OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: FRIDAY 10TH JULY 2026
TOPIC: CHRIST IN YOU
MEMORIZE:
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" Colossians 1:27 (KJV)
BIBLE READING: ACTS 16:19-34
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
MESSAGE:
The first time I visited the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison was in 1975. I went there with an elderly pastor, and we saw a young man playing the piano and dancing joyfully. I asked the elderly pastor whether the young man was about to be released, and he responded that the man didn't have any hope of being released because he was serving a life sentence. I then asked the pastor why the young man was so joyful despite his circumstances, and he replied that the man was joyful because he had met Jesus Christ while in prison.
Beloved, if you are going through a bad situation, I want you to know that no matter how bad it is, you have a reason to rejoice as long as you have Jesus. Today's memory verse says that Christ in you is the hope of glory. When Christ is in a fellow, no matter what he or she is facing, such a fellow has hope for a glorious future.
A songwriter once wrote a song that says, "I am glad I belong to Jesus." Another songwriter wrote, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow." These should be your declarations as a believer, even when the enemy knocks you down. Proverbs 24:16 says that the righteous may fall seven times, but they will surely rise again. This means that negative situations cannot keep you down permanently. When the devil arranged for Jesus' crucifixion and death, he thought he had won. However, (1 Corinthians 2:8) tells us that if the princes of this world had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Had they known that Jesus' death would be their utter destruction, they would have tried to prevent Him from dying. In today's Bible reading, the devil thought he had succeeded in shutting Paul and Silas up by getting them arrested. He didn't know that God needed them to be in prison so they could show the jailer and his household the way to salvation. The devil's attempts to make you fall will only lead to God being glorified in your life.
Child of God, are you going through a tough and uncertain situation? Rejoice because Christ in you is your hope of glory. Don't despair or be discouraged. Rest assured that whatever you are passing through will give God a platform to announce His glory in your life, so long as you remain in Christ. May Christ indeed reveal His glory in your life, in Jesus' name.
KEY POINT:
As long as you have Christ in you, you have every reason to rejoice.
BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR:
ECCLESIASTES 1 - 4
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 10 - IN CHRIST ALONE
1 In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
2 In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live
3 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand
God bless you as you share.
#SeekFirsttheKingdomofGod #GodSeekers #GBY
RCCG 74th Annual Convention!
Theme: MOUNTAIN MOVERS
Date: 3-9 August 2026
Venue:The Redemption City
