OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: WEDNESDAY 11TH OCTOBER 2017
THEME: BE OF GOOD CHEER
Memorise:
A merry heart maketh a cheerful
countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the
spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13
Read: Matthew 14:23-27
14:23 And when he had sent the multitudes
away, he went up into a mountain apart to
pray: and when the evening was come, he
was there alone.
14:24 But the ship was now in the midst of
the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind
was contrary.
14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night
Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
14:26 And when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for
fear.
14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto
them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not
afraid.
Message:
The message in today’s memory verse is
food for thought for those children of God
who think that being sorrowful or morose
is a Christian virtue. A glooming spirit is of
the devil, who wants us to be in sorrow
continually. In contrast to this, God wants all
His children to be happy. The Holy Spirit in
Isaiah 61:3 said that God gives joy to the
sorrowful:
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil
of joy for mourning, the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness; that they might
be called trees of righteousness, the
planting of the Lord, that he might be
glorified.”
The Lord Jesus Christ, who came to
demonstrate the nature and character of
God, read the above scripture in a
synagogue on a certain day, and He
declared:
“This day is this scripture fulfilled in your
ears.” Luke 4:21b
By this declaration, as a child of God, you
should not live in sorrow anymore.
All through the course of Jesus’ earthly
ministry, one statement that was common
with Him was, “Be of good cheer”. In other
words, “Have a merry heart”. He continually
said this because He knew that a merry
heart results in a smiling face and is like
medicine to the body and soul (Proverbs
15:13, Proverbs 17:22). For example, in John
16:33, Jesus told the disciples to be of good
cheer because He had overcome the world.
This means that, as children of God, we
should not go about in life wearing a
sorrowful face in self-pity - not even when
we are confronted with the challenges of
life. In the story of the man afflicted with the
palsy, Jesus told him to be of good cheer
because his sins were forgiven (Matthew
9:2). In other words, "Son, although your
sins brought this sickness to your life, you
are now forgiven, and you are made whole."
I prophesy to you today, irrespective of the
agonising condition your past life has
brought into your present, the Lord will
redeem you today. You are forgiven by the
power of the atonement of Jesus Christ, and
you will be happy again in Jesus’ Name. In
today’s Bible reading, the disciples were in
the midst of the sea and its waves tossed
them here and there. In the midst of
palpable fear and despair, Jesus came to
them and rebuked their faithlessness,
before rebuking the destructive wind. He
then encouraged them to be of good cheer.
In like manner, the Lord is speaking to you
today that you will not drown in that
situation. Be cheerful because Emmanuel is
with you. Your joy shall come, and it shall
come in full measure in Jesus' Name.
Prayer Point:
Father, flood my heart with unspeakable joy
today and for ever more.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Corinthians 15-16
Daniel 5:13-28
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 4:
1.Through the love of God our Saviour,
All will be well;
Free and changeless is His favour,
All, all is well:
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us;
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
All must be well.
2. Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well;
Christ hath purchased full salvation,
All, all is well:
Happy still in God confiding;
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding;
Holy, through the Spirit’s guiding;
All must be well.
3. We expect a bright to-morrow,
All will be well;
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
All, all is well:
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
Then in living or in dying,
All must be well.

Prayer Points on Today's Open Heavens:
(Wednesday, October 11th, 2017) - BE OF
GOOD CHEER
1.Thank you, Jesus, for overcoming the
world on my behalf and for giving me
victory, through your blood, that was shed
at Calvary.
2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of
your glory, please, have mercy and forgive
me, in Jesus' name.
3.Father, let every spirit of bitterness,
unforgiveness and self-pity, in my life, be
consumed by your fire, in Jesus' name.
4.Father, let the source of every bitter water,
that has flown into my life dry up, in Jesus'
name.
5.Father, let every contrary and destructive
wind, blowing to sink the boat of my life, be
silenced forever, in Jesus' name.
6.Father, take me to that level of faith, that
will overcome all fears and anxieties, in my
life, in Jesus' name.
7.Father, I cast all my burdens, unto you,
please, come and give me rest over every
challenge that is causing me fear, in Jesus'
name.
8.Father, please, give me beauty for my
ashes and oil of gladness for my mourning,
in Jesus' name.
9.Father, give me the grace, to forget my
agonising past, and help me to move on in
life, with strong faith in your promises, for
my life, in Jesus' name.
10.Father, empower me to endure affliction
and to look beyond my present suffering,
unto the everlasting joy set ahead of me, in
Jesus' name.
11.Father, flood my heart with unspeakable
joy today, and forever more, in Jesus' name.
12.Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)
13.In Jesus' name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)
14.Thank you Father for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).
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