OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28TH 2024
THEME: PERSONAL DEVOTION
MEMORISE: As the hart panteth water after the brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalm 42:1
READ: Psalms 63:1-8
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.
MESSAGE
You cannot get close to someone by relating with him or her only in a group. If you really want to get close to someone, you will need to spend some time alone with that fellow. It is necessary to have your family devotion, where all members of your family come together to study the Bible and pray, and it is absolutely necessary to attend Bible Study and prayer meetings with other brethren. However, you cannot get close to God if you don't sit alone with your Bible to study it and spend time alone with Him in prayers; this is your personal devotion time.
God relates with individuals, not groups. Even in a group, when God wants to talk, He addresses Himself to individuals. For example, He was talking to all members of the church in a city when He said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelations 3:20). Though God was talking to the entire church, He used singular pronouns. This is why many-a-times, when I am ministering, and God wants to
give someone a miracle, He will say through me, "There is someone here...". Two or three people may get their miracle from that proclamation, but He addressed each of them separately. God wants to have an individual relationship with you. The relationship your pastor, parent, Bible Study leader has with Him does not apply to you; He wants to connect with you personally, and until He has built a personal connection with you, you cannot really know Him.
To build this personal connection with God, you must have a personal altar. This is a place and/or time when you meet with Him daily. You must set aside a time every day to study your Bible and pray. You will discover as you start having personal time with Him that there will always be an ongoing conversation between yourself and Him every time, either on something He is teaching you or something that you are trying to understand as you study your Bible. Your altar is not a place you come to only when you need something from Him, it is a place you come to regularly to build a personal relationship with Him.
REFLECTION
How is your personal relationship with God?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 18-20
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 11: I'VE FOUND A FRIEND IN JESUS
1. I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay;
He tells me every care on Him to roll.
Refrain:
He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
2. He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tow’r;
I’ve all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart and now He keeps me by His pow’r.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal.
3. He’ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
From His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll.
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