Tag: devotional

Read: 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

Meditation verse:

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling  down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Most of our fears are based on things that are yet to happen and which may  never happen. Isn’t it ironic that we fear that certain events will occur in the  future and most times these fears are not founded upon any evidence? People  who have a fear of flying fear that something will go wrong, and the aircraft will  crash. And yet they have never been in an aircraft that crashed. People who fear  the dark are afraid that some evil occurrence will come upon them whilst it is  dark. Those battling with the fear of public speaking are afraid that they will  mess up before a crowd. Those struggling with the fear of failure are  unconsciously preoccupied with the thought that they will fail anyway no matter  how hard they try. Those who are afraid of the future fear that something will  go terribly wrong with them in the future.  

To fear is to be frightened of someone or something. At one time or the other  we may entertain some degree of fear, but for some people fear becomes such  a significant psychological threat, that they unconsciously sabotage their  wellbeing and success in life in a variety of ways. Certain personality traits are  prone to fear. Individuals with a high score on the trait, ‘Neuroticism’ which is a  long-term tendency to be in a negative emotional state have high anxiety. They  worry about things, are often depressed, self-conscious, easily intimidated,  impulsive and are vulnerable to strong negative emotions or panic attacks.  Naturally, for these kinds of people, fear of almost everything is a given. 

Fear can lead to what is known as a self-fulfilling prophecy, where what you fear  the most comes to pass. This happened to Job when he said, “What I feared has  come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25 NIV). And the  reality is that despite the best efforts of others, only you can set yourself free.  Fight with the word of God. Memorize and internalise scriptures that will help  you. There is a connection between your mind and your actions. As you feed  your mind with God’s promises over your life, your fears will be transformed to  courage. Watch your thoughts also, focus on what is positive. 

Next time you find yourself stopping in your track because of fear, ask yourself  ‘what is the worst thing that can happen if I do not fear? This is what The  Almighty says in Isaiah 7:7, “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass” (Isaiah  7:7). “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you  received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father” (Romans  8:15). You are an heir of God entitled to special privileges. You are part of a  chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a special person (1  Peter 2:9). You are not a fearful cringing slave, so quit acting as one. “What then  shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans  8:31).  

As you step out each today, boldly declare: “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear.  What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6). Remember always that courage is  equally as contagious as fear.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

or call +2348155525555

For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

Read: 1 Samuel 30:1-20

Meditation verse:

“So, David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake  them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and  without fail recover all.” (1 Samuel 30:1-20).

To pursue means to follow, chase, or go after something or someone. It also  means to continue or proceed along a path or route. The opposite of pursue is  avoid. To overtake means to catch up with and pass while travelling in the same  direction or go past something by being a greater amount or degree. If you  overtake someone, you went past them because you were moving faster than  they were. To recover means to regain possession of something stolen or lost.  

David and his men went to war and by the time they returned home on the third  day, the Amalekites had invaded and attacked Ziklag, where they had made their  home, burned it with fire, and had carried away the women and those who were  there, from small to great. David and his men returned to a city burned with  fire; with their wives, their sons, and their daughters, taken captive. They wept  until they had no more power to weep, but David strengthened himself in the  Lord his God and inquired if he should go after that which had been stolen from  them. And God answered, “pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and  without fail recover all.” “So, David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried  away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either  small or great, sons or daughters, spoil, or anything which they had taken from  them; David recovered all” (1 Samuel 30:18-19). 

This is the word of God for you in this new month. You can recover all that the  enemy has stolen from you. You can get back that which you have lost, be it your  peace of mind, health, wellbeing, job, business, ministry, position or the joy and  sweetness in your marriage. Strengthen yourself in the Lord as David did, then  pursue. Naturally, effort, persistence and commitment on your part will be  required. But do not give up, for you shall surely overtake and without fail  recover all.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

or call +2348155525555

For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

Read: Proverbs 24:16-18

Meditation verse:

“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall  fall by calamity” (Proverbs 24;16).

In the movie “Karate Kid’, Dre, a young boy who relocated to China with his  mom, finds himself bullied in school by Cheng, a rebellious Kungfu prodigy. Dre  befriends Mr. Han, a maintenance man, and a Kungfu expert, who takes him  under his wings, training him in karate and preparing him to compete with  Cheng. In the first two rounds of the fight, Cheng who had been trained by a  merciless Kungfu expert, brutally attacked Dre, breaking his leg in the process.  However, in the last round of the fight, Dre picked himself up from where he  had been lying. Refusing to stay down, he got up limping on one leg, chose a  different Kungfu tactic and went on to defeat his opponent.  

Life can be hard and difficult. But no matter how deadly the blows of life are,  refuse to stay down. It’s okay to fall, but you must get up and try again. Limp if  you must, choose a different path if you must, ask for help if you must. Do  anything within healthy limits to get yourself back on track. Life is not made of  straight victories, but of falls, stumbles, mistakes, and bruises. And through it all,  we must keep going. As you prepare to enter into the new month, make up your  mind to get up and fight.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

or call +2348155525555

For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

Read: Mathew 18:10-14

Meditation verse:

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you are disqualified?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

I listened to a preacher tell the story of how his seven-year-old son went missing  during a family vacation in Disney World. The lad had suddenly strayed away  from the rest of the family and gotten lost in the crowd. They searched for him  for several minutes, panicking over what might have happened to him.  Eventually they found him in a corner excitedly watching the display of lights.  His father hugged him and said, “son I have been searching for you, you were  lost”. The little boy replied, “but dad, I was not lost”. He had been having a nice  time without realising that he had been lost to his family.  

As I listened to the preacher that Sunday morning, it dawned on me that it is  possible to be lost without realising it. The one whom may not know that they  are lost. The lure of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is always before us. It is so easy to gradually stray from our faith until we are  completely locked into whatever pleasures they offer. We may not even realise  that we have gotten lost.  

Towards what have you found yourself straying? What sin are you enjoying in  the moment that has caused you to stray from the loving arms of your Father?  Adultery, infidelity, drugs, sexual immorality, financial misappropriation, or drunkenness? 2 Corinthians 13;5 says, “Examine yourselves as to whether you  are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is  in you unless indeed you are disqualified?” 

Why not do a self-examination today.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

or call +2348155525555

For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.

Read: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Meditation verse:

“You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you  sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you  rise up (Deuteronomy 6:7).

In this part of the world, today is known as ‘children’s day’, so we are focusing  on them. Every parent has a God ordained responsibility to raise his or her child  in a godly environment in which the knowledge of Christ is evident. Parents  should be (in words and deeds), the image of Christ, which the child sees  because children learn mostly by observation and association. Parents are the  first people they observe as they spend most of their formative years with them. 

Bring up your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Implant God’s  word in their hearts from a very early age and encourage them to pray, using  bible verses.  

Teach them biblical principles of relationships such as sacrificial giving, kindness,  sharing, mutual respect, acceptance, diligence, forgiveness, and self-control.  These are very important values that can serve them for life. Ensure that rules  for acceptable behaviours are in place and let each child know the boundaries  that cannot be crossed. For instance, let them know that inflicting physical  injuries or using vulgar languages on one another is prohibited. Be sure to  enforce discipline when such lines are crossed. “Foolishness is bound up in the  heart of a child: The rod of correction will drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15). 

Raising godly children in the current digital age is a nightmare. Never has raising  children been as challenging as it currently is. We are living in an era where all  information, including those which are perverse, make their way to the Internet,  available for our young ones to see. Movies, videos, songs, and games  unashamedly promote violence, sex, pornography, and other satanic activities.  Social media friendships through the various online platforms have replaced  face-to-face communication, exposing our children to dangers from sexual  predators, cyber bullying, and cyber-attacks. Technology is impacting negatively  on family relationships, as children would rather spend countless hours on their  devices, than with their parents or other family members.

Whilst the benefits of technological advancements cannot be overemphasized,  the dangers are equally glaring. You must teach your children how to safely  navigate the Internet if they are to escape being ensnared. You need to be a  watchman or guardrail on this highway of online information by monitoring and  supervising their Internet use. Rules must be put in place and adherence to these  rules, strictly monitored. For instance, there should be time limits for the use of  devices and certain online platforms should be out of bound for younger  children. Parental control apps should be utilized to restrict what your children  can access. 

Romans 12:2 cautions against conforming to the traditions of this world. It is  imperative that your children realize that not every lifestyle advertised on the  Internet should be copied. Raising godly children requires wisdom,  commitment, sacrifice, and discipline, but it is potentially very rewarding. If you  invest in your children, you will reap a fulfilled old age, if you do not, you will  reap bitterness and regret in your old age. “A wise son makes a glad father, but  a foolish son is the grief of his mother” (Proverbs 10:1). Choose wisely.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

For Prayers and Counseling email rockteachingministry@gmail.com

or call +2348155525555

For more enquiries, visit: www.rockteachingministry.org.