ICGC-Rome, Piazza Di Ponte Sant' Angelo, Rome (2026)

02/06/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Tuesday 2nd June 2026

*THE SOURCE OF WISDOM*

*Scripture Reading:* Proverbs 8

_She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors. *Proverbs 8:2-3*_

All of us wonder where to find wisdom. How can a person who desires to be wise have access to it? Our passage for today tells us where to locate wisdom. Interestingly, wisdom is presented as a female – to show that we must pursue her as a man seeks a woman. The passage sets out five places where we can encounter wisdom.

· *On top of the hill* - Wisdom is seen by all. Wisdom stands in a high and lofty place, fully exposed to all who seek her. It is exalted on top of the hill so that anyone approaching can see it. Wisdom is not in the valley - it is not in a secret place. It is not hidden in a remote part of the earth requiring an adventure into a deep, dark mystical place. This is how biblical wisdom differs from the wisdom of the occult. In the occult, wisdom is always hidden. In the Bible, wisdom is revealed.

· *Beside the way* - Wisdom is commonplace. God’s wisdom is not for a selected elite who get initiated into mysterious orders or fellowships. Wisdom is ‘by the wayside’. Jesus taught the most profound ideas using commonplace activities like farming, building a house or a marriage. God instructs us to learn wisdom from the ant and by observing everyday occurrences. You don’t need to learn the most powerful words or recite mysterious incantations to access Biblical wisdom; neither do you need to travel a long distance to find it.

· *Where the paths meet *- Wisdom is accessible. If you’ve lived in a small town or village, you can relate to this. The place where the paths meet is ‘the junction’. Every city has a junction. Even schools have a junction. It is the place where all paths lead to; it is the place where people meet. Wisdom is found at the place where we all gather. We can find it in our living rooms, classrooms, dorms, restaurants, and playgrounds.

· *By the gates* - Wisdom is inescapable. If you missed wisdom on the hill because you were looking down and missed her, or because you were not looking, you will find her at the gate. If you missed her again in the place where the paths meet, you would find her at the entrance just before entering your house.

· *At the door* - Wisdom is in your face. And if you miss her at the gate, you will find her at the door to your room. In all these places, wisdom does not sit quietly. Wisdom ‘cries out’ and ‘lifts up its voice’! Wisdom is screaming on top of her voice. She’s right where you are. Pay attention to her.

_*Prayer*: Heavenly Father, help me to identify all the signposts of wisdom you place in my way. In Jesus’ name, Amen._

01/06/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Monday 1st June 2026

*WISDOM CRIES OUT*

*Scripture Reading:* Proverbs 8

> _Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift her voice? *Proverbs 8:1*_

Wisdom has different dimensions. It expresses itself in many ways.

- *Spiritually, wisdom is the fear of the Lord.* The fear of the Lord shows itself in the reverence we have for God. It is wisdom that yields to God’s supremacy. When we have the fear of the Lord, we defer to both the natural and spiritual laws that God has set in His world. Those who honour God’s principles learn to use those principles beneficially. It is akin to the fear an electrician has of electricity. The electrician acknowledges the awesome power of electricity but does not keep away from it. Those who fear the Lord have a hatred for evil and love what God wants.

- *Mentally, wisdom is understanding how life works.* Most of us associate wisdom with mental acumen. However, biblical wisdom is not the same as attaining high academic heights. It has a deep understanding of how life works with all its ethical, moral, and religious implications. We gain this dimension of wisdom through the observation and appreciation of how systems and structures work.

- *Morally, wisdom is righteous conduct.* This aspect of wisdom is the ability to tell between right and wrong. That is how we can live uprightly. Wisdom is a moral force that enables us to make proper judgments. For example, we would generally consider a person who gambles away all their money or uses all they have on wasteful purchases as unwise. On the other hand, we would consider a person who invests their resources in educating their children and building an inheritance for them to be wise. Those who live their lives wisely make moral choices that yield benefits to them.

- *Practically, wisdom is solving problems.* This is the technical aspect of wisdom. Wisdom is practical when it helps us find answers to the questions we face. In the Hebrew society of the Old Testament, this is how most people viewed wisdom. Wisdom is the practical application of knowledge. You see it in the way people solve their problems.

- *Governmentally, wisdom is ruling with fairness.* This is seen in how we administer, manage and lead in our areas of influence – our lives, homes, and businesses.

*Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, you are the All-Wise God. Bless me with your wisdom so I will see life as you see it. In Jesus’ name, *Amen.*_

31/05/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Sunday 31st May 2026

*AN EXCELLENT NAME*

*Scripture Reading:* Psalm 8

> _O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth! *Psalm 8:9*_

Psalm 8 ends in the same way as it began. David returns to the excellence of God’s name. After talking about the wonderful role that the Lord has given us, he brings it all home to the name of the Lord. It is beautiful to note the movement and orderly placement of thought in God’s word.

At the beginning of the Psalm, God’s name is excellent because of His magnificent creation – in the heavens and on earth. At the end, the Psalmist is in awe of how God has elevated frail human beings to unimaginable heights of glory, honour, and responsibility, sharing God’s image.

This is a refreshing perspective. God does not want us to only wonder at the moon, stars and all the heavenly bodies. He also wants us to wonder what He has made us to be. The worth and beauty of our lives shine brightly with His glory. Consider how he uses men to accomplish extraordinary things. Reflecting on these inspires praise unto His excellent name for His excellent works.

We conclude with these three thoughts about the name of the Lord:

- *God’s name must be precious to us.* We must love the name of the Lord. We must honour His name and not take it in vain or use it irreverently. Our references to the name of the Lord must be edifying and praiseworthy.

- *God’s name must be glorified in our lives.* Since we are called by the name of the Lord, our conduct reflects how people see God. Seeing that we bear this awesome responsibility of representing God, we must be even more deliberate about our choices and actions. We must live for the Lord, so that His name will be glorified.

- *God’s name must be known in our world.* We must endeavour to make the people we meet know about our Lord. We must commit to proclaim His name and lead people to the saving knowledge of Christ.

*Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, your name is precious to me. Thank you for making me a part of your creation. In Jesus’ name, *Amen*_

30/05/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Saturday 30th May 2026

*THE DOMINION MANDATE*

*Scripture Reading:* Psalm 8

> _You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, *Psalm 8:6*_

According to Genesis 1:26-27, God created us to have dominion. That divine intention that the Lord uttered at the creation of the first human being is shared by all human beings.

God gave us a dominion mandate when He created us. The Lord made us to be masters of the world He created. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve began living the life of dominion that the Lord had created them for. They were crowned with so much glory and honour that no animal dared to attack them. However, the disobedience and sin of our first parents robbed them and us of our crowns of glory.

As God’s representative on earth, man was given dominion over all kinds of animals, birds, fish, and reptiles.

The book of Hebrews reminds us (Hebrews 2:5–9) that although God created us to have dominion, we are not yet enjoying the fullness of this blessing. The creatures of the earth are not fully submitted to us. Dogs bark at us, mosquitoes bite us, and viruses plague us. The explanation is that when sin entered the world through Adam, man lost his sovereignty over the lower creation.

People today live more like slaves than rulers; so why aren’t we living like kings? Because our first parents sinned and lost their crowns, forfeiting that glorious dominion.

God the Son came to earth to redeem and restore us to our dominion. Today the Holy Spirit of God is the one who empowers us to “reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17). When you crown Jesus Christ as Lord of all, you are a sovereign and not a slave, a victor and not a victim.

When God places the righteous on the New Earth and the New Heavens at the end of this age, we will experience the full manifestation of our dominion mandate.

*Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, you made me have dominion and not to be a slave to sin. Teach me how to walk in dominion. In Jesus’ name, *Amen.*_

29/05/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Friday 29th May 2026

*A GLORIOUS LIFE*

*Scripture Reading:* Psalm 8

> _For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honour. *Psalm 8:5*_

The Psalmist introduces us to our unique role in God’s creation. He draws from the first chapters of Genesis and the narration of man’s creation. He presents an answer to the question in the preceding verse about the reason for God’s mindfulness of man. Here are some key lessons he shares in his response:

- *You have made him.* The Bible unequivocally teaches that God created us. We neither made ourselves nor did we happen to be. This truth is at the heart of Christianity. We are intentional creatures of God.

- *A little lower.* Why does God pay attention to “frail creatures of dust”? Because He has made them in His own image, and they are exceptional! Instead of humans being “a little higher than animals,” as science would have us believe, we are actually “a little lower than God.”

The account of Genesis says that God created us in His image and likeness. In our passage, the Hebrew word translated as ‘angels’ is ‘Elohim’. It is a word frequently used to refer to God and sometimes to angels and other deities. So what did God create us to be a little lower than? Placed in the context of Genesis 1:27, the logical reading should be, ‘a little lower than God’. God created us to be like Him and not like the angels.

- *Crowned with glory and honour.* The word ‘crown’ means to surround or cover with something. God created us in His image and covered us with glory and honour. Our Creator made us to be glorious beings. Our perception of ourselves does not change this. By His will and purpose, he has crowned all men with glory and honour. That is why we must treat all human beings with honour and dignity. Sadly, many human beings choose to dishonour themselves through sin and rebellion.

Whereas other creations like the giant celestial bodies in the universe and animals in their rich diversity are grand, they only reflect God’s glory. It is man alone that represents the image of God. That is why He is mindful of us.

*Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, you have made me to be like you. Teach me to manifest your glory and honour in all I do. In Jesus’ name, *Amen.*_

24/05/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Sunday 24th May 2026

*THE LORD OUR PEACE*

*Scripture Reading:* Judges 6

> _Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites._ *Judges 6:23-24*

The Lord is our peace - Jehovah (YHWH) Shalom. That is the name Gideon gave to the altar he built when the angel of the Lord came to give him orders to fight the Midianites. Interesting, isn’t it? The angel of the Lord spoke to Gideon about war, yet Gideon called the commemorative altar, The Lord is peace.

Why did Gideon call the altar peace when the Lord spoke to him about war? Gideon did not erect the altar because of war. He built the altar because the Lord said to him, ‘peace be with you.” Gideon was afraid he was going to die for seeing the angel of the Lord. He had grown up in a culture where seeing God was not a good thing.

What does Jehovah Shalom mean?

*· God’s peace removes our fears.* When God extends His peace to us, He takes away all of our fears. God is not at war with us. He does not want us to relate to Him in terror.

*· God’s peace offers us life.* The Lord spoke peace to Gideon and promised him, ‘you shall not die.” The life God gives us is more than just staying alive. It includes wholeness and wellness in our spirits, minds and bodies.

*· God’s peace makes us win.* Gideon led an army of 300 people to defeat a Midianite army of 135,000 soldiers. He won with little against so much. The Lord is able to subdue every situation that rises against our peace.

As we serve and worship the Lord, His peace becomes our portion.

*Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, you are my peace. Thank you for the blessings of life, health and prosperity. In Jesus’ name, Amen._

22/05/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Friday 22nd May 2026

*THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS*

*Scripture Reading:* Jeremiah 23:1-8

_In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. *Jeremiah 23:6*_

This passage from Jeremiah chapter 23 is a part of a Messianic prophecy about the future rule of the ‘Righteous Branch of David’ – Jesus Christ. This prophecy also introduces us to a name of God ‘The Lord our Righteousness’ – Jehovah (YHWH) Tsidkenu.

Under the Law, people hoped to become righteous by observing all of its requirements. However, this prophecy from Jeremiah noted that in the days of Jesus Christ, the Lord would be our Righteousness. That means our righteousness would not come from ourselves but from the Lord.

What does it mean when we say the Lord is our Righteousness?

· *The Lord is Righteous.* That is His nature. Everything He does is right and He is right at all times. There has never been and there will never be a moment in which God does something wrong. The Lord is just in all His dealings with us. This is a comforting truth – that in all our dealings with Him, we can trust Him to do what is just and right every time.

· *The Lord determines what is Righteous*. He sets the standards for what is right and wrong. We live in an era where right and wrong have been made subjective and relative to the individual. But it is God – not a man, not a group nor an institution - that determines what is right from what is wrong in the world.

· *The Lord makes us Righteous.* In Christ, God reached out to us to make us righteous. Christ became sin for us and gave us His righteousness. We can by no human effort attain a right standing with God. We only become righteous when we believe in what Christ has done for us.

The Lord our Righteousness is another of God’s gracious revelations of Himself to us. May it inform you how to relate with Him.

_*Prayer*: Heavenly Father, You are Righteous in all Your ways. Thank you for bringing me into the right relationship with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen._

20/05/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Wednesday 20th May 2026

*THE LORD IS MY BANNER*

*Scripture Reading:* Exodus 17

_Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; *Exodus 17:14-15*_

Jehovah (YHWH)-Nissi – the Lord my banner, is the name that Moses called on when he built an altar celebrating Israel’s God-given victory over the Amalekites.

The Amalekites were the first nation to attack Israel after they left Egypt. The Israelites were a young and untested nation. They did not have an army and did not have any experience in combat.

In those days, nations fought under a banner. The banner was also called the standard. Usually, a nation’s banner would be an image of its gods – the national god or the god of war. Today, a nation’s banner will be its national flag and anthem.

Israel did not have a banner when they fought against the Amalekites. The only thing they knew was the name of the Lord who had delivered them.

While Joshua led the fighting forces in the valley, Moses sent up a hill and lifted his hands, as in a prayer or blessing, over Israel. Moses soon realized that whenever his hands were lifted, Israel prevailed; and when he lowered his hands, the Amalekites prevailed. With that realization, Moses sat on a rock on the mountain and had Aaron and Hur hold up his hands.

After Israel won the battle, Moses established the Lord as Israel’s banner – Jehovah Nissi. This meant that they would now fight in the name of the Lord.

The Lord is still our banner in warfare. We go out in His name and return in His name. When we lift our hands in prayer to Him, we affirm that the Lord is our banner and that He fights for us. When the Lord is with us, we can rest and trust in His help as we face the battles of life.

Go out and win with the Lord as your banner.

_*Prayer*: Heavenly Father, you are my banner in times of war. Lift up your hand over me and grant me your victory. In Jesus’ name, Amen._

17/05/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Sunday 17th May 2026

*THE ETERNAL ONE*

*Scripture Reading:* Psalm 90

_Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. *Psalm 90:2*_

El Olam is used to refer to God as the everlasting or eternal one. The term Olam has a wide range of uses. It is usually defined as something that has a long duration, or something that comes from antiquity. It is also used to describe an indefinite future. Olam addresses the reality of God’s existence, God’s covenant and promises, and the Messiah’s future reign.

Eternity is a very strange concept for us. We measure everything with time. Even distances in the universe are measured with light years – time. Because we live in time and are so aware of the shortness of time, our minds find it impossible to think of timelessness. However, eternity is God’s standard. He has been and will always be.

What does El Olam mean for us as Christians?

• *God is the same at all times.* From everlasting to everlasting, He is God. He never grows old, nor changes with time by any measure. He neither depreciates nor deteriorates. He is constant and nothing can wear him down or out.

• *God is real to all generations.* As the Lord was to previous generations, so is He to present generations. He can do today what He did in the past and likewise do the same tomorrow. The people of today can know Him as He was known by the people of the past. He is the same to all generations.

• *God works out His will in time.* Although the events of human history are significant for each generation, they are all but a moment from God’s perspective. He can do in an instant what we think requires a long time to accomplish. He has all things under His control as the Creator who ordains life and death. God works out His purposes in time.

God lives out of time but sees everything from beginning to end – from what has happened through to what will happen in the future. Trust Him to make all things beautiful in its time.

_*Prayer*: Heavenly Father, you are from everlasting to everlasting. I know you’re working out your purposes for my life each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen._

15/05/2026

*LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL*
_By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Friday 15th May 2026

*THE GOD WHO SEES*

*Scripture Reading:* Genesis 16

> _Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” *Genesis 16:13*_

El Roi is used to describe God as the seeing One. Hagar, Abraham’s maid, described the Lord this way when she was in the wilderness. Hagar felt used and abused by her mistress, Sarah. She had been led into a relationship with Abraham that she didn’t ask for and now, she was suffering for obeying the command of her mistress.

Pregnant and alone in the desert, the angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar as she lay by a spring of water and encouraged her. The angel told Hagar to return home to the house of Abraham. In addition, the angel of the Lord assured her of the child's future. Hagar was so grateful that the Lord had seen all that she had gone through and had not abandoned her.

There in the desert, Hagar recognised the Lord as the One who sees – El-Roi.

1. *The Lord sees what happens to us.* Many times, when we are mistreated, we wonder if the Lord sees what we are going through. Yes, He does! The Lord sees our pain and struggles. He does not turn a blind eye to the injustices around us.

2. *The Lord sees us wherever we are.* The Lord saw where Hagar was, alone and abandoned. He knows where we are. He can find us when no one knows our location.

3. *The Lord sees the future we do not see.* The Lord saw the future of the child that Hagar was carrying. Though the child had not been born, the Lord saw how his life would turn out. The Lord sees the promise of our future when all we see is doom and gloom. He sees His plans coming to pass in our lives.

What Hagar discovered about God is part of His eternal nature. The Lord did not start seeing only in Hagar’s situation. He had seen Hagar before and would continue to see her after that. Today, you can be sure that the Lord who saw Hagar, also sees you.

*Prayer:* _Heavenly Father, you are the One who sees. You see where I am and where you are taking me. I trust you with my life. In Jesus’ name, *Amen.*_

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