MEMORISE:
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:28

READ: Luke 10:19-21

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

MESSAGE:

In science, we learnt that power is the ability to do work. It is the ability to get things done. Authority on the other hand is the right to get something done. To illustrate this, let’s say you lost your car key and then got someone to force it open. That person has ‘power’. However, you need to stay with the fellow while he is opening your car because if the police finds him there, he could get arrested, but with you present, you can prove that the car is yours and that you authorized him to open it.

Now, going by out illustration, who would you rather be- the fellow who has the power or the one with the authority?

It is quite unfortunate that many Christians are satisfied with just having power. They boast about how the devil no longer torments them. This is good, but why should you stop there when Jesus said that you are capable of so much more? Mark 16:17-18 says:

“ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

As a believer, you are not only meant to be healthy, you are meant to have so much authority over sicknesses and diseases that once they feel your touch, they would vanish immediately.

You may have the power of divine health, but perhaps you don’t yet have the authority to make someone else healthy. Receive that authority now in the mighty name of Jesus. You may have the power to make wealth, but not yet the authority to cause someone else to get his/her financial breakthrough. Receive that authority now in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:

Pray for spiritual authority over the mountains and challenges of your life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 10-13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: ALL HAIL THE POW’R

1. All 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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MEMORISE:
O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 107:1

READ: Psalm 100:1-5

1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

MESSAGE:

One of the ways in which Christians displease God is by being ungrateful for the things He has done for us. We take many of things for granted, whereas they are fundamental to our wellbeing. For example, if you are complaining that God did not give you new shoes, have you considered that, if you didn’t have legs, shoes wouldn’t be an issue.? Ingratitude displeases Him. Many years ago, after a power=packed crusade, I and my children kept talking about the great move of God in the car on the way back to the hotel where I was lodged. On getting to the hotel, the fellow on the passenger side got out quickly to open the door for me. I don’t know how my hand got in the way of his door, but as he slammed it shut, it hit my fingers and I tell you; it was painful. In my pain, I cried to God “why did you let this happen, Lord?” and He said “You kept talking about the miracles that happened in the crusade; did you even bother to say ‘thank you’ to me?” Then I said “Lord, I am sorry, thank You for Your great move during the crusade.” God expects you to be grateful at all times. He is also very jealous about His glory. Isaiah 42:8 says:

“ I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

There was another time when I displeased Him because I thought He had not done anything for me that merited thanksgiving, I began to lay out all the things I had expected in the course of the year but didn’t get. God interrupted me and asked “How many times did you travel this year?” I said “Many times.” How many times did you have an accident?” He asked. I responded None.” He continued “How many times did you sleep?” I quickly interrupted Him because I realized how ungrateful I had been.

I want your attitude to thanksgiving to be different from now. Make thanksgiving your lifestyle. Always look for reasons to thank God, no matter how you may feel.

ACTION POINT:

Write ten things you are grateful to God for and thank Him all through today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 6-9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: BE GLAD IN THE LORD AND REJOICE.
1. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
All ye that are upright in heart;
And ye that have made Him your choice,
Bid sadness and sorrow depart.
o Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice;
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.

2. Be joyful, for He is the Lord
On earth and in Heaven supreme;
He fashions and rules by His word—
The “Mighty” and “Strong” to redeem.

3. What though in the conflict for right
Your enemies almost prevail?
God’s armies, just hid from your sight,
Are more than the foes which assail.

4. Though darkness surround you by day,
Your sky by the night be o’ercast,
Let nothing your spirit dismay,
But trust till the danger is past.

5. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
His praises proclaiming in song;
Let gratefulness give all a voice,
The loud hallelujahs prolong!

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MEMORISE:
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. I Chronicles 16:34

READ: Luke 17:11-19

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

MESSAGE:

God loves people who are always thankful. While others may get little gifts that makes them happy, He makes sure that the joy of the grateful is always full. In our Bible reading for today, all ten lepers were healed, but only the thankful one was made whole: every sign that he had ever been leprous was removed. I can imagine that anyone who had ever seen him prior to his healing would have found it hard to believe he had ever been a leper. The joy of the grateful one is always full.

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Psalm 100:4

From the passage above, we see that the right way to come into the presence of God is to do so with thanksgiving. Some Christians just barge into God’s presence with their request as though He were their slave.no wonder many prayers go unanswered. When you come to Him, do so with thanks. Even if it seems as though everything is going upside down for you, thank Him for the fact that you are still alive. God cannot ignore a thankful heart. Once you get His attention, you can then present your request to Him. Many years ago, just before the commencement of a three-day crusade to start off the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abuja, Nigeria, I praying “Father, perform miracles today, show Yourself strong, heal the sick, raise the dead…..” when I suddenly hear God say ”Shut up!” Then He asked “Have you thanked me for all the miracles I have been doing in the past? For the next three days, I don’t want to hear any request from you- just thanks.”” This was very hard for me, but I tried to only give thanks to Him throughout the next three days.

After the crusade He said “Now, tell the elders to strengthen the foundation of the church because, while you have been experiencing some increase, now you will start experiencing multiplication!” We are still enjoying that multiplication till date.

KEY POINT:

Thanking God always brings greater benefits than presenting requests to Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Job 1-5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND.
Let us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the Lord, for He is kind.
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

He with all-commanding might
Filled the new-made world with light.
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

All things living He doth feed,
His full hand supplies their need:
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

He His chosen race did bless
In the wasteful wilderness:
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

Let us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the Lord, for He is kind:
For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

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MEMORISE:
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:5

READ: Psalm 37:3-5

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

PRAYERS

1. Father, thank you for keeping alive to see this new year. Go ahead and just thank God for all the journey mercies He gave you in 2019, all the times. He healed you, all the times He provided for you. Just give Him praise.

2. Father, in the new year, don’t me speed money for the devil. Don’t let me spend on sickness, court cases or anything that is evil.

3. Father, in this new year, grant all my heart’s desires and let my joy be full. Everything I lay hand upon according to Your will, let them be successful.

4. Father, in this new year, anytime I call on You, please answer me speedily.

5. Father, in this new year, take me to a higher level. Take me to a higher level of grace, a higher level of holiness, a higher level of anointing, a higher level of blessings. Lord just take me higher this year.

6. Father, in this new year, let me serve You like never before. Don’t let me ever let me draw back in serving You.

7. Father, if You return before the end of this year, don’t leave me behind. Let me reign with You in glory.

8. Father, everything that has given me sorrow in the past, ut an end to it in the new year. Put an end to loneliness, poverty, depression and everything that has been making me crying the past.

9. Father, in this new year, let Your promises concerning me come to pass speedily.

10. Father, let me fulfil Your purpose for my life in this new year.

11. Father, in this new year, let it be well with my family, my church and my country. Build a hedge of fire around us, let Your manifest presence never leave us, take disaster far from us and let Your blessings rest upon us this year.

12. Your special prayer request for the new year.

I join my faith with yours and pray that God will grant your requests in the mighty name of Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Have faith that 2020 will be your best year yet.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 8-11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS.
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
o Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

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MEMORISE:
Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. Psalm 57:8

READ: Joshua 6:15

15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

2 Chronicles 20:20

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.

MESSAGE
Many times, people make plans for the day but are unable to complete them. Sometimes it is due to circumstances beyond their control, but most of the time, it is because they start their day late. I have discovered that the best way to achieve your goals in a day is to start when everyone else is still sleeping. At that time, you can work faster because there are fewer distractions. With God, a day starts in the evening; that is why in Genesis 1, you keep seeing “…..and the evening and the morning…..”. The day starts before the sun rises. If your day starts when it is still dark, then you are on the right track. Those who start their early usually turn out to be high achievers. Our Lord Jesus is a prime example of this principle. Mark 1:35 states:

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

This is the beginning of the year, so it is important that you start working on your goals early. While everyone is still getting themselves settled in the New Year you can have a head start by breaking down your plans for the entire year so that you can start on them step by step. Certain countries win gold medals consistently at the Olympic Games primarily because they start preparing their athletes several years ahead for that one event.

Start working on your goals early. If you are a student, start studying from the beginning of the semester or term, not when the exam time-table is out. If you are an employee or business owner, start preparing well ahead for your deliverable. This principle is what separates the successful from the not-so-successful.

Start early this year.

KEY POINT:
Make up your mind today to imbibe the principle of starting early.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 4-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:

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

READ: Ephesians 5:15-17

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

MESSAGE

It is a New Year and many will have resolutions, goals and plans. I pray that all your good desires in this New Year will come to pass in the mighty name of Jesus. Now, let me ask: How have your goals for the previous year worked out? If you are not satisfied with your sincere answer to this question, then it means you need to change your strategy this year. It would be foolish to keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

Years ago, God asked me to sit and focus on a wall clock. While I was doing that, He suddenly spoke and said: Fools live by the year- they count the years, while wise people live by the day. Our memory verse says:

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

God went on to say that those who excel liv by the minute. Make every minute count this year. Those who will excel this year will be those who are constantly looking at their watches- those who will not wait until the sun rises before they rise, nor until the cock crows before they start working on their dreams. If you are wise, you will live by the minute. Who says that you cannot go beyond your own expectations for yourself this year? For you to achieve this however, you must live by the minute. You must also start early.

This year, you must serve God by the minute. One single minute away from God’s presence can be very dangerous and may bring consequences that would last a lifetime. Serve God with all your heart and meditate on His word day and night. This is not a year when you take your attendance in Christian fellowship for granted, but rather one in which iron sharpens iron; when you have to be on fire for God every single minute. I pray that you will have your best year yet this 2020, in the mighty name of Jesus. All your heart’s desires will be met by the Most High. You will serve Him with all your heart, and if Christ returns before the end of the year, you will make it to heaven in the mighty name of Jesus.

KEY POINT:

Start early and make every minute count.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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MEMORISE:
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5

READ: Psalm 30:1-5

I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

MESSAGE

The story was told of two women married to two men who were closely related. The husband of the first woman got a lucrative job and within three years, he had built a house for his family of five. Meanwhile, the husband of the second woman was not gainfully employed; he was just surviving by doing different menial jobs around. Unfortunately, because of her family’s good fortune, the first woman deployed a negative attitude towards the second woman. The most disheartening aspect of this story is that these two women were worshiping in the same assembly. The rich woman taunted the other woman so much that she almost left her local church. As God would have it, the husband of the second woman got employed by a company, and six months down the line, the company where his relative worked was liquidated and sold to his new employers. The management of the buying company was magnanimous enough to absorb the workers of the liquidated company into their workforce, but at lower cadre compared to their initial designations. So, the husband of the first woman had to manage with a subordinate position in the buying company, and he wasn’t happy when he discovered that he would be an assistant to his relative, and that his salary was 50% less than that of his relative, who was less than 6months on the job. The ways of God are past finding out! I pay that this year will end with you laughing last in Jesus’ Name.

The laughter that is most desirable is the one that comes last, because Ecclesiastes 7:8a says:
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof:”
Are you going through a trying period? The word of the Lord comes to you today from John 16:20 as follows:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”

Are you living your life in wickedness? The Lord is also saying to you today in James 4:8b-10:

“Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

He also says in Matthew 5:4:

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

In other words, those who mourn in repentance for their sins and misdeeds will laugh last. Beloved, to be able to laugh last, you need to give your life to Christ today, and you will escape the everlasting agony of an eternity in hell. Jesus is holding out His arms to welcome you into His kingdom today. Run into His arms and you will discover you and peace like never before.

ACTION POINT:
Take stock of how well you did in all aspects of your life this year, and thank God for bringing you thus far.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Song Solomon 5-8
Malachi 3:16-4:6

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.

1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.
o 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:
Oh, 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.

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MEMORISE:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8

READ: 1 Peter 5:8-10

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

MESSAGE

The topic of today’s devotional is not a piece of advise that can be ignored; rather it is an express command to be taken seriously if we want to the finishing line in our Christian faith. In Matthew 26:41, during His hour of distress, our Lord said unto His disciple:

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

A quick lesson here is that temptation is a reality of life. The only way out of it is to watch and pray to ward off the tempter and his agents. Today’s Bible reading tells us why we must be vigilant and watchful: our adversary, the devil, is busy looking for whom to devour. He is described by the Lord as a thief with a threefold mission: to steal. Kill and destroy (John 10:10). In spite of the fact that we have an indomitable Ally in the person of our Lord, He himself laid down an example for us by watching and praying. We can therefore not do without being watchful and prayerful in our Christian calling.

What are we to watch out for? We need to watch out for the tempter’s tricks, some of which can take the form of lust of the flesh. Samson did not watch enough to see the ditch his flesh was leading him into. Even when his parents warned him against the Philistine maidens, he refused to heed their words of reason, choosing instead to follow the leading of his flesh. Judges 14:3 says:

“Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.”

Another thing we must watch out for is the lust of the eyes. The world is full of abominable scenery nowadays. We must be careful of what we look upon and what we see around us. The unfortunate thing is that these horrible images are creeping into the Church nowadays- first to the pew and now to the altar. Lastly, we must watch out for the pride of life. Pride destroyed the devil and he is introducing it into people’s lives today to destroy them. The Church is becoming too flamboyant these days, and this is distracting us from our core assignment. Please don’t be caught in this trap of the devil. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 says:

“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”

Let all your actions be guided by sobriety and watchfulness, so that you don’t become a champion of yesterday.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, help me to live soberly in this perverse generation, and guide my feet not to be caught in the devil’s traps.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Songs of Solomon 1-4
Malachi 2:17-3:15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

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Memorize:
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3

READ: Exodus 15:1-11

1Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.

5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.

6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.

8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

MESSAGE
Today’s Bible reading records a classical song of triumph that Moses and the Israelites sang after overcoming the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s forces. After they were liberated from the shackles of slavery in Egypt. The children of Israel were faced with the greatest battle of their lives when they found themselves trapped between the Read Sea before them and Pharaoh’s army behind. At that moment, they fell into a state of despair and murmured against Moses and His God, who took them by His mighty hands our of the land of Egypt. They forgot all the mighty works He did to bring them out, so much so that He killed all the firstborns of Egypt. However, God had mercy on them, and He overthrew Pharaoh’s plan to return them to slavery. After witnessing God’s great intervention on their behalf, songs of triumph filled their mouths and they began to sing, even without any rehearsals. I prophesy to a user of this devotional today; you will experience a victory over your enemies that will put new songs of triumph in your mouth in Jesus’ Name.

David faced so many battles in his life, but at the end of every battle his songs were always songs of triumph. For example, he sang in Psalm 124:1-3, saying:

“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:”

Beloved, you also can sing many songs of triumph provided you choose the correct ally in the battle of life. Our God is a specialist in all forms of warfare- be it ground, underground, marine, underwater or air warfare, it doesn’t matter to Him. What He did with Pharaoh and his host is a good example of his marine and submarine warfare capabilities. The battle He fought for the Israelites in 1 Samuel chapter 7 is an example of His ground warfare abilities. In Exodus 9:18-25, He showed His ability to fight from the air by sending hailstones upon the Egyptians. Describing the mightiness of God in battle, the Holy Spirit said in Isaiah 12:5-6:

“Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”

So, if I were you, I would ensure that this God, who is mighty in battle, is my ally, and I would surrender every battle of my life to Him to fight in His own way. Do this today, and you will always have songs of triumph to sing.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, I come to You today, please be my Ally in the battles of life, and give me new songs of triumph over all my enemies, to the glory of Your Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 8-12
Malachi 2:1-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: YES, I KNOW I AM A VICTOR.

1. Yes, I know i am a victor
For the Bible tells me so
God made me more than a conqueror
Much stronger than all my foes.

Refrain:
Jesus loves me and i love him
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By his blood, his Name, his word_

2. Yes, I know i am a victor
Stronger than sickness, disease
By his stripes I am superior
Far above infirmities
Refrain:

3. Yes, I know i am a victor
Stronger than demons i am
To satan i am a terror
I am free, o yes, i am
Refrain:

4. Yes, I know i am a victor
Stronger than lack, poverty
All my needs Jesus provides for
I have life abundantly
Refrain:

5. Yes, I know i am a victor
Barrenness no more indeed
Fruitful is the God i live for
All my dreams shall be fulfilled
Refrain:

6. Yes, I know i am a victor
By his strength i shall succeed
No more loss and no more failure
Glory to glory proceed
Refrain:

7. Yes, I know i am a victor
No more sorrow, no despair
Jesus Christ is my own succour
Tomorrow is joy and cheer
Refrain:

8. Yes, I know i am a victor
very soon I’ll reign with him
His promise is my sure anchor
He’s coming to take me home
Refrain:

9. Jesus loves me and i love him
We rule this world together
as He is so right now I am
Hear me shout Halleluyah
Refrain:

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MEMORISE:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1 Thessalonians 4:16

READ: Acts 1:9-11

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

MESSAGE

One of the anchors of our faith in Christ ia the hope that He is coming back. Again (1 John 3:2-3). Unfortunately, not a lot of people are still excited about this great event, which will surely take place. As a matter of fact, teachings on the last days and second coming of Christ have not been heard in some churches in the last five to ten years! This is not surprising because this attitude is in line with what the Lord foretold would happen in the last days, saying in Luke 17:26-27:

“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”

As revealed by the Holy Spirit in today’s memory verse, the Lord’s coming is not going to be a secret event. He is coming with great grandeur, in His true personality as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. It is laughable that some so-called scholars claim that Jesus has already come secretly, while some others claim He has changed His mind and is not coming back again! On the day of His ascension, the angels who spoke with the disciples made it clear that He will return the same way He left.

There are some salient truths about the King we are expecting that we need to establish today. First is that He interacted with His disciples for forty days after His resurrection from the Dead, and He even ate with them (Acts 1:3, John 21:7-15). So, He is not a ghost, an apparition or the result of the disciples’ hallucinations. He was seen by over five hundred men, not counting the women who were also His disciples (1 Corinthians 15:4-8). So, his resurrection from the grave is not based on the wishful-thinking of just a few fanatics. Secondly, He ascended into heaven through the sky in the presence of His disciples. There was no gimmick or hidden magic trick about it. After His ascension, angels testified that He would return in like manner. Therefore, nobody should be deceived that Jesus Christ has secretly returned. As a matter of fact, He has no reason to return in secret. In light of these truths, believers must be ready for the imminent return of the King of kings. The amazing thing is that despite the stories Jesus told about kings who traveled and returned requesting accountability from their servants, many do not seem to understand that these parables are intended to prepare us for the events of the last days. I pray that you will be wise enough as the children of Issachar to accurately observe and understand the times and seasons we live in (1 Chronicles 12:32). God will keep you to the very end in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please let me not be put to shame at the return of the King of Kings, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 4-7
Malachi 1

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 17: HOLD THE FORTH.
1. Ho, my comrades, see the signal, waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh.
o Refrain:
“Hold the fort, for I am coming,” Jesus signals still;
Wave the answer back to Heaven, “By Thy grace we will.”

2. See the mighty host advancing, Satan leading on;
Mighty ones around us falling, courage almost gone!

3. See the glorious banner waving! Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader’s Name we triumph over every foe.

4. Fierce and long the battle rages, but our help is near;
Onward comes our great Commander, cheer, my comrades, cheer!k

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