THE LAMP📖

THE LAMP DEVOTION

SATURDAY OCTOBER 19

GOD IS WISER THAN YOUR ENEMIES

Esther 8:15-17

15 So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. 16 The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor. 17 And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.

The passage above presents the end of a matter in which God’s wisdom remained way above any man. Haman had thought to annihilate the Jews who were then in captivity. Haman planned to have Mordecai hanged because Mordecai would not bow to him.

Then the Esther saga kicked in. How Esther became queen was another story of the wisdom of God working on behalf of His children. The moment came for the purpose for which she came into the kingdom, as Mordecai had mentioned to her.
At that point the king’s desire to honor someone coincided with Esther going into the king’s presence to ask for the preservation of the lives of the Jews. Two things happened. First Haman was hanged in the gallows he had prepared, as the decree to annihilate the Jews was cancelled. The second was the honoring of Haman.
Who says God does not know how to deal with your enemies? Why did God say vengeance belongs to Him? He knows how to repay your enemies. He knows how to get them falling in the pit they have dug for your feet. Stop wasting time on your enemies. Instead, focus on what God is doing and has promised to do in your life.

Prayer
1. Thank God for His continued commitment to fight your battles and give you victory over your enemies.
2. Pray that you never go ahead of God in an attempt to fight your enemies.
3. Father, please help me to yield totally to You to deal with my enemies.

Declarations
I declare that God my heavenly Father has always been a Winner. He knows how to win. He has power over my enemies. He is wiser than them any day any time. Therefore, I remain still in God and let Him be God. He knows how to glorify His name among the gentiles and put my enemies to shame. Halleluiah!

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams







JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

RENEW YOUR MIND

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The Christian life begins with a renewed mind. As the Holy Spirit ministered to your spirit, your mind began accepting that the way you were living would land you in great trouble, even in this life, and later in eternity. Your mind started thinking more correctly concerning the things that had kept you away from being a Christian all that while. All of a sudden you start seeing things by what God says about them.

The same renewed mind is what you need to continue to grow and live as a Christian. You must change your mind about practically everything that you encountered earlier on – the way you think, the attitudes you embrace, and the behavior that comes out of your thoughts and attitudes. If you don’t have a change of mind about fornication for example, there is no way you are going to stop doing it.
Renewing your mind is fundamental to your being transformed into the image of Christ, which is the greatest thing that can happen to anyone. The entire Christian life is about being transformed into the image of Christ. The apostle affirms that this is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God for every human on earth.
The truth is that if you are not transformed, you are most unlikely to enjoy the Christian life. Your life will be going round and round like a circus with no positive end in mind. Repentance is a continuous process in your entire life on earth.

Prayer
1. Thank God for His ultimate goal of transforming you into the image of Jesus Christ His Son.
2. Pray that you will constantly seek the mind of God on every issue and align your mind to accept that.
3. Father, please help me know Your will concerning everything.

Declarations
I declare that I am a candidate of the image of Christ. For this reason, my mind is subject to the Holy Spirit. I receive God’s instruction concerning everything that comes my way. I declare by the grace of God that God’s thoughts on an issue become my thoughts, and His ways become my ways in the name of Jesus.

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams







JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

THURSDAY OCTOBER 17

THE POWER OF CORPORATE PRAYER

Acts 12:5-7

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands

At the very basic level, the Christian life is highly individualistic. Everyone must accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior to be saved. No one can do that on anyone’s behalf. However, no Christian is intended to live by himself. The same God who saves people as individuals decided that all His children must belong to a universal family called the church. The universal family is too big to be one physical entity, so we have congregations scattered all over the globe.

God expects each of us to actively participate in a congregation or the gathering of believers in a specified location or community. God loves it when we pray to Him as individuals, but at the same time He wants us to pray as a family. That is affirmed by Jesus’ teaching that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there in their midst. He also said if two of you agree concerning anything our heavenly Father will honor that request.
Today’s passage is an example of the church coming together to pray for one of their own who was in danger of being persecuted or even killed. God performed a miracle to affirm His belief in the church praying as a corporate body.

Prayer
1. Thank God for instituting the corporate body called the church and making you a part of it.
2. Pray that you will be committed to your local congregation and be part of corporate prayer.
3. Father, please help me respond to the privilege of becoming a part of a praying church.

Declarations
I declare that I am a Christian as an individual, but I do not live my Christian life as an individual. I belong to the local congregation. I am committed to its programs and activities. I am committed particularly to the corporate prayer of the church. I declare by the grace of God that when we have to pray as a group, I shall not be found wanting.

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams







JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16

CHECK YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD

Amos 3:1-4

Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: 2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” 3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? 4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?

Here, God is expressing His disappointment against the children of Israel. The disappointment is coming from the fact that despite all that God has done for them and for their sake, they are still walking in disobedience to His commandments. Their lives are in total disagreement with His precepts. And so He asks them the basis for walking together.

This principle runs through every relationship one can think of. Whether it is loving the Lord with all your strength and with all your might, or loving your neighbor as yourself. There has to be agreement on how the relationship will go, including what is expected of each one in the relationship.
We must remind ourselves that the terms of the friendship are not negotiable. God knows absolutely what will keep the friendship healthy to achieve all it is capable of. When God calls for us to come and reason, it is not a negotiation table as some would have us think. How do you go to a negotiation session when you have next to no information? You do not know what is going to happen the next minute.
The terms for our walk with God are determined by God. When in humility we accept God’s terms, we are going to have a refreshing and fruitful relationship with Him. Walking with Him will be more productive, easier and lasting.

Prayer
1. Thank God for His desire to have fellowship with you.
2. Pray that you will be alert to the terms and agree to walk according to the terms.
3. Father, please help me easily agree with You in what will keep me blessed.

Declarations
I declare that God is wiser than l. My knowledge and understanding about the issues of this life are limited. My wisdom cannot take me far. It is by God’s wisdom alone that I can have a fruitful relationship with God. I declare therefore that, I have the wisdom of God in the name of Jesus.

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams







JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

TUESDAY OCTOBER 15

GOD’S HEART IS ALWAYS OPEN

Isaiah 55:6-9

Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the [b]wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

God is making a very important proclamation here to humanity. If you study the context, it looks like He is talking to people who think they are too bad to be accepted by God. They think they have done so much evil there is no place of forgiveness for them. God is specifically letting them know that He does not think like a man does.

Just watch people who have become famous either through some achievement they have made in life, or wealth they have acquired, or some position they have been elevated to in this life. They want everyone who has done less or has less than they have to bow at their feet for crumbs. Woe betides anyone who makes the mistake of offending them one way or the other. They will exact every pound of flesh from them.
That is not how the holy God, greater than all of us relates with people in the wrong. God has an open-door policy. Do not think that He is going to disgrace you before all men. He will actually pardon you. God’s grace surpasses all our sins. Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.

Prayer
1. Thank God for His infinite love for you regardless of your sins and weaknesses.
2. Pray that you will always take advantage of the grace of God and come to Him for pardon.
3. Father, please help me appropriate all the benefits of Your grace in my life.

Declarations
I declare that I am a product of God’s grace. My very salvation is because of His grace towards me. Without His grace I am nothing. I continue to live my life as His child based on His grace. I am not perfect, but his grace makes me acceptable in His presence always. In that I am truly blessed in the name of Jesus!

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams







JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

MONDAY OCTOBER 14

DOUBLE HARVEST HENCEFORTH

Haggai 2:6-9

6 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. 9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

This passage was God’s message to Zerubbabel, the high priest and the remnant of the people. These saw the temple in its original glory and what they were seeing at that time was incomparable to Solomon’s temple. Rightly so, they had every reason to feel that way.

Have you heard people talk about the good old days? Each time you hear the phrase, it means there is a falling of standards. It is like a rich man who became bankrupt and filed for bankruptcy. His children will look back and say, “this is not our dad. Something has gone wrong”.

God promised to do with us what He did in the time of Zerubabbel – shake everything around us. In that shaking, God will redirect wealth and prosperity and glory back to our dwellings. If people laugh at you today because you seem to have fallen from grace to grass, God says it is not over yet, because new glory is coming.

Anyone who treated you with contempt should get themselves ready to eat back their words. You who have been weeping all night must shake yourself of pity and inferiority. Your glory is on the way.

Prayer
1. Thank God you have a heavenly Father who turns situations around for your good.
2. Pray that you will not look at your past or even your present, but God’s future for you.
3. Father, please keep me trusting You for Your best is yet to come.

Declarations
I declare that I have a father who makes all things new again. He takes away the shame and pain and replaces it with fame and glory. What I experienced in the past is gone. It is past. I look forward to what God is about to do in my life. Because of God’s faithfulness, I can boldly say, “the best is yet to come”. Halleluiah!

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams






JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

SUNDAY OCTOBER 13

PEACE IN THE STORM

Philippians 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Have you seen a Christian who is complaining about the things going on around him? What would you say if all you see about them is worry, anxiety, fear, panic because of the situations they are going through? The single answer to these questions is simple. That believer is not aware of what they have. Did God not know that after Adam’s disobedience the whole humanity set itself to suffer unnecessarily? God knew all that. Does He care? Of course He cares! What did God do about this?

God placed with the believer’s inner being a reservoir full of peace. The purpose of this reservoir is so that the believer can draw on peace when the situations around him yells with threats and frightening propositions. When you hear people talking about being real with the situations your eyes can see and your mind can understand, draw on the other reality that cancels all the fearful propositions that the devil bombards your mind with. Draw on the peace of God.
Nothing touches the peace of God. Nothing reduces it to any lower status. In the midst of the greatest storm in this life, the peace of God that passes all human understanding is up to the challenge. You rest as if nothing is happening around you. This is your portion in Christ. It is only the peace of God that can make you rejoice always in the Lord. Yes, you can rejoice always in the Lord.

Prayer
1. Thank God for giving you peace that passes all understanding.
2. Pray that instead of focusing on problems, you will draw on the peace of God.
3. Father, please help me relax in the midst of the greatest storm.

Declarations
I declare that I am equipped to go through any troubling situations in this life. I have the peace of God that passes all understanding. God’s peace calms my nerves, gives me assurance that all is well, and helps me think properly in all my situations. I declare I am blessed in the name of Jesus!

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams








JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

SATURDAY OCTOBER 12

FROM SCORN TO GLORY

1 Samuel 2:1-5

And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 “No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. 3 “Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed. 4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, and she who has many children has become feeble.

One thing God has consistently done in human history is to lift people up from a low state to a higher state. That is why we have to be careful how we treat people. If you put people down intentionally or unintentionally, they pray to God and God comes to their situation. Where will you stand in God’s presence as you see Him lift up someone you looked down on and ridiculed?

That was the situation with Hannah the mother of the prophet Samuel. Today’s passage is Hannah’s worship to God. She for a long time did not have a child and was the ridicule of her rival who had children. Hannah took the situation to God in constant, unrelenting prayer. God responded and gave her a son who became Israel’s prophet after Moses.

The Hannah who was ridiculed and mocked was lifted up from scorn to glory. Every mouth that mocked her was shut. That will be your story when people say all manner of evil things against you and desire that you fail in this life.

Prayer
1. Thank God for His continued commitment to lifting people up before men.
2. Pray that your faith will not fail when men ridicule you and mock you.
3. Father, please help me keep my faith strong in You against all the odds.

Declarations
I declare that I may be down today in the eyes of men but wait till tomorrow comes. My God is the One who singlehandedly lifts people up from the dust and mud, and places them on the Solid Rock. I declare by divine authority that He will lift me up and put His glory upon me and My enemies shall fall and be ashamed in the name of Jesus.

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams





JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

DISPEL ALL DARKNESS AROUND

1 Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

What a privilege to be a Christian. God has given you power to become His child. Today’s passage introduces a special dimension of our relationship with God. It defines what God sees us to be. He called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. In other words, we have been made children of light.

We all know what light does to darkness. As soon as light appears on the scene, darkness has no choice than to exit. The presence of light automatically dispels all darkness. Putting it another way, darkness persists only in the absence of light.

The immediate implication for us as children of light is that we determine to what extent darkness should exist in our world. For as long as we shine, darkness cannot exist. It is both a privilege and an authority God has given us to determine the illumination of our world.
We shine when our attitudes, speech and behavior exhibit the life of Jesus Christ our Lord. That is one sure way we proclaim His praises.
When we emulate our Lord, we give our world hope. We let them see that it is possible to live a life of righteousness. It is possible to do those things that look difficult and impossible, like loving our enemies. Jump back unto this bandwagon, letting our light shine in a dark world. God is counting on us to fully represent Him on earth, not in our power, but by His empowerment.

Prayer
1. Thank God for the privilege you have, being a light in this dark world.
2. Pray that you will let your light shine wherever you are, dispelling the darkness around.
3. Father, please help me walk in the light the rest of my life.

Declarations
I declare that I am a child of the Light because that is what God has made me. My light shall never be dim again. Henceforth I shine all the way every day of my life. I declare by divine authority that my life shall portray what Jesus my Lord has done and continues to do in my life. Halleluiah!

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams




JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

THURSDAY OCTOBER 10

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

Daniel 1:8

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

We live in a world that is bombarding us constantly with countless offers and opportunities to compromise our faith in Jesus and become like them. The danger is that a lot of the offers look harmless at the onset and after we swallow hook line and sink, then we realize how far we have deviated from the ways of our God.
Unfortunately, instead of the believers leading and showing examples for the world to follow, it is rather common that Christians are the ones asking the question, “is it right for a Christian to do so-so and so”? Anytime you hear that question, it is obvious that it is about an offer the world is offering Christians. We do not have to conform to the world. The difference will not show.
In today’s passage an Old Testament saint refuses to eat food offered by the king’s servants. Daniel saw eating that kind of food as a defilement. That is just food for the belly. Today people eat all kinds of food not good for their bodies and have every excuse for it. No one even thinks of it as defilement. That shows how far we have deviated from the passion for God and walking in His ways.
The fashion of the world has crept into the church and people do not want to be told that their dressing does not bring glory to God. It is the same with certain lifestyles, including those that bring some financial gains, irrespective of the evil they openly convey.
God is looking for “more of the Daniels” of this generation who will dare to be different.

Prayer
1. Thank God for calling you a peculiar person, different from the world.
2. Pray for the grace to be different wherever you are, standing for your faith in God.
3. Father, please help me to be light to my world wherever I find myself.

Declarations
I declare that I am different. God has made and declared me as different. I will be different in this world. I live a no-compromise life. I declare by the grace of God that I reject all that the world’s offers and stand for God in Christ, no matter what happens so help me God!

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams





JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9

YOU CAN OVERCOME

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

We all agree that there is too much weakness exhibited in the body of Christ today that it seems sinning is rather the order of the day instead of walking in righteousness. A number of reasons could be assigned to this observation, the first being that it appears the fear of God is fading from the church.

Having said that, the other strong factor could be that people are no longer conscious that they have been equipped to overcome the temptations of the devil. It is easy to hear people make declarations against the devil when it comes to breakthroughs in life, commonly dwelling on property acquisition and wealth, promotion in this life and various forms of popularity and fame. It is easy for most believers to believe God to fight the devil on their behalf regarding those things.

Can we take the same zeal we have towards material things to resisting temptation, so we will be duly called the children of God? God definitely will be proud to be our Father when we walk in perpetual holiness.

Today’s believer may not be consciously looking for the way of escape that God provides for every temptation that comes their way. It is easier to say, “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” than to say, “get behind me Satan”. We should go back to saying “No” to the devil when tempted. God’s word says when we resist him, he will flee, just like it happened in the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.

Prayer
1. Thank God for always providing the way of escape for every temptation that comes your way.
2. Pray that you will see the way of escape and not yield to temptation.
3. Father, please increase my sensitivity to the Holy spirit in fighting temptation.

Declarations
I declare that I am not alone in the fight against temptation. The Holy Spirit is my Assistant. He helps me overcome every temptation. Henceforth my spirit remains alert to see the way of escape the Holy Spirit has provided for me. I declare by divine authority that I win over temptation in the name of Jesus.


Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams






JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

TUESDAY OCTOBER 8

YOU CAN BEGIN AGAIN

Isaiah 1:18-20

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; 20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

God cherishes new beginnings in His dealings with us. He knows what happens to us over time. For some of us, so many things happen, and some of them take us farther away from God. We even feel He has forgotten about us because of our deeds, and coming back into His presence becomes a huge task for us. Guilt and shame thus drives us away.
In today’s passage, like in several parts of the Bible, God continues to assure us that we are welcome anytime we stray from Him and want to come back. He has a large, warm heart that is big enough to accommodate all our waywardness.
His word teaches us that where sin abounds, grace did much more abound. It is becoming clearer and clearer that humanity’s problem is not that man has become a sinner, but that the sinner is refusing to come to the Deliverer for pardon and full restoration. That is becoming humanity’s trending sin – moving farther away from God despite all He does to have us come back to Him.
What have you done that weighs so heavily on you that you think God cannot forgive you? He is the One that says you should come as you are. It is like saying to you, “you can begin again.” For as long as grace remains anyone who repents and comes back is offered an opportunity to start all over again.

Prayer
1. Thank God for the open opportunity God has given humanity.
2. Pray that you will come to God as often as you realize that you have strayed away from Him.
3. Father, please help me come back constantly for Your cleansing and transformation.

Declarations
I declare that I have a loving Father, who loves me beyond what anyone can imagine. His heart is always open to receive me. I consider myself blessed and favored. I am no longer running away from Him. No matter what happens, His presence is better for me than anywhere I run to.

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams





JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

MONDAY OCTOBER 7

COMMANDED TO LIVE IN RECONCILIATION

Mark 11:25-26

25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Should it surprise us that God is strong on the command to live in reconciliation with each other? That is what this short passage strongly says to us. That should not surprise us. Jesus said elsewhere that we should even forgive our enemies, pray for them and do good to those who hate us and plan evil against us. It is one of the commands that man has struggled and continues to struggle with. It is one cardinal point that separates Christianity from any other narrative for living.
We cannot understand why we should not be allowed to show those who offend us that we are also human with feelings like them. For many, the best they have done is to avoid people all together. They adopt non-talking terms with people who offend them. Unfortunately, this happens a lot in the church.
Listen to what Jesus said: if you do not forgive others, how will your heavenly Father also forgive you? We forget too soon that our Christian lives began with God’s forgiveness. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, not counting our sins against us.
God is implying here that if we do not forgive others and we come praying to Him, we most likely are wasting our time. Elsewhere He even says that we should leave our gifts at the altar, go and reconcile with our brothers before coming to present our gifts. That is how serious God takes this issue of forgiveness and living in constant reconciliation.

Prayer
Thank God for saving you despite your many sins, not counting them against you.
Pray that forgiveness is one virtue that you will never lack on any day.
Father, please make me like Jesus, forgiving and praying for those who hate me.

Declarations
I declare that I am forgiven by God through Christ my Lord. I am free because God forgave me. As a child of God, I walk in forgiveness too. I hold no one in my heart any longer. I henceforth live a life of constant reconciliation with anyone who offends me, even if they do that intentionally, God being my Helper in the name of Jesus.

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams






JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

SUNDAY OCTOBER 6

MAN REMAINS GOD’S SUPERIOR CREATION

Genesis 9:1-2

So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.

Today’s passage presents us with life after the flood. It is like God starting creation all over again, except He did not speak them into being. He simply caused productivity and multiplication to kick in again like He established at the beginning.

God reiterated the superiority of man over the rest of creation. God said the fear of man shall be on every beast of the earth, birds of the air, and every creeping thing. They are supposed to run and hide as man approaches. Man’s authority over creation was reinstated, with every other principle that goes with it.

God blessed Noah and his family like He did Adam and Eve when He first created them. That is freshness of life for the man God put in charge of His creation. Since then, man has exercised dominion over the rest of creation. We cannot determine the movements of the planets and heavenly bodies in the universe, but God sees man above them all. It is only man who is made in the image of God. Only man has the capacity to tame the rest of creation to the point of determining how their ways should go, when necessary.

With this understanding, all men on earth, especially believers, must take advantage of this privilege to develop a strong relationship with God so we can function according to God’s original purpose for creation. We are privileged.

Prayer
1. Thank God for His consistency in upholding you above the rest of creation.
2. Pray for grace to execute the purpose for which God made you in His image.
3. Father, please here am I to fulfill Your purpose for my life in the name of Jesus.

Declarations
I declare that I am above the rest of creation. I am privileged and highly favored. I have the image of God in me, which the rest of creation does not have. Therefore, I henceforth live in the fullness of this privilege, and exercise dominion over God’s creation in the name of Jesus.

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams






JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

GoodNewsDaily ⭐🌐

Saturday, October 5 || OPTIMIZING GOD-GIVEN JOY

2 Corinthians 4:17 (KJV) «For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.»

In the Kingdom of God, you express the joy of the Holy Spirit! Never allow even a moment of being downcast; it is inconsistent with the life God intended for those who follow Him. Despite this, many Christians settle for happiness based on the happenings around them.

Christ saved you from being bound by feelings. Therefore, you must live above the circumstances and choose to optimize the joy God has given you freely through Christ Jesus. Optimizing God-given joy means fully taking advantage of what God gave you when you became a born-again follower of Christ!

The principle of the Kingdom is what you see is what you get. When you look with your optical eyes and things are not how you want them to be, lift your sight! See with the eyes of the spirit; view your situation from the perspective of the One who has delivered you from it! Live above your situations today, and adopt a joyful nature rather than a life fuelled by your feelings!

PROPHETIC DECLARATION

I am optimizing my God-given joy! I live above the circumstances around me. When I see things I don’t like taking place in my life, I switch from viewing them with my optical eyes and use the eyes of my spirit instead!

FURTHER STUDY
James 1:2

365 DAY BIBLE READING CHALLENGE
Your scripture for today: Matthew 4, Luke 4-5





JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

FOCUS ON THE ETERNAL

John 6:26-29

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” 28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

If there ever was an issue that humanity has struggled with since the Fall, it is our drive towards the fleshly and temporal, as against desiring the spiritual and the heavenly. Jesus had spent days teaching the people the principles of the kingdom. Then He comes to the other side and the people met Him and said they were looking for Him. Jesus immediately knew their hearts and addressed their problem.

They were looking for Jesus because of the loaves and fishes He blessed to feed them. Don’t we have the same happening in our world today? It is obvious that our hearts move more towards what we can get today to satisfy our flesh than yearn for the things of the kingdom. Most people today come to God more for their physical needs than knowing and having fellowship with God.

Whenever you hear of large gatherings being advertised, you can be sure that the purpose is to address people’s basic needs. Thus Christianity is reduced to chasing after the needs of the body – health, money and material things.
Jesus instructed on the alternative – labor not for the food which perishes, but for the food that endures to everlasting life. Let’s seek the kingdom of God first, like Jesus taught.

Prayer
1. Thank God for the gift of eternal life in Christ and abundant life on earth.
2. Pray that you will place more emphasis on the eternal than the temporal.
3. Father, please help me fix my attention on things above and not on things below.

Declarations
I declare that I have eternal life in Jesus Christ. This life is superior to any form of life that is temporal. I live currently on earth, but my home is heaven with Jesus one day. My focus now is more on life with Jesus one day. I declare that eternity is my ultimate goal. Halleluiah!

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams





JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

THURSDAY OCTOBER 3

A NEW OPPORTUNITY

Isaiah 1:16-18

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

The state of our being is always critical to God. If our stand before Him is not acceptable, it affects the confidence with which we even come to Him in fellowship. It is like what happens when you live in rebellion to your father. You may be living in the same house with him, but you cannot approach him to discuss anything with him, let alone ask him to do something for you. The moment you reconcile with him, you get the confidence to say, “Dad, we have some unfinished business to complete”

God knows that so well and the cool thing about it is that He reaches out to us so we will not have doubts resulting from our rebellious behaviors. He is ready to make us new again. He is ready to restore the broken relationship and pick us from where we left off.

God cleanses us from all unrighteousness so we can enjoy full fellowship when we come into His presence. God knows that the prelude to doing good, seeking justice, defending the fatherless and all that He commands us to do can happen when we are fully restored to Him. That is why He gives us that open invitation. He is the same Person who will cleanse us from all evil and make ourselves clean before His presence. No one should let such an opportunity pass by. Get into His presence no matter what happens.

Prayer
1. Thank God for His love that goes beyond whatever evil we have committed.
2. Pray that you and your family will continually come before God for the reason He talks about here.
3. Father, may we never run away from Your love and mercy any day of our lives.

Declarations
I declare that I am privileged to have Jehovah as my heavenly Father. His love surpasses any evil that I have done in my life. I yield to Him in response to His call. I come for cleansing and purification of my being, that my life will always bring glory to His name.


Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams







JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2

THE BARREN SHALL GIVE BIRTH

Psalm 113:7-9

He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, 8 That He may seat him with princes—With the princes of His people. 9 He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!

This is God’s message to as many as go through all kinds of temporary situations of lack in this life. Although nothing we have in this life physically is worth taking to heaven, we still need them as we live in transition to the eternal home God has for us. That is why praying for our needs cannot completely be off our prayer list. God expects us to continue praying for our needs.

God constantly assures us that He knows our needs before we pray, and He does more than we think of or imagine. In this passage He uses what could be literal and what could be symbolic. We can take it literal for people who are married and have been trusting God for the fruit of the womb. It is often assumed that once people marry, the next physical event is the arrival of their baby. That sometimes does not happen till after several years for some. It is the same God who eventually grants a barren woman a home. Hold on to your faith in Him.

Symbolically, it represents long periods of lack in the life of people. Though we have the promise of provision from God, we often go through periods in life when we seem to have none of the good things of this life. Those are times when we meditate on the passage above and rekindle our faith in the God who is faithful in all His promises. Whatever it is that you have been expecting that seems to have delayed, continue to look up to Jesus.

Prayer
1. Thank God for His continued assurance that all your needs are before Him.
2. Pray that you will not be discouraged and quit trusting and looking unto God your Provider.
3. Father, please help me continue to hold You as my Provider.

Declarations
I declare that God my heavenly Father is my Provider. He knows all I need for this life. He will not withhold anything good from me. Though I may be going through a period of lack today, tomorrow will surely come with my barns full of God’s provision. I declare I shall not want in the name of Jesus!

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams






JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

TUESDAY OCTOBER 1

FOR YOUR UNSAVED FRIENDS

Ezekiel 33:10-11

“Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?” ’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

God has not relented in His call to humanity to come back to Him in reconciliation. This has been an ancient call and it will continue to persist till the new heaven and earth appears. Right from the Old Testament dispensation, He placed responsibility on His servants to partner with Him in achieving this agenda for humanity. God charged the leaders to carry to the people, the message that He loves and wants all men to repent and come back to Him.
Is it not interesting that He places the same responsibility upon the church today to engage in winning men back to Himself?  It is worth noting that even though man has been preoccupied with the devil and evil, making humanity more conscious of evil, God on the other hand continues to declare His love and goodness towards man.
God categorically said here that He does not delight in the death of the wicked but that he should repent and live. That is the God we serve. His heart is open, wide open with a constant warm invitation to all men to come back to Him. The church must take full advantage of this privilege and increase the passion and engagement in evangelism and discipleship of souls. That is God’s continuous call to all of us. Simply obey. Let your prayer constantly be that God should lead you to the unsaved that you share God’s love with them.

Prayer
Thank God for His loving heart always reaching out to man.
Pray that you will take advantage to reach out to the lost.
Father, please help me share Your love with people around me.

Declarations
I declare that My Father in heaven is a loving God. His love for humanity is beyond human understanding. I am blessed to be His child. I spend the rest of my life sharing His love with the lost. I declare that evangelism will be my passion till He calls me home in the name of Jesus.

Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams





JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE

THE LAMP DEVOTION

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

GOD’S WORD IS ETERNAL

Isaiah 40:6-8

The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

One characteristic of God that is of immense blessing to us who believe Him is that He lives outside time. God is eternal, with no beginning and no end. He is not confined or limited by time. He has absolute control over all that happens to us in time. We are blessed and highly favored by this nature of His because in Him we also live beyond the limitations of time. God is doing a lot of things in our lives that will transcend time and move into eternity.

Jesus said we should lay up treasures in heaven and not on earth. It means the life He gives transcends what we see today in this dispensation of time. Jesus also said that His words are spirit and they are life, meaning they are eternal. Everything about God is eternal. We are privileged to be His children.

When we see everything around us fading and coming to an end, we are not perturbed because we have eternity reserved for us by our Father who is eternal. Paul said if our bodies are destroyed, we have a home in heaven not made with hands. That is the faith with which the early saints endured physical torture and many died as martyrs. They were persuaded by the eternity promised by the God who is eternal so they had no doubts about that. The Book of Revelation acknowledges them in no small way.
It is our turn to live on earth being conscious of eternity because of our eternal heavenly Father.

Prayer
1. Thank God for giving you eternal life that will not end on this earth.
2. Pray that henceforth everything you do will be informed by the reality of eternity.
3. Father, please help me develop more heaven-mindedness in my life on earth.

Declarations
I declare that I am a pilgrim walking on earth in transition. My true home is in heaven, in eternity, prepared for me by my God who is eternal. I declare that nothing can prevail against inheriting my new home because it is being controlled by God’s power from eternity. Therefore I declare that I am blessed in the name of Jesus.


Author: Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams





JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN @Gospel_1_channel
JOIN & SHARE