OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : CARE FOR THE BRETHREN.

MEMORISE : But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4 : 19.
 

READ : ROMANS 15 : 25 - 27.
25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contributionfor the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.
 

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: SUFFICIENT GRACE.

MEMORISE : And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12 : 9.
 

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : GREATNESS IS COSTLY.

MEMORISE : How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10 : 38.
READ : JUDGES 13 : 2 - 5.
2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

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Do the Right Thing Part 1

Mathew 6:33 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you'. What does it mean to do the right thing? It means to believe God; to accept Jesus and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in all situations; It means to see all situations from Jesus’

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: HOME TRAINING.

MEMORISE : Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. Proverbs 22 : 15.

READ : JOSHUA 24 : 14 - 15.
14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ZEPHANIAH 1 - 3, HAGGAI 1-2; PSALM 89 : 1 - 14.
After Moses sent twelve people to go and spy on the Promised Land, ten of them returned to say it was impossible to take the land. The first person to speak against this line of thought was Caleb ( Numbers 13 : 30 ). God gave this testimony about Caleb in Numbers 14 : 24 :
“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”
Many parents are content that they are serving the Lord but are not doing enough to make sure that members of their household serve the Lord too. In Genesis 22 : 7 - 9, we read about Abraham and Isaac. Abraham taught Isaac how to submit to him and to God. When Isaac asked Abraham where the item of sacrifice was, Abraham said God would provide one. Isaac did not ask any other question after this because his father had taught him how to submit to his God. After Abraham had prepared the altar, he told Isaac to lie on it and he obeyed. At this time, Abraham was over a hundred years old while Isaac was a strong youth. If Isaac had decided to run, Abraham would not have been able to stop him or catch up with him. Isaac submitted totally.
Do not use love as an excuse for not disciplining your children. If you do not discipline them, there will be trouble down the line. If you don’t believe me, ask Eli. In 1 Samuel 2 : 27 - 30, the purpose and plan of God for the house of Eli was changed on the ground that he refused to discipline his children. Some parents in the name of love, allow their children to do whatever they want, whereas they have only succeeded in destroying them. Proverbs 29 : 17 counsels us on this :
“Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”
The way to train your children is not by giving them gifts only. When you promise to punish them, make sure you do so or else they will not take you serious. Children should submit to their parents. It is one thing to be corrected and it is another thing to take the correction. There are three kinds of children: those without home training, those who were trained but rejected the training and those who were trained and accepted the training. What kind are you? When you study the life of those who submit to their parents, you will see that they are usually greater than their parents. The point where their parents stop is where they begin from. The same is true spiritually. In Joshua 1 : 1 - 5, we see how Joshua submitted to Moses, and when Moses died, God promoted him and continued with him. If you follow this principle, it will also work for you.

PRAYER POINT :
Lord, give me a listening ear and a heart that accepts correction in Jesus’ Name.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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Quote

Romans 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.  

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.
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Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/normanvinc132560.html#2xcF7j7RPiGrFMtk.99

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/normanvinc132560.html#2xcF7j7RPiGrFMtk.99

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: TIME TO WAR.

MEMORISE : For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119 : 89.

READ : DANIEL 3 : 16 - 17.
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.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NAHUM 1 - 3, HABAKKUK 1 - 3; PSALM 88.
There are times when you have to make war. Sometime ago, I was walking round our Camp ground praying and I saw two snakes. Would you say I should leave the snakes to go on their own? If I leave them to go, they would grow to become bigger and who knows, they could come back and attack me or any of my children. When I see a snake, that snake must die! Cancer is a snake; if it is in your body, I curse it in Jesus’ Name. Barrenness is a snake opening its mouth and eating the seeds of husbands. It shall die in Jesus’ Name. There are times we need to speak for miracles to happen. If you keep quiet when you are expected to speak, your problem will remain quiet with you. After all, silence implies consent. If you have a sickness and it is okay by you, the sickness will stay. If you have demons in the form of a house help and you are willing to keep them, all well and good. Wait until they have poisoned your husband or until they have destroyed your marriage; if that is okay with you, then it is fine. However, such is not fine with me. No evil shall remain in my home or in the church of God in Jesus’ Name. If you would satisfy some conditions, then you shall decree a thing, and it shall be established unto you. The condition is that you should remain holy. Whenever it is time to decree, just make sure you link Jesus Christ with your decree. Once He backs up your decree, it shall be established.
In Genesis 22 : 7 - 8, Isaac said to Abraham that he could see the wood and the fire but not the animal to be used as a sacrifice. Abraham said the Lord shall provide for Himself a lamb for the sacrifice. He linked the Almighty God with the decree and by the time he got to the mountain top, there was a lamb already waiting. In 1 Samuel 17 : 45, David said to Goliath that he had come to him in the Name of the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, who would hand Goliath over to him for him to cut his head. He did not say he would kill Goliath himself, but that God would hand Goliath over to him. So when it is time to decree over your enemies, do not just say, “I am going to step over you’’ but say, “God will make you a stepping stone for me”. Whenever it is time to issue decrees, do not talk as if you are the Almighty. Hide within Him and then use Him to make your decree. Spoken words can be extremely powerful. If a nation wants to go to war with another nation, they declare war by speaking. When the war is over, they declare peace by speaking. If you are yet to be born-again, I urge you to come to Jesus today. If you say you are born-again and there is no accompanying change in your life, you better go to Jesus and declare war against everything that is incongruent with the nature of God in your life.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, do something new in my life today.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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CHRIST FOR YOU

Memorise:
 

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31
Read: James 4:5-8
5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Message
Apart from Christ being in you, another dimension of Christ in relation to you is “Christ being for you”. The phrase “for you” in this context signifies approval of or support for you. The implication of ‘Christ for you’ is encapsulated in Romans 8:31:
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
I pray that God will give you the revelation of this in your spirit. With Christ for you, you become an unstoppable juggernaut. Every opposition against your forward movement is bulldozed away. It is a great thing when God is for you because anyone trying to curse you would merely be wasting his time. We see this manifested in the life of the children of Israel on their way to the Promised Land. Because God was for them, all attempts to curse them failed. In opposition to their onward journey to the Promised Land, Balak the king of Moab hired Balaam – a prophet, to curse them. God dealt with the prophet by warning him against his mission through the donkey that spoke like a man. Besides this, three consecutive times, at the point of pronouncing curses, God intervened and in fact made Balaam to pronounce blessings upon God’s people.
“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!”
Numbers 23:8&23
How then do you obtain His support? It is by drawing near to Him. James 4:8 says if you draw near to God, He would also draw near to you. This means that you don’t serve Him only with the mouth, but also with your heart. Drawing close to God means spending quality time in personal fellowship with Him. Fellowshipping with Him means you talk to Him and He talks back to you. Study how a man and woman in courtship get close to each other and apply this to your relationship with God. They talk to each other, they share moments of ups and downs together, they parade each other around, they express their feelings of love and dissatisfactionin songs, poems and letters, they study each other’s character and they shed relationships not approved of by their partner and several other things. If you apply this principle to your relationship with God, you will be shocked at how real He will become and for sure He will stand up in your defence just like a man will stand up for his woman if confronted by danger while in courtship.
 

Prayer Point
Father, fill my heart with your love, cancel any curse upon my life and bless me.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: WHERE ARE YOU?

MEMORISE : And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? Genesis 3 : 9.

READ : GENESIS 3 : 7 - 10.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JOEL 1 - 3 ; PSALM 82.

Where are you? I am convinced that this question God asked Adam long ago is still relevant today. It is not expedient to wait for God to ask you this question. Rather, as part of a self examination process, you should introspectively ask yourself this question. A sincere approach in answering this question would do you a lot of good both in this world and in eternity.

From the day of his birth, a man begins a return journey to where he is from ( Ecclesiastes 12 : 1 - 7 ). This is why, with regard to official matters, you are not asked “how young are you?”, but rather you are asked how old you are. No matter how young you are, you are growing old day by day. Hence, God Himself is asking you: where are you now? You should therefore ask yourself regularly, ‘how far have I gone in fulfilling the purpose of my creation and salvation?’

To answer this serious question, you need to first of all answer some other questions like: “where was I yesterday?” It could be last week, last year or when you first got born-again. Next, you need to answer the question: “where am I now?” Consider Samson, who went from being a terror to the enemy to grinding corn in the prison of the enemy. Ask yourself, ‘am I going on to greater heights, winning more souls than before for Christ?’ Materially, have you moved from thirty fold, to sixty fold or to hundred fold increase? Or is your case that of moving in the reverse direction?

Are you increasing spiritually or decreasing? Are you increasing financially or decreasing? It is God’s will and it is His plan for you to grow spiritually, financially and all-round.

“Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.” Psalm 35 : 27

If you are not growing, could it be that you have been eating your seed? Or maybe you are sowing sparingly ( 2 Corinthians 9 : 6 )? Perhaps, because you have been defaulting in your tithe, you are now working under a divine curse ( Malachi 3 : 8 - 10 )? As the Lord said to His people who experienced decrease in time past, He says to you now: consider your ways ( Haggai 1 : 5 - 7 ).

ACTION POINT :

Carry out a self-evaluation and cry to God about your findings.

AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: HEART: LIFE’S CONTROL TOWER.

MEMORISE : Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4 : 23.

READ : PROVERBS 4 : 20 - 23.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HOSEA 11 - 14 ; PSALM 81.
Physically, the heart’s role in keeping a man alive cannot be undermined. This organ is very crucial to human existence. In the non-empirical world, the heart of a man is that part of his soul that directs his physical actions. Jesus made this clear in Mark 7 : 18 - 23. It is this “heart” we are considering in this study. It is popularly said that “the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart”. This means that the core issues of life are matters of the heart. This is the crux of what our Bible reading today is saying in verse 23.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
What moulds a life comes from the heart. Ordinarily, the Bible says the heart is evil – deceitful and desperately wicked ( Jeremiah 17 : 9 ). After a man experiences the salvation of Jesus, the heart is impacted and made available for working upon by the word of God. It’s supposed to be a dwelling place for the word of God so that it can be transformed to bring forth virtues, victories and success. For this to be experienced in reality, the child of God needs as a matter of duty to work constantly on the heart through studying, meditating and memorising the word of God.
Basically, the heart of a man can be in any of these four states :
1)The roadside heart
2)The stony heart
3)The thorny heart
4)The good heart
Our Lord Jesus Christ explained these states in a parable he defined as the key to all other parables ( Mark 4 : 13 - 20 ). The state an individual’s heart assumes is the choice of the fellow. The heart is the place to receive knowledge, besides the head. Until knowledge is obtained in the heart, a person will not benefit from it. What kind of knowledge do you receive into your heart?
A working relationship between the heart and the mouth charts the course of a man’s life – whether good or bad. The mouth is the outlet of the heart; thus, the issues that mould a life are coming out of the heart through the mouth. The state of the heart is the true identity of a man. It is the place God looks at to relate to a man ( 1 Samuel 16 : 7 ).

ACTION POINT :
Examine your thought pattern in the mirror of Philippians 4:8 and pray accordingly.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL :CONFRONT THIS ENEMY – FEAR.

MEMORISE : For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Romans 8 : 15.

READ : ISAIAH 41 : 10 - 14.

10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HOSEA 6 - 10 ; PSALM 80 : 8 - 19.

The scripture is replete with statements of “fear not” from God to His people. Fear is one tool the enemy finds most useful in his hands in making the children of God suffer failure, pain and destruction of destiny. Often times, what people are afraid of is not real, but their minds paint an imaginary picture of the object or situation out of proportion and the enemy helps to blow it up. Thus people fear what they should not be afraid of.

On the other hand, there are some situations that are truly terrifying from a human perspective. Regarding such situations, the Lord our God still tells us not to be afraid. He expects us to know that with Him behind us and for us, no person, situation or thing can have us at its mercy. This is why in Isaiah 41 : 10 He says:

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Fear is an enemy; it paralyses the potential meant to be deployed for activities that lead to greatness. The Bible says fear has torment ( 1 John 4 : 18 ). Fear makes its victim disobedient to God. It deceives its victim into magnifying a challenging situation above God. Such was the case of King Saul who confessed that he had sinned because he feared the people and obeyed their voice against the instruction of God (1 Samuel 15:24). Being fearful is a sin that can lead to an eternity in the Lake of Fire.( Revelation 21 : 8 ).

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Of all the listed sins above, being fearful is number one on the list. You have no business being fearful. Jesus our Lord is greater than any human being no matter his status. He is greater than any witch or wizard; Satan their master is no match for Him. In fact, Colossians 2 : 10 says Jesus is the head of all principalities and powers. Isaiah 8 : 12 - 13 says we should not fear any gang-up against us, rather, God alone should be feared. Once we fear God, we would have no one else to fear.

ACTION POINT :

Confront anything, person or situation tending to make you afraid in the Name of Jesus. Command the spirit of fear to depart from you in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : PEACE ALL-ROUND II

Memorise: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Hebrews 12:15

Read: Hebrews 12:14-15
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HOSEA 1-5 and PSALM 80:1-7
Message
Although there are different dimensions of peace, the highest level of peace a man can attain is peace with God through Jesus Christ. Know this however: the fact that you are a child of God and love God does not necessarily imply you will not have problems. A fearful situation automatically erodes peace of mind unless if as a child of God you put your trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3).
The character flaws of a Christian can be detrimental to the flourishing of the peace given by our Lord Jesus Christ. One character flaw top on this list is bitterness. Bitterness can grow and even take root in a heart. The root of bitterness stops the children of God from enjoying the peace of God. While the root of bitterness in the heart of an individual will affect other people around, a big chunk of the adverse effect of this evil root is on the individual harbouring it. The root of bitterness in a heart creates room for hatred, envy and anger; it is undoubtedly a harbinger of unforgiveness. It also makes for unhappiness. The phrase “root of bitterness” itself gives one an idea of what this stuff offers – all-round bitterness. It results in bitter experiences, smothering joy and peace. How does it originate? It comes when one feels unfairly treated by another person or an organisation. It comes from a feeling of being injured whether physically, emotionally or otherwise. For instance, a sister in courtship that is jilted, a spouse that is cheated upon by his/her partner, an employee that is short-changed, a case of great disappointment such that high hopes were dashed, death of a loved one, case of rape and others. All these are negative experiences that no one would desire, and I pray you will never experience anything of these sorts in Jesus’ Name. In case you are grappling with the root of bitterness resulting from whatever previous experiences you’ve had, please note that it is not in your best interest to keep it. Bitterness eats up its host; it affects the physical wellbeing of an individual, as well as causing a strained relationship with God.
There was a man whose wife died sometime ago, leaving behind an only daughter with a striking resemblance to the mother. The daughter was the only existing consolation to this man. This lady’s husband turned out to be something else, maltreating the lady to the point of threatening her life. The root of bitterness that sprang up in the lady’s father resulted in him becoming swollen, defying all medical care. He only became alright after forgiving his son-in-law.

Action Point
Check your heart to ensure no bitterness is taking root there. If there is any trace of it, let go of it and pray for the healing of your soul.
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: IT SHALL BE WELL.

MEMORISE : Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Isaiah 3 : 10.

READ : ISAIAH 3 : 10 - 11.
10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DANIEL 7 - 8; PSALM 78 : 40 - 55.
The importance attributed to a statement depends on who is making it.
“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” Isaiah 3 : 10
The person that made the above statement is none other than the Alpha and Omega Himself. He made this statement because He knows tomorrow. Of course, He knows that the tomorrow of the righteous is beautiful in Him. There is no way anyone can be righteous without being in Christ. Basically, Jesus is our righteousness. He makes us righteous so that we can continue to live in righteousness by His power. Hence, “the righteous” that this statement applies to, is not the one who says that because Christ has been made our righteousness, it does not matter how we continue to live. No, it is a mockery of the whole sacrifice of Jesus, if He saved us from sin only for us to continue to live in sin, because He is our righteousness. People who live by this understanding are self deluded and have allowed Satan to deceive them. For the child of God living uprightly, it doesn’t matter how things may be around you now, your Father says “It shall be well with you”.
Not only is He faithful to His promises, He also has the power to bring to pass whatever He says. This statement can mean different things to different people. To the sick, it means he will be healed; to the poor, it means his wealth is on the way, for it is He who gives power to get wealth ( Deuteronomy 8 : 18 ) that says “all will be well”. To the captive, “all will be well” means freedom is here. His Name is the Lord of hosts ( Psalm 24 : 10 ). He will destroy all the forces behind your captivity. To the barren it means you shall conceive, for He is the One able to bring children out of stones ( Matthew 3 : 9 ). To the one who is a failure, it means success is coming: for He is the great promoter ( Psalm 75 : 6 - 7 ). How can we be so sure that all will be well, you probably would ask? It is because anytime He wants to do anything, He sends His word. For you a true child of God, who lives right and desires to please God always, I believe strongly that God wants to do something special in your life; divine intervention is around the corner. If your way has not been right with Him however, go to Him now in prayer and completely turn over your life to Him.

 ACTION POINT :
Thank God for His deep concern, provision for your well being and for the assurance of a glorious tomorrow.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: IT SHALL BE WELL.

MEMORISE : Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Isaiah 3 : 10.

READ : ISAIAH 3 : 10 - 11.
10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DANIEL 7 - 8; PSALM 78 : 40 - 55.
The importance attributed to a statement depends on who is making it.
“Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” Isaiah 3 : 10
The person that made the above statement is none other than the Alpha and Omega Himself. He made this statement because He knows tomorrow. Of course, He knows that the tomorrow of the righteous is beautiful in Him. There is no way anyone can be righteous without being in Christ. Basically, Jesus is our righteousness. He makes us righteous so that we can continue to live in righteousness by His power. Hence, “the righteous” that this statement applies to, is not the one who says that because Christ has been made our righteousness, it does not matter how we continue to live. No, it is a mockery of the whole sacrifice of Jesus, if He saved us from sin only for us to continue to live in sin, because He is our righteousness. People who live by this understanding are self deluded and have allowed Satan to deceive them. For the child of God living uprightly, it doesn’t matter how things may be around you now, your Father says “It shall be well with you”.
Not only is He faithful to His promises, He also has the power to bring to pass whatever He says. This statement can mean different things to different people. To the sick, it means he will be healed; to the poor, it means his wealth is on the way, for it is He who gives power to get wealth ( Deuteronomy 8 : 18 ) that says “all will be well”. To the captive, “all will be well” means freedom is here. His Name is the Lord of hosts ( Psalm 24 : 10 ). He will destroy all the forces behind your captivity. To the barren it means you shall conceive, for He is the One able to bring children out of stones ( Matthew 3 : 9 ). To the one who is a failure, it means success is coming: for He is the great promoter ( Psalm 75 : 6 - 7 ). How can we be so sure that all will be well, you probably would ask? It is because anytime He wants to do anything, He sends His word. For you a true child of God, who lives right and desires to please God always, I believe strongly that God wants to do something special in your life; divine intervention is around the corner. If your way has not been right with Him however, go to Him now in prayer and completely turn over your life to Him.

ACTION POINT :
Thank God for His deep concern, provision for your well being and for the assurance of a glorious tomorrow.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: THE BREVITY OF TIME.

MEMORISE : The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Romans 13 : 12.

READ : ROMANS 13 : 11 - 14.

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : DANIEL 3 : 1 - 4 : 33; PSALM 78 : 9 - 16.

How recklessly this age speeds on to self destruction! The word of God is accurate and authentic in its prediction of the latter end of the world and in warning His saints of the end times, so that they are not overtaken by the prevalence of evil in this age! In virtually every facet of life, there is an overturning of rightness. Theologically and philosophically, there is a denial of the absoluteness of truth, hence they talk of relativism i.e. right is relative; what is morally right to a people of culture A is not necessarily right to people of culture B. Thus, the culture of people is held higher and given prominence above the word of God. They stretch human rights beyond scripturally accepted limits – anything anybody’s warped mind desires should not be denied him though it is self destructive. Things that would receive outright condemnation some thirty years ago are now fashionable. Otherwise, what would you say about homosexuality, where presidents are giving public recognition and approval to gay practices? Not only that, they are threatening other nations that would not do same. There is an increasing degree of selfishness at the highest level, which makes few people in government enrich themselves and impoverish the masses. Domestic crimes have taken a worse turn, with incidents of husbands driving knives into the throat of their wife. Knowledge is increasing at an astronomical rate, giving rise to changing trends of technological sophistication. This in itself has affected human behaviour greatly, and sometimes, these technologies enable men to commit sophisticated dirty and wicked acts.

No doubt, the enemy knowing that his time is short is not sparing anything in his arsenal to destroy humanity and to infuriate God. In all these, you will not be a victim in Jesus’ Name. I pray for you that the dragnet of evil in this present time will not catch up with you in Jesus’ Name. The Bible says we are kept by the power of God ( 1 Peter 1 : 5 ). You must realise that all these evil things that are rampant nowadays are indicative of the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, you must live every moment in earnest expectation of Christ ( Titus 2 : 11 - 14 ). As one of the five wise virgins ( Matthew 25 : 1 - 9 ), you must have no time for idleness or idle talk. You should be busy serving the Lord, winning souls and living holy. You must also be prayerful, interceding for your family members and others.

ACTION POINT :

Check your commitment to Jesus and meditate on how you can fulfil the instructions in the memory verse.

AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: INGREDIENTS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER.

MEMORISE : If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: Psalm 66 : 18.

READ : MATTHEW 6 : 9 - 13.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 44 : 15 - 46 : 18; PSALM 77 : 1 - 10.
Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us an outline of the pattern our prayers should follow in what is called the Lord’s Prayer. We must draw some eternal lessons on how to get answers to our prayers by studying the few words of this outline. The first lesson is that, we must acknowledge the Fatherhood of God if we want to receive answers to our prayers. This is why those who argue that God has no children are short-changing themselves. Jesus Christ in Matthew 15 : 26b said :
“It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”
Who are the dogs? The Bible defines them in Revelation 22 : 15 :
“For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
Another lesson from the Lord’s Prayer is that only those who hallow or honour, or have regard for the Name of the Lord can have their prayers answered. The Bible in Exodus 20 : 7 says :
“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
How do you take the name of the Lord in vain? By not living out the life of a Christian you claim to be. Apostle Paul wrote this concerning such people in Romans 2 : 21 & 24 :
“Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.”
Also, is it not an exercise in futility if you pray earnestly for the kingdom of God to come and when it comes, you are nowhere to be found in it? Because it is written :
“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”Ephesians 5 : 5
Finally, every child of God must seek the will of God to be done here on earth in this perverted generation as if we were in Heaven. Contrary to the dictates of this world, its fashions and manner of living, children of God who want to be effective in their prayer life must ensure that they are not influenced by the present day so-called civilization, modern ideas and unfounded fundamental human rights that are not given by our Father Who Art in Heaven.

PRAYER POINT :
Holy Spirit Divine, teach me how to pray effectively.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL : WHY THE WORLD RAGES.

MEMORISE : And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
Luke 21 : 17.

READ : LUKE 6 : 22 - 23.

22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 42 : 1 - 44 : 14; PSALM 76.

The Psalmist in Psalm 69 : 8 wrote:
“I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.”

Why this sorry situation? He gives the reason in Psalm 69 : 9 :

“For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.”

This is equally the lamentation of those who would live a righteous life in this world. The world is becoming more ungodly than ever before. Wickedness is becoming the accepted norm of our society. Worldliness is the order of the day in present day Christianity. Ruminating on this reality, one cannot but ask the following questions: If this continues, is there any hope for godly living? For how long would the wicked continue to hold sway in our society? The answers to these questions are: this ugly situation will not continue perpetually, there is hope for those who are on the Lord’s side, and a doomsday of judgement awaits the ungodly.

When you decide to live a godly life, there is bound to be persecution from the ungodly. The most painful aspect of this is that, the ungodly who once were outside the Church are not just in Church today, but are also taking positions and are “persecuting” those who are trying to go the extra mile for the Master. The Lord in our Bible reading foretold the persecutions, shunning and reproach that will befall those who will live godly lives in this world. He did this in order to comfort us. The Psalmist also was perplexed by this situation until he received insight from God.

“Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.” Psalm 73 : 12 & 16 - 18

Our Lord Jesus Christ explained to us the reason why the world will hate us in John 15 : 19 :

“If ye were of the world, the world would love is own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

Beloved, in spite of all these, keep your eyes on the Lord. Every persecution ends at His coming. To someone using this devotional, the Lord is encouraging you to endure the present persecution you are facing. The next phase of your life is all-round promotion. Praise the Lord.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, give me the grace to identify with you in this evil generation in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL :DIVINE INSURANCE.

MEMORISE : Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26 : 3.

READ : ISAIAH 26 : 1 - 3.
1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.
2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 37 : 15 - 39 : 29 ; PSALM 74 : 12 - 23.
The promises of God in Christ are yea, and in Him, Amen. This means that any promise that God makes to all believers in Christ will definitely come to pass (2 Corinthians 1 : 20). Some promises of God to His genuine children include: the assurance of eternal salvation, safety in the face of imminent calamities and perfect peace of mind. In our Bible reading for today, the Lord made some wonderful promises concerning peace of mind that comes from dwelling in a place secured by God. For a fellow to enjoy these benevolent benefits, some conditions must be met. First and foremost, you must be righteous. Righteousness is a gift you receive from the Lord Jesus Christ when you give your life to Him (Romans 5 : 17), this gift then empowers you to live a life of righteousness. Simply put, you must be born-again (John 3 : 3 & 5). Secondly, you must believe every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. It is the word of God that you believe that can work for you. How can you prove that you believe God’s word? Simply, by doing according to what the word says.
When a man does the will of God as contained in His word, he is emboldened to trust the Lord for miracles, and his faith will make him whole. The story of Daniel is a case in point. When the king erroneously made a decree that affected his friend Daniel, the latter went boldly to the den of lions and nothing harmful happened to him. When the king went early in the morning to verify how great and mighty the God of Daniel was, he asked :
“O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?” Daniel 6 : 20c
Instead of the lions roaring back at the king, it was Daniel who roared back in triumph. He said :
“O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.” Daniel 6 : 21b - 22
This shall be your portion in Jesus’ Name. However, be sure you are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High in righteousness.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, please keep me in your perfect peace; I trust in you.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: VESSEL OF HONOUR?

MEMORISE : If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
2 Timothy 2 : 21.

READ : 2 TIMOTHY 2 : 20 - 21.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 35 : 1 - 37 : 14 ; PSALM 74 : 1 - 11.
Our God is a God of purpose and plan. He does not do anything just for the sake of doing it. When He wanted to create man in Genesis 1 : 26 He said:
“...Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Also, when God sent His only begotten Son to the world, it was for this purpose:
”…for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1 : 21c
In the same vein, when God saved you and called you to Himself, it was for a purpose. You are not in Church just to add to the numbers. Every child of God must find out the purpose of God for his or her life within the community of believers. Also, every child of God must ensure that he or she is qualified to perform such duties as required of honourable vessels. While some vessels are shameful and ignoble, there are others that are glorious and majestic. The striking thing about this truth is that it is inevitable to have both honourable and shameful vessels in the Church! The task before every sincere child of God is to ensure that he or she is a vessel of honour.
How can one be a vessel of honour? The memory verse for today answers this question. Every child of God must purge himself or herself of anything sinful. Jesus Christ gave the standard we must attain to be vessels of honour when he said in Matthew 5 : 48 :
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
How can we practically attain this? Part of the process required is found in 2 Corinthians 6 : 14 - 18, which says that we should not touch the unclean thing but rather, we should separate ourselves from the world of darkness. A vessel of honour according to the Psalmist does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1 : 1). Beloved, if you want to be used of God for good works, be ready to pay the price of a true disciple and live holy. The Lord will not only use you, He will also reward you handsomely according to Mark 10 : 28 - 30. Our Lord Jesus Christ promised a hundredfold return of everything we consider good that we have left for the sake of serving Him, alongside with eternal life.

ACTION POINT :
Examine your life to know what you need to purge from it, and pray that God will make you a vessel of honour in His vineyard.
AUTHOR : Pst E . A ADEBOYE.

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