Your Refreshing Daily Devotional

I was a guest minister at the Fulfilling Word Assembly, Port-Harcourt, Nigeria on June 8, 2025. I was asked to speak on LIVE IN THE WORD. At the end of my teaching, I led the people to pray for themselves and the congregation that we would not suffer a famine of the word. Experiencing a famine of the word keeps one in a blind spot and general confusion. It is by far worse than a famine of food and water.

A famine of the word will not only leave us scratching for survival, but also confused…Laughing during famine, as Job 5:22 says, is reserved for those who can access the voice of God.

From different Bible accounts, we notice that the famine of bread is not a new phenomenon. There was a famine in the days of Abraham. Both Isaac and Jacob had famine in their days as well. Access to the word of God became their compass at such times and helped them to survive. Elijah was instructed to go to Cherith where he was fed by ravens and drank water from the brook. When the brook dried up, the word of the Lord came to him again to go to Zarephath. In his new location, a widow sustained him all through the famine. Connecting with the word of God will invariably lead to the place of abundance amid scarcity. One of the greatest prayers we can make is to ask God not to afflict us with the famine of the word. A famine of the word will not only leave us scratching for survival, but also confused. Saul suffered a famine of the word; and ended up going to the witch at Endor. It was one of the reasons he ended miserably. Laughing during famine, as Job 5:22 says, is reserved for those who can access the voice of God.

The United States of America holds the unenviable record in wrongful convictions. It is on record that since 1989, about 2,400 persons jailed were eventually exonerated. Thirty-six states and Washington, DC, now have laws that offer compensation for exonerees. The federal standard to compensate those who are wrongfully convicted is a minimum of $50,000 per year of incarceration, plus an additional amount for each year spent on death row. But can financial compensation make up for lost years? How do such individuals pull through without breaking down mentally? Anthony Ray Hinton’s case offers some insight. He spent 30 years of his life on death row. He was arrested and charged with two-count first-degree murder. He protested his innocence to the detective who arrested him. Surprisingly, the officer said that he didn’t care whether he shot the victim or not, but he was going to make sure he was convicted, and sure he did. It took 30 years before new evidence emerged. At retrial, he was found innocent.

With a sound, strong spirit, anyone can overcome unjust and difficult situations.

Anthony’s resolve was shaped by his upbringing. His mother taught him never to quit in any situation. That came in handy in those trying periods of his life. He overcame the temptation to be bitter with a personal philosophy, he knew that bitterness kills the soul. The scripture is true when it says, “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?” Proverbs 18:14 NKJV. With a sound, strong spirit, anyone can overcome unjust and difficult situations.

In our previous meditation, we established the connection between prayer and the fire of the Lord. We saw that unless we are acquainted with prayer, the fervency of the spirit, which is one evidence of the fire, cannot be attained. However, it is not only for the fire that we have to pray. The Bible enjoins us to pray for kings and those in authority, as this is what ensures our peaceful living. These may be people who have elective or appointed roles, they may be regular or situational leaders; what counts is that we should pray for them. Adhering to this instruction can help safeguard our leaders from errors and lapses in judgment – missteps that could significantly impact our collective well-being. 

When you pray for leaders, you are praying for yourself.

Here is an illustration. On March 22, 1994, Aeroflot flight SU593, en route Moscow to Hong Kong, crashed about four hours into the flight. The entire 75 passengers and crew died in that accident. The ill-fated plane was a brand new Airbus A310 with no technical problems. Investigation revealed that the captain had on board his two children who were going abroad for holidays for the first time. In the course of the flight, the captain welcomed his children into the cockpit; and having put the plane on autopilot, gave up his seat for them to have a feel of flying. It was when his 15-year old son took over that the autopilot partially disengaged and plunged the plane into crisis. The captain never regained control of the plane until it crashed. It was a lapse in judgment by the pilot, the leader, but so many innocent lives paid dearly for it. When you pray for leaders, you are praying for yourself.

The Bible consistently establishes the inseparable relationship between prayer and the fire of the Lord. By the way, the fire of the Lord also has two sides. Sometimes, it serves as a punitive measure against those who remain unrepentant. At other times, it is a sign of divine approval or a demonstration of God’s power. Let us illustrate both. For the umpteenth time, Numbers 11:1 shows Israel’s tendency to grumble. Only this time, God had had enough. So He sent fire which destroyed some of them. It was in response to that fire that Moses offered the  prayer recorded in our text, and the fire stopped. 

The Bible consistently establishes the inseparable relationship between prayer and the fire of the Lord…Prayer is the access to the fire of the Lord.

The power of prayer is also evident in other instances. Whereas prayer quenched fire in this place, it brought down the fire of the Lord in some other places. At the dedication of the temple, Solomon offered a lengthy and heartfelt prayer. In response, fire came down from heaven. “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.” (2Chronicles 7:1). Elijah’s experience also testifies to the connection between prayer and fire. On Mount Carmel, his prayer brought down a mighty fire that consumed the sacrifice, wood, stone and licked the water. When we are enjoined to be fervent in the spirit, it becomes clear that such spiritual intensity cannot take place outside the atmosphere of prayer. Prayer is the access to the fire of the Lord.

The subject of hospitality featured prominently in Paul’s letter to Timothy. Firstly, it was a precondition for anyone desiring the office of a Bishop. “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach” I Timothy 3:2 NKJV. This is understandable because a minister of the gospel will have occasions to receive travelling evangelists and other gospel workers. Even within his local assembly, there may be hurting individuals who will need solace in the house of their leader. Secondly, it was mentioned as a condition for widows who could draw support from the church. “Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.” I Timothy 5:9-10 NKJV

We may not be able to predict when or how the reward will come, but hospitable people will always have stories of favour to tell.

However, hospitality is not only for when we want to occupy offices or draw other benefits. It should be selfless. Abraham and Sarah entertained visitors. That would later open the door to parenthood. In addition, Abraham got insight into God’s plan for Sodom. Lot must have taken his cue from Abraham. He also entertained the angels that came to destroy the city. That gesture saved him and his household from the overthrow. We may not be able to predict when or how the reward will come, but hospitable people will always have stories of favour to tell.

I chanced upon the Women’s Singles Finals of Roland Garos played on June 7, 2025 between the World’s number 1, Sebalanka and Coco Gauff of USA. By the time I joined the match, Sabalenka was already one set up and at the beginning of the second set. I was quick to notice the emotional outburst of Sabalenka against every point missed. On occasions, she argued with the umpire. Her opponent displayed such calmness in the face of all odds. Although I am not an expert in the game of tennis, I predicted that the world’s number one would likely lose the match due to anger. And she did! She was an emotional wreck for the greater part of the match. She was worse off when the match was over. In most cases, uncontrolled anger leads to a loss of balance, followed by other losses.

In most cases, uncontrolled anger leads to a loss of balance, followed by other losses…It is in light of these negative examples that we need to defer our anger.

Cain was angry at his brother whose offering God accepted. That was a misplaced anger. Abel in no way determined what Cain took to God as a sacrifice; nor was he instrumental to God’s rejection of the same. If he must be angry at all, it should have been towards God. His unwarranted anger led to the murder of his brother in cold blood. The Bible also recorded the anger of Moses. In anger he slew an Egyptian. Also in anger, he smote the rock when God asked him to speak to it. The first display of anger cost him 40 years in the wilderness. The second one kept him from entering Canaan’s fullness. It is in light of these negative examples that we need to defer our anger.