Evangelist Joshua Orekhie Ministries

EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL:

Monday, September 28, 2026

Topic: BREAKING THE YOKE OF LABOURING IN VAIN

Opening Scriptures

Psalm 127:1–2: “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”

Isaiah 65:21–23: “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them… They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble.”

Luke 5:5–6: “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes.”

Isaiah 10:27
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”

Memory Verse

Isaiah 65:23
“They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.”

Praise and Worship

Sing songs acknowledging God as the source of strength, direction, provision and fruitful labour.

Breaking the Yoke of Labouring in Vain – EJOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL: September 28, 2026

Beloved, one of the most painful experiences in life is to labour without receiving the expected result. It is frustrating to invest your time, strength, money and knowledge into something, only to see little or nothing coming from it.

It is painful to plant but never harvest, to build but never inhabit, to work but never enjoy the reward, or to begin repeatedly without completing anything.

There is nothing wrong with labour. God expects us to work, develop our gifts, use opportunities wisely and take responsibility for our lives. The problem begins when labour repeatedly produces little or nothing to show for the effort.

A person can work extremely hard yet remain trapped in the same position. He earns money, but something continually consumes it. She starts projects, but they repeatedly collapse before completion.

Opportunities come, but something always seems to happen at the point when results should appear. This is what makes labouring in vain painful: you are not lazy, yet the results do not seem to correspond with the effort.

You wake up early. You return home late. You sacrifice. You invest. You pray. You plan. You keep trying. Yet when you look at your life, you begin asking, “Where is the fruit of all this labour?”

Isaiah 65:21–23 describes God’s will for His people: “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them… They shall not labour in vain.” God desires that your honest labour should produce fruit and that you should enjoy the work of your hands.

This does not mean that every effort will produce immediate success. Some good things require time, patience, learning and perseverance. A farmer does not plant today and harvest tomorrow.

There is a difference between waiting for a proper harvest and being trapped in a repeated cycle of fruitless labour. Psalm 127:1 says, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”

This reveals that effort alone is not enough. You may possess strength, knowledge, connections and determination, but you still need the direction and blessing of God. When God is absent from a plan, human effort can become exhausting and unproductive.

Many people begin important projects without seeking God’s face. They choose a career because it is popular. They enter a business because someone else appears to be successful in it. They marry because they are under pressure.

They invest money because they were promised quick profit. After some time, they discover that they have been building something God never instructed them to build.

Beloved, it is possible to be sincerely committed to the wrong assignment. Sincerity cannot transform a wrong direction into the right one. You may be working hard, but are you working where God wants you to work?

You may be moving quickly, but are you moving in the right direction? You may be building, but did God give you the design? Peter and his companions understood the pain of fruitless labour.

Luke 5:5 says, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing.” These were experienced fishermen. They possessed skill, equipment and have knowledge of the time fishes come out, and yet they caught nothing.

Their problem was not laziness. They had worked throughout the night in frustration. Their problem was not lack of experience or management. But unfortunately, their experience could not produce the desired result until Jesus gave them direction.

Jesus told Peter to launch into the deep and let down the nets. Peter responded, “Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” When he obeyed, they caught such a great multitude of fish that their net began to break.

Beloved, one word from God can terminate a long season of fruitless labour. Divine instruction can succeed where human experience has failed. You may not need another year of struggling; you may need clarity concerning what God wants you to do differently.

Sometimes the solution is not to work harder but to listen more carefully. If your present method continues to bring the same disappointing result, pause and ask God for wisdom and clear direction. There may be something you need to begin, stop or change.

The presence of Jesus in Peter’s boat changed the outcome of his labour. When Christ becomes Lord over your plans, He gives direction, wisdom and strength.

Invite Him into your career, business, marriage, ministry, finances and decisions. Allow His Word to govern how you operate and also involve Him in your plans.

Another picture of fruitless labour is found in Haggai 1:6: “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough… and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.”

A bag with holes represents an inability to preserve the fruit of one’s labour. Money enters, but it quickly disappears through debt, unexpected expenses, impulsive spending, poor planning or repeated losses.

A person may record impressive sales and receive a good income, yet have nothing meaningful left to show for it. They are earning, but they are not progressing.

In the days of Haggai, the people had neglected the house of God while devoting their attention to personal comfort. Their priorities had fallen out of order, and their labour was producing little satisfaction.

God therefore instructed them to “consider their ways.” In the same manner, when your labour continually produces no lasting result, you must prayerfully examine your priorities, decisions and financial habits.

Sometimes the problem is not a lack of income but the presence of unrecognised holes through which your resources are escaping.

Beloved, there are times when the first step toward breaking fruitless labour is honest examination. Ask yourself, “Where are the holes in my bag?” Perhaps you spend without planning. Perhaps you borrow money unnecessarily.

Perhaps you repeatedly invest in businesses you have not studied. Perhaps you refuse professional advice. Perhaps you support everyone while neglecting your own essential responsibilities.

Prayer can reveal the hidden holes through which your resources are escaping, but discipline is required to close them. If you continue mismanaging what you are asking God to multiply, an increase in income may only lead to an increase in waste.

A genuine financial breakthrough requires more than receiving money; it also requires the wisdom and discipline to manage, preserve and multiply it.

Labouring in vain can also result from inadequate preparation. A person may have a promising idea but lack the knowledge, skills and strategy needed to execute it successfully.

Someone may begin a business without properly understanding the customers, costs, competition, record-keeping or risks involved. When the business struggles, the person may blame spiritual opposition, even though the real problem is insufficient preparation.

Proverbs 24:27 says, “Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.” Preparation is a biblical principle.

Faith does not oppose planning; it gives you the confidence to prepare responsibly and act wisely. Not every fruitless labour comes from neglect. Some come from direct satanic attack.

In Judges 6, whenever Israel sowed, the Midianites, the Amalekites and the children of the east came up against them. They camped on the land, destroyed the increase, and left no sustenance for Israel.

Israel did the planting; the enemy did the harvesting. This is the operation of the devourer. There are powers that wait patiently while you labour, and strike at the time of harvest.

They allow you to plant, water and nurture, then arrive when the fruit is ripe. That is why some people only experience attacks at the edge of their breakthrough.

Deuteronomy 28:38 describes this curse: “Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shall gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.” There are also foundational curses.

When Joshua cursed the rebuilding of Jericho, that word waited over five hundred years until Hiel rebuilt the city and paid the price with his sons (Joshua 6:26; 1 Kings 16:34).

Some labour is fruitless because it is sitting on a cursed foundation, an ancestral covenant, or an evil altar speaking against a family’s increase.

But the Lord has made a promise to those who honour Him: “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field” (Malachi 3:11).

Jacob served Laban, who changed his wages ten times. Yet Jacob testified, “God suffered him not to hurt me” (Genesis 31:7). God turned the table, and the man who was cheated became the man who was enriched.

Every Midianite power harvesting where I planted, be scattered by fire. Every locust and cankerworm eating my increase, be rebuked by the Lord of hosts. Every evil altar speaking fruitless labour into my foundation, be consumed by fire, in the name of Jesus.

“The yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing” (Isaiah 10:27). The anointing does not merely lift the yoke; it destroys it so that it can never be placed on your neck again.

Look at Isaac. There was a famine in the land, yet “Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him” (Genesis 26:12).

Others laboured in vain in that famine; Isaac reaped a hundredfold. The difference was not the soil, the rain or the season. The difference was “the LORD blessed him.” When the blessing of God rests on a man’s labour, famine cannot stop his harvest.

The Bible says, “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22). That is the opposite of labouring in vain.

Labouring in vain brings sorrow without riches; the blessing brings riches without sorrow. This is your portion in Christ. You are the seed of the blessed of the Lord. Your labour in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

The yoke is breaking now! By the anointing of the Holy Ghost, every yoke of fruitless labour on my neck, be destroyed, in the name of Jesus.

In Conclusion (The Way Out)

Beloved, the way out of labouring in vain is clear:

First, surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Every labour outside Christ ultimately ends in vanity. Secondly, invite God to be the Builder of your life, business, career and ministry. Commit every plan to Him before you begin.

Thirdly, put God first. Honour Him with your time, your worship and your substance. Fourthly, repent of every sin, disobedience and wrong dealing that may have opened a door to the devourer.

Fifthly, work with wisdom: sharpen your skills, plan carefully, manage your resources and walk in integrity. Sixthly, break every curse, covenant and evil altar working against your increase through fervent prayer and the blood of Jesus. And finally, obey the word of Jesus even when it does not make sense. “Nevertheless at thy word” is the key that turns empty nets into overflowing boats.

Prophetic Declaration

I declare in the name of Jesus: you shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble, for you are the seed of the blessed of the Lord. Every bag with holes in your life is sealed by the blood of Jesus. Every Midianite power harvesting your labour is scattered by fire.

The devourer is rebuked for your sake. Every yoke of fruitless labour is destroyed by the anointing. Your night of toiling is over; the morning of harvest has come. Where you sowed in tears, you shall reap in joy.

Like Isaac, you shall sow in famine and reap a hundredfold. Your nets shall break with abundance, and the blessing of the Lord shall make you rich and add no sorrow to it, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen!

Personal Challenge

Today, take a sheet of paper and write down every area where you have laboured without result: business, career, ministry, finances, relationships or family. Bring each one before God in prayer, commit it to Him as Builder, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any hole in your bag, whether it is a spiritual root, a misplaced priority or a practical weakness. Act on what He shows you.

Evangelism Challenge

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). The greatest labour in vain is a life lived without Christ. Reach out to at least one person today who is weary and frustrated, and introduce them to Jesus, who said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Further Study

 Genesis 3:17–19; Genesis 26:1–14; Genesis 31:1–13; Deuteronomy 8:17–18; Deuteronomy 28:1–14, 38–40; Joshua 6:26; Judges 6:1–14; 1 Kings 16:34; Psalm 126:5–6; Psalm 127:1–2; Proverbs 3:9–10; Proverbs 10:22; Ecclesiastes 10:10; Isaiah 10:27; Isaiah 65:17–24; Haggai 1:2–11; Malachi 3:8–12; Matthew 6:33; Luke 5:1–11; John 21:3–6; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 3:13–14.

Prayer Assignment: Morning

1. Father, I thank You because You are the Lord of the harvest, in the name of Jesus.

2. Lord, thank You because Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law, in the name of Jesus.

3. Father, forgive me for every time I laboured without inviting You as the Builder, in the name of Jesus.

4. Lord, forgive me for every misplaced priority that opened holes in my bag, in the name of Jesus.

5. Blood of Jesus, cleanse my hands and my labour from every defilement, in the name of Jesus.

6. I decree that I shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble, in the name of Jesus.

7. Every yoke of fruitless labour upon my neck, be destroyed by the anointing, in the name of Jesus.

8. Every curse of the ground working against my labour, be broken by the blood of Jesus.

9. Every curse of sweat without reward in my life, break, in the name of Jesus.

10. Every bag with holes in my finances, be sealed by the blood of Jesus.

11. Every hidden drain on my income, be exposed and blocked, in the name of Jesus.

12. Every power that makes money disappear from my hands, be arrested, in the name of Jesus.

13. Every Midianite power waiting to harvest where I planted, be scattered by fire, in the name of Jesus.

14. Every Amalekite power destroying my increase, be destroyed, in the name of Jesus.

15. Lord of hosts, rebuke the devourer for my sake, in the name of Jesus.

16. Every locust, cankerworm, caterpillar and palmerworm assigned to my labour, die, in the name of Jesus.

17. My vine shall not cast her fruit before the time, in the name of Jesus.

18. Every power that attacks me at the point of harvest, be disgraced, in the name of Jesus.

19. Every evil altar speaking fruitless labour into my foundation, be consumed by fire, in the name of Jesus.

20. Every ancestral covenant of poverty and hardship in my bloodline, break by the blood of Jesus.

21. Every inherited curse of “work and suffer” in my family, end with me, in the name of Jesus.

22. Every foundation of my life or business sitting on a curse, be purged by fire, in the name of Jesus.

23. Every Laban changing my wages, be frustrated, in the name of Jesus.

24. Every power holding back my payment, entitlement and benefits, release them now, in the name of Jesus.

25. Every hand withholding what belongs to me, release it by fire, in the name of Jesus.

26. Every stagnant contract and delayed payment, receive divine release, in the name of Jesus.

27. Every “ninety percent” pattern in my life, receive the grace of completion, in the name of Jesus.

28. Every project that collapses at the edge of completion, I command you to finish, in the name of Jesus.

29. Every spirit of almost there, be broken off my destiny, in the name of Jesus.

30. Lord, step into my boat and take control of my labour, in the name of Jesus.

31. Lord, speak a word into my business, career and ministry today, in the name of Jesus.

32. I receive grace to obey Your word even when it does not make sense, in the name of Jesus.

33. At Your word, O Lord, I let down my net for a great harvest, in the name of Jesus.

34. My nets shall break with abundance, in the name of Jesus.

35. Like Isaac, I shall sow in famine and reap a hundredfold, in the name of Jesus.

36. Let the blessing that makes rich and adds no sorrow rest upon my labour, in the name of Jesus.

37. Lord, give me power to get wealth according to Your covenant, in the name of Jesus.

38. Lord, sharpen my axe with wisdom, skill and understanding, in the name of Jesus.

39. Every spirit of laziness and procrastination in my life, be cast out, in the name of Jesus.

40. Lord, deliver me from working hard in the wrong place, in the name of Jesus.

41. Lord, relocate me to the place of my harvest if I am in the wrong place, in the name of Jesus.

42. Every door of favour closed against my labour, open by fire, in the name of Jesus.

43. Let my labour be recognised and rewarded, in the name of Jesus.

44. Every seed I have sown in faith, begin to speak for me, in the name of Jesus.

45. What I sowed in tears, I shall reap in joy, in the name of Jesus.

46. Lord, restore every year my labour was eaten by the enemy, in the name of Jesus.

47. The labour of my hands shall prosper, and I shall eat the fruit thereof, in the name of Jesus.

48. My children shall not inherit the yoke of labouring in vain, in the name of Jesus.

49. From today, my labour in the Lord shall not be in vain, in the name of Jesus.

50. Father, thank You for answered prayers, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayer Assignment: Night

1. Father, thank You for the gift of life and strength today, in the name of Jesus.

2. Lord, forgive me any sin I committed today in thought, word or deed, in the name of Jesus.

3. Blood of Jesus, cover my sleep, my dreams and my household tonight, in the name of Jesus.

4. Every night harvester coming to steal my day’s labour, be arrested by fire, in the name of Jesus.

5. Every dream of carrying loads without reward, I reject its manifestation, in the name of Jesus.

6. Every dream of losing money, property or valuables, be cancelled, in the name of Jesus.

7. Every dream of farming without harvest, be nullified by the blood of Jesus.

8. Every dream of labouring as a slave or servant, I reject it, in the name of Jesus.

9. Every power that pursues me in the dream to drain my strength, be destroyed, in the name of Jesus.

10. Every night caterer feeding me with poverty, die, in the name of Jesus.

11. Every masquerade of hardship dancing around my destiny, be disgraced, in the name of Jesus.

12. Every witchcraft pot cooking my labour, catch fire, in the name of Jesus.

13. Every evil register where my name is written for fruitless labour, be burnt, in the name of Jesus.

14. Every satanic bank holding my blessings, release them by fire, in the name of Jesus.

15. Every spirit of wastage assigned to my life, be bound, in the name of Jesus.

16. Every strongman sitting on my harvest, be dethroned, in the name of Jesus.

17. Every evil hand spoiling my work at night, wither, in the name of Jesus.

18. Every power turning my success into failure, be destroyed, in the name of Jesus.

19. Every enemy laughing at my labour, your laughter shall turn to shame, in the name of Jesus.

20. Every yoke placed upon my neck while I slept, be broken by the anointing, in the name of Jesus.

21. Every spiritual chain tying down my hands, break, in the name of Jesus.

22. Every burden on my shoulder that is not from God, be removed, in the name of Jesus.

23. Lord, let Your angels guard my labour, my business and my property tonight, in the name of Jesus.

24. Lord, as I sleep, give me divine ideas and instructions for my increase, in the name of Jesus.

25. Holy Spirit, reveal to me in the night seasons any hole in my bag, in the name of Jesus.

26. Every harvest delayed by the enemy, be released in this season, in the name of Jesus.

27. Every portion of my life cursed with barrenness, receive fruitfulness, in the name of Jesus.

28. I shall rise tomorrow with fresh strength and divine favour, in the name of Jesus.

29. My tomorrow shall be better than my today, in the name of Jesus.

30. My labour shall speak and the world shall see the glory of God upon my hands, in the name of Jesus.

31. Every power that makes people forget my contribution, as the butler forgot Joseph, be destroyed, in the name of Jesus.

32. Lord, as the king could not sleep until Mordecai was honoured, let my helpers have no rest until I am rewarded, in the name of Jesus.

33. Every record of my good work hidden by the enemy, be brought to light, in the name of Jesus.

34. Every power stealing credit for my labour, be exposed and disgraced, in the name of Jesus.

35. Every Haman plotting to hang me on the gallows of my own labour, fall into your own trap, in the name of Jesus.

36. Lord, let my labour speak for me in the presence of kings, in the name of Jesus.

37. Every promotion denied me unjustly, Lord, restore it with interest, in the name of Jesus.

38. Every evil hand pushing me down while others rise with my ideas, wither, in the name of Jesus.

39. Every Gideon situation in my life, where I hide my harvest from enemies, end now, in the name of Jesus.

40. I shall no longer thresh my wheat in fear; I shall eat my harvest in peace, in the name of Jesus.

41. Every enemy that camps against my increase, be scattered by the sword of the Lord, in the name of Jesus.

43. Every household enemy reducing my progress, be exposed and disgraced, in the name of Jesus.

44. Every monitoring spirit watching my labour to attack my harvest, be blinded, in the name of Jesus.

45. Every evil prophecy of hardship spoken over my life, be cancelled, in the name of Jesus.

46. Every spirit of backwardness and retrogression, lose your hold, in the name of Jesus.

47. Every power that makes me start afresh every year, be broken, in the name of Jesus.

48. Every circle of hardship in my life, be broken, in the name of Jesus.

49. Every satanic embargo on my business and career, be lifted by fire, in the name of Jesus.

50. I seal every prayer with the blood of Jesus.

51. Father, thank You for answered prayers, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.