Vision Restrains You From Disorder

Saturday, September  30th.
Vision Restrains You From Disorder

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but one who keeps the law is blessed.” Proverbs 29:18 (HNV)

From our opening text, the word is saying to us that, without a vision, there can be no self-restraint.

Proverbs 29:18 (GNB) puts it this way, “A nation without God's guidance is a nation without order. Happy are those who keep God's law!” This means that the disorder in society is a reflection of an absence of vision. When you look at the nation, a community, a family or a life, if that life is disorderly, it is because there is a lack of vision.

To perish in our opening text also means to dwell carelessly. Proverbs 29:18 (BBE) says, “Where there is no vision, the people are uncontrolled; but he who keeps the law will be happy.” So, when you find a careless person, lacking self-control, you've identified someone that lacks vision.

To perish in our opening scripture also means to be made naked. Proverbs 29:18 (YLT) says, “Without a vision is a people made naked, and whoso is keeping the law! O his happiness!” This reveals that sexual immorality is a proof of a life without a vision. A life of self-restraint is impossible without a genuine vision from God.

When you observe the life of Joseph, you will discover that he had a genuine vision from God. Because, when he had the privilege and the opportunity to sleep with Potiphar's wife, he refused. His vision restrained him. This is how you know a genuine vision from God. A genuine vision has restraining power. A genuine vision would always restrain you from doing the wrong things, and compromising your faith in God.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I submit myself to You and to doing Your vision for me. As I live my life in Your vision, I ask that all the protection and provision I require for my well-being, comes to me freely, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Genesis 39:7-12, Titus 2:7-8, 2 Peter 3:14.

Doing the Word
Let your vision constrain you to live a morally upright life.

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Fulfilling Your Vision Requires Self Control

Friday, September  29th.
Fulfilling Your Vision Requires Self Control

“Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 (ASV)

To live without restraint is to live life without self-control because of the lack of vision. One of the reasons I lived a morally upright life was because I allowed my vision to dominate me. I looked into the future and I wanted to have children that will not walk in certain ways because I carry my seed in me. There were certain things I did not think of doing, because I was a man with a vision.

The way you are seeing your future is what is determining your approach to life right now. God has a purpose for your life. Let that purpose get a hold of you and it will change you.

For instance, if you have a vision of writing books till when you are ninety, you should know you shouldn't smoke, because smoking shrinks your brain. Oswald Sanders wrote his last book at the age of ninety-two. He did not dictate it, he wrote it himself. He was still sound in his brain at ninety two.

This is why I had to study how the brain works, and am still researching about the human brain. I want to know how the brain functions. Why are some people forgetful? Are you aware that when you read, you energize your brain cells to create new brain cells? When you stop reading as you should, your brain cells start dying. If you are forgetful, check it, you will discover that you have not been reading as much as you should be reading. I researched on these things because as a teacher of the gospel I need to know how to develop my brain, to keep it sound for as long as am here teaching. So, what do you need to start doing today, or what do you need to restrain yourself from doing because of God's vision for your life? Make the necessary adjustments so that you can fulfill your purpose.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I thank You for giving me soundness in my spirit, soul and body. Every part of my being functions optimally for the fulfillment of my purpose, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
1 Corinthians 9:25, 2 Timothy 2:4-7,
Hebrews 11:24-26.

Doing the Word.
Invest in your personality by finding the right resource and information that will increase your effectiveness in line with God's purpose and vision for you.

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Let Vision Guide You

Thursday, September 28th.
Let Vision Guide You

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: …” Proverbs 29:18

Vision is a mental picture of a preferable future. It means to see mentally or to see in your mind.

The Spanish translation says that where there is no vision the people run like wild horses. That means vision gives you focus. Without a vision, you will have no focus. Do you know what you want to achieve in the next five years, in the next two years, or even at the end of this year? What do you see?

Vision is the essence of life because vision is a revelation of God's plan and purpose for your life. A man or woman without a vision is perishing. So, to live your life without a vision is like dying without knowing. Your vision is what gives you a reason to live.

Proverbs 29:18(NIV) says, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; …” This shows us that vision will make you disciplined. When you start thinking in line with your vision, it will discipline you. For instance, if you see yourself graduating with a first class from the university, it will discipline you to read more, and do more research and study than the average student.

Don't live your life in the remaining part of this year without a definite vision that God has birthed in your heart. Pray and ask the Father to show you His plan for your life for the remaining part of this year. Write it down, keep the picture in your mind and discipline yourself to consistently move in the direction of that vision every day.

Instruction.
Please pray the prayer in Colossians 1:9 for yourself today.

For further study, read:
Proverbs 14:8, Habakkuk 2:1-2, Revelation 1:19.

Doing the Word.
Ensure you write down your goals for the remaining part of this year; envision it and discipline yourself to a routine to accomplish it.

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What's Your Family Vision?

Wednesday, September  27th.
What's Your Family Vision?

 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
Proverbs 29:18

Do you have a vision for your family? Until you have a vision for your family, you are not ready for marriage. Without having a vision for your family, you are not going to take them anywhere.

Without a vision for your family, how are your children going to be raised? Which school are they going to attend? Personally, I had to learn certain things about schooling, because of my children - information  meant to guide me on the decisions to make concerning my children's schooling. I did  that because I wanted to have a home where I can raise children that will inspire the world.

Some people get married without a vision for their family, only for them to start asking questions later in their marriage, wondering about what marriage should be like.

Meanwhile, one of the reasons for frustrations in many marriages is as a result of poor preparation. The quality of your preparation is what decides the quality of your future. Your preparation also decides the quality of your experience, whether in marriage or in ministry. Don't live an empty life like a no body. Find God's vision for your life and live in it. If you are a married man, you should have a vision for your family, because every child that God has given to you to bring forth into the world was brought to the world with a God-given purpose and a direction. Therefore, you have a responsibility to find out from God how you should raise your children.

As a parent “Train up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old he will not depart from it” - Proverbs 22:6. This means that God has ordained a course for your child to follow.

Therefore, make it your responsibility to live your life and guide your family in the light of God's vision for their lives.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I thank you for insight into the hidden details concerning God's vision for my family, my marriage, my children, my spouse, and all that pertains to me, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Genesis 18:19, Deuteronomy 6:6-10, Ephesians 6:4.

Doing the Word.
Make it a responsibility to bring up your children and also guide your family as a whole, in the way of the Lord.

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Fulfill Your Purpose.

Tuesday, September  26th.
Fulfill Your Purpose.

“No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.”
Ephesians 2:10 (MSG)

In stressing the importance of purpose, I will like to remind you of the story I mentioned on Thursday 14th about a very popular minister whose interview I watched on satellite television. This minister was about sixty years of age at that time. He had built big buildings, and has accomplished many things in his life. So much adulation was poured on this man from the body of Christ. Yet, when he spoke up, he said, “I found out that, I am a failure.” Why did he say so? He said he was not living according to God's purpose for his life.

Not living in God's purpose for your life would cost you everything. There is more to your life than just living every day: eating, drinking and wearing clothes. Life is more than these things. Henry Ford said, “If a man will find out God's destiny for himself, and follow it with all his heart, that man will be successful.”

If you've truly found out God's plan for your life, put all your focus into it, and as you do, God will begin to give you divine influence. Mother Theresa was just feeding lepers, showing them love, and people like Bill Clinton, who was President of America at that time, greatly respected her.

She was a small and short woman. Her job was to feed the lepers and the poor on the street, yet she had such influence with Presidents because she was living in God's vision for her life.

Have you taken the time to find out from God His purpose for your life? If you would need to fast to get it, go on a fast till you get it, than for you get to seventy-eight, and God tells you, “I called you to preach, or I called you to start a business, and you were a civil servant all your life.” The earlier you find out God's purpose for your life, the better for you, but if you've not found it, it's never too late.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I thank You for a release of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God's plan and purpose for my life. I receive grace and spiritual empowerment to fulfill my purpose on earth without reproach, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:13-14; Hebrews 12:2

Doing the Word.
Don't live for your own pleasure. Live for His purpose, knowing that a great reward awaits you from God when you finish.

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Finding Fulfillment.

Monday, September 25th.
Finding Fulfillment.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”  
Proverbs 29:18

Your fulfillment in life is tied to your fulfilling God's plan and purpose for your life. Identifying God's plan and purpose for your life would  also help you to measure your progress in life. This is because, if you do not know where you are going, how do you know that you have arrived?

Let's assume a deaf and dumb man went to the park, wanting to go to Port Harcourt without any direction. Worse still, if he cannot read and write, he will enter into any bus. This is because he cannot hear the call to Port Harcourt, and he cannot understand the signs on the way to Port Harcourt. So, he is lost in life. In the same way, many people are lost in life.

Have you ever been out walking on the street in search of a place? You asked someone for direction, only for you to get to the place you were directed and discover that it was not where you were going; meaning you were directed wrongly. So all your efforts and time were wasted.

To avoid this from being the story of your life, you must know to whom you are assigned, where you are assigned, and what you are assigned to do, otherwise, you would find yourself doing the right thing at the wrong place.

Paul the Apostle knew those he was called to reach. (See Acts 26:17) He knew why God called him to be a minister. In other words, he knew his purpose. (See Acts 26:18) He also knew when he finished. He said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.”

So, if you want to be truly fulfilled and happy in life, find God's plan and purpose for your life, and begin to walk in it. By God's grace you would also finish - Amen!

Prayer.
Dear Father, I thank You for the fulfillment that comes from walking in Your plan and purpose for my life. I receive grace to finish my course without reproach, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Psalm 40:8, Psalm 112:1-3, Colossians 4:17,2 Timothy 4:5-8.

Doing the Word.
When you find exactly what God wants you to do, do it with all your heart, for by so doing, you will find your fulfillment in life.

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Sunday, September 24th.

We Are Predestinated
Sunday, September 24th.

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”
Ephesians 1:5

The word 'predestined' in our opening scripture means 'to determine before-hand.' In other words, God had determined before-hand that we should be adopted as His children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. So, it is God's will that you should be saved.

In 1 Timothy 2:4, the Bible says that God, “... will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

It is God's will that all men be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth. So when someone gets born again, it is an opportunity for God's dream to come through. His dream is for all men to be saved. So, if you are not born again, you are denying God His dream.

God has determined before-hand to adopt us as children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will. Therefore, God is excited when you get born again. He is excited because He can now do something with your life.

I saw an interview of an old man who was having challenges with his heart. He said he was suffering currently because of the way he lived his life as a young person.

That is the reason God does not want us to live a sinful lifestyle. It is not because He wants to deny us pleasure, but He wants to save us from the consequences of sin. According to John 10:10 (AMP), Jesus said, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” That's why he predestinated you to be saved, so you can have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Prayer.
Dear Father, I thank You for determining beforehand that I should be adopted to be Your child by Jesus Christ. Now that I am your child, help me to live a life that will always bring pleasure to You through Your Spirit, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Romans 8:29-39, Ephesians 1:11-14.

Doing the Word.
Separate yourself from all that is capable of defiling you or distracting you from doing God's purpose for your life.

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What Do You See?

Saturday, September 23rd.
What Do You See?

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.”
Joshua 6:2

Our opening scripture shows us that Joshua needed to have the mental picture of Jericho been defeated with her king and the mighty men before he actually took the city. This is because your vision is what decides your reality.

I remember the story of the lady that became Miss America some years ago. Before she contested for Miss America, she got the previous videos of the beauty pageant. She watched them over and over again until she started seeing herself winning it. When she became Miss America, they came to interview her, asking her what it feels like to be Miss America. She answered and said she had walked up that stage a thousand times. Therefore, that mental picture she had was what her reality became. So what do you see yourself becoming?

David Yonggi Cho, the Pastor of the largest Church in the world, sets a goal for his church and then begins to envision it. He will see it in his mind, carry it in his spirit praying in tongues and confessing it. By so doing, he has grown the largest church in the world. When churches that are not growing come for his seminars, he lets them know that they are not growing because they do not have a clear vision and goals concerning where their church should be going.

Do you have a clear vision concerning where your life, business, ministry, etc. should be going? If you don't I encourage you to write down a clear vision because, according to Oral Roberts, when you write your vision, you empower the possibility to achieve it three times over.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I ask that You help me to stand perfect and complete in all the will of God for my life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Philippians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 4:18,
Romans 8:24-25.

Doing the Word.
Continue to envision the great things that God has shown you concerning this year.            

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Jesus Is Your Standard.

Friday, September 22nd.
Jesus Is Your Standard.

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith …”
Hebrews 12:2

Any Christianity that is less than what we see in Jesus and the Apostles is substandard Christianity.

Therefore, make up your mind not to settle for anything that's less than God's best. Instead, grow up into Him in all things. This is because it is your destiny to be like Jesus and to do the works of Jesus.  

Do you know that your hands and every part of your body are the members of Christ? The Bible says in Ephesians 5:30, “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” 

Therefore, your hands are His hands. So use your hands to heal the sick and raise the dead, because now you know that you are the body of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 6:15 the Bible says, “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?” In other words, he is telling us that our physical bodies are plugged into Christ. Therefore, what should not be in Jesus should not be in your body. Also, what Jesus can do, you can do also. This is because the same anointing that flows in Christ flows in you also.

Make this confession aloud, say; “My body belongs to Christ. Jesus finds expression through my body.”
    
The Bible says in Ephesians 1:22-23, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” According to the Bible, if God has put all things under the feet of Christ and you are the Body of Christ, it therefore means that all things have been put under your feet, and the fullness of Christ is in you.

Confession.
I belong to Christ and Jesus is my Lord. My body belongs to Christ. Jesus finds expression through my body. I am seated together with Him in heavenly places. I am far above all principalities, powers, might and dominion. All things are under my feet because I function with the authority of Christ. Amen.

For further study, read:
Ephesians 4:11-16, Hebrews 2:6-15, Galatians 4:19.

Doing the Word.
If you can, please take communion today with Hebrews 13:20-21. 

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Have A Clear Focus.

Thursday, September 21st.
Have A Clear Focus.

“Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; …”
Genesis 49:4

One of the reasons we see in our opening scripture why Reuben, the first son of Jacob, could not excel was because he was unstable. Do you understand clearly what you want out of life? Don't live your life without having a clear focus. There are those who are always drifting in life: today they want to be this, tomorrow they want to be something else. They live their lives without a focus and a clear vision.

Be focused and definite about your life. You ought to be clear concerning what you want to achieve, what you want to become, and what you want to have in life. Most people are not definite about these things in their lives, which is why they have become unstable.

If you are into business, you should have a vision for your business. If you are married, you should have a vision for your family. When I learnt about the power of vision and writing it in such a way that I can imagine it, one of the things I wrote as part of my five year goal was about moving into a duplex.  I described it in such a way that I could see it. In less than five years I had already moved into that house.
Let your goals be so clear in such a way that you can see it because we are designed in such a way that we move in the direction of what we see and we desire, and pursue what we see. So, if you can see that vision, it will surely come to pass.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I ask that You grant me an understanding of the times that I may know what to do and how to plan concerning every area of my life according to Your plan and purpose for my life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Philippians 3:13-15, James 1:6-8, Hebrews 10:23.

Doing the Word.
Stay focused on God's plan and purpose for your life.

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Live Like Jesus.

Wednesday, September 20th.
Live Like Jesus.

“And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”
John 1:16

From our opening scripture, we see that we have received of the fullness of Christ. God wants us to be filled with everything that Jesus contains. That is our destiny in God. He wants us to function in every grace that Jesus had.

God wants you to heal the sick and cast out devils like Jesus. God wants you to win souls, pray and love others like Jesus. However, not many of us are living in that destiny. Some are living and suffering like everybody else. That's not living like Jesus.

In the scriptures, when there was no money, Jesus got the money out of the mouth of the fish. If they lacked bread, Jesus multiplied the bread. There was no hopeless situation with Jesus. That is the kind of life  God wants you to live.

God's grace and His fullness is in you. The faith of the Son of God is in you. Paul the Apostle said in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

That should be your meditation and your confession as well. Live your life by the faith of the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you.  

Confession.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

For further study, read:
2 Corinthians 5:15-17, 2 Peter 3:18, 1 Peter 2:21; John 17:22-23.

Doing the Word.
Today, meditate on Galatians 2:20.

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Sufficient Grace.

Sunday, September 17th.
Sufficient Grace.

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”
Ephesians 1:4

Purpose is your permission for entry into the world. Someone may ask, “My father and my mother never married, can I still fulfill my purpose?” Yes you can. He wants you to be a trophy of grace.

Someone else may say, “I was abandoned, but someone picked me up. Can I still fulfill my purpose?” Yes you can, for that was why He protected you from been killed when you were abandoned. God's purpose for your life preserved you.

Have you heard the story of Duncan Williams? His mother was pregnant with twins. In the course of the pregnancy she started bleeding, and was advised to abort the baby. They never knew that there were two babies in her womb, and they were alive. Since there was no scanning, they aborted the first baby thinking that was the only baby in her womb. But the baby left in the womb grew till full term and she gave birth to it. That was how Duncan Williams was born. His mother told him this story many years later of how he would have been aborted.

Duncan Williams said, “She couldn't have aborted me because God had a purpose for my life.” That's why with all your mother went through when she was about to give birth to you, you did not die. It is because God wanted you. Your purpose was so important to God, so He protected you in His grace.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I thank You because Your grace is heavy upon my life. I am daily being energized by Your grace. Your grace strengthens me above all my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may be manifested in me, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
2 Corinthians 6:1, Ephesians 3:7-12,
Hebrews 11:23-27.

Doing the Word.
Consistently declare that the grace of God is empowering you to be, do and have all that God has ordained you to be, do and have.

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Called By Grace.

Saturday, September 16th.
Called By Grace.

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace” Galatians 1:15

Our opening scripture lets us know that God desired that you be saved even before you were born. He tried many times to reach you by the gospel of His grace even as He is reaching you today through this devotional.

God's call for salvation on your life is based on His grace (See Galatians 1:15). The Bible also says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” This means that we are saved by grace and not by works.

You might be out there feeling like you have messed up God's plan for your life because of the wrong things you've done, but I want you to know that God is reaching out to you today with His grace. What is grace?  Grace is unmerited favour. It is a favour you do not deserve. There is nobody on earth that has not been called by His grace.

One of the great Ministers that have carried the power of God to nations around the world said one time, “I am a man of many mistakes. I wonder why He still loves me.” This shows that God's call is totally by His grace.

Whatever mistakes you may have made, remember that Jesus already died as payment for that sin. He knew you were going to make mistakes, but He made a remedy in His grace.

Ask for forgiveness today and receive grace to live above every weakness in your life.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I thank You for Your grace is sufficient for me and Your strength is made perfect in every weakness in my life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Romans 3:21-24, Romans 11:5-6, Ephesians 2:5,
Titus 2:11-14, 1 Peter 4:1-2, Hebrews 4:16.

Doing the Word.
Receive grace today to overcome every  weakness in your life. If you will like to have a fresh start, I encourage you to pray the prayer of salvation.

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What Are You Seeing?

Friday, September  15th.
What Are You Seeing?

“And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless …”
Genesis 15:2

From our opening scripture, we see that Abram was seeing wrongly because he was seeing himself going childless. As long as he kept seeing himself that way, God's word concerning him that he will be made the father of many nations will not come to pass. So, God had to change the inner picture of his future.

If God does not change the inner picture you have of your future, the future that God has planned for you will never happen. All the children of Israel who were 20 years and above when they came out of Egypt died in the wilderness except Caleb and Joshua because of unbelief. They refused to believe the Word of God to them since they could not see what God had said coming to pass. They could not enter the Promised Land because of unbelief and their inability to see themselves the way God saw them. (See Numbers chapters 13 & 14)

No matter what God has promised you, if you don't conceive it and see it in your heart first, it will never happen. This is why I say, vision is the mother of faith. When Abram in our opening scripture saw himself dying childless, what did God do? The Bible shows us in Genesis 15:5-6, “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; …” God gave him a new picture. As he began to envision his children, that was when he was able to believe God.

I encourage you to allow the Word of God form new pictures in your mind that are in line with what God has said concerning you in His Word. As you do, your faith will be activated to bring forth God's vision for your life.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I thank You because the eyes of my heart are anointed to see visions and revelations that are in line with Your purpose and plan for my life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Joshua 6:2, Joshua 8:1, Acts 2:17.

Doing the Word.
Hold on to God's vision for your life for it shall come to pass.

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True Success.

Thursday, September  14th.
True Success.

“And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.”
Colossians 4:17

True success is fulfilling your destiny. Therefore, I encourage you today to follow God's dream for your life and measure your success from the fulfillment of God's dream for your life.

God told me on the 5th of April 1996, “Never measure success by outward standards but by inward fulfillment.” This made me know that success is not just measured by what you see. God judges your success with a much higher standard than just what you can see with your eyes.

There was a dear Minister of God who was so praised by different great Ministers of God. They brought him on their programs on television, talked about his accomplishments and praised him for being an inspiration to many of them in the Body of Christ. However, this same Minister of God that was so praised for his accomplishments came out on one of such programs and said, God told him that he was a failure.

His life was a paradox. To others who judged his success based on what they saw with their eyes and his accomplishments called him a success, but God, judging from what He called him to do and his God-given assignment, called him a failure.

Even though he won souls and bought buildings for God, God said he was a failure. Why? It is because true success is in fulfilling your destiny.

So the question you need to ask yourself today as you continue in that direction in which you are going is this: “Are you fulfilling your destiny?” If you are, then continue going in that direction. But if you are not, please make the necessary adjustments required and align yourself to the fulfillment of your destiny.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I ask that You expose every seed of falsehood that has entered into my belief system and purify my heart with Your truth, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
1 Samuel 15:1-26.

Doing the Word.
“Never measure success by outward standards but by inward fulfillment.”

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Go Into The Kosmos.

Wednesday, September 13th.
Go Into The Kosmos.

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:15

The word 'world' in our opening scripture is from the Greek word 'kosmos' which means ‘orderly arrangement, decoration, the inhabitants of the earth,’ etc. This implies that God wants us to go into the orderly social arrangement of the world and impact every sphere of society with the gospel.

For instance, there are seven social arrangements. They are: 1. Family. 2. Religion. 3. Education. 4. Government and Politics. 5. Business and Economics. 6. Mass media. 7. Arts, Entertainment and Sports.

Whatever you do falls into one of the social arrangements listed above. This means that, as a child of God, your vocation is an avenue for you to impact the people within that social arrangement with the gospel. You have a responsibility to reach every individual within your world with the gospel, because the gospel is a universal language.

Everybody in the world needs to hear the gospel, and each of us have been assigned that responsibility to our world. Therefore, as you go to work today, use every opportunity to be a witness for the Lord Jesus. By so doing you will be fulfilling your role in God's redemptive plan.

Instruction.
Pray that God will open unto you and every child of God a door of utterance to be able to speak the gospel wherever we find ourselves.

For further study, read:
Romans 1:14-16, Acts 20:20-21, Acts 5:42, Acts 8:5.

Doing the Word.
I encourage you to plan to partner with the free distribution of ‘A Word In Due Season’ on October 1st to homes, schools, Government offices, media houses, State Houses of Assemblies, prisons, hospitals, etc.

To partner with the free distribution of this daily devotional in your area please call:
0803-382-7072.

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You Were Made For A Purpose.

Tuesday, September  12th.
You Were Made For A Purpose.

“But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness …”
Acts 26:16

It has been said that the saddest thing that could ever happen to anybody is to discover what he could have been.
The guy that goes to hell remembers that he could have been born again. The man that goes to heaven remembers that he could have lived a better life. Do not be one of those who trivialize living in God's purpose. Such people forget that being in the centre of God's purpose for their lives is what will bring them those things which others seek for.

God did not make you to pursue things. He made things to pursue you. Just pursue God's purpose, pursue God's will, and all other things will pursue you. (See Matthew 6:33)

I also encourage you to cultivate the culture of prayer because it will help in the fulfillment of your God-given destiny. Some people just wake up in the morning, mutter a short prayer, and then go about their day. Some don't even pray at all but if they had an exam, they would read all night. Yet, their destiny, which is  the real exam of life that they have, they do not spend time to pray about it.

If you believe fulfilling your destiny is important to you, you will go after it with all your heart. This is because, at the end of your life in this world, if you lived outside God's plan, it would be as though you never lived. You will go to heaven if you have believed in Jesus, but you will have no reward. (See 1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

Pa Elton is the name of the man that raised many of the great men of God in our country at a particular time. When he first came to Nigeria, he started building orphanages and hospitals. As he was getting older in years, God made him know that, He sent him to Nigeria to raise men. So, he handed over all his orphanages and hospitals to different people and started raising men. By so doing he influenced the future of Nigerian Christianity.

Prayer.
Dear Father, help me to live my life with such precision, in such a way that there will be no cause for regrets in my life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Colossians 1:9-11, Colossians 4:12, Colossians 4:17.

Doing the Word.
Ask God to reveal to you exactly what you should be doing in consonance with His plan and purpose for your life.

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Function In God's Will.

Monday, September   11th.
Function In God's Will.

“Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”
 Hebrews 10:7

The Lord made me know that those who were leaders in the Bible and made a mark in their generation, were those who walked in God's will for their lives. Every one of them. Do a study of the scriptures for yourself, and you will find it to be so. From Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, etc. These men lived in God's will for their lives and became great. Therefore, if you want to be remembered for all time, you must live your life for God's will.

Also, it is important you know and understand that, living in God's will for your life does not necessarily mean that you have to be called to be a Pastor, a Teacher, or an Apostle.

God's will for your life may be for you to become a medical doctor, a business man or whatever God has called you to be. The most important thing is for you to be sure in your spirit that you are doing exactly what God wants you to do.

I encourage you to discover God's will for your life and invest your whole life in it because you have only one chance at life. So, you have to use it well and make it count for all time.

Therefore, it is a necessity for each one of us to function in God's will for our lives.
 
When you are in God's will for your life, what you do will be endorsed by the Holy Spirit and God's power and His glory will be manifested in and through your life.

Prayer.
Dear Father, fill me with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding concerning every area of my life, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
John 4:34, John 5:30, John 6:38.

Doing the Word.
During your daily prayer time, I encourage you to always pray Ephesians 1:17 and Colossians 1:9 for yourself.

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Have A Written Focus.

Sunday, September  10th.
Have A Written Focus.

“Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:”
Isaiah 30:8

Many people don't like to write, but today I want to encourage you to write down your vision in a book. Have a book where you write down the great things God has shown you, what you are expecting and what you want your life to be like.

Do you know that God writes down His visions? That is what is documented in the Bible for us. The Bible begins with a revelation of the past and ends with a revelation of the future.

This principle of writing down visions is also being practiced by the business moguls of the world. Those who have turned out to be the wealthiest people in the world all have clear goals that are written down.

I heard about a research that was carried out by Harvard Business School; they asked their students concerning what they wanted to be, and about ten percent knew what they were going to be, but only three percent wrote it down. Among the seven percent that did not write out their vision, only five percent was successful later in their lives. Of the three percent that wrote down their vision, ninety-five percent of them became successful in life. This was because their lives had a written focus. The question I will like to ask you today is this: “Do you have  a written focus for your life?”

Instruction.
If you've not still written God's vision for your life, please write it down today.

For further study, read:
Isaiah 8:1, Habakkuk 2:2-3, Hebrews 10:7.

Doing the Word.
In your dream book, write down what God has shown you concerning your future. Write down what you expect daily, monthly and for the year. Write down what you see yourself having, doing and being like by the end of this year.

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Teach All Nations.

Saturday, September  9th.
Teach All Nations.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
Matthew 28:19

Our opening scripture sums up God's vision. In this context, we shall define vision as God's redemptive plan and your role in it. Every Christian has a role in God's redemptive plan. One of our roles is to 'teach all nations.' The word teach in our opening scripture is from the Greek word 'matheteuo' which means ‘to make disciples, to become a pupil, to enroll as a scholar, to instruct’. This means that, when Jesus said  we should go and teach all nations, He wanted us to make them students of the Word of God.

The word ‘nations’ in our opening scripture is from the Greek word 'ethnos' from where we get the word ethnic. It refers to ‘a tribe, race, a people group, a multitude of individuals of the same nature, people of the same culture or people of the same habits.’ This means that Jesus sent us to make pupils of every people group, every tribe and every race.

This is why the Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:2, “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.” In Hebrews 5:12 the Bible says, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers …” This means  God wants every one of us to become teachers. You should grow to the point where you are able to teach others the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is part of your role in God's redemptive plan. If you are not doing this as a believer you will begin to experience unfulfillment in your Christian walk because of your neglect of this important role which is part of your destiny in God.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I ask that you fill me with utterance, boldness and the opportunity to make known the mystery of the gospel to everyone within my sphere of contact, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
2 Timothy 4:2, 2 Timothy 4:5, Mark 16:15-18.

Doing the Word.
No matter what you do as a Christian, consciously create time to get involved with soul winning and discipleship. You can start teaching others from where you are.

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Live For Your Purpose.

Friday, September 8th.
Live For Your Purpose.

“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP).

God has plans for you before you were born. You were born for a purpose. Find out that purpose and fulfill it. Remember that God will reward you according to what He has called you to do. So,  if you do not fulfill your purpose, how will you get your reward?

For instance, let's assume I employed brother A, to be my secretary, but every time I look at his duty post, he is never there. If he continues that way, he will lose his job. Why? He did not do what he was employed to do. Same thing with life. God has made you for a special purpose. When you live for God's purpose, you prolong your days. Living for God's purpose, also adds value to your life.

In Acts 27, when Paul's ship was attacked by a typhoon, why did Paul not die? He was able to live through the storm, because of purpose. God's purpose for his life was not over. So, he was able to see a future. That's why I know I cannot be killed. Why? I am living for the reason why I was born, and when you locate it and live in it, no man in this world can stop you.

Joshua 1:5 says, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” In other words, God was saying to Joshua, so long as you live for this destiny, no man born of a woman will be able to kill you. What about Joseph? Why was he not killed by his brothers who hated him? Or by Potiphar, when he was accused of rape by Potiphar's wife? He had a purpose, and he was living in that purpose. Therefore, all the wrong things that happened to him only helped in moving him closer to the fulfillment of God's dream for his life. This means that there is no disadvantage for the man who is living in God's purpose for his life.

So, find your purpose and live in it, because that is the reason you were born.

Confession.
In the Name of Jesus, I declare according to the Word of the Lord in Romans 8:28 that all thing work together for my good, because I love God, and I am the called according to His purpose.

For further study, read:
Acts 13:25a, Acts 20:24, 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Doing the Word.
Stay focused on your purpose and live for it.

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Your Destiny In God.

Thursday, September 7th.
Your Destiny In God.

“Then I asked, 'What am I to do, Lord?' The Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are destined to do.'”
Acts 22:10(ISV)

Many live their lives based on assumptions. They assume that God has called them to do what they are doing when God has not spoken to them.

For instance, Kenneth E. Hagin told a story of how he pastored successfully for twelve years, only to discover afterwards that God had not called him to pastor. So he left pastoring and again assumed that God had called him to become an evangelist. After three years, he discovered precisely that God had called him to be a Prophet and Teacher.

Don't gamble with your life. This is because you cannot claim God's perfect provision and protection for your life, unless you are in God's perfect will for your life, doing what God has destined you to do.    

When the Lord called Saul before he was named Paul in Acts 9:6, the first question he asked was to know the purpose of his call. And the Lord answered him, saying, “… Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” There was no gamble, neither was he working by assumption. He knew the right city to go into and remain till he received further instructions from the Lord.

I believe one of the reasons the Apostle Paul had great success in what God called him to do was because he had a sense of purpose. He knew precisely what God had called him to do - See Acts 26:17-19.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I ask that You fill me with the knowledge of Your will concerning every area of my life. Thank You Father, for Your Spirit teaches me to do Your will and leads me in the path of righteousness, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Psalm 143:10, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 30:21.

Doing the Word.
 Ask the Lord to tell you precisely what He has called you to do. Follow the instructions that He gives you and do not assume or follow your own way.

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Vision Unlocks Potential.

Wednesday, September 6th.
Vision Unlocks Potential.

“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”
Judges 6:12

Today, I want you to understand that God's vision for your life unlocks your potential. Gideon did not know his potential and value until God's vision and purpose for his life was made known to him. Judges 6:14 revealed to Gideon God's plan and purpose for his life. The Bible says, “And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?”

Gideon didn't know that he had the potential to save the nation of Israel from the Midianites until he knew God's vision for his life. Judges 6:16 says, “And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”

God's vision for your life reveals your purpose. Your purpose is the ‘why’ of your existence; it reveals why you were born and what God has made available you for. So, when you discover God's vision and His purpose for your life, it is a discovery of what God has already empowered you to do. Therefore, a discovery of vision and purpose is a revelation of your ability and potential.

Prayer.
Dear Father, I thank You for I am strengthened by Your Spirit to become all that You have made me to be; to do all that You have called me to do and to have everything You have ordained for me to have, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

For further study, read:
Genesis 45:4-8, Acts 7:35, Judges 3:9.

Doing the Word.
Receive grace to do all that God has called you to do.

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See Yourself The Way God Sees You.

Tuesday, September  5th.
See Yourself The Way God Sees You.

“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”
Psalm 82:6-7

Our opening scripture shows us that our limitations are based on the way we see ourselves. You rise or fall to the size of your vision. You are either limited by your vision or you are empowered by it. This is because your life is moving in the direction of your vision or what you see in your mind.

God called them gods in our opening scripture but they died like men and fell like one of the princes because they couldn't see themselves the way God called them. If you want to change the mental picture in your mind, especially if it is contrary to God's view of you, then you must learn to meditate on scripture. What has God said about you in the Word? What picture do you see in the Word? Meditate on it until you see yourself in the light of what the Word of God says concerning you.

When you meditate on the Word until you see yourself in the light of it, faith comes. It is the faith that comes through the mental picture you conceive from the Word of God that enables you to take the risk involved to see your vision come to pass. The level of sacrifice that a vision requires will determine the size of the people who follow it. This explains why those without vision spend their lives taking the path of the least resistance as they try to avoid discomfort.

Instruction.
Please meditate on Philippians 4:13.

For further study, read:
Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-3, 1 Timothy 4:15.

Doing the Word.
See yourself the way God sees you.

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