MEMORISE: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1

READ: John 5:5 -14

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

MESSAGE

It is one thing to receive divine blessings and quite another to keep them. I always teach my children in the faith that the grace needed to receive a miracle is not as great as the one needed to keep it. God has no problem blessing His people, but keeping the blessing is a responsibility many people fail to live up to. Today we will be looking at how to retain divine blessings.

The first thing one must do is to start connected to the source of divine blessings – God. A branch will remain fruitful as long as it remain connected to the vine, and of course will become fruitless the moment it disconnects from the source of fruitfulness. Jesus is the vine and we His disciples are His branches. Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Secondly, to stay connected to the source of divine blessings, you must be holy. Sin causes a separation between the sinner and God (Isaiah 59:2). If God will not listen to a sinner, how then will such a fellow receive and retain divine blessings? The Almighty told Abraham this secret in Genesis 17:1-2:

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, l am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And l will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

According to our Bible reading the of today, after Jesus had healed a man of thirty-eight-year old sickness, He warned him to stay away from sin so he would not experience something even worse.

Finally, you must acknowledge that all you have is from God and always return all the glory to Him with thanksgiving. For example, Nebuchadnezzar failed to acknowledge that God was his source and he lost all he had. God however, restored all Nebuchadnezzar lost when he later realised thatHe was nothing without God (Daniel 4:30-37).

I pray you will never lose your God-given blessings, in Jesus’name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, thank You for being my source. Please, never let me disconnect from You, in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 21-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD

1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3 O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!

4 There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22

READ: Genesis 26:12 -17

12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

14 For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

15 For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

17 And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.

MESSAGE

Divine blessing can be described as a command from God that will make all the forces in heaven, on earth and under the earth favour an individual or group of people. A divinely blessed person or group of people will succeed where others are failing. For example, in our Bible reading today; Isaac sowed during famine and he reaped a hundredfold. In other words, he succeeded where others were failing. We can trace this remarkable result to God’s blessing over Abraham, Isaac’s father Gen 22:17:

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

God has promised to bless Abraham and multiply his seed after he passed the test in Genesis 22. Little wonder why Isaac would sow and reap a hundredfold during a famine.

Isaac however, also had a part to play in obtaining and enforcing the fulfilment of the divine blessing on his life. Firstly, he was obedient to his father even to the point of death. Isaac could have escaped easily from Abraham when the latter laid him on the altar, but he did not. That must have really pleased God. Secondly, he obeyed God’s instruction to stay at Gerar even when humanly speaking it did not appear to be the right thing to do at the time, considering the famine in the land.

Only those who are obedient to divine instructions will experience divine blessings. Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ, told the maidens that whatever Jesus asked them to do, they should do it and their obedience led to the divine provision of much better wine for the guests at the wedding (John 2:5-10).

Beloved, divine blessing is sweet, pleasant and without sorrow. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Live in complete obedience to God and you will experience divine blessings in every area of your life, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please bless me indeed and take evil far away from me, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 18-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 26: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

1 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.

2 There shall be showers of blessing—
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

3 There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

4 There shall be showers of blessing;
O that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

5 There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way. We

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE:  And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 1 Kings 19:5

READ: 1 Kings 19:1 -8

1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

5  And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

MESSAGE

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.

Revelation 4:11

The verse above clearly states that the  Creator made all things for His pleasure. For example, in our Bible reading for today, we see God feeding Elijah so that he would have the required strength to fulfil divine mission set before him. The angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.” That meal gave him the strength he needed for forty days and forty nights as he travelled to Horeb. The mountain of God (I Kings 19:7-8).

Many people however, want divine help for selfish reasons. Some of them are not even born again; yet they are asking for miracles. Such people fail to realize that the Almighty God is a prudent investor and He will not invest in a project that will not promote His Kingdom. For example, God needed a prophet so when Hannah asked for a son and promised to give him back to God, the Lord granted her request (1 Samuel 1).

Jesus said in Matthew 7:6:

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

The verse above implies that God will not give that which is holy to someone who is still living in sin. You cannot remain in the kingdom of darkness or be toying with sin as a Christian and expect God to help you.

Beloved, if you desire divine help, surrender your life to Jesus Christ, and be determined to do only things that will give Him pleasure. Be committed to showing forth the praises of He who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9) and He will help you.

ACTION POINT

Begin to do things that will give God glory, honour and pleasure from now on and you will receive divine help.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 15-17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1 Take my life, and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless 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.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. Psalms 121:2

READ: Psalms 121:1 -8

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

MESSAGE

The kind of help anyone can render is determined either by the person’s might or capability. Nobody can give what he or she does not have. This makes divine help very desirable since it comes from the unlimited God. David knew this secret and penned what we have as part of our text for today. He said, “l will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). The following are the steps we must take to secure divine help.

First, we must fear and trust the One who has unlimited power to help. Psalm 36:39-40 says that the salvation of righteous is of the Lord and that He shall help and deliver them from the wicked because they trust Him. The second step is to keep the law of the Lord. Psalm 119:145-146 says: l cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord: l will keep thy statutes. I cried unto thee; save me, and l shall keep thy testimonies.” Unfortunately, many self professing Christians do not want to hear anything about the law of God and would rather overstretch the place of grace to the point of lawlessness. This is not God’s will.

The third step for those who would benefit from Divine help is to call on the Lord for the needed help. The Bible says in Exodus 29:3: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Looking up to nothing or anyone apart from God is idolatry. This is dangerous because our God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). As a matter of fact, we short-change ourselves by trusting in man that is limited rather than trusting the Almighty, the Unlimited God. The Bible says:

Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horse, because they are strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord.
Isaiah 31:1

Beloved, l encourage you to surrender your life to Jesus, live righteously and look up to God alone for help. He will never let you down.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please send help to me today, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 8-11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: BLESSED ASSURANCE

1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

2 Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3 Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE:  Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Isaiah 26:2

READ: Psalms 24:3 -6

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

MESSAGE

The Bible tells us in Psalm 100:4 the entrance into God’s presence  has a gate. When you see a gate in a place, you know it is there so as to restrict access. Whatever is inside the place must be so valuable that they don’t want any unauthorized person to,have access to,it. There are many treasures in e presence of God and not just anybody can enjoy them. One of such treasures is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11)  and Liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17). Anyone who has entered the presence of God will tell you that it is a place that you don’t want to ever come out from. In 2 Corinthians 5:8, Apostle Paul said, “We are confident, l say, and willing rather to be absent from body, and to,be present with the Lord.”

The first criterion for accessing God’s presence is holiness. God cannot stand sin. If you have any form of sin in your life, the gate into His presence will be shut against you. Psalm 24:3-4 says:

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who,shall stand in his holy place? He that had clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Only those with clean hands and a pure heart can be allowed to,as end into the presence of the Lord. If your hands have been soiled with sin, forget about it. If your heart is not pure, if you harbour impure thoughts in that heart, the gat into God’s presence will be shut against you.

Open to me the gate of righteousness: l will go into them, and l,will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into explicit the righteous shall enter.

Psalm 118:19

The gates into the presence of God are called the gates of righteousness; if you are not righteous, you cannot go through. The One whose presence  you want to enter is a holy God; you must be holy before you can get in there. Joseph had to,shave and change his clothes before appearing before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:14; how much more when you want to enter the presence of the King of kings.

KEY POINT

To enter the presence of God, you must be holy.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 134-140

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SIN

1 What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2 For my cleansing this I see—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

For my pardon this my plea—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

3 Nothing can my sin erase

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Naught of works, ’tis all of grace—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

4 This is all my hope and peace—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

This is all my righteousness—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. Psalms 103:10

READ : Luke 7:36 -47

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.

37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

MESSAGE

In 1 Kings: 3:4, Solomon decided to give God a really special offering. He sacrificed 1,000 cattle. The priests must have been very surprised, but then Solomon considered the circumstances behind his birth and felt unworthy to be king. Ordinarily, Solomon should have been hated by all, but there he was, the one chosen to be king. He knew he did not deserve what he had received from God so he spared nothing when it came to thanking Him.

Many a time, you don’t thank God enough because you think you deserve all that He has given you, but if you look closely, you would see that you are wrong. The day God pointed out to me that because l am not a child from the first wife of my father, l ought not to be used by Him according to the law, but that His mercy had found me usable, l,became more humble in my thanksgiving. Isaiah 64:6 says:

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

If you think your blessings are a result of your hard work, you should go and see some people who are working far harder than you, yet are not rich. If you think your success thus far is based on how smart you are, you need to go to the asylum and see many brilliant people who have lost their minds. The fact that you can even wake up in the morning is enough reason to give thanks to God. Psalm 3:5 says, “I laid me down and slept, l awakes, for the LORD sustained me.”

If you think deeply, you will see that you don’t deserved any of the things that God has given to you. You will see that it is in Him that you live and move and even have your being (Acts 17:28). You will see that without Him, you can do nothing (John 15:5). I don’t know about you, but as for me, l know that l would have been long gone if it wasn’t for Him. I know that everything l am is as a result of His tender mercies towards me, so l will praise Him with all my heart. I will never hold back anything in giving Him thanks.

ACTION POINT

Spend at least one hour just thanking God for all that you are and have today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 119

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: I AM SO GLAD THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAV’N

1 I am so glad that our Father in heav’n
Tells of His love in the Book He has giv’n;
Wonderful things in the Bible I see:
This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me;
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves even me.

2 Though I forget Him and wander away,
Still He doth love me whenever I stray;
Back to His dear loving arms would I flee,
When I remember that Jesus loves me.

3 Oh, if there’s only one song I can sing,
When in His beauty I see the great King,
This shall my song in eternity be:
“Oh, what a wonder that Jesus loves me.”

Please follow and like us:

20

• MEMORISE: For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24

READ: 2 Kings 6:15 -23

15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

19 And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

20 And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?

22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

23 And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

MESSAGE:

Spiritual Superiority is what can make you deal with your enemies so completely that you make a mockery of them. That is what happened in Colossians 2:15 which says, “And having spoiled principalities and power, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

2 Kings 6:8-20 tells us that King considered Elisha as a threat, so he sent an entire army to arrest him. This however, turned out to be an impossible mission because Elisha demonstrated spiritual superiority by arresting the entire army when they got to his place. As if that was not enough, he also led them as captives into their enemy’s territory.

When God sees a man or woman who is committed to a life of holiness, He will use that fellow to make an open shame of the enemy and arrest arresters. If you get really close to God you won’t pray for your enemies to be destroyed because the Bible says in Psalm 23:5:

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

If all enemies are dead, who will behold your glory? I am praying for you that God will take you to such a level that in the very presence of your enemies, He will be glorified in you, in Jesus’ name.

Your ability to exhibit spiritual superiority over the devil happens when you become really close to God. How close do you want to be to God – the Consuming Fire? The elders say that when a leaf stays long with the soap, it will become soap. If you stay sufficiently close to the Consuming Fire, you too will become a consuming fire. If you really want to be able to put your enemies to shame, then you need to get close to,the Consuming Fire. The price to pay for this is complete holiness and constant fellowship with God. Fasting and prayers must be your lifestyle.

Without holiness, you cannot even have access to the Lord, talk less of being close to Him. Live holy and you will see the enemy begging you to release them after you have arrested them.

KEY POINT

When you get sufficiently close to the Consuming Fire, you will also become a consuming fire against your enemies.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 112-118

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1 Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless 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.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27

READ: Psalms 126:1-6

1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south.

5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

MESSAGE:

There is yet a more concentrated energy drink from heaven that is called ‘Joy Unspeakable’. Joy unspeakable enables you to do miracles that even you will think you are dreaming when you remember them. Psalm 126:1 says, “When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream”.

Joy unspeakable gives you the ability to do the kind of miracles that you will find difficult to share with people, as they may not be able to believe them.

I had an experience that took me years before l could share. I had gone out on a,prayer walk in the middle of the night – deep into the bush where l could be alone to pray. I had my torch with me, but after praying for some time, the battery died and l needed to find my way out in the darkness. I then remember something l was taught in primary school: that if the room is dark and you close your eyes for a while then open them, the place will look brighter. I closed my eyes for a while and then open them. When l opened my eyes, the moon was shining so bright; everywhere was as bright as day. I walked out of the bush to the main road, then looked up again and didn’t see the moon. I know you probably don’t believe me, but it happened.

There was a young man whose aunty died and then was embalmed. He was working in Lagos and it took eleven days before he could get permission from work to go home. He got home, entered the room where the woman was laid, carrying the deceased’s little child. He took a handkerchief that we anointed at one of our programmes and laid it on the corpse. He prayed, but then nothing happened. He wasn’t really expecting anything to happen anyway, he was just trying his faith. Sad, he turned to leave the room. As he got to the door, he heard a sound behind him. On looking back, he discovered that his aunt who had been dead for eleven days was sitting upright. When he shared the testimony, a lot of people didn’t believe, but it was true. I have good news for you: My Daddy will fill your life with mighty testimonies and unspeakable joy in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT

Father, empower me so mightily that I will begin to experience miracles that people will find hard to believe, in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 89-94

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 26: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS

1 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.

2 There shall be showers of blessing—
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

3 There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

4 There shall be showers of blessing;
O that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

5 There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8

READ: Matthew 2:1 -10

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

MESSAGE

Beyond great joy, there is a higher concentration of this energy drink which is called ‘Exceeding Great joy’. In our Bible reading for today, when the wise men who had been traveling a long way, looking for the new born King saw the star again, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. They continued on their journey as if they had just started. Exceeding great joy gives you the ability to go the extra mile, to do exceeding great things that ordinary people cannot do.

This exceeding great joy comes from the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). When you get this concentration of joy, people will assume that you are drunk. Imagine seeing two people asking a man who has been lame all his life to stand and walk. That doesn’t make any sense, but it is only possible when you are filled with the Holy Ghost.

One unique thing about this concentrations of joy is that as you utilize it, you get even more of it. If you have ever seen someone who the doctors say has only a few more weeks to live and you pray for the fellow, then he or she gets healed and lives for many more decades after that, you would get a new rush of exceeding great joy. Your faith would increase and you would be empowered to do more. There are so many people who are filled with the Holy Ghost but never pray for the sick or try to perform any miracle. Once, when l was crying to God to empower me to work miracles, He said to me, “Keep quiet. Have you used the power that l have given you?” I said, “What power?” He answered, “Are you baptised in the Holy Ghost?” I said, “Yes”. He responded, “What does Acts 1:8 say?” I knew what it says, but then l didn’t feel like l had received any power so l responded, “But, l don’t feel,powerful” to which He replied, “Did l say the just shall live by feelings or by faith?”

The day after this conversation, a woman brought her dying child who had not slept for days, to me for prayers. I remembered my conversation with God so l prayed for the child. After praying, l opened my eyes to see that the child had fallen asleep. When he woke up, he was completely fine. That boosted my faith and filled my heart with exceeding great joy. I am grateful that He is still filling me with exceeding great joy and working many great miracles through me. He can do same for you if you surrender all to,Him.

KEY POINT

Use the power you received when you were baptised in the Holy Ghost to work miracles through faith in Christ Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 81-88

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 21: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD

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.

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 shall not 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.

Please follow and like us:

20

MEMORISE: Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalms 16:11

READ: Habakkuk 3:17 -19

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

MESSAGE

Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord is your strength. Joy produces strength and strength is the ability to do work. Joy is the energy drink that heaven gives you to keep you strong and healthy enough to work. The thing about this energy drink is that it has different concentrations, depending on how much of it is needed per time. The one with the smallest concentration is what l will call regular joy. You are supposed to have a dose of it every morning. Psalm 39:5 say weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. People who suffer depression find it difficult to even stand from their beds in the morning. If you are experiencing any form of depression or sadness, l pray that the Lord will fill you with joy and strengthen you, in Jesus’ name.

One of the ways of getting joy is through hearing good news. Psalm 51:8 says, “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.”

A brother returned from work so tired he refused dinner and just went to bed. As soon as he got to his room, his fiancée came to visit. His mother welcomed her but said the brother was very tired and had gone to bed. However, the brother heard his fiancee’s voice and rushed out. He went to his mother and asked what he could offer the young lady. She replied. “There is rice but you will have to cook it”. He said, “No problem, l will cook”. The mother looked at him with surprise, wondering how he who had been too tired to even eat was now ready to cook. The good news that his fiancée was around had given him strength that even he did not know he had. You will hear good news every morning, in Jesus’ name.

The word of God is good news, it gives joy. Study it every morning; you will experience joy and receive strength. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”

Before you read the newspapers or blog where you will most likely hear bad news, read the word of God to get the good news you need to strengthen you for the day.

KEY POINT

Gods word energizes you for your daily activities.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 73-77

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: ANCIENT WORDS

1. Holy words long preserved�For our walk in this world�They resound with God’s own heart�Oh, let the ancient words impart

Chorus:
Ancient words, ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
Oh, let the ancient words impart

2 Words of life, words of hope
Give us strength, help us cope In this world, where e’er we roam Ancient words will guide us home

3 Holy words of our faith�Handed down to this age�Came to us through sacrifice�Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ

4 Holy words long preserved�For our walk in this world�They resound with God’s own heart�Oh, let the ancient words impart

Please follow and like us:

20