ODM Daily Inspirational Devotional Messages Bible Verse and Prayers ODM
DCLM Daily Manna
Sunday, November 8, 2026
Our Lasting Legacy
KEY VERSE
“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men” (2 Corinthians 3:2).
Bible Reading:
2 Corinthians 3:1-6 (KJV)
1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World compiled by the Greeks, only the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt has survived. Others – the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – have all been destroyed over the centuries. They failed the test of time because they were the works of natural man, himself a finite construction subject to decay.
Writing to the Corinthians, Apostle Paul, however, says it is the word of God planted in the heart that makes a difference for a man to have a durable legacy of commendation. He refers to his own ministry, which he, by the Grace of God, brought to bear on the Corinthians. Paul declares that the gospel worked out a permanent change in their lives through their faith. The church in Corinth became an indelible epistle written in their hearts, preserved by Christ in His Kingdom against destruction and decay. Like Paul’s apostleship, the Corinthians’ faith was not surviving on man’s sufficiency but on heaven’s.
It is not sheer human capability or feat that releases staying strength or life into our labour. It is the Spirit of God we allow into it through our submission to Him and His precepts. The depth of our faith in His Word is what will give our puny efforts power, life and rejuvenation. Thereafter, we are assured of being propelled by the Lord to erect sanctified works to His glory; works that cannot be wiped away by time, as it happened to the ancient wonders.
For the teachings of the Church and its work for Christ to outlive our age and last, we must function like Paul. Heaven wants us to disciple those who would be the epistle of Christ for their environment to read. They would not seek self-serving achievements for short-lived human commendation. Our converts must receive fundamental change that translates and transforms them for the renewal of their communities. This is the imperishable legacy we must thirst for.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The Word in our hearts primes and propels us to triumph over all trials of faith
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
1 Kings 15-16
COMMENTARY
1. The Transience of Earthly Achievements – The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World were magnificent, but only one survives today. Human achievements, no matter how grand, are subject to decay. They cannot provide a lasting legacy. Only what is built by the Spirit of God endures forever.
2. The Epistle of Christ – Paul describes the Corinthian believers as an epistle of Christ, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, on the fleshy tables of the heart. This is the lasting legacy—transformed lives that bear witness to the power of the gospel. People are the only treasures that last for eternity.
3. The Sufficiency of God – Paul acknowledges that his sufficiency is not of himself but of God. It is not human capability or eloquence that produces lasting change; it is the Spirit of God working through our submission to Him. The depth of our faith in God’s Word gives power and life to our efforts.
4. The Call to Disciple Others – For the Church’s work to outlive our generation, we must invest in people. We must disciple converts who will become epistles of Christ to their communities. They must receive fundamental transformation that impacts their environment. This is the imperishable legacy we should pursue.
5. The DCLM Ministry’s Emphasis on Legacy – The Deeper Christian Life Ministry emphasizes the importance of leaving a lasting legacy through discipleship. Pastor Kumuyi teaches that believers must invest in people, not just in material things. The Daily Manna devotional calls readers to build a legacy that will outlast them.
About DCLM and Daily Manna
The Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) was founded in 1973 by Pastor Dr. W.F. Kumuyi. From a small Bible study of 15 students in Lagos, it has grown into a global ministry with churches across Nigeria, Africa, and beyond. The ministry emphasizes holiness, prayer, Bible study, and discipleship.
DCLM Daily Manna is a daily devotional written by Pastor Kumuyi. Each edition provides Scripture reading, exposition, and practical application to guide believers in their daily walk with God. The devotional consistently calls readers to invest in people and leave a lasting legacy for Christ.
Prayer Reflection
Lord, help me to invest in what lasts forever. Teach me to disciple others and to leave a legacy of transformed lives. Let my life be an epistle of Christ that others can read. May I not seek short-lived human commendation but build works that will endure for eternity. Use me to impact my generation and the next. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
