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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil ​ Friday 5th January 2024 REMAIN IN THE WORD Scripture Reading: Psalm 1 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2) The first verse of this Psalm tells us what we must not do. The second verse tells us what we must do. The verse instructs to us to delight ourselves in God’s word. That means we should enjoy the Word of God. The Word of God shows us the mind of God. The blessed person is one who avoids the wrong companions and draws close to the Word of God. Here are five ways to delight in God’s word: 1. Read it. We start knowing the scriptures by reading them. Reading the scriptures helps us to have a broader knowledge of what is in the Bible. Each one of us must commit to reading the Bible frequently. Start by committing to reading a chapter or more a day. 2. Study it. After we have read the Bible, we must go a little further to study it. Studying the Bible helps us to have a deeper understanding of what it is saying to us. You can explore the Bible alone, with a group or by following a Bible study outline. 3. Think it. God’s word must occupy our thoughts. Thinking God’s word is reflecting on what the Word is saying to us. When we think of God’s word, we keep it alive in our hearts. We can think of the Word while driving in and out of work. We can also make it a part of our constant reflection. 4. Speak it. The Word of God in us must come out of our mouths – it must be our language. Our speech must reflect God’s word. God uses His word, spoken out of His mouth to accomplish His purposes. We must also learn to use God’s Word spoken out of our mouths to affirm God’s purposes in our lives. 5. Do it. Finally, we must put the Word into action. This is the most important aspect of them all. Without action, the word cannot bear fruit in our lives. We must manifest the written Word of God in our lives. We must act on the Word and obey God’s instructions to us. Acting on the Word puts our faith to work. To live a blessed life, we must commit to delighting ourselves in God’s Word. Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to delight in your word. Help me to think your thoughts, speak your words and do your works. In Jesus’ name, Amen! Follow the Mensa Otabil channel on WhatsApp to receive edifying content and event updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDGaZYKgsNpjYeBVM2S

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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil Sunday 5th November 2023 SET YOUR HEART ON GOD Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:1-11 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1 We must set our hearts on the right things to make good choices. What we set our hearts on determines what we value. Our values govern the things that we spend our time, money and abilities to acquire. If for example, living a wholesome life is valuable to you, you will make many sacrifices to enable you to live that life. As Christians, we should align our chief desires with Christ’s desires. What we want should be what He wants for us. Most people have the idea that Christianity is defined only by praying, giving, sharing their faith, and being good. Those are good things to do as expressions of our commitment to the Lord. But genuine faith is also a daily yearning for more knowledge of and intimacy with the Lord. A believer’s spirit can be wholly satisfied with the presence of Jesus Christ living within and yet remain thirsty for more of God’s glory. One of Christianity’s basic principles is that the more we know of the Lord, the more we want to learn of Him. If we seek God rather than worldly riches, our desire for Him must be stronger than any other longing we have. We gain life’s “good things” – salvation, healing, wealth - by placing our faith in the Lord and seeking Him above all else. However, pursuing the Lord doesn’t imply abandoning plans and dreams; it simply means we prayerfully subject our hopes to His will. As we strive to know God, our desires change to reflect His. Our Father, in turn takes responsibility for our lives and puts our goals within reach. He gives us all the good things that He has promised in His word when we set our hearts right with Him. How does a believer go about seeking the God who will supply his or her needs? By studying His Word and asking for His revelation. Every Christian who genuinely wants to be trained in the Father’s ways can expect His instruction. The more we seek to learn about Him, the more we will want to know. The more we know, the more faith we have to claim His promises. Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to know you and stay close to you. Help me to draw near to you with all my being. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Follow the Mensa Otabil channel on WhatsApp to receive edifying content and event updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDGaZYKgsNpjYeBVM2S
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil Saturday 4th November 2023 LET GOD BE YOUR GUIDE Scripture Reading: Proverbs 11:23-28 The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath. Proverbs 11:23 Today, we will consider five questions to ask ourselves that will help us make good choices. Prayerfully think about these questions as you consider what to do about a choice before you. ▪ Have you prayed about it? Prayer should always be our first response to a dilemma. We don’t wait to make up our minds before praying; we must first seek God’s guidance before we start thinking about what to do. When we pray, we affirm our dependence on the Lord. In prayer, we enter into God’s presence to have a conversation with Him. That is the time when we tell the Lord about what is on our hearts and hear Him tell us about what is on His heart. After we come out of prayer, we should know what the Lord wants for us. ▪ Is it consistent with the Word of God? The Bible is the rule for all our conduct. It provides us with the moral foundation for our actions and opens great treasures of wisdom to help us choose the proper responses. In the Bible, we observe God’s dealings with different people in various settings. That allows us to see how the Lord would want to deal with us in our particular situation. Also, in the Bible we learn from the example of Jesus as He lived the earthly life. ▪ Can you do it and be a positive Christian witness? Our lives and testimony as children of God are the mirrors that people look through to see the Lord. We must reconsider any action that undermines our Christian witness. ▪ Will the Lord be glorified? Can you do this and give glory to God? In taking any action, we must seek that the outcome would honour the name of the Lord. Instead of only seeking our happiness, we must prioritize what we do to please God. ▪ Are you acting responsibly? When we are faithful in little things, the Lord will put us in charge of more extraordinary things. Don’t get ahead of God’s timing for your life by accepting responsibilities for which you have no knowledge or experience. Seek to develop your life and talents, and God will open doors for you. Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are my guide. Help me to avoid any decision that will take me outside of your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Follow the Mensa Otabil channel on WhatsApp to receive edifying content and event updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDGaZYKgsNpjYeBVM2S
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Friday 3rd November 2023   MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE   Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:25-32   I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me. Psalm 119:30   The choices we make in life are ours to make. Each one of us has the burden of intentionally doing things that will enable us to live for the Lord and fulfil our high calling. Whether we serve God from the pulpit or the pew, the Lord requires that we follow His path. Along the way, we will be offered many options. Some of the options may seem appealing but end up drawing us away from God’s tried and tested way.   Here are some guidelines to help us properly ground our decisions.   1. Choose based on godliness. This is where we should start from. Our choices must rest on godly values. God chooses based on His eternal purposes. He also looks at the heart; He looks deeper. Beauty is vain. Stature is deceptive. Whether we’re choosing a marriage partner or business opportunity, we must go beyond the surface attraction. We must go beyond self-interest.   2. Choose to work towards your desires. Work is not a curse. We must be wary of anything that promises us great reward without effort. Apart from salvation which God freely gave us because of what Christ paid on the cross, all other pursuits in life require work. God gave Israel a promised land, but they had to fight to possess it; the Lord gave them a land flowing with milk and honey, but they had to cultivate the land and reap its fruits.   3. Choose to go the full distance of your journey. When you choose the narrow gate, you will travel a difficult path. You will have struggles. You will have setbacks. You will have disappointments. You will see others on the broad way who take the easy way out. That realization will make you also want to take the easy way out. However, if you choose to enter through the narrow gate, you must stay on track to the end of your journey.   4. Choose to magnify God through your story. The end of the road for those who choose the narrow gate is good. If you stay faithful to the end, your life will be a testimony to the name of the Lord. Choose to honour God with your life.   Prayer: Heavenly Father, you reward those who diligently seek you. Magnify yourself in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Follow the Mensa Otabil channel on WhatsApp to receive edifying content and event updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDGaZYKgsNpjYeBVM2S
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Thursday 2nd November 2023   THE WAY OF TRUTH   Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:13-20   Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:14   Sometimes, we make choices that are different from our intentions. We may intend to go to the north but ride on the bus travelling to the east. When we do that, we end up where our choices take us and not where we imagined ourselves. When the Lord made a covenant with Israel, they verbally declared that they would obey the Lord. Yet, the choices they made led them in the opposite direction of where they expressed verbally. It is not enough to desire God’s blessings; in addition to our desires, we must do the things that release God’s blessings on us.   The Lord Jesus taught us about the two gates that we can enter. One of the gates is vast and has no restrictions. It is a gate that leads to destruction. He also spoke about another gate that leads to life. This is the way God wants us to choose.   1. The Narrow gate – this has controlled access. The first thing anyone would see when approaching this gate is how small it looks. Jesus described the gate as ‘narrow’. So right from the entrance, you would realize that you are in for something serious. You would get the impression that the access is designed for one person at a time. Anyone who seeks to go through this entrance must decide that by themselves. The narrow gate has rules and regulations. Those who choose it must experience a change of heart that transforms their lives positively.   2. The Difficult path – this requires sacrificial living. This way is for those who have elected to take up their cross and follow Jesus. It is clear that the narrow gate opens into a challenging life. The difficulty we face on this road arises from the demands required to make personal changes. Those who walk on this way must be ready to make sacrifices. We must prepare to do all we can to give up destructive and unproductive lifestyles.   3. Few find it – it is not a popular choice. Sadly, only a few people find this way. The narrow gate and the difficult path are not popular choices.  People don’t like to deal with discipline, change and toughness. We want to live life on our terms instead of making adjustments.  For our spiritual well-being and to live happily on God’s earth, the Lord calls us to walk through the narrow path. Have you found the gate that leads this way?   Prayer: Heavenly Father, I have purposed in my heart to walk in your way. Help me to follow you steadfastly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.   Follow the Mensa Otabil channel on WhatsApp to receive edifying content and event updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDGaZYKgsNpjYeBVM2S
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Wednesday 1st November 2023   AVOID THE BROAD WAY     Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:7-14   “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Matthew 7:13   In our passage for today, Jesus showed us the two gates that can open to us. Our Lord talked about a way that leads to either eternal life or damnation in the immediate context. However, in a larger context, the principles He introduced in this teaching affect other choices we make. How we choose to live our lives govern both our eternal destination and our well-being in this world.   In the parable, Jesus presents two different kinds of gates, two different paths and two different destinations. He also mentions two different types of travellers. The Lord clearly showed that the gates we enter into and the path we walk on would lead us to a destination. Where we end up is determined by the gate we entered into and the direction we travelled on.   1. The Wide gate – this has uncontrolled access. This option in life gives you access without limitations. It has no rules and no restrictions for those who want to enter through. It is an entryway that appeals to everyone and rolls out the welcome carpet for all. The wide gate does not demand a change of heart or a change of mind from those who pursue what it offers. It promises good things without any morality. You enter in as you are and continue to live as you are. Sadly, this gate is getting broader and more accessible. It is what many in our world seek and what this age offers. Even many Christians feel the allure of the wide gate.   2. The Broad way – this is easy to travel on. Those who enter through the wide gate choose to walk on the broad way. It promises a life that calls for no sacrifices, no pressure, and no personal responsibility. Those who follow this way hide behind other people or hide behind the crowd to do as they please. Our world has the mistaken notion that if we make a path easy for everyone, then all of us will end up happy. That concept is so far from the truth. Giving an easy pass to everyone only pulls all of us to the lowest level. It brings the worst out of us.   3. Many are on it – it is a popular choice. This path is the life that most people choose. That is why a majority of our population has turned away from God’s will for their lives. They choose the curse and not the blessing. Instead of examining our conscience to make the right choices, we bow to peer pressure and the prevailing spirit of our age. Are you one of those who have chosen the wide gate and the broad way?   Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to resist the temptation to choose the easy path. I want to choose your way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil Tuesday 31st October 2023 JESUS HOLDS THE KEY Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:7-13 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens” Revelation 3:7 Imagine that you are left to explore a vast mansion all by yourself. The estate has so many rooms. Some of the rooms have treasures in them, while others have traps. Every time you approach a particular door, you have to decide whether to go through that door or not. How would you decide which doors to go through and which doors to avoid? Such a prospect will make what lies ahead of you unpredictable and reduce your actions to a game of chance. However, if you had a way to determine what lies behind each door, you would not gamble with your actions. What if the owner of the mansion gave you guidance on which doors to enter into and which ones not to enter? Imagine that before you open the doors randomly, the owner of the estate would give you clues for deciding which room not to enter. He would advise you not to enter any room with a locked door and to only enter the rooms whose doors are unlocked. That would make your choices much more straightforward. In His message to the Philadelphian church, the Lord Jesus tells us that He has the keys to open and to shut doors. When He opens, no one can shut; when He closes, no one can open. Anytime we have to decide on any area of our lives, we must acknowledge that the Lord has the keys. He determines which doors must be open to us and which doors must not be available to us. The Lord holds the keys. He can shut some doors in our lives and open others for us. To enter any door, we must find out if He has opened it or locked it. Every day of our lives, we wake up to new opportunities to affect others for good. When we follow Jesus closely, we will soon learn to identify when He opens the door to us. Those doors will not conflict with His will and values. They will be opportunities that lead to God’s glory. As the one who holds the key to our future, our Lord makes a way in unexpected places. Will you walk through the door that the Lord has opened for you or turn away from it? On the other hand, the Lord shuts doors that He does not want us to enter. The door may appear so beautiful on the outside, but only the Lord knows what it holds for us. We can conclude that something that looks good externally has good things in store for us. However, that assumption is very deceptive. It is a similar assumption that got Adam and Eve into trouble. Judas might have thought that the enticement of 30 pieces of silver would lead to a happy life. See where that landed him. To make the right decisions in our lives, we must accept that the Lord holds the key to which doors must be open to us and which ones must remain closed. Prayer: Heavenly Father, you hold the key to what is right for me and what is not right for me. I trust you to open the right doors for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Follow the Mensa Otabil channel on WhatsApp to receive edifying content and event updates: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDGaZYKgsNpjYeBVM2S
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Monday 30th October 2023   CHOOSE LIFE   Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 30:11-20   I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; Deuteronomy 30:19   Right from Adam in the Garden of Eden and throughout human history till the end of time, God requires humans to make choices. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had to decide whether to obey God or disobey Him. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had to choose whether to complete His mission or abort it.   We cannot escape choices. Whether we want to or not, we have to make choices. Even neglecting to make a choice is a choice. God asked Moses to present two alternatives for the children of Israel to choose from.   They could either choose life and blessing or death and curses. The options the Lord offered to them were opposed to each other. One choice would lead to a favourable outcome and the other to a miserable end. If they chose one, they would forfeit the other.   Each day, God places the same options before us. Today, as we go about our chores and work through our ‘To Do’ list, we’re making choices that lead to beneficial consequences or those that will end with unwanted results.   Our choices have both eternal and earthly consequences. The Lord called heaven and earth to witness the options He placed before His people. That means both natural and spiritual laws recognize and react to our choices. What we do on earth determines how heaven responds to us.   Thankfully, the Lord did not leave His people to just make their choices on their own. He pointed them to the right course of action that would give them the best outcome. Similarly, God does not leave us to figure out which steps are right for us, and which are wrong for us. The Lord wants us to do things that lead to life and blessing. To help us choose what is right, He has shared His thoughts with us through His written Word.   As we read the Bible, we expose our minds to God’s wisdom. The Bible presents us with compelling case studies of choices people have made in the past and their results. By learning from their example, whether good or bad, we see whether our deeds will result in God’s blessings or not.   In addition to the Bible, God has given us His Holy Spirit to nudge us in the right direction. The closer we are to God’s Spirit, the clearer His voice is to us. Let’s allow God’s word and God’s Spirit to order our steps each day.   Prayer: Heavenly Father, you have set life and death before me. Help me always to choose life through my actions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL  By Pastor Mensa Otabil    Sunday 29th October 2023   THE VALUE OF WISDOM   Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3   Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. Proverbs 3:13-14   We’ve learnt a lot this week about God’s dealings with us. We have learnt that the word of the Lord is our rule and command. We have learnt to trust in the Lord with all our heart and honour Him with our best. We’ve also learnt about how to respond to His corrections.   Today, we are reminded about the importance of wisdom in our walk with God. The Lord wants us to be wise people. The reason is that wisdom brings happiness. Wisdom’s value far exceeds the worth of precious metals, such as silver and gold.   • We must seek wisdom. Seeking wisdom requires pursuit and perseverance. God is the source of all wisdom. In Christ, we have access to God’s wisdom. To strive for wisdom, we must seek for a deeper relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.   • Understanding must be gained. Wisdom adds so much to our lives. When Solomon sought for wisdom from the Lord, he gained more than wisdom. In addition to the wisdom, he prayed for, God gave Solomon other blessings he had not prayed for. Anytime we seek for wisdom, God gives us additional benefits.   • Wisdom is profitable and yields better returns. The language used is the language of a trader or investor. Wisdom is a long-term investment in our lives. Those who acquire wisdom receive great returns for investing in it. In the end, godly wisdom is of far greater value than anything gold or silver can purchase.   Prayer: Heavenly Father instruct me with your knowledge. Help me find wisdom and let my heart gain understanding. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL  By Pastor Mensa Otabil    Saturday 28th October 2023   ACCEPT GOD’S CORRECTION   Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3   My son do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12   The God who can be trusted to smooth out obstacles and bring us to His purposes also smooths out and removes our character flaws. He who supplies our material needs also demonstrates His love for us by discipline. If we genuinely believe that the Lord can make the crooked paths straight, we should also believe that He can straighten our crooked lives.   • That Lord chastens us. God’s love for us includes His discipline and training. His training is done with His word. The Lord uses His word to direct us to be upright. He does it similarly to how a farmer ties a plant to a straight rod to align the plant's growth. God uses His word as a rule to align our behaviour to His ways.   • The Lord corrects us. When our lives go in the wrong direction, the Lord rebukes and punishes us so that we can become the people He wants us to be. God’s corrections are not pleasant to us. When Israel sinned against the Lord, He used several ways to rebuke them and get them back on track. God’s correction is that which straightens us when we become crooked.   When God corrects us, He shows it in ways such as these:   • He can turn His eyes away from us • He can remove His hand from us • He can give us into the hand of our enemies   None of these actions from the Lord must be seen as His rejection. They must be seen as His love in action. God shows His love to us by chastening and correcting us. If we are indeed God’s children, He will want us to live our lives in a way that pleases Him.   The warning to us is twofold. The Lord encourages us not to despise nor detest His discipline. We despise and detest God’s chastening when we reject the instruction, He gives us or refuse His guidance. Before we see every hardship as a satanic attack, we must pause to find out if it is a correction from the Lord.   Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know you love me and want the best for me. Help me to receive your discipline and corrections. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Friday 27th October 2023   GIVING GOD YOUR BEST   Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3   Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10   Our relationship with God is based on honour. God gives us His commandments to help us honour Him and our fellow human beings. When the Law commands us to worship the Lord our God, that command is a call for us to honour God above all else. Similarly, when the Law commands us not to steal, it calls us to honour other people’s properties.   What does it mean to honour? To honour is to place a high value on someone, and to offer something weighty and worthy. That means whatever we offer another to show honour, must be done in the light of the importance we place on who we are honouring.   Honour is not the same for all people. The honour a child gives to his parents is not the same as the honour that child shows to the rest of his siblings. Though both parents and siblings will receive recognition, it is most likely that the honour that goes to the parent will be higher than what goes to the siblings. By extension, since God is the highest being, the glory we give to Him should be the highest.   We honour God with our possessions. Possession is something that belongs to us or things we have acquired with our effort. Often, we see the things we labour for and earn as strictly ours and within our power to determine what to do with them. That is true. However, if we consider God as the owner of our lives, we need to pay homage to Him for all we possess.   We honour the Lord with the first fruits of all our increase. The first fruit is the very best portion of something. It is not the leftover after we have made all expenses. The first fruit is the portion we give to God first before we make other expenses. Because God is the Most High, our honour to Him must come from the topmost part of all our earnings. That is the kind of giving that honours God.   We will be filled to the overflow. God promises that when we genuinely honour Him with our giving, our cup will be filled and run over. Let’s honour the Lord and watch Him pour back honour into our lives.   Prayer: Heavenly Father, all that I have is yours. Teach me to honour you with the best of all that I have. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Thursday 26th October 2023   A HUMBLE POSTURE   Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3   Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8   One of the significant challenges of those who have had education is intellectual pride. With a little education, people feel so confident about their importance that they seek to make themselves ‘gods’. This attitude fueled the first temptation in the Garden of Eden. It remains our greatest temptation.   · Don’t be wise in your own eyes. This statement is a warning against self-sufficiency, self-conceit, and self-reliance. This caution aims to help us avoid thought that we are so wise without any need of God. We must not see this warning as a repudiation of education and learning. The Lord gave us a brain to work with and a world to learn from. He is all for our learning and discovery. However, wisdom warns us not to be so impressed with our knowledge or point of view that we forget the one who gave us the brain and the creation we learn.   · Fear the Lord and depart from evil. When we show reverence to the Lord in all our learning, it keeps us from using our knowledge as a rebellion against God. The fear of the Lord has an added advantage; it leads to the departure from evil. It is the mark of the wise person that he fears the Lord and walks in righteousness.   · Health to our flesh. From God alone comes real well-being and soundness of being. He knows the right way to achieve the right ends. He knows how to satisfy us truly. He can free us from that which does us harm. Health naturally proceeds from a peaceful and well-ordered life when it is submitted to God.   Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are the all-wise and all-knowing God. Help me not to be wise in my own eyes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Wednesday 25th October 2023   LEARNING TO TRUST THE LORD   Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3   Trust in the LORD with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6   Today’s reading is one of my favourite verses in the Bible.   • Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Trust means to rely on, depend on, have confidence. When we show trust with God as the object, it means we regard Him as the source of our being. The heart is the centre of our being. Trusting God, therefore, is resting safely in Him without suspecting Him. It is like leaning fully against a wall without any reservation whatsoever.   The adversary to trusting in the Lord is when we lean on our understanding. Many times, our own understand makes sense to us than the ways of the Lord. What do we do when the Lord demands that we forgive; yet our understanding tells us to revenge?   • In all your ways, acknowledge Him. To acknowledge God goes beyond being aware of Him. It is having an intimate relationship with him. This is not merely an intellectual recognition of God’s existence but acceptance of God’s presence to guide and direct your life. We must bring the Lord into the picture in all that we do. We cannot only go to Him to answer our prayers; He must be present in our daily choices.   • He will direct your path. The Lord leads us when we acknowledge Him. When He directs our path, He goes beyond offering guidance to us. In addition to that, the Lord goes ahead to remove obstacles in our way. God can guide us around the challenges of life as well as remove the challenges altogether.     Prayer: Heavenly Father, in you, I am completely safe. Help me to trust you unconditionally with all my heart. In Jesus ’name, Amen.
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Tuesday 24th October 2023   LOYALTY AND TRUSTWORTHINESS   Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3   Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favour and high esteem In the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4   The book of Proverbs gives us practical guides for relating to both God and our neighbours. Our passage for today deals with our relationships. It highlights two attributes that must not forsake us. They are mercy and truth.   • Mercy: refers to the kind of love we have for people that makes us loyal and faithful. Those who have this attribute are committed to the obligations they have towards others. Therefore, mercy in this passage is not about showing pity on a person because he is weak and helpless. Instead, it is about being kind to people because that is what you have to do.   • Truth: refers to being firm and trustworthy in our relationships and transactions. The passage urges us to bind loyalty and trustworthiness around our necks and write them on our hearts.   Everything we achieve in life will be linked to our relationships. No one achieves anything worthwhile all by themselves. To have a fruitful year, we must build dependable relationships on all levels.   Having favour and high esteem before God and man. That is the benefit of building trusting relationships; we enjoy God’s goodwill. People will value us and go out of their way to extend courtesies when they count us as trustworthy and faithful.   • Appreciate what people do for you. We must not take the kindness that is shown us as nothing. When someone goes out of their way to do something nice for you, look for an opportunity to do something nice for them.     • Keep your word to people. It is not always easy to keep promises. After we make a promise, conditions may change to make it challenging to keep our word. Do all you can to redeem your pledges. That is the way to find favour with God and man.     Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are faithful and dependable. Help me to be a reliable and trustworthy person in all my relationships. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Monday 23rd October 2023   KEEP GOD’S COMMANDS   Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3   My son do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. Proverbs 3:1-2   The book of Proverbs is a practical guide for life. It teaches valuable lessons on how the child of God can live the godly life. There’s so much practical wisdom to be found in the pages of this unique book of the Bible. Anyone who lives by these godly axioms will live fruitful and enriched lives.   The father-son relationship that the first verse introduces can also be a metaphor for the relationship between God and His children. It shows how seeking wisdom ultimately draws us closer to the Lord.   1. The word of God is our law. A law is a laid down rule. The primary requirement for righteous living is by recognizing God’s instructions to us as our rule. The word of the Lord is the standard by which we believers measure our thoughts, words, and actions. God’s word is higher and more authoritative than any other rule for human conduct.   The word of God is also a command. When we read God’s Word or hear it quoted, we read and hear from the Highest Authority in the universe.   2. We must remember God’s word. Remembering God’s word includes but goes beyond memorization. It implies allowing the word of the Lord to have a bearing on us at all times. We must not leave the divine rule behind when we make the crucial decisions of our lives.   3. We must keep God’s word in our hearts. Frequently in the book of proverbs, the Lord exhorts us to remember His word. He wants us to keep His word fresh in our hearts. It is easy to pay lip service to the word of God and fail to make it the rule for our lives.   4. Obeying God adds long life and peace to us. That is how God rewards us when we prioritize His word in our lives. We experience well-being and live free from threat or need. When we treasure God’s word in our lives, He rewards us with a life that is fulfilled, content, prosperous, and at peace.   Prayer: Heavenly Father, your word is my instruction. Teach me how to apply your word to all aspects of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Saturday 21st October 2023   A CHARGE TO KEEP   Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1   This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 1 Timothy 1:18   Paul was aware of prophecies that had been made concerning Timothy. He encouraged Timothy to pray and conduct himself in the light of those prophecies. This was a charge or commission that Paul gave to his young protégé.   1. Pray God’s word. The prayer life of the Christian must be built around God’s word. Prayer must not just be the expression of our wishes – it must be our agreement with God’s wishes. When we pray, we ask for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. How do we know God’s will? We know God’s will through what He has revealed in His word to us. We also know God’s will by what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us inwardly and through the manifestation of the Gifts of the Spirit.   2. Jesus Christ lived His life in the light of the scriptures. All the events of His life were in fulfilment of God’s written word. Although the Gospels do not reveal full details of how Jesus prayed, we can learn a lot about His prayer life from the narratives. In the Lord’s prayer, the Lord taught us to pray, ‘thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’. In the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, ‘Father, not my will but yours be done’. Jesus’ prayer life was focused on praying for the will of God to be done.   3. God has revealed His will in the Bible. We should pray that His promises to His children, revealed in the Bible, would be done in our lives. We should also pray that what the Lord has revealed to us prophetically would be done. A prophecy does not create the will of God. It only reveals the will of God. That means even if you have not heard any prophecy on your life, God still has a purpose for you. Pray for the purposes of God to be done in your life.   Paul encouraged Timothy to wage spiritual warfare according to the word of God on his life. We must also wage spiritual warfare according to God’s word on our lives.   Prayer: Heavenly Father, I accept your word concerning me. By your word, I overcome every adversity in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Friday 20th October 2023   A PATTERN OF SALVATION   Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1   However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all long-suffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 1 Timothy 1:16   Paul saw His salvation as a pattern of God’s patience towards sinners. If God could forgive a persecutor of the Church, such as Paul, He can forgive any sinner who comes to Him.   Considering the attitude of the early church to Paul’s salvation, it is obvious that they did not see him as one that God would love. He wreaked so much havoc against the early followers of Christ. So intense was his hatred for the Church that he sought special permission to hunt them down outside Jerusalem.   How could God save such an enemy of the Church? How would we have prayed about Paul’s harassment if we were part of the early Church? Most of us would have prayed for God’s judgment on him – a sudden calamity to end his life. Maybe that was how the early church prayed against Paul. Yet, God, in His infinite mercy, chose not to answer the prayers of the Church as they wished. He chose to show compassion to Paul instead of pouring fire and brimstone on him.   The same God who was longsuffering towards Paul, continues to be merciful to sinners. God does not desire the death of the sinner in his sin. He desires that all people come to repent-ance and salvation in Christ.   God uses the salvation of those we consider as the most evil to show the extent of His love and grace. Think of some of the people who blaspheme the name of the Lord and hate everything Christian or related to the Church. Can you imagine what it would be for those people to experience the grace of God unto Salvation? What a testimony it would be! Why don’t you commit to pray for such people? They may be in your family, office or community. They could be people you know in the media. Pray that they will experience what the Apostle Paul experienced on the road to Damascus.   Prayer: Heavenly Father, have mercy on all who oppose your people. Touch their hearts and draw them close to yourself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  
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LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL By Pastor Mensa Otabil   Friday 20th October 2023   A PATTERN OF SALVATION   Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1   However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all long-suffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 1 Timothy 1:16   Paul saw His salvation as a pattern of God’s patience towards sinners. If God could forgive a persecutor of the Church, such as Paul, He can forgive any sinner who comes to Him.   Considering the attitude of the early church to Paul’s salvation, it is obvious that they did not see him as one that God would love. He wreaked so much havoc against the early followers of Christ. So intense was his hatred for the Church that he sought special permission to hunt them down outside Jerusalem.   How could God save such an enemy of the Church? How would we have prayed about Paul’s harassment if we were part of the early Church? Most of us would have prayed for God’s judgment on him – a sudden calamity to end his life. Maybe that was how the early church prayed against Paul. Yet, God, in His infinite mercy, chose not to answer the prayers of the Church as they wished. He chose to show compassion to Paul instead of pouring fire and brimstone on him.   The same God who was longsuffering towards Paul, continues to be merciful to sinners. God does not desire the death of the sinner in his sin. He desires that all people come to repent-ance and salvation in Christ.   God uses the salvation of those we consider as the most evil to show the extent of His love and grace. Think of some of the people who blaspheme the name of the Lord and hate everything Christian or related to the Church. Can you imagine what it would be for those people to experience the grace of God unto Salvation? What a testimony it would be! Why don’t you commit to pray for such people? They may be in your family, office or community. They could be people you know in the media. Pray that they will experience what the Apostle Paul experienced on the road to Damascus.   Prayer: Heavenly Father, have mercy on all who oppose your people. Touch their hearts and draw them close to yourself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  
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