Daily Devotionals

As you settle down to breakfast, lunch or dinner today. Consider this question: “whose productivity is making this meal possible?” If you are working somewhere or creating value in any way, try to link this meal to something you did. If you are not currently doing anything that generates income, determine who is paying your bills. Being on scholarship means that someone else is working hard on your behalf. There is a problem when you are content to live large on the productivity of others. You should make a commitment to increasing your own productivity in order to fund your lifestyle.

You need to realize that every kobo you spend is tied to productivity. Your own productivity or that of someone else. If your income cannot support your lifestyle, you must recognise that you are not yet a fully formed adult. It is not a sin to want a lavish lifestyle complete with expensive gadgets, toys, and perks. But you must be ready to solve enough problems, create value and produce results that can make it happen. Remember this command from the Bible: “if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). You cannot have that car, or private jet if you will not work for it.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Christian salvation is free because Jesus paid the price with his life. Google search is free because advertisers fund it. Develop an elite mindset today. Decide to increase your productivity to the point where it can pay your bills as well as the bills of others. Allow God to use you to bless others by working harder than anyone else. That way you will get more results than anyone else. Let us imitate Apostle Paul. He said his hands catered for his needs and the needs of those around him (Acts 20:34).

Resilience and resourcefulness are two of the most important qualities to have if you want to be the salt and light of your world. It is not about having resources, it is about being resourceful. The difference between people who get things done, and those who fail is their mindset. “I cannot afford it,” the poor man concludes, and goes to bed. “How can I afford it?” the rich man asks, and he begins to plan his next move. Lack of funds is not the reason you fail to make meaningful progress towards your dreams. It is due to lack of resourcefulness, fueled by a lack of thinking.

The master severely punished the unprofitable servant (Matthew 25: 14-30) for failing in his fiduciary responsibilities. The servant didn’t realise there was a demand on him to be resourceful with the talent he had been given. This was someone who could have easily benefited from the advice and mentoring of his more experienced and business-savvy colleagues. He completely ignored both of them. There was the option of banking the talent and allowing it to yield an interest. This servant ignored that as well. He failed to display any resourcefulness or resilience. He refused to use his brain for a moment.

Talents (resources) are given to each of us, according to our ability (Matthew 25: 15). Your current level is a reflection of your capacity and abilities. There is no need to moan about your current station in life. You can advance beyond your current level if you make a commitment to acquiring the knowledge, discipline, work ethic, and accountability required for the next level. Try to seek clarity. Be sure you are seeking the right goals. There is plenty of assistance available to you. You aren’t the only servant out there. Associate with people who are more seasoned and experienced than you. They will show you how it is done.

The most common reason given by visionaries for why their mission is failing is a lack of funding. They do not have the resources to make things happen. The world has trained us to think almost entirely in terms of “time and money.” You must avoid this trap. You find it difficult to concentrate enough to get anything done as long as you believe you lack the necessary funds. That is why you must have a strong belief in your ability to make things happen. Instead of thinking about “time and money,” consider your capacity, time, and energy.

Lack of money is not the most significant impediment to achieving your objectives. The most significant impediment is a lack of capacity. You lack the ability to produce results at the level you desire. It is not obvious to you that you lack the necessary knowledge, discipline, and training to make things happen. You keep telling yourself that you don’t have any money. The truth is that you can make something out of nothing. The current state of your business, administration, ministry or nonprofit is a reflection of your capacity.

Take back control of your time and energy. If you concentrate your energy and make the most of your time. You’ll be astounded by what you can imagine and make happen. You will attract everything you need to make something happen if you focus your energy on it. Knowledge, power, partnerships, resources, or money. Whether it’s $10 or $10 million, if you concentrate, you’ll get it. If you do not intuitively understand these concepts. It could be a sign that you need to work as an apprentice for a while. Go and work one-on-one for someone. You will learn. And be able to apply what you have learned in your mission.

In Daniel 4, a watcher from heaven decree, “Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him”. This gives us the impression that a mind can be altered and changed. It was a negative transformation in this instance. A positive change, however, is also feasible. 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” In this instance, you can see how the Holy Spirit can influence your thoughts and grant you a sound mind.

We have now laid the groundwork for a prayer for the mind. While there are numerous prayers that we could offer. It is a good idea to seek inspiration from Apostle Paul. He compares the Christian to a soldier, an athlete, and a diligent farmer in 2 Timothy 2: 1–7. You can ask God to shape your thoughts and change your mind. Changed into a soldier’s, an athlete’s, and a hardworking farmer’s mind. The soldier is defined by discipline and a strong sense of mission. The athlete is driven by achievements, breaking records and rewriting history. The farmer understands productivity and wealth creation. You can pray for this kind of mind.

1. Father, give me the mind of a soldier.

2. My Father, grant me the strength to face the battles of my mission.

3. Father, teach my hands to war and my fingers to do battle. (Psalms 144:1)

4. Father, give me the mind of an elite athlete.

5. My father, grant me the mentality of a record breaker.

6. Father, give me the mind of a diligent farmer so that I can increase my productivity.

7. My father teach me to create value and monetise value. Grant me the mind of a money maker.

Having issues with people is common, but when these issues are repetitive and happen with multiple individuals, it’s essential to self-reflect. You will not be popular with everyone. Having disagreements with someone is not always indicative of a flaw in your character. And having the same problem with two people can still be a coincidence. When you have the same problem with at least three people, it becomes a pattern. We must eventually stop pointing fingers at others and admit our own flaws. You have to point the finger at yourself at some point.

It is easy to become blind to our faults, leading to us being judgmental towards others without acknowledging our flaws. You believe you are perfect and without blemish. However, you, like everyone else, have flaws. Our Lord Jesus has some words for you, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5 ESV). It’s crucial to understand that we all have our limitations and are prone to making mistakes. Acknowledging this fact can help us identify and work on our flaws, leading to better relationships with those around us.

It requires a considerable amount of self-awareness and honesty to recognize our mistakes and flaws. Not doing so can hinder personal growth and cause conflicts in personal relationships. So, here’s an idea. What if you took some time to look within over the next few days? Look within yourselves and identify your shortcomings. Once you recognize them, now, get to work on them. It is time to become even more accountable for your actions. It is not a sign of weakness to accept responsibility for your mistakes. It denotes maturity and personal growth.

There is a tendency to dismiss the achievements of others. By attributing their success to chance, an unfair advantage, or some form of privilege. This is not a wise thing to do. With the popularity of social media, it is easy to believe that others are doing better than you. However, keep in mind that social media frequently only shows the highlights of someone’s life, not the struggles and hard work that go into success. You have to find your balance. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, as we’ve all heard. You have to concentrate on your mission and get to work.

The grass grows greener on any side that has been thoroughly cultivated. When you see someone else’s success, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind or not doing enough. You must fight this mentality. Recognize that people are in different stages of life. Furthermore, success is not something that is bestowed upon you. You must put in the effort. Your current level of success reflects your current level of productivity. Greener pastures are a reflection of productivity, not luck. You must seek out the kind of productivity that will give you the success you want.

All of our dreams and aspirations are possible, but only if we are willing to put in the effort. So, the question is: are you going to get to work or not? The choice is yours. Setting a clear goal, acquiring the necessary knowledge, and making plans are the keys to success. You will be fine with some discipline, hard work, and guidance. Success does not happen overnight; it is built one brick at a time. Ignore the noise makers and pretenders. Pay no attention to those who suggest shortcuts. You must believe that if you work your pastures, they will be as green as anyone else’s.

On March 16, 2023, China’s Baidu unveiled Ernie Bot, a much-anticipated artificial intelligence platform. Ernie Bot’s release felt rushed in comparison to ChatGPT and GPT-4. The presentation used five pre-recorded sessions rather than a live demo. This caused Baidu’s stock price to fall by 6.4%. Social media was flooded with disappointed reactions. It may be embarrassing for you to work hard, delivering the best outcomes you can. Only to discover that your best effort is insufficient to produce the desired results. However, you must recognise the importance of building your own wealth by owning your assets.

It is critical to maintain a long-term perspective on your work at all times. You begin anyhow, and then keep improving. Your first products and services will be terrible. But here’s the thing: it’s not as important as it sounds. Baidu’s generative AI platform might be nowhere near the capabilities of market leaders like ChatGPT. But the good news is that they will keep working on it. Little by little, it adds up. And one day, they will have a super product. Your first business, job, book or movie will be tough. You will not be able to deliver a perfect result. But you must get started.

Do you remember King Saul discouraged David from fighting Goliath? He argued that, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” (1 Samuel 17:33). That is the mindset that prevents you from starting. King Saul should have encouraged David to take on Goliath so that he could begin to be a champion from a young age. Rather than discouraging him. You must break through this mental barrier. Even if your industry has established global leaders. Try to build out your own ideas.

A mass reorientation towards the topic of wealth creation is required. Wealth is not a mysterious thing. Your wealth is best defined as the value of your productivity over time. The obsession with “making money” may stem from a number of misconceptions about the true meaning of wealth. Making money is a subset of creating wealth. You will make a big mistake if you believe money is a separate entity; it is not. If you are currently struggling with lack and poverty. Please understand that it is not a money problem, it is a productivity problem. Poor people must be taught how to be more productive.

Consider your current financial situation. Whether it is physical money or digital money stored on servers somewhere. Try to link it to a specific productive act you carried out. Consider your salary to be an exchange for the value you create through your work (productivity). Consider your company’s revenue as a reward for your current level of productivity. The first step is to understand where your money comes from. If you want to make more money, you must increase your productivity. Building wealth from the ground up requires that you understand this.

Wealth creation requires a long-term perspective. It all boils down to trying to increase your productivity over time. Proverbs 21:5 says, “the plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Building wealth entails planning out how you will multiply your productivity a hundredfold. It is comparable to having the wisdom to grow from one talent to two talents, five talents, and finally ten talents. Poverty in your world is not due to a lack of money. It reflects the unproductive nature of your world. Your prosperous future is dependent on your ability to patiently work from one talent to a hundred talents.

In a March 2023 report, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute predicted that China would overtake the United States as the world’s leading science and technology superpower. Indeed, China has the potential to establish a monopoly in fields such as nanoscale materials and synthetic biology. The big question is, how did China reach this milestone? The straightforward answer is that they worked harder than everyone else. It’s always entertaining to attribute success to luck, race, nation, or social status. If we can explain success as something that anyone can do, we expose our own laziness.

Africans continue to daydream about a future in which they will be able to develop technology that will allow them to be truly self-sufficient. The continent remains backward despite having so many prophecies and visions about a wealthy future. This is clearly the result of not working hard enough to achieve results. Many Africans believe they are inferior to Americans and Chinese. They lack the confidence to experiment with new ideas or think creatively. For example, the Chinese are attempting to develop their own version of ChatGPT. Africans are delighted to license ChatGPT from the Americans.

Africans, like any other race or nation, can set their sights on advanced technologies and begin to make progress. You must understand that spiritual grace requires work. You cannot continue to claim special grace while refusing to put in the effort. In 1 Corinthians 15:10, the apostle Paul explains, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” The Chinese work harder than anyone else. Africans must imitate them.

You can and will achieve your goals. However, you must understand the physical laws that govern success. Even though the spiritual is higher than the physical, and the spiritual helps drive the physical. You must also understand that without the necessary knowledge and structure, nothing spiritual will manifest in the physical. So, it is not enough to fast and pray about the things you want to do. You must think about it carefully. Be certain that you are implementing the physical requirements of your mission. You will fail if your approach to the physical side of your work is not in agreement with your spiritual ambitions.

Many people fantasize about growing their mission to the point where they can serve millions of people. They want to create businesses that sell millions of their own products every day. They lack the necessary mentality and discipline to do so, however. You can’t reach a thousand people if your setup only reaches a few dozens. There is no way you can make a million from a company that can only deliver a hundred thousand. When you separate physical realities from spiritual possibilities, you will eventually become frustrated.

A great vision will demand a multitude of physical activities. Investigate and understand how visions work. A spiritual vision with divine support will transform physical circumstances into ones that are more conducive to manifestation. Over time, you will manifest the physical platforms and institutions. The principle can be seen in David’s transformation. He grew from a shepherd boy to a powerful king. Therefore, as a visionary leader, you must constantly evolve. Prepared to learn, unlearn, and relearn new things. Until the physical structures that can express the vision from heaven are developed.