Rest from Your Enemies



Today’s Scripture

2 Chronicles 14:3, 6, NIV
He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles… . No one was at war with him during those years, for the LORD gave him rest.
Today’s Word
King Asa of Judah inherited a kingdom that was filled with idolatry. His father had passed down compromise, mediocrity, and dysfunction. But Asa understood that just because something negative is passed down doesn’t mean you have to continue it and let it limit your life. He smashed the pagan shrines and altars, and because of it, the Lord gave him rest from his enemies. If you want rest from that bad attitude, that addiction, or that low self-esteem that most likely was passed down to you, you have get rid of it. Be an Asa and say, “I’m not going to let this anger rule my life. I’m going to pull that stronghold down and smash it. I’m not going to put up with this anxiety and insecurity. I’m removing these limitations. I’m living in peace. I’m going to enjoy my life.” When you make a decision that enough is enough, God will begin to give rest from your enemies.

Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You that I don’t have to be defined by the past, by what was passed down to me or the mistakes I’ve made. Thank You that I can take a stand and remove anything that is holding me back. I will be the difference maker and break the chains. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Posted By Naijapage - Joel Osteen Daily Devotional

Be filled with the Spirit



Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:18-19

Why do people sing? The nineteenth century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow may have said it best: “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Even when our spoken words cannot be understood, music can bridge a gap where our words often fail. Joy, sorrow, fear, exaltation, praise, energy—every facet of life can be reflected in music. And when words are added, especially words that edify and inspire and communicate to the heart, all the better.

Why do we sing songs in church? The Early Church did so because of the Jewish culture of singing the psalms in worship. But why did Israel sing? Because they were human and needed to pour out their hearts to God in praise, confession, petition, and love. We also sing in corporate worship because Paul instructed us to praise God with “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). Corporate worship, especially with music, focuses our attention on the Savior we serve.

Do you invest your whole heart in corporate worship in church? Worship is our “sacrifice of praise” to the Lord (Hebrews 13:15).

My ready tongue makes haste to sing the glories of my heavenly King.

Charles Wesley

By David Jeremiah

Posted By Naijapage - David Jeremiah Devotional

Practice Makes Perfect



Once we begin to get closer to God and start listening to His voice more, it’s important to obey whatever we hear Him say. When He asks us to do something and we’re obedient, our faith is strengthened, and the quality and closeness of our relationship with Him grow. We might say “practice makes perfect” when it comes to hearing and obeying Him, because the more experience we gain, the more confident and consistent we become.

It takes a lot of practice to reach a place of complete submission to God’s leading. Even knowing that God’s ways are perfect and that His plans always work, we still struggle sometimes when He asks us to do something that requires personal sacrifice, or many times we might even be afraid that we’re not hearing clearly and become too cautious to take action.

I want to encourage you not to be afraid of sacrifice, or of making a mistake. There are many things in life that are worse than being wrong. I firmly believe that when we’ve done our best to hear from God, then we must “step out and find out” if we’re truly hearing His voice or not. Shrinking back in fear will never allow us to make progress or help us obey God, but boldly continuing to step out in faith puts us in a position to grow.

Joyce Meyer Devotional September 25 2020 Says Jesus Said Follow Me
Jesus said, “Follow Me.” He did not say, “You take the lead, and I’ll follow you.” I have learned that we may as well do whatever God says quickly, because if we don’t, I can guarantee that we’ll be miserable until we follow His instructions.

When our kids are learning how to walk, we don’t get angry when they fall down. We realize they’re learning, and we take time to work with them. In the same way, God is extraordinarily patient with us. Even when we slip up, He’s always ready to help us get back on track, so we can just focus on pursuing Jesus and trust Him to catch us when we fall.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for helping me grow and get better at hearing and obeying Your voice. Please give me the grace I need to take the steps You’re leading me to take today. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

By Joyce Meyer

Posted by Naijapage - Joyce Meyer Devotional

It’s in the Unknown



Today’s Scripture

Matthew 14:29, NLT
“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.

Today’s Word

When Jesus came walking across the stormy sea in the darkness of night, Peter was the only disciple who had the courage to walk on the water to Him. One can imagine the other disciples saying, “It’s too dangerous! Don’t go!” But when Jesus told him to come, Peter stepped out into the unknown and walked on water. He didn’t let what was familiar and comfortable in his life keep him from getting out of the boat and becoming who he was created to be. You can’t play it safe your whole life and reach the fullness of your destiny. What God has in store for your future is going to boggle your mind—the places He wants to take you, the people you’re going to influence, the dreams you’re going to accomplish. Don’t let the what-ifs talk you out of it. “What if I fail? What if they say no?” You’ll never know unless you try—it’s in the unknown.

Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You that the stormy seas and waves of my life are no problem for You. I choose to obey You quickly. Help me not to overthink things, but trust Your leading in my life. I declare that I am willing to step out of my comfort zone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

By Joel Osteen

Posted By Naijapage - Joel Osteen Devotional

Free to Fly



Love offers people both roots and wings. It provides a sense of belonging (roots) and a sense of freedom (wings). Real love doesn’t try to control or manipulate others. Jesus said that He was sent by God to proclaim liberty. As believers, that’s what we’re meant to do also—to free people to fulfill God’s will for their lives, not to bring them under our control.

Have you ever seen parents push their children to do things they don’t even want to do, just to meet their own frustrated desires? Or maybe a person who’s clingy and emotionally smothering to a new friend because he or she is afraid to lose that person? Both of these are examples of a misguided, counterfeit kind of love that dominates rather than sets free—this is not at all the way true love works.

Love does not try to gain personal satisfaction at the expense of others. Love will always nurture and promote liberty. When we truly love God and others, we’ll gladly allow the people in our lives to follow His plan—not our plan—and see who they can be and what they can accomplish in Christ. A caged bird cannot fly, so cultivate liberty! Allow people the freedom to be themselves, and watch how they flourish.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me be a person who loves others in a liberating way. Thank You for setting me free to be myself, and for giving me the grace to do the same for the people in my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

By Joyce Meyer

Posted by Naijapage - Joyce Meyer Devotional

IF GOD IS FOR YOU



When I first left brother Copeland’s organization in the ‘70s, and Carolyn and I launched out into our own ministry, we hit the ground running! I had been in my own ministry for about two years when we experienced a mountain of financial problems. The devil knocked the props right out from under us. Up to that point, we hadn’t struggled financially. Our ministry was young, but it was flourishing. But things started looking pretty bad. Suddenly, it seemed like our whole ministry was going to come crashing down.

As I was in my bedroom praying about this, fear kept trying to rise up on the inside of me. The devil told me, “You failed in your business, and you’re going to fail in your ministry. You always get up to this point and then you hit rock bottom. You did it in business and you’re going to do it in ministry.”



I am telling you that fear tried to grip me through these negative thoughts, but I knew enough about the Word to cast down those imaginations. But just as soon as I would cast them down, they would come back again. So I kept on rebuking them, and I kept praying in the Holy Spirit, but I kept hearing the devil calling me a failure. “You’re a failure! This is as far as you’re going to go. I’m going to take everything you’ve got.” He kept going on and on and on.

But, at some point, he called me a failure one too many times.

Suddenly coming out of me was this righteous indignation, and I knew it wasn’t just my voice but the voice of the Holy Spirit. I heard the Holy Spirit say, “You want to talk about failure, let’s talk about you, Satan!” The Holy Spirit, through me, started telling the devil how he got kicked out of heaven; how he was defeated at the Cross; and how he was stripped of the keys of death, hell and the grave. And then I’ll never forget this, I said, “Now, Satan, we’ve talked about your failure, now let’s talk about your future! That ain’t too bright either! You’re headed for the Lake of Fire. And guess where I’m headed?” I’m headed for victory!

I came out of that room with a shout in my heart and confidence in My God’s ability to see me through. And let me tell you what, God met my financial need during that season, and He’s been doing it ever since. And He wants to do the same for YOU!

Why did I tell you that story today? Because I want you to get tired of the devil calling you a failure. I want you to get tired of the lies that he is trying to get you to believe. It’s time for you to get mad at the devil and tell the devil about all his failures. Quit listening to him talk about yours. You are not a failure! You are a child of the Most High God. You have God Almighty on your side! And if God be for you, who can be against you?

Confession: “If God is for me, nobody can be against me. I am a child of the Most High God!”

Author: Jerry Savelle

Posted by Naijapage - Jerry Savelle Devotional

Ask for Help



Today’s Scripture
James 5:16, TLB

Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

Today’s Word

It’s easy to hide things in our lives and let people see only what we want them to see. All the heroes of faith in the Scripture had their weaknesses and failures. Everyone has issues. If you’re still struggling in an area today, there is no shame in asking for help. Sometimes we think we’re supposed to be perfect, so we can’t let anybody know we have a bad habit, an addiction, or a struggle. We would be embarrassed if others knew. Today’s Scripture tells you to not let shame keep you isolated. Real healing begins when we get honest. There are some things that you can’t overcome on your own. You need to find somebody to stand in faith with you, a person of integrity whom you can trust to walk with you through it. There’s something about getting it out in the open. Don’t let the fear of what other people think keep you from your miracle.
Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that You didn’t create me to hide my faults and weaknesses and be isolated. Help me to find someone whose integrity I trust to stand in faith and pray with me. I want the healing that comes with being honest and bringing my issues to the light. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

By Joel Osteen

Posted by Naijapage - Joel Osteen Devotional September 18 2020

Good Gifts



If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Matthew 7:11

In this sentence, Jesus acknowledged the inherent sinfulness of the human heart. He plainly called us “evil.” He knew the truth of Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Yet Jesus also knew there is still common grace in the world. There is some goodness in most parents. It is natural to want to care for our children and meet their needs.

Our Lord’s primary point is God’s care for us. If we, fallen humanity, want to care for our children and give them good things, how much greater is God’s desire to care for us? He is the perfect, sinless, eternal, infinite Father—our Abba Father.

But there is a secondary point as well. As followers of Christ, we should realize the urgency of meeting our children’s needs and giving them what is best. They are God’s blessing to us, and they need all the patience, prayers, and Bible verses we can give them.

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

Chuck Swindoll

by David Jeremiah

Posted by Naijapage - David Jeremiah Devotional

Keep Going!

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.
2 Timothy 4:17



Recommended Reading: 2 Timothy 4:9-18

A few years before he died, the Free Will Baptist evangelist John Colby was feeling the effects of poor health. He didn’t want to end his ministry, but he was sometimes too tired to continue. On Thursday, February 25, 1813, he wrote in his journal: “I preached at Esquire Green’s. The house was much crowded, and I was under the necessity of speaking louder than usual, in order that the people might hear in the different apartments. The Lord strengthened me far beyond my expectations, and as a dying man, I spake to dying creatures. Many of the dear youth wept and mourned, and I humbly trust, that day will not be soon forgotten. When I closed the meeting, I felt as though I had come about to the close of life. I retired to my chamber, and lay down where I continued till the next day.”

The next day, he got up and kept going.

We often become tired in the service of the Lord, but not of the service of the Lord. The apostle Paul, also near death, spoke of how the Lord stood with him and strengthened him. Our Lord will do the same with us. Let’s get up and keep going—in His strength!

God’s strength can only work in weakness.

Andrew Murray

By David Jeremiah

Posted by Naijapage - David Jeremiah Devotional September 14 2020

JESUS IS THE STANDARD



Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV).

When it comes to gaining victory over our negative circumstances, Jesus is our only standard. Other believers—no matter how strong they were or are—are not our standard.



Many compare their experiences to the apostle Paul. Yes, he overcame many trials and tribulations, but he is not our ultimate role model—Jesus is!

Although Paul does instruct believers to imitate his ways, He is talking about his ways in Christ. Paul clearly stated in the scripture above that it is Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Therefore, He is the model for successful living.

When we make Jesus Christ our standard, the Holy Spirit stretches us to a new level of victory and success in Christ. So, what standard of victory should we expect as we live out our lives in and through Jesus?

When Jesus was taken to the edge of a cliff to be stoned, rather than believing God to survive the stoning, He confidently walked away to safety.
When Jesus was in a terrible storm at sea, He did not believe God to survive the storm; He used His authority to command the storm be stilled.
When Jesus needed to get across the water, He did not believe God for a boat; He walked on the water.
When Jesus lacked enough food to feed more than 5000, He did not go to the local supermarket; He multiplied the food He had.
Jesus used every trial He faced as an opportunity to set a standard of faith that you too can follow. Through the cross He made the way for you to live at that same level. All you have to do is believe.

Confession: Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of my faith. In Him I live, and move, and have my being. I am able to walk in victory over every trial and circumstance that I may face because Jesus is my standard!

Author: Jerry Savelle

Posted by Naijapage - Jerry Savelle Devotional

Time to Be Bold



Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, Joyce, I’m a timid, shy person—that’s just my nature. I don’t think I can change. But guess what? You may feel timid and shy, but you can still be bold and courageous.

I want you to know that even if you’ve struggled with anxiety, fear or low self-esteem for decades, you can take back the reins of your life and regain your confidence, one step at a time. As you start to replace the enemy’s lies that say things like, “You’re not good enough,” or “No one loves you,” with the truth of God’s Word, which says, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ” (see 2 Corinthians 5:21), “I have all the strength I need” (see Philippians 4:13), and “Nothing could ever separate me from God’s love” (see Romans 8:38-39), you’ll find your confidence increasing a little more every day.

The more you ask God to help you choose to believe the truth of His Word over the lies of the enemy, it will get easier and easier to be the person He designed you to be, and you’ll become bolder and bolder.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me remember who You say I am, and to choose to believe Your Word over the enemy’s lies. Thank You for reminding me of the truth when I forget, and for treasuring me as Your child. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

By Joyce Meyer

Posted by Naijapage - Joyce Meyer Devotional

Be a Person of Integrity



Today’s Scripture

Psalm 101:2, ESV
I will walk with integrity of heart within my house.

Today’s Word

Solomon said, “A good name is worth more than great riches.” Your reputation is one of the most valuable things you have, and it is built on the foundation of your personal integrity. A person of integrity does the right thing when no one is watching. You can have talent, determination, and vision, but without integrity, you won’t reach your full potential.

Where does it start? In today’s Scripture, David was saying, “Starting in my private life, when I could compromise, give in to temptation, cheat people, instead I’m going to do the right thing. I’m going be a person of excellence and show God that He can trust me.” He went on to say, “I will not look at anything impure. I won’t watch things that are going to poison me. I will not have anything to do with crooked dealings, things that are shady, not ethical.” Your name is too important to let it become tarnished by not having integrity.

Prayer for Today

“Father, thank You that down at the foundation of my life I can be a person of integrity, someone who’s true to You no matter what. Thank You that as I honor You, You are a shield of protection to me. I will not let small things keep me from Your big blessings. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

By Joel Osteen

Posted by Naijapage - Joel Osteen Devotional September 10 2020

Jesus Is the Best Kind of Helper



Have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out how to make a new phone or other device work properly? That kind of thing comes easily to those of us who know a lot about technology, but it can be frustrating to people like me who aren’t tech savvy and just want the device to work already! I’ve learned that if I accidentally hit the wrong button on my phone and start having trouble with it, all I need to do is look for a young person to help me. Even though I’m older and have much more life experience than the sixth-grader who can fix my phone, that child has something I don’t have: specific experience with today’s technology. I may know a lot in some areas, but I can’t fix my phone; I need help, and the best kind of helper is one with experience.

On that note, Jesus has all the experience required to help us through our journey. Hebrews 5:8–9 speaks volumes to me, not only about Him but also about my life and yours. Jesus needed specific experience in what it’s like to be human so He could truly understand our pain, which is what enabled Him to become our High Priest and help us heal.

Joyce Meyer Devotional September 9 2020 On Experience With Jesus Christ


My experience with Jesus’ healing power makes me a good candidate to boldly tell others how He will heal their wounded souls just like He’s healed mine. In the same way, your experience in life and in letting Him restore you will equip you to share your testimony with others. Jesus’ suffering and experience equipped Him to fulfill what God wanted Him to do. Hebrews 4:15 says He is able “to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses” (AMPC) because He’s already gone ahead of us and made it through all the things that cause us pain.

I encourage you today, even right now, to offer your experience to God, ask Him to heal you, and trust Him to use your hurts to help others heal. I vividly remember praying one day, “God, I’m a broken mess, but I’m Yours if You can use me.” And He did. He chose to use me in specific ways to help others, and I believe there is a specific way He wants to work through you, too. Nothing we give to God is ever wasted. If you’ll give Him your pain, He’ll turn it into a beacon of hope for hurting people.

By Joel Osteen

Posted by Naijapage - Joyce Meyer Devotional September 9 2020

Face the Truth and Find Freedom

Facing the truth about ourselves is a vital key to experiencing breakthrough and freedom. If you want to consistently live in new levels of victory, we need to remain open and receptive to the truth about ourselves.

This is not just a superficial acknowledgment of wrong thinking and behavior— it’s an open and honest recognition of your sin to God that brings an attitude of repentance, which is a willingness to go in the right direction.

It can be painful, but receiving the Holy Spirit’s direction and correction about your mindsets, motives, and methods of doing things will enable you to move beyond despair and experience a wonderful, deep fellowship with God. As you continue in His Word, the truth will set you free (see John 8:32).

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me be willing to face the truth about myself, no matter how much it might hurt. Thank You for always being there to help me grow and mature more and more every day. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

By Joyce Meyer

Posted By Naijapage - Joyce Meyer Devotional September 2020

Second Chances



TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
Jonah 3:1–2, NIV



TODAY’S WORD:

After Jonah’s first refusal to go and preach to the city of Nineveh, God in His mercy used a great fish to rescue Jonah from certain death. The story could have ended there, but God doesn’t want to just rescue you from your mess, He wants to give you another chance to get to where you’re supposed to be. That mistake doesn’t disqualify you. God is always going to give you another chance and another to fulfill His best plan for your life.

The second time God told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh, he obeyed and saw God do amazing things. The point is, Jonah’s mistake did not stop his destiny. It’s not too late to become everything you were created to be. If you’ll start right where you are, honoring God, being your best, serving others, the right doors will open, the right people will show up. The good news is, you’re covered by mercy.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

“Father, thank You that when I make a mistake and cause a mess, You don’t say, ‘Too bad, you had your chance, you’re on your own.’ Thank You for Your mercy that covers me and gives me second chances. I believe You will get me to where I’m supposed to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

By Joel Osteen

Posted by Naijapage - Joel Osteen Devotional

Exceedingly, Abundantly, Above and Beyond

Have you ever been praying about all the people who are hurting and had a strong desire to help every single one of them? I know I certainly have. In times like this I feel that my desire is bigger than my ability, and it is—but thankfully it isn’t bigger than God’s ability.

When the thing we’re facing in our life looms so huge in front of us that our mind goes “tilt,” we can remember to think with the mind of Christ. In the natural, many things seem impossible. But God wants us to believe for great things, make big plans, and expect Him to do things so amazing that our mouths hang open in awe.

God doesn’t usually call people who are capable; if He did, He wouldn’t get the glory. He frequently chooses those who, in the natural, feel as if they’re completely in over their heads, but who are ready to stand up and take bold steps of faith. They’ve learned the secret of staying close to God and trusting that His superabundant power will work in and through them.

When your desires seem overwhelmingly big and you don’t see how you can accomplish them, remember that even though you don’t know the way, you know the Way Maker!

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You so much for giving me desires that will help build Your kingdom. Help me trust You to lead, guide and strengthen me for each step of the process of seeing those dreams come to pass. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

By Joyce Meyer

Posted by Naijapage - Joyce Meyer Devotional

Live by a Higher Standard

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.”
Deuteronomy 14:2, NLT



TODAY’S WORD:

There’s a constant pressure trying to squeeze you into being common, into doing what everyone else is doing today. Don’t let that thinking rub off on you. Today’s Scripture is saying you’re not common. You’re not like everyone else. You’ve not only been chosen by the Most High God, but He set you apart. He made you uncommon.

It takes courage to be different. It takes courage to not compromise. People will try to make you feel weak because you don’t go with the majority, you don’t party with everyone, you don’t gossip, you don’t play politics. The truth is, you’re not weak; you’re strong. You are uncommon. People around you may be giving in to temptation, doing things you know are not the best. That’s the enemy trying to deceive you into being common. He knows that if you’re like everyone else, it will keep you from becoming all you were created to be. Don’t fall into that trap. Be uncommon.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

“Father, thank You that You not only chose me, but You set me apart to be Your special treasure. I’m not going to be pressured into compromising, and I’m not going to live like everyone else. I’m going to live by a higher standard, and I believe I will see uncommon favor. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

By Joel Osteen

Posted by Naijapage - Joel Osteen Devo

God’s Voice

John 12:28 ‘Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.’

JOHN 12:20-28

This is the third time recorded in the gospels that the Father spoke in an audible voice to or about Jesus (First, at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River and second, at the transfiguration of Jesus).



This verse makes it clear that it was a voice that the Father spoke in; however, there were different reports of the same event. Some people heard a voice and thought it was an angel who spoke. Others thought it was thunder.

This illustrates ‘the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned’ (1 Cor. 2:14). A carnal man with a hardened heart will always find some natural explanation for the supernatural even if he heard an audible voice from God.

Andrew Wommack Devotional September 3 2020 Says A Hard Heart Is Bad
A hard heart keeps us from perceiving spiritual truths and stops us from understanding. When a person doesn’t understand God’s Word, Satan finds no resistance when he comes to steal it away. A hard heart keeps us from remembering. This isn’t to say that facts or scriptures can’t be recalled, it’s the spiritual lessons learned that have been forgotten. Likewise, some people can quote scripture or remember what the sermon was about, but they can’t perceive the spiritual life in it or retain what they did perceive, because of a hardened heart.

Jesus didn’t need to hear this audible voice of God because he had a more sure word of prophecy than the audible voice of God from heaven (2 Pet. 1:18-20). Jesus knew the ‘voice’ of the Old Testament scriptures that spoke of the Christ being glorified and He could also hear the Father’s voice in His heart as He had on so many other occasions. This audible voice didn’t come to reassure Jesus, but it came to those who had ears to hear, so that they might believe.

By Andrew Wommack

Posted by Naijapage - Andrew Wommack Devotional

REJOICE!

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV).

When we are in the midst of a trial, we are oftentimes so focused on what is happening to us that we aren’t looking for the way out. We spend our time talking about the problem rather than doing what God’s Word instructs us to do: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NKJV).



You may ask, “Why does God want us to rejoice?” Because, according to Nehemiah 8:10, the joy of the Lord is our strength. If we don’t have joy, we won’t have strength.

Joy comes from the Word of God, and we must read the Word constantly to maintain that joy. As humans beings, we have the physical need for sleep, but the devil doesn’t. The moment we open our eyes each day he’s sure to be there waiting to say, “You’re not going to make it. This trial is too much for you. You might as well just give up.”

But guess what? The devil doesn’t have any defense again joy.

Let me tell you what it means to rejoice. One meaning of the Hebrew word rejoice is “to brighten up.” In other words, put a big smile on your face whether you feel like it or not. Another meaning of the word rejoice is “to spin around,” and a third meaning is “to leap.” So, the next time you are facing a trial, here’s how to respond: smile, spin, and leap. Or simply put—rejoice!

Confession: My God is a faithful God who has already made a way of escape for me in every trial and temptation. Therefore, I choose to always rejoice in the Lord, knowing the devil has no defense against the joy of the Lord, which is my strength.

Author: Jerry Savelle

Posted by Naijapage - Jerry Savelle Devotional

The Lost Planet

He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.
Psalm 147:4

Poor Pluto! Many of us remember when he was one of nine planets circling the sun. But the International Astronomical Union decided he wasn’t a full-sized planet after all, so now there are only eight. Yet mathematicians insist there are nine planets, so astronomers are searching day and night for “Planet X,” which is believed to be ten times the mass of earth and lurking in the outer reaches of our solar system.

God knows the number and names of the stars, and He also knows the planets. He created the universe with a precision that baffles the wisest scientist and with beauty that outstrips the greatest artist.

Don’t let the skeptics disturb you. False theories about the origin of the universe abound, and the psychological harm they inflict is appalling. They fill the minds of entire generations with despair. But the message of our Creator God is one of love. He made us. He knows us. He has a roadmap for our lives. And the more we learn of Him, the more we understand who we are and why we’re on earth.

The universe in its immensity was especially created for us humans so that we could see and appreciate the glory and the power of God.

Werner Gitt

By David Jeremiah

Posted by Naijapage - david jeremiah daily devotional today

Walk in Love

Jesus said, If anyone intends to come after Me, let him deny himself [forget, ignore, disown, and lose sight of himself and his own interests] and take up his cross, and [joining Me as a disciple and siding with My party] follow with Me [continually, cleaving steadfastly to Me] (Mark 8:34 AMPC).

Living a disciplined life and walking in love means laying aside personal feelings, discerning which choice is most important to God in each situation, and then allowing that choice to take priority over the others. Sometimes He’ll call us to set aside what we’re doing for a little while so we can show His love to someone. As Jesus laid down His life for us, He’s asking us to lay down our interests for His greater cause—loving people.

Prayer Starter:Father, please show me what I need to lay down in my life so that I can show Your love to the people around me. Thank You for giving me the wisdom and strength I need to walk in love today. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

By Joyce Meyer

Posted by Naijapage - joyce meyer daily devotional

Be Amazing

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14, NIV



TODAY’S WORD:

Life will try to make you feel as though you’re anything but amazing. Disappointments, betrayals, and rejection will try to steal your sense of value. You may feel ordinary, but because of your Maker, there’s something about you that makes you extremely valuable. You’re an original. You can’t get any more prestigious than that. If you’re going to recognize your value, you have to see yourself as amazing, as wonderful. It’s not because of who you are, but because of who made you. You have the fingerprints of God all over you.

All through the day, you need to remind yourself, “I am amazing. I am a masterpiece. I have been wonderfully made.” Don’t discount what God has created. Don’t go around feeling ordinary when in fact, you’re extraordinary. People may try to make you feel average. Are you going to believe what people say about you, or believe what God says about you and move up to the next level?

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

“Father, thank You that You made me fearfully and wonderfully in a way that is amazing. Thank You that I am wonderful because I belong to You. I believe that nothing can hold me back from becoming the masterpiece that You created me to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

By Joel Osteen

Posted by Naijapage - joel osteen daily devotional

Hope Beyond Death

The righteous hath hope in his death.
—Proverbs 14:32
We don’t like to talk about death; it’s the forbidden subject of our generation. Yet it’s real for all of us. Sometimes on television I see motion pictures featuring actors who are no longer living. They seem very much alive in the picture, but they are dead. Some of them were my personal friends. Death is real, and when we die, that is a battle we have to fight all alone. Nobody can be with us in that hour, but David said he had found an answer that would take the fear of death away. David said that there is an answer to death, there is a hope beyond death. That hope is centered in the risen Christ. Paul wrote that to be “absent from the body” is to be “present with the Lord.”

Prayer
Lord Jesus, with complete trust I look toward that day when my soul will be with You for eternity.

By Billy Graham Ministries

Posted by Naijapage - daily devotionals

No More Tears: Jesus Wept

Jesus wept three times during His ministry, as recorded in the Gospels. Once was in John 11, when He wept by the graveside of Lazarus. He obviously knew He was going to raise Lazarus back to life, but perhaps Jesus was entering into all the sorrows borne by humans because of the awful sadness of death.

A few days later, Jesus again shed tears. As He drew near Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, “He saw the city and wept over it” (Luke 19:41). He was weeping because of their rejection of Him and the coming judgment that would entail.

And yet again, a few days later, He wept in the Garden of Gethsemane as He surrendered Himself to His Father’s will. According to Hebrews 5:7, “In the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him, who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.”

In the same way, we should have deep emotions when we accept the reality of death, the judgment of the lost, and the depth of our own submission to God. Those are godly tears, and they will be richly rewarded.

He drank a cup of wrath without mercy, that we might drink a cup of mercy without wrath.

J. Oswald Sanders

By David Jeremiah

Posted by NaijaPage - David Jeremiah Sermon Today

Turning Points

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:36, NIV



TODAY’S WORD:

In the Scripture, Rebekah instructed her son Jacob to deceive their father. Jacob turned out to be a deceiver just like her. Jacob’s Uncle Laban had the same problem. He deceived Jacob. There was a spirit of deception in that family. It looked as though it would continue from generation to generation. But at one point, Jacob admitted he was wrong, and God changed him (see Genesis 32). That was the turning point. The curse was broken.

Some of the things you struggle with every day have been passed down to you. The dysfunction, the addiction, the low self-esteem didn’t start with you, but it can end with you. God is saying, “I’m about to break its power in your family line.” This is a new day. Freedom and wholeness are coming to your house. Put your faith out there and say, “Christ broke the power of this when He rose from the dead. It is finished in our family. We are free indeed.”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

“Father, thank You that when Christ conquered death on the cross, He broke the power of every negative thing that’s trying to hold me back. Thank You that any stronghold of the enemy within our family line is being destroyed. I believe that we are being set free. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

By Joel Osteen

Posted by Naijapage - Joel Osteen Devotional

Knowing Is Trusting

And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You. (Psalm 9:10 AMP)

Knowing God intimately is the key to trusting Him with your present cares and the uncertainty of your future. Knowing God intimately is the key to mountain-moving faith.

Faith is not a formula, it is a friendship. Faith is simply believing God. To have faith in God simply means you trust Him and have confidence in Him.

God has not distanced Himself from you in an effort to make it difficult for you to get to know Him. His arms are outstretched to you today, inviting you to come to Him and experience what you were created for: intimacy with Him.

Getting to know God better is no different from getting to know a friend better. You hang out with them more, you open your heart to them more. You listen to them and you make an effort to bless them and do what makes them happy.

By meditating on scriptures that talk about the character of God—His love, mercy, compassion, kindness, and goodness—you will find yourself drawing closer to Him. Knowing God more intimately will build your ability to trust Him with your past, your present, and your future.

Confession: Heavenly Father, I desire to know You more intimately, and I commit to spending quality time with You. As I meditate on Your Word, I thank You for giving me a fresh revelation of Your character and love.

Author: Jerry Savelle

Posted by Naijapage - Jerry Savelle Devotional

Guard Your Blessing

“Your brother was here and tricked me and has carried away your blessing.”
Genesis 27:35, TLB

TODAY’S WORD:

Esau was the firstborn son of Jacob and knew he would receive his father’s highest blessing, which included inheritance as well as being the leader of the family clan. But his twin brother, Isaac, deceived their father into giving him the valuable blessing. Esau took the blessing for granted until it was carried away by his brother.

Sometimes we let other people carry away our blessing. We let what they say about us—their disapproval and discouraging words—keep us from who we were meant to be. You have to put your foot down and say, “I’m not going to let people talk me out of my dreams or let a coworker make me feel inferior as though I’m not good enough. I’m not going to let a coach, a teacher, or a counselor talk me into living an average, mediocre, get-by life.” You have seeds of greatness. You are destined to leave your mark on this generation. Don’t let anyone carry away your blessing.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

“Father, thank You for the blessing, the gifts, and the talents that You have given me. Thank You for calling me to stir up my gifts, to develop them, and use them well for Your glory. I will guard what You’ve given me and walk in Your blessing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Credit - Joel Osteen

From - NaijaPage - Joel Osteen Daily Devotional

Theme - Be Happy with Who You Are

I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
Romans 7:19, NLT

TODAY’S WORD:

Many people don’t really like who they are. They focus on their faults, their weaknesses. They’re constantly critical toward themselves. That recording of all the things wrong with them keeps playing in their mind, “You’re impatient. You blew your diet. You should be ashamed of yourself.” They wonder why they’re not happy, not realizing they have an inner war going on. It’s very freeing when you can be happy with who you are even though you have some areas in which you still need to improve.

Think about what the apostle Paul said in today’s Scripture. Even he still struggled in some areas. If he would have been down on himself, he would have never written almost half the books of the New Testament and become one of the heroes of faith. You don’t have to have it all together to do something great. If you’re waiting till you overcome every weakness and perform perfectly, you’ll be waiting your whole life.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

“Father, thank You that though there are areas of my life that need to improve, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I know You are changing me little by little. I believe that what You started in my life, You are going to finish. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

By Joel Osteen

From - Naijapage - Joel Osteen Devotional

A BETTER LIFE

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8

C. S. Lewis is quoted as saying, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” The truth of the matter is that Someone is always watching. God in heaven sees our thoughts, our actions, our mistakes, and our guilt when we fail. One of the great assurances found in Scripture is that in spite of our failures and sin, God loves us and encourages us to be better. How often have we heard a young child say, “Daddy, I want to be like you!” What a blessing for an earthly father to hear those words from his child. That is what God wants to hear from us—not that we are perfect—but that our desire and goal is to be like Him.

Do you have someone in your life who makes you want to be a better person in one or more ways? We should all be so blessed. People who knew Jesus felt that way about Him. The phrase “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11) is emblematic of what happened to many people who encountered Jesus in their life. It was hard to be around the Son of God without being motivated to be better, especially to be a purer person.

If you are a Christian, you are around Jesus every moment through the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life. Let His presence, and His Word, be the primary shaping influence in your life.

If you would have the life holy before men, let the heart be pure before God.

Thomas Manton

By David Jeremiah

From - NaijaPage - David Jeremiah Devotional 2020

Divorce Is Not God’s Best

Mark 10:2 ‘And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.’
The Pharisees didn’t really want to know what Jesus taught on divorce and remarriage. They didn’t value His opinion but were tempting Him and desired to get Him mired in the big dispute of their day between liberal and conservative views on divorce. This was a very emotional issue then, just as it is today, and they thought they had Jesus in a ‘no win’ situation.

However, as always, Jesus proved to be more than their match and He gave them much more than they asked for.

The Pharisees didn’t question whether or not divorce was right. They took the right to divorce for granted. But Jesus, instead of expounding on acceptable grounds for divorce, went to the very root of the problem and showed that God never intended there to be any divorce at all. If they really understood the extent of the one flesh covenant between a man and his wife, they would not be looking for an excuse to get out of marriage. This approach amazed the Pharisees and brough forth the question ‘why did Moses in the law make provision for divorce?’

Once a person begins to question, ‘How can I get a divorce?’ instead of, ‘How can I keep this marriage together?’ indicates, that there is already a serious breach in the marriage, that Jesus calls a hardened heart.

Jesus answered that divorce was permitted but never intended. God allowed something that He hated because of the hardness of people’s hearts. This was also true of polygamy and slavery. Jesus came to remove our stony heart and give us a heart of flesh so that we could walk in God’s best for us.

By Andrew Wommack

From - NaijaPage - daily devotionals

HAVE MERCY

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Recommended Reading: 2 Corinthians 2:10



There are several key words in the biblical lexicon that are similar, but different. And their difference makes all the difference! Justice means getting what we deserve. Mercy means not getting what we deserve. And grace means getting what we don’t deserve. All have their importance, and each has its place in our life.

Justice we leave to God, of course (Hebrews 10:30). Grace we can generously dispense toward others. But mercy? That’s a harder one. Remember: mercy means not giving someone what they deserve. We have received mercy from God in that He spared us from the punishment for our sins and punished His Son instead. So what do we do when someone offends us and we feel they deserve our reproach? We should do what God has done for us—show mercy. Instead of dispensing judgment or vengeance, we show love, forgiveness, and understanding. In short, we show mercy. Why? Because God has shown mercy toward us.

The next time you are impulsively or deliberately inclined to judge or retaliate, remember to show mercy. Give to others what God has given you.

‘Tis God that justifies their souls, and mercy like a mighty stream, o’er all their sins divinely rolls.

Isaac Watts

By David Jeremiah

From - NaijaPage - David Jeremiah Devotional

The wife of Bishop TD Jakes and her daughter Sarah looks alike!

Picture Credit - Sarah Jakes Roberts Instagram

From - Naijapage - Serita Jakes