OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 26/08/2014 - DISCIPLESHIP BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DISCIPLESHIP

MEMORISE

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:23

READ

Mark 8:34-37

34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

MESSAGE

At the beginning of the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, discipleship was a term used to describe the process of building followers who were committed to the cause, teaching and beliefs of our Lord Jesus Christ. It later became a common term used to describe the followers of Jesus. Discipleship is the crux of the Lord’s final address on earth. In this address known as the Great Commission, He charged us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). Discipleship is not something that happens immediately after salvation, neither is it an optional experience for any Christian. Discipleship, which essentially means following Jesus, is the essence of Christianity.

Discipleship as a Christian experience is a way of life that requires paying a cost (self-denial), and commitment to the cause (taking up one’s cross).These two attributes required of a disciple are clearly stated in many passages of the Bible, specifically Luke 9:23, says:

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

This if further enunciated in Matthew 10:38:

“And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

Luke 14:27 stretched the idea even further by saying:

”And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

The Bible always speaks of following Jesus in relation to self-denial and the cross. Discipleship is therefore the way of sacrifice.

Paying the cost of discipleship through self-denial and commitment to the cause of Jesus by taking up one’s cross daily are two important requirements of discipleship. By denial of self, Jesus does not mean to deny one's self of something. He means to renounce self; to cease to make self the object of one’s life and actions. This involves a fundamental reorientation of the principle of life. It is to place the divine will before self-will. God, not self, must be at the centre of life. This is something that is especially difficult for the average human being. I pray that as you read this, the Lord will visit you and turn your focus from self and earthly things to God and heavenly things in the Name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please help me to focus on you alone. Help me to pay the price of discipleship and to be committed to the cause of Jesus all the days of my life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Luke 23:6-24:53

Job 29:7-20

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 08/05/2014 - LABOURER IN HIS VINEYARD BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

LABOURER IN HIS VINEYARD

MEMORISE

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

1 Corinthians 4:2

READ

1 Timothy 3:1-7

1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

MESSAGE

Are you a Christian worker? If you are not, desire to be one. A Christian worker is a labourer in God’s vineyard. He could be a spiritual leader occupying any of the ministerial offices or an Usher, Chorister etc. In any case, a Christian worker is a steward. A steward can be described as a person employed to manage the property of another, especially a large house or land. Christian stewardship means accepting responsibility to manage all the resources of life for the glory of God, acknowledging God as the provider. As a manager, a Christian worker is a spiritual leader. As a spiritual leader, the work of a Christian worker is an enviable one, and God attaches great importance to it. It is notable and honourable but also tasking, demanding and sacrificial. Faithfulness in this service leads to greater and higher responsibility which attracts fabulous and eternal rewards. 1 Peter 5:4 says:

“And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

Certain qualities are essential for Christian workers or labourers in God’s vineyard. The basic qualification is salvation. Such a person should also be faithful and available. A prospective Christian worker should be one that is faithful to God, to his or her human leader and to the assignment entrusted to his or her hands. A Christian worker should also be available for service. The first need in God’s vineyard is availability (Isaiah 6:8). A Christian worker should be teachable. To serve in God’s vineyard, you should be someone who can be taught by God and others. Socially, a Christian worker should be of good behaviour. As a worker, you must be friendly and be of good reputation among those within and without the church. To serve in God’s vineyard, your life should have no grounds for reproach. Morally, a Christian worker should be disciplined. If married, you should be close to your spouse and remain faithful to your marital vows. A Christian worker should be sober and clearheaded, that is, one who never drinks alcohol. Mentally, you must be prudent to serve in God’s vineyard. Prudency refers to a balanced state of mind resulting from habitual self-restraint. By implication, you should be sound-minded and in control of every part of your person. On a personal relationship level, a Christian worker should not be troublesome, but genial and gentle; not contentious, but hospitable and a friend of strangers. He must also not be covetous. The Christian worker should also not be a novice or a baby in Christ. Are you qualified to be a labourer in God’s vineyard?

PRAYER POINT

Pray for grace to be qualified as a labourer in God’s vineyard.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Genesis 15:1-18:21; Psalm 102:1-15

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 26/03/2014 - TRUE WORSHIP BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

TRUE WORSHIP

MEMORISE

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John 4:24

READ

John 4:21-24

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

MESSAGE

Today you will observe with dismay how some people counterfeit the true worship of God in the name of religion. The reason for this phenomenon is not farfetched. They worship in the flesh and not in the spirit. This is the reason Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5b that:

“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.”

This also was the message of Jesus Christ to the religiously minded people of His days, as well as the message of the early apostles. They played down the paraphernalia of religious practices that did not connote spiritualism. They worshipped in truth and in spirit. How can we put an end to carnal religiosity in our churches today? The solution is simple: we must go back to the basics of Christian teaching as outlined in Acts 2:37-38:

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.“

It is a pity that people do not know or have forgotten that genuine repentance is the foundation of the faith that saves. Covering up our past misdeeds without repentance is a waste of time. The Holy Spirit emphasises this truth through Apostle John in 1 John 1:6-9:

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The problem with many 21st century so-called Christian worshippers is that they no longer admit sin to be sin; they trivialise sin and regard it as unavoidable “mistakes”, hence, they neither confess it as sin nor strive to live above it with the power of the Holy Ghost. This explains the carnal worship and “plenty-rascality” in the name of Pentecostalism that we observe in some of our churches. Remember the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21. These are the things we must not entangle ourselves with if we would worship God in spirit and in truth. You must be born of the Spirit and live a life of change for acceptable worship in the sight of God.

ACTION POINT

Read Galatians 5:19-23, identify the works of the flesh still manifesting in your life and pray for power to live above them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Ezekiel 21-22; 

Psalm 70

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 24/03/2014 - GOD’S REMEMBRANCE & DELIVERANCE III BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GOD’S REMEMBRANCE & DELIVERANCE III

MEMORISE

Remember me, O my God, for good.

Nehemiah 13:31b

READ

1 Samuel 1:17-19

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

MESSAGE

One truth the children of God must continue to remember is that it takes divine remembrance to daily experience deliverance in their lives and ministries. The best way to explain this is to interpret “remembrance” as “attention”, because God is never forgetful. In Isaiah 49:15 God said:

“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.”

So, God does not forget, but He may decide to ignore you if you continue to live in sin.

One person that experienced divine remembrance was Hannah. The Lord remembered Hannah by paying attention to her prayer in answer to Eli’s prayer. 1 Samuel 1:17 says:

“Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.”

Hannah was under the bondage of barrenness for several years, but when God remembered her, she was delivered from the bondage of unfruitfulness. To someone using this devotional, I pray that the Almighty will remember and deliver you from all forms of bondage today in Jesus’ Name. Let us learn from Hannah what she did to draw divine attention to herself and her situation. First, she prayed earnestly and fasted for God’s attention. At times we need to demonstrate our seriousness concerning what we really want God to do for us by embarking on prayer and fasting. Jesus taught His disciples this truth in Mark 9:29. In addition, for God to remember you in your unpleasant situation, you have to cooperate with Him by playing your own role. My experiences have revealed to me the mistakes some children of God make as they expect God to play their own roles together with His. This ended at Calvary where God suffered as a man, but there He declared: IT IS FINISHED. If you are looking for a job, write applications and go out to attend interviews because God will not write an application letter for you, neither will He attend the interview on your behalf. Sufficient is the fact that He will back you up during the interview. The Bible reveals something that many may not pay attention to which, of course, was fundamental to the divine remembrance of Hannah. What is it? 1 Samuel 1:19d says that:

“......and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.”

What could have happened to Hannah’s prayer if she and her husband did not play their part in this regard? Beloved, let us cooperate with God, He will remember us for good in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT

Pray, fast and take steps under the guidance of the Holy Spirit concerning that situation that is bothering you. You will experience divine remembrance and deliverance.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Ezekiel 17-18; 

Psalm 69:1-21

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 23/03/2014 - GOD’S REMEMBRANCE & DELIVERANCE II BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GOD’S REMEMBRANCE & DELIVERANCE II

MEMORISE

And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;

Genesis 8:1

READ

Genesis 8:1-4

1 And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;

2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

MESSAGE

When the world was in enmity with God and He decided to destroy it by a flood, Noah found favour in the sight of the Lord according to Genesis 6:5-8. Though Noah and his family escaped from the flood, they were however caged in the ark, which of course would have become something else after some days of eating and passing of body waste in the ark. God remembered Noah and all the living things with him in the ark. May the Good Lord remember you for good today in Jesus’ Name. There are some revelations we can catch in this story. One of such is that when God remembers an individual in trouble and bondage, the following things would happen: the wind of the Holy Spirit will blow away all the challenging situations (Genesis 8:1); the terrible waters will be dried up and the fellow will escape being drowned (Genesis 8:2). Moreover, the tempestuous life will become peaceful (Genesis 8:4).

Beloved of the Lord, there are conditions for God’s remembrance to facilitate deliverance as experienced by Noah and his family. One of such conditions is godly living, even in the midst of a perverted generation of men. It is a pity that many children of God in the 21st century live ungodly lives with the excuse that the world is perverted. Jesus Christ said Noah will be a witness against these so-called children of God who would attribute their worldly and ungodly living to the fact that their world was ungodly (Matthew 24:37-39). Pay attention to God’s testimony concerning Noah:

“And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

Genesis 6:9

Another of these conditions is a life of worship. God must see in you the desire to worship Him before He can remember you for good, because He is a prudent investor (Genesis 8:20-22). I pray for you that the Almighty God will remember you for deliverance today in Jesus’ Name. Please ensure you live a godly life and cultivate the habit of intense worship. You will then experience divine remembrance.

PRAYER POINT

Father, remember me this day and deliver me from all my oppressors in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Ezekiel 16; 

Psalm 68:22-35

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 22/03/2014 - GOD’S REMEMBRANCE & DELIVERANCE I BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GOD’S REMEMBRANCE & DELIVERANCE I

MEMORISE

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

Luke 23:42

READ

Luke 23:40-43

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

MESSAGE

When God remembers a sinner for good, He forgives that sinner, forgets his past sins and delivers him or her completely from the power of sin that has enslaved him or her for a long time. When God remembered the mercies He promised His people - Luke 1:72-75, He forgave the woman caught in adultery and empowered her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:10-11). A very important thing to note here is that two different types of divine remembrance cannot clash in an individual’s life. It is either God remembers the sins of an individual, closes the door of mercy and gets the individual punished, or He remembers His mercies and forgets the sins the individual has committed after genuine repentance (Ezekiel 33:13-16).

The robber in our Bible reading was remembered and was saved. There are lessons to be learnt from the robber on the right hand of the Cross. One of such lessons is that God is not only capable to save but is ever ready to save. The robber said: “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom”, and Jesus responded immediately: “Today you will be with me in paradise”. It was as if Jesus was waiting for the robber to speak. Certainly Jesus wanted to rubbish the devil who might have been rejoicing that he was about to receive one more soul into the kingdom of hell. Jesus however snatched that soul from hell at the last minute. The good thing was that the One who paid the price in full was also the One who appropriated the benefit of the atonement on the robber. So there was nothing the devil could do. Another good thing about divine remembrance for salvation is that the process is simple. Genuine turn-around from wickedness to godliness (i.e. repentance) will earn earnest seekers of salvation divine remembrance. Zacchaeus was one of such seekers who genuinely repented after meeting the Lord. As a mark or repentance, of his own volition, he said to the Lord in Luke 19:8b:

“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”

Immediately the Lord in Luke 19:9-10 replied:

“...This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

How pleasant it would be, if as many as are reading this devotional, who are yet to experience salvation through Christ, would cry to Jesus today and say, “Lord remember me for your salvation”. No doubt, there would be joy in heaven today (Luke 15:7)!

PRAYER POINT

Pray that the Almighty God will touch all members of your family for genuine salvation today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Ezekiel 13-15; 

Psalm 68:7-21

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 21/03/2014 - SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS

MEMORISE

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

2 Timothy 4:2

READ

Luke 8:38-40

38 Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,

39 Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.

MESSAGE

There is one great sin of omission that contemporary followers of Jesus Christ are guilty of. We enjoy God’s grace, forgiveness, healing, breakthrough, peace and joy but fail to share the good news with others so that they may become beneficiaries of the benevolence of the Almighty God. We tend to take interest in staying in our beautiful cathedrals. When we are sent to go out and pioneer Churches in rural areas where people are in need of the gospel, we see it as punishment! We tend to enjoy listening to powerful, motivational sermons from our fathers in the Lord and their associates – tapping from their anointing on daily basis but refusing to go and share part of what we have received. What a crime of omission.

Our Bible reading reveals one fundamental obligation of every genuine Christian which unfortunately, many children of God do not pay close attention to. A demoniac encountered Jesus Christ in this story and immediately fell in love with Jesus and His company. This man wanted to stay with Jesus, but He commissioned him to go and spread the good news of his deliverance among his people. This is exactly what our Lord expects of us as His followers. This injunction however, does not encourage forsaking Jesus Christ to become independent or to begin to do whatever we like; Jesus spoke against such attitude in John 15:4-5. In Mark 16:15b He also said:

“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Whenever we comply with this injunction, we do not only make our Lord happy, we also make His benevolence known. After the witnessing of the demoniac, the Bible reports in Luke 8:40 that:

“And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.”

When we do what we ought to do on the field of evangelism, many good things will happen. First, darkness will give way for the light of the gospel. Secondly, Jesus Christ will be Lord wherever the gospel is preached. Thirdly, in anticipation of the second coming of our Lord, people will be conscious of what they do in the society. Lastly, the world will be a better place to live in. Therefore beloved of the Lord, I encourage you to begin to spread the good news of what the Lord has done for you and what He is capable of doing for others too, all in the light of His gospel. God bless you as you do so in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT

Decide today that you will not sleep until you witness to at least one person about the goodness of Jesus Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Ezekiel 10-12; 

Psalm 67:1-68:6

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - WEDNESDAY - 19/03/2014 - NOURISHED BUT FRUITLESS? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

NOURISHED BUT FRUITLESS?

MEMORISE

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

John 15:16

READ

Luke 13:6-9

Luk 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

Luk 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

Luk 13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

Luk 13:shalt cut it down.

MESSAGE

Jesus Christ who had cursed a fig tree in Mark 11:14 for being unfruitful, gives the parable of a well-nurtured fig tree which had nothing to show for the nourishment given by its owner in Luke 13:6-7. The reaction of the owner of this fig tree is our point of study today. This farm owner in Luke 13:7b said:

“Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?”

He was expectant of pleasant fruits based on his efforts to cause the tree to bear fruits, but sadly, the tree failed to meet his expectations. His reaction was that the fig tree should be cut down.

Beloved, the Bible in 1 Corinthians 3:9 says that you are God’s husbandry. God is the husbandman; you are the lively tree being nurtured since the day of your birth, and particularly, since the time you gave your life to Christ. That you are alive to see this day is a pointer to the fact that you have received both physical and spiritual nourishment up till date. The question is: are you nourished yet fruitless? The husbandman said: “cut it down”. This is serious. May we not be cut down in Jesus’ Name. Amen. The practical “Amen” to this prayer is simply turning away from a life of fruitlessness and beginning to bear fruit. To those who have not had a serious commitment to Jesus Christ through genuine repentance, the Bible in Matthew 3:8&10 says:

“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

To those of us who by the grace of God are children by the Spirit of God, Jesus said in John 15:4:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”

Therefore, let us give ourselves completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Let us begin to go the “extra mile” with Him. The reward is certainly sure. Apart from the avoidance of being cut down and of being thrown into the fire, Jesus in today’s memory verse promised that you will not be denied good things of life if you bear good fruits.

ACTION POINT

Meditate on Galatians 5:22-26.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Ezekiel 4-6;

Psalm 66:1-9

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - MONDAY - 17/03/2014 -PRAYER: ANTIDOTE TO CHALLENGES BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

PRAYER: ANTIDOTE TO CHALLENGES

MEMORISE

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

Nehemiah 4:6

READ

Nehemiah 2:18-20

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

MESSAGE

Every good builder has a foe, and that is the discourager. As we have read in the passage for today, Nehemiah determined to rebuild the destroyed city of Jerusalem; but then, he was faced with opposition! Sometimes, when you determine to do something good for God, you are surprised to come across opposition to your good intentions. Nehemiah could not be deterred, and neither should we be. As a young minister in the Church, I planned a programme for the purpose of winning souls to the Kingdom with the approval of my father-in-the-Lord. A senior pastor heard about it and picked a quarrel with me. I was surprised because my expectation was commendation and not condemnation. I could not understand how winning souls could become sacrilegious. I therefore reported the matter to the General Superintendent, but he asked me to go and beg the senior pastor so that the programme could hold! I obeyed; though I did not know why I should do that except for the fact that my father-in-the-Lord asked me to. I thank God I did.

Reading through the book of Nehemiah, you will discover that Nehemiah’s strength was hidden in his prayer life. He prayed all through to the God who gave him the vision to build, and he was strengthened (Nehemiah 4:1-4). Jesus Christ also used the medium of prayer to overcome the challenges of His assignment of saving the world (Luke 22:41-44). So, when you are convinced of what the Lord has asked you to do, go ahead and pursue it with all your strength, but do not leave prayer out of it. For those in opposition to good things, there are lots of lessons for you in this story as well. Beware of standing in opposition to what God does or wants to do, or else, you will live to regret your actions. You should know that what you think should not happen or will be impossible to achieve will happen, and will succeed as well. Know also that when the day of celebration comes, you will not be part of it. The story of the 24-hour miracle that terminated the famine in Samaria is one to take note of (2 Kings 7:18-20). The man of God prophesied super-abundance after a long time of famine in Samaria, but a powerful minister in the king’s cabinet said it was not possible. He saw it happen but he did not partake of it according to the word of the man of God. May this not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. Let us join hands to build our country. Let us cease from being destructively critical of our political and economic system. Rather, let us build our nation through prayers and we shall see and eat the good of the land in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, give me the strength to build your kingdom on earth, and make me a partaker of the celebrations to follow.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Lamentations 3-5;

Psalm 64

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY - 15/03/2014 - DELIVERANCE: DIVINE ASSURANCE BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

DELIVERANCE: DIVINE ASSURANCE

MEMORISE

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

Psalm 91:3

READ

Mark 16:17-18

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

MESSAGE

When God speaks, that settles it. He reigns forever. When He gives a decree, it is forever. When He says “surely”, it means surely. When He says surely, it will be well with me, nobody can change it. He says surely, by His stripes I am healed, and nobody can change this. He says surely, everything I do shall prosper, and nobody can change this. This assurance can be yours too. Provided you dwell in the secret place of the Most High and you abide under the shadow of the Almighty, surely, all shall be well. But if tomorrow you decide to go back from Jesus, it is entirely a different matter. No doubt, there are enemies pillaging the lives of unsuspecting victims and careless children of God. Satan is their garrison commander. According to 1 Chronicles 21:1:

“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”

It was Satan who plotted against Israel but it was David who did the actual numbering of Israel. Satan will always use somebody against you. He sets traps for people by luring them with bait.

In our Bible reading today, our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the assurance of victory and deliverance from the onslaught of our enemies. It is interesting that demons which Satan uses to kill, maim and destroy lives, are what our Lord Jesus Christ gave us authority to cast out in Luke 9:1:

“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.”

Take note of the fact that Jesus gave power and authority over all devils; all without exception. This indicates that it is a sheer waste of time to be asking demons or their victims such questions as: ‘What is your name?’ ‘Where do you live?’ In as much as the authority and power given to us covers all devils, it is wisdom to exercise it without limit. In the same vein, our Lord gave us power and authority to cure diseases – diseases in plural form! This is the assurance we have, that we should no longer be living at the mercy of the devil. Deliverance is a divine assurance for all believers that know their God. Let it be said on the mountains and in the valleys that Christians should not be living at the mercy of the devil any more. Also, let Christians take the battle to the gates of the enemy because victory is guaranteed in Jesus’ Name. The good news is that God can deliver you from every form of demonic possession. He will deliver you from all forms of diseases and demon-possession if you are already trapped. Call upon Him today and He will answer you.

PRAYER POINT

Father, please deliver me from the snare of the fowler and protect me from the noisome pestilence, in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 52; 

Psalm 62

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OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - FRIDAY - 14/03/2014 - GOD, MY FORTRESS BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

GOD, MY FORTRESS

MEMORISE

Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

Psalm 71:3

READ

2 Samuel 22:1-4

1 And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

MESSAGE

The Most High God is our fortress. What is a fortress? A fortress is a stronghold where you can fight from. After you have been in a refuge for some time and you are now prepared for battle, the place of refuge can become your fortress. A fortress is where you are to put on your armour, consolidate all your strengths and then go out to battle. The Almighty God is not only my refuge but He is also my fortress. This speaks of His Almightiness. Jehovah-Nissi is not just a defensive God; He can equally be on the offensive! He is the Divine Garrison for genuine children of God. The God who told Elijah to go and hide was also the One who told him to go forth and fight after some time. In 1 Kings 18:40, we see a different Elijah:

“And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.”

The time of hiding was over and it was time to go to battle. We also have another example in 1 Samuel 17:43-45. Here we see how God can be a fortress. Goliath cursed David by the name of his gods and David handed Goliath into the hands of the Lord of Hosts. Goliath came to David with sword, spear and with a shield; but David confronted Goliath with the Name of the Lord of Hosts and of the God of the armies of Israel. While Goliath was disappointed by his gods, sword, spear and shield, David was protected by the everlasting arms of the Almighty.

If you pay close attention to the memory verse of today, you will discover something intriguing about our God who has never lost a battle. David discovered this truth and he asked God to be his strong habitation where he can continually resort to. No wonder the Bible says because you have made the Lord your habitation, there shall no evil befall you (Psalm 91:9-10). To make the Almighty God your habitation, you must live holy because He is holy. Some people may not accept an invitation to spend their vacation in the house of an important personality who is noted for cleanliness because of their dirty habits. Don’t continue to short-change yourself of the privilege of living with the King of kings and the Lord of lords. When you make God your fortress, He will deliver you from the unrighteous and cruel men of your generation. My prayer for you is that your changed life will qualify you to have God as your habitation in Jesus’ Name.

ACTION POINT

Take an inventory of your life and see what may disqualify you from having your abode with the Lord of Hosts. Take positive steps to change immediately.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Jeremiah 51; 

Psalm 61

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