GUIDELINES FOR LIVING.
April 27th, 2026

How Do You Keep Love Alive?

So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. Malachi 2:15

Henry Ford, the industrialist who put the world on wheels, after fifty years of married life was asked how he managed to stay happily married. He replied: “I’ve treated marriage like I’ve made automobiles—just stick to one model.” It’s regrettable that he didn’t follow his own advice.

Even so, more than a few who do “stick to just one model” find that happiness in marriage eludes them. They have worn the same wedding ring for 20, even 30 years, yet most of those years have been marked by strife and unhappiness. Their commitment may be strong enough to stay married; not strong enough to resolve the issues that keep them from being happy.

Do you ever ask the question, “What happens from the time a couple stands at the marriage altar with glowing eyes and burning hearts and the time they stand before a judge to ask for an annulment or a divorce?” “Is marriage the sole cause of divorce?”—reads the slogan on a sweatshirt I saw recently.

Sometimes the blow that shatters a relationship comes like a bomb that you didn’t expect, but more often it is like a slowly growing cancer which infects a relationship and calluses your feelings. That must have been what happened to the person who described marriage as “a condition in which a woman never gets what she expects, and a man never expects what he gets.”

Instead of “holy wedlock,” it is “unholy deadlock.” Hey, while divorce is not the will of God for His children, neither is it His will for us to be in relationships that harbor anger, bitterness, and distrust. Both are wrong, just in different ways.

“Well, it can’t be the will of God for me to stay in an unhappy relationship,” people tell me. While they’re partly right—it isn’t God’s will for two people to be angry and bitter—they are far off course thinking that to change partners will change the emotional temperature of their lives.

What happens when a marriage goes wrong? In one sentence, “Love begins to wither and die.” We’ve taken each other’s love for granted, and the abuse produces a wilderness in our lives.

After 50 years of marriage, an old gentleman was asked the secret of his good marriage. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old watch. “This is it,” he said. And what did an old watch have to do with marital happiness? “When Sarah and I got married,” he said, “her dad took me aside and gave me a package saying, ‘This is all you need to know about marriage.'” Holding up the watch he said, “This was inside.” Pressing the stem of the old watch, the cover flew open and engraved on the face of the watch, now 50 years old, were the words, “Say something nice to Sarah every day!” “That,” he said, “has been the secret of our happiness.”

Years ago, Irving Berlin tenderly wrote, “I’ll be loving you, always, with a love that’s true, always. When the things you’ve planned, need a helping hand, I will understand, always.” While those words are sentimental and slushy, they are really untrue. God only knows how many times I have asked a couple, “Do you love each other?” And I hear the mumbled response, “I used to love him [or her] but I don’t know if I love him any more or not after what has happened.”

How do you keep love alive? By not presuming on each other, by acts of kindness, by remembering love is a fire that must be rekindled every day.

A closing thought: You can start over but you never start again. You can change partners but you never go back to the beginning of a relationship and start from there. Think about it.

Resource reading: Ephesians 4:20-32

chapter 17


EPHESIANS 5

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.



ONE WEDDING AND A WHITE SUIT

Arriving back in China in early October, we had to organise the wedding, lots of friends helped us, people from Helen's church did the photos and the video, my friend from Chinese class Adam who was already in China, came and was best man.

Another church leader was host and our Pastor Ji Tai, married us.

In China, you can get legally married very quickly, as the country is not Christian, you can get marriage certification in a few minutes, but many couples want and have a ceremony, which usually takes place in a large hotel.

So Helen and I along with our friend Samuel, organised the wedding, we had photos taken at a photo shop and ordered a cake from the local cake shop, which we managed to transport to the venue, but not before, it had half collapsed.

Helen had a beautiful wedding dress and she looked stunning, she took a long time, getting made up, I took thirty seconds, although I had my hair dyed and it was now orange!

Samuel decided to come in a white suit, he looked very dapper, I expected everyone to come in formal wear, but everyone came in fairly casual clothes.

We said our wows and then I was invited to speak, Helen's father spoke, as did Adam (in fluent Chinese) and Pastor Ji

We had our own little choir made up of church members and some friends sang our favourite songs.

There were twelve tables and everything had a good feed, well except us, we had to go round and toast everybody (twice), so we ended up having nothing to eat.

At Chinese weddings, instead of giving gifts, people give red envelopes filled with money, the usually amount is 500 -1000 Yuan (around 80 -150 English pounds).

Our wedding was on the 28th October 2012 and this year, it will be 14 years, we are still happy, despite many obstacles and challenges, I thank God for the gift of my wife.

Devotional thought

Things are very different at Chinese weddings, we will have a full update of our daughter's wedding, later in this book..

Getting married to Helen is probably the second best thing I have ever done, after trusting Christ.

Marriage has not been easy for both of us, remember that marriage is between two sinners. Christian marriage is a challenge as the devil hates it and tries all he can to disrupt it.

The only difference in a Christian marriage is that the Lord is right in the middle of it, he is the controlling factor.

What is the thing that helps beyond anything else, it is to pray together, we find that praying together helps us greatly. This allows us to focus on the same things.

When we don't pray together, we have problems.

Recently we have gone out together sharing the gospel, to do things together is the best thing, we make dumplings together and have just been to Vietnam together.

So do things as one and pray together and that will make a happy marriage.


CHAPTER 18

A PIGEON, KING AND MICHAEL JACKSON



Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

So now I was living in Nanjing, but what was I going to do, I hadn't grasped the language, so it was suggested that I help Chinese students grasp mine.

Our friend Chen said she knew of some teenagers who would like to learn English, so I went along to her house one Saturday morning accompanied by Samuel for moral support.

We met eight young teenagers and to break the ice, I suggested they introduce themselves with their English names, Girls were first and we started with Catherine, then Celia, all good English names. Then Pigeon, who calls themselves pigeon, Ok I thought, who's next....Michael.. good.. the guy sat next to him. Is Jackson. So I had Michael Jackson in the room and he could actually moonwalk.

The final boy introduced himself, as KING. Yes that's right, my first class had a pigeon, a king and Michael Jackson in it!

I remember I asked them to describe a way they would get to class, and Jonah, came on a motorised elephant, I actually thought he would of come by whale power.

I started to have some students, there was an Australian Chinese couple in the complex and they had two sons, their sons said to their Chinese mother, I saw an Englishman in our complex, she didn't believe him, until we bumped into each other a few days later.

I started to have some students, I remember with fondness Fiona, Seven , Andy, Rain and others, all of which are now in their twenties. When I came Helen was always bumping into old students, now I am doing the same.


At one point, I had thirty students and had 4-5 classes at the weekend, Now I have lessened those classes, but I give thanks to the students and their parents, who have allowed me to teach them, I can't say enough of my time, with students such as Sophia, Anthea, Kevin, Rose x2, Adam (who I taught for six years), Jack and Jerry, to name but a few.

I am slowing down my teaching now and gradually reducing numbers, but will continue to do the teaching as long as God brings the students to me, My current students especially little Rui, Bowen, Joy, Jerry and Mary.

I charge a little, I could charge more, but I want to help Chinese children learn English.

Thanks God for all his blessings in allowing me to touch many lives.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

God has a sense of humour, you remember that Keith was a terrible student, he drove his teachers totally nuts, so can you imagine, Keith is now a teacher.

What would some of his teachers think, Keith a teacher, are you kidding me!

I hope he gets back what he gave.. ha-ha

Whenever I have a badly behaved student, who won't listen, I think to myself, well that was you many years ago.

Being able to help Chinese children learn English is a great honour and privilege, but it is nothing to teaching them the precious word of God.

Parents, it is your responsibility to teach your children, the buck stops with you, it is not the responsibility of the church.

If you don't teach them the bible, the world will mould them into it's own image, the school system will fill their heads with atheism and humanism.

The place where all these ISM'S can and should be challenged is the home, you can not be an absentee parent, always seeking to gain to more money or another promotion, whilst leaving your family to manage with one parent.

So many families in China are controlled by the mother, that is not God's ideal, the man is the leader.

Are you as a man, leading your family?

By setting a godly example.
By leading the family altar
By providing protection for your family by prayer and sacrifice.

Men, it's not all about money.

The next generation has to be taught about the scriptures, we must pass on the truths of the bible to our children and grandchildren, if we don't fill their minds and hearts with bible truth, someone else will fill them.

Good day. I need some advice from my brothers and sisters here. My wife and I are currently separated, though still living in the same home. But she already sued for divorce. I am convinced that she is my portion and my life (apart from Jesus, of course). I have recently downloaded Christian dating apps, in an attempt to try to get over her. We got married 24 years ago while we were both Muslim. We since accepted Jesus as our Saviour and Redeemer some years ago. The divorce was supposed to bury the Muslim part of our lives and move forward as children of God. But some other dynamics have entered the issue now, and the divorce is no longer plainly amicable.

Last night, she came to me, and cried in my arms for about an hour, pouring out her heart to me. She said that she still loves me deeply. And, listen to this. She feels hurt that I seem casual about the divorce! I promise you, this is one of the hardest things I ever have to do or go through. And this includes the death of my first daughter. I was devastated when I realised that I am splitting from the woman I have sworn eternal love (yes, I am convinced that my love for her is deeper than life itself). But I took a conscious decision to give it to my Father and let Him handle it. I recently changed my prayer from asking for restoration of my marriage, to asking for a miracle. Something to replace what we had; something better; instead of going back to what was.

What happened last night was so unexpected and so uncharacteristic. And I just found out that there are issues with all nine dating apps I downloaded. All of them.

Can the intercessors and prophets here please help me out with prayer and words of wisdom and knowledge. Is God trying to tell me that I am interfering with His divine plan for my life?

Thank you, my beloved brothers and sisters

From; Ellen G. White
The birth of Isaac, bringing, after a lifelong waiting, the fulfillment of their dearest hopes, filled the tents of Abraham and Sarah with gladness. But to Hagar this event was the overthrow of her fondly cherished ambitions. Ishmael, now a youth, had been regarded by all in the encampment as the heir of Abraham’s wealth and the inheritor of the blessings promised to his descendants. Now he was suddenly set aside; and in their disappointment, mother and son hated the child of Sarah. The general rejoicing increased their jealousy, until Ishmael dared openly to mock the heir of God’s promise. Sarah saw in Ishmael’s turbulent disposition a perpetual source of discord, and she appealed to Abraham, urging that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away from the encampment.

The patriarch was thrown into great distress. How could he banish Ishmael his son, still dearly beloved? In his perplexity he pleaded for divine guidance. The Lord, through a holy angel, directed him to grant Sarah’s desire; his love for Ishmael or Hagar ought not to stand in the way, for only thus could he restore harmony and happiness to his family. And the angel gave him the consoling promise that though separated from his father’s home, Ishmael should not be forsaken by God; his life should be preserved, and he should become the father of a great nation. Abraham obeyed the angel’s word, but it was not without keen suffering. The father’s heart was heavy with unspoken grief as he sent away Hagar and his son. PP 146.2

The instruction given to Abraham touching the sacredness of the marriage relation was to be a lesson for all ages. It declares that the rights and happiness of this relation are to be carefully guarded, even at a great sacrifice. Sarah was the only true wife of Abraham. Her rights as a wife and mother no other person was entitled to share. She reverenced her husband, and in this she is presented in the New Testament as a worthy example. But she was unwilling that Abraham’s affections should be given to another, and the Lord did not reprove her for requiring the banishment of her rival. Both Abraham and Sarah distrusted the power of God, and it was this error that led to the marriage with Hagar. PP147.1

I've been. in the wilderness, attempting to reconcile my marriage and my family! I have not the words, nor the means to do it. I am releasing to God. he is the only one that can heal us and renew us.

CHAPTER 15

EARLY IN THE MORNING


Song of Solomon 2:7
I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
Both Helen and myself, knew this was different, we continued to talk, skype and email back and forth.

Now I was about to move into my static and I had no internet for a couple of weeks, so I used the library.

On the 1st October 2011, I went to the library and checked my email, I received an email from Helen saying that the previous evening China time, she wasn't feeling well, and the Lord told her to get up and pray, she did and the Lord told her " Keith will be your husband", my heart hit the roof.

I was ecstatic but needed my own confirmation from the Lord, it was the following Tuesday, it was 4am, it was perfectly still, and the Lord clearly confirmed it to me.

I remember the Lord's words, they clear and unmistakeable

" I am the God of Abraham, Isaac"

I knew the voice, it was as clear as a bell.

We now had a problem, Helen had a teenage daughter and parents, who she would have to tell.

My niece and her mother, Philip's first wife and my good friend, came to see my new static, I broached the subject, saying I had met someone, my niece said "is she in Britain"

I said "well not exactly"
She said " I'm not hearing this, where is she from"
I said "well, she's from China"
She said "are you completely nuts, we're not going through all that again"

Her head literally exploded and she took off like a rocket, then came the sticky point of telling my brother in Canada, who on two occasions refused to talk to me for two weeks, several angry phone calls from family and also church members followed, calling me nuts.

We continued to pray, and the Lord continued to lead us.

I remember one time, we had been talking at about 9-10pm China time and Helen said I'll go for shower, back soon, so I left my screen on, I sat in front of it, eating something and there on the screen was Helen's daughter, she was there talking to me, it took a lot for her to do that, but it was the start of a beautiful and deep relationship that we now have. Both of us were nervous, but we had broken the ice.

So are we going to meet, well I finally booked my ticket to Nanjing on the 29th February 2012, I booked for the whole of July.

As we got together, I reckoned that I should learn Chinese, so I got tapes out of the Library and My friend Brian from church, took me to Chinese class at the local adult education centre, everyone had to say, why they were taking the class, some because they had Chinese students at the local university, It came to me

'Well because I've fallen in love and will move to China"

So the date arrived and in Late June 2012, I set off for Nanjing.

Devotional thought

Hebrews 11

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

What is impossible with man is possible with God. I would not be telling you if I haven't seen it with my own eyes.

I have always had a fascination with China, I read about it in a weekly magazine called Look and Learn in my childhood, I studied Chinese 20th century history for my History O level and my favourite girls name has always been Helen.

Many years before I had committed my life to missions work at the Keswick Convention and then completely forgotten about it, this was God remembering it.

We both saw God remove so many obstacles, it was completely amazing to both of us.

God is the God of the impossible, he brought us together, no one could do that. ONLY HE COULD.


CHAPTER 16

TAG AND TRACK TO NANJING

As I said earlier, I booked my ticket on the 29th February 2012 and as I booked it, the lady suggested that I purchase Tag and Track for 10 pounds for one year, just in case my bags were lost as I was travelling from Manchester to Amsterdam and then to Guangzhou and then on to Nanjing.

It was the best ten pounds, I have ever spent, as sure enough, my cases were mislaid at Guangzhou.

My late Brother Peter, who has a charming way with words, said take an extra pair of kegs (underpants to you and me), just in case you get caught short.

So in hand luggage I had an extra pair, things all of us take on air travel!!

I arrived in Nanjing and low and behold, couldn't find my bags, searched everywhere, all the luggage had come off the plane, everyone had come through the gate, Helen still waiting, must of thought I wasn't coming.

So I walked through the arrivals gate and I heard KEITH and suddenly we saw each other, we hugged and hugged, finally we were together.

I had to explain what happened and Helen was very accommodating and took me to the airline and tried to find the cases, so we took the bus back to downtown.

Helen took me to the market and we got a few new clothes, as I had only the clothes I came in and yes we bought some kegs(underpants).

We did get my cases back the following day.

We went on the back of a motorised scooter; this was my first experience of Nanjing. The first thing that hit me, was the heat and humidity, it was so hot, we then got a taxi back to Helen's flat.

Shortly after we arrived home, Helen's co worker at Church Samuel, accompanied by Ming, who took one look at me and went straight to her room.

That evening Helen's mother arrived to see this strange person, I very foolishly tried to hug Mama, this is not done in China.

Next morning, we had church, thankfully A few people did speak English including Mr Yen and Yanchen

We had a great time whilst I was in China, we met up with Helen's family and I had to ask her parents for her hand in marriage, we met up with Helen's pastor and wife, both of which spoke English and had a memorable trip to Shanghai and Suzhou.

On the 14th July, we went down into the complex and found a quiet spot, and I got down on my knee and asked Helen to marry me, she said yes.

But I had to return to the UK in early August, as Helen was going to travel with her parents and Ming to Thailand, when we got to the airport, I was sad and couldn't bear to leave Helen, but I had much to do, start to put the static on the market and to sort out everything in the UK.

We decided that I would come back in early October, but this time on a one way ticket, everything was done, my static was not sold for another two years, but it was sold and in December 2014, a time, when hardly anyone buys houses.

Another miracle.


DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

Although God is the creator of the universe, he still cares for the small details, it's amazing that he thinks ahead of us.

He loves to bless us and before I set foot in China, he was here planning everything, He knows every little detail.

Coming to China has and always will be an eye opener, you read about it in the newspaper and websites, you see videos on YouTube, but nothing prepares you for the reality.

It is a massive cultural change, but one thing remains the same, people are still the same, God does not care about the colour of people's skin, he cares about the heart.

To all the people in the western world reading this, the Chinese people are a unique people, full of love, energy and joy.

I have come to call China my home, these people are my people. There is great need here, many millions have not even heard of the name of Jesus, but being here allows me to do a little, to touch a few lives.

That's all we can do in our little area of the vineyard, people are placed to come across our path, who we can reach with the gospel, these are Gift wrapped God opportunities that are given to us, so that we can share the gospel with them.

We need to pray for China, you can do this by buying the two books:

Operation World by Jason Mandryk
Operation World by Paul Hattaway

Shortly I arrived in China, I was given a specific word on praying for China.

We are like sparrows pecking at the great wall, one will make no difference, even ten thousand may not make any difference, but over time millions will.

Join me in praying for this magnificent country, my second homeland.

The website to join is

Chinapartnership.org

When God's people pray

MIRACLES HAPPEN

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY, APRIL 26TH, 2026
TOPIC: ATTRACTING GOD'S HELP II

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

MEMORISE: "With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:" Ephesians 6:7

BIBLE READING: GENESIS 18:1-10
1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

MESSAGE:
Today, I will be discussing how God's children can attract His help by serving Him willingly, joyfully, and wholeheartedly.

In today's Bible reading, when Abraham saw three men passing by his tent, he ran to meet them and invited them to take a break from their journey by resting under the shade of a nearby tree. Even though they were complete strangers, he voluntarily offered to host them, and by so doing, he unknowingly hosted God's presence. Abraham's hospitality must have prompted God to arise for him and heal the barrenness he was experiencing in his marriage. Those who serve God voluntarily always attract His help.

One day, someone asked me, "Sir, what do you think about instrumentalists who insist on being paid by churches before they minister with their instruments? Should they be paid?" I replied, "No one pays for the same service twice. If they insist on being paid before they minister, the church should pay them. However, they should not expect any special blessing from God for their service because the church has already paid them." If a fellow insists on being paid to serve God, such a fellow should not expect any special help from God on account of that service. A son who asks his father to pay him before he will wash the father's car cannot expect to enjoy the same benefits as the one who serves the father willingly and joyfully. One of the reasons I enjoy God's help today is that I left everything to serve Him when there was nothing enticing, humanly speaking, about working for Him.

There is a difference between serving man and serving God. With a man, it is possible for a fellow to get away with eye service and even get promoted, even though he or she is not serving willingly from the heart. However, God sees the heart, and if anyone serves Him unwillingly, He does not owe such a person any reward.

"And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved". 2 Corinthians 12:15

In the Scripture above, Apostle Paul expressed his willingness to spend and be spent for the work of God, not only because he loved God but also because he loved the people whom God had sent him to. Beloved, if you want to attract God's help, serve Him willingly and wholeheartedly. He is faithful, and He will never forget your labour of love (Hebrews 6:10).

KEY POINT:
Those who serve God willingly, joyfully, and wholeheartedly will attract His help and blessings.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 KINGS 22-23

HYMN 4: TO THE WORK! TO THE WORK! WE ARE SERVANTS OF GOD
1 To the work! to the work! we are servants of God,
Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;
With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew,
Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.

Refrain:
Toiling on, toiling on,
Toiling on, toiling on:
Let us hope, let us watch,
And labour till the Master comes.

2 To the work! to the work! let the hungry be fed;
To the fountain of life let the weary be led;
In the cross and its banner our glory shall be,
While we herald the tidings, "Salvation is free!"

3 To the work! to the work! there is labour for all;
For the kingdom of darkness and error shall fall;
And the name of Jehovah exalted shall be,
In the loud-swelling chorus, "Salvation is free!"

4 To the work! to the work! in the strength of the Lord,
And a robe and a crown shall our labour reward;
When the home of the faithful our dwelling shall be,
And we shout with the ransomed, "Salvation is free!"



‎PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL, Sunday 25th April, 2026-
ATTRACTING GOD'S HELP, PART 2
‎
‎PRAYER POINTS
‎✓Father, thank You for being my help in ages past, thank You because You are my hope for years to come, for in You, all hope is not lost.
‎
‎✓Father, please help me to serve You with a good will; in my relationship with You, help me not to play lip-service with You and with man
‎
‎✓Father, please help me to serve You willingly, joyfully and wholeheartedly. Help me to be given to hospitality so I won't miss the opportunity to host Your presence, in Jesus' name.
‎
‎✓Father, please help me not to serve You out of compulsion or circumstances, but to serve You voluntarily, loving You with all I am and with all I have, in Jesus' name
‎
‎✓Father, freely You saved me from sin and hell, and You have given me certain abilities and gifts, please help me to use all these to the expansion of the gospel, and not making exchange of Your grace on me for money, in Jesus' name.
‎
‎✓Father, please help me to surrender all I am to You; to forsake everything for Your service. May I not be enticed by what the devil offers to deny my allegiance to Christ Jesus.
‎
‎✓Father, please purge my heart of all deceits in my service to You. Give me a new heart that serves willingly, help me to sacrifice my time and resources even when it seems not convenient, help me to be willing and obedient, in Jesus' name.
‎
‎✓Father, I rededicate my life to You; I will very gladly serve You, spending all I have, and be spent for the work of Your kingdom, in Jesus' name.
‎
‎✓Father, please help all the missionaries that are sold out to Your service; let their love for You be on the increase and unwavering, in Jesus' name.
‎
‎✓Father, please help all Your children to love the people You have sent us to; as a vessel for the salvation of as many as possible, help us to be willing and joyful about serving You, in Jesus' name.
‎
‎✓Father, You are the faithful rewarder of those that offer their labour of love, please help me to keep my gaze on the crown of glory and as such serve You more than ever before, in Jesus' name
‎
‎✓Father, thank You for the life of Your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.
‎
‎Help him to continue to serve You willingly, joyfully,and wholeheartedly for the rest of his life, in Jesus' name. Bless his children (biological and spiritual). Help him to continue to produce sons and daughters to Your glory, in Jesus name.
‎
‎✓Father, bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points beyond measure, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus name.
‎
‎✓Father, please let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus name.
‎
‎✓Your Personal petitions.
‎(Philippians 4:6)
‎
‎✓..In Jesus name I pray.
‎(John 14:13-14; 15:16)
‎
‎#GodBlessOurNation

Why Was He Born of a Virgin?
Every miracle has a meaning and significance. Miracles do not merely declare the power of God in an abstract way unrelated to life or history, but they give meaning, change man's reality, and most importantly, they declare the nature of the new life, which is entirely different from the nature of the earthly life we live here.
The birth of the Lord from the Virgin Saint Mary was preceded by the birth of Isaac, "the son of promise," in a surpassingly miraculous way. Then the Lord Himself inaugurated the New Testament with the birth of His forerunner, John the Baptist, whose birth strikingly resembled Isaac's. The Lord sealed the birth of all these with His own birth in an even greater way; for He is the only one born of a true physical birth like that of all humans, without marriage, without an earthly father, with Joseph, the betrothed of Saint Mary, having absolutely no role...
This was to confirm:
First: The new life in Christ.
Second: Our new, heavenly birth.

#VirginBirth #Incarnation #NewLife #Theology #Miracles

Be a Wise Virgin and Keep Your Lamp Burning !

The parable of the ten virgins is one of the most serious warnings Jesus gave concerning His second coming.

Ten virgins were waiting for the bridegroom. All looked alike outwardly. All had lamps. All expected the bridegroom. Yet only five entered the wedding feast.

The difference was not appearance, but preparation.

Today many people claim Christianity, attend church, sing worship songs, and carry Bibles, but spiritually their lamps are dying.

Jesus is calling believers to become wise virgins whose lamps are still burning when He returns.

God is not looking for occasional fire; He is looking for enduring oil.

“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” — Matthew 25:13

1. The Wise Virgins Prepared Before the Bridegroom Came

Matthew 25:3–4

“They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.”

The wise virgins understood that a lamp without oil cannot survive the night.

The oil represents:

The Holy Spirit

Spiritual intimacy with God

Prayer life

Holiness

Obedience

Consistent fellowship with God

The foolish virgins had lamps but lacked reserve oil. They depended on outward appearance without inward spiritual depth.

Lesson:

A wise believer prepares before crisis comes.

Many wait until trouble comes before seeking God seriously. But spiritual preparation must happen daily.

Ephesians 5:18

Luke 18:1

2. Keep Your Spiritual Lamp Burning

Leviticus 6:12

“And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out.”

A burning lamp symbolizes:

Spiritual alertness

Passion for God

Living faith

Constant communion with God

Many believers started with fire but gradually became spiritually cold because of:

Sin

Distractions

Worldliness

Prayerlessness

Compromise

Wrong associations

God does not want believers whose lamps once burned. He wants believers whose lamps are still burning.

How to Keep Your Lamp Burning:

A. Through Prayer

The First Epistle to the Thessalonians 5:17

B. Through the Word of God

Psalms 119:105

C. Through Holiness

Hebrews 12:14

D. Through Fellowship with the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:25

3. Delay Is a Test of Spiritual Endurance

Matthew 25:5

“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.”

The bridegroom delayed, and this exposed the true condition of each virgin.

Sometimes God allows waiting seasons to reveal:

Genuine faith

Spiritual maturity

Patience

Endurance

Anyone can appear spiritual for a short season, but only disciplined believers can remain faithful during delay.

Warning:
Do not allow delay to kill your fire.

Some people stop praying because answers delayed.

Some stop serving God because life became difficult.

Some compromise because they became tired of waiting.

But wise virgins continue burning even in dark seasons.

James 1:12

Isaiah 40:31

4. The Cry at Midnight Is Coming

Matthew 25:6

“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh.”

Midnight represents:

Unexpected moments

Spiritual darkness

Critical times

The sudden return of Christ

Jesus will return suddenly. The question is not whether He is coming — the question is whether your lamp will still be burning.

Church attendance alone cannot save anyone.

Religious titles cannot replace true spiritual readiness.

God is searching for believers who are prepared internally

Peter 5:8

Revelation 16:15

5. Oil Cannot Be Borrowed at the Last Minute

Matthew 25:8–9

The foolish virgins asked for oil from the wise, but it was too late.

There are some things nobody can borrow for you:

Personal relationship with God

Prayer life

Holiness

Spiritual discipline

Salvation

Your pastor’s fire cannot replace your own fire.
Your parents’ faith cannot replace your own faith.

Every believer must personally build intimacy with God.

6. The Door Was Shut

Matthew 25:10

“And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.”

One of the saddest statements in Scripture is: “the door was shut.”

This teaches us:

Opportunity will not last forever

Grace has a time window

Preparation must happen now

Today is the day to repent.
Today is the day to return to God.
Today is the day to refill your lamp.

Signs of a Wise Virgin

A wise virgin:

Lives watchfully

Guards holiness

Loves prayer

Studies God’s Word

Walks in obedience

Avoids compromise

Remains spiritually awake

Keeps intimacy with the Holy Spirit

Endures faithfully until the end

Conclusion

The difference between the wise and foolish virgins was not church attendance, appearance, or confession. The difference was oil preparedness.

Jesus is still asking believers today:
“Is your lamp still burning?”

Do not allow the cares of this world to extinguish your fire.

Do not allow sin to drain your oil.

Do not allow spiritual laziness to destroy your destiny.

Be a wise virgin.

Keep your lamp burning.

Stay ready for the coming of the Lord.

Prayer Points

Lord, fill my life afresh with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

Father, let my spiritual fire never go out.

Deliver me from spiritual laziness and compromise.

Help me to remain watchful and prepared for Your coming.

Let my lamp keep burning until the end.

Give me grace to walk in holiness and obedience.

Lord, make me a wise virgin in Jesus’ name.

God bless you
Pastor Abiodun Kadri

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