WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION

Presentation of the Lord
Monday, 2nd February, 2026
Theme: Lead your Child to Jesus
( Mal 3:1–4, Ps 24, Heb. 2:14-18,Lk 2:22-40)

Joseph and Mary presented the child Jesus in the temple, according to the Jewish customs. The fact that the first male born child must be presented to the Lord. In other words, Joseph and Mary taught the child Jesus the ways of God from his childhood. They led him to know God, of course we know Jesus was God, hence he didn’t need any presentation from the parents. But this was done to fulfill their customs and to give parents an example.

Our children are gifts from the Lord. Therefore, it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to let them know the one who gave them to us. We have to let them fall in love with Christ. They can’t know Christ if we don’t guide them to know him. We need to teach them how to pray, read the bible and taking church seriously. This is what Joseph and Mary did, which all parents must emulate.

I must admit that some parents have failed in this regard. Some of us couldn’t lead our children to Jesus. And today they have become wayward. Some of them don’t know God and live ungodly life. Our children are not rooted in God because we didn’t help them to establish a strong relationship with Jesus. The principle of catch them young is very important in child upbringing. You can control them a lot when they are young but not when they reach certain stages. Start to train them in the Lord from childhood and they will not depart from it. As scripture says, train the child in the ways of the Lord, and when he grows he will not depart from it.

Beloved, it is also true that some parents are making all efforts but their children are not co-operating. We need to also intensify our prayers for such children in those moments. The devil also seeks to destroy our children when they know their future. Hence, we need to battle it spiritually to bring change in the life of these children. St. Monica accordingly prayed unceasingly for the conversion of his son Augustine of Hippo. Which came to pass one day. Never give up on your child. It is only God who can change that child. Persevere in prayer, because one day a miracle will happen in the life of that child.

Stop cursing your children and using bad words when they offend you. Always speak good words and invoke the blessings of God upon them. Because that is our wish that they become great personalities for us.

Invest in the spiritual lives of your children. As you are struggling to give them proper education, give them Jesus too. It will be a useless venture for your child to be an academic giant but a moral dwarf. Unfortunately, that’s what most of us have made our children to be. The best treasure you can give your child is Jesus. Salvation is the best gift you can offer your child.

As we celebrate the Day of Consecrated life, we pray for more vocations in this way of life. A
Consecrated life ( also known as religious life ) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. In celebrating this day, we are also called to dedicate our entire life in serving the Lord as the Consecrated people do.

May God give us the strength to bring up our children in the ways of the Lord and also to serve him with our whole being. Amen.
Have a Blessed Week.
Shalom. 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew.

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Tuesday, 3rd February, 2026.
Memorial of St Blaise
Theme: Jesus, our Deliverer and Healer
( 2 Sam 18:9-10,14,24-25,30-19:3 Ps 86, Mk 5:21-43)

Jesus is our mighty healer and our deliverer. The story of the woman who suffered from hemorrhage for twelve good years and the little girl who was raised from death, should give us hope in Jesus. The fact that with Jesus in our boat of life, there is no need for us to be afraid and be hopeless.The ruler had hope in Jesus that even though his daughter was dead, Jesus had the power to raise her up.

We are told in the gospel that the woman who had the hemorrhage had gone to various physicians and other places for healing but she wasn’t successful. Accordingly, she had spent all that she had, but her situation even got worse. This is a difficult health condition for an individual to battle with. My mothers and sisters really understand what it means to bleed for twelve good years. But when she met doctor Jesus her story changed. Jesus was her last stop.

Sickness as a human suffering is very devastating among us. Jesus in his manifesto indicated that, he was sent to preach good news to the poor and to set captives free(Lk 4:18). Sickness is part of this human captivity for which Jesus came to deliver us from. Beloved,we have a God who is able to heal all our diseases (Ex 15:26b). He sends his word and heal all our infirmities ( Ps 107:20).

Scripture says through his strips we receive our healing. I don’t know the kind of illness which is troubling you in your life, but I pray today that you experience the healing touch of Jesus our master. Just trust in his power of healing. Don’t give up, your time of deliverance is just at the corner. I want you to encourage someone to continue to look up to God and not give up. Someone is about to give up on his condition of ailments or life situation, be the source of strength for such person. For some of us even doctors have given up on us. It seems that we are going to live with such conditions till our death. For some of us it is a particular sickness which has been troubling the family and sadly there is no cure for us. I give you doctor Jesus today. There were equally some people whom doctors gave up on them, but today Jesus has healed them totally from the power of such illnesses. Yours is even something little before him.

Sicknesses have made people to commit suicide, have made people to lose their faith in God, have made people to lose everything in life. But Doctor Jesus is the answer to these troubles in our lives. May be yours is a spiritual sickness, but Jesus is able to heal. Don’t go to any Mallam, or medicine man or a fake pastor. That sickness is something too small for him to cure. If the woman who suffered from hemorrhage for twelve good years received her healing after encountering Jesus, then your moment of deliverance is just at the corner. The same thing can be said of the man who was paralyzed for thirty-eight good years(Jn 5:1-18). Your time will come. Your God hasn’t abandoned you so continue to persevere.Emmanuel is with you in the moments of your struggles with that illness or difficult situation.

May Jesus heal us from all our physical and spiritual diseases. Amen .
Have a Blessed Day.
Shalom. 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Wednesday, 4th January, 2026.
Theme: Acknowledge your Sins
( 2 Sam 24:2,9-17,Ps 32, Mk 6:1-6)

David in the first reading acknowledged his sins before God when it was pointed out to him by the prophet Gad. We do remember also that he repented from his sins by taking Uriah’s wife, Beersheba and causing the death of Uriah, . It was the prophet Nathan who was sent to him by God. David sang Psalm 51 to ask for forgiveness from God. The man David was loved by God because of his humility of accepting his sinful acts when pointed out to him. He has equally become a great figure admired by all because of this nature of his.

Beloved in Christ, there is one thing accepting your sinfulness and another repenting from it. If you don’t acknowledge your sins or mistakes how do you change from it or them. No one is righteous as the scripture says. But some of us behave as angels as if to say we are not human beings. Accepting ones sinful nature is a sign of Christian maturity. A matured Christian is the one who accepts his humanness before God.

The bible tells us that the righteous man sins seven times a day (Pro 24:16). But the difference is that, he doesn’t stay in the sin but makes efforts through the grace of Christ to rise up. Whiles the arrogant stays in the sin and perishes. We are all making efforts to grow in holiness in this earthly pilgrimage. The levels of growth in holiness is different depending on your relationship with God. But the truth is that no human being can attain the fullness of holiness on earth here unless in heaven. The day when your life expires on this earth and you reunite with your maker, then he grants you this fullness of what we have all been yearning for.

Any Christian who claims not to be a sinner is an arrogant Christian and is sick of spiritual pride. We are all sinners before God seeking for his mercy everyday. A mature Christian acknowledges his sinfulness or his nothingness before God and seeks for his mercy everyday. Until we acknowledge this fact , we will be deceiving ourselves and others. Unfortunately, some so called pastors are deceiving people with such teachings. Please my brother or sister shine your eyes and learn about the things of God properly so that you are not deceived.

May the Holy Spirit help us to always allow the grace of God to overcome the sinful tendencies in our lives . Amen.
Have a Blessed Day.
Shalom🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Thursday, 5th February, 2026.
Memorial of St Agatha
Theme: Jesus has given us Power and Authority
(1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12,Ps(1 Chronicles 29), Mk 6:7-13)

Jesus gave power and authority to the disciples over all demons and to cure diseases as he sent them on mission. We are told that they cast many demons and healed many also from their sicknesses. They accomplished these great deeds through the power Jesus bestowed on them. In Luke 10:19, Jesus indicates that he has given us power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by anything hurt us. Jesus didn’t say he has given us power over some of the demons, but all the demons. The disciples truly utilized this power and authority given to them in their various ministries. There were times when the unclean demons in certain people couldn’t withstand the presence of Jesus. They confessed and had to submit to the authority of Jesus.

Beloved, there is power in the name of Jesus. By the mention of that name, all knees shall bow and all tongues shall confess that Jesus is Lord. There is no name in the heavens or the earth that can withstand the power in the name of Jesus. We must come to this realization as believers and stop entertaining unnecessary fears in our lives. If you have Jesus at your side, why should you be afraid of situations or forces of darkness? Not at all.

Because of the power in us through the name of Jesus, evil spirits are afraid of us. Unfortunately, we are also afraid of them. We have undermined the power in us. That’s why they have the power to manipulate and always frighten us. Some of us are even afraid of certain people because of the powers we claim they have, even more than the God we worship. They and God or Jesus who is more powerful?

We belittle the power in us too much. Let’s prove to them that what lives in us is greater and powerful than them. We should have the edge to always rebuke these forces. In fact, let them know their level. We should let them know that they are nothing at all before Jesus. Don’t joke with the power in you. That power can move mountains.

As the disciples exercised this power to overcome the evil spirits, today I want you to also have that authority to rebuke any evil forces who have orchestrated any evil plans in your life. Don’t allow them to destroy the good things in your life, in the family, at the work place, in the church. Pray till they feel uncomfortable and have to pack their things and leave.

You and I know the mighty deeds that the disciples did through the power given to them. They delivered people from all forms of bondage of the devil. We have that power to also deliver people and ourselves from all forms of spiritual and physical bondage of the devil. You have that power, hence don’t be afraid. Don’t give up to those happenings in your life. Exercise that power now.

May the Holy Spirit give us the power and authority to overcome all forces in our lives. Amen.
Have a blessed day.
Shalom 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Friday, 6th February, 2026.
Memorial of St Paul Miki and Companions
Theme: Stand by the Truth
( Heb 13:1-8,Ps 27,Mk 6:14-29)

John the Baptist died because he stood by and for the truth. Herod the tetrach had taken his brother Philip’s wife. John criticized him for this and Herodias, Philip’s wife was rather angry with John for condemning this evil act. She was happy to have left the husband for his own brother, what an abomination?

The people of our age don’t like to be told the truth to their face. They hate people who are truthful in life.When you allow truthfulness to lead you, you challenge them in the society. Something they don’t like to see and hear.

Some of us have allowed lies to control our lives. There is no integrity in us anymore. Don’t allow the spirit of lies to become your daily bread. It is dangerous to grow and mature in this vice. We become a child of the devil, because Jesus said that he(devil) is the father of all liars.

Don’t compromise with the truth at your work place, in the church, at your neighborhood, and in the society in general. People will give you all sorts of names because of your integrity of truthfulness. But never give up and join the masses because of the frustrations that people will put you through. It is better to be hated by people to have your integrity than to compromise and lose your integrity. Some of us still cherish people who are truthful in life. Some of these people who want you to compromise the truth deep within their hearts cherish truthfulness. Mostly you will hear some of them saying ” as for this man or woman, he or she is very truthful, he hate lies”. They will always let people know the kind of person you are.

As Jesus said ” we should say the truth and the truth shall set us free”Jn 8:32. Let truthfulness be your hallmark no matter the opposition you will face from people. It is better to have only God on your side because of your truthfulness than having the whole world behind you because of lies and corrupt practices.

May the holy spirit burn every spirit of lies in us and make us instruments of truthfulness all the time. Amen.
Have a Blessed day.
Shalom.🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew.

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Saturday, 7th February, 2025.
Theme: SEEK GOD’S KINGDOM FIRST
(1 Kings 3: 4-13, Ps 119, Mk 6:30-34)

King Solomon sought the wisdom of God first above everything in this world. In other words, he put God first in his life. He needed the wisdom of God to govern His people Israel. Nothing is more important for him than this gift from God when He gave him the opportunity to ask for anything of his interest. King Solomon knew very well how difficult the people of Israel were in terms of ruling based on the experience of his father David. This is normal for all human society in terms of leadership because it is not easy to lead people looking at how diversify we are by nature. Solomon knew very well that he cannot afford to lead the people of God if He does not guide him to lead them. He exhibited his humanness before God his maker who is all powerful and capable of everything. If it were you and I we would have asked for worldly things which will have no bearing on our salvation. Solomon sought for God’s law and His kingdom first which comes with the other things which are also needed for our human existence on this earth.

My dear friends, Jesus tells us in Matt 6: 33 to seek His kingdom first and He will add the other complements to us. Our priority on this earth is to love His law and serve Him with our whole being. As religious beings we are created to know Him, love Him, and serve Him; nothing more nothing less. Again in Lk 10: 38-42, Jesus told Martha that she is bothered with so many things which are less important than the word of God, which her sister Mary has taken. Her priority should be the word of God first before anything else. The fact that she was busy with serving and other things rather than sitting at the feet of Jesus means that she has chosen worldly things over the word of God. Jesus was not telling Martha that serving a guest was not good or worldly things are not good but priority must be given to the word of God first; in everything God first.

But my dear friends, the spirit of discernment is needed in this matter of making God first in our lives. Solomon had this gift that is why he was able to make the right choice in taking a decision which was very pleasing to God. The people in the parables of the gospels who sought out for the most valuable treasuries on earth also had this gift,that is why they also made the right decision by seeking for the most valuable treasure which is the word of God.

Some of us are only seeking after worldly things rather than what matters in life which is a place for our soul in heaven. We are only busy about things which are perishable and not things which are everlasting or eternal. Human beings now do not care about what happens to our soul after our departure on this earth but what we will enjoy and have pleasure and fun. Materialism and secularism have become the order of the day. Man is no more concern about his/her salvation but rather what will please him or her. We have become pleasure seeking people who do not care about what happens with our relationship with God. Our world is increasingly nurturing people who are anti-God. A world where the God factor is gradually fading out all in the name of freedom. But the secret is that the more we discover God, the more we discover ourselves, because He is the source of our being.

May God help us to make him the top-most priority on this earth. Amen.
Have a Blessed weekend.
Shalom.
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew