Good-life Daily Devotional

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  2 Cor 12:9  " And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me". KJV           God's perspective on greatness is diametrically opposed and mutually exclusive to man's idea of prosperity.What man considers as a demotion is God's way of promoting His servants . Moses was taken from his position as a prince in Egypt to being a shepherd boy. Likewise, despite his status among the prophets John the baptizer ended in prison Luke 3:20, "....he shut up John in prison." Much of apostle Paul's writings{ over 60% of the new testament}were written from behind prison walls. His ordeals are summarized in  2 Cor 11:27" In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness".KJV. Paul's ministry witnessed more pain

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down  his life for his friends."    There is a remarkable difference between what the world considers as love and what the word of God says love is. While the world defines it as compassion for self and for someone from which there is a derivable benefit, biblical love goes beyond passion: it is purposeful, necessary and sacrificial ; ironically, more persons perish as a result of love than any other reason globally .Over 5 million unborn babies are slaughtered yearly through abortion  as a result of people making love .        The origin of wars are traceable to a person seeking to demonstrate affection for someone .In judges 15 , Samson declared war against the Philistines because his father in-law refused him access to his wife .Most men live their lives with a 'conquest' mentality and are driven by the desire to impress a woman. Adam ate the forbidden fruit not because he was d

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Luke 12:58" As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison". NIV     Money spent on the acquisition of weapons of warfare far exceeds that needed to feed the world, the threat of war is a major reason for the economic downturn of many underdeveloped nations , families with conflicts  tend to  spend more on seeking for alternative sources of recreation than they earn: they are easy prey for false prophets who take advantage of the lack of unity to extort money through fables.. Internal conflicts cripples a nation's finances .Strife opens the door to poverty , demonic oppression and manipulations. Your prosperity has a direct bearing on  the status of your relationships. Healthy relationships is a necessary condition for prosperity.          Jesus had just spoken about relati

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi   1Chronicles 29:12 'Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all."      In addition to hard work and striving for excellence ,faith is an indispensable element in attaining success and a fulfilled life, it is for that reason that a commitment to work with God is indispensable in the attainment of good success . Success is incomplete without a healthy relationship with God through Jesus Christ ( Mark 8:36). Success is living according to divine purpose . It is never the accumulation of riches . However, riches can come as a result of living according to divine purpose.  The lives of those driven by the anointing of God's favour is characterized by the following virtues : #1.They hunger for God 's kingdom and His way of living through Christ .Psalm 37:4 Mathew 6.34 #2.They are committed to sharing the gospel . Mk 16.

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi John 5:4 KJV  “ For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.”        The pool of Bethesda was the very opposite of what it’s names means which is the ‘house of grace’ in the Greek . Imagine the scenario; a hospital that only heals the first patient that walks into the doctor’s office. The scriptures says the place was full of sick persons , all waiting to be the first to jump into the water after the angel  troubled the water.         The word angel is the Greek word ‘aggelos’ which means a messenger, pastor. These folks were at the mercy of the pastor much as it is today in many religious settings where people are made to go through harrowing experiences all in a bid to receive healing or deliverance from satanic powers because they fail to embrace the concept of the simplicity of the gospel .         Religion a

Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Mark 11:13 :20AMP And seeing in the distance a fig tree [covered] with leaves, He went to see if He could find any [fruit] on it [for in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. But when He came up to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the fig season had not yet come...."In the morning, when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree was withered [completely] away to its roots."     This incidence was a demonstration of the interplay between the humanity and divinity of Jesus  Christ, the first fruit amongst those called sons of God . He was fully God and human as it was in the beginning like the first Adam. The scriptures says in 1 Timothy 3:16 AMP...we confess, is the hidden truth (the mystic secret) of godliness. He [God] was made visible in human flesh, justified and vindicated in the [Holy] Spirit, was seen by angels, preached among the nations.."     It was not fig harvest season yet the tree appeared t

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi 1 Tim 1:4 “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. “KJV 1Timothy1: 4-6         The word ‘Fables’  is the Greek word ’ Muthos’ it means ‘fiction’ or Myth . “Primitive man conceives of the objects around him as possessing his own characteristics. Consequently in his stories, beasts, trees, rocks, etc., think, talk and act exactly as if they were human beings. Of course, but little advance in knowledge was needed to put an end to this mode of thought, but the form of story-telling developed by it persisted and is found in the folk-tales of all nations” ( International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia)        The modern prophetic ministry has gradually delved into using  myth or superstition as a tool to make followers accept the prophet as being sent of God. Common fables or superstitious beliefs in African churches include humans transforming  into cats , snakes , birds ,

By Rev Michael  Benson Ajayi        Gen 22:8,13 KJV " And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.... And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."        Prophet  Abraham demonstrated the most audacious act of faith by attempting to sacrifice  his son in obedience to God's voice and when asked by his son Isaac about the sacrificial ram his answer was profound "God will provide himself ". This statement was an indication that he understood , that  God did not  just want to provide things for us rather He wants to give himself to and for us which was what happened on the cross of Calvary. The same way God provided a ram, that is how He mysteriously provided a body for the atonement for the sins of man through Jesus Christ . Once you ha

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Gen 26:12 "Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him".KJV         God created science and is not restricted or bound by its laws.  In Genesis 26: 12 Prophet Isaac defied the laws of agricultural science by growing crops out of a nutrient -free and moisture -free soil. It was a season of severe  famine and supernaturally he received in the same year one hundredfold against  conventional agricultural  practice .              Prophet Isaac enjoyed a monopoly as a result of the maximum profit out of his farming business. Walking in the consciousness of  God's blessing upon our lives results in uncommon productivity against all odds. The believer in Jesus Christ is  powered by the anointing of God's favour  . You shall prosper in the most difficult business terrain Psalm 65:11-13 NLT says" ..even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. .." God's favour upon His childre

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi  1 Peter 2:9KJV " But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light"        The word 'marvelous'   in this scripture is the Greek word 'thaumazo' it means 'to have in admiration' and 'darkness' is a word which means 'shadiness'. God's plan is for you to experience prosperity in a world bedeviled with economic woes and confusion caused by shady dealings .You  shall  set the standard in business ethics for others to follow . You are a trophy of God's grace and signs of His benevolence.         Jacob experienced this in the hands of a treacherous master Laban who did everything possible to undo Jacob but instead he thrived, flourished and made gainful progress in adversity. The scriptures says in Gen 30:43KJV "And the man increased exceedingly, and had much

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Rev 12:11KJV " And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death"       Faith  is a risky proposition. It requires placing your safety in the hands of another person .  Trusting God for your livelihood is a risk worth taking because it always pays off with extraordinary results .The word 'overcame' in the above scripture is from the Greek word 'nike'  meaning 'a means of success'. This means  those who depend on the provisions of the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus as their means of success would have a favourable condition in the times of economic recession.     The  blood of Jesus did not only save us from hell but also from poverty. To doubt this brings a person under a self-afflicted curse of stagnation (Jer.17:5-8) the reverse is the case for those who trust in the power of the blood )of Christ : Verse 8 says  "They're like

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi Matthew 17:24-27 "........Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them for me and thee."       God  wants to give you a  miraculous breakthrough as in the above scripture where Jesus provided the money for their taxes, and it was the exact amount needed from the first fish caught by Peter .One breakthrough from God will wipe your tears of sorrow away.Get ready for it.           This event is a confirmation that God also supplies needs in a miraculous way, it's worthy of note that it is not an endorsement of dubious money making schemes for God does not bless through fraud. Jesus did not create money in the fish, but rather he had the fish miraculously find and swallow the exact amount  needed by Peter .         In ancient times coins where thrown into rivers, founta

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Mark 8:30-33, "...But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."         This is proof that good advice does not always translate into being the right advice.  Peter's good advice  was Satan -inspired. This scenario  is a parallel of the serpent's statements  to Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15) with God rebuking the devil in both cases : Peter and the serpent were mediums through which Satan expressed his wishes. He still does same through false teachers who use the witchcraft art of clairvoyance to foretell events and many have fallen victims with families fragmented and polarized through the activities of these so-called seers. Satan also works through some of our friends who oppose the truth of the gospel.          God - inspired visions or revelations always align with the scriptures. We

By Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Isaiah 1:23-25 NIV  Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them.  Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies.   I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities.”  Prophet Isaiah gave this prophesy in the era of King Uzziah  of Isreal who started well with the lord then soon became arrogant by reason of his success and later deviated from God’s commands . He trusted in  his riches more than in the lord . He placed the Ammonites on tributes   -sacrificial offerings  (2Chron26:8) and became so influential that he had no regards for spiritual authority, he thought he could bribe God with offerings and was afflicted with leprosy . The same arrogance is displayed by

Rev. Michael Benson Ajayi Job 15:34 NIV For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes. Ex 23:8  "Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth."       A bribe is any gift item (money, sex, power and valuable property )  given with the sole intent of influencing the course of justice in one’s favour . It is Satan’s attempt to duplicate the anointing of God’s favour . He once offered to bribe Jesus with political influence if Jesus would bow down and worship him ( Matt4:8).  Satan often uses the same tools in Mathew 4 to enslave his victims.          The average church congregation  is a mixture of true worshipers and agents of Satan , there are person who’s hearts are not completely sold to the lord , who are ready tools in the hands of Satan whose aim is to kill , steal and destroy . Through these persons a culture of bribery is promot

     By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi “A fool utters all his mind; but a wise man keeps it in till afterwards; Prov. 29:11. “He that is soon angry deals foolishly” Prov. 14:17       The “Near Success Syndrome” is mostly due to uncontrolled temper. Moses was a victim of the “Near success syndrome” which is repeated failure at the edge of breakthroughs.He did not enter the promised land due to his uncontrollable anger.Anger hinders the anointing for breakthroughs (James 1:20). Deep-seated anger and bitterness destroys finishing power and the will to live.          Habitually angry  persons  are prone to making terrible business ,relational and marital decisions. They are fearful ,without faith, double-minded ,unstable and uncommitted in their relationships (James1:8). Anger is learned and can be unlearned .We are admonished to avoid being emotionally involved with persons with deep-seated anger and unforgiveness.              It is difficult to repent when nursing a deep-sitted