**God does not hear the prayer of one who prays and stays in sin** Seeking God cannot be an empty gesture. It must come with purpose in the heart, with genuine intention — this is how the prophets sought the Lord's face: *"Then I proclaimed a fast there... that we might afflict ourselves before our God"* (Ezra 8:21). Fasting and prayer are a way of emptying the heart of everything that is sin, so that God has room to speak and act. And God knows the heart — He is not impressed by fasting of the mouth, mere outward appearance, while the heart remains distant (Isaiah 58:3-6). There's a striking episode where a Canaanite woman cries out for help, and Jesus responds in a way that shocks at first: *"It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs"* (Matthew 15:26). The bread — the blessings, the miracles, God's answers — belongs to those who are children. To those who have intimacy, who live inside the Father's house. It's not for those who ask from the outside, living in sin, with no commitment to change. The woman, however, insists with faith and humility, and Jesus recognizes her great faith. The lesson remains the same: the position of a child opens a door that the position of a stranger does not. And that's exactly why Scripture teaches: *"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"* (Matthew 7:7). That promise is real, but it isn't unconditional — it's for those who live as children, sanctified, truly walking with God. Whoever sanctifies themselves, whoever surrenders their life without reservation, is filled with the Holy Spirit, and whatever they ask within God's will, they will receive, because it is written. But this must be said: *"we know that God heareth not sinners"* (John 9:31). It's no use fasting, weeping, crying out, asking for blessing, while deliberately living in sin with no intention of letting go. God cannot be manipulated by tears or by forced fasting. He waits for the heart — broken, sincere, willing to change. If you want to see God answer your prayers, the path begins before the request: it's sanctification. It's living as a child, not as someone who only wants the crumbs from the table while living far from home. *Remember that the Word of God is a statute.* [all]

🛐🙏Crying Prayer-2🙏🛐 ✝️📖Syllabus - 52📖✝️ "They pass through the valley of weeping and turn it into a spring." Psalm 84:6 Those who have a real desire for God's righteousness in their hearts can never pray in a traditional and dry manner. Many use prayer only to obtain some pleasures and benefits. They understand prayer as asking God for things they need. Although they are a part of prayer, because we need to ask God for all the things we need, they are not the whole of prayer. When we want to use prayer in the work of ministry, then we need prayer that cries out. Even though the Lord Jesus was the Son of God, He spent a lot of time praying. He even prayed all night (Luke 6:12). What was the point of His praying so much? In the Christian community, it is still seen that many people get annoyed if they pray a little too long, and even many negative comments are heard. For those who think that prayer is asking for some necessary things, short prayers are enough. But for those who enter into prayer and whose hearts are merged in the heart of God, traditional and short prayers are not enough. The Lord Jesus prayed with strong tears and groaning in the Garden of Gethsemane (Hebrews 5:7). Paul had a constant groaning for believers (Galatians 4:19). Just as streams moisten the dry ground and springs of water come out of the hard mountains, so the groaning prayer is able to save the chosen children from the hard cycles of the world. The hard hearts melt. "Those who sow with tears in their eyes will reap with joyful songs." Psalm 126:5

A life that is formed in the secret place will eventually reveal visible power. “A life that is completely surrendered to Jesus in private becomes a life of visible power for His Kingdom.” Look at the life of Jesus! Before ministering with power before the people and before making great decisions, Jesus often withdrew from the crowds and spent time alone with the Father. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” — Luke 5:16 Before going to the cross, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus completely surrendered Himself to the Father’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” — Luke 22:42 There, the surrender that happened in secret, unseen by human eyes, opened the way for the victory the world would witness at Calvary! This is the power of the secret place! The tears you shed in the secret place will become your testimony in the public place. The prayers you offer in the secret place will release God’s power in your life. The surrender no one sees is the calling God sees. Those who remain close to God will carry His glory in the public place. This is not a season to hide; it is a season to be prepared! The more you surrender to God in the secret place, the more powerfully He will use you in the public place. Your Secret Place → Your Strength. Your Surrender → Your Authority. Your Prayer → Your Breakthrough. Your Obedience → Your Testimony. Stay alone with Jesus. One day, your very life will become a visible testimony of His glory! — Hepsi Sam✍️

Some burdens were never meant for your shoulders alone. Jesus does not ask you to arrive strong, polished, or unbroken. He simply says, “Come to Me.” Bring Him the weight you have carried in silence, the tears no one has seen, and the weariness you can no longer explain. At His feet, you do not have to pretend. His arms are strong enough to hold you, His grace is deep enough to restore you, and His presence is the rest your soul has been longing for. Lay it down today, beloved. You were never meant to carry it alone. ❤️ “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 #RiseInGrace #ComeToJesus #RestInHim #FaithOverFear #JesusIsOurHope Walking in Grace today— Rise in Grace Ministries ❤️

This Is Not a Season of Destruction… It Is a Season of Rebuilding! “Some situations don’t come to destroy us; they come to rebuild us.” They threw Joseph into the pit. They imprisoned him. They thought his story was over. But the pit did not destroy him it prepared him for the palace! “But God intended it for good.” — Genesis 50:20 In the same way, some things in our lives may be falling apart. Some doors may have closed. Some prayers may seem delayed. But God has not abandoned us! When He removes certain things from our lives, it is not to leave us empty, but to make room for something new! What we have lost is not our ending. The tears we are shedding are not our final chapter. The battles we are facing will not determine our future. God is able to bring forth a new testimony from our broken pieces! Those who went through the pit will be raised into the palace. Those who have wept will reap with joy. Those who have experienced delay will see fulfillment in God’s perfect timing. The very situation that came to break us will become a testimony of our elevation! This is not the end. This is the season in which God is rebuilding us. Our next chapter will be more glorious than our past! — Hepsi Sam ✍️

PLANTED BY THE RIVERS There is a quiet strength that comes from knowing where your roots are. Psalm 1:3 gives us a beautiful picture of a person who has learned to stay close to God: “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither.” I love the picture of a tree beside a river. The tree does not have to panic every time the weather changes. When the sun is hot, its roots can still reach the water. When the wind blows, it may bend, but it does not easily fall. Its strength comes from what is beneath the surface. Being planted in God is much the same. Life will have its dry seasons. There will be days when prayers seem unanswered, plans don't work out, people disappoint you, and you wonder how much longer you can keep going. But when your life is rooted in God's Word and your relationship with Him, difficult seasons don't have to destroy you. You may become tired, you may shed some tears, and you may even have moments when your faith feels weak—but you have a source deeper than your circumstances. God becomes the place you return to when everything else feels uncertain. Being planted also means staying. It is easy to seek God when we need an urgent answer, but being rooted requires something deeper—a consistent walk with Him. It means opening His Word when nobody is watching, praying even when you don't feel particularly spiritual, obeying when obedience is uncomfortable, and allowing God to correct and shape you. Going to church is important, but simply attending services is not the same as being rooted. You can sit in church every week and still remain spiritually dry. The goal is not merely to be around God's presence; it is to allow His Word to take root in your heart and influence the way you live. And notice that the tree produces fruit “in its season.” That matters. Not every season looks the same. There are seasons for growing, seasons for waiting, seasons for pruning, and seasons for bearing fruit. Don't become discouraged because your life doesn't look like someone else's. A tree doesn't produce fruit every day, yet it remains alive and connected to its source. Your season will come. Keep growing. Keep trusting. Keep your roots in the right place. Jeremiah 17:7–8 says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord... He will be like a tree planted by the water... its leaves are always green.” That is the kind of life God invites us to live—not a life without problems, but a life that remains alive in the middle of them. When the season is dry, stay planted. When the wind blows, stay planted. When you don't understand what God is doing, stay planted. Your strength is not in how perfect your circumstances are; it is in how deeply your roots reach into God.

As He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” Luke 19:41–42 ɴᴋᴊᴠ A thousand years earlier, David “went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives” (2 Sam. 15:30), the same route as the Lord Jesus takes here but in the opposite direction. The king “wept as he went up” and all the people with him, “weeping as they went up” because of an insurrection by his son, Absalom. Now our Lord descends Olivet towards Jerusalem, and He is weeping too, even though the disciples who accompany Him are rejoicing. The Pharisees demand that He rebuke them (Lk. 19:39) but they and the crowds who take up their strain are obeying Zechariah’s words: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9). But He cannot rejoice Himself, for He knows the adulation will soon turn to cries of “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” (Lk. 23:21). Selfless Savior! He does not weep for Himself like David, but for His earthly people. In rejecting Him they will not enjoy His justice and salvation as they hoped. And today, two thousand years later, even as they occupy Jerusalem again, most still spurn Him, barring themselves from the grace of God that gives “peace with God” through Him (Rom. 5:1–2). The city’s name speaks of peace, but it will never be a place of peace until they receive the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). The tribulation awaits them, but when He comes “with clouds” (Rev. 1:7) to deliver them, they will confess with tears, “the chastisement for our peace was upon Him” (Isa. 53:5). Then they will possess peace from Him in every sense. As for us, may we “sow in tears” (Ps. 126:5) the glad tidings of peace to Jew and Gentile alike (Eph. 2:17). Simon Attwood https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-30

🙏🛐Answer to prayer-10🛐🙏 ✝️📖Syllabus-50📖✝️ "The angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer has been heard." Luke 1:13 John the Baptist was a man of the ages. He was chosen by God from the beginning to be the forerunner of the Lord Jesus. Isaiah also prophesied about him that he would first come in the spirit of Elijah to prepare a people for God. Isaiah 40:3-4.) Yet it turns out that Elizabeth, the one who would bear John the Baptist, was a barren woman! Luke 1:7. John's birth was predestined; yet God chose a barren woman to be his mother. We see more of God's amazing dealings. He chose Abraham to be the father of many nations, yet He gave him a barren wife, Sarah. Genesis 11:30. Again, through Isaac, through whom God promised to multiply his descendants like the stars of the sky, and therefore Rebekah, whom He chose, was also barren. Genesis 25:21. In each of these cases, God ultimately freed the barren womb as an answer to prayer. In fact, He put them in this situation to prove that God is all-powerful and that those who trust in Him are never ashamed. So that we may trust in Him at that time and pray with tears. While Zechariah was burning incense in the temple, God said to him, “Zechariah, your prayer has been heard; you will have a son.” Luke 1:1-3. Truly, how wonderful are the works of God! "For no word of God will fail." Luke 1:37.

Good evening, brethren. 1. Evening devotion for today. ED.i. *DAILY WALK WITH CHRIST* (COCIN DEVOTIONAL) *DATE:* SATURDAY 29TH AUGUST, 2026. *SUB-THEME:* YOUTHS: VESSELS OF GOD’S GRACE. *TOPIC:* REVERENCE GOD. *TEXT:* ECCLESIASTES 12:12-14. 12. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. 13. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 14. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. *TOPIC:* REVERENCE GOD. *THE MESSAGE:* Man may not fully grasp God's ways; he must hold fast to His reverence and trust in Him as Creator. The Preacher cautions his listeners not to substitute wordly knowledge with God's wisdom. They must fear God and keep His command as a duty and live in view of His judgement. To fear God is to make Him the centre of your life - loving Him deeply, honouring His greatness and grace; and letting this reflect in your choices, words, and actions. Many young men claim to fear God, yet their lifestyle tells a different story. They can be seen to be very active in church but consult a marabou, practice harlotry, form a gangster to commit evil in society, or lead a bandit to attack communities. Does your life truly reflect your reverence for Him? Check what takes your time and allegiance. Time is fleeting. Take a stand today! *REFLECTION:* Fear God and keep His commandments. *PRAYER:* Lord, help me to reverence You. Amen. *MEMORY VERSE FOR THE MONTH:* 2 TIMOTHY 2:21. "If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work." *TODAY'S BIBLE READING PLAN:* DANIEL 1-3. ED.ii. GET TO THE ROOTS "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." - Hebrews 12:15 One day our son John-Henry had an outdoor survival event. At one point he had to jump from a three-meter high bridge into a deep, dirty ditch which was full of water and mud. He did not know that there was a sharp tree stump in the ditch, this penetrated his leg for 20 cm. He screamed in pain and was taken to the hospital by the team leaders. The wound was cleaned, but the x-ray image showed that a wood splinter was still in his leg. The wound was bandaged and seemingly it looked good. We were told that the splinter would naturally go out. However, a few days later when we removed the bandage, the wound looked worse and unclean. We prayed to God to touch him and anointed him with oil. The next day a sister from our church who was a nurse saw the wound and said that John-Henry had to go to the hospital right away. There the doctor concluded that John-Henry immediately had to undergo surgery. When that root of the problem, the splinter, was removed, the healing process began. The root of the problem We often do the same in life. As God's children we take care of the outward appearances but do not go to the root of our problem. We try to become different, to improve, but if we do not go back to the root of the problem, this will not help much. Do not apologize by saying: it is my upbringing, or it is my life environment. We often justify ourselves. To simply polish yourself on the outside does not solve the problem. The root cause must be dealt with. Maybe you are facing something similar in life today. Pray then: 'Lord, show me what the root is which causes me trouble every time.' Jesus can help you if you open your heart to Him. He will take the complete problem out of your heart and life. Then you will be saved forever. https://www.theblessingdevotional.com. 2. Evening Prayer for today. EP.i. Evening Prayer I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. ⏤ Psalm 4:8 Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work. ⏤ Oswald Chambers What can we say to You, O God, tonight, to express our gratitude for all the goodness of this day? We can only bring You our hearts' humble worship and ask You to accept it. We lay the work of this week upon the altar. Cleanse what is wrong in it. Accept and use what is right. Our thanks are due to You for all You have been to us this week. You have been our Shepherd, leading us into green pastures and beside still waters. You have been our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. You have been our fortress, into which we have run in times of danger, finding deliverance. You have been our companion along the way, our guide, our guardian, our friend, our deliverer, our helper. Impress Yourself on our lives. Saturate our very being with Your own life, so that we may be transformed into Your own character! We pray tonight for the world outside. Much of it is without You and without hope. Remember the homes around us that are godless and prayerless. Find a way, O God, to enter these homes so that the children, at least, may be saved. We also pray for those who have sorrow in their homes and cry out for comfort. Wipe away their tears by revealing the truths that bring true consolation. We commit our own home to Your protection for the night. You who never slumber—be our keeper. Let no danger come near us. May Your peace rest upon our home. Prepare us for the duties of Sunday. May it please You to spare us and bless us in every good way. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen. https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/55/evening #taptapstudio #youdevotion.

TURNING TRASH INTO TREASURE By Pastor Jonathan Ubah Text: Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” INTRODUCTION Beloved, there are seasons when life can make you feel like trash—rejected, forgotten, broken, disappointed, or useless. Sometimes people look at your past and conclude that nothing good can come from you. But I came to announce to somebody today: God is a specialist in turning trash into treasure! What people reject, God can select. What people discard, God can develop. What looks like a wasted season can become a powerful testimony. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:27, “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise.” God does not always choose what looks valuable to men. He sees what others cannot see. 1. GOD CAN USE YOUR BROKENNESS Psalm 34:18: “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart.” Sometimes we think our brokenness disqualifies us, but God can work through broken things. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, thrown into a pit, and sold into slavery. His circumstances looked like trash, but God was preparing him for the palace. Genesis 50:20 says, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Your pain is not necessarily your punishment. Sometimes God uses painful seasons to prepare us for greater purposes. Don't despise your broken pieces. Put them in the hands of God. 2. GOD CAN TURN YOUR FAILURE INTO A TESTIMONY Micah 7:8: “When I fall, I will arise.” Failure is not final unless you choose to remain down. Peter denied Jesus three times, yet Jesus restored him and later used him mightily in the early Church (John 21:15–17; Acts 2:14–41). You may have made mistakes. You may have taken the wrong turn. You may have experienced things you are not proud of. But hear this: Your failure is an event, not your identity. The enemy wants you to look at what you did and conclude that you are finished. But God looks at you and sees what you can become by His grace. Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.” Get up! Wash your tears. Learn from the experience. Return to God and keep moving. God can turn your mess into a message and your test into a testimony. 3. GOD CAN TURN REJECTION INTO DIVINE ELEVATION Psalm 118:22: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” Jesus Himself was rejected by men, yet He became the cornerstone of God's redemptive plan. David was overlooked by his own family when Samuel came looking for the future king. His brothers were presented, but David was left in the field. Yet God said in 1 Samuel 16:12: “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” Never allow people's rejection to make you reject yourself. Sometimes rejection is God's way of redirecting you. Some doors closed because God was preparing another door. Some people walked away because they were never assigned to your destiny. What they rejected may be exactly what God will use to announce you. CONCLUSION Beloved, the trash is not the final destination of what God has chosen. Joseph went from the pit to the palace. David went from the field to the throne. Peter went from denial to becoming a powerful witness for Christ. And if God could transform their stories, He can transform yours. Your past is not too dirty for His grace. Your failure is not too great for His mercy. Your rejection is not too strong for His purpose. Give God your broken pieces. The same God who turned water into wine can turn your sorrow into joy, your weakness into strength, your failure into wisdom, and your trash into treasure. PROPHETIC DECLARATION I declare over your life: Every rejected area of your life shall become a testimony. Every painful experience shall produce purpose. Every closed door shall lead you to God's appointed door. Your wasted seasons shall be redeemed, and God shall turn your trash into treasure! You will not die in the place of rejection. You will not remain in the place of brokenness. You will arise, shine, and fulfill God's purpose for your life. Your story is changing! Your testimony is coming! Your treasure is emerging! In Jesus' mighty name, Amen!