Open Heavens

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL


DATE: MONDAY FEBRUARY 19TH, 2024.


THEME: DILIGENTLY SEEKING


MEMORISE: 

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13


READ: Psalms 63:1-10

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;


2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.


3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.


4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.


5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:


6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.


7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.


8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.


9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.


10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.


MESSAGE

Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. You only reward someone who has done something of good report and has done it well, therefore, what the passage is really telling us is that God wants people to seek Him diligently This is why God told David clearly to seek His face, and what was David's response?


When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.    Psalm 27:8


David said, "God, when you ask me to seek your face, my heart says, 'Your face will l seek. "Today, God is asking you to spend time seeking His face. What will your response be?


You seek God through Bible study and prayers. While others do these things like every other activity, those who diligently seek God go the extra mile. They study their Bible for hours, going deeper and deeper into just one topic until they really understand God's mind about that topic. To them, prayer is not an event, it is a lifestyle. Every time you see them, they are praying because 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that we must pray without ceasing. When they actually set out time to pray, they don't just put words together, they pour out their hearts to God and their major yearning is, "Lord, I want to know You more." They spend multiple hours just having heart-to-heart talks with God.


Beloved, seek God's face daily until you fall asleep and even while you are sleeping. Solomon said that even when He is sleeping, his heart is awake, and can hear his beloved asking to come in unto him (Song of Solomon 5:2). David also described how he thinks about God on his bed at night and how his soul follows hard after God in Psalm 63:6-. These are descriptions of how true love is expressed. Is this also your experience with God as your beloved?


There is great reward in diligently seeking the Lord. Beloved, spend your days seeking God and God alone. Seek Him while you are eating; let all your yearning be for Him. When you diligently seek Him, He will open Himself up in ways that the regular Christian may never see. There are things God has revealed to me in the Spirit that I cannot share publicly because people who have not sought Him diligently may never understand.


ACTION POINT

Make a commitment to seeking God's face diligently from now.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 30-32


AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE


HYMN 8: I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR


1 I need Thee ev'ry hour,

Most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine

Can peace afford.


Refrain:

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Ev'ry hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.


2 I need Thee ev'ry hour,

Stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their pow’r

When Thou art nigh. 


3 I need Thee ev'ry hour,

In joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide,

Or life is vain. 


4 I need Thee ev'ry hour,

Teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises

In me fulfill.

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