THE CRY OF THE SPIRIT DEVOTIONALS – BY RICHARD E. S. TAKIM

TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL (Saturday 11th July 2026)

“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. John 21:15-17 NKJV

WELCOME TO THE 192ND DAY OF OUR YEAR OF STRATEGIC VICTORIES!

We thank the LORD for another day He has made. We also thank Him for His words that comes to us expressly on daily basis. Today’s devotional text is full of beautiful insights. It is noticeably clear in the scripture that the primary need of everyone who has given his or her life to Christ in every Church generation is spiritual food.

The early church understood that what the followers of Jesus feed on spiritually, is what determines their destiny, that was why they spent most of their time feeding on the apostolic doctrine.

Paul taught and fed God’s people with quality spiritual food wherever he went. But the present church has departed from that. The collection of tithes and offerings has become the only reason why many are in ministry. They bully poorly fed church members to give and give, calling it the highest form of worship.

It is very important to understand why the LORD was strongly imploring Peter to feed His sheep and tend His lambs; two important responsibilities of any minister of the gospel. Sadly, many who call themselves pastors do not know this.

But the early church knew that if a Child of God does not prioritize spiritual feeding above every other thing, he or she will suffer a lot in the hand of the enemy. They had strong prophetic and practical teaching and prayer sessions, for two-full-years in Antioch, before the people were morally transformed and called Christians.

MEANING WITHOUT PROPER FEEDING, YOU WILL REMAIN AN UNBELIEVER WHILE CALLING YOURSELF A CHILD OF GOD.

The transformation of moral character that makes one a Christian will not take place if you are not fed spiritually. Yes, until we are properly fed spiritually, we cannot even offer God true worship; we will offer a worship but will not be able to offer true worship.

We will not be able to change things significantly through fasting and prayer, neither will we be able to give in accordance with divine patterns. Understand that no part of our worship will be true until it is offered in spirit and in truth, and quality spiritual feeding is what makes that happen. It makes our worship true and powerful.

God’s Power, resulting in healing, deliverance, and dominion over sin, will always break out on us each time worship is true and powerful. But all that is not possible without sound and proper spiritual feeding. The early church had all that and much more because they fed on strong apostolic doctrine, the doctrine of Christ.

They had no demons chasing them, they did not struggle with curses and never went to mountains or caves to pray. They just got fed with the word and became the sons of God they were, shaking the gates of hell and bringing eternity into time wherever they went.

Friend, if you look at what is happening in the lives of men today, especially the sheep of Christ, you will see that lack of quality spiritual food has created a lot of problems. People are fed with dead spiritual things, and the glorious church is not emerging.

Child of God, we are in the last hour. The perils of the times that are upon us must not catch up with you.

You must not be part of those who enter any church and sit to be fed with anything the pastor says. You must be part of those looking for sound spiritual food to feed their souls with, not people being fed with teachings prepared by the spirit of Babylon and other dark spirits working in the hearts of most present-day preachers.

THERE IS A LOT OF SPIRITUAL MALNUTRITION IN CHURCH TODAY, AND YOU MUST SAVE YOURSELF FROM IT!!

You must understand the ultimate thing you need as a Christian, as found in the words of Jesus to Peter. Our devotional text puts it this way;

“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”

Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. John 21:15-17 NKJV

If you are a sheep of Christ and not a goat in church, God is saying to you today, being fed spiritually should be your ultimate desire. Those who understand this will prioritize spiritual feeding above anything else in their walk and talk with the LORD.

They will quickly realize how God designed our spiritual and natural wellbeing to be sourced from proper spiritual feeding. They will realize why Jesus was resounding to Peter the “feed my lambs” and “tend my sheep” mandate repeatedly. They will know that Jesus prioritized that they be fed spiritually, and that should come before even being prayed for.

Meaning, if a sheep of Christ or those who have become part of His lambs are facing a spiritual attack, or going through one problem or the other, spiritual feeding, and proper tending of the sheep, is where a permanent solution for their problems lies, not the so-called deliverance services, not having prophets divine or foretell for them.

To tend simply means to care, and the only way you can care properly is to feed properly. Hence Jesus saying, “feed my lambs” “tend my sheep” “feed my sheep.” Those are the major highlights in our devotional text today that should get your attention.

LET ME SAY THESE THINGS IN ANOTHER WAY!!

If you are part of the flock of Jesus and you are under a church or ministry that may be scooping all kinds of financial support from you, asking you to give all the money but is not feeding you with proper spiritual food, a time is going to come that you will hate anything called church, pastor, prophet, apostle or etc.

You will hate them because you are being robbed, and Jesus never established the church to do that. Except God helps you, the spiritual malnutrition you are suffering from without knowing will be acted upon by hell and you will be stollen away from the kingdom of God.

God wants us to make spiritual feeding our ultimate desire in life and nothing else, because He does not want us to suffer spiritual malnutrition. If you are spiritually malnourished, spiritual attacks will be succeeding against you. It will be impossible to come into grace dimensions in Christ, and you will not find Christianity exciting.

Life challenges will be overwhelming you and there will be hope in your future, because only the properly fed have a future. Those who are not properly fed spiritually have no great future. The only future they have is sorrow, disappointment and all forms of adversity. They will not have the stature to find rest in their future.

You can now understand why the devil wants everyone entertained in Church or prayed for but not fed spiritually.

You can now understand why he made sure people find no strong interest in teaching and sound doctrines. You can now understand why he made sure those who desire teachings only develop itching ears or go for doctrines of men or devils that gives them all they want but not anything God wants for their lives.

Friend, the LORD sent these words to tell us to make spiritual food our ultimate desire, and when He says spiritual food, He means the doctrine of Christ, the revelation of who He is not the teachings on altars and all that.

LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!!

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4 NKJV