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Tag: devotional

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Before God will use you (2)

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Before God will use you (2)

    Read: 1 Samuel 16: 1-23

    Meditation verse:

    “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilful in playing, a  mighty man of valour, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person;  and the Lord is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18).

    Preparation of Competence: Your competence will also need to be prepared.  Every assignment requires a particular set of competencies and these need to  be sharpened. Practice is the best way to sharpen a competence. Musical  competence requires diligent practice. A warrior needs to develop fighting skills  alongside courage. A preacher needs to immerse himself in scriptures to preach  from it. A gifted speaker needs to practice. Even looking good requires effort.  So, the period of preparation is a period for working at your competencies. 

    Before David began his reign as king, he had had enough practice and experience  at developing the competencies he needed: He had mastered the act of  shepherding, he had great courage and an ability to speak. When a particular  skill- ‘playing the harp’ was required in the palace, David received an unsolicited  nomination because his skills stood him out.  

    Several years ago, before I became aware of my assignment, I began to develop  a deep hunger to acquire knowledge. I had no idea that God was preparing me  for the assignment of building and equipping lives. God uses the competencies  we learn: our degrees, our skills and everything else we have. He can take all of  these and strategically position you in the place of your assignment. So, 

    whatever you are doing now, work at doing it better. You just might be in a  season of preparation for your God-ordained purpose. God is a God of  excellence, and He requires you to be excellent at whatever He has entrusted  you with. Success is often said to be the meeting point of preparedness and  opportunity.

     

    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 (1)

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Before God will use you (1)

    Read: Psalm 105: 17-24

    Meditation verse:

    “They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. Until the  time came to fulfil his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character” (Psalm  105:18-19, NLT).

    Before God uses you, He will take you through a period of preparation. The  greater the assignment, the longer and more strenuous the preparation will be. Biblical characters like David, Joseph, Paul and even our Lord Jesus Christ did not  start their ministries immediately. They all went through periods of preparation.  Joseph moved from his dream to the pit, from the pit to Potiphar’s house, from  Potiphar’s house to prison, before he was exalted to the palace. Every step of  the way, in character and competence, he was being prepared for his dream.  Saul had a 3- year gap before he began his ministry as Paul, the Apostle. Between  ages 12 and 30, Jesus immersed himself in scripture, worked with his father,  Joseph on his trade and looked after his mother, before He began His ministry  at age 30. There are three main areas of preparation: Preparation of Character,  Preparation of Competence and Preparation of Circumstances. We will be  looking at each in the next couple of days. 

    Preparation of Character: Certain character flaws need to be dealt with before  God will use you. Character is often shaped by trials and suffering. In every trial  you face in life, God is teaching you something. James 1:2-4 says “my brethren,  count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your  faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be  perfect and complete, lacking nothing”. If God is going to prepare your  character, He may allow you to pass through some not so pleasant experiences  and you must cooperate with Him.  

    Character is also prepared as you mature in your relationship to God. “When I  was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but  when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Cor 13:11). Character is  shaped in the place of solitude and stillness. “In returning and rest, you shall be  saved, in quietness and confidence, shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

     

    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: Stop looking back

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Stop looking back

    Read: Genesis 19:1-26

    Meditation verse:

    “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old” (Isaiah  43:18).

    Remember Lot’s wife? She looked back towards Sodom despite being warned  not to, and she became a pillar of salt. Looking back can represent thinking of  the past with regret, fear, or longing. One of the ways the enemy tries to keep  you down is by constantly reminding you of your past failures, errors, wrong  choices, sins, and setbacks until you become imprisoned in them. He wants you  to focus only on what is wrong with you, until you lose your faith in God and in  yourself. 

    “Selective Attention” is a concept in psychology that states that as humans, we  selectively attend to what supports what we believe and selectively ignore what  does not. Selective attention amplifies what we attend to, in size, frequency,  amplitude and emotional tone. It determines what we physically orientate  towards and move towards even when trying to avoid it. This is one of Satan’s  strategies. If he can get you to believe that you are a failure, then you will only  notice the ways you have failed. You will ignore your victories and who you are  in Christ Jesus. You must resist him until he flees. 

    God urges us to forget the former things and focus on the new. You cannot turn  a new chapter of your life if you keep reliving the former one. Apostle Paul  understood this when he said: “…but one thing I do, forgetting those things  which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Phil  3:13). No matter how messed up your life is right now, what lies ahead of you is  more important because of the finished work on the cross.  

    So, what should you do today? If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and  Saviour, remember that your past sins are forgiven, look forward to a more  glorious future because of your hope in Christ. If you have not yet accepted Him,  pause now, and confess your sins to Him. Ask Him to forgive you and come into  your heart as Lord and Saviour. Then believe that you are forgiven and move on  It is as simple as that.

     

    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: You give birth to what you see

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: You give birth to what you see

    Read: Genesis 30:25-43

    Meditation verse:

    “And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they  gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled and spotted” (Gen  30:39).

    Your mind is a dynamic gateway. It is where you feel, think, imagine, and dream. It is the seat of your thoughts and beliefs. What you see  and hear influence your thoughts and your thoughts influence your  actions. Your actions determine your outcomes and results. 

    Jacob’s strategy for building his flock depicts this powerful principle.  He had asked Laban, his father in-law, for the livestock that were  streaked, speckled, and spotted. Whenever the stronger females were  ready to mate, he would place the peeled branches marked with white  streaks in the watering troughs in front of them. And when they mated  in front of the white streaked branches, they gave birth to young that  were streaked, speckled, and spotted. He did not do this with the  weaker females. So, he built a great flock of strong livestock. 

    There is a connection between your mind and the outcomes you get  out of life. You conceive in the womb of your destiny and birth  whatever you focus on. Whatever you focus your mind on will  eventually spur you on into a path of success or defeat.  

    What is the object of your focus? “Finally, brethren, whatever things  are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,  whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things  are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything  praiseworthy, meditate on these things (Phil 4:8).

     

    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: Pray without ceasing

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Pray without ceasing

    Read: Luke 18: 1-8

    Meditation verse:

    “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

    Praying continually entails acknowledging God as the source of your life,  admitting your total dependence on Him by surrendering your will to His and  asking for His direction before taking any decision. It entails being in constant  touch with Him, speaking to Him in your spirit even as you carry out your daily  tasks. It is about making prayer a way of living.  

    The biblical characters that lived exceptional lives, prayed continually. David  prayed in the morning, at noon, in the evening (Psalm 55:17) and in the night  (Psalm 42:8). Even whilst on his bed in the early watches of the day, his heart  was stayed on God (Psalm 63:6). God referred to him as a man after His own  heart (Acts 13:22). Daniel’s custom from his early days was to get down on his  knees three times a day to pray and give thanks before God (Daniel 6:10). Little  wonder, he distinguished himself above the governors and satraps (Daniel 6:3).  Paul spent countless hours fasting and praying (2 Corinth 11:27) and went on to  shape the history of Christianity as no human had ever done.  

    Even Jesus Christ in all His divinity understood the importance of being in  constant touch with His Father during His time on earth. Before every important  event, He took time to be away from the crowd to pray. Before He began His  ministry, He went into the desert for forty days and nights (Matt 4:1-2). Before  choosing His twelve apostles, He went out to a mountainside and spent the night  praying to God (Luke 6:12-15). And before treading the path of Calvary to His  death, He agonized in prayers in a place called Gethsemane (Mathew 26:36-45).  

    The life that will be successful, must be a life of prayer. In the place of prayer,  God through His Holy Spirit instructs, teaches, guides, corrects and restores. And  if there is any time, you need to pray without ceasing, it is now. The world is  currently going through difficult times. Global recession, inflation, food crisis,  wars, climate change, energy crisis, natural disasters, insecurity, terrorism, mass  killings, suicide bombing, political instability and so much more. Every time you 

    tune in to listen to the news, it’s one picture of gloom or the other. So, determine to make praying without ceasing a lifestyle.

     

    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: Your vision board

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Your vision board

    Read: Habakkuk 2:1-4

    Meditation verse:

    “Then the Lord answered me and said: “write the vision and make it plain on  tablets, that he may run who reads it” (Habakkuk 2:2).

    Before a is building is erected, the architect comes up with a drawing in paper  of what the building will look like when completed. This is known as the building  plan, and it is a prototype of the proposed building. However, for that to happen,  the plan must be followed to the later by the builders. Do you have a plan for  accomplishing the purpose for which you have been created? What are your life  goals? Are they clearly articulated? Have you written them down? A vision board  is a visual representation of your life goals which should include your purpose.  It contains images and texts that represent what you are trying to accomplish.  

    In today’s reading, Habakkuk was questioning God over the plundering of the  nation of Israel. He wondered how long it would take God to intervene and God  instructed him to write down what it was that he was expecting and wait for it  to happen. Visualization is a powerful concept. The power behind it is: “we  become what we see because the brain wills the body to move towards what it  has seen. The brain captures a picture of what you have seen and creates a  hunger for it within you. This hunger becomes the motivation that drives your  actions. The more you visualize, the greater the hunger. It is difficult to keep  pursuing what you are not hungry for or what you have no desire for, because  you are likely to give up at the slightest challenge. 

    When God was leading the children of Israel to the promised land, He repeatedly  told them that the land was beautiful and good, flowing with milk and honey.  He was creating a hunger in them that would enable them take possession of  the land, despite opposition from its previous inhabitants. If you feel  overwhelmed by your goals, put them down clearly on a vision board. Use  images and text to represent whatever you want to achieve in any area of your  life. Then position the vision board in a strategic place where you can see it  clearly daily, like in front of the refrigerator or your bathroom wall.  

    As you visualize and affirm your vision daily, your internal energy and creativity  will flow in that direction and eventually, your dream will become a reality.

     

    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: The blueprint for your life

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: The blueprint for your life

    Read: Isaiah 46:8-11

    Meditation verse:

    “I’ve said it, and I’II most certainly do it. I’ve planned it, so it’s as good as done”  (Is 46:11b MSG).

    God is the Master planner. He declares the end of a matter and then sets things  in motion to start running for the fulfilment of His plan. Our lives have already  been pre-planned by Him. Romans 8:28-30 declares: “and we know that all  things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called  according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be  conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many  brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He  called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified”.  

    God has the blueprint for your life, which was already determined before you were  born. He said to the prophet, Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you;  before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah  1:5). Your life has already been scripted by God and He will not change His mind.  Not even your errors and mistakes can make Him revoke His plans for you. If He  has planned it, then it’s as good as done. “For the gifts and the calling of  God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). 

    The wisest thing to do if you want to live a meaningful life is to ask the master planner  for a download of the blueprint of your life. Are you willing to do that 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.

  • [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: It’s all in the Word

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: It’s all in the Word

    Read: 2 Timothy 3:10-16

    Meditation verse:

    “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

    2 Timothy 3:16 says that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is  profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in  righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for  every good work. What this implies is that in the word of God, you can find  solutions, insights, ideas, and answers for anything you are looking for.  

    In the UCB devotional, the author in explaining how the world has been blessed  by God given ideas, gave the example of how a Scottish doctor, James Young  Simpson introduced what he called “artificial sleep” because of reading Genesis  2:21 which says that “and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam.  His experiment led to the use of anesthesia for surgical operations. Similarly, it  has been suggested by bible scholars that the Wright brothers got the  inspiration to make humans fly in airplanes after they read Isaiah 40:31 which.  says that “…they shall mount up with wings like eagles”.  

    Psalm 119:105 says “your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. Do  you need a great idea that will impact humanity? Search the scriptures. And as  you do, ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten your understanding and reveal the  mysteries in God’s word.

     

    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: Calling the things that are not as though they were

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Calling the things that are not as though they were

    Read: Genesis 1:1-31

    Meditation verse:

    “…in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead  and calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17).

    Hebrews 1:1-3 says “now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence  of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we  understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things  which are seen were not made of things which are visible”. This is a spiritual  mystery which the physical mind may find difficult to comprehend. In the  physical world, we make stuff with materials that we can see and touch. Not  necessarily so in the spiritual world. You can call things into existence from that  which is invincible to the human eye.  

    In the book of Genesis, the bible records that in the beginning, the earth was  without form and void; darkness was upon the face of the earth. Nothing was  visible to the physical eye. But God saw what the earth could become. He saw  light, dry land, grass, trees, fruits, birds, animals, and man. And then He began  to call them forth into existence. You have the DNA of your Father, and you too  can create according to the working of the Holy Spirit in you.  

    A popular quote is “if you can think it, you can do it”. In order words, if you can  see it with your spiritual eyes, you can create it in the physical world. This is the  powerful concept known as “envisioning”. The power behind it is: “we become  what or receive what we see because the brain wills the body to move towards  what it has seen. The brain captures a picture of what you have seen and creates  a hunger for it within you.  

    Stop waiting the see the evidence with your physical eyes before you believe.  Call forth by faith with your mouth, the things you want to see in your life. Then  believe that you have them, and you will. It’s only a matter of time.

     

    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: Life after 50

    [Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Life after 50

    Read: Ephesians 5:15-20

    Meditation verse:

    “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the  time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

    “Therefore, do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is. And  do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and  making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to  God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:17-20).  

    The above scripture is an apt description of how live ought to be lived after you  turn 50. There is something significant about the age 50. You have lived the first  half of your life and it is assumed that you have seen it all and done it all. Life  must now be lived on purpose for a purpose. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says, “when I  was a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a  man, I put away childish things”. No sight is more pitiable than a matured person  who is yet to put away childish things. How can you ensure that you are walking  circumspectly and redeeming the time in this season of life? Today’s passage  proffers some answers. 

    Do not be unwise; but redeem the time because the days are evil. Be very  selective of what you do with your time: choose wisely the activities you engage  in, the people you surround yourself with and the environment you spend your  time in. Stay away from activities, people and environments that entice you to  do evil.  

    Understand what the will of the Lord is. You were put on earth for a purpose,  and you will give account of how you accomplished this purpose on the last day.  You must therefore be committed to this purpose. 

    Be filled with the Holy Spirit and not with wine. Make abiding in God’s presence  a lifestyle.  

    Lastly cultivate a habit of gratitude, giving thanks to God for all things and in all  ways.

     

    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.