Abiding TV

...God…calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
Romans 4:17, NKJV

TODAY'S WORD:

Very often, we see potential in other people that they haven’t see in themselves. When you speak vision into them, when you tell them what they can become, you can help set the direction for their life. Your words have the power to push people into their divine destiny. I believe that the reason some people are not living at their full potential is because no one has ever spoken faith into them. No one has taken the time to say, “Hey, you’re great at this. You have a gift here.

You’re going to do something amazing!” I believe that one of our assignments in life is to call out the seeds of greatness in other people. Look around at who God has placed in your life. They’re not there by accident. Take time to study them. See what they’re good at. What are their gifts? What do they excel at? Don’t just think about it, speak vision into them. Tell them what they can become. Let your encouragement ignite the greatness on the inside. Help them rise up in confidence so they can be all God has called them to be!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, thank You for the people You’ve placed in my life. I choose to be faithful, to speak life and call forth the greatness in them. Thank You for bringing me to new levels as I help others rise higher, too, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

— Romans 8:29

Our number one goal in life as Christians should be Christlikeness. Jesus is the express image of the Father, and we are to follow in His footsteps. He came as the pioneer of our faith to show us by example how we should live and conduct ourselves. We should seek to behave with people the way Jesus did.

Our goal is not to see how successful we can be in business or how famous we can be. It is not prosperity, popularity, or even building a big ministry, but to be Christ-like.

The world doesn't only need a sermon preached to them; they also need to see actions backing up what we say we believe as Christians. Our lives should make other people hungry and thirsty for what we have in Christ. The Bible refers to us as salt, which makes people thirsty, and light, which exposes darkness.

Many Christians have bumper stickers on their cars, or they wear some kind of jewelry that indicates they are believers in Jesus Christ. The world is not impressed by our bumper stickers and Christian jewelry; they want to see fruit of godly behavior. They want to see people who claim to be Christians living what they preach, not just preaching to others while it doesn't seem to be working in their own lives.

Prayer Starter: Lord, help me today to be a good witness for You and truly show people what You are like. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Psalm 45:17
I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever

We are members of one, big, beautiful family! We count Christian brothers and sisters of all nations, tongues, cultures, and generations among our numbers. We are one family united under one Father.

As we submit to His Word individually and in the corporate life of our local assemblies, we sometimes overlook the greater, global church of which we are a part. Across the planet, believers cry out to the same God, apply the same beloved Scriptures, and believe in the same mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Each of us has a part to play as one generation shares the holy name of Jesus with the next. The older generation is charged with mentoring the younger ones. How rich are the testimonies of those whose faith was forged in the fires of perseverance!

For those in the middle generations, they must perpetuate the convictions and character of those who have gone before. The Truth that we have received transcends generations. They must pass the baton to those young ones who are listening and learning the love of our Savior.

Submission to the mission is how we accomplish God’s plans and purposes through every generation. He equips and empowers us to do His work in every age. What part will you play?

Blessing:

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May God reveal His plan for you, and may you be faithful to complete it. May you be found working and watching for His return!

Today's Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Lamentations 1:1-2:19

New Testament

Philemon 1:1-15

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 101:1-8

Proverbs 26:20

Galatians 5:13-17

Sometimes people think that life will be smooth sailing after salvation, only to discover they have even more struggles than before. However, this is normal for a Christian. Before meeting the Savior, we were drifting aimlessly with the culture, and there was no inner conflict between God’s desires and ours. But after salvation, we began an upstream journey called sanctification.

Some people thought they were signing up for a Savior who’d give them what they want, but since it’s tough to be in perpetual conflict, they quickly give up and drift back to the world. Those who’ve counted the cost and surrendered to Christ as Lord, however, aren’t left on their own to do the best they can—that would never work, because human efforts cannot overcome sin. What’s needed is divine empowerment, which is exactly what we have in the person of the Holy Spirit, who came to live within us at the moment of salvation.

In the epistle to the Galatians, Paul warns us not to use our freedom in Christ as an excuse to drift back into sin and worldliness. Instead, we are to “walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16). Though we’ll struggle, believers should seek to move toward holiness and Christlikeness through the power of the Holy Spirit. This means we are continually living in conflict with the tendencies of our flesh.

Every day we grapple with sins like jealousy, strife, lust, selfishness, and pride. Yet at the same time, we can learn to walk by the Spirit, who empowers us to set aside these fleshly desires. By fully submitting to Him, we can walk in victory over sin and self.

Bible in One Year: Luke 20-22

Micah wrote. “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.” Micah 7:8

Do you know what happens when you are waiting on God? You know what I am talking about – when you have been praying and praying, standing and standing, when you are between “Amen and there it is” (waiting on the manifestation of your breakthrough.) Have you ever paid attention to the thoughts you are having? I can tell you what happens. The devil tries to convince you that your breakthrough won’t happen. He tells you that your deliverance won’t come to pass. He starts putting pressure on you. He tries to tempt you so that you give up. He whispers negative things in your ears. Why? Because he is waiting for you to quit.

When does your enemy rejoice against you? When you fall. When you make mistakes. When you slip up. When you don’t resist temptation. When you yield to pressure. When you don’t obey God. When you make vows one day and forget them the next. The devil loves it when you fall. You’ve probably heard him ridicule you. You’ve heard him intimidate you. You thought you were really trying to live by faith, but you messed up and the devil started laughing. And he let you know it.

How do you stop Satan’s laughter? How do you stop his rejoicing? You get back up!
Don’t yield to his pressures. Don’t yield to his attacks. Don’t yield to his accusations. He is the father of lies. He can’t even tell the truth. The truth isn’t in him. So don’t believe anything he says. Even if you have made a mistake that doesn’t mean you are a mistake. Your mistake doesn’t change the fact that God has a future and purpose for your life.

If you have messed up, then ask God to forgive you and rise up! Get up, shake yourself off, and move forward in what God has for you! It’s time for you to stand up and shout, “Devil, you are not laughing at me anymore. The Word says, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise! So, I’m getting up now. I’m not sitting down in defeat any longer. I am not a quitter. I am not a failure in Jesus Name!”

Author: Jerry Savelle

Leviticus 1:6

And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces.

Do you know who first clothed man with coats of skin? It was God Almighty Himself, when He found Adam and Eve hiding behind the bushes because they were afraid of Him. They had become fearful and conscious that they had sinned against God. In their sin-consciousness, they realized that they were naked and that the glory of God, which had been their covering, was gone.

So God killed an animal to clothe Adam and Eve with coats of skin (see Genesis 3:21). An animal had to die and its bloodied skin became their covering. This speaks of the blood of Jesus that covers you when He became your burnt offering. The Lamb of God did not just take away your sins. He also gave you His righteousness.

Beloved, you are covered by Jesus’ blood. You are righteous by His blood. God has clothed you with the robe of righteousness, which was paid for by Jesus’ blood. I am not talking about a physical robe made of cloth. I am talking about the robe of righteousness that was on Jesus when He said to the storm, “Peace, be still!” and there came a perfect calm (see Matthew 8:23–27), when healing flowed from Him to the sick and when He raised Lazarus from the dead (see John 11:38–44).

When you believe that you are righteous because of Jesus’ blood, you will see the effects of wearing His robe of righteousness. You will see miracles happening before your very eyes. You become a blessing magnet, a favor or grace magnet. It is not your own righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus which you have put on, that is attracting all these blessings of God into your life.

My friend, have the consciousness of being clothed with Jesus’ robe of righteousness. Every day, come to God and say, “Father, I thank You that Jesus is my burnt offering. He covers me from head to toe with His righteousness. What He is to You, I am. As He is now, so am I. I am in Him.” And you will see the manifestations of the blessings of health, wholeness, protection and provision that the robe attracts!

Robert Morris - 10/26/19
Series: Take The Day Off
Sermon Title: Take the Day Off

Theme: No More Lack

For those who are alert in the Spirit, a new season is upon the Church. For a very long time, we have camped around the subject of sufficiency, but in this season, God is moving the faithful to the realm of over and above where we will experience Surplus Living

Earl Bynum In WorshipEarl Bynum In WorshipEarl Bynum In WorshipEarl Bynum In Worship

Tuesday October 29th 2019
Memorise: Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. Psalm 67:5-6

Read: Psalm 92:12-15 (KJV)
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
15 To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Bible in one year: 
Ezra 4-6,
Revelation 22,

Hymn: 
Sing hymn 1

Message:-
Those whom the Lord refers to as the “flourishing” are those who have the capacity to lend to nations.

They are the kind of people that nations can humbly go to in order to explain their needs, anticipating that they will receive something impactful from them. The first thing you need in order to flourish is divine favour. In Romans 9:15-16, God said:

“….I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”

In other words, struggling for wealth does not necessarily lead to prosperity. This is why an African proverb says, “It is not the lack of food that stops a cat from being as big as the dog.”

After God has shown you favour, the next thing you need in order to flourish is hard work. Lazy people don’t work hard, so they don’t flourish. In John 5:17b, Jesus Christ said:

“My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

God is a hard worker, so it would not be in His character to cause a lazy fellow to flourish. In Proverbs 13:4a, the Bible says:

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing:”

In my lifetime, I have seen a lot of people who want to flourish without working hard. They remain poor, because God’s word cannot be broken. His word says in Proverbs 22:29

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”

If you don’t wand to work hard, then there is no way God can cause you to flourish. When God wants to bless someone, He opens doors to him or her. However, if He opens a door for you, He won’t push you through it; you will have to do what it takes to go through it yourself.

For you to flourish, beyond working hard, you must work right. Working hard is not as important as working right, otherwise all labourers would be the richest people in the world. Peter and some other disciples fished all night but they caught nothing because they were fishing in the wrong place (John 21:3-6). You can only know which way to cast your net if you have surrendered the boat of your life to the Master. Those whose hearts are sold out to Jesus never lack direction. They always have net-breaking catches because Jesus tells them which direction to cast their nets. Is it so with you?

Prayer Point
Father, I am willing to work hard and work right; please bless me today.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33:3

Who do you turn to when you need help, when you need an important answer to an important question? Do you ask God first?

So many believers fail to do that! They'll stand around wringing their hands and talking to each other all day. They'll inquire of their pastor. They'll inquire of their friends. They'll inquire of their husband or wife. But do they inquire of God? No.

Don't make that mistake.

Instead, follow the example of King David. In 1 Chronicles 14, the Bible tells us he was about to face a battle with the very powerful Philistines who had all come out against him. The Philistine nation had been an enemy of Israel for years. David probably could have guessed that God would tell him to go to battle against them. But he didn't guess! He went to God and inquired, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand" (verse 10).

Don't depend on guesswork. When you encounter a problem, seek the Lord through the Word and in prayer and ask Him what the solution is. No matter how much scripture you learn, no matter how fully you perceive who you are in Christ Jesus, you'll never outgrow your need to do that.

Go to the Lord and find out exactly what He wants you to do. Don't decide your course of action and then ask God to bless your plans. Go to Him and say, "Lord, what are Your plans?" His plans are already blessed. If you follow them, your victory is guaranteed.

Scripture Reading:
1 Chronicles 14:8-17

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts . . .
—Colossians 3:15

When we examine the problems that confront us in our world today, we find that every one of them resolves into a problem of “inner space,” a problem of the dark side of the human spirit. From thousands of letters we receive, it is evident that a large proportion of the population is facing deep personal problems. They vary from person to person, but they do exist, and they are all problems of “inner space.”

Yes, we are the people who have been conquering outer space, but are in danger of losing the battle of the spirit. But there is a solution—for millions it has already been reached—and that solution is in Jesus Christ. He said, “My peace”—my liberty, my freedom—”I give unto you” (John 14:27).

Today if we will turn the searchlight of truth on the dark side of our human spirits and let Jesus Christ become the Master Control of our lives, a new day will dawn for us. Submit the “inner space” of your life to Him.

Listen to this Billy Graham audio message about wrestling with life’s problems.

Prayer for the day
How often I hurt deep down inside me, Lord, but the knowledge of Your love and compassion brings me hope and peace.

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For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.
2 Corinthians 10:4, NKJV

TODAY'S WORD:

Scripture tells us that there is a battle going on in our minds. Our thoughts dictate our actions. That’s why the enemy will do everything he can to get you thinking in the wrong direction. Sometimes it’s not our own thoughts that are holding us back; sometimes it’s that we’ve believed the negative things that other people have spoken over us. Those words are like seeds. If you dwell on them long enough, they’ll take root and become a reality. In life, there will always be people telling you what cannot be done, speaking negative things. Too often we latch on to those negative words and develop what the Scripture calls a “stronghold.” It’s a wrong thinking pattern that keeps us imprisoned in defeat and keeps us from God’s best. The way you break those negative strongholds is by rejecting the lie and embracing the truth of God’s Word. In other words, you have to choose to delete that negative file in your mind. Today, why don’t you take inventory of your thought life? Ask yourself, “Where did these thoughts come from? Do they line up with what God says about me?” Break the negative strongholds and embrace God’s truth so you can be all that God has called you to be!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, today I choose to reject negative thoughts. I choose to reject lies from the past. I break every stronghold through the power of Your Word and embrace Your truth which sets me free in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

— Colossians 3:2

I have learned over the years the value of purposely setting my mind on things I want to happen throughout the day, instead of passively waiting to see what kind of thoughts I happen to have.

Just as we choose our clothes and purposely put them on, we can and should choose our thoughts, because what we meditate on often becomes our reality (see Proverbs 23:7). “Where the mind goes, the man follows” is one of my favorite sayings!

Today I set my mind to be strong, energetic, and joyful. I have decided to enjoy this day and to be a blessing everywhere I go. The more I think positive things, the more excited and empowered I feel! God is waiting to bless His children, but we need to expect Him to do so. What are you expecting from God today? Nothing? A little? A lot?

I taught this in our office chapel, and an employee came to work the next day and said, “I have lots of problems at home, especially with my teenage son who argues with me constantly. After hearing Joyce speak on expecting good things, I decided to try it. Instead of driving home dreading the evening, I went home expecting something good. My son looked at me when I got home and told me that he loved me, something I hadn’t heard in a long, long time.”

Aggressive expectation is faith in action! Release your faith for God’s best in your life and get ready for an upgrade in blessings.

Prayer Starter: Father, I am sorry I have been so passive about my thoughts. Forgive me, and help me learn to think in a way that will release Your best in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Psalm 27:1-14

People will ask, “What can I do to really grow as a Christian?” Often they are looking for a secret path to maturity—some action they can perform. But the true key to growing in your relationship with Christ isn’t based on service or knowledge or any other outward accomplishment the world tends to admire.

Genuine maturity and effectiveness hinge upon your heart relationship with the Lord, rather than something you can do for Him. When you understand this truth, your whole paradigm shifts. It puts all Christians on the same level, from the high-profile preacher to the quietest member of the church. The believer’s talents, accomplishments, and personality are far less important than the commitment to simply know God.

The Lord called David “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22 NIV). What was it about him that God valued so highly? He certainly had his share of mistakes, sins, and character flaws. Yet more than anything else, what characterized his life was that he sought to know the Lord. Whether he was a shepherd, fugitive, warrior, or powerful king, the time he spent with his heavenly Father was his lifeline. In psalm after psalm, David laid everything before the Lord—and wholeheartedly longed to do His will. This was his greatest strength.

Do you want to grow spiritually and be transformed in your everyday faith walk? Take a step beyond asking, “What can I do for God so that I can be a better Christian?” Instead, come before the Lord and say, “Here I am. You have full access to my heart.”

Bible in One Year: Luke 17-19

Philippians 2:3
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself

We move at warp speed, rushing through exhausting days to fall into bed with unmet demands still burdening our hearts.

With so many responsibilities and so much pressure to perform, it is easy to develop tunnel vision. We focus exclusively on ourselves and our dreams and desires. Others become resources to reach our goals or nuisances that impede our progress.

Jesus calls us away from a life of selfishness into a life of sacrifice. Following His example, we learn to look up and look around. When the disciples shooed away the children who clambered around Christ, He stopped them and pulled the children in for a blessing.

On a life-or-death mission, He stopped for the woman with the issue of blood. On the Sabbath day, while the Pharisees looked on scornfully, He healed the man with a withered hand.

In the middle of important work, He noticed and took time. In fact, the irritants and outcasts were His important work. Instead of pushing them to the fringes of society, He pulled in the prostitutes, swindlers, crippled, and poor.

Where can we swap our selfish ambition for sacrifice? How can we exchange our conceit for concern? In the middle of our important work, let us look up and look around.

Blessing:

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May Jesus give you eyes to truly see those around you. Look up and look around. As you minister to the least of these, you do it as unto Him.

Today's Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Jeremiah 51:54-52:34

New Testament

Titus 3:1-15

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 100:1-5

Proverbs 26:18-19

What is success to you today? How would you define it and how do you plan on achieving it?

I believe that true success is about striving to obtain everything that God has promised is yours, no matter how long it takes and no matter what kind of obstacles you might face. Success does not mean you never have problems; it means you know how to overcome them with the Word of God.

There is no such thing as a life on this planet without problems. We are always going to be confronted with adversity, trials and tests of all kinds. It’s our attitude about these problems that will determine whether we fail or succeed.

Hebrews 10:35, 36 in the New Living Translation says, “Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”

There is a reward promised to those who will not give up. There is a reward promised to those who will stick to it. I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where people who quit are rewarded. It’s only those who develop staying power. THE MESSAGE says it like this, “So don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.”

Just think about it. You have come too far to quit. You need to stick it out. You are not a quitter; you are a winner!

Confession: I will stick it out and stay with God’s plan so I will be there for the promised completion!

Author: Jerry Savelle

Romans 5:1

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

We are not trying to get peace with God. We already have peace with God, having been justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ. This peace with God brings us the peace of God, which guards our hearts and minds (see Philippians 4:7). Then, the peace of God inside us will also translate into the peace of God outside us—in all our outward circumstances.

Firstly, we will find that what would normally cause us much care and anxiety will no longer be the case. Secondly, not only will everything turn out well, but we will also be blessed in more ways than one. This is what happens when Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is our peace.

A church member, though stricken with cancer, enjoyed the peace of God, knowing that He was her healer. She later received confirmation from two different doctors that she had been completely healed of cancer. In addition to receiving her blessing of complete healing, she also received from her insurance company a critical illness claim of S$50,000!

Another church member, upon hearing news of her retrenchment, committed the matter to God, believing that He would work all things out for her, especially her loss of a regular income. Shortly after, she received her retrenchment package—a substantial five-figure sum. And within days of her retrenchment, she received calls from her contacts in the industry, offering her jobs, two of which were jobs in well-known multinational corporations (MNCs).

At that time, she had not yet started looking for a job, so the calls were unexpected but welcomed. She finally opted to work for one of the MNCs—a dream come true for her—at a salary that was 30 per cent more than her previous one! When she simply prayed, “Abba Father, I trust You to look after me,” and rested in His love and peace, she was abundantly blessed.

Beloved, because Jesus is your peace, you are blessed in more ways than one. Your soul will prosper. Your health will prosper. Your finances will prosper. Your loved ones will be taken care of. Your relationships will flourish. You will enjoy the favor of God. All because you have the Prince of Peace!

Even in unfair treatment and disappointments, you can trust God to be your vindicator and to work out His plan for your life. As you do, you’ll not only feel heaviness lift off of you, but you’ll begin to dream again. Get ready to see the new things He has in store!

Sacrifice is an integral part of God’s discipleship process that must be embraced to grow in His favor. We may have desires in our hearts that we want to come to pass, but we must obey God to reap the benefits. You must listen and accept the responsibility that He gives you even when it’s not what you had in mind. Listen to the blood; He will always give you better!

Night of Worship with William McDowell 2019 | William McDowell Personal Life Story

Monday October 28th 2019
Memorise: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

Read: Genesis 21:5-14 (KJV)
5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

Bible in one year: 
Ezra 1-3,
Revelation 21:9-27,

Hymnal:
Sing hymn 4

Message:-
The Lord declared His place in the universe to be first in all things and filling all spheres, saying in Revelation 1:8

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

In light of this, He expects those who have given their lives to Him to put Him first in all things. Making God first in our lives is the highest honour we can give to Him. Indeed, there is no other position suitable for Him in our lives than the first position. The implication of this is that we must consult Him first before we do anything. Those who jump the gun in their walk with God by taking steps before consulting Him always encounter disappointment, failure, hardship and great frustration. No wonder the Prophet said in Habakkuk 2:1:

“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.”

To enjoy our walk with Him therefore, we must be ready to always walk behind Him, patiently walking and watching as He goes ahead of us to make every crooked path straight, and carefully putting our feet in His footprints.

An example of someone who jumped the gun in the course of his walk with God is Father Abraham. If he had consulted with God before sleeping with Hagar at Sarah’s bidding, the Lord would not have allowed it (Genesis 16:1-3). This action brought commotion to Abraham’s household and caused him great grief. When Sarah could no longer bear the situation, she insisted that Hagar and her son, Ishmael, be sent away. It was at this point that Abraham consulted God on the matter, and God said to him in Genesis 21:12:

 “And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.”

If only He had checked with God first, he would have avoided so much pain and hurt. Beloved, let us learn to put God at the beginning, at the middle and at the end of all our plans, because He must fill all spheres of our lives for perfect guidance. This should not be too difficult for those who desire to live with Him in his kingdom eternally. Is God first in your life?

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to recognise and be guided by Your footprints in every situation I am faced with in life, in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57, The Amplified Bible

Victors! More than conquerors! That's what the Bible says we are. I know you've heard that many times before, but today I want you to let the reality of it really sink in. I want you to spend some time meditating about what those terms actually mean.

The dictionary says that victory means "final and complete supremacy or superiority in battle or war, success in any contest or struggling involving the defeat of an opponent or the overcoming of obstacles."

To conquer means "to get the better of in competition or struggle, to master, suppress, prevail over, overwhelm, surmount, to gain superiority, to subdue, to vanquish, to crush, to defeat."

Once you get those definitions firmly in mind, you'll realize in Jesus you've gotten much more than a ticket to heaven. You've gotten the best of the world you're living in now. Through Him, you've overcome it, mastered it, suppressed it and prevailed over it.

No wonder 1 Corinthians 15:57 shouts, "Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory, [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ" (The Amplified Bible)!

Why don't you shout too! Shout thanks to God today for making you an overcomer. Praise Him that you are joined up with the One who has conquered the world, the flesh and the devil. Shout hallelujah and enjoy the victory!

Scripture Reading:
Romans 8:29-39

. . . being knit together in love . . .
—Colossians 2:2

Thousands of young couples go through with a loveless marriage because no one ever told them what genuine love is. I believe we need to read the 13th chapter of First Corinthians, in which the Apostle Paul gives us a definition of love. He says, “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” If people today knew that kind of love, the divorce rate would be sharply reduced.

Learn more about God’s divine love.

Prayer for the day
Lord Jesus, we need Your love and forgiveness in our hearts, if we are to love unselfishly.