Joy – Page 5 – Prince Chimaobim – Royal Life Ministries

THANKFUL FOR JUNE 2023

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Friday June 30, 2023

THANKFUL FOR JUNE 2023

Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
II Samuel 22:50 [KJV]

Colossians 3:17 says, ‘And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.’ Whatever you do in word or deed, give thanks to God. Thanksgiving is what brings perfection to whatever you do in word or deed. For instance, prayer is not acceptable without thanksgiving accompanying it (see Philippians 4:6). Thanksgiving is the common denominator for a life of wonders. From 1st June to this last day of June, we have seen the hand of Yahweh releasing deluge of His Word daily for us. The Word has not been scarce at all and for that we owe Him thanks. Here at #WordForTodayDevotional, we dedicate the last day of the month as our thanksgiving day, where we celebrate the grace of Yahweh that has led us thus far in the month. If you are joining us for the first time, get set to thank Yahweh abundantly today, II Thessalonians 2:13, says that we are bound to give thanks to Yahweh always. It is a duty we owe the Lord. Itemize the things for which you are going to be giving thanks and in the list could be items that are yet to be done. Thank Yahweh profusely for them. As you are thanking Yahweh for what you are expecting Him to do, you are prophesying to that item that it is already done. Let see some benefits of returning to the Lord with thanksgiving:

THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

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Thursday June 29, 2023

THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Hebrews 13:15 (KJV)

A sacrifice is something that costs you something. It is a great value given to propitiate a being. II Samuel 24:24 showed us an example; “And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” The sacrifice of praise is praise that costs you something. It is praise that is not convenient and which tasks on your will and emotions. It is praise that is required at the most inconvenient time in your life. We shall see an example of the people that offered the sacrifice of praise. Anyone can thank Yahweh and praise Him when the going is smooth and great, but when all situations are contrary, and you still praise, it is a sacrifice at that time. It is important to note that sacrifice brings about speedy divine intervention. We saw how the sacrifice that King David gave brought about divine intervention and termination of the plague. That sacrifice also made that place a landmark till all eternity as the place the temple was later built. Sacrifice is very powerful.

THE STIMULANT FOR PRAISE

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Wednesday June 28, 2023

THE STIMULANT FOR PRAISE

I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil
Psalms 119:162 (KJV)

The Word of life is the greatest stimulant for unending praise. Yahweh’s Word is the energy required for a life of praise. Just catch it, celebrate it, and you are on your way up! “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalms 119:165) That is why those who are hooked up to the Word are not edgy or easily provoked, but are balanced in their approach to the things of life. They are not controlled or ruled by what they see. Rather, they are ruled by what is written, what they have seen in the Word of Yahweh. In every situation they can see Yahweh saying, “I have a way out for you.” So they keep celebrating the ways of Yahweh, before it becomes “flesh”. Your affection for the Word of Yahweh is what determines the quality of your praise. This is because you praise Him, not for happenings in your life, but for what is written. Your confidence in the Word will command rest in your life; and rest is what provokes praise.

RENDER ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (2): BY LIVING WITH A JOYFUL HEART

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Monday June 26, 2023

RENDER ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (2): BY LIVING WITH A JOYFUL HEART

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
James 5:13 (KJV)

What makes praise melodious or noise to Yahweh is the heart from where it is emanating. II Chronicles 16:9 says that the eyes of the LORD runs to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. A king Amaziah did what was right but not with a perfect heart, so what he did was discounted (see II Chronicles 25:2). It is only praise that comes from a merry heart that is satisfactory. You are not qualified to sing until your heart is merry. Until you are full of joy or showing high-spirited playfulness, you are not qualified to sing. If you have followed the devotional from first of June, you would have seen that real praise can only be done from a joyful, grateful heart. It goes most times with demonstrations, like Yadah, would require you to throw your hands up in adoration; halal will require you to praise with reckless abandon and be clamorously foolish in both your eyes and that of others. You can never do those things, if you are depressed or moody. The foundation and requirement for acceptable praise is a joyful grateful heart. Until that is in place, it is noise that you are making before the Lord. You can sing without actually praising Yahweh. Many people sing for different reasons and with different motives in their hearts, which make their songs of no effect.

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (6): NEGATIVE PAST

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Saturday June 24, 2023

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (6): NEGATIVE PAST

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

Isaiah 43:18 (KJV)

Negative past talks about events in your past that when you remember them, you are full of hurt, resentment, hate, vengeful, bitter and depressed. The habit of looking back at past failures is an enemy of praise. You can’t live a life of praise until you let go of the negative past. For instance, if you are driving a car forward, and rather than facing your front, you concentrate on looking backward, you know of course that you are heading for a ghastly motor accident. Lay all the troubles of the past to rest! If you have lost anything, He is the reason why you have not lost everything. You can’t praise Him with burdens. Looking at your negative past all the time will make things negative in your life. Let them go! The Bible says anyone who puts his hand on the plough and looks back, is not worthy of the kingdom (see Luke. 9:62). That means he is not fit for the blessings of the kingdom.

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (4): HIGH-MINDEDNESS

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Thursday June 22, 2023

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (4): HIGH-MINDEDNESS

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Romans 11:20 (KJV)

Highmindedness is one of the greatest enemies of praise. It is a condition where an individual sees everything as below his expectation. He sees himself as too much for where he is and hardly appreciates the acts of Yahweh in his life. As a matter of fact, Yahweh is too slow for him. This is nothing but a device of the enemy to turn one against Yahweh, by portraying Him as unfaithful and slow. The Bible says that in the last days, men shall be high-minded, lovers of pleasures and of self more than lovers of Yahweh (see 2 Timothy.3:2-5). They are never satisfied and they celebrate their qualifications and expertise at the expense of their relationship with Yahweh. At the end of the day, Yahweh leaves them to themselves. But 1 Timothy 6:17 says, ‘Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.‘ Life is in phases! Until you accept the reality of that statement, you may be phased out. You must appreciate the fact that you are where you are now, by the faithfulness of Yahweh. So, whatever you possess is not as a result of your expertise, but the hand of Yahweh upon your life.

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (2): COVETOUSNESS

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Tuesday June 20, 2023

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (2): COVETOUSNESS

And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luke 12:15 (KJV)

Covetousness is an attitude marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another’s possessions. It is showing extreme cupidity (extreme greed for material wealth); painfully desirous of another’s advantages. Another obstacle to a life of praise is covetousness. Nothing is ever enough for the covetous. People are running helter-skelter daily, because they are under the plague of covetousness. Oh yes, it is a plague which wipes smiles off its victim’s face. The worth of a man is not in what he possesses. But what is the cure for covetousness? 1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, ‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.’ Contentment is the answer to covetousness. The Holy Spirit makes us understand that everybody has what it takes to be contented. He said, “And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.” Note that it says, “having food”, not “foods”; “and raiment”, not “raiments.” Godliness with contentment is great gain. That means contentment is your open door to great gains in life. Why? With contentment, you maintain a praiseful lifestyle, which would bring you outstanding liftings. It is impossible to maintain joy where contentment is absent.

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (1): THE SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS

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Monday June 19, 2023

OBSTACLES TO ACCEPTABLE PRAISE (1): THE SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS

Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
Psalms 69:20 (KJV)

The spirit of heaviness is an enemy of praise. It is not a state of the mind, neither is it an attitude. It is a spirit – a force in the realm of the unseen. Its victim is not down because of any negative thing that has happened to him; he is depressed most times without even knowing why! He wonders what life is all about. I believe that was the spirit that came upon Elijah when he fled from Jezebel. He said, “… It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” (1 Kings 19:4.). Until the spirit of heaviness goes, praise, which is your guarantee to the high places in life, cannot flow. But Isaiah 61:1,3 says, ‘The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to… appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…’

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (1): PROVOKES/PROCURES HARVESTS

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Friday June 9, 2023

DIVIDENDS OF PRAISE (1): PROVOKES/PROCURES HARVESTS

5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
Psalms 67:5-7 [KJV]

Praise provokes the release of your harvest. Even when you are a cheerful and consistent giver, you still need praise to turn your seed into harvest. When you praise Yahweh, His blessings upon your life become inexhaustible. No matter what you do in the kingdom of Yahweh, until you have praised Him, you cannot be fruitful. Behind every prosperous life is the mystery of praise. This is because praise effectively waters the seeds you sow – your services and offerings in the kingdom. David was a mighty seed sower and was also a praising king. As a result, he became a mighty man on the earth! The more you praise Him, the more meaningful your life becomes! The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your praise. Let’s give it to Him! I’d like you to know this: Yahweh owes you nothing, for He has done all things well. Rather, you owe Him praise. And as you praise Him, you won’t need to struggle for your needs to be met any more; they will be met of their own accord. Remember that the presence of Yahweh is the environment that man was created to live in and for his life to produce fruits and harvests, he must continue to exist in the presence of Yahweh. What the soil is to the plant is what the presence of Yahweh is to the life of man. Without the presence of Yahweh we wither and die.

PRAISE IS YOUR PURPOSE

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Tuesday June 6, 2023

PRAISE IS YOUR PURPOSE

This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
Isaiah 43:21 (KJV)

Purpose is the original intention for the creation of a thing. For everything created there was a purpose behind the manufacturer’s mind for the making of that thing. Man is the creation of Yahweh and He didn’t leave us ignorant of the purpose for Him making man. Dr Myles says that if purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. The reason there is so much abuse of purpose in the human race is because for most part, most people don’t even know the purpose for which they are alive. They were born into a routine of being born, going to school, getting a job or starting an enterprise, getting married and giving birth to children, growing old and dying. Most people go through this routine and for them, that is life. No wonder, there is so much bustle in the rat race. Everyone wants to beat everyone else. For the majority, there is no consciousness of purpose at all. Consequently, what you don’t know you can’t pursue. The good news is that man has a purpose for his making and it can be discovered. There is the general purpose of man and there is the specific purpose of man. The specific purpose gives the individual the specific ways to fulfil the general purpose. By all means the general purpose is the life assignment of man and that is to show forth the praises of the Yahweh; to bring Yahweh praise and glory. Whatever man is doing that does not fulfil this purpose is a wasted life and securing an eternity in agony and anguish. Though praising Yahweh is our purpose, it is only the living that can praise the Lord (see Isaiah 38:19). Ephesians 2:1 says that we were dead in trespasses and sins. Apostle Paul says that the law came and sin revived in him, thereby killing him (see Romans 7:9). Sin kills and Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of Yahweh. Therefore, everyone born of a woman was born in sin, consequently, spiritually dead. That implies that you cannot praise Yahweh until you are alive and living.