OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY JUNE 26TH 2023

TOPIC: YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT GOD

MEMORISE:
"He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." - (Psalm 103:10)

READ: Luke 7:36-47 (KJV)

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner

40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

MESSAGE:
In (1 Kings 3:4), Solomon decided to give God a really special offering. He sacrificed 1,000 cattle. The priests must have been very surprised, but then Solomon considered the circumstances behind his birth and felt unworthy to be king. Ordinarily, Solomon should have been hated by all, but there he was, the one chosen to be king. He knew he did not deserve what he had received from God so he spared nothing when it came to thanking Him.

Many a time, you don't thank God enough because you think you deserve all that He has given you, but if you look closely, you would see that you are wrong. The day God pointed out to me that because I am not a child from the first wife of my father, I ought not to be used by Him according to the law, but that His mercy had found me usable, I became more humble in my thanksgiving. Isaiah 64:6 says:

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

If you think your blessings are a result of your hard work, you should go and see some people who are working far harder than you, yet are not rich. If you think your success thus far is based on how smart you are, you need to go to the asylum and see many brilliant people who have lost their minds. The fact that you can even wake up in the morning is enough reason to give thanks to God. Psalm 3:5 says, "I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me."

If you think deeply, you will see that you don't deserve any of the things that God has given to you. You will see that it is in Him that you live and move and even have your being (Acts 17:28). You will see that without Him, You can do nothing (John 15:5). I don't know about you, but as for me, I know that I would have been long gone if it wasn't for Him. I know that everything I am is as a result of His tender mercies towards me, so I will praise Him with all my heart. I will never hold back anything in giving Him thanks.

ACTION POINT:
Spend at least one hour just thanking God for all that you are and have today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PSALM 119

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 6 - I AM SO GLAD THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN

1. I am so glad that our Father in heaven
Tell of His love in the book He has given;
Wonderful things in the Bible I see;
This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.

REFRAIN:
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me,
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves even me.

2. Jesus loves me and I know I love Him;
Love brought Him down my lost soul to redeem;
Yes, it was love made Him die on the tree:
Oh, I am certain that Jesus love me.

3. In this assurance I find sweetest rest,
Trusting in Jesus I know I am blessed;
Satan, dismayed from my soul doth now flee,
When I just tell him that Jesus loves me.

4. Oh, if there's only one song I can sing,
When in His beauty I see the great King,
This shall my song in eternity be,
"Oh, what a wonder that Jesus loves me!"

5. If one should ask of me, how can I tell?
Glory to Jesus, I know very well!
God's Holy Spirit with mine doth agree,
Constantly witnessing Jesus loves me.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY JUNE 27TH 2023

TOPIC: WHAT/WHO DO YOU WORSHIP?

MEMORISE:
"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?" - (Ezekiel 14:3)

READ: Exodus 20:3-5 (KJV)

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

MESSAGE:

When you ask people who or what they worship they are most likely to tell you 'God', but then' many people are worshipping other things or persons apart from God. Some people worship their spouses, children, money, some their bellies, some their image on social media and, believe it or not, some worship their means of transportation. When I was in the grammar school, we had a teacher who had a bicycle that he loved so much. Whenever he got to a place that was muddy, he would get down from the bicycle and carry it across. He preferred for his feet to get dirty than his bicycle. He worshipped his bicycle.

Many come to God in prayers and get nothing from Him because He can see in their heart that there is an idol there. He knows that they only worship Him with their mouths, that their hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:. Since He is not their God, then He ignores them. If at all the Lord answers, He does so according to the idols in their hearts.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols. - (Ezekiel 14:4)

In Numbers 22:19-35, Balaam valued the treasures that the king promised him more than the instruction of God. After God had told him not to heed the king's call, he still went back to God when the servants came back to ask if he should go, so God answered him according to the idol in his heart, telling him to go. On his way, there was an angel waiting to kill him. Had it not been for the eyes of his donkey that were opened to see the angel, he would have been dead as a result of the idol of greed in his heart.

Our God is a jealous God. He said in Exodus 34:14, "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God".

The moment you regard anyone or anything above God, He will leave you alone and believe me honestly, the worst thing that can ever happen to a person is for God to leave him or her.

REFLECTION:
Do a thorough check on your heart and be honest with yourself. If there is something you regard higher than God, ask Him for mercy today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PSALMS 120-133

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 17 - PRAISE MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN

1. Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven,
To His feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing.
Alleluia! alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!

2. Praise Him for His grace and favour
To His people in distress.
Praise Him, still the same as ever,
Slow to chide and swift to bless.
Alleluia! alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness!

3. Father-like He tends and spares us,
Well our feeble frame He knows,
In His hand he gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes:
Alleluia! alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows!

4. Angels, help us to adore Him!
You behold Him face to face.
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space,
Alleluia! alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY, 28TH JUNE, 2023.

TOPIC: ENTERING GOD'S PRESENCE I

MEMORY VERSE
Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Isaiah 26:2

BIBLE READING
Psalms 24:3-6
[3]Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

[4]He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

[5]He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

[6]This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

MESSAGE
The Bible tells us in Psalm 100:4 that the entrance into God's presence has a gate. When you see a gate in a place, you know it is there so as to restrict access. Whatever is inside the place must be so valuable that they don't want any unauthorised person to have access to it. There are many treasures in the presence of God and not just anybody can enjoy them. One of such treasures is fullness of joy ( Psalm 16:11 ) and liberty ( 2 Corinthians 3:17 ). Anyone who has entered the presence of God will tell you that it is a place that you don't want to ever come out from. In 2 Corinthians 5:8, Apostle Paul said, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

The first criterion for accessing God's presence is holiness. God cannot stand sin. If you have any form of sin in your life, the gate into His presence will be shut against you. Psalm 24:3-4 says: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully."
Only those with clean hands and a pure heart can be allowed to ascend into the presence of the Lord. If your hands have been soiled with sin, forget about it. If your heart is not pure , if you habour impure thoughts in that heart, the gate into God's presence will be shut against you. "Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter." Psalms 118:19

The gates into the presence of God are called the gates of righteousness; if you are not righteous, you cannot go through. The One whose presence you want to enter is a holy God; you must be holy before you can get in there. Joseph had to shave and change his clothes before appearing before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:14); how much more when you want to enter the presence of the King of kings.

KEY POINT
To enter the presence of God, you must be holy.

BIBLE IN A YEAR
Psalms 134-140

HYMN 28 WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY STAIN

1. What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:
O precious is the flow That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know;
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2. For my pardon this I see:
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea:
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

3. Nothing can for sin atone:
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done:
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

4. This is all my hope and peace:
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness:
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY JUNE 29TH 2023

THEME: ENTERING GOD'S PRESENCE II

MEMORISE: Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. Psalms 50:23

READ: Psalms 118:19 -21

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:

20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

MESSAGE

Yesterday we identified righteousness as a precondition to access God's presence. Once a person has clean hands and a pure heart, he or she would be able to access God's presence with thanksgiving and praises as stated in Psalm 100:4:

Enter into his gates with thanksgivings, and into his court with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

If you try to get into His presence with complaints or even requests, the gate will not be opened to you. Only those who approach Him with thanksgiving are attended to. However, your thanksgiving will get you into His gates, but your praises will get you into His courts. Being in His courts is definitely a step higher than just getting into the gates. The keepers of the gates always check for how well you can praise God before they admit you in. If they see that you are not one who is willing to praise God, they will lock you out. David seemed to be talking to the keepers of the gate when he said in Psalm 118:19, "Open to me the gates of righteousness: l will go into them, and l will praise the LORD."

It is as though God had instructed them thus: "If anyone comes here with complaints or requests without thanksgiving or praise, don't open this gate for the fellow". I hat is why when Jesus was teaching us to pray in Luke 11:1-4, He said we are to start with, "Our Father who hath in heaven, hallowed be thy name". If you start your prayers that way, you are guaranteed access to the presence of God, where you can then present your requests.

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.

John 4:23

Since the Father seeks true worshippers, it means that whenever you worship Him, you draw down His presence to wherever you are. Psalm 22:3 says that He inhabits the praises of His children. You won't have to fill your heart with thanksgiving and praise.

ACTION POINT

Spend at least one hour just praising God today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 141-150

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: PRAISE HIM PRAISE HIM, OUR BLESSED REDEEMER

1 Praise him, praise him! Jesus, our blessed redeemer!

Sing, O earth, his wonderful love proclaim!

Hail him, hail him! Highest archangels in glory!

Strength and honor give to his holy name!

Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard his children.

In his arms he carries them all day long.

Refrain:

Praise him! Praise him! tell of his excellent greatness.

Praise him! Praise him! ever in joyful song.

2 Praise him, praise him! Jesus, our blessed redeemer!

For our sins, he suffered, and bled, and died.

He our rock, our hope of eternal salvation,

hail him, hail him! Jesus, the crucified.

Sound his praises, Jesus who bore our sorrows,

love unbounded, wonderful, deep, and strong. [Refrain]

3 Praise him, praise him! Jesus, our blessed redeemer!

Heavenly portals loud with hosannas ring!

Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever!

Crown him, crown him! prophet, and priest, and king!

Christ is coming, over the world victorious.

Power and glory unto the Lord belong. [Refrain]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY JULY 1ST 2023

THEME: PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

MEMORISE: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6

READ: Philippians 4:6 -7

6. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

PRAYERS:

Father, thank You for keeping me all through the first half of the year and for bringing me into the second half.

Father, thank You for Your love and covering over me and my loved ones.

Father, thank You for giving me a sound mind. Thank You for preserving me Lord.

Father, thank You for the strength to do all that l have to do. I acknowledge that You are the source of my strength. Thank You Lord.

Father, thank you for providing for me always. Thank You for being my source Lord.

Father, thank You for my salvation. Thank You for making me a part of Your family.

Father, thank You for my past, my present and future. Thank You for the glorious future You have placed ahead of me.

Father, thank You for my family members and all my loved ones.

Thank You for the gift of family.

Thank You Lord for Your mercy that is made available to me daily. Thank You Lord.

Father, thank You for all the battles You fight for me. I am deeply grateful to You for making me more than a conqueror.

Father, l am grateful for everyone in my local Church and the body of Christ as a whole. Thank You for not allowing the gates of hell prevail over us.

Your personal thanksgiving.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 4-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 17: PRAISE MY SOUL THE KING OF HEAVEN

1. Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
To his feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore his praises sing.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!

2. Praise him for his grace and favor
To his people in distress.
Praise him, still the same as ever,
Slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness!

3. Fatherlike he tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame he knows.
In his hand he gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet his mercy flows!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY JULY 3RD 2023

THEME: DIVINE HELP II

MEMORISE: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Matthew 15:28

READ: Matthew 15:22 -28

22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

MESSAGE

Divine help is comforting and assuring. It is however, not for everybody. Unless God is your Father, you may not be able to access divine help. In our Bible reading today, Jesus told the woman seeking His help that divine healing is reserved only for God's children so she was disqualified. Her faith in Jesus Christ however, eventually qualified her for divine help.

Therefore, you should ask yourself, "Am l a child of God?" Have l surrendered all to the Lord Jesus?" Placing all your faith in Jesus and surrendering your life to Him is the only way to access God and divine help (John 14:6).

Another vital requirement to access divine help is knowing exactly what you need help with. The woman in our Bible reading today was very clear about what she wanted and she got it as she persisted in her request, with all her faith in Christ Jesus. Bartimaeus is also an excellent example of someone who knew what he wanted God to do for him and got the divine help he sought (Mark 10:46-52).

It is also important to know where to seek for help. Beloved, where are you seeking help from? Many people seek for help from different sources - a man, rivers, mountains and so on. Everyone seeking help from other sources apart from the Almighty God will only have their sorrows multiplied as we see in Psalm 16:4.

You may be asking, “How do I seek divine help?” Jesus said: “Ask, and it shall be given you…” (Matthew 7:7). When asking the Lord for help however, don’t ask for things He has already empowered you to do yourself. For example, when God provides a job, don’t go to sleep and expect Him to do the work for you! There are however, many things that are beyond human capacity and the good news is that nothing is beyond God’s capacity. Ask Him for help with those things that no man can do for you. For example, only God can cause a woman without a womb to conceive and bring forth a set of twins. That was the testimony of a sister some years ago and I pray you will also experience unbelievable miracles, in Jesus’ name.

Beloved, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, you have His open invitation to ask for everything you want in faith and He will do them for you according to His will.

ACTION POINT

If God is truly your Father, go ahead and ask Him for what only He can do for you today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 12-14

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR

1 I need Thee ev'ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2 I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh. [Refrain]

3 I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain. [Refrain]

4 I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill. [Refrain]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY JULY 7TH 2023

TOPIC: DIVINE BLESSINGS III

MEMORISE:
“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” – (John 15:

READ: Luke 13:6-9 (KJV)

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

MESSAGE:
Many divine blessings are conditional. This is why there are many "ifs" in God's covenants with mankind. For instance, in Deuteronomy 28:1 God promised the children of Israel that He would bless them so much so that they would be above all nations of the earth, if they would hearken diligently to His voice and keep His commandments.

The primary purpose of divine blessings is to make the blessed fellow fruitful and a blessing to others. Fruitfulness however, is also one of the conditional blessings of God. The primary condition for fruitfulness is found in John 15:4:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

The question then is, "How can I abide in the Vine?" The answer is not far-fetched. You must first become a part of the Vine by responding positively to Jesus' call in Matthew 11:28-30. When you confess Him as your Lord and saviour, you become grafted into the Vine - the Lord Jesus Christ.

The next phase is to abide in Jesus. Abiding in Jesus means living according to His will. Jesus said in John 8:31, "...if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed". He also said in John 15:10, "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".

You can be fruitful spiritually, like Peter who preached one sermon and 3000 souls were won into the kingdom of God (Acts 2:38-41) or Paul, who God healed many sick people through his apron and handkerchiefs (Acts 19:11-12). You can also be fruitful materially, as in the case of Isaac, who became so wealthy that a whole nation began to envy him (Genesis 26:14-17). Furthermore, you can also be fruitful physically such that in your old age, you would remain strong, as in the case of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:7).

Beloved, as we read in our Bible text today, it is dangerous to be unfruitful. You will experience all-round fruitfulness if you surrender your life to Jesus and live according to His will for the rest of your life.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please cause me to experience all-round fruitfulness, in Jesus' name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PROVERBS 24-26

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 30 - WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

1. When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

REFRAIN:
Trust and obey!
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

2. But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay,
For the favour He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

3. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we'll walk by His side in the way,
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY, 8TH JULY, 2023.

TOPIC: THE HOPE OF GLORY

MEMORY VERSE
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2

BIBLE READING
Romans 5:1-5
[1]Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

[2]By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God

[3]And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

[4]And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

[5]And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

MESSAGE
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27. The Bible says in Hebrews 11 : 6 that one cannot please God without faith. For anyone to have the hope of glory, the fellow must choose correctly whom he or she would serve. (Joshua 24:15). It takes faith to choose rightly, according to our memory verse for today.

Through faith in the Living God, we are justified as the redeemed of the Lord - Jesus being the Author and Finisher of our Faith. He came to save us through His death, by the washing away of our sins with His blood. This is why the Bible says: "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. But now is Christ from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." 1 Corinthians 15 : 13-14, 20.
The Scripture above is the basis for our hope of glory. The Scripture further says, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable" (1 Corinthians 15:19). This is why as Christians, we should not despair even in tribulation because of the assurance of glory we have in Christ.

Our hope of glory is not an empty hope, according to Revelation 21 : 1-7, which assures us of a new heaven and a new earth where there shall be no more pain, sorrow, lack, sickness or death. Death shall be swallowed in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54).
Therefore, beloved, to have this hope in you, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour today. If you have accepted Christ, ensure you do not look back because Jesus said: "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God" Luke 9:62.
I pray the Almighty God keeps us all in Him to the end in Jesus' name.

PRAYER POINT
Thank the Lord for the hope of glory and ask Him to help you remain steadfast to the end.

BIBLE IN A YEAR
Proverbs 27-29

HYMN 6 I AM SO GLAD THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN

1. I am so glad that our Father in Heaven
Tells of His love in the Book He has given;
Wonderful things in the Bible I see,
This is the dearest that Jesus loves me.

Refrain
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me.
I am so glad that Jesus loves me,
Jesus loves even me.

2. Jesus loves me and I know I love Him;
Love brought Him down my lost soul to redeem;
Yes, it was love made Him die on the tree:
Oh, I am certain that Jesus loves me.

3. In this assurance I find sweetest rest,
Trusting in Jesus, I know I am blessed;
Satan, dismayed, from my soul now doth flee,
When I just tell him that Jesus loves me.

4. Oh, if there's only one song I can sing,
When in His beauty I see the great King,
This shall my song through eternity be,
"Oh, what a wonder that Jesus loves me!"

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY JULY 9TH 2023

THEME: THE WISDOM OF GOD

MEMORISE: Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:25

READ: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

MESSAGE

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). He declared in Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. Luke 4:18

It then follows that anyone who embraces the gospel of Jesus Christ is wise. However, the word of God cannot be understood through logical reasoning. For instance, Jesus preached that whoever will have his life must first lose it for His sake (Mark 8:35). He also declared that for us to find rest for our souls, we must take His yoke upon us. How can yoke-carrying bring rest to the soul of the carrier? This is why many scientists and philosophers struggle to accept and believe the word of God. For example, l was personally caught in this web in my early Christian walk concerning tithing. "How can 90% be enough when even the entire 100% was never enough for me?" I queried then. Thanks be to God that l know better now.

The good news is that Acts 10:38 testifies that Jesus Christ went about preaching and His preaching brought all forms of deliverance to those who listened and came to Him (Matthew 21:14).

Beloved, do you believed the Gospel? The Gospel is the good news of how Jesus came to this world to save all sinners (1 Timothy1:15). This is the wisdom of God hidden in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Come to Him today to receive His Wisdom and your life will not remain the same.

What are your needs? He has promised that if you seek His kingdom and righteousness first, He will add all these things you need to you (Matthew 6:33). Accept God's wisdom, take him at His word, and He will never let you down.

PRAYER POINT
Thank God for giving you access to His wisdom.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 30-31

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 31: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love!
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love!
Wake the immortal strain.
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, O won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love!

Refrain:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful story, Wonderful story of love!

2. Wonderful story of love!
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love!
Still he doth call today.
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation;
Wonderful story of love!

3 . Wonderful story of love!
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love!
For all the pure and blest;
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus;
Wonderful story of love!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY JULY 10TH 2023

TOPIC: EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS 1

MEMORISE:
“And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the Kings like unto thee all thy days.” – (1 Kings 3:13)

READ: 1 Kings 3:4-15 (KJV)

4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

MESSAGE:
An expectation is a strong belief that something will happen, especially when all other things are equal. For example, all other things being equal, a worker will be paid his salary at the end of the month. In other words, this expectation will not be realised if that worker suddenly quits his or her job before the end of the month. The good news is that any expectation based on the promises of the Almighty God to you shall come to pass, provided you remain steadfast in following and obeying Him.

In our memory verse of today, the Lord exceeded Solomon's expectations. Solomon had asked for wisdom to be able to rule God's people excellently, but to his amazement, God added some things to his expectation of wisdom.

And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the Kings like unto thee all thy days. (1 Kings 3:13)

I remember expecting God to give me a modest apartment to live in after I became the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, but He exceeded my expectations by promising me a city. Currently, the Redemption Camp, though still expanding, is comparable to a city. To experience something exceeding your expectations, to get more than you hoped for, you must excel in your commitment to the Almighty God - the only One who can exceed your greatest expectations.

You must set yourself apart in holiness if you want to experience blessings that will exceed your expectations. For example, you may be asking for the position of a High Chief whereas God may want to make you a King. You may be seeking to be elected as a senator and end up becoming the President of your country. What can God not do? Absolutely nothing. God can easily exceed your expectations as long as you are on His side in holiness and righteousness.

KEY POINT:
Only God can exceed your greatest expectations.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ECCLESIASTES 1-4

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 21 - STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

1. Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

REFRAIN:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises of God.

2. Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

3. Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love's strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

4. Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List'ning ev'ry moment to the Spirit's call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY, 11TH JULY, 2023.

TOPIC: EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS II

MEMORY VERSE
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

BIBLE READING
Ephesians 3:20-21
[20]Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

[21]Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

MESSAGE
We started examining 'Exceeding Expectations' yesterday and found out that the Almighty God is the only One who can truly exceed your greatest expectations. My Daddy is All-Sufficient and limitless. He has so much that after He has blessed someone, the fellow's cup would run over ( Psalm 23 : 5 ). Today, we shall continue to look at the Almighty God exceeding our expectations beyond our human imagination. The Bible says: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19. The above Scripture reveals one fact that divine supplies are based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. The reason is that Jesus paid the price of blessing of those who put their trust in Him. The Bible says: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." 2 Corinthians 8 : 9.

In our text for today, we are assured that the Almighty God is more than able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we may ask or think. Hence, we must give Him the glory all the time.
Our Lord offers us classic example the blessing we receive when we give Him all the glory, honour and thanksgiving, through what He did before five loaves and two pieces of fish became more than enough to feed five thousand people - He gave thanks (John 6: 11-14). It was indeed a clear case of exceeding the expectations of the disciples and everyone present there. This is why Moses admonished the children of Israel to always remember the God who gave them the power to become exceedingly wealthy (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Remembering God is remembering to do according to His commandments. Beloved, if you truly believe Him, He will exceed all your expectations in Jesus' name.

PRAYER POINT
Thank God for what seems not to be enough and He will make it exceedingly more than enough.

BIBLE IN A YEAR
Ecclesiastes 5-8

HYMN 27 WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS
1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer!

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll take and shield you;
You will find a solace there.

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY JULY 12TH 2023

THEME: DIVINE INTERVENTION

MEMORISE: Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. Exodus 3:10

READ: 2 Chronicles 20:21 -24

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

MESSAGE

The accounts of Genesis reveal that at a point in time, the world was formless and chaotic, however, the reason for this is not our concern in today's devotion. Rather, we want to see why divine intervention is necessary in the affairs of men. For example, when the children of Israel found themselves in slavery, they cried to the God of their fathers.

Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and l have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Exodus 3:9

In response to their cry, there was a divine intervention which delivered them from slavery to King Pharaoh (Exodus 6:6). This type of situation is not peculiar to the children of Israel alone; people have been subjected to serious attacks, frustration and untold hardship from generation to generation. The reason is found in the book of Revelation - how the devil came to the world in great fury to wreak havoc on earth's inhabitant (Revelation 12:12). Unless God intervenes as He did in Genesis, human life can be extremely miserable.

In today's text, three king ganged up against the tribe of Judah. Jehoshaphat - the King of Judah, however, cried to the Lord for divine intervention, knowing that there was no way he could win the battle against just one of the three kings, not to mention the joint forces of all three. The Lord responded and said:

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
2 Chronicles 20:17

The Lord intervened and the battle was decided in favour of King Jehoshaphat and his people. The Lord will intervene in your situation today, in Jesus' name. However, be ready to align yourself with God Almighty through Jesus Christ His Son. Be ready to worship God in holiness and make this your lifestyle.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please intervene in my situation today as You did for Jehoshaphat and the children of Judah.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ecclesiastes 9-12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 14: O WHAT A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL DAY

1 Oh What A Wonderful Wonderful Day
Day I Will Never Forget
After I’d Wandered In Darkness Away
Jesus My Saviour I Met
Oh What A Tender Compassionate Friend
He Met The Need Of My Heart
Shadows Dispelling With Joy I Am Telling
He Made All The Darkness Depart

Chorus

Heaven Came Down And Glory Filled My Soul
When At The Cross The Saviour Made Me Whole
My Sins Were Washed Away
And My Night Was Turned To Day
Heaven Came Down And Glory Filled My Soul

2 Born Of The Spirit With Life From Above
Into God’s Family Divine
Justified Fully Thru Calvary’s Love
Oh What A Standing Is Mine
And The Transaction So Quickly Was Made
When As A Sinner I Came
Took Of The Offer Of Grace
He Did Proffer He Saved Me
Oh Praise His Dear Name

Chorus

3 Now I’ve A Hope That Will Surely Endure
After The Passing Of Time
I Have A Future In Heaven For Sure
There In Those Mansions Sublime
And It’s Because Of That Wonderful Day
When At The Cross I Believed
Riches Eternal And Blessings Supernal
From His Precious Hand I Received

Chorus

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY, 13TH JULY, 2023.

TOPIC: CARING FOR THE NEEDY

MEMORY VERSE
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10

BIBLE READING
Matthew 25:34-40
[34]Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

[35]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:

[36]Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

[37]Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

[38]When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

[39]Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

[40]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.

MESSAGE
It is a fact that every human being, no matter how intelligent or highly placed, would at one time or the other require assistance to deal with some circumstances. Such a situation that renders a person of great means incapacitated is usually the type that money, authority and influence cannot resolve. At such times, the person is left with the option of calling for divine intervention through desperate prayers to the Almighty God. I pray that as you call on the name of the Lord in the day of trouble, He will answer you by fire in Jesus' name.
If you want your prayers to be answered however, you have a responsibility to the poor and needy around you. Our memory verse for today says as we have opportunity, we should be a blessing to all human beings, especially those of the household of faith. Anyone who heartlessly disregards the needs of the weak and helpless is wicked. Such will be ignored in the day of trouble, no matter how desperately they cry for help ( Proverb 21:13 ).

The point of today's devotional is that we have a responsibility to care for the needy around us. When was the last time you helped the needy around you? When was the last time you made sacrifices in order to meet the needs of other people? Remember, the Bible cited the care for others as one of the conditions for making heaven as we saw in our Bible reading today. Our Lord Jesus described how His followers who feed the hungry, are hospitable to strangers, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit prisoners will be blessed by God and granted eternal life. He went further to say that in as much as these good deeds are done to any of His brethren, it is considered that the acts were done to Him directly and vice versa.
All believers and the Church as a whole must not leave the poor and needy at the mercy of the government The Body of Christ must not fail in our responsibility to care for the less privileged among us. Remember, if you know how to do good but do not do it, it would be counted unto you as a sin (James 4:17).

ACTION POINT
Join me to praise the Lord as my wife - a woman completely given to the care of the needy - marks her birthday today.

BIBLE IN A YEAR
Song of Solomon 1-4

HYMN 4 BE GLAD IN THE LORD AND REJOICE

1. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice,
All ye that are upright in heart;
And ye that have made him your choice,
Bid sadness and sorrow depart.

Refrain
Rejoice, rejoice!
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice!
Rejoice, rejoice!
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice!

2. Be joyful, for He is the Lord,
On earth and in heaven supreme;
He fashions and rules by His word;
The Mighty and strong to redeem

3. What though in the conflict for right
Your enemies almost prevail,
God's armies, just hid from your sight,
Are more than the foes which assail.

4. Though darkness surround you by day,
Your sky by the night be o'ercast,
Let nothing your spirit dismay,
But trust till the danger is past.

5. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice,
His praises proclaiming in song;
With harp, and with organ and voice
The loud hallelujahs prolong!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY JULY 19TH 2023

TOPIC: THE STORM STILLER III

MEMORISE:
“And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep Not.” – (Luke 7:13)

READ: Mark 4:35-41 (KJV)

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

MESSAGE:
The greatest storm of life is untimely death. The good news is that the Storm Stiller has power over death. The Bible says:

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? - (John 11:25-26)

The story behind our memory verse is a pointer to the fact that Jesus indeed is the only One who can still all storms of life, including the most devastating one - death. There was a widow who was left with only one son. The storm of death had taken away her husband and returned to take her only son as well. As the child was being carried away for burial, the woman and the people bearing the corpse encountered the Storm StiIler. The Bible records that:

And he came and touched the bier; and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. (Luke 7:14)

Beloved, I bring good news to you today: the storm of untimely death will not rage in your family. As Jesus stilled the storm on the sea, so shall every devastating storm be stilled today, in Jesus' name.

Jesus is the only answer to the storm of death. The Bible says:

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil: And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. - (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Beloved, you do not need to be afraid of death because Jesus Christ has conquered death for us; because He lives, death shall have no power over us again. You do not need to join secret societies or engage in voodoo for fear of death. Romans 6:9 assures us that death has no control over Christ; if you're His child, death can have no control over you either.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, never let me or any member of my family experience untimely death, in Jesus' name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 15-19

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 17 - PRAISE MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN

1. Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven,
To His feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing.
Alleluia! alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!

2. Praise Him for His grace and favour
To His people in distress.
Praise Him, still the same as ever,
Slow to chide and swift to bless.
Alleluia! alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness!

3. Father-like He tends and spares us,
Well our feeble frame He knows,
In His hand he gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes:
Alleluia! alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows!

4. Angels, help us to adore Him!
You behold Him face to face.
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space,
Alleluia! alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY JULY 22ND 2023

THEME: LOVE AND GODLINESS II

MEMORISE: He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:8

READ: 1 John 4:7

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

MESSAGE

Verse 8 of our text which is our memory verse, says: "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love" (1 John 4:. This Scripture implies that not all people we find in Church know God or can be trusted. The early Church leaders did not take the issue of love lightly because they knew godliness is tested by the amount of love a believer possesses. Paul the Apostle prayed thus:

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
I Thessalonians 3:12-13

It takes love to be godly because God is love. This love made Him give up His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for us so that we would not perish (John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9). This is the standard that the Almighty God has set for those who claim to be His children. Love makes people go the extra mile in helping others. Jesus commended the good Samaritan in Luke 10:33-37 because the proof of God in us is doing good. Our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated this as recorded in Acts 10:38:

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

James the Apostle describe love in practical terms when he wrote: "Yea, a man may say Thou hast faith, and l have works: sheweth me thy faith without thy works, and l will show thee my faith by my works" (James 2:18). The proof of godliness is service to humanity, according to 2 Timothy 2:21. John 15:9 also says:

As the Father hath loved me, so have l loved you: continue in my love

It is a divine commandment for all children of God to continue in His love. Are you living in the love of Christ?

PRAYER POINT

Father please fill me with every good work and let me reflect Your love to the world.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 29-31

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 13: JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW

1 Jesus loves me, this I know,

for the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong;

they are weak, but he is strong.

Refrain:

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

2 Jesus loves me he who died

heaven's gate to open wide.

He will wash away my sin,

let his little child come in. [Refrain]

3 Jesus loves me, this I know,

as he loved so long ago,

taking children on his knee,

saying, "Let them come to me."

*OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE*


*DATE: SUNDAY 23RD JULY, 2023*


*THEME: GOD STILL SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE -1*


MEMORISE:
“In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dreama by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.” – (1 Kings 3:5)


READ: Genesis 12:1-4 (KJV)


1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.


MESSAGE:
God still speaks to this day, but unfortunately, many people do not hear Him because they are too busy with the affairs of life. The painful thing is that people do not know what they are missing by not listening to their Maker. In today's text, we read about Abraham's encounter with the Almighty God.


Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee. (Genesis 12:1)


There are some lessons we can learn from this singular encounter that changed Abraham's life. One, God discovered the love and sincerity of Abraham so He revealed Himself to him. This love for God was demonstrated in his positive and prompt response to God's command to leave his father's house.


Another lesson is that the dialogue between God and Abraham did not contain commands alone; it was backed by eternal blessings. The Bible says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Abraham became the father of faith because the word of God penetrated his heart.


In the Scripture from where we took the memory verse, we read of the encounter of Solomon with the Almighty God. During that divine encounter, God gave Solomon a blank cheque and this is a typical privilege enjoyed by those who have such dialogues with God.


In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. (1 Kings 3:5)

To be genuine children of God, we must surrender completely to all His commandments.


This is where many people often miss it – they are not ready to obey God fully. They want freedom from His commandments; they want to take over the affairs of this life without any recourse to God Almighty. I encourage you to give your life to Jesus Christ today.


Seek His face without ceasing - not just what He has to give and you will receive great revelations from Him that will transform your life for good.


PRAYER POINT:
Father, please speak to me today and always.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 32-34


AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE


HYMNAL: 3 - ANCIENT WORDS


1. Holy words long preserved,
For our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

REFRAIN:
Ancient words, ever true,
Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

2. Words of life, words of hope,
Give us strength, help us cope,
In this world, where e'er we roam;
Ancient words will guide us home.

3. Holy words of our faith,
Handed down to this age,
Came to us through sacrifice;
Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ.

4. Holy words long preserved,
For our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart;
Oh, let the ancient words impart.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY JULY 24TH 2023

THEME: GOD STILL SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE II

MEMORISE: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hebrews 1:1

READ: Hebrews 1:1 -2

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

MESSAGE

Yesterday, we started discussing the reality of God still speaking to His people, even to,this present moment. In today's text, we read that though God spoke to His people through His prophets, now He speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ. This is made possible through the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent to the Church right from the day of Pentecost. He promised:

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever l have said unto you.
John 14:26

God still speaks to His people; no doubt about that. We must however, pay close attention to the later part of the sentence - "to His people." In other words, God speaks only to His people. Why only His people? It is because it is His people who hearken and act on His words. God has no time to waste talking to those who will not do His bidding. This is why Jesus Christ was fond of speaking to His disciples, whomHe knew would abide by His words. He said further:

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, and will manifest myself to him.
John 14:21

Beloved, there are a lot of blessings for those who hear from God. One of these blessings is that such people would avoid mistakes. For example, the word of God to the people in Cornelius' household was based on Peter's ability to hear from God and his obedience to the instructions given to him (Acts 10). In the same vein, Philip's ability to hear from God took him to the Gazan desert where he gained the soul of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39).

For example, hearing from God can reveal the type of business you can do to prosper. It can also help you know where to go, live or what type of friends you should keep. If you desire to hear from God directly, you must give your life to Christ and live wholly for Him.

REFLECTION

Have you been hearkening and living according to His words?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 35-37

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1 Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2 Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3 Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5 Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY JULY 26TH 2023

THEME: FEAR GOD II

MEMORISE: Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; Psalms 33:18

READ: Psalms 96:1 -9

1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

MESSAGE

We started,discussing the fear of the Lord yesterday and today we will look at some of the blessings that come to those who fear Him.
Our memory verse says:

Behold, the. eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.
Psalm 33:18

The Scripture above reveals a very huge blessing that comes from fearing God. The blessing is that the eye of the Lord will be upon everyone that fears God. This revelation implies several great things amongst which is that when the eye of the Lord is upon an individual, safety is guaranteed. Hebrews 11:6 says that God is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The Bible further says: "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, be holding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3). In other words, the eye of the Lord sees everything-even the plans and moves of the wicked who want to harm you and He knows how to deal with them.

In today's Bible text we are enjoined to fear the Lord above all gods because they are ordinary works of men (Psalm 96:4-5). We should also note that some people have made human beings their gods - probably for fear of what these people could do to them. Psalm 56:11 however, says "In God have l put my trust: l will not be afraid what man can do unto me". Psalm 118:6 says also, "The Lord is on my side, l will not fear: what can man do unto me?" Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to fear God and not man (Matthew 10:28).

Another demonstration of the fear of the Lord is in verse nine of our text: "O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth." There is no true worship of God without holiness. This is where those who overstretch grace miss it. Obedience is synonymous with holiness and the Scripture says to obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Therefore, we must watch out for our worship - whether it is premised on the fear of the Lord or mere hypocrisy. As you commit to fear the Lord at all time, His presence will never depart from you, in Jesus' name.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please put Your fear in me and let me receive the blessings for it in Jesus name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 41-43

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 18: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY

1. Praise to the Lord,
the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise Him, for he is thy health and salvation:
Join the great throng, Psaltery, organ, and song,
Sounding in glad adoration.

2. Praise to the Lord;
over all things he gloriously reigneth:
Borne as on eagle-wings, safely his saints he sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen
How all thou needest hath been
Granted in what he ordaineth?

3. Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way and defend thee;
Surely his goodness and mercy shall ever attend thee; Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
Who with his love doth befriend thee.

4. Praise to the Lord!
O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath breath join with Abraham's seed to adore him!
Let the "Amen" Sum all our praises again
Now as we worship before him.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY JULY 27TH 2023

THEME: GOD SEEKERS I

MEMORISE: As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalms 42:1

READ: Psalms 42:1 -5

1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

MESSAGE

God seekers are those who are comfortable with His commandments. People don't seek God today - not because they are ignorant of what they stand to gain seeking the One from who all blessings flow. Rather, they are not comfortable with His demands on what they consider as their right to decide how to live their lives. The elders say, A child born yesterday who threatens not to play with us should be asked, "Do you think we were lonely before your birth?" In other words, if we do not seek God's face, its to our disadvantage and not God's.

David, in our Bible reading, gave his reason for seeking God when he said: "For l shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance." He said further, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2). Beloved, it pays to seek the Lord. Isaiah 55:6 encourages us to do so when He may be found and before it is too late. This means there would come a time when man may seek God and He may not be found.

For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
Psalm 32:6

How do we seek God? God can be sought from His revealed truth, as written in the Holy Scriptures. When we study the word of God consistently, we are seeking God because Jesus is the Word of God and He is God (John 1:1).

We must also seek God with all our hearts if we would find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).

We also seek God by looking out for how to please Him. Jesus said we are His disciples indeed if we do that which He commanded us to. How many self-professing Christians are doing God's will?

God promised that if you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him . Commit to seeking God with all your heart today and you will find Him.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please reveal Yourself to me as I seek to know You more and more.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 44-46

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME

1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Save me from its guilt and power.

2 Not the labor of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All could never sin erase,

Thou must save, and save by grace.

3 Nothing in my hands I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress,

Helpless, look to Thee for grace:

Foul, I to the fountain fly,

Wash me, Savior, or I die.

4 While I draw this fleeting breath,

When mine eyes shall close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown,

See Thee on Thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY JULY 31ST 2023

TOPIC: OVERCOMING LUSTS AND TEMPTATIONS

MEMORISE:
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” – (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

READ: 1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

MESSAGE:
What is leading you in life? Is it your flesh or the Spirit of God? Whenever you allow the flesh to give you direction, it will always end in regret, but when you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in all things, you can be sure that all will be welI. The first step to overcoming lusts and temptations is submission to God, which supplies the power you need to resist the devil, and he will flee from you according to James 4:7. Moreover, the good news is that the faithfulness of God will not allow His children to be tempted above their ability, without making a way of escape for them.

In our Bible reading today, we saw that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and He will always make a way of escape for us. That is so reassuring. It is for this reason that James 1:2-4, and James 1:12, admonishes us to count it as joy and a blessing, when we are going through diverse temptations. This is because God uses it to perfect the patience of His children, and also as promotion exams for them to receive the crown of life.

In spite of the assurance above however, if for example, your eyes are always glued to seductive images on the television, the internet, and your surroundings, you are merely feeding the lust in your flesh and such will lead you to hell. Don't fall into it. If you still tolerate ungodly desires to dwell and grow in your heart, heavenly thoughts, divine visions and inspirations cannot find expression in you.

All believers are required to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. Your body is the temple of God, not a showpiece for people. If you choose to dress in a way to stir lust from the opposite sex, you can no longer claim to be a child of God, but an instrument in the hand of the devil. Whoever you honour with your appearance, determines who you truly serve. God has provided us with everything we need to overcome lusts and temptations through Jesus Christ, all we need is to follow His example. Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus our High Priest was in all points tempted, but He scaled over them all without a sin. He has given us the power to resist the devil and to live above lusts and temptations. Hallelujah!

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please empower me to overcome lust and temptations, in Jesus' name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 57-59

HYMNAL:
HYMN 23 - TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1. Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine:
Take my heart, it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

People of God Celebrate the goodnews of God upon my life!!!

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY AUGUST 2ND 2023

THEME: FOR HIS GLORY

MEMORISE: Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

READ: James 4:1 -10

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

MESSAGE

Whenever you ask God for anything, make sure that it is something that will bring glory to His name. Don't ask for things that would serve just you, but that will be useful to Him. If you want to win an election, you should tell Him how you would use your position to glorify His name. That is the kind of prayer that gets His attention.

God can decide to ignore you if you choose to bombard Him with requests. However, if you come to Him telling Him how you plan to advance His kingdom here on earth with the miracle you are asking for, He will pay attention to you. Hannah understood this principle, so she prayed thus:

And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
I Samuel 1:11

God granted her request by giving her a son who grew to become a great prophet and then gave her five more children.

Seek to glorify God first and you will see Him giving you more than you asked for. He knew your needs before you came to Him (Matthew 6:; so give Him an offer He cannot refuse and you will see Him supplying your needs in abundance.

You may say, "God loves me and l believe He will give me whatever l want". No doubt, He loves you, but He has a purpose for everything He does. You may have thought that God drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea just because He loves the Israelites,

But Romans 9:17 says:

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have l raised thee up, that l might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

The real reason God destroyed Pharaoh was to declare His glory and majesty throughout the earth. God's agenda is always superior to ours, if you align your agenda with His, then you will get what you want.

KEY POINT

Align your agenda with God's purpose and you will never lack again.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 64-66

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD

1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

3 O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!

4 There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY AUGUST 3RD 2023

THEME: INTEGRITY

MEMORISE: The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him. Proverbs 20:7

READ: Proverbs 28:6 -10

6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.

MESSAGE

Simply put, integrity is being true to your word - that is, what you say is consistent with what you do. Everyone who calls himself or herself a Christian must be a person of integrity. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil" (Matthew 5:7).

When you promise to do something, that is what you should do. If for any reason you cannot fulfil your promise, you must discuss it with the fellow involved and explain the circumstances. You shouldn't go back on a promise without any explanation- that is not like your Father in Heaven, whom you claim to be like.

I remember when l had just finished secondary school and was looking for a way to sponsor my university education. I approached the authorities of a school in Ondo State and they agreed to sponsor my education on the condition that l would study Mathematics and serve them for five years after getting my degree. Although English was my favorite subject, l had no choice. When l graduated, l went back to serve them, but after two and a half years, l became restless: l wanted a Master's degree. After gaining admission to do my Masters, l appealed to them to let me go for it, assuring them that l would return to finish my bond. They didn't believe me, but after obtaining the degree, l returned to the school to continue serving them. By then however, l was becoming an embarrassment to them because l had a higher degree than my Principal. After another one and a half years, l appealed to them to allow me to get a Ph.D and return, but they said, "You are free to go and you don't have to come back".

The name of Jesus is powerful - so powerful that Philippians 2:10-11 says that at the mention of that name, every knee in heaven, on earth and underneath the earth should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. As powerful as His name is, the Bible says He magnifies His word above it (Psalm 138:2). This is why we trust completely in the word of God - we know that He can and will do what He says He will.

If you say you are Christ-like then your word must be your bond.

Jesus always keeps His word: you should always keep yours too.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 20: STAND UP,STAND UP FOR JESUS

1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss.
From vict'ry unto vict'ry
his army he shall lead
till ev'ry foe is vanquished
and Christ is Lord indeed.

2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day.
Ye that are men now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger
and strength to strength oppose.

3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor,
each piece put on with prayer;
where duty calls or danger,
be never wanting there.

4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle,
the next, the victor's song.
To him that overcometh
a crown of life shall be;
he with the King of glory
shall reign eternally.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 7TH AUGUST 2023

THEME: INTERCEDE I

MEMORISE:
I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men.
1 Timothy 2:1

READ: EXODUS 32:9-14

9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

MESSAGE

Intercession is an assignment for every true child of God. Intercessors are people who carry the burdens of God. They pray the prayers God wants them to, not just their own prayers. When God needs something done on earth, He looks for intercessors to partner with. He looks for a man to stand in the gap for others.

And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30

Remember when God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 - it was clear that God was looking for someone to stand in the gap for the people of Sodom. You will see that God agreed to every plea Abraham made for the people. God always looks for someone to stand in the gap for others; when He looks your way, will He find you to be an intercessor?

You may ask, "Why can't God just reveal to the fellow who is about to get into trouble so he can pray for himself?" The truth is, sometimes, God needs someone else to pray for other people so they are not destroyed. At such times, He puts it in the heart of an intercessor to stand in the gap in prayers. This is clearly illustrated in the case of job and his friends (Job 42:.

Many people are perishing today because there is a shortage of intercessors willing to carry the burdens to God in the place of prayer. Enough of praying for yourself alone. Don't be a selfish Christian. When you pray, let God put into your heart what or who you should pray for. If He lays in your heart to pray for another country that is not yours, don't say, "What is my business with those people?" Pray as He has laid in your heart so that at least one person there can be saved. Sometimes He will ask you to pray for one fellow; do so, because your prayer may be what would make the difference between the fellow living or dying. God is seeking intercessors, will He find you?

ACTION POINT:
Commit to becoming an intercessor today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 12-14

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE

SING HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

1. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Saviour shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

3. Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His Face,
Believe His Word, and trust His Grace,
I'll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!