OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL – TUESDAY – 31/03/2015 – PROMPT OBEDIENCE – BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

PROMPT OBEDIENCE 

Memorise

And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Matthew 8:21-22

Read

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (KJV)

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.

MESSAGE

In the service of God, sacrifice is good. God expects all His children to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to Him. He also expects our sacrifice to be holy and acceptable (Romans 12:1). However, He makes it clear that He prefers obedience to sacrifice. Jeremiah 7:23 says,

"But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."

Obedience is the act of doing what one is told to do. In the spiritual sense, obedience is total submission to the written and spoken word of God. It is an express but conditional commandment of God. In Exodus 19:5, God instructed the Israelites to obey His voice:

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:"

One distinguishing characteristic of those who are great in the things of God is prompt obedience. The Bible contains so many stories of men and women who became great for God as a result of their obedience to His word. A classical example of a person whose lifestyle was defined by prompt obedience was Abraham. Other heroes of obedience include Joseph, Joshua, Ruth, David, Elijah, Elisha and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Obedience entails learning (Hebrews 5:8). It involves God taking you to His own school of theology. Here you are stripped of all knowledge and pomposity in order to obey God in simple holiness and truth. Obedience requires sincerity, genuineness and love. True obedience comes from a heart of love. It is real and not mere eye service. Obedience requires boldness. It takes boldness for a child of God to obey Him in this world of perversion and outright corruption. It takes moral courage to live holy and move against the tide of sin. Don't be a moral coward. Be bold enough to say "no" to all acts of unrighteousness. Speak out against sin anywhere you find yourself.

A true Christian is one who is neither ashamed of the gospel nor a shame to the gospel. You can overcome the fear of man through reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit. Obedience requires humility. It takes the grace of God to obey God all the way to the end. Are you facing persecution because of your obedience to Christ? Don't give up! Don't compromise your stand. Don't allow yourself to be distracted from the path of obedience. Obedience must not be done haphazardly. Disobedience is rebellion, which is likened to witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23).

Action Point 

Obey God, obey those who share the truth with you, obey your leader and obey your body when it needs rest.

Bible in One year

Nahum 1-3, 

Matthew 12:9-32

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL – THURSDAY – 29/1/2015 – STOREHOUSE FOR WONDERS – BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

Storehouse for Wonders 

Memorise

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

Psalm 23:1

Read

1 Kings 17:12-16 

12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. 

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. 

MESSAGE

You will observe that ever since God rested from His work in Genesis 2:2, He has been working on and through His earlier creations in propagating His purpose. For example, God never created another set of man and woman after the first man and woman had been created. Rather, he charged those He had already created to be fruitful, to multiply and to replenish the earth (Genesis 1:28). 

When God is confronted with a need, He will use what is already available in His creation to meet that need. When God was confronted with the need to feed His prophet for a number of years during a famine, He needed a storehouse of wonders to meet this need. The widow of Zarephath’s house became this storehouse for wonders. The man of God, Elijah, discovered a barrel of flour and a cruse of oil that were almost empty in this house. However, it was not the prophet but the God of wonders who located that storehouse for wonders, and He sent His prophet there (1 Kings17:8-9). 

We must learn some lessons from this story of the storehouse for wonders. First, the house was available for the God of wonders to use. My prayer for you is that whenever the God of wonders wants to turn a house to a house for wonders, it will be yours in Jesus’ Name. The question is: will you be ready to surrender your house to the God of wonders to use for His glory? Secondly, the widow did not shy away from a difficult assignment. Although it was a difficult thing for her to give Elijah her last meal, she obeyed the command of God and did as the prophet said. Hence her house became the storehouse for wonders. Her barrel of flour and her cruse of oil became instruments of wonders. 

Thirdly, this woman did not only know the wonder-working God, she was a sincere and straightforward woman of faith. She stated her case as it was. She said, 

“This is our last meal; we can’t part with it.” 

If it were some of us, we would not even admit that we have anything at all. This woman seemed to be saying to herself, 

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want, even if I surrender my last meal to Him.” 

This woman exposed her miracle meal to the wonder-working God to work with. This was the exact thing the young lad in Matthew 14:17-20 did, and he went home with twelve basketfuls as the interest on the five loaves and two fishes he lent to the wonder-working Lord. I pray that the Lord will feed you fat even in the time of famine in Jesus’ Name. 

Action Point

Determine to lend to God by way of sacrificially giving to His work this year, and you will see the glory of God. 

Bible in one year

Jeremiah 14:1-16:13 

Acts 17:1-15 

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 08/1/2015 - THE WONDER WORKING PRAYER - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE WONDER WORKING PRAYER

MEMORISE

But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and she saw Peter, she sat up.

ACTS 9 : 40.

READ

MARK 9 : 20 – 29.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting

MESSAGE

The Bible in Philippians 4 : 6 enjoins us not to be anxious for anything, but rather to make our requests known to God through prayer and supplication sandwiched with thanksgiving. The result of this spiritual exercise is found in Philippians 4 : 7 :

” And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

This is the wonder of an effective Christian Prayer life.

Our Bible text reveals that prayer can work wonder beyond our widest imagination. It also reveals the inevitability of prayer in our lives. If Jesus could do nothing without prayer, then we should not think that an effective prayer life is optional in our Christian walk. When the apostles wondered why they could not cast out the demons in a demon-possessed boy, Jesus in Mark 9 : 29 simply told them that it was due to lack of prayer and fasting. James 4 : 2 reveals that many children of God are guilty of negligence in prayer. Some of them even become envious of those who take out time to pray to God concerning their needs. They fail to realise that it is prayer that can solve the problem of lack, and not envy. Like the elder brother of the prodigal son, they are zealous in the work of God but fail to make their requests known to God. They end up becoming envious. The elder brother of the prodigal son even falsely accused his father of partiality. But the father replied that all that he had was his ( Luke 15 : 31 ). The problem with this son was that he would not ask.

After I was commissioned as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, I travelled to my home town. On getting there, one of the request put forward to me was about the access road into the town; as at that time, the road was in a deplorable state. Humanly speaking, it was an expensive project for a pastor to undertake. So I looked up in prayer to the God who called me, just like the Psalmist did in Psalm 121 : 1 – 2 :

” I WILL lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”

The Lord answered my simple prayer a few weeks after my visit. He moved the government to award a contract that got the road fixed.

KEY POINT

Ask and it shall be given; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

ISAIAH 23 – 26

ACTS 5 : 22 – 42.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 5/1/2015 - THE WONDERS OF NEW CREATION - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE WONDERS OF NEW CREATION

MEMORISE

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2 CORINTHIANS 5 : 17.

READ

JOHN 3 : 1 – 5.

1 THERE was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

MESSAGE

The Almighty God is the Chief Planner, the Architect and the Builder per excellence. Before the universe was put together, God planned it. No man is in this world by accident. He told Jeremiah that before He formed him, He knew him ( Jeremiah 1 : 4 – 5 ). In the beginning, God had beautiful plans for His creation, but along the line, sin distorted His plans for the universe and particularly for the human race. But God, being the Almighty, decided in His Infinite mercy to restore His distorted creation. This is why in Jeremiah 18 : 1 – 4, we read an interesting story of a potter and his clay vessel which got damage in the process of being worked. The potter made up his mind to start all over again. I prophecy that God’s Original purpose for your life which the enemies have tampered with shall be restored today in Jesus’ Name.

Paul the sinner who later became a saintly apostle of Jesus Christ is one example of a person who experienced the wonders of new creation. In his testimony in 1 Timothy 1 : 15, he wrote that he was the chief sinners. In 2 Corinthians 5 : 17, he summed up the wonders of new creation saying :

” Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

In our scripture reading today, Jesus Christ told Nicodemus that he must be born-again in order to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus then asked Jesus in John 3 : 4 that :

“….Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

Jesus replied that it is possible to become a new creation by water and the spirit of God. All these are mysteries and pointers to the wonders of new creation. For you to experience these wonders, you must surrender your total life to Him who is able to recreate and restore beautiful plans that have been distorted by the evil one. The Bible in Acts 3 : 19 says :

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

I pray that you will experience the wonders of new creation in all spheres of your life in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, whatever beautiful plans you have for my life that the enemies have distorted, please restore in Jesus’Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 

ISAIAH 12 – 14 AND ACTS 4 : 1 – 22.

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 4/1/2015 - THE POWER TO BECOME - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

THE POWER TO BECOME

MEMORISE

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name

JOHN 1 : 12.

READ

1 SAMUEL 16 : 11 – 13.

11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this

is he.

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose

up, and went to Ramah.

MESSAGE

In 1 Samuel 2 : 8, we read of what the Almighty God can make out of the life of an ordinary person. He gives the power to become. This power come to an individual by the spirit of God. When the power of the Holyspirit comes in contact with anordinary person, that fellows ceases to be ordinary and becomes extraordinary.

However, before the gift of the Holy spirit can come upon an individual, he or she must posses some qualities that will bring about such empowerment. Before Godcan Trust you with His power, He would have ascertained that you would make good use of it. God gives His Power for the purpose of expanding His Kingdom on

earth ( Acts 1 : 8 )

David was given the power to become a deliverance minister through the instrumentality of the anointing. What Spiritual work can anyone do without anointing? Absolute Nothing! Some people do not know the essence of the anointing; they think being ordained is just for the conferment of titles such as deacons, deaconess, pastor, bishop etc. No! The primary essence of being ordained is to impart the anointing that destroys yokes. Such yokes are first destroyed in the life of the anointed. The anointing equips a person for spiritual assignments that are primarily geared towards the destruction of the kingdom of the devil.

One of my sons describes the need for the anointing this way ” when an engineer does his engineering work in a secular organisations, he does not need the anointing. However, when that same engineer becomes engaged in the service of the church, he needs the anointing to succeed. This is so because the devil knows he now works to pull down his kingdom through the medium of the church.” An electronics engineer in the media department of a living church organisations or in a Christian media house definitely need the Holyspirit ‘s anointing to succeed in making the gospel heard either through the pulpit or on television screens. This is the reasons why every skilled worker of the church, including financial managers, need to be born again, sanctified and Holyspirit filled if they would not end up becoming like Judas Iscariot. This will make them obtain power to become unstoppable and indestructible vessels of honour in the household of faith.

ACTION POINT

Purge yourself of all sinful habits so that you may be prepared unto every good work as a vessel of honour ( 2 Timothy 2 : 21 )

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

ISAIAH 9 : 8 – 11 : 16

ACTS 3 .

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 3/1/2015 - LIKE THE STARS - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

LIKE THE STARS

MEMORY VERSE

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Daniel 12:3 

Read

Daniel 6:19-28

19. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.

20. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?

21. Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.

22. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.

23. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

24. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

25. Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

26, I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

27. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

28. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (Daniel 6:19-28 KJV)

MESSAGE

A star is as outstanding figure among his or her contemporaries. He shines and outshines his colleagues. One of the ways to be a star is to be created a star (Genesis 1:16). Jeremiah was created a star by God (Jeremiah 1:5). Another way to become a star is to have a parent who is a star. The day a prince is born, he is already a star. While some people are born as star, some others are made stars or gifts and through hard work, get promoted to become stars. Deuteronomy 34:9 tells of Joshua who was made a star because Moses laid hands on him. Daniel achieved stardom by the use of his gifts, skills and through hard work (Daniel 6:1-3).

To shine like the stars, you need God. The Bible in Psalm 75:6-7 says:

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”

You can move God to make you a star if you seek Him and surrender your life to Him (Hebrews 11:6, Proverbs 8:17). You can influence your way to stardom if you shun iniquity and love righteousness. The Bible makes this clear in Hebrew 1:9:

“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

Proverbs 22:6 tells of the importance of parental training in order for children to become stars. In other words, parents can make stars out of their children through proper training – spiritually, intellectually and morally (Deuteronomy 11:19). My mother did a good job on me. While other children were playing outside, my mother would compel me to stay indoors to read my books. I am what I am today by the grace of God and the efforts of my mother. Children can also influence their own shining through hard work (Proverbs 22:29). Some children are addicted to computer games instead of reading their books. There are Christians youths who are believing God for breakthroughs without hard work. They are just wasting their time, because no breakthrough will come to a lazy fellow. Also, children must obtain the blessing of their parents by honouring them. I remember my mother would pray for me thus: “When you call one fellow, two hundred will respond.” It is now a reality in my life; Hallelujah!!!

Prayer Point

Father, please help me that I may do what I need to do what I need to do in order to shine as a star from now onward.

Bible in one year

Isaiah 6:8-9:7

Acts 2:29-47

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 31/12/2014 - IT PAYS TO LIVE HOLY II - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

IT PAYS TO LIVE HOLY II

Memorise

For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

Zechariah 2:5

Read

Job 1:8-10

1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

MESSAGE

Everybody in this world wants to be secure. Witchcraft is prospering because people feel insecure and they are looking for security from any available source. The unfortunate thing is that, looking for security from the forces of darkness is looking for security from the very person who wants to destroy you. Those who are living a holy life have the protection of the Lord Almighty. This is because God has built a hedge around them. In Job 1:9-10, the Bible tells us that God had put a hedge around Job and his household. God put a hedge around Job because he served Him. Job got into the predicament that befell him because God wanted to prove a point to Satan. Around every holy child of God, there is an unseen wall. Satan cannot pass through this wall because it is made of fire. The Bible in Zechariah 2:5 says,

“For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”

Satan knows that he is going to end up in the Lake of fire. He is therefore not very anxious to taste this fire yet, so when he sees anybody who is surrounded by this fire, he keeps his distance.

God has made so many promises to those that are holy. Psalm 91 contains classical examples of these promises. You cannot abide in the secret place of the Most High without being holy. Without being holy, God’s promises cannot be yours. The fire of the Almighty God is so hot that when it surrounds you, the fire of this world will make way for you to pass. We have a good example in Daniel 3:24-28, where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were put in the fiery furnace. Their experience confirms what the scripture says concerning the holy in Isaiah 43:2:

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

There is however one thing that can remove the security covering from you. This is sin. Whenever you sin, you create a barrier between you and God. It is therefore dangerous to sin, not even for once because you may not be able to recover from the devastating effect of the ensuing satanic attack in the course of your backsliding. I pray that your fire will not go out in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point

Father, whatever will take away your banner of protection over my life, withhold me from such from now on.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Acts 27-28

Song of Solomon 8:8-14

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 28/12/2014 - PERFECT CHRISTIAN? - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

PERFECT CHRISTIAN?

Memorise

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Read

Job 1:5-8

1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

MESSAGE

When we compare two things and we say one is better than the other, it may not necessarily mean that either of the two is desirable. But when we say something is perfect, it means that it is good in itself and there is no evil complaint about it. It also means that it is so good that there is no need to improve on it. This is the definition of the perfect Christian. A perfect Christian is a Christian that is without blemish – a Christ-like individual indeed. There are different categories of Christians. There are those who have been saved but not sanctified. These ones easily get annoyed. They cannot be described as perfect Christians. Some Christians are saved and sanctified. These ones do not get annoyed. There was a time we were rehearsing a drama that was to be staged in our church. A part required that the actor should become very annoyed. Our main actor could not bring himself to be angry. We could not even get someone among us to teach him how to be angry. May you be sanctified to perfection in Jesus’ Name.

“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

1 Peter 1:2

To become a perfect Christian, you must first and foremost be Holy Spirit filled. The Holy Spirit is indispensable in the life of any Christian. Without the Holy Spirit, it is not possible to have any of the dimensions of the fruit that the Holy Spirit causes a Christian to bear which makes a Christian perfect (Galatians 5:22-23). For one to be a perfect Christian, some things must manifest in the fellow’s life. First, all things have to be done according to how God Himself would do them. You must aspire to please God in all that you do. Before doing anything, no matter how trivial, first ask how you think God would do it. Knowing that God can only do things perfectly, you will see to it that it is perfectly done. Secondly, a perfect Christian will aspire to get to where God wants him to reach. He will never stop or rest until God’s purpose for his life is accomplished. Many Christians backslid because they had thought that their position was the highest spiritual height they could attain and as a result, they became contented and stopped striving higher. May the Lord bring you to perfection this season in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point

Father, make me as perfect as you want me to be in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Acts 20:17-22:21

Song of Solomon 5:10-6:9

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 24/12/2014 - RIGHT CHOICE? - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

RIGHT CHOICE?

Memorise

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Deuteronomy 30:19

Read

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

MESSAGE

There comes a time in the life of everyone that a choice has to be made between two alternatives. Choice means deciding between possibilities. It means accepting an option while rejecting another. For every choice made, there is always an alternative forgone. This is why it is important to make the right choice in life. It is unfortunate that some so-called Christians don’t have an alternative forgone. They want to have their cake and eat it at the same time. They want to be in Christ and at the same time be in the world. 1 John 2:15-17 means nothing to them. As long as you are alive, you will be confronted with making choices. It might be the choice of a career, the business to run, the partner to marry, a call to fulfil, the location to dwell in or the God to serve.

“And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.”

Jeremiah 21:8

One of the most critical choices to make in life is the choice between death and life. You need to take responsibility for your life by making choices that will make you live. This includes choosing whom to serve. This is the greatest choice to make in life. This choice determines the kind of life you will live on earth and where you will spend eternity. Choosing to serve God is the greatest decision because the consequence goes beyond this world. Jesus made it clear that His servants would be with Him in glory. Being a follower of a hero is not as important as knowing the end of the hero. Jesus in John 12:26 said:

“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

Moses called heaven and earth to witness, when he asked the children of Israel to choose between the gods of the heathen and the God of their fathers, and by implication between the life-giving God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the dead gods of the nations around them (Deuteronomy 30:15-18). Who is your master, Jesus or Satan? Jesus made it clear that after death, no one can switch over to the destination of a master he or she did not serve while here on earth. In other words, the devil cannot claim sincere followers of Jesus Christ, just as the followers of the devil cannot spend eternity with Jesus except they repent before their death. Therefore, choose whom you will serve today – Jesus or Satan? I encourage you to choose Jesus, the Giver of life.

Action Point

Decide to serve God through Jesus today because He is The Way, The Truth and The Life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Acts 12:6-13:52

Song of Solomon 3

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 18/12/2014 - WHAT DO YOU WANT? I - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WHAT DO YOU WANT? I

Memorise

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Matthew 7:7

Read

2 Kings 2:9-10

2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

2:10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

MESSAGE

You should never assume that because God knows all things, He should know what you want. Neither should you assume that since God knows what you need, He would not ask you the type of question Jesus asked blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:51. The reason God asks such questions may be connected to the fact that people’s hierarchy of needs differ one from another. What is one man’s priority may be of less importance to another. For example, while Elisha wanted a double portion of his master’s spirit, Gehazi his own servant wanted money. Also, Esau wanted food instead of the right of the firstborn. You will be surprised at the responses you will get when you ask people what they want. You may be expecting them to ask for things of eternal value but a lot of them ask for peanuts. The urgency of your need will determine the fervency of your asking. David was desperate in his need for God, therefore he said in Psalm 42:1:

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”

There was one thing David desired of the Lord in his life time, and this was to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life (Psalm 27:4). Your desire for a thing spurs you to ask the one you believe can give it to you. However, the price you are willing to pay for what you want, determines whether you are going to get what you desire. Paul desired to know Christ and so he regarded as nothing those things that should have been to his advantage. He suffered a great deal, even to the point of death so that he may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-10).

God is asking you this day: “What do you want?” It is time to pray and tell God what you want. However, the time at which you want it also matters because some people may have decided to postpone their season of celebration to next year or two years from now. Some people are like Pharaoh who Moses asked when he would want the frogs harassing him and his people to stop and he said: “Tomorrow!” Why tomorrow, why not now (Exodus 8:9-10)? It may sound strange, but this is the attitude of some people when it comes to asking for what they want. They may know the right thing to ask, but then, when they want it may be the problem. When Elijah was to be translated, he asked his disciple - Elisha what he wanted. Elisha did not wink his eyes before he handed his request to his master – a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. He got it because he knew what he wanted, why he wanted it and when he wanted it. May the Lord grant you your request today in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point

Father, give me your best will today and cause my joy to be full in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Esther 8-10

Ecclesiastes 11

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 11/12/2014 - POWER TO BECOME A CHILD OF GOD - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

POWER TO BECOME A CHILD OF GOD

Memorise

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 1:12

Read

John 1:9-13

1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

MESSAGE

There is virtually nothing anyone can do without power. Power is described as the ability to act or produce an effect. It is also described as possession of control, authority, or influence over others. The types of power available in this world include: physical, mental, political, economic and spiritual. The good thing about the type of power we are considering today is that it pervades all spheres of human endeavour. This power is the power to become a child of God. It takes a great deal of power to become a child of God; therefore, if anyone wants to become a child of God, he or she must access the power that is required to bring about this transformation. This power is accessed by receiving Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. The power to become whatever God designed you to be shall come upon you today in Jesus’ Name.

After the fall of man in Genesis 3:6-10, all human beings came under the influence and control of the devil, and consequently became children of the devil (John 8:44, 1 John 3:10). The Bible in Romans 3:23 says that,

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Also in 1 John 3:8, the Bible further states that:

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.”

To transform a person from being a child of the devil to a child of God requires power. To become a child of God, you must be born-again by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5). The power in the Name of Jesus is also involved in this process according to 1 Corinthians 6:11. The power in the Name of Jesus brings about the justification (the total wipe-out of a person’s past) necessary to become a child of God. The word of God also plays a key role in releasing power to become a child of God (Ephesians 5:26). The word of God empowers the sanctification that is needed to become a child of God. This marks you out as separated to God and untouchable to the devil.

The rights and privileges associated with being a child of God are so many that if you have not given your life to Christ before now, you must not allow today to pass you by. When you become a child of God, you become joint-heirs with Jesus Christ in glory. You become bold to confront your adversaries and they will flee from you. Your prayers receive speedy answer from your Father in Heaven. You will also make it to Heaven when you close your eyes in death. Praise the Lord.

Prayer Point

Father, I reject the devil and his deeds. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour from today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Nehemiah 1-3

Ecclesiastes 7:19-29

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 3/12/2014 - WAIT FOR YOUR HARVEST II - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WAIT FOR YOUR HARVEST II

Memorise

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:4

Read:

Hebrews 6:11-15

6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

6:14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

6:16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

MESSAGE

I learnt a valuable lesson some years ago. When the crowd of participants at our monthly Holy Ghost service began to increase, I decided to select seven elders to help in the area of ministering to people. I gave each of them neckties that I had used during previous ministrations. “Put on these neckties; they are already soaked with God’s anointing during my previous ministrations” I told them. Whenever they wore those neckties and ministered, supernatural miracles always occurred. As signs and wonders happened in the area of ministration, something else happened in my own life. I was showered with gifts of neckties. Each time my close acquaintances travelled, they came back with just one type of gift - neckties. Wherever they travelled to, the only gifts they brought to me were neckties. Then I asked God, “Why are these people just giving me neckties? Can’t they come up with some other gifts beside neckties?” God gave me insight into what was happening. He said, “Son, if you sow ties, you will reap ties.” I quickly got the message and decided to start sowing shoes. I located pastors who wore my shoe size and I gave them a good number of my shoes, among which were some of my best shoes. I expected a harvest of new shoes in the first month following my act of giving, but there was no gift of shoes for me. When another month rolled by and there was still no gift of shoes for me, I went to God and said, “Daddy, you told me that if I sow, I would reap.” It was then the Lord taught me another lesson, He said, “Son, if you plant maize, you can harvest it within three months, but if you plant yam, you will wait a little longer”. The Almighty God said to me, “Shoes are of greater value than ties, the greater the quality of the seed sown, the more time you will have to spend in waiting for the harvest. You have planted shoes and you will have to wait a little longer; but the moment the harvest starts, there will be no stopping it”. Later, I was showered with shoes of all sizes and colours: big, small, white, green, black and all kinds of sophisticated shoes. When the harvest eventually came in full, I was pleasantly surprised. James 5:7 says,

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.”

If you have sown any seed, your harvest will soon come. Just wait a little while and your harvest will locate you in the Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:

Father, please let my harvest come speedily and help me not to be weary in well-doing.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

2 Chronicles 29:3-30:27

Ecclesiastes 3

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 2/12/2014 - WAIT FOR YOUR HARVEST I - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

WAIT FOR YOUR HARVEST I

Memorise

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

James 5:7

Read

Genesis 8:20-22

8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

MESSAGE

There is a time span between seedtime and harvest time. The time between sowing and harvesting could be short or long depending on the type of seed sown. If the seed is significant, you may have to wait for some time before you reap the harvest. Farmers are never in a hurry. They know that they must wait for the harvest if they desire a good yield. Some believers are of the opinion that one can sow in the morning and reap in the evening. It is quite possible, but it depends on what you want to harvest. Some crops can be harvested within three to six months, while others may require more than one year before the farmer can harvest them. There is no magic in farming as there are set procedures for planting and harvesting. When a farmer plants seeds, it dies and sprouts again; then within a specific period, it grows until it bears fruit. It is at this maturity stage that the famers begin to harvest. So, you have to wait for the time of harvest. As the Lord lives, the harvest will surely come if you sow on a good ground in Jesus’ Name. Children of God must learn to wait for their harvest to come. It is sad to note that some children of God are too much in a hurry to take their harvest. This is why they go into practices that are not Christ-like and in so doing they get their spiritual fingers burnt by the fire of lust and greed. The Bible in James 5:7 says:

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.”

Your harvest can take any form. It may be a promotion or recognition for hard work. While faithfully serving an organisation for instance, you must learn to wait for management to appreciate your sense of devotion to duty and not agitate for recognition. It will be tantamount to blowing your own trumpet if you do so. As a matter of fact, it may be that you are merely ambitious but you think you are putting in your best. It may shock you if your employer declares that your so-called best is not good enough for recognition! When I lived in the village, any farmer who hurriedly harvested his yam tubers ended up denying himself a bumper harvest, as he would have disturbed the yams from developing into large tubers. Such unripe yam tubers are not as delicious as those which reach the ripe age before harvest. I pray that the Almighty Father will give you the patience to wait for bountiful harvest from your sown seeds in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:

Father, give me adequate patience to wait for my day of glorification in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

2 Chronicles 26:1-29:2

Ecclesiastes 3

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