OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: TUESDAY 25TH AUGUST 2026 TOPIC: FEAR GOD, PART 1 MEMORIZE: "But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies." 2 Kings 17:39 (KJV) BIBLE READING: PSALM 112:1-9 1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. 9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. MESSAGE: The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10); therefore, anyone who does not fear God is not wise. He is a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29), and those who do not fear Him are truly foolish because even a mad dog fears fire. Psalm 111:10 also means that those who fear God become wise. Apart from wisdom, however, there are many other benefits to fearing God, and today's Bible reading outlines many of them. One of the benefits is that the seed of a person who fears God will be mighty upon the earth (Psalm 112:2). That same verse also tells us that the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Psalm 112:3 says that you will have access to wealth and riches when you fear God. Also, Psalm 112:7 says that you will not be afraid of evil tidings. People who fear God do not need to be afraid of anything because He will deliver them out of the hands of all their enemies and everything that can harm them. Those who do not fear God will find it easy to commit sins, and this can bring a curse upon them and their descendants. For example, Gehazi's lack of fear for the Lord caused him and his descendants to become carriers of the leprosy that was previously upon Naaman (2 Kings 5:20-27). Whenever a person acts in a way that shows that he or she does not fear God, such a person robs his or her children of the opportunity to be great and exposes them to curses rather than blessings. Joab was another person whose lack of fear for the Lord brought curses upon his lineage. In (2 Samuel 3:27-29), the Bible details how he tricked Abner and murdered him in cold blood. When David heard about it, he placed a curse on Joab's lineage that sicknesses, leprosy, poverty, weakness, and untimely death would befall Joab's family and his descendants. People who do not fear God purchase trouble for their children. Beloved, if you want your future and that of your children to be glorious, you need to have the fear of God in you. If you're going to have peace of mind in your old age, you must fear God. The reason I am sure that my tomorrow and those of my children will be alright is that I fear the Lord. I pray that your life and those of your descendants will be filled with blessings and not curses, in Jesus' name. KEY POINT: The fear of the Lord guarantees God's blessings for you and your lineage. AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 5 - 8 HYMNAL 7 - I AM THINE O LORD 1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me; but I long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to Thee. REFRAIN: Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious, bleeding side. 2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, by the pow'r of grace divine; let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in Thine. [Refrain] 3 O, the pure delight of a single hour that before Thy throne I spend, when I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God, I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain] 4 There are depths of love that I cannot know till I cross the narrow sea; there are heights of joy that I may not reach till I rest in peace with Thee. [Refrain] PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL. Tuesday 25th August 2026 FEAR GOD, Part 1 ‎ ‎PRAYER POINTS 1.God of all wisdom and might, the One who made the heavens and earth with no pillars in between; You laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed 2.Father, the earth and the fullness thereof is in Your care, and by You we have the fullness of life through Christ Jesus. 3.Father, by Your wisdom You made the sun to rule the day, and the moon and stars to rule the night. The heavens declare Your glory, and the firmament shows Your handywork. 4.Father, please help me to fear You, and to walk in complete obedience to Your word, so I can become wiser, in Jesus' name. 5.Father, please help me to walk in Your fear, so I can be delivered out of the hands of all my enemies, in Jesus' name. 6.Father, please help me to walk in holiness and in Your righteousness so it will become practically impossible for me to commit sin, in Jesus' name. 7.Father, please help me to fear You so I won't miss the opportunity to be great and be exposed to blessings rather than curses, in Jesus' name. 8.Father, please help me not to purchase trouble for my children for lack of fear for You, in Jesus' name. 9.Father, please put Your fear in me so my children and I will have a glorious future, and peace of mind in my old age, and in Jesus' name. 10.Father, please let my life and those of my descendants be filled with blessings and not curses, in Jesus' name. 11.Father, thank You for the life of Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye. ‎ Help him to abide in Your fear for the rest of his life, till You come again in glory, in Jesus' name. Bless his children (biological and spiritual). Help him to continue to produce sons and daughters to Your glory, in Jesus name ‎ ‎12.Father, please bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, with wisdom and favour. Answer all his prayers beyond measure, and all those who have been broadcasting them, in Jesus' name. ‎ ‎13.Father, please let every challenge and temptations, hindrance and obstacles of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus name. ‎ ‎14.Your personal petitions. ‎(Philippians 4:6) ‎ ‎15.In Jesus name I pray. ‎(John 14:13-14; 15:16) ‎ ‎#Godblessournation ‎

Today’s Walk in the Word is a brief devotional by Joe Barnett that appears Monday through Friday. Aug 23, 2026 11:00 pm Be Holy Be holy, for I am holy. —1 Peter 1:16 Justin Martyr’s First Apology (his defense of Christianity) was addressed to Emperor Antoninus Pius, challenging the emperor to examine the exemplary purity of Christians. “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Pt 1:15–16). The primary meaning of holy is different. The secondary meaning of holy is pure. God is different from any other and pure like no other. Peter enjoins Christians to be different from others, with pure conduct shaped by God’s standards, rather than by prevailing culture. In the next verse, Peter entreats Christians to “conduct yourselves throughout the times of your stay here in fear” (1 Pt 1:17)—not a cringing fear of punishment, but a respectful fear of misrepresenting your Savior and disappointing your Father. Father, I don’t want to disappoint you. Amen The post Be Holy appeared first on Pathway Evangelism, Inc.. share on Twitter Like Be Holy on Facebook forward to a friend Copyright © 2026 Pathway, All rights reserved. We send this daily devotional to those who have signed up for it on our Web site. Our mailing address is: 15500 Cutten Road #2101, Houston, TX 77070

Daily Devotional Deal my bread to the hungry. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? Isaiah 58:7 What is pure religion? Christ has told us that pure religion is the exercise of pity, sympathy, and love, in the home, in the church, and in the world.... We are to think and care for others who need our love, our tenderness, and care. We should ever remember that we are representatives of Christ, and that we are to share the blessings that He gives, not with those who can recompense us again, but with those who will appreciate the gifts that will supply their temporal and spiritual necessities. Those who give feasts for the purpose of helping those who have but little pleasure, for the purpose of bringing brightness into their dreary lives, for the purpose of relieving their poverty and distress, are acting unselfishly and in harmony with the instruction of Christ. All around us we see want and suffering. Families are in need of food; little ones are crying for bread. The houses of the poor lack proper furniture and bedding. Many live in mere hovels which are almost destitute of conveniences. The cry of the poor reaches to heaven. God sees; God hears. The work of gathering in the needy ... is the very work which every church that believes the truth for this time should long since have been doing. We are to show the tender sympathy of the Samaritan in supplying physical necessities, feeding the hungry, bringing the poor that are cast out to our homes, gathering from God every day grace and strength that will enable us to reach to the very depths of human misery and help those who cannot possibly help themselves. In doing this work we have a favorable opportunity to set forth Christ the crucified One. [241]

Acts 7:60 — Lord, do not hold this sin against them. I will pray with you this way — after Word, not after flesh: --- Prayer of a true witness for this consecration of female bishop in Uganda: Father in Heaven, in Name of Your Son Jesus Christ, the Lamb who stands on Mount Zion, You who sealed 144,000, You who see in secret, You who gave Green 7 vision of restoration of Your Word and Red 7 vision of warning against evil doing — Look now upon Your church in Uganda and upon this consecration service. If these shepherds — and pastors who follow — have gone after flesh desires, self interest, pride, and have forgotten suffering sheep like Reagan and suffering churches while collecting tithes and offerings — Lord, do not punish them unto destruction now, but convict them unto repentance now. Job 33:15-16 — In a dream, in a vision of night... You open ears of men and seal their instruction. As You have shown Your servant Reagan, show them also — give them visions, dreams, as You promise Joel 2:28 — that they may see: “We have sent our witness Reagan with My Word in visions for you to obey, but you have not obeyed.” Take veil away. Let them see unrighteousness. Let them hear true Word 1 Tim 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9. as anyone in consecration act of another to pursue the bishop office. that they do it accordingly to thy word. Holy Spirit, call them: Repent & obey and do what is right and live. Give to church under attack by darkness — protection, nourishment in wilderness as Rev 12:14, seal on foreheads as Rev 7:3. We refuse spirit of cursing. We choose spirit of firstfruits — blameless, no lie in mouth, following Lamb wherever He goes Rev 14:4-5. Let Green 7 vision— restoration — come to Uganda. Let Your Word be restored on pulpit. Ezekiel 18:23 — Have I any pleasure at all that wicked should die? says Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? By this prayer O Lord, show them — not by your wrath, but by your mercy first that leads to repentance. As the Red 7 vision state with 2 judgements, of correction & destruction. And by Green 7 vision sealing them among 144000, in obeying thy word to be pure before God. Rev14:4-5, Rom6:16. In Jesus Name, Amen.

🕊️ DOMINION DAILY DEVOTION ~ DAY 236 DATE: 24TH AUGUST 2026 TOPIC: RELY ON GOD _4 ANCHOR SCRIPTURE:Daniel 1:8 (NKJV) “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank...” Devotional message: Yesterday, we saw that one of the ways we demonstrate our reliance upon God is through prayer. When we pray, we acknowledge that we need God and cannot successfully navigate life by our own strength. Today, we look at another evidence of genuine dependence upon God: choosing purity and holiness even when compromise appears attractive.Our reliance upon God is not demonstrated only by what we say in prayer; it is also demonstrated by the decisions we make when nobody is watching and when compromise appears to offer us an advantage. Joseph is a powerful example.When Potiphar's wife repeatedly attempted to entice him into sexual immorality, Joseph refused. His response revealed where his confidence was anchored:Genesis 39:9 (NKJV)“How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Joseph understood that compromising his purity would not merely be an offence against Potiphar or his wife—it would ultimately be sin against God.He valued his relationship with God more than the temporary pleasure being offered to him. Daniel demonstrated the same conviction. Although he had been taken into Babylonian captivity and was surrounded by a culture that did not honour his God, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king's provisions.Daniel could have reasoned that circumstances had changed and therefore his standards could change too. Instead, he remained faithful. Then we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When commanded to bow before Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, they refused—even when the consequence was being thrown into a fiery furnace.Their response demonstrated remarkable confidence in God:Daniel 3:17–18 (NKJV)“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace... But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods...” Child of God, one of the clearest ways you demonstrate that you trust God is by refusing to compromise your convictions when obedience becomes costly.There will be moments when an opportunity may appear attractive because it offers money, promotion, influence, relationships, pleasure, acceptance, or recognition. But you must ask yourself:“Is this worth compromising my relationship with God?” Remember, God does not need sin to bless you. You do not have to compromise your values to enter your destiny.Therefore, do not trade what is eternal for what is temporary.Do not exchange your relationship with God for an offer that will eventually disappear.Do not sell your convictions for temporary comfort.Stand firm. Remain pure. Walk in holiness. Trust God. When you refuse to compromise because you believe God is able to sustain you, you are demonstrating genuine reliance upon Him. PRAYER Heavenly Father,Give me the strength to stand firm. Help me to value my relationship with You above every temporary pleasure, opportunity, possession, or recognition.In Jesus' name, Amen. DAILY BIBLE READING Gen 39:1–23,Dan 1:1–21;3:1–30,1 Peter 1:13–16,Hebrews 12:14 Author : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi Contact : Email : Dominionvoicesminisrty@gmail.com Facebook : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi 🌐 Dominion Daily Devotion, 2026 © Dominion Voices Ministry

TODAY'S KINGDOM INSIGHTS: SERMON TOPIC: HOW CAN YOU PRAY SO THAT GOD HEARS YOU? Main Text: Psalm 66:18–20; 1 John 5:14–15 Supporting Texts: Matthew 6:5–13; James 5:16; Proverbs 15:29; Mark 11:24–25 GOD IS STILL LISTENING. One of the deepest questions a believer can ask is: “When I pray, does God really hear me?” You may have prayed for months and seen no answer. You may have cried in secret, knelt beside your bed, prayed in church, prayed while travelling, prayed when nobody knew what you were going through—and still wondered, “God, are You hearing me?” Here is the good news: God hears prayer. But the Bible also teaches us that there is a way to approach God in prayer. Prayer is not merely talking loudly. Prayer is not using many religious words. Prayer is not trying to manipulate God. Prayer is fellowship with the Father. Jesus said: «“Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” — Matthew 6:8» So the question is not simply, “How much do I pray?” The deeper question is: “How do I position my heart when I pray?” 1. PRAY WITH A SINCERE AND HUMBLE HEART God is not impressed by religious performance. He looks at the heart. Psalm 51:17 says: «“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart…”» David understood something important: God values the condition of the heart more than the appearance of the prayer. You can pray beautiful words with a proud heart and miss the heart of prayer. But you can come before God with tears, weakness, and simple words and experience His presence. Jesus' illustration In Luke 18:9–14, Jesus told the story of two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee. He boasted about himself. The other was a tax collector. He simply cried: «“God be merciful to me a sinner.” — Luke 18:13» Jesus said the humble man went home justified. Spiritual lesson God is not looking for impressive prayers; He is looking for surrendered hearts. Come to God honestly. If you are hurting, tell Him. If you are confused, tell Him. If you have failed, confess it. If you are afraid, tell Him. Prayer begins when pretending ends. 2. PRAY WITH FAITH James 1:6 says: «“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.”» Faith does not mean that you dictate to God what He must do. Faith means that you trust who God is, even when you do not understand what He is doing. Mark 11:24 says: «“What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”» Faith says: “Father, I believe You are able.” And when the answer does not come immediately: “Father, I still trust You.” Faith does not disappear because the answer is delayed. Remember the three possible answers to prayer: YES — God grants the request. WAIT — God is working, but the timing is different. NO — God knows something you do not know. A “no” from God is not proof that God has abandoned you. Sometimes God's refusal is protection. Sometimes His delay is preparation. Sometimes His silence is developing your spiritual maturity. 3. PRAY ACCORDING TO GOD'S WILL One of the most powerful scriptures on prayer is: «“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.” — 1 John 5:14» Notice the words: “According to His will.” Prayer is not about making God's will submit to ours. Prayer is about bringing our desires into alignment with God's will. Jesus demonstrated this in Gethsemane. He prayed: «“Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” — Luke 22:42» Jesus was facing the cross, yet He surrendered to the Father's will. That is mature prayer. A child may say: “God, give me what I want.” But spiritual maturity says: “God, give me what You know is best.” A powerful prayer to learn: “Lord, if this desire is from You, establish it. If it is not from You, remove it. And if I must wait, give me grace to wait.” 4. DEAL WITH UNFORGIVENESS AND SIN We must be careful here. The Bible does not teach that every unanswered prayer means a person has committed some hidden sin. Job suffered greatly without being guilty of the accusations brought against him. However, Scripture clearly teaches that deliberate, unrepentant sin can affect our relationship and fellowship with God. Psalm 66:18 says: «“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”» And Isaiah 59:2 says: «“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God…”» God is merciful, but we should not treat sin casually. What about unforgiveness? Jesus taught: «“And when ye stand praying, forgive…” — Mark 11:25» You cannot continuously ask God for mercy while deliberately refusing to show mercy to others. Forgiveness does not mean saying that what happened was acceptable. Forgiveness means releasing vengeance into God's hands. Ask yourself: “Is there somebody I need to forgive?” “Is there something God has been asking me to surrender?” “Am I asking God to bless something He has already told me to leave?” 5. PRAY WITH PERSISTENCE Some answers require persistent prayer. Jesus taught this through the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1–8. The purpose of the parable was clear: «“Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” — Luke 18:1» Do not stop praying simply because you have not yet seen the answer. Daniel gives us another powerful example. In Daniel 10, Daniel prayed and fasted. His answer was delayed, but heaven had heard him from the beginning. The angel told him: «“From the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand… thy words were heard.” — Daniel 10:12» Think about that! Daniel was praying on earth while heaven was already responding. The delay did not mean God had ignored him. BIBLICAL CASE STUDY: HANNAH — A WOMAN WHO POURED OUT HER SOUL Hannah's story in 1 Samuel 1 is one of the clearest pictures of persistent prayer. She was deeply troubled because she had no child. She went to the house of the Lord and prayed. She didn't simply perform a religious ritual. She poured out her soul before God. Eli initially misunderstood her. But Hannah kept praying. Eventually, God answered her prayer and gave her Samuel. Her story teaches us: 1. You can bring your deepest pain to God. 2. People may misunderstand your prayer, but God understands your heart. 3. Delay does not mean denial. 4. God can turn tears into testimony. Hannah went into the presence of God carrying sorrow. She came out carrying peace. The circumstances had not immediately changed—but something had changed inside her. That is one of the miracles of prayer. Sometimes prayer changes the situation. Sometimes prayer changes the person going through the situation. And sometimes God does both. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT GOD "HEARS" PRAYER? When Scripture says God hears prayer, it means far more than God simply detecting our words. It means God attends to, receives, and responds according to His wisdom and will. God hears the prayer of His children. Proverbs 15:29 says: «“The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.”» And James 5:16 declares: «“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”» Your prayer may look small on earth, but it is not small when it reaches heaven. PRACTICAL ACTION STEPS 1. SET A CONSISTENT PRAYER TIME Do not pray only when there is an emergency. Build a prayer life. 2. BEGIN WITH WORSHIP Before presenting your shopping list to God, acknowledge who He is. “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name…” — Matthew 6:9 3. CONFESS YOUR SINS Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Psalm 139:23–24 4. PRAY SCRIPTURE Use God's Word as the foundation of your prayers. 5. ASK SPECIFICALLY Instead of only saying, “Lord, bless me,” tell God what you are trusting Him for. 6. LEARN TO LISTEN Prayer is not a one-way conversation. After speaking, become quiet before God. Read Scripture. Pay attention to the convictions and guidance of the Holy Spirit. 7. KEEP A PRAYER JOURNAL Write down your requests. Record dates. Record answers. One day you will look back and realize how many prayers God answered. DEEP SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS 1. God's silence is not necessarily God's absence. You may not hear anything, but God may still be working. 2. Prayer is not primarily about getting things; it is about knowing God. The greatest answer to prayer is not always a possession. Sometimes it is God Himself. 3. Prayer changes the atmosphere of the person praying. You may enter prayer anxious and leave with peace. 4. God's answer may be different from your expectation. Never limit God to one method of answering. 5. The strongest prayer is surrendered prayer. “Lord, have Your way” is one of the deepest expressions of faith. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION 1. When I pray, am I seeking God's will or only demanding my own will? 2. Is there any known sin I need to confess? 3. Is there someone I need to forgive? 4. Have I stopped praying because my answer is delayed? 5. Do I genuinely trust God when His answer is different from what I expected? 6. Is my prayer life based on relationship with God or only on emergency needs? 7. What prayer have I abandoned that God may be asking me to continue bringing before Him? POWERFUL PRAYER POINTS 1. PRAYER FOR A DEEPER PRAYER LIFE Father, awaken in me a fresh hunger for prayer. Take away spiritual laziness and teach me to seek Your face consistently, in Jesus' name. 2. PRAYER FOR A PURE HEART Lord, search my heart. Reveal anything that is displeasing to You and give me grace to repent and walk in righteousness. 3. PRAYER FOR FAITH Father, increase my faith. When answers are delayed, help me trust You. When I cannot see the way, help me believe that You are still working. 4. PRAYER FOR GOD'S WILL Lord, deliver me from insisting on my own way. Align my desires with Your purpose and give me grace to say, “Your will be done.” 5. PRAYER FOR PERSISTENCE Father, give me strength not to faint in prayer. Help me continue believing until Your appointed time. 6. PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS Lord, give me grace to forgive those who have hurt me. Heal my heart and remove bitterness from my spirit. 7. PRAYER FOR DIVINE ANSWERS Father, concerning every legitimate request I have brought before You, let Your perfect will be established. Open the right doors, close the wrong doors, and lead me according to Your purpose. 8. PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL SENSITIVITY Holy Spirit, teach me to recognize Your voice. Help me distinguish Your leading from my emotions, fears, and human desires. DON'T JUST PRAY—BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD Beloved, prayer is not a religious emergency button. Prayer is relationship. Do not wait until everything is falling apart before you seek God. Pray when you are happy. Pray when you are confused. Pray when you have money. Pray when you have nothing. Pray when the door opens. Pray when the door closes. Pray when you understand. Pray when you don't understand. And above all, pray with a heart that trusts God. Remember: A delayed answer is not necessarily a denied prayer. God's silence is not necessarily God's absence. God's “no” is not a rejection of you. And God's “wait” is not a waste of your time. There is a God who hears. There is a God who sees. There is a God who knows. There is a God who answers. So keep praying. Keep believing. Keep trusting. Keep walking with God. FINAL DECLARATION I will not give up in prayer. I will not allow delay to destroy my faith. I will seek God's face, not merely His hands. I will surrender my will to His will. I will forgive. I will believe. I will persevere. And I will trust the God who hears me. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen! If you have not given your life to Jesus kindly do so by joining a Bible believing Church. You can get inspirational ebooks from my sela shops below https://selar.com/m/umoh-edem1 https://selar com/m/umoedem https://www.amazon.com/author/umohedembooks https://afrikdp.com/author/9128a016-dd79-4f17-9e60-bf11f65f1a34 CONTACT - WhatsApp +2349024173027, +2349055447540 Email pastor.umoedem@gmail.com

Dear God, thank You for bringing me through another day. As I get ready to rest tonight, I’m being honest with You about what I’ve been feeding my soul lately. Your word in Matthew 4:4 says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” God, I’ve spent so much time craving things this world offers, things, success, recognition, and not nearly enough time craving You. That’s probably why I’ve felt anxious, restless, and disconnected. Help me build a real devotion life, not just going through the motions, but actually wanting more of Your presence. Show me who I’m spending my time with and whether they’re drawing me closer to You or further away. Thank You for hearing my prayer. I give this night to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. -1 Peter 2:2

Dear God, thank You for bringing me through another day. As I get ready to rest tonight, I’m being honest with You about what I’ve been feeding my soul lately. Your word in Matthew 4:4 says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” God, I’ve spent so much time craving things this world offers, things, success, recognition, and not nearly enough time craving You. That’s probably why I’ve felt anxious, restless, and disconnected. Help me build a real devotion life, not just going through the motions, but actually wanting more of Your presence. Show me who I’m spending my time with and whether they’re drawing me closer to You or further away. Thank You for hearing my prayer. I give this night to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. -1 Peter 2:2

❤️WHY DO THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER? Part 1 of 2. I would like to address one of the most puzzling and perplexing problems confronting the Christian today and that is why do the righteous suffer? In order to deal with this adequately, we're going to be looking at the book of Job. We read in Job Chapter 1:1f There was a man in the Land of Oz whose name is Job and that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and turned away from evil. We continue to read in the book of Job how he lost everything, his family, his property, his possessions, and then lost his health with a loathsome disease. The universal problem of whether or not suffering is a sign of divine displeasure, and thus presupposes sin on the part of the sufferer, is the theme of the book of Job. The central problem of the book of Job is the central problem of humanity. Why do men suffer the way they do, and especially, why do the righteous suffer? Why are not godly, righteous, faithful obedient men and women always blessed? Why does it seem many of the ungodly prosper and are never in trouble? A Christian wonders why must I suffer this or that, or why must I go through this trial, or why do I have to experience all of this pain and adversity? I'm a Christian, I study the Bible, I love the Lord. I feel that I'm obedient, so why do I go through such long trials, hardships, and personal attacks? To make things even worse, many times there is no immediate answer and it's a real test of your faith as with Job. Is all adversity and suffering the direct result of sin? What is the basis upon which prosperity and adversity, blessing and misfortune, affliction and health happen to people? What is the basis upon which these things are distributed to men in this life? The principal aim of the book of Job is to disprove the popular theory that was held by many of the Jews and it's still popular today, that all suffering is a sign of God's displeasure and presupposes sin on the part of the sufferer. Inseparably related to the problem of suffering is the greater problem of evil and to consider one necessitates the consideration of the other. The problem of evil results from the clear fact that within the world that God created good according to Genesis 1, it was created very good! Within this world that God created good there is much that is now imperfect. It has become a world of suffering, sin, hate, warfare, oppression, evil and death. Now even a superficial observer will note that these two facts present somewhat of a dilemma. On the one hand Genesis 1 shows that God created all things good and he hates evil. On the other hand, we've seen the widespread evil and suffering that's in this world of imperfection. Now how can we explain this: what has happened? Some suggest that either God cannot remove evil nor could he have prevented its entrance into his world. Others say God does not will to prevent it and did not will to prevent its entrance into the Garden of Eden. Now the first conclusion will be rejected by all who believe in the Sovereign God of the Bible but neither is the second alternative any help in solving the apparent dilemma. It doesn't give us a satisfactory solution and so believers and Christians have always sought a third alternative to explain the problem of evil in a good universe. Now the book of Job is in reality the source material for a study of some of the most profound theological questions of the Bible- the problem of the righteous suffering adversity and the meaning of the presence of evil in a world God created good. It gives us the source of sickness and adversity. It's not God as some think and is often implied today. It's Satan who is behind the scenes doing this. No book in the Bible gives more insight into the problem of why the righteous suffer and the meaning and purpose of evil in the world. Now we will examine that question. There are three basic solutions that have been given to the problem of evil. First there's a denial of its existence. We're told all evil is only an illusion. This is fundamentally the doctrinal position of the Christian Scientists. All evil experienced, meaning sin, suffering, pain, and the like are purely subjective, existing only in the mind of the observer. They have no objective reality. Christian science teaches that since God is good, he could not permit evil to exist and therefore evil is not real. Suffering, evil, sin, and Satan and death are the imagination of man's finite mind. They're only an illusion. They have no reality and would disappear if man would by faith and self-discipline deny their existence. Of course, the objections to this hypothesis are almost self-evident. Even if this hypothesis were accepted as valid, which it isn't, one is still faced with the question of how the appearance of evil and suffering is to be explained. I mean what's the origin and meaning of the illusion of pain and suffering and death? The illusion of pain and suffering is as real to the sufferer as real pain and suffering. A world in which the majority of its inhabitants are deceived with respect to the presence of suffering needs as much explaining as one in which evil is a genuine reality. It doesn't solve the problem, it only changes the terminology from reality to illusion. The suffering and the evil remain. It is quite obvious that this view is unbiblical and is out of harmony with the facts of experience. I mean Christian Scientists yell just as loudly as anyone else when they mashed their finger with a hammer. They go right on dying like the rest of humanity. Another suggested solution is the error is finitism. We're told God's power is limited. The doctrine of the finite God is the solution that we must choose, we are told. The fact that God is not completely good and that he is not omnipotent is an unscriptural attempt to explain the presence of moral and natural evil. The limitation doctrine argues that God made the best kind of world that he could but that even God could not prevent the presence of evil. Finitism, we are told, preserves the goodness of God and recognizes that God is not the source of all things. He is the source of all that is good and He is an opposition to all that is evil. Finitism seems to be a solution to some people. But again, this theory is unbiblical. The doctrine of a finite God cannot stand in view of the testimony of Scripture. See Daniel 4:35 Jeremiah 32:17, Matthew 19:26, Romans 9, Job 1 and 2. We're told that God is in control of all events and governments in heaven and earth. Nothing is too hard for God and with God nothing is impossible. As we read Job chapters 1 & 2 we see that Satan had to get God's permission to afflict Job. The concept of an eternal principle of evil against which God is engaged in some cosmic struggle and the outcome of which is by no means certain is platonic dualism pure and simple. It's not Biblical. The doctrine of finitism is no solution at all to the problem but simply a sophisticated shortcut to avoid what appears to be a dilemma. It results from the fallacy that one must either give up the goodness of God or His omnipotence and power since there appears to be an alleged conflict. The only solution seems to be to sacrifice his omnipotence according to this unscriptural view. Now a third solution which we believe to be the biblical one, is that a moral world involves the possibility of evil. In a moral universe of free creatures, the possibility of moral development involves the possibility of the entrance of moral evil and its consequences into the world. For example, we see in the narratives of Genesis that God did not intend to compel moral obedience, but that a holy moral character could only be developed by voluntary free choice on Adam's part. Hence, a world without the possibility of disobeying God would not present the necessary means of developing moral character. Adam was not born with a holy moral character, but he was innocent. He was pure, but you're not born with character. This must develop and grow as you respond to the experiences of life. Trials, adversities, and so forth are designed to shape one's character. Someone has pointed out that these sufferings sometimes crush the person who experiences it. There are times when the final result is more glorious than would be conceivable in any other kind of universe. Therefore, this view does give us a workable solution to the problem of evil and helps explain the purpose of suffering. It is the suffering of the righteous and the allowance of the entrance of sin into the world. This view involves a possibility of the entrance of evil and also helps explain God's self-imposed limitations. Now those terms are important. We see God is presented in Scripture as omnipotent and all-powerful. But it is also true that, at the moment He created something outside himself, man who is a free moral creature, who could have the power at least temporarily to say no to God, that there was to some degree a self-imposed limitation which God placed upon Himself. This does not mean that God has limited His sovereignty, power, or His rule by creating a being in his own image who had the power to rebel against him. But it does mean that God chose to exercise his sovereignty in a universe filled with creatures who could temporarily rebel against that sovereignty. Notice it's only temporary, and so we see a moral world involves the possibility of the entrance and presence of moral evil. This brings us to the basic question that we're going to discuss. The perplexing problem of why the righteous suffer and biblical solutions. It's not unusual that trials and sufferings of the child of God may involve several purposes. We shall explore these next. Part 2.) First, we see that trials and sufferings have an educational purpose. We will see from this study that the righteous suffering trial and affliction is not always evidence that they have sinned or evidence that God is displeased with them. There may be some deeper purpose in God allowing it and that is to bring them into conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. Examining these purposes is necessary because the Christian goes through trials and sufferings of many kinds. Therefore, they need to know whether or not these are chastisements, are things to be resisted as from the devil, or if these things are from the hand of God! This way we will not be resisting when we should be submitting so we will benefit from our trials and testings. We mentioned that trials and sufferings have an educational purpose. We see Job's misfortunes and sufferings at first of all as a teaching and educational purpose. We see spiritual wisdom and discernment do not automatically come to the believer but they are gained through the times of hardship and suffering and of trial and testing. Job learned the meaning of an abiding faith in God. He received an education along the line of an abiding and steadfast faith. See chapter 13 in verses 15-18. Job said though he slay me yet will I trust him. He came to know what genuine faith was and he was willing to trust God in spite of circumstances and appearances. He came to know in a more meaningful way God as his Redeemer in chapter 19. He has come through a great valley of testing and trial and affliction and there's one thing he says. I don't understand all of this, but I do know my redeemer lives and then he became confident in his future of vindication. We see that in chapter 9 verses 32-35, chapter 16 verse 19, chapter 13 verse 18. He said I know that I will be justified and this suffering of mine is not the result of sin, but I will be vindicated. Almost beside himself from grief and suffering, he came into a deeper assurance of a future life beyond the grave and this present world of inequality, injustice, and affliction. He came into a deeper understanding of the sovereignty of God. In chapters 38 to 41 where the Lord addresses him in two discourses of speeches, Job said, I've heard of You in the hearing of the ear and now my eye has seen You. I abhor myself and I repent in dust and in ashes. He said, I lay my hand over my mouth and I'll not speak again. I've spoken once, I've spoken twice but now, he says I'll not speak again. God revealed to him his sovereignty. God doesn't answer job's perplexities or questions. He just reminds him that He is God and that whatever he does is righteous. So, the educational purpose and significance of suffering is evident throughout the Bible especially in the book of Job as Job progressively moves from one valley of doubt and mystery to another. Each time climbing to a mountain peak of faith as he conquers his fears and his doubts and he comes to a new understanding and appreciation of the promises of God. The meaning of suffering is first and foremost of all for the express purpose of developing within the heart of the saint the assurance and understanding of his trust in God. In psalm 119 verses 65-72. The psalmist said there that he praises the Lord for afflicting him because then he came to know how to obey the Lord as he should. He said I thank You for the correction of my affliction because now I've come to understand better how to obey your precepts and your law. Our trials and tests, persecutions and the like have an educational purpose. When Jesus saves you, he sends you to His school. That is the school of the trial of your faith. Sadly, most Christians have not been taught this. They do not profit from their lessons so they keep taking the same course over and over. This is because they're flunking the tests. They've not been taught to submit to the trials but instead resist them. They think trials are something to be avoided at all costs. The Bible says we are to rejoice in our trials, James 1, because it is working in us the steadfast endurance we need to mature. Jesus told us that trials are to be a cause of rejoicing in Matthew 5, because when we're persecuted he said, rejoice because great is your reward in heaven. We are not to resist these things. Again, in Acts 14:22, for we must by much tribulation enter the kingdom of God. If you're trying to get off the pathway of trial and if you're trying to get out of that school, then you are on the wrong path. Realize you will not be able to graduate because you're flunking the course or you become a spiritual dropout from the school of the trial of your faith. Trials and sufferings are designed by God because He loves you and desires to educate you in an abiding faith in knowing that He is able to deliver and protect you keeping you to the end. You come to trust Him in spite of circumstances as Job. You come to the place where you can say though He slay me yet will I trust Him. That doesn't make any sense to your head or your intellect, but if you stay in God's school and learn your lessons as you should, it will make sense to your spirit and to your heart. Trials and sufferings of the believer for righteousness' sake have an educational purpose. Stay in God's school long enough for him to teach you something and you'll find you'll be blessed for it with a mature faith and trust in the plans and purposes of God in your life! Part 3.) Next, we see that sometimes sufferings and trials have a punitive purpose. This is the solution, by the way, to the problem suggested by Job's friends. You'll notice this as you read the book and although it is by no means the whole answer, yet it does have its place in the total picture. This is the law of sowing and reaping Galatians 6:7 - for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. There are natural consequences of sin and so sometimes trials and sufferings have a punitive purpose. Punitive means punishment. Some of these things we endure and suffer are because we've not heeded the law of sowing and reaping Galatians 6:7. We see this throughout the Bible that this works for the saint as well as the sinner. We have to obey this law. If we don't sow to the Spirit and sow to the flesh, we're going to reap the consequences. We see this in the case of David. He had to reap what he sowed in his sin with Bathsheba. We read the sword never departed from his house, although he did receive forgiveness. We also see this in the New Testament in 1st Corinthians 5 and 1st Corinthians 11. Some of the Christians were not partaking of the communion the Lord's Supper as they should. Therefore, Paul says you don't discern the Lord's body, you're not eating this supper worthily, and therefore some of you are sick and some of you are dying prematurely. This is the law of sowing and reaping. For example, if a Christian girl allows herself to get into trouble and becomes pregnant, she may repent of that sin and be forgiven but she'll still suffer the stigma of bearing an illegitimate child. She's still going to suffer the consequences of what she sowed, for whatsoever you sow you reap. Galatians 6:7. So there's no way to get around the fact that you're going to reap what you sow. This is why sometimes we suffer trials and afflictions. We should examine our lives to see whether or not God is judging us because of something we have disobeyed him about or not getting our lives corrected about some matter. Now what's the significance of Job's suffering in relation to the punitive purpose? Remember this is the suggested solution of Job's three friends. The principle upon which all suffering is based they said is this- that suffering is a direct result of sin and a just recompense for it. Job's sufferings, they insisted, were a sign of divine displeasure and presupposed sin on his part. Now of course the Bible does set forth this principle. It's the law of sowing and reaping where righteousness will bring prosperity and blessing, disobedience and wickedness will bring adversity. This is a principle set forth throughout the Bible as Deuteronomy 28 which is a good example of that. Psalm 1 is another example. But what of the righteous individual who often is the victim of misfortune and suffering, and why so often do the ungodly seem to prosper? What's the explanation for the suffering of the innocent and the prosperity of the wicked? Was the popular notion that the innocent do not suffer and the wicked are always afflicted contrary to the facts, even as Bildad and Zophar dogmatically insisted it was true? They insisted the principle was immutable and that Job, though outwardly righteous, nevertheless must be guilty of some heinous secret sins. Their philosophy was this, that all sin causes suffering. Job is suffering. The conclusion, Job must be a sinner! Job's sufferings, they argue, convict him implicitly of some grave sin and they plead with him to acknowledge it and repent. Job protests his innocence throughout the book and so we still are faced with the perplexing question. Why then is Job suffering? Remember he didn't have chapters 1 and 2 which give us the explanation. He had to endure this experience before the answer came. What then is the explanation for those instances which seemed by the Scriptures, show the moral principle of cause and effect, sowing and reaping, that they could not always be forced into a neat logical system? The laws governing society did not guarantee that in some individual cases the innocent might not suffer and that wickedness might not elude temporary judgment. No, throughout the scriptures we see that suffering is not necessarily the direct result of prior sins. This is proven in many passages as Jeremiah 19, Ezekiel 21, Amos chapter 2, In John 9, the case of the blind man, Jesus said this man was not blind because of his parent's sin or his own sin but that God might be glorified in his healing. So, also, in the case of Job, we see he suffered innocently. What the Scriptures do teach is this - that in the light of eternity it is the righteous who will be blessed and the wicked who will suffer. We should not judge too soon. The conclusion is this, suffering and adversity may sometimes be the result of sin and therefore the purpose is punitive, but this is not always the case. Don't follow Job's friends' rigid thinking in condemning someone when you do not have all the facts. Part 4.) Sometimes trials and suffering have a disciplinary purpose. There are times afflictions are the chastisements of a loving Father. This is in harmony with Hebrews 12, 1st Corinthians 5, 1st Corinthians 11 and proverbs 3 verses 11-12. Who the Lord loves He chastens. The Scriptures tell us in Job chapter 33, that God speaks to man and the purpose for that is he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man. He keeps back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pain. God chastens his children because he doesn't want His children going on a path of destruction from disobedience to His Word and will for their lives. We read in Hebrews 12 that who the Lord loves He chastens and He scourges every son He receives. Job 33 speaks of one form of chastisement being sickness. In Hebrews 12 it doesn't say anything about sickness being a form of chastisement. God has many ways to chasten His children. Sometimes he just withholds his blessings. Testing has a way of humbling man's pride. You see, many of Job's utterances under the weight of his afflictions gave indication that his trials had not yet fully accomplished their purpose. You will see this as you read the book of Job. Job sometimes questions God's purposes and in his questioning of God's purpose and his control of human affairs, it implied that Job knew more than God. Sometimes Christians, under the weight of their trials and afflictions, will cry out to God in such a way and try to use their logic and reason to such an extent that they even question God's wisdom in allowing them the trials and afflictions. To be Continued. Edited. Shared. ❤️ God willing, more will be posted soon. All glory to Jesus alone.

Psalm 19:1-14 CEB Heaven is declaring God’s glory; the sky is proclaiming his handiwork. [2] One day gushes the news to the next, and one night informs another what needs to be known. [3] Of course, there’s no speech, no words—their voices can’t be heard— [4] but their sound extends throughout the world; their words reach the ends of the earth. God has made a tent in heaven for the sun. [5] The sun is like a groom coming out of his honeymoon suite; like a warrior, it thrills at running its course. [6] It rises in one end of the sky; its circuit is complete at the other. Nothing escapes its heat. [7] The LORD’s Instruction is perfect, reviving one’s very being. The LORD’s laws are faithful, making naive people wise. [8] The LORD’s regulations are right, gladdening the heart. The LORD’s commands are pure, giving light to the eyes. [9] Honoring the LORD is correct, lasting forever. The LORD’s judgments are true. All of these are righteous! [10] They are more desirable than gold—than tons of pure gold! They are sweeter than honey—even dripping off the honeycomb! [11] No doubt about it: your servant is enlightened by them; there is great reward in keeping them. [12] But can anyone know what they’ve accidentally done wrong? Clear me of any unknown sin [13] and save your servant from willful sins. Don’t let them rule me. Then I’ll be completely blameless; I’ll be innocent of great wrongdoing. [14] Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, LORD, my rock and my redeemer.