Evangelist Joshua Orekhie Ministries

EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL:

Monday, October 12, 2026

TOPIC: OVERCOMING FREQUENT DISAPPOINTMENTS

OPENING SCRIPTURES

Psalm 34:17–19: “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”

“Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.” (Psalm 22:4–5)

“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” (Psalm 62:5)

MEMORY VERSE

“And thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” (Isaiah 49:23)

PRAISE AND WORSHIP

Sing any of your favourite songs.

Overcoming Frequent Disappointments – EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL: October 12, 2026

Beloved, one of the most painful experiences in life is to be disappointed again and again. It becomes even more discouraging when you have prayed, fasted, worked hard, trusted people, and made serious preparations, only for your expectations to end in frustration.

You did everything you knew to do, yet the result was not what you hoped for. And it is not the first time. Some people have experienced repeated disappointments in marriage, in employment, in business, in education, in finances, and in relationships.

And whenever they believe something good is about to happen, another setback appears. The visa is rejected again. The engagement is called off again. The contract slips away again.

The admission fails again. After a while, they become afraid to hope, because hope has hurt them too many times. “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12).

But beloved, frequent disappointment always has a source. When we understand where a disappointment is coming from, we will know how to respond to it.

Disappointments can come from our own personal mistakes, from God redirecting us, or from the attacks of the enemy. But not every disappointment is from the devil, and not every setback is from God.

Some disappointments come from our own choices. Sometimes we take decisions based on the flesh: our emotions, our impatience, our greed, or our desire to please people.

We rush, we cut corners, we ignore counsel, and we refuse to wait on God. Then when the result is frustration, we blame God or blame our enemies. The Bible says something very sobering: “The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD” (Proverbs 19:3).

In other words, a man’s own foolishness destroys his way, and then he becomes angry with God. “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want” (Proverbs 21:5).

“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption” (Galatians 6:8). Remember Israel at Ai. They had just won a mighty victory at Jericho. Ai was a small city, so they sent only a few soldiers, sure of another easy victory.

But they were defeated and chased back. Joshua fell on his face and asked God why. God told him, “Israel hath sinned… for they have even taken of the accursed thing” (Joshua 7:11).

The disappointment did not come from the strength of Ai; it came from hidden sin inside the camp. Sometimes the reason for repeated disappointment is something we are holding on to that God has told us to let go.

Some disappointments come from God Himself. Yes, there are times when God allows us to be disappointed in order to stop us from taking a wrong route. He sees what we cannot see. “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). “

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8). Look at what God said about Israel when she kept running after other lovers: “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now” (Hosea 2:6–7).  God frustrated her wrong pursuits on purpose, so that she would come back to Him.

Beloved, some of the things you kept chasing and could not catch were things God was protecting you from. Some of the walls you kept hitting were God’s hedge of thorns, built in love to bring you back home.

Abraham pleaded with God for Ishmael, saying, “O that Ishmael might live before thee!” (Genesis 17:18). He wanted God to bless the plan he had made in the flesh. But God said no, because He had something better: Isaac, the child of promise.

David had a sincere desire to build a temple for God. But God told him through Nathan that he would not build it; his son would (2 Samuel 7:12–13). It was a disappointment for David, but God still blessed him with an everlasting covenant.

Not every “no” from God is a rejection. Sometimes it is a redirection to something better. Even the prophet Jonah experienced a disappointment that God arranged. God prepared a gourd to give him shade, and Jonah was very glad.

The next day, God prepared a worm that destroyed the gourd, and Jonah was angry enough to want to die (Jonah 4:6–9). Through that small disappointment, God taught Jonah a big lesson about His mercy toward the people of Nineveh.

God sometimes uses small disappointments to correct the attitude of our hearts. Some disappointments are allowed to keep us humble and dependent on God.

Paul had great revelations, and he said that, lest he should be exalted above measure, there was given to him a thorn in the flesh. He prayed three times for it to be removed, but God said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Paul did not get the answer he asked for, but he received something better: grace and the power of Christ resting on him. Some disappointments keep our pride in check and our habits in line. They remind us that we cannot do anything without God.

Moses told Israel that their long journey in the wilderness had a purpose: “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna… that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Some seasons of lack and disappointment are designed to teach us to depend on God’s Word more than on our own plans. David said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:67).

And some disappointments truly come from the devil. Satan is real, and he fights to hinder the progress of God’s people.

When the Jews returned from exile to rebuild the temple, the Bible says their enemies “weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose” (Ezra 4:4–5).

Notice the word “frustrate.” The enemy specialises in frustrating good plans. When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall, Sanballat and his friends “conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it” (Nehemiah 4:8).

In a vision, the prophet Zechariah saw Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, “and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him” (Zechariah 3:1).

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). When the disappointment is from the enemy, you do not have to accept it; you resist it in prayer and faith.

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). However, beloved, we must understand that not every disappointment is caused by spiritual attacks or wicked people. Some people see a witch behind every delay and an enemy behind every closed door.

They spend all their energy binding and casting out, but they never examine their own choices or ask what God may be teaching them. Others go to the opposite extreme and never pray at all, accepting every setback as “just life.”

Both extremes are dangerous. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

So how do you know where a disappointment is coming from? Bring it to God in prayer and ask Him to show you the source of the restriction. Examine your life honestly: “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD” (Lamentations 3:40).

Check your decision against the Word of God. Seek counsel from mature believers. Pay attention to your peace and to any warning signs you may have ignored. Then respond correctly.

If the disappointment came from your own mistake, repent, take responsibility, and make the necessary changes. But if it came from God’s redirection, submit to His will, thank Him for His protection, and follow the new direction He is giving.

If it came from the enemy, stand firm in faith, pray with authority, and refuse to give up. “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19).

Some disappointments come to draw us closer to God. When everything else fails, we discover that He is the only One who never fails. The psalmist said, “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Psalm 73:26).

Habakkuk went even further: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines… Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17–18).

Beloved, if disappointment has brought you closer to God, then it has not been wasted. Remember that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Whether your disappointment came from your mistake, from God’s hand, or from the enemy’s attack, God is able to turn it for your good. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Beloved, once you have identified where a disappointment is coming from, the next question is how to carry your heart through it.

Disappointment does not only affect your plans; it affects your emotions, your faith, and sometimes your relationships. If you do not handle it well, one disappointment can give birth to many others.

First, refuse to blame God foolishly. When Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health in a short time, he tore his clothes and worshipped. The Bible says, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:22).

Job asked many questions later, and God was patient with his honest cries. But he never turned his back on God. It is not a sin to tell God how you feel. But do not let your disappointment turn into an accusation against the One who loves you most.

Second, speak to your own soul. David asked himself, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (Psalm 42:11).

Sometimes you have to preach to yourself. Remind your soul of who God is and what He has promised. “For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:18).

Third, do not make permanent decisions in temporary pain. Many people, after a disappointment, decide never to marry, never to trust again, never to try business again, or never to go back to church.

Some even make decisions that endanger their lives. Beloved, pain is a poor counsellor. Give yourself time to heal before making major decisions. Rest, pray, and talk to trusted, godly people.

If the pain is very heavy, please do not carry it alone. Reach out to your pastor, or a mature believer.

Fourth, keep waiting on God with hope. “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD” (Lamentations 3:25–26).

The prophet Micah said, “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7). David confessed, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart” (Psalm 27:13–14).

Waiting on God is not doing nothing. It is trusting God while doing what He has told you to do.

Look at Joseph. He interpreted the dream of the chief butler and asked to be remembered. The butler was restored, “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him” (Genesis 40:23).

Joseph was disappointed again. But the very next verse says, “And it came to pass at the end of two full years” (Genesis 41:1). Two full years later, Pharaoh had a dream, and Joseph was brought out of prison and made ruler over Egypt in one day.

Beloved, the delay was not denial. God was waiting for the right dream, the right king, and the right moment. Your “two full years” will also come to an end.

Look at Caleb. He was promised a mountain when he was forty years old, but because of the unbelief of others, he had to wait forty five years. When he finally stood before Joshua at eighty five, he said, “As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me… Now therefore give me this mountain” (Joshua 14:11–12).

Caleb did not allow years of waiting to weaken his faith or his strength. Look at Simeon, who waited all his life to see the Messiah.

When he finally held baby Jesus in his arms, he said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation” (Luke 2:29–30). God kept His word.

Fifth, prepare for your answer even while you wait. When the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom were in the wilderness without water, Elisha told them, “Thus saith the LORD, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water” (2 Kings 3:16–17).

They had to dig ditches in a dry valley before any water came. The next morning, water filled the land.

Beloved, while you wait, dig your ditches. Prepare yourself. Improve your skills, organise your life, deepen your walk with God, and get ready for the answer you are believing for.

Sixth, keep serving and blessing others. Joseph did not sit in the prison feeling sorry for himself. He served the other prisoners and interpreted their dreams.

Ruth did not wait for a miracle to fall from heaven; she went to glean in the fields, and that is where she met Boaz. Some of your answers will come while you are faithfully serving God and helping others.

Seventh, celebrate small progress and give thanks for what is working. Disappointment has a way of making us focus only on what has failed. But there are still many things God is doing in your life. Count your blessings, thank Him for them, and let gratitude lift your heart.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). And remember that Jesus Himself knows what disappointment feels like.

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). In the garden of Gethsemane, when He needed His closest friends the most, He found them sleeping, and He said, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” (Matthew 26:40).

One of His disciples betrayed Him, another denied Him, and the rest ran away. Yet Jesus did not abandon His mission. He kept His eyes on the joy set before Him and finished the work.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Because Jesus understands, He can comfort you, and because He overcame, He can help you overcome.

Finally, do not let your disappointments turn you into a person who disappoints others. Hurting people sometimes hurt people.

Let your pain make you more compassionate, more faithful to your word, and more careful with other people’s hopes. Be the kind of person who keeps promises, because you know how painful it is when promises are broken.

Beloved, your disappointment is not the end of your story. “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Keep your heart in God’s hands, keep your hope alive, and keep moving forward. Your appointed time is coming.

WISDOM FOR TODAY

A disappointment is not the end of the story; it is often a turning point. Some of God’s greatest appointments come right after man’s greatest disappointments.

PERSONAL CHALLENGE

Today, write down the disappointments that have weighed on your heart. Pour them out to God in prayer, as Hannah did. Then, beside each one, write a promise from God’s Word. Choose one area where you have been placing your full expectation on a person, and deliberately hand it over to God. Finally, like Leah, find something to praise God for today, despite what you have not yet received.

EVANGELISM CHALLENGE

Reach out to someone who has been disappointed by life, by people, or even by religion. Share with them the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and let them know that Jesus is walking with them even in their sorrow. Invite them to put their trust in the One who never fails.

FURTHER STUDY

📖 Proverbs 13:12; Psalm 22:1–5; Psalm 62:1–8; 1 Samuel 1:1–20; Genesis 29:31–35; Luke 5:1–11; John 11:1–44; Luke 24:13–35; Jeremiah 17:5–8; Psalm 146:3–5; Haggai 1:5–11; 1 Thessalonians 2:17–18; Daniel 10:10–14; Acts 16:6–10; Ruth 1:19–22; 1 Samuel 13:8–14; 1 Samuel 30:1–19; Isaiah 49:23; Romans 5:1–5

PRAYER ASSIGNMENT (MORNING)

1. Father, I thank You because You are faithful, and You have never failed those who trust in You (Psalm 22:4–5).

2. Lord, thank You because You see my tears and You know every disappointment I have faced.

3. Lord, You are near to the brokenhearted; draw near to me today (Psalm 34:18).

4. Lord, I pour out my heart before You; You are my refuge (Psalm 62:8).

5. Father, heal every sickness of my heart caused by hope deferred (Proverbs 13:12).

6. Lord, let my desire come, and let it be a tree of life to me.

7. Every cycle of disappointment in my life, be broken by the power of God, in the name of Jesus.

8. Every pattern of “almost there” and “it did not work out,” be destroyed, in the name of Jesus.

9. Affliction shall not rise up the second time in my life, in the name of Jesus (Nahum 1:9).

10. Every spirit of disappointment assigned against my destiny, be bound and cast out, in the name of Jesus.

11. Every power that turns my expectations into frustration, be disgraced, in the name of Jesus.

12. Every satanic hindrance standing between me and my answered prayers, be removed by fire, in the name of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

13. Every prince of Persia delaying my blessings, be overthrown by the angels of God, in the name of Jesus (Daniel 10:13).

14. Lord, deliver me from putting my full trust in man (Jeremiah 17:5).

15. Lord, my soul waits only upon You, for my expectation is from You (Psalm 62:5).

16. Lord, let me be like the tree planted by the waters, that shall not fear when heat comes (Jeremiah 17:8).

17. Lord, show me any pattern in my life that has been contributing to my disappointments.

18. Lord, give me grace to correct every wrong choice and habit that has led to repeated failure.

19. Lord, if I have neglected Your house and Your purpose, forgive me and set my priorities right (Haggai 1:9).

20. Lord, thank You for every closed door that was Your protection (Acts 16:6–7).

21. Lord, redirect me to the place of my open doors.

22. Lord, help me to trust Your timing, for You make all things beautiful in Your time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

23. Lord, though my vision tarries, let me wait for it, because it will surely come (Habakkuk 2:3).

24. Every spirit of bitterness trying to grow from my disappointments, be uprooted, in the name of Jesus (Hebrews 12:15).

25. My Naomi shall not become Mara; my pleasantness is restored, in the name of Jesus (Ruth 1:20).

26. Lord, deliver me from forcing myself into shortcuts like Saul did at Gilgal (1 Samuel 13:12).

27. Every spirit of unbelief that says “nothing works for me,” be cast out, in the name of Jesus.

28. Lord, give me grace to keep sowing in the morning and in the evening (Ecclesiastes 11:6).

29. I pursue, I overtake, and I recover all that disappointment has stolen (1 Samuel 30:8).

30. Lord, let my nets break with abundance after my season of emptiness (Luke 5:6).

PRAYER ASSIGNMENT (NIGHT)

1. Father, I thank You for keeping me through this day despite every challenge.

2. Lord, I hand over every disappointment I experienced today into Your hands.

3. Lord, heal my heart from every pain of broken promises.

4. Lord, comfort me where people have let me down.

5. Every evil dream of failure, rejection, and loss, be cancelled by the blood of Jesus.

6. Every evil dream of missing opportunities at the last minute, I reject it, in the name of Jesus.

7. Every dream of being abandoned or rejected, be nullified by the blood of Jesus.

8. Every satanic programme designed to disappoint me tomorrow, be frustrated, in the name of Jesus.

9. Every evil hand that snatches my blessings at the last moment, wither by fire, in the name of Jesus.

10. Every power that makes people forget their promises to me, be broken, in the name of Jesus.

11. Every destiny helper who has forgotten me, Lord, remember me before them as You remembered Joseph before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:9).

12. Every closed door that should be open to me, open by the key of David, in the name of Jesus (Revelation 3:7).

13. Every embargo placed on my progress, be lifted tonight, in the name of Jesus.

14. Every curse of labour without result, be broken by the blood of Jesus.

15. Every spirit of heaviness and discouragement, be lifted from me tonight; I receive the garment of praise (Isaiah 61:3).

16. Lord, as You sent an angel to strengthen Elijah under the juniper tree, strengthen me tonight (1 Kings 19:5–7).

17. Lord, give me rest and renew my strength while I sleep.

18. Every lie of the enemy that says I will always be disappointed, be silenced by the Word of God.

19. Every bitterness hidden in my heart because of past disappointments, be washed away by the blood of Jesus.

20. Lord, help me to forgive everyone who has disappointed me.

21. Lord, help me not to become a source of disappointment to others.

22. Lord, let me keep my promises to my family, friends, and colleagues.

23. Holy Spirit, speak to me in the night and give me direction for tomorrow (Psalm 16:7).

24. Lord, reveal to me any hidden reason for my repeated disappointments.

25. Lord, let every delay in my life end in a greater testimony.

26. Lord, as You did not let Hannah go home without her petition, let me not end this season without my answer.

27. Lord, let my waiting not be in vain.

28. Lord, let me wake up tomorrow with fresh hope and fresh faith.

29. Weeping may endure for a night, but my joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

30. I cover my heart, my hopes, my sleep, and my dreams with the blood of Jesus.

31. Father, I thank You because my disappointments are turning into divine appointments, in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

CLOSING REFLECTION

Beloved, disappointment may have visited you many times, but it does not have to live with you. God saw Hannah’s tears, God turned Leah’s pain into praise, God filled Peter’s empty nets, and God raised Lazarus after four days. The same God is with you today. Pour out your heart to Him, move your expectation from man to Him, encourage yourself in Him, and wait for Him with patience. Those who wait for the Lord shall not be ashamed. Your morning is coming. Remain blessed in Jesus’ name.