OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR THURSDAY 1 MAY 2014 - "HOW PREPARED ARE YOU?" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR THURSDAY 1 MAY 2014 - "HOW PREPARED ARE YOU?" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

MEMORY VERSE: Proverbs 4:7

 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 

READ: MATTHEW 25:1-2

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

MESSAGE


Wisdom has been described as the right application of knowledge. This is reflected in a person’s active and constant preparation for success. A wise man prays when others play, fasts when others feast and plans when others loaf around doing nothing. There is no gainsaying the fact that spiritual and physical success depends on active and constant preparation. One who fails to plan has already planned to fail. How prepared are you?

A study of the scriptures will reveal many ingredients for active and constant preparation. These include determination, endurance, seriousness and faithfulness. Determination is an indispensable requirement for spiritual and physical success. This is resolution and firmness of purpose. It takes determination to be successful in life, business, marriage and ministry. How determined are you? Added to determination is endurance. 

To endure means to suffer, to undergo pain, hardship, difficulties, problems and all sorts of hard situations without giving up. There is always a price for good success. Endurance requires discipline – self-discipline. To enjoy spiritual and physical success, you have to discipline yourself. Discipline your appetite for food. 

Discipline your desire for sleep and comfort. Discipline yourself in prayer and fasting, and discipline your tongue. Another ingredient for good success is seriousness. This is the active part of determination. Seriousness means acting on success. It is possible for someone to desire to be successful, endure pain, hardship and difficulties without becoming really serious about success. To demonstrate seriousness about success, you identify those things that will make you successful and act on them. One who is serious about success does not play with opportunities. He or she would rather make the best use of them. An important aspect of seriousness is faithfulness. To achieve good and enduring success, you must be faithful. Faithfulness denotes being completely loyal to a cause. You must be faithful to God who is the author of good success. You must be faithful to yourself and the assignment entrusted to your hands, and you must be faithful to others. It takes strong will to be faithful, and the one who aspires to be faithful must be diligent. Diligence means whole hearted searching. In your quest for good success, seek the Lord with all your heart and serve Him in holiness and truth.

ACTION POINT: 

Think about opportunities you have missed in the recent past, what better level of preparation would have helped you to take those opportunities. Start preparing for your next opportunity now.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: REVELATION 12-15; PSALM 94