Proverbs 24:33-34 NIV
“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”
INSIGHT
-Monday blues is a negative feeling that some people have at the end or beginning of the week. It marks the beginning of routine work or school that sometimes make people feel demotivated. Individuals may feel discouraged to perform optimally due to job dissatisfaction, stress and other limiting factors. Monday blues is one of the reasons why some people may prefer to sleep more than the expected time. Others are just lazy and given the chance, they can sleep the entire day. Proverbs 10:4 says that, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Excessive sleep according to the Bible is a catalyst to poverty. Excessive sleep can also be applied in relation to family, spiritual life, career, education, purpose, talent and gifting etc, which causes paralysis, poverty, delay, and eventually death.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father You are wonderful, You are marvelous, You are excellent, You are good and perfect in all Your ways. We thank You for enabling us to see this day in peace. We praise You for the far that You have brought us and for the far that You are taking us. You are our God in whom we put our trust. We are very sorry for the many times we have mismanaged time. We apologize for oversleeping in the various spheres of our lives, may You forgive us and guide us in the way that we should go. May You relieve us and all those who are faced with different challenges at work, school, home, church, government and different areas of operation. May You restore all the years that the locust has eaten, the swarming locust, crawling locust, consuming locust, and the chewing locust. May You grant us the wisdom and grace to enable us manage our time wisely. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen
Further reading: Proverbs 6:6-8, Joel 2:25
Ephesians 5:15-17 NKJV
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
INSIGHT
-Procrastination is the act of unnecessarily postponing decisions or actions. Procrastination is a dream killer. The Bible reminds us that we should redeem time by capitalizing on every appropriate opportunity and manage our time wisely. Some among us have postponed different ideas and projects, and have since neglected their plans and purpose. Others have enrolled in different universities and colleges, or desire to do so but they have since shelved their dreams. Some have received opportunities or ideas that would have propelled them in life but they keep delaying and giving excuses. Others desire to join a church, a Bible study, or read the entire Bible annually, but have postposed these decisions. We are reminded that we should redeem time in whatever areas that we are lagging behind. We are also remind to walk cautiously, and careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences since the days are evil. Sometimes we are distracted from following the path of truth and have pursued the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. We are called to seek the will of God in every desire and decision and the Lord will prosper all our ways according to His loving kindness.
PRAYER
Lord God Almighty Father You are our God, we exult Your name. May You forgive us for the many instances we have wasted time and have gone after evil desires. May You renew our minds that we may prove what is Your good, acceptable and perfect will. May You have mercy on us dear Jesus. May You heal our nation from deaths, calamity and economic issues. May You have mercy on us dear Jesus and cover us, our families, churches, society and our nation with Your precious blood. May You grant us wisdom precious Holy Spirit. May You grant us the grace to push on in the areas that we are lagging behind. May Your accelerate us exponentially according to Your divine will. We pray all this believing and trusting in Jesus mighty name. Amen
Further reading: Proverbs 19:21, Romans 12:1-2
Psalms 90:12 NIV
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
INSIGHT
-The Psalmist reveals the importance of numbering our days. He posses a challenge in the chapter if ones lifetime is seventy years, would it make a difference if ten years are added to make it eighty years. Leaving a legacy is a vital question for us all. We are called to learn true wisdom and pray for revelation and guidance in our divine purposes. The Holy Spirit teaches us and grants us divine favor that we may run our race and finish our course well. He also grants us the grace to produce good fruits for the glory and honor of His name.
PRAYER
Lord You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are our God. We thank You for the great purposes You have created for us. Dear Lord Jesus we thank You for the good plans and the good future You have for us. May You forgive us for all the times we have wasted our days in meaningless things and in waywardness. May You cleanse us by Your precious blood and teach us how to number our days that we may guide a heart of wisdom. May You teach us how to discern the timings and seasons and leave a legacy. Oh Lord show us the way we should go and lead us in the path of Your salvation. May You go before us and straighten every crooked path. We pray this believing and trusting in Jesus mighty name. Amen
Further reading: 2 Timothy 4:7
Matthew 25:1-13 NKJV
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
INSIGHT
-The parable of the ten virgins reminds us to wait on the Lord and rekindle our relationship with Him. The wise virgins took oil in their vessels and preserved more as they wait for the Messiah’s return. At the day of the Lord, they went to the feast of the kingdom heaven, and the opposite is true for the unwise virgins. Often times we hear people give excuses and citing reasons why they should not receive Christ. Some say it is too early for them or they are too young to live right with God. Like the wise virgins, those who accept Christ in their hearts are likely to serve God and have the oil of the Holy Spirit overflow in their hearts. Those who delay this decision might find themselves in a precarious situation like Judas who did not repent and hang himself. It is vital to know the truth of God’s word and abide by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
Like a deer pants for rivers of water so our souls thirst for You Lord our God. Our hearts long for You our Redeemer and Maker. May You teach us to wait on You in every situation. May You train our hearts to give thanks to You in every circumstance. May You draw us near to Yourself Holy Spirit and fill us with Your un-quenching oil. May You grant the gift of salvation to all Your people and nations. We love You Lord our God. May You cleanse us from every trespass and renew Your steadfast Spirit within us. May You comfort all those who have lost their loved ones and heal all their wounds. May You protect all Your children from false prophesies and guide us in the way that we should go. You are our God, we adore You and bless Your holy name. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. Amen
Further reading: Romans 8:9, James 4:8
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:”
INSIGHT
-If retribution fails as a value, perhaps there exists some mystical cosmic order that grants meaning to life, for each thing has its proper time or cycle. God is the author of all times and seasons, and He makes everything beautiful in its time. Although He has put eternity in our hearts, no one can find out the work that He does from beginning to end. It is prominent to acknowledge God in everything, in every time and season and to give thanks in all situations. The Israelites did not take heed to God’s word, they murmured and complained, and therefore wasted their days in the wilderness. Our loving Father is calling us to wait on Him in all the times and seasons, and give thanks in every situations disregarding the difficulty that we are going through.
SUMMARY
Biblically, we see that it is paramount to manage our time wisely, and this requires divine wisdom. God calls us to walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil, while discerning His will (Ephesians 5:15-17). Also, we are reminded to walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time (Colossians 4:5). Time wastage is detrimental to one’s progress and productivity. The Psalmist tells us in Psalms 90:12, that the Lord teaches us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. When we waste time, we misuse our productive years and there are consequences for these decisions. Excess sleep causes poverty in work, career, education, leadership, ministry, purpose and all spheres of life. Proverbs 24:33-34 says that, “a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” Wastage of time leads to slackness. The parable of the ten virgins reveals to us that having a plan and a vision in our spiritual life is none negotiable. The five foolish virgins did not plan for any eventuality to come and never kept some extra oil. As they went to meet the bridegroom, their lamps went out and they failed to enter into the kingdom of heaven. The five wise virgins kept some extra oil which saved them when the Messiah returned. We are reminded to believe in Jesus and accept the Holy Spirit in our lives, and we will find eternal hope that begins now and continues from everlasting to everlasting. We are also reminded to make proper use of our time and do good always for whatever we do we do it for the Lord and not for our human masters, and we shall receive a reward of the inheritance (Colossians 3:23-24).
PRAYER
You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, none can be likened to You. You are the author of all the times and seasons, and nothing can pass by without Your knowledge. You are the author and finisher of our faith, we put all our trust in You. Some trust in horses, others trust in chariots but all our hope and trust is in You Lord our God. We submit our burdens and cares unto You Lord Jesus for You care for us. May You level all the mountains and make a way in the desert for us. May You deliver us from all adverse situations and grant us Your peace that surpasses all human understanding. May You fill our hearts and tongues with thanksgiving and rejoicing in every situation. May You bless the work of our hands dear Jesus and make us productive in every good work, for the glory and honor of Your name. May You bless us and keep us. May You make Your face to shine towards us and be gracious unto us. May You turn Your countenance towards us and give us peace. Amen
Further reading: Ecclesiastes 3:12, Daniel 2:21