BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
DATE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 02, 2026
MEMORISE: “Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.” (Nehemiah 9:27)
BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 17:14-18 (KJV)
I. THE ANATOMY OF VEXATION: THE INTERMITTENT ATTACK
As we enter the second month of 2026, we must address a specific type of spiritual warfare known as Vexation. Unlike total possession, where a person is constantly under the control of a demon, vexation is characterized by its intermittent nature. It is a strategic torture where the devil assigns demons to attack a victim at specific intervals, often calculated to cause the maximum amount of hurt, loss, and social embarrassment.
In our Bible reading, we encounter a father whose son was “sore vexed.” The boy wasn’t always in a state of crisis. There were moments when he appeared perfectly normal. However, at regular intervals, the demon would manifest, pushing the boy into the fire or into the water. This is the hallmark of vexation: The Periodic Intrusion of Chaos. It is designed to keep the victim in a state of constant “hyper-vigilance,” never knowing when the next “seizure” of trouble will strike.
II. THE WEAPON OF EMBARRASSMENT
The enemy uses vexation not just to harm the body, but to destroy the Dignity. Think of the person who suffers from epilepsy or sudden, uncontrollable outbursts. These attacks often occur in public spaces—at work, in church, or in the marketplace. The goal is to make the victim a social pariah.
I recall a moving testimony from the 1970s involving a sister in The Redeemed Christian Church of God. She had a son who suffered from these periodic “vexations.” Because people back then wrongly believed such conditions were contagious, she was repeatedly evicted from her apartments. Every time she thought she had found a home, the “Vexing Spirit” would manifest, the landlord would see it, and she would be back on the streets.
The devil loves to take what you are trying to hide and make it a public spectacle. He wants to isolate you. But he forgets one thing: Public embarrassment is often the precursor to a public miracle.
III. THE PIVOT OF THE DESPERATE: “MY SECRET IS OUT”
The turning point for that sister came when the child had an attack in the middle of a busy town square. Everyone fled, leaving her alone with her struggling son. In that moment of ultimate exposure and helplessness, she stopped trying to “manage” the problem. She looked up and cried, “Father, my secret is out, and I have no help. Please, arise on my behalf!”
That prayer was not a religious ritual; it was a “Covenant Cry.” When you reach the point where you stop caring about what people think and start caring only about what God can do, the heavens must open. Nehemiah 9:27 tells us that when they were vexed and they cried, God heard from heaven and sent Saviours. ### IV. BREAKING THE CYCLE IN 2026
In this modern age, vexation may not always look like physical seizures. It can manifest as:
Financial Vexation: You get a windfall, and suddenly a family emergency drains every kobo. It happens every time you get a promotion.
Emotional Vexation: Periods of great peace followed by sudden, inexplicable bouts of depression or rage that ruin your relationships.
Academic/Career Vexation: You are brilliant in practice, but on the day of the exam or the big presentation, your mind goes blank or your computer crashes.
Jesus’ response to the disciples’ failure to heal the boy was a rebuke of a “faithless and perverse generation.” To deal with vexation, you need a faith that is Persistent and Perverse—a faith that refuses to accept the “status quo” of the enemy.
V. CONCLUSION: THE REBUKE THAT CURES
Jesus did not negotiate with the demon. He rebuked the devil. A rebuke is a judicial command. It tells the demon, “Your time is up; your legal ground is cancelled.” From that very hour, the boy was cured.
Are you tired of the “intervals” of the enemy? Are you weary of the periodic shame?
- Check your Standing: Are you fully surrendered to Jesus? Vexation often hides in the shadows of “partial obedience.”
- Check your Cry: Have you truly cried out to Him in truth, or are you still trying to hide the “shame” from God?
Today, the Lord is nigh unto all who call upon Him. He is ready to send Your Saviour.
HYMN 1: ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME
- All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!Let angels prostrate fall;Bring forth the royal diadem,And crown Him Lord of all.
- Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,Ye ransomed from the fall,Hail Him who saves you by His grace,And crown Him Lord of all.
PRAYER POINTS
THE JUDICIAL REBUKE: Father, in the name of Jesus, I rebuke every “Vexing Spirit” assigned to my family. I command every spirit of periodic failure and embarrassment to PACK YOUR LOAD AND GO, in Jesus’ name!
THE END OF CYCLES: Lord, I decree an end to every negative cycle in my life. Every problem that comes at regular intervals to steal my joy—I terminate your contract by the Blood of Jesus!
THE CRY FOR MERCY: Father, my secret is out! I cannot help myself. Arise in Your manifold mercies and deliver me from the hands of those who are stronger than I, in Jesus’ name!
FOR THE GENERAL OVERSEER: Father, continue to use Your son to bring deliverance to millions. Keep him and his family far from the vexation of the enemy, in Jesus’ name.
PERSONAL PETITION: (Identify that specific “Intermittent Problem” and command it to vanish now!)
KEY POINT: Vexation is the devil’s way of testing your patience; Deliverance is God’s way of proving His Power.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 16-18
