OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 8TH JUNE 2017

THEME: WHY GOD SOMETIMES DELAYS

Memorise:

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; Genesis 2:21

Read: Genesis 2:21-22

2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

MESSAGE

From experience, we know of a truth that God answers prayers. lt is also common knowledge among those who walk with God that on several occasions, despite consistent prayers, God may take His time before intervening in a given situation. In fact, in some cases, He may allow the situation to deteriorate to its extreme limits before He steps in. This was the experience of Mary and Martha, sisters to Lazarus (John 11:1-6). Why would God wait until you are completely helpless before He turns things around? It could be because He does not want you to tamper with what He is about to do. When a doctor wants to perform an operation, he puts his patient to sleep. When God was about to form Eve out of Adam, He put him into a deep sleep. Genesis 2:21 says,
"And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof."

Do you know that God still likes to do some great things without any contribution or interference from us? Sometimes, He may allow us to get to a point of helplessness before He moves in to begin His work. He wants you to be absolutely surrendered to Him so that when He begins to do what He wants to do, you will not consider your own ideas. If you are ever so self-willed, you may need to visit the bus stop of helplessness repeatedly, but if you are completely yielded to Him, this may not occur too often in your life. How submissive are you to God?

Similarly, God may take His time before coming to your aid because it is in those extreme moments that prayers are said from the depth of the soul (1 Samuel 1:15). When you are totally helpless, you will pray from your heart and not from your head. In Matthew 15:21-28, when the woman whose daughter was grievously tormented of the devil came to Jesus asking for help, the Lord ignored her, and the disciples asked that she be sent away because she was too noisy. The woman simply said, "You haven't heard any noise yet. Whether you like it or not, I am not leaving here without my miracle." Then the Lord said to her, I cannot give the children's bread to dogs." She said, "Fine, l agree l am a dog, but this dog is going to get her miracle today." Since she had no alternative, she knew she had reached her last bus stop, and she refused to give up. People who are totally helpless pray a different kind of prayer compared to those who have alternatives. Whatever your needs may be today, as you ask God, He will answer you in Jesus' Name. Have you reached your flnal bus stop? ls Jesus Christ your last hope, or do you have other alternatives?

Action Point:

Some delays are in your best interest. Ask God to make every delay to work in your favour.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Joshua 10-11
Jeremiah 44:20-30

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 1: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4.When life’s swift race is run,
Death’s cold work almost done
Be near to me.
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

Read the Opens Devotional http://www.diverswift.com/open-heavens-8-june-2017/

Prayer Points on Today's Open Heavens: ( Thursday, June 8, 2017)- WHY GOD SOMETIMES DELAYS

1.I worship you, my Father, because, with you, all things are possible; and I thank you for always making all things beautiful, at your own time.

2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me.

3.Father, give me a commensurate faith and Will to overcome every temptation and trials, that may come my way, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please, give me a submissive and teachable spirit, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, l yield my life completely unto you, please, let your fire consume every spirit of self-will, in my life, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, let every challenge in my life, draw me closer and deeper unto you, rather than away from you, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, as l wait upon you, let all things work together for my good and favour, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, give me the grace to pray more fervently, deeply and without ceasing, until the roots of my problems are touched and uprooted, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, let every long standing challenge and problem, in my life be terminated today, by your mercy, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, turn every hopeless situation in my life around, today, in Jesus' name.

11.Father, please, send help to me, today, from the four corners of the earth, in Jesus' name.

12.Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)
13.In Jesus' name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)
14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).
#GodBlessOurNation