Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* THURSDAY, 9TH APRIL, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* THE CROSS: CULMINATION OF GRACE. *TOPIC:* THE CROSS WROUGHT RECONCILIATION. *TEXT:* 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17-19. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in the Messiah, he is a new creation. Old things have disappeared, and—look!—all things have become new! Isa 43:18 Rev 21:5 [Gal 5:6] [Eph 2:10] [Heb 3:4] 18 All of this comes from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through the Messiah and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, Col 1:20 1Jn 2:2 1Jn 4:10 [2Co 3:6] 19 for through the Messiah, God was reconciling the world to Himself by not counting their sins against them. He has committed His message of reconciliation to us. Rom 3:24-25 Col 1:20 [Rom 3:25] [1Jn 4:10] *TOPIC:* THE CROSS WROUGHT RECONCILIATION. *THE MESSAGE:* Reconciliation is a divine act of grace that restores our broken relationship with God. Our text describes the transformative power of union with Christ. The believer in Christ becomes a new creation -a radical inner renewal where the old life of sin and separation from God is gone, replaced by a new identity rooted in Christ (see John 1:12-13). This transformation ís God's work, reconciling humanity to Himself through Christ. Since you have been reconciled with God, you must also reconcile with others. Ďo you still keep malice and grudges and find it difficult to forgive and reconcile with your fellows? God forgives you and entrusts you with the ministrỷ of reconciliation! You are obliged to share the message of grace, reconciling others with God and men. *REFLECTION:* Be a reconciler. *PRAYER:* Father, help me to be an agent of reconciliation. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* COLOSSIANS 2:15. "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* 2 KINGS 4-8. ii. Skip to content Dalily Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth Posted onApril 9, 2026 by Editor Christocentric Concentration Christian Applications Store:: Christian devotional App Store; Explore Recommended Christian Books and Devotionals I am afraid for you ….” Galatians 4:11 Spiritual Knowledge What are the things upon which your thoughts are focused? Are you a religious ‘thinker’ or are your thoughts concentrated on Christ? How easy it is to rely on denominational type doctrine for our spiritual thoughts, How undemanding to rest your eternal future on your own spiritual knowledge. How facile to rest your spiritual growth on a reservoir of religious facts, How easy to consider .. sanctification rests on the accumulation of past bible studies. Spiritual Concentration But this type of thinking causes a spiritual stupor to descend upon an individual. This type of thinking causes men to drift into a deep, spiritual sleep. The one that is devoted to doctrinal type thinking, has no need to think, and one that considers their own spirituality is sufficient, is sorely deceived. It is not more knowledge that is required – but a deeper concentration on Christ. It is not more spiritual activity that is needed – but Christo-Centric Concentration. Meaning of the Cross “Wake up!!” “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain” Rev.3:2 “Repent!!” “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen.” Rev.2:5 Rouse yourself and get eyeball to eyeball with the cross of Christ, There is no greater need than to truly and fully understand the meaning of the cross. Oswald Chambers Oswald Chambers puts it this way:- “a devotee to doctrine does not need to ‘think’, but a man who is devoted to Christ is obliged to think, and to think every day of his life. He must allow nothing to dissipate his thinking. It is not courage that men lack today, but concentration on Jesus. We have to get out of our laziness and indifference and excuses, and rouse ourselves to face up to the cross of Christ.” Humble Heart We must return to a place where we are prepared to expose our inner souls to Christ. We must invite Him to examine the inner recesses of our ignoble, rebellious hearts. We must allow Him to remove every semblance of ‘self’ from the throne of our lives. We must permit Him to expose each deeply hidden, mortifying memory. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” 1Peter 5:6. We must allow Him to humble our hearts before His throne of grace. Magnified Mortification Christo-Centric concentration is the most difficult thing to achieve for a christian, for concerted, concentration upon Christ, means magnified mortification of me! Understanding and appropriating the facts of the cross is a saint’s most trying time, but “deep calleth unto deep,” and there is no other way to achieve a reality of Him. Satanic Strategy But Calvary is the secret. Satan’s satanic strategy is to destroy man’s relationship with the Lord. He can’t remove our eternal security for that is set, secure in Christ…. but he seeks to damage our relationship with Christ. And satan, that old serpent, the devil, the accuser of the believer. Satan has his favourite strategies to secure our downfall and complete our shipwreck. Satan usually uses the flesh, the old sin-nature, self.. “I” the old Adam, who is a usurper. Three Strategies Satan more often than not uses the same strategies as He used in Eden’s Garden: 1) Pride : “ye shall be as gods…” 2) Shame : “they fled from the presence of God … ” 3) Arrogant attacks on God : “the woman you gave me …..” But God never leaves us alone to fight for ourselves, God will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1Cor.10:13 Escape Route But we must be prepared for Him to bring us to an absolute, end of ourselves. We must be prepared for Him to press us to the depths of our own despair. You must be prepared to be utterly, completely and totally broken before Him, and He will lift you up into newness of your life in Him with His own life in you. Refining Tools He may not send you a shining angel with tidings of great joy. He may not drop manna from heaven, nor supernaturally unlock your prison bars, but He may speak through a donkey, or He may speak through a friend. We may not be specifically instructed by a prophet to wash in the Jordan seven times, but He requires us to submit to the Spirit’s inner searchings and His refining tools. All semblance of self must be removed, if He is to take up proper residence within. James Ussher Usher put it this way: “The believer can never overcome the old man even by the power of the new, apart from the death of Christ, and therefore the death of Christ unto sin is indispensable. And unless the Cross is made the basis upon which he overcomes the old man, he only drops into another form of morality: in other words, he is seeking by self-effort to overcome self, and struggle is hopeless.” Ian Thomas Ian Thomas also said: “I must recognise the enemy within the camp – the flesh.. the old nature.. self.. I.. the old Adam. And I must recognise the enemy is a usurper. By faith I must reckon him to be put in the place that God put him crucified with Christ. I must now realise that my life is hid with Christ in God: that He is my life” Post navigation Previous Post Previous Examine Yourself Proudly powered by WordPress 2. Evening Prayer for today. i.Evening Prayer To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. ⏤ Psalm 46:1 Faith is to prayer what the feather is to the arrow; it feathers the arrow of prayer and makes it fly swifter and pierce the throne of grace. ⏤ Thomas Watson Night has fallen again, and we come to find refuge in You. You are our safe place and our strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. We don’t fear the darkness because You’re there too. It’s just Your way of wrapping us up in Your care. You’re as present in the darkness as You are in the light. Let the night cover us like Your wings—where we find safety, warmth, and blessing. Not everything went well today. We had our struggles. Our hearts were hurt. But You are the healer—will You heal us? Take the tangled messes we’ve made, straighten them out, and weave them into something beautiful! Take the dark moments of today, the things that seem wrong, and by Your grace, turn them into blessings. Help us let go of the complicated parts of our lives that we can’t fix and trust You to bring good out of them. We ask for a stronger faith so that we never doubt Your love or goodness. Save us from fear and from disbelief. Help our weak faith to grow. Help us see the invisible truths and rest on them like a solid rock! Forgive the sins of this day. Thank You for all Your goodness. Watch over us tonight and bless us with restful sleep, giving us renewed strength. If we wake up in the morning, let us be ready for a new day of service. We ask all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/04/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.