SECRETS OF FRUITFULNESS

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

Read: Galatians 5:22-26

5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

MESSAGE:

One of the utmost desires of every human being is to be fruitful. We derive our drive for fruitfulness from the command that God gave to our spirit after creation in Genesis 1:28:
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

To be fruitful means to have outstanding results in one’s assignment or chosen career. Fruitfulness is having excellent results where others are failing. It is to be highly favoured where others are struggling, and making progress where others are either retrogressing or remaining stagnant. Fruitfulness means being a vessel of honour while some are vessels unto dishonour. My prayer is that the Lord will reveal to you the secrets of good fruitfulness in Jesus’ Name.

The first secret of good fruitfulness is absolute dependence on the One who infused our spirit with the drive to be fruitful: God. God plays a prominent role in the fruitfulness of His children. This is why you need to settle it in your mind that there is nothing you can achieve without the help of the Almighty God. Those who understand this secret never attempt to run ahead of God. Jesus in John 15:5 said,
“I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

No amount of human labour would suffice if God is not involved. This is why you need to run your endeavours in partnership with Jesus. If you partner with Jesus, you can never suffer loss because He is committed to giving you what money cannot buy. Money cannot buy you a good name; neither can money buy you peace of mind or guaranteed protection.

Another secret of good fruitfulness is avoiding strife and division. These manifest carnality and they will hinder you from bearing good fruit in life. Any family where envy and provocation of one another persist cannot be fruitful. Any organisation where people are committed to breaking ranks cannot be fruitful. Any church where people are always pulling down one another through their actions and words cannot be fruitful. This is why the Bible admonishes us to always walk in the Spirit so that we will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Let us always create an atmosphere of peace, love, joy and goodness, without undermining the importance of discipline. You will be amazed at how good our fruits would be under the leading of God.

Prayer Point:

Father, destroy every agent of strife and division in our families.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 14-15
Isaiah 29:1-14,

GREAT FAITH

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.- Mark 11:22

Read: Luk 7:1-9

7:1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

7:2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

7:3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

7:4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

7:5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
7:6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

7:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

7:8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

7:9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

MESSAGE :

Great faith is a kind of faith that works wonders in the life of an individual. It brings into manifestation the miracle-working power of God and makes one see His glory. Jesus referred to this kind of faith when He said to Martha,
"Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" John 11:38b

The power of God is beyond human understanding. For this reason, you need to believe what God says, even when you don't know how He will do it. This is where faith comes in. There will always be a reason to doubt, but we must continue to suppress all doubts with great faith in God. Are there mountains in your life that you want removed? Are there steps you want to take that will lead to your breakthrough but you are having doubts about? Are there promises you received from God for which fulfilment seems impossible now? All will be well, and my God will remove every mountain before you. He will bring you to your desired destination in Jesus’ Name.

Unbelief is very dangerous because it displeases God. When the Almighty speaks to you and says what He will do, don’t begin to scratch your head for a rationalization of its possibility. Like the children of Israel, contemporary believers are afraid of stepping into their glorious destinies because of unbelief (Hebrew 3:18-19). In Mark 3:1-5, Jesus went into a synagogue and there was a man there with a withered hand. Jesus told him to stretch out his hand, even though he knew his hand was withered. If that man had refused to act in great faith, he would have missed his miracle. As a child of God, when you say you believe God, your next action must show that you truly do. Today’s devotional message. Exhibition of great faith produces the supernatural. This will lead to events that contravene the laws of nature taking place in your life.

One of my daughters was told that her womb was too small to nurture a child to the point of delivery. This was the doctor’s report, and the doctor was right because that was his field of speciality. However, God wanted to show to the doctor and to my daughter that He is the Doctor of all doctors and that He can overrule any report. By His awesome power, the same womb that the doctor said could not nurture a child carried and gave birth to four children at once. It is only in God that such compelling events can happen, but it takes great faith in Him to reverse the irreversible in your life. This is why you need to come to Him and make Him your all in all.

What is the physical challenge you are having in your body? By the power of God, an end has come to it today in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT :
Take stock of anything you have given up hope on, and exercise great faith on it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Luke 20-21;
Isaiah 30:23-33

THE SURE SOURCE OF PROMOTION

For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. Psalm 75:6

Read: Psalm 113:1-9

113:1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.

113:2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.

113:3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.

113:4 The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

113:5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,

113:6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

113:7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

113:8 That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

MESSAGE:

The promotion that comes from God is worth waiting for; never settle for the promotion of men. Man can promote you today and demote you the next day. When man promotes you, they will expect something in return, but when God promotes you, all your sorrows will turn to joy and you will have absolute peace even in the midst of trouble. God’s promotion usually shuts the mouth of detractors. Your detractors are those who boasted that you would never rise in their presence, and those who threatened that they would use the power of their position to destroy you, because you have refused to bow to their gods. They are those who, because of your uncompromising conviction, have said they will never recommend you for promotion as long as they are on the seat of power. I have good news for you: by this time tomorrow, their promotion will be at your mercy in Jesus’ Name. They will never be able to carry out their mischievous plans against you in Jesus’ Name. Concerning such people, the word of God in Psalm 21:11 says,
"For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform."

When God promotes you, you will go from success to success. This is why you need to make Him your ally. You need to come to Him, and let Him take over your life. The Lord’s decision is always final. If He decides to promote you, no man can demote you. If He says this is your season, no accuser can deny you access. If He decides to bless you, no curse can prevail over you. All you need to do is to ensure His presence never departs from your life. There is someone reading this Devotional: by the time God starts with you, the whole world will be amazed. God promoted Joshua from being a messenger to the position of a commander. When God told him to take over the mantle of leadership from Moses and lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land, Joshua thought God was joking. God had to reassure him repeatedly that as He was with Moses, He would be with Him (Joshua 1:5-9, Joshua 3:7). Irrespective of how forceful the opposition confronting you is, when God is promoting you, He will cause you to experience certain blessings that will make all your enemies crumble. You will be able to do things you never thought you could do. However, God will not promote a person who is just folding his hands doing nothing. It is the soul of the diligent that will be made fat (Proverbs 13:4). If you are a hardworking person, God will reward you. God does not bless the lazy. What you sow is what you reap. If you want to soar, you have to go the extra mile and be a benchmark in the lifestyle of holiness and excellence.

Prayer Point:

Father, let Your presence command blessings into my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 22
Isaiah 31:1-32:8

NONE SHALL BE BARREN

 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 113:9

Read: Exodus 23:24-26

23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

23:25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

23:26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

MESSAGE:

Contrary to what the world would have you believe, you are a creation of the Almighty God. You were put here on earth to fulfil a divine purpose, and part of that purpose is multiplication. When God created you, He gave you a mandate, and He equally endowed you to fulfil this mandate (Genesis 1:28). You need to therefore understand that no demon, power, principality or even medical practitioner can say that there is no solution to the challenges you are facing. The only person permitted to have the final say over your situation is the Almighty God, and this is what He says about you in Exodus 23:26:
"There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil."

Have you been tagged barren by this world? I want to assure you that your situation is not hopeless. The same God who remembered Rachael will surely remember you and remove every reproach in your life in Jesus’ Name (Genesis 30:22). While Rachael trusted God for the fruit of the womb, the world despised her, her sister disdained her and her husband gave up on her; but by the time the Lord decided to repay her for the many years she had been under ridicule, her testimony exceeded that of those who had written her off.

I pity those who consult diviners in their search for children. God’s stance on this is very clear:
"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." Deuteronomy 18:10-11

Every child that is gotten through the help of diviners will not give you joy. Submit to what God only can give. Do not run faster than your shadow. At God’s appointed time and season, your song will change. As the Lord remembered Rachael He will surely remember you. Every reproach, sorrow, humiliation and secret cry of yours shall be brought to an end this month in Jesus’ Name. All you need to do is to worship the One who can do what doctors’ say is impossible. Every husband who has been praying silently for his wife shall rejoice this season in Jesus’ Name. Every family needs to unite together in prayer to wage war against those things that are not part of God’s promise for your destiny. Have you lost so many years while waiting in expectation? Know that there is a God of redemption, and that the lost years of your life can be redeemed. The promises of God’s restoration will come to pass in your life in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point:

Father, I command that every seed of barrenness in me withers away now in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 23-24
Isaiah 32:9-33:9

ANOTHER CHANCE

She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. John 8:11

Read: John 8:1-11

8:1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

8:2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

MESSAGE:

While it is very sweet and pleasant to be given another chance in life, in the face of resignation to doom and hopelessness, making the most of the opportunity presented by such a privilege is of greater importance. A classical example of someone who enjoyed another chance at life is the woman caught in the act of sexual immorality in today’s Bible reading. Just when her life would have been taken away from her, God gave her another chance. Under the Mosaic Law, for her sin of adultery, she should have paid the supreme price of death through stoning. The scribes and Pharisees arrested and brought her to Jesus Christ for condemnation, but because He came to rescue and save the lost, he gave her another chance to live. The mercy of God that smiled on this woman on that fateful day caused her to be brought to the Saviour of life and not to the taker of it. After throwing a poser to her accusers which rocked the foundation of their souls and caused them to abandon their mission to take a life they did not create, Jesus in John 8:10 turned to this woman and asked her, "….Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?" "No man, Lord", she replied. Praise God for the verdict of Jesus which gave her another chance:
"….. Neither do I condemned thee: go, and sin no more." John 8:11

To someone reading this Devotional, Jesus Christ is saying to you today that though your family, your friends, your church, your government or the world many have condemned and written you off, He has not condemned you. He says to you, "Receive my forgiveness but go and sin no more" . Thank God for His mercies. His mercy is so great that even the thief on the right side of the cross was given another chance (Luke 23:40-43)! This is the wonder of the cross. Beloved, you can be a partaker of the second chance that Jesus offers. Probably you are reading this in the prison yard, and you have been condemned to die. Do what that thief did – acknowledge your sins, repent of them, and accept Jesus Christ as the Righteous One who died for the unrighteous like you. Plead for God’s mercy and believe you have received it through Jesus Christ. I assure you that the door of a second chance is opened to you. Seize it, celebrate it and thank God for it. You are now saved by grace. Hallelujah!

Prayer Point:

Father, forgive me for my past misdeeds. Give me another chance to live my life for You.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
John 1-3
Isaiah 33:10-24

A KING UNDER THE KING

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:6

Read: 2 Samuel 6:20-23

6:20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!

6:21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel: therefore will I play before the Lord.

6:22 And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.

6:23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

MESSAGE:

The patronage a brand enjoys and the loyalty of its customers is determined by the reputation of its manufacturer. This applies also to children of God. Whose brand are you? Who is your manufacturer? What reputation and goodwill does your manufacturer enjoy in the market place? For how long have you been in the market? What adverse market conditions have you overcome? What are your strategic selling points? I am excited to declare that I am a child of the Most High God. The Almighty God, who is the Maker of the heavens and the earth, is my Creator. There was no fault in my design because I was fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. My father’s reputation is staked on the fact that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is the oldest and yet the newest. Through Him, I have overcome defeat in every aspect of life. Sickness cannot have me. Poverty cannot come near me. Failure is far from me. Stagnation is not in my destiny. Barrenness is alien to me and I have no appointment with destruction. My selling point is that I have the joy of the Lord because I am a child of God!

As a child of God, you are not to run from problems; problems should be running from you. As a child of God, you have been created to be a terror to the kingdom of darkness. There should never be a report of you being terrorised by anything. Although Goliath had been terrorising the children of God for a long time, when a king under the king got there, his threat came to an end (1 Samuel 17:3-51). Today, I prophesy into your life that every Goliath in your home, finances, ministry, business and career shall be brought down in Jesus’ Name. As a king, you are expected to command every negative situation out of your life. These situations have ears and they can hear you. That impossible situation is awaiting your command. Jeremiah 1:9-10 says,
"Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth and the Lord said unto me; behold I have put my words in thy mouth, see I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant."

One of my beloved sons who has gone to be with the Lord, would always say that you should not complain about what you permit. So if there is anything you are complaining about, it is because you have permitted the devil for too long. Command him to pack his bags out of your family, out of your body and out of your business. Those who know their God shall be strong and do exploits.

Key Point:

If you don’t know who you are, you will not know your authority.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
John 4-5
Isaiah 34:1-14

FAITHFUL STEWARD

 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2

Read: Luke 12:42-48

12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

12:43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

12:44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

MESSAGE:

Faithfulness is a basic requirement for those who want to succeed in their dealings with God. For those who desire to be great, relevant and effective in life and ministry, there is no other way around it. Today, the Church in my opinion is not in short supply of Christian workers; rather, faithful workers are scarce. God blesses beyond measure, all those who exhibit faithfulness in His service. I have always told my children in ministry that when a man of God does the work of God the way it should be done, what he or she will eat would not be a prayer point. This is because God is committed to those who are faithful in His business. He gave us this guarantee in Hebrew 6:10:
"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

God is looking for men and women who are faithful stewards of all He has committed to their hands. You should be faithful in the handling of finances and not allow your heart be consumed by the love of money. Faithfulness is also required in the way you use your authority. You should be faithful in your service to God and in your service to humanity. You should be faithful in how you manage other people’s time, because time is life. Stewardship is a trust that must not be abused. You should always remember that you will give account of all that God has entrusted to you. You should take the business of the kingdom seriously and not be complacent in your approach to life. You have to be steadfast and diligent in whatever assignment you are given. Diligence is a key that gives you access to people in high places (Proverbs 22:29). As a faithful steward in the vineyard, you have to be focused on your own mandate and never use another man as a parameter to evaluate your life (2 Corinthians 10:12). To be focused is to have a target and to work towards actualising it to the glory of God, being conscious of the fact that God’s business requires urgency. Jesus made this clear in John 9:4:
"I will work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."

All the gifts, talents and potential that you have been given by God are expected to be deployed for His glory. It is my prayer that as you discern, develop and deploy all that He has committed into your hands, you will not be found wanting in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:

Father, by Your mercy, let me not receive condemnation on the day of reward.