OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 10TH 2024

THEME: LOVE FOR GOD

MEMORISE:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Matthew 22:37

Read: Psalm 63:1-8

1. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

2. To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

3. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

4. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

5. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

7. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

8. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

MESSAGE:

Occasionally, I wonder, “Do I still love God like I used to? Was there a time when I loved Him more than I do now?” In the past, many of us were willing to do anything for Him; we were hungry to please Him at whatever cost and give to Him even when we had next to nothing. I remember the days when we used to have Bible Study Leaders Retreat, and we would take offerings. From the offerings, you would know that if the congregation had more, they would willingly give more. One brother gave his belt because he didn’t have any money to give!

How is your love for God now? Is it greater or less than it was before? There are people who, when they got born again, could dance vigorously during praise and worship, not caring if anyone was looking at them. Now, they can’t even shout hallelujah at the top of their voices. No matter how big a fellow is, he or she is still nothing before God. If a person is too big to dance for Him, He can decide to show that fellow how small he or she really is.

One day, I asked God, “Lord, David did a lot of terrible things, even more than Saul, yet You said David was a man after Your heart while You rejected Saul. I know that You are not partial, but I am curious to know why.” He responded, “What did David do in 2 Samuel 6:14?” I replied, “He danced with all his might.” Then He asked, “Can you show me a place in the Bible where Saul danced for me?” That was when I really knew why God rejected Saul. It is not so much about dancing; rather, it is about the heart of a man after God has raised him. David’s love for God increased as he went higher, while Saul’s love reduced as he went higher. Which of these two are you?

If a believer’s love for God is reducing, such a believer is not far off from offending Him, and that might result in God rejecting the fellow. If you don’t believe me, read Philippians 1:9-10:

"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;"

May your love for God keep increasing for the rest of your life, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point:

Father, please let my love for You abound more and more every day, in Jesus' name.

Bible in one year:
Matthew 25-26

AUTHOUR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: 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 power as thou shalt choose,
every power 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 2024
DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9TH 2024

TOPIC: THE MEANING OF LIFE

MEMORISE: “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” - (John 6:35)

READ: JOHN 10:9-10 (KJV)
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

MESSAGE:
Many people have sought to find out the real meaning and essence of life. I have discovered that the only thing that gives life meaning is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Christ, life has no meaning. Without Christ, a man is like a boat, rocked back and forth by the waves of this world. He may pursue a variety of personal objectives, amass wealth, achieve success in one field or the other, or gain pleasure in one thing or another, but soon he will discover that they are all momentary and unsatisfying without Christ. No matter how rich you become, Ecclesiastes 5:10 says that money doesn’t satisfy. In Christ, you have everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

In Ephesians 2:1, Apostle Paul referred to those without Christ as being ‘dead in trespasses and sins’. He said in verse 3 that they fulfil the desires of the flesh, and if anyone has lived long enough, he or she would have discovered that the desires of the flesh do not bring satisfaction. At the end of the day, what people need to gain the joy that they seek is to satisfy the burning desire to connect with their Maker, the Lord Jesus Christ. Until that is done, they will always feel empty. Cars, awards, titles, and all the money in this world can never fill that void in their hearts. Until they have a relationship with Christ, their lives will remain meaningless. This is why when people become born again, all of a sudden, they feel this inner peace that cannot be explained. What follows after is joy. Life now suddenly has a meaning.

Beloved, make Christ your top priority. Don’t trade Him for money or anything else because it will profit you nothing if you gain the whole world and lose your soul (Matthew 16:26). People who do not have Christ will not only live a life of depression and chaos on earth, but they will also suffer for eternity in hell. The worst thing about hell is not the unquenchable fire and undying worms that will torture its occupants (Mark 9:48); it is the eternal separation from God and the regret of choosing to continue in sin despite hearing several messages of God’s salvation. Save yourself from that torment by giving your life to Christ now if you haven’t done so, and ensure you live holy henceforth.

NOTE: If you are born again, you can make this message into a tract. Put the contact details of any RCCG parish at the back of the tract so that people who read it can have a minister of God to call for counselling and prayers. Use it to win souls to Christ.

KEY POINT:
A life without Christ is empty.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 23-24

AUTHOR: PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL 10 - IN CHRIST ALONE

1 In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

2 In Christ alone, Who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This Gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

3 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

*OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.* .

DATE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 8TH 2024

TOPIC: 'IMPOSSIBLE' PRAYERS II

MEMORISE:
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” - (Matthew 19:26)

READ: JOEL 2:25-26 (KJV)

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed..

MESSAGE:
Today, I will conclude my teaching on ‘impossible’ prayers. There is a popular saying that an opportunity, once lost, can never be regained. The fellow who said that did not put God in the equation. With God, nothing is impossible. He can restore the unrestorable. You might have lost an opportunity in the past and now you think that it is impossible to regain that opportunity. However, there is nothing impossible with God.

In Ezekiel 37:1-11, God restored life to dry bones. God can restore that opportunity that you think is long gone to you if you have faith. He specialises in doing the impossible.

When I was studying at the University of Lagos, I applied to the Federal Ministry of Education for a scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree. Time passed, and I never got a response from the ministry. Somehow, I raised the money for my tuition, and life went on. When I was close to obtaining the Master’s degree, I met someone I used to know back when I was a games master in a secondary school. He was a games master at another school, and we had met when both of our schools were involved in a competition. As we talked, I found out that he now worked at the Federal Ministry of Education. I told him, “You people are very tough at the ministry. I applied for a scholarship, and I wasn’t even called for an interview.” He told me that he would look into it. I thought I would get a letter asking me to come for an interview, but to my surprise, the letter I got was to tell me that I had been awarded the scholarship. Since I had already paid my tuition, I bought a land and built my first house with the money I was awarded. God used a casual meeting to restore an opportunity that I thought was long gone, and it led to me building my first house.

What you may have lost could be more serious. If you have lost your first love for Christ, and the passion and love that you had for Him at the beginning seems to have died, God will restore your love for Him today, in Jesus’ name. You can love Him far more than you ever did. All you have to do is cooperate with Him as He guides you on what to do for that love to be restored.

KEY POINT:
God can reverse the irreversible.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 21-22

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 16 - 'TIS so SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS

1 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise,
and to know, "Thus saith the Lord."
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!

2 O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
just to trust his cleansing blood;
and in simple faith to plunge me
neath the healing, cleansing flood! [Refrain]

3 Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
just from sin and self to cease;
just from Jesus simply taking
life and rest, and joy and peace. [Refrain]..

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY OCTOBER 5TH 2024

THEME: HARD PRAYERS

MEMORISE:

Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
Isaiah 45:11

Read: 2 Kings 20:1-11

1. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

3. I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

4. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

5. Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

6. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

7. And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

8. And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?

9. And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?

10. And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.

11. And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

MESSAGE:

Over the last three days, I have discussed very easy prayers and easy prayers. Today, I will talk about hard prayers.

You pray hard prayers when you ask God to change the natural order of things and negate the laid-down laws that govern the world. For example, when Joshua stopped the sun from setting, he prayed for something that was contrary to nature (Joshua 10:12-14). Also, in today’s Bible text, King Hezekiah wanted the sun to go backwards as a sign that he would be healed. That was a hard prayer, but God did it still. If God answered these prayers by breaking the laws of nature just because someone asked Him to, then there is nothing that is too difficult to ask Him to do in your life.

Years ago, a pregnant woman came to me, saying that she already had daughters, but that her in-laws had threatened to chase her out of her husband’s house if she didn’t deliver a son with her current pregnancy. I told her that according to science, a baby’s gender is decided within 72 hours after it is conceived. She replied that I was not the one who will change the gender of the baby; all she wanted was for me to agree with her in prayers. I did so, and she gave birth to a boy. You may say that the baby was probably a boy all along, however, I shared this testimony while preaching one day, and a woman came to meet me after the service. She was eight months pregnant and had done a scan which revealed that the baby in her womb was a boy. However, she wanted a girl because she wanted to be able to share her dresses with her daughter. I told her, “You know very well that this baby is fully formed by now.” She replied that I was not the one who will perform the miracle; she just wanted me to agree with her in prayers. I did so, and she gave birth to a girl!

Nothing is too hard for God to do (Jeremiah 32:27). He made the laws of nature and can suspend them at any time. He can reverse the irreversible just because you ask Him to. During one of our programmes, a man wanted to see the miracles happening at the altar and whispered to God that he would like to be taller. He outgrew his trousers on the spot and everyone could see it! Indeed, nothing is too hard for God to do.

Key Point:

There is no impossibility with God.

Bible in one year:
Matthew 12-13

AUTHOUR : PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER!

1. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father's throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter's snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2. Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for

OPEN HEAVENS 2024 DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY OCTOBER 4TH 2024

TOPIC: EASY PRAYERS

MEMORISE:
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” - (2 Corinthians 1:20)

READ: NUMBERS 23:19-20 (KJV)

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

MESSAGE:
Today, I will continue my teaching on the various categories of prayer by looking at the second category: easy prayers. You pray easy prayers when you ask God for what He has already guaranteed in the Bible. For example, asking God for your daily bread is asking for something that He has already guaranteed (Matthew 6:9-11). The shepherd does not eat grass; it is meant for the sheep. So, when you ask God for food as His sheep, it is an easy prayer that He will answer easily (Psalm 23).

Psalm 35:27 says that God has pleasure in your prosperity. Therefore, asking for wealth is an easy prayer. Years ago, when I asked God for money to build a small house in Mushin, Lagos, He said, “Don’t ask for a house, I have decided to give you a city.” So, when seven of us gathered in Ilorin to pray for a campground, one of us began to prophesy, “I have already provided the land, I will only show it to you.” The land was already provided because He guaranteed it in His word (Psalm 2:8).

One of my children said, ‘Give me’ is the prayer of a child. When your son comes to ask you for food, he is just saying, “I am ready for the next ration,” he is not bothered about the provision of the food. In the same vein, you should not be bothered about things that God has already promised you in the Scriptures. They are already provided for you, so all you need to do is ask, and you will get them at the right time. There is no need to worry about money, food, or all those things that make you comfortable; God has already provided them (Matthew 6:25-34).

When you worry about the things that God has guaranteed, it shows that you have little faith. Before you came to this world, He had prepared everything you need to survive. Just ask for them when you need them. As you ask, pay attention to whatever instructions He will give you on how to get them. In (1 Kings 17:4-6), He told Elijah to go to the brook and food was brought to him there. If Elijah did not obey, he would have died of hunger even though food was available for him. Your well-being is God’s responsibility; stop worrying about it.

KEY POINT:
Worrying about your daily needs is a sign of faithlessness. If God has guaranteed them in His word, just ask Him and He will provide them at the right time.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 10-11

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 13 - JESUS LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW

1 Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong;
they are weak, but he is strong.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

2 Jesus loves me he who died
heaven's gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin,
let his little child come in. [Refrain]

3 Jesus loves me, this I know,
as he loved so long ago,
taking children on his knee,
saying, "Let them come to me." [Refrain]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 3RD 2024

TOPIC: VERY EASY PRAYERS II

MEMORISE:
“Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.” - (2 Samuel 7:22)

READ: PSALM 100:1-5 (KJV)

1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

MESSAGE:

Yesterday, I taught about praise and worship being in the category of very easy prayers and the fact that even little children can praise God. Today, I will discuss God’s reaction to very easy prayers.

The first thing you must know about this category of prayers is that God is looking for people that pray this way. Students seek knowledge, politicians seek power, businessmen seek profit, but God seeks worshippers. He is constantly searching for people that will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). When He finds such people, He is so happy that He gives them blessings and miracles that they did not even ask for. Psalm 67:5-6 says:

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

When we had just begun to hold the Holy Ghost Service at Redemption City, I was fasting and praying towards the programme one day when God said, “Don’t pray, just praise Me.” I did that, and the way He responded amazed me. On the first night of the Holy Ghost Service, He healed 14,000 people. We were few then, so that was almost everyone in attendance! After the programme, I was in my prayer room, thanking Him because I had not seen such before. Then, He told me to praise Him more and that He would do more the next day. I did not understand what He was saying because almost everyone had been healed on the first day. What I did not know was that the people who had gotten their healing went to tell their friends, and more people came the following day. On that day, 16,000 people were healed! I became frightened. Imagine having a congregation of 15,000 people, and by the next day, it had grown to 30,000! Praising and worshipping God causes Him to do frightening miracles.

A few years ago, during a wedding ceremony in a parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, the groom suddenly fell and died while signing the marriage register. All the pastors gathered and prayed all the prayers they knew, yet the young man’s corpse grew colder. Then, someone said that they should all stop praying and just praise God. Not long after they started doing that, the groom rose from the dead.

Beloved, the easiest route to getting God to pay attention to you is through praise and worship. Do it continuously.

ACTION POINT:
Just like you did yesterday, spend the rest of today praising God. Don't ask for anything; just praise Him all day long.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 7-9

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 17 - PRAISE MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVENS

1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
to his feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
evermore his praises sing.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!

2 Praise him for his grace and favor
to his people in distress.
Praise him, still the same as ever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness!

3 Fatherlike he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows.
In his hand he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet his mercy flows!

4 Angels, help us to adore him;
you behold him face to face.
Sun and moon, bow down before him,
dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2ND 2024

TOPIC: VERY EASY PRAYERS I

MEMORISE:
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” - (Hebrews 13:15)

READ: PSALM 34:1-4 (KJV)

1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

MESSAGE:
There are five categories of prayers: very easy prayers, easy prayers, hard prayers, dangerous prayers, and ‘impossible’ prayers. For the next few days, I will be teaching on each of them to help you have a more robust prayer life.

The first category of prayers is the very easy prayers. This is praise and worship. Praise and worship is very easy because you don’t have to be a theologian to praise God; even little children can praise Him (Matthew 21:15-16).

David said that his soul would not forget all of God’s benefits, and so he would bless the Lord (Psalm 103:2). As a songwriter said, if you count your blessings and name them one by one, it will be very easy to praise God. David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1). You can praise God non-stop because praising Him is very easy when you count your blessings. It is very easy to do, yet it is extremely powerful. Unfortunately, many Christians don’t praise God much.

When we were about to open the first parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abuja, I was in my hotel room, praying concerning the programme that would hold that evening and asking God to perform miracles, heal the sick, and save souls. While praying, God said, “Shut up, am I your houseboy? Have you thanked Me for all I’ve done for you in the past?” I said, “Oh Lord, thank You for all You have done in the past. Tonight, please heal the sick...” Again, He told me to shut up and that I should only praise Him and not ask for anything for the next three days. It was very difficult, but I did it anyway. By the end of the third day, He said, “Select elders who will be going around, teaching the doctrine of the church to strengthen its foundation because all you have seen thus far is addition; get ready for multiplication.” The result of praising Him then can be clearly seen today as RCCG has indeed multiplied greatly.

Do you engage in this very easy prayer of praise and worship? How often do you praise God? Look around you, there are multitudes of things you can praise God for; praise Him continually for them. I know there are some things that you wish He has done, but what about all He has done already? If you find it difficult to praise God for what He has done, how do you expect Him to do more?

Don’t be an ingrate; go ahead and praise God with all your might.

ACTION POINT:
Spend the rest of today praising God. Don't ask for anything; just praise Him all day long.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 5-6

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 18 PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY, THE KING OF CREATION

1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation:
all ye who hear,
now to his temple draw near,
joining in glad adoration.

2 Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
shieldeth thee gently from harm, or when fainting sustaineth:
hast thou not seen
how thy heart's wishes have been
granted in what he ordaineth?

3 Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee:
ponder anew
what the Almighty can do,
if to the end he befriend thee.

4 Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the Amen
sound from his people again:
gladly for aye we adore him!

..."And the land had rest from war(Battle, crises,troubles, absence of peace)"
Joshua 14 : 15

Beginning from today, 1st October 2024, your life, family, marriage, career, academic, finance, health, environment and all that concerns you will be free from war(battle, crisis,troubles, lack of peace) and all round peace will be yours in Jesus' name.
Happy New Month!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 1ST 2024

TOPIC: PRAYERS FOR YOUR NATION

MEMORISE:
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” - (2 Chronicles 7:14)

READ: PSALM 22:27-28 (KJV)

27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.

PRAYERS:
1. Father, I am grateful for your blessings over my nation. We are still standing because you are watching over us.

2. Father, please empower the leaders of my nation and grant them the wisdom and strength to lead us aright at all times.

3. Lord, please expose and uproot wicked leaders from their offices, in Jesus’ name. Never let the wicked rule in any part of my nation again.

4. Father, please give the righteous people in my nation the boldness to rule. Raise righteous people who will boldly take up the mantle of leadership, in Jesus’ name.

5. Lord, please let your mercy reign in my nation. Let there be no disasters or outbreaks of diseases, in Jesus’ name.

6. Father, please let my nation prosper greatly. Let our lands be filled with abundance, and let our economy blossom. Open new doors of opportunities and prosperity to us; let barrenness and scarcity come to an end in every part of my nation, in Jesus’ name.

7. Father, please let peace reign between us and the nations around us. War and violence of any kind will not be mentioned in our land, in Jesus’ name.

8. Father, please let your plans for my nation be fulfilled. Let them come to pass quickly, in Jesus’ name.

9. Lord, please have mercy and cause us to repent from any form of pride and foolishness that may destroy us in our nation, in Jesus’ name.

10. Lord, please let my nation be among the great nations of the world. Let those seeking to destroy my nation and steal her glory be brought to shame, in Jesus’ name.

11. Lord, please let there be a revival in my nation. Let us begin to seek you wholeheartedly, in Jesus’ name.

12. Your personal prayer points for your nation.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 1-4

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 22 - SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER! SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER!

1 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father's throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter's snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
where God my Savior shows his face,
and gladly take my station there,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

3 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
believe his word, and trust his grace,
I'll cast on him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

HAPPY NEW MONTH!! STAY CONNECT AND REMAIN BLESSED

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH 2024

TOPIC: TRUE PROPHECIES

MEMORISE:
“Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” - (Ezekiel 13:3)

READ: EZEKIEL 13:1-6 (KJV)

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.

6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.

MESSAGE:

True prophecies come from the mind of God. A prophet hears from God and relays the message to the people. Whenever a prophecy is given based on feelings, that prophecy is false, and the Bible describes people who do this as fools (Ezekiel 13:3). A true prophecy is an echo of what God has said.

When I was younger in ministry, I recall prophesying that a particular airline will never suffer loss because I was excited over their services to the church. I prophesied based on my feelings without hearing what God had to say. Not long after, the airline suffered a plane crash. I should have just prayed for them and blessed them for their benevolence, rather than giving a prophecy in my excitement. I learnt my lesson from that - if God has not spoken, I do not prophesy.

Beloved, don’t be too much in a hurry to say ‘God said’ when God didn’t say anything. Don’t allow pride to push you to prophesy; prophesy only according to the will of God. Push pride aside so that you can hear God clearly. Long before the Nigerian elections in 2023, people were agitated as to who will become the next president. They put pressure on me to tell them what the outcome of the elections will be. Even with all that pressure, I made sure not to say anything I had not heard God say because I knew that it would be a lie. I told them a few weeks before the election, “God has still not spoken. Until God speaks, I won’t say anything.” You must become comfortable with keeping quiet when God is quiet. If you are truly His mouthpiece, when His mouth is shut, yours will be also.

Prophecy must also be in line with the word of God. If a prophecy does not echo the word of God in the Scriptures, it is false. A man came to me and said, “I heard that you are a prophet, and anything you say comes to pass. Can you tell me my future?” I responded, “That is easy. Are you born again?” He said, “No”. “Then, your future will be terrible,” I responded. He asked, “How do you know? You’ve not even asked for my name.” I told him, “Isaiah 3:11 says, ‘Woe unto the wicked. ’” Anyone who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is condemned already (John 3:17-18).

A true prophecy comes from God and always aligns with His word in the Scriptures.

KEY POINT:
Any prophecy that does not echo God's word is fake. Let it not come out of your mouth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: AMOS 5-9

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 28 - GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.