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It is quite true that the way to live a godly life is not an easy matter. But the answer lies in Christ, who came to earth as a man, was proved spotless and pure in his Spirit, was served by angels, was preached among the nations, was accepted by men everywhere and was received up again to his glory in heaven.

Divine backing is the support you receive supernaturally from the Almighty God. Without divine backing, hardly can any man succeed in life. This is because demonic activities in the world are out to frustrate mankind. The Bible says:
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."
Revelation 12:12

In Joshua 1:5, God encouraged Joshua to take up the spiritual mandate of leading His people to the Promised Land. Joshua was assured of divine backing when the Lord said:
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
Joshua 1:5

God repeatedly encouraged Joshua to be courageous. No wonder he did great exploits in the Name of the Lord. When David faced Goliath, it was divine backing that saw him through the fight against the experienced giant. In response to the giant's curses, David said:
"This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."
1 Samuel 17:46

David, prior to this time had been enjoying divine backing. It was this divine backing that enabled him to kill a lion and a bear that wanted to steal his father's livestock. Beloved, you too will enjoy divine backing if you surrender your life to Jesus Christ today. Even as a believer, for you to enjoy divine backing, particularly in the ministry, you need to be broken and live in obedience to the Word of God. Jesus said:
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
John 15:16

Jesus chose you to win souls to His Kingdom and He promised to back you up by providing everything you request for. May the Lord give you supernatural support and the backing you need to succeed in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In a wealthy home there are dishes made of gold and silver as well as some made from wood and clay. The expensive dishes are used for guests, and the cheap ones are used in the kitchen or to put garbage in. If you stay away from sin you will be like one of these dishes made of purest gold- the very best in the house- so that Christ himself can use you for his highest purposes.

According to Psalms 115:3, destiny has its origin in the sovereignty of God. It is also the plan that God had for you before creating you. It is what God says about your future. In other words, God had a purpose for your life, long before you were born. Joseph was a typical child of destiny. His brothers fought aggressively against his destiny. One good thing about destiny is that, your destiny, being the counsel of God for you, shall stand forever (Genesis 37:18-28). Joseph started his life experiences with the first and second dreams which set him at variance with his brothers and parents. The fulfilment of his destiny took him through Portiphar's house, the prison and eventually the palace of the Egyptians.
In Jeremiah 1:4-8, the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah announcing his destiny to him. Jeremiah had been separated right from his mother's womb to be a prophet. At times, we behave foolishly by arguing with God on why He called us; a call that is the reason for which we were born. More often than not, God's plan for mankind does not appeal to the rational man, though it is the best for us.
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
Jeremiah 29:11

It is very important for us to embrace the truth in the above scripture. When we do, we shall not be guilty of spiritual insubordination. Jeremiah ignorantly argued:
"Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak for I am a child."
Jeremiah 1:6

God called Moses to go and perform a task in Egypt but he was giving excuses of not being an eloquent speaker. Beloved, I want you to get something settled in your mind today; God does not call the qualified but qualifies the called so that He can take full glory for the success of the called.
The Lord said to Jeremiah;
"Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak."
Jeremiah 1:7

The Lord further encouraged him not to be afraid of the faces of those He was sending him to. This is a lesson for those of us who are too scared to deliver God's message in our places of work, school, community etc. The Spirit of God will always give us something of eternal value to tell His people. God has destined you to be unique; it is left for you to allow Him to fulfill His purpose for your life. May the Lord fulfil your destiny gloriously in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When you sing that you will praise God from everlasting to everlasting, you are prophesying that you will make it to Heaven! So keep singing and praising the Almighty; the Holy one of Israel; the Ancient of days; the Lord of Host; the Glory of Zion; the One who was, who is, and is to come!!!

A good nunber of people confuse service for God's approval or acceptance. It will be profitable for people, particularly chidren of God, to understand that it is one thing to engage in the service of God and it is another thing for God to accept your service. The simple message for today is - "just do it right, and God will accept you and your service". The Bible says:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."
Romans 12:1

In 1 Samuel 15:16-23, we read of the first king in Israel who put sacrifice over and above being obedient to God and His Word. God told king Saul to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites and everything they possessed; from the king to the least of the beasts. However, Saul went, fought and won the battle, but failed to carry out God's instruction to the letter. When he was cross-examined by Prophet Samuel, he had the effrontery to tell Samuel that he had done what God asked him to do, except the spoil of sheep and oxen which he took to use as sacrifice to the Lord. This unfortunately cost him his throne. Samuel said:
"...Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
1 Samuel 15:22

There is a great lesson we should learn from the story of king Saul and the assignment he was given to fight the Amalekites. Some people seem to be more spiritual than the Holy Spirit when you consider the way they claim to know everything about the ways of God. It is not unlikely that king Saul felt it would be a waste of resources by totally destroying the material resources in Amalek. It is also not unlikely that he felt it will be an act of wickedness on the part of God to have asked him to kill the king, Agag. Beloved, there are many types of Amalekites and king Agags that God will want us to get rid of in our life. The Bible lists some things that we must do away with in Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelling, and such like.."

Some so-called workers in the Church are still harbouring these things that we are to get rid of, yet they are 'zealously' working for God. It is unfortunate that their labour attract no reward. Jesus said that on that day, they will come and say:
"We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are, depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."
Luke 13:26-27
May this not be your portion in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today, we will examine one of the Ten Commandments; covetousness. The sin of covetousness is a cluster of many sins that sets man against his Maker. Upon the sin of covetousness hangs many other sins like stealing, sexual immorality and murder, hence the law:
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."
Exodus 20:17

David, a God-fearing soldier, king and prophet fell because of covetousness. He coveted Bathsheba, his soldier's wife; and went from one form of sin to another. Covetousness led him to adultery and adultery led him to a murderous act. When someone is caught in the sin of covetousness in the area of alcohol, he gets drunk and what next? Foolish talking and jesting that are not convenient become inevitable. The Bible says:
"Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things."
Proverbs 23:31-33

Coveting your neighbour's possession can lead to murder. The reason for this is that when someone covets his neighbour's estate, and is unable to get it, he may resolve to kill the rightful owner to have it. This was the case in Ahab and Naboth's story (1 Kings 21:1-16). Ahab organised a feast where Naboth should be framed up and killed by the scheme of his wife, Jezebel. Immediately the plan was hatched, the Lord sent His prophet to go and deliver His judgement upon Ahab. It was a judgement of vengeance.
"...Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine."
1 Kings 21:19

Beloved, let us beware of the sin of covetousness as Jesus warned in Luke 12:15-20. The man in that story was boasting about what he possessed but that same night God required his soul from him. Our Lord then asked who those things he had acquired shall be for. Think about it and you will discover that covetousness is not worth it after all. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Breakthroughs are of the Lord. The earlier the children of God understand this fact, the better for them. People look around for breakthroughs as if their power will bring it to pass. It is pardonable for unbelievers but it is not acceptable to professed children of God who know what the scripture says about breakthroughs.
"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, this is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
Zechariah 4:7

This is one of the reasons why we know that our tomorrow shall be alright. I discovered this a long time ago and the words "my tomorrow shall be alright" became our anthem in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Not because I know how to go about things, but because I discovered that the breakthrough of a man has already been established before his creation. For example, it was not man that forced light to come, neither was it man that created the animal kingdom over which he was made king. Why should I worry about how God will bring about my breakthrough? My breakthrough is settled in Christ.
Divine guidance is the secret of breaking through obstacles and challenges of life. In 1 Samuel 30:6-8, we read about the secret of the victory David had at the raid of Ziglag. After David had wept for his loss, he gathered himself together and asked God if pursuing the troops that invaded him would be a profitable one. To receive unfailing breakthrough, asking God for divine guidance is inevitable.
Moreover, a prayer of decree can guarantee assurance of breakthrough according to Job 22:28
"Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways."

Our Lord Jesus Christ assured us of breakthroughs against all obstacles that the enemies may try to bring our way:
"...Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."
Matthew 21:21

Beloved, the Almighty God is the Source of all human breakthroughs. Therefore, bring yourself to the favour of your Maker today and you will experience the breakthrough of your dreams. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Every disciple of Jesus Christ must realize that their bodies have become a living sacrifice to God. This should be the natural response of every spiritually minded individual in appreciation of the grace of salvation in Christ Jesus. No doubt, God's grace was poured out for our salvation; our response should be to obediently comply with the instructions of the One who had given His life for the remission of our sins.

There is so much deposited in us to be effective weapons in God's hand for this generation, but the problem is that we have to remove those little foxes in our lives. Men and women who have not been purged cannot give acceptable sacrifices unto the Lord. From the scriptures, we understand that the reason the offerings of the Levites were not accepted by God was because there were issues they needed to settle with Him. Until we are purified and sanctified, our sacrifices of offering and services in the vineyard will not receive heaven's attention. What are those things or who are those people in your life that have made your life unstable in Christ?
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age"
Titus 2:11-12

We are to offer our lives in sacrificial worship and service to Him. As vessels in the hand of God, we should no longer center our thoughts and actions on those things that pertain to this world. We should no longer engage in matters that will divert our attention from eternity. Our God is holy and He expects us to be holy. For our sacrifice to be acceptable before Him, we have to be like Him in every sphere of our lives. When you are holy, miracles will begin to happen in your life and the power of God will begin to flow in you and through you to other lives. This will enable us to continue the mission of destroying the works of the devil.

Many Christians are unable to access the reward of a new life because they are still tied to the culture of this world. They are still entangled with the ideas, principles and concepts of this world, and this has denied them the opportunity to manifest as children of God. You have to make a deliberate choice to be useful and acceptable before your Maker. Remove everything that has the ability to deprive you of your spiritual stature. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One truth a child of God must embrace is that cleanliness is godliness in practical terms. God pays attention to personal hygiene as much as He pays attention to the spiritual purity of His people. In the book of Leviticus 14:43-45, we read:
"And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath scraped the house, and after it is plastered; Then the priest shall come and look, and behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house; it is unclean. And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place."

In Numbers 8:5-7, we read about how God instructed Moses to take the Levites from among the congregation and cleanse them. There are many lessons we must learn from this passage. Why were the Levites singled out for cleansing? It is because they were special to God; they were to be Yahweh's representatives among God's people.
"But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle."
Numbers 1:50

The Levites, being vessels of honour, were required to be cleansed to function as priests unto God. As such, children of God must be clean in and out because it is required of us to be physically and spiritually clean.
"And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean."
Numbers 8:7

It is unfortunate to see that some children of God are not taking seriously the basic hygiene that can enhance their divine health. Some actually believe in divine healing, but do not live in clean environments, nor eat good food. Good food does not cost much. As a matter of fact, it is dangerous delicacies that are costly. So, in order to enjoy divine health, we must live clean lives. May the Almighty God grant us the ability to live clean lives in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is interesting to note that the righteousness that mankind has detested from generation to generation, right from the fall, is not optional! Many scholars have endeavoured to explain away what righteousness entails and play down its importance to the point that sermons that encourage righteous living are now scarce. Sweet and pet talks have replaced sermons that demand righteous living. This is why St. Paul admonished his spiritual son, Timothy thus:
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears."
2 Timothy 4:2-3

There are some lessons to be learnt from the above scripture; firstly, sermons that will produce righteous living must contain reproof, rebuke, exhortation and doctrine. Secondly, there is a time in the life of a Christian pilgrim when he will have to make himself intentionally available to reproof and rebuke. This is because, after a long stay in the Church environment, which might have earned him titles, he might no longer be teachable. Thirdly, righteous living requires indoctrination; doctrines that are sound. In other words, there are doctrines that are not sound. So, believers must beware of doctrines of the devil.
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"
1 Timothy 4:1

Today, some children of God make righteousness an optional virtue to their own danger because the scripture cannot be broken. It says:
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord"
Hebrews 12:14

Beloved, it is true we shall be ultimately saved by grace. This is why we must pray for that grace to live righteously without struggle, because there is no grace to live righteously without struggle, because there is no grace in struggle. This is what makes the Christian faith unique. Our God is able to help us live for Him if we are willing and obedient. If we will not rationalise sin but admit it as it is and cry to God for help. The Bible says:
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldy lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world".
Titus 2:112

I pray that as you desire righteousness today, the grace of God will bring it upon your life in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people do not know how to overcome. This is the reason why they run from pillar to post, looking for protection against the attack of the agents of destruction. The Bible says:
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
Hebrews 2:14-15

It is needless to run helter-skelter in search of protection. As a matter of fact, there is no other source of protection than Jesus Christ. 1 John 5:4 affirms that whoever is born-again overcomes the world through faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The questions now are: what does it mean to be born-again and how can you be born-again? To be born again, according to John 3:3-5, is to be transformed supernaturally by the Spirit of God when we admit to our sins, confess them, forsake them and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. When we experience this transformation, we become children of God. In other words, we become His favourites and He will begin to watch over us. Then, the promise of Jesus concerning protection will be fulfilled in our lives. He said:
"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Mark 16:17-18

However, to be born of God demands some things from us. The Bible says in 1 John 5:1-6 that the only way to know we are born of God is when we keep His commandments. Jesus said:
"....If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him"
John 14:23

To be born of God is to keep His commandments. This is contrary to some counterfeit Christians of the present age. You cannot continue committing sin and claim that you are born again. Another obligation of someone that claims to be a child of God is that he or she must keep himself or herself pure (1 John 3:3). The Bible says:
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them"
Hebrews 7:25

Beloved, there is abundant safety in Christ, come to Him with a strong determination to go with Him all the way; you will not be disappointed. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When our Lord Jesus Christ cried, "It is Finished", He really did mean that it is finished. However, some children of God do not know the import of that statement. Some believe that the wages of sin have been fully paid and so we are on our way to Heaven. Correct. Some believe that all the misfortunes that came upon human race as a result of the fall have been paid for. This is equally true. The problem we must however fix in our devotional reading for today is irregularity in the doctrine of the atonement of Jesus Christ. We must get it right and perfect.
Some believe that when Jesus Christ said "It is finished" He meant that He had paid the debt of sin in full and do not believe that they are missing a gem in the work of redemption. This category of disciples focus on the spiritual aspect of redemption, without paying close attention to the physical. It is needful here to say that the atonement of Jesus Christ is all-encompassing - spiritual, physical, material, emotional, psychological and what have you. For example, when Adam sinned, it was not only the spiritual aspect of his life that was affected; his career as a gardener was affected because he had to labour more for less. Even his wife had to undergo the rigours of labour at childbirth. In the same vein, when the cure for sin came, it came in full. So, if you have been redeemed by His death at Calvary, I say congratulations because your ailing business, marriage, health condition etc are now redeemed!
The Bible says:
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet, for your sakes he became poor; that ye through his poverty might be rich."
2 Corinthians 8:9

The irregularity on the other hand, has to do with the belief in some quarters that because Christ has paid our debt in full, we can indulge in sin. This is not correct. Jesus Christ paid it in full to cater for actual and habitual sins. This is why the Bible says:
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest,"
1 John 3:9-10a

On her encounter with Jesus Christ, the woman whose sin of adultery was forgiven her was told to "Go and sin no more." (John 8:11). So also was the impotent man that was healed by Jesus (John 5:4). Beloved, Jesus paid it in full for your deliverance from spiritual and physical calamities; sin, sickness, poverty and all, but He did not pay for you to continue in sin. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Foolishness is not a virtue; rather it is a vice that costs its victim eternity in hell fire. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). In other words, lack of the fear of God is the beginning of foolishness. So, when someone decides to live without the fear of God, he does whatever he pleases without consideration for the Word of God, he feels he is free to do whatever he likes with his life, he behaves as if he owns his life, but in actual sense, his life is borrowed and the Owner may ask for it anytime. Our Lord Jesus told a parable of a prosperous farmer who did not reckon with God in all his dealings. Considering the wealth he had possessed he said:
"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?"
Luke 12:19-20

Some people who claim to be children of God behave foolishly sometimes. Proverbs 26:11 says: "As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly." some brethren who had been modest and holy are now regretting their past pure Christian life! Those vanities they forsook in the past are now back in full force. This scripture is now fulfilled in their lives. Jesus said when a demon is cast out of a man, he goes away but after sometime he comes back to check whether that life is still empty. If he finds the life empty he goes back to take seven more powerful demons to take possession of the life (Luke 11:24-26). It is foolishness to go back to your old lifestyle after you have been cleansed from your former sins and impurities. The Bible says:
"For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."
2 Peter 2:20

In the past, you could identify a child of God from afar off (with the few exceptions of those who were pretenders). Many things that are now being celebrated were abomoninations in those days. It is unfortunate that a wholesale return to those vanities is now in vogue. Some Christians scholars were brought to me in my office by their leaders many years ago and I saw assorted wild paintings - red, greed, silver, brown, pink etc on their faces and lips. I could not help but tell them that that was the first time I would see Bible scholars in such a wild exhibition of vanities. Their leader then promised that he would do something about it and that when Lazarus came out from the dead he was gradually striped of the grave clothes he had on. Theologians know how to explain things away. Beloved, going back from your first love is not a virtue; it is rather a vice. Repent today, tomorrow may be too late. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our Lord Jesus Christ did not only give us an outline for prayer in what is popularly called "The Lord's Prayer" (Luke 11:2-4), He also gave us some vital ingredients of prayer. The first in our consideration is faith. The almighty God demands that we have faith in Him. A man that prays without faith cannot get anything substantial from the spiritual exercise of prayer. When we pray, we should be assured that God is capable of doing whatever our desires are. Doubt is a grievous offence before the Almighty God. The children of Israel that doubted the capability of God were consumed by the fiery anger of the God who had been erstwhile benevolent to them, however, as many as believed in His Almightiness received great recompense for their faith.
"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."
James 1:6-7

Another vital ingredient of the prayer that God will answer is forgiveness. This is a two-edged sword. Blessed is he that is forgiven, sin is a hindrance to prayer. Unless we are forgiven, our prayers cannot be answered. This is why our Lord Jesus put an aspect of confession of sin in the prayer outline (Luke 11:4). No matter how old we may be in the Lord, if we discover any sin ranging from lying, outburst of unwarranted anger etc in our lives while we are getting set to pray, we must confess that sin first. The Bible says:
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:8-9

On the other hand, our Lord Jesus Christ said:
"And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
Mark 11:25

Many of us come to the throne of mercy without the milk of mercy in our hearts. We come for mercy while we are not merciful; we come for forgiveness and we are not forgiving. What an irony? In Matthew 18:32-35, our Lord told the parable of the wicked servant who jailed his fellow worker that owed him a little after he himself had received pardon for a greater debt. His unforgiving spirit made him forfeit the pardon for the debt he earlier received. Beloved, let us cultivate the habit of forgiving one another, at least for the fact that our Father in Heaven forgives every of our sins. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is something special about the call of God from generation to generation and from dispensation to dispensation. For example, in Genesis, when God made a call among the Trinity about the creation of man, something great came out of that call and that is the uniqueness of man as a special creation. It should be remembered that there was no call at all when other creatures were being created. After the fall, there were many generations up to the time of Abram and when God called Abram and changed his name to Abraham, his life never remained the same.
In Luke 5:1-10, we read about the call of Peter into the office of apostleship. When at the lake of Gennesaret, Peter had no idea of the awesomeness of the call when Jesus said to him: "Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men." (Luke 5:10). Peter, an ordinary fisherman, became great as a result of this 'simple' call. Many Cathedrals have been built and named after Peter, the frustrated fisherman before his encounter with Jesus. One can see that a single encounter with Jesus can make a great difference in one's life. Jesus is calling someone today as you read this devotional and He is saying:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
Matthew 11:28-29

To have a profitable encounter with Jesus, certain things must be done. You must answer His call. He is calling you to follow Him, but you must not just follow Him, you must learn of Him, and all the ideals He brought from His father must be imbibed by you. Jesus said:
"My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
John 17:16-17

Learning of Jesus entails living according to how He lived here on earth. His life of obedience to the will of His Father must be emulated. The Bible enjoins us to have the same mind like Christ (Philippians 2:5-11), and we shall experience great elevation like Jesus did. God is calling us to be like Him; He wants to make us great. May we not refuse His call today; firstly for salvation and secondly for service. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The characteristics of the habitation of the Lord attracts our attention because of the blessings awaiting us there. The qualification of those who can be part of the habitation of the Lord is worthy of note. Job 8:6 says:
"If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would wake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous."

The habitation of the Lord is the place where God blesses His people with diverse kinds of blessings - spiritual, physical and material. Only the pure and upright can enjoy the blessings of God's habitation one of which is security.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
Psalms 91:1

The issue of holiness is not a subject of debate for those who know what they stand to gain by living holy. If you live holy, you live holy for yourself as the Lord watches over the righteous (Psalms 5:12). Also, there is promotion for those who abide in the habitation of the Lord (Hebrews 1:9). Moreover, the Bible says;
"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart."
Psalms 15:1-2

In other words, the habitation of the Lord is not an "all comers" affair, even though whoever chooses to be there can be there if the fellow is ready to pay the price. The price of living holy is what those who want to abide in the habitation of the Lord must pay. Our text for today emphasises the necessity of righteousness viz-a-viz divine protection:
"Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart."
Psalms 97:10-11

Nobody is careless about his precious possession. Anybody who chooses to live a consecrated life will enjoy divine protection. Such are precious stones in the sight of the Lord. The Lord watches over His heritage, i.e. His saints. This is why Psalms 125:3 says:
"For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity."
He keeps them under His protection and ensure no evil befalls them. My prayer is that you will live under the watchful eyes of the Almighty. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

While man does not have a way of getting solutions to his problems, God has uncountable ways of solving universal problems. This is because He is the Almighty. Another thing about the ways of God is that it does not appeal to the natural man. This truth is what Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ tried to convey to us in Romans 8:28 when he wrote:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Paul wrote to encourage believers by telling them that the hardship he was going through was for the advancement of the gospel. It takes the eyes of faith to come to terms with this type of truth. In chains, he was moved from one place to another as a criminal under trial. However, at every given time and opportunity to speak, he preached the gospel. In Acts 24 & 25 alone, he addressed three different very important personalities namely Felix, Festus, King Agrippa. It was King Agrippa that said to Paul:
"Almost thou persuades me to be a Christian"
Acts 26:28.
Then Paul said:
"I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds."
Acts 26:28

This is a level all children of God must reach if we will enjoy our walk with God. This same truth helped Joseph from misbehaving when he came to power in Egypt and his brothers were afraid of revenge. He told them:
"...Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."
Genesis 50:19-20

In all these, we must learn that challenges will not be a hindrance if God is with us, rather, it will be a stepping stone to our destiny. Some children of God attribute their failure to certain hindrances. This should not be, because the Captain of our battle never lost any battle. As a matter of fact, we are more than conquerors and all things will always work together for our good if we believe. I pray for someone reading this devotional; all the seemingly hindering situations on your way to success will become a stepping stone to your breakthrough in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God Almighty does not hide His feelings about how we must relate with Him; He wants us to be totally His. The Bible says: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3). There should be nothing standing between us and our God neither should there be anything taking His place in our lives. The only way we can convince Him of the fact that we are totally His is when we are completely separated unto Him; when nothing/no one else can lay claim on our lives.
In Genesis 17:1-7, God asked Abraham to walk before Him and be perfect. In other words, God was telling His friend, Abraham that He needed more of his devotion, commitment and consecration. This is what God demands from all men, particularly His children. To be separated unto the Lord is to be separated from this world of sin. The Bible says:
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2

This should be a very pleasant development for those who have suffered from the tyrant Lucifer. The entanglement with this world is enslaving and deadly but the unfortunate thing about this is that the victim may not realise it. Worldliness is a subtle taskmaster that must be avoided by all children of God. The "twin-sisters" whose names are godliness and contentment are the answers to the challenge of worldliness that brings serious entanglement upon children of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ said:
"No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." Matthew 6:24

We must separate ourselves from material things of this world if we will please our God. The Bible says:
"But they that will be rich fall in to temptation and snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows".
1 Timothy 6:9-10
Therefore, it is not profitable for us to allow this to take our lives away from our Maker. Let us acknowledge the primacy of the original Royalty, the God of the Heavens and the Earth. May our services be acceptable to Him from today in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The righteousness of God demands that the soul that commits sin will die (Genesis 2:16-17). The first man and woman disobeyed God and then became sinners doomed for perdition. When Jesus Christ was sent to come and die for mankind, He made a demand on man to carry his cross and follow Him. The cross being referred to isn't just two pieces of wood put together. Rather, it may be the consequences of the sins someone has committed. This is why Jesus came to help us with the cross of sin. He said:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

When we answer this call of Jesus Christ, He exchanges His light burden with our heavy load of sin. The Bible says that the reason Jesus Christ came to this world is that He may bear our burden of sin for us.
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5

Beloved, come to Jesus Christ today and He will carry your burden of sin for you. As a matter of fact, the cross He carried during His earthly ministry was for you and me. All you need to do is to confess your sin and accept Him as your Saviour and Lord. The Bible says if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and there is no truth in us. We deny ourselves the privilege of the Cross bearer if we refuse to come to Him and make Him as the Lord of our lives. He must not just be a Saviour; He should also be the Lord. My prayer is that whatever heavy burden you are carrying will be lifted in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is an error now rampant among the children of God, which must be avoided if we will make it to Heaven. That error is partaking in other people's sins, particularly the unbelievers! The reason for this development is connected with the unwillingness to take our stand in the midst of opposition and antagonism from the unbelieving people of this age. Children of God now conform a lot with the evil in our society because we do not want to be blacklisted, whereas, this is the nature of our calling. Jesus Christ said concerning the experience of His disciples in this world:
"And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved." Matthew 10:22

It is unfortunate that those who indulge in aiding and abetting sinful ways do not know that they will also be partakers of the punishment:
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of evy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers... Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:28, 32

In 2 Chronicles 18:28-34, we read about how Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah partook in the sin of his friend, the king of Israel and was almost killed but for divine intervention. He agreed to disguise to be the king of Israel, not knowing that it was the king of Israel that was being sought for destruction. In the same vein, many children of God make friends with ungodly people of the world only to discover that they share the punishment with the ungodly. This should not be so because the Bible says:
"As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity." Psalms 125:2-3

Unless children of God cease from being partakers of the sins of the unbelievers, we may continue to suffer just because of our alliance with the wicked people of this world. For example, when a child of God enters into a business partnership with an unbeliever who refuses to pay his tithe, the business may collapse for this reason and the ignorant child of God suffers together with the unbeliever. May God have mercy on His children. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One truth that children of God must embrace is that we are partners with God in His divine project. God created man in His image, by implication; man is superior to all other creation and is lord over the universe. God prepared man to occupy a position of junior partner with Him. This is why after He had created the Heaven and the earth and all that were in the earth, He put man in charge of naming, keeping and dressing them. The Bible says:
"And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." Genesis 2:19

So, man had been charged with the responsibility of doing God's project from the beginning and up till date, God has not withdrawn this responsibility from man, although at times, man fails to live up to God's expectation. I pray for someone reading this devotional; you will from now on live according to God's expectation concerning Kingdom projects in Jesus' name.

In Exodus 25:1-9, the Lord commanded Moses to take offerings from the children of Israel for the building of the Tabernacle. He told them to bring the offering willingly and joyfully. God is still making demands on us for His projects; missionary, infrastructural or administrative. It is left to us to respond according to our ability. One other truth we must learn from the story of the children of Israel is that everything God demanded from them was provided to them by God Himself. When the children of Israel were leaving Egypt, the Lord caused the Egyptians to send them away in a hurry with the riches of the land. The Bible says:
"And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians." Exodus 12:35-36

Another lesson we must learn from this is that whatever blessing we are blessed with has a reason and the reason primarily is for Kingdom projects. Therefore, I advise someone reading this devotional today to find out the areas where God's project needs his or her urgent attention and go ahead to meet that need. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the three expressways to sin is the flesh. Our first parents did not take note of this and so they fell into the trap of the flesh. The Bible says: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food...." she fell for the lust of the flesh. It should be recalled that it was food that made Esau lose his birthright. The greatest birthright, of course, is the place Jesus went to prepare for the elects and no child of God should trade his Heavenly mansion for a morsel of food. It is written:
"Let there be any fornicator or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place or repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Hebrews 12:16-17

This is the categorisation John the beloved Apostle made in his first general epistle when he wrote:
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." John 2:16.

There are terrible products of the flesh as listed in Galatians 5:19-21 which will not allow anyone enter into the Kingdom of God. Paul, another Apostle of Jesus Christ did not underplay the havoc the flesh can do and determined to keep his body under and subject it to spiritual authority, so that he could make it to eternity with his God. It is not a surprise that Paul decided to subject his flesh because he knew the evil it perpetrated against his soul as revealed in another of his epistles where he lamented:
"O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:24

He however found solution to the devastating effect of the flesh in Jesus Christ, as he wrote further in Romans 7:25a.
The lesson we can readily learn from Paul's experience is that we can overcome the negative influence of the flesh if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Our annual resolution to live a godly life cannot help in this regard. Only with the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ can any man overcome the flesh. This is why Jesus is calling everyone, particularly a reader of this devotional; He says:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest". Matthew 11:28

As Paul overcame, we can also overcome the flesh and we shall be able to say like him:
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" 2 Timothy 4:7.
May the Lord give us victory over the flesh in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Right from the Garden of Eden, there have been two categories of people in the world - the godly and the ungodly. Ungodliness didn't just start in the 21st century; it is an age-long problem. Therefore, all conscientious children of God must make up their minds to watch out for ungodly groups and do everything possible to avoid keeping their company. The difference between the heroes of faith and other people that lived in their generations is that the heroes of faith refused to be influenced by the lifestyle of the ungodly. The Psalmist in Psalms 1:1 said;
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly; nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful".

An example of a hero of faith who distinguished himself in godliness is Noah. The Bible says that as perverted as his world was, he decided to live in the fear of the Lord with his household;
"These are the generations of Noah; Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." ... "It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." Genesis 6:9, 6

It is very important that the lovers of God abstain from all appearances of evil. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, an Apostle of Jesus Christ admonishes us not to keep company with the ungodly; he sees no resemblance in the life of the godly and that of the ungodly. The difference is clear and Apostle John spells it out by saying;
"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil...In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother". 1 John 3:9, 10

The world is full of the ungodly, sinners and enemies of God. We live among them and they want to keep our company. They entice us to keep their company also. The Almighty God is speaking to us today to come out from among them. And for those who have come out in genuine repentance but are thinking of going back; don't do it. For those still in sin, the command of God to you today is to get out of your life of sin. You stand to be blessed if you will obey the voice of God today. As a matter of fact, the evil you plan to execute today may be your last action on the face of the earth if you don't repent. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When there was a national calamity of famine in Samaria, a woman conspired with her friend to take turns to kill their children for food. After the other woman had helped her friend to eat her son, she refused to surrender her own son for food. The foolish woman cried to the king for help but the king's reply is a food for thought in 2 Kings 6:27. The king said:
"...If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? Out of the barn floor, or out of the winepress?"

The Psalmist was right when he said, in Psalms 121:2, that his help comes from the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Genuine help can only come from above. The strength of man is bound to fail. The Almighty God is the present Help in the time of need; He is ever ready to send help to whoever solicits for it. He said:
"And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Psalms 50:15

When five kings united against the Gibeonites because they made peace with the children of Israel, they cried unto Joshua who in turn cried unto God for help. The Lord sent help from above and the five kings perished by the hand of Joshua.
"And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword." Joshua 10:11

Many people put their trust in mortal beings and always end up disappointed. The Bible discourages us from putting our trust in men (Jeremiah 17:5). Whereas, the same chapter says:
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is."

Many years ago, someone heard that I was building a house and volunteered to help in the supply of the blocks since he was a block manufacturer and that I should pay at my convenient time. It was a mistake that I never made again. The moment this man realised that I was doing the roofing of the house he began to pester me for his money. I reminded him that he was the one who volunteered to help but he continued all the same to pester me for his money. I cried to God for help with a promise that I will never make such a mistake again. Beloved, I prophesy to your life, the help that will not expose you to ridicule will come your way this season in Jesus' name. However, you must always put your trust in the Lord; you must not choose to have a "Plan B" in your relationship with the Present Help, the Almighty God. More importantly, you must surrender your life to Jesus Christ and abstain from all appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Children of God must cultivate the habit of persistent prayers so that they may attain their full potentials. The importance of prayer cannot be overemphasised when we consider what those who take time to pray gain. The Bible says;
"Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." James 5:17-18

The prayer of Elijah that brought about the rain was not just a five-minute prayer. He prayed and prayed again before the rain fell. When a man of God prays for a few minutes in the public and miracles begin to happen, one should not be deceived that it is the few minutes of prayer that instigated the miracles. The fact is that, the man of God had prayed long hours in private before the public show of God's miraculous deeds. God, in His Word, commands us to "Pray without ceasing." The One who commands us to pray, definitely will answer our prayers, if only we will obey command. God is interested in listening to our petitions and responding accordingly. Our Lord Jesus Christ in John 16:24 says,
"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."

In other words, we must not stop asking if we have not received an answer to the petitions that we put before God. At times, answers to our prayers are double-crossed by the agents of darkness like in the case of Daniel. The following importune prayer of Daniel eventually saved the day:
"Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thin heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." Daniel 10:12-13

Hannah prayed until something happened in her life and so did Jabez. We must begin to pray until the attention of God is drawn to our petition. The Psalmist said in Psalms 30:2 that when he cried to the Lord, the Lord healed him. This is another testimony of someone who believed in the God that answers prayers. My prayer for someone reading this devotional is that as you cry unto God today, He will answer you as He answered Hannah, Jabez and Elijah in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A Adeboye.

One attribute of the Almighty God that children of God cannot afford to be ignorant of is that He is the Greatest Warrior. The children of Israel experienced the mighty deeds of God and they spontaneously composed a song as we read in Exodus 15:1-4:
"The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea."

When children of God fail to recognise the fact that their Father in Heaven is a Man of war, the tendency is that they cringe and bow to worship their enemies in fear. This in turn will bring the judgement of God upon their lives because God says in Exodus 20h3 that we must have no other god before Him. This is why Jesus Christ came to deliver those who, for the fear of death, have subjected themselves to everlasting bondage;
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:14-15

I have seen the mighty deeds of God in my life and I have come to the conclusion that there is no god as mighty as my Daddy in Heaven, the Lord of hosts. One day I was travelling with my driver and we got to the middle of a narrow bridge that could take only one vehicle at a time before we discovered that a truck was coming from the opposite direction on the same bridge. It was the mighty deed of God that made the bridge "elastic" for my car and the truck to pass without colliding with each other. I pray for someone reading this devotional; the mighty deeds of God will produce your desired miracle today in Jesus' name. For you to experience the mighty deeds of God, you must be one of His own. The Israelites experienced the mighty deeds of God because they belonged to Him. To experience the mighty deeds of God, you need to be born-again. The Israelites were covenant people and so God kept His covenant of great deliverance with them such that the enemies that pursued them to the Red Sea were never seen again. The mighty deeds of God will become a daily occurrence in your life if you can identify with the covenant which Jesus made with His blood at Calvary. May the Almighty God cause great deliverance to an oppressed reader of this devotional today in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There will be both pleasant and unpleasant surprises in Heaven. The reason being that many who we think will not make it to Heaven will make it in, just like the robber on the right hand of the Cross of Jesus Christ did. The Bible says;
"But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby." Ezekiel 33:19

The lawful thing for the wicked to do is to repent, as God is more than willing to forgive and to cleanse him from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9). However, the Bible equally says:
"When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby." Ezekiel 33:18

One deadly habit of some 21st century Christians is making a vow and not fulfilling it. This is foolishness of the highest order. The Bible warns us against making vows and not fulfilling them. One of such cases is when funds are being raised for the work of God; careless children of God make very big vows 'in faith' that they are not able to fulfil. You hear them saying, "God understands!" How dangerous. Ecclesiastes 5:5 says;
"Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay."

Verse six of the same scripture further says:
"Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?"

Worse still, despite being capable of paying their vows, some refuse to, even after God has fulfilled His own part. Nothing could be more dangerous than this.

An aspect of vows that is even more delicate is the marriage vow. People no longer accept the fact that marriage vows remain valid until death separates the husband from the wife or vice versa. They give flimsy excuses for divorcing their spouses. Like one of my children would ask: "When you were saying 'for better and for worse', did you put a limit to the extent of the worse you were talking about?" You should never consider breaking your marriage vows. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).

Beloved, always keep and pay your vows, and if you have broken your business or marriage vow, repent, restitute and reconcile before it is too late. Covenant breakers will not enter into the Kingdom of God. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The attitude of ungratefulness irritates God. Where I come from in the western part of Nigeria, our people would say, "Don't follow-up your benevolent act so that you don't give the impression that you want a 'thank you' or some 'hero worship'." This saying is very correct because only God deserves our worship. As a matter of fact, it is only God that is capable of constantly following up His benevolent act and that is why He said;
"...When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the fruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you..." Leviticus 23:10-11

Love is reciprocal. The question is how many people reciprocate the love being showered on them by fellow humans, not to talk of their attitude to God's benevolent acts. The Psalmist saw the danger in the act of ingratitude and preached vehemently to his soul when he wrote:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:" Psalms 103:1-2

The story in Luke 17:11-19 confirms that God expects us to appreciate Him sufficiently for His goodness. Our Lord Jesus Christ queried in Luke 17:17:
"...Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?"

He went further to bless and perfect the healing of the grateful Samaritan. It is unfortunate that many children of God are already so used to the miraculous acts of God that they are no longer moved by these acts. New comers into the Church who still remember clearly what they have suffered by the hands of the devil and his cohorts give thanks to God for every miracle. Whereas, some people don't give testimonies of how God healed them of headache because they don't see it as a "big deal". Such people have forgotten that the headache they consider as ordinary has claimed the lives of thousands. My prayer for someone reading this devotional is that you will never be ungrateful again in Jesus' name. When you continue in your sins after you have been cleansed of them or when you backslide, you are ungrateful to God who gave His son as ransom for your sins and to Jesus Christ who paid the supreme price of laying down His life for you. When you don't forgive your brother who offends you, you are ungrateful to God who pardoned your numerous sins. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One thing that anyone who wants to be used by God should bear in mind is the need to be blameless. This is the prerequisite for a child of God who wants to serve God at any level. The Bible says in 1 Timoty 3:1-2a:
"This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A Bishop then must be blameless..."

Being blameless has two advantages: Firstly, it saves the vessel the calamity of being destroyed by the User, the Almighty God. When a person volunteers to serve the Lord, it is dangerous for the fellow to be unclean, because the holiness of God destroys unclean vessels, just like electric current without insulation. There is a measure of holiness that God Himself bestowed upon man through obedience to His Word, which qualifies man to serve Him. The Bible says concerning Isaiah, how he admitted his sinful state, then God purified and cleansed him of his iniquity to qualify as a true prophet (Isaiah 6:5). Then, the angel of the Lord came and touched him with fire from Heaven and he was purged of his iniquity. Here, we see the mercy of God upon the vessel that He decided to use for His glory. There is a lesson we must learn from this scripture: the prophet admitted his sinful state and God came to his aid for cleansing. How wonderful would it be if those who profess to be children and ministers of God will be homely with the verdict of God concerning the Adamic nature of man and surrender to His holiness for mercy?
The second advantage of a blameless vessel is that his life glorifies the Almighty God. God is honoured in his life and He shows-off the fellow, then ultimately prospers and protects him eternally.
"And the Lord said unto Satan, has thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" Job 1:8

Though Job suffered many trials, but just as the Bible says, his end was better than his beginning;
"So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning..." Job 42:12.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The only genuine source of power for children of God is the Holy Ghost. Any other means is not only a counterfeit but also counterproductive. When Jesus Christ was going to be with His Father, He told His disciples that they should stay back in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father came, only then would they have the power to go out and do the assignment that He has earlier given to them. It is unfortunate that many so-called children of God are gambling with their lives by engaging in the work of the ministry without adequate spiritual preparation.
"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all." Acts 4:31, 33

There are lots of blessings which accrue from receiving the power of the Holy Ghost. For example, the Bible says we do not know how to pray but the Holy Spirit helps our inadequacy and with great groaning, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26). In other words, when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, prayer will not be a difficult task for us. When we are endued with the power of the Holy Ghost, we become unstoppable by our detractors and their threats will not have any effect on our lives. The disciples of old, after they had been threatened by the Jewish leaders in Acts chapter 4, prayed in the Holy Ghost and became so bold that they preached the Word of God in the streets without fear.
"In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Ephesians 1:13

To be endued in the Holy Spirit, however, your salvation must be genuine. Without genuine salvation, you are prone to have a counterfeit Holy Spirit baptism and in turn, counterfeit power which will lead to a vexation of your spirit. This will not be your portion in Jesus' name. Then, you must live holy and make up your mind to become obedient to the Word of God. You must abstain from whatever will grieve the Holy Spirit:
"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." Ephesians 4:30

You grieve the Holy Spirit when you blaspheme Him or touch unclean things. You must be separate unto God (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon a reader of this devotional today in Jesus' name. Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Prayers are of different types and they are also in categories. Today, we shall discuss the prayer of decrees. There is a level you get to in spiritual warfare that prayers of supplication or intercession may prove inadequate. Our Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 11:23 assures us that whatever we command shall obey us. In Mark 11:24 He said:
"Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

A prayer of decree is a prayer that creates; it does not take "NO" for an answer. At times, such prayers do not sound like prayers; yet they are prayers that come in the form of prophecy. More often, only those in an intimate walk with God engage effectively in prayers of decrees. The Bible says;
"Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me." Isaiah. 45:11

A classic example of a prayer of decree is found in Ezekiel chapter 37. The prophet was moved by the Spirit of the Living God to prophesy to dry bones in a valley. He prophesied in the Name of the Lord and there was a miracle of restoration of life. I decree that every mountain threatening the fullness of your joy is removed now in Jesus' name. According to Mark 11:23, when we tell a mountain to be removed, and be cast into the sea, it shall come to pass. A couple trusting God for the fruit of the womb came to me years ago for prayers, and after they had the assurance that their prayers had been answered, an argument ensued on whether the expected baby should be a boy or a girl. So, I intervened by decreeing that in order to settle the argument permanently, the expected miracle babies should come as a set of twins, a boy and a girl. They keyed into this prayer of decree and as the Almighty would have it, in nine months time, the couple had a set of twins - a boy and a girl. I decree to someone reading this devotional; your expected miracle shall come this season in Jesus' name.
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." John 15:16

For us to effectively engage in prayers of decree, we must live in holiness and perfect obedience to the Word of God. Jesus Christ said:
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" John 15:7.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.