FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2025

MEMORISE: “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:27)

BIBLE READING: Genesis 25:29-34; Hebrews 12:15-17; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (KJV)

Genesis 25:29-34: 29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Hebrews 12:15-17: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

INTRODUCTION: THE QUESTION THAT SHAPES DESTINY

Life is not defined by chance; it is defined by choice. Every day, every hour, and often every minute, we are faced with decisions—big and small—that cumulatively determine the quality of our lives, the fulfilment of our destiny, and ultimately, our eternal reward.

The central question God continually poses to His children, subtly woven into the fabric of daily life, is this: “What do you want?”

On the surface, this question seems innocuous. But when faced with temptation, exhaustion, or material allure, the answer reveals the true priority of the heart. The crisis of many believers is that they are constantly choosing the peril of the moment over the promise of eternity. They are trading lasting glory for immediate, fleeting gratification.

The biblical narrative of Esau is the most powerful and terrifying illustration of this destructive pattern. Esau was the firstborn, legally entitled to the covenant blessing, the double portion, and the spiritual leadership of his family—a birthright of unparalleled spiritual significance. Yet, in a moment of physical weakness and lack of self-control, he faced a simple option: a bowl of lentil stew (red pottage) or his eternal destiny. His answer, born of hunger and poor judgment, was devastating: “Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” (Genesis 25:32).

Esau’s choice was a spiritual disaster because he failed to value the invisible, eternal treasure over the visible, temporary relief. The Spirit of God labels him a “profane person” (Hebrews 12:16)—one who treats sacred things with contemptuous irreverence—because “Esau despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:34).

We, as new creations in Christ, have been granted a new and eternal birthright—the access to the Father, the inheritance of the Kingdom, and the authority of the Name of Jesus. The challenge for us today is to ensure we do not, like Esau, sell this invaluable spiritual inheritance for a temporary, material morsel. Our choices must reflect the magnitude of the treasure we possess.

I. THE ENEMIES OF WISE CHOICE: FLESH, FOOD, AND PROFANITY

Our daily life presents several subtle enemies designed to pressure us into making Esau’s mistake. These enemies attack our focus and distort our valuation of things.

A. The Pressure of the Flesh (Self-Indulgence)

Esau was faint. His physical need temporarily eclipsed his spiritual understanding. The pressure of the flesh—hunger, tiredness, sexual desire, comfort, or convenience—often pushes us to seek immediate satisfaction, leading us to compromise our spiritual standards.

The battle for the Christian life is primarily a struggle for self-control and self-discipline. This is why the Apostle Paul, the greatest labourer for the Gospel, constantly subjected his body to discipline: “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

Discipline is the mechanism by which we tell the flesh, “No, the spiritual goal is more important than your immediate demand.” When presented with a choice between instant comfort and enduring spiritual work, the disciplined believer chooses the latter.

B. The Allure of the Pot of Pottage (Materialism)

Esau saw the red pottage—a visible, tangible, and immediate solution to his current problem. He became fixated on the material and failed to see the covenantal power of the birthright, which was invisible.

The modern equivalent of the pot of pottage is materialism—the tendency to elevate financial gain, physical comfort, career success, or temporary pleasure above the things of God. When believers are asked, “What do you want?”, many instantly ask for a bigger house, a higher salary, or freedom from temporal pressures.

While God desires to bless us, He warns us against asking amiss (James 4:3)—asking for things that merely satisfy our lusts and are detrimental to our glorious destiny in Him. We must fix our minds on eternal treasures rather than on temporary, material things. A believer focused on the eternal does not sell their time, their witness, or their moral purity for any amount of money or material reward.

C. The Spirit of Profanity (Despising the Sacred)

The most dangerous enemy is the spirit of profanity—a lack of reverence for the sacred. Esau’s real sin was not hunger; it was that he despised his birthright. He saw something invaluable (a covenant inheritance) as something disposable (worth one meal).

In our lives, this profanity manifests when we:

Treat the Word of God as optional reading rather than divine sustenance.
Treat Fellowship (Cell Meetings) as a mere social event rather than an essential spiritual lifeline.
Treat our calling and ministry as a part-time hobby rather than a divine commission.

We must train our hearts to see the divine, spiritual, and eternal dimension in every choice. The choices we make today should reflect the reality that we are sons of God, seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, and headed for an eternal inheritance that far surpasses any earthly gain.

II. THE POWER OF DISCERNMENT: CHOOSING RIGHTLY

Every temptation, every difficult decision, and every spiritual dilemma is ultimately a choice between two options. To choose rightly, we need divine wisdom and the active guidance of the Holy Spirit.

A. The Infallible Guide: The Holy Spirit

When faced with two options, the natural man relies on logic, emotion, or popular opinion. The regenerated man relies on the Holy Spirit, who is the infallible guide to all truth and all right choices.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

Our prayer must be consistent: “Father, whenever I am presented with two options, please help me to choose wisely by the help of the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit illuminates the Word, provides peace in the face of uncertainty, and helps us to always consider the eternal consequences of the choices before us. He is the internal compass calibrated to God’s will.

B. Considering the Choices: Present vs. Future

A wise choice always calculates the long-term impact. The choices we make today are the architects of our life tomorrow. A choice made for momentary pleasure (e.g., sin, compromise, sloth) destroys the quality of the life we are destined to live tomorrow. A choice made for discipline, sacrifice, and spiritual labour (e.g., praying when tired, giving when scarce, studying when busy) secures and enhances the quality of our future.

The moment of decision is the moment of destiny. Before choosing, ask yourself:

Which choice aligns with my glorious destiny in Christ?
Which choice produces lasting fruit, and which produces immediate chaff?
Which choice will I be glad I made five years from now, or at the coming of the Lord?

We must develop the wisdom to make decisions that benefit the fulfillment of our glorious destiny in Christ, rather than merely solving a temporary problem.

III. THE PRAYER OF WISE DECISION: ASKING FOR THE RIGHT THING

Our prayer life must reflect our priority for eternal treasures. When God asks, “What do you want?” our request must be calibrated by spiritual wisdom, not carnal desire.

A. The Example of Solomon

When God offered Solomon anything he desired, the young king did not ask for riches, long life, or victory over his enemies. He asked for “an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad” (1 Kings 3:9).

Solomon asked for something that would benefit his assignment and glorify God. Because he asked for the right thing, God gave him what he asked for, plus the riches and honour he did not ask for (1 Kings 3:13).

Our prayers must be driven by the desire to fulfil our ministry and complete our purpose. We must ask for things that are beneficial to fulfilling our glorious destiny in God.

B. The Essential Prayer Points

The following prayer points are a focused, Spirit-led cry for the wisdom to make right choices and the power to maintain spiritual discipline:

For Valuation: “Father, please help me to fix my mind on eternal treasures rather than on material things; when I am asked of what I want, help me not to ask amiss, in Jesus’ name.” (This is the antidote to Esau’s profanity.)

For Discernment: “Father, please help me to always consider the choices before me; help me to be guided by the Holy Spirit, to choose rightly, in Jesus’ name.” (This secures the wisdom of Solomon.)

For Endurance: “Father, please may I not destroy the quality of my life tomorrow with the choices I make today, in Jesus’ name.” (This is the commitment to future blessing.)

For Consistency: “Father, help all Your children never to sell their birthright at any point in time of their lives, in Jesus’ name.” (This secures the body of Christ against spiritual compromise.)

We must continually pray for the wisdom to make the right decisions, no matter the pressure, no matter the circumstance, and no matter the tempting price of the pottage. The Holy Spirit is available to grant this wisdom abundantly (James 1:5).

CONCLUSION: GUARDING THE BIRTHRIGHT

Your new and eternal birthright in Christ Jesus is your most precious possession. It cost the life of the Son of God. It includes:

The righteousness of God.
The gift of the Holy Spirit.
The authority to use the Name of Jesus.
An eternal, incorruptible inheritance.

This birthright is under constant pressure from the world, the flesh, and the devil, who seeks to trick you into exchanging it for something worthless. Like Esau, you may be tired, hungry, or faint. But unlike Esau, you have the grace of God and the Holy Spirit dwelling within you.

You are not permitted to lose your birthright for want of food, lack of self-control, or lack of discipline. Stand firm in the revelation of who you are, what you possess, and where you are going. Always choose the eternal over the temporal.

Remember the Word of the Master: “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life…” (John 6:27).

Let your life be a testament to the answer: “I want Christ. I want His Kingdom. I want the fullness of my glorious destiny.”

PRAYER POINTS

Here are the prayer points for focused, intentional prayer concerning wise choices and spiritual discipline.

THANKSGIVING FOR INHERITANCE

- Father, thank You for granting me a new and eternal birthright in Christ Jesus.
- Thank You for paying attention to every area of my life, and for granting me access to hear from You.

PRAYER FOR SELF-DISCIPLINE (ANTI-ESAU PRAYER)

- Father, please help me not to lose my birthright for want of food, lack of self-control, or self-discipline, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, whenever I am presented with two options, please help me to choose wisely by the help of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER FOR ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

- Father, please help me to fix my mind on eternal treasures rather than on material things; when I am asked of what I want, help me not to ask amiss, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, please help me to always consider the choices before me; help me to be guided by the Holy Spirit, to choose rightly, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, please may I not destroy the quality of my life tomorrow with the choices I make today, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER FOR FRUITFULNESS AND DESTINY

- Father, please help me to always ask for things that are beneficial to fulfilling my glorious destiny in You, in Jesus’ name.
- Father, please give me wisdom to make the right decisions; no matter the circumstances around me, help me to make the right choice, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST

- Father, help all Your children never to sell their birthright at any point in time of their lives, in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER FOR OUR MAN OF GOD

- Father, bless Your son, Pastor E.A Adeboye. Help him never to choose wrongly when he’s faced with options; bless his family (biological and spiritual). Help him to continue to produce sons and daughters to Your glory, in Jesus name.

PRAYER FOR THE MINISTRY (Prayer Points)

- Father, bless Your servant that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measure, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus name.
- Father, let every challenge, hindrance, and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on a daily basis be removed, in Jesus name.

PERSONAL PETITIONS

- Your Personal petitions. (Philippians 4:6)

CLOSING & FAITH DECLARATION

In Jesus name I pray. (John 14:13-14; 15:16)Thank You for answered prayers.

FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 6:33: Seek ye first the kingdom of God.
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.
Joshua 24:15: Choose you this day whom ye will serve.
1 Timothy 6:12: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.

DAILY BIBLE READING PLAN

1 Year Plan: James 4:13-5:1-20 & Ezekiel 24-26
2 Year Plan: John 13:21-38 & 1 Chronicles 21