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Tag: devotional

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Why is it so difficult to forgive?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Why is it so difficult to forgive?

    Read: PHILEMON: 8-22

    Meditation verse:

    “But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account” (Philemon 1:18).

    To forgive is to pardon or cease to feel resentment against a person. True forgiveness entails acquitting the offender and treating him or her as we used to treat them before or even better. Paul the Apostle wrote a personal letter, during his first imprisonment in Rome to Philemon, a member of the Colossian church, pleading with him to forgive his slave, Onesimus who had stolen from him and absconded. Paul asked Philemon to accept him back as a brother in the faith, no longer as a slave. 

    Forgiveness is an important Christian virtue because it is the key to your relationship with God. Mathew 6:14 states “for if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”. God forgave you as a first step to restoring the broken relationship caused by the fall of Adam. His expectation is that you will do the same to others.

    Why then do we sometimes find it difficult to forgive others?

    • Ego: You feel your ego has been trampled upon by the offender and you desire to get even to redeem it.
    • Self-righteousness: Trusting in your own righteousness, you feel justified in your anger. The faithful older brother was angry towards his father for forgiving the prodigal son (Luke 15:25-30). 
    • Lack of love: When there is no love in your heart for the offender. The bible says love convers a multitude of sin and keeps no record of wrong.
    • Keeping records of wrong: You have forgiven the offender before and are reluctant to forgive a second time. 
    • The result of a vow: You have vowed inwards not to forgive the offender.

    The key to forgiving others continuously is to constantly remember how much you have been forgiven by God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Deal with that resentment in your heart

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Deal with that resentment in your heart

    Read: 2 Samuel 3:14, 6:16-23

    Meditation verse:

    “Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6:16).

    Michal was the daughter of King Saul, and she was married to King David. There was no love lost between Saul and David, in fact David ran from Saul at some point, afraid for his life. Perhaps this was the reason Michal resented David or perhaps it was because she was removed from her husband’s house and taken to be David’s wife. Whatever the reason for the resentment was, it cost her dearly. After criticizing David for dancing in an “undignified manner” before God, the Lord shut her womb and she had no children until the day of her death.

    Our thoughts affect the words of our mouth and the words of our mouth shape our destiny. The outcomes we get out of life are fruits of the seeds sown in our hearts. Good seeds will produce good outcomes, bad seeds will produce bad outcomes. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21). Michal sowed resentment and reaped death, death of her womb. Many people have shut the wombs of their destinies due to the words that emanate from thoughts of the heart. Bitterness or resentment is like a cancer that rips at the fabrics of our lives. 

    If you are bitter, critical, angry, or resentful towards anyone, particularly towards your spouse, deal with it before it leads death in an important area of life. When a person’s heart is bitter towards someone, their eyes become blind to everything good about that person. How could someone be criticized for dancing before God? If you are currently harboring resentment towards anyone, ask God to heal your heart and help you get rid of it, then reach out to that person. Shake off the dust of the past before it clouds the prospects of the future. Every day is a fresh opportunity to start anew. Take hold of today’s opportunity and settle old scores.

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Whose son are you?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Whose son are you?

    Read: 1 Samuel 17:55-58

    Meditation verse:

    “And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” So, David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.” (1 Samuel 17:58).

    When Saul saw David confidently going out to fight Goliath, he said to Abner, the commander of his army: ‘whose son is this youth?’. Why did he not ask, ‘who is that youth’? Instead of enquiring about the boy, Saul wanted to know who his father was. He had concluded that the father was responsible for how the boy had turned out. The book of proverbs is a composite collection of instructions of a father to his son. A father has a critical role to play in the life of his son. What a father does with his son determines the legacy he leaves behind. What is a father’s responsibility to his son? The bible has a lot to say about this.

    Bring up your son in the way of the Lord. This is the foundation upon which they will build their successes. (Ephesians 6:1-4). Discipline and correct them in love (Proverbs 3:11-12) but do not provoke them, lest they become discouraged (Colossians 3:21). Be compassionate towards them and forgive their shortcomings (Luke 15:20). Provide for them and give them the good things of life. (Mathew 7:9-11). Do not abandon them, but be responsible for them, protecting, supporting, and guiding them in all things (Deuteronomy 1:31).

    Give them sound teaching and instruct them in every aspect of their lives. (Proverbs 4:1-7). Teach them how to thrive in every area of human endeavor, this is God’s plan for them (3 John2). Teach them to be well rounded young men who are sound in scriptures, well-mannered and self-controlled with a healthy self-esteem. Teach them how to earn and save money. This is a very essential skill in life. A common evil of this generation is parents are raising spoilt young men who desire the good things of life without wanting to work hard for them. Teach your sons respect for elders and for members of the opposite sex. Teach them how to eat right (1 Corinthians 6:12-13). Train them to flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Above all, be a good role model to them and let your life be worthy of emulation. And in time to come, you will not be ashamed (Psalm 127:5).

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do whatever He tells you to do

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Do whatever He tells you to do

    Read: JOHN 2:1-10

    Meditation verse:

    “His mother said to the servants, “whatever he says to you, do it” (John 2:5)

    As we make petitions to God, He would sometimes give us specific instructions on what to do about our issues, which may not make sense to the human mind. God’s ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. He knows exactly how He intends to intervene in your situation, and His instructions are likely to align with His plans. You cannot dictate to Him how He should intervene.

    At the wedding of Cana, the wine got finished before the event ended and the situation was presented to Jesus by His mother.  She then instructed the servants to do exactly as they were instructed by the Master. Perhaps she was aware that His instruction may not make sense to the servants, so she forewarned them.

    In this new month, remember that God’s ways are past finding out. As you present those requests concerning your finances, business, relationships, marriage, health, or career, do whatever he tells you to do. The miracle is always in the obedience and obedience starts with taking the first step.

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Engaging the power of words

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Engaging the power of words

    Read: 1 SAMUEL 17:1-51

    Meditation verse:

    “This day, the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you” (1 Samuel 17:46).

    The words that we speak can give life to a person or situation. Our words can also kill or destroy a person or situation. The story is told Is told of a man who put two plants in two similar pots under similar conditions. The only difference was that each morning he would speak positive words to the first plant, words like “you will grow healthy and strong, your leaves will be evergreen”. But to the second, he would speak derogatory words, such as “I see you withering, you will not do well”.  After a period, the first plant had thrived, whilst the second withered and dried up. 

    In Today’s reading, we see David, a young shepherd boy, stand before the towering Goliath, who was an experienced warrior, and describe how he would cut off his head and give to the birds of the air. The amazing fact was David had no sword in his hands when he uttered these words. But he had spoken the words, and when the time came for Goliath’s head to be cut off, there was a sword before David.  

    Proverbs 18:21 says, death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it, will eat its fruit, and bear the consequences of their words. Mathew 12:37 says for by your words, you will be justified and by your words, you will be condemned. In Mathew 21;21, Jesus said to His disciples, “if you have faith and do not doubt in your heart, you will say to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea, and it will happen. 

    What mountain is currently before you? Debt, bareness, failing marriage, sickness or lack? Why not confront it in Jesus’ name and declare specifically what you will do about the situation. Remember death and life are in the tongue, use yours wisely in this new month.

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Inside God’s garden of grace

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Inside God’s garden of grace

    Read: PHILIPPIANS 3:14-15

    Meditation verse:

    “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do,  forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things  which are ahead” (Philippians 4:13).

    Have you ever pondered on the fact that many of characters mentioned in the  bible for their great acts of faith had their moments of weakness? If you haven’t,  here is a summary for you. 

    Jacob was a supplanter until God change His name. His brother Esau sold off his birthright for a morsel of porridge. His father Isaac married two sisters. 

    His grandfather Abraham, slept with and Impregnated the maid.  King David slept with and impregnated the wife of a member of his army, he  then arranged for the man to be killed to cover his act. 

    Jonah ran away when God told him to preach to the people of Nineveh. He  ended up inside the belly of a whale for three days and nights. 

    Moses killed an Egyptian and went into exile. 

    Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide from the Midianites.  Sarah laughed in unbelief when she was told she would have a child at ninety. The woman at the well who evangelized a village had been married five times. Mary Magdalene who anointed Jesus’ feet was delivered from seven demons.  All the disciples abandoned Jesus Christ when He needed them most, except  Peter who followed closely, but who eventually denied him in the courtyard. Saul who became the great Apostle Paul, had slaughtered many Christians.  

    How could God still go on to accomplish great things through these people? God  does not grade people, He justifies them. He does not call the qualified, He  qualifies the called. If God is not in the business of grading others, you shouldn’t  either. Your errors are not enough to stop God’s hand over your life. His love  and grace make up for all your mistakes. Inside God’s garden of grace, even  wounded trees bear fruits.

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Who are the people around you?

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Who are the people around you?

    Read: Exodus 32

    Meditation verse:

    “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the  mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come,  make us gods that shall go before us…” (Exodus 32:1).

    The people you surround yourself with can either help or derail you from your  destiny. It is often said that if you want to know how far a person will go in life,  check out the people they surround themselves with. The people around you  affect your life because they counsel you, speak into your life and make ties with  you in business or some other area of life. The bible is replete with examples of  individuals who deviated from God’s purpose for their lives because they  listened to counsel from people.  

    In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul defeated the Amalekites, but spared the king and took  the best of the spoils, even though God had instructed him to destroy  everything. When the prophet, Samuel confronted him, he said “they have  brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep  and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly  destroyed.” As a result of his disobedience, God rejected him as king and tore  the kingdom from his hands. Samson lost his sight and anointing because he  listened to Delilah (Judges 16). In today’s reading, Joshua listened to the  people’s demand to make a golden image for them to worship.  

    Proverbs 11:14 states that “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the  multitude of counselors there is safety.” However, you must weigh the counsel  from others against God’s counsel or His word. If it is in line, then follow it, but  if it contradicts God’s word or His purpose for your life, you should reject it.  When Jesus told His disciples about His sufferings, death, and resurrection, one  of His closest disciples, Peter, took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying,  “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” (Mathew 16:22). But  Jesus turned and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me,  for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mathew  16:23). Bottomline; be careful of the people around you as well as their counsel.

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: World Day for Safety and Health at Work

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: World Day for Safety and Health at Work

    Read: 3 John 2

    Meditation verse:

    “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your  soul prospers” (3 John 2).

    It’s world day for safety and health at work and I will be focusing on mental  health issues in the workplace. On March 24, 2015, news broke that a young co pilot for Lufthansa’s low cost-airline Germanwings had intentionally crashed a  passenger jet into the French Alps, killing himself, 144 passengers and 5 other  crew members. The young co-pilot, who had previously been treated for suicidal  tendencies and declared “unfit to work” by a doctor, kept this information from  his employer and reported for work. Shortly after reaching cruising altitude,  whilst the captain was out of the cockpit, he locked the cockpit door and  initiated a controlled descent until the aircraft collided with a mountainside. He was not suffering from a physical ailment when he plunged that aircraft into the  French Alps, he was suffering from a mental health issue. Investigations revealed  he had been suffering from deep depression. One member of an organization  had a mental health issue, but many paid dearly for it.  

    Organizations tend to focus on physical health much more than they do on  mental health, maybe because physical conditions are visible to the naked eye whilst mental health issues aren’t, but they are as damaging, if not more so.  Before Covid, employee mental health was arguably treated as an afterthought.  Discussions on employee wellbeing and mental health are no longer exercises in  futility. They should be a core part of HR concerns in the post covid workplace.  

    Our workplaces need to normalize discussions on mental health and address  issues around it directly and persistently. That way employees will be encouraged to seek support when they feel the need to. Employee Assistance  Programs should adequately provide the essentials needed to support  employees. Line managers now have an expanded role, they would need to be  trained with the counselling skills needed to respond to and care for their teams. Leadership at all levels must model a caring and inclusive culture through their  communications and day to day actions. Mental health at work is now  mainstream. Happy World Day for Safety and Health at Work!

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Woman thou art loosed

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Woman thou art loosed

    Read: LUKE 13:10-17

    Meditation verse:

    “But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “woman you are  loosed from your infirmity.” (Luke 13:12).

    By the time you reach your middle years, you may have gone through several  life experiences, some of which may not be so pleasant. The challenges of life  can constrict your life or cause you to bend over. And this is particularly so for  women due to the cultural stereotypes of our largely patriarchal society. Many  women are constricted by the trauma of failed relationships, broken dreams,  abuse, rape, hurt, unforgiveness, neglect, infidelity, bottled up emotions, unmet  expectations, financial hardship, grief, deceit, divorce, regrets, and several other  disappointments. This constriction has diminished our expectations out of life  or caused us to give up in certain areas of life.  

    Some of us have been disconnected from who we were supposed to be because  of the things we have gone through. We are angry, frustrated, beaten,  overburdened or weary. And we are now bent over by the very many battles we  have fought over the years. Being ‘bent over’ is a dangerous posture to adopt;  you only see what is beneath you. When you are bent over, you cannot see  ahead, your pace is slow, your abilities are diminished, and you would require  much effort to accomplish anything worthwhile. The woman in today’s reading  had been constricted and bent over by her infirmity for eighteen years. When  Jesus saw her, He had compassion on her. He said to her “woman, you are  loosed from your infirmity and laid His hands on her, and immediately, she was  made straight. He can do the same for you today.  

    Are you bent over because of an abusive marriage, a cheating spouse, betrayal  from a sibling, death of a loved one, unemployment, financial hardship, failed  relationships, or neglect from those you expected to be there for you? God  wants to make you straight today. Irrespective of how long your condition has  been, He is saying to you “woman, thou art loosed. What does it mean to be  loosed? It means to be set free from the burden of your past. It means to be  delivered from the consequences of your mistakes, failures, and wrong choices  as well as from the consequences of the actions of other people. Why not cry  out to God today. His touch is only a prayer away.

     

    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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Before God will use you (3)

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Before God will use you (3)

    Read: 1 Samuel 16: 1-23

    Meditation verse:

    “So, Saul said to his servants, “provide me now a man who can play well and  bring him to me” (1 Samuel 16:17).

    Preparation of Circumstances: The last area is the preparation of the  circumstances that will usher you to the place of your assignment. God began  preparing the circumstances needed for David to emerge as king when He  rejected King Saul as king over Israel, due to an act of disobedience on his part.  Next, He set David up to fight with Goliath. Then He began training him for life  in the royal court by setting up work for him there as the King’s armorbearer.  “So, David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly and  became his armorbearer… And so, it was, whenever the distressingspirit from  God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then  Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart  from him” (1 Samuel 16:21 & 23).  

    Similarly, preparation of your circumstances will be part of God’s plan to get you  to the place of your assignment. God is busy working behind the scenes of your  life to prepare the circumstances that will enable you to emerge and succeed in  what He has planned for you. He has information known to Him only. Your  circumstances may look bad now, but be encouraged, because God may just be  preparing you for your assignment.  

    Refuse to allow what you see dictate what you believe. Do not judge by what  your eyes see, but by what you hear in the spirit. Do not label any occurrence in  your life as a coincidence or happenstance. God is for you. He is already ahead  of you rearranging the circumstances to favor you. You must be sensitive and  totally submissive to His leading, else you may get discouraged and give up even before you begin. 

    As Jesus (The word) works in you to change your character, the Holy Spirit is  bringing about His fruit to bear in your life. Develop your competence and track  your circumstances. In the fullness of time, you will emerge in the place of your greatness.

     

    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.