₦airaland Forum

Joshua 1:8 lets us know straightaway that not all success is the same. While some success can be good, others can be bad.  If you want your own success to be good, this Book of the Law, which is the Bible, shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night to ensure that you live according to all that it says. The word of God further emphasises the fact that not all success is good success. For example, Proverbs 1:32 tells us that if prosperity is put in the hands of a fool, it will eventually destroy him or her. This means there is a kind of success that brings destruction. We see this today in the lives of many seemingly successful people, especially celebrities and young stars all over the world. I pray that the kind of success and prosperity that destroys its owner will never come your way in the Name of Jesus.

Good success has many facets. It could mean prosperity without adversity. Proverbs 10:22 says that the blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow. It could also mean promotion without the possibility of demotion. It is better not to be promoted at all, than to be promoted today and demoted tomorrow. Good success also refers to deliverance without any relapse. It is sad that some people who were once delivered have later relapsed into bondage again (Luke 11:24-26). Good success also manifest as victory without the possibility of future defeat, as well as possessing an anointing that never dries up. Good success is salvation without backsliding, and it could also mean several other things. The Lord will grant you good success in the form of a blessing that lasts forever in Jesus’ Name.

For you to experience good success, you must first accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. Then, you must submit to the authority of the Bible as the eternal word of God, through a diligent study of its teachings. You must take the word of God as your absolute guide in all matters relating to human life and existence. Your commitment and obedience to the word of God will bring you to a level of fellowship with God that attracts the assured presence of His almighty power, which enforces the manifestation of good success and prosperity in your life. As you endeavour to live according to God’s word today, good success and prosperity will accompany everything you do, in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is a relationship between wisdom and Joy. We see this truth in Ecclesiastes 8:1b:
“A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.”
The reason why the wise possess joy is that they work to bring joy to the people around them and not to themselves alone (2nd Corinthians 2:3). Who then are the wise? Proverbs 10:8a answers this question:
“The wise in heart will receive commandments;”
It takes wisdom and humility of heart for a man to abide by the commandments of God. Alas, these two are in short supply in today’s world. No wonder joy is fast becoming a scarce commodity. For a lot of people in the world today, God’s commandments are no longer an issue to be considered. Liberal theologians are busy convincing the gullible that the commandments of God are obsolete, moribund and out of fashion. They argue that the only way to sustain the Christian faith is to abandon the commandments of God as reinforced by Jesus Christ in the gospels. The message of the Bible is being over-contextualized to the point that we have many varieties of beliefs and practices in the Body of Christ today. It’s presented as if when God was giving His commandments, He did not have the whole world in mind. We must admit the truth that when Jesus Christ was teaching His disciples, He was preparing them to evangelise the world. He could therefore not have sent them out to different parts of the world to teach a spiritual curriculum that is different from what He had already taught them as recorded in the gospels. This is the testimony of one of His disciples about their message to the whole world in 1st John 1:3:
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

A hymn writer’s advice would suffice as the crux of the message for today’s devotional: “Trust and obey; for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus; but to trust, and obey.” Only the fear of God, which produces adherence to His commandments, can give you joy unspeakable and make you full of His glory. Be wise today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Information is very powerful, and the wise do not underestimate its power. It can have positive or negative impact, depending on the type of information, the giver of the information and the receiver of that information. The Lord will give you pleasant information today in Jesus’ Name. It was pleasant Information to Abraham and his household, when the Lord announced the coming of the child of promise (Genesis 18:10). However, it was unpleasant information when the Lord later announced the coming total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Abraham’s nephew lived (Genesis 18:17-21). However, irrespective of the nature of the information, it is always a privilege to have access to divine information, because it enables you to always be one step ahead of the enemy.

In Amos 3:7, the Lord committed Himself to the principle of sharing divine information with His servants. The wise will scrutinize this principle and apply it to their benefit. Daniel was wise; he therefore tapped into the possibilities made accessible by this commitment. In Daniel 2:13-19, when all the astrologers in Babylon were to be killed because they could not decode the information embedded in the king’s dream, they turned to Daniel who knew how to access divine information from the spirit realm. Beloved, where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). We can learn some vital truths on accessing divine information from the experience of Daniel and his companions, one of which is that they got the information from the God of Heaven. For you to access information that will guide you aright in life, you need the God of Heaven, This same God has packaged all the information you need to excel in life in a book called the Bible. Just as divine information made a way of escape for Daniel, it also helped the king of Israel, guided by Elisha, to escape the traps of the king of Syria. 2nd Kings 6:9-10 says,
“And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.”
We will be delivered from the snares of our enemies when we have access to divine information, but we must act on it like the king of Israel did. For example, we have been divinely informed that sinners face eternal damnation but can escape this future through repentance and acceptance of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The wise will act on this information and escape eternal damnation.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our God is a God of dominion who rules by decrees (Psalm 148:5-6, Jeremiah 5:22). It therefore follows that if He created man in His own image and after His likeness, man should also rule by decrees. Genesis 1:28 gives an insight into the mandate of dominion that God gave to man after he was created:
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
It is unfortunate that man fell from his position of authority where he ruled by decrees and began to be ruled by circumstances. It is however more unfortunate that some children of God have failed to realise the position of dominion that they have been restored to in the new dispensation of the covenant in the Blood of Jesus (Luke 22:20). It is true that man fell and lost his dominion, but it is equally true that this dominion was restored through the second Adam: Jesus. Therefore, man should no longer live under the curse of sin anymore, because he has regained his dominion through Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, who died as a ransom for the sins of the human race (Romans 5:12,17,18). This is the confidence by which the apostles of old lived, and the basis of their ability to live by decrees. Paul demonstrated this in Acts 16:18:
“And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”

Even before the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ, some men peered into the glory of the dispensation that was to come and were able to partake of the glory which they saw afar off (1st Peter 1:10-11). One of such men is Elijah, who lived and ruled by decrees. Elijah was calling the shots and holding sway on behalf of his God (1st Kings 17:1,2nd Kings 1:10). The good news is that we of the new dispensation have a better covenant than that of Elijah, because the Son of God is at the right hand of power backing our decrees up through His intercession on our behalf (Romans 8:34). You must therefore recognise who you are and the power at your disposal. Recognise and believe that the words of Job 22:28 apply to you. Henceforth, live by decrees and dominion, and never allow yourself become a victim of circumstances again. Jesus is Lord!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our imagination cannot begin to grasp the extent of the many benefits which our redemption through the Blood of Jesus Christ grants to us. The price that was paid on the cross of Calvary forever changed our state, our status and our future. One of the changes it made to our status is revealed to us in Revelation 1:5b-6:
“Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
It is clear from this scripture that those who have been redeemed by the precious Blood of the Lamb are kings. To leave no doubt in our minds, our status of royalty is further declared to us in 1st Peter 2:9. Having been taken from the dunghill of sin and made kings unto God, the least we can do is to comport ourselves in a manner that aligns with our new status. In order for us to continually live in the reality of our royal status, the Holy Spirit has gone the extra mile to clearly define what we should and should not do as kings unto God. One of those things we should not do is clearly stated in Proverbs 31:4 as follows:
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel,  it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:”
I believe this is clear enough. For those who want to live their lives as kings unto God in this world and reign as kings with Jesus Christ in the world to come, total abstinence from alcohol is not an option.

Proverbs 23:29-35 further explains to us the reason why alcohol is not for kings. It may seem harmless at the time it is being gulped down the throat, but when it arrives in your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, what does it do? It stirs up things in you that are contrary to the nature of God that you share. Proverbs 23:33 mentions some of such things:
“Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.”
Just take a look at Noah to understand what alcohol can do to a great man (Genesis 9:19-25). It eventually brought an everlasting curse upon one of his beloved children. I pray for you that your appetite will not put you in trouble in Jesus’ Name. Please drop your contentious arguments about drinking alcohol today. Count it a worthy sacrifice you need to make to follow after the Master. Seek to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit and the appetite for wine will fade into oblivion (Ephesians 5:18).
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A disciple is a disciplined follower of Jesus Christ, committed to the life and principles of God’s kingdom which Jesus Christ came to teach and demonstrate on earth. When He was leaving the earth, the Lord Jesus Christ instructed those who were already His disciples to make disciples of all nations of the world. Why is it necessary to make people Christ’s disciples, and how do we make disciples of people? What does the kingdom of God stand to gain when people are made disciples of Jesus Christ? These are questions worthy of our consideration. We are to make disciples of all nations of the world because it is the Lord’s commandment. The Lord commanded us to do this because He wants to reconcile all of mankind back to God. 2nd Corinthians 5:19 says,
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
After a lost soul has experienced the new-birth in Christ, God expects that a systematic teaching of His word will follow in order to transform the new believer into the image of Jesus Christ. For this reason, the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 28:9-10 says:
“Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
One characteristic of a genuinely born-again fellow is the desire to grow through God’s word (1st Peter 2:2-3). Such a person should therefore not be starved of the sound teaching of the word.  If you have led a person to Christ, it should be your desire to see that person grow into the stature of the Son of God (Ephesians 4:13-15).

The Church and the world stand to gain peace as the number of the disciples of the Prince of Peace increases. Terrorism will be eliminated. There would be no Al-Qaeda, ISIS or Boko Haram sects. Murder, drug addiction, homosexuality and other acts of sin will become unpopular. Police stations and Prison yards will perpetually be on holiday. The earth will become a paradise. This will come to fulfilment, because the Lord Jesus Christ, in Matthew 6:10, taught us to pray thus:
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to His disciples very important aspects of His being when He declared Himself as the Light of the world in John 8:12:
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
He followed this up by manifesting this attribute when He performed a creative miracle in order to bring light into the life of a man who had never been able to see (John 9). Before creating eyes where none existed before, to signify the purpose of what He was about to do, He declared in John 9:5:
“As longs as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
I pray that any form of darkness engulfing your life will disappear today in Jesus’ Name. You cannot drive away darkness. All you need to do to make darkness disappear is to let in the light. For this reason, I ask you to allow Jesus into every area of your life without exception, because wherever He is, there will be light. If He enters your life today, light has entered into you.

From James 1:17, we understand that Jesus is also the Father of lights. It then follows that if Jesus is the Father of lights, He must have children who are lights. Who then are the children of the Father of lights? We Christians are. He revealed our identity to us in Matthew 5:14, saying:
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
There is no hiding place for genuine children of  Light, because they cannot but function to expose the works of darkness. As lights, we are to guide those who are in darkness out of it (Romans 2:19). As our Lord is the Light of the world, so are we. We must shine on His behalf by exposing the evil of sin and the wickedness of the devil and his agents. Doing this will certainly attract persecution, and so we must be battle-ready against the kingdom of darkness. Our focus must be on Jesus Christ the Light from whom we obtain our light. Let’s hold on to His message to us in John 15:19
“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
This is where the problem lies; children of the Light today are not ready to be hated. They would rather conform to the world instead of using their light to transform the world. God will help you shine brightly as an agent of transformation in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The God whom I serve is not only the beginning, He is also the ending (Revelations 1:. This is why He can give a lost soul a new beginning and also bring those without hope to an expected end (Exodus 12:2, 2nd Corinthians 5:17,Jeremiah 29:11). This simply means that the Almighty God that I serve is the All in All who fills everywhere (Psalm 139:7-13, Ephesians 4:9-10). The supremacy and pre-eminence of the Almighty God of heaven and earth was not bestowed on Him by any man or creature; they are inherent in Him (1st Timothy 6:16). His supremacy and pre-eminence must be acknowledged by all His creation (Psalms 103:19-22). In Exodus 20:1-6, God demands exclusive worship from those He calls His own. He clearly spelt out this demand because He knows that there is a tendency for mankind to worship the contraptions of his heart. Who is the God that you serve; the self-existing God or a contraption borne out of the imagination of men’s hearts? A lot of people today have idolised other men to the point of worship. They follow what such people say and believe what they spew out of their mouths, even when such things are contrary to what the Creator has said in His word. Some people worship whatever the imagination of their heart brings to them by believing that they are what their thoughts say they are, contrary to what God created them to be. To such people, their imagination is their god and they bend in whatever direction it leads them. This is why some people subject themselves to gender reassignment surgery, based on what their imagination dictates. As a human being, whether you like it or not, there will always be something you worship, even though you don’t realise it. It is a dangerous thing to make anything aside from the God of heaven the object of your worship, because this elicits a curse from heaven.
Jeremiah 17:5 says,
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

Moreover, the Lord commanded that we should not bow to anything or anyone but Himself. This was the position Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took when they were faced with the option of bowing or burning (Daniel 3). They chose to burn rather than bow to the image of King Nebuchadnezzar. Today, for fear of death, many are bowing to the image of witchcraft, sorcery and various occult groups. Jesus came to deliver such people, if they will accept Him (Hebrews 2:14-15). Don’t let anyone deceive you, there is no other god beside the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus is the only way to Him (1st Timothy 2:5). Accept Jesus today and put your absolute trust in Him alone.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“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.”
Psalm 1:1
Why does the Holy Spirit counsel us not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful? It is simply because you will be judged by the company you keep. The story in 2 Chronicles 18:28-32 is food for thought and a lesson to all those who think that they can still keep their old friends after their new birth experience. Jehoshaphat, the godly king of Judah, went in the company of Ahab, the evil king of Israel, to fight a battle. Despite the warning by God’s prophet that the outcome of the battle would not be favourable, he still went ahead with Ahab to fight in this battle (2nd Chronicles 18:9-16). Meanwhile, Ahab decided to disguise himself as an ordinary soldier, while he persuaded Jehoshaphat to dress in his royal robes. Unknown to Jehoshaphat, the king of Syria had instructed his soldiers to go after the king of Israel alone. So, on sighting Jehoshaphat dressed in royal apparel, the soldiers went after him, thinking he was the king of Israel. He would have been killed, but for divine intervention. One lesson here is that the king of Judah would not have been attacked if he had not kept company with an evil king who was under God’s judgement (2nd Chronicles 18:27). Another lesson is that keeping company with the ungodly exposes you to the dangers of a fraudulent lifestyle. Why did King Ahad disguise himself as if he was not a king? One can only assume that his motive was to set Jehoshaphat up for intense attack.

There have been stories of young school girls who have been defiled because of the promiscuous company that they kept. So-called “friends” have set friends up for gang rape. One reason why children of God must be wary of keeping company with the ungodly is that the children of this world know how to manoeuvre through the dangers of a sinful life, but the children of light don’t know the ways of this world (Luke 16:. The story was told of a good boy who went out for the very first time in the company of drug addicts. Unfortunately, they were raided by law enforcement agents and this boy was arrested along the drug addicts. His parents could not believe it when the news got to them. A Christian who keeps company with the ungodly will end up becoming a victim. It is certain that nothing good can come out of such relationship. Therefore, be careful of the people you associate or partner with.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

There is one silent source of confusion in the Body of Christ which must be addressed for the sake of the advancement of God’s kingdom. It is a combination of attitudes and feelings known as the “complex”. A complex is a mental or psychological state that should be alien to the Body of Christ. It manifests itself as inferiority or superiority complex. Ironically, the Church has lived with this issue through the ages. Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:1-12 warns us against the manifestation of such attitudes – whether as inferiority or superiority complex. How does the issue of “complex” operate in the Body of Christ? It is through the exhibition of spiritual gifts. There was an issue with the demonstration of spiritual gifts in the Church at Corinth, whereby some offices were considered superior and some other spiritual gifts were looked down on as inferior. Against this background, Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren to enlighten them on the distribution and operation of the different offices and spiritual gifts in the Body of Christ. The analogy of human body parts used by Paul to explain this spiritual truth is very profound. In 1st Corinthians 12:17, Paul rhetorically asks,
“If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?”
The truth is that the whole body cannot be the eyes; if this were the case there would be no movement, which is the prerogative of the legs. Therefore, if the eye cannot do without the legs and the ears cannot do without the nose, why should the eyes or ears think that they are superior to the legs or nose? Unfortunately, this was the situation in the Church at Corinth, as is the case in a typical church organisation today. We must recognise this reality and work towards eradicating the anomaly by continuously teaching ourselves the truth of God’s word. The most important thing about spiritual gifts is that their recipients must use them for the edification of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13, 1st Corinthians 12:22-25). Another mystery of spiritual gifts is that those gifts which some consider as less important are equally as important as those held in high esteem (1 Corinthians 12:22-25). For example, if we ignore the ministry of intercession because intercessors are often not known or seen like the evangelists and minstrels, the Church may become a comfortable zone for demons to operate, and then the preachers and the choir will preach and sing with no effect. The Church must begin to appreciate the gift of God in each member of the Body of Christ and celebrate them for who they are as very important and valuable. There should be no complex of any kind.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Prior to the birth of our Lord Christ, God placed a high value on the Name to be given to His only begotten Son, so much so that He sent an angel to signify what His Name should be (Matthew 1:21). There is absolutely nothing that the Name of Jesus Christ cannot accomplish for whosoever believes in Him. This Name cannot be ignored by the devil or any of his fallen angels.  Why is this Name so powerful? It is because God has bestowed astonishing power, privilege, authority and honour on that Name (Philippians 2:9-11).  Above all else, this Name breaks the power of sin. Acts 10:43 says:
“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
One amazing truth about this Name is that all its accomplishments are to the glory of God the Father, and for this reason, the Father will not spare anyone who despises it. Of course, the Name carries the authority of its Owner, and is capable of doing whatever its Owner can do. Just as your signature can take millions of money out of the bank without you necessarily being there, so also can the Name of Jesus perform the feats that Jesus Christ performed, but only when all the necessary conditions for its use are met by the user. Some of these conditions are spelt out in 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:16. Demons are cast out by the Name of Jesus Christ. You may not appreciate this function of His Name until your eyes of understanding are opened to the diabolical and destructive activities of demons in the lives of people. This Name also empowers us to lay hands on the sick for healing. One of the greatest weapons of torment in the hands of the devil is sickness, but through faith in the use of this Name, sicknesses and diseases are vanquished.

A woman who was demonically attacked with a terrible cough was brought to one of our church programmes. A simple prayer was said for her in the Name of Jesus Christ and she was healed. The agent of the devil who inflicted her with this infirmity wondered how she got healed, because the one who prepared the charm for her said the sickness had no cure. The liberated lady told her adversary that she got her healing in the Church. The wicked woman then begged her ex-victim to take her to Jesus where she confessed her sins and became a child of God as well. The Name of Jesus indeed brings healing (Acts 3:1-16). Peter in Acts 3:16a testified thus about this Name:
“And his name through faith in his Name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know:”
This Name will also work wonders in your life; if you just believe, you will see the glory of God.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

It is very dangerous for a person to believe in religious falsehood, particularly because the love a person has for what he or she worships can be stronger than death. We can see the negative impact of this manifestation in the proliferation of suicide bombers in the world we live in today. The unfortunate and sad aspect of this satanic phenomenon is that people engaged in such acts believe that they are dying for God’s cause, but nothing could be further from the truth. No wonder Jesus, in John 4:22, said to the woman at Jacob’s well in Samaria:
“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”
One man who knew who he was worshipping and worshipped Him in spirit and truth was Paul. His worship of God was based on his love for Him and his love for fellow men. This is unlike some today, whose worship is based on the hatred of others who do not share their ideology; hence their commitment to bring sorrow, tears and even death to them. A demonstration of the strong love Paul had for God is seen in Acts 21:8-14. His determination to please the Master is highly intimidating to those of us living in such times as these. He was determined to pay the supreme price, if that was the will of God for his life. This contrasts with what’s happening in the Church today, where people are still arguing about whether they need to give up the worldly lifestyle they were living before becoming born again. Some people find it difficult to change the content of their wardrobe which contradicts the new life they profess to have embraced. Some so-called Christians do not have the love of Christ that is strong enough to make them abandon their appetite for alcohol and other sinful substances. The commitment some people have for Christ does not take their eyes away from women other than their wives. Unlike such people, Paul refused to back down from proclaiming the Name of Jesus to the world, despite the accurate prophecy concerning the suffering his commitment to the cause of the gospel would bring to him (Acts 21:13). How God would love to have many more Christians like Paul today! Heaven clearly acknowledged and recorded the sacrifices and trials of those who have gone ahead of us in Hebrews 11:36-37:
“And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;”
Is your committed to Christ comparable to the commitment shown by them? Examine your commitment to Christ today and determine whether you are worthy of being called His disciple.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When Elisha requested for the double portion of Elijah’s anointing, he was simply asking for the ability to do greater works than what his master had done. Here is Elijah’s response to his request:
“… Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it  shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.”
2nd Kings 2:10
One lesson we should quickly learn from this response is that any child of God asking God for more of His gifts or blessings is actually courting higher responsibilities. Asking for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit required great faith on the part of the upcoming prophet. In the same vein, it requires faith from us to believe that we can do greater things than Christ did. As far as Elisha was concerned, nothing could be allowed to come between him and the anointing for greater works. He therefore keenly watched and followed the footsteps of his master. As they took a walk and talked, a chariot of fire and flaming horses parted them. Elisha beheld this, and he cried out to signify that he saw everything and had met the condition Elijah laid down for him. He tore his clothes and picked up the mantle that fell from Elijah while he was being transported to heaven, signifying that he was ready to change his old garment to a new one for a new life of greater exploits. I have good news for you: someone greater than Elijah is now present with us, and His Name is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. He came to die for our sins and to rescue us from all forms of damnation. The Bible testifies that He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). To be able to do what He did and even greater things than He did, you must decide to follow Him all the way, just as Elisha did with Elijah. In order to be intimate with Jesus Christ, doing His bidding is not optional. After Elisha got the double portion of Elijah’s spirit, other sons of the prophets had to acknowledge the beautiful thing that had taken place in his life, and they all bowed to him. A greater experience awaits those who give their lives to Christ, because demons will begin to bow to them. This is just part of the Lord’s promise to us (Mark 16:17-18).

What is expected of us, therefore, is to abide in Him and follow His way of life and the ideals He brought from His Father, even if this requires our having to suffer for Him. 1st Peter 2:21 says:
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Everybody needs at least one destiny helper in his or her life time. In spite of the amount of wealth you may think you have, it is a grievous mistake to ever think you can be a lone ranger. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to accomplish the work of redemption, and yet He needed destiny helpers. Here is what the Bible says concerning Him in Mark 3:14;
“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.”
It is equally amazing to discover that even mighty angels requires help in carrying out their assignments (Daniel 10:12-13). In 2 Samuel 23:8-23, a roll call of David’s destiny helpers is given. Even though David was a mighty man of valour, his destiny would have been truncated time and again, but for the intervention of these destiny helpers, especially when opposition, persecution and even death stared him in the face. Read what the Scripture says about the impact made by one of his destiny helpers in 2nd Samuel 21:15-17:
“Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight he being grided with a new sword, thought to have slain David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.”
Just like David, Apostle Paul also had several destiny helpers, even though he was highly anointed. He made reference to one of such helpers in Philippians 4:16. You must never think of living life as a lone ranger.

Destiny helpers are those who assist you in accomplishing your God-given assignment in life. They hold up your hands when you are weary and cover up your inadequacies when you are weak. One common character with which you can recognise destiny helpers is their unflinching love towards the one they are meant to help. Against all odds, they are always there to help. Think about those you consider to be your destiny helpers; are they really destiny helpers or destiny destroyers? You must seek God’s face to provide appropriate destiny helpers for your life, and you must appreciate them as God’s gift and encourage them. Note that all of David’s destiny helpers became generals in his army when he became settled on the throne: don’t use and dump your destiny helpers.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Looking at the title of today's study - "The Compassionate Prosecutor", you may begin to wonder how a person can persecute a case and be compassionate at the same time. This is ironic because a prosecutor is expected to press the case for the law to have its full course. Who then is this persecutor who manages to indict and show compassion all at once? The Lord Jesus Christ answers this question in John 16:8. The person He refers to is the Holy Spirit. Based on this revelation of the Lord, let us consider the there-pronged strategy by which the Holy Spirit carries out His assignment of prosecuting the world. Note first of all that it is compassion that motivates the Holy Spirit to prosecute the world while there is still time to make amends. A time will come when the whole world will stand before the throne of Christ to be judged of all their works (2nd Corinthians 5:10). There will be no excuses permitted on that day, because the Compassionate Prosecutor would have already given each man a dress rehearsal of what will happen in heaven’s court.

The first of the Holy Spirit’s three-pronged strategy is to make the world aware of the destructive nature of sin and cause each and everyone to run away from it. This is why those who preach the gospel must allow the Holy Spirit to use them to read the “riot act” to their audiences and not shy away from the reality of the pending doom that awaits those who will not believe in or accept the Holy Saviour of mankind. The early disciples allowed the Holy Spirit to do this work through them and a sample of the result is glaring in Acts 2:37:
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
The second arm of His strategy is to make the world see the need to be upright in heart, and the need to be in right standing with the righteous God through the Mediator of the new covenant, Jesus Christ. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit works to make the world aware of the judgement and punishment that awaits the devil and his cohorts. He does this so that men may be wary of listening to the devil and avoid being condemned along with him. The Compassionate Prosecutor speaks truth to all those who will listen and be free from the eternal consequences of God’s judgement (John 16:12, John 8:32). How friendly are you with the Holy Spirit? Do you only love Him because He comforts you in times of distress, or do you still love him when He probes into your life and reproves you? I encourage you to make the Holy Spirit your Senior Partner, Guide, Mentor and Confidant; He will never lead you astray.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

According to Psalm 91:14, one sure weapon against experiencing destruction and calamity is a life of holiness. Opinions differ on what it means to live a holy life, and to some, such a lifestyle is unattainable. However, with reference to biblical heroes of faith, I have been able to explain what holiness is all about. Holiness simply means obedience to God’s instructions. As long as you obey God’s commands, He sees you as an acceptable carrier of His image and He will love you for that. In John 14:21 and 23b, the Lord Jesus Christ expounded on this truth, saying:
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him…. 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.”
Every child of God who knows God’s holy nature will also know that before the Trinity would decide to dwell within a person, he or she must be living a consecrated and holy life.

In Daniel 1:1-8, we see how Daniel guarded himself against the calamity and destruction that would have terminated his destiny later in life. Daniel 1:8a says
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank:”
Please note that a portion of the king’s meat and some measure of the king’s wine were part of Daniel’s entitlements as an undergraduate in the University of Babylon where he was studying in preparation for service in the king’s court, but he declined having them. Glory to God that Daniel’s modest life of consecration to God paid off for him on the day of calamity when he was thrown into the den of lions. He could testify to his friend, King Darius, in Daniel 6:22, saying:
“My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.”
Beloved, endeavour to live holy through a modest life of consecration unto God, and you can be sure of divine protection because of God’s love.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

I have watched with pity and dismay as many children of God, particularly ministers of God, carelessly fight spiritual battles at the expense of their own lives and family. If you desire to be triumphant in every area of life, you need to pay close attention to what the Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples in Mark 13:33. You need to apply caution and be strategic in all that you do. To see the big picture of the challenges confronting you, you need to watch. To get direction and strength from heaven to help you confront these challenges, you need to pray. In 1 Samuel 30:1-6, we have the story of a careless group of warriors: David and his mighty men of valour. While they went about fighting for survival as mercenaries, they left their own camp unprotected. Before they returned from their raid, their own camp had been raided and burnt, and their wives and children were taken away as captives by the enemy. When they discovered what the enemy had done, these men of war were so distressed that they wept like babies. They didn’t just weep, they wept until they had no more strength to weep. In their grief, they even revolted against their leader, David, and spoke of stoning him to death. However, faced with his volatile situation, David did something worthy of emulation: he encouraged himself in the Lord (1st Samuel 30:6).

There are a good number of lessons we can learn from this story; first of which is that as you fight the Lord’s battles, even the Lord of Hosts expects you to watch your back. Our God does not expect you to be presumptuous. The words of our Lord Jesus Christ concerning counting the cost before building a tower or fighting a foe are pointers to strategic planning in spiritual warfare (Luke 14:28-32). Secondly, there should be division of labour in spiritual warfare. We should not all be at the war front at the same time. All bases must be covered. The early church realised this truth on time, and so the apostles gave themselves to the ministry of the word and prayer while they appointed others to look after the administration of corporate social responsibilities (Acts 6:1-7). Thirdly, persons in leadership positions should always be proactive. David’s proactive move to seek God’s face was what saved the day. He inquired of the Lord on how to go about recovering all that they had lost (1st Samuel 30:7-. At the end of the day, what they should have done in the first place was what they later did. They learnt that they should always organise themselves into bands with different roles. When they pursed to recover all, not all of them pursued after the raiders, but when they shared the spoils of war, those who went to battle had the same portion as those who waited behind to look after their stuff. The principle did not go down well with some of David’s men who did not understand it (1st Samuel 30:21-24). Indeed, God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

When the devil was cast out of Heaven, he brought spiritual darkness and everything that it represents along with him to the earth. God then created mankind to serve as bearers of light on earth and gave man a mandate to illuminate the whole world with His glory (Genesis 1:28) Through the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the devil succeeded in putting out the light of God in man, thereby infusing him with his own darkness (Ephesians 5:. The devil stole the power over this world which God had given to man, and he now wields it as the power of darkness (Luke 4:6, Luke 22:53). However, those who have received Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, into their lives have been delivered from this power of darkness and been handed the keys to a kingdom far greater than that which was given to Adam (Colossians 1:13). The presence of darkness in this world is therefore due to spiritual factors, and not physical ones. Although man is not liable for the presence of darkness in this world, he will be held accountable if he chooses to embrace darkness instead of light. John 3:19 reveals why mankind embraces darkness, and consequences of this choice. From this insight, the unimaginable level of atrocities carried out in this world under the cover of darkness should therefore be of no surprise.

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world (John 8:12), and He is hated by those who are under manipulation of the power of darkness. Why do people of this world hate Jesus Christ, considering the benefits that light brings to mankind? The devil, his cohorts and evil men of this world do not only represent darkness, they are darkness personified. Jesus Christ, being the Light that came purposely not only to expose darkness but also to exterminate it, is therefore bound to be hated. Whoever decides to love Jesus Christ and reflect His light is also bound to be hated. Each of us must choose where we belong: the company of the Light or the company of darkness, What is your own choice today? Whichever you choose has its rewards and consequence. I encourage you to embrace Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. Embracing Him means renouncing all hidden works of darkness in your life (1st Corinthians 6:9-10). You need to confess and forsake them as the Holy Spirit convicts you of them all. You will be forgiven and set free from all the consequences associated with them. May God bless you as you take this decision for Christ today. 
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In plain terms, disappointment is sadness caused by unmet expectations. Although it is disheartening when a person’s expectations are not met, it is much more grievous when the disappointment experienced is of the ultimate or irreversible type. For example, it could be disappointing for someone to miss a train or bus but much more disappointing if the missed train or bus happens to be the last one for the day. It simply means such a fellow is stranded. My prayer for you is that you will not experience what it is to be stranded ultimately in Jesus’ Name.

Our Lord Jesus Christ counsels His Church in Revelation 3:18 to do some things that would prevent us from experiencing the ultimate disappointment. He gave us this counsel because, according to His promise, the Church is eventually expected to be with her Lord in eternity (John 14:1-3). It would therefore be a great disappointment, an ultimate one for that matter, if He returns and what we hear from Him are the words of Luke 13:27b:
“I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.”
This will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. For this not to be your portion, you must take certain precautions. Firstly, you must strive to enter in through the strait gate. This is not an easy adventure, and thankfully, the Lord Jesus Christ has put us on notice about this. He forewarned us that many shall not be able to enter in through this gate because of persecution, the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 13:21-22). The Lord Jesus Christ also said that those who will suffer the ultimate disappointment will be surprised at His verdict on them because their expectation would be to receive His commendation, due to their closeness to the altar of God and the abundance of their activities in Church. Matthew 7:22-23, says,
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
What a terrible disappointment this would be! In order not to be counted in the number of those who will experience this ultimate disappointment, let us watch and pray, and let us examine ourselves to see if we are actually in the faith. May the Lord grant you understanding in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In conclusion of our series on what is expected of you now that you are saved, today we shall be reflecting on brotherly kindness and charity as key ingredients of the Christian life (2nd Peter 1:7). What is brotherly kindness? Brotherly kindness is benevolence that springs forth from the heart of a Christian, whose nature has been translated from the darkness of sin and is now conformed to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. Brotherly kindness is sincere and does not attach any satanic strings to its gesture. This is the type of kindness our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated when He was here on earth. It was brotherly kindness that made Him teach the word of God to people who were without purpose in life and feed them with bread when He was done teaching (Mark 6:34-37). This type of kindness made him acquit the woman caught in the sin of adultery (John 8:1-11). Not only did He acquit her, He also liberated her from the hold of sin by declaring over her life: “Go and sin no more.”

Similarly to brotherly kindness is charity. Charity is love: God’s type of love. It is pure, untainted and without ulterior motives. This love is void of partiality. Here is how the Holy Spirit describes it in 1st Corinthians 13:4-7:
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Considering this special type of love, one would agree that it is indeed the greatest of all ingredients required to build the Christian life. There is one aspect of charity that is worthy of note in 1st Corinthians 13:4, which is that it “rejoiceth not in iniquity”. Many misinterpret charity as being tolerant of sin. It should not be so. Believers, especially those put in charge of the flock of the Great Shepherd, should not mistake discipline for wickedness. As a matter of fact, disciplining a member of the flock who errs is a demonstration of God’s love. This is the type of love God demonstrated to Adam and Eve by sending them out of the Garden of Eden so that their redemption and that of their descendants would not become impossible (Genesis 3:22-24). Mankind would have lived for ever without the remedy of salvation but for God proactively blocking them from eating from the tree of life, which would have perpetuated their state under the curse of sin eternally. I pray that you will not find yourself in an environment where you will not be corrected in the name of love.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In continuation of our reflection of the materials with which we build on the foundation of our Christian faith, today we will be looking at patience and godliness as parts of the building blocks of the Christian life (2nd Peter 1:5-. Why Patience? Just as knowledge is needed to checkmate the manifestation of misguided virtue, patience is also needed to prevent putting the cart before the horse in our Christian walk. Lack of patience is one of the factors that destroyed King Saul. His Journey on a downward slope started after he impatiently offered a sacrifice to God by himself, thus acting in the office of a priest, instead of waiting for Samuel. When patience is lacking in a child of God, he or she will repeatedly fail the test of faith. The Bible in James 1:3-4 says:
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
Beloved, patience is needed if you will successfully journey through the wilderness of this world to your heavenly home just like the heroes of faith. Take heed to those words of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 6:12:
“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
It takes patience for prayers to be answered because you cannot stampede God into answering your prayers (Psalm 40:1). I pray that the Holy Spirit will endow you with the patience that is needed to obtain God’s eternal promises in Jesus’ Name.

In addition, godliness is part of the “DNA” of every child of God, because whoever is born of God has the seed of God in him or her. This is a very important truth you must engrave on the tablet of your heart if you will not be rising and falling into sin. Under the unction of the Holy Spirit, John the Beloved assures us of victory over sin through the seed of God that is implanted in us. 1st John 3:9 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.”
If you will finish well and strong, please don’t trivialize these fundamental values of the Christian faith which you profess. My prayer for you is that the Lord will cause you to grow into the full stature of Christ in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday we started reflecting on what we need to do after we are saved (2nd Peter 1:5-. We looked at adding virtue to our faith because faith without virtue is incomplete. We saw virtue as the practical demonstration of our faith. Today we want to look at knowledge as an accomplishment of virtue. Do you know that knowledge is the companion of virtue, and that without knowledge virtue can become misguided? This is the reason why Romans 14:16 says.
“Let not then your good be evil spoken of:”
How can your virtuous act become evil in the sight of God and men? When you fail to add knowledge to your virtue, you will not be guiltless in the presence of your observers. For example, although it is virtuous to be of help to your neighbour, particularly those of the household of faith, stealing to help a brother or sister who is in need is “assistance” without knowledge. In like manner, “helping” a woman become pregnant because her husband has a low sperm count is misplaced “help” that will lead to hell fire.

In addition, we must make temperance a necessary companion of our faith and knowledge. Temperance is simply defined as restraint or self-control. Why should temperance be added to knowledge before it can be profitable? The number one reason is that the exercise of knowledge without restraint may lead to an abuse of the faith and be a cause for others to stumble, speaking about this in 1st Corinthians 8:10-12, the Holy Spirit says,
“For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.”
When we exercise knowledge in such a way that the weak in spirit are discouraged and backslide, such knowledge is destructive. It was the application of temperance that prevented the Lord Jesus Christ from calling down fire upon those who resisted His entering their village, after two of His disciples suggested it and even though He knew could do so (Luke 9:51-56). May the Lord add to your faith, the necessary virtue, knowledge and temperance in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

After you have been saved by the grace that is in Jesus Christ our Lord, you need to understand the nature of the new life that is in you, so that you can begin to exhibit its character. If you do not understand the fundamentals of the Christian faith and get to know what God expects of you now that you are saved, you will end up becoming a caricature of what you should be in the sight of God. May that never be your portion in Jesus’ Name.

2nd Peter 1:5-8 lays out in plain terms what God expects of you when you become saved. In this passage of scripture, after reminding us of our new life in Christ, Apostle Peter admonishes us to be diligent in going beyond the rudimentary salvation experience. According to him, we must add to our faith virtue. Now, what is virtue? Virtue, simply explained, is a kind of behaviour that exhibits high morals standards. This is food for thought for all children of God, because there is a tendency to assume that once we profess to be born again, good behaviour is no longer important. On the contrary, it is after we have experienced the regeneration of the heart that a high moral standard is most expected of us. The new life that Christ gives is a life of virtue. It is a life that produces good character in those who possess it. If you claim to have received this new life, the resultant virtue it produces must be glaring for the whole world to see. The early Church did not lose sight of this spiritual obligation, and for this reason the leading apostle admonishes us to add virtue to our professed faith. 2nd Peter 1:5 says,
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;”
In like manner, another apostle of the Lord, writing in James 2:18, says,
“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
Although good works do not bring about redemption, redemption produces good works in us. As children of God, the Bible encourages us to be of good behaviour so that our Father in heaven may be glorified (1st Timothy 3:2, Titus 2:3). Unbelievers should not catch us with any vices; rather we should be virtuous enough to convince the world that only in Christ can a good and acceptable life be lived. We are born again to be law-abiding, even though we are not law-abiding to be born again. Yes, being born again is the work of grace, but the evidence of its genuineness should be substantial for all to see.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The moment you become a child of God, the glory of God comes upon your life. From that moment, God’s expectation is that you will continually move from one level of glory to another (Proverbs 4:18). A person who experiences shame will understand and appreciate the importance of glory. I pray that anything that is causing you shame will disappear today in Jesus’ Name. There are different types of glory, one of which is physical in nature. From a physical perspective, sicknesses and diseases are some of the agents of shame. After experiencing the shame of sickness, it is indeed a glorious thing to be healed. The woman with the issue of blood entered into a realm of glory the day she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and she was healed of her infirmity (Mark 5:31-34). While it is great to experience healing, you can move from the realm of being healed to the realm of living in good health permanently. If you are not yet living in that realm, I pray that God will take you there in Jesus’ Name. Beyond this realm lies an even greater realm of glory where a person becomes an agent of healing, just like the apostles of old (Acts 5:12-16, Acts 19:11-12). Your target should be to operate in this realm of glory. Glory can also be viewed from the perspective of material possessions. It is a glorious thing to be rich, because poverty brings shame. While Abraham was rich, Isaac was so rich that kings were envious of him (Genesis 24:24-35, Genesis 26). Although there is glory in being rich, its more glorious to be wealthy. However, beyond these two realms of material glory lies the realm of flourishing. Solomon flourished so much that silver was like common stones in his days (1st Kings 10:27). Today, may the Lord move you from glory to glory in wealth in Jesus’ Name.

Nevertheless, the spiritual aspect of glory is the ultimate. It is glorious when you become so intimate with God that before you finish praying, the answer would have already come. When you pray like Elijah did and fire falls, this is glorious (1st Kings 18:31-39). However, it’s more glorious when you live by decrees. Elijah moved from the realm of accelerated answers to prayer to the realm of living by decrees. He decreed that the first two sets of fifty soldiers that came to arrest him be consumed by fire, and it was so (Kings 1:9-12). Beyond this realm, there is yet a higher level of spiritual glory where you arrest the arrester and the arrester lives at your mercy. Elisha experienced this level of glory (2nd Kings 6:8-23). Above all, the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom is the climax of spiritual maturity that brings an individual into irreversible glory. I decree that from today, you will begin to go from one level of glory to another in every area of your life in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

In Luke 8:26-39, we read about the great deliverance the Lord Jesus Christ wrought in the life of the mad man of Gadara. For this mad man, although that day started like any other day of his affliction, his story changed before he went to bed that night. He went to bed in his house and not in the tombs where he used to be. I prophesy to a user of this devotional: your story will change for the better before you go to bed tonight in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ. What is that challenge confronting you or even driving you crazy? I have good news for you today: the Great Deliverer, Jesus Christ, will deliver you today. If you ask me what makes me so sure He will do it, I will tell you what He said in His word, which  I know is forever settled in heaven. In Jeremiah 32:27 He said,
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?”
Since He did it for the mad man of Gadara, and your own case is not as serious as his, be of good cheer because today you shall see the glory of the Lord. However, you need to give your life to Christ, and if you have done so, only believe His word.

Also in John 9:1, the Bible talks about a man who was born blind. Even though this man had been blind for more than 40 years, when his day of great deliverance came, Jesus saw him. This was not just an ordinary glance from some nobody; it was God directing the attention of the Maker of the whole universe to him. Jesus thereafter created two brand new eyeballs in his empty eye sockets. Have you been groping in the dark for a long time, and it seems you have no sense of direction? Are you being led by people to wherever they want you to go, regardless of your own will? Today is your day of great deliverance. The Lord will touch you before you finish reading this devotional. Peter, who witnessed the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, testified to His great power of deliverance. Here is his testimony in Acts 10:38:
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
I can also testify of His great power of deliverance. There was a man who I think had two PhD’s and for more than 6 years could not get a job. When he was brought to the church for prayers, he looked almost like a mad man, and you could not even believe he ever went to school. He had suffered a lot! We introduced him to Jesus and he gave his life to Christ. Before he got home, people were already looking for him to offer him a job. This is the power of our Great Deliverer. Praise the Lord!
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Do you know that you can attract divine favour through your attitude to work? When we diligently carry out our duties, whether secular or spiritual, as unto the Almighty God, we are bound to be divinely favoured. It is the will of God that every employee does the right thing to justify the wages he or she earns. This was the reason why the Holy Spirit moved Paul to instruct us to be diligent in our service to our employers, be they private or government institutions (Ephesians 6:5-7). We all need divine favour, not only to succeed but to succeed without stress. What can we do to attract divine favour in our chosen careers? The answer is diligence and faithfulness to the terms of our engagement with our employers. There was nothing extraordinary in what Joseph did in Potiphar’s house; the only difference between him and other slaves was the divine favour operating in his life through diligence. No wonder the wisdom of God in Proverbs 22:29 says,
“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”

The first time I traveled overseas, it was to Canada for a conference of applied mathematicians. I knew no one there, and neither did I know what kind of food I would be eating over there. All my wife could do at home was to pray that God would take care of me. Meanwhile, someone in Canada went to see the list of mathematicians coming to their University for the conference. As he was looking through the names, he saw my name, Enoch Adeboye, and he mused to himself that he never could tell if the owner of that name was French or not. He therefore decided to locate the room where I was staying, and resolved within himself that when he got there, he would speak Yoruba and that if I responded, he would know that I am a Nigerian.. On getting to my door, he knocked and I asked “Who is that?” His response was “Emi ni” meaning “it’s me.” I therefore responded in Yoruba language that he should come in. Long story short, before the end of that day, I was eating pounded yam in Canada! My wife, who had been worried about the type of meals I would be eating, knew it was nothing but divine favour that granted me access to pounded yam in Canada. You need to understand that divine favour can come in any way or form. The danger is that more often than not, most people take some forms of divine intervention for granted especially when such intervention does not affect them the way they expect. One more lesson we should learn here is that there is nothing too small or too big to pray about, especially when it requires divine favour. May the Lord show you divine favour today in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Yesterday, we reflected on divine favour and discovered that divine favour is for those who seek it from God. Today we will be considering the blessedness of having a good spouse as a form of God’s favour. A blissful marriage is a divine gift and a mark of favour from the Almighty God. Some men and women maltreat their spouses because they fail to realise that having a wife (not just a woman) or a husband (not just a man) is God’s favour, as Proverbs 18:22 clearly shows. The truth of the matter is: a blessing you do not appreciate will depreciate in your hands as a result of abuse or misuse. It is evil to abuse the gift of God that is your spouse.

In Genesis 2:18-25, we see how God graciously provided Adam with a helper comparable to him, since none of the other existing creatures could meet his needs. The Lord knew that this helper must share the same image that Adam shared with God, and hence He created the woman. From this deed, one can understand why God frowns at sexual perversion, particularly homosexuality and bestiality. The Bible in Deuteronomy 27:21 say
“Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.”

Beloved, the Lord is calling on you today to cherish the gift He has given to you in the form of your spouse. It is an act of ingratitude for you to maltreat your spouse who is an embodiment of the Lord’s favour in your life. speaking to both parties, the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:21 says,
“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
Let there be mutual submission between the two of you. Learn to say “sorry” to one another whenever you wrong each other. To the Christian husband, please love your wife (Ephesians 5:25). You have our Lord Jesus Christ as a role model to copy, being the Husband of the Church.  The same unconditional and enduring love with which Christ loves you must be extended to your wife, rebuke the ego that has been preventing you from apologising to your wife whenever you wronged her in the past. May the Lord help you in this regard in Jesus’ Name. To the Christian wife, I appeal to you not to allow that strange woman to take advantage of your pride and steal your husband from you. Please submit to your husband as the head; he did not make himself your head, God did (Ephesians 5:22). May the Lord preserve your home for you in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

Esther 5:1-3 tells a bit of the story of Queen Esther, who was divinely favoured. From her experience, we can learn a few things on divine favour. For example, you will observe that she put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house before she was granted favour. Why did she put on her royal apparel? Apart from the rule that she could  not come before the king uninvited, it would also have been rude, uncomplimentary and indecent for the queen to have attempted to approach the king in her night dress or kitchen overall. Today, what used to be our mother’s underwear is what some women wear to parties, and even to their workplaces. No wonder divine favour is alien to many of them. It’s been said that you will be addressed the way you are dressed. To obtain divine favour in the sight of God, you need to be clothed in your royal apparel of righteousness which Christ gave to you when you receive salvation (Revelation 1:5-6, 19:. You will also observe that when the king saw Queen Esther, the sight of her produced divine favour, as he then held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. When your time of favour comes, the first thing is that you will be identified for attention. My prayer is that the Almighty King of kings will look in your direction and identify you for His favour today in Jesus’ Name. In Genesis 18:1-5, Abraham was sitting in front of his tent, just relaxing at home, when favour located him. After his show of hospitality, the carriers of favour wiped away his tears of so many years as they declared these words to him in Genesis 18:10:
“…I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life, and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son….”
The Lord will cause His favour to produce declarations that will wipe away your tears in Jesus’ Name. Proverbs 29:26 indicates that the favour Queen Esther enjoyed was actually divine in nature. Indeed, before appearing before the king, she had first sought the Lord’s favour, and this was what later manifested itself as favour with the king. Esther 4:16 says:
“Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”
I therefore encourage you to seek the Lord’s favour and stop cutting corners. Live a life that is pleasing to the One who has the heart of those who must favour you under His control, and you will not be denied your rights in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Romans 3:23
When you consider the implication of the above verse of scripture, and compare it with the way God related with Noah in Genesis 6:1-8, you will understand that Noah’s story is a classical example of the grace of God at work in someone’s life. To help you realise the enormity of God’s grace and what it can do for you, consider that at a time when the entire world was condemned to destruction by divine verdict, Noah was spared because he enjoyed divine grace. Genesis 6:7-8 says:
“And the LORD Said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”
Having understood the enormity of God’s grace, the wise at heart will earnestly seek to be blessed by it. As the grace of God spoke for Noah, I pray that it will speak for you at the point of your inadequacies in Jesus’ Name. Without God’s grace, no man can escape His judgement. This special grace of God is personified in Jesus Christ, God’s own Son (Titus 2:11). He is calling everyone today to come and partake of God’s benevolence grace in the form of the salvation He makes available for all mankind. Have you partaken of the grace of God available in Jesus Christ? If you haven’t what are you waiting for? Today is the day of salvation; remember that tomorrow may be too late (2nd Corinthians 6:2).

If you have received God’s grace in Jesus Christ, please don’t take it for granted. 2 Corinthians 6:1 implores us not to receive the grace of God in vain. Noah did not waste God’s grace upon his life. He promptly acted on God’s instructions by building the ark according to His specifications (Genesis 6:13-22). Are you living your Christian life according to divine specifications, or are you living as if your own heaven will be different from that of the early disciples? If you reject God’s grace after hearing that it is available for you, or you receive it but fail to act on it as you should and you end up missing heaven, you would have wasted this great grace. What a great waste that would be! I pray that this will not be your story in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

“There is no King saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.”
Psalm 33:16
Our God is the Lord of Hosts; He specialises in using a minority who put their trust in Him to perform great feats. To someone reading this Devotional: with God alone on your side, you will overcome that battle that has besieged your life. Don’t let your heart be troubled; you are on top of that situation in the mighty Name of Jesus. In Romans 8:31, the Holy Spirit is confidently assuring us that as long as God is for us, nobody can be against us. Through His word that cannot fail, the Almighty God further assures us of victory in Isaiah 54:17, saying:
“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”
The most interesting part of this assurance is that victory is predicated on God’s righteousness and not ours. The devil, who is the accuser of the brethren, therefore has no say in this matter.

2 Kings 6:11-17 confirms the statement that says, “One with God is majority”. When Elisha’s servant saw the horses and chariots of the ungrateful king of Syria, whose general had previously been healed of leprosy, coming to attack his master, his heart melted. But the man of God in 2nd Kings 6:16 declared to him thus:
“….Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”
Wherever God is, legions of angelic hosts are present, and so when God is with you, His innumerable company of angelic hosts are also with you. This is the reason why a child of God cannot afford to either leave the presence of God or engage in things that would make God forsake him or her.  My prayer for you is that you will not do anything that would make the Lord forsake you in Jesus’ Name. The only way to make God your ally is to come to Jesus Christ with a humble heart of total submission to His will. He is inviting you today into a life of victory and rest (Matthew 11:28). Please come to Him and make Him the Lord of your life today.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

A role model is one who influences others to be like him or her. While there are godly role models, there are also ungodly ones who influence their followers to make choices that will lead them to the pit of hell. Today we are reflecting on godly role models, and the Lord is asking you this question: “Are you a godly role model?” Apostle Paul was so sure of himself and his position in Christ that he was bold enough to challenge those within his sphere of influence to imitate him as he himself imitated the Lord Jesus Christ (1st Corinthians 11:1)

From Philippians 3:7-14, we can learn some things about Apostle Paul which mirror the principles and life of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first of these is a lifestyle of godliness. Paul said that all he was after in life was the prize of the high calling of God in Christ. Secondly, to learn how to please God, he wanted to know more about Christ, including the power of His resurrection, what it meant to share in His sufferings and how to be like Him in death. Thirdly, he was relentless, not only in keeping himself pure but also in labouring for the harvest of lost souls. Fourthly, for the greatness of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, he forsook all his worldly achievements and followed after Christ. This attitude mirrors the life of his Master, who left His glory in heaven to take up the image of a servant on earth. He humbled Himself so much that He even laid down His life for all mankind (Philippians 2:5-.

This lesson should challenge the Body of Christ in these end-times. I have observed that some pastors are not so mindful of where members of their congregation will end the Christian race. This is evidence in the type of sermons they preach: messages that play on human emotions and nothing more. Concerning such pastors, Apostle Paul has this to say:
“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”
Philippians 3:17-19
What a role model of the Christian faith we have in Apostle Paul! You will be wise to have such a godly driven personality as an influence in your life.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

One of the tactics of the devil to bring down God’s people is to orchestrate situations that will put them under pressure, and then he attacks while they are vulnerable. He does this because he knows that operating under pressure can result in costly mistakes. In 1 Timothy 5:22, we can identify some dangers of operating under pressure. One of these is that operating under pressure can make a person an accomplice to an evil deed. For instance, in the name of charitable acts, you may be pressurised to unknowingly harbour stolen goods. As a pastor, the devil can quote scriptures to you out of context and thereby pressurise and intimidate you into officiating the marriage of a divorcee to another person, thereby causing you to partake in another man’s sin. Another danger of operating under pressure is that the scars resulting from errors committed while acting unwisely often leave indelible marks on the victim’s life.

King Saul is a classical example of someone who let himself fall into the trap of operating under pressure. As the first king of Israel, he was more concerned about the opinion of people than God’s opinion of him. Contrary to the instructions God gave him concerning the battle against the Amalekites, he spared not only the king but also the fatted cows and sheep. He took the spoils of a battle he did not actually fight. Some ministers of God have also fallen into this trap today. After they have been used by God to perform special miracles, they run after financial gratification like Gehazi did (2nd Kings 5:20-27).

Have your parents or society placed you under pressure to marry? Be very careful so that you don’t regret your actions later. I have this word for someone today: God will make everything beautiful for you in His own time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). At God’s own appointed time, that partner will emerge from the throne of grace and you will have a home comparable to heaven on earth. Is it employment that you seek and the personnel manager demands that you go out with him before you can get the job? Say NO to such advances! Don’t let the pressure of unemployment drag you into prostitution or drug trafficking. Are your parents-in-law saying you should come over to the village to offer sacrifice to ancestral spirits so that you can have your baby? You must not cave into such pressures. Let the Bible be your guide. Refuse to find any alternative to Jehovah El-Shaddai, May the word of God remain a lamp to your feet and a light to your path in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.