KINGS OF THE KING

DATE: WEDNESDAY 1ST AUGUST 2018

THEME: KINGS OF THE KING.

  

MEMORISE:

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 1 Peter 2:9

READ: Daniel 4:28-37

28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

MESSAGE:

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36

It is unfortunate that King Nebuchadnezzar did not know the above scripture; perhaps he would have been spared the agony of experiencing God’s humbling judgment for seven years. While he strolled in his palace on a day like any other, he flippantly attributed his conquests and successes to hi ability, forgetting that there are kings and there is the King of Kings. He did not consider the benevolence of God Almighty in his rise to greatness, and this attitude sent him to God’s school of humility. May you never have to learn humility by passing through this school in Jesus’ Name. As children of God who have been made kings unto God, there are many lessons we should learn from King Nebuchadnezzar. As revealed in today’s memory verse, the reason for our divine election as kings is to show forth the praise of the Almighty  Abba Father, who has called us out of darkness into the marvelous light of His Son, Jesus (Revelation 1:6). We have indeed been made joint-heirs of the throne of our Lord and Savior (Revelation 3:21, Ephesians 2:6). Based on Nebuchadnezzar’s experience, it will be dangerous for us to forget that we are who we are only because of God’s grace. The Holy Spirit reminds us of this in 1 Corinthians 4:7, says:

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

Children of God should be conscious of the fact that we were not redeemed to boast or to please ourselves. Revelations 4:10 reveals that the elders in heaven lay their crowns at God’s feet in worship and adoration; this is exactly what the kings expects from us also. The question is, how seriously do you take the Lordship of Jesus Christ over your life? Christians who live in lawlessness due to unlimited liberty are saying that they have no King above them. Therefore beloved, examine yourself today to see whether you have taken control of your life away from the King of Kings. If you have, quickly return the authority over your life back to Him. Furthermore, do not forget that your crown as a king under the King is called the crown of righteousness; therefore, walk and reign on His behalf in perfection (2 Timothy 4:8).

ACTION POINT:

Confess to the Lord your submission and loyalty to His Lordship over your life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 4-7

Matthew 12:9-32

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

o Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Every hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

5. I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;

Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

WORKING FOR PEACE

DATE: TUESDAY 31ST JULY 2018

THEME: WORKING FOR PEACE

MEMORISE:

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:9

READ: Hebrews 12:12-15 

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

MESSAGE 

Today’s memory verse reveals the blessedness of working for peace. It is amazing that the Master Himself said that working for peace is what truly identifies us as children of God. How I pray that everyone who professes to be a child of God will take working for peace very seriously! The first peace you need to work towards is peace with God. God Himself is trying to make peace with you. In 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 He says to you:

“ To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

We broker peace with our Maker when, like the prodigal son, we come to the altar of repentance to confess our sins with a promise and commitment never to go back to them again. When we do this, we have this assurance from 1 John 1:9:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In our Bible text, we are told to follow peace with all me. This cannot be possible until we have reconciled with God first. When we are reconciled with God, the Bible says God will make our enemies to be at peace with us (Proverb 16:7). When your enemies are at peace with you, that enemy that has been blocking your way to success will be used by God to pave the way to your breakthrough. This is the blessedness of working for peace. In addition to making peace with God, you should also endeavor to live peaceably with your neighbors. In Matthew 5:25, Our Lord Jesus Christ counseled us, saying:

“Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.”

It is unfortunate that some believers find it difficult to amicably settle their difference with fellow believers. This is dangerous, and as Jesus Christ said, the price of being irreconcilable may be as high as going to hell. May this not be our portion in Jesus’ Name. Have you been reconciled with your Maker and fellow men, especially those in the household of faith? Do not forget that those who work for peace are blessed. Tap into this blessing today.

ACTION POINT:

Reconcile with God and your neighbor today, if you have anything against him or her.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Esther 1-3

Matthew 11:20-12:8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

o Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Every hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

5. I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;

Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

THIS HE DID FOR YOU

DATE: MONDAY 30TH JULY 2018

THEME: THIS HE DID FOR YOU.

  

MEMORISE:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8

READ: Luke 22:41-44

41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

MESSAGE 

Obedience is the willingness to submit oneself to the will of God and to live by His will, The Bible emphasizes the importance of obeying God’s commandments, give reasons why obedience is necessary and states the rewards promised to obedient people. The Bible also presents Jesus Christ, the Messiah, as the perfect example of obedience and directs us to follow in His footsteps. Jesus Himself made several statements to admonish, encourage and even command us to follow and learn from Him. In John 10:27, He said:

 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

The call to imitate Jesus in thought, speech and action is repeated in several places in the Bible, but in Philippians 2:5, the Holy Spirit took it a step higher, saying to us:

 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

What mind is He talking about here? He is referring to the loving, merciful, self-abasing, self-sacrificing mind which was in Jesus Christ. Although Jesus was the anointed Son of God, He made Himself of no reputation. Our Lord did not think of Himself, neither did He serve His own interests. He came not to be ministered to, but rather to minister and give His life as a ransom for many. To carry out His assignment here on earth, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death. These descriptions of His sacrifice sum up the nature of mind the Holy Spirit is referring to.

Obedience to the will of God demonstrates the reality of a person’s faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:15). Christ’s humility created the grounds for our total commitment and submission to the will of God. It also earned Him a title of “Author of Eternal Salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). Oh, how great His love for us is! Because of His great love for us and His determination t save us from the wrath of God, He became obedient unto death-even the death of the cross. God’s own dear Son came in the form of a man to fulfill all the requirements of God’s law for the sake of His people. Having fulfilled all righteousness, He submitted Himself to a shameful and excruciating death on the cross of Calvary. Since Christ’s love for us is so evident, the least we can do for His sake is to love one another as He loved us (1 John 4:9-11). This is the essence of Christianity: to develop a good appreciation of what Jesus did for us and to follow in His steps to the benefit of humanity and the glory of God.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please grant me the heart of total submission and obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 12-13

Matthew 10:40-11:19

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 4:  TRUST AND OBEY.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

ARE YOU HEAD INDEED?

DATE: SUNDAY 29TH JULY 2018

THEME: ARE YOU HEAD INDEED?

MEMORISE:

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Ephesians 1:22

READ: Deuteronomy 28:13-14

13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

MESSAGE 

For you to walk in the reality of the truth that God has made you the head, you need to understand the significance of being the head. For this reason, we shall be looking at some of the responsibilities of the head in the body so that we do not disappoint the One who has graciously made us the head. According to today’s memory verse, our Lord Jesus Christ has been made the Head over all things for the benefit of the Church, which means that we derive our right and authority to be head in every area of life from Him. Therefore, if you are disconnected from Him, you can be sure that your attempts to function as head will be an exercise in futility. It would be a great waste of Christ’s work of grace if you fail to manifest as the head. 

Beloved, when you pray that God should make you head as He promised in Deuteronomy 28:13, do you put into consideration the corresponding responsibilities? For example, it is in the head that we have sight (the eyes). As head of a family, clan, department in Church, business or community, are you ready to function as an effective eye for the body? I believe you don’t want to be a blind head. For example, as the head of a family, have you really caught the vision for the wellbeing of your family or do you allow your family grope in darkness towards doom? Do you see errors of indiscipline in your family and overlook them by turning your eyes away? Are your eyes not already blinded by the delicacies of sin? Furthermore, in the head lies the ability to speak (the mouth). As the head of a church, has your mouth been padlocked by the gifts of criminals and harlots in your congregation, so much so that they now occupy positions in God’s sanctuary? The head is also the centre of hearing (the ears). As the head, do you still hear from God for the people you serve? When last did you hear from God about your people? Lastly, the head contains the brain which thinks for the body. Some family heads have relinquished their thinking role to their wives and children. Their children now dictate what is right or wrong to them. Some girls have changed their mothers’ wardrobes because they see their clothes as “old school”. They have arranged wardrobes that now contain what used to be underwear as the main clothes for their mothers, and these mothers have conceded to such abomination. My prayer for every head today and those who are aspiring to be heads is that you will be head indeed. I prophesy that you will begin to effectively fulfill the functions of the head from today in Jesus Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please make me head indeed and don’t let me fail in my responsibilities. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 10-11

Matthew 10:16-39

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

o Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Every hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

5. I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;

Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

ARE HIS COMMANDMENTS GRIEVOUS?

DATE:  SATURDAY 28TH JULY 2018

THEME:  ARE HIS COMMANDMENTS GRIEVOUS? 

MEMORISE:

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3

READ: Psalm 119:97-106

97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.

99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.

103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

MESSAGE 

We often need to remind ourselves of what it means to be born again so that we do not lose sight of who we are. To be born again means that the control of one’s life has been given or surrendered to Jesus Christ. From the moment a person makes this decision, the Lord Jesus Christ is meant to be in charge of his or her life. One of the important features of being born again is transformation, which is described in the Bible as putting on the new man (Ephesians 4:24, Colossians 3:10). This occurs through a process of continuously renewing the mind with the word of God (Romans 12:2). When a person becomes born again, he or she is a new creature, for whom old things are passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old things that have passed away include the old ways of thinking and acts that lead to disobedience. The old man, present in all of mankind, is disobedient by nature. This Adamic nature finds the instructions of God oppressive and can never submit to His authority. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says:

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

In contrast to the old Adamic nature, the mind of the new man is subject to the control and influence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever the new man receives any instruction from God, it is joyfully obeyed-God’s commandments are not in any way burdensome to him. Indeed, the new man loves to obey God (1 John 5:3). However, to reassure our hearts that He is not in ay way a taskmaster, Jesus in Matthew 11:30 said:

 “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Though these words and several others, we know that God’s motive behind every commandment is our own good. The system of the world is one of the main factors that make obeying God’s commandments seem difficult, but we thank God that the new man in us has overcome the world (1 john 5:4). True children of God find the world with all its trappings unattractive. Everything the world has to offer, in the form of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life, cannot dominate a child of God any more (Romans 6:14). Today’s Bible reading paints a perfect picture of the resultant effect of resolving to obey God’s commandments. The word of God suddenly becomes sweeter than honey. This leads us to hate falsehood and keeps us away from evil behavior. Obedience to the word of God gives superior understanding and divine wisdom. Having been taught by God Himself, we become wiser than our enemies. You will find it easy to obey God’s word henceforth in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me divine wisdom, and take me far above my enemies in Jesus’ Name. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 9

Matthew 9:27-10:15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 4:  TRUST AND OBEY.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

PREPARING FOR YOUR FLIGHT?

DATE: FRIDAY 27TH JULY 2018

THEME: PREPARING FOR YOUR FLIGHT?

MEMORISE:

Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 2 Peter 1:14

READ: 2 Timothy 4:6-8

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

MESSAGE 

“ Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.” 2 Peter 1:14

 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” 2 Timothy 4:6

It is so amazing to read the words of Peter and Paul in the above verses of scripture. They spoke of their impending deaths as though they were making preparation for a trip to a better country. Contrary to the common human response to issues relating to death, there is no trace of fear or anxiety in their words. We have important lessons to learn about death from these great apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 9:27, the Holy Spirit spoke through Paul saying:

 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

He also spoke through Peter in 1 Peter 4:7 saying:

 “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

These two great apostles had no fear of death because they knew that death was just a vehicle to transport them to the glorious place Christ had prepared for them. They could look death in the eye without flinching because they had lived their lives in holiness, doing the will of God from a heart of love. They lived a victorious life over the devil, and were not held bound by the world with all its trappings. They knew with certainty that death would only be a passage of life in eternity, and that once they closed their eyes in death they would be carried into the presence of Jesus by His holy angels. Death and the grave had no power over them, and they could truly say:

 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

1 Corinthians 15:55

God deliberately gave us these two apostles as examples so that we would learn from their attitude. We who are alive today are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, appropriating the victory He has won for us over death by shedding whatever fear of death we may still have. Christ has indeed delivered us from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). His expectation is that we will begin to make preparations for our flight to eternity, either by death or by rapture. Finally, in the words of Amos 4:12, I plead with you today: “PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD!”

KEY POINT:

What is your attitude towards death, and are you prepared to take a flight to glory through it?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 7-8

Matthew 9:9-26

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 5: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

No turning back, no turning back.

PROSPERITY MADE EASY

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

  

DATE: WEDNESDAY 25TH JULY 2018

THEME: PROSPERITY MADE EASY.

MEMORISE:

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. James 1:25

READ: James 1:21-25

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

MESSAGE:

The issue of prosperity is an area where many in the Body of Christ today hold dangerous misconceptions. So many people come to church today in search of blessings, either financial or otherwise, but they are not interested in getting born again in truth. They care less about holiness or righteousness and are not committed to the service of God in anyway, but they are prepared to do anything the pastor says with respect to sowing seeds and giving sacrificially in order to be blessed. Unfortunately, many in this category are youths. After they have practiced sowing and sacrificial giving for a while and the blessings are not forthcoming, they begin to pile up accusations against God and His servants. Although some pastors may be taking advantage of the innocence and ignorance of these young minds, such youths have themselves to blame because they have access to the word of God and are intelligent enough to read and understand the principles of prosperity as laid down by God. In several passages of the Bible, God promises His people prosperity in physical, material and spiritual things, and He also reiterate His intention to make them great and exalted above all other people of the earth, but this is always based on one condition: OBEDIENCE.

Without exception, the Bible always presents obedience as the prerequisite to blessings. James 1:25 stressed the point that anyone who continues to live in obedience to the word of God shall be blessed in his or her deeds. The pronouncement of multiple blessings on Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 28 was also based on the condition of obedience in Deuteronomy 28:1. Therefore, obedience to the word of God is not negotiable for anyone who is looking up to God for blessings. Another important thing to note is that God expects His children to continue in obedience, since the matter of their prosperity is already settled (Deuteronomy 28:2). The Creator of heaven and earth is a master planner and He knows how to make everything perfect in His own time. For this reason, giving Him a time limit within which you expect Him to perform His work is not wise and may lead to disappointment. When God promised to build me a city instead of the two-bedroom apartment I was asking for, I didn’t know His timing, but I waited patiently for Him. Months later, God started His wonders at the Redemption Camp, and about 40years later, the project has become a huge success, although God is not done with His wonders yet. I decree that the same God will perfect your package of blessing and deliver it to you very soon in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please give me the grace to obey you in all areas of my life in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 1-3

Matthew 7:24-8:17

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 4:  TRUST AND OBEY.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.