Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY 19TH AUGUST 2020.

THEME: JESUS’ CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.

MEMORISE:

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

John 15:14

READ: John 11:11-36

11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.

34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

MESSAGE 

It is a great thing to be a disciple of Christ. It is however even much better to be a disciple and friend of Jesus at the same time.

In the course of His earthly ministry, Jesus began to develop a more intimate relationship with some of His disciples and he called them friends.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” 

John 15:13-15

A classic example of a friend of Jesus is Lazarus. In John 11:11 Jesus said “……Our friend Lazarus sleepeth….” This level of intimacy was emphasized by John 11:35 which says “Jesus wept.”

The Lord God helped me to develop such an intimate relationship with Him that I began to see Him as my “My Daddy” and not just “Our Father”. This offended some people who wondered why I would be calling God ‘Daddy’. If God is their Father and He happens to be my Daddy, what is the problem? My prayer for you today is that the Holy spirit will assist you to develop a relationship with Him that would give you the boldness to call the Almighty God ‘Daddy’ in the mighty name of Jesus.

To be admitted into the circle of friends of Jesus, you need to fulfil only one condition as set in John 15:14 “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” The moment you begin to walk in obedience to the commandment of God, you have become a friend of Jesus. His commandments are not hard to obey or burdensome to live by. He also promises to give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30).

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please help me to be obedient to Your commandments foever, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Habakkuk 1-3

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 29:  WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS.

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there.

4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised

Thou wilt all our burdens bear;

May we ever, Lord, be bringing

All to Thee in earnest prayer.

Soon in glory bright, unclouded,

There will be no need for prayer—

Rapture, praise, and endless worship

Will be our sweet portion there.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

 Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Move To The Lord's Side

Prayer Points:

1.Thank You, Father, for sending Your son, Jesus, to deliver my soul from imminent destruction in hell fire.

2.Thank You, Jesus, for the precious price You paid, with Your blood to set me free from satanic yokes and bondage to sin.

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

4.Father, uphold me by Your right hand of righteousness, till the end; please, don't allow me to go back to my 'vomit', in Jesus name.

5.Father, please, give me perfect peace and rest from all my troubles and life's challenges, in Jesus name.

6.Father, destroy every yoke and burden of the devil upon my life and destiny; and put upon me Your easy yoke and light burden, in Jesus name.

7.Father, please, put an end to miseries, disappoints, sickness, failure and all vices, in my life and family, in Jesus name.

8.Lord Jesus,  please, take over my entire life, and grant me a new beginning, in all areas of my life, in Jesus name.

9.Father, please, help me to remain on Your side forever, in the mighty name of Jesus.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye; and, do not allow the gates of hell to prevail over his life and ministry, 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 18TH AUGUST 2020.

THEME: MOVE TO THE LORD’S SIDE.

MEMORISE:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mathews 11:28

READ: John 21:1-6

1After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

MESSAGE:

Many Christians tell stories of their lives before they came to Christ, confessing of bondage to various gods, diabolical rituals, sexual immorality, gambling, alcohol, tobacco use, hard drugs and so on. As a result of this, many fell into diverse sins, sicknesses, demonic possession, fruitlessness, failure, bankruptcy and suicide. Job 14:1 says “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.” I prophesy to anyone suffering from any of the above problems: god will show mercy and deliver you today in the mighty name of Jesus.

The Almighty God offers Jesus as a remedy to all problems of life for anyone who will accept Him as Lord and Savior. This is the essence of the declaration of Jesus in Matthew 11:28 & 30 that says:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest….. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This is an open invitation to everyone laboring under the heavy yoke of the devil to move to the right side of life. Jesus says: come unto me and I will give you rest from all you’re your troubles. Come to Jesus today for deliverance from the stronghold of sin, addiction and all forms of immorality. Come to Jesus and He will put an end to your miseries, disappointments and failures. Come to Jesus and He will turn your sorrows to joy.

Moving to the right side of life is yielding your life in totality to God. A lot of people today claim to be born again but after a close look at their live, it will become obvious that one sin or the other is still keeping them away from the Lord’s side.

Why don’t you surrender all to Jesus today? Repent of every sinful lifestyle, accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Embrace a life of holiness and from this moment, the abundant blessings of God will begin to pour into your life without measure in the mighty name of Jesus.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, please help me to remain on Your side forever, in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 24-25

2 Chronicles 36.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 13: I HAVE DECIDE 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. 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.

3. Though none go with me, still I will follow;

Though none go with me, still I will follow;

Though none go with me, still I will follow;

No turning back, no turning back.

4. 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.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?

No turning back, no turning back.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

 Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Monday, August 17, 2020) - 

Rejoicing In Hope 

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 Your love and faithfulness over my life and destiny.

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

3.Father, give me the grace to always rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation and to continue in prayer, without ceasing, in Jesus' name.

4.Father, restore unto me the joy of Your salvation, and turn every seemingly, hopeless situation in my life around for good, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, empower me to always walk by faith and not by sight; please, do not allow my faith to fail me, in times of adversity, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, restore my hope in You and let all Your outstanding promises and blessings, for my life begin to manifest, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, let Your grace be more than sufficient for me, in all areas of my life, and do not let my expectations in You be cut short, in Jesus' name.

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

9.Father, give me the grace to overcome temptations and to endure persecution, that I may receive the crown of life, which You have promised, in Jesus' name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye; arise and scatter every plan of Satan over his life and ministry, 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 17TH AUGUST 2020.

THEME: REJOICING IN HOPE.

MEMORISE:

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. Romans 12:12

READ: Matthew 5:10-12

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

MESSAGE:

Abraham, despite being childless at ninety, kept his hope to be a father of many nations (Romans 4:18). However, many Christians today have lost hope in God’s promises, waiting for their physical manifestation before they believe.

If yo are in the category of Christians described above, ask God today for grace to remain hopeful in His promises for your life.

Abraham for example enjoyed this grace (Romans 4:16) even before Jesus was born and our savior confirmed this when He said: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). The grace was so sufficient that he hoped against all odds and developed faith that earned him friendship with the Almighty God.

Hope is a key element in describing faith (Hebrews 11:1) without which no man can please God (Hebrews 11:6). Hope ensures that we obey His command to always rejoice (1 Thessalonians 5:16) even in the midst of tribulations.

Hope is the assurance that what we desire will come to pass (Romans 8:24). Today’s memory verse also lets us know that through hope, we can develop patience and strength especially in tribulation. It is saddening however, that some Christians lose hope and backslides in the face of trials. This ought not to be.

In today’s Bible reading, Jesus talks about rejoicing as a means of endurance, as well as the blessings attached to enduring persecution. James 1:12 also says:

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

Hope also helps one to tarry for results in the place of prayer. Someone who lacks hope wont pray long before searching for an alternative.

Abraham had faith in God and it was imputed to him for righteousness (Romans 4:17-22). Beloved, are you losing hope already? Please do not, because there is glory ahead of you. Be patient so you can obtain (Colossians 1:27).

ACTION POINT:

Take time to give God intense worship even when it seems difficult to do so. Hope shall rise for your comfort.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 38-40.

Psalm 74, 79

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 3: BE GLAD IN THE LORD AND REJOICE.

1. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,

All ye that are upright in heart;

And ye that have made Him your choice,

Bid sadness and sorrow depart.

o Refrain:

Rejoice, rejoice,

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice;

Rejoice, rejoice,

Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.

2. Be joyful, for He is the Lord

On earth and in Heaven supreme;

He fashions and rules by His word—

The “Mighty” and “Strong” to redeem.

3. What though in the conflict for right

Your enemies almost prevail?

God’s armies, just hid from your sight,

Are more than the foes which assail.

4. Though darkness surround you by day,

Your sky by the night be o’ercast,

Let nothing your spirit dismay,

But trust till the danger is past.

5. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,

His praises proclaiming in song;

Let gratefulness give all a voice,

The loud hallelujahs prolong!

Open Heavens Prayer Points

 Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens: (Sunday, August 16, 2020) - 

Focus On Eternity 

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 giving me the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the powers of the enemies.

2.Thank You, Father, for writing my name in the book of life.

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

4.Father, fill my mind with the thoughts of heaven daily, and let my focus be on eternity and not on the mundane things of this world, in Jesus' name.

5.Father, fill me to the brim with Your Holy Spirit and give me the grace to live above sin, and all the activities of the flesh, in Jesus' name.

6.Father, please, give me the grace to do Your perfect will in this wicked and perverse generation and to fulfill my destiny, in Jesus' name.

7.Father, please, reward me for all my labours in Your vineyard and uphold me till the end by Your right hand of righteousness, in Jesus' name.

8.Father, do not allow me to do anything that would make my name to be erased from the book of life, in Jesus' name.

9.Lord Jesus, when You shall come in Your glory, for the elects, please, let me still be found in You; and, let me not be left behind.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A.Adeboye, and grant him divine health and strength for the remaining journey ahead, 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 16TH AUGUST 2020.

THEME: FOCUS ON ETERNITY.

MEMORISE:

Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. 

Luke 10:20

READ: Luke 10:17-22

17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

MESSAGE:

Jesus, aware that His disciples would be empowered with authority over demons, warned authority over demons, warned them not to fall into the temptation of glorying in their abilities, but rather to rejoice because their names were registered as citizens of heaven (Luke 10:20).

We too have a tendency to forget what is truly important. Heaven has been built and decorated for us—God’s people. It will be hard to fall for Satan’s lies when your mind is filled with thoughts of eternity. How could the devil win any war against an army marching toward its reward in the hereafter? It is amazing how quickly your perspective changes when your heart and mind are set on eternity.

Jesus pointed His disciples toward an eternal perspective when they returned from successful ministry trip. While sharing in their elation, He however pointedly noted that as awesome as their testimonies were, they were to rejoice even more that their names were written in heaven. What a lesson to poplar conference speakers and miracle-working evangelist and pastors!

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works…… And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12, 15

Beloved, God is telling us today that in whatever we do, we must ensure that our names are written in the book of life. To do this is simple: Give your life to Jesus Christ in genuine repentance of your sins. And, if you have given your life to Jesus, leave it with Him. Then and only then can you be sure that your name is duly registered in heaven.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, do not allow me to do what would erase my name from the Book of Life in the mighty name of Jesus.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 35-37.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE 

HYMN 18: MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE.

1. My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Savior 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 Savior, then in love,

Fear and distrust remove;

Oh, bear me safe above,

A ransomed soul!