Devotionals

Memorise: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: Colossians 1:13
Read: Psalm 75:5-7
5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.
6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
Bible in one year: Genesis 17-18, Revelation 6:3-17

1. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
2. For you to reap the full benefits of the abundant life that Jesus Christ came to give, you need to understand the character of this life.
3. Many children of God short-change themselves because they do not know that the redemption which Jesus Christ earned for us through His Blood is an all-round redemption that touches every aspect of our lives (Colossians 1:14; 20). For example, not only did He redeem us from the power of sin, He also translated us to become citizens of God’s kingdom.
4. As kingdom citizens, we are lifted above the principalities and powers of this world. The Holy Spirit makes this truth clear through these verses of Scripture: “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:” Ephesians 1:20-21 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places  in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 2:5
5. The implication of this is that the devil should no longer dominate, buffet or torment us anymore because we are no longer under his feet, where sin had previously kept us.
6. We have been bought with a price that frees us from the tyrant master (1st Corinthians 7:23, Hebrews 2:14). We are divinely promoted as kings and priests, as declared in Revelation 5:10: “And hast made us unto our God kings and priest: and we shall reign on the earth.”
7. We are redeemed and promoted above sorrow, poverty sickness and every form of oppression of the devil.
8. Beloved, learn to celebrate and enforce the divine promotion you have obtained through redemption.
9. Moreover, if you desire promotion in any facet of your life, our text tells us that only God promotes.
10. Therefore, put your trust in God, and your promotion will manifest sooner rather than later, and it will be beyond your widest imagination in Jesus’ Name.

But thou, O Lord , art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. Psalms 3:3 David was able to confess this because he received the revelation that only God promotes and he enjoyed promotion from God. Anyone that opens up his or her heart to Him and obey Him completely will be promoted on every side. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye and increase him on every side in Jesus name.

Action Point
Spend some quality time to celebrate your divine promotion by rendering high praises to God.
HYMN
1. We will soon shout Halleluiah
Because God will do new things
Sinners will be forgiven
Prodigals will come home soon.
Chorus:
Shout Hallelujah
Because God will do new things
Rivers in desert now flowing
Hallelujah to our king.
2.  We will soon shout Hallelujah
Because God will do new things
Sickness and sorrow will be gone
Bondage will be forgotten.
3.  We will soon shout Hallelujah
Because God will do new things
      The barren will be faithful soon
      Failure will be forgotten.
4.   We will soon shout Hallelujah
      Because God will do new things
      Poverty will be forgotten
      Stagnancy will soon be gone.
5.  We will soon shout Hallelujah
     Because God will do new things
     To all miracles are given
     There shall be celebrations
  
6.  We will soon shout Hallelujah
     Because God will do new things
     Many will have testimonies
     Of prayer answered fully.
7. We will soon shout. Hallelujah
    Because God will do new things
    One of us will chase a thousand
    Two will conquer ten thousand
8. We will soon shout Hallelujah
    Because God will do new things
    Songs of praises we will sing
    Hallelujah to our King.

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20

Memorise: I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. Psalm 119:31
Read: Isaiah 54:4-5
4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
Bible in one year: Genesis 14:16, Revelation 5:1-6:2

1. Shame is an undesirable experience of life.
2. It is the outcome of disgrace, humiliation, reproach or degradation. It can simply be described as the loss of honour or respect as a result of wrongdoing or failure.
3. The Bible reveals that shame has its origin in the fall of man in the Garden of Eden: “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” Genesis 3:7
4. When Adam and Eve engaged in gross disobedience to the commandment of God, the end result was shame.
5. Shame is inevitable for whosoever will not give due regard to the commandments or instructions that come from the Lord.
6. The devil delights in using the spirit of rebellion as a tool to knock people down from grace to grass. This was the case with King Saul. When he acted contrary to God’s clear instructions, the end result was the shame of rejection. God rejected him as king over His people, Israel. 1st Samuel 15:26 says: “And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.”
7. Are you experiencing any form of shame in your life? Has the devil succeeded in dragging you from grace to grass? I have good news for your today: No matter how terrible your past life has been, the Lord will wipe away your shame today in Jesus’ Name.
8. In today’s Bible reading, the Almighty God expressly gives you the assurance that beginning from now, your shame shall become history.
9. To enforce the fulfilment of this prophetic message in your life, you must make a heartfelt cry for mercy through genuine repentance of those sins that have brought you shame. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
10. Furthermore, you need to call upon the Lord like the Psalmist did in today’s memory verse. What is that shame in your life right now? Is it the shame of sin, sickness, barrenness, or loneliness as a result of a broken home or ailing marriage? An end has come to it today; only believe!
11. Be assured that the God who said you shall forget your shame is well able to do what He said in His word.
12. Indeed your shame shall become a thing of the past in Jesus’ Name!

2 Corinthians 1:20 says “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Numbers 23:19. There is certainty that He will fulfil His word in us and through us. Our victory is sure if we believe and obey. We bless God for Pastor E.A Adeboye and pray that may he wax stronger in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, remove my shame and cover my nakedness today in Jesus’ Name.
HYMN
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.
Chorus:
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!

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20

Memorise: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18
Read: Romans 8:31-39
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bible in one year: Genesis 8-10, Revelation 3:7-22

1. Whenever I ruminate over the many-sided blessings embedded in the Good News that came through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, my heart is filled with great joy.
2. I equally find it fascinating that no elaborate process involving complexities is required for us to access these blessings. Jesus did the hard work and made things simple for us. One of such blessings is freedom from condemnation.
3. The righteous judgement of God against sin has brought all of mankind under condemnation. This is the reason why no man can escape the pain of guilt that results from sin, or the consequences that follow it. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” Romans 6:23a further says, “For the wages of sin is death;”
4. However, the Good News is that Jesus Christ gives us freedom from the condemnation that had put a seal on the destiny of all mankind. In Romans 8:1, this Good News says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
5. Those who are in Christ Jesus can now live a life free from the guilt of sin or the feeling of inadequacy resulting from past misdeeds. Their conscience is liberated from condemnation because they know their sins have been washed away by the precious Blood of Jesus (Revelation 1:5).
6. What does it take to access this blessing of freedom? Only believe!
7. Believe in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, believe He is who He says He is, and believe in the work of salvation He has completed.
8. How do you know you truly believe all these? When your actions and confessions reflect what you claim to believe, that is when you truly believe.
7. Another blessing of the Good News that you can have access to by faith is the truth that Jesus Christ, though rich, became poor, so that through his poverty, you might  be rich (2nd Corinthians 8:9).
8. Your faith in this article of the Good News will prevent you from doing diabolical or criminal things to get rich, because you know that your prosperity lies in the sacrificial life that the Master has lived.
9. Believing in the words and works of Jesus gives us contentment, the absence of which brings many sorrows to those who want to be rich by any means (1st Timothy 6:6-10).
10. Beloved, do you believe all these? If you do, live your life by the ideals of the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will forever be free from condemnation, now and in eternity.

Anyone that dares to believe receives. A perfect example I recorded in Mark chapter 5. Also when we believe, it opens us up to experience the miraculous. The seemingly impossible become possible instantly. The unjust becomes just and the unrighteous righteous. Romans 10:9‭-‬10 says: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Believe and you shall receive. Blessed be God for Pastor E.A Adeboye. May God continually increase him in wisdom in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to live according to Your will, so that I may not be condemned with this world. Grant me grace not lose sight of the words and works of Jesus Amen.
HYMN
1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!
3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
4.When life’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

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20

Memorise: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. Joel 2:32
Read: Revelation 21:1-7
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; Open Heaven for yesterday. and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 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.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Bible in one year: Genesis 5-7, Revelation 2:18-3:6

1. Since the advent of sin into this world, life has become a battle for mankind.
2. The battle of life, one is either an overcomer or a victim. My prayer for you is that you will live the rest of your life as an overcomer in Jesus’ Name.
3. Today’s memory verse expressly reveals to us the secret of overcoming in the battle of life: “… Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:” However, the truth in this verse of scripture throws up this question: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?” Romans 10:14a
4. Therefore, before you can overcome by calling on the Name of the Lord, you need to first believe in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and in His finished work on the cross of Calvary. When you believe this and you confess so with your mouth, you become “born of God”. Here is what the Bible, in 1st John 5:4-5, says about those who are born of God: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
5. Living the reality of being an overcomer in this world means that you daily experience the victory that Christ has obtained for you over the enemies of your body, soul and spirit. It means living your life everyday as having been delivered from the power of sin.  
6. It is in Jesus Christ alone that we can overcome the power of sin, and when you overcome sin, you have invariably overcome death, which is at the pinnacle of the battle of life. James 1:15 says, “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
7. Are you under any siege in the battle of life? Has life dealt you with so many blows that you do not have the will to go on? Don’t give in to depression, and don’t contemplate suicide.
8. This is a great time for you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, through genuine repentance. In prayer, call upon the Name of Him that is able to save, and you will overcome!
9. Are you saved but still living under the shackles of this world? It is time to realise who you are, shake yourself up from the dust of pity and begin to enforce the victory that Christ has won for you!

It’s so unfortunate that many believers are terrified by the issues of life despite the promise and assurance of victory by Christ in John “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” ‭‭John‬ ‭16:33‬. Believers should not forget that one of the prerequisites to behold His face on the last day is being overcomer as the Bible says “ “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”Revelation‬ ‭3:21‬ ‭In other words, we must strive for a victorious life by the help of God. May God bless and equip Pastor E.A Adeboye for greater works in Jesus name.

Action Point
Call on the Name of the Lord concerning any area of life where you have been experiencing defeat.
HYMN
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.
Chorus:
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 cleansing 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!

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20

Memorise: And he said, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. Exodus 33:14
Read: Exodus 33:12-17
12 And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
Bible in one year: Genesis 3-4, Revelation 2:1-17

1. Only a fool would think that he or she can exist independent of God, who is the Maker of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them (Romans 1:20-22).
2. Moses, the servant of God, knew this and he consequently did not make the mistake of doing anything without God’s approval. In today’s Bible reading, he insisted on the presence of God going with them as they journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
3. There is this story of three fishes in the sea living under the threat of sharks. They went to the Almighty God to ask for help concerning the danger of death looming over them. The first fish asked God for many eyes so that it could see sharks approaching from any direction and escape to safety. The second fish demanded for wings so that it could fly away from the reach of sharks whenever they came after it. The third fish only asked for the presence of the Almighty God wherever it went. The Lord granted all their requests, and they swam away happily. Not long after, sharks came after the first fish, and immediately, with its many eyes, it saw them coming! It took a jump into a nearby pond where the sharks could not go, and began to laugh at the sharks. However,  the water in the pond soon began to dry up and this fish died. The second fish ended up in the stomach of an eagle, which was happily surprised to have a delicious fish as its mid-flight meal. In contrast to these, the third fish, which had wisely requested the presence of the Lord, went swimming about without any fear of death from ferocious sharks. It was basking in the protection that comes with carrying the presence of the Lord. When the mother-shark would not go after it, the baby-shark asked its mother, “Why don’t we eat this beautiful fish?” The mother-shark cautioned it against entertaining such ideas, pointing to the shadow of the Almighty God following the fish everywhere.
4. Beloved, all that you need to succeed and have breakthroughs this year is God’s presence in your life. I therefore encourage you to give your life totally to God through Jesus Christ.
5. For His Presence to envelope your life, you need to walk daily with Him by fellowshipping with Him in the place of prayer and worship, and by framing your every thought around His word.
6. If you are faithful in doing this, He will abide with you, and you will live in safety throughout this year and beyond (Psalm 91:1-2).  

One of the greatest request you can ever ask for is the presence of God. And the greatest danger in life is embarking on a journey of life without His presence. The question is, how can I enjoy His presence in all my endeavors. The answer is simple, just have a good relationship with God. (i.e Intimacy with God). The Bible says “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Romans‬ ‭8:31‬. In other words, being on the Lord’s side guarantees divine presence which secures your safety from the chaos of this wicked world. We can also consider these promise “I will lift up my eyes to the hills From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121:1-8‬. God help us in Jesus name. We bless God for Pastor E.A Adeboye and pray that may he wax stronger in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
The God that creates is the One that prospers, and He is the one that protects. Seek and ask for His presence in all that you do from today.
HYMN
1.  I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
Chorus
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 power
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 fulfil.
5. I need Thee every hour
Most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine Indeed,
Thou blessed Son.

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20

Memorise: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Psalm 103:2
Read: Psalm 150:1-6
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
Bible in one year: Genesis 1-2, Revelation 1

1. King Hezekiah declared a profound truth when he testified that only the living can praise the Lord (Isaiah 38:19).
2. Children of God, as living spirits, we have many reasons to be thankful for.
3. Whenever I consider the loving-kindness of God and His tender mercies, demonstrated through protection, providence, love, forgiveness, healing, good health and, above all else, salvation of the soul, I always come to the conclusion that indeed the Lord has been very gracious to His children. No wonder the Holy Spirit, in Psalm 150:2, succinctly instructed us to. “Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.”
4. This is so important that in Psalm 103:1-5, David counsels his own soul to bless the Lord in thanksgiving, admonishing himself not to forget anyone of God’s benefits. In other words, there is a tendency for us to forget all that the Lord has done for us. 
5. Nevertheless, we have no reason to be ungrateful to God, because His goodness forever flows to us. The prophet Jeremiah testifies of this truth in Lamentations 3:22-23, saying: “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
6. Moreover, what is our joy as children of God? It is the assurance of a better tomorrow: the assurance of a better year ahead of us.
7. Only those who are saved by the grace that is in Christ Jesus have this assurance. Declaring this assurance, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 3:10 says, “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”
8. Who is the righteous? The righteous is the one who has accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Lord and Saviour. The righteousness of Christ is bestowed upon such people because they believe and have appropriated the ransom paid on their behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world (John 1:29).
9. God is saying to you that you shall be grateful to Him for all He has done for you in the past, particularly in the just concluded year.
10. If you remain thankful, your tank of blessings shall be full as you go into the New Year.
11. However, not giving your life to the One who paid the supreme price for your salvation is the greatest form of ingratitude. Therefore, repent and give your life to Christ today!
12. He will be your Shepherd and you shall want nothing throughout the New Year and in the years to come. Hallelujah! (Happy New Year!!!)  

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord : the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord , and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. Psalms 34:1‭-‬6 Have you forgotten any of God’s blessings? Count your blessings and give God the glory now! Testimony shall never cease from our mouths in Jesus name. We are grateful to God for blessing our generation with Pastor E.A Adeboye. He shall wax stronger in Jesus name.

Action Point
Thank God for all His goodness and mercies over your life in the past; give your life to Him afresh and renew your commitment to serve Him in holiness and perfect obedience in this New Year.
HYMN
1. Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is our today.
2. O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world in the next.
3. All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

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20

Memorise: “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.” Proverbs 10:5
Read: Genesis 3:7-10
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Bible in one year: Songs of Solomon 4-8 Malachi 3:16-4:6

1. Although God is very much willing to help you, before you can receive help from Him, you have to first settle the issue of your spiritual location.
2. In today’s Bible reading, when God came visiting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and He did not find them where He expected them to be, He made a passionate call to them saying: “Adam, where are you?”
3. If God will help you, He needs to know where you are.
4. Do you want God’s help today? If yes, where are you standing presently? Are you where you were at the beginning of the year? Are you stagnant, unproductive, unprofitable, and not making progress?
5. In the parable of the talents, the fellow who received one talent proved to be unproductive (Matthew 25:24-30). That is however not God’s expectation of you. Some people are unproductive because they do the right thing at the wrong time. Proverbs 10:5 says, “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.”
6. There is a time for everything. There is time to work and a time to rest.
7. Rest follows work and not the other way round.
8. Today, quite a number of people unfortunately go on vacations even though they have not worked.
9. Rest is earned.
10. If you rest without deserving it, you will be showing to the whole world how unwise you really are.
11. When many children of affluent people, who never worked one day to earn an income, are bequeathed with great wealth, the next thing they think of doing is how to go on a spending spree of the funds they never worked for.
12. Beloved, where is your present location?
13. If you are located in laziness, disobedience, self-will or un-forgiveness, receiving help from God may be a mirage.
14. If you are sleeping when you should be actively engaged for the Master, you are a shame to the Body of Christ. 
15. The harvest of the world is already ripe and gradually becoming overripe.
16. This is harvest time.
17. How many souls did you personally win to Christ this year? Is there any significant improvement to your life compared to last year or have you lost further grounds to laziness, procrastination and idleness? Can you say you are experiencing progress?
18. Movement can be sideways, forward or backward. May you never go backward in Jesus’ Name!
19. Consider your location and take appropriate steps so that you can receive God’s help this season.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6. Also Romans 6:14‭-‬15 says “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” This two scriptures above shows that we need faith and holiness to access God and what He has put in place for us. These 2 things position us rightly for God to locate us. There are some questions in today’s devotional which I will enjoin us to answer genuinely and make amends as and where necessary. God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye. May God continually uphold and strengthen him in Jesus name.

Action Point
Before asking God for anything, make sure you are not located in disobedience or unbelief.
HYMN
On a hill far away
Stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Chorus:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
(Chorus)
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
(Chorus)  
To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where his glory forever I’ll share.
(Chorus)

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Memorise: “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” Ecclesiastes 3:4
Read: James 5:1-6
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
Bible in one year: Ecclesiastes 11-12, Songs of Solomon 1-3 Malachi 2:17-3:15

1. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”  Ecclesiastes 3:1
2. It is clear from the above scripture that in God’s timetable, there is a time for everything.
3. Life is split into different seasons.
4. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; there is a time to mourn and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
5. One lesson here is that every man is expected to go through the ups and downs of life. 
6. In other words, if you go through a weeping season, you will equally go through a laughing season. If you have experienced a season of mourning, you will also experience a season of dancing. However, if all you experience is the down seasons, something is most likely wrong somewhere.
7. The forces of darkness, together with their human agents, often do what they can to manipulate their victims so that they never experience the good seasons of life.
8. Every evil plot against you that is geared towards separating you from your good seasons shall come to nought in Jesus’ Name!
9. “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”  Luke 16:25
10. In Luke 16:19-31, the Lord told the story of a rich man and a certain beggar named Lazarus. These two characters experienced different seasons on earth that contrasted greatly with the seasons they found themselves eternally living in after they died. While the rich man enjoyed a good season on earth, he found himself in an unending season of torment in eternity. On the other hand, Lazarus experienced a very bad season while on earth, but he found himself enjoying an unending season of joy in eternity.
11. One crucial lesson here is that if your stay on earth is just to enjoy yourself without giving consideration to having a good relationship with God, be prepared to spend an eternity without God.
12. If you live life without Christ, you will live an eternity separated from God. In other words, how you live today will determine the permanent season you will experience in eternity.
13. What season are you bringing upon yourself for eternity?
14. In our Bible reading, rich men living in so much affluence and engaging in the excesses of the rich were asked to mourn over the evil season that would befall them in time to come.
15. Are you going through a bad season in life? You shall soon enter a new season of joy in Jesus Name. 
16. If you are in Christ, that season of Joy will lead to a permanent season of joy in eternity.
17. Thank God for your new season of joy. Hallelujah!

Devil is a big enemy of God’s creature. Some of his tools in keeping man away from stepping into God’s predestined plan for him or her includes sin, ignorance, laziness, unfaithfulness to mention a few. It is therefore our responsibility to identify his vices and stay away from it with the help of the Holy Spirit. We shall enter into the fullness of God’s plan for us in Jesus name. We are daily refreshed as we study the Open Heavens devotional. May God continually increase Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
Take stock of the high and low points of your life this year. What could you have done differently to avoid some of the low points?
HYMN
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Chorus:
O 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.
Chorus:
3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Chorus:
4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Chorus:
5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Chorus.

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Memorise: “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;” Ephesians 6:6
Read: Ephesians 6:5-8
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Bible in one year: Ecclesiastes 8-10, Malachi 2:16

1. “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men for if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ” Galatians 1:10
2. God’s expectation concerning your service towards His kingdom and your service in your workplace is that in both cases, you serve with the mindset of one serving God and not man.
3. He expects you to render excellent service and to serve without hypocrisy. 
4. One mark of hypocritical service is the desire to please men rather than God.
5. A hypocritical worker is more concerned about entering and remaining in the good books of his or her superiors but really does not care whether God is pleased or not. You will commonly find eye-service in such people.
6. Eye-service is service rendered only when the employer is watching.
7. Eye-service is unacceptable to God, especially in His vineyard, and for this reason, the Holy Spirit warns us against it in Ephesians 6:6, saying: “Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;”
8. In the sight of God, a fellow given to eye-service is a hypocrite. When such people do some work for God, it is not from their heart. They are not bothered about the work being done in line with God’s will. All they are concerned about is being seen to be ‘doing something’ by their superiors. They love to be praised by their Pastor or supervisor as being dutiful, diligent and supportive, but is that the record that God has of them?
9. If you love the praise of men more than commendation of God, you do not yet know what it is to serve the Lord.
10. The truth is, work or service rendered with eye-service will definitely miss heaven’s mark, and runs the risk of losing heaven’s rewards!
11. How faithful are you to God and His work? Also, how faithful are you to your employer and the objectives for your jobs? 
12. Eye-service is characterized by deception, lies and pretense. If you work in this way, your service is unto the leader whose favour you seek and not unto Christ.
13. You cannot serve Jesus Christ and still have the target to please men. Colossians 3:22 says your service should be backed by the fear of God.
14. If you truly love and fear God, you will serve Him and do whatever He asks you do, whether your superiors are there or not.
15. If you still see traces of eye-service in your life, repent and turn a new leaf today.

Anyone that seeks to please man thereby resulting in eye-service is placing himself or herself on the platform of enmity with God. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. James 4:4 I enjoin us to make amends and God will help us in Jesus name. God be praised for Pastor E.A Adeboye and may his strength be renewed in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, deliver your Church from eye-service and inspire us to serve you truly.
HYMN
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in endless praise.
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.
Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
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.
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

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Memorise: “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” 1 Corinthians 7:2
Read: 1st Corinthians 7:1-9
1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.
7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I.
Bible in one year: Ecclesiastes 4-7, Malachi 1

1. Yesterday, the Lord spoke to us about His intention for Christian homes not just to add the population of the earth through procreation, but to produce children that meet heaven’s specification of a godly seed, who will represent God everywhere they go and obey Him to the letter. May your homes produce such godly seed in Jesus’ Name!
2. Another reason why God established the institution of marriage is to prevent fornication. 1st Corinthians 7:2 says, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.”
3. This scripture speaks of the need for husband and wife to be intimate so as not to fall into the pit of sexual immorality.
4. It is common in some homes today for the wife to deny her husband intimacy just because he has not fulfilled certain requests she made, or for the husband to deny his wife intimacy because he is not happy with her. This is at variance with God’s expectation and an abuse of the purpose of sexual intimacy.
5. It is wrong to use sex as a tool for punishing your spouse.
6. People should learn to isolate issues and not mix them up.
7. Neither the Husband nor the Wife has the power to deny sexual intimacy except it is a temporal arrangement, for the purpose of prayer and fasting, and this must be by mutual consent.
8. Denial of sexual intimacy is viewed as fraud from God’s perspective (1st Corinthians 7:4-5).
9. Both the wife and the husband should strive towards fulfilling the godly sexual desires of their spouse. This is necessary because it is one way the couple will be protected from the hawks outside their home.
10. It is only a foolish woman who will give conditions for intimacy.
11. When you starve your spouse of intimacy, you expose him to external dangers and temptations.
12. Some women who are married to Pastors and ministers of God take it for granted that their husbands can never go out of their matrimonial homes, and as a result, they begin to deny them sexual intimacy at will. Going by recent realities, such women may get the shock of their lives!
13. There are those who use spirituality as basis for starving their spouses. I don’t suppose such people can be more spiritual than Apostle Paul, who wrote the admonition in 1st Corinthians 7:4-5. Some of these people are almost always fasting and praying. Please control your fast before you cause irreparable damage to your home.

Glory to God for such powerful and educative devotional. Many couples have failed in this regard for several times, but thank God for exposing the works of the devil in our marriages in this devotional. Some of us even hide under Spirituality and deny our partners sex for several months simply because of misunderstanding, as we can see, it’s ungodly as stated in the devotional “Both the wife and the husband should strive towards fulfilling the godly sexual desires of their spouse. This is necessary because it is one way the couple will be protected from the hawks outside their home”. Let’s be wise in our marriages and not self invite the devil to manipulate it by depriving each other rights. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, uproot every spirit of immorality causing married people in my local assembly to be unfaithful to their spouses.
HYMN
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty
Thy love hath wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyful with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Thy way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!
God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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