ICGC - Family Temple

30/10/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
Pastor Mensa Otabil

Friday, 30th October 2026

GOD UPHOLDS HIS CHILDREN

SCRIPTURE READING Psalm 145

The Lord upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season._Psalm 145:14-15

The Psalmist describes God as the One who consistently sustains those who fall. He uplifts the oppressed, and provides for all. Therefore every person who looks to God for His provision will have their needs met. Since God's dominion is everlasting, He cares for His creatures faithfully and lovingly all the time.

How does the Psalmist describe God?

• The Lord upholds all who fall. Life's challenges can be overbearing and burdensome but God will not leave the afflicted in their despair. He shows up right on time to revive their lost hope and lift His children out of their affliction. We can always trust God to come through for us and uphold us with His victorious right hand.

• The Lord is our expectation. In moments of difficulty, it is easier to fix our eyes on our circumstances rather than God's ability to take care of us, but the Psalmist makes a choice to fix his expectation on the Lord. He is aware of his need, and mindful of challenges that confront him, but yet he anchors his expectations in God. It is true that the world is plagued with so many challenges but you have a choice to either listen to media reports and gloomy economic forecasts or build your faith on God's promises. As Christians, our expectations should always remain in the Lord.

• The Lord provides in due season. God is never late; when we feel that all hope is lost, He will always show up just in time. The Psalmist testifies about how God's provision arrives just when we need it. You will not remain in the place of scarcity for long, because Jehovah will step in at the right time and provide for your needs.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, my eyes are on you. You are the one who lifts me up and provides for me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

29/10/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
Pastor Mensa Otabil

Thursday, 29th October 2026

GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS

SCRIPTURE READING Philippians 4

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus._Philippians 4:19

When we experience shortage in life, we serve a God whose resources are unlimited. Just as God met Paul's needs in the work of the gospel, so will God also meet our needs.

• God's provision can meet our needs. A need is a necessity or an essential that you do not have. As human beings, we have many areas of need. We have spiritual as well as material needs. What should we do about our needs?

Our passage reminds us of God's ability to meet our needs. He has all the resources required for every area of our lives. Unlike our earthly parents, friends, and governments whose resources may be scarce and limited, God's supply is not determined by the economic and political forces. There is no need that God cannot supply.

• God's provision is according to His riches. The measure of God's supply is His immeasurable riches in glory. How does one draw from His unlimited resources? Through Jesus Christ. Only those in Him have access to God's account and can ask Him to meet their needs.

Think about it. When all resources are dried up on earth, God has inexhaustible resources in heaven. That is why He is able to provide for us in times of famine. That is why He is able to provide for those who have no helper. So when we read or listen to the news and hear about global inflation and recession, we must not panic. God has riches in glory that cannot be touched by earthly limitations.

God meets our needs not based on our salary, bank accounts, or family fortunes, but beyond these He meets them according to His riches. Today, you can confidently trust God to make heavenly resources available to you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, your riches are inexhaustible. I receive all my needs met according to your riches in glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.

28/10/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
Pastor Mensa Otabil

Wednesday, 28th October 2026

A CONSTANT SUPPLY

SCRIPTURE READING 1 Kings 17

For thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.'_1 Kings 17:14

Flour and oil were two of the major exports of the city of Zarephath. The fact that they were in short supply is an indication of how severe the drought was, since they were the most basic commodities for survival. In the midst of such difficulty, God sent a word to the widow about a season of unending supply.

God said to the widow:

• The bin of flour shall not be used up. The story of the widow of Zarephath demonstrates how God is able to take care of His own. In a time of scarcity, God spoke an encouraging word to a widow, letting her know that her meager resources would not be run out. What she had would be sufficient to sustain her. Just like the widow, maybe all that you have in your hands is all that you need to survive, but the same word that came to the widow is the same word that God is speaking to His people today — the supply shall not end.

• Until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth. Israel was facing a national economic crisis but in the midst of the difficulty, God promised to sustain the needs of a widow. The drought lasted for about three years and in those years, the supernatural support the Lord provided remained until the season of scarcity was over. It is God's expectation that we work and be productive to cater for our needs. But as long as a season of drought persists, God will faithfully provide for His own.

Only God can provide for His children in a season of drought. May the Lord cause you to lack nothing. You will not run out of supply.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are the God of more than enough. I trust you to sustain me throughout this season. In Jesus' name, Amen.

26/10/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
Pastor Mensa Otabil

Tuesday, 27th October 2026

GOD TAKES CARE OF HIS CHILDREN

SCRIPTURE READING Matthew 6:25-34

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?_Matthew 6:26

The Lord Jesus understood the world that His disciples lived in. He was part of that world for the years that He lived on earth. The Lord experienced the needs and necessities of human existence. He knew the concerns people had for daily survival. If He lived physically in our world today, He would tell us the same things He told His followers over two thousand years ago.

• Look at the birds of the air. Birds live with us in our world. Though they spend much of their lives in the air, they eat from the ground and trees. Jesus noted that the birds do not have any sophisticated agricultural system to help them survive hard times. While human beings struggle to make ends meet, the birds glide from one place of supply to the other.

• Your heavenly Father feeds them. God gives food and shelter to the birds of the air. 'Behold': look at them and study them. Pay attention and learn from what you see around you. God makes provision for the birds flying around us. When one place of supply dries up, God is able to open other places of supply for the birds. God will likewise take care of the believer who really trusts Him.

• You are more valuable than the birds. Jesus speaks those same words to us today. We are valuable to God. Human beings are on a much higher level of creation than animals. We are made in the image of God and capable of a personal relationship with God.

In addition to that, we know how to sow and reap and gather into barns. We have the ability to reason and work. If God can provide for birds which do not sow, how much more will He not provide for those who know how to sow and reap.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are my provider. As I plow my field, give me a harvest of abundance. In Jesus' name, Amen.

26/10/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil

Monday, 26th October 2026

THE LORD SATISFIES THE RIGHTEOUS

SCRIPTURE READING Psalm 37

The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied._Psalm 37:18-19

Life in the Old Testament was filled with many events of famine. The people of the Bible lived in what we now call the Middle East. It was, and still is, a dry region. Rainfall was minimal in that part of the world. That means people lived in a constant recurrence of food shortages. As a result, a lot of the experiences people had with God during that time had to do with famine.

How should children of God live in times of scarcity? God wants His children to still live uprightly, even when times are hard.
We must face life with this understanding.

• The Lord knows our days. That simply means God understands the times we're living in. Our lives are under God's watchful eyes. No He sees us. He is aware of us. As our world goes through times of uncertainty, we must remind ourselves of God's faithfulness.

• We shall not be ashamed. Though we may be severely challenged and pressed hard, the Lord will not allow us to suffer shame. When all is said and done, God comes through for the believer with timely redemption. We have need of endurance to hold on till He comes through for us.

• We shall be satisfied in famine. We may not have an abundance, but God will take care of us. We shall be satisfied. He will provide us with what is sufficient to sustain us through the moments of famine in our lives.

Like the Psalmist, we must maintain a constant confession of faith throughout our difficulties and hardships.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you know the days we're living in. I trust you to satisfy me with your goodness. In Jesus' name, Amen.

25/10/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
Pastor Mensa Otabil

Sunday, 25th October 2026

GENERATIONAL TESTIMONY

SCRIPTURE READING Exodus 12

And it shall be, when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?' that you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.' So the people bowed their heads and worshiped._Exodus 12:26-27

Celebrating the Passover was a binding requirement for all generations into the future, including everyone who would occupy the land of Canaan. The exodus from Egypt was a generational testimony that Israel had to preserve. There is a natural tendency for human beings to forget; so God constantly impressed upon Israel to remember the important events in their lives. The generation that experienced the Passover had to ensure that succeeding generations would never forget the significance of their history.

• Parents have the responsibility to teach their children about their faith. The instruction was to teach the upcoming generation about the Passover. Every parent was expected to teach their children the meaning of the ceremony that memorialized the deliverance from Egypt.

In the same vein, it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children about their faith. While we appreciate the ministry of children's service teachers at church, parents must ensure that they help their children to know the Lord. Our lives at home must reflect the word we hear in church. Only genuine faith can be passed on from one generation to the other.

• We must propagate the gospel across generations. Every generation of believers must hold the message of the gospel in trust for the next generation. We must be committed to sharing our faith in Christ, what He came to accomplish for humanity and our testimony of what He has done in our own lives. If we fail to carry out this responsibility, we will end up raising a generation that will never know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. The message of Christ is transgenerational. It must be experienced and passed on from one generation unto the next.

Our world is becoming increasingly secular, and the number of emerging young adults that are not saved and remain unchurched keeps rising. God is calling on us to ensure that we pass our faith to the next generation.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to pass on my faith to my children and the generations after me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

24/10/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
Pastor Mensa Otabil

Saturday, 24th October 2026

A MEMORIAL TO GENERATIONS

SCRIPTURE READING Exodus 12

So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance._Exodus 12:14

God was finally going to deliver Israel from bo***ge in Egypt. The tenth plague directed against the firstborn of the Egyptians and their livestock was the tipping point. Pharaoh had no choice but to accept Yahweh's demands. God instructed the Israelites to celebrate this momentous event.

• This day shall be to you a memorial. A memorial is 'something that keeps remembrance alive.' God instructed Israel to never forget His deliverance from Egypt. He had brought them out of a 430-year bo***ge, and He wanted that day to be kept as a memorial. There are things that God has done in our lives that serve as a constant reminder of His faithfulness and mercy towards us. We can look back at those acts of God and know that He will always come through for us.

• You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord. Birthdays and holidays are days set aside to celebrate a person or event whose impact in our lives or nation can never be forgotten. God instructed Israel to celebrate the day of their deliverance. As Christians, it is also important to celebrate major acts of God in our lives. One of the days worth celebrating is the day you gave your life to Christ. Do you remember that day? If you do, go ahead and celebrate God's deliverance in your life.

• It shall be an everlasting ordinance. An ordinance is an action you repeat in remembrance of a significant event that took place in your life. God instructed Israel to pass on the celebration of the Passover and its significance to the next generation. They had experienced the exodus personally. It was clearly for coming generations who had not been there to know God's salvation directly. Why did God want His people to remember the exodus so carefully? Because it was His supreme Old Covenant demonstration of deliverance, and He wanted His people to trust Him as a delivering God.

Beyond the exodus, God reached out to us by sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins. He delivered us from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom. Why don't you take a moment and celebrate your salvation?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for saving me from my sin. I am eternally grateful for your gift of salvation. In Jesus' name, Amen.

23/10/2026

23/10/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
Pastor Mensa Otabil

Friday, 23rd October 2026

GOD WILL PASS OVER

SCRIPTURE READING Exodus 12

Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt._Exodus 12:13

The only way the Israelite firstborn were to be protected from the impending death was to smear the blood of an innocent lamb on their doorposts. This application of blood for the deliverance of God's people was a shadow of the future deliverance of mankind from sin and destruction.

- The blood is a sign. The blood on the doors of the Israelites marked them out as God's people. It was a sign of their faithful obedience to God. The sign of the blood on a doorpost showed that those who lived in a particular household had trusted in the Lord for their redemption and deliverance.

- The blood is a covering. The blood was on the house they ate the Passover lamb in and stayed in overnight. If any member of the household refused to stay in a household that was marked with the blood, they would expose themselves to the plague.

Similarly, being a part of a godly family does not by itself redeem us. If we stray from the faith of our parents and walk in our own way, we cannot enjoy immunity from God's judgment. We may be from a godly home, but we must personally commit our lives to the Lord.

- The blood is our deliverance. Everyone who stayed in a home that was marked with the blood of the lamb, and also ate of the Passover lamb, was delivered. The history of Israel suggests that some Egyptians might have sneaked into Israelite homes to escape the judgment of God.

The people's faith in the blood saved them. Our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ saves us. Note that the Israelites were not saved because they had godly parents nor because they were living good, honest, and moral lives. Neither are we. We are all saved by the blood of the Lamb; saved because we believe that the blood of the Lamb covers our sin.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the mark of the blood of Jesus that preserves me from destruction. In Jesus' name, Amen.

22/10/2026

LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
Pastor Mensa Otabil

Thursday, 22nd October 2026

JUDGEMENT NIGHT

SCRIPTURE READING Exodus 12
For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord._Exodus 12:12

After many cycles of confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh, these episodes ended with the dramatic announcement that every firstborn son in Egypt would die. God's judgment on Egypt was the result of Pharaoh's adamant stance against God's will for His people. Egypt was paying the price of centuries of oppression of God's people — His firstborn.

• I will pass through the land of Egypt. God's punishment was restricted to a particular geographic location. He was going to pass through the entire land of Egypt including the areas where the Israelites lived. That is why the Lord gave Israel instructions on how to protect themselves from the coming judgment.

• I will strike all the firstborn in Egypt. The reason this judgment was against the firstborns of Egypt was because the Lord saw Israel as His 'firstborn'. Israel was the first nation that God revealed Himself to and cut a covenant with. As such, they were God's 'firstborn'. Because Egypt had killed and tormented God's firstborn, they justly had to pay for their sins with their firstborn.

On more than nine occasions, the Lord gave Egypt a way out of this judgment. He did not desire for it to come to this. All the plagues were intended to avert this from happening. If they had just heeded the voice of the Lord, this calamity, which was a last resort, would not have befallen them.

• God executes judgment against the gods of Egypt. There is a spiritual warfare angle to what God was doing in Egypt. His judgment was also aimed against the gods of Egypt. God wanted the Israelites to leave Egypt without any fear of reprisals from the gods of Egypt and their spiritual mediums.

In the New Testament, when we give our lives to Christ, the Lord wants us to have the full assurance that no power of the enemy can touch us. God wants us to trust Him as the Sovereign One who is above all.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, there is no God besides you. I trust you fully as my deliverer and protector. In Jesus' name, Amen.