Cleansed by the Blood

... unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Revelation 1:5

Blood is mentioned 460 times in the Bible. Fourteen times in the New Testament Jesus spoke of His own blood. Why? Because by the shedding of His blood, He accomplished the possibility of our salvation. He paid the penalty for our sin and redeemed us. The penalty for our sin and rebellion is death; Jesus stepped out and said, “I’ll take that death.” He voluntarily laid down His life and took the penalty we deserve. That’s what the cross is all about.

The blood of Jesus Christ not only redeems us, it justifies us. Being justified means more than being forgiven. I can say, “I forgive you,” but I can’t justify you. But God not only forgives the past, He clothes you in righteousness as though you had never committed a sin. Yet it cost the blood of His Son on the cross.


Lord Jesus, with a deeply grateful heart I thank You for Your sacrifice upon the cross. Your blood has cleansed my sin and made me worthy of forgiveness.
by: Evang. Billy Graham

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Cleansed by the Blood

... unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Revelation 1:5

Blood is mentioned 460 times in the Bible. Fourteen times in the New Testament Jesus spoke of His own blood. Why? Because by the shedding of His blood, He accomplished the possibility of our salvation. He paid the penalty for our sin and redeemed us. The penalty for our sin and rebellion is death; Jesus stepped out and said, “I’ll take that death.” He voluntarily laid down His life and took the penalty we deserve. That’s what the cross is all about.

The blood of Jesus Christ not only redeems us, it justifies us. Being justified means more than being forgiven. I can say, “I forgive you,” but I can’t justify you. But God not only forgives the past, He clothes you in righteousness as though you had never committed a sin. Yet it cost the blood of His Son on the cross.


Lord Jesus, with a deeply grateful heart I thank You for Your sacrifice upon the cross. Your blood has cleansed my sin and made me worthy of forgiveness.
by: Evang. Billy Graham

Download Devotional Bible @ https://devb.page.link/get-app

Amazon @ amzn://apps/android?p=apps.syst.com.devbib

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!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH 2024

TOPIC: GOD'S COMMANDMENTS

MEMORISE:
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” - (1 John 5:3)

READ: LUKE 11:27-28 (KJV)

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

MESSAGE:
When God gives a commandment, many people think that it is for His own good, whereas every commandment that He gives is for our good. When you disobey God, you are actually hurting yourself; He remains God whether you obey Him or not. Those who choose to disobey God are the ones that are actually losing, not God.

When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son to Him, it was not because He wanted to eat the boy for breakfast; it was because He wanted Abraham's obedience to open the door to irreversible blessings for him and his seed. If Abraham had disobeyed, he would have missed out on such a great blessing. When Elisha told Naaman to go and wash in the river Jordan, it was not because he wanted to humiliate him, it was because he wanted him to be healed of leprosy. Naaman almost missed his healing because of his pride. If he had not gone to wash, Elisha would not have lost anything, but Naaman would have died a leper. When God gives you an instruction, no matter how difficult it seems, you stand to gain a lot more from obeying it.

God gave man a special gift, and that is free will. This free will is one of the things that makes us more special than all His other creations. You can decide to obey or disobey Him if you want. However, to justify any blessing that He wants to give to you, He wants you to obey Him out of your free will. If you disobey His instruction, you are using your free will against Him, and that will disqualify you from receiving the blessings that are attached to the instruction. When God sent Elijah to the widow of Zarephath for food, he told the woman to give him her last meal. It was not Elijah who needed a miracle; God had already been feeding him supernaturally up until that time. God wanted to test the widow to see if she would use her free will for herself or Him. She passed the test, and in return, she had more than enough food to last her through the famine. Also, when her son died in (1 Kings 17:17-22), because she had obeyed God, Elijah was there to bring him back to life.

Beloved, obeying God is always for your good.

KEY POINT:
Never miss an opportunity to show God that your free will is for Him.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 1-4

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 30 - WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

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

2 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 blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 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. [Refrain]

4 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. [Refrain

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH 2024

TOPIC: BE WARY OF OFFENCE

MEMORISE:
“A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.” - (Proverbs 18:19)

READ: GENESIS 27:38-41 (KJV)

38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

MESSAGE:

Many Christians take people’s love and loyalty for granted. When a brother or sister in Christ loves you, be careful not to disappoint them because if you do, and the fellow is offended, they may never regain the love they had for you. If someone is willing to make sacrifices for you, take that as a challenge for you to also make sacrifices for them. When they are loyal to you, you must also be loyal to them. The closer someone is to you, the more careful you must be not to offend them.

Many ministers of God feel that because they are the head of a ministry, they can do whatever they like without caring about the people that love them. For some, the moment they become popular, they begin to take those who started out with them for granted. Many sworn enemies today are people who were close friends yesterday. There is an English proverb that says, “Make new friends and keep the old; one is silver, the other is gold.” Old friends are gold; they knew and loved you when you were nothing. As years pass by, your new friends will also start turning to gold. You can keep making new friends but keep the old ones.

One thing that has helped us in RCCG is that everyone who laboured with us when we were still very small is honoured and appreciated. This way, the younger ones see that if they work hard, they will not be neglected.

The worst enemy anyone can have is the enemy within his or her household. An enemy that goes in and out with someone is very dangerous. Believers must be careful not to offend their brothers and turn them into enemies; they are likely to suffer greatly for it. When you notice that there is something that may offend your brother, call him aside and discuss it with him. Matthew 5:23-24 says that when you go to God with an offering, and you remember that a brother has something against you, you are to leave your offering there and seek to reconcile with that brother before you come back to give the offering. Note that the Bible does not say, “If you have something against the brother,” but, “If the brother has something against you.” Don’t put a stumbling block between yourself and God. The Bible says in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

As much as it may be in your power, live in peace with everyone around you.

KEY POINT:
A brother's love is strong, but it must never be taken for granted.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EZEKIEL 36-38

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 11 - I'VE FOUND A FRIEND IN JESUS

1 I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Apple-tree of trees, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay,
He tells me every care on Him to roll:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

2 He all my griefs has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tower;
I’ve all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

3 He’ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

The Had I Known Clause: Sacrifice and the Future

Once, a wise man declared that the future belongs only to those who can foresee it and are willing to sacrifice present pleasures to attain it.

I love reading stories about people I admire and those I don’t. The former teaches me what to do and how to do it, while the latter shows me what to avoid and how not to do things. Today, I’ll share a story about Ronald Wayne, one of Apple’s co-founders, whose choices shaped his destiny.

In 1976, Ronald Wayne joined forces with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak to create Apple Computers (now Apple Inc.). Wayne contributed significantly—he designed the first Apple logo, drafted the original partnership agreement, and even wrote the Apple I Operations Manual. Remarkably, he held a 10% share in the company.

However, Wayne faced a pivotal decision: he sold his 10% stake back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800, just 12 days after Apple's official registration. A year later, he accepted an additional $1,500 to forfeit any future claims against the company. His reason? The financial demands were too much for him at the time.

Fast forward to today: Apple has become the first trillion-dollar company. If Wayne had held onto his 10% share, he would be worth over $100 billion—the richest or second-richest person globally. Instead, he received a mere $9,498 in 2017 for his initial investment.

Ronald Wayne's story teaches us that lasting value requires sacrifice. Greatness doesn't emerge from convenience; it begins with today's sacrifices. Whether it's living in a modest apartment to own an estate or riding a tricycle to pave the way for a Rolls Royce, the path to the future demands commitment.

Wayne's decision still echoes—a painful reminder of missed opportunities. Imagine if he had persisted. Today, he's worth around $300,000, while the agreement he drafted sells for millions. His story underscores the importance of foresight and determination.

So, my counsel to you:
- **Invest** where you see a future.
- **Sacrifice** when necessary.
- **Endure** hardships for lasting rewards.
- **Persist** in your pursuit of greatness.

Remember the "Had I Known Clause." The future belongs to those who foresee it and give their all to reach it. And always keep in mind: **"Greatness in life is not a product of convenience—it takes sacrifice."**

For more about Ronald Wayne, you can explore [this Wikipedia page](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Wayne).

I am Emmanuel Haastrup
Founder | Chief Conductor
Itakun | Cowrium | Xclusive Items

#ronaldwayne #apple #lostopportunity #cowrium #itakun #xclusiveitems #sacrifice #stevejobs #appleinc

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY AUGUST 17TH 2024

TOPIC: PRAYER CONTAMINANTS

MEMORISE:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” - (Proverbs 18:21)

READ: PROVERBS 18:20-21 (KJV)

20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

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

MESSAGE:
Certain things can contaminate our prayers, such that they weaken our prayers and their possible results. One such thing is speaking words that are against what we are praying for. When you pray about your country, for example, and later join others in saying that nothing good can come out of that same country, you have contaminated your prayer already.

Don’t pray for God to give life to something and then turn around to speak death into that same thing; you will not get results from such a prayer. Joel 3:10 says, “Let the weak say, ‘I am strong!’” In other words, if you have prayed for strength, but can still see traces of weakness in you, at that point, say, “I am strong”. As your words go in line with your prayers, they will remain potent enough to deliver the results you seek. When you pray about something, it is important that your words and thoughts agree with your prayer. This way, you will not stand in the way of the answer to your prayer.

Another thing that contaminates prayers is a lack of concentration while praying. This is when people pray, but their hearts are not in the prayer. Rather, their minds are occupied with other things. The devil knows that if your mind is distracted while praying, your prayer will not carry as much power as it should. Therefore, whenever you decide to pray, he will begin to remind you of things you are yet to do and places that you ought to have gone to. His plan is to occupy your mind with other things so that you will become distracted and lose your concentration as you pray. Whenever you find your mind wandering while praying, write down the things that you ought to have done, put the note aside, and continue to pray. Train your mind to keep all distractions away, and don’t give room for them to disturb your connection to God in the place of prayer. With time, as you continually train your mind, you will get good at focusing on only God while praying.

KEY POINT:
If you want your prayers to remain potent and powerful enough to deliver results, make sure they are not contaminated.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 47-48

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 3 - ANCIENT WORDS

1 Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

2 Words of life, words of hope
give us strength, help us cope;
In this world where'er we roam
ancient words will guide us home.

Chorus:
Ancient words ever true,
changing me and changing you;
We have come with open hearts,
oh let the ancient words impart.

3 Holy words of our faith
handed down to this age,
Came to us through sacrifice;
Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ. (chorus)

4 Martyr's blood stains each page,
they have died for this faith;
Hear them cry through the years;
Heed these words and hold them dear. (chorus)

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MONDAY 12TH AUGUST 2024
THEME: BLESSED BEYOND CURSES

MEMORISE:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: EPHESIANS 1:3

READ: NUMBERS 23:5-8:
5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?

MESSAGE:
"How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?" Numbers 23:8

The Scripture above tells us that it is impossible to curse people that have been blessed by God. Such persons can never be affected by curses that are pronounced on them.

No matter how hard he tries, there is absolutely nothing the devil can do to curse the fellow that God has blessed. Romans 8:31 says:

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

God is Almighty; if He is on your side, there is no force on the earth, underneath the earth, or in any other place that can work against you.

The Bible says that you have been bought with a price 1 Corinthians 6:20 and that price is the blood of Jesus.

This means that no one can touch you because you are God’s possession. Through the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus flowing inside you, you are irreversibly blessed.

God has blessed you with all heavenly blessings, and there is no man that can curse you!

Numbers 23:23 says: "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!"

In Proverbs 26:2, you are reassured that: "As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come."

If someone decides to curse you without a genuine cause, do not be moved and do not be afraid.

Goliath cursed David and, in a few minutes, his head was in David’s hands. In fact, any fellow who tries to curse you needs your prayers because God’s word says in Genesis 12:3: "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: …"

What is that genuine cause that can make a curse active even on a believer? It is sin.

After Balaam could not curse the people of Israel because they were blessed, they were tricked into sleeping with strange women, and before they knew it, they were cursed with diseases.

If you want to be blessed beyond curses, after surrendering your life to Jesus, you must ensure that you live holy.

A life without Jesus does not have protection against any curse. As long as you remain a child of God, you are untouchable to curses.

KEY POINT:
Surrender your life to Jesus and live holy to ensure that you are blessed beyond curses.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 31-32

HYMN 19: ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME

1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee! Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure; Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

2 Not the labours of my hands,
Can fulfill thy law's demands
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone, Thou must save and thou alone.

3 Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling Naked, come to thee for dress,
Helpless, look to thee for grace
Foul, I to the fountain fly Wash me saviour or I die.

4 While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of ages cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee.

*📖📖OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE*

*DATE: THURSDAY JULY 25TH, 2024*

*THEME: GOOD FOLLOWERSHIP -1*

MEMORISE:
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” - (1 Corinthians 11:1)

READ: 1 KINGS 19:19-21, 2 KINGS 3:11 (KJV)

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

2 KINGS 3:11 (KJV); But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

MESSAGE:
Many people talk about leadership, but you hardly hear them talk about followership. The truth is, no leader can succeed without good followers. Leaders are raised from amongst the followers, so the better the followers, the better the quality of leaders.

Submission is one of the greatest attributes that a follower can have. It is different from cooperation.

You cooperate when you agree with a leader’s instructions, but you are submissive when you obey, whether you agree with the instruction or not.

Not being submissive indicates that a follower is acting in his or her own interest rather than the interest of the entire group that the leader represents.

Some followers steal because they are ready to sacrifice the interest of the entire group to satisfy their personal interests.

If this behaviour continues unchecked and the follower eventually becomes a leader, he or she will only care about himself or herself.

Gehazi showed this in (2 Kings 5:20-27). Elisha had collected nothing from Naaman for curing his leprosy, but Gehazi was after his personal interest as opposed to that of the Lord, which his master represented.

He proceeded to collect gifts from Naaman and was immediately struck with leprosy. Judas Iscariot was also recorded to have been stealing from the ministry’s purse (John 12:6).

This is why he could not be amongst the apostles to carry the gospel around the world after Jesus left. Such a person will never make a good leader because his or her personal interest will be more important than common interests.

Some people may say, “I don’t steal, I just disobey my leader because I don’t like him.” This is, however, just as bad as stealing.

In Matthew 25:24-30, the servant who was given one talent to trade with did not steal the talent, he hid it rather than trade with it as instructed because he did not like his master’s leadership style.

The master wasn’t annoyed that he did not trade with it as instructed, but that he could have at least put it in the bank to yield some interest.

Putting it in the bank would have shown that even though he did not like his master, he was interested in the company’s prosperity.

This made his master call him an unfaithful servant. He was more particular about himself, which is a bad trait for any follower or leader.

Beloved, if you want to be a good leader, you must first be a good follower by obeying your leader and putting common interests above yours.

REFLECTION:
Am I a good follower?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 41-43

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 30 - WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

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.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2 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 blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 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. [Refrain]

4 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.

[Refrain]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 2024
DATE: SATURDAY JULY 6TH 2024

TOPIC: DIVINE SETUP

MEMORISE: “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” - (Genesis 22:18)

READ: 1 KINGS 3:4-15 (KJV)
4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

MESSAGE:
The first time I read (1 Kings 3:4-15) after being born again, I thought to myself, “How did Solomon think of offering God a thousand burnt offerings?” This made me carry out a background check, and I discovered a secret. In (2 Samuel 12:24-25), the Bible tells us that God loved Solomon as soon as he was born. His father named him Solomon, but God named him Jedidiah, meaning beloved of the Lord. Because God loved Solomon, He wanted an opportunity to bless him in a way that nobody would be able to query Him, so He set him up by putting it in his heart to do something nobody had ever done before. That way, He also could do for Solomon what He had never done for anyone before.

When I joined RCCG in 1973, when there was any need in the church, they would ask only the children of God to wait behind. In those days, children of God meant those that are truly born again and know it. One day, my wife and I waited behind, and the General Superintendent said, “We have an urgent need that must be met this week. Every one of you should go and close your bank accounts and bring whatever money you have there to the church.” On Monday, my wife and I closed our savings accounts and took the money to church. The following Sunday, the General Superintendent said again that the children of God should wait behind. We waited. He announced that the need had been met, and we all rejoiced. Then he asked the question, “How many of you closed your accounts as I instructed?” My wife and I raised our hands, and when we looked around, no other hand was raised. Immediately, I thought to myself, “I hope I am not going crazy with this Christianity of mine.” Then, God spoke to me, “Son, you are not mad. I am allowing you to do what others have not done so that when I take you to where I am taking you, nobody will be able to query me.” The rest is history; it was a divine setup.

When God places it in your heart to give Him something, He is only setting you up for greatness. If you obey, you will be rejoicing later in future, but if you disobey, you will have missed a miracle. Whether you give or not, God has numerous ways to meet His need. The one who is really in need is you.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me not to miss Your divine setup for my greatness, in Jesus' name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PROVERBS 24-26

AUTHOR: PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL 28 - GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH