Calvary greetings to you.

By the special grace of God, henceforth, I will be posting OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL by Pastor E. A. Adeboye (General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God) for the sake of those who do not have either the hardcopy or the softcopy and wish to study it daily. This is not restricted to only RCCG members because the Word of God is made available for everyone.

I pray as you study, God will bless you richly and cause your eyes of understand be opened to the truth of the Word of God.

Shalom.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2 2016

THEME : HATER OF GOD?

MEMORISE : Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. JEREMIAH 17 : 5.

READ : ROMANS 1 : 28 - 32 :
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

MESSAGE :
The situation around us today requires quick intervention because the society is becoming unsafe due to emerging trends. There are many people rising up in many quarters, questioning the rationality of looking unto God. They hate the idea of putting God at the centre of human knowledge and existence. They question the efficacy of God's knowledge and authority, and this is making the love of some believers wax cold. Haters of God are those who put the fear of man over and above the fear of God. They believe more in the interventions of man than the creation of God. They are those who rely in their vain imagination rather than the absolute truth of God. They prefer to stay away from God and His house because because they don't want His truth to locate them. They prefer to use their wisdom to solve their problems rather than find solution in Christ alone. When they are in trouble, the first thing on their minds is running to the wrong places for solution, which eventually compounds their problem.
Looking unto a man when one should trust in God can be a very futile endeavour. Those who put their confidence in man will always end up with frustrating experiences. If you keep to God, He will keep you in perfect peace. There are many people who have no experience of what the peace of God is. May this never be your portion in Jesus' name.
Haters of God allow their hearts to be dominated by impure thoughts. They allow demons to control their hearts, and this is why they find it impossible to experience the peace of God. You can make up your mind this day to be a lover of God.
Those who hate God will never know the peace of God. Don't allow the power of hell to dominate your life. Every place of activity through which evil ideas come into your life must be avoided. Separate yourself totally from those things separating you from the blessings of God. Keep a distance from those negative connections and influences that lure you into evil including internet views and impure television programmes. Stop feeding your eyes with lust inducing items and materials. Don't give yourself further to those things that will attract the wrath of God upon your life, things such as masturbation, fornication, incest, rape, same sex relationship, occultism, and pornography. Through the power of God, you can dominate these evil practices that keep you away from the grace of God.

PRAYER POINT : Father, please give me the grace to please you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : REVELATION 3 : 14 - 7 : 17 AND PSALMS 92.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 3 2016

THEME : MATRIMONIAL ROBBER?

MEMORISE : And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? PROVERBS 5 : 20.

READ : MALACHI 2 : 14 - 16 :
14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

MESSAGE :
There are some people who never knew what sickness, failure, poverty or stagnation was until they committed fornication or adultery. Fornication/adultery is a sin that attracts the automatic wrath of God because it involves your Body, Soul and Spirit. Those who secretly engage in the sin of adultery end up being reduced to a piece of bread. Some think that as long as their sins are not found out, they are safe. Ask King David, he will tell you that your sins will always find you out. Fornication and adultery will reduce you to a state of nothingness. Every precious thing in you will shut down permanently, the grace of God upon your life will be automatically removed and you will immediately become exposed to all forms of satanic attack. The cover of the Almighty God is removed and shame and reproach will become a daily occurrence to such a person. It doesn’t matter how long you may have spent in building your life, it begins to crush the moment you invite destruction.
A righteous person will be wise enough to avoid the dangers that come with the act of immorality. Joseph understood this and preferred that his garment be torn in the hands of Mrs Potiphar than that his destiny and colourful future be destroyed by a few minutes of pleasure. All those who give excuses about the negative sides of their spouses as an excuse for sleeping around are only being foolish. There is nothing outside that is not already given to you by God through your wife or husband. Don’t allow your life to end in shame and disgrace, because that is always the end of those who continue in extra-marital affairs. Stay with the spouse that God has given you and receive your emotional nourishment from that spouse. If you can’t find contentment in your marriage, then you can be sure you will never really find it anywhere else.
The plan and purpose of God for marriage is – one man to one woman. There is no perfect man or woman anywhere, you have to work with what/who you have, make lemonade out of your lemons.
You must stay far away from those people who can cause you to sin. This was the case with Samson in the book of Judges. Everywhere Samson went; his focus was always on woman, and he lost his life and all he had through a woman. You have to examine yourself to find out if there is any possible channel through which you can become a victim of fornication or adultery. Disconnect yourself from that man or that woman that wants to disconnect you from the place of grace. God is not just holy; He wants us to be partakers of His holiness. It is the holiness of God that secures the grace of God in our lives.

ACTION POINT : A righteous man is identified by how much he loves righteousness and hates sin.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : REVELATION 8 : 11 AND PSALMS 93.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE : FRIDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2016

THEME : ENSLAVED BY FALSEHOOD?

Memorise:
Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight. Proverbs 12:22

Read: Genesis 3:1-6 (KJV)
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Message:
There are dangerous traps of the devil set to derail people from inheriting their possessions in Christ Jesus. There are many people who have been deceived and enslaved in falsehood because they were not sensitive. This is why Jesus warned that if care is not taken, even the very elect will fall for the deceits of the devil. By all standards, lies are the devil’s greatest weapons with which he enslaves people into falsehood.
A lie is anything other than the absolute truth.
The first man and woman to exist on the earth were victims of lie when the devil intentionally misinterpreted the instructions that God gave them to keep. It is upon this that the Bible tells us to be as wise as serpents, because the devil will always try to prove to the children of God how ‘unreasonable’ the commandments of God are. You have to make up your mind to obey God rather than question simple instructions that are intended to make you happy and give you rest. The devil will also make efforts to question the reputation of God. Some teachers have taught that one can continue in sin since grace abounds. False teachers will tell you to live your life as you deem it fit because there is liberty in Christ. These are all lies of the devil; those who fall for them will always have woeful experiences. The scripture tells us not only to hate lies but to keep the utmost distance from it because those who engage in lies are abominable in the sight of God.
We need to be men and women who delight in the truths of God in all matters. The problem with human beings is that we always do not appreciate the truth when we find it. There are people who prefer to seek counsel from people that will destroy them through wrong counsels. Some people know that there is nothing biblical about their church, yet they remain in such places.
There are various wolves in sheep clothing parading themselves as true prophets sent by God, but if you allow the Lord to open your eyes, you will see clearly who they are. Many people have suffered untold damages in the hands of the fake prophets; this is why you need to be watchful. If you are a liar, or you are engaged in anything fraudulent, you need to stop it before the wrath of God comes upon you. If you are living a life that misrepresents the Kingdom of God, you have to quickly amend your ways before it becomes too late. If you give yourself to ungodly living, you will be enslaved by falsehood because you have refused to retain God in your knowledge. Are you under a ‘man of God’ who is performing miracles, signs and wonders, but whose life does not resemble that of Christ? I will advise that you relocate immediately to where the Truth will find you.

Key Point:
You shall know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Revelation 12-15 and Psalms 94

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE : SATURDAY 5th NOVEMBER 2016

THEME : WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

Memorise:
Let brotherly love continue. Hebrew 13:1

Read: Luke 10:30-37 (KJV)
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

MESSAGE:
Love is the foundation upon which relationships are built. If your life will please God, then love is one action you must always practice. One of the basic principles of love is showing care for others. If you say you love, and you don’t show how much you care, your love isn’t genuine. Brotherly love should not only be restricted to the household of Christ, You must extend love beyond those you personally know. You need to show care to strangers too. At every given point in time, you must help those you come across to the best of your ability. When it becomes necessary, you must go the extra mile to show love to people, regardless of whether they deserve it or not. The very heart cry of Jesus is that we continue in love because we are partakers of His divine nature. Jesus Christ demonstrated the sacrificial love of giving himself for the benefit of those who did not deserve His love. Our Bible reading gives a clear picture of the kind of love that must not be mentioned among believers – the lip service kind of love, ‘missing in time of need’ kind of love et cetera.
Love, is a divine nature and since we have the mind of Christ, the love of Christ should be shared among us. When a person is driven by love, he will find it easy to apply the love of God in his behaviour towards others within his environment and also those outside his environment. There are people who claim to love Jesus, but they hate everyone around them. They suspect everyone around them; this is not the nature of Christ. The love of God will not make you condemn others or judge them. Jesus wants us to love our neighbours; that person next door, that staff in your office, that sinner on the way, that child with no one to run to, that window who does not know where the next meal is coming from. Criticism and condemnation is not a reflection of the mind of Christ, strife and division among brethren is not the nature of Christ, but of the devil. Love will always attract a beautiful attitude.
Love was one of the hallmarks of the early apostles; they did everything in the spirit of love. The early church loved each other so much that everybody’s needs were met. When there is love, there will be an elimination of jealousy and envy, whatever you do will be done in the best interest of others. When in love, we will no longer focus on just thinking about ourselves, but about the good of the other fellow. You must always have the desire to help people and add value to the lives of those around you. In 1st Samuel 18:1-4, the scripture tells us about the relationship that existed between Jonathan and David. Jonathan loved David the same way he loved himself. Jonathan made out time to meet the needs of David, he never bothered about himself.
He just wanted to do what was right for the relationship; he was all out for the protection of David. Where there is love, there will be trust. Where there is trust, there will be growth. Love will bring commitment to the common good of all.

Key Point:
Love is not easily provoked.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Revelation 16:1-19:10 and Psalms 95

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE: SUNDAY 6TH NOVEMBER 2016

THEME: FORSAKING THE WAY?

Memorise:
For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 2 Timothy 4:10

Read: Luke 9:57-62
9:57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
9:60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
9:61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

MESSAGE:
In the Bible reading of today, some of those who were invited by Jesus could not come because they had excuses. On that day, when we shall all stand before the Almighty God, there will no longer be any excuses. Anyone who desires to please God and withstand the storms of life must not allow anything to hinder him from making it to the Kingdom. There are many people who started well but didn't end well because of the distractions of life. There are many things people do, which unknown to them, enslaves them to the devil. Demas forsook the faith because of his love for the world. Are you also forsaking God for riches? If others are decieved, you must not allow yourself to be a victim. This is why I always emphasise the fact that who or what you follow determines what follows you.
It is very obvious that Demas, who started well, missed it down the line because he did not set his priorities right. He totally abandoned the missionary support of Apostle Paul and became engrossed with the business of this world. This business consumed the thinking of Demas to the point that he was no longer relevant in the business of the Kingdom. While others continued with Paul on evangelistic responsibilities, Demas went back to the world. This will not be your lot in Jesus' name. In the world today, innumerable people are allowing the love of money to capture their hearts; they have wandered away from the Presence of God. Money is temporal and not eternal, money cannot buy joy; it cannot buy the peace of God. It is only the blessing of the Almighty God that makes one rich without any sorrow added to it. The desire to satisfy the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is what is deceiving many. Some people are always concerned about what they don't have and what God has not done. There is no better life outside Jesus Christ. What is that thing that you value over and above your salvation? It is the plan and purpose of God that you focus on Him for all your needs. No matter how much energy you put into the pursuance of the mundane things of this world, they are not enough to make you blessed. It is the blessing and joy of the Lord that makes one to be at peace.
Beloved, you have to call yourself to order, you have to make a commitment to focus on Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Anyone who seeks to be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ must be willing to deny himself and live above the ephemerals of this present world. If you will pursue God, money and all that money cannot buy would pursue you. If you don't forsake Him, His goodness and mercy will follow you daily.

Prayer Point:
Father, help me never to forsake You for anything in this world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Revelation 19:11-22:21
Psalms 96

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE: MONDAY 7TH NOVEMBER 2016

THEME: ARE YOU OVERCOMING?

Memorise:
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37

Read: John 16:31-33
16:31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

MESSAGE:
God, In His Word, states that everyone who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. The experience of persecution is part of our heritage as believers in Christ Jesus. The world will treat you in a cruel manner simply because of your faith. They will do many things to hurt you simply because you have chosen to live righteous. There are a lot of prices to pay for being a disciple of Jesus Christ, however, the benefits of following Christ far outweighs its cost. If you truly serve God the way you should, the world will persecute you. That is why I pity those people who live amiable with all and sundry. If you are a genuine believer and the world speaks so well of you and loves you so much, you have to be careful.
"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" 1 Peter 2:21
Following the footsteps of Jesus may involve sufferings of all kinds. There are many people who say they are called into ministry, and they want to start the ministry by having all the comforts of life. They want offices that are fully air-conditioned; they want official cars, a place where their needs can be regularly guaranteed. Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having all these, but it should not become a condition for our response to the calling of God upon our lives. Nobody who is really devoted to serving the Lord will escape the kind of persecutions that people like David, Jeremiah, Daniel, Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego went through. David was persecuted because he killed a giant that Saul was unable to handle. Jeremiah was beaten and cast into prison because he declared the absolute Word of God to a sinful generation. Preaching the truth will always attract persecution, but you can be sure that the blood of those you told the truth would not be demanded from you. Daniel faced a lot of problems simply because he distinguished himself among the governors. Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego were cast into the burning furnace simply because they refuse to compromise and bow to other gods.
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" Romans 8:37
This portion of the scripture tells us that there is no amount of pressure from the pit of hell that can take us away from the love of God. David was a conqueror because God did not stop with him until he got to the throne. Daniel was a conqueror because no king ever served in his life time without having to recourse with him. The same Hebrew boys that were cast into the fiery furnace were the same boys whose God was declared the only One whom the whole nation must worship. The Lord commands us to rejoice when we go through trials of life, because great is our reward. People may say all kinds of evil against you. They may hate you. They may decide not to involve you in any beneficial thing, just to put you off. Do not fret, because you will laugh last.
Prayer Point:
Father, please, strengthen me that I may never bow to the pressures of life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 1-3 Psalms 97

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9 2016

THEME : WHY YOU NEED JESUS I

MEMORISE : And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. MATTHEW 1 : 21.

READ : JOHN 8 : 1 - 12
1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

MESSAGE :
Those who are born of God do not commit sin because the seed of God is in them. The moment a person becomes born-again, sin becomes distasteful to such an individual. The moment a person comes in contact with Jesus; he becomes a new creature. There is no amount of morality and self-righteousness that can declare one a saint, this can be done only through the help of Jesus Christ, because until there is a shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. The primary reason why Jesus came to the earth is simply to deliver people from sin.Why you need Jesus I The moment sin is removed; there will be a great relationship with God. It is sin that takes us far from God.
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and we see this in the life of the woman caught in the act of adultery. There was something Jesus saw that others didn’t see. Jesus saw a sinner afflicted with the works of the devil. Jesus knew that the moment a woman like that comes to the knowledge of the Truth, she would be free from condemnation. Right there, the grace of God found her and she went and sinned no more. There are many honourable things to gain from living a holy life. 2 Timothy 2 : 19 says :
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
The moment a person departs from the life of sin and turns to the path of holiness, he becomes a vessel unto the Most-High God. The life of such a person becomes honourable. There are many people who claim to be Christians today but are living in sin. A genuine Christian must keep sin at a distance, live a life of good works through Jesus Christ and be a vessel that is clean both within and without.
Jesus showed the Pharisees their hypocrisy with respect to the case of the woman caught in adultery. They accused Jesus of breaking the law. They wanted to trap Jesus through her case, only to be caught in their own trap. They vanished one after the other by the time Jesus showed them the motives of their actions. This is why you must come to Jesus, no matter how terrible you feel you might have fallen. You cannot fall below His grace.
“But God demonstrated his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5 : 8.
There is a sure reward for those who forsake the path of sin and choose the path of righteousness. Righteousness will exalt you, but sin will always bring reproach.

KEY POINT : Who you follow determines what follows you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 8 : 1 - 11 : 9 AND PSALMS 99 - 100.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12 2016

THEME: GOD OF VENGEANCE

MEMORISE : Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
ROMANS 12 : 19.

READ : EZEKIEL 25 : 12 - 17 :
12 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.
14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury; and they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.
15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred;
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast.
17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

MESSAGE :
God is against His children repaying evil to those who have done them evil. It is not in the place of any genuine child of God to seek revenge.
"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3 : 9.
No one can avenge like God. This is why I don't worry myself about my enemies, I just report them to my Father and I leave the rest to Him. When God fights your enemies, even you who was hurt will begin to pity them. This is because there is no one that can stand the anger of the Almighty God. Anytime you are trying to revenge, you are already playing God and the consequence is unbearable. Society may tell you to do otherwise. Reasoning may tell you to repay evil in return for the wrong done to you, but the scripture demands that you act differently. You are an ambassador of Christ, you are a peace maker, and you must do everything to proof that. In the world, people are taught to seek revenge, but the opposite is expected from the children of God. We should hand over those who have hurt us to God. Moses handed over the rebels to God. Joseph handed over his elder brothers to God. Job forgave his accusers and left them to their conscience.
It is even possible that some people within your team will for no reason antagonise all your actions and intents. They may show you so much hatred and make every move to work against the plan of God for your life. Some will habour hatred just because the Lord is prospering you. Some may wish you bad, and go to the extent of including such wishes in their prayer points. But you must not fight for yourself; just allow them to face the great Avenger. We must be harmless and inoffensive so that we don't give people reasons to quarrel with us. We must labour to preserve peace. The world hated Christ without a cause, yet he died for them. When they brought Him before Pontius Pilate, they could not find any blame against Him, yet they demanded that He must be crucified. This is the same Jesus who chose to love an unloving world. He died for us while we were yet sinners. He is called the judge of Israel ( Micah 5 : 1 ). If He takes over your case, your enemies are in serious trouble. If He decides to advocate on your behalf, there can never be any appeal against His verdict. When He decides to be your witness, you can be sure that He will put all of them to shame. Is anybody troubling your peace in your home, office, neighborhood, school, the Almighty God will put them where they belong in Jesus' name. No matter what the enemy does, your prosperity, progress, provision and security is guaranteed in Him. The enemy that has lifted himself against you and all the voices that are fighting against your glorious destiny shall be truncated in Jesus' name. The Lord will show up for you and take over all the battles of your life, and you can be sure that victory is yours. The most important thing is to stay on the Lord's side.

KEY POINT : When the Lord is on your side, you can sleep with your two eyes closed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 18 : 22 - 20 : 18 AND PSALMS 102 : 16 - 28.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13 2016

THEME: ACTIVATING THE GLORY OF GOD

MEMORISE : Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God. JOHN 11 : 40.

READ: JOHN 11 : 39 - 44 :
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

MESSAGE :
God is the only one who has the final say over your life; He will never permit any unpleasant situation to have a final say in your life nor allow your life to be at the mercy of people. He decides what happens to you at every given point in time because He is the Alpha and the Omega. If anybody ever tells you it is over, I congratulate you, because God is about to open a new chapter in your life that will amaze the world. Does your case seem hopeless like that of Lazarus? I prophecy into your life; you are next in line for a miracle. Have you been married for all these years and you have no child? Welcome to your morning of fruitfulness. Simon Peter was a professional fisherman, he knew when the fishes would be in the river and he went with the right equipment, yet he struggled all night without a breakthrough. You have satisfied all requirements for that position, yet there is no positive response, I decree a supernatural lifting of every embargo placed upon your breakthrough in Jesus' name.
Believing what God says about the condition we are going through is very vital to our walk as Christians. When we believe the Word of God, we are expressing our confidence and trust in His divine attribute. There is nothing beyond Him. Martha had already given up on Lazarus. According to her, Jesus' coming was unnecessary because the situation had gone past what He could do anything about. She consoled herself with the fact that on the day of resurrection, she would see her brother again, but she did not recognise that the resurrection is not a period but a person. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. This is why you cannot afford to continue in sin. If you want to activate the glory of God in your life, you have to know Him.
To activate the glory of God, you must have faith in His Word. Faith is an act that produces an evidence of His glory. Faith is what gives meaning to your calling as a child of God. You need faith to do exploit in life. You need faith to win all the battles of life. In the atmosphere of faith, nothing is impossible for you. God dwells in the realms of the supernatural and anyone who will be able to access His glory must operate beyond the normal realm. If we take the Word of Jesus Christ and rely absolutely on His power and faithfulness, we shall see a daily occurrence of the glory of God in all our ways.
You must learn to always look beyond the grave and lift your eyes to God Almighty. Overlook all the reports, conditions, difficulties and obstacles. Lift up your eyes to the Lord in prayer, in praise, in worship and in fasting, and you will be surprised at what the Lord will do. There is no solution elsewhere; the real glory is in Christ Jesus.

PRAYER POINT : Father, let your glory be made manifest in my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 21 - 23 AND PSALMS 103 : 1 - 10.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

MONDAY NOVEMBER 14 2016

THEME : FACING TRIALS OF FAITH?

MEMORISE : These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. JOHN 16 : 33.

READ : HEBREWS 11 : 36 - 40 "
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

MESSAGE :
There are several challenges that will confront us as we progress in the journey of faith, but none of them will dominate us. As a child of God, when you pass through the fire, the mighty man in battle has promised that it will not burn you. At one point or the other, your faith will be tried; your love for God will be tested. There will be persecutions of all kinds. Because of your belief in Christ, people will say all kinds of things against you. There will be false accusations despite your level of commitment to your assignment. No matter how good your intentions may be, sometimes, they may be spoken of in an evil way. Many times these tribulations, trials and persecutions will come from quarters you least expect. You should not be bothered because the same people who hailed the triumphant entry of Jesus were the same people, who said to Pilate, crucify him. Have you been persecuted because of your faith and your holy living? I congratulate you, because you are fulfilling your part of the Christian calling. You have to know that the hostility of the world against believers in Christ Jesus is a transferred hostility. We are not the first set of people to be hated; the world hates us because they hated Jesus Christ. Despite the innocence of the young shepherd boy, king Saul attempted to kill him several times. You need to know that even in the household of faith, there are king Sauls. They are ready to kill you, not because you have committed any crime, but because they are uncomfortable with your standard of righteous living. On several occasions, Jesus Christ, before his final persecution on earth, was persecuted by the people listening to Him in the synagogue. They did not like the way He was preaching with so much authority. And they always rose up against His good acts. What should you do in times of trials, tribulations and persecutions? You must rejoice in the Lord.
When Paul was going through persecution, rather than murmur and complain, he fellowshipped. No wonder he could say :
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or unclothedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8 : 35, 37.
He said this despite the fact that he was beaten with rods, he was stoned, he suffered shipwreck, and he was kept in the deep prisons. He suffered in the hands of robbers as well as in the hands of his countrymen. False brethren also surrounded him. There were times when situations and circumstances of weariness, hunger, nakednes and the cares of his missionary obligation threatened to discourage him, yet he finished well.
You will finish well in Jesus' name.

PRAYER POINT : Father, give me victory over every trial I come across.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 24 AND PSALMS 103 : 11 - 22.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
DATE: TUESDAY 15TH NOVEMBER 2016
THEME: HOLIDAY IN YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK?
Memorise:
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62
Read: Ezekiel 3:20
3:20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-blockbefore him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
MESSAGE
God's ultimate purpose for saving people is to make them true worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. He wants souls that will conform to the image of His son, Jesus Christ. The will of the Almighty God for us is not just that we stand out in life. For our Christian walk to be commended by the host of heaven, we need to remain focused and committed to the end. We should not allow the things of this world to deter us from the pursuit of true worship. Anyone who has said "goodbye" to the world should never go back. You cannot afford to go on a holiday during your Christian walk. Don't create an opportunity for the devil and his demons to access your life. Continue to dwell in the presence of God through witnessing, the study of His Word, in prayers and in fasting. Lot's wife missed it because she could not let go of her worldly affection. She did not make progress and she became a pillar of salt. This will not be your portion in Jesus' name. Have you been walking with the Lord passionately and you are getting tired? You need to check your life. If you quit, then you have lived for nothing. Those who begin the work of God must resolve in their hearts to go all the way. Every time you look back, is tantamount to taking a holiday and it is very dangerous because that is the window through which the devil will strike.
His mission is kill, to steal and destroy the lives of those who have separated themselves for Jesus. As long as you remain in Christ, you are secure. Looking back is drawing back and drawing back is moving towards perdition. Heaven is only for those who can endure to the end.
Heaven is for overcomers and Jesus is our only way there. Hence, there should be no room for sin in the life of anyone who wishes to make it to heaven. As long as your mind is made up, there should be no going back to the past. A moment of ungodly pleasure will destroy a life of testimonies. Joseph refused to take a break with his master's wife; he ran and delivered himself from the devil's trap. Don't look back to those things you have dropped for the sake of Christ. Apostle Paul counted his achievements as dung. He pursued Christ till the very last moment. A disciple is a person with a singular focus, under one master. He must possess a single eye and live a single life. As long as you still have a mind for the world, you cannot be a candidate for His glory. One desire uppermost in my mind is to see believers live a life of excellence that demonstrates the magnificence of heaven. This can only happen when you walk in the revelation of 1 John 4:17; "because as he is, so are we in this world". The one who wins will only be crowned if he runs with focus. You must run according to the rules of God. You have to forget the past and press forward for fresh victories in Christ Jesus. The zeal in our hearts must be so great that nothing will hinder us from fulfilling the plans and purpose of God for our lives. You cannot afford to stop running until you are called up into glory. Endure to the very end.
Key Point:
Heaven is for great finishers not good starters.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 25-26
Psalms 104:1-18

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16 2016

THEME : ETERNAL LIFE STARTS HERE

MEMORISE : While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. JOHN 17 : 12.

READ : JOHN 17 : 9 - 12 :
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

MESSAGE :
In our Bible reading, Jesus explained that those that the Father gave to Him have been safely kept and there was none that was missing except the son of perdition. Children of perdition are those who revolt against the teachings and guidance of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ kept the disciples in the faith and His labour over them was not in vain. Today, we see the evidences of that investment through the spread of the gospel from one nation to another. This is possible because of the labour of the Apostles who were first commissioned to spread this good news.
When you follow Jesus through and through, He will keep you from falling into the persecution to your enemies. They will try all their best to trap you, but the Almighty God will always deliver you from their traps. One truth we must always remember is that we are weak and we cannot keep ourselves. This is why it is very important to be a partner with Jesus. Once you leave your life in His care, you can be sure that your blessing is guaranteed in Him. The Almighty God will keep you in Jesus' name.
There are sons of perdition that will refuse to be kept by Jesus Christ. They will always intentionally disobey the instructions of the father. They are usually referred to as rebellious children who will not allow their lives to be governed by the truth in the Word of God. When a person who has been in God decides to forget his creator and also refuses the assembly of brethren, such a person is already lost. It is not good for one to be left alone. Demas was left alone because he had given his heart to the world. Lot's wife looked back and she became forgotten. The sons of Eli did not fulfil their destiny despite the fact they had all the opportunities to succeed in life. Children of perdition are those who have not said goodbye to sin. They are still living in sin and sin is a destroyer not a builder. Sin separates people from the blessings of God; it does not attract them to the place of God. At salvation, God comes inside of you and turns your journey towards perdition to the path of eternal life. This means that you and God are on the same page, and you are running away from those things that will affect His relationship with you. If you resist His will, you will not be a partaker of His Glory. This is why you have to leave behind all those things hindering you from serving God and surrender all to Him. Judgement is coming; to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Tomorrow may be too late. There is still an opportunity for you to rededicate your life. God rewards those who allow their lives to be guided by Him with pleasant blessings and assurances of security. Those who refuse the government of Jesus have already exposed themselves to the wickedness of this world. You will not miss it in Jesus' name.

PRAYER POINT : Father let nothing take me away from you in Jesus' name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 27 - 28 AND PSALMS 104 : 19 - 35.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE: THURSDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2016

THEME: NARROW IS THE WAY

Memorise:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14

Read: Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV)
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

MESSAGE
Making it to heaven isn’t an easy thing to achieve. It takes a firm decision to make it there irrespective of what others may be doing. Those engaged in self-righteousness, laziness and hypocrisy will not find a place in heaven. There are many people who are heading for destruction because they refuse to obey the commandment of the Almighty God. They do just what they want, but on the last day, the judgement of God will not spare them because nobody can escape that day. This is why you have to be serious with your Christian walk. Confessing that Christ is our Lord is not sufficient to earn us a place in the kingdom of God. Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:10 said:
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death.”
There is a higher expectation from those who will make it to the kingdom of God, and this is why we need to understand that we need the help of the Almighty God. Jesus said there are people who profess Him as Lord everywhere they go, but not all of them will make it to His Kingdom. Are you a Pastor, Evangelist, Teacher, Apostle or an intercessor? All these are not sufficient to make one enter into the Kingdom. In other words, you can have all these titles and still miss the narrow way if your life is not in line with the pattern of Christ.
Are you still living your life as a natural man? If yes, you cannot go through the narrow way. The natural man will have to be redeemed through the Blood of Jesus before he can access the narrow way. Those who are not living their lives in accordance to the dictate of God cannot make it through the narrow way. Those who are still slaves to sin are far from the narrow way. The way to eternal life is for those who are redeemed through the Blood of the Lamb and have crucified their flesh. They have become alive to the realm of the spirit. The narrow way is for those who are walking in the spirit and are no longer fulfilling the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). You have to make up your mind to be free from every bondage of sin and condemnation of the devil. Your life will have to be directed by the Holy Spirit, so that you are no longer ruled by your natural desires. Only those who manifest the fruits of the spirit in their lives will be able to go through the narrow way. If any of the fruit is absent in your life, there is an urgent need to do a self-appraisal before it becomes too late. The narrow gate is for those who know Christ and have lived their lives for Him. If your life is not conforming to the purpose for which He died, then you have to run to the cross for salvation.

Prayer Point:
Father by your grace, please help me to make it on the last day.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 29:30 and Psalms 105:1-15

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19 2016

THEME : BEWARE OF DECEIVERS I

MEMORISE : All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 TIMOTHY 3 : 16.

READ : 2 TIMOTHY 3 : 1 - 8 :
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

MESSAGE :
A deceiver is someone who practices deceit as means of seducing, misleading, or giving false impressions to people. A deceiver would try to impose a false idea that causes bewilderment, helplessness, or confusion in people’s mind. Every act of deception is a direct attack against the truth for the purpose of distorting the original creative order and position of things by the Almighty God. Deception is therefore the devil’s invention which has been carefully designed to create doubts and questions about the credibility of God in the hearts of men. This is the reason why deceit is condemned by God as an attempt to deny His sovereignty and the revelation of Himself. After the devil’s successful attack on Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 : 1 - 7, God repeatedly warned humanity about the subtlety of Satan and his false prophets. Matthew 24 : 11 says ;
“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”
The whole of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is full of similar warnings about the deliberate plot of devil to send his evil agents of deception in form of false prophets and heretic teachers into the world, in order to deceive and mislead many. These deadly agents of deception have perfected the means of attacking unsuspecting individuals from two seemingly harmless fronts. One of their tactics is to preach the gospel of the alternative. They claim to be serving the same God through another saviour, and therefore present their religion as a better alternative to Christianity that only has the appearance of the Christian religion on the surface, but is full of heresy, ungodliness, and immorality in actual practice. To this end 1 Timothy 4 : 1 - 2 :
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”
In the above passage, the Word of God is making it very clear to us that the activities of these agents of darkness will become very concentrated and effective in the latter days, such that it will cause some believers to depart from the faith. This will happen because those affected would commit the error of giving heed to seducing spirits. They would be seduced through the preaching of other gospels, the gospel of relativism, modernism and post-modernism,and through attractive motivational messages. To counter the evil, we must turn to 2 Timothy 3 : 16. God has given us all scripture by His inspiration, to be profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, dangerous heretic teachings are in the air, but anyone that abides in the Word of God, can never be deceived. Be warned.

PRAYER POINT : Father, please don’t let me ever give heed to seducing spirits in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : LUKE 9 : 21 - 10 : 42 AND JOB 24 : 9 - 20.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE: SATURDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 2016

THEME: TRUSTING THE ARM OF FLESH?

Memorise:
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. Zechariah 4:7

Read: 2 Chronicles 32:1-7
32:1 After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came, and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fenced cities, and thought to win them for himself.
32:2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,
32:3 He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him.
32:4 So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?
32:5 Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.
32:6 And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,
32:7 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:

MESSAGE:
There is nothing you want to become in life that you cannot be, when you leave your life in the hands of the Almighty God. There is nothing you want to achieve in life that you cannot achieve through the help of God. Man is limited; therefore there is a limit to how far he can help you. With God on your side, there is no mountain that cannot become a plain. Coming across a mountain already reveals to you that you need God’s support. Most times, when God wants to give you a testimony that will cause men to marvel, He wraps it up in a mountain and presents it to you. At such times, you don’t focus on the problem, but on the one who can solve the problem. David did not focus on Goliath and his size, he instead focused on the God of Israel and the rest is history.
Those who put their trust in flesh will never have peace. They are never sure of what will happen to them next. You can live in peace when you know that the Lord is by your side no matter what happens. With God on your side, you can look into your glorious future and walk into it as a victor. There will be battles, but with the Almighty God on your side, you are already a victor. After I became the General Overseer, there were mountains I could never have imagined as plains. There were storms and battles, but in the midst of these events, I enjoyed God’s backing because He was the one who called me. This is why I pity those who put their trust in the arm of flesh. The man you are looking at today may be dead tomorrow, but there is a God in Heaven who never dies. The politician you look up to may lose the election tomorrow but there is a God who makes kings. He is the one who pulls one down and lifts the other. If you want to experience a permanent turnaround in your life, you have to cry to the Almighty God concerning that unpleasant situation and you will see help coming your way.
Do you desire to move from being mocked to being celebrated? Then turn to God. Do you want to operate in the miraculous? Turn to God. Have you been ignored and people are trying to push you out of relevance? Cry to God. Have people written you off as ‘never can succeed’? Cry to Jesus and you will see God arise to attend to your case. With God on your side, those arms of flesh who told you that without them you won’t make it will be the ones to ask you “WHO DID IT?” And you will be able to confidently reply them by saying “JESUS, OH MY GOD, WOW!”

Key Point:
When Jesus is your root, you can never be uprooted by the devil.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 32:22-34:31
Psalms 106:1-12

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE: SUNDAY 20th NOVEMBER 2016

THEME: THE VISION OF HEAVEN

Memorise:
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:7

Read: Revelation 21:1-7 (KJV)
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

MESSAGE:
You cannot overcome the trials and temptations of life, if you have not caught the vision of heaven. It is the vision of heaven that will encourage, stimulate and empower you to forge ahead as you violently take the Kingdom of God (Matthew 11:12). There is a popular saying: “What you see is what you get”. The underlying truth in this statement is that you cannot aspire for what has not been introduced into your consciousness. I told some of my children in a meeting many years ago, that the reason my father did not struggle to build a house with bathrooms and toilets was that he had never seen a house with toilets and bathrooms.
One of the secrets of the dogged determination of the early disciples to make it to heaven was that most of them saw a vision of heaven. This is the reason why Stephen for example, prayed that his executioners’ actions won’t be counted against them. He caught a vision of heaven with Jesus Christ giving him a standing ovation for being a hero of faith (Acts 7:55-56, 60)
In our Bible reading for today, another prominent leader of the early Church, John the beloved, saw the vision of heaven and narrated what he saw and heard. In heaven, there shall be no more death, sorrow, crying and pain. Having seen all these and heard a great voice out of heaven saying such pleasant things that shall soon come to pass, the Church was determined to lay down their lives for the sake of the Kingdom. As if that was not enough, Jesus Christ in Revelation 21:6-7 said:
“…. It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”
When a child of God sees a vision of heaven, he will not need much persuasion to do more than he is currently doing in the Kingdom business of soul-winning and holy living. The reason is that it is only those that overcome that shall inherit the beautiful heavenly Jerusalem. My life never remained the same ever since I started seeing my heavenly home. This is why I cannot be persuaded to slow down in the Kingdom business. Like Apostle Paul, I am still pressing towards the mark of the high calling of God. What about you?

Prayer Point:
Father, open my eyes to see a vision of heaven today in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 35:1-37:11 and Psalms 106:13-31

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE : TUESDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2016

THEME : DEALING WITH ANCESTRAL CURSES I

Memorise:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Galatians 3:13

Read: Colossians 2:14-18 (KJV)
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

MESSAGE:
Many people are suffering from curses which they know nothing about because the cause of the curses took place a very long time ago in their lineage. As a matter of fact, if you think you haven’t inherited any lineage curse, you should remember that of Adam and Eve, from who we inherited pain, hunger, sickness and death. We must deal with these curses if we want to live a meaningful and fulfilled life. In our memory verse for today, we are assured of a way of dealing with ancestral curses. Curses, including the one we inherited from Adam and Eve, are being dealt with by the work of redemption wrought by Jesus Christ, our Lord. He was made a curse for us so that we can be delivered from the terrible consequences of sin and curses. Christ was to be made a sin and a curse; He felt the agony of this exercise and played asking if the deal could be amended:
“And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless no my will, but thine, be done.”
Luke 22:41-42
Jesus Christ went to the Cross with the age-long curses upon humanity. However, Jesus endured to the end and cried “It is finished”, that is, the price of the curse has been paid in full. Hence, the human race was liberated. This is the reality which Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ described in Colossians 2:14-15
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
Beloved, if you want to effectively deal with the ancestral curses in your life, there is only one way and Jesus is that Way. He is the Lamb of God that is worthy to liberate you from the Devil. The Bible says He is the only One that is qualified to open the seal of freedom (Revelation 5:1-14). Today, I advise you to surrender your life totally to Jesus Christ if you have not done so. He will make a public show of those demonic influences hovering over your life and you will be free and blessed.

Prayer Point:
Father, I plead the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb that was slain for my deliverance and I break my link with my demonic past in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Genesis 40-41 and Psalms 107:1-9

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23 2016

THEME : DEALING WITH ANCESTRAL CURSES II

MEMORISE : Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; COLOSSIANS 2 : 14.

READ : COLOSSIAN 2 : 14 :
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

MESSAGE :
Ancestral curses are said to be in operation when a terrible problem persistently runs through generations with a family. For example, an uncontrollable anger or promiscuity may be noticed in a teenager and on investigation; such is traced to the parents and grandparents.
Many people today live under bondage as a result of their forefathers’ sins. Exodus 34 : 7 says :
“….visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”
However, the moment God comes into such lives, things change dramatically. When God is in control of your life, it will be evident through the tremendous peace that will calm your storms, but when the devil rules the life of an individual, there will be total confusion. 1 Corinthians 14 : 33 says God has nothing to do with confusion. When the devil takes over the life of a man, everything will turn upside down. Instead of wearing clothes, he will walk about naked. Instead of wearing decent clothes, he will put on rags. The one who finds it uncomfortable to wear decent clothes capable of covering his or her unclothedness surely has gone nuts.
In Luke 8 : 26 - 33, after Satan took control of the Gadarene man’s life, he left his bed for the graveyard. He abandoned decent clothes for rags. If one wears clothes that expose what should be covered, it is evident that such a fellow is losing his or her mind to the devil. This Gadarene demoniac began to inflict wounds on himself. He was crying out of pain yet couldn’t stop himself. When people engage in things that can destroy them, it means their heads are besieged. The warning that smoking is injurious to a man’s health is not enough to stop a smoker from indulging in the act because his head has been taken over by demons. Anyone who uses mind-bending substances such as Indian hemp, cocaine, alcohol, cigarette or powerful capsules is living in a spiritual graveyard. Besides, this man was violent, he could not be controlled. He rebelled against reason, he was wild. If you find it difficult to submit to authority or comply with simple rules, examine yourself. The state of the head is revealed by the conduct of the body. No matter how refined an individual is, if something is wrong with the head, it will show. What is the state of your head? Is it well with your head?

PRAYER POINT : Father, please completely destroy the power of ancestral curses in my life in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 42 - 43 AND PSALMS 107 : 10 - 22.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE: THURSDAY 24TH NOVEMBER 2016

THEME: DELIVERANCE MADE SIMPLE

Memorise:
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

Read: John 8:31-36
8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

MESSAGE:
Deliverance constitutes a serious challenge in many Christian circles. In my personal experience, I have discovered that demons bow out easily wherever there is the manifest presence of the Lord. Wherever that God is, there is an aura that is unmistakably evident; that aura is the Glory of His presence. For most people who have had a definite experience with God, it is only the glory of God that they could access. Only very few like Moses could go a little further.
The truth remains that the presence of God wields the same power as the Personality of God because where God's Presence is, God Himself is. Several things are possible in His presence, one of which is that idols and the powers behind them not only bow but also surrender. A classic example of this is documented in 1 Samuel 5:1-5. In this account, the nation of Israel fought the Philistines and God gave them into the hands of their enemies because of their disobedience, the Ark of the Covenant was captured and taken into the house of Dagon- the national diety of the Philistines.
This Dagon was a huge image, but it fell down before the Ark of the Convenant which represented the Presence of God. Initially, the priests of Dagon thought it was a mistake and put the image back up. But by the following morning, they were convinced beyond reasonable doubts that their idol was bowing to the God of gods.
Some Christians are afraid of entering into a shrine to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It only shows that they do not know what they have inside of them. If you know who you are carrying, there will be no need to fear any idol. If you truly carry the Glory of God and you step into a shrine, they will immediately fish you out and would be uncomfortable until you leave. If you don't leave, a lot of things will go wrong. In a local community where women were forbidden to go out during a particular Idol festival and men were equally harassed, a brother went to the headquarters of the idol worshippers at the peak of their festival to preach Jesus to them. These idol worshippers knew that it could only mean the brother carried a dangerous power for him to have the boldness to walk into their midst. Are you being threatened with some idol and you are afraid? If you are truly a child of God, you should be feared and not the other way round. Are U confronted with a demon possessed person that needs deliverance? Ask God to increase His presence in your life today and you will become a threat to demons.

Prayer Point:
Father, make me bold enough to preach the gospel even before demons in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 44-45
Psalms 107:23-32

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25 2016

THEME : GOD'S KIND OF LOVE

MEMORISE : Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. JOHN 15 : 13.

READ : JOHN 15 : 7 - 13 :
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

MESSAGE :
God is love; He dwells in love; He acts in love; He judges in love. Everything around God is love. In our text for the day, we are confronted with God's kind of love demonstrated through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ affirms the quality of God's kind of love that He represents when he said :
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" John 15 : 13.
Now, as beneficiaries of this great love, we are obliged to show this kind of love to our Maker and most importantly to our neighbours.
It is wisdom for us to love the One who loves us at least for two reasons. One; when we love someone that loves us, he keeps on loving us the more. Secondly, the love that is not reciprocated will grow sour. Even God stops loving those who do not return His love. Proverbs 8 : 17 says :
"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."
How can we love a God that we do not see? We can, by loving our neighbours, Matthew 25 : 35, 37, 40 says :
"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in... Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
John the beloved apostle went further to teach us how to love our God in practical terms 1 John 4 : 19 - 21 :
"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"
May the good Lord give us the grace to show our love to Him through our neighbours.

PRAYER POINT : Father, give me your own kind of love. I want to live for you and Your Church.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 46 - 47 AND PSALMS 107 : 33 - 43

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27 2016

THEME : A LIBERAL HEART?

MEMORISE : Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bossom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. LUKE 6 : 38.

READ : PROVERBS 11 : 25 :
25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

MESSAGE :
When it comes to giving, the truth of the matter is that what you give may leave your hand but it never leaves your life. It is to our own advantage to meet the needs of others around us. When you meet the needs of the Almighty God, He will in turn meet your needs. The truth is that God is the only one who doesn’t have a need. Whenever He tells you He has a need, it is only a strategy by Him to set you up for a miracle. Every child of God should have a liberal heart. You must be very generous in giving as you have been blessed by the Almighty God. When you sow into the lives of others, your soul shall be made fat with pleasure from God and will also be enriched with more grace. It is those who give more that receive more from God. In 1 Kings 17 : 8 - 16, God asked the widow to feed the prophet before taking care of herself. At the end of the day, what was not enough become more than enough. To what extent do you practice giving as an individual, family, church or nation?
Those who never give will continue to beg. If you desire to relocate from the side of begging to the side of giving, you have to become liberal. Everyone who would be a partner of Jesus Christ must learn to be a giver. There is nothing you give to God that the Almighty God will not reward you with much more. One thing the Lord makes very clear is that the harvest will always exceed the seed that was harvested. Harvests do not just come, they are planned for. You have to load the sky before it brings forth rain. There are people who are always waiting for the blessing of God when they have not done anything for God. You sow nothing, you reap nothing. Hence, famine is guaranteed for those who fail to sow.
You must never be tired of giving because the reward for your giving will never miss you. Solomon was a typical example of someone who was an ardent giver. No wonder God prospered him. God gave him more than he ever demanded. Some people believe that since they don’t earn much, it is not appropriate to sow; unfortunately, this is why such people remain low income earners. The widow of Zarephath had only one seed, yet she was wise enough to know the appropriate soil to sow the seed. Whenever you have the opportunity to sow, don’t just sow, you have to combine knowledge with the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit so that your seed will not be sown where it cannot be harvested.
There are rewards for the art of giving. The one who gives freely will be taken care of by God. The one who finds it difficult to give will also find it difficult to receive.

KEY POINT : Your life isn’t meaningful until you answer to the needs of others.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EXODUS 1 - 3 AND PSALMS 109 : 1 - 20

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
DATE : MONDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2016
THEME :
A FAITHFUL STEWARD?
Memorise:
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1st Corinthians 4:2
Read: Luke 16:1-8 (KJV)
1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
MESSAGE:
Faithfulness is another obligation that God requires of us as human beings and particularly as His children. God is faithful and He wants us to resemble Him with this attribute of faithfulness. In our text today, we read about a steward who was found unfaithful and the master was about to sack him, this unfaithful servant then went about from one debtor to another to falsify records in order to please his master. The efforts this steward put up to regain his master’s approval did nothing for the expansion of his master’s business, but the master still commended him. If the unfaithful servant could go to the extent he went in order to remain in service, why can’t the children of light go a greater extent to please our Father in heaven? The conclusion of our Bible reading says:
“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.”
Another lesson we can learn from this story is that your upward movement to the next level is predicated upon how well you perform in your present level of operation. Luke 16:11-12 says:
“If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteousnessmammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s who shall give you that which is your own?”
Beloved, the Lord is interested in promoting you. As a matter of fact, your promotion is long overdue. I am happy to announce to you that this is your time, however, what are you doing with your present level of position? Are you productive or you are hoarding your ideas so that you can have something to use when you come to a leadership position? You are just destroying and delaying your progress if this is your attitude. To be faithful simply means to be full of faith. Do you have faith in the organisation you are working with? You will not be at your best if you don’t have faith in that organisation you work with? Proverbs 22:29 says:
“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings he shall not stand before mean men.”
Daniel was a typical faithful steward. This is how he survived four generations of rulers – Nebuchadnezzar,Darius, Cyrus and Belshazzar. The faithfulness of Mordecai saved the entire Jewish race during the reign of Ahasuerus. My prayer is that you will be highly favoured by the virtue of your faithfulness in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point :
Father, I want to be faithful, please take away from me the spirit of unfaithfulness in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Exodus 4:1-6:13 and Psalms 109:21-31

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 29 2016

THEME : FEARLESS MESSENGER

MEMORISE :
Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the Lord. JEREMIAH 1 : 8.

READ : JEREMIAH 1 : 4 - 10 :
4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

MESSAGE :
There are different ways by which God can send His word to His people. The Word Of the Lord came unto Jeremiah telling him to fear not the faces of the people He was sending him to bless the message He has given him would not be pleasant message for them. Same was the account of Jonah when he was given a message to the people of Nineveh. The message of God to his children is always in various form. It contains doctrine, reproof,correction and instruction on righteousness ( 2 Timothy 3 : 16 ). It is always difficult for man to be confronted with his errors and wicked ways, and this was the assignment that God gave prophet Jeremiah. How I wish there are many prophet Jeremiahs in our land, there would be more revival in our land. Prophets like Jeremiah who will call a spade a spade and not water down the Word of God because of the faces of the people. You cannot entangle yourself with the affairs of this world and still deliver the message of God without bias. There are many men of God who are afraid of the people God is sending them to. The God we serve has not given us the spirit of fear but of boldness and soundness of mind.
You have to be fearless in preaching the Word of God. You must be instant in season and out of season. We live on a time when people do not listen to absolute truth of Gods Word. People are very selective about the kind of messages they listen to. Do you receive the Word with gladness each time the Word points you to the cross? 2 Timothy 4 : 3 says :
" 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;"
God wanted Jeremiah to warn the people about the punishment to come if they would not repent from their ways of wickedness. God told Jeremiah to inform those who were proud and wicked, that the rod of affliction was coming on them. The essence of this message to the people was for them to purge themselves from unrighteousness. Each time the Word of God comes to you, it is an opportunity to amend your ways before it is too late. God wants you to be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for His use so that you can be prepared for every good work.
Whatever assignment God has given to you,do not be afraid. You will meet oppositions and enemies but you can be sure God is by your side. They may look big, but they are not bigger than the One who sent you. God will always deliver you out of the hand of persecutors. He will not only stand by you as you deliver the Word, He will deliver you from every trouble in the course of the assignment. When God sends you a message, He also backs you with His power. They may not like your face, but you can be sure that once you have declared the counsel of God to them, at the point of judgement; you will not be responsible for their blood.

KEY POINT :
If God be for you who can be against you?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EXODUS 6 : 14 - 8 : 32 AND PSALMS 110 - 111.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30 2016

THEME : MERCY OR JUDGMENT?

MEMORISE : Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. PSALMS 32 : 1.

READ : JOHN 8 : 10 - 11 :
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

MESSAGE :
The story of the woman caught in the act of adultery is typical of the mercy of God and it was in direct contradiction with the judgement of the old era which did not give remedy to the spiritual problem of the people. Psalms 130 : 3 - 4 says :
“If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”
This passage is a pointer to the fact that mercy is the preferred alternative to judgment. No matter how perfect you may think you are, you do not need to be asked whether you want to give consideration to judgment when there is room for mercy. However, mercy does not come on a platter of gold. The number one thing you must do to obtain mercy is to repent. Proverbs 28 : 13 says :
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
Another factor that can earn you mercy in the place of judgment is your love for God. This love you have for God will prevent you from continuing in sin against Him. Exodus 20 : 5 - 6 says :
“….for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto them third and fourth generation of the that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ corroborates what His Father says in the scripture above when He demands love and practical demonstration of it from his followers. He said in John 14 : 21 :
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, land will manifest myself to him.”
Beloved, if indeed, you prefer mercy to judgment, you will choose to love God. To love God requires keeping His commandments. Finally, if you want mercy in the place of judgment, you need to humble yourself before God, acknowledging the fact that you are nothing without Him.

PRAYER POINT : Father, please show me mercy in the place of judgment. Help me to love you with all my heart.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EXODUS 9 : 1 - 10 : 20 AND PSALMS 112

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE: THURSDAY 1ST DECEMBER
2016

THEME: HIS EARS ARE NOT DULL

Memorise:
Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands. Job 14:15

Read: Isaiah 59:1-3
1:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3:3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

MESSAGE:
Alienation or banishment is a form of punishment in which a guilty person is expelled from a region and forbidden to return. Alienation is commonly used by God in the Bible to cut off sinners from His presence. A good example is the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden as a result of their disobedience to God. I pray that you will never do anything that will cause God to cut you off from His Presence in Jesus’ name. Isaiah 59:1-2 says:
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
Christians today are daily challenging God by constantly indulging in acts that are clearly recorded as reasons for alienation in the Bible. For example, some people intentionally dress scantily on the street. Can you imagine somebody purchasing a nice pair of trousers, and deliberately using a blade to rip it to shreds before certifying it ‘fit’ to wear? If you cannot clearly spell out what passes as decent Christian dressing for yourself and your household, then you are the one to be held responsible for the loose behaviour and excesses of your family members. This is tantamount to an open invitation to alienation or banishment from the Presence of God, which explains why some Christians suffer unexplained attacks from the devil. The Presence of God departs from such Christians, making them an easy target in the hands of the devil and his agents. May the Lord deliver every child of God in this category today in the Name of Jesus.
Indeed, the Lord’s Hands are not shortened, neither are His ears heavy that He cannot hear our cry for help. Sin is always responsible for alienation from God. In what ways has your weakness, carelessness, and nonchalant attitude contributed to sin and immorality in your family or the Church of God? Repent and make amends today before it is too late.

Prayer Point:
Father, please help me to commit myself to a life of holiness and righteousness in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Exodus 10:21-12:42
Psalms 113

OPEN HEAVENS BY PASTOR. E. A. ADEBOYE

MONDAY 5TH DECEMBER, 2016

DON’T BURY YOUR TALENT

MEMORISE:
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6

READ:
Matthew 25:24-29
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Exodus 20:1-22:15 and Psalms 117

MESSAGE:
God ordained seedtime and harvest not just to mark time, but as a life principle. He also gave varying degrees of talents to every human being as a form of heavenly investment. Consequently, every legitimate human task, however menial it may seem, is of intrinsic worth and a potential means of glorifying God.
God expects us to use our God-given talents and abilities profitably. I once told my children that if they understand the natural farming process with the scriptural principles on sowing and reaping, entering into their harvest will be a work-over, because they will know what to sow, how to sow it and how to water the seed sown in order to have their desired harvest. In essence, they will know how to profitably use their talents for the progress of God’s kingdom. When the Holy Ghost Service congregation grew beyond what I could handle all by myself, I chose seven elders to assist me. I gave each of them a neck tie I had used during previous ministrations, and asked them to wear them as mantle from me. Each time they wore them while ministering, there were records of miracles, signs and wonders. But then, I also observed that I began to harvest neckties from close associates and friends who travelled to South Africa, London or America. I became curious about the fact that whenever anyone brought me a gift, it was a neck tie. So I asked God why. The Lord said; “Son, if you sow ties, you will reap ties.” Then I realised that I was receiving the harvest of the ties I gave out. So I began to sow shoes to pastors who shared the same shoe size with me. After giving out several of them, some of which were my best, I waited the first and second months but no shoe gift came from anywhere. Worried over the delay, I asked God why the harvest was yet to come and He taught me another lesson. He said; “Son, if you plant maize, you can harvest it within three months, but if you plant yam, you will have to wait a little longer. Shoes are more valuable than ties; the greater the quality of the seed you have sown, the longer you will have to wait for its harvest. Since you have planted shoes, you will have to wait a little longer, but the moment the harvest begins, it will not stop.”
When the harvest came, I got shoes of different sizes, colours and levels of sophistication.Have you sown a seed? Your harvest will come. If you have sown quality seeds, give it time to mature, if you are impatient with your seed, you cannot obtain its full potentials. On the other hand, sow quality seeds; sow only what you want to reap. It is wrong to expect a harvest from where you have not sown. Have you sown towards your desired harvest?

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me sow towards my desired harvest.

OPEN HEAVENS BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

TUESDAY 6TH DECEMBER, 2016

LOVE: AN ANTIDOTE FOR DEATH

MEMORISE:
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 1st John 3:14

READ:
1 John 3:9-11
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 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.
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR :
Exodus 22:16-24:18 and Psalms 118

MESSAGE:
The first attribute that becomes noticeable in a genuinely born-again child of God is the love for God and humanity. Every converted and renewed child of God operates under the control of the Holy Spirit, he is fully aware of new spiritual experiences and desires, as the Holy Spirit kick-starts the work of character restoration in him. A loving relationship between a Christian and Jesus therefore provides the most credible evidence of the grace of God at work in the life of a believer. God.
We all know that true lovers always enjoy each other’s company and fellowship. When one lover has an opportunity to spend time with the other, and for any reason misses that opportunity, he becomes sad. God loves to fellowship with man and this has been so from the very beginning. God created man to fellowship with Him; this is the major reason why He created us in His image. He enjoyed coming to meet and fellowship with Adam in the cool of the day. How He cherished it! It became a daily appointment which He never missed. Then imagine His disappointment when He came one day and Adam was nowhere to be found. After that, God needed another person continue from where Adam had stopped. He kept searching until He found Enoch. Genesis 5:24 says:
“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him.”
Enoch walked with God for at least 300 years! The fellowship was so intense that death could not touch him. God had to call him to glory to continue the fellowship there. The reverse is the case for anyone that hates God. Proverbs 8:36 says:
“But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.”
Indeed, love is an antidote for death, if you truly love God and obey His commandments, death will be far away from you. Do you love God? Do you have a regular time to fellowship with God? Some believers do not have a standing altar of fellowship with God as a family. This is wrong; God wants to be intimate with you. Open yourself and your whole household to God, and create time for regular fellowship with Him today.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me to love You with all my heart, soul and spirit in Jesus’ name.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE : WEDNESDAY 7 DECEMBER 2016

THEME : PARENTS! LEAD THE WAY

Memorise:
Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Read: Psalms 127:3-5 (KJV)
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

MESSAGE:
Discipline in the family happens when parents lovingly correct and train their children in accordance with the Word of God, so that they may grow up in the way of the Lord. The type of relationship that exists between parents and their children determines whether the children will be disciplined or not. When a servant misbehaves, you may ignore his offence but when a son or daughter commits the same offence, they should not get away with it. God.
It is the goal of every reasonable parent to ensure that their children are better versions of themselves. On the other hand, some parents are extreme; they don’t discipline, but crush their children. Being high-handed is applying discipline the other way round. Matthew 5:48 says, we should be as perfect as our Heavenly Father; God wants us to be as good as Himself. Jesus, the Prince of Peace wants us to be even better; hence, He says we will do greater works than He did. My joy as the General Overseer of the RCCG is in seeing my spiritual children excel and achieve greater heights than myself. I decree into the lives of everyone using this devotional right now, you will excel in all that you lay your hands on and you will achieve greater heights than myself in Jesus’ name.
Meanwhile, children are naturally naughty, that is why Proverbs 22:15 says:
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”
Since Adam’s fall, this has been the trend. You do not need to teach a child to be angry before he or she manifests it, even at infancy. It is innate. So when a father wants his child to become like him, he would have to employ his rod of correction. How often do you correct your children? Proverbs 29:15 says any child left to himself will bring shame to the parents and Proverbs 29:17 says the child that is disciplined will give joy and peace to the parents.
Don’t over pamper your children. Don’t spoil them by using love as an excuse. Many ladies do not know how to cook or handle domestic chores because their parents left everything to the house-help. You are undoing your children if you deny them good home training and discipline. You owe it to your children to discipline them. If you fail to give it to them, the result of their indiscipline will haunt you here on earth and you will have a case to answer in heaven.

Prayer Point:
Father, please don’t let me disappoint You over my children in Jesus’ name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Exodus 25-26 and Psalms 119:1-16

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

FRIDAY DECEMBER 9 2016

THEME : IT IS TIME TO OVERFLOW II

MEMORISE : Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 JOHN
1 : 2.

READ : EXODUS 23 : 25 :
25 And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

MESSAGE :
From our Bible reading for today, we see a positive relationship between our service to God, what we eat and our health. Christians are supposed to overflow in health, so much that when we touch sick people, they become healed.
Many Christians joke with their service to God, no wonder they fall sick. I thank God and give Him all glory for my life; ever since I sold myself out to the service of God, He has been my only Doctor. I remember vividly well how I used to battle with malaria helplessly, until one day when I decided to enter into an agreement with God, I told Him to heal me of malaria permanently and I will serve Him, and malaria has been a stranger to me since then. When you serve God wholeheartedly,He will ensure that no sickness stays in your body.
Another reason why some Christians are sick is because of what they eat. Our Bible reading for today says that God will bless your food and water and you will not fall sick, but many don’t ask God to bless their food before eating it. Also, God cannot bless what He has not approved of. Our Body is His temple, and anything that can destroy His temple is not approved by Him. We must keep away from junk food, over eating, unhealthy eating habits and the likes. God does not approve of food or drinks that are injurious to our health. Eat more of fresh vegetables and fruits. Eat the right quantity at the right time of the day. Stop overeating. Stay fit, exercise regularly. Some Christians quote Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4 : 8.
“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
Yes it is true that bodily exercise profits a little, however, that little must not be done away with. We must take care of God’s temple so that it can be available for Him to use when He needs it.

KEY POINT : Pay attention to your health, God prefers you healthy than sick.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EXODUS 29 : 1 - 30 : 21 AND PSALMS 119 : 33 - 48.

Well done sir, you are doing a great job here, God will continue to renew your strength in Jesus name. God bless you.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

DATE : SATURDAY 10th DECEMBER 2016

THEME : BETHEL: HEAVEN’S GATE

Memorise:
And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Beth-el. Genesis 35:15

Read: Genesis 35:1-7 (KJV)
1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.
7 And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

MESSAGE:
Bethel is the house of God, a place where God dwelled with His people. Over time, the Bible redefined the true place of worship to be the heart of man. Today therefore, Bethel could be said to represent the house of God, the true place of worship, or the dwelling place of God. The Samaritan woman by the well asked a million-dollar question from Jesus about the location of the heavenly approved place of worship. Jesus answered by saying that the time has come when the location is not of utmost importance to God anymore. John 4:23 says:
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
The realization that man is the dwelling place of God should be taken seriously by every Christian. Several passages in the Bible confirm this truth. 1st Corinthians 6:19 says:
“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
The freedom and liberty granted to Christians at conversion does not translate to ownership and absolute authority over ourselves as some erroneously think. Brethren, you are not your own, you belong to God your creator, you owe your allegiance to Him and you will do well to live your life with that consciousness. This will help you to be conscious of what you do with your body. It will help you to avoid anything that could abuse the body such as sexual immorality, indecent exposure, drug abuse, alcoholism, etc. it will also help you to watch what you consume or take into your body such as literature, audio and video contents. Realizing that your body is the temple of God will also affect the type of company that you keep and where you go.
More importantly, 1st Corinthians 3:17 says:
“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
Children of God should avoid doing anything that can defile them. In addition to the things mentioned above, engaging in any form of cosmetic reconstruction of the body in order to change or improve one’s complexion, sexual orientation, or appearance, is a defilement of God’s temple.

Prayer Point:
Father, please let Your fire wake me up to my responsibility in Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Exodus 30:22-33:6 and Psalms 119:49-64