OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 28TH JUNE 2017

THEME: WHAT KIND OF GROWTH?

Memorise:

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Ephesians 4:15

Read: Ephesians 4:10-16

4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists: and some, pastors and teachers;

4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

4:13 Tlll we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive:

4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

MESSAGE

If you are a sheep in the fold of the Great Shepherd, you will not lack rest or what to eat. Beyond these, you will not thirst, as He leads you beside the still, calm waters. This is another way of saying that your thirst will be quenched. The Lord in Matthew 5:6 spoke of this when He said:
''Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.''

Hunger and thirst are part of the mechanisms that have been programmed into the human body to produce growth. How you respond to these impulses will determine the quality or type of growth you experience. Prolonged starvation and refusal to eat both lead to death. Similarly, while taking only a particular kind of food, some people experience abnormal growth patterns, due to the absence of the required quantity of nutrients, vitamins, fatty acids, and so on, needed by their body. This is why children who are exclusively fed a diet full of carbohydrates tend to have oversized heads and stomachs, rickety legs and hands – a growth problem known as 'kwashiorkor'. For growth to be even and progressive, all the needs of the body must be provided.

The observed effect of food on physical growth in the natural world also applies to what happens in the spirit. Today, spiritual growth is so distorted in the Body of Christ as a result of the nature of food being fed and the attitude of believers towards spiritual food. There are different stages of growth in the Kingdom of God. 1 Peter 2:2 says baby Christians should be fed with milk, so as to grow normally. Today, you have those who claim to have been saved for 5, 10 or more years still insisting on being fed with milk. lf a 10 year old child still wants to be breastfed, what kind of growth would result from this? Also, there are so many false doctrines being propagated through the airwaves and in churches today. What kind of growth will such doctrines deliver to those who receive them? In addition, a number of those who are being fed the sound, undiluted truth of God's word do not have enough time to receive it. What kind of growth do you think will result from such spiritual eating pattern? When you do not grow as you are expected to, you become a problem to yourself and others around you. How are you growing today? What are you feeding on? How often do you feed on God's word?

Action Point:

Change your spiritual diet and feeding pattern to reflect the desire for healthy spiritual growth.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Samuel 1-2
Lamentation 1:13-2:2

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
[Refrain]

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
[Refrain]

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
[Refrain]

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
[Refrain]

Prayer Points on Today's Open Heavens: ( Wednesday, June 28, 2017) - WHAT KIND OF GROWTH?

1.Thank you, Father, for your care, love, provisions and guidance; and for being the Shepherd of my soul.

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

3.Father, please, feed me with balanced spiritual diet, that l may experience healthy spiritual growth, in the body of Christ.

4.Father, quench my hunger and thirst for your word and for righteousness, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, make available in your church, highly skilled, spirit filled, and knowledgeable, men and women, who will dish out balanced spiritual diets to your sheep, regularly, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please, grant unto me accelerated and balanced, spiritual growth, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, let every false doctrine and teaching, fed to your sheep be neutralised and destroyed by your truth, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, empower me to preach your word, pure, unadulterated and undiluted, at all times, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please, cure and deliver me from every symptom of spiritual 'kwashiorkor' and malnutrition, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, you are my shepherd and l decree that l shall not want; please, lead me to greener pastures, in Jesus' name.

11.Father, make me like a tree, planted, by the river; let me flourish in season and out of season, 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