There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men (Proverbs 30:11-14 KJV)
I am still a small boy. I will be forty-nine in October. I have several older friends, some in their fifties and some in their sixties, so you agree with me that I am still a very young man, plus I really look young.
As a pastor for some time, there are things I have heard that made my ears tingle. There are experiences people have gone through that seemed unbelievable. Some of them came through it and lived to tell the story. Some were not so strong enough; they were swept off their feet.
I will like to reminiscence and bring you some of those scenarios. The intent is not to mock, but to teach and for you to be cautioned. The devil has no new strategies; it is the same old, dump traps that he sets. Here we go. Names are fictional.
Case 1
Sandy was being asked out by George. She refused. Sandy was a church girl; George was a street guy. She just wanted friendship. She visited him one day so that he wouldn’t feel bad again because he was refused, because George kept acting up. Sandy was served Juice.
She suspected, and then she thought, ‘he couldn’t have poisoned her drink. She took the drink since it was freshly opened, but what she didn’t know was that you don’t need to open a juice before you add some drugs. A syringe and needle were used. After taking the drink, she wanted to leave, but she was delayed. That was the last she knew.
Fast forward to seven hours later. She woke up drowsily. The room smelt of Indian hemp and alcohol. She saw George and three other guys, eyes red and faces changed. She knew she was in trouble. They were going to rape her. The music blared out loud from the deck. Shouting was useless.
Her mistakes
1. She visited them in their territory. That was calling for trouble.
2. She trusted them. That was a great mistake.
3. She made friends with wrong set of people
Lessons
1. You don’t trust an unbeliever. Even a young believer whose mind is not renewed yet is capable of doing anything.
2. People can be sweet-talking and yet have bile within. Be alert, being naïve can be tragic.
Case 2
She just got admission into the university in her teenage years. She was from a Christian home. Her parents were deacons. She had friends who were not Christians. She had a self-esteem issue. She believed her breasts were too small, and that was why she was not beautiful. Her friends said it was because he had no boyfriends to help press them.
They promised to get her a boyfriend. They did. She started sleeping around.
Fast forward, three months. She was a pregnant eighteen-year-old. Her friends said she was stupid, what happened to all the pills? She said she could not murder a soul.
They laughed at her. Her parents were devastated. They said they could not abort for her as well. Back in school, her tummy was protruding. She could not live with the shame. Her friends eventually persuaded her that it was not too late to abort.
She obliged, damning the consequences. It was removed by a person who said he was a doctor. It was a twin pregnancy. One was removed; the other was left there. Complications arose. A few days later, she died!
Her mistakes
1. Wrong set of friends. You don’t surround yourself with enemies.
2. She drew strength for her esteem from a wrong source.
Lessons
1. Jeru trip whether it leads to pregnancy or not, is not the way to go.
2. You don’t take mentoring lessons from friends, they don’t know more than you do.
Case 3
Two friends driving on the road hit an old man’s car. The old man was furious, came down, because these two guys were in a brand new car. These guys came out of their car arrogantly with no apology.
They asked the man how much his car was worth. These further infuriated the man, who said he was not interested in their money but they should fix his car. One of the guys went into his boot and brought out a big bag full of money! The little crowd around was shocked.
Unknown to them, nemesis was going to catch up on them. They soon attracted more crowd of people because the man refused to take the money and kept asking them where they got so much money from.
Policemen were soon attracted; they simply arrested them and went to their house for a search. Right there where they lived were two girls on their knees with stuff on their heads…it was a ritual case! The girls have been turned into money-spinning demonic zombies, their lives snuffed out!
Lessons
1. Not everybody that wants to sleep with you and offer you money; really loves you. Some just want to ‘use’ you!
2. Don’t follow strangers home and don’t take strangers into your house because of some quick money.
3. Learn how to live by faith and trust God for your provision rather than live by deception and a life of iniquity. The consequences are right there.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY The Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, open my eyes of understanding.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits. (1 Cor 15:33 NKJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Carefully pick your friends with open eyes.
Yesterday we started a series on praying for others and the sort of prayer God loves to hear. Today we will look at how to pray for healing for others.
Do you know someone who is sick? It may be a classmate, a church buddy, a neighbour, a friend at your lesson class or someone that belongs to the same club as you. The good news is that you can pray for them. Ask God to heal them and make them whole again.
You have the power to pray for healing for others. This is simply because the blood of Jesus has the power to heal all manner of sicknesses and diseases; so you can use the blood of Jesus to pray for the people you know that are passing through sickness.
Declare healing bible verses over them, mentioning their names as you do so. Divine healing is the portion of Christians. God does not like sicknesses, because it causes pain to His children; that is the reason He made healing possible. And that is also the reason that Jesus healed a lot of people when He was on earth. And you too, with the authority in the Name and Blood of Jesus, you can pray for healing for anyone that is sick, and God will heal the person. It’s so cool, isn’t it?
The world is still dealing with the effects of the covid-19 pandemic. Pray that God will heal those who have contracted the virus.
Pray, believing God will heal them. Pray for healing for people. May the Lord give you the boldness to do so. Amen
Prayer: Father, I ask for divine healing for (mention their name(s)). I ask through the name of Jesus. I declare that they are healed and made whole.
Action point: Start to pray for healing for people who you know are sick.
Marriage is instituted by God. The devil hates marriages. That is why the devil attacks marriages with a passion. A lot of people have terribly wrong notions of what marriage is.
In looking at the scriptures, we see a picture of what marriage is supposed to be. This morning, we’ll look at some of those underlining principles. Here are some wrong notions.
1. Marriage is a necessary evil
God does not create evil. In Genesis, everything He created, He said, “It is good.” However, the devil has succeeded in most people at misrepresenting the original intentions of God as concerning marriage. Marriage is not a necessary evil. If it were, then God will be unjust to set us up in that way. If I may put things in perspective, I will say Marriage is a blessing. It is a beautiful, thoughtful idea of God on humanity.
God’s idea is that one will chase a thousand, but two shall put ten thousand to a flight! God’s idea is that in marriage, your strength is multiplied. Marriage is not a nemesis, it is not a mistake, it is a divine arrangement of God to fulfill His purpose on earth.
2. Marriage is not necessary; I can just have one or two children
I have heard several ladies say this. I don’t want to get married to any man, but I want to have children. In the arrangement of God, children are supposed to come from a couple, a husband and wife, a man and a woman. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, not Eve and Eva! God’s idea is that children are raised in the atmosphere of love, with a man and a woman, a father and a mother. Every time, that man has flouted this, it has landed him into trouble.
Our prisons are filled today with people in a large percentage that were raised without a father or mother figure. Every time, a father or a mother was not there, it had produced dysfunctional children and ultimately dysfunctional families. By the time you have a dysfunctional generation, what you have in the end is a dysfunctional society.
3. There are no good men; all the good men have died
This is a wrong conclusion. Usually, ladies who have gone through harrowing and unpleasant experiences and disappointments in the hands of several men usually sing this song. Well, experiences, no matter how intense, cannot replace the truth of God’s word.
The reality is that there are still faithful men and good men! The danger here is that what you believe is what you attract. That is the law of life.
You see, it is always good to do things God’s way and not try to put things into your hands. When you try to follow your own limited wisdom, things can really get awful. You are not designed to do it by yourself or in your own strength!
4. You cannot be a ‘celebrity’ and have a good marriage
This is another lie of the devil. First of all, who does God see as a celebrity? I am not sure it is the same way our society views that. But that topic is for another day. Let’s follow the secular definition of who a ‘celebrity’ is.
Here are few things that usually land them in many unsuccessful attempts at marriage.
a. They have a lot of fame. With that comes a massive ego and a lot of pride. Usually, the selflessness that makes a marriage work does not come with all that.
b. They have a lot of money, so submitting to a husband or loving a woman is a great challenge. Without the constant renewal of mind which comes as a result of God’s word, this is usually a challenge.
c. There is something called deceitfulness of riches. It makes one feel you can do all you want to do and you don’t really need God. But then, this kind of attitude to life usually comes with its consequences as seen in today’s world.
d. They usually stay away from marriage because they feel that would tie them down and not allow them to live the kind of life they wanted.
e. A few of those who were married ended in divorce ad separation because they were not able to give time and attention to their spouses.
f. Their lifestyle and nature of work usually attract adulterous relationships. This further complicates the whole equation.
g. They are not able to submit to any authority figure for spiritual accountability purposes.
5. Marriage succeeds as long as there is money.
It does not work that way. Marriage requires both parties to work at it, loving themselves genuinely, understanding and speaking their love languages, spending quality time, and giving attention to the marriage.
I pray that God will give us more wisdom on this topic as we all work towards a successful marriage.
I pray for all going through one challenge or more in their relationships or marriages, I ask for peace on every storm and pray specially for God’s intervention in Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I have the wisdom of God. I am delivered from the wrong relationship.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, help me to discard every wrong notion about marriage in my mind.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female (Mark 10:6 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Decide to live by God’s principles.
Deborah is a twenty-six-year-old lady who is not in any relationship. She visits her much older friend, Aunty Nike who has been married for fifteen years and the following conversation ensued.
Pick the words carefully, see the wisdom embedded in between the lines and learn a few principles in the conversation…yes, just a conversation. Somebody said the wisdom of a person can be found in his words.
Aunty Nike: So, my dear, how has it been?
Deborah: Well, it’s been great o…
Aunty Nike: So, when are we walking down the aisle?
Deborah: Aunty, I will walk alone?
Aunty Nike: God forbid
Deborah: I never find person o… (I have not found anybody)
Aunty Nike: You are not to find a man; you are to be found.
Deborah: And if I’m not found?
Aunty Nike: You will be found?
Deborah: But time is going, Aunty, and the pressures are much!
Aunty Nike: Are you sure you are findable?
Deborah: Findable? I go write am for head? (do I have to write that on my forehead?)
Aunty Nike: Not like that.
Deborah: So how?
Aunty Nike: You know what the scripture says, right?
Deborah: Tell me, Aunty
Aunty Nike: He that findeth a wife…
Deborah: Oh that one. I know it.
Aunty Nike: Do you notice what it says? He that finds a wife…
Deborah: Yes, what does that mean?
Aunty Nike: He that finds a wife…not a woman, not a girl.
Deborah: I see
Aunty Nike: There is a difference
Deborah: But I don’t understand. How do I become a wife before being found?
Aunty Nike: That’s the core message in there. If you don’t become a wife, you are not findable!
Deborah: But it is you people that will preach now that one should not have pre-marital sex, you should not go and spend weekends in a guy’s house, you should not cook or wash boxers, and so on. So how do you become a wife before being found?
Aunty Nike: Good question. I will give you a good answer.
Deborah: I dey hear o… (I am listening)
Aunty Nike: It is not becoming a wife in terms of physical actions; it is more of preparation of the heart.
Deborah: So, I will become a wife in my heart? You these spiritual people! How?
Aunty Nike: Yes, because according to that scripture, what must be found is a ‘wife’
Deborah: So how do I become a wife in my heart, Aunty?
Aunty Nike: You become a wife in your heart through your preparations and dispositions.
Deborah: Aunty, no confuse me with grammar o. (don’t get me confused with bogus words’)
Aunty Nike: It is very simple. The question is ‘are you a wife material?’ Are you prepared? Every man is looking for a wife material, not a girl.
Deborah: Aunty, I am not a girl. I am twenty-six
Aunty Nike: It is not about age. You can be thirty-five and yet not be a wife material…still a girl in your dispositions.
Deborah: Dispositions?
Aunty Nike: The way you think, which informs the way you act.
Deborah: Aunty, I need to get married fast, I am getting miserable
Aunty Nike: And after marriage, the misery will fly away? To far-far-away kingdom?
Deborah: Yes now, with a husband by my side.
Aunty Nike: You are not yet a wife material.
Deborah: Aunty, which one now, you wan curse me? (You want to curse me?)
Aunty Nike: I am not cursing you, I am telling you who you are, you are still a girl and you are not yet ready to be found.
Deborah: How?
Aunty Nike: What is the definition of a wife?
Deborah: A woman who is married.
Aunty Nike: That is dictionary definition; give me biblical definition.
Deborah: I no be pastor, Aunty (I am not a Pastor)
Aunty Nike: ok. A wife is not just a married woman, but a married woman who is a help-meet. A wife is to complete her husband. She is coming with something on the table, not just coming to get! When you say you need a husband because you are feeling miserable, what you need to know is that marriage will not remove the misery; it will only make you a married miserable woman and probably drag the man into misery as well.
Deborah: Aunty, I don hear! (I have heard)
Aunty Nike: You better hear!
Deborah: At least, I won’t be lonely again…all those nights I spend alone hugging my poor pillow…
Aunty Nike: There you go again. You are still a girl.
Deborah: Something is wrong with that statement again?
Aunty Nike: Everything is wrong with it.
Deborah: Tell me, Aunty.
Aunty Nike: Marriage does not solve the problem of loneliness. It solves the problems of aloneness. God told Adam, it is good for man to be alone, not lonely…
Deborah: I don’t get…
Aunty Nike: There are many married people who are very lonely. Due to selfishness, ignorance, pride, and unforgiving spirit…
Deborah: Na wa o…make person no kuku marry now… make I just find one man wey go giv me pikin na… (This is serious. Maybe I should not get married then. Will just have a kid from a man)
Aunty Nike: There you go again; you are a girl. I know why you have not been found.
Deborah: See, Aunty, I have been praying and fasting…
Aunty Nike: That is not the first thing you need. What you need to do first, is to renew your mind with God’s word daily and read a lot of good books to prepare for marriage. Get on KHC and devour those devotionals!
Deborah: Aunty, fasting, and praying is important. I even go to the mountains to do dry fasting.
Aunty Nike: After you fast and pray, the man shows up, and then you drive him away with your ‘girlish’ attitudes and dispositions!
Deborah: Aunty!
Aunty Nike: You need to become a wife first. You need knowledge. A man of knowledge increases strength! You need to be informed and be prepared. You need to understand what marriage is. You need to know that marriage is not just a contract but a covenant.
Deborah: How do I do all that?
Aunty Nike: Renew your mind by reading God’s word daily. Follow KHC devotionals daily and learn all you can learn. Be prepared. Become a wife in your heart, not by offering sex to keep a man.
Deborah: No sex, Aunty?
Aunty Nike: None of that until after marriage!
Deborah: So how do I test what I am going for?
Aunty Nike: Another reason you have not been found. If anybody finds you like this, he is a boy, not a man, and he is looking for fun, not commitment!
Deborah: So how do I test if we are compatible?
Aunty Nike: Oh, since you have been testing, where has it gotten you? And what is your standard for compatibility? And after testing, how do you know if he is compatible or not? And if he is not, you look for the next man to sleep with? How many people will you keep on testing for compatibility? You will just discover one day you are fifty and you are still testing!
Deborah: Aunty, don’t be harsh.
Aunty Nike: You need to become a wife, dear. The scripture cannot be broken. It is ‘he that findeth a wife… It is better to trust God for direction rather than turn yourself to a testing ground.
Deborah: It is well
Aunty Nike: Go get books to read. Get a mentor to take you through. Read your Bible daily. Then pray for direction. God will surely help you. You will be found. The man will not only be handsome, but he will also be so anointed to the teeth! When he smiles, you will fall under the anointing!
Deborah: Aunty!!!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will be found by the right man
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, make me a wife
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD (Proverbs 18:22 NLT)
In today’s devotional, we’ll be looking at five kinds of women a man may end up with. Let’s delve into it right away
1. The Choleric wife
She is known to be energetic, sharp-mouthed, unemotional with words and actions, and can survive on her own.
She needs no external motivation or encouragement. She can be very independent and this can lead to friction between couples.
Usually, a choleric wife will have a husband of the opposite temperament. Hence, they should learn to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
2. The Career wife
This is a woman at the top echelon of her career, so she can often become prideful if care is not taken.
The husband should be secure enough to let his wife go for the best and ultimate in her career.
There are husbands who can be so threatened with the progress of their wives. This is a wrong heart. Let her be, and let her go for the best.
The keyword here is honor. As long as the wife does not get proud.
3. The stubborn wife
Some wives can be stubborn o! From counseling experiences, I have seen wives that would stand on their opinion even when you show them the scriptures. There are stubborn men as well o!
How do you know a stubborn wife?
Stubborn wives don’t talk much, they just won’t budge. They will just be looking at you like Lucozade, but what they will do is what they will do.
This is not good as well. It is not beneficial for the prayer life of the couple.
4. The manipulative wife
The manipulative wife has several weapons in her arsenal including crying, throwing tantrums, withdrawing, talking endlessly, refusing jeru trip, nagging, until she gets what she wants.
She always wants the man at her beck and call.
This may go on for a while especially if the husband is on the calm side, but one day, he would definitely react.
5. The insistent wife
The insistent wife is hard, difficult and doesn’t listen to anything apart from what she knows or wants.
Her major weapon is anger.
She always wants to be told what she wants to hear and she picks up a quarrel with anybody that dares go against what she feels.
Her husband lives in perpetual fear of what could happen next.
This is a wrong attitude that could be detrimental to the marriage.
The problem is that what she knows is limited and what she wants can often be a wrong desire.
We are all work in progress and nobody knows it all. Meekness or being teachable is a great virtue in marriage.
Husband and wife should strive to live considerably with one another.
Put yourselves in one another’s shoes.
This is where maturity is.
1Pe 3:1 (AMPC) IN LIKE manner, you married women, be submissive to your own husbands [ subordinate yourselves as being secondary to and dependent on them, and adapt yourselves to them ], so that even if any do not obey the Word [ of God ], they may be won over not by discussion but by the [ godly ] lives of their wives,
1Pe 3:7 (AMPC) In the same way you married men should live considerately with [ your wives ], with an intelligent recognition [ of the marriage relation ], honoring the woman as [ physically ] the weaker, but [ realizing that you ] are joint heirs of the grace (God’s unmerited favor) of life, in order that your prayers may not be hindered and cut off. [ Otherwise you cannot pray effectively. ]
May God bless your marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I will be submissive
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, teach me to love my husband
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 1Pe 3:1 (MSG) The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated
