Victory Daily Devotional

STEADFASTNESS Act 2:40-47 Devotional:-  “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (v. 42) NKJV      Today, our   decisions to follow the Lord is greatly challenged by   temptations of different types.   The devil has so much   pollute the world that it is so easy to follow the way of sin and unrighteousness.   That is why to be an ordinary Christian today is to be   no Christian at all.  

FAITHFULNESS 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Devotional:-  “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (v. 2) NKJV      It is require of every disciple to be faithful. One of the most difficult attitude for most people today is faithfulness. This is because of the temptation of greed and selfishness. When people have waited long for a prayer to be answered it is possible to become   desperate   and when this is not effectively managed it can result to unfaithfulness.

RELATIONSHIP Scripture: 1 John 3:10-20 Devotional:-  “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death” (v.14) NKJV      A major area that a child of God should grow and be mature in is the ability to handle relationship with other people. Our ability to relate maturely with others goes a long way to determine how much we are growing like Christ. The Bible says “Jesus was growing in favour with God and man” ( Luke 2:52). This is maturity in relationship.

HUMILITY Scripture: Philippians 2:5-15 Devotional:-  “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (v.8) NKJV      A virtue that all disciples of Jesus must possess is the virtue of humility. No one can successfully work with God without been humble. As long as you have surrendered your life to Jesus and you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, He has the right to direct your life.

RECOGNIZING THE HOLY SPIRIT Scripture: John 16:5-15 Devotional:-  “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (v.13) NKJV Every citizen of the kingdom of God must grow in knowing and recognizing the activities of the Holy Spirit. This is a vital aspect of our growth as a child of God. Without the Spirit of God, we cannot have quality relationship with God.

FAITH Scripture: 2 Corinthians  10:12-18 Devotional:-  “Not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men's labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere” (v.15) NKJV        One of the assignments of a disciple of Jesus is to grow in faith. To grow in faith is to increase in the confidence we have in God through the knowledge of the word of God. A child of God that is not growing in faith will always face defeat and intimidation of the devil (1 John 5:4).

UNDERSTANDING Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-22 Devotional:-  “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (v.18) NKJV      No one will be able to grow in God above his/her level of understanding. Our level of understanding determines how much we can yield or submit to God. It determines how much we can exercise in the power and the grace of God . No one can achieve in life more than his/her level of understanding. It is knowing how things are done.

CAPACITY Scripture: 1 Corinthians  14:1-5 Devotional:-  “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy” (v.1) NKJV      Our capacity in life is demonstrated by what we can do. It determines the result we can get by our ability in God. This is often the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, talents and our special abilities. When we receive the Holy Spirit, this experience was accompanied with the gifts of the spirit. Talents are traits of ability that is connected to our family linage. Special abilities are virtues we have developed our skills in doing through practices.

CHARACTER OF CHRIST Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24 Devotional:-  “And that you put on the new man which was created a- cording to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (v.24) NKJV      A disciple of Christ is known basically by their character. The word of God says it was in Antioch that believers were first called Christian (Acts 4:24) A Christian is Christ like in behavior and attitude. That is why each of us should carefully observe the character of Jesus and emulate Him as our Lord.

AREAS OF A GROWTH Scripture: 2 Peter 3:14-18 Devotional:-  “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (v.18) NKJV      As citizens of the kingdom of God, there are areas of life that we need to grow to be like Jesus. These areas encompasses different dimension of our spiritual need for a balanced Christian life. Though we should grow in Christ in every areas of our lives, but let us group these areas to about five, for easy growth structure.

POWER OF DISCIPLESHIP Scripture: Acts 4:5-13 Devotional:- " Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus".  (v.13) NKJV      After Jesus had ascended to heaven, the disciples received the Holy Spirit and they were witnessing for Jesus everywhere. Because of a notable miracle; they were called to question by the authority. There, they noticed their boldness and courage and observed they have been with Jesus.

QUIET PLACE Scripture:    Matthew 6:1-8 Devotional:-  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly (v.6) NKJV      For anyone to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, you need to create the right atmosphere for this. In our homes we have the seating room, bedroom, kitchen, toilets or dinning room. These rooms help us to do the right thing at the right place. The same with spiritual things. Jesus also have a place He alone always withdrew to pray ( Luke 22:39).

LOVING GOD SUPREMELY Scripture: Matthew 10:34- 39 Devotional:- " He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" ( v.3) NKJV      Living in love demand that we take good care of people around us. That is a great one. But the word of God introducing to us in the scripture we read today a new dimension of love which is to love God supremely. This is by loving God above all other persons.

LOVING GOD Scripture: Matthew 22:34-40 Devotional:- " Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' (v.37) NKJV      True disciples of Christ must live in true and total love for God and for His fellow brethren. Since Jesus is love personified, our lives should also reflect the image of the son of God. It was love that brought Him to this world. It was love that took him to the cross. It was love that made Him to die in order to redeem us.

FOLLOWING HIS STEPS Scripture: 1 Peter 2:18-25 Devotional:-  “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (v.21) NKJV      Discipleship is following the master. If we are going to be the disciples of Jesus, we must be willing to follow the steps of Jesus. This is what we should do in every aspects of our lives.

CARRYING THE CROSS Scripture: Luke 9:23-27 Devotional:- " Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (v.23) NKJV      Disciples of Jesus must know that we must pass through pain to access our gain. It is not going to be easy to change from what we have grown up to be for several years. It will be painful experiences to unlearn the wrong we have been so used to and adjust to the will of God. God’s word says even Jesus suffer to learn obedience to God (Hebrews 5:8).

SELF DENIAL Scripture: Matthew 16:24-28 Devotional:- " Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (v.24) NKJV     An important factor in the process of becoming like Jesus is that you must deny yourself to be able to follow Him. Self is the major hindrance to our work with God. By self, I mean the flesh, this is the human nature in us. This human nature has been cultured into sinful and selfish life. The flesh does not want to please God (Romans 8:5-8). So those who are ruled by the desires of their flesh cannot please God.

SURRENDER TO GOD Scripture: Romans 6:1-14 Devotional:-  And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God (v. 13) NKJV        The word surrender look too foolish to the language in the world of winning, succeeding, don't give up or overcoming. But we can only be disciples of Jesus and be like Jesus when we surrender to Him (Romans 12:1). We don't surrender to God with a sense of fear or duty but love. (1 John4:9-10,19). We often don't surrender to God because we don't realize how much God loves us. So we always want to control our own life. For us to be able to surrender to God, we must be able to trust Him, then we can trust our life into His loving hands. We must also admit our limitations and weaknesses, then we can trust in His help.

QUIET TIME Scripture: Psalm 32:1-11 Devotional:-  For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him (v. 6) NKJV      The word of God says there is time for everything (Ecclesiastic 3:1) That is why each of us who desire to be like Jesus should create a time when we know we can seek Him in an acceptable way. This is the time to grow through His word to learn to be like Him.

THIRST Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-13 Devotional:-  "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price (v. 1) NKJV     As citizens of the kingdom of God, you must know that God is not a waster of His virtue. If you want the grace to grow and be like Jesus you must be thirsty for God (John 7:37-38). The reason many don’t grow in the church is because they are not thirsty for God. It is important we come to know that we are the one that need God.

CHRIST COMMISSION Scripture: Matthew 28: 16-20 Devotional:-  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,v.19 NKJV        A primary assignment of every disciple is to fulfill the assignment of the master. That is why the goal of discipleship should be to make people fulfill the great commission. Those who don’t partake of the great commission are not disciple of Christ. This is because it is what concerns   the master that should concern true disciples.

SACRIFICIAL LOVE Scripture: John 13:31-35 Devotional:-  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  v.35  NKJV        Many Christians has grown so selfish because of the principles they have adopted. So, no matter the negative effect of their decision on others, as long as it profits them, they are okay. Today in the name of business strategies we cut and wound each other. We don’t mind if others close down just for us to rise.

FRUIT BEARING Scripture: John 15:1-8 Devotional:-  "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples".   v.8 NKJV      We can identify a disciple by the fruit he bears. A disciple of Jesus will live like Jesus, talk and behave like Jesus. This is an evidence that he is following His master.

COMMITMENT TO THE MASTER  Scripture: 1 John 3:3-11 Devotional:-  "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him".  v.6 NKJV         For anyone to truly be like Jesus, He/She must be committed to the master. Though, many goes to church today but are not committed to Jesus. Many have accepted Him as Lord and saviour, yet they do not get committed to the master (Matt 7:20-21).

IN HIS WORD Scripture: John 8:31-36 Devotional:- "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed".  v.31  NKJV      A disciple of Jesus is not the one who come to just hear the word of God. They are rather those who abide or stay with the word of God. The desire of a disciple of Jesus is to be like Jesus. This is loving the way He lives. This is patterning  our lives after the life of Jesus because of the great encounter we have with Him (Matthew 17:4)

PROCESS OF DISCIPLESHIP   Scripture: Mark 8: 34-38 Devotional:-  When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (v.34) NKJV         Just like any other process of production, to become like Jesus also demands that we go through a process. It is in the course of going through the process that we begin to look like Him. Everyone that come to Jesus are like raw materials but we must not remain raw in our relationship with Christ. Some people have been in the Church for decades yet they are still the same as they came.

A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST    Scripture: Luke 6:39-42 Devotional:- A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher (v.40) NKJV          Today there are many people in the church that are not disciples of Jesus. The plan of God for the church is that we might make disciples of the people on the earth (Matt 28:19). The first task therefore is that we should become a disciple of Christ. One of the reasons we are still in this world is that God might prepare us for eternity. That is the reason Jesus came to show us the life style of God as our model to make us fit in to God’s kingdom. To become like Christ we have to be His disciple.

WHY BEING LIKE CHRIST Scripture: Luke 14:25-27 Devotional:-  “ If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (v.26) NKJV      There is a strong need to know the reason we are to be like Jesus. When purpose is not known abuse is inevitable. Everyone we see in the world is either living to be like christ or like the world (John 17:16).

YOUR DESTINY Romans 8:18-30 Devotional:-  “ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (V. 29) NKJV      Becoming like Jesus is your destiny and one of your purpose on earth. Your destiny is what God expects you to become on earth for his glory (Romans 8:30). He wants you to be like Him to be able to have dominion on earth. When you are like him, then you can operate at a superior level of Wisdom, attitude and character.

ORIGINAL INTENTION Genesis 1:26-31 Devotional:- “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (V. 27) NKJV     God expresses His intention for making man in His word. This intention is that man will have dominion over all He has made (Genesis 1:26). In His intention there is a need for man to be like God to be able to fulfil this intention. That is why God made man to be supreme to all other creation. Man needs to be higher in capacity to all other creation to be able to govern the earth. This is the reason man need to be like God.