The Oscar Ajoku Blog: Daily Vitamin Devotional

  DAILY VITAMIN - God Has Prepared For Your Future "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou came forth out of the womb I sanctified thee... " (Jeremiah 1:5) God has you covered. The Bible says He possessed your reins and covered you even while you were still in the womb (Psalm 139:13). It also says your substance is visible to Him (v. 15). That means God can see who you are, who you were, and who you can be and are going to be.  In short, God knows your tomorrow just as well as He knows your today. It may seem like an uncertainty to you, but it is not to Him. He's been there and back. Furthermore, there is nothing like an uncertainty with God; He is all-knowing, and He knows all about you. And that's why I can tell you for a fact that God already has everything in place for you to be everything He says you will.  He has the right people coming your way. He has the right opportunities set before you. He has created solutions to problems you haven

  DAILY VITAMIN - Loving People "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love" (Romans 12:10) The greatest commandment tells us to love God, and the second instructs us to love people. The two go together. There's no way you can claim to love God and not be given to loving people. John 15 says that if we abide in His love, we'd bear fruit. And what is this fruit? Those qualities that reveal the Father in us; of which the first is love. Remember Jesus said people will know you're from me if you love one another (John 13:35). In his letter to Philemon, Paul commends him about his love and faith towards the Lord and people; and then tells him that in this way all he affirms to believe would be best communicated to all around as they see the similarities he shares with our loving God (v. 5-6). You see, God loves people. The scripture says He so loved us that He would not let us perish and so gave us the gift of life (John 3:16). He cares for us; that's

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Don't Cry, Trust Instead "Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them." (Psalm 22:4) God has never failed, and His flawless record reassures me every day that He never will. That's why I can confidently tell you that regardless of what you are going through, it would be more profitable for you if you'd trust God rather than spend all day in tears. David said he waited patiently for the Lord, and He heard his cry (Psalm 40:1); but we can tell that it wasn't the crying that got His attention, it was the trusting- the waiting patiently upon Him in faith.  Some years back when I was at my lowest, God taught me this. I had just received some disappointing news even though I believed I had done more than was expected to evade it. At the moment, I was ready to give up on everything, downing myself in tears and self-pity, and right there on my bed God spoke to me. He said " When you have a problem that makes you cry a

  DAILY VITAMIN - You Matter "And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost" (Luke 15:6) Are you familiar with the parable of the lost sheep? The Shepherd headed for sheepcote with his flock, but when he had kept them in, he found one missing. And so he returned the same way looking for the sheep who had been stuck in a thicket or perhaps even wandered miles off track, found it, and hoisted it upon his shoulder, returning home with joy.  He had his 99, yet he wouldn't give up till he got his one back. And that's how God feels about you too because you matter to Him. Yes, I said it,  you matter. It doesn't matter how downwards you may have slid into that addiction or that depression, God is not leaving you on your own. He's not planning on abandoning you. He's coming for you till He's found you again.  You may have given up on yourself, but not God. He

  DAILY VITAMIN - Your Best Days Are Before You (2) "Behold, at the time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame" (Zephaniah 3:19) That situation you're in may think it's got you, but do not fret, it's got nothing. The Bible says the Lord is laughing at it because its end is coming (Psalm 37:13). It won't see your end, but you will see it. Yes, you will see it, and praise God without bounds on that day. Just trust God. Trust in His Word. Trust in His process. He won't fail you.  Just go ahead and keep honouring Him with your life, and He promises to reward you with greater days. He said you will dwell in abundance and be satisfied where you were once starved (Psalm 37:3-5). It's not over for you yet. Never forget that. Continually affirm it all day every day; remember He promises to fulfill the number of y

  DAILY VITAMIN  - Your Best Days Are Before You (1) "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:19) A couple of years back, an aunt of mine was diagnosed with multiple tumors. The diagnosis was so complicated that they couldn't tell if it was cancer or what. But the doctor's remarks didn't inspire confidence. Almost like he was saying "There's no hope. Just see out your last few days" in the most subtle way.  We couldn't blame him because truly how can one treat what one doesn't understand. They didn't understand, but God understands all things. For the next five years, she sat on a plastic chair all day, and laid on the ground all night with her now excessively bloated abdomen, but God kept reassuring us in His Word that He would come through for her. So we kept praying and we kept believing.  All through those years no h

 DAILY VITAMIN  - Your Days Of Dominion Are Here "And saviours shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's" (Obadiah 21) The scripture says in these days of our time Zion shall be exalted above the other mountains of the world (Micah 4:1). It says that it shall be because saviours shall walk in and out of her. And who are these saviours? Us - the ambassadors of Christ on the earth.  You may wonder how I can be cool with calling you a saviour especially when it seems like you are trapped as well like a lot of other persons in multiple hardships? Well, God said He has freed you from that prison, and has given you double compensation (Zechariah 9:11-12). That's why He is saying you have all it takes to shine forth to them still in the dark (Isaiah 60:1-3).  He said He will strengthen you and bless you until you can audaciously  walk up and down in dominion in His Name (Zechariah 10:6-12). And that in those days, even the w

 DAILY VITAMIN - It's Not Time To Give Up Yet "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Deut 31:6) Years ago, an experiment was conducted using a predator and its prey. The researchers placed a Barracuda and a Spanish Mackerel in the same tank. Normally within seconds the Barracuda would devour the Spanish Mackerel, and so they put an invisible glass partition between both creatures.  But for every time the Barracuda sought to go for the kill, it collided with the barrier, bruising itself. It kept at it for hours until it wore out. Then the researchers quietly removed the partition, but found out the barracuda wouldn't go for its prey anymore. And so they remained that way, one on each side of the tank.  So, what do you think caused it? Why wouldn't the barracuda attack the mackerel anymore? Simple! It gave up. It met resistance one too many t

  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