Hello dear child, yesterday we began an interesting topic – the wise words of King Solomon. Let’s continue on that today!
I told you that as a child the first three most important people in your life are God, your Father, and your Mother.
King Solomon in the book of Proverbs affirms this when he said;
Start with God — the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee. Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, like rings on your fingers. –Proverbs 1: 7-9(MSG)
In whatever you do or wherever you find yourself, the first thing you should consider is;
1. What does God’s word say about this thing, what will Jesus do in this situation?
2. What will my Father say or do in this situation? How will he feel if he finds out I made so and so choice?
3. What will my Mother say; will I be making her proud, what would she have done if it were her?
The bible says to pay close attention to what your father says to you dear child. When Daddy is speaking is not the time to play or do something else.
Always have your father’s words in your heart where ever you go!
…never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee…
What you learn from your mother is also very important, the bible says don’t forget it, always remember what mummy says.
The bible says you should wear the counsel of your parents like flowers in your hair and a ring on your finger. Be proud of what they tell you, and beautify yourself with it.
Why should you do this?
If you obey them, the instructions will make you beautiful and envied by others.
That’s all for today Champ, see you tomorrow.
PRAYER: Precious Holy Spirit, please teach me how to be a good child all the time. Amen.
ACTION PLAN: Make sure you memorize the verses used in this devotional.
DECLARATION: I am a good Child, I fear God and honour my father and mother all the time.
SINGLES – What Do You Do When Speed Becomes An Enemy
Continued from yesterday, when we talked about speed as an enemy.
We all have a destination and a desire for our home and marriage. You’ll only get there when you follow His step-by-step guidance. And if you miss “the particular junction” you can never reach that destination until you retrace your steps.
That particular junction for you might be,” Be Born Again”, Don’t Marry an unbeliever,” ‘Stop that kissing,” “Don’t Masturbate,” “Stop the Pornography,” and the likes. Sexual intercourse before marriage is a no-go area, don’t even think about it. And until you retrace your steps back there – it is the wrong way! You might just be wasting time, energy, and resources because a wrong way is a wrong way’. You cannot change that; you can only retrace your steps, and be on the right track.
I encourage you to retrace your steps this morning. There is no need to keep on driving in the wrong direction. Change! Switch! Where is the strength? You may ask? The strength comes from God as you take time to feed your spirit with his word, your inner man will be strengthened to say ‘No’ to every form of iniquity and forge ahead in God!
Your destiny and future are bright! That is why the devil has fought you that much. The enemy only fights who he fears! He knows if you can just get it right, he is in trouble. He knows if you can just stop that lustful lifestyle if you can just cut off that sinful relationship if you can just stay more in God’s word…whatever it takes to take charge of your life by His Spirit, decide to do it this morning.
Whoever hath ears, let him hear what the Spirit of God is saying this morning!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY The Holy Spirit is leading me today. His word is a lamp unto my feet. God’s word is life and light for me. I take the right decisions in my relationship. Speed will not be an enemy for me.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, hold me by the right hand and let your word guide me daily.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Pro 3:6 MSG
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Check the major areas of your life; relationships, family, finances, business, career, spiritual life, etc. Are you on the right track? If not, get back on the right track by asking God to forgive you of all misdeeds and asking for His help and direction.
Chance or opportunity is defined as a suitable time or opportunity (favourable time) to do something, especially something ‘good’ and worthwhile. In our marriages, there are opportune times.
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. –Ecclesiastics 9:11 (KJV)
There are opportunities to do good for our spouses. But most of the time we don’t take advantage of these opportunities. We are not often sensitive to our spouses’ needs.
We most often see things from our own standpoint and not from their viewpoint. This calls for understanding. It becomes impossible to love someone you do not understand. You simply become critical.
The Book of Proverbs says ‘Wisdom is the principal thing, in all thy getting get understanding’.
This means as you are ‘getting’ married, also get understanding of the person you are married to. Each day is filled with numerous opportunities to be kind, sacrificial, loving, understanding, tender, and instructive.
There are also opportunities to be selfish, to think only of your own feelings, and opportunities to fall into sexual sins.
To be continued…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am loving and kind. I seize every opportunity to do good in my marriage. I am sensitive to the needs of my spouse. I seek to understand my spouse. I am not selfish in my approach to my spouse. I seek to understand our differences. I respect those differences and seek to adjust to them. My love account with my spouse is good.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Father in the name of Jesus, I ask for the grace to be selfless. Help me to bring out the best in my spouse and to be lovingly devoted to him/her in love. Help me to use the many opportunities you are giving me well to sow good and lasting seeds of love into my marriage in Jesus’ name. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. –Galatians 6:10 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Make a list of the good things you can do to improve your relationship with your spouse. Begin to take note of opportunities to show affection to your spouse. Minimize love busters as much as possible.
Welcome to KHC children’s devotional. It’s always an exciting time here! Very recently we began looking at lessons from the wise words in the book of Proverbs, written by the wisest king ever, King Solomon. We will be continuing on that part for a while. Enjoy every bit of it!
Today our lesson will be centered on authority figures in our lives as children. Listen to what King Solomon has to say.
Start with God — the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee. Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, like rings on your fingers. –Proverbs 1: 7-9(MSG)
King Solomon mentions three people here, pay close attention dear Child. He mentions God, your Father, and your Mother.
At this stage of your life, these are the first three most important people in your life!
God most high is your God; he created you and gave you to your father and mother to teach and nurture you. God loves you dearly, you should know this! This truth should be at the center of your whole being.
King Solomon advises you to start with God, the first step in your learning, just like you have learn to walk and talk is learning how to bow down to God, learning how to worship God.
Let me show you another translation.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV)
This translation says the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge; you have to live a life that honours and recognizes God. Having the fear of God is not being scared or afraid of God.
It means living in a consciousness that God exists and living our lives to honour and respect his words. This is a piece of wise advice from a wise King.
To be continued…
PRAYER: Precious Holy Spirit, please teach me how to be a good child all the time. Amen.
ACTION PLAN: Make sure you memorize the verses used in this devotional.
DECLARATION: I am a good Child, I fear God and honour my father and mother all the time.
There are times in your life that speed actually becomes an enemy! I have counseled people that were introduced to sexual perversion as young as when they were just five or six years old. That is when ‘speed’ becomes an enemy. Times when you were hooked up in sexual perversion when you did not even know your right from your left, courtesy of people who were supposed to protect you.
There are a lot of people out there who were dropped by their nurses like Mephibosheth, and consequently broke their ankles while on ‘speed’ But I write to you this morning, not to exile yourself like Mephibosheth, but to reach out to God who will not consult your past to determine your future! Speed might have been your enemy, but God is a re-writer of history.
Do not allow your background to keep your back on the ground. Rise from the rubbles and shackles of yesterday, because your best days are still ahead of you!
While staying in Lagos, on a particular day, we were to go to another area which is different from where we stayed and so we called a dear sister earlier for direction.
As we later found out, her direction was defective as we were practically driving out of the city! We were on the wrong way for quite some time. Her direction lacked landmarks, signs, or anything that will aid us to be sure if we were still on track.
She just said, “When you get to a particular junction keep going straight,” and we did! But the pathetic thing about it was that we got the junction wrong! So even though we were speeding AND GOING STRAIGHT, speed was not our friend because we were on the wrong path! Her guidance was not precise.
Thank God our God is not like this dear sister. God guides us in specific details, step by step, and then gives us “checks” here and there for us to know if we are still on the right path.
To be continued…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I have God’s direction in my relationships. I am not confused. The Holy Spirit is leading me today.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, go with me on this journey of life.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Pro 3:6 MSG
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Check the major areas of your life; relationships, family, finances, business, career, spiritual life, etc. Are you on the right track? If not, get back on the right track by asking God to forgive you of all misdeeds and asking for His help and direction.
Help Pastor! I Am Living An Adulterous Life. – Part 3
Continued from yesterday.
Here are a few ways to disconnect.
1. Know that it is wrong and it is sinful.
2. Know that the devil can use that avenue to gain access to your family and finances and wreck havoc.
3. The fact that you still go to church does not cleanse you from adultery. As a matter of fact, what happens in such a case is that the spirit of religion and deception takes over. Spirit of religion says you can come to church on Sunday, praise God, and pray and go back to adultery on Monday.
Spirit of deception tells you that all others are doing the same, you are not alone, and you can continue. At this stage, you need to talk to someone who will help you and speak the truth of God’s word into your life to dispel the operations of wrong spirits in your life. The way you will know that there is demonic influence, is that you still continue in such adulterous rendezvous despite knowing that it is wrong!
4. Stay accountable to someone that can help you! You must be willing to talk about it, not all over the place, but at least with someone that will treat your issue confidentially! Seek help before the sin ruins you!
5. Disconnect from the person with whom you are involved. Runaway! That was what Joseph did to escape adultery. He eventually became a Prime Minister. Samson stayed and played spirituality, combining adultery with being a judge over Israel, because the scripture says He judged Israel for twenty years. He lost his glory, died in the midst of his days, and never fulfilled his destiny. Surely, that wasn’t God’s plan for him.
6. Finally. Go to God and ask Him to help you. Fast if you can. At this point, you may ask a trusted man of God to pray with you. You may call me if you like, and I will pray with you! If you are calling today, please make it later in the evening, I have meetings throughout today.
I pray that God will help you as you make up your mind to do it right!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am faithful to my spouse. I love my spouse. I will not allow any distraction to tear my marriage and home apart. I am sincere to my spouse. My marriage is preserved.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY I destroy every marriage killer; I receive wisdom from God to rule in the affairs of this world. Spirit of God, envelope my marriage with your wisdom and power
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Wives understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. –Ephesians 5:22 (MSG)
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church–a love marked by giving, not getting. –Ephesians 5:25 (MSG)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from every relationship/affair that your spouse does not know anything about or that he does not approve
Yesterday I started talking to you about the wisdom in the book of Proverbs written by the wisest king, King Solomon.
I told you the importance of this book, and how the wisdom in the book is ageless because King Solomon got his wisdom from God.
You also can be as wise as he was, I am sure you are thinking of how possible that is.
All you need to do is ask for wisdom just like King Solomon and, God is gracious enough to always grant requests that are according to his will.
Let’s continue from where we stopped yesterday.
These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David’s son, Israel’s king — Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it’s going; A manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair; To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality. There’s something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn — Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women. –Proverbs 1:1-7 (MSG)
4. This book is meant to teach young people like you about life –God’s way.
5. There is a lot in it for people who are open to learning wisdom.
6. It also doesn’t leave out wise and experienced people; you and your parents can learn new things together.
Learning from the book of Proverbs is such an amazing experience, I am sure we’ll have so much fun picking out lessons one by one. See you tomorrow.
PRAYER: Father in Jesus name, I pray for wisdom just like King Solomon in Jesus name. Amen.
ACTION PLAN: Start a Bible challenge of reading the book of Proverbs
DECLARATION: I am wise, I know what to do, and I live a life that pleases God, in Jesus name.
As you read this, let every hurt and bitterness that you have towards God and man go, for it is an attempt of the devil to draw you into deception and depression. God is gracious! He is willing to stoop low to bless you. As a Father, He is full of compassion. When you begin to think about this, it is amazing how you will experience that compassion. God is good towards you. You are the work of His hands.
Rather than get bitter toward God, think about how His goodness and compassion will get you out of any mess.
As a single, you might have been abused or violated before you reached the age of accountability. Rather than give up and be regarded as part of the unfortunate statistics of sexual abuse, rise from that abyss, get out of the doldrums of yester-years, and look unto Him that is able to save to the uttermost.
He will embrace you and wipe the tears off your face. He will heal every wound, take all bitterness away from your heart, and bring out the best in you.
Think about it. Believe it. His tender mercies are over you. Respond to His love and experience the tender love of divinity coming upon your humanity.
You see, in order to enjoy that fullness of God’s love, you have to synergize with God and cooperate with His principles.
I see you rising from that problem that has kept you down for long. I see light dawning upon your soul. I see God’s word percolating every pressure and dismantling them.
His love is awesome. Thank him for His love. Forget about what you are going through, and dwell on what He went through for you! It changes the whole equation, and the devil will retreat. You will come to know that it is only by responding to God’s love that you understand how to love others and how to be loved!
I see you having victory!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I position myself to benefit from God’s tender mercies. Goodness and mercy are following me.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY I uproot every root of bitterness from my life in Jesus Name.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY You are merciful, LORD! You are kind and patient and always loving. You are good to everyone, and you take care of all your creation. (Psa 145:8-9 CEV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Make a list of all who have offended you in the past. Consciously let go and forgive them. It might not look easy, but do it all the same.
COUPLES – Help Pastor! I Am Living An Adulterous Life. –Part 2
Continued from yesterday.
These will help if you have not started an affair or living an adulterous life, but you want to avoid it.
Don’t spend time alone with the opposite sex
If you are fantasizing about a sexual relationship with someone else apart from your spouse, stay away from that person.
Refuse to talk about feelings of attraction to any other person apart from your spouse.
Never share intimate details about your marriage with a member of the opposite sex. Don’t discuss or report your spouse to another colleague in your office.
Avoid outside influences and environments as much as possible!
Constant office trips, office dates, business parties, and private lunches, should be avoided if possible because such can build marital unfaithfulness.
Let your spouse be your top priority.
Talk together and work out all arguments or quarrels. Don’t store up grievances. Learn to resolve all issues and keep your love aflame.
Adjust your attitude.
Love flourishes in a relationship where there is wholehearted trust, respect, and love. Have fun with your spouse.
What if you are already involved in adulterous life? I don’t judge you and God does not condemn you. But He won’t condone that lifestyle as well.
To be continued…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am faithful to my spouse. I love my spouse. I will not allow any distraction to tear my marriage and home apart. I am sincere to my spouse. My marriage is preserved.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY I destroy every marriage killer; I receive wisdom from God to rule in the affairs of this world. Spirit of God, envelope my marriage with your wisdom and power
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Wives understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. –Ephesians 5:22 (MSG)
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church–a love marked by giving, not getting. –Ephesians 5:25 (MSG)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from every relationship/affair that your spouse does not know anything about of that he does not approve
Hello dear child, today I will be speaking to you on the importance of the book of Proverbs. This book was written by the wisest man on earth. His name is King Solomon, the son of King David.
King Solomon was so wise, people came from far and near to his kingdom to observe and learn from what he had put in place.
Guess how he got so wise, where did he get all that wisdom from?
The bible records that King Solomon asked God for Wisdom and Knowledge and God gave it to him; all that wisdom came from God! No wonder he was so wise.
This is why the book of Proverbs is very important to us as believers; every wise saying recorded in it came as a result of God giving King Solomon the wisdom he prayed for.
Let’s see how this book begins!
These are the wise sayings of Solomon, David’s son, Israel’s king — Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right, to understand what life means and where it’s going; A manual for living, for learning what’s right and just and fair; To teach the inexperienced the ropes and give our young people a grasp on reality. There’s something here also for seasoned men and women, still a thing or two for the experienced to learn — Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate, the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women. –Proverbs 1:1-7 (MSG)
Let’s pick the points one after the other.
1. This book of Proverbs was written so we as God’s children can know how to live well and know the right things to do.
2. it’s also written so we can understand life and know where it’s going. Guess what? Every word is as useful in this age as it was when it was written.
3. it’s also a manual for us as God’s children, it’s for us to learn what is right different from what the world calls rights, for us to know what is just and, what is God’s definition of right.
To be continued…
PRAYER: Father in Jesus name, I pray for wisdom just like King Solomon in Jesus name. Amen.
ACTION PLAN: Start a Bible challenge of reading the book of Proverbs
DECLARATION: I am wise, I know what to do, and I live a life that pleases God, in Jesus name.
Every day comes with its pressures. The environment, economy and so many other factors affect an average man in a general sense. This becomes even compounded when you refuse to do things and work by the principles of God the Father. The issues take on a spiritual dimension. When you have to face physical pressures and spiritual battles, you can get wearied quickly.
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. – (Psa 145:8-9 KJV)
There are times you feel that you are not supposed to face issues and pressures because you are a child of God. But the question is, “did Jesus face pressure while he was on earth? Did everybody believe straightaway that He is the son of God? Did Paul face pressure? What about our spiritual fathers? Did they face any? What of the Patriarchs? Abraham, Moses, David? What of the prophets? You see, there will always be pressures!
However, Jesus made a beautiful statement when he said:
DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. – Joh 14:1 AMP
Are you troubled to an extent you are wondering whether God has gone on holiday? You might be single, dating, or courting. There is one constant truth you must not forget. It is the nature of God.
The devil strives to present a wrong picture of who God is to us. He knows that once we have a blurred vision of who God is to us, then we will not be able to enjoy the limitless blessings that God has for us.
But, I have to let you know this; God’s love for you is ever unchanging. He loves you absolutely and resolutely.
To be continued…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am loved of God. His tender mercies are over me. God will satisfy me early with His mercies. He is gracious and He is full of compassion.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, satisfy me early with your mercies.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY You are merciful, LORD! You are kind and patient and always loving. You are good to everyone, and you take care of all your creation. (Psa 145:8-9 CEV)
ACTION PLANFOR THE DAY Make a list of all who have offended you in the past. Consciously let go and forgive them. It might not look easy, but do it all the same.
The scripture admonishes men to stay faithful to their wives. Learn to enjoy your spouse and stop looking elsewhere. I always advise guys when they want to choose a wife not just to pray, but to ‘watch and pray!’
Your spring water is for you and you only, not to be passed around among strangers. Bless your fresh-flowing fountain! Enjoy the wife you married as a young man! Lovely as an angel, beautiful as a rose– don’t ever quit taking delight in her body. Never take her love for granted! Why would you trade enduring intimacies for cheap thrills with a whore? for dalliance with a promiscuous stranger? Mark well that GOD doesn’t miss a move you make; he’s aware of every step you take. –Proverbs 5:17-21 (MSG)
It is important you marry someone that is physically attractive to you. Men are moved by sight. What is the sense in getting married, and three weeks later or a few months after, you’ve found yourself living an adulterous life in the arms of another/woman? That is a dangerous thing to do. It is not only dangerous to you; it is a direct affront to God and His principles!
The above scriptures say ‘Mark well that God doesn’t miss a move you make; he is aware of every step you take. This means that when you start desecrating the marital covenant or living an adulterous life and you start looking and fooling around with someone else apart from your wife, you will not have God’s support.
You risk losing his favour, mercy, and protection. Stay with your spouse and don’t fall into adulterous traps. This applies to the ladies too.
Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into living an adulterous life at the place of your work. You don’t have any excuse to flirt around! He is not caring, he is not available, he is not sensitive, blab, blab, blab…
Those are not enough reasons to jeopardize your destiny and risk losing all, because when you sin habitually without repentance, you actually lose God and that means losing all!
So what are the ways to avoid affairs?
To be continued…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am faithful to my spouse. I love my spouse. I will not allow any distraction to tear my marriage and home apart. I am sincere to my spouse. My marriage is preserved.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY I destroy every marriage killer; I receive wisdom from God to rule in the affairs of this world. Spirit of God, envelope my marriage with your wisdom and power
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Wives understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. –Ephesians 5:22 (MSG)
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church–a love marked by giving, not getting. –Ephesians 5:25 (MSG)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Disconnect from every relationship/affairs that your spouse does not know anything about or that he does not approve
As children, we are constantly faced with pressures from everywhere. There is peer pressure and the need to ‘feel among’. There is also the pressure to do well in our academics, so as not to appear wasteful before our parents.
We are also sometimes caught between pleasing our friends and pleasing our parents or teachers. Some other times, we actually wish our parents can understand.
In whatever situation we find ourselves, the bible is our guide, putting a balance to whatever our friends, teachers, parents or guardians say.
Let’s find out what Paul the Apostle has to say in times like this when you are faced with pressures.
Just be sure you live as God’s people in a way that honors the Good News of Christ. – Phil 1:27a [ERV]
Here, Apostle Paul says we should not do things that bring dishonor and shame to the name of Christ. He says regardless of the pressures you think you are going through, comport yourself and live as God’s people.
When you are at such crossroads, remember that other children around you are probably going through worse times. Also, remember that adulthood is all about pressures. So the way you handle it now will go a long way to determining how you will handle it in the future.
I love the way this translation puts it
Live as citizens who reflect the Good News about Christ. – Phil 1:27a [GW]
In all we do, we are citizens of heaven, let us live up to the expectation.
Is he or she insisting on pre-marital sex? That is a distraction! You are surely not going to the same place and there is no point holding on in that kind of relationship.
You see, you have to know that except the Lord build a house, they labour in vain that build. If you don’t do it God’s way, all your ‘investments’ of time, money and energy on that relationship will go down the drain. Without God, there would be agony and heartache. A home without God is a playground for the devil and his cohorts.
As singles, you need to know it does not only take money or business acumen to run a marriage. It takes money, yes, plus a lot of wisdom and tact founded on a solid relationship with God. It takes a lot of prayers and determination to love your spouse always!
I pray for you this morning that every distraction on the path of your destiny is destroyed in Jesus name. God will strengthen you and give you all-round victory in Jesus name. May the eyes of your understanding be enlightened to see what you need to know to take you to the next level in God!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I receive grace to cut away from relationships that will distract and pull me back.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, help me today to choose to walk with people who are in agreement with my destiny.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. Mat 18:19 MSG
ACTION PLANFOR THE DAY Write the names of your 10 closest friends. Strikeout the names of those who are not going in the same direction as you are going.
Sow kindness, sincerity, faithfulness, practical love, service, patience, understanding, tenderness, and all the good virtues you can think of. By the time all these come together, you will have a great marriage.
Put all your wonderful ingredients together. If you do not have much of those good ingredients (qualities), go buy more (learn good character). Until your ingredients are complete, you cannot have a wonderful meal.
The quality and quantity of your ingredients determine the quality of your meal.
This is the simple recipe for a great marriage. When you study the Bible, read good Christian books, and listen to great quality messages, you are actually assembling your ingredients. By the time you get married, it will be time to ‘cook’ and to prepare for a great time. It is the ingredients that you have amassed that you will put to use. It is what you cook that you will eat. And of course, it is what you eat that gives you strength or weakens you!
You can deliberately look for the right ingredients now. It is not too late. If what you have cooked is a bad taste or inedible and you are considering a divorce, a walkout, and so on, you still have the chance to look for the right ingredients and cook again.
As long as your pot is intact (your mind) and you can still make some fire (in the place of prayer), you can still give it another shot. I can assure you, if your ingredients are right, you will cook a great meal (marriage) and you will eat great!
May God give you wisdom today that you need to turn things around in Jesus name!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I receive the grace to sow good and right seeds in my marriage. My home is blessed. My marriage is blessed.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Heavenly Father, I ask you to forgive all wrong actions and wrong seeds sown into my marriage.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (Gal 5:19 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Write out all the good qualities you admire and desire in your marriage. Begin to sow them into your marriage.
All through the scriptures, God is constantly telling us about his love. God’s promise is always being revealed in Scriptures.
With the lives of the patriarchs, God communicates his plans to us even in this generation.
Let’s look at the story of Jabez for example.
This was a man born into sorrow and agony, yet that did not determine how he ended his sojourn here on earth.
1 Chronicles 4:10 ESV Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.
The part I love in this verse says …and God granted what he asked.
What a loving father. He is simply telling us whatever we ask in faith, we will receive.
Dear children, you should continually pray and confess the Word of God into your lives every day. Let it be a part of you.
You do so with faith in your heart that regardless of how you started, God can turn things around for your good.
As you grow, it is my prayer that the Lord will bless you indeed and enlarge your coast. You are shielded from all harm, In Jesus Name.
Stay with God! Make Him your priority in all you do and the promises of God will come into manifestation in your life in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
PRAYER I love the word of God in Jesus’ name
ACTION PLAN Write out God’s promises and begin to memorize them.
DECLARATION Father, bless me and enlarge my coast.
The wisest king of Israel once said that two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour. That is if they are going the same way
If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up. Again, if two people lie down together, they can keep warm, but how can one person keep warm? Though one person may be overpowered by another, two people can resist one opponent. A triple-braided rope is not easily broken. A young man who is poor and wise is better than an old, foolish king who won’t take advice any longer. A young man came out of prison to rule as king, even though he had been born in poverty in that same kingdom. Ecc 4:10-14 GW
But the pertinent question is which two? Is it just any two? It is definitely not so.
God asked a question, and He is still asking in Amos 3:3. Can two walk together except they agree? When God asks a question, it is not because He does not know the answer, but because He wants you and me to think about the question.
Before you enter that relationship, you need to ask yourself four very important questions.
1. Can he/she go with me?
2. Will he/she go with me?
3. Can he/she grow with me?
4. Will he/she grow with me?
If the two of you are not going the same way, then you do not have a business with that person no matter how handsome or beautiful the person is.
Is your decision based on attraction or direction? Your marital journey is sweeter and smoother when the two of you are going to the same place. Your focus and vision are single. You have the advantage of cooperation and joint effort. You are not pulling at each other, distracting yourselves, and moving contrary to each other.
The pain in your relationship may be a signal that you are not going the same way. Please, do not ignore these signals.
If he/she is not born again and you are, it is a dangerous sign. Don’t say yes to an unbeliever or one with a different spiritual standing.
To be continued…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I receive grace to cut away from relationships that will distract and pull me back.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Lord, help me today to choose to walk with people who are in agreement with my destiny.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. Mat 18:19 MSG
ACTION PLANFOR THE DAY Write the names of your 10 closest friends. Strike out the names of those who are not going the same direction as you are going.
Some years back, my wife and I addressed hundreds of teenagers in a particular meeting. It was amazing at the kind of questions those little ones asked. Some of them were as young as eleven years old. They asked about gay marriage, sex, masturbation, and so on.
Some of those questions you wouldn’t think a thirteen-year-old would ask. But you see, it is obvious that a ten-year-old child today is no longer as innocent or as unexposed as a ten-year-old some twenty years ago. Things have changed, and that rapidly too.
One of the conclusions drawn for those young ones is that there is no point in experimenting with what would fail. Life is about what you sow!
You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. (Gal 6:7 CEV)
This is so simple yet so profound. You will definitely reap whatever you sow; someday, somehow. You cannot reap what you did not sow. It is like putting potatoes on fire and expecting to eat a dinner of fried rice and chicken. It does not happen that way!
Some people are busy sowing wild seeds into their marriage and they expect to have a happy married life. People sow into the flesh; they follow the dictates of their fleshly appetite. They get involved with all manner of sexual activities and impurities, yet they expect all to be well in their marriage. If you are thinking of cheating God in this way, you are very much deceived. God CAN NOT be mocked!
Each time you sow bad seeds into your marriage, something dies in the marriage. When you sow to the wind, you usually reap the whirlwind. Some others do not necessarily sow sexual sins in their marriage, but they sow anger, bitterness, strife, oppression, pain, and unforgiving spirit.
Some commit adultery and expect their homes to be peaceful. It is impossible! You cannot be messing around with teenage girls and expect your children to be blessed. Someone somewhere will defile your daughters too…
To be continued…
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I receive the grace to sow good and right seeds in my marriage. My home is blessed. My marriage is blessed.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY Heavenly Father, I ask you to forgive all wrong actions and wrong seeds sown into my marriage.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (Gal 5:19 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Write out all the good qualities you admire and desire in your marriage. Begin to sow them into your marriage.
Have you ever thought about how to have a great future? Have you ever wondered how adults become the professionals they are today?
How did your mom and dad become what they’re today?
How did that renowned doctor you see become who he is today?
How did your teacher become so efficient in what he/she does?
Well, it’s all about deciding what they wanted to do at a very early age. Much like you are right now.
Just like Daniel, an early decision saved his future.
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.
What do you want to become? An astronaut, software designer, boat builder, race car driver or a writer? It is all about what you like to do.
So my question to you is this: what do you like to do?
Starting early to decide what you would like to become in future is important.
You start to learn how to become it and go through every process involved. The process will involve trainings, class lessons, exams and tests. You learn and then get tested before being certified as a professional.
Discover what you love to do and take all the necessary education you need. That’s how mommy and daddy did.
Be like Samuel in the bible who learned under the prophet Eli. Under the prophet’s supervision, Samuel grew into a great prophet that God used to speak to kings in Israel.
May God show you what your passion is in Jesus name. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, help me to discover what I like to do and become in future. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Action plan: Start to note what you like doing. From there, you can discover your talents.
The single man also needs to be connected to God because only God can give you direction to find a true wife.
The Bible talks about strange women, the Bible talks about adulterous women, and the Bible talks about evil men.
The Bible talks about wicked men whose tender mercies are cruel. You need God’s direction in order to choose rightly. Anybody can pretend in the pre-marriage years. Wrong attitudes and defective behavioural patterns can be shielded because you are in love. You will need God all the way.
He wants to favour you as a result of marriage. Your spouse is supposed to be a blessing and not a curse, an addition and not a minus. God is waiting for you, acknowledge Him in your relationship and courtship and you will experience favour.
Do it in God’s way and you will see favour! Don’t succumb to pressures from the environment and friends to compromise, be patient and be prayerful, so that you can rejoice at the end of the day.
Keep your virtue; don’t sleep around in your bid to find love or money, run back to God. You may think you are too far gone, but there are no such things in God, for Jesus is able to save from the gutter-most to the uttermost!
Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them. –Hebrews 7:25 (AMP)
Despite all you might have done, God has not condemned you, He loves you too much to leave you alone and He loves you too much to see you stay where you have been.
It’s time to move up in God! God’s love for you remains unshaken and all you need to do now is talk to Him. You will see calmness descend on your soul as you invite Jesus into your life, you will almost feel the burdens lifted and He will become a father to you indeed!
This week and beyond, you will walk in God’s favour in Jesus name! Every struggle is removed in Jesus name!
Like a shield, God will surround you with His favour and He will surprise you this week, especially in your finances. That’s specifically for someone! You can as well just worship Him for that!
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I do not rely on my own understanding. I put my trust in God. He will direct me today. I am not confused; God’s light from His word is dawning upon my soul. I have favour in my relationship. I have favour in my marriage. I am favoured, and I am a favour channel.
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY God, help me to choose rightly. According to your word, O Lord, I am a favour factor to my spouse I nullify every negative power working against the counsel of God for my relationship. I declare RESTORATION of all that has been lost.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY You may inherit all you own from your parents, but a sensible wife is a gift from the LORD. Proverbs 19:14 (CEV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Take a pragmatic inventory before you make that proposal or before you give your consent, ask yourself whether God is involved. If God is not involved, it may not be worth it.
