Topic: A Big Deal [Our Daily Bread 23 January 2019 Devotional]

Bible in a Year: Exodus 9–11; Matthew 15:21–39

This is the kind of fasting I want: . . . Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. – Isaiah 58:6 nlt

Today’s Scripture & Insight: Isaiah 58:6-9

A family member needed help with his December rent. To his family, the request felt like a burden—especially with their own unexpected expenses at year’s end. But they dug into their savings, grateful for God’s provision—and blessed by their relative’s gratitude.

He handed them a thank-you card filled with grateful words. “There you go again . . . doing nice things, probably passing it off as no big deal.”

Helping others is a big deal, however, to God. The prophet Isaiah made that point to the nation of Israel. The people were fasting but still quarreling and fighting. Instead, said Isaiah: “Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. . . . Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help” (Isaiah 58:6–7 nlt).

Such a sacrifice, said Isaiah, shares God’s light but also heals our own brokenness (v. 8). As the family helped their relative, they looked hard at their own finances, seeing ways they could manage better all year. This was God’s promise for being generous: “Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind” (v. 8 nlt). In the end, giving to their kin blessed them more. And God? He already gave His all—with love.

Today’s Reflection:
Lord, light the path of generosity, helping us to give like You.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE”

This message was written By Patricia Raybon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Open Heaven 23 January 2019 Prayer Points on Today – Deferring Gratification?

Deferring Gratification?

1.I worship and Adore You, my Father, because You are the rewarder of them that diligently seek and serve You.

Also Read: Open Heaven 23 January 2019 Daily Devotional

2.Thank You, Jesus, for leaving all Your glory in heaven, to take the form of man, in order to save me from eternal destruction.

3.Thank You, Jesus, for the great and precious price You paid for me with Your blood, for the salvation of soul.

4.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus name.

5.Father, let me be willing to forgo anything that may constitute a hindrance to my spiritual growth and progress, or cause me to be vulnerable to sin and its enticing allurments, in Jesus name.

6.Father, let me always be willing to give up my personal comfort, rights and privileges, for the sake of the gospel of Christ, and for the expansion of Your kingdom, in Jesus name.

7.Father, give me the grace to endure the suffering of this present world, for the glory and joy that are placed ahead of me, in Jesus name.

8.Father, empower me not to expect instant reward or gratification, for all my labours of love in Your vineyard, but be willing to wait for Your promised time of reward and harvest, in Jesus name.

9.Father, please, help me to live through today, without committing a single sin, in Jesus name.

10.Father, reward Your son, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, for all his labours of love in Your vineyard, in Jesus name.

11.Father, bless Your son, that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures; help him to overcome every challenge of getting these prayer points across to Your children timely, on daily basis, in Jesus name.

12.Your Personal petitions. (Philippians 4:6)

13.In Jesus name I pray. (John 14:13-14; 15:16)

14.Thank you Father for answered prayers. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

These prayers have no expiry date! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus name.

Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye’s book Ministry, in Jesus name.

Open Heaven 23 January 2019 Prayer Points on Today – Deferring Gratification?

MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional 23 January 2019 By Dr. D.K Olukoya – Cost-Benefit Analysis

TOPIC: Cost-Benefit Analysis (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 23 January 2019)

FIRE SCRIPTURE: Matthew 13:44-46

Bible In One Year: Exodus 7-8; Matthew 15:1-20

MEMORY VERSE: “`If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” – Proverbs 2:4-5

The MESSAGE:

What does it profit a man who gains the whole world and losses his soul? What can a man give in exchange for his soul? These are soul-searching questions the Bible asks and expects you to find truthful answers to.

In business and organisation management, there is what is called cost-benefit analysis. Before an organisation decides to execute a project, it first finds out the risks, cost and reward of the project. If the reward is higher than the risk and cost, the project is adjudged good for execution. My study of the Bible reveals that this principle stems from the Scripture.

Samson did not value his spiritual gifts, assignment and ministry above the body of Delilah. His knowledge of cost-benefit analysis was poor and he lost his ministry as well as his glorious destiny. Judas did not value the relationship he had with Jesus and his future apostolic status beyond money. He lost all to avarice, stealing, treachery and disloyalty. He committed suicide and another took his place. Gehazi did not value the double-portion of Elijah’s anointing to the temporary and worldly allurement of money and costly gifts of Naaman. Covetousness and dishonesty were his undoing. He earned Elisha’s curse and he as well as his descendants became lepers.

Beloved, don’t let satan and sin get the better of you. Look before you leap. Everything man does has eternal consequences. Don’t do anything that is capable of ruining your destiny and sending you to hell. If it will not make you rapturable, it is not worth it. If it will ruin your relationship with God and make Him cast you out of His presence, don’t do it. If Adam and Eve weighed their priceless relationship with God side by side with what the devil told and offered them, they wouldn’t have disobeyed God. Whenever temptation comes or you have to make an important decision that borders on your life and eternity, remember always that if it will ruin your relationship with God and send you to hell, it is worth the trouble! You can lose all other things (worldly position, business, career, money, fame, etc.) to gain heaven, just as Paul did. Don’t be like the unwise in the world who sell or lose their souls in exchange for wealth, fame and worldly positions. Be wise!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:
THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IS TO BE READY WHEN OPPORTUNITY COMES.

PROPHETIC WORD:
You will never be a castaway.

PRAYER POINTS:

MORNING

1. I shall not lose the ministry God has placed in my hands, in the name of Jesus.
2. I shall not lose my glorious destiny, in the name of Jesus.
3. Any power assigned to ruin my relationship with God, die, in the name of Jesus.
   EVENING
4. I shall not trade my soul for wealth, in the name of Jesus.
5. Any power assigned to drag me away from the presence of God, die, in the name of Jesus.
6. The devil shall not temper with my destiny, in the name of Jesus.
7. Powers assigned to mock the name of God in my life, die, in the name of Jesus.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional HERE

MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE is a daily devotional by Dr. D.K Olukoya (General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Worldwide)

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

Topic: Taking Sides with God [Seeds of Destiny 23 January 2019 Devotional]

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

Thought For The Day: To be dedicated to God is to go up in life.

Dedication to God is the secret of flying high with God. People who are dedicated to God cannot remain low on the earth. To be dedicated to God is to go up in life.

The question is, what does it mean to be dedicated to God?
Dedication to God means taking sides with God.

Now, what does it mean to take sides with God?
It means:
i. Standing with God (1 Kings 17:1)
Taking sides with God means standing with God when the majority of people are standing with the enemy of God; it is standing with God when the majority of people are standing with the world. When a person is dedicated to God, he is on God’s side when every other person is on the other side.

ii. Identifying with God (Numbers 25:7-8)
Taking sides with God means identifying with God when the majority of people have a different identity contrary to the identity of God. When other people choose to identify with other things, a dedicated person identifies with God.

iii. Making the choice to identify with God irrespective of the cost (Daniel 3:16-20)
People who take sides with God identify with God even if they lose their job, friendship or relationship. One who takes sides with God sticks to God even when people reject them.

Beloved, my counsel is, make up your mind to follow God at all cost.

Remember this: To be dedicated to God is to go up in life.

Assignment:

1. Make up your mind to stand and identify with God at all cost.

Prayer: O Lord, I receive the grace to stand and identify with You at all cost, in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Reading: Genesis 46:1 to 47:31, Matthew 15:1 to 28, Psalm 19:1 to 14, Proverbs 4:14 to 19

Today In History: 23/01/1950 – The Israel Knesset approved a resolution proclaiming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Amazing Fact: The human eye can function at 100% at any given moment without needing to rest.

Quote: When you share your feelings with God, He shares His feelings with You. Culled from PRINCIPLES AND POWER OF PRAYER by Dr Paul Enenche.

Also Read: Click HERE to read Other Inspirational Messages by Pastor Paul Enenche “

Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Pastor Paul and Becky Enenche, as the Senior Pastors. It is a power-packed arena where God’s Presence, Principles and Power are at work for the salvation, healing and restoration of human destinies and dignities

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

Topic: The Compassionate Touch [DCLM Daily Manna 23 January 2019 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]

Text: Luke 5:12-16 (KJV)

Key Verse: “And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean” (Luke 5:12,13a).

MESSAGE:

A local pastor witnessed to a palm-wine tapper for years to no avail. He would not receive the gospel nor come to church, no, not even on the Lord’s day. The gain from his infamous trade he esteemed more highly than the souls of many promising young men who are now turned to drunkards in the small village. He fell off a tall palm-tree as he went up to collect the product one Sunday morning. He came down with injury to his spine. The doctors pronounced his case to be hopeless. In hospital, he sent for the village pastor whose preaching he had spurned these many years. The pastor arrived immediately, prayed for him and rally church members round him in an intense prayer meeting for his recovery. Three days later, doctors said he got better. About six weeks later, he was ready to go home. Christ had touched his soul and healed his pain not minding his shameful past.

The leper in our text must have heard of the ministry of Jesus. Although he knew He had power to heal him, he was not sure Jesus would be willing to touch him, probably because of his putrefying sores. He was ignorant of the intense love, mercy and compassion sore. He was ignorant of the intense love, mercy and compassion of our Lord. Being humbled by his hopeless situation, he cried out to Jesus for help: “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

The response from Jesus is ever so reassuring. That is Christ’s same answer to us whenever we turn to Him for help in our distressed, helpless state. He will never turn away those who penitently come to Him. Jesus is a compassionate Saviour. If you are suffering, remember that He feels your pain with you. Your sin is more destructive and debasing than leprosy but He is willing to touch you. Humble yourself and confess your sins to the Lord. Sincerely ask Him to cleanse you from your defilement and heal your soul today.

Thought For The Day: Ask what He wills for your life and stick by it.

Bible Reading In One Year: Exodus 23-25

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Deeper Christian Life Ministry, DCLM Daily Manna HERE

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

Flatimes’ Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

Topic: Uncommon Weapon [TREM Devotional 23 January 2019]

“And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men there with” Judges 15:15 KJV

Samson used a fresh jawbone that was still very slippery. You know that you cannot fight with a slippery weapon. But when the anointing is upon you, you can do anything. You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you because what is required is just for the anointing to rest upon that thing. It is unnatural to fight with a jawbone of an ass. Even if it is strong enough to defeat one person what of one thousand persons? More so, the one he used was slippery. A slippery object can’t be firm in your hand. Beloved, when you are moving with God and carrying out His assignment, sometimes He delivers into your hands some unnatural weapons; some uncommon ideas that may not make sense. All you need do is to be open to it.

Oftentimes, God wants to put in our hands, what we will use to advance the Kingdom but many a time, our mind gets on the way. It was when the Spirit of the Lord came mightily on him that he found the weapon. God, sometimes, may be asking us to use methods or weapons that don’t make sense. That is why we need to be sensitive. One of the things that hinder believers from moving in the supernatural is lack of sensitivity. When we talk of the supernatural, don’t limit it to raising the dead or healing the blind. When you are able to discover new things and new ways of doing things, then you are living in the supernatural. When your business can thrive and make a profit, in famine and difficulties, you are living in the supernatural.

But oftentimes, we are not sensitive; we want to figure out everything and in the process, we miss some supernatural things. Understand that some supernatural things can also look so natural that you can only know by the Spirit of God. That is why sensitivity is important.

Further Reading: Judges 15:11-20

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Exodus 7-8/ Evening- Matthew 15:1-20

“If you missed yesterday devotional click HERE to read TREM Daily Devotional by Dr. Mike Okonkwo’’

Written by Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); a versatile man of God with over 30 years of dedicated service unto the Lord.

Topic: The Ministry Of John The Baptist [Andrew Wommack Devotional 23 January 2019 ]

Matthew 3:1, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea.”

Text: MT. 3:1-12; MK. 1:1-8; LK. 3:1-18

These scriptures record the ministry of John the Baptist. He spent thirty years in the deserts of Judaea preparing for this ministry. Then it only lasted about six months before He baptized Jesus and men started following the Messiah. Yet in those brief six months He turned an entire nation to God.

He did not take the normal approach and go where the people were. He was out in the wilderness and the people came to him. He had no advertisements other than the testimonies of those who had heard him. He wasn’t a flashy evangelist wearing the latest styles of the day. He didn’t do anything the way the religious leaders taught it was supposed to be done in their seminaries, yet it worked.

In six short months, an entire nation was stirred in anticipation of their Messiah through a man who was not “normal.”

One thing that keeps many of us from being used by God is our “herd instinct.” We are so afraid of what someone else will think. We try to be like everyone else and then we wonder why we are getting the same results as everyone else. That’s not smart.

John was completely yielded to the Holy Spirit and he succeeded against all the odds. Dare to follow the Holy Spirit, even against the crowd, and you will get supernatural results, too!

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Andrew Wommack Daily Devotional

This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net).

Topic: Wait Upon the Lord [Billy Graham Devotional 23 January 2019]

Glory in the Lord; O worshipers of God, rejoice. Search for him and for his strength, and keep on searching! — Psalm 105:3,4 (TLB)

Jerome, one of the early Christians, said, “Ignorance of the Bible means ignorance of Christ.” Job once said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.” To read the Bible one needs a “quiet time.” Christian students often ask, “How do you maintain your spiritual high? What do you do on a daily basis?” I tell them about my “quiet time.” Some days it is in the early-sometimes late-morning, sometimes evening.

Without it, my Christian life would be a wilderness. Isaiah said, “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). So gain the strength of eagles, as the prophet suggested. Set a time each day when you can spend a few minutes alone with God.

Prayer for the day: Dear Lord, teach us to wait upon You, that we may know Your strength.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Billy Graham’s Daily Devotional HERE

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.