WORD OF LIVING WATER DAILY INSPIRATION. By Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Monday, 29th June, 2026.
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
Theme: Contribute your part to the spread of the Gospel
( Acts 12:1-11, Ps 34, 2 Timo. 4:6-8,17-18, Matt 16:13-19)

Today we reflect on the contributions of Sts Peter and Paul to the spread of the Good News of Christ. These were great men of God who sacrificed their entire life for the growth of the faith. They eventually died for the faith. They never compromise their faith at any point of their Christian journey. Even in the midst of persecutions, they stood firm for the truth and for Christ.

Today you and I are having the opportunity to call ourselves Christians because of the hard work of these people. It is a call on us to also continue the good works they have left behind. It is our turn to continue this noble work.You and I have to work hard, whether raining or shining to spread the kingdom of God. The question we should be asking ourselves is, how am I contributing to the spread of the Gospel?

We can’t accomplish this mission if we don’t depend on Christ, who has called us. These two apostles and the early Christians for that matter depended entirely on the grace of God to participate in the mission of Christ.

More to the point our way of life is the most profound way of bringing people closer to Jesus. People are fed up with the too much talks, they want to see us live what we say. This rather preaches Christ to them more than using words. Actions they say speaks louder than words.

Your life must become the bible for someone to read. Someone must experience the love of Jesus, his touch through our way of life.
In the course of our duty as children of God, we will face a lot of persecutions just like Peter and Paul. But we should not give up, because we have Jesus on our side. Definitely, he will never abandon us in the hands of our persecutors.

Today I want you to reflect on the contributions you are making to the spread of the Gospel. Are you on course, or you have to make amends? Or maybe you have to make more efforts than what you are doing?

May the Holy Spirit help us to always work hard to also contribute our quota to the spread of God’s Kingdom. Amen. Have a Blessed week.
Shalom🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Tuesday, 30th, 2026.
*Theme: *Don’t be Afraid*
( Amos 3:1-8;4:11-12, Ps 5, Matt 8:23-27)

The disciples of Jesus were entertaining fear because of the storms on the sea and the fact of thinking they have been overcomed by the storm. Meanwhile, Jesus was in the boat with them. Why should they entertain fear when Jesus is with them in the boat? Of course, this is a normal human tendency, but we must wake up from our shackles of fear and trust the power of Jesus always. He rebuked the storm and the waves of the Sea and they obeyed him.

We have allowed fear to rule our lives. Fear is a powerful force the devil is using to intimidate believers. As a result, we are not able to stand up in faith and fight the devil through prayer. We tend to think that the forces of the world are more powerful than God.

Don’t allow situations of this world to frighten you to the point of becoming very fearful in life. The storm is a symbol of the difficult challenges you and I are facing in life. The boat is the world we find ourselves. Sometimes we begin to think that Jesus is not in the difficulties we find ourselves, therefore we allow fear to take charge. Jesus is with us in all the human situations that we find ourselves. In our moments of difficulties, he is so close to us than before. He is closer to you than your soul. Jesus never abandons his people to perish in the moments of challenges in life. Stand up to the situation and with the grace of God, you shall overcome it. No situation is bigger than Jesus. The fact of the disciples calling on him was a symbol of pouring out their hearts to Jesus in prayer. They called on him and he answered them. Remember they went to Jesus but not to any other sources of powers. Seek the face of the Lord in your moments of distress.

As I have always been saying, what God can’t do doesn’t exist. He is capable of anything. We have allowed situations to bully us too much. As if to say, this situation is impossible to overcome. Some of us have allowed human beings to bully us in life. We have come to fear certain people as if they are powerful than God. Please don’t let anybody to frighten you in life. Those people are not God and they can never be. The power and the authority given to us is far far greater than whatever powers they have. Don’t give any chance to the power of fear in you. You are bigger than fear.

We only need to grow in our faith in Jesus. It takes a strong faith to overcome difficult moments in life. We have to also persist in prayer in order to overcome these mountains in life. Never give up in your situations. Jesus is about to step in your situation. Things seem so difficult to bear, but with Jesus in your boat of life, there is hope. He brings hope to hopeless situations. When everybody has given up on you, there Jesus the mighty one comes in to change your story.

May God increase our faith not to allow fear to rule our lives. Amen.
Have a Blessed day.
Shalom.🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew.

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Wednesday , 1st July, 2026.
Theme: No one Encounters Jesus and goes back the same
( Heb.11:32-40, Ps 31, Mk 5:
1-20)

The Gadarenes demoniacs received their total deliverance after encountering Jesus. These were men who were so much possessed to the extent that they controlled the whole of their cemetery. As a result, the people feared to pass there because they became violent and were attacking people. Am sure their families gave up on them. But the mere presence of Jesus scared of these demons. They couldn’t stand his presence but had to leave the men for them to be free. Yes, the men were set free by Jesus. Jesus who was full of power and authority ordered the legion of demons to leave and they had to run away very fast. There is power in the name of Jesus.

Beloved, I don’t know the kind of demon tormenting you in your life. Some of us are equally suffering from demonic possessions. Some it is the spirit of fornication, lying, gossip, bribing and corruption, masturbation, to mention a few. You need Jesus to deliver you from the shackles of these powers. We must admit that it is a condition that needs a change in our lives. Don’t think it is something normal, because everybody is doing it. These are sinful acts which have become part and parcel of you that you are struggling to come out of them. Your own strength can’t save you, hence you need the touch of Jesus. You must come out from the power of that sin. Jesus can deliver you from such unbearable condition.

For some of us it is about demonic oppression and not possession. Some of us are being oppressed by these demonic powers. Don’t take it as a joke, because these are forces which are very real and they are really working and destroying us.
For some of us the oppression comes in the form of sickness, marriage issues, family issues, financial issues, job issues, and everything that has to do with you. The oppression means the demon doesn’t live in you but controls and influences you. But for the possession, the demon lives in you and controls and influences you. In both cases, you need deliverance to be free from the power of the demons.

But I strongly oppose people who don’t believe in the existence of these forces of darkness. If they weren’t real, the gospels won’t be talking about them. To the point that Jesus had to deliver people from the shackles of these forces. If someone believes in the works of Jesus, then he must accept his dealings with the forces of darkness. Because for Jesus, the demons were really working against the children of God, hence he had to defeat them. If Jesus of all people acknowledges the reality of demonic powers, then who are you to say they are not there? And only considers it as something merely psychological. It is really unfortunate for such perception to exist. But we shouldn’t be fooled by the devil, because these are the subtle ways he uses to deceive us. To make us believe that he is not existing but in reality he is and working against us. Don’t mind those blinded by these satanic forces.

Another point worth noting is the fact of attributing everything to demonic activities. That is also not right. It is not everything that is caused by evil forces. Some people may be sick and instead of seeking medical attention, they attribute it to demonic forces. Yes, demonic activities are there but they are not the cause of everything. We need to also take some physical measures to arrest certain situations in our lives. Certain situations need to be confronted with a full physical force.

May Jesus deliver us from all forms of demonic influences in our lives today. Amen.
Have a Blessed Week.
Shalom.🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew.

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Thursday,2nd July,2026
Theme: Don’t live to please People
( Amos 7:10-17,Ps 19, Matt 9:1-8)

The prophet Amos remained steadfast without compromising his faith. The prophet Amaziah only lived to please the kings and the people of Israel. Hence, he prophesied only what the people were ready to hear, but not the truth. He became what I call stomach prophet. Such prophets court the favour of the people in order to get material possessions. Because if they tell them the truth, the people wouldn’t give them these material things. Amos became his enemy because he stood by the truth and spoke the mind of God to them. Amos told them what they were not ready to hear. In fact, the truthful prophecy of Amos was spoiling the source of livelihood of Amaziah. Hence he asked Amos to leave the area.

The Amaziah’s are many in our time. Today, we have so many pastors and men of God who are only preaching what will sound good in the ears of the people. They are afraid to tell them the gospel truth. These people give them huge sums of money and other material things, hence the fear of losing the source of their livelihood. Even when the people are deviating from their Christian ways, these pastors are not able to have the courage and correct them. Some priests and pastors have been bought with money and material things. So when some people are doing the wrong things in the church, they fear to tell them. It is better to scold the person and save his soul, than to leave him to perish. This is our basic calling as men of God and disciples of Jesus in general.

Today we are also called to be the Amos’ in our societies. Especially, in this era of our time when bribing and corruption, and other vices have become the order of the day. The tenets of our faith must never be compromised. Even if the whole world decides to follow a wrong decision, be the only person who would be the conscience of these people. It’s not about majority are doing it, but whether it is right.

In our world of today, where most people prefer to follow the wrong ways out of fear or to please others, it has become very necessary to create the difference. God will never abandon you if you continue to stand by the truth. You will become the enemy to most people because you want to be different. But don’t give up. Some will come one day to appreciate you. Beloved, we are called to be credible witnesses and not counter witnesses. Let truthfulness be the hallmark of our lives.

May God help us to always stand by the truth and never compromise. Amen.
Have a Blessed Day.
Shalom.🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr.Akakpo Matthew.

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Friday, 3rd July, 2026.
Feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle.
Theme: Don’t doubt but Believe
( Eph 2:19-22, Ps 117, Jn 20:24-29)

The Christian life is one of faith in God. We can’t doubt the power of God because we want to see before we believe. The principle of seeing before believing doesn’t work in matters of faith. Thomas, just like some of us wanted to see Jesus and have a feel of him before he believes his resurrection.

The resurrection event was something so difficult to believe unless with the eyes of faith . No wonder a number of Jesus’ disciples couldn’t believe even after revealing himself to them severally. Someone dying, especially being crucified like a common criminal and rising on the third day in the case of Christ, was not a common phenomenon in those days. It was not totally out of place if these apostles and disciples had it difficult to believe this reality which was a mystery.

We can’t doubt the power of God, because he is able to do all things. These situations are impossible to men, but not to God. There is nothing which is too big for God to do. And as I have always been saying, what God can’t do doesn’t exist.

Don’t be a doubting Thomas in your Christian faith. Some of us are praying for something but still we doubt it. Immediately doubt comes in then we can’t talk about faith. Because ” Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” Heb.1:1 We have not seen it but we believe that it is there or it would become a reality.

If Jesus was able to rise from the dead after three days in the tomb, then what is beyond him? Of course nothing. Have faith in Jesus that what you are going through will become history one day. It is a matter of time. I know some of us are going through a lot in life and we have waited for long but we are not seeing anything. Hence, we have given up. Don’t give up, it is a matter of time. Your time will come okay. He has the power to turn things around for your good. Be strong in faith and continue to trust him. Your God is alive not dead.

May the Holy Spirit help us to always have faith in Jesus and not doubt his power . Amen.

Have a Blessed Day.
Shalom🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev.Fr. Akakpo Matthew

WORDS OF LIVING WATERS DAILY INSPIRATION
Saturday, 4th July, 2026.
Theme: God punishes and restores
( Amos 9:11-15, Ps 85, Mat. 9:14-17)

The prophet Amos chastised his people against the social injustices among them. Their sinful lives was to lead them to destruction. The fact that they would be delivered into the hands of their enemies, and taken into slavery. A greater part of the book of Amos was a call to repentance. But the last part of the book which is our first reading for today promises hope to his people. The fact that they will go into slavery, but he shall restore them to their original state. He was not going to allow them to perish forever. We serve a God of restoration.

Amos could be considered by the people as a prophet of doom, but at the end he also preached hope to them. Therefore, we don’t have to always preach doom, but we must also give hope to them. No matter how bad the life of people may be, let them see the positive side of life. Let them know that all is not lost in their life. It is a matter of repentance and restoration which will become their portion. We shouldn’t condemn them as if all is over for them. Not at all, because we serve a God of possibilities.

Beloved in Christ, our God cares about our wellbeing, hence no matter the situation that our wayward lives may lead us to,he still remembers the covenant he has with us. From the beginning of creation, he has never allowed his people to perish in their moments of difficulties. After the fall of man, he brought a remedy by sacrificing his only begotten son for our restoration. Humanity was restored to the original purpose of it’s creation.Whenever the Israelites went into exile or fell in the hands of foreign powers, he delivered them later on and restored them to their original glory.

I want you to know that, your God will not abandon you in your difficult situations. Even if it is the cause of yourself, he will have mercy on you and restore you once again. Therefore, don’t give up on yourself. The only thing God demands from us to change from our bad ways and come back to him. You are precious at the sight of God, hence don’t undermine yourself. God loves you and cares about you just the way you are. You are not so bad beyond repairs. Be hopeful in life.

May God help us to acknowledge that he is a God of restoration.
Amen.
Have a Blessed Weekend.
Shalom.🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev.Fr. Akakpo Matthew.