Good morning, brethren. 1. Our morning prayer focuses on "Seeking His grace for today." 2. Do you try to second-guess God? 3. Are you an expert in divine things? 4. Are you a godly counsellor? To know more, read the message below: 1. Morning Prayer [It is of] the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness. ⏤ Lamentations 3:22-23 Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence. ⏤ Charles Spurgeon O God, who grants mercy and truth to Your people from generation to generation, we come with confidence to You. You have never turned away any who came to You. Not one of Your words has ever failed to be fulfilled. Your promises have always been kept with those who have accepted them and leaned upon them. Your name has been a strong tower to everyone who has run to it for safety. You are . . . An everlasting rock, An eternal refuge, A very present help in times of trouble for all who have turned to You. We come as Your children to You at the beginning of a new day. Your mercies are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. We ask You to show us Your face before we go out into the day. If we have Your blessing, we will not fear any experiences we may have to meet. In the light of Your countenance may we walk all the hours of this day—and then we shall be safe. Put holy thoughts and heavenly aspirations into our hearts. We desire to live the heavenly life in this world, and we can only do so if You put Your thoughts into our minds. We are going out into a world full of evil, with unholy influences on every side. We have no power of our own to move through this evil world and keep ourselves unspotted. We come to You for grace to help us. May You keep us from evil. Keep our hearts so that only holy feelings and desires may spring up in them. Preserve us from the power of evil in others around us. Let us . . . Not listen to wicked suggestions, Nor be swayed by wrong examples, Nor yield to unholy motives. Let not passion or appetite rule us. We commit ourselves to Your safe keeping, in Jesus Christ. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/64/morning #taptapstudio #youdevotion. 2. 😀🎀💝🎁🌺🌹MORNING TEA. THE WORD FOR TODAY MONDAY DECEMBER 8, 2025. " STOP TRYING TO SECOND-GUESS GOD" ‘Nor are your ways My ways.’ Isaiah 55:8 NKJV ARE YOU doing what you believe to be God’s will, yet things aren’t working out like you expected? God has a different perspective—a better one. It’s okay to question Him, but not to doubt and second-guess Him. In His Word He says, ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.’ When God told Moses he was going to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, Moses was all for it. But things didn’t go the way he anticipated because Pharaoh made their lives harder for a while. So instead of becoming a hero, Moses lived through a season of being criticised and misunderstood. Later, when some other things didn’t turn out as Moses expected, he got discouraged and complained, ‘Lord, I did what You told me to do. How come I’m not getting the results I prayed for?’ (Exodus 5:22). Moses didn’t understand the results of his obedience, because God didn’t tell him exactly how things would turn out. Usually our frustrations have little to do with what God does or doesn’t do, and everything to do with our mistaken ideas about what we think He should do. When you assume, or try to analyse God, you always end up frustrated. Jesus told His disciples, ‘You don’t really know what I am doing, but later you will understand’ (John 13:7 CEV). It’s only in looking back that you see how the Lord has led you. He is the best at what He does and His track record proves it. So trust God and stop trying to second-guess Him. Bible In A Year: Josh 1:7-8, 2 Tim 3:14-17. Courtesy Grace So Amazing Foundation💝🎀 *To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*🌹🌷🎀💝. 3. ```DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY``` _*HIGHER EVERYD🅰️Y: (A DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE FOR YOUTHS)*_ ✍🏽👩🏻‍💼🌻 🍇🙏🏽🛰🚀🔬📚 ```MONDAY 8TH DECEMBER, 2025``` *AN EXPERT IN DIVINE THINGS* 📖📓🎚️🫵🏽🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏽‍♀️📓👨🏽‍💻🧎🏾🧎🏾‍♀️🙏🏽 📜📜```TEXT:2 TIMOTHY 2:14-18```📜📜 📖``` MEMORY VERSE:``` _*"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 TIMOTHY 2:15).*_ *One of the greatest presidents America had was Theodore Roosevelt. A British historian described him as the 'most bookish man' since John Quincy Adams. On January 6, 1919, at his home in New York, Theodore Roosevelt died in his sleep. When they moved him from the bed, they found a book under his pillow. Up to the very last, he was still striving to learn and improve himself. He was a voracious reader.* *In today's text, Paul unveiled the dos and don'ts of an expert in the things of God to young Timothy, and by extension, the contemporary youth. An expert is a person with a high degree of proficiency in a certain subject or skill. Paul admonished Timothy to charge his brethren to refrain from unprofitable talks that can lead to ungodliness.* *As a Christian youth whose desire is to experience the fullness of God, you must never allow yourself to be drawn away from the sure word of God. Rather, the Bible must be your instruction manual and compass. This is the secret of an expert in divine things.* 💬 ```QUOTE:``` _*Paul unveiled the dos and don'ts of an expert.*_ 🏆 ```CHALLENGE:``` _*Be a student of the Bible.*_ 🙏🏽🙏🏽 ```PRAYER:``` _*Oh God, help me to treasure your word above any other thing.*_ Watch a video devoted to today's Higher Everyday topic @ https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS] An Expert In Divine Things https://dailymanna.app// *TXD [THEXDEVOTIONALS] on Twitter* *#HigherEveryday8thDecember2025* *#GCK* *#WorshipNuggets* *#BibleNuggets* *#LeadershipNuggets* *#RevivalNuggets* *#CrusadeNuggets* https://www.youtube.com/[THEXDEVOTIONALS]. 4. *MEDITATIONS ON DAILY* *ⓂANNA* MONDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, 2025 *THE PORTRAIT OF A GODLY COUNSELLOR* *TEXT:* JOB 32:12-22. 12 Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words: 13 Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man. 14 Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches. 15 They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking. 16 When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;) 17 I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion. 18 For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me. 19 Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles. 20 I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer. 21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man. 22 For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away. *Timeless Truth:*_"For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counselors there is safety"_ (Proverbs 24:6). *INTRODUCTION* Human beings are not wired to direct themselves rightly at all times.*"The way of man is not in himself. It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps"* (Jeremiah 10:23). He has never passed through this world and as a result he needs counselling from more experienced people in taking some important decisions. The best, the most qualified and the most reasonable Counsellor is God the Creator Himself. For the believers, He has graciously sent us the third Person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, as our Companion and Counselllor (John 14:26, 15:25). In addition, there are "under counsellors" or human counsellors that the Holy Spirit has set up to hear from Him directly and represent Him. These are called godly counsellors because they will receive from Him and pass it across without adding, subtracting or corrupting the truth. As expected, there are ungodly counsellors who will present themselves as light in the tunnel and solutions to the problems of challenges you may have. The Bible expressly commanded that godly and tested counsellors are those that can be consulted for proper counselling. *"Blessed is the man...Who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the path of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful"* (Psalm 1:1). What do we expect of a godly counsellor in the Church, at home, work places, among others? The text presents a case of failed counsellors and a better, but not perfect, Counsellor from whom we have many things to learn. Every believer in Christ is a counsellor to some extent to some people, including new converts, if he is a soul winning Christian and he has to be. *1. Interpersonal Intelligence* a. Job's three elderly friends could not really help Job though they had love for him and they also had good intentions. In fact, their counseling were hurting instead of soothing and comforting. Job even called them *"miserable counsellors and physicians of no value"* (Job 13:4, 16:2). They did not have the emotional intelligence needed to understand the emotional turmoil Job was passing through and as a result could not help Job in the times of his affliction. The fourth friend called Elihu was the youngest, but the wisest. He demonstrated interpersonal intelligence (II). II is the capacity to understand and interact effectively with other people, including their moods, motivations, and desires. First he was patiently observant. *"Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words"*. Obviously, he was a good listener with rapt attention while the discussion was between Job and the three friends. An effective counsellor is a good listener who does not rush into decisions. This will take a lot of patience. He was intelligent enough to discern what was probably going on in the minds of the other three friends and he acted in line with this knowledge. *"Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man"*. He knew that though they were friends, he allowed them to speak their mind without interrupting on the ground that they were older than him. This respect for the elders earned him the respect of the elders so that by the time he started speaking, all of them listened with respect. *"When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more"*. b. In every culture and relationships, there are character traits and psychology of human behaviour that makes someone to be successful and respected in relationship with others. All is not about spirituality and superiority. You must learn how to live with others who are not necessarily dragging you into sin and worldliness. For example, one of the psychological principles that made Apostle Paul successful in dealing with people of other cultures was revealed in the Scriptures. *"And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law..."* (1 Corinthians 9:20-23). *Question* What are the traits you need to work on in your life so that you will have a better interpersonal relationships and counselling? *2. Inspirationally Informed* a. A good counsellor is well equipped with inspired knowledge and matters that qualify him to be able to help others. He is willing, ready and ever prepared. He must be *"apt to teach"* (1 Timothy 3:2). He is not just to give instructions, he is expected to be able to teach and explain why from the truth of the Word of God. He must have the ability to convince and persuade his counsellee. One of the works of the Holy Spirit is to *"guide into all truth"*. Guidance involves opening the eyes of the counsellee to different options available and to give the needed information to help the person make his own good decision without forcing the issue though at times the truth must be enforced when you are in a position to do so. *"I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion. For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me"*. b. *"Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles"*. Incomplete or biased knowledge of the Word of God will make the counsellor prone to giving dangerous, deadly and damnable counsellings that are based on human wisdom and distortions of the truth. True and godly counsellings will bring satisfaction to the willing enquirers and spiritual refreshments to the godly counsellors. *"I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer"*. It is also advisable to read books on Christian counselling for effectiveness. *Question* What can you learn from the young Elihu on effective counsellings? *3. Identifiable Integrity* A godly counsellor must be a person of unquestionable integrity or else he would be wittingly or unwittingly leading people astray. Here Elihu, though not perfectly knowledgeable in the Word of God, gave some of his principles that marked him out as a better counsellor above his elders. *"Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person"*. He was impartial in his dealings. Partiality mindset is one of the evils in counselling. God frowns at it. Minds that are biased towards race, colour, status, gender, denominations, among others, rather than commitment to the truth will make a failed and godless counsellor. *"Neither let me give flattering titles unto man. For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away"*. He was persuaded that if he flattered anyone out of fear or for an advantage, he would be digging his grave. *Question* How much of the integrity principle do you have towards the truth of the Word of God? *Prayer Points* 1.Father, teach me to improve as a godly counsellor 🙏. 2.Open my eyes to areas I need to improve in my relational and emotional intelligence and assist me to improve 🙏. 3.Lord, work in my life to be a person of uncompromisable integrity🙏. 4. Father grace to all Your children to be faithful to the truth at all times and in every situation 🙏. *HYMN:* Higher Higher *BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* AMOS 6-9. Buy the truth and sell it not. Your eternity and holiness is not for sale.