₦airaland Forum

In the 70s, when I became born again, it was widely believed among Christians that poverty is one of the criteria for being a true child of God. This belief was so strong that when someone gifted me a Mercedes- Benz, I parked it in my garage unused for months until the Lord told me I was hindering the blessings of the person who gave me the car by not using it. I was afraid that people would think I had backslidden if they saw me in such an expensive car. Because of what the Lord had said to me, I decided to drive the car just once, and I recall that I felt so ashamed that day. After that day, I said, “Lord, I have driven the car, can I sell it now?” He agreed, and I sold it. Not long after that, someone gave me a limousine with six doors. When I saw it, I said, “Lord, you know that even if they put my dead body in this car, it will jump out of it.” That is how much we thought that poverty was directly proportional to godliness in those days, and because of that, the devil cheated us. He raised people to take over companies and industries until Christians were at the mercy of evil people running different economies around the world.

There is nothing godly about poverty; it has sent many people to hell, just as riches have done. Poverty has made many youths decide never to follow the path of their Christian parents because of how badly they suffered while growing up. It has made the people of the world mock the Almighty God because they thought that Christians were dumb as a result of their devotion to God. In 2 Kings 4:1-7, one of Elisha’s proteges died in poverty and left an inheritance of debt for his family. If his wife had not run to Elisha and received the word of the Lord that turned their poverty to wealth, his two sons, who were facing a lifetime of slavery, could have grown up hating God even though their father was a godly man.

God is not poor (Haggai 2:, so poverty is not godliness. God gives his children power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18), and it is His desire to prosper them even as their soul prospers (3 John 1:2). Beloved, reject poverty! It is not the will of God for your life.
Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR YOUTHS

1. Father, I thank You for the youths around me. Thank You for making them strong, creative, and innovative. I am grateful for Your abundant grace towards them.

2. Father, please open the eyes of our youths’ understanding. Cause them to know the hope of their calling and Your great power that is at work in their lives, in Jesus’ name.

3. Lord, please keep the youths on the right path. Guide them with Your eyes and keep them from taking wrong turns and making wrong decisions, in Jesus’ name.

4. Father, please teach the youths to watch their mouths and guard their hearts. May they not ensnare themselves with the thoughts of their hearts and the words of their mouths in any way, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, please teach the youths to honour You with their time, gifts, and positions. Help them see that every good and perfect gift they possess comes from You, in Jesus’ name.

6. Lord, please teach the youths how to trust completely in You. Teach them not to lean on their own understanding but acknowledge You in all their ways, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please bless the youths with good success. Hear their cries for help and meet them at the point of their needs, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, please open great doors of opportunities for the youths, and help them to be adequately prepared when they come, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, please let the mind that was in Christ Jesus be in all our youths and flood their paths with light, in Jesus’ name.

10. Lord, please cause every backslidden Christian youth to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd again and return home. Draw them back to You with Your lovingkindness and mercy, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please strengthen the youths so they can withstand the devil’s temptations. May they not be entangled in the devil’s web of addictions and immorality, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for the youths.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In December 2018, I went for the RCCG’s annual Let’s-Go-A-Fishing evangelism programme, as I usually do. The roads were bad, but I didn’t let that bother me because I was already used to travelling on bad roads. However, the roads were so bad that year that by the third day of the programme, my body broke down completely, and I had to spend Christmas Day in bed. When it was time to return to Redemption City, I was so weak physically that I couldn’t go by road. Therefore, arrangements were made for a helicopter to transport me. When the helicopter arrived, a crowd of people gathered around it, making it difficult for me to get on board. My protocol team managed to get me on board the helicopter; however, the crowd made it impossible for it to take off. They clung to the helicopter, and the situation became so charged that one of its windows broke. To God’s glory, I survived that encounter and returned home safely.

Sometimes, people who love you may think that they are acting in your best interests; however, their actions might be causing more harm to you than good. The people who gathered around the helicopter, as I narrated above, didn’t do so because they wanted to hurt me. They gathered because they love me, but they didn’t know that their actions might have seriously harmed me.

In 1 Samuel 17:26-31, Eliab was trying to protect David as every big brother would do. His younger brother had no combat training whatsoever, yet he was determined to challenge a seasoned warrior. If you were in Eliab’s shoes, you would also have done everything possible to prevent David from facing Goliath. However, even though he had good intentions, his actions might have prevented David from fulfilling his destiny.

Beloved, you must be careful to know when your loved ones are acting in a manner that would limit you from fulfilling God’s plan for your life. In Matthew 16:21-23, Peter, who had just declared that Jesus is the Son of God, started to rebuke the Master because He began to talk about His impending death. He obviously loved Jesus, yet he almost became a stumbling block to the Lord fulfilling His earthly assignment. I pray that God will help you discern whenever your loved ones’ actions are hindering His will for your life. May He give you the courage to refuse to allow their words and actions prevent you from doing His will, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many Christians profess to be children of God; however, they still maintain really close friendships with unbelievers and are heavily influenced negatively by such relationships. They attend church regularly, but they have friends who want nothing to do with the Church. Christians such as this might hear God’s word regularly and even be involved in the various church activities; however, when they are in the midst of their friends, they never discuss the things of God with them. Eventually, their association with such friends becomes a thorn that chokes God’s word in their hearts.

2 Corinthians 6:14-17 admonishes us to be separate from the world because light has nothing to do with darkness. Believe me, it is easier for a fellow to be brought down than to be pulled up by another fellow. This means that it is easier for friends who are unbelievers to pull down a Christian than for the Christian to pull such friends up. This is why Paul advised Christians not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

Beloved, if you have friends who are worldly, you most likely will begin to care so much about worldly things, and James 4:4 tells us that friendship with the world is enmity with God. When your close friends always speak ill about God, the Church, and men of God, you will likely begin to mock the things of God. In 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul told us about a young man named Demas who was his companion on some of his missionary journeys but eventually forsook him and left the faith because he loved the world. When a fellow allows unholy friends to introduce little foxes like ungodly habits, unrighteous conversations, and immoral behaviour into his or her life, it will eventually ruin the fellow (Song of Solomon 2:15).

Are there wild desires or ungodly habits in your life that can be traced to your association with some of your friends? Break up with such desires and habits so that you won’t sow among thorns and miss out on God’s blessings or be pushed out of your purpose like Demas. Furthermore, dissociate yourself from unholy friends and begin to cultivate a more intimate relationship with God and other believers who can influence you positively and help strengthen your faith. I pray that the Almighty God will guide you to cultivate relationships with godly people that will influence you to be more committed to Him and strengthen you to fulfil His purpose for your life, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many Christians profess that they are the light of the world, which is good because it is the mandate that Jesus gave his followers in Matthew 5:14. However, many of them have not even allowed the light of Christ to shine in their homes, nor have they preached the gospel of Christ to anyone around them. Do you know that if every Christian took it upon themselves to win their hometown to Christ, the whole world could have been saved by now?

When Jesus Christ stepped into my life, He not only used me to greatly extend the reach of His light in my village, Ifèwàrà, but He also used me to bring the name of my village to the world. Today, the people of Ifèwàrà are glad that Adeboye is from there because they are enjoying the benefits of the light of Christ. Believe me, the development of your hometown rests on your shoulders as a Christian because when you allow God’s light to shine there, the whole world will begin to take notice of the town. No one can ignore light.

When Jesus gave His disciples the mandate to go out and be witnesses to all nations, He told them to start from Jerusalem, then move to Judea and Samaria before taking over the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:. God’s plan is always that we should start from our ‘Jerusalem’. Beloved, your Jerusalem is your family and immediate community. Tell your family members about Jesus. Preach to your neighbours. Let them see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Your witnessing will not be effective if you want to start from the uttermost parts of the earth. In fact, God will not give you access to the ends of the earth until you have proven yourself faithful in your Jerusalem. He said that He will only commit more into the hands of the fellow who has been faithful in little (Luke 16:10). If you despise your little corner, God will not commit bigger territories into your hands.

Beloved, ask the Lord how you can be more faithful in your Jerusalem. Ask Him to show you how to shine His light before your immediate family effectively. Allow Him to teach you how to show the love of Christ to your neighbours and colleagues at work. May God shine His light through you to your family members, colleagues, members of your community, and the world at large, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people grow up dreaming of great things that they want to achieve. However, as they get older, if the circumstances of their lives do not seem to match what they had dreamed about, they tend to start giving up on their dreams. If someone reminds them about the dreams they once had, some of them might say, “Reality set in.” Child of God, there is no reality apart from the one you make for yourself. If you stop dreaming or working towards achieving your dreams, they may just never come to pass. However, with your faith in God, continue to dream, work towards achieving them, and you will eventually see them come to pass.

In Genesis 41:41-44, Joseph’s opportunity to rule, as he had seen in his dream, eventually came. Although his brothers tried to kill his dream (Genesis 37:18-20), and Potiphar’s wife also tried to destroy him (Genesis 39:1-20), God kept him and made him triumphant. When he was in prison, he could have said, “Reality has set in” and given up on his dreams. Rather, he continued to prepare himself by improving his administrative skills and gift of interpreting dreams. From his story, we can see that preparation is crucial in positioning you to achieve your dreams. If Joseph had been laid-back and had refused to prepare and develop himself, he would have missed a great opportunity to fulfil his dreams as he stood before Pharaoh. If all he had told Pharaoh was the interpretation of his dreams without the wise counsel on how to administer the resources of Egypt, perhaps he would have been returned to prison as a privileged prisoner.

Beloved, don’t just dream; develop the skills that are needed for your dreams to become a reality and also sharpen the skills you will need when they come to pass. You must also use your God-given gifts at every opportunity you get. Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.“ Your gifts will give you the chance for your dreams to become a reality, and your skills will make you qualified to live those dreams. When opportunity meets preparation, destiny is sure to be fulfilled.

Beloved, do not despise your days of preparation because they will develop your character and enable you to achieve your dreams and stay relevant for a very long time. I pray that when that great opportunity you desire is around the corner, you will be prepared for it, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Matthew 21:13, Jesus stated that His house is to be called a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. Although He was talking about the physical temple at Jerusalem in that passage, you should note that it also applies to you because you are God’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:19). This means that God expects you to pray always. Christians who do not pray or who only pray occasionally create avenues for the enemy to attack and defile them.

As a Christian, God wants you to be a house of prayer; He wants you to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), James 5:17-18 tells us that Elijah prayed fervently for rain not to fall in Israel, and God answered his prayer. After 42 months of drought, he prayed fervently again that the rain should fall, and there was a heavy downpour (1 Kings 18:42-45). During the drought, Elijah prayed for a widow’s dead son to be restored to life, and God heard him (1 Kings 17:22). He was a man of consistent prayer, and he always received answers to his prayers. Those who prioritise prayer enjoy consistent answers to their prayers.

In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus told the parable of a widow who persistently disturbed an unrighteous judge until he responded to her. The reason Jesus told this parable was so that men would pray always and not faint (Luke 18:1). This tells us that when a fellow is not praying, he or she is already fainting. The widow’s persistence eventually paid off, as the judge responded to her and avenged her of her adversary. When you are consistent in praying, you are assured of answers to your prayers.

When a fellow prays consistently, he or she will not only receive answers to his or her prayers, but the person will be granted greater access to the secrets of God. Psalm 25:14 says, “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Nobody shows a random visitor who visits his or her home the key to a hidden vault, but such a secret is typically revealed to intimate friends.

Every Christian must recognise that intimacy is cultivated in the place of prayer, and they must strive to become intimate with their heavenly Father. This is because the more you pray, the greater access you will have to God’s heart and secrets. Beloved, are you an intimate friend of God?
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Beloved, the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and this is one of the major reasons you should rejoice in Him always (Philippians 4:4). No matter your current situation, if you think deeply about all that God has done for you, you will realize that you have more than enough to be joyful about. For example, if you currently have financial challenges but realize that you are enjoying divine health, you won’t be under any medical restrictions on what you can or can’t eat. Many years ago, I had a friend who could only feed on milk because of a health condition. Yet, before he died, he had millions of dollars in his bank accounts.

As Christians, we have many blessings to rejoice over; however, we often take them for granted. You may not realize the value of breathing until you see someone struggling to breathe. Likewise, you may not see sleeping and waking up as a blessing until you hear stories of people who died in their sleep. You may currently be facing numerous challenges and difficulties, but there is always a reason to rejoice.

Isaiah 54:1 encourages those who are yet to bear fruit to rejoice. This is because it is with joy that a fellow can draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). When God wanted to answer Hannah’s prayer, He first ensured that her countenance was no longer sad (1 Samuel 1:18). Satan’s aim is to keep believers perpetually sorrowful, but when they choose to rejoice in the Lord always, they close the door to him.

In Habakkuk 3:18, the prophet said that he would rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of his salvation. The Almighty God is the God of your salvation, meaning that you are assured of His salvation no matter what you face. This is another reason for you to rejoice in Him always. When you skip to the end of a movie and see that the main character is still alive, you will not be troubled if you go back to watch a scene where he or she is facing a near-death situation. Instead of getting worried, you will be at rest because you have seen the end of the movie.

Child of God, God has assured you in His word that your end is peace (Psalm 37:37). Never give in to fear or anxiety; rather, rejoice in the Lord always because with Christ in you, a glorious end awaits you (Colossians 1:27).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The final soil type that Jesus described in His parable about the sower is what He called ‘Good ground’. The people whose hearts can be compared to good ground are those who hear God’s word, receive it, and act on it. This category of believers are fruitful to varying degrees.

In Matthew 13:8-9, 23, we see that not all the seeds in the good ground produced equal harvest. Some produced 30-fold, others 60-fold, while the rest produced 100-fold. I believe that the degree to which a fellow is separated from things that can hinder God’s word from growing in him or her is the same degree to which the word will bear fruit in his or her life.

2 Timothy 2:21 tells us that when a man purges himself from sin, he will become a purified, prepared, and useful vessel for the Master. Such a fellow will become a sanctified ground, bringing forth much more fruit. Beloved, are you a sanctified ground? Have you separated yourself from sins and lusts that harden your ground and make you unfruitful? 2 Timothy 2:22 urges you to flee youthful lust. This is because lust of any kind hinders fruitfulness.

When a fellow is in Christ, he or she will indeed be fruitful. With Jesus’ words in John 15:1-5, however, He paints a picture of how Christians can move from producing a 30-fold harvest to a 60-fold harvest, and ultimately, a 100-fold harvest. When you are simply a branch in God’s vine, you will produce a 30-fold harvest. When you take it a step further and allow God to purge and prune you, you will bear more fruit – a 60-fold harvest. Now, when you take the next step to abide in God and allow His word to abide in you richly, you will bear much fruit – a 100-fold harvest. The more intimate you become with Jesus, the more fruit you will bear, and God is most glorified when you bear much fruit (John 15:.

Beloved, you cannot become intimate with Jesus if you keep allowing sin in your life. If you are still living in sin, repent today and ask Him for a brand-new heart. Make up your mind to surrender completely to Jesus, because only those who allow God to have complete control of their hearts will be able to produce a 100-fold harvest. May your heart be a fertile ground for God’s word to yield a 100-fold harvest in your life, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The third kind of soil Jesus described in His parable about the Sower, is 'Thorny ground'. He compared this soil type to people who hear God’s word but are distracted by many things that prevent the word from bearing fruit in their lives. This type of people appears to love God’s word, but clearly not enough to change their ways or let go of some worldly pleasures. A male chorister in a church choir who serves God fervently but still fornicates is an example of someone with a thorny heart. Such people received the word of God at a point, but they did not allow it to change them.

Some Christians argue by asking questions like, “Where is it written in the Bible that drinking alcohol is a sin?” Some others even say that listening to worldly music is not a sin as long as they do not do what the lyrics of the songs say, or that gambling is not bad so long as the Bible doesn’t say so. Whenever I hear such statements, I know that they are coming from thorny hearts. They want to serve God, but they are unwilling to let go of worldly pleasures. If you find yourself trying to find loopholes through which you can serve God and still do some of the things unbelievers usually do, beware, that is a major symptom of a thorny heart.

Being God’s child is not about following rules and regulations; it is about being like Christ. When the Holy Spirit is truly dwelling in you, you will flee things that can hinder your relationship with God or cause unbelievers to blaspheme His name, whether they are clearly referred to as sins in the Bible or not. For instance, if a Christian man puts his hand around the waist of a woman who is not his wife, it can be argued that he didn’t break his vows to his wife, but it is clearly inappropriate. Also, such an action can make unbelievers speak against the faith.

Beloved, many people have lost their relationships with Christ because they do not want to change completely for Him. They want to do whatever they like and still hold on to Jesus. If you are living this way, you need to have a change of heart today because there will be no fruits to show from your walk with God. I pray that you will live a fruitful life as a Christian, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The second kind of soil Jesus described in His parable about the sower is ‘Stony places’. This soil type can be compared to people who receive the word of God with joy but turn their backs on it when they begin to encounter tough situations in their lives as a result of persecution.

Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you…
John 15:20

In the Scripture above, Jesus said that His followers will be persecuted as He was also persecuted. Furthermore, Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12 that every true follower of Christ will experience persecution in one form or another. Being persecuted is a painful experience, and believers are not immune to it. In fact, going through the fires of persecution helps Christians to grow in faith (1 Peter 1:6-7, James 1:2-3). Despite this, however, the devil manages to convince some believers that the pain they are experiencing as a result of persecution is proof that God is unfaithful and that He does not love them. The devil succeeds in doing this because such Christians have not grown in the knowledge of God through His word and are largely ignorant of His ways, character, and power. Thus, their foundation in faith is very weak, and they are easily swayed by the devil.

It is good to hear the word of God and even be excited by it. Beyond that, however, every believer has the responsibility to build themselves up spiritually (1 Corinthians 3:9-1 0), and one of the ways to do this is by increasing their knowledge of God through His word. There is a popular saying that ignorance is bliss, but this is not true for a believer. Being in a state of ignorance about the word of God and making no efforts to build yourself up spiritually is very dangerous because it can lead to destruction (Hosea 4:6).

Beloved, do not allow yourself to fall victim to the wiles of the devil and be destroyed by him. Don’t just listen to the word of God from various ministers and get excited by it or be a believer who only opens the Bible on Sundays. Rather, be like the Bereans who took responsibility for knowing God by themselves (Acts 17:10-11). I pray that as you sow the seeds of the word of God daily into your heart, you will reap bountiful fruits of His goodness and mercy, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The first type of soil that Jesus mentioned in the Parable of the Sower is ‘The way side’, as we see in Matthew 13:3-4. This soil type refers to people who hear God’s word but do not understand it or act upon it. This category of people do not study their Bibles, and even when they do, they don’t ask their pastors or Bible Study teachers any questions. They never seek to understand God’s word; they only hear His word and move on with their lives. Many of the people in this category are ceremonial churchgoers; they are often raised in Christian homes, so it is normal for them to attend church on Sundays. I was once this type of Christian. I thought that my father, being a church volunteer, and my name being Enoch, was proof that I was a child of God. I heard God’s word several times, but I never studied it. I thank God that He gave me a new heart when I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.

Beloved, are you the same way I was? Are you only reading this devotional because it is the norm in your church, family, or office to do so? Do you ever dig deeper to understand what is discussed? When you study your Bible, do you get bored after reading the second or third verse? If you answered “Yes” to these questions, you need to ask God for a new heart; a heart that yearns to know Him more. Ask God to give you a heart that finds His word interesting and loves to spend time in His presence. Most importantly, ensure that you take some time every day to study your Bible. You can start by reading a bit further on the topics discussed in this devotional each day, or using the Bible-in-one-year passages. You may not understand much when you begin doing these things, but as you remain consistent and ask God to help you, the Holy Spirit will start explaining the Scriptures to you, and soon, your heart will begin to soak in God’s word and yield great fruit.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to seek to understand God’s word more each day. When you make this your priority, you will begin to experience His peace and favour in ways you have never done before. I pray that your life will indeed be a bountiful harvest of God’s goodness, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, when a fellow becomes born again, he or she immediately becomes a new creature. In Ezekiel 36:26, God said that He will take away our stony heart and replace it with a heart of flesh. When people give their lives to Jesus Christ, they exchange their stony hearts for hearts of flesh. However, despite this, the world is plagued with many people who claim to be believers, but whose hearts appear not to be different from those of unbelievers.

Sadly, some people who serve as ministers of God also still appear to have hearts like unbelievers. Some of them go as far as not forgiving fellow ministers who have offended them. This is wrong, and it was not so at the inception of the Church. The Bible says that the Church was in one accord (Acts 1:14), and believers were called Christians because they were Christ-like (Acts 11:26). Unfortunately, however, you might find some self-professing Christians today accepting bribes or dancing in nightclubs because they still have stony hearts.

From the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1-23, it is very clear that there was nothing wrong with the seeds that were sown. The seeds, which Jesus revealed to be the word of God, were potent, as God’s word is always potent. However, despite the potency of the seeds, only a fraction of them yielded a harvest. The reason some of the seeds did not bear fruit was the ground on which they fell, and as Jesus explained, the heart of a fellow in which the word of God is sown is the major determinant of whether the word will bear fruit in his or her life or not.

Beloved, if you are living in sin, or if you allow the circumstances around you to determine how you receive the word of God and how it will operate in you, then you have a stony heart, and God’s word will not bear fruit in you. For His word to bear fruit in you, you must repent of any sin that might exist in your life and cry out to Him to wash you clean, transform you, and give you a heart of flesh. God will answer you and make your heart a fertile ground for His word to grow. I pray that you will continually experience the blessings in God’s word as you surrender your life completely to Him, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A man once swallowed a charm that was supposed to make him wealthy, but he remained poor. On top of that, he was told that he would die after seven years because of the charm he had swallowed. When he had just about two weeks left to live and was already staring death in its face, he ran to the RCCG. When he told us his ordeal, we told him that our God is the Great Deliverer. He gave his life to Christ, and when we said a simple prayer for him, he vomited what he had swallowed. He remained consistent in church for two weeks, rejoicing because of what the Lord had done for him. Then, suddenly, he stopped coming. When we went to check on him, he said, “The herbalist who made the charm for me told me that I swallowed it wrongly:” He swallowed another one, and this time, he became very wealthy. The herbalist told him he would live only for seven years to enjoy the wealth, and when the time was about to elapse, he suddenly had a ‘brilliant idea.’ He decided to relocate to London as he felt that demons could only operate in Africa. Sadly, however, he died on the plane.

My Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, used to say, “Your father will take care of you with whatever he has. If he has evil, he will use it to take care of you, and if he has good, that is what you will get from him.” The devil doesn’t have anything good in him; if you go to him for anything, be sure that whatever he gives you will be evil. Jesus, however, is the Good Shepherd; whatever comes from Him is always good.

According to Psalm 37:3-7, trusting and depending on God is your access to His goodness. Those who trust in Jesus will receive the power to become sons of God (John 1:12). They will have authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm them (Luke 10:19). No weapon that is fashioned by the devil against them will prosper (Isaiah 54:17), and they will eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).

Beloved, do you depend only on the Good Shepherd? Those who depend on Him are like Mount Zion; regardless of the situation around them, they cannot be shaken (Psalm 125:1). Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God is unlimited by time, and as such, He doesn’t grow old. In Daniel 7:9-10, He is referred to as the Ancient of Days. He existed before the beginning of time and created time in itself. As He doesn’t age, it means that His strength never diminishes.

Isaiah 40:28-31 tells us that God is never tired. A young man can wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and strong, but he will be tired by the end of the day and will need to sleep. God, however, can never become tired. In fact, He never sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121:4). As the Ageless God, He is eternally new, and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). By His mercies, He can strengthen the weary, bring seemingly dead situations back to life, and restore lost opportunities.

In Luke 1:6-7, 57-58, we see the Ageless God at work in the lives of Zachariah and Elisabeth. The couple were well stricken in years and had no hope that they could ever have a child again. When the Ageless One stepped into their case, however, He made their old bodies become new. Elisabeth received vitality and strength in her womb, and she became pregnant. No matter how old a thing is, when the Ageless One steps into it, He can make it as good as new. He did it for Sarah when He caused her womb, which was as good as dead (Romans 4:19), to bring forth a child. If you feel like you cannot be successful because you missed an opportunity in the past, or that you are too old to be fruitful, I pray in the name of Jesus that the Ageless One will visit you today. He will give you a new lease of life and cause you to be fruitful.

Caleb also experienced the ageless power of the Ageless God. At 80 years old, his strength remained as it had been when he was 40 and was sent to spy on the land of Canaan. An 80-year-old man asked for a mountain because his strength had been preserved (Joshua 14:6-12). Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, regardless of how aged they may be.

Beloved, if there is any area in your life where you feel like your strength has been depleted or you cannot bear fruit again, I pray that the Ageless God will renew your vitality and cause you to do the impossible, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Years ago, a young man heard me preach on the importance of surrendering all to God, then came to me saying, “Daddy, I have surrendered all to God now.” I smiled and responded, “Praise God! This means that we would be able to borrow your car because we want to go somewhere tomorrow for an assignment, and we had been wondering how we would transport ourselves.” He replied, “Ha! Tomorrow is Monday and I must go to work.” I said, “I know. We just want to borrow your car for one day.” He then said, “Ha!” I smiled and said, “My son, we don’t need your car. I just wanted you to know that you have not surrendered everything to God as you claimed.”

Sometimes, what keeps people in bondage is their attachment to material things. If Jesus sets a fellow free from satan and the bondage of sin, and the fellow still clings to the things of the world, he or she will remain in bondage even though Jesus has ‘unlocked his or her cell’. Galatians 5:1 urges you to stand fast in the freedom Jesus has given you so that you will not become entangled again with the yoke of bondage. To receive freedom, all you have to do is come to Jesus, but remaining free is a huge responsibility that requires you to stand fast in your liberty.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus encouraged everyone who is experiencing bondage to bring their burdens to Him so He can give them rest. It is important to understand that God doesn’t force liberty on people. This means that you must be willing to receive His freedom and stay in it. Anyone who loves the things of this world has chosen to remain in the devil’s captivity because the love of the Father will not be in the fellow. Such a person cannot walk in liberty and cannot abide with God forever (1 John 2:15-17).

Beloved, there is no benefit at all from associating with the devil. The riches that the devil promises those who serve him keeps them in bondage and actually robs them of their soul, which is far more valuable than all the wealth in the world (Mark 8:36-37). You must be willing to let go of anything that keeps you in chains and cry out to God for deliverance. If you are currently experiencing bondage in any part of your life, pray that the Lord will deliver you by His mighty power, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In 2022, I travelled to the UK at a time when the temperature there was over 40 degrees Celsius. When I arrived there, I told my Daddy, “I have travelled to countries in winter, and you brought summer there because I asked You to. This time, it is summer, and the heat is excessive. Can you please cool the temperature down for me?” After I prayed, the temperature where I was dropped from 40 to 28 degrees before the next morning, and throughout my stay there, Daddy kept things cool. If you are experiencing unbearable heat in any area of your life, I pray that my Daddy will make things cool for you, in Jesus’ name.

In 2 Kings 6:24-33, things were very heated in Samaria because an enemy king had besieged the land. Food and commodities were really expensive, and the inhabitants of the land could not leave to seek help because the enemy had surrounded them. The economy got so bad that mothers began to eat their children. When the situation got really unbearable, God released His word through Elisha to turn things around. He said that by the next day, Samaria’s heated economic situation would become cool and food would become cheap. By the next day, food items that were scarce and expensive became cheap and readily available, and the inhabitants of the nation had more than enough (2 Kings 7:16-17).

The widow of Zarephath was another person who found herself in a heated situation. First of all, her husband died, and then there was a famine in the land, which made life unbearable for her and her son. Things got so bad that she had only one meal left, which she planned to eat with her son and await death. However, my Daddy, who hears the cry of the helpless and knows how to calm heated situations, sent Elijah to her. At the word of the prophet, her last meal became the first of many miraculous meals throughout the famine, as we see in 1 Kings 17:8-16.

Beloved, do not be anxious or worried if you find yourself in any difficult situation. The same God who makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:19) will bring you out of heated situations and establish calm in your life. I pray that God will turn things around for your good in any area of your life where you might have found yourself in a tight corner, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN

1. Father, I thank You for the gift of children in my family, local assembly, community, and indeed all over the world.

2. Father, as we celebrate Children’s Day today, let all the children have an unforgettable divine encounter that will transform their lives for good, in Jesus’ name.

3. Father, please help all the children around the world to grow in godly wisdom and stature. May they know You, love Your ways, and stay on the path of righteousness all their lives, in Jesus’ name.

4. Father, please create a longing for You in the hearts of all the children around the world. Pour out Your Spirit upon them afresh and let them love You with all their hearts, in Jesus’ name.

5. Father, please let Your favour rest on all the children around the world. Open doors of blessings and opportunities to their parents and guardians so that they will be able to provide for their needs.

6. Father, please protect all the children around me from satan’s evil plans and surround them with Your angels and a wall of fire.

7. Father, please protect all the children in the world from ungodly addictions. They will not be slaves to lustful desires, sin, or satan, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, please let all the children around me keep godly companies in their schools, churches, and wherever they find themselves. They will not be companions of fools but will be surrounded by wise friends, teachers, and mentors, in Jesus’ name.

9. Father, please keep sicknesses and diseases far from all the children around me. May they grow old in good health and strength, in Jesus’ name.

10. Father, please position all the children around me in Your purpose at this early stage of their lives. Don’t let them wander outside Your will for them, in Jesus’ name.

11. Father, please give all the children around me hearts of obedience. May their lives be pleasing to You because they will know Your laws and obey them, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for children all over the world.

Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, we saw how Peter fell into temptation because he couldn’t keep watch in prayer (Matthew 26:40-43). Prayerlessness is one of the signs that a believer is relying on his or her own strength. Unlike Peter, however, David kept watch day and night in the place of prayer (Psalm 55:17). He often stayed awake at night, spending time with God and meditating on His word (Psalm 63:6, Psalm 119:148). He was so aware of the limitations of his strength that on many occasions in the Bible, he enquired of the Lord to know what He wanted him to do (1 Samuel 23:1-5, 1 Samuel 30:8-9). However, in 2 Samuel 11, where he obviously didn’t enquire of the Lord but rather gave in to lust, he got into a predicament that negatively impacted his lineage (2 Samuel 12:9-12).

Daniel also knew the importance of prayer. He knew how much he needed God in the strange land of Babylon, and the Bible tells us that he prayed thrice daily (Daniel 6:10). Even when a decree was made that nobody should pray to anyone except the king, he was too aware of the limitations of his strength that his first reaction was to open his windows and pray as usual. His response to everything was prayer.

Prayer is so important that the Bible urges us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The moment you don’t feel like praying or see the need to pray is actually the time to pray more intently because prayerlessness can leave a believer in a weak state and cause such a believer to lose his or her spiritual vitality. Once the devil douses a believer’s spiritual fire, he can ruin him or her. Praying puts us in a posture of humility before God, where we acknowledge that we cannot do anything without Him. It keeps our hearts tender and reminds us of the limitations of our physical strength. When we cultivate a lifestyle of waiting on God in prayer, we renew our strength daily (Isaiah 40:31) and are able to overcome the devil’s temptations (Matthew 26:41).

Beloved, how do you respond to life’s challenges? Do you always try to solve them with your wisdom and strength first? Do you only run to God when everything you’ve tried fails? Do not make God a spare wheel in your life; rather, He should always be your first resort. Cultivate the habit of praying without ceasing, and you will live victoriously all the days of your life, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Luke 5:1-10, Peter did not fail because he wasn’t diligent, hardworking, or skilful. He had those characteristics, yet he failed. However, when help came from God, he succeeded. Your strength, skills, connections, and diligence are good, but if the Lord is not supporting you, they cannot make you successful.

Psalm 127:1 says:
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Except the Lord guides and directs a fellow in his or her decisions, his or her labour will be in vain. Without God’s support, a person will look like a fool who doesn’t know how to get to the city (Ecclesiastes 10:15). Some young people try to do many things because they think they have the strength to do them. However, the Bible makes us understand that although the glory of the youth is their strength (Proverbs 20:29), they will faint and be weary and utterly fall (Isaiah 40:30). This means that while the strength of the youths can help them achieve some things, it is not enough. It can fail them at some point, but if they wait on the Almighty God, they will be able to soar like eagles.

In Matthew 26:31-35, Peter felt he was strong enough to withstand temptations, yet he failed. His physical strength was not sufficient to sustain him in the day of adversity. His overconfidence in himself showed when he was sleeping instead of praying (Matthew 26:40-43). Believers who rely on their strength in the face of temptation will fail. Many have fallen because they felt they were too prayerful to fall into sin. They believed they were too wise and strong to fall into temptation, but eventually, they let their guard down.

1 Corinthians 10:12 warns us never to think that we can stand without God’s help. People who think in such a manner eventually fall. Jeremiah 17:5 tells us that a person who puts his confidence in flesh is cursed. Samson didn’t fall the day Delilah called a man to cut off his hair; rather, he started falling the moment he began to trust in his strength. The day a person stops trusting in God is the day his or her downfall begins. I pray that you will never come to a point where you feel you are strong enough to do without God, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Spiritual discernment is crucial for every Christian, especially when making critical life decisions such as choosing a marriage partner, where to live, and who to associate with. Some Christians have married evil people disguised as angels of light because they lacked spiritual discernment. They embraced Jezebels and Nabal’s - idolatrous and foolish people who can lead them astray and ruin their lives.

Believers need God’s direction to know the right people to marry. For example, when Abraham wanted to choose a wife for Isaac, he gave his servant specific instructions about the type of woman who would be suitable for his son and fit to partake in the covenant God had made with him (Genesis 24:1-. He told his servant to go to his country and kindred to take a wife for Isaac. This is the first criterion for a Christian’s choice in marriage; he or she must marry a fellow Christian because our country as believers is heaven. Some believers have disregarded this criterion to their detriment.

Apart from a believer ensuring that whoever he or she wants to get married to is a Christian, it is also crucial to ask God to show him or her the right person among His numerous children. Some Christian ladies have been carried away by a suitor’s charisma, so they didn’t ask God if he was a suitable spouse for them or not. Likewise, some Christian men have allowed a lady’s commitment in church to blind them to what God is saying about her character. When it comes to the issue of marriage, a believer cannot afford to be carried away by external things and miss the Holy Spirit’s direction. If you are still single, I pray that you will allow the Lord, and not your emotions, physical preferences, or human calculations, to guide you in your choice of a marriage partner, in Jesus’ name.

Where to live is another crucial decision that requires spiritual discernment. In Genesis 13:10-13, Lot didn’t inquire from God before choosing to pitch his tent towards Sodom. He found himself in the midst of sinners and wicked people, and eventually, he lost his home when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the sins of their inhabitants. Only spiritually discerning people will know whether God wants them to relocate or not, and where to relocate to.

Beloved, don’t make critical life decisions based solely on your judgment and understanding. Seek God’s counsel and remain spiritually discerning to know what He wants you to do.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There was once a young man who was the secretary of a cult group at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in South-West Nigeria. One day, he gave his life to Christ and decided to leave the cult. Immediately, the other cult members decided to kill him because he knew their secrets. One night, after arriving in his hostel from the library, he was very tired, so he said a quick prayer and got on his bed to sleep. As he lay on his bed, the Holy Spirit nudged him to get up and pray. He got on his knees, said another short prayer, and tried to sleep again. However, he got another nudge to pray, and he just thought to himself, “Well, let me pray just as God wants.” He did so, and as he got up from his knees, he saw a huge demon with charms all over its body walk into his room, even though the door was locked. The demon made its way towards him, and he immediately started rebuking it in Jesus’ name. Slowly, the demon retreated from the room. When he told me about the incident, I asked him, “Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?” He replied, “I’d have thought I was dreaming too; however, because of how I shouted when rebuking the demon, my roommate moved on his bed, and as he did so, his leg touched the demon as it retreated. My roommate’s leg, which touched the demon, swelled to three times its normal size, and he spent a year treating it.” Being spiritually discerning can be the difference between life and death.

As we read in Balaam’s story yesterday, disobedience to God’s instructions can prevent a Christian from discerning spiritual things. Are there instructions the Lord has given you to follow? Don’t try to negotiate your way out of complete obedience to Him. Always obey God’s instructions, because it will make your heart more sensitive to hearing Him. Toying with sin will make a believer become spiritually dull. Samson didn’t know when his hair was cut because sin had made him spiritually dull. He was fast asleep and didn’t know that he was in trouble until Delilah woke him up. When he awoke, he wanted to fight the Philistines as he had always done, but he was unaware that God had left him.


Beloved, flee disobedience and sin so that you will remain spiritually discerning. May you not become spiritually insensitive and sleep the sleep of death, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us that the natural man cannot understand the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. This means that such a fellow cannot follow God’s direction, as he or she cannot understand spiritual things and will even consider them foolish. Those who walk in the spirit, however, know how to discern spiritual things.

For instance, when it seems that several people are trying to get a Christian angry, it could be that the devil is seeking to open a window through which he can attack him or her. If the believer cannot spiritually discern the devil’s plan, he or she might eventually give in to anger, thereby giving the devil access to carry out his attack. Likewise, if a Christian keeps encountering people in need, especially if they are fellow Christians, it could be that God wants the believer to help them so that He can open windows of blessings over his or her life. However, if the Christian cannot spiritually discern what is happening and ignores the people in need, he or she would miss out on God’s blessing. Spiritual discernment is crucial in the journey of every Christian.

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

In Numbers 22:22-33, Balaam’s donkey began to behave strangely when he was on his way to meet Balak despite God’s initial instruction forbidding him from going (Numbers 22:12). Balaam was so spiritually insensitive that he didn’t know the actions of the donkey were for his own good. When his donkey didn’t move as he wanted it to and kept turning away from the path it was supposed to take, he hit it in an attempt to force it to obey him. Even when the donkey spoke, which was very strange, Balaam was too spiritually insensitive to sense the danger ahead until God opened his eyes. I pray that your spiritual senses will be sharpened enough to see any dangers that are ahead of you, and you will be prudent enough to hide yourself, in Jesus’ name.

The lack of spiritual discernment has destroyed so many homes and ended so many lives prematurely. This is why spiritual discernment is a must-have for you in your walk with God, relationship with others, and dealings with the world. I pray that the Almighty God, in His mercy, will sharpen your discernment and help you see things as they really are, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Exodus 7:10, when Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh bearing a message from the Lord, they demonstrated the power of the One who sent them by casting down Aaron’s rod, and it turned into a snake. The Egyptian magicians also turned their rods into snakes, but it soon became obvious that all power belongs to God, as the snake from Aaron’s rod swallowed all the magicians’ snakes. The devil might attempt to copy God, but he will always fail because God is above all (1 Chronicles 29:11-12). For instance, the devil has given many people wealth through various unholy means, but my God is the only One who gives power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). Furthermore, the wealth that comes from God’s blessing is without sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).

The Almighty God can change the unchangeable. He can take a beggar from a dunghill and cause him or her to dine with princes (1 Samuel 2:. He can also do the impossible. In one night, He delivered His people from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:31-33). He also provided food for them for 40 years in the wilderness. He fed them with the food of angels and gave them meat throughout their journey to the Promised Land (Psalm 78:24-25). Furthermore, they didn’t need new clothes or shoes because their clothes and shoes did not wear out (Deuteronomy 29:5). The God who did all these wonders can do exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). He can meet your needs effortlessly because the cattle upon a thousand hills are His (Psalm 50:10), and all the silver and gold in the world belong to Him (Haggai 2:. He owns the whole earth and everything within it (Psalm 24:1). He is God above all gods (2 Chronicles 2:5); the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15).

Beloved, isn’t it amazing that the One who is above all is your Father? He has given you access to all His wisdom, riches, glory, power, grace, and goodness, and all He expects from you is your praise and worship. He expects your love and devotion, and He truly deserves it all. If you really want God’s special attention and you want to experience His almightiness, ask Him to give you a heart of worship today because He will give His attention, which will come with all that He has, to those who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Psalm 105:37 tells us that when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, not a single one of them was feeble, meaning that the young and old were healthy and strong. Those who had suffered in the hands of the taskmasters suddenly became strong and healthy as they ate the Passover meal and prepared to leave Egypt. If God divinely healed people who had been constantly beaten and maltreated before they came out of slavery and kept their feet from being swollen for 40 years in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:4), He can grant you divine health as well.

No matter how long a person has been ill or how severe the sickness is, God can heal the person completely. In John 5:5-9, it took only one word from Jesus to heal a man who had been sick for 38 years in an instant. Psalm 107:20 tells us that when God sends His word, healing and deliverance follow.

Sicknesses and diseases cannot stand the power of God’s word. When He sends His word, it never returns to Him without accomplishing what He has sent it to do. Isaiah 55:10-11 tells us that just as rain and snow come upon the earth’s surface to water it and make it fruitful, God’s word always prospers wherever He sends it.

A word from Jesus was enough to heal a nobleman’s son in John 4:46-54. Jesus spoke the word where He was in Cana of Galilee, and the boy was instantly healed far away in Capernaum. God’s word cannot be hindered by space or time or slowed down in any way. In Matthew 8:5-13, all that was required to heal a centurion’s grievously ill servant was a word from Jesus. The Syrophoenician’s daughter also experienced miraculous and instant deliverance when God released His word over her situation (Mark 7:24-30). God’s word spoken through His servants and believed in faith can bring healing to the sick. However, His word, as it is written in the Bible, is also more than enough to bring a fellow healing if he or she believes.

Beloved, if you have any sickness in your body, the word of God has provided for your healing already – all you need to do is believe. Beyond believing God for healing, however, He wants you to live in divine health, as echoed by Apostle John in 3 John 2. Again, all you need to do is believe in His word. I pray that you will never experience any form of sickness henceforth, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Genesis 1:3, God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. When He commanded light into existence, He was declaring that darkness should disappear, sorrow should give way to joy, and stagnation should give way to promotion. God’s word changes lives and situations. When His word comes to a fellow, that person will experience a great turnaround in every aspect of his or her life.

Psalm 29:4 says that God’s voice is powerful and full of majesty. Every time God speaks, all beings in heaven and on earth tremble to do His bidding. Since we know how powerful God’s voice is, we must be careful about what He says concerning us. We must be careful to ensure that He doesn’t pronounce anything negative over us because it will surely come to pass. We must also ensure that He speaks blessings over us because when He does, they will be irreversible.

You might be asking, “How can I get God to speak irreversible blessings over me?” In Genesis 27:1-4, Isaac wanted to bless Esau, and to properly position him for the blessing, he told him to get his weapons and hunt for venison in the field. He also asked him to prepare it in a way that he loved so that after eating the meal, he would bless him. Jacob, however, pretended to be Esau, his brother, and tricked their father into giving him the blessing that was meant for Esau. Later on, when Isaac discovered he had erroneously blessed Jacob, he was unable to reverse the blessing (Genesis 27:33). Hebrews 12:17 tells us that Esau’s protests and tears could not reverse what Jacob had received.

Isaac wanted Esau to serve and please him before he could bless him. The same is true if you want God to bless you. People who serve God wholeheartedly and please Him in their thoughts, words, and actions always receive His blessings. A fellow cannot keep doing what his or her father hates and expect to be blessed by him. He or she cannot continue displeasing him and disobeying his instructions and expect to be looked upon favourably by him.

Beloved, does your life please God? Do you shun sin and run away from the things He hates? Do you obey His instructions willingly and promptly? If your answer to all these questions is “Yes”, then you can expect Him to constantly speak His blessings over you. He will always pronounce blessings over His children in whom He is well pleased.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Hebrews 4:12 says that the word of God is living, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. Also, John 1:1-3 tells us that all things were created by the word of God. As powerful as God’s word is, however, when it is spoken in unbelief, it cannot be expected to produce results.

In 1 John 4:4, it is written that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. God lives within you, and He is greater than every problem or challenge that the world can throw your way. This is the absolute truth about you; you are above poverty and destruction because God’s power resides in you, and you can leverage it to subdue negative situations. Despite this, unbelief can hinder the power of God from flowing through His word in your mouth.

It is possible to be a Christian and be tormented by the spirit of doubt and unbelief. What this spirit does is that it undermines the power of God’s word in your heart and makes you feel that the word of God is ordinary. It also makes you begin to think that God’s word is not true, thereby filling your heart with uncertainty. If the spirit of doubt and unbelief is tormenting you, I pray that it will leave you right now, in Jesus’ name.

Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter in Mark 5:35-43 with His word. When He got to his house, He drove out those who were weeping and commanded the dead girl to arise. Peter followed the same pattern when God used him to raise Dorcas in Acts 9:36-42; he sent the mourners out of the house and commanded the dead woman to arise.

Beloved, there is no limit to what you can achieve when you proclaim God’s word in faith. As Jesus said in Matthew 17:19-20, nothing shall be impossible to you if you speak the word of God in faith without any doubt or unbelief, God wants you to believe His word and act upon it. He wants you to go to places where there are hopeless cases so He can show the world that there is still hope through you. He wants to use you mightily and shine His light through you so that He will be glorified (Matthew 5:16). However, you must learn to trust in His word completely and proclaim it boldly over every situation you encounter. May you be a conduit of God’s mighty power everywhere you go henceforth, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Jubilee means emancipation, deliverance, or restoration. In Leviticus 25:8-10, God commanded the children of Israel to observe Jubilee every 50 years. When the Year of Jubilee arrives, anyone who is bound as a slave is to be set free. Even if a fellow became bound through his or her fault or error, he or she will be set free. Furthermore, anyone who was in debt would be forgiven of the debt in the Year of Jubilee.

We are talking about Jubilee today because God wants to set His people free from satanic bondages. He wants His people to walk in liberty in every aspect of their lives. Liberty is freedom from every form of bondage. Anyone who holds someone bound when God has declared jubilee will be fighting against God, and I am yet to see someone who fights against God and wins.

Unlike in Israel, where Jubilee was observed every 50 years in Old Testament times, if you have Jesus, you can experience Jubilee every day. Jesus came to save, deliver and restore us to God, and anyone who comes to Him will experience Jubilee to the fullest. In Christ, God has proclaimed Jubilee for you and your household, and every power of darkness that wants to keep you and anything that concerns you in bondage will be consumed by the Consuming Fire, in Jesus’ name. When God makes you free, you become free indeed (John 8:36). Being free indeed’ means that you are delivered from the effects of bondage. It means you have been made new, as if you were never in any bondage before. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reveals that once you are in Christ, you are a new creature. Your old record of slavery under sin and satan is wiped off, and everything becomes new.

Jubilee, however, doesn’t only mean freedom from slavery. It also means restoration of what has been forcefully or rightfully taken. In Leviticus 25:25-28, God said that if a fellow becomes poor and sells his or her possessions, and he or she is unable to recover them, the fellow is free to return to his or her possessions in the Year of Jubilee because Jubilee is also the time of restoration. I proclaim in the name above all names that everything that has been taken from you or that you have given away ignorantly will be restored to you. You will experience and enjoy divine restoration in all areas you need it, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In many societies today, more focus is placed on training girls than boys. While it is good to train female children to become responsible adults, the same focus must also be given to training boys; they must not be neglected. Every boy is a man in the making and the future leader of a home, church, organisation, or nation. Zechariah 13:7 says, “…smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered…” The devil understands this, so he tries to strike future shepherds before they are grown so that the sheep they are meant to guide will be scattered. Every little boy around you is going to be a leader tomorrow, and the kind of leader he will be is dependent on the way he is raised today.

Samuel lived in the same house as the irresponsible sons of Eli, but he was not like them because he was a product of prayer (1 Samuel 1:11), dedication (1 Samuel 1:25-28), and godly grooming (1 Samuel 1:22). If you are a parent, you must ensure that you pray for your boys constantly and dedicate them to God. You must spend quality time with them, grooming them to become good men who are well-suited to serving God. If you do these, with God helping you, you will raise men like Samuel.

The Bible tells us that Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favour with God and man (Luke 2:40, 52). That is the divine pattern – every boy should be nurtured to grow spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. For example, statistics show that many prison inmates had irresponsible fathers who were not present in their lives. Also, many boys today are left to be trained by social media, ungodly friends, and worldly music. Some parents only correct their sons after they have gotten someone pregnant, dropped out of school, or been sent to jail. It is better to train them when they are young than try to change them later; prevention is better than deliverance.

Today is the International Day of the Boy Child, and I urge all parents, guardians, and the Church to invest in boys just as they invest in girls. We must teach boys to pray and respect authority. We must also teach them the fear of God so they can build godly families when they are grown. I pray that every boy child will grow up into responsible leaders who will please the Lord with their lives, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, technology is advancing at an incredibly rapid rate. Technological innovations spring up every day, and people are scrambling to keep up. While it is essential for us as Christians to be at the cutting edge of what God is doing in our various industries and fields, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us as we navigate this digital age is much more crucial.

Beloved, no matter how fascinating a technological innovation might be, you must always remember that you are first a child of God and an ambassador of God’s kingdom. Sadly, some Christians have lost their way in today’s digital age. They have completely forgotten their identity, so they follow all kinds of trends, regardless of whether they align with God’s values or not. For instance, many Christians post and share all sorts of content on social media just to get likes, shares, and followers. Such Christians leave unrighteous digital footprints and misrepresent the Lord. They allow unbelievers to blaspheme God’s name because of their conduct and actions.

If you are a Christian, you are the light of the world, and you are a city set on a hill which cannot be hidden. This means that whatever you do will be seen by many people. Therefore, your digital footprint, including everything you post on the internet, will reach the devices of millions of people across the world. Social media, for example, is one technological innovation that can be used to shine your light to many people around the world. With social media, you have an easy opportunity to be a global evangelist for God’s kingdom; therefore, you must maximize it and not misuse the opportunity it presents by posting ungodly content on your social media platforms. Do not put your candle under a bushel of worldliness and carelessness. Despite the speed of technological advancement today, you have been called to represent Christ wherever you are and with everything you have.

Another advantage of maximizing your digital footprint to shine the light of God’s kingdom is that digital footprints outlive people. For example, the late Bishop Benson Idahosa has been dead for many years, but we can still find many of his teachings online. Beloved, what will your digital footprint look like when you have finished your assignment here on earth? I pray that you will always glorify God with your use of technology and in everything you do, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If a fellow constantly takes the wrong steps in life, there is a high tendency that his or her children will do the same. However, if the fellow takes good steps in life by making the right decisions, his or her children will also have a greater chance of taking good steps in life. This is because children naturally follow their parents’ footprints.

For example, in society today, there are many men who, despite hating their fathers for beating their mothers, have become wife-beaters themselves. This is because the moment their fathers opened themselves up to the spirit behind that violent and evil act, they allowed that spirit to have access to their sons also.

Years ago, a single mother asked my wife to speak to her daughters to stop engaging in illicit relationships with men. When my wife started speaking to the girls, one of them said, “Please, counsel our mother to also stop bringing all sorts of men to the house.” The daughters were only taking after their mother, and they knew that as long as she continued in that behaviour, it would be difficult for them to stop.

If you want to be a good parent, decide today to leave a good legacy for your children to follow. Don’t become a bad example to them; rather, determine to be the kind of parent they can look up to and emulate. Some parents think they can do certain things in secret without their children knowing, but believe me, children know far more than people think they know. They can sense many things that are going on around them.

Sometimes, children inherit certain traits from their parents even before they are born. For example, in Genesis 20:2, Abraham lied to Abimelech that Sarah was his sister. Several years later, Isaac, who had not yet been born when Abraham lied to Abimelech, repeated the same lie (Genesis 26:7). Isaac’s son, Jacob, continued the pattern of deception when he stole his brother’s blessing by lying to his father (Genesis 27:1-29), while Jacob’s sons conspired to deceive their father about what happened to Joseph, their brother (Genesis 37:31-33).

Beloved, don’t cultivate unhealthy patterns and habits because your children will be in line to inherit them from you, and unless God intervenes, such negative patterns will continue from generation to generation. Determine today to leave footprints of godliness and righteousness that your children can follow. I pray that the Almighty God will help you as you commit to this, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

All human beings on earth leave their footprints in the sands of time. While some leave negative footprints, others leave positive ones. The actions you take today are the footprints you are leaving behind, and they will determine your future.

Galatians 6:7-8 says that you will reap whatever you sow. Just as you cannot plant onions and expect to reap apples, you must be intentional about the seeds you sow in your journey through life if you want to get the best out of your time on the earth. You must act and speak carefully every day to ensure that you do not jeopardise your future by sowing the wrong seeds.

In this age and time, one of the popular places a fellow can leave negative footprints is on the internet. There is even a popular saying that the internet never forgets. You should be mindful of the things you post on social media and your communication on the internet in general. Posting negative content and portraying inappropriate behaviour online might come back to haunt you later in future. However, if your digital footprint is good, you will not need to worry about any negative impact.

Hebrews 12:1 says that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. Many people think that this refers to the hosts of heaven alone. However, the devil and his agents are also watching every move you make, and they are on the lookout for any mistake they can use against you in the future. Furthermore, your fellow human beings are also part of the cloud of witnesses that are observing every move you make.

Beloved, do not think you can do some things in secret without anyone knowing about them. Even if no one sees you, God sees you, and the hosts of heaven are recording all your actions. In Jeremiah 17:10, God said, “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” He is constantly looking at your heart and evaluating your thoughts and actions. Therefore, you must ensure that you renew your mind daily with His word (Romans 12:2) and honour Him with your actions (Colossians 3:17). Make a commitment today to never engage in anything that will have a negative effect on your future. I pray that the Lord will continually guide you to do the right things at the right time, in Jesus’ name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.