ICGC-Rome

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Sunday, 4th October 2026

*A SEASON OF FAVOUR*

*SCRIPTURE READING* Exodus 11

> _And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people._ *Exodus 11:3*

God had promised Abraham that his descendants would leave Egypt 'with great substance' (Gen. 15:14), and He repeated that promise to Moses at the beginning of his mission. God faithfully honoured this promise in due time. He delivered Israel from Egypt with much wealth.

God is concerned about our holistic wellbeing. He takes as much interest in our material well-being as He does in our spiritual well-being. When He saves us, He makes us a part of His household, blesses us and prospers us.

*• Moses was very great in the land.* To fulfill His promise, the Lord gave Moses great respect among the Egyptians. He was so revered by the Egyptians that they would do whatever he commanded them to do.

By the time of the last plague, God had elevated Moses before the general population of Egypt. Anyone with an ounce of sense among the Egyptians had long since realized that resistance to the Israelites' God, Yahweh, was useless.

*• The Lord gave the people favour.* That favour which Moses had in Egypt was now shared by the rest of the Hebrews.

The consensus among the Egyptians was that the Israelites were entitled to leave Egypt and that their God had shown Himself fully capable of ruining Egypt to free His own. The only person who could not yet see this was Pharaoh.

God influenced the attitude of the Egyptians toward the Israelites. His plan of deliverance also included a plan for financial provision. The Lord also had a plan to build a place of worship where He would meet with His people. To provide for all of that He supernaturally influenced the Egyptians to give their valuables to the Hebrews.

May God's favour rest on you and may your righteous demands be honoured.

*PRAYER*

_Heavenly Father, give me favour wherever I go. Cause people to deal generously with me. In Jesus' name, Amen._

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Sunday, 27th September 2026

*DEPART FROM EVIL*

*SCRIPTURE READING* Proverbs 14

> _A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident._ *Proverbs 14:16*

One important way to distinguish the wise from the foolish is their attitude toward evil. Our attitude toward sin shows whether we are wise or foolish.

- *The wise depart from evil.* Wise people who fear God also fear the dangers of evil. They know the consequences of sin. It takes a great deal of wisdom for people to appreciate that doing evil brings about painful results.

It is wise to run away from sin. Sometimes, sin is presented to us as something entertaining. Because of that, a person who runs from such forms of sin can be seen as not fun-loving or sociable. However, we must have the wisdom to see through that deception and not allow ourselves to be intimidated into doing the wrong thing.

True wisdom pauses at the door of sin and does not enter.

- *The fool rages with self-confidence.* In this proverb, the word 'rages' is in contrast to 'departs' or 'shuns'. The wise person sees evil, turns away, and departs. The fool continues on and goes further into it.

Fools recklessly jump into sin because they are arrogant and confident that they can play with sin without being affected or harmed. They are secure in their own abilities and trust in their craftiness to escape sin's consequences, but they are terribly mistaken. The wages of sin are certain. No one can escape it.

The fool barges in through the doors of sin to their pain and misery.

Each day of our lives, we will have the option to either depart from evil or run recklessly into it. May the Lord help us to make the right choices in all of our actions.

*Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, help me to depart from all evil and avoid acting rashly. In Jesus' name, Amen._

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Wednesday, 23rd September 2026

*SEEK UNDERSTANDING*

*SCRIPTURE READING Proverbs 14

> _A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, But knowledge is easy to him who understands._ *Proverbs 14:6*

This proverb focuses on two kinds of seekers. One of the seekers is a 'scoffer', the other is 'him who understands'. Both are seeking for wisdom. The scoffer does not find the wisdom he's seeking for, but the person of understanding easily finds it.

There are times when scoffers — those who deny God and make fun of His Word — seek help from Him but they find none. God is the source of all wisdom. And since scorners do not fear God nor want a relationship with Him, their seeking is in vain.

What can we learn from this wise saying of the Bible?

*• You cannot find something if you despise it.* A scoffer is a person who mocks others. They have no respect for things of value and do all they can do denigrate noble efforts. Because of that, scoffers do not achieve much in life.

Scoffers spend their lives seeking and never finding. They make efforts which do not amount to much.

You cannot attain heights in life if you spend all your time making mockery of those who have attained great heights.

*• You will find things that you take time to understand.* A person of understanding seeks for understanding. When they meet something they are not familiar with, they seek to understand it instead of mocking it.

Those who seek understanding find success in life. They respect the efforts that others have made in life and learn best practices from them. That is the way of achievers.

*PRAYER*

_Heavenly Father, help me not mock and despise others. I choose to be a person of understanding. In Jesus' name, Amen._

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Monday, 21st September 2026

*A WISE BUILDER*

*SCRIPTURE READING* Proverbs 14

> _The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands._ *Proverbs 14:1*

What kind of person are you, a builder or a destroyer? This proverb talks about those who spend their time and resources to make things better and those who do all they can to make things worse. We have to choose which of these people we would like to be.

Although the proverb is addressed to a woman, the principle applies to men as well. Both men and women can be builders, as well as destroyers.

*• The wise build.* It is so hard to build things. It takes a lot of effort to build a life, home, or vocation.

Frequently in the Bible, people who build are described as wise people. Building in this sense goes beyond the physical act of constructing a house. It includes the idea of caring and nurturing things to make them flourish. Though it may take a short time to physically build a house, it takes a lifetime of repairs and maintenance to keep the house standing.

The wise person is one who builds and continues to maintain what he or she has built. Whether it is a relationship, home, vocation, or mission, those who are wise invest all their efforts to ensure that what they build remains standing.

*• The foolish pull down.* It is so easy to tear things down. It takes very little effort to destroy what we or others have built. The foolish in this proverb does not refer to an illiterate person but to a hard-hearted person who does not yield to correction.

Such a person will destroy what they have built by launching attacks against it or simply not paying attention to what needs to be done. For example, it takes a day to have a glamorous wedding but a lifetime of careful nurturing to keep the marriage working. The same applies to all the things we do.

God wants us to be builders and not destroyers.

*PRAYER*

_Heavenly Father, I want to be a builder. Help me nurture and grow everything you have given me. In Jesus' name, Amen_ .

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Wednesday, 16th September 2026

*AN UNUSUAL METHOD*

*SCRIPTURE READING:* John 9

> _When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay._ *John 9:6*

Jesus primarily healed people by speaking the word of healing to them. Sometimes He laid hands on the sick for them to be healed. Those were the usual means by which Jesus brought healing to the sick. On this occasion, Jesus did something different to bring healing to the blind man. He used a natural material — clay — in addition to the touch of His hand and His word of instruction.

*• Jesus made clay.* The Lord made the clay in the usual way a person of His time would make a small amount of clay. He used His spittle to create the mixture with earth from the ground.

The clay was made from the natural properties of the ground. So we can see that nature or natural elements played a role in this healing. Perhaps we can say that the Lord Jesus is not against using natural elements as part of His healing process.

Interestingly, God made man from the ground.

*• Jesus touched the man's eyes.* The clay did not lift itself to the man's eyes. The Lord used His hand to move the clay from the ground to the source of the man's pain. That is what the Lord does for us. He touches us where we hurt in order to bring us healing.

If we need healing from Him, we must allow Him to touch us where we hurt. The hands of Jesus do not cause pain; they bring healing.

*• Jesus anointed the man's eyes.* The touch of Jesus and the clay from the ground were the anointing the man needed to bring him healing.

We learn that the Lord Jesus uses both natural and supernatural means to touch the lives of people.

*PRAYER*

_Heavenly Father, touch my life with your healing hands. I receive the healing anointing in my body. In Jesus' name, Amen._

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Tuesday, 15th September 2026

*GOD GETS THE GLORY*

*SCRIPTURE READING:* John 9

> _Jesus answered, 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.'_ *John 9:3*

The disciples of Jesus wondered whether the blind man's condition was because of his sins or those of his parents. What an enlightening response from Jesus — neither this man nor his parents sinned.

*• This is not the man's fault.* Although sin can get us into all kinds of trouble, the Lord was clear that in this man's case, his blindness was not due to sin. There is a lesson here for us. We cannot jump to conclusions that all difficulties and hardships that people face stem from acts of transgression. That is not always the case. Sometimes, people get into trouble without doing anything wrong.

The disciples were part of a Jewish community that believed in the curse on parents falling on their children. Although God had corrected that view in the Old Testament, many Jews still believed that the sins of the parents would be visited on their children.

*• This is for God's glory.* The Lord Jesus showed that God is able to work with whatever situation we find ourselves in. Regardless of how dire and seemingly hopeless it may look, God has power to work a work of redemption in that situation that brings glory to His name.

God did not make the man blind. Neither does He wish for ill or trouble for any person. But, as with this man who was blind from birth, God turns the circumstances around to showcase His power in people's lives.

When we witness people go through similar challenging situations, we should resist the temptation to fault and criticize. Instead, we should look out for how God's glory can shine out of the predicament.

May the Lord take you and place you where He wants you to be for His glory.

*PRAYER*

_Heavenly Father, I know you will use my situation to showcase your glory to the world. In Jesus' name, Amen._

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Monday, 14th September 2026

*BLIND FROM BIRTH*

*SCRIPTURE READING:* John 9

> _Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'_ *John 9:1-2*

Jesus used His encounter with this blind man to later teach about spiritual blindness and the need for God to open our eyes to the truth. The Lord took a man's physical blindness and demonstrated the stages of spiritual insight and sight. There are some important points to note from the passage.

- *Jesus passed by.* The impression you get is that Jesus was going His own way. The words used in the passage give the impression that Jesus did not seem to be going anywhere purposefully. However, we know that our Lord did not do anything without intent.

- *Jesus saw him.* Jesus 'saw' him, which indicated interest, care, concern, and compassion. The disciples apparently felt the same interest and concern for the man, but they got caught up in trying to figure out the spiritual cause of the man's condition.

Interestingly, the man did not ask for help from Jesus. Rather, the Lord took the initiative to help him. We must always be assured that the Lord sees us wherever we are. He will not pass us by.

- *His disciples asked, 'Who sinned?'* The disciples were attracted to the man and wondered about him. Was he suffering because of some great sin committed by his parents or because God had foreseen that the man would be a great sinner before he was born? This is similar to how Job's friends felt about him. They assumed Job's troubles resulted from a sin he had committed.

Many times when we go through difficulties, we wonder whether God is punishing us for something we've done wrong or whether there is something wrong with our ancestry. Others may look at what we are going through and simply conclude that our suffering is a retribution for our sins.

Whatever the case may be, it is assuring that Jesus did not pass this man by but stopped and took notice of him.

*Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, I know you take notice of me. Thank you that you do not pass me by. In Jesus' name, *Amen.*_

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Sunday, 13th September 2026

*THE MASTER'S VOICE*

*SCRIPTURE READING:* John 10:22-42

> _My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me._ *John 10:27*

Sheep are simple creatures surrounded by a very harsh world. In the days of Jesus, the sheep had predators such as wolves, bears and lions. In addition, there were thieves and robbers who came into the sheepfold to steal, kill or destroy the sheep. The sheep also had to contend with all kinds of life-threatening diseases in the field.

The method of the predators was to sn**ch the sheep from the shepherd. The thieves tried to trick the sheep by imitating the voice of the shepherd so that the sheep would be led astray. The sheep which followed the voice of the thieves got stolen from the shepherd.

Jesus used this analogy of the sheep and the shepherd to teach us about the kind of relationship that had to exist between us and Him. He is the shepherd; we are the sheep. As the sheep is threatened by so many enemies, we also have enemies who want to sn**ch us from the hand of the shepherd.

In a world with so many attractions, how do we as Christians stay close to the Lord and live our lives for Him?

*• Know the voice of the Lord.* God speaks to us daily through the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and through His anointed servants who study and share God's word with us. At least one time in every sermon, God breaks through the words of the preacher and speaks directly to the people. It may be in a single sentence or in just one phrase. Let's pay attention to His voice.

*• Follow the Lord obediently.* When we hear God's voice, we must do what He wants us to do. His word should not just be something we hear; it must also be something we do.

*• Trust in the Lord's protection.* We must be assured that the Lord, our Shepherd, has the best plans for us. Even when we are not sure of where He is taking us, we must trust that His thoughts towards us are for good and not for evil.

*PRAYER*

_Heavenly Father, teach me to know your voice and follow your direction for my life. In Jesus' name, Amen._

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Sunday, 6th September 2026

*GOD WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU*

*SCRIPTURE READING:* 1 Kings 8:54-61

> _May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us._ *1 Kings 8:57*

This was Solomon's prayer when he dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem to God. He saw the Temple as a reminder of God's presence with His people at all times. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus assured us of His presence through the Holy Spirit at all times. That is the living reality of our faith. God is with us.

Even with the strong assurance that the Lord is with us always; there are still times when we tend to worry ourselves about everything that could happen. How often have we missed God's blessing because we were fearful to take that step of faith?

Some of us wake up in the morning and set the wheels of worry rolling. Instead of setting our minds on the goodness of the Lord and what He can do for us, we cripple ourselves with fear and worry. We make our burdens heavy and unbearable with a lot of speculation and 'what ifs'.

We go like this, 'Will my car make it to work? Will I get sick? Will I get fired? Will I have an accident? Will I make it home again safely? Will my home be here when I come back? What about my kids and my spouse?' On and on we go as we poison our souls and squeeze God out of the equations of our lives.

Just as faith will release the power of God to fulfil our desires, fear will activate the forces of evil to turn your worries into reality. If you dwell on all the negative 'what ifs', your worries will drive you into a state of panic. In that state of panic you will begin seeing your fears come true. You worry that you are going to get ill. The worry causes your stress level to rise, which in turn, brings on all kinds of physical symptoms that will eventually make you ill.

Today, make a choice to start a faith-filled life that is focused on the firm assurance that the Lord is with you. Live out your day in faith.

*PRAYER*

_Heavenly Father, I know you are with me. I reject the spirit of fear and embrace the spirit of faith. In Jesus' name, Amen._

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Saturday, 5th September 2026

*GOD KEEPS HIS COVENANT*

*SCRIPTURE READING:* Deuteronomy 7:1-11

> _Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments._ *Deuteronomy 7:9*

This is part of Moses' instructions to Israel as he neared the end of his life. He had observed how easily Israel forgot the faithfulness of the Lord when they got into trouble. Moses knew the challenges that would face the nation as they entered their Promised Land. He wanted them to always remember God's faithfulness.

The message Moses gave to Israel is relevant for us today.

Too often, Christians think that being children of God makes them immune to the attacks of the devil or that the storms of life would just by-pass them. Exactly the opposite is true. I have seen people who turn their backs on God and walk out of the church because God didn't stop the storm from coming against them.

Surely, the storms of life will come. They will often come when you least expect them. That makes them a better test of your faith. We would all like it if the troubles that we face were known before they happened so that we could plan better, but that's not faith. God wants to see how you will react in the times of trouble. Will you react in faith and trust, or doubt and fear? When the enemy comes in like a flood against you, where will you turn to?

The reality of our walk with the Lord is that He never abandons us even when we feel abandoned. The God on the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, He will make them right. The God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the daytime is still God in the nighttime. Thank God, He's still God in all circumstances — and nothing is too hard for Him!

Thank God for His faithfulness! Thank God for His promise to never leave us! Thank God for His power to heal, to bless, to forgive and to wash us from all sin! Thank God for supplying our every need! Thank God for His love, His mercy and goodness.

*PRAYER*

_Heavenly Father, you are a covenant keeper. I thank you Lord that in all situations you remain faithful. In Jesus' name, Amen._