"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." - Romans 8:37 KJV.

https://www.facebook.com/share/14jhN267Yo9/

☆☆☆ Looking at this verse with a perfect understanding; "more than a conqueror could only mean that there are 3 categories of conquerors

1. Those who are less than a conqueror. For they cannot or simply refuse to fight.
2. Those who are conquerors because they decided to fight, they fought and won.
3. Then the more than the conquerors group are those of us who didn't have to fight because Jesus has taken over our battles. He fought and won on our behalf.

☆☆☆ No wonder the bible says
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." - 1 Peter 5:7 KJV.
☆☆☆ This verse can also be put this way "casting all your battles upon him for his is fighting for you."
☆☆☆ When the Lord is fighting for you, he will make a total destruction of all your enemies and you will simply become a spectator. Read 2 Kings 19:35, 2 Chronicles 20:20-24.

For you this day I therefore decree, may you not be less than a conqueror in Jesus name.
In the name of Jesus I decree, may you never be comfortable being just a conqueror until you become more than a conqueror.
In the battles of life, I decree and declare, the Lord shall give you total victories in Jesus name.
May you not find yourself stranded in the battles of life.
When and where men have withdrawn from you, may you gain the support of the most high God in Jesus name.
As you walk through life, may you not be alone.
The presence of Jehovah God shall see you through in Jesus name.

You are not alone, God is on your side.

Happy day

Shalom.

Daily Prophetic Prayers and Messages by Pastor, Dr Olutimehin Isaac.

Sermon Title: "RIGHT GIVING IN A WRONG SEASON"
Key Texts: 2 Corinthians 9:7, Malachi 3:8-10, Matthew 6:33, Hebrews 12:1-2, Psalm 51:17

INTRODUCTION
Beloved, we are in the last days. Times of hardship. Times where many are pressed on every side.
And in these days, giving has become godly for some... and desperate for others.

God loves a cheerful giver. But the enemy has twisted giving into a trap for the wounded.
Today God is calling us back: Look to God first, not to giving as a formula.

1. GIVING IS GODLY, BUT MOTIVE MATTERS
2 Corinthians 9:7 — “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Giving is worship. It is obedience. It is sowing.
But in this last age, error has entered.
Many are giving not out of faith, but out of fear and desperation. "If I give this, then God must heal me. Then God must pay my rent."

That’s not covenant. That’s bargaining.
And when we bargain with God, we leave ourselves ungodly and still desperate because our eyes are on the gift, not the Giver.

Isaiah 1:11 — “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord.”
God wants the heart before the hand.

2. THE REAL NEED: REPENTANCE AND RELATIONSHIP
Your message says it: “Look to God in repentance, obedience of God's word and be right before God.”

Hardship will come. 2 Timothy 3:1 — “in the last days there will come times of difficulty.”
But the answer is not just to give more. The answer is to return to God.

Joel 2:12-13 — “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

God’s priority is not your offering. It’s you.
When you are right with God, He heals both:
Physical wounds: Psalm 147:3 — “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Spiritual wounds: Psalm 51:17 — “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

3. THE DANGER: USING GOD FOR THE GIFT
You said: “Unfortunately receivers of what they give. Ain't looking to this but after their more giving in. Leaving them ungodly before and desperate in life.”

This is the trap. Using God like an ATM.
Acts 8:20 — Peter told Simon, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”

When we chase the blessing more than the Blesser, we stay in cycles:
Desperation → Give
No instant result → More desperation → Give more
We become tired, bitter, and far from God.

Jesus warned us: Matthew 6:33 — “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

4. GOD’S WAY: HEAL FIRST, THEN GIVE FROM WHOLENESS
God is not against your giving. He is for your healing.

Hebrews 12:1-2 — “Let us lay aside every weight... and run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus.”

God’s order:
Repentance - Turn from sin and self-reliance
Obedience - Walk in His Word daily
Relationship - Seek His face, not just His hand
Giving - Now give from a place of faith and joy, not fear

When you do this, God restores. Malachi 3:10 — “Bring the full tithe... and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you.”
But notice: the tithe comes after “Return to me” in verse 7.

CLOSING CALL + PRAYER
Church, don’t let hardship push you into error.
Don’t give to manipulate God. Give because you love Him.

If you’ve been giving out of desperation, today is the day to return.

Prayer:
Father, heal us. Heal our finances, but more than that, heal our hearts.
Forgive us for making giving a transaction

Three Angels Broadcasting Network Devotional.
Rip Off the Mask

By Shelley Quinn

August 14th, 2026

“Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.” Psalm 34:13

Finishing a brief therapy session, I slumped down on the side of my hospital bed. A charge nurse popped into my room to ask how I was doing.

“Great,” I smiled. “How was your son’s game?”

After our quick exchange I turned back to my therapist who sat on the window ledge, shaking his head.

“You are your own worst enemy, Shelley!”

My puzzled look prompted his further explanation. “I know you well enough now to know that when your pain becomes intolerable, you breathe in short gasps and perspiration beads on your forehead. But, you smile and gloss over your condition with a friendly word. Most people can’t be cheery when they’re suffering, and—hey—medical personnel are trained to determine treatment by reading facial expressions.”

He had worked with me earlier that month during my first week of hospitalization, following a five-hour spinal surgery. I suffered several complications—including nerve damage in my groins and an irreparable rotator cuff tear. Now, I had been readmitted because I couldn’t walk.

He called it correctly—brutal pain surged through my back, groins, and shoulder. His gentle rebuke echoed words from my distant past, when a spinal surgeon called me “my own worst enemy” for the same reason.

I’m a “grin-and-bear it” kind of gal. Not wanting to be perceived as a whiner, I mask the truth with a smile, using verbal camouflage to hide my brokenness.

Don’t pity me—you likely hide behind the same deflection technique. Have you ever arrived at church heavy-hearted, and when someone asked how you’re doing, you replied, “Doing great! Happy Sabbath!”? Later, you headed home with the same sadness, and no one had the opportunity to pray for you. Or you laugh off hurt feelings following a cutting remark, and never privately confront the abuser. Or a loved one asks, “Is something wrong?” and you hide your frustration with “No! I’m fine.”

People are not mind readers! Our words define us. When we express ourselves honestly, we become visible. When we hide behind a mask of verbal camouflage, we are invisible to others. Some of us wall in our pain, and—sadly—we often feel as if no one really cares.

Verbal camouflage is deceitful.

I get it! We don’t want to wear our feelings on our sleeves. But we need to figure out an honest response to the casual question, “How are you?” If you’re not doing fine—don’t lie about it. While you don’t want to gush out unwanted details, a simple, “I’ll get better!” or “I’m trusting the Lord!” or “I’m blessed, no matter what!” are some of the possible responses. If the person is unknown to you, or too busy to stop for discovery, they’ll go on. If, however, they respond, “Tell me about it!” you will know God placed that person in your path to comfort you.

Let’s rip off the mask and get real!

Gods Creation, 100 / evolution, 0
WHY DID T. REX HAVE TINY ARMS?

Few animals capture the imagination quite like Tyrannosaurus rex. It's one of the most recognizable dinosaurs in the world. Towering over the landscape with a massive skull and bone-crushing jaws, one feature has puzzled scientists for decades: those tiny little arms.

A new study claims to have solved the mystery.

After examining the skulls and forelimbs of dozens of meat-eating dinosaurs, researchers found that species with larger, more robust skulls generally had smaller arms. From that relationship, they proposed that as these dinosaurs supposedly changed over millions of years, the head gradually became the primary weapon while the forelimbs became less important.

It's an interesting observation, but does that explanation really follow?

The study identified a relationship between skull size and arm size. It didn't discover how that relationship came to be. Instead, the evolutionary story is added afterward because that's the framework through which the evidence is being interpreted.

But there's another explanation that's much simpler.

Think about a playground teeter-totter. If one side becomes much heavier, the other side has to compensate or everything falls out of balance. A two-legged dinosaur faces the same engineering challenge. Its head, neck, torso, hips, legs, tail, and forelimbs all have to work together to keep its center of gravity exactly where it belongs.

A massive skull combined with equally massive forelimbs would place tremendous weight toward the front of the animal. Something else would have to compensate. The tail would need to become larger, the hips would need to change, or the body would become increasingly unstable. Suddenly those tiny arms don't seem strange at all. They make perfect engineering sense as part of a balanced, integrated body.

The researchers also describe the arms as "reduced" or "vestigial," yet they still don't know exactly what purpose those arms served. History has shown why we should be cautious with that conclusion. Again and again, structures once dismissed as evolutionary leftovers have later been found to perform important functions.

The difference ultimately comes down to where we begin.

If evolution is the starting point, then every feature must somehow be explained through millions of years of gradual change. But if we begin where Scripture begins, with God as Creator, then coordinated engineering is exactly what we should expect. The Bible tells us God created every creature according to its kind during Creation Week. From that perspective, T. rex wasn't a work in progress. It was created as a complete, fully functional animal whose skull, arms, legs, hips, and tail all worked together from the very beginning.

The word "dinosaur" wasn't even invented until 1842. Before that, these incredible creatures would simply have been known as dragons, great beasts, or perhaps even among the kinds of magnificent animals described in passages like Behemoth in the book of Job. Whatever name people used, they were part of the "very good" creation God made during Creation Week.

The tiny arms of Tyrannosaurus rex aren't evidence of a failed evolutionary experiment. They are another reminder that God's creation displays remarkable engineering, thoughtful design, and purpose, even in places where scientists are still searching for answers.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY, AUGUST 17TH 2026.

TOPIC: THE GAINS OF GOD'S COVENANT II

MEMORISE
Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: - (Deuteronomy 7:12)

BIBLE READING: GENESIS 20:1-18 (KJV)

1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

MESSAGE

Years ago, a highly influential man in an Islamic nation, where church planting was prohibited, invited one of our missionaries to establish a church within his compound. When the church started, his wife said to him, "With your position in government and your influence in this nation, you allowed a church be established in your compound?" He looked at his wife and said, "Don't you dare say a word against these people!" I believe that it was easy for the RCCG to plant a church in that nation, and indeed many nations in the world today, because of God's covenant with its founder, Pa Josiah Akindayomi.

One of the gains of being in a covenant with God is that you will keep getting greater results than your peers as long as you keep fulfilling your part of the covenant. God will keep giving you results that are beyond your efforts. What other people struggle to get will come to you easily because of His covenant with you.

In Exodus 19:5, God said, "If you will keep my covenant, I will make you a peculiar treasure." This means that people will take a look at you and wonder why God loves you so much. Several times, when I wake up at night and reflect on all the good things God is doing in RCCG, I usually say, "Lord, how can you love us this much?" Some people might claim that it is because we fast and pray, but believe me, some people fast more than we do. I recall vividly that when I became the General Overseer, I had some of my friends join me in a 36-hour non-stop prayer session. We thought this was a remarkable feat until we heard of a man who prayed non-stop for so much longer! I may not have spent as many hours in prayer at a stretch as that person, yet what God has done for RCCG is unprecedented and truly remarkable. Indeed, there are immense gains in being in a covenant with the Almighty God.

Another gain of being in a covenant with God is protection. When a king took Abraham's wife, God intervened by appearing in the king's dream. He went the extra mile to protect her and instructed the king to ask Abraham to pray for him, as we see in today's Bible reading. Beloved, there are immeasurable blessings that flow from being in covenant with God.

KEY POINT
Being in a covenant with God gives you access to tremendous benefits and makes difficult things easy.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR JEREMIAH 44 - 46

HYMN 19 - ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME

1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee! Let the water and the blood, From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

2. Not the labours of my hands, can fulfill thy law's demands could zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone, thou must save and thou alone.

3. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling naked, come to thee for dress, helpless, look to thee fir grace foul to the fountain fly wash me saviour or I die.

4. While I draw this fleeting breath, when my eyelids close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.



PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS

DATE: MONDAY AUGUST 17TH 2026

*THE GAINS OF GOD'S COVENANT II

‎PRAYER POINTS

1.Father, thank You for Your covenant to build Your church and never to allow the gate of hell to prevail over it.

2.Father, thank You for the spread of the gospel across the nations of the earth. Thank You for raising men and women to bare the light of the gospel even to the inter lands.

3.Father, thank You for divinely positioning men and women to favour the advancement of Your gospel across the world.

4.Father, please help me never to go out Your covenant for my life. Help me to keep fulfilling my part of the covenant so I can keep enjoying greater results than my peers, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please keep me in Your covenant, and grant me results that are beyond my efforts. Make easy for me what other people struggle to get, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please help me to keep Your covenant, and make me a wonder to nations, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, please show me Your mercy and let it continue to speak for me such that I will constantly enjoy unprecedented and truly remarkable blessings of Your covenant, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, please keep me in Your covenant and let me and my household enjoy divine protection everywhere we go, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please help me to hearken to Your judgements, to keep and to do them, so I can abide in Your covenant and enjoy Your mercies, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, please establish me and my household in Your covenant so we can have access to Your immeasurable blessings and benefits, in Jesus' name.

11.Father, thank You for the life of Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.
‎
Help him to continue to enjoy the gains of Your covenant with him, 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)
‎#GodBlessOThese

prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 2026
TOPIC: THE GAINS OF GOD'S COVENANT I

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

MEMORISE: "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." Deuteronomy 29:9

BIBLE READING: DEUTERONOMY 28:1-14
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

MESSAGE:
In Proverbs 31:1-9, one of the things King Lemuel's mother taught him was that there were certain things that kings should not do. She told him that kings should not give their strength to women, nor should they follow the ways that destroy kings, nor should they drink wine or strong drink. If a fellow does the things that kings shouldn't do, it is expected that such a person would either never become a king or would be dethroned if he or she is already a king.

To fully enjoy the gains of any covenant with God, you must be ready to fulfil its terms and conditions by surrendering totally to Him and obeying all His instructions. Once you decide to serve God with all your life and do whatever He says, sooner or later, people will come to you and say, "Tell us your secret; how are you flourishing in every area of your life?!"

Many people attribute the remarkable progress of RCCG to my academic background; however, they are unaware that we are reaping the benefits of the founder's covenant with God. God called the founder of the church, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, a man who never attended school, and told him that if he could meet certain conditions, He would establish a church through him that would spread around the world. God helped Pa Akindayomi, and before his death, he fulfilled all the conditions that God gave him. Today, the RCCG is present in over 195 nations worldwide.

The church is where it is today because of God's covenant with my Father in the Lord. God cannot be mocked. Anyone who obeys the terms of His covenant will reap its gains. In today's memory verse, Moses told the Israelites that if they kept God's commandments, they would prosper in all that they did.

Prosperity is a major gain that those who keep God's covenant will enjoy. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all enjoyed abundant prosperity as a result of God's covenant with Abraham. Father Abraham was described as a man who was blessed in all things (Genesis 24:1), Isaac was described as being very great (Genesis 26:13), and Jacob was described as a prosperous man (Genesis 30:43).

Beloved, God has given His children all things to enjoy richly (1 Timothy 6:17). However, you must fulfil the terms and conditions of God's covenant with His children to truly enjoy prosperity in all areas of your life. May your life reflect the gains of God's covenant abundantly, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT:
Anyone who obeys the terms of God's covenant wil reap its gains.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 40-43

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD
1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of His word,
what a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smiles quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3 Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly Repay;
Not a grief or a loss,
Not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and Obey.

4 But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favour He shows,
For the joy He bestows,
Are for them,
Who will trust and obey.

5 Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we'll walk by His side
In the way;
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey..

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 16TH, 2026
TOPIC: THE GAINS OF GOD'S COVENANT I

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

MEMORISE: "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do." Deuteronomy 29:9

BIBLE READING: DEUTERONOMY 28:1-14
1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

MESSAGE:
In Proverbs 31:1-9, one of the things King Lemuel's mother taught him was that there were certain things that kings should not do. She told him that kings should not give their strength to women, nor should they follow the ways that destroy kings, nor should they drink wine or strong drink. If a fellow does the things that kings shouldn't do, it is expected that such a person would either never become a king or would be dethroned if he or she is already a king.

To fully enjoy the gains of any covenant with God, you must be ready to fulfil its terms and conditions by surrendering totally to Him and obeying all His instructions. Once you decide to serve God with all your life and do whatever He says, sooner or later, people will come to you and say, "Tell us your secret; how are you flourishing in every area of your life?!"

Many people attribute the remarkable progress of RCCG to my academic background; however, they are unaware that we are reaping the benefits of the founder's covenant with God. God called the founder of the church, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, a man who never attended school, and told him that if he could meet certain conditions, He would establish a church through him that would spread around the world. God helped Pa Akindayomi, and before his death, he fulfilled all the conditions that God gave him. Today, the RCCG is present in over 195 nations worldwide.

The church is where it is today because of God's covenant with my Father in the Lord. God cannot be mocked. Anyone who obeys the terms of His covenant will reap its gains. In today's memory verse, Moses told the Israelites that if they kept God's commandments, they would prosper in all that they did.

Prosperity is a major gain that those who keep God's covenant will enjoy. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all enjoyed abundant prosperity as a result of God's covenant with Abraham. Father Abraham was described as a man who was blessed in all things (Genesis 24:1), Isaac was described as being very great (Genesis 26:13), and Jacob was described as a prosperous man (Genesis 30:43).

Beloved, God has given His children all things to enjoy richly (1 Timothy 6:17). However, you must fulfil the terms and conditions of God's covenant with His children to truly enjoy prosperity in all areas of your life. May your life reflect the gains of God's covenant abundantly, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT:
Anyone who obeys the terms of God's covenant wil reap its gains.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 40-43

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD
1 When we walk with the Lord
in the light of His word,
what a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smiles quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3 Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly Repay;
Not a grief or a loss,
Not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and Obey.

4 But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favour He shows,
For the joy He bestows,
Are for them,
Who will trust and obey.

5 Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we'll walk by His side
In the way;
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey..

Matthew 19:27-30

Jesus has just made it clear that following Him has a cost up to and including a believer's life. The rich young ruler has dejectedly walked away after being told that the one thing he lacked to obtain eternal life was apparently the one thing he wasn't willing to give up. His wealth.

Think about it. Sam Walton was one of the wealthiest men in history, Truett Cathy, Jackie O'Nassis, Queen Elizabeth all were extremely wealthy. All had comforts in life that now mean nothing. All of them take their place behind beggars and those who were believers in extreme poverty. Jesus makes the point that the rich seem to believe their wealth gives them extra privilege or consideration at judgement because there's more they have to surrender.

And again Peter makes sure to say the entirely wrong thing. So he looks around seeing the rich man sadly leaving Jesus, perhaps because he had much he could afford that he refused to surrender. So Peter says, Lord, What's in it for us?

The ruler likely had houses, funds he would not run out of. So Peter considers what he's left for Jesus. He left his home, his career, and he's been following Jesus for a few years, now. And he wants to know what his reward is for doing so.

Jesus has already informed them on more than one occasion that they would follow Him in death. And each one died a martyrs death, executed by government or religious leaders beginning with James, brother of John and ending with John, James’ brother. These brother's deaths formed the bookends of apostles’ deaths with James being first and John the last.

Jesus says yes, you will all be awarded, but it comes at a cost. The cost is going to be the terrible suffering they would experience prior to death. Not that their suffering earned them anything, the way the rich believed their wealth earned them something. But that their allegiance with Jesus and relationship with Him gave them eternal life.

In particular, Jesus promises the apostles specifically that they will be on thrones judging Israel. Perhaps this is meant as a small mercy for the apostles whose last living moments will be being judged by those will end up ‘judged’ by them. Not that the apostles will get input on the eternal judgment of these individuals but that they will judge Israel as a whole including these Jewish leaders who are currently burning in torment awaiting eternity.
This really should be the perspective we hold to. The rich young ruler, do you think he regrets his choice now? After 2,000 some odd years of suffering where time has no meaning and no end? How important do you think he considers his summer home now?

His retirement? His first century equivalent to a Bentley? How about the leaders who knew the Scriptures pointed to Jesus but didn't want to give up their power or position. But these leaders to whom the benefits of eternal life were promised if they remained faithful to God.

These Jews were considered first because the promises were made to them. But they, they will be last. And those who were considered last, the Gentiles, pagans, all who responded to Jesus would take the place of those who had been considered first.

The temporal life fortunes in eternity are oftentimes flipped. The temporal riches of this life lure many believers over to a side that appears successful because financial gains are made, but in actuality is abject failure. No wealth we gain is worth what is lost if we don't have Jesus.

So those health and wealth preachers, the ones insisting that poverty is a sign of disfavor with God? Yeah, they will be within sight of the rich young ruler forever reconsidering their life choices and forever incapable of changing them. We don't get the chance to change our minds after death. Our fates are locked, so what are we waiting for? What's in it for us? Only Everything.


[27] Then Peter responded and said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” [28] And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [29] And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms on account of My name, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. [30] But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

Good evening, brethren.
1. Evening devotion for today.

ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST*
(COCIN DEVOTIONAL)

*DATE:*
SUNDAY 16TH AUGUST, 2026.

*SUB-THEME:*
YOUTHS: VESSELS OF GOD'S GRACE

*TOPIC:*
DILIGENCE: PATHWAY TO GREATNESS.

*TEXTS:*
PROVERBS 12:24; 22:29.
*12:24.*
24. Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labour.

*22:29.*
29. Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.

*TOPIC:*
DILIGENCE: PATHWAY TO GREATNESS.

*THE MESSAGE:*
Diligence means consistent, earnest, and skilful effort that leads to excellence and advancement. According to Proverbs, those who work hard and refine their skills will stand out, serving before influential people and rising to postions of honour, whether in secular or gospel ministry. True promotion is a reward for diligent effort, not the result of ambition or manipulation. Christian youths must eschew laziness and embrace hard work as a core value. Diligence glorifies God. Wasting time on entertainment and social media without developing one's potential is contrary to godly wisdom. How diligent are you in your studies, skills, career, house chores, community, and church work? Do not be nonchalant. Discover and maximise your potential diligently.

*REFLECTION:*
Diligence breeds excellence.

*PRAYER:*
Lord, deliver me from laziness, in Jesus' name. Amen.

*MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:*
2 TIMOTHY 2:21.
"If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work."

*TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:*
EZEKIEL 1-3.

ED.ii. TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE

"All who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure." - 1 John 3:3

The Bible always speaks about two types of people, ways or choices: sheep and goats, corn and chaff, wise and foolish virgins, a wide and a narrow path, a man walking in the light or a man walking in the darkness, a sinner or a righteous person. The Bible says that God wants to bring people from darkness into His wonderful light. Each time you see these two categories of people. The Bible speaks of people who are damned and people who are saved; lost and redeemed people; people who have strayed from the straight road and who belong to the flock; carnal and spiritual people.

The contrast that the Bible indicates between one group and the other is quite large. You stand either on one side or on the other. You choose heaven or hell. You choose death or life. You cannot be saved a little or go to heaven a little. You cannot be pregnant for just a little bit either. Either you are pregnant, or you are not. You are a Christian or you are not. You walk in the light or in the darkness. You are far from God because of sin or your sins are forgiven, and you have entered the presence of God. It is either the one or the other!

Born again is essential

A person has to experience a change within. Rebirth is to take place. The Bible calls it 'being born again'; to go from the old to the new creation. If you are not born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God, let alone enter it. This is essential for all believers. Jesus says that if we give our heart to Him and allow Him, He will come to us.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read: 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!'


https://www.theblessingdevotional.com

2. Evening Prayer.

EP.i. Evening Prayer

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. ⏤ James 1:17

Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies. ⏤ John Milton

Lord, we humbly come before You, asking that You hear our prayers, our confession, our requests, and our praise, which we offer to You through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have gone astray and wandered from Your ways, like lost sheep. We have followed too much the desires of our own hearts. We have broken Your holy laws. We have left undone the things we should have done and have done things we should not have done. There is nothing good in us. But You, O Lord, have mercy on us as miserable offenders, and for Jesus' sake, give us the grace to turn away from every evil path and to live in a way that brings glory to Your holy name.

What can we give You, O Giver of all good things, for Your kindness to us as a family? We thank You for the comforts of our home, for the opportunities we have for learning, for our health and happiness, for prosperity, and for all the blessings of Your providence, including the love that unites us as a family.

Help us, O Father, to live in a way that is worthy of all Your favors and gracious kindness. May our hearts be filled with love and gratitude. May our lips speak Your praise. May our lives truly reflect the gratitude we feel.

Sanctify all the blessings of this day. Bless the preaching of Your Word and all the services in which we participated. May Your blessing follow all the work of Your people today in every church and Sunday school. Now grant us restful and refreshing sleep, and may the blessings of this Sunday carry us through the new week. We ask this in Jesus Christ. Amen.

https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/42/evening

#taptapstudio
#youdevotion.

𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐄𝐃 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐘 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐕𝐄!

Good afternoon, children of God.
I come to return all the glory back to God of heaven and earth, our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to thank God for saving my life from premature death.
It happened—it was—it happened last week. It all started exactly Sunday last week, after the service. I no understand myself again. It was like a joke. The thing get start—continued getting deteriorated, to the extent that I was hospitalized on Tuesday.

Being hospitalized, I was not responding to treatment. But the servant of God kept praying with me, and kept checking on me. So, we kept going. It reached—I think, was it on Wednesday? I—I just started giving up on myself. All the—my husband beside me, the stress he's going through, and my family, I look at everything, I say, "Is it not better I should just—let me just go. Let me just go. Let me just go."

So, after one of the injection, I slept off. I could not understand—know—I allow my husband to go out of the—by my side. So, I just closed my eye. After closing my eye, I found myself on—in a new city. There was nobody. I was just going—I just keep going, don't even know where I'm going to.
So, inside the revelation, I now saw the man of God of this commission who asked me, "Where are you going?" I told him, "I don't even know where I'm going, but I just want to go. Let me rest." He told me to come back. He said I should come back. "Why do you want me to come back?" He said I should just come back.
So, God used his face. He stretched his hand, and I hold his hand. Holding his hand, I turned back. Turning back, I open my eye and now saw myself, I was still on the hospital bed. I say, "Wow, was it a play or a joke? Does it mean I was really going?"

That was how I woke up, and still continued.
So, I—when he later called, I told him the revelation I had. He prayed with me, said, "Why did I want to give up?" Since I started working on myself again, that was how I started receiving—I started responding to treatment. Gradually, I was discharged. I was discharged on Friday.
After my discharge, I reached home, I was just managing. I cannot eat, I cannot drink, but they forced me that I have to be taking something. I claimed today that, "Yes, I can take something," so that they should let me go, that I realized that the body is non-more of the medical. Let me go home and think and pray, and struggle to pray.

So, reaching home, yesterday afternoon, I ate, but I started having another pain again. And there was this condition attached to me seeing the doctor that must be stable before the next procedure. I started having severe pain that I cannot even explain—I don't want to say it out.
When I checked the time, it was already some minutes after eight. I say, "Ah, okay. Let me go online." Coming online now, I met they already started prayer. So, I joined the prayer. Joining the prayer, I was hitting my tummy and that of my waist. 'Cause I say, "This time around, I'm not in the hospital. Let's face it. I'm in the house. Let's face it squarely."
I followed the prayer. When I started the prayer, sleeping was coming. The sleeping was so deep. Me that I hardly slept sometimes like that, the sleep, since I started being on drugs, sleeping was coming, I was struggling with the sleeping, I was praying. I say I must pray. Even when they do the—share the grace, I don't even know. When I—when I check again, I say, "Okay," I continue again.

I was hitting it. I was telling the pain to go back to the sender. Since that yesterday night till now, I've not taken anything. God brought relief! Not even a single paracetamol I've not taken, and I cannot find the pain.

I just want to say, "Thank you, Jesus, for taking over." Now that is the area I got to learn that, "Okay, any power that don't want to let me be, let's face it." And God took over.
I just want to say, "Thank you, Jesus, for healing me." May His name alone be praised. I cover my testimony with the blood of Jesus, and this affliction and every other one, they will not come back again, in Jesus' name. Amen.
God bless you, sir.