Open Heavens

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 5TH AUGUST 2020

THEME: EXALT NOT THYSELF


MEMORISE:
Luke 14:11 "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."


READ: Luke 14:7-11, Proverbs 16:18

Luke 14:7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,  14:8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;  14:9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.  14:10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.  14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.


MESSAGE

Every human being has the tendency to be proud. We see our possessions as a leverage for us to feel better than others who are less privileged. Beware of pride; God hates it. Indeed, He said in 1 Peter 5:5 that He resists the proud. 


One thing about pride is that even though it makes the proud feel he is better than others, it actually makes him less than they are, as seen in today’s memory verse. 


Generally, a humble fellow gains more respect and honour, but people tend to ridicule the proud. If even we humans don’t like proud people, how much more God. Wear humility like a garment, pride is a destroyer. It destroyed King Saul: in a bid to protect his ego, he sinned against God. 2 Chronicles 26:1-21 tells us about King Uzziah. When he was young, he did the will of God, but later became proud and died a leper. What do you have that makes you feel you are above others? You need to recognise that God can take it away in an instant. Psalm 75:6-7 says: 

”For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” 


God dethroned a proud Vashti to raise a humble Esther as queen in her stead (Esther 1, 2). King Herod in Acts 12:22-23 was destroyed because of pride. He never uttered a word in that instance; his pride was in the heart. He heard the people praising him, but did not stop them. God does not share His glory with anyone. If you are beginning to feel like several things or people cannot do well without you, then He will show you that you are nothing. So when you hear anyone praising you, immediately ask them to stop before it annoys God. Remain humble, otherwise destruction is coming. Proverbs 16:18 says: 

”Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a faIl.” 



KEY POINT:
You cannot do anything without the grace of God. However, He only gives His grace to humble people. Are you humble?


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Zephaniah 1-3


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 low and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Chorus
I surrender all, I surrender all:
All to Thee, my blessed saviour,
I surrender all.

2. All to Jesus I surrender, 
Humbly at His feet l bow; 
Worldly pleasures all forsaken.
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3. All to Jesus I surrender.
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

4. All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame 
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His Name!

Monday, August 3, 2020

Open Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: 
Tuesday, August 4th, 2020

Remember Lot's Wife II

1. I worship and adore You, my Father; Your dominion is an Everlasting dominion, and Your kingdom is from generation to generation.

2.Thank You, my Father, the God of second chance, for Your mercy that endureth forever over my life and family.

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

4.Father, please, let Your fire consume, in my life, every spirit of pride, arrogance, disobedience and self-will, in Jesus name.

5.Father, please, teach me to number my days, that I may apply my heart to wisdom, in Jesus name.

6.Father, fill me afresh to the brim with Your Holy Spirit, and give me a humble, submissive, obedient and teachable heart, in Jesus name.

7.Father, give me the grace never to harden my heart against Your word and instructions; please, make me not only the hearer of Your word, but also the doer, in Jesus name.

8.Father, please, help me to learn from my own past mistakes, and the mistakes of others, in Jesus name.

9.Father, please, take me away from every path, leading to eternal destruction, that I may be treading, now; and place me on the path of eternal life, by Your mercy and grace, in Jesus name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye, and, grant him the grace to finish 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

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY 4TH AUGUST 2020

THEME: REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE II


MEMORISE:
Proverbs 10:14 "Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction."


READ: Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.


MESSAGE

It is wise to learn from the experience of others, but sometimes, we ourselves have experiences we ought to learn from. Nebuchadnezzar was a man who learnt from his personal experience. God had warned him in a dream and also arranged for Daniel not only to interpret the dream to him, but also to counsel him on how to escape the wrath of God. Unfortunately, he did not heed the warning and for seven years, he ate grass like an animal (Daniel 4). Thank God he got a second chance. By the time he came back to his senses, he had learnt his lessons and recognised Jehovah as the real King. Nobody needed to teach him that again; his experience had done enough. Daniel 4:34 says:

"And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:"


There are however, some foolish people who refuse to either learn from the experience of others or even theirs. Such people usually never live to tell the story. King Pharaoh for example, should have realised, at least by the third plague, that the God of Israel is not a God to fight. Little wonder God hardened his heart afterwards and he did not realise this truth even after the tenth plague and his eventual death (Exodus 9).


Many people talk about the foolishness of Pharaoh, but some are doing the same thing. How can someone who committed adultery and lost some privileges from that act still go back into it? How can someone who stole and was imprisoned come out and steal again? For people who refuse to learn from personal experience, the end will be disastrous if they don't repent and forsake their sins. A word is enough for the wise.


REFLECTION:
Learn from your past experiences and those of others. Remember Lot's wife.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 22-23
2 Chronicles 34-35


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE


HYMN 18: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!

3. While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Open Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Monday, August 3, 2020)

Remember Lot’s Wife 1 

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 salvation of my soul and for Your promise to keep my feet from falling, and my eyes from tears, except, the tears of joy.

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 learn from the mistakes of others, in order to avoid the calamity that befell them, from happening to me, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please, deliver me from secret sins, before I am exposed and disgraced publicly, in Jesus name.

5.Father, please, give me the grace to heed all Your warnings and obey all Your commandments, willingly, so that I may not be destroyed suddenly, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, uproot from my life and destiny, every spirit of greed and covetousness, so that I may not be afflicted with leprosy like Gehazi, or end up like Judas Iscariot, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, whenever, the temptation to defile my body, which is Your temple, through fonication and adultery, comes my way, please, quickly make a way of escape for me, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, uproot from my life, the love of money, which is the root of all evils, that I may not experience everlasting shame and disgrace, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy law graciously; let me never do anything that will grieve the Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye, and uphold him till the end, without spot, blemish or wrinkle, 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.

"Happy 68th Virtual Annual Convention!".- Starts today, Mon, 3rd - Sun, 9th August, 2020, daily on Dove TV & other online channels.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 3RD AUGUST 2020

THEME: REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE I


MEMORISE:
Luke 17:32
"Remember Lot's wife."


READ: 1 Corinthians 10:1-11

10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;  10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;  10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.  10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.  10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.  10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.  10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.  10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.  10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.


MESSAGE

It is popularly said that experience is the best teacher. There are two ways to learn from experience - either personally or through that of others. I prefer to learn from the experience of others because learning from mine can be painful. In Luke 17:32, Jesus told us to remember Lot's wife. In other words, He said we should learn from her experience. When I was a little boy, I used to see my elder brother as a very strong man. He was muscular and could carry heavy things. One day, he offended our father and he beat that brother of mine so much that he shed tears like a baby. On seeing that, I determined that I would never do anything to offend my father because I didn't want to get flogged by him. Samuel learnt from Eli. He knew it was because the children of Eli were tampering with the offering and polluted the house of God that they were rejected. Hence, throughout his life and with the help of his children, he never polluted the altar of God. In 1 Samuel 12:3-4, he said:

"Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man's hand."


Many Christians would be living better lives today if only they learnt from the experience of the Bible Characters they read of. Have you learnt from Samson that fornication can turn a mighty man to a piece of bread (Proverbs 6:26)? Have you learnt from Gehazi that the love of money can only bring everlasting shame? Have you learnt from Ananias and Sapphira that lying to the Holy Spirit is suicidal? Have you learnt from Judas Iscariot that secret sin will lead to public disgrace? Is there anything that you are doing now that has led to the destruction of someone in the past? For your own good, desist from such and seek God's face for forgiveness while you still have the opportunity to do so.


PRAYER POINT:
Father, please help me never to offend You, in the mighty name of Jesus.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Nahum 1-3


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE


HYMN 13: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow;
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

4. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Open Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Sunday, August 2, 2020)

Behold, He Cometh 

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, Jesus, for going to prepare a place for me and for Your promise to come back and take me to where You are.

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

3.Father, in any area the accuser of brethren, the devil, may be accusing me before You, please, let Your mercy prevail over judgement, in my  life, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, please prepare me for the second coming of Your Son my saviour, through the Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name. Amen.

5.Father, give me the grace to maintain a holy and righteous walk with You, all the days of my life, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, when You shall come in Your glory, please, let me still be found in You, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, please, uproot from my life, anything that will make me earth bound, when the trumpet shall sound, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, please, preserve me till the end, by Your right hand of righteousness, without spot, blemish or wrinkle, in Jesus' name.

9.Father, please, count me worthy to rapture and reign with You, in heaven, when You shall come for the saints, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye; and, when it pleases You, to call him home, please, let him see You in glory, 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.

Happy New Month!
Happy 1st Sunday!
Happy 2020 Virtual Convention, in advance!

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: SUNDAY 2ND AUGUST, 2020.

THEME: BEHOLD, HE COMETH.

MEMORISE:

Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindred’s of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 

Revelation 1:7

READ: Acts 1:9-11 (KJV)

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

MESSAGE:

The second coming of Jesus Christ has become a controversial issue in recent times. While some people argue that Jesus Christ will not come again, other say He has come secretly and has taken His position in the Church. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Jesus Christ will come again and when He does, all eyes shall see Him. Many verse of Scripture support the certainty of His second coming – a classic example being today’s Bible reading. It confirms many truths about today’s discussion.

Jesus went into heaven publicly in full view of His disciples and there were angles who assured them He would return in like manner. It is therefore unwise to accept the teaching that Christ will not come again or that He has come secretly.

He will return with clouds and every eye, including those of the people who crucified Him, shall see. Their shame shall be unimaginable.
Revelation 1:7 says the kindred of the earth shall wail. Why? It is because they refused to repent of their sins and Jesus shall come to judge them according to their works
(Revelations 6:1, 15).
“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelations 6:17
Who shall be able to stand? Only those who have accepted the Lamb – who would be the judge, as their personal Lord and Saviour shall be able to stand. Only those who have confessed their sins, accepted the love of God as demonstrated in the gift of His only begotten Son shall be able to stand (John 3:16-18).

Beloved, Jesus is coming sooner than we may accept. Are you prepared for Him? Remember, He is not coming as a Lamb again but as the Righteous Judge.
Repent and be transformed into His righteousness if you are yet to do so. If you have already accepted Him as your Lord and Saviour, ask for the grace to hold on faithfully to the end.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please prepared me for the second coming of Your Son my saviour. Through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

AUTHOR: Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:

2nd Chronicles 32-33,

HYMN 7: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.

1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
all I have needed thy hand hath provided--
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. 

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessing all mine with ten thousand within.