MAIN TEXT: Gen.18:10-14
MEMORY:
Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (Gen.18:14)

The fulfillment of God’s promises often require a period of waiting. In the scriptures as well as in contemporary times, there are numerous examples of people who were promised by God but they had to wait for prolonged periods of time before the promises were fulfilled. In your family too, there may be periods of waiting. It may be for your child to come, for breakthrough in business or ministry or waiting concerning other areas of life. Remember to learn from the examples below while waiting:

Delay Is Not Denial.
In the life of Abraham, there was a long period of waiting for his promised child, Isaac, to come. If you are waiting for a promise of God to be fulfilled in your life, never you believe that the promise has been denied you.

The Best Is Often Reserved For The Last.
Peninnah had been having children before Hannah but when Samuel came through her whom had been presumed to be barren, he became Israel’s leading prophet. So, while you are waiting, believe that you have being made to wait because God has reserved the best for you.

Your Eventual Fulfillment Will Justify All The Waiting.
Joseph was shown what he would become in the future (Gen.37:7-9) but there had to be a long wait before he got there. He was hated, sold into slavery, tempted, imprisoned and forgotten before he eventually became the prime minister of Egypt. By the time he got to the position, every other inconvenience that he went through during the period of waiting was erased by the significance of the attained position.

Your Mockers Will Bow When Glory Comes.
The Sons of the prophets must have been waiting to see what would become of Elisha at the departure of his master Elisha, but when he parted the river Jordan the same way Elijah did it, they realized that power had been transferred, and they had to bow down to him. (2 Kings 2:15)
While waiting, believe that those who are mocking you now will celebrate with you later.

Seeking Alternative god May Destroy Your Fulfillment.
While waiting, Sarah felt that she could hasten the fulfillment of the promise by giving her maid to her husband. However that singular act has been troubling the generations of her offspring till now. (Gen.16:12).
While waiting, you must avoid shortcuts.

Behaving Wisely Will Make The Joy More Fulfilling.
David had been anointed as the next king, but there was a long wait. The Bible records that during the period of waiting, he behaved himself wisely.(1Sam.18:5). While waiting, pray for the grace to behave wisely.

There Are Battles Before Victory.
When Moses went to Pharaoh to release the children of Israel, their task was multiplied (Ex.5:22-23); David had to fight Goliath despite the fact that he had been anointed to become the king,(1Sam.17:50-51); Joseph had to be sold into slavery and imprisoned (Gen.39:20) despite being shown what he would become in the future. It is definite that your appointed time will come but you must not be discouraged by the present challenges; it makes the victory sweeter!


Waiting is not peculiar to you. Every promise of God is for an appointed time. Wait for the appointed time and you will be glad you did.

DISCUSSION POINTS WITH YOUR SPOUSE
• Share an experience of thoughts that have come into your mind during any period of waiting in the past in your family.

PRAYER
Father, help me not to deviate from you during any period of waiting for my appointed time in Jesus’ name.

QUOTABLE QUOTE
EVERY PROMISE OF GOD FOR YOUR FAMILY IS FOR AN APPOINTED TIME, WAIT FOR YOURS. – Dr. Mike Oluniyi

MAIN TEXT: Luke 15:11-35.
MEMORY:
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,…(Lk.15:18)

Often, you covetously look at another person’s spouse and have the feeling that your own spouse doesn’t measure up. You wonder what life would look like if the other woman or man were your spouse. Although you are still at home, your life may be likened to that of the prodigal son in the text above. Because you are already into emotional affairs, your spouse seems not to know how to do anything the right way. Like the prodigal son, it is like you don’t have so much at stake at home again. In fact, if not for what the church and society would say, you would have physically moved out and put everything in your family in jeopardy.

A lot of people have shipwrecked their home as a result of imagining that there is greener pasture outside, treating their spouse and children as if they don’t matter. When you are in such situation, your home cannot be a pleasant place to be because though you are physically present at home, you are already emotionally attached to someone else. You will magnify every offense of your spouse and even that of your children because you have already left home in your thoughts and engrossed with the imagination of been freed from the imaginary ‘prison’ of your home. Some have even physically abandoned their family and wasted the resources that should have been used for their family on others while the family suffers.

Whether in your thought as a result of emotional affairs or you have actually left home, why don’t you return back home like the prodigal son. I am sure your family is waiting for you to come back home to them emotionally and be what you used to be to them.

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. (Lk.15:18)

Your spouse will definitely welcome you back home just like the father of the prodigal son did because that is really where you belong. Please note that it is covetousness that makes a man or woman to feel that there is greener pasture outside his or her matrimonial home. Even if there are some brown patches in your lawn, if you can come back home to wet it, the brown will soon become green again.

PRAYER
Father, may covetousness not make me to reject your perfect arrangement for me in my matrimonial home in Jesus’ name.

QUOTABLE QUOTE
IT IS COVETOUSNESS THAT MAKES YOU TO THINK THERE IS A GREENER PASTURE OUTSIDE YOUR HOME; IF THERE IS ANY BROWN PATCH IN YOUR OWN, WAIT AND WET IT, SOON IT WILL BE GREEN AGAIN. – Dr. Mike Oluniyi

MAIN TEXT: Proverbs 16:2
MEMORY:
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes;
but the Lord weigheth the spirits.(Pro.16:2)

One day, our last born who always liked being with me begged me that I should allow her to follow me on a one-day retreat. She was just about ten then. I agreed on one condition, which was that she would keep to herself, either studying her bible, praying or reading her books and it became a deal. I told her again that the condition would be kept even during our thirty minutes drive to the resort and she agreed. The retreat centre was located in a rural area about thirty minutes drive from the city and the centre seldom enjoyed stable electricity supply.
My daughter watched me as I put a plastic container inside the car for the fuel that would be needed to power the generator. As we were about to leave the city, she said, “excuse me dad,” I responded that we had a deal and she kept quiet. About ten minutes later as we approached the last filling station before leaving the main road, she tried to gain my attention again, I reminded her of our deal and she said, “but..,” I did not allow her to finish the sentence and she kept quiet. When we reached the last rural filling station again as the place was about to close she unsuccessfully tried to call my attention again but I did not allow her. Just before I turned off the road into the resort, I realized that I did not buy the fuel that we would need to power the generator for the night. I asked myself, how on earth did I forget to buy fuel and my daughter responded, “but that was what I was trying to remind you of dad!” I had to apologize to her and lifted the embargo on keeping mute and spent the night without electricity, my phone and IPad battery all dead. You can imagine what such retreat would look like for someone who relied heavily on iPad for virtually everything. That day I regretted not listening to a ten-year old girl!

There are a lot of times when you may do some things and have the feeling that you are right, whereas you are wrong. As human beings and especially as a child of God, there is that tendency for you to have the feeling that the counsel of your spouse or even your children does not matter; you look at yourself as being correct. The scripture of today is telling us that you only seem to be right in your own eyes, you may need the Holy Spirit to actually know if you are right. The Holy Spirit can use your spouse or your child even as young as a ten-year old to point your attention to the needful.
Don’t be too sure that your decision is the right one unless the Holy Spirit has confirmed to you that you have taken the right decision.

DISCUSSION POINTS WITH YOUR SPOUSE
• Will you try and remember some of the times you had thought you were right but actually wrong in the past?

PRAYER
Holy Spirit, help me to take your counsel in all situations in Jesus’ name.


QUOTABLE QUOTE
NEVER BE TOO SURE THAT YOU ARE RIGHT, LISTEN TO OTHERS! – Dr. Mike Oluniyi

MAIN TEXT: 1Pet.3:6-9
MEMORY:
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. (1Pet.3:7)

Our scripture of thought for today points us to the issue of treating each other right so that our prayers may not be hindered. It makes us to realize that because of being married, we actually are joint heirs of the grace of life. In other words, if you are thinking about heaven, you better treat each other well. When you don’t treat your spouse right, things may go wrong with your spiritual life. Another scripture that is similar to this is found in Malachi 2:

And this have ye done again,
covering the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out,
insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more,
or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
Yet ye say, Wherefore?
Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth,
against whom thou hast dealt treacherously:
yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.(Mal.2:13-14)

The scripture above is simply saying that when there is contention in the home; when you have not treated each other well; when there are unforgiven offenses, your relationship with God is hampered. Because God sees you and your spouse as one, it is like a joint account opened in a bank, you can’t withdraw as individual without the signature of your partner. From the two scriptures, we may summarize as follows;
i. Treat your spouse with understanding.
ii. Honour your spouse in whichever way you can.
iii. Always remember that you are joint heirs (there are some divine inheritance that you will miss without your spouse).
iv. Answers to your prayers are at risk if you are not united.
v. Your tears do not move God if you maltreat your spouse.
The implication of this for you is that the way you treat each other in marriage has spiritual implications. One preacher said, “If you want to know if a man is going to heaven, go and ask his wife.” Initially I felt that he went too far with the statement, but on looking at our scriptures for today, there may be some elements of truth in what the preacher said. Anyone that can prevent your prayer from being answered has the capacity to prevent you from making heaven.
Pay attention to your spouse for you to enjoy in full measure the riches of heaven.

DISCUSSION POINTS WITH YOUR SPOUSE
• What are the strategies you have put in place to ensure that offenses don’t linger for long in this relationship?

PRAYER
Father, help me to relate with my spouse with understanding so that my prayers will not be hindered in Jesus’ name.


QUOTABLE QUOTE
TREAT YOUR SPOUSE WITH UNDERSTANDING; ANYONE THAT CAN PREVENT YOUR PRAYERS FROM BEING ANSWERED (1Pet.3:7) HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PREVENT YOU FROM MAKING HEAVEN. – Dr. Mike Oluniyi

MAIN TEXT: 2Ki.20:1-6

MEMORY:
I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight…(2.Ki.20:3)

In marriage, there are situations which you never bargained for that can make you to lose hope if you don’t have firm belief that the God you are serving can turn hopeless situations around. I know of a lady who was so promiscuous while she was in the university that the doctor told her after her last abortion that she should forget about childbearing because her womb had to be removed. Years later, she gave her life to Jesus and became a worker in the ministry where she was serving. One day, one of the most dedicated male workers in the Ministry came to seek for her hand in marriage. She made jest of him that God could not have told the young man that she would be his wife unless God hated him. When he insisted, she told him the story of her life, which made the young man to go back to prayers. He obtained a promise from God that he would have children. By the time the couple gave their testimony, they came with two children. Glory to God!
It doesn’t matter the situation in which you have found yourself in your family; wayward children, loss of job, business failure, sickness etc. Hezekiah was in a more precarious situation as he was told by the prophet of God that he should put his house in order and prepare for his death. However, he turned his face to the wall and reminded God of his dedication to Him thus;

I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.(2Ki.20:3)

And then, God sent the same prophet back to him to turn his hopeless situation around (2Kg.20:5&6);
Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.(2Ki.20:5-6)
It doesn’t matter what your family is going through right now, you can experience such a turnaround too, because nothing is impossible for Him. You must however have absolute trust in His ability to deliver His own.

DISCUSSION POINTS WITH YOUR SPOUSE
• Is there any situation that appears hopeless in your marriage? Bring it before God who is able to give you testimony.

PRAYER
Every situation which is beyond me, receive a divine positive turn-around in Jesus’ name.


QUOTABLE QUOTE
NO DIFFICULT SITUATION IS TOO COMPLEX FOR GOD, PRAY! – Dr. Mike Oluniyi