Seed of Destiny Devotional written by Dr. Paul Eneche Fasting - Key to Lasting Impact

Fasting Key to Lasting Impact

Welcome to another inspiring Seed of Destiny Devotional written by Dr. Paul Eneche

Tuesday, 19 July 2016

SCRIPTURE: 

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. – Isaiah 40:31

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: 

To have a lasting result, you must have a fasting schedule; anyone who cannot fast, cannot last.

Fasting connotes abstention from food or some types of food.

Fasting puts the flesh under control to increase spiritual antenna and sensitivity.

To have a lasting result, you must have a fasting schedule; anyone who cannot fast, cannot last. The lack of fasting is a reason for the abortion of some great destinies. The inefficiency of fasting equals deficiency of potentials.

The truth is, those who feast while others fast may fall while others fly. Those who are feasting and playing while others are fasting and praying cannot have impact that can stand the test of time.

You have not done anything about your destiny until you have done something about your fasting. Do not fast because of a challenge, but fast in order to maintain spiritual fire and intensity.

To fast only when there is a problem is an emergency management approach; it is anti-spirituality. It is habitual fasting that makes a person to be equal to any spiritual emergency any day and anytime.

Beloved, whatever fights your ability to fast, fights your destiny. So, you must fight it brutally if you must make a lasting impact on earth.

Remember this: To have a lasting result, you must have a fasting schedule; anyone who cannot fast, cannot last.

ASSIGNMENT (S):

1. Consciously resist every resistance to your fasting life

2. Determine to engage yourself in a periodic fasts- it could be once or twice a week, depending on your ability.

PRAYER: LORD, I take authority over any weakness of the flesh that may be resisting my fasting schedule. I receive the grace O LORD to live a life of fasting, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: MAINTAINING SPIRITUAL INTENSITY

QUOTE: You do not maximize your life until you understand the season. Culled from MAKING FULL PROOF OF MINISTRY by Dr Paul Enenche

AMAZING FACT: The sun is 400 times farther away from the earth than the moon is.

TODAY IN HISTORY – 19/07/1983: The first three-dimensional reconstruction of a human head in a CT was published.

DAILY READING: 1 Chronicles 28:1 to 29:30, Roman 5:6 to 21, Psalm 15:1 to 5, Proverbs 19:18 to 19.

A Partaker of Other People’s Sins? by Pastor E.A Adeboye

A Partaker of Other People’s Sins? 

Welcome to Open Heavens Devotional with Pastor E.A Adeboye, General Overseer, The redeemed Christian Church of God

Friday 15, July 2016

Memorise: 

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. – 1 Timothy 5:22

Read: 2 Chronicles 18:28-34 (KJV)

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.

30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel.

31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

32 For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.

33 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.

34 And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.

Bible in One Year: 1 Corinthians 11:17-14:25, Psalms 10:1-11

MESSAGE:

There is an error now rampant among the children of God, which must be avoided if we will make it to Heaven. That error is partaking in other people’s sins, particularly the unbelievers! The reason for this development is connected with the unwillingness to take our stand in the midst of opposition and antagonism from the unbelieving people of this age. Children of God now conform a lot with the evil in our society because we do not want to be blacklisted, whereas, this is the nature of our calling. Jesus Christ said concerning the experience of His disciplines in this world:

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved". - Matthew 10:22

It is unfortunate that those who indulge in aiding and abetting sinful ways do not know that they will also be partakers of the punishment:

“28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” - Romans 1:28, 32

In the Bible reading for today, we read about how Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah partook in the sin of his friend, the king of Israel and was almost killed but for divine intervention. He agreed to disguise to be the king of Israel, not knowing that it was the king of Israel that was being sought for destruction. In the same vein, many children of God make friends with ungodly people of the world only to discover that they share the punishment with the ungodly. This should not be so because the Bible says:

“2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. 3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.” - Psalms 125:2-3

Unless children of God cease from being partakers of the sins of the unbelievers, we may continue to suffer just because of our alliance with the wicked people of this world. For example, when a child of God enters into a business partnership with an unbeliever who refuses to pay his tithe, the business may collapse for this reason and the ignorant child of God suffers together with the unbeliever. May God have mercy on His children.

Action Point: Break all alliances with unbelievers and pray that the Almighty have mercy on you for previous alliances.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Abiding Glory - daily manna devotional by Pastor W.F Kumuyi

Abiding Glory
Welcome to another daily manna devotional by Pastor W.F Kumuyi
Monday July 11, 2016
Text: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

Key Verse: 
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).


The hope of believers is eternal life. The Bible says, eyes have not seen and it has not entered into the imagination of anyone, what God has prepared for His people. All the beauties in this world will pale into insignificance when compared to the beauty and the bliss of eternal life. Christ, who is the Hope of glory, will bring along with Him this glory that shall never fade nor pass away.
It then means that whatever we see here at the moment, is just a mere shadow. They are not in any way to be compared with the splendour which the overcomers will enjoy endlessly.

In our passage today, Paul contrasts his ministry of the new covenant with the ministry of the Old Testament covenant and law that was given to the nation of Israel on Mount Sinai. Since the sacrifices could not atone for sin, those who administered them laboured seemingly fruitlessly as they had no effect in producing justification for sin. The Old Testament law was however glorious because it accomplished the purpose for which it was given, that is, to bring man to Christ. When Moses received the law on Mount Sinai, he came down with a radiant face.

However, after a period of time, the glory that was radiating from his face faded. Paul used this event to illustrate the passing of the Old Testament law and covenant. The new covenant that is written on the hearts of men through the Mediator, Jesus Christ, is glorious and permanent. Believers in Christ have transcended the Old Testament law. We are at once able to perceive the glory of Jesus and by this, continually grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.
Our lives are being transformed into the image of Jesus by obedience to His will day by day. And we come to the fullness of His glory and revelation when we eventually see Him face-to-face.

Thought for the day:
The yearning for greatness produces the internal revolution that will give birth to it.

Bible Reading in one Year: 2 KINGS 24 - 25

Pray Until Something Happens - Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Pray Until Something Happens 
Welcome to Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye, General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God
Today, Sunday 10, July 2016

Memorise:
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. – John 16:24

Read: John 16:23-28 (KJV)

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

Bible in One Year: Romans 9:30-13:6, Psalms 6

MESSAGE:
Children of God must cultivate the habit of persistent prayers so that they may attain their full potentials. The importance of prayer cannot be overemphasised when we consider what those who take time to pray gain. The Bible say;

“17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” - James 5:17-18

The prayer of Elijah that brought about the rain was not just a five-minute prayer. He prayed and prayed again before the rain fell. When a man of God prays for a few minutes in the public and miracles begin to happen, one should not be deceived that it is the few minutes of prayer that instigated the miracles. The fact is that, the man of God had prayed long hours in private before the pubic show of God’s miraculous deeds. God, in His Word, commands us to “Pray without ceasing.” The One who commands us to pray, definitely will answer our prayers, if only we will obey command. God is interested in listening to our petitions and responding accordingly. Our Lord Jesus Christ in our text for today says,

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” - John 16:24

In other words, we must not stop asking if we have not received an answer to the petitions that we put before God. At times, answers to our prayers are double-crossed by the agents of darkness like in the case of Daniel. The following importune prayer of Daniel eventually saved the day:

“12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” - Daniel 10:12-13

Hannah prayed until something happened in her life and so did Jabez. We must begin to pray until the attention of God is drawn to our petition. The Psalmist said in Psalms 30:2 that when he cried to the Lord, the Lord healed him. This is another testimony of someone who believed in the God that answers prayers. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that as you cry unto God today, He will answer you as He answered Hannah, Jabez and Elijah in Jesus’ name.

Action Point: Set aside quality time to pray today and you will receive unprecedented answer to your prayers.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Daily Manna Devotion - Handicapped, Not Handcuffed by Pastor W. F Kumuyi

Handicapped, Not Handcuffed
Welcome to today's daily manna by Pastor W.F Kumuyi
Today, Sunday July 10, 2016
Text: Job 4:1-11

Key Verse:
 "Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same" (Job 4:7, 8).


In the game of racing, spectators usually gather to cheer and jeer. It is always advisable for an athlete to always distinguish between those who cheer him from those who jeer at him. If he becomes discouraged by the deafening jeering of spectators, even when he is leading the race, he is not likely to finish strong and victorious.
Three friends of Job had visited him and had listened to his complaints that were made out of sheer pain and discomfort. Eliphaz, one of the friends, felt that Job's outburst of complaint should not go unresponded to. Although Eliphaz was correct in his observations that the wicked will always reap the wrath of God, he however, misapplied it by insinuating that Job was reaping the recompense of his evil deeds. He was short-sighted however that the afflictions of his friend was totally orchestrated by the devil and one of those "light afflictions" that the Scriptures spoke of.

How often do men misjudge us! But as believers, our concern and preoccupation must be on what God thinks about us; our standing with God and not the perception of gainsayers. The Christian journey demands daily cross-bearing. Every believer must be focused and ensure he/she is in tune with the will of God at all times.
You may suffer rejection in the midst of persecution; you must commit everything to God who judges righteously. It is a new day and a new dawn. Look up, for your victory is assured.
Thought for the day: A faith walk is a wise walk.

Bible Reading in one Year: 2 KINGS 22 - 23

Open Heavens Daily Devotional - The Mighty Deeds of God

The Mighty Deeds of God
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Today, Saturday 9, July 2016

Memorise: 
The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. – Exodus 15:3

Read: Exodus 15:1-6 (KJV)

1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.

5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.

6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

Bible in One Year: Romans 7:7-9:29, Psalms 5

MESSAGE:
One attribute of the Almighty God that children of God cannot afford to be ignorant of is that He is the Greatest Warrior. The children of Israel experienced the mighty deeds of God and they spontaneously composed a song as we read in our text for today:

“The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.” - Exodus 15:1-4

When children of God fail to recognise the fact that their Father in Heaven is a Man of war, the tendency is that they cringe and bow to worship their enemies in fear. This in turn will bring the judgement of God upon their lives because God says in Exodus 20:3 that we must have no other god before Him. This is why Jesus Christ came to deliver those who, for the fear of death, have subjected themselves to everlasting bondage;

“14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” - Hebrews 2:14-15

I have seen the mighty deeds of God in my life and I have come to the conclusion that there is no god as mighty as my Daddy in Heaven, the Lord of hosts. One day I was travelling with my driver and we got to the middle of a narrow bridge that could take only one vehicle at a time before we discovered that a truck was coming from the opposite direction on the same bridge. It was the mighty deed of God that made the bridge “elastic” for my car and the truck to pass without colliding with each other. I pray for someone using this devotional; the mighty deeds of God will produce your desired miracle today in Jesus’ name. For you to experience the mighty deeds of God, you must be one of His own.

The Israelites experienced the mighty deeds of God because they belonged to Him. To experience the mighty deed of God, you need to be born-again. The Israelites were covenant people and so God kept His covenant of great deliverance with them such that the enemies that pursued them to the Red Sea were never seen again. The mighty deeds of God will become a daily occurrence in your life if you can identify with the covenant which Jesus made with His blood at Calvary. May the Almighty God cause great deliverance to an oppressed user of this devotional today in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point:
Father, please make me experience your mighty deeds this season in Jesus’ name.

Today's Daily Manna Devotional written by Pastor W.F. Kumuyi - Among The Number

Among The Number
Welcome to today's Daily Manna Devotional written by Pastor W.F. Kumuyi
Today, Saturday July 9, 2016
Text: 1 Chronicles 11:26-47

Key Verse:
"Also the valiant men of the armies were, Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem" (1 Chronicles 11:26).

Those who do extraordinary things will always be counted. The Book of Numbers 25:7, 8, has an account of a worthy exploit by a young man who hated sin and moved to defend God. For that singular act, he wrote his name in gold. In today's text, David's success to bring the nation under his rule was because he had surrounded himself with very capable men. These mighty men aligned themselves with David, while Saul was still reigning.

They had great influence in the lives of the people when David eventually ascended the throne. You will recall that these valiant men had risked their lives to bring David water, but he refused to drink it. Their daring venture had manifested the extremity of their loyalty to him.
By the same token, David's refusal to drink the water also manifested how deeply he valued their lives. These valiant men were listed in the text today, including the names of their fathers. It goes to show that everyone's work is being recorded and published against the individual's name.

We are challenged to stand up to be counted among those who risk their lives for the sake of the gospel. There were multitudes of men in Israel at that time; but only a few were marked out. Stand up for the gospel and strive never to be left out from the number of valiant and selfless men who invested their all into the gospel.

Thought for the day: 
Those who never dare to take risk die without garlands.

Bible Reading in one Year: 2 KINGS 20 - 21