Changemakers for Christ

09/07/2026

09/07/2026

The Monday DEVOTION
By: Dr. Elvis UKPAKA
Date: 07th September 2026
www.changemakersforchrist.org
[email protected]

Friends, greetings in Jesus’ Name! Today, I will be sharing with you what I have titled, “The Consequences of a Grasshopper Mentality.” Let me begin by saying that many people today are living far below the standard God has ordained for their lives. You see, one of the most dangerous positions in life is to settle for less than God’s best. Never believe the lies of the devil. Your future is great and incredibly bright! Due to a wrong mindset, many today settle for things far below their potential and value in life. As a result, they go through life without fulfilling their God-given purpose.

When God makes a promise, He is faithful to fulfil it. His Word will accomplish the purpose for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35). Therefore, when God says something to you, He expects you to believe Him without doubting (James 1:5–8). If God says He will deliver you, take Him at His Word and rest in His promise. Why? Because He is faithful to fulfil what He has promised. God is not a man, that He should lie (Numbers 23:19).

What sometimes makes it appear as though God is far from us is our attitude towards His Word. Now, God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt by His mighty power. They witnessed the great miracles He performed in delivering them from bo***ge. They saw the plagues that came upon Egypt and how, in the final plague, the firstborn of Egypt died before Pharaoh finally allowed them to leave.

As though that was not enough, Pharaoh and his army pursued the children of Israel after they had left Egypt. The Lord parted the Red Sea for His people to cross on dry ground, but when the Egyptians pursued them, the waters returned and overwhelmed Pharaoh’s army. All these notable miracles, signs, and wonders were witnessed by the children of Israel so that they would know and trust the awesome power of Almighty God to save and deliver. Hallelujah!

Unfortunately, the children of Israel did not seem to hold on to the lessons of these miracles. Rather, they appeared to enjoy the euphoria of the moment and soon forgot the great things the Lord had done. Really, if God could create a pathway through the midst of a mighty sea for you to pass through, what else could He not do for your sake? Absolutely nothing!

One terrible sign of the ungrateful heart displayed by the children of Israel was their incessant complaining to Moses and murmuring against God. They kept reminding Moses of what they considered their “good old days” in Egypt and the food they ate there, compared with the manna God was providing. They said: “We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Numbers 11:5-6)

Then God provided quail for them to eat, but their rebellious and ungrateful attitude kindled the Lord’s anger against them, and many died as a result. One would have thought that the children of Israel would learn from all these experiences, but unfortunately, they continued to test the Lord through their unbelief and wrong mentality. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, everyone a leader among them.” (Numbers 13:1–2)

Moses did according to the Word of the Lord and sent twelve men to spy out the land. On getting to the Promised Land and seeing the inhabitants, some of whom were great in stature, ten of the spies returned with a discouraging report to Moses and the children of Israel: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there.”

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said: “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said: “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land they had spied out, saying: “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:27-33).

If you observe closely from this story, except for Caleb and Joshua, who aligned themselves with the mind of God, the other ten spies concluded by themselves that not only were they like grasshoppers before the inhabitants of the land, but that the inhabitants also saw them as grasshoppers. In other words, they had already defeated themselves in their own minds. They concluded that the inhabitants of the land – who did not even know they had come as spies – also saw them as grasshoppers. This was a gross underestimation of the mighty power of God to save and deliver. You see, when you possess a grasshopper mentality, you belittle the power of God in your life and limit what you believe He can accomplish through you. Daniel 11:32 says, “But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”

Unfortunately, the other ten spies failed to demonstrate confidence in the Lord their God, despite the many miracles, signs, and wonders they had witnessed when He brought them out of Egypt. Beloved, you must understand that in life, your thinking greatly influences how you see yourself, your circumstances, and your possibilities. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Garbage in, garbage out. What dominates your thinking will eventually influence your actions and outcomes. If you continually think you cannot, you will struggle to step forward in faith. But when you believe God and see yourself through the lens of His Word, you approach life's challenges differently.

If you are going to accomplish great things, you must begin to see yourself the way God sees you. He is a great God, and you were created in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). Scripture also declares, “As He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Therefore, do not belittle what God can accomplish through your life by embracing a grasshopper mentality. Attend to God's Word and obey His voice (Proverbs 4:20–22). Remember: “Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward” (Hebrews 10:35). Refuse to see yourself as a grasshopper when God has called you to possess the land. See what God sees, believe what God says, and move forward by faith! Hallelujah! Have a Blessed and Fantastic Week. With love, Elvis!

God’s abundant blessings as you share with other.

08/31/2026

The Monday DEVOTION
By: Dr. Elvis UKPAKA
Date: 31st August 2026
www.changemakersforchrist.org
[email protected]

Friends, greetings in Jesus’ name! Today, I will be sharing with you what I have titled, “The Act of Praise and Thanksgiving.” It is so easy for us to focus our minds on what God has not done for us rather than on what He has done and is still doing in our lives. Yet, the very air we breathe is enough reason to praise and give thanks to God. If you doubt this, visit the nearest hospital and see how much some people pay daily for the oxygen they need just to survive another day. Some time ago, I was in the United States, and in one of the cities I visited, accidents seemed to occur almost every day. In some cases, the entire road would be blocked, with ambulances and the police rushing to the scene. There was one particular incident where I saw a beautiful lady lying lifeless on the road. Immediately, I began praying and asking God to resuscitate her and bring her back to life. Then my friend, who was in the car with me, said, “Elvis, this is what we experience almost every day in this city.”

That experience stayed with me. The question is: Are we better than those who lose their lives every day? Of course not. It is simply by the mercy of God that we are not consumed. Therefore, we must never take His goodness, His protection, His preservation, and the gift of life for granted. Every day we wake up is another reason to praise Him and give thanks. You see, our relationship with God is reciprocal. One of the major things that keeps our relationship with Him vibrant and growing is the act of praise and thanksgiving. Our praise to God attracts His presence into our lives. The Bible declares, “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). Yes, God inhabits the praises of His people. This was one secret King David understood very early in life. That is why he could boldly declare, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1). It does not matter what you are going through right now. In fact, your situation may not be worse than that of Paul and Silas, who were beaten, bound in chains, and thrown into prison. Yet the Bible tells us that at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.

Really, I have come to realize that if the devil can shut your mouth from praising God, then he has succeeded in shutting you down from getting the attention and help you need from God. Please, the read the case of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:16–40); then you’ll understand better what I am talking about. As a child of God, you must learn how to shout for joy even in the midst of problems. Yes! The Bible declares in Psalm 47:1, “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” It goes further to tell us, “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing” (Psalm 100:1-2). What these Scriptures are telling us is that you cannot continually come before the Lord with a frustrated, gloomy, and disfigured look on your face. You must learn to maintain your joy, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.

When you lack joy in your life, you begin to wither. The book of Joel 1:12 declares, “The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languishes; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.” Listen, the absence of joy in a person’s life brings dryness into every area of life. This is why you must never allow your circumstances to steal your joy. Your joy must not be determined by what is happening around you, but by your confidence in the God you serve. According to Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.”

A lot of the sicknesses, emotional, and physical burdens that many people carry today can be greatly eased when we learn to maintain an attitude of praise and joy in God’s presence. Indeed, the Bible declares, “For the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Satan knows the power of joy and praise very well. That is why he gets so mad whenever he sees you remaining joyful and praising God in the midst of the trials and challenges of life. The devil would rather have you carry a long face – filled with frustration, despair, joylessness, and discouragement. Why? Because when your joy disappears, your strength begins to diminish. As someone once said, “Each time you carry a long face, it shows how long you will remain in your situation.” You must refuse to allow what you are going through to determine the condition of your heart. According to one of the foremost heroes of faith of the 20th century, Lester Sumrall, there was a time when things became extremely difficult for his family. Even putting food on the table was a huge challenge. But his mother, who was rugged in faith, knew how to pray, trust God, and praise Him in the midst of their difficulties.

According to Lester, his mum will call for a family dinner, set an empty plate before everyone with glasses of water – and then say – let us pray. Lester said before they would finish praying, a neighbor or family friend would knock at their door and say: The Lord told me to get these food stuffs to your family. What is the essence of this story? It means when you maintain an attitude of praise and faith in God, in the midst of trials of life, God will always show up for you. Psalm 34:1-7 declares, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” Hallelujah! Remember, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord'' (Psalm 150:6). Have a Blessed and Praiseful Week. With love, Elvis!

God's abundant blessings as you share with others.

08/24/2026

The Monday DEVOTION
By: Dr. Elvis UKPAKA
Date: 24th August 2026
www.changemakersforchrist.org
[email protected]

Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Today I will be sharing with you what I title, “Intimacy with God”. The Almighty God desires our fellowship with Him. Right from the Garden of Eden, He visited Adam in the cool of the day to have intimate fellowship with Him. Adam’s fellowship with God flourished until Satan disrupted it. But God didn’t give up. He made a provision through His Son – Jesus – to restore that lost intimacy. Today God may not come down physically to us as He did with Adam, but He virtually lives in us as His children, and thus, desires to have constant fellowship with us.

Remember, Satan also desires our fellowship with him. Unfortunately, any fellowship with the devil always results to sin that leads to death, as we can see today. David said, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). When David fell into sin as a result of his fellowship with the devil, he called upon the Lord saying, “Cast me not away from your presence; And take not your holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). Why? David knew the importance of maintaining an unhindered intimacy with God. Unlike Cain, he knew his life was finished if God cast him away from His presence. So, he pleaded for his intimacy with God to never be tampered with.

What is intimacy? In literal meaning, intimacy is the experience of closeness. It occurs when two people are able to be open to each other, and reveal their true feelings and desires. Thus, our intimacy with God goes beyond emotional connection. It is spiritual! “For God is Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Really, intimacy is a process – not an instant. It takes place over time and is not stagnant. In fact, any kind of stagnation in a relationship kills intimacy. Therefore, our intimacy with God is meant to be an ongoing adventure for a lifetime. Someone may ask: How do we develop and build intimacy with God?

Just know that God longs for intimacy with us. We’re a reflection of His personality – His image and likeness – and created for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). Hallelujah! The fact remains that God will never force Himself on anyone. True intimacy with Him must flow from a genuine desire to know Him, seek Him, and spend time in His presence. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Usually it is our lifestyle of sin that puts God far away from us. Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

And because God longs for our intimate fellowship with Him, He says in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” In other words, irrespective of our fallen state, God’s mercy is still available if only we turn towards Him. Have you ever considered asking why the Almighty God would ask a mere mortal like you and me to come and reason together with Him. The answer is simple: We’re created for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11). “As He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). He loves us so much (1 John 4:19). Above all, He simply delights in Man.

Never forget, a man or woman in an intimate relationship with God is never far from divine revelations. In this present spiritual quagmire, where many are faced with harsh economic realities of life, confused without direction, burdened with all kinds of infirmities and emotional pains, it is your intimacy with God that makes the difference. Having intimacy with God enables you to see what others cannot see. “For God reveals His deep secrets to those that fear and abide in Him” (Psalm 25:14). And when men are saying they are cast down, you will say, there is a lifting up (Job 22:29). Therefore, as you go this week, I encourage you to grow deeper in God through spending quality time in prayer, study of the word, praise and worship, and spending quality time just being in His Presence. Have a fantastic week. With Love, Elvis!

God's abundant blessings as you share with others.

08/18/2026

The Monday DEVOTION
By: Dr. Elvis UKPAKA
Date: 17th August 2026
www.changemakersforchrist.org
[email protected]

Friends, greetings in Jesus Name. Today I will be sharing with you what I title, “Do Not Fear”. One major weapon of the devil so used effectively well against humanity has been Fear. If the devil can get you to be afraid about anything, he has gotten you. Throughout the bible, you will hear God warning those who care to listen, FEAR NOT. Why? Fear is to Satan, as Faith is to God. If you focus on the Lord, you give him access and power into your life, but if your focus is on what the devil is dangling before your face, then you give him access and power into your life. In a nutshell, what you focus on or give attention to, has influence and power over your life. Listen, what you fear you attract; and what you confront by faith you defeat. Job said, “The thing which I greatly feared has come upon me” (Job 3:25). Hear me, many people have died before their time as a result of fear. The moment fear enters into your life, you lose faith and the fortitude to overcome your challenges. I have seen people who were doing so well and bubbling with life, but the moment they got a negative report about their health from the doctor, they started dying slowly. You noticed that from that moment, it’s no longer the sickness that kills them, but the fear of the sickness.

The Lord warned Joshua saying, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Why? It’s because Fear is Torment (1 John 4:18); it paralyses, and renders you weak when you’re actually strong. Yes, fear gives you a sense of hopelessness when there’s hope for a better tomorrow. The book of 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, “For God has not given you the spirit of Fear; but of Power, Love, and a Sound Mind.” From this scripture, what God has not given me cannot be part of my life. The scripture is clear about what God has given us: (1) Power: “For I give unto you power to trample upon serpent and scorpions and over all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19); (2) Love: “God is love” (1 John 4:8); and we are in Him, and He is in us; Therefore, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18); (3) Sound Mind: “Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5); “For we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).

Now, what is the mind of CHRIST? It’s a mind full of Faith in God’s ability to save and deliver, not Fear of what the devil can do to you. When the Israelite left Egypt and found themselves caged in the wilderness, with the Red Sea in front of them, Pharaoh and his army behind them, then they lost hope and became very afraid. At this point Moses spoke to them saying, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13-14). All these while God didn’t speak but was watching. Then He said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward” (Exodus 14:15). Listen, I don’t know what it is that you’re going through right now that is causing your heart to fear. I have good news for you. The Lord is saying to you right now, “Go Forward, for I am with You”. Remember, one with God is the Majority. God cannot be with you and you’re afraid. It’s an insult to God when He’s with but you’re afraid. Therefore, see God’s presence with you in whatever challenge you’re in right now. If all that you see is the problem – children's school fees, rent to pay, debts you’re owing, sickness ravaging your body, pain and hardship – then, there is little or nothing God can do. You shut God out when your problem is the biggest thing in your life.

Remember, “The Greater one – the Lord God Almighty – lives in You” (1 John 4:4). God expects you to see more of Him in your challenges. When you do so, you magnify Him and expedite His Mighty Hand to Save. Never forget, Fear opens the door to Satan, just as Faith opens the door to God. “For without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Ask YOURSELF: Which door have I been opening? Fear or Faith! Romans 6:16-18 says, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Hallelujah! Hear me, you’re no longer a slave to Fear. “For sin has no longer dominion over you” (Romans 6:14). You have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb through faith. Therefore, Arise and Shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you (Isaiah 60:1). Have a Blessed and Fantastic Week. With love, Elvis!

🙏God’s abundant blessings as you share with others.

08/10/2026

The Monday DEVOTION
By: Dr. Elvis UKPAKA
Date: 10th August 2026
www.changemakersforchrist.org
[email protected]

Friends, greetings in Jesus Name. Today I will be sharing with you what I title, “What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do”. Many years ago, as an undergraduate student at Wits University in Johannesburg, I decided during one of my summer holidays to embark on a spiritual journey to a Missionary Camp called “Kwasizabantu” in the Kwazulu Natal Province of South Africa. I heard so much of what the Lord was doing in that place at that time. Moreso, my Pastor at that time encouraged me to go. So, I took off to have a one-week experience with God in that place. I remembered entering a vehicle one early morning from a little town called Mbalenhle in Mpumalanga Province. It was a long journey. I had many stops on the way. When I got to a town called Ladysmith, I was directed to take another vehicle to a town that will lead me to my final destination. By the time I got there, it was past 7pm, and everywhere was dark. All effort to get a cab to my final destination proved abortive. I was left in the middle of nowhere – a small village – not knowing what to do.

Then I cried out to God, and said: Lord, what would you have me do now? Then He replied and said to me: Ask for a police station in this place. Immediately, I asked someone who directed me to a nearby police station. When I got there, I met a white man with two black colleagues sitting at the front-desk. Then I narrated my situation to them. They were nice and kind to me, and immediately they took me to their lodge within the station, and I spent a night there. They warned that the vehicle that goes to Kwasizabantu leaves by 6am, so I must be up before then. By early morning I was up, and they directed me to where to get a vehicle. In no time, I got a free ride by a good Samaritan who was heading to the same place, and I arrived safely at “Kwasizabantu”. Time will not permit me to share what happened for the next one-week. Yes, it was a daily encounter upon encounter; an experience of a lifetime in that Camp that was founded by a German-South African Evangelist, Dr. Erlo Stegen, of blessed memory. He passed on a few years ago. What a joy meeting him in person.

Now, one powerful attribute of great leaders is usually their ability to stay calm and think straight in the midst of a storm. Usually, you hear people going through trials say things like, “I am losing my mind”, “I am confused”, “I doubt if I could make it out of this situation”, “I am finished”. and so on. Listen, if you can think or confess negatively, you can as well direct your thoughts and confessions positively. It is a matter of choice! Man is one being that God created with the capacity to withstand whatsoever circumstances that come his way. The bible declares in Proverbs 24:10, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small”. Our capacity to withstand the heat of life comes from God. Therefore, man is created to depend on God as his source for everything. Jesus declares in John 15:5, “For without Me you can do nothing.” The issue of “confusion” or “I don’t know what to do” ends in your life when you realize who you are in Christ Jesus. The book of 1 John 4:4 says, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” Therefore, “You are more than a conqueror” (Romans 8:37). No situation or problem of life is strong enough to cage you or shut you down. Victoria Orenze sang a song titled, “I Get Backing”. Yes, you have God backing you up. “For he that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty God” (Psalm 91:1). Hallelujah!

When you abide under the covering of the Almighty God, you cannot lose direction or miss your way in life. Above all, you will become untouchable by your adversaries no matter how hard they try to frustrate or humiliate you. Yes, you will still stand on top. No shaking! Therefore, when you don’t know what to do in any given situation, call on God who knows what to do. And He will give you an answer of peace. The Lord said in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call upon Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” You know what? When you call on the Lord, He will show you the way, because “He is the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). When I found myself in the middle of nowhere, I called on Him, He didn’t abandon me, He showed up, and gave me an answer of peace. In fact, I rested so well that night at the police station – not as a criminal – but as the favoured one of the Lord.

I heard of a man who arrived in a country very late at night. He left the airport with a taxi but decided to take shelter at the police station that night for safety. He instructed the taxi driver to come pick him up early in the morning. Unfortunately, he was brutally murdered by the police officers on duty. They stole the money on him, and threw his lifeless body into the gutter along the street. It was the taxi driver who came in the morning, saw what happened, and raised an alarm to the public. The matter was investigated, and the officers got arrested. You see, our God is a dependable God. You can always count on Him when He gives you a direction to take shelter at that same police station. Why? “If God be for you who can be against you” (Romans 8:31). Nobody! The Lord said to Joshua, “I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). That’s how dependable God is when you put your hope and trust in Him.

Beloved, I don’t know where you are at the moment. You may be at your lowest or valley of “baca” right now (Psalm 84:5-7; Psalm 23). Just look up to God. David said, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1). The bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 20, that a great multitude came against King Jehoshaphat to war against him. The only thing he knew to do at that hour was to call on God. Then he said, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You” (2 Chron 20:12). You know what? God answered him, and set an ambush against his enemies. Hallelujah! I pray as you go this week, may your eyes be set on God, not elsewhere (Jeremiah 17:5-8). Remember, when you don’t know what to do, call upon the Lord who knows what to do, and he will save you (Romans 10:13; Joel 2:32). Have a Blessed and Fantastic Week. With love, Elvis!

🙏God’s abundant blessings as you share with others.