WISDOM FOR THE DAY DEVOTIONAL
BY BISHOP MIKE OKONKWO
FRIDAY 6th MARCH 2026
TOPIC: DON’T BE A STRANGER TO YOUR FATHER
“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” – Matthew 25:11–13 (KJV)
Beloved, one of the greatest lessons from this parable is the importance of preparation before opportunity comes. The foolish virgins arrived too late. They went searching for oil when they should have already been filled. By the time they returned, the door had been shut, and their cries for entry were met with silence and separation.
The Bridegroom Himself responded and said, “Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” What a painful response! In essence, He was saying, “I can’t recognize you because you were never around. You were never in fellowship with Me. Your voice is unfamiliar to Me.”
Think about it; if you constantly fellowship with God, He knows your voice. He knows your heart. He recognises your worship. But if you’re always distant, too busy, too distracted, or too preoccupied with the world, then when you finally call, you sound like a stranger at the door.
It’s like a father with two children: one who lives close to him and another who is always away. He loves them both, but the one who stays close enjoys greater intimacy. He knows that child’s voice, habits, and thoughts. He can trust that child with family secrets. Not because he loves the other less, but because proximity breeds intimacy.
The same is true of our walk with God. Many believers are children of God but live like strangers to their Father. They spend more time listening to the world than communing with the Spirit. They know the language of social media more than the language of the Scriptures. They are tuned to the wrong frequency, disconnected from the source of true power.
Beloved, hear this truth: your level of connection determines your level of dominion. When you stay close to your Father in heaven, you will operate with divine insight and authority. When your fellowship is consistent, heaven recognizes your voice, and creation responds to your command.
Stay connected. Stay prepared. Keep your lamp burning and your oil full. Don’t wait for the midnight cry to start running around. Build intimacy with the Father now; in prayer, in the Word, in service, and in obedience.
Stay in fellowship, and when the Bridegroom comes, He will know your voice.
Further Reading: John 10:1-27
Daily Bible Reading: Morning – Numbers 35-36, Evening – Mark 10:1-31