OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 11/09/2013 - WATCH FOR THE SIGNS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WATCH FOR THE SIGNS

MEMORY VERSE

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James 2:18

READ

James 2:14-17

James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

James 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

MESSAGE

Elijah in 1 Kings 18:41-44 brought an end to a situation of famine that had plagued the land for three and a half years. We can learn from the process he went through in order to bring about the manifestation of change in this situation of drought. In addition to hearing God, declaring what He had said and intense prayer, the man of God also added some other action. He asked his servant to keep going back to check the skyline for signs of rain. James 2:14-17 says the faith that fails to be backed up by works is a dead faith. One lesson here underscores the need to be spiritually alert while praying. Why? If you watch and pray and you are spiritually sensitive, you will see signs in the spiritual skyline that will tell you that your prayer has been answered. Sometimes, such signs may appear quite insignificant or almost unnoticeable, yet, if you are sensitive enough, it will not pass you by. When you watch and pray, you will not pray blind prayers any more. When you pray, do you watch out for signs of answer to your prayer?

On the other hand, there is need for works to give life to your faith. Hebrews 11:6 says God rewards those who diligently seek Him. Do you seek Him diligently? Yes the tide is turning for your good but you've got to act and go beyond prayer. If you need a job, you need to write and forward your applications to organisations and follow them up, asking whether they received your applications, the time for tests and interviews etc. As a student, if you want to come out in flying colours, you must study. In 1964, my professor told me that you have to go over a given text 10 times if you truly want it to stick in your memory. If you want to reach the top, acquire a skill. Whatever you are doing, be very good at it. If you are a tailor, carpenter or fisherman, be the best in that field. God is looking for diligent, hardworking and skilled people that He will prosper. One of my friends introduced his brother to me as a tailor who just qualified and requested that I patronise him. I gave him some material to sew a pair of trousers and he sewed something else. I told my friend that his brother is a barber and not a tailor. Be diligent from today!

ACTION POINT

Some signs may be a flash of less than a minute, ask God for grace not to lose divine messages