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Proverbs 18:10 declares the omnipotent nature of the name of the Lord. In the same verse lies an eternal truth: it says only the righteous can find safety in the name of the Lord. This same Bible however, tells us that none is righteous (Romans 3:10). How then can we access the saving power in the name of the Lord? We find the answer in Matthew 1:20-21. It says the way out of sin is through the name of Jesus Christ. This name is all-powerful, mighty to save from sin, sickness, poverty, demonic attack and death. Praise the Lord!

The Bible predicts a lot of calamities as we approach the second coming of the Lord. Joel 2:30-31 prophesied that the Lord will "...shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come."

Prophet Isaiah also spoke of the terrible things that would happen as we come closer to the end of the world (Isaiah 13:9). Beloved, the only way we can escape the end time calamities is through the name of Jesus. The name would however only work for you if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. To do this, you must acknowledge your sins, confess and repent of them. Thereafter, begin to put your trust in this name which Philippians 2:9-11 describes as:
“..a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”

Thus, it is your responsibility to cry to Jesus for mercy. Use the name of Jesus effectively as you begin to live a life of holiness and perfect obedience to God. By so doing, you would avoid being a victim of the terrible happenings in these last days. Our God is full of tender mercies and loving kindness (Psalms 103:4). He says in Joel 2:32:
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered…”
Call on Him today and be saved.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

If God talked about good success in Joshua 1:8, Then this implies that there is bad success. As God gives good success, the devil also can give the bad kind. In Matthew 4:8-10, the devil showed Jesus Christ the glory of this world and asked Jesus to worship him, promising that he could give Him all the glories of this world. Thank God our Lord Jesus Christ will never worship the devil. It is unfortunate however that many of His children are turning to worship the devil in exchange for success today. Many people indulge in crime, money rituals, and so on to achieve success. That is bad success – success from the devil. This is the type that comes with sorrows (Matthew 16:26).

When you get good success, God will make you rich materially, as well as emotionally, spiritually, maritally, psychologically, and mentally. I don’t know about you, but as for me I want the kind of success that God gives. I will tell you why many people do not choose Gods path to success: they believe Gods way is difficult and the devils is easier, but Proverbs 14:12 tells us:
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

What the devil gives you will eventually fade away and will not be void of troubles; only what God gives will last, give you peace of mind, and keep you holy (Proverbs 10:22, 1 John 2:15-17).

Joseph enjoyed good success. He was a slave, yet the Bible says he was successful, because God was with him (Genesis 39:2). Daniel was a captive in the land of Babylon, yet, he was made the chief of the governors over all the wise men in that empire because he was a man who feared God (Daniel 2:48). Josiah was just eight years old when he became king (2 Kings 22:1). As long as he obeyed God, his reign was successful. King Saul, on the other hand, wanted the success that the world gives; he wanted to be praised by men and to build earthly monuments for himself. His end was destruction. Beloved, I don’t want you to desire the success that the world gives, which only brings you happiness for the moment; instead, desire the success that God gives.

Joshua 1:8, says that when you obey the word of God, good success is guaranteed. This is the type of success that comes without sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).
Choose wisely.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

While it is true that the Bible describes alcohol as a mocker, it is not the only thing that can arouse a deadly appetite; food can and has done great havoc to the destinies of many people in history. The story of Esau and the red pottage with which he exchanged his birthright is a case in point (Hebrews 12:16).

The Bible says: “Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.” “Proverbs 23:20-21” In Proverbs 23:1-8, we are advised to be cautious when we are confronted with delicacies. Some classic examples of people who understood this principle were Daniel and his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. According to Daniel 1:8, they purposed in their hearts not to allow themselves to be carried away by the delicacies of the king so that they would not forget where they were coming from and where they were going. It takes self-discipline not to be a glutton, especially in the time of need. You should not allow your enemies to know when you are hungry or else, they can seize the opportunity to attack you.

The Bible says:
“Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.” “Proverbs 25:16-17”

While the Bible does ask us to rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15), we should beware of excessive eating. Indeed, Proverbs 23:2 says that if you know that you have a large appetite and like to eat, when you feel tempted to succumb to gluttony, hold yourself back as though someone were pointing a knife at your neck to restrain you.

Apostle Paul’s statement about subduing the body (1 Corinthians 9:27) is not restricted to sexual immorality and alcohol consumption, but also excessive food intake. A word is enough for the wise.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

James 1:13-15 clears the erroneous assumption that God experiments with temptations on His children. God does no evil, therefore, if you are His child and are going through temptations, you need to look inward.

We are comforted by Gods promises that He will help His children in the face of temptations. For example, 1 Peter 5:10 says:
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

Beloved, it is grace that saves us from the condemnation of lust, which lures people into diverse temptations. This is why the Bible encourages us to be sober. A life of flamboyance brings snares and temptations. The story of David and Bathsheba is a classic example. David stayed back in his palace at a time when kings usually went forth to battle, thus, he beheld what he should not have - a very beautiful woman bathing (2 Samuel 11:1-5). This same David asked in Psalms 13:1 "How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord?…"

God is not forgetful. If like David, you too have been dragged into sin, God is able to forgive you if you confess and repent (Proverbs 28:13). Until you do so, it may seem as if God may have forgotten you, but that is not the case. It could be assumed that the sincere cry of the Psalmist to God and his self-examination brought back the reality of God’s love to him. He trusted the mercy of God when he repented and his testimony was:
“I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”
Psalm 13:6

I can assure you that God has not forgotten you. If you have erred from the narrow path, He may simply be waiting for you to come back to Him. You have to come in genuine repentance and embrace His love, through His Son Jesus Christ. When you do this today, you will see how near the Almighty God is to you, and how concerned He is about your wellbeing.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One virtue lacking in many 21st Century Christians is contentment and this affects godliness as well. 1 Timothy 6:6 says But godliness with contentment is great gain. Unfortunately, many Christians these days are living in a constant state of discontent. Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 says no amount of money can satisfy those who love riches. Moreover, the more material things you acquire, the more responsibility you have to maintain them. Many rich people cannot sleep well because they are too conscious of those who might steal from them

I am sure you can point to numerous people who are enriching themselves illegitimately, acquiring ill-gotten wealth. There are people who loot the treasury of their countries, carting away billions into foreign bank accounts. What good have these billions done to their physical bodies, not to talk of their souls? It is pure vexation of the spirit, according to King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:14. However, a labourer who has contentment always has a good appetite to eat the modest food available and sleeps like a baby after the day’s work, whereas the rich without contentment will not sleep thinking of how to accumulate more riches and what to do to preserve it. This is why many of such people are chronically stingy suspecting everyone around them to be a cheat. A rich man in a city in Nigeria wanted to give me all his houses so that I would pray for him to be able to sleep. I told him to keep his houses because my sleep is more important to me than a thousand houses that were built with ill-gotten wealth.

Do you want to enjoy life in abundance? Seek the Lord today. He said: “.. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10

A person who is content is the richest fellow in the whole world. You can become content if you are godly. To be godly is to be compliant with the dictates of the unchanging word of God.

It is good to be ambitious, to want bigger and better things for yourself. However, be careful not to desire material prosperity at the expense of your spiritual growth.

God is Holy, His habitation is holy, and He is to be worshipped in the beauty of holiness (Psalms 96:9). The habitation of the Lord is the place where God blesses His people with diverse kinds of blessings spiritual, physical and material. However, only the pure and upright can be inhabited by God, and only people in whom the Lord dwells can enjoy the blessings of God’s presence that guarantees security, according to Psalms 91:1 which says:
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

If you live holy, you live holy for yourself because the Lord watches over the righteous, according to Psalms 5:12. Also, there is promotion for those who abide in the habitation of the Lord, according to Hebrews 1:9. which says:
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

The price of righteous living is what those who want to abide in the habitation of the Lord must pay. Psalm 97:10-11 emphasizes the necessity of righteousness if we would access protection.

Nobody is careless about his or her precious possession. Anyone who chooses to live a consecrated life will enjoy divine protection. Such people are precious stones in the sight of the Lord. The Lord watches over His heritage. This is why the Scripture 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.”
Psalm 125:3

God has promised to inhabit the praises of Israel – His people (Psalms 22:3). The question however is are you one of Gods people? You can only be one of His people if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and are living a righteous life. It is the best decision anyone can ever make.

God keeps the righteous under His protection and ensures that evil does not befall them. My prayer is that the Almighty God will inhabit your praises, and He will fill your life with blessings far beyond all expectations, in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Whereas man does not have a way of getting solutions to his problems, God has uncountable ways of solving all of them. We have the assurance that God is able to bring good out of every problem of our life. Romans 8:28 clearly tells us that all things have been designed to work together for the good of those who love God and are aligned with His purpose.

It takes the eye of faith to come to terms with the Scripture above. In chains, Apostle Paul was being moved from one place to another as a criminal under trial. Despite this, he sought every opportunity to preach the gospel everywhere he went. In Acts 24:1-27 & Acts 25:1-27, he addressed three different important personalities, namely Felix, Festus and King Agrippa. lt was King Agrippa who said to Paul "...Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:28). Paul then said:
“..l 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 26:29

This is a level all children of God must reach if we would enjoy our walk with God. This same truth helped Joseph to stay true to his God even in the midst of his trials in Potiphar’s house and wrongful imprisonment (Genesis 39:1-23). Even when he had the opportunity to take his revenge upon his brothers after his father’s passing, 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 cannot be a hindrance if God is with us; rather, they would be stepping stones to the glorious and expected end God has prepared for us.

I pray that all hindrances on your way to success will become stepping stones to your breakthrough, in Jesus name. You are more than a conqueror!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Profiteering - the act of making excessive and unfair profit usually through illegal means is considered as wickedness before God. Profiteering involves taking undue advantage of others. You may not know the havoc you are wreaking on humanity until God opens your eyes to see that both the services and goods you are charging exorbitantly for are not affordable by those who need them for survival. Many people profiteer because they want to make excessive profits and enrich themselves with worldly possessions. They have lost sight of Proverbs 13:11 which says:
“Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.”

Proverbs 13:22 also says "...the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just".

It is tantamount to slavery when people work for you and you deny them their wages or tactically delay their pay. God will punish such people because they have been unfaithful. James 5:4 says:
“..the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabath.”

The Scripture above expresses the mind of God about profiteering. Consider the lives of those who have gathered wealth illegally just to leave an inheritance for their children. In many cases, even in their lifetime, their children sell property bought with these looted funds to the children of those they have defrauded. We have heard the stories of children of labourers purchasing the property of their father’s masters when the Lord of Sabaoth caused wealth to change hands. Truly, the treasures of wickedness will never bring profit (Proverbs 10:2).

Beloved, remember the words of our Lord Jesus in Luke 12:15 and be wise. Wealth does not guarantee satisfaction, joy, peace and security. It is foolishness to run after wealth mindlessly. Godliness with contentment is what brings great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

God wants you to be totally His. The Lord says in Exodus 20:3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me". There should be nothing standing between you and God. You shouldn’t also allow anyone or anything take His place in your life. God must be your all in all.

Beloved, you cannot claim to truly love God with all your heart, soul, and mind if anyone or anything is more important than Him in your life. Jesus Christ described Matthew 22:37 as the "...first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:38). It would hence amount to disobedience if you do not fulfil this commandment and every transgression of Gods commandment is sin (1 John 3:4). This then means that loving God with all our heart, soul and mind is not optional but compulsory for all His children.

You must therefore not set your heart on the material things of this life if you would please God. The Bible says:
“But they that will be rich fall in to temptation and snare, land 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

The Lord Jesus Christ further 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

Acknowledge the supremacy and excellency of the Almighty God – the Lord of the heavens and the earth at all times and in all you do.

Beloved, God desires that you should set your heart, soul and mind on Him alone. This is the only way to be truly godly and to serve Him acceptably. Every form of worldliness will eventually produce sin, therefore, godliness and contentment must become your watchword (1 Timothy 6:6).

May your service 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 would die as we see in Ezekiel 18:20. John 10:10 however gives us an alternative to sin and death:
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, He saves us from the life of sin, and ultimately eternal death, blessing us with abundant life instead.

Another truth I want to share with us is that the righteousness of God does not allow an offender to be punished twice for one offence. Since Jesus Christ our Redeemer has suffered for our sins, we are discharged and acquitted. As long as you do not commit that sin again, once Jesus has forgiven you, your forgiveness is absolute.

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him striken, 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, I am using this medium to appeal to you to come to Jesus Christ today and He will relieve you of your burden of sin. As a matter of fact, the cross He carried before His crucifixion was for you and me. All you need to do is confess your sins and accept Jesus 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 (1 John 1: We deny ourselves the privilege of the great Burden-Bearer if we refuse to come to Him and make Him the Lord of our lives. He must be your Lord and Saviour.

I pray that the Almighty God will relieve you of every burden of sin and sorrow, in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are many people who could have succeeded in life if they had the privilege of being guided aright. Favour and other good things of life have eluded some believers all through their lives and they wonder why. They do not know that the key to unlocking our desires is hidden in God’s word. Proverbs 4:20-22 says:
“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”

The power in the word of God cannot be overemphasized. John 1:1, 3 captures it beautifully. It says:
“In the beginning was the Word…All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”

In other words, everything, man inclusive, was made by the Word of God. Our Lord Jesus, in John 6:63 corroborates the Scripture above by assuring us that His words are spirit and life-giving, if we would abide in them. Thus, if anyone wants favour and long life, the fellow must be Word-compliant he or she must be complaint with the Word of God (Jesus). Anyone who deviates from the Word that created him would lose divine favour and long life. Adam deviated and although he lived for nine hundred and thirty years, we see that in reality, because he lived for less than a thousand years, he lived for less than one day in the eyes of the Lord (2 Peter 3:.

Beloved, no witch or wizard can kill you if you abide by the wonder-working Word of the Living God. Some people have been deceived; they now believe that the law of God is of no importance anymore because we are now in the dispensation of grace. Paul had seen this and warned against people taking the grace of God for granted. Apart from divine prosperity and long life on earth, eternal life is guaranteed when we abide by the Word of God, as we see in John 17:8, 14 -15.

Beloved, I encourage you to surrender your life to Jesus Christ the Word and Wisdom of God, today, if you haven’t done so. If you have, constantly renew your mind through the Word of God and your life will be filled with miracles. God bless you!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The true and original Wisdom is a personality; hence He speaks, calls, warns and counsels. Jesus Christ is that original Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). He is the One speaking in Proverbs 1:20-29. He is the One calling us personally in Matthew 11:28-30. Only those who are wise would answer the call and thus, have their houses built on the rock (Luke 6:47-48).

In Proverbs 1:20-29, the original Wisdom of God is pleading with His audience - you and me, to listen to His words of reason. He asks why anyone would choose foolishness over wisdom. He wonders why men hate knowledge, the correct application of which brings wisdom that saves from both temporal and eternal damnation. Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God assures us in Proverbs 1:33 that whoever pays close attention to Him in order to do His bidding shall live in safety and the fellow shall be free from all evils. Proverbs 2:6-7 further says: “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.”

Have you responded in the affirmative to the Lords call in Matthew 11:28-30? Answering positively to that call is the best decision you can make in life. In this one call is salvation, prosperity, rest of mind and total freedom from evil. Jesus is calling on you today if you are yet to be born again or have backslidden.

The burden of sin is unbearable for mankind. This is why it is only reasonable to respond to the call of Someone who is ready to take away the burden from us.

Answering the call of Jesus unto salvation is the beginning of wisdom and failure to do so is the foundation of all forms of calamity. Little wonder God says in Proverbs 1:20-29 that, for those who refuse to listen to Him, He would laugh them to scorn in the time of their calamity. May this not be your portion, in the mighty name of Jesus. The Amen to that prayer is in your obedience to hearken to the voice of Wisdom.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Many people miss their blessings because they have not caught the revelation of the power in praise. You may even have seen some ministers and pastors coming into the sanctuary after the praise and worship session has ended. When you ask them as they sit comfortably in their Church office if they would be at the service, they would answer "It is still the worship session; I’ll join in later." Any leader who trivialises praise and worship would not see the need to help equip the choir for inspirational ministrations.

Psalm 150:1-6 is very instructive. It lists musical instruments we can use to offer high praises to our God: the trumpet, psaltery, harp and so on. The psalmist also qualifies the cymbals with which we should praise our God thus: loud and sounding. Thus, we can infer that our praises should be as loud as possible to the Almighty God.

The story of King Jehoshaphat and his encounter with the three allied forces who had come to attack him also shows the importance of having well-equipped choristers. Beloved, when our praise to the Lord goes up, He sends down victory to the Church. Thus, we would not need to fight at all as He would always fight on our behalf.
2 Chronicles 20:17 says:
“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.”

Jehoshaphat appointed singers solely to sing praises to the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:21) How beautiful would it be if our pastors engage some choristers on a full-time basis to sing Gods praises whether there is a congregational service or not. It yields results! An example is in 2 Chronicles 20:22. We must pay good attention to equipping our Choir, Christian orchestra and praise singers because they too are Gods ministers with divine power to deliver victory to the Body of Christ.

Beginning from today, let us commit to giving them the necessary support and instruments so we all can praise the Lord effectively. Whether you are a pastor, minister, worker or member of the congregation, make a commitment to help equip your Church choir, from today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

You cannot win the battle of life, especially spiritual ones, if you do not know who you are in the Lord. One great thing about the children of Israel is that to date, they are still identified as God’s own people. Many people who have fallen into sin have written themselves off, even when God is waiting to receive them with excitement, like the father of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-24. Beloved, as long as you are born again, you must always be conscious of your position in the Lord. 1 John 3:1 says:
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”

When the children of Israel were taken into captivity at Babylon, their captors wanted to mock them by asking them to sing of the goodness of their God, even as they were in distress. The children of Israel knew the motive of the Babylonians and thus, declined to sing. This humbled their captors in a way, because the children of Israel did not cheapen their songs of praise before the Babylonians, who could have corrupted the songs. Sadly, many gospel songs have now been corrupted by secular artistes, and many believers are responsible for this prevalent culture. This is why some unbelievers can naively argue that there is indeed no gospel music. They cannot be farther from the truth. There is music that contains the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and this should be what God’s children listen to.

Rather than sing songs of praises in Babylon, the Israelites sang of God’s vengeance (Psalms 137:8-9). If it appears that the enemy is gaining the upper hand in your life, you must know that it is not over until God says it is over. Perhaps you are being afflicted by the enemy because of sin in your life; turn to Jesus today, He is our advocate with the Father and has paid for our sins (1 John 2:1-2). Never lose faith in God’s mercy; do not take Him for granted by remaining in sin and thinking grace would abound. May you never suffer losses again, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In our devotional today, we will consider the blessings of unity, which have been identified in the Scriptures to include joy, peace, and progress.

When you go through the Psalm 133:1-3, you will observe the Psalmist lamenting, almost in despair. Perhaps this was so because he had seen how elusive unity was among the brethren, even in his time.

Today, despite the fact that we say united we stand; divided we fall in words, sing it in songs and rehearse it in poems; there are still divisions among us. Sadly, this is also the case among believers who should be the leading lights for this dark world. This is the reason joy; peace and progress have eluded so many believers today. This is why, as a Church, we have not been able to accomplish the Great Commission as effectively as we desire. How can two missionaries commissioned by the same organization to the same field of operation not be united? Sadly, this is the state of the Body of Christ in many places today. Believers now fall prey to the enemy, becoming casualties of this disunity.

If the Body of Christ can work together in unity, Psalm 133:1-3 says our blessings are guaranteed. The subject of unity is so important that our Lord Jesus Christ spent time praying about it in Johns gospel. John 17:21, John 17:26:
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me…And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

The absence of love is a major cause of disunity. Jesus however, has prayed about this too. We see that in 1 John 3:11. Beloved, let us begin to work towards the fulfilment of our Lord’s prayer, so that the Church can make headway in our missionary and evangelistic endeavours. Let us love – not in words alone, but also in deed. This way, we will maintain unity.

May the Lord help us all as believers to live together in harmony and work in unity, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The lack of the fear of the Lord has brought untold hardship to many people since the fall of man. However, those who have exercised the fear of the Lord in the past have fulfilled their destinies. Thus, every wise person must exhibit the fear of the Lord.

Joseph could have had his destiny cut short had he succumbed to the temptation of sexual immorality an age-old sin. You would recall that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of this. Reuben also was cursed because of his sexual immorality with his father’s wife (Genesis 49:4). Despite how inviting the temptation was, Joseph feared the Lord and refused to take up the offer of sleeping with Potiphar’s wife. With fear and trembling, he declined in Genesis 39:9 thus:
“There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can l do this great wickedness, and against God?”

You may be wondering how Joseph knew that sleeping with another man’s wife is a sin against her husband and God, considering the fact that the commandment to refrain from adultery was given much later in Exodus 20:14. The truth is that God has written His laws on the heart of man (Hebrews 8:10, Romans 2:14-15). This is what puts His fear in us if we have not been given over to reprobate minds as seen in Romans 1:28.

Joseph prospered because he feared the Lord. Do you fear the Lord?, Do you question the spiritual authority of your Pastors?, Do you still hide under the cloak of a clear conscience even as you engage in sexual immorality?.

Psalm 128:1 says: “Blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.”

The practical way of showing that you fear the Lord is by trembling at His word. Isaiah 66:2 says:
“For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”

I encourage you today to fear the Lord and abstain from all evil. As you do, God Himself will prosper you in all your ways, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Restoration presupposes that something is missing or a loss has occurred, usually that of something good – whether spiritual or physical. There are some people in the Church today who have backslidden and need divine restoration. The danger in backsliding is that the fellow, more often than not, may be reluctant to leave his sinful ways (Proverbs 14:14) and might have been given over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28). If you have backslidden, I pray that you would retrace your steps today, in Jesus name.

When a fellow loses his salvation, so many unpleasant things happen. As in the case of Ezra and his people in Ezra 9:5-9, there was a corruption of virtues.

What then should a spiritually backslidden fellow or nation do to be restored? Like Ezra prayed penitently on behalf of his nation in our Ezra 9:5-9, a backslider too must be penitent and humble before God. Psalm 51:17 says:
“...a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Paul also said in 2 Corinthians 7:10:
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

In other words, when you are so sorrowful about your sins that you confess and forsake them, you experience restoration (Proverbs 28:13). When you repent, you are making a complete U-turn from your trespasses. Ezra warned the people in captivity never to return to the sins that brought them into that state in the first place. He instructed them to stop the pollution of inter-faith marriage too (Ezra 9:12). This is a very important lesson to us as end time believers. We must not conform to this world (Romans 12:1-2), but rather we must come out of the sinful environment, be steadfast, and separated unto God (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

When we obey Gods word, our restoration shall be complete and permanent. Have you suffered spiritual, physical, material, or any other kind of loss? You can experience divine restoration if only you would repent today and return to the Lord.

I pray that the Almighty God will restore unto you everything you have lost, in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

At the opening of the story in Mark 11:12-14, 20-24, the Lord Jesus saw a fig tree that, though blossoming, had no fruit. The Lord therefore decided to teach His disciples two major lessons from it. The first is the danger of fruitlessness even when the grace of God is upon our lives. The fig was leafy and green - a sign that it had potential to bear fruit, though it was not bearing any. Thus, Jesus delivered judgment upon it immediately. The second lesson Jesus taught His disciples on that day is on faith, because He decreed that the fig tree should dry up and it came to pass immediately. Jesus' words in Mark 11:22 provide the foundation for our major lesson today. He said to His disciples "Have faith in God."

Whatever we desire as children of God, we should put it forward to the Lord in prayer and we shall receive it. You may wonder then why He asked in Luke 18:8:
“...Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

The above is where the challenge lies for many believers who are yet to receive answers to their requests from God. The only way such people can get what they want is by exercising faith in God. Beloved, take note of the words of Jesus Christ in today’s reading which says.. and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

It is one thing to pray, it is another thing to actually believe that God will do what we have asked for. The story is told of a priest who called for prayers because there had been drought in the land. After the congregation had gathered for prayers, the priest looked around and asked "Brethren, are you not ready to pray?" The parishioners replied "How do you mean? That is what we have come to do." He asked again "What have you come to do?" And they chorused "To pray for rain." Then he asked "Where are your umbrellas and raincoats if indeed you believe God will answer your prayers?" The parishioners' faith was stirred up so they went to fetch their umbrellas and raincoats. God honoured their faith and gave them rain. What a lesson! Beloved, you must have faith in God for Him to bless you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Imagine how a wealthy man who is willing to do anything for his wife would feel if she were to go to one of their tenants - a bachelor well-known for his philandering ways, to beg for bread. This analogy, as apt as it may seem, does not even come close to describing how horrible it is when Christians seek help from sources other than God.

When humans look away from God and begin to consider lesser beings, including the devil, for help, that is idolatry. Sadly, what many people do not know is that lasting help can only come from God and not from such beings (Zechariah 10:1-2). Our only true source of help is the Almighty God, with whom there is no impossibility (Luke 1:37). No wonder the Psalmist says in Psalms 121:1-2:
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”

In 2 Kings 6:27, a woman had sought help from the king during a siege against Samaria. Thank God the king was wise enough to know he could do nothing of himself. His sincere statement shows the true vanity in seeking help from any source other than God. God, on the other hand, promised His children in Isaiah 41:9-10:
“..Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Beloved, examine yourself: from whom are you seeking help? You are making a great mistake if it is not the Almighty God. I am encouraging you to have complete faith in God for that help you urgently need; He will not fail you. Psalms 34:5 gives us this assurance. You too will testify from today, in the mighty name of Jesus. All you need is to be sure you have a Father-child relationship with the Almighty God and leave the rest to Him.

The Lord is your only true source of help. Cry to Him today. If you are yet to be born again, repent of your sins and confess them to the Lord. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ and then cry out to Him for whatever help you need. He will surely help you.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Genesis 3:10 says that after the devil had deceived Adam and Eve, they suffered from shame. They were ashamed because the glory of the Lord had departed from them. Thus, we see that it was disobedience that brought about shame upon the first couple. God had earlier warned them against eating the forbidden fruit, but they eventually did. Disobedience to God's word brings untold shame and agony.

To avoid or remove shame, we must return to the word of God and live according to its dictates, as we see in Psalm 119:6. Psalm 119:1-8 says those who walk in the law of the Lord are blessed because they are undefiled. It goes further to establish the blessedness of the keepers of the testimonies of the Lord and those who seek Him with their whole heart. Why are they blessed? They are blessed because those iniquities that bring about shame are kept away from them through their obedience.

It is sad that today when Pastors teach on obedience, some people shun it because according to them, we are in the grace dispensation and not that of the law. These people forget that we cannot be in sin and expect grace to abound (Romans 6:1-2). Psalm 119:9, 11 also says:
“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word… Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Proverbs 3:35 says the wise shall inherit glory but shame shall be the promotion of fools. The word fools here refers to people who act as though there is no God (Psalms 53:1). When a fellow behaves as if his or her wickedness shall not be brought to book, the person is indirectly saying that there is no God anywhere to judge him. When a person travels far away from a familiar environment just to commit sin, he or she is acting like there is no God because otherwise, such a fellow would know that God is everywhere. Shame is the portion of such people. You will not be put to shame, in Jesus name. If this prayer would be answered, you must repent and live in complete obedience to the word of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Some people may think that Christian Social Responsibility (CSR) is a twenty-first century concept, but that is not so. In fact, CSR has been in existence since the Old Testament days. I encourage you to read Leviticus 19:9-10; you will see from that Scripture that social responsibility had already been entrenched in the law of sowing and reaping among the children of Israel, and by extension children of Abraham in the faith.

When you cater for the poor, you are ministering deliverance to yourself; indeed Psalm 41:1 says that for anyone who does this, …the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. Be they financial, physical, spiritual, marital, or career troubles, God will deliver you when you help the less privileged.

When the widow of Zarephath was giving her last meal to the prophet, she could not have known that she would be reaping deliverance from starvation for the next three and a half years, for herself and her household. Psalms 41:2 also says the Lord will preserve those who remember the poor and keep them alive. Thus, if you want long life, one of the surest ways of getting it is by giving to the poor.

Matthew 6:1-4 tells us how best to execute our CSR projects before the Lord. God's way of doing CSR is such that we do not seek the commendation of men like the people of the world, especially when politicians want peoples votes. When we engage in charitable deeds and then invite the media to broadcast it so we can receive commendation from the world, we are doing the direct opposite of what Jesus wants. I spoke extensively on this in one of my telecasts during the COVID-19 pandemic early last year. According to Matthew 6:2, we lose our eternal reward when we advertise our acts of social responsibility just because we seek human commendation. However, when we do our social responsibility Jesus way, our reward is eternal. Matthew 6:4 says:
“and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

Beloved, remember the poor around you and be sure to put a smile on the face of at least one person in need today. As you do, don’t forget to do it Christ’s way. God will bless you abundantly as you do, in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is common for unbelievers to flaunt their prosperity. However, as we see in Psalm 37:1, God does not want His children to be carried away by the success of unbelievers.

Psalm 37:1 contains many attractive things that unbelievers seemingly enjoy, so much so that unless a child of God is well-grounded in the Scripture, the fellow may think that he or she is missing out on something by being godly.

Beloved, deciding to maintain a godly lifestyle is the best decision you can ever make. God is taking account of your watchfulness in doing His will and He will soon make it known to the wicked world that you are right and they are wrong. The Psalmist describes the end of the wicked in Psalms 73:16-18
“When I thought to know this, it was painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction”

You do not have to be corrupt simply because the world claims that everyone is. The truth is that, like God did in the time of Elijah (1 Kings 19:14, 1 Kings 19:18), He has also reserved an unimaginable number of His children who have made up their minds to follow the Master to the end, even today.

The story is told of two Christian soldiers who stormed a meeting place of Christians during the reign of terror in the Soviet Union. These soldiers threatened to kill whoever confessed Jesus as their Lord, and promised to set free those who might want to change their minds. Unfortunately, many of those Christians denied Christ. It was while the freed worshippers were leaving that the soldiers revealed their true identities and intent to show hypocritical Christians among the flock.

Today, ungodliness is in vogue because it seems to pay off. However, this is not true, especially when you consider the end of people who live as such. Beloved, let us keep on the firing line of holiness because Matthew 10:22 says whosoever endures to the end shall experience the ultimate salvation.

May you indeed endure to the end and receive your crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Does your enemy have any legitimate claim against you? Are you sure your adversary does not have a genuine reason to attack you? These are questions you must answer before inviting God – the Great Ally, to come to your aid in the battle of life. Requesting divine intervention against your enemies will be counterproductive if you are the real enemy of yourself. How can one be an enemy of himself or herself? The answer is in Romans 8:31. You can be against yourself when you break divine laws, and this has its consequences. An example is in Malachi 3:8-9:
“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.”

Anyone who refuses to pay their tithes is robbing God. What are you doing that is taking you away from your Maker the One who is supposed to be your unfailing Ally? You must answer this question before inviting God to be your Ally so you wouldn’t be inviting Someone you have taken as an enemy – that would be the greatest irony of all. Many times, I have told my children that there is only one person who can be against us when God wants to be for us and that is our very selves! The nobleman said to the unprofitable servant in Luke 19:22:
“..Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant…”

We can also create enmity with the Greatest Ally when we abuse Gods temple either by sexual immorality or indecent dressing. 1 Corinthians 3:17 says God would destroy anyone who destroys His temple. Your dressing can destroy another person and when that happens, you create enmity between yourself and God. Thus, there is no way God can come to your rescue in the time of adversity. This is why you must ensure that your friendship with God is not in doubt at any time. This is possible when you accept Jesus as your Lord and forsake all sinful habits.

If you are already born again, continue to live Holy. When you do, God will fight for you and humiliate your enemies in ways you could never have imagined.

Beloved, I beseech you: do not be an enemy to yourself and ensure you are always on the side of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There are many things we must consider before Romans 8:28 can become the reality in our lives. We have to first look at Psalm 33:1-5 in conjunction with Hebrews 1:9.

Psalm 33:1-5 reveals that only a certain group of people can rejoice in the Lord and they are the righteous. In other words, even amidst all the calamities in this world, the righteous can still experience the goodness of the Lord. We also see that what makes a man righteous is the word of God. Psalms 33:4 says:
“For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.”

Psalms 119:9 and Psalms 119:115-116 also corroborate this. Although unrighteousness appears to have become the order of the day and it appears the wicked are walking around free and rejoicing, you must not be deceived because their end is destruction. I know this because Psalms 73:18-19 says:
“Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors.”

We see a contrast in fortune for the righteous in Hebrews 1:9, however. Here, the blessedness of righteousness is revealed. Those who love to be upright and hate iniquity are anointed with the oil of gladness. In other words, even when the world is in agony, the righteous are far from calamities, rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord. A classic example of this is Noah who was preserved in the ark with members of his immediate family during the flood (Genesis 7:17). While others agonized and drowned, Noah was navigating upon the flood safely with his family. This is exactly how it would turn out on the last day; the righteous shall rejoice and the wicked shall be damned. Even now, God knows how He keeps His children from danger. Psalms 91:1-16 confirms this.

May the blessedness of the Lord be your portion from today as you live righteously, even in this perverse world, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

We may not be able to comprehend what true blessedness is until we experience divine forgiveness. Nothing can be compared with the joy of salvation. We see this with Zacchaeus when Jesus called him in Luke 19:2-8; it was that joy that caused him to make restitution for his past evil deeds. When a man is genuinely saved, he will not only joyfully live a godly life, he will also feel compelled to right his past wrongdoings. It is the lack of genuine salvation that makes an individual to still keep, for example, a strange man or woman in his or her life, even after conversion.

One of the most amazing salvation stories is in Luke 23:39-43. With just a few hours before he would have gone into hell, one of the robbers on the cross beside Jesus experienced a great turnaround and entered into Paradise. From this, we can see that the salvation prayer does not have to be lengthy; it only has to be simple, straight to the point and sincere. All you need to do is repent of your sins and promise God not to return to them. Pleading the blood of Jesus over your life for cleansing is also paramount in this regard. We see the publican pray in Luke 18:10-14 "...God be merciful to me a sinner and Jesus said of him I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other..."

God’s blessings (divine help) come in multiple forms but the blessing of divine forgiveness should be the first one we should all seek. In Luke 23:39-43, both robbers made separate requests. One asked for deliverance, the other salvation. Jesus Christ prioritised the request for salvation. Here we see true blessedness.

Beloved, true blessedness lies in the forgiveness we receive for our sins; it is upon this foundation that all other blessings are built. This is why, if you are yet to repent, I implore you to do so without further delay. Confess your known and unknown sins to Jesus – the Saviour of mankind. He will forgive you as He did Zacchaeus and the robber on the cross, so that God’s blessings will flow into your life, in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The ability to stand firm against evil is one of the many virtues that are gradually disappearing from the Church today. The axiom "If you can’t beat them, join them" has become widely acceptable. May God help His Church in the mighty name of Jesus.

Proverbs 17:15 states clearly that God abhors those who support wickedness as well as those who upbraid the just. When we refuse to condemn evil and wickedness we will definitely reject and vote against the just. Jesus Christ, after commending their charitable service, faith and patience, warned the Church at Thyatira against tolerating sexual immorality, typified in the woman Jezebel who called herself a prophetess seducing innocent souls in the Church (Revelation 2:20). Such people are those who, through their comportment, excessive adornment and fashion have moved the world into the Church. Apostle Paul cautioned us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14).

The call of God to us today is to stand up against evil, first within the Church, before taking the battle to the gates of hell. Unfortunately, many Christians applaud or ignore ungodly acts even in the Church. They shy away from condemning ungodly acts for fear of being condemned by the world. This is why, in some countries, you cannot preach against homosexuality; if you do, you may be jailed and it is your fellow Christian brethren or pastor who will condemn you as being foolish for not being discreet enough! Likewise, in some societies, violence against women, especially rape, is rampant, yet nothing meaningful is being done to stop the practice.

One of my children was once on a panel where some pastors were being interviewed for promotion. One particular candidate had been most passionate about his convictions with respect to godly standards as contained in the word of God, opposing worldly views with confidence. However, when this godly candidate left, another member of the panel said If this is what that pastor is holding on to, he will not have ten people in his congregation!

The truth has been mortgaged in some quarters of Christendom. Beloved, please arise and let us, as one, stand against evil.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is sad that many Christians fail to take advantage of the numerous prayer meetings available to them, to get their problems solved. Some come to the Church and are unable to cry to God to solve the challenges that brought them to His presence. Others even doze off at prayer vigils, missing their moments of divine visitation. In Mark 10:46-52, we see the beautiful reward of crying to God in prayer. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing through Jericho, he cried out. Though he had no eyes to see Jesus, he made use of his mouth to cry to the Lord, even when the people around were discouraging him from doing so (Mark 10:48).

Many years ago, a woman was attacked by the devil. It was such that she was unable to retain in her system anything she ate. When things became unbearable, she ran to God. She came for one of our services and arrived at a point when the Lord was asking the congregation to shout Hallelujah. The woman, in faith, responded to the Lords command through His minister and shouted Hallelujah with everyone else. God honoured her faith as she shouted; a worm popped out of her mouth and that was the end of her problem.

Sometimes, people who cannot help you may try to discourage you from crying to God for help. It is left for you to either allow them to discourage you or refuse to be shut up. As for me, I will not be shut up. Psalms 5:3 says:
“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

While Jesus knew Bartimaeus need, He still asked him what he wanted. This is because Jesus would not break the Scripture in Matthew 7:7 which says "Ask, and it shall be given unto you…" Thank God Bartimaeus asked for his ultimate need to be met - his eyesight, and not for some shekels. His cry was meaningful. There are also meaningless cries – cries without substance. They are the type Jesus describes as vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7). A vain repetition is any form of prayer not in alignment with the will and word of God (James 4:3). Beloved, like Bartimaeus did in Mark 10:51, you must cry to God meaningfully! May the Lord hear your cry today, in Jesus name. Make a list of your major needs and spend time crying to God to meet them all in Jesus name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Any coalition that does not have God and His perfect will as its focus is evil. Ephesians 4:13 says we are only made perfect when we come to the unity of faith which comes from the knowledge of Jesus Christ. This Scripture is simply saying that when we are called to unite, we must first ask for the purpose of such union. This is because uniting with people blindly could result in untold agony, as we see in the case of Jehoshaphat the King of Judah and his unholy alliance with the idolatrous Ahab King of Israel (1 Kings 22:1-53). It was only the mercy of God that spared Jehoshaphat from dying another man’s death.

The unfortunate thing about an ungodly and rebellious alliance is that it always ends in frustration and shame. Psalms 2:4 says when people do this:
“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”

We see this with the people at Babel in Genesis 11:1-8. They united in rebellion and God confounded their language, so they could not understand one another.

The record in Psalms 2:2 teaches us several lessons. One is that God is always aware of any alliance to rebel against Him. The Almighty God will always reveal the evil plans of your enemies, in Jesus name. Two, God does not only expose the evil conspiracies, He also always does something about them. We see an example in Daniel 6:7-24 when the princes and presidents in Babylon conspired against Daniel. All those who are united against God's purpose for your life shall be confounded and their purposes will be defeated, in Jesus name. Three, when God arises to foil the plans of those who unite against Him and His people, He leaves them confused and in disarray. Your enemies will never be able to agree in their decision to destroy you, in Jesus' name.

Do not consent when rebellious people ask you to join them (Proverbs 1:10-15).

Beloved, look inward: are you uniting in any form of rebellion? Now is the time to stop, if you are. If you are not, I congratulate you. May the Lord grant you the grace never to align yourself with rebels, in the mighty name of Jesus.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Envy is so serious that Proverbs 27:4 says: “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?”

This means that wrath and anger are no match for envy. Beloved, it would take divine intervention for an envious person to escape the consequences of his or her actions. Joseph was the object of envy even among his brothers, so much so that they could have killed him if not for God who kept him. In the end however, all those who were envious of the grace of God upon his life bowed to him. Are you an object of envy from members of your household biological or spiritual? The Lord will deliver you today, in Jesus name.

God’s word is true throughout the ages, thus we must watch out for our attitude towards it. Jesus said in Matthew 10:36 that... "a man’s foes shall be they of his own household."

Joseph’s story is a lesson for believers who share testimonies of divine happenings that are still at the incubation stage, thus furnishing the enemies with information that could be used against them. Joseph naively revealed his dream of becoming a ruler to his brothers who were already envious. He could have kept the dream to himself and would still have fulfilled his destiny because it was of the Lord. I know this because Psalms 33:11 says:
“The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever…”

As Gods children, the Bible is full of assurances of protection for us. Psalms 23:1-6, for example, says that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil and that goodness and mercy shall follow us wherever we go.

We must be mindful however, of the kind of people we share our visions, dreams, and aspirations with because the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). We must not deliberately rouse the envy of our enemies because grace does not cover frivolity.

While we have the guarantee of the Lords protection, we must also be careful not to court envy by our actions or in actions thereby generating unnecessary strife.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Apostle James captures the extent to which the tongue can go in destroying a person’s destiny, in Proverbs 15:1:
"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell."
James 3:6

The tongue indeed is a fire, thus it must be controlled. Controlled fire can be used productively; however, uncontrolled fire destroys. The tongue is so complex that it could be likened to a fountain that produces cold and hot water at the same time. What can we now do to this thing that the Bible describes as ..an unruly evil, full of deadly poison? (James 3:. Since the Bible describes the tongue as poison the good news is that Jesus promised us that even if we drink a deadly thing, it shall by no means hurt us (Mark 16:18). Therefore, one can see that every problem of man ends at the cross of Jesus Christ.

The story was told of a woman who was having problems in her marriage. She consulted a wise old man in her family who gave her a small, smooth stone to slip into her mouth and lick, remaining silent, every time her husband picked a quarrel with her. She did this and before long, peace was restored to that home. She ran to the wise old man to show her gratitude for the effectiveness of the charm only to have him tell her that what he had given her was an ordinary stone. He had merely found a way to make her keep quiet rather than destroy her home with her mouth.

The Bible says:
“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”
Proverbs 16:24

Choose to speak only words that edify and if you must correct someone, do it constructively and in love.

All children of God must learn to control their tongues. As there is a time to talk, there is also a time to keep silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

When we talk, our words must be fitly spoken (Proverbs 25:11) in due season (Proverbs 15:23).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Today’s devotional is mainly directed to ‘wives’, not just ‘women’. The reality is that not all women are wives. As many as are trusting the Lord for a glorious change of status, I pray that God will grant that good desire this season, in Jesus’ name.

Wives – not mistresses or ‘bed-partners’, are divinely given the assignment of home-building. This is because neither a mistress nor a bed-partner has the divine grace to build a godly home. Beloved, it is wisdom that makes a woman a wife and according to Proverbs 9:10, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. More importantly, Jesus is the Wisdom that transforms a woman to a godly wife and then a home-builder. Sisters, when you allow Jesus into your life, you cease to be an ordinary woman; you become a virtuous and godly one.

There is something we must take into cognizance in 1 Peter 3:1-6, and that is the phrase “by the conversation of the wives”. ‘The wives’ here refers to God-fearing women who have been distinguished by their chaste conversation and general conduct, which is occasioned by the fear of the Lord, and not that of their husbands, per se. It is wisdom when a wife builds her home.

However, it is great foolishness for wives to pull down their homes by themselves. Sadly, many women today have pulled down their homes and are now roaming aimlessly on the ‘streets’ of life without any covering. They may pretend that all is well but the truth is that they are hurting and nursing regrets of their past actions internally. Some of them who are now considered ‘old wives’ or ‘ex-wives’ are on revenge missions – teaching younger wives to pull down their homes in order to have them join in roaming the ‘streets’ of life. Sisters, beware of these deceivers. 1 Timothy 4:7 says:
But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

No matter your achievements, as a Christian wife, you must be submissive to your husband if you want peace, joy and progress in your home. I speak peace to whatever trouble is in your home. I speak glory to whatever reproach is in your family today, in Jesus’ name. Be wise; invite Jesus Christ into your home today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The world, from the beginning, has been full of deceit. This is why, today, the Lord is warning all His children to beware of being guarantors for people who would not keep their promises. Some people have lost all their life savings because they stood as surety for people who defaulted in repaying bank loans. Proverbs 20:25 reveals the folly of making enquiry after already vowing. That action can have eternal implications; Romans 13:8 warns that we should owe no man anything except love. Ecclesiastes 5:5-6 further says:
“Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 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 thy hands?”

God is warning us through Proverbs 6:1-5 to avoid standing surety to those we do not know very well, unbelievers in general and particularly unstable or inconsistent brethren in the Church. This is because such people could turn out to be heartless foes when they begin to default.

Marriage vows are even more serious, and as believers we must honour them. There are many wolves in sheep’s clothing in the Church today – pretenders who take innocent souls to the altar deceitfully just to wreak havoc on the spiritual lives of their victims. You must beware and take today's warning seriously. If you are among the deceivers in the Church, you must repent today, before the judgment of God comes upon you.

As a young person preparing for marriage, pay close attention to getting to really know your potential spouse very well. Do not forget: marriage is for better and for worse. It is better for you not to make a vow at all than to make one and then be seeking to annul it. Be wary of presumptuous love affairs and love at first sight. Take your time to investigate the life and background of the fellow you want to spend the rest of your life with. I have always said If love is blind, marriage would heal the blindness.

Beloved, as children of God our integrity must never be questionable, so before you commit yourself in any way, always exercise due diligence and seek Gods guidance.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.