₦airaland Forum

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH 2024*


*TOPIC: THE LOT OF THE BOASTFUL*


*MEMORISE:*

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. - Jeremiah 9:23


*READ: MARK 14:22-31, 65-72 (KJV)*

*MARK 14:22-31*

22. And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

23. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

24. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

25. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

26. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

27. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

28. But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.

29. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.

30. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

31. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.

*MARK 65-72*

65. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

66. And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:

67. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.

68. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

69. And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.

70. And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

71. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

72. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.


*MESSAGE:*

In Matthew 26:31-35, Peter showed himself as a boaster. Jesus Christ turned to the disciples and said that they would desert Him that night, and Peter responded boastfully:

*"...Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended"*. - Matthew 26:33

In other words, he was saying, “Me? Do you know whom you are talking to? If all these weaklings desert you, you can count on me, Lord.” The Lord said, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me thrice.” He said, “It seems as if you don’t know whom you are talking to. Even if I have to die with you, I will die; I can never deny you.” However, in Matthew 26:69-75, who did we find swearing that he did not know Jesus? The same Peter!

Whatever a fellow boasts about has power over him or her. This is why the Bible says rejoicing in boasting is evil.

*"But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil"*. - (James 4:16)

Once you find yourself boasting about something, watch out, that thing is about to become a tool for the devil to use in bringing you down. This is why you must not boast. The only boasting allowed is boasting in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). That is what David did in (1 Samuel 17:41-47) which led to him defeating Goliath. Even if you feel no one is better than you at something, keep your mouth shut. A man considered to be wiser than all men (1 Kings 4:31) said:

*"Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips"*. - Proverbs 27:2

Boasting is like being on the battlefield and telling the enemy how to strike and defeat you. You may think you are talking about your strength, but every wise fellow knows that the moment you boast about something, it becomes your weakness. Goliath was boasting before he got struck down by a mere teenager with a catapult. Nebuchadnezzar was boasting about his achievements in one moment, and the next moment, he was eating grass in the field like an animal (Daniel 4:28-33).

Beloved, if you have been a boaster, repent now. You may only boast in God, but avoid all other kinds of boasting. There is no good in boasting outside Christ; it will only lead to shame and defeat.


*KEY POINT:*

Never ever boast in your status, abilities, or possessions.


*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LUKE 23-24*


*AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE*


*HYMN 10: IN CHRIST ALONE*

1. In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

2. In Christ alone, Who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This Gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus diedl
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

3. There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

4. No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

*OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

*DATE: TUESDAY 29TH OCTOBER 2024*

*THEME: WORRIER OR WARRIOR?*

*MEMORISE:*

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” – Matthew 6:34 (KJV)

*BIBLE READING: Matthew 6:25-34 (KJV)*

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

*MESSAGE*

In life, there are worriers, and there are prayer warriors; you have to choose which one you want to be. Matthew 6:27 says that worrying does not add one cubit to you. You gain nothing from worrying, absolutely nothing. However, when you are a prayer warrior, as issues arise, you will cut them down in the place of prayer because you are a champion that is more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37).

Some people are too anxious about tomorrow. Before they get into the university, they worry that they may never be admitted. After graduating, they become worried that they may not get a job. When they get a job, they worry that they may lose the job. If they don’t lose the job, they worry that they may not be promoted. When they are promoted, they worry that someone might want to take the position from them. They worry that nobody will marry them. When somebody shows up to marry them, they worry whether he or she is the right fellow. When they finally get married, they worry about whether they have taken the right decision and if they will ever have children. They are always worrying about the future. Honestly, all that worrying will not solve anything.

When you read Philippians 4:6-7, you will see what you should be doing instead of worrying. It says you should be thanking God in everything by prayer and supplication.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Don’t thank God only when things are going the way you like; thank God in everything by prayer and supplication, and then let your requests be known to God. Don’t just sit there and worry; go to God in prayer, thank Him for the things He has done for you, and then make your requests known to Him. His peace will replace every form of worry in your heart. So, rather than worry, pray to God, and He will meet you at the point of your needs.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and have surrendered your life to Him, stop worrying. Jesus has already given you His peace that passes all understanding, as we see in John 14:27:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

KEY POINT:

Become a prayer warrior, not a worrier.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 21-22

HYMN
TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS
1 ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise,
and to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”

Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!

2 O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
just to trust his cleansing blood;
and in simple faith to plunge me
neath the healing, cleansing flood! [Refrain]

3 Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
just from sin and self to cease;
just from Jesus simply taking
life and rest, and joy and peace. [Refrain]

🌻 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🌻
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: MONDAY OCTOBER 28TH 2024_

*THEME: WHEN GOD IS NEAR*

*MEMORISE:*
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.”
Isaiah 55:6

*BIBLE READING: PSALM 29:2*
To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,

*MESSAGE:*
The Bible says you should seek God while He may be found and call on Him while He is near. Once you hear that, the next question on your mind should be, “How do I know when God may be found or when He is near?” That question is very valid. However, what you really need to know is how to draw Him near to you. John 4:23-24 says:

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The Scripture above tells me that rather than trying to seek God while He may be found when I cannot even see Him, if I worship Him in spirit and in truth, He will be the One to seek me out. Instead of me calling Him without knowing whether He is near or far, if I just concentrate on worshipping Him, He will draw near to me. If you want God to always be near you, you must be committed to worshipping Him like no one else does. He is drawn to people that worship Him. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of Israel. Israel here refers to those who worship Him in spirit and in truth.

People generally move towards where they are being praised. Where I’m from in the Western part of Nigeria, if you are at a party and the musician suddenly starts singing your praises, it is expected that you will stand on your feet and go towards him or her dancing. That is what happens when we sing praises to God; He draws near us. This is one major secret that David knew, which made God answer His prayers. He said that whenever he wanted to approach God, he went in with praises and thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4). By the time he had praised and thanked God for a while, he will find himself in the very courts of God. Once he had God near him, he could call on Him and be sure to receive answers to his prayers.

Beloved, henceforth, deliberately draw God close to you at all times with praise and worship.

*KEY POINT:*
Don't ask God for anything until you have praised Him enough to draw Him close to you.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
LUKE 19-20

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 1 - ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS' NAME*
1 All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all!

2 O seed of Israel's chosen race
now ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all.
Hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all!

3 Let every tongue and every tribe
responsive to his call,
to him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all.
To him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all!

4 Oh, that with all the sacred throng
we at his feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
and crown him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song
and crown him Lord of all.

🎊 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎊
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SUNDAY 27TH OCTOBER, 2024._

*THEME: CHECK THE SPIRIT*

*MEMORISE:*
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
1 John 4:1

*BIBLE READING: MATTHEW 16:13-23*
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

*MESSAGE:*
For everything we do, whether it is something we are saying, an action we are taking, or a decision we are making, there is a spirit within us influencing it. In Matthew 16:13-23, Peter was saying to Jesus Christ in one moment that He is the Christ, to which Jesus Christ said flesh and blood could not have revealed it to him, implying that only the Spirit of God could have revealed that to him. Not long after, the same Peter said to the Lord, “You will not die,” and the Lord turned to him and said, “Get thee behind me satan.” This tells us that we must always check what spirit is influencing our actions. You can be a powerful man of God, filled with the Holy Ghost, and still be influenced by the devil.

When you read in (1 John 4:1) that you should test all spirits, don’t just conduct tests on the spirits in other people; conduct a test on the spirit influencing you too. Check the things that you are doing, saying and believing; check if they are in line with the Spirit of God.

How do you check what spirit is influencing you? Matthew 7:16-17 says:

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Check the fruits you are bearing. Check if they are in line with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

If what you are doing does not show love, you are not being influenced by the Spirit of God. If you are doing something that is opposed to peace, it is another spirit influencing you. If a Christian decides to do something outside the will of God because he or she does not want to suffer for God’s will, he or she is following the will of the devil.

Beloved, you must always check what spirit is influencing you at every point in time. A good way to know is to check if your decisions and actions are in line with the various expressions of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. If you are not born again, you should surrender your life to Christ so that you can be influenced by His Spirit. If you are a Christian and your decisions and actions do not reflect the fruit of the spirit, retrace your steps to being influenced by the Spirit of God only.

*KEY POINT:*
Always weigh your thoughts and actions against the expressions of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
LUKE 16-18

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 28 - GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH*
1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

*OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL*


*DATE: SATURDAY OCTOBER 26TH 2024*


*TOPIC: DON'T BE UNSTABLE*


*MEMORISE:*

For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. -James 1:7


*READ: JAMES 1:6-8 (KJV)*

6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.


*MESSAGE:*

When you make a claim in a law court, you will be asked to provide an evidence to show that what you are saying is true. The purpose of the evidence is to validate your claim and show everyone that you are sure of what you are saying. If you have evidence, you will confidently present it to support your claim. If you, however, do not have any evidence, it will be hard to have that kind of confidence. In other words, an evidence gives the claimant confidence.

*"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."*- (Hebrews 11:1)

The above passage says that faith is the evidence of things not seen. If your faith is really an evidence, you will be confident about your claims concerning God’s word and the things that you pray about, just like the claimant in the example I shared above. You will not pray for something today and speak in doubt about the same thing tomorrow.

When you pray, you must believe with all your heart that what you have prayed for is already settled (Mark 11:24). It is only then that you can see your prayers answered. Doubt must not be allowed in your heart at all. A little doubt will contaminate your faith and may hinder you from getting what you are praying for. Matthew 21:21 says:

*"Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."*

Beware, however, because the devil will try to send fear into your heart. He will give you every reason for your miracle not to come, but you must attack him with the word of God. Romans 10:17 says: *“...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”* Whenever doubtful thoughts come, recite the word of God that counters it over and over again until the word drowns the doubts. In Joshua 1:8, the Bible says that to have good success, the word of God must never depart from your mouth. Note that it did not say from your heart but from your mouth.

Beloved, if you desire anything in your life, pray about it in faith and declare God’s word concerning it without any doubts.


*KEY POINT:*

Never ever allow doubt into your heart because there is nothing impossible with God.


*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LUKE 13-15*


*AUTHOR PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE*


*HYMN 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. Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3. But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

4. 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. [Refrain]

🎁 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎁
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: FRIDAY OCTOBER 25TH 2024_

*THEME: THE FIG TREE*

*MEMORISE*:
“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
John 15:2

*BIBLE READING: MARK 11:12-20*
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.

20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

*MESSAGE:*
In today’s Bible reading, Jesus was hungry and went to get some figs from a fig tree nearby but unfortunately, He did not find any. Jesus cursed the tree, and it dried up. Even though it was not the season for figs, meaning that it was natural for the tree not to have fruits at that time, Jesus still cursed it. You may think that Jesus was being unfair to the tree, but He was sending a message to us with that act. You must never wait for the right conditions before you begin to bear fruits for your Master.

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. - (Ecclesiastes 11:4)

If God has given a believer an assignment, he or she should work towards it whether the conditions are right or not. If such believers keep waiting for the right conditions, they will never achieve their goals or fulfil their destiny. If you keep observing the wind, you will not sow, and if you have already sown, if you keep observing the clouds, you will not reap. You must set out to bear fruit even when the conditions around you do not suggest that you should.

When I became the General Overseer of RCCG, I got many promises from God apart from the covenant that God had with my Father in the Lord about the church’s great future. All the conditions surrounding the church at that time were not palatable. We did not even have enough money to pay the General Overseer’s salary, not to talk of getting money to establish parishes around the world or hosting large meetings where millions of people will gather. Even though the conditions did not look right, I still set out to do the things that God called me to do. When we moved to Redemption City, we did not have money to pay labourers to build the auditorium, not to talk of building a city. I worked every night with other members of the church to build the first auditorium. Today, everyone can see the city that God promised us.

Beloved, if you wait for perfect conditions before you bear fruit, you will be just like that fig tree, and I am quite sure that you don’t want to end up like it because Jesus said in our memory verse for today that any branch in Him that does not bear fruit will be cut off.

*KEY POINT:*
There is no excuse for failing to bear fruits.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
LUKE 11-12

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 12 - ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!*
1 Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!

*Refrain:*
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!

2 At the sign of triumph
Satan's host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver
at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
loud your anthems raise!

[Refrain]

3 Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
one in charity.

[Refrain]

4 Onward, then, ye people,
join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor,
unto Christ the King;
This thro' countless ages
men and angels sing.

[Refrain]

💢 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💢
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 24TH 2024_

*THEME: TAKE A BREAK*

*MEMORISE:*
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”
Psalm 23:2

*BIBLE READING: GENESIS 2:2-3*
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

*MESSAGE:*
God rested on the seventh day of the creation week to set an example for us. He said in Exodus 23:10-11 that even the land should be cultivated for six years and then be made to rest in the seventh year. We all need to take a break every now and then so that we can be refreshed enough to be effective at what He has called us to do.

Many people break down because they hardly take breaks. Some people have been working for years without taking any vacation. What they don’t understand is that taking time to rest will help them to be more effective when they resume their work. In (1 Kings 19:1-, Elijah had just called fire down from heaven and brought revival to the land. Then, he heard that Jezebel wanted to kill him and ran for his life. By the time he got to the juniper tree, he was tired, and in that state, he asked God to kill him. God knew that he really didn’t want to die; he just needed to take a break. He made him fall asleep and sent an angel to feed him twice. After resting and eating well, he was strengthened to continue for the next 40 days. Sometimes, the reason you feel frustrated is that you have not taken a break in a while. Just try sleeping and eating only for one day, and you will see the difference.

Taking a break is not expensive. If you don’t have money to travel or check into a hotel, you can go to a family member’s house or any quiet place where you know that no one will disturb you, and just rest there. You need to rest weekly and yearly also, especially after a strenuous period of work, as Elijah did in (1 Kings 18). No matter how anointed you are, as long as you are still in the flesh, you need to take a break once in a while. The only reason I have been able to host the Holy Ghost Service every month for almost 40 years is that I take breaks when necessary. After every major programme that lasts for at least one week, I take a break and get some good rest. Don’t wait for a doctor to put you on bed rest because by then, it will be more expensive, and you will have no choice but to rest for a longer time than you want to.

*KEY POINT:*
God did not create your body to work non-stop. Take a break every now and then.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
LUKE 9-10

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 29 - WHEN PEACE LIKE A RIVER ATTENDETH MY WAY*
1 When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."

*Refrain:*
(may be sung after final stanza only):
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.

Refrain

3 My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

4 O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

💡 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💡
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23RD 2024_

*THEME: FOCUS*

*MEMORISE:*
“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.”
Proverbs 4:25

*BIBLE READING: COLOSSIANS 3:1-3, HEBREWS 12:1-2*

*COLOSSIANS 3:1-3*
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*HEBREWS 12:1-2*
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

*MESSAGE:*
In (2 Kings 2:10), Elijah was basically telling Elisha, “Son, you have asked a hard thing that I can’t give you, but God can give you. Just don’t be distracted, stay focused.” Hebrews 12:1-2 says that you should lay aside every weight and look unto Jesus. Be focused.

The devil will try to put many weights on you to distract you, but you must stay focused. People may criticise you, lie against you, and say negative things about you, but you must remain focused. Some years ago, people were criticising me almost everywhere. I ignored all of them and remained focused on what God called me to do. By God’s grace, I am still marching on, but no one knows where some of the people that were criticising me are now.

The weights that the devil will try to use to sway your focus will not only be from people that dislike you; some of them will be from people that love you. Their praises, for example, can be a weight that you must set aside so that you do not lose focus.

A man once offended a great king and should have been beheaded. However, the king decided to give him a test. The king told him to carry water in a spoon and walk for some metres. If he spilt a single drop of water, he was to be beheaded. The king asked some people to stand on his left-hand side and criticise him; they were to rain abuses on him and keep booing him. On his right-hand side, the king asked some other people to stand and keep praising and hailing the man until he got to the finish line. The man started walking, and the people on both sides did what they were told to do with all their strength. At last, the man got to the finish line without spilling any water. The king asked him, “Which of these people helped you succeed?” He responded, “None of them. I was carrying my life in my hands, and so I did not listen to either of them.”

Beloved, you are carrying your life in your hands; don’t let anyone make you lose your focus.

*ACTION POINT:*
Set aside every weight that the devil is using to distract you and focus on achieving God's purpose for your life.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
LUKE 7-8

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 10 - IN CHRIST ALONE*
1 In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

2 In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

3 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

🥦 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🥦
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 22ND 2024_

*THEME: YOU HAVE TO WRESTLE*

*MEMORISE:*
And he said, Thy name shalt be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Genesis 32:28

*BIBLE READING: GENESIS 32:24-29*
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

*MESSAGE:*
There is a powerful lesson in 2 Kings 2:1-15 that will like you to pay attention to. Elijah gave Elisha a condition to meet in order to get the double portion in spite of the fact that he had been serving Elijah for so long. If Elisha had not met that single condition, he would have gotten nothing from his father at his departure. Many people think that getting blessed by a powerful man of God is enough to make them great. Yes, the blessing is powerful, but if a person does not wrestle out his or her greatness, such a fellow will remain on the same level.

Your father may have settled some things on your behalf, but you still have your own individual wrestling to do if you want to access those things. In Genesis 27:26-30, Isaac blessed Jacob with an irreversible blessing. For sure, Jacob was going to be great, however, he had to wrestle to get the change of name that set him up for the benefits of the blessings he had received (Genesis 32:1-30). Many rich people's children think that
because their parents are rich, they can never be poor.

History is full of examples of people whose parents were very rich but who ended up poor. If you don't wrestle out your own greatness, you will eventually lose whatever inheritance is laid down for you. Some pastors’ children think that their parents' anointing makes them immune to the devil and assures them of making heaven. However, Ezekiel 18:20 says that the soul that sinneth shall die. If you are a sinner, your father's righteousness or anointing cannot cover you. You must meet God for yourself and build a relationship with Him if you want to enjoy the benefits of what your father carries.

Without Pa Josiah Akindayomi, you might not know Adeboye today. I have always thanked God that when I got born again, it was in RCCG. God brought me to a covenant church, and I rode on that covenant to become what I am today. However, even though the covenant is there, if I did not wrestle it out, would never have succeeded. I had to fast, pray, keep vigils, and work very hard. I made sacrifices, and I am still doing so today because l know that the covenant will go to waste if I don't
wrestle things out by myself. Beloved, if you want to experience the blessings that God has arranged to help you succeed, get ready to wrestle them out yourself.

*KEY POINT:*
Don't relax because you have a unique advantage; wrestle to make use of that advantage.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
LUKE 5-6

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMN 15: PASS ME NOT O GENTLE SAVIOUR*
1 Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

*Chorus:*
Saviour, Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

2 Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.

3 Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

4 Thou, the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me;
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heaven but Thee?

🌻 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🌻
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: MONDAY OCTOBER 21ST 2024_

*THEME: THE CHALLENGES OF SUCCESS III*

*MEMORISE:*
“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”
Luke 6:26

*BIBLE READING: ACTS 12:1-3, 21-24*
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

*MESSAGE:*

Today, I will conclude the teaching on the challenges of being successful by looking at the temptation to enjoy the praises of men and not returning the glory to God. When you become successful, people will shower you with a lot of praise and might even give you glory for things that you didn’t do. For example, after David killed Goliath, some women began singing, “Saul killed his thousands, David his ten thousands,” even though it was clear that it was God who gave him victory over Goliath. This got David in trouble with Saul and Saul began seeking to kill him (1 Samuel 18:6-9).

Beware of the praises of men. Sometimes you will not be able to stop them, but you must pay no attention to them because the moment you start doing so, you will begin to feel like you are on top of the world, and before you know it, you will be taking the glory instead of giving it to God. It was the praises of men that got Herod in trouble such that he was eaten up by worms in the presence of those who were praising him (Acts 12:22-23).

The praises of men can become so addictive that you will want to hear them all the time. King Saul wanted to please the people all the time so that they could keep praising him, even to the point of disobeying God (1 Samuel 15:24). When you are doing well, people will praise you as if you are the best in the world. You should beware, because the moment you get so addicted to their praise and it drives you outside God’s will, you will realise that you are just mere dust.

There was a man that was regarded as being almost as powerful as my Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, in those days. He, however, let the praises of the people get into his head and eventually broke away with a large chunk of the church. By the time he died, he had a congregation of less than 50 people. (1 Corinthians 10:11) tells us that certain things happened to some people so that we can learn from them. Don’t listen to the praises of people, as they will make you start doing things that you will end up regretting if you are not careful. Remember, those shouting ‘Hosanna’ today, can turn around to shout ‘crucify him’ tomorrow. The praises of men are too volatile to be trusted.

*KEY POINT:*
The praises of men have destroyed many in the past; don't let them destroy you.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
LUKE 3-4

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 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 wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

2 Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

3 Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the 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: SUNDAY 20TH OCTOBER, 2024._

*THEME: THE CHALLENGES OF SUCCESS II*

*MEMORISE:*
The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
Proverbs 14:20

*BIBLE READING: PROVERBS 19:4-7*
4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.

6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

*MESSAGE:*
Yesterday, I started sharing about the challenges of success, and I focused on pride.

Today, I will look at another major challenge of success, which is the fact that everybody wants to be friends with the successful.

When you are successful, you will have many people around you, and it will be difficult to tell those that have good intentions apart from those that do not.

The mere fact that you are at the top will attract many ‘friends’ to you. This is why you must be careful to put your trust in God and not man.

Some people will do everything to work their way into your heart just because of what they want to get from you.

You will need the gift of discernment of spirits to know those that are genuine and those that are not.

In 2 Samuel 13:4-5, Jonadab advised Prince Amnon like he really cared about him. Amnon went ahead and did as he advised.

When the repercussion of that evil counsel came, Jonadab did not rise up to defend his friend; he was the one who went to announce Amnon’s death to David (2 Samuel 13:32-33).

He told the king, “Let the king cheer up, for Amnon only is dead.”

If Amnon had been wise, he would have seen earlier that Jonadab was not a real friend.

Real friends will not always say ‘yes’ to your desires. Sometimes, they will say ‘no’ because they care about you.

When you have people who never tell you the hard truth and who will keep supporting you, even when you are clearly going the wrong way, run from such people.

The higher you go, the more careful you have to become in choosing the kind of people you allow into your life.

If you are trying not to be lonely as you go higher, and you keep many friends, you will end up having many with negative intentions around you.

You should have fewer friends as you go higher, not because you don’t like being friendly, but because you will discover that most people care more about what you can give them than who you are to them.

As a result, your circle of friends should become really small as you advance in life.

Beloved, I pray that God will give you the grace to discern between those that are really your friends and those that are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, please give me the gift of discernment of spirits so that I can know who my real friends are and those that are not.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
Luke 1-2

*AUTHOR:*
Pastor E. A. Adeboye

*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* 🎁
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: FRIDAY OCTOBER 18TH 2024_

*THEME: DECREE GOOD OVER YOUR CHILDREN*

*MEMORISE:*
“And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”
Mark 10:16

*BIBLE READING: GENESIS 27:18-33*
18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

20 And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.

21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.

26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:

28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

29 Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.

32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

*MESSAGE:*
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. - (Job 22:28)

The Bible verse above says that whatever you decree will be established unto you. This means that you must be careful about what you decree because they will come to pass. This is why I am always concerned when I see parents who say negative things over their children carelessly. Proverbs 22:15 says that there is foolishness in the heart of a child; I know some children can be naughty, however, the way you respond to their behaviour will go a long way in determining whether those children will turn out good or become worse.

As a parent, how do you respond to your children’s behaviours? Do you make negative pronouncements like, “You are useless; you can’t amount to anything,” or positive declarations like, “You are for signs and wonders. It doesn’t matter what the devil may try, you will succeed.” Whatever you say is what will happen. There is power in your tongue and this power is even more potent over your children because they came into the world through you. As a parent, God has given you power over the future of your children, not so that you can destroy it, but so that you can shape them into what He wants them to become.

In our Bible reading for today, Jacob came to Isaac and got a blessing. As soon as he left, Esau came in, and Isaac told him that he had blessed Jacob and that he will be blessed. Whatever you speak over your children, especially when your emotions are stirred up, will stick and will be reinforced. After Jacob got the blessings and was on the run, he encountered God in Genesis 28:12-22, and God didn’t say anything about the fact that he cheated. He didn’t say, “You cheated your brother and you will pay for it.” I thought that Jacob would have been scolded, but God established the blessing he got from his father.

Beloved, please decree good things over your children. Whether they hurt you or not, remember that whatever you say will happen to them. Don’t say something that will affect them negatively; you will regret it later. You will account for every word you speak over your children, and whatever they become will reflect on you also. Speak blessings over your children at all times.

*KEY POINT:*
Be careful what you decree over your children.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MARK 14

*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 HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 17th, 2024

TOPIC: YOUR SPIRITUAL FATHER

MEMORISE: “For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” – 1 Corinthians 4:15 (KJV)

READ: 1 Kings 19:19-21 (KJV)

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

MESSAGE
Many people do not take the issue of who their spiritual father is seriously. Some people say that they have multiple fathers; such people are bastards because no human being can have more than one father. The role of your spiritual father in your life is very important.

Even though Elijah said that Elisha, his spiritual son, had asked for a hard thing, he practically committed God to give a double portion of his spirit to him (2 Kings 2:9-15). That is a good example of the role a spiritual father can play in a fellow’s destiny.

If you claim to have a spiritual father, you must do some things to prove it. If you are disobedient to your spiritual father, you are not his true child, and you cannot get the things that you expect to get from him. Also, a grown-up child will take care of his parents. If you don’t sow anything, either in the form of service or material resources, into the life of your spiritual father, God will not recognise that relationship.

2 Kings 3:11 says that Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah. That is what made their father-son relationship valid and qualified Elisha to get the double portion of his father’s spirit.
One night, during my prayer walk, some people met me and asked me to pray with them.

For them not to disturb my prayers, I simply told them, “God bless you.” As I went further, a fellow who was driving a bus passed by me and stopped. He took the little money he had in the bus, ran to me, and gave it to me.

That time, when I said, “God bless you,” it was from the depth of my heart. The money was not much, but he showed that I am truly his father so he could get something from me. When Isaac asked Esau to prepare food for him, it was not because he was hungry or that he could not afford to feed himself, he was telling the young man, “Spoil me so that I can bless you from my heart.”

There are blessings that come from the heart of your father; such blessings can never be reversed, as we see in Genesis 27:33-37.

Do what will make your spiritual father so willing to bless you that, even if what you ask for is beyond his control, he will commit God to give it to you.
Best gifts for your loved ones

ACTION POINT
Do something special for your spiritual father or mother today to spoil him or her.

HYMN 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 favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

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. [Refrain]

*🌹OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE🌹*

*DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16TH 2024*

*THEME: THE FUTURE YOU*

*MEMORISE:*
```Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;``` *Deuteronomy 4:9*

*READ: Deuteronomy 6:6-7*
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

*MESSAGE📖📖📖📖*
No matter how hard you try, you cannot live forever. The only way you can continue to live in the next generation is through your children. This is why you must raise your children well.

You have learnt some lessons in life so far, some of which were from mistakes you made in the past. You must ensure that the people you leave behind after God has called you home are taught these lessons so that they don't have to make the same mistakes you made. If your children make the same mistakes you made, you have not done a good job of teaching them. It is where you stop that they should start from; they should not repeat your mistakes. If you are a father and you don't want your children to be greater than you, it only means that your greatness will die with you. Abraham was great, Isaac was very great, and Jacob was exceedingly great; that is the correct order of things. Years ago, before God gave me a private jet, one of my sons bought a jet, and some people criticized me for publicly dedicating it, saying that I, the father, did not even have a Mercedes Benz. I responded, _"The jet belongs to my son, show me what your son has."_

I often ask my children to pray that I am not taken away soon because it is where I stop that they will start from. Some of my children are already pastoring churches that are bigger than the one I pastored when I first became General Overseer.

When many people read *Proverbs 13:22,* they think that the inheritance that the Bible refers to is only money. If you are a good man, the inheritance you will leave for your children will exceed money; the major inheritance you will leave for them will be wisdom, and you will also leave influence, a good name, properties, and so on. Therefore, you must train the ones who will carry on from where you stop. Sometimes you will need to leave some of the things you are doing now to train them because you must invest in the 'future you'. Occasionally, I take my children and grandchildren to our hometown, where we can be alone. In those times, tell them stories, answer their questions, and we just have a nice time together. I am leaving an inheritance for the ‘future me,' I hope you are doing the same.

*REFLECTION*
```How much are you investing in the 'future you'?```

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 10-11*

*AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE*

*HYMN 28: GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH*
1. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

2. Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

3. When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

🥦 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🥦
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 15TH 2024_

*THEME: WISDOM*

*MEMORISE:*
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7

*BIBLE READING: PROVERBS 1:20-33*
20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

*MESSAGE:*
Today's memory verse says that in everything you get, you must get wisdom. In other words, wisdom is the most important thing you can get.

More interestingly, the Bible reading for today tells us that wisdom is crying in the streets:

"Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:" Proverbs 1:20

Unfortunately, many people ignore the cry of wisdom and are not interested in her. People who do not heed the cry of wisdom usually suffer the consequences of being foolish, and it may be too late by the time they realize it. For people who will let wisdom pour out her spirit on them and teach them her words, she always makes herself available, and they are tremendously blessed for it.

I am sure you are asking yourself, "How can I get wisdom?" Psalm 111:10 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If you want to be wise, the place to start from is to fear God and prove that you fear Him. Proverbs 16:6 says that the fear of the Lord is to depart from evil. Every time people commit sin, they are simply displaying foolishness. Daniel 2:20-22 says that it is God who gives wisdom to the wise. If a fellow does not have a relationship with God, he or she cannot get wisdom. James 1:5 says:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

The way to get wisdom is first to fear God and then simply ask Him for wisdom; it is as simple as that. Now, because wisdom is the correct application of knowledge, the limit to your wisdom will be how limited you are in knowledge. As you ask God for wisdom, you must also increase in knowledge so that you will keep increasing in wisdom. This is why I am always reading books. I want to learn something new every day, even if I have to ask someone to teach me.

Beloved, wisdom indeed is the principal thing. Jesus Christ Is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) and you must accept Him as your Lord and Saviour if you want to be wise.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, please give me wisdom.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MARK 8-9

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

*HYMN 3: ANCIENT WORD*
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.

Refrain

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

Refrain

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

Refrain

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY OCTOBER 14TH 2024

THEME: COVER NOT YOUR SINS

MEMORISE: He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsake tthem shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13

READ: 1 Samuel 15:22-29
22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

MESSAGE
In my primary school days, our teacher told us the story of a man who offended his king. The king was very angry and called the man concerning the issue. The man immediately got on his knees and pleaded for mercy. He admitted his offence and said that he was very sorry. The king pardoned him because of his repentant heart. Our teacher told us that if we are wrong and admit it while asking for mercy, we will obtain mercy.

However, if we try to cover our wrongs, we will surely get punished. The lesson stuck with me, and so, when l do something wrong, I don't try to cover it. If I offend God, I turn to Him and say, "Lord, I have offended you, please have mercy on me." If you want to obtain mercy from God, you must not cover any sins that you commit. The reason God always had mercy on David is that he never tried to cover his sins; rather, he would confess them to God. In 1 Chronicles 21:1-16, when Gad came to tell David that he had offended God, not only did David accept his wrong, he called the elders to fast and pray with him for forgiveness. Compare that to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:20-21. After Samuel had come to tell him that he had not carried out God's instruction to the letter, he made excuses instead of accepting his wrong. When Samuel refused to worship God with him, he did not plead with him to help appease God, rather, he pulled Samuel's skirt just because he didn't want the elders to see Samuel walking away from him. He clearly wasn't making the sacrifice to ask for mercy, he was doing it to cover his sin and make everything look alright. 1 Samuel 3:19 tells us that God honored Samuel and never allowed his words to fall to the ground, but in 1 Samuel 16:1, as much as Samuel pleaded for Saul, God said that he should not waste his time because He had rejected Saul.

Beloved, covering your sins will land you in destruction: When you do something wrong, don't try to keep up appearances. Your Christian life is not about publicity, it is more of your personal relationship with the King of kings. Confess your sins and plead with God for mercy. When you do that, He will. have mercy on you, but if you cover your sins, you are risking His total rejection.

ACTION POINT
Don't cover your sins; Confess them and repent genuinely.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 6-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: AMAZING GRACE

1. Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

2. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear.
The hour I first believed!

3 The Lord hath promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

4 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

🎊 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎊
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13TH 2024_

*THEME: FRIEND OF GOD?*

*MEMORISE:*
“And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”
Genesis 14:20

*BIBLE READING: 2 CORINTHIANS 9:1-7*
1 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:

2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:

4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

*MESSAGE*:
I have a close friend who was the president of a country. One day, I said to him, “You’ve been president for almost seven years, and you’ve never given me anything since.” He looked at me and said, “You’ve never asked.” I replied, “Friends don’t ask. If we are friends, I don’t need to ask you. A friend gives to his or her friend without him or her asking.”

When lovers are in a courtship and there is no exchange of gifts between them, no matter how small, that love might just be questionable because one of the major ways of demonstrating love is by giving (John 3:16).

Many people claim to be God’s friends, but from their reaction when it comes to giving to God, you will realise that they are not. Real friends of God will not wait until an announcement is made for offerings to be made to God before giving to Him. Real friends of God will constantly look for ways to give to Him because of how much they love Him.

I recall a time that I went to minister at a church some years ago, and everyone in the congregation was looking so radiant. By looking at them, you could tell that God had really blessed them. I was thinking about how blessed they were when the minister on the altar said, “It’s offering time.” You could see the joy in the auditorium as they all clapped and shouted. Then, God told me, “This is why I have blessed them so much; they give to me cheerfully.” Those who are always happy to give to God, and who don’t need to be cajoled or asked before they do so, always enjoy abundant blessings. God sees them as His genuine friends, so He also doesn’t wait for them to ask before giving to them.

David was a man who always wanted to give to God. He said in (1 Chronicles 21:24) that he would never give God anything that costs him nothing. As a result, God said that He had given him everything he ever wanted and that if he wanted more, He would have given him (2 Samuel 12:. He never let him lack anything because he was His friend indeed. God never asked Abraham for a tithe in Genesis 14:20 before Abraham gave it to Him. Nowadays, even after God has said that we should bring tithes into His house (Malachi 3:10-12), some Christians still argue about whether they should pay tithes or not. Such Christians are only pretending to be friends of God.

*REFLECTION:*
Are you really a friend of God?

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MARK 4-5

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 11 - I'VE FOUND A FRIEND IN JESUS*
1 I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Apple-tree of trees, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay,
He tells me every care on Him to roll:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

2 He all my griefs has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tower;
I’ve all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

3 He’ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11TH 2024

TOPIC: COMMITTING GOD

MEMORISE:
“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” - (Psalm 138:2)

READ: ISAIAH 40:4-8 (KJV)

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:

7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

MESSAGE:
Do you know that it is possible to commit God to do some things for you and leave Him with no choice but to do them? Psalm 115:3 says that God is sovereign, He does as He pleases, but if you know Him well, you can position yourself such that the Almighty will do what you want.

Going by today’s memory verse, if you can find what God’s word says about what you want and align yourself with it, He will be committed to doing His part. For example, Psalm 75:6-7 says that promotion comes from God. (1 Samuel 2:7- also says that God decides whom to raise and whom to bring down. Since you know this, the question now becomes, “How do I get God to promote me?” The answer is in (1 Peter 5:6):

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Therefore, if you notice that it seems like it is taking a long time for God to promote you, then you can make up your mind to be humble. Once you are humble, He will be committed to exalting you in order to fulfil His word. Proverbs 22:29 says that if you are diligent in your business, you will stand before kings. Proverbs 12:24 also says that the hand of the diligent shall bear rule. Therefore, if you want to get to the very top, you must add diligence to your humility, and in line with God’s word, He will raise you so high that you will be in the category of kings. You can get God to do what you want if you do what He wants.

The devil, however, also knows this principle. When he doesn’t want God to do something for you, he tempts you to do something wrong so that he can accuse you before God and commit God not to bless you. This is why Revelation 12:10 calls him the accuser of the brethren. He knows that God will not go against His word, so he tempts you into committing sin and accuses you before God. This is why it is foolish to obey the one who has decided to destroy you by committing sin. When next the devil tempts you, tell him, “I refuse to be a fool.”

Beloved, never give the devil the opportunity to use God’s word against you, rather, use God’s word to your favour by always praying according to His will.

REFLECTION:
Are you doing the things that will commit God to bless you and answer your prayers?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 27-28

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. [Refrain]

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. [Refrain]
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. [Refrain]

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11TH 2024

TOPIC: COMMITTING GOD

MEMORISE:
“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” - (Psalm 138:2)

READ: ISAIAH 40:4-8 (KJV)

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:

7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

MESSAGE:
Do you know that it is possible to commit God to do some things for you and leave Him with no choice but to do them? Psalm 115:3 says that God is sovereign, He does as He pleases, but if you know Him well, you can position yourself such that the Almighty will do what you want.

Going by today’s memory verse, if you can find what God’s word says about what you want and align yourself with it, He will be committed to doing His part. For example, Psalm 75:6-7 says that promotion comes from God. (1 Samuel 2:7- also says that God decides whom to raise and whom to bring down. Since you know this, the question now becomes, “How do I get God to promote me?” The answer is in (1 Peter 5:6):

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Therefore, if you notice that it seems like it is taking a long time for God to promote you, then you can make up your mind to be humble. Once you are humble, He will be committed to exalting you in order to fulfil His word. Proverbs 22:29 says that if you are diligent in your business, you will stand before kings. Proverbs 12:24 also says that the hand of the diligent shall bear rule. Therefore, if you want to get to the very top, you must add diligence to your humility, and in line with God’s word, He will raise you so high that you will be in the category of kings. You can get God to do what you want if you do what He wants.

The devil, however, also knows this principle. When he doesn’t want God to do something for you, he tempts you to do something wrong so that he can accuse you before God and commit God not to bless you. This is why Revelation 12:10 calls him the accuser of the brethren. He knows that God will not go against His word, so he tempts you into committing sin and accuses you before God. This is why it is foolish to obey the one who has decided to destroy you by committing sin. When next the devil tempts you, tell him, “I refuse to be a fool.”

Beloved, never give the devil the opportunity to use God’s word against you, rather, use God’s word to your favour by always praying according to His will.

REFLECTION:
Are you doing the things that will commit God to bless you and answer your prayers?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 27-28

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. [Refrain]

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. [Refrain]
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. [Refrain]

💡 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💡
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 10TH 2024_

*THEME: LOVE FOR GOD*

*MEMORISE*:
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
Matthew 22:37

*BIBLE READING: PSALM 63:1-8*
1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

*MESSAGE*:
Occasionally, I wonder, “Do I still love God like I used to? Was there a time when I loved Him more than I do now?” In the past, many of us were willing to do anything for Him; we were hungry to please Him at whatever cost and give to Him even when we had next to nothing. I remember the days when we used to have Bible Study Leaders Retreat, and we would take offerings. From the offerings, you would know that if the congregation had more, they would willingly give more. One brother gave his belt because he didn’t have any money to give!

How is your love for God now? Is it greater or less than it was before? There are people who, when they got born again, could dance vigorously during praise and worship, not caring if anyone was looking at them. Now, they can’t even shout hallelujah at the top of their voices. No matter how big a fellow is, he or she is still nothing before God. If a person is too big to dance for Him, He can decide to show that fellow how small he or she really is.

One day, I asked God, “Lord, David did a lot of terrible things, even more than Saul, yet You said David was a man after Your heart while You rejected Saul. I know that You are not partial, but I am curious to know why.” He responded, “What did David do in (2 Samuel 6:14)?” I replied, “He danced with all his might.” Then He asked, “Can you show me a place in the Bible where Saul danced for me?” That was when I really knew why God rejected Saul. It is not so much about dancing; rather, it is about the heart of a man after God has raised him. David’s love for God increased as he went higher, while Saul’s love reduced as he went higher. Which of these two are you?

If a believer’s love for God is reducing, such a believer is not far off from offending Him, and that might result in God rejecting the fellow. If you don’t believe me, read Philippians 1:9-10:

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

May your love for God keep increasing for the rest of your life, in Jesus’ name.

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, please let my love for You abound more and more every day, in Jesus' name.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MATTHEW 25-26

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 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.

Year: 2013
Price: 10.5m best ✅
Condition: Registered ®️(with V6 engine, thumb start and pano roof)
Location:📍Lagos ajah2

Whatsapp me for details 08132682481

Year: 2013
Price: 10.5m best ✅
Condition: Registered ®️(with V6 engine, thumb start and pano roof)
Location:📍Lagos ajah2

Call 08132682481

*🌹OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE🌹*

*DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9TH 2024*

*TOPIC: THE MEANING OF LIFE*

*MEMORISE:*
```“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”```
*(John 6:35)*

*READ: JOHN 10:9-10 (KJV)*
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

*MESSAGE:*
Many people have sought to find out the real meaning and essence of life. I have discovered that the only thing that gives life meaning is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Christ, life has no meaning. Without Christ, a man is like a boat, rocked back and forth by the waves of this world. He may pursue a variety of personal objectives, amass wealth, achieve success in one field or the other, or gain pleasure in one thing or another, but soon he will discover that they are all momentary and unsatisfying without Christ. No matter how rich you become, *Ecclesiastes 5:10* says that money doesn’t satisfy. In Christ, you have everything you need for life and godliness *(2 Peter 1:3).*

In *Ephesians 2:1,* Apostle Paul referred to those without Christ as being ‘dead in trespasses and sins’. He said in verse 3 that they fulfil the desires of the flesh, and if anyone has lived long enough, he or she would have discovered that the desires of the flesh do not bring satisfaction. At the end of the day, what people need to gain the joy that they seek is to satisfy the burning desire to connect with their Maker, the Lord Jesus Christ. Until that is done, they will always feel empty. Cars, awards, titles, and all the money in this world can never fill that void in their hearts. Until they have a relationship with Christ, their lives will remain meaningless. This is why when people become born again, all of a sudden, they feel this inner peace that cannot be explained. What follows after is joy. Life now suddenly has a meaning.

Beloved, make Christ your top priority. Don’t trade Him for money or anything else because it will profit you nothing if you gain the whole world and lose your soul *(Matthew 16:26).* People who do not have Christ will not only live a life of depression and chaos on earth, but they will also suffer for eternity in hell. The worst thing about hell is not the unquenchable fire and undying worms that will torture its occupants *(Mark 9:48);* it is the eternal separation from God and the regret of choosing to continue in sin despite hearing several messages of God’s salvation. Save yourself from that torment by giving your life to Christ now if you haven’t done so, and ensure you live holy henceforth.

*NOTE:* _If you are born again, you can make this message into a tract. Put the contact details of any RCCG parish at the back of the tract so that people who read it can have a minister of God to call for counselling and prayers. Use it to win souls to Christ._

*KEY POINT:*
```A life without Christ is empty.```

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 23-24*

*AUTHOR: PASTOR E A ADEBOYE*

*HYMN 10: IN CHRIST ALONE*
1 In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

2 In Christ alone, Who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This Gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

3 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 8TH 2024

TOPIC: 'IMPOSSIBLE' PRAYERS II

MEMORISE:
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” - (Matthew 19:26)

READ: JOEL 2:25-26 (KJV)

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

MESSAGE:
Today, I will conclude my teaching on ‘impossible’ prayers. There is a popular saying that an opportunity, once lost, can never be regained. The fellow who said that did not put God in the equation. With God, nothing is impossible. He can restore the unrestorable. You might have lost an opportunity in the past and now you think that it is impossible to regain that opportunity. However, there is nothing impossible with God.

In Ezekiel 37:1-11, God restored life to dry bones. God can restore that opportunity that you think is long gone to you if you have faith. He specialises in doing the impossible.

When I was studying at the University of Lagos, I applied to the Federal Ministry of Education for a scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree. Time passed, and I never got a response from the ministry. Somehow, I raised the money for my tuition, and life went on. When I was close to obtaining the Master’s degree, I met someone I used to know back when I was a games master in a secondary school. He was a games master at another school, and we had met when both of our schools were involved in a competition. As we talked, I found out that he now worked at the Federal Ministry of Education. I told him, “You people are very tough at the ministry. I applied for a scholarship, and I wasn’t even called for an interview.” He told me that he would look into it. I thought I would get a letter asking me to come for an interview, but to my surprise, the letter I got was to tell me that I had been awarded the scholarship. Since I had already paid my tuition, I bought a land and built my first house with the money I was awarded. God used a casual meeting to restore an opportunity that I thought was long gone, and it led to me building my first house.

What you may have lost could be more serious. If you have lost your first love for Christ, and the passion and love that you had for Him at the beginning seems to have died, God will restore your love for Him today, in Jesus’ name. You can love Him far more than you ever did. All you have to do is cooperate with Him as He guides you on what to do for that love to be restored.

KEY POINT:
God can reverse the irreversible.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 21-22

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 16 - 'TIS so SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS

1 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise,
and to know, "Thus saith the Lord."
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!

2 O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
just to trust his cleansing blood;
and in simple faith to plunge me
neath the healing, cleansing flood! [Refrain]

3 Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
just from sin and self to cease;
just from Jesus simply taking
life and rest, and joy and peace. [Refrain]

🌻 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🌻
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: MONDAY OCTOBER 7TH 2024_

*THEME: 'IMPOSSIBLE' PRAYERS 1*

*MEMORISE:*
“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”
Numbers 13:30

*BIBLE READING: MARK 11:12-24*
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.

20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

*MESSAGE:*
In continuing my teaching on the categories of prayer, I will focus on ‘impossible’ prayers today. The Bible says that some things are impossible with men, but with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), (Luke 1:37). If you have any doubt about this at all, just take a look at Redemption City, and you will know that with God, all things are possible. There are buildings in Redemption City that were built in seven days and which have been standing for around 40 years. The first secondary school building in the city is a two-storey building that was built in 18 days. I don’t use human engineering, I use divine engineering because, with my God, nothing is impossible.

The moment God hears, “It can’t be done” from your mouth, it just may never be done. This is because Numbers 14:28 says, “...as ye have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you:” Despite a fellow’s unbelief, God’s purpose will always be done, only that He will raise up another generation that will get the work done. In Numbers 13-14, twelve spies were sent to Jericho; ten of them came back and said that they couldn’t take the land, while only two said they could. God ensured that all the people who said that they couldn’t take the land were wiped out in the wilderness, while only the two who said that it was possible entered the land. In (2 Kings 7:1-17), Elisha proclaimed a seemingly impossible economic breakthrough within 24 hours. Everyone in the room kept quiet except one man who said that even if God created windows in heaven, it would be impossible. The breakthrough happened, but that man did not partake in it. Never say that anything is impossible; the moment someone says that something cannot be done, as far as he or she is concerned, it just may never be done.

When Jesus said in John 14:14, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it,” He was not joking. Therefore, if I ask for something that seems impossible, He will give it to me because He did not put any limit on what I can ask for according to His will (1 John 5:14-15).

Beloved, don’t express doubt when it comes to God. Don’t try to understand what He can do and how He will do it. Just believe.

*KEY POINT:*
Believe that with God, it can be done, and it will be done.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MATTHEW 18-20

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 1 - ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS' NAME*
1 All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all!

2 O seed of Israel's chosen race
now ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all.
Hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all!

3 Let every tongue and every tribe
responsive to his call,
to him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all.
To him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all!

4 Oh, that with all the sacred throng
we at his feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
and crown him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song
and crown him Lord of all.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY OCTOBER 5TH 2024

TOPIC: HARD PRAYERS

MEMORISE:
“Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.” - (Isaiah 45:11)

READ: 2 KINGS 20:1-11 (KJV)

1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?

9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?

10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.

11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

MESSAGE:
Over the last three days, I have discussed very easy prayers and easy prayers. Today, I will talk about hard prayers.

You pray hard prayers when you ask God to change the natural order of things and negate the laid-down laws that govern the world. For example, when Joshua stopped the sun from setting, he prayed for something that was contrary to nature (Joshua 10:12-14). Also, in today’s Bible text, King Hezekiah wanted the sun to go backwards as a sign that he would be healed. That was a hard prayer, but God did it still. If God answered these prayers by breaking the laws of nature just because someone asked Him to, then there is nothing that is too difficult to ask Him to do in your life.

Years ago, a pregnant woman came to me, saying that she already had daughters, but that her in-laws had threatened to chase her out of her husband’s house if she didn’t deliver a son with her current pregnancy. I told her that according to science, a baby’s gender is decided within 72 hours after it is conceived. She replied that I was not the one who will change the gender of the baby; all she wanted was for me to agree with her in prayers. I did so, and she gave birth to a boy. You may say that the baby was probably a boy all along, however, I shared this testimony while preaching one day, and a woman came to meet me after the service. She was eight months pregnant and had done a scan which revealed that the baby in her womb was a boy. However, she wanted a girl because she wanted to be able to share her dresses with her daughter. I told her, “You know very well that this baby is fully formed by now.” She replied that I was not the one who will perform the miracle; she just wanted me to agree with her in prayers. I did so, and she gave birth to a girl!

Nothing is too hard for God to do (Jeremiah 32:27). He made the laws of nature and can suspend them at any time. He can reverse the irreversible just because you ask Him to. During one of our programmes, a man wanted to see the miracles happening at the altar and whispered to God that he would like to be taller. He outgrew his trousers on the spot and everyone could see it! Indeed, nothing is too hard for God to do.

KEY POINT:
There is no impossibility with God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 12-13

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 22 - SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER! 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 Savior 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!

🎁 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎁
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: FRIDAY OCTOBER 4TH 2024_

*THEME: EASY PRAYERS*

*MEMORISE:*
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
2 Corinthians 1:20

*BIBLE READING: NUMBERS 23:19-20*
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

*MESSAGE:*
Today, I will continue my teaching on the various categories of prayer by looking at the second category: easy prayers. You pray easy prayers when you ask God for what He has already guaranteed in the Bible. For example, asking God for your daily bread is asking for something that He has already guaranteed (Matthew 6:9-11). The shepherd does not eat grass; it is meant for the sheep. So, when you ask God for food as His sheep, it is an easy prayer that He will answer easily (Psalm 23).

Psalm 35:27 says that God has pleasure in your prosperity. Therefore, asking for wealth is an easy prayer. Years ago, when I asked God for money to build a small house in Mushin, Lagos, He said, “Don’t ask for a house, I have decided to give you a city.” So, when seven of us gathered in Ilorin to pray for a campground, one of us began to prophesy, “I have already provided the land, I will only show it to you.” The land was already provided because He guaranteed it in His word (Psalm 2:.

One of my children said, ‘Give me’ is the prayer of a child. When your son comes to ask you for food, he is just saying, “I am ready for the next ration,” he is not bothered about the provision of the food. In the same vein, you should not be bothered about things that God has already promised you in the Scriptures. They are already provided for you, so all you need to do is ask, and you will get them at the right time. There is no need to worry about money, food, or all those things that make you comfortable; God has already provided them (Matthew 6:25-34).

When you worry about the things that God has guaranteed, it shows that you have little faith. Before you came to this world, He had prepared everything you need to survive. Just ask for them when you need them. As you ask, pay attention to whatever instructions He will give you on how to get them. In (1 Kings 17:4-6), He told Elijah to go to the brook and food was brought to him there. If Elijah did not obey, he would have died of hunger even though food was available for him. Your well-being is God’s responsibility; stop worrying about it.

*KEY POINT:*
Worrying about your daily needs is a sign of faithlessness. If God has guaranteed them in His word, just ask Him and He will provide them at the right time.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MATTHEW 10-11

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 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."

[Refrain]

💡 *OPEN HEAVENS* 💡
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 3RD 2024_

*THEME: VERY EASY PRAYERS II*

*MEMORISE:*
“Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”
2 Samuel 7:22

*BIBLE READING: PSALM 100:1-5*
1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

*MESSAGE:*
Yesterday, I taught about praise and worship being in the category of very easy prayers and the fact that even little children can praise God. Today, I will discuss God’s reaction to very easy prayers.

The first thing you must know about this category of prayers is that God is looking for people that pray this way. Students seek knowledge, politicians seek power, businessmen seek profit, but God seeks worshippers. He is constantly searching for people that will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). When He finds such people, He is so happy that He gives them blessings and miracles that they did not even ask for. Psalm 67:5-6 says:

Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

When we had just begun to hold the Holy Ghost Service at Redemption City, I was fasting and praying towards the programme one day when God said, “Don’t pray, just praise Me.” I did that, and the way He responded amazed me. On the first night of the Holy Ghost Service, He healed 14,000 people. We were few then, so that was almost everyone in attendance! After the programme, I was in my prayer room, thanking Him because I had not seen such before. Then, He told me to praise Him more and that He would do more the next day. I did not understand what He was saying because almost everyone had been healed on the first day. What I did not know was that the people who had gotten their healing went to tell their friends, and more people came the following day. On that day, 16,000 people were healed! I became frightened. Imagine having a congregation of 15,000 people, and by the next day, it had grown to 30,000! Praising and worshipping God causes Him to do frightening miracles.

A few years ago, during a wedding ceremony in a parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, the groom suddenly fell and died while signing the marriage register. All the pastors gathered and prayed all the prayers they knew, yet the young man’s corpse grew colder. Then, someone said that they should all stop praying and just praise God. Not long after they started doing that, the groom rose from the dead.

Beloved, the easiest route to getting God to pay attention to you is through praise and worship. Do it continuously.

*ACTION POINT:*
Just like you did yesterday, spend the rest of today praising God. Don't ask for anything; just praise Him all day long.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MATTHEW 7-9

*AUTHOR*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 17 - PRAISE MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVENS*
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!

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 OCTOBER 2ND 2024_

*THEME: VERY EASY PRAYERS I*

*MEMORISE:*
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”
Hebrews 13:15

*BIBLE READING: PSALM 34:1-4*
1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

*MESSAGE*:
There are five categories of prayers: very easy prayers, easy prayers, hard prayers, dangerous prayers, and ‘impossible’ prayers. For the next few days, I will be teaching on each of them to help you have a more robust prayer life.

The first category of prayers is the very easy prayers. This is praise and worship. Praise and worship is very easy because you don’t have to be a theologian to praise God; even little children can praise Him (Matthew 21:15-16).

David said that his soul would not forget all of God’s benefits, and so he would bless the Lord (Psalm 103:2). As a songwriter said, if you count your blessings and name them one by one, it will be very easy to praise God. David said, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1). You can praise God non-stop because praising Him is very easy when you count your blessings. It is very easy to do, yet it is extremely powerful. Unfortunately, many Christians don’t praise God much.

When we were about to open the first parish of The Redeemed Christian Church of God in Abuja, I was in my hotel room, praying concerning the programme that would hold that evening and asking God to perform miracles, heal the sick, and save souls. While praying, God said, “Shut up, am I your houseboy? Have you thanked Me for all I’ve done for you in the past?” I said, “Oh Lord, thank You for all You have done in the past. Tonight, please heal the sick...” Again, He told me to shut up and that I should only praise Him and not ask for anything for the next three days. It was very difficult, but I did it anyway. By the end of the third day, He said, “Select elders who will be going around, teaching the doctrine of the church to strengthen its foundation because all you have seen thus far is addition; get ready for multiplication.” The result of praising Him then can be clearly seen today as RCCG has indeed multiplied greatly.

Do you engage in this very easy prayer of praise and worship? How often do you praise God? Look around you, there are multitudes of things you can praise God for; praise Him continually for them. I know there are some things that you wish He has done, but what about all He has done already? If you find it difficult to praise God for what He has done, how do you expect Him to do more?

Don’t be an ingrate; go ahead and praise God with all your might.

*ACTION POINT:*
Spend the rest of today praising God. Don't ask for anything; just praise Him all day long.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MATTHEW 5-6

*AUTHOR*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 18 PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY, THE KING OF CREATION*
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation:
all ye who hear,
now to his temple draw near,
joining in glad adoration.

2 Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
shieldeth thee gently from harm, or when fainting sustaineth:
hast thou not seen
how thy heart's wishes have been
granted in what he ordaineth?

3 Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee:
ponder anew
what the Almighty can do,
if to the end he befriend thee.

4 Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the Amen
sound from his people again:
gladly for aye we adore him!

🥦 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🥦
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: TUESDAY OCTOBER 1ST 2024_

*THEME: PRAYERS FOR YOUR NATION*

*MEMORISE:*
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14

*BIBLE READING: PSALM 22:27-28*

27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.

*PRAYERS:*
1 Father, I am grateful for your blessings over my nation. We are still standing because you are watching over us.

2 Father, please empower the leaders of my nation and grant them the wisdom and strength to lead us aright at all times.

3 Lord, please expose and uproot wicked leaders from their offices, in Jesus’ name. Never let the wicked rule in any part of my nation again.

4 Father, please give the righteous people in my nation the boldness to rule. Raise righteous people who will boldly take up the mantle of leadership, in Jesus’ name.

5 Lord, please let your mercy reign in my nation. Let there be no disasters or outbreaks of diseases, in Jesus’ name.

6 Father, please let my nation prosper greatly. Let our lands be filled with abundance, and let our economy blossom. Open new doors of opportunities and prosperity to us; let barrenness and scarcity come to an end in every part of my nation, in Jesus’ name.

7 Father, please let peace reign between us and the nations around us. War and violence of any kind will not be mentioned in our land, in Jesus’ name.

8 Father, please let your plans for my nation be fulfilled. Let them come to pass quickly, in Jesus’ name.

9 Lord, please have mercy and cause us to repent from any form of pride and foolishness that may destroy us in our nation, in Jesus’ name.

10 Lord, please let my nation be among the great nations of the world. Let those seeking to destroy my nation and steal her glory be brought to shame, in Jesus’ name.

11 Lord, please let there be a revival in my nation. Let us begin to seek you wholeheartedly, in Jesus’ name.

12 Your personal prayer points for your nation.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MATTHEW 1-4

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 22 - SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER! 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 Savior 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!

HAPPY NEW MONTH!!

🌻 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🌻
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30TH 2024_

*THEME: THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH*

*MEMORISE*:
“Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Psalm 103:5

*BIBLE READING: JOSHUA 14:6-15*
6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea.

7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.

8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.

9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.

10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.

11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.

12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.

14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.

15 And the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.

*MESSAGE:*
Some people do not want to grow old; it is as if they are seeking a ‘fountain of youth’ that can keep them young forever. While it is impossible to remain young forever, you can still have the strength and vigour of a youth no matter how old you become.

I told some friends sometime ago that since Joel 2:28 says that young men see visions, if you still have visions that you are pursuing, you are young. God will give you visions when you wait on Him in His presence (Habakkuk 2:1-2). Those who spend quality time with God are visionaries; they come out of His presence loaded with visions that they want to accomplish. Before I became born again, my biggest vision was to be the youngest Vice Chancellor in Africa, but after I got saved and started spending time with God, I began to have bigger visions.

There is always a transfer from God to you when you spend quality time with Him. In Exodus 34:30-35, when Moses returned after he had been with God, the Israelites could not look at his face because God’s glory was all over him. Moses spent quality time with God; he once went to a mountain and stayed there with God for 40 days (Exodus 24:18). No wonder when he was 120 years old, his strength had not reduced, and his eyes were still very sharp (Deuteronomy 34:7). Abraham was over 80 years old when he went to war to rescue his nephew, Lot (Genesis 14:13-16). He could do so because he was a man of altars, always spending time with God. Spending quality time with God keeps you strong and youthful. With the little sleep that I often get because of my tight schedules, I should be looking older than my age, but by God’s grace, I am still strong enough at 82 to go on long walks, and my eyes are not dim. It is not because I am special; it is because I am always in contact with God’s glory in His presence.

Beloved, you can retain the vitality of youth even until your old age by being addicted to His presence. However, you shouldn’t live an unhealthy lifestyle and expect God to keep you young because you spend hours in His presence. Anyone who is irresponsible with his or her health will face the consequences.

Spend quality time with God; His glory will rub off on you, and your youth will be renewed as the eagle’s.

*KEY POINT:*
Spending quality time with God will help you retain the vigour of youth.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
MALACHI 1-4

*AUTHOR:*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 16 - 'TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS*
1 ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, Thus saith the Lord.

*Chorus*
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er,
Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more.

2 O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me,
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood.

3 Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life, and rest, and joy, and peace.

4 I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

🎊 *OPEN HEAVENS* 🎊
*DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

_DATE: SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH 2024_

*THEME: DESTINY DESTROYERS IV*

*MEMORISE:*
“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”
Philippians 3:19

*BIBLE READING: PROVERBS 23:19-21*
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

*MESSAGE:*
In conclusion of my teaching on the above topic, one major destiny destroyer that many people are not aware of is gluttony. Gluttony is the habit of eating and drinking excessively. Gluttons cannot control their appetites, and such people do not usually go far in life. They simply want to eat every time; food has become their preoccupation - their god.

Controlling your appetite is very important, and this is why the Bible says:

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. - (Proverbs 23:1-2)

The Scripture above does not imply that believers should literally put a knife to their necks, rather, it is saying that if they cannot control their appetite, even if they sit at a table with great men, they will still bring about their own destruction. The Bible tells us that even though Daniel and his friends were chosen amongst those to eat a portion of the king’s food, they controlled their appetites and chose not to defile themselves with the food. They chose to honour God by controlling their appetites, and God honoured them in return (Daniel 1:1-21).

Esau’s destiny was destroyed with a bowl of porridge; just one bowl of food caused his name to be omitted from the list we usually talk about - the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ‘Jacob’ on the list would have been Esau, but he couldn’t control his appetite and lost his place on that great list (Genesis 25:29-34).

Some adults eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, snack in-between meals, and eat again just before going to bed. How can you have the strength to wake up in the middle of the night for spiritual warfare when you are so loaded with food that you can hardly stand? There are many people who died untimely deaths and truncated their own destinies because of how much food they ate. They ate to the point of endangering their health, and then they passed on. Don’t let this be your portion.

Beloved, you should eat only when necessary and eat only the quantity of food that you need to survive. When you eat too much, you will be weak, and you will have less strength to do the things that you need to do to achieve greatness. Those whose belly is their god - meaning they are controlled by it - will end up in destruction. Control your appetite!

*PRAYER POINT:*
Father, please don't let my appetite destroy me.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:*
ZEPHANIAH 11-14

*AUTHOR*
PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

*HYMNAL: 31 - YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION*
1 Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you,
Some other to win;
Fight valiantly onward,
Evil passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.

*Refrain:*
Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.

2 Shun evil companions,
Bad language disdain;
God’s name hold in rev’rence,
Nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest,
Kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.

[Refrain]

3 To him that o’ercometh,
God giveth a crown;
Through faith we will conquer,
Though often cast down;
He who is our Savior,
Our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.

[Refrain]