Devotionals

Memorise: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Matthew 7:13
Read: Matthew 7:13-14
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Bible in one year: Acts 18-19, Jeremiah 38:14-23

1. God wants to change your life, but beyond this, He wants to change your final destination.
2. Over the ages, many people have had to move from one location to another within the same country. Others have had to relocate to other countries for one reason or the other.
3. However, at the end of the day, irrespective of where we live, we shall all arrive at a final destination. That destination is eternal and cannot be changed after we die.
4. There are two eternal destinations: Heaven and Hell. Whether you believe it or not, you are heading towards one of these. The Bible is very clear on the truth that every sinner is heading to Hell. Psalm 9:17 says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
5. If you are still living in sin, Jesus Christ has come to change your eternal destination from Hell to Heaven. For this change to happen, you have to accept the remedy for sin which He has made available in His Blood.
6. If a person does not achieve this crucial change before death, all other achievements during his or her lifetime will fade into nothingness, and the fellow will be faced with an eternity in Hell. 
7. The shocking truth about this is that God will never force a person to change his or her final destination. He won’t force you to change from the hell-bound way to the heaven-bound narrow path. He allows you to make your decision and to live with the eternal consequences hereafter.
8. I was taking to an important personality recently about being born again. He kept arguing with me, and so I told him this: “Sir, it is not something we should quarrel about. It is not compulsory for you to go to Heaven. If you prefer to go to Hell, it is your choice.” Then he said, “Why are you begging me to be born again or to give my life to Jesus?” I laughed and replied, “Me, begging you? I am not begging you but only sounding a note of warning. If you choose to wind up in Hell, it is your choice.”
9. Some people think that as long as they do not believe in the existence of Hell, they cannot go there. Hell is real! Many people are entering into Hell every day, and yet it is not full (Proverbs 27:20).
10. If the only feat you can achieve on earth is to avoid Hell, it is worth the trouble.
11. Many people were mocking those who preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to them during their life time until they ended up in Hell.
12. Hell is worse than any type of suffering or punishment you know on earth.
13. Do everything possible to avoid it by genuinely giving your life to Christ today.

God always give room of choice to everyone. But then He present to us the best choice to make and gives us clear signs and pointers to the best choices. If anyone then choose to go the other way it becomes such person’s liability, business or sole responsibility if the result of such choice surfaces. We should always beg God to help us walk in His will, plan and directions for our lives. We shall all end our journey well in Jesus name. We will not forfeit the heavenly mansion, rewards and eternal joy for this worldly things in Jesus name. The grace for greater works is released unto Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
To make Heaven your final destination, do the following: repent and confess your sins to God; ask Him to cleanse your sins with the Blood of Jesus; invite Jesus into your life and confess Him as your Lord and Saviour and ask God for grace to live for Him till you die.
HYMN
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back, No turning back
Though none go with me still I will follow
Though none go with me still I will follow
Though none go with me still I will follow
No turning back, No turning back
My cross I’ll carry, till i see Jesus
My cross I’ll carry, till i see Jesus
My cross I’ll carry, till i see Jesus
No turning back, no turning back.
 
The world behind me, the Cross before me
The world behind me, the Cross before me
The world behind me, the Cross before me
No turning back, No turning back
 

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20

Memorise; Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me. Proverbs 30:8
Read: Proverbs 30:7-9
7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
Bible in one year: Acts 16-17, Jeremiah 38:1-13

1. What you get from God depends on how contented or dissatisfied you are.
2. While some people ask nothing from the Almighty God who has all things and who can do all things, some others ask for crumbs.
3. Your desire and request go a long way in determining what you get in life. In Matthew 15:21-28, when the woman whose daughter was tormented by demons met the Lord, all she asked for was crumbs: “And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Matthew 15:27
4. Even today, after Jesus had said that the children of the Kingdom are meant to eat at God’s table, many of these children still prefer the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table (Luke 12:32, Matthew 15:26). Where is your focus: the table or the crumbs?
5. Similarly, there is a correlation between your desire and your trust in God. If you really have faith in God, you will be able to ask big. The Bible says those who know their God shall do exploits (Daniel 11:32).
6. In other words, when you know little or nothing about God, when asked to make a request, you will be afraid of asking for too much, and so you will be confined to asking for so little.
7. However, when you know how inexhaustible the resources of God are, it will stir up courage in your heart to ask for big, great and impossible things. Therefore, if you are asking for a used car, a tiny rented apartment or a job that can barely take you away from starvation, it is very possible that you do not know or trust God enough.
8. In today’s Bible reading, Agur made a very humble request. He asked for neither poverty nor wealth. He feared poverty, lest he might be tempted to steal; and he also feared wealth, lest he deny God. Just enough was that he asked for.
9. Using the children of Israel as a model of God’s plan for your life, you will observe that God took them from the wilderness, where they had Manna that was just enough for each day, to a land flowing with milk and honey, where they had more than enough (Exodus 16:15-19, Deuteronomy 6:10-11, Joshua 5:12).
10. Just enough might mean not having reserves to take care of emergencies. That means, in an emergency, you may be forced to go cap in hand borrowing.
11. Are you asking but asking for too little? How can your joy be full if all you have is little? Are you asking for little in consideration of others who are also asking God for the same things?
12. You can never exhaust God’s resources. Ask big and stop limiting yourself!

God’s riches is inexhaustible. He is the All sufficient one and He is available to meet all our needs. We are left with the option to take as much as we want from our father. The woman in our Bible reading who demanded for the grace to eat crumbs got her desire. How much more we who have been saved by grace? Let us see God as He is and not deprive ourselves of what God has provided for His heirs. God bless and strengthen Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
Ask God for something really big that only He can do for you.
HYMN
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.
There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
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!

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20

Memorise: Bring forth therefore fruit meet for repentance. Matthew 3:8
Read: Matthew 3:1-10
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Bible in one year: Acts 14-15, Jeremiah 37

1. “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:” Joel 2:12
2. Fasting can be used to demonstrate genuine repentance before God.
3. Exemplifying the above scripture, Prophet Daniel embarked on a fast to show repentance for his sins and the sins of the children of Israel in Daniel 9:3-20.
4. All through the Old Testament, when individuals or a group of people fell into sin and judgement was imminent, they returned to God in fasting and mourning, expressing sorrow for sins committed.
5. How truly sorrowful are you when you sin against God? Is there any deep sorrow for sin anymore?
6. Today, when you see a believer asking God for pardon over a wrong he or she has committed, you will be amazed. A few seconds after he or she has apologised, he or she is seen carrying on as if nothing ever went wrong. There is no manifestation of godly sorrow.
7. People do not see offending God as anything anymore. They hide behind grace to cover up their evil lifestyle. However, can God be fooled?
8. The “repentance” of some people today is highly questionable. True repentance must be backed up by godly sorrow. 2nd Corinthians 7:10 says “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
9. Genuine repentance must exhibit the fruits of humility, confession, brokenness, a desire for restitution where necessary and a commitment to never return to the evil act.
10. Take King Ahab as a case in point. He was a wicked king with a satanic wife, Jezebel. The wickedness perpetrated during his reign far exceeded that of other regimes (1st King 21:25). Yet, when God spoke to him about an impending judgment, he immediately readjusted, tore his royal robe, wore sackcloth, humbled himself and fasted (1st Kings 21:27). When God saw the fruit of repentance in him, He deferred His judgement till the next generation.
11. When you say to God “Father, I’m sorry, please forgive me”, is there any fruit of repentance to back it up?
12. Some leaders get involved in terrible sins, and after whispering, “Father, I am sorry”, they continue as if nothing ever happened. Is that genuine repentance?
13. People hardly weep or mourn over their shortcomings anymore. They hardly set themselves apart in fasting and prayer to reach out to God for mercy. No wonder they continue in their sins.
14. If you are sorry, you will bring forth fruits consistent with repentance through your actions. Do you have such fruits? 

Today’s devotional left us with so many questions to answer as a believer. The big one I want us to deeply ponder upon is this- can God be fooled? If anyone is asking for forgiveness that is not genuine with fruit of repentance, let it always ring in our mind that God can not be fooled. This leaves us with the option to genuinely seek for repentance when we sin and go back to the rebellious state no more. God help us to do His word in Jesus name. Blessed be God for Pastor E.A Adeboye. His wisdom and knowledge in the things of God is expanding by each day in Jesus name.

Key Point
Repentance goes beyond just saying, “I am sorry”. Your comportment and inner resolve go a long way to validate or discredit claim.
HYMN
Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
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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20

Memorise: Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:2
Read: John 15:1-6
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Bible in one year: Acts 12-13, Jeremiah 36:20-32

1. Just as it is needful to pray and fast, it is also needful to win souls to God’s Kingdom regularly. Don’t just win one, two or five souls and stop, continue to win souls at all times. John 15:16 says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
2. Do you know that regular evangelism can keep you in shape spiritually? If you belong to Christ, you are like a living tree that produces fruit (Psalm 1:3). Any tree that produces good fruit will definitely be appreciated by its owner.
3. Bearing spiritual fruit is one obvious sign that you are still spiritually alive.
4. If you are winning souls often, it shows you are growing spiritually.
5. It takes obedience to the Holy Spirit and partnership with Him to win a soul and to give life to the spiritually dead.
6. If you are not bearing fruit, it could be because you are dead or separated from God. A dead fellow cannot be used as an agent of life.
7. Moreover, in the course of soul-winning, there are some ideas, teachings and abilities that the Holy Spirit will endow you with which you may not easily access through any other means.
8. The truth is that those who go out for evangelism never go out alone. Why? Since they are out to obey the Lord’s command. Which is so important to the Godhead, the Trinity works with them (Mark 16:20).
9. The Lord sees to it that the word of the evangelist does not fall to the ground (Hebrews 2:3-4).
10. The evangelist is a true fellow-worker with God. On the other hand, the fellow who does not win souls is not bringing joy to God’s heart and is also not showing signs of spiritual life.
11. If you continue your Christian life without leading others to Christ, you may be cut off from your Source (John 15:2, Luke 13:7). It therefore follows that if you want to grow spiritually, you must make soul-winning a regular activity.
12. You must win souls and continue to win more souls.
13. If you are actively winning souls, you will experience God’s special love and attention. God will also answer your prayers more easily, and increase your capacity to be fruitful by taking away hindrances to fruitfulness from your life.
14. Using your attitude to soul-winning as a benchmark, are you dead or alive?

There is a depth of God that can be accessed only by winning souls. We were brought to Christ so that we can bring others to Him. John 15:16 says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” He chose us that we may bring forth fruit and that the fruit should abide. This is like an open cheque for us because the later part of the scripture says whatever we ask the Father in Jesus name after bearing fruits and it remains He will give to us. From the creation of man, God ordained it that we should multiply and be fruitful. The Holyspirit enables us once we take the step of obedience as regards soul winning. He gives utterance to us once we yield to Him. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalms 81:10. The grace to yield to the call of soul winning is released unto us in Jesus name. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye and renew his strength in Jesus name.

Action Point
To catch up on the number of souls you should have won in the past, launch an aggressive personal evangelism outreach drive to bring in at least 100 souls to God kingdom.
HYMN
Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.
Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.
Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.
Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.

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20

Memorise: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:16
Read: Revelation 3:15-16
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Bible in one year: Acts 10-11, Jeremiah 36:4-19

1. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.” Revelation 3:15
2. If there is one state that God never wants His children to be in, it is the state of lukewarmness.
3. As seen in the above scripture passage, the Lord speaks His mind on this issue in very strong terms. He says if you want to be hot, be hot, and if you want to be cold, be cold; if you are neither cold nor hot, He will spit you out of His mouth.
4. God has zero tolerance for lukewarmness.
5. As foretold by the Holy Spirit long ago, many Christians in these last days are falling into the state of lukewarmness.
6. Lukewarm people are tasteless in God’s mouth, and hence He cannot stand them.
7. You cannot mix your worship of God with the worship of an idol. How can you put the Ancient of Days on the same platform as an idol that is the contraption of men’s hearts? God is greatly insulted by this.
8. If you want to be a Christian, be a completely devoted one. Serve Him with your life and ensure you glorify Him in all that you do. If you however do not want to be a Christian, do not pretend to be one.
9. One soul I wish I could have won for Christ is Fela Anikulapo kuti, the late Nigerian Afro-beat music icon. I loved him for one thing: he was not a pretender. His lifestyle clearly showed that he was not on the side of Christ. This man married 27 wives in one day! He was a law unto himself.
10. Some people say they are serving God, and at home they have one wife but outside, they have several mistresses.
11. Stop pretending! If you want to serve, serve Him, but if you don’t want to serve God, stay away from Him. Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.
12. A lukewarm fellow will say he likes something, whereas he hates that same thing in his heart. He or she lives a false life.
13. Some people appear to be very active and zealous for God when they are in their country of origin, but when they travel abroad, you will not believe they are the same person you thought you knew. Such people are unable to stand for the truth, and so will find excuses to justify their lack of zeal for the things of God.
14. Lukewarm people are dream-killers and acts as bad influencers. If you are hot and you stay around them, they can discourage you by their attitude.
15. Are you lukewarm? It’s time to come out of that state today! Take a stand for the truth and for living right!

When we pretend to be upright in our walk with the Lord to the world He knows our true stand. When we give an idol a place as much as we give God it is not hidden to our king. Psalms 94:9‭-‬11 says: He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not He correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not He know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. Everyone in his or her mind knows where he or she truly belongs. We are aware of the fact that God does not reckon with the lukewarm and it is only wise for whoever is in this category to make amends. May we never be forsaken by God as a result of lukewarmness in Jesus name. Pastor E.A Adeboye is a great blessing to the world because we are daily refreshed as we study the Open Heavens devotional. More grace to him in Jesus name.

Key Point
Those who find it difficult to stand up for Jesus still love the world.
HYMN
1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
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 someday for a crown.
2. Oh, 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.
[Refrain]
3. 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.
[Refrain]
4.To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
[Refrain]

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20

Memorise: And I, behold, I will harden the heats of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. Exodus 14:17
Read: Exodus 14:15-17
15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
Bible in one year: Acts 8-9, Jeremiah 35:12-36:3

1. Do you know that every time God moves to deliver a helpless and hopeless individual, He gets some form of glory from it?
2. After God led the children of Israel out of Egypt and they were on their way towards the Red Sea, the Egyptians, forgetting all that they had suffered on account of the Israelites, resolved to go after them and bring them back.
3. This was a serious problem for the Israelites, who had lived as slaves all their lives and were just experiencing freedom for the very first time. However, God did not leave them alone. In fact, He prepared Moses and Joshua to physically lead them while He provided spiritual direction and protection.
4. On your way to your place of destiny, the Lord will not leave you alone. As He led the Israelites, so will He lead you in Jesus’ Name.
5. Be assured in your heart that God will not allow your present predicament to drown you, because He knows that His intervention will definitely bring glory to His Name.
6. “And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.” Exodus 14:17 When God’s children were faced with the serious threat of returning to slavery, although they cried to God for help, one major reason why God intervened was because of the glory or honour He was going to get from it.
7. If you are confronted with a situation you can easily come out of, or a situation someone can help you out with, either you or the fellow who helped you might want to take or partake of the glory when the problem is solved. In contrast to this, when you are pushed to a corner, with no specialist, parent, relative, friend or pastor to help, when God intervenes in such situations and the issue is resolved, He alone will take the glory.
8. God does not like to share His glory with anyone or anything (Isaiah 42:8). Unfortunately, many people who give testimonies still share in or even completely rob God of His glory. The summary of their testimonies is that they prayed so much, fasted so long, gave a lot or were very smart and got their miracle because of this. Such people are glory thieves.
9. There are many people who have done much more than they did and yet their situations have not changed.
10. God can step into your situation because of the glory He will get from it, so never tamper with His glory.

The issue of man taking glory that belongs to God totally is a mistake most believers make. Most of us boldly take all the glory and refuse to return the glory to God who deserves it all. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Isaiah 42:8 Let’s learn to give all the glory to God at all time for every success and blessing we encounter in life. Man can never prevail by their own power, it is God that brings all victory we encounter to reality. May His name be praised forever. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye for blessing us with the word of God again this day.

Action Point
Man has a problem and wants a solution. God gives the solution and wants the glory. Never allow anything to tamper with God’s expectation!
HYMN
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
[Chorus]
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
[Chorus]
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
[Chorus]

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20

Memorise: But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. Genesis 17:21
Read: Genesis 17:15-21
15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Bible in one year: Acts 7, Jeremiah 34:17-35:11

1. After Abraham and Sarah used their own alternative means to attempt to solve their problem of childlessness, and Hagar delivered Ishmael to Abraham, they thought that God’s plan for their lives would change to accommodate Ishmael. They were wrong! In fact, in Genesis 17:18, Abraham made a passionate plea for God to recognise Ishmael as his covenant heir, but God insisted on His original plan. In Genesis 17:19, God said this to Abraham: “…Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.”
2. A crucial lesson here is that we cannot force, deceive, manipulate or corner God into doing what He did not plan to do.
3. Isaac is a product of the Spirit while Ishmael is a product of the flesh (Galatians 4:23-29).
4. Never expect God to dump the Spirit for the flesh.
5. Do you know that some Christians go against God’s word and will by marrying an unbeliever and then later pretend to be sorry by feigning tears, whereas inside of them they are rejoicing that they have married their chosen heartthrob and have thus outsmarted God? Such Christians would try to justify themselves by asking you whether God would expect them to divorce their unsaved spouse when God Himself says He hates divorce. Oh how smart they think they are! Unfortunately for them though, they will later realise how foolish they really are, when faced with the consequences of their choice.
6. If you go against God’s word and choose an unbeliever as your marriage or business partner, it is your choice. You will have to live with the repercussions of that choice.
7. You may have 100 “Ishmaels”, but God’s covenant can only be established with an “Isaac” (Genesis 17:21).
8. Isaac is a product of God’s blessings, while Ishmael is a product of man’s lust, impatience and self-government.
9. Do not expect God to legitimize your Ishmael!
10. Some people acquire wealth through illegitimate means and later expect God to sanctify it for them. They are only deceiving themselves.
11. Anything you add to yourself that God has not added to you will ultimately be a curse that will haunt you. This is why it is better to wait on God to receive the blessing that comes from Him and not fall for cheap alternatives.
12. Have you devised alternative to God’s original plan for your life? Repent and dump them today!
13. Go back to God and ask Him to continue from where He stopped in your life. 

God is the master planner. He is the extra ordinary strategist and no one can come up with a better plan Him. This is why it is important for every believer to wait on the Lord. Though it may take long before His words or promise come to fulfillment but it will never return to Him void. Man’s option will always crash or grow into big trouble. We can never outsmart the maker of the universe so we should settle down and patiently wait till His will is done in our lives. The grace of God is multiplied unto Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Action Point
Have you ever tried to outsmart God? Go on your knees and confess how foolish you have been, and ask for His mercy today.
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.
Refrain:
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. Refrain
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. Refrain
To the 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. Refrain

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Memorise: Be ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Jude 1:20
Read: Acts 6:3-10
3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.
10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
Bible in one year: Acts 5:6, Jeremiah 34:1-16

1. According to Mark 16:17-18, the ability to demonstrate faith in God is very necessary in the ministry of signs and wonders. Hebrews 11:6 also says that without faith you cannot please God.
2. So how do we recognise someone with faith? A look at the life of someone the Bible declared was full of faith should be able to provide us some answers. Acts 6:8 says, “And Stephen, full of faith and powers, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
3. Stephen was only a deacon in the early Church. He was chosen as an usher to join others in serving food, and yet because he was full of faith, he performed great signs and wonders, even more than some apostles.
4. From the example of Stephen, it therefore means that you can be a worker in the Church and God could still use you to perform mighty signs and miracles even more than a pastor. This simply tells us that walking in the miraculous is not about titles but about faith.
5. You can be full of position or titles but empty of faith and therefore of little or no use to God in the ministry of signs and wonders.
6. Some senior pastors cannot mention just one miracle the Lord has performed through them in the last two or more years, and yet God is doing wonders through their subordinates. It is doubtful that such pastors are full of faith.
7. Are you full of faith or doubt? There is no way God will be at work among His people and His supernatural touch will not be visible for all to see.
8. Instead of building up their faith until it is full, some people choose to use everything at their disposal to secure a position or an ordination in the Body of Christ. Believing that the higher their position, the greater the anointing at their disposal. Unfortunately, they fail to realise that those who pursue position or ordination may get the title but not the power that backs it up.
9. What is important is to build up your faith. After you are saved, do not keep your faith stagnant; grow it. Feed your faith by meditating regularly on God’s word, praying in the Holy Spirit, reading sound Christian literature and texts, and by listening to good Christian music and testimonies.
10. You also need to fellowship regularly in a Bible-believing Church, so that you are constantly exposed to the truth.
11. When you are full of faith, fear will have no place to hibernate inside you.  This makes you a sure candidate for God to work with.
12. May God work with you! Do all you can to build up you faith.

Living in faith and by faith is a life every believer should hunger after. There are few points to critically examine in today’s devotional; position has nothing to do with the manifestation of the power of God; age or title is irrelevant when it comes to exhibiting great faith that will move mountains; God expects you as believer to grow in faith. With these points mentioned above, I strongly believe that the Almighty God is interested in us performing miracles, signs and wonders but the key to doing this is to be full of faith. May the Lord grant us faith beyond the physical circumstances in Jesus name. And may He bless and strengthen our Father in the Lord Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Key Point
Your spiritual growth is your personal responsibility, and not that of your pastor.
HYMN
1. My faith looks up to thee, 
thou Lamb of Calvary, 
Savior divine! 
Now hear me while I pray, 
take all my guilt away, 
O let me from this day 
be wholly thine! 
2. May thy rich grace impart 
strength to my fainting heart, 
my zeal inspire! 
As thou hast died for me, 
O may my love to thee 
pure, warm, and changeless be, 
a living fire! 
3. While life’s dark maze I tread, 
and griefs around me spread, 
be thou my guide; 
bid darkness turn to day, 
wipe sorrow’s tears away, 
nor let me ever stray 
from thee aside. 
4. When ends life’s transient dream, 
when death’s cold, sullen stream 
shall o’er me roll; 
blest Savior, then in love, 
fear and distrust remove; 
O bear me safe above, 
a ransomed soul! 

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Memorise: Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24
Read: Luke 15:25-32
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
Bible in one year: Acts 3-4, Jeremiah 33:12-26

1. The benefits you derive from a person depends on how much that individual has and on how desperate you are to receive.
2. If God is the One you need something from, then you are dealing with the Almighty God who has all things and who can do all things.
3. Before approaching God, you need to first determine what you want and how much of it you want from Him. If your response is to ask God for nothing, I am afraid you will leave empty-handed. James 4:2 says, “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet have not, because ye ask not.”
4. In John 16:24, after several years together, the Lord addressed His disciples one day and said something that should shock us: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
5. They lived, ate and slept with the Fountain of living waters, yet they failed to drink from it. Some people take contentment to the extreme. They think it is covetousness to ask God for anything decent, whereas God is waiting for them to ask.
6. How much have you asked from God? Are you like the disciples who asked for nothing? They asked for nothing at a time when others, who were not even walking with Jesus, were already using His Name to get benefits from Heaven (Luke 9:49-50).
7. Even God knows that having nothing is not good for you.
8. The container of joy of the fellow who asks for nothing will always remain empty, whereas God wants it to overflow.
9. In the parable of the prodigal son, the senior son is another example of those who swim in abundance but hardly ever ask for a bit of it. When his younger brother returned and his father declared a feast, he was annoyed. How could his father slaughter a cow to celebrate his brother’s return, whereas he had not even had a ram to celebrate his birthday with his friends? This was one major difference between the two brothers. While he never asked for the least of all he was entitled to, his brother did not mind exceeding his limits. The younger brother had asked for all he could get from his father and wasted it, and yet on his return, the father kept spending on his account. Whose cow was being slaughtered for the prodigal son? It was definitely that of the elder brother.
10. This teaches us that what you fail to ask for may be taken over by those who ask.
11. God gave you a mouth with which to ask.
12. Ask and ask big! From today, as you ask, God will answer you speedily in Jesus’ Name.

A closed mouth can be likened to or said to be equal to a closed destiny. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Matthew 7:7‭-‬8. This scripture makes it clear that until you ask before you receive. As human beings we also don’t give out things atimes until we are asked. This also applies to our heavenly Father. Some do not know they have to ask and so they suffer in ignorance. Thank God for the knowledge we gain daily as we study this devotional. Now that it is clearly known to us that we need to ask for us to get, let us utilise our mouth in asking the father who so much love us to give His only begotten Son. We can be sure of receiving from Him as we ask in faith. Blessed be God for Pastor E.A Adeboye. We ask that may he flourish more in the things of God in Jesus name.

Key Point
When we get to Heaven and some people see what they asked for in comparison with what they could have asked for, they will feel seriously cheated.
HYMN
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.
There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.
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!
 

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Memorise: The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. Psalm 10:4
Read: Acts 9:1-11
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
Bible in one year: Acts 1-2, Jeremiah 33:1-11

1. Yesterday, we considered the need to fast often in order to maintain the Spirit’s control over the desires of our body. Today, let us consider another reason why we need to fast often, which is, to submit ourselves to God in humility (James 4:6-7).
2. David had this understanding and that was why in Psalm 35:13 he said, “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.”
3. Whenever you find yourself becoming haughty, too full of yourself or looking down on others, you need to declare a fast so as to subdue the rise of pride in your life.
4. Those who live in pride are distant from God. Even when He makes an attempt to reach such people, it will be very difficult because they have built a fence of pride around themselves.
5. One major reason why some people don’t accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, even after witnessing His power and miracles, is pride. Those worst hit by this attitude tend to be learned, enlightened and widely travelled people. This is why you need to pray against the spirit of pride hindering the salvation of your loved ones.
6. Let us take a look at the life of Saul of Tarsus and learn some lessons from him. He was very zealous and intelligent young man who wanted to please God, but he was proud. Meanwhile, God had been trying to reach out to him, but the fence of pride he had around him kept God out.
7. Do you know that pride directs? If you are proud, it will direct you in the way you go about things, in what you do and what you don’t do.
8. Whenever faith is combined with pride, at best, you will get religion.
9. As Saul tried to serve and please God in the atmosphere of pride, he drifted further away from the One he thought he was pleasing, to the point where he began to fight the One he was supposed to satisfy.
10. Pride blindfolds its victims. It makes a person work against what he or she originally set out to do or stand up for.
11. It wasn’t until Jesus manifested Himself to Saul that he realised he had been working against the God he thought he was serving. Nevertheless, after he humbled himself with fasting and prayer for three days, he received salvation, healing of his blind eyes, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and a divine call of God to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.
12. If only you can submit yourself to God in humility through prayer and fasting, you can connect with God’s purpose for your life.

Regardless of the level of the spirituality of any believer who is captivated with pride, spiritual growth will always be far from such fellow. God resist the proud and gives grace to the humble. Being humble in our relationship with God and men is great gain. For you to be greatly promoted by God as a believer, you must wear garment of meekness and humility. Consider what the Bible says “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭5:6‬. Promotions is tied to your ability to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. Please, ask God to destroy any element of pride preventing your breakthrough today. May God empower Pastor E.A Adeboye for greater works in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, let all my loved ones who are separated from You through pride, overcome this barrier and yield completely to Your will today.
HYMN
Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
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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