Month: September 2023

Date: Wednesday, 20^th September, 2023

Text: Genesis 1:1

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

The name of an individual says a lot about him. It is sometimes a summary of the assignment of that person on Earth or in Heaven Moses was so named because he was rescued from drowning in the water (Exodus 2;10). And one of the most spectacular miracles that defined his ministry was the deliverance of the Israelites via the Red Sea (water surfaces again).

Elijah means “Jehovah is my God”, little wonder this was the same thing the Israelites chanted when God answered Elijah by fire at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:16-45); again this was one of the most spectacular events in the life and ministry of the prophet. But it was already captured in his name right from birth.

Names could be very prophetic, instructive and powerful. Our God has many names by which He is known. These wonderful names reveal His person, his nature, workings and relationship to us. In the Old Testament there are three fundamental names of God beside his other names and titles. They are Elohim, Jehovah and Adonai.

Elohim means the “supreme one” or “mighty one”. Scholars of the Bible reveal that the word Elohim is one of the most frequently used names for God in the Scriptures. It is this word which is used in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth.”

May God prove Himself to be supreme in your life in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: Elohim, please, prove yourself in my life as the supreme one in Jesus name.

Date: Tuesday, 19^th September, 2023

Text: Psalm 150:3-6

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Psalm 63:4 says, “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands (yadah) in thy name. Yadah means to extend your hands vigorously as in complete surrender.

It comes from two root words, ‘yad,’ which means hand, and ‘ah,’ from God’s name, Jehovah. Basically, ‘yadah’ is responding to God by lifting our hands in praise. 

When we worship God and praise Him, we sometimes feel the urge to raise our hands and lift them to Him. Even though no one has taught us about these things, our spirits and bodies naturally know how to respond to God in praise. 

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving (towdah), and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Related to yadah, towdah means extending your hands or raising them, this time, in thanksgiving for something God has done or for what you trust and believe He will do.

Therefore, while yadah involves lifting our hands to God in praise, towdah means extending our hands to Him in thanksgiving.

In today’s text, David said, “Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.” Psalm 150:3-6.

In the above scriptures we see another form of worship termed Zamar in the original Hebrew, meaning instrumental praise.  It involves rejoicing and making music to the Lord.

Every child of God should know and regularly engage the seven dimensions of worship because this is our duty as long as we breathe. And in Heaven, we would all worship God from eternity to eternity. If you have not yet surrendered to Jesus, the Lover of your soul, kindly do so today because tomorrow may be too late.

Prayer Nugget: Father, please, anoint me with the oil of gladness and clothe me with the garment of praise in Jesus name.

Date: Monday, 18^th September, 2023

Text: Romans 12:1-2

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

 In Romans 12:1-2, the word of God says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

In the above scriptures we see, at least, four elements of true worship, namely holiness, sacrifice, freedom from worldliness and transformation by mind renewal.

Holiness means total obedience to the will of God. Sacrifice means giving to the Lord whatever He requires of our time, our earthly possessions, and our energies to further His work. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Our willingness to sacrifice is an indication of our love for God and our devotion to Him.

True worshippers are not distracted by worldly patterns and cultures. They deliberately lay aside all worldly weights, vanities and entanglements. Their main focus is to please God and enlarge His kingdom; and this is where they channel their energies.

One more element of true worship is the spiritual transformation by the renewal of the mind. This happens through the circumcision of the heart by daily exposure to the word of God.

Psalm 95:6 says, “Come and let us worship and bow down; let us kneel (barak) before the Lord, our Maker.” Barak is the Hebrew word for kneeling down and bowing to God in worship.

I pray for you that you will become an addicted worshipper of Christ like never before in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: Holy Spirit fill me up in gratitude to God always in Jesus name.       

Date: Sunday, 17^th September, 2023

Text: John 4:23-24

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

It is one thing to worship God; it is another thing to worship Him acceptably. In John 4:24, our Lord Jesus Christ said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

True worship involves worshipping God “in spirit”. Such worship must originate from within; a heartfelt, sincere praise motivated by our love for God and gratitude for whom He is and for what He has done.

To worship God “in truth” you must know the Truth. Jesus Christ is the Way, Truth and Life. John 14:6. Only those who have accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ can worship Him in truth.

Concerning false worship, the Lord said. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8-9. Such praise is rejected by the God of Heaven.

There are, at least seven Hebrew words that demonstrates correct dimensions or ways to worship God as spelt out in the Holy Scriptures. We will examine them in the next few days.

Firstly, Halal is the Hebrew word for crazy exuberant praise. It involves praising and celebrating God with reckless abandon. In 2 Samuel 6, King David danced before the Lord with all his might in the midst of his subjects and servants. His exuberant worship put his wife, Michal, in contempt.

Secondly, Shabach in Hebrew means to shout God’s praise loudly from within one’s innermost being. Psalm 47:1 says, “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”

Tehillah is a third Hebrew word which suggests a song of praise, or a new, spontaneous song. It means to sing unrehearsed, unplanned praises to the Lord. Psalm 22:3 says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises (Tehillah) of Israel.

Prophetic Nugget: Receive grace to worship God in truth and in Spirit in Jesus name.

Date: Saturday, 16^th September, 2023

Text: Luke 7:36-50

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Proskuneo is the original Greek word for worship. It is mentioned 59 times in the New Testament and it means to bow down to the ground before someone and kiss the feet, the hem of his garment, or ground in front of him.

This was vividly demonstrated by Mary Magdalene who was delivered of seven demons (Luke 8:2). Having lived a sinful life, she learned that Jesus was eating at at a Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. At the end of the day, her sins were forgiven and she followed Christ till the very end. Luke 7:36-50.

Worship is meant for God and His Christ alone. Saint or angel worship is forbidden by the word of God. It is a sin to worship Mary or venerate her image. Apostle Peter rejected it when Cornelius and his family tried to worship him at Caesarea. Acts 10:23-26

In Lystra, after the healing of a man born lame by Barnabas and Paul, they found themselves being elevated to the position of the gods and were about to be given sacrifices or worship as gods, they tore their clothes and vigorously protested and restrained the people. Acts 14: 8-15

When Apostle John erroneously wanted to worship an angel of God he was restrained and commanded by the angel to “Worship God” as it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” Luke 4:8

Herod the king accepted the praise of men; he did not give praise to God, and an angel of the Lord struck him down. He was eaten by worms and died. Acts 12:19-23

Reflective Nugget: Worship is meant for God and His Christ alone. Saint or angel worship is forbidden by the word of God.

Date: Friday, 15^th September, 2023

Text: 2 Kings 17:24-28

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

There was a terribly mad man who lived in the tombs. No one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain because he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of Him in worship. At the end of the day, he recovered from his incurable madness. Mark 5:1-13

Madness and other forms of sickness disappear in an atmosphere of worship. King Saul’s raving insanity vanished away any time David worshipped God on his instruments. 1 Samuel 16:14-23.

According to today’s text, when some strangers initially took over the capital city of Samaria and lived in its towns they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. The situation continued until they learnt God’s ways. 2 Kings 17:24-28.

Most people are victims of avoidable calamities because they have refused to surrender in worship to their Maker and Saviour.

When you dedicate quality time to the worship of God, He has promised to bless your food and water; and to take sickness away from you. Exodus 23:25

Reflective Nugget: Your mountains will disappear in the atmosphere of God’s worship.

Date: Thursday, 14^th September, 2023

Text: Hebrews 13:15-16

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

The English word “worship” comes from the old English worth ship. That is, worship is showing, displaying the worth of God. True worship is done out of faith and admiration for God. It is the acknowledgment of God and all His power and glory in everything we do.

Hebrews 13:15-16 says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

To worship is to know God truly and demonstrate that knowledge by valuing, treasuring, enjoying and being satisfied with God above all earthly things. This satisfaction overflows in acts of praise from the lips and acts of love and service to humanity for the sake of Christ.

In John 4:24, Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth. Spend quality time praising God in the beauty of holiness. Call God by His beautiful names. Read and study His Word with an open heart, participate in communion, and serve humanity by evangelizing them and helping as much as possible.

Obedience to God shows our reverence for Him and His word; and thus is the highest form of praise and worship.

Action Nugget: Spend quality time worshiping God in the beauty of His majesty; make it a daily habit.

Date: Wednesday, 13^th September, 2023

Text: James 1:19-20

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Fire is good under controlled circumstances, so is anger. Yesterday, we saw the good side of it. Just as destructive as uncontrolled fire can be so is anger.

When we offend God, He gets angry. However, Psalm 103:8 says, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” He is not quick to vent His anger because of his grace and mercy.

As long as we are on Earth offenses will come. It is a wise thing, then to heed God’s word which says, ^“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” James 1:19-20.

Uncontrolled anger or unrighteous anger can be violent and destructive. Many great relationships have been ruined because of it.

One way to control it is by surrendering your life to Christ and relying on the Holy Spirit and by being slow to speak or react during times of anger. Take a deep breath and think of the consequences of your actions before you act. If possible, just walk away from that environment or simply stay quiet. Learn to overlook offenses and leave vengeance to God.

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32

Anger subsides and those who are given to uncontrolled anger often regret their actions.  Allow the Holy Spirit to rule your emotions and you will discover that you will be the one controlling anger and not the other way round.

Action Nugget: Surrender your emotions to the control of the Holy Spirit.

Date: Tuesday, 12^th September, 2023

Text: Mark 3:1-5

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

When things don’t go the way one plans, he could easily get angry. Stress, family problems, financial issues and other factors can trigger anger, if care is not taken.

There are two kinds of anger, righteous and unrighteous anger.

The Bible says, ‘“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath’. Ephesians 4:26. It is possible to be angry and not sin, if you allow the Holy Spirit to control your emotions.

Righteous anger, is anger that is primarily motivated by a perception of injustice or other profound moral or spiritual lapse. It is distinguished from anger that is prompted by something more personal, like an insult. It is a settled conviction of God’s holiness that burns in our hearts against all manner of evil, hating what God hates, loving what He loves. It is a selfless anger that is tempered by wisdom and reason.

At some point Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Then Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Mark 3:1-5

Christ’s anger was selfless, prompted by the zeal for the sick man’s healing. Receive the grace to honour God with your emotions in Jesus name.

Prayer Nugget: Father, please help me to be selfless and honour you with my emotions in Jesus name.

Date: Monday, 11^th September, 2023

Text: Genesis 5: 19-32

Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan

Exhortation:

Enoch is a masculine name of Hebrew origin, meaning “dedicated,” “trained,” and “disciplined.” He was the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah. Genesis 5:19-32

To be dedicated is to be devoted to a task or purpose. It is to believe that an idea or activity is important and to give a lot of energy and time to it. Enoch gave quality time to know and to walk with his God. He was loyal and faithful to the Lord till the very end.

Discipline is the quality of being able to behave and work in a controlled way which involves obeying particular rules or standards. Self control is one of the fruit of the Spirit. It takes discipline to do God’s will and to do it consistently.

Moreover, a trained person is someone who has been taught a particular skill or type of behaviour through practice and instruction over a period of time. Hebrews5:14 talks about the need for constant training necessary to distinguish good from evil. Training requires discipline, endurance and determination.

Jesus Christ invited and trained twelve unschooled men in hominess and the art of fishing for the souls of men. Those who were successfully trained were called disciples. And He has commanded us to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to observe all of Christ’s teachings. Matthew 28:18-20

God’s dealings, His ways and mode of operation are completely different from those of a man. Enoch surrendered himself to the rigour of spiritual training in the ways of God.

The Almighty is in search of boys and girls; men and women who are dedicated, disciplined and trained. Those are the people who can please Him.

Prayer Nugget: Father, just like Enoch, I surrender myself to be dedicated to you, trained in your ways and disciplined in Jesus name.