2016 Manna

2016 MANNA FOR DAILY LIVINGAll Scripture Quotations are from the New International Version (NIV), New Living Translation (NLT), KJV and the Amplified Version of the Bible unless otherwise stated.All Correspondence to:The EDITORManna for Daily LivingGSM: 0802- 325- 2101; 0803- 733- 9643E-mail: [email protected],[email protected] site: www.houseofmanna.org.ng ISBN: 1596 - 715 - 8 Copy right (c) Manna Christian Centre P. O. BOX 282 EFFURUN WARRI 0802-325-2101; 0803-733-9643; 0805-661-8048 i

This Devotional Book is presented to:_________________________________________________Date: ____________________________________________By: ______________________________________________ Wishing you the overcomer's portion all through the year ii

AcknowledgmentsContributors: Ven. E. O. Agbawe JPEditor: Ven. Theophilus Usikaro Rev Samuel Ewhoforama Bro. F.A.AkpoveroCover Design: Bro. Martins O.AbiokutaTypesetting: Bro. Martins O.AbiokutaProof Reader: Mrs. H. U.Agbawe. All rights reserved. No part of this devotional book may bereproduced in any form without the prior permission from the publisher. iii

Every user of MDL is advised to follow these guidelines but not rigidly.1. Try and obtain a hymn book e.g. S.S & S and any other book containing choruses.2. Use MDL during your quiet time.3. Opening prayer inviting His presence.4. Choruses / Hymn.5. Scripture Reading (Say the words of Psalms 119:18, before reading) underline any verse of interest.6. Meditate / Comments.7. Read the commentary take note of quotable quotes.8. Memorize the test for the day (including children).9. Prayer session: be guided by the Holy Spirit, the Lesson for the day, and the suggested prayer guide pray in tongues and allow God to speak to you. Before the Grace say the daily confession.10. The preparation of MDL is mostly on NIV translation of the Bible. You may wish to use any other version.11. You may wish to send text messages/e-mail about any observation. iv

EditorialGrace and peace be multiplied in our lives in Jesus name. With a heart full of praise we welcome you all to another year. This New Year is a gift from the Lordto us all and the word of the Lord says, the gift of the Lordmakes one to be rich and no sorrow is added. Standing on theword I declare over your life no sorrow shall be added to yourlife in Jesus name. This year shall work for your good andeveryday you will count your blessings naming them one byone and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.Beloved, it is the above declaration that our devotional will bebringing to us on daily basis with the assurance that it can onlyget better as far as your life is concerned. Hitherto the Lordhas helped us to roll out another edition of your favoritedevotional with heavenly flavor and the breath of the HolySpirit. God is prepared to speak to us if we are ready for Himat any time. This is why this devotional must be yourcompanion on daily basis with a pledge that until I meet Godin His Word, start my day with Him; I shall do no other thing.As we take this seriously we begin to receive fresh unctionupon our lives to be able to function daily.We thank God for our team who worked tirelessly towardsthis goal our prayer is that may the Lord continue to find themuseful to His glory. We have no doubt in minds that this bookwill surely bless you. Therefore in the hope of his secondcoming with a desire that we may be kept undefiled, wepresent to you 2016 edition of Manna for Daily Living.Ven. E. O. Agbawe (JP) Aslave of Christ v

Important Events And Dates In 20161. New Year day 1st January, 20162. Epiphany 6th January, 20163. Ash Wednesday 10th February, 20164. Mothering Sunday 6th March, 20165. Palm Sunday 20th March, 20166. Good Friday 25th March, 20167. Easter Sunday 27th March, 20168. Ascension Day 5th May, 20169. Pentecost Day 15th May, 201610. Trinity Sunday 22nd May, 201611. Independence Day 1st October, 201612. All Saint Day 1st November, 201613. Advent Sunday 27th November, 201614. Christmas Day 25th December, 2016 Attention please, read me: We use this medium to call on our readers to partner with us in the publishing of this DailyDevotional. Free distribution if printing cost canbe defrayed. Churches and individuals can book ahead of time; this will lead to increase in production. Copies are also available for free distribution to mission agencies. vi

Daily ConfessionDear Father, thank you for the gift of a new day. The blessings of the Lord maketh rich and no sorrow is added. Therefore I declare and decree that today isa blessing to my life. No sorrow or calamity shall be added. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow ofdeath, I will fear no evil. His rod and staff comfort me.Today, I shall be the head and not the tail. I shall be aboveand not beneath. The Lord will bless all the work of myhand.I receive grace to be sufficient in all things and beabundant for every good work. My supply shall never rundry. He will multiply every seed I sow today. Everydevourer is hereby condemned. I destroy all kinds oflocust, I shall not borrow but I will lend to others, becauseI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.I shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the nameof the Lord my God. For He who is in me is greater than hewho is in the world. Therefore no weapon formed againstme will prosper. Any tongue raised against me is underjudgment for this is my heritage. My going out and comingis safe and covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen. Daily Prayer* Lord, make us instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let us sow love;* Where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, Faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;* To be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are Pardoned and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. vii

FRIDAY, 1ST JANUARY, 2016For Reading NEW YEAR RESOLUTION& Meditation:Luke 1:67-80 “…And to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.” Vv.74-75Welcome to the New Year that promises greater things in the peerless name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. At the beginning of a New Year, it isconventional for people to make resolutions. I presume thatbefore you shouted “Happy New Year”, you made someresolutions. Resolution in this context is a decision that onemakes on how he chooses to live his life in the coming year.Without be-labouring the point some actually made someresolutions, God being their helper, they succeeded. But it isan established fact that many were not able to live up to theresolution they took.It is important to state that for every life that desire progressand improvement, such life cannot but make some resolutionsand be willing to live up to them. It is the beginning of anotheryear and if you are willing to maximize all your entitlements inthe course of the year resolutions are inevitable. In the light ofthis we see Zechariah who understood by the Holy Spirit thatwe must resolve to serve God without fear in holiness andrighteousness all our days on planet earth.This is one resolution that will restore the dignity of man, thechurch and the nation that has been bastardized. Christianshave chosen to be like unbelievers in many aspects. It is aclarion call to all Christians on this first day of the New Year.PRAYER:Almighty Father, thank you for the gift of a New Year. Help usthat our resolutions will promote holiness and righteousnessall the days of our lives. 1

SATURDAY, 2ND JANUARY, 2016For Reading RESOLVE IT NOW& Meditation:Joshua 24:1-15 “…Then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will sere the Lord.” V.15Resolutions for the New Year demand that we examine ourselves objectively on how we fare in the passing year. As Christians, our resolutionsmust be different from those who are not. Resolutionscould stand for repentance or revival. Revival in the sensethat we have discovered what we ought to be doing that wehave not being doing and a conscious decision to startdoing it. No doubt as children of God, the more we getcloser to God in prayer and His word, we discover that wehave not done enough, hence the fire of revival that wemust constantly desire.Elder Joshua sought a resolution from the people beforeclosing his eyes in death. It was obvious that apostasy hadset in and the people could not uphold the holiness of God,the commandments seemed to have been set aside. Theywere already serving the gods of the Amorites in whoseland they were living. When Christians now adopt theworldly system in every sphere of life; what do you thinkhas set in? Take a cursory look at believers, what they doand how they do it, can we say we have allowed the Bible todefine it for us or we are just adopting whatever we see?God forbid that you will continue the same way. Until theheart is circumcised by the Holy Spirit, one will not know thedifference.PRAYER:Lord Jesus Christ, your divine encounter we plead for allbelievers for a change. 2

For Reading SUNDAY, 3RD JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Joshua 24:16-24 WHY PEOPLE FAIL THEIR RESOLUTIONS “And the people said to Joshua, we will serve the Lord our God and obey Him.” V.24The Israelites in one voice declared; “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods.” They remembered vividly how God brought them and theirfathers from Egypt, the land of bondage where they wereslaves. They also remembered the various miracles, greatsigns that were performed on their enemies before themand were able to settle down in the land of promise.Beloved, when people make resolutions for the New Year,they usually do not forget their past. Resolutions arealways made in the light of past experiences. But thechallenge is that of living up to the resolutions. If all ourresolutions were to be put together and we choose to liveby them, we would soon discover that Nigeria will becomeParadise on earth.Elder Joshua quickly reminded them that “you are not ableto serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God…”Why are they not able to serve the Lord? It is as a result ofrebellion. This is the problem of man in his quest for arelationship with God. If you desire to live up to yourresolutions for the New Year, then you must deal with theissue of rebellion. Rebellion would always question therationale behind the obedience that is demanded. It maysurprise you that the book of Judges that followed the bookof Joshua clearly show their rebellion.PRAYER:Heavenly Father, we humbly ask for your grace upon ourlives to be able to live up to our resolution. 3

MONDAY, 4TH JANUARY, 2016For Reading SUSTAINING YOUR RESOLUTION& Meditation:John 15:1-8 “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” V.5Resolutions are good, it is a move in the positive direction. It is an attempt to bring about grater improvements on our lives. this lofty idea is alwaystruncated as soon as we attempt to carry out our resolutions.No apology to human frailment. It is the weaknessoccasioned by the fall of man. The secret of overcoming thisfrail nature of man can be found in the statement made byPaul, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue mefrom this body of death? Thanks be to God throughJesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 17:24-25). In Christ whatwe were unable to do; we receive grace to do it.In Christ Jesus we are able to do all things. The Lord says heis the vine, while we are the branches. Except we remain inhim, we can do nothing. Many do fail to abide by theirresolutions because they are not able abide in Christ Jesus.Until we confess with out mouth that Jesus Christ is both Lordand Saviour and willingly yield to him, we cannot be in himand he cannot be in us.In the first place, if you hope to live up to your resolutions thisyear, then you have to call on him as the scriptures says;“That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, andbelieve in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). This is the secret ofliving up to your resolutions.PRAYER:Lord Jesus Christ, I invite you to my life today, take over myheart and let it be for you. 4

For Reading TUESDAY, 5TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Psalm 119:129-136 HIS WORD AND YOUR STEPS Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. V.133Having made Jesus Christ your Lord and Saviour the next thing that will help you to live by your resolution for the New Year is the word of God. There is asaying that goes thus; “Read the Bible to be wise,practice it to be holy and believe it to be saved.” This isthe secret of the Bible. Reading it daily with prayer bestowwisdom on you that you need for your life on daily basis.While you put it to practice, the word of God would certainlykeep you on the right path which is the essence of ourresolution. When you believe what you read and practiceit, it guarantees your salvation. It is only the word of God,the Bible that transforms and not some wisdom quotations.Such quotations end at the brain, which is headknowledge. The book Hebrews described the word of Godas sharper than two-edged sword capable of penetratingevery part of our lives.The Psalmist pleaded with God to direct his footstepsaccording to His word. The implication of it is that with theword of God dwelling sufficiently enough in us, it willprevent us from erring. How is your attitude to the word ofGod? While many have interest in reading otherliteratures, the word of God seem boring to them. When aChristian loses his flair for the word of God, such a personis nearly gone.PRAYER:Create in us O Lord a thirst for your word so as to live rightwith you O Lord. 5

For Reading WEDNESDAY, 6TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Psalm 37:1-9 YOUR RESOLUTION AND PRAYER Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord trust in him and he will do this.” Vv. 4-Having made Jesus Christ bothLord and Saviour the next pillar that will support and sustain your resolution for the year is prayer. Having made theLord Jesus Christ as both Lord and Saviour and live dailyin his word, your prayer life must be ignited with fire. ThePsalmist passionately appealed to his readers to delightthemselves in the Lord because it is the surest way forthem to receive from the Lord, the desire of their hearts.He went on to say; commit your way to the Lord; trust inhim and he will do this. The admonition is a clarion call toprayer. To pray is to commit our heart desires to the Lord,to express our dependence on Him. Beloved, if yourresolutions for the New Year will stand, then it calls forprayer, telling God that on your own you cannot do itexcept by His grace. The lack of prayer is one of thereasons why people fail. Their prayer ends with the nightleading to the New Year. If you back up your resolutionswith prayer, asking for grace to empower you and supplyall that you need to live up to your resolutions, you will seeGod doing the un-imaginable. You will agree with me thatsince the watch night service or the first day of the year,you have not prayed about your resolutions. At yourfamily altar every day, you need to make it a prayer point.PRAYER:Dearly Holy Spirit, please rekindled your fire in me andrevive my prayer life 6

For Reading THURSDAY, 7TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Genesis 26:1-6 DIVINE INSTRUCTION “…Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you.” V2.Divine instructions are for our good. As Children of God it is imperative for us to seek divine instruction so that success can attend our efforts. As usualwe are expected to make some efforts; it is by divineleading we get to know which of our efforts would enjoyHis backing. The Psalmist says; “Commit everythingyou do to the Lord, Trust, and He will help you.”(Psalm 37:5). It is a risk to put God aside as we embark onour daily routine without divine instruction. It is true thatGod speaks. It is obvious that Isaac was contemplatingon relocating to Egypt as a result of the life threateningfamine that has engulfed the land. Evidence before usshows he may have sought the face of God about thematter. The divine instruction is; “do not go down toEgypt.” When faced with any life threatening scenario,we must not forget to seek the counsel of God in thematter. When the Lord orders the footsteps of a righteousman his testimonies would always be a complete one.Every Child of God must be sure he is in God's agenda forhis life in order to obtain divine favour. If what God toldyou to do look difficult, I can assure you that God's plan foryou is the best. Divine location for divine allocation is theonly way to obtain what God has for you.PRAYER:My dear Father and God, grant unto us an obedient heartto you and your divine instruction. 7

For Reading FRIDAY, 8TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Exodus 2:1-10 HIS FAITHFULNESS “…Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you. So the woman took the baby and nursed him.” V9Moses the servant of the Lord was given birth to at a time when every Hebrew male child had been sentenced to death before coming to life. Moseswas an instrument in the hand of the Almighty, thus fromcreation he was already destined to survive thewickedness of the strong man called Pharaoh. God saidto Jeremiah; “Before I formed you in the womb I knewyou, before you were born I set you apart; I appointedyou as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).God chooses his own even when we have not beenformed. Do you have the call of God upon your life, andthe call is under attack? He who calls you is faithfulhence “God's gifts and his call are irrevocable”(Romans 11:29). God directed the mother of Moses onhow to handle the baby and it paid off. At this earlybeginning, we must allow God to lead and we shall cometo realize that we have taken the stress off our necks.Allowing God to lead exposes us to His divinearrangements. This is why Pharaoh's daughter came atthe right time. The miracle was beyond imaginationwhen a mother is being paid for nursing her own baby.May this be your testimony all through the year.PRAYER:Almighty Father, you remain faithful all the time. Help usto depend on your faithfulness always in Jesus name.Amen. 8

For Reading SATURDAY, 9TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Leviticus 26:1-13 MORE THAN ENOUGH “You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for new.” V.10The book of Leviticus dwells mostly on offerings that are carried out during worship. If we carefully go through the book, we shall come to discover that we need to bemore careful whenever we come together to worship. ThePastors cum priests must extra-ordinarily be diligent as heleads worship. Aaron's sons Nadah and Abitue took thingsfor granted when they offered unauthorized fire before theLord, contrary to his command. Without waste of time, firecame out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them.As we worship the Lord this year, let us be diligent and becommitted in holiness and righteousness of life, we shallenjoy His blessings. Among the numerous blessings aheadof us are the ones enumerated in our passage for today'smeditation. There is the promise of rain in its season and theground would bring forth its increase. The implication is thatthe Lord has gone ahead of you to prepare the seasons thatmake up this year. Thus, our increase is guaranteed. Thereis the promise of enemies fallen before us and that we wouldchase them in their thousands.Abundant harvest is waiting for us; if we obey the Lordfaithfully. God said that our harvest would last to thefollowing year such that we begin to look for space for thenew harvest. The secret of all these is obedience to Him allthrough the year. Let the word of God guide you.PRAYERThank you Father for the reward that awaits your children aswe obey you in all things in Jesus name. 9

For Reading SUNDAY, 10TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Numbers 12:1-16 DO NOT OPPOSE “So Moses cried out to the Lord, O God, please heal her.” V.13There are certain precautions we need to observe as Christians in order to enhance a good relationship between men and God. One of those precautions isto avoid opposing others. This does not mean that wecompromise the truth. The Bible enjoins us to speak thetruth in love. Aaron and Miriam lacked this New Testamentknowledge, but their story had been recorded for us so thatwe can overcome the spirit that is responsible for opposingothers. Most times people oppose others as a result ofbeing envious or jealous. As Christians why do we need tobe envious if we know that God has a plan for us?Moses was the youngest among the three of them but hehad the favour of leading the entire nation. This privilegeconferred on him was a blessings to the entire family forwhich Aaron and Miriam were great beneficiaries.However, the devil took over the heart of Miriam and sheand her brother Aaron opposed Moses. This same problemis found among us, thus people have actually abused theirprivileges. It is a New Year; God is speaking to us to avoidopposition. It may be acceptable in politics but certainly notin Church. Miriam became an outcast for seven days if shehad died, she would have perished. Make every effort totake precaution while you speak the truth in love.PRAYERAlmighty Father, deliver us from the symptom of oppositionand help us to build bridges of love for enduring relationship. 10

MONDAY, 11TH JANUARY, 2016For Reading A TRUE PROPHET& Meditation:Deut, 18:15-22 “If the prophet speaks in the Lord's name but his prediction does not happen or come true you will know that the Lord did not give that message.” V22aProphetic Ministry in recent years has gained momentum. In every town you find a good number of Christian gatherings been referred to as ministryand are organized as churches. At the helm of affairs is theprophet popularly referred to as “man of God' otherwise,known as 'General Overseer' while some are flourishing,many are struggling to survive.No doubt, prophetic ministry is one of the ministerial gifts ofthe Holy Spirit. It is a ministry through which God intimateshis people about what they need to know, things that willenhance their faith, precautions they need to take while theultimate purpose is to encourage the people of God to pray.In prayer, we express our dependence on God, our implicittrust in Him.Prophetic ministry nowadays leaves much to be desired.We have gotten to a point where Christians who areheavenly conscious must be careful lest they be deceived.Prophecy nowadays are of the same methods, samepattern. This is evident; if you care to watch stationstagged 'free to air'. Although, people may come to confirmthe 'prophecy', take a look at the whole scenario biblically, ifyou are a child of God, certainly the error would be glaring.In this New Year beware of prophecy.PRAYER:Dear Holy Spirit, we plead with you to give your peoplethe discerning spirit in this end-time. 11

For Reading TUESDAY, 12TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Joshua 4:1-18 MEMORIALS AS WITNESSES “…They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord's Covenant went across.” V7Memorials stands for a reminder. Thank God for the Christian faith because continually these memorials are being repeated. The question is, have we usedsuch opportunities to remind ourselves of the several vows orcommitment we made when we willingly gave our lives toChrist? No doubt like apostle Paul said, “For I have told youoften before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes thatthere are many whose conduct shows they are reallyenemies of the cross of Christ” (Phil. 3:18). This is a NewYear and such opportunities will come up. Such ceremoniescould be baptism which is the Christian “initiatory right”.Baptism is meant for those who have repented of their sins. Tothose who have been baptized, baptism becomes a memorialthat should remind you of your vow with a view to glorifying theLord with our lives. There are other ceremonies whichincludes Ordination, Commissioning and many of such things.At any time others are coming in, those of us inside should askourselves, how faithful are we to the calling.It was the importance that a memorial plays in the lives of afaith-believing community that made God to direct Joshua togather twelve stones and placed them as memorials forposterity. For us in the New Testament, our disposition tothese things that serves as memorials would determinewhether those coming behind would be interested. TheWestern nations disregarded these memorials hence thestrange teachings in their Churches. Let us beware.PRAYER:Heavenly Father, thank you for the several memorials thatabounds in the faith; help us to be faithful to them. 12

WEDNESDAY, 13TH JANUARY, 2016For Reading A GENERATION WITHOUT GOD& Meditation:Judges 2:6-15 “After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.” V10It is a tragedy for a generation to be without God the implication is that the individuals that make up such generation are already hopeless and helpless. With this wecan begin to appreciate the instruction that God gave toJoshua as contained in our meditation for yesterday. God whoknows the future from the beginning, never desire that any manshould be hopeless or helpless. Hence John declare; “ForGod loved the world so much that he gave his one andonly Son, so that everyone who believes in him will notperish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). With Jesus Christ ina man's life, he is saved from crisis from doom and fromeverlasting damnation. Are you sure Christ Jesus is in yourlife; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. We are toldthat, after that generation possibly the one that laid the stonesas memorials, another generation that followed grew upwithout the knowledge of the Lord. In other words, they had norelationship with the God of Israel yet they were still counted asIsraelites. So many reasons can be adduced for these lapses.Such could be proper transmission on the part of those whosaw God in action. It could also be the fault of the newgeneration who never showed interest in the tings of God.This is one of the problems with the Church. Many are inchurch and you see a people who lacked interest therefore notime for God. If this trend continues for the next three decades,what becomes of the Church? We have the responsibility todisciple people for Christ.PRAYERDear Holy Spirit, we plead with you to convince and convictyour people for genuine repentance in Jesus name, Amen. 13

THURSDAY 14TH JANUARY, 2016For Reading THE GOD OF NEW BEGINNING& Meditation:Ruth 1:1-7 “With her two daughters-in-law…she set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.” V7.The privilege we have in our days may not be there in days of Naomi. We have the privilege of seeking the face of God before embarking on any venture. I amfully convinced that if we allow God to lead, we would neverregret it. Often times we do not seek Godly counsel beforeventuring hence we regret some of the decisions we took.Naomi and her husband may not have sought the face ofGod for a clear direction before their departure to the landof Moab. That food was in Moab was enough reason to goforgetting that the famine, that hit Judah was a ploy by thedevil to destabilize some of them with a view to destroy.Whenever we are confronted by any trial or temptation, weshould seek to know the will of God lest we foolishly walkinto the ditch of the enemies. It was the same famine thathit the land where Isaac was living and God said to him; donot go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live(Gen. 26:1-2). Naomi returned emptied handed. I believethat was not the plan of God but thank God who is able tofind solution in our confused state for a new beginning thatcan be glorious. We can share in this wonderful experienceif like Naomi we will set out on the part of righteousness. Allwe need is to return to the ancient path that promises betterthings.PRAYERLord Jesus as your people return to you turn it to abeginning that will compensate the loses of the past 14

FRIDAY, 15TH JANUARY, 2016For Reading HANNAH STOOD UP& Meditation:I Sam. 1:1-11 “So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying because I asked the Lord for him.” V.20The Name Samuel means, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” This is mystery revealed; it means if we do not ask, most likely, our heart desires may not bereleased. This is why our Lord taught us that, “Ask and itwill be given to you, seek and you will find, knock andthe door will be opened to you. For everyone who asksreceives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks,the door will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8). If you have notasked, this is the time for you to ask. Have you being askingand no response, do not give up. In Luke 18:1ff, Jesus hastaught us not to give up in asking; our Father in heavenwould surely answer us.Hannah's miracle was delayed because of one singlereason, she took things for granted and her miracle wasdelayed than necessary. In verse 9, we are told that Hannahstood and when She stood up, positive things began tohappen. She took her stand in the matter because those whoknow their God would surely do exploit. The only reasonwhy you still suffer that delay may be because you have nottaken stand in the matter yet.Hannah sad to herself, enough of the usual way, she tookher destiny in her hands and went straight to her God and herstory change. God is waiting for all who will take such step.PRAYERO Lord Jesus,. In the power of the Holy Spirit let your peoplewho are weighed down be uplifted in their faith today. 15

For Reading SATURDAY 16TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:II Sam. 9:1-13 WHEN FAVOUR SPEAKS “…There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.” V.3bWhat happened to the house of Saul that made David to ask; is there anyone still left of the house of Saul…? Certainly an evil Tsunami must haveswept across Saul's house hence that question.Whenever a man loses relationship with God, the devilwould come in. How much do you cherish your relationshipwith God? Saul lost his because of one single act ofdisobedience to God's instruction. From that time he lostfavour, not only him, it affected his entire household.We must be careful and jealously guard the grace of Godupon our lives, lest we turn it to disgrace by one single actof sin. The house of Saul was reduced to one cripple whocould not help himself. The destiny of your house lies withyou make sure you do not ruin it. David a man who loved toreciprocate every kind gesture shown to him could notforget in a hurry the beloved Jonathan, the son of Saul wholoved him till death. It was a divine timing when favourbegan to speak looking for someone for a turn around. Youcould imagine the state of Mephibosheth. God hasearmarked him for this favour hence David sought him andgave his life meaning. I declare over your life, despite yourinadequacies and short comings, may His favour locateyou today for a desired change in Jesus name, Amen.PRAYERDear Lord as you release your favour today, may yourpeople be located in Jesus name. 16

For Reading SUNDAY 17TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:II Sam. 9:1-13 WEIGH THE CONSEQUENCES “As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness …I will established your royal throne.” Vv.4,5Reading the response of God to Solomon's prayer, we see God as one whose promises are hinged on some conditions that must be fulfilled so as toguaranty their fulfillment. This is His nature from ages pastand unto eternity. As long as we remain faithful to Him, westand to enjoy the promises.To Solomon, God said; if you walk before me in integrity ofheart…. This is not just walking with his heart but theintegrity of it is demanded. We may just be seen to haveour hearts in the things of God whereas, not with integrity.Men who cannot discern the heart may applaud you butHim who discerns the heart knows how sincere we are inevery issue we handle. This is one gap I see in ourChristianity of today. Our hearts are not totally for God.This is evident in the way we relate to one another. Thescripture says; If anyone says, I love God, yet hates hisbrother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love hisbrother, whom he has seen cannot love God.” (1 John4:20) God's promises remains as we remain obedient toHis word. Solomon should not think his achievements bybuilding the temple were sufficient enough to close God'seyes against disobedience. God was ready to reject thetemple as a result of disobedience. For all who desire toprosper please take it to heart.PRAYEROur dear Father, we are helpless without your grace. Helpus good Lord. 17

MONDAY 18TH JANUARY, 2016For Reading CONSULT WHAT?& Meditation:2 Kings 1:1-4 “Go and consult Baa-zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.” 2 Kings 1:2It is a world of alternatives; hence the topic of this meditation is in a form of a question “Consult what?” Although, it is not new to find out that 'Christians' secretly go to consultdifferent things in a bid to find solution to their problems. Whilesome of this notorious Christians are in the class of apostasyother are mere Church goers yet to have an encounter with theLord.Beside the two groups mentioned above are some genuineChristians who are going through some difficult times. It couldbe that their health is failing them or that the arrows of theenemies from left and right are becoming unbearable. Othersmay be because of delay- delayed miracles. Propheticdeclarations are not just coming to pass hence they arecontemplating alternatives.Ahaziah the King of Samaria was afraid of death as a result ofinjury sustained when he fell from his upper room. No doubt itwas a life-threatening condition. Instead of him to invite Elijahthe prophet to minister to him, he decided to seek help fromBaal-zebub, the god of Ekron. His action was an indictmentboth on the God of Israel and His prophets. Elijah confrontedhis servants and gave the divine judgment. This is a lesson toall who would ignore their ministers and begin to seek help fromthose who may not be helpful. Are you faced with any problem,then consult God through the minister he has appointed foryou.PRAYER:Heavenly Father, we plead for mercy, that you come to therescue of your children who are being tempted. 18

For Reading TUESDAY, 19TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:2 Kings 1:5-8 SEEKING HELP IN THE WRONG PLACE “He sent forth his word and healed them he rescued them from the grave.” Ps. 103:2Ahaziah the Son of Ahab became the King after the demise of his father. Unfortunately, he took after his father who was an apostate. Ahab lost faith with theGod of Israel as a result of his marriage to Jezebel a foreignwoman. Ahaziah must have witnessed some of the encounterof his father with Elijah the prophet of God. One would havethought he would not repeat the mistakes of his father, but thatwould not be.When he became sick, he sought help from gods made byhuman hands. Thus, he sent messengers saying; “Go andconsult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I willrecover from this injury.” This was an affront on the God ofIsrael and his prophets which Elijah would not condone. Godspoke to Elijah through His angel the mission of Ahaziah.Without hesitation, Elijah confronted them and sent them backto the king to say to him; “therefore you will not leave the bedyou are lying on. You will certainly die.”This same mistake of Ahaziah is still being repeated by manyChristians in the Church today. They go on to seek help fromother places whereas help is available in their domain. Menafter God's heart are around them but because they havechosen not to make noise like others, they are not regarded tobe anything. Many go to seek help elsewhere and returnedempty-handed while some died. Are you behaving likeAhaziah?PRAYERHeavenly Father, deliver your people from every act of unbeliefin Jesus name. 19

For Reading WEDNESDAY, 20TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:2 Kings 1:9-12 ABUSE OF POWER “…Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.” V.10bChildren who would be courteous enough to avoid the mistakes of their father would certainly record a greater testimony. But this is one lesson that manyhave refused to learn. Consequently they have no choicebut to pay the price. Ahab ignored the ministry of Elijah at hisown peril hence he ended with ignominy. Instead of the sonto learn from the mistake of his father, he went on to alsoignore the man Elisha called; “the chariots and horsemenof Israel.” Elijah stood as the strength of the nation Israelbut their kings failed to recognize this fact. The same fatesome men of God are also suffering. With the anointing ofthe Holy one upon their lives, men have chosen to disregardthem because they are not willing to play along. Elijah was aman who stood for the truth come what may.The king decided to arrest him by force by sending a Captainwho recognized him as a man of God but had no respect forthe anointing. He and his men were consumed by fire. Thesecond contingent went displaying the same attitude ofpower corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.The same tragedy befell them. Imagine the souls wastedbecause a king refused to be humble before God and Hisservants. These are the same mistakes that are beingrepeated at every strata of our society. The king abused hispower, please do not abuse the power given to you.PRAYERLord Jesus grant us grace to humble ourselves at everygiven time and situation, Amen. 20

For Reading THURSDAY, 21ST JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:2 Kings 1:13-17 THE WISE MESSENGER “Man of God…Please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servant.” V.13bThe third captain was wise about it. He recognized the man of God and the power that is at work in him. This power is over and above the kingship the arms andammunition at his disposal including the officers that wentwith him. That was the wisdom the ones before him lacked.For a while, may I ask, what do you do with other people'sexperience? It is not wise to repeat their mistakes, let uslearn from them with a view to improve on our lives.When the captain met Elijah, he pleaded for his life, for thishumility, the Lord preserved his life. While will you die thedeath of another person? The King was billed to die, but hedecided not to die alone. The same scenario is playing outin our age which we must be careful about. Too manypeople are bearers of trouble looking for whose head todump it. As you wake up every morning, pray against suchpersons. Be the wise Captain that will save the peoplearound you. The angel of the Lord said to Elijah; “Go downwith him, do not be afraid of him.” Who is that strongman opposed to God and all that God called you to do? Histime is up already As Elijah said to Ahaziah, “You willcertainly die!” and he died, so shall the end of thatstrongman. You need not be afraid, declare the word of theLord and the Lord will honour you.PRAYERDear Father, too many strongmen in various places at warwith your chosen ones, arise and pull them down in Jesusname, Amen. 21

For Reading FRIDAY, 22ND JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:2 Kings 2:1-9 THE TRUE FOLLOWER - I “…Let me inherit a double portion of your Spirit…” V.9bA true follower must learn to persevere. Perseverance is a virtue we all need as we keep step with the Lord whose promises never fail. How does your situationlooks like? This is not the time to give up, keep trusting, keepwaiting it will not be too long, your expectation will not be cutoff.Elisha was fully aware that it was time that the Lord is going totake away Elijah. For some followers, their minds would befixed on the material inheritance or any other thing that is lessof eternal consequence. Elisha knew what to go for the spiritthat was upon Elijah. Where do you have your interest asyou serve the Lord on daily basis? The Bible enjoins us to setour hearts on things above, things of eternal values and notmortal things.Elisha was faced with the intimidation and the consequencesof Elijah's exit. The company of the prophets at Bethel couldnot see any frantic efforts as to begin a ministry on the part ofElisha. For Elisha there was the need for power from aboveand divine commissioning. This is the grace many ministersare lacking in their quest to fulfill a ministry that is devoid ofdivine approval. Elisha needed to persevere so as to receivean impartation from his master. You may ask yourselfwhether you waited for this divine approval or it was theprompting of the people that push you to start.PRAYERDear Holy Spirit, too many are in a hurry without your divineapproval. Please help them today. 22

For Reading SATURDAY, 23RD JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:2 Kings 2:10-12 THE TRUE FOLLOWER - II “…Yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours- otherwise not.” V.10Elisha knew what he wanted and he was committed to it. For him, Elijah can be taken away, but the anointing upon Elijah must be left behind for thecoming generation. Elisha was interested in the anointingand not the position that lacks anointing. In recent times,succession crisis had hit many denominations whichresulted in litigation. We do not want to dabble into internalissues which may not be known to us, but we should ask;what is the reason behind these several crises that hadbeen reported on the pages of our national dailies?Two things come out clear in the story before us; theposition and the anointing. Elisha went for anointing andnot the position because anointing will certainly attractposition. In the several crises, we discovered that it is theposition that is under contention and not the anointing.Some may want to explain it away or raise an argument butthe issue is, where does your interest or priority lies?There come a critical moment as we pursue our purpose.Thus Elijah told Elisha, “If you see me it will be yours.”How you handle this critical moment determines whetheryou get it or not. This is the true test of a true follower.Elisha watched keenly and he saw him hence heexclaimed; “My Father! My Father!!” when it is your turn,do not miss it.PRAYERLord we pray for every follower, may your grace assistthem at their critical moment in Jesus name, Amen. 23

SUNDAY, 24TH JANUARY, 2016For Reading TAKE THE CLOAK OF FAITH& Meditation:2 Kings 2:13-18 “…Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah…when he struck the water, it divided….” V.14Indeed chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated Elijah from Elisha. Yet Elisha saw Elijah going while his mantle (cloak) was left behind for Elisha who wouldnot allow anything to distract him as to lose sight of theanointing he yearns for.Elisha never give up neither was he expecting a specialministration for impartation. Elisha saw the cloak as theinheritance left behind. With a simple faith, he would achieve alot thus he picked up the cloak and went back. Jordan becamethe first place to exercise his faith on the God of his master.Elisha exclaimed, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah”. Ashe struck the water it divided into two and a thorough fare wasopened unto him.Few lessons we need to learn as follows: Elisha knew whoElijah was. He had no doubt that he was a prophet of God. Wethank God that some Christians know the man of God amongthem, hence they are ready to give all to support the ministry ofsuch people.Because Elisha knew Elijah, the Cloak of Elijah is loaded withpower. In the New Testament, the shadow of Peter healed thepeople, Paul's apron or handkerchief healed the people. Do wealso believe that men of God in our days still carry such grace?Elisha struck Jordan and it divided. If we too would exercisesuch faith, miracles would manifest in our lives.PRAYERO Lord Jesus Christ grant your people the gift of faith forexceptional miracles today. 24

For Reading MONDAY, 25TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:2 Kings 2:19-22 JUST ONE DECLARATION “And the Water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.” V.22The story of the emergence of Elisha simply teaches that by faith great things can begin to happen in a man's life. Too many people are not able to make anyhead way in life because of a fixed mind that have beendeveloped overtime. For anything to work, as far as theyare concerned it must be the way they perceived it. This isthe fixed mind we are talking about. God is greater than Hiscreation and He moves in a mysterious ways. People withfixed mind would have concluded that since Elijah did notlay his hands on Elisha and prayed with him, what would anordinary cloak that fell from Elijah do? The scripture says;“as a man thinketh so he is.” Elisha saw the double gracehe was looking for in the cloak of Elijah. By faith, riverJordan got divided into two for Elisha to have a thorough fair.In our passage we read of a town that was well situated butthe land was unproductive. When the case was brought toElisha, with only a salt put in a bowl of water followed by adeclaration, the destiny of the town and the inhabitants wasreversed for good. Since Elisha picked the cloak, it hasbeen one miracle after another. How is your faith in the LordJesus Christ about the issues of life that surrounds you?Fixed mind are always a hindrance to fulfillment of destiny.Take hold of that cloak today, you will become the Elisha ofyour generation giving meaning to lives.PRAYERHoly Spirit help your people and melt every fixed mind that isopposed to your will. 25

For Reading TUESDAY, 26TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:2 Kings 2:23-25 LOOKING DOWN ON THE ANOINTED? “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority...” Heb. 13:17The passage before us today further manifested the anointing that Elisha had received by mere picking of the cloak that fell from Elijah. If you have been following thestory, you would recall, that it was at Bethel that Elisha wasquestioned that; “Do you know that the Lord is going to takeyour master from you today?”(v3). The question may lookinsignificant but it was a mockery of sort as events laterunfolded.At Bethel, the youths confronted Elisha on his way backthinking that he was an ordinary man they saw when he was inthe company of Elijah. They never knew that double grace wasat work. How do you regard anointed people who have beencalled to serve in the Church? It is true that many have norespect for the grace of God that is at work in the lives of people.Hence they can talk to men of God with impunity. If you areguilty of this, please repent of it because it is dangerous. TheBible enjoins us to respect our leaders (Heb. 13:17).The youths mocked Elisha because he was bald-head.Baldness was uncommon among the ancient Jews andluxuriant hair seems to have been viewed as a sign of strengthand vigor. By calling Elisha “baldhead”, the youth simply wereexpressing their disdain for the man of God, who, they felt, hadno power. By the time he released the anointing two bearscame out of the woods and dealt with them. Be careful of theLord's anointed.PRAYERLord Jesus Christ, help us to repent of every act of disrespectagain the leaders of your Church. 26

For Reading WEDNESDAY, 27TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Matt. 13:53-58 THE PLIGHT OF THE ANOINTED “…Only in his hometown and in his house is a prophet without honour.” V.57If you are anointed of God, then be prepared to bear the cross. Our Lord says a servant is not greater than his master. Everyone call of God to serve in any capacity canbe regarded as anointed for that very purpose.The ministry eventually took Jesus Christ back to hishometown. While in the synagogue ministering we are told thatthe people were amazed when they saw the level of hiswisdom and the miraculous powers which he demonstratedbefore them. It was at this point the devil stepped into theirhearts and they began to raise sinister questions with a view torun down his ministry. At the end of it the bible says; “and theytook offense at him.” Why? He proclaimed the good news,delivered them from satanic bondage and restored peace totheir lives. Instead of thanking God for such a wonderful divinevisitation, they began to probe where he came from, who werehis parents and siblings. At long last, the story was concludedwith the following. “And he did not do many miracles therebecause of their lack of faith.”What is our attitude towards those who the Almighty God hadraised to wipe away our tears be it spiritually and otherwise? AsChristians we cannot be among those we refer to as “pull himdown.” This is the mission of some people who are bent onpulling down the anointed. Thank God that Jesus wasn'tElisha who would invite bears to consume enemies ofprogress. Make sure you are not one of this evil people.PRAYERThank you Lord Jesus for your patience, forgive the unbelief ofyour people and let your power be evident. 27

For Reading THURSDAY, 28TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Luke 4: 18 - 21 THE PLIGHT OF THE ANOINTED “…Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” V.21Jesus' preaching may appear harsh but it reveals the hatred and the rebellious spirit of the people. Of course they have had so many opportunities but as theopportunities came so they wasted them. Among the so many,Jesus mentioned the case of Elijah. It was their apostasy thatattracted famine that lasted for three years and six months. Inthe midst of such hard times, they could not plead with Elijah tostand the gap. It was the woman of Zarephath that exercisedfaith in the ministry of Elijah hence while others were dying outof hunger, she and her children were eating well.During the day of Elisha, Naaman the leper from Syria believedin his ministry and he was cleansed of his leprosy. But thepeople for whom he was raised never had faith in him andmany of them died in isolation. It can be very disgusting whenthe anointed is faced with such scenario. Our Lord could nothold it, why should they perish in their ignorance. The attitudeof the people of yesterday is also repeated when they asked;“Isn't this Joseph's son? This time not only that they gotangry but they took him to the hill on which the town was builtso that they can throw him down. This is what many of ouranointed ones have experienced through the several petitionsagainst them, slander and false accusations. Those who haveno godfathers or somebody on top are licking their wounds. Inall this happenings in our time, what role are you playing?PRAYERHeavenly Father, do not allow us to be misled in our daily walkwith you in Jesus name. 28

For Reading FRIDAY, 29TH JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Isaiah 61:1-7 HIS MANIFESTOES “The spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me…..” V.1New Testament scholars generally agreed that Luke 4:18ff is the manifestoes of Jesus Christ. It reads: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he hasanointed me to preach good news to the poor. He hassent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners andrecovery of sight for the blind, to release theoppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.”The above two verses encapsulate the mission andpurpose of his earthly ministry. God willing we shall spendsome days to mediate on the manifestoes and we believeis going to be another divine encounter for us all as wemeet with the Lord at our individual family altar.As we meditate daily, the challenge before us asindividuals is that of knowing our mission and the purposefor our lives. Having known it, we do ourselves well if wecare to know whether our lives are fulfilling the mission andpurpose for its existence. Our Lord from onset declared hismission and all that we read of him is a fulfillment of hismission and purpose. One interesting thing is that hismanifestoes were drawn from the word of God. Our ownlife's manifestoes are also contained in the word of God. Ifwe carefully search it, God would certainly reveal it to you.PRAYERLord Jesus, just as your manifestoes was drawn from theBible, help me to discover mine today. 29

SATURDAY, 30TH JANUARY, 2016For Reading THE WITNESS WE ALL NEED& Meditation: “…You are my Son, whom I love; with you IMark 1:9-11 am well pleased.” V.11Our Lord declared, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me…” What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit in ones life? This is a crucial question that determines our statusand relationship with God on daily basis. It is a question wemust constantly ask in order to keep step with the Saviour.Sometimes the way we speak of the Holy Spirit suggest as if hegoes out and comes into our lives. This is wrong, the HolySpirit is meant to dwell in our lives. We feel him, we hear him,he speaks to us, counsel us and suppose to give direction in allthings. This is why failure cannot be the portion of any child ofGod, if he allows the Holy Spirit to lead him.From our passage, it was the coming of the Holy Spirit uponJesus Christ that defined his relationship with the Father. Thevoice declared, “You are my Son, whom I love, with you I amwell pleased.” Before then, nobody knew the relationshipbetween God and Jesus Christ. But on this occasion, JesusChrist is known to be the Son of God and God is known to bethe Father. This is the witness we all need to guarantee oursonship. If you lack the witness, you need to confess theLordship of Jesus and as your Saviour, you would then receivethe Holy Spirit (Acts 238-39).The Holy Spirit came on him to empower him so that he canfulfill his mission and purpose in life. Have you gotten yourmission in life and the purpose for your existence, you need thebaptism of the Holy Spirit to be able to fulfill it.PRAYERDear Holy Spirit fill my life today that I may be empowered tofulfill my destiny. 30

For Reading SUNDAY, 31ST JANUARY, 2016& Meditation:Acts 10:34-40 HIS ANOINTING “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil? .” V.38Our Lord said, ”because he has anointed me…” Apostle Peter alluded to his anointing while in the house of Cornelius. He said; “How God anointedJesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, andhow he went around doing good and healing all whowere under the power of the devil, because God was withhim.” (Acts 10:38) Whenever the Holy Spirit comes uponthe life of any man, of necessity, such a person is alreadyanointed for a purpose. To anoint a man is to set him apartfor an assignment. The Holy Spirit comes on you not only toconfirm your sonship, but most importantly to set you apartfor a definite assignment. The challenge before us is to besure of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us, to ascertainwhether we have been anointed and to sincerely find outwhether what we are doing now in every aspect of our lives iswhat the Father had set us apart to do. If we sincerely andobjectively find out, am sure many of us will repent there andthen because we shall discover that we are doing our ownthing. This is the reality as we find in the body of Christ. It isobvious that many are doing what they have separatedthemselves for and not what the Lord has anointed them for.Our Lord held on to what he was anointed to do. Are we alsodoing what he has anointed us for? No doubt many havebeen anointed by men to do what they are doing.PRAYERDear Lord Jesus, we humbly plead that you rescue theChurch from the errors of our age. 31

For Reading MONDAY, 1ST FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:Matthew 4:23-25 GOODNEWS TO THE POOR “Jesus went throughout Galilee teaching….preaching the good news of the Kingdom.” V.23To every life, there is a mission and purpose. Jesus Christ understood his mission and purpose in life and he lived accordingly. According to his manifestoes, heis “to preach the good news to the poor.” After receivingthe baptism of the Holy Spirit and the witness that follows, thescripture says, he went throughout Galilee, teaching andpreaching. That was a demonstration of a sense of missionand a life of purpose.What is the good news? The good news is God's plan for allwho would look up to Him in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus,their sins are forgiven, their sickness and diseases would findcure, the oppressed would be set free, deliverance for allthose in Satan's captivity. In Christ Jesus, their poverty wouldturn to prosperity, in Christ Jesus we receive grace to liveabove the world, sin and the devil. Ultimately heaven at last.Jesus Christ went about preaching the good news of thekingdom. His preaching brought hope to the hopeless hencehe healed every disease and sickness among the people.Some of the sicknesses had no known cure, he cured them.Some had no money to go to hospitals, he cured them. Thedemon- possessed were delivered and his news went roundeverywhere. To what extent is your life impacting on ourgeneration? Too many people around us are in one form ofcaptivity or the other, what are we doing to rescue them?PRAYERLord Jesus Christ bestow your grace on your people as to beable to respond to the needs of people. 32

For Reading TUESDAY, 2ND FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:Ephesians 4:1-10 FREEDOM FOR PRISONERS “When he ascended on high he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.” V.8The manifestoes of Jesus Christ are all embracing designed to cover every aspect of life in which the devil is holding sway on mankind. Our Lord's mission andpurpose is to proclaim freedom for the prisoner. To say thathuman beings are not in prison is to say the least. Let us take alook at what is prison and the characteristics of such a place. Aprison is a restricted place meant to keep those who havebroken the law. Because it is a restricted place, those keptthere are under restriction. Their freedom is withdrawn fromthem and whatever is offered to them they are compelled toaccept.This is a picture of the damage the devil has done to mankind.Even though the earth is being controlled by God, yet by theactivities of some people and the eventualities of life, men arein captivity. By what they are suffering, such persons are incaptivity. Satan has placed some people in various prisons e.g.Sickness, Poverty, Disability of various kinds, marital problemshousehold enemies etc. The list is endless such personsknows that they are not living the quality of life that God hasdesigned for them.Jesus Christ of Nazareth still proclaims freedom for prisoner.As you read this medication, if you sincerely call on him by faithtoday you will be saved. For the scripture says, “Everyonewho calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans10:13). Call on him for he had led captives in his train.PRAYERLord Jesus Christ too many people are in various spiritualprisons, please deliver them today. 33

For Reading WEDNESDAY, 3RD FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:Matthew 6:22-24 SIGHT TO THE BLIND “…If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.” V.23bHis manifestoes went on to say; “And recovery of sight to the blind.” Our Lord boldly declared; “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will neverwalk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)He also said, “While I am in the world, I am the light of theworld.” (John 9.5.As it is today, so it was then, many claimed to be the Rabbi, thePharisees were prominent then. They claim to be perfect inthe law and were commanding followership. To the Pharisees,he said, “If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall intoa pit.” (Matt. 15:14). This is one tragedy that had befallen ourage. Many who are blind have offered themselves to blindmen to lead them as pastors and prophets. These leaders areof this age that have never had any encounter with JesusChrist the light and giver of sight to the blind.Christianity is much more than an affiliation with any givendenomination. Christianity is an encounter with Jesus likeSaul on his way to Damascus. When the light of Jesus cameupon him, he became blind to the world where he was apersecutor. By the time his eyes opened the third day, hebecame an evangelist who later became an apostle. Becausemen are blind they are not able to see the difference that Jesusmakes in the lives of men they are not also able to see thequality of life that is found in Jesus. Ask him to give you a totalrecovery today in every aspect of your life.PRAYERLet your light illuminate our darkness in Jesus name. 34

For Reading THURSDAY 4TH FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:Luke 13:10-13 RELEASE FOR THE OPPRESSED Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” V.12Lord Jesus Christ I declare in your name as many in Church who are faithful to you and your service but they are under oppression, may their freedom locatethem today in Jesus name, Amen. Whenever I read aboutthe woman in our passage, I am always challenged by herfaith. My prayer is that, on my day of divine visitation may Inot be absent. Beloved, please take a careful look at thewoman in question. We are told that she had been crippledby a spirit for eighteen years and that she was bent over andcould not straighten up at all. I thought that was sufficientenough to stop her from coming for services as we haveseen of some Christians in our days. What people wouldlikely say has stopped some people but this woman heldunto God believing that nothing should separate her from herGod. Such people must be released as they hear God in thismeditation.The second point here speaks of the ignorance as to knowthe real cause of their problems. An evil spirit wasresponsible unknown to the woman and the leader ofworship. Today, not only that many are ignorant of the realcause of their problems, ministers are equally ignorant ofwhat genuine salvation in Christ is all about. But as the Lordlives I decree and declare over your life every satanicmanipulation should come to an end by fire and thunder inJesus name. Freedom from every satanic oppression.PRAYERLord Jesus thank you for your manifestation that theoppressed may be free and may your people be free today. 35

For Reading FRIDAY 5TH FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:Luke 19:1-9 YOUR APPOINTED TIME “To proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.” Luke 4:19The concluding part of our Lord manifestoes says, “To proclaim the Year of the Lord's favour.” Indeed since our Lord came to planet earth, everyday becomes theyear of the Lord's favour as we have opportunity of hearing thegospel through whatever medium it is proclaimed. This quiettime is also an opportunity of the Lord's favour. Thus, it isincumbent on us to make the best use of every privilege ofhearing him. For Zacchaeus, it was the year of the Lord'sfavour, hence when he heard that Jesus Christ of Nazarethwas coming his way, he positioned himself for it.The year of the Lord's favour is for all especially the poor inSpirit who knows that they cannot help themselves but theyneed the help of God spiritually and physically. This favour ismeant for only those who know that the labour of their handscannot take them anywhere. They are fully convinced thatnothing at their disposal could assuage their desires spirituallyor physically.Zacchaeus had all, but he needed one thing the Lord's favour.Money or fame even position cannot buy it. These are thethings that have blindfolded men hence they are not sensitiveto their true spiritual state. Whenever, the Lord's favourappears through the proclamation of the gospel, when wewillingly yield to it, we are re-positioned as children of God thatwas the experience of Zacchaeus, which is still available toyou, whatever the case may be.PRAYERLord your favour is all we need look upon us with mercy andhelp us to yield to you. 36

For Reading SATURDAY 6TH FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:Philippians 3:12-14 LIVING WITH A PURPOSE “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heaven ward in Christ Jesus.” V.14As we have noted before, to every life, there is a purpose for existence from Adam and Eve, we saw God handling down the purpose for which they were kept inthe garden (Gen. 2:15). Our Lord came declared the purposewhy he came to planet earth. His life was a fulfillment of thatpurpose. Like Father like Son, if truly we have beenredeemed by the Lord, that redemption is for a purpose.Christianity is much more than attending services regularlyand fulfilling your Christian stewardship. In carrying out thisregularly, it must surely lead you to something. That thing ishow much your stewardship is affecting lives and God's nameis being glorified. All these can be seen in tangible forms andyou are able to measure the progress you are making as theLord renders you useful and relevant in His vineyard.Apostle Paul was not ignorant of this hence he could say; Ipress on to take hold, press on toward the goal to win theprize. He was a man assessing his performance by getting toknow how much he has achieved, whether he was close to thegoal, whether he was qualified to win the prize. He knew thedestination of his call, hence, he could not afford to losedirection and focus.Christianity in Nigeria has come of age and those who professit must have a clear perspective of it. What have youdiscovered to be the purpose of your life?PRAYERDear Lord Jesus Christ, help me to discover the purpose ofmy life today. 37

For Reading SUNDAY 7TH FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:I Corinth. 9:24-27 A LIFE OF PURPOSE “Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly, I do not fight like a man beating the air.” V.26The Christian life has a purpose and God is using us to fulfill this purpose wherever He has chosen to place us. God is never happy with anyone who is living untohimself. People who leave unto themselves hardly carewhether others benefit through them or that God is glorified. Alife lived with a purpose is always there for all to see, it is neverhidden. It is the testimony of such a life that would broadcast itfurther.It is to our own good if we endeavour to look inward and beobjective in assessing our lifestyle. This should he viewedfrom our heavenly Father point of view, from our neighboursand our personal testimony. Christianity of today tends moretowards individual concerns at best, it centres around a few.The community spirit had been seriously eroded. These aresome of the viruses that is dealing a big blow on the fabrics ofthe Church. In this scenario, people would certainly runaimlessly thinking they are serving the Lord.Like Apostle Paul we must watch it and know that the rules stillholds therefore we cannot afford to run aimlessly. Thefinishing lines must be properly identified with all the rules sothat we would not miss the crown. Those who have this at theback of their minds would hardly miss the purpose. Beloved,how are you living your life? It is a tragedy both now and the lifeto come if our lives fall short of the purpose for which it wasredeemed.PRAYERLord Jesus help us not to run aimlessly. Holy Spirit empowersus to finish well. 38

For Reading MONDAY 8TH FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:Jeremiah 35:1-11 LIVING FOR A PURPOSE “We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us.” V.10The Recabites family is an example of how one can live his life with a purpose. God had to call on Jeremiah to go to them to test their integrity as far as their viewswere concerned in other to teach the men of Judah and thepeople of Jerusalem a lesson.The purpose for the choice of life their forefather handed overto them was for them to live long in the land where they werenomads. Because there was a purpose for their lives, theyheld tenaciously to what their forefathers told them. Theywere told to abstain from wine; they must not build houses,sow seed or plant vineyards. They must always live intentand remain nomads as long as they live.The Recabites understood the purpose of their lives such thatProphet Jeremiah could not swindle them; they told theprophet that it was impossible for them to indulge in suchthings. They held on to their testimonies that neither themnor their wives nor their sons and daughters have everviolated the injunction by drinking wine or doing any of thosethings enumerated in the passage.Just as the Lord God sent Jeremiah to His people so thismeditation is to us all. Have you understood the purpose ofyour redemption with a view to fulfilling it? Take a look at howthe Racabites abstained from things they believed can defilethem. How are we also trying to abstain from things that areopposed to the purpose for our lives?PRAYERLord, help us to hold on to every of our Christian vows daily. 39

TUESDAY 9TH FEBRUARY, 2016For Reading ETERNAL SLOT& Meditation:Jeremiah 35:12-19 “…Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.” V.19The Christian life is a life with a purpose; those who have willingly yielded to Christ Jesus should take this to heart. We are not permitted to live unto ourselvesbut according to the standard of him who called us. There isa clear prescription on how we live our lives as stated in theBible. To be able to do this, we are given the privilege of aquiet time to meet with the Lord daily in prayer and thereading of his word. We are expected to apply the word toour lives.We see Christians who deliberately go on to do what theylike in the hope that they will confess their sins. This is anabuse of privilege. Some of us have been told by God todesist from a particular way of life yet we are not willing torepent. If we want to be sincere to ourselves, it is obviousthat many of us in church have not experienced the lifetransforming power that is found in Christ Jesus hence themany ugly reports that abound in Church.Just as the Lord boasted with job, so He boasted with theRecabites. As I read, my heart was panting and I dare plead,O Lord make me your pride in my generation. TheRecabites lived their lives with a purpose and the Lordgranted them a lifetime slot of serving him. It is interesting tonote that this favour is still there for those Christians whoselife will conform to the purpose of the “Christian life.”PRAYERDear Holy Spirit please let the fire of revival begin toconsume us from our inward part. 40

WEDNESDAY, 10TH FEBRUARY, 2016For Reading THE GIFT OF LOVE& Meditation:1 Corinth. 13:1-3 If l speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love….. V1Beloved, in the next few days we shall be meditating on what love is. This is one Christian virtue that we all talk about and claim to express it to one another.However, on a closer examination especially as we read thefirst epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, chapter thirteen, wediscover that we are all paying leap service to this virtue thatis described as the most excellent way. The love we talkabout is the Christian love which is known as agape lovedifferent from any other type of love. It is a sacrificial loveexhibited by our Lord and Savior on the cross of Calvary.According to Paul, ability to speak the tongues of men andangels are never a criteria. It is not the eloquence or thegodly natures exhibited all without love are mere noise thatmakes no meaning. Spiritual gifts are not evidence of itsuch as prophecy, knowledge or great faith that movesmountains are sufficient enough as a proof of love. Thequality and quantity of gifts given to the poor, though anevidence of a loving heart, without love means nothing.To have even willingly surrender yourself your portfolioswithout love, the apostle says, l gain nothing. This isserious. The above are the yard-stick with which wemeasure the act of love. Unfortunately we are told that if wedo all these without love, it is nothing. What is love then?PRAYER POINT:Lord Jesus as l journey with you in this meditation open theeyes of my heart to understand. 41

For Reading THURSDAY, 11TH FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:James 5:7-12 LOVE IS PATIENT You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near”….. V8According to Apostle Paul, love is patient. In other words, Patience is one of the virtues to look out for in the life of a Christian while not neglecting the welfareand well-being of others. That we love we must learn to bepatient. Indeed, if one is not patient with people, one maygive up in the process of taking care of the welfare of othersespecially in some difficult situation. You will be worn out as aresult of their demands.The Arcus dictionary defined Patient as enduring tryingcircumstances with even temper or characterized by suchendurance. Loving others requires the grace of endurance.We are human beings of different temperaments anddisposition. If we must truly love, we will learn to accept themas they are while we pray for their transformation. It was inthis manner that the Lord Jesus Christ treated us and by hisonce and for all sacrifices we are becoming saint. ApostleJames likened this patience to a farmer who would alwayswait for the land to yield its valuable.Being patient requires perseverance. Job became anexample to us all. Above all, our Lord was patient hence hewas able to handle the various characters among hisdisciples. Do you say you love because of spiritual gifts youpossess and you go on to give yourself and all you have toothers? If you are not patient with them, you gain nothingPRAYER:Lord Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, help us tobe patient in all things. 42

For Reading FRIDAY 12TH FEBRUARY, 2016& Meditation:II Kings 1:6-17 RESPECT HIS GLORY “Please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants” v13God has declared that He will never share His glory with anyone. Ahaziah through his desire to consult other gods was tantamount to sharing the glory that issolely due to God with other gods. Yahweh the God of Israelhad to intercept Ahaziah's emissaries through Prophet Elijah.If we carefully scrutinize the story, we could see that Ahaziahthe king had some issues to settle with Prophet Elijah hencehe decided to by-pass him. Unknown to him he was actuallyby-passing the God of Israel. Ahaziah was the son of Ahabwho never had it smooth with Elijah. It was obvious that Elijahwas not in his good books. This strain relationship exists inthe church where some may be opposed to some ministers ofGod. This is not healthy for the church. Where the spirit ofGod is at work such tendencies are capable of sending thespirit packing.The bible enjoins us to be likeminded, which is the true bondof peace. Ahaziah was puffed up with authority and suchauthority would always suffer condemnation where the powerof God is at work. This is why the two captains with their fiftymen each were consumed by fire. The third captainrespected the supremacy of the power of God and he savedhis life and that of his people. This attitude we all need toemulate; we should be rest assured that God will not shareHis glory with any.PRAYER:Dear Father, we are sorry in any way we have underminedyour glory, forgive us and restore us. 43