Morning Devotional For Wednesday 23rd January

[Edoman]

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES

WEDNESDAY, 23RD JANUARY.

A NEW WAY TO PRAY.

And in that day ye shall ask me nothing… (John 16:23).

Prayer in the New Testament is different from what it was in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the people had to make requests of God, so they could receive from Him. They had to ask, because God promised to bless them; He promised to supply their needs. Therefore, on the premise of His promises, they asked in prayer.

He was their Jehovah Jireh; He was the Lord their healer; He was the Lord their banner; He was the Lord their righteousness. This great God of glory made promises, so they took Him to task on His promises.

When Jesus came, because He lived in the old covenant, His teachings were also based on the old covenant. When He taught on prayer, He taught faith to people who were under the Law of Moses, but that’s not the dispensation you live in. Therefore, you really can’t pray as they did and expect the kind of results you ought to be getting as a New Testament person. Prayer has changed.

In the Old Testament, they prayed expecting God to fulfil His promises, but in the New Testament, all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” Today, you don’t have to ask God for things like they did in the Old Testament; you just receive, because all things are yours already (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Simply walk in the reality of your inheritance and blessed life in Christ.

2 Peter 1:3 says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” Since God already gave us ALL things that we require for life, and to live righteously unto Him, what then are we supposed to be asking for in prayer?

Indeed, prayer in the New Testament isn’t a means of asking God for things. Rather, it’s an avenue for fellowship with the Lord, which in fact, is the highest purpose for prayer.

CONFESSION

I’m an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ; the world belongs to me. All things work together for my good, because I love the Lord, and I’m called according to His purpose. I reign and rule with Christ, now and evermore. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:

1 Corinthians 3:21-23* Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ [is] God's.

2 Peter 1:3-4 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Matthew 6:25-32 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, [shall he] not much more [clothe] you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

1-Year Bible Reading Plan
Matthew 15:29-16:1-12 & Exodus 3-5

2-Year Bible Reading Plan
Matthew 9:1-13 & Genesis 23


#TALKINGSESSION

23RD JANUARY.

KINDLY SAY THIS WORDS OUT LOUD.

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for guiding and leading me in the path of your destiny for me this year. I began this year with the confidence and assurance that your wisdom is in my heart and in my mouth, causing me to do your will, every day of this year. I know I cannot be

disadvantaged because the God that does the unimaginable, the unthinkable, and the unexpected has shone in my heart; and as He is, so am I in this world. He has given me the ability to bring forth good from within me and change hopeless situations. For this, I give praise and worship you, glorious Father, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.


God bless you

[Edoman]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 23RD JANUARY 2019

THEME: DEFERRING GRATIFICATION?

MEMORISE:
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. Romans 8:18

READ: Hebrews 11:24-26

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.

MESSAGE

At a point in a person's life, he or she must defer gratification in order to succeed in this world and in the hereafter. This truth must sink into the heart of every Christian, especially the younger generation. It is unfortunate that more often than not, people do not see the need to defer gratification. They want to enjoy everything right now! Unfortunately, life is not utopian in nature. The reality is that there is no gain without pain. Even our salvation which some people erroneously describe as "free" was paid for by the Saviour. He agonised on the cross to procure our liberty. Whether in the temporal or eternal realm, gratification requires deferment.

Daniel stands as a great example of someone who deferred gratification. His act of sacrifice as a young fellow upholding God's covenant is recorded on Daniel 1:8:

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”

The moment Daniel and his brethren matriculated into the University of Babylon, caterers were assigned to feed them with all sorts of delicacies, including the royal wine, but Daniel deferred these fringe benefits in order to excel. No wonder, Daniel eventually enjoyed the largesse of occupying a high office after he and his colleagues graduated and became ministers in the king's cabinet. This is the reward of deferring pleasure. Unfortunately, some children of God refuse to postpone enjoyment in the present world for eternal bliss in the world to come. 1 Corinthians 9:25 says:

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

Even our Lord Jesus Christ deferred the pleasure of food and chose to suffer hunger when the devil told Him to turn stone into bread (Luke 4:1-4). This was what Esau could not do, and he sold his birthright for a meal (Genesis 25:29-34). Beloved, for you to make it to heaven, you need to forgo certain things that may not necessarily be sinful but may constitute a hindrance to your spiritual growth and cause you to be vulnerable to sin and its enticing allurements. For this reason, 1 Corinthians 6:12 says:

“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

Learn to be like Apostle Paul who considered as being worthless those things which should have been valuable to him, so that he could attain the high calling of God (Philippians 3:7-8).

ACTION POINT:
Consider those things you are doing or using which can serve as impediments to your Christian calling and do away with them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Mark 15-16, Isaiah 22:5-25

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 10: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

[Edoman]

OUR DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL
A DEVOTIONAL BOOKLET FOR CHAMPIONS

DATE: WEDNESDAY 23RD JANUARY, 2019

TOPIC: THIS IS YOUR “RETURN TO SENDER” YEAR! THE WASTER MUST BE WASTED!

BASIC SCRIPTURE: ESTHER 7:1-10

Welcome to today`s devotional! Share with me the awesome testimony below which was given publicly at the October 2018 ANOINTING SERVICE of the Lagos Manna Mountain:

“I want to give this testimony to the glory of God and to the total shame of the devil. I am giving this testimony publicly for the first time. I am a member of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries and also a pastor there, but the battle has not been easy. I started using ODM as far back as 2010. From 2006, I started having serious marital issues! In 2013, I was transferred under manipulation and conspiracy from my former station to where I am now in Cross River State, Nigeria. I normally attend the Lagos January World Anointing Night every January; I don’t miss it by the grace of God. So in 2013 when I was transferred, I had issues in my marriage! It got to a point, I had nothing to live on with my children!

I then reported my husband to the Ministry of Justice (WELFARE DEPT), to let him know that we were now in the city of Calabar and that the children needed to be resettled. But it was at that point that I now remembered this vision and booklet, Our Daily Manna and Ephesians 6:12 and I decided to join the 2013 January 21- day fasting programme; I lost a lot of weight during that period due to the intensity of my fasting! On the 20th Day of the fast while I was sleeping, a woman came and massaged my stomach and in that revelation, I saw how things were taken out and deposited into my stomach region! From what I saw and as a professional nurse, I knew it was not good news. I prayed also with Hebrews 4:12 and finally the strange woman in my husband`s life and her monitoring spirit which made my husband forget my children and I for three years, was separated from him.

On the last day of the fast, I fasted till 6pm! My daughter now called the father and SURPRISINGLY, he picked the phone and said “where are you people? You must go back to school.” He went to my children`s school and paid all their bills. That is not all, this strange woman died in! It was a case of return to SENDER! She died through incision Hernia and her intestines turned rotten and bursted. God turned all her evil back to her and my husband confessed to me at that time and said that indeed I am a child of God” (Her name are withheld for wisdom sake, but ALL those who were at that great service heard it LIVE). I decree that in this years 2019 and at the WORLD ANOINTING STORY- TO-GLORY NIGHT, evil bullets will return to sender! It is a “RETURN TO SENDER NIGHT” and this is your RETURN TO SENDER YEAR! We do not rejoice at the death of anyone but we must not become victims of any enemy! Always remember Haman and Mordecai! Haman was hanged in the same gallows that he had prepared to hang Mordecai! That shall be your VICTORIOUS story this year! See you at the “WORLD ANOINTING STORY-TO-GLORY, RETURN TO SENDER NIGHT.” THERE ARE NO VIEWING CENTRES THIS YEAR OUTSIDE LAGOS! BE IN LAGOS! Open to PAGE 80 (DAY 19) of “WAR AGAINST HAMAN – 14” Booklet for today`s 21 –day fasting prayers!

PRAYER POINTS: Take Song 5: When The Morning Comes…
1. Thank God for today’s word and pray generally as you are led.

2. O God, every Haman planning my disgrace will end up in DISGRACE this year!

3. O waster! Waste yourself now and die your death (Pray it seriously).

THE BIBLE-IN-ONE-YEAR: EXODUS 25 – 27

BY BISHOP (DR) CHRIS E. KWAKPOVWE (CEK) PUBLISHER/WRITER OF ODM

Song 5: When The Morning Comes
1. Trials dark on ev’ry hand,
And we cannot understand
All the ways that God would lead us
To that blessed Promised Land;
But He’ll guide us with His eye,
And we’ll follow till we die;
We will understand it better by and by.

Chorus
By and By, when the morning comes,
When the saints of God
Are gathered home,
We will tell the story
How we’ve overcome;
We will understand it
Better by and by.

2. Oft our cherished plans have failed,
Disappointments have prevailed,
And we’ve wandered in the darkness,
Heavyhearted and alone;
But we’re trusting in the Lord,
And according to His Word,
We will understand it better by and by.

3. Temptations, hidden snares
Often take us unawares.
And our hearts are made to bleed
For some thoughtless word or deed.
And we wonder why the test
When we try to do our best,
We will understand it better by and by.

[Edoman]

Seed Of Destiny 

TOPIC: TAKING SIDES WITH GOD

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 23,"2019

SCRIPTURE": And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp,"and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. Exodus 32":25-26.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: To be dedicated to God is to go up in life.

Dedication to God is the secret of flying high with God. People who are dedicated to God cannot remain low on the earth. To be dedicated to God is to go up in life.
The question is,"what does it mean to be dedicated to God?
Dedication to God means taking sides with God.
Now, what does it mean to take sides with God?
It means":

i. Standing with God (1 Kings 17:1)
Taking sides with God means standing with God when the majority of people are standing with the enemy of God; it is standing with God when the majority of people are standing with the world. When a person is dedicated to God,"he is on God’s side when every other person is on the other side.
ii. Identifying with God (Numbers 25":7-8)
Taking sides with God means identifying with God when the majority of people have a different identity contrary to the identity of God. When other people choose to identify with other things,"a dedicated person identifies with God.
iii. Making the choice to identify with God irrespective of the cost (Daniel 3":16-20)
People who take sides with God identify with God even if they lose their job,"friendship or relationship. One who takes sides with God sticks to God even when people reject them.
Beloved, my counsel is, make up your mind to follow God at all cost.
Remember this": To be dedicated to God is to go up in life.

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Make up your mind to stand and identify with God at all cost.
PRAYER: O Lord,"I receive the grace to stand and identify with You at all cost, in Jesus' Name.
DAILY READING": Genesis 46:1 to 47:31,"Matthew 15":1 to 28,"Psalm 19":1 to 14,"Proverbs 4":14 to 19
TODAY IN HISTORY: 23/01/1950 – The Israel Knesset approved a resolution proclaiming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
AMAZING FACT: The human eye can function at 100% at any given moment without needing to rest.
QUOTE: When you share your feelings with God, He shares His feelings with You. Culled from PRINCIPLES AND POWER OF PRAYER by Dr Paul Enenche.

[Edoman]

THE LIVING WATER

DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

TOPIC: YOUTHFUL AND USEFUL

Read: 1 Samuel 3:1-11

MEMORISE: Then the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli… (1 Samuel 3:1).

EXPOSITION

As far as God is concerned, age is not a barrier when He needs an instrument of valour. No matter the complaints, God will not take any excuse from you when He wants to use you or any of your children. The reason is, He has chosen you as His vessel before you were born. You remember the young Jeremiah (Jer. 1:4-10). It is a thing of joy for you to be chosen by God in your youthful days.

Samuel was a boy when God started using him. Dried fish cannot be bent again. It has assumed its permanent position. It is only ready to be broken into pieces. God has destined everyone for positive purpose in life. One of such purposes is to be useful for Him. In the vineyard of God, there are many works for both young and old. God is interested in using you when you are young. There are many spiritual gifts in His storehouse to pour on you as a youth. It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (Joel 2:28).

This is an era that God is looking for the youths in the society to use for the work of the gospel. You must make your own contributions to the end time harvest of God. Satan is seriously using many youths in drug pushing, hooliganism, smoking, music, fashions and in the exhibition of devilish character and rituals. God is waiting and counting on you to release yourself to Him as youth to go and rescue some for Him. Now do the following: Dedicate your life, time and talents to Him. Determine to serve Him at this end time. Refuse to be discouraged by situations around. Discover your spiritual gifts and use them for the Lord. Join one or two units in the house of God. Be prayerful and live a holy life before God. Ask for more anointing to be useful in His vineyard. More grace to you!

PRAYER POINTS

1. I thank You Father because You will use me today in Your vineyard.
2. Father, I pray for the anointing to be useful before You at this my youthful age.
3. Father, turn all the hearts of our youths to You and let them serve You alone.

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Genesis 46:22 – 48:20; Matthew 14:32 – 15:17
Author: CAC WORLDWIDE
Remain Blessed!