This is RCCG Open Heaven daily devotional for adults and teens. By Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
MEMORISE: Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. Proverbs 19:15
READ: Proverbs 24:30-34 30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. 32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. 33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 4 FEBRUARY 2025 MESSAGE TODAY
Some people think that they can become successful without working hard. I was at a students’ programme, and I became alarmed when some students were said to have spent all their time praying and fasting instead of spending time to study and prepare for their exams. When I inquired further, they said that they believe that the Holy Spirit would help them. They cited my experience about the Holy Spirit teaching me how to solve a complex mathematical problem from the Bible. I told them that I had already studied, laboured, and battled with 186 simultaneous equations for 18 months before the solution was revealed to me through a Scripture in the Bible.
The work of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of what we have learned. Therefore, you should start every endeavour by putting in the required effort. If you fail to prepare and work hard, you will fail, and the Holy Ghost will console you. In God, there is no room for laziness.
Hard work and diligence are vital to getting to the top. While we must pray, fast, and study the word, we cannot do away with hard work. Great men work hard; that is why they turn out great.
Beloved, staying at the top is more difficult than getting there. It takes greater effort to remain a champion than to become one. A philosopher once said, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”
Proverbs 22:29 says that diligent men stand before kings. If you are not diligent, you will not get anywhere. You cannot afford to fold your arms and expect God to work for you. Paul said that he planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the increase. If they did not plant or water, they would not have received any increase from God (1 Corinthians 3:6). If Paul, the great apostle laboured fervently and diligently, then you have no excuse to be lazy.
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. – John 9:4
The Scripture above are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. If our Lord worked and diligently did the will of the Father, every believer must follow suit. Just like Him, we must also do the works of Him that has sent us, and to do them successfully, we must steer clear of idleness and laziness.
REFLECTION:
Are you diligent in everything that you do?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Leviticus 22-23
HYMN 32: TO THE WORK! TO THE WORK! WE ARE SERVANTS OF GOD
MEMORISE As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:13
READ: Isaiah 40:1-2 1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 3 FEBRUARY 2025 MESSAGE TODAY
One of the names of the Holy Spirit is ‘The Comforter’ (John 14:26). Jesus made a promise in John 14:18: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” He is ‘The Truth’ (John 14:6), so when He says that He will not leave you comfortless, He really means it. Many times, however, when someone is grieving and the fellow is not open to listening to Him, he or she will not receive the comfort that He gives.
God is a Comforter; I am saying this from an assurance in God’s word and from my experiences. I have gone through many tough times, and God has always been there to comfort me. Many years ago, I used to know a fantastic young boy; I was very proud of him because of his passion for the things of God such as evangelism and Bible study.
During his mandatory National Youth Service programme, he died. When he died, the other Christian Youth Corps members came together and started praying for him to return to life. After a while, he came back to life, sat up and said, “God asked me to come and tell you that you are disturbing Him,” and then he died again. When I heard of his death, I was very sad for weeks.
Then, one day, God asked me, “Why are you so sad?” I responded, “Because you took this boy from me.” God replied, “No. You are sad because your boy went to heaven ahead of you. Tell me, if you are going to a new country that you have never been to, wouldn’t you like someone you know to be there, waiting to receive you?” I said, “That is true.” Then He said, “Your boy has only gone ahead of you to receive you when you also get to heaven.” Immediately after that conversation, my spirit was lifted.
When God said that He will never leave you nor forsake you in Hebrews 13:5, the purpose of that statement is so that you can have comfort in the knowledge that He is with you all the way. If you are currently experiencing heartbreak from any sad occurrence, I can tell you assuredly that Jesus is sitting right beside you, putting His hand around your shoulder and comforting you. You only need to open up to Him so that He can heal your broken heart. He loves you more than you can imagine, and He doesn’t want to see you sad. Allow God to comfort you.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, I open up my heart to You. Please fill me up with Your comforting love, in Jesus’ name.
MEMORISE: The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul Psalm 121:7
READ: Psalm 91:1-16 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 2 FEBRUARY 2025 MESSAGE TODAY
My God is called the Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29). However, He doesn’t consume His children but rather, their enemies. God is so jealous about His children that when enemies gather against them, He ensures that they scatter in seven different directions (Deuteronomy 28:25). He promised to protect you such that not even a strand of your hair will be lost (Luke 21:18).
I wouldn’t be alive today if my God is not a protective father, and I can tell you a lot of stories about the numerous times He has protected me from danger. When I moved into the camp that has now grown to become Redemption City with my family, there were snakes everywhere. Some of those snakes were so big that they would fill up the trunk of a Mercedes Benz car. I remember, on one occasion, I entered my children’s room and found a snake there. I don’t know exactly why I went into the room; I just know that God moved me to go there because He wanted to protect my children.
God also protects against spiritual forces. So many times, the devil has tried to attack me, especially in the early days of my ministry when we were just learning to deal with a lot of spiritual attacks from the kingdom of darkness. On one occasion during a Holy Ghost Service, there were two witches in the congregation planning to attack me. One spoke to the other and said, “It is time; let us attack him now.” Though there were thousands of people in the congregation, God opened my ears, and I heard them. I stopped the service immediately and asked them to come out if they did not want to incur God’s wrath. To everyone’s surprise, they came out and confessed. If God had not revealed it to me, the story might have been different.
If you are a child of God, you must walk in the consciousness of His protection over you. Don’t be afraid of the arrows of the enemy; they cannot come near you because God protects you. I am so conscious of God’s protection over me that if I am walking and my leg hits a stone, I will turn to Him and say, “Lord, I hope I have not offended you in any way. If I have, please forgive me.” This is because His word says that He will give His angels charge over me so I wouldn’t dash my foot against a stone (Psalm 91:11).
MEMORISE: Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Psalm 25:4
READ: 1 Corinthians 2:6-13 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 1 FEBRUARY 2025 MESSAGE TODAY
Yesterday, I narrated how God helped me to complete my PhD thesis by teaching me how to solve a complex mathematical problem through His word. Today, I want to share with you another dimension of how God teaches His children.
During my postgraduate studies at the University of Lagos, my supervisor, an Indian, gave me an assignment just before he travelled. When he returned, I had made significant progress, which made him ask me, “Enoch, I know that you are a Christian, so you wouldn’t lie. Who helped you?” He didn’t believe in God, but he knew that Christians do not lie. I knew that if I said ‘Jesus’, he would laugh at me, so I said, “Professor Emmanuel,” referring to one of the names of Jesus (Matthew 1:23).
When you become intimate with God, you will start operating on a level of wisdom and understanding that is above your peers. The closer you are to God, the wiser He will make you. You will begin to answer questions in such a way that it will be obvious to people that you are being taught by God. You will look at difficult situations, and God will impress their solutions in your spirit. By the time you execute the solutions that God gives you, people will think that you are very smart, whereas you only have a teacher who is greater than all teachers.
In Galatians 3:27, the Bible says: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
In Yorubaland, where I come from, there is a saying that when the leaf stays long with the soap, it also becomes soap. Being baptised into Christ signifies that you are now one with God. As you grow in Him by praying regularly, fellowshipping with other believers, studying your Bible, evangelising, and so on, you will start living the same way Christ would have if He were still physically on the earth. You will start operating on a level of wisdom that is higher than that of those around you because you have surrendered to God and are completely sold out to Him.
Beloved, God is the greatest teacher of all; in Him lies all wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3). If you put your trust in Him and lean not on your understanding (Proverbs 3:5), He will be your teacher.
KEY POINT:
When you become sufficiently intimate with God, you will start doing things like Him.
MEMORISE: And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; Judges 6:9
READ: Exodus 1:7-14 7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. 9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 31 JANUARY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
Deliverance is not only for those who are raving mad or evidently possessed by demons. A person can be under the influence of demonic forces and still look normal. In Mark 1:23-27, a man went into the synagogue with an unclean spirit. He probably looked normal until Jesus showed up. On seeing Jesus, the demon inside him began to manifest itself, and Jesus eventually evicted it from its host. l decree that any demonic force that might be disturbing you will be evicted today, in Jesus’ name.
The devil and his demons disturb people in different ways, one of which is through oppression. A lady once said that she always felt like she was carrying something invisible that was as heavy as a bag of rice on her head until God intervened. That is an example of oppression. To oppress is to prevent someone or something from rising. It also means to prevent someone or something from increasing.
Even ministers of God can be under the devil’s oppression. In such cases, such ministers might preach excellently, fast regularly, pray fervently, and study the Bible diligently, but their ministries will remain stagnant. However, when God’s deliverance comes, their efforts will begin to yield great results.
In today’s Bible reading, Pharaoh commanded his people to deal wisely with the Israelites because he didn’t want them to increase. He oppressed them in different ways to prevent them from rising.
Many years ago, a young man’s Head of Department (HOD) decided to prevent him from being promoted. The HOD took the man’s file and hid it so that whenever it was time for evaluation, it would not be found. After a while, the man gave his life to Jesus, and shortly after doing so, there was a military coup, and the fallout affected some people at his workplace. The HOD was forcefully retired, and a new HOD was appointed.
When the new HOD decided to go through the files of everyone in the department, he noticed that the man’s file was missing and ordered a thorough search. They searched everywhere in the office until the file was eventually found in the place where the former HOD hid it. The new HOD discovered that the man hadn’t been promoted for years despite his diligence, and he instantly gave him a double promotion.
Beloved, I pray for you; the fire of God will consume every force that might be oppressing you and hindering your success, in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT
Father, please deliver me from every demonic oppression that might be hindering my promotion.
As a sound Christian, I want you to give me a detailed commentary and interpretation of an Open Heaven devotional to the reader to understand. I will give you the output style I want. Tell me you understand it, then I will supply the daily devotional Note: The writer is Pastor E.A. Adeboye (or Daddy Adeboye). Use this name instead of saying the writer. And put the post structures in H3 heading
I understand. Please provide the daily devotional text, and I will create a detailed commentary and interpretation in the style you have requested, using the specified name and formatting.
This is the output style I want: MEMORISE: Psalms 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” This powerful verse reveals God’s dual nature as both illuminator (sun) and protector (shield). It promises that those who walk in intimacy with Him will experience both His radiant favor and impenetrable covering. BIBLE READING: Psalms 91:1-16 This psalm outlines the benefits of dwelling in God’s secret place: v.1: Divine shadow = supernatural covering v.4: His faithfulness = shield and buckler v.14-16: Sevenfold promises for those who know His name The Power of Divine Shadow The devotional uses three biblical encounters to demonstrate how Christ, as the Sun of Righteousness, brings light to darkness and shelter to the vulnerable. 1. The Nature of Divine Shadow Requires Light (Malachi 4:2): Just as physical shadows need light, spiritual covering flows from Christ’s presence Dual Function: As the Sun: Exposes and destroys darkness (John 1:5) Heals and restores (John 5:8-9) As the Shield: Blocks enemy attacks (Psalm 3:3) Preserves destiny (Psalm 121:7) 2. Biblical Encounters With God’s Shadow Character Situation Result of Divine Shadow 38-Year Invalid (John 5) Lifelong sickness, abandoned Instant healing, temple restoration Gadarene Demoniac (Mark 5) Bound by Legion Total freedom, evangelistic calling Woman With Issue (Mark 5) 12 years of bleeding Healing, social reinstatement 3. Accessing the Secret Place (Psalm 91:1) Requirements: Salvation: Sinners cannot dwell there (Isaiah 59:2) Holiness: “Clean hands, pure heart” (Psalm 24:3-4) Intimacy: “Abide in Me” (John 15:4) Rewards: Revelation (2 Kings 6:12) Protection (Psalm 91:5-7) Provision (Psalm 91:16) 4. David’s Testimony (Psalm 37:40) Shadow in Crisis: While fleeing Saul, God was his sun (guidance) and shield (protection) Key to Deliverance: “Because they trust in Him” How to Dwell in God’s Secret Place Daily Communion: Start mornings with worship + Word (Exodus 34:2) Lifestyle of Repentance: Keep short accounts with God (1 John 1:9) Obedience to Promptings: Like Elisha, act on divine revelations (2 Kings 6:9) Praise Warfare: Praise disperses darkness (Acts 16:25-26) Warning: Don’t Play at the Doorstep Partial Commitment Risks Exposure: Like Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26), lingering near sin invites disaster Cultural Christianity Isn’t Enough: Many visit God’s presence; few dwell there (Psalm 15:1) Conclusion: Your Place of Ultimate Safety Pray this: “Sun of Righteousness, arise over my life with healing and light! Shield me from every evil plot. Draw me deeper into Your secret place until Your shadow becomes my permanent address, in Jesus’ name!” Action Steps: Identify “shadowless areas” in your life—where are you exposed to attacks? Fast 1 day weekly to strengthen your secret place access Study Psalm 91 aloud daily for 30 days—let it rewrite your spiritual DNA Remember: In His shadow, storms may rage—but they cannot reach you. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”(Psalm 91:1). Dwell deep! Do you understand?
Yes, I understand perfectly. I will provide a detailed commentary and interpretation of the Open Heaven devotional in the exact output style you have shown, using the specified structure, headings, and references to Pastor E.A. Adeboye (Daddy Adeboye).
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MEMORISE: Psalm 30:5 BIBLE READING:Exodus 12:30-36 At a time, Israel enjoyed the best in Egypt (Genesis 47:1-11). However, when a new king who didn’t know Joseph began to rule, daytime became night for the children of Israel, and their joy turned into sorrow. The Egyptians made life unbearable for them and things became so bad that the sons of the Israelites had death waiting for them even before they were born (Exodus 1:8-22). It was a very dark time for the children of Israel. However, when the Lord decided to turn their night into morning in Exodus 12:42, He judged their enemies and gave them a new dawn. When God wants to bring a new dawn into a person’s life, He will often rise against the enemies he or she might have and deal with them. On that particular night in Exodus 12:42, there was a great cry in Egypt because at least one person died in every Egyptian household. It was so terrible that Pharaoh had to let the Israelites go that same night. He told them to leave Egypt at once with all their flocks and also asked them to bless him. What had been impossible for 430 years became possible in one night (Exodus 12:40-41) because God gave His people a new dawn and judged their enemies. In the name above all names, anything and anyone who wants to keep you in perpetual bondage will experience the judgment of God. The Israelites’ new dawn came with a new economic and financial upgrade. The children of Israel took so much silver and gold from the Egyptians that today’s Bible reading says that they spoiled the Egyptians. When you tell someone that you are travelling with your entire household and that fellow still lends you his or her jewellery, knowing that you may never return, that is an unusual kind of favour. When God gives you a new dawn, you will begin to operate in divine favour. The Israelites found favour in the sight of the people who had hated them. I decree that those who refused to help you before will begin to run around to help you from now on, in Jesus’ name. Beloved, Jesus can give you a new dawn today. He can turn your story around and give you beauty for your ashes (Isaiah 61:3). I encourage you to pray today’s prayer point with fervency and faith. Cry out to God until He gives you a new dawn, just like He did for the Israelites.
MEMORISE: Psalm 30:5 “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” This profound scripture contrasts the fleeting nature of divine discipline with the enduring power of His favor. It establishes the spiritual principle that seasons of darkness and sorrow are temporary for the child of God, and are divinely ordained to give way to a glorious dawn of joy and restoration.
BIBLE READING: Exodus 12:30-36 This passage captures the pivotal moment of Israel’s deliverance, where a single night of judgment upon their oppressors marked the end of 430 years of bondage. It demonstrates that God’s intervention can compress centuries of struggle into a single transformative moment, shifting power dynamics and releasing unprecedented provision.
The Dawn After a Long Night
Daddy Adeboye masterfully uses the Exodus narrative to illustrate a universal spiritual truth: no season of darkness, no matter how prolonged, is beyond the redemptive power of God to turn into a glorious morning. The devotional moves from historical account to present-day promise, assuring believers that their “Egypt” is not their end.
1. The Nature of Spiritual Night
Prolonged Darkness: The Israelites’ 430 years in Egypt, especially the intense oppression under a new Pharaoh, symbolize seasons where God’s promises seem dormant, and hardship feels permanent (Exodus 1:8-14). This night is characterized by frustration, limitation, and seemingly unanswered prayers.
Divine Purpose in the Wait: Even in the night, God was preparing His people. The suffering galvanized their identity as a nation and made them cry out for a deliverer (Exodus 2:23-24). Our darkest periods often incubate the faith and desperation necessary for a true deliverance, not just a temporary relief.
2. The Catalyst for a New Dawn: Divine Judgment
God Fights for His People: As Pastor E.A. Adeboye emphasizes, a new dawn often requires God rising against the enemies of our destiny (Exodus 12:12). The “great cry” in Egypt signifies that God Himself handles the battles we could never win, dismantling systemic strongholds and oppressive powers in a single night.
The Sovereignty of God’s Timing: The “night of watching” (Exodus 12:42) was set by God’s calendar, not Israel’s desperation. It teaches us that our deliverance is appointed. When God’s set time comes, strongholds that have stood for generations collapse overnight, making way for sudden, sweeping freedom.
3. The Evidence of Your New Dawn
Supernatural Favor and Upgrade: The spoiling of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:36) was more than payment; it was a transfer of wealth and a divine upgrade. Those who once inflicted pain now voluntarily handed over their treasures. Daddy Adeboye calls this “unusual favour”—where former adversaries become unwilling instruments of your prosperity.
Restoration of Joy and Identity: Leaving Egypt meant more than physical freedom; it was a restoration of destiny. The weeping of bondage was replaced by the joy of a people moving toward their promised inheritance. God doesn’t just free you from something; He frees you for something—your ordained purpose.
How to Position for Your Morning
Persistent, Faith-Filled Prayer: The Israelites’ cry came up to God (Exodus 2:23). Your fervent prayer is the incense that rises to heaven, activating divine intervention. Do not stop crying out. As the devotional urges, pray until the dawn breaks.
Obedience in the Night: Israel’s deliverance required them to obey the strange instructions of the Passover (Exodus 12:21-28). Your obedience in the dark season—applying the blood of Jesus (our Passover Lamb) to your life through faith—secures you when the judgment against your enemies is executed.
Expectation of the Sudden Shift: Live in active expectation. The Israelites packed and were ready to leave (Exodus 12:11). Your faith-filled expectancy demonstrates that you believe God’s promise of morning is true, even while it’s still night.
Warning: Don’t Get Comfortable in the Night
The Danger of Familiar Bondage: Some Israelites later longed to return to Egypt (Numbers 11:5). Do not romanticize the “night” season or grow accustomed to limitation. Believe God for the dawn and refuse to settle for anything less than His full promise.
Conclusion: Your Morning is Decreed
Pray this with fervency: “Lord Jesus, Sun of Righteousness, I decree the end of my long night! Arise and judge every Egypt holding me in bondage. I receive my new dawn of freedom, supernatural favour, and divine upgrade. Turn my weeping into joy and my shame into glory. Let this be my season of spoiling the enemy and walking into my promised land, in Jesus’ mighty name!”
Action Steps:
Identify Your “Egypt”: Write down the area of your life that feels like perpetual night—be it financial, marital, health, or spiritual.
Apply the Blood: In prayer, consciously apply the covenant blood of Jesus over that situation, declaring your protection and deliverance.
Pack Your Bags: Perform one practical act of faith this week that demonstrates you believe your change is coming (e.g., sowing a seed, applying for that role, starting that project).
Decree Daily: For 7 days, declare Psalm 30:5 over your life every morning and evening, prophesying your dawn.
Remember: Your night has a divinely ordained expiry date. The moment of favor is coming, and with it, a life-transforming dawn. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5). Your morning is here.
MEMORISE: Hebrews 4:12 BIBLE READING:Genesis 1:1-5 Before the first dawn in Genesis li, there was God. The Bible says that in the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. This means that before the first day ever came, God had been around. John 1:l says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God is the creator of the beginning, and He created the beginning with His word. He created this new year and everything that will happen in it with His word. Therefore, if you want to be in control of events in this new year, you must pay close attention to the word of God. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mark 11:22-23 According to the Scripture above, if you have faith in God, you can command mountains to move, and they will move. The Bible also tells us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing the word of God. The amount of God’s word you allow into your heart this year will determine how powerful you will be against mountains. If you study God’s word daily, whenever you encounter a mountain, you will be so full of the word and faith that when you speak to that mountain, it will disappear. Psalm 107:20 say: He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. There are certain illnesses that no doctor on earth can treat. There are also certain surgeries that doctors have not yet discovered how to perform. Some surgeries are now carried out by laser light that penetrates parts of the body that scalpels cannot reach. This is why, when the Bible says that the entrance of God’s word gives light (Psalm 119:130), it means that when God sends His word, it cures the incurable and penetrates areas of a person’s life that seemed impossible to reach. Beloved, embrace God’s word more than ever before this year. Study, meditate on, and confess it diligently every day. As you fill your heart with the word of God and make it your companion at all times this year, I decree that you will experience all-round victory, in Jesus’ name.
MEMORISE: Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” This verse reveals the living, active, and surgical nature of God’s Word. It is not merely text; it is a divine instrument that operates with precision, separating truth from deception in our innermost being and empowering decisive spiritual action.
BIBLE READING: Genesis 1:1-5 This foundational passage establishes the creative primacy of God and His Word. Before “Day One,” God was. The dawn of creation itself was spoken into existence, setting the precedent that every new beginning, season, and year is framed and authored by the Word of God.
The Primacy and Power of God’s Word
Daddy Adeboye directs our focus to the ultimate source of authority and control: the spoken Word of God. The devotional argues that just as God used His Word to establish order over the primordial chaos, you must use that same Word to establish order and victory over the chaos of your life in this new year.
1. God’s Word is Foundational to Every Beginning
The Pre-Existent Word: Before the first dawn, there was God. Before any earthly calendar, there was the Eternal Word (John 1:1). This means that to navigate any new season successfully, you must connect to the reality that existed before it—the unchanging Word. Your year is not controlled by economic forecasts or global events, but by the Word that framed the world.
Creative Authority: God didn’t just observe the beginning; He created it with His Word. Therefore, your approach to the year must be proactive creation, not passive reaction. By speaking God’s Word in faith, you partner with Him to create outcomes, shape atmospheres, and establish realities in your life.
2. Your Voice Activated by His Word Moves Mountains
The Mechanism of Faith: Faith in God (Mark 11:22) is not a vague feeling; it is a confident force birthed and sustained by specific exposure to God’s Word (Romans 10:17). Daddy Adeboye clarifies: your spiritual authority is directly proportional to your spiritual intake. The “mountains” of obstacle, sickness, or failure cannot withstand the spoken command of a believer whose heart is saturated with Scripture.
The Principle of Saturation and Release: You will not rise to the occasion in crisis. You will default to your level of saturation. Daily study builds a reservoir of the Word so that when a mountain appears, your spirit, already full, releases a authoritative command of faith that dismantles it. Empty hearts have no authority; full hearts command with divine power.
3. God’s Word is a Surgical and Healing Instrument
Beyond Human Remedy: Psalm 107:20 reveals that God’s Word is His chosen delivery system for healing and deliverance. Doctors have limits—some illnesses are untreatable, some areas unreachable. God’s Word, like a spiritual laser, penetrates beyond where any human instrument can reach, targeting the root of spiritual, emotional, and physical destruction.
The Illuminating Entrance: Psalm 119:130 states that the entrance of God’s Word gives light. This means understanding and revelation are what bring change. It’s not about reciting verses in the dark, but about allowing the Word to enter your understanding until it illuminates the problem and itself becomes the solution. It brings diagnostic light and healing power simultaneously.
How to Exercise Dominion Through The Word This Year
Embrace, Study, Meditate, Confess: Daddy Adeboye outlines a four-fold strategy:
Embrace: Receive it with love and submission as your final authority.
Study: Engage it intellectually and systematically (2 Timothy 2:15).
Meditate: Marinate your spirit in it through continual reflection (Joshua 1:8).
Confess: Vocalize it consistently, aligning your speech with God’s reality.
Make It Your Constant Companion: The Word must be your non-negotiable daily companion—more constant than your phone. This constant communion transforms your thought patterns, renews your mind (Romans 12:2), and programs your spirit for victory.
Warning: A Word-Starved Life is a Powerless Life
To neglect the Word is to voluntarily disarm yourself in a year of spiritual battles. You cannot command what you do not know. Cultural Christianity—hearing without doing, knowing without obeying—leaves you vulnerable and unable to shape your year.
Conclusion: Decree Your All-Round Victory
Pray this: “Almighty God, Creator of all beginnings, I anchor my year in Your eternal Word. Saturate my heart with Your Scriptures. Let Your living Word be so mighty within me that every mountain of adversity trembles and flees at my command. I receive its surgical precision to heal every hidden brokenness and its creative power to establish my victory. This year, I shall have whatsoever I say according to Your Word, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
The 5-a-Day Plan: Commit to reading at least 5 chapters of the Bible daily to ensure comprehensive saturation.
Scripture Arsenal: Identify and write down 10 key verses addressing your core challenges (finances, health, family). Confess them aloud every morning and night.
Mountain Identification: Name one specific “mountain” in your life. Each day this week, speak directly to it using a specific command drawn from Scripture (e.g., “Mountain of debt, be removed and cast into the sea, for I am the lender and not the borrower, according to Deuteronomy 28:12”).
Weekly Meditation: Choose one verse per week. Write it on a card, and meditate on it during every idle moment.
Remember: The same Word that commanded light to shine out of darkness is living inside you. Your year is not at the mercy of chaos; it is under the authority of the Word you carry. *”He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20). Let this be your year of all-round victory through The Word.*
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: Romans 13:12 BIBLE READING:Romans 13:12-14 Many believers are dealing with darkness inside their hearts because their hearts are full of bitterness and anger. Some of these believers are angry with God, their spouses, children, parents, etc. I understand that the world is a wicked place, and it can be easy for bitterness to creep into your heart. However, instead of allowing bitterness to envelop you, you must open up your heart to the light of God. The word of God is light; let this light become an armour that protects you from darkness. Today’s memory verse admonishes us to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Light is an armour, and just as a soldier needs armour to survive the attacks of an enemy, light protects you from any arrow of bitterness that the enemy might shoot against you. To put on the armour of light, you must cast off the works of darkness. You cannot overcome the prince of darkness when you have the works of darkness in you. Sin is the greatest work of darkness. If you are still living in sin, you must repent, put on the armour of light, and live righteously. As I have progressed in life, I have experienced betrayals from different people. I have been hurt by people who are far from me and people who are very dear to me. I have been hurt by unbelievers and even by some ministers of God. However, despite all these, I haven’t lost my joy. I haven’t stopped being kind, even to those who betrayed me. Even though they may have hurt me, my heart is protected by the armour of light, which will not allow darkness to creep into my heart. Beloved, don’t keep malice, and don’t focus on people who have hurt you. Ephesians 6:12 says: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The real enemy is the devil, who wants to plant a seed of bitterness in your heart so you can be filled with darkness. Don’t let him succeed; rather, put on the armour of light by subjecting all your thoughts to the authority of Christ, casting off every sinful habit and meditating on God’s word at all times. As you do this, I pray that your heart will be filled with joy, and you will continually experience the peace of God that passes all understanding.
MEMORISE: Romans 13:12 “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” This verse presents a profound spiritual transition. It declares an end to the season of moral and spiritual night and commands two active responses: a decisive rejection of dark works and a deliberate clothing of oneself with light as a defensive weapon.
BIBLE READING: Romans 13:12-14 This passage frames the Christian life as a moment of urgent preparation for the full dawning of God’s day. It moves from a command to a practical checklist—from putting on light to putting on Christ Himself, making no provision for the fleshly desires that belong to the darkness.
The Armour of Light: Your Guard Against Inner Darkness
Daddy Adeboye shifts the focus from external spiritual warfare to the most critical internal battleground: the human heart. The devotional teaches that the greatest darkness to fear is not around you, but the bitterness that can grow within you. True victory is found not merely in resisting the devil, but in protecting your heart’s soil from his most poisonous seed.
1. The Nature of the Internal Battle
The Darkness of Unresolved Hurt: Bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness are identified as “works of darkness” that take up residence inside a believer. These are not just emotions; they are spiritual forces that corrupt fellowship with God and people, creating internal night while external day dawns. A bitter heart lives in perpetual night, regardless of the time on God’s clock.
The True Enemy’s Strategy: Ephesians 6:12 is correctly applied: people are not the ultimate enemy. The devil uses hurts, betrayals, and injustices—from strangers, loved ones, and even ministers—as delivery systems for his true weapon: the seed of bitterness. His goal is not just to hurt you once, but to get you to harbour the hurt, allowing it to germinate into a root of darkness that defiles many (Hebrews 12:15).
2. The Armour Defined: What Light Does
Light as Protective Gear: Unlike armour of steel that blocks physical arrows, the “armour of light” is the manifested presence of God’s Word and character in your life. It works by exposing the poisonous arrow of bitterness for what it is the moment it tries to pierce your heart, allowing you to discard it before it embeds and infects.
The Incompatibility Principle: Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space (2 Corinthians 6:14). To “put on” the armour of light is to consciously clothe your thoughts, reactions, and memories with the nature of Christ—His forgiveness, mercy, and love. This divine light automatically repels and dissolves the clinging shadows of resentment.
3. The Two-Fold Command: Cast Off, Put On
You Cannot Do One Without the Other: Daddy Adeboye emphasizes that you cannot overcome the prince of darkness while entertaining his works. Spiritual victory is not just defensive; it is intensely active:
Cast Off: This is repentance. It is a deliberate, forceful rejection—like removing filthy garments. It means naming the bitterness, the grudge, the sinful anger, and confessing it as the darkness it is.
Put On: This is renewal. It is the conscious application of God’s truth and character to the raw, vulnerable areas where the darkness once resided. You replace meditation on the hurt with meditation on the Word (Psalm 119:130).
4. Daddy Adeboye’s Personal Testimony: A Protected Heart
The Proof of the Armour: The writer shares his own journey of betrayals from various quarters. His testimony is crucial: the armour of light does not make you impervious to pain, but it makes you impervious to the darknesspain tries to bring. You can be hurt yet remain joyful; be betrayed yet remain kind. The light within protects your core identity and spiritual fruit from being corrupted by the actions of others.
How to Maintain the Armour of Light
Subject Thoughts to Christ: Capture every thought of revenge, replayed offense, or self-pity and deliberately bring it under the authority of Christ’s word and example (2 Corinthians 10:5). Ask, “Does this thought belong to the darkness I have cast off, or to the light I have put on?”
Live in Conscious Righteousness: Habitual, unrepentant sin in any area pokes a hole in your armour, creating a direct entry point for darkness. Daily repentance and reliance on Christ’s righteousness keep the armour intact.
Choose Focus Wisely: “Do not focus on people who have hurt you.” Your focus empowers what it dwells on. Focusing on the hurt feeds darkness; focusing on Christ, your healer and vindicator, feeds the light.
Warning: Malice is a Self-Inflicted Wound
Keeping malice is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. It is a work of darkness that, while aimed at another, first corrupts your own heart. It voluntarily disarms the armour of light.
Conclusion: Pray for a Fortified Heart
Pray this: “Lord Jesus, You are my Light and my Salvation. I actively now cast off every work of darkness—every root of bitterness, every seed of anger, every record of wrongs. I put on the full armour of Your light. Let Your Word so saturate my heart that it becomes an impenetrable guard, exposing and rejecting every arrow of hurt. Fill me with Your joy and fortify me with Your peace that surpasses all understanding. My heart is Your dwelling place; let no darkness remain, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
Conduct a Heart Audit: In prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any hidden bitterness or unresolved anger towards any person (or God). Write down the names He brings to mind.
The Casting Off Ritual: For each name or hurt, pray a prayer of release: “In Jesus’ name, I choose to forgive [name]. I cast off the hurt from this event and I release them to You.” Tear up or burn the list as a symbol of letting go.
The Putting On Practice: For 7 days, meditate on one “light” scripture about God’s character each morning (e.g., 1 John 1:5, Psalm 27:1, Matthew 5:14-16). Confess it over your heart as your armour.
Practice Preemptive Blessing: This week, do a kind act for or speak a blessing over someone you’ve struggled with (if safe to do so). This actively reinforces the armour of light.
Remember: The night of internal torment is far spent. The day of a healed, joyful, and peaceful heart is at hand. Your choice to cast off and put on is the turning point. “Let us put on the armour of light.” (Romans 13:12). Wear it daily, and walk in victory.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: Genesis 1:2 BIBLE READING:Romans 8:6-16 One of the things that happened in Genesis 1 was that God changed confusion to clarity. The Bible says that the earth was without form; however, after the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, beauty and order came out of the formless earth. Before God appeared in Genesis 1:2, the earth was dark and empty. Emptiness is not a good thing. If a student is said to be ’empty-headed’, for example, it implies that no matter how hard the student studies, he or she won’t be successful academically. After the Spirit of God intervened in Genesis 1:2, however, emptiness gave way to fullness. You will discover that God called everything that followed immediately after that intervention ‘good’. When the supernatural collides with the natural, the natural must give way. For example, in Judges 14:5-6, the Lion of the tribe of Judah easily overcame the physical lion that roared at Samson because the Spirit of God was upon him. Believe me, you cannot achieve anything meaningful this year with your natural abilities alone (John 15:5). However, if you yield to the Holy Spirit, you will have outstanding success in all areas of your life. When you yield to the Spirit of God, He overshadows you. This means that He will be in control of your words, thoughts, and actions. When this happens, you will experience a supernatural change in your life, and you will come into a realm of endless possibilities. Beloved, yield completely to the leading of the Holy Spirit this year. Spend quality time praying in the Holy Spirit daily and rely on His leading in all you do (Romans 8:14). If, however, you have not surrendered your life to Christ, you must do so before you can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Confess your sins, promise God you will not return to them, and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. After you’ve done this, ask God to baptise you in the Holy Spirit and seek a genuine minister of God to pray with you so you can receive His baptism with the evidence of speaking in tongues. You must also fast regularly if you want to subject your flesh to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, you must study the Bible diligently every day and obey all of God’s instructions. If you do all these, the Spirit of God will move mightily in your life, and everything that has been termed impossible will become possible.
MEMORISE: Genesis 1:2 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” This verse captures the state of primal chaos and emptiness. Yet, it holds the key to transformation: the moving of the Spirit of God. It establishes that before any creative command was spoken, the Spirit was present and active, preparing chaos for order.
BIBLE READING: Romans 8:6-16 This passage contrasts the mindset of the flesh (leading to death and confusion) with the mindset of the Spirit (leading to life, peace, and sonship). It defines the yielded life as one led by the Spirit of God, who empowers us and bears witness that we are children of God.
The Move of the Spirit: From Chaos to Creation
Daddy Adeboye directs us to the original template for personal transformation. Just as the Spirit brooded over the formless earth, He desires to move upon the areas of our lives that are chaotic, empty, or dark. The devotional makes it clear: your natural abilities are insufficient for a supernatural year; you require the intervention of the Holy Spirit.
1. Diagnosing the “Without Form and Void”
The State of Confusion and Emptiness: “Without form” speaks of confusion, lack of direction, and undefined purpose. “Void” speaks of emptiness, lack of fulfillment, and fruitlessness. This can manifest in a career, relationship, spiritual life, or mental state. It is the raw material of frustration.
The Limitation of the Natural: An “empty-headed” student, as illustrated, represents the ultimate limitation of natural effort alone. You can strive, but without the Spirit’s illumination and empowerment, core transformation and lasting success remain out of reach (John 15:5). The flesh cannot fix what the flesh has caused.
2. The Catalyst: The Spirit’s Movement
The Supernatural Collision: When the supernatural (the Spirit of God) collides with the natural (your situation), the natural must give way. The example of Samson (Judges 14:5-6) is potent: the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and a physical lion was rendered powerless. Your “roaring lion” of a problem is subject to the same law when the Spirit moves.
From Intervention to “Good”: Notice the sequence: Spirit moves, then God speaks, then creation responds, and God calls it “good.” The Spirit’s movement is the necessary prerequisite for God’s creative word to find fertile ground in your life. What He later calls “good” starts with the Spirit’s overshadowing.
3. The Yielded Life: Overshadowed and Controlled
The Meaning of Yieldedness: To yield is to surrender the right-of-way. It is a conscious decision to let the Holy Spirit be in control of your words, thoughts, and actions (Romans 8:5-6). This isn’t a loss of personality, but the alignment of your will with God’s perfect will, releasing you into a realm of “endless possibilities.”
The Evidence of Overshadowing: When the Spirit overshadows you, your life begins to bear supernatural fruit—peace where there was anxiety, clarity where there was confusion, wisdom where there was foolishness, and power where there was weakness. You operate from a place of divine initiative, not human reaction.
4. The Pathway to Empowerment and Impossibilities Made Possible
The Foundational Step: Salvation: Daddy Adeboye is clear: the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. You cannot host the Spirit without first surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus. This is non-negotiable: confess, repent, accept.
The Essential Practices:
Praying in the Spirit: This builds you up and prays perfectly according to God’s will (Jude 1:20, Romans 8:26-27).
Fasting Regularly: This disciplines the flesh and sharpens spiritual sensitivity (Matthew 17:21).
Diligent Bible Study: The Spirit speaks through the Word. This is how you learn His language and instructions.
Obedience: Prompt, complete obedience to God’s instructions is the proof of yieldedness.
Warning: Striving in the Natural Leads to Emptiness
Attempting to navigate a spiritual year with only natural tools—human wisdom, sheer willpower, worldly strategies—guarantees a continuation of the “without form and void” state. It is an exercise in frustration.
Conclusion: Invite the Brooding Spirit
Pray this: “Holy Spirit, You who moved upon the face of the deep, I invite You to move upon the chaotic and empty areas of my life. I yield completely to Your leading. Overshadow my mind, my words, and my actions. Baptize me afresh in Your power. Where there is confusion, bring divine order. Where there is emptiness, bring divine fullness. I rely not on my strength but on Your mighty moving. Make every impossibility in my life bow to the name of Jesus, as I am led by You!”
Action Steps:
Identify Your “Deep”: Name one area of life that feels “without form and void.” Present it specifically to God in prayer.
Daily Yielding Prayer: Each morning, before anything else, pray: “Holy Spirit, I yield my will, schedule, and decisions to You today. Lead me, guide me, overshadow me.”
Commit to a Discipline: Choose one of the essential practices (e.g., 15 mins of praying in the Spirit daily, a weekly fast, a structured Bible reading plan) and commit to it for the next 30 days.
Obey the Last Prompt: Act immediately on the last clear instruction God gave you. This opens the channel for more.
Remember: The same Spirit that hovered over chaos to prepare for creation is ready to hover over your life. Your transformation from confusion to clarity, from emptiness to fullness, begins with His move. “And the Spirit of God moved…” (Genesis 1:2). Let Him move in you.
MEMORISE: Genesis 1:3 BIBLE READING:Acts 3:1-8 When God said, “Let there be light” in today’s memory verse, it simply meant that there was darkness before then, and at that moment, light was yet to come. “Let there be light” signifies an end to sorrow and the beginning of joy. In Psalm 30:5, the Bible says that sorrow may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Sorrow changes to joy when light comes. Likewise, confusion gives way to clarity at the entrance of light. If you are driving on a dark highway and suddenly, your car headlamps malfunction, you might find yourself in total darkness. In such cases, it is wise to quickly look for a safe space to park the vehicle because it is not safe to drive in total darkness. This is why darkness is associated with stagnation; there is usually no movement in an environment that is totally dark. If whatever is wrong with the car is corrected, however, and the headlamps begin to work again, then you can continue your journey. Whenever there is light, there is usually progress. I pray that light will come into your life in this new year, and there will be an end to stagnation. This year, you will experience progress and joy, in Jesus’ name. In today’s Bible reading, we read about a man who was born lame. For many years, he was carried to the same spot daily so he could beg for alms. He had been stagnant all his life; however, when the Almighty God decided to visit him, not only did he start walking, he was jumping and praising God. Light shone on him because he had met Jesus through Peter and John, and he experienced a great turnaround. When the light of God comes into your life, you will move forward and upwards. People normally sleep at night, and this is why Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:7 that those who sleep do so in the night. There is usually no movement when people are asleep. However, when the day breaks, light comes, and people awake from their sleep to go about their daily activities. Stagnancy gives way to progress when light comes. Beloved, I pray for you that the light of God will shine on every aspect of your life. There shall be no stagnancy in your life, and throughout this year, you will only move forward and upwards, in Jesus’ name.
MEMORISE: Genesis 1:3 “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” This is the first creative command of God in Scripture, marking the irreversible end of darkness’s dominion. It establishes a fundamental spiritual principle: God’s spoken word initiates transformation, turning impossibility into reality and introducing order, clarity, and life where none existed.
BIBLE READING: Acts 3:1-8 This passage is a living demonstration of Genesis 1:3 in the New Testament. A man in the perpetual “night” of lameness and beggary encounters the living Word through the apostles. The command “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” is the “Let there be light” moment that shatters his decades of darkness and stagnation, propelling him into a new life of movement and praise.
The Creative Command: Ending Your Night
Daddy Adeboye masterfully connects the original creation to personal destiny. The devotional teaches that the “darkness” over your life is not a permanent state but a condition awaiting the command of God. That command, when spoken in faith, is the catalyst that turns your sorrow to joy and your confusion to clarity.
1. The Nature of Spiritual Darkness
Darkness as Stagnation and Sorrow: The analogy of a car with failed headlamps on a dark highway is powerful. Darkness forces a halt; it is unsafe to move. Spiritually, this represents seasons where progress seems impossible, vision is absent, and you are stuck in a cycle of despair or repetitive failure (Psalm 30:5). The lame man at the Beautiful Gate embodies this—daily routine with no forward movement.
The Sleep of Inactivity: Citing 1 Thessalonians 5:7, Daddy Adeboye notes that night is for sleep, a time of inactivity. Spiritual or destiny “sleep” is a state of unconsciousness to God’s purpose, where potential lies dormant. The enemy’s goal is to keep you in this night, asleep to your calling and stagnant in your condition.
2. The Moment Light Comes: A Divine Intervention
God’s Decree is the Catalyst: Light did not gradually appear; it was summoned by divine fiat. Similarly, your turnaround often begins with a specific, spoken decree from God—whether received through Scripture, prophecy, or a Spirit-impressed word in your heart. This decree carries creative power to birth what it declares.
The Peter and John Principle: The lame man’s light came through agents of the Word. He encountered Christ through the apostles who carried His authority and faith. Your “light” moment may come through a preached word, a godly counsel, or a direct revelation from God’s Word that you embrace as truth for your situation.
3. The Result of Divine Light: From Stagnation to Supernatural Movement
Immediate and Dramatic Change: The man’s healing was instant and comprehensive. He didn’t just walk; he leaped, demonstrating an overflow of joy and restored strength. Divine light doesn’t just allow you to move; it imparts a supernatural capacity for movement, turning a crawl into a leap, and grumbling into praise.
Forward and Upward Trajectory: Light doesn’t just illuminate your current spot; it reveals the path forward. Daddy Adeboye prophesies a “forward and upward” movement. This means progressive advancement (forward) and promotion or elevation (upward) in every aspect of life—spiritually, financially, in health, and in purpose.
How to Position for Your “Let There Be Light” Moment
Position Yourself at the ‘Beautiful Gate’: The lame man was placed where people went to worship. Be consistently in the place of prayer, fellowship, and the teaching of God’s Word. Your breakthrough will meet you where you expect God.
Listen for the Command, Not Just Coins: The man asked for alms (a temporary fix), but Peter and John offered a creative command (a permanent solution). Train your spirit to recognize and receive God’s life-giving word for your situation, even when it’s different from what you initially asked for.
Respond in Obedient Faith: The command required a response: “And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up” (Acts 3:7). When God’s light-releasing word comes to you, you must act on it in faith, even if your “legs” have never worked before. Your faith-action completes the circuit for the miracle.
Warning: Don’t Acclimate to the Darkness
The greatest danger is to grow accustomed to your night, to decorate your stagnation, and to make peace with your lameness. The lame man could have refused Peter’s hand, content with his daily alms. Reject that spirit. Cry out for the light until it comes.
Conclusion: Decree Light Over Your Life
Pray this: “Creator God, who commanded light at the beginning, speak Your creative word over my life now! Let there be light in every area shrouded in darkness, stagnation, and sorrow. I receive Your command that ends my night and launches me into a new day of progress and joy. I rise up in faith, like the lame man, and I choose to walk, leap, and praise You for my forward and upward movement this year, in Jesus’ mighty name!”
Action Steps:
Identify Your Darkness: Write down one specific area of “darkness” or “stagnation” in your life. Name it before God.
Find Your Genesis 1:3 Verse: Search Scripture for a promise that directly contradicts that darkness (e.g., for financial lack, Philippians 4:19). This is God’s “Let there be light” decree for you.
Activate It Daily: For 21 days, speak that scripture aloud over your situation every morning and night, declaring “Let there be light!”
Prepare to Leap: Perform one act of faith this week that corresponds to your desired breakthrough (e.g., if praying for a job, update your CV/send an application). This is you “stretching forth” your lame leg in response to the word.
Remember: The same God who spoke to primordial darkness speaks to your situation. His word is not a suggestion; it is a creative command. Your season of stagnation ends now. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3). Receive your light now.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: 1 Peter 3:9 BIBLE READING:Romans 13:10-14 Yesterday, I mentioned that you must open up your heart to the light of God instead of allowing bitterness to envelop you. When you become angry and bitter anytime someone offends you, you are opening yourself up for spiritual attacks. If you see through every hurt or betrayal that you experience, you will understand that the real target is your heart. The devil wants you to allow bitterness in your heart so that when he is sending his arrows against you, they will have a place to land. Many times, when the devil’s agents try to attack a Christian and do not succeed, they do everything they can to get the believer to become angry. Once they can get the believer to become angry and bitter, their attacks will land on him or her. This is why you must always put on your armour of light and not allow anger and bitterness to creep into your heart – it is for your own protection. Anytime the devil sees someone whom he cannot make angry or bitter, he has seen someone who has defeated him already. In 1 Samuel 18:14, the Bible says that David behaved himself wisely. This means that he avoided anything from contaminating his heart. Even when King Saul was trying to kill him, he did not get angry or try to retaliate. In 1 Samuel 24:2-7, he had the opportunity to kill Saul, but he only cut a piece of his robe. Even when he did that, the Bible says that his heart smote him. This shows that he was a man whose armour of light was intact. As a result, he eventually became king, just as God intended. I believe that if he had killed Saul, he would not have become king, even though it was God’s original plan for him. If you want God’s plans for you to come to pass, don’t allow bitterness into your heart; don’t give room to the devil to destroy your destiny. When some Christians do not retaliate when people hurt them but rather turn around to bless them, the world will call them fools, but they know what they are doing. Such Christians will be careful not to allow a moment of bitterness or anger to tamper with their glorious destinies in God. Beloved, do not give room to the devil in your life; keep your armour of light intact so that you can fulfil your God given destiny.
MEMORISE: 1 Peter 3:9 “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” This command inverts the world’s logic of retaliation. It reveals that the refusal to repay evil with evil is not weakness, but a strategic spiritual posture that safeguards your inheritance. Your response to offense directly determines your access to divine blessing.
BIBLE READING: Romans 13:10-14 This passage continues the theme of spiritual readiness, equating walking in love with fulfilling the law. It reiterates the urgent call to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (the ultimate Armour of Light) and make no provision for the flesh, especially in matters of relational conflict and bitterness.
The Strategic Defence of an Unoffended Heart
Daddy Adeboye delves deeper into the practical warfare of the heart introduced yesterday. He reveals that the enemy’s ultimate goal in any hurt or betrayal is not the single event, but the secondary infection of bitterness. A bitter heart is a compromised fortress, its walls breached for future attacks.
1. The Devil’s Target and Tactic: Your Heart’s Soil
The Objective is Landing Space: The analogy is profound: a bitter heart is a “landing strip” for demonic arrows. The initial hurt is the missile; the bitterness you harbour is the guidance system that allows further missiles to hit their mark. A joyful, forgiving heart, by divine design, is spiritually “stealthed”—invisible to enemy targeting systems.
Anger as a Spiritual Vulnerability: The devotional makes a critical military insight: when direct attacks fail, the enemy’s fallback strategy is to provoke anger. Why? Because anger, even if “justified,” temporarily dismantles your spiritual armor (Ephesians 4:26-27). It creates a window of vulnerability where otherwise-ineffective attacks can now penetrate.
2. The Davidic Blueprint: Wisdom as Warfare
Behavioral Wisdom is Defensive Warfare: David “behaved himself wisely” (1 Samuel 18:14). This wisdom was his active choice to manage his emotions and reactions in the face of extreme, unjust provocation. It wasn’t passive; it was a deliberate strategy to keep his heart clean and his destiny on track. His wisdom was his warfare.
The Conviction That Protects Destiny: Even when David secretly cut Saul’s robe—a minor act of retaliation—”his heart smote him” (1 Samuel 24:5). This conviction from the Holy Spirit was evidence that his “armour of light” was active and intact. That sensitivity protected him from a greater error (killing Saul) that would have derailed God’s plan. Your conscience, aligned with the Word, is a key component of your armour.
3. The High Stakes: Your Destiny Hangs in the Balance
Retaliation Alters Divine Timelines: Daddy Adeboye presents a staggering spiritual principle: David would have forfeited the kingship God had ordained for him if he had killed Saul. Your destiny is guaranteed by God’s promise, but your access to it and the timing of it can be hindered by your choices—especially the choice to retaliate and harbor bitterness.
The “Foolishness” That Secures Inheritance: To bless those who curse you (Luke 6:28) is foolishness to the world but supreme wisdom in the spirit. It is the direct application of 1 Peter 3:9. This “foolish” act does two things: 1) It disarms the enemy by refusing to play his game, and 2) It activates the clause of your inheritance: “…that ye should inherit a blessing.”
How to Maintain an Impenetrable Heart
Pre-emptive Blessing: Don’t wait for the offense to take root. When hurt, immediately begin to pray blessings upon the offender. This is not an emotion but a warfare decree. It fills the space in your heart where bitterness would try to grow.
Guard the Gates of Your Soul: Your eyes (what you choose to focus on) and your ears (what narratives you replay) are the gates to your heart. Refuse to dwell on the details of the offense. Instead, dwell on God’s promises and faithfulness (Philippians 4:8).
Cultivate Heart Sensitivity: Like David, foster a heart so tender towards the Holy Spirit that even a “small” act of retaliation causes discomfort. This sensitivity is your early-warning system against compromise.
Warning: A Moment of Bitterness Can Tamper with a Lifetime of Destiny
Do not treat your emotional responses as insignificant. A single decision to retaliate or nurture a grudge can introduce a spiritual virus that corrupts the software of your destiny. Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the issues of life—and of destiny (Proverbs 4:23).
Conclusion: Pray for a Fortified and Unoffendable Spirit
Pray this: “Lord Jesus, my Armour of Light, I refuse to render evil for evil. I seal my heart against every arrow of bitterness. I choose to bless those who hurt me, thereby securing my divine inheritance. Let Your love so flood my heart that no root of bitterness can find soil. Grant me the Davidic wisdom to behave wisely under pressure, protecting the glorious destiny You have prepared for me. My heart is Your guarded fortress, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
Conduct a Retaliation Audit: Is there any person you are secretly “paying back” through coldness, gossip, or withheld kindness? Repent and initiate a blessing today (a prayer for them, a kind word).
Create a Blessing List: Write the names of your “Sauls”—those who have hurt or opposed you. Commit to praying a one-sentence blessing over each name daily for 21 days (e.g., “Lord, bless [Name] and lead them to Your purpose.”).
Memorise Your Arsenal: Commit 1 Peter 3:9 and Proverbs 19:11 (“The discretion of a man deferreth his anger…”) to memory. Recite them the moment you feel provoked.
Practice Immediate Obedience to Conviction: If your heart “smites you” over a thought or action, repent immediately. Do not let the sun go down on that wound (Ephesians 4:26).
Remember: An unoffendable heart is not a heart that never feels pain, but a heart that refuses to let pain become a stronghold. It is your most powerful defensive weapon. The enemy you cannot make angry is the enemy you have already defeated. “Not rendering evil for evil… but contrariwise blessing; that ye should inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9). Guard your inheritance.
MEMORISE: Proverbs 18:21 BIBLE READING:2 Samuel 1:1-16 In Nigeria, there is a common saying that everyone has the freedom of speech, but freedom after speech is not guaranteed. As funny as this statement sounds, it is very true in the spirit realm. Proverbs 6:2 says: “Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.” God doesn’t stop you from speaking, but you must be careful so that the things you say do not bring you into bondage. Sometime ago, a woman who had been looking for the fruit of the womb for many years told God in her desperation, “Lord, just let me get pregnant once, then you can take my life on the day of delivery. I just want this reproach to be over.” When it was time to deliver, she came to RCCG’s maternity clinic. For days, this woman remained in labour. Her condition was so bad that they had to call me to pray for her. After asking her some questions, we discovered what she had said earlier, and I said to myself, “If this woman wanted to die, why then did she choose to come here?” Apparently, she did not want to die anymore. We cried to God for mercy, and He answered. She delivered safely and went home with her baby in good health. Imagine if there was no man of God available to cancel the pronouncement she had made on herself in her desperation; she could have died. Today’s Bible reading tells us the story of a young man who was destroyed by his words. After Saul’s death, this man, who was an Amalekite, ran to David to tell him that he had killed Saul, even though he was not the one who killed him (1 Samuel 31:l-6). He thought telling David that he had killed Saul would grant him favour before David, but the opposite was the case, and his words became his death sentence. When David heard him say that he had killed Saul, the anointed king of God’s people, he commanded one of the young men with him to execute him. Beloved, be mindful of the words you speak, especially when you are highly emotional. Do not allow your emotions, whether excitement, happiness, anger, sadness, or frustration, to push you to say things that can put you in bondage and hurt your destiny. I pray that you will always speak with wisdom and grace. May your words never bring you into bondage, in Jesus’ name.
MEMORISE: Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” This scripture reveals the creative and destructive authority delegated to human speech. Words are not merely sounds; they are spiritual containers that release either life-force or death-force into your environment and future. You are destined to consume, as a harvest, the fruit of the seeds your words have sown.
BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 1:1-16 This passage is a sobering case study of the power of words. An Amalekite, seeking reward, imprudently boasts of killing the Lord’s anointed—a claim that was both a lie and a spiritual transgression. His own testimony, spoken to gain favour, becomes the legal evidence for his execution. He literally ate the death-fruit of his tongue.
The Bondage of Unbridled Speech
Daddy Adeboye issues a critical warning about the spiritual law of words. While God gives freedom of speech, He does not suspend the spiritual consequences that follow. The devotional emphasizes that our words, especially those spoken under intense emotion, can create spiritual bonds or legal grounds that directly impact our destiny, for good or for ill.
1. Words as Spiritual Snares and Legal Testimonies
You Are Snared by Your Words: Proverbs 6:2 uses the imagery of a hunter’s trap. Reckless words are not just spoken into the air; they can loop back and ensnare the speaker, restricting their freedom and limiting their future. The woman with the word of death over her delivery and the Amalekite with his false testimony both found themselves trapped by their own declarations.
Emotions are a Poor Counselor: Desperation, anger, excitement, or fear can temporarily hijack your spiritual discernment, leading to declarations that oppose God’s will for your life. Daddy Adeboye warns that the heat of emotion is the most dangerous time to make pronouncements about your future, your relationships, or your identity.
2. Two Cautionary Tales: The Power of Pronouncements
The Desperate Vow (Self-Inflicted Bondage): The woman’s story illustrates how a desperate vow, though prayed to God, can set a destructive spiritual process in motion. She attempted to barter with God, not understanding that her words had creative power. Her pronouncement nearly overrode God’s merciful nature for her life, requiring urgent prophetic intervention to cancel its effect.
The Presumptuous Boast (Other-Inflicted Judgment): The Amalekite’s story shows words used to manipulate for personal gain. He crafted a narrative he thought would please David, unaware of the spiritual principle: “Touch not mine anointed” (Psalm 105:15). His lie about killing the Lord’s anointed invoked automatic judgment. His mouth delivered the testimony that sentenced him.
3. The Ministry of Reversal and the Need for Wisdom
The Role of Spiritual Authority: The woman’s life was saved because a “man of God” (a recognized spiritual authority operating in the wisdom and power of Christ) could discern the root cause and intercede to cancel the negative pronouncement. This highlights the importance of being under godly covering and seeking counsel before making weighty vows.
Speaking with Wisdom and Grace: Wisdom considers the long-term harvest of words. Grace seasons speech with the nature of Christ. The antidote to destructive speech is to pause, submit emotional impulses to the Holy Spirit, and ask: “Do these words align with life, with Scripture, and with God’s promise for me?”
How to Harness the Life-Power of Your Tongue
Implement a Speech Fast: Periodically commit to being slow to speak (James 1:19). Use pauses to filter emotional reactions through the grid of Scripture before they become words.
Scripturalize Your Vocabulary: Deliberately replace faithless, fearful, or angry declarations with the direct promises of God. If you feel desperate, speak Psalm 118:17 instead of a death vow. If you are angry, declare Psalm 4:4.
Cancel Past Negative Declarations: In prayer, revisit and repent of any rash vows, curses, or negative prophecies you have spoken over yourself, your family, or your future. Revoke them in the name of Jesus and declare God’s word over those areas.
Warning: Freedom of Speech is Not Freedom from Consequences
The Nigerian saying in the devotional is a profound earthly shadow of a spiritual law. You are free to say anything, but you are not free from the spiritual, and sometimes natural, consequences that those words set in motion. Your tongue is the rudder of your life’s ship (James 3:4-5).
Conclusion: Pray for a Guarded and Life-Giving Tongue
Pray this: “Holy Spirit, You who are the Spirit of Truth and Wisdom, take control of my tongue. Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord (Psalm 141:3). Let no word of death, despair, or rash vow proceed from my lips. Let my speech be always seasoned with grace and full of the life of Your Word. I cancel every negative pronouncement I have ever made over my destiny. I declare that my tongue is an instrument of life, blessing, and righteousness, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
The 3-Second Rule: When emotionally charged, institute a mandatory 3-second silence before responding. Use that moment to whisper, “Holy Spirit, guide my words.”
Conduct a Word Audit: At the end of each day, review key conversations. Repent for any words that sown strife, fear, or death. Thank God for words that brought life and grace.
Daily Declaration Card: Write out 3-5 life-giving scriptures about your identity in Christ and God’s promises for you. Speak them aloud over yourself every morning.
Seek Counsel for Weighty Vows: Before making any major vow or declaration (e.g., “I’ll never…”, “God, if You… then I…”), run it by a mature, spiritually-sound mentor or pastor.
Remember: Your tongue is your most powerful creative tool. You will eat its fruit—whether a harvest of life or death. Choose today to love life and speak it. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21). Speak life.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: Galatians 5:1 BIBLE READING:Matthew 6:21-24 All humans have the freedom to worship whatever they want to. Even in countries where people are restricted from worshipping publicly, nobody can restrict anyone from worshipping his or her ‘god’ privately. This freedom to worship has been given by God; however, you must be vigilant at all times to know who or what you are worshipping because who or what you worship will determine what you become (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is important that you examine your priorities because they are pointers to the people or things you actually worship. Some people do not know that their phones have become the god they worship. They take their phones everywhere they go, even into the bathroom. Their eyes are always glued to their phones as they spend hours browsing through them. If they don’t have their phones with them, they will begin to panic and will not be able to function normally. Sadly, this often leads them into anxiety, depression, and many health challenges. What you give your attention and resources to eventually shapes your values, thoughts, and behaviour. If your focus is primarily on material possessions, your social status, or even other people’s opinions, they can easily become idols in your life. You must examine yourself regularly to know the things or people that mostly occupy your thoughts and what you exert most of your energy on. If these things or people are not aligned with your purpose in Christ, then you need to take heed, lest you fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). Another subtle, yet common object of worship these days is work. Many Christians allow themselves to be trapped in the cycle of work such that they neglect their health, families, and walk with God. I know the value of hard work, so I work very hard and encourage people to do the same. However, when work becomes the source of your identity, it has taken God’s place in your life. You must also be careful not to worship comfort and convenience. Today, many youths talk about living a comfortable life and unfortunately, their pursuit of this soft life has become the god they worship. Beloved, the freedom of worship is a precious gift that God has given to you; however, you must use it to worship Him alone. You must also be mindful and disciplined to ensure that you are not worshipping an idol at any time. Keep your total focus on God at all times, and He will reward you with His grace and peace.
MEMORISE: Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” This verse declares the essence of our salvation: a purchased freedom. However, it carries a dual command—to stand firm in that freedom and to vigilantly resist any new form of slavery. The greatest threat to spiritual liberty is often not external persecution, but internal idolatry.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 6:21-24 In this passage, Jesus exposes the direct link between our treasure (what we value most) and our heart’s worship. He concludes with the unshakeable law of single-minded allegiance: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Our focus is inherently singular; whatever commands it is our de facto master.
The Idolatry of the Heart: The High Cost of Misplaced Worship
Daddy Adeboye delivers a piercing diagnosis of modern spiritual bondage. The devotional moves beyond the obvious idols of wood and stone to expose the subtle, daily altars we erect in our lives. True freedom is not just freedom from sin, but freedom for exclusive, undivided devotion to God.
1. The Deceptive Nature of Subtle Idols
Idolatry is a Matter of Priority and Focus: An idol is not merely a statue; it is anything that commands the supreme devotion of your heart, time, resources, and imagination. As 2 Corinthians 3:18 states, we become like what we behold. Your constant focus is your object of worship, and that object is actively shaping you into its image—whether it is God, a device, a career, or an ideal.
The Phone as a Case Study: The smartphone is a powerful modern parable. When it is the first thing you check in the morning and the last at night, when its absence causes anxiety, and when it consistently interrupts communion with God and people, it has transitioned from a tool to a throne. It commands your attention, and you obey.
2. Self-Examination: Identifying Your Altars
Your Thoughts and Energy Reveal Your Gods: You must audit your mental and emotional expenditure. What occupies your daydreams? What conversation topic excites you most? What problem consumes your worry? The answers point to your functional deities. If these are not Christ and His purpose for you, you are in idolatry’s grip.
The Altars of Work, Comfort, and Status:
Work: When it becomes the source of your identity, worth, and security instead of a domain for stewardship, it is an idol. It leads to the neglect of health, family, and spiritual vitality.
Comfort (The ‘Soft Life’): The pursuit of a pain-free, hassle-free existence as the ultimate goal is idolatry. It makes convenience your god and shrinks your capacity for sacrifice, service, and endurance.
Status & Opinions: When your value is determined by your social standing or others’ approval, you are a slave to people. You worship at the altar of human praise.
3. The Consequence and the Correction
Idolatry Leads to Bondage and Breakdown: Daddy Adeboye notes that phone worship leads to “anxiety, depression, and many health challenges.” This is the inevitable fruit of idolatry: it promises life but delivers death; promises freedom but delivers a crushing yoke. It distorts your values, drains your peace, and derails your destiny.
The Call to Vigilance and Discipline: Freedom must be guarded. It requires the discipline to regularly “take heed” (1 Corinthians 10:12)—to pause and conduct a spiritual inventory. This isn’t a one-time event but a lifestyle of conscious realignment, ensuring that Christ alone sits on the throne of your heart.
How to Guard Your Freedom and Worship God Alone
Implement Practical Boundaries: Create “no-phone zones” (e.g., during prayer, meals, first hour of the day). Deliberately schedule and protect time for family and spiritual disciplines. Let your calendar reflect that God is Lord of your time.
Conduct the “Treasure Test” Regularly: Ask yourself weekly: “Where did my money go most easily? What did I most hate to be interrupted from doing?” Your financial records and your irritations are truthful ledgers of your heart’s treasure.
Replace Don’t Just Remove: Idolatry fills a vacuum. You cannot simply stop worshipping an idol; you must actively, passionately worship the true God. Increase your intake of His Word, your time in heartfelt praise, and your service to His kingdom. As you behold Christ, the false gods lose their appeal.
Warning: Freedom to Choose is Not Freedom from Consequence
God gives the freedom to worship anything, but He does not suspend the spiritual law that we become enslaved to whatever we choose. The “yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1) is self-chosen. Playing near an idol’s altar always leads to entanglement.
Conclusion: Pray for a Purified and Single-Minded Heart
Pray this: *”Lord Jesus, my Liberator, I stand fast in the freedom You purchased. Search me, O God, and know my heart; see if there is any idolatrous way in me (Psalm 139:23-24). I dethrone every subtle idol—my phone, my work, my desire for comfort, the opinions of others. I enthrone You alone. Let my thoughts, my time, my resources, and my affections be wholly Yours. Grant me the discipline to guard my heart and the grace to behold only You, in Jesus’ name!”*
Action Steps:
The 24-Hour Fast: This week, fast from your primary potential idol (e.g., social media, work emails, entertainment) for 24 hours. Use the time for prayer and reflection. Note what cravings or anxieties arise—they reveal the idol’s hold.
The Priority Realignment Plan: Write down your God-given priorities (e.g., Personal Devotion, Family, Health, Ministry). Now audit last week’s time. Where is the disconnect? Make one concrete change to align them.
Worship Declarations: Each morning, declare before God: “Today, You alone are my God. I worship You with my time, my talents, and my treasure.” Verbally reject the worship of any other thing.
Accountability Partnership: Share this devotional with a trusted friend. Give them permission to ask you monthly: “Have you noticed any new ‘altars’ in your life?”
Remember: Your freedom is precious and costly. To stand fast in it requires that you worship the Liberator, not the chains. Your heart is a temple; guard it for its one true Resident. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…” (Galatians 5:1). Guard your freedom jealously.
MEMORISE: Zephaniah 2:11 BIBLE READING:Psalm 96:8-13 A lot of people want to worship the only true God, but they are limited by many factors. For example, Pharaoh prevented the children of Israel from leaving Egypt to worship God until a divine intervention compelled him to let them go. After God’s intervention, he could not even wait until morning before releasing the children of Israel to go and worship God. That very night, he called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.” (Exodus 12:19-31). However, after making this pronouncement and releasing the Israelites, the Egyptians still went after them with the intention of bringing them back into bondage, but God silenced them in the Red Sea, and the Israelites were finally free to worship God (Exodus 14 and 15). You probably want to worship God, but something is hindering you. You want to praise God and tell people about how great He is, but then, occasionally, you remember one little problem in your life that has lingered for a long time. That problem might be so bad that people around you have even been asking you where your God is. You look at that problem, and suddenly, it becomes a struggle to praise God. I decree that the Almighty God will intervene in your situation and silence whatever might be hindering you from worshipping Him the way you really want to, in Jesus’ name. Many people want to do mighty things like building churches for God, helping the poor, sponsoring crusades, and so on. However, the only hindrance they have is a lack of finance. If you are one of such people, I pray for you today that you will receive the abundance you need in order to do anything you want to do for God, in Jesus’ name. Revelation 4:11 says, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” God created all things for His pleasure. He created your hands to clap to Him in worship, He created your mouth to praise Him, and He created your legs to dance for Him. Therefore, anyone, whether in the government, in your family, or anywhere at all, who tries to hinder you from worshipping God and giving Him pleasure will face His wrath like Pharaoh did if he or she does not repent.
MEMORISE: Zephaniah 2:11 “The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.” This prophetic declaration announces God’s ultimate supremacy. It reveals a dual action: God will starve and render powerless every false god, system, or force that claims allegiance, and He will establish His universal worship. Hindrances to worship are not merely obstacles; they are rivals facing divine judgment.
BIBLE READING: Psalm 96:8-13 This psalm is a sweeping call to global, unreserved worship. It commands us to ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name, for He is coming to judge the earth with righteousness. True worship is presented as the only fitting response to His sovereign majesty and impending judgment.
The Divine Intervention for Unhindered Worship
Daddy Adeboye addresses a profound struggle: the desire to worship God fully, shackled by lingering hindrances. Using the Exodus narrative, he frames these hindrances as “Pharaohs”—oppressive forces that seek to keep us in a bondage that restricts our expression of devotion to God. The promise is that God intervenes to silence hindrances so worship can flow freely.
1. Identifying Your Personal Pharaoh
Hindrances as Enslaving Powers: A hindrance is more than a problem; it is a power that claims authority over your focus and devotion. Like Pharaoh, it says, “You shall not go to serve the Lord.” This can be:
A Lingering Problem: A chronic issue (health, finance, family strife) that becomes a louder testimony in your mind than God’s goodness, making praise feel like a struggle.
The Taunt of Onlookers: The shame of “Where is your God?” can silence your testimony and dampen your praise.
Lack of Resources: The feeling of financial or practical limitation that holds you back from executing big visions of service and sacrifice for God.
The Goal of the Hindrance: The enemy’s goal is not just to cause pain, but to steal worship. By fixing your gaze on the problem, he aims to divert the glory, praise, and trust that belong exclusively to God.
2. The Pattern of Divine Intervention
God Compels the Release: God did not negotiate with Pharaoh; He executed judgments that made continued bondage unsustainable. Likewise, your “Pharaoh” will be compelled to release you. The divine intervention is targeted to break the specific power holding you back from worship.
The Final Silence at the Red Sea: Pharaoh’s initial release was not enough; he pursued Israel to drag them back. God’s ultimate solution was to silence the hindrance permanently at the Red Sea. This signifies that God doesn’t just give temporary relief; He can completely dismantle the power of that problem to ever threaten your worship again. The song of Exodus 15 was sung on the other side of a silenced enemy.
3. Your Created Purpose: To Give God Pleasure
You Are a Worship Instrument: Revelation 4:11 provides the foundational reason why hindrances must fall: you were created for God’s pleasure. Your hands, mouth, legs, resources, and life are instruments of worship. Any force that ties these instruments down is in direct conflict with your Creator’s purpose.
The Warning to Hindrances: Daddy Adeboye issues a stern prophetic warning: any person, system, or circumstance that deliberately hinders a believer’s worship invokes the wrath of God, just as Pharaoh did. This is a spiritual law. God is jealous for the worship due His name (Zephaniah 1:14).
How to Position for Your Red Sea Moment
Worship in the Midst of the Hindrance: Like Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:25), begin to worship before the chains fall. This is an act of faith that asserts God’s supremacy over the problem and activates divine intervention.
Present Your “Lack” to God in Faith: If limited resources hinder your service, present what you have to Him (like the boy’s loaves and fish). Pray the prayer of abundance from the devotional, not from greed, but from a desire to be a greater channel of worship and service.
Shift Your Testimony Focus: Stop rehearsing the problem. Begin to declare, “My God is silencing every Pharaoh for the sake of His glory.” Change your conversation from the persistence of the problem to the certainty of God’s intervention.
Warning: Do Not Return to Bondage Voluntarily
After God silences a hindrance, never let your heart return to worship it through fear, obsession, or nostalgia. Keep your eyes on the Pillar of Fire, not the drowned chariots. Continued freedom requires forward movement in worship.
Conclusion: Pray for the Silence of Every Pharaoh
Pray this: “Almighty God, my Redeemer, You are terrible against every power that hinders worship. I name my ‘Pharaoh’ now: [Name the specific hindrance]. By Your mighty hand, compel it to release me! Silence its voice, its threat, and its power forever at my Red Sea. I was created for Your pleasure; therefore, I worship You with my whole heart, even now. Let my life become an unhindered song of praise, and let every enemy of my devotion be famished and judged, in Jesus’ mighty name!”
Action Steps:
Name and Reject Your Pharaoh: Write down the primary hindrance to your worship. Pray over it, and then symbolically “drown” it (tear up the paper) as an act of faith in God’s silencing power.
Worship Through the Struggle: This week, when the hindrance presses in, deliberately spend 10 minutes in praise and thanksgiving for who God is, ignoring the problem. Do this as warfare.
Plan a Faith Offering: If lack is the hindrance, plan a sacrificial offering towards a godly vision beyond your current means. This act of faith declares God is your provider and breaks the power of lack over your worship.
Testify to the Intervention: Begin to share with a trusted friend, “I believe God is silencing [my hindrance] so I can worship Him freely.” Speaking it reinforces your faith and God’s commitment to His glory.
Remember: God is more committed to receiving your full worship than you are to giving it. He will move heaven and earth to silence whatever stands in the way. Your Red Sea moment is coming. “The LORD will… famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him…” (Zephaniah 2:11). Your worship will flow unhindered.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: Genesis 1:26 BIBLE READING: Psalm 8:3-9 When you look at the stars, the moon, and the beauty of nature generally, it is hard not to wonder what makes us humans so special that God cares so much about us. This is exactly what David was asking in verse 4 of today’s Bible reading. From today’s memory verse, we see that God made us in His image and gave us the responsibility and dominion to rule over all His creation on earth (Genesis 1:26-28). Therefore, you and I have God’s mandate to be in control of the earth. God, however, didn’t stop there; He went further to say in Matthew 18:18 that He will uphold our decrees here on earth from His throne in heaven. Unfortunately, when man sinned, he lost his place and the dominion God had given him at creation. That was why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to restore us to His original design and reinstate our dominion. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you have become greater than everything in this world (1 John 4:4). If you are yet to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I implore you to do so now. This is because, if you can truly let go of sin, situations will no longer control you; rather, you will control them. The economy will no longer decide what happens to you; instead, you will thrive, regardless of what happens in the economy. The devil and all his demons are afraid of the children of God because they know that God has made His children sit together with Christ in heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers (Ephesians 2:4-6). This is why, whenever someone I have not met before comes to me for prayers, the first question I ask such a person is, “Are you born again?” If the fellow is not born again, even if I pray and the problem is solved, a worse problem might come on him or her because the person is still prey to the devil. Beloved, the foundation of every genuine solution to any problem you can ever have is in Jesus Christ. You must repent from any sin that may be in your life and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour if you are yet to do so. Ensure you live a holy life by adhering to His word and obeying all His instructions. When you do these, you will enjoy good success and truly live in dominion over every challenge that comes your way.
MEMORISE: Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” This verse reveals humanity’s original blueprints: divine image and earthly dominion. To be made in God’s image is to carry His authority, creativity, and communicative nature. The mandate to have dominion is a legal delegation of God’s governing power to mankind over the earthly realm.
BIBLE READING: Psalm 8:3-9 This psalm echoes the Genesis mandate, marveling at the exalted position God has given to humanity. Despite our seeming smallness, we are crowned with glory and honor and entrusted with the works of God’s hands. It is a hymn of awe at our God-ordained authority.
The Restoration of Mandated Dominion
Daddy Adeboye addresses the core of human identity and authority, tracing it from creation through the Fall to its restoration in Christ. The devotional makes it clear that dominion is not an abstract concept but the restored birthright of every believer, granting authority over circumstances, systems, and spiritual forces.
1. The Original Mandate: Image and Dominion
Created for Governance: God’s design was not for man to be a victim of creation but its governor. The “image and likeness” is the source of authority; the “dominion” is the sphere of its exercise. This means your inherent design is to rule, innovate, manage, and establish order in your sphere of influence.
The Heavenly Endorsement of Earthly Decrees: Matthew 18:18 reveals the staggering continuity of this mandate. God, from heaven, pledges to ratify the lawful decrees made by His image-bearers on earth. This establishes prayer and faith-filled speech not as begging, but as governance—issuing heavenly-sanctioned rulings over earthly situations.
2. The Loss and The Restoration in Christ
The Great Reversal of the Fall: Sin was not merely a moral failure; it was a catastrophic surrender of dominion. Adam handed the title deed of earth to Satan (Luke 4:6), and humanity became subject to creation rather than sovereign over it. Poverty, sickness, and bondage are symptoms of this lost dominion.
Christ: The Last Adam and Our Reinstatement: Jesus came as the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45) to win back what the first Adam lost. Through His death and resurrection, He legally reclaimed all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Salvation is the reinstatement of the individual believer into this position of regained dominion. You are not just saved from sin; you are saved into sovereignty.
3. The Present Reality: Seated Far Above
Your Position Defines Your Authority: Ephesians 2:6 states the believer’s current position: seated with Christ in heavenly places, “far above all principality and power.” This is not a future hope but a present legal reality. You operate from a place of settled victory and superior rank over all demonic forces and earthly systems. This is why they fear a true child of God.
The Non-Negotiable Foundation: The New Birth: Daddy Adeboye’s consistent first question—”Are you born again?”—is a diagnostic of spiritual jurisdiction. A person outside of Christ, even if helped temporarily, remains under the domain of darkness and prey to the enemy. Dominion is exclusive to the re-created species—those born of God (1 John 4:4).
How to Exercise Your Restored Dominion
Govern Through Your Decrees: Align your speech with God’s Word. Your words are your governing instruments. Decree peace over chaos, health over sickness, provision over lack. Heaven is listening to ratify the decrees of the redeemed.
Live from Your Position, Not Your Condition: Your feelings, the economy, or medical reports are “conditions.” Your seat with Christ is your “position.” Train yourself to reason, pray, and decree from your exalted position in Christ, not from the problem at your feet.
Maintain Holiness—The Integrity of Office: Sin is a rebellion against the King that locally disempowers the governor. Holy living is not about earning favor; it is about maintaining the integrity of your office and the unimpeded flow of authority. You cannot effectively rule a territory you have surrendered to the enemy through willful sin.
Warning: An Unclaimed Dominion is a Vacant Throne
If you do not consciously exercise your God-given authority, the enemy will gladly continue to administer the affairs of your life, your family, and your sphere. Passivity is a form of surrender. Dominion must be asserted in faith.
Conclusion: Pray to Reign in Life
Pray this: “Father of glory, I thank You for recreating me in Christ Jesus and seating me with Him in the place of authority. I repent of all passivity and sin that has ceded ground to the enemy. Today, I take my stand in my rightful position of dominion. I decree that my life, health, finances, and family are under the governance of Your Kingdom. I exercise authority over every opposing power and declare that I reign in life through Christ Jesus. My dominion is restored and established by Your Word, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
Positional Reminders: Write “Ephesians 2:6” and “Seated Far Above” on sticky notes. Place them where you will see them daily to remind you of your true position.
Daily Dominion Decrees: Each morning, issue 3-5 specific decrees over your day based on Scripture (e.g., “I decree that wisdom guides my decisions today, according to James 1:5”).
Conduct a Sphere Audit: Identify the key areas of your God-given dominion (e.g., your mind, your home, your workplace). Ask the Holy Spirit: “Where have I been passive? Where do I need to assert Kingdom authority?” Take one step of faith-led action in each area this week.
Establish the Foundation: If you have not consciously accepted Christ, do so now with this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I repent of my sin. I believe You died and rose for me. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Restore me to Your original design and dominion. Amen.” Then, tell a believer.
Remember: You are not struggling for victory; you are enforcing a victory already won. You are not a victim of the system; you are a governor in it, seated far above it. “Let them have dominion…” (Genesis 1:26). In Christ, you do.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: 1 Peter 2:2 BIBLE READING: Galatians 4:1-5 Yesterday, I explained that God’s original design for mankind was for us to have dominion on the earth and everything in it; however, man lost that dominion when sin crept in, but Jesus Christ came to restore us to our original state. I also explained that once you become born again, you become greater than everything around you because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Unfortunately, many Christians are still living under the bondage of the devil. They have dominion as God intended originally but fail to exercise this dominion. Beloved, you cannot exercise dominion as a baby Christian. Galatians 4:1 says: Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; To really take your place as a child of God, you must grow in the Spirit by praying and studying the word of God diligently and regularly. Many Christians brag that they have been born again for many years; however, spiritually, they are still babies because they haven’t grown as they ought to. Some Christians should have grown spiritually to the point of being able to raise the dead by virtue of God’s anointing upon their lives, yet they do not have the courage to lay hands on someone suffering from a headache. As a child of God, you should desire God’s word so much because it is the food you need to grow spiritually. 1 Peter 2:2 says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” Jesus also said in Matthew 4:4 that man should not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Beloved, if you want to walk in the dominion that God intends for you to operate in, you should live by God’s word just as you survive and function physically by eating food. Like Jeremiah, who said that he ate God’s word (Jeremiah 15:16), you must also consume God’s word even more than you consume physical food. You must also pray regularly. In fact, when you study the word of God regularly, it will push you to pray because as you study, you will find yourself longing to speak to the One whose word you are studying. Prioritise spending quality time with God daily by praying and studying His word, and you will indeed walk in dominion in every aspect of your life.
MEMORISE: 1 Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” This verse establishes spiritual growth as an imperative, not an option. The desire for God’s Word is portrayed as the instinctive, life-sustaining hunger of a healthy newborn. Without this continual intake, growth is stunted, and the believer remains in a state of spiritual infancy, unable to function in their inherited authority.
BIBLE READING: Galatians 4:1-5 This passage powerfully illustrates the difference between legal status and functional experience. An heir may own the entire estate, but while he remains a child, he lives under tutors and governors, no better than a servant. His adulthood—the time of full possession and exercise of his rights—is determined by his maturity, not just his birthright.
From Heir to Ruler: The Necessity of Spiritual Growth
Daddy Adeboye builds on yesterday’s foundation of restored dominion to address the critical gap between possession and practice. Many believers, he notes, live in bondage not because they lack authority, but because they lack the maturity to exercise it. Spiritual adulthood is the bridge between being an heir of dominion and being a governor in dominion.
1. The Tragedy of the Infant Heir
The Gap Between Title and Function: Galatians 4:1 reveals a spiritual paradox: a child who is “lord of all” in title lives like “a servant” in experience. This is the state of a believer who is saved (an heir) but unchanged, untaught, and undiscipled. They have a birthright to authority but a lifestyle of bondage because they have not grown into their inheritance.
Stunted Growth and its Consequences: Spiritual infancy is marked by a lack of courage and power. The devotional uses the stark contrast between raising the dead and fearing to pray for a headache. The potential (the anointing) is present, but the maturity to release it is absent. Stunted growth leaves the believer vulnerable, dominated by the very circumstances they are called to dominate.
2. The Non-Negotiable Diet for Growth: The Word
The Word as Essential Nourishment: Physical life requires food; spiritual life and growth require the Word. Jesus’ statement in Matthew 4:4 equates the Word with the very sustenance of life. To neglect the Word is to choose spiritual malnutrition. Daddy Adeboye emphasizes that dominion is exercised by those who “live by” God’s Word, meaning it becomes the core substance of their daily decisions, thoughts, and declarations.
The Jeremiah Model: Consumption: Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them.” This goes beyond reading to a digestive, assimilating process. It implies meditation, internalization, and making the Word one’s own reality. You must consume it with more relish and regularity than your physical food.
3. The Symbiosis of Word and Prayer
The Word Fuels Prayer: Authentic study of Scripture naturally ignites communion. As you discover God’s heart, promises, and commands in His Word, you are compelled to respond in conversation—in worship, petition, and intercession. The Word gives prayer substance and direction.
Prayer Activates the Word: Prayer is the realm where the truth of the Word is applied to specific situations through declaration and supplication. It is the “governing” act that executes the authority revealed in Scripture. Without prayer, the Word remains theoretical knowledge. Without the Word, prayer becomes powerless sentiment.
How to Pursue Mandatory Growth
Schedule and Prioritize Consistently: Growth is intentional. You must schedule and protect daily time for the Word and prayer as non-negotiable appointments. Dominion is won in the private place of spiritual discipline before it is seen in the public arena.
Move from Information to Transformation: When you study, ask not just “What does it say?” but “What must I do or believe because of this?” Allow the Word to interrogate your life and reshape your thinking. This is the process of renewal that leads to authoritative living (Romans 12:2).
Step Out in Faith-Sized Obedience: Begin to exercise your growing authority in incremental steps. If you read about healing, lay hands on the headache. If you read about provision, sow a seed in faith. Spiritual muscles, like physical ones, grow through use.
Warning: Eternal Infancy is a Self-Inflicted Tragedy
To remain a baby Christian by choice—through neglect of the Word, prayerlessness, and disobedience—is to voluntarily live beneath your privileges. It is to choose the nursery over the throne room, and bondage over dominion. God has provided the nourishment; you must choose to eat.
Conclusion: Pray for a Ravenous Hunger and Maturity
Pray this: “Heavenly Father, I reject every form of spiritual stagnation. I crave the pure milk of Your Word with the desperate hunger of a newborn. Transform my appetite; let me consume Your Word more than my daily food. As I feed, cause me to grow up into Christ in all things, that I may shed the limitations of spiritual infancy. Empower me through prayer to step into the full exercise of my dominion as Your mature child. I choose to grow, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
Conduct a Growth Audit: Honestly assess your spiritual diet and exercise. How consistent and meaningful is your Word intake? How fervent and faith-filled is your prayer life? Write down one improvement for each.
Adopt the “E.A.T.” Method for Study:
Engage the text (read carefully).
Apply it (What does this mean for me today?).
Transform through prayer (Pray the Scripture back to God and over your life).
Exercise Your Authority Muscle: This week, identify one “headache”-sized problem (a worry, a minor ailment, a small frustration) and deliberately address it with a specific scriptural promise in prayer. Act as the governing heir you are.
Find a Growth Partner: Share your growth goal with a mature believer who can encourage you and hold you accountable to your Word and prayer commitments.
Remember: You are an heir to the Kingdom. Don’t live like a servant in the nursery. Grow up. Your dominion awaits your maturity. “Desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” (1 Peter 2:2). Your growth is your responsibility.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: Hebrews 5:14 BIBLE READING: Psalm 82:5-7 Over the past two days, I discussed God’s original plan for mankind, which is to have dominion over the earth and everything in it. I also noted that some Christians are not operating in this God-given dominion because they have not grown spiritually as they ought to. Another set of Christians who are not living in dominion as God intends are those who have grown spiritually but are still not conscious of the tremendous power they possess. They still fidget when the devil threatens them and see certain acts of dominion as being exclusive to ministers of God. However, the Bible says in Mark 16:17-18 that every believer can cast out demons, heal the sick, and operate in dominion as God intends. Years ago, while praying, I said, “Lord, give me power to perform miracles for you,” and He responded, “Keep quiet. What have you used the power I have already given you for? Have you been baptized in the Holy Spirit?” I said, “Yes, Lord.” He then continued, “What does Acts 1:8 say?” I quoted it to Him, and He responded, “Since the Holy Ghost has come upon you, then you have power.” I then said, “But I don’t feel powerful,” and He replied, “Did I say that the just shall live by feelings or faith?” This happened in the middle of the night, and the next morning, I was asked to pray for a little girl who had been so sick that the doctors had given up on her. I was afraid that she would not be healed if I prayed for her, but I remembered my conversation with God and proceeded to pray for her. While I was praying, the girl went limp.! immediately thought to myself, “I’m in trouble. It seems this girl has died.” When I finished praying and opened my eyes, I saw that she was sleeping. She had not slept for days, and when she woke up, she was completely healed. From that day on, I started using the power that God has given me to take dominion over situations. Beloved, when power is stored without being used, it remains dormant. However, when it is used often, it grows. As Peter used the power he received from the Holy Spirit, he grew from having to drag a lame man to his feet (Acts 3:1-8) to his shadow healing the sick (Acts 5:15-16). The more you use the power God has given you as a believer, the more dominion you can exercise.
MEMORISE: Hebrews 5:14 “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” This verse reveals the pathway to spiritual maturity: it is not merely the passage of time, but the active exercise of one’s spiritual faculties through constant use. Maturity is proven by a discerning mind and a life that consistently applies spiritual truth to earthly realities.
BIBLE READING: Psalm 82:5-7 This psalm is a divine indictment against unjust “gods” or rulers who walk in spiritual ignorance and darkness. It contrasts their instability with the exalted inheritance of the righteous, declaring, “Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” This points to the high calling and authority bestowed upon God’s covenant people.
The Crisis of the Unconscious Giant
Daddy Adeboye now addresses the second major hindrance to dominion: not a lack of growth, but a lack of consciousness and exercise of the authority already possessed. Many believers are like sleeping giants, possessing tremendous power but living in fear and hesitation because they are not awake to their own identity and arsenal.
1. The Dormancy of Delegated Power
Possession vs. Consciousness: A believer can be baptized in the Holy Spirit (possess the power) yet live in spiritual timidity (lack consciousness of it). The problem is not the absence of power but the absence of a faith-filled awareness and conviction that “since the Holy Ghost has come upon you, then you have power” (Acts 1:8). This unconsciousness renders the power dormant.
The Tyranny of Feelings Over Faith: God’s poignant question to Daddy Adeboye—”Did I say that the just shall live by feelings or faith?”—exposes a great enemy of dominion. We often wait for a feeling of power before we act, but faith operates on the fact of God’s Word. Dominion is exercised by faith, not by emotional confirmation.
2. The Divine Tutorial: Activating Stored Power
The Test of Immediate Obedience: God’s response to the prayer for more power was a call to audit and use what had already been given. The subsequent healing of the girl was not just a miracle; it was a practical tutorial. Daddy Adeboye had to step past his fear (“I was afraid”) and act on the revelation he had just received. The power flowed when faith-action was taken, despite feelings.
From Theory to Territory: The transition from knowing Acts 1:8 intellectually to seeing its manifestation physically is the birth of conscious dominion. That first miracle became a point of reference, breaking the paralysis of fear and launching a lifetime of exercising authority. Your first act of faith in a specific area breaks the seal on that aspect of your dominion.
3. The Law of Use: Power Grows Through Exercise
The Peter Principle of Increasing Authority: Peter’s journey is the biblical blueprint: he began with a direct, physical action (“taking him by the hand… lifted him up” – Acts 3:7) and grew to a point where his very shadow carried healing virtue (Acts 5:15). The principle is clear: the faithful use of basic authority unlocks greater dimensions of grace. Dominion is a muscle that atrophies with disuse and expands with exercise.
“By Reason of Use”: Hebrews 5:14 states that mature senses are trained “by reason of use.” Each time you command a sickness to leave, rebuke a spirit of fear, or declare God’s peace over chaos, you are not just solving a problem—you are doing a spiritual workout. Your “discernment” (ability to see from God’s perspective) and your “authority” (ability to enforce His will) grow stronger.
How to Awaken and Exercise Your Dominion
Audit Your Spiritual Assets: Ask the Holy Spirit, “What power and authority have You already given me that I am not using?” Review the believer’s rights in Scripture (e.g., Mark 16:17-18, Luke 10:19, James 4:7). Acknowledge them as your present-tense inheritance.
Start with the “Little Girl” in Front of You: Identify a situation in your life right now that seems “given up on” by the world’s systems (doctors, bankers, counselors). This is your training ground. Approach it not with fear, but with the conscious declaration: “The Holy Spirit in me has power over this.”
Create a “Faith-Action” Plan: Deliberately plan to exercise authority this week. For example: “I will lay hands on and pray for every family member who reports feeling ill.” Or, “I will speak to the mountain of debt and command it to be removed.” Record the results and let them build your faith-consciousness.
Warning: Unused Authority Invites Oppression
Power stored is power neutralized. The devil is not afraid of a believer who knows the Word but never applies it as a command. Your hesitation and fear validate his threats. By not using your authority, you grant him illegal space to operate in your sphere.
Conclusion: Pray for Consciousness and Courage
Pray this: “Holy Spirit, awaken me to the reality of the power within me. Forgive me for living by feelings instead of faith. I renounce all timidity and embrace my identity as a child of the Most High, endowed with authority. Today, I step out in faith. I will use the keys of the Kingdom You have placed in my hands. Exercise my spiritual senses through use; let my dominion grow from faith to faith, from glory to glory, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
Scripture Confession: Daily confess aloud: “I have received power. The Holy Spirit lives in me. Therefore, I have dominion over [name a specific area] today.” (Based on Acts 1:8).
The “First Use” Challenge: This week, consciously address a minor problem (a headache, a persistent worry, a conflict) with a direct, verbal command in Jesus’ name, as if you have the authority to do so—because you do.
Keep a Dominion Journal: Record instances where you consciously exercised spiritual authority, no matter how small. Note the process and the outcome. Review it monthly to see your growth.
Partner for Accountability: Tell a mature believer, “I am working on consciously exercising my spiritual authority. Ask me this week what situation I spoke to in faith.”
Remember: You are not waiting for power. You are deciding to use it. Every act of faith is a rep in the gym of your spirit, building you into a mature governor for the Kingdom. “By reason of use have their senses exercised…” (Hebrews 5:14). Use it or lose it.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: 1 Peter 5:7 BIBLE READING: Philippians 4:4-7 Man is very special because he has the capacity to accommodate the Spirit of God inside him. This is such a magnificent thing because God is so big that heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1), yet He decided to make Himself so little that He can dwell inside us (John 14:16-17). In Exodus 25:1-2, God asked Moses to build a sanctuary to house His presence. However, after Jesus died for our sins, He made every child of God His temple. This means that if you are a child of God, He is living inside you, and everything that answers to God also answers to you. What a tremendous privilege! I remember when I joined The Redeemed Christian Church of God. I thought I was a very wise man, after all, I was a university lecturer. We had many non-literate people in the church back then, and I used to look down on them. However, one day, I thought to myself, “These people may not be educated, but they are always radiating joy while I am always worried about one thing or the other. They seem to be so much at peace, but there is always a storm raging inside me.” I decided to give my life to Christ that day, and the first thing I experienced was peace. All my anxieties and worries vanished, and for the first time in my life, I was truly joyful. The joy I felt inside me was so much that the next morning, my boss in the office noticed that I was joyful without me saying anything to him. Man was not originally made to be anxious about anything. It is the fallen nature that made us lose our joy. The good thing, however, is that Jesus came to restore us to the original plan of God. You will experience peace and joy when you become the temple of the Most High God because Psalm 16:11 says that in the presence of God, there is fullness of joy, and Philippians 4:7 says that the peace of God that passes all understanding will flood your heart indeed. Beloved, if you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you cannot be a part of God’s original design. The Lord wants to come into your heart (Revelation 3:20), and l encourage you to let Him in. He will lift all your heavy burdens (Matthew 11:28) and you will begin to experience peace and joy like never before.
MEMORISE: 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” This command reveals the heart of God towards His children: a call to transfer the entire weight of anxiety from our shoulders to His. It is not a suggestion but a spiritual transaction based on the certainty of His personal care. The act of casting is an intentional release, made possible because He is both able and willing to bear the load.
BIBLE READING: Philippians 4:4-7 This passage outlines the divine prescription for anxiety: rejoice in the Lord always (a choice of worship), practice gentleness (a posture of trust), pray with thanksgiving (an act of dependence), and receive the peace of God that transcends circumstances. Peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of a guarding God.
The Indwelling God: The Source of Inexplicable Peace
Daddy Adeboye shifts the focus from external dominion to internal reality—the peace and joy that are the birthright of every genuine temple of God. He contrasts the restless, self-reliant intellect with the joyful simplicity of a Spirit-filled heart, using his own powerful testimony to illustrate that the presence of God within is the ultimate answer to the storms of anxiety.
1. The Astonishing Reality: God in You
From External Sanctuary to Internal Dwelling: In the Old Covenant, God’s presence was localized in a physical sanctuary (Exodus 25:8). In the New Covenant, through Christ, every believer becomes that sanctuary (1 Corinthians 3:16). The Almighty, whom heaven cannot contain, has chosen to make His home in the human spirit. This is the foundation of supernatural peace—the Governor of the universe resides within you.
The Privilege of Divine Resonance: “If you are a child of God, He is living inside you, and everything that answers to God also answers to you.” This is a profound truth of co-inheritance. Your prayers carry weight, your worship moves heaven, and your declarations have authority because they emanate from the dwelling place of the King. You host the Presence that commands all of creation.
2. The Testimony: The Exchange of Worry for Worship
The Bankruptcy of Intellectual Pride: Daddy Adeboye’s testimony is striking. His academic accomplishments (a university lecturer) offered no defense against internal storms of worry. His observation of the “non-literate” believers revealed a superior reality: they possessed a peace and joy that education could not provide and circumstances could not steal. True wisdom is to recognize the source of that peace.
The Immediate Fruit of Salvation: Peace: His salvation experience underscores that peace is not a later-stage reward; it is the initial, immediate fruit of the indwelling Spirit (Romans 15:13). The moment Christ entered his heart, the storm ceased. The anxieties and worries did not just lessen; they vanished, replaced by a tangible, observable joy that radiated without a word.
3. The Original Design: A Life Free from Anxiety
Anxiety is an Alien Invader: Man was created to walk with God in the cool of the day, in perfect trust and fellowship. Anxiety is a fruit of the Fall—a symptom of separation from the Source of peace. Salvation is a restoration to that original design, where our souls find their rest in God alone (Psalm 62:1).
The Mechanics of Divine Peace:
Source: God’s presence (Psalm 16:11).
Means: Prayer and thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).
Nature: A peace that guards the heart and mind—a sentinel against anxious thoughts (Philippians 4:7).
Evidence: Joy that is full and radiates outwardly, even without verbal testimony.
How to Cultivate and Guard Your Inherited Peace
Practice the Daily Transfer: Make “casting your care” a conscious, verbal act of prayer each morning and anytime worry arises. Literally name the concern and say, “I cast this upon You, Lord, for You care for me.”
Choose Rejoicing as a Weapon: Rejoicing in the Lord (Philippians 4:4) is not denial; it is defiance. It is choosing to focus on the unchanging character of your indwelling God rather than the fluctuating circumstances around you. This act of worship activates the peace that is already within you.
Maintain the Temple’s Purity: Willful sin and disobedience create a disturbance in the peace of the temple. A clear conscience through daily repentance (1 John 1:9) is essential for maintaining an unhindered flow of God’s comforting presence.
Warning: Peace is Forfeited by Self-Reliance
The moment you try to be your own god, carrying your own burdens, you evict peace. Worry is practical atheism—living as if God is not present or does not care. The intellectual, like the pre-salvation Daddy Adeboye, often struggles most here because they are accustomed to solving their own problems.
Conclusion: Pray to Be Settled in His Presence
Pray this: “Lord Jesus, I open the door of my heart fully to You. Come in and be my Lord. I exchange the heavy burden of my anxieties for Your easy yoke. Thank You for making my heart Your temple. Let Your presence within me be so real that worry finds no dwelling place. Flood my soul with Your inexplicable peace and fullness of joy. I cast every care upon You now, for I know You care for me. Let my life radiate Your peace, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
The Salvation Foundation: If you have never consciously invited Christ in, pray the prayer above. Your peace begins here.
The “Casting” Ritual: Each day, write down your top 3 worries on a piece of paper. Pray over them, then literally destroy the paper (tear it, burn it safely) as a symbol of casting them onto God.
Cultivate Thanksgiving: Keep a “Peace Journal.” Each evening, write down 3 specific things you are thankful for from the day. This trains your heart in gratitude, the antidote to anxiety.
Audit Your Influences: Identify one source in your life (news, a relationship, social media) that consistently robs you of peace. Take a proactive step this week to limit its access to your mind.
Remember: You do not find peace; you host the Prince of Peace. The storm is not your address; His presence is. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7). Let it go. He’s got you.
MEMORISE: Luke 12:7 BIBLE READING: Matthew 7:9-11 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Psalm 8:4 The psalmist had to ask the question in the passage above. His love is immeasurable and everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3). He loves us so much that when Adam fell in the garden of Eden, He put together a redemption plan for us so we could be restored to Him. He also gave us the right to sit with Him because of His tremendous love for us. Ephesians 2:6 says that God has made us sit together with Christ in heavenly places. In Yorubaland where I come from, we often say that the house of the fellow you love is never too far. Because of God’s overwhelming love for us, He came all the way from heaven to save us. He loves us so much that even the strands of hair on our heads are special to Him. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 Whenever I hear Christians say that they doubt in their hearts whether God will answer their prayers or not, I wonder if they truly know how much God loves them. Romans 8:32 says: He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? If someone loves you so much that he or she gave you his or her only child, what else is so big that the fellow cannot give to you? I want you to know how much God loves and values you so that when you go to Him in prayer, you will know that you are speaking to someone who is willing to give you anything you ask for and who wants only the best for you (John 14:13-14).
MEMORISE: Luke 12:7 “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” This statement by Jesus reveals the meticulous, intimate, and immeasurable value God places on each individual. It moves His care from the general (providing for creation) to the profoundly personal (numbering your hairs). If He attends to such minute detail, His commitment to your greater needs is beyond question.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 7:9-11 This passage uses the analogy of human fatherhood—imperfect as it is—to establish the foundational nature of God’s heart. If flawed fathers know how to give good gifts, how much more will our perfect Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him? His giving is rooted in His perfect love and wisdom.
The Foundation of All Prayer: Knowing You Are Loved
Daddy Adeboye brings us to the bedrock of our faith and the engine of effective prayer: a deep, personal revelation of God’s love for us. He dismantles the root of prayerful doubt—a failure to comprehend the magnitude of divine love—by presenting overwhelming biblical evidence of our priceless value to God.
1. The Redemptive Love That Planned Our Rescue
Love Initiated, Not Earned: God’s love is not a response to our worthiness; it is the cause of our worth. Before we could seek Him, He devised a redemption plan. The Fall did not catch Him by surprise; it activated His predetermined mission of love in Christ. This means His love for you is proactive, strategic, and covenantal.
Love That Elevates: Ephesians 2:6 reveals the staggering outcome of this love: we are made to sit together with Christ. This is not just forgiveness; it is adoption and enthronement. Love brought you from the pigsty to the palace, from estrangement to shared authority. You are not a distant subject; you are a seated child.
2. The Intimate Love That Numbers Your Hairs
From the Cosmic to the Capillary: The same God who measures the heavens with His span (Isaiah 40:12) counts the hairs on your head. His love is both infinitely grand and intimately detailed. There is no aspect of your life—your health, your finances, your relationships, your daily needs—that is beneath His notice or beyond His care. His knowledge of you is total, and His care is comprehensive.
The Value Equation: You Are Worth More: The sparrow analogy (Matthew 10:29-31) establishes a divine principle of comparative value. If God attends to the life and death of a creature of negligible market value, then you, for whom Christ died, are of incalculable worth. Your value is set by the price paid: the life of God’s only Son.
3. The Generous Love That Guarishes Good Gifts
The Logic of Heaven’s Gift Shop: Romans 8:32 presents irrefutable divine logic. The “greater to the lesser” argument is powerful: If God gave His greatest treasure (Jesus) for you, then He will surely, freely, give all lesser treasures that align with His will and your good. There is no reservation in His generosity. The cross is the definitive proof that God is for you.
Prayer from a Position of Loved Assurance: Doubt in prayer often stems from seeing God as distant, reluctant, or indifferent. Daddy Adeboye reframes prayer: it is not begging a reluctant stranger; it is asking a loving Father who is predisposed to give you “good things” (Matthew 7:11). Knowing this love transforms your prayer from fearful pleading to confident communion.
How to Root Yourself in This Love
Meditate on the Proofs: Spend time deliberately reflecting on Romans 8:32 and Luke 12:7. Ask the Holy Spirit to make the reality of this love sink from your head to your heart. Your faith will grow not by trying harder, but by seeing His love more clearly.
Pray from the “Seated” Position: When you pray, remind yourself: “I am coming to my Father who loves me, who has already given me His best. I am seated with Christ, so I ask from a place of belonging, not begging.” Let this identity shape the tone and expectation of your prayers.
Replace the Narrative of Doubt: When the thought “I doubt God will answer” arises, combat it with the declaration: “My Father loves me so much He gave Jesus for me. He will surely give me this good thing I need according to His will.”
Warning: Ignorance of Love Breeds Spiritual Orphanhood
To live unaware of this love is to live like a spiritual orphan—insecure, fearful, and striving. It turns prayer into a performance and God into a taskmaster. The greatest barrier to receiving from God is not His willingness to give, but our failure to understand His heart as a Giver.
Conclusion: Pray to Be Rooted and Grounded in Love
Pray this: “Heavenly Father, overwhelm my heart with the revelation of Your love for me. Help me to truly grasp that I am so valuable to You that You numbered my hairs and gave Your Son for me. Uproot every seed of doubt planted by ignorance of Your love. Let this certainty become the unshakable foundation of my prayers and my life. I receive now, by faith, the assurance that I am fully known, fully loved, and fully cared for by You, in Jesus’ name.”
Action Steps:
The Love Audit: Write down the three biggest worries or needs in your life. Next to each, write: “My Father who gave me Jesus will freely give me what I need regarding this.”
Daily Affirmation: Each morning, look in the mirror and declare: “God knows the number of hairs on my head. I am deeply loved and of infinite value to Him.”
Study the “Love Chapter” in Context: Read and meditate on Romans 8:28-39 this week. It is the ultimate treatise on God’s unshakable love.
Pray with a New Template: For one week, begin every prayer with thanksgiving for a specific evidence of God’s love in your life (e.g., salvation, a provision, a protection). Let thanksgiving for His past love fuel faith for your present request.
Remember: Your prayer life will only ever be as strong as your conviction of God’s love for you. You are not a nuisance; you are the focus of His affection. “The very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore…” (Luke 12:7). You are known. You are loved.
MEMORISE: 1 Thessalonians 5:23 BIBLE READING: Genesis 2:7, 1 Corinthians 2:9-15 As I conclude this series today, I want you to know that God made man with the authority to operate in the physical, soulish, and spirit realms. God made us this way so that while we are still living on earth, we can also have a connection with Him in heaven. God gave man a body so he can live in the physical world and a soul so he can think, feel, and choose (Genesis 2:7). Then, in Job 32:8, the Bible says, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” In other words, we can connect with God through our spirit to receive inspiration from Him. This combination makes us special and differentiates us from animals, plants, and even angels. In the physical realm, our bodies interact with the world through our physical senses: sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell. Beyond that, we have a soul; we have a will and emotions that allow us to think deeply, make decisions, and establish relationships. For example, you can look at people and discern their true intentions even when they try to conceal them. The most important part of man, however, is his spirit. Our spirit allows us to connect with God. It is through our spirits that we hear from Him, understand spiritual truths, and receive Him into our hearts. Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death…” In other words, if people operate in the physical and soulish realms but their spirits are not connected to God, they are as good as dead because they are not operating in their full capacity as human beings. Beloved, paying attention to the physical realm only will cause you to pursue temporary and intangible things. In Ecclesiastes 2:11, Solomon said, “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.” Focusing only on your emotions will cause you to be misled because your feelings cannot be trusted. If you make a decision based on how you feel when you are sad, for instance, before long, you might realise that you have made a terrible decision. The only way you can function in your full capacity and walk in God’s perfect will for your life is when your spirit is connected to the Lord.
MEMORISE: 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This benediction reveals God’s holistic design for humanity—a tripartite being meant to function in integrated wholeness under His lordship. It is a prayer for complete sanctification, affirming that salvation and preservation encompass every dimension of our existence: spirit, soul, and body.
BIBLE READING: Genesis 2:7, 1 Corinthians 2:9-15 Genesis 2:7 shows the divine act of creation, where God formed the body, breathed the spirit, and man became a living soul. 1 Corinthians 2 details the function of the human spirit when regenerated: it is the faculty that receives and discerns the deep things of God, which are foolishness to the natural (soulish) man.
The Integrated Human: Designed for Three-Dimensional Dominion
Daddy Adeboye concludes this powerful series by unveiling the full architecture of human existence. We are not merely physical beings having spiritual experiences, nor are we just spirits trapped in bodies. We are spirit, soul, and body—designed to operate simultaneously in the heavenly, psychological, and earthly realms, with the spirit as the governing connector to God.
1. The Three Realms of Human Operation
The Body (Physical Realm): Our physical form allows us to interact with the material world through our five senses. It is the “tent” we inhabit on earth (2 Corinthians 5:1), the vessel for our earthly assignment. Neglecting it is poor stewardship; worshipping it leads to vanity, as it is temporary.
The Soul (Psychological Realm): This is the seat of our mind (thoughts), will (choices), and emotions (feelings). It is the realm of personality, intellect, desire, and relationship. It is powerful but designed to be informed by the spirit and expressed through the body. Left to itself, it is unstable and easily deceived.
The Spirit (Spiritual Realm): This is the deepest, most essential part of you—the God-breathed part (Job 32:8). It is the organ of worship, the receiver of divine life (zoe), and the conduit for communion with God. It is through your spirit that you are born again (John 3:6) and that you know God (1 Corinthians 2:11-12).
2. The Hierarchy of Design: Spirit Governs Soul, Soul Governs Body
The Tragedy of Reversal: The natural, fallen order is for the body (appetites) to dominate the soul (emotions/thoughts), and for the soul to ignore the spirit. This is the “carnally minded” state, which Romans 8:6 declares is death—not just physical, but spiritual futility and separation from God’s life.
The Divine Order Restored in Christ: Salvation restores the proper chain of command. The Holy Spirit quickens your human spirit (Ephesians 2:5). Your renewed spirit, filled with God’s Word and led by the Holy Spirit, should then enlighten and govern your soul (renewing your mind – Romans 12:2), which in turn disciplines and directs your body for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 9:27).
3. The Peril of Imbalanced Living
Body-Only Focus: The Vanity of Solomon: A life dedicated solely to physical pleasure, material acquisition, and sensory experience ends in “vanity and vexation of spirit” (Ecclesiastes 2:11). It is a pursuit of the temporary that leaves the eternal part of you—your spirit—starved and empty.
Soul-Only Focus: The Deception of Feelings: Making decisions based primarily on fluctuating emotions or unaided intellect is spiritually perilous. Feelings lie, circumstances change, and human wisdom is limited (Proverbs 14:12). A soul unanchored by a spirit-led compass is adrift and easily misled.
How to Live in Integrated Wholeness
Prioritize Your Spirit’s Nourishment: Your spirit is fed by prayer, the Word, worship, and obedience. This is the “daily bread” for your true self. A strong, Spirit-led spirit will correctly guide your soul and body.
Submit Your Soul to Transformation: Consciously bring your thoughts (mind), choices (will), and feelings (emotions) under the authority of God’s Word. Capture rogue thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5). Choose to obey even when you don’t feel like it. This is the renewing of the soul.
Discipline Your Body as a Holy Vessel: Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Treat it with respect through purity, moderation, and health, not as an object of indulgence or neglect. Use its strength to serve God and others.
Warning: Disconnected Living is Sub-Human Existence
To live only in the body and soul while your spirit is dead or dormant toward God is to live as a spiritual zombie—physically and mentally alive, but severed from your true source of life, purpose, and eternal destiny. You are operating at a fraction of your designed capacity.
Conclusion: Pray for Wholeness and Blameless Integration
Pray this: “God of peace, sanctify me wholly—spirit, soul, and body. Breathe fresh life upon my spirit, that it may be the dominant, governing force in my life. Renew my mind, sanctify my emotions, and strengthen my will to obey You. Help me to discipline my body as Your holy temple. I reject a life of vanity ruled by senses and a life of instability ruled by feelings. I choose to live from my spirit, connected to You, so that my whole being may be preserved blameless and fulfill Your perfect will, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
The Daily Connection: Start each day with 5-10 minutes of prayer and Scripture reading beforeengaging with physical needs (phone, news, food). This prioritizes your spirit.
Soul Check-In: Three times daily, pause and ask: “What is governing my decisions right now? My spirit led by God’s Word, or my feelings/cravings?” Realign as needed.
Body as Temple Audit: Choose one way to better honor God with your body this week (e.g., earlier bedtime, healthier food choice, fasting from an unhealthy habit).
Reflect on the Series: Review the key themes of this devotional series—dominion, the Word, light over darkness, freedom from bitterness, the power of words, conscious authority, indwelling peace, and God’s love. See how they all flow from a spirit-led life.
Remember: You are a spirit, who possesses a soul, and lives in a body. Your success in every realm depends on the health and leadership of your spirit, connected to God. This is the path to walking in your full, God-ordained capacity. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly…” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). You are designed for wholeness.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: Deuteronomy 28:2 BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 11:26-27 God loves His children so much (1 John 3:1), and He desires to give them blessings without any sorrow (Proverbs 10:22). However, as a responsible Father, He will not answer some prayers from His children when He knows they are not yet mature enough to handle what they are asking for. For example, no responsible father will give his five-year-old child a car to drive, no matter how much the child asks or begs for it. Likewise, before God gives you some blessings, He will ensure that you have the capacity to handle them and that they will not harm you in any way or distract you from fulfilling His purpose for your life. He will not give His children things they ask for that would end up affecting their destinies negatively or destroying them. 3 John 2 says: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. God wants you to prosper and be in good health, but that is only as your soul prospers and you increasingly become spiritually mature. This is why you must ensure that your soul is prospering by feeding it with the word of God regularly. When you do this, you will begin to prosper and enjoy God’s blessings in every other area of your life. Joshua 1:8 says: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Beloved, when you fill your heart with God’s word, it will set you up to enjoy His blessings and have good success. The Bible also says that if your delight is in the word of God and you meditate on it at all times, you will be so blessed that you will be like a tree planted by the riverbank that not only brings forth its fruit in due season but also never has withered leaves. The Bible further says that all you do will prosper (Psalm 1:2- 3). There are, however, different kinds of blessings you can receive from God. Over the next two days, I will be discussing two of them, which are conditional blessings and irreversible blessings. I pray that God’s blessings will overshadow you, even as you keep growing spiritually and your soul prospers in Him.
MEMORISE: Deuteronomy 28:2 “And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.” This verse establishes the nature of covenant blessings: they are not merely given, but they actively pursue and overtake the obedient. The condition is clear—attentive obedience to God’s voice. The blessings are comprehensive (“all”) and inescapable for those who meet the condition.
BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 11:26-27 This passage sets before God’s people the fundamental choice between blessing and curse. The blessing is contingent upon obedience to God’s commandments. It frames God’s generosity not as arbitrary, but as a consistent, righteous response to the posture of His children.
The Pathway to Sustainable Blessing: Soul Prosperity
Daddy Adeboye introduces a crucial divine principle: God’s desire to bless is unlimited, but His distribution is wise and responsible. Blessings are not isolated gifts; they are linked to the spiritual and moral capacity of the recipient. The ultimate blessing is a life where external prosperity is matched and sustained by internal, soul-level health.
1. The Father’s Wisdom in Withholding
Blessings as a Responsibility, Not Just a Gift: God’s refusal to grant certain requests is not a lack of love, but the pinnacle of it. A car to a five-year-old is a death sentence, not a blessing. Similarly, premature promotion, sudden wealth, or answered prayers rooted in fleshly desire can shipwreck faith and destiny. God prioritizes our eternal well-being over our immediate gratification.
The Law of Capacity: 3 John 2 reveals the divine sequence: soul prosperity first, then all-around prosperity. Your soul—your mind, will, and emotions—must be matured and fortified by God’s Word to properly steward blessing without becoming prideful, distracted, or idolatrous. Blessing without maturity often leads to destruction.
2. The Engine of Soul Prosperity: The Word of God
Meditation as the Key to Transformation: Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2-3 are not about casual reading but deep, continual meditation. This is the process of soul prosperity—allowing the Word to renew your thinking (mind), align your desires (will), and stabilize your feelings (emotions). A prosperous soul thinks biblically, chooses obediently, and rests in God’s peace.
The Unshakeable Life: The Riverbank Tree: The Psalm 1 metaphor depicts the outcome: resilience, perennial fruitfulness, and unbroken prosperity (“all you do will prosper”). This isn’t a life free from storms, but one with an unseen, perpetual source of nourishment that ensures vitality and productivity in due season. The root system (your meditative life) determines the public fruit.
3. The Inevitable Result: Blessings That Pursue
Obedience Activates the Pursuit: When your soul prospers through the Word and obedience, you align yourself with the covenant channel. Blessings become a divine consequence, not a struggle. Deuteronomy 28:2 says they “come on thee and overtake thee.” You no longer chase blessings; you outrun them because you are running on the track of God’s will.
Hearkening to His Voice: The condition is to “hearken”—to listen attentively and obey promptly. This implies a relationship, not just rule-keeping. A prosperous soul is sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s daily guidance, making choices that keep you in the center of God’s benevolent will.
How to Cultivate a Prosperous Soul for Lasting Blessing
Implement Daily Meditation: Choose a verse or short passage each day. Don’t just read it. Chew on it. Ask: What does this say about God? About me? What must I change, believe, or do? Speak it aloud throughout the day.
Pray for Maturity Over Mere Material Gain: Adjust your prayers. Ask, “Lord, prosper my soul to the level where You can trust me with the blessings You desire to give. Make me a steward, not just a consumer.”
Obedience Audit: Regularly ask the Holy Spirit to highlight any area of known disobedience. A single act of willful disobedience can dam the flow of blessing. Prioritize closing those gaps.
Warning: Seeking Blessing Without Soul Prosperity is Dangerous
To crave the fruit (blessings) without tending to the root (your soul) is to invite spiritual catastrophe. It leads to a life where blessings become a burden, success leads to pride, and God’s gifts eclipse God Himself. This is the path of the backslider.
Conclusion: Pray for Rootedness and Readiness
Pray this: “Heavenly Father, thank You for being a wise and loving Father. I desire sustainable blessings that bring You glory. First, prosper my soul. Saturate my mind with Your Word, align my will with Yours, and steady my emotions with Your peace. Build in me the capacity to handle every blessing You have ordained for my life. Let my life be so rooted in You that blessings overtake me as I walk in joyful obedience, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
Soul Prosperity Journal: For the next 7 days, write down one key truth from your meditation and one practical step of obedience it requires.
The Capacity Prayer: Each morning, pray: “Father, make me more spiritually mature today than I was yesterday. Prepare me for the blessings You have prepared for me.”
Identify One Area of Delayed Obedience: Is there a clear instruction from God’s Word or the Holy Spirit you have been postponing? Obey it this week. This act opens channels.
Prepare for the Series: Begin to reflect: What “conditional blessings” have you seen in Scripture? What makes a blessing “irreversible”?
Remember: God is not withholding; He is preparing. Your primary assignment is not to seek blessings, but to seek the Blesser and let Him cultivate in you a soul that can bear the weight of His glory. “For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8). Your success is tied to your soul’s diet.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: 3 John 2 BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 28:1-14 Many times, when we come across a blessing while reading the Bible, we tend to rejoice and ‘claim’ that blessing. However, as a Mathematician, I have learned that for certain equations to work as expected, certain conditions must be met. Thus, when I see a blessing in the Bible, I always want to dig deeper to see the conditions that must be met for me to enjoy the blessing. Some Christians don’t enjoy some blessings God has pronounced upon them primarily because they are either ignorant of the required conditions or have failed to fulfil them. Therefore, it is very important that you know the conditions that are attached to God’s promises so you can fulfil and maintain those conditions in order to enjoy the blessings. Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:1-3 In the Scripture above, God gave seven blessings to Abraham based on the following conditions: He instructed him to leave his country, kindred, and father’s house in search of a land He would show him. So, for Abraham to enjoy these blessings, he had to fulfil all the conditions that God gave him. Abraham left his father’s house and his country in search of the land God promised him as he was instructed, but he took one of his kindred (Lot) with him, thereby flouting one of the conditions. As a result, the blessings God promised him remained on hold until Lot separated from Abraham in Genesis 13:14-15. Today’s Bible reading contains some very beautiful promises. However, you should not get carried away by the promises alone; you should also take note of the conditions attached to them. God said that you must hearken diligently to His word and not turn away from it in order to enjoy the blessings. If you read further down in verses 15-08, you will see the consequences of not fulfilling the conditions the blessings were hinged upon. Beloved, if you meet God’s conditions, you will enjoy His blessings. However, if you do not meet them, you will not be able to receive or enjoy them.
MEMORISE: 3 John 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” This apostolic prayer reaffirms the inseparable link between internal spiritual health and external holistic blessing. It establishes that the highest form of prosperity is a consequence of a soul that is thriving through obedience, truth, and godly character (3 John 3-4). Blessing flows from being, not merely from asking.
BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 28:1-14 This passage is the classic covenant text on blessing. It vividly details the comprehensive, tangible, and overwhelming favors that will pursue and overtake God’s people. However, its opening words are unequivocal: “And it shall come to pass, IF thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God…” (v.1). The entire list of blessings rests on this conditional clause.
The Mathematics of Covenant: Condition Precedes Blessing
Daddy Adeboye, using his analytical background, provides a master key to understanding God’s promises: the principle of conditional covenant. God’s blessings are not random acts of kindness but specific, promissory notes with clear terms for fulfillment. Ignorance or neglect of these terms is a primary reason believers live beneath their covenant privileges.
1. The Necessity of Scrutinizing the “Fine Print”
Beyond Claiming to Understanding: Many believers “claim” promises by highlighting the blessing while ignoring the attached commandment. This is spiritual presumption. Daddy Adeboye teaches that every divine equation has a formula. Joyful discovery of a blessing must be followed by a diligent search for its conditional clause (the “if” or “when” attached to it).
The Peril of Selective Obedience: The Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3) is presented as a case study. God gave seven profound blessings, conditional upon three clear, consecutive commands: leave your country, leave your kindred, leave your father’s house. Abraham’s partial obedience—taking Lot (his kindred)—caused a divine pause on the blessing flow until full obedience was achieved (Genesis 13:14-15). Partial obedience equals delayed promise.
2. The Deuteronomy 28 Paradigm: Diligent Hearkening
“Hearken Diligently” Defined: This condition (Deuteronomy 28:1) involves more than casual hearing. It means:
Attentive Listening: Giving God’s Word your full focus.
Heart Understanding: Seeking to comprehend its full meaning and intent.
Willful Submission: A resolved commitment to obey what is heard.
Consistent Application: Making it the rule of life.
The Blessings are Comprehensive and Practical: Verses 3-14 list blessings in every realm: urban and rural life, offspring, agriculture, livestock, commerce, defense, national prestige, and spiritual authority. This shows God’s desire for holistic dominion. However, each one is contingent on that foundational posture of diligent obedience.
3. The Consequence of Condition-Neglect
Blessings Withheld, Not Cancelled: Abraham’s story shows that conditional blessings are placed on hold, not revoked, when conditions are unmet. God is patient, but the blessing timeline is directly tied to the obedience timeline. The delay is meant to prompt correction.
Opening the Door to the Opposite: Deuteronomy 28:15 makes it stark: disobedience does not result in a neutral state but actively invokes the “curses” listed thereafter. You either meet the conditions for blessing or, by default, align with the conditions for lack and struggle. There is no covenantal middle ground.
How to Align for Conditional Blessings
Adopt a “Condition-First” Bible Study Approach: When you read a promise, immediately ask: “Lord, what is required of me? What is the ‘if’ attached to this ‘then’?” Use a concordance or study tool to see the full context.
Audit Your Life Against Known Conditions: Take a major promise you are believing for (e.g., Psalm 91:1-16 for protection). List its explicit or implicit conditions (dwelling in the secret place, acknowledging God’s name, etc.). Honestly assess: Am I meeting these?
Pursue Comprehensive, Not Partial, Obedience: Identify your “Lot”—the person, habit, or association God has instructed you to leave behind that you’ve rationalized keeping. Make the decisive separation. Full obedience releases full blessing.
Warning: Ignorance is Not an Excuse
To be ignorant of the conditions attached to God’s promises is a form of negligence for which we are responsible. God has revealed His terms in His Word. It is our duty to study and align. We cannot claim the benefits of a contract we refuse to read.
Conclusion: Pray for a Hearkening Heart
Pray this: “Heavenly Father, deliver me from selective hearing and partial obedience. Give me the diligence to study, understand, and fulfil every condition attached to Your precious promises. Forgive me for every ‘Lot’ I have clung to in disobedience. Align my heart to hearken diligently to Your voice in all things. I choose today to meet Your terms, trusting that as I do, every blessing ordained for me will be released and overtake me, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
The Promise-Condition Chart: Take 3 key promises you are standing on. Write them in one column. In a second column, write the clear conditions attached. In a third, write your action step to fully meet that condition.
The Obedience Adjustment: Identify one area of partial obedience in your life (something God has said that you’ve done halfway). This week, complete it.
Contextual Reading: As you read Deuteronomy 28:1-14 today, also read verses 15-68. Let the stark contrast deepen your reverence for God’s conditional covenant.
Prepare for Tomorrow: Begin to reflect: What blessings has God sworn to that are unconditionaland irreversible because they depend solely on His character?
Remember: God is a covenant-keeping God. His promises are yes and amen. Your role is to meet the terms of the covenant with a willing and obedient heart. The blessings are sure, but they are not cheap. *”If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God… all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee.” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2). Your obedience activates your inheritance.*
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: Hebrews:13-14 BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 7:1-16 In today’s Bible reading, God told David, “Even if your son offends me after you have died, I will only discipline him; I will not take My mercy away from him. I will establish your throne forever, no matter what happens.” This was why Jesus, the King of kings, introduced Himself as the root and the offspring of David in Revelation 22:16. That is a very good example of an irreversible blessing. When you read today’s Bible reading closely, you will notice that God’s pronouncement came just after David decided to build Him a house. This was something no one had ever done for Him before then. In Genesis 22:1-8, God gave Abraham a little test by asking him to sacrifice his son. When Abraham passed the test, God swore by Himself to bless him. …By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Genesis 22:16-18 God did not need to swear because once He speaks, it is done. However, He swore to show that the blessing He was pronouncing over Abraham could never be reversed. This tells us that in order to get an irreversible blessing from God, you have to do something that will touch His heart. God can bless you irreversibly when you do something that impresses Him. Another person who can pronounce an irreversible blessing on you is your father. In Genesis 21:30-33, the Bible says that not long after Isaac blessed Jacob, Esau returned from hunting. When their father discovered that he had blessed the wrong fellow, he told Esau that Jacob had been blessed and that the blessing could not be reversed. When you read the passage closely, you will also notice that Jacob got this irreversible blessing just after he had made a special meal that pleased his father. If you can do something that pleases your father such that he blesses you from his heart, the blessing will be irreversible. I pray that God will give you irreversible blessings, in Jesus’ name.
MEMORISE: Hebrews 6:13-14 (Corrected reference. The provided “Hebrews 13:14” is incorrect for this context.) “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” This passage explains the divine mechanism for an irreversible promise: God, having no higher authority, swore by His own immutable nature. This double confirmation—His promise and His oath—makes the blessing unchangeable, anchored in God’s very being.
BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 7:1-16 This is the Davidic Covenant. After David’s heartfelt desire to build God a house, God instead promises to build David an everlasting house (dynasty). The terms are unconditional and based on God’s sovereign choice and promise. Even future disobedience by David’s heirs will bring chastisement, but not a revocation of the covenant.
The Unshakeable Blessing: Sealed by Divine Oath
Daddy Adeboye culminates his teaching on blessings by revealing the highest tier: the irreversible blessing. This is not a conditional covenant but an unconditional, oath-bound decree from God. It is a blessing that transcends human failure and is secured solely by God’s faithfulness, often prompted by a heart-moving act of devotion.
1. The Nature of Irreversible Blessings
Covenants, Not Just Promises: An irreversible blessing is more than a promise; it is a covenant enacted by God’s oath. In the case of Abraham (Genesis 22) and David (2 Samuel 7), God initiates a binding, unilateral covenant. Its fulfillment depends on God’s integrity, not human performance. This is grace in its purest form.
The Divine Oath: The Ultimate Guarantee: God swearing by Himself (Hebrews 6:13) is the highest possible assurance in the universe. It means He has staked His own name, character, and existence on the fulfillment of the blessing. To break it would be to deny His own nature—an impossibility.
2. The Catalysts for Irreversible Blessings
Actions That Touch God’s Heart: Both biblical examples highlight a divine pattern: an irreversible decree is often preceded by a human act of extraordinary love, sacrifice, or initiative that “impresses” or deeply pleases God.
David: Offered to build God a physical house, a gesture of honor no king before him had considered. In response, God promised him an eternal dynasty.
Abraham: Demonstrated radical, obedient faith in offering his only son, Isaac. In response, God swore by Himself to multiply Abraham’s seed eternally.
The Principle of Pleasing a Father: The analogy of Isaac blessing Jacob is profound. Jacob received an irreversible paternal blessing after preparing a meal that pleased his father. This illustrates that heartfelt, sacrificial service and obedience that brings genuine pleasure to God (or to divinely appointed authority) can position one for blessings that cannot be taken back.
3. The Security of Irreversible Blessings
Unshaken by Human Failure: The Davidic Covenant explicitly states that if David’s descendants sin, they will be disciplined “with the rod of men,” but God’s mercy and the throne itself will not be taken away (2 Samuel 7:14-15). The covenant survives human frailty. This points directly to the eternal kingship of Jesus Christ, the ultimate Son of David.
The Legacy of Christ: All irreversible blessings find their “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). Believers are grafted into the Abrahamic blessing (Galatians 3:14) and become part of the eternal Kingdom promised to David. In Christ, we inherit blessings that are irrevocable.
How to Position Yourself for Irreversible Blessings
Cultivate a Heart of Extravagant Devotion: Move beyond routine obedience. Ask God, “What can I do that would bring You unique joy?” This might be a specific sacrifice, an act of worship, a step of faith, or a work of love that goes beyond the expected.
Serve to Please, Not to Earn: The motivation is key. David and Abraham acted from love and faith, not manipulation. Serve God and His delegated authorities (spiritual parents, leaders) with a pure heart, seeking to genuinely bless them, not to extract a blessing.
Anchor Your Faith in God’s Covenant, Not Your Consistency: Place your ultimate trust in the oath-bound promises of God in Christ—your salvation, your inheritance, His eternal presence. These are your irreversible blessings. Live from the security they provide.
Warning: Do Not Mistake Conditional for Irreversible
Not every blessing is irreversible. Many are conditional upon our ongoing obedience (as discussed yesterday). Confusing the two leads to presumption (treating conditional promises as automatic) or to insecurity (fearing that God’s core covenant love can be lost).
Conclusion: Pray to Be a Vessel of Covenant Blessing
Pray this: “Sovereign Lord, who swears by Your own name, I stand in awe of Your irreversible covenants. Thank You for the unshakeable blessings I have in Jesus Christ. Stir in my heart a desire to please You in extraordinary ways. Lead me to acts of faith, love, and sacrifice that flow from a pure heart, simply to bring You joy. As I walk in obedience, let my life become a conduit for Your eternal and irrevocable purposes, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
Meditate on the Covenants: Spend time this week meditating on the Abrahamic (Genesis 15, 22) and Davidic (2 Samuel 7) Covenants. See their fulfillment in Christ.
The “Pleasing God” Inquiry: In prayer, ask the Holy Spirit: “What one thing can I do this month that would bring You special pleasure?” Listen and obey.
Write Your Inheritance: List the blessings you have in Christ that are irreversible because they depend on His oath (e.g., eternal life, the indwelling Spirit, your sealed inheritance). Give thanks for them daily.
Honor Spiritual Authority: Identify one way you can genuinely honor and serve your spiritual father/pastor or parents this week, not for gain, but as unto the Lord.
Remember: The greatest irreversible blessing is your salvation and sonship in Christ. From that secure position, your life of faithful devotion can release further covenant blessings that echo into eternity. “Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.” (Hebrews 6:14). His oath is your anchor.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: Joel 2:25-26 BIBLE READING: Mark 8:22-25 Divine restoration is God’s act of bringing a person or something back to its intended state. For example, when something that God created to be full becomes empty, a divine restoration will be required for it to become full again. God can restore what seems to have been lost forever. No matter what the case may be, l want you to know that you serve a God who can raise dry bones and make them a mighty army (Ezekiel 37:1-14). I pray for you right now that the Lord will restore whatever things you have lost that seem impossible to regain, in Jesus’ name. In today’s Bible reading, we see the story of a man who was blind and was brought to Jesus for healing. Jesus spat on his eyes, touched him, and asked if he could see. The man said that he could see men as trees, walking. This tells us that he was probably not born blind; he must have seen trees and men before then. He used to see, but for some reason, he became blind. Jesus gave him a second touch, and then, he began to see clearly. The man had a divine encounter that restored his sight. I decree a divine restoration of any good thing you might have lost, in Jesus’ name. In Genesis 18:9-14, when God paid Abraham a visit and said that Sarah would have a baby in nine months, Sarah laughed. This was because, at that time, she was 90 years old. In Romans 4:17-21, the Bible described Sarah’s womb as ‘dead’. Nevertheless, God has the power to reverse the irreversible. If He could make the womb of a 90-year-old woman to carry a baby for nine months and cause her to deliver safely, what can He not do? In Jeremiah 32:27, the Almighty God said: Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Beloved, do you need a divine restoration in any area of your life? Call on God today, and He will restore anything in your life that is not working as He intended back to its original state. Don’t continue putting up with what is not working in your life as God intends. He can restore everything the enemy might have stolen from you. Cry out to Him in prayer with faith in your heart, and you will experience a divine restoration to His original plan for your life, in Jesus’ name.
MEMORISE: Joel 2:25-26 “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.” This is God’s covenant promise of comprehensive restoration. It is not merely about replacement, but about a superabundant recovery of lost time, fruit, and dignity. The agents of destruction (“my great army”) are named, showing God’s sovereignty even over the process of loss, and His commitment to redeem it fully.
BIBLE READING: Mark 8:22-25 This unique two-stage healing illustrates the process of divine restoration. It moves from blindness, to partial/imperfect sight (“men as trees, walking”), to full clarity. This shows that God’s restoration is often progressive, patient, and complete, addressing not just the fact of loss but the quality of recovery.
The Promise of Complete Recovery
Daddy Adeboye unveils God as the Master Restorer, specializing in recovering the seemingly irrecoverable. Divine restoration is defined as a return to God’s “intended state”—a revival of purpose, function, and fullness that has been lost, stolen, or decayed.
1. The Scope of Restoration: From Dry Bones to Wasted Years
Restoration of Life (Ezekiel 37): God’s power to restore is not limited by the degree of decay. Dry bones represent total, hopeless loss—situations that are not just sick but dead, scattered, and devoid of life. God’s restoration here is creative, reassembling, re-animating, and mobilizing for purpose. Your “dry bone” situation is a platform for His glory.
Restoration of Time and Fruit (Joel 2:25): The “years the locust hath eaten” speaks of lost opportunities, wasted seasons, and stolen productivity. God promises not just to compensate you, but to restore the years themselves—to redeem the time in such a way that the harvest of those lost years is still gathered. It is a supernatural acceleration and recovery.
2. The Process of Restoration: The Second Touch
The Reality of Partial Recovery: The blind man’s initial healing (“I see men as trees, walking”) is crucial. It represents a good but incomplete restoration—a common experience where a problem is alleviated but not perfected, where a blessing returns but not in full measure. Don’t settle for the first touch.
The Need for Persistent Faith: The man did not hide his imperfect sight from Jesus. He honestly stated his condition, remaining in the place of need. This positioned him for the “second touch” that brought perfect clarity. Your restoration may require persistent faith, refusing to settle until you see God’s original, perfect intent fulfilled.
3. The Power to Reverse the Irreversible
Restoring Dead Wombs (Genesis 18 / Romans 4): Sarah’s womb was not just barren; it was “dead” (Romans 4:19) by all natural and medical standards. God’s restoration power defies biological clocks, medical reports, and economic forecasts. He injects life and creative power into areas pronounced dead, making them fruitful again.
The God of All Flesh (Jeremiah 32:27): This title is key. “All flesh” represents every human limitation, system, and circumstance. Nothing in the realm of created reality is beyond His restorative power. The question “Is there anything too hard for me?” is a rhetorical challenge to our faith, inviting us to bring Him our most impossible case.
How to Partner with God for Your Restoration
Identify and Name Your Loss: Be specific. Is it lost years? A dead dream? Stolen joy? A broken relationship? A “withered” opportunity? Name it before God like the prophets named the locusts. You cannot recover what you haven’t acknowledged as lost.
Refuse to Settle for Partial Recovery: If you have experienced a “first touch” but things are still fuzzy—you have a job but not fulfillment, healing but not full strength—cry out like the blind man. Stay before Jesus until He completes the work.
Pray with Faith in the God Who Raises the Dead: Base your prayer on the character of the Restorer, not the size of the ruins. Pray from Joel 2:25 and Ezekiel 37. “Lord, You who restore years and raise dry bones, restore _________ in my life to Your intended state.”
Warning: Putting Up With Less is an Affront to the Restorer
To resign yourself to a life of lack, brokenness, or perpetual loss is to tolerate a state that contradicts God’s original design and redemptive power. It is to live beneath your covenant rights in Christ. Your dissatisfaction is holy; it should drive you to Him.
Conclusion: Pray for a Comprehensive Restoration
Pray this: “Almighty God, Restorer of all things, I bring before You the years eaten by locusts, the areas of my life that resemble dry bones, and every good thing that has been lost or stolen. I refuse to settle for partial recovery. I ask for Your second touch, Your life-giving breath. Reverse every irreversible verdict against me. Restore me fully to Your intended state of purpose, abundance, and joy. Let my life become a testimony that will cause me to eat in plenty, be satisfied, and praise Your name, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
The Locust List: Write down the specific “locusts” (bad decisions, attacks, losses) that have eaten your years or fruit. Present this list to God in prayer, claiming Joel 2:25 over each one.
The “Second Touch” Petition: Identify one area where you have a “partial” restoration. This week, specifically and persistently ask God for the “second touch” to bring perfect clarity and wholeness.
Declare Life Over Dead Areas: Speak to your “dead womb” situation daily. Use God’s question as your declaration: “Is there anything too hard for the LORD? Therefore, [name your dead area], live and bear fruit in Jesus’ name!”
Testify in Advance: Begin to thank God for your restoration as if it is already complete. Praise is the climate in which restoration flourishes.
Remember: The God who promised to restore the years is the same God who raised Christ from the dead. Your restoration is not a question of His ability, but of your faith to believe and receive it. “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten…” (Joel 2:25). Your season of recovery has come.
MEMORISE: Deuteronomy 1:11 BIBLE READING: Genesis 26:12-14 It is good to grow, but according to Genesis 1:27-28, your growth should be in multiples. God’s original plan for us is to increase by multiplication and not just by addition. Increase by addition is good, but that is a basic expectation. For example, it is expected that a child should be promoted from one class this year to the next class the following year. However, if a child is moved two or more classes higher than his or her current class within the space of one year, that commands special notice. As a child of God, you are not like everyone else; you are special, and this means that you are not only expected to increase but also to multiply in every area of your life. In today’s Bible reading, we can see that Isaac sowed in the land, and in the same year, he had a hundredfold harvest. Today’s memory verse also says that God can multiply you a thousandfold. In Genesis 21:1-7, Abraham and Sarah had one son, Isaac. However, in Genesis 25:21-26, the Bible recorded that Isaac gave birth to a set of twins. If you read further to Genesis 35:22-20, you will see that one of the twins gave birth to 12 sons. In Genesis 40:21, the 12 sons had become 70 people and in Exodus 12:37, their number had increased to 600,000 men, excluding children and women. Child of God, stop limiting yourself by only seeking to increase by addition. Instead, you should aim for multiplication because that is your God-given mandate. When I became the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, I was 39 years old. God had told my Father in the Lord that his successor would take the church around the world, even though the church was only in Nigeria at that time. If I were seeking increase by addition, expanding to one new country per year to establish God’s kingdom, the church would only be in about 45 countries at the moment instead of the over 190 countries that the RCCG is currently established in. There was no way we could have achieved our God-given mandate without multiplication. Beloved, to truly fulfil God’s purpose for your life, you should seek to multiply. He gave you the mandate to multiply right from the beginning of creation in Genesis 1:28. Don’t limit your potential by having a mediocre mindset about increase. Trust God to enlarge your coast exponentially, and by His grace, you will begin to multiply.
MEMORISE: Deuteronomy 1:11 “(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)” This is a prophetic blessing and revelation of God’s exponential capacity for increase. It transcends reasonable expectation (“a thousand times so many more”) and is rooted in His promise, not in human effort alone. It defines the scope of blessing available to the covenant people.
BIBLE READING: Genesis 26:12-14 This passage records Isaac’s supernatural breakthrough in a time of famine. He sowed and received a hundredfold in the same year. This wasn’t just a good harvest; it was a miraculous, multiplicative yield that propelled him into great wealth and prominence, making the Philistines envious.
The Mathematics of Heaven: Multiplication vs. Addition
Daddy Adeboye introduces a divine paradigm for progress. While the world operates on linear addition (steady, incremental growth), God’s original mandate and covenant pattern is exponential multiplication. For the believer, multiplicative increase is not an anomaly; it is the expected outcome of operating under the blessing.
1. The Creation Mandate: Be Fruitful and Multiply
The First Command to Humanity: Genesis 1:28 establishes multiplication as God’s foundational command for mankind. It is wired into our spiritual DNA. To be content with mere addition is to live below our created purpose. Multiplication affects every realm: spiritual influence, financial resources, intellectual breakthroughs, and soul harvest.
The Difference Between Addition and Multiplication:
Addition: 1 + 1 = 2. Gradual, predictable, within natural limits. “Promotion to the next class.”
Multiplication: 10 x 10 = 100. Accelerated, exponential, surpassing natural limits. “Skipping multiple classes.” Multiplication is supernatural growth on a natural foundation.
2. Biblical Blueprints of Multiplication
The Isaac Principle: Hundredfold in Famine (Genesis 26): Isaac sowed in obedience during a famine (adverse conditions) and reaped a hundredfold. This shows multiplication isn’t dependent on ideal circumstances but on God’s blessing upon obedience. His harvest was so vast it was measurable (“he became very great”).
The Abrahamic Legacy: From One to Nations (Genesis 12-Exodus 12): The devotional traces the multiplicative journey: 1 (Isaac) → 2 (twins) → 12 (tribes) → 70 (clan) → 600,000+ men (a nation). This is the covenant blessing in motion across generations. One act of obedience (Abraham’s faith) released a multiplicative legacy that altered history.
The RCCG Testimony: From Nigeria to Nations: Daddy Adeboye’s personal testimony is a modern-day case study. Addition (one country per year) would have yielded ~45 countries. Multiplication (divine acceleration and global simultaneous growth) yielded over 190. Multiplication is essential for fulfilling a global God-given mandate within a lifetime.
3. The Mindset for Multiplication
Reject the Mediocre Mindset: A mindset of addition is a “mediocre mindset” that limits God. It plans based on current resources and linear projections. The multiplicative mindset plans based on God’s promise and expects sudden, overwhelming increase.
Enlarge Your Expectation: You must “trust God to enlarge your coast exponentially.” This means praying, planning, and believing for a thousand times more (Deuteronomy 1:11), for a hundredfold return, for influence that reaches multiples. Your faith sets the container for God’s blessing.
How to Position for Multiplicative Increase
Sow Obediently, Especially in Famine: Your act of obedience (time, talent, treasure, testimony) in a difficult season is the seed for a hundredfold harvest. Don’t withhold in hard times; this is often God’s setup for multiplication.
Pray the Deuteronomy 1:11 Prayer Over Your Life: Regularly declare this scripture over your family, your finances, your ministry, and your impact. “Lord, make me a thousand times so many more as I am, and bless me as You have promised!”
Plan for Multiplication, Not Just Addition: In your goals, ask: “What would a hundredfold increase look like in this area?” Then, create systems and develop capacity in faith to receive and manage that level of increase. Don’t let your logistics limit your faith, but let your faith inspire your logistics.
Warning: An Addition Mindset Caps Your Destiny
If you only believe for and plan for incremental growth, you will automatically disqualify yourself from the supernatural leaps, explosive breakthroughs, and legacy-level impact that come through multiplication. You will work harder, not smarter under the blessing.
Conclusion: Pray for Exponential Enlargement
Pray this: “Lord God of my fathers, I embrace Your original mandate to multiply. I reject every mediocre, additive mindset. According to Your word in Deuteronomy 1:11, make me a thousand times more than I am in grace, wisdom, resources, and influence. Give me the hundredfold harvest like Isaac, even in challenging seasons. Align my thinking, my prayers, and my actions with the mathematics of heaven. Enlarge my coast exponentially for the sake of Your glory and the fulfillment of my destiny, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
The Multiplication Audit: Choose one key area of your life (finances, soul-winning, skill development). What would “addition” look like this year? Now, what would “multiplication” (10x, 100x) look like? Write down the multiplicative goal.
Identify Your Famine Seed: What is a specific, obedient step you can take right now that feels like sowing in a “famine”? Commit to sowing that seed this week as an act of faith for multiplicative return.
Study a Multiplier: Study the life of Isaac (Genesis 26) or the early church (Acts 2:41, 47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7; 12:24) noting the language of multiplication. Journal what you learn about the conditions for such growth.
Upgrade Your Language: Replace “I hope I get a little better” with “I believe for a hundredfold increase.” Let your confession align with the mandate.
Remember: You serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of exponential increase. Your growth should command special notice. Don’t just go up a class; skip grades. “(The LORD… make you a thousand times so many more as ye are…)” (Deuteronomy 1:11). This is your portion.
MEMORISE: Philippians 2:10-11 BIBLE READING: Mark 16:17-18 To subdue means to overcome and then exercise dominion. In Genesis 39:1-6, Joseph was brought into Potiphar’s house as a slave. However, God’s blessing made a way for him, and Potiphar put him in charge of everything in his house. When Joseph ended up in prison after his master’s wife lied against him, he was asked to be in charge of the prison’s affairs (Genesis 39:20-23). Eventually, Joseph ended up being a mighty ruler in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:42-44 According to Philippians 2:9-11, you can control situations and circumstances because of the name of Jesus Christ. Likewise, Mark 16:17-18 says: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. As a child of God, you have access to the name of Jesus Christ, and this means that you should operate in dominion – you should be unstoppable. In Acts 5:17-29, when Peter and his colleagues were imprisoned, the angel of the Lord came at night and set them free. When Peter was captured and put in prison again in Acts 12:1-17, God moved again and set him free. Beloved, your story will only get better than it is currently so long as Jesus Christ is your Lord and Saviour. Proverbs 4:18 says that the path of the just is as a shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. This means that, no matter what the enemy has done, your life is to be better today than it was yesterday. Believe in the name of Jesus wholeheartedly and use His name to subdue any negative situation that arises around you. This way, you will indeed walk in dominion, and nothing will be able to stop you.
MEMORISE: Philippians 2:10-11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This scripture reveals the supreme, universal authority vested in the name of Jesus. It is not a request but a cosmic reality: every power, principality, circumstance, and system—both visible and invisible—is compelled to acknowledge His lordship. This is the legal basis for our dominion.
BIBLE READING: Mark 16:17-18 These verses are the risen Christ’s declaration of the victorious signs that will authenticate the message of believers. They are not optional extras but expected evidences of faith in His name. They demonstrate the believer’s authority over demons, poison, disease, and even the laws of nature, all exercised through His name.
The Unstoppable Dominion in Jesus’ Name
Daddy Adeboye brings the series on dominion to a powerful crescendo: the practical instrument of our authority is the name of Jesus. Subduing is not by our might but by the legal and spiritual power of His name. The believer’s life is meant to be a progressive, unstoppable victory, moving from glory to greater glory.
1. The Joseph Blueprint: Subduing Through the Blessing
Dominion in Every Context: Joseph’s life is a masterclass in dominion through divine favor. As a slave, he subdued Potiphar’s house. As a prisoner, he subdued the prison system. As a prime minister, he subdued a nation and a region. His environment changed, but the principle remained: God’s blessing and gifting upon him caused him to rise to leadership and control in every scenario. The blessing subdues.
The Protocol of Power: Pharaoh’s decree—”without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt”—illustrates total delegated authority. Joseph’s word became law. This is a shadow of the authority we have in Christ: nothing in our sphere of destiny should move without our God-led initiative and command.
2. The Supreme Instrument: The Name of Jesus
The Name That Commands Universal Obedience: Philippians 2:10-11 is the believer’s charter. The name of Jesus is our “Pharaoh’s ring.” It carries the full weight of heaven’s authority. When we speak and act in that name, we are not begging; we are administering the lordship of Christ over situations. Demons, sickness, lack, and chaos must bow.
The Signs That Follow Believers: Mark 16:17-18 lists the practical outworking of this dominion. It is not for a select few “super apostles”; it is for “them that believe.” Using the name to cast out devils, heal the sick, and nullify poisons are acts of subduing creation back under God’s order. It is exercising our delegated kingship.
3. The Unstoppable, Progressive Journey
The Inevitable Improvement of the Just: Proverbs 4:18 is a divine promise: the path of the just grows brighter, culminating in “the perfect day.” This means your life in Christ is wired for progressive victory. No matter yesterday’s setback, today should be better, and tomorrow brighter. Setbacks are temporary; the forward and upward trajectory is guaranteed.
The Angelic Enforcement of Freedom (Acts 5 & 12): Peter’s prison breaks demonstrate that when you are operating in your God-ordained dominion (preaching the Word), no human prison can hold you. God dispatches angelic agencies to enforce your freedom and ensure your mission continues. You are unstoppable when you are on assignment.
How to Exercise Dominion Through The Name
Speak to Situations with Authoritative Faith: Don’t just pray about the mountain; speak to the mountain in the name of Jesus (Mark 11:23). Command sickness to leave, debts to be cleared, and confusion to cease. Use the name as your official seal on every decree.
Live from a Consciousness of Victory: Your internal narrative must shift from “I hope I get through this” to “In the name of Jesus, I subdue this challenge. Everything in my life must bow to the lordship of Christ I represent.” This confidence changes your posture.
Use the Name as a Lifestyle, Not a Last Resort: Incorporate the authority of Jesus’ name into your daily routine. Bless your home, your commute, your work in His name. Command your day to align with God’s purpose in His name. Make dominion a consistent practice.
Warning: To Neglect the Name is to Forfeit Your Authority
Having access to the most powerful name in the universe but living in fear and defeat is a tragedy. It is like owning a master key to every locked door but choosing to remain confined. Ignorance or timidity in using the name of Jesus leaves you vulnerable to situations you are meant to control.
Conclusion: Pray to Walk in Conscious Authority
Pray this: “Lord Jesus, I thank You for the all-powerful name that is above every name. I receive and embrace the authority You have delegated to me as a believer. Today, I rise in Your name. I subdue every negative circumstance—every sickness, lack, fear, and attack—by the power of Your name. I declare that my path shines brighter and brighter. I am unstoppable, for greater is He that is in me. Let every knee bow and every tongue confess Your lordship in every area of my life, in Jesus’ mighty name!”
Action Steps:
The Name Declarations: Write down 3 persistent problems. Craft a specific, authoritative command addressing each one, ending with “…in the name of Jesus.” Speak them daily.
Study a Subduer: Study Acts 3:1-16 and Acts 16:16-18. Note how Peter and Paul used the name of Jesus. Model your approach after theirs.
Create a “Dominion Log”: Record instances where you consciously used the name of Jesus in faith and the outcome. Let this build your confidence.
Proclaim Your Progress: Each night, thank God for one way your “path was brighter” today than yesterday. This reinforces the Proverbs 4:18 reality.
Remember: You are not pleading for God to act. You are enforcing what Christ has already accomplished. The name of Jesus is your mandate to subdue. Use it, and nothing will be able to stop you. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” (Philippians 2:10). Command your world to bow.
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: Genesis 20:13 BIBLE READING: 2 Kings 4:8-17 Growing up, my father was so poor that even poor people called him poor. However, God decided to pick the son of a man whose colleagues said could never build a house and began to do great things through him. It is rare to find someone with two honorary doctorate degrees from prestigious universities. After I had received seven of such honorary doctorate degrees, I thought to myself that it was a perfect number already, and I decided not to receive such degrees again. Shortly after, I got a letter from a university in the U.S.A offering me yet another honorary doctorate degree. I tried to politely decline this by telling them that I would not be available on the day of the award ceremony because of other engagements. However, they decided to come and award me the degree in Nigeria. Beloved, God can move you from good to very good. Elisha seemed to be doing really well as a farmer (1 Kings 19:19-21). However, he left everything and became Elijah’s servant. In today’s Bible reading, a Shunammite woman compelled Elisha to eat in her house. He accepted her invitation and kept going back there to eat whenever he passed by. The woman then decided to create a small apartment for him within her home so that he would be able to stop by, eat, and rest properly anytime he passed by on his travels. After some time, the Spirit of God prompted Elisha to ask her if she needed anything. At this time, Elisha had become so influential that kings obeyed him. He had moved from good to very good. Elisha’s exploits were so profound that kings started talking about him (2 Kings 6:11-13, 2 Kings 8:4-5). In the same vein, God wants you to move to a higher level of influence and grace. However, the question is, can He trust you with the hearts and ears of kings? When Naaman came to Elisha for healing, Elisha didn’t take advantage of him (2 Kings 5:16). Likewise, when the king of Syria sent soldiers to arrest him, he captured them, fed them, and let them go back unhurt to their master (2 Kings 6:22). Beloved, if you want God to keep taking you higher, you must not be greedy, and you must be compassionate. You must also never harbour unforgiveness in your heart. Make up your mind to remain faithful to Him forever if you have yet to do so, and He will continue to take you higher.
MEMORISE: Genesis 20:13 *(Note: The provided reference Genesis 20:13 appears to be an error. The verse reads: “And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.” This does not align thematically with the devotional. It is more likely the intended verse was related to God’s exaltation, such as Psalm 75:6-7 or 1 Samuel 2:7-8. Given the context, the foundational truth will be drawn from the devotional’s core theme.)*
Foundational Truth: God is the one who exalts the humble and causes them to move from good to very good. Promotion comes from the Lord (Psalm 75:6-7), and He lifts the poor from the dust (1 Samuel 2:8).
BIBLE READING: 2 Kings 4:8-17 This passage illustrates the principle of divine elevation through service and integrity. Elisha, having left his prosperous farm to serve Elijah, now moves in such grace that a wealthy woman builds a prophet’s chamber for him. His godly influence grows until he operates at a national level, yet he remains accessible and compassionate.
The Journey from Good to Very Good: The Pathway of Trust
Daddy Adeboye uses his personal testimony and the life of Elisha to outline God’s pattern for promotion. Divine elevation is not merely about talent or hard work; it is about God’s sovereign grace working through a character that can be trusted with greater influence and blessing.
1. The Divine Initiation: From Obscurity to Influence
God Chooses the Unlikely: The testimony of Daddy Adeboye’s humble beginnings—”even poor people called him poor”—echoes 1 Samuel 2:8. God specializes in picking candidates from the “dust” and the “ash heap” to showcase His grace. Your background does not limit your future when God is the promoter.
The “Perfect Number” Surpassed: The story of the honorary doctorates is profound. Human reasoning says “seven is enough.” Divine favor says “I have more.” God’s blessings often exceed our own benchmarks of “perfect” success. He moves us from good (human achievement) to very good (divine excess).
2. The Process: Service, Integrity, and Compassion
The Foundation of Servanthood: Elisha left a “good” career (farming) for a “lower” position (Elijah’s servant). True elevation begins with humility and service. You cannot be trusted to lead many until you have faithfully served one.
Integrity When Opportunity Knocks: The Shunammite woman’s kindness created a platform. Elisha’s consistent integrity in her home prompted the prophetic blessing that broke her barrenness. Your private integrity in small places creates the trust for public miracles.
Compassion Over Exploitation: Elisha’s dealings with Naaman (refusing payment) and the Syrian soldiers (showing mercy) proved his heart. Kings could trust him because he was not greedy or vengeful. Influence is a test of character: will you use power to serve or to exploit?
3. The Trust Test: Can God Trust You with Kings?
The Heart and Ears of Kings: Proverbs 21:1 says the king’s heart is in God’s hand. When God promotes you to influence leaders, it is because He trusts you to be His mouthpiece and conduit of wisdom, not to seek personal gain or vengeance.
The Non-Negotiable Traits for Higher Levels:
Freedom from Greed: You cannot be bought. Your counsel must be pure.
A Compassionate Heart: You must see people—even enemies—as souls to be won, not adversaries to be crushed.
Zero Unforgiveness: Harbored bitterness is a poison that corrupts judgment and disqualifies you from representing a forgiving God.
How to Position for Continued Elevation
Embrace Servanthood Wholeheartedly: Seek to add value to others without immediate reward. Serve in your local church, help your colleagues, mentor someone. Promotion is birthed in the house of service.
Audit Your Motives Regularly: Ask the Holy Spirit: “Is there any greed in my heart regarding the blessings or influence I have? Am I using my position to serve or to be served?”
Cultivate a Forgiving Spirit Relentlessly: Make a list. Is there anyone you secretly enjoy seeing struggle? Forgive them deliberately and release them. An unforgiving heart is a ceiling God will not break through.
Warning: Greed and Bitterness are Elevation Stoppers
Many believers are stuck at a “good” level because God cannot risk promoting them. A greedy person misuses resources; a bitter person misuses authority. These character flaws in the place of high influence bring reproach to God’s name.
Conclusion: Pray for Trustworthy Character
Pray this: “Almighty God, my promoter, I yield to Your process. Develop in me the character worthy of the influence You desire to give me. Strip me of all greed and root out every seed of bitterness. Make me a compassionate and faithful servant. Let my life be marked by such integrity that You can trust me with the hearts and ears of kings for Your glory. Take me from good to very good, and use me to advance Your kingdom, in Jesus’ name.”
Action Steps:
The Servant’s Assignment: This week, intentionally perform one act of significant, unseen service for someone who cannot repay you.
The Motive Check: Before making a key decision, ask: “Is my primary motive here to serve God and others, or to benefit myself?” Write down the answer.
The Forgiveness Release: Identify one person you hold something against. Write a letter of forgiveness to them (you don’t have to send it). Destroy it as an act of release.
Study a Trustworthy Life: Study the life of Joseph in Genesis 39-41. Note how his integrity in obscurity led to promotion over a nation.
Remember: Your skills may get you to good, but only your character will sustain you at very good. God is more interested in your trustworthiness than your talent. *”For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (Psalm 75:6-7). Let Him set you up.*
MEMORISE: Philippians 3:13 BIBLE READING: Genesis 26:12-22 Sometimes, some people who appear to have attained a level of success begin to relax in their efforts to advance in their respective fields of endeavour. They feel they are on top of the world because of the success they have achieved. However, no matter how successful or prosperous a person has become, there are always greater levels to attain. This is why I always tell those who are close to me that success is a journey, not a destination. For example, people who have attained a great level of financial success can be classified as rich or wealthy. The rich have a level of abundance, but truly wealthy people are those who have so much abundance that they don’t have to think twice before they buy anything. I once heard of a truly wealthy man who went on a morning walk one day and bought a car factory he saw on his way just because he felt it wasn’t well kept. He was so angry at the state of the factory because that was the factory producing the brand of car he rides, so he negotiated with the owners and bought it immediately. There is, however, a level of success that is greater than just being wealthy; it is a level that Psalm 92:12-14 refers to as ‘flourishing’. A flourishing person is described as righteous, planted in the house of the Lord, and fruitful even in old age. People at this level live according to the will of God, meditate on His word day and night, and prosper in all they do (Psalm 1:1-3). Isaac is a good example of someone who flourished in the Bible. God commanded him to stay in Gerar even though, humanly speaking, it didn’t seem like the right thing to do. However, he obeyed and flourished in the land (Genesis 26:1-14). He kept prospering until he became great and very great to the extent that the king pleaded with him to leave the kingdom because he had become greater and more prosperous than the entire nation. Beloved, God desires that you flourish (3 John 1:2). His design and perfect will for you is not only that you become prosperous in everything you do but that you keep flourishing until you leave the earth. This is why Proverbs 4:18 says that the path of the just shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. I encourage you to be like Apostle Paul; forget your past successes and keep reaching for more (Philippians 3:12-14).
MEMORISE: Philippians 3:13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” This verse captures the mindset of a perpetual spiritual pioneer. The Apostle Paul dismisses complacency, actively discards past achievements as a reason to stop, and strains with focused energy toward the higher calling ahead. This is the antithesis of arriving; it is the posture of continuous advancement.
BIBLE READING: Genesis 26:12-22 This passage traces Isaac’s relentless prosperity in the face of opposition. He reaps a hundredfold, grows “very great,” and is envied. The Philistines stop his wells, but he doesn’t fight; he moves and digs new ones. Each new well (Esek, Sitnah, Rehoboth) marks a new level of provision and peace, culminating in God’s affirmation at Beersheba. His flourishing was progressive and unstoppable.
The Anatomy of Flourishing: Beyond Success to Sustained Fruitfulness
Daddy Adeboye delineates a critical hierarchy of attainment: Success → Riches → Wealth → Flourishing. Flourishing is the divine ideal—a state of being deeply rooted in God that produces continual, escalating fruitfulness and peace through every season of life, unaffected by external resistance.
1. The Deceptive Plateau: The Danger of “Arriving”
Success is a Journey, Not a Destination: To view any level of achievement as a final destination is to invite stagnation and spiritual decline. The moment you stop reaching, you begin receding. Past successes are stepping stones, not benches to sit on.
Rich vs. Wealthy vs. Flourishing:
Rich: Has abundant resources.
Wealthy: Has such abundance that resources are never a consideration (the car factory story).
Flourishing (Psalm 92:12-14): This transcends financial metrics. It is a state of being: righteous(right relationship with God), planted in the house of the Lord (rooted in spiritual community and worship), and fruitful in old age (sustainable, generational impact). This is God’s target for your life.
2. The Isaac Model: Flourishing Through Obedience and Resilience
Obedience in Seemingly Illogical Places: Isaac flourished in a famine-stricken land because he obeyed God’s command to stay in Gerar (Genesis 26:2-3, 12-13). Flourishing often requires trusting God’s instruction over human rationale. Your obedience in a “famine” is the setup for a hundredfold harvest.
Prosperity That Provokes Persecution—And Progress: Isaac’s greatness provoked envy, leading to opposition (stopped wells). His response is key: he didn’t retaliate or quit; he kept digging. Each conflict led to a new well, a new level of provision. Esek (contention) and Sitnah (hatred) gave way to Rehoboth (“room”) and finally Beersheba (“well of the oath”). Flourishing means your setbacks become setups for greater expansions.
3. The Flourishing Life: Rooted, Fruitful, and Forward-Moving
The Psalm 1 & 92 Blueprint: The flourishing person’s life is defined by:
Delight in God’s Law: Their ultimate pleasure is in God’s Word.
Constant Meditation: Their mind is perpetually engaged with scripture.
Inevitable Prosperity: Their endeavors succeed because they are aligned with God’s will. This prosperity is holistic (spirit, soul, body, relationships, finance).
The Philippians 3 Mindset: Forgetting past successes is as crucial as forgetting past failures. Yesterday’s anointing is not enough for today’s assignment. Like Paul, we must “reach forth”—a posture of active, energetic straining toward the “prize of the high calling.” Complacency is the enemy of flourishing.
How to Cultivate a Flourishing Life
Consciously Discard the “Arrival” Mentality: Regularly ask God, “What’s next?” Never allow yourself a season without a God-given goal. Let your prayer be, “Lord, keep me reaching.”
Dig New Wells When Opposed: When you face resistance (a “stopped well”), don’t waste energy on the conflict. Ask God for wisdom to “move and dig anew.” Your Rehoboth (room) is on the other side of obedience in the face of opposition.
Prioritize Rootedness Over Mere Activity: Ensure your primary commitment is to being planted in God’s house (local church) and in His Word. Your public fruitfulness is dependent on your private root system.
Warning: Past Success is a Grave in Which to Bury Your Future
To dwell on your achievements is to build a monument that becomes your tomb. God’s calling is always forward. The manna of yesterday’s victory rots if you try to live on it today.
Conclusion: Pray for a Flourishing Spirit
Pray this: “Father of all growth, I reject every spirit of complacency. I forget every past achievement and failure that would hinder my forward motion. Plant me deep in Your house and in Your Word. Let my life be a testament to sustained, righteous fruitfulness. As I obey You even in famine and dig new wells in the face of opposition, cause me to flourish like a palm tree, bearing fruit in every season until my very last day on earth, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
The “What’s Next?” Session: Spend time in prayer this week asking God for the next clear goal in your spiritual life, career, and family. Write it down.
Identify a “Stopped Well”: What opposition are you facing? Decide to stop contending over it. Ask God for direction to “move and dig” a new venture, prayer focus, or approach.
Strengthen Your Roots: Audit your “plantedness.” Are you consistently in worship, fellowship, and giving? Increase your commitment in one area this month.
Study a Flourisher: Read about Caleb (Joshua 14:10-12). At 85, he was still claiming mountains. Journal what made him flourish in old age.
Remember: God’s design is not for you to peak and decline, but to continually ascend from glory to glory. Your path is meant to get brighter until the perfect day. *”Forgetting those things which are behind… I press toward the mark.” (Philippians 3:13-14). Keep reaching. Keep flourishing.*
This response is AI-generated and for reference purposes only.
MEMORISE: 2 Corinthians 2:14 BIBLE READING: Matthew 28:18-20 When God says you should be fruitful, He is not just talking about you being successful materially and having children; He is also talking about you winning souls. In John 15:16, Jesus said: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, being fruitful is primarily about leading people to Christ and ensuring that they grow and remain in the faith. A soul won to Christ is a fruit that brings eternal joy to God and also to you. The Bible says in Luke 15:7 that there is so much joy in heaven when a soul is saved from eternal damnation and won into the kingdom of the Almighty God. God wants us to multiply spiritually. This is why Bible scholars often refer to Matthew 28:18-20 as the Great Commission. Jesus commands us to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. To make disciples means to teach others to follow Christ just as you are following Him. This involves preaching the gospel to unbelievers and mentoring other Christians with the word of God to help them grow in their walk with God. God wants you to make disciples; He wants you to reproduce yourself. Apostle Paul understood this principle and taught it to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 2:2, he said, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” He instructed Timothy to pass on what he had learned to faithful believers who would teach other believers in turn. This is the multiplication God desires – fruitfulness that extends beyond you to others and continues through generations. Beloved, the Bible says that a person who wins souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30). Are you spiritually fruitful? Are you leading others to Christ? Are you teaching and mentoring others in the faith? If you have not been doing these, it is time to start. Begin with those around you – your family, friends, colleagues, and neighbours. Share the love of God with them and invite them to experience the blessings you enjoy in Christ. When you do all these, you will be truly fruitful, and God will make you shine like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3).
MEMORISE: 2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” This verse frames the believer’s life as a perpetual victory procession led by Christ. In this triumph, we are not merely spectators; we are the means by which the fragrance of Christ’s knowledge is diffused everywhere we go. Our fruitfulness in soul-winning is the aroma of His victory over sin and death.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 28:18-20 This is the resurrected Christ’s declaration of absolute authority and His final command. It links His supreme power (“All power is given unto me”) directly to our mission (“Go ye therefore…”). Making disciples—converting and mentoring—is the primary task of the church, empowered by His presence and backed by His dominion.
The Mandate of Spiritual Fruitfulness: Soul-Winning and Disciple-Making
Daddy Adeboye defines true biblical fruitfulness, moving it beyond personal prosperity to the multiplication of spiritual sons and daughters. The “Great Commission” is not a suggestion for specialists; it is the core job description for every disciple. Your fruitfulness is measured by the souls you bring and nurture into God’s kingdom.
1. The Nature of True Fruit: Souls That Remain
The Ordained Purpose: John 15:16 clarifies that our primary ordination is to “go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” This fruit is first and foremost converted and established souls. Material blessings and physical children are secondary to this eternal reproduction. A soul saved from damnation is the only “fruit” you can take to heaven.
Heaven’s Joy Meter: Luke 15:7 reveals that a single sinner repenting triggers more joy in heaven than over ninety-nine righteous persons. Soul-winning directly fuels heaven’s joy and brings the Father pleasure. When you win a soul, you are orchestrating a celestial celebration.
2. The Process of Multiplication: The Great Commission Cycle
From “Go” to “Teach”: Matthew 28:19-20 outlines the full cycle of spiritual multiplication: Going (proactive evangelism), Baptizing (leading to formal covenant with Christ), Teaching (systematic discipleship). Stopping at conversion is spiritual abortion. Fruit that “remains” requires nurturing.
The Paul-Timothy-Faithful Men Chain (2 Timothy 2:2): This verse provides the model for generational multiplication: Paul → Timothy → Faithful Men → Others Also. This is a four-generation impact from one life. True fruitfulness is not just winning one person; it is creating a lineage of disciples who can disciple others. Are you in a chain?
3. The Identity of the Fruitful: The Wise and The Shining
The Mark of Wisdom: Proverbs 11:30 declares, “he that winneth souls is wise.” This wisdom recognizes the supreme value of a soul, understands the urgency of eternity, and employs loving strategy to reach people. Foolishness is being occupied with everything except the one thing that fills heaven with joy.
The Eternal Reward: Glorious Influence: Daniel 12:3 promises that “they that turn many to righteousness [shall shine] as the stars for ever and ever.” Soul-winning translates into eternal glory and radiant influence. Your spiritual offspring become your eternal crown and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:19).
How to Become and Stay Spiritually Fruitful
Start with Your Immediate “Jerusalem” (Acts 1:8): Your family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors are your primary mission field. Begin by praying for them by name, showing consistent Christ-like love, and sharing your testimony. Look for the “person of peace” (Luke 10:6) in your network.
Adopt a “One and One” Mentality: Commit to the goal of leading at least one person to Christ each year and personally discipling one new believer for a season. This simple, reproducible goal ensures continuous fruitfulness.
Become a Disciple-Maker, Not Just a Soul-Winner: When someone comes to Christ, take responsibility. Help them find a Bible, connect them with a church, meet with them regularly to pray and answer questions. Use simple tools to ground them in faith. Your goal is their spiritual independence and reproduction.
Warning: A Fruitless Christian is a Contradiction
A branch in Christ (John 15:5) that bears no fruit is not just unproductive; it is in a dangerous state of disconnect. To ignore the Great Commission is to live outside of our core purpose. A life focused solely on personal blessing is a shriveled branch.
Conclusion: Pray for a Fruitful Heart and Harvest
Pray this: “Lord Jesus, Captain of my salvation, thank You for triumphing over sin and including me in Your victory parade. Make me a diffuser of the fragrance of Your knowledge everywhere I go. Burden my heart with the souls for whom You died. Grant me divine appointments, boldness, and wisdom to win souls and to make disciples who will make disciples. Let my life be a channel for heavenly joy and a catalyst for generational faith. I choose to be fruitful; make me a wise winner of souls, shining for Your glory, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
List of Five: Write down the names of five unsaved people in your life. Commit to praying for them daily and look for opportunities to show and share the gospel with them this month.
Prepare Your Testimony: Write out a clear, 3-minute version of your salvation testimony. Practice it so you’re ready to share when the opportunity arises.
Get a Discipleship Tool: Obtain a simple booklet or guide for new believers (e.g., “The First Steps with Christ”). Pray for God to lead you to someone you can walk through it with.
Evaluate Your “Chain”: Are you being discipled? Are you discipling someone? If either answer is no, take a step this week to change that. Speak to your pastor or a mature believer.
Remember: Your greatest legacy will not be what you built, but who you brought to Christ and raised in the faith. This is the fruit that remains forever. “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14). You are a winning fragrance—spread it.
MEMORISE: Jude 1:22-23 BIBLE READING: Luke 15:1-7 Do you know anyone who used to be a Christian but has returned to the world? If yes, what have you done to restore such a person back to Christ? You might say that you have once tried unsuccessfully to talk to him or her about returning to Christ; however, have you tried again? Will you allow the fellow to remain on the path to hell just because you don’t want him or her to reject your counsel again? Many years ago, some church members and I followed up on a church member who had backslidden, and thankfully, he returned to Christ. However, after a while, he backslid again and left the church. We did everything we could to get him to return until it got to a point where I said, “I’m tired. I’ll leave this man to do whatever he likes.” Many years later, I went to preach at the University of Ife. After my ministration, I wanted to return to Lagos, but God told me to travel in the opposite direction. I did not know where God was leading me to until ! got to the neighbourhood where this brother lived. It was at that moment that I knew what God wanted me to do. I went to his house, and when I got there, his wife hurried to tell him that I had come to visit them. He did not believe it; he thought she was playing a prank on him until he came out and saw me waiting for him. That visit was all it took for him to return to the faith. He probably said to himself, “If you could still remember me and reach out to me after all these years and all the rejection, then your love for me is real, and I am returning.” Beloved, don’t give up on anyone who has backslidden. Keep following up on them prayerfully, and never give up until the Holy Spirit convicts them to return to the faith again. Just one more phone call or visit from you may save such people from spending eternity in hell. Intentionally go after backsliders and restore them to the Lord. In today’s memory verse, the Bible talks about having compassion on such people. Keep reaching out to them, and never stop interceding on their behalf until they are restored. Remember, there’s a great reward for winning souls, as the Bible says that those who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever (Daniel 12:3).
MEMORISE: Jude 1:22-23 “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” This scripture provides the dual strategy for restoration: compassion for the wavering and urgent, forceful intervention for those on the brink of eternal ruin. It calls for a proactive, discerning, and relentless love that is willing to get involved in the messy process of pulling someone back from destruction.
BIBLE READING: Luke 15:1-7 This parable reveals the heart of God towards the lost and straying. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to pursue the one that is lost. The restoration of a single backslider is not a minor event; it is a cause for greater rejoicing in heaven than over those who never strayed. It defines the value of one soul and the divine priority of recovery.
The Ministry of Restoration: Pulling the Backslider from the Fire
Daddy Adeboye shifts the focus from winning new souls to the equally critical work of restoring those who have fallen away. He frames this not as optional kindness but as a compassionate, urgent rescue mission from hellfire. The testimony shared underscores that persistence, guided by the Holy Spirit, can break through years of resistance.
1. The Divine Heart for the Backslider
God’s Pursuit is Relentless: The parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7) is specifically about a sheep that belonged to the flock but went astray—a backslider. The shepherd’s response is not anger but determined pursuit. This is God’s heart: He actively seeks the restoration of His own who have wandered.
Heaven’s Joy Over Restoration: The joy in heaven over “one sinner that repenteth” (v.7) includes the backslider who returns. Their restoration triggers a fresh celebration. When you labor to restore a fallen brother or sister, you are partnering with heaven’s joy department.
2. The Human Responsibility: Compassionate Persistence
Overcoming the “I Tried Once” Mentality: The devotional confronts our tendency to give up after initial rejection. The question is stark: “Will you allow the fellow to remain on the path to hell just because you don’t want him or her to reject your counsel again?” Love is measured by its persistence, not just its initial attempt.
The Testimony of Unlikely Obedience: Daddy Adeboye’s story is powerful. He had given up humanly (“I’m tired… I’ll leave this man”). But God’s direction years later—leading him on a specific, seemingly illogical journey—shows that restoration is a divine assignment. Our role is to obey the Spirit’s promptings, even when they seem inconvenient or late. That one visit, prompted by God, broke a years-long stronghold.
3. The Strategy and Motivation for Restoration
Compassion Makes a Difference (Jude 22): Approach the backslider not with condemnation, but with genuine empathy and grief over their broken fellowship. Remember their former love and faith. Your compassion can be the bridge that shame has burned.
Save with Fear, Pulling from the Fire (Jude 23): For those deeply entrenched in sin, a more forceful, urgent intervention may be needed. This is a holy fear of the eternal consequences they face. It’s a willingness to confront in love, to “pull” them from danger, while being careful not to be defiled by their sin (“hating the garment”).
The Reward of the Restorer: The soul-winner’s reward (Daniel 12:3) applies equally to the restorer. Turning a righteous person back from error saves a soul from death and covers a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20). This is a work of eternal significance.
How to Engage in the Ministry of Restoration
Prayerful Identification and Intercession: Make a list of backsliders you know. Begin to pray for them daily by name. Ask God to soften their hearts and create a divine moment of receptivity.
Initiate Compassionate Contact: Reach out without judgment. A simple text: “I’ve been thinking of you and praying for you. I care about you.” Your consistency in love, not your theological arguments, will break down walls.
Be Led by the Spirit for the “Divine Detour”: Be open to God redirecting your plans to reach someone, as in Daddy Adeboye’s testimony. Your obedient inconvenience can be someone’s salvation.
Warning: Neglect is Complicity in Their Downfall
Ezekiel 3:18 holds us accountable: if we see the wicked (or the backslider) dying in their sin and do not warn them, God will require their blood at our hand. To see a brother stray and do nothing is a grave spiritual failure.
Conclusion: Pray for a Shepherd’s Heart
Pray this: *”Lord Jesus, Great Shepherd of the sheep, give me Your heart for the lost and the straying. Break my heart for the backsliders I know. Fill me with Your relentless, compassionate love. Guide me by Your Spirit to know when to show mercy and when to urgently warn. Use me as Your instrument to pull souls from the fire. I will not grow weary in well-doing. I commit to praying for and pursuing the restoration of [Name 1-2 people], in Jesus’ name.”*
Action Steps:
The Backslider List: Write down the names of 1-3 people who have walked away from faith. Commit to praying for them for 5 minutes daily for the next 30 days.
The First Step of Contact: This week, send a message or make a call to one person on your list. Don’t preach; just express care and let them know you’re praying.
Study Restoration: Read James 5:19-20 and Galatians 6:1. Note the principles for restoring someone gently and the eternal impact.
Partner with Your Church: Inform your pastor or care group leader about a backslider you’re concerned about, so the church can support the restoration process prayerfully and practically.
Remember: That “one more” phone call, prayer, or visit you make in obedience could be the very thread God uses to pull a soul from the fire. Don’t give up. Heaven hasn’t. “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire…” (Jude 1:23). Be a rescuer.
MEMORISE: 1 Peter 2:11 BIBLE READING: 2 Timothy 2:19-22 Hunters usually use the favourite foods of their targeted animals as bait in the traps set to capture them. Once the animals see the food, they rush towards it, and as they begin to eat it, the traps capture them. This is the same way the devil traps humans; he studies those he wants to trap to find out the things they usually lust after. Then, he provides those things to them on a platter of gold. If they are not discerning, they will get carried away by their lust, and while they are ‘enjoying’ what the devil has provided, they will suddenly find themselves in bondage, and it will take only the grace and mercy of God to bring them out. I will turn 84 years old in a couple of months, and believe me, I have seen many great destinies that have been entrapped and destroyed by the devil with this method. I pray you will never be entrapped by the devil, in Jesus’ name. I have always told my biological and spiritual sons, “If a lady smiles at you seductively, run as fast as you can in another direction.” Today’s Bible reading says that you should flee youthful lusts. Flee means that you should run as if you are terrified. Don’t wait around to see what will happen; just run! Yoruba elders have a saying, “What you must not taste, you should not smell.” No matter how sweet poison smells, once you know it is poison, you will not sniff it. Likewise, once you see something that can destroy your destiny, flee! Some people might say, “I gave in to temptation, but nothing has changed. In fact, things are getting better for me.” They should not be deceived; the devil is only doing everything to make them relaxed in the prison he has built for them. When you buy a chicken with the intention of killing it and preparing it for a special occasion, you will likely feed the chicken very well in order to fatten it up. The chicken might think it is enjoying, but you know that you are fattening it until the day it will be slaughtered. This is what the devil does; he ensures that his victims feel relaxed until the day of slaughter because he doesn’t want them to seek help. He always collects more from his victims than he gives them. Beloved, all gifts from the devil have sorrow attached to them; only God’s blessings come with no sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).
MEMORISE: 1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” This apostolic plea frames the Christian life as that of a temporary resident in a foreign land. It identifies “fleshly lusts” not merely as personal failings but as active, hostile combatants waging war against the eternal core of our being—our soul. To entertain them is to side with the enemy in a spiritual conflict.
BIBLE READING: 2 Timothy 2:19-22 This passage provides the strategy for victory. It begins with the foundation of God’s seal on His own, moves to the call for personal purity (“depart from iniquity”), and culminates in the command to flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness. It is a two-part motion: a violent departure from and a passionate pursuit of.
The Anatomy of a Trap: Lust as Satan’s Bait
Daddy Adeboye, speaking from eight decades of spiritual observation, delivers a grave and urgent warning. The devil is a strategic hunter who personalizes his bait, studying individual vulnerabilities. The “enjoyment” he offers is the prelude to a cage, and his temporary blessings are merely fattening agents for eventual slaughter.
1. The Hunter’s Strategy: Personalized Bait
Lust is the Universal Hook: The devil’s method is consistent: identify a God-given desire (for love, significance, pleasure, provision) and pervert it into a fleshly lust—an inordinate, selfish craving. He then presents a tantalizing shortcut to fulfill it, outside of God’s will and timing.
The Illusion of the “Platter of Gold”: The bait is not presented as ugly sin, but as a glittering opportunity, a “deserved” reward, or a harmless pleasure. Its attractiveness is its disguise. Only spiritual discernment can see the hook beneath the bait and the cage beyond the threshold.
2. The Only Wise Response: Strategic Flight
“Flee” is a Divine Command: The Bible does not say “resist” or “debate” youthful lusts; it says FLEE (2 Timothy 2:22, 1 Corinthians 6:18). This is a military command for a tactical retreat. You cannot win by standing close and admiring the bait. Joseph in Potiphar’s house is the classic example (Genesis 39:12)—he ran.
The Wisdom of “Don’t Even Smell”: The Yoruba proverb captures holy wisdom. Curiosity is the first step into the trap. To “see how far you can go” or to “test your resistance” is to already sniff the poison. Victory is secured by refusing the first look, the first conversation, the first “harmless” interaction.
3. The Devil’s Deception: The Fattening Period
The Lull Before the Slaughter: Many fall into the delusion that because immediate judgment didn’t fall, God is indifferent or the sin is harmless. Daddy Adeboye’s chicken analogy is chilling. The devil’s “blessings” are fattening feed. He allows temporary comfort to breed complacency, making the victim feel secure in their prison, silencing their cry for help.
The Ultimate Transaction: Your Destiny for a Moment: The devil’s economy is one of brutal exchange. He gives a moment of pleasure to steal a lifetime of purpose; he offers a temporal thrill to claim an eternal destiny. He always collects more than he gives. The “sorrow attached” (Proverbs 10:22) is the inevitable, crushing interest on his loan.
How to Live as a Discerning Pilgrim
Know Your Vulnerabilities: Be ruthlessly honest with yourself. Where are you most susceptible? Is it pride, sexual lust, the love of money, the need for approval? Knowing your weakness helps you spot the bait from a mile away.
Cultivate a “Flee Reflex”: Pre-decide your boundaries. Determine in advance what you will run from. When the seductive smile comes, when the shady deal is offered, when the gossip begins—your pre-set decision should trigger immediate flight, not deliberation.
Pursue Righteousness with Equal Intensity: You cannot flee into a vacuum. 2 Timothy 2:22 pairs “flee” with “follow.” You must passionately pursue God, righteousness, faith, love, and peace. A heart and schedule full of holy pursuits leaves little room for bait to even look appealing.
Warning: To Underestimate the Trap is to Be Caught By It
Thinking you are strong enough to handle the bait is the surest sign of weakness and the fastest path to capture. Your confidence must never be in your strength, but in your speed to obey the command to flee.
Conclusion: Pray for Discernment and Swift Feet
Pray this: “Heavenly Father, I am a stranger and pilgrim here. Open my eyes to see the devil’s baits and traps set for my soul. Where I am vulnerable, cover me with Your grace. Instill in me a holy terror of sin’s consequences and give me the swift feet of Joseph to flee at the first sign of temptation. Let me not be deceived by seasons of fattening; keep my spirit sensitive to any cage. As I flee lust, let me pursue You with all my heart, that my soul may win the war waged against it, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
Vulnerability Audit: In your journal, answer: “What is the ‘bait’ the enemy most often uses to tempt me?” Write a scripture to counter it and a practical flee plan.
Establish Flight Paths: Identify 2-3 specific situations you need to flee from (e.g., certain websites, compromising friendships, conversations). Commit to an immediate exit strategy for each.
The Pursuit Plan: Choose one “righteousness” to pursue this month (e.g., consistent prayer, scripture memorization, serving the poor). Schedule time for it.
Accountability: Share this devotional with a trusted same-gender friend. Give them permission to ask you monthly: “Have you had to flee from anything lately? Are you pursuing righteousness?”
Remember: Your soul is the prize in this war. The enemy uses customized bait. Your victory lies not in your willpower, but in your willingness to run. “Dearly beloved… abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11). Guard your soul with your life.
MEMORISE: Deuteronomy 30:19 BIBLE READING: Exodus 21:2-6 I have observed over the years that there are two major categories of victims who are entrapped in the devil’s bondage. The first category are the victims who are not aware that they have been entrapped by the devil, while the second category are those who are fully aware. Within this second category, there are two major sets of people: those who want to be set free and those who do not. Today, I will be discussing the set of victims who know that they are in bondage but do not want to be set free. It may sound strange that some victims do not want to be set free from bondage, but from today’s Bible reading and my personal experience, many people actually fall into this category. For example, I have met witches who like the fact that they are witches and don’t want to be set free. I recall a particular incident that occurred years ago. A married couple started attending our church, but after a short while, the wife stopped coming. When we followed up with her, she told us that since she started coming to our church, she had been unable to fly to her witchcraft meetings at night. Since she wanted to continue flying to her meetings, she stopped coming. Deliverance was available to her, but she preferred to be in bondage. In another instance, another woman, who was a witch, came to our church, and we prayed for her to be delivered. When nothing happened, she told us, “Why are you praying for me to be delivered? This is the power I use to control my husband such that he drives me to my boyfriend’s house, waits for me in the car, and when I am done having fun with my boyfriend, he drives me back home. Do you want me to lose that power?” She held on to her bondage even though deliverance was available to her. If God wants to set someone free from bondage, but the person does not want to accept His offer, then that fellow will remain in bondage, since that is what the fellow wants. Such a person is a willing captive, and even if the person is forcefully delivered but does not submit to God, he or she will be recaptured and repossessed again (Matthew 12:43-45). Tomorrow, I will discuss how you can ensure that a willing slave of the devil is unable to harm you and how you can possibly compel them to seek deliverance.
MEMORISE: Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” This scripture establishes the solemn dignity and responsibility of human free will. God presents the ultimate binary choice—life or death—and pleads for a wise decision. It underscores that bondage is often not just an infliction but a choice, with consequences that echo through generations.
BIBLE READING: Exodus 21:2-6 This passage outlines the law of the Hebrew servant. After six years of service, he is to be set free. However, if he declares, “I love my master… I will not go out free,” his ear is pierced with an awl at the doorpost, marking him as a willing, permanent slave. This is a powerful Old Testament picture of a person choosing bondage over freedom.
The Enigma of the Willing Captive
Daddy Adeboye, drawing from decades of pastoral and deliverance ministry, confronts one of the most perplexing spiritual realities: individuals who, fully aware of their demonic bondage, consciously choose to remain enslaved. Their choice is not born of ignorance, but of a twisted preference for the perceived benefits of darkness over the demands of liberty in Christ.
1. The Psychology of the Willing Slave
Bondage as Perceived Power: The testimony of the witch is revealing. She equated her demonic influence with power—power to control her husband and fulfill illicit desires. In her distorted value system, the “benefits” of bondage (manipulation, carnal pleasure, a sense of control) outweighed the freedom of righteousness, which she perceived as weakness.
Bondage as Familiar Identity: For some, their identity is entwined with their bondage. The witch who missed “flying” to meetings wasn’t just giving up an activity; she was giving up a community, an identity, and a supernatural thrill. Leaving bondage felt like losing herself. The familiar pain of chains can feel safer than the terrifying responsibility of freedom.
2. The Sovereignty of Free Will and Its Consequences
God Honors the Choice for Death: Deuteronomy 30:19 is profound: God sets life and death before us, and He records our choice. If a person, in their God-given free will, consistently chooses the “death” of bondage despite God’s offer of life, God will ultimately honour that choice. He does not override the human will to force salvation or deliverance.
The Danger of Temporary or Forced Deliverance: Matthew 12:43-45 warns of the futility of a deliverance that is not followed by a willing, wholehearted filling with Christ and submission to God. A “willing captive” who is momentarily freed but does not choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit and discipled becomes a vacant house, inviting a worse repossession. True freedom requires a change of allegiance.
3. The “Exodus 21” Principle: Love for the Master
Choosing a New Master: The Hebrew servant who chose perpetual slavery did so out of love for his master. This mirrors the choice before the bound: do you love the devil (your current master) and the fleeting “benefits” he provides, or do you love God and the true life He offers? Bondage is ultimately a love choice.
The Mark of the Choice: The servant’s pierced ear was a permanent, public mark of his voluntary servitude. Similarly, the willing captive bears spiritual and often physical marks of their allegiance to darkness—a hardened heart, a seared conscience, a life of escalating destruction.
How to Respond to the Willing Captive (As Prelude to Tomorrow)
Discernment Over Judgment: Our role is not to condemn but to discern (1 Corinthians 2:15). Recognize that arguing or pleading may be futile if the person cherishes their chains. Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict them of their true state as slaves, not powers.
Pray for the Revelation of True Slavery: Pray that God will shatter their illusions. Let them see the “master” behind the fleeting power—the brutality, the emptiness, and the eternal cost. Ask God to make the bondage bitter and to give them a thirst for true freedom.
Guard Your Sphere: As hinted, the willing captive can be dangerous. They are active agents of their master. Spiritual vigilance, covering in the blood of Jesus, and firm boundaries are necessary to prevent them from harming you or your household.
Warning: Do Not Underestimate the Power of a Choice
To dismiss the reality of the “willing captive” is to misunderstand both human free will and the depth of demonic deception. It leads to frustration in ministry and potential danger. Some bonds are not just demonic; they are volitional.
Conclusion: Pray for the Breaking of Delusion
Pray this: “Sovereign Lord, who sets life and death before us, I stand in awe of Your justice that honours human choice. I pray for every willing captive bound by deception. Shatter the illusion that bondage is power. Reveal the brutality of their true master and the glorious liberty of being Your child. Send conviction so deep that they will cry out for deliverance. Until then, Lord, surround me and my household with Your protection from every agent of darkness who chooses to remain in bondage, in Jesus’ name.”
Action Steps:
Intercession with Insight: Pray specifically for anyone you know who fits this description. Pray not just “set them free,” but “Lord, make them want to be free. Reveal the true cost of their chains.”
Study the Warning: Read and meditate on Matthew 12:43-45. Understand the critical need for filling a delivered life with Christ and discipleship.
Spiritual Vigilance: Conduct a personal and household audit. Is there any point of contact, gift, or association from a “willing captive” in your home? Remove it and pray a cleansing prayer.
Prepare for Tomorrow: Reflect: What spiritual authority does a believer have over the works of darkness, even when manifested through a willing person?
Remember: The most formidable stronghold is not a demon, but a human will that has said to darkness, “I will not go out free.” “I have set before you life and death… therefore choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19). The choice is always active.
MEMORISE: Matthew 18:18 BIBLE READING: Matthew 17:14-21 As I continue with my discussion on satanic bondage today, I will tell you how to deal with willing captives and prevent them from harming you. Mark 16:17-18 tells us that if a true child of God prays for the deliverance of a slave of the devil, such a slave will be delivered unless the slave refuses God’s deliverance, as we saw in the cases of the witches I mentioned yesterday. For willing slaves who do not want to be delivered or have been forcefully delivered but repossessed, one way to compel them to seek deliverance is by putting them in a bondage of your own as long as they remain in the service of the devil. I will share an instance of this with you. Some years ago, a man came to me claiming that his wife was a witch. The wife denied it and said it was his mother who was a witch. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that there was a snake inside her, so I said, “There is no need to quarrel. I will pray that if you are a witch, whatever demon is inside you will be bound. If you are not a witch, nothing will happen.” She asked me to say the prayer, as she thought nothing would happen. I did, and they left. A few weeks later, they came back to me. Her stomach had become swollen because the snake inside her had been bound, so it could not go out to defecate. The snake started defecating inside her, which caused her stomach to start swelling. This time, she was more than ready to be delivered. I must warn, however, that if you want to bind someone who is a willing slave of the devil, you must ensure that you are strong enough spiritually to bind the spirit in them. In today’s memory verse, Jesus said that there are some levels of spiritual authority that you need fasting and prayers to operate in. You must fortify yourself spiritually through the spiritual exercise of fasting and prayer to be able to handle some demons. Also, you must ensure that you are not living in disobedience to God’s word. 2 Corinthians 10:6 says that except your obedience is complete, you cannot condemn any disobedience. Beloved, ensure that you submit completely to Jesus Christ and be committed to your spiritual growth; this is the only way to fully exercise the authority you have in Christ.
MEMORISE: Matthew 18:18 “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This verse delegates judicial authority to the Church. “Binding” is the act of restricting, forbidding, or rendering powerless the works of darkness. “Loosing” is the act of releasing, permitting, or setting free. This authority is not magical; it is a legal function of the Kingdom, executed in alignment with heaven’s will by believers walking in obedience.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 17:14-21 This passage follows the Transfiguration and presents a failure of the disciples to cast out a stubborn demon. Jesus identifies the root cause: their “little faith” and the particular nature of the demon (“this kind”) which requires a higher level of spiritual preparedness—prayer and fasting. It establishes that authority must be exercised from a position of spiritual strength and discipline.
Confronting the Willing Captive: Spiritual Authority in Action
Daddy Adeboye, drawing from profound personal experience, now addresses the practical application of spiritual authority against agents of darkness who are willing in their bondage. This is not about deliverance ministry alone, but about enforcing the boundaries of the Kingdom to compel a choice and to protect the innocent.
1. The Purpose of Binding: Protection and Provocation to Freedom
Binding as a Protective Measure: The primary goal is not to punish but to restrict the harm a willing captive can inflict. By binding the demonic operation within them (as with the snake bound inside the woman), you neutralize their ability to project evil, thereby creating a safer spiritual environment for others.
Binding as a Divine Provocation: When the demon is bound from its normal activities, it often turns inward, causing the host acute distress (like the swelling from internal defecation). This distress is a mercy—it removes the “pleasure” of the bondage and makes the captivity unbearable, often becoming the catalyst for a genuine cry for deliverance. It forces a re-evaluation of their choice.
2. The Preconditions for Exercising Such Authority
The Necessity of Spiritual Fortification (Prayer and Fasting): Jesus was unequivocal: “This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). Confronting entrenched, willful darkness is a high-level spiritual engagement. Fasting subdues the flesh and sharpens spiritual sensitivity; prayer aligns you with God’s strategy and power. To attempt this without fortification is spiritual presumption and can lead to defeat or backlash.
The Imperative of Complete Obedience: 2 Corinthians 10:6 provides the moral basis for judgment: “And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” You cannot effectively judge or bind disobedience in another if you are tolerating it in your own life. Your authority flows from your submission. Any area of unrepentant sin in your life is a point of vulnerability.
3. The Sphere and Safeguards of This Authority
It is Authority Over Spirits, Not Over Human Will: The binding is on the demon operating through the person, not on the person’s soul or will. The goal is to compel the person to use their will to choose freedom. God still honors human free will. The authority is judicial against the powers of darkness.
It Must be Exercised Under Divine Revelation: Daddy Adeboye acted on specific revelation from the Holy Spirit (“there was a snake inside her”). This was not a generic prayer but a targeted, Spirit-led decree. Such confrontations require clear guidance to avoid error and to ensure heaven’s backing.
How to Prepare to Operate in This Level of Authority
Cultivate a Life of Radical Obedience: Ruthlessly eliminate known sin. Submit every area of your life—finances, relationships, thoughts—to the Lordship of Christ. Your spiritual authority ceiling is determined by your obedience floor.
Embrace the Discipline of Prayer and Fasting: Incorporate regular fasting into your spiritual routine. Start with manageable fasts (e.g., one meal, one day) focused on deepening your communion with God and interceding for specific strongholds. This builds your spiritual stamina.
Seek Confirmation and Covering: Exercising this level of authority should not be done in isolation or a spirit of lone-rangerism. It is wise to operate under the covering and counsel of mature spiritual authority (like a pastor or overseer) who can provide discernment and support.
Warning: Spiritual Presumption is Dangerous
To attempt to bind strong demons without the requisite spiritual fortification, obedience, and clear leading is to risk a devastating counter-attack (Acts 19:13-16). The authority is real, but so are the stakes. Do not trivialize spiritual warfare.
Conclusion: Pray for Readiness and Righteous Authority
Pray this: “Lord Jesus, You have given me authority to bind the works of darkness. Prepare me for this sacred trust. Purify my heart with complete obedience to Your word. Strengthen my spirit through the disciplines of prayer and fasting. Grant me divine discernment to see as You see and to speak only as You lead. When I must confront the powers of darkness, let it be with heaven’s backing and for the ultimate purpose of liberation and Your glory, in Jesus’ name.”
Action Steps:
Obedience Audit: Before praying for anyone in bondage, conduct a sincere audit before God. Confess and repent of any area of known disobedience. Ensure your own house is in order.
Establish a Fasting Rhythm: Commit to one day of fasting and focused prayer per month (or per quarter, to start). Use this time to intercede for your community and to strengthen your own spirit.
Study Judicial Prayer: Study biblical examples: Peter with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), Paul with Elymas (Acts 13:8-11). Note the conditions and the outcomes.
Seek Mentorship: If you feel called to this level of ministry, humbly seek guidance and covering from a proven, spiritually mature leader in your church.
Remember: The authority to bind and loose is a solemn stewardship. It is powered by the cross, conditioned by obedience, and activated by faith. Use it wisely, prayerfully, and compassionately. “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven…” (Matthew 18:18). Be sure heaven is in agreement before you decree.
MEMORISE: Luke 21:36 BIBLE READING: Matthew 16:13-23 Today, I want to conclude this series by discussing another kind of trap which the devil uses. This trap is very subtle but potent in keeping people under his bondage. It is something I would like to call a trap of hypnosis. In this case, the devil hypnotises an individual by trapping his or her mind and taking control of it. In today’s Bible reading, Jesus asked His disciples who He was, and one of them, Peter, accurately described the person of Jesus. When he gave that description, Jesus announced that he could only have gotten it from a divine revelation. However, the next moment, when Jesus was telling the disciples about the things that were to come, Peter rebuked Him and said that He was not going to die. Immediately, Jesus said, “Get thee behind me, satan..” In a split moment, the devil had put Peter in bondage and was controlling his thoughts and speech, such that he started speaking as the devil’s puppet without knowing it. One major tool the devil uses to hypnotise people today and take control of their minds is social media. He pushes certain ideologies to them consistently, and after a while, they begin to think the thoughts that he wants them to think. We see this everywhere in the world today; things that were considered shameful and an abomination a few decades ago are now seen as normal in society. The devil particularly targets children, ensuring that they learn all sorts of abominable things at a tender age so that he can take control of their fragile minds. As a child of God, you must beware of this subtle but very dangerous tool that the devil is using to bring people into bondage. Many times, the devil sneaks his evil ideas into songs and movies, and by so doing, he subtly introduces them to unsuspecting people, hypnotising them without their knowledge. This is why 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that you must pray without ceasing. To avoid this trap of the devil, you must remain in touch with the Holy Spirit at all times by studying the Bible diligently, meditating on it at all times, and praying without ceasing. Beloved, watch, pray, and guard your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23). You must take heed lest you fall (1 Corinthians 10:12) because Jesus Himself said that if it were possible, even God’s very elect will be victims of the devil (Matthew 24:24).
MEMORISE: Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” This is Jesus’ final exhortation on vigilance. It pairs two active postures: Watch (be spiritually alert, discerning trends and deceptions) and Pray always (maintain unbroken communion for strength and guidance). The goal is not just survival but to stand unashamed before Christ, having escaped the enemy’s snares.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 16:13-23 This passage presents a stunning contrast in spiritual perception. Peter moves from receiving divine revelation (“Thou art the Christ…”) to becoming a mouthpiece for satanic suggestion (“This shall not be unto thee…”) within moments. It reveals how swiftly a mind not guarded by prayer can be hijacked, even by well-meaning thoughts that oppose God’s redemptive plan.
The Hypnotic Trap: Mind Control and Cultural Captivity
Daddy Adeboye concludes this critical series by exposing the devil’s most insidious and pervasive method: the hypnotic capture of the human mind. This bondage is not marked by dramatic possession but by a gradual, persuasive reprogramming of thoughts, values, and perceptions until the victim willingly defends the very ideas that enslave them.
1. The Peter Paradigm: The Speed of Mental Hijacking
From Revelation to Rebellion in an Instant: Peter’s case is instructional. He was a disciple, fresh from a divine revelation. Yet, when Jesus began to describe the cost of the mission (suffering and death), Peter’s undisciplined mind, operating on human emotion and logic, became an open channel for Satan’s counter-mission: “Avoid the cross.” The devil often attacks not our identity in Christ, but our acceptance of the cross’s necessity in our lives.
Satan’s Goal: To Make You a Puppet of Good Intentions: Peter spoke from a place of affection for Jesus, but his words opposed God’s eternal plan. The hypnotic trap often uses “reasonable,” “loving,” or “progressive” ideas to make us resist God’s will. The test is not the speaker’s heart, but the alignment of the thought with God’s revealed Word and redemptive pattern.
2. The Machinery of Modern Hypnosis: Social and Media Engineering
The Drip-Feed of Demonic Ideology: Social media algorithms and pervasive media act as curated pipelines, consistently feeding narratives that normalize sin and redefine truth. Through repetition and peer validation, abominations are rebranded as “rights” or “normal.” The mind, like a sponge, absorbs what it is consistently exposed to.
The Targeting of the Young and Fragile: The devil’s primary battlefield is the next generation. By capturing young, impressionable minds with addictive content and godless ideologies, he secures a cultural future of bondage. Parents and believers must be proactive gatekeepers and truth-teachers.
The Trojan Horse of Entertainment: Songs, movies, and shows are potent carriers of subliminal messages—glorifying rebellion, mocking purity, and promoting occult practices. This “soft” hypnosis bypasses intellectual guards and works directly on the emotions and subconscious.
3. The Divine Antidote: Perpetual Vigilance and Saturation
Pray Without Ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17): Unceasing prayer is not non-stop talking, but a state of abiding communion. It is a live connection to the Holy Spirit, our Discerner and Truth-Meter, who can instantly alert us to hypnotic suggestions. It is the “check in your spirit.”
Guard Your Heart with All Diligence (Proverbs 4:23): The “heart” is the seat of thought and belief. Guarding it requires aggressive filtration: what do you watch, listen to, read, and dwell on? You must be ruthless in what you allow past the gates of your eyes and ears.
Saturation in Scripture: Only the truth can displace a lie. Consistent Bible study and meditation (Joshua 1:8) rewires your neural pathways to think like God. It creates a “standard” within you against which every idea is measured.
How to Maintain Your Mental Liberty
Implement a Media Fast and Audit: Periodically abstain from social media and entertainment. Use the time to pray and read Scripture. Afterwards, audit what you consume. Does it align with Philippians 4:8? If not, prune it drastically.
Cultivate a “Test All Things” Reflex (1 Thessalonians 5:21): Develop the habit of immediately subjecting new ideas, trends, and “progressive” thoughts to Scripture. Ask: “What is the fruit of this? Does it glorify God? Does it align with the gospel of the cross?”
Pray Proactively Over Your Mind Daily: Put on the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17) every morning through prayer. Declare: “My mind is under the lordship of Christ. I reject every hypnotic, seductive, or deceptive thought. I have the mind of Christ.”
Warning: Complacency is Hypnosis’s Best Friend
To think “this can’t happen to me” or “I’m strong enough” is to already be under a delusion. The “very elect” are targeted (Matthew 24:24). Your only safety is in vigilant dependence, not in spiritual overconfidence.
Conclusion: Pray for a Guarded Mind and a Discerning Spirit
Pray this: “Lord Jesus, my Deliverer and Truth, I put on the full armor of God. I claim the helmet of salvation for my mind. Break every hypnotic spell of the enemy over my thoughts and my family’s thoughts. Give me a discerning spirit to instantly recognize and reject satanic suggestions, however subtle. Saturate me with Your Word. Help me to watch and pray without ceasing, that I may stand victorious before You, having escaped every trap, in Your mighty name!”
Action Steps:
The 7-Day Media Fast: Commit to a one-week fast from all non-essential media (social media, TV, secular music). Replace the time with Bible reading and prayer. Journal the difference in your thought life.
Create a Philippians 4:8 Filter: Write the verse (whatever is true, noble, right…) on a card. Place it near your screens. Before consuming content, evaluate it against this filter.
Family Defense Meeting: Gather your household. Discuss the “hypnotic traps” in media and culture. Set agreed-upon boundaries for content consumption. Pray together for protection.
Review the Series: Go back through the key themes of this devotional series—dominion, the Word, light, freedom from bitterness, power of words, authority, peace, love, soul-winning, restoration, and now, mental liberty. See how they form a comprehensive defense against bondage.
Remember: Your mind is the control center of your destiny. The enemy seeks to hijack it. Your vigilance, guided by the Holy Spirit and grounded in Scripture, is your fortress. Stay awake. “Watch ye therefore, and pray always…” (Luke 21:36). Your freedom depends on it.
MEMORISE: Judges 6:9 BIBLE READING: Exodus 1:7-14 Deliverance is not only for those who are raving mad or evidently possessed by demons. A person can be under the influence of demonic forces and still look normal. In Mark 1:23-27, a man went into the synagogue with an unclean spirit. He probably looked normal until Jesus showed up. On seeing Jesus, the demon inside him began to manifest itself, and Jesus eventually evicted it from its host. l decree that any demonic force that might be disturbing you will be evicted today, in Jesus’ name. The devil and his demons disturb people in different ways, one of which is through oppression. A lady once said that she always felt like she was carrying something invisible that was as heavy as a bag of rice on her head until God intervened. That is an example of oppression. To oppress is to prevent someone or something from rising. It also means to prevent someone or something from increasing. Even ministers of God can be under the devil’s oppression. In such cases, such ministers might preach excellently, fast regularly, pray fervently, and study the Bible diligently, but their ministries will remain stagnant. However, when God’s deliverance comes, their efforts will begin to yield great results. In today’s Bible reading, Pharaoh commanded his people to deal wisely with the Israelites because he didn’t want them to increase. He oppressed them in different ways to prevent them from rising. Many years ago, a young man’s Head of Department (HOD) decided to prevent him from being promoted. The HOD took the man’s file and hid it so that whenever it was time for evaluation, it would not be found. After a while, the man gave his life to Jesus, and shortly after doing so, there was a military coup, and the fallout affected some people at his workplace. The HOD was forcefully retired, and a new HOD was appointed. When the new HOD decided to go through the files of everyone in the department, he noticed that the man’s file was missing and ordered a thorough search. They searched everywhere in the office until the file was eventually found in the place where the former HOD hid it. The new HOD discovered that the man hadn’t been promoted for years despite his diligence, and he instantly gave him a double promotion. Beloved, I pray for you; the fire of God will consume every force that might be oppressing you and hindering your success, in Jesus’ name.
MEMORISE: Judges 6:9 “And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;” This verse is God’s historical resume of deliverance. It defines His nature as a liberator from both visible enemies (Egyptians) and the broader, persistent force of “all that oppressed you.” It promises not just freedom from, but possession of—the land, the inheritance, the promise that oppression tried to withhold.
BIBLE READING: Exodus 1:7-14 This passage details the strategy of oppression: a systematic, calculated effort to prevent growth and crush the spirit of a people destined for greatness. Pharaoh’s “dealing wisely” involved burdensome labor, harsh taskmasters, and affliction—all designed to stop increase and extinguish hope. It is the devil’s blueprint for hindering destiny.
The Silent Prison: Oppression as a Subtle Bondage
Daddy Adeboye exposes a widespread but often misunderstood form of demonic activity: oppression. Unlike dramatic possession, oppression is an external, pressing force that weighs down, restricts, and stifles progress. It targets the spirit, the mind, and the circumstances, creating a “ceiling” over a life, a ministry, or a business, regardless of the individual’s efforts or godliness.
1. The Nature of Demonic Oppression
The Invisible Burden: The testimony of the lady feeling a “bag of rice” on her head is a powerful metaphor for spiritual oppression. It manifests as chronic fatigue, unexplainable heaviness, persistent mental fog, or a constant feeling of being “stuck” despite prayer and effort. It is a weight not from God (Matthew 11:30).
The Stagnation of Effort: A key marker is diligent effort yielding minimal or no fruit. A minister can preach, fast, and pray, yet the ministry remains static. A professional can work hard yet be bypassed for promotion. It is the “Pharaoh principle”: a force that “deals wisely” to prevent increase, making labor frustrating and unproductive.
2. The Manifestations and Mechanisms of Oppression
Personal Oppression (The Invisible Weight): This attacks the individual’s internal state—depression, anxiety, recurring sickness, a spirit of fear or failure. It seeks to crush the will and sap spiritual vitality.
Circumstantial Oppression (The Hidden File): This works through systems, people, and events to block progress. The story of the young man’s hidden file is a classic example. The oppressor uses human agents (like the HOD) and systemic loopholes to illegally withhold what is rightfully yours—promotion, opportunity, finance, or breakthrough.
The Goal: To Prevent Rising and Increase: Oppression’s core objective is to violate the Genesis mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion. It wants you grounded, contained, and limited, far below God’s intended boundaries for your life.
3. The Dynamics and Duration of Deliverance from Oppression
Deliverance as a Divine “Coup”: In the testimony, the military coup was a violent, unforeseen shift in authority that removed the oppressor. God’s deliverance often works similarly—a sudden, sovereign intervention that dismantles oppressive structures, retires oppressive personalities, and exposes hidden schemes. The new authority (the new HOD) then becomes an instrument of restitution and double restoration.
The Fire of God as Consuming Force: The devotional’s closing prayer is precise: “the fire of God will consume every force that might be oppressing you.” God’s fire is purifying, revealing, and destructive to spiritual forces. It burns up the hidden files, the invisible burdens, and the strategic hindrances.
How to Position for Deliverance from Oppression
Discern and Name the Oppression: Stop blaming yourself for unexplained stagnation or heaviness. In prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal if there is an oppressive force at work. Name it before God: “Lord, I break the spirit of oppression causing [name the specific area of stagnation].”
Pray Aggressive, Targeted Prayers of Deliverance: Use your authority in Christ to command oppressive spirits to loose their hold and to consume them with God’s fire. Pray for God to send a “divine coup” into the systems and relationships affecting your destiny.
Expect and Prepare for Sudden Restoration: When God moves against oppression, restoration is often swift and comprehensive (like the double promotion). Have your “file” in order—be diligent, maintain integrity—so you are ready to receive when the blockage is removed.
Warning: Mistaking Oppression for Normal Life
Many believers endure oppression, thinking it’s just “a rough patch” or “God’s will.” They pray general prayers but never address the specific spirit of oppression. This allows the enemy to maintain his illegal hold. Recognize the difference between divine pruning and demonic pressing.
Conclusion: Pray for Liberation and Restitution
Pray this: “Mighty Deliverer, God of Judges and Exodus, I come against every spirit of oppression assigned to my life, my family, my ministry, and my destiny. I break its power to weigh me down, restrict my increase, and hide my due blessings. Consume it with Your holy fire! Send a divine upheaval that removes every oppressive person and system. Expose every hidden ‘file.’ Restore to me double for my trouble and set my feet in a large place. I receive my complete deliverance and rise into my ordained increase, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
The Oppression Audit: In prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to highlight any area of your life where you feel an unexplained “heaviness” or persistent blockage. Write it down.
Pray the Judges 6:9 Prayer: Personalize this verse. Pray: “Lord, You who delivered Israel from all who oppressed them, deliver me from [name the oppressing force] and give me my promised land in [name the area].”
Command the Consuming Fire: For 7 days, pray: “Fire of God, consume every force oppressing my progress, in Jesus’ name!” Do this with authority.
Prepare for Promotion: While praying, take one practical step to prepare for the breakthrough (e.g., update your resume, draft a proposal, enroll in a course). Faith without works is dead.
Remember: Oppression is an illegal squatter on your destiny. You have the legal right, through Christ, to evict it and possess your full inheritance. “And I delivered you out of the hand of all that oppressed you…” (Judges 6:9). Your deliverance is God’s specialty.
MEMORISE: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21:36
READ: Matthew 16:13-23 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 30 JANUARY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
Today, I want to conclude this series by discussing another kind of trap which the devil uses. This trap is very subtle but potent in keeping people under his bondage. It is something I would like to call a trap of hypnosis. In this case, the devil hypnotises an individual by trapping his or her mind and taking control of it.
In today’s Bible reading, Jesus asked His disciples who He was, and one of them, Peter, accurately described the person of Jesus. When he gave that description, Jesus announced that he could only have gotten it from a divine revelation.
However, the next moment, when Jesus was telling the disciples about the things that were to come, Peter rebuked Him and said that He was not going to die. Immediately, Jesus said, “Get thee behind me, satan..”
In a split moment, the devil had put Peter in bondage and was controlling his thoughts and speech, such that he started speaking as the devil’s puppet without knowing it.
One major tool the devil uses to hypnotise people today and take control of their minds is social media. He pushes certain ideologies to them consistently, and after a while, they begin to think the thoughts that he wants them to think.
We see this everywhere in the world today; things that were considered shameful and an abomination a few decades ago are now seen as normal in society.
The devil particularly targets children, ensuring that they learn all sorts of abominable things at a tender age so that he can take control of their fragile minds. As a child of God, you must beware of this subtle but very dangerous tool that the devil is using to bring people into bondage.
Many times, the devil sneaks his evil ideas into songs and movies, and by so doing, he subtly introduces them to unsuspecting people, hypnotising them without their knowledge. This is why 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that you must pray without ceasing.
To avoid this trap of the devil, you must remain in touch with the Holy Spirit at all times by studying the Bible diligently, meditating on it at all times, and praying without ceasing.
Beloved, watch, pray, and guard your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23). You must take heed lest you fall (1 Corinthians 10:12) because Jesus Himself said that if it were possible, even God’s very elect will be victims of the devil (Matthew 24:24).
KEY POINT
Watch, pray, and guard your heart with all diligence.
MEMORISE: Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” This is Jesus’ final exhortation on vigilance. It pairs two active postures: Watch (be spiritually alert, discerning trends and deceptions) and Pray always (maintain unbroken communion for strength and guidance). The goal is not just survival but to stand unashamed before Christ, having escaped the enemy’s snares.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 16:13-23 This passage presents a stunning contrast in spiritual perception. Peter moves from receiving divine revelation (“Thou art the Christ…”) to becoming a mouthpiece for satanic suggestion (“This shall not be unto thee…”) within moments. It reveals how swiftly a mind not guarded by prayer can be hijacked, even by well-meaning thoughts that oppose God’s redemptive plan.
The Hypnotic Trap: Mind Control and Cultural Captivity
Daddy Adeboye concludes this critical series by exposing the devil’s most insidious and pervasive method: the hypnotic capture of the human mind. This bondage is not marked by dramatic possession but by a gradual, persuasive reprogramming of thoughts, values, and perceptions until the victim willingly defends the very ideas that enslave them.
1. The Peter Paradigm: The Speed of Mental Hijacking
From Revelation to Rebellion in an Instant: Peter’s case is instructional. He was a disciple, fresh from a divine revelation. Yet, when Jesus began to describe the cost of the mission (suffering and death), Peter’s undisciplined mind, operating on human emotion and logic, became an open channel for Satan’s counter-mission: “Avoid the cross.” The devil often attacks not our identity in Christ, but our acceptance of the cross’s necessity in our lives.
Satan’s Goal: To Make You a Puppet of Good Intentions: Peter spoke from a place of affection for Jesus, but his words opposed God’s eternal plan. The hypnotic trap often uses “reasonable,” “loving,” or “progressive” ideas to make us resist God’s will. The test is not the speaker’s heart, but the alignment of the thought with God’s revealed Word and redemptive pattern.
2. The Machinery of Modern Hypnosis: Social and Media Engineering
The Drip-Feed of Demonic Ideology: Social media algorithms and pervasive media act as curated pipelines, consistently feeding narratives that normalize sin and redefine truth. Through repetition and peer validation, abominations are rebranded as “rights” or “normal.” The mind, like a sponge, absorbs what it is consistently exposed to.
The Targeting of the Young and Fragile: The devil’s primary battlefield is the next generation. By capturing young, impressionable minds with addictive content and godless ideologies, he secures a cultural future of bondage. Parents and believers must be proactive gatekeepers and truth-teachers.
The Trojan Horse of Entertainment: Songs, movies, and shows are potent carriers of subliminal messages—glorifying rebellion, mocking purity, and promoting occult practices. This “soft” hypnosis bypasses intellectual guards and works directly on the emotions and subconscious.
3. The Divine Antidote: Perpetual Vigilance and Saturation
Pray Without Ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17): Unceasing prayer is not non-stop talking, but a state of abiding communion. It is a live connection to the Holy Spirit, our Discerner and Truth-Meter, who can instantly alert us to hypnotic suggestions. It is the “check in your spirit.”
Guard Your Heart with All Diligence (Proverbs 4:23): The “heart” is the seat of thought and belief. Guarding it requires aggressive filtration: what do you watch, listen to, read, and dwell on? You must be ruthless in what you allow past the gates of your eyes and ears.
Saturation in Scripture: Only the truth can displace a lie. Consistent Bible study and meditation (Joshua 1:8) rewires your neural pathways to think like God. It creates a “standard” within you against which every idea is measured.
How to Maintain Your Mental Liberty
Implement a Media Fast and Audit: Periodically abstain from social media and entertainment. Use the time to pray and read Scripture. Afterwards, audit what you consume. Does it align with Philippians 4:8? If not, prune it drastically.
Cultivate a “Test All Things” Reflex (1 Thessalonians 5:21): Develop the habit of immediately subjecting new ideas, trends, and “progressive” thoughts to Scripture. Ask: “What is the fruit of this? Does it glorify God? Does it align with the gospel of the cross?”
Pray Proactively Over Your Mind Daily: Put on the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17) every morning through prayer. Declare: “My mind is under the lordship of Christ. I reject every hypnotic, seductive, or deceptive thought. I have the mind of Christ.”
Warning: Complacency is Hypnosis’s Best Friend
To think “this can’t happen to me” or “I’m strong enough” is to already be under a delusion. The “very elect” are targeted (Matthew 24:24). Your only safety is in vigilant dependence, not in spiritual overconfidence.
Conclusion: Pray for a Guarded Mind and a Discerning Spirit
Pray this: “Lord Jesus, my Deliverer and Truth, I put on the full armor of God. I claim the helmet of salvation for my mind. Break every hypnotic spell of the enemy over my thoughts and my family’s thoughts. Give me a discerning spirit to instantly recognize and reject satanic suggestions, however subtle. Saturate me with Your Word. Help me to watch and pray without ceasing, that I may stand victorious before You, having escaped every trap, in Your mighty name!”
Action Steps:
The 7-Day Media Fast: Commit to a one-week fast from all non-essential media (social media, TV, secular music). Replace the time with Bible reading and prayer. Journal the difference in your thought life.
Create a Philippians 4:8 Filter: Write the verse (whatever is true, noble, right…) on a card. Place it near your screens. Before consuming content, evaluate it against this filter.
Family Defense Meeting: Gather your household. Discuss the “hypnotic traps” in media and culture. Set agreed-upon boundaries for content consumption. Pray together for protection.
Review the Series: Go back through the key themes of this devotional series—dominion, the Word, light, freedom from bitterness, power of words, authority, peace, love, soul-winning, restoration, and now, mental liberty. See how they form a comprehensive defense against bondage.
Remember: Your mind is the control center of your destiny. The enemy seeks to hijack it. Your vigilance, guided by the Holy Spirit and grounded in Scripture, is your fortress. Stay awake. “Watch ye therefore, and pray always…” (Luke 21:36). Your freedom depends on it.
MEMORISE: Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:18
READ: Matthew 17:14-21 14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 29 JANUARY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
As I continue with my discussion on satanic bondage today, I will tell you how to deal with willing captives and prevent them from harming you.
Mark 16:17-18 tells us that if a true child of God prays for the deliverance of a slave of the devil, such a slave will be delivered unless the slave refuses God’s deliverance, as we saw in the cases of the witches I mentioned yesterday.
For willing slaves who do not want to be delivered or have been forcefully delivered but repossessed, one way to compel them to seek deliverance is by putting them in a bondage of your own as long as they remain in the service of the devil. I will share an instance of this with you.
Some years ago, a man came to me claiming that his wife was a witch. The wife denied it and said it was his mother who was a witch. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that there was a snake inside her, so I said, “There is no need to quarrel. I will pray that if you are a witch, whatever demon is inside you will be bound. If you are not a witch, nothing will happen.” She asked me to say the prayer, as she thought nothing would happen. I did, and they left.
A few weeks later, they came back to me. Her stomach had become swollen because the snake inside her had been bound, so it could not go out to defecate. The snake started defecating inside her, which caused her stomach to start swelling. This time, she was more than ready to be delivered.
I must warn, however, that if you want to bind someone who is a willing slave of the devil, you must ensure that you are strong enough spiritually to bind the spirit in them. In today’s memory verse, Jesus said that there are some levels of spiritual authority that you need fasting and prayers to operate in.
You must fortify yourself spiritually through the spiritual exercise of fasting and prayer to be able to handle some demons.
Also, you must ensure that you are not living in disobedience to God’s word. 2 Corinthians 10:6 says that except your obedience is complete, you cannot condemn any disobedience.
Beloved, ensure that you submit completely to Jesus Christ and be committed to your spiritual growth; this is the only way to fully exercise the authority you have in Christ.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, at this moment, I bind every demon operating in any willing victim of the devil around me, in Jesus’ name.
MEMORISE: Matthew 18:18 “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” This verse delegates judicial authority to the Church. “Binding” is the act of restricting, forbidding, or rendering powerless the works of darkness. “Loosing” is the act of releasing, permitting, or setting free. This authority is not magical; it is a legal function of the Kingdom, executed in alignment with heaven’s will by believers walking in obedience.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 17:14-21 This passage follows the Transfiguration and presents a failure of the disciples to cast out a stubborn demon. Jesus identifies the root cause: their “little faith” and the particular nature of the demon (“this kind”) which requires a higher level of spiritual preparedness—prayer and fasting. It establishes that authority must be exercised from a position of spiritual strength and discipline.
Confronting the Willing Captive: Spiritual Authority in Action
Daddy Adeboye, drawing from profound personal experience, now addresses the practical application of spiritual authority against agents of darkness who are willing in their bondage. This is not about deliverance ministry alone, but about enforcing the boundaries of the Kingdom to compel a choice and to protect the innocent.
1. The Purpose of Binding: Protection and Provocation to Freedom
Binding as a Protective Measure: The primary goal is not to punish but to restrict the harm a willing captive can inflict. By binding the demonic operation within them (as with the snake bound inside the woman), you neutralize their ability to project evil, thereby creating a safer spiritual environment for others.
Binding as a Divine Provocation: When the demon is bound from its normal activities, it often turns inward, causing the host acute distress (like the swelling from internal defecation). This distress is a mercy—it removes the “pleasure” of the bondage and makes the captivity unbearable, often becoming the catalyst for a genuine cry for deliverance. It forces a re-evaluation of their choice.
2. The Preconditions for Exercising Such Authority
The Necessity of Spiritual Fortification (Prayer and Fasting): Jesus was unequivocal: “This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). Confronting entrenched, willful darkness is a high-level spiritual engagement. Fasting subdues the flesh and sharpens spiritual sensitivity; prayer aligns you with God’s strategy and power. To attempt this without fortification is spiritual presumption and can lead to defeat or backlash.
The Imperative of Complete Obedience: 2 Corinthians 10:6 provides the moral basis for judgment: “And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” You cannot effectively judge or bind disobedience in another if you are tolerating it in your own life. Your authority flows from your submission. Any area of unrepentant sin in your life is a point of vulnerability.
3. The Sphere and Safeguards of This Authority
It is Authority Over Spirits, Not Over Human Will: The binding is on the demon operating through the person, not on the person’s soul or will. The goal is to compel the person to use their will to choose freedom. God still honors human free will. The authority is judicial against the powers of darkness.
It Must be Exercised Under Divine Revelation: Daddy Adeboye acted on specific revelation from the Holy Spirit (“there was a snake inside her”). This was not a generic prayer but a targeted, Spirit-led decree. Such confrontations require clear guidance to avoid error and to ensure heaven’s backing.
How to Prepare to Operate in This Level of Authority
Cultivate a Life of Radical Obedience: Ruthlessly eliminate known sin. Submit every area of your life—finances, relationships, thoughts—to the Lordship of Christ. Your spiritual authority ceiling is determined by your obedience floor.
Embrace the Discipline of Prayer and Fasting: Incorporate regular fasting into your spiritual routine. Start with manageable fasts (e.g., one meal, one day) focused on deepening your communion with God and interceding for specific strongholds. This builds your spiritual stamina.
Seek Confirmation and Covering: Exercising this level of authority should not be done in isolation or a spirit of lone-rangerism. It is wise to operate under the covering and counsel of mature spiritual authority (like a pastor or overseer) who can provide discernment and support.
Warning: Spiritual Presumption is Dangerous
To attempt to bind strong demons without the requisite spiritual fortification, obedience, and clear leading is to risk a devastating counter-attack (Acts 19:13-16). The authority is real, but so are the stakes. Do not trivialize spiritual warfare.
Conclusion: Pray for Readiness and Righteous Authority
Pray this: “Lord Jesus, You have given me authority to bind the works of darkness. Prepare me for this sacred trust. Purify my heart with complete obedience to Your word. Strengthen my spirit through the disciplines of prayer and fasting. Grant me divine discernment to see as You see and to speak only as You lead. When I must confront the powers of darkness, let it be with heaven’s backing and for the ultimate purpose of liberation and Your glory, in Jesus’ name.”
Action Steps:
Obedience Audit: Before praying for anyone in bondage, conduct a sincere audit before God. Confess and repent of any area of known disobedience. Ensure your own house is in order.
Establish a Fasting Rhythm: Commit to one day of fasting and focused prayer per month (or per quarter, to start). Use this time to intercede for your community and to strengthen your own spirit.
Study Judicial Prayer: Study biblical examples: Peter with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), Paul with Elymas (Acts 13:8-11). Note the conditions and the outcomes.
Seek Mentorship: If you feel called to this level of ministry, humbly seek guidance and covering from a proven, spiritually mature leader in your church.
Remember: The authority to bind and loose is a solemn stewardship. It is powered by the cross, conditioned by obedience, and activated by faith. Use it wisely, prayerfully, and compassionately. “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven…” (Matthew 18:18). Be sure heaven is in agreement before you decree.
MEMORISE: I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy 30:19
READ: Exodus 21:2-6 2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. 3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. 5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: 6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 28 JANUARY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
I have observed over the years that there are two major categories of victims who are entrapped in the devil’s bondage. The first category are the victims who are not aware that they have been entrapped by the devil, while the second category are those who are fully aware. Within this second category, there are two major sets of people: those who want to be set free and those who do not.
Today, I will be discussing the set of victims who know that they are in bondage but do not want to be set free. It may sound strange that some victims do not want to be set free from bondage, but from today’s Bible reading and my personal experience, many people actually fall into this category.
For example, I have met witches who like the fact that they are witches and don’t want to be set free. I recall a particular incident that occurred years ago. A married couple started attending our church, but after a short while, the wife stopped coming. When we followed up with her, she told us that since she started coming to our church, she had been unable to fly to her witchcraft meetings at night. Since she wanted to continue flying to her meetings, she stopped coming. Deliverance was available to her, but she preferred to be in bondage.
In another instance, another woman, who was a witch, came to our church, and we prayed for her to be delivered. When nothing happened, she told us, “Why are you praying for me to be delivered? This is the power I use to control my husband such that he drives me to my boyfriend’s house, waits for me in the car, and when I am done having fun with my boyfriend, he drives me back home. Do you want me to lose that power?” She held on to her bondage even though deliverance was available to her.
If God wants to set someone free from bondage, but the person does not want to accept His offer, then that fellow will remain in bondage, since that is what the fellow wants. Such a person is a willing captive, and even if the person is forcefully delivered but does not submit to God, he or she will be recaptured and repossessed again (Matthew 12:43-45).
Tomorrow, I will discuss how you can ensure that a willing slave of the devil is unable to harm you and how you can possibly compel them to seek deliverance.
KEY POINT
Those who are in bondage and refuse to accept Jesus’ offer of deliverance are at risk of eternal condemnation.
MEMORISE: Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” This scripture establishes the solemn dignity and responsibility of human free will. God presents the ultimate binary choice—life or death—and pleads for a wise decision. It underscores that bondage is often not just an infliction but a choice, with consequences that echo through generations.
BIBLE READING: Exodus 21:2-6 This passage outlines the law of the Hebrew servant. After six years of service, he is to be set free. However, if he declares, “I love my master… I will not go out free,” his ear is pierced with an awl at the doorpost, marking him as a willing, permanent slave. This is a powerful Old Testament picture of a person choosing bondage over freedom.
The Enigma of the Willing Captive
Daddy Adeboye, drawing from decades of pastoral and deliverance ministry, confronts one of the most perplexing spiritual realities: individuals who, fully aware of their demonic bondage, consciously choose to remain enslaved. Their choice is not born of ignorance, but of a twisted preference for the perceived benefits of darkness over the demands of liberty in Christ.
1. The Psychology of the Willing Slave
Bondage as Perceived Power: The testimony of the witch is revealing. She equated her demonic influence with power—power to control her husband and fulfill illicit desires. In her distorted value system, the “benefits” of bondage (manipulation, carnal pleasure, a sense of control) outweighed the freedom of righteousness, which she perceived as weakness.
Bondage as Familiar Identity: For some, their identity is entwined with their bondage. The witch who missed “flying” to meetings wasn’t just giving up an activity; she was giving up a community, an identity, and a supernatural thrill. Leaving bondage felt like losing herself. The familiar pain of chains can feel safer than the terrifying responsibility of freedom.
2. The Sovereignty of Free Will and Its Consequences
God Honors the Choice for Death: Deuteronomy 30:19 is profound: God sets life and death before us, and He records our choice. If a person, in their God-given free will, consistently chooses the “death” of bondage despite God’s offer of life, God will ultimately honour that choice. He does not override the human will to force salvation or deliverance.
The Danger of Temporary or Forced Deliverance: Matthew 12:43-45 warns of the futility of a deliverance that is not followed by a willing, wholehearted filling with Christ and submission to God. A “willing captive” who is momentarily freed but does not choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit and discipled becomes a vacant house, inviting a worse repossession. True freedom requires a change of allegiance.
3. The “Exodus 21” Principle: Love for the Master
Choosing a New Master: The Hebrew servant who chose perpetual slavery did so out of love for his master. This mirrors the choice before the bound: do you love the devil (your current master) and the fleeting “benefits” he provides, or do you love God and the true life He offers? Bondage is ultimately a love choice.
The Mark of the Choice: The servant’s pierced ear was a permanent, public mark of his voluntary servitude. Similarly, the willing captive bears spiritual and often physical marks of their allegiance to darkness—a hardened heart, a seared conscience, a life of escalating destruction.
How to Respond to the Willing Captive (As Prelude to Tomorrow)
Discernment Over Judgment: Our role is not to condemn but to discern (1 Corinthians 2:15). Recognize that arguing or pleading may be futile if the person cherishes their chains. Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict them of their true state as slaves, not powers.
Pray for the Revelation of True Slavery: Pray that God will shatter their illusions. Let them see the “master” behind the fleeting power—the brutality, the emptiness, and the eternal cost. Ask God to make the bondage bitter and to give them a thirst for true freedom.
Guard Your Sphere: As hinted, the willing captive can be dangerous. They are active agents of their master. Spiritual vigilance, covering in the blood of Jesus, and firm boundaries are necessary to prevent them from harming you or your household.
Warning: Do Not Underestimate the Power of a Choice
To dismiss the reality of the “willing captive” is to misunderstand both human free will and the depth of demonic deception. It leads to frustration in ministry and potential danger. Some bonds are not just demonic; they are volitional.
Conclusion: Pray for the Breaking of Delusion
Pray this: “Sovereign Lord, who sets life and death before us, I stand in awe of Your justice that honours human choice. I pray for every willing captive bound by deception. Shatter the illusion that bondage is power. Reveal the brutality of their true master and the glorious liberty of being Your child. Send conviction so deep that they will cry out for deliverance. Until then, Lord, surround me and my household with Your protection from every agent of darkness who chooses to remain in bondage, in Jesus’ name.”
Action Steps:
Intercession with Insight: Pray specifically for anyone you know who fits this description. Pray not just “set them free,” but “Lord, make them want to be free. Reveal the true cost of their chains.”
Study the Warning: Read and meditate on Matthew 12:43-45. Understand the critical need for filling a delivered life with Christ and discipleship.
Spiritual Vigilance: Conduct a personal and household audit. Is there any point of contact, gift, or association from a “willing captive” in your home? Remove it and pray a cleansing prayer.
Prepare for Tomorrow: Reflect: What spiritual authority does a believer have over the works of darkness, even when manifested through a willing person?
Remember: The most formidable stronghold is not a demon, but a human will that has said to darkness, “I will not go out free.” “I have set before you life and death… therefore choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19). The choice is always active.
MEMORISE: Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 1 Peter 2:11
READ: 2 Timothy 2:19-22 19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 27 JANUARY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
Hunters usually use the favourite foods of their targeted animals as bait in the traps set to capture them. Once the animals see the food, they rush towards it, and as they begin to eat it, the traps capture them.
This is the same way the devil traps humans; he studies those he wants to trap to find out the things they usually lust after. Then, he provides those things to them on a platter of gold. If they are not discerning, they will get carried away by their lust, and while they are ‘enjoying’ what the devil has provided, they will suddenly find themselves in bondage, and it will take only the grace and mercy of God to bring them out.
I will turn 84 years old in a couple of months, and believe me, I have seen many great destinies that have been entrapped and destroyed by the devil with this method. I pray you will never be entrapped by the devil, in Jesus’ name.
I have always told my biological and spiritual sons, “If a lady smiles at you seductively, run as fast as you can in another direction.”
Today’s Bible reading says that you should flee youthful lusts. Flee means that you should run as if you are terrified. Don’t wait around to see what will happen; just run! Yoruba elders have a saying, “What you must not taste, you should not smell.” No matter how sweet poison smells, once you know it is poison, you will not sniff it. Likewise, once you see something that can destroy your destiny, flee!
Some people might say, “I gave in to temptation, but nothing has changed. In fact, things are getting better for me.” They should not be deceived; the devil is only doing everything to make them relaxed in the prison he has built for them.
When you buy a chicken with the intention of killing it and preparing it for a special occasion, you will likely feed the chicken very well in order to fatten it up. The chicken might think it is enjoying, but you know that you are fattening it until the day it will be slaughtered.
This is what the devil does; he ensures that his victims feel relaxed until the day of slaughter because he doesn’t want them to seek help. He always collects more from his victims than he gives them.
Beloved, all gifts from the devil have sorrow attached to them; only God’s blessings come with no sorrow (Proverbs 10:22).
MEMORISE: 1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” This apostolic plea frames the Christian life as that of a temporary resident in a foreign land. It identifies “fleshly lusts” not merely as personal failings but as active, hostile combatants waging war against the eternal core of our being—our soul. To entertain them is to side with the enemy in a spiritual conflict.
BIBLE READING: 2 Timothy 2:19-22 This passage provides the strategy for victory. It begins with the foundation of God’s seal on His own, moves to the call for personal purity (“depart from iniquity”), and culminates in the command to flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness. It is a two-part motion: a violent departure from and a passionate pursuit of.
The Anatomy of a Trap: Lust as Satan’s Bait
Daddy Adeboye, speaking from eight decades of spiritual observation, delivers a grave and urgent warning. The devil is a strategic hunter who personalizes his bait, studying individual vulnerabilities. The “enjoyment” he offers is the prelude to a cage, and his temporary blessings are merely fattening agents for eventual slaughter.
1. The Hunter’s Strategy: Personalized Bait
Lust is the Universal Hook: The devil’s method is consistent: identify a God-given desire (for love, significance, pleasure, provision) and pervert it into a fleshly lust—an inordinate, selfish craving. He then presents a tantalizing shortcut to fulfill it, outside of God’s will and timing.
The Illusion of the “Platter of Gold”: The bait is not presented as ugly sin, but as a glittering opportunity, a “deserved” reward, or a harmless pleasure. Its attractiveness is its disguise. Only spiritual discernment can see the hook beneath the bait and the cage beyond the threshold.
2. The Only Wise Response: Strategic Flight
“Flee” is a Divine Command: The Bible does not say “resist” or “debate” youthful lusts; it says FLEE (2 Timothy 2:22, 1 Corinthians 6:18). This is a military command for a tactical retreat. You cannot win by standing close and admiring the bait. Joseph in Potiphar’s house is the classic example (Genesis 39:12)—he ran.
The Wisdom of “Don’t Even Smell”: The Yoruba proverb captures holy wisdom. Curiosity is the first step into the trap. To “see how far you can go” or to “test your resistance” is to already sniff the poison. Victory is secured by refusing the first look, the first conversation, the first “harmless” interaction.
3. The Devil’s Deception: The Fattening Period
The Lull Before the Slaughter: Many fall into the delusion that because immediate judgment didn’t fall, God is indifferent or the sin is harmless. Daddy Adeboye’s chicken analogy is chilling. The devil’s “blessings” are fattening feed. He allows temporary comfort to breed complacency, making the victim feel secure in their prison, silencing their cry for help.
The Ultimate Transaction: Your Destiny for a Moment: The devil’s economy is one of brutal exchange. He gives a moment of pleasure to steal a lifetime of purpose; he offers a temporal thrill to claim an eternal destiny. He always collects more than he gives. The “sorrow attached” (Proverbs 10:22) is the inevitable, crushing interest on his loan.
How to Live as a Discerning Pilgrim
Know Your Vulnerabilities: Be ruthlessly honest with yourself. Where are you most susceptible? Is it pride, sexual lust, the love of money, the need for approval? Knowing your weakness helps you spot the bait from a mile away.
Cultivate a “Flee Reflex”: Pre-decide your boundaries. Determine in advance what you will run from. When the seductive smile comes, when the shady deal is offered, when the gossip begins—your pre-set decision should trigger immediate flight, not deliberation.
Pursue Righteousness with Equal Intensity: You cannot flee into a vacuum. 2 Timothy 2:22 pairs “flee” with “follow.” You must passionately pursue God, righteousness, faith, love, and peace. A heart and schedule full of holy pursuits leaves little room for bait to even look appealing.
Warning: To Underestimate the Trap is to Be Caught By It
Thinking you are strong enough to handle the bait is the surest sign of weakness and the fastest path to capture. Your confidence must never be in your strength, but in your speed to obey the command to flee.
Conclusion: Pray for Discernment and Swift Feet
Pray this: “Heavenly Father, I am a stranger and pilgrim here. Open my eyes to see the devil’s baits and traps set for my soul. Where I am vulnerable, cover me with Your grace. Instill in me a holy terror of sin’s consequences and give me the swift feet of Joseph to flee at the first sign of temptation. Let me not be deceived by seasons of fattening; keep my spirit sensitive to any cage. As I flee lust, let me pursue You with all my heart, that my soul may win the war waged against it, in Jesus’ name!”
Action Steps:
Vulnerability Audit: In your journal, answer: “What is the ‘bait’ the enemy most often uses to tempt me?” Write a scripture to counter it and a practical flee plan.
Establish Flight Paths: Identify 2-3 specific situations you need to flee from (e.g., certain websites, compromising friendships, conversations). Commit to an immediate exit strategy for each.
The Pursuit Plan: Choose one “righteousness” to pursue this month (e.g., consistent prayer, scripture memorization, serving the poor). Schedule time for it.
Accountability: Share this devotional with a trusted same-gender friend. Give them permission to ask you monthly: “Have you had to flee from anything lately? Are you pursuing righteousness?”
Remember: Your soul is the prize in this war. The enemy uses customized bait. Your victory lies not in your willpower, but in your willingness to run. “Dearly beloved… abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11). Guard your soul with your life.
MEMORISE: And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Jude 1:22-23
READ: Luke 15:1-7 1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 26 JANUARY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE
Do you know anyone who used to be a Christian but has returned to the world? If yes, what have you done to restore such a person back to Christ? You might say that you have once tried unsuccessfully to talk to him or her about returning to Christ; however, have you tried again? Will you allow the fellow to remain on the path to hell just because you don’t want him or her to reject your counsel again?
Many years ago, some church members and I followed up on a church member who had backslidden, and thankfully, he returned to Christ.
However, after a while, he backslide again and left the church. We did everything we could to get him to return until it got to a point where I said, “I’m tired. I’ll leave this man to do whatever he likes.”
Many years later, I went to preach at the University of Ife. After my ministration, I wanted to return to Lagos, but God told me to travel in the opposite direction. I did not know where God was leading me to until I got to the neighbourhood where this brother lived. It was at that moment that I knew what God wanted me to do.
I went to his house, and when I got there, his wife hurried to tell him that I had come to visit them. He did not believe it; he thought she was playing a prank on him until he came out and saw me waiting for him. That visit was all it took for him to return to the faith. He probably said to himself, “If you could still remember me and reach out to me after all these years and all the rejection, then your love for me is real, and I am returning.”
Beloved, don’t give up on anyone who has backslidden. Keep following up on them prayerfully, and never give up until the Holy Spirit convicts them to return to the faith again. Just one more phone call or visit from you may save such people from spending eternity in hell. Intentionally go after backsliders and restore them to the Lord.
In today’s memory verse, the Bible talks about having compassion on such people. Keep reaching out to them, and never stop interceding on their behalf until they are restored.
Remember, there’s a great reward for winning souls, as the Bible says that those who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever (Daniel 12:3).
ACTION POINT
If you know anyone who has backslidden, prayerfully reach out to him or her today.
MEMORISE: Jude 1:22-23 “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” This scripture provides the dual strategy for restoration: compassion for the wavering and urgent, forceful intervention for those on the brink of eternal ruin. It calls for a proactive, discerning, and relentless love that is willing to get involved in the messy process of pulling someone back from destruction.
BIBLE READING: Luke 15:1-7 This parable reveals the heart of God towards the lost and straying. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to pursue the one that is lost. The restoration of a single backslider is not a minor event; it is a cause for greater rejoicing in heaven than over those who never strayed. It defines the value of one soul and the divine priority of recovery.
The Ministry of Restoration: Pulling the Backslider from the Fire
Daddy Adeboye shifts the focus from winning new souls to the equally critical work of restoring those who have fallen away. He frames this not as optional kindness but as a compassionate, urgent rescue mission from hellfire. The testimony shared underscores that persistence, guided by the Holy Spirit, can break through years of resistance.
1. The Divine Heart for the Backslider
God’s Pursuit is Relentless: The parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7) is specifically about a sheep that belonged to the flock but went astray—a backslider. The shepherd’s response is not anger but determined pursuit. This is God’s heart: He actively seeks the restoration of His own who have wandered.
Heaven’s Joy Over Restoration: The joy in heaven over “one sinner that repenteth” (v.7) includes the backslider who returns. Their restoration triggers a fresh celebration. When you labor to restore a fallen brother or sister, you are partnering with heaven’s joy department.
2. The Human Responsibility: Compassionate Persistence
Overcoming the “I Tried Once” Mentality: The devotional confronts our tendency to give up after initial rejection. The question is stark: “Will you allow the fellow to remain on the path to hell just because you don’t want him or her to reject your counsel again?” Love is measured by its persistence, not just its initial attempt.
The Testimony of Unlikely Obedience: Daddy Adeboye’s story is powerful. He had given up humanly (“I’m tired… I’ll leave this man”). But God’s direction years later—leading him on a specific, seemingly illogical journey—shows that restoration is a divine assignment. Our role is to obey the Spirit’s promptings, even when they seem inconvenient or late. That one visit, prompted by God, broke a years-long stronghold.
3. The Strategy and Motivation for Restoration
Compassion Makes a Difference (Jude 22): Approach the backslider not with condemnation, but with genuine empathy and grief over their broken fellowship. Remember their former love and faith. Your compassion can be the bridge that shame has burned.
Save with Fear, Pulling from the Fire (Jude 23): For those deeply entrenched in sin, a more forceful, urgent intervention may be needed. This is a holy fear of the eternal consequences they face. It’s a willingness to confront in love, to “pull” them from danger, while being careful not to be defiled by their sin (“hating the garment”).
The Reward of the Restorer: The soul-winner’s reward (Daniel 12:3) applies equally to the restorer. Turning a righteous person back from error saves a soul from death and covers a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20). This is a work of eternal significance.
How to Engage in the Ministry of Restoration
Prayerful Identification and Intercession: Make a list of backsliders you know. Begin to pray for them daily by name. Ask God to soften their hearts and create a divine moment of receptivity.
Initiate Compassionate Contact: Reach out without judgment. A simple text: “I’ve been thinking of you and praying for you. I care about you.” Your consistency in love, not your theological arguments, will break down walls.
Be Led by the Spirit for the “Divine Detour”: Be open to God redirecting your plans to reach someone, as in Daddy Adeboye’s testimony. Your obedient inconvenience can be someone’s salvation.
Warning: Neglect is Complicity in Their Downfall
Ezekiel 3:18 holds us accountable: if we see the wicked (or the backslider) dying in their sin and do not warn them, God will require their blood at our hand. To see a brother stray and do nothing is a grave spiritual failure.
Conclusion: Pray for a Shepherd’s Heart
Pray this: *”Lord Jesus, Great Shepherd of the sheep, give me Your heart for the lost and the straying. Break my heart for the backsliders I know. Fill me with Your relentless, compassionate love. Guide me by Your Spirit to know when to show mercy and when to urgently warn. Use me as Your instrument to pull souls from the fire. I will not grow weary in well-doing. I commit to praying for and pursuing the restoration of [Name 1-2 people], in Jesus’ name.”*
Action Steps:
The Backslider List: Write down the names of 1-3 people who have walked away from faith. Commit to praying for them for 5 minutes daily for the next 30 days.
The First Step of Contact: This week, send a message or make a call to one person on your list. Don’t preach; just express care and let them know you’re praying.
Study Restoration: Read James 5:19-20 and Galatians 6:1. Note the principles for restoring someone gently and the eternal impact.
Partner with Your Church: Inform your pastor or care group leader about a backslider you’re concerned about, so the church can support the restoration process prayerfully and practically.
Remember: That “one more” phone call, prayer, or visit you make in obedience could be the very thread God uses to pull a soul from the fire. Don’t give up. Heaven hasn’t. “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire…” (Jude 1:23). Be a rescuer.
