The Word

Heavenly Father, I'm grateful for Your mercies this year even as I end the tenth month. May your name be praised for all the benefits I've enjoyed this year despite the pandemic. I declare the remaining months in the year shall bring good news to me. Every arrow of ill-health, untimely death, accidents, indebtedness, failures, depression, disappointment, retrogression, joblessness, stagnation, curses, charms and evil destructions are rendered useless and powerless against me and all that is mine by the power of the Holy Spirit.  I am blessed and highly favored by God. My going out and coming in is preserved by the blood of Jesus. I will lie and rise in peace. My health shall not fail. Divine doors shall open for me each day in the remaining months of the year and even beyond. The power of God will perfect whatever ought to be perfected in my life even now and forevermore in Jesus' name. AMEN! 

Theme: Fountain of Life Text: Proverbs 13:9-14 9  The light of the righteous rejoices,  but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.  10  By pride comes nothing but strife,  but with the well - advised is wisdom.   11  Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,  but he who gathers by labor will increase.  12  Hope deferred makes the heart sick,  but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.  13  He who despises the word will be destroyed,  but he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.  14  The law of the wise is a fountain of life,  to turn one away from the snares of death. Jesus Christ is the giver of life as He made know in John 10:10 that He has come that we may have life in abundance. The fountain of life is in Him and whoever desires to have eternal life must associate with Jesus Christ. In Him is the fullness ...

Theme: Due Diligence  Text: Proverbs 13:4-8 4   soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;  But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.  5  A righteous man hates lying,  but a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.  6  Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,  but wickedness overthrows the sinner.  7  There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;  And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.  8  The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, but the poor does not hear rebuke. Our journey in life comes with challenges which could uplift us when we overcome them or bring us down when we are unable to do what's best during such circumstances. It is for this reason, we ought to be diligent. Due diligence must be taken in life irrespective of who/what we are (whether as a follower or leader; rich or poo...

Theme: Heed to Instructions  Text: Proverbs 13:1-3  13  A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,  but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.  2  A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,  but the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.  3  He who guards his mouth preserves his life,  but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. It's necessary we are guided in life so we live well as expected of us. The best way to do this is by taking godly instructions and applying them accordingly. A wise person heeds to instructions but not so with a scoffer. Our response to godly instructions will determine whether we are wise or not. The fear of the Lord is wisdom, so those who abide in His command, are wise whereas, those who do otherwise are unwise. We are being admonished to guard the words that come out of our mouth. The tongue could bring us good or bad tidings depending on how we make use of it. Lies,...

Theme: Holy Spirit, Direct My Ways Text: Psalm 119:5-8 5  Oh, that my ways were directed  to keep Your statutes!  6  Then I would not be ashamed,  when I look into all Your commandments.  7  I will praise You with uprightness of heart,  when I learn Your righteous judgments.  8  I will keep Your statutes;  Oh, do not forsake me utterly! The Word of the Lord is a lamp to our  feet And a light to our path. Understanding the Word is not by carnal wisdom but rather the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Helper and Teacher sent to help us live according to God's will and purpose for our lives. To keep God's statutes, we will need the guide of the Holy Spirit. This explains why the psalmist said, that his ways be directed to keep God's statutes. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are not ashamed of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for it is our saving grace. We will therefore approach the Throne of God w...

Theme: The Undefiled  Text: Psalm 119:1-4 119  Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the  Lord ! 2  Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,  who seek Him with the whole heart!  3  They also do no iniquity;  They walk in His ways.  4  You have commanded us  to keep Your precepts diligently. The Lord God is pure and holy. He has called us to come into this purified life through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we are in Christ, then we need to walk in His way. He has said He is the way the truth and the life and without Him, no one can go to the Father. The psalmist proclaims, blessed are the undefiled in the way. The undefiled in the way, are those who have kept their garment of purity intact having been washed by the Blood of Jesus.  Being new creations in Christ Jesus, we need to keep the garment pure and undefiled by walking according to the will of God. Irresp...

Theme: Lend to the Lord Text: 1 Samuel 1:24-28 24  Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the  Lord  in Shiloh. And the child  was  young.  25  Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli.  26  And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I  am  the woman who stood by you here, praying to the  Lord .  27  For this child I prayed, and the  Lord  has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.  28  Therefore I also have lent him to the  Lord ; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the  Lord .” So they worshiped the  Lord  there. Hannah promised she'll only go up to Shiloh when her son, Samuel is weaned. When that time came, she did kept to her word and sent the child to shiloh. She did not go to Shiloh with just the chi...

Theme: Let the Lord Establish His Word  Text: 1 Samuel 1:19-23 19  Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the  Lord , and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the  Lord  remembered her.  20  So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the  Lord .”  21  Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the  Lord  the yearly sacrifice and his vow.  22  But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the  Lord  and remain there forever.”  23  So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the  Lord  establish His word.” T...

Theme: Petition Granted  Text: 1 Samuel 1:12-18 12  And it happened, as she continued praying before the  Lord , that Eli watched her mouth.  13  Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.  14  So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”  15  But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I  am  a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the  Lord .  16  Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”  17  Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”  18  And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way an...

Theme: A Vow to God  Text: 1 Samuel 1:8-11 8  Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved?  Am  I not better to you than ten sons?”  9  So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the  Lord .  10  And she  was  in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the  Lord  and wept in anguish.  11  Then she made a vow and said, “O  Lord  of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the  Lord  all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” In yesterday's devotion, we looked at the rivalry in Elkanah's home. The tears of Hannah made hi...

Theme: Rivalry  Text: 1 Samuel 1:4-7   4  And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.  5  But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the  Lord  had closed her womb.  6  And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the  Lord  had closed her womb.  7  So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the  Lord , that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat. The home of Elkanah is a zone of rivalry as love was not proportionately shared. He had two wives but his focus on Hannah is much more than Peninnah. In sharing the offering, Hannah's portion is the largest which irritated Peninnah. In order not to conceit defeat, she will rather provoke Hannah. This is how the adversary (the devil) feels having being dethroned from heaven and c...

Theme: Visiting Shiloh Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-3 1  Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name  was  Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.  2  And he had two wives: the name of one  was  Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.  3  This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the  Lord  of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the  Lord ,  were  there. It's another wonderful day to give praise to the Lord for His grace and mercies. Our devotion will focus on Shiloh and why the need to visit Shiloh annually. In the dispensation of Elkanah, he and his household visit Shiloh yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord. Shiloh is a place of worship and encountering the L...

Theme: The Righteous Judge  Text: Psalm 98:7-9 7  Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell in it; 8  Let the rivers clap  their  hands;  Let the hills be joyful together  9   before the  Lord ,  For He is coming to judge the earth.  With righteousness He shall judge the world,  and the peoples with equity. Jesus is the Righteous Judge of the world. He has laid down His life that we may receive life in abundance. While here on earth, we have every opportunity to repent and receive the free gift of salvation. There's no pardon after death. Likewise, if the Lord should come today, there will be no pardon for sin on the Day of Judgment. The psalmist calls on everyone that has breath and can move to praise the Lord. When the sea roar, the sounds gives glory to God, so is the course of the river seen as clapping hands to the Lord. It does not matter your status and physical appearance in life, whethe...

Theme: Shout Joyfully to the Lord!  Text: Psalm 98:4-6 4  Shout joyfully to the  Lord , all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.  5  Sing to the  Lord  with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm, 6  With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the  Lord , the King. When we lift up songs to glorify God, it must be done joyfully. A cheerful spirit is always joyful. The joy of the heart and spirit stir the desire to sing melodiously. Dear friends in Christ, even if your voice isn't that good but there's an inner joy while singing, it soothes listeners than an embittered soul leading a great choir to sing. The psalmist is calling on all to shout joyfully to the Lord. This must be done with songs, that proceeds from rejoicing lips ready to sing and praise God. Hallelujah! When we are stirred in spirit joyfully, any element around us will serve as a musical instrument. It could be your cutlery, table...

Theme: Praise the Salvation of the Lord  Text: Psalm 98:1-3 98  Oh, sing to the  Lord  a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.  2  The  Lord  has made known His salvation;  His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.  3  He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;  All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. God deserves praise from us His children. Great and marvelous are His doings in our lives daily. They are so numerous we can't count them to the end. Of all His doings, we need to daily praise Him for His free gift of salvation. The salvation of our souls give us victory in all things.  The psalmist says, God's  right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. The righteousness of God is revealed in Christ Jesus and anyone who believes in Him receives it. This ...

Theme: Speak to Your Possessions  Text: Luke 1:76-80 76  “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;  For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,  77  To give knowledge of salvation to His people  by the remission of their sins,  78  Through the tender mercy of our God,  with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;  79  To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,  to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  80  So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. The power of the mouth must never be understated. Be mindful the words that come out of your mouth. For the tongue has the ability to build or destroy. We are continuing with Zacharias prophecies. In today's devotion, we will see the decrees Zacharias made over his son John. He said, the chi...

Theme: Prophesize Your Redemption  Text: Luke 1:67-75 67  Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:  68  “Blessed  is  the Lord God of Israel,  for He has visited and redeemed His people,  69  And has raised up a horn of salvation for us  in the house of His servant David,  70  As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,  who  have been  since the world began,  71  That we should be saved from our enemies  and from the hand of all who hate us,  72  To perform the mercy  promised  to our fathers  and to remember His holy covenant,  73  The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:  74  To grant us that we,  being delivered from the hand of our enemies,  might serve Him without fear,  75  In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. The power of the Holy Sp...

Theme: Christening for a Purpose Text: Luke 1:57-66 57  Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.  58  When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.  59  So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias.  60  His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”  61  But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”  62  So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called.  63  And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled.  64  Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue  loosed,  and he spoke, praising God.  65  Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings we...

Theme: What's Your Song? Text: Luke 1:46-56 46  And Mary said:  “My soul magnifies the Lord,  47  And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.  48  For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;  For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.  49  For He who is mighty has done great things for me,  and holy  is  His name.  50  And His mercy  is  on those who fear Him  from generation to generation.  51  He has shown strength with His arm;  He has scattered  the  proud in the imagination of their hearts.  52  He has put down the mighty from  their  thrones,  and exalted  the  lowly.   53  He has  filled   the  hungry with good things,  and  the  rich He has sent away empty.  54  He has helped His servant Israel,  in remembrance o...

Theme: Divine Vistation  Text: Luke 1:39-45 39  Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,  40  and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.  41  And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  42  Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  43  But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  44  For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.  45  Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” It's so pleasant to have loved ones pay surprise visit to us. It brings joy to u...

Theme: I am the Lord’s Servant  Text: Luke 1:34-38 34  Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”  35  And the angel answered and said to her, “ The  Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  36  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  37  For with God nothing will be impossible.”  38  Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. The servant of the Lord is not a slave but a free born who is at liberty to make choices. Unlike the servants of the world who suffer in the hands of their masters, those in the Lord, enjoy divine blessings. When you surrender to the Lord as His servant, you...

Theme: Have You Taken Seed of Christ?  Text: Luke 1:26-33 26  Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,  27  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name  was  Mary.  28  And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored  one,  the Lord  is  with you; blessed  are  you among women!”  29  But when she saw  him,  she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  30  Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name  Jesus .  32  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His ...

Theme: Responding to Breakthroughs  Text: Luke 1:18-25 18  And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”  19  And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  20  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”  21  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  22  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.  23  So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  24  Now after those days his...

Theme: Your Prayer is Heard Text: Luke 1:11-17 11  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  12  And when Zacharias saw  him,  he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  13  But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  14  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  15  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.  16  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  17  He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah,  ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’  and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to...

Theme: When Duty Calls!  Text: Luke 1:5-10 5  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife  was  of the daughters of Aaron, and her name  was  Elizabeth.  6  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  7  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.  8  So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,  9  according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  10  And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  There's no man on earth without a duty to perform. Even the laziest man has a duty of being idle. It implies each passing moment of our lives i...

Theme: Giving an Orderly Account Text: Luke 1:1-4 1  Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,  2  just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,  3  it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,  4  that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. As leaders in ministry, organization, family and all walks of life, we need to know and understand what we really stand for. Luke intends to educate Theophilus in the faith and he was careful to instruct him on the truth than just giving him words or sweet talks. He made reference to others who have been inspired to give the account as witnesses. There's the need to keep proper records of events around us so...

Theme: Broken for a Purpose Text: Psalm 119:71 71  It is  good for me that I have been afflicted,  that I may learn Your statutes. As dear children of the Lord, we should not fear afflictions but see them as a tool to catapult us to higher heights in life. Let's learn from our Saviour; It is when He overcame the affliction of the cross and death, that He came out of the grave with a higher level and authority.  The psalmist sees afflictions as a good thing. It is in our brokenness we get closer to God and acknowledged we can't move forward without His help.  The lesson of humility and gratitude is well learnt when we are broken by the Lord. It draws us more deeper into the knowledge of God and it reveals His glory in our lives. Stop murmuring and bless the name of the Lord for that affliction will not kill you but build you better for a higher level. May the Holy Spirit strengthen you in all afflictions to remain steadfast in your relationship with God. Prayer: ...

Theme: What's Your Portion: Punishment or Reward?  Text: Jeremiah 35:17-19 17  “Therefore thus says the  Lord  God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them but they have not heard, and I have called to them but they have not answered.’ ”  18  And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the  Lord  of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you,  19  therefore thus says the  Lord  of hosts, the God of Israel: “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.” ’ ” Our decisions and actions in life either bring punishment or reward our ways. This is applicable in both our physical and spiritual relationships. As we conclude ...

Theme: Repent Now  Text: Jeremiah 35:12-16 12  Then came the word of the  Lord  to Jeremiah, saying,  13  “Thus says the  Lord  of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to obey My words?” says the  Lord .  14  “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, and obey their father’s commandment. But although I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, you did not obey Me.  15  I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending  them,  saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me....

Theme: Keeping to the Promise  Text: Jeremiah 35:5-11 5  Then I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine.”  6  But they said, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever.  7  You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have  any of these;  but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.’  8  Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters,  9  nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field, or seed.  10  But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded...