Category: Daily Devotionals

Bring it to God!

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”- NIV

Jesus prayed in Gethsemane to His Father, but also had the disciples around him, showing a two pronged approach to stress management. Here, Jesus made an all time call to stressed up people, weary and burdened by life’s futile attempts to be good, and challenges they can’t manage to carry on their own. Stress comes about because certain things are too heavy for us to handle. Jesus’ call is for us to bring them to him. And he promises to give us peaceful rest. We have a great privilege of access to God Almighty through prayer!

Sometimes we try everyone and everything else we think about in attempt to solve our problems, before bringing it to God as a last resort. And yet he is a safe refuge and very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). It was a result of the fall that man wants independence. But without God, we simply can do nothing. All our lives, whether we appreciate it or not, revolve around God. Some think a call to trust God is too simplistic. We keep carrying so much loads we would have given to God!

Bring it to God as it is, hiding nothing. Tell Him how torn, broken, troubled and stressed up you are. That’s a sign of faith and surrender. It is God’s commitment to relieve stress for those who seek His help by lifting their burdens. He calls us to cast them to Him because He cares. The promised rest is a peaceful settlement in your heart that all is taken care of, despite possible continued existence of the challenge. It will no longer trouble you.

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 "May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being — spirit, soul, and body — free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you will do it, because he is faithful." - GNB

Amidst so much evil and the need for general encouragements to stand and remain faithful in the faith, Paul prayed for the Thessalonians. He asked the God of peace to keep them free from evil, preserved in holiness in their bodies, souls and spirits until the Lord Jesus comes back. His confidence in such a prayer is that God Who called us to Himself will do so because He is faithful.

Such is the prayer each one of us in Him would pray, more so in these days. The prayer is that we may be preserved and to stand against all the evil around us until we meet the Lord face to face some say. Some fall victims to these evils and give up the faith. They yield to the deception of wealth, pleasure, and in seeking relieve from the trials of life. On our own we cannot stand. It is by His grace and strength.

Be encouraged. You can stand and remain faithful in the Lord if you choose to hope in God. He will do His part, to carry us through to the end. Many others have stood. The same God sustained them. And He still does, however tough it may look now. Keep looking to Him. We are preserved, kept holy in body, soul and spirit by the Spirit of God as the world becomes even more and more wicked.

Jude 1:24 "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—"

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Galatians 5:16-17 "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." - NIV

Within every human being is a struggle between right and wrong,  good and bad. This struggle is between the sinful nature influenced by the devil, and the godly nature of the Holy Spirit seeking to lead us to the God to serve and worship Him. It’s a struggle between godly and demonic forces. Whatever we outwardly do or say in response to this internal struggle shows which side has taken the day.

Paul says we can overcome the influence of the sinful nature which shows in the desires and works of the flesh (5:19-21), by living in the Spirit. This means allowing the leading and enabling of the Holy Spirit, Whose result shows up in the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-23). Those who live to please the sinful nature will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

Somehow, we will always get to know the right or wrong things to do or avoid in this struggle. The flesh is weak and susceptible to fail even with such knowledge. The Holy Spirit was given to help us overcome these weaknesses.

We can all overcome in this battle because Jesus in us already overcame. God already provided for whatever is needed to overcome. Our part is to obediently yield and corporate with the Holy Spirit and surely victory will be ours to God’s glory.

John 16.33 "…But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness…"

Shalom children of God.

Standing on His sure promises!

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Hebrews 13:5-6 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you;  never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

A promise is a commitment for the future. It’s credibility is only as good as the credibility of the promise maker. The scripture above highlights one of the thousands of God’s promises. He has given us assurance that He will never leave nor forsake us. That’s awesome! He is our present helper in times of need, protector from the evil schemes of the devil through men. He is also committed to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory.

God Who made these promises recorded in Scriptures is faithful to fulfill what He committed Himself to do. Better still, the promises cover every area of life we may have need. He wouldn’t have spoken them out if He didn’t intend to fulfill them. So we can rely on them. Search out His promises and bring them back to Him with confidence, that He will fulfill them. Glory be to God!

Friends, the sure promises of God should settle our hearts at peace with Him. He promised them, so we can confidently say He will help us. And that’s all that matters as we go through the mountains and valleys of life, the certain and uncertain, the straight and unclear. Whatever life may throw at us, our hearts will rest in Him, knowing that He Who promised will not fail those who trust in Him. Hallelujah!

1 Thessalonians 5:24 "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it."

Numbers 23:19 "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

Shalom children of God

Truth prevails through knowledge (30/5/2023)

John 8:31-32 "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Some had accepted His teaching. Others rejected it. To those who believed Him, Jesus’ urge was (and still is), that they hold on to His teachings to be His true disciples. The result of that commitment is knowledge of the truth which would set them free. The truth comes through knowledge. Knowledge is acquired through teachings and study. These require effort.

Whatever we now know was taught and learnt. There are all sorts of teachings in the world. Not all of it is the truth. God’s word is the fountain of the truth that guides life. It is through the knowledge of the truth from God Who created and knows us, that we are guided to truly live. We shall be set free from things which are satanic, futile and destructive.

Invest time, energy and other resources in seeking for the truth. Study and seek counsel from reliable sources. Let that truth fill you up and allow it to liberate your life as you see things from God’s point of view. When armed with the truth you become a formidable force. You prevail against the lies and manipulations of the devil who has held many captive through deception. It is God’s will that all people come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

Shalom children of God

Decisions have consequences! (15/6/2023)

John 3:16,18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life… Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."

Every decision we make has consequences which may affect us in the short or long run, some into eternity. Jesus said God loved the world so much and gave His son to come and save us. People have the liberty to choose to accept or reject Him. Such a decision to accept or reject Christ, may take less than a minute. But the effects are eternal! It leads to eternal life or eternal damnation.

History is full of stories of people who took certain decisions lightly out of anger, fun or peer pressure, thinking they would get over it. But their lives were altered forever! Esau despised his birthright and easily exchanged it for a morsel of food. He lost it forever. Samson played with his divine strength, thinking he would always shake himself and go to fight. He regained it shortly, but lost his life.

Opportunities don’t last forever. Don’t postpone what you should do today especially in your relationship with God because you never know what tomorrow holds. It’s not in our control. We have no guarantees that we may get them again. As you make daily decisions, small or big, short or long term, always think of the consequences. You are free to do what you wish to, but be ready to face the effects of your decisions, now in this life and/or forever!

2 Corinthians 6:2 "For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation."

Isaiah 1:19-20 "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

Shalom children of God

What was your role?

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

John 8:11 "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." - KJV

The woman was caught in the act of adultery. They brought her to Jesus, ready to stone her according to the law. One can only imagine the shame and distress in her, knowing her obvious fate of death. When no one condemned her after Jesus’ rebuke and mercy, Jesus let her go free but cautioned her to sin no more. Earlier, Jesus had told a paralytic of 38 years whom He healed at the pool, not to sin again or a worse thing would happen to him (John 5:14). The point was that their stressful predicaments were caused by sins they needed to deal with.

Much as we need the support of others, and the help of God to ease our burdens, there are things that we need to do to ease our stress. Some stress is self imposed by wrong decisions and mistakes, wilful disobedience from our stubborn hearts rejecting the ways of God and the laws of the land. In this case, ask yourself what you did to bring about the stressful situations, and commit to change and mend your ways as those two were cautioned by Jesus.

When punished for wrongs, part of relieve from the resultant stress of punishment is repentance. God severally punished a rebellious Israel by bringing serious calamities, including driving them to exile. Whenever they felt the pain and repented, God would restore them and they would be relieved. Each time, the only remedy was repentance. Some stresses will go by change of our ways, rejecting wrong and doing what’s right. Find out what it could be in your part. Avoid things, people and places that lead to sin and bring stress. Commit to change.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Matthew 16:13-16 "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." - NIV

Feedback is important. It helps to know what is in people’s minds, and whether they understand or not. Jesus sought to know what people thought about Him. After the disciples told Him what people said, He turned to them to ask the same question. Yes, that’s what people say, but what about you? He still asks us today the same. He is God for us all, but desires to be God to each individual.

Sometimes it’s easy to deflect things to others. This question seeks to reveal how each one of us knows God at individual level. Many hear about God from others, and what others know about Him. But it is the personal revelation and experience that makes you declare like Peter, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. This takes revelation from God as Jesus told Peter. And revelation comes from deeper communion.

Knowing God at individual level makes us seek and grow in Him, and to stand even when all others give up. How each individual knows Him makes the whole difference. Stand out of the crowd. Build and develop your personal knowledge of God through a devoted life.

2 Timothy 1:12 "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."

Shalom children of God.

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Ephesians 1:19-21 "… That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." - NIV

What a status! Paul describes the resurection power that gave life to Jesus’ body, rose him, lifted and seated Him in heaven. That position is FAR above all power and authority in the universe, now and forever. He is the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. He is the highest authority there is or will ever be!

Paul adds that those who believe in Him have been raised and seated with Jesus in those heavenly realms. The same power that raised Jesus and placed Him above all power and authority there is, also works in us who believe. And that’s where spiritually we are! You do nothing to attain that position, except to just believe. Can you imagine that?

In such a position, and with such immense power to reign with Christ at our disposal, why do so many in Him still feel so susceptible, helpless and hopeless? Because of lack of revelation of who they really are in Christ. Friends, if this truth and revelation gets to you, you will never know defeat from the forces of darkness whichever form they manifest. You will perpetually triumph. May Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians be your earnest prayer too;

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe…"(Ephesians 1:18-19)

Ephesians 2:6 "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…"

Shalom children of God

In the counsel of others

By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo

Proverbs 15:22 "Plans fail for lack of counsel,  but with many advisers they succeed."

Counsel is advise one recieves in situations where they lack information or guidance. It is an acknowledgement that we are limited in understanding, knowledge and ability. Such limitations sometimes leave us confused, stuck and without peace.

God created us for each other. None of us knows it all alone. God uses other people to speak to our situations and to settle our hearts in Him. But not everyone speaks what comforts and encourages. Some are used by the devil to mislead and instead take away our peace. We have to discern this and avoid it.

One of the strategies of the devil to defeat us is isolation. While alone, he takes advantage to strike with rejection, hopelessness and other evil thoughts and plans. It is deception to think you can survive alone. God said it is not good for man to be alone and He made Eve for Adam. You need the counsel and presence of others to be at peace.

Matthew 26:38 "Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Mark 3:14 "He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach…"

Shalom children of God