TUESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2026 IGNITE YOUTH DEVOTIONAL Topic: Learn to Say No Bible Reference My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. Proverbs 1:10 (NKJV) A Short Story Joshua was a serious student who had always wanted to do well in school. He attended church regularly, respected his parents, and had decided that he would not allow anything to destroy his future. However, things began to change when he entered a new group of friends in school. They were confident, popular, and always seemed to be having fun. One Friday afternoon, the group invited Joshua to join them at a party. He knew that some of the things that happened at their parties were not things he should be involved in, so he politely declined. His friends laughed at him and told him that he was behaving like a small boy. Joshua felt embarrassed, especially because some girls were also there. He eventually changed his mind and decided to go with them. At the party, things quickly became different from what Joshua had expected. Some people were drinking, others were taking drugs, and several young people were involved in things he knew were wrong. Joshua wanted to leave, but his friends told him not to spoil the fun. They kept telling him that he needed to relax and stop acting like a church boy. Joshua stayed longer than he planned. Before he left, he had joined in some of the things he had promised himself he would never do. On his way home, he felt terrible. He realised that he had not done those things because he wanted to. He had done them because he was afraid of what his friends would say if he refused. That night, Joshua sat quietly in his room and thought about what had happened. He remembered how easy it was to say no when he was alone, but how difficult it became when people around him were laughing and putting pressure on him. He understood that his greatest problem was not that he did not know what was right. His problem was that he wanted to be accepted. Joshua made a decision that night. He would rather lose a few friends than lose his values, his peace, and his future. He learned that saying no is sometimes the strongest thing a young person can do. Today's Message There are times when your greatest test will not come from an obvious enemy. It will come from a friend saying, Come on, everybody is doing it. Many young people know what is right but struggle to do it because they are afraid of being laughed at, rejected, or called old fashioned. You may face pressure to drink, smoke, sleep with someone, cheat in an examination, join a bad group, waste your money, follow unhealthy trends, lie for a friend, or do something wrong simply because you do not want to feel left out. The pressure may even come through social media, where people make wrong behaviour look normal and attractive. The Bible gives a simple instruction in Proverbs 1:10: do not consent. In other words, do not agree to follow people into what you know is wrong. Scripture does not tell you to debate with temptation for hours. There are situations where the wisest response is simply to say no and walk away. Proverbs 1:10 directly addresses the kind of pressure young people face when others try to persuade them to do what is wrong. Saying no does not mean that you hate people. You can love your friends without following them into sin. You can respect people without copying everything they do. You can be friendly with people who have different choices from yours while still keeping your own convictions. Your faith should not disappear simply because you are around people who do not share it. You also need to understand that every yes has a consequence. When you say yes to cheating, you are saying no to honesty. When you say yes to sexual immorality, you are saying no to purity. When you say yes to drugs, you are saying no to self control. When you say yes to reckless spending, you are saying no to financial discipline. When you say yes to the wrong relationship, you may be saying no to the peace and purpose God wants for your life. The people around you can influence your choices. First Corinthians 15:33 warns that bad company can corrupt good character. This is why you must be careful about the people you allow to have strong influence over your life. Your friends should not constantly make it difficult for you to obey God. You do not need everybody to approve of you. Some people will laugh when you refuse to join them. Some may call you boring. Some may stop inviting you to certain places. Some may even say that you are trying to be too holy. Do not allow the fear of losing people to make you lose yourself. There is strength in being able to say, I cannot do this. There is strength in leaving a conversation that is becoming sinful. There is strength in ending a relationship that is pulling you away from God. There is strength in refusing to cheat when everyone else is cheating. There is strength in walking away from an opportunity that requires you to compromise your values. Your future is more important than temporary acceptance. Learn to say no before you find yourself in a situation where saying no becomes much harder. Decide your values before the pressure comes. Know what you believe. Know what the Bible teaches. Know what kind of person you want to become. When the wrong invitation comes, you will not need to spend too much time thinking about it because you have already made up your mind. Remember this: You do not have to say yes just because somebody asked you. Sometimes your greatest act of courage is simply saying no. What To Do Today 1. Think about one area where you often struggle to say no because of pressure from friends or other people. 2. Decide what your Christian values are in that area and make up your mind not to compromise them. 3. Look carefully at your closest friends. Ask yourself whether they are helping you become a better person or making it harder for you to obey God. 4. Practise saying no to wrong things without feeling guilty. You do not owe anyone an explanation for choosing what is right. Prayer Lord, give me the courage to say no when I am being pressured to do what is wrong. Help me not to live for the approval of people. Give me wisdom to choose my friends carefully and strength to stand by my convictions. Help me to value my future, my character, and my relationship with You more than temporary acceptance. When temptation comes, help me to recognise it and walk away. Let my decisions honour You in every area of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen. Daily Challenge Today, practise saying no to one thing that does not help your spiritual life, character, studies, career, relationships, or future. Remember: Every time you say no to what can destroy you, you are saying yes to the future God has prepared for you. ©️ Anthony Ijere Christian Author and Revivalist

Lifeline Today Tuesday August 25 The Silent Force of Confidence For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV) Confidence is not something you have; it is something you build that makes you open to a fresh flow of ideas and accommodating for inspirations. It is nothing more than a belief in yourself. A feeling of certainty that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to do. It means you accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control over your life. Building confidence is not about knowing it all but about trusting that no matter what happens in any situation, you will be able to handle it and learn from the outcome. Therefore, learning is the beginning to building a confident lifestyle. And learning has to do with a commitment to growth through self-improvement. Good to know that no life is remembered for what was started, rather, for what was finished. This is your day. Wisdom Fountain: “Confidence is the silent force that turns doubt into direction and fear into fuel.” Prayer: Holy God, fill my heart with Your strength. Grant me the courage to step out of my comfort zone, knowing that You go before me and will never leave me. Let my confidence not come from my own strength, but from knowing that You are with me, holding me up, and working through me. Give me a quiet peace and the boldness to step forward always in Jesus' name.

there's is one thing very deep about bible *John 14:1* _"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me."_ That one lands deep because it speaks right to fear and worry — the stuff that keeps us up at night. Jesus isn’t dismissing the trouble. He’s saying: I see it, and you don’t have to carry it alone. Trust is the anchor. Another that touches a lot of people is *Psalm 23:4* _"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."_ It reminds us we’re never walking through hard seasons alone. Want one about comfort, hope, or forgiveness specifically?

QUICK READ But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. (Acts 5, 1-5)

Aflame - Shared by Smith Wigglesworth "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. -Ezekiel 37:5 As we speak in the Spirit, we feel that the fire that burned in the hearts of the two men on their way to Emmaus, when Jesus walked with them, is burning in our hearts. (See Luke 24:13-32.) It is sure to come to pass that when we walk with Him, our hearts will burn; the same power of the Spirit is present today to make it happen. The two men on their way to Emmaus could not understand what was happening on the road, but a few hours later, they saw Jesus break the bread, and their eyes were opened. But, beloved, our hearts always ought to burn. There is a place where we can live in the anointing and the clothing of the Spirit, where our words will be clothed with power. "Do not be drunk with wine ... but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph.5:18). Being filled with the Spirit is a wonderful privilege. It was necessary for John to be in the Spirit on the Isle of Patmos so that the revelation could be made clear to him (Rev. 1:9- 10). What does it mean to this generation for us to be kept in the Spirit? All human reasoning and all human knowledge cannot be compared with the power of the life that is lived in the Spirit. In the Spirit, we have power to loose and power to bind (Matt.16:19). There is a place where the Holy Spirit can put us where we cannot be anywhere else but in the Spirit. But it is only in the Spirit. Now, I read in Matthew 16:19 that Jesus says, in essence, "I will give you power to bind, and I will give you power to loose." This is a power that many of us have not yet claimed, and we will not be able to claim this manifestation of the Spirit unless we live in the Spirit. When are you able to bind and loose? It is only in the Spirit. You cannot bind things in human strength or with the natural mind. This power was never lacking in Jesus, but I feel that there is a great lack of it in most of us. God help us! "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me" (Luke4:18). Beloved, there was a great purpose in this Spirit being on Jesus, and there is a special purpose in your being baptized in the Spirit. We must not forget that we are members of His body, and by this wonderful baptismal power, we are partakers of His divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). The revelation came this way: I saw Adam and Eve driven out of the Garden and a flaming sword at every side to keep them from entering into the Garden. But I saw 'that all around me was a flaming sword keeping me from evil, and it seemed this would be true if I would claim it, so I said, "Lord, I will." The flaming sword was around me, delivering me from the power of hell. In this way, we are preserved from evil. God is like a wall of fire around us (Zech. 2:5); why should we fear? What a wonderful salvation! What a wonderful Deliverer! Notice Ezekiel 37. The only need of Ezekiel was to be in the Spirit, and while he was in the Spirit, it came to him to prophesy to the dry bones and say, "O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD" (v. 4). And as he prophesied according to the Lord's command, he saw an "exceedingly great army" (v. 10) rising up about him. The prophet obeyed God's command, and all we have to do is exactly this: obey God. What is impossible with man is possible with God (Luke18:27). I pray to God that your spirit, soul, and body may be preserved holy (1 Thess.5:23), and that you may be always on fire, always ready with the anointing on you. If this is not so, we are out of divine order, and we ought to cry to Him until the glory comes back upon us." Read Smith Wigglesworth's other works at http://www.teleiosministries.com/Gifts-of-Healing.html Free Downloads at www.teleiosministries.com

IN THE CONQUEST OF FEAR , I FIGHT WITH MY DOUBLE EDGED SWORD CALLED JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH

The things the Lord have against us. Revelation 2 [KJV] [vs: 14] But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. These verse reveals to us that though the Lord is always glad of some good things we have done there may some areas in our life which he is not happy with, we should not be content in the areas we are doing well but should strive to be sound in all areas of our spiritual life. "What are the areas that Christ is not happy with the pergamos church? 1,torerance of false prophets and teachers. 2, permission of false doctrines .  3, accepting practices that became stumbbling blocks among them  4, eating things sacrificed to idols  5, prevailing acts of fornication. From all these we understand that when any church or individual begins to allow false prophets and teachers and their teachings the results will be backsliding and sins there is a strong connection between false doctrines and a lifestyle of sin. *Any doctrine that downplays sin, make sin less serious than it is, excuses sin, make people to fear  not God's judgement against sin, teaches that grace covers our sinful lifestyle is a false doctrine. False teachers being religious secret sinners can only lead the people that hears them to error,  sin and damnation.  Application: We should not hear , believes or follow those that teaches any doctrine that contradicts the biblical truths . 23 August 2026

Having an Encounter with God through His Son Jesus Christ. By: Evangelist Dominic Ofori-Mensah Kindly Read and Share. As a Christian there's this one and special encounter you get with Christ Jesus the day and moment you make your mind to take up your cross to follow him (personal consecration), I term this the Salvational Encounter/encountering salvation. (Moses, Abraham, Saul etc). Salvational Encounter I define as the first taste of divine and mortal encounter by man with a deity. As believers/Christians, it is our aim and desire to encounter Christ Jesus day to day. When God orchestrate His divine plan and purpose over your life to manifest His Will, He meet man half way and when he's mostly desolate in life, wondering and wandering. When you have this salvational encounter, your life changes from living life worldly than the Word of God. Moses after encountering God at the burning bush, got a new purpose and a divine shift over his life. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, I would like to expound on 2/3 others.. 1. Relationship Encounter: As a believer/Christian, it should be your priority to always yearn to know more of Jesus Christ or have personal intimacy with him. You shouldn't always become a "suckling baby" as a child of God but maturing to certain dimension when God can use you accurately without fear. It is one thing to be saved and another to stick to God. Many Christians do not have a personal relationship with God through Jesus (Word) and by the teachings and leading of His Spirit so they easily fall prey to false teachings and spirituality. Moses never met God again at a burning bush but had to actually meet him face to face on mount Sinai. (Exodus 3:2, Exodus 4-15). Moses had a temperamental issues which was common to the Levite's but after encountering God and having a Personal Relationship with Him, he was used according to how God wanted. To have a personal relationship with God is to obey His Word and the guidance and teachings of His Spirit which will guide you into righteousness for His eternal purpose. 2. Spiritual/Dimensional Encounter: As we become older and matured in Christ, it is expected of us to live above the rulings of this mundane whiles you still have to fit in. In our walk of life as humans and christians, we are to grow naturally either the inner man(Soul) or the outer man (Ego) and with this growth comes battles that needs the intervention of a higher realm. We come across cycles and seasons where most people get to repeat what's ought to be crossed and vice versa. Life is spiritual and have to be lived as such. Saul, after encountering Christ Jesus (salvational encounter and personally having a relationship with him, made him understood certain spiritual dimensional messages which an ordinary man could not understand or fathom.. Salvational encounter comes with fear and trembling as the first encounter but when you develop a relationship with God, He opens you up for more Divine mysteries and spiritual dimensional realms that He knows you will use according to His Will.. It is one thing to Encounter God and another thing to be Encountering God. Moses, Abraham, Moses, etc had a continuous encounter with God where they had to be taking instructions and information even to the moment of death as Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior did. For righteous living and eternity sake, strive to have a personal relationship and spiritual encounter with God in other for Him to position you well for His Will and Plan.. Amen!

A Life That Reveals God Has a Greater Impact Than Lips That Merely Speak About Him! The Christian life is not merely about speaking about God; it is also about revealing through our lives that God lives within us. It is not only important how beautifully we speak about the name of God. What truly matters is whether people can see God through our conduct, words, decisions, relationships, forgiveness, integrity, and love. Jesus said: > “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Notice this the purpose of our good works is not for people to glorify us, but for them to glorify our Heavenly Father. Our lives must become a living testimony. If we speak about love, that love must be revealed in the way we forgive even those who hurt us. If we speak about faith, it must be revealed by trusting God even when circumstances are against us. If we speak about holiness, it must be revealed by living a holy life even when no one is watching. If we speak about God's grace, it must be revealed by showing grace even to those who have wronged us. Our lives should never contradict the message our lips proclaim. Joseph did not spend his time in Egypt merely preaching about God. Yet through his integrity, purity, wisdom, and fear of God, those around him recognized that the hand of God was upon his life. Daniel was the same. He did not simply say that he trusted God; even under pressure, he refused to compromise his prayer life. His life became the evidence of his faith. The world often sees our lives before it listens to our preaching. Therefore, every day we must ask ourselves: When someone looks at my life, do they see me or do they see Christ living within me? Glorifying God is not something we do only during Sunday worship. It must happen at home, at work, in our relationships, in solitude, in trials, and in times of success everywhere and at all times. More powerful than what you say is the way you live; your life is the strongest testimony of your faith. Let us proclaim God with our words and glorify Him through our lives. Hepsi Sam ✍️

You don't have to ignore your emotions when you pray. The goal isn't to pretend you're not afraid. The goal is to allow God's Word to speak into your fear rather than allowing fear to dictate the entire prayer.