OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY20/07/2013 - WHEN THE SPIRIT DEPARTS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WHEN THE SPIRIT DEPARTS

MEMORY VERSE

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 

Psalm 51:11

READ

Psalm 51:1-12

Psa 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psa 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psa 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Psa 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

MESSAGE

Every believer in Christ needs the Holy Spirit. As long as He is with you, all is well, but the moment He leaves you, trouble sets in and weakness follows. When He was with Samson, everyone saw him as a real-life Superman or Spiderman; but when He left him, Samson became an ordinary man and his enemies dealt with him (Judges 16:18-20). While the forces of darkness find it easy to deal with those without the Holy Spirit, it is an uphill task for them to deal with someone who is full of the Holy Spirit. If you truly desire to be untouchable, make sure the Holy Spirit is very much with you. Demons are afraid of believers in Christ, not for their sake but because of the Spirit of God upon them. Many years ago, while we were starting a church in Ife, a particular young and proficient female singer mounted the stage and began to sing: 'My city is heavenly Jerusalem. Witches, wizards and other evil doers cannot go there'. In that place, there were over 200 deities and demons. Suddenly, we observed that her mouth opened to sing but no sound came out. Obviously, the witches and wizards felt she was confronting them while she lacked the power of the Holy Spirit, and so they seized her voice. She had to undergo some prayer afterwards in order to regain it. It is foolishness to dare the enemy when your Ally is not with you.

Moreover, when the Holy Spirit departs, the joy of salvation goes with Him. If you doubt this, ask David. When David sinned, the Holy Spirit left and so went his joy. This was why he began to ask for the restoration of the joy of his salvation in today's reading. When was the last time you woke up singing? When the Spirit leaves, the relationship between you and the Lord Jesus Christ becomes like noise without substance. Romans 8:9 says if you do not have the Holy Spirit, you have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. Why? You are connected to Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Beloved, do all it takes for the Holy Spirit not to leave you! But if He has already left, then do everything possible to bring Him back.

PRAYER POINT

Father, whatever happens, please let Your Spirit never depart from me