OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE: THURSDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER 2016

THEME: DEMON POSSESSED?

Memorise:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

Read: 1 Samuel 16:14-23

16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

16:15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

16:16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

16:17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

16:19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

16:20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

16:21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

16:22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

16:23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

MESSAGE

The use of the term "demon possessed" in the Bible is always in reference to a person operating under the influence of a demon or evil spirit. The Bible describes demons as evil, spiritual beings or malevolent forces that are opposed to God, and are in the habit of influencing human beings to disobey God. However, demons always bow in the presence of God. If you study how demons related with Jesus Christ and His disciples in the Bible, you will observe that they recognized God's presence in Jesus Christ and His disciples and they surrendered without much argument. I have always told my children that if we have enough of His presence in us, demons will flee when they sight us, how much more when we command them to go. In Mark 5:1-6, when Jesus stepped on the shores of the Gadarenes, a very notorious; heavily demon-possessed mad man immediately reported to Him even before He said a word.

As a matter of fact, until you carry a higher level of His presence in your life, you may not realize the activities of the demons in your environment. Believe it or not, they are everywhere, performing their negative assignments. But as God increases His presence in your life, there will be commotion because demons recognize the presence of God and they can't be at rest in His presence. Even in Church, while God's anointed Word is being taught powerfully, demons will not be able to withstand the power in the Word, this happened when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Mark 1:21-26. One day, Paul and his co-labourers in God's vineyard were on their way to a prayer meeting when the spirit of divination in a young lady became restless because of God's Presence in them. If only you carry a higher level of His presence, the demons around you will manifest from wherever they are hiding. Ask God for more of His presence upon you.

Furthermore, every encounter with the Word releases a measure of Truth that sets free, and just as the level of bondage varies in the lives of the captive, so also, the dose of Truth needed to bring total liberation varies. If you can expose yourself to more and more of the Word and allow the light of God's Word to shine on you, captivity will give way and you will be free. God desires your absolute freedom (John 8:36). Yet, beyond this, Jesus wants to empower you to set other captives free (Mark 16:17). What level of freedom are you experiencing? Everything that has taken you captive shall release you now in Jesus' name. Your deliverance shall be permanent and you shall become a means of liberation to others in Jesus' name.

Prayer Point:

Father, please let your presence and the power of your Word fill my life completely in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Ezekiel 4-6
Psalms 66:1-9

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 9: MY FAITH HAS FOUND A PLACE

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Chorus:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He'll never cast me out.

Chorus:

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's Name,
Salvation through His blood.

Chorus:

My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

Chorus.

Prayer Points on Today's Open
Heavens, ( Thursday, September 22nd, 2016) - DEMON POSSESSED?
1.Thank you Father for the weapons of our warfare which are not carnal, but "mighty through God", to the pulling down of strongholds.
2.I worship you my Father because with you, all things are possible.
3.Father, l confess that l have sinned, please, have mercy and forgive me all my iniquities, in Jesus' name.
4.I plead the blood of Jesus over my spirit, soul and body; Father, let the blood of Jesus, cleanse me from all unrighteousness.
5.I rebuke, bind and cast out every demon operating in any area of my life, in Jesus' name.
6.Father, let every presence and influence of demons in any area of my life, family, ministry, marriage, business, etc, be completely neutralised and destroyed by the blood of Jesus.
7.Father, release upon my life the anointing and power, that demons, witches and wizards, cannot withstand or confront, in Jesus' name.
8.Father, make me a carrier of the fullness of your presence, such that, there will be no space for demons, to stay or hybernate, in Jesus' name.
9.Father, reveal enough doses of your truth unto me, today, and set me free from demon harassments and possession, in Jesus' name.
10.Father, withdraw from me the capacity to do evil and empower me to go about, doing only good, like my Lord, Jesus Christ.
11.Father, use me mightily to save souls and to set the captives free, in Jesus' name.
12.Your Personal petitions. ( Phil 4:6)
13.In Jesus' name I pray.
(Jn 14:13-14; 15:16)
14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thes 5:18).