Cultivating Excellence II

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Cultivating Excellence II

Saturday, 12 October

 

That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Philippians 1:10

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Philippians 1:9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

 

MORE LESSON: Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

 

God wants us to pursue excellence in all that we do because excellence is about doing the best you can and God wants us to do the best that we can. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. There are many more Bible verses that encourage excellence including the Bible reading for today. There are several qualities of an excellent character that we need to consider and pray about.

An excellent man is a reliable person. In the pursuit of excellence, we must be reliable. Excellent people are responsible, using their God-given abilities properly wherever they find themselves. They are disciplined, doing what they need to do whether convenient or not; we must all strive to cultivate the habit of excellence. They are orderly and love things being done correctly, not haphazardly as I Corinthians 14:40 urges us. Remember the scripture that says, Let all things be done decently and in order. Doing things in a shoddy and scattered way is not godly.

Another characteristic of excellent people is being passionate, enthusiastic and energetic in what they do. Sometimes enthusiasm wanes but they keep at it until the job is done; therefore they are also persistent and resilient. Excellent people are go getters and they see a task through, not abandoning it half way especially if it is in their God-given purpose and assignment. May God enable us afresh to be listed among excellent people. Excellent people are definitely productive and relevant wherever they are found.

Benefits of excellence abound, excelling people stand out and are acknowledged for awards and rewards as seen in the life of Daniel (Daniel 1:9:15, 19-20). Excellent people get promoted. (Daniel 2:46-48, 3:30, 5:17;29, 6:1-3). They are delivered from enemies; Daniel 6:4-24. Their lives glorify God. (Daniel 2:47, 3:28-29, 6:25-27). Daniel's life in the Bible is a good case and the benefits of excellence. May we all excel in life and destiny.

 

Prayer/Action

* Ask that God make you excellent in all areas of life.

* Destroy any anti-excellence character in your life.

* List at least 3 areas of life in which you wish to excel and ask for God's help.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Standing on the promises of God, I decree that everything about me this month is progress and nothing less, in the glorious name of Jesus.

Cultivating Excellence I

 STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Cultivating Excellence I

Friday, 11 October

 

Sing unto the LORD, for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

Isaiah 12:5

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: Isaiah 12:2-6 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5 Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

 

MORE LESSON: Psalm 8:1-9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

 

Man originated from God who personifies excellence; therefore man must be excellent. Excellence is defined as a consistent pursuit of quality; it is repeated competence to gain credibility. Excellence is the space between average and exceptional. It is the ability to exceed expectations, to consistently deliver superior quality. Excellence is standing out. It is gradual result of always striving to do better; it is not an act but a habit.

Excellence involves improving continuously; pursuing a better tomorrow, being an insatiable learner and constantly growing. It involves creativity in problem solving and adding value to where you are. The excellence mindset is a lens that magnifies your potential; fuels your determination; and propels you to consistently strive for the best. It is a belief that greatness is not accidental but comes by deliberate choices and commitment to continuous improvement. The core of the excellence mindset is a positive attitude which sees challenges as opportunities, setbacks as temporary and success as achievable.

God is excellent and wants us to be as He is. God's superiority is unmatched and His character is perfect. God's word is supreme and everything He does is flawless. Psalm 150:2 says, Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. God never lies (Numbers 23:23); He never breaks promises (Psalm 89:34) and His wisdom is boundless. God is excellent in working as Isaiah 28:29 declares, This also comes forth from the LORD of hosts; which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. Job 37:23 also says, Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power; and in judgment; and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. Who do I resemble if I refuse to be excellent? The cry of every heart this morning should be. Lord, make me excellent like You! He will answer because He wants us to be as He is.

 

Prayer/Action

* Praise God for His excellent greatness, sing songs to extol His excellence.

* Ask that the spirit of excellence take control of your life.

* Ask God for grace for excellent acts.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: This new month must speak favour, victory and celebrations for me, in the excellent name of Jesus.

 

TODAY’S FASTING FOCUS: Favour, victory celebration; Esther 2:17; Psalm 103:13

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.