Friday, October 18, 2024

Never Disadvantaged II

STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David


Never Disadvantaged II

Thursday, 10 October

 

For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. Isaiah 60:2

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

 

MORE LESSON: Isaiah 2:2-3 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

 

The hunger and pain in Nigeria will become an advantage for the Church. Beloved, beginning from today the story of Nigeria will begin to turn for your advantage. I speak as an ordained man under the oil and the covenant of life that everyone from my loins, everyone who believes in and has accepted my fatherhood, my leadership over the house of JAWOM, I provoke the negative effects of the happenings in Nigeria to become your advantage. The joblessness in Nigeria will create job for you; the hunger in Nigeria will create food for you, the crisis in Nigeria will create peace for you; the challenges in Nigeria will become your definite advantage. After today, the shout of celebration will begin from you and spread over this nation to everyone that call upon the name of the Lord. With your eyes you will behold the reward of the wicked but the reward of the wicked will not reach you.

In the days of Joseph, the global hunger that hit everyone hard, was a time for economic boom in Egypt because of the wise counsel that Joseph gave to the king. The hunger became an advantage to them because people came from all over the world to buy food in Egypt. The endtime is a time of gloom for the world but a glory reign for the Church of Jesus. The darker the world becomes, the more relevant the light of the believer.

So the happenings in the world are never a disadvantage to the Church of Jesus. God meant it when He said in Job 22:29, When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. The humble person is the one who chooses to be on God's side. It is real pride to be antagonistic to the owner and controller of all the universe. The glory that will be revealed in these last days is the glory of the Lord Himself. So, it is wisdom to stay with the Lord. And if anyone has strayed, it is time to return to the fold of those who will do amazing things for God.

The out pouring of the Spirit is strong in these days like never before. We are really in the last days, the days of unmatched manifestation of the Spirit of God in the life of men and women who will align with God. The darkness that covers the earth is intentional, it is God made. This is because darkness makes light relevant. So there will be challenges that God will engrace His children to solve and bring glory to His name. Head or tail, the Church has won. Nothing happening in the world today is a disadvantage to the believer. Go around with this mindset and enforce the will of God over nations and territories.

 

Prayer/Action

* Pray that every negative effect will turn to your advancement.

* Declare Job 22:29 over your life.

* Enforce the will of God over nations and territories.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Satan, the blood of Jesus is against you over me, my home, work and destiny this new month, in the prevailing name of Jesus.


Never Disadvantaged I

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David


Never Disadvantaged I

Wednesday, 9 October

 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 

MORE LESSON: I Corinthians 1:26-29 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Sometimes ago, I was coming back from workers’ meeting and after dropping off everyone that was in the car with me, I was near to weeping. One of our pastors gave a hundred naira note to one of the young beggars. The boy looked at it twice, confirmed it was a hundred naira note and then prostrated. Anyone who is conversant with the culture of Northern Nigerians know that a Hausa man does not prostrate. But that boy prostrated.

This left me feeling terrible about the hunger in the land. Yet, in the days of Umaru Diko in 1983, we felt that Nigeria would never go down to eating from the dustbin. But as far back as 1983, Nigerians had started picking from the dustbin. This was the country that General Yakubu Gowon in the 1970s said the only problem we had in Nigeria was that we had so much money and we didn’t know how to spend it. I stand to be corrected, it is said that Nigerian leaders have finished spending Nigerian money and started borrowing. As critical as the situation seems, we must not give up hope on Nigeria because God spoke many great words over Nigeria. And regardless of what the devil does, those words will happen.

I believe the situation in Nigeria is actually going to be such that what the devil is laughing and rejoicing over now will become the very reason for which he will cry shortly. This is because God is going to turn it to an advantage for the Church. The Church of Jesus is never disadvantaged because the Master Strategist is the owner. For instance, right now Nigerians are going all over the world in what they call japa. But I have a personal conviction that God knows about it and what God is going to do is like what He used the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to do in Nigeria. When NYSC started under General Yakubu Gowon, it was to foster unity among Nigerians after the civil war. But God took advantage of the NYSC to propagate the gospel. Believers seized the opportunity to do what is now called rural rugged evangelism. Many churches (pentecostal ministries particularly) planted across Nigeria today were done by youth corpers who went to certain places and within one year they planted the name of the Lord. If not for corps members, the spread of the gospel and pentecostal churches in Nigeria would have been less than what it is today. That project was organised by men but used of God. In the same way, I prophesy today that whatever happens in the world will become an advantage for you, in Jesus' name.

 

Prayer/Action

* Declare that all things will work together for your good.

 * Pray that God will turn disadvantages to your advantage.

* Ask God to fulfil His words over Nigeria.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: The shout of praise is my portion today. I shut down every contrary voice, in the mighty name of Jesus.


Wisdom for Living II

STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Wisdom for Living II

Tuesday, 8 October

 

How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver. Proverbs 16:16

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Proverbs 4:1-8 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. 3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. 5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

 

MORE LESSON: 2 Chronicles 1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

 

In continuation of our discourse on wisdom for living we shall be considering more proverbs of the Bible that we can apply to our life in order to be more successful in our Christian journey. (vii) He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city: Proverbs 16:32. Joseph is an example of one who ruled over his spirit when he was tempted by Potiphar's wife and Samson is an illustration of one who took over a city but had no control over his spirit. It is like saying, 'it is better to be a Joseph than to be a Samson'. Self-control is a great virtue that must be cultivated. Thankfully, self-control is a component of the fruit of the Spirit; implying that we should not struggle to manifest self-control as Spirit filled believers.

Also, (viii) Proverbs 17:5 reminds us Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. No matter how rich you are, don't mock the poor; if you cannot help the poor make sure not to hurt them either. In the same vein, Proverbs 17:5 admonishes us not to laugh at people in their calamity. What we are expected to do when people run into trouble is to show empathy. (ix) Proverbs 17:22 encourages us, A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. One of the greatest favours you can do to yourself is to be happy, circumstances not regarding. If you can be happy, it will be well.

Let's add four more proverbs as we end the discussion. (x) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24. The law of success incorporates friendliness; the more friendly you are the more people will come around you. (xi) Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. Proverbs 20:13. Too much sleep equals poverty! (xii) A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1. A good name is the path of honour and if you can't combine riches and honour, choose honour instead. (xiii) By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. Proverbs 22:4. So if you want to combine riches, honour and life be humble and fear the Lord.

 

Prayer/Action

* Ask that the Spirit of wisdom which is one of the seven-fold Spirit of God, baptise you now and always.

* Thank God for the manifold wisdom of God operational in your life.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: This is the month that the LORD has made and I shall rejoice and be glad in it, in the rejoicing name of Jesus.

Wisdom for Living I

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David 

Wisdom for Living I

Monday, 7 October

 

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Proverbs 4:7

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Proverbs 4:1-8 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. 3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. 5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

 

MORE LESSON: Ecclesiastes 10:10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

Proverbs 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

 

The beautiful thing about wisdom is that it helps us navigate through life in an uncommon way. Interestingly, wisdom for living cannot be exhausted in one’s entire lifetime; we understand that there is a beginning to wisdom though there is no end to it. What does the Bible tell us as the beginning of wisdom? Proverbs 9:10 says, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. The fear of the Lord is what we need in order to be counted as wise people.

The book of Proverbs in the Bible is a compendium of wisdom that everyone can depend on as a compass for life. Some of the wisdom that we really need is selected as follows: (I) Proverbs 1:10, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. There is so much enticement of sin by sinners today more than ever before, we are however admonished not to give in to the pressure. (ii) Proverbs 3:3 urges us, Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. The best necklace a man can have is mercy and truth. Your life began with the mercy of God and can only be progressive when you continue to depend on His mercy. Truth, on the other hand is what you owe yourself. In being as truthful as possible we can be as fruitful as expected.

There are many other proverbs to pay attention to: (iii) Proverbs 4:23 encourages us, Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. The issue of your heart is the issue of your life. If you want a good life you must have a good heart. (iv) Proverbs 11:25 says, The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. This scripture teaches that we should not be stingy if we want our life to matter. Life responds to givers more than it doe s to hoarders. (v) Proverbs.12:24 warns, The hand of the diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute. Have you ever heard the statement, 'tired men rule the world?' It is a truism that if you are hardworking you will rule your world. (vi) Proverbs 14:23 declares, “In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury. It simply means you should be more practical in your approach to life than being theoretical as the manner of many is.

 

Prayer/Action

* Declare that you choose the way of the Lord, which is the way of wisdom.

 * Pray that by the wisdom of the Lord, the enemy will not confuse you in life.

 * Ask for grace to manifest the wisdom of God in your generation.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: The glory of this month in my life shall be greater than the former months, in the precious name of Jesus.