OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE:THURSDAY 20TH APRIL 2017

THEME: BACKSLIDER-lN-HEART ll

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: Judges 14:5-10

14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.

14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

14:7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

14:8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.

14:9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

14:10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

MESSAGE

Yesterday, we established that backsliding is a gradual process that remains hidden in the heart and only begins to manifest after it has gotten out of hand. In today's memory verse, we discover one factor that brings about backsliding: the love of the world. 1 John 2:15-16 says,
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

This Bible passage reveals the character of the love of this present world, by which the heart of Demas, a companion of Paul, was stolen away from the straight and narrow way (2 Timothy 4:10). How far have you been drawn away from the narrow path which you have been treading on for so long? ls the relativism philosophy of this present world doing great damage to the faith which you once had? How far have you been drawn away by the pleasurable things of life? My prayer for you is that the flre of the flrst love you had for Christ will be reignited, and that you will relate with God and the things of God like when you flrst believed in Him in Jesus' Name.

Taking a closer look at the life of Samson as a case study of the backslider-in-heart, one lesson we can learn from today's Bible reading is that the backslider-in-heart can still be preaching, ministering in songs, doing all kinds of work of the ministry, and even performing miracles, while in the process of backsliding. Although Samson was going down into abomination, when a lion roared against him, he responded with the same ability of the spirit he always had. Judges 14:6 says:
"And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done."

As if marrying a Philistine was not enough, on his next trip to Timnath, he went to admire the relics of his conquest, the carcass of a lion he had killed. Behold, the devil had set up a honeycomb right there in the carcass of the dead lion to ensnare him, and Samson fell for it,' even though he knew that a Nazirite must
not touch the dead body of an animal (Numbers 612-. Samson's stomach and
taste continued to lead him on his downward slide towards destruction, just as they did to Esau (Hebrews 12:1617). My prayer for you is that your appetite for the things of the world will not destroy you in Jesus' Name.

Prayer Point:

Father, don't let what I love destroy me, and don't let me love what would destroy me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 8-9
Jeremiah 16:14-17:13

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 11: l HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
no turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

My cross I'II carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'Il carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I'Il carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me,
The cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me,
The cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Prayer Points on Today's Open Heavens, ( Thursday, April 20th, 2017) - BACKSLIDER IN-HEART 2
1.Thank you, Father, for your mercies that endureth forever, and for your gifts, that are without repentance.
2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, have mercy and forgive me.
3.Father, please, give me the grace to keep my mind eternally focussed on you and your kingdom, in Jesus' name.
4.Father, do not allow me to be enticed or drawn away from the narrow way, by the mundane things of this world.
5.Father, remove from my heart the love of the world and the love for the things of the world, in Jesus' name.
6.Father, deliver me completely, from the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, in Jesus' name.
7.Father, don't let what l love, destroy me, and don't let me love, what would destroy me, in Jesus' name.
8.Father, reignite the first love that l had for Christ, again, in my life, in Jesus' name.
9.Father, help me to relate with you, and the things of the kingdom, as l did, when l first believed, in Jesus' name.
10.Father, help me not to abuse your grace in my life, so that grace, will not turn to disgrace for me, in Jesus' name.
11.Father, empower me to identify and overcome, every trap of the fowler, set to defile and destroy me, in Jesus' name.
12.Your Personal Petitions.
(Philippians 4:6)
13.In Jesus' name I pray.
(John 15:16)
14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).
#GodBlessOurNation :oPrayer Points on Today's Open Heavens, ( Thursday, April 20th, 2017) - BACKSLIDER IN-HEART 2
1.Thank you, Father, for your mercies that endureth forever, and for your gifts, that are without repentance.
2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, have mercy and forgive me.
3.Father, please, give me the grace to keep my mind eternally focussed on you and your kingdom, in Jesus' name.
4.Father, do not allow me to be enticed or drawn away from the narrow way, by the mundane things of this world.
5.Father, remove from my heart the love of the world and the love for the things of the world, in Jesus' name.
6.Father, deliver me completely, from the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, in Jesus' name.
7.Father, don't let what l love, destroy me, and don't let me love, what would destroy me, in Jesus' name.
8.Father, reignite the first love that l had for Christ, again, in my life, in Jesus' name.
9.Father, help me to relate with you, and the things of the kingdom, as l did, when l first believed, in Jesus' name.
10.Father, help me not to abuse your grace in my life, so that grace, will not turn to disgrace for me, in Jesus' name.
11.Father, empower me to identify and overcome, every trap of the fowler, set to defile and destroy me, in Jesus' name.
12.Your Personal Petitions.
(Philippians 4:6)
13.In Jesus' name I pray.
(John 15:16)
14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).
#GodBlessOurNation