The theme for MFM Daily Devotional December 13 2022 is ”The Dangers Of Partiality (III)”
Here is today’s MFM daily devotional designed for your today’s spiritual refreshment. Kindly read today’s teaching by Dr DK Olukoya, meditate on the word of God and endeavour to act in accordance with them. As you start your day with God through his word, may he go before you to perfect all you have to do today.
Read MFM Daily Devotional December 13 2022.
SCRIPTURE: “And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.” – Genesis 37:4
Partiality, discrimination and favouritism all exist in families and homes. Again, God condemns every form of partiality in families. This is because the family is the main socializer; and if this evil is allowed to get entrenched in homes, it will spread to the larger society and cause a lot of damage. So, today, we will turn our attention to the family.
God strongly warns against parental favouritism. This is because it usually births envy and rancour, leading to disunity in the family. It also suppresses the talent of some children and makes some to shy away from social interactions due to loss of self-esteem and confidence. Finally, it turns siblings against one another and causes unhealthy competition. Genesis 25:28 reveals that Isaac loved Esau, because of the venison but Rebekah loved Jacob. Due to parental favouritism, Rebekah and Jacob connived and robbed Esau of his blessing. This led to hatred and enmity between Jacob and Esau. Jacob did not fully fulfil his destiny until he had reconciled with God and Esau, his brother.
Parental favouritism which Jacob exhibited to Joseph made his brothers to hate him (Genesis 37-4). Their hatred and envy drove them to sell Jacob into slavery, causing several years of separation and sorrow for Jacob, their father. When there was famine and Jacob had to send his sons to buy food in Egypt, he did not allow Benjamin (Joseph’s brother) to go with them. Again, it was because he loved Benjamin specially and he said, “Lest some calamity befall him.” Jacob’s greater love for Joseph and Benjamin were the fall out of his greater love and favour he had for Rachel. He loved Rachel more than Leah. These two sisters who were married to Jacob had their own share of wranglings because Jacob loved and favoured Rachel more. Truly, parental favouritism always leaves a sour taste in the mouth of those who practise it.
Dear parent, I counsel you to always pray and obtain God’s wisdom and help that will make your parenting a huge success. Show equal love and care to all your children. Recognise that they will differ in talents, achievements and time of fulfilment. Heed God’s admonition in 1 Timothy 5:21, “Without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. God bless you, in Jesus’ Name.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
- Spirit of parental favouritism, I banish you from my family, in the Name of Jesus.
- Spirit of envy and hatred, I bind and cast you out of my family, in the Name of Jesus.
- Sibling rivalry, my children are not your candidate, die, in the Name of Jesus.
EVENING
- My children shall not be sold into slavery, in the Name of Jesus.
- I receive the wisdom to make my parenting a huge success, in the Name of Jesus.
- My Father, forgive me of the instances that I have been partial in my dealing with my children, in the Name of Jesus.
- Father, help me to train my children in Your way and let them become vessels unto honour in Your house, in the Name of Jesus.
Credit for today’s Mountain of fire‘s daily devotional December 13 2022: Mountain of Fire Ministries/Mountain of Fire