DCLM Daily Manna 24 January 2026 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Philip’s Desert Mission
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TOPIC: Philip’s Desert Mission (DCLM Daily Manna 24 January 2026)
KEY VERSE: “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert” (Acts 8:26,35).
TEXT: Acts 8:26-40 (KJV)
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
DCLM Daily Manna For Today MESSAGE:
Ann Judson, one of America’s earliest female foreign missionary once said, “In encouraging young men to come out as missionaries, use the greatest caution. One strong-headed, conscientiously obstinate man would ruin us. Humble, quiet, persevering men: men of decent accomplishments and some natural aptitude to acquire a language; men of amiable yielding temper, willing to take the lowest place, to be least of all, and the servant of all; men who enjoy closet religion and live near to God and are willing to suffer all things for Christ’s sake without being proud of it.”
Today’s passage reveals Philip’s dogged commitment to the Master’s commission of soul-winning. His work and success in Samaria were a testament to his call and anointing as an evangelist. His loyalty and optimum submission were unquestionable. Amid the incredible revival occasioned by his preaching and ministration with power, he was instructed by an angel of the Lord to go to Gaza, which is a desert with no population, and he promptly obeyed.
The prayer and call for more labourers in the mission field is appropriate now than at any other time. Research reveals that about 67 per cent of all humans since AD 30 have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. In the last 40 years, over a billion people have died without hearing the gospel message of salvation. Of the world’s 8.23 billion people today, about 2.56 billion profess allegiance to the Christian faith. How many are devotees? Missionaries must be people of uncommon consecration, love for the Saviour and passion for souls. In her hymn, “So Send I You”, Margaret Clarkson unveils the sacrifice the mission work entails:
“So send I you to labour unrewarded.
To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown.
To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing.
So send I you, to toil for me alone”.
The sit-tight tendency and refusal to follow God’s call, directly or through proxies, are unscriptural and fleshly. Significantly, Philip’s obedience and his aptness to divide the word of truth led to the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch, through whom Christianity further spread beyond Jerusalem to Africa, revealing God’s love for all, regardless of their colour, culture and geographical boundaries. It is also a call to all believers to be involved in mission work. If you are not physically available, you should willingly support the missionaries through prayers, intercession and generous giving. Philip remains a model to all believers today. We cannot claim to be Christ’s followers if we are unwilling to obey the Great Commission.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
To be Christ’s true disciples, we must fully pursue the great commission
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Acts 22-23
Deeper Life Daily Manna For Today 2025 was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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