Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 12th June, 2016.
SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS (II).

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

Read: 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Message
Once Paul found out what his destiny was, he was never deterred from it. He never allowed the mandate and ministry given to him by our Lord Jesus to be frustrated. He was determined to fulfil his God-given vision amidst all odds. He fought the good fight of faith and finished his mission. The Christian life is a life of continuous warfare that won’t end until we get to heaven. This is why you must see yourself as a soldier of the cross who is under constant attack from the devil. The mission of the devil is to kill, to steal and to destroy. None of these tragedies should happen to a child of God. You are to be defended against the wiles of the devil. There are many people who have lost their lives cheaply to the devil. The dreams and aspirations of some people have been stolen by the enemy of their souls. There are many people who come to church but are being destroyed through the deceit and lies of the devil.

Our Lord is the Commander-in-Chief of the Hosts of Heaven. After Jesus Christ finished His assignment on earth, He formed the nucleus of an army here on earth, and by extension, you are in that army too. The mission of these soldiers is to resist the devil and his works. For anyone to be a soldier of the Cross and not become a casualty, there are conditions to be met. The soldiers of the cross have just one enemy; the devil. To beat the devil and defeat all his strategies, there is the need for one to be trained to fight; a spiritual civilian cannot win a battle against the devil.

Paul kept the faith of sound doctrine despite the false teachers and instructors of his days. He preached the absolute Word of God without minding who was affected. He did not allow the culture of his time to override the Word of God. He was obedient to the heavenly vision that God gave him. When God sends His soldiers on an errand, He does not tolerate a report that the mission is impossible. This is why I never fret anytime He asks me to do something; because I know He will provide the strength to accomplish the mission. A soldier of the Cross must be ready at all times to preach the Word and defend it against post-modern attacks and philosophies of men. There is the need to watch carefully to ensure that there is no lapse on our part. Till the final moment of Apostle Paul, he did the work of an evangelist and made full proof of his ministry. We need to seek the power of God and be committed to seeing the effect of that power in our lives. This is why we need to get serious with God. No one joins the army and does whatever he likes.

Prayer Point
I refuse to be disqualified from my spiritual rank in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 13th June, 2016.
SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS (III).

Memorise
But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
- 1 Corinthians 9:27.

Read: Ephesians 6:10-18.

Message
One of the girdles to use as a Christian soldier is truth, and Jesus is the Truth. Every Christian soldier must live by the truth of the Word of God. When Jesus came face to face with the devil in the wilderness, the devil was unable to bring anything against Him. In boxing there are three major blows: the jab, the hook and the uppercut. The ultimate goal of any boxer who is in the ring is to hit the head of the opponent. While the opponent is making efforts to see that his head is properly covered against the punches of the opponent, his stomach is exposed and the boxer throws the hook on the stomach. Once the stomach is affected, the opponent tilts forward and the boxer gives the uppercut because he now has access to the head. The spiritual implication of this is that the enemy concentrates on the weak points of a Christian soldier. This is the strategy he applies in dealing with many Christians. The devil has got you the moment he discovers your weak point. Therefore, the easiest way to win the battle against the enemy is to win the battle against yourself.
Let there be a separation between you and those things the enemy can use to condemn you. Don’t ever allow the devil to bring you into captivity. You have to keep your body and bring it into subjection. This you can do by crying to the One who has recruited you as a soldier, to help you win the battle over yourself.

This battle is not the type you win at once. The flesh will always try to rise again, but you have to continue to fight so that you can maintain your victory. The person, who will win a race, will only be crowned if he runs according to the rules. Therefore, you need to live holy. External forces intend to slow you down so that you don’t get to the finish line, some may try to stop or pull you back, but what is inside of you should be strong enough to overcome every resistance. You cannot afford to stop running until you are called up into glory because the devil will never take a break. Endure unto the end.
“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” - Matthew 24:13.

It is not the one who was leading at the beginning that gets the crown but the one that leads to the end. You need to be disciplined as a Christian soldier. Without discipline, one will soon become an ex-champion. The Christian soldier must not allow the lusts of the flesh to distract him from the race to heaven.

“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting”
- Galatians 6:7-8.

Prayer Point
Father, help me not to miss my reward as a faithful Christian soldier.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 14th June, 2016.
MIGHTY TO SAVE.

Memorise
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.
- Daniel 3:17.

Read: Daniel 3:20-25.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Message
It is a precious thing to know the God you serve. The Almighty God is mighty to save. They that know their God shall be strong and do exploits. The three Hebrew boys were able to stand before the king and the religious leaders of their time to declare the sovereignty of the Almighty God because they knew Him well. From the story in today’s Bible reading, it is evident that there are tremendous benefits in knowing the God you serve. The knowledge of the boys delivered them from the destruction of the king. The presence of God provided a divine seal of approval that these were not jokers, but genuine children of God. The knowledge of God produces strength and courage, knowing well that there is nothing that confronts you in life that is beyond God. These boys did not serve God only because He could save them; they served Him majorly because of who they knew Him to be. There are many people who are only serving God as long as things are happening in their best interests.

God does not like enemies rejoicing over His children. Every time there is a situation that might result in the enemy rejoicing over the children of God, He will step in to show to the world that He is mighty to save. This is why I pity those who mess with the anointed of the Lord. There are two people to fear in this world: God, and the man that fears God. The moment you are a genuine child of God, all your enemies automatically become God’s enemies. Nobody can fight God and win, the moment God takes over the battles of your life, you can confidently go to sleep with your two eyes closed.

Are you like Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego? Have you made up your mind that no amount of threat made towards you in your place of work will make you compromise your faith? I want to congratulate you, because if you don’t bow, you are not going to burn. Don’t ever risk your glorious destiny in God by worshipping anything that represents Nebuchadnezzar. Your God is greater and has full control over all kings and powers. He has the power to unseat anyone making life difficult for you. I decree that everyone who wants you to bow to them at the detriment of your faith in God will be removed from their positions without prior notice in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, from today, deliver me from those that are stronger than me in Jesus name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 15th June, 2016.
GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT.

Memorise
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
- 1 Timothy 6:6.

Read: 1 Timothy 6:6-11.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Message
The moment a person makes up his mind to focus his passion and life on seeking after the things of God, he becomes very content with life. There are lots of people who are not enjoying their lives because they are being consumed with the mundane things of this world. As a child of God, your focus and attention should centre on the Word of God which will help you live life with a sense of fulfilment. It is not the abundance of what you have that determines the joy that you get in life. I have been privileged to get close to many wealthy and influential people, and I have concluded that the best kind of life is a life of simplicity. There are people, who focus on gaining worldly possessions, but those who know the essence of life will focus on things of the spirit and they will not allow the lust of this world to consume their hearts.
“I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” - Philippians 4:12.

Paul had learnt how to content in poverty and in wealth. This should also be the life of every child of God, because it is only in Christ that one understands the purpose of all things. Paul learnt how to be poor without complaining about his circumstances. He knew how to go about his life in situations of want knowing that God was in charge of his life. It is no news that the greatest problem of man is greed; it is also the major cause of underdevelopment in many nations, as those that have been entrusted with the resources are continually greedily trying to acquire more money.

As believers, we must know how to possess money without money possessing us. We should not follow the examples of those who have allowed money to become an idol in their lives. Any time we are in need, we should call on God; it is only Jesus Christ who gives strength to overcome the despair and discouragement of such moments, and any time we are in wealth, we need Christ to help us exercise full control over the wealth. There is nothing we go through that we don’t have the power to endure because our strength is of the Lord. We must not become obsessed with the gains of this world at the expense of our souls, especially since it's not possession that brings happiness. Christ is the source of happiness; therefore, it is the foundation we have in Him that determines the extent of our contentment in life. We must not allow the process of getting rich deny us the ultimate satisfaction and joy in Christ Jesus. We should not become spiritually bankrupt because we are on a quest to get rich. We should not stray away from the faith because we want money. God is more than able to supply all our needs as we put our trust in Him and follow His instructions for our lives.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to find rest in You.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 16th June, 2016.
CEASELESS PRAYER.

Memorise: Pray without creasing.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Read: Luke 18:1-8.
18 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Message
Every Christian should have a state of mind that can take part in the action of prayer at anytime; there should never be a hindered access to our heavenly father.

All through the scriptures, we see the results of those who prayed. Prayer is the foundation of every victorious living. Anyone who will be fruitful, both in life and in ministry, must be able to give priority to prayer. For any project to be successful, it must be backed by prayer. Jesus demonstrated to us that to get the right kind of results, prayer is the key because prayer is a tool that helps in strengthening one’s relationship with God. The more time you spend in God’s presence, the more you will act and think like Him. Spending time in the place of prayer will help you align your desires, attitudes, actions and beliefs to suit God’s will. It is in the place of prayer that you can establish a deep intimacy and faith in His ability to deliver. It is also in the place of prayer that you gain access to deeper revelations. The major cause of failure in many people’s life is the lack of prayer, it seems they intentionally sleep and allow the devil to deny them of God’s promises.

You should never joke with prayer life; especially since you know that the God you pray to is a prayer answering God. Prayer must not be seen as a religious exercise if you will experience the glory of God. Ceaseless prayer is also not about vain repetition and ambiguity; you must make yourself clear to God and not assume He knows your problems. Of course He does; but He expects you to open up and let Him know what exactly you want Him to do for you. Without prayer, you cannot receive the attention of heaven because prayer is a spiritual network that links you to heaven before help can be released to you. When you are given to prayer, no weapon of the enemy against your life will prosper because the Lion of the tribe of Judah is at work in you, to defend you and disgrace all your enemies. Daniel was a man of prayers and his prayer life was the source of his strength in God. Through this, he was able to do great exploits in a strange land.
Those who do not pray are always helpless. They go from place to place looking for prayer agent. No wonder they are always falling victims in the hands of fake prophets. Come boldly to the throne of mercy and seek divine intervention over any given situation in your life and you will experience the awesome power of God in your life.

Key Point
Certain things will never be received until they are asked for.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 17th June, 2016.
CARRYING YOUR CROSS.

Memorise
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
- Luke 14:27.

Read: Luke 14:25-30.
25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Message
The cross of Jesus is very effective in cleansing us from all our sins. Jesus instructs that whosoever will be His disciple will have to carry his cross and follow Him. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, every manifested work of the flesh must have been crucified to the cross. You are to be clean from all filthiness of the flesh. You must allow the cross to deliver you from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride and passions of life.
“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
- Galatians 5:24.

Carrying your cross is the commencement of a new life and a new journey. It means your old ways of thinking are no longer allowed and you begin to walk in newness of life. Every resurrected life that is genuine begins with carrying the cross. When believers carry the cross, authentic power from God is released into their lives.
However, the devil paints those who carry the cross as people who are old fashioned and people who follow doctrines that are no longer necessary. This is because he knows the secret behind the cross; he knows that the heredity of Christ is in the cross. He understands that holiness, power and wisdom are in the cross, and he wants believers not to have access to these things. This is one of the reasons why those who have refused to carry the cross are living a defeated life on daily basis; they are under the rule of the devil and so have become slaves to him.

Carrying your cross means to follow Jesus all the way. If the 21st century will be potent enough to put the devil where he belongs, there is the need for the Church to carry her cross.
The Cross was what made a public defeat of the devil. If you also want the devil to be publicly defeated in your family, in your career, in your finances, in your church, we all have to carry the cross and follow Jesus. Those who carry the cross will live. Those who follow Jesus will be delivered in the time of trouble. Self made righteousness cannot earn you a place in the presence of God but the cross will help you fight flesh and sins. You must seek to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. You must be willing to commit yourself in total surrender to the Lord. If you want to do great exploits in the world, you will have to deny yourself. Others may but as a true disciple of Jesus you cannot. Others can be careless but you cannot. You can no longer allow the system of the world and the dictates of culture to be the basis upon which you make your decisions. It is the love of Christ in you that becomes your compelling force. Paul had to suffer in order to carry out His mission. Jesus had to die in order for salvation to be possible. Nothing worthy is ever done in God without a sacrifice. I pray for you; the grace you need to follow Jesus shall be available to you in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please help me to carry my cross to the finish line.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 19th June, 2016.
THE ALMIGHTY GOD.

Memorise
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect.
- Genesis 17:1.

Read: Genesis 17:1-7.
1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, theLord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Message
The Almighty God wants us to walk in perfection before Him. Enoch walked with God in his generation. Noah also walked with God at a time when almost the entire world forsook their Maker. It was a period like the time we are in now, when there is a high level of moral degradation in humanity. We have refused to retain God in our knowledge, and this is why you can see things getting out of order in every part of the world. Men have digressed into habitual sin, when God originally created us to walk after the spiritual image of Himself. We are in a world where the interest in spiritual things is getting low and people have become ephemeral in their focus. There is so much rebellion against the kingdom of God, yet God wants to preserve His own and He expects that we walk before Him in perfection.

Everything you have gone through till this very moment is part of the plan of the Almighty God for your life. There is nobody that is born without a purpose. You need to know the purpose of your existence in God if you want that purpose to be fulfilled. Abraham was ninety years old before God appeared to him again. I once asked the Almighty God why He allowed me to waste twenty seven years studying Mathematics when I would eventually become a Pastor at the end of the day. The Lord told me that it is simply for the purpose of being able to preach mathematically. It therefore dawned on me that all things work together for good to those that love the Lord. You need to find out why God sent you to this world and the reason you are still alive despite all that you have passed through. Paul the Apostle was a lawyer and a tent maker, and the Lord used him mightily to defend the course of the gospel he once destroyed. He became a defender of the faith he once attacked. He preached the gospel of Jesus Christ with so much authority and commitment. Even after he had wasted so much time in ignorance for the devil, he still became a mighty instrument doing exploits for the Lord. Your being alive today is testimony; God wants to show Himself as Almighty in your life. He wants to establish a covenant with you so that your future will find fulfilment in Him. But the condition is that you must walk before Him and be perfect. A life that is not lived in the light of God’s purpose will be lived to actualize the purpose of the devil. There is so much potential for those who walk with God. If you are born again and living holy, the anointing and power to do great things becomes released into your life. Your name will be changed to reflect the very essence of God.

Key Point
If you follow God, greatness will follow you.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 20th June, 2016.
PREACH THE WORD.

Memorise
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
- 2 Timothy 4:2.

Read: 2 Timothy 4:1-4.
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Message
This is part of the final charge by Apostle Paul to his spiritual son, Timothy. Timothy needed some courage to fulfil his calling as an apostle, and Paul reaffirmed to him the fact that if he would be a useful evangelist in the hands of God, there was no better time than that moment to make full proof of his calling by preaching the undiluted Word of God. Divine utterance of the Word of God is a tool anyone who desires to have a profitable ministry must have. There are many preachers today who have turned the pulpit to an entertainment platform. You see a lot of sinners feeling very comfortable in such churches because the Word of God has been watered down. The 21st century Church is no longer interested in reproving and rebuking her members, the preachers are after saying only what the members want to hear.
The Word of God is a hidden truth that is usually beyond human understanding. There are some who sweat profusely jumping from one point to another in the name of preaching, and at the end, when you ask the listeners what they gained; you will be amazed at the kind of response you get, it is the Word of God that we are charged to preach, not the theologies and philosophies of men. The Word of God alone can liberate the sinful soul and bring newness of life to those who hear it. It is through the Word of God alone that those living in sin can be reproved of their sins. It is the Word that encourages those who are faithful to remain in the faith.

In this time when fake teachers and heretic preachers abound, there is the need to reaffirm our commitment to preach the correct doctrines of God. It doesn’t matter how many ‘preachers’ conjure unscriptural sermons, we have to ensure we counter their heresies with the correct Word of God. It is the Word of God that determines your place in the scheme of things. The Word of God is forever settled. It does not grow old and you can never improve on it. The Word brings back to life everything that is dead in the lives of people. I want you to embrace the Word like never before, because it is the Word that delivers the benefits of God to you.

“And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”
2 Timothy 3:15.

God’s Word communicates God’s wisdom and peace into your life. The moment you become a doer of the Word of God, you become feared and respected by the devil and his demons.

Prayer Point
Father, let Your Word be active in my life in Jesus name.

*Open Heavens Devotional*
Tuesday 21st June, 2016.
_REMEMBER ME, O GOD_

_Memorise_
Remember me, O my God concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.
- Nehemiah 13:14.

Read: Esther 6:1-10, (KJV).
1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:
9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.

_Message_
There are battles to fight here on earth, don’t let anyone ever deceive you that there are no battles. There is nothing as good and pleasant as when you commit all these battles and obstacles into the hand of God. God is always ready to take action when we report all our enemies to Him. There are some people who enjoy carrying out evil acts against the children of God for no reason. Some people just cannot stand you being blessed by the God you serve.

Today’s passage reveals the conspiracy of Haman against the anointed of the Lord. I decree that all conspiracies against your progress shall be scattered in Jesus’ name. God needs to always expose your enemies to you so that you can know how to handle them. The king could not sleep because God wanted him to remember someone who had saved his life from conspiracy. When God remembers you, your long years of mourning shall turn to joy. When God remembers you, the stagnation of many years ceases in a day. One truth the children of God must continue to remember is that it takes divine remembrance to daily experience the deliverance of God.

One person that enjoyed the remembrance of God was Hannah. For so many years, she lived in barrenness, but her day of remembrance came and the Lord put an end to her years of barrenness. If you want God to remember you in your own situation, there is a role for you to play. You have to call His attention to what you are going through. Mordecai called the attention of Esther to the source of their problem and Esther called the attention of the king and the rest is history. _Every closed mouth equals a closed destiny._ Don’t allow your mouth to be closed. When Hannah got to Shiloh, she made her petition to God and her request was granted. There is a reader of this devotional, as you call upon the Lord, He will give you permanent rest in Jesus’ name.

A life of holiness is a requirement for anyone who wants to call upon the Lord. If you are living in sin, there is no way God will hear you. You have to surrender your life totally to God, and just like Esther did, fast, pray and take practical steps under the divine guidance of God concerning every challenge you are going through. If a human king could ask for what could be done to the person in whom he had delight in, you can imagine what Jesus will do for you if you seek Him.

_Prayer point_
Father, please remember me for good.

*Open Heavens Devotional*
Wednesday 22nd June, 2016.
_ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE_

_Memorise_
I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
- Romans 12:1.

*Read: Isaiah 66:1-5.*
1 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
5 Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

_Message_
Every disciple of Jesus Christ must realize that their bodies have become a living sacrifice to God. This should be the natural response of every spiritually minded individual in appreciation to the grace of salvation in Christ Jesus. No doubt, God’s grace was poured out for our salvation; our response should be obediently complying with the instructions of the One who had given His life for the remission of our sins.

There is so much deposited in us to be effective weapons in God’s hand for this generation, but the problem is that we have to remove those little foxes in our lives. Men and women who have not been purged cannot give acceptable sacrifices unto the Lord. From the scriptures, we understand that the reason the offerings of the Levites were not accepted by God was because there were issues they needed to settle with Him. Until we are purified and sanctified, our sacrifices of offering and service in the vineyard will not receive heaven’s attention. What are those things or who are those people in your life that have made your life unstable in Christ.

_“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age”
Titus 2:11-12._

We are to offer our lives in sacrificial worship and service to Him. As a vessel in the hand of God, we should no longer center our thoughts and actions on those things that pertain to this world. We should no longer engage in matters that will divert our attention from eternity. Our God is holy and He expects us to be holy. For our sacrifices to be acceptable before Him, we have to be like Him in every sphere of our lives. When you are holy, miracles will begin to happen in your life and the power of God will begin to flow in you and through you to other lives. This will enable us to continue the mission of destroying the works of the devil.

Many Christians are unable to access the reward of a new life because they are still tied to the culture of this world. They are still entangled with the ideas, principles and concepts of this world, and this has denied them the opportunity to manifest as children of God. You have to make a deliberate choice to be useful and acceptable before your Maker. Remove everything that has the ability to deprive you of your spiritual stature.

*Prayer Point*
Father, make me a vessel unto honour in Your hands.

*Open Heavens Devotional*
Thursday 23rd June, 2016.
_A WORTHY OFFERING_

Memorise
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7.

Read: Luke 21:1-4.
1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Message
Out of her poverty, this widow gave all she had. Those who lack understanding can never fathom why this woman had to give all she had. She did it because she was grateful to God for the salvation of her soul. For all that must come to Jesus, must express their appreciation for the salvation of their souls. Those who find it difficult to give a worthy offering to God are usually those who believe that it is the effort of their hands that has earned them all that they have. But this is not true because it is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich and addeth no sorrow.

There are people who are so selfish, that they prefer to consume their wealth upon their lusts rather than meet a desperate need even when it is so glaring. The widow simply gave out of her heart of gratitude for all that the Lord had done in her life. Every opportunity we have to give to God is an opportunity to respond to the grace of God which is extended to us for our enjoyment.

“Freely ye have received, freely give”
Matthew 10:8b.

This is why I am always uncomfortable whenever we are in a meeting and someone is asked to coordinate the collection of the offering, and he is spending so much time motivating the people to give. You lack the understanding of the law of harvest if you have to be cajoled, begged, motivated, and sermonized before you give to God.

If you appreciate the grace of God upon your life irrespective of what you may be going through, you will realise that an opportunity to give is an opportunity to be blessed in return. There should not be a reluctance or feeling of being compelled before we give to God. Every time we give, what we give may leave our hands physically but it doesn’t leave our lives.

If you want a breakthrough in your life, there is a commitment that must be made on your part. There are many people who bring offerings before the Almighty God, and not all of them are received by God. God reserves the right to accept or reject your offerings. Can you imagine how it would feel if you decide to give a gift to your father or mother and on getting there, you are told to pocket your gift. This would cause you to feel bad and begin to ask for mercy. If this can happen with your earthly parents, how much more your heavenly Father who is the source of your blessings. If you are faithful in giving God a worthy offering, you will never lack. Don’t just give because you are told to give, give because you have an understanding about giving. Let Him know that you acknowledge the fact that He is the source and sustainer of your life. As you develop this attitude of gratitude, you will see new jobs, lucrative contracts, and undeserved promotion coming your way.

Key Point
Your offering may leave your hand but it will never leave your life.

*Open Heavens Devotional*
Friday 24th June, 2016.
_CONTENTED?_

Memorise
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
- 1 Timothy 6:8.

Read: Ecclesiastes 5:10-12.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Message
Lack of contentment is a sin because it is a sign of ingratitude to the Almighty God. There are many people who focus so much on what God is doing in the lives of other people and ignore what God is doing in their own lives. If you don’t want to end abruptly, do not give room for greed. Do not envy others. Envy is a sin.

Contentment means a life that is satisfied with the faithfulness of God. It is to be delighted with what God is doing in your own life, even as you appreciate what He is doing in the life of others. A contented person is someone who is thrilled and captivated with the grace of God upon his life. When God is on your side, it doesn’t matter what your present level may be, you can be rest assured that your tomorrow will be much better. You need to remember that it is only the blessings of the Lord that makes rich and adds no sorrows. Instead of envying others, why not just talk to God and ask Him for what you need. He says whatever you ask in the Name of Jesus will be given to you. All of God’s blessings have their seasons. You need to appreciate the phase you are in before you can move to the next phase. There are many people who have not done anything with the opportunities given to them and they are wishing for the opportunities of others around them. If you don’t learn to be contented, you cannot be a happy child of God. If you will not wait for the mangoes on your tree to get ripe, you are never going to enjoy them. I know people who are so materialistic in nature; these people live in dept simply because they want to be envied by others. Never live your life for anybody. Appreciate what God has given you and continue to trust Him, and work towards a better life.

Discontentment is an evil spirit that needs to be dealt with. It is a manifestation of the flesh and it should be crucified. This is why you need to know that it is not what you have that determines your state of happiness, happiness is a function of the mind. I know people who are very wealthy and do not have peace, and it is amazing that all around us, there are people who do not have much yet are very happy. One of the reasons why people lack contentment is that they always compare situations. Whenever people focus on what they don’t have, they become discontented. Be contented with what God has given you. That is not to mean that you can’t ask for something better, but it must not be from the point of ingratitude.

Children of God should not be in any worldly competition. It is all vanity. There is nothing as pleasing as living a simple life. There is nothing wrong with wealth. It becomes wrong when one has made the accumulation of wealth his sole purpose in life.

Key Point
Contentment gives peace of mind.

*Open Heavens Devotional*
Saturday 25th June, 2016.
_PECULIAR PEOPLE_

Memorise
BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
- 1 John 3:1.

READ: 1 John 3:1-7.
1 BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Message
Are you still in charge of your life or have you surrendered everything to God? Are you still special before God or have you travelled the path of rebellion and self-government? Exodus 19:5 says:

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine"

Those who are peculiar to God usually appreciate the previlege of being called children of God. They will always want to obey the voice of God and walk in His ways. May you not reject God in Jesus name. The moment a person rejects God,goodness and mercy will never come across the path of such a person. As a peculiar person, you will never experience the trouble those in the world are experiencing because you are special to God. As you trust God in all your ways, you will be exempted from the evil that befalls those who take over the affairs of their lives through self-government.

Peculiar people cannot go where others go. They cannot wear the kind of body revealing clothes that others wear; they will not fall in love and out like others do because they governed by the love of God. They will not sleep when they are to be working, they will not feast when they are to fast. Total submission to the will of the Almighty God is what makes an individual peculiar. Those who are peculiar have become grafted to Christ and they don't know what crisis are all about because their God controls situations and circumstances in their favour. You are not like others, you are special before God, and only He can help you show forth the glory He has put inside of you. As a peculiar person, your ears are programmed to beat Him,

"And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, this is the way, walk in it, when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left".

You will have an undeniable access to the secrets of God for yourself and the benefit of others. God has created every one of us with great potentials , but unfortunately, some people do not realise these potentials because they refuse to submit their lives to the Creator. Becoming peculiar starts from knowing the Lord Jesus and discovering your purpose in life, you leave the level the level of being just a believer and you move into the realm of son-ship. At this level, you become empowered for exploits and you begin to fulfil destiny in grand-style.

Key Point
Every peculiarity in life begins in Christ.

*Open Heavens Devotional*
Monday 27th June, 2016.
GOOD PARENTHOOD.

Memorise
And ye fathers, provoke not your Children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
- Ephesians 6:4.

Read: Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Message
Effective parenting must be properly planned if you will be really rewarded by God at the end. There are many people today who are leaving the responsibilities of parenting to strangers, and at the end of the day, the children also turn out to be strangers. Godly parents do not leave their responsibilities to chance; they make deliberate sacrificial choices, having an expected end in mind. Today, it is increasingly becoming very difficult to raise godly children because Western culture and ideas have infiltrated our background. God is longing for fathers who will love and care for the home. God is longing for mothers who will help the children become the best that God wants them to be. One of the people I will eternally be grateful to God for is my mother. She did a great job on me, she would never allow me gallivant around like others were doing. There is always a need for parents to re-adjust their lives in order to accommodate the demands of their children. Most men in the world do not understand the unique role that God wants them to play in the home and this is why you see all kinds of children today, who are causing problems all over the world. Parenting must be intentional, no good act of parenting happens by accident. There is always a price to pay.

Who is helping you to nurture your child today? Who is responsible for the growth of your children? It is the mandate of God for parents to produce righteous and godly offspring within the context of marriage. The nation of Israel was in trouble because they had abandoned their covenant with God. They were engaged in ungodly practices that were disrupting God’s plan for their children. Every parent who loves God should be concerned about how to go about raising godly children who will be great vessels of honour in the hands of God. Don’t allow your children to follow the instructions of the world system that contradicts the Word of God.

God is assuring parents that when they train their children in the right way, they will serve God for ever and they will give peace to them. There are many parents who do not know peace as a result of the trauma their children are bringing to them. There are parents who have been defrauded by their children. Parents are to train their children to possess good characters and godly behaviour. Children should be exposed to the wisdom of righteous living; however the father should not become a tyrant or a dictator in the home. There is nothing good in creating fear and anger in your children just because you want them to know that you are in charge. Every child should have a loving relationship with their parents. You have to open the lines of communication with them, so that they can share the challenges of the different phases of their lives with you and with this, you can guide them through the Word of God and you will be amazed at how they will respond to the love of God.

Key Point
You owe it to God and your children to be a good parent.

*Open Heavens Devotional*
Tuesday 28th June, 2016.
IN JESUS’ NAME.

Memorise
If you ask any thing in my name I will do it.
- John 14:14.

Read: Philippians 2:9-11.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Messge
The Name of Jesus is God’s password for answered prayers. There is something very unique about the Name of Jesus. It carries so much power and authority. It is not just a Name like other names; it is a seal of authority that commands results for the children of God. There are several reasons why the Name of Jesus is very distinct. The moment you put the Name to work, things are bound to yield to your request. At the mention of the Name of Jesus, there is a release of immeasurable miracles. A believer that has an understanding of this will enjoy the boundless riches that the power in the Name of Jesus can perform in the lives of those who commit the Name to action.
“If you ask anything in my name, I will do it”
John 14:14.

This promise to the apostles was to reassure them that whatever they requested within the will of the Lord would always be granted. The Name of Jesus is the only medium of communication with the Father. At the mention of that Name, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess; Jesus is the door to every breakthrough in life. Every sinner comes to the Father through Him; He is the door into wealth, health and well-being. The Name of Jesus is the door to protection from all the evils and troubles of life.

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”
Proverbs 18:10.

The Name of Jesus is the door into every rest, because He said and is still saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”. Today, I decree into the life of a user of this devotional, there will be rest for you in every area you have experienced trouble in Jesus’ name. The power in the Name of Jesus can deliver you from any form of sickness, infirmity or problem. Cancer disappears at the mention of the Name of Jesus, the blind receive their sight through the Name. The power in the Name of Jesus can raise whatever is dead in your life, because death has no legal right to take away any child of God prematurely. I decree that in the Name of Jesus, you shall not die but live long to fulfil all that God has planned for you.

For this Name to work for you, you must surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. We live in a time when all men should confess Jesus as Lord and submit to His will. The same Name that is capable of doing all that we can ever request is the same Name that will judge the world. A time is coming when it will be too late to submit to the Name. Let the fear of God and the love of God be your primary motivator for life. Whatever motivates the request you make to God will determine if your prayers will be answered or not. The angels of God also move towards the direction in which the Name is being mentioned in spirit and in truth, so as to receive orders on someone’s behalf.

Prayer Point
Jesus, let the power in Your Name set me free.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 29th June, 2016.
DANCING UNTO THE LORD.

Memorise
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
- Psalms 150:4.

Read: Psalms 150:1-6.
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

Message
There are many people who think that it is only when they pray to God that help comes down. The greatest victories that the children of Israel experienced manifested in an atmosphere of praise. There is always a point where you don’t know what to do again, especially when you have done all you can. This is the time when you should begin to dance to the Lord and praise Him. Paul and Silas were unjustly thrown into the prison, when they did not know what to do next, they turned to praise. The next moment, all the doors leading into the prison flung open, not for them to escape, but for the people to know the potency of the God they were praising. Are you in prison? Do you think there is something the enemy has stolen from you? Have you just lost something very precious to you? Have you just received a sack letter or a negative medical report? Whatever your case is, just begin to dance before the Lord. This is a way of committing God to rise on your behalf.

The moment you begin to dance in the midst of your situation and circumstances, you are simply telling the whole world that you are not a victim. You are provoking God to action and when He rises on your behalf; you become the talk of the town. There are some people who cannot mind their business, they are always wondering why people dance the way they dance. When they see a rich man forgetting his wealth and dancing before His Maker, they continue to wonder why the man has forgotten who he is. The question is who are you before the Almighty God? You are nothing. If we remove God from your life, there is nothing else to see.

David understood this and he danced and praised God. Dancing shows gratitude to the Almighty God. Dancing is loaded with blessings, when we dance unto the Lord; He turns our mourning into joy. There are people who only dance when the Lord has given them a testimony to share, but those who understand better will continue to dance even before the arrival of their miracles.

When you dance before God and you praise Him with the whole of your heart, you will begin to enjoy divine favour and there will be a divine acceleration of your place of celebration. When you praise God, all your enemies become silenced because your dance will provoke God to rise in your defence.
It is not the dance of everyone that God will rise for. It is only the dance of those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. Sin is the only thing that can stop Him from rising on your behalf because He is too pure to behold iniquity.

Prayer Point
Father, please remove everything that will stop You from rising on my behalf.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 30th June, 2016.
GOD’S WATCHMAN.

Memorise
Preach the word; be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
- 2 Timothy 4:2.

Read: Ezekiel 33:7-9.
7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Message
As a watchman over the souls of men, it is our responsibility to preach the Word. What word? The Word of life; the Truth that sets a person free from the bondage of sin. Today, there is a scarcity of the Word of God in some quarters. We have been given the mandate to proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to unbelievers. But it is unfortunate that many are not carrying out this instruction. There are ministers of the gospel who are preaching other things outside the Word of God. Because all men will stand before the judgment seat of the Almighty God, it is imperative that we proclaim the life-saving gospel to them. We are to preach the Word and the Word alone. We are not to preach the theologies and philosophies of men. We are not to preach the ideals of the western world, but the living Word of God. There are people living in sin today because the watchmen are no longer at their duty posts to reprove them. The Word of God is not what you preach when it is convenient for you alone. Necessity is laid on us all to continue to reprove and rebuke sinners and encourage them to embrace the path that leads to life and godliness.

We live in a world where people are no longer content with the Word of God, they have abandoned the Word of life and they are searching for fables. They are like sheep in search of a meal that will not profit them. God’s Word is the wisdom of God for humanity. The problem with the present day Church is a lack of balanced spiritual diet for the growth of the flock. Potentially sound believers are not sound after all because they lack the wherewithal to grow to maturity despite the fact that they are genuine seekers of the truth.

We should take time to examine the level of pollution in the Church today by the modern and post-modern philosophers who have turned themselves to Bible scholars, thus, misleading the people of faith with their power of logic, oratory and academic tenacity. We need God’s watchmen to put an end to the scarcity of truth in all our assemblies. We need to constantly remind ourselves that the thoughts of western civilisation should not be superior to the Word of God. As watchmen, we need to keep people informed about the correct knowledge of the Word of God. We need to constantly remind ourselves of the beauty of Christian living as the best way of life. We must cast down imaginations and every high knowledge that exalts against the knowledge of God and not allow heresies to thrive in the body of Christ. Your role in the church should put an end to the famine of the Word of God. Don’t join those who only make noise and appeal to the emotions of people with the mind of leading them to hell. To be a watchman unto the souls of men is a divine mandate that must be carried out with urgency. The voice of the watchman must be clear and distinct so that the people that God wants to reach through His voice can hear the warning for the hour. If you want to serve God, serve Him with all of your heart. Let your path be straight. Always be ready to change when there is a need for it. You must be a good example to your hearers. You must be a fire brand for the Lord.

Prayer Point
Father, help me do the work of an Evangelist with diligence.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 1st July, 2016.
THE PRESENT HELP.

Memorise
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
-Psalms 46:1b.

Read: 1 Kings 17:12-16.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

Message
Bible writers, under the influence of the Holy Ghost wittily qualified or limited significant nouns common to human experiences. For example, in Psalm 103:4 when the Psalmist decided to qualify the kindness and mercies of God upon his life he wrote:
“Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies.”

In other words, the kindness he received from God was not ordinary but the loving type. Also, the mercies were not the harsh type but the tender ones. My prayer for you is that this will be your own experience too in Jesus’ name.
In our memory verse for today, we read about an attribute of God that is noteworthy for our advantage; “The very present help in trouble.” Going by this testimony of the Psalmist, God is help personified, and He is never a belated help; He is always on time. But for this attribute of God, the widow of Zarephath in today’s reading would have eaten up her last meal before the messenger of the God of multiplication arrived.

“And she said, as the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
-1 Kings 17:12.

As I always tell my congregation in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, I strongly believe that the woman was saying that she was going to prepare the last meal, eat it with her household and then commit suicide but help came for just on time. However, before the Present Help can come to your aid, you need to have the same spiritual conviction of the widow in our Bible reading for today. One of the virtues of this widow is that she believed in the God of Prophet Elijah. Another thing about this widow is that she believed that the God of Elijah was alive. This helped her to respond positively to the instruction of the prophet by going ahead to do what the prophet said, and there came the miracle of multiplication.

The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 20:20-
“Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”

Beloved, if you believe in God as your Present Help, it will show in your way of life. For example, you will not live in doubt of His promises and so you will respond in faith to his directives. You will not cut corners in order to achieve your desires, because you know that the Present Help shall always be there for you. This woman in our Bible reading had faith in the God of Israel and this she showed by according respect to the man of God. Do you have regard for God? It will show in how you regard your Pastor and his words. May the Present Help be there for us always in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
O Present Help, please help me today to solve all my problems.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 2nd July, 2016.
SUBDUING THE THREATENING GIANT.

Memorise
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.
- Psalms 27:1.

Read: 1 Samuel 17:45-50.

Message
There is a threatening giant mightier than Goliath that we must overcome if our lives will be meaningful and highly fulfilling. This giant is no other one than the devil. As a matter of fact, Goliath in our Bible reading for today was just an apprentice in the school of Satan. The Bible says that the devil is a roaring lion walking about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:.
This was exactly what Goliath did, he roared at the children of Israel and they trembled before him.
“And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants of Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.” 1 Samuel 17:8-9.

How did the children of Israel overcome the threatening giant of their lives? They overcame him through their representative, the young David, who knew the God that he served. The giant came, cursing David by the name of his gods and David returned the curses by giving a deadly prophecy against the uncircumcised Philistine in the name of his own God:
“This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” 1 Samuel 17:46.

One lesson we learn from this story is that battles of life are beyond the physical. Even the giant did not rely on his strength alone; hence the reason he cursed David by his gods! David was up to the task, so he replied, not in the same way but in a greater dimension by condemning the host of the Philistine carcases to the beasts, not only the Champion’s. This is why the Bible says.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12.

This is equally why we must put on the whole armour of God to be able to withstand the giants of our life, particularly in our Christian lives. Another lesson is that, since our weapons are not carnal, we must not attempt to fight against the giant with our senses or physical weapons. When King Saul gave physical weapons to David, he rejected them because he knew they would fail. He confidently challenged Goliath with his God. I encourage you to take hold of the Name of the Lord in your battle against the giants in your life and you will subdue them all. However, you must have a cordial relationship with the bearer of the Name through holiness and perfect obedience to His Word.

Prayer Point
Father, I come against all the giants of life threatening my destiny and I destroy them completely today in Jesus’ mighty name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 3rd July, 2016.
GUILTY OF INJUSTICE?

Memorise
Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
-James 5:6.

Read: Amos 8:4-10.

Message
Injustice has been in existence with mankind since the fall. The unfortunate thing is that God hates injustice because He is the God of justice and equity. In our Bible reading for today and in several other verses of the Bible, we see that God vehemently abhors injustice. This injustice is all-inclusive, because it is found among traders through false measure, the employers of labours who do not pay the correct wages or delay it unnecessarily and the employees who cheat on their employers by not putting up their best for the wages they earn. James 5:4 says:
“Behold the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which are of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.”

It is injustice when an employer keeps the wages of the labourers unpaid or holds back some of the wages meant for the workers. God says He will not take it lightly with whoever is guilty of this act. In the same vein, when an employee uses the time meant for his employer to do something else, it is injustice. This is why many employees do not have anything tangible to show for the wages they earn. When a man works for fifteen days put together in a month and he is given a salary of thirty days worth, at the end of the month, the value of what he will use the money for will not be more than his actual wage for fifteen days. Many traders are fond of using false measures to sell their merchandise. Only ignorance makes people indulge in such practices, because the God of justice will always bring judgement upon such businesses.
“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgement, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
-Leviticus 19:35-36.

The consequence of the above injustice is written in our text for today:
“The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works…And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.” -Amos 8:7, 10.

Beloved, beware of injustice of any kind so that you are not found guilty of practicing that which the Lord hates. The Bible says:
“Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.” -Proverbs 20:23.

Action Point
Examine your life; if you are in any way indulging in injustice, repent today and restitute your ways.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 4th July, 2016.
PRAYER OF DECREES.

Memorise
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
-Mark 11:23.

Read: Zechariah 4:6-9.
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
8 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.

Message
Prayers are of different types and they are also in categories. Today, we shall discuss the prayer of decrees. There is a level you get to in spiritual warfare that prayers of supplication or intercession may prove inadequate. Our Lord Jesus Christ in our memory verse for today assures us that whatever we command shall obey us. In Mark 11:24 He said:
“Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

A prayer of decree is a prayer that creates; it does not take “No” for an answer. At times, such prayer do not sound like prayers; yet they are prayers that come in the form of prophecy. More often, only those in an intimate walk with God engage effectively in prayers of decrees. The Bible says;
“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.

A classic example of a prayer of decree is found in Ezekiel chapter 37. The prophet was moved by the Spirit of the Living God to prophesy to dry bones in a valley. He Prophesied in the Name of the Lord and there was a miracle of restoration of life. I decree that every mountain threatening the fullness of your joy is removed now in Jesus’ name. According to our memory verse, when we tell a mountain to be removed, and be cast into the sea, it shall come to pass. A couple trusting God for the fruit of the womb came to me years ago for prayers, and after they had the assurance that their prayers had been answered, an argument ensued on whether the expected baby should be a boy or a girl. So, I intervened by decreeing that in order to settle the argument permanently, the expected miracle babies should come as a set of twins, a boy and a girl. They keyed into this prayer of decree and as the Almighty would have it, in nine months time; the couple had twins – a boy and a girl. I decree to someone using this devotional; your expected miracle shall come this season in Jesus’ name.
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” John 15:16.
For us to effectively engage in prayers of decree, we must live in holiness and perfect obedience to the Word of God. Jesus Christ said:

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7.

Prayer Point
My Father in Heaven, I decree according to Your Word, every mountain threatening my destiny is removed now in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 5th July, 2016.
POWER IN THE HOLY GHOST.

Memorise
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- Acts 1:8.

Read: Acts 4:31-33.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Message
The only genuine source of power for children of God is the Holy Ghost. Any other means is not only a counterfeit but also counterproductive. When Jesus Christ was going to be with His Father, He told His disciples that they should stay back in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father came, only then would they have the power to go out and do the assignment that He had earlier given to them. It is unfortunate that many so-called children of God are gambling with their lives by engaging in the work of the ministry without adequate spiritual preparation.
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”
Acts 4:31, 33.

There are lots of blessings which accrue from receiving the power of the Holy Ghost. For example, the Bible says we do not know how to pray but the Holy Spirit helps our inadequacy and with great groaning, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26). In other words, when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, prayer will not be a difficult task for us. When we are endued with the power of the Holy Ghost, we become unstoppable by our detractors and their threats will not have any effect on our lives. The disciples of old, after they had been threatened by the Jewish leaders in Acts chapter 4, prayed in the Holy Ghost and became so bold that they preached the Word of God in the streets without fear.
Ephesians 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”
Ephesians 1:13.

To be endued in the Holy Spirit, however, your salvation must be genuine. Without genuine salvation, you are prone to have a counterfeit Holy Spirit baptism and in turn, counterfeit power which will lead to a vexation of your spirit. This will not be your portion in Jesus’ name. Then, you must live holy and make up your mind to become obedient to the Word of God. You must abstain from whatever will grieve the Holy Spirit.
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Ephesians 4:30.

You grieve the Holy Spirit when you blaspheme Him or touch unclean things. You must be separated unto God (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon a reader of this devotional today in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Father, send your promise of the Holy Spirit to me afresh today and don’t let me grieve Him as He comes upon me in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Wednesday 6th July, 2016.
THE BLAMELESS VESSEL.

Memorise
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.
- Isaiah 52:11.

Read: 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Message
One thing that anyone who wants to be used by God should bear in mind is the need to be blameless. This is the prerequisite for a child of God who wants to serve God at any level. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 3:1-2a:
“This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A Bishop then must be blameless….”

Being blameless has two advantages: Firstly, it saves the vessel the calamity of being destroyed by the User, the Almighty God. When a person volunteers to serve the Lord, it is dangerous for the fellow to be unclean, because the holiness of God destroys unclean vessels, just like electric current without insulation. There is a measure of holiness that God Himself bestowed upon man through obedience to His Word, which qualifies man to serve Him. The Bible says concerning Isaiah, how he admitted his sinful state, then God purified and cleansed him of his iniquity to qualify as a true prophet (Isaiah 6:5). Then, the angel of the Lord came and touched him with fire from Heaven and he was purged of his iniquity. Here, we see the mercy of God upon the vessel that He decided to use for His glory. There is a lesson we must learn from this scripture: the prophet admitted his sinful state and God came to his aid for cleansing. How wonderful would it be if those who profess to be children and ministers of God will be homely with the verdict of God concerning the Adamic nature of man and surrender to His holiness for mercy?
The second advantage of a blameless vessel is that his life glorifies the Almighty God. God is honoured in his life and He shows-off the fellow, then ultimately prospers and protects him eternally.

“And the Lord said unto Satan, has thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Job 1:8.

Though Job suffered many trials, but just as the Bible says, his end was better than his beginning;
“So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning….” Job 42:12.

Action Point
Father, I want to be blameless, please help me to live a life of obedience to Your Word and let Your Name be glorified in my life.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Thursday 7th July, 2016.
DON’T BE AN INGRATE.

Memorise
We love him, because he first loved us.
- 1 John 4:19.

Read: Luke 17:11-19.
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Message
The attitude of ungratefulness irritates God. Where I come from in the western part of Nigeria, our people would say, “Don’t follow-up your benevolent act so that you don’t give the impression that you want a ‘thank you’ or some ‘hero worship’.” This saying is very correct because only God deserves our worship. As a matter of fact, it is only God that is capable of constantly following up His benevolent act and that is why He said;
“…When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you….”
Leviticus 23:10-11.

Love is reciprocal. The question is how many people reciprocate the love being showered on them by fellow humans, not to talk of their attitude to God’s benevolent acts. The Psalmist saw the danger in the act of ingratitude and preached vehemently to his soul when he wrote:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”
Psalm 103:1-2.

The story in our Bible reading confirms that God expects us to appreciate Him sufficiently for His goodness. Our Lord Jesus Christ queried in Luke 17:17:
“…Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”
He went further to bless and perfect the healing of the grateful Samaritan. It is unfortunate that many children of God are already so used to the miraculous act of God that they are no longer moved by these acts. New comers into the Church who still remember clearly what they have suffered by the hands of the devil and his cohorts give thanks to God for every miracle. Whereas, some people don’t give testimonies of how God healed them of headache because they don’t see it as a “big deal”. Such people have forgotten that the headache they consider as ordinary has claimed the lives of thousands. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that you will never be ungrateful again in Jesus’ name. When you continue in your sins after you have been cleansed of them or when you backslide, you are ungrateful to God who gave His Son as ransom for your sins and to Jesus Christ who paid the supreme price of laying down His life for you. When you don’t forgive your brother who offends you, you are ungrateful to God who pardoned your numerous sins.

Prayer Point
Father, forgive me of my sin of ingratitude. Holy Spirit, help me to be grateful to my Father in Heaven always in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Friday 8th July, 2016.
FOOLISHNESS IN VOW TAKING.

Memorise
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
- Ecclesiastes 5:5.

Read: Psalms 15:1-4.
1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

Message
There will be both pleasant and unpleasant surprises in Heaven. The reason being that many who we think will not make it to Heaven will make it in, just like the robber on the right hand of the Cross of Jesus Christ did. The Bible says;
“But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.”
Ezekiel 33:19.

The lawful thing for the wicked to do is to repent, as God is more than willing to forgive and to cleanse him from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9). However, the Bible equally says:
“When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.”
Ezekiel 33:18.

One deadly habit of some 21st century Christians is making a vow and not fulfilling it. This is foolishness of the highest order. The Bible warns us against making vows and not fulfilling them. One of such cases is when funds are being raised for the work of God; careless children of God make very big vows ‘in faith’ that they are not able to fulfil. You hear them saying, “God understands!” How dangerous. Our memory verse says;
“Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.”
Ecclesiastes 5:5.

Verse six of the same scripture further say:
“Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?”

Worse still, despite being capable of paying their vows, some refuse to, even after God has fulfilled His own part. Nothing could be more dangerous than this.

An aspect of vows that is even more delicate is the marriage vow. People no longer accept the fact that marriage vows remain valid until death separates the husband from the wife or vice versa. They give flimsy excuses for divorcing their spouses. Like one of my children would ask: “When you were saying ‘for better and for worse’, did you put a limit to the extent of the worse you were talking about?” You should never consider breaking your marriage vows. God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).

Beloved, always keep and pay your vows, and if you have broken your business or marriage vow, repent, restitute and reconcile before it is too late. Covenant breakers will not enter into the Kingdom of God.

Action Point
Think of all the unfulfilled vows you have made and make amends without further delay.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Saturday 9th July, 2016.
THE MIGHTY DEEDS OF GOD.

Memorise
The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is His name.
- Exodus 15:3.

Read: Exodus 15:1-6.
1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is His name.
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
6 Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

Message
One attribute of the Almighty God that children of God cannot afford to be ignorant of is that He is the Greatest Warrior. The children of Israel experienced the mighty deeds of God and they spontaneously composed a song as we read in our text for today:
“The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.”
Exodus 15:1-4.
When children of God fail to recognise the fact that their Father in Heaven is a Man of war, the tendency is that they cringe and bow to worship their enemies in fear. This in turn will bring the judgement of God upon their lives because God says in Exodus 20:3 that we must have no other god before Him. This is why Jesus Christ came to deliver those who, for the fear of death, have subjected themselves to everlasting bondage;

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Hebrews 2:14-15.

I have seen the mighty deeds of God in my life and I have come to the conclusion that there is no god as mighty as my Daddy in Heaven, the Lord of hosts.

One day, I was travelling with my driver and we got to the middle of a narrow bridge that could take only one vehicle at a time before we discovered that a truck was coming from the opposite direction on the same bridge. It was the mighty deed of God that made the bridge “elastic” for my car and the truck to pass without colliding with each other. I pray for someone using this devotional; the mighty deeds of God will produce your desired miracle today in Jesus’ name. For you to experience the mighty deeds of God, you must be one of His own. The Israelites experienced the mighty deeds of God because they belonged to Him. To experience the mighty deed of God, you need to be born-again. The Israelites were covenant people and so God kept His covenant of great deliverance with them such that the enemies that pursued them to the Red Sea were never seen again. The mighty deeds of God will become a daily occurrence in your life if you can identify with the covenant which Jesus made with His blood at Calvary. May the Almighty God cause great deliverance to an oppressed user of this devotional today in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point
Father, please make me experience your mighty deeds this season in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Sunday 10th July, 2016.
PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS.

Memorise
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
- John 16:24.

Read: John 16:23-28.
23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.
26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

Message
Children of God must cultivate the habit of persistent prayers so that they may attain their full potentials. The importance of prayer cannot be overemphasised when we consider what those who take time to pray gain. The Bible say;
“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”
James 5:17-18.

The prayer of Elijah that brought about the rain was not just a five-minute prayer. He prayed and prayed again before the rain fell. When a man of God prays for a few minutes in the public and miracles begin to happen, one should not be deceived that it is the few minutes of prayer that instigated the miracles. The fact is that, the man of God had prayed long hours in private before the pubic show of God’s miraculous deeds. God, in His Word, commands us to “Pray without ceasing.” The One who commands us to pray, definitely will answer our prayers, if only we will obey this command. God is interested in listening to our petitions and responding accordingly. Our Lord Jesus Christ in our text for today says,

“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
John 16:24.
In other words, we must not stop asking if we have not received an answer to the petitions that we put before God. At times, answers to our prayers are double-crossed by the agents of darkness like in the case of Daniel. The following importune prayer of Daniel eventually saved the day:
“Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo Michael, one of the chief princes came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” Daniel 10:12-13.

Hannah prayed until something happened in her life and so did Jabez. We must begin to pray until the attention of God is drawn to our petition. The Psalmist said in Psalms 30:2 that when he cried to the Lord, the Lord healed him. This is another testimony of someone who believed in the God that answers prayers. My prayer for someone using this devotional is that as you cry unto God today, He will answer you as He answered Hannah, Jabez and Elijah in Jesus’ name.

Action Point
Set aside quality time to pray today and you will receive unprecedented answer to your prayers.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Monday 11th July, 2016.
HELP FROM ABOVE.

Memorise
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
- Psalm 121:2.

Read: Psalms 121:1-8.
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Message
When there was a national calamity of famine in Samaria, a woman conspired with her friend to take turns to kill their children for food. After the other woman had helped her friend to eat her son, she refused to surrender her own son for food. The foolish woman cried to the king for help but the king’s reply is a food for thought in our devotional reading for today. The king said:
“…If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? Out of the barn floor or out of the winepress?”
2 Kings 6:27.

The Psalmist was right when he said, in our memory verse, that his help comes from the Maker of Heaven and Earth. Genuine help can only come from above. The strength of man is bound to fail. The Almighty God is the present Help in the time of need; He is ever ready to send help to whoever solicits for it. He said: “And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Psalms 50:15.

When five kings united against the Gibeonites because they made peace with the children of Israel, they cried unto Joshua who in turn cried unto God for help. The Lord sent help from above and the five kings perished by the hand of Joshua.
“And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.”
Joshua 10:11.

Many people put their trust in mortal beings and always end up disappointed. The Bible discourages us from putting our trust in men (Jeremiah 17:5). Whereas, the same chapter says:
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.”

Many years ago, someone heard that I was building a house and volunteered to help in the supply of blocks since he was a block manufacturer and that I should pay at the convenient time. It was a mistake that I never made again. The moment this man realised that I was doing the roofing of the house he began to pester me for his money. I reminded him that he was the one who volunteered to help but he continued all the same to pester me for his money. I cried to God for help with a promise that I will never make such a mistake again. Beloved, I prophesy to your life, the help that will not expose you to ridicule will come your way this season in Jesus’ name. However, you must always put your trust in the Lord; you must not choose to have a “Plan B” in your relationship with the Present Help, the Almighty God. More importantly, you must surrender your life to Jesus Christ and abstain from all appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

Prayer Point
Father, please send me help from above today and don’t let me be put to shame in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Devotional.
Tuesday 12th July, 2016.
GET OUT FROM AMONG THEM.

Memorise
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly; nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
- Psalms 1:1.

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Message
Right from the Garden of Eden, there have been two categories of people in the world – the godly and the ungodly. Ungodliness didn’t just start in the 21st century; it is an age-long problem. Therefore, all conscientious children of God must make up their minds to watch out for ungodly groups and do everything possible to avoid keeping their company. The difference between the heroes of faith and other people that lived in their generations is that the heroes of faith refused to be influenced by the lifestyle of the ungodly. The Psalmist in our memory verse for today said;
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly; nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Psalms 1:1.

An example of a hero of faith who distinguished himself in godliness is Noah. The Bible says that as perverted as his world was, he decided to live in the fear of the Lord with his household;
“These are the generations of Noah; Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God.”….”It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
Genesis 6:9.

It is very important that the lovers of God abstain from all appearances of evil. In our Bible reading for today, an Apostle of Jesus Christ admonishes us not to keep company with the ungodly; he sees no resemblance in the life of the godly and that of the ungodly. The difference is clear and Apostle John spells it out by saying;
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil… In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” 1 John 3:9, 10.

The world is full of the ungodly, sinners and enemies of God. We live among them and they want to keep our company. They entice us to keep their company also. The Almighty God is speaking to us today to come out from among them. And for those who have come out in genuine repentance but are thinking of going back; don’t do it. For those still in sin, the command of God to you today is to get out of your life of sin. You stand to be blessed if you will obey the voice of God today. As a matter of fact, the evil you plan to execute today may be your last action on the face of the earth if you don’t repent.

Action Point
Look at your life and the company you keep. Does this company glorify the Name of your God? If not, get out of that company, thought, action and habit today.