Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 21ST JULY 2020.

THEME: SHOW ME YOUR FRIENDS.

MEMORISE:

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 

1 Corinthians 15:33

READ: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

MESSAGE:

There is a popular adage that says “show me your friend and I will tell you who you are.” This saying is very true. No matter how spiritual you are, 1 Corinthians 15:33 says that “Evil communication corrupt good manners.” There are certain friends who would pull you back and there are others who would help you grow spiritually and in other areas of life. Choose your friends wisely. Before I became born again, I had friends with whom I regularly drank alcoholic wines. Then, I met Christ and my lifestyle changed. When my friends visited, I served them non-alcoholic drinks, and before long, they realized that things were different, and withdrew from me. It was painful to lose my friends the, but I let them go because I didn’t want them to drag me back to the world. Today, God has replaced those friends with a lot of brothers and sisters all over the world. I have made new friends who helped me in my walk with God. It is this kind of friends that you should have too- friends who will draw you closer to God, challenge you to pursue your dreams, pray with you when you are down and whose positive impact on your life will be evident to all. I must warn you that such friends are not many, but even if it is only one of such you can find, he or she is better than a hundred others who would pull you down. 

Jesus is the best friend that any man can have. He said in John 15:15 that: 

“……….I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

Jesus’ friendship should be your standard, if you cannot see through a person’s lifestyle that they have a relationship with Jesus, then they should not be your friend. While Matthew 22:39 says that we should love our neighbors as ourselves, we are only to have a few true friends. Jesus loved everyone when He was on earth, but He kept His inner circle small. Don’t hate those you cannot be friends with. You must love them; just don’t share intimate things with them. Set clear boundaries. 

Remember, iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17).

 

REFLECTION: 

Are your friends currently dragging you close to God or far from Him?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 28-30.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 5: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS.

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus

Daily let me go;

Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,

More of grace to know.

Refrain:

Oh, deeper yet, I pray,

And higher every day,

And wiser, blessed Lord,

In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,

Take me deeper still,

Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,

And His perfect will.

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,

Deeper let me go!

Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,

Let me fruitful grow.

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,

Till all conflict past,

Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image

Perfected at last.

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,

Holy faith and true;

In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom

Let me peace pursue.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Monday, July 20, 2020)

The Wages of Sin Is Still Death 

Special Note:

These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his numerous disciples, of Christ, who was inspired and mandated by the Holy Spirit, about 5 years ago, (effective January 1st, 2015), to start writing these prayer points, based on the Open Heavens Daily Devotional, authored by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

Some of the prayer points are deep spiritually and may not be understood by carnal minds.

If you want to be blessed from these prayer points, you must first, surrender Your life, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, by saying this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I come to You with a deeply repentant heart, please, forgive me all my sins. I surrender my life to you, today, and, I accept You, as my personal Lord and Saviour. Please, come into my life and save my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire. In Jesus' name, I pray.”

Prayer Points:

1.Thank You, Father, for the precious blood of Your son, Jesus, that was shed at Calvary for the remission of my sin and the sin of the whole world.

2.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus' name.

3.Father, please, give me the grace to run away from every appearance of evil, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please, give me the power to live above sin, and, all the activities of the flesh, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, whenever the temptation to sin comes my way, please, quickly make a way of escape for me, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, forgive every sin that has brought sickness, shame and reproach into my life, and take away the sickness, shame and reproach, by Your mercy, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, please, free me from every entanglement of sin, and deliver me from it's consequences, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, uphold me by Your right hand of righteousness, till the end; please, don't let me end this journey  in hell fire, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, at the end of my assignment and sojourn here on earth, please, let me see You in glory, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye; please, let him end well and strong, in Jesus' name.

11.Father, bless Your son, that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus' name.

12.Father, let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus' name.

13.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

14.In Jesus' name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

15.Thank you Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#GodBlessOurNation

These prayers have no expiry date! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus' name.

Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye's book Ministry, in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 20TH JULY 2020.

THEME: THE WAGES OF SIN IS STILL DEATH.

MEMORISE:

 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Romans 6:23

READ: Ezekiel 18:20-24

20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

MESSAGE:

Though many people seem to have forgotten, I want to remind you today that the wages of sin is still death. Death is a salary for sinners as stated in Romans 6:23. The sinner cannot dodge it; you work and must be paid. Ezekiel 18:20 says:

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”

There are three categories of death. One is physical death. Sickness is an agent of physical death. In Mark 2:5, Jesus forgave the sin of the paralyzed man before healing him. If sin does not get out of the way, sickness will remain and eventually kill the fellow. Jesus told the man at the pool of Bethesda after healing him that if he went back to his sin, a worse illness would come upon him (John 5:14). Physical death could come through sickness when sin is in the life of a man.

The second category of death is material death. In Deuteronomy 28:15-24, there is a list of curses for those who will not obey God. If you read that scripture, you would be amazed at how many of those curses have to do with poverty. Many people are wallowing in poverty simply because they refuse to let go of sin. If only they could turn a new leaf and live holy, they would enjoy great blessings they never thought possible.

Lastly, there is spiritual death. This is the most dangerous; it is separation from God. In Genesis 3:3-10. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and the moment they heard the voice of God, they ran. God wasn’t the one chasing them, it was their sin. When you commit sin, you automatically run from God; the devil sees that you and your protector are now apart, he attacks with all kinds of issues. Spiritual death leads the sinner to eternity in hell. May you not experience spiritual death in the mighty name of Jesus.

KEY POINT:

Avoid sin, avoid death.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 8-14.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 8: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS.

1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain:

Are you washed in the blood,

In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?

Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

2. Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

3. When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,

And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

4. Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,

And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;

There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,

Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Open Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Sunday, July 19, 2020)

Knowledge Puffeth Up 

Special Note:

These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his numerous disciples, of Christ, who was inspired and mandated by the Holy Spirit, about 5 years ago, (effective January 1st, 2015), to start writing these prayer points, based on the Open Heavens Daily Devotional, authored by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

Some of the prayer points are deep spiritually and may not be understood by carnal minds.

If you want to be blessed from these prayer points, you must first, surrender Your life, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, by saying this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I come to You with a deeply repentant heart, please, forgive me all my sins. I surrender my life to you, today, and, I accept You, as my personal Lord and Saviour. Please, come into my life and save my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire. In Jesus' name, I pray.”

Prayer Points:

1.I worship and adore You, my Father; You're the Omniscient, the All-Knowing God; I acknowledge You as the source of all knowledge and wisdom in my life and in the whole universe.

2.Thank You, Father, for creating me in Your image and likeness; for the gift of life; for the salvation of my soul, and for the grace to be counted among the living, today.

3.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please, don't let the endowment and gift of knowledge and wisdom You have bestowed upon me, cause me to become proud, arrogant, swollen headed and puffed up, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, please, purge me of pride over personal achievements, status in life, material possessions, etc; for there is nothing that I have that has not been given to me from above.

6.Father, let every spirit of pride and arrogance, in my life be consumed by Your fire, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, please, break me, remould me, refill me and use me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, for Your purpose and glory, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, remove from me every heart of stone, and give me the heart of flesh, that is ever ready and willing to obey and do Your perfect will, at all times, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please, give me a humble and a contrite heart;  which the bible says, You will not despise, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye; grant him divine health, and more wisdom, knowledge and understanding, in Jesus' name.

11.Father, bless Your son, that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus' name.

12.Father, let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus' name.

13.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

14.In Jesus' name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

15.Thank you Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#GodBlessOurNation

These prayers have no expiry date! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus' name.

Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye's book Ministry, in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 19TH JULY 2020.

THEME: KNOWLEDGE PUFFETH UP.

MEMORISE:

And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 

1 Corinthians 8:2

READ: John 9:39-41.

39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

MESSAGE:

“……..Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” 1 Corinthians 8:2

One of the biggest problems facing this generation is what is called ‘too know’ in Nigerian local parlance. In the past, it was the University lectures and professors who had this problem, but now that we have the internet, everyone feels very wise. Knowledge is good, but you must be careful that it does not make you puffed up. When something is puffed up, it is difficult to get anything into it because it is already full of air. One who feels he has a lot of knowledge may not be able to acquire more. If you feel like you know all about computers for example, when someone comes to teach about them, you would have the tendency to ignore the fellow. No matter how much knowledge you have, your disposition should still be that of someone who knows nothing.

Several times, I have been under ministrations where the fellow ministering did so from a Bible passage that I know well, yet I learnt something new from it. A wise philosopher once said “The only thing I know is that I know nothing.”

The phrase ‘Knowledge puffed up’ means that the knowledgeable is often proud. God hates pride. James 4:6 say God resist the proud. To resist means to push against the enemy. When someone is teaching, and you begin to correct the fellow in your heart, watch out: pride has set in. you are calling for God’s resistance.

Lastly, ‘knowledge puffed up’ can also mean that the knowledgeable is so swollen up, that he goes about boasting. As we can see from Romans 1:22, some in professing themselves to be wise, become fools. There is no wisdom is being talkative. Wise people talk only when necessary.

Get as much knowledge as you can, but never get puffed. Just like our memory verse for today says, no matter how much you know, never think that you know it all.

REFLECTION:

Are you puffed up with your knowledge?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hosea 1-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 2: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER.

1. All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

Refrain:

I surrender all,

I surrender all;

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender,

Humbly at His feet I bow;

Worldly pleasures all forsaken,

Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3. All to Jesus I surrender,

Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;

Let me feel the Holy Spirit,

Truly know that Thou art mine.

4. All to Jesus I surrender,

Lord, I give myself to Thee;

Fill me with Thy love and power,

Let Thy blessing fall on me.

5. All to Jesus I surrender,

Now I feel the sacred flame;

Oh, the joy of full salvation!

Glory, glory, to His Name!

Open Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Saturday, July 18, 2020)

Godly Sorrow 

Special Note:

These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his numerous disciples, of Christ, who was inspired and mandated by the Holy Spirit, about 5 years ago, (effective January 1st, 2015), to start writing these prayer points, based on the Open Heavens Daily Devotional, authored by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

Some of the prayer points are deep spiritually and may not be understood by carnal minds.

If you want to be blessed from these prayer points, you must first, surrender Your life, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, by saying this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I come to You with a deeply repentant heart, please, forgive me all my sins. I surrender my life to you, today, and, I accept You, as my personal Lord and Saviour. Please, come into my life and save my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire. In Jesus' name, I pray.”

Prayer Points:

1.Thank You, Father, for You do not want the death of a sinner, but that a sinner should come to repentance.

2.Thank You, Father, for being faithful and just to forgive me all my sins, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness, once I confess them, in Jesus' name.

3.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please, let me experience godly sorrow that worketh repentance unto salvation, and not worldly sorrow that leads to death, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, give me the grace to always acknowledge and admit my sins, that I may prosper and receive mercy, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, deliver me from wilful sins; and,  help me to learn from my mistakes and never to repeat them again, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, I repent and forsake my evil ways and sins, please, lift me up from where I have fallen and reconnect me back to You, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, give me a heart that will be genuinely remorseful and repentant any time I offend You, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please, keep my feet from falling, and let all my enemies be silent in darkness, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye, and, uphold him by Your right hand of righteousness, till the end, in Jesus' name.

11.Father, bless Your son, that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus' name.

12.Father, let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus' name.

13.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

14.In Jesus' name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

15.Thank you Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#GodBlessOurNation

These prayers have no expiry date! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus' name.

Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye's book Ministry, in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 18TH JULY 2020.

THEME: GODLY SORROW.

MEMORISE:

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 

2 Corinthians 7:10

READ: 2 Corinthians 7:8-12

8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

MESSAGE:

While generally sorrow is a bad thing, godly sorrow is good; it brings about repentance. If you fall, first admit sorrowfully that you have made a mistake, then go to God pleading for mercy. David was a man who had godly sorrow, that is why even though he made many mistakes in his lifetime, he kept on moving forward. He said in Psalm 51:3:

“For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.”

Several times in the Scriptures when David made a mistake, the Bible says his heart smote him. You will not make progress if you are always shifting blame. Only failure makes excuses.

Godly sorrow leads you to learn from your mistakes. David never repeated any of his mistakes because he was truly sorry for his sins. If for instance, you fall into fornication because you were close friends with someone of the opposite sex, godly sorrow will alert you the next time you are getting close to someone who could make you fall, so you can break off that relationship.

Having godly sorrow does not mean feeling rejected by God when you do wrong. The feeling of rejection is a trap of the devil to keep us out of God’s light. 1 John 1:9 says:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God is always happy to forgive and reconnect with anyone who has erred from the faith, as long as they confess their sins. When God has had mercy on you and welcomed you back into His light, you must run away from anything that can make you fall again. The doctrine of grace which teaches that you can continue in sin once you are born again is a strategy of the devil to eradicate godly sorrow. He raises up preachers to tell you that the Most Holy God does not mind if His children are unholy. That is a big lie!

PRAYER POINT:

Father, give me a heart that will be genuinely remorseful and repentant any time I offend You.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 

2 Kings 18:1-8. 2 Chronicles 29-31. Psalm 48.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 25: ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME.

1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy wounded side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Save from wrath and make me pure.

2. Not the labor of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and Thou alone.

3. Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress;

Helpless, look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly;

Wash me, Savior, or I die.

4. While I draw this fleeting breath,

When my eyes shall close in death,

When I rise to worlds unknown,

And behold Thee on Thy throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee.