Benediction II: Devotion for Thursday April 2, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Thursday April 2, 2020

Topic: Benediction II                                       

Text: Numbers 6:25 & 26

The grace and peace of God are indispensable in our daily lives. We cannot truly live well when we lack peace and are not supported by the grace of God. No wonder Jesus declared it in John 15:5. Benediction is one way of asking for God’s favour to rest upon His people.

Benediction conveys hope that God will

1) Bless and protect as we read yesterday,

2) Smile on them – be pleased,

3) Be gracious unto them – be merciful and compassionate,

4) Show his favour towards them (give His approval of His people and

5) Give them peace. When we are praying that God should bless us or other people, we are actually asking God to do these 5 things mentioned above.

For God to bless us and be gracious to us, we should always obey His word, meditate on them (Joshua 1:8 & Psalm 1:1 – 3) and live by them. These are the ways to sustain the blessings of God in our lives.

May God Almighty be gracious to you and grant you His peace now and always, Amen.

Food for Thought: Blessing others is a way to show them love, care and encouragement.

Memory verse: Psalm 67:1

Prayer: God, grant that your grace and peace will not depart from me now and always, Amen.

Benediction I: Devotion for Wednesday April 1, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Wednesday April 1, 2020

Topic: Benediction 1                               

Text: Numbers 6:24

Today and tomorrow, we shall be looking at the prayer of benediction the priest says at the close of church services, meetings and fellowships. In our text for the day, we have blessings as contained in our benediction – The Lord, bless and keep you. It is a prayer asking God to bestow upon us all manner of blessings both temporal and spiritual.

God’s blessings of His Covenant people include receiving food and provisions, fertility in their fields and among their herds and cattle, and children (Lev. 26:3 – 15 & Deut. 28:1 - 14). May God bestow these blessing on you in Jesus name!

Another aspect of the Benediction is that God should keep us which means that God should continue to preserve us as we have received His blessings and as we use those blessings. It also means that God should keep us from sins and its bitter effects.

Blessings of God and protection from evil are the two most unquantifiable needs of people. God will bless you with irrevocable blessings and keep you from evil this month and always especially in a time like this when the world is face with the deadly virus, coronavirus.

Unfortunately, most people undermine this Benediction and walk out from church service before dismissal. You should desire it always and even request your priest to say it upon you and your family always.

Food for Thought: Why did God command Moses and Aaron to pronounce these blessings on His people?

Memory verse: Psalm 121:7

Prayer: Lord, grant me your blessings and protection now and always. Amen

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE BELIEVER: Devotion for Monday September 5, 2016

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE BELIEVER: Devotion for Monday September 5, 2016

Text: John 14:25 – 27      Memory verse: John 14:26

Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity. According to Nicene Creed, He proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 14:26; John 15:26). Holy Spirit is a person and not a dove or olive oil. Some ministers even use ‘it’ for Holy Spirit when they are ministering. You will hear them say, “Receive it”. He is a person and He is equal with the Father and the Son. In Baptism, we use the three equally (Matthew 28:19) when we say “I baptize you in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. When we say the Apostolic benediction (the grace), we use the three also. He has the attributes of God the Father (Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 16:19). Therefore, He should be worshipped the way we worship God the Father or God the Son.

Our text shows us one of the works of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer in John 14:26. The works of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer include;

1) He teaches us – John 14:26

2) He empowers us – Acts 1:18

3) He counsels, comforts and guides us – John 16:7

4) He guarantees our salvation – Ephesians 1:14     

5) He helps us to bear good fruits – Galatians 5: 22 & 23.

We should understand that as believers, the power of God comes into us immediately we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour (John 1:12). It is from that moment that the Holy Spirit will begin to influence our lives until we allow Him full control of our lives. Speaking in tongues is not the only sign to know if the Holy Spirit is in us. It is the fruit we bear (Galatians 522 & 23). Is the Holy Spirit in control of your life or you are still living in the flesh?

Food for Thought: As a Christian, is your life controlled by the Holy Spirit?

Prayer: Take control of my life, Holy Spirit, as I surrender to you this day in Jesus name.

BLESS YOUR INHERITANCE: Devotion for Monday August 31, 2015

BLESS YOUR INHERITANCE      Monday August 31, 2015

Text: Psalm 28:6 – 9                Memory verse: v 9

It is proper to show appreciation for answers to our prayers. This is what this part of this psalm enjoins us. We can also bless the name of the Lord even when our prayers have not been answered. Blessing the name of the Lord in anticipation is a demonstration of our faith in God that He is able to meet us at the point of our needs. The Psalmist delights in the divine response (28:5) to his prayer of supplication (28:1 – 4). His confident trust in God is indicated in the titles he gives God for his divine protection.

We are God’s inheritance and the Psalmist pleads with God to bless His inheritance. He knows that our blessings come from God. Without His blessings upon us we are doomed. Thus it is important to always ask for God’s blessings. This psalm ended with Benediction. This shows the essence of saying the prayer of blessing in our daily worship as God commanded (Numbers 6:23 – 27). The Lord will bless and keep you as you go out today.

Food for Thought: The blessings of God make us what we are.

Prayer: God bless me, my family and works of my hand as your inheritance.