OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY 4 MARCH 2016

THEME: THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE 

MEMORISE:

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. 1st Corinthians 12:8

READ: Daniel 6:1-3

1  It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;

2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

MESSAGE:
One of the gems that made Joshua take over the mantle of leadership from his master was the excellent spirit he carried. Joshua excelled in all matters than most of his age mates and contemporaries. Those who remain in the crowd cannot become excellent in life, because excellence is a private matter, but with a public pronouncement.

The spirit of excellence will never permit you to do things at a level which others are comfortable with. You cannot be flocking around the multitude and achieve greatness in life and ministry. This is why Jesus was always withdrawing His disciples to Himself at the point of every exploit.

He did not want them to be carried away with the songs of the crowd. He knew the crowd well and he knew that those who were shouting “hail hail” will be the ones to say “crucify Him” the next day. Excellence is necessary for anyone to become a useful vessel in the hands of the Almighty God.

Excellence is what releases the gem in a man’s life and makes him the envy of his generation. The spirit of excellence is a crucial requirement for being useful and relevant in the scheme of things. It is what puts you on edge in God’s programme and makes you a formidable force. “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Hebrews 1:9

Exploits in life have never been a function of a higher educational qualification or popularity; it is through the spirit of excellence. When you carry the presence of God, it releases the spirit of excellence in you which in turn gives you the wisdom to access the mysteries of life.

The presence of God gives you deep insight and wisdom for every difficult situation of life and makes you become a master over situations and circumstances through His presence. You cannot have an excellent spirit and lack understanding. Your level of knowledge will begin to command the attention of all and sundry as we saw when the Queen of Sheba came visiting King Solomon.

Excellence is a goal, so you have to strive for it. Excellence is the attainment of the highest level of perfection in anything you do. It means operating in a class of your own. Those who do things the way others do them cannot become excellent. You have to be willing to go the extra mile. You have to identify your goal and begin to pursue it with vigour.

Joseph understood this early and it worked continuously for him until he becomes a reference point in a strange land. Daniel understood this early and he focused on it and remained a formidable force in the reign of three kings. The kings were leaving him behind, but the grace of God upon his life made him relevant under different circumstances.

The spirit of excellence will help you to concentrate on your assignment until you become a standard. However, this spirit can only come from God. If you don’t know God, there is no way you can do exploits (Daniel 11:32). I pray that from this moment, as you surrender totally to God, you will begin to experience the miraculous in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, remove every hindrance on my way to greatness in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
John10:22-12:19 and Job 31:29-40.

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE.


HYMN: OH SPREAD THE TIDING ROUND

Oh, spread the tidings ’round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound;
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound: The Comforter has come!

Chorus:

The Comforter has come,
The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav’n,
The Lord’s dear promise giv’n;
Oh, spread the tidings ’round,
Wherever man is found—
The Comforter has come!

2. The long, long night is past, the morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o’er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come!

3. Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliv’rance brings;
And through the vacant cells the song of triumph rings:
The Comforter has come!

4. O boundless love divine! how shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!
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Amen, thanks for uploading the Hymns.

Thank you

Prayer Points On Today's Open Heavens (Friday March 4th 2016)
THE SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE

1.Thank you Father for the salvation of my soul.

2.Thank you Father for making me head and not the tail.

3.Father, release upon my life the excellent Spirit, the type you gave to Daniel.

4.Father, give me the grace to live a life of total surrender and absolute obedience to your WiLL.

5.Father, make me first among my equals and make my life an envy to my generation.

6.Father, give me a faith that will never compromise or lower your standard, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, help me to stand out, even, among the multitude, as a God fearing, honest and highly principled child of God.

8.Father, remove every hindrance on my way to greatness in Jesus’ name.

9.Father, by your own hand and power, take me to the height and position in life, that will confound and put all my enemies to shame.

10.Father, let every attempt and plot of the enemies to cut short my life and destiny, be scattered, in Jesus' name.

11.Father, let every opposition against my ministry and calling be paralysed in Jesus' name.

12.Your Personal petitions. (Phil 4:6)
13. In Jesus' name I pray. (Jn 15:16)
14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.(1 Thes 5:18).