Bnice Syllogi

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Thursday 3rd August 2023

*A STEP OF FAITH*

*Scripture Reading:* Esther 4

Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” *Esther 4:15-16*

Esther was in a serious situation. A wicked man had conspired to kill all the Jews and she had to do something about the problem. Esther was married to the king and might have been protected from the threat as an individual, but this was a national calamity for her. There are steps she took in this passage that are noteworthy:

*· Esther tells Mordecai to gather the Jews to fast and pray.* She understands the weight of the responsibility and she needs people to support her in prayer. When we want to attempt great things for God, we need to just get a group of people that pray with us, support us and encourage us.

*· Esther prays for herself.* She does not outsource her prayer to somebody else. She was willing to be responsible with her decision.

Esther goes to see the king. Her action is against the law, although the king is her husband she cannot just appear before him as she wills. There was a queen before Esther who was removed from her role because she disobeyed the king. Esther was also about to disobey the king’s law and understood the consequences of her actions. In our attempt to do great things for God, we have to determine whether we want our comfort, or we want to take bold steps and do something that is audacious.

Esther was willing to risk her life. She made that famous statement: “If I perish, I perish.” If you are afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone, you will never do great things for God. You have to be like Esther. Pray about the situation, confront the problems, and take a step.

*Prayer:*
Heavenly Father, thank you for calling me into something bigger, better and greater. Manifest your purpose in my life. In Jesus name, Amen!

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
By Pastor Mensa Otabil​

Sunday 30th July 2023
(Day 39 of 40 Days of Power)

*KEEP REJOICING*

*Scripture Reading:* Zephaniah 3:9-20

_“Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more. *Zephaniah 3:14-15*

The prophet Zephaniah, envisioning such a time of blessing and restoration, called the people of God to rejoice. The reason for rejoicing was that God would remove His judgment and Israel’s enemies from her. In anticipation of the glorious promise of restoration, Israel should sing and shout with joy. God would save and redeem them from both their enemies and their iniquities.

In summoning God’s people to rejoice, the prophet tells them to shout. Shouting is the normal way to express joy. When David and all of Jerusalem brought back the Ark of the LORD to Jerusalem, they did so with shouting. Similarly, during the battle of Jericho, the LORD instructed Joshua and all the people of Israel to shout with a great shout so that the walls of the city would fall.

Why should we rejoice?

*• The Lord has taken away our judgments.* Before we received Christ in our hearts, we were condemned in sin and bo***ge; but God sent forth His Son to die for our sins so we can receive His forgiveness. Today, we rejoice because we are free from judgment and condemnation. When our best efforts were not enough to make us righteous before God, Christ came to give us His righteousness.

*• He has cast out our enemy.* God has given us victory over all who rise against us. He is an invincible warrior who protects His people and clears out all their enemies. The enemies that stand before you today, you will see them no more. Start rejoicing because God has taken care of them.

*• We shall see disaster no more.* A disaster is a sudden accident or a natural catastrophe that causes great damage or loss of life. Every disaster you have faced in the past, you will experience no more. The Lord will shield you from damages in your business, health, marriage, career and ministry. You will no longer be a victim of circumstances.

There will be no premature death in your family. You and your household are preserved by the power of God.

*Prayer:* Heavenly Father, you have overthrown the power of the enemy.. I rejoice in all that you have done for me. In Jesus name, Amen!

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
By Pastor Mensa Otabil​

Saturday 15th July 2023
(Day 24 of 40 Days of Power)

*FAITH BY HEARING*

*Scripture Reading:* Acts 14

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. *Acts 14:8-10*

A man in a difficult circumstance heard the Apostle Paul preaching God’s Word at Lystra. The outcomes of the man’s encounter with God’s word is a remarkable testimony about what happens when we hear the words of our Creator.

*The Man’s condition:*

The man was crippled from birth. The reason for the man’s condition can only be left to speculation. It may have possibly been due to a congenital disease or some other factor. But the scriptures record that he had been crippled from his mother’s womb. As such, he had no strength in his feet right from birth.

The man had never walked. He had had no experience of walking from infancy. The norm would have been that after birth, he would grow and then learn to walk. But this was not the man’s case. He lacked the ability to walk. Seeing others walk and never having the ability to do the same, would have been depressing.

The Man’s response:

*He heard the preaching of God’s word.* The crippled man might have lived his entire life never considering the possibility of ever walking someday. But after listening to Paul preach, his perspective began changing. Faith comes by hearing God’s word. What we listen to affects what we believe. Spend time today reading and listening to God’s Word.

*He had faith in his heart.* Faith began to grow in the man’s heart when he heard Paul preach God’s word. The man who had never walked began to believe it was possible to walk. When we hear God’s word on salvation, healing, prosperity or any other subject, it inspires faith to claim that reality in our lives. In this season, it’s possible to do what you have never done before as you pray and hear God’s word. You can start a new business, build a house or get married. Get ready to step into new possibilities.

*He acted on his faith.** “Stand up straight on your feet!” The man made the important transition from hearing the word to believing it and acting on it. And at that moment, faith bypassed the man’s history and current circumstances and produced a miracle. No matter what may have happened to you in the past and is long-standing in your life, change is possible. Find and believe God’s word concerning that situation, act upon it and change will come.​

*Prayer:* Heavenly Father, I give my full attention to your word. By faith I act on your word, believing you for a miracle. In Jesus name, Amen!

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Friday 16th June 2023

*THE JUDGEMENTS OF THE LORD*

*Scripture Reading:* Psalm 19

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. *Psalm 19:9*

God’s revelation through nature and through Scripture each has its place. The natural world gives plain evidence of the glory and power of God. God’s law, however, goes beyond that to instruct us on how to live our lives. The fear of the Lord is our response to God’s revelation.

*• Reverence for God enables us to live pure lives before Him.* The fear of the Lord is clean and enduring. God’s revelation to us is weighty and demands our highest esteem.

The fear of the Lord has to do with the reverence we have for God and the respect we have for His creation. Without it, we would take God’s instructions for granted and they would not be beneficial to us. Fearing the Lord causes believers to obey Him and live righteous lives. It is not a fear intended to make us run from Him. God’s revelation teaches us to demonstrate proper reverence for Him. That must be the human response to God’s instructions.

As Christians, we must live in reverence to God and ensure that we live our lives in a way that pleases Him.

*• The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous.* God’s judgements are declarations of His will. In His judgments, He reveals how He expects us to govern ourselves as well as how He will judge people on the last day. It is His revelation of what is true and best for His children.

God’s judgments accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character. We can be assured that His judgment will always be in our interest and wellbeing.

*Prayer:* Heavenly Father, your judgments are true and righteous. You always do what is right for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Tuesday 6th June 2023

*OUR GOD IS WITH US*

*Scripture Reading:* 1 Kings 8:54-61

May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, *1 Kings 8:57*

This was Solomon’s prayer when he dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem to God. He saw the Temple as a reminder of God’s presence with His people at all times. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus assured us of His presence through the Holy Spirit at all times. That is the living reality of our faith. God is with us.

Even with the strong assurance that the Lord is with us always; there are still times when we tend to worry ourselves about everything that could happen. How often have we missed God’s blessing because we were fearful to take that step of faith?

Some of us wake up in the morning and set the wheels of worry rolling. Instead of setting our minds on the goodness of the Lord and what He can do for us, we cripple ourselves with fear and worry. We make our burdens heavy and unbearable with a lot of speculation and “what ifs”.

We go like this, “Will my car make it to work? Will I get sick? Will I get fired? Will I have an accident? Will I make it home again safely? Will my home be here when I come back? What about my kids and my spouse? On and on we go as we poison our souls and squeeze God out of the equations of our lives.

Just as faith will release the power of God to fulfill our desires, fear will activate the forces of evil to turn your worries into reality. If you dwell on all the negative “what ifs”, your worries will drive you into a state of panic. In that state of panic, you will begin seeing your fears come true. You worry that you are going to get ill. The worry causes your stress level to rise, which in turn, brings on all kinds of physical symptoms that will eventually make you ill.

Today, make a choice to start a faith-filled life that is focused on the firm assurance that the Lord is with you. Live out your day in faith.

*Prayer:* Heavenly Father, I know you are with me. I reject the spirit of fear and embrace the spirit of faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.