Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE:  SATURDAY 30TH JUNE 2018

THEME:   MEEK BUT MILITANT.

MEMORISE:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 2Timothy 4:7

READ:       Genesis 14:14-24

14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

MESSAGE

Is it possible to be meek and militant at the same time? To be meek is to do what other people want without imposing your opinion. It is having the power to act but refusing to use it to oppress others. Being militant on the other hand means to use force or pressure to achieve your goals. How is it possible for a Christian to be meek and militant at the same time? Our Lord, as part of the Sermon on the Mount, clearly taught us that it is a blessed thing to be meek (Matthew 5:5). In his letter to the Galatians, Apostle Paul also declared that meekness is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated meekness when He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Hear what He said in Matthew 26:53-54, when He was about to be arrested:

“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”

This same Jesus tells us that there are times when we need to be violent. In Matthew 11:12, He said:

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Paul further expounded on this truth, telling us the reason why we are in battle and providing the guidelines for how to shield and prepare ourselves for this violent warfare. In Ephesians 6:12, He wrote:

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

The beautiful swan which vigorously paddles away under the water to stay afloat is viewed as one of the most graceful animals on the water because it appears calm on the surface. Our Christian life needs to emulate the posture of the swan. In the Spirit realm, we need to display all militancy that is needed to secure us a place in heaven and push the agenda of the Kingdom of God on earth. At the same time, in the physical realm, the fruit of the Spirit- meekness- must be visible in our lives.

KEY POINT:

You cannot keep the faith without giving the devil a fight.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 18-20

Acts 20:1-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS.
1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry, His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! The trumpet call obey:
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day;
Ye that are men now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone,
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own;
Put on the gospel armor, and watching unto prayer,
Where calls the voice of duty, be never wanting there.

4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus! the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song;
To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be;
He with the King of glory shall reign eternally.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE:  FRIDAY 29TH JUNE 2018

THEME: SHARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.


MEMORISE:
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, Mark 3:14

READ:       Exodus 18:13-27

13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?

15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:

16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.

17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.

18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:

20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.

25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.

MESSAGE

It is amazing that not only are many leaders guilty of self-abuse by working more than is necessary, they are also guilty of stressing themselves out to the point of exhaustion, thereby leading to their untimely  death. When God created ma, He created us in His image and likeness and so we are expected to be like Him in many respects. One area we should resemble him is in the attribute of delegating responsibility. Genesis 2:15 & 19 reveals how God readily delegated the responsibility of keeping the Garden of Eden and the naming of animals to Adam. There is no monopoly of responsibility in the attributes of God. we need to begin to emulate God by sharing and delegating responsibilities with our colleagues, subordinates and neighbors to avoid burning ourselves out and even killing ourselves.

In Exodus 18:13-27, Moses was taught the art of labor by his father-in-law, Jethro came visiting, he observed that Moses hardly had time to rest, because he was ever busy attending to every case brought to him by his people- even monitor cases that were domestic in nature. Although the reason Moses gave for this arrangement was genuine and good intentioned, Jethro pointed out the folly of what he was doing to him. In Exodus 18:17b-18, Jethro said:

“The thing that thou doest is not good.Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.”

Jethro then taught him how to delegate his judicial responsibilities to elders who were able and capable. Moses heeded his advice and it worked: judgment was no longer delayed and Moses had time to take care of himself.

Members of the Body of Christ need to be willing to work, and their pastors need to be willing to prepare them to take responsibilities. Nevertheless, responsibilities must not be delegated carelessly. They should not be passes on to those who would destroy the work you have labored so much for. In delegating responsibilities, adhere to what Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:2:

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Apply this principle to your church, business and family and you will find rest for your soul.


ACTION POINT:

Join an empowerment program that will increase your effectiveness today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 16-17

Acts 19:21-41

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE



HYMN 4:  TRUST AND OBEY.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

 
DATE:  THURSDAY 28TH JUNE 2018


THEME:   EVEN THE MEEK CAN BE OFFENDED.

 
MEMORISE:

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30

READ:       Numbers 20:1-12

1Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

MESSAGE

One reality of life that many people, particularly children of God, find difficult to believe is that a meek person can be offended. People who are meek are assumed to always be calm and saint-like, and hence people around them then to take them for granted and abuse them in many ways. We all know that meekness is a constituent of the fruit of the Spirit, but our memory verse clearly show that the Holy Spirit can also be offended.

Although Numbers 12:3 describes Moses as the meekest among all men on the face of the earth, in today’s Bible reading, this same man got upset that instead of speaking to the rock as God commanded, he struck it with the rod twice, to the Lord’s displeasure. The consequence of this outburst of anger and frustration by Moses was grievous: the Lord rebuked him and denied him entrance into the Promise Land, after forty years of laboring hard to lead all the Israelites from Egypt.

The key lesson we need to learn from Moses’ experience is that our brethren or leaders are all still living in human bodies, and so we need to be sensitive to their humanity and not overstretch them because we believe that as meek people, they will not break. Another lesson is that the meek should not allow themselves to be solely people-driven; they should instead focus on following the instructions given by God.

While we live in this human body, we will always experience offence of provocations from different sources. However, we need to exercise self-control, which is another constituent of the fruit of the Spirit, in all situations. The Bible is clear that only the foolish burst out in anger; you must refuse to be foolish. Proverbs 14:17a says,

 “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly”

Beloved, what are you known for? Are you the kind of person that engages in confrontation with everyone, or are you known to be an example of someone who manifests the fruit of the Spirit?



PRAYER POINT:

Spirit of the Living God, please manifest more of your self-control in my life everyday in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicle 13-15

Acts 18:24-19:20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE



HYMN 15: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE.

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

There let me see the sight, an open Heaven;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy given;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 27TH JUNE 2018

THEME: THE PRICE OF BEING A STANDARD

MEMORISE:
At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 2 Timothy 4:16

READ: 2 Timothy 4:14-18, 2 Timothy 3:10-14

14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.

16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom:  to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

2 Timothy 3:10-14
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,

11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

MESSAGE

Every Christian is expected to be a standard for people around to emulate. Standing out for God as a standard has a price tag attached to it. The price of being God's standard is comprised mainly of antagonism, loneliness and persecution. In John 16:2, our Lord Jesus Christ prepared our minds for what we should expect if we would be His standard in this world, saying:

“They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”

We live in times when these words are being fulfilled right before our very eyes.

To live as God's standard in this world, you have to be ready to walk on the cold road of loneliness sometimes. God's standards we celebrate today, such as Elijah and Apostle Paul, all faced this reality (1 Kings 19:14, 2 Timothy 4:16). When you choose not to follow a multitude to sin, they will confront and antagonise you because you are different. When they discover that they cannot win you over to their side, they will sideline and isolate you. You must be willing to pay this price to avoid the contamination of the world. Always have at the back of your mind that the Christian race you are called to is an individual race that can be lonely. However, be assured that the Lord will be with you always, and so you are never alone. He stood by Paul in his moments of loneliness and He also strengthened Elijah in his time of despair (2 Timothy 4:17, Acts 27:23-25). You can be sure that what He did for them, He will do for you also.

To live as God's standard in this generation, you must prepare your mind for it. The secret of not conforming to the standards of this world lies in the continuous renewing of your mind with the word of God. The Holy Spirit revealed this to us in Romans 12:2, where He said:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

The reason is that what is in your mind determines what you would become and the nature of life you would live in this world. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood out for God and they became standards and reference point in the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires. Although they suffered a great deal, their sufferings yielded extraordinary promotions (Daniel 3:30, Daniel 6:26-28). Anyone who wants to be a standard of godliness must be ready to suffer all sorts of evil from the enemies of the cross. The good news is that Jesus Christ promised He is with us till the end of the world (Matthew 28:20b).

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me grace to stand firm as Your standard in this crooked generation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 11-12, Acts 18:1-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 26TH JUNE 2018

THEME: STRANGE DESTINY HELPERS

MEMORISE:
And we know 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

READ: Genesis 50:15-21

15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

MESSAGE

God in His unfathomable wisdom sometimes connects us to our destiny through some strange helpers. Such destiny helpers appear strange to us because they are people we least expect help from. This is the reason why the Holy Spirit teaches in our memory verse that we need to see God's hand in all things that happen to us. The Holy Spirit also makes it clear that this truth will only work for those who are called according to God's purpose, walking in line with His precepts and instructions.

A good example of strange destiny helpers is Joseph's brothers. While they were aiding the fulfilment of Joseph's destiny, they did not even know it. They thought they were selling him into slavery, but they only helped in transporting him to the land where he was destined to become the prime minister. Joseph had other strange destiny helpers along his way to becoming the prime minister of Egypt, such as Potiphar's wife, Pharaoh's cup bearer and Pharaoh's baker. All these different encounters worked together for his good until he became the first prime minister of Egypt. Genesis 41:39-41 tells of the awesome promotion he received in one day through the aid of strange destiny helpers:

“And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.”

Joseph's experience shows that every person you meet in any situation can be one of your destiny helpers. I pray for you today that your destiny helpers will emerge from the places you least expect in Jesus' Name. Things worked out for Joseph because he was faithful to God and could not imagine sinning against Him. This same attitude is expected of every Christian today. You need to remain faithful and true to God, so that you can be assured of His hand in all that is happening to you. At the end of it all, Joseph also became a destiny helper to the whole of Egypt. An ex-convict and slave ended up saving an entire country from famine. No one is too small to be your destiny helper. Beloved, if you will love God with all your heart, all things will continue to work together for your good in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please send my destiny helpers to me this season in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 8-10, Acts 17:16-34

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: A NEW THING
(Tune: There shall be showers of Blessing)

1. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because GOD will do new things
Sinners will soon be forgiven
Prodigals will come home soon.

Chorus:
Shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Rivers in desert now flowing
Halleluyah to our king.

2. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Sickness and sorrow will be gone
Bondage will be forgotten.

3. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
The barren will be fruitful soon
Failure will be forgotten

4. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Poverty will be forgotten
Stagnancy will soon be gone.

5. We will soon shout Hallelujah
Because God will do new things
To all miracles are given
There shall be celebrations

6. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Many will have testimonies
Of prayers answered fully

7. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
One of us will chase a thousand
Two will conquer ten thousand.

8. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Songs of praises we will sing
Halleluyah to our King.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 25TH JUNE 2018

THEME: LET YOUR OBEDIENCE BE COMPLETE

MEMORISE: And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. – 2 Corinthians 10:6

READ: 2 Kings 5:8-14 (KJV)

8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Chronicles 6-7, Acts 17:1-15

MESSAGE:

In the Body of Christ, we often talk about how Noah found grace in the sight of God, but we hardly mention what the Bible says about him in Genesis 6:22:

“Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”

Noah was an obedient instrument in the hands of the Most High God, and God cherished him for that. To show the extent to which God cherishes obedience, Prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:22 said:

“…Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Naaman’s story teaches that only complete obedience to divine instructions is rewarded. Prophet Elisha had instructed Naaman to go and wash in River Jordan seven times in order to receive healing from his leprosy. When he first heard this, he felt insulted for not being given a dignified reception, as Elisha did not even grant him face to face audience. He also felt insulted at the simplicity of what he was asked to do and where he was asked to do it. He was instructed to wash seven times in “dirty” River Jordan. His initial response to God’s instructions is captured in 2 Kings 5:12 as follows:

“Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.”

Thank God he had servant who persuaded him to do what the prophet had said. After his servant succeeded in persuading him, the result that followed shows that the pains of complete obedience pale in comparison to its benefits. 2 Kings 5:14 says,

“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

Beloved, only after Naaman’s obedience was complete did he receive his miracle. The loss would have been great if Naaman had stopped dipping his body in the river after the fifth or sixth attempt, since nothing about his situation had changed. I pray that your obedience to the word of God will be complete, and you will receive your miracle thereafter in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT: Father, make my heart a fertile ground that is yielded to the complete obedience of divine instructions in Jesus’ Name.


HYMN 4: TRUST AND OBEY

1. When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey

Chorus:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favour He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do
Where He sends we will go
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 23RD JUNE 2018

THEME: DEFIANCE IS ALLOWED!

MEMORISE:
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Acts 4:19

READ: Daniel 3:13-26

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

MESSAGE

The narrative in today's Bible reading highlights one of those instances where we can go against secular and religious authority. This story tells of how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to obey the law of the land. There is time for everything under heaven. There is a time when in order to obey the law of God, you have to disobeyed the law of the land. These three young men were accused and found guilty of religious anarchism. In simple terms, they were tagged criminals because they were found guilty of breaking the law, and the penalty for this was death by burning. Nevertheless, these young men defied the threat of tortuous death in a fiery furnace. Their attitude made it seem as if they had listened to the teaching of Jesus Christ in Mark 9:45-46, where He said;

“And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

As seen in Acts 4:19, a similar act of defiance was exhibited by the early disciples. Peter up to the religious leaders of that time, giving them a rhetorical question to ponder on. He asked for their advice on whom to obey: earthly leaders or God. Beloved, you need to be defiant whenever you are asked to go against the law of God. The time to stand up for your faith and values is when you are asked to go against it.

If at the expense of standing up for God, you melt in the face of threats to your life, comfort or career, you cannot call yourself a Christian. Are you in a situation where you are compromising on the truth? Are you falsifying records in your office or business to make more money? Are you collecting bribes before you do your work? Are you covering up for corrupt colleagues or friends? If you find yourself in such circumstances, you need to search deep within your heart and choose whom you will serve today. Serving God means every moment of your day, every action that you take and every utterance that you make are viewed as service to Him. Always be conscious of the fact that your actions at your place of work or business counts as service to God. Your attitude towards everyone around you is also a service to God. I pray that the Holy Spirit will convict your heart and enable you to stand up for Jesus every day.

ACTION POINT:
Read Joshua 1:8 meditatively and pray for God’s wisdom to apply His law to your day-to-day activities.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Chronicles 1-3, Acts 15:36-16:15

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS

1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
Ye soldiers of the Cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss.
From vict'ry unto vict'ry
His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict
In this His glorious day!
Ye that are men, now serve Him
Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger,
And strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
Stand in His strength alone:
The arm of flesh will fail you;
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armour,
And watching unto prayer,
Where duty calls, or danger,
Be never wanting there.

4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
The strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor's song
To him that overcometh
A crown of life shall be;
He, with the King of Glory
Shall reign eternally.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 21ST JUNE 2018

THEME: JUDGING OR TEACHING?

MEMORISE:
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. James 3:1

READ: Acts 28:1-6

1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

2 And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

MESSAGE

In a bid to evade the verbal chastisement of the word of God coming from the mouth of fellow believers, some Christians quote these words of Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

Such Christians conveniently forget the words of 2 Timothy 4:2, which says,

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

While it is true that some Christians today are quick to judge others for the situation they are passing through, it does not mean we cannot declare the counsel of God whenever we are so moved by the Spirit of God to do so. The question is, what is the difference between having a judgemental attitude and declaring the whole counsel of God through teaching or preaching? Just like vengeance, judgement also is the prerogative of the Almighty God. As demonstrated in the story of the adulterous woman, He alone is the accurate and righteous Judge. From that story, we see that man's judgement can be faulty, because the one judging others may be guilty of the same sin (John 8:7-9). Only God is without sin, therefore He alone is competent enough to pass judgement. Indeed, He has passed judgement through His word, and He will confirm this judgement through the Lord Jesus Christ on a day He has appointed (John 12:48, Romans 2:16).

To be judgemental is to judge wrongly. Many are prone to doing this, and this is the reason why we were warned not to judge. Paul's experience in today's Bible reading is a typical example of the error of man's wrong judgement. The Lord had just spared the lives of Paul and those whom he was travelling with on account of Paul's right standing with Him. While the apostle was gathering sticks to increase the heat of the fire that was keeping them warm, a poisonous snake caught him by the hand. Some of the native people of the land where they were shipwrecked jumped into the conclusion that Paul was evil and that was why nemesis was still after him, even though he had managed to survive shipwreck (Acts 28:4). How wrong they were! Let us therefore be cautious before drawing connections between events because our knowledge is limited. Let us allow the word of God speak the judgement of God by itself and not insert our own speculations and motives into the fray.

ACTION POINT:
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 23, Acts 14:19-15:11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Chorus:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

THEME: NOT FROM GOD!

DATE: WEDNESDAY 20TH JUNE 2018

MEMORISE: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. – James 1:14

READ: James 1:12-16 (KJV)

12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 21-22, Acts 13:48-14:18

MESSAGE:

The message from the Holy Spirit to you today is that you must take responsibility for your actions in life. It is important to note that many trials and temptations we encounter in life are neither from God nor from the devil. You may then want to know where temptations emanate from. The Bible is clear on this: we cannot put the blame at God’s doorstep. James 1:13-14 says,

“13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

It is expedient for us to differentiate between temptation and examination. Examination is intended to yield a positive result, whereas temptation is intended to yield a negative result. Concerning temptations, if you are unable to overcome, you end up in a worse place or state compared to where you were before being tempted. However, with regard to examinations, you usually get promoted once you successfully complete the examination. We can conveniently say that God examines those He wants to entrust with divine assignments (Genesis 22:1, Deuteronomy 8:2). Conversely, the devil, also referred to as the tempter, takes advantage of a man’s lust and vulnerabilities to tempt him or her, using the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life (1 Thessalonians 3:5, 1 John 2:16).

The truth of the matter is that man is responsible for his actions and inactions. However, the problem with us is that while we love to enjoy the freewill divinely bestowed on us, we are often not comfortable with being held responsible for whatever repercussions our actions bring to our lives. We can see a classical example of a man denying responsibility in the way Adam responded to God’s query as to why he ate the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:11-12 says,

“11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”

Beloved, you are responsible for your own actions and inactions. Adam misused his freewill, and his descendants are still suffering the consequences. Misuse of freedom leads to bondage, so beware!

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the wisdom to make the best use of the liberty I have obtained through Christ my Lord.


HYMN 15: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

1. Nearer, my God to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be.
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

2. Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down.
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone.
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

3. There let the way appear
Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou send’st to me
In mercy given:
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

4. Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 19TH JUNE 2018

THEME: DEEP THOUGHTS, DEEP THANKS

MEMORISE:
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Psalm 103:2

READ: Psalm 103:1-5

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

MESSAGE

There is a wise saying in my native language which says, "If you don't know how to think of God's goodness, you are not likely to know how to give Him thanks." Thinking about God's goodness is one great attitude we need to learn from today's Bible reading. In this passage of Scripture, David preached to himself on the need to praise, worship, thank and reverence God. He also outlined some of the reasons why he needed to be thankful. I believe we should emulate David's attitude and borrow from his list of reasons to be thankful.

On his list of reasons to be thankful, David first considered the forgiveness of his sins. We so often take the blessing of forgiveness of sins for granted, but we need to remember that it is because of the Lord's graciousness and mercy that He chooses to forgive our sins. It is not difficult to simply say "Lord I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins." We also need to remember and be thankful that our Lord Jesus Christ is still engaged in intercessory prayers for us continually (Romans 8:34).

The next thing David mentioned on his list is the blessing of healing. The doctors often use a slogan that reads: "We care, God heals". Who then besides God should take the glory? David also mentioned deliverance from destruction. We all know that evil pervades the world we live in; it's only the mercy of God that keeps His children from harm. Do you thank Him for this? What about His lovingkindness: a kindness that is not ordinary but ful of love? What about His tender mercies: mercy that is affectionate and adds no sorrow? Do you thank Him for the food you eat? He satisfies your mouth with good things so that you are energised to go about your daily tasks, and He renews your strength like that of the eagle. Do you thank Him for all these?

Beloved, be sincere with yourself today. Do you think you are grateful to this Great Father who has been sustaining you physically and spiritually? You have walked in the valley of the shadow of death several times and He has kept you. You have been tempted severally but you escaped the net of the devil and his agents. Take a look around you and count your blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done. It is expedient for you to spend quality time in God's presence today to worship Him like never before. However, let this not be a one-off event in your life; ensure you sustain a habit of thanksgiving from today.

ACTION POINT:
Withdraw to a private place and worship God like never before.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 19-20, Acts 13:26-47

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD

1. Now thank we all our God
    With heart and hands and voices,
    Who wondrous things hath done,
    In whom His world rejoices,
    Who from our mother's arms
    Hath bless'd us on our way
    With countless gifts of love
    And still is ours today.

2. Oh may this bounteous God
    Through all our life be near us,
    With ever joyful hearts
    And blessed peace to cheer us,
    And keep us in His grace,
    And guide us when perplex'd
    And free us from all ills
    In this world and the next

3. All praise and thanks to God
    The Father now be given,
    The Son, and Spirit blest,
    Who reign in highest heaven,
    The One eternal God,
    Whom earth and heav'n adore,
    For thus it was, is now,
    And shall be evermore.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 18TH JUNE 2018

THEME: WANT YOUR PRAYERS ANSWERED?

MEMORISE:
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16

READ: Proverbs 11:30-31, Matthew 28:18-20

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. 

31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.

Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

MESSAGE

Queen Esther shows us one example of how to get our requests granted quickly. Although she had prepared a sumptuous banquet for the king and fed him well, she did not dwell on her own needs; neither did she make any request of him on the first banquet night. She prepared another banquet the second night, and after being treated well again by the queen, we see the king himself insisting that Queen Esther ask whatever she wanted. Esther 7:2 says,

“And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.”

At this point, the queen presented her request and it was granted without delay. When you follow Queen Esther's example in your prayer life, you will get expedited answers to your prayers.

Today's memory verse reveals one if the ways of receiving expedited answers to your prayers. It clearly states that if you are fruitful, whatever you ask the Father in the Name of Jesus will be granted. Many people do not realise the blessings that accompany the great assignment of soul-winning. I have taught my children on several occasions that the shortest route to receiving answers to their prayers is through soul-winning. This is a divine truth that cannot be wished away, because it is the word of God. The good thing about this assignment is that you are not the one to win souls: Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit does the job. The Holy Spirit is responsible for convicting the hearts of sinners (John 16:8). All Jesus wants of you is to make your mouth, resources and time available for His use.

What happened to Peter when he made his boat available to Jesus at the lake of Genesareth will happen to you as you yield yourself and your resources to God for soul-winning today in Jesus' Name (Luke 5:1-7). It is interesting to note that after Peter surrendered his boat for God's use, Jesus Christ did not wait for Peter to ask for a miracle; He just went ahead and granted Peter what he did not ask or bargained for: a great catch of fish that filled two boats. If He could do it for Peter, He will also do it for you when you table your requests after you have yielded yourself to soul-winning.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, grant me the grace to make myself and my resources available for soul-winning today in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 18, Acts 13:1-25

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Chorus:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS BY PST. ENOCH. A. ADEBOYE

SUNDAY 17TH JUNE, 2018

DON’T MISUSE YOUR TONGUE

MEMORISE:
Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Numbers 14:28

READ:
Numbers 14:20-29

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 16-17 & Acts 12:6-25

MESSAGE:
Apostle James gave a profound description of the power embedded in the tongue. In James 3:5-6, he wrote:

“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

In Numbers 14:20-29, we see in practical terms the evil effect of misusing the tongue. Moses had sent out some men to spy out the Promised Land. Ten out of the twelve spies that were sent out returned with an evil report driven by unbelief. They said many things which showed their lack of confidence in the God of their fathers, despite the fact that He had severally demonstrated His mighty power to them in the course of their journey through the wilderness. They seemed not to know their own worth and hence they described themselves as grasshoppers and the inhabitants of the land as giants (Numbers 13:33). The testimony of the faithless spies angered the Lord and He gave this verdict contained in Numbers 14:28:

“Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.”

This outcome, caused by the evil reports of the ten spies, establishes the truth of Proverbs 18:21, which says:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

We all will be accountable to God for every word that we say. It is therefore crucial that we are conscious of the pronouncements and confessions that proceed from our mouths. Beloved, you need to exercise more caution in times of distress and anger to avoid making negative pronouncements against yourself, your situation, your children and everything that concerns you. When you find yourself in difficult situations, ensure that the words you speak profess your faith in God that He is able to do what He says He will do, in spite of the prevailing circumstances around you. I pray that as you open your mouth today, the Lord will fill it with words that will bring glory to His Name. I pray that you will be able to see the hand of God in every situation around you through the eyes of faith from now on in Jesus' Name.

ACTION POINT:
After you have worshipped God today, take out time to prophesy good things into your life.

HYMN 12:
1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 15TH JUNE 2018

THEME: PRAY, DON’T MURMUR

MEMORISE:
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:2

READ: Exodus 15:22-26

 22. So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

 MESSAGE

One deadly habit that is very common among the people of God today is murmuring.

 Like the Israelites of old, many children of God today engage in it without even realising it! It is indeed a silent destroyer. For this reason, the Holy Spirit warns us against it in 1 Corinthians 10:10, saying:

“Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”

Do you know that there are times we think we are praying but we are actually murmuring?

In our Bible reading, the children of Israel were at Marah, where they found water that was not drinkable because it was bitter.

Despite all that God had done for them, they did not consider that He already knew that they would pass through Marah and would have gone ahead of them to make provision for the water they would drink.

 All they could think of doing was to murmur about the bitter water. The characters at play in the events that occurred at Marah are indicative of the two types of Christians we have in the Church today.

 The first type behaves like the multitude who murmured, while the second type behaves like Moses who cried to the Lord for a solution.

 It is interesting to note that the murmuring of the multitude was an exercise in futility because their murmurings did not change the bitterness of the water. The prayer of Moses, on the other hand, yielded positive results because his cry to God moved God into action.

God showed him what to do to reverse the situation, and the people's need for good water was met. This mirrors what is happening with Christians today. We murmur about what we desire and the lack of it, instead of actually asking God and trusting that if He wills, our prayers will be answered.

Beloved, you need to ask yourself today which type of Christian you are between the two types we have considered. I beseech you to examine your prayer life and relationship with God before answering this question.

Are you the type of Christian mentioned in our memory verse, just lusting, desiring and fighting for things but yet getting nothing? You need to ask God to reveal to you the truth on where you stand today. May the Almighty God hear your prayer in Jesus' Name.

 PRAYER POINT:
Father, please forgive me for all the murmuring I have done against You consciously or unconsciously; I promise not to do so again. Please turn my unpleasant situation around today in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 12-13, Acts 10:44-11:18

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1. I Need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord; No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Chorus:

I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee,
Every hour I need Thee; Oh bless me now, my Saviour;
I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour;
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their pow'r When Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour;
Teach me Thy will,
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfil.

5. I need Thee every hour, Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 14TH JUNE 2018

THEME: THE MATHEMATICS OF GIVING

MEMORISE:
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
2 Corinthians 9:6

READ: Luke 21:1-4

1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

MESSAGE

It may interest you to know that a great number of Christians and Bible scholars do not understand or refuse to understand the deeper meaning of today's memory verse. What does it mean to sow sparingly? Sowing sparingly is the act of giving a little back to God from the resources He has blessed you with. How do you quantify "little"? "Little" means the smallest part of a thing. Sowing sparingly is therefore giving just the smallest part of what you are able to give to God. An illustrof how we are expected to give can be seen in Luke 21:3-4:

“And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”

The above scripture can be described as the mathematics of giving from God's perspective. The quality of your giving is hidden in what remains in your pocket after you have given to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that the rich give unto God out of the abundance of what we have (I align myself with the rich in verse 4 because I want to be numbered among the flourishing); whereas, the poor among us, in spite of their need, give all or almost all that they have. This clearly tells us that those of us who are rich should not compare what we give with what others give because we are not all operating under the same level of prosperity. Do you know that in the parable of the profitable servant, if the servant who received five talents had only gained two additional talents, he would have received less commendation than the servant who received two and gained two more (Matthew 25:14-30)? To whom much is given, much is expected. This is the reason why it is dangerous to indulge in self-comparison with others.

The story of the giving widow also shows that it is wrong for us to despise the poor for giving the little that they have. More often than not, they have given a higher percentage of what they have compared to the rich amongst us. Unfortunately, in our churches today, we no longer see the type of outburst of appreciation that Jesus Christ expressed over the action of the poor widow. Sadly, instead of commending, we rather despise those who give out of their poor condition. Beloved, the question is, after you have dropped your offering, how much do you have left for wants (not needs)? I appeal to you to sow bountifully into the work of God's Kingdom when next the opportunity comes your way, and you will reap bountifully in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please give me a liberal heart so that I can always sow bountifully into the work of Your kingdom and into the lives of brethren.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 10-11, Acts 10:24-43

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 13TH JUNE 2018

THEME: WEARY IN TRIBULATION?

MEMORISE:
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Proverbs 24:10

READ: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 

5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

MESSAGE

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Our Lord Jesus Christ never hid from us the truth concerning the Way we have been called to. In the above verse and in several other passages of Scripture, He did not mince words, informing us of the trials, tribulations and persecutions we wil face while walking with Him on the straight and narrow way (Mark 10:30, Matthew 24:9). Because we are aware of this truth, we should therefore courageously stand firm in the face of trials of our faith and tribulations. Our memory verse says that if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. What do you do when you discover that your strength is small in proportion to the tribulations you are facing? You cry to God to increase your strength just as our Lord cried to the Father for help in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He was confronted with the great agony of carrying the weight of the sins of the whole world. The Father heard His cry, and He sent an angel to strengthen Him (Luke 22:41-44). What the Father did for Jesus, He will also do for you.

Let us consider some salient points from Paul's words of encouragement in today's Bible reading to the brethren in Thessalonica who were facing tribulations. First and foremost, he made them know that the Body of Christ understood what they were passing through and appreciated their endurance in the face of tribulations. Secondly, he tried to lift their spirits by reminding them that their endurance of tribulation would earn them a place in the kingdom of God, and so they should not be weary. Thirdly, he taught them that God would not allow those who were persecuting them to go unpunished. The essence of this was to discourage these brethren from seeking to avenge themselves of their persecutors, since vengeance is the Lord's and He would definitely repay evil men. Furthermore, he reassured them of the prayers of the saints for them. We must learn from these points not to condemn brethren who are passing through tribulations or trials of faith. There is a tendency for us to always attribute the suffering of the saints to sins they have committed and to condemn them to everlasting "self-examination". Instead of attributing their tribulations to sin, the Church took glory in the patience of the Thessalonians in the midst of tribulation (2 Thessalonians 1:4). Beloved, be encouraged that the difficult phase of life you are passing through will come to an end soon. So, don't give up! Your Master shares in your tribulation. Be of good cheer because He has overcome the world for your sake

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please strengthen me further as I journey through the wilderness of the world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 9, Acts 10:1-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 5: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
 
DATE:  TUESDAY 12TH JUNE 2018

THEME:   ANOTHEER GEHAZI? 

MEMORISE:

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:8

READ: 2 Kings 5:20-27

20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?

22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.

23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.

24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

MESSAGE

Being endowed with spiritual gifts comes with great responsibility and the need for accountability. Grave consequences are also attached to their misuse. For this reason, every child of God needs to be very careful not to take undue advantage of the gifts of the Holy Spirit deposited in them by God. our Lord Jesus Christ knew that man was susceptible to to abusing the power of God, and so he warned His disciples against merchandizing the free gift of God (Matthew 10:8). He sternly told them that what they had received freely must be freely given out. It is a fearful thing to turn the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us into objects of merchandise traded for money, favors or gifts. This was what Simon tried to do when he offered money to Peter to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost operating in Peter’s life. Acts 8:18-19 says:

“ And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.”

Knowing the implication of this act, Apostle Peter rebuked him and advised him to desist from such diabolical ways. Unfortunately, this is the attitude of some people concerning the ministry of the gospel today.

Today’s Bible reading speaks about a potentially might prophet of God who denied himself the opportunity of receiving multiple portions of Elijah’s anointing, all because he loved material possessions. 2 Kings 5:20 says,

“But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.”

The astonishing part of the above scripture is that Gehazi was not the vessel through whom Naaman was healed! In spite of this fact, he was still hell-bent on getting some form of reward the miracle Naaman had received. In the same vein, no minister of God can perform any miracle. Jesus is the only miracle-worker and all Christians are vessels through whom these miracles are performed. Therefore, taking advantage of His works through His Spirit in us is fraudulent and diabolic. We must be very careful s that we do not become victims of the grave consequences of such acts of covetousness like Gehazi. The good Lord will bless you I His own way and in His own time as you surrender yourself for His use in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, I don’t want to be another Gehazi; please help me to know when to receive or reject a gift as I minister before You in Jesus’ Name.


 
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 7-8

Acts 9:23-43

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE


HYMN 12: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 11TH JUNE 2018

THEME: THE GLORY OF A CONSECRATED LIFE

MEMORISE:
And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
Daniel 1:15

READ: Daniel 1:5-20

5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:

7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. 

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

MESSAGE

A while ago, I was led to make a statement which some people do not take seriously, because it did not meet with faith in their hearts. The statement was that the use of excessive make-up is a sign of inferiority complex. I went further to say that people only try to "make up" for what is not good enough. I strongly believe that the Almighty God is the most perfect designer, and in His infinite wisdom He has designed you the way He feels is best for His glory. After all, in Revelation 4:11, the Holy Spirit reveals that He created us for His pleasure:

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

If God created you for His pleasure, it means that what any other person says about how your mouth is shaped, your colour, your height, the hair on your head or even your accent is irrelevant! The reason for the inferiority complex a lot of people suffer from can be traced to the fact that the glory of God is absent from their lives. Not only was Adam satisfied with the way God made him before the fall, he also appreciated the looks of his wife and admired her with a passion (Genesis 2:23-25). However, after the fall, he was not only fed up with himself, he also saw fault in the wife God "gave" him (Genesis 3:10-12).

Today's Bible reading narrates the determination of some young Hebrew men who decided to live a consecrated life, in spite of the fact that they were captives in a strange land. This should serve as a lesson to Christians who live outside their homeland and decide to throw decency out of the window because of the prevailing situation in the land of their sojourn. Beloved, I implore you to seek something that is needful today, which is the glory of God upon your life through living a consecrated life. Once the glory of God is upon you, you will be the delight of your generation.

Sin robs man of God's glory, and when God's glory is out of a man's life, his or her life becomes miserable and susceptible to demonic attacks. It was the glory of God upon Daniel that shut the mouth of lions that would have devoured him. It was the glory of God on the young Hebrew men's lives that made them look fairer and fatter than their peers. May the glory of the Lord come upon you today as you consecrate your life to the Almighty in Jesus' Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me grace to live a consecrated life, and cover me with Your glory.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 5-6, Acts 9:1-22

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 15: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

1. Nearer, my God to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be.
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

2. Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down.
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone.
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

3. There let the way appear
Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou send'st to me
In mercy given:
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!

4. Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I'll raise
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!