OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY 23/07/2013 - WHY YOU MUST ABIDE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WHY YOU MUST ABIDE

MEMORY VERSE

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22

READ

Psalm 1:1-3

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

MESSAGE 

In John 9:6-7, a man who was born blind had contact with the Lord and his eyes were opened in a very dramatic way. If just one contact could do that much, how much more when you abide in Him? When you abide in Christ, He makes everything to become new. 2 Kings 4:8-17 tells of the Shunammite woman who offered Elisha food, and he decided to abide more regularly in the apartment she built for him. Because he was abiding there, this woman who had lost hope of becoming a mother became the mother of a son. When you abide, there is a new beginning. The widow of Zarephath had the servant of God abiding with her and her son and what was suppose to be her last meal became the meal that sustained the trio for over two years of famine. Are you abiding in Christ? If you are today in Christ, tomorrow in sin, you are not abiding in Him. If you are today in church, tomorrow in a shrine, you are not abiding in Him.

Moreover, why do you need to abide in Him? Abiding in Him creates the perfect atmosphere to get the best results from God's Word. Psalm 119:11 says,

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

If you are in a hurry to study God's word, it will not sink into you, and you will be unable to reach the depth where you can get revelation. You need to read, study, memorise and meditate on the word, so that you can have good success (Joshua 1:8). You cannot continue in sin and expect a breakthrough from God because God is a miracle worker and not a magician. Abiding in Him helps you to stay holy. Several years ago, a woman attended an anointing service organised for those who wanted to be fruitful. Like others who came, I laid hands on her and prayed. Much later she was angry that nothing happened even though she fell under the anointing. While I was about to pray for her again, the Lord stopped me, and told me to ask this great woman how many boyfriends she had, beside her husband, and she said six. What some people are seeking is magic not miracle. To prosper and become fruitful or successful through Him, you must be holy.

KEY POINT

Anytime you step out of Christ, you are exposed to the bullets and arrows of the enemy. Stay in Him!