OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 30/11/2013 - WHEN TEMPTATION EXTENDS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WHEN TEMPTATION EXTENDS

MEMORY VERSE

Pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

READ

Genesis 39:7-12

Genesis 39:7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

Genesis 39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

Genesis 39:9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

Genesis 39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

Genesis 39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.

Genesis 39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

MESSAGE

It is possible to have victory over the devil in a particular area and the victory becomes a defeat down the line. For example, the victory God gave some people over barrenness has now become an idol. You can be sure that when you idolise the gift, you provoke the Giver to become jealous, and afterwards to become your enemy. Gideon's victory eventually made room for idolatry in Judges 8:22-27. Moreover, the devil did not hide his intention towards Samson: he knew Satan wanted to bring him down. I am often worried about people who talk too much and preachers are mostly guilty of this. This is one reason we ask pastors to preach only for a short time during training. Samson was confident in himself, he believed Delilah was an ordinary girl and as a result, she will not be able to get him. Today, you will be shocked to see the sins and temptations that are bringing mighty men and women down. Some have fallen because of persistent temptation like it happened to Joseph, only that God's grace sustained him (Genesis 39:7-10). When a particular temptation is persistent, it is because Satan wants to wear you out with his jabs, but you too can wear him out with your prayers (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

In Genesis 39:10, we read that Joseph was tempted everyday by Portiphar's wife but he did not succumb. Satan does not mind applying so much pressure on you continuously just to get you to sin. Beside intensive and continuous prayer, when you are in a situation of persistent temptation, it is important to take your flight like Joseph. Many people who fell into temptation started by overcoming them; but when the devil kept at it, gradually, they began to dialogue with him until they felt pressed to yield. When a temptation is becoming too persistent, separate yourself from the source of the temptation. You can also confide in your prayer partner to join you in praying about it. You can also see your pastor for counselling. At such times, avoid being alone and keep good company. The Lord will give you total victory.

KEY POINT

When a temptation is persistent, know that Heaven and earth are watching to see what you will do