Verse for Monday, August 24
1 Chronicles 16:10
10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

August 24, 2026 (day 236/365)
MONDAY

GOD'S WORD FOR THE DAY

“Serving God With a Willing Heart”

1 Chronicles 12:38

“All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel.”

This is the Word of God. 1 Chronicles 12 describes how men from different tribes came together to support David and unite Israel. Though they came from different backgrounds, they shared one purpose and gave themselves willingly to something greater than themselves.

God also calls us to serve with a loyal and willing heart. Our gifts, abilities, and backgrounds may be different, but when our hearts are united in God's purpose, He can use us powerfully.

The question is not simply whether we have something to offer, but whether we are willing to offer it wholeheartedly. God can accomplish great things through people who are united, faithful, and willing to serve.

May God give us loyal hearts, willing spirits, and a shared passion to serve His purposes faithfully wherever He has placed us. Amen.

Have a blessed day with the Lord.

-- Pastor Emmanuel Serto

Answer to prayer-7

Syllabus-47

"Then Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him." 2 Chronicles 18:31

When Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Ahab was king of Israel. Because the Israelites had abandoned God and worshiped Baal, God also abandoned them. Therefore, Jehoshaphat should not have had any relationship with Ahab. But he became related to Ahab and went to see him through that relationship. Then Ahab invited him to go fight against Syria. He was very angry. But he wanted to please Ahab more than God. So he went to war with Ahab.

In this battle, God wanted to kill Ahab, and Ahab knew it. So he went to battle in disguise; but Jehoshaphat put on his royal robes and went to battle. The king of Aram had told the soldiers, "You shall only strike the king of Israel, and you shall not kill anyone." During the battle, when the soldiers of Aram chased Jehoshaphat, thinking that he was King Ahab, Jehoshaphat saw the desperate situation. He was now losing his life trying to save the lives of his family. Then he sought refuge in God and cried out. And the Lord helped him and turned the soldiers back. But a soldier drew his bow without aiming, and an arrow hit the king of Israel, and he died.

This is how God saved Jehoshaphat. Even though God's chosen ones make mistakes, he delivers them when they call on him in their time of trouble.

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their supplication." 1 Peter 3:12

Daily Devotional
Sing and pray with my neighbors.

They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. 2 Chronicles 29:30

The presentation of the truth in love and sympathy, from house to house, is in harmony with the instruction that Christ gave to His disciples when He sent them out on their first missionary tour. By songs of praise to God, by humble, heartfelt prayers, by a simple presentation of Bible truth in the family circle, many will be reached. The divine James worker will be present to send conviction to hearts. “I am with you alway” is His promise. With the assurance of the abiding presence of such a Helper, we may labor with hope and faith and courage.

Those who have the gift of song are needed. Song is one of the most effective means of impressing spiritual truth upon the heart. Often by the words of sacred songs the springs of penitence and faith have been unsealed.... Church members, young and old, should be educated to go forth to proclaim this last message to the world. If they go in humility, angels of God will go with them, teaching them how to lift up the voice in prayer, how to raise the voice in song, and how to proclaim the gospel message for this time.

Learn to sing the simplest of songs. These will help you in house-to-house labor, and hearts will be touched by the influence of the Holy Spirit. Christ was often heard singing hymns of praise.... There was joy in His heart. We learn from the Word that there is joy among the angels of heaven over one repentant sinner and that the Lord rejoices over His church with singing.

As, like the disciples, you go from place to place telling the story of the Saviour’s love, you will make friends and will see the fruit of your labor. [239]

DOMINION DAILY DEVOTION ~ DAY 234
DATE: 22ND AUGUST 2026
TOPIC: RELY ON THE LORD_2
ANCHOR SCRIPTURE:2 Chronicles 13:18 (NKJV)
“Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers.”
Devotional message:

Yesterday, we saw the importance of relying completely upon God if we desire to live a victorious life. Today, we go deeper into what it means to depend upon Him: God desires our complete surrender, not divided dependence.

One reason many believers do not experience the manifestation of God's power in their lives is that they call upon God while still holding tightly to other options. They present their situation to God, but in their hearts they have already established alternative sources of help.

They say, “Lord, help me,” while simultaneously trusting in their own strength, connections, resources, strategies, or human solutions as their ultimate security.

But God desires to be our first and ultimate source.

This does not mean that we should abandon wisdom, planning, diligence, professional help, or the legitimate means God provides. Rather, it means that none of these things should take the place of God in our hearts. We may use resources, but our confidence must remain in the Lord who provides them.

Consider Jehoshaphat. When Judah was surrounded by a great multitude, he confessed their helplessness before God:2 Chronicles 20:12 (NKJV)“We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

That is complete dependence.They did not merely acknowledge God as one of their options. They turned their eyes to Him.

We see a similar confidence in Abijah when Judah faced Jeroboam's army. Although Judah was greatly outnumbered, Abijah declared that they had made the Lord their God and trusted Him.And God gave them victory.

Child of God, there is a difference between asking God to help you and surrendering yourself completely to God.

When God becomes your only source of confidence, you stop being controlled by fear because your security is no longer dependent upon circumstances.People can fail you.Money can run out.Connections can disappear.Systems can collapse.Human strength can become exhausted.But God cannot fail.

The Psalmist declares:Psalm 20:7 (NKJV)
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

Your “chariots and horses” may be your education, business, salary, influence, relationships, experience, or possessions. These things have their place, but none of them should occupy the throne that belongs to God.

James warns that a person who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind and says that such a person is “a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6–8).

A divided heart produces an unstable life.Therefore, child of God, examine your heart today:Is God truly your source, or merely one of your options?

Have you surrendered that situation completely to Him, or are you still holding onto your backup plan because you do not fully trust Him?

Surrender your life, plans, future, family, ministry, business, finances, and every concern into His hands.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,I choose to rely upon You completely, knowing that You will never fail.In Jesus' name, Amen.

DAILY BIBLE READING
2 Chr 20:1–23;13:1–18,Ps 20:1–9,Ps 37:3–7,Jas 1:5–8
Author : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi
Contact :
Email : DominionvoicesminisrtyAnderson Mwila.com
Facebook : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi
Dominion Daily Devotion, 2026
© Dominion Voices Ministry

Praise is not merely a response after the victory. It can be the very thing that opens the way for God’s intervention.
When Judah faced an enemy they could not defeat, they did not rely on their own strength. They turned to the Lord, and as they began to sing and praise, God moved on their behalf.
“Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people… who had come against Judah.” (2 Chronicles 20:22)
Whatever battle you are facing, do not wait until it is over to praise God. Praise Him in the midst of it, trusting that the battle belongs to the Lord.

Conflict and Courage.
2 Chronicles 32:1-23
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 32:8.
Hezekiah, in the earlier years of his reign, had continued to pay tribute to Assyria, in harmony with the agreement entered into by Ahaz. Meanwhile the king had taken “counsel with his princes and his mighty men,” and had done everything possible for the defense of his kingdom....

The long-expected crisis finally came. The forces of Assyria, advancing from triumph to triumph, appeared in Judea.... Judah's only hope was now in God. All possible help from Egypt had been cut off, and no other nations were near to lend a friendly hand.... Sennacherib wrote “letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver His people out of mine hand.” ...

When the king of Judah received the taunting letter, he took it into the temple and “spread it before the Lord” and prayed with strong faith for help from heaven, that the nations of earth might know that the God of the Hebrews still lived and reigned. The honor of Jehovah was at stake; He alone could bring deliverance....

Hezekiah was not left without hope. Isaiah sent to him, saying, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” ... That very night deliverance came. “The angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand.” ...

The God of the Hebrews had prevailed over the proud Assyrian. The honor of Jehovah was vindicated in the eyes of the surrounding nations. In Jerusalem the hearts of the people were filled with holy joy. Their earnest entreaties for deliverance had been mingled with confession of sin and with many tears. In their great need they had trusted wholly in the power of God to save, and He had not failed them.31Ibid., 350-362.

DOMINION DAILY DEVOTION ~ DAY 233
DATE: 21ST AUGUST 2026
TOPIC: RELY ON THE LORD
ANCHOR SCRIPTURE2 Chronicles 13:18 (NKJV)
“Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers.”
Devotional message:

Scripture is filled with testimonies of men and women who placed their confidence entirely in God and experienced victory. Their strength was not in their human ability, resources, experience, or influence; their confidence was in the Lord.

Our anchor Scripture gives us a powerful explanation for Judah's victory: “They prevailed because they relied on the LORD.” Their victory was connected to their dependence upon God.

Consider Jehoshaphat. When three nations came against Judah and the situation appeared impossible, he did not place his confidence in military strength. He sought the Lord. As Judah worshipped, God intervened and caused their enemies to fight against one another. What Judah could not accomplish through human strength, God accomplished through His divine intervention.

We also see this principle in the battle against Amalek. Moses stood on the mountain with the rod of God, while Joshua fought below. As Moses lifted his hands, Israel prevailed; when his hands became heavy and came down, Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur therefore supported his hands until victory was secured.

There are battles where our greatest strength is not what we can do, but our posture of dependence upon God.

David lived by this principle. Before many battles, he inquired of the Lord. Even when he encountered Goliath, his confidence was not in his previous victories, weapons, or military experience.

David understood that the size of the enemy could never be greater than the power of the God he trusted.

Child of God, where is your confidence today?Perhaps you are facing an examination, a business challenge, difficulties in your marriage, a ministry assignment, financial pressure, opposition, or a situation that appears beyond your ability.

Do not make yourself your ultimate source.Your education is valuable, but it is not your ultimate source.Your experience is valuable, but it is not your ultimate source.Your connections are valuable, but they are not your ultimate source.Your resources are valuable, but they are not your ultimate source.

The Lord is your source.This does not mean that we abandon preparation, wisdom, diligence, planning, or responsible action. Rather, it means that we do all these things while depending upon God instead of depending upon ourselves.

Our confidence is ultimately in Christ, who has already overcome the world.Therefore, when you rely upon the Lord, you do not enter your battles as someone fighting for victory—you enter knowing that Christ has already overcome.

Make the Lord your King. Make Him your confidence. Seek Him before you move. Depend upon Him while you work. Give Him the glory when victory comes.

And when you rely upon Him, you can face tomorrow with confidence, knowing that the God who was faithful to your fathers is still faithful today.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,I choose today to rely upon You. Be my King, my Lord, and my source. May every victory I experience bring glory to Your name.In Jesus' name, Amen.

DAILY BIBLE READING
2 Chr 13:1–18;20:1–23,Ex 17:8–13,1 Sam 17:32–47,John 15:1–5,1 John 4:4

Author : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi
Contact :
Email : DominionvoicesminisrtyAnderson Mwila.com
Facebook : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi
Dominion Daily Devotion, 2026
© Dominion Voices Ministry

LACHISH
He besieged the city. Then he had the siege carved into his own palace wall, in stone, with his name attached. Twenty-six centuries later, archaeologists dug up the city he was bragging about — and found it exactly where he said it was.
In 701 BC, the Assyrian king Sennacherib marched against the kingdom of Judah. The Bible describes it in three separate places — 2 Kings 18–19, 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 36–37 — during the reign of King Hezekiah. One of the cities he attacked was Lachish, Judah's second most important city after Jerusalem.
Sennacherib didn't just conquer Lachish. He was proud enough of it to commission an enormous series of stone relief panels depicting the siege in vivid detail, and installed them in his own palace at Nineveh. They show archers, siege engines, a massive ramp built against the city wall, defenders on the ramparts, and rows of captives being led away. An inscription beside the panels records Sennacherib reviewing the plunder of Lachish in person.
Archaeologists excavating Tel Lachish in Israel — across decades of work by Starkey, Aharoni, Ussishkin, and Garfinkel — found the physical siege ramp still standing, built from roughly 20,000 tons of stone. They found a destruction layer of ash and collapsed walls dated to the same period. They found arrowheads, sling stones, and a chain believed to belong to one of the battering rams shown on the Nineveh reliefs.
This is not a case of faith filling in gaps where evidence is silent. This is a Judean city, a Judean king, and an Assyrian campaign attested independently in Hebrew scripture, in Assyrian royal inscriptions, in a palace relief carved by the victors, and in the ground itself. The relief shows a ramp. The excavation found the ramp. The Bible says the city fell. The archaeology shows it burned.
The Bible is not describing a mythical world disconnected from history. It places its people, kings, cities, and battles in a real geographical and historical setting — and Lachish is one of the places where those claims can still be walked on, dug into, and verified today.
#Lachish #BiblicalArchaeology #Sennacherib #Hezekiah #ChurchHistory

The Bible’s Big Story

The Bible is one unified book telling the story of God’s glory through creation, humanity’s rebellion, God’s covenant promises, and their complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Everything moves toward Christ’s preeminence. The Old Testament prepares the way; the New Testament reveals Him as the fulfillment. Together they form 66 inspired books—39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New.

The Old Testament (39 Books): God’s Promises and Preparation

The Old Testament shows God creating the world, choosing a people, giving them His law, and promising a coming King who would fix what sin broke. It repeatedly points forward to the Messiah.

Law (Pentateuch – 5 books): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
These lay the foundation. Genesis shows creation, the fall, and God’s first promises. Exodus–Deuteronomy record God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt, the giving of the Torah at Sinai, and the covenant instructions for a holy people.

Historical Books (12 books): Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.
They trace Israel’s life in the Promised Land, their cycles of obedience and rebellion, the rise and fall of the monarchy, exile in Babylon, and return. They demonstrate that human kings fail, but God remains faithful to His promises.

Wisdom and Poetry (5 books): Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.
These teach how to live wisely under God’s rule. They explore suffering, worship, daily righteousness, the emptiness of life without God, and the beauty of covenant love.

Prophets (17 books):
Major Prophets (5): Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel.
Minor Prophets (12): Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

The prophets confront idolatry, call for repentance, warn of judgment, and repeatedly promise a coming Deliverer, a new covenant, and a kingdom that will never end.

The entire Old Testament builds expectation: a seed of the woman, a descendant of Abraham, a prophet like Moses, a son of David, a suffering servant, and a King who will reign forever.

The New Testament (27 Books): Christ’s Arrival and the New Creation

The New Testament announces that Jesus is the promised King. He is the preeminent One in whom all God’s promises find their “Yes” (2 Corinthians 1:20). It shows His life, death, resurrection, the birth of the church, and the final renewal of all things.

Gospels (4 books): Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
These present Jesus from four angles: as King (Matthew), servant (Mark), perfect man (Luke), and eternal God (John). They record His teaching, miracles, crucifixion for sins, and resurrection.

History (1 book): Acts.
Luke’s second volume shows the Holy Spirit empowering the early church to take the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. It records the rapid spread of the message that Jesus is Lord.

Letters (21 books):
Paul’s Letters (13): Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.
These explain the gospel, the meaning of Christ’s work, how the church should live, and how believers stand secure in Him.
General Letters (8): Hebrews, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude.
These encourage perseverance, warn against false teaching, and call for holy living.

Prophecy (1 book): Revelation.
This apocalyptic letter reveals Christ as the victorious Lamb and coming King. It comforts suffering believers and shows the final defeat of evil and the making of a new heaven and new earth.

How the Two Testaments Fit Together

The Old Testament is not obsolete. Jesus said He came to fulfill it, not abolish it (Matthew 5:17). The New Testament constantly quotes and explains the Old, showing that Christ is the true temple, the better Moses, the perfect high priest, the faithful Israel, and the eternal King.

Everything in the Bible centers on the supremacy and preeminence of Christ that we have been studying in Colossians 1. He is the goal of the Old Testament promises and the living reality of the New Testament gospel. The whole book calls you to trust Him, repent of sin, and live under His rule until He returns.

If you want to go deeper into any section—especially how Colossians fits into the larger biblical theology of Christ’s preeminence—let me know which part to unpack next.