Spiritual Digest for the Day 07Nov2022

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV). *********** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Serving God should be a response to who God is to us, what God has done for us and what we know by faith that He will still do for us – not what people will do for us. - Israel Adelani Akanji ************ PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will always serve God and the humanity not because of what you will get, but because you want to serve.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 06Nov2022

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:12-13 NIV). *********** QUOTE FOR THE DAY As we move gradually to the end of another year, ponder the blessings of God you have enjoyed this year. These blessings are not by your power, knowledge, or experience. They are by the grace of God. Do not be ungrateful. Express your heart of gratitude to the Lord for all the blessings you have received this year. Do not wait until the end of the year before doing so. - Bayo Afolaranmi ************ PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY O Lord, do not let me be ungrateful for all Your blessings over my life.

FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS OF THE YEAR

Dearly Beloved, FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS OF THE YEAR “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:12-13 NIV). Little is known about the composer of the hymn “FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS OF THE YEAR,” Albert H. Hutchinson. An unverified online source states that he was born in 1880 and lived for sixty years. Hutchinson likely composed the hymn in 1909. Apart from this information about the year of the composition of the hymn, there is no other available information about the historical background to the hymn. The music (OLDBRIDGE) to the hymn is ascribed to Robert Newton Quaile, a son of a Methodist pastor who lived between 1867 and 1927. The lyrics of the hymn show that the author was full of gratitude for everything God had done for him throughout the year. The hymn possibly has inspiration from 1 Chronicles 29:12-13 as cited above. This three-stanza hymn is a hymn of thanksgiving. Numerous people have sung it to express their gratitude to God since the composition of the hymn. Every Christian, and indeed every human being, should always be grateful to God for everything God is doing to them. Everyone should heed the admonition of Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” We should “enter [God’s] gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name” (Psalm 100:4). In the first stanza of the hymn, the composer expressed his thanksgiving to the Lord for blessings that He, the Lord, has given throughout the year. These blessings include dear friends and the peace that these people are enjoying. This divine peace transcends human understanding (see John 14:27; Philippians 4:7). The composer continued in the second stanza to thank the Lord for what ordinarily could be regarded as “common things.” These things – life, health, home and the like – are not common or ordinary. They are by the power and grace of God (Zechariah 4:6; Ephesians 2:8). The composer concluded his thanksgiving by recognizing the divine love that never ceases. This great love is renewed every moment in the life of a child of God (see Lamentations 3:22-23). Instead of being consumed, the life of a child of God is being warmed by the everlasting love that the composer tagged “heavenly fires.” The Lord is gracious to His people. He is demonstrating this every day through what He is doing in their lives. His people should be grateful for all these blessings. As we move gradually to the end of another year, ponder the blessings of God you have enjoyed this year. These blessings are not by your power, knowledge or experience. They are by the grace of God. Do not be ungrateful. Express your heart of gratitude to the Lord for all the blessings you have received this year. Do not wait till the end of the year before doing so. FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS OF THE YEAR, I THANK YOU, O LORD! In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: O Lord, do not let me be ungrateful for all Your blessings over my life.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 05Nov2022

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it’” (Numbers 13:30 NKJV). *********** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they have not half the strength you think they have. - Norman Vincent Peale ************ PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray for the grace to be able to stand up to your obstacles.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 04Nov2022

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Be merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) just as your [heavenly] Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36 AMP). *********** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Jesus Christ is calling us to demonstrate mercy in our damaged and needy world, by being merciful people like our heavenly Father. - Rotimi Oluwaseyitan ************ PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray for a tender and compassionate heart in dealing with other people.

Spiritual Digest for the Day 03Nov2022

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “Enter into [God's] gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4 NKJV). *********** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie ************ PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Give me a heart of gratitude, O Lord!

Spiritual Digest for the Day 02Nov2022

BIBLE VERSE FOR THE DAY “You have experienced many things. Were all those experiences wasted? I hope they were not wasted!” (Galatians 3:4 ERV). *********** QUOTE FOR THE DAY Before you rush off and start a bunch of new things after going through a difficult time, God wants you to pause and consider the lessons you learned. Do not let all the pain you went through be wasted. Take time to glean the spiritual truths from everything you have experienced. - Rick Warren ************ PRAYER/ACTION FOR THE DAY Pray that you will always learn from your past experiences.