The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Stay Strong In Faith "No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God" (Romans 4:20 AMP)  To eventually experience the reality of the victory that has been declared ours, we must stay strong in faith. We must without any doubt retain absolute trust in God regardless of what may have happened. Not dilly-dallying when things get hard, but to actually stay affixed to the truth of His Word received.  Let's learn from Abraham. The scripture says that even though the odds were against him, he trusted God's Word to be true to become the father of many nations (Romans 4:18). The becoming was a product of the believing. It may not have happened overnight, but it became so the day he believed, and in staying strong he saw it through to the end.  He didn't let the conditions deter his faith, rather he overcame it all through his fait

 DAILY VITAMIN  - God Sees Past Your Limitations  "...Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed" (Romans 4:17 AMP)  Do you ever feel like you're not good enough? Well, don't be, because God knows you are good enough. It may not seem like you have gotten everything in order yet, or that you could possibly meet those dreams He's placed in your heart, but believe the God who made you when He says you are.  In our opening verse, the scripture says that God calls those things which be not as though they were. This isn't referring to His power in creation, but His natural habit. You see,  God doesn't look at you and see the man you are, He looks at you and see the man He says you are. He sees past your present struggles to declare all He has made you to be. So while you are seeing an unfit person, God sees a man that can do all things through His strength in him. You might see

  DAILY VITAMIN  - The Power Of Favour "I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say, How and in what way have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord; yet I loved Jacob (Israel)" (Malachi 1:2 AMP)  The scripture tells us that from the beginning God loved Jacob. And even though Jacob made a lot of mistakes, God's favour found him and set him up again. He kept rising beyond the expectation of his antecedents. But who can judge? That's what favour does.  Another man who can relate to this is David. The Bible says he found favour in God's sight, and even though he didn't have the qualification for honour, God qualified and honoured him in the highest possible ways.  In confession of this, he said "LORD,  by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled" (Psalm 30:7). The favour of God took him to the top and kept him there even when he wasn't the most talented or the toughes

  DAILY VITAMIN - Pray Big, Pray Bold "...you who [are His servants and by your prayers] put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silence" (Isaiah 62:6 AMP)  We are admonished to constantly remind God of His promises, and being ever faithful He will never fail us. That means if ever you find yourself in a difficult situation, get into God's Word, and find a promise that addresses your case. When it seems as though everything and everyone are conniving to bring you down, you just say to Him, "God You said no weapon formed against me shall ever prosper. You said They shall come in one way and flee in seven; for you the Lord are my refuge".  When you receive a negative prognosis, be quick to say "God You said You will restore health unto me, and heal me of all my wounds". When you don't know where your next meal will come from, say "God You said You are my shepherd and so I can never be in want. You said the young lion may suffer h

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Understanding Your Purpose At Every Given Moment "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,  and ordained you, that yesterday should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (John 15:16) For every moment in time, there is a given purpose. Nothing happens by mistake. God places each and every one of us in certain situations often times for certain reasons; and discovering this reason is the key to experiencing a fullness of life in it.  David told us that our steps are ordered by God, and He sets us unto delightful paths (Psalm 37:23). In other words, nothing God leads us to is ever to hurt us, but to serve certain purposes in time. Our theme scripture tells us that He chose us and blessed us with capacity for it. So, even when we feel incapacitated, He knows we have the ability to understand and overcome.  The Bible spoke of the men of Issachar who understood

  DAILY VITAMIN  - There's No Negotiation "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." (Philippians 2:10) Read those words carefully again; it is not a negotiation. It's not something we have a sit-down to discuss the terms. The scripture says at the mention of the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow; it didn't say some; it didn't say in given circumstances. He said all shall bow in all circumstances.  With this in mind, you can now understand that if ever you come across any form of demonic oppression, and it appears as though nothing happens when you use the Name, it is not because the devil is stronger, and it's also not because the Name isn't effective, it's because of you. And this results from one of two things: either we acted in fear and not faith, as the disciples before the lunatic child that wouldn't be healed until Jesus came and rebuked the demon Himself, o

  DAILY VITAMIN - Arise ! "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee" (Isaiah 60:1-2) Everyone loves that verse, but ironically not everyone lives it. We have to understand that it isn't an expectation, it is our reality; our responsibility; it is what God expects of us today. Let's see it from the Amplified Version. It says "Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you... rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!"  Two things we learn from there are that (1)  God is not planning on lighting you up, He already illuminated you . You're not like some Christmas tree that gets lit during a certain period of time, you are constantly lighte

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Righteousness Is By Faith "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17) Our theme scripture tells us that the Word of God reveals that the righteousness of God is by faith. The entire scriptures prove that to be true. We never merited it, it was imparted to us in Christ (Romans 3:22). But one may argue, then how come Abraham was called righteous?  Abraham was declared righteous not because of his deeds, but because of his faith- because he believed (Romans 4:3). Yet even at that he wasn't referred to as a son of God, neither was any other patriach after Adam, as we are today; because his righteousness was simply symbolic as to how righteousness shall be attained only by faith.  But we through Christ are not only declared righteous but also children of God. And this is possible because if it took the first Adam to make us sinners, it would take only the "second A

DAILY VITAMIN  - It Is Because Of Christ In You "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) David opened one of his Psalms saying that it is not unto us, but unto thy name O Lord (115:1), and I concur. It is not in us to please God, it is only in Him to help us please Him. Scripture says it is not by might nor by power to do anything at all, but by His Spirit.... by His grace (Zechariah 4:6-7). And that's the secret of Christ in you. That's the mystery - Christ working in and through you to do of His goodwill.  Romans 1:5 tells us that it's all about the Son of God "by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name". So, it is He who helps us walk as is expected of us; and thus the more we release and submit ourselves to Him, the more we walk as He pleases. Philippians 2:13 says it is

  DAILY VITAMIN  - His Mercy Is Upon You "And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation." (Luke 1:50) The Songwriter said " Great is Thy mercy towards me "; but while a lot of people couldn't understand her temerity in uttering that statement since it wasn't a plea but a plain declaration, Mary tells us why. She said "And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation"; revealing that mercy isn't something the Christian prays for, but something (s)he simply and naturally obtains by virtue of what Christ has attained on his/her behalf.  In Hebrews 4, we are told that we have a High Priest in Christ who understands all we are going through and has prepared for it; and so now we can go boldly to the throne of grace, "that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (v. 16). The word "obtain" is only applicable when what is to be received one way or the other has been mad

  DAILY VITAMIN  - The Gift Is For All "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues" (Mark 16:17) In Christ, everyone can be used. Whether it is to heal or to exhort, anybody can be used by Him. The criteria isn't the positions we attained in the Church system, but our faith. The theme verse says it is to ALL them that believe. ALL shall be able to cast out devils in the Name of Jesus, and ALL shall speak in heavenly language since they shall all have received the Holy Spirit.  With those words of Christ in mind, we know that there's no monopoly in Christianity. Everyone is a recipient of this glorious package. The scripture says it is to you, your children, and all who shall believe (Acts 2:39). So, don't let anyone tell you that only a selected few can learn to know God or demonstrate His power; everyone can partake of it. This is a salient point; the gift is for all. Please understa

  DAILY VITAMIN - We Stand Strong Together   "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not anyone to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not easily broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) Nothing holds the fort better than a United front. Unity makes us stronger; whether as a family, a church, an organization, or what have you. Unity keeps us firm. Little wonder Jesus' prayer for the Church was for oneness amongst us all (John 17:21). And soon enough we understood why.  The scripture says they were all of "one heart and of one soul" (Acts 4:32); and as a result no one lacked anything. They hid each other's weaknesses and augmented their strengths as well. But more importantly as a product of

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Set Your Heart On Eternity "Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting." (2 Corinthians 4:18 AMP)  Jesus tells us that it is unwise to live our lives as though it ended here. He said no sort of such is worth it if it leads to the loss of our souls in hell (Matt 16:26), because nothing matches a soul Jesus died to random in value.  You see, consider this: If it would take you a day to get to a place where you would spend the next decade, which would be important to you - what you would need for the day trip, or what you would need for the 10-year stay?  But ironically, many live only for the day's trip. Understand that our life doesn't end here. This earth is just the beginning. These frail bodies of our may die, but spirits are eternal; and so we never truly die down her

  DAILY VITAMIN  - You Have Been Sanctified "...but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God". (1 Corinthians 6:11) It is imperative as Christians to know that, even though we are obliged to walk in the Spirit of sanctification, it is not in our power to work out sanctification because we have already been sanctified by the Spirit of Christ in His Name.  With this understanding, it all makes sense. You see,  it would be impossible to clean what has already been cleaned. That's what sanctification means; being cleaned, without a past or a before, only a now in Christ. But it is possible to live in the newness of that identity, and that's what God expects of us.  And how do we do this? Scripture says those who turn to God receive forgiveness and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith (Acts 26:18). So there we see that the believers are already sanctified; however in Acts 20:32

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Why Should It Be Thought Incredible?  "Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?" (Acts 26:8 AMP)  When Paul spoke those words to Agrippa, he was actually assenting to Christ's words in Matthew 19:26. Jesus said that many things are impossible with men, but all things are possible with God. He left no room for doubt, and placed no limits to what God can do. In short, God has no limitations.  This same Paul wrote to the church that He is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20). Agrippa couldn't quite comprehend the certainty of this truth, but it doesn't take anything from it. God can do anything.  In our theme scripture, Paul asserts that even the greatest of miracles - a resurrection - is nothing but child's play to God; because He is unlimited in power and grace to do all things. With this in mind, tell me then you who ha

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Power Over Plagues "There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent." (Psalm 91:10 AMP)  The Revelations spoke of a God 'who has power over these plagues' (Rev 16:9). It doesn't matter the kind; and that God is our God. Our theme scripture says because of Him "shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling". And we can trust those words, because he who wrote them had a first hand experience of its authenticity.  First, we see Moses in the book of Exodus reverse every plague that befell Egypt in the name of the Lord; proving to us the sovereignty of God and His supremacy over all things.  But second, and more importantly, we see how he declared the habitation of the people of God-Goshen-a plague free zone, and it was so. Plagues surrounded Egypt, but none neared Goshen, because the Lord has power over all plagues, and those who abide in His presence are safe from them.  Little w

  DAILY VITAMIN  - There's Always Something To Be Thankful For  "No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18 TLB)  Yes! There's always something to be thankful for. In the midst of the darkness, there's always light. You might not see it, or might have to look deeper and farther, but it's always there; that's why God expects thanksgiving in all situations.  You see, things might not have panned out how you'd hoped they would, but even at that, there's still something worth giving thanks for in your life. For instance, you may not be where you want to be, but you're also not where you use to be. You are in motion.  When I think about all the things I assumed I wanted but never got, there's always this urge to feel disappointed or discouraged, but then I remember all the things I had and those things I never thought I needed but got. They might not seem like

  DAILY VITAMIN  - God's Word Works All The Time "As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him." (Psalm 18:30 AMP)  In our theme verse, David affirmed that God's way never fails. When He tells us to follow certain paths and patterns in life, it is because they will inevitably bring us to a future He has designed for us; and we can count on Him. He continues, saying, that this is because His Word is tried and tested, and never disappoints those who trust Him for it. I can tell that that could be you and I today; because it was David in his day, and he testified afterwards that by it God made his feet swift and strong and brought him into a high and wealthy place (Psalm 18:19, 33). Even Habakkuk had the same testimony. He said that though things did not work out as he had planned, but he kept rejoicing at God's Word and God eventually brought him into a high place (3:

  DAILY VITAMIN  - God Expects Us To Bear Fruit "Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." (John 15:2 AMP)  Our theme scripture tells us that God demands fruits from us. These are the results of your Christian walk that draw others towards Him. Like a light that guides others in the dark. And verse 16 of that same scripture tells us that is why He selected and sent us. He said whoever doesn't bear fruit shall be purged out; and he that does shall be pruned for more. That is to tell you that regardless of circumstance God expects us to bear fruit.  Let me explain better. In Mark 11, the Bible says Jesus was passing through Bethany; and while on the way found a fig tree. He expected to find fruit on it but found none since it wasn't the season of figs yet, but still He curse

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Why God Wants You To Prosper  "Say it again: The Lord of Hosts declares that the cities of Israel will again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Jerusalem and bless her and live in her." (Zechariah 1:17 TLB)  The scripture says that "God will return to Jerusalem with mercies.... and thy cities through prosperity shall spread forth; for He shall yet comfort Zion, and He shall yet choose Jerusalem" (Zechariah 1:16-17). How wonderful! More than anything, God wants His people to prosper. We are told that He rejoices at this (Psalm 35:27); and in the New Testament speaking through John said "I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper, and be in good health, even as thy soul prospers" (3 John 2). So it isn't a myth; God does want you to prosper - be it in health, in your career, in your relationships, in your finances, or otherwise. For instance, He says you would lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10); what does that