit to praising and worshipping God always.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 23-24.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS NAME.

1. l hail the pow’r of Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all!

2. Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all!

3. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,
And crown Him Lord of all!

4. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!

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