Shepherd Daily Devotional

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Ask God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

Shortly after King Herod had James, the brother of John killed; he proceeded and arrested Peter. Herod had decided to kill Peter because he figured it would make the Jews happy. This became a big problem to the Church. If Peter who was the leader of the disciples was executed, then there was going to be a big crack in the Church. And the Church knew they couldn’t physically confront King Herod who had power and authority. So they decided to do the only thing they could do. While Peter was kept in prison, “the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

Like the disciples, you might be facing a problem that appears to be insurmountable. I know that there are crises that can overwhelm anyone. You might be at the brink of giving up. If you are at a point where you feel so weak, and unable to fight back then do what the disciples did. Hand over the matter to God. Like the disciples, pray earnestly. Get down on your knees and ask God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. If you can’t pray, ask your friends and family to pray for you.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, do for me what no man can do for me. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 12:1-5

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

No one goes through a crisis without growing.

We don’t have to always blame ourselves for every crisis that shows up in our lives. For instance, a fire incident or the sudden death of a colleague or business partner can bring about a crisis. You may also find yourself in a financial crisis because of an economic recession. You are not the reason why your country is in recession, but somehow you are affected by it. Therefore, crises are problems that come into our lives unexpectedly. Crises are uninvited troubles. There are times that troubles would meet you even while you were minding your own business.

While crises can be painful, they also have some benefits. Crisis comes to shake up certain things in our lives. No one goes through a crisis without growing. The crisis you are going through will move you from where you’ve been to the place you ought to be. See that crisis as an opportunity to reinvent yourself. The crisis has come to wake you up. Above all, it will bring you closer to God. David said, “It was good for me to be afflicted, so that I might learn your decrees” (Psalm 119:71). Like David, you will be grateful in the end.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, give me the strength to stay strong. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 119

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

To empower others, teach them!

One day, Jesus took his disciples to a solitary place so they could break away from the crowd. They boarded a boat and quietly left. But before they got to their destination, the crowd recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and even got to the solitary place ahead of them. When Jesus saw the large crowd, he pitied them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus had compassion on them because He realized they were in need of leaders. In other words, Jesus realized there was a shortage of leadership. How did Jesus tackle the problem?

When Jesus saw that the people were like sheep without a shepherd, “he began teaching them many things” (Mark 6:34). Notice that Jesus didn’t address the leadership problem by sharing money, food items or material things. Jesus didn’t try to solve the problem by blaming anyone. He didn’t ask them to go home and find “leaders”. At that instant, Jesus began to teach them. Of all things, Jesus chose knowledge as a means of empowering the people. Although they needed some fish, Jesus decided to teach the people how to fish. To empower others, teach them!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, teach me how to empower others. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 6:30-34

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

The important thing is not whether you are recognizable or not, but why you are recognizable.

There’s hardly any leader who isn’t easily recognized. The moment you become a leader, whether in your field of endeavor or in an organization, you will be recognizable. It’s all most impossible to be a leader and not be recognizable. But being recognizable doesn’t necessarily mean you are making impact in society. While you can be recognizable for the right reasons, you can also be noticeable for the wrong reasons. So the important thing is not whether you are recognizable or not, but why you are recognizable.

One time, Jesus and His disciples traveled to a place, named, Gennesaret. And the moment the people recognized Jesus, they ran throughout the whole region and carried the sick people on mats so He could heal them of their illnesses (Mark 7:55). Think about that. As soon as the people recognized Jesus, the next thing that crossed their minds was, “The healer is in town, let’s bring together the sick!” Immediately they recognized Jesus they thought of the work for which he was known for. In the same way, the people around you are likely going to think of your antecedents whenever they see or recognize you. Do the right thing!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I want to be recognized for the right reasons. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 7:55-56

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

To be influential, become a person of value.

One day, Jesus travelled to the Sea of Tiberias with His disciples. This was shortly after he had preached in many villages. Most likely, they wanted to have a quiet time. But a crowd of five thousand people followed them. Clearly, the crowd wanted to be with Jesus even if it meant to leave behind their homes and businesses. But why would such a crowd of people, leave their villages and follow Jesus to a deserted place. According to the scriptures, the people had followed Jesus “because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick” (John 6:2).

To be influential, become a person of value. Great leaders commit themselves to a cause that brings value to others. The crowds that followed Jesus weren’t really interested in Him but in what He could do; they were attracted to His miracles. Similarly, your influence would be determined by what you can do. What do you carry inside of you? What can you do that will be of great value to others? Your ability to discover your unique gifts, and then offer it to others will determine how relevant you would be to your generation. Focus on your gifts!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, show me how to develop my unique gifts. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: John 6:1-2

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.