Kings in the Midst of Scarcity

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Kings in the Midst of Scarcity

 November 15

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? Luke 12:20

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Luke 12:16-21  16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

 

 

MORE LESSON 2 Kings 4:1-7  1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. 3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

 

Then I was much younger, fifty naira was sufficient allowance for a month. The university ran cafeteria and some sets ahead of me ate food free. By the time it got to my turn we were paying fifty naira or less per plate and it usually wasted because we always had excess. You couldn't come to school and suffer. I'm sure it will be strange to undergraduates that the university ran cafetaria that was what we enjoyed. Now I see female university students live with boys off campus because they have no accommodation. I have seen Nigeria produce more criminals than it has never been in history, and I have seen blood shed everywhere.

Yet we have Nigerians who buy jets and live in wasteful affluence. As God's children we are not supposed to emulate that kind of lifestyle. As much as we encourage God's children to live as kings in the midst of scarcity, we do not encourage wasteful lifestyle, we do not encourage the king's children to be unconcerned about palace staff. It's very important to look out for the welfare of the less privileged in the society.

 God's wealth and blessings in a man's life are always for a purpose. Every blessing of God in your life is a means to an end and not an end in itself. Society will be a lot better if those who have the resources look out for the welfare of the less privileged around them. Instead of using all your wealth for just you and your family, begin to see how you can use your resources to create a better society. Kingdom advancement is not just in prayer and fasting or paying your tithes and offerings in church; these are very important and they have their place. But there is another form of giving called giving to the poor. For instance, if you come up with a strategy or a scheme that helps to remove prostitutes and armed robbers from the street and empower them to become independent and live a decent life, your wealth has become a weapon of mass evangelism. So rather than live in wasteful affluence as kings in these challenging days, look for how to make the life of the person next to you better through the resources that God has blessed you with.

 You may not be able to feed a nation, but you can give a meal to a hungry child. You may not have a foundation to cater for a thousand out of school children, but you can pay one term's school fee for a child. At whatever level you are right now, there is something you can do or give to make a difference. What you are looking down on may be the prayer point of your neighbour. Use it to be a blessing. As kings in these days of scarcity, we must ensure that we use our resources to create a better environment where the will of God will find full expression as waters cover the sea.

 Prayer/Action

*          Ask God to bless you in the midst of scarcity.

*          Pray that you will be a source of blessing and encouragement to others.

*          Make a decision to help someone today.

 

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Father, show Yourself mighty on my behalf this new month and cause every war to cease, in the victorious name of Jesus.

 

TODAY’S FASTING FOCUS War cease Psalm 46:9

Covenant Realities

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Covenant Realities

14 November

 

 SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Psalm 89:26-33 26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. 27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. 30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

 

MORE LESSON Genesis 28:16-22 16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

 

My mercy will I keep for him for evermore; and my covenant shall stand fast with him. Psalm 89:28

 

The reading passages of today explicitly reveal the value of covenant and the privileges of making covenant with God. When God wanted a permanent partnership and relationship with Abraham, God made a covenant with him in Genesis 17:1-2, And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect. And I will make a covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

 This covenant that Abraham made with God indeed led to multiplication and greatness that went beyond Abraham to his generation of children yet to be born, they all enjoyed the covenant blessings. Covenant excites God. He did it not just with Abraham but also with kings and nations alongside with other individuals. Covenant is done in partnership; covenants have witnesses and tokens. To be sure of a good life on earth, tidy up your life by entering into a covenant with God.

 A covenant with God means His strength, glory, honour become available to you especially when you fulfil your side of and service the covenant. Does that mean when you are in covenant with God there will be no pain or challenges? No, as long as we are in the world there will be pain and challenges. What happens with covenant children of God is that in challenges, covenant power brings divine assistance and grace to overcome.

 When Israel was in bondage in Egypt, they called upon God, the covenant that God had with father Abraham spoke for them and they were delivered. (Exodus 3:3). Also in the case of Jacob in Genesis 28 while facing the self-imposed challenge of collecting his brother's birthright and he had to run away. On the way he met with God and made a covenant with Him, which God honoured over his life. He also told God what he would do if God helped him. From verses 20-22 of Genesis 28, Jacob said God would be his God and he would give Him a tenth of his income.. This is called covenant token. It is not done by compulsion but willingly and God kept His part, Jacob also kept his. This is a biblical pattern we can also emulate and we will enjoy all the benefits therein. God is a covenant keeper, we must also keep our covenant with Him.

 

Prayer/Action

*   Praise God for choosing to honour you with His covenant.

*   Ask for power to keep your part of the covenant.

*   Ask that the benefits of the covenant will be yours and your children’s forever.
 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: To the glory of God, I declare today that I stand defended from all evil, in the defensive name of Jesus.

Overflow Dimension

STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Overflow Dimension

13 November

 

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psalm 23:5

 

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Psalm 23:1-6  1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever*.

 

MORE LESSON  Psalm 35:27 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

 

The anointing of God in a man's life brings him to the realm of overflowing blessing: the dimension of when he constantly has more than enough. In this realm, a man is so blessed that he always has extra such that he can never exhaust. In the name of Jesus, by the fresh oil of the Holy Spirit, step into the overflowing dimension. When you get to a point where you can't finish your extra, what happens to the main supply? It's never touched: you won't eat from your main cash anymore, but begin to eat from the overflow, in Jesus’ name. So, if your overflow is more than sufficient, you don't ever have a reason to touch the main. What's the implication? You are going to become three things.

1.  You will become a generational blessing. You know why? It is because the main source is still intact: it's not touched. Proverbs 13:22 says, A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. God wants to bless you beyond you. This is the Abrahamic order of blessings and we are the seeds of Abraham. So, as you prepare your heart to receive the blessing that God has for you, look beyond yourself because He is making you a trans-generational blessing.

2.  You will begin to be comfortable in ‘comfortability’. What I mean is that there are certain levels of comfort at which you enjoy what is more than others' comfort. When you cannot only enter an aircraft that is comfortable, but where the class you sit in is different from that of the others, that's more than being comfortable. You will arrive at the same time but not in the same way. I have sat in economy, in business class and also in first class. The difference is clear because the way you feel on arrival is different. While some people are busy snoring as if they are on their bed in first class, in the economy, you are struggling to stretch your legs. When you come out of the economy, your knees are aching but with a first class, you just say, “Thank you, Jesus”.

3.            You become a blessing. From today on, your extra will be bigger than you can eat. When you get to that level, you start taking care of others. That is your portion, in Jesus' name. Amen! In Luke 5:7, Peter caught so much fish that he began to beckon others to share his blessing. This is the realm of being a blessing: you are so blessed that you become a blessing to others. Peter had enough and transferred to others without feeling that he lost anything. God is more than enough and not just a sufficient God. Describing Him as the sufficient God is not totally a correct picture of His person; He is more than enough.

 Prayer/Action

*      Declare that by the anointing of God you will step into your overflowing dimension.

*      Declare that your season of dryness is over.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Father, I decree to the remaining days of this year that there shall be neither obituaries nor mourning, in the winning name of Jesus.

Beyond the Physical

   STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Beyond the Physical

 

12 November

 

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. Luke 5:5

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Luke 5:1-9  9 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,

          

 MORE LESSON Job 42:12-17  12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so Job died, an old man and full of years.

 

In life, never let your physical reality become your destination. If you want to go higher in life, step into what is written in the Golden Book (the Bible). In today's text, Peter realized his level of failure and the insufficiency of his situation. He said, “We have not caught and we can't catch.” But he didn't stop there: he transferred that failure, that insufficiency, to Divinity. What was the result of the transfer? He got more than sufficient. He came with one boat which was sufficient but went home with two boats which were more than sufficient. So we have a God who can change our insufficiency to not just having enough, but He has the capacity to move us beyond enough into the realms of more than enough. There is no point struggling with what is not working when you are connected to the One who can help you to turn things around. Peter could have chosen to keep proving to Jesus that he was a professional fisherman and he would have gone home with nothing. However, he looked beyond his physical reality and dared to take Jesus for His word, and was astonished at how things worked out.

 

When placed side by side the word of God, man's wisdom, no matter how professional, is in no way a match to the word of God. The doctor can say that a patient has one week to live whereas the word of God says that He will satisfy him with long life. If that patient dares to believe God's word despite his deteriorating health condition, he will not only live but will fulfil the number of his days to a ripe full age. However, if a man chooses to dwell on his physical realities, he will make the word of God of non- effect in his life. So, never let your physical condition define you.

 

There is no physical reality that the word of God cannot overturn. In II Kings 7, the hunger is the land was so terrible that women agreed to take turns to eat their children. Evidence exists of the strong ties between mother and children; yet, the situation was so bad that women were eating their children. However, in the midst of the situation, the word of the Lord came through the prophet in II Kings 7:1: …Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. One of the king's official, who probably was abreast with the current economic situation doubted the word of God, and even though he saw its fulfilment, he never tasted of it.

It is better to accept what God has said rather than doubt and miss out on God's mighty supply. Indeed nothing is too difficult for Him to do. Let God be true and every medical report, economic situation, family crisis, etc be a lie.

 

Prayer/Action

*    Pray that you will not be trapped by what is happening physically around you.
*       Receive grace to believe God beyond physical realities.
*       Pray that the physical realities will not overwhelm your faith.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: By the unquenchable fire of the Holy Ghost, I make a proclamation that this day and the entire month is a no trouble season, in the mighty name of Jesus

The More than Sufficient God

  STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

The More than Sufficient God

11 November

 

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. Luke 5:5

 

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Luke 5:5-7 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

 

MORE LESSON Isaiah 55:10-11  10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

 

I am sure you are familiar with this story of Apostle Peter. Simply put, the apostles did everything and it didn't work. However, when Jesus came and took the ship that had been failing in their hand, he turned it to a success in His ministry: it became a different story. It didn't stop there: by the time it got into Jesus' hands, it became a very successful boat. Jesus preached in it and had good results. By implication Jesus said, “What has been failing in your hand has changed in my hand, but I don't want you to end there. Come and continue the success.” The same boat that had failed them, He put it back in their hand. In other words, “What you have been struggling to do and could not do, go and do it now.” Then they said, “Given our past story, it doesn't work but because you have spoken, we will do what you have said.” So they launched out into the deep, and the Bible reports that they caught so much that the nets began to break.

 

Thereafter, they had to seek help. When the help came, the extra boat they got was also full to the point that the two boats were in jeopardy. What is the lesson? If you want the sufficient God, you will see Him. He will give you just what you need because sufficient is just what you need. It won't be less; it won't be more; just sufficient. But beloved, the moment the factor of sufficient moves to divinity, it becomes more than sufficient.

 So, the lesson is simple: whatever is failing in your hand, give it to the God who is more than sufficient. That's what Peter did. If your life is failing, give it to Him who is more than sufficient. First, hand over every failure to Jehovah: if it is your academic pursuit that is failing, give it to Him. When He steps in, your weakness becomes strength and you begin to succeed where you failed before. This is because there is a switch and now you now are working with His strength and no longer yours.

 Secondly, learn to trust what God's word says against your physical realities. God's word ranks above everything you can think of. So when it seems like what God has said is conflicting with your present reality, you must be wise enough to take sides with what God has said. The word of God is creative in its work: and it doesn't matter if what you desire does not exist, the word can create it. The whole world was created by the spoken word of God and this did not happen just because He is God, but He showed us a technology that can deliver whatever we desire and how we desire it. So, if you want to experience the more than sufficient dimension of God, plug into His word and you will see the wonders of His word in your life.

 Prayer/Action

 *  Declare that nothing shall fail any longer in your hand

 * Receive abundant blessings of God for your life and family. 

 * Hand over anything that is failing in your hands to Jesus now.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: By the power of the Holy Ghost, I decree that my shining light will never diminish in the midst of darkness and no darkness can comprehend it, in the wonderful name of Jesus

 

The Strong Tower

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

The Strong Tower

10 November

 

The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

 

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Proverbs 18:10 10 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

 

MORE LESSON Zechariah 9:11-12 11As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; a tower of deliverance, healing, freedom, help, success, breakthrough, new day, and new testimony. When Jesus sent His disciples out to preach, they returned with the report in Luke 10:17, ...even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. The name of the Lord deals with both what you can see and what you cannot see, what you can say and what you cannot say, what you can do and what you cannot do, the deal you can strike and the one you cannot strike, the labour you can carry and the one you cannot. When I read this verse of scripture, I said to myself: “A name that can work before activation of the covenant will do more after its activation.” It was after Jesus resurrected that God gave Him a name that is above every other name. However, even before it was activated, those who had spiritual eyes were operating it and it was working. The Bible reveals in Ephesians 6 that the devil shoots fiery darts at the saints and in order to quench them, we are admonished not to let go of the shield of faith. The question then is, “Faith in what?” Faith in the name and the finished work of Christ on the cross. Part of what the death and resurrection of Jesus made available to the believer is His name. His name is a defence against the onslaught of the enemy. The truth is that the devil will not leave you alone just because you have declared your allegiance to Christ. In fact, the day you make this decision, the battle line is drawn. This is not to scare you but to open your eyes to the arsenals and the advantage that we have over the enemy that will help us enforce the victory that Christ has won for us. The believer can take cover in the name of the Lord and be sure that his safety is guaranteed.

 A strong tower is a source of defence for soldiers in times of battle. Among the many things that the believer is called in the Bible is a soldier. In warfare, a skilled soldier must know what is the best tactics to employ at any given time. There are times when he should fight, but at other times he may need the cover of a fellow soldier, and there are still times when the best thing to do is to run. The Bible says when it becomes necessary for the believer to run, the name of the Lord is that Strong Tower that guarantees his safety. At the name of Jesus, everything in heaven, on earth and beneath the earth responds accordingly. The name of Jesus gives the believer the needed backing to enforce victory because certain things will not respond to your name but will only bow to the name of Jesus. No matter how boisterous the storm may seem, take cover in the name of the Lord and decree peace in Jesus' name.

 Prayer/Action

*  Declare peace to every storm in your life in the name of Jesus.

 * Activate every good thing you want in the name of Jesus.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: I receive the spirit of good news everywhere I go and everything I do, in the wonderful name of Jesus.

You are Deities III

STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

You are Deities III

9 November

 

And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. Acts 14:11

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Acts 14:7-15 7 where they continued to preach the gospel. 8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. 11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

 

MORE LESSON Acts 1:8 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

 

Stop complaining about the mishaps in the world today because your relevance is in that chaos. People have only seen darkness and they are wailing. What will they do when they encounter gross darkness? Do not join the world to complain because you are o m n i p o t e n t ,  o m n i s c i e n t  a n d omnipresent. You are an extension of God's hand to humanity. When men see you in action, they should acknowledge that they have seen God. Then just as they want to worship you, you introduce them to the Almighty.

Every believer is supposed to be a pathway to God. When people follow you over time, ultimately, they should find God. This is what happened to Paul and Barnabas at Lystra as recorded in Acts 14:8-11: …there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet,… The same heard Paul speak:… Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. They responded to the man's situation in a way that was typical of a god.

Jesus read out His purpose on earth, in Luke 4:18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. This is the blueprint of every believer's assignment. Jesus is the first fruit among many brethren, which means that the believer is supposed to become all that Christ was on earth and even more through the supply of the Holy Spirit. So, your deity-ship is so that you can preach the gospel, heal the broken-hearted, preach deliverance to captives and restore sight to the blind. The society should feel the impact of your existence. When you tell them God is good, they will understand it better when you are a channel of conveying God's goodness to them. You may not feed a nation right now, but you can give a meal to a starving child. You may not take the gospel to the nations just yet, but you can win that your straying neighbour or colleague.

At whatever level you are, there is something you can do and there is something you can offer. The subject of lack is relative. According to God's justice system, everyone at every point in time has something to offer. He or she may just not be aware of it or may undermine it. So, get up today and live in the reality of who you are: you are a deity.

Prayer/Action

*              Pray that you will be a solution provider to your generation.

*              Ask for grace to always be obedient to the voice of God.

*              Pray that you will not be a reproach to the body of Christ.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: As the salt of the earth, I will sing everywhere I stand, and be a blessing not a curse, in the powerful name of Jesus

 

You are Deities II

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

You are Deities II

8 November

 

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Romans 8:19

 

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Romans 8:18-21 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

 

 

MORE LESSON Obadiah 1:21 21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's.

 

 

The coming of Christ brought believers the advantage of God indwelling man so that he can manifest these attributes. The believer is the stepped-down version of God. That is, using an electrical transmission line as an example, God is the source of power. However, the earth cannot host that level of power just as the electric power generated does not reach our homes in the same magnitude it is generated. It is therefore, passed through a transformer that steps down the power to the degree that it can be useful to us. In the same way, Christ in man is like the stepped-down version of God to help human beings relate with Him.

 

When God appeared to the Israelites in His glory, they were terrified and asked Moses to hear God and tell them all that God said. Similarly, if God had to come down to earth in His glory to save man, human beings would not have been able to host Him. So, He reduced Himself and was born as a man so that men would relate with Him. Hence, when Jesus died and rose again, He gave us the Holy Spirit, so God is now dwelling in man. Believers are deities because they carry God and hence, should exhibit the attributes of God.

 

God wants you to become omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscience, in order to establish His purposes on earth. Therefore, don't let the devil talk you into that fact that these are the attributes of only God because you are  also a god on earth. This is the same deception that Satan sold to Eve in the garden and she fell cheaply for it. Eve was already everything Satan told her she would become. She didn't need to eat the fruit to become because she was already like God and a god on earth.

 

The chaos in the world today needs gods to arise and do as occasion demands. See the instruction in Psalm 82:3-4: Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. God will not tell you to do what He has not empowered you to do. The instruction in today's text is from God speaking to gods. So, if you are not a god, then He is not referring to you because it only takes the authority of God and gods to do such things in the earth. However, the whole world is in confusion today because believers are not aware that they are deities (gods). They are falling for, the same old trick Eve fell for and as a result, they have not yet taken their position to legislate on behalf of the Almighty God. You are gods on earth, so wipe your tears, realize who you are in Christ and do on earth what God is doing in heaven. There is perfect peace, wholeness, righteousness etc. in heaven and you should replicate same here on earth.

 

Prayer/Action

     *      Pray against smallness in every area of your life.

*          Pray that through your life God will be glorified.

*          Pray that you will operate in your full ordination in Christ.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: I decree that in the journey of life beginning from today, the enemy shall not be able to take my joy from me, in the glorious name of Jesus.

 

TODAY’S FASTING FOCUS:  No sorrow, no affliction Isaiah 14:3, 35:10; Revelation 21:4

You are Deities I

  STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

 

You are Deities I

 7 November

 

 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. Psalm 82:6

 

MORE LESSON Romans 8:18-21  18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Psalm 82:3-7  3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

The believer is the stepped-down version of God. When people are asked what the attributes of God are, you hear them say: “God is Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipresent.” I agree, but God also empowered man with these attributes so that as He is God in heaven, man can be god on earth. The coming of Christ brought believers the advantage of God indwelling man so that he can manifest these attributes. Hence, the presence of God is the most valuable thing in a believer's life. With the presence of God comes everything that the believer needs. A believer who has the presence of God will manifest God-likeness everywhere he goes. This is to say that person will be omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. This person will literally become a deity (god) which is who we really are in Christ. Psalm 82:6 says: I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. By being omnipresent, such a person manifests the wisdom of the Spirit and creates products that will be everywhere at the same time. Products like Facebook, Whatsapp, Coca- Cola etc are omnipresent and it takes the assistance of the Spirit to come up with products like these.

Also, there is nothing such a person cannot do because he now operates the power of God. In this realm, weakness does not exist anymore because when you are at your weakest point, that is when God's strength becomes more potent in you. II Corinthians 12:9-10 encourages us: ... My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me… for when I am weak, then am I strong. And since there is nothing God cannot do, there is nothing such a believer cannot also do. The Bible says that it is only with men that impossibility exists; with God, all things are possible. So, a person who lives in God's realm will manifest this ability and defy all odds to get the purposes of God done in the earth.

Furthermore, by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, there is nothing these kinds of people do not know. Whenever they open their mouth, they leave their audience astonished at the kind of wisdom and authority they command. Little wonder, the Pharisees and Sadducees marveled at the wisdom and authority with which Jesus taught. In as much as they were not comfortable with His teachings, they could not deny the visible manifestation of the wisdom and authority of God each time He taught. Jesus is our perfect theology and everything we see in the life of Jesus is the exact template God desires every believer in Christ to manifest. Live with the consciousness that you are deity and manifest your omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience because the whole creation awaits this manifestation.

 

Prayer/Action

 * Pray for understanding about the true identity in Christ              

* Ask for grace to operate in your full capacity.

* Pray for supernatural insight to always walk in wisdom.

 

TODAY’S  PROPHETIC  PRAYER:  Today is the beginning of a new season of praise for me and everything that has to do with me, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Treasure in the House II

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

 

Treasure in the House II

 6 November

 

 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Matthew 13:44

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Matthew 13:44-46  44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

  

MORE LESSON Psalm 1:2-3  2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

There is the story of a man that owned a small farm on an acre of land well watered by streams. He lived on the farm and made profit which sustained him. Those days, the exploration of land for diamond just started becoming popular and many people were becoming instantaneously rich as they discovered diamond in their land. This man also wanted to make it and so he sold his farm and took the little money he made from the sale to embark on a journey in search of diamond.

He travelled to distant lands and shores in search of diamond to make him wealthy. After many years of a worn out life, travelling and looking for diamond, he decided to return home. He had become old and since he hadn't been lucky enough to find diamond, he decided to return to his hometown so that, at least, when he died he could be buried there.

When he returned home the first thing he noticed was that the village had become an industrial town and many things had changed. There were roads, schools, hospitals, storey buildings and other infrastructural amenities. He inquired and found out that a large deposit of diamond was discovered in the town after he left. A large industry had to be set up that was responsible for the great economic and infrastructural development. Guess where the deposit of diamond was discovered. It was in the acre of land he sold to embark on his journey. Many people are searching around for treasure and solutions in life while the greatest treasure in the universe lies unused in their house.

The greatest treasure in life is the Word of God. A man has the Bible in his house and is not reading it to discover principles of life but goes around begging for help, prayer and other things. He is uninformed that if he could only extract the treasure in the Bible, all the things he goes around begging for will be produced and distributed by him. Psalm 1: 2-3 declares that a man who digs and discovers the treasure in the Word of God will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. Productivity, provision and prosperity are in the Word. The Bible is a treasure. If you read, love and obey it, all the things that people traverse the land and sea to look for will naturally flow out of you. Friend, all you are looking for are in the Word of God. Explore God’s Word and be blessed and be a blessing to others.

 

Prayer/Action

*    Ask God to open your eyes so that you will see the treasures that are around you.

*    Pray for the wisdom to be able to identify the treasure in humans.

*    Pray that you will not miss the treasure in God's word through negligence.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Today, over my life, work and family, I declare that the destroyers are destroyed and the wasters wasted, in the irresistible name of Jesus.

Treasure in the House I

 

Treasure in the House I

 

5 November

 

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Matthew 25:1

 

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Matthew 25:1- 13:  1 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

 

MORE LESSON Proverbs 21:20:  20 There is desirable treasure, And oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man squanders it.

 

Wisdom is one subject the writer of the book of Proverbs devoted much of his writing to, he also wrote on issues that deal with day-to-day affairs which, if learnt, can make a person wiser and to stand out. Some of those things which should characterise the life of a believer include integrity, righteousness, wisdom and the fear of God.

Our text focuses on the things which should characterise the life of a wise man, which include treasure and oil. There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up: Proverbs 21:20. Every wise man has a treasure to be desired, either a quality, ability, resource, grace, etc. In Jeremiah 41:8, ten men were spared because they had resources and oil in the field when others were slayed. It is therefore wisdom to always have a treasure to be desired in your life; it will make you ever relevant and needed.

 The wisdom to learn from our text includes the following:

1. Don't spend up the treasure in your life before you seek to refil (Matthew 25:3-9). One of the things that distinguishes the wise and foolish virgins is that the foolish virgins used up their oil before they seek to refil. Even if there are demands on the treasure and oil in your life, don't spend it up. Be wise.

2. When you have no more treasure and oil that men can desire, they will call you foolish, therefore give attention to your life. Don't be lost in the praise of men when your talents or abilities are at the peak. It is then you need to seek to improve yourself, that is the time to do something new and better.

3. Learn to take a break to create room for review and refilling. The foolish virgins were not sensitive to know the time to refil their lamps. There should be an interval to refil and re-stock. Only God should not wait, there is nothing that cannot wait to give room for you to renew and restock your treasure and oil. Even if it seems there is no time for that, it is wisdom to create the time.

Someone once said that grace is a depleting asset, it reduces with use. It is wisdom to always seek to have it renewed so that the house will be filled with treasure.

 

Prayer/Action

* Ask God for the spirit of wisdom.

* Pray against treasure wasters in your life and destiny.

* Pray that you will never lack treasure in your life.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: I command every prison door of limitations over my destiny to be broken today, in the powerful name of Jesus.

Treasure House II

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Treasure House II

 4 November

 

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. Matthew 12:35

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Matthew 13:44: 44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

 

MORE LESSON Matthew 12:35: 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

 

God did not create a man without a definite deposit of treasure that is required for him to succeed in life. Sometimes they may not appear as attractive as what you see in others. The responsibility lies in us to discover, refine and put them to use. The following are the ways to tap into the treasures

1. Go for the treasures. Discover the field where your treasures are kept, find joy in the treasure field that God has given to you and go for it with determination and focus. Your treasure field could be your purpose, career, skill or assignment. According to Matthew 13:44(NLT), The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. Philippians 3:7-8 (NLT) also declares, I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.

2. Build the treasure of the inner character. Of Mary the mother of Jesus, Luke 2:19 (NLT) declares, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

 Matthew 12:35 (NLT), A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.

3. Use, renew and polish the treasure you have as Proverbs 21:20 admonishes, There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

4. Store up your treasure in Heaven. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. And watch against enemies of treasure; the moths, the rust and the thieves. Jesus in His teaching revealed where treasure could be stored without the fear of it being destroyed as recorded in Matthew 6:19- 20, Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. (NLT) Don't give the moth, rust and thieves access to your treasure.

 

Prayer/Action

*  Ask God that by mercy you will recover the field of your treasure you have neglected and lost.

*. Ask the Lord to restore all the treasures that you have lost to sin and wrong relationships.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: By the power of the Holy Ghost, I prophesy in this new month that the heavens over me shall not be closed but continuously open for divine results, in the mighty name of Jesus.

Treasure House I

STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Treasure House I

3 November

 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY Matthew 25:14-18:  14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.

 

MORE LESSON 2 Corinthians 4:7: 7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

 

The dictionary defines treasure as wealth (such as money, jewels, or precious metals); wealth of any kind stored up. It also refers to something of great value. God wants to open your eyes to things that would otherwise remain unseen, in order for you to claim them. God is not trying to hide treasures from us; He's hiding them for us. The treasure within us makes us unique and adds value that others celebrate in us. May the Lord open your eyes to see things you cannot ordinarily see so you can claim them.

The world will be willing to give their wealth in exchange for the treasures that you carry. The value of your treasures is seen when they are identified, polished and put to use (Matthew 25:14-18). Talents are specials abilities entrusted to a man to yield profit and benefits for others. Here are several ways the Bible considered these treasures:

✓ According to 2 Timothy 2:20-21, treasures are like vessels found in a great house which should be clean to be found useful, But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

✓ Treasures are abilities and skills acquired and developed over time. David's use of a sling and the skill of strings were acquired and developed. 1 Samuel 16:16 says, Let our lord now command your servants who are here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the harp; and when the evil spirit from God is on you, he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well.(AMP). Also, 1 Samuel 17:36,40 testifies, Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them.  And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

✓ Treasures could also be in the form of inner good treasure or character like seasoned and edifying words as shown in Matthew 12:35, A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. Also as goodly characters as James 1:4 teaches, So let it grow, and don't try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. (TLB)

 

Prayer/Action

* Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see things you cannot ordinarily see so you can claim things that would otherwise be unclaimed.

* Pray that like the fragrance from the alabaster box, the treasure in you will find expression for a global recognition.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Today I step into an unlimited glory because I serve a limitless God. Hallelujah, it's a new year, new season and fresh testimonies, in Jesus' conquering name.