James 4:1

 ¹ Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires forpleasure that war in your members? ² You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. ⁴ Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 


      “ God resists the proud,
      But gives grace to the humble.”


Paraphrase: Where do wars and fights come from? Doesn't it come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have, you murder and covet but cannot obtain, You fight and war, and yet do not have cause you do not ask. And when you ask you do not receive for you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Don't you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever is a friend of the world is therefore an enemy of God. Do you think the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? 
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

      “ God resists the proud,
      But gives grace to the humble.”

Lessons Learnt: The roots of all disagreements is the evil in our heart, the desires for pleasure that we have. Sometimes we are willing to do whatever it takes to get what we want. And focusing on getting what we wants for our own pleasure, makes us lose sight of God. All these pleasures of the world are only temporary and we should not go after it. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that as I live my life daily, there may be some things that I would really want, but LORD, help me control my lusts lest I fall into sin, LORD I know that if it's your will, it will be given, so LORD, continue to guide me and show me your will, and I will follow. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

 ²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” -1 Corinthians 1:26-31


Paraphrase: Brothers and sisters, think of what you have when you were called. Not many have performance, popularity and power. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things to nullify the things that are, so that no one can boast before him. It is because of him that we are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one boasts boast in the Lord."


Lessons Learnt: Often times we might think that we are nobody, worthless, and powerless in human standards, but in the eyes of God, we are somebody more, we are his Children which he bought at a price, God often chose the poor, the sick, the weak and the despised, as they are often humble in spirit. How we ought to be like them and forsake the things of this earth.


Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you that you have called me out of my perishment and into salvation. I thank you that even though I am not exactly the lowly thing in the world but you have taught me how to be humble. LORD, I pray that I continue to be humble and seek you daily. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written: 


      “ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
      And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

²⁰ Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²² For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. -1 Corinthians 1:18-25


Paraphrase: The message of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
      And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

Where is the wise, the scribe, the disputer of this age? God have made foolish the wisdom of this world. Through the wisdom the world did not knew God, but through the foolishness of the message preached it pleases God that it save those that believe. The Jews requested a sign, the Greeks sought after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified for our sins, to the Jews it's a stumbling block and to the Greeks it's foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Lessons Learnt: Many people often times keep on reading the Bible, reading spiritual books, gaining lots of knowledge about God, but often times they lose sight of God in the process of searching who he is. We need to search for God with all our heart. 

Prayer: O Heavenly Father, thank you for the message that was preached to me not in wisdom but in foolishness, that I would not lose sight of you LORD. I pray that I would continue to look onto Jesus and the cross, not forgetting what you have done for me LORD. In Jesus Name, Amen.

¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’shousehold, that there are contentions among you. ¹² Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” ¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 
¹⁴ I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. ¹⁶ Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 1 Corinthians 1:10-17


Paraphrase: I plead with you in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ that all of you speak the same thing and let there be no divisions among you, but be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement. For those from Chloe's household has told me that there are contentions among you. That all of you says “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 
I thank God that I have only baptized some of you, for my duty is to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.


Lessons Learnt: We are all baptized into three names that are one and that is God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. Paul here states that the church should be of one mind and one judgement, which means that we should spend more time in fellowship as well as outreaching. And we must focus on our main goal which is to spread the Word and not become the Word.


Prayer: LORD, I thank you that I was baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I pray that I would be spreading the Word of the LORD with great zeal and that I do so with great caution not to overwrite your Word. I pray all these in Jesus name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

⁴ I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, ⁵ that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, ⁶ even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, ⁷ so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸ who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.⁹ God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. - 1 Corinthians 1:4-9


Paraphrase: I(Paul) thank God for the grace that was given to you by Christ, that you are enriched in everything through speech and knowledge, thus fulfilling the testimony of Christ among you. So that you will not lack in Spiritual gifts as you wait eagerly for the coming of Christ, who will also keep you blameless till the end. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.


Lessons Learnt: We are all given spiritual gifts as a testimony of God's grace and we ought to use them wisely for the kingdom of God. To bring glory to God. 


Prayer: Heavenly Father, reveal to me my spiritual gift(s) LORD, that I may learn to use it in your glory. LORD continue to guide me as I walk with you. In Jesus name, Amen.

2 Chronicles 7:14

¹⁴ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14


Prayer: LORD, Thank you for this wonderful promise that you have given in the bible. I am not worthy of your forgiveness LORD but yet you have redeemed me, I still don't know why LORD, I know it's cause of your love but I still can't comprehend why. LORD help me to understand and search my heart. Amen